When it comes to aprons, I’ve usually gone with the more old-fashioned bold prints in the past, but when I saw this one it was truly love at first site. It is sort of a chic version of an actual professional chef’s apron. And really, the lines and colours could be something I would want out of a dress almost.
Daydreaming about prancing around a lovely white kitchen cooking up some tender morsels. With a glass of red wine, of course.
I love to cook, and I love to eat. So for October I asked the gleegarden subscribers to tell me their cooking inspirations for a chance to win a prize. So many fabulous suggestions that I thought I would share with you all.
Seems that the internet is popular, in particular allrecipes.com.
I’ve found the scores by other users to be really accurate and the best recipes float to the top. – Megan
I found a recipe on there called Chocolate Cavity Maker Cake, it’s just about the best cake I’ve ever had let alone made! It was always a hit at work potlucks. – Debbie
It’s a bit generic but I always go to allrecipes.com. Why? Because they have EVERYTHING there. And because when I was challenged to an enchilada cook off with my Texan sister in law, I found my winning recipe there. (I had never made them before). – Jacynth
I love allrecipes.com. It has an endless supply of ideas and the ability to rate recipes, add your own, and search thousands of key words. One of my favorites is a recipe for flax and sunflower seed bread. It is amazingly delish. Tor says it’s his favorite bread ever. Another total plus is that is has the nutrition information for each recipe at the bottom. A great way to eat healthily. – Leah
And other websites??
I am kinda boring on the website front but I religiously use epicurious and foodnetwork. I love the rating/comment section and in general trust the reviewers and their advice. I always incorporate their suggestions in the original recipe. I just made this mahi mahi recipe (and added garlic per reviewer advice) and it was damn tasty!! Easy too. – Angie
I love http://www.thekitchn.com/ – so great! recipes, cooking implements, restaurants – it all makes my mouth water! – Lia
Thanks to all the subscribers for their awesome advice. I can see myself ‘wasting’ hours of my life on the computer perusing these sites. I’ll let you all in on the non-web suggestions later.
Love to all and a gleeful fall weekend!
These beautiful decorative ceramic mason jars…
This may be the perfect inspiration for a few veggie haters I know. And maybe also for those of us who just want to make sure we are getting all of our good green vitamins.
Jacynth always knows what she’s talking about! (see her previous GleePeek here).
Orac Energy Greens – 25 servings of fruit and veggies in one tablespoon! It mixes great with water and despite the nasty green color, tastes just fine. It really does boost energy and curbs sweet cravings. – Jacynth
I probably wouldn’t have thought twice about checking out the herb + ginger booth at the craft fair, but the fact is, they have packaging that draws attention. Now I like tea, but I never would’ve walked up to take a gander if they didn’t have such nice white little canisters with good graphic design (excuse my lousy picture).
And then…they sealed the deal. Offering a taste test of the most scrumptious tea ever. As you can see, I ended up buying the Frosty Almond. If only the internet could give you a smell, or a taste. I keep opening it up to put myself in a happy place with the aural goodness. I look forward to purchasing many more varieties in the future, and reusing this canister for something else when it empties.
The Renegade Craft Fair in Chicago made me a very, very happy gal. If you have never been fortunate enough to attend one, I suggest you check out their website and make a point to get to one of their events. Amazing! Such talent, such creativity. A very inspiring lot.
So, I decided to showcase some of my favorites. I don’t know how long it will take me to get through all of them, but these artists definitely deserve recognition for their fine work.
Today I am starting with some porcelain decor and tableware from Raquel Masri. She takes an old theme – lace, ornate leaves and flowers – and uses wonderful modernish colours on simply designed pieces. Below are some of my favorites from her etsy store.
I thought that since this is a short week, made even shorter because of the fact that I am taking off Thursday morning for a long weekend in Chicago, that I would throw out another GleePeek.
