stacked for fall

I nearly made it to mid-August before breaking out a boot rundown. I would say that shows a lot of restraint on my part.

What’s so great about Fall 2015’s offering of boots? Everything. High, ornate, tough, pointy, details….anything goes (including latex, for those who dare – blue latex is particularly hot).

One of my favorites in boots is the stacked heel. A classic if you ask me – I’ve owned a pair of Nicole Miller stacked olive booties for years and have not lived a fall/winter since without rocking them. What I love about them is the crazy heel height, yet ease of wear. You would think being propped up 5″ would be unsteady. I assure you it isn’t. Not when there is a chunky stacked heel involved.

I want all of these…in case you were wondering:

081015_stacked_heel_boots_fall_20151Chinese Laundry zip it suede ankle boot/2Dolce Vita makala ombre stacked heel/3Aldo casalnuoyo ankle boots/4H&M high-heeled boots/5Lulu’s becca ankle boots

Which boot makes you smile?

xo,

brandyjsig

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“apple of our eye” party inspiration

Apple season is just around the corner and I cannot think of a more clever or cute way to celebrate a fall birthday than with…APPLES of course! I’ve been slowly but surely stocking the etsy shop for Fall with apples being at the top of the list. You will find not one but TWO fun apple-y invitations to choose from (Apple of Our Eye & Apple Orchard)! Both would make excellent birthday, shower or apple picking invites for you to send off to your guests.

Inspired by the “Apple of Our Eye” invite, here is an all things apple storyboard to get your creative juices flowing for that special celebration:

080715_Apple_Party_Inspiration1Cherry Print Dress (that can totally pass as apples)/2the most adorable place settings I ever did see!/3your guests would got nuts over a candy apple bar./4a cupcake dressed as an apple – now that’s just cute!/5I mean, this dessert table and backdrop…it’s basically fabulous./6this salted caramel apple snickers cake needs to be in my life…and your apple party./7easy peasy honeycomb apples for big impact with little effort./8apple cider sangria because after all that hard work of setting up a party, you deserve a scrumptious cocktail.

“Apple of Our Eye” invite and many other fun invitations can be found at the PPJ Shop!

Happy Weekend!

xo,

brandyjsig

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tomato, corn & zucchini pizza

Tomato, Corn & Zucchini PizzaWe have fresh harvest veggies in the plenty over here and I could not be more pleased about it. Every meal we grill, roast or simply eat fresh something from our loot. Last Sunday we all had pizza on the brain and I thought why not top it with summer’s current best offerings. It was a good idea…no, it was great idea.

Tomato, Corn & Zucchini PizzaThis pizza requires very few ingredients, always a plus in my book. There is more work in the prep with the grilling and the charring but believe you me it is worth it. I think we can all agree something magical happens to anything that is grilled, with veggies being no exception. That smokey flavor layered on top of the freshness is what summer is suppose to taste like…and this pizza is all summer – every. single. bite.

Tomato, Corn & Zucchini Pizza Tomato, Corn & Zucchini PizzaTwo days in a row of topping my food with balsamic gaze. Yeah, you could say I am a little obsessed. Drizzle this on your pizza and you will be too. It is the wow factor in an otherwise good pizza.

Of course if you do not have any on hand you can always add umph with cheese. Goat cheese in particular would be fabulous.

Tomato, Corn & Zucchini PizzaI love having another way to eat our bounty of veggies. I want to know what you are doing with yours! (Hopefully this pizza goes on the roster.)

Enjoy!

brandyjsig

 

 

 

tomato, corn & zucchini pizza
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Recipe type: Vegetarian
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • Raw pizza dough for one pizza (I used half of my easy pizza dough recipe)
  • olive oil
  • 1 zucchini sliced lengthwise ¼"
  • 2 ears of corn, shucked
  • 1 fresh tomato, sliced
  • 1 8oz ball fresh mozzarella, sliced
  • salt and pepper
  • balsamic glaze for drizzle (can use thick aged balsamic vinegar or reduce ¼cup balsamic to half)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven 425degreesF. Spread dough onto a olive oil greased baking sheet.
  2. Toss zucchini with olive oil, salt and pepper. Grill both sides in a grill pan. Set aside.
  3. In same pan char the ears of corn on all sides. Cut kernels off ears and set aside.
  4. Take grilled zucchini slices and place evenly on pizza. Top with tomato slices and then corn. Finish with mozzarella. Bake in the oven for 12 to 17 minutes or until the crust is beginning to brown and the mozzarella gets brown bits on it. Allow to cool for a few minutes and then sprinkle a little salt and pepper on top and drizzle with balsamic glaze. Enjoy!

