gourmette - ice cream sandwich by real simple

Oh Real Simple, how do I love thee? I think RS is one of the only magazines whose recipes are tried and true. I plan to make this as a dessert for my next dinner party, but I'd like to experiment and try a that new Haagen Daz mint with some sort of chocolate flat wafer-like cookie. Or the ginger snap option with a Dulce de Leche sounds sinful.

fashion passion - tim gunn's top ten list

1. Basic Black Dress : Even if it's from The Gap, you must have a black dress which has a 24/7 flattering silhouette. I like this one, from J.Crew.
2. Trench Coat : I purchased a fabulous trench by Juicy Couture and it's a staple for me. Try to find one in a basic beige or black.
3. Dress Pants : Something other than a jean please... go for anything that highlights your shape and has a bold cut.
4. Classic Shirt : Preferably a white button down, but as long as it's white, you're good to go. You will wear this item constantly.
5. Jeans : Tim says go dark on these, as do I. Whatever your size, again, try for a slim fit.
6. Cashmere Sweater : Of course J. Crew has about 600 options. Go crazy. Just be sure if you don't go neutral tone, that you adore the bolder color.
7. Versatile Skirt : I love DKNY's options for a skirt you will wear often. Remember, skirts flatter all areas if they are A-line and to the knee.
8. Day Dress : DVF all the way.
9. Fitted Blazer : I have a friend who purchased a boy's navy blazer from Brooks Brothers and had it tailored to be cinched at the waist.
10. Sweatsuit Alternative : Leggings with a long cardigan.

fashion passion - old navy gold

I'm going to say it, I love Old Navy, but only sometimes. You know how the clothes can feel sort of stiff and like they used cheap fabrics? And then sometimes you find an amazing top you end up wearing for an entire year straight. This week I found two items that I had to share. 1. This tank, pictured, which is labeled athletic gear. It is so light and I adore the way it has an elastic waist that ties (read: no more flashing). #2. is a black (and grey) twill jacket that ties at the waist, which I could not find a picture of online yet. Anyway, both are very awesome.

dinner tonight

Dinner tonight was totally wung... meaning: we wing'ed it. Though I ended up kind of proud of us:

Grilled chicken breasts with a little salt and pepper diced and tossed with feta, whole wheat rotini, baby asparagus, which has been roasting at 350 for about 15 minutes, and drizzled with lemon and olive oil at the end. Not too shabby for a throw together night. Had to brag since my day was a nap-free one for the bambina and I pretty much reached defcon 5 around noon.

beauteous maximus - boots botanicals

I love the Boots brand, whose birthplace is the UK, but now retails at Tar-jay. Recently I purchased the Intensive Wrinkle Reducer from the Botanical line, and it's a lovely serum that doesn't leave my skin overly shiny. It's $15. You can also find it online here.

nifty gifties - for a new home?

Since we're all trying to be recechic (sometimes), I have been thinking a lot about neat gifts for friends and family, that don't break the bank. Of course Cookie came out with their Top 100 this month of all things Cookie-fab, one of which is the Zeroll ice cream scoop - which retails for $19. I think it's an awesome item to bring to a housewarming, since most folks won't think to get one for their own kitchen cupboard, and it's just so cool - well - hot! It has heated fluid inside of it, for the perfect scooping capabilities. No more microwaving ice cream cartons for 15 seconds. I love my Zeroll, and if it had been a gift, I would have loved that friend. But alas, I gave it to myself.

Mon Dieu!

Bensimon for kids. I think this is dangerous... for my bank account balance. And how much do J'adore the taupe pair pictured? SO much.

f l i c k r f r i d a y f o t o*

The Shell, originally uploaded by G a r r y.

hearth + home - vintage letterpress drawers

A long time ago I took a letterpress class thinking I would start my own line of stationery. This was not meant to be but I have the utmost respect for letterpress designers as it is a patience-building process. I want to find some vintage letterpress drawers for my muffingirl's room. I feel like this could be hours of entertainment for her, and it's so much nicer to look at then plastic toy shelves from the usual suspect big box retailers.

anonymous postcard

do you have someone or something to which you must express your thoughts? but perhaps you are unable to contact this person because they are untouchable, or a company, or you don't want to start any bad blood... try this. It's really fun to read if you're bored.

can banana bread really be this easy? see recipe below

If this banana bread is wrong, I don't want to be right. It's healthy right?

aunt holly's banana bread from cookie magazine

revised by Gaby Velkes

3 to 4 ripe bananas

¼ cup melted butter

1 cup sugar

1½ cups flour

¼ teaspoon salt

1 egg, beaten

1 teaspoon baking soda

Chocolate chips (as many as you want!)

