margarita melon salad

June 17, 2015

Margarita Melon SaladThe other day I thought “What about a healthy dessert for the blog?”. Brilliant idea, right? Okay, next step – chose a dessert I often make that could be considered “healthy”.

Crickets…

No, I do not make healthy desserts. If you ask me that part of the meal is reserved for indulgence, which is why I do not end every dinner with dessert. (Although trust me, I want to.) Now I realize a bowl full of melon does not come close to replacing a piece of chocolate cake…that is unless the bowl full of melon is marinated in booze and served in a margarita glass.

Olè!

Margarita Melon SaladAnyone else exhausted after peeling, seeding and cubing melon? It’s a lot of work…the kind that should be rewarded with a couple shots of tequila. Sounds perfectly natural to me.

Margarita Melon Salad Margarita Melon SaladIf you are thinking “ewe, I don’t like tequila”…no worries, you do not really taste it. What you do taste is ice cold refreshing melon brought alive by hints of lime, orange and oh so smooth liquor. What about the kids? No worries – simply divide the recipe in half and toss theirs with lime only. Just don’t forget to mark which is which on the containers.

Cheers!

brandyjsig

 

 

 

margarita melon salad
 
Print
Prep time
Total time
 
Serves: 8
Ingredients
  • 1 cantaloupe - peeled, seeded and cubed
  • 1 honeydew - peeled, seeded and cubed
  • ½ watermelon - peeled, seeded and cubed
  • 2oz silver tequila
  • 2oz orange liquor
  • juice of 1 to 2 limes
Instructions
  1. Throw all fruit in a bowl. Toss with booze and lime juice (use 2 limes if you like extra zestiness).
  2. Chill overnight and enjoy. (Just be sure to keep it away from the kidlets.)

 

Posted in cheers!, healthy eats, recipes, vegetarian | Tagged | 3 Comments

humidity helpers

June 16, 2015

The PPJ shop has been gaining major momentum since last December and this month I decided to set myself a rather lofty goal. Not wanting to jinx anything, I’ll spare the details of the goal for the moment…but guys, not only is it on track, but it’s ahead of the flipping schedule. Needless to say I am excited. (And slightly busier but in the good kind of way which doesn’t really count as officially being that nasty “b” word.)

Another nasty word is humidity. I am glad this act of nature was given an “ugh whatever” name because it is a silent, evil pain in the ass hair. What does it do to my hair? What does it not do is more like it.

First there’s the time when one spends a solid 30 minutes curling their hair. Better take a selfie now because as soon as you step out of the bathroom your beautiful creation is over. All that fabulous curl will act like you used a popsicle to set it. Annoying.

Then there’s the growth factor. And I don’t mean in the “my hair grows beautiful and long like Rapunzel” way. No, no. This is where the bottom 3/4s of your hair decides to expand outwards while the locks near the roots lay like you slicked them down with motor oil. Not cute.

The absolute worst though is the frizz. Even the tightest bun can’t hide the frizz on top of frizz on top of frizz. Those little curly regrowth hairs from postpartum – yep, those too. It’s a frizzfest.

I have tried many, many products to fight the humidity with little to no success. This monsoon Ohio weather we have going on has me desperate though, and I am ready to seek some new products. I’ve been doing some research with the first 3 below being highly recommended. As for the last 2…those are my ultimate “fight the humidity” products. A bun with a head scarf to hide the frizz or a ball cap to keep the crazy contained. You can’t go wrong with either:

061615_humidity_2015

1ALTERNA Haircare bamboo smooth anti-humidity hair spray/2John Freida Frizz-Ease expert finishing polish serum/3Redkin Outshine 01 anti-frizz polishing milk styling hair serum/4Forever 21 headwrap/5Old Navy baseball cap

If you know how to successfully fight the freeze please do not keep that a secret…us humidity victims need to stick together!

xo,

brandyjsig

Posted in beauty, hair, product love | Tagged | Leave a comment

overalls and jumpers

June 15, 2015

Someone posted typography this morning that said “I swear it was Friday 9 minutes ago.” Goodness yes. The last couple of days zoomed by, much like life in general I guess. You’d think we would all be used to it by now.

There are those moments when time stands still though. Like when your 4 year old is bawling inconsolably at her 2nd soccer game. Oh Jettie. My high emotion, moody child. For whatever reason she was not into soccer Saturday morning and no one was going convince her otherwise.

It is immensely difficult to watch your child fall apart in situations like that. Way more difficult than I had ever assumed before becoming a parent myself. On one hand your heart hurts to know they are not having fun. On another you don’t want them to think it’s okay to up and quit a commitment whenever they feel like it. Add in all the eyeballs on your screaming kid and it is in general miserable for us all. (Except Bingham of course, he clapped and blew raspberries.)

As difficult as it was to watch, I have to remind myself that it is just a moment. Granted, it was an awfully public moment but a moment nonetheless. We talked, she listened and we will see how things go next weekend. That’s the best we can do. These type of things don’t define kids, or parents as good or bad. In fact they end up turning into those great memories that make you shake your head and laugh. We all need a few of those in our lives.

Saturday was just not Jettie’s day. She was off, and I can totally relate. Sunday though…Sunday was good. Overall wearing, jumper matching sort of good.

