May 31, 2012

Veggie BBQ how-to


First of all, I want to thank you all my wonderful readers for your support and love! I am SO, SO flattered every time when I get an email or a comment from you , especially, when asking to expand on something I've posted on the blog. 

So, here - as asked - the
 Veggie BBQ how-to.





Cheese. 

 I had on hand 2 soft cheeses. I usually just check Whole Foods or Harmon's to see what's in season ( did you know there is such a thing as seasons for cheese? There is! ) which usually means two things : better tasting and cheaper.  

Hard cheeses - I gathered the remnants of what supposed to be semi hard cheeses ( but turned to real nice and firm over the course of the week in the fridge) , cut in thick pieces, removed the rind ( unless ash washed - those I keep always).

Mozzarella ( fresh)  balls. 

Veggies and things: 

Zucchini,  eggplant, colored ( red and orange) peppers, corn, mushrooms, onions - bulb and green, parsley, mint, dill, fennel, garlic, broccoli , cauliflower, potatoes, EVOO , balsamic and red wine vinegars, sea salt ( I love the Celtic Gray sea salt), coconut oil.

Shrimp and shrimp sauce.
 The process is really easy. 

I love to marinade mushrooms just a bit - crush a TON of garlic ( way more then you think you need), mix salt , olive oil and you fav vinegar in equal proportions, through a bunch of spices that smell good, and lather your mushrooms with the mixture. Leave for at least 20-30 min. An hour would be awesome. Overnight in the fridge ideal. But , hey, whatever you can do will make a difference, even 10 min. 

Cut eggplant in cubes or thick slices , rub generously with salt and leave for 20 or so min. Rinse well. Salt and water will neutralize the bitterness that eggplant has and soften it. You can marinade it afterwards too, if you wish. 

Then we just let kids be as creative as they wanted to be. On bamboo sticks ( if you are a BBQ-ing pro, you'd probably have something better then bamboo sticks. We are new to this thing) I let kids put whichever combinations of veggies they wished, with one rule - there HAD to be one chunk of onion per 2-3 pieces of veggies. 
Onions add amazing aroma and flavor. They went all creative - it was good too! The skewers consisted of something like pepper-zucchini-onion-mushroom-garlic-pepper-onion- zucchini... You get the picture. Then we grilled them as we saw fit. 

Somewhere in there were also grilled:

*corn, rubbed with coconut oil and salt.

*mushrooms ( pre-marinaded and not), sprinkles with olive oil and vinegar afterwards to maintain the softness

*shrimp.

*broccoli and cauliflower. 

*cheese on make-shift foil "plate" ( those hardened remnants) together with bread pieces - viola! cheese toasts at its best!

*simply grilled bread.

*potatoes baked in the ashes . just thrown in after the fire is gone.

What we made.

Apart from bamboo skewers, corn, shrimp, mushrooms and potatoes we did :

mushroom/mint salad:

grilled mushrooms
mint
onion
garlic ( grilled) 
olive oil
vinegar
grapes ( green go best, imho) 

cut , mix, and add fresh dill to the top. we loved it. 


grilled veggie salad:

 grilled:
zucchini
eggplant
green grilled onions * just the whole thing *

fresh: 
tomatoes ( cherry/grape would be best)
dill ( torn in pieces)
parsley ( torn in pieces)
garlic ( crushed) 

olive oil, vinegar, salt-pepper to taste. 

mix together  in a large bowl. this is a very much "camp-out salad", even though we weren't camping.

we also attempted the mozarella/cherry tomato salad but... most of the mozzarella got eaten before it made it to display, so I'll just show you would it WOULD look like, if it happened: 


Desert was simple
Watermelon, grapes, honeydew, peaches and apples. We didn't grill them. Just ate. You can cut watermelon in a very cute way - next time I will.


 This time we just did my childhood old fashion method: half-moons with rind and dug in. You get dirty up to your ears. And that's what makes it taste best. I promise that we are cultured, and typically eat it with knife and fork, but ... sometimes its reaaaaally fun to forget about everything and just laugh.


I hope this helps. And considering a new weekend ( and fabulous weather!)  is approaching, I hope you spend some time outside and grill your dinners! I doesn't have to be complicated to be fun . Just do what suits YOU best, and enjoy every minute! 

Wishing you a HAPPY WEEKEND!


WE HOPE YOU HAVE FUN!!!






