recommendation: pinterest.com

Let me tell you about a website I was newly introduced to that I am now completely obsessed with. PINTEREST. My co-worker Lauren introduced me to it – she said its awesome and I must try it. I hadn’t had the chance to explore it yet when another friend Jenny mentioned on facebook that she’s obsessed with it. Between these too girl’s raves, I figured, mind as well check it out… fast forward to two weeks later, I literally get on this site every day. Pinterest.com.

Ok, so basically what it is, is you get to make virtual bulletin boards, you can label them anything – one for food, one for clothes, one for arts & crafts, etc. Then, whenever you see a great recipe on cookinglight.com or you find a skirt you really want on jcrew, or this really genius idea on how to organize something on your friends blog – instead of putting it as your status, or emailing yourself the link to look at later, or printing out the article, you PIN it to your bulletin board. You ‘add a pin’ which means you cut and paste the link, write a comment, it will automatically detect the picture or you can add one, and ta-da, you’ve virtually saved it to your board. The pin doesn’t have to come from a site, you can upload your own pictures, but it’s a great way to share all of your favorite resources for ideas and recipes.

I love pinterest because I am THE QUEEN of tearing pages out of magazines. And I save all of my magazines, I flip through dog-eared pages and am realizing that this just makes it so much easier to keep track of everything.

On top of this, your pins enter this virtual pool of ideas, so you can see everyone else’s pins, and ‘repin’ them to add them to your board! Add a new comment and tell people why you like it. You can follow your friends or random people that you like so that you can discover new thingsI am so drawn to pretty pictures – these days, if your blog or website doesn’t have a pictures along with it, you will loose people. People are drawn to what is aesthetically pleasing to them. So try it – pin away (and come follow my boards)!

recommendation: applesauce on the go

I am applesauce obsessed right now. It all started last Thanksgiving when my cousins adorable twin kids needed a snack and were given GoGo Squeez applesauce packets. They let us try one and it was surprisingly delicious! I didn't think much more about them until recently when I was nursing a hangover and my sister fed me one to get some food in me - it was an unexpected fix, a refreshing and natural treat. Since then, I've been a bit obsessed. Gogo Squeez packets are awesome but when I needed a quick fix, I popped into Trader Joes and tried their version, Fruit Crushers, which I actually preferred because it wasn't as sweet. If you prefer sweet vs natural applesauce, then you'd probably prefer GoGo Squeez - even though both are completely natural 100% fruit with no added anythings.

These squeezable applesauces are absolutely perfect when you feel like you are about to faint from hunger but are absolutely too busy to stop and eat at that moment. You need something small and with a little sugar to keep you going until you can actually break and eat a real meal. These packets aren't filling (I can practically eat it in two slurps) but they give you that little push you need. Today, I made a new discovery. I had that feeling at the grocery store, starving but didn't want to open the cheez-its and ruin my dinner, so I grabbed an apple sauce packet in the refridgerator fruit section. Buddy Fruits Apple & Banana flavor. I don't know if it was the flavor or the moment of hunger, but this has been my best squeezable applesauce experience to date!

If you aren't convinced to try these kids treats yet, let me give you some grown up benefits:
- source of antioxidents such as catechin, phloridzin, chlorogenic acid (all of which fight free radicals in the body to protect DNA and cells from oxidative damage that can lead to cancer)
- apples are high in fiber
- per Mott, the applesauce experts: Eating apple sauce as part of a diet low in saturated fat promotes heart health; Antioxidant vitamin C to help support a healthy immune system; Naturally fat- and cholesterol-free; Naturally sodium free
- article on the Health Benefits of Applesauce

recommendation: how to deal with temperamental fruit and veggies

I came home from work today to find my glorious, perfectly round, 20 lb (its seriously heavy) watermelon, hand picked by yours truly, FOAMING and drooling on the counter. My first reaction was to look up at the ceiling because I thought the unit above was leaking. Then I rolled it over and realized it was originating from the melon, which was then followed by a major freak out session as I thought it might explode (visions of it shooting like a rocket directly at my head (?!), spewing rotten melon everywhere). It also strangely smelled like beer, which I thought might be the Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar (try it, awesome) beer bottle sitting on the counter. Here’s what my research led me to find:

- My watermelon was rotting
- The liquid leaking from it was because it was fermenting
- This watermelon was NOT safe to eat

This got me curious about other fruit & veggies since mine tends to go bad quick, so I decided to do some fruit & veggie homework. Here are some of my reoccurring questions, answered (via other websites and blogs):

Is it OK to eat the nice looking lettuce if there was a slimy piece or two in the bag?
Most websites I found say if its slimy, its rotten, which means you either didn’t store it properly or its past its expiration date. If its past its expiration, don’t risk it, its there for a reason (rule follower). Here are some tips on how to store properly: 5 ways to keep your lettuce fresh

Are wrinkled bell peppers OK to eat?