Preheat oven to 350° F. Mash the bananas in a bowl. Add all the remaining ingredients and mix well with a wooden spoon. Bake in a buttered loaf pan until a toothpick stuck into the bread comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes. Slice and serve.

etsy find: btrflymom

I have decided to share more of my etsy finds since I trust you would want to shop etsy and support our hand-making friends. I just treated myself to a tam snood (never knew they were called that didjya?) from btrflymom and I love it. The hat is soft, well sewn and really just adorable for fall. Check out her other stuff here.

watermelon summer salad

Yet another summer salad for you (from BonApp), this one has got to be the best. I plan to make it this weekend so I will update once I've attempted it. I already know I will be grinding the coriander in my coffee bean grinder not said spice grinder since I don't presume to own one.

Ingreeds:

3 or 4 small to medium heirloom tomatoes, in assorted colors, cored and cut into 3/4-inch chunks

1 small English or regular cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into 3/4-inch cubes

1 cup 3/4-inch-cubed yellow or red seedless watermelon flesh

1 Hass avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and cut into 3/4-inch cubes

1 tablespoon chopped mixed fresh herbs, in any combination: basil, tarragon, chives, and cilantro

1/4 teaspoon coriander seed

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

preparation

In a bowl, combine the tomatoes, cucumber, watermelon, avocado, and herbs. In a spice grinder, grind the coriander seeds to a fine powder. Add the ground coriander to the tomato mixture and toss gently.

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Pour over the tomato mixture and toss to coat evenly. Taste and adjust the seasoning before serving.

avo-corn salad

I love this salad... it's so summery and you can put our own spin on it with a little red onion or maybe some chili peppers.

Grilled Corn, Avocado and Tomato salad with Honey Lime Dressing

Dressing

Juice of 1 lime

3 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tbsp honey

1/2 tsp salt

1 clove garlic crushed

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 pint grape tomatoes cut in halves

1 ripe Haas avocado, roughly chopped

2 ears of fresh sweet corn - OR - use one bag thawed frozen corn if you are limited

2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

Grill corn over medium heat for 10 to 15 mins. The corn should have some brown spots and be tender and not mushy. DO NOT OVERCOOK!! Cut the corn off the cob and scrape the cob with the back of your knife to get the juices. Set aside and let cool.

Add all the ingredients for the dressing in a bowl and whisk to combine. Add the tomatoes, avocado, cilantro and grilled corn. Mix well so that everything is coated with the marinade, but be careful not to mash the avocados. Refrigerate for 1 hour and serve.

farm to table

The pork shoulder we are cooking up for my famous Pulled Pork BBQ Sandwiches tomorrow night came from Hidden Stream Farm in Elgin, MN. I feel so lucky to live so near a bountiful resource to ensure my family and I are eating grass-fed, antibiotic, hormone, chemical free pork. Check out their site here. It's really not that much more money for such a significant investment for your health, and for the environment, since these large-scale farms pollute the land around them in no time at all. Do your research and I am sure you can find a farm near you.

happy independence

Loud American Roadhouse, originally uploaded by HavanaFLDanielle.

fireworks . music . ice cream . sprinklers . sparklers . burgers . cole slaw . buns . beer . red white + blue

new blog alert - the hypnotist collector

Like an art exhibit in a museum, the hypnotist collector makes me feel enlightened.

Thunderstruck

Thunderstruck, originally uploaded by Rick Elkins.

La Belle Vie

Was at my local butcher tonight, ordering for the weekend feast, and a man walked in to pick up about 100 beef jerkies. He then explained he works for La Belle Vie - one of our local gourmet eateries - and the jerky is for a cocktail, named... drum roll... A Boy Named Sue. In this cocktail you will find gin infused with peach and tobacco bitters with an edible pansy on top, resting next to said jerky. I was impressed.

f a s h i o n

Crazy sale at Boden . 50% OFF . Must s t o p s h o p p i n g...

f a s h i o n

I remember taking ballet lessons in like 3rd grade and loving my little outfits and shoes. Pink tights, tutus, leotards... such a little girl's dream. I just stumbled across these slippers by Capezio and I have to have them. Wear with my baggy boyfriend jeans and a white knit top... or black leggings for the dancer look.

