Wednesday, January 5, 2011

From Hemingway to Barefoot Contessa...an inspiration...

I adore Hemingway...
the way he describes his surroundings is exquisite...
you can actually picture...taste...and feel the things he is describing...

Hemingway, from A Moveable Feast
"The pommes a l'huile were firm and marinated and the olive oil delicious. I ground black pepper over the potatoes and moistened the bread in the olive oil. After the first heavy draft of beer I drank and ate very slowly. When the pommes de l'huile were gone I ordered another serving and a cervelas. This was a sausage like a heavy, wide frankfurter split in two and covered with a special mustard sauce."

"We had very good snails, with a carafe of Fleurie to start with. ... ate the snails finally, dipping up the butter, garlic and parsley sauce with broken bits of bread, and drank the carafe of Fleurie."

all of his books involve quite a bit of eating & drinking...
{which is no secret, 2 things I LOVE to do!}
so this got me thinking about food and drinks and new recipes that I want to try out this new year!

Here are a few that just make my mouth water...

Lemon Chicken Breast (Serves 4)
Copyright, 2010 Barefoot Contessa, How Easy is That?

1/4 cup good olive oil
3 tablespoons minced garlic (9 cloves)
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1½ teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 boneless chicken breasts, skin on (6 to 8 ounces each)
1 lemon

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Warm the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, add the garlic, and cook for just 1 minute but don’t allow the garlic to turn brown. Off the heat, add the white wine, lemon zest, lemon juice, oregano, thyme, and 1 teaspoon salt and pour into a 9 X 12-inch baking dish.

Pat the chicken breasts dry and place them skin side up over the sauce. Brush the chicken breasts with olive oil and sprinkle them liberally with salt and pepper. Cut the lemon in 8 wedges and tuck it among the pieces of chicken.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken breasts, until the chicken is done and the skin is lightly browned. If the chicken isn’t browned enough, put it under the broiler for 2 minutes. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and serve hot with the pan juices.

BAREFOOT CONTESSA'S TOMATO & GOAT CHEESE TARTS
MAKES 4 TARTS


3 tablespoons good olive oil,plus more for brushing
4 cups thinly sliced yellow onions (2 large onions)
3 large garlic cloves, cut into thin slivers
Kosher salt & freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons white wine
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme plus sprigs for garnish
1 package (17.3 ounces) puff pastry sheets, thawed overnight in the refrigerator. Use cold.
4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
4 ounces garlic & herb Montrachet goat cheese
1 large tomato, cut into 4 (1/4-inch-thick) slices
3 tablespoons julienned basil leaves
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, shaved with a vegetable peeler

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.  Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat and add the onions and garlic. Sauté for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions are limp and there is almost no moisture remaining in the skillet. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, the wine and thyme and continue to cook for another 10 minutes, until the onions are lightly browned.

Unfold each sheet of puff pastry on a lightly floured surface and roll it lightly to an 11-by-11-inch square. Using a six-inch-wide saucer or other circular object as a guide, cut 2 (six-inch) circles from each sheet of puff pastry, discarding the scraps. Repeat with the second sheet of pastry.

Using the tip of a sharp paring knife, score a circle 1/2 inch inside the edge of each pastry. Prick the pastries all over with the tines of a fork and place them on the sheet pan. Sprinkle a tablespoon of the grated Parmesan on each round, staying inside the scored border.

Place 1/4 of the onion mixture on each circle, again staying within the scored edges. Crumble 1 ounce of goat cheese on top of the onions. Place a slice of tomato in the center of each tart. Brush the tomato lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with basil, salt, and pepper. Finally, scatter 4 or 5 shards of Parmesan on each tart. If the pastry is warm, chill for 15 minutes.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown. Garnish each with a sprig of thyme and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve warm.

CAPE COD CHOPPED SALAD
Ina Garten

Serves 4 to 5


8 slices (8 ounces) thick-cut bacon, such as Niman Ranch
8 ounces baby arugula
1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced
1/2 cup toasted walnut halves, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries
6 ounces blue cheese, such as Roquefort, crumbled

For the Dressing:
3 tablespoons good apple-cider vinegar
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
2 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2/3 cup good olive oil

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Place a baking rack on a sheet pan and lay the bacon slices on the rack. Roast the bacon for about 20 minutes, until nicely browned. Allow to cool.

In a large bowl, toss together the arugula, apple, walnuts, cranberries, and blue cheese. For the dressing, whisk together the vinegar, orange zest, orange juice, mustard, maple syrup, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and the pepper in a bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil.

Chop the bacon into large pieces and add it to the salad. Toss the salad with just enough dressing to moisten. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and toss well. Serve immediately.

& believe it or not, there is a Hemingway Cookbook!!! 
I found it in my searches recently. 
Haven't tried any of the recipes, but sounds pretty interesting for all of you Hemingway lovers out there!

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Putting NYE together...

Ordered this in November...strictly for New Years!
{whether I was going out or not!}

My beautiful & {very stylish} mother-in-law got me this
fabulous faux fur for Christmas!!!!
LOVE LOVE LOVE!



Had my eye on this Super sassy clutch for a while...


a little jet black nail polish to finish it all off...
&
here ya go!  I was pretty pleased!
Comfortable, decently warm, and VERY festive!


Terrible picture...
but, here is my hubby & I at my sister in laws house before hittin the town!

