Happy weekend you guys, we made it! It's been a really long time since I shared links with you on a Friday, but as usual I've been saving some to post. Hope you enjoy!

To Read:

• An interesting cultural piece that I embarrassingly enough related to a lot: Tell-Tale Signs of the Modern-Day Yuppie.
• Trauma Workers Find Solace In A Pause That Honors Life After a Death. Sometimes the smallest moments can mean so much. Several of my good friends have gone through UVA for their medical education and I'm so proud of all of them.
• Speaking of friends I'm proud of (and NPR), can we all take a second to listen to this story by my awesome journalist friend Desiré? It was so surreal to listen to her voice on my computer!
• Your Child Should Never Be Forced to Hug Anyone--I was so into this. I'm obviously not a parent and I can't really remember a time that I didn't want to hug a friend or family member, but lately I've been dealing with this really weird situation:
  • Since getting our dog, I've sort of befriended two middle-aged men who work near my apartment. We exchange pleasantries and they pet Ender and over the past few months we've become friendly acquaintances, but now they always want to hug me when they see me and it freaks me out! I usually just give them an awkward one-armed pat on the back, and it reminded me of a scene from Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt in which Matt Lauer says "I'm always amazed by what women will do because they're afraid of being rude." Anyway, it's all just food for thought and definitely something I will think about when I have kids. We shouldn't ever feel weird about not wanting to hug someone. 

To Watch/See:

• This poster is HIV-positive. What a brilliant and moving campaign.
• I laughed so hard at this video. I'm a big fan of fall but Matt Bellassai makes some compelling arguments.
• What a gorgeous (nude--NSFW) photo of an inspiring and beautiful woman. Life goes on, indeed!
• I think this song is the cutest and I'm obsessed with Pentatonix so obviously I loved everything about this version.

Wish List: 

• This cozy vest.
• A watch with a leather band like this one.
• This hat.
• These sweatpants that I would most likely wear every day.

PS I'm working on a sponsored campaign with Ragu and would love for you to learn more by checking out their landing page here! I appreciate your support as I continue to work with brands.

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After a crazy few weeks, I'm looking forward to a relaxing weekend at home. What fun plans do you have for this long weekend?

I've had this dress for something like eight years, and every time I see it hanging in my closet I wonder if I should get rid of it. But every time I put it on I fall in love with it all over again. Sometimes I layer it over a long-sleeved top, but it's actually kind of perfect for this time of year, when we're all freaking out about all things autumn but it's still 78 degrees every afternoon.

Dress: Tulle | Boots (similar): ShoeMint | Necklace: J.Crew

Photos by Andi Perullo for Freckled Italian.

For as long as I can remember, I've identified as someone who loves food. My mom was always cooking something delicious when I was a kid, and her dad was always doing the same while she was growing up. We were big pasta eaters, too--everything was served with or on pasta. 

Having an Italian mom from Argentina meant a lot to me--we drink yerba mate every morning when we're together and cooking has always been a favorite family pastime. And carbs! Who doesn't love pasta? I certainly do, which made it really tough for me to realize that I was gluten intolerant a few years ago. I started swapping out gluten and grains and dairy and sugar and was feeling a lot better, even if I missed our old traditions (pasta with pesto and arroz con leche to name a couple). But I soon learned that it's not necessarily what you're eating that makes food special--it's who you're sharing it with.

And we came up with some new favorites--this Paleo Pizza Chicken is one of them.

Ingredients: 

• 1.5 pounds of chicken (you can use thighs or breasts--I like thighs with skin on)
• About 3 ounces of pepperoni
• 1/2 onion, diced
• About 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1-2 cloves of fresh garlic, chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• About 15 ounces of Traditional Ragu pasta sauce
• 2-4 tablespoons of black olives (optional)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Fresh parsley for garnish

Instructions:

1. In a large pan or skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and diced onions and saute for 3-5 minutes.
2. Slice or cut up the pepperoni and add to the pan, along with some of the olives (save a few to top the dish when it's done).
3. Place the chicken in the pan and brown well on one side. Flip it over and cover with some tomato sauce. Season with oregano, salt, and pepper.
4. Turn the heat to low and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until cooked through (time will depend on the thickness of the chicken).
5. Serve hot with a side of veggies--I love roasted Brussels sprouts!

Thank you to Ragu for sponsoring today's post and inspiring me to pass on my family traditions!