tomboy chic

I don't know if it's a result of the warmer weather, but my style has slowly drifted from girly & frilly to all things tomboy. Since I haven't been mistaken for a boy (yet) I've decided to call my look for summer 2011 tomboy chic. Current staples? Oversized oxfords, denim cutoffs (that linger a few inches below your average Daisy Dukes),  Ray Ban clubmasters, and a lightweight utility jacket for chilly evenings.

 [my pearl friendship ring seldom leaves my finger... hiii JLS and BJT :)]

 [I have been loving my Timex]

[messy top knot= hairstyle du jour]

p.s. it helps if you have a boy to steal shirts from, but it's not mandatory.

b.t.dubs... have you been to Tomboy Style? Overflowing with inspiration & probably one of my most favorite blogs. According to Lizzie, "although the tomboy is often identified by her clothing, what makes her wholly so is an inherent sense of confidence, rebelliousness, and adventure." I couldn't have said so better myself.  

madame blueberry

It wasn't supposed to be like this. I blogged about breakfast yesterday, so today's post was supposed to be about something fun, like fashion. Or something pertinent, like the Casey Anthony trial. Or something funny (meaning borderline creepy) like all the things I've learned about Ina in the past 48 hours by reading her cookbooks from cover to cover (did you know she lived in NC?! Or that she and Jeffrey spent 4 months traveling France and living in a tent?!) 


Instead, I woke up and the most succulent, beautiful blueberries were calling my name. So, I did what any sensible girl would do. I made muffins with my favorite 12 year old sous chef. 

Blueberry Muffins:

(adapted from Poet in the Panty)

2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) Smart Balance 50/50 Butter Blend (softened)

1/2 cup Splenda Sugar Blend

2 eggs (or 1/2 cup egg beaters)

1/2 cup skim milk

2 cups fresh blueberries (mine came from Burgaw, NC...  local and delicious)

Preheat oven to 375. Mix dry ingredients. Set aside. Using a mixer, cream "butter" and "sugar." Add eggs one at a time and then vanilla. With mixer on low, gradually incorporate flour mixture. Add milk until just incorporated. Remove from mixer and fold in blueberries. 

Bake in greased muffin pan for 30 minutes. I prefer smaller muffins (more crunch per bite), so I was able to yield 16. Using Splenda, Smart Balance, and skim milk makes me not feel quite so bad for eating 4 in one sitting. A happy tummy and a clean conscience? Sign this girl up. 

eggs-cellent

Did I tell you that I tried eggs? Not Egg Beaters or egg whites, but real, live eggs. With a yolk. Still intact. And I am proud to say I am no longer yolkaphobic. (It was just like that scene from Julie & Julia) 


Anyways, I guess not eating eggs for 21 years has made me kind of want to binge on them, as in try them with everything. Bacon and toast? Rookie move. On pizza? Baby, that's big leagues.

I had been wanting to try this recipe ever since I saw it on Cupcakes and Cashmere 

We used Naan instead of making our own crust. (We crisped it up in the oven for a few minutes before adding the toppings.)

Eggs are fickle creatures. Don't try to oversteer them into the place of your choosing. Or you will end up with a broken yolk (and that's no fun.)

It turned out great, broken yolk & all. We didn't have bacon on hand, so all we used was a drizzle of olive oil, Italian 4 cheese blend, eggs, and a sprinkling of fresh parsley and grated Parmigiano-Regianno* to top it off. Depending on what you have on hand you could add spinach, tomatoes, and basil for a caprese pizza. Or add sausage and peppers for a western flare. Or add whatever you want, because it's your pizza after all!

b.t.dubs... I may have made it again. And look who got a double yolk...

Good thing we got over that whole yolk aversion!

*Rob, you can imagine that in my best Giada impersonation

Guilt-free Friday!

A wink and a flourish and just like that another beautiful week comes to a close. Sent Taylor off this morning and tonight it is back to work for me. Remembering the past few days with such fondness and looking forward to greater adventures that lie just beyond the horizon...

[smoky horizon in Eastern NC, as a result of a wildfire in Pender County]

Until then,

Hey! It's ok...

...to kindly ask/request/insist/demand that the picture be retaken if your shoulders look bulky, you have a double chin, one eye is kind of squinty, etc.... even if it's not your camera. 

...to always carry a snack (& drink) with you to the nail salon to remedy the mid-pedicure munchies

...if it takes every ounce of restraint within you to refrain from repinning every picture of Blake Lively and/or chocolate cake you see on Pinterest. (p.s. thanks to my friend Mary Catherine, I'm addicted to Pinterest. Do you have an account?!?)

she's a peach

Peach season is my favorite season. Really, is there anything better? On cereal, in pies, in tea... cannot get enough. When I saw this recipe in Food Network magazine last month I couldn't wait to try it out. I am not exaggerating when I say it is absolute perfection. I know I say that a lot, but really, this cake is to die for. 

The layering of the peaches allows the juices from the fruit to infuse the cake. Ex.cep.tion.al. 

