Fig & Chevre Ciabatta Toast

October 8, 2015

Toast is really having a moment. I’m fairly certain that avocado toast opened the toast door and now it’s everywhere in every shape, size and ingredient combination. And honestly, what isn’t there to love about toast? Growing up, I ate toast almost every morning (peanut butter was my favorite) and I don’t really know when or why I stopped, but I’m a big fan of this new toast trend and exploring new ways to enjoy it.

With a leftover loaf of ciabatta and a a handful of figs remaining from our fig frenzy at the office, I decided to try a combination of flavors that I’d been wanting to explore. This crostini was a huge hit so I decided on a toast and whipped these up in almost no time. The end result was pretty incredible. They were easy enough to throw together in under 15 minutes, but felt a little fancy with the drizzled honey and sprinkling of thyme. AND, with the perfect wine pairing, they were certainly something that you could eat anytime during the day or night. Toast isn’t just for breakfast anymore, people! Cheers!

Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 6 servings

I N G R E D I E N T S

6 slices of fresh ciabatta
1 tbs. butter (melted)
8 oz. chevré
3 figs (thinly sliced)
6 sprigs fresh thyme
2-3 tbs. honey

D I R E C T I O N S

Preheat oven to 350 and butter both sides of each slice of ciabatta.
Place slices on baking sheet and bake for 5-7 minutes (until bread starts to toast). Remove from oven and carefully flip toasts. Bake for another 3-4 minutes being careful not to let the toast burn.
Remove from oven and allow toasts to cool slightly.
While toasts are still hot, but cool enough to be handled, spread each piece with chevré and top with 3-4 slices of fig.
Garnish each toast with a few small pieces of thyme and drizzle honey over top.
Serve immediately and serve with Chardonnay (for white lovers) or Pinot Noir (for red lovers) – my recommendation is the Pinot which is known to pair wonderfully with chevré. Cheers!

Pumpkin Doughnuts

September 16, 2015

This morning is an early one! A bunch of us from work are jetting off to New York on the first flight out to celebrate the marriage of one of our co-workers and I can’t wait to see her walk down the aisle! It also doesn’t hurt that the wedding is in NY being that I’ve been dying to get back there – it’s been over a year! I was hoping for a super brisk, fall week, but the forecast is unfortunately showing 80+ every day we’re there, so I’ll just have to deal with my overwhelming #basic fall nostalgia and pumpkin cravings. In yearning for all things fall, I thought I’d pass along one of my favorite recipe finds from last year – Pumpkin Doughnuts! I can’t wait to make these again when I’m back from NY. I made a few of my own adjustments (below), but find the original recipe here. It’s ~~almost~~ fall, y’all!

PS: Proof that Americans Love Pumpkin Flavored Everything & An In-Depth Analysis of Pumpkin Spice’s World Domination – two good reads on America’s obsession with fall pumpkins.

Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 12 doughnuts

I N G R E D I E N T S

2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Coating
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon

D I R E C T I O N S

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease/butter doughnut wells and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together granulated sugar and brown sugar until well combined. Add your wet ingredients (oil, eggs, pumpkin puree and vanilla extract. Using a mixer, blend until mixture is well combined.
Spoon mixture into your doughnut baking pan. Each well should be filled about 1/2 of the way. Bake for 7-10 minutes or until doughnut is firm, but not cooked all of the way through (toothpick should not come out clean).
Remove from oven and gently remove each doughnut from individual wells. Grease/butter each well again and fill wells with more batter about 1/2 of the way. Place your partially cooked doughnuts on top of the new batter and bake for 7-10 more minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Because the batter is quite heavy, these doughnuts won’t puff up like you’re used to traditionally. The first time I made these, I skipped adding more batter and flipping the first set of doughnuts over – my doughnuts were flat on the bottom 😉
Once doughnuts are baked all the way through, let them cool slightly and remove from the pan. While doughnuts are cooling combine coating sugar and cinnamon in a ziplock bag. Add one doughnut at a time and shake until completely coated. Enjoy while warm with your favorite coffee or hot apple cider. YUM!

