Quote of the Day :)

"Have I told you about the tension of opposites?" he says.

The tension of opposites?

"Life is a series of pulls back and forth.

You want to do one thing, 

but you are bound to do something else.

Something hurts you, yet you know it shouldn't.

You take certain things for granted,

even when you know you should never take 

anything for granted.

A tension of opposites,

like a pull on a rubber band.

And most of us live somewhere in the middle."

Sounds like a wresting match, I say.

"A wresting match." He laughs.

"Yes, you could describe life that way."

So which side wins, I ask?

"Which side wins?" He smiles at me,

the crinkled eyes, the crooked teeth.

"Love wins. Love always wins."

-Morrie Schwartz in Mitch Albom's

Tuesdays with Morrie

Something to think about as you

enjoy your Sunday...

Make it a great one :)

xo 

Rach

Italian Sodas :)

Hi :)
You're gonna love this.
I love Italian sodas...they are delicious, super easy to make, 
and sky is the limit as far as what kind of flavors you can serve! 
During my school days (ha ha, back when I was a young girl!) 
my mom and I loved to stop by the Babylon Bean after school, 
hang out while I did my homework, and order an Italian soda.
 It was a refreshing treat - especially when the weather got warm. 
Anyways-  I came across this recipe on Sugar and Charm 
blog and wanted to share it :) 
Feel free to use any Torani syrup mixed with club soda
 (or selzer, same thing!) and a splash of half/half (or cream!) 
or for something new, try out the delicious recipes 
below to make homemade blueberry or strawberry syrup...MMM.
 Hope you incorporate them into some outdoor fun
 now that the weather is starting to warm up - 
they are a crowd pleaser! =) 

Homemade syrups

Club soda and cream 

Before and after you stir ;) 

xo,

Rach

Like taking candy from a baby...

That's how I usually describe my trips to

Bath & Body Works

because I usually walk out of that

store with them OWING me money!

Ok, maybe thats a tad exaggerated,

but on Saturday morning's trip there with Karli

to just "browse around"

(seriously, we are SO in denial)

we left with lots of goodies, for very little money.

Because of the insane promotions they had running in store

(always check the website, they usually aren't the same)

I decided to share my shopping cart

because I have a pretty good nose 

for delicious scented items
and you probably want to hop on this sale as well...:)

SOAPS:

Promo $4 for $15

(I believe the website does even better with $5 for $15 right now)

I really like their soaps, so I always stock up...

This time around I went with:

Fresh Picked Pears

Vanilla Berry Sorbet

Cilantro Peach

Raspberry Pink Peony

CANDLES:

$2 for $20 (regularly $20 each)

Buy 1, Get 1.

Their candles are awesome -

the 3 wicks burn slow and easy

and the scents are strong enough to fill your entire home!

They have a ZILLION scents out right now for Spring,

 but I went with Blackberry Grapefruit (sweet, but tart)

and Summer Boardwalk (limited edition) 

which just smells like Summer Fun (think Sweet, but Light... 

 think Cotton Candy, Popcorn, and Sunshine equally mixed)

Black Berry Grapefuit

Summer Boardwalk

BODY COLLECTION:

Buy 3, Get 3 FREE.

(Are they serious with that deal?)

So I went with 3 items from their new Spring Collection

"Wild Berry Tulip"

(Hello Mother's Day gift) for my mom:

Wild Berry Tulip Glowing Body Scrub

WIld Berry Tulips Triple Body Cream

Wild Berry Tulips Shower Gel

And 3 items for myself..

you can't feel guilty about them if they are free right? ;)

I went with one item from their Spring collection

Wild Apple Daffodil Glowing Body Scrub

and 2 from my favorite line of theirs - Dark Kiss.

Dark Kiss Triple Moisture Lotion

Dark Kiss Creamy Body Wash

Oh, BTW - Did I mention I had a $10 OFF $30 coupon?

So I simply divided my order in half so I could get $10 off each transaction.

I am SO my mother's daughter.

Hope you get what's on YOUR wishlist!

Feel free to share your favorite items here so

others can enjoy great finds!

Happy Spring!

xo

Rach

Just Around the Corner...

How to Have a Little Black Dress Party

The little black dress first came into fashion thanks to Coco Chanel. It provides versatility while hiding flaws. It also creates a long, beautiful silhouette on any woman who wears it. Little black dress parties are usually quite popular, as they give women a chance to feel beautiful while having fun with the girls. More than likely, your little black dress party will have a big turn out. However, for it to be a sensational event, you need to really think outside the box. Keep a party attitude in mind as you plan for your big event.Does this Spark an idea?

Instructions

1. • 1
     Set a location and time for your little black dress party. You can begin at your home, then move it out on the town. Or, you can pick one club and throw the party there. The best little black dress party will have a dance floor, a D.J. and a wet bar.
   • 2
     Send out invitations. If you're a club owner, post fliers and advertise locally. Or, you can send special invitations to women who frequent your club. If it's your own personal party, use either an online or local source to find the perfect invitations. You want to use black, hot pink, red or sizzling yellow on your invitations. Choose a stylish design that appeals to you.
   • 3
     Hold drawings during the little black dress parties. If you are a club owner, give away gifts like designer handbags, high heeled shoes and pink iPhones. If this is a bit to pricey for your home party budget, give away bath sets, day spa gift cards and gift baskets.
   • 4
     Decorate your party location using unique items. A martini ice sculpture, high heeled footprints along the floor and glittery balloons create an entertaining atmosphere. Of course, you can also use common decorations like streamers, confetti and banners to set the party mood.
   • 5
     Serve refreshments. The food should be elegant, yet fun, to fit in with the theme of your little black dress event. Think shrimp cocktail, miniature quiches and cocktail weenies. Consider having it catered if you want to be free to dance and talk with your friends.

