Thinking Outside of the Box

A growing trend in kitchen design these days seems to be anything but granite counter tops. More and more, people are trying to be cooler than the next kid by choosing an alternative solid surface to granite for their kitchen counter tops. One go to choice has been quartz... similar gradients to granite, durable, sounds cool etc etc. However, quartz can be porous and thus a lighter color can stain. Picture marinara sauce all over your white quartz counter tops. Yuck. So what else is out there in terms of counter top materials? How about this surface material that certainly makes a statement: ThinkGlass. Yes please.

Talk about mixing art with functionality. You can choose the texture, thickness, color, edging, and there is even....wait for it...LED compatibility. Oh your kitchen counter illuminates? NBD. With various styles + colors, you can go from subtle to outrageous just with your counter top. fantastic. 

Here is the crystal color featured with LEDs. Glowing. 

ThinkGlass counter tops are not just limited to the kitchen. You can use this material for the bathroom, back splashes, outdoor kitchens, and/or a sweet bar. 

unique edging adds just the right amount of wow to this spa-like bath

ok. I'm obsessed. 

(Semi) Wordless Wednesdays

Flower Arrangements Done Different: Unusual but fun and certainly inspiring from Fresh Home

Sunday Dinner + A Big Decision

Every Sunday, we have a family dinner. Usually, we go over to my parent's house to enjoy my mother's home cooking. But this weekend, my father was out of town (which always means in Vegas) so C and I hosted family dinner at our place. C took over the kitchen/ grill to make very summery and very delish kabobs. This summer has been so rainy and, because the sky was a nice evil straight out of the last two Harry Potter movies gray black, I thought our hopes of using the grill were slim. However, the evil rain stayed away (yay!) and we were able to use the grill. The nice thing about kabobs is you can basically kabob anything. If you can stick it on a skewer, you are good to go. We did chicken + steak as the meat accessorized with zucchini, 'shrooms, onions, and red peppers. The key to kabobs is to pick a great marinade and give the meat (and veggies if you want) time to sit and soak up the flavor- at least 30 minutes. C let the chicken and steak sit in the marinade for about 3 hrs in the fridge. C made sure to check on the meat periodically and rotate it in the marinade. This ensures full marinade coverage. Also, meat should be at room temp before grilling. Be careful: seafood should only be marinated for about 15-20 minutes. Any longer and the seafood's acidity will actually start to "cook" the fish.

Tangy Marinades 

(for kabobs and anything else you want to slap on the grill).

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup grainy mustard
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons basil

I made a blueberry pie for dessert. The newest issue of Food Network magazine had just arrived and there were about eight pies recipes in it that I wanted to try. I ended up using the crust portion of one of the recipes and kinda coming up with my own filling. (Note: Do yourself (but not your physique) a favor and check out Food network's best of pies index. pie-tastic.)

Sunday Dinner Blueberry Pie 

Ingredients: 


For the crust: 

• 1 stick salted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the pan
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 large egg, plus 1 egg yolk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup almond flour
• Grated zest of 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch of ground cloves (Note: I skipped this....)

For the filling: 

• 6 cups blueberries (I used frozen ones from last years pickings....I let them defrost in a bowl for a few hours)
• 1 cup sugar 
• 1 cup mixed berry sugar free jam like Wegman's Triple Fruit Sugar Free Raspberry, Wild Blueberry, and Blackberry Jam
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch 
• 1 tsp (or more) lemon juice 
• A dash of cinnamon

Directions: 

