marshmallow popcorn bars

i wanted to make something kind of fancy-schmancy and elaborate for janey and aida's annual after x-mas party last saturday.  and, of course, i waited until the last minute to decide so that just went out the window.  instead i went with a party snack that took less than thirty minutes to make.

but things got a little...complex.  i ended up buying a bottle of prosecco to bring instead.  more on this below...  

this marshmallow popcorn recipe from real simple was bookmarked under my favorites folder for the longest (in the interest of full disclosure, i first discovered this via sterling style).  this was the perfect time to try it out...seemed fool-proof enough!

key points:

• it only consisted of three ingredients (popcorn, butter and marshmallows), making it easy and inexpensive.

• the tricky part was folding the popcorn into the melted butter and marshmallow mixture.  i didn't notice that there were a few un-popped kernels that made its way into the marshmallow (until it was too late), so i had to hand-pick them out (because who wants to bite into a hard kernel?).  and things got reeeally sticky.

• after i let it cool, i started to cut into it and realized, wait...the recipe said it would make up to twenty-four bars.  why do i only have half that amount?  side note: i've had a lot of trouble with recipes claiming that it makes a certain amount, but when i try it, it's almost always less than that!

final verdict: in spite of those small complications, it was divine!  so light, sweet and gooey .  and if it would have been enough to feed the entire party, i'm sure everyone would have loved it.  i'd recommend this to anyone who's looking for a crowd-pleasing quick-to-make party snack.

-jillian m.

friday!

• at least someone is enjoying this weather.  the neighbor's dog, shadow, frolicked over to where we were shoveling and started throwing himself into the mounds of snow!  he's the fluffiest, cutest thing.  love his powdery little face!

• if you're a blogger, read this post from design sponge.  it was so informative and i feel like i've learned a ton about blogging. i'm sure most of you already know about about the ethics of blogging, but it's always good to remind yourself of what you may have forgotten and possibly join in on the conversation.

• soon we'll be able to shop online at h&m!  finally!

• toddlers & tiaras is, in my opinion, the scariest show on television.  see why here.

• i'm getting a haircut next week and i'm thinking about bringing in this picture to show how i want my bangs to look.  

yay for the weekend!

-jillian m.

grilled shrimp with mango-barbecue glaze

i'm such a huge fan of delicious foods that are super easy to make (who isn't?).  take this recipe, for example.  it pretty much took us (bob and i) about ten to fifteen minutes to make.  here's our version of it:

mango bbq glaze:

• two tablespoons of red wine vinegar

• two tablespoons of sugar

• half a cup of mango-peach jam

• two tablespoons of barbecue sauce

• salt and pepper, to taste

take the shrimp skewers and lightly glaze them with olive oil, salt and pepper before grilling.   once grilled, cover them in the mango bbq sauce.  

we also tried the shrimp on a tortilla chip with guacamole, which was inspired by an appetizer (aka thai chili-seared wild shrimp) that we are absolutely in love with at a restaurant called josie's.  let me tell you...these things are to die for.  our version wasn't half bad, either.  i'll take this as a success.

 -jillian m.

stay warm

this week will be coldest week we have so far (it's going as low as eight degrees!).  so i'm going to keep as warm as possible.  and this is how i'll do it (and how i've been doing it throughout this cold and snowy winter):

1. a thick scarf and gloves (i prefer the fingerless kind because i don't really care for how the fabric feels on my fingertips.  weird, i know..)

2. a glass of red.  if you want to be toasty (pun intended), you have to start from the inside.

3. fuzzy socks.  nothing is more miserable than cold feet!

4. staying under the covers.  if i could walk around with a blanket all day everyday, i would.

5. instant hot chocolate.  i mixed mine with a small dollop of chocolate peanut butter.  yum.

how do you keep warm?

-jillian m.

friday!

• a happy belated birthday to buffy the vampire slayer!   oh, how i miss you so.

• there's no escaping jury duty...not even if you're a cat.

• check out these reaction shots from celebrities at the golden globes.  these random captured moments are hilarious and the witty commentary that accompanies each picture is even  funnier!  so loving the robert downey, jr. shot!

• psyched for the next batman!  i think i'm liking the decision to cast anne hathaway as selina kyle (aka catwoman).  so far, the casting for these movies has been spot-on, so this may turn out to be a great choice.

• topshop is going '70's preppy.  and i kind of like it.

• here's to the weekend!

-jillian m.


