Watermelon Sangria Recipe

A few weeks ago when I visited one of my favorite spots in NYC, Vero Wine Bar, I tried the Watermelon Sangria. It's a perfect, refreshing summer treat!

Ingredients

2 pounds of seedless watermelon, peeled and cubed plus 1/2 pound of watermelon cut into balls with a melon baller and skewered onto picks
1 bottle of white wine (preferably a sweeter wine - rose, Riesling, etc.)
5 ounces of vodka
4 ounces of Triple Sec
4 ounces of Simple Syrup
Ice

Directions

In a blender, puree watermelon cubes. Combine watermelon, white wine, vodka, Triple Sec, and Simple Syrup. Refrigerate until cold. Serve over ice and garnsih with watermelon skewers.

Photo courtesy of Tina Rupp

Roasted Tomato Soup Recipe

I love tomato soup. Follow this recipe for the best tomato soup you'll ever taste!

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds fresh tomatoes (mix of fresh heirlooms, cherry, vine and plum tomatoes)
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 large yellow onions, sliced
• 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil
  
• 3/4 of a quart chicken stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• sea salt and pepper
  

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Chop all of the tomatoes into small chunks. Spread the tomatoes, garlic cloves and onions onto a cookie sheet. Drizzle with 1/2 cup of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes, or until caramelized.

Remove roasted tomatoes, garlic and onion from the oven and transfer to a large stock pot. Add the chicken stock, bay leaves, and butter. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until liquid has reduced by a third.

Chop basil leaves and add to the pot. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth. Return soup to low heat and add cream. Serve garnished with a vine tomato and basil leaf.

NYC Restaurant Recco!

When I was a freshman in college, I went for my first real interview at Vero in New York City. I was a complete nervous wreck and could barely eat, so I just ordered a caesar salad. Not only did I land the internship, but I ordered the best caesar salad I have ever had. Since then, I have been back many times. A few weeks ago I had dinner at the new Midtown location with the amazing Tammy Golson. Every Monday, you get a free panini when you order a drink. It was a great meeting over panini's, caesar salad, and watermelon sangria. They have a ton of outdoor seating. It's a great spot to check out if you're looking for a night out in the city.

My personal recco's at Vero?

Bruschetta Trio
Classic Caesar Salad

Spinach, Olives, Roasted Tomatoes, Fontina Cumin Aioli Panini
Portobello, Balsamic Onion, Tomato, Goat Cheese Panini

Penne with Roasted Mushrooms
Braised Lamb Shank

Watermelon Sangria
Vero Lemonade
Caramel Appletini

Vero Uptown is located at 1483 2nd Avenue btw. 77th and 78th. Vero Midtown is located at 1004 2nd Avenue at %3rd Street.

Cupcake Photography Contest

My friends Jannet, Angela, and I are obsessed with cupcakes. Everywhere we go, we eat cupcakes. It's a topic of conversation every time we get together. We have a plan to someday travel the country eating cupcakes and blogging about it. A regular feature on this blog will be cupcakes - so this post is just the beginning. I can't think of a better way to spend Wellness Wednesday than by looking at (and hopefully eating!) cupcakes. This week, I want to share a cupcake contest. Baked By Melissa bakes mini-cupcakes that are to-die-for. I love their small size because you get to indulge without completely over doing it.

Baked By Melissa is running a photography contest. Take a picture with their cupcakes and you could win $500 and 100 cupcakes! Entries must be sent in by August 15. I am going on a Caribbean cruise for vacation on August 13th and am planning to bring the cupcakes with me on board and get some awesome shots to send in! This contest is the perfect excuse to indulge!

