memorial day weekend

i can't believe that it's already the end of may, and that memorial day weekend is upon us - this year is flying by! i am planning on using the long weekend to start organizing some things for the upcoming move, but i will also be taking some time to kick back and relax.

my weekend might look a little something like this:

a lobster roll 
i will stick to the basics, similar to this recipe, but this video from luke's lobster is adorable AND the roll makes itself!

chilled rosé 

i prefer rosés that are pale in color from either bandol or the cotes de provence region, and you can find good bottles for under $15 (please note: domaine ott is a rip off!)

strawberry tart

how festive does this strawberry tart from cupcakes and cashmere look? i can't wait to try it!

patriotic attire

i am obsessed with this chambray top. so comfy, and appropriately red, white, and blue when paired with a bright red mani/pedi (essie clambake, of course.)


happy memorial day weekend:
let us remember with gratitude all of the men and women who have bravely served our country.

trading places

[via]

i have some exciting news: the boyfriend and i will be moving in just a few weeks! now, normally moving is not high on my list of fun things to do, but this move is going to be easy-peasy because we are only headed to the apartment next door! 

our current space has been amazing for the past two years and i absolutely love it, but we have been yearning for some additional space. the new place has higher ceilings (which is great for the boyfriend!) and some additional square footage in a different layout (one bedroom instead of two, and each space is a bit larger than in our current digs.) also, two words: clawfoot tub.

one of the best parts? we have a private entrance down into the garden! we can't wait to get settled and to decorate the new place; i will chronicle the process with plenty of pictures for all of you to enjoy :)

scenes from the weekend

happy monday! we had an absolutely gorgeous weekend weather-wise, with two sunny, warm days perfect for playing outside. i went running twice (and i am loving my neon shoes!)
here are some other things i got up to:

first ice cream of the season! sea salt caramel :)

beach picnic dinner: lamb burger in a pita with tomato-fennel salad and sriracha
(recipe to come later this week!)

beachy date night

sunday dinner: coffee-rubbed flank steak with chimichurri (made from cilantro we grow in the garden!) served with that tomato-fennel salad and roasted potatoes.

there is one thing that i am particularly proud of: i mastered the art of poaching eggs this weekend! eggs benedict is one of my favorite brunch items, but until now i have been a complete klutz when trying to poach an egg at home. inevitably, the whites all dissolve into wisps in the pot and my egg looks more like a shredded mess than the uniform white mass that i was striving for.

i am going to share my tips with you, in the event that there are other frustrated egg poachers out there! the mastery came from combining the boyfriend's methods with my methods, and together we produced perfect end result!

tools:

kitchen spoon

slotted kitchen spoon

medium pot

ingredients:

eggs

white vinegar

two victims with my instruments of choice

heat water with a tablespoon of white vinegar until it boils, then turn the heat down to a simmer
(big bubbles will break your egg apart!)

crack one egg into the kitchen spoon.

lower the spoon with the egg gently into the water and hold for a moment until turning the egg out of the spoon and into the water. cook the egg to the consistency you want: for a runnier yolk, two minutes. for a firmer yolk, as long as five minutes.

 remove with a slotted spoon, making sure to drain all of the water.

serve - my choice was atop a whole-wheat english muffin with feta, salt, pepper, and sriracha :)

coca cola classic

i only have a quick second before dashing off to a very busy day, so i thought i would leave you with this picture of titus in his new favorite place:

yes, that is a cat in a case of soda; interpretations welcome!

pumped up kicks

i have needed a new pair of running shoes since this time last year. after extended use, my joints had started to ache and the parts of the interior lining were completely shredded from my toenails (gross but true.) 

for one reason or another, i kept putting off the investment until this weekend when i finally bit the bullet.

i had been eyeing the nike free run shoes since my brother got a pair around the holidays. the weightless design was a key factor, as was the variety of great colors! i went with the liquid lime, which i am pretty sure can be seen from space, so i should have no problem avoiding traffic!

the new kicks after their first run; believe it or not, the color is much brighter in person!

on a related healthy note, the boyfriend and i have initiated an effort to make healthier dinners, starting with quinoa cakes and salad for dinner last night! we neglected to take pictures because the cakes were gone too quickly, but here is the recipe!

we now return to our regularly scheduled programming

apologies for the somewhat lengthy hiatus; in addition to starting the new job (which is fabulous, by the way!) my computer was way overdue for a new battery and was only operating if it was plugged in at all times. we can thank titus for pushing me into action because he used the charger cord as a chew toy and it stopped working altogether.

so here we are: new battery, new charger, up and running! 

this weekend was absolutely gorgeous in coastal connecticut, so the boyfriend and i planned a beach picnic dinner with friends on saturday night. i threw on a maxi dress and sandals with a bathing suit underneath, and off we went!

on the menu:

bacon cheeseburgers (ground beef and bacon sourced from saugatuck craft butchery)

potato salad
pasta salad
green salad
chips (cracked black pepper and sea salt... yum.)

chilled white wine (for me)

beer (for the boys)

as i mentioned in this post, i consider myself a beach-going professional; growing up spending summers on cape cod, it was completely normal to wake at first light, throw all of the day's essentials in the back of the car, and then drive out to the outer beach before spreading out your towel and going back to sleep.

we don't have an outer beach here, but i still like to be prepared! here are a few of my beach going essentials:

1. west elm beach blanket
2. the immortal life of henrietta lacks (beach reading!)
3. bocce set
4. bon appetit (more beach reading!)
5. neutrogena ultra sheer spf 30

inter-employ vacay

good morning! apologies for the radio silence - i am still in florida for my inter-employment vacation and it has been so nice to kick back and relax!

here are a few snapshots of what i've been up to; sorry if the formatting is off, i am posting from my phone!