I’m a little amazed that this is my first coconut recipe on the blog, but it’s a fitting first because it’s a tried and true favorite. Coconut is so, well, special. There’s no other flavor like it, and it ramps up everything that it’s in. Some of my favorites include: coconut curry, coconut gelato, pina coladas, and coconut macaroons. I even love that weird fake coconut scent a la tanning lotion from 9th grade. I love putting coconut oil in my hair even though I’m not convinced it’s even doing anything other than staining my leather couch when my pigeon brain forgets that I’m doing a coconut oil treatment. I love eating fresh coconut, and speaking of, how much better does coconut anything taste when you’re on the beach? Take me there!

FoodThe PasticheNovember 20, 2015coconut, bread, coconut bread, make-ahead, summer, fall, winter, spring, honey, butter, sweets2015, brunch2015 Comment

Worthy Reads

PeriodicalsThe PasticheNovember 19, 2015worthy reads, articles, links, love, relationships, ethics, self improvement Comments

Pom pom gift wrap

Jon’s sweetest nephew just had his 2nd birthday party. And let’s be real—wrapping paper, cards, and even to some extent the gifts, tend to feel more like they’re for the adults involved than the tiny human celebrating his birthday, a little unsure of all the hustle and bustle going on around him. I wanted him to really love our gift, even while still wrapped. After having taken note of a similar kind of pom pom gift wrap I'd seen, I knew it’d be a cinch to make and that it’d be perfect for Smith because of the sensory aspect of the fuzzy little pom poms. And I was right! He loved touching them and trying to pull them off. And I loved how cute the gifts turned out. I certainly plan on employing this technique again, maybe for Christmas with holiday colors, or using brown paper and plain white pom poms for a more subdued look.

DIYThe PasticheNovember 18, 2015gift wrap, pom poms, glue gun, crafts, presents, wrapping, kids, birthday Comments

Splitting holidays and this brilliant solution

The one thing about holidays that can be slightly more stressful than enjoyable: the splitting of family time. It’s a wonderful thing to have enough family members for this to even be an issue, but it can feel like an issue nonetheless. Christmas, although seemingly a more important holiday to many, is actually the less difficult one, I think, compared to Thanksgiving—given that it’s really a two-full-day celebration at minimum. Therefore, most people I know don’t have too much trouble splitting it someway between Christmas Eve day and night, as well as Christmas morning and night. However, Thanksgiving can feel like the trickier one due to its meal-centric nature. It’s hard to have an early meal at one location and then move to the next place to endure your food coma and not partake in that meal. It’s ok, of course, because company is still enjoyed, but there’s something about not being able to partake in the meal that just doesn’t feel right.

A good friend of mine (Hi Julia!) has a tradition in her family that I think is an absolutely brilliant alternative to splitting time...

Home, ThoughtsThe PasticheNovember 17, 2015holidays, family, entertaining, traditions, thoughts, Thanksgiving, lobster Comments

Cornbread and sausage stuffing

While stuffing may not be the star of the show, it’s nearly always the fan favorite. I know it's certainly my favorite part. It’s everything I love combined into one giant casserole, or better yet cooked right inside the turkey itself. But as much as I love it, I also secretly love that for whatever reason, it has mostly remained a Thanksgiving-only dish. I hate to think of any part of the meal becoming monotonous if we served it more often.

This is a really, really tasty take on stuffing with a little bit of a Southern spin. Its base is cornbread, and it's filled with sausage, bell peppers, celery, onions, corn, and lots of those fresh herbs more traditionally associated with Thanksgiving. It’s spicy and a little sweet, with great depth of flavor from all the vegetables and different herbs.

