bubbly goodness : )



martini rossi asti spumante

 champagne is february's wine of the month.  any of you who have spent any time with me (in person or on my blog) know that i love a good (that's a relative term) champagne.  there's just something about its bubbly goodness that i adore.  it transforms an average evening into a celebration.  and don't even get me started about how much i love it in a vodka cocktail...

so, with the (slightly) new direction my blog is taking with all the new monthly features - like wine of the month.  i figured what better wine to start with than champagne?!  and what better month for champagne than february?  it was kismet.  so, back to champagne.  i don't know about you, but i've never been totally clear on what exactly brut, extra dry, demi sec, etc. indicate.  so, i did a bit of investigating, and here's the deal:

o ultra/extra brut = the most dry*
o brut = very dry
o extra dry/extra sec = less dry than brut or slightly sweeter than brut
o dry/sec = sweet
o demi sec = even sweeter
o doux = sweetest

*dry meaning not sweet or that almost all sugar has turned to alcohol...

picture credit {here}

so, if you like something on the sweet side, opt for sec or demi sec.  if you like dry, try brut.  simple enough.  don't know why it took me so long to figure out... 

some of my personal faves.  don't worry - they're all under $15 a bottle.  yay!

cupcake prosecco - ok, so it's not actually a champagne because only grapes grown in champagne, france can actually make champagne, but it's bubbly none-the-less.  and delicious.  we had it at my sister's birthday dinner at this adorable restaurant last friday, and we all agreed the wine was delish!  i would say it would fall in the extra dry/extra sec category.  you can find it for around $9/bottle : )

martini & rossi asti spumante - so so so good.  perfectly sweet (probably in the demi-sec category) and very smooth.  great with chocolate covered strawberries...hint, hint.  you can find it for around $12/bottle.  not bad, eh?

korbel brut champagne - for those with drier preferences.  korbel is a great stand by for parties.  it's not expensive, but it has a good name and is always reliable when it comes to delivering a good quality bubbly.  you can find it for $14/bottle.

picture credit {here}

so there you have it.  i know i'll definitely put this new knowledge to good use when buying champagne...which we probably won't have to do for a while considering we have about a dozen bottles in the house.  (a lot of lovely engagement gifts.)  good thing i LOVE it!

cheers!  any cheap/good bottle recommendations?


what other fabulousness is coming up this month?  check it out {here}.

february fun awaits : )

picture credit {here}

february is brought to you by martini rossi champagne & the color red <3  check out all the amazingly awesome lifestyle maven posts to come this month.

• bubbly goodness : ) champagne = wine of the month
• feb 2nd – ground hog’s day
• table for two and other date night ideas
• feb 3rd – chinese new year (year of the rabbit)
• simple, sensual, sumptuous: romantic menu for two
• feb 6th – super bowl sunday
• sweetheart cocktail – drink of the month
• what are you saying – what’s your ideal <3 day?
• thoughts on LOVE
• feb 14th – valentine’s day
• lovely blog of note
• for the love of chocolate
• feb 21st – presidents’ day
• sinful chocolate cake recipe (it’s sinfully delicious…)
• winter weather – photos of the month
• feb 24th – mom’s birthday : )
• return to the mat

question of the month:  what's your ideal valentine's day?  romantic dinner for two?  homecooked meal?  boy-bashing with your girls?....

change is a-brewin'

like the new header?!  designed it myself : )

since the start of the new year, i’ve been dreaming up (and getting ready to put into action) some exciting changes for my blog (and my life).  but before we delve into those…full disclosure – my ultimate goal is to make a full time living from my blog.  i love, more than anything, to share my lifestyle ideas and recommendations, and i’ve finally come to realize (or maybe, finally come to accept) it’s my true calling.  it keeps me up at night thinking.  makes my stomach leap with excitement.  has me jotting notes and ideas down non-stop.  and energizes me in a way that few other things can.  lucky for me, i’ve already begun to build the foundation, and thanks to you, my mini mavens, i’ve received invaluable support and feedback.

