July Hits & Misses

I don't exactly know where the month of July went....it came and went so fast, I didn't have time to really try a bunch of new products. I did however finish out my summer semester at college and got to spend some time with a couple of my sorority sisters. It was a fun month, but much of it was a whirlwind with all the time I spent at the theatre. I logged a total of 47 hours volunteering on the Follies production at the Little Theatre of VA Beach. I helped extensively with the set and very happily accepted a position as a stage hand for tech week and the opening weekend and 2nd weekend. Now I have time off to be at home with my parents. Next weekend I will back at the theatre to finally see the show.

Hit

Chia Bars

At just 100 calories per bar they were the perfect snack or follow up to my salads. I purchased my Chia Bars at Marshalls, but they seem to have quite a selection on their website.

Miss

Honey Maid Grahamfuls {S'mores}

One would think with a flavor such as s'mores there's no way it couldn't be delicious....one would be wrong......They were a disappointment.

xoxo Gwen

Styling Kimono's For Fall

This summer we all fell in love with the kimono. Cut-offs, a crop top, and a kimono were the perfect summer outfit. Now as you evaluate your wardrobe for the Fall keep your kimono's at the ready. They will be the perfect outfit addition on cool days and can either add a pop of color, or anchor an outfit.

Summer Style

Summer styled kimono: crop top or a t-shirt with cut-offs and a kimono.

Fall Style

Fall styled kimono: t-shirt or a delicate camisole (for a dressed up version), skinny jeans, pants, or leggings, plus riding boots, booties, or even wedges. Statement jewelry and stacked bracelets are a plus.

xoxo Gwen

Wordless Wednesday {Crepe Myrtles}

xoxo Gwen

Seasonal Eating

Most people assume if it's in the grocery store it must be fresh and delicious. Sadly this is not true. We've probably all witnessed the trend of certain fruits and vegetables being available during certain seasons. Watermelon in the summer and leeks in fall and winter. The thing is potatoes, apples, oranges, onions, and several other fruits and vegetables seem to be a mainstay in grocery stores year around.

There are benefits to seasonal eating: it's healthier, cheaper, better for the environment, and it tastes better. Why else does watermelon taste so heavenly on a hot summer day? While grocery stores seem to be carrying pretty much anything and everything these days you can pick up clues to what's in season by stopping by a farmers market or noticing displays of fruits and veggies at the grocery store that were not there the week before. You can also use the internet to simply do some research and make a list or chart.

Apples and blueberries are best July-Sept

Strawberries June-Aug

Asparagus - May and June

Potatoes - Oct, Nov

Lettuce May -Aug

To finish out the summer enjoy cucumbers, curly lettuce and cherries in July. For August start buying Romaine lettuce, raspberries and plums. Not only will your wallet thank you, but your body and the environment will too!

xoxo Gwen

The Perfect Lemonade

Another summertime staple is of course lemonade. The fast and easy way to make it is Country Time Lemonade of course. It comes in several different flavors and all you have to do is measure it out and add water. But what about the perfect lemonade? Doesn't it make your mouth water just thinking about it?

The Perfect Lemonade
2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Zest of 2 lemons
2 cups simple syrup (recipe follows)
1/2 tsp salt
ice
cold water

Simple Syrup
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups water
Bring ingredients to a boil, stirring until dissolved. Let cool.

Lemonade
Remove the zest from 2 lemons (avoiding the pith). Make the simple syrup, adding the lemon zest before heating. Let cool, then pour the syrup into an ice filled pitcher. Stir in the salt, 2 cups of lemon juice, and water. You can choose whether you would like to add lemon slice to the pitcher or to the glasses when served. **I prefer in the pitcher for the added tartness, and one slice in each glass when served**

Image via Google

xoxo Gwen

Easy Summer Side Dishes

The first recipe I recommend is one from Mary Kay Andrews. I prepared this easy summer side for 4th of July and it was a hit!

From the kitchen of bestselling author Mary Kay Andrews:

Roasted Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus

"In Save The Date, the stepmother Patricia throws a fit when the caterer dares to substitute bacon for prosciutto in this recipe for the purposes of the pre-wedding tasting. While there's no need to get huffy, the prosciutto certainly does make a difference. This dish, which makes an excellent appetizer or side, is loaded with flavor and looks impressive despite the super simple preparation."

Ingredients:

1 lb. asparagus, washed and stemmed

1 TBSP. olive oil

sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

8 slices very thinly sliced prosciutto, cut in half

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

After cutting course stems off asparagus, place on baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss. Roast about 15 minutes. Cool completely, then wrap each asparagus with half a slice of prosciutto, leaving the tip ends exposed.

**When I prepared this I used 3-4 stalks of asparagus per 1/2 slice prosciutto**

Some other quick and easy side dishes I have been making are yellow squash and zucchini.  For the yellow squash I just dice it up, toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper and roast it in the oven (400 degrees) for about 20ish mins. So delicious! For the zucchini I slice it in half length wise, then again in half (4 pieces per zucchini). Then I lay the pieces out on a baking sheet drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle some salt and pepper on top and then arrange shaved Parmesan cheese on the top of each "wedge". Again 400 degrees about 20ish mins.

Enjoy!

xoxo Gwen

Elaine Stritch

If you happened to miss the news... Elaine Stritch passed away last Thursday. She was a great entertainer, well known for her voice and roles on Broadway. If you haven't already viewed her documentary entitled Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me on Netflix now is the time!

 February 2, 1925-July 17, 2014

RIP Elaine.