When he asked me if WANM had a “killer” guacamole recipe, I said “mayyybe” in an effort to see what he was getting at. He told us about an event he was throwing called Guacaholics Anonymous. And would we like to participate by making our own guacamole? We obviously said yes without hesitation.

And then we started freaking out a bit. After all, it was guacamole for 100 people! 100! But after learning a serving was simply a chip-full, we calmed down a bit. The event consisted of Boston restaurants (like our favorite Poe’s Kitchen at the Rattlesnake!) and some local “amateurs” making their own guacamole. Oh, and a whole lot of people eating it. All of the money raised (tickets were only $10) went to Lovin’ Spoonfuls, Share our Strength, and Community Servings; 3 fabulous organizations.

So, what did Chels and I make? Come on, you know us. We made a bacon guacamole! It was a pretty traditional guac consisting of avocados (obviously), chopped tomato, finely diced red onion, lime, salt and pepper, and red chili flakes. Then we chopped up some bacon and stirred it in.

Neither of us have ever had bacon in our guacamole before, but we knew it HAD to be good. We also decided to leave our guac pretty chunky since neither of us really love super pureed guacamole. We tested it before tonight’s event and decided it was a definite go.

We got a really awesome response to our guacamole and lots of people even told us it was the best they had. Yay! Of course, we really have to thank bacon. Because bacon can do no wrong (unless you’re a vegetarian, of course). But this was definitely a guacamole we’ll be making for events in the future!

The turn-out for the event was great and the Fenway Cantina was the perfect space to hold it.

We wore our aprons, of course

Another decision we made was to prep all our fixings at home and then make the actual guacamole when we arrived; right before the event started. We wanted it to be as fresh as possible! And we kind of felt like we were preparing a dish on TopChef while we were doing it!

A HUGE thank you to Aaron of @EatBoston for asking us to participate in Guacaholics Anonymous and for throwing another amazing event.

He also informed us that he has lots of fun food event planned for the future, so definitely stay tuned

I don’t know why that made us so sad… Also, I was sure I looked super sad in this photo; but I really just look weird.

Oh, you’re probably wondering about the feta, right? While we seriously considered adding feta to our guacamole (it’s kinda close to cotija, right?!), we decided not to. Though I have a feeling it could have been awesome.

But for lunch I made a tuna salad with feta. I actually made the tuna with simply Greek yogurt and Athenos feta cheese. No mayo! And really, you couldn’t even tell there was no mayo.

I toasted some bread and made an open-faced sandwich with it, putting the tuna on top of some tomato. Greek yogurt and feta may be my two new tuna salad go-to ingredients! And of course, I put celery in the salad too, for a little crunch.

Oh, and for anyone who met me at Guacaholics Anonymous and thought, “wow, that’s not what I pictured her to sound like,” I swear I usually don’t sound like an 80-year-old smoker (or Lindsay Lohan as Chris so kindly told me later this evening). I came down with an awful cold (obviously on the week I’m moving!) and woke up this morning with no voice. I rested it all day and managed to have it working albeit in a super raspy way for tonight’s event.

I definitely talked too much (and too loudly) all evening long, so I need to finish my hot tea and head to bed. Here’s to hoping I’m all better by Friday!

Don’t forget, you can still enter our giveaway for a Gap jeans gift certificate (up to a $69.50) value through Friday! I could use any last minute moving tips you have up your sleeves

Do you have a favorite guacamole add-in?

[Sues]

I spent a good amount of time this afternoon shuffling some things around in my closet-turned-office and doing some major organization. So I figured I’d share! To me, organization is sorting through paperwork and getting rid of old bills and mail, giving specific items a new home, labeling things that have been difficult to find the past few months, and of course, redecorating and hanging photos.

My closet-turned-office is already very well suited for what I need it for considering the small size of it: space for my computer (needed for blogging and design work), space for my printer, designated drawers and baskets for all of my paper and design supplies, and bright colors and images to keep me inspired when I’m in the creative zone.

I decided I really needed to label my drawers and baskets since I can’t see into them it’s difficult at times to remember which storage compartments house which materials. Since I need to draw and write everything down before I actually do it, this is what my “notes” for labeling all the storage looked like. Sheer chicken scratch, but it works to have a point of reference, and that’s all that matters!

