A new (fashionable) discovery

I'm definitely one of those gal's who receives a fair few catalogs in the mail. This week, I was pleasantly surprised to receive a Boden catalog (request your own catalog here). The name seems quite familiar, but I'm fairly confident that I have never purchased anything from them. They're sort of a cross between JCrew, Anthropologie and Benetton. I really like their bright colors for fall and the obvious British influence in their style - they have LOTS of very cute rain coats and matching hats and boots and lots of fun dresses paired with crazy tights. They're offering 15% off your first order and I think I may pick out a fun blazer or skirt for fall.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this jacket, especially in green. Boden Parisienne Jacket at $148.

Check out this great purple shift dress - I would totally rock this at work with tights and pumps and on a Saturday night with funky shoes and jewelry. Boden Giant Geo Spot Shift at $98.

If I lived in Seattle or the UK, I would totally buy a cute rain outfit like this one! Cloud Spotter Mac coat at $138 and hat at $34.

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Don't end up like this girl...

...with dead/brown cilantro. Much to my dismay, I recently noticed that my potted cilantro plant was looking very brown and limp. Apparently (upon doing a little research), cilantro does not like hot weather (basically any sustained temp over 75 degrees). Well since it's been sitting on my deck in the sweltering July heat, of course it is 99% dead - duh! Anyways, I've learned my lesson, have bought another plant and this time, it's sitting on my kitchen window sill to ensure it receives adequate sun, but won't be exposed to the summer heat. Lesson learned, ladies - this is definitely one of those times to do as I say, not as I do!

*Photo courtesy of Pineywoods Herb Farm.

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Kitchen science experiment

I always have heard that newts re-grow their tales when cut off, but I never knew that a green onion would regenerate it's leafy greens. Thanks to my friend Heather and The Next Food Network Star for sharing this fabulous tip! When you've already used the less flavorful part of the green onion, i.e. the top part that is green, simply place the white bulb, with at least an inch of green in a glass of water for a few days. The leafy green section of the plant will generate new growth. Make sure your science experiment gets plenty of sunlight and you should have a new full-sized plant in a few days. Eureka, what a great idea!

*Photo courtesy Green Onion TV.

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One ingredient, two meals

I already mentioned out fabulous steaks from our wholesale club here. Well, little did I know that the 4 I set aside for company, would be waaayyy too much for our little group. We had about 3/4-1 lb meat leftover from the grill. So, this presented a challenge - utilize our leftover steak, which were already cooked. Seemed like a perfect opportunity for some steak fajitas- yum!

From this...

To this...

Tonight, I chopped some peppers and onions and sliced the steak against the grain, ensuring that all the fat was removed. I added the peppers and onions to a large saute pan and sauteed them in olive oil and some Southwest seasoning. After about 5 minutes, I added the steak and continued cooking for about 5 more minutes. I served the delicious filling in flour tortillas and topped with sour cream, salsa and freshly grated cheddar cheese.

*Photo courtesy of grilling-steak and myrecipes.

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I heart...Lily!

I received an email with Lily Pulitzer's new arrival for late spring/early Fall. There may be a little splurge on the horizon...

Colorblock Cardigan, $178

Silk Cotton Dress, $278

Wedge Sandals, $178

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Surprises are the best

I was so excited to receive an email saying that I won The Little Jewelry Box's Giveaway this week!! Thanks Rachel and Eve Global Marketing! What a great way to start a weekend! :)
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Congratulations are in order...

...for my cousin Cynthia! She and her boyfriend, Brian, became engaged on Wednesday!!! I am so incredibly happy for them. As I told her, I have been awaiting this phone call for months (ok, years now)! And since I don't have any sisters of my own (or brothers for that matter), C is like a sister to me.

My dear, darling cousin and I last summer during some of our wedding festivities.

I'm really excited to celebrate with her and even more excited to chat with her all about wedding planning! I swore it off pretty quickly after our wedding was over, but now that a year has passed, I will be anxious to provide words of wisdom and thumb through bridal magazines once again. Some of my favorite resources when we planned our wedding were Wedding Bee, etsy and Emily Post. I found the best magazines to be Martha Stewart Weddings, The Knot magazine and Modern Wedding Flowers. And of course, being the organizational finatic that I am, I created a custom binder with tabs for all topics (dress, flowers, cake, reception, church, transportaion, bridesmaids, groomsmen, accomodations, etc) - it was my Bible for 10 months.

