Apr
2014

Orchiette with Kale Walnut Pesto + Lemon Broiled Asparagus

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Double recipe for you guys this week! Get into it. I’ve teamed up with some of my fave blogger gal pals to bring you a round of spring inspired recipes. I went green on green with my dish, with the inclusion of kale and asparagus. Have you guys ever made kale pesto? It’s legit. Definitely heartier than the basil or arugula version, but I love the extra bite. Orchiette also happens to be one of my absolute favorite pasta cuts for its darling shape and serious ability to hold a sauce, so it’s perfect in this dish. Soaks up all that delicious pesto! And lastly, cause ya’ll know I love a recipe that can be made ahead, this one can be served hot or at room temperature. Spring entertaining at its best.

Be sure not to miss the other gals incredible recipes below!

Lemon Petit Fours from House of Earnest
Stawberry Paleo Ice Cream from Lemon Stripes
Pea, Pistachio, and Mint Pesto from vmac+cheese
Strawberry Avocado Tacos from The Average Girl’s Guide

For the pasta:

1 lb. orchiette (or any short cut pasta)
1 bunch asparagus, ends removed and cut into 2 inch pieces
olive oil
juice of half a lemon
salt and pepper

For the pesto:

4 cups packed curly kale, roughly chopped and ribs removed
1/3 cup walnuts, toasted
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
freshly ground pepper to taste

Set a large pot of salted water to boil. Once boiling, add in the orchiette and cook until just al dente- generally 10 to 11 minutes for Orchiette. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water before draining.

Make the pesto: Place all of the pesto ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth and fully incorporated. Taste and add more salt, pepper, or lemon juice if needed. Set aside.

While the pasta cooks, set your oven to broil. Line a baking sheet with tin foil and spread the chopped asparagus in an even layer. Drizzle with a little olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Place under the broiler until slightly browned a crispy- about 5 to 7 minutes. The asparagus will still be quite al dente.

Place the cooked pasta in a large bowl. Add in the pesto and 1/4 to 1/2 cup of pasta water and stir well to combine. Add in the cooked asparagus and toss gently. Season with flaked sea salt (or just regular sea salt) and more cheese. Serve immediately.

Apr
2014

Lemon Laced Coconut Donuts

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Something wonderful happened this weekend! One of my best friends had a baby. I got the text on Saturday afternoon, notifying me that she was headed to the hospital. I immediately burst into tears. Tears of joy, but tears nonetheless. It was a kind of excitement I’ve never experienced before, she being the first of my close gal pals to have a little one. It put me on an absolute high for the rest of the weekend. I can’t wait to meet the little man, and for the rest of my friends to keep having sweet babes! Isn’t it the best?

On a completely different but still sweet note, these donuts. These would be show donuts. And by that I mean, they’re a little over the top. Even this sugar addict needs to pump the breaks on a candy filled frosted donut. But here’s the thing- for your Easter brunch, you serve the adults the donuts, and the kidlets the candy! Two birds with one stone. The donuts on their own are actually only mildly sweet, and the lemon keeps them bright and light. Donuts and babies- made for a pretty good weekend. Here’s to a great week!

Lemon Laced Coconut Milk Donuts adapted from Taste and Tell
Makes 12 donuts

2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 eggs lightly beaten
3/4 cup coconut milk
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 cup vegetable oil
zest of 1 lemon
1 cup flaked unsweetened coconut

For the icing:

1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons coconut milk
pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 325°. Spray a donut pan with cooking spray (I love the coconut spray from Trader Joe’s).

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, combine the coconut milk, eggs, coconut extract, butter and oil. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined.

Transfer the batter to a large zip top bag and cut off one corner. Pipe the batter into the donut pan, filling each about 2/3 full.

Bake the donuts for about 10 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove to a wire rack to cool. While the donuts cool, make the icing and toast the coconut. Mix together the powdered sugar, lemon juice, coconut milk, and salt, working it until it’s thick and glossy. To toast the coconut, place the flakes in a shallow baking dish at 325°. Bake for 5-8 minutes, stirring after 5 minutes and cooking until golden brown.

Dip one side of the donuts in the frosting, creating a generous coat. Follow by a light dip in the toasted coconut flakes. Repeat for remaining donuts. Serve immediately or store in an air tight container at room temperature. for up to three days.

