Saying Yes To The Dress

Over the past couple of months I have experienced a lot of raised eyebrows. I know with wedding planning in general people will always have opinions of what you should and shouldn't do. I am thankful for my family and friends who are helping me plan the wedding because without their opinions I would have no idea what to do! Then there are other opinions, specifically on me not having my dress yet, that were starting to stress me out. The conversations would go like this

"So do you have a dress yet"
"No, not yet, going to pick one out soon though"
"Wait when is the wedding? June? And you don't have a dress?"
(enter the raised eyebrow).

or

"So what does the dress look like?"
"Oh I don't have one yet"
(enter raised eyebrow)
"You do know that it will probably take six months from when you order the dress to when you get it, right?"

Jeez luiz! I know I am a deadbeat bride but I was beginning to feel like the fact that I didn't get my dress yet meant I would be wearing a burlap sack down the aisle.

Which is why I am pleased to tell you that as of last Saturday, I DO HAVE MY WEDDING DRESS!

On Saturday my MOH Andy picked me up and we headed to the shop, meeting my bridesmaid Jenn there. Now, I had some firm ideas of what I wanted in my mind. Simple. Elegant. Not strapless. Not too bridey.

The saleswoman who was helping us gave me really great advice right off the bat - don't rule anything out before you try it on. So I asjusted my expectations and decided I would do that. Any dress you bring me I will try on and not judge it until I am on the pedestal in front of the three way mirror.

Right off the bat I realized that I was dead wrong about not wanting strapless. I have seen wedding photos of brides (no one reading this blog, I assure you) who are curvy woman like myself and chose to wear a strapless gown and they ended up looking like the prow of a ship. Side-boob/ lots of cleavage at a wedding is just tragic to me. But what I didnt realize is that if you have a dress that fits you, strapless is actually very elegant and lovely!

And my "I want a simple" dress went out the window too because the simple dresses just did not suit me. I don't dress simply on a daily basis. I like a little sass. A little flair. So it makes sense that my wedding dress would have these qualities as well.

I probably tried on ten dresses and there were two that I loved, and was hemming and hawwing between. Then I tried on the last dress.

OMG

As soon as I put it on, before I even saw myself, I loved it. And when I looked in the mirror it was just confirmed. This was MY dress. And I never in a million years thought I would have that moment when you just know that this is your dress, I didnt realize I cared about the dress, until I had it on and realized this is the dress I am getting married in! It was such a cool feeling.

I couldnt have dont it without Andy and Jenn - and though I missed having my mom there I felt I was in good hands. I think the best part of the whole experience was at the end of all the fittings, this older woman who was there with her own daughter who was getting married, came up to me and said "I have seen every dress you tried on today and that last one was just perfect on you. Gorgeous". So even though my mom wasn't there, a mom approved of the dress. And when I sent my mom a photo of the dress minutes after purchasing it, she approved as well!

Even more proof it's my dress - it doesnt need to be altered AT ALL. It fits me perfectly the way it is and is the perfect length. So I actually have the dress at home now, in a garment bag, in a closet. And let me tell you it is taking all of my strength not to try it on and flounce around the house when Adam isn't home. I may take Andy up on his offer and have him keep the dress at his house to prevent the possiblity of having a pinot-fueled rehearsal by myself in the kitchen.

So now I welcome any and everyone to ask me "So did you get a dress yet" so I can answer emphatically "I SURE DID AND IT IS PERFECT!"

