Southwest Quinoa Salad

1 1/4 cups quinoa, rinsed well and drained
1/3 cup lime juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 can (15 oz.) reduced-sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
1 fresh cob of corn, cooked
1 cup chopped squash
3/4 cup chopped red peppers
2 tablespoons minced red onion
Salt

Preparation

1. In a 2- to 3-quart pan over high heat, bring quinoa and 2 1/2 cups water to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until water is absorbed, 10 to 15 minutes. Rinse to cool; drain well.

2. Meanwhile, in a bowl combine lime juice, oil, beans, corn, squash, red peppers and onion. Mix in quinoa, then season to taste with salt.

3. Comes together nicely while enjoying a glass of vouvray!

The measurements of this are not super important, if you like more of something throw it in, if you like less of something leave it out. It adapts easily, thus the beauty of it!

A Holly Jolly Pink and Purple Christmas Table

My early days of hosting dinner party taught me to take extra time and attention to make a beautiful table setting. It's an essential piece to setting the tone of your evening.

As a college student with a limited budget, which was mostly spent on the food and booze, I ended up rooting around my mom's old holiday decor to find inspiration and mix and match old and new items to create a unique and beautiful evening for my friends.

2008 was my fifth year of hosting a Christmas dinner party for friends. I had already done the traditional red and green, white and gold, blue and silver and any combination of those colors in the previous years. So I went bold with the girly combination of pink and purple, accenting with silver and gold.

I covered the table a basic white table cloth. On top of which I layered a sheer gold fabric to add not only color but texture. I recycled the gold chargers from years before. Topped with a simple white dinner plate with a festive gold and pink detailing. The purple napkins and champagne glasses were a find at a local garage sale the summer before and fit nicely into this holiday party color scheme. I wrapped each napkin with festive garland with clear crystals to enhance the sparkle.

The centerpiece came to me while standing in the holiday aisle at a local craft store. I simple filled a martini glass with different sized and color pink ornaments. Those stood on either side of a cake stand covered in a matching napkin with a recycled silver tree and pink and purple votive holders. To add a bit of whimsy I also used purse name card holders and found a few colorful packages to place around the table.
By simply looking at old things around the house and enhancing with a few new items this Pink and Purple Christmas dinner came together wonderfully. It was a nice change of pace for me and my guest. But my creative use of colors only elevated the bar for future parties.