ono-ono dressing

i've been trying to be a bit more creative in the kitchen these days. over the last month i've attempted at least one new recipe each week, with varying degrees of success. i find that salad dressing recipes are super easy to make, and usually i'm quite pleased with the result.

tonight, i made the ono-ono salad dressing.

before you accuse me of being pretentious by naming a salad dressing "onolicious," (meaning "good to eat" in hawaiian) i assure you that it really is the name. i don't recall where on the vast internet i discovered this recipe, it's from the royal hawaiian restaurant in laguna beach, california, but i do know it's been languishing in the coffers of my recipe box for at least two years.

recipe:
1 cup canola oil
1/2 cup sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons Coleman's Dry Mustard
1/2 cup Best Foods mayonnaise
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup gorgonzola or blue cheese, crumbled, plus additional for garnish
Chilled lettuce, such as Bibb lettuce or Hawaii Manoa lettuce

1. Mix all ingredients except cheese and lettuce in food processor.
Blend thoroughly.
2. Place mixture in bowl and gently add the crumbled cheese. Cover and
chill well.
3. Serve on Bibb lettuce with an extra sprinkle of cheese on top.

i used butter lettuce and tossed in some chicken. i feel that the amount of sugar can easily be reduced without a noticeable difference in flavor, and i added more salt, pepper and garlic to suit my tastes. it makes quite a bit, and i will definitely be making this again.

so it is with little fanfare that i present a crappy cameraphone photo of something that is really quite delicious.

one candle wish

my birthday is next week, and anthropologie got me to celebratin' a little early with this great gift in the mail.

a birthday candle necklace -- very creative, and super adorable

the candle appears to be made of a lightweight resin, and i'm pleased to report it arrived intact, unlike those received by other recipients.

i signed up for their store's loyalty card early in the year, thus putting myself on their mailing list to receive such goodies.

additionally, the card on which the necklace arrived is good for 15% off in-store, certainly a dangerous thought.

(the image above is from another blogger, i couldn't be bothered to photograph it before ripping it open and putting it on.)

sterling cooper draper pryce

i think i'm in love.

muzak

i get on these music buying and listening jags. here's what's new:

i got the latest release from the new pornographers. at first listen, it sounds a lot like their last album. but i like it nonetheless!

my guilty music pleasure for a few weeks was cranking up katy perry's "california gurls" when it came on the radio. but now that it's been overplayed, i'm sick of it.

i got the first few songs from drake's latest album when they were leaked. now that i have the whole album, it's...okay. i think i like him best as a guest on other people's work. but he is nice to look at!

i got two new releases from arcade fire. sweet stuff! i like the sounds of "the suburbs."

it's trendy to hate on vampire weekend, but (without sounding like a snob) i've been digging them for a few years. "cape cod kwassa kwassa" has been my ringtone for ages now. the first few bars are so mellow, i don't jump when it rings. and i like that. but i did have a laugh when lookatthisfuckinghipster.com made fun of liking it.

six word sunday: tiny hands make playthings from everything

---

Join in the fun! Get more information about the Six Word Sunday challenge

the fast lane

now this would be rad.

six word sunday: watching the professionals hard at work

---

Join in the fun! Get more information about the Six Word Sunday challenge

pebble beach

I am kind-of an idiot sometimes. I went to the practice round of the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach yesterday, and I wore shoes that I'd only worn once before. So of course they weren't broken in, but they sure looked super cute! By about an hour in, I wanted to cry, the blisters on my heels were so painful. I tried to put on a brave face, but of course my dad saw through that and insisted on going to the first-aid station for Band-Aids. That helped, and so did the beer at 10:30a.

On the plus side, photography is only allowed at the practice rounds, so I got to really put one of my new lenses to the test.