The hat is by Prada and it's over $1,000. Are you kidding me?

now boarding

So we went to tour a relatively new boarding facility for pups (and all other domesticated animals) aptly named Now Boarding. Guess where it is? RIGHT by the airport. Genius! I was doubtful it would be good enough for our doodle, but I was impressed upon sight. The place was so happy + just bright with sunshine pouring in from every angle. Your dog gets outdoor time on this special astroturf so the tinkles go right through and it stays clean. They get hosed down to keep cool when outdoors. The indoor playtime section was GI-normous; With a rubberized floor. We walked in and two dogs were wrestling with glee. They have massive glass windows everywhere... and a spa complete with heated whirlpool. The actual sleeping kennels come in different sizes and have outdoor areas with an auto-refill water bowl. You can bring any bed or blanket for your pup to remind him of home. There is an a la carte menu for additional fun stuff. They have shuttles to the airport so you can leave your car. Amazing. All starting at $38. And if you're flight gets in late at 3am, no worries, they're open 24/7 for pick up and drop off. And they are nationwide so there could be one at your local airport. P.S. The best part: they are owned by the Animal Humane Society!

livesavvy headbands

livesavvy headbands are what every Minneapolis woman is wearing these days and I had to share with you. A very savvy lady here created them, and they fit so well it's almost like a head massage for your tired mommy brain. The fabrics are smart + chic. And she makes kid head bands too! My muffin girl wears hers already. Part of livesavvy's profits go to the Tubman Alliance so you'll be shopping + helping at once. Livesavvy!

gourmette - chocolate chip cookies

Everyone has their own "amazing" recipe for chocolate chip cookies. Mine is from Everyday Food Baking. And I'm baking them right now. Please to enjoy:

Giant Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes 16 | Prep Time: 1 hour | Total Time: 16 minutes

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 bag (12 ounces) chocolate chips (I love the chunks not the morsels)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until combined; mix in vanilla.

With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture; mix until just incorporated. With a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir in chocolate chips.

Drop 1/4-cup mounds of dough onto ungreased baking sheets, at least 4 inches apart and away from edges of pan. (You will fit about 4 cookies to a sheet; bake in two batches, using two baking sheets per batch.) Bake until golden, 15 to 18 minutes, rotating sheets front to back and from top to bottom of oven halfway through.

Cool 1 to 2 minutes on baking sheets, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container up to 2 days.

r a n d o

Kinda random I know, I took this photo in Croatia at a museum. It's ancient pottery from under the sea. They thought from Greece perhaps. I just loved the way it was displayed by the curators.

What I'm Listening to Part II... Passion Pit

New Favorite Band:

What I'm Listening to... CSN

in honor of summer...

I switched up my logo pic for something more "summery". It's a photo taken by my mother many years ago on the beach in North Carolina. Best beaches in the world, by the way. I think a seasonal logo photo is fun + keeps it interesting. That is all. P.S. How chic is my little sis' hair at age 4? LOVE IT.

f l i c k r f r i d a y f o t o*

originally uploaded by i.Anton.

ride a bike this wknd.

for whosoever shall be found without the soul for getting down...

Great lyrics, great performer. I am finding myself to be pretty sad by the passing of Michael Jackson. I feel like he is my generation's Elvis. He pioneered everything in the world of music, and I think he was one of the first to make real music videos... with stories... which were mesmerizing back in the day. I loved watching the crowd at The Apollo last night. I remember in 6th grade, my mom took me to see him perform at Giants Stadium and it was incredible. Anyway, sad day for music, but at least we still have his music to enjoy which I plan on doing a lot of this weekend. Youtube won't let me embed his videos, so click here for one of my favorites.

