A Sweet Spin; Strawberry Bruschetta

A Sweet Spin; Strawberry Bruschetta

So my mom has this idea in her head that I only cook "gourmet" dishes. I assume she thinks this because whenever I talk about cooking it tends to be dishes I'm making for an event, something I put extra special time into. Because of this delusion belief, she will literally call me up and say "Hey off the top of your head do you know of a fancy dish I can make for forty-five people by tomorrow night, 1/3 of which are vegetarian, sprinkle in some vegans,bacon--lovers, & lactose intolerants all of which costs only $20?" I swear I feel like it's word-problems week in math class again. Which believe me, wasn't pretty.

The truth is, if you find me on a regular Monday night I'm probably boiling some whole wheat pasta or sauteing some awesome Trader Joe's frozen meal. I know, don't tell my mom. Her idealistic bubble will burst.
Her beliefs in my cooking style have actually started to shape my cooking style. She is like this nagging little voice in the back of my head that says, "Now Rachel, that ingredient sounds a bit plaaiin, doesn't it?" "Oh sweetie, Russet Potatoes are soo last century". It can be pretty hard on a delicate psyche.

The positive is that because of these neuroses I do tend to experiment with cooking. My aunt always boasts that I'm "never afraid to try anything" (this isn't always applied in a complimentary way lol) which when it comes to food is pretty true. You will not find me sky-diving or spider touching, I keep my adventures to one department
 When I saw this recipe for Strawberry Bruschetta I knew I had to try it.  Granted I did have an inkling it would be delicious, based of my love of the Strawberry/Goat Cheese combination, but still it's a bit more exciting than regular bruschetta. I do love that too though.
This stuff is like melt in your mouth, catch a glimpse of God on it's way down good. At least to me.
Roasting the strawberries in the balsamic vinegar somehow manages to bring out their sweetness, & softens the tartness of the vinegar.
Next time I will add more goat cheese, forget the garlic salt (I added it to the bread before broiling--my bad) & maybe add a wee bit o'sugar to the strawberry mixture. It was pretty sweet naturally, but the dang bf's sweet tooth has been rubbing off on me lately!

Roasted Strawberry Bruschetta
Modified from Puccini and Pinetti Ingredients

2 cups strawberries, hulled
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 loaf ciabatta bread
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil                            
1 cup soft goat cheese
1 cup baby arugula
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Slice the strawberries into a bowl and gently mix to coat with the balsamic vinegar. Spread strawberries out on a baking sheet and bake for five minutes. Remove and let cool.
3. Cut the ciabatta into equal slices, coat with olive oil, and broil on each side until toasted and crisp.
4. Spread goat cheese on hot bread, top equally with the roasted berries and juice. Set a few pieces of arugula on each. Season with salt and pepper and enjoy!

Seriously, yum. Thank you yumsugar!

T.G.I.F.

T.G.I.F.

I've come to find that blogging really highlights all of my character flaws. And I do not appreciate it! lol
For example, after our fair adventures I was supposed to take a bunch of pictures of my clips & post them to etsy & plan a giveaway and notify all you lovely ladies and. . .
the list goes on.
Things I am supposed to do but don't ever get around to.
I fear my gravestone will read "Rachel, the girl who never got around to it" :)
Then I get embarrassed because as I said my shortcomings are on display, for all you readers to read and noticers to notice!
I'm sure at this point you are shaking your head, thinking to yourself "Geez Rachel we all have lives, we don't have the time to notice that kind of crap" (at least I am hoping this is what you are thinking lol)
But maybe this forced self-reflection is a good thing, because I'm sure I could use some accountability in my life.
Whatever happened to the good old days where my mom checked my homework for me?
Oh well it's Friday and although no one checks my homework anymore, no one checks my drinking habits either. Which means they are free to do as they please!
Cheers to the freedoms of adulthood & happy Friday everyone.
I love this image below  by Manuel Rebollo. It puts me in such a Friday mood :) Check him out he is awesome.

A Little Vanity

A Little Vanity

Now that my mass production of hairgoods has come to a halt
& I can just create as I please
I'm turning my craft nook into a dressing area.
Because doesn't that just sound fabulous?

