Magic ice cream

While we're on the subject of single-fruit treats, here's another almost too-good-to-be-true idea I stumbled upon via the kitchn (that's not a typo, there's no "e" in there).

The idea? One-ingredient ice cream. And this "ice cream" is made from nothing more than...(drum roll)...bananas. Yup, that's it.

You're gonna have to bear with me here, because I need to believe that this snack is as amazing as they say it is. Did I mention that, starting July 11, I am doing a no "FADS" regimen (no fruit, alcohol, dairy, starch) for the two weeks before our beach trip?
Stop laughing. No, really. I'm not kidding!
For a girl who has literally never dieted ever and has a strong obsession with carbs and sweets, this should be an interesting social experiment. So let's hope this "ice cream" is good.

Here's how it's made:

Peel and slice bananas. Freeze them for two hours (if I run out of time, I'll do this overnight).


Blend the frozen banana pieces. Scrape down the bowl often - supposedly the bananas stick to the sides a lot at first - don't be freaked out!


Near the end, once the bananas are creamy, and if you want (or are allowed - not sure if I will be on this new regimen), you can add one tablespoon of peanut butter or honey.


This is what it will look like right out of the blender. Creamy and smooth and with the consistency of soft serve. If you want it to be truly ice-creamy, re-freeze in an airtight container.

Et voila!

All photos by Faith Durand.

I'm praying this is truly good, because come the end of week one, I'm sure I'll be scratching the walls looking for something tasty. If you want even more detailed instructions, full step-by-step pics and tips can be found here.

Note: I just realized I'm an idiot and will not be allowed to eat fruit, so this is out the window for me. See? Already messing up this whole diet thing! I'm so not meant to diet! Grrr... Well, at least you can enjoy this recipe!

Watermelon avec tap

We've got a watermelon sitting in our kitchen and it needs a purpose. We originally bought it for B's baseball game on Sunday, but ran out of time and didn't cut it open. But, thanks to Logan, I think I've found just the thing for it:

Photo from Food Network (follow the link for a Watermelon Sour recipe too!)

Brills, right? Cut a hole in the top of the watermelon, scoop out most of the pulp, insert keg tap and fill with a tasty bev. This is such an awesome summer drink vessel - perfect for a hot day, party or any lazy afternoon - and just in time for the 4th of July weekend. Love it!

Friday wedding (and have a great weekend!)

Photo by Elizabeth Messina, via Snippet & Ink

B and I have a wedding to go to today, so we are on our way up to Philadelphia as you read this. I'm excited to hang out with friends, to celebrate the lovely (and miniature) couple, and to enjoy what will no doubt be a gorgeous and fun wedding.

With that being said, I'm out like a trout (hello sixth grade, I'm bringing that saying back!) a bit early today. Hope you have a great weekend in store - be sure to check out the USA World Cup game on Saturday at 2pm! - and see you Monday!

xo, r.

Clogged?

TGIF: Thank goodness for....fashion? Well this morning that's what I'm taking it to mean. But I may be pushing it with the "fashion" label, since what I want to talk about is not necessarily fashionable to some.

What I've got on the brain this morning is....clogs. That's right, clogs. You know, makes you think boy of a with his finger in the dam, tulips and the paint can. All that Dutch stuff you think of when you think of wooden clogs (or is that just me?). But these are actually Swedish. (Go figure.)

Swedish Hasbeens to be exact. And look who's rocking them:

Pay no attention to the ginger sitting next to SJP...don't want to scare you on a Friday morn, now do I?

And another view:


But SJP doesn't stop there. No! She's got multiple colors, of course! More:


Oh, and not just with capris. Here's a fall ensemble (complete with baby):

On a side note, her kids are pretty cute. Anyway, back to the clog at hand...

People have been suggesting I buy clogs for years - they're the only shoes that won't hurt your back, they say - but I've been resisting because I either picture little girls picking tulips and clog dancing or my mom disco dancing in the 70s. Woah.

