Dan made soup.

Last night as I laid under the covers flipping through a magazine before bed I stumbled across a recipe that excited me enough that it was all I could think about today (well almost....obviously I was thinking about other goofy things as well...but that's another story for another time). Sitting at my desk this afternoon my mind was made-up that I was going to come straight home to attempt to make what hopefully become the first of many batches of roasted red pepper & tomato soup. From scratch....even the roasting.

And while by no means is this is a food blog, I ended up impressed enough with my end results that I figured that it was worth sharing the recipe. It's not often that I stumble across a new recipe that's as fool proof as this one...that said, make sure you block off about 1-1/2 to 2 hours to make your own batch...it takes a bitta time to get everything just right! 

Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato Soup

4 red peppers (I always buy the smaller bagged ones....if they're larger, use 3)

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (buy the good stuff!)

1 cup diced sweet onion

3 cloves of garlic (or if you're like me and don't wanna go overboard with garlic-y fun, use 1/2 tsp of ready minced garlic)

1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary (chop it fairly fine)

1 28 oz can of whole or diced stewing tomatoes (grab the basic ones without added spices)

1 cup of water

1 pinch of sea salt

1 tsp of granulated sugar

So, first off, you'll want to preheat your oven to 375F. Wash your peppers, cut the tops off, discarding the seeds and inner membranes. Grab a baking sheet (or a cake pan), line with parchment paper, placing peppers cut side down. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until blistered looking.

Once your peppers are ready, you'll want to place them in a bowl (I used tongs to do this); cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap....this lets the peppers steam and loosens the skins. Leave for 20 minutes.

While your peppers are steaming, grab a large pot and heat your olive oil over medium heat. Toss in your garlic, onion and rosemary. Saute for ten minutes (ps. your place will smell amazing!), or until everything is softened. 

At this time, you'll want to peel your peppers....which can get messy....and then add to the pot, followed by your can of tomatoes, water, salt and sugar. Cover and cook on medium heat for 20-25 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Once your soup has finished cooking, you're going to want to grab your blender  (or in my case lug out your blender....I swear, I own the first blender ever made...so heavy) at which point you'll want to puree small batches (I did about a quarter of my soup per batch). 

Pour your pureed soup into bowls and serve with a drizzling of olive oil, crumpled cheese and fresh rosemary sprigs (the oil drizzle really sets it off).

Even though it took awhile, this is hands down one of the easiest recipes that I've tried as of late. In the end I think I may have ended up with about 4 decent sized servings of soup. I'm thinking the next time I make it I'll definitely double the batch.

If you're in a hurry and are starving...grab some canned soup, if you've got some time to play around (and have a chocolate bar in the freezer that you can nibble on like me....), then this recipe is so worth trying!

So after making this recipe as well as the pumpkin soup that I made last Thanksgiving, I now know that I've basically figured out pureed soups....I'm thinking it's time to crack out the slow cooker and see what sorta stew I can dream up....mmm.....stew! Something meaty, flavorful and filling (get your minds out of the gutter)!

Stew tuned! Haha.

D-


***Recipe based on the roasted red pepper & tomato soup recipe featured in the February 2012 Style at Home magazine

Weekend tunes.

It's officially the weekend! I don't know about you, but I'm more than ready for a couple days of downtime. This past week kicked my ass. So I'm more than ready for sunshine, sleeping in and singing (albeit poorly) at the top of my lungs while cruising around.

I'm looking at another jam-packed, but relaxing weekend - including a mini road trip (mini as in less than two hours in the cougar car), but a road trip none the less. And while there are times where I like to drive and just ponder, admiring the scenery and think about whatever comes to mind, more often than not I want to be listening to the perfect driving play list.

I'll be the first to admit that technology and I don't always get along - that said, I wanted to share with you some of the randomness that will hopefully be making its way onto the ol' iPod this weekend.

Without further ado, the ten most random tracks that I'll be listening to this weekend -

1. Nicola Roberts - Lucky Day

They finally let the ginger one from Girls Aloud have her own solo record. I was all over the first single, but this one is even better. Her outfit in the vid is a bit, well, lacking, but I love everything else. Roberts worked with Dragonette, one of my fave Canadian, Brit based groups to produce this track and you can tell. Its got a very 'Dragonette' (without Martin Solveg) feel to it. Definitely worth a listen! Her vocals are amazing and I love the simplicity of the track.

