24 Thursday Jul 2014
Posted in belle-icious
Tags
So…we’ve talked about lettuce wraps before. Well, this is the one that started it all for us…
Granted…you can always head out to P.F. Changs to get your fix, but this is so do-able, why not make it yourself…a belle likes to be in control, of course!
Let us tell you, belles, this one will be a hit for the whole gang…so get ready for the requests!
In progress…
And our finished product (with a peanut garnish…belle-icious!!)…
Time to wrap it up!!
a&a
10 Thursday Jul 2014
Posted in belle-icious
Tags
Lettuce wraps…a sneaky little way to get the kids to eat something green…can be THE answer to “what’s for dinner” in oh-so-many ways! As we have noted before, we tend to watch the unnecessary carbs…so when we started thinking outside the bread box, the lettuce wrap options seemed to come from all corners of the world! Today, we want to share a Greek version…but pay attention, belles…we have a couple of other wraps up our sleeves (think Far East as well as South of the Border) that will have ’em scrambling to the table…just sayin’!
First, we must say…the “little gems” (baby romaine heads) from Costco fit the bill for these recipes to a tee. Just the right single-serve size, these baby leaves hold up to the hardiest of fillings…and the flavor doesn’t interfere with even the mildest of seasonings. Pretty much perfect in our book!
And now for the ideas abondant…
To wrap it up Mediterranean-style, start with these quick and easy Lamb Meatballs courtesy of Diners Journal…the New York Times Blog on Dining Out:
and for a couple of hints to make this even easier:
– if you want to skip mixing up the sauce, grab a container of the “Hannah’s Tzatziki Yogurt Dip” or a container of hummus (or maybe both…remember, belles love options) right there in the refrigerator case at Costco. These are excellent with the lamb!
– and to deconstruct the recipe even more…you could skip the forming of the meatballs altogether! Use the seasoning instructions, then brown the ground lamb on the stove-top!
Now, set up a “wrap bar” for the family (and/or guests) to build-their-own…
– baby romaine leaves
– meatballs
– yogurt dip/sauce
– hummus
– tomatoes, chopped
To round out the meal, serve our Cucumber, Tomato and Feta Salad from the “Cool as a Cucumber” post (Thursday, June 19, 2014).
That’s a wrap, belles!
a&a
04 Friday Jul 2014
Posted in belle-icious, friday friend 1-1, what's ringin' our belle
Ice cream delivery…who’d-a-thunk??
Jeni’s splendid ice cream, that’s who. A splendid belle in our book of tasty treat purveyors, Jeni’s might just be the first chapter! Don’t get all flustered, belles, it’s a looonnnng book!
We recently had a junior belle birthday and one very special Grandma belle came up with the most brilliant gift idea ever! Sweet, excessive, special, this gift lifted grandma up into a whole ‘nother stratosphere. Our junior belle, who has not just one sweet tooth but at least a dozen, couldn’t have been more thrilled!
It was a big day with the arrival of THE BOX.
Now, if that isn’t an exciting delivery to find at your doorstep, then we don’t know what is. But wait…there’s more!
Belles always read the card before opening a gift…but then we waste no time!
Oh. My. Gawd. Heavens to Betsy…and let’s throw a Sakes Alive in there for good measure. Are y’all drooling yet?? No??? Well let’s help you along then….
Why don’t we check these beauties out a little closer…
Now this is only a smidgen of all the flavors that jeni’s offers. They have a couple of store fronts, are available in some grocery stores, but best of all will arrive right at your door!!
Sooo…without further ado…..
Get in touch with Jeni yourselves and grab a spoon…we did!!!
a&a
03 Thursday Jul 2014
Posted in belle-icious
Bourbon, honey, peaches, crumble…these are the words that will bring fond memories (or maybe some foggy ones) to any southern belle. Now throw a lil’ buttah in there, and we are ready to bring it all to the present and put it on a plate!!
This recipe has such a great combination of salty, sweet, creamy, fruity and crunchy. Perfect for a decadent dessert, and afternoon snack…or, heck, a breakfast of champions!
We found this decadent delight while trolling Pinterest and the internet. We happened upon a scrumptious blog called climbinggriermountain.
Drool-worthy recipes seem to be a specialty on this blog and this one is proof of that.