Butternut Squash Soup

November 21, 2014

One of the many things I love about fall is eating seasonally and experimenting with fall flavors. Fall is the perfect time to experiment with butternut squash, figs, root vegetables and all sorts of yummy produce and I always find myself craving a great, hearty soup around this time of the year. A quick internet search for a great butternut squash soup recipe lead me to this with an almost perfect 5 star review average with over 1,900 reviews (!!!). I knew I had to give it a try. I adjusted it a tiny bit to make it slightly healthier and the end result was nothing short of incredible. We served it with warm sliced sourdough bread and a crisp Sauvignon Blanc to cut through the hint of spice and creamy, buttery flavor one weekend when we had friends in town and we were thrilled with their feedback. This is something really great to make on a cool fall weekend so I wanted to pass it along. Cheers!

Ingredients

6 tablespoons chopped sweet onion
4 tablespoons butter
1 5lb. butternut squash
3 cups water
4 chicken bullion cubes
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 8oz package reduced fat cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1 tablespoon olive oil

For Apple Topping

1 apple diced (I used a fuji apple)
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon brown sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut squash in half lengthwise. Season with garlic salt and olive oil. Place in a baking dish cut side down and fill dish with 1″ of water.

2. Roast squash for 45 minutes or until soft and tender. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes.

3. Once squash is cool enough to handle, remove skin, discard seeds and dice remaining squash.

4.. In a large saucepan, saute onions in margarine until tender. Add squash, water, bouillon, marjoram, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Bring to boil and simmer for 20 minutes to allow flavors to meld.

5. Puree squash and cream cheese using a hand blender until smooth. Heat for 10 more minutes (do not boil).

Directions for Apple Topping

1. In a small pan, heat butter until melted.

2. Add apple and brown sugar. Saute on medium heat for 2-3 minutes.

Fall Entertaining

October 1, 2014

Hip hip hooray! It’s October 1st and I’m so excited to finally get to share the shoot I styled for ONEHOPE’s 2014 Fall Entertaining Guide perfectly captured by Brian Tropiano Photography. At work, I feel like we’re always flying by the seat of our pants and putting together content like this ahead of time has been a struggle. This year, however, we managed to stay ahead of the game and shot everything in July to use for the remainder of the year. Trying to determine what is going to be “in” before anything holiday related is even advertised or released in store is tough so instead I just decided to stick with my gut and curate items and elements that I really, truly love. I wanted the room to feel like a forest so I incorporated a lot of wood textures, ferns, (faux) antlers, geodes and quartz tea lights down the center of the table. On the wood backdrop behind the wine, was a wreath with an antler to tie the look together with an additional leather fern garland with bistro lights strung above the table. We brainstormed for days on what to do instead of traditional place cards before we finally decided on stones – gold calligraphy on stones – to keep with the forest theme while adding a touch of elegance to each setting. The overall messaging behind the day was “Hope, Thanks and Dreams” so Beth hand crafted an amazing dream catcher where guests’ thanks, hopes for the future and dreams were shared and attached with tiny clothes pins. Menus were printed on archival matte paper with hope, dream or thanks hand inscribed on the top and florals were kept to a minimum with wooden vessels and a casual/handpicked mixture of dahlias, garden roses, viburnum berries, artichokes and greens.

Since the entire purpose of the shoot was to show how to integrate wine into your fall, Thanksgiving or holiday gathering, the day wouldn’t have been complete without some absolutely delicious and gorgeous fare crafted by 24 Carrots Catering. 24 Carrots is one of the biggest catering companies in the business and their food has never, ever disappointed at any event I’ve ever attended. I was so impressed that they took our direction (a classic Thanksgiving meal) and creatively modernized it a bit while still staying in theme. For example, I loved the juxtaposition of a modern beet dish served on a raw wood platter that you’ll see below. Lastly, each of their dishes paired perfectly with one or more of our wines so find pairing suggestions and a few wonderful recipes below! CHEERS!