Had a wonderful dinner with a few friends...good food...great drinks...fabulous conversation...
and a lot of laughs!
Then downstairs to this little dance club with great wood high top tables...sparkley chandeliers...
loud music...& this perfect little dance floor!
  
After that, we managed to push our way to downtown Royal Oak, where they were having this
"mini New York ball drop"! 
It was great!  
The Gin Blossoms and The Romantics were playing on this great big stage outside
(whether you like them or not...it was fun!)

& the weather was BEAUTIFUL!  (well...for Michigan anyway!) 
it was 50 degrees, which, believe me, when you are outside on NYE and the weather was just days before in the teens...you really really appreciate a 50 degree NYE!
granted, this meant no perfect snowfilled eve...but, it worked great for us!

Anyway, we had a great time!
Friends, food, drink, laughter...& the "perfect" NYE outfit!
{...I was a happy girl}


source:  www.asos.com

To new beginnings...

I am sad to say that I have been a bit lazy when it comes to blogging lately...
to be honest...I found myself a little afraid to write my feelings down...my thoughts...my wishes...
my dreams...my day to day...
and other times, a bit overwhelmed at how to incorporate all my ideas into a piece that anybody would want to read...
I never wanted my thoughts to sounds materialistic...or uninteresting...or God forbid, just plain useless...

I am not an interior designer...{although I would LOVE to be!}...or the mom who has a million creative ideas and wants to share them with others {I have a few brilliant blog friends that can do that! yes, jaimie, I am talking to you!}...
I don't read every fashion magazine, so any pics I post are just plain late in the rest of the fashion world's eye...& although I love to cook, I certainly don't have the time or energy to cook up amazing dishes for all to taste either...

I am simply a hard-working mom that has some thoughts to share...some beautiful pictures to swoon over...& an occasional piece I write that comes straight from my heart...
Every day I strive to be the best mother, wife, friend, daughter, sister, aunt, co-worker, neighbor, and human being that I can...

I do know that I love to blog...it satisfys me in a weird kind of way...
even though I know I open myself up to God knows who...{or maybe no one at all}...
it makes me happy...
so.  I have decided that I am going to do my best to keep up with my blog...
no matter what the heck it is all about!

So, thank you to all who come visit...thank you...
it really makes my day ;)




Wednesday, December 8, 2010

A very *Urban* Holiday...

Urban Outfitters has the COOLEST gifts!!!

All these vintage...old school trinkets...I am in love with these...

***WISH LIST***

Crosley AV Room Portable USB Turntable
{I am *hoping* that this is under my tree this year...}

hint hint Craig...




Lomography Diana F+ Mini Camera With Flash
{This camera takes those old skool *dreamy* pictures...}

Tufted Storage Bench Velvet
{at the foot of a bed...a bench for my piano...or even as seating in the dining room}

Pendleton Women's Bike
{Except I want it in turquoise!!!}



This, my friend Tracey would enjoy as well... ;)

Lego Walkie Talkies
{Ethan would LOVE these}!


Sci-Fi Sound Machine
{for me...but, Ethan can borrow it too...}

Antoinette Fainting Sofa - Blue Linen Damask
{how beautiful is this...}

Fisher Price Record Player
{I had one of these growing up...brings back memories...}!!!







Tuesday, December 7, 2010

A Real Christmas Tree...


Every year we put up our old (really really old) artificial Christmas tree that was given to us by my parents a million years ago...
&
don't get me wrong, I love it for many reasons...
it is the same one I grew up with...it is a perfect height...& perfect skinny little shape for our family room...
but, the limbs are starting to fall off...it leans a little...and it smells...
you know that smell of old stuff...(not a good smell mind you)

So, this year we decided to go pick up a real one...
{I LOVE Christmas trees in every room}...
it reminds me of my Aunt Barbara's home in Brighton...she had trees in every room...
I LOVED going over there...

Craig took Ethan to Farmer Johns and Uncle Brandon helped them pick out
the most beautiful tree...


OH.MY.LORD...
Does it smell FABULOUS...
I could smell it when I walked in the door...

It was beautiful..perfect shape...perfect height...just stunning...

I asked Craig to please put the lights on this year (I do it every year..) 
he grudgingly agreed (hee hee) & I stepped out to take a phone call...
came back in the room and boy oh boy do men (not all...) not know how to put lights on a tree or what!

I laughed and told him that he had to *tuck* the lights in...not just put them around the tree...;)
so I continued with my phone call in the other room...came back in and laughed again!
Now, all he was doing was tucking them in...they were just all in the middle!

No!  You have to "tuck and bring forward"..."tuck and bring forward"...!
Needless to say...he handed me the bunch of lights and said it is *my job*...

hahaha!
Well...the guy is good at everything else...I guess I will cut him a break with the lights!  ;)


I bought these letter ornaments from Pottery Barn the other day...
I just got E's, C's, T's, and H's...(all of our initials)
& I am soooo pleased with the results...
I need about 3 more and it will be complete!


Still working on putting together my dining room...
I don't like the rug...I need to pop out the flowered doors on the buffet and put in some sort of beveled glass...waiting on my wing back chairs to be reupholstered in the white denim...and I am waiting to save $500 for my vintage silver mirror from Pottery Barn for over my buffet...

It's a work in progress...
but, damn does my tree look good...


I added 3 different kinds of peppermint candies in various glass jars...
peppermint bark, candy canes, & candy cane herseys kisses...
and the gingerbread house that Ethan and I do every year.

I think it turned out beautiful...(so far;)


LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails