Mr. and Mrs. Tomato Plants

Our gardener Hiro who we adore, except when he wakes us up at 8AM on a Saturday morning with a leaf blower, planted some tomato plants for us at the beginning of the summer in our backyard.  He surprised us with a note on the door which said:

Mr. and Mrs., Tomato Plants are for you. Please water. Hiro

Keep in mind that my green thumb is so bad that I can practically kill a cactus, so you can only imagine what was running through my head.  Needless to say, a little love and a few sprinkles of water later and look what has happened…this thing is 8ft. tall! I swear it’s on steroids!

So, not only am I learning to garden, but also how to cook.  I’ve officially decided to make something out of the 1,000 tomatoes that this plant has produced in the past week.  Here are a few yummy recipes that came from Gourmet.com.  Let me know if you have any recipes to share. It might be what’s for dinner tonight.  Btw… Hiro, we love you.

ROASTED-TOMATO TART

SERVES6 (HORS D’OEUVRE OR SIDE DISH)

• ACTIVE TIME:25 MIN
• START TO FINISH:1 1/2 HR

JULY 2006

Fruit tart desserts often steal the spotlight in summer, but this easy savory treat showcases plum tomatoes in their prime with such simple grace that you’ll forget about sweets for the moment.

• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry (from a 17 1/4-oz package), thawed
• 2 lb plum tomatoes (8 large), halved lengthwise
• 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme
• 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano shavings plus additional for garnish (1 1/4 oz; from a 6- to 8-oz piece)

• Put oven racks in middle and lower third of oven and preheat oven to 400°F. Line a large shallow baking pan with foil.
• Roll out pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into an 11-inch square (1/8 inch thick). Using a plate or pot lid as a guide, cut out a 10-inch round.
• Carefully transfer round to an ungreased baking sheet by rolling pastry around rolling pin and then unrolling onto baking sheet. Chill round on baking sheet until ready to use.
• Toss tomatoes with 2 tablespoons oil, 2 teaspoons thyme, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a bowl until well coated. Roast tomatoes, cut sides up and in 1 layer, in foil-lined baking pan in middle of oven, 1 hour.
• Brush pastry round with 2 teaspoons oil, then sprinkle with 1 teaspoon thyme. After roasting tomatoes 1 hour, move tomatoes in pan to lower third of oven and put pastry on baking sheet on middle rack. Bake pastry and tomatoes until pastry is golden brown and edges of tomatoes are slightly browned but still appear juicy, about 15 minutes.
• While pastry is still warm, scatter 1/2 cup cheese shavings evenly over it. Top shavings with warm tomatoes, cut sides down and in 1 layer, then sprinkle evenly with remaining 1/2 teaspoon thyme, 1/4 teaspoon salt, pepper to taste, and additional cheese shavings if desired.

COOKS’ NOTE: Tomatoes (without pastry) can be roasted 1 week ahead and chilled in an airtight container. Reheat in a 350°F oven until heated through before using.

RECIPE AND FOOD STYLING BY PAUL GRIMES

PHOTOGRAPHS BY ROMULO YANES

CHERRY TOMATO AND LEMON SALAD

SERVES4

• ACTIVE TIME:20 MIN
• START TO FINISH:35 MIN

MAY 2005

• 2 large lemons
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 lb cherry or grape tomatoes (3 cups), halved or, if large, quartered
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

• Finely grate enough zest from 1 lemon to measure 2 teaspoons. Trim ends of both lemons, then stand lemons on a cut side and cut peel, including all white pith, from lemons with a sharp paring knife (discard peel). Cut segments free from membranes, then cut segments crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces. Toss lemon segments gently with sugar in a bowl.
• Stir in remaining ingredients and zest, then let stand, covered, at room temperature 15 minutes (to allow flavors to develop).

