Month: March 2018

Food: Dinner Tonight Chicken and Roasted Potatoes

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Ah the simple pleasures of chicken and potato and although the chicken Coq au Riesling recipe I found here is a meal in itself, I felt the need to make a roasted potato side dish. What? I need comfort food with the lingering wintery weather. So here it goes: Chicken INGREDIENTS 2 pounds skin on, bone in chicken breasts (about 4 breasts) kosher salt and pepper 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons butter 1 sweet onion, diced 3 cloves garlic, minced or grated 2 carrots, chopped 1 pound mixed mushrooms, halved 2 cups white wine 1 cup heavy cream 2 tablespoons Sir Kensington’s Dijon Mustard 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese 4 sprigs fresh thyme {more} Roasted Potatoes INGREDIENTS 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling 2 pounds mixed potatoes, chopped into similar size chunks (I used baby Idaho potatoes and purple potatoes 1 lemon, juice plus zest 2 cloves garlic, minced or grated kosher salt and black pepper 1/4 cup fresh dill, roughly chopped 1/4 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives 8 ounces burrata cheese, torn {more}

What’s Been On My Radar This Week

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I am actually thrown off this week, thinking Sunday was Saturday and Today was Sunday. I am not sure why that is the case, but I don’t like it. I’m hoping that it is simply because I am juggling one too many ‘watermelons’. So while on the train this morning, I replayed all that has happened in a course of the past few days and decided to weed out the best and tell you about it. Since it has been raining on, on and off, and then back on, it’s been very difficult to complete the exterior painting of our home. We’ve had to stop so many times in the middle of the project, that it has led me to hate the colors I’ve chosen and plead for a second or third try in the actual hue that envisioned for house. Worst nightmare for painters – when the weather doesn’t cooperate and the homeowner takes full advantage of the delays – in terms of changing the entire scheme of things. So back to the commute …

Sunday Edition: Enlightening Ourselves

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I do love rain, even though this year, we’ve only just begun it seems, our full-on rainy season. Meaning that in January we had a month long sunshine and unseasonably HOT weather and then since the middle of February, weekly prediction of rain, and more rain – confusing all things blooming and the birds 🙂 So I’ve set aside a list of indoor activities to tackle, but not before I’ve had a chance to share some interesting reads online. {photo source} {photo source} {source for featured image}

Lifestyle: Movie Night and Wine

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Saturday night has become the official movie night in our household. Where we prep all fun snacks and buy a couple of bottles of wine and get comfy in our favorite spot on the sofa, with a dog in tow, and watch two films, we’ve either seen before or for the first time.  Here’s the beauty of movie night – there is so many ways to see films and shows now, that I don’t need to direct you to any particular streaming site, you know what you need to do. The only thing I am going to say is that – you can actually show up in your pajamas and messy hair and no one will care. So, here’s a list of films I do recommend just in case you are either on the fence about them or feel they are not your favorite genre, or even that they are on your radar. But here is the list:

Travel: In Celebration of Ireland

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Although St. Patrick’s Day is tomorrow – some of us folks begin all the festivities today, at work and after work, and well into Saturday :).  Any reason for a good party, we Americans believe.  Although last year, while in Scotland on St. Patrick’s day I got a bit of the partying there too in Edinburgh, with a pop up outdoor (really indoor due to the unpredictable weather), bar, and a week long celebrating throughout the fair city. So, in celebration of Ireland, I have listed a few fun facts, just to prep you for some good old-fashion beer chugging and conversation.

Food: Dinner Tonight – Pasta with Artichoke is in order

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Rain and more rain, which means I need comfort food paired with a good bottle of cabernet. I laugh because I never ask the family what they crave for dinner, I simply prep the meal and serve it.  Tonight we are having Pasta with artichoke and peas in a creamy sauce, something I haven’t made for a while, since watching my intake of heavy creams. But this one works just fine, especially when washed down with a glass of this cab. INGREDIENTS 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 1 clove garlic, minced or grated 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme 1 (12 ounce) jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained 1/4 cup green olives 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes 1 cup white wine kosher salt and black pepper 1 pound rigatoni or other short cut pasta 1 cup frozen peas 1 cup grated parmesan cheese zest and juice of 1 lemon 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped fresh peas and pea sprouts, for serving (optional) {more}

Decor: Inspired By An Old Monastery

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There is a design store in San Francisco, Restoration Hardware, which took a huge leap a couple of years ago to revamping their style into sort of a weathered European look. Very classic antique style furniture, upholstery and linen adorning their every store. I’ve  admired their efforts since then and I  visit the headquarter, and various retail stores every chance I get, to feel inspired by their choice of color, and perfectly designed pieces. In line with this topic, I recently stumbled upon this site, detailing an old East Sussex monastery conversion into a living space – unique in style and one to surely draw inspiration from: