I want to start today with a great big thank you. Last month’s blog stats were awesome. I often ponder why anyone should care to spend their precious time on this site. While I may not have the answer, I do know that all this sharing has made my everyday a little bit brighter. I’d be lying if I said it was easy to keep up with the writing, shooting, social media, networking, tech side, and the many other things that come with blogging. But I wouldn’t be up for all this work if it didn’t fill my soul in some way. It does, and so do you.
Thank You.
Now let’s talk hair. More specifically how we style our hair. What is it about August that makes all of us think fall, fall, FALL! It’s still hot outside and we are all boots, apples, boots, pumpkins, boots! (BOOTS – it deserves another shout out because…BOOTS.) One way to infuse fall into your still summer days is by taking a note from the upcoming on trend hairstyles. What I love about all of these are their ease. No intricate braiding or curling. Simply easy autumn hair, I like that.
1headbands are always a fave, but this season they are going to be sleek and chic./2a slick, deep part with a bold lip is just the crispness a girl needs for that perfect fall day./3throw on the turtleneck and leave that hair tucked. Wait, haven’t we always been doing that? At least now we will be on trend./4replace those braid days with a messy chignon. I need to learn how to perfect this style…/5my absolute favorite – bed head middle part. If my hair is down this is typically what it ends up like…thank you fashion world for making it cool to look a mess.
Forever did it again. Tried to pass off a shirt as a dress. I know it said 33″ in length (2 inches shorter than my 35″ safety zone) and I know it looked short on the leggy, skinny model……..but I had to have it…until I had it.
Me wearing this as a dress…nobody wants to see that. Trust me.
I’m not even sure I could pass this off with tights and feel good about it. I know it doesn’t look terribly short in these images, but believe me, those sides – yeah, those sides ride up to “uh-oh land” whenever one bends or sits. That’s never a safe place to journey.
With all that being said this is a darn good Forever find. Fabric is nice and the cut is boxy without being too boxy. I have considered shortening it a bit – as I’m really not one to ever wear a boxy shirt at this length – but I don’t know, this just may be something I need to keep as is.
What do you think? (Other than I need to put white jeans that fit on my shopping list…I swear the legs widen and shorten with every wash. Damn you Forever and your cheap jeans that only last a season….)
With a fashion shoot nowadays we get about 2 minutes to shoot an outfit before the minions take over. That’s perfectly fine with me considering there’s often family outtakes involved.
Jettie just figured out that I have a self timer on my camera. She loves the anticipation of it. Look at her all poised while the rest of us act silly (okay, just me and Sticky).
1I personally love a belated birthday gift. It’s a surprise on a day that is not your birthday which makes it even more of a surprise. Which is awesome. My friend Lisa made my day with this illustration from the talented BigFashionBook on etsy. A now prize possession in my office. Thanks Lisa!/2Every Wednesday Matt Ballassai chugs a huge-arse glass of wine and well, “whines” about it. And this guy is one good whiner. This week’s was one of the best – why clothes shopping is the absolute worst. The kid one is worth a watch too! (There is foul language, just a warning if the kiddos are near.)/3These cutoffs are quite possibly the most comfy shorts I have ever owned. Great length too! To be completely honest they are not the most flattering (legs could be slimmer) but I chose to ignore that small imperfection. (They run huge so if ordering size down.)/4Tomato season! We did not plant a garden this year but Sticky came home with a box of fresh maters from the Amish yesterday. Tomato sandwiches, tomato pizza, tomato omelets, tomato salsa…we are about to turn into a family of tomatoes. Well, all except Jettie – she thinks they smell good but doesn’t want to put one in her mouth./5Coconut margaritas because it is the weekend and I am ready for a drink./6These two, in their grundies, sharing a stool, at the bathroom sink. GAH! Won’t be long before this scene would be well, so wrong. But I’ll soak the cuteness of it up right now while I can!
The man of the house claims he could eat pizza every single day and never tire of it. For me it’s tacos. At least in the spring and summer months. A variety of vegetarian and seafood tacos to be precise. Bold, fresh flavors tucked inside a corn tortilla. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. Of course I love pizza too…but tacos are lighter with a little more attitude. (Insert Stickt saying “like you, Brand!”)
In case you were wondering…yes, this taco contains zero meat. Zippo carne. Nada. If you believe a taco must contain meat of some sort then I urge you to try this recipe.
Tacos are all about the explosion of flavor, texture and freshness. This version kills it in all three categories. The cauliflower and chickpeas have that smokey flavor, while the cabbage, avocado and cilantro add layers upon layer of bright flavor. What takes this to a top tier level though is hands down the crema. It’s creamy and fresh and exactly what this taco needs.