FoodThe PasticheNovember 16, 2015cornbread, stuffing, Thanksgiving, sides, sausage, corn, peppers, fall, make-ahead, casserole, dinner2015, sides2015 Comments

DIY watercolor cards with calligraphy and glitter

If you've been reading along on here, you know how I feel about all things stationery and all things greeting cards, especially. This DIY project is relaxing and cathartic—watercolor painting is best learned by practice and experimentation—and there is not really such thing as right or wrong. I don't think there's a perfect set of steps to follow, but there are some tips/guidelines/hints that I have found to be very helpful in working with watercolors that I will discuss in a bit.

DIYThe PasticheNovember 13, 2015paint, cards, DIY, budget-friendly, glitter, watercolor, stationery Comments

Worthy Reads

PeriodicalsThe PasticheNovember 12, 2015blonde, iphone, parenting, world, Monopoly, science, worthy reads, links, articles Comments

Bagel breakfast with homemade herbed cream cheese

One of my favorite absurd games to play is the “no calorie” game. Here’s the game: if you could pick three foods that would magically become zero-calorie foods, what would you choose? The rules are flexible and pretty much anything goes—but you can’t say things like “sweets.” However, you can say “pizza” even though it consists of many different food items. Everyone I introduce to this game takes it very seriously—which makes sense because it’s really realistic/important/relevant/topical. Just kidding but for some reason everyone loves it. After 20 minutes of consideration and back and forth about contenders, it’s oddly depressing when you remember it’s not actually going to happen. But *~*dReAm BiG*~*

FoodThe PasticheNovember 11, 2015make-ahead, herbed cream cheese, bagel, breakfast, fall, summer, winter, spring, entertaining, brunch2015 Comments

Fresh and earthy Thanksgiving tablescape

Thanksgiving is about family, gratitude, and abundance, and the vehicle for that message is the meal. That is what inspired me to make this fresh, rustic, and simple tablescape. I wanted it to be subtle and beautiful, without an enormous flower centerpiece or other distractions. I think a Thanksgiving table should feel earthy, comforting, and really be about the people sitting at the table.

Autumn panzanella salad

This is a salad I found in Saveur around this time last year, and I've kept it close to my heart ever since. It made me realize that you can get all the herbaceous and savoriness of fall flavors without making a big ol' casserole or roast chicken. I had never before thought to use thyme, rosemary, sautéed shallot, and crispy pancetta in a salad, combined with big hunks of toasted bread. And even though this salad might make its way onto a table alongside said glorious casserole or perfect roast chicken, it will seriously still hold its own—which is hard for any leafy green to do. Speaking of: baby arugula, I choose you all day / every day for my green of choice. Arugula is so packed with peppery flavor that it doesn't even taste like a form of lettuce. It takes dressing so well without losing its spice and crispness, and each piece is already in bite sized form, with such a pretty shape.

FoodThe PasticheNovember 9, 2015fall, salad, panzanella, arugula, sides, dinner2015, salad2015, sides2015 Comments

Staying cozy this fall and winter

PeriodicalsThe PasticheNovember 6, 2015cozy, guide, fall, winter, cold weather, cozy guide, scarves, pajamas, candle, blanket, slipper, J. Crew, Anthropologie, lights, West Elm, pumpkin spice Comments

Worthy Reads

PeriodicalsThe PasticheNovember 5, 2015Alaska, articles, links, floral, psychology, politics, self improvement, happiness, love, jenna lyons, cooking, worthy reads Comments

Smoked salmon spread with lemon and dill

As hard as I try to change it, I’m just not a huge fan of salmon. It’d be the last thing I’d order off a menu, and I’ve had too many bad versions of it to leave me very hopeful about having my mind changed. However, I can name a lot of people whose favorite fish is salmon! It’s just a divisive taste, I suppose. I absolutely love, though, all of the flavors that are so often served alongside of it—dill, lemon, creamy yogurt and sour cream, red onion, etc. And I’ve discovered a particular kind of smoked salmon that I really, really enjoy.

