the best cookies you'll ever have

My brother's fiancée made these cookies this weekend and I have never ever had a better cookie in my life. 

Seriously. I consider myself a cookie expert, and these are at the top of my list now. Go make them. And I dare you to not eat them all.

In other news, it's Penny Lane's FIRST birthday today! I can't believe this little nugget is turning one.

grillin' favorites

Today you can find me at...

sharing some of my favorite grilling recipes. 

Here is a sneak peak of the delicious-ness you will find. 

Be sure to pop over and show the new Mrs. some love! 

fabulous fêtes

Sorry for the delayed post. The internet here is SUPER sketchy. You'd think I was living in the backwoods somewhere with dial-up service.

Moving on...

This weekend my bestie Madi, is hosting a little Welcome Home Party for me. Which happens to fall on Cinco de Mayo AND the Kentucky Derby. 

Dilemma. 

Do we serve Mexican Flare or a little Southern Hospitality? 

via

via

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Or...

via

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via

I'm leaning towards taking out my maracas, and celebrating like this guy. 

I shall call him Taco.

Whether your taking tequila shots or sippin' on a sweet Mint Julep, have a fabulous fête filled weekend!

holy guacamole

I don't mean to toot my own horn, but I make a damn good guacamole. It's my specialty. I make it as a snack far too often, and it's good every time.

It's such a simple recipe, and it's guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser.

Because I'm so nice, and because Cinco de Mayo is just around the corner, I'll finally share my recipe with the world. No one knows it yet. Not even my family.

Ingredients

3 large ripe avocados

1/2 a white onion (finely diced)

A handful of cilantro (finely chopped)

Juice from 1 lemon

Juice from 1 lime

Salt

Pepper

Optional ingredients: jalapenos, tomatoes

1. Cut up avocado into cubes, then spoon into a bowl (I like to cut inside the skin then scoop out)

2. Mash avocado to desired texture

3. Cut up onions and cilantro - add to avocado

4. Add lemon/lime juice

5. Add salt/pepper

6. Taste and enjoy with your favorite tortilla chip

Easy easy easy.

let's get cookin'

I love to cook. Even from my teeny tiny kitchen, I find myself whipping up masterpieces (I can call them that because I'm the only critic), a few times a week. It is a cathartic thing for me, and some people have even told me to become a chef.

Yeah right. There wouldn't be any food for my customers. 

Moving on...

A cook is only as good as his tools. Like an artist really. There are some gadgets (or tricks as I call them) that I've learned I cannot live without. 

1. A microplane will save you days in the kitchen when you're zesting, shredding, etc.

2. A garlic roller (or car as I call it) is AMAZING at cutting up garlic. And, only $10! 

3. A grill pan - makes you feel like you can grill all year long.

4. Got this Silpat for Christmas, and I've never had better tasting cookies.

5. A grapefruit spoon - genius.

6. Apple Corer - makes eating cut apples a breeze.

7. A meat thermometer - only recently invested in this, and it keeps my meat looking pretty without all my cut marks to check if it's ready.

8. A Keurig. Need I say more? 

What tools do you use that you can't live without? I'm always looking for new ways to simplify my cooking.

summer vegetable salad

This semi heat-wave has me craving fresh veggies and easy recipes. I pinned this pasta salad a few weeks ago, and finally made it.

It. Was. Delicious.

And, it was SUPER easy to make. 

And, if you're not sold yet, it yielded enough for several dinners and lunches.

recipe via

Ingredients

Bowtie Pasta

1 Red Onion

1 Red Pepper

Zucchini (I used two because I love them)

1 bunch of parsley

1 broccoli head (sliced small)

1 Cup of Feta cheese

Vinaigrette

1/4 cup veggie oil

1/4 cup olive oil

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

1 Tbsp Oregano

Minced Garlic

Salt

Pepper

1. Cook pasta as directed and let cool

2. Cut up veggies and set aside

3. Combine all vinaigrette ingredients and set aside

4. When pasta is cooled, combine all ingredients and refrigerate for at least an hour for all the flavors to blend together

5. Serve and enjoy :-)

Drooling yet?

guest post: lara from simply irresistible

In honor of my Parisian adventure, I bring you Lara from the drool-worthy blog, Simply Irresistible. She is my go-to for recipes and everything in between.

