Friday, June 28, 2013

Songs of the Summer

    This is not the most groundbreaking information, but I figured I'd share a little bit of what I'm listening to these days.  They may be the most stereotypical songs of the summer but if I love 'em, I listen to 'em and it's as simple as that.  These are the ones that get me really excited lately:

1) We Can't Stop- Miley Cyrus
  
*I've only shared the audio version because I think the actual video is pretty trashy and takes away from the song. Check it out if you dare.


2) Come and Get It- Selena Gomez

 *Ok there's kind of a theme here. I'm not ashamed that I love the Disney Channel and its former stars.


3) Blurred Lines- Robin Thicke feat Pharrell and TI
 
*It's also no secret that I have a celebrity crush on all 3 of these guys. Thank goodness they didn't also add Justin Timberlake because I think my heart would have exploded with happiness!

Happy Friday! 

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Spicy Cinnamon Milkshake

     I love that when my husband goes out of town for work, he'll always tell me that he misses my cooking.  (True or not, it's super sweet).  The other thing I love is that he'll bring recipe ideas home from places that I've never been.  I'm not talking about intricate recipes from exotic lands.  We have pretty simple taste.  In this case, I'm talking about a milkshake that he had at Jack in the Box.

    (source)
     
    You see, for a limited time, Jack in the Box was offering a Hot Cinnamon Shake that wasn't available to us here in the Northeast.  In fact, according to the Jack in the Box website the closest location to us is 694.12 miles away in Statesville, NC.  No offense to the Jack in the Box franchise, but if I'm going all the way to North Carolina for a milkshake, I'm going to CookoutI apologize to all the people that haven't been to North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, or Virginia lately and have no idea what I'm talking about.  So I set out to replicate this shake at home.  It became quite the ordeal.  Turns out, the spicy cinnamon syrup that one might need to make this on their own was discontinued about a month before I started looking for it.  Anyone know who makes this besides Monin? Because it's pretty unavailable right now.  I thought my milkshake dreams were over. 

    But wait!  Then I encountered Fireballs Cinnamon Whisky when a friend brought it to our whitewater rafting getaway in Maine.  It has the same spicy type of cinnamon flavor that you'd expect out of a Red Hot candy but with the added bonus that there's whiskey in it.  Spiked milkshake? Yes please!  So I ran out to get my own bottle and the Fireballs Milkshake was born.




    I realize that it looks like plain vanilla, but it's really not about how it looks right?  In my defense I put some Red Hots on top to spice things up a bit and they sank.  It made for a boring looking milkshake but a happy surprise when I reached the bottom of my glass!

Cinnamon Whisky Spiked Milkshake 
Serves 2
3 cups vanilla ice cream
1 cup milk
3 ounces Fireballs Cinnamon Whisky

Combine all ingredients in blender until smooth.  Enjoy!

P.S. In case you're into details like me and you're wondering why I've spelled whiskey two different ways in this post, check out this exhausting explanation.

*Linking up today with Stephanie, Chelsee, Lisette, Catalyn, and Kristin :)

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Easy Italian Appetizers

    Last weekend we had two other couples over for dinner.  I've mentioned before that my comfort zone is Italian food so that's exactly what I made for them.  Usually I am sort of frantic when I have people over because timing can be so difficult when cooking for a group, but this time I decided to serve appetizers that could be served cold or at room temperature so that I could prepare them ahead of time and relax.  They were all so delicious that I thought I'd share them with you.


____________

Italian White Bean Hummus


1 (15 ounce) can of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 cloves of garlic
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4-6 large basil leaves
1/4 cup olive oil, 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for drizzling on top
Handful of pine nuts, toasted

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Toasted pine nuts until just browned and fragrant.  Set aside.
Combine 1/4 cup olive oil with 3-4 large basil leaves in food processor and pulse until basil is chopped.  Salt to taste.  Set aside.
Combine beans, garlic, lemon juice, 2-3 basil leaves, salt and pepper in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a couple of times until the mixture is combined. Add in the 3 tablespoons of olive oil while the machine is still running. Process until the mixture is smooth.
If the mixture appears to be too thick, add water or olive oil 1 teaspoon at a time until desired thickness is achieved. Top with toasted pine nuts and basil oil.
____________
Bruschetta


6 plum tomatoes, diced
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, sliced into ribbons
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Add the tomatoes, garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, red pepper flakes, basil and balsamic vinegar to a bowl. Season with salt and pepper.  Let sit at room temperature or in refrigerator until ready to serve.  Spoon mixture onto toasted baguette slices. 

