recommendation: pottery barn design studio

I was furniture shopping (for our new house!!) online recently and stumbled upon this great resource that I wanted to share - Pottery Barn Design Studio. Besides having great inspirations for room designs, they have a whole section on their site that outlines the steps to planning a great party and includes templates for invites, favor ideas, and even playlists! There are such great ideas on this site on how to set up the table, what things to include and even themes - great for supper clubs! I want to be invited to a Comfort Food Party, sounds kinda amazingly delicious.

I absolutely love pottery barn and the style of the store. I do not adore their prices but think buying SOME key pieces from there are worth it. I've been constantly referring to Pottery Barn & Crate and Barrel for style and decorating ideas and then have been on the hunt to find my own! My mother-in-law and I went to a complimentary

one-hour class this past weekend at Pottery Barn called "How to Decorate your Home for Autumn." They used different decorating pieces - mercury glass candle sticks, flameless candles, wooden pumpkins, terra cotta vases, wooden trays, faux leaves, acorns, branches, etc., to show how you can dress up a sofa table or sideboard in different ways. We got some great ideas! I've always enjoyed window shopping there, it was fun to get inside the store before they opened and get ideas on how to do it myself! Here is where I'm going to look to recreate some of their looks: Home Goods, TJMaxx, Marshalls, Target, Walmart, Michaels, Bed Bath & Beyond and Kmart. Let me know if I'm forgetting any others.

I'll let you know how my fall decorations turn out!!

recommendation: hot ham & cheese sandwiches

In preparation for a big game two weekends ago (University of Michigan's first night game!), my mom was menu planning for a pre-game lunch/dinner at my parents house. She needed to find a main course that would accommodate people eating at different time intervals as we all had different afternoon plans but all needed to fuel up before tailgating and drinking. She decided on her trusty ham & cheese sandwiches. These sandwiches have been a staple in my childhood and I now make them as an adult when I need any easy make-ahead dinner. I didn't think much of the recipe until I saw a blog post about them being used for a baby shower lunch and got jealous and wanted to lay claim to them too! I have this recipe too! I eat these too! Why is that we always feel so territorial about great ideas when it wasn't even us who invented them? But I guess that is why I have this blog - to recommend the good ideas I find myself or through others.

So here are some perks of these sandwiches
- they are super easy to make, quick recipe
- individually wrapped so you can throw a few in the oven as needed
- easy to change up - when I was little my mom made a mustard-less version for me. This weekend she made a meat-less version for my sister (instead of ham, we put tri-color pepper rings so it was similar to a cheesesteak hogie, minus the steak). You can also swap the swiss for something more adventurous - gouda? brie?

This blog post uses mayo (i think that part is unnecessary) and served them at a baby shower. I think her buns look great (I normally use plain hamburger buns). They are great for a sporting event or birthday party and are also pretty inexpensive!

Here is my mom/grandma's recipe:
Hot Ham & Cheese Sandwiches
1/4 # butter (# = pound!)
1/4 tsp worcestershire sauce
3 TBSP prepared yellow mustard
1 small onion, chopped
1 # shaved ham
3/4 # shaved swiss cheese

Soften butter, mix in worcestershire sauce, yellow mustard, onion. Spread this mixture onto hamburger buns. Add ham & Cheese. Wrap in foil, bake 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Makes 8-12 buns depending on size of bun and how much ham & cheese you pile on.

*I use I can't believe its not butter b/c its already soft. Also I Don't measure, just eyeball everything. Lastly, I use reduced fat swiss and have them shave the swiss & ham verrrrry thin, so its falling apart (yes, the cheese too).

Enjoy!

recommendation: THE BEST planner in the world

I know I haven't been blogging a lot lately and I should really be getting ready for bed tonight but I was just adding an appointment to my planner/calendar and realized I only have 3 weeks left in my 2010-2011 august to august calendar and then its time for my 2011-2012 one!

a few things. yes, i am excited about a brand new fresh planner (that same weird excitement the first week of school after you get over all of the awkward figuring out who you know in class and who will be your friend and where to eat lunch and can then concentrate on going through your syllubus and writing your name on all of your folders and getting everything organized and labeled)(wait)(is that not fun for anyone else?). and yes - I still use a planner designed for someone in school. lastly, yes, I still use a paper planner vs something online or through google (i use this too) or my iphone - there are some things that just need to remain untouched by technology and for me, my planner is one (as well as all books. my sister and her bf swear by the kindle but I just can't do it. it feels wrong.).

I also think it is a fun fact that I have been using this planner since 1999!!! They are my favorite and I always think its fun to pick out a color (they have a fun selection of about 5 that vary every year). Sometimes my sister and I accidentally pick the same color, which duh, is because of our sister ESP.

So anyways, lets get to the details. Made by Mixed Role Productions, this calendar is $16.95 plus tax and shipping. You can get it at some book stores - I get mine at Nicola's in Ann Arbor. I keep track of everything because of my headaches (diet, sleep, etc.) so I like that there is a lot of room for notes during the week, a folder with pockets, sections in the back for notes, graphs, contact information, etc. This planner has gotten me through 12 years which definitely warrants a blog post and a solid recommendation!

recommendation: selecting your bridal party

Well, I got a little caught up in – I’m home alone and have the remote to myself and can watch any show (aka trash) that my heart possibly desires – time, so the other night I ended up watching an episode of Tia & Tamara (really?!). It was an episode about Tamara’s upcoming wedding and how she was debating about her selection of maid-of-honor – her sister Tia, who was pregnant and therefore not doing anything, and her best friend who was a bridesmaid and picking up all the slack planning the party. I got curious after the episode was over about how her wedding turned out so I found a picture and was shocked and how beautiful her soft pink bridesmaids dresses turned out and everything looked amazing.

Made me reminisce a little about our wedding – my sister was my maid of honor and did such a fantastic job of planning my bridal shower and bachelorette party. Every detail was perfect – at my bridal shower, my sister & mom found antique tea cups and saucers, each one different, and put one at each setting with a little flower arrangement in it. My favorite drinks, my favorite beverages, my favorite people – my pre-wedding events were perfect. On the day-of, our photographer captured a picture of us, giving each other a look of complete love and support. This is what a maid of honor is!

I hope that you find the perfect people to be in your wedding. They make the cutest cards these days so that you can send or give to your friend/relative to ask them to be a part of your special day. I love these I Still Need My Girls one and Will you be my bridesmaid, both from Etsy.

Another popular idea is sending a small flower arrangement to each girl and in the card asking if they will be a part of your special day.

Most importantly is – as a bride, don’t assume they will want to or can, understand that you are asking them a huge favor – time, money, friendship and tolerance of you being a crazy b*tch during the last few weeks (thank you to my girls for loving me still!). And girls who are accepting – understand what you are accepting to – time, money, friendship, and tolerance of your friend being crazy. If you aren’t able to do this, think about accepting before you do it. Did anyone see the movie Bridesmaid’s? What a crazy collection of girls but it really shows that you have to be there for the bride – this is not about you, this is about her.

Here are some helpful articles and tips for selecting your bridal attendants:
- The Knot's, 9 Tips for Who to Pick
- Real Simple, Choosing your Wedding Party
- Bridesmaid 101, everything bridesmaids and MOH's need to know - duties, tips, resources
- Wedding Bee, bridesmaid board

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