hickory grilled salmon

Often people shy away from preparing their own seafood. I would recommend choosing fresh salmon from your local seafood market or high-end grocery store like Whole Foods. I like to prepare fish on a wooden plank, but you can also grill or bake salmon in a foil packet with a little olive oil. This is one of the easiest dishes you can prepare for yourself, family, or a small group of guests.

I dusted my filet with an amazing spice blend called Mural of Flavor from a local spice company in Wisconsin called Penzey’s Spices. It is composed of shallots, onion, garlic, thyme, rosemary, basil, coriander, lemon peel, black pepper, chives, green peppercorns, dill weed, and orange peel. While you can purchase this blend online, you can also use any salt-free blend from your local grocer.

hickory grilled salmon (4 servings)

ingredients:

• 1 lb salmon filet
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 ½ tsp salt-free seasoning blend

directions:

1. Pre-heat grill to a medium heat.
2. Rub a hickory wood plank (or any variety wooden planks) with 1 Tbsp olive oil (more may be needed depending on the size of the wooden plank).
3. Place fresh salmon filet on oiled plank (skin-side down). Brush remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil on flesh side of salmon. Sprinkle with seasoning.
4. Place wooden plank on heat, and grill 10-12 minutes or until fish is cooked through.
   
   
   

watermelon, mint, and feta salad

an unlikely combination – watermelon, mint, and feta, but the flavors of sweet from the melon and salty from the feta form a nice grouping when balanced with fresh mint. my patio garden is exploding with mint, so this recipe is a nice way to bring your herb garden into your dishes. a little onion and balsamic, and this makes for a fresh summer treat.

watermelon, mint, and feta salad (6 servings)

ingredients:

• 4 cups watermelon, cubed ( ½ inch thick)
• 3 oz Feta cheese
• 2 Tbsp fresh mint, chopped
• 1 small red onion, finely chopped
• 1 ½ Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste

directions:

1. in a medium bowl, place cubed watermelon
2. add feta cheese, chopped mint, and chopped onion
3. drizzle with balsamic vinegar
4. add a dash of salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

greta gerwig as frances ha

a few weeks ago, i saw frances ha, and absolutely loved it! the film has led me to a girl crush on greta gerwig (who co-wrote the film and a barnard grad...girl power!) and an obsession to see all of her movies - definitely need to see damsels in distress.

motion pictures are anything but a sustainable economy, but i absolutely love watching movies, especially by myself. if anything, at least i love and support indie films over the latest action movie smash...ah! it is my guilty pleasure.

my walden

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while homes and apartments have titles, so do den. in my new place, my den is called walden. i want to find a daybed/sofa for the space, so that I could, ideally, read for hours on the weekends. and, with the window completely covered in ivy, the little 8' x 8' room is my perfect weekend retreat. then, when discussing this with lisa, thoreau and walden came up, and i thought what a perfect place to spend a majority of my time figuring out how i'm going to simplify my life.

in college, when talking with my friends about the actual book (because that's what smithies do, stay up late discussing classic american literature...), we got in a little comment about the sanity of thoreau, and my friend made the comment that what thoreau really needed was some lady-love, and he didn't account for it in his master plan. if i need some man love in my walden, i can yell down hallway for A.

from an interior design perspective, i have a hefty desk and large horizontal piece of art for that room, but that's it for furniture. Using pinterest to guide me in my thrifting, these are some of my favorites pins.

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rustic

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eclectic with mid century accents

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white and black.

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kind love this one.

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the mix of rustic, b&w, and mid century.

avocado and egg toasts

To honor the daily buzz food of the week, avocado toasts, I wanted to share one of my favorite breakfast recipes. The most exciting thing about this recipe – you could make it in your sleep! If you know how to scramble an egg, add a fresh avocado to your grocery cart because this is going to blow your standard breakfast out of the kitchen. Hello, Saturday morning!

Avocado and Egg Toasts (2 servings)

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 1 Tbsp water
• Dash salt
• Dash pepper
• ½ medium avocado, sliced
• 2 slices whole-grain bread
• 2 tsp butter

Directions:

1. Crack eggs into a small bowl. Add water, and whisk until eggs are light and fluffy.
2. Add a dash of salt and pepper to whisked eggs.
3. Scramble eggs on medium heat for 3-4 minutes. 
4. Meanwhile, toast bread, and slice avocado. Set aside.
5. Spread 1 tsp of butter on each slice of toast. Divide scrambled eggs between each slice of bread. Layer eggs with sliced avocado. Sprinkle with freshly ground pepper.

Baked Eggs with Herbs

My family came to visit me for my 27th birthday. Since making this trip is a rarity for them, I wanted to make a special brunch to welcome them to Milwaukee. There is nothing like the heart of Wisconsin than farm-fresh eggs. Try this simple, heart-healthy recipe and wow your brunch guests with its stress-free direction.

Baked Eggs with Herbs (4 servings)

Ingredients:

• 8 eggs
• 8 Tbsp fat-free milk, divided
• 4 Tbsp green onions, chopped & divided
• 4 Tbsp parsley, chopped & divided
• Pinch salt
• Pinch pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease 4 ramekins.
2. Crack 2 eggs into ramekins. Top each ramekin with 2 Tbsp milk, 1 Tbsp green onions, 1 Tbsp parsley, salt, and pepper.
3. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until eggs are set.