2. Rye Rye Ft. Robyn - Never Will Be Mine

Apparently this track has been out for a couple of months, but I just discovered it tonight. I have no idea who this Rye Rye chick is, but I love this duet that she did with Swedish superstar Robyn. Smart move on her part. 

3. Olly Murs - Heart Skips a Beat

I haven't figured out where this song is going to land on the UK charts when it's released in September. It's a departure for Murs, but a good one at that. He's got a wicked voice and the ballads were doing nothing for me. This is one of those fun songs that gets stuck in your head (in a good way). If only he'd ditch the stupid hat in the vid.

4. Jessie J - Domino

So what if it sounds like a castoff from the Katy Perry pile of fun. I love it. Jessie J sings the hell out of this song. It's the perfect late summer track - light, fluffy and with lyrics I can remember and sing along to. Something tells me that this track is going to be huge - give it a couple of months and we'll be hearing it everywhere.

5. Moses Mayes - Schmarck Attack

Sometimes a guy doesn't need lyrics to sing along to. I love everything about this track! Moses Mayes is a Winnipeg based group that I've recently stumbled across and I love a lot of their work - a fusion of funk, acid jazz, turntables and ol' skool. Also check out their track Elevate....it'll elevate you. No seriously. 

6. Andy Grammer - Keep Your Head Up

My feel good song of the summer. Plain and simple. There's something about this guy's voice that does it for me.

7. Noisettes - Don't Upset The Rhythm

This track came out a couple of years ago, but it's still one of my fave driving tracks. When the lead singer hits the chorus I get to experience what I like to call my "car commercial" moment. Seriously. If I where ever to select the track for a car commercial, this would be it. Have a listen.

8. Nicole Scherzinger - Say Yes

You can laugh all you want, but I'm totally in love with Nicole Scherzinger's solo album. She's been getting loads of attention overseas and for me, this is by far the standout track. Her voice is amazing. Total single material.

9. Pitbull Ft. Jencarlos - Tu Cuerpo

What would a play list be without at least one Pitbull track?! Pitbull in English generally annoys me (that and it doesn't matter how expensive this linen suits are, he still looks dirty), but en Espanol I love him! I heard this song a gazillion times when I was in Mexico this spring and haven't tired of it. That and whenever I'm listening to it I like to think about the time that I attempted to mimic the blond backup dancer's moves....the results weren't pretty....but that's a story for another time.

10. Kim Kardashian - Jam (This is Kardashian free blog) 

10. Sophie Ellis Bextor Ft. Junior Caldera - Can't Fight This Feeling

I still haven't figured out why my girlfriend Sophie Ellis Bextor isn't more popular. She's amazing. She's got a distinctly 'British' sounding voice which sounds wicked when paired with the best-of-the-best DJs. That and she's hot to boot. This track came out last spring....and ended being huge in Poland. Totally a driving tune. Almost as good as this track, another track of her's that only ended up being a B-Side - 

And there you have it. Ten plus random songs for your weekend listening enjoyment. See, I told you that it'd be random! But, that said it's all amazing randomness. I'd never share bad music with you.

What's on your weekend play list? Share your fave tunes! I'm always on the hunt for something new and exciting to listen to!

Wherever you are, and whatever you're doing this weekend, enjoy!

D-

Dan's do's and don't for outdoor entertaining.

Last night Mister and I had a chance to enjoy the new bistro set for the first time. Mister made his feta chicken burgers and I burnt grilled some asparagus. It was awesome to just enjoy being out in the sun and kickback after a long day in the office. 

While eating, we started talking about all of the things that we'd like to do this summer. And while we've got loads of ideas and adventures planned for the next couple of months, the one thing that we're both dying to do is entertain our friends on my deck - nothing formal, just a couple of good ol' fashioned BBQs / poker nights. This got me thinking about what goes into making a great evening outdoors and some of the do's and don'ts of making the evening enjoyable for everyone involved.

Therefore, I bring to you my official list of do's and don't for outdoor entertaining.

