BIRTHDAY DAY - PICNIC AT THE BEACH

Hey Everyone! I just wanted to share a few pics from my B-Day. Spending it on the beach, was sort of an impromptu idea. You see, a friend of mine got me my favorite wine for my Birthday. I really love this light, sparkling wine, because it has the most amazing fruity and refreshing taste, with a hint of apples, pears, citrus and honeysuckle. Not to mention the pink cellophane wrapping, which makes it look so feminine and pretty! I am also a big fan of Sofia Mini, because you get the same amazing wine but in a super cute and convenient packaging, perfect for any occasion, really! And so, since the weather was absolutely spectacular, we decided to spend the day outside, and what better way to spend your B-Day then have a picnic on the beach! We had an amazing time! In fact, I would say, this was one of my favorite Birthdays ever!

As I mentioned before, my family flew in from Toronto especially for my B-Day, and since I don't get to see them often, every visit is really special. I also want to thank you for all the wonderful Birthday wishes! You guys are absolutely amazing! Reading your emails always makes my day better! Thank you very much from the bottom of my heart!

Francis Ford Coppola Sofia Blanc de Blancs | Francis Ford Coppola Sofia Mini | World Market picnic basket & table runner - sold out { very pretty similar option here } | Free People striped top - old { similar here } | J Crew sunglasses - sold out { similar here }

Thank you for reading

& Keep On Smiling,

LOVE,

Annabelle

ROSE SANGRIA RECIPE

Happy Monday, Everyone! I want to take this opportunity to share another one of my super-easy and quick recipes. As I have mentioned before, as much as I like going out to eat, I love staying in just as well. Sometimes, all you need to create a special evening is your favorite bottle of wine, something yummy to munch on and a chance to cuddle up with a great book. So, whenever I'm in a mood for such an evening, I like to grab a bottle of Sofia Monterey County Rose, a particular favorite, and make a super refreshing Sangria. Reason why I like to drink it this way, is because fresh berries help to bring out the delicate notes of strawberries, lavender, cherry, raspberry and citrus zest in this wine. So, I hope you enjoy this recipe and please let me know if you have any questions! 

INGREDIENTS:

Sangria:

1 bottle of Francis Ford Coppola Sofia Monterey County Rose

1 bottle of sparkling water

1 cup of sugar

1 cup of raspberries

1 cup of white peaches, diced

1 cup of strawberries, diced

1 lemon, juiced

2 oranges, juiced + 1 orange for garnish

Hours D'oeuvres:

1/2 cup of cottage cheese

1/2 cup of cherry jam 

1/2 cup of toasted almond

1 box of crackers or crisps

PREPARATION:

Sangria: 

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl, and stir well to help dissolve the sugar. Once you are done, refrigerate Sangria for about an hour. Next, pour the mixture into individual glasses and garnish with orange slices. 

Hours D'oeuvres:

Top each crisp with half a spoon of cottage cheese and cherry jam, garnish with almonds. 

Francis Ford Coppola Sofia Monterey County Rose | Michael Aram cheese board & knife set | Crystal bowl - old { similar here } | Pottery Barn mercury glass vase - sold out { similar here }

Thank you for reading
& Bon Appetit,
LOVE,
Annabelle

SUMMER SEAFOOD & FRUIT SALAD RECIPE

If you read my blog on the regular basis and follow my instagram, I am pretty sure by now, you all know what a huge foodie I am. LA has more than a few great restaurants and Emil and I definitely take full advantage of this, sometimes maybe a little too much :) But the truth is, as much as I love going out to eat, I enjoy staying in and cooking something fun just as well. Since my schedule gets pretty crazy, I love it when I can carve out some time just to have a quiet evening all to myself, catch up on my reading, watch something mindlessly fluffy on TV, have a glass of wine and do a little cooking. I call these evenings my "mini celebrations", sort of like a gift to myself I suppose:)

This particular seafood salad, which happens to be one of my favorites, is absolutely delicious and super easy to make. I like to pair it with Sofia Monterey County Riesling because it really brings out the flavor of this wine, especially the delicate notes of pears, apricots, white peaches, green apples and pineapple. So, I hope you enjoy this recipe and please let me know if you have any questions!

INGREDIENTS: 

4 cups of baby arugula leaves

1 pineapple

2 mangoes

1/2 Lb of fresh strawberries

1 red bell pepper

1 yellow bell pepper

1 fresh lime

1/2 Lb large shrimps 

2 table spoons of snipped fresh mint leaves + 3 or 4 leaves for garnish

4 table spoons of extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup of pecan halves

3 tablespoons of sesame seeds

coarse salt & black pepper to taste

PREPARATION:

Start by dicing pineapple, 1 mango and bell peppers into bite-size pieces and chopping strawberries in halves. Once you are done, combine diced pineapples, mango, bell peppers, strawberries, pecan halves and baby arugula leaves in a large bowl. Salt to taste. 

For the dressing, combine 1 diced mango, 2 table spoons of sesame seeds, 4 table spoons of extra virgin olive oil and 2 table spoons of mint leaves in a blender or food processor and blend until the mixture is completely smooth. 

Season shrimp with salt and black pepper to taste, grill for about 3 minutes, and immediately toss into the salad. Next, arrange the salad on a plate, drizzle with dressing and garnish with remaining sesame seeds and mint leaves. And voila, you are all done!

Calphalon immersion hand blender | Schmidt Brothers Cutlery bonded teak series knife, sold as a 7-piece set | Pier One Imports Antique Scroll dinner plate & San Marino oil bottle | Francis Ford Coppola Sofia Monterey County Riesling   

Thank you for reading
& Bon Appetit,
LOVE,
Annabelle