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I LOVE cooking from recipes, and making up meals, I LOVE spending time with my boys (all three) and entertaining my family and friends, I LOVE bargain shopping (vintage stores included), I LOVE flipping through fashion and design mags, I LOVE the smell of libraries and how often I could get lost there, I LOVE scanning realty websites, I LOVE Trader Joes and LUSH, I LOVE fresh flowers and all four seasons, I LOVE Cincinnati and am always ready to travel, I LOVE stationary and stamps, I LOVE diamonds and pearls, tulle and lace, I LOVE smelling coffee and drinking tea, I love marshmallows and chocolate, I LOVE cozy sheets and morning sunshine, I LOVE me and I love GOD!

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Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Recipe: Stewed Okra

Our community garden is doing really well. And a couple weeks ago we got a yummy delivery of okra. Of course, I was thrilled (Scott was not- as he is not an okra person) and dug into all my cookbooks to find the perfect recipe. I did not succeed in finding something in my cookbooks so I headed to the net. If I had the time or resources I would have made an okra gumbo. I came across this recipe from The Neely's.
 
A few tweaks to make it my own.
Simple and Delicious.
 

 
Here is my take on the recipe.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb of chicken Andouille sausage (I get mine from Trader Joe's)
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 3 cups sliced okra
  • 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
  • 2 tsp of creole seasoning
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

In a heavy bottomed saute pan over medium-high heat, add the sausage. Add the onion and garlic and saute until tender, about 3 minutes.
Add the okra and tomatoes, making sure to add the reserved juice from the tomatoes to the saute pan. Season with salt and pepper and simmer for 15 minutes.
Cook's Note: If needed, add water or chicken stock if the pan becomes too dry.


Enjoy!
 
xoxo,
Ronita

Thursday, September 5, 2013

let it BURN...

(via)
 
I am such a candle burner especially in the fall and winter. There is something so warming, calming and ritualistic about coming home and lightening a candle at the end of a long day.
 
I came across this candle at my local TJ Maxx and decided I would try it because 1. the packaging was a very sleek black 2. I have had this recent obsession with the smell of fresh tobacco- not that we are smokers (or chewers) I just love the smell and 3.it made me think of standing out in the field on a fall day. Boy what a treasure I found. Apparently this candle yields from a collaboration between Neiman Marcus and Ambercrombie & Fitch. It has notes of cheery bark, plum, teakwood, mahogany, sweet tobacco, amber. It's earthy but sweet, a good change from my normal fall pumpkin fare.  
 
If you come across it (as you know TJ Maxx is always hit or miss), it's worth a try!
 
This is defiantly our fall burn.
 
xoxo,
Ronita