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the RARE belle

~ a southern gal's guide to all things fabulous in food, fashion, finery and frippery

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Category Archives: belle-icious

cocktails and candy…an irresisti-belle combination

25 Friday Mar 2016

Posted by theRAREbelle in belle-icious, what's ringin' our belle

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

candy, sugarfina

We recently spent a little time on the west coast and wandered into a little boutique called SUGARFINA.  It just draws you in with its bright clean beauty…and samples…how is a belle to resist?  

Teen belle was enamored by a few treats….  

and this wall of goodies…

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No wonder her eyes were as big as saucers!!

But then what did we spy ?!?! Could it be ?!?!  

   
Yesssssss!!!!! A cocktail/candy combo…and they taste just as beautiful as they look! We should know…just sayin’…

And remember these…

  
We mentioned these Champagne Bears last week…and one belle got right on it!  …

  
Lined up and ready for some “grown-up” Easter baskets!

Loved these as well…

 

A bento box of faves…and you can customize, too!!  

Gorgeous packaging, divine flavors, and a multitude of choices make SUGARFINA a great gift idea for others…or a treat for yourself, sugar!

a&a

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what do you get when you clean out your freezer?

11 Friday Mar 2016

Posted by theRAREbelle in belle-icious

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cobbler, crumble, Dessert, fruit, recipes

What’s a belle to do when her freezer seems to be filled with a little bit of this, a little bit of that, and a lot of what seems like nothing?  Well…we made the most out of an “over-stuffed” situation one recent rainy day…and the results were so delicious, we just had to share (as we belles do)!

Our version of a “Clean-out-the-freezer Fruit Crumble”:

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This recipe is very simple and you can use whatever fruit combination you have on hand. In this instance, we used peaches, raspberries and blackberries. About 1 bag each. We drained and thawed briefly in a colander and then got impatient (that should come as no surprise). To the fruit add: 1 tablespoon sugar, 2 tablespoons cornstarch and the juice of 1/2 lemon. Put in a 9×11 casserole dish.

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The topping: 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup brown sugar, a pinch of salt, 1 cup of old fashioned oats and 1 cold stick of butter cut into small slices. Combine all topping ingredients and with a pastry cutter or two knives mix topping until it resembles coarse meal. (impatience reared its ugly head here as well)

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Put topping over fruit and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour

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One more view of the finished product…just for motivation;)

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If you feel that now is a good time to empty the freezer of vanilla ice cream, we already beat you to it!!

So there you have it, another belle-icious recipe…and you cleaned out your freezer!! Multitasking is a belle’s way of life.

a&a

 

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a scrumptious salad to take away our winter blues…

04 Friday Mar 2016

Posted by theRAREbelle in belle-icious

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blood oranges, kale, recipes, romaine, salad, Vinaigrette

The blahs of winter can really get us down, and we often struggle to find a new and vibrant salad to perk up our menus. We decided to stroll the market and create a delish taste thrill of our own.  Here’s what we came up with…and it does not disappoint. 

Kale and Romaine Salad with Blood Oranges and Asian Vinaigrette

For the salad:

3 cups julienned Lacinato Kale

3 cups chopped romaine

1/2 diced orange pepper

1 segmented blood orange

1 diced avocado

1/4 c salted pistachios 

  

Add your kale to a large bowl and drizzle with 1/2 T olive oil and a pinch of salt 

Then add your romaine…
  

Now add your blood oranges….isn’t that color divine????

  

Your orange pepper goes in next 
  

And then zee avocado….remember, she’s a good fat!!

 

Now scatter those pistachios about  

 
The colors are amazing . 

Now you’ll toss with this easy vinaigrette:

3 T rice wine vinegar

2 T sesame oil

1T soy sauce 

1t honey 

Cracked black pepper 

Salt 

Combine all in a jar and shake vigorously.
Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss  

 
Et voila…a beautiful and mouthwatering salad. 

Makes 4 side servings or 2 main servings . 

Let us know what you think of our creative cooking. Feel free to adapt to your liking…that’s what we do!!
a&a

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the way to your Valentine’s heart…a belle-icious friend-1-1

12 Friday Feb 2016

Posted by theRAREbelle in belle-icious

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besh big easy, brick street cafe, coquilles saint jaques, crab, crabmeat ravigote, Food52, Ina Garten, john besh, make it ahead, persimmons, radishes, recapo, salad, scallops, shrimp, throughthelookingglass.com

With Valentine’s Day coming this weekend, we’ve been puttin’ some thought into a special meal for our near and dear…and, of course, we busy belles love a menu that is gourmet-worthy but can be prepared in advance. This one is perfect for a romantic evening for two or can be served at a larger Valentine gathering. In fact, one of our good belle friends served this at a Valentines dinner last year, and it was both tasty and memorable.

