johnny appleseed

(via 4 tasty ways to enjoy apples... RealSimple.com)


Johnny Appleseed Day!

(are you doing anything with a story for your wedding???)

We want to know!!!

pumpkin eater

(via)

I wanted a simple garden...
One I didn't have to work on...
I let my son choose one packet of seeds...
He picked pumpkins.
(we are going to be eating & carving & giving away many pumpkins this year!!!)

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend.
Happy Belated Father's Day, Daddy.
Love,
Kelley

tasty south beach

Someone very close to me is in South Beach right now..., enjoying the beach and "tasty sandwiches!" This was my first attempt at a Polyvore.com board! You can do one of these for our contest too.

It's totally up to you!

We MAY be extending our deadline a bit (I will let you know here) because of a special offer to list the boards on another site as well as My Island Wedding.

If it works out... you will be the first to know!

naked chef

Well, hello Jamie!

I was recently reacquainted with the Naked Chef by Time Out Mama..., and his "Food Revolution!"

How could you turn down a request from this man?

"Message from Jamie:

If you care about the health of your children and the food they eat please sign this petition now.

It will only take 30 seconds."

And you know what? Go sign his petition and come back and leave a comment here. I would love to know how many of you are for this cause!!!!

Thanks Time Out Mama and Jamie too...

meyer lemon

Picked up my new copy of edible East End (celebrating the Harvest of the Hamptons + North Fork) - Spring 2010

Absolutely stunning articles and photography! Check it out online here.

There is a great article on growing citrus... from one suburban farmer to another, called Meditations of Meyer Lemon.

Anyone ever tried to do this yourself???


(via)

We were actually hoping to plant some fruit trees! Maybe I can get some tips!

brie + shallot parisian burger

Anybody else itchin' to BBQ????

(This recipe from Weber looks so yummy!!!)

Recipe from Weber’s Way to Grill™ by Jamie Purviance

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Marinating Time:
Grilling Time: 8 to 10 minutes
1 cup thinly sliced shallots
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Patties
1-1/2 pounds ground chuck (80% lean)
3 tablespoons fine dry bread crumbs
3 tablespoons beef or chicken broth
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 ounces Brie cheese (not the triple cream variety)
4 round crusty rolls, each about 4 inches in diameter
1/3 cup whole-grain mustard
2 cups baby arugula

1. In a medium skillet over low heat, combine the shallots with the oil and cook until they are browned but not scorched, about 20 minutes, stirring often. Let cool to room temperature.

2. Prepare the grill for direct cooking over high heat (450° to 550°F). In a large bowl gently mix the patty ingredients and shape into 4 patties of equal size and thickness. Make a hole in the center of each patty for the cheese.

3. Trim away the rind of the Brie and bury the cheese, about 1/4 ounce for each patty, into the hole of each patty. Close the opening to seal the cheese inside. It’s important that there is one-third of an inch of meat on the top and bottom of the cheese so it doesn’t seep out.

4. Brush the cooking grates clean. Grill the patties over direct high heat, with the lid closed as much as possible, until cooked to medium, 8 to 10 minutes, turning once when the patties release easily from the grate without sticking. During the last minute of cooking time, toast the buns, cut sides down, over direct heat.

5. Assemble the burgers with shallots, mustard, and arugula. Serve warm.

Serves 4

egg

(source)

Make the best hard boiled eggs!!!
(ok, the following recipe has nothing to do with the cool photo above, but hey... all is fun at Easter time!)

Directions:
1. PLACE eggs in saucepan large enough to hold them in single layer. ADD cold water to cover eggs by 1 inch. HEAT over high heat just to boiling.


2. REMOVE from burner. COVER pan. LET EGGS STAND in hot water about 15 minutes for large eggs (12 minutes for medium eggs; 18 minutes for extra large).


3. DRAIN immediately and serve warm. OR, cool completely under cold running water or in bowl of ice water, then REFRIGERATE.


Complete Hard Cooking Instructions

Tips for preparing hard cooked eggs:

Hard-cooked, not hard-boiled. Although the cooking water must come to a full boil in this method, the pan is immediately removed from the heat so that the eggs cook gently in the hot water. This produces tender, not rubbery, eggs and minimizes cracking.
Banish the greenish ring. This harmless but unsightly discoloration that sometimes forms around hard-cooked yolks results from a reaction between sulfur in the egg white and iron in the yolk. It occurs when eggs have been cooked for too long or at too high a temperature. Our method – cooking eggs in hot, not boiling, water, then cooling immediately – minimizes this.
Very fresh eggs can be difficult to peel. To ensure easily peeled eggs, buy and refrigerate them a week to 10 days in advance of cooking. This brief "breather" allows the eggs time to take in air, which helps separate the membranes from the shell.
Hard-cooked eggs are easiest to peel right after cooling. Cooling causes the egg to contract slightly in the shell.
To peel a hard-cooked egg: Gently tap egg on counter top until shell is finely crackled all over. Roll egg between hands to loosen shell. Starting peeling at large end, holding egg under cold running water to help ease the shell off.
Storage time: In the shell, hard-cooked eggs can be refrigerated safely up to one week. Refrigerate in their original carton to prevent odor absorption. Once peeled, eggs should be eaten that day.

