Rosemary Shortbread

This rosemary shortbread is definitely one of my all time favorite cookies. I love how savory it is, with just a touch of sweetness. I recently made it for a daytime tea that I hosted, but it’s a perfect dessert for almost any occasion… baby shower, wedding shower, springtime lunch, or even part of your Christmas cookie box gifted to friends. I combined a couple recipes (from Food52 and NYT Cooking) and then made a couple tweaks/additions. I absolutely love how they turned out and hope you enjoy! Almost every time I’ve made them I’ve doubled the recipe, so I recommend you do the same… one batch will be gone too soon! These last for days on your counter in a tightly sealed container, and they also freeze wonderfully.

I N G R E D I E N T S

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons rosemary
1 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons citrus zest (I’ve tried lemon and grapefruit- both delicious)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
flakey salt + a dash of sugar for topping

D I R E C T I O N S

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Bring butter to room temperature. Finely chop the rosemary and zest the citrus. Line with parchment an 8×8 baking pan.
Whisk together all-purpose flour, salt, and rosemary in a prep bowl.
In your stand mixer on medium to high speed, mix your butter, sugar, citrus zest and vanilla until soft and fluffy. Slowly add in your flour mixture until well combined, but not over-processed.
Press mixture into the prepared pan with an offset spatula and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Prick dough all over with a fork and sprinkle with sugar and flakey salt.
Bake for about 35 minutes, or until light golden brown. Cut while still warm, and leave in the pan to cool completely.

Enjoy!

Olive Oil Lemon Cake with Almond Flour

I found this recipe for an olive oil lemon cake and I couldn’t wait to try it. I didn’t have some of the ingredients, and I preferred to add / sub a few others, so I thought I would share the exact version I made. I cut some of the sugar and didn’t use tapioca flour, among other things. It was SO, so delicious. Not too sweet, super moist, and had a perfect amount of zing from the lemon. It would be a perfect dessert for a daytime shower, or for Easter. It would also be beautiful served with cream and berries! Below is my take:

I N G R E D I E N T S

  • 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil, for the pan
  • 1/2 cup flavorful extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup + 1/8 cup organic granulated sugar (divided use)
  • finely grated zest of 1 medium lemon
  • 1/4 cup strained fresh lemon juice
  • juice of 1 small blood orange
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • 2 cups blanched almond flour
  • 1/4 cup coconut flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 4 large egg whites
  • vanilla extract

D I R E C T I O N S

Preheat oven to 325ºF. Rub the bottom and sides of a 9-inch cake pan with the coconut oil. Line the bottom of the pan with a round of parchment paper, and rub the parchment with coconut oil as well.

Line the bottom of the pan with thinly sliced lemon and blood orange slices

In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, 1/4 cup sugar, lemon zest and juice of lemons + orange (if using), and egg yolks to combine. Place a mesh strainer over the top and sift in the almond and coconut flours, baking powder, and salt. Stir to combine.

Place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment. Whip on high until foamy. With the mixer running, gradually add in the remaining 1/8 cup sugar and a couple drops of vanilla extract and continue to whip until the egg whites are shiny and hold firm peaks when you lift the whip out and hold it upside-down. Slowly fold in the whipped egg whites into the batter. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

Bake the cake until golden on top, beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 40-45 minutes. Let the cake cool slightly, then loosen the edges with a small butter knife or spatula. Flip the cake onto a wire rack and peel away the parchment. Let cool completely.

Enjoy!

Thanksgiving Table + Recipe Roundup

Thanksgiving is almost here! I’ll be honest, I’m not normally into Thanksgiving all that much– I prefer to skip straight to Christmas– but this year I’m embracing it. I am excited to set my Thanksgiving table and am working on our recipe lineup now. I thought I’d share my finds for both of those things here, in hopes that it makes your Thanksgiving prep a little easier and more fun.

First, the table!
1. I really love all La Rochere glassware. They have beautiful options for both water and wine. I also love these tumblers. These Edward glasses are also a beautiful option.

2. Cabbageware is a classic for me. I have a ton of these pieces from Bordallo Pinheiro in both white and green and I love the mix. Plus, they work really well on a Thanksgiving table. I love these plates, this platter, and this large serving bowl.

3. I ordered these napkins for our table this year and I’m very pleased. I was looking for a specific color and these made the cut. They’re 100% cotton and a great inexpensive option. I also thought these ones were pretty for fall.