For appetizers, a bowl of cashews or pecans would be more than enough, but if you really want to step it up a notch then you have to make this Crabmeat ravigote . We found the recipe in Best Big Easy by John Besh. 

 
Via Pinterest 

We served it with endive leaves as shown and some crackers. It was inhaled. Just sayin….
On to the main course. We love Ina Garten’s Coquilles St. Jaques. It is rich, decadent and simply divine. It’s an impressive course to serve to your significant other or a gathering of friends.  

 
Via Pinterest 

We found this in Ina’s book, Make It Ahead, but you can find the recipe here in its entirety .  If you find all scallops to be too rich, feel free to do half shrimp, half scallops. It works beautifully. You can also use domestic mushrooms with ease.

A fresh baguette to sop up all the sauce is most assuredly in order. 

A simple salad is all you really need to round out this menu. We had the pleasure of having a beautiful simple green salad with persimmons recently. We had never thought to have them in a salad and they were a delicious addition!  Try it…you’ll adore it!

  
Via Food52

Feel free to change up the greens. We had ours with butter lettuce, baby romaine, persimmons and watermelon radishes. Find the recipe here at Food52. 

Here in our town, there is a bakery by the name of the Brick Street Cafe. They happen to serve a chocolate cake that is addictive, travels well, and even gets better with age (although it won’t last long despite that fact). We often order it for birthdays, beach trips, weekend getaways, and just about any excuse we can create. 

Can you imagine our sheer and utter joy when we discovered the recipe for this magnificent cake. So now …behold ….

  
Via Through Her Looking Glass

We can thank Through Her Looking Glass for sharing the end all and be all of chocolate cakes…The Brick Street Chocolate Cake

Here is zee Recipe 

Happy heart day y’all 

a&a

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the belles’ latest addiction…parmesan-asiago dip (a super-bowl-worthy dish)

05 Friday Feb 2016

Posted by theRAREbelle in belle-icious

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appetizer, asiago, dip, parmesan

Addiction is a terrible thing and we would never want encourage any sort of obsession…until now. We have been hoarding this recipe for some time, only sharing the finished product…watching eyes widen, mouths water and hands reach for more…and more. We were first introduced to this dip of sorts at a dinner party at the home of one of our favorite belles and her husband. This particular husband is a man’s man with his fishing, hunting, entertaining, wining and dining…but to top it all off, he can cook better than most experienced chefs we know! And the love of his life is smart enough to let him do just that, genius belle that she is…

Any-who, he started us off with this asiago dip that, from the get-go, we couldn’t move more than an arms-length away from for fear that it might be absconded with. Imagine our poor manners that evening as we inhaled our new-found love like it was going to be our last meal…rest assured, we would have died happy.

Come to find out from our favorite “recipe dealer”, this divine concoction only needed a few ingredients and required minimal skills to prepare. That is pure music to a belle’s dainty ears.

Now…you do need a food processor…but once you have that covered, you’re in business!

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In that dahlin’ food processor, place:

1 1/2 cups olive oil (it can be run-of-the-mill olive oil…we used Luccini)
1 1/2 lbs. parmesan (cut into chunks)
1/2 lb. asiago (cut into chunks)
3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 tsp. crushed red pepper
2 tsp. dried oregano (or use 1 tbsp. fresh oregano)
2 green onions, chopped

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Process until it resembles course meal. Let stand, covered, at least 4 hours. You may refrigerate at this point if you’re planning to serve at a later time, but bring back to room temp when ready to serve.

Top with an extra couple of chopped green onions and black pepper for garnish.

Now, you might find that you want to eat this stuff right up with a spoon, but we sliced up a baguette to have alongside…belles should at least TRY to practice restraint!! Before we could snap a decent photo, we ate it all up…so we had to borrow a pic of the finished product from Pinterest…

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Maybe next time we’ll be able to control ourselves…but don’t count on it!

a&a

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pretty peas…a healthy twist to a great original

22 Friday Jan 2016

Posted by theRAREbelle in belle-icious

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

peas, salads, sides

We love a good pea salad. The time-honored classic is still a favorite, but this lighter version is giving the original a real run for its money.

Here’s what you will need:

16 ounces frozen petit peas, thawed and drained
3 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
6 ounces fat free Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/2 one small sweet onion, chopped finely

Whisk in a medium bowl the yogurt, honey, vinegar, salt and pepper Add the peas, onions, nuts and combine. Top with bacon and stir gently. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Serves 4-6

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This makes a great side to any meal or is an awesome option to have in the fridge for lunches through the week.

