09 Tuesday Oct 2018
Posted in what's ringin' our belle
Tags
amazon, apartment therapy, because im addicted, Chrissy Teigen, cleaning, Cravings, leggings, Neiman Marcus, pants, sage, slow cooker, Vince
How to freshen your kitchen disposal …
Via Pinterest
Why to sage your home …
Via Because I’m Addicted
How to clean your slow cooker…
Need this new cookbook…
Via Amazon
A fall/winter wardrobe staple…
Vince stitch-front seam “leggings” (although they are more of a straight-leg crop) – available at Neiman Marcus
We hope they ring your belle too!!
a&a
25 Tuesday Apr 2017
Posted in what's ringin' our belle
We could use some fresh towels…
Via Anthropologie
Slow cooker Buffalo Meatballs…
Via How Sweet Eats
Best day to buy a plane ticket…
Diet mistakes that hurt your skin…
Via Pinterest
Drooling over these Pillows
Til next time…
a&a
23 Friday Dec 2016
Posted in belle-icious
Tags
We might have just saved your day! Feedin’ a crowd on Christmas Eve calls for some slow-cooker magic. Well…here you have it! Healthy, check. Filling, check. Easy, check. Belleicious? You bet!!
Belleicious Lentil Soup
Place in crockpot:
2 cups butternut squash (peeled and cubed)
2 cups carrots (peeled and sliced)
1 cup potatoes (chopped), optional
1 cup celery (chopped)
1 cup lentils
1 cup yellow split peas (or just use more lentils)
1 onion (chopped)
5 cloves garlic (minced)
8-10 cups vegetable or chicken broth
2 teaspoons herbs de provence (or we like to sub in curry, cumin and coriander)
1 teaspoon salt (more to taste)
Set crockpot on High for 4 hours or on Low for 8 hours
Add at the end:
1/2 cup olive oil
2-3 cups kale (stems removed, chopped)
1 cup parsley (chopped)
a swish of sherry, red wine vinegar, or lemon juice to add a nice tangy bite
gather the goods…
do your peelin’, slicin’ and dicin’…
toss ’em in…
the end…
Belleicious!!
a&a
08 Thursday Dec 2016
Posted in belle perks, fashion forward, what's ringin' our belle
Tags
All-Clad, amazon, Aquatalia, boots, bracelets, budhagirl, cashmere, Christmas, Equipment, Feetures, gifts, Longchamp, LuluLemon, Simple Human, slow cooker, socks, theory, travel mirror, workout wear
We thought we would share some of our go-to items…just in case you are stumped on your gift hunt. You’re welcome!
Our fave cashmere cardigan…
From Equipment (for the fashiona-belle)
Our fave mirror (and it travels like a pro!)….
…from Simple Human (for the one who is always looking for her reading glasses)
Our fave travel boot…
Pretty much anything by Aquatalia…available at Nordstrom (for the fashiona-belle traveler)
The best slow cooker…All Clad from Amazon (for the busy cook)
The socks we can’t do without…
…From Feetures (perfect stocking-stuffer for the runner…or the one who lives in her Lululemon)
Our go-to workout-wear…
Our Lululemon uniform (for yourself…or the daughter who MUST have the cutest workout-wear)
The pant that does it all…
We could LIVE in this “ponte pant” from Theory! Crisp, comfy, chic. (Well…this might not technically be a gift…except for yourself 😉
BuDhaGirl bangles…
Duh…we have said this over and over and over! Buy these now.
Loving this monochromatic Longchamp…
For any belle who goes anywhere…just sayin’.
More to come, belles!
a&a
18 Friday Nov 2016
Posted in belle-icious
Tags
Now that we have a legit chill in the air, we are ready to keep the home fires burning…and tummies full and warm…with a slew of soups and stews. From the Boozy Stew we posted last week to many others from light to hearty, we plan to share ’em all. ‘Cause, again…that’s how a belle rolls.
This one in particular can swing from totally healthy and vegan to a super hearty version with chicken…your choice.
The ingredients:
2 T olive oil, 4 cloves garlic, 1 leek, 1/2 lb carrots, 4 stalks celery, 1 lb dried navy beans, 1 bay leaf, 2 med stalks rosemary, 3-4 sprigs thyme, 1/2 t smoked paprika, 1/2 t black pepper, 1 1/2 t salt, *diced rotisserie chicken (optional)
Rinse beans, sorting to remove any debris.
Assemble a bouquet garni using rosemary, thyme and bay leaf.
