exit, pursued by bear

Niçoise!

While browsing online, looking for tuna salad recipes (I know, right? What can I say -- I was looking to jazz up my current tuna salad recipe that basically calls for one can tuna + indeterminate amount mayonnaise. Sometimes a squirt of mustard if I'm feeling crazy), I came across this recipe, from the always fabulous Simply Recipes blog, for Niçoise Salad.

{photo from Simply Recipes}

Growing up, my mom used to make Salad Niçoise quite frequently -- it was one of my favorite dishes. She made her version with canned tuna, boiled red potatoes, steamed green beans, hard boiled eggs, butter lettuce -- and presumably onions and tomatoes, though I don't recall those specifically. She served it with dressing on the side, made of mustard and mayonnaise (huh -- that must be where my tuna salad base came from!).

You know how you will learn something new, like a new word - or become educated on something, like a period of history or a famous person - and then all of a sudden, you see it referenced everywhere? That's what happened to me with Salad Niçoise.

When I was in D.C. for business last week, I grabbed a quick lunch at the restaurant in my hotel. It was late in the afternoon and I hadn't eaten anything all day, so I was STARVING. I was looking on the menu for something substantial that would hold me over for a while and I spied Salad Niçoise on their menu.

I don't think I've ever seen Salad Niçoise on a restaurant menu! I was so excited. (Not excited enough, apparently, to order it. I opted for the turkey club instead -- primarily motivated by my desire for the French fries that came with it. I guess I did order something French ...).

Back in Saint Louis, I received an e-mail from MyRecipes.com (they have a daily "Dinner Tonight" e-mail, that provides weeknight dinner suggestions) featuring Grilled Tuna Niçoise Salad. Looks much fancier (read: complicated) than the versions I've had. This recipe is originally from Cooking Light magazine.

{photo from MyRecipes.com}

So it came as no surprise to me today, while poking around for aforementioned tuna salad recipe, that I should stumble across yet another Salad Niçoise reminder. I think the universe is trying to tell me something.

I'm really pleased Elise has a recipe for Salad Niçoise. Her web site is FANTASTIC -- she is a great cook and I love trying out her recipes, many of which have become dinnertime staples for us: Spanish Baked Chicken, which I serve with my mom's Spanish Rice recipe and Chicken Cacciatore, which I serve with yellow saffron rice (something else my mom introduced me to -- she is one smart lady).

I can't wait to try this! Elise is right -- it is a time-consuming recipe, what with all the steaming and preparation. Presumably this is why my busy working mother no longer makes Salad Niçoise. But looking at this picture, I'm really looking forward to having my parents over and trying it out.

{photo from Simply Recipes}

blue orchid contest: quotes from "The Office "

I'm more of a recent convert to "The Office" -- Jeremy and I started casually watching it last season. I had seen a few episodes of the original English series and had tried to watch the American version when it first debuted -- but I sometimes find awkward humor hard to watch. Apparently I have since gotten over that because I now find it hilarious. I've been watching reruns all summer!

Anyway! So, in honor of tonight's ONE HOUR season debut -- I thought I'd highlight a fun little contest Liene at blue orchid designs is running on her blog. She's looking for the best quotes from "The Office." I'm too much of a novice viewer to participate, but I had to link to the mash-up video that she posted. In a word: awesome.

Liene's contest guidelines:
*You have until Friday, September 28th at midnight PST to submit your entries.
*Limit three quotes per person.
*You'll have to check back here to find out if you won.
*Anybody can participate - clients, vendors, loyal blog stalkers, semi-occasional readers - the more the merrier!
*Any mean comments will be deleted. My blog, my rules.

Leave a comment on Liene's blog -- with your favorite quote and character. As she says: "[t]he one that makes me laugh the hardest will win a $10 gift card to iTunes. Completely arbitrary and pointless - would we really do a contest any other way?"

Got some good quotes to share? What are you waiting for -- go check out the contest!

happy birthday!!

Today is the Lou's birthday -- he is two years old!

Once upon a time a Lou was little -- yet still menacing.