DECOR TIP: Chairs can make or break a look. This shoot took place in our conference room and it’s usually filled with white task chairs that are functional for work, but we opted to replace them for this shoot and I’m so happy we did. Using these metal industrial chairs from Found Rentals kept the look casual, but also uniform, which I loved.

DECOR TIP: When designing a table on a budget, not only are garlands beautiful and always on trend, but they’re also the best bang for your buck. Seeded eucalyptus, lemon leaf, leather fern and bay leaf are all great options to consider. Contact a flower mart or district in your area for bids, but depending on the greens you go with, garlands can run as little as $2.50-$7.00 per foot!

DECOR TIP: Menus aren’t always necessary, but they really add to a place setting and are so simple to create. We whipped this one up Illustrator (but can easily be replicated in MS Word), printed it on nice paper and applied it to a piece of recycled kraft/corrugate paper that we picked up at Michael’s to tie in with the rest of the theme. Menus are not only great for making pairing suggestions, but they are also the perfect place to tie in your theme or messaging of the evening. Beth hand wrote thanks, hope or dream at the top of each menu to reiterate why we were all gathered that day.

DELICIOUS Sauvignon Blanc can be found here.

PAIRING NOTES: Pinot Noir and Turkey are a natural pairing. The savory herbs and spices on the roasted turkey are complimented by the spice-infused influences of the French oak in our Pinot Noir.

DECOR TIP: Since turkey is usually the main food element during Thanksgiving meals, I love that 24 Carrots used this legged platter to give it some height. Pieces like this are readily available at Cost Plus, Pottery Barn or can be rented for the day from Found Rentals.

PAIRING NOTES: The creamy texture and toasted oak notes of our Santa Barbara Reserve Chardonnay pair perfectly with the rich butter and cheddar cheese of this twice baked potato.

PAIRING NOTES: Eggs and Pinot Noir are a guilty pleasure not to be missed and Pinot is the perfect partner in crime for ham.

PAIRING NOTES (recipe below): The rich fruit and lively spice of our Pinot Noir adds some brightness to the earthy quality of these savory vegetables.

Thyme Infused Roasted Root Vegetables by 24 Carrots Catering

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

2 lbs mixed root vegetables (we use baby carrots, the smallest parsnips you can find and a mix of yellow and red beets)
Olive oil, to taste
Salt + pepper, to taste

Balsamic Thyme Vinaigrette Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
6 tablespoons thyme minced
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons minced parsley
1 teaspoon cumin, toasted and ground
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons miso paste

Directions

Gently peel the carrots and parsnips. Leave them whole if they are all the same size – if not, chop the larger veggies to equal the size of the smaller ones. Peel and chop the beets into rough cubes, about 1-inch all around.

Place all the vegetables onto a baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Place in a 400°F degree oven and bake for about 20-25 minutes, shaking them periodically for even cooking. Remove from oven when soft, slightly brown and caramelized.

Meanwhile, prepare the balsamic thyme vinaigrette. Place all the ingredients aside from the oil in a mixing bowl. Drizzle in the oil while whisking to combine. Season to taste.

Drizzle dressing all over the vegetables to coat, return to the oven and caramelize for five more minutes.

PAIRING NOTES: The savory, meaty essence of the sausage pairs perfectly with spicy and herbal characteristics of our Zinfandel.

Apple Sage Cornbread Stuffing by 24 Carrots Catering

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

Cornbread, recipe follows
10 slices oven-dried country white bread
8 tablespoons butter
2 cups celery, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
2 granny smith apples ¼ inch, diced
1 lb apple sausage
7 cups chicken stock
1 cup Heavy cream
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons sage
1 tablespoon thyme
5 eggs, beaten

Cornbread Ingredients

1 cup self-rising cornmeal
1/2 cup self-rising flour
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

In a large bowl, combine crumbled cornbread, dried white bread slices and set aside.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and brown, then add the celery, onions and apples and cook until transparent, approximately 5 to 10 minutes.

Pour the mixture over cornbread mixture. Add the stock and cream, mix well, taste, and add salt, pepper to taste, sage, and thyme.

