Weekend Recap

Just a few pics of our weekend...

  

spent Saturday morning having a pastrami lox and cream cheese bagel at Russ and Daughters  //  in Hoboken celebrating the Super Bowl  //  speck and arugula pizza at Razza in Jersey City  //  spent some time in my mom's old neighborhood at Faicco and St. Anthony's church on Sullivan Street

Missing from these pictures are snaps of our fun Super Bowl party, Anthony Carrino (from HGTV) who I met Friday night at Razza! And yes, he is as cute in person as he is on TV! Also missing is the insane amount of Homeland I've been watching, I'm completely addicted.

How was everyone's Super Bowl weekend?

Fashion Friday: Flannel and Fur

Love this mix of classic plaids and tartans with cozy fur. Perfect for this crazy winter weather.

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Patterned Powder Rooms

My cousin Pamela lives in a big old historic house in Summit, NJ. It’s got lots of period-appropriate touches, but my favorite is her downstairs bathroom. It's tiny, but covered in this rich red wallpaper patterned with gold flowers. All the fixtures are gold too, and probably vintage, as is the big mirror. And the whole room is framed in creamy white molding. 

 

It works because of the scale of the room. The deep color and bold paper design would be overwhelming in a large room, but in a small bathroom you don’t spend much time in, it’s wonderfully dramatic.

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This deep blue is a slightly more modern interpretation of Pamela’s bathroom, with similar molding. I love the contrast that the dark brown vanity provides.

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Graphic black and white is great- minus that intensely 90’s black toilet seat cover! This could make a great bachelor or bachelorette pad bathroom, depending on how you accessorized.

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I have  harbored an obsession with this bathroom for awhile now. I love this almost-neon wallpaper, especially contrasted with the mother-of-pearl tiles. Bright, beautiful, and feminine.

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If you’re a little faint of heart, neutral patterned wallpaper boxed in by white paneling might be the way to go. I love the sharp way the mirror stands out. 

 

If you’re interested in getting the look at home, Quadrille, Layla Grace, and Scalamandre are great sources for unique and beautiful prints.

Recent Reads

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This is the Story of a Happy Marriage, by Ann Patchett

 

Really enjoyed this collection of Patchett’s essays on topics from writing to relationships.  My favorite was “The Mercies,” a story of Sister Nena, a nun who taught her in elementary school and later became a friend. Also enjoyed her tale of RV’ing with the man who became her husband. Great read, especially for commuters- the essays end and you won’t get stuck at a cliffhanger point just when it’s time to get off the train.

 

 

Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith, by Anne Lamott

This book followed Lamott’s Traveling Mercies, and is the second in a three part series. In each chapter, Lamott reflects on finding God’s presence amidst various struggles, including aging, parenting, dealing with grief, and living through the Bush presidency.  I just love Lamott’s writing. Her voice is wise, soothing, and warm, and reading her books always helps me to take it easy and trust.

 

 

Martha Stewart’s Hors d’Ouevres Handbook, by Martha Stewart and Susan Spungen

 

An oldie but a goodie. Published in 1999, the recipes and ideas are classics. Appetizers range from upscale, perfectly presented canapés to casual dips, and chapters are organized by presentation, ie, “Layered and Stacked,” “Dips,” etc. Plus, there’s a photo for every single recipe, though the photos are all up front, with the recipes in the second half of the book, an organization I found a little strange. Still, the content and quality is awesome. I’m looking forward to trying out the tropical fruit salsa for the Superbowl.

 

 

The Fault in our Stars, by John Green

I kept seeing this book everywhere. It’s about two teenaged lovers with terminal cancer, and while that alone sounded awful, the praise was so high I decided to check it out anyway. It was a sweet story, and better than I thought, but I’m still not sure what all the fuss was about. Maybe I’m just too old for young adult novels. 

