day one

double denim and vintage ski

I have a bad habit of making things harder than they need be. Here we go with day one and I’m supposed to post twice a day and maybe to Instagram stories and I still haven’t totally figured that out yet and supposedly it’s super easy so I’m going all old school with photos from the camera.

just the beginning, needed to just start…

It was Sunday, and the day before husband and I drove to buy pansies by the dozens as I just can’t wait for spring. Planted most of those pansies in pots on the terrace and cooked up this month’s Food & Wine Italian Spring inspired Stewed Chicken Legs and Thighs with Fresh Herbs and Olives, Sautéed Chicories with Chile Oil, and Pear Crostata.

every spring it’s pansies in the pots
simple symmetry
mixed chicories before the heat
stewed chicken never really takes a good photo
plated up with the salad it looks a little bit better, it was really delicious
pear crostata, burned the first go-round, had to dump it

Really didn’t know what Chicories were, and now I do: Chicories are closely related to lettuces, but heartier and with a bitter edge. Cool weather crops that come into season in late fall (and last in temperate climates through early spring), chicories provide a lot of flavor to seasonal fall and winter meals. Thank you to The Spruce Eats. I guess I sort of did because Food & Wine didn’t specify radicchio and I picked that up at market anyways.

peonies and ranunculus, $3.50 a bloom from the grocery

Planting and cooking took most of the day, also got in a long walk and some yard clean-up. Outfit of the day was denim on denim and vintage Bogner ski jacket.

Day one, check.

déjà vu

chicken, olives, prunes, capers, olive oil, red wine vinegar, a splash of chardonnay

made two pans and set eight plates, miss you Lizzie and Mimi
simple table, linen napkins, pretty much always un-ironed
had a little trouble with the couscous, made a double match and it kind of stuck together, single batch twice is better

Another snowy February day, another chicken dinner. Really didn’t know what I was thinking, set the table for eight yet we only had six, must really be missing those college co-eds.

We’ve been reading; a book about a couple living in France and trying to speak the language exclusively, Gwyneth’s new book The Clean Plate, and a book gifted by second daughter, Ann Hood’s Kitchen Yarns. Ann’s writing about The Silver Palate’s legendary Chicken Marbella made my mouth water so much that I had to go to market to gather chickens and prunes. It was delicious.

steamed the broccoli yet it precooked a little by simply sitting out on the hot range

Decided to do some Parker House rolls as well, because, well, it’s snowy and it’s February. Anything with melted butter and flaky sea salt is a win win. The broccoli was because of Gwyneth.

If you’re wondering what to do for an at home Valentine’s dinner, Chicken Marbella could be a consideration. We added couscous simmered in homemade vegetable stock, and caramelized crème brûlée. Chocolates would be welcome, of course.

flowers, books, and candles = necessities

Paperwhites are from dear friend, thank you, and give hope for spring.

Déjà vu everyone, xoxo.

a birthday crown

Seven years ago while in Sonoma CA bought a paper crown for Lizzie’s thirteenth birthday. She wore it when we returned home for a New Year’s Day family brunch celebration, wore it again for a more formal sweet sixteen at a private dance party with all her teenage friends, and wore it last night for a small family dinner to celebrate turning twenty.

Like a special dress you can take out and wear again and again for special occasions, love that she checked into the china cabinet where this special paper crown is kept and displayed, and topped it on her head. Love that at twenty she wears what she wore at thirteen. Simple style endures.

As for me, I’m wearing this year’s black silk blouse, sleeves rolled for cooking, and new higher waisted black leather jeans. Last year’s silk scarf tied at the waist as a belt, and good to go. Simple style works.

coconut cake
she set the table, yellow roses are so her

Happy Birthday dear Elizabeth. May your twentieth year be as brilliant and beautiful as you are. xoxo

back in the mix

The post below we wrote days ago and never hit submit, it was one of those things. Longest winter I ever recall, except perhaps for blizzard of ’77, and then I was eleven, and ate frozen donuts for days on end. This time around we stayed in, and moped, and cooked.

Finally feeling like we’re getting back in the mix, it hit 72 degrees here today, and we put on a skirt. A navy tweed skirt and a brighter blue v-neck sweater, and some silver shoes. We like things easy, and this was easy.

