Jimmy Towels- No Need For Paper

Back in December  of 2012 SLOmygosh did a post about a local Kickstarter project called Jimmy Towel.  I just loved this idea, one: because it's local! two: because I hate using paper towels in public restrooms! I have eczema on my hands and if I don't get my hands thoroughly dry then I'm in trouble. three: it's environmentally sound! no more using paper in such an inefficient way!

Why am I bringing this up if their Kickstarter project was fully funded back in December? Because my awesome Jimmy Towel arrived in the mail today and now you can get one too!! Jimmy Towel is now available to the public at large! I'm seriously loving my Dapper Jimmy!! Your reusable hand towel can be used about five times before you need to take it out of the case and wash it. Oh yeah that's right, it's all machine washable! You can even purchase extra towel inserts- choose your color and choose your saying.

Jimmy Towel can be purchased HERE

DIY Striped Chairs

I have a charming French bistro set that has sat neglected on my front porch for about 5 years. I ordered it from a French imports catalog and was so excited when it arrived- my very own piece of France! It has been shabby chic from the start- being a distressed navy, but unfortunately it's always been rickety and was broken by someone who used it to cut wood on (grr- it wasn't a family member by the way but a paid professional). While I can't do anything about the broken table, I can revamp the chairs and pretend it's brand new! Let the fun begin.

1. Paint. I chose to go with spray paint, thinking this would be easier. I actually think I prefer just good old house paint. I chose to go with Krylon Indoor/Outdoor spray paint in Catalina Mist. I ended up going through one whole can of paint. We have another project for this color, hence the three cans pictured above.

2. Painters tape to tape off the areas you don't want to paint. 

3. Butchers paper or something similar, again to cover the areas you don't want to paint

4. Scissors to cut paper (or you can just rip it if you're not picky)

5. A drop cloth or large piece of cardboard to cover the ground you are working on.

6. A face mask. The fumes- OH the fumes! 

7. Protective eyewear. I just wore sunglasses but if you're really worried they make awesome plastic protective eyewear at your local hardware store

8. An apron (optional) to cover yourself ;)

9. Tunes (optional). I just can't do a project without music.

Tape off the areas you don't want to paint. Because I was creating stripes I taped off every other slat, as well as used the butcher paper to cover the larger areas. I didn't cover the legs of the chair, as I wasn't planning on painting them and wasn't picky about whether any overspray got on them.

Spray away!! Because this chair was weathered it just soaked up the paint. I needed to do 4 coats to satisfactorily cover the previous color. It I had wanted to keep the distressed look 2 coats would have done it. 

Enlist your best furry friend to keep you company. There's nothing more boring than waiting for paint to dry. Good ol' Finny and I hung out and kept each other company. 

After applying your desired amount of coats, wait for paint to thoroughly dry. Remove tape and paper- stand back and admire your handy DIY skills!

Voila! New and improved! I see coffee dates in this table's future!

Fitness and Health Inspiration

It's no secret that I need motivation when it comes to fitness. I'm pretty good in the nutrition department (expect when cookies are involved) but when it comes to getting my sweat on I need a healthy dose of fear. Over the years I've come to realize that I am a little bit competitive- okay maybe a lot competitive, but in a healthy way- I need others to keep me going. Most of the time I just need a supportive push from a like minded friend but sometimes I need to feel the fear of being left in the dust.

Today I put that fear to good use and got off my heinie! I did a 4 mile walk/jog and pushed the cobwebs out of my brain and got some much needed sunshine. Who can resist when this awaits you and your trainer clad feet?

But on other days all that I need is a little link to a YouTube video to get me off my chair and out the door. Those who follow me on Instagram may have noticed the hashtag #summerfit on some of my recent fitness inspired photos. This hashtag was created by the YouTube beauty guru MissChievous for use on Twitter and Instagram to both follow her fitness posts as well to inspire others with your own posts. She posts these summer fit videos on her non-beauty channel The Third Shift. Since she started her own journey of weight loss, fitness and healthy living about 3 years ago (around the same time I got serious about it again coincidently) I have drawn inspiration from her but recently she's kicked it up a notch. And boy did it happen at the right time for me! I was getting in a fitness slump again and I needed help. The first thing to get me back to my routine were the MyFitspiration gals and their Dietbet which I talked about HERE, but I also relied heavily on Julia (MissChievous) and her summer fit videos! There's nothing like watching someone else working out and getting it done to get me motivated. So for those friends who asked recently what gets me going when it's 85 degrees in the morning and I'd rather be lounging with cold beverage and a book, this is it! (start at 2:31 if you want to skip the chit chat in the beginning).

