accessories and dinner

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Shameless self-promotion post: selfie of accessories during Fall Trunk Show. Dress is seasons old, belt and fur tried on from the new collection.

When at home always LOVE a good apron. 🙂 This belt looks great while being useful. Stashed the iPhone in the right zip pocket, plugged in the head-set, and there you go, hands free talking forever.

Popped the fur on, and while fur isn’t for everyone, this one has stretch, can you imagine fur with stretch? Genius.

Maybe wouldn’t wear them both at the same time, but maybe might.

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Worked off-site all day. Moms with older kids know this, moms with younger kids probably can’t yet imagine it: when you cook for others eventually they cook for you.

Second son made dinner tonight, soup to nuts, happy day.

Every day dress, accessories and dinner.

savory and sweet

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At the eleventh hour husband asked for a spread for his political fundraiser held at his Buffalo office proper. He wanted to net for the candidate more than what was gifted so obviously we obliged.

Kept it super simple: savory and sweet. Cooked off four whole beef tenderloins, sliced them up 1/4 inch thick, bought about a dozen baguettes, whole grain and white, spread them with truffle butter, topped off with arugula and shaved parmesan, sandwich picked them in thirds, sliced on the diagonal, all good to go.

The sweet was miniature strawberry tartlets with fresh dolloped fresh whipped cream. Homegrown strawberries from the Eden valley. Pate Brisee from the kitchen counter top food processor. Whipped the cream and transferred it in a chilled bowl.

Home stocked the bar with boxed wine glasses, a case of Montrachet, a case of Rose, some Cabernet and Pinot Noir. Some bottled beer, leftover from a weekend or two ago, a bottle of vodka, some mixers, and all set.

Savory and sweet, two things, that was it. A sandwich and a tart, haha, is there anything else?

Every day dress, savory and sweet, now a caterer as well. 🙂

 

pop-up clam bake

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So it’s summer and while most of us might be working it’s fun to be spontaneous too. Last weekend decided rather quickly to ditch the country place for the day and to drive to ski town, Ellicottville NY, for their annual outdoor music, fireworks, rodeo et al festival weekend.

We had to eat, couldn’t break that solid routine, so stopped at the local grocery without the slightest idea of a menu in mind and bought what looked good. It was Saturday, so the live lobsters they brought in for the weekend were priced to sell. Scooped up all seven that were left. There were eight of us so rounded it out with a bag of clams, some t-bone steaks, haricots vert and sugar snap peas, and an arugula and spinach salad. Food heaven. Had the ramekin butter warmers stashed away but no crackers or picks so we simply used some pliers from the basement and a rubber mallet we found to pre-crack the claws. Add some good white wine and some nice dark beer, pop-up clam bake indeed.

Okay, so that was the lifestyle piece. Now for the fashion: had this fun fringed donut stashed away too. Bought this piece several years ago and wore it all the time until I wore myself out. As it was cold that night and fringe is all around us, popped that thing on too and it felt great.

Here’s to Summer 2014, good times, good food, good clothes, and fringe.

Every day dress, eat and wear the good stuff. 🙂

All photos iPhone, it’s been quite crazy good busy.

oversold

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With the 4th coming feeling a little like we’re off the hook. Had the big bash last weekend, and yes, oversold.

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It’s a great feeling when everything seems to come together and the stars are aligned. Dear friend and I make a great team, we got progressive, wine beer booze at her place and BBQ here, across the street.

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All hands were on deck and it was homegrown. Husband did the wine, French and CA, she did the first bar and organized the grill, BW’s, chicken, ribs, mac & cheese, baked beans, caesar salad, roll and butter. Her man worked overtime and took care of the zillion pounds of ice, what’s a party without the ice?

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We had Negroni cocktails, so fun, and even each rang the old-fashioned dinner bell to signal end of the cocktail hour(s).

I baked 15 dozen chocolate chippers, she called up the bakery and had 15 dozen country cut-outs made up beautifully.

