Restaurant Review: Sinatra in Barcelona

The dinners were definitely the highlight of Kate and my Barcelona trip.

I'm a foodie, what can I say?

The first night we stumbled upon this little plaza and had paella.

The second night we went to the plaza again and one of the promoters told us about this awesome restaurant.

It was down a dark alley, so perhaps going to it wasn't our smartest move, but it was well worth the potential danger.

Friends, I present to you Sinatra.

The food was sort of a fusion American/Spanish.

I had the best risotto with walnuts (interesting combo but so delicious) and a Tequila Sunrise (to match my sunburn).

The decor was old Hollywood, and they had a movie screen up with Casablanca playing silently. I died.

If you ever find yourself in Barcelona, Sinatra is right off of La Rambla. You must go.

Kendall's Graduation in Pictures

One of the things that is most endearing to me about my family is that whatever can go wrong will go wrong. Seriously, regardless of how good an Archer's karma might be or how hard you've prayed for everything to be in its right place, something bad always happens.

Kendall's high school graduation was no different.

Despite how fab she looks in all these pictures, Kendall got released from the emergency room a mere 11 hours before her graduation ceremony started (meaning only 7 hours before she had to wake up in the morning.) She woke up with horrendous food poisoning and was sick all day Thursday. She went to the ER to get all hydrated and well again, and rallied for the ceremony and her party the next day.

A true champ that one is. And doesn't she look gorg?

A few weeks ago, my mom officially put me in charge of the little family party, so being the cray-cray that I am, I went to town. I literally spent 13 hours baking the day before, and spent the morning of scrambling around decorating. Totally worth it to make my sister happy :) and I think things turned out pretty good, right? I'm considering a career in party planning at the behest of the party guests :)

Husky cupcake recipe can be found here (super easy, I promise!)

On me: Dress Rachel Roy, Ring F21, Watch Michael Kors, Shoes Target

On Kendall: Dress Single, Shoes F21 (hair and make up done by yours truly)

Recipe: Polenta Gnocchi

I recently told you about my wellness journal, in which I cut and paste work outs, recipes, and tips for success for my new, healthier lifestyle. Since I'm home for spring break, I decided to try out some of the recipes (so expect more in the coming days!). The first one I tried was from Health magazine, for Roman-Style Polenta Gnocchi. I'm a vegetarian,so I love any unique meatless dish. The original recipe can be found here, butI made it a little more blogger friendly below.

Ingredients (in order of use):

1 16-ounce tube of polenta

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 crushed garlic clove

1 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

4 ounces fresh chopped mozzarella

1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

To make:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Lightly coat a 10-inch baking dish with olive oil.

Slice polenta into 1/2 inch thick slices; arrange slices in a single layer covering pan.

Heat saucepan over medium heat.

Add olive oil and garlic to pan. Cook until the garlic is soft (2-3 minutes) and make sure to watch it so it doesn't burn!

Add tomatoes to saucepan, then oregano, salt, and basil. Bring to a boil and stir.

Reduce heat, then cook until thick (which was about 10 minutes for me).

Spoon sauce over polenta (and actually use a spoon! It'll be messy if you pour).

Sprinkle cheese over the sauce.

Bake around 20 minutes, or until golden and bubbly.

Add some more basil for flavor and fanciness. :)

This was my first ever homemade meal, and I'm pretty proud of myself! My family really really liked it, and best of all, I did too--and I'm always my harshest critic. The total prep was about 20 minutes, but could be around 10 if you know your way around a kitchen, and it turned out great. If you like polenta, I'd recommend it!

More recipes coming your way soon :)

Be well!