• Preheat over at 400 degrees
• To make crust:  Butter a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Cream the butter and sugar in a bowl with a mixer on medium speed. Add the whole egg, then the vanilla. Whisk the all-purpose flour, almond flour, lemon zest, cinnamon and cloves in a bowl. With the mixer on medium speed, gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Reduce the mixer speed to low and mix in up to 1 tablespoon water until the dough just comes together. Wrap two-thirds of the dough in plastic wrap, then wrap the remaining one-third in plastic wrap. Refrigerate both for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, to make filling: Heat large saucepan on medium high and add blueberries. Stir as blueberries start to soften - about 3 to 5 minutes. Add sugar, jam, lemon juice, and cinnamon. Continue to stir and bring to a slight boil. Turn down heat, add cornstarch and stir well. Bring mixture to a simmer and continue to stir while mixture thickens. (Note: you may want to add more cornstarch depending upon how thick you want your filling. I have a family that likes what I call...runny pies.) Remove from heat. 
• Put the larger piece of dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper and roll it out into an 11-inch round. Remove the top sheet of parchment paper and invert the dough into the prepared tart pan; peel off the other sheet of parchment paper and trim the excess dough. 
• Spread the filling evenly on the crust. 
• Roll out the remaining dough to about 1/4 inch thick and cut it into 1/2- to 1-inch-wide strips (10 to 14 strips). Arrange the strips in a lattice pattern on top of the filling. (Note: I'm not coordinated enough to do a true lattice pattern (over under under over).) Beat the egg yolk with 1 tablespoon water and brush on the lattice and edge of the crust. Bake until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbly, about 30 minutes. Let cool completely.

The Scene: Sunday Dinner

So now that all the food stuff is out of the way....on to my big news. This past weekend I decided to run a marathon!  I think being able to run 26.2 miles is an amazing accomplishment. It's one of those things on my bucket list (although C tells me to stop saying that because it sounds morbid....don't you go dying on me!) and I feel like this is the right time in my life to try and check it off the list. After looking at various training programs and accessing where I'm at as a runner,  I signed up to run the Harrisburg Marathon on November 13th 2011.  I'll try to keep you guys updated on the highs and lows of this journey. My main goal is to finish the marathon - alive, kicking and breathing. Any advice/ input from you runners out there is much appreciated (I've already gotten some on the importance of proper socks.) Side thought: Now if this doesn't get me into wedding dress shape, I don't know what will.

ps- shout out to the Prossers - got your note. Love you guys and love that you love my blog.

More Striving For Five

So as previously mentioned, C and I strive to eat at least 5 daily servings of fruits and veggies. In order to accomplish this, we need to have lots of fresh options on hand. Sometimes I go overboard at Wegmans and get a few to many options. When that happens, fruits + veggies go to waste because I haven't stored them properly and/or they've been sitting around for too long. I recently stumbled upon this article at Divine Caroline about extending the life of fruits + veggies through proper storage. MAZEL! 


What to Store Where: A Handy Chart 


Use this color-coded key along with the chart below:
*More about Ethylene: Fruits and vegetables give off an odorless, harmless, and tasteless gas called ethylene after they’re picked. All fruits and vegetables produce it, but some foods produce it in greater quantities. When ethylene-producing foods are kept in close proximity with ethylene-sensitive foods, especially in a confined space (like a bag or drawer), the gas will speed up the ripening process of the other produce. Use this to your advantage if you want to speed up the ripening process of an unripe fruit, for example, by putting an apple in a bag with an unripe avocado. But if you want your already-ripe foods to last longer, remember to keep them away from ethylene-producing foods, as designated in the chart on the last page. 

I printed this chart out (no joke I did) and stuck it on the side of my fridge. Please call me the Storage Queen. 


ps- Yesterday was my birthday and we had a fantastic birthday dinner at Acqua formally known as Harry's Harbor. I plan to blog all about it soon. 

Wordless Wednesdays

Summer Bucket List

Summertime = Ice Cream

It's officially the first week of summer (also my birthday week) And as C studies to become a real Jack McCoy (my terminology for studying for the New York State Bar) I find myself with loads of "me" time this summer. Note: C is complaining about my 3 birthday dinners he has to attend this week. dismazel. Moving along....I thought I'd share what I plan to/ or want to do with my "me" time this summer. 

(1) Book the entertainment for my wedding

Undecided between a DJ and a live band. I feel like there are pros and cons to both. I love the sound/feel of live music but a DJ seems so much....dare I say easier. One thing we've decided on fo' sure: karaoke. Yes, Cher will be there.

(2) Go on a wine tour(s)

I'm lucky enough to live in an area surrounded by some amazing wineries. The Niagara and Chautauqua regions produce some fantastic wines. One of my favorite wineries in Chautauqua county is Merrit. They have some sweet wines that are just like grape juice. what can I say? I'm a kid at heart. FYI: Merrit is partcipating in the Taste of Buffalo again this year! 