Sunday Morning

Lately it seems our weekends follow a specific pattern - mainly Saturday we are barely home and Sunday we are home all day. I try to take full advantage of my Sunday to get all of the things done that I do not have time to do during the week. Things like cleaning, watering the plants, laundry, catching up on trashy TV. I also like to wake up early and make a good breakfast (especially if Law and Order is on and I can have it playing while I cook). This past Sunday I was confronted with eggs, leftover deli ham, Laughing Cow swiss cheese and a heap o' potatoes. I decided to do a quiche and get the potatoes in the mix by shredding them and using them for the crust. The result was an easy, delicious breakfast that is a great way to use up items before you do your weekly food shopping


Ham & Cheese Quiche with Potato Crust

Serves 6
3 eggs
1 12 oz can evaoprated milk
2 russet potatoes, peeled and grated
4 slices deli ham, chopped
1 small onion, diced
2 wedges Laughing Cow swiss cheese
1 tbsp melted butter/margarine
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp garlic powder
salt + pepper

Preheat oven to 400.

Squeeze out as much moisture as you can from the potatoes.



Combine with butter and press into a pie plate sprayed with PAM (or other non stick cooking spray).



Bake for 20 minutes - until slightly golden. Let cool.



Turn oven down to 350.

Meanwhile cook onions over medium heat with the olive oil for 5 minutes. Add chopped deli ham and cook for an additional three minutes. Sprinkle with garlic powder.



Combine milk, eggs and cheese. Beat for about a minute. Sprinkle in as much salt and pepper as you like (at least a couple shakes of each). Stir in cooled onion and ham.



Stir onion and ham into the egg mixture and blend well. Pour onto cooled potato crust.



Bake 45 minutes, until starting to brown around the edges and set in the middle.



Enjoy!

Wine and Cheese Friday

When Adam and I first moved back in September. We kept up a tradition my parents had started for themselves : Wine and Cheese Friday. I would stop off on my way home from work and pick up a couple of cheeses, a pate (they have a to-die-for smoked salmon and dill pate!) some bread and a couple bottles if wines and that would be a nice Friday night supper for us.

This fell to the wayside as we got busier but I am bringing it back! We had a wine and cheese experience last weekend that was so great, I thought I would share it just in time for Valentine's Day.

Last Saturday we had the pleasure of visiting Rebecca's lovely shop Beacon Hill Wine and Gourmet in Melrose.



Rebecca and I have been blog friends for years so I was excited to finally see one of her shops. Well we were really in for a treat - the place is gorgeous! So welcome and inviting! I had fun perusing their excellent and varied selection of wine.



And my heart was aflutter when I encountered their cheese display.



And let's not forget the gourmet foods fridge.



I remarked to Adam that I wish I had a store like this in my town, because you could totally pop in after a long day at work and pick up the makings of a delicious dinner from appetizer to dessert all in one stop!

After consulting with store employee Rob, who could not have been more friendly or helpful, I picked up a couple of bottles of Cabernet to enjoy later in the week. They were doing a tasting in the store and it was there I discovered the wonder that is Cabot Clothbound Cheddar. I was told that a customer, after enjoying the cheese at a wedding in Nantucket, asked for it in the store and Rebecca was able to track some down and order it. And thank goodness she did! It is one of the best local cheddars I have ever experienced. I loved it so much I bought some to take home and I tell you we could not wait a day to tear into it.

Later that night, after a delightful dinner of beef tenderloin and some De Lyeth Cabernet we had picked up from the store, we pondered about dessert! Sometimes after a meal you just NEED dessert. Something in you is left unsatisfied, delicious as the meal was. I remembered the cheese we had purchased earlier and just KNEW, though at first glance it may seem an odd pairing, that it would go delightfully with a dessert wine we had in the fridge. Every year we take a trip up to Flag Hill Winery in Lee, New Hampshire and let me tell you, though I am not a sweet wine, I find myself very fond of their dessert wines. In this case their Heritage Red (which is made with a touch of maple syrup) was the PERFECT compliment to the nutty, sharp cheese. It was really a splendid dessert.

You cannot purchase Flag Hill in MA, But this shouldn't stop you from trying out a similar combination the next time you are looking for a really stellar wine and cheese experience for dessert. Beacon Hill Wine has a lovely Italian Red Dessert Wine "Brachetto" or a ruby port would work nicely as well. Rebecca also recommends pairing the cheese with a minerally Pinot Noir or a lightly oaked Chardonnay!

