maple mustard dip

are you a ketchup or mustard person?  when it comes to hot dogs (or in this case, pigs in a blanket), i like both.  i like the strong bitterness of the mustard mixed with the sweetness of ketchup...gives it a nice contrast.

but this time, i wanted something different.


maple mustard dip


combine 3 tablespoons of dijon mustard with 2-3 tablespoons of pure maple syrup.

it's a mildly sweet sauce that's very reminiscent of honey mustard. it's great for dipping pretzels, chicken strips and any other snack you can think of.  and it took all of 45 seconds to make. score!

-jillian m.

friday!

• bobby made me a "mix tape"!  and i use quotations because it's not actually a cassette (it's a thumb drive).  but it came in this super cute, old-school packaging.  he says i have to listen to all of it in order because each song tells the story of of us, chronologically.  ooooh wee!  so far, i've only listened to the first 3*. i'm smiling...

• meet baby facebook.  no really, her name is facebook.

• i was listening to the radio and heard one of the djs raving about the seasonal shamrock shake at mcdonald's. there's even a website dedicated to "shake sightings". has anyone ever tried it?  what's the big deal?  because honestly, i wasn't too impressed with the cult favorite, mcrib, so i'm a bit skeptical (though still curious).

• islands to see before you die (great vacation ideas!).

• next tuesday (march 1), you can get free pancakes at ihop and a free peach tea drink from the coffee bean & tea leaf.  click on the links for details.

• happy weekending!

-jillian m.


*in case you're interested, the first 3 songs are every girl i see by buddy guy, crimson & clover by joan jett & the blackhearts and i never talk to strangers by tom waits and bette midler.

advice from a 5-year old

she's so sassy! i love it!

-jillian m.

food phototgraphy tips

a large part of this blog has to do with food, whether i'm making it at home or eating it at one of my favorite restaurants.  and nothing makes me appreciate it even more than when i'm snapping pictures of an appetizing dish.

food has quickly become one of my favorite subjects to take pictures of.  what may look plain in real life can look deliciously spectacular in a photo with the right lighting.  i guess you could say that about any subject, but food especially speaks to me.

i came across this guest post on bloom (read it!) from heather of the coterie, discussing an easy tip on how to eliminate shadows from your subject (specifically, food).  this post lead me on a path to find some simple tips for the amateur photog.  here's a few i found:

• an insightful q&a with an acclaimed foodie blogger.

• some basic but super helpful advice for the beginner.

• neat little tricks to enhance your food pics.

hope this helps you as much as it has helped me! 


-jillian m.

candied almonds

almonds are my favorite nut.  but sometimes i get bored just eating them raw, so i decided to candy them up a bit (just to make them extra healthy).

1 cup of almonds
1/2 cup of water
1/2 cup of sugar (a little bit less than half, actually)
1-2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
a sprinkling of cinnamon

mix all of the ingredients (except for the almonds) in a saucepan, stirring every few minutes.  bring to a boil, then add the almonds.  stir until the mixture gets to a syrupy consistency.  scoop out almonds and spread/separate on foil or waxed paper.

warning: this makes for an addictive snack--perfectly sweet and crunchy.  and it's easily portable.  i love to put them in a baggie and just take them with me on the go.

this was based on this recipe, but of course, i made a few adjustments.  the vanilla extract was a last-minute addition and i took it easy on the sugar.  i love adding other flavors and spices to jazz up a dish (i.e. cinnamon and vanilla extract).  sometimes, sugar is just too easy and obvious, don't you think?  on the other hand, it just tastes so good!

-jillian m.

friday!

• new couple alert!  barbie and ken are back together after being broken up for 7 years.  if i was eight years-old again, this news would have made my life!

• since the beginning of this year, i've been eating healthier (minus the v-day chocolates and a few things here and there) and i find myself not craving junk food.  i never thought it possible, but it is.  and this is coming from a person that didn't feel complete unless she had a ho-ho or a bowl of coffee ice cream with chocolate sprinkles before bedtime. 

• pink parlors, silk curtains, venetian mirrors, chandeliers...these make up my dream home.

• joseph gordon-levitt and marion cotillard are confirmed additions for the next dark knight film.  did i mention how much i love jgl?  it started when he played tommy on 3rd rock from the sun (remember that show?!) and continued through 500 days of summer (one of my faves!).  and yesterday was his birthday!  i'm not the least bit obsessed...

• woohoo for a 3-day weekend!  enjoy it!

-jillian m.


