Monday, June 21, 2010

Summer Cooking

I went to Trader Joe's this past week and bought a beautiful potted basil plant for under 4 bucks!  Pre-packaged basil is usually at least 3-4 dollars, and wilts underneath the plastic wrap.  With a basil plant, you can have fresh basil every day, any day.

And so, what would one do with endless amounts of basil?
Make bruschetta, of course!

Felicia's Summer Bruschetta Recipe
Ingredients:
4 roma tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic
1 cup fresh basil
1/4 cup virgin olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 loaf coarse whole grain bread
Salt, to taste

1. Wash and dice roma tomatoes, set aside in bowl.
2. Chop basil, add to tomatoes.
3. Stir in 1/4 cup of virgin olive oil & balsamic vinegar.  Add salt to taste.
3. The key to the bruschetta is in the thickness in the bread.  Cut it too thick, and the bread won't fry evenly; cut it too thin and the bread will burn.  Aim to cut into 1/2" slices.
4. Chop off one end of the garlic clove, then rub garlic into each side of the bread. (the coarse bread helps to retain the garlic bits when you rub it into the bread; and when you pan fry it, the flavors come out really nicely)
5. Heat olive oil in frying pan; cook until both sides are a golden brown.
6. Spread tomatoes and basil on top of bread, and eat when it's still hot.

Can you say garlicky deliciousness?








Wednesday, June 16, 2010

All Quiet On the Western Front

Today I walked around campus delivering paper, and it was eerie, how empty and quiet it was. Working alone is lonely. Living alone is lonely.

Thinking of, and missing, loved ones.

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Balboa Island

Spent the afternoon with these four and had an absolute blast!  I think this one photo sums up the shoot with these fun, beautiful, & intelligent ladies.

Congratulations, class of 2010!  We are DONE!

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Tuesday, June 08, 2010

Thrift Store Finds

Thrifting is such a great way to re-use old items and materials without having to break the bank.  Not to mention, you can always make alterations and touch-ups to refashion things the way you want.  Why buy things brand new when there are plenty of things that you can recycle and give a new home?  Sometimes, all it takes is a fresh coat of paint or a few stitches to give something new life.

Took a break from studying today to look for some pretty colored tees at a local thrift shop plaza to make more headbands.  Ended up with some pretty neat finds! 


Antique cream and coral print dining chair, $8.50

Vintage pink ballgown, $7.00

 
Vintage lavender ballgown, $7.00


The pink ballgown had some stains in the back, so I tried spraying a hefty amount of Shout Spray and Wash on the stains.  The dresses were photographed while being hung to dry after going through the wash several times. (Surprisingly, they don't look wet at all!)