As long as there is no mold or brown spots, its ok. If the seeds aren’t white then its probably gone bad. If its wrinkly or a little sunk in, most say its still ok. Just best to cook vs eating raw since won’t be very crunchy.

Are bruised apples OK to eat?
Normally just caused by oxidation so ok. But be cautious – if it’s a deep or dark bruise or has a lot of bruises, you might find something in there!

Is it OK to eat a tomato with a hole in it?
Couldn’t find many answers on this one, from what I see, try cutting it out, if it seems like it was just dented or poked by something then its alright. If it has discoloration around the hold, might be bugged, pitch it.

How long is chopped onion good for?
This very official looking site says after you chop it, store it in sealed container, good for 7-10 days. Love this clever onion storage tip, reusing an empty water bottle!

Is it OK to eat a potato if it has roots growing out of it?
As long as roots don’t have green spots or leaves and potato doesn’t have green or black spots, then yes. Just gouge roots out with knife and carry on.

How long can you keep garlic for?
6 months at room temperature is not abnormal. If you don’t use garlic quicker than that, I feel bad for your taste buds. Here is more than you ever wanted to know about garlic.

Is it OK to eat a brown banana?
Yes. Wanna know why they go from green to brown?

If you have a moldy berry in the box, is it OK to eat the ones that weren’t touching it?
Yes. Someone posts here what Whole Foods says so obvs we can trust this advice: when you buy berries, pick out moldy ones, wash the rest and put on paper plate with paper towel in fridge. Consume within 2 days. Will spoil at room temperature.

And, as long as we are on the topic of produce going bad, I’d like to sadly report this update that my radishes were attacked by Aphids (ew, ew, ew). I almost cried. I tried a home remedy (veggie oil, dish soap, hot water) which I sprayed onto the infested leaves. I don’t know if the bugs killed the radishes, the mixture, or the fact that I probably sprayed 20 times what I was supposed to onto them. Just to be safe. I’m still growing them all the way, even though they look dry, mangled and unhappy. One, just to say I grew radishes, and two, to see what they will look like full term. I noticed a few more nasty evil Aphids around my garden so I got professional Ortho Elementals spray from Home Depot, and its worked beautifully. My plants are all lovely and alive, and per the instruction label and home depot employee, its safe to eat any produce after spraying this stuff.

recommendation: five things for a hot weekend

i've got a huge to-do list - things to try/do/see/eat/blog about. slowly trying to tackle it and every weekend, trying to do something memorable! here are five things i want to try for this hot hot weekend.

1. as long as its hot, mind as well sweat it out and light up the grill... this S'Meach (S'More + Peach) sounds intriguing! i tried making a grilled peach once and it was pretty tasty but adding a marshmallow and some spices just take it to the next level...

2. i've got a long mane and in hot weather, i don't want to spend 10 minutes blowing hot air to drying my hair, no matter how amazing my chi blow dryer is. i was pumped to see all of these great hairstyles for the summer on InStyle

3. Ice cream mania. Here are three recipes I'm dying to try:

- Coconut & Watermelon Sorbet from July 2011 Martha Stewart:
1/4 c coconut flakes, 2 pints store-bought coconut sorbet, 2 c cubed (1/2-inch) watermelon, finely grated lime zest, for sprinkling
1. Preheat oven to 375^F. Bake coconut flakes in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet until roasted, c. 3 minutes. 2. Divide half the sorbet among 6 tall glasses using a 2 1/4–inch ice cream scoop. Top each with a layer of watermelon, another scoop of sorbet, and then more watermelon. Sprinkle with lime zest and toasted coconut. Serve immediately.
- Whipped Sorbet: sounds ridiculously easy
- David Burke's Primehouse Friday Ice Cream Pop-Up Shop, 3-5pm at JBar: today's flavors are Tiramasu and Chocolate Covered Strawberry!!