Run-don't-walk!









Do you remember this post about trends the other day? Well, guess what?! Marc Jacobs is on SALE at gilt.com! It's by invitation only, so here is one for you ( you're welcome!). I ABSOLUTELY adore the seagull tee and this yellow/blue sweater ( and combo with blue shoes?! genius).

One thing about gilt that I wish I knew when I first was introduced to it, is simply this - if the item is sold out, you STILL can get it! MAKE SURE TO ADD the right size to the wait list and check in regularly on your account ( though you will get an email notification when the item comes in stock). I got 95% of what was sold out of the moment and what I really wanted. I only wish I knew about it much earlier. 

Well, enough talk. Run-don't-walk so you don't have to wait-list anything! XO 

Any sales I should know about? Please, share!


 

May 30, 2012

To make your day!

I'm sure you've seen... but in case if you havent , here is your healthy dose of happy tears to make your day great!

May 29, 2012

Instagram and cameras' view

We decided to run for a quick "get-away" weekend in near by resort town last week, which was continued over to this three-day weekend. Between the two, here is what we've got: 

The  "crew" ready to picnic in the gorgeous park by the mountains:

chatting about life...


somewhere that conversation lead into pushups: 


that turned into dance?..


... and more conversations...


playing with daddy: 


... is the best thing in the world! 


checking out if he is strong like daddy. do you say "yes"? ( i did!) 


with all the play with daddy, this little fun-ball got left all by herself...


but not for long - i rescued her. guess what she went for first? 


this little kissable face just melts my heart...



sporting the new "turban" style we acquired over the weekend : 


flying : 


daddy-baby time . the best. 


weekend arm-candy: 


and memorial day grill:


doing what he does best ( one of millions, i kid you not) 


what we started with: 


a portion what kiddies made ( a small portion. we had about 3 times more at the end) :


she read my magazine by thoroughly ripping every page out and chewing on it. fashionista in training. 


waving "bye-bye" to the shadow! 



I can honestly say that this was one of the memorably fun weekends. Though we've done nothing extra special, with the crazy fast speed of our lives, it , actually, felt really nice, different and fulfilling. Who would have known? I think it was a much needed recharge for all and everything - from energy for adults to bonding/playing with daddy for the little ones. Bottom line - I highly recommend. FYI - meatless grill dinners are the best. Honest. 

 WHAT WAS YOUR MEMORABLE TIME? A WEEKEND? OR OTHER EVENT? 

PS: look what someone figured out "how-to"! 









Newest Trend Report: draped skirts.

I hope you all had a great long weekend! We had lots of fun things happening around here, which I can't wait to share, but I MUST share this first !
 
I'm over the moon with the new trend of draped skirts! 
  Marchesa is incredibly feminine, but Marc Jacobs and the modern/urban twist of his collection also has a place in the fashion chamber of my heart. 


 My pics from Marc Jacobs are here + here + here   and pics for  Marchesa are here + here 

A girl can dream, right? 

And if "straight off the runway" is not your style, here are some of my budget-friendly variations:  


WHICH ONE IS YOUR FAVORITE?

 

May 25, 2012

Fashion, style, trends: casual wear and weekend

With the weekend on the door step, why not to have fun with casual wear?






top: jcrew or similar. shorts: jcrew, or try gap sexy boyfriend( on sale this weekend!) bag: sam edelman via tjmaxx. similar. shoes: jcrew, or similar + budget similar. belt, jewelry: jcrew, but love, love, love these: similar+ similar+similar+similar+similar+similar . lips: nars + mac

I am loving the boyfriend trend, especially shorts - effortless chic and sexy. I know there are more/better ones out there, but between Gap ( who's boyfriend anything is awesome this season, and is on sale at 40% off this weekend), and Jcrew ( new fav, I'm sure you figured that out by now ) I feel I am completely set. 

 One tip of the day : just because it is hot outside , does not mean it's a "must" to live in a tank ( though i love those) or sandals. Try a linen or a silk top - you'd be surprised how cooling it is on a hot summer day, as well as canvas shoes - they add an unexpected touch and ... save your pedi for a day more :) 

Last, but not least : I partnered up with an amazing fashion group, so make sure you "stalk me" ( see the button on top right) for my latest fashion picks, all styles and budgets included! 

WISHING YOU A SUPER WEEKEND! 
ps: there will be another post. check in! 



 
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