4. Already discussed above, but thought they deserved a spot! Love these plates so much.

5. I love adding hurricanes to the table, and these ones are dreamy. I had to list them even though they’re on order (like everything else right now). I also love these taper hurricanes, which are available in the stores! This style is also great for fall– I have them and love them!

6. Bamboo flatware is so popular right now, but I do really love it on a Thanksgiving table. It’s still classic enough, but adds a fun natural touch.

7. This little pumpkin!! No explanation needed.

8. These are such a great dupe to the classic La Rochere. The price point can’t be beat!

9. Lastly, pie dishes! Necessary for the occasion. Love the classic ruffle from Emile Henry. These handmade ones from this Etsy shop are so fun and I love this beautiful option from Vietri.

Now for the recipes…

To Start:
whipped goat cheese with warm candied bacon and dates
cheese and charcuterie board
bacon wrapped dates
candied spiced nuts

Sides:
herb roasted acorn squash with parmesan
roasted bacon brussels sprouts
fall harvest salad
wild mushroom stuffing or maybe this classic sourdough bread stuffing
charred carrots with herbs
crispy roasted sweet potatoes with maple butter

Dessert:
double dark chocolate muddy buddies
yogurt and honey olive oil cake
classic apple crisp or maybe this healthified version
pumpkin layer bars

To toast:
maple bourbon smash
cinnamon maple whiskey sour
classic paper plane (thanks to a friend for recently introducing me to this one!)

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!


Ina’s Butternut Squash Soup

I made Ina’s Butternut Squash and Apple soup the other night and it was so easy and delicious. It’s also very healthy! It’s getting added to our rotation for the month of November, so I thought I’d share it here for you to try. I made a couple substitutions – here is the recipe I used:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large yellow onions, chopped
2-3 large butternut squash, cut into cubes
3 sweet apples, such as McIntosh or Gala
good quality bone broth
salt & pepper
cumin

Warm the butter and olive oil in a large pot over low heat. Add the onions, a couple dashes of cumin, some salt and pepper and cook until the onions are tender. Stir occasionally, scraping the bottom of the pot.

Peel the squash, cut in half, and remove the seeds. Cut the squash into chunks. Cut the apples into chunks, discarding the core.

Add the squash, apples, and 2-3 cups of bone broth to the pot. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 30 to 40 minutes, until the squash and apples are very soft. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until creamy.

Serve with some warm, fresh sourdough and goat cheese. Enjoy!

Get Set for Summer

The sun is shining, air feels warm, and we just had a couple more of my favorite Adirondack chairs delivered. It’s almost summer! I’m now in full outdoor mode getting ready for pool parties and dinners outside, so I thought I would round up a few favorites and some new fun finds for the season:

1. We have and love these striped Turkish cotton beach towels. I have them in blue, but also love this natural stripe.
2. These are my go-to Adirondack chairs. I’m normally all about real wood, but these are VERY low maintenance, look great year after year, and are smooth and so comfortable to sit in. They say 10-12 weeks for shipping, but mine took about half that time.
3. Love this pretty natural fiber outdoor pillow and…
4. Can’t go wrong with a blue striped pillow!
5. We have this teak outdoor umbrella and it’s an outdoor staple for us. It has held up great– we’re about to order two more!
6. I love these teak sling chairs for additional outdoor seating. They’re light, so easy to move around and come in such fun patterns.
7. A fun new outdoor bar. This would be cute to set up near your dining table for outdoor dinner parties.
8. Love a big basket! I’m planning on setting this one outside to fill with beach towels. (Also would be a great indoor toy basket!)
9. We received this bag toss game as a gift and love to bring it out when we host. I also think this lawn bowling set and this bocce set are so fun for summer!
10. Simple cotton napkins are essential for outdoor entertaining and this set from Amazon is so affordable. This is another great option with a price you can’t beat!
11. I love this pattern on these melamine dinner plates.
12. Adding this darling rattan ice chest to cart! This is such a cute way to keep drinks cold while in the hot sun outside.

Easter Recipe Roundup

It finally feels like spring! We had friends over in the backyard for dinner last night and it put me in the best mood– I love entertaining this time of year! With Easter coming up, I’ve been on the hunt for some new springtime recipes and thought I’d round some up here. Also adding a shopping list of some of my favorite entertaining pieces for spring. I made the cheese board above last year and am definitely doing a similar one again. I loved the addition of crudités on this one!