____________

Easy Olive Oil Dip


1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup olive oil


Mix all dry ingredients, spoon onto shallow dish, and pour oil over mixture.  Serve with French or Italian bread.

Recipe (adapted from here)

This mixture is based on the herb oil that is served at Carrabba's Italian Grill.  It is a staple in my house.  I make it in bulk (about 2 tablespoons of each dry ingredient) and store it in an airtight container for months.  It makes serving this a snap because I just add oil and it's done!  I love to serve this with foccacia or ciabatta and wine.  It's perfect to serve my husband while he waits for me to finish making dinner or to munch on while I'm cooking!

Buon appetito! 

*Linking up today with Ashley and Jessica 

Monday, June 24, 2013

Summer in Boston

  

    This is the first official week of summer!  It's my favorite time of year here in Boston.  The weather has warmed up but there's still just enough of a sea breeze to keep things comfortable.  As I mentioned in this post, sometimes being a tourist in your own neighborhood is just as fun as traveling far away.  So I thought I'd put a quick list together of my top 10 things to do, both for people that live in Boston and those who may be stopping through for a visit this summer.

1. Take a duck boat tour.  
    Kevin and I have been on at least two or three and it really never seems to get old.  The drivers are knowledeable and funny and we always learn something new.


2. Have a picnic.
    Boston has some awesome green areas--the Esplanade, Boston Common, Bunker Hill Monument Park, Christopher Columbus Park, Castle Island....ok I could go on forever but you get the idea.  Set up shop somewhere with some snacks and a book and just enjoy being outside (the people watching is also excellent)!

3. Go to a Red Sox game.
    Even if you don't like baseball, it's such a part of Boston culture that you really just shouldn't miss it.  Nearby, visit Bleacher Bar for a ground level view of the field and Tasty Burger for...um...a tasty burger.


4. Go to one of the Harbor Islands.
    Ferries run from Long Wharf near the aquarium to many different islands in the Boston Harbor.  You can take a picnic lunch, sunbathe, or hike.  Plus, you get some amazing views of the city.

5. Eat al fresco.
    Boston takes its outdoor eating scene pretty seriously.  If a restaurant doesn't have a patio, they most likely have a huge sliding window that completely opens the restaurant up to the sidewalk for when the weather is nice.


6. Eat in the North End.
    Seriously, go there.  Sit down in any restaurant and be wowed by the most amazing Italian food this side of the Atlantic.  Oh and that lobster roll that I've mentioned on way too many occasions can be found there!

7.  Take in some history.  
    I don't suggest trying to do everything.  Pick what interests you.  Into old battlesites? Check out Bunker Hill, Lexington, and Concord.  Like museums? Try the Museum of Fine Arts, the Isabella Gardner Museum, and Paul Revere's House.  Skip the Salem Witch Museum.  Even the food is historic.  Some places are labeled "gastronomic landmarks" so it could be fun to check out all of those.  For example, Union Oyster House is the oldest continuously run restaurant in the country.


8.  Go out on the water.
    There are several ways to accomplish this.  You can rent a kayak, charter a cruise, or     
    take a gondola ride.  Part of our public transportation system is even a ferry that charges 
    just a few dollars and runs from the aquarium to the Charlestown Navy Yard.

9.  Plan an excursion to Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, or the Cape.  
    I wrote about our vineyard trip here, but have yet to see Cape Cod or Nantucket.  Those are definitely on my list!


10. Visit a brewery
    It's true that breweries don't have the same charm as a vineyard, and I'll be the first to admit that I prefer wine over beer, but seeing how things are made is always interesting to me.  Plus you get a lot of free samples.  Check out Harpoon in the trendy Seaport area and Sam Adams in Jamaica Plain.

So there you have it.  My top 10 things to do in Boston this summer.  As a bonus I will mention that if you ever have the opportunity to visit on July 4th, it is so worth your time.  The Boston Pops perform and the fireworks show is top notch.  It's by far my favorite holiday to spend here in the city. 

Friday, June 21, 2013

Master Bedroom Reveal

   As promised, today I'm sharing our "finished" master bedroom.  Several of the DIY projects have already been featured here and here.  The curtains and curtain rods are also DIY and I plan on sharing details on those as soon as I finish them.  At this rate, it could be awhile.  I think I've been "working on the curtains" for over a year.   





