Happy almost new year! As 2013 quickly comes to a close, it’s incredibly exciting to think about all the opportunity that comes with a new year. But before I jump into 2014, I’m taking a quick look back through some of the best moments of this year. I took you along on our trips to Mexico, Colombia, Greece, and Turkey; showed you how I pack in just one carry-on; shared how I dress for vacation, work, and play; got down to basics along the way; invested in some perfect pieces; made a plethora of light and bright dishes with seasonal ingredients; and closed out the year with some doses of holiday fun. And of course, Perpetually Chic got a major facelift, which I love, love, love. Thank you all for following me along the ride, and I can’t wait for you to join me again in the new year! Click through the gallery above, and see links below for the top 15 posts from 2013. Best wishes for 2014!
Hope you all have been enjoying your holiday week as much as I have…I’m really settling into relaxation mode at this point, and yesterday the realization that we were boarding a plane to Austin for six more days of vacation made me immensely happy. It’s been a long time since we’ve visited both of our families at the holidays, and I couldn’t ask for a better gift.
Now as we head into the weekend between Christmas and New Years, a wonderful time to embrace a slower pace and cozy up near the fire with family, I’m just popping in to share a warm cup of cheer. This Mexican Hot Chocolate is a take on a family favorite from growing up. Rich hot chocolate gets an unexpected, but oh-so-delicious twist from a dash of chili powder, cayenne, and cinnamon. For the whipping cream, I like to add the little extra indulgence but not overdo it—just add a small dollop on top and let it immediately melt for a cup of creamy perfection.
Mexican Hot Chocolate
4 cups 2% milk
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup sugar
2 ounces of bittersweet chocolate, broken into pieces
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
2 cinnamon sticks, plus more for serving
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
dash of chili powder
Heat the milk in a saucepan over medium high heat. Bring to a simmer, then add the cocoa powder, sugar, chocolate, vanilla, cinnamon, cayenne and chili powder. Whisk until well combined. Cook until mixture is fully warmed, about 2 minutes. Whisk again just before serving. In a chilled metal bowl, combine whipping cream, sugar and cinnamon. Whisk with a hand blender on high speed until peaks form, about 1-2 minutes. Ladle the hot chocolate into cups, top with a dollop of whipping cream, sprinkle with a dash of chili powder, and garnish with cinnamon sticks.
For me, a large part of the holiday fun is sharing delicious food with family and friends. On the chance your game plan for Christmas Day is still missing something, I’ve rounded up my favorite recipes for the occasion that are sure to impress. From breakfast to dessert, dazzle your guests by putting one of these on the table this week.
I’ve been taking the “less is more” approach quite seriously. I might need a color and pattern intervention come spring, but for now, I’m relishing the simplicity of getting dressed in the morning. While I’ve pared down, that doesn’t mean attention to detail is lost–in fact, it may be even more important with understated dressing. For example, the split back absolutely makes this white button up cool, and these velvety suede leggings (scored for just 20% of the original price at Neiman Marcus Last Call–the best!) fit like a glove and feel far more luxurious than my standard stretchy cotton ones. I can easily say that all four things I’m wearing are current favorites, long-term staples, and worn on a weekly basis at the moment.
Growing up in Texas with a large family of aunts, uncles and cousins, the holidays were a very festive time of year. Of course it was filled with traditions, like practical jokes my uncles played on each other every year, and good food, like my grandma’s hand-painted Santa Claus cookies, tamale feasts for Christmas Eve dinner, and my Aunt Kristina’s famous milk punch. That milk punch…it was a long time before I got to partake, given the drink is laden with bourbon, brandy, and rum. But oh that Southern tradition, served in punch glasses with a dash of nutmeg on top, is forever ingrained in my memory. I love to whip it up this time of year to reminisce, but this year decided to take that holiday memory one step further as my inspiration for a recipe for a virtual cookie swap with Cascadian Farm!
In a spin on your standard “bourbon ball,” I decided to use Cascadian Farm’s Ancient Grains Granola as my base–traditional recipes use crushed vanilla wafers or graham crackers. We actually regularly have Ancient Grains Granola in our pantry, so it was a no-brainer to team up for this recipe. To get a gingerbread taste, I added molasses and plenty of spice. Then of course, there’s the bourbon, which pulls through unmistakably from the depth of the gingerbread flavor for one incredibly tasty bite. Best part? These require no baking, so they’re great for last-minute cookie exchanges and get-togethers, and perfect for the not-so-talented bakers among us!
