I've got the Blues!

There has been a pattern lately to my online fashion hunts....  So many things I am attracted to are the color blue!  While it is true that navy is one of my favorite colors, that is not necessarily the only blue that is drawing me in these days. All the cobalt blues are catching my eye too! My overall style is pretty classic so this fun color seems a great way to add a bit more sass!  Here are some "blues" I am digging right now!

Grilled Steak and Brie Sandwich

Mayor's Race

Another Wabash Win!

Happy Monday!  Hope you had a wonderful weekend! The fam and I had a fun full weekend of football games, haunted houses, and bike races!  Andrew even met Indianapolis Mayor, Greg Ballard at his bike race. Not quite the celebrity as Rahm Emanuel but we still took the photo op!  All my years living in Chicago, I never once met the Mayor: or even had a chance sighting.  Less than 3 months in Indy and whatta ya know!

On to today's recipe... A yummy Steak and Brie sandwich topped with balsamic arugula. With all my recipes using arugula, I am running the risk of looking a bit like a one trick pony here... but  I just can't help it, I love it!  It's the perfect green to add to just about anything.  If you are in the mood for a change though, watercress would work just as well.  Hope you like!  I know you will like how simple it is to make!

Ingredients:
2 small baguettes (I use take and bakes so they fresh and warm!)
3/4- 1 pound of  steak ( I like to use a thin cut ny strip or a flank)
brie
arugula
1/4 red onion, sliced thinly
balsamic vinegar
olive oil
salt and pepper

Season steak with salt and pepper and marinate for 20 mins in equal parts balsamic and olive oil. Dress arugula with balsamic and olive oil and set aside . Over indirect heat, grill steak until medium rare. Remove from grill and cut into 1/2 inch slices.  Cut a fresh baked or warmed baguette in half . Spread an ample amount of brie on one half and lay steak on top.  Top with arugula and onions.  This recipe should make about 4 sandwiches. 

We had garlic fries on the side last night.

1 bag frozen french fries
canola oil
4 cloves of garlic, minced
tbls finely chopped parsley
shredded parmesan
1/2 tbsp of butter
salt

Pan fry french fries in canola oil until golden and remove from grease.  Pour grease out of pan and put french fries back in.  Add butter, garlic, parmesan, parsley, and salt.  Toss until all the fries are evenly coated.

I am jumping on the Rachel Zoe bandwagon. Upon assessing my closet's denim selection I am very heavily weighted with skinny jeans. Which although still my fave, can make my wardrobe awfully predictable.! So in effort to change it up a bit, I succumbed to the bell bottom trend.  I'm not talking a subtle little flare, I'm talking a super flare!  7 for all Mankind,  Bell Bottom Super Flare In Vintage California. Ring-a-ding-ding! Here are some other cute styles including, Ms Zoe's Namesake pair... 

 

 

My Pair

7 for all Mankind- Rachel Bell Bottom

J Brand- Love Story

Adam Lippes- Bell Bottom

Mother Denim- Curfew Bell Bottom

Citizens of Humanity- Devote

Fennel and Apple Salad

A few weeks ago while visiting my bro and his wife in Chicago, I had a simple fennel and apple salad.  It was crisp and delicious and got me thinking about my current close-minded opinion of this tasty vegetable. Why is it that I only think of fennel as a compliment to my Thanksgiving Stuffing when it can clearly stand out on its own!   So the other night,  along side our grilled chicken I made a fennel salad; and it was tasty.  Not to mention, a nice change of pace from the standard mixed green salad...   As always I tweaked the recipe a bit by adding apple cider to the dressing and throwing some Gorgonzola and walnuts on top, but this Charlie Trotter recipe is what I used as the base...

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and halved
• 2 bulbs fennel, thinly sliced

To prepare the vinaigrette: Whisk together the lemon juice, chopped tarragon, and olive and canola oils in a small bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper.

