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babka, chocolate babka, mexican chocolate, spiced chocolate, yeast bread, jewish bakery, seinfeld,
March 10, 2018
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Chocolate Spiced Babka

Just a couple months ago, my husband and I decided to do something very ‘Millennial’: we cut our cable. After years of spending a ton of money watching a handful of TV networks, we finally wisened up about the whole affair.

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Blood Orange Meringue Pie

blood orange, seasonal produce, fruit, citrus, winter, baking, dessert, meringue, tart, curd, pie, italian meringue,

Winter is definitely in full swing here in the northeast. The cold unpredictable weather, not to mention the discomforting, albeit silly, predictions of a groundhog can certainly give anyone the winter blues.

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  • I'm finally starting to crawl out of my creative hole. I didn't fall off the planet, but it certainly felt like it over the past few months. I took a much needed break from the social platforms a bit to just focus on some things, and to just sit still for a while. Sitting still has never really been a strong suit of mine, but I've been practicing and really enjoying it. It's definitely something I've had to learn, but I'm finally understanding how much I need it now and then, more often that not. • Our lives move so quickly most times, we end up putting off or outright forgetting to do things like taking care of ourselves. The last few months I've been doing just that - I've lost some annoying weight that wouldn't seem to budge no matter how hard I tried (altho - was I really trying if it wasn't budging?? Prob not, but we'll leave that topic for another day...), and I started putting my foot down to no longer letting superfluous things distract me and eat up my precious time, especially time that I deserve to use to take care of me. That means sticking to a relatively strict schedule with the day job, and making sure I shake off that stress in the healthiest ways, like sweating it out at the gym. I have also grown to truly looooooove yoga 🧘🏻‍♀️ . For years, I knew a few friends who swore by it as really truly helping to reset your body AND mind. Now, I seek out a yoga class or two each week to help me deal with the constant noise in life. I'm officially addicted. • I am sad that the summer is passed already, and I'm still trying to hold on tight to it for the last few official days. These #heirloom tomatoes 🍅 are proof. I can't ever get enough of summer tomatoes, especially the lovely heirlooms - so much so, that my fridge was overflowing with them. Determined to eat every single one of them, I decided to zhush them up a bit with this tart, going a bit extra with the burrata because WHY NOT, amirite? Have a fantastic rest of your weekend! • . . . . . . . #onmytable #verilymoment #RSlove #mywilliamssonoma #mycanonstory #howisummer #tv_stilllife #f52grams #petitejoys #foodwinewomen #eatseasonally @food #firstweeat #hautecuisines #pgminseason
  • Happy Sunday, friends! It's been a couple cloudy and rainy days, which naturally lent itself to doing a little baking. Life has been a bit challenging lately, and I have to admit, for the last month I haven't been in the mood to be cooking, let alone eating, or photographing food much. It happens right - everyone goes through a slump where for whatever reason, they feel unmotivated, uninspired, not good enough, distracted, guilty... the list goes on. For me, I have been feeling a combination of all of the above. • A couple weeks ago, we had to suddenly say goodbye to our beloved Boston Terrier, Mr. Bings. It was and still is heartbreaking, and we miss him so much around the house. The only consolation we hold onto is that he was tremendously loved and spoiled by us for over 10 years, and he brought us an unforgettable love and joy that we will forever hold in our hearts. • My work family knows it’s been a stressful couple months at the day job, but we’re managing to get through it without too many bumps and bruises along the way. And they've all been there for me and my recent low days. I CANNOT THANK THEM ENOUGH for making me laugh and smile, and keeping the silliness levels up as much as possible. They inspired this weekend’s baking. Cuz everyone deserves a cinnamon cardamom bun as a reward for getting through the tough times. You can find the recipe on my blog archives (search ‘cinnamon buns’). • I guess you could say this is my 'Período Azul' ('Blue Period'). I'm looking forward to coming back to life, finding new inspiration and beauty even in life's sadness and challenges. Life isn't sunshine and rainbows everyday, after all. But without the 🌧 , there would be no 🌈 - or 🌺🌺 , or even heirloom 🍅🍅 or Jersey 🌽🌽. Cannot WAIT to get my hands on some soon and share my favorite recipes with you!! • Have a marvelous rest of your weekend! . . . . . . . #onmytable #verilymoment #RSlove #mywilliamssonoma #mycanonstory #howisummer #tv_stilllife #f52grams #petitejoys #foodwinewomen #eatseasonally @food #firstweeat #hautecuisines #pgminseason #aquietstyle #blueperiod
  • Scenes from a hot Sunday afternoon! Summer has officially arrived, and I couldn't be more excited. It's the season of eating as many meals as possible outdoors - amirite? Gimme all the delectable cold salads, gazpachos, and all-day snacks to graze on like this homemade harissa hummus and veggies. Ooo and how GORGEOUS is this B-side (in now way less than an A-side) of my new @ericksonsurfaces grey custom surface? I’m seriously so in love with it! It just makes all the summer brightness pop🎇🎆which makes me oh so happy 😁 • The hubs and I are trying to figure out our next travel plan for this coming Fall, and we think we've figured it out: look out España 🇪🇸 e Italia 🇮🇹 because we're coming for you! Crazy enough, I've only spent perhaps 5 hours in Italy in my entire life (we drove into Ventimiglia from Monaco for a quick jaunt), and the hubs has never been to Spain. So we've decided to introduce and show what we love of each destination to the other. We've only just begun to put itinerary ideas together, so if you have any little-knowns or off-the-beaten-path suggestions, PLEASE SEND THEM OUR WAY!! We look forward to a unique vacation filled with as much local immersion and impeccable dining experiences as possible! • And lastly, I don't know about you but I have had a BLAST watching the World Cup ⚽️ games - specifically, watching them EN ESPAÑOL (gracias, Telemundo). The games are so much more exciting when you hear "GOOOOOAAAAALLLLLL!", not to mention the fact that it's forcing me to practice my Spanish. Win-win! Or should I say "ganado-ganado" 👍🏼 • Hope you have a wonderful rest of your weekend, lovelies!! . . . . . . . #onmytable #verilymoment #RSlove #mywilliamssonoma #mycanonstory #howisummer #tv_stilllife #f52grams #petitejoys #foodwinewomen #eatseasonally @food #firstweeat #hautecuisines #pgminseason