Yesterday we went for a country drive, wedding planning and site visit, and did some chick pea quesadillas for dinner, that was easy too.

chick pea quesadilla with greens

scratch red pepper pappardelle with spinach and tomatoes on warmed plates

laminated scratch pasta, why not?

denim shirt, denim apron, un-ironed linen napkin, honest food

one lone pizza with pepperoni, women in the family moving towards plant-based meals

Even though we have sunshine the dogs don’t even really want to go out, it’s been so wickedly unspring like. We’re simply tucking in, and doing things like scratch red pepper pasta, and scratch pizza dough; come on fair weather we’ve got a wedding to shape up for, carb loading be over.

youngest of six at Providence College

While on the road the weekend before we toured Providence College, it was cold and windy there too. We spontaneously caught up with Steve Martin and Martin Short, they were spectacularly funny, and we’re still laughing.

hydrangea and eucalyptus, one on the left kind of checked out

Sorry for rambling unorganized post, simply working on getting back in the mix.

xoxo

kitchen dinner

the morning after, before a little clean-up

picked up fourteen new French ramekins with most recent paycheck, can’t wait to do summer berry tartlets in these

before the Bain Marie, did two trays of these

ready to go, flowers, creme brûlée, lobster, crab legs and shrimp done up in court bullion  chilled down and packed up in Worth New York sweater bags

Love throwing a little dinner for (ten) friends, and did just that Saturday, in ski country. Did the cooking city-side, and packed it all up for the drive-out. The big bummer of the night was that I/we couldn’t connect to the wi-fi, so no Sonos action, or even iTunes playlist, yikes. A few dinner guests got a hotspot, thank you Liz and Brian, and played a little music from their mobile device, thank you. Without good sound surround we simply filled the night with deep laughter and heartfelt (sometimes on the rowdy side) conversation. Style lesson, never underestimate the power of the sound system, and try to get yourself on-site at least 24 hours in advance so at least you can do some trouble shooting, no such luck on a Saturday afternoon three hours before guests are to arrive.

GP’s Spring Fattoush salad before the hand toss, minus the pre-chopped mint and cilantro, totally forgot about those in the fridge, oh, well…

first course, salad, served on standard dinner plate, second course, spring beef stew, served on soup plate

spring beef stew with cauliflower rice in the background

creme brûlée, chocolate brownie cookie, and fresh mint garnish

As much as I try to do a lot of stuff up-front it’s always a hustle when it gets to be go-go time. Kind of dig that adrenaline rush of trying new things and getting things done, being on the edge I swear keeps you fresh, and feeling a little alive.

when you cook you get to have leftover shellfish and Chardonnay for breakfast

one of our favorites, hyacinth, in a single color bouquet

when you cook you get to have leftover shellfish and sparkling wine for lunch the next afternoon

Had a great little outfit yet couldn’t get the photo done, seems that the kitchen dinner is where the action happens most nights, as we’re really all hands in, hands on.

seafood platter on ice and in the snow

blue sky, white snow, pure love

xo, kitchen dinner, every day dress, every day cook, take the risk, just go with it, even when the music just doesn’t seem to play.

 

 

weekend away

Here at the every day love can be celebrated anytime; day, night, holiday, in town or on the run.

Last weekend husband and I got away at Langdon Hall, and really did nothing but lounge, spa, wine, & dine. Property had bikes with snow tires and snow shoes, we did neither. Would have loved to have given those a whirl, still have some tender feet going on. The gym was a yes, that’s an almost every day thing, as changes are easy, home or away.

room service salmon, love the plating technique, always learning 

black silk and lace, thank you Lace & Day

black puffer and bread and butter, butter is love

I had room service salmon for one, and they gifted us fresh bread and scratch butter upon our departure, love.

vegetable stock prep

Naturally it inspired me for all things food, and once home immediately started vegetable stock prep.

coconut chickpeas with spinach and sun-dried tomatoes over brown rice

mise en place for pumpkin risotto and roasted broccoli

pumpkin risotto garnished with toasted pecans

Two daughters are now meat-free, and I’m studying plant-based cooking, simply to learn more and to merge more plants into our daily rotations. Not sure we will ever be fully plant-based, way too soon to say, and there’s always that cheeseburger. 🙂

chop chop chop 

sea scallops with Thai peanut sauce

local chocolate hearts

spring fattoush, salmon skewers with chimichurri, and cauliflower rice

vegan, gluten-free, sugar-free, chocolate mousse with cashew cream

leftovers with a glass of bubbly for the cook, breakfast or lunch next day

Last night we did family dinner for Valentine’s at home, and celebrated at the family table. Food was amazing, and honestly it needed to be, as it required enormous chopping time of plant ingredients, yikes.

Tomorrow five of us head south for another weekend away, this time for some vitamin D, love all around. We’ve felt the food love yet feeling a bit of a style rut, and really hoping some warmer temperatures will inspire all things spring.

Peace and love to all, and wishing you soulful times in your kitchen and good clothes on your body.

xoxo

 

back in the mix

got out the mandolin for a little slicing practice

another kale salad prep

whiter roses, blue hydrangea, and a candle, for the counter

For the record, not having elective surgery in the near next decade or so, and not paying much attention to SEO, or search engine optimization, a rabbit hole I went down while getting over recent elective stuff.

Three weeks to the day returned to the grocery, and tucked in supplies to cook dinner. We’ve been cooking a little,  grilled cheese and things we prepped before, yet today was first day out. Grocery delivery is a good thing, when your daughter runs to the store even better, thank you Booie.