(3) finishing decorating my office/ guest bedroom 

Right now C has taken over this room as his ultimate studying domain. I'm not allowed in there which is fine because just looking at the tornado landing of papers and do-dads makes me go "AHHHH!" But as soon as July 27th rolls on through, I'm re-invading the space. Prior to the Jack McCoy days, my mom and I painted the room a calm and pretty blue. The layout of the room isn't set yet because the room's shape is somewhat odd. I'll figure it out. I know I will. I'm currently looking for window treatments and wall art. etsy is that you??

(4) Flea Market-ing + Farmer's Market-ing

Last week I visited the Clarence Flea Market for the first time in a long time. We use to go as a family almost every sunday when I was a little girl. I remember searching for books and games. This time around my quest was a little more grown up: pretty glass cake stands and picture frames. I found one gorgeous stand, a silver serving fork in desperate need of polish, and a cool soup ladle (also in need of some TLC). But no picture frames for my liking. oh well. I promise to return many sundays this season. And the quest will continue.... 

Also, there are tons of farmer's markets in the area. There is one super close to me in Lancaster. Gotta wanna need to go asap. 

(5) Attend the Buffalo Garden Walk (and be amazed)

(6) bake homemade poptarts ....and not feel guilty about it. 

recipe and mouth-watering pic from smitten kitchen

Can you imagine?? Homemade poptarts. ridic. 

Pizza + Ice Cream: The Ultimate Dad Dinner

Mom is out of town/having a girls night/personally checked out for the evening. Dad is in charge. Yikes. Time for pizza delivery. And to top it off....ice cream for dessert. Massive amounts of ice cream. Enough to make you sick and beg for Mom to come home and cuddle the stomach ache away. Does this sound familiar? Maybe, maybe not. But this scenario was certainly one of the many highlights of my childhood and my Dad memories. So this Father's Day, I decided to honor this memory and create my own version of pizza and ice cream.

The Pizza: An Appiteaser. 

One of my fav go-to appetizers is mini pizzas. I think the precise scientific number of pizza topping combinations is a gazillion. This means you can make even the pickiest of eaters happy with a yummy pizza-tizer. For example, 90% of my father's diet is meat, cheese, and potato. The other 10% is whipped cream and diet coke. No, I didn't default to the over-done combo of pepperoni, red sauce, and shredded mozzarella. How about: Canadian bacon, asiago + parm, green olives,and mushroom? He loved it. so did the Garbage Disposal (the loving name I've given my abnormally growing younger brother ....natural body building he calls it...) The nice thing about making pizzas this way is you can go half-sies (or third-sies or fourth-sies) and have  totally different pizzas to serve up. So here we also have The Flipside: zucchini, mushroom, asiago, and basil.

PizzaTizers 

• 1 bag pizza dough 
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil 
• Garlic Salt 
• Pepper 
• Whatever toppings you want! or in this case....
• 1 cooking onion, diced
• 1 zucchini sliced 
• 8 oz mushrooms sliced 
• 2 to 3 pieces of Canadian bacon torn in bite size pieces 
• 12 oz Asiago cheese and parmigiana mixture (Wegman's sells this mixture in their cheese shoppe....not sure where else it would be readily available but you can certainly make your own) 
• 1 1/2 tsp basil 

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.* 
•  Take dough out of wrapping a roll out with rolling pin onto a thin baking sheet. I like my crust fairly thing so I roll the dough out very thing (about half an inch thick) (Note: When working with doughs like this, the less you touch the dough the better....it can get tough w/ excessive touching). Pinch/ roll sides in a bit to create an raised edge crust. 
• Brush dough all over with extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with garlic salt and pepper. 
• Scatter onion all over. 
• Scatter cheese!
• Place other assorted toppings on pizza 
• Place in oven and bake for 30 mins or until golden brown and cheese has completed melted. or if you like 'em crispy....bake longer!* (Note: I used the convection oven so if using a traditional oven you may have to adjust the time/temp. Usually, you can keep the oven at 400 but may have to bake pizza for a longer amount of time) 
• Remove from oven and let cool before cutting. Slice into smaller appetizer size pieces. 