If you know of any great cupcake recipes or bakeries anywhere in the country, please let me know! There will be many more cupcake posts to come! I hope you enjoy your Wellness Wednesdays and take a little time for YOU!

photo courtesy of killahbeez.com

30 Day Shred!

A big part of Wellness Wednesdays will be exercising and living a healthy lifestyle. I will be the first to say that when my life gets busy and hectic, exercise becomes a low priority for me. One of my goals for this summer was to change that. A good friend recommended Jillian Michaels 30-Day Shred DVD to me for workouts on rainy days. I love to hate it. It's a a tough workout but it really gets the job done in a short amount of time. Each of the three workouts on the DVD are made of up quick circuits of Strength Training, Cardio, and Abs. Each workout lasts only 20 minutes, but it's non-stop. There are no breaks.

Whatever your workout routine, make sure that it is a priority! Happy Wellness Wednesday!

Vodka Cream Pasta

Happy Wellness Wednesday!

One of my favorite things to do when I'm not working is to cook. I'm not a huge meat eater, so most of the recipes I will share with you will be meat-free. One of my favorite comfort foods is Vodka Cream Pasta! I love that this recipe makes a ton of sauce, which is perfect to dip a flaky piece of bread in.

Vodka Cream Pasta

Cook Time: 30 minutes
Yields: 4 Servings

Ingredients:

-2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
-1 tablespoon of butter
-3 cloves of garlic, minced
-3 shallots, minced
-1 cup of vodka
-1 cup of chicken stock
-1 can of crushed tomatoes (28 ounces)
-1 small can of tomato paste
-16 ounces of penne rigate
-1/2 cup of heavy cream
-15 leaves of basil
-Course salt and pepper
-grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
-One baguette (optional)

Directions:

Heat a large skillet over moderate heat. Add oil, butter, garlic, and shallots. Gently saute shallots for 5 minutes. Add vodka to the pan. Reduce vodka by half, for about 3 minutes. Add 3/4 of a cup of chicken stock, tomatoes, and tomato paste. Bring sauce to a light boil and reduce heat to simmer. Season with salt and pepper.If you like a thinner sauce, add the remaining 1/4 cup of chicken stock. If you like a thicker sauce, discard the remaining chicken stock.

While sauce simmers, cook pasta in salted boiling water until cooked to al dente.

Stir cream and basil into sauce. When sauce returns to a bubble, remove it from heat. Drain pasta. Place a serving of pasta and a serving of sauce into a frying pan over medium-low heat. Toss the pasta and sauce together and continuously mix until the sauce gets thick, about 3 minutes. This will cause the sauce to stick to the pasta. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese and crusty bread.

Enjoy!

Very Truly Yours,

Welcome Back!

Welcome back to the new and improved As You Wish WEDding blog! I have made some changes to the look of the blog as well as the content. I thought long and hard, talked to many people, and I think you'll really enjoy what I have to deliver.

One of the traits of being a successful wedding planner is the ability to plan out every last detail but also to be incredibly spontaneous and flexible. This new blog will be a physical representation of that. There will be some structure and things you can count on, but there will also be a ton of spontaneous items thrown in. Here is what you can count on:

Money Saving Mondays - Especially in these economic times, funds are tight. I am going to share with you some tips and tricks to save you money throughout your planning process. There are ways you can - and SHOULD - save money with budgets big and small.

Wellness Wednesdays - Whether you are a wedding pro, a busy bride, or anything in between, we all need to take a step back from the planning and just relax. As a business owner this is something I have struggled with. There is always another contract to review or an email to answer. As a bride, there is always another invitation to send or favor to assemble. Each Wednesday I will share a non-wedding related item that helps me relax. From great wines, to the newest handbags, to travel recommendations, I'll provide a ton of excuses to break away from the stress and indulge in something incredible.

Fun Find Fridays - I am exposed to fantastic new ideas and items in the wedding industry every day. Some don't fit into the themes of anything I am working on, but it may fit into what you are planning and they are just TOO GOOD to keep to myself.

In between all of this, I will answer reader questions and always keep you up to date on everything that is going on at As You Wish!

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading. Please subscribe to my blog so that you can be notified when exciting, new things are posted. As always, any feedback you have is always welcome!

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Very Truly Yours,