pesto panzanella salad & open faced sandwich

so you remember when i said that NOTHING IS BETTER THAN HOMEMADE PESTO?  i was totally lying. what is totally and unequivocally better than homemade pesto, is homemade pesto with bread, tomato and a high quality sweet balsamic vinegar.  THAT is to die for. you have options where this is concerned.  you can chop up some fine heirloom tomatoes, chunks of fresh sourdough bread and combine in a bowl with a generous amount of pesto (recipe here), and serve on a plate with splashes of balsamic.  it’s not the prettiest, but as lou said “it made me do a dance”.  it made ME eat a ridiculous amount of tomatoes and bread.  or, if you prefer a prettier presentation, an open faced sandwich will do the trick.  either way, you positively cannot go wrong.  i would eat this every day if i could.  and the best part- it takes just minutes to whip up.  i hope you try it!  

my vacation snags

we finally decided on where to go next month while we’re in europe for a wedding.  we’re headed to milos, greece for a week of sun and fun!  i’m most looking forward to sailing around the island and making it our personal mission to find the best food and best beaches.  i just snapped up this mara hoffman beach coverup and these matt bernson sandals on shopsbop’s ONE DAY ONLY sale. (20% off items marked down to 50/70% -enter code EXTRA20 at checkout). it’s my favorite sale they do, i always find the best steals!  and that coverup is going to be perfect to throw on to wander around the island, and those sandals seem just comfortable enough to handle some good walking.  head over now to see if anything you’ve had your eyes on is up for grabs!

 

do you have a vision board?

have you read the secret?  i know, it was all oprah could talk about for awhile, and like the rest of america i was totally sucked in.  but one of the things i got out of it was this: create a vision board of what you want your life to be and you will manifest it. it was 2008 when i read that, and having nowhere to go but up i crafted one. i remember thinking, these goals i’m putting on here are CRAZYPANTS, but if i’m dreaming BIG, this is it. here i am, 4 years later and i just stumbled across my 2008/2009 vision boards. and guess what: EVERY SINGLE DREAM AND WISH MANIFESTED.  of course, i worked for them. but keeping my eye on the prize, making a visual commitment and focusing in on my intentions, it sure as heck didn’t hurt!  so in a crazy bout of insomnia tonight i made a new one and it’s now my desktop:  chock full of inspiration, reminders, goals and things to look forward to! 

it’s also pretty fantastic to see what changes i’ve made, both personally and professionally, since my first vision board. in 2009 my goals were very  much work/money/acquiring oriented.  and now, although i still have my ambitions and yes that is a dororthy draper dresser your see, more of my board is based on improving myself, cultivating experiences that will inspire me, and focusing in on the things that bring me true happiness. if you don’t already have one, i hope this inspires you to make your own! (and pinterest is a fantastic place to start!)

vegan pesto

you know what’s better than homemade pesto?  NOTHING!  i want to eat it by the spoonful it’s just so damn yummy!  it’s also brilliantly simple- you’ll kick yourself for not making it before.  there are a million and one things to do with it once you’ve got it, and tomorrow i’ll post my first suggestion. as with all simple recipes- use the highest quality and freshest ingredients you can get your mitts on. and lastly: anyone who thinks you need parmesan cheese to make an incredible pesto is dead wrong. save money, your arteries and cows- try it vegan!

the what:

3 cups fresh basil, sans stems

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup pine nuts

4 small/medium cloves of garlic

sea salt

the how: throw it all in a food processor and blend.  add salt to taste. show no restraint. 

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