Apr
2014

Life Lately | April 11th |

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I anticipate New Yorkers kind of losing their minds this weekend as it’s slated to be 70 degrees on Saturday!! To my friends with a backyard in Brooklyn (you know who you are), we will be grilling. The weather aside, it’s been a pretty stellar week. It’s the first week in a long time where life has not only felt normal, but really, really good. Some of my new furniture has started to arrive and I couldn’t be more excited to start making my new space feel like an actual home. A little sneak peak? I snagged this gorgeous headboard from One King’s Lane. A piece of art hung above and it’ll make for the most inviting spot to cozy up at night.

Here are a few fun links for your weekend- with a specific shout out to numbers 2, 3, and 8. Enjoy the sunshine! xx

1. 7 Habits of Highly Emotionally Intelligent People

2. Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookie Pancakes

3. A brilliant piece on what it’s really like to explain you freelance.

4. This brow pencil is my everything.

5. Caught in the act with Tastemade this week.

6. My buttermilk donuts on Buzzfeed!

7. The shirt every man should be wearing.

8. “What if getting lost wasn’t such a bad thing?”

9. A perfectly dressed up silk pajama pant.

10. The Importance of Telling Your Story

11. January Jones- your brows are killer.

image via emerson fry (found via apartment 34)

Apr
2014

Behind the Scenes with Erin Souder of Grandiflora

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It took merely a single glass of red wine in a hotel bar downtown last fall, for Erin Souder and I to realize we had far more in common than just blogging and entrepeneurship. Founder of the stunning home decor line, Grandiflora, and the voice behind the ever impressive blog, House of Earnest, this girl’s got style, talent, design sense, depth, and drive like noneother. Even before launching this series earlier this year, I knew I’d be featuring Erin, as her story and the method by which she launched her own décor line (while still managing her blog and a full time corporate job!) is truly noteworthy.

Learn how she executed on just that, as well as the methods by which she managed the financial risk of venturing out on your own, how she specifically designs each piece to market itself through its versatility, and more below!

When did you launch your business? What were you up to before that?
I launched Grandiflora in late 2013 after spending 7 years working in product development and design for the apparel company Abercrombie & Fitch.

Was there any way that you leveraged your time or job before you launched your business, to come closer to venturing out on your own?
I simply worked around the clock! Every off hour was an opportunity to push my own ideas forward. It’s so important to be at a paying job as long as humanly possible in order to continue raising capital, but when I could no longer give 100% towards the launch of Grandiflora, I knew It was time to give it my full attention.

Apr
2014

One Love Organics in Mexico

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When my girlfriend was brainstorming travel gifts for her bachelorette in Mexico, she casually mentioned the travel kits from One Love Organics. Given my deep love for the brand (and the fact that it’s completely changed my skin for the better), I immediately responded, “It’s the perfect gift!!”

So off we flew and upon arrival, seven sweet travel cases chock full of OLO goodies were doled out. Their travel kits contain their Easy Does It cleanser (my everyday facewash), their Skin Savior (a waterless beauty balm I use to moisturize before bed), their Love Springs Eternal (an anti-aging serum I put on before my make up every morning), and their Brand New Day microderma scrub and masque.

The products are perfect for any type of travel, but were especially useful for our time at the beach. I’m a get up and go kind of beach gal, so I basically just roll out of bed and throw on my suite, with just a quick wash of my face and brush of my teeth. I love using Easy Does It first thing in the morning because it’s such a gentle cleanser, it doesn’t feel like it’s stripping your face. I’d then apply the serum to give my skin an extra layer of moisture before piling on the sunscreen.

After 10 hours on the beach, there’s nothing better than a long, hot, luxurious shower! In the shower I’d apply the Brand New Day masque and let it work its magic while washing my hair. Despite, using facial sunscreen, my skin always feels a little extra gritty after it’s been covered in that stuff, so the mask is great for sloughing off all the sand and surf. Between the tan and mask, my face was quite literally glowing! At home I love to mix the mask powder with Greek yogurt (instead of water) for an extra luxurious treatment.

Immediately upon toweling off and wrapping myself in a fluffy hotel robe, I’d coat my face and any other areas that were a little pink with the Skin Savior. This stuff is seriously a miracle product. It can cleanse, moisturize, and condition! I love it for moisturizing, but also find it really helpful when removing eye make up or taming fly aways in my hair.

If you’re celebrating a bachelorette of any kind- travel involved or not- I can’t recommend this sweet kit enough! And on top of the products, how darling is the case? Love it, naturally.