My First Recipe Post: Linguini With Clam Sauce

I am not Italian. Not even a drop. But you'd never know it by the way I cook! I love pasta, especially spicy pasta recipes, and this recipe fits the bill. This recipe is a rough combination of several red clam sauce recipes I've tried over the years; I definitely add more spices than most recipes call for, so feel free to reduce if you don't like your dinner to bite back. Serve this red clam sauce over a plate of hot linguini and don't forget salad and the bread...oh, and the red wine!

You'll need:
- One pound of uncooked linguini
- Three cans of chopped clams
- One 14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes
- One small can of tomato paste
- Two cloves of fresh garlic
- One tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
- One heaping tablespoon of crushed red pepper (or more to taste)
- One tablespoon each of dried basil, parsley, and oregano
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:
1. Fill a large pot with water and set to boil.
2. Mince the garlic and add it to a deep frying pan with the oil; drain the diced tomatoes and add to the frying pan. Set heat to medium to lightly begin cooking the garlic and softening the tomatoes.
3. Add two cans of clams to frying pan, including clam juice. Drain the third can and add additional clams. Stir and heat through.
4. Add half the can of tomato paste to the frying pan. Stir to incorporate. Add all spices. Continue to heat on medium-low while pasta cooks.
5. Add pasta to boiling water and cook until al dente.
6. Drain pasta. Top with sauce to taste.

These are a few pictures of the finished product - excuse the grainy iPhone quality:

I like a lot of sauce...can you tell :) The other great thing about this dish is that it reheats really well for a nice lunch tomorrow. I can't wait to eat it all over again!

Pretty People Vintage

I have really been hitting the vintage jackpot recently!

When I purchased my last vintage bag in Baltimore, the clerk asked me if I lived in the city. When I told her that I live in Alexandria (Virginia, right outside of DC) she mentioned that a great new vintage shop had opened up in the neighborhood recently. Today I had a chance to check it out - and boy was she right! Pretty People Vintage is fabulous, filled with beautiful scarves, jewelry, bags, clothes. Some is vintage, some modern funky. I scored a beautiful silver vintage bag for my collection and a quirky owl necklace. The best part? Today they were having a buy one get one 50% off sale, so the bag was half off!

I always like it when vintage items have the decade they were produced included on the tag. This bag's vintage is the 1960s. I love imagining that this clutch was taken to a Beatles concert, that it once held 8-tracks or ticket stubs to Jaws and now it gets to live out the next phase of its sparkly life with me. All-in-all, I'd say it was a great purchase!

I finished off my early afternoon outing with my first pumpkin spice latte of the season. What did you do today? 

Five Reasons That Fall is the Best Season of All

1. No more humidity. My hair can't take it.
2. Pumpkin spice lattes. With pumpkin scones.
3. The return of Boardwalk Empire and Mad Men (well, not Mad Men this fall - the fifth season has been delayed this year. No Mad Men until 2012. Boo!)
4. Scarves. Glorious scarves.
5. Dark nail polish. I much prefer the dark cherry and plum tones of fall manicures to the corals and neons of summertime.

What do you love about fall? 

Hey, Lady

I mentioned in my first post that I collect vintage handbags. What I love about this type of collection is that I get to actually use the item, rather than having it sit on a shelf.

I thought I'd share my latest acquisition; I got this last weekend from a street display during Hampdenfest (a super funky, really fun outdoor neighborhood festival) in Baltimore. Hampden is a great neighborhood to look for all things vintage, if you're ever in the area. 

I think this bag is very Joan Holloway, and lady bags are definitely in. I saw a similar bag at Urban Outfitters for $60 - for the record, I paid $15 for this one :)

I'm so excited to take this out for martinis!

Do you collect anything? Tell me all about it!

Welcome!

Welcome to Meredith Makes Her Mark! I'm so pleased that you stopped by my little corner of the Internet to talk about food, fashion, books, movies, and anything else that inspires us   :)

I hope you enjoy reading my blog as much as I enjoy writing it! If you're a curious creature like me, you might be interested in the following five random autobiographical tidbits, listed in no particular order:

1. Meredith isn't my real name. Well, it's not my real first name.
2. I'm in my mid-twenties.
3. Even though I really enjoy cooking, my favorite food is Kraft macaroni and cheese.
4. I collect vintage handbags.
5. I'm crafty, but not artistic.

I hope you'll stop by often!