{image: mattel}

rock and pop go classical

(i don't usually write about music, but i was excited to share this so i made an exception)

as anyone heard of the vitamin string quartet?  apparently, they are well known for releasing tribute albums of modern pop and rock artists.  just recently, i came across some of their stuff and it is...whoa, some of the most fascinating stuff.

you must listen to how fantastic they sound!  admittedly, i'm not one of those people that can just sit and listen to classical music, but they take these songs and turn them into...something else.  something really beautiful.  something special.  i love the little nuances that they pick up on.  have a listen for yourself:

"everlong", foo fighters (one of my favorite songs of all time!)
"pardon me", incubus
"bad romance", lady gaga
"alejandro", lady gaga
"lose yourself", eminem
"heart-shaped box", nirvana
"you oughta' know", alanis morisette
"wonderwall", oasis
"mr. brightside", the killers
"don't speak", no doubt

if you want to listen to more, go here.  they cover a bunch of other artists that include the smiths, mariah carey, bon jovi, madonna, metallica, paramore, coldplay and way way more.  let me know what you think!

-jillian m.


{image: steve snodgrass}

2 birthdays, 1 weekend

last weekend was a busy one (and an expensive one, at that).  bob and i had 2 birthday dinners to attend - one for his friend, john and the other, for my dad.  john's was celebrated at an amazing mediterranean restaurant that we frequent called virage. love this place and we had great time just chatting, cracking jokes and drinking white wine, beer, you name it!  and we had the sweetest waitress.  i feel bad because i can't remember her name, but she was so attentive, despite the size of our group.  love that!

~~~~~

the next night, we went to one of my dad's favorite places, long horn, for some good ol' steak and potatoes.  but the stars of the show were the junk foody appetizers.  probably because at this point (and by "this point", i mean after waiting about an hour to be seated!), we were starved!

and of course, the night wouldn't be complete without an embarassing rendition of "happy birthday" from the servers.  the kicker?  they sang to tremaine instead...and brought him a b-day sweet potato.

-jillian m.

valentine's day chocolates

i'm generally indifferent to valentine's day, but when it comes to getting chocolates, i'm all for this holiday.  and boy, did i receive some silky and delectable chocolates.

bob surprised me with 2 boxes of max brenner's caramelized pecans rolled in praline cream and cocoa powder (pictured below).  super yum!  as i type this, i only have 3 left.  i'm sure they'll be gone before the hour.

then we went to godiva and i got to pick up a box of limited edition bakery dessert truffles, which included flavors like red velvet cake, carrot cake and tiramisu (pictured above).  these won't make it past the week.

did you get any goodies?  happy v-day!

-jillian m.

friday!

• sweet and romantic dessert recipes, just in time for v-day weekend!

• loving the new sketch comedy, portlandia on the ifc channel!  probably one of the funniest shows i've seen in a while.  and who knew fred armisen was so hilarious?  i certainly did not.  seriously, if you haven't seen it, please check it out!  if you click on this link, be sure to watch the dumpster divers sketch.

• for anyone who uses the blogger platform: is there a way to respond to a comment directly?  what i mean is, how can i reply to someone so that they are alerted to a response?  is that even possible?  i know typepad has a feature where you can reply to a comment individually and that person will receive an email letting them know that so-and-so just replied.

• did anyone see kim kardashian get kicked off the stage by prince?  burn!  it was funny, but i also couldn't help but feel embarrassed/sorry for her.

•  i'm looking forward to the weekend.  happy friday...and saturday and sunday!

-jillian m.



{image: land o' lakes via delish}

my beauty wishlist

i've always loved makeup, but i've only recently started to experiment with bolder looks (smoky violet eyes, cherry red lips with a cat eye, etc.).  and so, with the increase of experimentation has come a longing and an excitement to try some new beauty products.  here are a few things i've had my eye on:

kiehl's ultra facial tinted moisturizer, $24.50 - i'm not a foundation wearer (it feels too heavy on the skin), but tinted moisturizer is the next best thing for a more even complexion.  plus, if you're going to do moisturizer, you need to turn to the company that does it best!

skindinavia makeup finishing spray, $29.00- how nice it would be to not have to keep reapplying makeup all night!  just a few spritzes of this after initial application and it's guranteed to last for 16 hours.  does it work?  almost 100% of people that reviewed this product at makeupalley.com would buy it again.  so i say that's a yes.

urban decay 24/7 glide-on eye pencil, $18.00 - an awesome selection of bright colors and glides on like a dream (and it's waterproof!).  great for smudging and dare-to-look-at-me eyes.

too faced naked eye soft & sexy eye shadow collection, $35.00 - i've been coveting this one for ages!  the shadows are extremely versatile so there are a tons of looks to play with.  neutrals to darks are ideal for a day to night look.

bobbi brown pot rouge for lips and cheeks, $24.00 - cream blushes are ideal for dry cheeks and a natural, dewier look.  bobbi brown always gets it right.

