An Apple a Day...

- Pictures © of Maritere Casillas Rice; for purchases please visit my Etsy Shop -

They say " an apple a day, keeps the doctor away...", so here's some pretty encouragement to eat your fruits while you enjoy art! This is my newly posted "The Apple" print; to purchase, please visit my ETSY shop.

Have a great week!

Little Pleasures - The Surf Lodge

- Pictures via "The Surf Lodge" -

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Spring is just around the corner and all I seem to think about is a breezy, tropical retreat... afternoons by the beach, refreshing food, beautiful sunsets and my camera at hand. Of course food is a most these days with my occasional and very particular cravings, so watching "Top Chef" for the past couple of months became a great treat; unfortunately the season is over, but it got me thinking about past Top Chef competitors that were always on my "favorites" list. To my delight I found season 2 finalist, Sam Talbot, is now executive chef at The Surf Lodge, a wonderful surf-themed, laidback and very chic hotel-restaurant in Long Island - Montauk, NY.

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After browsing through their website and reading several reviews I could not resist the urge to post on this fun and beautifully decorated place! The vive and decor are of course reminiscent of a surfing lodge but with tasteful and modern nautical touches: clean-line aesthetics and bright accent colors make this place so inviting… I absolutely love the “Director’s chairs” featured on the hotel’s deck and restaurant, the Eames turquoise molded plastic stools and rockers in the bar and den, chic rattan accents (very organic), and the simple yet warm-tranquil rooms.

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Surfer or not, for a relaxing and fun weekend with lake view rooms, Chef Sam Talbot’s wonderful food, and at just a half a mile from the beach, “The Surf Lodge” sounds like the right place to visit this spring and summer. For now, I'll leave you with these pictures to enjoy; can’t wait to get a hold of The Surf Lodge menu to see what talented Executive Chef Sam Talbot will be offering for lunch and dinner this season! (don't know if the menu will stay the same, but here's is last year's for your delight!)
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- Pictures via "The Surf Lodge" -

Perspective on Life - Happiness - New Photographs

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- Pictures © of Maritere Casillas Rice; for purchases please visit my Etsy Shop -

"The art of living does not consist in preserving and clinging to a particular mode of happiness, but in allowing happiness to change its form without being disappointed by the change; happiness, like a child, must be allowed to grow up." - Charles L. Morgan

Just an inspiring happy thought for the new week accompanied by a couple of photographs ("Just You and I" & "One Happy Day") I have just posted on my Etsy Shop; hope you enjoy both, the pictures and the quote!

Have a wonderful week!

Food and Photography - Spring Cravings and "Thorsten Kraska"

- "Breakfast Muffins and the Newspaper" by Thorsten Kraska -

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We are beginning to enjoy a bit more of daylight and sun here and there, so I’ve anxiously started the countdown till the change of season! The expectation for spring has really gotten me in the mood for cooking, particularly European cuisine, the kind of food I loved while traveling and studying in Europe. I do have to admit, however, that the cravings might be in part pregnancy related since I am finally gaining my appetite back, but one thing or the other I am in the mood for some tapas, smoked salmon, croissants, mussels, muffins and tea, fresh fruit tarts (specially tart tatin), Mediterranean salads – the list could go on!

To my pleasure and luck, a few days ago I was browsing work by fellow artists on Flickr when I happened to come across a wonderful photographer, and dedicated chef, Thorsten Kraska. I was immediately taken by his inviting and beautifully composed food photography! What a treat! Thorsten showcases pictures of food that he cooks and styles for his lovely photographs forcing our salivary glands to overwork while craving.

Browsing his photostream transports you to a wonderful culinary experience and inspires you to cook and savor some delicious ingredients! I found the perfect fix for my spring cravings in his photography – so find your inspiration and plan an al fresco lunch or picnic to share delicious food with family and friends!

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- "... and one for me" by Thorsten Kraska -

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- "Caramelized Tomatoes" by Thorsten Kraska -

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- "Rye Bread with Salmon Sour Cream" by Thorsten Kraska -

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- "Colorful Crostinis" by Thorsten Kraska -

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- "The 1st Mussels this Season" by Thorsten Kraska -

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I want to thank Thorsten for allowing me to share these wonderful photographs with you! And for those who are already feeling the urge to cook (or savour food) here a couple of recipes for you to try; happy cooking!

Apple-Chard Quiche from Vegetarian Times

1 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 large Vidalia or other onion, thinly sliced
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded ruby Swiss chard
1 cup (about 2 oz.) thinly sliced mushrooms
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup chopped apple
2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 large eggs
1 cup shredded Jarlsberg cheese
1/2 cup skim milk
1 9-inch deep-dish pie crust, unbaked

Preheat oven to 375F. Heat oil and butter in large skillet over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, and sauté onions until caramelized, about 15 minutes. Add Swiss chard, mushrooms, salt and pepper. Increase heat to medium, and cook, stirring often, until mushrooms and chard are soft, about 7 minutes. Combine apples, flour and nutmeg in mixing bowl, and toss to coat apples. Combine eggs, cheese and milk in separate bowl, and beat until ingredients are well blended. Fold in apple mixture. Spoon chard mixture into pie crust. Pour egg-cheese-apple mixture over top. Bake 35 to 45 minutes, or until cheese mixture is set and top is browned. Cool slightly before slicing, and serve.