I hope you're inspired by Julia's summer fit videos or at least find that me being motivated by her inspires you to reach for better health or a bikini or whatever your goal may be.


ps... I'm also in the middle of another MyFitspiration dietbet- I'll be updating on the progress of that in the coming weeks as well. For those who showed interest in the dietbet 28 day challenges there is another great one starting on May 15th called Let's Bring It On Together, put together by kwogni, a super motivational player who is certain to cheer you to the finish line! To join click the link HERE.

Popbasic Sherwood Collection on Polyvore

Here is my styling on Polyvore of Popbasic's next micro collection: Sherwood. I've been waiting not so patiently for this collection to come out, as I've been drooling over that emerald green maxi skirt since Popbasic gave us a teaser back in late December. I've been dreaming of ways to wear it with what I already have in my closet and this collection below comes pretty close! I can't wait to pair it with a messy ballerina bun and a bright coral lip!

PopBasic Sherwood Collection by cheerupoldbean featuring madewell sunglasses

Gap spread collar shirt
gap.com

J Crew j crew wedge
jcrew.com

Marc by Marc Jacobs real leather handbag
bloomingdales.com

R J Graziano yellow gold jewelry
bloomingdales.com

Madewell sunglasses
madewell.com

rosie posie rose gold hammered large hoops by makepienotwar
etsy.com

Free People 2 Bun Picks
freepeople.com

Fish Tacos Times Two

As promised I have some super yummy fish taco recipes to share with you and I thought Cinco de Mayo would be the perfect day to do it!!

These recipes are adapted from Gwyneth Paltrow's new cookbook, It's All Good (see my previous post about it HERE). With the first recipe I tried to stick to her ingredient list but found that the particular grocery store I was at didn't carry one of the key ingredients and it was too far to go to the market I knew would carry it, so creativity ensued and a slightly different recipe was had! The second recipe is a combination of two of her fish recipes adapted into one and to be honest it's my favorite of the two!!

So, here's what we've got!

Fish Taco Numero Uno:

Gwyenth Paltrow's Crazy Good Fish Tacos (pg. 144 in her book) and my adaption

What you need:

Sauce:
1 small poblano pepper (this is where I had to get creative. I used an anaheim pepper instead)
1/2 yellow onion, peeled and roughly chopped
2 cloves of garlic peeled
juice of 1 lime
1/4 fresh cilantro
1/4 of a fresh jalapeno, seeds removed

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 pound of mild white fish like cod or halibut. I used mahi mahi
corn tortillas,
guacamole or avocado plain
salsa of your choice- I personally think a salsa verde would be best or a pico de gallo

What you do:

Roast the pepper (in my case, anaheim) over an open gas flame, set to med/high heat.

Rotate now and again with tongs, until it's charred all over. Place the pepper in a bowl and cover it tightly with either plastic wrap or a lid if you have tubberware. This will steam the pepper and make it easier to remove the skin. Once it's cool enough to handle, discard the skin, stem and the seeds. Rinse the pepper under some water to remove any last bits of skin that remains. Set aside.

Juice lime, and add remaining sauce ingredients into a blender or food processor. (lime juice, roasted pepper, onion, garlic, cilantro, and jalapeno.) Blend together and set sauce aside.

Cook fish in skillet with olive oil. I cooked my fish 4 minutes on each side, took it out of the pan, cut it into strips and added it back to the pan. Next you pour in your poblano (anaheim) sauce into skillet with  cooked fish- stir until fish is covered. 

Serve with warm corn tortillas. My favorite fish taco toppings are cabbage and diced avocado with salsa. My husband enjoys the addition of tomatoes on his.

***

Fish Taco Numero Dos

Okay, so how does this fish taco differ from the last one? The sauce my friends. This time around I decided to combine the wicked amazing grilled lemon vinaigrette from Gwyneth's Grilled Salmon recipe which I featured earlier in the week on the blog HERE. To be honest this was our preferred recipe. The first one is delicious but oh man, there is just something about that grilled lemon!!!

What you need:

Grilled lemon vinaigrette:
1/2 cup olive oil
coarse sea salt to taste
2 lemons, halved
2 tablespoons finely chopped Italian parsley
2 tablespoons chives, finely sliced
black pepper to taste.

2- 6-ounce fish fillets, again I would do a mild white fish. I did Mahi Mahi, my favorite.
corn tortillas
avocado or guacamole
a little salsa- once again a salsa verde or pico de gallo would be best

See previous blog post for instructions on Grilled Lemon Vinaigrette HERE

What you do:

Follow the above recipe for cooking instructions for fish. Add the lemon halves, cut side down in skillet with fish. Grill lemon while fish cooks. Assemble grilled lemon vinaigrette.

 Add fish to warm tortillas, drizzle grilled lemon vinaigrette on fish, add avocado, tomato, cabbage, salsa and anything else your heart desires. Enjoy!!

Happy Cinco de Mayo everyone!! We'll be enjoying fish tacos and perhaps a Corona or two at our house tonight!