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Her tip was the band, every day dress here made the call and was honestly a little nervous until they showed in the flesh.

Total mixed guest list, thirteen to eighty-plus, love that kind of thing, bonfire near the end.

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Late stayers danced down to Fleetwood Mac, Bob Dylan, and company.

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BBQ was oversold, yippee, so much better than being overdone or overdrawn, haha. Now we’re overstocked, yay, with opened bottles of wine, glasses, candles, and ferns. No problem, have a party early and you’re all set up for the summer.

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Happy Holiday Week everyone.

Every day dress, oversold. 🙂

weeknight dinner

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Even when you’re dog tired coming together at the end of the day is always a good thing. Make some dinner, light some candles, enjoy a glass of wine. Linen napkins help too.

New mustard shoes with rubber soles and short shorts make it easy to get stuff done.

Every day dress, weeknight dinner. 

Mustard Shoes | FLY LONDON | bought locally | ShoeFly Buffalo

flatten out

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With Father’s Day this weekend you might be doing some grilling. Here are a few ideas from a get together we had a few weeks ago. While steaks might be a favorite, sometimes poultry’s the thing, especially with a big group.

Bought 7 organic whole chickens from the market and Ina’s recipe called for them to be flattened. Flattened? Young butcher behind the counter had no idea what I was talking about so decided to just take those birds home and get it done. You can learn anything with your laptop and google. Put that thing right up on the kitchen windowsill and went to work. All those years of sewing and cutting fabric on the bias totally helped out.

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Asparagus, leeks, fennel, peas, and chives went in the risotto stirred with vegetable broth. Sweetened it all up with a bit of marscapone cheese. Mesclun and a mustard vinaigrette rounded things out.

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Sweet cherries and cookies, baked in the city and brought to the country, flat boots, bare feet, flat sandals, and blue jeans. We were all pretty much happily flattened out.

Photos below are not for the vegetarians, vegans, or those that don’t like to mess it up in the kitchen. They show what really went on.

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Every day dress, not afraid to flatten out.

Happy upcoming Father’s Day.

 

 

 

 

 

stay with the plan

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photo 7Saturday night in June with plans to have good friends out to the country for wine and casual steaks on the grill.

When you’re a parent your mood can often be determined by that of your children. One of six going through a rough spot. Feel the pain. Wanted to cancel the get together and wallow a while and simply pull weeds for hours on end in the garden.

Having a strong partnership with those around you is always a good thing. Husband said he could go either way, he understood, but was looking forward to our friends visit.

After coffee and clarity decided to stay with the plan. Friends visited, started with a nice Rosé, moved into Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, a California Cab, finished with a campfire side glass of port. So better than solitary wallowing and weeding.

Food and table simple. Local asparagus and tomatoes roasted in the oven with olive oil and kosher salt. Yellow beets and farm fresh eggs boiled, peeled, and plated. Kale caesar salad, sliced strawberries and drop cookies. Table was a compilation of things acquired over the years; a tablecloth bought in Calistoga CA, linen napkins from Italy, steak knives from a winery in Napa and the canning jar that held the lambs ear and garden flowers from late grandmother’s cellar.

Thank you friends, so glad we stayed with the plan. Love to all.

 

 

every day cook

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There are a couple of things we all need to do every day, most of us at least, and that would be to put some clothes on and eat a few times.

My blog is kind of devoted to those daily habits, dress, love, work, cook, eat, exercise. Here’s hoping you have a couple of good outfits you can throw on without thinking that look good and have a couple of things you can prepare for dinner in 15 minutes flat that taste great.

Here are today’s offerings: wild salmon, pictured here, and wild cod, not pictured here, for husband that doesn’t like pink fish, local lettuces, tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini and squash. Fish on the grill, lettuce, tomatoes, and cukes tossed, zucchini and squash pan-fried. A little Italian white to round things out.

Outfit has been posted before. Get a few things together and repeat repeat repeat. Worth New York top, J Brand Capri Empress jeans, and close-up of sandals I have been absolutely living in all summer long.