Sunday, February 15, 2009

Gywn + Mario

I've never been one to be dazzled by Hollywood's "it" stars. To me, they are just normal people like you and me. (Normal people, that is, that make outrageous salaries and have a small army of style-makers who give them their daily sparkle.)

Every once in a while someone in the spotlight will strike me not merely from the movies they star in, but also for their other interests. Gwyneth is one of these people. Her inner beauty radiates. She focuses first on her family and puts her career second. She is effortlessly stylish, even in a Barbour & Wellies while pushing a pram down a London street. She celebrates great food and wine, and doesn't shy away from showing it.
After watching a recent Oprah episode featuring Gwyn + Mario's recent food fueled roadtrip through Spain, I was inspired to create a Spanish supper. What was on our menu? Paella & Sangria of course!

While most fine chef's would be appalled by my creation, the badger and I found it to be quite tasty on the cheap! After discovering that a teeny tiny packet of saffron threads was $18, I opted for a packet saffron infused rice ($2). The beauty of paella is its relaxed "whatever goes" attitude. Ours featured shrimp, chicken, peas, yellow & red bell peppers, and onion.

Paired with a glass of Sangria (we had the "cube" variety from Target, don't scoff, it was tasty, especially if you toss in a few fruit slices) our dinner was truly a Spanish success!

24 comments:

LovesPINKandPEARLS said...

im definitely making this!

Wila (aka Ali) said...

That looks sooo yummy! And I love the "cubes" from Target. Have you seen the juice-box type small boxes of wine? Perfection! If only I could pack it in my lunch... :-)

Carrie said...

That looks sooo good!

Hollie said...

yum! that really looks good!

i'm a big gywneth fan myself!

Preppy Money Penny said...

MMMM...you've made me hungry-I love Paella! I love Gwyneth too (and her hubby isn't half bad either ;-) )

Suzanne said...

I enjoyed watching them on Oprah too!

It sounds wonderful, we are big fans of paella and sangria too. I've never attempted it myself though. Kudos to you!

Heather said...

Yum, good for you!

The Regal Pup said...

Your meal looks delicious! Can you please come cook for me? ;-)

The Mrs. said...

I saw it on Oprah the first time and then recently re aired..also got a chance to catch some of the series and it's really wonderful! I love how relaxed she is on her travels!

The Mrs. said...

PS do you get her goop newsletter? I do!

Tasha said...

That looks delicious! I love the Target wine cube too! Very tasty and it's also a bargain- the perfect combination!

Hopsy said...

Yum! I have also been such a huge Gwenyth fan. In high school I went through a phase where I bought all her DVDs and they were all I would watch. She and her mother are so very classic!

Piper Jacquelyn said...

I love them - they are such a great combination. And is that your pic of what you made?! Because it's gorgeous.

KPB said...

It looks great! Yummy :)
And Gweneth is one of my favs of hollywood as well.

Nette said...

I agree about Gywn and yum on the recipe!

Mrs. Potts said...

I made paella recently & it turned out wonderfully! I didn't use saffron threads because I couldn't find them & it turned out wonderfully!

Laura said...

This looks delicious! What a good idea.. and Gwyneth Paltrow has always been one of my favs.

Mrs. Ruby said...

Just ran across your blog and LOVE it. I'm definitely a new FOLLOWER!
Oh, and I love Gwyneth too. She's so classic!

Vodka Mom said...

damn. There is NOTHING I like better than food. Except, perhaps vodka.

Team Clancy said...

Have you ever gone to her site:
http://goop.com/

She is a beauty!

Congrats on the great meal! Looks tasty!

Princess Freckles said...

That sounds delicious and looks it too! I also love Ms. Paltrow. I've always admired her style and enjoy her films. I used to buy any mag with her on the cover!

adozeneggs said...

The paella looks great.
I've been looking to watch that Mario and Gwyneth show.

caknitter said...

The Paella looks delicious. Did you know that the latest trend in Spain is Paella with noodles instead of rice? I attended a Christmas party where the preparation of the dish was part of the festivies. Let me know if you'd like to see some pictures of the prep/dish.

Stereos and Souffles said...

Cute blog, just became a follower!
Their series "Spain on the Road Again" was really good if you get a chance to see it. She's always been my fav.