- Part 101

November 6, 2014

Pumpkin Time

I know that many of you are new readers since last year, so I wanted to share two of my favorite pumpkin recipes with you before you begin prepping your Thanksgiving meals. One is a fairly labor intensive pumpkin pie that is more than worth the work. Leave it to Smitten Kitchen to come up with this outstanding recipe that I dream of as each Thanksgiving approaches. Since I’ve given you plenty of time to prep, I highly suggest you give this one a shot and let me know what you think of the results!

The other pumpkin recipe I have to share with you is a super simple and fun way to create mini pie treats. These could be prepped at any point during the season to serve at a variety of get-togethers. It makes for a cute display and a very yummy treat!

(Pumpkin Pie/ Mini Pumpkin Pies)

What are some of your favorite pumpkin recipes?

November 5, 2014

Chocolate Cherry Coca-Cola Cake

Over the past few years I’ve become quite a fan of making bundt cakes. In part, I’d say it’s because they look beautiful, but in all honesty it’s mainly because they are much simpler to prepare than making full blown cakes, and taking the time to ice and decorate them. I’ve also been fascinated by the Mix and Match Mama’s list of 100 Bundt Cakes. I literally want to try 75% of them. This week we’re celebrating my mother’s birthday which provided the perfect reason to try this Chocolate Cherry Coca-Cola Cake that I had been eyeing. I adapted the recipe a bit by adding some chopped moschino cherries, a fav of hers and a perfect addition to this cake. And since I didn’t have grenadine on hand, I used cherry juice which seemed to work perfectly as a substitute. If you’re a Cherry Coke (or Pepsi) fan, you’re going to love the subtle yet delicious flavor of this cake!

Recipe adapted from the Mix and Match Mama:

Chocolate Cherry Coca-Cola Bundt Cake:

Ingredients:

1 box of chocolate cake mix
1 small box of instant vanilla pudding
1 small box of instant chocolate pudding
1/2 cup of veggie oil
1 1/4 cups Coca-Cola, plus an additional few splashes for the frosting
4 eggs
3 tablespoons Grenadine, divided (optional)
1 dozen (approx) moschino cherries, chopped
4 cups powdered sugar
1 stick butter, softened
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon vanilla

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Grease a 10 inch bundt pan

In mixing bowl, combine cake mix, puddings, oil, 1 1/4 cups Coca-Cola, 2 tablespoons Grenadine, cherries and eggs with electric mixer. Pour into prepared pan and bake 40-45 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Let cake rest on counter in pan 10 minutes. Then, invert cake onto serving plate to finish cooling.

To make the frosting, beat butter with powdered sugar, cocoa powder and a few splashes of Coca-Cola and the remaining tablespoon of Grenadine until creamy. Stir in vanilla. Spread on cooled cake.

November 4, 2014

Wardrobe Revamp

I recently had a college friend reach out asking what key pieces I would add to a closet for the fall/winter seasons. Last year she was wearing maternity clothes before she gave birth to a beautiful son, and this year she feels like her closet needs some refreshing. Whether you’re working your way out of maternity clothes or find yourself looking into your closet wishing you had a few key pieces, I have a list of items I feel would give any closet a good revamp. I based these selections on a business casual work week as well as weekend casual.

1. Classic Wool Coat: It’s great if you’re able to have a variety of styles on hand, but if I were to chose one essential coat for the season it would be a classic wool coat. They can be worn over casual to semi-dressy outfits and the tailored look really pulls an outfit together.

2. Chambray Shirt: This has been a closet staple for a while now and I find myself turning to mine multiple times per week.

3. Shift Dress/Sweater Dress: The versatility is endless. You can wear them with flats, heels, boots, leggings, tights, layered up with a vest, scarf and/or some necklaces.

4. Shoes/Boots: I threw in booties, a high shaft boot and a pair of flats which should get you through the season. If you have yet to try leopard, do it. It’s much more versatile than you’d think!

5. Pants: A great fitting pair of skinnies are key to have on hand. They can easily be dressed up for a business casual look, and you could also have a distressed pair tucked away for the weekends. I also threw in my polka dot knit pants below which I have been wearing over the past few months dressed up, down and in between. It’s fun to keep your outfits interesting by using prints/patterns.

6. Sweater: It’s good to have at least one or two sweaters that you can turn to on those blustery winter days.

7. Accessories: Necklaces are often the finishing touch to an outfit for me. And when the wind is blowing I reach for my bin of scarves which not only complete my look but do a great job keeping out the cold.

8. Bag: I’m not sure this list would be as authentic if I didn’t include the classic tote that is typically by my side.

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12 / 13 / 14 / 15

Hopefully some of these items resonate with you you. What else would you add for your closet revamp?

November 3, 2014

Adding Some Fur

Sometimes I love change and sometimes I despise it. When it comes to hair, I tend to change it up quite frequently. I get bored. I can get carried away going short and then when it’s time to grow it out a bit I literally want to rip the hair out of my head. I have thick hair and a lot of it, so when it starts growing it gets heavy in all the wrong places and makes it impossible to work with. I do have an appointment this week to clean it up a bit, but it’s hard going in for a cut when all you want is to have more hair! Oh well, I’ll live, and deal, and realize there are much bigger problems out there.

