a veg life

(posted by Emily)  **Disclaimer: I am in no way an expert wine and spirits writer. The information we are sharing today is solely based on our new-found appreciation for a good drink, following a month spent in Europe last summer!** If you want to check out my favorite expert on the subject, visit Kelly's gorgeous website --an amazing woman, and so incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about all things wine, spirits, and gourmet! So, there are many things to love about a European vacation. The sights, the smells, the food. Our particular favorite? The embrace of a good cocktail as a part of the daily routine.  To share our love of the cocktail with you, we're rounding up ten of our favorites with this latest top ten list. Salud!  Top Ten: Cocktails we love! 1) Pimms - Most of you know our time in London has firmly cemented Pimms into our regular repertoire of most-enjoyed drinks. However, if you are new around here, you should definitely try some yours...

(posted by Emily) Last week, I needed an easy dinner that would yield a decent number of leftovers. Inspired by Angie over at bumbershootdesign , who shared her own favorite Trader Joe's Hack , I decided it was time to share my own favorite meal redesign, using ingredients from our favorite grocery store. This recipe is adapted from an idea shared by Mama Pea, of Peas and Thank You. Her blog is no longer live, but you can check out her book here . Basically, we are jazzing up some jarred pasta sauce with fresh ingredients. I may have posted about this meal before, but I think it bears revisiting, because this was my most successful hack yet!  Trader Joe's products used:  2 bags Brown Rice Pasta Fusilli Marinated Artichokes 2 jars Organic Tomato Basil Marinara Charles Shaw Shiraz Fresh ingredients from home:  Red bell pepper Yellow bell pepper 2 onions Garlic Fresh basil (from the plant I bought at Trader Joe's!)  the spread I s...