Thursday, August 27, 2015

Fresh Mango Salsa


I have to give all credit to Shawn over at I Wash...You Dry for this recipe and post. She provided dinner for Cody and I a couple months or so back (not literally, though how fun would that have been?) and when we were finished chowing down on her recipe for Mango Margarita Chicken, I knew I needed to make a super big batch of the salsa for our next party.

And so I did!

The salsa was SO good on top of grilled chicken and I wanted MORE! I knew I'd inhale it minus the chicken and I knew my friends would, too.

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Unique Vintage's Dress of the Month Club: August


"You're turning violet, Violet!"

I decided to be a bit monochromatic for this post - and by a bit, I mean a lot. Notice anything different about me? I went violet!



Thursday, August 20, 2015

Lemon Strawberry Pound Cake


My favorite flavors of summer are lemon and any kind of berry. Raspberries, blueberries, strawberries - you name it. I love the blend of tart lemon with a sweet juicy berry.

If you're partial to lemon and strawberry, this is a recipe for you. It's super easy! I woke up on a Sunday morning and while waiting for Cody to come home from whatever adventure he was on that day, I whipped this together in no time. It was going to be a hot day (no surprise there!) so I did not want to spend more time than I had to in the kitchen.

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

What's Sara Reading? August Edition


I may be the ONLY one celebrating the fact that it's mid-August. Be gone with you, August, you humid and hot beast, you! I am so excited for the Fall. I love cooler weather. While I do not miss all the layers that Winter brings, I love the crisp fall air and wearing ankle boots and little jackets. I like when I wake up in the morning and can get ready for work without sweating a single drop.

And then there are the Fall desserts! Pumpkin ALL THE THINGS!

There's still time for all that, I know, but can I be honest? I've already started to feel the Christmas itch. I officially began my Christmas list - no, not my wish list, but my list of what to get each person in my life - and the other day, when Bruce Springsteen's "Merry Christmas, Baby" came on my iPod at work, not only did I not change it, I sang along as I worked on hotel reservations for our next show in Amsterdam.

If the only thing you got from that was "why the F is it POSSIBLE for Christmas music to play at work right now, Sara?" then you must not know me too well. My Christmas playlist stays on my iPod all year long. I don't play it all year round, but it's there, in case the itch returns.

And it has. Oh it has, my friends!

Anyway, I'll just be over here, humming along to Alvin and the Chipmunks while you indulge in hearing about this month's reads! There are only good eggs in this batch, kids! Very good eggs!

Friday, August 14, 2015

No-Churn Strawberry Deluxe Ice Cream


Have you hopped the No-Churn Ice Cream train? I resisted for awhile but recently I caved. I was doing SO well in avoiding the black hole that was ice cream making, too.

You see, there are a few things I avoid adding to my kitchen on purpose. One is a donut pan and another is an ice cream maker. I figure, if I never own these things, I won't be able to give into my weaknesses.

Can you imagine me having a donut pan and ice cream maker at my disposal? Every damn day would be donut ice cream sandwich day! I just...no. I can't let myself go down that dangerously delicious path.

Wednesday, August 12, 2015

Musical Meltdown


Oh Etsy. I have such a love/hate relationship with you. I mean, on one hand, I love you - I can find anything I need from you. If I want jewelry in the shape food or some other random object, say a donkey or carrot, you bet I'll find it on Etsy. If I want a catchy phrase in a snazzy print, I know someone out there has made it and is selling it (currently it was "I love you from my head tomatoes" that I wanted for our kitchen and you bet I found it!). And if I am on the hunt for vintage, there will be vintage a-plenty.

So I love you, Etsy, for having just every damn thing I will ever randomly think of wanting. But I hate you so much for having just every damn thing I will ever randomly think of wanting.

Has anyone else experienced this love/hate with Etsy?

I stumbled upon this fun vintage dress sold by Pitzicat Vintage (run by the oh so kind Ildi) one night when Cody was hogging the TV (he loves his Xbox) and I fell in vintage love. First it was the bright yellow color that caught my eye but then I spotted all the musical instruments. Drums, guitars, musical notes, tubas, and keyboards!? Amazing! It's a cacophony of musical awesomeness - and it had to be mine.

Monday, August 10, 2015

Chocolate Chip S'mores Cookies


I don't know how my fellow bloggers feel, but man, s'mores cookies are hard! As a blogger, I think I'm supposed to omit that fact and ramble on in this post about how perfect and awesome and easy these cookies were to make.

Um...no.

I won't do that. What would be the point? It's reality. S'mores cookies are challenging - baking with marshmallows is very challenging. Marshmallows melt quickly, brown quickly, and since they're so sugary, they burn quickly.

I've attempted many s'mores themed treats in the past few years and they were pretty much all failures. I just can't get the marshmallows right! If you mix them into the dough with the chocolate chips, they just melt and burn and create really chewy sugary pockets. If you wait and try to add the marshmallows in the last minute of baking, well, that just didn't work too well, either.

Thursday, August 6, 2015

A Berry Laid Back Weekend Outfit


Well last week clearly had a pie theme and it appears this week is all about strawberries! I wish I could say I planned it, I really do.

A couple weekends ago, I was blessed with an empty day. Lately, a day with no plans is rare. I don't know how it happens since I'm not a very social person, but things just book up and typically, we are pretty darn busy on weekends!

Originally, I did have a photo session booked on the Sunday I speak of but when the weather looked iffy, we moved it to that Saturday morning, making my Sunday void of commitments. WHAT? What is that like?

I knew we lived only 15 minutes from yet another popular spot in Mass, the Grafton Flea Market, and have always wanted to check it out. I decided to do just that on my suddenly free Sunday. So I threw on this adorable and comfy vintage strawberry skirt for the adventure. Much to my surprise, Cody was down as well. So we made a day of it and grabbed lunch at a small pizza joint after.

Tuesday, August 4, 2015

Golden Oreo Strawberry & Cream Trifle


Do you have a ridiculously easy dessert that you always make when invited to a cookout, party, or any kind of gathering? You know, the one that always gets rave reviews and praise and deep down you're all "seriously? This takes, like, zero effort, are you kidding me?"

We had one growing up - my mom's strawberry trifle.

I know, I post a lot of reliable desserts from my childhood. What can I say? Food is a pretty big deal in my family. Lord knows my waistline knows it!

Whenever we hosted a party or event - especially if it took place in the summer - my mom usually made her trifle. Why the heck not? It's really just 3 ingredients: a cake made from a mix, frozen strawberries, and cool whip. Once she made a chocolate version out of chocolate cake, chocolate pudding, and candy. It was also amazing but the strawberry is the original and it's just stupid to mess with a good thing.