Wow, so much has changed all around us since Friday. We are self quarantining over here in an effort to do our part to stop the spread. It is certainly very sad and we are trying to focus on the positive and keep all those affected in our prayers. I have completed some very welcome distractions for you while you are homebound. I know it is hard to turn your attention towards something other than the news…I hope this helps a little!!!!
Here are some museums that are offering virtual tours:
National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC
For a full list of all the museums, click HERE
A really great up to the minute paper to read with interesting pop culture stories is The Daily Mail www.dailymail.com. You can lose yourself for a while reading along and they have great royal recaps too!!!!
I love shopping at flea markets. There are a bunch of Instagram sites that hold online flea market/antique sales. Here are some of my favorites!!
How about making a scrub for tired skin (adapted from Allure.com):
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon olive oil
This scrub will leave your face dewey , calm and refreshed (just what we need right now). The sugar and lemon help to exfoliate dead skin cells and the olive oil helps to restore your skin to a healthier and fresher place!
You are going to LOVE this 60-second Chocolate Chip Cookie in a Mug recipe! (adapted from purewow.com)
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 egg
¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons chocolate chips
1. In a large mug, melt the butter in the microwave, about 15 to 30 seconds. Add in the sugar as well as the light brown sugar and stir to combine. Next, add the egg and vanilla extract, and then whisk together.
2. Add the flour, baking powder and salt to the mug; stir to combine. Continue by stirring in the chocolate chips.
3. Put the mug in the microwave and heat for about 1 to 2 minutes until cooked. Another way to check is to insert a toothpick into the center and make sure it comes out clean. Once cooked throughout, serve immediately and enjoy.
When it comes to buying a gift for the foodie in your life, you want to give them a gift that will not only make them smile but make their taste buds dance. One of the most appealing things about food lovers is that they are up for trying many new and different food sensations.
Image Credit: Pexels CC0 License
So getting a gift that will appeal to their tastes couldn’t be easier.
Selection Box
We don’t mean one of those chocolate boxes you get in your stocking at Christmas. We mean a selection box of food treat from one of their favorite places or somewhere they have been coveting!
There are so many places popping up all over dedicated to providing you with a taste explosion in new and wonderful ways, you can be sure to find a place that ships to your location. Whether you are buying for someone with a sweet tooth, think cheesecakes, cupcakes or even giant-sized candy, or for someone with a more savory habit – think a soft pretzel gift box, gourmet chips or even give the gift of pizza!
Experience Days
How good are they at creating a new food or even following a simple recipe? A foodie experience day can range from sampling the wares of a local or national company to getting stuck in trying your hand at being the next best thing to hit the kitchen since Julia Child!
Simply find out what they would enjoy the most then you are good to go!
Subscription Box
Subscription boxes are becoming more and more popular. You can get such a variety these days you will literally be spoilt for choice.
From Hellofresh to Natruebox and Dinnerly to the snacktastic Graze box. The choice is up to you. you can gift a one-off foodie box crammed full of the latest releases to the market in food and drinks. Or you can gift a longer-term subscription box filled with everything they will need to create mouthwatering meals without having to shop around!
Novelty and Branded Items.
Who doesn’t love a good branded item? From their favorite eatery, chef or even food brand. Have a little look around and see what housewares or even fun novelty items are around based on the recipients favorite food or drink.
Visit a store or look online for fun gift items that are practical too! Think spice sets, a range of different flavored oils, or even a cheese making kit!
Appliances
If your foodie also loves to cook themselves, then why not see what appliances they have been looking at buying and help them out by buying it as a gift. For the budding baker, food mixers are always a welcome idea as are tools and accessories that will help them bake easier.
Chopping boards, Knife sets, tea towels, measuring cups and mixing bowls. All well used and no doubt welcome gifts for those who feel more at home in the kitchen feeding the family!
Whether you’re trying to lose weight, have recently gone gluten free or vegan, or just want to make more of an effort to be healthy, there are some great recipes out there to start you off. There’s no shortage of recipes, tips and tricks for foodies of all types.
Photo Credit: Raizza Vendena
Finding it hard to clean up your diet? Worried about how to satisfy your sweet tooth? There are many indulgent, delicious recipes out there that will totally fool you into thinking you’re having something sinful. Many of these recipes have the benefit of being both gluten free and vegan, and chock full of ingredients that will give you the nutrients you’re going for without tasting awful. Seriously, they are delicious!!!
One great recipe that we see all the time in different variations is the avocado brownie recipe. Gluten-free (and vegan if you use non-dairy chocolate chips), this recipe produces a light, fudgy and sweet brownie that tastes just like the real thing, but with added nutrition. It’s full of good fats, protein and fiber and less sugar than it’s regular counterpart, so you can feel good about having a second one. Variations exist, some with ingredients like black beans or matcha, but for our money, the original is the best.