The Story Behind Ice Cream Sandwiches: One of my earliest memories of my father involves ice cream sandwiches. When I was little, my father would stop at the corner gas station on his way home from work and pick up Nestle Ice Cream Sandwiches. He would get one for me and one for himself....to share with the cat. Yes, that's right. My father use to share his ice cream sandwich with the cat. He would lay on the couch and start licking the ice cream portion of the sandwich (the only proper way to enjoy an ice cream sandwich, says he). The cat would then join him in enjoying the delish treat....by licking the other side. Not to totally gross everyone out - my father would then appropriately cut off that portion of the ice cream sandwich. still. weird. cute. for cat people. Anyway, I attempted to recreate the memory here.

Mini-Chocolate Chip + M&M Ice Cream Sandwiches 

(adapted from Martha) 

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat baking flour 
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt 
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter - room temp 
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar packed 
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar 
• 1/4 cup sour cream (I used low-fat) 
• 1 large egg 
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract 
• 1 cup mini baking m&ms 
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
• 1 pint vanilla ice cream (I used Edy's Slow Churn Low Fat) 

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350. In medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Using electric/ stand mixer, beat butter and sugars until light + fluffy. Add sour cream, egg, and vanilla. Beat until smooth. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture. Mix in m&ms. 
• Using 1 rounded tablespoon per cookie, drop mounds of dough (about 1 1/2 inches apart) onto two baking sheets. (Make sure you have an even number of cookies) Bake until golden brown - 10 to 12 mins. Transfer to cool rack and let cool. 
• Scatter chocolate chips onto a plate. Place about 2 tablespoons (I think a little more is better...) of ice cream btwn two cookies - bottoms facing in - and press gently together. Now foe my fav part!: roll the sides of each sandwich in the chips. Serve or wrap individually in plastic and freeze. 

Note: These can stay in the freezer wrapped up for about two weeks!

Striving For Five

Currently, C and I are trying to strive for 5 daily servings of fruits and veggies. We are accomplishing this in various ways (i.e. banana in cereal, fruity smoothies, snacks of carrots and hummus....). One easy way to add more veggies to your diet is sneak them in a pasta dish. For some reason, in my mind, pasta is a cold weather food. Which means, when one lives in Buffalo NY, you can eat pasta about 364 days a year (Warning warning warning inside Buffaloian only joke: we have two seasons - winter and the 4th of July.Haaaaa). All joking aside, we occasionally get some warm weather here in the summer months. Usually, when this happens, I like to seize the moment and take the opportunity to grill outside. But I love carbs and pasta and soon my body begins to crave oodles of noodles. When this happened one night recently, I came up with this super easy and fresh pasta creation. Feel free to switch in and out whatever veggies you may have fresh from the garden or store. Got someone in your family who suffers from spinachphobia? I hear ya. C doesn't like the super-good-for-you green either. But I promised him that he wouldn't be able to taste it and he would actually ENJOY it. As usual, I was right.

Striving for Five Summer Pasta

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg whole wheat pasta (my favs are angel hair or penne) 
• a splash of extra virgin olive oil 
• half of a cooking onion (or more if you like) - diced
• 1 10oz package mushrooms  
• 1 1/2 cups fresh spinach
• 1 Tbsp garlic salt 
• 1 Tbsp basil 
• black pepper to taste 
• 1 jar or about 24oz (of your favorite marinara pasta sauce (I use Wegman's Organic Marinara)
• Parmigiano cheese - shredded 

Directions: 

• Bring large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until tender. Drain and set aside. 
• In a separate saucepan, heat up a little splash of extra virgin olive oil (medium heat). Add onion, cook about 3 minutes. 
• Add fresh spinach and mushrooms. Stir occasionally. Cook until spinach begins to wilt. 
• Add sauce to spinach and mushrooms. Stir until evenly combined. Heat until sauce begins to bubbly slightly. 
• Add drained pasta to sauce mixture and coat pasta evenly. 
• Serve hot and sprinkle with Parmigiano cheese.  

* I apologize for the lack of pictures. I took a pic of this yummy creation but have seemed to misplace the ipad camera connector. I will find it. promise. *

Obsessed With...

The Wave

Water pressure lighting. First off, no shower is complete without some sort of rain shower shower head. If you don't have one, you are missing out. Imagine life without ice cream. That is the equivalent to life without a rain shower shower head. With that said, there is almost something just as cool. Introducing Water Pressure Chandeliers -a stylish LED lighting system designed specifically for illuminating a watery environment. Designs feature Swarovski Crystals upon bodies of crafted metal suspended from micro-stainless steel thread emulating a cool transparent effect. 