“Peas” enjoy!!

a&a

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popcorn goes belle-icious…a crunchy friday friend-1-1

15 Friday Jan 2016

Posted by theRAREbelle in belle-icious, friday friend 1-1

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california olive oil, everythingbutthe.com, flavored olive oil, Palmetto Olive Oil, popcorn

  
Popcorn has long been a favorite snack of ours, but it got a bad rap quite a few years back with the whole food-police-movie-theatre-popcorn exposé. Turns out…what could have been a healthy, wholesome, low-cal, low-fat snack had been turned into an artery-clogging mess. Suddenly, popcorn was the enemy!

We continued to enjoy it the healthy way (popped with little or no oil), but pined for something with a bit more of a belle-ish flare. Enter the deliciously healthy flavored olive oil and salts we now see almost everywhere! Once we discovered these delicious little tricks, we thought it was important to make sure all of our belle-friends had the chance to join in on the crunchy fun!

Now, for starters, the popcorn can be any old kernel…just the plain kernels in a jar.

Next, because the popping needs to be quick and easy so that you can have this treat at a moment’s notice, you might want to try this from everythingbutthe.com…

  
…works like a charm!

…or buy this…
 

photo from thedailyeater.com

 

We have used this little gem for years! Just put 1/4 – 1/3 cup uncooked kernels in the bottom, place the cover on the bowl, “pop” it in the microwave on high for 2 1/2 – 3 minutes, and you have absolutely delicious, crunchy, toasty, fresh popcorn! Purchase the popper on Amazon here

Now for the fun part! Truffles anyone?! How about rosemary/parmesan? By drizzling just a teaspoon or two of one of your favorite flavored oils…maybe adding some fresh herbs…and grinding some fresh sea salt over it all, you have quite the tasty, gourmet treat!!

Here are some flavor combinations to try:
– truffle oil and truffle salt
– rosemary oil with chopped fresh rosemary and fresh parmesan
– green chili oil with a dash of cayenne
– basil oil with chopped pine nuts
– cilantro oil with lime sea salt

The combinations can be so exciting…and never-ending. We get our oils from our local Palmetto Olive Oil. Or you can get the California belle’s new favorite olive oil Here. It’s awesome!! 

Try it, you’ll like it, belles!
a&a

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the best of the belles…volume 1

14 Thursday Jan 2016

Posted by theRAREbelle in belle maison, belle-icious, fashion forward, healthy belle

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

acrylic furniture, Aquatalia boots, barbecue sauce, Bezels and Bytes, blondies, budhagirl, favorite things, Fretwork Designs, kale, okra, Perennials, salted caramel, tenderloin, The French Poodle, the skimm, tomato pie, white jeans, Wisteria

To celebrate two years of this blogging business…and nearly 400 posts (yes, we have hit quite a milestone)…we thought it would be fun to list our favorite – and most talked about – posts (’cause we are really, really sweet, and we all need gentle reminders of stuff we need to do, buy, make, read…)

In the #belleicious category:


First up…The French Poodle Vinaigrette. This salad dressing is a constant in our homes. If you haven’t tried it, what are you waiting for?


Remember our foolproof Tenderloin recipe?  You’re welcome 😉

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Belles love barbecue…and grandmother’s BBQ sauce is the gold standard…

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This roasted okra puts a tasty spin on a veggie favorite…

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And in other “eat your veggies” news…you must try this tomato pie…

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Seems to be all about the kale lately…this kale salad is a winner every time…


And if we are gonna splurge on dessert, it better be worth it. These salted caramel blondies do not disappoint!
Some #fashionabelle reminders:

White jeans…yes, you can wear them after Labor Day!

Aquatalia boots…you won’t believe the comfort, style and practicality!  Every one is a real belle-ringer…


For the mindful belle…these BUDHAGIRL bangles totally make the cut…

For the belle-maison:

 

Remember when we suggested Perennials outdoor fabrics?  Well, they are still our go-to for beautiful, durable upholstered pieces!


