kitchen escapades

 

Recently I threw salt and flour on a fruit pie. While it looked okay, it was a kosher salt granulated sugar mix-up, and a bad salt peach pie. Kind of like when you’ve got good stuff in your closet and you simply can’t put it together for the life of you to get yourself out the door, and you’ve just got to go. Cooking and baking have similar qualities to dressing, you assemble good ingredients, read and study if that’s your thing, and continually try to make it better.

We did manage to put together a pretty sweet carrot cake, nasturtiums are from the fall country garden and edible, and a nice little charcuterie thing.

 

Stretch home garden goal is to always have simple, fresh-cut flowers.

Love that you usually get three times a day plus to feed yourself and those you love, and oftentimes just as many times to wear different stuff if you do different things during the course of your day. As simple as that may be, we here love food, think about it when we’re not with it, and are constantly trying to get the what to wear where thing right for ourselves and those in our mix.

We’re constantly cooking and dressing, and it’s not always good. Here’s to the every new brand new day.

Happy Monday all.

xoxo

 

out for a while

To cap off summer shenanigans, thank goodness as it’s been a long one, husband and I did a two-day getaway at The Red Horse Inn before hitting Greenville SC for Furman University family weekend.

we stopped at a small Amish store and bought ham off the bone, hot pepper cheese, a jar of mustard and mayonnaise and a loaf of bread

Hiking the foothills of the Blue Ride Mountains and making grilled ham and cheese sandwiches in the petite cabin kitchen were the activities, perfect. The new terrace of the main house was a great spot for a glass of wine or two.

denim shirt with wide legged navy pant

new season square toe lace up boot, a season or so ago bag

Yeah, we’ve been out for a while, and looking to get back in. Two life changes, a marriage and somewhat of an empty nest after sending youngest of six off to Providence College this fall and just gotta say the tank feels low. Things that got us going like writing, and cooking, and even dressing haven’t had the same pull. That’s a problem, as we named this site every day dress, not only to talk about clothes, but more about the idea of getting up, showing up, taking risks and putting yourself out there, and to perhaps help inspire a few women to do maybe a little of the same.

Simply putting this post up on this first day of October feels awkward, as we’ve fallen off the habit, kind of like the first day of school or the first day back at the gym after a too long hiatus. We know we like it, and that it’s good for us, it’s just that we’re out of the routine.

In talking with a client today she reminded me that research suggests it takes thirty days of regularly doing ‘a thing’ to make ‘a habit’. So here we are, with an awkward feeling post, hoping to get back to regularly writing, cooking, dressing.

All I can say is every day dress. xoxo

 

where we’re at

late summer quick chicken with tomato garlic compote | all vegetables from farm share

2000 miles via auto and air and 8 states in 7 days and now we’re back in the studio and making dinner at home, woot woot.

today in the studio trying on plaid, these are size 6

love this look 

leopard and plaid denim and red pumps, yes please

I’ll be in the studio until the morning of September 11th, and for the record kind of all about these plaid denim pants.

Hoping everyone out there is hitting their stride with all new season stuff: back to school, back to work; and the world spins on….

molasses cookies with vanilla and sea salt caramel ice cream, why not, still summer, still living, this was desert for 3

kitchen goods | me

clothing items | Worth New York 

xoxo

cooking at home

Four of us are on the road, one Providence College move in and drop off, circle home quick then out and a Furman University drop.

Road food has been great, been thinking about that lobster roll all summer long. Girls and I love and enjoy food, and any shared meal is often our favorite part of the day.

We’ve been cooking at home for as long as we can remember, and honestly feel it’s a kind of super glue. Cooking at home brings us together and creates unbreakable bonds, the kind that make college drop offs unbelievably bittersweet.

get back to it

No better way to break the ice than to simply get back to it and sink in. We’ve been out, and loving every minute. Not every day that a child gets married, and we put our all into it to make it happen. Happen it did, it was amazing, in so many out of the world ways. Wedding post coming, need to gather resources, stay tuned.

What we really do most days is aim to wear good clothes, cook and eat good food, and try our best to think good thoughts. With that, we did a kind of Sunday dinner on a Tuesday, and broke bread with those we love. Every day things.

Every day dress, after an epic wedding push, trying to get back to it. xoxo

put it together

basic little black cardigan what’s for dinner post

Days move so fast sometimes you’ve just got to put it together: the clothes on your body and the food to eat for dinner.

Essentials to keep on hand might include black denim and a cropped cardigan, a pound of bacon, frozen peas, a fresh bunch of kale, imported dried pasta, a good black bag, and maybe some Boursin cheese and a handful of asparagus.

looks weird yet wildly delicious, everyone loved this ad hoc what’s for dinner put it together

We love a good outfit and adore a good meal, keeping at the ready some strong basics makes it easier to put it together.

Every day dress everyone. TGIF, xoxo.

 

joined a farm share, and had a plant party

farm box, and Amish potholders 

all the goods

farm fresh egg, cheese, greens

Never mind book club, we’ve joined a farm share for the season and couldn’t be happier. Picked up our box last week Thursday, and have cooked and baked from it since.