Do take seating into consideration. Your guests might enjoy milling around the food and drink table for awhile, but at some point they're going to want to sitdown. Consider picking up a couple of cheap folding chairs, or hit up someplace like Canadian Tire that carries folding benches that can seat two or three guest. Plus when you're done that take up little space.

http://www.mcdiarmid.com

Don't forget that it is summer and that there's mosquitos and bugs all over the place (especially if you live on the Canadian prairies). Nothing kills an evening faster having your guests sitting around swatting at mosquitos. It can be the nicest night outside but if your guests are being eaten alive don't expect your party to go into the wee hours of the morning. 

There are several options available - from candles and torches, to electric zappers or fogging a few days before your event. It's worth the time, energy and extra coin to do so. Your guests will thank you.

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com

Do invest in plastic or acrylic dinner and serving ware. While I love my friends to death, there are few that can be a bit clumbsy from time to time (or after they've had a few glasses of wine), so I'm definetly investing in some acrylic stemware this summer to prevent breakage of my good stemware.

There are loads of options available at a number of different price points. I'll be hitting up my local Real Canadian Superstore for some tumblers and also some wine glasses. They look awesome and I can continue pouring drinks without worrying about cleaning up glass shards later in the evening.

http://www.houseandhome.com

Don't forget about lighting options for when it gets dark. Have you ever tried playing cards in the card? It's not that easy is it? If your space comes equipped with exterior light fixtures, consider putting in a stronger wattage of bulb for the evening of your event - it can easily be switched out to a lower wattage unit for when you don't want to see every square inch of your space. Also, consider adding accent lighting to your space to create a more intimate feel. It seems like each season retailers are coming up with more and more options for great outdoor accent lights - everything from lanterns and rope lights to candles, lamps and chandeliers that can be used with tealights.



http://3.bp.blogspot.com



And while there are loads of amazing pieces out there that you can spend oodles of money on, there are also some great ideas that are very inexpensive. Paper lanterns with battery powered tealights can be had for under a couple of dollars each, tealights that you can place in glass juice tumblers that you already have are a dime a dozen. Or consider something unique and different like using lightweight wire to hang clear glass canning jars from a tree or from the beams of your covered deck? This idea might take a bit of time, but who beautiful would a scene like below look at your next gathering? That and your guests will be raving about how creative you are.

http://www.narratives.co.uk

Do consider non-alcoholic drink options for those of your guests who may not drink, or those who wish to limit their alcohol intake. Most people have the usual 'mixes' out for their guests, and while this is fine and dandy, it can get a bit boring. Check around online to find different 'mocktail' recipes. Also, next time you're wandering around the supermarket pickup a sparkling water like Perrier and flavoured syrups to create Italian sodas. Or look for sodas in glass bottles or choices from abroad.

http://www.designisms.com

Don't rule out the idea of creating a themed evening. As your guests arrive throw a lei around each of their necks and let the shenanigans begin. I'm not saying that you have to go all out and come up with a whole Bollywood theme, complete with dancers, but hey, why not do something a bit out of the ordinary. Come up with some goofy centerpieces or some funky background music to keep guests moving around.

http://www.centurynovelty.com

Do make sure that you've got some great music going on - be it by bringing out the satellite radio, hooking up your iPod to a set of speakers. Some good tunes puts your guests in a relaxed mood and can help set the pace of the evening. Think about who you're entertaining and try to come up with a mix that's appropriate for them. And if all else fails and your guests have no sense of musicality at least you'll be entertained.

Don't forget to have lots of good eats! When I'm coming over to your house for a party, I want something to eat....something besides potato chips that is. Don't worry, we don't expect you to make appetizers from scratch (unless you're known for your culinary skills then chop chop....back in the kitchen you go). There are a lot of great ready-to-go options available at your local grocery; from fruit and vegetable platters to cheeses, meats, skewers, crackers, etc, etc. Keep it easy, keep it fun, keep it tasty....no strange stuff. You don't wanna scare your guests with some sorta strange idea that you found in a random dust covered cookbook that you've recently unearthed.

And lastly, do remember that you're there to enjoy yourself as well. Don't worry about everything being perfect - your guests are there to enjoy themselves and have a good time with you! Kickback, enjoy the company of your guests and most importantly bring on the food and drink!

Now let's start planning!

D-