My Mom's Pasta Salad

My mom has been making this pasta salad recipe since I was a kid. While it might not have been her creative genius alone that made this magic happen, she put her own spin on it and truly made it hers- it's like a signature dish and she hits it out of the ballpark each and every time! I've taken over the reigns and have become the next generation to regularly make this recipe, I've brought it to bridal showers, baby showers, work potlucks- shoot if you invite me for dinner I'll probably bring it to your house- each time to glowing reviews! It's so simple and gets better each day with leftovers- it's the kind of recipe that seriously benefits from marinating in the fridge for an hour or two or twelve.

Are you ready for how easy this is?

What you need:

1 package of pasta- preferably a rotini, farfalle, or radiatori- something with ridges to catch the dressing and bits of feta- yum!! I pretty much grab either the  tricolor rotini or  tricolor radiatori whichever is available. 

Dressing:

2/3 cup olive oil

3 tablespoon red wine vinegar (I have also used champagne vinegar with good results)

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

2 tablespoons chopped green onion

2 tablespoons finely grated parmesan cheese 

1 1/4 teaspoon salt (this can be modified- I use less salt)

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Salad:

1 each of: Red, yellow and green bell pepper (I also use orange!) thinly sliced

1 package of small tomatoes such as cherry or grape, cut in half

1 15 ounce can of black olives, either left whole or cut in half

1 tub of 6-8 ounces of crumbled feta cheese. I use plain but have used the herb flavored feta in the past and it's also quite good.

What you do:

Cook pasta according to directions. Make sure to cook it al dente because it needs to stand up to being deliciously doused in dressing! I use whatever the minimum time is that the package states.

While cooking pasta, assemble the ingredients for the dressing. In a blender or food processor add: oil, vinegar, basil, green onions, parmesan and salt & pepper. Blend until smooth. Set aside.

Chop bell peppers and tomatoes. At this point I'm pretty much popping olives in my mouth and oh, the occasional piece of feta with that- yum! The perks of being the chef!!

When pasta is done cooking, drain in a colander and rinse with cold water. This cools the pasta- let the water drain out of pasta and add it to a large bowl. Add bell peppers, tomatoes, olives and feta cheese. Pour dressing over the lot and toss! 

You can eat immediately but I like it best after it's chilled in the refrigerator for about an hour. It's even better the next day!

This is pretty a great side dish to any meal and in our house it becomes the main squeeze, standing alone! This recipe just makes me think of summer and of course my mom!

*side note: this recipe can be made either vegan or gluten free (or both!) by of course taking out the cheese from the dressing and the nixing the feta and substituting gluten free pasta. I've tried this and I find it's best with Ancient Harvest Quinoa Pasta.

Salmon The GOOP Way

As promised, or threatened- depending on how you feel about Gwyneth Paltrow and her lifestyle empire, GOOP- here is an awesome recipe for salmon with a super versatile vinaigrette that is the star of the whole shebang!

I took a shortcut with this recipe, and instead of salmon fillets I purchased salmon "burgers" from Trader Joes which are less dense than a salmon fillet, cutting the cooking time down.

Preparing Salmon: I cooked the salmon according to directions, which is basically: heat oil over medium heat in frying pan. Cook salmon, approx. 4 minutes each side. Important: grill your lemons in pan with salmon, cut side down! *recipe and ingredient list for vinaigrette at bottom.

While your salmon and lemon are grilling gather your other ingredients for the vinaigrette. I'm fortunate enough to have some kitchen herbs just growing outside my back door and let me tell you my chives have been thriving for years!

Clearly this spot is perfect for chives!

Now for the powerhouse, the piece de resistance of this recipe! 

Grilled Lemon Vinaigrette

What you need for grilled lemon vinaigrette:
1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 lemon, halved and grilled**
2 Tablespoons finely chopped Italian Parsley
2 Tablespoons finely sliced fresh chives
salt and pepper to taste




**For a unique taste substitute meyer lemons for regular lemons. I have done this vinaigrette both ways and the meyer lemon just adds a unique layer to the taste that you can't pinpoint but you know its different!

After lemons are grilled and are cool enough to handle squeeze the juice into a bowl. The juice of the grilled lemon is a beautiful amber color and is easy to extract from the rind. Add olive oil, parsley, chives and salt and pepper to taste. Whisk in bowl. Pour over salmon just before serving to ensure a fresh taste! Voila! As a serving suggestion I'd pair this delicious salmon recipe with pasta salad- and as luck would have it, pasta salad is on the roster this week for a quick blog post!!

This grilled lemon vinaigrette is so versatile- I would use it with quite a few fish recipes, as we know that fish and lemons just seem to go hand in hand! Have a go at it and get creative! I'd love to hear of other ways you use this sauce- speaking of which I decided to wing it and use it in another recipe that's coming this week so stay tuned for Fish Tacos Times Two!

Happy Cooking!