Best wishes, cousin - you will be a perfect bride!

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Blackberry Bliss

I find that a lot of my summer habits are based on childhood memories or experiences (for whatever reason summer seems to be the primary trigger) . Take my fondness for blackberries, for example. While they're really tasty and much less seed-y than raspberries, I remember trudging down our neighborhood streets in New Jersey to an empty lot where there were tons of blackberry bushes growing. My Dad and I would bring our sand pails and pick and munch on the berries to our heart's content. And yet again, this post ties back to my recent warehouse store visits. I've found some gorgeous produce each time, but it tends to be inconsistent, so shopping with a list really isn't feasible. I picked up a beautiful container of blackberries Monday evening and have been enjoying their sweet and fresh taste - perfect summer snack!

So besides the fact that they conjure up nice childhood memories of summer afternoons, blackberries have some really awesome side effects, if you will. Like I previously mentioned, they' re not nearly as seed-y as raspberries, which requires less dental floss...okay you would have to really eat blackberries instead of raspberries every single day to actually save money on dental floss, but those seeds in my teeth really get on my nerves! Blackberries are also incredibly high in some key nutrients like fiber, Vitamin C and Vitamin K. And most notably, they have more antioxidants than any other berry, mostly due to their deep color.

Besides just for munching, there are a gazillion yummy dessert recipes for using blackberries. And you can always make a yummy sauce by heating the berries with a bit of sugar in a saucepan and topping over vanilla ice cream - yummy! But, I also like this cobbler recipe.

Blackberry Cobbler Recipe

• 1 C all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 C sugar, divided
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 6 Tbsp cold butter
• 1/4 C boiling water
• 2 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1/4 C cold water
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 4 C fresh blackberries, rinsed and drained

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, mix the flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in 1/4 cup boiling water just until mixture is evenly moist.
3. In a separate bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in cold water. Mix in remaining 1 cup sugar, lemon juice, vanilla and blackberries. Transfer to a saucepan, and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Transfer the berry mixture to a greased 8x8 baking pan. Top with topping mixture.
4. Bake 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until dough is golden brown.

*Photos courtesy of Dream Scape Gardens and Simple Southern Cooking.

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Great Steak Dilemna

We recently joined a local wholesale club, to try to cash in on occasional bulk bargains. I've already mentioned our jumbo bag of Craisins here and a jumbo tub of feta cheese here. Next on the list is a gorgeous package of fresh beef top round london broil steak - 3.7 pounds in total! What's a gal to do? Host a party mid-week? Probably not an option given my killer (of late) work project. So, instead I started planning ahead for our house guest this weekend. Upon returning home, I immediately cut open the package and cut each steak into four pieces. I put two sets of two steaks into a quart-sized Ziploc bag, ready for dinner for hubs and I. The other four pieces, I placed together in a gallon-sized Ziploc bag, all ready for our guests on Friday night. I use this strategy a lot when I find that I can realize cost savings when I buy in bulk. Being a measly family of 2, buying in bulk can be wasteful, but I utilize my freezer quite frequently, especially with meat. I always immediately disassemble a large package of meat or other fresh product and divide into more manageable portions before I toss them in the freezer.
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Slammin Salmon

I've never been a huge fan of salmon, but I mostly blame it on poor quality and poorly prepared banquet style affairs, where I have eaten this pretty pink fish. However, being the big girl that I am, I'm pretty willing to try anything at home these days. Hey, if it's gross, there's always cereal as an alternative! I decided that our Sunday night dinner this week would be grilled Salmon. Off I went to the grocer and I found a beautiful thick cut, complete with the skin. It was about 3/4 lb in total, which is a perfect size for two portions. I found a nice-looking Asian marinade on Food Network and modified a bit to suit our taste buds - see below.

Asian Grilled Salmon Recipe (adapted from Barefoot Contessa)

• 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 3 Tbsp soy sauce (reduced sodium preferred)
• 3-4 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp (or one clove) minced garlic
• 2-3 Lbs. Salmon, boned with skin on

1. Blend all ingredients well.
2. Pour about half of the marinade over the fish. Use a brush to cover well with marinade. Marinate about 30 minutes.
3. Grill fish over med-high heat for about five minutes per side.
4. Top fish with remaining marinade. Store extra marinade in the refrigerator for a week or so.