 

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charred peach cobbler

Charred Peach CobblerI know, I know…peaches again. What can I say other than it’s peach season and they are cheap (not to mention taste AMAZING right now). Besides, if you give this recipe ago I wouldn’t be surprised if you end up with a bushel of peaches just so you can make this again, and again, and again, and again…

It is cobbler taken to the next level. The Olympic champion of peach cobbler recipes. This cobbler kicks all other cobblers booties and then comes back to do it all over again.

This is my new one and only go to peach cobbler.

Charred Peach CobblerCobbler is simple, and like all recipes that are simple it’s the ingredients and what you do to those ingredients that really set them apart.

The peaches – first and foremost need to be fresh and preferably in season. You will then take those beautiful golden slices and char the hell out of them in the oven. The oven will spill over in euphoric peach aroma and you will already be very happy.

Once those edges are blacked and slightly chewy it is time to take them out of the oven and prepare them for cobbler dominance.

Charred Peach CobblerI’m not sure what it is about this crumble that is so much better than others I have tried, and honestly it’s not something that I even need an answer to. All I know is this – the crumble topping comes together easily and perfectly conceals those tangy yet oh so sweet charred peaches.

Of course there is no rule that says a crumble isn’t a crumble without vanilla ice cream…and if you do not have any on hand by all means still have at it with the cobbler. If you do however have some frozen cream in your freezer now is the time to grab it. Not using it should be a crime.

And…about the sauce on there. It’s not Hershey’s chocolate syrup, no-no. It’s reduced balsamic vinegar. SAY WHAT?! Yes, reduced balsamic vinegar (or really kick butt thick aged balsamic vinegar if you happen to own some). Don’t get me wrong, this cobbler is divine without it…but with it comes the title of “best cobbler EVER!”

Charred Peach Cobbler Charred Peach Cobbler

You guys, look at the luscious peach bite with creamy vanilla, buttery crumble and rich balsamic syrup. I’m about to lick this computer screen.

Try it. Love it. (And bring me some.)

Enjoy!

brandyjsig

 

 

 

charred peach cobbler
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Serves: 3
Ingredients
  • 4 fresh peaches - peeled, pitted and cut into ½" wedges
  • 1 heaping tbsp brown sugar
  • ¼ flour
  • 2tbsp sugar
  • ⅛tsp baking soda
  • ⅛tsp kosher salt
  • 2tbsp cold, cubed unsalted butter
  • 1 egg yolk (only need to use about half of it)
  • ⅛tsp pur vanilla extract
  • juice of half a lemon
  • vanilla ice cream for serving (optional)
  • balsamic syrup for serving (optional - can use either good thick balsamic vinegar or reduce ¼ cup of regular balsamic vinegar to about 2 tbsp)
Instructions
  1. Place rack 6 inches from broiler in oven and turn to high. Throw peaches onto a baking sheet and toss with brown sugar. Spread into a single layer and roast under broiler for 7 to 8 minutes, until peaches are nice and charred. Take them out of oven to cool slightly. Turn off broiler and set oven to 375degrees F.
  2. Meanwhile, place flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Toss in butter and rub into mixture evenly. Add egg yolk and vanilla, site and set in fridge until ready to use.
  3. Divide peaches evenly into 3 small ramekins. Squeeze a little lemon juice onto each. Top with crumble mixture.
  4. Place in over for 20 minutes until tope are golden and fruit is bubbly. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving. Awesome on it's own, even better with vanilla ice cream and balsamic glaze. Enjoy!
Notes
This recipe makes 3 ramekins - easily double to make 6.

 

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fall 2015 hair ways

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.

080415_fall_2015_ways_to wear_hair1headbands 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.

xo,

brandyjsig

 

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