FoodThe PasticheNovember 4, 2015salmon, smoked salmon, dip, dill, lemon, appetizers, make-ahead, party foods, fish, seafood Comments

Having the courage to do what you know you have to do

If you’re at all like me, you’re cringing right now at that title alone. Maybe you even avoid articles of this nature because of the discomfort they cause you. I promise you, I get it, and I've been there, and I know I will be there again sometime. But without further ado, I thought about some concepts that have helped me and pushed me to be brave over the past several months, as difficult as they were to embrace. I think these truths are really relevant for anyone who might be in the same boat and is subconsciously looking for that boat to be rocked a little.

ThoughtsThe PasticheNovember 3, 2015courage, self improvement, change, honesty, relationships, life Comments

Croissant bread pudding with old fashioned lemon sauce

I love anything and everything that has to do with custard. And because I'm not a big chocolate fan, my weakness lies with custard desserts, and if they're combined with lemon—goodnight. This dessert is another inspired by my grandma, but with a twist. The lemon sauce is one she's been serving with her bread pudding forever, and it's divine. The sweet citrus is what takes the bread pudding to a whole other level. So, using her old fashioned lemon sauce, I'm upgrading Ina Garten's delicious croissant bread pudding. This is such a comforting dessert—perfect for fall and winter—and it's very, very easy to make.

FoodThe PasticheNovember 2, 2015bread pudding, lemon, pudding, Grandma, baking, croissants, make-ahead, brunch2015, sweets2015 Comments

Good Mornin' Granola hostess gift

One of my very favorite things about the holidays is the little displays of thoughtfulness that seem to be so much more prevalent: people hosting get-togethers, writing and sending holiday cards in the mail, giving away cookies, etc. I think it’s so fun being on both the giving and receiving end of these little gestures. Since so many people travel for Thanksgiving and Christmas, I thought it’d be a sweet and easy idea to feature a few DIY host/hostess gifts in the upcoming weeks.

Food, DIYThe PasticheOctober 30, 2015granola, hostess, hostess gift, mason jar, fall, vegetarian, snacks, brunch2015 Comments

Worthy Reads

PeriodicalsThe PasticheOctober 29, 2015worthy reads, links, articles, short stories, psychology, cupcakes and cashmere, bridesmaid, wedding, Halloween Comments

Lemony celery and parmesan salad

Sometimes simple is just the best, and sometimes healthy and light is what your body is craving (a weekend full of burgers and eggs Benedict and Indian takeout and wine and cocktails helps get you and your skinny jeans there real quick). Ina Garten’s celery salad is truly the answer, and every time I make it I’m amazed at how flavorful and refreshing it is. I had never thought of celery as an ingredient to shine in a dish (I usually eat it smothered in blue cheese—#health—or chopped up in soup), but the citrusy dressing and salty parmesan turn it into something wholly different and I am all about it. This salad is the perfect light side dish to chicken or grilled fish for dinner, and it makes a great lunch salad as well.

FoodThe PasticheOctober 28, 2015celery, salad, sides, parmesan, light, healthy, summer, fall, spring, vegetarian, lunch2015, salad2015 Comments

Lace and lace ups

And color blocking in oxblood and poppy red...

StyleThe PasticheOctober 27, 2015red lace up flats, flats, lace, blazer, fall, outfit of the day, style, fashion, Topshop, H&M, LOFT, Anthropologie Comments

Dijon and wine braised chicken thighs

It's a cow's world and chickens are just living in it. In fact, it's a world shared by cows, pigs, fish, even plants, and chickens are just living in it. That's how I tend to feel about it, anyway—I'd choose steak, a burger, pork, halibut, shrimp, scallops, etc. over chicken nearly any day of the week—unless, of course, we're talking about chicken thighs. "To me, you are perfect" - Love Actually, and also me talking to chicken thighs. A rose among thorns. A diamond in the rough. AKA chicken thighs.

FoodThe PasticheOctober 26, 2015chicken, chicken thighs, dinner, fall, winter, Dutch oven, mustard, thyme, braised, rosemary Comments

Good Food, Good People, New Places