un fin de semana de diversión con las casablancas

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this was a great weekend.  we had lots of sunshine and a lovely breeze.

and we kicked things off with big bowls of spicy goodness from good ol’ chipotle.  that place is just so darn good.  spice and flavor.  and meat.  oh, you tasty barbacoa, you.

and then, we wrapped up the weekend {and celebrated cinco de mayo} with a little fiesta with ben’s family.  with refreshing homemade sorbet and everything!  i’m talking mango + lime sorbet with a sprinkling of ancho chile powder to add some warmth.  increíblemente deliciosa.  what a relaxing day.  street tacos and fresh salsas…oh yes, and hanging out with our baby girl.  a baby girl who is looking older and older and less baby-ish each day.  sigh.

chef…or shall i say…baker ben {macarons}

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as some of you may recall, my chef ben decided to set a new year’s resolution for himself - to become baker ben.  he normally isn’t too keen on the baking arts.  cooking fine cuisine, yes.  making up tasty recipes, absolutely.  but for some reason he has always left the baking up to me.  not that he isn’t into baked goods.  he is a cookie fiend.  but, he prefers preparing a savory entrée over frosting a layer cake.

so, when he decided to take on the baking realm, naturally, he started with the tough stuff.  delicate and intricate and temperamental macarons.  way to ease into things, chef.  and naturally {slash sickeningly} he killed it.  i mean, he totally killed it.  and as a result, i have eaten WAY TOO MANY of these little pretties.  i can’t wait for the next round.  baker ben said that he will make some intense chocolate for me so i expect those to last all of three hours.

{step 1}

create the candied grapefruit peel with star anise and vanilla bean

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{step 2}

whip the egg whites to create the merengue and then gently fold in the other ingredients.  including a perfectly measured amount of food coloring to create a vibrant pink-orange hue.

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{step 3}

melt the white chocolate for the ganache.  add in the campari to give it that citrus zing.

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{step 4}

assemble the cookies

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{step 5}

refrigerate the cookies for 24 hours to let the flavors meld. 

AKA endure the brutal wait until you can FINALLY eat the long-awaited cookies.  {darn those french and their delayed gratification} but let me say, it is more than worth the wait. 

and then…you eat as many as you can handle before slipping into a sugar coma.  amazing

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the gallery {amy whitehouse paintings}

this post is my braggity-braggy post about my mother-in-law’s fabulous art.  not that i am taking any bragging credit for her art…but i sure can brag about the fact that our house is home to many of her lovely pieces!  we are so honored and blessed to have such beautiful and original works of art in our home.  doesn’t nice art just make you feel all cultured and fancy?  you know that feeling that you get when you are wandering around a museum or gallery…you feel kinda posh and smarter for just being in the presence of such genius.  even if you know absolutely nothing about the complexities or history of art, you can still absorb it enjoy the beauty.

well, we get to live in a gallery of sorts.  our walls happily display some very nice pieces.  and, sometimes when we are over at the whitehouse home just having dinner, we get to go shopping for fresh pieces in amy’s studio.  so cool.  she is always creating something new and allowing herself to be inspired by her environment and the creativity of others.  i love that she responds to God’s creation in such lovely ways.

unfortunately for you, her studio isn’t open for free take-out like it is for us {smiley face} BUT amy has recently taken a few of her vibrant and signature pieces and turned them into gorgeous print reproductions!  now, amy whitehouse creations are accessible for everyone!  if you are looking for something pretty to brighten up your walls…may i suggest that you pick up one of these beauties instead of just buying something mass-produced or generic.  i was able to watch her sign and number each one of these limited editions.  and they are just waiting to be snatched up and given a new home.

sunflower

favorite sunflower

trees

palms at sunset

flowers

sunflower in vase

want to see more?

http://amywhitehousepaintings.blogspot.com/

want to make one of these your own?

amy.whitehouse@me.com

snaps & snippets & blurbs

a very happy monday to you.  you know those weeks when you planned on getting a bunch of stuff done and then you realize that you have plans every night so you add it to the to-do list for the weekend and then the weekend arrives and somehow the days just fly by and then all of a sudden it is sunday evening and you are thinking hmmm…i should really check on my checklist…but, nah.  it was kinda one of those weeks.  so i feel like i am a bit behind already on this monday morning.  but, that’s okay because we had a fabulous week and lived it up this weekend.  but, don’t worry.  i have big plans.  i am coming for you, to-do list.

