On neutral ground

I know, I still haven't written my post on the recent style consultation that has so simplified and clarified my clothing life, but I promise I will.

However, today is another example of happy simplicity.  When I got dressed this morning - which by the way was another cool, rainy, blustery Spring day - I decided I needed a little lightening. I actually have a pedicure booked for this afternoon and am looking forward to colourful toes, although I have painted my fingernails a lovely frosty lavender:

All those notes are little stickies that I write for myself
when an idea hits while I am drafting!

The colour is an older shade by Butter London called Lillibet's Jubilee.

 

I don't think it's available anymore, but I do find that Butter London does those metallic shades better than anyone!

Anyway, I am very creamy today, so creamy I remind myself of a crème brûlée with the reddish toffee topping...

God, that makes me hungry...

 

Anyway, here's Wendy as a crème brûlée:

Sorry for the blur of the smartphone...


 



 I'm wearing Joe Fresh trousers and the J Crew Factory Cotton Teddie sweater:

I paid all of $30 for it and it was just the ticket for these cool spring days.

I'm wearing my Stuart Weitzman wicket flats purchased last year.  That was a good purchase, as they are a lovely golden-y metallic shade and go with everything.

 

I also dug out an old string of pearls and a dainty pearl drop earring:

 

 

Simple, comfortable and flattering - it hits all the marks for me and is certainly brightening up my day.

And no - I haven't abandoned colour, but I am using it a little more judiciously these days.  I'll speak more to that when I write that darned post!

I also find the tonal dressing very pleasing for a shorty such as myself.

And speaking of crème brûlée, how about Ina Garten's recipe for it?  This is one I have used many times, always to excellent results!  You can go see it here.  I love Ina

crème brûlée

Ingredients

• 1 extra-large egg
• 4 extra-large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon for each serving
• 3 cups heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon orange liqueur (recommended: Grand Marnier)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the egg, egg yolks, and 1/2 cup of the sugar together on low speed until just combined. Meanwhile, scald the cream in a small saucepan until it's very hot to the touch but not boiled. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the cream to the eggs. Add the vanilla and orange liqueur and pour into 6 to 8-ounce ramekins until almost full.
Place the ramekins in a baking pan and carefully pour boiling water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the custards are set when gently shaken. Remove the custards from the water bath, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate until firm.
To serve, spread 1 tablespoon of sugar evenly on the top of each ramekin and heat with a kitchen blowtorch until the sugar carmelizes evenly. Allow to sit at room temperature for a minute until the caramelized sugar hardens.

Propane Gas Torch Safety: Propane gas torches are highly flammable and should be kept away from heat, open flame, and prolonged exposure to sunlight. They should only be used in well-ventilated areas. When lighting a propane gas torch, place the torch on a flat, steady surface, facing away from you. Light the match or lighter and then open the gas valve. Light the gas jet, and blow out the match. Always turn off the burner valve to "finger tight" when finished using the torch. Children should never use a propane gas torch without adult supervision.

Anything big going on in your world today?

xoxo wendy





 
 

A Sunday Pop-in

Hi everyone!

Sorry I have been MIA the last few days - I had promised myself that I would complete the first draft of my second book before the end of September and so I have been locked in that little room I've shared with you working away like a beaver.  Thankfully, and happily, it is now complete and I am putting it aside for a month before I begin the first edit.  Lest you think that means I will slow down, well - nope.  I have a big October planned, putting together my new website, writing the backstory for my next novel and doing some edits of other work.  Oh yeah - I will also continue to send out the first one as well and I am looking at taking some courses.  There is no rest for the wicked! or is that for the optimistic?

Thanks so much for all your comments on home economics and cleaning.  It is so interesting to hear about everyone's experiences!

I wanted to share a special experience that Barry and I had last week.

On Thursday night, Barry and I had tickets for a fundraiser for our local theatre company, Theatre New Brunswick.  For four nights, The Last 5 Years was performed by Fredericton natives Natalie Roy and Tony LePage, two wonderfully talented performers who now live and work in NYC, pursuing their dreams of being successful working actors.  They are on their way.  Tony (who is the son of a friend of mine) is a featured performer in Rock of Ages on Broadway, Natalie has done a number of roles and will be featured in an upcoming episode of Kevin Bacon's The Following.

