to eat or not to eat...

{pinterest payoff}

I sure tried something good last night.

I had a friend over and she was my guinea pig.

Lucky for me, it all turned out quite delish!

zucchini carpaccio

difficulty:  2- the hardest part about this was slicing the zucchini (which is pretty simple folks!)  Just let it marinate for 10-15 minutes- voila!  add the arugula and shaved parmesan and get your tasting palate ready!!

time:  hmm... 10 minutes, tops. 

outcome:  The perfect go to dish for summer!  It is so simple yet so delicious.  I did add some extra lemon/olive oil mix over the top of the arugula- seriously...what's not better than arugula and lemon?!?  Easy dish to try a couple variations:

-add grapefruit and toasted macadamia nuts

-to make it a bit more "hearty" add grilled chicken and pine nuts

sooo yummy!

pass or pursue?

do it!

make it your new summer "go to" dish!

grilled salmon with avocado salsa

difficulty: 3- once again, you have a little time for prep work and this just flows right along!

time: 45 minutes (including prep and cook/grill time)

outcome:  tasty and refreshing!  I actually thought the recipe was for chicken when I went to the store to get the ingredients so, chicken it was!  I baked it, turned out tender and juicy.  I also seasoned the chicken in the afternoon, which I should have done so in the morning for a more intense flavor- maybe add some garlic as well.  If you like your food spicy then substitute a spicy pepper for the jalepeno.  Next time, I'm going to add a bit more seasoning and definitely give the salmon a try! 

pass or pursue?

well come on... I did say "next time"...

you know it!  PURSUE!

things I'm digging on pinterest



a great way to "wrap" up a summer night :)

(photo via mydocumentedclsoet.com)



yep.

this just kind of took my breath away.

imagine- reading a book, drinking an espresso...

and then after that, a scotch on the rocks.

(photo via pinkwallpaper.blogspot.com)

God? Is that you?

Is this heaven ?

Just imagine- if this place is on earth- what is heaven going to be like?!?

(photo via contemporan.com)

perfect outfit for that pool party in palm springs.

demure and sexy.

(photo via images.ny.mag.com)

guess what?

it's thursday.

that means friday is almost here!!

pinterest payoff

Now here is something to get your creative juices flowing...



difficulty: 3- all you need is some fabric paint, heels, and time.

time:  couple hours (only because you want the paint to dry before your second coat (that is, if you do a second coat)).

outcome: a great way to spruce up an old pair of heels.  Make it even more fun by getting a neon pink paint and pair with mint jeans! 

pass or pursue?

no brainer- pursue!

(photo and information via madeinpretoria.wordpress.com)

difficulty: 1- pour, mix, spray = voila!

time:  total 2 hours, 5 minutes.  5 minutes of you getting the ingredients together and 2 hours to let the shower/tub soak

outcome:  after about 1 1/2 hours, I took a scrub brush to the shower and seriously- it worked like a gem!  I used seventh generation liquid soap instead of dawn (I use seventh generation since the product line is all natural) and it worked just as well as the reviews said!  The only down side would be your bathroom now smells like vinegar- I'm going to add an essential oil next time and see if that take cares of the "smelly" situation.

pass or pursue?

for reals? 

it's cheap, effective, and safe for kiddos.

pursue!!

(photo and information via picklee.com)

bathrooms I'm loving on pinterest this week:





(photo via 29.media.tumblr.com)

(photo via missheatherette.tumblr.com)

(photo via tumblr.com)

(photo via bhg.com)

(photo via simplyjess.tumblr.com)

(photo via pinterestbest.net)

enjoy your thursday-

maybe even take a long soak with a nice glass of wine!!!

potatoes and treats- oh my!

{pinterest payoff?}

ah ha.

I love trying new things which is why I love pinterest.

not only is it totally inspiring (and then makes you hate your house and wanna move) but trying all these fun ideas/innovations is great for the mind and soul.

Which is where I bring to you today:

berry basket

(photo via marthastewart.com)

difficulty:  if you can move your arms/hands- your all good

time:  this too depends on your ability to move- how fast are you at errands?  do you wander around the aisles aimlessly and then forget the entire reason why you went to hobby lobby in the first place and walk out with 2 mirrors that you never even needed?  Okay, okay, long story short: if you have all the items- 5 minutes.  if not: couple hours

outcome: the most perfect "because I love you" gift.  Here's the idea: 

- make your own card  (get stamps on sale at hobby lobby)

- basket (any local craft store)

- strawberries (farmers market)

- scones/muffins (you can make from scratch- or if time is limited- whole foods has some great packaged options)

If it's for a special occasion- throw in a gift card to their favorite coffee shop!  perfecto!

pass or pursue?

pursue it!

you didn't think that was it- did you?

smashed potatoes

(photo via americastestkitchen.com)

difficulty:  from 1-10, it's a 2. 

time:  1 hour- although it's a little longer than some recipes out there- you can always boil the potatoes first, "smash" them, refrigerate and then pull them out and bake when you need them.  If you have the time- they are soo delicious!

outcome:  dare I say it?  the next best thing to a fry.  There.  I said it.  These were incredible!  Affordable, easy, different.  They would be perfect for an appetizer at your next get together.  I followed the instructions and just added olive oil, salt, and pepper- and like a fry- they didn't need anything else.  Of course- if you want a little variations feel free to add a kick;

-cayenne and garlic

-provencal (yummy!!)

