BAM! Tangelo

It's been a while since I've had me-self some mixed prints, so here's my take on polka dots + animal print, broken up with jolts of coral. The prints are in the same colour family which is key to a cohesive look. 

On my blog I normally only wear clothes I well and truly own, as I'm a strong proponent of fashion on a budget. Buuuuut, I cheated a little on the shoes. They were given away to me by a friend, but I soon discovered they don't fit me properly either. I ultimately decided to pass them on to a more deserving owner (Sorry, feet. You'll thank me later). However, I couldn't resist using them in these photos. They look so demure from the front, and then it's like, BAM!, tangelo. So fun. (Is summer here yet??)

xx

Blouse - Ann Taylor, thrifted

Sweater - Forever 21

Skirt - Joseph Ribkoff, thrifted

Shoes - Coach, swapped

Necklace - Dynamite

Unabashedly girly

In another Valentine's Day-themed post, here's some outfit inspiration for the type of people who love all things girly (baubles! pink! chiffon! stilettos!). If you're the type to tell someone to go gag themselves on a rose stem, I'll be back to my usual fare in a couple of days.

xx

Turtleneck - Mexx

Skirt - Vertigo, Winners

Shoes - Aldo

Necklace - Road Trip

Bracelet - Hand-me-down

Phyllo-encrusted baked brie with hazelnut and cranberry

I made this recipe over Christmas, but it would also be great for Valentine's Day, now just a couple of weeks away. Shared it with a loved one, a friend, or make it for a date with yourself - it's that good. You can prepare the Brie package ahead of time and bake it just before serving. 

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To prepare phyllo:

Defrost a commercial package of phyllo sheets. Carefully lay one sheet of phyllo on a clean surface, keeping remaining sheets covered with a damp clean cloth. Use a pastry brush to apply a thin layer of melted butter. Layer another sheet directly over top and brush with melted butter. Continue until you have 5 sheets, with no butter on top sheet. 

To prepare hazelnut crumbs:

If you're going to the trouble, you may want to prepare a larger quantity and save the extra for other uses. You'll only need about 1/4 cup nuts for the recipe but I suggest preparing 1/2 cup. Start with a bowl of ice water and raw hazelnuts. In a medium saucepan, bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add 3 tablespoons of baking soda (the water will foam up). Add the hazelnuts and boil for about 3 minutes. 

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the nuts to the ice water. Use your fingers to rub off the skin. You can also roll the nuts between two dishcloths to help remove it. Toss the nuts with 2T honey, then place in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast at 350F for 15 minutes. Pulse the nuts into a crumb-like texture using a blender or food processor. 

To prepare the Brie and toppings:

Cut a round of Brie into quarters and place them on the phyllo spaced slightly apart. I do this so some of the topping falls in between the gaps. Sprinkle the top of the cheese with brown sugar, then spoon on whole-cranberry sauce. Finish with hazelnuts crumbs. Bring the corners of the phyllo together and twist them to create a seal, trimming the phyllo as needed. Alternatively, you can just fold the corners over each other. You can brush the top with melted butter if you wish; this will facilitate browning.

To bake the Brie:

Bake at 400°F for 15-20 minutes. 

Serve hot, slathered onto slices of baguette.

Winter whites

This is one of those easy, everyday work outfits. Look closely though, and you'll see a hint of the 1990s (and no it's not ME, I'm older than that). This velvet burnout scarf is from Jacob, circa 1998. Also known as devoré (French for 'devour' - appropriate enough), the burnout technique consists of using a chemical process to dissolve the fibers in portions of solidly woven fabrics for a sheer effect. It was trendy in the pre-millenial years, but I think it's due for a one-woman revival. In any case, it gets my vote over cutoff mom jeans.

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Blazer - H&M

Top - Tristan, thrifted

Pants - Elie Tahari outlet

Scarf - Jacob

Shoes - Coach outlet

Earrings - Gift 

Smoked salmon and preserved lemon hors d'oeuvres

I like finding ways to bring an unexpected touch to classic hors d'oeuvres, like smoked salmon and cream cheese on crackers. Instead of sprinkling the salmon with lemon juice, I   added thin slices of preserved lemon from a jar brought back from Paris. My mad-dash trip to gourmet mecca La grande épicerie de Paris late one evening during their extended Christmas hours was worth it. 

Preserved lemons were new to me. Also known as pickled lemons, they're preserved in a brine of lemon juice, water and salt, and occasionally other spices. Preserving creates an intensely flavoured fruit with a salty tang. They are often used in Indian or North African cuisine. I'm planning to use the leftover lemons in a Moroccan tajine sometime. I've seen preserved lemons sold in larger mainstream grocery stores so I'm sure they're also available through ethnic grocers. 

xx

Rinse preserved lemons under water to remove excess surface salt, then thinly slice. Remove any seeds. 

The photo is pretty self-explanatory. To make, spread softened cream cheese on a Triscuit cracker. Add a slice of lemon and a piece of smoked salmon. Top with dill. 

Variations: 

Add capers.

 Add thinly sliced red onion.

