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Month: May 2013

life lately

Life Lately

lifelately_redvelvetchocolate

 {Insanely good red velvet chocolate}

This has been quite the week. Memorial Day weekend was so wonderful that my hopes were high coming into this week on Tuesday, but instead I crash landed into reality and had to get back to work (and pretty insane amounts of work at that). Not to mention it’s been excruciatingly hot here on the East Coast – the kind of hot that has to be observed from inside, where it’s air conditioned. In the end, I’m looking forward to the weekend – i’ll be relaxing, reading, and working on more blog posts. Only two more weeks until I’m on vacation…let the countdown begin!

lifelately_picnic

 {Shots from a picnic last Sunday – yes, that is a unicorn-shaped topiary}

lifelately_olive bread

{Possibly the best bread I’ve ever had – recipe coming next week}

lifelately_ricotta

{Fresh ricotta is best served with honey, baguette slices and pears}

lifelately_peonies

 {The peonies in my yard bloomed overnight}

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food

French Macarons

macaron7

Before I begin, you should know that I’m a total perfectionist. So when my first-ever batch of macarons came out of the oven looking not as picture-perfect as I had hoped, I was pretty disappointed. Thanks to this recipe (which I chose because it looked much less intimidating and fussy as others), the batter was a breeze to whip up and used fairly normal household ingredients (you may have to stock up on almonds). They were completely delicious, but I couldn’t help but notice their imperfections: not all of them were perfectly round (the batter spread out on a few before I baked them), the filling I made was too runny, and perhaps most bizarrely of all, the two baking sheets yielded slightly differently colored cookies, even though all of the cookies came from the same bowl. I’d love to give them another go sometime – hopefully they’ll turn out perfectly then.

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food

Strawberry Shortcake

strawberryshortcake6

I pretty much start eating strawberries as soon as I find them at the grocery store, and then continue to have them on hand for the entirety of the summer. It helps that I have strawberry plants that yield a ton of fruit. While simply eating a handful of freshly picked berries will always be one of the best ways to eat them, I sometimes find myself craving something a little more creative. Well, having just written that sentence, I realize that strawberry shortcake isn’t wildly creative or unique – but it makes for a super-simple and delicious low-key dessert that, with a little plating, can look luxurious.

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currently obsessed with

Currently Obsessed With: Cardigans and Sweaters

currentlyobsessedwith_cardigans

Clockwise from top left: C. Wonder Cardigan/Target Cardigan/J. Crew Pullover/Forever 21 Cardigan/Forever 21 Cardigan/Forever 21 Pullover/ASOS Pullover/Target Cardigan

Cardigans and pullovers have never really done it for me. I’m always afraid I’ll buy a cute patterned cardigan and never wear it, and I tend to feel awkward when I wear a pullover over another top. But at this transitional time of year, a light sweater would be perfect to throw on when it gets chilly, so I took a look around for some cardigans and pullovers I could work into my wardrobe. I’d be willing to give any of these a try.

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