Local readers - definitely check out Beacon Hill Wine either their Melrose location or their location on Charles Street in Beacon Hill (which word on the street is THE place to go for Bordeaux). It's the perfect time of year to start your own Wine and Cheese Friday tradition!

Proof I am Really 70

Sometimes an article of clothing gets in my head and I can't rest until I own it. Maybe I saw it on the a website or maybe it caught my eye in a store window. Maybe I heard someone describing and thought, that would be pretty awesome.

The most recent occurance of this was a couple of weeks ago. I am always on the lookout for what I refer to as "going out tops". Sparkly. Funky. Something you can throw on over jeans and look snazzy. And I thought I had found the latest perfect going out top at Macy's. It was a shimmering gold and black blousy top that I just know would have looked perfect with my dark skinny jeans and gold flats (NB I dont actually own those flats but my birthday is coming up and I intend on treating myself!). The thing is at the time the shirt was out of my budget. However knowing that it was INC (my favorite Macy's brand) I knew it would be on sale within a couple of weeks so I decided to wait and see.

Then this past weekend Adam and I were inivted to attend the grand opening of a restaurant and intructed that the appropriate dress code would be "jeans and a nice top" and suddenly I sense of urgency overtook me. The black and gold INC shirt! The time had come. Get me to Macy's.

So I went last night after work intending on snapping it up and being on my way. As I had imagined, it was on sale but because it was on sale it was no longer on the rack I had initially seen it on. So I scouted around - you'd think that a sparkly sequiny shirt would stand out! But lo, sequins are everywhere now so I was beginning to think maybe I had missed my chance. Sob! However at that moment, something black and gold did catch my eye. There was my beloved top! In all it's sparkly funky glory......

....draped over the arm of a woman in her mid to late 70's. Clad in cruisewear and exclaiming to her friend in a pink sweatsuit "I just love this blouse, Mary! Where can I get rung up?". There was also something in there about wearing it to the dinner theater next month.

I was instantly reminded of one of my favorite Golden Girls episodes in which Dorothy, decked out in a blousy sequin top exclaims "I look like the mother of a Solid Gold dancer!"

(click to watch)

I'm consoling myself with the fact that I will probably be that woman in 40 years. And in the end I opted for a bright pink sequin tank and a cute black cardigan that was maybe a little more age appropriate. Which I paired with dark jeans and black flats. Then as I was getting ready to leave the house that night my brother mentioned that I was 31 years old (NB I AM STILL THIRTY) and maybe I should tone down the eye makeup. In my defense, I love a smokey eye and always will whether I'm 30 or 90 and 2) my brother in general prefers the au natural look. But still!!

The moral of the story is - be who you is. Which for me apparently entails signing up for a Chico's catalog and hitting the MAC counter after work for some more kohl!

My Grooveshark Playlist Today - A Work In Progress

1. Big Country - Big Country
2. Kyrie - Mr. Mister
3. My Brave Face - Paul McCartney
4. Rosanna - Toto
5. Handle with Care - Traveling Wilburys
6. Take Me Home Tonight - Eddie Money
7. Tell Me Lies - Fleetwood Mac
8. King of Wishful Thinking - Go West
9. Synchronicity II - The Police
10. Valerie - Steve Winwood
11. Bleed To Love Her - Fleetwood Mac
12. Broken Wings - Mr. Mister
13. She's a Mystery To Me - Roy Orbison
14. Stuck With You - Huey Lewis and The News
15. End of the Line - Traveling Wilburys
16. Brillian Disguise - Bruce Springsteen

Things I am Digging: Snow Day Edition

Don't let the title of this post fool you. The things I am digging have nothing to do with snow. Well unless I was going to make some pun about having to dig my car out later but for now I will live in denial of that fact with my large cup of French Roast and share some things my eye caught when I was doing some online shopping earlier this week/some of my go-to items these days.