So for the labeling of my drawers, I used this absolutely wonderful little gadget I recently purchased. It’s a 1.5″ create-a-sticker machine made by Xyron. So yes, it creates stickers out of anything under 1.5″ wide… Paper, ribbon, fabric! You simply slip the item you want to “stickerize” (made up word alert) through the machine and when you pull it out, it has an adhesive backing. As a crafty person, I don’t know how I’ve lived this long without this machine… stickers will be stuck everywhere For under $12, it’s easily one of the best purchases I’ve made this decade. The Create-a-Sticker machines actually come in a wide variety of sizes so I will most definitely look into buying a larger size in the near future to work on larger projects.

I set up a simple text document in a layout program on my laptop with all of the categories I needed to label my drawers, printed them on a curry colored cardstock, printed, cut, and “stickerized”!

When it came time to label the baskets, I punched two holes at the top of each tag and tied a piece of ribbon to the top of the basket. These baskets are up pretty high so I could never remember what I had in them… labeling definitely helps!

So as far as the actual office goes, not much has changed since I put it together at the end of last year, but I thought it needed a little jazzing up!

I did, however, spruce up the bulletin board that’s hung directly in front of me. I added some photos, clippings from magazines, and drawings as bits of inspiration. Colors, textures, photography styles, and memories that motivate me…

If you remember, when designing the space, I hung two homasote boards (very inexpensive material that can be purchased at large hardware stores) and wrapped them in yellow burlap that I bought at a fabric store to create bulletin boards. A far cheaper solution as opposed to going to an office supply store and buying bulletin boards. The last time I showed you the space these boards were empty. I decided to use the one on the left as a start to a large inspiration board…

Hi, Martha! I felt kind of weird putting a tack in her head If I had the larger Xyron machine I would have made a Martha sticker, though

And I used the bulletin board on the right door to hang some of my favorite cards customers and friends have given me, some photos, and other memories. And for the record, most of my favorite cards are from Kate… she always gives me such thoughtful cards that are not only very “me” looks wise, but she writes the sweetest most thoughtful messages in them. I think she’s a loyal Papyrus shopper for greeting cards if you want to adopt her style

The pig card on the top right says on the outside “What’s shakin’ bacon?” I obviously bought that one for myself I didn’t even look at the inside of the card for a long time after I purchased it and I belted out in laughter when I happened to notice that the inside reads “…besides your big butt”… hahaha!

Some other fun accessories are these magnetic clips that I found in the dollar bins at Target. I’m pretty in love with that dollar section, I always find pretty neat stuff on the cheap! Toss, reply, do now, and read magnets are great for sorting mail and important documents.

Since the last time I showed you my office back in November, I also added this tin trash can I once had in my bedroom… I want to say I bought it at Marshalls years ago, but it just so happened to match my color scheme perfectly I couldn’t help but relocate it!

And this pile of business cards, which is probably less than 1/4 of what I really have, are being worked into a REAL fun project for next week…

I feel like a new woman now that I can breathe in this space again and everything has it’s own place! It’s funny how little things like reorganizing and refreshing a space can really create the ultimate sense of creativity and motivation!

What inspires you to do what you love?

[Chels]

I didn’t end up taking a ton of photos at the wedding mainly because a) I was busy being in it and b) there was a professional photographer and all. But I did take a few (especially of the food!) and the location and decor were so pretty, I just have to share.

The wedding had a literary theme to it (there’s your first clue as to why Kyle and I were such good friends from the start!) and everything fit so well, without any kind of overload at all. The reception was held in the MIT Student Center, which was such a wonderful location.

First of all, check out the room for the bridal party. Cheese and Shakespeare? Nothing makes me happier:

Everything was beautiful.

Even the flowers just reminded me so much of Kyle. They were beautiful wildflowers, with lots of herbs intertwined (Jeff loves cooking!):

Everywhere we went in the building, we had an AMAZING view of Boston and the Charles. It was incredible.

Of course, the table centerpieces were old books!

And our place cards were “this book belongs to” stickers. I loved this creative touch!

I’m still kind of proud of my speech during my sister and adam’s wedding, but I have to say both Kyle’s sister’s speech and Jeff’s brothers’ speeches were some of the best I’ve ever heard. All were amazing!

The food at the reception was also really fabulous. I loved the strawberry/goat cheese salad.