{image: darkhorse}

a surprise birthday dinner

my brother, charlie's birthday was last sunday, so the family decided to surprise him with dinner and drinks at the elizabeth.

the prix fixe menu offered dishes like roasted organic chicken with couscous and dried fruit (pictured), risotto with sausage and broccoli rabe (pictured) and pan-roasted salmon with bok choy.

opening gifts = the best part of any birthday

the entire room was lit by candles.  so cozy and dim (not to mention, flattering).

-jillian m.

fred flare's got flair

i found this article about wacky food-themed house items and through that found fredflare.com, an online boutique that sells the most adorable (and kooky) items.  i'm talking tiny rubber duckies for floating in your cup of tea (aka tea duckies) and a vanilla ice cream cone lamp!  i'm way too tempted to buy the barbie and ken tin lunchbox and the cupcake bandages (which i would probably wear on a daily basis, cuts or no cuts). 

i've already got this website bookmarked.  i'm restraining myself from buying anything at the moment, but i know where to come when i find myself needing a peanut butter and jelly pouch.  because you never know when you'll need a wallet that looks like a pb & j sandwich...

-jillian m.

p.s. just learned that there's a fred flare store in brooklyn.  i'm so there.


{images: fredflare.com}

creamy guacamole

i guess making guacamole doesn't exactly count as cooking (like i promised i would start this year), but it's one of those dishes that's so easy to make, yummy to devour, very healthy and surprisingly filling, so i'm not really hung up on the cooking aspect so much.  bob and i based the recipe on one that we found in the hungry girl 1-2-3 cookbook:

• two avocadoes

• a quarter cup of lowfat greek yogurt

• four teaspoons of lemon juice

• a half teaspoon of minced garlic

• a half teaspoon of garlic powder 

• a half teaspoon of cumin

• a half teaspoon of chili powder

• salt and pepper, to taste 

i really like the addition of the greek yogurt.  it made it extra creamy.  i read in eat this, not that that greek yogurt and avocadoes are two superfoods that should be consumed daily for optimal health.  i love avocadoes.  but greek yogurt will probably post more of a challenge for me.  since i'm not crazy about eating it straight from the package, i'm considering other ways to incorporate it into my diet (suggestions are welcome!).

-jillian m.

friday!

• bob cooked me a yellow squash rice and sweet and spicy glazed salmon dinner the other night (i helped a little).  he's sweet.  i think i'll keep him <3

• and speaking of which, when we went to lincoln center last summer for a free concert, he took some amazing photos and posted them on flickr.  someone took notice, contacted him and featured it in where guestbook new york, a hotel coffee-table book (it's on page thirty-four)!  take a look at the light fixture picture here.  i love it!

• according to this article, the third monday of january is the most depressing day of the year.  i have to disagree.  in fact, it will probably be one of the best days for me, since i have the day off!

• i almost died when i saw these irresistible chocolate recipes.  i want to try every single recipe based on what i see in the pictures.  especially the mexican chocolate pots de creme.  and the chocolate peanut butter moon pies.  and the chocolate macarons.  and the chocolate-hazelnut baklava...  

•  have a great long weekend!  i know i will!

-jillian m.

current obsession: rosy cheeks

what i'm loving right now: modelco blush lights cheek powder in cosmopolitan pink

why i'm loving it: for years, i've used bronzer as my face waker-upper.  but lately pink blush has become my go-to and now i'm wondering how i've lived so long without it.  it's not that i don't like bronzer anymore...i do.  but every now and then, don't you need to change up your routine?  it gives such a soft, pretty just-got-back-from-sledding-in-the-snow look.  just a few sweeps on the apples of the cheeks and i'm instantly perked.  i know this is sounding a bit on the commercial-y side, but it's the little things that get me excited!  and when you find a product that you absolutely love using, don't you feel like telling everyone?   i know i do.


here are some other blushes that have received some amazing reviews on beauty blogs around the web and trusted websites like make makeupalley.com:

• nars blush in orgasm, $26: this cult favorite gives a naturally flushed look. it's personally revered by beauty guru/blogger tiffany d. as one of the best blushes around.

• cover girl classic color blush in soft mink,  $5: a more affordable option to the aforementioned blush.  natural-looking and has great staying power. check out the rave reviews here.

• nyx powder blush in pinky, $6: it looks like a bright, hot pink but it comes off very wearable (if applied with a light hand).  this one is often compared to higher end blushes.  it gets high praise from these reviewers.