Michael Jackson - ICON

No matter what happened to his life, over time from fame and fortune, I adore his music and he was a style icon. I grew up with Michael Jackson in the background and am really finding myself to be incredibly sad with the news of his passing. I mean, honestly, I think that jacket is still cool. Sad.

twitpic

Whichever way we decide to share our photos with people, it's ever-changing with today's technology. I love Picasa but it makes it difficult to order prints. I used to use ofoto but that became a bit tedious and the uploads took forever. Then I found Twitpic. It creates a link you can email to friends and it uploads so fast it takes 4 seconds. Seriously.

joynoelle sale this weekend

if you live in the Twin Cities you can see this amazing dress in person, and if you don't - well, email me and I can help you. Joynoelle is opening her store this Saturday from 10 to 4 and soon will have an online shopping site, stay tuned...

what's on your food...

Well this site says it all to me. I am already buying more organic than ever before. Beware the sick feeling you may get from reading this stuff. I'm not going to get all mad this morning and get on my soapbox about it, but honestly: this is what we put in our bodies and our children's bodies. Go to What's On My Food for more. Click on the right hand column on any food group and you will see the guide pop up on the left as to what is on your food. And to lighten things up, I included a picture from Twitpics of Jamie Oliver and friends, since Jamie is Mr. Healthy Food himself. More on this later.

What I'm Listening to... Led Zep (my favorite)

And live no less...

lemon blueberry cupcakes

I shouldn't be hungry since it's about 120 degrees here in Minneapolis... but I am craving something sweet. I found this recipe online through a friend, and it's just perfect... not too fattening either since it's from Cooking Light. Lemon added to anything makes that anything better.

GRAND PRIZE WINNER, CATEGORY WINNER--Desserts. "Lemon and blueberry flavors give these cupcakes a great taste. Blueberries or fresh, edible flowers make an easy, pretty decoration." -Gloria Bradley, Naperville, IL

Yield

1 dozen (serving size: 1 cupcake)

Ingredients

CUPCAKES:

1 1/2 cups (about 6 3/4 ounces) plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided

10 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup butter, melted

1 large egg

1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk

1/2 cup 2% reduced-fat milk

1 teaspoon grated lemon rind

3/4 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed

FROSTING:

1/4 cup (2 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons butter, softened

1 teaspoon grated lemon rind

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Fresh blueberries (optional)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°. Place 12 decorative paper muffin cup liners into muffin cups.To prepare cupcakes, lightly spoon 1 1/2 cups flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Measure 1 tablespoon flour; level with a knife. Sift together 1 1/2 cups flour plus 1 tablespoon flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and baking soda in a large bowl. Combine melted butter and egg in another large bowl; stir with a whisk. Add buttermilk, milk, and 1 teaspoon rind to butter mixture; stir with a whisk. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Toss blueberries with remaining 1 tablespoon flour. Fold blueberries into batter. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 5 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

To prepare frosting, place cream cheese, 2 tablespoons butter, 1 teaspoon rind, vanilla, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed just until blended. Gradually add powdered sugar (do not overbeat). Stir in juice. Spread frosting evenly over cupcakes; garnish with blueberries, if desired. Store, covered, in refrigerator.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

236 (29% from fat)

Fat:

7.7g (sat 4.6g,mono 2g,poly 0.4g)

Protein:

3.7g

Carbohydrate:

38.7g

Fiber:

0.7g

your best friend...

So this Friday is National Bring Your Dog to Work Day... after all your scruffy best friend does for you perhaps it's time you showed him where you go every day for 8 hours... he must be wondering. (This is Snapper our Labradoodle by the way.)

What I'm listening to... Supertramp

fashion passion - another cute vicky's secret dress

I cannot stop with the budget shopping at Vicky's Secret. They have too many cute dresses and the fabrics are actually really nice.

gourmette - gorgonzola + pear risotto

Jamie's Gorgonzola + Pear Risotto sounds light but rich in flavor at the same time. Question: why is his show, the best show on the Food Network, on at 6:30am? Thank God for DVR.

gorgonzola & pear risotto

main courses | serves 4–6 as a main
"This risotto was probably the first dish that I can honestly say that I came up with all by myself, not ‘borrowed’ from another chef, menu, TV programme or cookbook," says chef and jamieoliver.com blogger Dave Barker. "I first had the idea for it when we were plating up some cheese at work – beautiful, creamy gorgonzola with thin slices of pear. I thought the soft, salty blue cheese with sweet pear was brilliant." Dave has served this dish as a standalone meal and as an accompaniment for pork loin: "Either way, it’s a real crowd pleaser."

