Introducing the FORAGE girls: ALICIA

Because the shop is located in a small downtown with a strong sense of community, I often times find myself getting very close to our regulars...and eventually, before you know it, we're friends. It's one of the best parts of the job. BUT-it doesn't matter how close we become, there are probably a few things you'd never know about me. So, read on and see if you find out anything interesting or surprising! And check back tomorrow to see what secrets Cristina will be divulging here on the FORAGE blog.

recipe friday at FORAGE: SUMMER MEXICAN TORTILLA SOUP

Summer weather showed up this week with little to no warning. The heat caught me off guard resulting in a switch up in dinner cravings. In addition to the upper 80 temps happening outside, my reluctance to turn on our jet-engine-loud window units, and it being a Thursday night, I knew I wanted to make something fast and light...but without skimping on flavor. (cause ain't tastiness the only reason to eat anything? Ever?) So, I gathered some ingredients and threw them all in a pot. The result? Summer Mexican Tortilla Soup! It's tangy, thanks to the limes; hearty without being dense, thanks to the rice; and chock full of healthy, summery veggies. It involves hardly any prep since I used mostly pre-made ingredients, and it's super fast and makes enough for seconds, thirds...and lunch the next day.

INGREDIENTS:
rotisserie chicken
1 box yellow Spanish rice
48 oz chicken broth
4 limes
16 oz tomato salsa
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup frozen corn
crushed tortilla chips
monterey jack cheese
sour cream
chopped cilantro
avocado

1. Cook rice according to the directions on the box. I use Goya.

2. Shred the rotisserie chicken. (I love a rotisserie chicken! $5, perfectly cooked, and loaded with flavor.)

2. Pour the chicken broth and salsa into a large pot and bring to a boil. Go ahead and squeeze the juice from all 4 limes in there.

3. Add peas, corn, chicken, and cooked rice to pot. Give it a stir to incorporate everything, and let it simmer for 5 minutes while everything heats through. If you're like me, you like a thicker soup. I let everything boil until some of the extra liquid evaporated.

 4. Put it in a bowl, garnish it up, eat it all! (I forgot to cut up my avocado, but I know that buttery green goodness would have been a delicious addition!)

XO,
A.

Introducing the Forage girls: Megan

We recently put together this little questionnaire as a sort of non-traditional introduction of all the FORAGE girls to the blog. Today we hear from Megan, who is currently coming out of a near-death allergic coma. Come back Monday to see Alicia's answers!

Megan's May Playlist

Justin Timberlake, Let the Groove In
Lana del Rey, Young and Beautiful
Passion Pit, Carried Away
Tame Impala, Elephant
Local Natives, Airplanes
Taylor Swift, Stay
Brandon and Leah, Showstopper
The Head and the Heart, Down in the Valley

happy hour friday at FORAGE: anniversary punch

We're big on birthdays, anniversaries and holidays here at FORAGE -- we're never ones to miss an occasion to celebrate!  Wednesday was beaucoup vintage's 3rd anniversary and while bv no longer exists in its physical form, we cheers'd to my first biz venture anyway. I texted Alicia at 2:30 to ask if she'd be down for a cocktail before our mid-week shift change (she gets mornings, I get afternoons) and   she said yes (duh) so I threw together a cocktail before running out of the house. It turned out surprisingly well (we continued to text about it that evening. Alicia: "Remember that cocktail you made us at 3pm today?" Me: "Yes, I remember it." Alicia: "I've been thinking about it.")

I plan on posting cocktail recipes here on the reg since cocktails are something we drink on the reg. Here's the first!

Anniversary Punch (makes 2 cocktails)
1 handful fresh blueberries
1 tablespoon sugar
Juice from 1/2 a lemon
14oz lemonade
3oz vodka
Splash of blueberry lemon sparkling water
Sprigs of fresh mint
Ice

Macerate the blueberries in a small bowl with the sugar and lemon juice until the berries are just smashed and the juice and sugar have become incorporated.

Fill 2 mason jars with ice. Add 7 oz lemonade and 1.5 oz vodka to each jar. Add a couple spoonfuls berry mixture to each jar and screw the lids on to the jars. Shake well.

Re-open the jars and add the sparkling water and mint to the top of the jars. Add a straw and enjoy!

What's in my bag - FORAGE girl edition (Cristina)

Bag: American Apparel Cotton Clutch

Ever wonder what's inside a FORAGE girl's bag? Well here it is...

1. Iphone:  I rarely am without it, and spend a little too much accessorizing it.  Picture above is my Rabito Iphone case in pink.  The case is adorable and super handy!  It's fluffy tail isn't just for looks, but it acts like a stand as well.

2. Hair Tie:  I think it's always important to have hair ties on hand, you never know when you may need to tie your hair up into a quick top knot.

3. Tom Ford Sunnies:  I've had these since they came out and they're still my all time fav sunnies since they go with every outfit.

4. Korres Lip Butter in Plum:  If you haven't tried this stuff, you definitely should.  It gives your lips a fair amount of color while moisturizing your lips.

5. Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray:  This stuff is amazing!  Just spray a couple of pumps in your hair and you suddenly have tousled beach hair.  It also provides some volume which is great for those with hair on the thinner side.

6. Solid perfume:  I purchased this solid perfume at Anthro not too long ago and I love it! It smells just like honey.

7.  Missoni for Target Hair Pins:  It's always a good idea to keep hair pins in your bag, just in case and these are so cute!

8. Hand Sanitizer: Predictable I know, but it's totally a necessity.

whurk photo shoot outtakes

It isn't hard to get great shot after great shot when you've got a talented photographer, photogenic friends and the bubbly is flowing. It just isn't hard to look like you're having fun when you're having fun.

Stay tuned - these photos are only part one of this photo shoot. FORAGE friend and filmmaker, Ryan Poe, is also turning this party into a video look book, set to be released in late spring!