But if they're good enough for SJP, American fashion royalty...I might be swayed...

Oh wait, I forgot to mention something about these clogs - made by Swedish Hasbeen and shown here in the Peeptoe Super High style (shown above in "Nature" or "Olive"), in case you were wondering. Here's the thing: I thought to myself, "Fine, fine. Clogs. They'll help with my backaches and at least they'll be reasonably priced." Wrong.

These mammers are $202! Well, they're $154 (converted from Euro) plus $48 shipping from across the pond. Them's some pricey wood-soled shoes man! But are they worth it?

What do you think? Are they too hein? Or kinda cool? Do tell on this Friday morn! (What do you have to lose? Tell me what you really think... As if you're hard at work...) ;)

Photo credits: 1&3- ShopRobertson, 2&4- CoolSpotters, 5- Swedish Hasbeens. Shoes originally spotted on A Diary of Lovely.

I Poo in Blue

Did I really just see this on TV??

An ad for denim....wait for it....diapers. Whaa?! You read that correctly. Huggies has indeed created limited edition jeans diapers. And they're not kidding.

The commercial starts with a Euro voiceover of "My diaper is full -- full of chic." and ends with the tagline, "The coolest you'll look pooping your pants." Oh and don't forget the middle bits: "When it's a number two, I look like number one." and "I poo in blue." That's copywriting gold, y'all.

But don't just read about it, see for yourself:

(In case you can't view embedded videos, click here.)

Wow. I'm kind of freaked out by the fact that they're sexualizing a male baby in the ad, but then again, I also think the whole thing is kind of totally hysterical (and gross at the same time...). See? Flip. Flop. Any ad that makes you unsure of whether you love it or hate it must be pretty good. I'm definitely weirded out by the whole thing, but I'm also pretty amused, so kudos, ad agency.

Though I heard they turn your baby's legs blue... Oops.

Oh, and Sarah: Take a look below - this could be soon-to-be-born-at-any-minute baby Caroline in just a few short months. Huzzah! ;)

Photo by Amber Porter

Oops! Did I just ruin the surprise of what I'm getting little Caroline for an arrival gift? Darn. (ha ha)

So what do you think? Heinous or hysterical? Would you buy these for your baby?

The stationary/stationery issue

I'll admit it: I am a big ol' jerk, a grammar snot if you will (I may have mentioned this before). Sadly, if you spell something incorrectly, I'll probably judge. Sorry, but it's true. :| I'm not perfect by any means, but I do like a correctly written sentence.

One word/homophone pair that gets confused a lot (other than "a lot," which is not one word, as some people seem to think): stationery vs. stationary. That's why I love this tote bag:

The genius Sapling Press created this helpful tote in case you - or any repeat offenders you know - need a quick reference. It really clears things up, huh? And if you're a mean, mean grammanimal like I, then you're in luck, because these bags are available in the Sapling Press shop here.

Originally spotted on Oh So Beautiful Paper. Photo from Sapling Press.

Want more grammar-nerd posts? Enjoy a slew here.

Not just jiggly jello

Summer is here. I feel like I've been waiting forever for it to finally emerge. Now that it has, it's hottttt. (Not complaining, just sayin'...) On a hot, sticky day, who doesn't want something cool and refreshing?

Wouldn't this do it?

Yep, jello is no longer relegated to gross molds or for shots with vodka; this version is very high art, no? Add some Cool Whip et voila - a gorgeous dessert that's low in calories, delicious, cool and arty, too. Pretty smart.

Check out the (seemingly very easy) directions for making this awesome rainbow jello here.

Oh, and, the science aspect is fun too - there are really only blue, yellow and red layers here - the green and orange are illusions (ah, yes, I remember this from kindergarten now...).

Originally spotted on Swiss Miss.

And if you're jonesing for more rainbow treats, check out this gorgeous surprise rainbow cake (which was so popular on the interwebs, the college-student baker was even on Martha recently showing her how to make it!).