(If someone would have said you will post images of yourself in overalls and a crop tank I would have laughed, and laughed, and laughed. Joke is on me I suppose…and those overalls are as comfortable as I remember them being in the 90s.)

Overalls and Crop TopThe back of Jettie’s romper…I mean, it’s almost so cute I can’t stand it.

Overalls and Crop Top Overalls and Crop Top Overalls and Crop TopWEARING {jettie} denim romper similar/H&M sneakers {brandy j} denim overalls similar/crop top similar/Old Navy flip flops/grey floppy hat similar

xo,

brandyjsig

Posted in family style, kids style, style, trends | Tagged | Leave a comment

these six

June 12, 2015

these things

 

1Instagram’s new look for their computer view feed. Didn’t know you could view your IG account via computer? You can! Simply type www.instagram.com/yourusername. For example: PPJ is www.instagram.com/prettyplainjanes. 2My denim obsession does not stop at me. Oh no, no – we are the Rammels made of all things denim and chambray. In fact Jettie may have not one but two denim rompers. One of them being this adorable number from Old Navy. 3Speaking of denim my beautiful and talented friend Lisa recently threw a fabulous cooking themed birthday party for her precious Crew (which included a truckload of denim). Every last detail was perfection and the kids could not have loved making their own pizza and cookies more. It’s a drive to make it to Lisa’a part of Ohio – one that we would have gladly drove double for. Her parties are just that amazing. (Check out Crew’s Invitation here!) 4And since I am party crazy I must admit I’ve got Bing’s NYC shindig on my mind…a lot. Being a sucker for bold and fun design I could not have been happier with the way his invites turned out. Absolutely cannot wait to see how all the details for the event unfold. Get ready…it’s going to be good. (I hope.) 5My husband would be the first to say that all this party planning requires cocktails. I wholeheartedly agree. This Southern Shandy is the best summer sipper. You can bet that it’s on the agenda for this weekend. 6My girl at a baseball game. We are a family of baseball lovers – there is nothing better than spending an afternoon at the ballpark. The peanuts, the noise, the atmosphere – Jettie especially loves it all. I can’t believe it’s June and we have yet to visit our local ball team. This needs remedied ASAP. (Jeannie may not look happy in that image but she is protecting a foul bowl her old man scored her – that’s some serious business.)

Have a happy weekend everyone!

xo,

brandyjsig

Posted in personal, the rammels, these things | Tagged | Leave a comment

roasted cauliflower and chickpea salad

June 11, 2015

Roasted Cauliflower & Chick Pea SaladChickpeas and cauliflower – two of the most versatile yet underrated ingredients in the world of cooking. I am a huge fan of both but this happens to be the first time I have had them paired. The verdict…forget peas and carrots, chickpeas and cauliflowers are the new soul mates of food.

Something magical happens to food when it is roasted. Flavors develop and there’s a crispy golden texture that you can only achieve from roasting. Straight out of the oven the chickpeas and cauliflower are undeniably delicious. But tossed with the dijon vinaigrette and you have yourself a complex dish loaded with flavor.

Roasted Cauliflower & Chick Pea SaladThe only variation I did to the original recipe was add a little red pepper flake (because it’s awesome and goes into all savory things that come out of my kitchen) and a squirt of fresh lemon juice. I like roasted ingredients to be brightened up right before serving – lemon juice served this purpose perfectly.

roasted_cauliflower_chick_pea_salad_3 Roasted Cauliflower & Chick Pea SaladYou may be noticing that my cauliflower is cut very, very small. The reason – there’s an almost one year old nonstop eater in my home. Typically I would leave the florets much larger, more than likely double what they are here. It is completely up to you how big or small you would like yours. Just keep an eye on your roasting time.

Roasted Cauliflower & Chick Pea SaladThis makes for an excellent side dish or a large portion lunch for two. It also happens to be healthy and wheat free. (I’m making up for the s’mores pizza I posted yesterday.) Whether you are watching what you eat or not this salad is worth going healthy for one meal – you won’t regret it!

Enjoy,

brandyjsig

 

 

 

roasted cauliflower and chickpea salad
 
Print
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 1head of cauliflower chopped into bite size pieces
  • 1can (15oz) chickpeas, rinsed & drained
  • 3tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • pinch of salt
  • pinch of pepper
  • 2tbsp dijon mustard
  • 1½tbsp red wine vinegar
  • pinch of red pepper flake
  • juice of half a lemon
  • ⅓ cup parsley, chopped
Instructions
  1. Preheat the over 400degrees. Place cauliflower and chickpea on a large baking sheet and drizzle 1tbsp on the olive oil over. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss and roast in oven for 45 minutes or until cauliflower and chickpeas have browned and developed some crispy edges.
  2. Meanwhile make the dressing by placing remaining 2tbsp olive oil, the dijon mustard, red wine vinegar and red pepper flake in a large bowl. Whisk until well combined.
  3. Toss warm cauliflower and chickpeas in bowl with dressing. Finish with juice of half a lemon and chopped parsley. Toss again and enjoy.

 

Posted in healthy eats, recipes, vegetarian, what's cooking | Tagged | 1 Comment