Wicked Good Salsa

Football season has begun, which means on weekends football is always on our tv. Mr.Surly is very into watching college football, especially the Big Ten teams. He is an alumni of "The" Ohio State University (yes, there was a note of sarcasm in adding the word "the").

I, on the other hand, attended Ohio University where we were known more for our partying and Halloween bash than for our sports. Sports Illustrated even wrote an article on the Halloween celebration and this year they were ranked #7 party school by PubClub. Seriously, it's out of control; when I was there both Playboy and Girls Gone Wild had camera crews there. It's not all partying, it is a good school, I promise. I received a great education there. But, none of this has anything to do with this salsa.

The recipe is courtesy of my good friend, Carolyn. Afew years ago she had a housewarming party and this was one of the foods she served. It was so good I couldn’t stop eating it; I had to have the recipe. She kindly obliged. I was skeptical of the Italian dressing in salsa, but Carolyn assured me that it was necessary to the recipe.

This salsa is so addicting. I like to use Tostitos Scoops because it makes for an appealing presentation. This is a perfect snack for a weekend of watching football.

Easy Canvas Prints

I was so excited recently when I was contacted by Brendan at Easy Canvas Prints. I’m not much of a home décor person; basically that means my walls are bare. Not because I don’t like art, but rather I’m just not good at interior design for rooms. I’m embarrassed to admit this, but Mr. Surly has a better eye for interior design than I do.

Therefore, when I was given the opportunity to review a product that turns photos to canvas , I jumped at the chance. Deciding which picture to use was hard. I went through my pictures and picked out ones I liked and thought would be great for a canvas print. After narrowing down the contenders, I asked Mr.Surly for his opinion we finally decided on a picture of my wedding bouquet (I love tulips, they are my favorite flower).

After logging onto their website I uploaded my picture, then you choose the size you want. It’s cool because they have a couch with the size of your canvas hanging over it so you can get an idea of how it will look on the wall; a great tool for a visual person like me.

My Fountain of Youth

I know I have been a bad food blogger, not posting about food I made, rather relying on others for food posts. But, dear friends, you are in luck; I am about tell you about the most amazing skin care product I have used to date; my secret to beauty.

I admit I’m a bit vain when it comes to my looks, I see a dermatologist twice a year, I wear sunscreen, and basically try to avoid prolonged exposure to direct sunlight for fear of premature wrinkles and age spots.

I smile a lot, and about a year ago, noticed that I’m starting to get crows feet and some fine wrinkles on my forehead. Nothing too noticeable, but I’m not about to let them to deepen and get worse. I spoke with my dermatologist and she recommended a this serum. She gave me a sample, and I tried it out for a month, but didn’t experience any noticeable results.

My next stop was Sephora, my go-to beauty destination. I love that place. There is this amazing sales associate whom I seek out whenever I’m in there. She knows both me and Mr.Surly since we buy all our skincare products from her. I trust her implicitly, she has never steered either of us wrong. Anyway, after discussion of what I was looking for, she recommended a product from Peter Thomas Roth, this Un-Wrinkle serum. The bottle was pricy ($120) which I didn’t want to spent on something I wasn’t sure would even work. Instead, I purchased the Un-wrinkle kit, which has the whole line of Un-Wrinkle products for $68.

Now, I love Peter Thomas Roth products. I have been using his glycolic acid cleanser for years. And I recently discovered his anti-aging glycolic cleanser. I can't pick a favorite between the two cleansers; all I can tell you is that they both leave your face squeaky clean. I only use the cleanser about 3 times a week; I have sensitive skin that is easily irritated, so I don't want to use the cleanser everyday.

Ok, sorry about the tangent, back to the Un-Wrinkle kit. I was mainly interested in the serum, and was skeptical about the results. I used it every day for a month (just one pump is all that is needed for your face) and noticed that my forehead lines were actually going away. I couldn’t believe it; a beauty product that actually did what it claimed to do! At first I was using it twice a day, morning and night, but now I just use it at night.

The serum in the kit lasts me about 3 months, so I'm guessing the full sized $120 version would last 6-9 months. Totally worth the money, in my opinion.

On Peter Thomas Roth's website, it claims to see instant results. While my results weren't instant, I did notice that my forehead wrinkles vanished after a month. So, if you're vain, like me, run to you nearest sephora. Or you can order the products of Peter Thomas Roth's website. Click here for the Un-Wrinkle serum.

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Note: Not a paid advertisement. I just really love Peter Thomas Roth's skincare products

Tiramisù

Here is another recipe typed up from my sister. We both love tiramisù. I remember the summer I spent in Italy, I ordered tiramisù while out to dinner with my cousin and her friend while visiting Milan. The waiter, who had been friendly and joking with us American girls, stood behind me and, putting his arms around me, picked me up. I was confused. He then explained to us that, in Italian, tiramisù, literally means "pick me up." Don't worry if you find this dessert a bit runny, authentic Italian tiramisù should be that way. It's an involved recipe that takes a bit more effort to make, but in the end it's worth the extra work.

Also, sorry about the crappy photos. I forgot to take my camera flash to Philly, so the photos didn't turn out well. But don't worry, it still tasted amazing.

And now onto my lovely sister for the recipe.....

Tiramisù is one of my favorite desserts. I’ve started with Williams-Sonoma’s recipe and found it made WAY too much, so after many experimentations, I came up with these ingredient proportions that make just the right amount for me. This recipe is a commitment; however, even with using an electric mixer to perform the whisking, be prepared to use a lot of cooking bowls and utensils (for those more along the lines of being culinary neophytes, although it may be tempting to just reuse your whisk(s) and bowls between steps, remember the cream and egg whites (separately) should be whisked in a clean bowl with a clean whisk. Get a sink full of soapy water and wash things in between steps (running under cold water for the final rinse) if needed.

So yes, afterward you may find yourself surrounded by a mound of accouterments, but since this delectable treat won’t be ready for 4 hours, this can be time well-spent.

Beach Birthday Party

Our northern vacation this year happened to fall during my sister-in-law's birthday. She wanted to have a cookout on the beach. So my mother-in-law(MIL) planned out this awesome beach-themed party. I helped out a little but mostly I was shooting pictures of the process.

First up, we made veggie kabobs. After cutting the veggies we spread them on the table and began assembling the kabobs.



There was no set pattern as we skewered the veggies. Once finished they looked so good.



I think my MIL just put salt, pepper, and maybe some olive oil on them.

Due to my inability to touch raw meat, I sat out while the chicken kebobs were assembled, then put in a bag of teriyaki sauce to marinade.

At the beach we had a small charcoal grill to cook our food. First up, the veggie kebobs:




mmmm, looking good

Next it was time to cook the chicken:


ewww, raw chicken



ahhh, that's better

Farmer's Market

Well, I'm finally home from my vacations; I'm still settling in. I have so many pictures to edit, upload, and post. I thought I'd start off with pictures from the farmer's market we went to while on vacation. I figured this would be an easy post as the pictures speak for themselves. No need for my commentary.