Or if you want another great jello idea, check out these fun jello-melons (not as dirty as it sounds).

Bagatelles & Co.

We're heading to a wedding this weekend (baaack to Phila), so I've been plotting my outfit. Given the current (and oh-so-fun) economic situation, I'll be wearing one of the dresses I already own - which is totally fine, since I own 8 gajillion (yes, that is a technical term) dresses from the 11 weddings we attended in the past two years (true story). Not one to do a full repeat, I'm looking for something to mix things up a bit. Accessories to the rescue.

I'm thinking of adding a belt and maybe a cardi for the ceremony, and of course, I'll layer on scads of baubles to make it fun and festive. I won't be buying a new purse, but if I had a few extra duckets (42 to be exact), I'd snap up one of these adorable purses from Bagatelles & Co. to compliment the ensemble.




At only 42 bucks and offered in a plethora of adorable patterns, wouldn't they make excellent gifts? (I'm thinking they'd be the perfect bridesmaids gifts.) Aren't they sweet and fun?

(And don't you love my excessive use of parentheticals in this post??)

Originally spotted via With This Ring.

Quickest weekend ever, but berry, berry good

This weekend was a blur. I felt like it was over before it even got started. Maybe that has something to do with the fact that we were in four cities (and two states) in two days, including making a mid-night drive from PA to MD on Saturday night/Sunday morning. Ah, the life of a baseballer's wife girlfriend. I've since felt like I needed a few days to recuperate. Today is sunny (and hotttt) and I'm feeling a bit more recharged, so here I am, back on the interwebs!

Ignoring the terrifying things from this weekend like the giant cheesesteak I consumed, a whirlwind bachelorette night on the town, visiting a 12-day-old baby that looked like an old man, and the aforementioned drive through the night, I do have one lovely memory from Saturday afternoon: raspberry picking.

B's dad is a prolific organic gardener, with a backyard that yields all kinds of delicious things. Is it possible that I've been alive this many years and I never knew about golden raspberries?

Photo from Dabbles with Apples

We picked them right off the bush and ate them, standing there in the middle of the backyard. They were so sweet and huge.

When we got back to Annapolis, I promptly went to the grocery store Sunday evening and bought a slew of berries. I couldn't find golden raspberries in my crapola Giant (especially on a Sunday - I think their produce comes in on Mondays - oops), but the regular raspberries I got were pretty good too.

Photo from Inchmark

Mmm. We've already demolished the entire stash of berries, but I'm planning to buy more soon, and in the meantime, I'm still thinking about those golden raspberries, fresh off the bush. (Perhaps a Whole Foods trip is in order...)

Thank you, summer. I've been waiting for you and your bounty of berries.

Have a great (sunny, busy) weekend!

Photos via 1- Me Oh My and 2- Bryan Sheffield on flickr

Hello, girls and boys! I'll be honest, this post is coming to you from my iPhone because, well, it's Friday and it is bea-youu-tiful out. It's a big weekend - we're celebrating a friend's birthday tonight, then I'm off to Phila for a bachelorette party and Sunday is Father's Day for everyone. Yikes, busy busy! Fingers crossed this gorgeous weather continues, and here's wishing you a great weekend!

See you Monday!
xo, r

Birthday shout-outs

Remember when it was this chick's birthday? Well, today it's her "man-flesh"'s turn, so I wanted to wish him a happy birthday...with my ever-famous, embarrassing photo montage.

Let's start with when I first met Dan. He appears to be approximately 12 years old (and maybe albino) in this photo, but I assure you he was indeed non-albino and a college freshman:


Fast-forward to 10 years later (eek!) and here is, all growns up:

So nautical.

Here we are showcasing our respective geekier sides at a 3D showing of Avatar (I forced them all to stop outside the theater [even though it was 1:30am!] to document this):


And finally, here is the birthday boy with his twin girlfriend.

Happy birthday, Dan!

Today also happens to be my friend Eric's birthday. Whew, big day. Let's all wish him a happy birthday too, shall we? Roll the footage, Jeeves!