We were craving some vitamin D, and took the dogs on a slow shuffle down the block and back. That’s one of our things here at every day dress, walk the dogs, or walk yourself.

I spy Winston hanging around

We like to cook, and it calms any anxiety that might be happening when you’ve got people coming to the table, even when it’s dinner for three.

kale salad with radishes and avocado dressing

fettuccine, shrimp, and spinach

Every day dress, and back in the mix.

 

a white suit

Snowing again, and we’re totally jazzed by the idea of a white suit, or really anything all white.

Here we go, writing and posting at the end of the day, and not very first thing, as we had researched about habits, and productivity. There’s always tomorrow, that’s what we really love about the every day.

In a few days second daughter, or now MOH, (that’s Maid of Honor in wedding lingo, something I had no idea about), travel to NYC for a round of white dress look sees with first daughter, bride to be, (or is it BTB?). Obviously there’s been a lot of dress looking, for the bride and the wedding party online and on Pinterest, (another social site we’re just not that good at), and this has us thinking about a lot of white.

So, above you see some looks I’ll be working with this spring/summer 18 for clients, and myself. Our spring selling season opened today, I was in the studio wearing not yet a white suit, but white denim. I was cleaning, and prepping the show calendar, and organizing. A white suit for so many women sounds amazing, particularly in the middle of winter, yet for now we’re going with white denim (yes, white denim for sure in winter), and the standard but luxurious black turtleneck sweater. No photo, simply imagine the simplicity.

Over the weekend we we’re thinking about what it is that we really do, and why. We like to help answer the professional question ‘what to wear’, and the personal question ‘what to eat’. We love good clothes and the start of a new season, and we’re always honestly thinking about our next meal, truth.

We kind of wore a suit over the weekend, denim on denim while out in ski town, and last night upon arrival city-side cooked up a quick delicious batch of The New York Times Creamy Pasta with Smoked Bacon and Peas. Anyone that’s not eating vegan, or gluten-free etc. should have this in their repertoire, it’s a supremely good basic. All ingredients can and should be pantry staples. Add a green salad and dinner can be on the table in about twenty-five minutes.

What to wear and what to eat?

At the end of January it’s denim, of course, blue, black, or white, and lots of black knitwear. Moving towards spring, a white dress, and a white suit.

Creamy Pasta with Smoked Bacon and Peas, and tonight’s it’s scratch chicken pot pie from the freezer, it’s Monday after-all.

xo

professional images Worth New York

 

a pretty good day…

black tee on him, gray tee on me, and scratch carrot cake for all

This man of mine turned 63, (we celebrated last night as he is on the road today), visited the doc and got all stitches out and clearance to do light stuff and wear Birks and Crocs, United Airlines recovered my laptop (in Texas!) and is sending back to me, good food continues to be favorite project. and we’re wedding planning, so, all in all a pretty good day.

linguini, brie, tomato, basil

condiments in ramekins, they like to be dressed up too

a tray full of sliders on ciabatta, we had greens separate 

seventeen year old’s daughter card to her dad, she get’s it, and is so funny

We think a pretty good day involves family, food, and a good outfit. Sharing a few photos of kitchen happenings and a look from spring18 that would brighten all our closets.

chicken chili with definite chips in the afternoon

chicken and corn chowder, so delicious, and extra for a friend

pretty white flowers, from a friend 

We’ve been thinking about the blog, and the business, and life in general. When you spend two weeks with your feet mostly above your head you have time to do a lot of thinking, stay tuned.

W by Worth 

Every day dress, a pretty good day.

food porn

bolognese is always satisfying

This one’s for you Christen: we’ve been working our butt off in the studio with all kinds of gorgeous clothing looks while dressing all kinds of beautiful women, yet also trying to keep the home fire burning with some good old food porn. 🙂

love these autumnal hydrangea from the country house

 

Honestly we’ve had lots of asks, and we try and deliver. Here we go: oldest daughter from NYC and third daughter from South Carolina home for a hot second so we cooked up a quick thankful dinner.

cauliflower rice, roasted butternut squash, caesar salad with garlic croutons, moving very slowly to a bit more plant based diet

slightly wilted from a few days ago garden herbs acting as centerpiece

what our working kitchen really looks like 

Roasting any kind of vegetable is one of our favorite techniques and works for adding flavor to breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Quick, easy, spontaneous and full of flavor, that’s how we roll.

Food porn, not our favorite subject line, yet definitely our thing.

Yay, we prep and cook with a very sharp knife and often in nothing at all but a sweatshirt and an apron or some beautiful bodysuit from our friends at Lace & Day. Seen here are a few real life kitchen happenings from the last week or so.

Every day dress, wear some good clothes and cook some good food.

xoxo