4. i'm not a huge beach person (don't like sand) but can appreciate going and sitting by the water. we live close to the lake so its a nice walk down and if i'm going, mind as well travel in style... love these beach bags on Refinery 29 - my fav is the beach bag to carry all year Ikat Cloth Tote by SR Squared by Sandra Roberts. So cute!

5. wear my new ann taylor LOFT sparkle tweed shorts. they had an amazing sale recently - 40% off (everything!) and I picked up a few great pairs of shorts. I'm normally not a shorts person but i am drawn to sparkly things so i couldn't resist these! they have a great selection this summer!

stay cool and enjoy the weekend!

recommendation: join a book club

I’m all for the arts, anything that is culture, that creates and cultivates… so when I got invited to a book club through work, I was excited. When I heard it would be discussed over wine…. I was double in. All of my ‘clubs’ involve wine… knitting club, crafting club, book club… it makes them cooler (maybe? kinda?).

We met at the Conrad, which has a delicious nut mix at their bar btw, and discussed our first book, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, by Rebecca Skloot. Parts were hard to get through, other parts had me gripped and turning pages quickly… its on the New York Times Best Sellers list under paperback non-fiction, #3! Overall I’m happy I read it, its one of those books that you read and it betters you, its good to be aware of

all that's going on out there. As a Sociology major,anything that involves the study of people, cultures, times, social reproduction, etc., gives me a little thrill. Oprah is making a movie of this book too, so you know its good!

I recommend two things here. 1) Enjoying a nice glass of wine while exploring a hobby (might I recommend charles smith wines?) 2) actually joining a club to celebrate that hobby, in this case, a book club!

p.s. If you decide to read the book or start a book club, here are some resources:
- Discussion Questions for The Immortal Life...BookLust
- Oprah's Book Club
- NPR Book Club
- Local Chicago Resource - Gapers Block
- Amazon Book Club Picks

recommendation: chocolate coconut water

I was at TJ's last friday to do a quick pick up and bumped into an old co-worker who works there now and told me I MUST try this new product. She asked if I liked coconut water and I said kind of (as recently posted - pineapple coconut water - YES, most other flavors, no thank you). Then she presented me with a sample cup of Zico chocolate flavored coconut water. You'd think chocolate WATER would just be gross. Here's the thing. If you don't think of it as flavored water, and don't compare it to chocolate milk, because its just NOT, and just take it for what it is... a refreshing chocolate beverage... then its absolutely delicious. Make sure its super cold when you drink it. My first few sips were room temp and it doesn't have the same refreshing effect. If you need further motivation:

- has more potassium than one whole banana
- assures rapid hydration and replenishment
- 5 essential electrolytes, good sources of iron
- zero fat, zero cholesterol, zero added sugar, gluten free
- 110 cal, 2g fat, 23 carb, 18 sugars, 1 protein

Try it. Its different, and awesome.

recommendation: easy berry cobbler

I recently posted on taking a shortcut with a cookie recipe and how it was only semi-successful. Well, I took another shortcut on another baking recipe, and again, it was only semi-successful. I had happy bellies around the room but felt as though the recipe could be changed... and that's why I'm posting/recommending it, because I feel like with a few easy adjustments, it can be a successful shortcut recipe!

My hubby has been asking me to make cobbler with all of the great summertime fruit available but every time I look up a recipe, it either involves a lengthy ingredient list or something in the list that I don't keep in the house, so it stops me from making it. My in-laws, sister-in-law and her son came to visit this weekend and I really wanted to make them a special dessert. I was going to make

Krusteaz Cinnamon Coffee Cake one morning and got a boxed mix but decided it was a little too much work in the a.m. and wanted to do something easier...and then I noticed on the side of the box... a berry cobbler recipe! Using the boxed mix, all I had to provide was 4 cups frozen mixed berries, which I have been keeping stocked in the house (LOVE Trader Joes Fancy Berry Mix with blueberries, blackberries and raspberries), water, butter, and old fashioned oats. Done and done!

Revisions are, the recipe needed a little longer to bake, I'm thinking its because I didn't have the deep dish pie pan it called for. I'd also add more berries next time as the berry to streusel topping ratio was not even. Lastly, I'd maybe put less of the cinnamon mixture into it, was a little too cinnamon-y for me (maybe just me, as we've established that I'm not the biggest cinnamon fan...).