Lather Up model hanging beautiful in this crisp dreamy bathroom

I'm picturing my dream master bath with one of these totes awesome fixtures already.

For more details/info: 2011 Catalog

Half-Priced Wine Night

I know it's Wednesday. But this Wednesday will not be wordless. Instead, this Wednesday is wordy and about wine. Back during what I like to refer to as The Good Old Days (TGOD) circa 2002-2006 or COLLEGE, a select group of us (I only use the word select to sound cool....the only requirement to be in the group was a passion for drinking copious amounts of cheap wine) use to go out on Wednesday nights to a restaurant known as the The 4th Street Filling Station to participate in its half-priced wine night. I'm sure most patrons welcomed the extra cash in their pockets that would come with enjoying a deeply discounted bottle of wine. Us college kids, on the other hand, interpreted the promo as encouragement to only drink even more inappropriately.

Anyway, this post is not about poor college decisions (although part of me wishes is was because reliving TGOD is one of my most favorite activities. That and whining about the impending arrival of my late 20s.) This post is instead about wine fridges. The opening paragraph is relevant to this post because half-priced wine night back in TGOD era was undoubtedly the beginning of my love affair with wine. As all wine affecionadas know, a good wine fridge is a must. Now, while most of us would love a huge temperature controlled walk-in wine cellar, such accommodations are not practical for the average homeowner. Solution: under-counter and/or free standing wine storage units! When I was designing the kitchen in my townhouse last year, I made sure a free standing wine cellar was included. For the topic of this post, I decided to review some of the wine fridges out there on the market and highlight some available features.

The Wedding Registry Must-Have: Caso Touch Wine Cellar
Available at: Williams -Sonoma
Price: $379.95 for the 12 bottle; $479.95 for the 21 bottle capacity

The 21 bottle capacity model features two separate compartments for precise wine storage

This particular unit comes in two capacity sizes - 12 or 21 bottles - and the temperature can be controlled with the door closed! The touch controls are integrated on the outside of the door allowing for optimal functionality. The larger capacity model features two separate compartments with respective controls.

Features:

• Advanced thermoelectric cooling technology efficiently chills wines down to 20 degrees below the ambient temperature
• Dual storage compartments feature zone cooling to keep red and white wines at their optimal temperatures
• Door made of insulated glass with UV filter.
• Extremely quiet, with minimal vibrations.

Biggest Bang for the Buck: Frigidaire 38 Bottle Two Zone Wine Cooler (Model# FFWC38F6LS)
Available at: www.orvilles.com
Price: $479.00

Dual temperature zones allow for optimal storage of both white and red wines - how lovely!

This is the exact wine fridge that I have in my home. Overall, I'm extremely happy with it. I think you get a lot for your money. The dual temperature zones are precise and accurate. There is no condensation issue. The shelves are removable which is great for cleaning purposes. Plus, the shelving is truly level allowing for optimal bottle storage position.

Note, this is a stand alone unit (like the Caso) and it is not meant to be built in under a counter. First, it is too tall to fit under a conventional counter. Second, like all refridgeration units, it emits a certain amount of heat - specifically from the front of the unit as it is designed to but, also from its sides. Therefore, if this unit is installed improperly in a counter configuration it may not properly vent and overheat. This overheating can result in failure to the unit, damage to counter/ cabinets/ surrounding other appliances and electronics/ flooring etc etc. In other words, select your wine fridge according to your needs and desires. Please, please, please -If you want to create a built-in look, buy a unit that is designed to be built in.

Features:

• dual temperature zones for separate red and white wine storage with touch controls 
• natural wood shelves 
• bright LED lighting 
• reversible door 

For the Coolest Kids on the Block: Jenn-Air Under-Counter Wine Cellar (Model #JUW248RWRS/ JUW248LWRS)
Available at: www.orvilles.com
Price: $1499- $1599 (call authorized dealer for current and most accurate pricing)

A close up view - look at all those neatly stored bottles!

