august book giveaway!

July 29, 2016

July has almost come to a close! So, I am using today’s post to announce the giveaway book for the month of August. This debut recipe book by Sarah Britton is a collection of 100 all-new plant-based recipes and it is titled My New Roots: Inspired Plant-Based Recipes for Every Season.

Whether you are a newcomer to natural foods or already a devotee, this book makes it easy to eat healthfully when whole foods and plants are the center of every plate!

The recipes are organized by season – I love this – and accompanied by stunning photos.

Leave a comment on this post to be entered into the drawing. The winner will be chosen at random at the end of August – the perfect time to get fall recipes in order!

Congratulations to Heather S., the winner of the July giveaway, Posh Toast. (Click here to read more on this book selection.) Heather may not limit her toast to just breakfast anymore! Thank you to everyone who entered by leaving a comment.

Instagram users, please read on! In the spirit of our giveaway book, let’s share photos of healthful ingredients during the month of August using hashtag #pleasuregram.

Thanks for stopping by!

Have a wonderful weekend and remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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tomato time of year

July 26, 2016

Don’t you love fresh garden tomatoes? They are THE best!

I thought today I would get you a little excited about using your grill to bring out the best of this glorious summer food! How will I do this? I am going to show you photos of my top two favorite ways to eat fresh garden tomatoes using the grill!

The first way is with cherry tomatoes. The flavor of these little lovelies is so enhanced when heated! Put some fresh picked ones in a shallow pan, drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil and fresh garden basil, and heat on a covered grill…so flavorful!

The second, and very best way, to enjoy fresh tomatoes on the grill is in pizza! And, grilled pizza is the best! You don’t need to get fancy…the fresh tomatoes do all the work! You can buy grocery store pizza dough and add whatever toppings hit your fancy. Sometimes we just put tomatoes, olive oil and fresh garden basil and that’s it!

Am I putting you in the mood to grill up some fresh garden tomatoes? That is the goal! And, eating your creation al fresco is a must! :)

I hope I have inspired you to come up with your own grilled tomato combinations! Have fun with it!

Thanks for stopping by and remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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girls night out

July 22, 2016

Making Mason jar terrariums is a fun and easy summer activity.

For today’s Friday field trip, I am bringing you to an outdoor garden to share this activity on a stunningly gorgeous summer evening. Cold drinks and interesting conversation are the perfect accompaniments for this fun outdoor get together.

Why not add this activity to your next summer soiree? A very basic terrarium can be easily created with Mason jars, potting soil, charcoal, and decorative pebbles. All the materials needed are easily purchased at a local dollar store or discount store.

To create the terrarium, a 1” layer of pebbles is added to the jar, followed by a thin layer of charcoal and 3” – 4” of potting soil. From there, moss and/or small plants are added as well as any decorative items. After a light watering, the terrarium is complete and the lid can be screwed on.

Adding a decorative feature like a small mushroom or animal gives the terrarium some extra character. (The owls used in these terrariums are actually beads that were attached to toothpicks.) Providing raffia to your guests to tie around the mouth of the jar of the finished terrarium is also a nice detail to include.

As an option, cute little instruction cards can be created and printed on a home computer. Instruct the new terrarium owners to mist the garden lightly occasionally and to remove the top for a while if too much moisture develops.

I hope I have inspired you to have a little terrarium building activity at your next get together – the perfect way to spend a beautiful summer evening!

Thanks for stopping by. Have a wonderful weekend!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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corn on the cob butter

July 19, 2016

From pizza to fruit – everything finds its way to the grill at this time of year!

Today, I am sharing a really easy way to add some extra flavor to your grilled corn. It is as simple as adding a few ingredients to your butter! By picking a few basil leaves from the garden and adding a little cheese, the traditional butter condiment can be instantly upgraded!

It doesn’t get any easier!

I included a recipe for you here, but using a little imagination, you can create your own flavor combinations based on your garden or leftover ingredients in your fridge. (A little cayenne and lime juice is another great combo!)

I hope I have inspired you to create a flavored butter for your next grilling session!

Thanks for stopping by! Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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surf’s up!

July 15, 2016

I have shared some of my California trip from this past spring in previous Friday field trips. Today, I am sharing the last – but certainly not least – of visited spots during my quick visit to the West Coast.

Today’s Friday field trip is to the Surfing Heritage and Culture Center in San Clemente, California.

Conducting some research on surfing history prior to my trip made the visit particularly interesting. I read the book Waterman: The Life and Times of Duke Kahanamoku by David Davis and was fascinated with Hawaiian surfing legend Duke Kahanamoku. To find out that Duke’s boards were part of the center’s collection was exciting!

Duke was the first to be inducted into both the surfing and swimming Halls of Fame and is considered the “father of modern surfing.” Being up close to Duke’s personal collection of surfboards – built in the day of wooden boards – was awesome!

These wooden works of art were magnificent to examine. The Flying “V,” circa early 1920’s, made from a solid redwood plank and signed by the legend was my favorite! It stands 9’ 4” and weighs 76 lbs.

This was one of Duke’s personal surfboards purchased from his estate in 1985 for $3,000. Built in the mid-1930’s, standing 11’ 6” and weighing 80 lbs., it was made from redwood, mahogany and balsa.

Dick Metz, the Surfing Heritage and Culture Center founder, served as our tour guide the day of my visit. A surfer from the age of eight, Dick helped inspire Bruce Brown’s landmark 1964 documentary surfing film The Endless Summer and surfing stories were in no short supply that morning!

