Rachel McCarthy, Author at A Blonde's Moment

denim x denim

September 29, 2014 by Rachel McCarthy

Top: Old Navy, sold out but love this | Pants: CAbi | Shoes: J.Crew |Bag: Prada, older style | Bracelets: here, here, here, here | Watch: Burberry | Rings: Nordstrom, Links of London | Sunglasses: Ann Taylor | Lipstick: NARS {Turkish Delight, Madere}

Happy Monday! Hope everyone had a great weekend! It was pretty warm here in DC, and this outfit was perfect for this fall heatwave! Denim on denim is risky. In the past, I have been skeptical of the look, but it is really starting to grow on me. Personally, I like the lighter denim top with the darker denim bottom — it helps that there are some lighter specks of color in these jeans 🙂 I also love how versatile these jeans are! Another one of my favorites from CAbi’s fall collection — I will be wearing these all the time! How do you wear your denim x denim? Let me know in the comments section below 🙂 Have a great week!!

fall must-haves: boot guide

September 26, 2014 by Rachel McCarthy

1. | 2. | 3. | 4. | 5. | 6. | 7. | 8. | 9. | 10. | 11. | 12.

Since it’s officially fall, I am continuing my fall must-have series with my fall boot guide. These are just a few of my favorites from each of the hot styles: booties, over-the-knee, moto and riding. Can you tell I have a thing for black boots?! Although I love them all, number 3 is a must for me…it’s called the Rachel! What is your favorite style of boot this fall? Let me know in the comments section below! Have a fabulous weekend, everyone!

In case you’ve missed it, here is the rest of my fall must-have series 🙂

Part 1: Pumps

Part 2: Jewelry

Part 3: Handbags

Part 4: Workout

roasted fall vegetable pizza

September 25, 2014 by Rachel McCarthy

As I’m sure you know by now, pizza is a weekly staple in our house. And it’s not just regular pizza. I love coming up with new ideas for toppings. Now that fall is in full swing, a whole new section of vegetables are available at the grocery store. Two weeks ago, I made a roasted butternut squash and kale pizza that was absolutely delicious {post here}. This time, I wanted to incorporate the butternut squash again, but add more vegetables — more specifically, fall vegetables. The red onion, carrots and baby potatoes were the perfect combination for this pizza. And there is something SO delicious about adding ricotta to the top of a pizza!! Thanks for reading!

Roasted Fall Vegetable Pizza

{what you will need}

1/2 medium-sized red onion, sliced into bite-sized chunks

1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded & diced

10-15 baby medley potatoes, quartered {I used these}

3-4 carrots, chopped

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 1/2 – 2 tablespoons basil pesto

4 tablespoons ricotta cheese

1 1/2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

Olive oil

Pizza dough

Salt and pepper

{directions}

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a rimmed sheet pan with cooking spray. Place the red onion, butternut squash, potatoes and carrots in a large bowl and toss with 3-4 tablespoons olive oil and salt and pepper. Transfer the vegetable mixture to the baking sheet and spread evenly into one layer. Roast for 30 minutes, turning with a spatula once at the 15 minute mark. To assemble the pizza: spread a thin layer of basil pesto on the pizza dough and place in the oven for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and top with the shredded mozzarella cheese and roasted vegetable mixture. Finish with a few tablespoon dollops of ricotta cheese and top with Parmesan cheese. Bake for about 20 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the cheese begins to melt.

snakeskin

September 24, 2014 by Rachel McCarthy

Top: J.Crew | Pants: CAbi {LOVE these!} | Shoes: Vince Camuto | Ring: David Yurman | Necklace: Sabika {similar here + here} | Watch: Burberry | Bracelet: J.Crew | Bag: Old Navy, sold out but love this

