favorite things: charlotte edition

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As I mentioned last Friday, we spent the weekend celebrating one of our favorite couples- in Charlotte! While we were there, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to re-visit some of my favorite spots and do a teeny bit of shopping.  Charlotte's got plenty of options for amazing shopping, so I had to be a bit strategic about my time (and geography.)  

My first stop was Trader Joes.  I stocked up on plenty of dried fruit, gluten free oatmeal, wine and these incredible chocolate chip cookies.  I might be a convert from homemade- these really are incredible.  They are super crispy and buttery - the only downside is that I could eat an entire bag in one sitting!  Sometimes you just have to sacrifice...

Next up was Handpicked in Dilworth.  I used to go to Handpicked for all of my gift giving needs.  They have tons of jewelry, scarves, bags, monogrammed gifts, and other fun things, and I can usually find the perfect thing.  This time I picked up this tan bag with a pop of neon.  It looks much more expensive than it is, it has tons of pockets, it's neutral with a twist - just perfect.

Saturday afternoon, I had about an hour and I wanted to stop into the Southpark mall.  The Southpark mall is huge and has TONS of amazing stores, but I knew I needed to be smart about my time.  So, I went to my old standby- Belk.  I know that doesn't sound that exciting, but the Belk in Charlotte is incredible.  They have tons of designers, great sales, and a selection that is unbeatable.  While I was there I spied a line by Leslie Evers.  She makes cute dresses that remind me of Trina Turk at half the price.  I loved this aqua number - it's casual, but thick enough fabric to keep you feeling polished but comfy.  I might remove the belt, but either way it's adorable.  Be sure to check out her other patterned pieces as well.  I also found this pair of jeans on super sale.  They are stretchy but hold their shape - the two most important criteria for jeans in my opinion!

Finally, I had to visit Dean and DeLuca.  I scored some of the GF Cup for Cup flour that Thomas Keller developed, and I can't wait to use it.  I also grabbed a "grown up soda" - dry cranberry and lime, and loved it.  Definitely a sugary drink, but a fun treat nonetheless.  It would also be perfect to have on hand as a "mocktail" for any of my pregnant friends out there.  

My last favorites aren't from Charlotte, but they are things I've had my eye on for a few weeks.  These Jeffrey Campbell heels are perfect for Spring, and I'm thinking of asking for them for my birthday.  I also love this Nate Berkus lamp for Target, and it's sitting in our Florida room on a test run right now.  It's a pretty gold during the day, and picks up the green in the room at night.  

I know that's tons of commentary on a favorite things post, but I just had to share.  Happy Wednesday!

Linking up with Morgan and the BIRTHDAY GIRL, Annie!

xo,

pizza pizza

What's not to love about pizza?  Warm bread, melty cheese, and decadent toppings.  When we lived in North Carolina, Josh and I ate pizza (from the same place) at least once a week.  It was usually our Sunday night splurge (or saving grace), while pulling into town from a weekend away.  Moving to Florida has had plenty of advantages, but we have yet to find a pizza place down here that compares to our old favorite.  

Several months ago, I picked up some pizza dough from the bakery section of Publix on a whim.  I went with the dough ball that has to be formed and shaped with some pretty intense rolling.  Not quite sure what I would do with the dough, I threw some figs into my cart and headed on my way home.  A few days later, I pulled the dough from the freezer and inspiration hit - fig, goat cheese, and balsalmic glaze would make a near perfect pizza.  Healthy?  No.   Delicious?  Yes.  

After that fateful night, I've been hooked.  I love rolling out the pizza dough and being creative with toppings.  One of my favorites is the addition of arugula tossed lightly in lemon juice to the top of an otherwise plain pizza.  

As a disclaimer: I am still eating gluten free, and haven't made too many (read: any) pizzas in the past month.  I bought some GF pizza crust flour made by Thomas Keller last weekend, so I am betting it will make a darn good GF dough.  More to come on that, but in the meantime I wanted to share these favorite combinations with you all so you can enjoy.

Homemade White Pizza

Ingredients:

• Pizza Dough (I prefer the dough ball from the bakery section of Publix.  I've tried Whole Foods as well, but Publix is my favorite.)
• Flour for rolling out the dough
• 3 Tbs. olive oil
• 1 Tbs. minced garlic
• Fresh mozzarella cheese (It's worth it to use the fresh ball, not the pre-shredded)
• Shredded mozzarella, parmesan, or other cheese of your choice
• Toppings of your choice: 
• Figs
• Goat Cheese
• Pears
• Proscuitto
• Arugula*
• Truffle Oil**

*Toss lightly in lemon juice and add to top of fully cooked pizza.  

**Drizzle lightly over fully cooked pizza to finish.  

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Lightly dust a clean surface with flour.  Lay thawed pizza dough on counter and roll into a circle or square about 1/4 inch thick.  Transfer pizza dough to a baking sheet or pizza stone.  (I use a baking sheet and silpat.)
3. Mix olive oil and garlic in a small bowl.  Brush mixture onto pizza dough, taking care to spread evenly to the edges.  
4. Slice fresh mozzarella into 6-8 thin slices.  Spread evenly over the dough.  Top with shredded cheese of your choice.  (The amount of cheese here is personal preference.  I love cheese, so I usually cover most of the dough with cheese.)
5. Add other toppings as desired.  See above for my favorite combinations
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until dough is golden and cheese is bubbly.  Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

Enjoy!

xo,

Friday

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Welcome to the almost weekend!  We have another round of celebrating to look forward to, enjoying time with far flung friends and toasting the engagement of one of the cutest couples I know.  

We couldn't be happier for you G+L, and we can't wait to enjoy the weekend with you!

