Blue and White Brunch

I love brunch.  I think the reason why I love Brunch so much is because it's my favorite meal of the day (breakfast), but served/consumed at a reasonable hour of the day (mid-late morning….not 6am).  Brunch is also a great meal to consider hosting at home for the following reasons:

• It tends to be the least expensive to purchase and prepare
• Most brunch food can be made ahead and/or baked leaving you with minimal kitchen time during the actual party
• The foods/dishes associated with brunch are perfect for serving buffet style

One brunch party idea I love and have used many times over, is the blue and white themed brunch.  Blue and white as a color scheme can translate across many different seasons and it works perfectly for me because my everyday dishes are white and my collection of blue table linens tends to be the most abundant.  I say this to you all simply because white everyday dishes tend to be what many people have since the color is so neutral and food looks so appetizing on a white plate.  In addition, white plates pair well with so many different colored table linens, so even if your blue table linens aren't in abundance to match this post, you may have a large collection of green, red, brown, grey or even white linens that would also pair perfectly with white plates for your own brunch party.  

Here is a breakdown of my table decor and where you can get most of the items as well as additional suggestions for achieving this "Brunch-scape."

• My Plates and Mugs- Pillivuyt Basket Weave 
• White Plates I love- from CB2
• "Brunch-Scape" worthy White Mugs (set of 8) 
• Quilted Navy Blue Placemats, Round Blue Placemats, Lighter Blue Placemats 
• I am also a huge fan of these Chilewich Placemats.  So easy to wipe clean and great quality.
• CB2 Restaurant Napkins - LOVE these napkins!  They have become a staple in tablescape repertoire.  Love that you can dress them up or down. 
• World Market Basketweave Napkin Rings
• Nantucket Serving Platter or these Rectangular Serving Platters
• My Coffee Pot (a splurge) or this Classic Thermal Coffee Carafe
• Pier1 Cobalt Glasses 

Happy Brunching!

 

Simple Arugula Salad with Homemade Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette

One thing I love regardless of the season, is a good salad.  Filled with so many healthy veggies, fruits and other toppings, the versatility in prepping the salad gives it the ability to work as an appetizer, lunch or dinner entree.  

Since it's the dead of winter and the citrus is in abundance at the grocery store, I have created an arugula salad with a homemade Citrus Dijon dressing that is easy to make, packed with flavor and healthy!  

Ingredients for the Salad

• 4-5 cups Arugula
• 1 cup Cherry or Grape Tomatoes Sliced Lengthwise (Red or Yellow)
• 1/3 of a thinly sliced red onion that has soaked in apple cider vinegar for at least 4hrs (**Soaking your onion in vinegar will take the bite out)
• 1/2 of a Fresh Avocado Diced
• 4-5 Fresh Basil Leaves Julienned
• Parmesan Cheese Shavings for Garnish (either store bought shavings or you can take a clean vegetable peeler to a block of parmesan)

Ingredients for the Dressing

• 2oz Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1oz Champagne Vinegar 
• 1/2oz Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice (I use Meyer Lemons because I find them to be juicier, but any lemon will do). 
• 1 Tbs Dijon Mustard
• 1/2 Sweetener Packet (I use Splenda, but any sweetener packet variation will work)
• 1 Shake of Tabasco (or hot sauce equivalent)
• 1 tsp Basil Paste (Found in the herb section of Safeway, Publix, Harris Teeter, etc.)

(*If you aren't a fan of a lot of acid in your salad, cut the vinegar out of this recipe and increase the lemon juice to 1oz)

Instructions:

1. In a large salad bowl, combine Arugula, Tomatoes, Fresh Basil, Soaked Onions (drained) and Avocado.  Set bowl aside.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together Olive Oil, Vinegar, Lemon Juice, Sweetener, Hot Sauce, Dijon Mustard and Basil Paste
3. Once the vinaigrette has been whisked together, add it to your salad and toss.
4. Plate each salad portion and then add parmesan shavings
5. OPTIONAL- This salad would also be delicious with the addition of Grilled Chicken, Shrimp or even Grilled Tofu! 

Home Tip: Save your Sample Paint Cans

I first started painting rooms in my home when I was in graduate school.  Yes, it was a rental but I felt like adding a splash of color to the walls really helped to make my space feel cozier and more put together.  It was also great exposure to the world of painting and all of the steps involved in properly painting a room.  

By the time I moved to my next home, I knew that I wanted to paint almost every room (which I did) with the exception of my bedroom.  The bedroom had been painted in an earthy tan/green color, which doesn't sound very attractive, but for some reason worked really well with my bedroom furniture and bedding.  The only problem was that the paint job in the bedroom felt like it had been a little rushed and there were a few wall areas where I wished that I had that paint color to touch it up.

As time went on in this house (I ended up living at this house for 5 years), my now husband moved in, we got a dog, bought new furniture, got rid of old furniture, got married and so forth.  All of these life changes over time would more often than not, cause little knicks, chips, scrapes and/or scuffs on the walls.  While I love using Mr. Clean Magic Wall erasers for all imperfections on my white walls, I didn't know what to do about the imperfections acquired on my walls painted with color.  

The Solution?  