Something this fun to look at can not taste bad. It’s simply not possible. Foodography for my eyeballs.
If you’re looking to lighten up a meal with something that won’t disappoint in the taste department, you have to make these. And don’t forget to invite me over. I’ll bring the cerveza.
Preheat oven 400DegreesF. Mix chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion power, salt, lime juice, olive oil and water in a small bowl. Place cauliflower and chickpeas on baking sheet. Pour spice mixture on top and toss until everything is well coated. Roast for 30 minutes stirring occasionally. Cauliflower should have crisp edges.
While veggies are roasting, make the crema. Place yogurt, lime juice, red pepper flake and cilantro in small bowl and combine well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add more yogurt if crema is too runny for your liking.
To assemble taco place some cauliflower mixture on a corn tortilla. Top with a little cabbage, avocado, cilantro leaves and drizzle with crema. Prepare to enjoy one of the best veggie tacos ever!
There is something so wonderful about portable pie. It’s a dessert that a person normally needs a fork to eat transformed into a perfect pocket of on-the-go sweetness. Who doesn’t love that? Only crazy people, that’s who. Or at least crazy to me because I could eat these bad boys morning, noon and night.
Let’s talk about our favorite pie filling. For me it will always involve fruit. Sure the creamy fillings are great and all…but a flaky, buttery crust filled to the brim with bright, perfectly sweet fruit will always have my heart. Especially peaches. Their flavor is as bold as their color. And when they are in season…Oh.My.Gah.
This is not going to be a dessert that can be thrown together in 30 minutes (unfortunately). It is however fairly simple to make, you just have to have some time to let all the chilling that needs to happen, happen.
Crimping the edges is the part that gets me the most nervous. You go through all the effort of making crust, rolling it out, assembling each pie and then you stick those things in the oven only to open it back up to one hot mess. Suffice it to say I was expecting the mess. Only one little bit of peach escaped, and wouldn’t you know that hand pie was still gorgeous and delicious.
This crust was a new one for me. It contains cream cheese which definitely gives it a bite that pairs will with the sweetness of the fruit. It baked beautifully – definitely one I would use again. The only thing I may do differently is try to roll the dough slightly more thin. (If you suck at rolling out dough say “I” – I, I, I!)
You guys, this whole hand pie making thing was pretty darn fun. I am not going to go as far as to say you will see these as much as scones or cocktails (duh) but you will be seeing them again.
For the crust. Cube butter and cream cheese. Place in freezer for 20 minutes before adding to rest of ingredients.
Pulse the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor a few times. Add the cold butter and cream cheese cubes and pulse until small clumps form. Add the milk and pulse until a dough forms when you press together with your fingers. If dough won't form add more milk 1tsp at a time (be careful not to add too much).
Dump dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead into a dough that stays together. Cut in half and from 2 1" thick disks. Wrap each in plastic wrap and place in fridge for 2 hours or overnight.
Right before pulling dough out of fridge make the filling. Place peaches, sugar, brown sugar, corn starch, lemon juice, salt and cinnamon in a bowl and stir. Set aside.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Take a dough disk and roll out into a depth of ⅛" thick. Use a circle cutter (or bowl) and cut out preferred circle size (mine were about 5" circles). Set pie circle on prepared baking sheet. Repeat with second disk.
Spoon a small amount of the filling into center of each circle. (Amount will depend on size of circle. I used about 2tbsp per circle.) Brush edges all the way around with beaten egg. Fold dough in half pressing the edges together and then crimping with a fork for extra security. If some juice sneaks out wipe away with paper towel. Place back in the fridge for 20 minutes. (Begin preheating the oven to 375degreesF at this point).
Once pies are chilled pull out of fridge and brush the top of each with egg. Sprinkle a good amount of sugar on each. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. When finished place on wire rack to cool a bit. They are delicious warm with come ice cream. Cooled pies can be stored in airtight container for up to 3 days.
1headbands are always a fave, but this season they are going to be sleek and chic./2a slick, deep part with a bold lip is just the crispness a girl needs for that perfect fall day./3throw on the turtleneck and leave that hair tucked. Wait, haven’t we always been doing that? At least now we will be on trend./4replace those braid days with a messy chignon. I need to learn how to perfect this style…/5my absolute favorite – bed head middle part. If my hair is down this is typically what it ends up like…thank you fashion world for making it cool to look a mess.