This marinade was really good and wasn't overly flavored with soy sauce as many can be. This would be great on chicken as well - that's most likely where our leftover marinade will be used.

Our meal was complete with green beans and a green salad, complete with tomatoes from our backyard. I'm now proud to say that I am a salmon-convert. The fish was delicious and will be swimming into more suppers soon!
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Delicious JCrew Jewelry...on sale!

I can't lie - I really love JCrew's jewelry. More often than not, it's a little pricey for me and I wait until it goes on sale. I got a great enamel necklace during their fall final clearance for $9.99! Can't beat that!

I meandered over to JCrew's sale site again today and found this gem for $59.99. I'm a tight wad so it's still a little much for me, but I am in love! I'll be on the lookout to see if it drops in price at all.

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Cookie Review

The white chocolate chip and Craisin cookies that I mentioned here were amazing!! I have a feeling I might bake a few more batches before my ginormous bag of Craisins is empty. Added bonus - they have 'fruit' so they have a healthy ruse...
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Raising, I mean Stocking, the Bar

This weekend, my in-laws, and hubs and I co-hosted a Stock the Bar party for his cousin and bride-to-be. My husband and I were in charge of the party inspiration, invitation and bar stocking (for the party, not the future Mr. and Mrs.). Lucky for all of us, my hubs is a talented graphic designer and put together a gorgeous invitation, reminiscent of a wine tasting in a French chateau. Our bar selections for the evening were all encompassing - beer, wine and liquor. I am one of those few gals who actually likes beer and had a great time selecting some unique and summery varieties at the store. Our favorite turned out to be Black Dog Ale - a spontaneous pick in honor of my in-laws two black labs. A few more trips to the liquor store and Trader Joe's for their fabulously cheap wine and we were ready to party!

My mother-in-law, in true form, outdid herself with a gorgeously decorated house and perfectly planned menu. Some of her details included gorgeous flowers in just about every room and her center piece was the coup de gras - in keeping with the party theme, an over sized liquor glass filled with flowers. Think very similar to the photo at left, but more greenery and a liquor glass in stead of the martini glass, but it looked fabulous!

The couple is getting married in Las Vegas this fall, so we included a few nods to their destination wedding theme and location. The guest bathroom was outfitted with playing card themed-guest towels. Cocktail napkins also capitalized on the gambling theme.

Menu
Appetizers: Grilled shrimp with key lime sauce, roasted vegetable pizzas
Main course: Beef tenderloin with horseradish sauce, Crab cakes with beurre blanc sauce, Scalloped potatoes, Green salad with blue cheese and walnuts, Fresh bread
Dessert: Fruit tarts, Key lime tarts, Macaroons

*Photos courtesy of Brides.com
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Craisin-y cookies

What do you do with a giant bag of Craisins from a warehouse store? Why bake some white chocolate chip and Craisin cookies, of course! This is my weekend project. I'll let you know how they turn out, but I have a feeling they will be delish....and since they have a semblance of fruit in them, I can rest assured that my hubby (aka cookie monster) won't touch them! Everybody wins and by everybody I mean my hubby's waistline and me!

White Chocolate Chip and Craisin Cookies Recipe

• 3 C flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 C unsalted butter
• 1 C brown sugar
• 3/4 C sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 Tbsp vanilla
• 1 C Crasins
• 1 1/2 C white chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Cream butter and sugars until fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt.
4. Slowly add the flour mixtures to the cream mixture. Stir until almost incorporated. Add the Crasins and white chocolate chips. Mix until all ingredients are blended, but do not over mix.
5. Roll into heaping spoonfuls and bake at 350F. Bake 9-11 minutes, or until edges begin to brown.

*Photo courtesy of Food Buzz.

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Who Knew: Packing a silk blouse

One of my dear friends sent me a text message from across the pond in Jolly 'ol England last night.

I need some PTHH help! How do I pack my silk blouse so that it doesn't wrinkle when I arrive in my destination?

Well, Rachael, this was a very timely question. I just took a silk dress in my small rolling bag up to NH for my cousin's wedding. The best and easiest and cheapest way to pack a delicate clothing item is in a dry cleaning bag. Place the clothing item in a dry cleaning bag, as if it's hanging on the hanger. Place flat on a large surface, like your bed, for folding. Fold the clothing item as you normally would, ensuring that the dry cleaning bag is folded with the item of clothing. Carefully place at the top of your suitcase, so it isn't squished under shoes or your toiletry bag. Unpack and remove from the bag at your destination and be amazed with your wrinkle-less clothing! If you end up with a few wrinkles, hang in the bathroom while you shower and hopefully the steam will help alleviate any stubborn wrinkles.

