DELICIOUS Leopard Cardigan at Ann Taylor

Okay, readers, how DELICIOUS is this Leopard Print cardigan at Ann Taylor? LOVE! Leopard is going to be sooooooooooooooooooooooo spot on this fall. It is coming up everywhere in the pre-fall lines: belts, shoes, cuffs, jackets...I treated myself to this little piece of Leopard Love! with the help of an Ann Taylor 40 percent of coupon. I plan on wearing it with a tank and black pencil skirt in the fall to the office; with jeans and black platform pumps on the weekends. Me-ow!

Recipe O The Day: Pan Grilled Pork Chops with Balsamic Drizzle

So my new issue of Bon Appetite came in the mail yesterday. Oh, happy day, I love getting magazines in the mail. Actually, I love getting them anytime because I'm a magazine slut but I digress.

Inside I found a recipe for brined pork chops with balsamic drizzle. Hmmm. I hate brining, the meat tastes way to salty for my liking afterwards, but I do love balsamic vinegar. So I skipped the brining, grilled my chops, and made the balsamic drizzle to go on top. Yum! Dinner is done in 15 minutes! WARNING: Reducing vinegar on the stove can be kind of stinky, so run your fan and light a candle. Mr. Paco did complain about the smell of boiling vinegar, but I ignored him because I'm all about the good sauce.

Pan Grilled Pork Chops with Balsamic Drizzle

*4 pork chops
*Olive Oil
*Salt
*Pepper
*3/4 cup good balsamic vinegar
*1 TBSP unsalted butter

Brush each side of each shop with olive oil; sprinke with salt and pepper. Heat gril pan over medium heat and grill until cooked through.

Meanwhile, boil balsamic vinegar for five minutes (until liquid is reduced to 1/4 cup.) Reduce heat to low; whisk in butter. Season with salt and pepper.

Plate pork chops, drizzle vinegar over top. Enjoy!

Recipe O the Day: Mixed Greens with Fresh Figs, Goat Cheese and Chicken Italian Sausage

Okay, seriously, I had this dinner done in less than 10 minutes. 10 MINUTES! Take some mixed greens, mix a little dressing, slice some fresh figs (or buy some dried ones), heat up pre-cooked Chicken Italian sausage in the microwave, cut a nice hunk of whole grain bread...A healthy summer dinner is on the table! FAB!

Mixed Greens with Fresh Figs, Goat Cheese, and Chicken Italian Sausage

*Mixed Greens
*Fresh Figs (I used two fresh figs per person)
*Pre-cooked Chicken Italian Sausage (I used one large link per salad. I got Pederson's Natural Farms Chicken Sausage, Mild Italian Flavor.)
*Goat cheese
*5 TBSP Balsamic Vinegar
*3 TBSP Olive Oil
*Fresh cracked pepper

Reheat sausage according to package directions, or if using fresh sausage, cook until done. Set aside.

Mix balsamic vinegar and olive oil in small bowl. Set aside.

Arrange greens on plate. Cut figs in half; arrange on lettuce. Slice sausage and place on top of greens. Crumble fresh goat cheese over the top. Drizzle with dressing and serve with bread. FAB!

Style Icon, Again: Hilary Duff

Okay, fine, I am obsessed with Hilary Duff's fashion. Now that we have gotten past that, let's discuss this fab casual outfit, shall we?

I love the balance of this: causual flip-flops, casual shirt, nice designer jeans and WOW! bag. This would be really easy to copy on the cheap. And, let's not forget her glasses, which look SIMILAR to mine! So I can totally copy this look for a nice fall transition weekend outfit. Let's shop, shall we?

I *heart* Jerseylicious!

Okay, like that isn't an embarrassing enough of a confession, but I do! And now I have found the Gatsby Salon website, and they have t-shirts for sale! How fun would one of these shirts be with jeans and a light cardigan and heels for a weekend casual outfit? LOVE!!!

Recipe O The Day: Whipped Ricotta and Fruit

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh myyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy. I have found a new lucious treat that is actually good for you.

Whipped ricotta cheese.

Yes, ricotta is *not* just for lasagna or stuffed pasta. It is simply DIVINE when whipped for a creamy texture, sweetened with a touch of honey, vanilla extract and lemon zest. Luscious is the word that comes to mind...I adapted this recipe from Nathan Lyon and thank you, Nathan, for some creamy goodness that won't make me blow out of my new Ann Taylor pants...

Whipped Ricotta Cheese

*2 cups of low-fat ricotta cheese
*1/3 cup honey
*1 tsp grated lemon zest
*1 tsp vanilla extract

Whip all ingredients in mixer with paddle attachment for three minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl with a spatula and whip again for three minutes. Now it is done.

Serve with fresh fruit. (I am eating mine with fresh organic raspberries today.)

Recipe O The Day: Lentil Spread

Looking for a protein-packed alternative to hummus? Yeah, me too! Luckily I found one in Tosca Reno's The Eat-Cleant Diet Recharged book. This is cheap to make, very easy, and tastes delicious with Ezikel bread, veggies, etc. In fact, today my lunch consists of two tomatoes, two baby cucumbers, roasted red peppers, Ezikel bread and this dip, along with fresh watermelon and Greek yogurt. Yum!

I modified Tosca's recipe a bit. I swapped olive oil for avocado oil. I do not like green onions so I omitted those, and used garlic powder instead of real garlic. (Lazy.) Turned out just fine, though!

Lentil Spread

*2 tbsp walnuts
*1 cup cooked lentils
*Sprinkle of onion powder
*1/4 tsp garlic powder
*1 tbsp whole grained mustard
*2 tbsp olive oil
*1 tbsp soy sauce
*Fresh black pepper

Place all ingredients in food processor and process until smooth. Add water a little at a time to get the dip consistency you like. Enjoy!

This is why I watch Barefoot Contessa

T.R. Pescod.

He is just so lovely, so sophisticated, so elegant...so Hamptons! Charmed. I am charmed. And I could watch him all day. Instead I settle for watching him pop in on Ina's place on Barefoot Contessa, but alas, he doesn't come over much. Sigh.

Food Network needs to give this man a show. NOW!

Recipe O The Day: Watermelon and Tomato Salad

This is another summer salad that I absolutely *adore*. Fresh watermelon...juicy tomatoes...tossed with fresh basil, fresh mozzarella, greens...dressed with simple olive oil and baslamic dressing and fresh black pepper. Simple. Delish. It sounds weird, I know, but trust me, it works.

Watermelon and Tomato Salad

*Mixed greens of your choice (I used Mache. Again.)
*Two small tomatoes, quartered
*One cup of cubed watermelon
*Handful of basil leaves, torn
*2-3 small mozzarella balls, torn
*1/8 cup olive oil
*1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
*fresh cracked pepper

Mix the lettuce, tomatoes, watermelon, basil and cheese on plate.

Combine olive oil, balsamic vinegar and pepper. Drizzle over salad. Toss. Eat. LOVE!