Perfect This Recipe | Herb and Onion Stuffing


Bad news, Andy and I were both sick this weekend so our stuffing experiment was pretty sad. The good news is we did find a winner that we're excited to include in our Thanksgiving menu!

I'm going to be honest with you, we only made two of the five stuffings I discussed here. I knew I wouldn't have the energy to do them all so I picked the two that were most appealing to us. I thought I'd like the Whole Gain Stuffing with Apples, Sausage and Pecans best but I was very pleasantly surprised by the simple Herb and Onion Stuffing.

More thoughts on both...
Whole Grain - this stuffing was too sweet for us. The recipe calls for sweet Italian sausage but if you decide to make this one I would recommend a less sweet sausage. We also used a loaf of 8 grain bread from Nova's, a local bakery near us, which may have been sweeter than some whole grains but overall we just weren't impressed.
Classic Herb - this was the perfect stuffing for us. It was classic yet super flavorful! It used almost double the amount of herbs as the other recipe which we loved. It is truly a simple stuffing - bread, onions, celery, herbs, an egg and stock so if you like a more interesting stuffing you may want to add some nuts or other flavors here but Andy and I definitely agreed this will be included in our Thanksgiving day line up. We used Nova's brioche for this recipe.
Sorry I can't report back on the others. Let me know if you tried any of them, I'd love to hear your thoughts.
- Heath
The one photo I took of whole grain stuffing above. Note - stuffing doesn't make the pretitest subject for photos :(

Happy Friday and Leftovers


Happy Friday guys! We have a weekend full of prepping for Thanksgiving, setting the table and testing stuffing recipes etc. so I'm excited to really start getting in the spirit. We're also trying this Porchetta recipe this weekend. Again we were sold on a cooking show! What are you guys up to this weekend?

Oh and I've been thinking, has anyone ever not had leftovers after Thanksgiving?  I don't really see how it's possible because we always do.  I am not complaining though because I for one love having a second plate, or going back for maybe just your favorites. Since we're hosting a small crowd this year I've been brainstorming some things we can do with what is sure to be a large amount of leftovers.

Here are a few ideas:

Potato cakes: Leftover mashed potatoes make the perfect potato cake for breakfast Friday morning. This is a favorite in our house! We do this every time we have mashed potatoes, we usually wing it but you could certainly follow something like this recipe. 

Turkey, Cranberry and Brie Sandwich: Leftover turkey piled high on toasted wheat bread with cranberry relish (or whatever you have on hand) and slightly warmed brie cheese sounds like the perfect lunch for Friday. 

Turkey Soup: My mom's been making turkey soup with our Thanksgiving leftovers as long as I can remember. It's a thick hearty soup almost a stew that is the perfect warm meal on a cold fall evening. One day we'll get her to write down her recipe but until then I'm sure any classic turkey soup/stew would be delicious!

Turkey Pot Pie: While the heartiness of a pot pie is similar to Thanksgiving it really is the perfect way to use any leftover turkey and vegetables. Pot pies are so versatile you can throw in almost anything you have or use this recipe as a guide.
What are your favorite ideas for Thanksgiving leftovers? Have a wonderful weekend!

- Heath

Image via Savor Home Blog




Perfecting a Recipe | Stuffing


With Thanksgiving quickly approaching Andy and I have been wrapping our heads around menu specifics. You know - who is making what, timing for the oven etc. While the menu at my mom's house is pretty static, the one recipe that we don't have mastered in our feast is stuffing. Crazy huh?! It's a thanksgiving essential, so this year we're going to test a few beforehand so we know we have the best on the big day!

Here's the line up of what we're trying...