Add beaten eggs and mix well. Pour mixture into a greased pan and bake until dressing is cooked through, about 45 minutes. Serve with turkey as a side dish.

Cornbread Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Pour batter into a greased shallow baking dish. Bake for approximately 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

Cranberry Lemon Herb Butter by 24 Carrots Catering

Ingredients

1/4 cup mixed herbs, such as flat-leaf parsley, chervil, tarragon, and chives, chopped
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup cranberries, dried
1 teaspoon cranberry sauce
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

Directions

Chop cranberries then add herbs on a work surface. Add butter cranberry sauce and lemon zest. Finely chop together until well combined. Season with salt.

Transfer to a sheet of parchment paper, placing on edge closest to you. Fold paper over and roll into a cylinder, twisting the ends; wrap airtight in foil. Chill until solid.

DECOR TIP: Use as many potted plants as possible to achieve your look. Mixing in small potted ferns, rosemary plants or succulents to your tablescape will keep the look interesting and will also make great favors to your guests. While fresh cut flowers are always beautiful, they’ll also perish a few days later while a potted plant will flourish and will serve as a happy reminder of your gathering with loved ones. While not for everyone, trees also make a huge statement. The cedar tree pictured behind me in the photo below was purchased from a local nursery for $20!

PAIRING NOTES: The earthy tones of the beets and the tartness of the goat cheese are complemented by the lush, dark berry fruit of our Cabernet Sauvignon.

PAIRING NOTES: The candied red fruit characteristics and the bright acidity of our Merlot help cut through some of the richness of this luxurious pie. The bright acidity and zesty citrus notes of our Sparkling Brut would be a fantastic match for the rich, sweet character of the pie.

DECOR TIP: To keep your look interesting and “collected” opt for pieces that still fit your aesthetic, but aren’t too “matchy matchy”. I love this vintage galvanized pie/cake stand 24 Carrots used for their Pecan Pie. That tiny hint of metal tied in perfectly with the iron chairs we selected from Found Rentals.

Photography: Brian Tropiano Photography
Calligraphy & Dream Catcher: Beth Phillips
Rentals: Found Rentals
Linen: La Tavola
Styling, Florals & Decor: Yours truly 🙂

First Weekend of Fall

September 29, 2014

{image via}

Happy Monday! I hope you had a wonderful first weekend of fall! This was actually our first cooler weekend in LA and I was thrilled to not be scorching for once! I worked on a few projects around our place, installed a new screen door (!!!) and had a pretty mellow two days to play catchup after coming back from Michigan last week. This week, I can’t wait to share a few projects that I’ve been working on! Get ready for some exciting stuff and hopefully a few entertaining tricks/decor to inspire your next fall party.

PS: How cozy does that living space look? I love that it’s still minimalist with lots of warm textures – perfect for fall 🙂

TGIF!

September 19, 2014

{image taken by me last year from my aunt’s home in Michigan}

Greetings from the good ol’ Midwest! I’m in Michigan for the weekend to spend some time with my family. After the death of a family friend and learning that my grandparents were going to be making the trip from Florida to the Mitten, I decided to take a few days to venture home. I know it isn’t technically fall yet, but it’s close and fall is my favorite time of the year here. I’m looking forward to quality time with my loved ones and hopefully a trip to the cider mill to bring me back to earth after a few really stressful weeks. Looking forward to catching up with some great content next week! Happy Friday!

Pumpkin Weekend

November 1, 2013

After so much recent travel, Jake and I managed to fly past one another all October long and spent the month apart. I’m looking forward to having a cozy weekend at home together to catch up, visit our favorite restaurants and enjoy fall. I’ll be doing some baking as well and I’m really looking forward to trying out some pumpkin based recipes including these waffles and these yummy donut holes. Can’t wait to see how they turn out! Hope you have a wonderful weekend 🙂

image via

Photo Shoot Friday

October 18, 2013

Since arriving back to scorching hot LA after the most amazing autumn week in New York, I’ve been gripping onto anything fall related with all my might – Pumpkin Spice Lattes galore, “Leaves” scented candles everywhere… I’m a little crazy about this season. Today I’m headed to the office to shoot all of our fall cocktail looks and can’t wait to start whipping up some delicious liquid libations! The creative side of my job is my absolute favorite and there are few things I love more than styling gorgeous shoots to share on blogs and across the interwebs 🙂 We were searching for inspiration yesterday and stumbled across this amazing food blog, Verses From My Kitchen. Everything is so perfectly styled and I love every last shot. We’re attempting to make a variation of this recipe today and can’t wait to share! Stay tuned and have a lovely fall weekend!!