I cannot get enough of these snakeskin jeans! Ever since my mom first showed me the Fall 2014 CAbi Collection {see the full collection here}, I knew I had to have these jeans. Not only are they gorgeous, but they are unbelievably comfortable! These are definitely my favorite jeans for fall. I love pairing them with my new booties {last seen here + here} — and I love how it gives the outfit an edgy vibe 🙂 Do you have a favorite pair of jeans for fall? Tell me in the comments section below! Hope everyone has a fabulous Wednesday and thanks for reading!!

spinach, mushroom + sun-dried tomato quesadillas

September 23, 2014 by Rachel McCarthy

As I mentioned last week {here}, I have really been obsessing over quesadillas as of late. It’s so fun to come up with new and interesting combinations, and I am loving this one! Spinach and mushrooms are always a good combination, but instead of using regular tomatoes {which would be just as good!} I thought I would use sun-dried tomatoes. I don’t use sun-dried tomatoes often {mainly because they are packed in oil} but if you are able to get the majority of the oil off, they add a great kick to any dish! And, instead of the traditional cheddar or mozzarella cheese, I went with goat cheese — an unusual cheese to compliment the sun-dried tomatoes! Happy cooking!

Spinach, Mushroom + Sun-dried Tomato Quesadillas

6 ounces fresh spinach
16 ounces sliced mushrooms {I used baby bella}
8-10 sun-dried tomatoes from a 10 ounce jar, chopped {I used these}
4 ounces goat cheese
4 10-inch flour tortillas
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil
Cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a medium-sized skillet over medium heat; add the mushrooms, stirring occasionally. Cook for about 7 minutes and add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes. Cook for another 3-4 minutes until most of the water from the mushrooms is absorbed. Add the spinach; cook until the spinach begins to wilt and remove from the heat. Leaving the cook top on, place a clean skillet on the same burner you used to cook the mushroom and spinach mixture. Spray the clean skillet with cooking spray. Place one tortilla in the skillet and spread about 1-1 1/2 tablespoons goat cheese over the entire tortilla. Take a spoonful of the spinach and mushroom mixture and place on one half of the tortilla. Once the cheese begins to melt, fold the tortilla in half. Remove the quesadilla and transfer to a cutting board; cut into wedges. Wipe the skillet clean with a paper towel and repeat this process. Keep finished quesadillas in the warm oven on a baking sheet.

laid-back

September 22, 2014 by Rachel McCarthy

Top: Old Navy, sold out but love this | Pants: CAbi, last season {this season here} | Shoes: Target | Necklace: Ann Taylor {similar here}| Bracelets: here, here, here| Watch: Kate Spade| Earrings: Nordstrom| Bag: Old Navy, sold out but love this | Sunglasses: Ray-Ban | Lipstick: NARS {Turkish Delight, Madere} Nail polish: Essie {twin sweater set}

Happy Monday! What a crazy, busy weekend we have had! After a successful race and tennis tournament, it’s back to reality. After such a hectic weekend, it feels great to wear something relaxed and comfortable. This is my go-to, laid-back look: a cozy chambray with leather leggings and flats. You can’t beat this look! And throwing your hair up in a bun is the definition of laid back in my book! Hope everyone has a fabulous week!

fall workout must-haves

September 19, 2014 by Rachel McCarthy

1. | 2. | 3. | 4. | 5. | 6. | 7. | 8. | 9.

Happy Friday, everyone! We have quite the busy weekend ahead of us – my husband and I are running in a race on the airport runway Saturday morning and the charity tennis tournament I have been working on for months {and playing in!} is Saturday and Sunday! With all the running and fitness-related activities we have this weekend, I thought it would be fitting to continue my fall must-have series with workout clothing. In all reality, I probably spend more time in workout clothes than regular clothes, so this is especially fun for me 🙂 I love all the purples and pinks I have been seeing for fall. And of course, I love the blue CAbi workout tights — you will be seeing a future post on these for sure 🙂 And with my love for all things animal print, how fabulous are these Nike shoes?! I hope everyone has a fun and fabulous weekend! Thanks for stopping by!