To say that these two are talented would be too grossly under-describe their talent.  For 80 minutes straight they performed the play, which is basically non-stop singing and chronicles the courtship and subsequent breakup of a married couple.

They are a beautiful, talented couple and I am convinced that it is only a matter of time before they make it big - they have the talent and the drive and most importantly, the charisma, to achieve their dreams.  We were lucky to get to see something special performed by individuals whom I think are the cusp of big things and I think everyone in the audience knew what a special treat it was.

Bravo Tony and Natalie and best of luck!  And if you are going to NYC, go see Tony in Rock of Ages!


Last night we went to a Thai dinner party, hosted by good friends of ours.  It was great fun and the food was wonderful.  The highlight for me, besides the good food and company, was lying down on my friend's Tempurpedic mattress!  I am starting to think about buying a new mattress in the next couple of years, so it was a great chance to try it out! 

What's up for today?  Well it is a gloriously sunny and warm fall day so we go for a drive this afternoon and then pick some apples.  Hmmmm... I love freshly picked apples!  And then I may make spaghetti and meatballs, using my favourite recipe by Ina Garten.  I may have shared this before, but it is worth sharing again!

Spicy Turkey Meatballs and Spaghetti

2010, Barefoot Contessa How Easy is That?, All Rights Reserved

Serves: 8 servings

Ingredients

• 3 cups (1-inch diced) bread cubes from a round rustic bread, crusts removed
• 2/3 cup whole milk
• 2 pounds ground turkey (85-percent to 92-percent lean)
• 1/2 pound sweet Italian pork sausage, casings removed
• 4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, finely chopped
• 1 cup freshly grated aged Asiago cheese
• 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons good olive oil, plus extra for brushing the meatballs
• 2 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 (24-ounce) jars good marinara sauce, such as Rao's
• 2 pounds dried spaghetti, such as De Cecco
• Freshly grated Parmesan (or Asiago) cheese, for serving

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper.

Place the bread in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Process until the bread is in medium crumbs. Transfer the crumbs to a small bowl and add the milk. Set aside for 5 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the turkey, sausage, prosciutto, bread mixture, Asiago, parsley, oregano, red pepper flakes, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Lightly combine the ingredients with your hands. Add the 3 tablespoons of olive oil and the eggs, and stir lightly with a fork to combine.

With your hands, lightly roll the mixture into 2-inch-round meatballs and place them on the prepared sheet pans. Brush the meatballs with olive oil. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the tops are browned and the centers are completely cooked.

Pour the marinara sauce in a large, low pot, add the meatballs, and bring to a simmer.
Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water according to the directions on the package. Drain and place the spaghetti in individual bowls, and top with 3 meatballs and lots of sauce. Serve with Parmesan cheese on the side.

I hope you have a wonderful day - see you tomorrow!  And stay safe out there!


 

Mixing Things Up in Meal Planning, The Masters and David Bowie

Well we are officially at the Ides of April. 

Yesterday was quiet, though I did watch the last two hours of The Masters and got to see Adam Scott win in a nail biter!  Congrats to Australia!  I thought of you, Ruth!

Oh, and Game of Thrones had a shocking ending, so had to stay up late reading to get over the adrenalin rush!

This is a busy week for me - I have my final meeting to sort out my retirement details, am off to Moncton to attend an evening event featuring Deepak Chopra and Thursday evening, Barry and I have tickets to see a Classics Album Performance of the Ziggy Stardust Album.  Bowie has always been one of our favourite and we have seen him in concert before, and apparently these Classic Albums events are quite fun and the musicians do the album note for note (I have never gone to one of these, but Barry has seen a Pink Floyd one and a Supertramp one).  I will let you know what I think of all of these things. 

I have not yet heard all of David Bowie's new album, The Next Day, but it is getting a lot of buzz, much of it good, and so I have decided to download it this week and have a listen, since in advance of this Thursday's event, I have been listening to Ziggy Stardust, which would be one of my favourite albums.

