1. Paint your nails any color you’d like & LET THEM DRY (Lighter colors work best)
2. You will need rubbing alcohol & newspaper
3. Cut out a little section of the newspaper & place it on your nail
4. Put rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball and dab it over the newspaper

Recipe Source: Farmhouse Delivery

1 Butternut Squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 2″ cubes

Several handfuls of arugula or baby salad greens, washed and spun dry

1/4 c. Hazelnuts

2 oz. Manchego Cheese, shaved with a vegetable peeler

Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper

2 Tbs. Champagne or White Wine Vinegar

1 Tbs. Whole Grain Mustard

1 Large Shallot, sliced thin

Pinch of Sugar

1/3 c. Olive Oil

Toss squash with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Roast at 375 for about 15-20 minutes, until caramelized and tender, stirring occasionally.  Meanwhile, place hazelnuts in a small pan and place in oven with squash for about 5-10 minutes.  When nuts smell fragrant and begin to color, remove from oven and place on kitchen towel.  Gather them in the towel and rub until the papery skins come off.  Set aside to cool.  Place vinegar, mustard, shallots, and pinch of sugar in a small bowl and whisk until sugar dissolves.  Add olive oil in a thin stream, whisking constantly until emulsified.  Chop hazelnuts coarsely and set aside.  When squash is done, remove from the oven and toss with vinaigrette.  Toss arugula or baby greens separately and pile onto serving platter.  Scatter roasted squash and manchego on top and serve.

For those of you who live in Austin, I highly encourage you to check out Farmhouse Delivery.  Especially if you’re a big fan of local produce from local farmers, but don’t necessarily have the time to hit the farmers market on a regular basis. I signed up for their bushel delivery service mid-summer and have loved it ever since. I happen to get a bushel bi-weekly but they do offer weekly service as well should you have the need for it. There are several reasons I love this service but most of all, it’s an adventure delivered to my door every other week. They send you a picture of what you’ll be receiving in your bushel a day or so prior to delivery and at that point I start to explore new seasonal recipes that I can try to utilize all the yumminess I’m about to have in my possession. The service is moderately priced. It might be a tich more than if you were to in fact go to a farmers market, but you’re also getting the luxury of it being delivered to your door. You don’t have to be home either for the delivery as the bushel comes in a cooled bin. If you don’t live in Austin, I’m sure there are similar services available in your area. I say give it a try. If you’re like me and enjoy to cook, but prefer fresh FRESH seasonal items…this really will warm your heart. I’ve yet to try any of their meat, dairy, or other items they offer, but do in fact look with temptation when the email hits my inbox. I am sure I will at some point, but it’s always a question of where I will be on the day of delivery and I don’t like the idea of meat sitting out, even if in a cooled bin. Their list of offerings however are extensive and sound delicious. In addition they offer baked goods from local bakers, local honeys, etc. The last thing I will  note is that if you receive an item in your bushel that you are not particularly a fan of, you can request to not receive said item (for me it’s Okra) and they will substitute it for whatever else may be freshly available that week.

Farmhouse Delivery “brings the farm to your door, offering local produce, meat, dairy, eggs, and local artisanal products to customers in Austin. We sell produce grown exclusively on local farms and even grow some of it ourselves! Meat and dairy products are sourced from farms within a 200 mile food shed, and artisanal products are sustainably produced here in Austin. Weekly or bi-weekly delivery is available with no delivery fee. Great for anyone interested in joining a CSA in Austin (“community supported agriculture” program), but with the added benefits of flexibility and home delivery. Use your shopping dollars to support many local farm families in Austin when you shop with Farmhouse Delivery!”

