fig & arugula bruschetta

today is a very special day. yes, fig and arugula bruschetta is pretty freaking fantastic, but that is not the only reason that today is special. september nineteenth so happens to be my lovely husband's birthday. and today, we celebrated the way any good, hard working man and his wife should. by lounging about, relaxing and watching day long football coverage as we prepare for our head to head fantasy football battle this week. 

it is our seventh year of celebrating birthdays together and it is hard for me to believe how much has changed. when we met, he had a crazy roommate who inexplicably made wes's french press vanish and i lived with my parents. he worked a regular old nine to five job at a construction company that sold concrete and i was a customer service coordinator for a surf company. 

the first night we met, i gave him a long lecture about how he should be doing something that he loved, not just a job. i didn't then realize i was also talking to myself. and more than that, i had no idea that what we loved would end up being making food together. and yesterday, to ring in another year of wesley, we enjoyed this sweet and tangy bruschetta dish in our tiny garden with a crisp glass of wine and our cat by our side. this dish is a true celebration. 

fig + arugula bruschetta
serves: 2 as a snack or 4 as an appetizer
prep time: 5 minutes
active time: 10 minutes
total time: 15 minutes
ingredients: 5 black figs, cut into eighths. 1 small shallot, thinly sliced. .25 cup arugula, roughly chopped. 1 garlic clove, minced. 1 tbs olive oil. juice of 1 lemon. 1 tsp kosher salt. 12 .5 inch thick cut baguette slices. 1 tsp balsamic glaze. 

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start by preheating your oven to 375 degrees f. if you are using a toaster oven instead, just set it to lightly toast. 

combine the juice of the lemon, the shallots and half the salt in a small bowl. 

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in a medium bowl, combine the figs, remaining salt, garlic and the arugula and set aside. 

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then, toast your bread in the oven for 5-7 minutes till lightly toasted. 

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after your bread has toasted, add the shallots and any remaining lemon juice to the fig mixture.

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add in the olive oil and lightly toss. 

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top each piece of bread with a healthy scoop of fig mixture. 

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place the bruschetta on a serving platter and drizzle with balsamic glaze. 

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serve and enjoy. 

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xo, a

fig + arugula bruschetta
serves: 2 as a snack or 4 as an appetizer
prep time: 5 minutes
active time: 10 minutes
total time: 15 minutes
ingredients: 5 black figs, cut into eighths. 1 small shallot, thinly sliced. .25 cup arugula, roughly chopped. 1 garlic clove, minced. 1 tbs olive oil. juice of 1 lemon. 1 tsp kosher salt. 12 .5 inch thick cut baguette slices. 1 tsp balsamic glaze.
start by preheating your oven to 375 degrees f. if you are using a toaster oven instead, just set it to lightly toast. combine the juice of the lemon, the shallots and half the salt in a small bowl. in a medium bowl, combine the figs, remaining salt, garlic and the arugula and set aside. then, toast your bread in the oven for 5-7 minutes till lightly toasted. after your bread has toasted, add the shallots and any remaining lemon juice to the fig mixture. add in the olive oil and lightly toss. top each piece of bread with a healthy scoop of fig mixture. place the bruschetta on a serving platter and drizzle with balsamic glaze. serve and enjoy. 

friyay happy hour: lilikoi margarita

in my yoga classes this week, the themes have all been about inventory. and right now, i'm completely hung up on my inventory, so i'm going to just carry that theme right on over to today's blog post. 

don't worry, i don't mean the physical inventory of your pantry. this post isn't a recommendation to clean out your actual cabinets. not that that is a bad idea if you have some free time. but i digress. 

no, i'm talking about your own PERSONAL inventory. we are quickly approaching the last quarter of twenty-seventeen and how better to prep for a new year than with inventory? personal inventory doesn't just mean your personal life. it is time to take a physical inventory of your body, inventory of your relationships, your mind, your schedule and of course, your liquor cabinet. 

and i'm practicing what i preach. this week i took a serious personal inventory. for the last six months i've been spinning my wheels, trying to grow a trio of new businesses, develop a whole host of both business and personal relationships and giving of myself physically and mentally in pretty much every aspect of my life. 

now that i've taken inventory, it is time to put the stuff that is not moving on sale and reorder the good stuff. i've decided that after this margarita, i'm starting to implement some serious adjustments of my inventory. more yoga. less driving. working smarter, not harder. more family and friend time and less time spinning my wheels at jobs that aren't lucrative monetarily or mentally. 

now it is your turn. pour yourself this lilikoi (passionfruit) margarita and start to work on your inventory. having trouble finding actual inventory of lilikoi? try your produce store as they are currently in season. i've even seen them at my local vons. neither of those places worked? ask the produce guy at your local market to order you some or hit the local farmer's market. 

lilikoi margarita
serves: 1 cocktail
prep time: 3 minutes
active time: 1 minute
total time: 4 minutes
ingredients: 2 oz tequila blanco. 2 oz lilikoi (3-5 fruits depending on the size). 1 oz grand marnier. 1 tsp honey. 1 cup ice. boston shaker. glass for serving. 

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start by filling your shaker with the ice. pour in the lilikoi.

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add in the tequila and grand marnier. 

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pour in the honey. 

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using the honey spoon, give everything a good stir and getting the last of the honey off the spoon. shake well for 30 seconds to a minute till frothy. 

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pour the whole contents of the shaker into your serving glass. 

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serve and enjoy! 

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xo, a

lilikoi margarita
serves: 1 cocktail
prep time: 3 minutes
active time: 1 minute
total time: 4 minutes
ingredients: 2 oz tequila blanco. 2 oz lilikoi (3-5 fruits depending on the size). 1 oz grand marnier. 1 tsp honey. 1 cup ice. boston shaker. glass for serving.
start by filling your shaker with the ice. pour in the lilikoi. add in the tequila and grand marnier. pour in the honey. using the honey spoon, give everything a good stir and getting the last of the honey off the spoon. shake well for 30 seconds to a minute till frothy. pour the whole contents of the shaker into your serving glass. serve and enjoy!