The fusion of sweet and salty is one of my all time favorites. In my eyes this amazing combination barley ever goes wrong. Chocolate covered pretzels, mango with lime, chili and salt, fries with ice cream (or milkshake), Snickers, scrabbled eggs with maple syrup or jam, goodness the list can go on for me. Call me strange, but the S&S combination is just delicious. You can even fancy it up, with various glazes to serve with chicken/fish. Today I made a spicy guava/raspberry glaze and served it with Rosemary lime chicken. The glaze was simple, fast and not to mention packed with flavor!
3 tablespoons guava jam (home-made by my wonderful mom)
2 tablespoon raspberry jam (store bought)
pinch or 2 or 3 :) of red pepper chili flakes
1/2 teaspoon of red chili powder
salt to taste
I was busy last night preparing for a tea party I hosted for some ladies today! I shopped around yesterday afternoon for a cute porcelain tea pot set, but unfortunately I did not find one to my liking. The antique shops on Camp Bowie, (K. Flories Antiques, and Pease-Cobb Inc, Antique & Estate Gallery) both have some amazing pieces, and I promise you, you will not walk out empty handed! Judith, from Pease-Cobb, holds estate sales, and is holding one this weekend at 1501 Thomas Place, Fort Worth (Sat 10-5, Sun 1-4), item prices are much cheaper then the shop, and all the items must go! I found a fabulous fashion piece at K. Flories for $10, and they have many other pieces for similar prices!
I ventured around and found a few new items for my kitchen, a super cute retro fan, and the perfect turquoise and red apron, which makes cooking so much more fun!
Today's tea party was a hit, beautifully seenceted teas, orange crandberry sconces, homemade biscotti & lemon poppy seed muffins, cold cucumber sandwiches, fresh fruits, and cold Greek pasta salad. Great food, wonderful company, and fun laughs! I forgot to mention I purchased a set of 6 votive candles by Barbara Barry in the dining room scent (composed of top notes of tarragon and rosemary played against touches of ceder and moss) from Flowers on the Square (located on 4929 Camp Bowie). I love the scent and love more what it says on the box "I love the way a tables come to life with food, people, and laughter where a subtle scent is the backdrop for a perfect evening," and that's exactly how my evening went :)
I indulged in a crazy amount of vintage shopping today. I also got my nails painted for the very first time! I've had a manicure before, but I have never gone to the nail salon for the mere reason of just getting my nails polished. I guess it was always the artist in me, telling me that I can paint my nails myself, and I always have a fun time doing them, but today I felt like being pampered. So after I scouted all the vintage and antique shops in Fort Worth, I relaxed while I got my nails did, thought about all my exciting purchases which include antique frames, a vintage white bubble clutch, a couple of belts, and candlesticks. To welcome the wonderful season of spring, I picked a watermelon pink shade for my nails, and I also purchased a pair of floral pants today! I've always been hesitant wearing floral or big pattern bottoms since I'm not 6'2", but I own a crazy amount of 5" heels, which will go perfectly with them! The set made above shows how I might wear my floral pants! How would you wear your floral pants?!
Today I was thinking about ways to make my fireplace a little more appealing. My apartment comes with a cookie cutter fireplace, and though it's functional, now let me be frank it's really not that aesthetically pleasing. Frank Lloyd Wright always put a great deal of emphasis on designing around the hearth of the home, a place and symbol for family togetherness. Here are some pictures of fireplaces I would love to cozy up next to, with a great book, and a cup of tea.
“The hearth is the psychological center of the home.” Frank Lloyd Wright
With all this talk of brick and stone and fire, I decided to make pizza for dinner. I used this recipe for the dough, and it turned out delicious. My husband helped with the toppings, and also made spicy buffalo chicken which went perfectly with the pineapple and jalapenos. My all time favorite topping is mushrooms, and his is jalapenos and chicken, so it was a perfect pizza for the two of us! I have dough left over for one more pizza, so I will try this amazing recipe tomorrow!
Inspiration- I was first introduced to Studio Dror's work, while in my 3rd year of architecture school. He was a guest speaker, who exposed us to a wide range of his work, from jewelery design, furniture production, shoe concepts for Puma and Bentley, and even a development in Dubai. I admired his work right away, and became obsessed with his Urban Cast-Away pieces, even before he became a Target phenomenon in 2009. I've shared some of his work that I always look to for inspiration, and hopefully someday can own!
