Weekend meals

One of my favorite summer vegetables to get from a farmer's market is corn.  I could eat it grilled, boiled, in salad, salsas, as a side dish, any way, any time :)  So here is a recipe that I got from www.allrecipes.com and tweaked a little to my taste.  My son and Hubbs, who happen to be pretty picky, actually had more than one helping.

Summer Corn Salad
Ingredients: 
3corn ears, husked and cleaned
1 large tomato, diced or cubed
half of onion, diced
1/4 cup of chopped fresh basil
2 tbs olive oil
1 tbs white vinegar
1 tbs italian dressing
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Cook corn, then drain, cool, and cut kernels off the cob with a sharp knife. 

In a large bowl, toss together all of the ingredients. 

Chill until serving.

Enjoy!

Richmond - an ignored cousin of the Washington Metro Area

So after an unexpected and frustrating delay on I- 95 last night, I made it to Westin of Richmond to surprise my Hubbs.  After a night of wine, cheese, and mini toasts (my new addiction), I was ready to explore Richmond in all its' vintage glory.

Oh Bordeaux, how I love you :)

Might be buying in bulk soon

Power Breakfast for my adventure

Carrytown, Richmond VA - http://www.carytownrva.com/, a gem in the RVA area and the best part is plenty of free parking, or maybe the parking fairie was on my side.  Lots of "one of a kind" shops, vintage, thrift, antiques, cafes, yogurt places, tattoo parlors, and a Subway :)  

So here are the Rants and Raves for Carrytown:

Raves - parking, historic buildings, unique stores, friendly staff even if you don't buy anything, wide array of choices, semi kid friendly, and much lower prices than in DC.

Rants - smokers (I know I'm in the Phillip Morris territory but it was a bit too much); seems that there is a high turnover in shops, so if you are going to buy something make sure you really want it; uneven floors inside the stores since the buildings are old, so watch your step (learned it the hard way); little number of coffee shops or other people watching places.  

Adorable wine tags from Mongrel http://www.mongrelonline.com/

Original work at Urban Row LLC, where everything is handmade by American artists.

I took a picture of this Bistro for my Hubbs.  

There you have it.  While Richmond would not be my first place to visit when in VA, I would certainly like to come back to Carrytown for the fabulous shopping that it has to offer.  Where else can you find Charles David shoes for $50?

Don't forget to care and share,

Mrs. Ritz

What are some of the "ignored" places  you can suggest?  Would love to hear from you

Snap bracelets recall by Toysmith

Popular snap bracelets recall!!! I know my son and his schoolmates love the bracelets, so I thought I'd pass this on.

http://www.examiner.com/article/toysmith-s-snap-bracelets-recalled-for-laceration-hazard




On another note, our anniversary yesterday was off to a rough start but ended up being very nice and cozy.  I will give details in a bit, complete with pics :)

4 months of wedding bliss and counting

Today is our 4 months wedding anniversary!  And my Hubbs remembered it... thanks to me casually mentioning it yesterday :)  Nevertheless, I got a very sweet text from him today, and I think I might just take a little trip to visit him at his current work site to surprise him.
So here is my Rave for this morning: Edward Underwood Photography - our wedding photographer who was able to capture the magic of our special day.

http://www.edwardunderwood.com/blog/?page/57985/home#

Big bling - Chaumet http://www.chaumet.com/bridal-engagement-rings-frisson

Wedding bands - Liljenquist http://www.landbjewelry.com/pages/weddingrings.asp

Ring bowl - Paloma's nest http://palomasnest.com/

Please care and share,

Mrs. Ritz :)

Staycation in the City

So this past Saturday, my Hubbs and I decided to go into the city to unwind.  We ended up staying at the W  (http://www.starwoodhotels.com/whotels/property/photos/index.html?propertyID=3279&language=en_US) which was nice but not as impressive.  Our room did have an amazing view of Washington DC , but it was small and had a weird all glass bathroom.  One of the biggest dislikes about W hotels for me is that the decor of the hallways is so dark.  It feels as if you are in a dungeon.  The biggest disappointment, however, was the Rooftop POV bar.  Perhaps I am just too old for crowded and pretentious places with poor liquor selection.  but how can a bar not have Stoli!!!!  Anyhoo, here is the list of rants and raves after our staycation:

Raves:  Cop-bartender at Tony and Joe's, Georgetown Waterfront, fillet at Bistro La Bonne (http://www.bistrolabonne.com/), the W hotel bed, view of our nation's capital from the W Hotel, oysters and burgers from Old Ebbitt Grill (http://www.ebbitt.com/main/home.cfm?Section=Main&Category=About_the_Ebbitt) with a side of sarcasm from Nicole the bartender :)

Rants: glass bathrooms at the W hotel, POV at the W, $50/day valet parking for guests at the W, getting asked to show the hotel room key (didn't think I looked like an escort, not sure whether or not to take it as a compliment), 2+ inch platforms that are worn by ladies that don't know how to walk in them, No Stoli!!!!

All in all it was a nice escape from the suburbs.  Now back to reality, but I am very excited about tomorrow.  I am supposed to receive my kit from my new obsession:  www.oxana.dolcemia.com  I love love love their products.  The scents are heavenly and the quality is outstanding.  Updates and photos are to come!

Please share and care,

Oksasha