• benefit blush in coralista, $28: i looove benefit products!  whoever does the marketing/packaging for benefit needs a raise.  the box that this comes in is too cute and the blush lasts for ages  (making the high price worth it).  coralista has a peachy coral color that gives you a healthy, warm look.

-jillian m.

an open letter to snow

dear snow,

if you have to come down, then give me light flurries that don't stick to the ground...or give me twenty inches.  if  you're going to make it hard for me to travel to work, then you might as well just give me the best you got so a snow day can be declared and i can stay home, curled up in a ball under my covers. agreed?

please and thank you,
jillian m.

there's no place like home

after a fun weekend out,
after a hard day at work or school,
after a long day of shopping,
after anything...

home is where i want to be.

like dorothy, no matter how many times i run away, it feels so good to come back and kick off your shoes.  to wash the day off your body, to drop your defenses and just...be.

-jillian m.


{images: andrews mcmeel}

friday!

• so adoring these outfits from madewell.  love that they look so chic and put-together without trying too hard.

• i'm off to a great start. i haven't kept any of my resolutions...but i haven't broken them either.  so i guess that's got to count for something, right?

• mmmm...classic french toast.  it's my breakfast of choice these days.

• ok, i'm pretty much done with the cold weather, so can we fast-forward to spring now?

• i saw black swan a few weeks ago.  wow.  wonderfully dark and passionate. and seriously disturbing.  my favorite part was the black swan dance at the end of the movie- super intense!  i haven't seen any other movies that have been generating oscar buzz, but i think natalie portman should definitely take best actress home.  what do you think?

• have a great weekend!

-jillian m.


{image one: madewell, image two: madewell}

building the ugliest snowman

my dad helped mason build a snowman in the backyard.  it didn't start out very promising.  it was the skinniest snowman i'd ever seen.

for the eyes? huge rocks that were found in the dirt.  ummm...not to be gross, but it kind of looks like something else!

funny!

not funny (womp, womp).

and the ugliest snowman was created.

 and if you're wondering, all those loose branches are supposed to be the scarf.

  -jillian m.

resolutions for the new year

normally, i'm not one for making resolutions.  the whole "new year, new me" thing just doesn't seem realistic to me.  but this year, i've made some resolutions that i think are pretty reasonable and doable. so, it's not so much "new me", but it's an improved version of me.  here's my list:


1. only buy clothes i absolutely LOVE.  seems like a no-brainer, but going through my closet has made me realize how many clothes i've only worn once or twice because a.) they were  impulse buys, b.) the price was too good to give up or c.) i needed an item to match something else and this was all i found.  tell me i'm not the only one who does this!

2. learn how to cook...at least a little bit.  i know how to scramble an egg, make a grilled cheese, boil pasta...and that's about it.

3. be a healthier baker.  too many of these recipes call for whole sticks of butter, cups of sugar and bags of semi-sweet chocolate.  there's got to be a better way to make things taste good!  and i'll find it.

4. the last one...i think i'll keep to myself for now.  if/when i start making progress with this one, i'll be more than happy to share, i promise!


do you have any new year's resolutions? let me know.  i'd love to hear what personal goals you have lined up for yourself.

-jillian m.

happy 2011!

how was your new year's eve/day?!   mine was pretty amazing.  me and some friends partied it up at gaslight in the meatpacking district, where we had our own private little booth and an open bar until 1am (that's all we needed!).  dancing, laughing and lots of hugging can pretty much sum it up for me (and maybe a few too many gin and tonics).  afterwards, we hit up istanbul grill and got ourselves some chicken shish kabobs and fresh baklava.  my mouth waters just thinking about it.

did any of you do anything special to ring in the new year? do tell...

the next day, we spent recharging and refueling.  and that included watching a bit of the honeymooners marathon, filling up on boston market takeout and heading to the diner for slices of banana cream pie (although, i maintain that it was more cake than pie) and a vanilla egg cream for me and a cappuccino for bob.  the egg cream was so yummy!  i rarely have it because i feel like so many places just can't produce a decent egg cream.

and if you don't know what an egg cream is or if you've never tried one, then you simply must have it.  i'd recommend trying it a diner (or soda shoppe) that knows what they're doing (if you try one that has too much seltzer, it may turn you off for good!).  or try this super simple recipe (really...it takes less than two minutes):

how to make a new york egg cream (recipe is on the right side of the page).

-jillian m.


{image 2: pinterest}