arugula.

Lately I have been having an Arugula obsession; I don’t know why.  Maybe back to my younger years working in the French Bistro and eating hamburgers with Arugula piled on top.  That was my first exposure to the lovely little green lettuce.  It has been popular in Italy and France for ages, but caught on in the US and Britain somewhat more recently.

Arugula is a spicy little leaf, some may describe it as bitter, but I consider it to have a "peppery" flavor.  It is a very aromatic salad green and like most salad greens—low in calories and high in vitamins A and C.  A half cup serving is only 2 calories- who can complain about that!

Here is a very simple recipe I found on Trader Joe’s (my favorite place to grocery shop) website:

This salad really doesn't require measuring, but I included some measurements below. If you love pine nuts, add more pine nuts. If you love Parmesan, then load it on.

Arugula Salad with Pine Nuts and Parmesan

Ingredients
- 1 bag Arugula
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
- 3/4 cup shaved Parmesan
- Salt
- Juice of 1/2 lemon

Instructions:
1) Toss the arugula with the olive oil till coated.
2) Add the pine nuts and Parmesan.
3) Add a little salt to taste and the lemon juice. Toss lightly and serve.

If you want to make this salad into a light meal, boil some pasta (say half a bag of penne) and toss it all together, allowing the arugula to wilt slightly.

bridal shower inspiration.

My best friend got engaged a few months ago- I couldn't be happier for the two of them.  After she asked me to be her maid of honor I went into full planning mode.  I am over the days of the awkward Sunday afternoon bridal showers- we are too young and fun to sit in a circle and stare at eachother.  So why not do what we do best- cocktail hour! 

Another friend of mine got married last year and her bridesmaids threw the best bridal shower I have ever been to.  It was an evening get together with a 1950's theme (Mad Men style)- complete with dirty martini's, red lipstick, peep toe heels, pencil skirts and a whole lot of good food. Everything was done with class and nothing was shoddy or kitschy.

I think I'm going to go ahead and steal their evening idea and run with it. 

I have done some searching around on the internet and below are my inspirations so far-