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Whenever my husband – forevermore after this post simply referred to as Mr. DeMatos- goes out to dinner, on a vacation, or over someone’s house, he always pays extra attention to the cuisine. When we went on our cruise last season, Mr DeMatos and I became especially enamored with the mushroom soup that was being served in the French restaurant on the boat. We tried to collect the recipe for this delicious soup from the wait staff and the maitre’d, from a google search, and from cruise forums – but we had no luck finding it. Of course, we did not give up.
Now, I believe in life that every person has small unique gifts that make them extra special – like me, I can always pick the most delicious restaurants, and my husband, he can always pick the most delicious dish served in those restaurants. And the craziest thing – at least to me – is that after my husband consumes a dish, he is then able to remember the flavors and reconstruct those flavors in his kitchen … so that is what we attempted. Changes were made – like roasting the mushrooms to add a smokier flavor – and who knows if we used the appropriate types of mushrooms or if the recipe we created is even close to the original … all I know is that this soup is delicious AND in my opinion is even better than the original.
Roast mushrooms at 350˚ for 20 minutes in a pan – covered with foil. Remove foil and roast for another 15 minutes. Take the mushrooms out of the oven and set aside.
Whenever it gets a little snowy in New Jersey, some people cuddle up next to a fire and read, some find a new series on Netflix and blow through the whole first season, and some people search through their favorite cookbook + freezer and experiment with yummy things to cook. In my house we … well we do a little bit of all three {minus the fire since we sadly do not have a fireplace} – but we mostly while away the snowy hours, warm in our kitchen, mixing up interesting combinations. Some recipes are hits and some are glorious, garbage-bound misses, but fun … fun is had by all. Our latest was a big, big hit.
Cook the spinach, onion and garlic is a large fry pan. Drain well once spinach has cooked down. Add in cheese and oregano. Stir stir stir.
Do you need to jump start your new year? Do you need to find yourself a new outlook on life? Do you sometimes wish you were alive in the 20s and 30s and 40s, sipping the bubbly out of delicate coupe glasses, experiencing the budding jazz movement in a smokey bar, surrounded by gentleman who still open the doors and pick up the check for a pretty lady? Do you enjoy reading a perfectly poetic and unexpected story, one that you cannot put down until the very end and then even at the end you long for just a little more, just one more sentence. Dear friends, then run … do not walk, to the nearest book store and pick up this gem of a tale, namely the ‘Rules of Civility’.
There has been a severe lack of posting here on Wonderpug Graphics. I know, I know … but this has happened resulting from two main events:
1. Site Update: I have been working to update the look, feel, flow and functionality of the site. I wanted my blog and my portfolio site to be incredibly more integrated. And I wanted the look and feel to more directly relate to my own personal and ever-changing design aesthetic. This, of course, meant a ton of work on my end and took eons longer than I expected. PS> While we are on the topic – what do you think about the changes?
2. New Opportunities: I have recently started a new job, and you know how that goes. First you have to make the decision to leave the old job. Then you have to deal with the fallout from everyone around you who has an opinion about you leaving said old job – whether it be good or bad. Then you need to reconfigure your whole life to work within the new job schedule and needs. And the whole time you need to be able to sit alone with yourself and be able to honestly say, ‘I have made the right decision.’
My most favorite season is fall. I love the weather, the sweaters, the falling leaves, the colors, the smells – I love fall. Turns out, so does my Frankers. Go outside friends, take a walk … that is where you can find Frank and I, ever chance we get.
Wonderpug fans – Sephora’s annual Friends & Family sale is happening RIGHT NOW! This is a great opportunity to try out some of the products I’ve mentioned in my guest column, especially because this is one of the rare times that Sephora offers any type of blanket coupon code or to order some makeup to create these fabulous sephora Halloween looks!
STEP 1: First, make a decision … do you wish to be a character of smut or substance? If you are going the slut route, just do what every other slut-costumee does – go to Fredrick’s of Hollywood, buy the littlest negligee you can acquire, stick some sort of ears on your head, call it a day. However, if you wish to dress up as something a little more substantial this Halloween season, then hang around a bit longer.
STEP 2: Search through your closet. Believe me, there are some gems to be found. Don’t believe me do you? I brought proof all ye of little faith. These lovely ladies below rifled through their closets, used a little imagination, and created some really fabulous homemade costumes that are both affordably chic and insanely unskanky. I think my favorite is Jessica’s ‘Rosie the Riveter’, although Breanne’s ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ getup comes in a very very very close second.
