recipe: CORN & BLUEBERRY SALAD

As summer settles in, with no sign of going anywhere anytime soon, I'm finding myself craving...well, nothing. That is, until my last Jane Austen book club. Now, I'm not going to mislead anyone even a little bit. I'm a member of 2 book clubs in which I have completed 0 books. I try so hard, but restlessness wins the battle and before I know it, I'm up cleaning or DIYing or, probably more realistically, watching my summer addiction, Mistresses. (ABC, Mondays at 9.) But, despite my not having taken advantage of these great opportunities to broaden my literary arsenal, I can't quit my book clubs because the company is just too good. And at Jane Austen book club, the good company always brings even better food. This is where this week's recipe comes from. Specifically, it was made by Caroline Carver, this past book club's host. So, Caroline, if you're reading this, thank you for introducing me to this fab, summer staple!

INGREDIENTS:

6 ears corn

1 cup fresh, rinsed blueberries

1 small cucumber

1/4 cup red onion

1/4 cup cilantro

2 tbs lime juice

2 tbs olive oil

1 tbs honey

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1. Clean silks from corn and cut off kernels into a large bowl.

2. chop the red onion, cut up the cucumber and rough chop the cilantro.

3. Throw onion, cilantro, cucumber and blueberries into the bowl with the corn kernels.

4. In a small bowl, mix dressing: squeeze both sides of a lime into bowl. Add the olive oil, honey, cumin, salt and pepper. Whisk.

5. Pour over salad, gently mix to combine and cover evenly. You can definitely eat this right away, but, as with most salads, a few hours in the fridge definitely won't hurt. 

This salad is savory, sweet, crunchy, and equally full of both summer flavors and color. Enjoy!

summer window displays

Oh yeah oh yeah - we're in love with our new window displays! We wanted something graphic (and, honestly, a bit less time-consuming) to follow up our major spring floral displays so a bunch of painted cones was the natural choice. They're fun, playful and perfect for the vibe we're going for this summer.

Alicia and I have had this idea twirling around in our brains since the fall (when you work retail, you're always thinking at least 3 months ahead) but really, we owe this display to Cristina and Austen. Those girls took the basic idea we had and made it into a reality better than anything we'd expected. We wouldn't be the store we are now if it weren't for our forage girls. Maybe if we ask nicely, Cristina will do a blog post on how to create these cones (they'd be super cute as decoration for a party!).

The new displays went up on Saturday and will be up through the first week in September.

Cheers!

Megan

FORAGE styling tips

Here are a few options for those hot summer days!

Necklace: Vintage / Dress: C&C California, size small

Bag: Coach / Dress: Vintage

DIY Tassels

If you've visited us at the store, you can tell we LOVE tassels, so we decided to do a DIY on how we made them.

Supplies:

One sheet of Tissue Paper

Glue

Scissors

Step One: Fold your tissue paper in half and lay it flat like the photo above

Step Two : Start folding your tissue paper on one side.  Fold the tissue paper inward like the photo above shows.

Step Three: Once you fold your tissue paper, cut the tissue paper in half, but leave about two inches uncut on the side of the fold. 

Step Four: Unfold your tissue paper, it should look something like the photo above.   

Step Five: Cut your tissue paper into two pieces 

Step Six: Unfold one of your pieces of fringed tissue paper, and lay it flat on the table

Step Seven: Now gather your tissue paper right at the middle and twist it tightly to look like the photo below

Step Eight: Repeat Steps 6 and 7 for the other piece of your tissue paper.  Then twist both pieces of tissue paper together so that you get something like the photo above. 

Step Nine: Glue! Make a little loop, and add some glue.

And you're done!  Now you have an adorable little tassel!  Tassels are great for decorating for any occasion!

DIY Card

Here at FORAGE we are avid fans of anything DIY.  So here's a quick DIY that any can do.

Supplies:

Paintbrush

Washi Tape

Blank Card (or pre-cut Card-stock) 

Paint (any color)

Step 1:  Take your Washi Tape and create any type of pattern you want with it on your card, make sure your tape is really flat against the paper, and try to avoid any folds in the tape.

Step 2: Start Painting! 

After you painted your card, you'll probably have something that looks like the photo above. 

Step 3: Remove the tape to reveal the pattern you have created on your card!  If you have some paint that leaked under the tape (like we did), don't worry just take a bit of water and the paint you used and go over the entire card.

And there you go, now you have a one of a kind card for any occasion!  

Hope you guys enjoyed this little DIY, and keep checking back for more!

FORAGE Styling Tips

Here are some quick styling tips using clothes we currently have at the store.

Embrace BRIGHT colors this summer by wearing bright colors from head to toe as shown in the outfit on the left.  We paired a bright orange dress with a brightly patterned scarf and red bag.  If color isn't really your "thing," try wearing a bright top and pairing it with a basic color like navy or black, like the outfit on the right. 

And another styling tip, pair an oversized sheer top with a long maxi skirt for a minimal but summery look. Remember to tuck the top slightly into the skirt in order to achieve that "casual chic" look.  We also accessorized this outfit with out new giantLION beaded necklaces (seriously, they're amazing!).

Remember to stop by the store to add some great items to your wardrobe and for more styling tips, we'd love to help!

happy hour at FORAGE: watermelon sangria

I feel like sangria is one of those drinks that you don't really need a recipe to create. If you have fruit and wine and you put em together long enough, I'm pretty sure it makes sangria. This watermelon sangria is no exception but lemme tell you...it's the best sangria I've ever put together. Tastes like summer and stuff.

Ingredients:
(serves 4ish)
2 cups watermelon chunks
Handful of blueberries
2 tablespoons sugar
1 lemon, sliced
1 lime, sliced
1 apple, cut in quarters
Lemonade
1 bottle fruity white wine
Triple sec
Ginger ale, club soda, or any other carbonated beverage (I used a can of orange vanilla Polar Springs water)

Put the watermelon, blueberries, sugar and a splash of lemonade in a pitcher. Using the non-business-end a wooden spoon (like me) or an actual pestle (like a normal person), macerate the blueberries, some of the watermelon, sugar and lemonade together until the blueberries are just burst. Add in the rest of the fruit, the wine, a few splashes of triple sec and top it all off with the lemonade. Let it sit in the refrigerator for a few hours. Mix before serving; pour in glasses over ice. Top off each glass with a splash of something fizzy.