*Photo courtesy of Banana Republic.

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Dinner on a dime (and in a flash)

Last night, I was feeling less than motivated to cook dinner. Between leaving for the airport at 4:15AM and having been on vacation all week, my desire to cook was minimal, at best. We had very little (read nothing fresh) food in the house. Luckily, I had a few things in the pantry and freezer to tide us over until we could head to the grocer and put together a nice southwestern meal - in a flash and on a dime! We had a carton of organic black bean soup and a bag of frozen peppers and onions. Between the soup and a little vegetable stir fry, mixed with some southwestern seasoning, we had a healthful and festive dinner. And it was pretty healthy and got us off our vacation junk food.

Other soup and veggie combos: tomato soup and Caesar salad, sweet and sour soup and Asian stir fry, corn chowder and steamed broccoli. Or, add some crusty bread to any soup and you have yourself a delicious, hearty meal.

*Photos courtesy of Birds Eye Foods and Imagine Foods.

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Looking fab on center court

Well Wimbledon is over, but that's no reason to let your tennis fashion sense go dormant! Tennis is one of my favorite summer sports and I've found some really cute duds to wear on the court. For some reason, it seems silly to wear a ratty t-shirt and shorts while practicing my forehand - a tennis dress seems so much more fun! My Mother always trained me to put together outfits and here are some of my favorites that will look cute off the court, when you're running errands or grabbing a post-match cocktail at the club.



Left to Right: Nike Women's Grass Dress at $110 from Tennis Warehouse, Tail Palm Beach Skort and top at $48.99 and $45.99 from Tennis Warehouse, Nike Fall Print Top and Skort at $40 and $55 from Tennis Warehouse.

Other key accessories:

• Tennis socks - good, think socks (like Thorlo) will help keep your feet blister-free
• Hat or visor to keep the sun out of your eyes
• Sunglasses - sporty kind are best to keep from slipping off your head
• Sneakers, preferably tennis sneakers - trust me, they're definitely different than running shoes and after a few mega blisters on the tips of your toes from the stopping and starting, you'll need some of these. Check out your local sporting goods store.

Other great sites for tennis apparel and accessories online. Note a few of these are generic activewear, which is also perfect.

• My Tennis Store
• Tennis Express
• Mansion Select
• Old Navy
• Lucy
• Title Nine

Coming soon, tennis etiquette...just remember, a lady never throws her racket!

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Absence makes the heart grow fonder?

In that case, you've been checking in daily, maybe even hourly, wondering where I've been! Yes? Ok, so probably not. But in any case, my husband and I enjoyed a much needed break from VA and the ether, by spending some time in New England with my family. I'm back now with some fresh thoughts and ideas - stay tuned!
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Crustacean craziness with Mom

A lobster bake is a quintessential summer tradition - it's messy and social and will ensure some interesting and funny moments. My Mom has presided over many of these fetes, including our most recent feast in New Hampshire at their home, where we spent a few days evading the smoldering VA summer heat. She has graciously offered to share some of her prized tips for a feast of perfectly cooked lobster.

Ok, Mom, let's start with the basics. How do you select a lobster for your feast?

Well most importantly is to select a "high activity level" beast and ensure the claws are intact....they are, after all, the best part. The best sized lobsters are 1 1/4 - 2 pounds. Any smaller than 1 1/4 will make for difficult meat retrieval. Once purchased, the lobsters should be stored in a cooler with ice until ready for cooking (cooler lid must be open for ventilation). They should never be stored in water because they will die.

What are your special tips for cooking lobster?

Use a large pot (preferably at least 10 quarts) and fill with water about 1/2-3/4 full, depending upon how many lobsters will be added. Bring the water to a rolling boil, add the lobsters and put the lid on the pot. Make sure the lobsters don't escape - we had a few who tried to make a break for it! Cook for about 11 minutes, or until the shells are a bright red color.

When setting your table and considering your guests, what are the most important tools for a lobster bake?