Craving wings but you’ve sworn off meat? Or just sworn off junk food in general? These days, almost any food you can dream up has a cauliflower counterpart, and wings are no exception (no really, it’s true). Try cauliflower wings baked OR fried, in your favorite dipping sauce, and see for yourself why everyone is going nuts for these veggie-filled treats. They are also easily adapted to vegan by omitting eggs in the batter, and gluten free by using your favorite gf flour blend.
Craving chips or crisps but trying to abstain from all that fat and grease? It’s easy to make your own versions at home. Simply thinly slice potatoes or sweet potatoes, brush with a small amount of olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt, pepper and whatever other seasonings you fancy, and bake at high heat for about twenty minutes, turning them over once to allow both sides to crisp. You can also make your own healthier versions of tortilla chips this way, by cutting corn tortillas into triangles, brushing with oil, sprinkling with salt and other spices, and baking in the oven until crisp. This method not only helps reduce the fat and grease in your snack but allows for portion control, too – only make as many as you need.
For another sweet treat, try making your own dairy free “ice cream”. Those old bananas that have brown spots? Chop them up into chunks, and throw them in the freezer. When they’re fully frozen, pop them in the blender with a little honey and if you like, some cocoa powder, vanilla or other mix-ins and favors you like. Voila; instant frozen dessert.
These are just a few great ideas for how to indulge in healthier, veggie-and-fruit-packed versions of your favorite junk foods. But trust us, there are scores of other amazing recipes out there. Turn off a new leaf and give one a try today!
I found this recipe on the blog Lemon Stripes last week. I decided to make it Tuesday night. It was so easy and so delicious. I served it with tortilla chips and really did not think it needed any
toppings..it was sooo good all by itself!!! Bon Appetit!!
_ 1 yellow onion
– 2 cloves, garlic
– 1/4 jalapeño pepper, seeded (You can use more if you like spice)
– 2 tbsp, olive oil
– 1 14oz can, diced fire-roasted tomatoes
– Salt to taste
– 6 cups chicken stock/broth
– 3-4 cups, shredded chicken (You can roast this yourself or buy a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken)
– Juice from 1 lime
You can top with sour cream, avocado, cilantro and/or shredded cheese
1. Peel and cut your onion into quarters, peel garlic, and seed jalapeño
2. In a food processor (or blender), mix onion, garlic, and jalapeño until it’s almost a paste
3. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat and sauté the onion/garlic mixture for 5 minutes.
4. Stir in diced tomatoes, chicken broth, shredded chicken, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, and salt to taste.
5. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered, stirring every 15-20 minutes.
6. How long you cook the soup is up to you but the flavors get better the longer it sits on the stove so I like to keep it there for at least an hour. That said, you could cook it for 20 minutes if you’re in a rush and it is still delicious.
7. Serve with Tortilla Chips!!!
I am so disappointed that I will not make it to the Palm Beach Kips Bay Decorator Show House this year…it is definitely one of the BEST show houses that I have seen….the use of color and tropical elements displayed by the featured designers is really incredible and a sight to behold. This year’s house on Palmetto Lane in West Palm Beach does not disappoint…I really love all the bright colors, and prints and animal props…It closes on March 1st so if you are in the area, you must stop by!!!!!
This week I am going back to a favorite that was on Reece Witherspoon’s book club list Little Fires Everywhere:A Novel by Celeste Ng. I just found out that this is going to be a HULU miniseries (8 episodes total) starting this month. Here is the story:
The #1 New York Times bestseller!
Soon to be a Hulu limited series starring Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington.
“I read Little Fires Everywhere in a single, breathless sitting.” —Jodi Picoult
“To say I love this book is an understatement. It’s a deep psychological mystery about the power of motherhood, the intensity of teenage love, and the danger of perfection. It moved me to tears.” —Reese Witherspoon
“Extraordinary . . . books like Little Fires Everywhere don’t come along often.” —John Green
From the bestselling author of Everything I Never Told You, a riveting novel that traces the intertwined fates of the picture-perfect Richardson family and the enigmatic mother and daughter who upend their lives.
In Shaker Heights, a placid, progressive suburb of Cleveland, everything is planned—from the layout of the winding roads, to the colors of the houses, to the successful lives its residents will go on to lead. And no one embodies this spirit more than Elena Richardson, whose guiding principle is playing by the rules.
Enter Mia Warren—an enigmatic artist and single mother—who arrives in this idyllic bubble with her teenaged daughter Pearl, and rents a house from the Richardsons. Soon Mia and Pearl become more than tenants: all four Richardson children are drawn to the mother-daughter pair. But Mia carries with her a mysterious past and a disregard for the status quo that threatens to upend this carefully ordered community.
When old family friends of the Richardsons attempt to adopt a Chinese-American baby, a custody battle erupts that dramatically divides the town—and puts Mia and Elena on opposing sides. Suspicious of Mia and her motives, Elena is determined to uncover the secrets in Mia’s past. But her obsession will come at unexpected and devastating costs.
Little Fires Everywhere explores the weight of secrets, the nature of art and identity, and the ferocious pull of motherhood—and the danger of believing that following the rules can avert disaster.- amazon
To purchase this book or for more information, click HERE
