I recently discovered an awesome new recipe that is a simple twist on an old standby… ice cream. Everyone always loves ice cream, especially in the summer, right?! Well, I found this great variation via The Kitchn. It calls for layers of lemon zest, olive oil and sea salt between layers of ice cream. What is great about this recipe is that it is so versatile. You can use frozen yogurt or change up the toppings to suit your taste. You can make it a winter treat by using cinnamon, nutmeg, berries or vanilla extract. Think of herbs, spices, citrus, or fruits. Also, it’s gluten free! Another great option is to use some balsamic vinegar between the layers. However, my favorite so far is the combination of olive oil, sea salt and lemon zest with vanilla ice cream! I made this when my mom was in town over the Easter weekend as a post brunch dessert, and it was such a hit! What makes this perfect for parties is that you can make it in advance and just pull it out of the freezer when you are ready to serve. I served them in tiny mason jars which held a good amount for a single serving. I cannot wait to try out some different variations on these.
Category Archives: Celebrating
The Joy of Dining
Last week, in between meetings and phone calls while at work, I took a moment to check my inbox. Usually I quickly browse through my emails mentally noting whether something warrants more than a second to read, whether I should trash it, or whether I should star and save for later. It’s a quick process and unfortunately most emails receive only a perfunctory review. However, while I was quickly browsing over an email from The Kitchn (which usually provides some stellar recipes), I was swept away with a wonderful post written by Sara Kate Gillingham-Ryan, the heart and soul of the blog (amazingly, her husband is Maxwell, the founder of Apartment Therapy). Not only is it beautifully and poetically written, but it really reminded me of the importance of enjoying the ritual of dining. When my boyfriend and I sit down for dinner, often times right in front of the television, we rarely take advantage of the opportunity to reflect on the food we are eating or on the day that we have had or just on the opportunity to be together. These days, dining is rarely seen as a distraction free environment. However, reading Sara Kate’s post reminded me that I should not only take those moments and enjoy them for their simplicity, but also, to respect the physical space of dining. Our “dining table” is hardly that. Usually it’s filled with paper work or books. Currently it is housing my seedlings. However it is hard to refute the correlation between where you eat and the amount of distractions you face while eating. I know some nights we are just happy to throw together a quick meal and plop down. However I hope at those times I can remember to take the opportunity to sit distraction free and enjoy the company of those that I am with.
Filed under Celebrating, Design, Uncategorized
Naturally Dyed Easter Eggs
I know this is after the fact, but I wanted to share some pictures of how my Easter eggs turned out. My mother came into town, and we tried a new method of egg dying, which I had come across both in Remodelista and in The Kitchn. I know there are a zillion different ways to decorate Easter eggs, but I really liked the idea of using natural dyes from vegetable scraps. We decided to use yellow onion skins, red onion skins, beets and carrots. We first boiled water in separate pots and then added the vegetable scraps and simmered for about 15 minutes. We eventually threw out some of the water, so that the color was more concentrated. Then we cooled the dyed water until it was room temperature. We used rubber bands to create patterns on the eggs. Finally, we added the eggs and set in the refrigerator overnight. I love how natural and rustic the colors turned out. Next year, I think I want to try natural dyes from flowers!
Filed under Celebrating, Design, Diet
collected and curated 