Food safety precaution: Piercing shells before cooking is not recommended. If not sterile, the piercer or needle can introduce bacteria into the egg. Also, piercing creates hairline cracks in the shell, through which bacteria can enter after cooking.

Never microwave eggs in shells. Steam builds up too quickly inside and eggs are likely to explode.

High altitude cooking: It's almost impossible to hard-cook eggs above 10,000 feet.

(source)

valentine aphrodisiacs

Gotta love my Aunt for sending me a subscription to Reader's Digest for Xmas this year!!! Check out this article just in time for Valentine's Day!

Thanks Auntie!!!

Love you,
Kelley





via

roast this

(via)

I am planning a very low key Thanksgiving this year. But I realized I needed a new Roasting Pan! Now!

Just got back from the Williams-Sonoma Outlet on Long Island, NY... and got 40% off this beauty!

(Wonder if my Turkey will look this fancy...????)

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

a girl's guide to grilling

(via good housekeeping)

Summer isn't over yet!!!



Check out Good Housekeeping for some great grilling tips!
Have any tips of your own???

baby cakes proposal

Ever been to this bakery in NYC?
Baby Cakes.
"Vegan, Gluten-Free, Soy-Free, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Agave-Sweetened, Kosher Bakery on the Lower East Side of NYC "



"In a city dominated by cupcakes overflowing with sugar, flour and butter cream, it’s easy for those with persnickety diets to feel left out. BabyCakes offers all-natural, organic and delicious alternatives free from the common allergens: wheat, gluten, dairy, casein and eggs. Rest assured, all sweeteners have been chosen responsibly and used sparingly. White sugar will never be found in our bakery, nor will we ever use toxic chemical sweeteners. Instead, most products are sweetened with agave nectar—a natural syrup from a cactus which is low on the glycemia index and often a safe alternative to most non-insulin dependant diabetics. Occasionally, unprocessed and unrefined sugar is used in certain goods, although sparingly.

Erin McKenna
Founder,
BabyCakes NYC™"




and the owner just wrote a book...

Check out her blog and the cool engagement story that took place there.
(See photo below of the ring hidden in the red velvet cupcake!)




How did YOU get engaged????

julie and julia

(via Lavender & Lilies)


When I get a chance...
a.s.a.p....
I am going to see this flick (watch the trailer here... FUN!!!!!) with a friend.

Reminds me of being a child and watching Julia Child with my Mother.

Years ago, but boy, the memories.




...and you want to read an EXCELLENT article about Julia Child? Check out Our Lady of the Ladle by Martha Moments.

Bon Appetit!

60 days of summer

Have you signed up for your daily dose of Summer Entertaining Ideas at Martha Stewart? 60 days worth, to be exact.

I'm going to..., she's usually got the goods!!!

Click here to check it out.

I can't wait til my tomatoes start ripening!!!
Anyone else growing anything this summer???

(Leave it to Martha Stewart to give us a recipe for them even before they ripen...Fried Green Tomatoes):

what's your favorite stuff?

Don't forget this Monday, July 27th is the deadline to be included in the My Island Wedding "What About You?" article!!!

Read about it here. I REALLY want to hear from you!

Here are a few more of MY favorite things!

1. Lobster Roll sandwiches and
2. the "BBC" - Bailey's Banana Colada from
Cyril's Fish House
2167 Montauk Hwy
Amagansett, NY 11930
631-267-7993

going there again soon! Can't wait!



3. Lighthouses...





... and 4. Montauk, New York!!!

(images via flickr)

the post office and a tasty sandwich

The winner of our First Wedding Inspiration Board Contest Brenda, from Brenda's Wedding Blog, has been patiently awaiting the arrival of her prize. Well Brenda, my "Vacation Mentality" has finally gone away... and I got my butt down to the Post Office this morning.

I hope to see an entry (or 3) in our next contest soon!!!





And for those of you who heard I was anxiously awaiting my sandwich all the way from South Beach, Florida... (see "camembert")... my hubby came back home last night. Just in time for me to have one last night (and another one today!!!)



The photo doesn't even come close to showing how absolutely "Tasty" this sandwich truly is. The Margarita went quite nicely with it as well!

camembert

Are these not the coolest boxes? I just came across them on lamarquisedesanges - etsy shop! Funny, because my husband and I were JUST talking about camembert cheese!

Seriously! Not the usual topic of conversation in my house..., cheese.

But there you have it. He mentioned it, wanna know why?

Soon, he is going to South Beach, Fla..., and there is a place...
La Sandwicherie

They have my favorite sandwich. And, yes, it has camembert cheese.

He is instructed to package one (or possibly two) with dressing to bring home on the airplane. Home to moi!

(We have done so before!) The best sandwiches! If you are in the South Beach area, I definitely recommend you go there!

pucker up! (for citrus)

(Via Mama's Getting Married)

Maybe it's all the limes for Cinco de Mayo or maybe it's the dirty blonde cocktails..., maybe it's the cool artwork I just hung in my kitchen by Martha Negley from Art.com...

But I have had such a craving for anything citrus of late!!!! How cool are these wedding pics above??? Totally creative and fun!

Below are some more shots..., so pucker up!





by Martha Negley at Art.com


Citrus Martini

Frozen Ginger Lemon Drop

(via MarthaStewart.com)
















(via theknot.com)

lemons, limes, oranges, grapefruit... even cumquats (i love that word...)

Which one is your favorite?