Daisy's Antics

What is going on in that little brain of yours, Daisy? She has a new game where she hangs over the arm of the wicker chair and tries to get her tail through the hole. She will do this several times a day. She gets very into it. Who knew a tail could offer so much entertainment?

Spinach Salad in a Parmesan Cup

Ingredients:

For the Parmesan Frico Cups:

1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan
For the Citrus Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon orange juice
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon orange zest
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the Spinach Salad:

6 ounces baby spinach leaves (about 6 cups)
1 orange, cut into segments
1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

Directions:

Special equipment: a silpat mat, a muffin tin, and a small drinking glass
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

For the Parmesan Frico Cups:

Place a silpat mat on a baking sheet (I will use parchment paper). Place 6 (1/4-cup) mounds of Parmesan cheese on the mat and gently tap down until each mound is flat and 4 1/2 to 5 inches in diameter. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until golden and bubbly. Working quickly, use a thin spatula to transfer the Parmesan Frico to a muffin tin. Gently place a small drinking glass on top of the Parmesan Frico to mold it into the shape 1 of the muffin cups. Let cool until firm, about 5 minutes. Continue with the remaining Parmesan cheese.

For the Citrus Vinaigrette:

Combine all the ingredients in a jar or a tight-sealing plastic container. Shake to blend.

For the Spinach Salad:

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients. Drizzle with vinaigrette and toss to combine. Divide the salad among the Parmesan Frico Cups and serve immediately.

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Risotto in a Lemon Cup

Risotto in a Lemon Cup
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis
6 servings

Ingredients

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

2 tablespoons butter, plus 1 tablespoon

1 large shallot, diced

1 cup Arborio rice

1/2 cup dry white wine

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan, plus 2 tablespoons

2 tablespoons mascarpone cheese

1/2 a lemon, zested amd juiced

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 6 lemons, for serving

Directions

In a medium saucepan bring the broth and 1/2 cup water to a simmer. Cover the broth and keep hot over low heat. In a medium, heavy saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add the shallot and saute until tender but not brown, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat with the butter. Add the wine and simmer until the wine has almost completely evaporated, about 3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of the simmering broth and stir until almost completely absorbed, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking the rice, adding the broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and allowing each addition of the broth to absorb before adding the next, until the rice is tender but still firm to the bite and the mixture is creamy, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the remaining tablespoon of butter, 2 tablespoons of Parmesan, mascarpone cheese, the lemon zest and juice, and the salt and pepper.

To serve, cut 1/4-inch off the bottom of each lemon so they stand on their own. Take 1-inch off the stem end. Using a grapefruit spoon scoop out the flesh of the lemon and discard. Fill each lemon with about 1/2 cup of risotto. Sprinkle the tops with the remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmesan. Serve immediately.

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Illuminance Cream Shadow by Revlon

I'm a big fan of this stuff, it's got some beautiful shades of pinks, purples, silvers. I have a few different pallates and use different ones depending on my outfit.

Revlon Illuminance Cream Eyeshadow

 

A little beauty in life is good

I am really enjoying my cheap lip balm by Wet and Wild - it was like $1.99 at Walgreens. I bought strawberry, it reminds me of Bonnie Bell Lip Smackers which I'm also a fan of, but it's a bigger stick. Yummy!

Loreal Voluminous Mascara

This is my favorite mascara and has been for years. I can always rely on it. I have tried countless other brands and always come back to this.

Loreal Voluminous Mascara

We are here, We are here, We are HERE!

Yesterday I took the girls to see Horton Hears a Who at the summer movie thing at Harkins. In the end the Who's have to try to get really loud and they repeat, "We are here, we are here, we are here!" so their speck of dust doesn't get put in a pot of boiling water. So all day yesterday I kept saying that and the girls did too. It was pretty funny. We would all say it in unison every stop we made. So below are some pictures, after the movies, we stopped at Westgate to play in the fountain with Shannon and her crew, fed the ducks at Desert Mirage Golf Course, and Safeway for lunch stuff. We ended up with taquitos and mud pie ice cream.