He was about as wide as a floorboard.

He often sported jaunty sweater (and long nails! Yikes!)

As he grew older, he helped out more around the house.

It was exhausting work.

Still, he was menacing.

But he was cute, so no one minded.

Especially not me ;o)

Happy birthday to our handsome Lou!

shameless plug.

I have been remiss in not highlighting my darling friend Eb's latest publication endeavor. Her **second** New York Times article was published last Friday in "Escapes" - and was on the front page of the Travel section: Powered by the Air Over the Hudson Valley.

The article chronicles her first attempts at "soaring" or "gliding" -- essentially, an activity that involves flying in un-powered aircraft known as gliders or sailplanes.

I am so unbelievably proud of her -- go check her article out!

beautiful necklace.

Spied this on etsy today -- just love the gorgeous carved aqua quartz flower, paired with the jet black beads.

{photo and necklace from etsy seller forqueenvictoria -- check out her blog!}

beach time.

Jeremy and I take off this evening for a few days rest and relaxation in Gulf Shores, Alabama. Our condo stay is an engagement present from some friends of Jeremy's family. How wonderful is that?!

We are both so excited! The weather looks like it could be slightly crummy (of course sunny and beautiful next week -- ha! -- but we're really just looking forward to spending some carefree, quality time together :o)

(picture courtesy of the Beach Club -- where we'll be staying)

Not sure how much blogging I'll be able to do over the next few days -- I'll be in D.C. next week for business -- so I hope everyone has a great weekend!

a quick word ...

I had to pop in and share my love for these pictures I spotted over at Lucky Me! -- I'm not sure how I missed this!

Of course Tara Guerard was involved -- this looks so classy and charming! The black and white and green look so sharp and I'm loving how crisp and clean the lounge area looks. The ceremony set-up is simply gorgeous!

The paisley/damask fabric is exactly the design I'm looking for -- the pattern provides a great contrast to the theme's complementary solid, saturated colors.

Love!

gifties.

We finally got around to checking the mail last night (we are terrible at this), and there was a catalog bonanza awaiting me!

I found some great stuff from Red Envelope, Williams-Sonoma and Sur la table that I wanted to share since I thought might make great "gifties" (holidays, bridal party, hostess, etc.).

First! Red Envelope ...

For the Winos

These wine gifts from Red Envelope are perfect for that wine-loving, yet hard-to-shop-for couple.

Wine Tasting Party -- $75

from Red Envelope's web site: "Slip wine bottles into numbered wine bags. After tasting each wine, guests take a guess. Even if no one correctly identifies the wine, engaging conversation is guaranteed."

What a fun little idea for a dinner party! The set includes four wine bags, a faux-suede wine tasting guide, four faux-suede scorecard holders with pencils, five printed menus and forty printed scorecards. Wine not included, alas ;o)

Wine Flight Set -- $128

from Red Envelope's web site: "Present fine wines and expand wine sensibilities. Each of two trays holds four stemless glasses. Use the ceramic plaques as either labels or scorecards to mark varietals or scores. With either choice it’s a great way to get the wine and conversation flowing."

The theme here seems to be intoxicate your guests in order to avoid stilted conversation ;o) Set includes two espresso-finish trays: each tray holds four Riedel stemless wineglasses. Eight Reidel stemless wineglasses included, along with an erasable pen. Arrives wrapped in a complimentary red gift box with hand-tied grosgrain ribbon -- love it!

For the culinarily-inclined

Artisanal Salt Cellar -- $165

I don't know much about salt, let alone artisanal salt -- but this little sampler is too cute!

from Red Envelope's web site: "The serious chef knows that salt from Cyprus has a distinct ocean flavor and that Indian black salt greatly complements vegetarian dishes. This 24-jar sampler of salts from around the world, from Bali to Peru, offers food-lovers the opportunity to experiment with subtle, exotic flavorings. The collection of specialized seasonings makes for an artful countertop display."