So, as for the outfit, I’m still wearing this shift dress which was last seen here (yes, note the change of hair yet again), layered up for much cooler temps that we experienced this past weekend. Tights, fur and boots are great pairings to throw on over top of most shift dresses, allowing you to extend their wear through the seasons.

Details: Madewell shift (similar, similar) / BB Dakota vest (similar) / Seychelles boots (similar) / Target bracelet / JCrew factory necklace

October 31, 2014

High Five for Halloween!

Happy Halloween! We have had a week full of everything Halloween. From parades, to pumpkin carving, gingerbread houses and trick or treat, we tackled it all! Here’s a look at everything that went on:

1) A Transformer watching a firetruck in a parade that hands out candy. It doesn’t get much better for this 5yo!

2) We leave the messy part for the boys. They seem to enjoy it.

3) Our very first gingerbread home. Think it tastes any good?

4) We trick-or-treat a day early around here. Little piggy got the hang of things pretttty quickly last night!

5) Safe and happy halloween to you all!

Linking up with The Lauren Elizabeth for High Five for Friday.

October 30, 2014

Perfectly Fall

I found this coat at LOFT last week and fell in love immediately. It’s lined and although it won’t be quite heavy enough for our northeastern winters, it’s absolutely perfect for the fall weather. Shortly after buying this coat, I saw this post from Cupcakes and Cashmere and was totally inspired. Granted it’s nothing out of the ordinary, but I love the look of the green and plaid with such a perfectly casual feel. Granted, Emily styled her outfit with some beautiful Valentino heels, but Converse were more appropriate for my day….oh right, and I’m missing those Valentino’s in my closet!

Details: LOFT coat / JCrew flannel (similar here and here) / AG denim (similar) / Monrow t-shirt / Converse sneakers

October 29, 2014

Chicken Pot Pie

I love the way foods can be nostalgic. There are some that due to a past experiences I can never look at again (like banana popsicles that I had one too many of as a child) and others that bring back wonderful memories. This Chicken Pot Pie was brought to me one day shortly after I had given birth to Madelyn by a sweet friend. During those post-birth, early nursing days I remember being ravenous and ~~slowly~~ rather quickly working my way through the dish over the next few days. My love for it has stuck ever since. Do you have a particular food that’s nostalgic to you?

Chicken Pot Pie adapted from Allrecipes

Ingredients

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts – cubed
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup frozen broccoli
1/2 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup sliced celery
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 can chicken broth
3/4 cup milk
2 (9 inch) unbaked pie crusts

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F

In a saucepan, combine chicken, carrots, broccoli, corn, and celery. Add water to cover and boil for 15 minutes (you can use chicken broth in place of water to add more flavor). Remove from heat, drain and set aside.

In the saucepan over medium heat, cook onions in butter until soft and translucent. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk. Simmer over medium-low heat until thick. Remove from heat and set aside.

Place the chicken mixture in bottom pie crust. Pour hot liquid mixture over. Cover with top crust, seal edges, and cut away excess dough. Make several small slits in the top to allow steam to escape.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

October 28, 2014

Loving Lately: Winter Coats

Alright gang, last week we discussed the way winter boots can disappear from the shelves by the time you’re in actual need of them. Well, the same holds true for your winter coats. Should you wait for the frigid weather to arrive, you just may be out of luck finding a coat that you can fall in love with. With that being said, I’ve gathered a few I’ve had my eye on myself to share with you all.

I’ve been loving fur detail more are more over the years, but you have to be careful when making your selection because fur can tend to look cheap and ruin the whole look of the coat. All of the options with fur below look luxurious and enhance the overall look of each of the coats. You know me and my pastels, I couldn’t not add one or two, and blush pink is most definitely what I’ve had my eye on for the last few years! Regardless of whether you’re looking for a parka to bundle up in or a tailored wool coat, I’ve got you covered. Have a look and let me know what catches your eye!

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October 27, 2014

Faking Layers

Fall layers are great because they allow you to add more elements to your outfit and enable you to create countless looks. What’s even better is when layering is made effortless. I had been admiring a few sweaters with attached shirt tails from JCrew here, here and here but then I ran into this one at LOFT and loved the addition of the attached collar. What you get is a polished, layered look without adding any unnecessary bulk.

Details: LOFT top / LOFT pants / Zara shoes (similar) / Cookie Lee necklace c/o / Kate Spade bag (similar) / Kate Spade sunglasses

Linking up with this week’s Style Sessions and Celebrate Southern.

October 24, 2014

High Five for Friday

Hey guys, happy Friday! After a week of dealing with a head cold I’m finally starting to feel like myself again. It’s unfortunate that as a full-time mom I’m unable to call in sick. My boss simply says, ‘not a chance’. My 2 yo came down with something similar as well but it amazes me what little fighters they are. I’m laid up on the couch and she continues to zip around the house sneezing, coughing, dancing to Frozen and building blocks. I guess in a way she’s making me look like the baby!

Sick or not, our week didn’t slow down all that much:

1) Over the weekend I was able to visit one of my best friends and reunite this crew. Her two in the middle are actually a year and a half apart, despite looking like they could be twins! Future linebacker on their hands I believe.

2) As you may have seen on Instagram, here are a few things I picked up at LOFT this week. I already had a few friends grab this jacket as well and it’s totally worth it. Even better if you catch it on sale (40% off today)!