     I truly don't think a room is ever done, so as I tweak I'll be sure to update you on the progress.  Our style is mostly modern traditional but that's also constantly changing so who knows where we'll end up!  Happy Friday everyone!

Source List
Wall frames: Crate and Barrel, Nightstand: Ikea (with DIY trim, paint, stain, and pulls as described here), Lamps: Bed, Bath, and Beyond, Headboard: DIY, Mirror: West Elm, Pillow: Target, Duvet Cover: West Elm, Turtle Jewelry Holder: West Elm, Frame: Target, Curtains: DIY, Curtain Rod: DIY, Armchair: Bob's Discount Furniture, Throw blanket: West Elm, Side Table: Danbury Mint, Dresser: Ikea, Vase: Target, Rug: Surya via One King's Lane

Thursday, June 20, 2013

DIY Nailhead Headboard

    So when I last left you with our bed situation, we had just purchased a California King.  Once our new giant bed was in place, all that was missing was a nice large headboard to make the set-up feel complete.  We knew that we wanted to build our own, both to save money and create more of a custom look.  Some of my inspiration?

 {source}
 ColetteBedQueenNatrlF10
 {source}

    Having never taken on this project before, I hunted for the perfect tutorial.  We used this tutorial from J and J Home for the look of the headboard and turned to my faves John and Sherry of YHL for the construction details.  The whole project took only a couple of hours and cost about $60.  

    As I mentioned yesterday,  I don't have any real construction pictures because this project was completed before I started blogging.  But trust me when I say that both tutorials above are more than enough to get you through this project if you want to do it on your own.  

{Getting the nailhead trim straight is a tedious process.  I definitely recommend two people.  One to nail in and the other to direct.}


{But from further away, it's harder to tell if there are any imperfections}


{This picture shows that we mounted the headboard to the wall rather than building legs for it.  See how its sort of "floating"?}

     Tomorrow I will be sharing pictures of the master as it looks today.  I can't say it's done because is decorating ever really done?  Some of the accessorizing could use some tweaking, but it will give you an idea of where we are in the process.  It's so different from where we started.  Below is the master bedroom photo from the listing of our condo.


Stay tuned!

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Ikea Hack: Rast Dresser Turned Nightstand

    Here's a quickie before and after project for you.  As I mentioned last week, Our new bed was dwarfing our nightstands.  It was not only a decor nightmare but it was borderline dangerous considering that I nearly fell out of bed to turning off my alarm in the morning.  Sorry I don't have any pictures to demonstrate the hilarity of this, but I'm sure you can imagine a thoroughly embarrassing visual all on your own.  We needed nice large nightstands that came to about the height of the bed.  Enter: Ikea Hacking.


    If you don't know what that means, head over to www.ikeahackers.net and be sure to grab a snack first because you will be hooked!  People are so creative spicing up their bland Ikea purchases.

   Why did I say this was a quickie before and after? Don't be fooled because this did take us a solid chunk of time.  It's a quickie because I have practically zero pictures to show you.  This project (and the one I will share tomorrow) were done a few months back before I realized that I would eventually want to have some "during" pictures of the projects or thought anyone would be remotely interested in them.  But it'll all be okay because as promised, the master bedroom reveal is coming Friday and I will share plenty of details about how that came together!


 

    We used two main tutorials to complete this hack of the Rast Dresser from Ikea.  One is from Anna at Take the Side Street and the other is from The Charming Nest.

    The main difference between what we did and what the other tutorials showed is our hardware.  We chose to fill the holes that the original hardware left and purchase new pulls.  Right now we have an array of other fixture colors in our place (brass and silver), but I am trying to slowly change everything over to oil rubbed bronze.  These pulls were about $9 each in the bronze finish, but in nickel they were only $2 each.  It looks like I splurged but actually I spray painted the cheaper ones using Rustoleum Oil Rubbed Bronze and Clear Protective Coat.  So far they have held up really well which is great news for me and bad news for all of the knobs and hinges in the rest of the place.  Your brass days are numbered my friends!
 

