Monday, November 1, 2010

WE'VE MOVED!

CHECK OUT OUR NEW BLOG SITE - http://www.narcissusblog.wordpress.com/

Please remove this site from your favourites and add the one above!

Spread the word and share the new link with all of your friends!

D.I.Y. Vanilla Extract

Vanilla extract is one of those ingredients that is used widely among bakers across every culture involved in baking. There are many varieties, but for the most part there are two types : artificial and the real kind. Our thoughts are, why even bother with store bought when you can make your own delicious vanilla extract from the comfort of your own home!

INGREDIENTS AND METHOD

2 Vanilla Pods
1 Cup of Vodka
1 Glass Jar with a tight fitting lid

1. Slice the vanilla pods down the middle, leave one tip entact so that the vanilla bean stays together

2. Place the Vanilla pods into the glass jar.

3. Pour over the vodka and shake. Store in a cool dark place and shake once a day for two months, you can then enjoy your vanilla extract!



Friday, October 29, 2010

Chanel - Our newest Addition to Our Nail Polish Famille

We have been on the hunt for the ultimate nail polish colour for fall... Guess what? WE FOUND IT!

Chanel has taken our hearts with their Fall 2010 Nail Polish Collection. The two we have trouble picking between because one is as beautiful as the other.

Go get these before they are all gone, we are sure they won't last long!

Pomellato - Italian Jewelry Design at Its Best

Pomellato is the essence of Italian design... The use of gold, rose gold and white gold mixed with semi precious stones is unique in itself.

The way the rings are set makes them look like candy, finger candy that is. Don't take a bite though we wouldn't want you to scratch your Pomellato jewels. Some of our favourites are below.






Thursday, October 28, 2010

Warm Your Insides - Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

There is nothing more comforting than a hot bowl of soup, and maybe a crostini or two (or three)! This recipe is so easy to make and is very healthy for you (especially since tomatoes contain compounds that help prevent cancer).


INGREDIENTS AND PREPARATION

2 Pounds of your favourite kind of tomato (mix different varieties, cherry tomatoes and vine tomatoes for example)

3 Cloves of Chopped Garlic (1 clove for crostini, 2 cloves for the tomatoes)

2 Cups of Fresh Basil (Torn into thumb size pieces)

Fresh Baguette, cut into crostini

1/2 Cup of Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper to Taste


1. Preheat your oven to 400° F

2. Cut up the larger tomatoes, and leave the smaller ones whole. Place them into a bowl and coat with olive oil, chopped garlic (2 cloves), basil, and salt and pepper

3. Place on a large baking dish that has a contour to it, you don't want the juices spilling all over the oven and you really want to keep as much of the juice as you can, that's what we call LOVE (you'll need it for the soup)

4. Roast the tomatoes in the oven for about 40 minutes, until they are tender and start to caramelize.

5. Place the crostinis onto a baking dish, drizzle with olive oil, 1 chopped garlic clove and salt and pepper and put aside

6. Take the tomatoes out of the oven and allow to cool slightly.

7. Place everything in a food processor and liquify until smooth (add 1/4 cup of water at a time if necessary to get the right consistency). Place into a large pot and allow to simmer for a further 5 minutes while you pop your crostini into the oven. Once the crostini are ready, so is your soup.

8. Serve and Enjoy!

Rosebud will Moisturize Leaving Lips Kissably Plump

Looking for your lips to get off the CRACKED bandwagon and onto the smooth train? Rosebud Salve can help bring out the silky nature of your lips.

Founded in 1892, the Rosebud Perfume Company has had ample time to perfect their formula, and trust us it's perfection!

You can get a set of three lip balms so sample the different flavours and fragrances they have, our favourite is the Strawberry one.

Poppa's Got a Brand New Bag - Reed Krakoff

We cannot get enough of the new luxury brand Reed Krakoff, the Creative Director for Coach. The structured lines, the mix of exotic leathers as well as classic leathers is just astounding.

We love the handbag that has a detachable clutch built right in! (Could that be a more desirable design?)