Taking today to honor and thank those that serve our country and protect our freedoms. Thank you for your service!
For those of you that follow a gluten-free diet or have people in your life that do, you know how difficult meal planning can be. It wasn’t until my mom started eating gluten-free, that I began to understand just how much of the food and drink we consume has gluten in it!
No one could be happier than me, when I was introduced to Chopin vodka and their amazing products. Did you know they are one of the only major vodka brands to produce gluten-free products (namely their Potato Vodka – one of my favorites and included in the cocktail below!).
They also meticulously produce their vodka in small batches at their distillery in Poland, using local ingredients and sustainable farming practices… doesn’t get much better than that!
So when I was invited to try out some of the vodka, I wanted to whip up a fall friendly vodka cocktail… so I now introduce to you The Ginger Pear Sip!
Ginger Pear Sip
- 1 oz Chopin Potato Vodka
- 2.5 oz Pear Juice or Pear Puree (I pureed a pear and a splash of water in a blender)
- 1/2 oz Ginger Simple Syrup
- Seltzer Water
Add vodka, pear juice/puree and simple syrup to an ice filled shaker… shake thoroughly. Line the rim of a glass with lemon juice and dip in brown sugar. Fill with ice and strain cocktail into glass.
When I get dressed the first thing I do isn’t to pick my favorite shoes or my favorite top, but to decide who I want to be. Sometime’s it’s the successful business executive, sometimes I want to be Jenna Lyons or Michelle Pfieffer in Scarface or maybe I’m having a hippy-boho moment… but for those times I just want to be goddess I bust out this hair style – Victoria Secret Hair.
In college one of my roommates used to curl her hair daily and I didn’t understand how she had the time… until I discovered this hairstyle. I literally can have curled, voluminous hair in under 10 minutes! Here’s how…
Prep. Use a volumizing shampoo/conditioner and blow dry hair. Spray with a thermal protectant spray.
Step 1. Brush out your hair.
Step 2. Clip up the top portion of your hair.
Step 3. Use a 1/4 inch barrel and curl away from your face (start 1/4 of the way down from your scalp).
Step 4. Start curling at the top of the strand and work your way down (don’t curl from the end of your hair up)
Step 5. Let down the 2nd section of hair and continue to curl hair away from your face.
Step 6. Finish curling 2nd section (just make sure to curl away from your face on both sides)
Step 7. Tease your crown (I work in 3 sections, from back to front)
Step 8. Curl top section of hair (make sure to start curl around eye level – don’t curl to root)
Step 9. Curl the pieces around your face last (these are the most important!)
Step 10. Add a little (or a lot) of hairspray and voila!!
Every Sunday I tell myself I am going to wake up and whip up an amazing brunch for the hubby and I, and by the time I work my way down my mental to-do list, I am too overwhelmed… this past weekend though I was excited to put together a brunch that tasted like it took MUCH more time than it did.
The key to this meal – the best ingredients you can find. I went to the farmer’s market at 9am and bought farm fresh eggs, Early Girl tomatoes (that no joke you could smell when walking by their stand… I didn’t even know tomatoes could smell amazing!??!), and Levain rustic bread from the Manresa Bread Project. By 11am I was home from errand running and was eating this meal by 11:30am… doesn’t get much better than that!
Charred Tomatoes and Toast
- 4 Slices Rustic Bread
- 4 Tomatoes
- 1 Clove of Garlic, peeled and sliced in half
- 4 Eggs
- Salt and pepper
- Olive Oil
- Toast your bread (you could put it in the toaster, but I toasted in in a pan on the stove)
- Remove from heat and rub sliced end of garlic on bread.
- Brush olive oil on bread.
- Slice tomatoes in half (I sliced the ends off too, just because I’m weird about them)
- Brush sliced end with olive oil.
- Heat a pan over medium heat and once pan is warm place tomato, sliced side down on pan.
- Don’t move and let them cook for 3-4 minutes (until charred).
- Remove tomatoes from pan and place 2 atop each piece of bread.
- Drizzle some olive oil in a pan and crack eggs into pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Let eggs cook, undisturbed for 2-3 minutes (until egg white sets)
- Remove eggs once finished and place atop tomatoes and toast
Now what is the best thing to wash this meal down with? My easy go to brunch drink – a Michelada Cubana!
Michelada Cubana
- 1 Corona
- Fresh squeezed lime juice (of 2 limes)
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 4-5 dashes of Tabasco (or more if you love it really hot)
- Rim a glass with lime juice and salt.
- Mix ingredients listed above and pour into glass.
*I premixed this drink in a pitcher when I got home and refrigerated it while I was making brunch. Once the eggs were cooked I poured it into the salt rimmed glass and was good to go!
I love the little luxuries in life (who doesn’t?!)… and a cashmere sweater and some sparkle never hurt anyone – enter my prep inspired weekend wear…
Sweater/Jacket/Top/Jeans/Flats/Purse/Sunglasses (on sale!)
These jeans have been my new go-to and I love that they seem to dress up a more causal look. I also scored this men’s sweater and couldn’t be happier with the cozy fabric and forgiving cut (fall foods always result in me having to pull out my “roomier tops”… darn those pumpkin baked goods!)
I also am a huge fan of this Tory Burch Satchel. It is the perfect size (can hold my camera along with my standard “purse necessities”) and has a removable strap which is great for when you need an extra hand 🙂