To prepare the salad: Cut the apple into thin slices and place in a medium bowl with the fennel. Toss with the vinaigrette and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Shaved-Fennel-and-Apple-Salad-104117#ixzz1bNC6V1vX

Gotta love Etsy!!!

Coy Minnie

My 2 year old daughter loves her some Minnie Mouse!  So naturally she wanted to dress up as Minnie for Halloween.  I started looking for her costume pretty early and was completely underwhelmed.  The Disney Store and Costume Store versions were pretty tacky to say the least.  Not a big fan of all the polyester satin and sequins...  YUCK!  I decided to check out Etsy and found this darling dress at kanes chic boutique!  So Sweet!!  Love the detail of the monogrammed name on it as well!

So Happy!

 Of course her big bro needed to get in on the dress rehearsal too!

my loves

HAPPY ALMOST HALLOWEEN!!!

Chipotle and Green Chili Short Ribs

Good Morning!  Hope everyone had a great weekend, I know we did!  My big bro came down from Chicago to visit and like any good foodie family we made an amazing meal Saturday night!  Everyone in my family loves to cook, so when we get together you can ensure there will be a delicious meal and plenty of cocktails!  Followed by lots of patting on backs for another well executed meal.  It's a little bit ridiculous, but I love it!  :)
This past weekend's meal came from my brother's quest to find a more "refined" version of a chili.  He wanted the spice and heat you get with chili, but not all the soupiness of it, if soupiness is a word!  :)  Thats where Bon Appetit and epicurious.com came in...  A spicy short rib dish! I have always braised my short ribs in the more traditional red wine sauce, but these were phenomenal!  The above picture is from epicurious.com, because in the midst of all the beers and conversation I completely spaced on taking a picture.  We served ours on top of some cheddar mash potatoes! Yum!



Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 8 3-inch-long meaty beef short ribs

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
• 6 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 14-ounce can low-salt chicken broth
• 1 cup drained canned diced tomatoes
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped canned chipotle chilies

• 3 large fresh Anaheim (California) chilies, stemmed, seeded, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rings
• Chopped fresh cilantro
• Lime wedges

Mix first 5 ingredients in bowl; sprinkle all over short ribs. Place ribs on plate; cover and chill 1 hour or up to 1 day. 

Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat oil in large ovenproof pot over medium-high heat. Add half of ribs and brown on all sides, about 9 minutes; transfer to plate. Repeat with remaining ribs. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion and garlic to same pot; cover and cook until onion is soft, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add broth and bring to boil, scraping up browned bits. Add tomatoes, lime juice, and chipotle chilies. Return ribs to pot, meaty side down, in single layer. Bring to boil; cover and cook in oven until ribs are just tender, about 1 1/2 hours. 

Remove pot from oven. Tilt pot; spoon off fat. Place pot over medium heat and simmer uncovered until sauce coats spoon and ribs are very tender, about 25 minutes. Season sauce with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool 30 minutes, refrigerate uncovered until cold, then cover and keep refrigerated.)

Bring ribs to simmer over medium heat; add chili rings. Simmer until chilies soften, about 10 minutes. Transfer ribs and sauce to large bowl. Sprinkle with cilantro; garnish with lime wedges.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Beef-Short-Ribs-in-Chipotle-and-Green-Chili-Sauce-107644#ixzz1b31taWNs

OMG! I found the perfect home office!!

This is it!!  Balances the two offices I posted yesterday!  Can't wait to show our builder!!

Did I mention we are building a house???

Its official!  My West Coast hubby is loving his new Hoosier lifestyle, so we are laying down roots and building a house!  I am completely giddy to begin the design process and I can't wait to share it with you!  Here are a few things I am in LOVE with!

Gorgeous!  Too bad I won't have quite the same view!

I have always adored the homey feel of a banquette!  So much so, that our builders have been informed to design a floor plan to accommodate one in my new kitchen! Its one of my few requirements! I love the look and color palette of this one! 

Cutest little home office!

