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Blood Orange Strawberry Rum Punch

February 13, 2015

The specialty cocktail at the hotel from our honeymoon was Rum Punch. It wasn’t overly sweet, and was super refreshing… the perfect way to cool down after a rough day at the beach. To celebrate Valentine’s Day I wanted to whip up a fun version of Rum Punch that would bring us back to that amazing week… love at first… sip?

Strawberry Blood Orange Rum Punch

recipe via Bojon Gourmet

4 strawberries
1 tsp cane sugar
2 oz blood orange juice (from 1 orange)
1 oz meyer lemon juice (from 1/2 lemon)
1/2 oz lime juice (from 1/2 lime
1 1/2 oz white rum
1/2 oz dark rum

Muddle strawberries and sugar in a cocktail shaker until juices are released and sugar has dissolved.
Add citrus juice and give a quick stir.
Strain through a mesh sieve to remove pump.
Pour remaining juice into an ice filled glass and top with white and dark rum. Stir.
Top with sparkling water and garnish with a lime wedge or small strawberry.

Domestic

DIY Valentine’s Day Cards

February 12, 2015

While Papyrus is one of my favorite shops on the planet (aside from Nordstrom, J.Crew and Costco), people will always give you secret kudos for making (good) homemade cards. My sister Taylor really knocks it out of the park in this department. I was cleaning out my attic last week and came across a handful of cards she’s sent me through the years – paintings, collages, drawings, you name it. And while I not only would feel guilty throwing them away, I don’t want to. They are mini works of art!

Sadly, I am not as artistically inclined as my sister, so I had to work the system as to not have the sad looking card on my parents counter. What system is that? Workin’ with what ya got. In the midst of that attic clean out I came across some confetti I had bought to use at my wedding 3 years ago. I grabbed a little glue, some blank cards and got to crafting… here is my easy DIY Valentine’s Day tutorial.

1. Grab a cookie cutter or something you can trace – in this case a heart. (Don’t mind the chunk missing out of it).

2. Use a pencil to lightly trace the object in the center of your blank card. Or you could get crazy and place it where ever you’d like!

3. This next step can be done with numerous items – confetti, sparkles, gems, shapes you cut out yourself (or bought) – get creative!

4. Also grab some craft glue (I prefer a gel or clear adhesive… but whatever you have is probably fine).

5. Lightly dab some glue on the back of your flower (or whatever you are using).

6. Apply pressure for a few seconds to let it dry.

7. Keep gluing flowers along the traced outline.

8. Feel free to add multiple layers, and overlap as needed.

9. You can just do the outline of a heart, or fill in the whole shape… the option is up to you!

What do you think!?

Tasty

Valentine’s Day Treats

February 11, 2015

I had the utmost intention of whipping up some fun cookies as a Valentine’s Day treat, but got wrapped up in cleaning my house and resorted to some easy fail-safe Rice Krisipie treats. It doesn’t hurt that they are one of my Valentine’s favorites…

Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats

4 tablespoons butter
1-10 oz bag marshmallows
6 cups Rice Krispies

Brown butter in a large pot over medium-low heat (it will melt, then foam then slowly brown and smell nutty – just be sure to stir frequently and remove from heat once it browns… you don’t want it to burn!).
Once you brown butter, remove from heat and stir in marshmallows.
Slowly fold in rice krispies.
Transfer to a buttered baking dish and let cool slightly (I used a piece of wax paper to evenly flatten out rice/marshmallow mixture).
Sprinkle Maldeon sea salt atop Rice Krispie treats
Cut out heart shapes with a heart shaped cookie cutter.

*Melt white chocolate and stir in a couple drops of red food coloring to create a fun pink icing to decorate your treats!

Uncategorized

Valentine’s Day Gift Guide (under $20)

February 10, 2015

Valentine’s Day is a day to share love with your favorite people… but that doesn’t mean you need to break the bank. Here a few of my favorite gifts – under $20 – to share with your favorite people!

Orchid – while floral shops and Whole Foods have orchids in the $15+ range, be sure to check out your local farmers market, where I find $5-8 orchids on a weekly basis! Nothing better than a flower that lasts 3+ months!

Dish Towel – While a dish towel doesn’t sound super romantic (or romantic at all), it always makes me smile to see little holiday reminders around my house. Being able to “fun up” the mundane – aka doing dishes – with this fun towel, makes it a great gift choice!

Lollipop– Who says little kids have to have all the fun?! You know you secretly want to get that giant lollipop at the candy shop, so now is the time to get one for yourself and “a friend.”

Mug – Everyone needs a friendly reminder with their morning cup o’ joe… and it doesn’t get any sweeter our favorite 3 word phrase.

Dish – I love having a little dish on my bedside table to store my jewelry while I’m dreaming… and these little dish is sure to do the trick.

Notebook – For an avid note taker like myself, the flashier the notebook, the more fun the note making.

Pajamas – Giving lingerie to a coworker can get you fired. These cute PJs will be sure to put a smile on your work friend’s face AND keep HR happy.

Candy – I’m a sucker for cute packaging and these festive candies fit the bill.

Pencils – You’re sure to write the best love notes with these bad boys!

And while money can’t buy you love, it can buy you some of these sweet treats!

Party

Valentine’s Day Brunch

February 9, 2015

Saturdays are always great… but when a holiday falls on one? Oh boy. With Valentine’s Day falling on (what I hope for you is) a leisurely day off, what better way to celebrate, than with brunch? This easy (and delicious) brunch is a fun one to whip up with your loved one and get the day started on the right foot.

Our menu for the morning:

Blood Orange Mimosas
Strawberry Poppyseed Pancakes
Prather Ranch Maple Bacon
Mixed Berry Fruit Salad with Blood Orange and Mint
Scrambled Eggs with Creme Fraiche and Chives

Strawberry Poppy Seed Pancakes

Recipe via Creme de la Crumb

1¼ cups all purpose flour
1½ tablespoons poppyseeds
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup sugar
juice of 2 medium lemons
1 cup buttermilk
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1 cup strawberries, diced

Preheat large pan over medium low heat.
Mix dry ingredients (flour, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda and salt) in a large bowl.
Whisk lemon juice and sugar in a separate medium bowl.
Add buttermilk, vanilla and egg, and mix until smooth.
Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour dry ingredients into the well, whisking ingredients until just incorporated (the batter will still be lumpy).
Gently fold in diced strawberries.
Pour 1/4 cup of batter into preheated skillet (I melted a bit of butter first).
Wait for the edges to look “dry” and bubbles start to form in the batter, then flip pancake and cook about 2 minutes longer (until golden brown).
Repeat with remaining batter.
Top with diced strawberries and lemon zest.