1 Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6. Cut the pears in half lengthways and cut each half lengthways into 3 or 4 slices. Place onto a baking tray, drizzle with honey and place into the oven for 15 minutes until softened and coloured around the edges. Remove and set aside to cool.

2 In a saucepan, heat the chicken stock. In a separate pan, heat the olive oil and knob of butter, add the onions, garlic and celery, and fry very slowly for about 15 minutes or until soft – don’t let the veg colour. When veg are soft, add your rice and turn up the heat. Lightly fry the rice, stirring constantly so it doesn’t stick to the pan. After a minute, when it looks slightly translucent, add the alcohol, and keep stirring. Any harsh alcohol flavours will evaporate and leave the rice with a lovely subtle, slightly floral flavour.

3 Once the vermouth or wine has cooked into the rice, add a ladle of hot stock and a good pinch of salt. Turn down the heat to a simmer so that the rice doesn’t cook too quickly. Keep adding ladlefuls of stock, stirring all the while to release the creamy starch out of the rice. Allow each ladleful of stock to be absorbed before adding the next one. Carry on adding stock until the rice is soft but still has a slight bite. This will take around 15 minutes. (If you run out of stock before the rice is cooked, use some boiling water.) Check the seasoning carefully and adjust to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

4 Stir in 100g gorgonzola and the cooled roasted pear slices until the cheese melts and the pears are warmed through. Remove the pan from the heat, add the butter and parmesan and stir well. Place a lid on the pan and let it rest for 2 minutes. (This is the most important part of making good risotto, as it helps it become really creamy and lets the flavours infuse.) Check seasoning and adjust to taste as required. Pick off a few fresh thyme tips and stir them into the risotto, then spoon onto plates or bowls, making sure that every plate gets a good amount of both sweet roasted pears and the beautiful, salty, melted gorgonzola. Garnish with an extra grating of parmesan, remaining gorgonzola, a drizzle of good extra-virgin olive oil and a few more thyme tips.

dwell magazine is just so cool

I'm in love with dwell magazine and everything in it. This ice cream sandwich takes the cake. Errr, takes the cream? Whatever... it's just cute. Click the link for the fun contest for readers.

f l i c k r f r i d a y f o t o* - happy father's day this wknd

"I cannot think of any need in childhood as strong as the need for a father's protection." Sigmond Freud..., originally uploaded by nascity.

proud wifey

I'm so proud of my hub's work I had to share. His company is building a giving garden at their office site and it's just amazing the donations and support they are getting from everyone involved. They even had four fruit trees donated. Wow. Love this. Check it out here.

hearth + home - plates from Decor8

Cannot really handle how much I love this look. It's from Decor8... and I think I read it awhile ago about Holly's search for a flat in Germany. Anyway, so chic. I want to do it but I'm sure it would not turn out this adorable. Holly - hope you keep us informed of all things decor related in Germany. Safe travels!

nifty gifties - santa monica farmwear

My sis is in Santa Monica and the adorable farmer's market there did not disappoint apparently. She found this functional but elegant bag by Farm Wear. The little label with the pomegranate is so cute. Love.

traditional foods minnesota

Today I'm heading over with la bebe to the food club I joined over a year ago: Traditional Foods MN. Going to pick up some sausage, maybe some fresh eggs, and definitely some veggies. I have been shopping for local food more often than not, and have found it's becoming easier and easier with time - but there is still a long way to go. I just heard about the Manhattan Milk Company... so awesome. Going on a mission to find that here in MN...

beauteous maximus - earth science beauty

I've been loving my new moisturizer, by earth science. It's actually a tonic mist spray and it makes my skin feel dewy fresh but it's oil-free. earth science products are all natural and do not contain Oil, Animal Ingredients, Methyl or Propyl Parabens. I found mine at Whole Foods.

pretty

originally uploaded by i.Anton.

gourmette - fabio from top chef's story on whrrl

I've only just discovered Whrrl and I am loving this. Check out this "story" from Fabio from last season's Top Chef... who didn't have a mild crush on him after he said "It's Top Chef, not Top Scallop"??