P.S. Here are the links to my other fall must-have posts in case you’ve missed them 🙂

Part 1: Pumps

Part 2: Jewelry

Part 3: Handbags

sweet potato, kale + black bean quesadillas

September 18, 2014 by Rachel McCarthy

We love Mexican food in our house. And I love experimenting with different kinds of tacos and quesadillas. If you haven’t noticed, I’m really obsessed with fall, {see more of favorite fall recipes here & here} and these quesadillas make the perfect weeknight fall meal. I love the combination of kale and sweet potatoes, it’s so delicious and so healthy! I added the black beans to give it a little Mexican flare {and for extra protein!} and I think it worked perfectly! I’ve really been on a quesadilla kick lately, so stay tuned for more twists on the quesadilla!

Sweet Potato, Kale + Black Bean Quesadillas

2 sweet potatoes, peeled & chopped into chunks

1 1/2 – 2 cups kale, de-stemmed

1 15.5-ounce can black beans, drained & rinsed

2-3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

4 10-inch flour tortillas

Salt and pepper to taste

Olive oil

Cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Heat a few tablespoons olive oil in a medium-sized skillet over medium heat; add the sweet potatoes. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes or until the sweet potatoes begin to brown. Add the kale to the skillet, season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 3 minutes, or until the kale begins to wilt. Add the black beans and cook for another 1-2 minutes, just to heat the beans. Transfer the sweet potato mixture to a large bowl. Leaving the cook top on, place a clean skillet on the same burner you used to cook the sweet potato mixture. Spray the clean skillet with cooking spray. Place one tortilla in the skillet and spread a layer of the mozzarella cheese over the entire tortilla. Take a spoonful of the sweet potato mixture and place on one half of the tortilla. Once the cheese begins to melt, fold the tortilla in half. Remove the quesadilla and transfer to a cutting board; cut into wedges. Wipe the skillet clean with a paper towel and repeat this process. Keep finished quesadillas in the warm oven on a baking sheet.

edgy pearls

September 17, 2014 by Rachel McCarthy

Dress: J.Crew {now at J.Crew Factory, here!} | Bag: Chanel, similar here | Shoes: Vince Camuto | Bracelets: J.Crew, Kate Spade {love this} | Ring: Nordstrom | Earrings: Mikimoto {similar here} | Necklace: Ann Taylor, no longer available {similar here} | Sunglasses: Ann Taylor | Lipstick: YSL {No. 7, Le Fuchsia}

Today I am highlighting two of my favorite things: this 2-year old J.Crew dress {that is now at J.Crew Factory!} and my new Vince Camuto booties {last seen here}. This dress has long been an obsession of mine, mainly because it’s so versatile. I love that I can wear it to work with more conservative jewelry or go for a more edgy look like I did here 🙂 It’s also great because this dress can literally be worn all year round…in the summer with sandals, in the spring with flats, in the fall with booties and even in the winter with boots and a sweater! It’s safe to say that I got my money out of this dress…now that it’s at J.Crew Factory, I should probably buy a spare to have on hand 🙂 As always, thanks for reading!

hot salad

September 16, 2014 by Rachel McCarthy

This is one of my go-to, favorite weeknight meals. It is so simple yet so fabulous! The best part of this salad {besides the easy clean-up!} is the way the hot vegetables melt the goat cheese and avocado to create the most creamy, delicious salad. There are so many possibilities for a variation to this salad – use different kinds of peppers or even switch out the yellow onion for a red onion. It’s a healthy meal for any night of the week!!

Hot Salad

1 yellow onion, thinly sliced

1 green pepper, thinly sliced

1 avocado, peeled and sliced into chunks

1 bag {5 ounces} spring mix

3-4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

Dressing to garnish salad {I used this Green Goddess dressing, but any vinaigrette will work!}

Olive Oil

Salt and pepper

Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a medium-sized skillet. Sauté onion and pepper until soft and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Meanwhile, assemble the rest of the salad: place lettuce, avocado and goat cheese in a large salad bowl. Once the onion and pepper are finished cooking, spoon the mixture over the salad. Toss with your dressing and serve.