Love the french doors and built ins!

The home office is one room that too often is far bigger than it needs to be.  Here are two ideas that utilize a smaller space and maximize style and efficiency!  I prefer the idea of the separate room with built-ins,  but would change it to have more of the look and feel of the cubby concept. 

Brilliant

How did I not know about this before???  Removable wall paper!! Fantastic!!!  I love the look of wallpaper, but having lived through an older home renovation I know the terror of taking it down.  Sherwin Williams makes a whole line, called EasyChange.   I actually like the idea of maybe wallpapering the aforementioned home office!  Small space with big, bold style!

my master closet must

I can't not tell you all the random places I keep my necklaces.  Some are in makeup bags, some are in dresser drawers, a few are actaully in a jewley box. All are disorganized and get tanlgeled and messy.  I found this genius idea on pinterest.com!  A curtain rod with shower hooks!!  So smart, and looks pretty cool too!  

Can't wait to keep collecting ideas!!

Chicken Sausage and Pepper Pasta

Hope you all had a great weekend!!! No stories or nostalgia to share with today's post...  Just a quick pasta recipe. For those of you reading regularly, you know I am a bit of a carbo-loader, so it should come as no surprise that I make pasta on a pretty regular basis.  This particular bowl came about when I had some chicken Italian sausage that I wasn't quite sure what to do with.  Its now in my regular weeknight dinner rotation.  Hope you enjoy as much as my family!


Ingredients:
8 ounces of bow tie or penne pasta
3-4 tbls of olive oil
5 cloves of garlic, minced                                           
1 medium onion sliced thinly and cut in half
1/2 a red bell pepper, chopped or sliced
2 handfuls of cherry tomatoes cut in half
package of precooked chicken Italian sausage (like Amy's or Trader Joe's), cut into small pieces
1/4- 1/2 cup of pasta's starch water
1 cup of parmigiano reggiano ( I probably use more  :) )
red pepper flakes




Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook 10-12 minutes. Drain the pasta and reserve 1/4 to a 1/2 cup of the starchy water to use in making the sauce. Meanwhile, in a deep skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil and garlic.  Add sausage and cook until pieces begin to brown.  Add vegetables and continue cooking until they are tender and golden and sausage is browned evenly.  Pour in pasta and cheese and slowly stir in water till you have the desired consistency of sauce.  For extra heat, stir in some red peeper flakes.  Sprinkle shaved parmigiano reggiano over top and serve.

I also suggest pouring yourself a nice glass of Cabernet!

Lovely Ladylike

The fam and I are scheduled to get our holiday pictures next weekend and I have been thinking about the overall look I want.  May daughter, Betsy, of course already has 3 wardrobe changes! My son Andrew will be sporting his signature Crewcuts look, and my husband will wear the requisite merino sweater.  So that leaves me...  What shall the matriarch wear???  Ha!  I have never seen an episode of Mad Men, but I love the recent years' influence it has had on fashion.  The early 60's were the epitome of casual elegance! Women were ladylike and polished without looking forced.  Think of all the Fashion Icon's from that time:  Audrey Hepburn, Ingrid Bergman, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, any of the Hitchcock Heroines... These women had some serious fashion sense.  They could pull off a simple tee and capris and look just as fabulous as when dressed in designer gowns. They also knew how to work a good shirt dress.  And that is just the look I think I want for the family photo.  I LOVE the shirt dress! Its daytime elegance and I think it can be dressed down a bit for a hip look too!  I plan on wearing mine with a tweed blazer and some Frye riding boots!  Now, just which one to pick....  Too bad the gorgeous Gucci is out of the question... :(