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Cheat Sheet: Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes

    I am definitely a make from scratch girl, but sometimes I just don't have the time.  I used to feel bad about it, but now I've learned to love the challenge of whipping up something creative, fast, and easy and just make it look like I made it from scratch.  Late last night I started making cupcakes.  My inspiration? Boston Cream Pie.  Why did I name this post the "cheat sheet"?  With less than five ingredients this recipe certainly feels like cheating!  Here is the recipe for the easiest Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes ever made!


Easy Boston Cream Pie Cupcake
1 box marble cake mix (plus ingredients listed on back of box--usually egg, oil and/or water)*
1 package of vanilla pudding (plus ingredients listed on back of box--usually just milk)
1 container chocolate frosting

Prepare cake mix according to package instructions.  Bake as directed until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean.  While cupcakes cool, prepare vanilla pudding in a small bowl.  When pudding has just set, carefully scoop the center of the cupcake to make a hole about 1 inch deep.  Fill hole.  Place scooped portion back on top of cupcake and frost. Enjoy! 




*Note: I actually made this recipe egg and oil-free by using 12 ounces of tonic water in place of the oil, eggs, and water in the recipe.  This makes the cupcakes awesomely moist but also hard to handle.  If you choose this method, let the cupcakes rest overnight before attempting to fill and frost them.

Linking up with Ashley, Jessica, and Rekita!

Monday, June 17, 2013

Weekend Re-Cap

    This weekend I went white water rafting!  I am not a risk-taker by any stretch of the imagination.  I'm clumsy and and a scaredy-cat so I consider my risk aversion really just a matter of  knowing my limits.  Clumsy, accident prone people usually don't do well in risky situations.  Just saying.

    Anyway I lived to tell the story and since pictures are worth a thousand words, here it is in picture form.

 
{Campground where we stayed} 

{Our cabin}

{All 13 of us at the beginning of our trip.  The guides offer to take this picture like it's some sort of courtesy when really I'm sure it's for identification purposes should one of us go overboard and die.}
 {See mom? The water was so calm. You can stop reading now}
 {My group's boat}

 {So this happened. Why have I never thought of this before?}
{This tub of cheese puffs just had to make an appearance because it was a pretty big star of the trip.  We were all borderline obsessed.}

  *Linking up today with...

Sami's Shenanigans

Thursday, June 13, 2013

European Food Fantasies

    I promised my husband that I would spend some time doing some planning for our trip to Europe this fall.  We were full speed ahead there for awhile and lately our planning is pretty much non-existent.  Don't get me wrong, we are beyond excited but it started feeling like the trip was so far away.  Now that it's getting closer, we need to get our behinds in gear.  My specialty is looking at pictures of food.  That counts as planning right?  Some things that I'm getting really excited about are below.

 The Desserts
 
{source}

Macarons

The Pasta
 Pear and Pecorino Cheese Ravioli
{source}


The Classics
 
{source

 
{source


    This is the stuff that gets me really excited.  And the wine, so much wine.  But seriously, anyone have real suggestions of things to do or places to stay?!  We're heading to Florence, Cinque Terre, Nice, and Paris.  I think I've got food just about covered...

__________


Today I'm linking up to the Just Because blog hop.  I'm taking a three day weekend, so follow me on Instagram to keep up with all of this weekend's activities!  Re-cap to come on Monday.  Have a great weekend everyone!


Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Getting Up on the Right Side of the Bed

    So it's about darn time for some more house updates.  So let's get to it!

    It's almost embarrassing to show this before picture of our bedroom, but everyone has to start somewhere right?  This was just after we moved in and things were looking lopsided and sad.  It's important to note that our previous place (a one bedroom apartment) had a teeny tiny master bedroom that needed a teeny tiny bed and teeny tiny nightstands.  Oh and here's your first real glimpse of Benjamin Moore's Labrador Blue up on the walls first mentioned here.




        We knew we needed a change-up.  At first, we were just looking to make a larger headboard to take up more space on that blank wall.  Then we decided that while we were at it, we could use a mattress upgrade as well.  After a lot of searching around, we landed on a foam mattress that's supposed to be cooler than your normal foam core mattress.  It sounded perfect to us because Kevin, like your average guy, runs way hotter than I do, but I am what you call a "hot sleeper."  Oh yes, we needed some of this CoolSense amazingness in our lives.




