Wedding Favor of the Week

Photo Booth Favor- For this wedding, guests received mock-carnival tickets that invited them to snap lots of fun shots in a vintage photo booth. There’s no better way to remember the big day! You can find more wedding favor ideas at theknot.com.

Beauty Fix Monday: Fixx by Loren Ridinger

Fixx™ by Loren Ridinger is a line of personal care products that are solution-oriented. From crow’s feet and laugh lines to pesky gray roots and short eyelashes Fixx has you covered.

Successful. Sexy. Sophisticated.

Enhance your appearance and style with superior products with specialized ingredients that help refine and style your look.

What would you like to Fixx?  For more information go to www.beautyineveryshade.com

Wedding Cocktails:The Something Blue

According to the Victorian saying, “Something old, Something new, Something Borrowed, Something Blue…” every bride should include blue in their wedding day for good luck. You can’t get much bluer than this cocktail, although it’s something you won’t be wearing there just might be some luck in it. The Something Blue is a delicate blue drink that’s easy enough to make that it can be served at a reception, shower or rehearsal dinner and it’s eye appeal is a perfectly elegant touch to any wedding.

Ingredients:

• 2 oz Hpnotiq
• 2 oz white wine
• 1 oz Ginger ale

Preparation:

1. Build the ingredients in a Champagne flute.
2. Serve and toast to a long and happy marriage.

Great Shopping at Blue Back Square

Remember the excitement of going downtown? Where shopping was a special event? That place? It’s Back. Blue Back.

Located in exciting West Hartford, CT, Blue Back Square is a unique shopping, dining and entertainment destination with such renowned retailers as REI and Crate and Barrel as well as fabulous restaurants like The Cheesecake Factory and Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar.

While enjoying the shops and dining, why not stop over for a car show?

On Saturday, May 19th, 4-7pm in the Town Hall Parking Lot go back in time for a car show featuring classic cars from at least 25 years ago! Hosted by Blue Back Square and the Connecticut Street Legends.

Sponsored by International Auto Towing and Recovery. For more information visit ConnecticutStreetLegends.com or call 860.882.0678.

Summer Recipes: Pizza with NY Strip, Blue Cheese and Balsamic Glaze

Ingredients

Balsamic Glaze:

• 2 cups balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Steak:

• 1 (12-ounce) NY strip steak
• Canola oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Pizza
• 1/2 recipe Pizza Dough rolled into 2 (10-inch) rounds, recipe follows or 2 store-bought pizza dough
• Canola oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
• 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese (recommended: Cabrales)
• Grilled steak
• 1 bunch watercress, coarsely chopped
• Balsamic Glaze
• Shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano

Directions

For the glaze:

Bring vinegar to a boil in a small nonreactive saucepan and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced to 1/2 cup. Stir in the honey and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

For the steak:

Heat grill to high. Brush steak on both sides with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill until golden brown and slightly charred on both sides and cooked to medium-rare doneness, about 5 minutes per side. Remove from the grill to a cutting board, tent lightly with foil and let rest for 10 minutes. Slice into 1/4-inch thick slices.

For the pizza:

Heat the grill to high.

Brush both sides of the pizzas with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill until golden brown on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Remove from the grill, divide the Monterey Jack cheese over the top of each one and then sprinkle with the blue cheese. Place back on the grill, close the cover of the grill and grill until the cheese has melted, about 1 minute. Remove to a flat surface, divide the steak between each pizza, then top with the watercress Drizzle with some of the balsamic glaze and sprinkle with some of the shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Pizza Dough:

• 2/3 cup lukewarm water (105 degrees F to 115 degrees F)
• 2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus additional for oiling bowl
• 1 3/4 to 2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
• 1/4 cup finely ground yellow cornmeal
• 2 teaspoons coarse salt

In a large bowl stir together 1/3 cup water, yeast, and sugar and let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. Stir in remaining 1/3 cup water, 2 tablespoons oil, 1 3/4 cups flour, cornmeal, and salt and blend until the mixture forms a dough. Knead dough on a floured surface, incorporating as much of remaining 1/4 cup flour, as necessary, to prevent dough from sticking, until smooth about 5 to 10 minutes. Form the dough into a ball.

Lightly oil the sides and bottom of a large bowl with oil, add the dough, turn to coat in the oil, cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Gently punch the dough down and divide into 4 equal pieces. Roll each piece on a lightly floured surface into a 10-inch circle that is 1/8-inch thick. Brush off excess flour and transfer the dough to a baking sheet, cover each circle of dough with plastic wrap and continue stacking rolled out pieces on top of each other. Wrap well with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to grill.

Wedding Favor of the Week

Honey and Praline Favors- For this wedding, guests took home shimmery gold bags of two local favorites — Savannah Bee Honey and River Street Sweets’ “world-famous” pralines. Visit theknot.com for more wedding favor ideas!

Beauty Fix Monday: Motives Accessories & Tools

You don’t have to be a makeup artist to look like one.  Gorgeous makeup begins with proper application and now Motives® by Loren Ridinger gives you the tools to create a perfect, flawless look.  Start with our fabulous Foundation Brush to get smooth, even coverage all over.  Next, use our Mineral Flat Top Powder Brush to achieve that natural glow without over powdering. Now define your cheekbones by adding a touch of color with our Cheek Contour Brush.  Finally take your look from subtle to dramatic in a blink of an eye with the New Motives Angled Liner Brush.  With over 16 brushes, your look will be truly unique.

2 kits available ~ $35 and $99 ~ www.beautyineveryshade.com