All (gorgeous!) images via

Autumn Accessorizing

October 27, 2011

As I mentioned here, the impossible heat made it difficult for me to fully embrace fall (usually my favorite season) until a short while ago. Now that Halloween is right around the corner, I’ve decided to finally break out a few autumn accessories to spruce up our place. I know, I know… I’m a bit late. Below is the look I created for our entryway last year and I’m hoping to recreate something similar today. What do you think? What are your favorite fall accessories?

White Chicken Chili

October 24, 2011

10/2015 UPDATE! Hi there! Meg here! This recipe has been without-a-doubt my most popular post to date. I’m so happy you all love it and come back to it time and time again! That being said, I have a ton of yummy fall recipes that are dying to be tried including Pumpkin Doughnuts, Butternut Squash Soup, and a delicious fall flatbread. Check more of them out here. I’d love to hear what you think! If you’re just here for the best chicken chili ever, carry on and check it out below. Cheers!

Have you ever had one of those weeks where life takes off running and you spend the majority of your time just trying to catch up? The vision of a little girl chasing after her older sister and friends down the block keeps coming to mind for some reason and last week, that was totally me – life’s little sister. That being said, I’ve been a very bad blogger, but I’m anxious to catch up on everything I’ve missed and share a few things I’ve been dying to post about.

In the midst of all of the mayhem the temperatures cooled off and southern California finally started to feel like fall last Tuesday. Absolutely craving my dad’s White Chicken Chili, I pulled out my Crock Pot and decided to give it a shot for the first time on my own and I’m thrilled that it turned out just perfectly. I even received a, “Babe, we really need to start using this Crock Pot more often,” ovation from the boyfriend who easily downed multiple servings. My dad’s recipe is definitely the best White Chicken Chili I’ve ever tasted so I’m finally sharing it with the world… lucky you! Give it a try and let me know what you think 🙂

Ingredients

Chili:
1 1/2 lbs uncooked chicken breast (can be frozen) cut into 1-2″ chunks
2 – 15 oz cans of white beans (drained)
1 – 15 oz can of white corn (drained)
1 onion chopped (sweet/Vidalia)
1 clove garlic finely chopped (I love garlic so I used 2)
1 package taco seasoning
1 – 7 oz can of chopped green chilies
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 – 14 oz can of chicken broth

Toppings:
1/2 cup sour cream (I used low fat)
2 tbls lime juice
Finely chopped cilantro
Fresh shredded cheese (I used Colby-Jack)
Corn tortilla chips (the authentic yellow kind)

Directions

Place cut up chicken in the bottom of the Crock Pot (I use this one). Add beans, corn and onion. Mix the next five ingredients and pour over the top. Cover and cook on low in the Crock Pot for 8-10 hours. (I was running low on time so I cooked mine on low for about 4 1/2 hours and then raised it to high for the last two hours).

Before serving use a potato masher to break up the chicken. (Make sure you do this very quickly with pressure and alternating directions… the consistency should change from brothy with chunks of meat and beans to a very thick and even consistency. If it is still brothy, keep mashing).

Add shredded cheese, a dollop of sour cream, a splash of lime juice, cilantro and chips before serving. YUM!

* Yield: 6-8
**To complete our autumn meal, I made a fresh garden salad and hot apple cider. For dessert, we enjoyed our first pumpkin pie of the season. Mmmm 🙂 Get the look below!

PS: I finally took some new photos of this old favorite. I can’t believe how far things have come since my little old point-and-shoot camera from college 😉 Cheers!

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