Two year blog anniversary: chronicling my 10 favourite dishes

To mark the two-year anniversary of 'a second glance', here are ten of my favourite recipes. Narrowing down the list was hard! But you can see some of my other favourites, denoted with a ♥, in the Recipe Index. 

xx

1. Spiced hot apple cider

A drink that warms from the inside out on cold days.

2. Spicy grilled pineapple salsa

The heat of scotch bonnet peppers offsets the sweetness of the grilled pineapple.

3. Caramelized onion, candied tomato and goat cheese crostinis

Slow cooking takes time but patience pays off with these scrumptious crostinis.

4. Salad with candied pecans, baked pear and pomegranate seeds

This salad packs fresh flavour, like sweet baked pears and crunchy pomegranate seeds.

5. Broccoli salad (Turner salad)

This broccoli salad with a creamy-tangy dressing is a long-time family favourite.

6. Slow-cooked sweet peppers

Slow cooking with olive oil and balsamic vinegar elevate ordinary peppers.

7. Maple-caramelized brussel sprouts with Grand Marnier

A lowly vegetable is given the gourmet treatment with maple and Grand Marnier.

8. Honey-lemon-rosemary chicken

You can count the ingredients on one hand, and each one shines.

9. Moroccan lamb tajine with dried fruit, cinnamon and honey

This stew evokes the heady and exotic flavours of North Africa

10. Carrot-zucchini cake with cream cheese and vanilla bean icing

This moist cake is slathered with a lick-your-fingers tasty icing

Two-year blog anniversary: chronicling my 10 favourite looks

Today is the two-year anniversary of 'a second glance'. Yay! To mark the occasion, here are 10 of my favourite looks, in no particular order. Check back tomorrow when I will be posting 10 of my favourite dishes.

xx

1. Russian-style luxe

Why I like it: The rich textures and colours pop in this outfit and I got to wear my staggeringly high pair of 'reverse Louboutins'.

2. Funky urban

Why I like it: A 'funky urban' dress code challenge helped me come up with this outfit that's got a fun downtown vibe.

3. Black-and-rose jumpsuit

Why I like it: I accessorized a piece more commonly worn on its own.

4. 50s retro

Why I like it: An experiment with a bouffant updo, a hair wrap and oversized hoop earrings gave this outfit a throwback vibe.

5. 40s inspired wedding guest wear

Why I like it: In another retro outfit, theatrical accessories transformed a polka-dot dress, and I carried the 40s theme through to hair and makeup.

6. Best form of flattery inspiration challenge

Why I like it: Following an inspiration photo got me layering beyond my usual comfort zone, with unexpectedly pleasant results. 

7. Sailor stripes and florals 

Why I like it: One banded belt united two tricky trends: print-mixing and a midi-length skirt.

8. More ways to flower-pin

Why I like it: A couple of tired pieces from my closet felt fresh and modern worn together.

9. Sundress remix and a faux California tan

 Why I like it: Layering a knit top gave me more options for a beloved sundress, and I added one of my quirkiest thrift finds - my pearl tassel belt.

10. Bubblegum pink skirt - from day to play

Why I like it: Gold sequins, hot pink and a cheery clutch got me pumped up for a party that night. 

Cheddar, olive and chive scones

Leisurely Sunday morning brunches are one of life's little pleasures and this one was quintessentially English. We invited our friends S&M (ha!) for brunch on Easter Sunday and they unwittingly became the guinea pigs for my cheddar, olive and chive scone recipe. I started with the Joy of Cooking's base recipe for plain scones, then added the savoury flavours, and also substituted half the cream for buttermilk. 

 

I forgot to pour the eggs I'd already beaten and set aside, so the scones were drier and less fluffy than they should have been (I even kept adding cream to make up for what seemed to be a bad dry-to-liquid ingredients ratio). Luckily with good friends you can laugh it off. We topped the scones with sweet mustard, sliced ham, sliced cheddar and Boston lettuce, with scrambled eggs on the side. We rounded out the meal with berries topped with a dollop of lemon curd and lots of laughter. I then made a second, much more successful batch of scones (shown below) for my Mom's birthday.

xx

Sift together 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, 2 1/4 tsp baking powder, 1T sugar and 1/2 tsp salt in a large mixing bowl. Cut 1/4 cup cold butter into flour mixture until the pieces of butter are the size of small peas. If, like me, you don't have a pastry cutter you can use two knives instead (instructional video here). This will take about 5 minutes. Stir in 50 g finely grated sharp cheddar, 25g chopped and pitted black olives, and 3T chopped chives.

In a separate bowl, beat 2 eggs, setting aside 2T of egg for brushing the tops of the scones. Whisk in 1/4 cup buttermilk and 1/4 cup cream in with the eggs.

Make a well in the flour mixture and pour in liquid ingredients. Combine with a few swift strokes. Handling the dough as little as possible, place it on a lightly floured surface, then pat or roll out until 3/4 inch thick. Cut into scone-sized squares (about 4" x 4").

Brush the scones with the reserved beaten egg, and sprinkle lightly with coarse sea salt. Bake at 450F for 15 minutes. 