Gucci

Madewell

Diane Von Furstenburg

Marc Jacobs

JCrew

Theory

Jcrew

club monaco

The Hubby's Favorite Soup & Sandwich- butternut squash soup and chicken salad

As you know, the family and I had a grand 'ole time at the orchard last week!  I loved apple picking, but seriously will I ever get through all these apples??? Between the apple pie I posted, and the apple crisp I made at the end of last week I don't think I can stomach another apple dessert. Even my kids are turning down my suggestions to make more pie or crisp; with a la mode to boot! That is just sad... especially when I still have a full basket of apples sitting on my counter!  Fortunately, I have some non-sweet related apple recipes up my sleeve. They also happen to be some of my husband's favorites!  Chicken Salad Sandwiches and Roasted Butternut Squash Soup; perfect for an Autumn evening!
And guess what??? I was actually somewhat organized and planned ahead by making Roasted Chicken last night so I would have leftovers to use!  Yeah Me! BTW, if you haven't tried the Roasted Chicken recipe on here yet, you are missing out!  It is delicious!!
Anyway, on to the recipes...

Chicken Salad Ingredients:

2 tbls light mayo
3 tbls sour cream
1-2 tsp stone ground or dijon mustard
pepper to tasteabout 2 cups of shredded chicken (leftover from roasted or rotissierie chicken)
1/2 of a medium size red onion, finely chopped
1 large apple,  finely chopped
2 handfuls of red grapes, cut in quarters
1/4 shaved almonds                                                      

french baguette ( I like the take and bakes so its nice and crusty)
arugula or mixed baby greens

In a medium size mixing bowl, mix mayo, sour cream, mustard and pepper.  Stir in remaining ingredients and stir till completely blended.  Serve on a baguette on top of a bed of arugula or mixed baby greens/  I personally prefer arugula.




Roasted Butternut Squash Soup Ingredients:
You will absolutely adore this soup!  I love it as a first course for Thanksgiving too!
 
 2- 2 1/2 pounds peeled and seeded butternut squash, cut into chunks
2 large tart apples, peeled and cut into slices
1 large sweet onion chopped (like a vidalia or walla walla)
1 tbls olive oil
salt and pepper
2 tbls butter, chopped into small slabs                       
5 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup apple cider
1- 2 tbls curry powder                      
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup heavy cream
couple dashes of tabasco

crumbled blue cheese and chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 400.  Place squash, apples and onion on a non-stick baking sheet or one lined with foil. Drizzle olive oil evenly over the top and
place slabs of butter sporadically through out baking sheet.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast in oven for about 45 minutes or until squash is very tender and apples and onions begins to caramelize.  Remove from oven and move to a 4 quart soup pot.  Add stock, cider, curry powder and nutmeg and bring to a boil over medium heat.  Reduce heat and blend until silky with hand blender or remove in batches and blend in a counter blender.  Once soup is completely smooth in pot, stir in 1/2 cup heavy cream.  Add a few ashes of tabasco for a little kick.  I actually think the tabasco makes this soup so don't be afraid to try it!  Serve by itself or for a little extra flavor I like to sprinkle some chopped walnuts and blue cheese over the top.  The blue cheese melts perfectly in the soup and is a delicious complement to the sweetness of the soup!  The walnuts just add a nice texture to your bite!  Enjoy!

Not your Superhero's Cape!

Free People- Maple Leaf Cardi in black

 The other day a friend emailed me this picture asking me what I thought of all the boho inspired wraps we are seeing.  Immediately, it made me think about the abundance of cute ponchos and capes that are out there. The great thing about these types of sweaters are that they the perfect alternative to a coat this time of year!  They can be the standout star in your outfit or just what you need to keep you warm when you leave the indoors; much like a good blazer but with a more relaxed feel!  Below are some examples of versions I think would be great!  Of course, my fav has to be the Stella McCartney and much too expensive... sigh... :(

Free People- Maple Leaf Cari in Cream

ALC- Wool Poncho

Stella McCartney- Long Knit Sweater Cape

Anthropologie- Hallstadt Plaid Cape

Funktion- Maya Draped Cardigan

Patterson J Kinkaid- Fiona Square Poncho

Anthropologie- Aleutian Sweater