During the paint color selection process, I would find myself buying sample cans of the various colors I was debating between (a paper paint chip/swatch and paint on the wall look totally different).  With each mini can costing between $4-$6, I could never bring myself to throw them out at the end of my painting projects and so I acquired quite a few sample cans.  This actually ended up working in my favor because I realized that I could just use a bit of paint from the sample cans to fix those various imperfections on my walls that accumulated over time.  **BONUS- The size of the sample cans is very apartment storage friendly.**  These sample cans came in handy many times over and before I moved out of my apartment, I left labeled sample paint cans for the landlord and next tenant so that they would know exactly what was used on the walls (something I wish I had had for the bedroom). 

In my current home, I have a painting supplies basket that is filled with the following:

• Sample paint cans for the color used in each room (Room is labeled on the can)
• Set of Touch-up brushes (Crayola makes a great set found at Target)
• A Quart of white trim paint
• A Quart of Ceiling Paint
• Drydex (instant drywall for the more aggressive blemishes on your walls)
• Goof Off (paint remover)
• Sandpaper - to smooth out freshly drydex-ed surfaces before applying any paint
• A roll of painters tape - to help achieve those crisp clean lines when painting edges and corners. 

Roasted Sweet Potato Discs

The other day I was preparing my Lemon Dijon Herb Marinated Pork Tenderloin recipe for dinner and while the pork was an obvious and easy choice to serve, I couldn't figure out what sides would be best.  I ended up settling on Organic Steamed Green Beans, because well quite frankly the ability to prepare them in a microwavable steam bag is super easy, virtually mess free and very healthy (**They taste great plain or dressed up with a little salt, pepper & fresh squeezed lemon).  

While the the green beans were an easy choice, I couldn't figure out what starch to pair with this entree.    I really wasn't in the mood to cook a rice pilaf or cous-cous.  Finally it dawned on me to make my roasted sweet potato discs.  Easy to prepare, virtually no mess associated with cooking these discs, they are a healthy option and taste delicious!   Here is how i make them: 

Ingredients:

• 1-2 Sweet Potatoes (Cleaned and Dried)
• Olive Oil or Spray Canola Oil (ex. Pam or equivalent)
• Kosher Salt and Fresh Cracked Pepper

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit
2. Slice 1-2 Sweet Potatoes that have been cleaned and dried, into 1/4 inch discs. 
3. Lay sweet potato discs on a cookie sheet that has been lined with parchment paper
4. Brush sweet potato discs with Olive Oil or spray discs with a quick mist of the spray canola oil (ex. Pam or equivalent)
5. Lightly sprinkle discs with Salt and Pepper (or to taste)
6. Bake discs for approximately 40 minutes, or until the tops start to turn a light golden brown.

**Note- These sweet potato discs are great hot or cold!**

Lemon Dijon Herb Pork Tenderloin, Steamed Green Beans and Roasted Sweet Potato Discs.  Healthy dinner menu that is packed with loads of flavor.   

Budget Friendly Florals and Greenery

I really enjoy having fresh flowers in my home.  There is something about flowers that can totally brighten a space and make it feel more inviting.  While I consider fresh flowers in my house to be an indulgence and not a necessity, I am totally addicted to the look of fresh flowers in my house (so I obviously choose to indulge).  As a result of my admitted flower addiction I had to have an honest moment with myself and set a few boundaries.  I have been on a mission to find florals that would have the least amount of impact on my wallet (which meant both in price and longevity).  My findings?  There are actually quite a few flowers and/or greenery that fit the bill!  

Favorites include:

1. Hydrangeas-  With a cost of $5.99/3 stems at Trader Joes.  These flowers must be taken home and cut under standing water immediately and then placed in a vase with the base of the stem exposed to a minimal amount of oxygen.  Following this technique you can expect to have these flowers live for about 3 weeks!   They are full in body and gorgeous in appearance.  A classic for sure!
2. Carnations-  This might just be the most underrated flower.  I used to consider the carnation to be the classic filler flower in an arrangement.  It was the flower that we used to receive in elementary school from our Valentines so I never really gave it much thought beyond that until recently.  I was in my favorite local flower wholesale store and saw the most gorgeous bouquet of deep pink pom-poms and realized quickly that they were in fact, Carnations!  The bouquet of about 12 stems cost $5.99 and ended up lasting 3 weeks in my living room with maybe only 1 or 2 water changes!  Needless to say, I no longer consider them to be just a filler flower.  They are a fabulous budget friendly floral option. 
3. Myrtle- I had never heard of myrtle before spotting it in my local flower wholesale store.  Myrtle comes in a pretty sizable bunch at a cost of $3.99.  This is a very fragrant variety of greenery with wonderful height.  The best part?  I have had the same bunch of greenery sitting in the windowsill of my bedroom for a month and a half and it is still thriving!  Have I changed the water? Nope!!  Myrtle can last roughly 2-3 months and is a great accent for carnations in a bud vase or simply used by itself in bud vases!  Love love love Myrtle!
4. Queen Anne's Lace (aka "Baby's Breath") - Again, another former "Filler Flower" that I have now grown to love and adore.  I recently used this flower to create a winter white themed centerpiece.  It was lovely!  At a cost of $4.99 for a sizable bunch, it was the perfect addition to my table decor.  In keeping with the theme of this article, this is another flower with a long lifespan (approx. 3 weeks!).  

These budget friendly flower options are certainly regulars in my weekly floral repertoire (as you can see above in the extensive….excessive flower slide show).  Of course I still indulge on occasion, but keeping these 4 budget friendly floral options in regular rotation has really been the reason why I can maintain this weekly luxury.