Overall though, this was such an easy recipe and satisfied the cobbler craving. The house smelled great and even with the extra time, it only took about 45 minutes to bake. Worth another try!

recommendation: grilled corn

Just in time for another beautiful weekend, I wanted to share a few corn recipes for you to try on the grill! since we’ve been grilling a lot this summer, as long as we have it fired up and ready to go, corn is an easy thing to throw on as a side. Everyone does theirs different but we shuck the corn, slather it with olive oil, and stick it on the grill, rotating after a few minutes on each side until it gets a little charred. I do not like all things grilled – asparagus for one, prefer mine sautéed. But corn is one of those things that is good any way – boiled, grilled, popped!, so these 4 recipes are worth trying out!

1. With Lawry Seasoning Salt – growing up, mom ate corn with butter and dad ate corn ‘indian style’. This means pouring a little lawry’s seasoning salt into a dish, cutting a lime in half, dipping the lime in the salt and squeeze while pressing it onto the corn. YUM. I don't know how my dad came up with this but it's awesome. This is a MUST TRY!

2. Grilled Corn with Tequila Lime Butter: found this recipe for liquor-infused themed supper club. made 1 version with cilantro, 1 without since I'm not a fan. I couldn't taste the tequila thaaat much so I would maybe add more but I just love the idea of it...

3. Corn and Avocado Salad:

new recipe I tried the other day as a side to our grilled quesadillas – only thing we did different was grill the corn:
3 ears corn, 1 avocado, pitted and chopped, 2 scallions, thinly sliced, 1 tablespoon olive oil, kosher salt and black pepper
Directions: Using a sharp knife, cut the kernels off the corn. In a medium bowl, toss the corn with the avocado, scallions, oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.

4. Grilled Corn with Roasted Jalepeno Butter: cooking light recipe that I haven't tried yet but am eager to because I'm intrigued by the lime rind and honey.

Enjoy and don't forget to watch the corn on the grill so it doesn't get too charred!

recommendation: martha stewart inspired 4th of July cookies

Martha is my mom's idol so in turn, she is mine too. She is the Queen of baking, sewing, craft projects, and everything domestic. I agree with all of the whoopla, of course with money and a whole team she can get anything accomplished and she makes her projects seem easy, not necessarily made for the everyday gal... so when I saw her July magazine issue with 4th of July Fireworks Cookies on the front, I KNEW I had to attempt to make them, but needed to revised the recipe a tiny bit! With a busy week's schedule, I didn't want to be unrealistic about this project, so I decided to get a bag of pre-made cookie mix. It just required you to add butter and 1 egg. I made them in different sizes just for fun and while they cooled, I made my the buttercream frosting my mom brought us up on - confectioners sugar, butter, milk and vanilla. Easy enough! (p.s. this is a great recipe for Christmas cookies too). I also got pre-made gel packets that came in a set of 4 colors. As I started decorating the cookies, I realized instantly that they wouldn't turn out the same as Martha's because my white frosting needed to be harder and more solid.

Martha used Royal Icing - big difference, my buttercream wasn't a great substitution, as I tried swirling the colored gel designs, it was just blending with my creamy buttermilk frosting - but honestly, it was quicker, I ended up just doing some fun and crazy decorations. Overall, they were deliciously sweet cookies, so worth it! I would still recommend taking the shortcut to get the project done, Martha's cookies are beautiful but mine were still fun for the holiday celebration.

Happy Independence Day!

recommendation: themed party ideas

Still completely obsessed with the royal wedding and Katherine & William (proof is in the $6 collectors stamp I just bought on USPS! Ha!), I came across this great theme party on HostessBlog.com and thought a lot of the ideas were useable for other parties so had to share it. I'm a HUGE fan of themes and matching everything that you can (thanks to my mom!). Not to mention I love the colors – maize & blue means… Goooooo Michigan! Using different signage or perhaps colors, some of these ideas would be great for a graduation party, bridal shower, or birthday party. Here are my recommendations:

- Flower balls in a teacup – I love it! These would be great décor for a bridal shower (My mom did floating flowers in antique teacups for mine!). There are a lot of luxe flowers in these arrangements but daisies and mums would work great as they are inexpensive. Spider Mums and gerber daises are larger flowers that would work well if you want to pop the heads off and float them instead.