You can check out their site for more information: www.farmhousedelivery.com

Their blog also offers really yummy seasonal recipes: http://farmhousetable.wordpress.com/

I’ve always really adored tattoos, but have never been inspired ENOUGH to get one of my own.  Lord knows I love them on men, and appreciate them for their artistic value, but for one reason or another I always talk myself out of the idea. Or maybe I just haven’t felt connected to anything that I want permanently inked on my body for the rest of my life. Until now…I think! While I have no intention of getting one this size, nor in this location (Don’t worry Mom & Dad) Ryan’s tattoo only encouraged me to think harder, dig deeper and really explore what I want to get. Alas…I’m pretty sure I’ve decided on the Latin phrase “Fortes Fortuna Adiuvat” which translates to “Fortune Favors The Bold”. It is a saying that really speaks to me and is a philosophy I definitely have adopted in my own life. Heck…I wouldn’t be living in Austin, TX if it weren’t for a series of bold moves on my part (literally and figurately). Now the decision of where needs to be made, but I am leaning toward the inner side of foot along the arch. I like this location for several reasons. It’s a place that can easily be covered when needed, but remains a little private even when I’m not trying to cover it up. Time will tell, but I am wanting to get one more than I ever have before.

Oh and who would I be without a shameless plug for my great band while I’m here? Check out the band Hot Chelle Rae (pronounced Hot Shell Ray). They are pop-rock-alicious and easily the sweetest group of guys I’ve had the opportunity to work with. They currently have a single at radio called “Bleed” but their album “Lovesick Electric” has several fun little numbers! It’s a happy disc, and you should add it to rotation on your iPod!

Check out their site: http://www.hotchellerae.com/

And of course if you happen to have a date in your city…go check em out! It’s well worth your time!

Recipe Source: Fine Cooking Magazine

Kosher Salt
5 Tbs. Olive oil
8 Thin Slices Prosciutto (about 4 oz.), cut into strips
1 Medium Yellow Onion, thinly sliced (1 cup)
2 Small Zucchini (about 3/4 lb.), trimmed, quartered lengthwise, and cut into 1-1/2-inch pieces
2 Ears Corn, shucked and kernels sliced off (about 1 cup), or 1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
1/2 Cup Freshly Grated Pecorino-Romano
3 Tbs. Chopped Fresh Mint
1 lb. Penne
2 tsp. Sherry Vinegar or Cider Vinegar
Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, put 2 Tbs. oil and the prosciutto in a large (12-inch) skillet, place over medium heat, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the prosciutto browns in places and becomes crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer the prosciutto to a large plate lined with paper towels.

The Crust:
32 Oreo Cookies, finely processed into crumbs
5 1/3 Tbl. Unsalted Butter, melted and cooled
Pinch of salt

XO!

If you’re not signed up to receive Living Social’s daily e-mails, you should be! If you’re anything like me, you enjoy the fine things at a discounted price! LivingSocial offers one fantastic deal every day with discounts of up to 90% at local restaurants, bars, spas, theaters, and more. Here’s how it works: Each day, they send you a deeply discounted deal to use at a local business in the city you’ve specified. You purchase the daily deal with just one easy click of your mouse, and you’ll receive the deal in your inbox the next day to redeem whenever you want! Even cooler, after you buy the deal, you’ll have the opportunity to send it to your friends to also purchase. If THREE of your friends buy the deal using the link you sent them, then the one you bought is free! Either way, it’s a pretty sweet deal, and Living Social offers daily discounts in most major US cities.

To give you an example, Today’s Living Social deal in Austin is 50% off at Snack Bar on South Congress. So for $15 you get a voucher to spend $30 there! The daily deals are only good for 24 hours and expire when the new daily deal is sent out, so you definitely have to be willing to make a decision on the fly, but if it’s a location you like, a place you’ve wanted to hit, or a service you’re in the market for, it’s a heck of a deal! I say check it out in your city! If the emails prove to be more annoying than a benefit, you can always unsubscribe! No harm, no foul! Enjoy!

Today’s Deal in Austin: http://livingsocial.com/deals/1894-50-off-snack-bar-on-south-congress

Living Social: www.livingsocial.com

If you’ve never explored the wonderful world of Pampered Chef products, I encourage you to do so! For the seasoned chef to the culinarily challenged The Pampered Chef offers essential kitchen tools at affordable prices. Take a looksie at the products: http://www.pamperedchef.com/ordering/shopOnline.tpc. If there’s something you’re interested in, or if you simply would like some more information, I’m happy to assist.