This one is from my good friend Jacynth, who also celebrated her bday this past weekend. If you want to believe the astrological hype, she is a picky, clever, critical thinker who would never settle for less than the best. A Virgo through and through. Heed her advice! Here are some of her faves in life:
-Drink: A little numminess that is awaiting a name: 1 shot of Makers Mark, 1 shot of Disaronno, a splash of soda water, and a cherry. It’s a dessert in your mouth!
-Health: Vitamin D. I live in San Francisco and have the best doctor in the world. He alerted me that we San Franciscans don’t get enough Vitamin D throughout the year due to our geographic location. He told me that I could run around naked on Baker Beach all day long for every sunny day that we had and I still wouldn’t get enough natural Vitamin D. So, I take Vitamin D supplements every day. Nature Made is my choice!
-Food: instead of lettuce, I use shelled edamame as the base for my salad. It’s very healthy and adds a nice crunch to your salad!
Here is a picture of Jacynth when she visited me on St. John several years back. Funny Jacynth fact: David Sedaris (the hilarious, irreverent author) once told Jacynth that she had the most f*$%ed up name he had ever heard. That is saying something! Her pre-marriage surname was Lemaistre. A problematic mouthful at times.
I am not ashamed. I love the kitsch. And when kitsch happens to be from the highly collectible designer Jonathan Adler, a better name for it might be ‘playful chic’.
Jonathan Adler has been a huge name in design for years. His classic looks are easily recognizable, and he is ever-evolving and expanding his brand.
For the last holiday season, I decided to get my mother one of his classic pieces. It was beautifully packaged and a HUGE hit. Sculptural, playful and beautiful, much like the Jonathan Adler Darjeeling Teapot that I have been coveting. It is my absolute favorite. I’m not even sure I would use it for tea. It is just nice to look at, and a collector’s item in the years to come.
“It will be mine. Oh yes. It will be mine.” – Wayne Campbell, Wayne’s World
I was one of those kids who grew up in a home where NPR followed you from room to room and always in the car. It was Wyoming, after all. The only alternatives on the radio were country and christian. Luckily, I loved and still love NPR, so imagine my delight when I received for Christmas last year The Splendid Table’s How to Eat Supper…a cookbook from their award winning food show.
Not only is this book filled with engaging anecdotes and some of the best cooking tips I’ve come across, the recipes are all exceptional.
Here is one of my favorites (so YUMMY! and healthy), and it is super easy to make which is quite important in my sub-par economy-size kitchen.
Provencal Tuna Salad
Serves 2, 15 minutes prep
Three 6oz cans water-packed albacore tuna, thoroughly drained
1 cup halved grape tomatoes
1/2 cup whole Kalamata or Nicoise olives, preferably pitted
3 heaping tablespoons of drained capers
1/4 cup red onion
1/4 to 1/2 light packed cup chopped dill leaves
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 1 1/2 large lemons)
Salt and fresh-ground pepper
Just mix it all together and leave at room temp for about an hour. Jason and I eat it on toasted slices of baguette.
I can not stress enough how delish this is! Must give it a try.
*For a vegetarian version, replace tuna with 2 cans of chickpeas and the dill with 1/2 light-packed cup of torn fresh basil leaves. Grate zest from one quarter organic orange directly over the dish.
Today is our first GleePeek…a look into the lives of lovely ladies from around the globe who tell us about all the things that they can’t live without. It is so refreshing to hear other people’s takes on the products that shape their days (and nights). Hopefully we can all find inspiration and add a few fun new things in our lives.
Without further ado, let me introduce Miss Didi. My bi-coastal friend just landed a sweet job in New York City. She tip-toes through the tech world tulips just as readily as she sings sweet melodies in a band. One thing that is always consistent is that no matter where she goes or what she is doing, she looks damn good—special attention to the hair! Didi made me a great list of products that she hearts, and here is numero uno…
Wheatgrass is 100% organic and super good for you. Check out this website to purchase and for more details. The site says “Just one serving and you hit your daily quota of green vegetables.” Whoa! Sounds like a product that would be beneficial to all of our lives. Thanks Didi for the insight! Look for more of her must-haves in the future.