The pecans and cinnamon sugar make the topping nice and crunchy. The cake is quite comparable to a coffee cake, so I will be enjoying it for breakfast until further notice. (p.s. Though I hardly thought it was possible for the cake to improve, it is even better the second day, as the peach flavor becomes even more prominent.) 

Ina, you're the best. No seriously. The. best. 

overheard...

"I carried her number around in a plastic bag for two weeks because I was so afraid something would happen to it"


-a man, speaking of his wife, while celebrating their 20th wedding anniversary with friends. 


Sometimes waiting tables isn't so bad. Especially when you overhear snippets of conversations like this. 

[image via sunday in bed]

Listening to...

it's a sweet, sweet life...
livin by the salty sea





For several reasons...
1. Today is the first day of summer!

[but I mean hey, some of us have been living like it's summer for a few weeks now...]

2. I am hitting the beach with this baby today...

[Taylor circa 1990]

3. And last, but not least, my good friend is moving to Hawaii. It's a little sad, but so exciting and the opportunity of a lifetime. Kels I am so proud of you! Aloha!

[Jimmy Buffett, 2011]

radio silence

After the unprecedented radio silence last week, I am back! But first, an excuse explanation. My parents moved out to start the big remodel of 2011 (that's what I've decided to call it) but left me behind in my humble abode we so lovingly call the pool house. It's ok, life's sweet (the offbeats, anyone?) but... minor detail: when we broke ground in the main house the internet and cable were disconnected. So I've been roughing it (as in living without DVR and wifi) since last Tuesday. Tough life, right?


Anyways... Today Taylor comes to Emerald Isle and after working my little tush off last week, (well not literally, she's still there in all her dessert-3-times-a-day glory) I am looking forward to a mini-staycation. Wait did someone say vacation? 


Channeling:

I cannot decide which I love more: the idea of vacationing in Mexico, or the entire Shoshanna collection. Hmm... I'll take both. 

[Dresses: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Images: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.]

visionary

Vision is the ability to see the difference between how things are and how they could be. Happy Father's Day to the man who can envision great things: from the small (like a kitchen remodel or the perfect turkey sandwich) to the big (like a solution to the global clean water crisis.) Thank you for making your dreams a reality and for teaching me that I can do the same. I am so blessed to call you Daddy. You are a true visionary. 

[Tanzania, November 2010]

birthday cookies

On my sister's 14th birthday, I promised we would make her favorite cookies (white chocolate macadamia, of course) Today she turns 15, and I am embarrassed to admit that we didn't make her "birthday cookies" until a few days ago. That's almost one year late. (I like to tell myself it is because we wanted to make her birthday last longer, but truth is I'm just a terrible sister.) 

I'll admit it: I'm a texture junkie. When it comes to cookies (and pretty much anything else) my theory is pretty simple... more is more. When I saw this recipe I knew we had a winner, and Janie agreed (which was important because hey, they're her cookies after all.) 

They turned out absolutely perfect. Crispy, chewy, and the addition of semisweet chocolate was the perfect balance of flavor. (And we may have gotten a little heavy-handed with the macadamia nuts... but can you blame us?)

Happy birthday, princess! I couldn't be more proud of you. All my love. xo

[2009]

delicious, delightful, delovely dutch pancake cups

I woke up Saturday morning craving something indulgent for breakfast... but not it the chocolate chip pancakes sense of the term. I was certain I wanted something decadent, but not too heavy. With my favorite 12 year old as my sous chef, we made these delicious treats...

If a souffle and a pancake went to bed together, they would wake up the next morning and make this. I found the recipe here, and modified just a tad. Since it was just the two of us (and since I could only scrounge up 3 ramekins... the joys of unpacking) we only made half of the recipe.

We decided to top them with fresh peaches and raspberries

These little guys are certainly an over-the-top alternative to traditional flap jacks (and would be a lovely treat for house guests)

Once they deflate a little they are ready to top with fruit and serve!

So easy and delicious. I'm thinking next time I will swap the vanilla extract for orange liqueur and top with strawberries and a light dusting of cocoa powder and orange zest. Yum. 

Guilt-free Friday!

The weekend after a nice getaway often tends to be a bit dull, but I'm hoping to remedy this with some family time, beaching, and baking. Hoping you have a relaxing weekend too! Until next time...


Hey! It's ok...


... if bikinis and bright basics make up the extent of your summer wardrobe. 


...if you never saw the part 1's to all the sequels in theaters now. And to spend the money you're saving by not going to the cinema on wine and movie theater candy. Hello Lifetime original...


...if you and your friends will always be "those" girls, belting Journey in crowded bars and bar mitzvas alike (should you ever actually go to a bar matzvah)

[God love em. They keep me young.]

wan·der·lust

wan·der·lust

(noun) \ˈwän-dər-ˌləst\

a strong longing for or impulse toward wandering

Rome, Florence, Capri, Santorini, Venice... just to name a few.

Where do you dream of wandering?