Via Pinterest
Hope you enjoy this this southern summer cooler!!
a&a
19 Thursday Jun 2014
Posted in belle-icious, healthy belle
The cucumber is one cool fruit…and, yes, we belles did some research on this whole “fruit” label. Although we have lived most of our lives referring to the cucumber as a vegetable, turns out, because it is the part of the plant that forms from the flower (and contains seeds), it fits the definition of a fruit. Who knew blogging could be so educational?!
Regardless of what we call it, the cucumber is one of our favorite and most belle-icious parts of summer! We have been known to enjoy it simply sliced with a touch of salt…or used as a sandwich filling with super-soft bread and a touch of mayo…but we have some other ideas for you belles that are almost as quick and easy with no need to heat up the kitchen! Do we hear summer supper belles ringing?
First, how about a cold, yet savory soup to get the evening started?
Cucumber and Buttermilk Soup
– 2 medium cucumbers
– 1 cup buttermilk
– Handful of fresh herbs (we love cilantro, but mint is excellent as well)
– Juice of 1/2 lime
– Salt and pepper
We use a VitaMix…so you might need to adjust depending on your appliance of choice. Simply wash and slice cucumbers, wash and slightly chop herbs. Place cucumber and herbs in VitaMix container. Pour buttermilk over top. Squeeze lime, and grind salt & pepper over all. Purée until smooth, chill, garnish with fresh herbs, enjoy! How easy is that?!
Next, one of our favorite salads…great with grilled chicken or lamb for dinner…excellent as a fresh, cold, leftover lunch the next day…
Cucumber, Tomato and Feta Salad
2 cucumbers, thinly sliced
2 c grape tomatoes, halved (or use your favorite summer-fresh tomato)
1/2 med small red onion
4 oz crumbled feta
Red wine vinegar
Salt
Pepper
Combine all and drizzle with red wine vinegar…salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy now…and later!
And…how about a breakfast smoothie with cucumber as the base?
Cucumber Breakfast Juice
Simply pulse until smooth a cucumber, a peach, a dollop of Greek yogurt…and perhaps some fresh mint…and you have one cool start to your day!
Another juice option…
Cucumber, Tomato, and Mint
Tastes like summer in a glass! Fresh!
Stay cool, belles!
a&a
30 Friday May 2014
Posted in belle-icious
We’ve had a change in our neighborhood and while we were sad to see our old pals move on, we couldn’t be more delighted with our new neighbors.
It’s always a good thing to introduce yourself and welcome the new folk into your neck of the woods. We often deliver a plant, bottle of wine or a lil’ somethin’ from our very own kitchens.
We’ve been trolling the The Pioneer Woman website of late and drooling over all Ree’s recipes, so it only seemed right to put one to the test. And it passed with flying colors. So much so that two batches had to be made to keep our families from revolting!!
A recipe that is easy, delicious and enjoyed at anytime of day…or should we say, every time of day?!?!?…Thank you Ree Drummond !!
Apricot bars
The main characters:
1 1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 cup oats
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 3/4 stick salted butter
1 jar (10-12 oz.) Apricot preserves
The scene:
Mix together all ingredients EXCEPT apricot preserves.
Press one half of mixture into buttered 8″ pan. Spread with apricot jam. Sprinkle remaining half of mixture in top and press lightly.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until lightly browned. Let cool completely, then cut into squares.
The finale:
Try not to eat them all in one sitting…..good luck with that!!
Now for the encore:
Put them in a box and tie with a ribbon!
Can’t y’all just hear the applause!!
a&a
29 Thursday May 2014
Posted in belle-icious
Tags
broccoli salad, chocolate mousse, dinners, menu planning, quinoa salad, serious eats, the silver palate
Here in the south, we are raised to help friends in need on any number occasions: births, deaths, house moving, surgeries, feeling under the weather, new neighbors, nips and tucks …..any reason is reason enough.
Recently, a sweet friend of ours had a little elbow surgery and delivering dinner was just what the doctor (and these belles) prescribed.
We prefer to fix a meal that can also be eaten over the next day or two. The menu that we picked is deliciousness on the night prepared but is also scrumptious the next day for lunch or reheated for a second nights’ dinner.
We picked The Silver Palate’s lemon chicken. A delicious and beautiful lemony chicken that is good hot, cold, or room temperature. Find the recipe here at Serious Eats. The only adjustment we made was to use boneless, skinless chicken breasts. An oldie but a goodie!
As a delicious side, we made our quinoa salad…a recipe that we posted a few weeks ago. Fresh, zesty, crunchy and healthy, it is the perfect side dish. See the recipe here.