  • Who's got two thumbs and cannot wait for these luscious peaches to be transformed into a gorgeous tart?! This girl right here This is such a great little season for fruit, and peaches and stone fruit are some of my most favorite treats of the entire year. And they're not just great for desserts - I love to make them the star of my salads too. In fact, keep an eye out for more of that comin'atcha STAT! Aaaaand how gorgeous is this new background of mine thanks to @ericksonsurfaces? I KNOW - SO GORGE! They created this background custom for me, and I can't wait to feature it more in my photos. This is the debut of the first side, and I'll unveil the second side asap - you'll loooove it! • I know I've been a bit quiet lately but I promise all is good - just been a bit busy with life, and have been making a conscious effort to spend less time with technology, and more with the people I love to spend time with, enjoying the moment and taking it all in, recording those memories in my mind rather than my social platform. • Also, I have been much more introspective in light of this week’s incredibly sad suicides. No matter how much joy and love a person may bring to the world, or how amazing their life may seem, no one really knows the pain that may lie behind their eyes. We all have struggles and demons and problems that we are dealing with. The best thing we can do is be kind and good to one another. Be aware of others and reach out and connect more. And if you suspect someone is really troubled, let them know help is available 24-hours a day. 1-800-273-TALK. • Have a wonderful rest of the weekend, lovelies, and take care of each other always. . . . . . . . #onmytable #verilymoment #RSlove #mywilliamssonoma #mycanonstory #unofficiallysummer #millionsofpeaches #tv_stilllife #foodwinewomen #eatseasonally @food #firstweeat #hautecuisines #pgminseason #weareallhuman
  • Long holiday weekends are the best because you get to sleep in 😴, be a little lazy and then throw together whatever you want for breakfast without rushing around 🙌🏼. We have lots of asparagus and strawberries 🍓 and a couple lil quail eggs 🥚 in our fridge so we made a little bit of everything this morning. We also had a leftover tart crust waiting to be used, so it was perfect for an asparagus and shallot quiche. More like break-SLOW today! (Get it? NM.) • In my Stories a couple weeks ago, I mentioned I was going through my own #caffween, gradually weening myself from caffeine over 5 days. I'm so happy to say it was a huge success! I've been caffeine-free for almost two weeks and I feel great. This was a huge challenge for me, a 20-year+ coffee drinker because I LOOOOOVE coffee ☕️(and tea, most of it caffeinated) - I love the ritual of brewing coffee in the morning, sipping on it throughout the morning and I especially love the flavor. But I've embraced decaf 😐 which from a flavor perspective certainly leaves much to be desired. I'm always searching for great flavored decaf, so please PLEASE send all recommendations my way! Gracias!!!! • Today we're taking a much needed break and gearing up for some exciting next couple of months. Making lots of plans for family visits, celebrations and a short trip here or there in the coming weeks. We may fire up the grill later today, or not. We're just enjoying the time whatever it brings. What are you doing today? • Hope you had a fantastic long weekend! . . . . . . . #onmytable #verilymoment #breakfasttable #MDW #RSlove #mycanonstory #unofficiallysummer #healthyish #tv_stilllife #foodwinewomen #eatseasonally #strawberryeverything #firstweeat #hautecuisines #pgminseason
  • It’s #SundayFunday, lovelies, and today I thought I’d treat myself to this ridiculously easy steak salad. Just throw some fresh arugula, red onion, sliced strawberries and a few walnuts or pistachios if you choose (I forgot to add some because hangry 😣), top it with a few goat cheese crumbles and some sliced sirloin, and VOILA - a fancy pants restaurant quality entree salad for lunch. Quick tip: Trader Joe’s and many grocery butchers have preseasoned ‘carne asada’ made from sirloin, skirt or flank steak. Grab some for this salad and you will not go wrong. • If you want to be a bit extra, whip up a little vinaigrette by whisking together a tablespoon of dijon mustard, 1/2 cup red wine vinegar, dried oregano, dried thyme, and pepper, and 2 TB olive oil, and A SECOND VOILA - you just made yourself a versatile delicious dressing for more than just your salad. • For NEXT LEVEL EXTRA, you can throw 2-3 strawberries in a blender and add them to your vinaigrette. BAM - Strawberry Vinaigrette for your fancy pants Sirloin Steak Salad with Goat Cheese. • For the record, all of the above steps are really easy. How do you go EXTRA with your salads? I need to add more ideas to my salad catalog so please pass along your own suggestions!! • Hope you are having a fantastic Sunday! . . . . . . . #onmytable #verilymoment #saladlife #beingextrainthekitchen #MDW #RSlove #mywilliamssonoma #mycanonstory #unofficillysummer #foodwinewomen #foodandwine #strawberryeverything #bareaders @food #summereats #firstweeat #hautecuisines #pgminseason

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