Oh, and tomorrow I am taking son to order his tuxedo for Prom.  This is fraught with peril.  His idea is to get a silver suit with a black shirt.  His girlfriend is wearing a pale pink chiffon gown with roses appliqued on the back around a pale pink tulle faux back.  She does not want him to wear a silver suit and black shirt.  Given his penchant for being a diva himself and since i am paying, I am helping them get it ordered and since she is planning on a Downton Abbey kind of look with this dress, I am hoping to find something in that vein that lets him be a peacock but not overwhelm her.  Sigh..

But I digress on all of these things.  Today's topic is supposed be about mixing up my supper/dinner menus (what you call it is dependent upon where you come from!).  I was in the winter cooking rut.  We seemed to be eating the same things over and over again.  I am also challenged because son is vegan, Daughter and Husband would eat meat and potatoes at every single meal if that was at all possible (it is not) and I am eating less and less meat, but have food allergies that limit some of the things I can eat (fish, nuts, peas/beans - the latter are in the legume family and while I am technically not allergic to them as I will not get hives or an anaphylactic shock, they give me terrible pain and are just not worth it) - in other words, we are pains!

So the last two weeks, in order to get out of this rut, I have sat down with my cookbooks on Thursday night and done up the menu for the entire next week.  This is proving to be not only helpful in ensuring that I am cooking some new and different recipes, but it is also significantly reducing our grocery bill as we are only buying what we need now, not what we think we might need to cook with!

Last night was particularly good: two recipes by Ina Garten - Lemon Chicken Breasts (and Tofu!)  and a Middle Eastern Vegetable Salad, paired with grilled flatbread.

The chicken was some  of the juiciest I have ever eaten and the salad was excellent so wanted to share these recipes:

Lemon Chicken Breasts

2010, Barefoot Contessa How Easy is That?, All Rights Reserved

Prep Time: 15 min

Inactive Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 35 min

Level: Easy

Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup good olive oil
• 3 tablespoons minced garlic (9 cloves)
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 boneless chicken breasts, skin on (6 to 8 ounces each)
• 1 lemon

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Warm the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, add the garlic, and cook for just 1 minute but don't allow the garlic to turn brown. Off the heat, add the white wine, lemon zest, lemon juice, oregano, thyme, and 1 teaspoon salt and pour into a 9 by 12-inch baking dish.

Pat the chicken breasts dry and place them skin side up over the sauce. Brush the chicken breasts with olive oil and sprinkle them liberally with salt and pepper. Cut the lemon in 8 wedges and tuck it among the pieces of chicken.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken breasts, until the chicken is done and the skin is lightly browned. If the chicken isn't browned enough, put it under the broiler for 2 minutes. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and serve hot with the pan juices.

Middle Eastern Vegetable Salad

2010, Barefoot Contessa How Easy Is That?, All Rights Reserved

Prep Time: 15 min

Inactive Prep Time: --

Cook Time: --

Level: Easy

Serves: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

• 10 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
• 1 pound ripe tomatoes, seeded, cored, and 1/2-inch-diced
• 1 hothouse cucumber, halved lengthwise, seeded, and 1/2-inch-diced
• 1 can or jar (12 to 16 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
• 1/3 cup julienned fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4 lemons)
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup good olive oil
• 8 ounces good feta cheese, 1/2-inch-diced
• Toasted pita bread, for serving

Directions

Place the scallions, tomatoes, cucumber, chickpeas, parsley, mint, and basil in a large salad bowl and toss to combine.

In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the lemon juice, garlic, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Slowly whisk in the olive oil to make an emulsion. Pour the dressing over the salad, tossing gently to coat all the vegetables. Add the feta, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss gently. Serve the salad with the toasted pita bread.

I left out the chickpeas for mine and those who wanted feta added it at the end so that it stayed within the vegan category!

How about you?  Do you find you get into terrible ruts with your cooking? Please share and inspire me! I am so looking forward to local berries and veggies!

Have a wonderful day and stay safe out there!