Trim and prepare to slice veggies.
Soak sliced leeks in water to clean (yucky stuff falls to the bottom of the bowl)
place all ingredients in slow cooker with 6 cups water. Place lid on cooker and set for 8 hours on low or 4-5 hours on high.
Once done, stir the soup, mashing the beans slightly to make a creamy base.
The finished product…
Easy…and belleicious!
Now for the whole recipe in a screen-shotable list…
The Belles’ White Bean Soup
2 T olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 leek, sliced
½ lb carrots, sliced
4 stalks celery, sliced
1 lb dried navy beans
1 bay leaf
2 med stalks rosemary
3-4 sprigs thyme
½ t smoked paprika
½ t black pepper
1 ½ t salt
diced rotisserie chicken (optional)
Rinse beans, sorting to remove any debris. Assemble a bouquet garni using rosemary, thyme and bay leaf. Wash, trim, and slice veggies. Place all ingredients in slow cooker with 6 cups water. Cover and cook on low 8 hours or on high 4-5 hours. When done, stir soup and mash beans slights to add a creamy texture.
PS: Guests coming next week for the holiday? This would be an excellent “night-before” meal! Just sayin’
Enjoy!
a&a
*chicken is delish in this soup, but not necessary…totally convenient for our vegan friends
11 Friday Nov 2016
Posted in belle-icious
Tags
bacon, Beef, beer, dutch oven, guinness, Guinness Stew, kale salad, mushrooms, recipe, shallots, slow cooker
Although the temps seem to have been on a roller coaster (mostly uphill) across the south this fall, we like to pretend we have cooler weather to warrant the classic fall/winter recipes we have up our sleeves. Case in point…this Guinness Stew we decided to make for a football-watchin’ crowd a couple of weeks ago…when it was 75 and sunny! It was belleicious anyway…just sayin’. We served it alongside this kale and quinoa salad, courtesy of a dear belle-friend. An-delicious (that’s Irish for very delicious!)
We found the original recipe from Clodagh McKenna via the Today show, but made some tweaks (as we do) to make it ours.
The Belles’ Boozy Guinness Stew
2 T butter
1 T olive oil
12 slices bacon, cut into 1″ bits
12 shallots, peeled but left whole
2 1/2 lb cubed stewing beef
2 lb mixed mushrooms, sliced (we used shiitake and baby bella)
1 qt Guinnesss
1 bouquet garni (we used bay leaf, thyme and tarragon)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
We like to gather ingredients and do the prep so that all goes smoothly
The assembly of the bouquet garni. (We actually only used 2 of those bay leaves)
Now for the cookin’…
Start by melting butter in a large dutch oven or cast iron skillet. Add a swirl of olive oil and heat. Add bacon and brown
Add shallots and allow to cook with bacon for a couple of minutes. Transfer bacon and shallots to another dish
Sear beef, seasoned with salt and pepper, in the same dutch oven (scraping up the bacon bits for flavor). After a quick 2 minute sear, remove beef…
…and add mushrooms. Sauté 1-2 minutes. (We added a bit of olive oil to the shrooms after a bit)
Add bacon, shallots, and beef back to mushrooms (if using dutch oven). Otherwise, place all in a covered casserole, pouring pan juices on top. Add the bouquet garni.
Now for the booze…
Drop in the bouquet garni and add the Guinness…
Ready for the oven!!
Cover and place in the oven at 325 degrees for 2 hours.
Ready for the table…belleicious!!
***Slow cooker tip #1…if you can start earlier in the day, pop all of this in your slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours…or high for 4.
***Slow cooker tip #2…you could even do this one day, allow to cool, pop in the fridge, and slow cook it for a couple of hours on low the next day. Voila! A belle-ringin’ dinner on a busy day!
And here’s the recipe all-together (screenshot-able perhaps)…
***********************************************************************
The Belles’ Boozy Guinness Stew
2 T butter
1 T olive oil
12 slices bacon, cut into 1” bits
12 shallots, peeled but left whole
2 1⁄2 lb cubed stewing beef
2 lb mixed mushrooms, sliced
1 qt Guinness
1 bouquet garni
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Melt butter in large dutch oven. Add a swirl of olive oil
Add bacon and brown. Add shallots and saute 1-2 minutes
Transfer bacon and shallots to another dish.
Add beef, season with salt and pepper, and sear, scraping up bacon bits from pan.
Remove beef.
Add mushrooms and saute 1-2 minutes.