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two very happy faces + a chocolate shake + a handsome man who takes his burger selection very seriously + a her burger + a him burger + a bag of to-go treats from sweet tooth fairy.  cupcakes & sugar cookies + sunday concert at church + some sparkly lipstick, wavy hair, bright baubles, and a neon-pastel v-neck + a sweet little face with such bright and active eyes.

three things

three things i am loving right now

the  j.crew kicks edition

darby

neon pink loafers

etta

hummingbird satin and glitter heel pumps

sperry

boat shoes with bright soles

…and let’s be honest, it was pretty tough to narrow this down to “three things”.  i could do about six more “three things” posts and not even scratch the surface.  j.crew equals amazingness.

fete fashioner

just wanted to pop by and say hello before the weekend.  if you need me, i will be crafting and baking away in preparation for my sister’s bridal shower tomorrow – a fashionable fair fête.  it should be a fun, fun day.  and i can’t wait to see it all come together.  i will make sure to post the finished pics next week.  until then, have a lovely weekend folks!

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wahoo!

yesterday was a good day.  a very good day.  after months of studying and preparing, my hubby passed his series 7 exam.  he is now officially a licensed and certified smarty pants.  wahoo!  and what a load off!  no more study sessions.  no more stress.  he did it.  he is in the club now. 

and may i just say how proud i am of him?  i would like to mention that i am married to a very smart and capable person.  there is a lot of brainpower there.  and he is sickeningly good at test taking.  you know those people who can cram and ace the test?  that’s him.  but instead of just stuffing info into his brain and regurgitating it, he took this very seriously.  he learned.  he practiced.  he tested himself and taught himself.  he actually comprehends it and can carry on a conversation about the intricacies instead of just listing words and copying definitions.  what a great example.  and you know what?  he aced it.  like, 90% aced it.  and he did it half the time alloted.  now that’s just showing off.  yup, he is one of those.  i hated those guys in college.  the ones that seemed to effortlessly breeze through the exam while i was still over-thinking the third question.  it is so funny how different we are.  i take it slow and dissect.  and ben has such confidence and can just pick an answer.  and his gut answer is the right one.  he earned this.  big time.  he should have been confident – he knew his stuff.  and now, he can bask in the glow of a well-deserved victory.

what am i getting at here?  my man gave us a super excuse to celebrate with brats and duck fat fries and some gelato.  thanks hubby!  i knew all the weird finance facts in that phonebook you studied would pay off…

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elinor had her own little party in her bugaboo.  she propped her feet up and sucked her thumb.  even mozart the monkey got into the fun.  he did backbends and everything!

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and would you please look at these two?  just too cool.photo 2

and oh my heart-melting cuteness. this might be my new favorite picture.  look at that handsome man and his little girl.  also, how deliciously nibble-licious are elinor’s cheeks?  and look how fixated she is on the gelato bowl…  soon, little one.

chef ben {spanish style deviled eggs}

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holy smokes folks!  chef ben made the yummiest tapas-esque meal the other night.  it may sound a little bit like a lame potluck sidedish, but no sir!  these deviled eggs were to die for!  big time flavor in bite-sized {well, three bite-sized for me} vessels.  once again, he grabbed the smitten kitchen cookbook and flipped through page after page of yum, settling on these tasty guys.  they are sprinkled with crispy prosciutto and salty marcona almonds.  i mean, come on!

seriously, they were amazing.  we paired them with a vibrant,spicy, and deep rioja from our wsj wine club collection {loving that, by the way}

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it was so much fun to pop these guys while sipping on a perfectly paired red.  i love flipping the mundane on its head and making it something memorable…and my fabulous chef did that for us this week.  boring old eggs made amazing.  and a typical tuesday night became an {unexpected} smashing evening of relaxing and savoring and celebrating all the little good things in life.

let’s do this again.

a scarf and a beard walk into a bar…

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i love date nights with this guy*.  we are blessed to have very willing and eager babysitters in our lives {thank you family} which affords us the opportunity to plop miss elinor at their pad and take off for a dinner together.  so friday night, we did just that.  my hubby and i sat on the patio at one of our favorite mexican food spots, blue adobe and enjoyed scrumptious dips and salsas and spices and peppers and meats.  yum.  it was leisurely and perfect.  a relaxing and ideal way to kick off the weekend.

*how dashing does he look with that scruff?  and did you notice how beards were the “it” accessory for hollywood’s men at the oscars last night?  my guy is so cool.  way to be on trend, hubby.

snaps & snippets & blurbs

aaahhh…looong weekend.  i love three-day weekends.  i love when the market is closed so elinor and i get an extra day with our favorite guy. but what made it extra fabulous?  kicking it off with valentine’s day!  after enjoying a quiet night at home on thursday as a family, my hubby and i stole away for a celebratory date at our favorite place to celebrate, our place {see here and here}, royal palms.  so romantic and perfect and delicious.  can’t wait to go back again…

happy tuesday to you all!  enjoy the snaps.

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