Best Summer Meal Ever...minus the side effects

S2H and I kicked off the work week on the right foot with a healthy dinner...grilled salmon with spicy peach salsa.  Usually, I am disappointed by at-home salmon recipes...too fishy, lacking flavor, you get the drift.  Not too mention I am a new seafood eater and the potential smell makes me squirm.  But everywhere I turn magazines and blogs are highlighting the benefits of eating salmon on a weekly basis.  So with new found resolve I decided it was time to go for it, especially after reading that it helps improve your skin-hello wedding glow!  I didn't have to look far for an appetizing recipe, to the rescue, Nina!  This recipe is from Cooking Light.  I prepped my salmon for the grill pan, Nina's way, with kosher salt, pepper, fresh lemon juice, and a couple cloves of minced garlic.  I made the salsa exactly like the Cooking Light recipe, but next time I would add another peach.  S2H and I were fighting over the peach chunks to create the perfect bite!  Here is our final product, on a bed of arugula (for a peppery bite) with a side of lemon green beans with toasted almonds. This meal was awesome!! Filling but in the healthiest of ways...and room for a 70 calorie Dove ice cream bar :).

Now this meal would have been absolute perfection if I hadn't made a huge mistake... I cut the jalapeno bare handed! And holy moly...this pepper was killer.  I rinse my hands about a dozen times while cooking, but no luck...I got a serious jalapeno burn!  I stuck my hand in cold water - no relief.  Hand INSIDE bag of frozen peas...a bit of relief.  Fresh lime juice...a few more temporary seconds of relief. And after Googling and finding this, I soaked my hand in milk.  But we only had skim milk, and the recommendations said the more milk fat the better, sour cream the best!  No sour cream, fat free creamer...I was dying!  Buried in the back of the fridge was a small carton of butter milk...with a July expiration date.  S2H raised his eye brow at me, but I was a woman in pain.  In went the hand into weeks old buttermilk.  To top it off I smeared low fat cream cheese all over.  Ahhh...soooo gross, but so much better.  Picture proof and a warning, beware of the burning peppers!

{wine helps too ;). did i mention this post was created a la one hand?!}

Watermelon - Stawberry-Lemon Booze Coolers

I had some watermelon that was on the brink last week, so I cut it up and froze it for later.  And thank goodness I did, because S2H came up with an amazing booze-y creation to celebrate a great weekend with friends and our 3 year dating anniversary.  Here it goes...

Serving Size: 2

-2 cups of frozen watermelon chunks

-Juice of 2 lemons

-1/4 cup of simple syrup

-1/2 cup of vodka

-splash of strawberry flavored vodka

-1/2 cup of club soda (we used sodium free)

Blend the watermelon chunks with lemon juice.  Slowly add simple syrup.  Once everything is blended add the vodka(s).  Divide club soda among two iced filled glasses and pour watermelon mix to the brim!  Garnish with a fresh lemon or strawberry, enjoy!

frizz, photo shoot, & fun

S2H and I were lucky enough to snag a Sunday afternoon with Lindsay Alexander last month for our official engagement photos!  Luck would have it that Lindsay was in DC to capture the most amazing wedding of my work sister, Erin.  Lindsay is also going to capture our day and was sweet enough to spend some extra time in DC for an engagement photo session.  This was a great opportunity to get comfortable with each other and capture some images in the place where S2H and I met.  The day was great for the "lighting" but not so great for my hair...hello frizz city!  It was a hot and humid DC morning with a side of drizzle.  Lindsay was a trooper and I tried not to let my self conciousness get the best of me! Here are some of my favorites.  But be sure to check out Lindsay's blog to see us and all her amazing work!

Hair Cult

I have always been very particular about my hair.  Nina and I can have full page g-chat conversations about our hair routine, the current humidity level and how to combat it, and the newest product featured on the Today Show or our favorite blog.  It may seem silly to some but it is more about a comfort thing than anything else.  My hair is kind of like my security blanket, something I think I have control over...as opposed to my hips! With the upcoming wedding I went into hair obsession over-drive!  And to top it off, I met Ruby.  Ruby is the hair goddess at Frizzles, my new salon!  Ruby has me on a "hair plan" and I am sharing this plan with everyone I know.  I have been on the hair plan for about 5 months and I am a believer! The plan is easy, actually less work...I have stopped washing my hair!  Well at least I have stopped washing my hair every day.  I now wash my hair every 3 days.  Crazy right?!  But it makes a HUGE difference.  My hair is fuller, vibrant, and more manageable.   I have followed this little routine through spring and summer - workouts and workout slumps.  Don't judge - sweat is good for your hair!

Routine:
Day 1: Wash and blowout
Day 2: Little baby corn starch to absorb oils, pin hair back if it is looking a little limp
Day 3: More baby corn starch, some up-some down, pony tail or curl hair
Day 4: Wash and blowout - start all over!

Tools of the Trade:
Baby corn starch - helps absorb oils and comes scented to freshen things up
Natural Bristle Brush - natural bristles help distribute oils, brush every night
Moroccoan Oil - use on damp hair to protect hair from styling heat
Volumizing Spray - helps make the blowout last longer
Dry Shampoo - helps add texture for pony tails and curls

Tips:
Only shampoo the crown of your head, that's where all the oil is.  Only conditioner your ends, that's the area lacking moisture. If you think about it this is how they wash your hair at the salon! If you are going to splurge go for the good shampoo.  Your hair naturally produces the best conditioner.  Stick with the hair plan!  It takes about two weeks to even out your "oil production." Before you know it you will be rocking 3-day old hair - to work and to party.  It's amazing!

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