We have a recessed area with an enormous window in our bedroom
& I'm going to cover my little craft/patio table with a luxurious tablecloth.
Slide in a clothing rack (did I mention the nook is 6ft wide)
I've always thought clothing racks are so chic to display your most gorgeous items.
& turns out they're affordable
I'll put all my cutest dresses on it, to lift my spirits when I get ready in the morning.
A make up mirror, my make up box, & a jewelry stand (such as this awesome birdcage one from Urban) will finish it off.
Check out this clothing rack from Home Depot

Whitmor Deluxe Adjustable Garment Rack

It could turn out this fabulous right? lol
oh & I found these images and saved them awhile ago.
Can't remember from where!
If theyre yours let me know I can remove them or credit you :)

Let's Get It On. . . .

Let's Get It On. . . .

So I am SUPER excited to be back to blogging. See how excited I am? I even capitalized the word super. It doesn't get any more excited than that!
Or. . .  does it? Because I am also excited by the cool blog game I've been tagged in this week. Honestly, this one is my favorite ever. Because it means I get to share with you all my inappropriate thoughts on celebrities and the offensive things I would do to them if we happened to be alone in the same room. Which thank goodness for them will never happen, because seriously, I have plans. They are drawn out. Literally, little sketches. I know it's wrong, but what can I say? I know how to spend my downtime productively. And to me, productivity means drawing pornographic doodles of celebrities.
Ok, really you guys should not have tagged me on this, see how ridiculous I'm getting already?

1. Brad Pitt in Interview with a Vampire. Seriously, does this need explaining? This is a vampire to be fantasized about. Not Robert Pattinson with his "Pip pip cheerio, I'm a vampire trapped in high school for eternity, teenage angst forever!"
No, Brad is the true vamp, with his long locks that I just want to braid & his tortured spirit, (yes Brad, it's so wrong what you do, but its sooo right)
Disregard Tom Cruise's nasty perm blocking Brad Pitt in this picture

Also to be remembered are Brad Pitt a la Legends of the Fall (seriously Brad with long hair is amazing) &
Meet Joe Black.

2. Eric Bana in Munich. I know this movie is so not supposed to make you need a cold shower, but holy moly that guy looked good in there. Then I discovered him in Troy, with Brad Pitt. It's almost too much!

3. Ok, no one accuse me of a geriatric fetish here, but this is a two-in oner. Robert Redford & Paul Newman in Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid. I'm so glad Paul Newman branched out into food products, because I could just eat. him. up. (oh yes, I went there!) I was really sad when he passed. Such a good actor, so good looking.
Please also disregard the horrific mustache on Robert Redford here. He's really better than that, I swear.

5. Louis Garrel in The Dreamers. Weirdest movie I ever saw. Offensive too. lol But this boy was so beautiful in it.

So now you've heard it. My secret shame. The men I would leave the bf for in a whirlwind of idealistically romantic notions, who I would share a passionate affair with before realizing the error of my ways when it was far too late for all involved. Lol just kidding. But isn't that how the story always goes?

So I'm supposed to tag you all in this little exercise. But I think that's pretty futile, because none of you can beat my list. I dare you to try! lol
Please, take my challenge, and let me know. So I can judge you, for one :) lol
and also because I'm in quite a movie watching mood. . . .especially if there are hot (and preferably disrobed) men involved :)
Thank you Jessica @ Adventures of a Wife & Mom
&
Jamie @ Daydream Believer 
for both tagging me & letting me indulge in a little daydreaming of my own . . .

Hello Again, M'Ladies. . . .

Hello Again, M'Ladies. . . .

It is that time of week again, Wednesday. The day when I am still climbing that ridiculously steep mountain known as the work week, and I'm almost to the top. Not quite though, and my legs are burning. I really want to just give up & head back down. I comfort myself  in these times with the memory of the paychecks I get every two weeks, and that's alright by me!

Well big news. Our fundraising event went spectacularly! So lovely & we raised a lot of money. Woohoo!
Also, our street fair has come and gone. Whew what a relief.  It was quite an experience. Our booth looked great!