As far as premium brands go, I'm a huge Jenn-Air fan. Jenn-Air is Whirlpool Corps premium line full of stylish and luxurious products. Jenn-Air is marketed as a luxury brand for the dinner party host/entertainer, new school yuppies, and trendy retirees. The wine fridge is made to be mounted under the counter and must be order according to its hinge - i.e. left swing or right swing. In other words, the door is not reversible. So, when designing your dream bar, make note of the placement of the fridge and which way you want it to open. This model comes with a stainless steel frame or panel ready. Panel ready means you can use the same material as your cabinets to make a panel that will fit onto the wine fridge. Totes chic. My favorite feature of this particular fridge is the roll our racks. Any feature/benefit that makes drink wine easier = mazel.

Features:

• LED temperature display 
• 5 Roll-Out Racks
• Dual zone temperature system 
• UV- filtering glass door

The Professional: Viking Professional Under-Counter Wine Cabinet  (Model # DUWC1441CR/ DUWC1441CL)
Available at: www.orvilles.com
Price: around $2999 (call authorized dealer for most accurate and current pricing)

Ok, I'm going to say it....I think Viking, as a brand, is overrated. That's right I just said it. Now, I don't mean to say that Viking makes crappy products. I just think their appliances are expensive and I'm not always sure they are worth the money. With that said, Viking does make a pretty nice wine fridge. Like the above Jenn-Air model, this unit is made to order with a left or right swing. Also, the fridge comes in stainless steel or panel ready.

Features:

• six wire shelves 
• Easy-to-use touchpad with LED digital temperature readout, allows for instant adjustment and control, then tucks away, smartly, out of sight.
• Keep your wine protected and out of reach from others with the protection of a keyed door lock .
• Glass doors that reflects radiation rather than absorbing it, thus lowering the total heat flow

Obviously, these are not the only wine fridges out there on the market - these are just the few that I chose to write on. Regardless of which style/brand/model you go with, I think the two most important features to look for in a wine fridge are (1) the dual temperature zones (unless you stick with Team Red or Team White always and forever) and (2) the UV-filtered glass door IF you plan on keeping the fridge in a room with windows (aka NOT your basement or window-less pantry). And as always, these are my opinions - take 'em or leave 'em.



*Disclaimer: With regards to where you can purchase these wine fridges,  I am of course biased in promoting my family's business -Orville's Appliances. However, if you are looking to purchase from somewhere in your area, please visit the manufacturer's website for authorized dealers in your area. As always, please support the independent dealers! *

Obsessed With...

Is this not maybe the coolest picture/ idea ever? This flag pizza extravaganza comes via the blog Tiny Urban Kitchen (the 2010 winner of Food Buzz's Project Blog) where she created these pizzas to represent the flags of all the countries she recently visited. My personal fav: Canada. Being only 15 minutes from Canada, I'm a softy for most things Canadian (aka Tim Hortons, the Canadian national anthem, and hockey). This Canadian flag is even topped with maple syrup! Please read the post and learn all about the author's travels and pizza creations!

Skinny Girl Guac

So I've already mentioned my love for all things Bethenny Frankel. Now it's time for me to rave about her recipes. Her Mock-A-Mole sounded too good to be true. Healthy guac? get out of town. But if anyone could make this snacking favorite good for you, I knew the Skinny Girl could do it. At the beginning of May, two of my favorites ladies from law school came to visit me and C in Buffalo. I hosted a small dinner gathering the night they arrived and decided to make the skinny guac for the occasion. I was very happy with the results and I think my guests were too. Personally, I liked this one even more than regular guac. Ahhh Bethenny and your cheating snack food. huge mazel. Up next, I think I'm trying Bethenny's Vegan Banana Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies. 

Bethenny Frankel's Skinny Girl Mock-A-Mole 

Ingredients

-------------

1 avacado - pitted, peeled, and mashed 

1 cup cooked green peas mashed (Note: I used frozen ones and steamed them as directed on the packaging)

1/4 cup chopped tomatoes 

3/4 tsp Tabasco sauce (Note: I of course used Frank's Red Hot....but that's a Buffalo thaaannng)

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro 

1 tablespoon chopped red onion 

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley 

2 tsp lime juice 

1 tsp Worscestershire Sauce 

1 tsp garlic salt

1/2 tsp black pepper ( or, I say, a littler more if you prefer) 

Directions

--------------

Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl and blend with an immersion blender until smooth. Serve with tortilla chips, whole grain crackers, raw veggies, or whatever you like! YUM!