Leek and Potato Galette with Pistachio Crust
Spring Pea Salad with Radishes and Goat Cheese
Asparagus, Pea and Mint Salad
Buttermilk Popovers with Chives
Greek Lamb Souvlaki Plates with Avocado Tzatziki
Crispy Oregano Smashed Potatoes with Feta and Lemon
Sheet Pan Lemon Rosemary Chicken and Potatoes with Feta Goddess Sauce
Heirloom Tomato Galette with Ricotta and Parmesan
“The Greatest” Deviled Eggs
Ricotta Tart with Strawberries
The Absolute Best Carrot Cake
Blueberry Lemon Poppy Seed Custard Cake
Raspberry Lemon Ricotta Dutch Baby

Liv’s Room and Other Nursery Favorites

This little room is still a work in progress, but it is such a sweet space and I’m enjoying putting it together over time. Liv is using her brother’s crib (we moved him to a big boy bed, which you can see here) and I love that it’s getting passed down. I found this darling antique pine chest which I loved paired with this indigo lanai mirror. No surprise, I’m sticking to a blue and white palette, which I think can easily be made more feminine / masculine as needed. We have a window seat in this room so I’m working on finishing up pillows for it. I just found this darling one that fits perfectly in this space. Stay tuned for more details soon!

F U R N I T U R E :

B A S K E T S / S T O R A G E :

L I N E N S / A C C E S S O R I E S :

Spring Refresh

Valentine’s Day has passed, so I am officially counting down until sunny spring days. It is such a refreshing time of year… fresh flowers, cheery colors, warm days, the sweet Easter holiday… I just love it. Instead of Easter Basket ideas, I’m rounding up some fun finds and tried and true favorites for the season, for everyone. No surprise, it includes lots of rattan, blue and white…

1. Nap dresses have stolen the show lately and they aren’t stopping anytime soon. This new pattern is so sweet for spring and it’s the perfect house dress for warmer days.
2. I am eyeing this darling woven bag that would be perfectly paired with a sundress, chardonnay and a beach sunset.
3. Petite Plume never fails with the absolute sweetest children’s pajamas for girls and boys. I love this darling nightgown for a little girl.
4. Lake Pajamas are also a favorite for my kids, and this set from Amazon is a real close copy for a lot less.
5. I love these rattan chairs for your backyard and patio. Easy to move around! Would be so darling paired with this outdoor umbrella.
6. Not your typical plastic sand bucket! I love the idea of gifting this for easter and filling it with a few more toys or a cute swimsuit.
7. Give me all the white eyelet… I just love this dress for the spring and summer.
8. Adore this woven tote bag. A perfect daytime bag if you’re doing something special.
9. The sweetest pink striped swimsuit. I’m ordering for little Livvy! Doesn’t get much cuter than this.
10. Cardigans are having a moment and this is a tried and true favorite for a great price.
11. A beautiful navy one piece with a striped tie… I’m certainly trying this one on!
12. A straw hat is essential for the season. I love this one for mama, and this one for your little girl.

FOR THE LITTLE ONES:

SPRING STYLE:

FOR THE HOME:


Dormer Window Seat

We moved into a classic Cape Cod style home about a year and a half ago and the dormers that are part of the master bedroom were bare. I’ve been wanting to build a window seat in them since the second we submitted an offer! My dad loves a project like this, so I easily convinced him to build us the seats when he visited one weekend this past fall. My husband and I did some of the finishing work, ordered some cushions and pillows, and voila! our cozy seats were complete. One of the seats is in the hallway to the master and the other is right in the center of the bedroom– they both make the room feel complete and add so much charm. They also provide quite a bit if extra drawer space which is a huge plus.

The window seat fabric is Schumacher Wellfleet Ticking that I ordered myself and sent to this shop on Etsy to make the seats. Sarah did an absolutely amazing job– I highly recommend using her! I’m still playing around with pillows, but have a few linked below that I love, as well as some already saved in my Etsy shop. I also hope to add sconces on the sides when we do some other electrical work in the house at some point in the future. Lastly, I absolutely love these brass drawer pulls that I used.

P I L L O W S

A C C E S S O R I E S



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