 

 

The Husband’s Secret, by Liane Moriarty

 

This one came recommended to me by my mother in law. She wouldn’t tell me anything about the book except that I had to read it, and I resisted for awhile as our taste in books doesn’t typically coincide. I found it a bit dark at first, (surprising, given the pink flower on the cover!) but I couldn’t put it down. The book had tons of twists and turns, fascinatingly drawn characters, and a compelling multi-person point of view. Few popular novels really make me think, but this one brought up so many questions for me- what would I do? Why was this character a certain way? I don’t want to give too much away, as going into it knowing nothing made it better for me. An excellent read.

Sunday Dinner

I love making elaborate Sunday dinners. Mr. B lounges on the couch and watches football, and I spend hours in the kitchen on something too involved for a workday. We eat dinner and spend the night on the couch together, catching up on our DVR shows or watching 60 Minutes. 

Last weekend, I put together a simple, satisfying meal of roast chicken, potato fennel gratin, and roasted brussels sprouts. It was comforting and delicious, perfect for the 9 degree weather we've been having here.

The recipes were pretty straightforward. I make roast chicken the same way every time- seasoned heavily with salt, pepper, paprika, garlic salt, and fresh rosemary, stuffed with a lemon, and baked at 425 for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until it's 175 in the thigh. I baked mine in a dutch oven with a cup of water added to the bottom to keep it from sticking and keep the dark meat moist. Perfect every time. 

Brussels sprouts were simply tossed with olive oil, salt, pepper, and about 1/4 cup of cubed pancetta pieces. These also cook at 425, for about 20 minutes. 

Finally, I used Ina's Potato Fennel Gratin recipe, only I swapped the Gruyere for fontina. Mr. B found the gratin a bit rich, but I ate almost half of it alone. It was delicious. A note, if you make this meal, the gratin cooks at 350, so adjust your other items accordingly, unless you're lucky enough to have a double oven. 

Fashion Friday: Neon and Leopard

Love this outfit for a casual jeans Friday at work- perfect for going from the office to happy hour.

cardigan, Ann Taylor Loft  //  top, Pleione  //  jeans, Old Navy  //  boots, Via Spiga (old)  //  bag, Danielle Nicole (similar)  // necklace, J.Crew (old)

Superbowl Recipe Roundup

I'm not hosting a Superbowl party this year, but wanted to share a few of my favorite tried-and-true recipes. Please note, most of these photos are not original.

So a football party isn't complete without wings. Truthfully, I usually order these, but if I have a smaller group, this baked version with a classic buffalo sauce is closest to how my mom taught me to make them.

Baked Buffalo Wings from Serious Eats

I can't throw a party without including my favorite spinach and artichoke dip recipe. This one comes from Cooking Light, and while they suggest low-fat alternatives for cream cheese, I use two full-fat sticks of Philly.

Spinach Artichoke Dip from Cooking Light

You can't go wrong with candied bacon, a delicious, addictive app:

Beer Candied Bacon, from Tide and Thyme

 

 

My number one, absolute favorite, go-to party recipe is this pulled pork sandwich below. It's done in the slow cooker so it's super easy, plus it can be made up to 4 days ahead, and freezes very well. Served on hamburger buns with extra BBQ sauce and maybe some cole slaw, it's perfect for the big game. 

Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork, from Food and Wine

I like having a vegetarian or pasta option as well. I have friends that don't eat meat, or keep kosher, or are just plain picky, so a basic pasta salad keeps them happy. This tortellini salad from Michael Chiarello is my favorite- a note, I usually sub red onion for shallot, as I like the color. I also use tri-colored tortellini for color.

If you aren't into pasta salad, stuffed shells or baked ziti work too.

Photo by me, recipe from Michael Chiarello

I don't throw a party without a signature cocktail. If I were hosting this year, I'd be making this rum punch to finally finish off a handle of Captain that's taking up too much damn room on my bar.

Rum Punch from Cooking Light

And here's your showstopper dessert: skillet brownie cake. Pop this in the oven during the third quarter, and serve warm with ice cream. 

Gooey Chocolate Skillet Cake, from Willow Bird Baking

So there's some of my top football foods. Share yours in the comments!