Gold Clutch from Old Navy - $12.97

I can't find my beloved gold clutch, though I know it's around here somewhere. And I found it in an antique store years ago so it's not like I'll be able to get another one. Even though we moved back in September there are still things I KNOW I brought with me that I can't find! It has to be around here somewhere! It just has to! In any case I cannot be without a gold clutch so this is a budget friendly replacement until I find mine.




Rococo Bow Ring from Charlotte Russe - $6.50.

My vintage-obsessed heart is loving all of the bows everywhere lately. On shoes. As brooches. On sweaters. And on this sweet ring. And of course in this song.



You didn't think I'd sneak a little Dinah into this post did you.

Moving on.....

Pointed Kitten Heels from Isabela Toledo for Payless - $44.99

I don't know what it is about these shoes but I love them. I know they are weird. And kind of busy. But I also find them to be snazzy and fun. Definitely something to jazz up an all black ensemble or dark jeans - black top ensemble (both looks of which I am a fan). And you have to give it up to Isbela Toledo who is most famous for designing the dress Michelle Obama wore to the inauguration. Sigh!

Color Slim Palette - Eyes from Sephora - $6

I am a fan of eye makeup. I wear some kind of shadow/liner/mascara combo every day. In fact when I don't wear any eye makeup I get comments like "Did you go out last night?" or "Have you been crying?" (to which I usually reply "Have you gained weight?" because obviously it's Rude Question Day and I want to participate too!). Anyway, I love me some eye makeup but I don't want to tote around all of my eye shadow compacts and liners with me all damn day (My Caboodle is another thing I lost in the move). So I picked up this palette and just keep it in my handbag for whenever I need it. The pink and pale silver and light brown are great for day wear, the other colors are great for a dramatic eye/going out. I even use my liner brush and use the black shadow as a liner in a pinch. The point is it's inexpensive but nice quality and about the size of a credit card!

Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure from CVS - $5 - $7

This is just a great drugstore nail polish. It has an extra wide brush so it's a cinch to apply, it dries relatively quickly (great for me since I can't sit still long enough for other nail polishes to dry!) and it lasts for days without chipping. My favorite colors so far are Gilty Pleasure (a metallic gold) and Commander in Chic (A taupey-grey).

Visions of Provence

(img from here)

In honor of the fact that many of us will be snowed in for at least a day or two, I thought I would post one of my favorite snowy day recipes - Beef Stew Provencale (Daube). Simple ingredients, incredible flavor and slow cooked delight that will make your house smell amazing. The orange peel really makes it!

What I love about this kind of dish is how economical it is. Stew beef is pretty inexpensive because it's tough. But when you slow cook it in delicious wine and herbs it becomes as tender as the more pricey cuts and every bit as tasty. So head out to the grocery store while you still can and pick up the few ingredients you need to make it.


Daube (Provencal Beef Stew)
4 tbsp. olive oil
2 med. onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 lbs. stew beef, cut in 1.5 inch pieces
1 large can can plum tomatoes
2 cups baby carrots
2 tsp thyme
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. salt
2 bay leaves
1 tsp cloves
Peel/Rind from 1 orange (I used an apple peeler)
2 c. red wine
Potatoes (optional)

Brown beef in batches with 2 tablespoon olive oil in large stock pot over medium heat - about 5-7 minutes a batch. Remove with slotted spoon and set aside.

Add remaining 2 tablespoon olive oil, onion and saute 5 minutes or so until translucent. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Turn heat on high and add remaining ingredients and beef. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to low, simmering for 2-2.5 hours.

Drink the rest of the wine.

After that time, remove the beef and keep warm. Heat liquid on high and boil for 15 minutes to reduce. Add beef back in. Serve with boiled potatoes and/or good French bread.



Delicious!