Steamed Mussels with Leeks, Garlic, Thyme, White Wine, and Butter - Tyler Florence for Food Network

3 pounds mussels
Extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
2 leeks, white parts only, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 bunch fresh thyme
1 cup white wine
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Rinse the mussels under cold running water while scrubbing with a vegetable brush. Remove the stringy mussel beards with your thumb and index finger as you wash them. Discard any mussels with broken shells.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the leeks, garlic, and thyme and cook until the vegetables cook down to a pulp, about 5 minutes. Add the mussels and give everything a good toss. Add the white wine. Cover and steam over medium-high heat for 10 minutes, until the mussels open. Stir occasionally so that all the mussels are in contact with the heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and a drizzle of olive oil to the sauce remaining in the pot and swirl to incorporate. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve immediately.

Perspective on Life - New photograph "Still Open"

- Pictures © of Maritere Casillas Rice; for purchases please visit my Etsy Shop -

When you cannot make up your mind, look at things from the bright side... better open than closed - create a window of opportunity! Hope you like my new Etsy post "Still Open", a detail photograph of a distressed wooden gate.

Hope you all had a happy weekend!

Maritere

Back again! Little Pleasures - The Viceroy Hotels

Well…… I have neglected my blog for quite some time, and I apologize to all my wonderful readers. I have not run out of inspiration and I’ve definitely missed my regular postings, but I had been down really sick (twice) and VERY nauseated for the past two months. Hence the photography, blog, and Etsy shop were left a little to the side while I took care of myself (and my family). Now down to the good news: yes indeed, I am pregnant and we couldn’t be any happier – elated, that is!!! I ask that you all keep us in your prayers and positive thoughts for a healthy pregnancy!

And back to the blog: even though I have not been posting I have accumulated ideas on beautiful, yummy, and inspiring things to share with you, and here is the first one. I have seen picture of this amazingly decorated hotels in several of my magazines (with wonderful reviews if I may say), so I navigated on their websites to find out for myself what the rave was all about. I am talking about the VICEROY Hotels (The Viceroy Santa Monica and The Viceroy Palm Springs)… and wow, I just fell in love with their interiors and exteriors! Not only are the hotel locations inviting already but the décor is to die for! Elegant, tasteful, creative, colorful, alluring… just what the doctor prescribed for a good dose of inspiring design and relaxation!

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So the rooms are wonderful, and so are their restaurants… if only we could take time off our busy schedules (and save money in the midst of a troublesome economy) for a well deserved getaway! I can see myself enjoying in-room breakfast, getting a nice facial and pre-natal massage at the spa, enjoying the ocean views and gardens, dinning at Citron or Whist (the menus look sooo delicious), and why not, maybe even call it an early night to savor a restful night in one of their beautifully decorated bedrooms! Doesn’t it sound good? Just see for yourself and take a pick - Palm Springs or Santa Monica, it all sounds and looks great to me!

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- All pictures via Viceroy Palm Springs and Viceroy Santa Monica -

Treasury Posting - All Year Round

- From top to bottom, left to right: sarahjanestudios, quejimenez, pinkroses1220, IsaFerreira, Geninne, norajane, miselemeas, mariterecr, UrbanAccentHome, RobertSocha, heidifavour, momof3crazies -

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In honor of the new year to come I decided to make an all-year-round Treasury list that turned out to be a little harder than I thought, though I really love the final result: a vibrant and happy list! I had to make sure the color scheme was coherent throughout the Treasury while still trying to display 12 listings with an every-month-of-the-year theme. So here's the final result, from January to December we'll be Etsy pretty!

Travel Notes in Black and White

- Pictures © of Maritere Casillas Rice; for purchases please visit my Etsy Shop -

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My apologies, I know I have not updated you as soon as I would have liked to, got back from my trip and was ridiculously busy between home, work, doctor's appointments... what one week away can bring! Anyway, I wanted to follow up with a post from my trip and some great black and white photography I shot in Spain. There's something about capturing everyday life in b&W, it seems to me like I am able to freeze time and permanently capture it in a photograph... very nostalgic.

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Spain was truly wonderful and the best part is I was able to share this experience with my mom and some dear friends. We enjoyed every bit of it, the beautiful buildings, the amazing Churches and pilgrimage sites, the FOOD, the amazing company, and of course the photography! If you have never been to Spain, it certainly is a trip worth saving for. This time around we got a chance to visit beautiful Zaragoza, artistic Barcelona, up-in-the Mountains Montserrat, and even enjoy the winter-white Pyrenees (Spanish and French sides) to make a short stop in Lourdes.

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Such an unforgettable experience! Would love to visit Spain again... in the meantime I have close to 3000 pictures to go through. I hope you enjoy these pictures! I will follow up with Travel Notes in Color... have a wonderful weekend!

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P.S. I have also update my shop with a series of new photographs... check it out!

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- Pictures © of Maritere Casillas Rice; for purchases please visit my Etsy Shop -