Gingerbread Bourbon Balls
3 cups pecans, toasted then chopped fine
3 cups Cascadian Farm Ancient Grains Granola, chopped fine
1 cup of dried Turkish apricots, chopped fine
1/3 cup of Bullet bourbon
1/2 cup powered sugar, plus extra for dusting
5 tablespoons of full-flavor molasses
3 tablespoons of dark brown sugar
3 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon each of ground nutmeg, allspice and cloves
Prepare a large baking sheet (or two) with parchment paper. In a small pan, toast the pecans until lightly browned. Chop the first three ingredients, separately, using a small food processor. In a medium-sized bowl, combine all dry ingredients. Then add the bourbon and molasses and using your hands, combine well. Using a tablespoon, scoop out heaping spoonfuls, placing the mixture in the palms of your hands and patting and rolling into balls. Place each ball on the parchment-lined baking sheet. If your hands start to get sticky, sprinkle them with water in between rounds. The recipe should make about 3-4 dozen balls. Finally, dust each ball with powdered sugar using a handheld fine-mesh sifter/strainer. No baking or refrigerating required.
If boozy gingerbread balls aren’t sending you into the kitchen to get baking, six other bloggers are sharing their favorite cookie recipes today as part of the swap too!
This post was created in partnership with Cascadian Farm but all opinions expressed are my own. Thank you for supporting the sponsors who allow me to create new content for Perpetually Chic!
During our recent trip to Turkey, we took a little road trip to explore one of the country’s most famous historic sites–Ephesus. Once an ancient Greek city, then later a major Roman city, today Ephesus draws visitors for being one of the largest collections of Roman ruins and home to one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Temple of Artemis. Ephesus was only a 1.5 hour drive from our base in Alacati, and we found navigating the Turkish highways quite simple. We purchased an English guidebook on arrival rather than hiring a guide, and found the excavations well-marked and easy to view on our own–but definitely a commitment of a minimum of 3 hours at a leisurely pace. The Library of Celsus, bathed in the yellow glow of sunlight, was definitely the most architecturally stunning ruin on site, with its inscribed façade. Other highlights were the long expanses of Harbor Street and Marble Street, the ancient Agora, Hadrian Temple, and the Grand Theater. In many ways, particularly considering its location buried in the hills of the Turkish countryside, this was one of the most impressive ancient architectural sites we’ve ever visited.
Found it! The PERFECT black pump. They arrived last week, and I’m so in love I did a little happy dance. Simple, effortless, ladylike. Some women might completely disagree with me on the perfect pair having an ankle strap and kitten heel, but those were exactly the details I was looking for after spotting Emmanuelle Alt wearing a demi version at Milan Fashion Week. T Magazine seems to agree on the ankle strap, and the lower heel is really more sensible if we’re talking about a true wardrobe essential for the office. Now for the bad news: I stalked these suede Alexander Wang pumps for two months on Shopbop, then they miraculously went on sale at the exact same time Shopbop had their big Cyber Monday deal. So I scored huge and reduced my overall investment a great bit. Lucky for me, but unfortunately they are now sold out everywhere! I did try these Michael Kors pumps (more sizes here) and this Brian Atwood version first and can honestly say either would make an excellent substitute. However, this Enzo Angiolini pair might be the absolute best find, and at an unbeatable price!
I promise I’ll do my best next time to share an essential that is still available to purchase. Oh also, any perfect black blazer finds? A few readers emailed with some great suggestions after I mentioned my hunt for one last month. I’ll keep you posted on my search.
UPDATE: Ann Taylor is now carrying an ankle-strap kitten heel in the exact same style as mine, in leather instead of suede!
It’s tempting to launch into cooking tips every time I encounter someone who scrunches their nose at the words Brussels sprouts. I’m convinced that anyone who does that simply has never had them prepared correctly. Boiled, they become bland and mushy. But saute them, roast them, shave them, and they’re one of my favorite kinds of vegetables! This time of year I usually default to my fall harvest salad, so I decided to branch out and create a new go-to recipe. This shaved version, drizzled with my favorite dressing, makes for a quick weeknight meal with the addition of clementines, currants, fennel, and grilled chicken.
Shaved Brussels Sprouts with Clementines & Grilled Chicken and a Maple-Dijon Vinaigrette
12 very large Brussels sprouts (double if using small ones), shaved using a mandoline or very thinly sliced with a knife
2 chicken breasts, seasoned with salt and pepper, grilled
2 clementines, peeled and segmented
2 tablespoons dried currants
1/4 fennel bulb, shaved into thin slices
2 teaspoons maple syrup
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly cracked pepper
Parmesan, shaved into thin slices (optional)
In a small bowl, combine dressing ingredients and whisk in oil to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Place the shaved Brussels sprouts in a medium-sized bowl and add just enough dressing to coat. Toss to combine and reserve any leftover dressing for other use. Add clementine segments, currants and fennel. Toss to combine, then plate and add sliced chicken alongside. Season with salt and pepper, then top with shaved Parmesan.
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