as you've probably noticed, all of these are worth a pretty penny, hence the word wish in wishlist.  but i'm willing to consider close substitutes, so if you have any suggestions, please share!  are there any beauty items you've been eyeing lately?

-jillian m.

baked kale chips

i've never had kale before.  but according to dr. oz, february's issue of real simple and eat this, not that, it's one of the healthiest foods around.  and since i'm slowly trying to incorporate healthier options into my diet, i figured i'd give it a try.


kale chips (recipe courtesy of real simple)


-kale
-olive oil
-sea salt


preheat oven to 300 degrees.  tear the kale into pieces, toss with olive oil and sea salt and place them flat on a baking sheet.  place in the oven for about 15 to 20 minutes.

interesting thing about kale chips--they come out very light and flaky.  almost like you're eating dried autumn leaves.  the olive oil and salt are the perfect touch.  a simple, salty and crunchy snack.

-jillian m.

i'm happy because...

i laid in bed watching movies yesterday.
i was able to pick out outfits for work for the entire week in a matter of minutes (a rare occurrence).
a coffee meeting with friends today.
it's going to be forty-three degrees today..which feels like summer right now.
i'm finally getting to the middle of interview with the vampire (the book).
i know how to hold the brush steady when i paint my nails.
this month's issue of everyday with rachael ray has at least four recipes i'm dying to try.
there are clean sheets on my bed.
i found this pretty picture (above) taken last year.


-jillian m.

bargain hunter: free pancakes? yes, please!

look, look what i found!  you can get a free stack of pancakes at denny's (with a purchase of an entree).  like i've said before, not a big fan of chain restaurants, but when there's a deal like this, i'm in.  click here for a link to the coupon.


fine print: print asap, as coupons like this tend to run out.

-jillian m.


{image: denny's}

friday!

• love my new rain boots!  don't love that my feet are freezing in them!  the answer to my prayers here.

• out of all the movies up for a best picture oscar this year, i think black swan or inception should take it.  they just happen to be the only movies i've seen out of the nominees, but...still!  i'm sure they deserve it the most anyway.  i know inception doesn't stand a chance against all the other "artsy" movies, but i'm happy it was nominated (it'll probably go to the king's speech...blah)

•  according to staten island chuck (the groundhog), spring is just around the corner.  i really hope that's true.

• is your birthday coming up soon?  there's no better present than getting free meals, desserts, gift cards and other sweet deals. 

• ooooh, i want to stay in a castle!

• wow.  i'm so happy it's friday.  it's been a long week.  too long.

-jillian m.

bargain hunter: two work tops and a lesson on shopping at macy's

anyone who works in a corporate setting knows just how difficult it is to find clothes for work.  affordable clothes, that is. 

side note: and why does everything look the same?  and have you noticed that ninety-nine percent of the tops have ruffles?  i like them as much as the next girl, but this massive production of overbearing ruffles has got to go!

anyway, back to my point.  last weekend, i went shopping for the umpteenth time this month to try find work clothes.  it seemed like it was going to be a big letdown until i got to macy's and found some great deals!  check it...

michael kors; original price: $79.50 

sale price: $19.87 

price i paid with a 20% off coupon: $15.90 

american rag; original price: $24.98

price i paid: $24.98 (my coupon didn't apply, boooo)

i'm so happy with my purchases. the pictures seriously don't do them justice.  i love the michael kors blouse for its flowiness and silkiness.  i don't normally go for light blue, but this was an exception i had to make.  and the second is actually a very pretty coral color that has a lovely braided detail on the neckline.


one important thing i learned about macy's:

it's a must to check the price on an item, even when it looks like it's not marked down or there's no sale sign in sight.  the items i found (most of which i didn't end up buying anyway because of the fit) still had their original price sticker, but when i went to the price checker machine, they were actually marked down up to 75% off the full price!  sneaky, sneaky macy's!


-jillian m.

after x-mas party

during the hectic holidays, it's tough to get together with friends (and even some family).  and to remedy that, every year, my sister janey and her bestie aida like to host a fabulous get-together in january called the after x-mas party. 

homemade artichoke dip in a bread bowl.

some of the girls chatting and mingling.

a bottle of pinot noir (my wine of choice), homemade sangria (the best) and the greatest dulce de leche cookies ever (sweet caramel sandwiched between two sugar cookies)!

chocolate fondue!

as you may have noticed, i really like pictures with food.

a lot of the action and gift-giving went down in the living room, which unfortunately doesn't have the best lighting (no offense, janey!  love ya!) and i refuse to use the flash on this camera!  so, no pictures of that.  but that's ok because parties are all about the food anyway (not really, but i'm just trying to make myself feel better about it) and i have plenty shots of those!

-jillian m.