-cheddar cheese

(you get the picture!  you can add anything to a potato!)

pass or pursue?

definitely a go in my book.  In fact, if you see me at my next outing, you just might see a tray of these walk through the door!

some things I'm loving on pinterest this week:



(photo via vogue-wish.tmblr.com)

(photo via apartmenttherapy.com)

(photo via mojitosandblow.tumblr.com)

(photo via blogs.babble.com)

ahhh snap.

tomorrow is friday- so make this thursday the best!

cookie! cookie!

{pinterest payoff?}

Yesterday I embarked on the journey of making raw cookie dough bites, if you are familiar with vegan recipes than this will be no surprise to you.  They are in fact quite delicious and COMPLETELY stab the craving of, "me want cookie, me want cookie, me want cookie!!!!!!!".

difficulty:   super, duper easy.  I mean really, there's no baking- just chopping and mixing.

time:  1 hour 15 minute - you actually do 15 minutes of the work and the freezer does the hour- pretty fair trade off, huh?

outcome: delicious!  I highly suggest a dark chocolate or bittersweet, I only had milk chocolate morsels and I would rather of had it without.  (not sure why I had milk chocolate, I'm thinking they were left over from a Christmas cookie recipe...hmmmm.)  Don't be afraid to have a couple scoops before you freeze them- it's just as good!

I pulled up a stool and Linden helped made a mess :)  The nice thing was that we could eat the "dough" together- no fear of raw eggs here!!

pass or pursue?

pursue it!  great healthy alternative to the every day cookie :)

recipe by: adashofcompassion.com

If you are interested in more vegan recipes, check out:

raw: the UNcook book.

by: Juliano Brotman

There are some amazing recipes for a "raw" diet in here.

If you're ever in LA, check out his restaurant, Planet Raw, in Santa Monica- the nachos are incredible!!

(I'm probably partial to this since I can eat EVERYTHING on the menu- but seriously- even the soup (yep- not cooked!) is to die for!)

the kind diet

by: alicia silverstone

Another great cookbook to check out- this one is not as time consuming as Juliano's, so there are some easy substitutions. (Like buying your own almond milk instead of making it!!)

{raw balls}

This is a favorite recipe in my household (thanks to my mom!).  Don't expect them to last more than a day.

You eat them like candy, cause your like- "Well, they're healthy, right?  Why yes I will have 10 more.  Thank you!"

taste like yummy chocolate.

raw ball recipe

pinterest outfit inspirations

(photo via fashionsalade.com)

(photo via gabbagabbaorg.tumblr.com)

(photo via atlantic-pacific.blogspot.com)

 

 

happy thursday!

it's almost the weekend!!

pin it!!

At the latter part of the year in 2011, something was happening...you may have jumped on the bandwagon then or may be just catching in on the buzz now (who knows, you could be a veteran at this already!).  Once it began, it grew like wildfire putting the likes of mothers and grandmothers once again in touch with their children and grandchildren via the world wide web.

Yep.

you've guessed it- pinterest baby!!

Practically everyone and their mother is on that thing; including businesses and bloggers!

So...that brings about my new Thursday segment:

Here I will try something new each week from pinterest and let you know if it really, really works (or is as tasty as they claim- like all those "crack" recipes!).

 

pinterest payoff?

first quest:   dried strawberries 

dried strawberries

difficulty       super, duper easy 

time               3 hours, 5 minutes- you = 5 minutes; the oven = 3 hours

taste scale     6  - I would be interested in trying it with the vinaigrette and prawns as described in the recipe- wowzers- that sounds quite scrumptious.

outcome       well, it was stated that they tasted like gummies, so I was expecting an experience like my first with peach o's.  That was simply not the case.  Tart and yummy, they were, but let's face it- nothing compares to the gumminess yumminess of a true gummy candy.  It also started to burn a bit before the 3 hours so I had to turn down my oven- didn't stop me from eating them all!!  healthy and delicious!

pass or pursue?

pursue!  do it!

Here are some of my outfit inspirations from pinterest:

{photos via chictopia.com, atlantic-pacific.blogspot.com, thismodernlifestyle.tumblr.com}