We’re all about eating fresh, and working on adding in more plant-based items to the daily rotation. Work it is, as I find plant-based a bit challenging, and honestly kind of time-consuming. Maybe it’s just getting in the swing of it, not sure, simply seems to take forever to chop so many ingredients to arrive at great flavor. I have to say though that once the prep is done, the results and the taste and the variety of meals you can create is worth the effort, so go figure. Daughters in the house love when I cook this way, they are all over the Cucumber Rounds w/Cashew Cheese Tapenade.

soaking heirloom tomatoes for consomme and cashews for ‘cream cheese’

recently bought 3 bistro tables from Amazon for entertaining activities 

Friday night committee meeting

we like odd numbers

tomato consomme shooters with avocado garnish

roasted pepper pesto crostini with fresh horseradish garnish

cucumber rounds with cashew cheese tapenade and garnished with balsamic figs 

prepping Beefless Southeast-Asain satays

serving Beefless Southeast-Asian Satays with Peanut Sauce

(don’t think I’ll ever do this one again, would rather use grass-fed, organic beef)

On Friday I was in kitchen heaven as entire family was out and about. Simply settled in with a counter full of plant ingredients and did what I could for a little patio and lawn committee party we had that evening to kick off WNY Women’s Foundation Fall in Fashion 18. Lovely evening, lovely women.

Sunday night halibut and asparagus

Monday morning halibut on toast with fresh squeezed OJ

As for creating, this morning we started with last night’s halibut garnished with olive and sun-dried tomato tapenade, protein at breakfast in our every day dress world is always a good idea.

strawberry rhubarb pie

A few disclaimers:

  • Started here as a ‘style’ site and feel like we’ve evolved more into maybe a ‘food’ site? Whatever, we’re passionate about both, even if involves most of our time spent in denim. We can still clean up nice when needed. 🙂
  • If you read my posts on Facebook, here is my apology: I am freaking terrible at Facebook, and one of my young admins linked my blog to Facebook seasons ago and I still haven’t figured it out, oh, well, always learning and figuring things out. Sorry if I’m not good at replying to comments.

living in denim, and sneakers, and a puffer, still in June

black cotton dress, Dior bag, guitar strap, waiting for Uber 

Saturday office look, new shoes, and loving Diet Coke in a glass bottle

Joined a farm share, and had a plant party. xoxo, Rebecca

food and stuff

Getting ready to hit the road again with 4 daughters and second sons girlfriend for fun wedding activities, second of three bridal showers on deck. Here we come New Hampshire.

We’ve been up to all kinds of prep: spreadsheets, construction projects, and major weeding, all for the upcoming big day.

We’re also in the kitchen, baking things like three berry cobble, coconut cupcakes, and beef tenderloin with bernaise sauce. Scratch chicken stock is a weekly routine and keeps all things food related humming. Vegetable stock goes on too as we’re kind of leaning into more plant-based eating although these photos indicate otherwise, haha, we have no wagon here. 🙂

Every day dress, food and stuff. Have a great and safe weekend! Xoxo

Footnote: okay you guys trying to fit this posting stuff in and did this while having mani/pedi, overjoyed.

showering linnie

Of course we’ve been watching all things royal, adoring her sartorial choices, and couldn’t be happier for the beaming bride and groom. Love too that it’s a modern-day fairy tale, and reminds us that with love, and persistence, all heights are possible.

the everything shoe

Honestly I don’t even know what day it is, as our own little wedding story has been wonderfully encompassing: in just under twelve weeks we’re bringing together two large and joyous families for a union that simply feels right, and good.

Peanut on the bride cookies

Stephanie on flowers and balloons, 100+

setting the stage

Last weekend (or was it the one before that?), twenty of us came together at Bobo in NYC for showering Linnie. We laughed, and cried, and shouted out a little with Taylor Swift, all in a glorious Saturday afternoon of celebration.

the bride arrives

Every day dress, showering Linnie, and loving everyone and every moment. xoxo

a mom in love

Linnie and her twin brother

sent as many guests as we could home with flowers, love you Taylor

I’ve been MIA as doing it all is seemingly not possible, so blogging slipped, sorry. Gotta do what’s necessary, and getting through the days is top of the list, even though settling in with the laptop and the keyboard is pulling, and consciously unsettling…

waiting on spring

brunch at The Obstinate Daughter | community table 

Six years ago today we put our first post up here, and if we’re completely honest with ourselves we’re looking to reclaim some of our mojo. It’s kind of funny, no one is really out there waiting for a new entry. Yet when we don’t write I feel anxious, and let it go for a while, and then feel more anxious, and then it feels even harder to get back to it. Kind of like the gym, when you’re in the habit it’s a daily do, and you feel better, even when you don’t.

yeah, that’s me styling oldest daughter, pink bag, pink charm, pink scarf, floral shoe 

So, here goes: writing and posting here keeps my brain engaged, even if it’s simply content about food and clothes. We’ve had a love affair with both for as long as we can remember, and we’ll need to be fed and dressed for as long as we’re here so content continues. If you’ve been a reader for a while thank you, I like sharing my space.

Several years ago through my professional work with Worth New York I heard Tom Black, entrepreneur and wine collector, speak. Motivational, yes, and since then I’ve subscribed to his Success Quotes for Daily Living. Yesterday, this landed in my inbox:

Ignore all hatred and criticism. Live for what you create, and die protecting it.  – Lady Gaga

And with that, we continue. Every day dress, and every day cook. Food and clothes, in any order, with as much style as we can gather.

of the several group photos this one’s a favorite, as it shows love, laughter, movement, and no perfect posing

Photos here are of recent visit to Charleston, South Carolina. Easter Sunday we brunched at The Obstinate Daughter, Sullivan’s Island, and did a beach walk afterwards, thank you, Lucy. There were eleven of us in total, now ten of us are back in the northeast and we’re all waiting on spring.

Every day dress, waiting on spring.