And I’m obsessed with the fact that we had a mango sorbet (pallet cleanser!) in between the salad and the entree.

We didn’t choose a meal ahead of time, so I was wondering what the entree would hold… Both beef and fish! So much better than having to pick one or the other.

And instead of a cake, we had an awesome dessert trio. How fun is this?? I especially loved the little mug of chocolate mousse, but the the mini strawberry shortcake was also delicious.

The bride’s dress was BEAUTIFUL:

And the groom was looking quite dapper too!

I don’t know why the only photo of me and the bride is kind of blurry and of us cracking up. But I guess that describes our friendship pretty well.

We couldn’t stop talking about how perfect this wedding was… And how “Kyle and Jeff” it was.

By the way, I was planning on doing my hair myself. But when I heard it was going to be 94 degrees, I made a last minute appointment for a blow dry at Eve Michael Salon. I told Ana not to bother curling it because there’s no way it would stay curled. But she said she could make it work. Somehow my hair stayed pretty perfectly curled the entire day and night! It was amazing, considering my hair barely even stays curled in no-humidity weather with tons of hairspray.

Also, if I do say so myself, the bridal party was pretty fabulous. It’s difficult (I think) to find a group of girls that just gets along, gets the bride, and agrees on most things. But Lindsay, Kim, and Janet were joys to plan with. We might actually have to plan another party for Kyle soon just so we can work together again… I didn’t get any shots of all of us together at the wedding, but here we are from the shower last month:

Oh, and the night before was pretty fabulous rehearsal dinner, too. For some crazy weird reason, I’ve never been to Dante before (most likely because it’s tough to get to on the T). But I LOVED it. The deck was beautiful and food wonderful. I’m sure the company didn’t hurt either.

I can’t for the life of me remember what this drink was called, but it involved orange, prosecco, and St. Germain. And it was the most refreshing, delightful drink for a hot evening.

I loved that we had a special menu with options:

I always enjoy a salad that’s filled with delicious leafy greens.

I ordered the veal scaloppini for my meal and it was tender and nearly perfect.

Chris got the grilled grass fed bavette steak and it was seriously the most tender juicy steak ever. I’m not even a huge steak person, but I would gladly devour this entire thing.

We shared the desserts- lemon creme puff and blueberry profiteroles:

And vermouth-soaked chocolate gateau with amarena cherries and salted caramel. SO SO SO good!

It started downpouring when we were eating dessert, so the waiter pulled a bunch of umbrellas together. It wasn’t until after the bride left that I realized I had no people pictures (just plenty of food ones!). So I snapped one of me and bridesmaid Kim.

And me and Chris, of course.

Overall, it was a splendid weekend and a wedding that I’ll definitely remember forever.

Congrats Kyle and Jeff! And I reallyyy hope you don’t mind that I just wrote a whole blog post about your wedding It was too good not to!

What’s the best touch you’ve seen at a wedding?

[Sues]

I could tell I was going to be a fan of Treat right away. I love the logo!

Treat Cupcake Bar isn’t like other cupcake shops. Hence why it has the word “bar” in it. You actually build your own cupcakes.

I totally love this concept! First you pick your cake:

Then you pick your frosting:

Then you pick 3 toppings/treats:

There are lots of them!

They take your frosting and treat selections and mix them all together… It really reminded me of Cold Stone Creamery.

But I especially love how they serve your cupcake:

It felt like so much more fun than just being handed a cupcake. Kind of like being a kid again.

I chose the gold cupcake with buttercream frosting. My treats? I chose rainbow sprinkles, chocolate chips, and heath bar.

Heavenlyyyy. And so pretty too!

OMG yum! I absolutely love that Treat gives you way too much frosting (I had more left over that I couldn’t even fit on the cupcake). The cupcake was delightful. I have to say the vanilla cake was a bit too corn bread tasting (I prefer a sweeter, more vanilla cupcake taste), but the super sweet buttercream frosting balanced it out well.

If you’re not into the idea of designing your own cupcake, you can choose one of the premade ones as well. They add new flavors every day. I enjoyed that you could see right into Treat’s kitchen and actually watch them baking the cupcakes.

And the walls were so pretty and vibrantly painted.