The Seven Stages of New England Weather-Report Related Grief

1. Disbelief ("But it just fucking snowed")
2. Anxiety ("Where is all that snow going to go!? How will I get to work")
3. Anger ("I just fucking shoveled for 3 hours the other day")
4. Snowmocidal Rage ("I JUST FUCKING SHOVELED FOR THREE HOURS THE OTHER DAY" (accompanied by fist shaking))
5. Depression (This sucks/ I hate life)
6. Acceptance (Oh well we live in New England, what do we expect/ We can handle it!)
7. Drunk

Actually usually number 7 precedes number 6.

A Little Bit of Summer in Winter

Check out my post over at Brew England today! I did a Tuesday Night Tasting of a delightful Watermelon Wheat beer I discovered while visiting the Blue Hills Brewery last week.



I have a soft spot in my heart for fruit beers. While I don't often drink them these days, a fruit beer is the reason I drink beer now. Specifically Paper City Brewery One Eared Monkey, a lovely apricot beer which was the first beer I ever drank and thought, I could get used to this. Then I moved onto Concord Grape Ale. Then to Seadog Blueberry Wheat and onto hefeweizens and then onto IPAs....then a dalliance with Porters and Stouts that I am in the middle of now.

But it all began with a fruity beer.

And if you are trying to get into craft beer, who knows the Watermelon Wheat I posted about today might be the gateway beer for you!

Brunchtastic

As I mentioned last week, recently I hosted a brunch for my bridal party and some of my aunts helping me plan the wedding. As a brunch quasi neophyte, I didn't have an arsenal of brunch recipes to rely on. I am more of a lunch person, typically. I have been known to fly into a rage when I go to a restaurant on Sunday for an early lunch and am presented with only egg dishes, (OK my rage may have more been because they said that I wouldn't be able to order a Bloody Mary until noon which was a devious 40 minutes away. Yikes. )

But even for me there came a time and a place for brunch and that time and place happened to be Sunday at 1Pm at my place. So I turned to my good friends the internets and between them and my local favorite French bakery - I turned out a pretty good spread.



(If you look closely you can see our wedding cake topper, which was also my grandparents' wedding cake topper. Since they were married for over 60 years, I think it's good luck!)

Since some of my Twitter friends had asked for the recipes I used - I figured I would share here. These are all easy to make and a good mix of sweet and savory! They are also all inadvertently vegetarian. A brunch without bacon. Who knew!



Party Perfect Mini Quiches - Nestle.com

Almond, Cinnamon and Chocolate Croissants from French Memories in Cohasset


Hash Brown Brunch Casserole - Epicurious.com

Copley Plaza Dip - (pictured next to the casserole) - I got this recipe from my dearest friend Andy, whose grandmother used to enjoy this dip at the Copley Hotel in the 1930s and, after figuring out the recipe, always served it when entertaining guests. It is easy as can be and was easily the hit of the party
8 oz cream cheese, softened
2-3 tablespoons Red Pepper Relish (Ritter's is ideal, I used Cains)
a few dashes hot sauce.
Blend Well and Serve with Triscuits. Delicious!


Waldorf Salad Bites - I adore Waldorf Salad but it is kind of messy to serve at a party. So I prepared it as usual and spooned a tablespoon each into phyllo cups. Easy to eat and so refreshingly crisp and tasty. If you don't care for waldorf salad you could easily do this with chicken salad (maybe with some chopped green apple and walnut) or seafood salad. An easy and elegant little appetizer

For beverages I had assorted white wines, water and sparkling water and my aunt Marilyn and Barbara brought an enormous pitcher of Seabreezes which I think was everyone's favorite part of the whole brunch. You cannot go wrong with cranberry, grapefruit juice and delicious vodka.




Anywho if you have any tried and true brunch recipes of your own I'd love to hear them - I'm having another brunch in early March and would like to change it up a bit. I'm thinking a Bloody Mary bar? Though I am the only one who likes Bloody Marys.

Actually that may be perfect (wink wink) .