Dinner party! See the guac on the table??

ps- Check out Bethenny's most recent article "Skinny Up Your Summer" which is full of tips on how to have fun and eat healthy during the summer months. 

Playful Patterns

In my opinion, nothing says summer like clothes made up of beautiful bright and playful patterns. Those who know me, know that I love patterns and wear them often no matter the time of year. But for some reason, I get extra excited when I see a pattern in a shocking pink or citrus shade. Maybe it's a phase. I hope not. Here are some of my recent favs that I've spotted.

(Tiburon Blouse $88.00, Anthropologie, -this breezy blouse is totes adorable with what look like watercolored fish!)

(Ikat Dress $148.00, J.Crew- the color- Cinnamon Spice- ridic chic.)

Greek Key Duvet Cover and Shams $24.00-$119.00, West Elm - ok, not wearbale but still loving this pattern and if it were a dress or pair of shorts, I'd totally rock it.) ....ps - might be purchasing this for my guest bedroom really soon 

Nautical Stripe 50s Sundress $72.00, TopShop - umm stripes are so cute and the style of this dress is so feminine it hurts. pair with a pair of nude pumps or sandals. mazel. 

Polka Dot Shorts $58.00, Boden - what's more fun than polka dots and showing some leg? 

Obsessed With...

....Esty, in general, but more specifically this Animals A-Z poster from Ink + Wit. (note: they also do wedding invitations...exciting!) I just bought it and plan to put it in my guest bedroom/ office. I know it's a tad bit childish but it is totes cute and the colors are so pretty. As I told my future hubby when he commented on its juvenile potential - it would look fantastic in a future nursery. 

Strawberries: The First Fruit of Summer

One of my favorite things about summer is delicious fruit, fresh, available and ready to be used in baked goods. Hands down, summer is incomplete if I do not, at some point, sit down and eat an entire watermelon by myself. I opened up the summer baking season and welcomed Memorial Day with this Strawberry Summer Cake adapted from Smitten Kitchen (my new fav recipe resource and most likely a future Obsessed With entry...). Because I'm becoming more and more hesitant to use white -not -as- good- for -you- as- many -other -types- of- flours, I substituted half of the allotted flour amount with oat flour and the other with Whole Wheat Baking flour. The resulting cake was a little grainy (probably more than originally intended) but still plenty moist. 


Strawberry Summer Cake (adapted from Smitten Kitchen who slightly improvised on one of Martha's tried and true recipes) 
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for pie plate
1 1/2 cups (188 grams) all-purpose flour (can swap 3/4 cup or 94 grams all-purpose flour with 3/4 cup or 75 grams of barley flour, see Note)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 cup (200 grams) plus 2 tablespoons (25 grams) granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup (118 ml) milk
1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
1 pound (450 grams) strawberries, hulled and halved


Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 10-inch pie pan or 9-inch deep-dish pie pan (what I used). This cake would also work in a 9- or 10-inch springform or cake pan. The 10-inch would make a thinner cake than pictured.


Whisk flour or flours, baking powder and salt together in a small bowl. In a larger bowl, beat butter and 1 cup sugar until pale and fluffy with an electric mixer, about 3 minutes. Mix in egg, milk and vanilla until just combined. Add dry mixture gradually, mixing until just smooth.


Pour into prepared pie plate. Arrange strawberries, cut side down, on top of batter, as closely as possible in a single layer (a little overlapping is ok). Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons sugar over berries.


Bake cake for 10 minutes then reduce oven temperature to 325°F and bake cake until golden brown and a tester comes out free of wet batter, about 50 minutes to 60 minutes. (Gooey strawberries on the tester are a given.) Let cool in pan on a rack. Cut into wedges. Serve with lightly whipped cream.


Do ahead: Cake can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days, loosely covered.

(my strawberry summer cake right from the oven!)

Borrowed Post: King Arthur Flour – Strawberries & Cream Scones

via www.kingarthurflour.com
I saw this and, despite it being wordless wednesday, needed to share. More deliciousness with strawberries?? Yes please! can't wait to try this one!

Wordless Wednesdays