"A Spare A Gus" ....Asparagus!

      If you didn't already know, Stockton CA is actually the home of the asparagus festival and my home town. Growing up, I would volunteer at the Asparagus festival each year and spend hours upon hours breaking the bitter ends off of asparagus spears. My friends and I would be huddled around a 12 foot by 12 foot crate of asparagus gossiping and chatting as we worked. While I was in jazz band our ensemble would also perform at the festival as well. I think the reason why I cook with asparagus so often is because of all my fond memories of the Stockton Asparagus festival. Keep reading for a quick roasted asparagus recipe as well as a few ideas on different ways to eat it!

Magic Ingredients:

-1 lb of asparagus

-1 tablespoon garlic olive oil

-1 tablespoon meyer lemon olive oil 

-Salt and pepper to taste

Let's get started:

1: Break off the end of an asparagus spear and let that be your guide of where to cut the rest of the bunch:

2: In a mid sized mixing bowl toss together garlic and lemon olive oils (or whatever you prefer but Olivas de Oro is my favorite local brand) as well as the salt and pepper:

3: Lay asparagus on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil and bake at 375 degrees for twenty minutes:

Should look something like this:

      Garlic and lemon roasted asparagus is the perfect side dish for most any meal but check out these yummy options as well:

 Roasted asparagus with spicy fennel aoili:

Quadrefiore pasta coated with butter and olive oil served with a topping of asparagus spears and gruyere cheese (simple dinner that sounds fancy!):

Or try adding chopped roasted 

asparagus to mini individual quiches:

      Roasted asparagus is something I try to make in large batches. The left overs are perfect for throwing into any recipe for quick and easy week night meals!

Yours,

Nico

Coat Check: shop the look online!

Coat Check by nsaich featuring a cable beanie

      You saw me wear buffalo plaid earlier today and now you can snag the the look yourself online! Just click the link below the photo to view my current Polyvore set and shop the look for yourself! So you know, these are the EXACT boots I was wearing and I adore them. They have already been featured here and I'm sure they will be featured many times over (I hope so, because I bought them to wear with everything I already own). The best part about this outfit is that each piece kind of stands alone and can be worn as the centerpiece of any ensemble. Do you see anything you're loving?




Yours,
Nico

Coat check:

     Does anyone remember a few years back when "buffalo plaid" was all the rage and oh so trendy? I for one jumped on that band wagon as quickly as possible and scooped up this red and black 3/4 sleeve coat at Gap a couple years ago. Trends and fads may come and go but I always think a good plaid is a must for the rainy season. Also, when you live in a cold and wet city like Santa Cruz it's essential to have a few different coats (if only so you aren't running to the dry cleaner each week to wash your only option). Most of your outfits are covered with a coat in the fall anyway why not let your jacket be the statement piece!

              

                        Hat: Forever 21

                        Sunglasses: Michael Kors

                        Plaid coat: Gap

                        Wedge boots: Michael Kors

      I love the faux leather leggings I'm wearing by BCBG (purchased at one of their 70% off sales!). I affectionately call them my "lucky leather pants" because the first time I met my special someone I was wearing these babies!

                          Scarf: Burberry

                          Watch: Michael Kors

                          Bracelet: Tiffany and Co

                          Tiger ring: Aldo

                               Purse: Michael Kors

Do you think you'll be sporting 

some festive plaid this season?

Yours,

Nico

PS, Don't you love my ability to walk up to any house and pretend like it's mine?

Strawberry Sangria:

      It's no secret that one of my favorite fruits are strawberries (see examples here and here). Sweet and tangy, these red morsels pack an extra punch to so many of my recipes. Today I whipped up a batch of strawberry sangria to share with a friend from out of town. I figured that catching up time deserved a yummy cocktail right? Here's how I brought everything together:

Magic Ingredients:

-1 bottle of red wine (I love a Cabernet)

-1 shot of Crown Royal

-1 shot of Grand Marnier

-8 oz of strawberries

-1 tangelo (an orange works as well!)

-1 tsp granulated sugar

-1 tsp brown sugar

-1/4 of a cup cranberry juice

-1/4 of a cup berry soda

Let's get started!

1: Cut the stems off of the strawberries, chop into quarters, and add to a carafe:

2: Add Crown Royal, Grand Marnier, and the juice of one tangelo to the carafe:

3: Add sugars to the mix (you can add more or less sugar depending on how ripe the strawberries are)

4: Add cranberry juice, berry soda and wine!

5: Let the sangria chill out in the fridge for an hour or two or even over night. The longer it marinates, the better it tastes: 

     I love the near black color of the sangria next to the bold red berries. I think that's a color combo I'll be wearing sometime very soon (*hint hint*)!

Yours,

Nico

PS, here is what we had to snack on while sipping sangria! The fig jam was delicious (and also from the same region of Croatia that my family is from, Dalmatia!):

Nico: "the gypsy junk rescuer"

      Over the weekend I found myself rummaging through multiple Salvation Army locations. Every once and awhile the store offers 50 percent off everything! I live for these days and I often find myself rescuing tacky and unloved items. This is why I affectionately call myself the gypsy junk rescuer. The phrase "one man's trash is another's treasure" regularly comes to mind on my thrifting adventures. This weekend I focused on rescuing items that I could use to garnish my home's decor. Here are some of the gems I found:

A yellow and white tassel trinket box ideal for jewelry storage and a home for my little green monster: 

Glass lavender swan box (can you tell I love a good box to store nick nacks? makes getting organized a whole lot prettier!):

Vintage bar tray and champagne glasses that I have showcased on my dining room table:

Glassware I used to "dress up" my collections 

of rings, nail polishes, and fragrances (see these items in more detail here):

Apothecary jar decorated with one of my favorite animals, peacocks. I utilize this to store hair pins, hair ties, and clips. The Jar also makes a great vase without the lid:

A collection of picture frames purchased for a dollar each! I filled them with images from my favorite cooking magazine, Cook's Illustrated. These photos will be perfect for my kitchen!

     The best part is, everything featured above cost me less than $15 total! Decorating your home can become a very costly experience. I try to minimize the damage to my wallet by continually stalking the Salvation Army and Goodwill for unique items (if they look like new when you purchase them second hand, chances are they will last awhile longer!) . I also love Ross, Home Goods, and even the Dollar Tree for other household items. Hopefully I've inspired some of you to revamp your homes with vintage/discount finds as well!

Yours,

Nico