I think this would look great hanging in any kitchen! Each boutique glass jar has a hand-milled genuine-cork lid -- the collection arrives in a custom-built bamboo box with glass window. Box measures 11 1/2" x 2 3/4" x 11 3/4" high

Oooh! And while we're on the subject, I love these little lotus leaf saltcellars! -- $38

from Red Envelope's web site: "Cast in a classic Victorian lotus leaf design, these saltcellars impart old-world elegance. Offering a more precise serving than traditional shakers, this set of two is handmade by artisan craftsmen in India."

They remind me of the darling shell ones my mother has. They are made of solid brass with silver plating and stamped to verify authenticity. Each saltcellar is 2" x 4"L and the set includes two saltcellars and two spoons.

silver + marble cheese serving set -- tray + markers + knives: $100

from Red Envelope's web site: "Beautiful and functional. Our cheese tray is inset with an elegant marble tile that may be chilled to keep cheese cool."

I love cheese. That scene, with Meg Ryan on the train eating chese, in French Kiss? It's like my dream. This silver-plated serving tray comes with six label holders (available separately) that have food-safe stainless-steel picks and 30 cardstock labels. And matching knives (monogrammable!) are also available! Mmm. Cheesey ...

artisanal cheese for red wines & artisanal cheese for white wines -- $65 each

What could be a better complement to a cheese serving set than ... cheese!

Red wine cheeses -- from Red Envelope's web site: "As any connoisseur knows, a good marriage of wine and cheese brings out the best in each partner. This exquisite trio of rich, artisanally produced cheeses was selected specifically to accompany red wines. The Camembert hails from a US-based maker of fine French cheeses and has a mild, well-balanced flavor and creamy texture. Abbaye de Belloc sheep's milk cheese is made in France and has a fine, dense texture and distinctly Basque character. Valdeón goat's and cow's milk blue cheese was named best blue cheese in Spain's 2003 national competition"

White wine cheeses -- from Red Envelope's web site: "The bright flavors of white wines are best offset with either slightly tangy or "buttery" cheeses. This trio of exquisite artisanal cheeses was specifically selected to be paired with white wines. Bonne Bouche goat's milk cheese is made in Vermont and has a bright and lemony flavor and runny texture. Comté St. Antoine is made in France of raw cow's milk and is aged more than 15 months for a rich, buttery flavor. Fontina Val D'Aosta is made in Italy and has an earthy, woody flavor that brings out the best in floral whites."

YUM! Now I'm craving a delicious cheese plate.

More soon! There are *so* many more catalog pages to peruse!

paisley ponderings.

I've long recognized that choosing invitations was going to be the most arduous portion of "wedding planning," (well, that and learning 'bridal speak' and figuring out what on earth everyone was going on about).

Part of the problem is I'm indecisive. Part of the problem is I really just like a lot of things -- and I'm kind of all over the place. But perhaps the biggest problem is that I really, really love paper -- and to make a decision on something that was so fundamentally important to me has been a real challenge.

I'm not there yet -- by any means -- but I thought I'd post a few things that have caught my eye.

Almost immediately I was drawn to this invitation set from elum:

Abby's post yesterday about Demby and Solomon (I always want to write Dombey and Son! I think I'm the only person in history to have that problem) reminded me of their work, and she featured one of their beautiful paisley invitations:

I have no idea where this attraction to paisley has come from -- although I suspect I've always liked the design. Does paisely have any real place with my current, existing theme and "vision" for our wedding? (Did I really just write that? Eesh!)

Probably not. But I can't help but love this traditonally stylized design. I might just have to go with my instincts ;o)

Looks like I'm not the only one -- Kate posted some great paisley-inspired images.

Love this bedding!

Very masculine-chic:

gorgeous.

Love, love, LOVE this necklace from we dream in color:

Soucouyant

Hand picked clear vintage crystals are combined with a handmade mixed metal chain to create an absolutely individual necklace. And, as gorgeous things with history tend to do, they often carry little lovely signs of age which only add to their character and allure.

Love the use of vintage crystals and think their "clearness" is so striking. Very dramatic!

(via eco-chic weddings -- love this blog! -- by way of Style Me Pretty)