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Sip

Pineapple Mint Juleps

June 27, 2014

I wanted to put a tropical spin on an American favorite for 4th of July festivities – Pineapple Mint Juleps. This pitcher drink is perfect to whip up for your BBQ’s next week!

Pineapple Mint Juleps

2 cups bourbon
1 cup pineapple puree
3/4 cup mint simple syrup
1-2 cups club soda (depending on preference)

Combine ingredients in a large pitcher and gently stir.
Serve over crushed ice.
Garnish with mint and enjoy!

Pineapple Puree

1 pineapple, cubed
3 tablespoons mint simple syrup

Puree pineapple in a food processor and drizzle in simple syrup until combined.

Mint Simple Syrup

1/2 cup boiling water
1/2 cup sugar
1 large bunch of mint

Mix mint leaves in boiling water and sugar until sugar dissolves.
Let steep for 5-10 minutes, then strain leaves.

Domestic

During my farmer’s market trip, I was sure to load up on fruits and veggies, but (as usual) I tried to get some less ripened produce to carry me through later in the week. This spring/summer I’ve been putting my produce straight into the fridge after the market, but after a little research learned that is not always the best thing to do… Here is my breakdown of where and when to wait out the “ripening game”:

Eat ASAP

Berries
Watermelon
Pineapple
Citrus
Grapes
Cherries

Refrigerate these items and eat right away. The listed items are picked and sold fully ripe, so make sure your produce smells sweet before your purchase (it’s not going to get any sweeter).

Wait it Out

Cantaloupe
Stonefruit (peaches, plums, nectarines)
Tomatoes
Avocado
Figs

These fruits/veggies will ripen overtime (but NOT sweeten). Leave them at room temperature until ripe (they will smell fragrant), then transfer to the fridge, if you won’t be able to eat them immediately (except for the tomatoes… never put them in the fridge!). You can speed up the ripening process by storing produce in a paper bag.

Really Wait it Out

Papaya
Pears
Bananas
Kiwis
Mangos

The produce listed above will ripen AND sweeten when stored at room temperature. Refrigerate only as a last chance option (when food is right about to spoil).

Does anyone have any other advice on how to remember whether to refrigerate or leave it out? I failed at coming up with an acroynm or catchy song to remember…

Domestic

El Mercado

June 25, 2014

I recently was introduced to a website – Quirky, which provides products designed by real people (like you and me)! When I was asked to do some product reviews, I was excited to see the impressive list of items they have available for purchase – like Tether, Mocubo and Silo!

Due to my obsession with farmer’s markets, I thought it best to test drive the Mercado. This multi-compartment farmers market tote, was an answer to all my farmer’s market haul troubles.

Thanks to various pockets, loops and transparent compartments I was able to get my loot home undamaged and was also able to keep tabs on what I had purchased so far… Usually I bring a giant Costco worthy shopping bag to a farmers market and between delicate peaches, lettuce leaves and that watermelon I just HAD to have, something is bound to get smashed, bruised or just buried alive in there… plus I constantly am having to sort through my bag to see what I still need! With the Mercado, the sheer compartments allow you to see inside the bag, and there were enough sections to hold lettuce, herbs, stone fruit, packages of raspberries, freshly squeezed juice and all of my gear from my Barre3 class I had just come from!

Between the adjustable strap (you can go shorter for over the shoulder or longer for a cross-body bag) and the assortment of compartments (4 small, 2 medium and 1 large, plus 2 outside pockets) make this for the perfect bag for weekend activities, or to store in you car for grocery store runs.

My only issue was that, I probably could have used some more room (I’m a chronic over buyer), so hopefully one day this will be available in various sizes… maybe even different colors/fabrics? Long story short – this bag held A LOT of stuff, and did not feel that heavy, plus all of my groceries made it home in their original condition… yay!

To get your own Mercado bag click here – and shop their entire line-up of amazing products click here!

Looks

Fancy Sweats

June 24, 2014

My new obsession – pants. I’ve always been a dress girl, but as of late I’ve been gravitating towards the simplicity (and gasp… comfort!) of a simple pants ensemble. These J.Crew pants have become a new staple… super easy to throw on, and can be dressed up or down, day or night… here was my “get ready in 5 minutes for dinner after work” look.

Zara Tank (on sale!), J.Crew Pants, BCBG Heels, GiGi New York Clutch, Beaded Necklace

Party

Summer Solstice with Minted!

June 23, 2014

I love a reason for a great dinner party… and when I was offered the opportunity to collaborate with Minted, I jumped at the opportunity to host a Summer Solstice party to celebrate the longest day of the year – and the start of my favorite season!

As you have seen here, here and here, Minted is a company I hold near and dear to my heart. I used them for my wedding invitations, have their art hanging in my home, and designed my business cards on their website. When I found out they provide a WIDE range of party decor options, I had to learn more!

Be sure to make your way to their Party page and browse the wide variety of “pre assembled party packages,” as well as their a la carte items. They have everything from fun banners, photo backdrops, and place cards to favors, table runners and signage!

I love the mix and match capability, and once you find some designs you like, you can go in and customize wording, fonts and (depending on the product) layouts and colors! Then after purchasing your items all you have to do is approve the final proof and your party products will be shipped straight to your door!

For our Summer Solstice party, I grabbed up some gold glitter banners, personalized table signs (for appetizer and drink stations), mini notecards (that I used as place cards) and menus (even my dad couldn’t get over “how nice they are!”). Mixed with some Mediterranean inspired decor and an alfresco meal we were good to go!

With wedding season and baby shower season in full swing, Minted is the PERFECT stop for your paper good needs… but make sure to check out their journals, artwork and stationary while you are browsing their site!

I love the idea of stations – serve yourself drinks, appetizers, dessert… and these signage cards are a really nice touch to jazzing up a tray or designated space.