Of course, you know which one I chose to take home. Anything with the words Peanut Butter and Overload in it has my vote. It was phenomenal (Chris and I split it the next day… we were too stuffed after eating our huge “homemade” cupcake that day).

I’m also a fan of Treat’s packaging, complete with napkin-wrapped fork.

I really do love a cupcake shop that knows how to brand well and Treat totally has it covered. Everything from the napkins to the little papers in the cupcake trays.

And check out the adorable aprons!

If I wasn’t so in love with my WANM apron (and OK, my Butterball apron, too), I would totally get one.

They also had t-shirts for sale.

My overall impression is that Treat is a cupcake shop that cannot be missed, if only for the super fun experience! It would be an amazingly fun place to have a birthday party (seriously, for all ages) or just pop in and make your own cupcake whenever you’re in the mood.

This would be a dangerous, dangerous place for me if I lived nearby. Thank goodness, it’s a drive away.

The prices weren’t too bad either. A make-your-own cupcake was $4.25, but it was absolutely huge with tons of frosting. And the pre-made cupcakes were $3.25.

Treat’s website is also beautiful. And I just got word from their Twitter account that they’ll be closed on Mondays until they can find another baker for the shop. Are you a cupcake baker? Know anyone? Treat looks like it would be an awesome place to work.

I can’t wait to treat myself to Treat again soon!

Treat Cupcake Bar

1450 Highland Avenue

Needham, MA 02494

781.444.4995

www.TreatCupcakeBar.com

Twitter: @TreatCupcake

[Sues]

Boston.com is saying it’s 90 degrees outside (my iphone is saying 98!) but with the heat index it feels like I’m in a 350 degree oven… baking. So I made a vow to myself this morning that I wouldn’t leave the house, even to get food, so what’s in the fridge is what I’m eatin’! Let’s face it, nothing good happens when it’s this hot out. Fainting, dizzy spells, deodorant-less people… riots. I’ve kept myself parked at my desk all day. Indoors, with continuous glasses of ice water, and a fan blowing directly on my face.

When it came time to eat a late lunch this afternoon I looked in the fridge and found some lettuce, blueberries that I had to use before they went bad, and of course a fridge stocked with Athenos feta. I thought this sounded completely delicious but I obviously “had” to do some quick research just to make sure I wasn’t the only one. Or that I wasn’t going crazy in the heat thinking blueberries and feta sounded like a good idea. I found this recipe for exactly what I wanted to make on Table & Spoon, Pittsburgh’s Garden to Table Project. Feel free to use your own measurements, I sort of eyeballed everything and tasted the dressing as I made it.

Here’s what you need:

• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• A couple handfuls of lettuce or any other greens you have on hand
• A generous portion of feta (I used the traditional Athenos crumbled feta)
• Salt and pepper

For the Dressing:

• 1 Tablespoon cider vinegar (I used sherry vinegar since I had it on hand… it worked perfectly fine)
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon honey (adds a nice touch of sweetness)
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• Salt and pepper

Mix all of the dressing ingredients together…

And combine all of the salad ingredients.

With the dressing poured on top. Who am I kidding? It’s too hot out to dip each forkful into a separate bowl of dressing.

After taking these photos I added a small handful of dried sunflower seeds to up the crunch-factor and to get some vitamin E in my system Table and Spoon also suggests adding almonds or pecans.

This Athenos Change for the Feta challenge is giving me some great excuses to dilly dally in the kitchen and find some new and creative recipes and flavor combinations! Yet another go-to salad was created this afternoon and this basic dressing is one I’ll definitely be creating all the time. So simple, fresh, and refreshing to cool me down on this scorcher of a day!

[Chels]

I called the week before the meet-up and spoke with the owner, Cindy, who set aside a special VIP table for us under the greenhouse area of the restaurant, which was gorgeous. A perfect outdoor breeze swept by us the entire evening. And that great view of the Hancock Tower… and, later, the sunset didn’t hurt either.

Cindy and her husband, Aldo, arranged for a complimentary sampling of appetizers to be sent to our table. This was the perfect way to get the evening started and allowed the first-time Vlora diners to get a taste of what was to come.

Some favorites:
Pan Roasted Zucchini with Garlic Yogurt

Greek Peasant Salad: romaine, tomato, cucumber, kalamata, onion, red and yellow pepper, peperoncino, feta cheese

Grilled Octopus: tomato, cucumber (this was one of my favorites!)

