September 2, 2011

Let's Hear it for Labor Day

Festive Summer Home Open for the Last Weekend

What to Play During the Party...


What to Eat...
Ingredients
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
2 limes, juiced
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 teaspoon coarse salt
2 cloves garlic, finely minced

Combine above Ingredients and set aside (dressing)

1 12 oz. package shelled edamame
2 cups corn kernels, fresh
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced

Combine edamame, corn, and tomatoes with the dressing and toss.  Sprinkle green onions on top, cover and refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.  Enjoy!


What to Wear...

Love the Subtle Flag Detail



-Everyone Enjoy Yourselves from Pretty Penny and Cheers!



September 1, 2011

Falling For Fall


Happy September! As if I weren't ready enough for fall, I found these beautiful photos by Christopher Jonassen, in his series called "The Fall".


I'm ready for cool weather, colorful leaves, boots, sweaters, anything and everything pumpkin flavored, and of course HALLOWEEN (I know it's a little premature, but it's my favorite Holiday so I get excited pretty early on!)


23 more days until the official first day of fall, but I'm hoping we see some signs a little sooner!

-Whitney


August 31, 2011

Hump Day Heaven


How amazing is this water in Amanpulo, Philippines!

I can't look at this pumpkin coffee cake without salivating! I need to make this asap! (recipe to come)

I would like to float on this all weekend long! 

I could cook in this kitchen every day for the rest of my life...please!


A really awesome cover of Jay Z's 99 problems, by Hugo that I can't get enough of!

Happy Hump Day!

-Whitney

Panko Crusted Salmon with Arugula


This might be my new favorite salmon recipe and my new favorite bread crumbs. Not sure if you have ever used Panko bread crumbs before, but they are Japanese flaky bread crumbs, usually used for fried foods, that will give your dish a great crunch! We added some arugula with a rice wine vinegar mix, adapted from an arugula salad recipe, on top to add a little bit of peppery taste.

Ingredients
FOR THE SALMON:
2/3 c panko bread crumbs
2 tbsp finely minced fresh parsley
1 tsp lemon zest
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
3-4 tbsp olive oil, divided
4 (6-8 oz) salmon fillets, skin on
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
Lemon wedges, for serving

FOR THE ARUGULA:
4 cups arugula
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp rice vinegar

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a small bowl, mix the panko, parsley, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Drizzle with 2 tbsp of the olive oil and toss with a fork until evenly coated; set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine arugula, olive oil and rice vinegar and set aside.

Place salmon fillets skin side down on a cutting board or plate. Generously brush the tops with Dijon mustard and season with salt and pepper. Press the panko mixture thickly on top of the mustard, making sure it adheres.

Heat the remaining olive oil over medium-high heat in a 12-inch oven-safe skillet. If you don't have an oven-safe skillet like us, just use a regular skillet and have a baking sheet covered in foil ready for the next step. When the oil is hot, add the salmon fillets, skin side down and sear for 3-4 minutes without turning.

Transfer the skillet (or transfer the fillets to the baking sheet if your skillet is not oven-safe) to the preheated oven for 5-7 minutes until the salmon is cooked through and the panko is browned. Top with arugula mixture and lemon slices. Serve and enjoy!


August 30, 2011

The Private Life of Paint Chips

Like last month, we showed you tons of ways to work and re-work simple ole' mason jars.  Now this month we will show you the "Many Faces" of Paint Chips, you know those colorful things you can get for free at any Home Improvement store.  When I was a little girl and got to go to the Home store with my parents I would snag tons of them and dream about painting my walls a bright purple.  Now that I am all grown up, I can use them to make art, as gifts, place settings, tons of uses that never crossed my mind as a young klepto. 



Make-over your Stairway with Paint Chips


Paint Chips as Place Cards


Gift Boxes from Paint Swatches


Paint Chip Art


Paint Chip Punch Garland



Paint Sample Coasters


Paint Chip Lampshade


Balsamic Roasted Green Beans, Mushrooms and Parmesan


I often forget how much I love green beans. This is an easy and very tasty recipe for green beans and mushrooms, with my favorite, balsamic vinegar!

Ingredients
8 oz mushrooms, sliced in 1/2 inch slices
1 lb. fresh green beans with the ends snipped off
1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 c Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Trim ends of green beans and slice mushrooms into 1/2 inch slices (We bought the already sliced ones).

Put the green beans and the mushrooms in a large bowl. Add the olive oil and balsamic vinegar and toss with your hands until all of the veggies are lightly coated.

Arrange on a large baking sheet and roast for 20-30 minutes, until beans are tender and mushrooms are cooked.

Season with salt and pepper to taste, then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

August 29, 2011

StickyGram

I am obsessed with the instagram app on my iPhone, and I use it all the time. I never really do anything with the pics though. I'll create a phone background, or use the pics on here, but I never print them or anything. I found this awesome site called StickyGram that turns your instagram pics into magnets!


StickyGram prints your instagrams on a 50 mm x 50 mm flexible magnet. They come in packs of 9, and cost $14.99 + free shipping. These would look so cute on the fridge, locker, file cabinets, bulletin boards, where ever you can stick 'em.