Did anyone else wake up today in need of some carbs? Yesterday afternoon, fueled by election-related anxiety, I put together one of the most delicious and comforting meals I've ever had at home. I spiralized a white potato into spaghetti-like noodles, which were slow-cooked in a skillet and then topped with beautiful sautéed cremini mushrooms in lots of butter and garlic.

Normally, when I'm really in the mood for pasta I'll just buy a pound of gluten-free penne or something, but lately I've been flirting with the idea of making noodles out of a potato. Zucchini noodles are great and everything but let's face it--sometimes you just need real carbs. You can decide for yourself whether or not white potatoes are Paleo, but in 2014 the Whole30 team did include them in their program. And hey, if it's good enough for Whole30, it's good enough for me.

I thought I'd have to add some coconut cream or even egg yolk to the noodles to create a sauce, but when you cook them in a pan the starches create this really beautiful, creamy sauce--all you need to add is a little water (although I think some broth would be great for adding even more flavor). We added some shaved parmesan before serving, but you don't even need it--it's that good on its own.

This is grain-free comfort food at its finest. I hope you love it as much as Rob and I did.

Ingredients: (serves 2)

• 1 large potato
• 8-10 ounces of mushrooms, sliced
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 4-5 leaves of fresh sage
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 2-3 tablespoons of grass-fed butter
• 1 1/2-2 cups of water or broth 
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Parmesan cheese (optional)

Instructions: 

1. In a large pan, heat olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the sliced mushrooms and stir. Add the garlic. Stir occasionally as you spread the mushrooms out so they're all making even contact with the pan. Allow to cook until browned, about 6-8 minutes. Chop up 3 of the sage leaves and add to the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Stir.
2. Remove the mushrooms and set aside. Spiralize the potato and add it to the pan. Add another tablespoon of butter. Cook for 5-7 minutes and add water or broth to the pan. Reduce heat to medium-low and stir. Season with salt and pepper.
3. To serve, transfer potato noodles into bowls and add the mushrooms on top. Finish with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese, and a garnish of sage, if desired.

I've been on the hunt for some new sunglasses for months now, so when FlashFrames approached me to try out their website, I jumped at the opportunity. It can be so hard to find sunglasses that fit your style and budget that I've given up more times than I'd care to admit. Often I will find a pair that I love, but just can't justify the price tag. That's where FlashFrames comes in.

In a world dominated by Pinterest (and images in general), FlashFrames works so well because all you have to do is upload a photo of glasses you like and they'll take it and search for similar frames at a variety of price points--sometimes they'll even find the exact ones you uploaded! It's super simple and quick to use--they even have a drag and drop function. 

I love the pair they sent me--the light grey/purple is just enough color to push this neutral-loving girl out of her comfort zone a bit, so I decided to go with a super dark purple lip as well. I love fall because it's the perfect time for dark makeup and nails (plus you can wear black every day)!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

What's your advice for making a move as easy as possible? 

Gosh, you'd think I have a good answer to this question after so many moves! My best advice, which unfortunately I don't ever take, is to unpack at once. Get things in their places, break down the boxes, and get organized. On the flip side, I would say take your time packing and plan for it. 

I'm currently having trouble because we unpacked a lot in one sprint but then took a break and now I can't seem to get back to it. I always manage to hide a few boxes in a closet somewhere and forget about them. "Finish unpacking" will probably be on my to-do list for another three or four months. 

What's been the biggest adjustment since getting married?

Rob and I have been married for two and a half years now, can you believe it? We were together for five years before our wedding day, so at the time I didn't think getting married would change things too much. I think the biggest adjustment over the past few years has been truly working as a team through everything we do. Finances and big life decisions like are we ready for a dog? or should we move across the country for this job opportunity? mean so much more to me now because we have to make sure it makes sense for what we want in our future as a family. It's a lot of work sometimes and it takes practice, but it's a pretty incredible thing to have a partner to really share your life with. 

Do you have a goal when it comes to publishing a certain number of blog posts?

My goal has always been to post five days a week, Monday through Friday, and for a long time I was doing that. The past year and a half has been a rough one for me though, and I'm just now starting to get back into the swing of things. Having a sick parent, traveling a lot, moving, writing a book, and then moving again will do that to your routine, I guess.

Sometimes I only post 2-4 times a week, but I'd rather give you one post that I think it worth reading than 5 that I just threw together, so I'm constantly trying to find that balance.

What are five of your favorite things right now?

Mango La Croix, listening to Ophelia by the Lumineers on repeat, taking Ender to the dog park to play with other pups, this candle, this bronzing powder. (Last two are affiliate links.)

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Your turn! Tell me your unpacking advice, marriage transitions, and some of your favorite things right now. I'd also love to hear any questions you might have for future Q+A posts, so leave me a comment or send me an email!

Photo by Oguz Uygur.