Since I consider you all some of my oldest & dearest friends (whom I've never met :) I'll tell you the truth of the matter; it could have gone better. Ugh I know right! I should have spinned it & told you all it was amazing. But I don't lie too much on here and I dont want to start now lol.
Like I said, our booth looked awesome. People were coming by asking all about our decor etc.
On the negative side, the fair was put together by the Chamber of Commerce & was much more business & informational geared than it was an arts & crafts event. Lots of local businesses handing out flyers, hospitals, firefighters, etc. Not the type of people who want to buy embellished hair goods
Basically there were a lot of little old ladies stopping by to waste away an afternoon.
But it was fun! Great to spend time with my good friend, & thanks to support of friends, family, & our lovely shoppers I would say it was a success!
Definitely a learning experience, and I honestly think if we were participating in a more appropriate venue, such as specifically an arts & crafts show, or even a farmers market-esque event, we would have just killed!
Ok, more exciting news, the etsy shop is open! However at this exact moment it is empty, haha or at least on my end.
So tonight my task is take pictures of every single hair thing & post it for your viewing/shopping pleasure!
Honestly some beautiful things, it was hard for my friend and I not to just sell out all our items to each other!
So, get excited. I will update you within the next couple of days when everything is up and running.
I'm thinking I'll even be doing a big **GIVEAWAY** this week to honor our opening.(ps if I owe you a mail exchange item, aka Taj Acosta & Laura Loo, I haven't forgotten!!!)

If you forgot that I blog, (because honestly, I know, it's been that long) come back and remember me! I haven't forgotten any of you, and I will be making the rounds to catch up on all your lovely lives.
Below are some images of our fundraising event, because it was just so gorgeous it's almost unbelievable.
Pictures of the fair to follow soon too!

Haha I swear the event was packed, I just didn't want to post pictures of people who attended, in case they would be uncomfortable about it. Also I didn't want to show all our silent auction items up close for the same type of reason! So this is just a taste. Isn't it great! Sometimes I love my job. :)

** The photos from this post were taken by photographer Scott Gibson. Not me!
You all know I'm no professional! :)
He came across this here blog & pointed out my error.
Many apologies! & kudos to his photography skills

The Clock Strikes Twelve

The Clock Strikes Twelve

And these ladies will still look great.

I on the other hand am over here nibbling on a salad trying to decrease my pumpkin-esque shape.

These images are from the Costume Institute Gala 2010. I love seeing the looks each year.

I had some unexpected favorites this time around that I thought I might share.

J.Lo. Normally I think she looks like she is trying way too hard, like as a little boy she dreamed of being a beautiful lady, like she has stuffed herself into something god-awful (um remember the camel-toe unitard from her New Years Eve performance this year?)

Basically we don't see eye to eye on style.

but this, I LOVE. The details, the color, so elegant, so intricate, so feminine. I want!

Apparently this is model Coco Rocha. (As much as I have an opinion on fashion, I'm not the most knowledgeable. so shoot me! lol) Anyway this is a little more avant garde, & I probably wouldn't wear it, but i love how it looks like she's a mermaid who just stepped out of the water & it's still trailing her. Yes thats what I think it looks like :)

I think Ivanka Trump is very attractive. Which is hilarious because I think both of her parents are the exact opposite. With her skin tone and that dress color I think she looks like a golden Greek goddess!

Oh em gee. It's my new fave Rosie Huntington-Whitely. Such a sexy dress. Love that it's nude with black accents. This one I would wear.

Finally, Sienna Miller. So different from the others but I love the navy & black. Love the ankle strap shoes also. I cant pull those off, I'm short & it makes my legs look far too stumpy. Normally when I see Sienna I say to her "ok, you are not a  hippie, please brush your hair & gain at least ten pounds. oh & stop going back to the bald jerk who boned the nanny."
but today I'm saying. "oh giiirrrl you look good in that dress, where can I get one" :)

I know I said I was too busy to blog this week, but somehow I always manage to squeeze in time for procrastination. . .

Images from Boston.com