picture credit {here}

so, what catalyst has me so gung-ho to pursue my dreams and live my passion? i read a fantastic book in early january called crush it! by gary vaynerchuk.  it’s all about building your brand with social media, and it got my wheels turning…full force.  i started thinking about all the potential ways to grow my blog and expand my brand, and i’m psyched.  for the first time in my life, i feel totally on track, inspired, focused and ready.  like everything’s been leading up to this point.  i’ve been on a precipice, waiting for my parachute, and i’m finally ready to jump.  i realize now, i don’t need a parachute…i’ll grow wings instead.

picture credit {here}

with growth comes change.  good change.  fun change.  and necessary change.  starting february 1st, lifestyle maven, is going to become a fabulous blog/magazine (a blogazine if you will) replete with essential, motivational and entertaining lifestyle advice and information.  at the beginning of each month, i’ll provide a teaser of what’s in store – so you know what to look forward to. monthly features will include menu of the month full of delicious recipes, party ideas and date night suggestions, healthy living advice & fitness info, expert interviews to get the latest lifestyle tips & trends, wine of month, blog/blogger of note, photo of the month and much, much more!  in addition to these monthly features, there will be tons of other special topics that will crop up from time to time such as fashion & style, interior design & décor, travel, wedding planning, giving back, book reviews and giveaways to name a few : )

starting february 1st, lifestyle maven is taking it to a whole new level.  are you excited yet?  i am.  get ready. awesomeness awaits.

credit {here}

black bean cakes

black bean goodness

craig and i have been attempting to do carb-free dinners.  i tend to subsist on carbs, so the transition has given me a much needed daily reprieve from my cereal, oatmeal, rice, pasta, bread lifestyle.  in my ongoing attempt to be creative in the kitchen, i made black bean cakes last night...and they turned out pretty good : )  so, i thought i'd share the recipe in case any of you want a crab-free evening!

black bean cakes (for two)

1 small onion, chopped
1/4 red pepper, chopped
1 tbsp garlic, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 15oz can black beans, rinsed
salt & pepper

chopped peppers

1. saute onion, pepper and garlic in 1 tsp olive oil until softened and lightly browned.  season with salt & pepper.

2. mash all but 1/3 cup black beans and add 1/2 of onion/pepper mixture (reserve other 1/2 for topping).

3. toast the reserved 1/3 cup beans in 1 tsp olive oil  for a few minutes (season with salt, pepper and additional garlic if you want).

4. add toasted beans to mashed beans/onion/pepper mixture.  form patties - you should be able to get approximately 8 small cakes.

5. saute cakes in remaining olive oil over medium heat for a few minutes on each side until browned.  season with more salt & pepper.  (beans can be bland, so be sure to "layer in" seasonings.)  fyi: cakes will be soft (like mashed potato texture) with a thin crispy shell.

dinner time.  come and get it!

serve over chopped romaine and top with curry sour cream and remaining onion/pepper mixture.
feeling crazy?  also top with chopped pickles.  they add a great salty crunch!

yum!

for you health nuts out there: 75 calories/cake.  oh yeah, and they're vegan!

st. germain & vodka cocktail

weekend in a drink: episode 1



this is one of my favorite cocktails, as you probably know by now.  let me know if you love it as much as i do : )

1 shot vodka
1 shot st. germain
topped with champagne
citrus of your choice

prepare for amazingness to ensue...

egg cups

baked egg cups : )

last night i made a super easy (and yummy) dinner for craig and me.  these delicious little egg cups are perfect for breakfast or dinner and are so simple to prepare.

what you'll need...

