Real Life Tests of Favorite Pinterest Posts

I really enjoy Pinterest, and I am a big pinner. Most of my pins are inspirational, things I find beautiful, for things I want. However, there are many pins that are of the more arts/craft/cooking kind. Things that i find interesting, projects that I would like to undertake or a great recipe to try. I realized i haven’t really applied any of them, so theres never a better time to start than the present to give some of these a try. Ill show the original pin, and my attempt to replicate it.

The Shopping Bag Wall

The original Pin

My interpretation

Thoughts on the process

I decided to go with larger frames than the original idea, because i felt it would give the wall a bigger impact. As for the bags, i decided to go for some of my favorite stores, pretty bags (and raid the old bags closet!). My current ones: Cartier, Hermes, LaDuree, Chanel, Bulgari, Tory Burch and Henri Bendel. The good thing is if i find some nice ones I can keep adding! (if you have a really good one send it my way 🙂 )

I also tested some recipes this weekend, lets see my results

Avocado, Apple & poached Salmon Soup

The Original Pinterest Post & Picture:

My Results:

The Recipe:

This is a recipe, although from Pinterest, is from my favorite new food blogger, Canelle & Vanille, and this is her recipe post which is beuatiful. The recipe for the soup is:

Serves 4

• 8 oz salmon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 ripe avocados, peeled, pit removed and diced
• 1 medium green apple, peeled, cored and diced
• 1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
• 1/4 cup diced yellow onion
• Juice of half a lemon
• 2 1/2 cups vegetable stock
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced radishes
• 1/4 cup sliced green onions
• Watercress

Season the salmon with salt and pepper. In a small saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat until warm. Submerge the salmon and let it cook slowly for 5 to 7 minutes until the outside is no longer opaque but center is still slightly pink.

Meanwhile, puree the avocados, apple, cucumber, onion, vegetable stock, salt and pepper in a blender. Adjust seasoning. It will be thick. Add more stock if desired.

Serve the soup at room temperature with the flaked salmon, radishes, green onions and some watercress leaves.

Thoughts on the process: I loved this recipe and I’m going to be doing it again for sure! its a great refreshing soup when its warm out, and you can make it very quickly! I however decided to put a little bit less avocado and more apple, because i felt that gave it a better feel (or actually maybe it is that out avocados are too big!). I also made a cucumber free version for my friend who is allergic, and that worked out great too!

Blackened Chicken & Cilantro Quinoa

The Picture from Pinterest:

My Results:

The Recipe:

Ingredients (Serves 2-3)

• 2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
• ½ Teaspoon of Paprika
• ¼ Teaspoon of Salt
• ¼ Teaspoon of Pepper
• ¼ Teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper
• ¼ Teaspoon of Onion Powder
• ¼ Teaspoon of Cumin
• 1 Teaspoon of Olive Oil
• 2 Cups of Low Sodium Chicken Stock
• 1 Cup of Quinoa
• Juice and Zest from Two Limes
• A Dash of Salt and Pepper
• 2 Tablespoons of Cilantro, chopped

Combine all the dry seasonings in a small bowl. Mix them together and then season both sides of each chicken breast.

Add the teaspoon of olive oil to a large pan or skillet. Heat the olive oil for a minute over medium/high heat. Add the chicken breasts to the pan. Cook for seven minutes on each side with the lid on.

Add the chicken stock and quinoa to a medium sauce pan. Bring to a simmer over medium/low heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for ten to fifteen minutes with the lid on, until all the stock has been absorbed.

After the chicken breasts have cooked all the way through, remove them from the pan and let them rest for seven minutes before slicing them.Add the warm quinoa to a large bowl. Toss in the lime zest, lime juice, salt and pepper, and chopped cilantro. Mix to combine.

Serve the sliced chicken breast on top of the quinoa. If you find the blackened seasoning too spicy, you can add a quick and easy avocado cream sauce to cool it down. Just place the flesh from an avocado along with two tablespoons of Greek yogurt in a food processor and puree until smooth.

Thoughts on the process: I decided to modify this recipe and only do the chicken with some rice, and without the sauce (i was already doing and avocado soup!). As for the chicken, i couldn’t find cayenne pepper and skipped it and the chicken worked out just fine! The only modification is that we had to do 10 minutes on each side for it to be properly cooked. It came out amazing, supper juicy and was liked by all!