We are still all about acrylic pieces to bring a little light to a room…


And this fretwork from FretworkDesigns is still one of our favorites…
And, last…but not least…for the belle-on-the-go:

We still start every day with The Skimm (and some giggles)..we encourage you to do the same


And we keep track of our running around with our FitBit Flex, made über-stylish with our Bezels and Bytes bracelets…


And there you have ’em, belles…our faves so far!

a&a

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guilt-free dessert…a skinny-belle friend-1-1

23 Wednesday Dec 2015

Posted by theRAREbelle in belle-icious, healthy belle

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cinnamon, Dessert, ghee, healthy, pears, walnuts

One belle was recently assigned “dessert” for a large family dinner. Knowing that several loved-ones had recently celebrated great success with weight-loss and general feelin’ good on the Whole 30 plan, she figured a waistline-friendly dessert would be much appreciated (and better for those who might not have fully embraced the concept)!  But coming up with a dessert sans dairy, sweeteners (not even the chemistry lab ones, aka artificial ones), grains, or alcohol might have stumped a less-determined belle.

Well…pears, ghee, cinnamon, and walnuts to the rescue!!  Yum!!


Baked Cinnamon Pears 

– 4 Pears, plan on one-half per person (we used Bosc) and adjust recipe as needed

– juice of one lemon

– 1/2 c Ghee, or clarified butter, melted

– 1 t. Cinnamon (plus more for sprinkling)

– 1 c. Toasted walnuts (we toast with olive oil and salt)


Wash and peel pears, then cut in half. Toss or rub fully with lemon juice to keep them from turning brown before they bake (the lemon also adds another dimension to the flavor).

Place pears in baking dish, cut side down. Combine cinnamon and ghee, then poor over pears, making sure to fully coat. Sprinkle with extra cinnamon

Toast walnuts. At this point, the dish can be stored countertop or in the fridge until dinner begins. About a half-hour before serving, place pears in the oven at 350 degrees. Let the aroma cause great anticipation.


Top each pear with walnuts. Serve…and bask in the accolades. You’ve pulled off a skinny (and incredibly delicious) dessert!

PS…vanilla or cinnamon ice cream would be da bomb with this…for those wishing to throw caution to the wind, of course. Shut the front door!!

a&a

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‘shrooms anyone?…the belles’ way to get through the holidays 

17 Thursday Dec 2015

Posted by theRAREbelle in belle-icious

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Bon Appétit, gourmet, worcestershire mushroom rolls

These mushroom rolls are epically good…picture this: a beautiful red and  gold platter, filled to the brim with scrumptious little rolls, cooked to golden perfection, piping hot and the perfect bite size….can you see them??? Can you picture them?  

Good because the first time we attempted to write this post,  we only managed to get a picture of the empty platter!  We forgot to take photos, and by the time we remembered (a whopping ten minutes later), the platter was empty…

  
All gone!!

That’s how tasty these beauties are…and you can make ahead …and they freeze like a dream! 

We double the recipe usually so we can freeze half and serve half…of course we didn’t follow our habit that particular time or we could have thrown another batch in the oven…but no such luck…

Worcestershire Mushroom Rolls

Makes 28 hors d’oeuvres

3/4 pound mushrooms, trimmed and quartered

1/4 pound shallots (about 3) , minced

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

5 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup grated cheddar (we used sharp white)

14 very thin slices firm white bread (we used Pepperidge Farm thin sliced white bread)

In a food processor mince mushrooms in two batches. In a 10 inch skillet (non stick) cook shallots in 2 tablespoons butter over moderate heat, stirring until golden. Add mushrooms with salt to taste and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until dark brown and very dry. About 15 minutes. 

Add Worcestershire sauce and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce is evaporated and mixture is, again, very dry. About 5 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and stir in cheddar. (Filling may be made 3 days ahead and chilled, covered.) 

Discard crusts from bread and with a rolling pin, flatten each slice into a rectangle. In a small saucepan,  melt remaining 3 tablespoons butter.

On a work surface, arrange bread slice with long side facing you and mound a level tablespoon of filling along long side. Roll up jellyroll-fashion. Arrange roll seam side down on shallow baking pan. Fill remaining bread slices in same fashion, arranging in pan in one layer, touching each other. 

Brush rolls all over with melted butter and rearrange seam sides down and barely touching in pan.  Chill mushroom rolls, covered, at least 1 hour and up to 1 day. 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 

Bake rolls in upper third of oven for 15 minutes or until golden. Halve rolls crosswise and serve.

And surprise!!!  We had the pleasure of making a more recent batch, so this time we took a few pics to seal the deal!! 

  Zee ingredients

  
  Mushrooms all chopped and prepped…

  
Trimmed and ready to be thinned…

 Rolled up and ready to go…

  
The finished product…vanishing before our eyes (again) 

We cut this recipe out of an old Gourmet or Bon Appetit magazine. We can’t remember which, so we are going to give both credit.

We find these to be a go-to as a holiday (or any time) appetizer. They are elegant and easy…because belles rarely have extra time just layin’ around. Just sayin’

a&a

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