Working for the Weekend

As you've probably gleaned from Renee's recent posts, she's off to Florida for the next week. So I, The Boyfriend, will be filling in from time to time with random musings on everything and anything that happens to be tickling my fancy.

As Renee may (or may not) have mentioned, I'm a teacher, and we're nearing the end of the year. What, pray tell, does this mean? It means that I have stack upon stack of essays. And while I love pretty much everything about my job, grading can get a little redundant. So, with that in mind, I plan on punching my time card around 3:00 tomorrow and getting right to cooking and spending time with friends.

On the menu, you ask?

Well, I plan on starting with these...

...And (hopefully) turning them into these...

I'm also planning on making some homemade onion rings, homemade baked beans, and perhaps throwing in a salad (you know, to look at).

Happy Weekend, folks!

sunny side up

i love breakfast food. i think it must be the marriage of savory and sweet elements, coupled with the fact that when you are eating it you are in your most comfortable clothes! i also love breakfast for dinner: it's my idea of a heavenly quiet night at home.

my favorite breakfast dish to make is frittata: it's hearty, it's quick, it's delicious, and there are endless ingredient combinations. it's a great brunch-for-a-crowd option, too - people LOVE frittata. 

as you saw from my post earlier this week, i made one on sunday morning with caramelized onions, arugula, and mozzarella. here's the recipe:

1. crack your eggs into a bowl. 

i use 2-3 eggs per person, and you can choose to use the whole egg, only whites, or mostly whites.

add a quarter cup of milk; whisk until smooth.

preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

2. dice your onion.

i prefer red onion for color.

heat a non-stick pan over medium-high heat 

(you can select a pan that suits the size of your frittata - on sunday i used a 10" pan and 5 eggs.) 

add olive oil or butter and then cook the onion until it's soft (5 minutes or so.)

3. pour your egg mixture into the pan with the onions.

cook for 3-4 minutes. season with salt and pepper, then add your arugula to the top.

4. sprinkle the frittata with mozzarella (don't be shy, you can use a lot!)

remove the pan from heat and place it in the preheated oven. 

cook until the cheese is melted and the top is no longer runny (about 6-8 minutes.)

remove the frittata from the oven, cut with a knife/spatula, and serve! i like to add sriracha for a little kick.

yummmmmmy. just add coffee... or a mimosa :)

it's in the bag

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welcome to part two of the packing chronicles!

cosmetics are set, now for fitting everything in a carry-on bag!

1. check the weather. 
for me, this is easy: 80s and sunny, still warm in the evenings.

2. assess what your days and nights have in store for you, and whether there are any special dress code situations.

my trip looks like this:

day: beach

night: cocktails, dinner, more cocktails

for daytime, i'm thinking a bathing suit with a cover-up. at night, white jeans and a top one night and a dress the second night, although i will throw in an extra top in case i change my mind!

one key idea that i try to stick to is limiting your color palette to one solid neutral, like black or navy. if you start mixing things around too much (black AND navy AND brown) you end up with more items and a very full bag.

i also like to limit shoes since they're bulky. 

for a beach getaway, this is easy: sandals!

add some underwear, some pajamas, and my cosmetic bag and this is what i'm packing!
the overnight bag pictured is not part of my repertoire, but i love the simplicity of it, and it's monogrammed!

obviously, it's easier to pack for a long weekend at the beach than for a week-long business trip, but i do think the secret lies in eliminating multiple neutrals in favor of choosing one to accent with color/metallics.

do you have any packing secrets?

UPDATE: i had just washed my white jeans and they were too damp to put in the bag last night. i realized on the train to work this morning that i forgot them! NO PANTS! looks like i need to make an emergency trip to j.crew...

carry-on

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this weekend i'm off to florida for my friend mk's bachelorette party! we are all looking forward to celebrating in the sun, and we have some great plans in store!

i am also taking all of next week off before starting the new job, and what better place to recharge than the beach?

i am starting to think about packing for my week away and i thought i would do a couple posts on that subject this week. packing can be tricky, and i know a few people (ahem, my mother!) who have serious packing anxiety, and understandably so! what if the weather changes? what if you don't like what you brought?

personally, i always start with cosmetics: the combinations are finite and you usually need both daytime and nighttime products.

since i am a carry-on traveler, the liquids/gels/creams rule is an issue so i try to use powder whenever possible. for a trip like this, i also have to take into account that i am pale now and will not be pale after a day or two in the sun, so i need my winter AND summer makeup.

tan. 

not tan.
there you have it. i am even wearing the same dress in the photos!

here's what i'm taking:

mascara / mineral foundation / perfume / concealer / bronzer (mine is old chanel) / lip balm / eyeliner / blush
(i'm bringing the mineral foundation in two colors to accommodate my tan!)

now, a question for you: any suggestions for a neutral eyeshadow? i'm hoping for a little shimmer, but nothing too crazy. i have been using the same quad for years and it is almost gone, and of course they don't make it anymore!