I'm so happy to be here sharing one of my favorite recipes with Julia's lovely readers (but let's be honest, I'd much rather be traveling the world with Julia). Le sigh. I promise that with the below recipe, you'll feel like you're far from home...  like in a cottage in the Swiss Alps or in a small cafe among a Parisian

street. 

white wine + cheese fondue

Fondue is one of the easiest meals of all time

With that being said, it's also a fancy meal

It has a rich taste & a social presentation

Meant to be shared with someone special

it's my go to meal for romantic dates at home

or for a winter time girls night

here's what you'll need... 
1 cup dry white wine
1/2 pound shredded swiss cheese
1/2 pound shredded gruyere cheese
2 1/2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
a pinch of nutmeg

cut into bite size pieces
french bread
raw vegetables
green apples

here's what to do... 
Simmer wine in fondue pot. Slowly add shredded cheeses, allowing them
to melt into the wine before adding the next handful. Once all the
cheese has melted, add in flour, salt, and nutmeg. Whisk everything
together. Keep over a low flame to serve.


Wow. I'm drooling. This is perfection. Thank you Lara! xo

Also, please find me on Elembee today posting about my favorite patterns and how to incorporate them into your life. xo

time to burrow and booze

It's cold.

I never want to get out of bed in the morning. 

I just want to burrow in my sheets and never come out.

snap back to reality Julia!  Okay, so since I can't just hide out all winter long, I've decided it is the perfect season to burrow (when you can, after work) and booze (in a classy manner of course). 

After having a lovely evening with Roxy of Society Social, I've really decided that I need to make one of her bar carts my own. I'm inspired by the retro vibe that the carts give, and that they instantly take a room from dull to glamourous. I'm also obsessed with having one as an end table. There really isn't a bad way to style them. 

Now on to more important things. Which color? Style? So many options! 

Here is some inspiration...what do you all think lovely socials?

all images via

Now if only it were Friday and I could happily burrow up with The Hunger Games, and a bottle of wine. 

balsamic glazed pork chops

Even though I have a tiny kitchen, with no dishwasher (brutal) I still make time to cook delicious meals. Most recently I made the most outrageous Balsamic Glazed Pork Chops that I just had to share the recipe with you all.

They are SUPER easy to make, and are officially on my go-to list of quick and easy recipes.

Shopping List

1. Center-cut pork chops (about 3/4 inch thick)
2. Salt
3. Pepper
4. 2 tablespoons olive oil
5. 8 small shallots - quartered and peeled
6. 2/3 cup high quality balsamic vinegar
7. 1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar

(I made these with pearled couscous and roasted brussel sprouts)

Preparation

• Pat pork dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides
• Heat oil in a heavy skillet over medium/high heat until hot but not smoking
• Cook the pork along with the shallots until pork is browned and shallots are golden brown
• Transfer pork to plate 
• Add vinegar and sugar to the pan with the shallots and cook until the sugar dissolves
• Reduce heat and add the pork back to the skillet and cook all the way through
• Once pork is cooked, transfer back to plate and continue to cook the sauce until thicker
• Pour sauce over the pork and enjoy :-)

I don't have pictures of each step, but I do have pictures of the final product. I was never much of a pork person until this recipe, and now I can't get enough.

yummiest most unhealthy recipe

Proceed with caution: the following recipe will be the most delicious thing you've EVER tasted, but will be enough calories for about a week.

If you're still reading, and you want to enjoy a serious treat, I bring you my own version of the Cafe Sarkis Loretta Sandwich. 

What? English please?

Okay okay. There is this tiny hole-in-the-wall breakfast spot near Chicago that I grew up (in high school/college) going to with friends (usually hungover). We would get the same thing every time - a bacon loretta with cheesy hash. I can't explain why it's so good, it just is. 

Since I now live in NYC, I decided it was time to recreate this recipe. And to my surprise, it tasted JUST like it. 

Here is the recipe -- super easy.