- Ornate Picture Frames for Drink and Food Menus – these would work great for any party that has a complicated menu that needs to be displayed. Are even great for weddings. I think its a quick and easy way to step it up and show that you put some thought into decor and theme-ing your party. If its a shower, you can frame the invite, or a picture of the couple. I saw frames like this recently at Target – hurry over!
- Izzy soda’s – these have always been on my recommended list – they are great for kids and adults, have fun flavors (I’m a fan of apple) and are pretty for a tabletop

- Liquor Specific to the event – for the British Wedding they went with Pimm’s.
Pimms is actually a great summertime liquor - its refreshing, you can mix with sprite, ginger ale, soda water, lemonade or iced tea and you can add lemons, raspberries or cucumbers... We made it for a family BBQ and everyone went for one!
- Mini cupcakes - these are easier for people to eat. I've never made them, I would think they are pretty easy, but if you need a quick way out - Trader Joes has some cute vanilla ones. Mini ice cream sandwiches, brownie bites (try sweet moments!), or a small assortment of cookies would work well too. By giving small sizes, people don't feel as guilty trying one of everything!

recommendation: growing a garden on a high-rise balcony

last year I mostly did basics for my ‘garden’ aka one metal tin with holes poked in it and one plant potter. I did basil, jalapeños, and a tomato plant. It went well, considering it was my first attempt at growing anything. The basil was insane and I could not keep up with it, I only used like a forth of the ONE jalapeno that produced (which took all summer to grow). Tomatoes were good but they often split before I got to them as I didn’t tend to my garden as lovingly as I should have.

Well – new year, fresh start, this summer is a different story! My mom & dad gave me a mint plant which took off, so that inspired me to have a whole slew of herbs out on my balcony. I found these fantastic potters at Marshalls, they came in two sizes, and look great and simple on the balcony. I did a lot of research of what to plant that will grow well on a balcony in a pot and here’s what I did:

- Cilantro
- Thyme
- Oregano
- Basil
- Mint
- Eggplant
- Yellow Pepper
- Roma Tomato
- Patio Tomato
- Banana Pepper
- Habanero Pepper (for my cousin who’s taste buds can tolerate any and all heat)
- Radishes

The radishes were a last minute addition since I realized I had an extra spot in my planter and they have been growing well. I can’t wait! Other items that are

supposed to grow well on a balcony are: carrots, lettuce (bibb, spinach, arugula), bush beans, parsley, chives, and green onions. There are 'bush' varieties of several plants which work well in pots.

All articles I found said to make sure there is drainage in your pots, this is a MUST. Also to make sure the pots are big enough so that roots can grow and spread, otherwise it will outgrow its space quickly and die off. Some items work well together too, ask the store you are buying your herbs/veggies at. Lastly, make sure to get proper soil - I bought the Miracle-Gro Potting Soil and my plants seem happy. I accidentally bought garden soil and it says all over the bag - do not use in containers/pots, so I returned it - why risk it? Be patient with your plants - herbs will grow quick (and will need to be trimmed b/c of this) but vegetables will take a while so don't expect instant results! Sit back and make a cocktail with those fresh herbs(raspberry mojito with the mint, strawberry basil vodka, thyme and lime, etc) and enjoy what you have while you have it.

I made my first dish using my own grown herbs – sicilian pesto for a chicken dish yesterday. Would use one clove less garlic but was delish – enjoy!

Here are some other resources I used for my garden:
- Home Depot - bought most herbs here
- Gethsemane Gardens - bought my strawberry plant and my cousins habanero plant here
- Gardening Tips from GOOP (Gwyneth Paltrow)
- Vegetable Plants Suitable for Containers
- 12 vegetables you can grow in a pot

recommendation: make Indian inspired food

As a follow up to my post the other day on fake-making Indian food, I did find two awesome recipes (which lead to me discovering this awesome website!) for Indian-inspired oatmeal and Indian Mango-Pineapple chutney. Lets do breakfast first.

This Indian oatmeal uses steel oats which I got from trader joes. I’ve never made them before, they are quick cook ones, but were easy enough! I mixed in all listed ingridents and at the end when they were ready, I stirred in 3 heaping tablespoons of ground flax seeds to get a little extra nutrition in there.