Replace the crackers with thinly-sliced, toasted pumpernickel.

Brown/blue

Sorry for the grainy quality of these and other recent outfit photos. I was fighting a rapidly setting winter sun and what are clearly the wrong settings on my digital camera. While I'm at it - sorry as well for the cans of tomato I forgot to put away...

I have a tendency to be a little matchy-matchy in what I wear, and I'm trying to get away from obvious colour pairings. A recent example: old me wanted to wear black boots with this outfit, new me tried brown, and liked the result even better.

Now that I'm done expressing my Canadianess and apologizing and being self-deprecating, let's move along. Brown and blue were another unexpected combo I tried recently, but I still played it safe with solid colours. I liked how a cowl-neck knit tee ends up looking like a scarf when worn under a cinched blazer.

xx

  

Blazer - Femme de carrière, thrifted

Top - Dynamite

Pants - BCBG, consigned

Belt - Thrifted

Shoes - Coach Outlet

Necklace - Gorjana

Earrings - Gift

Sweet sautéed peppers in phyllo cups

Sweet sautéed peppers are a mainstay in our household. I make these regularly to go with anything from grilled meat to garlic bread. They can be messy to serve so I corralled them in little phyllo cups, which themselves are prone to crumbs.  The upshot is - keep napkins or plates on hand.  

To make phyllo cups:

Note: You can buy phyllo cups if - unlike me - your grocery store carries these in the frozen section.

Defrost a commercial package of phyllo sheets. Carefully lay one sheet of phyllo on a clean surface, keeping remaining sheets covered with a damp clean cloth. Use a pastry brush to apply a thin layer of melted butter. Layer another sheet directly over top and brush with melted butter. Continue until you have 5 sheets, with no butter on top sheet. Cut the phyllo into 3 lengthwise and 4 crosswise. Press each piece into a non-stick or greased muffin tin to approximate a cup shape. You can also cut smaller squares and press these into mini muffin tins. I made two regular-sized batches for a total of 24 cups. 

Bake the cups at 400°F for 6-7 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven and let them cool directly in the pan. Note: My silicone muffin pans made it easy to 'pop' the cooled phyllo cups out.

To make sweet peppers:

This is the recipe for a medium-sized batch, which made enough for the 24 phyllo cups. Core 5 yellow, red or orange peppers and dice or cut into thin strips. Pour enough olive oil to just coat the bottom of a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add 3 or 4 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and one tablespoon of chopped garlic. Add peppers and toss to coat. Cook over medium-low heat for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. I usually cook with a lid for the first 15 minutes then remove it. The peppers should be very sweet and not at all crunchy.

To assemble:

Use a slotted spoon or tongs to fill each cup with the cooked peppers. Top with thinly sliced green onion. Serve warm.

Variation: 

Sprinkle goat cheese on top.

A black and white moment

Black and white is having a moment, and I'm having a moment with black and white. These pants (worn in summery temps here) are a tricky style to pull off, but I like that they break up the monotony of plain black, grey or brown work pants. I might be pushing the limits of our office dress code but I liked the pairing of this classic black turtleneck with edgy, modern accessories. In the spring, I'm looking forward to swapping out a V-neck white tee and colourful high-heeled sandals. 

xx

Pants - Forever 21, swapped

Turtleneck - FCUK, Saks Off Fifth

Jacket - Paola Prata, thrifted

Shoes - Aldo

Necklace - Banana Republic

Bacon-wrapped dates stuffed with almonds and maple

My sister has been raving to me about bacon-wrapped dates, so I decided to try making them for our World Junior Hockey viewing get-together. We needed something a little sweeter to offset the mini pizzas and other savoury bites. Often the dates are stuffed with nuts and/or cheese. I decided to use slivered almonds tossed in maple syrup in my own - patriotic - twist on the recipe.

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To make, pit 30 dates and cut 10 pieces of bacon into thirds crosswise. (Note: Test a piece at the beginning to make sure it'll be long enough to wrap around the date). Toss 1 cup of slivered almonds with 1/3 cup maple syrup. Stuff each date with the gooey almonds, wrap with a piece of bacon, and secure with a toothpick. Place on a baking sheet and cook at 400°F for 10-12 minutes, turning  once. Serve hot.

A day at the museum

I just realized I'm pretty much a walking ad for Banana Republic in this post. I guess you could say I'm doing my part to help keep my BFF (who works at headquarters) employed ;) Thanks for all the friends and family coupons M!

I wore this for a casual weekend afternoon visiting the Museum of Nature, which is housed in a beautiful Gothic building that's also a National Historic Site of Canada. We're lucky to live in a city that's home to a number of great museums, but we don't always take advantage of what's at our fingertips. A visit from out-of-towners offered the excuse we needed to fix that! My favourite parts of the visit were the blue whale skeleton, which stretches about 30 meters across the gallery, the dazzling colours and textures in the minerals section, and discovering that I weigh seven wild turkeys.

xx

Top - Banana Republic

Cardigan - Banana Republic

Jeans - Banana Republic

Loafers - Cole Haan

Necklace - Banana Republic