1 muffin tin
6 eggs
6 slices of cold cuts (turkey or ham)
1/2 small onion
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 slice sharp provolone
cooking spray or olive oil mister
salt & pepper

assembling the cups

1. preheat oven to 375
2. chop onion and saute in olive oil.  add garlic.  season with salt & pepper.
3. spray 6 muffin cups with oil or cooking spray to prevent sticking (fill unused cups 1/3 of way with water).
4. line sprayed cups with slices of cold cuts and crack 1 large egg into each lined cup.
5. season with salt & pepper and then top each cup with spoonful with onion/garlic mixture.
6. divide butter and provolone evenly and top each cup.
7. bake for approximately 15 minutes until tops are lightly browned, but yolks are still a little runny.
8. enjoy!!!  (fyi...you may need to loosen edges with a knife for easy removal from muffin tin.)

butter & provolone

serving size suggestions:  1 cup makes for a terrific breakfast with a slice of toast or bagel.  if you're making them for dinner serve with roasted veggies, baked rice or salad - i would eat 2, craig would eat 3 to give you an idea : )

top with butter & cheese

(and for you health nuts out there, they're only 125-150 calories per cup.)

california gurls

santa monica pier

we’re back from our whirlwind tour of the city of angels. we managed to experience about a week’s worth of activities in just a quick 3 days. having never been to LA (or california for that matter), the most welcome element of the trip was the weather reprieve. it was consistently 70 and sunny. a nice break from snowy, 20 degree bucks county, pa.

hollywood walk of fame

besides reveling in the sunshine, we walked the hollywood walk of fame and took pictures of the hand prints outside grauman’s chinese theater. enjoyed a golf-cart tour of fox studios where amy (our LA hostess) works. and made sure to see the hollywood sign, then proceeded to drive up the hillside to see the houses (and the view). amazing. with santa monica as our home base, we were able to walk to both venice beach (and muscle beach) and also the santa monica pier. a lovely walk, but my feet were killing me because of the new flip-flops i was sporting. (for some reason, even though i knew the projected weather forecast, i still packed as if i wouldn’t see the sunshine…)

sunset!!!

saturday afternoon we attended a “jersey shore” party and enjoyed hours and hours of foot-soaking goodness as we dipped our toes in the hot tub. our last full day found us hiking up a hill (or was it a mountain?) to enjoy breathtaking vistas of snow-capped mountains, downtown LA, the coastline and catalina island. gorgeous. afterwards, us girls enjoyed an abbreviated afternoon at universal studios, while craig stayed back to watch the jets v. pats game. after a handful of rides at universal, we jumped back into the car to make it to the santa monica beach by sunset. i had never seen a west coast sunset before. o. m. g. stunning.

in between the “must-sees”, we talked (ate), laughed (ate some more) and caught-up on what’s going on with everyone.

sunset over the pier

here are some of the lesser known attractions that really made our trip. (as usual, many are food-related):

1. urth caffe. a fabulous little bistro in santa monica that looks like it was plucked off the mediterranean coast. if you ever find yourself at urth, here’s what to order. small cappuccino, americano style, strong. Honestly the best cappuccino (and foam) of my life. and the bread pudding. original with caramelized bananas. delish!


cappuccinos at urth caffe

2. alibi room. awesome little bar with great food. amy took us there for korean tacos. don’t ask, just go. what to order: korean tacos (you can pick from short ribs, pork or chicken) i got the chicken, but I hear the short ribs are amazing too. and the sweet-chili chicken quesadilla. so so so good. yum.

3. topanga state park. fun, relatively easy hike through the santa monica mountains. the hike up to the lookout takes about a ½ hour, so it’s very manageable : ) and the vistas are totally worth the exertion, don’t worry. 

view from summit at topanga state park

4. diddy riese. totally cool ice cream sandwich place. yes, you read right…ice cream sandwich. you pick your two cookies and your ice cream, and they create a custom ice cream treat. and they only cost $1.50 each!!! i don’t know how they do it, but if you’re in the area, GO! what did i get? cookies ‘n cream ice cream sandwiched between one oatmeal raisin cookie and one white chocolate chip cookie. the cookies were soft, chewy and warm, and the ice cream was cool and creamy. utter perfection.  (oh, and if you check out their website, you can design your fave concoction.  but unfortunately they do not ship...)

awesome trip with awesome friends.

craig & me at sunset