RECIPE AND FOOD STYLING BY GINA MARIE MIRAGLIA ERIQUEZ

PHOTOGRAPH BY ROMULO YANES

1 Wedding 2 Babies

This week I have weddings and babies on the brain.  No…Im not getting married, nor am I having a baby.  But I do have 2 close friends who just found out this week that they are indeed having babies and 1 friend just got engaged.  My best friend Kritter ( thats what we call her), always makes fun of me and tells me that I get invited to more baby showers and weddings than all her friends combined.  I’m inclined to agree.  With that said, let the planning begin. My search of-course started online so I found this great blog site called Style Me Pretty, which caters to Brides.  All these entries below came from their site.  Amazing stuff! I had such a hard time choosing which ones to post on here, because everything she has on her site is fabulous!

California Chic Wedding

Photographer: Jose Villa

Holly and Nathans Charming Rustic Wedding

Photographer: Kate Mefford

Designer: Jen @ Miss Pickles Press

Upscale Backyard Wedding

Photographer: Diana M. Lott

Designer: Caplan Miller Events

Garden Inspired Wedding

Photography:  Woodard + Rick

Designers: Aria eco floral and event design

Bucket List

Wow what a jam packed weekend I had over here! Friday started out by checking out a new restaurant in town with friends, Saturday was a full blown pool party and BBQ and last but not least, Sunday finished it off with the horse races at Hollywood Park here in LA.  It has definitely been a weekend of great food, great conversation, and great company.  Although I didn’t win a dime at the races, I did do one thing, I learned that I have no clue what Im doing when it comes to betting.  I pick the horses who I feel have the “cutest” names, which obviously is not the best way to play.  I lost big time! On a positive note however, throughout the course of the weekend my friends and I started a summer bucket list, which consists of everything we want to do this summer before its over.  My list seemed like it was the longest…go figure.  Im never happy unless Im doing 5 million things at once!  Anyway, one of the things that I really want to do is eat farm to table food (all organic) whilst sitting amongst 19 of my closest friends on a farm.  My friend Dave Sheinkopf (also from Design on a Dime), recently started a new eating experience called Table 20 and I can’t wait to try it.  Table 20 is a perfect idea for anyone who wants to invite 19 of their friends or come alone and make 19.  You eat on the farm at a 10 x 10 table, with a pre-fixed menu that includes cheeses, freshly picked veggies, steak, wine and dessert.  Shuttles are also available so I definitely plan to take advantage of that too.  I look forward to checking this out and marking it off my summer bucket list.  Next up on my list… learning tennis, piano and spanish. Oy vey!!

10 Ways to Decorate Using $10 or less

1.  Use leftover wallpaper or drawer liner to cover books, create art, back bookcases or even laminate to create placemats for the kids.

2. White tape can create cool graphic designs on walls and furniture without the worry of measurements or mess ups.

3.  Investing in low wattage light bulbs and dimmer switches can save you money and accentuate your design.

4. Chalkboard paint is fun and functional. Plus you can make it any color you choose!

5. Ribbon is perfect for bookcases, lampshades and curtains to dress them up and give them a different look.  For an even more dramatic look, go for a black shade, with a white ribbon.

6.  Making a valance out of a table runner can dress up a window and the best part is you don’t even have to know how to sew!

7.  A can of spray paint is gold to interior designers and diy’ers!  It can transform any piece into a masterpiece!

8. Stencils are universal.  They can be used to create the look of wallpaper on a wall, a printed curtain or even a rug on a floor.

9. Appliance spray paint can save you thousands of dollars.  Take that old white fridge and paint it black.  It will allow you time to live with the old one and save up for the new one.

10.  Look to thrift stores, flea markets and the internet for deals on furniture and home decor pieces.  Chances are you’ll love it so much more that you didnt have to pay full price!

Easy Breezy Wine Charms

I found this in Real Simple Magazine.  Wine charms for your next gathering.  If you don’t have tags lying around like these, feel free to grab a piece of construction paper, a hole punch and some string.  Viola…instant wine charm.

GIVEAWAYS AND CONTESTS

Who doesn’t love free things? In August, we’re going to be giving away so many free things even Santa Claus will be jealous!  Check back throughout the month to see how you can register to enter the first of our many giveaways.

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