Today is our seventh wedding anniversary, which in length of time seems less significant than our first date, which was nearly 13 years ago. But I love the tradition of acknowledging our actual wedding date–reminiscing about that beautiful, perfect day filled with family, friends, lots of champagne and dancing–but most importantly of all, celebrating the union with my best friend and love. Our wedding cake was very nontraditional–tiers of “naked” light lemon pound cake stacked with layers of mascarpone cream and fresh strawberries. It was rustic and simple and delicious at once, an ode to strawberry shortcake, one of my favorite desserts my mom used to pull together on birthdays. To celebrate this year, I wanted to revert our wedding creation back to its original inspiration–a classic pound cake with strawberries and whipped cream–but add the genius touch of lemon in the cake and mascarpone in the cream. The result is an effortless dessert that’s easy to prepare in advance of having guests over for dinner on warm summer nights ahead. A little piece of our love story from me to you. Enjoy!
Pound Cake with Strawberries & Mascarpone Cream
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
1/4 cup milk
Zest of one large lemon
Strawberries, sliced
4 ounces mascarpone cheese, at room temp
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, very cold
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 320 degrees. Place butter, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl and beat 8-10 minutes, until pale and fluffy, with an electric mixer. Add the eggs, one at a time; beat well after each one. Add the flour and beat well to combine. Fold in the milk and lemon zest. Spoon the batter into a lightly greased small loaf pan. Bake 75 minutes or more, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Top should be very golden. Let cool.
To make the mascarpone cream, blend the mascarpone and 1 tablespoon of the powdered sugar until light and fluffy, using a hand mixer. Set bowl aside. Pour the cream and remaining tablespoon of powdered sugar into a second bowl and beat on high until stiff peaks form, about 1-2 minutes. Fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture.
To serve, cut slices of the pound cake, top with strawberries and a heaping spoonful of the mascarpone cream.
I’ve been harboring the biggest littlest secret ever since January, and so I’m beyond excited to finally share the news with you that I’m pregnant with our first child! We are absolutely thrilled and blessed to have a little GIRL on the way, as growing our family has been a desire–and unfortunately a rocky, emotional journey–for us for a couple years now. I am 21 weeks along today and due in early October. We can’t wait to celebrate three birthdays in October this year–baby’s on October 2nd, mine on the 12th and John’s on the 23rd!
Now that my bump is finally starting to show, we decided to document it the other day to share. Stretchy dresses are quickly becoming my best friend, and it’s taking some experimentation to see what works and doesn’t. But I can’t wait to watch my body continue to change (it’s incredibly fascinating!) and to share my tips for effortless maternity style over the next four months.
Rest assured that the blog will continue to be everything it is today–approachable fashion, seasonal recipes, home tips, and travel adventures. I’m definitely trying to ramp back up with more frequent posts following some very quiet weeks here in the spring. More than ever this place will be an important reminder (especially for me!) that simplifying life and style can be very, very chic.
What you keep on your coffee table says so much about your personality. Maybe it’s just a stack of the latest magazines and the TV remote controls. Maybe it’s a carefully curated tray with candles and special knick knacks. Or maybe like me, you have a thing for coffee table books–and fresh flowers. It’s taken me quite a few years, but I’ve collected a varied mix of fashion, lifestyle, travel and design books that reflect my personal taste and style. I love displaying them on my coffee table to flip through periodically–or to provide entertainment for my guests–and today I thought I’d share my six favorite books. Flip through the slideshow to see a glimpse inside each one, and comment below if you have any other favorites in your collection!
American Beauty A collection of portraits of quintessentially American women, from Jenna Lyons to Amanda Hearst. Women who are out creating and contributing to the world and whose beauty feels both glamorous and completely approachable at once.
Gypset Travel
An exploration of lesser-known destinations around the world frequented by bohemian jet setters. Full of wanderlust-inducing photos and unique and inspiring places to travel.
Tim Walker Pictures
A whimsical book that brings you behind the scenes of the wild sets and glamorous spreads of Vogue captured by fashion photographer Tim Walker. Sketches and notes meet playful, fantastical images that intrigue, surprise and make you laugh.
Diego Uchitel: Polaroids
A must-have book for anyone who loves photography. Polaroids of models, fashion designers, and celebrities that have all the romantic and nostalgic feel of film.
The Glow: An Inspiring Guide to Stylish Motherhood
A glimpse into the world of fashionable mothers from one of my all-time favorite sites, The Glow. Tastemakers and their children are captured in gorgeous, light-drenched photos as they share real tidbits of motherhood, personal advice, and unique insights from their experiences. Perfect for the mom-to-be who appreciates style and wants to bring her children into that world.