Ingredients

• Bacon
• Onion
• Green Pepper
• Tomato (seeds removed)
• Provolone Cheese
• Bread Roll of Choice
• Lawry's Seasoning Salt
• Hash Browned Potatoes 

Steps

1. Chop up all veggies and set aside
2. Cook bacon as usual, and set aside
3. Remove bacon and cook the veggies in the same pan
4. Remove veggies
5. Add bacon back to pan, and place cheese over the top to melt
6. Cook hash browns as usual and add cheese at the end 
7. Toast roll
8. Place the cheese/bacon combo on the bread, and pour the veggies over
9. Sprinkle a hefty amount of Lawry's over the entire thing, and enjoy!

Easy right?

Here are some photos to inspire you. 

Also, check out a fave blog of mine, So Much To Smile About for some more amazing Old Navy finds -- I swear this place changed design teams. 

life catch-up

Hello my lovelies! I know I've been M.I.A from the blogosphere lately, but I've been home in Chicago partaking in some much needed R&R. I've spent my days playing with the puppy, drinking too much wine, shopping, and sleeping in way too late.

Perfection.

I hope you all had a lovely Christmas Holiday, and took the time to enjoy your family and friends -- and some delicious food.

I took it upon myself to do the most intense wrapping I've ever done. I have a bit of OCD when it comes to wrapping presents, as I believe presentation is everything. I'm pretty excited with how my gifts turned out this year. What do you think?

On another note, I've consumed enough carbs and sweets to feed a small country. It's a serious issue. I'm writing this sitting on my bed in my Lululemon's because they still fit. HA. Time to go for a run.

However, I need a NYE outift. I'm taking it low key this year and spending it with my brother and his fiancee at their apartment. They're having a dinner party for some couples, and I know it will be the perfect evening. They weren't in town for Christmas this year, so I'm super excited to spend some time with them.

I hope they have tons of champagne flowing, and hors d'oeuvres. Maybe something like this...

Stay tuned for a guest post from Hannah tomorrow on realistic New Years Resolutions! She is such a sweetheart, and I know she'll have tons of great ideas for 2012. I'll be posting my realistic resolutions on her blog as well.

xoxo

P.S. I've also been listening to this song on repeat. Flashback to The O.C. Anyone?? Random, I know. But I miss Ryan and Marissa. So perfect.

weekend recap: dallas edition

Happy Monday!

I hope you all had as fantastic a weekend as I did. I was in Dallas for a very special Christmas party, and I was able to see all my college besties, eat too much good food, and drink too much wine. It was great to get back to a city I fell in love with, and to enjoy warmer temperatures.

I started off by having lunch with my old co-worker from the Bush Center, and was able to see all the construction progress since I left -- wow! I was the marketing intern during my Senior year, and I'm in awe of all the progress. Such a joy to watch the center be built from the ground up.

Here is a picture of the hard hats that you have to wear when walking on the grounds. Fun Fact: my grandpa was CEO of the company that made them! Small world.

Friday night I ate at Tillman's (as discussed on Friday's post), and it was heavenly. I had truffled goat cheese tater tots (yes, they exist), and their burger. I'm still drooling over it. The decor was jazzed up a bit with Christmas ornaments - so pretty!

Saturday, I had lunch with my bestie and former boss, Emily. We ate at our favorite place - Coal Vines, where apparently Khloe and Lamar had recently dined at. Damn, we missed them. We enjoyed too much wine, and caught up. It was so great to see her. I miss her. Sigh.

After an afternoon of shopping at North Park -- which was NUTS, I put on my best for a special Christmas Tea at a very special location (with Godiva Truffles in hand). The hosts gave us special Cornbread mix and jam from Crawford, Texas -- can't wait to make this over Christmas!

I ended the weekend with my girlfriends at a Wine Bar in the West Village. We each had a flight of wine (and then some), and some of the best fondue ever.

As you can see, my weekend revolved around seeing best friends, indulging in Texas cuisines, and drinking too much wine -- all things that I love in this world.

How did you all spend your weekend? I leave you with some of the most insane Christmas lights I've ever seen.

This is all the same house in Dallas. Can you believe it?? It's all synched to music, too.