Arancini Sicillani (Italian rice balls, mushroom and feta filling, fresh tomato and mint sauce)

Watermelon and Feta Tidbit: olive oil, balsamic vinegar, parsley This is always a hit. Deliciously sweet, salty, smooth, and refreshing.

After we completed the round of appetizers we all placed orders for our entrees. I ended up getting the arancini because it is just that good.

What makes outstanding food, wine, and a Summer breeze even better? Good company, of course!

Erica of Itzy’s Kitchen and Naomi of OneFitFoodie.

The darling Alicia of The Clean Plate Club and Bridget from Yogurt and Berries.

Meg (the sister of Collen of The Daily Craic), Megan of Travel, Eat, Love, and Sues.

Us We are not Martha ladies with Elizabeth of On Tap for Today.

The whole gang!

The prices at Vlora are very reasonable, especially considering the quality and freshness of food you’re receiving, outstanding service, and that downtown Boston location. Another plus, the dishes are simple to share for group dining, so when I go, we typically order a variety of dishes which gives us the opportunity to taste a wider range of the menu.

Thank you so much to Cindy and Aldo for welcoming us into your restaurant and taking such good care of us! We will, of course, be back very soon for more!

———–

The most fitting words and description from the Vlora website:

The dishes reflect the age old adage of “eat better and live better.” With an emphasis on freshness and a minimalist cooking style, the naturally healthy menu covers tastes from the Northern Mediterranean region encompassing Albania, Greece, and Southern Italy. The menu and wine list are an extension of the flavors and dishes served in Aldo’s own home, including exclusive handpicked wines and lovingly prepared signature dishes that are unmatched within the city. Believing that food should taste like food, the natural tastes and flavors of the freshest ingredients are enhanced primarily with olive oil and fresh herbs.

No need to travel abroad – experience the Mediterranean, here, in Boston’s Copley Square.

Vlora Restaurant
545 Boylston Street
Boston, MA
www.vloraboston.com

[Chels]

Sangria while sitting in the sun at Brookline’s American Craft.

Along with a tomato, basil, and garlic mozzarella salad.

Chicken wings with honey mustard dipping sauce.

And fries with blue cheese fondue.

A 4th of July Red Sox game with my fabulous aunt and uncle.

The Sox lost 6-1, but we still had a good time. It was the most beautiful day for a Red Sox game. OK, mayyybe a little too hot, but there was a pretty nice little breeze.

Even Wally, the Green Monster, was dressed up.

I was wondering why Chris’s farmer’s tan looked like he was wearing a v-neck. Now I see why…

After the game, we met up with my sister and Adam for a delicious dinner on the patio at Bouchee. We indulged in some escargot.

And our very favorite flatbreads. Gruyere, Caramelized onion, and ham.

And sweet sausage, grape, and gorgonzola.

Then we met up with Chels and took a walk around the esplanade to watch Boston’s fireworks show.

Last year Chris and I got right up close for Neil Diamond’s show. We wanted to do the same this year to see Toby Keith, but we didn’t get there until pretty late. And I have horrible memories of the show ending last year and not even being able to move an inch for a half hour.

So, we kept a bit of distance, but had the perfect view of the fireworks.

And when the show was over, we weren’t stuck in huge mobs of people.

We kept saying how weird it was to be able to walk along Storrow Drive and walk along the exit we normally drive off of. Storrow is a really, really busy 3-lane road around Boston.

Monday has been all about relaxation (in the super hot weather!) and taking a HUGE trip to the grocery store. The fridge has been empty and desperately needed to be refilled.

Of course, the sweltering weather called for a light and refreshing salad. I decided to mix my feta with some fruit… If you’re apprehensive about the fruit/cheese together combo, don’t be! It’s one of the best things in the world. And since I’ve been craving mangoes lately, I made a mango feta salad.

Mango and Feta Salad:

• 1 ripe mango, peeled and cut into bite-sized chunks
• 1/4 C crumbled Athenos feta
• 1 t minced basil
• 1 T extra-virgin olive oil
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

This was an incredibly simple and quick salad. I actually bough 2 mangoes to make a larger salad, but one was not ripe at all. So, this was definitely gobbled up by me in about 3 minutes (or less).

All you need to do is cube and peel the mango. And mix with the feta, basil, EVOO, salt, and pepper.