Another day, another supersimple and seasonal recipe. This is a great light appetizer for your summer get-togethers. Your friends will be impressed, but these tartines take very little effort. In fact, you can make the white bean and feta spread ahead of time and pre-cut the radishes, so all that’s left to do is toast the bread and compile the tartines. These also make a good snack or light lunch. There’s not much more to say…this recipe is all about keeping it simple!
White Bean & Feta Tartines
1 can of cannellini beans
1/4 cup fresh feta, crumbled
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
Olive oil
Pinch of garlic powder
Generous amount of salt and pepper
A couple slices of good quality grainy bread
A handful of radishes, sliced very thinly
Chives, for topping
In a small food processor, combine beans, feta, lemon juice, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Drizzle with a hearty dose of olive oil. Grind to a thick paste, leaving as chunky as you like or adding more olive oil to increase its smoothness. Meanwhile, toast slices of bread. Make sure the bread is toasted well, so it holds up to the bean spread. Cut each slice in half. Spread white bean and feta mixture onto each half slice of bread, then top with radish slices and cut chives. Serve on a platter or cutting board.
Most people probably reserve muffin making for weekends, but a midweek breakfast craving led me to whip these up yesterday morning. With rhubarb in abundance at the farmers’ market, these are a seasonal spin on my favorite grab-and-go breakfast. If you’ve used rhubarb before you know it’s a bit tart and sour, so I balanced it with an equal amount of strawberries. The result is a muffin studded with sweet and tart bits that is relatively healthy—no butter, with applesauce in place of most of the oil. Now these muffins still have plenty of sugar, so I won’t claim that they are uber healthy, but they’re also not over-the-top sweet and buttery like some. Very simple, very delicious!
Strawberry Rhubarb Muffins
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole-wheat flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1 1/3 cups packed brown sugar
1 1/4 cups unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup canola oil
1 cup rhubarb, cut into pieces
1 cup strawberries, cut into pieces
Cinnamon and brown sugar for topping
Preheat oven to 400. Combine the flours, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Beat eggs, then stir in brown sugar, applesauce, vanilla, and canola oil. Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture. Stir until batter is combined. Fold in rhubarb and strawberries. Grease a muffin tin (or line it with paper lines). Spoon batter into each cup, leaving some room for muffins to expand. Sprinkle brown sugar and a pinch of cinnamon over each cup. Bake 15 minutes.
Track pants were a trend I was a bit dubious of until I tried them…but now I’m obsessed! Laid-back, in a fancy crepe fabric, these are the epitome of effortless style. Seriously, a throw-on-and-go staple that are oh so comfortable to wear all day–whether that’s with heels and a blazer for work or with flat sandals and a tank for weekend. I’ll likely be stocking up on some more of these pants for summer. I’m especially loving this pair and this pair. Have you tried track pants?
This is an irresistible summer pasta recipe. The kind where you savor each and every bite. The kind that my mom passed down and that our family comes back to just as soon as it’s nice enough to enjoy on the patio with a glass of white wine–or here, a spritzer in my case. The lightly creamy tomato and herb sauce coats the linguini nicely, and I always try to craft each bite to include a piece of scallop and creamy avocado. It’s so, so good. From our kitchen to yours…
Linguini with Scallops & Avocado
1 lb. scallops
3 Tbsp. olive oil
3 Tbsp. butter
12 green onions, minced
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. basil leaves, chopped
1 tsp. fresh tarragon leaves
1/4 tsp. fresh thyme
1/2 c. dry white wine
3-4 c. chopped fresh tomatoes, drained
1/2 c. heavy whipping cream or half and half
Pinch of sugar
Salt and pepper
12 oz. linguine, cooked
1 avocado, diced
Soak the scallops in cold water for 10 minutes, then rinse thoroughly. Cut into quarters and drain well. Heat oil and butter in a large skillet. Add the scallops and saute until barely firm, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a mixing bowl. Adding more butter, if necessary, saute the onion in skillet until soft. Add garlic, herbs and wine. Cook until liquid has evaporated. Stir in the tomatoes. Increase heat and boil until sauce is thick. Stir in the cream. Season with sugar, salt and pepper to taste. Add the scallops. Toss with hot pasta. Serve with the chopped avocado.
Ahhh, Fridays. Jeans day at work. Half day at work. The point at which the weekend is finally within grasp. I love wearing jeans to work and always take it as an opportunity to look casually put together. A favorite silky blouse in periwinkle and the metallic silver slingbacks that I can’t stop wearing are the perfect way to go. This is what you’ll find me in today at work. Happy Friday!
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