Grilled & Marinated Eggplant

If you like eggplant, you will love this recipe, & if you hate eggplant, this will likely convince you it can taste amazing,  Forget the soggy, gritty texture you probably associate with eggplant, this recipe is grilled dry, marinated, & served cold for eggplant perfection.This recipe needs to marinate for 2-3 hours so make sure you make it early :)


You will need:

1/2 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

2 tablespoons drained capers

1 medium garlic clove, peeled and sliced

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Sicilian

1/4 teaspoon minced peperoncini or red pepper flakes

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 medium eggplant (3/4 pound), peeled and sliced about 1/3" thick

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1: Finely chop the parsley with the capers and garlic. Add the oregano and peperoncini and chop everything together. Put the mixture in a bowl, stir in the oil, & season with salt and pepper.

2: Preheat your BBQ until smoking hot. Grill the eggplant until well marked (3-6 mins) then flip and cook for another 3 mins.  Remove from grill.  Do not put any oil or salt on the eggplant before grilling.

3: Dip Eggplant slices in balsamic vinegar, and place in a dish with 1/3 of the marinade spread around in the bottom.

3: Keep layering the eggplant & marinade mixture until all your slices are covered.  Cover in plastic wrap and marinate at room temperature for 2-3 hours before serving.  Enjoy!

Rhubarb Ginger Bars

I decided to do some baking this afternoon, to try and chase my rainy blues away. These bars are delicious and easy to make, use any kind of jam or preserves you like :)

You will need:

Bars:

1.5 cups butter (at room temperature)
3/4 cups brown sugar
3/4 cups white sugar
3.5 cups all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1.5 cups jam (your choice)

Icing (optional):

1.5 cup icing sugar
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1: Preheat oven to 325 degrees

2: In a medium mixing bowl, beat butter and sugars together until smooth

3: Mix in salt & vanilla.  Slowly mix in all the flour until you have a crumbly mixture that can be formed.

4: Press 1/2 the dough into a greased baking dish (mine is 9.5" x 13")

5: Bake dough for about 20-25 mins untill edges start to brown.  Form the other 1/2 of dough into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap.  Chill in the fridge while the base is browning (this will make for a more crumbly texture on the top).

6: Stir your jam before using to smooth it out a bit.  Spread jam evenly over your base & crumble the other 1/2 of your dough on top (do not press).  Bake for about 30 mins.

7: When bars are done, remove from oven and sprinkle with powdered sugar or drizzle your icing on top. 

8:  Let cool for at least 30 mins before serving & enjoy!

I hope you all enjoyed this 1st recipe post, brought to you by instagram :)

Sunday Blues

{Skirt: Spank, Shirt: H&M, Shoes: Value Village} Pics: Sam

Happy Fathers Day to all the Dads, & Happy Car Free Day!

This Time Using Electric

{Pants & Shoes Value Village, Purse: KGB @ Winners, Wallet: Spank, Shirt: Zellers, Sweater: H&M: Garage Sale} Pics: Sam

Like many women I have an obvious purse obsession, with more bags than I could ever need for any given situation.  My name is Helen and I am a purse-aholic.  I recently found this gem at winners for $30, and it's especially funny because I was searching for a neutral purse, and ended up with this show-stopper.  The thing about neon colours is sometimes they are so bright, they become neutrals, especially when it comes to bags. Its amazing the number of outfits this purse seems to be the perfect compliment for, its almost as if we were meant to be.
Speaking of meant to be, how legit is this wallet/bag combo?  I know, its awesome.  We'll have to discuss my wallet addiction another day...

Happy Weekend!! Get Pumped:

Trending: High-Waisted Pants

{Top: Spank, Pants, Belt, & Shoes: Value Village} Pics: Sam

Today I'm back from a brief hiatus to debate a controversial fashion trend: the high-waisted pant. I have heard many complaints from people (mostly male) about this trend, and while I completely understand, I still cant help but indulge.  The benefits of a good high-waisted pant far outweigh the drawbacks, but I do agree that there is a thin line between cute and extremely unflattering.
Once you find the right pair, these pants can be extremely versatile.  They are comfortable (just don't buy them too tight!), they wont show your underwear or worse - your butt-crack, and they can pair up with almost any shirt to create a great hourglass shape. I recognize that this trend is said to be for "skinny girls only" but I would urge anybody to try on a few pairs, you may like what you see :)

Rules for Buying High-Waisted Pants:

- Don't pick ones that are too tight around your hips (look for pockets!)
- Make sure your butt looks good! Nobody likes a saggy diaper-butt
- Avoid the hammer-pant style.  I know they are comfortable but again, the diaper-butt. 
- Make sure they hit at your natural waist, if not they may ride up and yikes! camel toe.
- Check Value Village, dont spend big $$$ if you aren't sure.
- Don't listen to the haters: always dress to please yourself :)