I sprinkled some more feta on top too. And this was PERFECT!! The combination of sweet and salty is to die for. And this totally tasted like summer in a bowl.

I’m pretty sure mango is going to be one of my new go-to summer fruits and I will definitely be whipping up this salad again very soon!

What did you do this 4th of July weekend?

[Sues]

Cambridge, of course, is right next to Boston and super easy to get to. But for some reason, I don’t get over there as much as I’d like to. It takes forever on public transportation and parking can be a bit tricky, so dining on the “other side of the river” doesn’t happen as much as I’d like it to. Because, heaven knows they have a TON of amazing restaurants.

The Taste of Cambridge was the perfect opportunity for us to try samplings many of them. And the Charles Hotel was the PERFECT place to hold an event like this.

The more of these types of events we go to, the better we get at navigating them. It’s seriously an art! There’s so much food and it’s easy to get really full, really quickly. We generally like to hit up the restaurants we haven’t yet had the chance to visit. We try to stay away from chains and we take it slowly and pace ourselves. And stay away from too much alcohol near the start of the event– Not only for obvious reasons, but because it’s seriously difficult to hold a plate and full drink, while trying to eat, take photos, and navigate the crowds!

Tory Row is one of those restaurants I’ve been hearing about forever, but have never stopped by. But when I tasted the chilled asparagus soup with poached lobster, I fell in love. It was thick and creamy with generous pieces of lobster. This would be a fabulous start to a meal and fitting that it was the first thing we indulged in for the evening.

As you can see, Tory Row serves breakfast 7 days a week, too. I kind of want to try the jalapeno chicken sausage.

Next up? We spotted lobster rolls from the West Side Lounge and I knew I couldn’t pass them by.

This was a pretty fabulous lobster roll! I have to say it was a tad bit salty, BUT I loved that it didn’t have a whole lot of mayo in it and was pretty much pure (and delicious) lobster meat.

And, we learned about West Side Lounge’s Monday night special. All summer long, you can get 2 lobster rolls, house-made chips, and slaw for only $12.95. Yes, $12.95! I definitely need to make it there very soon. Who’s coming?

And yes, the house-made chips were awesome.

Next up? Basha Cafe. I’ve been to Basha before, but it’s been a while and their offerings looked pretty tasty.

Chels and I split a beef kebab and some rice. I definitely could have eaten more, but I knew it would be smarter to save room. Guess I’ll have to return to Basha for more!

I’ve actually never heard of Amelias Trattoria and their dish looked quite interesting.

It was a type of arancini with basil, fontina cheese, and panko. I loved the presentation; it reminded me of something fun you’d get at the fair! It was delicious, but a tiny bit dry. However, I always remind myself it must be nearly impossible to cook food for events like this… SO much food that you have to transport. It can’t be nearly as good as it would be in the restaurant, hot from the kitchen!

Amelia’s menu looks pretty interesting, so I’d love to get there some time in the future.

Oh, Harvest. I’ve only had the pleasure of dining at Harvest once as an adult, but it was an amazing experience. And one that I’d like to repeat over and over again. I’ve been pretty obsessed with all things lamb lately, so I was immediately drawn to the lamb sausage slider.

Yup, it was awesome. In fact, I seriously wish I had a full-size sandwich for lunch right now. I highly recommend dining at Harvest if you want a really wonderful experience in Harvard Square. The restaurant is kind of tucked away, dimly lit, quiet, country-like and romantic. Basically everything I want after a crazy day in the city.

Right after Harvest, we headed to Bambara’s table, where I indulged in some sort of bruschetta with figs and proscuitto, which is pretty much a dream come true for me. I love the salty/sweet combination! I also noticed they have warm lobster sliders on the menu, making Bambara a future must for me.

Then we spotted Grafton Street! The first thing I said was, “there’s no way I could eat corn on the cob at an event like this.” And it’s true. I’m one of those brats who needs my corn cut off the cob for me (thanks Dad!). And if I chowed down last night? I wouldn’t have been able to smile for any photos.

But I still had to take a couple photos because Grafton Street is where Chris and I first met And so, it will always have a very special meaning to me. I think it’s our goal to go back for all our anniversaries.

Plus, the corn was just so pretty! And if the employees working the table had offered to cut it off the cob for me, I totally would have indulged.