Another favorite, and a recipe that we go back to again and again, is our broccoli salad. There are a slew of recipes out there, but we keep ours simple and divine. See below for a photo and the recipe. You’re gonna want to keep this one handy!
Last, but not least, was dessert…and by request we made Grandmother’s Chocolate Mousse. It truly is addictive, and let us just tell you…a spoonful in the morning to get you going is not a bad idea. Just sayin’.
Here is our take on the belle-worthy broccoli salad:
Broccoli salad:
24 oz. or about 8 cups broccoli cut into very small florets.
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise (we prefer Hellman’s/ Best Foods)
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tsp. Splenda sugar blend (you can use regular sugar)
3 Tbsp. Red wine vinegar
2 generous dashes Tabasco
1 bunch of green onions chopped (we use 1/2 a sweet onion sometimes)
1 generous cup sharp shredded cheese
12oz. Bacon, cooked and crumbled
In a large bowl, combine mayonnaise, sour cream, sugar, vinegar, and Tabasco. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Cover and chill.
This only gets better the longer the flavors have a chance to “marry”.
Serves 6-8
This is just one menu example that is perfect for carrying to a friend in need. What are your favorites to take to friends?
a&a
22 Thursday May 2014
Posted in belle-icious
Many a war has been waged over BBQ sauce…the battle between mustard-based, vinegar-based and tomato-based is long-standing. Here in the south, BBQ sauce is taken very seriously. Everybody has an opinion…and so do we (surprised?? Didn’t think so….)
To be quite frank, we appreciate and enjoy all versions of this fabled sauce…but when making our own, we rely on two recipes…one that is simple and the other that is even simpler. We will be BBQ sauce plentiful for Memorial Day and think these are great for y’all’s grilling choices too!
We have had a long-standing loyalty to Ina Garten’s barbecue sauce. Her recipe is easy, plentiful and delicious, but requires a fair number of ingredients. Link to recipe here.
Now that brings us to recipe number two…which doesn’t hale from the south either (Ina’s a yankee, right?…and we mean that in the kindest way possible…bless her heart). Back in California, where one belle was raised, “barbecuing” means grilling. The closest we got to barbecue was the sauce….on ribs, on chicken and tri-tip…but California belle has since made up for it and is quite BBQ savvy. Anyway, back to sauce…the matriarch of the California belle family created an extremely simple, quick and tasty BBQ sauce. One that, dare we say, rivals top-rated recipes. It’s so good you could eat it with a spoon, but will want to eat it with a ladle! Perhaps that grandmother had a few southern charms up her sleeves?!?!
Grandmother’s barbecue sauce
3/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons vinegar (white or apple cider)
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 clove garlic minced
1 teaspoon cayenne
Combine all ingredients and heat.
We don’t have pictures of the process because it’s just dump and pour. We do have a picture of the finished product. That is, a picture of what was left when we left the room for five minutes!!
North and South may still continue to to fight the fight….but these belles are bettin’ this sauce is how the West was won!!!
a&a
16 Friday May 2014
Posted in belle-icious, friday friend 1-1, healthy belle
As summer approaches, we can’t help but think of fresh veggies and interesting (yet easy…who wants to spend all day in the kitchen!) ways to prepare them. Okra is one of our favorites at the moment.
Now, southern tradition dictates that the okra either be chopped, battered and fried, or stewed into slimy, gooey, over-cooked spears. Both of these options fall short of the main goal in eating your veggies in the first place…a typical southern folly…by taking something quite good-for-you and creating a southern-fried treat or zapping every last nutrient out in the cooking, and cooking, and cooking. (granted…stewed okra, corn and tomatoes is worth every last bite!)
So what’s a belle to do with her okra to get the most out of the nutrients and summer-fresh flavor?? Our quick and easy answer…roast it!
Starting with fresh, tender pods, rinse thoroughly and dry.