In our family, this is a more casual affair that lacks traditional pomp. A traditional lobster bake in our family requires a plastic tablecloth (trash bags will do), large "trash" bucket as the centerpiece and plenty of paper towels (see photo for a less-than Martha-esque table, but let me tell you, it certainly is functional AND fun). Each guest should be outfitted with several tools to properly extract the meat - cracker, seafood pick or fork, traditional fork and knife. Fingers are also great utensils when working on a tough claw or the tail. Pliers and channel locks can be used in an emergency when crackers are unavailable.

What are the best accompaniments for the shellfish delicacy?

A homemade bread works wonders - cornbread, beer battered bread or popovers. A light cole slaw is a great addition, but corn on the cob is perfect with the finger-food oriented feast. Us New Englanders usually top off our meal with a Sam Adams or Red Hook; iced tea is also another nice beverage option.

Thanks, Mom! I hope to recreate as delicious a meal for my family someday.

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It's 5 o'clock somewhere...

Another summer cocktail recipe...can you tell this is my week off, aka "stay-cation"?! This recipe is perfect for sipping on the porch or for bringing to the pool.

Berry Lemonade

• 3 parts lemonade (use Crystal Light to cut calories)
• 1 part vodka
• 1 part Mixed Berry Schnapps (add more to taste)

1. Serve over ice with a lemon wedge or fresh raspberries and blueberries in the glass....maybe an umbrella if you're really feeling the vacation vibe!

*Photo courtesy of Whole Foods.

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Doesn't a sponge just clean itself?

Why no dear, but I sure wish it did! A sponge is a tantamount kitchen accessory - unless you have a kitchen crew to cook and clean for you, you know this as well. I have a few tricks up my sleeve to keep my kitchen sponge clean and germ free. First, I always put the sponge in a slot on the top rack of the dishwasher during every cycle. This does a nice job of ensuring the sponge surface is clean and odor free. Now, for the creme de la creme of sponge cleaning, throw a wet sponge in the microwave for about a minute (make sure your sponge has no metal fibers or this will go badly). The heat will help zap any remaining germs. Now, I suggest you do this only after the dishwasher run because the microwave will exacerbate any dishpan hands-type-odors that may remain on the sponge.

When a sponge no longer fits the bill for cleaning dishes, I toss it into my cleaning baskets for scouring sinks or scrubbing bathroom floors (definitely my less-than-favorite chore).

What are your tricks for cleaning your sponge? Happy dish washing!

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Swizzle me this

Anyone who has ever visited the great island of Bermuda knows the wonder of the Rum Swizzle, originally created at the Swizzle Inn (as seen above). It's the perfect summer cocktail - the right amount of rum and fruitiness. In honor of our anniversary and honeymoon in Bermuda, I decided this would be a perfect time to share the recipe for this beloved cocktail. Hopefully recreating one at home will take me back to that idyllic place.

Rum Swizzle

• 4 oz Goslings Black Seal rum
• 4 oz Barbados rum or amber rum
• 2 oz triple sec
• 2 lemons, juiced
• 5 oz pineapple juice
• 5 oz orange juice
• 2 oz simple sugar syrup
• 4 dashes Angostura bitters
• Crushed ice

1. Mix all ingredients and shake well until a froth forms. Serve over ice. Makes 6 servings.

*Photo courtesy of Swizzle Inn.

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Cleaning your caffeinator

Every few weeks or so, my coffee pot gets a little gucky - yes that's a technical term. It has this faint brown residue that defies soap and water cleaning. With a little ingenuity (and some research), I've realized that it's pretty easy to have our maker and coffee pot looking (and tasting!) like new.

Step 1: Clean out both the filter basket and pot from yesterday's coffee and coffee grinds. Yes, this will require, soap, water and a little elbow grease. You don't want your coffee pot cleaning itself with old coffee making remnants, do you?!

Step 2: Mix one part water with one part vinegar and pour into the water receptacle. Brew as usual.

Step 3: Once the brewing process has completed, rinse out the filter basket and coffee pot.

Step 4: Repeat the process using only water to cleanse the coffee maker further.

Now, to clean out your coffee pot itself, of all the icky residue, I soak mine overnight with some water and Zep (calcium, lime and rust stain remover). The next morning, my coffee pot is looking like new. Make sure you re-wash the pot with soap and water to remove any chemicals.

Now, brew to your hearts content.

*Photo courtesy of Mr. Coffee Store.

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