From these photos, it doesn’t look like the Taste of Cambridge was too crowded, but it really was!

We spent a good amount of time hanging out with the lovely Julia Rappaport and her hilariously awesome friend Jon.

East Coast Grill is one restaurant I CANNOT even believe I still haven’t been to. My dad talks about it all the time as he’s a huge Chris Schlesinger fan and I’ve heard nothing but awesome things about it. I tried to make reservations for the restaurant’s last “Hell Night,” but they filled up amazingly fast, so I’m looking forward to making it to the next one (I hope!).

For now, I was content trying their pork tacos, which were pretty delicious and super flavorful. I could definitely eat a plate-full!

We were wandering by Hungry Mother’s peanut butter sorghum sandwich cookies and I had to grab one. OMG. These were like the Girl Scout’s Do-Si-Dos cookies, but about a million times better. And so satisfying. I NEED the recipe. Or I just have to go to Hungry Mother for a few more. Delicious!

Of course, we stopped by to see our good friends over at the How2Heroes table. I didn’t even take any photos of their beautiful dessert display because we were immediately bombarded by shots. Jello shots. Alcohol-free jello shots, at that. So, why was How2Heroes forcing jello shots upon us??

Well, they were 5-alarm ghost pepper jello shots. In case you don’t know, ghost peppers are otherwise known as the hottest peppers in existence. Not ones to turn down a challenge, Chels and I signed the waivers (yes, waivers!) and prepared to down the jello shots. How2Heroes took this shot of us looking thrilled (and semi-nervous) for the challenge:

OK, yeah, we were pretty nervous. And yes, I’m double fisting (Chris loves anything super spicy, so I grabbed one to take home for him). Thank you so much to Megan of Delicious Dishings for catching some fabulous action shots of us!

OK, let’s go!

Well we downed, part of them anyway. These were HOT. Like one of the hottest things I’ve ever eaten, and I love spice. But really, it was more of a pleasant type of hot… Which I’m obviously saying after the fact. Check out my expression in the below photo.

I guess that says it all. By “pleasant” I mean, it was kind of cinnamony-tasting. But our mouths were BURNING and Lynne kindly handed us frosting shots and milk. Yes, a good chaser for too hot jello shots is a frosting shot. Who knew? Now you do.

Now can I get my invitation to East Coast Grill’s Hell Night, please?

By the way, Julia’s friend Jon downed the entire shot without flinching. It made me feel like kind of a wuss.

We wandered around a bit more after that excitement and checked out a huge dessert display. The cupcakes from Lyndell’s looked absolutely scrumptious, but I was too full.

Too full for a cupcake? I can’t even believe I just said that. Kind of regretting it today.

But Chels did grab a super cute, super mini ice cream cone!

OK, I lied. I wasn’t too full when I saw the beautiful-looking strawberry rhubarb crisps from Henrietta’s Table– another Cambridge restaurant I really, really need to make it to.

Especially after hearing from Julia how delightful these desserts were.

We could not turn them down. And I’m SO glad we didn’t. This might just be the best “crisp” I’ve ever had. I wanted to snag the whole table. Even though I was incredibly full at this point.

I’ve always known that Cambridge has an absolutely wonderful dining scene, but last night proved it to me even more. And made me want to head across the river for dinner every night. We had so many amazing dishes and really, I’m not sure which restaurant I want to make my first stop!

Do you have a favorite restaurant in Cambridge?

[Sues]

Here’s what you need:

• 4 slices of bacon, chopped (I used 5 slices. 1 for good luck!)
• 1 1/2 pounds scallops, tendons removed
• salt and pepper
• 1 onion, chopped fine
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 ears of corn, kernels removed from cobs (and how delicious is fresh corn?!)
• 1 cup frozen lima beans, thawed
• 2 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced (I had grape tomatoes so I used those)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh chives

Here’s what you do:

• Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until crisp, about 4 minutes. Transfer bacon to paper towel-lined plate and pour out all but 2 tablespoons rendered fat from the skillet.

• Pat scallops dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Cook scallops in the rendered bacon fat in skillet until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes. Flip scallops and cook until firm and almost opaque, an additional 1-3 minutes. Transfer to a plate and tent with foil.

• Add onion and garlic to the skillet and cook until softened, about 3 minutes.