Next, make length-wise cuts…either right down the middle or, if you want them a bit more “crispy”, slice each spear into 3 or more thin “chips”. Place in a bowl (or ziploc bag) and drizzle with your favorite (best quality you have available) olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt. Turn them all out onto a cookie sheet, spreading them out, cut-side-down, making sure to get them in a single layer
Place in a 400 degree oven, and watch the masterpiece come to life! 15-20 minutes should do it, but you can be the judge. A nice, browned, slightly crisped edge is what we like to see…
Be sure to get your share early…these babies will disappear in a snap!
a&a
02 Friday May 2014
Tags
BarkBox, BirchBox, Coco Rocha Fancy Box, Eat Boutique, Escape Monthly, Gourmet Spotting, Julibox, KLUTCHclub, Love with Food, My Subscription Addiction, PopSugar, Social Bliss, Spoiled Rotten Box, Taste Trunk, travelbox, Wantable, World Chocolate Club
Mother’s Day is just around the corner, and finding an appropriate and worthy-enough gift can be quite a trial. To make this undertaking infinitely less taxing we came up with the ultimate gift idea……
Monthly Gift Boxes!!!!!
They come in all price points, a limitless variety to suit any mother’s taste, and best of all, your momma will remember how thoughtful you are each time she gets a special delivery!
So without further ado ….
For the mom on the go:
“Delivering boxes of fun to the travel-obsessed…and busy people on-the-go”…this might just be the perfect choice for the mom who always has a bag packed, passport in hand! Examples of items she can expect: foreign language tools, portable phone chargers, sleep masks, portable sunscreen, and snacks from around the world. From GoTravelBox.com
For the mom who loves to “escape” even when she is forced to unpack that bag and stay home for a while, try escapemonthly. They will send destination-inspired luxury products to help mom relax, renew, and escape. So order, and leave her alone already!
For the gourmet mom:
From Gourmet Spotting, mom can expect to receive 4-6 full-size gourmet products each month. Bonus…for each box they ship, they donate one meal to charity. Showing love to mom and those in need…beautiful!
Help mom discover brands she will love with personalized boxes from the folks at tastetrunk.com. You will be sure to find the perfect match for mom with their smart categories…gourmet, sweet, BBQ, and health.
For the gourmande mom:
The “World Chocolate Club” from mysubscriptionaddiction.com…um, need we say more?! We hope the junior belles are paying attention to this one, hint, hint!
Starting at just $10 per month, the boxes from lovewithfood.com are packed with natural or organic snacks. And the dears at Love with Food donate a meal to feed a hungry child in the U.S. for every box they ship. Now that’s love!
Choose a box from a variety of categories (New England, Cocktails, Sweets…) or subscribe to the “Small Batch by Season” plan to help mom maintain her “tastemaker” status among her friends. Go to shop.eatboutique.com.
For cocktail recipes, curated by world-class mixologists, and all of the required spirits and mixers delivered right to mom’s door, check out julibox.com. Maybe mom will invite you over for a taste…cocktails anyone?
For the fit mom:
The “KLUTCHclub Women” boxes are filled with items sure to delight the fitness-and-health-type mom. Products range from fitness DVD’s to healthy snacks and beauty products. Find it at mysubscriptionaddiction
For the mom who loves her non-human babies:
Help mom spoil her sweetest, most obedient, and adoring “child” with spoiledrottenbox.com. They have 3, 6, and 12-month plans as well as a pay-as-you-go option with boxes filled with toys, treats and more…and no worries, all treats are manufactured here in the U.S.
BarkBox is another excellent choice for mom’s sweet, furry baby. Every month she will receive four or more products, carefully selected by dog-size…from toys and bones to hygiene products and gadgets…that will be sure to please Fido (and the cardboard box is a bonus!) Oh, and mom will love this…10% of the proceeds are donated to dogs in need. From barkbox.com.
For the fashionista mom:
The Style Box from socialbliss.com is perfect for the on-trend mom! Each box contains a selection of one-size-fits-all fashion accessories, hand-picked by stylists who are “in the know”.
The stylists at wantable.com navigate the world of fashion and beauty to bring mom the latest trends. Select a category (makeup, accessories, or intimates), and wait for the adoration to begin!
For fashion-oriented items, another excellent choice is the Coco Rocha Fancy Box from mysubscriptionaddiction. Past boxes have included magazines, jewelry, sunglasses…wow!!
For the beauty-pro mom:
The “Must Have Box” from popsugar.com will treat mom to hand-selected items in beauty, fashion, home, fitness, and food…and they are all full-size products from premium brands. Go for it!
And last, but far from least, mom will practically tackle the delivery-man each month (don’t tell dad) to tear into her latest shipment from BirchBox. Boxes contain high-end beauty, grooming, and lifestyle samples, customized just for her. Make her ever-so-happy…click birch box.com.
Whew!!! As y’all can see, the options are endless, but we think this is a great variety to get you inspired. So treat mom and be her favorite…every month.
a&a
the RARE belle 