weekend recipe: apple crisp

Hello, Fall, my favorite season. 

Apple picking is one of my ultimate Fall activities, so you can expect quite a few apple recipes on the blog in the next couple of months. This weekend: make your own apple crisp!

Ingredients
2 cups oats (I use rolled oats)
1 cup brown sugar (I use light brown sugar)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1.5 sticks butter, softened
4 apples, cored and peeled
vanilla ice cream

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a 13x9 dish - I use a glass dish. Slice the apples into thick slices (I usually get about 16 slices per apple) after removing the peels and core.

In a mixing bowl, combine oats, brown sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and butter. Using your hands (it's the best way!), mix everything together until there are no loose oats/brown sugar - everything should be clumped together with butter (it should be a very very lumpy mixture).

Place your apple slices in the bottom of the glass dish, covering with the oat mixture. Bake at 400 for about 20 minutes, or until the oats are golden brown.

Serve with a generous serving of vanilla ice cream, and enjoy!

on my dining room table

I've started spending more money on home furnishings than on myself (or wanting to but not yet being able to afford to - damn you, West Elm settee). Our dining room table makes me happy when it is fully set, because I really love the pieces we have for it. I'm careful to only buy items that go with our style and reflect us. We also have the same favorite color - blue - and I've been obsessed with gold lately.

1- Anthropologie peacock printed plates from a few years ago, which T gave me as a Christmas gift
2- West Elm gold and bronze table runner, last winter
3- blue Artland champagne glasses, purchased from One Kings Lane
It almost looks like they're too light of a blue to go with everything, but from other angles (and when the other glasses are out), I promise it looks nice.
4- placemats and napkins from Bed Bath & Beyond
5- West Elm "Cheers" plate, purchased last year (around the holidays I also use "Peace" and "Merry" plates)
6- Anthropologie peacock printed plates from a few years ago

piece of my home

I thought I'd share a piece of my home and some of the things that make me happy:  This side table has a few of my favorite living room things on it.

1. A framed picture of T and Sprout from the day we picked up the little guy. It's one of my absolute favorite photos from the past few years, because it takes me back to that exciting and nerve-wracking day, and it's just plain adorable.

2. Slate coasters. I found these in a TJ Maxx, and they're just the right mix of texture and polish.

3. A small rose plant (specifically a "victory rose") from my local grocery store, with tissue paper and a silver bucket I found in the $1 bin at Target (a dangerous but great spot). 

Also pictured: A lamp I would like to replace and a candle that should have been moved. Sometimes I'm lazy.

P.S. Please excuse the Sephora bag in the background of this photo. See aforementioned laziness.

August covet list

Continuing my obsession of Fall apparel and accessories, here are some things I'm loving right now. The covet list:

sassy heels: heels found on Pinterest but brand unknown - similar by Nine West, black heels by Lanvin
something leather: Warehouse leather dress, Cacharel leather skirt, Foley & Corinna blue leather bag
monogram necklace from BaubleBar, plates on sale at West Elm

a new type of summer salad

Last night I decided to branch out with my cooking (it's been a goal for a while, yes) and make my own version of a summer "salad". 

Ingredients:  1 small red onion, 2 avocados, 1 lb. uncooked shrimp, 1 lime, 1/4 c. chopped cilantro, 1 grapefruit

Prep:  Chop your red onion and cilantro, and mix together. Cut up your grapefruit. I like to stand it so that the edges are on the top and bottom, and cut in quarters from the top. It makes it easier to cut out pieces without getting too much of the membrane, which you need to remove. Cut up your avocado into the same bite-sized chunks as your grapefruit. Mix grapefruit and avocado together in a bowl and set aside.

1. In a pan with a few tablespoons of olive oil, combine red onion and cilantro. Squeeze half of your lime into the pan, dropping the pieces in.

2. Add your uncooked shrimp. You probably could get away with putting cooked shrimp in, but it's about half the price to buy uncooked, and then the lime and cilantro flavors will be cooked into your shrimp. Cook thoroughly, until shrimp is a pink color (and not at all see-through).

Spoon avocado and grapefruit mixture onto a plate and top with the cooked shrimp mixture. Add a lime wedge and serve.

T actually said I should make this one again - something I strive for when I try to cook!

specialty pizza, made at home

I'm a huge fan of specialty pizzas, so for dinner tonight I decided to try my own at home.   After a small mishap (sorry, singed bangs. Note to self: Don't stand over the grill when lighting it...), I thought it looked great! And then I realized it was missing something...

Of course - goat cheese!

Note: These are "before" images.

Ingredients:
1 small bunch fresh asparagus
1 small red onion
Ken's Balsamic with Honey dressing (to drizzle)
pizza dough from the refrigerated section
1 can pizza sauce
2 oz. crumbled goat cheese

Cooked on a pizza stone (thanks, Dad!) on the grill on medium heat for 30 minutes. I highly suggest investing in a pizza stone - it's a great item to have in the kitchen, no matter what season it is.

something blue for the table

This April, I found the absolute most gorgeous glasses ever - of course, at the Hyatt Paris. I've been hunting for similar glasses, but I haven't been able to find them - until today! A little different, and they're champagne flutes, but I'll take it for now. Still looking for those glasses on the left, though - if you know what they are, please share!

(Please excuse the water droplets in the photo)

left photo mine, right Artland glasses via

happy fourth!

Wishing you a very happy Fourth of July!

flag cake via

store spotlight: C.Wonder

I recently discovered C.Wonder, and I cannot get over some of the items in the online shop. 100% obsessed with the Ikat navy tableware!

Ikat tableware - Patriotic frame - Animal print napkin rings (on sale!) - French Bulldog pillow cover - calf hair bracelet (on sale!)

gold & white

Lately, I've been obsessed with gold and white. It probably all started around the time I bought my gold and white Marc Jacobs watch. I can't get enough of anything white with a gold rim, like this necklace, scalloped bikini, and dinnerware. I wish I had a good picture of my West Elm salad plates from the holidays - they're white and have scripted "Cheers", "Merry", and "Peace" written on them in gold. 100% dressed up our table on Christmas Eve!

1 Piperlime gold & white necklace

2 Halter bikini

3 West Elm salad plate

4 gold & white tray

5 West Elm tableware

Obsessed with these chargers from a tablescape on StyleMePretty. They're so gorgeous with the white dishes and light pink flowers!

via

I would also like gold-gilded white doors and a giraffe, please.

via