Place all ingredients back together in dutch oven (or any large, covered casserole)
Add bouquet garni
Add Guinness
Cover and bake at 325 degrees for 2 hours
***********************************************************************
Serving suggestions:
– Although we chose to skip the carbs with the salad, this would be excellent (and authentic) served with mashed potatoes…or add bite-sized potatoes to the stew before baking
Ithe go maith! (that’s Irish for good eatin’)
a&a
03 Tuesday May 2016
Posted in bar belles, belle-icious, what's ringin' our belle
Tags
arnold palmer, churro, cocktail, Eat Cake for Dinner, food 52, Lauren Conrad, Mexican, phone, produce, recipe, refinery 29, slow cooker, Town & Country
Quotes to make you feel better instantly
Need more space on your Phone? Try This
Belles love a churro…see what not take this taste thrill to the next level with this Cinnamon sugar churro cake
Wanting to try this easy Slower cooker Mexican chicken for the next Taco Tuesday
Fresh produce belles….How to keep it fresh longer…love these tips!!
An adult Arnold Palmer…fresh!
Belles ringin’ all over the place!
a&a
27 Friday Mar 2015
Posted in belle-icious
Easter is just round the bend, so it’s time to fill the grocery baskets and prep to feed the egg hunters, bonnet-wearers and seersucker-dressed. While y’all are figuring out where to hide the golden egg, we’ve come up with some golden egg-worthy recipes to round out your Easter menus…
We’ve actually been enjoying some beautiful weather these last few days, so we would much rather be outside rather than over a hot stove. Go figure!! But we still need to eat, and since Easter is one of those celebrations that can take up all the appliances…all at once…we tested a crockpot ham with humongous success. Yay us!! This is a fix (with 3 ingredients!!) and forget while you go enjoy the Easter parade type of dish!!
The Food Charlatan is a fantastic blog. She has a great wit and even better recipes. Her easy spicy slow cooker ham is a recipe worthy of making for Easter or really anytime you don’t want to be in the kitchen.
Here’s how ours turned out:
It is beyond delish and not really spicy in our minds…we describe it as having more of a kick. So, tender mouths need not fear, and the brave can add extra bang to their liking!
Side-note…this is one of the few recipes we didn’t feel the need to tweak (shocking, we know!), and many of her other recipes are just as spot-on. We just adore this site and suggest you go get the recipe here and spend a little time perusing!!
Next up…a to-die-for side dish. Here in the South, we can’t do without pimento cheese…evah!! We belles were recently in the midst of the truly southern James Farmer…more on that incredible experience to come (y’all know what they say, keep ’em wantin’ more!)
We each have a couple of his books (again…more on that later), so we couldn’t resist trying, tasting, and sharing his recipes for pimento cheese. We even sent them out to a tasting panel of sorts! They were both met with rave reviews, but the spicy version won by a smidge. Both are worth making…and we suggest a taste test of your own. Would love to hear who makes it to y’all’s winner circle!
Jalapeño Pimento Cheese from James Farmer
Serves 4-6
8 ounce block of sharp cheddar cheese
4 ounce block of Monterey Jack (We used jalapeño jack because we couldn’t find jalapeños in the recipe!!)
2 green onions chopped
1/3 cup pimentos
Dash of garlic salt
Dash of salt
Fresh ground pepper – white, black or red, depending on taste (we used black and red)
3/4 cup mayo (we used Hellman’s)
1/4 cup reduced fat mayo (if you want it creamier…we did not)
Toasted pecans, optional
Grate cheeses by hand (it makes all the difference). Place all ingredients in bowl and fold gently with a wooden spoon; don’t over-stir!
Farmer’s Pimento Cheese from James Farmer
Makes 2 1/2 cups
1 cup finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese (please hand grate!!)
1 cup finely shredded sharp Vermont white cheddar cheese (again, grate by hand)
1/2 -3/4 cup mayonnaise (we used Hellman’s, a scant 3/4 cup)
1/3 cup pimento pieces with some juice
Squirt lemon juice
Dash of Lawry’s seasoned salt
Dash of Morton’s Nature’s seasons
Pinch of cayenne
Fresh ground black pepper
Fresh ground sea salt
Combine cheeses with mayo to taste, pimento, lemon juice, and seasonings to taste.
Now, how about a grilled pimento cheese with ham for lunch the day after Easter?! Sounds like a perfect way to wind down from the holiday to us!!
And remember…everything tastes better on motha’s silvah, just sayin’!!!
a&a
the RARE belle 