Interseasonal outerwear

Since most of my posts are about officewear, for this one I thought I'd show two jackets I've been wearing all the time on weekends. I love that they both have a sporty feel to them, which makes them ideal for days of running around. They're light as a feather but also warm; the first one's fleece-lined and the second down-filled. The last time I wore the Vuarnet jacket I got four compliments on it woohoo! In my mind that completely justified its $50 price tag (reduced from $200). I popped on a tuque and didn't even have to bother dealing with my serious case of bedhead.

xx

Jacket - Vuarnet via Winners
Hat -  Barts

{Heading out to dinner in Whistler}

 

Jacket - Lole

Tunic - Jacob

Leggings - Gap

Gloves - Winners

Boots - Sirens

Clutch - Simons

No sign of spring

These pictures were taken the third week of March; look how high the snowbanks are! 

I wore this to a fundraiser with my friend G. Someone brilliantly decided to market it as a 'Dessert Extravaganza'. Trading dinner for cupcakes and other petits fours sucrés? Sign me up! Facetiousness aside, the fundraiser was organized by the Ottawa Hospital Foundation and the Canadian Cancer Society. Cancer has afflicted both our families so this was a cause dear to us. I was not as deep-pocketed as most of the (surgically enhanced) attendees but judging by the fierce bidding over a Chanel purse during the live auction, a lot of money was raised. Yay!

The drive to the event took us along the Ottawa River, and just before sunset. G gamely navigated the puddles to get these shots. On a related note, G has toyed with the idea of starting her own blog, perhaps writing about her experiences as a mom and wife. I've been encouraging her because I've found being in the blogging community so positive. If you guys have words of wisdom or advice for G, leave them below!

xx

Jacket - Danier Leather

Scarf - Winners

Shirt - Trf via Laura (also here)

Pants - (most recently here)

Shoes - Thrifted (Aldo)

Bracelets - Hand-me-down and Toronto boutique

Earrings - Claire's

Pearl Peter Pan collar necklace

I got this super-cute pearl-and-crystal collar necklace at Christmas and I've been really keen to wear it on the blog ever since. I discovered it goes well with a classic silk dress which I thrifted over a year ago and have also been wanting to show on the blog. It's the closest my wardrobe has come to spring in months! I added a dark brown ribbon to the necklace to tie it in with the blazer, and secured the ribbon in place with a pavé crystal stud earring. 

If any of you own collar necklaces, here are some fun ways other fashion bloggers have worn them, courtesy of a Teen Vogue compilation. I can't wait to try some of these out. 

xx

 

Dress - Thrifted (Gap)

Jacket - Trf (also here and here)

Necklace - Winners (DIY ribbon and stud earring)

Shoes - Liz Claiborne via Winners

Earrings - Steelex

Watch - Kenneth Cole

Pashmina - Gift

Transitional

Hello! It's good to be back after a couple of weeks of not blogging. Between my vacation, a bout of stomach flu, a busy stretch at the office and general weariness with winter, I haven't been making time for a second glance. This pastel skirt and blouse combination ended up being just the pick-me-up I needed from my Mom, who surprised me with them after a trip to the outlets in the US. She's the kind of person who rarely buys anything for herself but regularly get her kids little gifts even though we're all 'growed up'. So sweet! 

Anyways, I wanted the outfit to reflect the transition into spring so I wore a dark blazer in an equally playful print. Translational was a fitting theme for this post because it also hints at my new ombré hair colour! (I have some better pictures in upcoming posts).

Have you guys been having weather blahs? How do you deal?

Are any of you going ombré this spring?

xx

Blazer - Thrifted (George) (most recently here)

Blouse - Banana Republic via outlets

Top - Banana Republic via outlets

Shoes - Thrifted (Aldo)

Earrings - Laura

Ring - Winners

Island of misfit clothes #4: The dark grey wool suit skirt

#4: THE GREY WOOL SUIT SKIRT

I had this skirt made in Vietnam in 2010 as part of a 3-piece suit (skirt/pants/jacket). Originally, it was more straight cut than shown.

Pros: It's lined wool and a classic work piece. I have a matching blazer. It was made to measure.

Cons: It can look dowdy. Over time it has lost some of its pressed polish. It has no belt loops.

Solution: I had the skirt altered from a straight cut to more of a pencil shape. To make it look more sexy/less matronly I wore it with a light-coloured lacy camisole, high heels and statement earrings and glasses. I wore it with the suit jacket to emphasize the tailoring that went into making this suit.

Suit -  Chichi
Camisole - Banana Republic (also here)
Shoes - Guess via Winners
Bag - Dooney and Burke
Earrings - Witchery

Animal prints and red shoes

Maybe it's the lack of inspiration that comes with the late-winter blahs, but lately I've been gravitating towards simpler silhouettes and classic colour combinations. Even my blog titles have been pretty mundane. Luckily this week is anything but for me. I'm in Whistler BC for a week of skiing with extended family :D Getting out on truly big mountains has been on my bucket list forever so I've been counting down the days to this vacation!!

All of this week's posts have been scheduled in advance as I will be spending time in nothing but sweatpants, wool sweaters and cozy socks. Hopefully by the time I return I can start pulling out some pastel colours from my closet. Looking forward to catching up on all your blog posts when I get back!

xx

Shirt - Van Heusen

Skirt - Thrifted (Joseph Ribkoff) (most recently here)

Cardigan - Tommy Hilfiger

Belt - ?

Shoes - Shoe Republic via sample sale

Necklace - Thrifted (Jones New York)

Earrings - Gift