Since I don’t eat fish (it’s a texture thing, and yes, I have tried, and will keep trying. I want to like it!) – I need to get my omega-3’s somehow and my friend Evie started taking pills which inspired me to do something myself. Baby steps. Anyway, I portioned it out and put them in the fridge. I also separated out slivered almonds and raisins into snack size baggies, and the coconut milk into containers. In the morning I grabbed my portions for my lunchbox, and quickly heated my hubbys up for the car ride in. Easy enough, and super tasty. I would say this is more of a ‘spiced’ oatmeal vs ‘indian’ – I suppose it’s the ginger. I left the cardamom out b/c I was scared, I’m sure that would Indianize it… Definitely a way to switch up your morning meal and add some fun flavors.

Next up, we’ve got mango-pineapple chutney. Finding this recipe was great timing since my dad bought me a case of mangos! I always keep canned pineapple in the house so this was easy. I served it on the side with tandoori chicken but as other comments mention on Budget Bytes Blog, I think it would taste fantastic with a white creamy cheese. Then yesterday we ate it with pork tenderloin – it added a great flavor and sauciness to the pork. I’m sure this chutney recipe can be adjusted with different fruits and can be used in a million ways.

Recipes for both can be found on links on item names in above paragraphs. Enjoy!

recommendation: “make” Indian food for dinner

as you can tell by now, i’m a big fan of TJ’s (trader joes). i’m half Indian and my husband is always requesting that i learn how to make indian food… so this is my (temporary) solution.

it’s a great way to try Indian food if you’ve never had it before and are nervous about what to order at an Indian restaurant. Its also great because there are a lot of vegetarian dishes, and if you get a bunch of things to try, its fairly inexpensive. Best of all, since its all frozen it cooks very quickly so it makes a great quick meal for nights when you were on-the-go all day. My TJ Indian favorites are:

Frozen Section:
- tandoori naan – regular or garlic are both great, whatever you prefer. low fat, cooks in oven in 2 minutes (I don’t add the butter to it)
- chicken tikka (tee-ka) masala (ma-sa-la) – this is my fav for main course, not a lot of chicken but its ok b/c I make so many other dishes with it. It comes with rice but I make more rice on the side
- paneer tikka masala – my husbands favorite, paneer is a fresh Indian cheese (like fresh mozz but firmer like tofu), this comes with spinach rice
- brown rice in a bag (or Jasmine if you prefer white) – it comes 3 to a box and cooks in less than 5 minutes. You only need 1 packet for a meal for 2 diners

Aisles
- Daal Makni – my dad’s favorite type of daal, so therefore mine. It’s a darker daal (like bean soup) that tastes great by itself or over rice
- Channa Masala – this means chickpeas (same thing as garbanzo beans). Spicy dish. Looks oily but not thaaaat bad for you (ok not thaaaat good for you either) and super tasty.

I also normally make raita too, cools the

mouth down and just takes a few minutes:
Lowfat plain yogurt – 1 individual cup per person, or you can get a larger container if you are making for more:
Ground Roasted Cumin (jeera) – you can buy this at the store, McCormick makes it, or make it yourself which is what I normally do. Roast cumin seeds in a hot pan until they begin to brown, be careful not to burn. Cool seeds and then grind in a coffee grinder. Store at room temperature in jar for future use. BEWARE, when you grind the seeds, your coffee grinder will smell like cumin for long after. We have a second grinder for spices & herbs only.
Cucumber – I normally grate mine and then squeeze it in a papertowel or strainer to get excess water out, but you can just dice up a cuke too.

Dash of salt and sugar to taste
Dash of paprika for color

Mix yogurt, cucumber and ground roasted cumin together. Sprinkle with dash of cumin and paprika for color. Sorry no measurements but I normally do it by look and taste. Can store in fridge until ready to eat.