Eric and his lovely wife Andrea:


Try not to stare too hard at my uvula.


And I couldn't let Eric get through a momentous occasion without an embarrassing photo like this:

Niiice. E-rock, just for the record, I left out the ones of you doing yoga on this ball. You can thank me later.

Well, there it is. The tour de Dan and Eric. Happy birthday, boys! Hope you each have wonderful b-days and welcome to old(ish) age!

Regatta watching

Photo via Mary Ruffle

This morning is sunny and beautiful. I'm wishing I were out on the water, sailing and enjoying that full-on summer is here. In the meantime, this photo will have to do. Isn't this snap of Jackie O and JFK watching the sailing boat races dreamy? They really were American royalty.

Be back soon for more, in the meantime, hope you're either outside or at least able to peek out the window and enjoy some of this sunshine!

Set your DVRs...

Don't forget:

The new season of Top Chef starts tonight - and it's in DC! Can't wait.

Inspired by... feet?

Before you get all weirded out, let me make this clear that this is not some foot-fetish kind of post. I'm realllly not into feet, but something about the below photo stopped me:

Isn't it beautiful? Maybe it's just the former dancer in me, but those feet are somehow so graceful. With them as an inspiration, I dug up a few more photos to help me get moving on this gray Wednesday. Hope you like 'em (and that you're not grossed out by the feet-as-inspiration...). :)

Doesn't this make you want to head out and dance the night away?


This one's a little cheesy, but if you scroll down, her bottom foot is actually pretty pretty.

But that may just be a dancer talking...

Speaking of, I need to remember to set my DVR for SYTYCD tonight!

Sources: photo 1- Mary Ruffle; photos 2&3- The Beauty File

A fun cuppa joe on a rainy Wednesday

Goooood morning! It's Wednesday and it's rainy. I'm dragging. I'm not normally a caffeine drinker, but I think a cuppa might do me some good this morning. I'd love to stumble into a coffee shop and find this amazing branding suite:



All three concepted, designed and created by Rachel Dangerfield of Quail Creative, who just graduated from Columbus College of Art & Design - hello, talented.

Love this. And now I'm off to find some sustenance... Hope you have a great hump day! Be back later!

xo, r.

(Un)tying the knot: easily organize your plugs & chargers

In case you don't already love me for my daily witty musings (ha ha), here's a tip that'll put me squarely in your favorites category. You can finally do away with that confusing pile of plugs under your desk, or always losing the one charger that you need for your [insert one of a million handheld technology devices here]. Here's a tip for easy cord organization using...(wait for it)...binder clips.

Design Mom showed this photo a while back and I couldn't believe how great slash easy the idea is. I already have a bunch of binder clips around the house (if not, I'm sure your office does ) and this looks like it would take about 2.4 seconds to set up.

In case you need step-by-step instructions (I hope not), here's the original source (but be forewarned, it's in German).

Et voila! Enjoy your newly organized plugs and chargers!

Inspired by: marble

Photo by Lucas Allen, spotted on Sacramento Street

Marble is such a gorgeous mix of cool and composed yet luxurious and enticing. I've heard it's notoriously hard to care for, but with such eye appeal, how can you resist it? No wonder so many of the most amazing kitchens and bathrooms you see in magazines lean on marble so heavily.

Here are a few of my favorites:

Photo via dress, design & decor


Photo from Country Living


Photo from Elle Decor, via The City Sage


Photo from Freckles Chick


Photo from Erica of Moth Design, via Made By Girl


Photo from Erica of Moth Design, via Made By Girl


Room by Phoebe Howard, spotted via Katy Elliott

Let's not forget laundry rooms too!

Photo via decorpad

Do you like marble or think it's too cold? If I ever had A) my own home, B) a boatload of spare cash, and C) Martha Stewart as my personal cleaning lady, I'd definitely use carrera marble throughout my kitchen, baths and laundry room.