     Check. Check. Check. Check. Check.
     

     

     
     

     

     
     

     See you all there.

     xo,

     Rach

Summer Entertaining

I love hosting, in fact - it may just be my favorite thing to do.

I've always dreamed of owning a home large enough
 to throw fabulous dinner parties,

and this blog Sugar and Charm 

gives me plenty of inspiration for just what

 those parties will look like!

summer entertaining

What a perfect way to entertain your friends and family this summer! The very talented Heather Bullard styled and photographed this lovely outside dinner party. All of the details are simply gorgeous and that lavender bundt cake looks delicious! You don't have to have a large yard to set up a picture-perfect table like this. A small backyard would be just as nice. Also, fresh flowers, beautiful table linens and good chairs are a must for creating a classy dinner table. It's the special touches that will set your dinner party apart from others :)

For more hostessing ideas, check out these websites and blogs:

Hostess with the Mostess

Martha Stewart Entertaining

Rachel Ray's Theme Parties

Country Living Summer Party Ideas

She Knows: Entertaining

Happy Hostessing! :)

xo,

Rach

Quote of the Day

"The Eskimo has fifty-two names for

snow because it is important to them;

there ought to be as many for love."

-Margaret Atwood, writer

Love Quotes and Passages

From the Heart

edited by B.C Aronson

Happy Monday! :)

xo
Rach

Quote of the Day

"The decision to kiss for the first time is the 

most crucial in any love story.

It changes the relationship of two people much 

more strongly than even the final surrender;

because this kiss already has within it 

that surrender."

-Emily Ludwig.

Quote of the Day:

"Do you want me to tell you something really subversive?

Love is everything it's cracked up to be.

That's why people are so cynical about it...

It really is worth fighting for,

being brave for,

risking everything for.

And the trouble is, 

if you don't risk everything,

you risk even more."

~ Erica Jong, writer and poet.

Have a great weekend!

Xo

Rach

Quote of the Day

"Never forget the three powerful resources

you always have available to you:

love, prayer, and forgiveness."

~ H. Jackson Brown, Jr., writer

From Rachel's Kitchen

I love chickpeas, also known as Garbanzo beans

(such a bizarre name, isn't it?-

Wonder what the origins of it are)

but other than throwing them into my salads occasionally, 

I never really knew what to do with them...

until now.

I ran across this recipe on Steamy Kitchen 

and it looks like a hit!

I give you...

"Crispy Roasted Chickpeas"

Crispy Roasted Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans)

By SteamyKitchen / 171 comments »

You are going to L-O-V-E this little snackity snack because it's:

 healthy (they’re roasted, not fried), easy (5 minutes hands on time), easy (using canned garbanzo beans), addictive (you might as well double the recipe when you’re making it).

The texture of Roasted Chickpeas is surprisingly crispy/crunchy – they make that lovely, loud crunch in your mouth like potato chips. And when you tell people that this recipe starts with 1 can of garbanzo beans, they won’t believe you. Chickpeas and garbanzo beans are the same thing.

Just one warning. as I ate the entire batch by myself in one sitting: These Roasted Chickpeas are really are perfect as a little bar snack to nibble on with beer. 

how to make roasted chickpeas/garbanzo beans

Four ingredients – salt, seasoning blend of your choice, garbanzo beans and olive oil

First drain the can of garbanzo beans.

You’ll want to rinse the beans for a few seconds to rid the surface of the cloudy, starchy, slippery water it was packaged in.

Lay them out on a baking sheet lined with paper towel.

Pat dry with another paper towel.

You’ll see that some of the beans have a thin skin on them…you can leave them on, or use the paper towel to rub them off.

Discard the skin.

Now they should be completely dry.

Remove the paper towels and now drizzle just a bit of olive oil.

Toss them about to distribute the oil.

Ready for the oven!

400F for 30-40 minutes (I’m on a convection and I used 325F) – until golden brown, crunchy (not soft).

Beautiful.

Season with salt.

Whatever spice blend you want.

That’s it!

crispy roasted chickpeas (garbanzo beans)

Servings: 2 (as snack) Prep Time: 5 Cook Time: 30

I highly recommend doubling a batch of Roasted Chickpeas, the bowl will be empty in 10 minutes! This is a one of the simplest snack recipes - four ingredients and it starts with a can of chickpeas pulled from your pantry. You can use any spice blend - I'm really enjoying Creole or Cajun seasoning, but don't limit yourself there! 

ingredients:

One 15-ounce can garbanzo beans1 1/2 tablespoons olive oilSaltSpice blend of your choice

directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400F.

2. Drain the can of garbanzo beans in a strainer and rinse with water for a few seconds to clean off the beans. Shake and tap the strainer to rid of excess water. Lay paper towl on a baking sheet, and spread the beans over. Use another paper towel to gently press and absorb the water on the beans. Roll the beans around with the paper towel to also remove the thin skin from any of the beans. Discard the skins and the paper towels.

3. Drizzle the olive oil over the beans and use your hands or a spatula to toss around and coat. Roast for 30-40 minutes until the beans are a deep golden brown and crunchy. Make sure that the beans do not burn.

4. Season with salt and spice blend.