If you have any interest in the surfing culture, I strongly recommend the Pulitzer Prize winning book Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life by William Finnegan. (I read it on the plane ride home from California!)

Mahalo!

Thanks for stopping by!

Have a wonderful weekend! Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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bridesmaid proposal bags

July 12, 2016

Today, brides-to-be don’t simply ask a few close friends to serve as their bridesmaids. Rather, they create a whole “would you be my bridesmaid?” occasion to request their friends’ services.

The most popular way to do this seems to be a ‘bridal box.’ This is when a box is sent to each potential bridesmaid through the mail. Inside each box is a gift chosen by the future bride, requesting each recipient serve as a bridesmaid.

I thought; why not use a ‘bridal bag’ instead of a box! A custom bag seems so much cooler than a box!

Working with the future bride and my favorite custom bag creator – Ralph & Martha – this is what we came up with! (You may remember Ralph & Martha from my anchor bag post – click here to see more on that.)

The resulting custom creation was a vegan leather bag displaying each gal’s initial in metallic gold and a gilded tassel pull! When completed, the bride enclosed little surprises inside each bag before distributing them.

We toyed with the idea of printing the text ‘would you be my bridesmaid?’ on a custom fabric for the lining, but decided against it. Instead, the bride wrote an individual personal note to each potential bridesmaid and the lining fabric was used as an opportunity to give a hint of the wedding ceremony location.

The same fern fabric used for the bag’s lining was used to create a surprise bag for the bride-to-be!

I hope you are inspired to create, or help create, a bridesmaid proposal that is unique!

Thanks for stopping by!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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lunch in laguna

July 8, 2016

Join me for Friday field trip as I take you on a little trip up Cliff Drive to Las Brisas – a restaurant with one of the most scenic views in Laguna Beach, California!

Las Brisas provides wonderful meals inspired by Mexico, and served with California freshness; using local ingredients.

The food is wonderful, but coupled with the view from a window table, the experience can not be beat! Of course, a Mexican inspired meal has to begin with a little fresh guacamole!

Even with a wonderful meal, for me, the focus was on the view! And, after the meal, taking in the view outside the restaurant is definitely in order!

Within a few walking steps, a gazebo with a lookout spot provides a clear view of Bird Rock.

A great spot to enjoy a little daydreaming…

And, to do a little bird watching.

Have a wonderful weekend friends! Thanks for stopping by!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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99 cent diy table numbers

July 5, 2016

The cost of throwing parties, particularly weddings, has gotten crazy expensive. The good news is that the little details that make events special can definitely be beautifully executed with very little cost. Like my friend Phyllis says “it’s not what you have, but what you make of it.”

These easy DIY table numbers are made from 99 cent plastic – yes, plastic – Ikea photo frames! You may need to spend a little more than 99 cents to create one if spray paint and paint pens aren’t part of your craft supply repertoire. I happen to have both of these items on hand.

You can choose a color spray paint that best matches your party décor, but choose one with a label indicating adhesion to plastic. I like metallic paints because they add an air of elegance to the final product.

Purchase one frame for each party table. Unwrap each frame, removing the two acrylic plastic inserts and place them aside. Spray the 2 pieces of the frame(s) completely with 2-3 light coats of paint, following the directions on the spray paint can.

While the paint is drying, you can add the desired table number to one of the 2 acrylic pieces using a white, (or whatever color you choose), paint pen. Be sure to remove the protective plastic covering the acrylic before you begin. If you aren’t comfortable drawing a number freehand, no worries! Simply print out a number/type style you like from your home computer and trace it! That is the beauty of the acrylic! Once completed, you can put the second piece of acrylic carefully over the painted piece to protect it from scratching.

Lastly, screw the bottom piece of the frame into the top section and slide in the acrylic pieces.

Beautiful, right? These table numbers coordinate well with many different party themes and decors. I hope I have inspired you to give them a try! Of course, you can always use your painted frame to display a photo!

Note: I used Rust-Oleum metallic spray paints in the colors – some photos are in pure gold and some in hammered rosemary. The pure gold is a smooth finish. The Rust-Oleum hammered metallics create a textured paint finish that you can see in my close-up photo above.

Thanks for stopping by! Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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july book giveaway!

July 1, 2016

I have really been loving the ‘designer’ toast craze! Putting all kinds of great ingredients on a good piece of toasted bread just can’t be beat! It is also a wonderful way to use favorite leftovers.

Because of this, I decided to make the July giveaway book one that will inspire you to create your own yummy toasts! The book is called Posh Toast with recipes by Emily Kydd and photography by Louise Hagger. This book is sure to inspire some great toast creations. Use one of the 70+ recipes in the book to create your toast, or be inspired to come up with your own!

Just leave a comment during the month of July to be entered into the drawing to win this great recipe book!

Thank you to everyone that entered to win the June book selection and congratulations to the winner, Diane S. I know this book will come in handy for you Diane! To read more about the book, Rising to the Occasion by Paul Dickson, click here.

Instagram users, please read on! Why don’t we share ‘posh toast’ photos for the month of July! Share photos of the ingredients you use for your toast creations using hashtag #pleasuregram. Can’t wait to get some new toast ideas!

Thanks for stopping by! Have a wonderful weekend and remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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pleasure in simple things

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july book giveaway!