(here I am chopping the onion in my new Tupperware QuickChef! I’ve never chopped an onion so fast… it was glorious and the cleanup was even easier than a food processor! And, allow me to reiterate, it was 12,232 degrees in Boston yesterday. So pardon my appearance and the “glow” aka no makeup aka no effort went into how I looked yesterday… at all. Not even a little.)

• Add corn, lima beans, and tomatoes and cook until heated through, making sure to stir frequently, 3-5 minutes.

• Add butter and accumulated juices from scallops to skillet and stir until the butter is just melted.

• Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the chives and bacon, season with salt and pepper to taste.

• Top the succotash with scallops…

This is by far my newest favorite quick and simple Summer creation. Make this for anyone and they’ll never leave your life… guarantee it. I actually liked how the little scallops worked with the dish versus a larger scallop. It was effortless eating and everything fit into one forkful It was light, fresh, crunchy, satisfying, colorful, delicious, mind-blowing… you get the idea. The best part about cooking in the Summer is being able to photograph my food out on my deck, too It brings it to life! Now pardon me while I eat the leftovers for lunch!

[Chels]

No? Just me?

If you know anything about me, you know that although I may not be the most organized person 100% of the time, I love (am borderline obsessed with…) most forms of containers! The only type of container that actually irritates me so much are plastic storage containers to store food in. Can NOT stand them. Yes, they’re useful but I can never find the right lids, they always tumble over (on my head), basically they’re just annoying. I like things that stack nicely within each other, things that just make sense and take the hassle out of simple tasks… such as storing leftovers. So you can only imagine my excitement when I came home and saw a box from Tupperware waiting for me. Tupperware makes sense. They’ve always made sense, they’re one of the most trusted names in housewares. I immediately opened the package and saw an array of vibrantly colored containers along with a couple other goodies!

In the box:

• 1 shallow red FlatOut! Container

• 2 smaller yellow FlatOut! Containers

• 2 medium orange FlatOut! Containers

• 3 Lime Aid Stuffables Storage Containers, mini set

And evidently I need a 360 degree mirror… did not realize my hair was stickin’ out in the back like that

I also had a little photoshoot on my deck so you could get a closer look

The FlatOut! Containers are adjustable and flatten for space-saving storage (huge plus!). They adjust in height to accommodate a variety of foods. And the best part is they’re freezer and dishwasher safe! Perfect for storing leftovers!

The Stuffables Storage Containers take the “guesswork out of knowing which container to use”! The lids expand depending on how much food is stored in the container and they’re perfect for storing odd shaped foods. They’re also microwave safe (the container only, not the lid!), and dishwasher safe.

And like I mention in the video, my favorite part about these containers is every lid in each color fits the container in the same color. In normal people’s terms: every yellow lid will fit on every yellow container. Which I LOOOOOOVE. I find it quite frustrating to fumble around in search of the right lid for a container, so I was so excited to see that Tupperware took this issue into consideration!

Tupperware also, so generously, sent a quickchef and a Quick Shake Container. The quickchef easily chops fruits and veggies and comes with a paddle whisk that helps making whip creams, salad dressings, and dips a complete breeze! The Quick Shake Container is formed to perfectly fit in the palm of your hand, has an easy pour spout, and a removable blending insert that helps to throughly mix ingredients.

Tupperware has a slew of other products that are fun, extremely useful, and will last a lifetime (they have lifetime guarantees!). Which is why I think they’d make the perfect gift for a housewarming party or really, any gift-giving holiday. Such as my birthday in August-family and friends, take note They even have a registry section! I would not mind outfitting my entire home with Tupperware products, would you?

Stuffables® Containers received the prestigious “Good Buy” award from Good Housekeeping-given each year to a select group of products heralded for their innovative problem-solving designs-the remarkable FlatOut!™ Containers are another Good Buy Award winner. -tupperware.com

GIVEAWAY!

Did you think I’d talk you ear off about these products without offering you something? Here’s your chance to win the Stuffables Mini Set in Lime Aid! It includes three containers: 1 cup, 2 cup, and a 3 cup. Just be sure to leave a comment on this post telling us why you think you need these handy storage containers! All comments must be left by Wednesday, June 30th by 11:59pm EST. One lucky winner will be randomly selected! Good Luck!

[Chels]