For some easy to make Indian dishes like spiced peas or tomatoes and chunna (chickpeas, remember!) - check out my sister’s blog Vegonomic$

My Dad and his sister Rani are the best Indian chef's I know, hopefully I will absorb a little more so that I can eventually make some of these dishes fresh! In the meantime - TJ's to save the day!

p.s. there is a box of veggie samosas in the pic - i do NOT recommend those. they didn't taste very Indian to me at all.

recommendation: listen to your father…he really does know best

Life’s lessons – they are there for a reason. Listen to them. When I look back on the latter part of my teen years, I think I was kind of rebellious (those who know me know that in truth this actually means slamming doors, yelling that life wasn’t fair and the silent treatment, none of which really qualify as true teen rebellion). I can’t imagine the horrible times I put my parents through as they tried to teach me right and guide me through all of the experiences of growing up. My dad had strict rules and I never thought they were fair. He held high expectations and only for the best reasons, so I could succeed and become all that I was possible of. Looking back, I wish I had followed more of his advice, or at least listened sooner…. luckily a lot of it stuck with me. Here are some recommendations passed down, to both me and my lucky husband who has a father who has dealt with his fair share of teenage rebellion.

The basics of being a kid:
Sudhir: Hold your pencil right
Paul: The mitt can be used to catch the ball AND protect your face.

How to get around in the kitchen
Sudhir: Put in double the amount of water as rice, boil, and simmer for 25 minutes
Paul: Anything you have in the house, no matter how random its seems can be made into a meal with the right spices and a little creativity

The Secret to Success:
Sudhir: The key to being successful in life is knowing proper English and grammar
Paul: Having a happy and healthy family can make you the richest man in the world

Real Life Lesson:
Sudhir: It never hurts to ask
Paul: Always be compassionate

Advice from both fathers:
Sudhir: Do what makes you happy
Paul: Do what makes you happy

We all went to a wedding yesterday and the priest spoke of two families joining together to support and be present to witness the love of the bride and groom, how the bride and groom knew love (the happy hand holding love, and the how to be there for each other during a challenging time kind of love) because of what they learned from their parents and loved ones. My husband and I are fortunate to say that we have always felt loved. That is not something we ever had to question. Whether it was a hug, an approving pat on the back, a look or the actual words, we have always known deep down that our dad’s love us and will always love us. And in our lives together, we continue to learn about love from our father in-laws as well. They teach us about their life experiences so that we can learn and grow to be all that we can be.

So ears perked, pencil ready, listen to your father. He’s got good advice to give you and it’s all because he loves you.

recommendation: friday obsessions

Well, its been a while since my last post. Not because I don't have anything to talk about or nothing exciting is happening - in fact, I have three topics that came up in the past week or so that I have good recommendations for! Indian grocery shopping and cooking; planting a garden on your balcony; and hosting a supper club! But alas, what has slowed down my posts is pure selfish laziness. I've been coming home from work and immediately changing into my PJ's, eating my dinner in bed and finding the girliest movie possible on TV until my hubby gets home from class (ie/ Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. yikes.)

So I ask you to hold tight an anticipation that I have lots of lovely recommendations to come... and in the meantime... here are 5 things I cannot stop thinking about that I want to share!

1. blush blazers worn by Kourtney & Khloe on Kardashians – cant find shot from the show but it was a boyfriend jacket and looked something like this – I want one!

2. David Burke's Primehouse Pop-Up Ice Cream Shop - Jove T's Big Daddy Kone Ice Cream Shop, 3-5pm at JBar - 610 N. Rush. $5 for jumbo cone, goes until it runs out, every friday through summer. The two flavors this week are:
PEPPERMINT COOKIES & CREAM- Fresh Peppermint Ice Cream, Chocolate Ice Cream, Mint Chocolate Meltaways, Chocolate Mint Cookies
CARROT CAKE- Cream Cheese Ice Cream, Carrot Cake Chunks, Pineapple Sherbet, Candied Walnuts.
YUM YUM YUM. Good thing Friday's are my workout days!!!

3. my new melemine serveware that worked

out so perfectly at our supper club. I got a mixture of geometric and floralpieces. They had a really pretty watercolor poppy design too.

4. Coconut water. I am only recommending the flavored kinds (except for the acai/pom one. ewwie). Plain is weird, pineapple is pina colada delicious. Try it when you are hungover, exhausted, or after you work out.

5. coconut oatmeal. Not sure what my obsession with coconut is yet, must be that its summer time. i got it from e.leaven which is right across the street from my work, so super convenient but it was too expensive. I'm dying to try it at home. Raw shredded coconut mixed through a creamy oatmeal (I'm going to try to mix in lite coconut milk!) and then toasted coconut on top. Possible mix-ins: raw sugar if needed, banana and mango!

TGIF!!!