     We pondered the mattress for a couple of weeks, thinking we'd stick with our queen size.  But then spontaneously, right before we negotiated a price, we decided to just go for it and get a King-- a California King to be exact.  Why not?  The room is big enough and Kevin is really tall.  The idea of being able to sleep without his feet hanging of the end of the bed made him really happy.  (This is also my chance to point out in case anyone didn't know: those prices on the tags aren't set in stone.  Mattress buying involves negotiating a price not just picking one out and paying for it.  So none of you will overpay for a mattress again right?)

    Something that should be considered when buying a California King is that you have to be willing to severely cut you choices for beautiful linens.  We're talking solids and stripes only and usually none of the big names.  Luckily, I usually prefer crisp white sheets so we just grabbed some on Amazon.  As for a duvet, you can still use a King size.  We just found that it works better when rotated 90 degrees from how it would rest on a regular King size bed.  I was very sad to give up my beautiful Queen size Marimekko duvet cover from Crate and Barrel that we received as a wedding gift, but we replaced it with this equally beautiful organic cotton cover from West Elm. 




    So there you have it--a little sneak peek into some of our bedroom upgrades lately.  Check back next week for the after pictures!    

   

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Sage and Goat Cheese Meatballs

    My go-to genre when I want to cook a quick meal without a recipe is Italian.  It's my comfort zone.  My other go-to is "oops, I forgot this was in the fridge, better use it up before it goes bad."  A few months ago, these two blended perfectly in an awesome meatball dish and I'm finally getting around to sharing it with you.  I had some leftover goat cheese and I pretty much always have some sage on hand.  Now that I'm growing my own and (miraculously) keeping it alive, I'm in sage heaven!  I chose to combine them into a brand new meatball creation.  Spaghetti and meatballs can be heavy but the addition of the goat cheese makes this a little bit fluffier and even appropriate for warmer weather.  I haven't tried it in this recipe, but swapping out ground turkey would taste great too!
 



Sage and Goat Cheese Meatballs:
1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 lb ground pork
1 egg, lightly beaten
5 or 6 fresh chopped sage leaves
4 oz goat cheese

For the sauce:
1 28 oz cans diced or crushed tomatoes
 
1 medium onion diced
2 cloves garlic sliced or smashed
1/4 cup red wine

2 tablespoons olive oil
Red pepper flakes (to taste)
Salt (to taste)


Combine ground pork & ground beef in a bowl.  Add goat cheese and egg.  Mix thoroughly.  Mix in sage and salt.  Form into 1" balls.  
Warm olive oil in sauté pan over medium-high heat.  Cook meatballs until golden brown.  Remove from pan and set aside. 


Heat more olive oil in sauté pan over medium-high heat.  Sauté onions and garlic until translucent.  Deglaze pan by adding red wine and scraping up any bits left from the meatballs, cook until liquid is reduced by half.  Add tomatoes and red pepper flakes, then bring to a simmer.  Add salt to taste. Add meatballs, then simmer for 10 minutes. Top with freshly grated parmigiano reggiano.  Serve with bread or over your choice of pasta.

*Linking up today:
Taste of Tuesday with Ashley of Let's Get Bananas and Jessica of Blissfully Miller
Show Me What Ya Got with Stacy of Not Just a Housewife  
Mandy of Mandy's Recipe Box 
Ashley of Kitchen Meets Girl 

Saturday, June 8, 2013

Happy Birthday Mom

    I wish I could be there with you to celebrate.  I wanted to just find one great photo of us together to make you smile, but here's the thing: we don't have a lot of pictures together.  We need to do better.  I started looking through wedding pictures.  Nada.  What were we thinking?  Not a single shot of just the two of us looking at the camera.  But what I did see was something awesome.  All of the shots that we are in together are candid but they totally represent our relationship and what a great mom you are.  Below are just a few reasons that you're the best!

You celebrate my achievements both big and small.  Yes, I would consider the flip of my veil to be on the small side, but at least I managed not to get makeup all over it or rip it :)


 You kept me on the straight and narrow.

You have waited on me hand and foot.  This may sound weird, but let's face it: post-college you did all of my laundry and cooked my meals.  Thanks for taking care of me while I was busting my butt in school and working. 

You always have my back.  

You know how to kick loose and have fun with me too.  And that's what makes you not only my mom but my friend.
    *above photos by Angie Garfield of Angie and Jenn Photographers
    
    Happy birthday, mom!  I love you!

 {Our most recent photo together.  Maybe when you come up for July 4th I'll find us a man dressed as Uncle Sam to take a picture with, so we can keep this mascot tradition alive}
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