In other news, I'm hoping to sneak in some weekend fun by making a trek to Trader Joes (I discovered the best GF chocolate chip cookies there), stopping into one of my favorite spots to buy jewelry and gifts, trying out a blow-dry bar, and maybe even "brunching" at an old standby.  It's looking to be a fun weekend whether or not the sun breaks through these persistent clouds. 

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend.

xo,

Red, White (diamonds) & Blue

 dress // earrings // ring // bag // shoes // lip gloss

The opening events of the 2014 Winter Olympics start today!  (Opening Ceremonies are tomorrow night at 8pm.)  The Summer Olympics are my favorite, but I will take any Olympic event I can get, and I can't wait to see our athletes take to the snow and ice.  

As tribute to Team USA, I put together a little red, white (diamond), and blue outfit for you today.  Add in some gold accents (and earrings that look a little like gold medals) to really show off your team spirit.  

Are you as crazy about the Olympics as me?  Will you watch any of the events?

xo,

Favorite Things: Pointy Flats

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Lately, I've been loving pointy toed flats!  While I still have a soft spot for D'Orsay flats, there is something so classic about styles that cover more of the foot.  The pointed toe is the perfect compliment to ankle length pants, and it does wonders for lengthening the line of your leg.  (If you have short legs like me - this is KEY.) 

All of these options are budget friendly - all but the patterned pair are under $100!  While I usually don't mind investing a little more in shoes, I am hard on flats and usually look for budget friendly buys like these.  I also love the idea of metallics and tans as neutrals.  I think its the perfect way to freshen up a look for the coming warm weather month.

Wondering if I can just buy them all...?!

Linking up with Annie and Morgan for Wishlist Wednesday.

xo, 

gremolata stuffed chicken

My adventures in gluten free living have continued, and I finally have a moment to share one of my new favorite recipes with you.  I bought my first gluten free cookbook a few weeks back, and decided to dive right in with this gremolata stuffed chicken.  It is delicious and full of flavor, and I think it is well worth the added effort of making the stuffing.  There is something about Italian and Mediterranean foods that makes them always worth the extra effort...  The only tricky part (for me) was finding boneless chicken breasts with the skin ON.  Whole Foods kindly deboned a few chicken breasts for me, and with a few extra minutes at the meat counter I was on my way.  Give this one a try and let me know what you think.

Gremolata Stuffed Chicken

Recipe from The Gluten Free Kitchen Cookbook

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless chicken breasts with skin ON
• 1 C. flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
• 1 Tbs. baby capers, rinsed well and drained (I used regular capers- not sure what makes a caper a "baby caper?")
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed (I used my ever faithful pre-chopped garlic.)
• 1 1/2 Tbs. finely chopped preserved lemon peel (Again, wasn't sure how to preserve lemon peel- so I just used lemon zest.)
• 2 Tbs. unsalted butter, softened
• 1 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tsp. vegetable oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Place parsley, capers, garlic, lemon peel in a bowl.  Rub in softened butter using your fingers.
3. Separate chicken breast from skin by pushing your fingers or rolling the handle of a wooden spoon under the skin to lift and separate it from the flesh.  (This was tricky for me- I wound up with some skin more separated, but I just stretched it back over the meat as much as I could.)  Spread a quarter of the stuffing under the skin of each breast.  Pat skin back into original shape.  Brush chicken liberally with melted butter and oil.  Season with fresh salt and pepper.
4. Heat skillet over medium high heat and brown chicken skin-side down.  Turn chicken and brown other side.  Transfer chicken to baking sheet and pour over any remaining butter mixture from the skillet.  Bake chicken breasts for about 12 minutes, or until cooked through.
5. Remove chicken from oven and cover loosely with foil.  Rest chicken for a few minutes before slicing and serving.  Slice each breast on an angle.  Drizzle with pan juices to finish.  

Serve with cheesy polenta, roasted tomatoes, and grilled zucchini.  

Enjoy!

xo,

Thought for the Week: Friendship

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I know I don't need to tell you all this, but friendship is a beautiful thing.  Over the years, I have been blessed by friendships in numerous varieties.  Some for a season, some for a lifetime, some serious, and some totally random.  Regardless of the type, I find myself immeasurably blessed by the differences in each.

This weekend, I had the chance to have what one relative termed a "social weekend."  I bounced from baby shower to baby shower, to dinner parties, to girls lunches, and to super bowl viewings.  While these events afforded different types and levels of interaction, I always left with a bounce in my step and a feeling of contentment and love for my friends.  

Quick snippets of conversation between oohing and ahhing over a soft lamb or ruffled onesie provided the perfect check-in moments with new friends.  Chatting at a dinner party with a wonderful cousin (Hi, V!) left me feeling blessed, challenged, and inspired to read more books and blogs (and wishing NYC was closer...)  A "quick" phone call to one of my oldest and dearest friends allowed me to celebrate some of the little (and some of the BIG) changes happening in her life.  Each interaction was different and varied, but the common themes were there: friendship, celebration, and being interested in the life, thoughts, and opinions of someone other than yourself.  

I think that's the secret to great friendships.  It's not in the proximity, the number of times you talk each week, or the things you have in common.  It's more about the willingness to invest in someone else.  It's about celebrating babies, work promotions, and new houses.  But it's also about listening (and asking) about the more mundane things in life - those things we all face and sometimes just need to laugh about so we don't scream.  

So here is an open thank you to all of those wonderful friends.  Thank you for listening, asking, laughing, crying, and spending time on the celebrations and on the mundane.  Your friendship has blessed me more than words can express.  I'm one lucky lady and hope you all know how loved you are.  

xo,