Classic Herb Stuffing - a classic herb stuffing with lots of fall flavors
Cornbread, Bacon, Leek and Pecan Stuffing - we're substituting sausage here just because we're not sold on bacon but cornbread, leeks with pecans must be good
Mushroom, Fennel and Parmesan - lots of interesting flavors in this one including sun dried tomatoes, but I love anything with mushrooms
Whole Grain Stuffing with Apples, Sausage and Pecans - love the combination of flavors in whole grain, sausage and green apples
Classic Sage and Onion Stuffing - another classic that's heavy on the sage which I love


Oh and one minor detail, since stuffing isn't exactly something you want to make every single day, we're going to have a stuffing-a-thon this weekend and make smaller batches and knock them all out in one day. Pre-baby my crazy (read loves to entertain) sister thought she could have a baby and host a stuffing-a-thon party shortly after. Well things have changed so it's just us this weekend, but if you're up for it I bet it would be a fun little Saturday afternoon get together this fall. You could do any Thanksgiving recipe you're looking to master too.

- Heath

PS I've always wanted to try Oyster Stuffing. Has anyone tried it?

Thanksgiving Style


As much as I am enjoying talking about Thanksgiving recipes with Andy (most evenings) or texting MK about my table, the real thing I want to talk about for this upcoming holiday is what to wear! I tend to host on the casual side of things so I keep my attire fairly casual too. Jeans are my go to so I'll likely be wearing a variation of this next week. But its fun to think about other variations on holiday attire too.
 via Atlantic Pacific

How fun would this get up be if your Thanksgiving is a little more fancy?

via Sequins and Stripes
Or maybe something a little playful is more your style?

I'm loving all these looks for this upcoming holiday. What will you be wearing on Thanksgiving?

- Heath

PS at risk of sounding like a HUGE nerd, I'm going to recommend you determine what style Thanksgiving you are hosting/attending before attempting to pick out your outfit. Read - rustic Thanksgiving may not go with heels and a fitted skirt!

Jeans: Joe's Jeans; Booties: Lucky Brand via Piperlime; Sweater: Gap; Watch: Form Function; Necklace: Heather Hawkins via Piperlime; Earrings: Hyla DeWitt via Furbish

Turkey Day Tables


I'm hosting Thanksgiving this year and while it's just for a small group i'm taking it very serious. I'm already thinking about it nonstop. How to set the table, sides, cocktails etc. So the next few weeks will probably have a lot of turkey day talk as a result. I like to keep holidays pretty traditional but I also think its the perfect time to start new traditions and try new things. So I've been thinking about my table style lately and pinned a few of these photos for inspiration.
via unknown and Martha Stewart
via I Suwannee 2012 and 2013
via Eddie Ross and Uma Stewart 
via Better Homes and Gardens and Ador by Melissa
Still trying to really nail down what I want to do but I think right now I may be set on a mix of traditional and rustic. What do you guys think? What's your turkey day table style? I'm hoping MK is up for helping me acccomplish this - most of my hosting requires her help. She's an expert(IMO)!

- Heath

top image via The Kitchn

Cold Weather Cocktails


It's no secret that I love a good cocktail and something about how much of a homebody I am really draws me to cold weather cocktails. Whether you're snuggling underneath a warm blanket or hosting a festive dinner party I think these cocktails would be good additions to your repertoire. I'm going to try a few in the upcoming weeks too so I'll keep you posted on any new favorites.

Honeycrisp Bourbon Spiced Cider - can't go wrong with a classic fall cider

Irish Coffee - good ole easy peasy standby

Pear, Ginger and Sage Cocktail - if I can figure out how to obtain pear nectar (Andy can you make that happen for me?) the depth of flavor in this one sounds sooo good

Mulled Wine - perfect winter sangria

Spiced Manhattan - fall take on the traditional bourbon cocktail 

Classic Sazerac - classic with serious flavor from the whiskey, absinthe and bitters

Also a weeks work of hot toddy's here! And I'm dying to try this or this chai recipe. Don't they both sound delicious?

- Heath

Weekend Recap


Good morning and happy Veteran's day. Hope everyone can take a moment today to thank those who have and are serving for our country! 

Just a quick weekend recap... MK had a busy weekend celebrating the marriage of some of her closest friends. Congratulations Zach and Emily! Although she sure missed that little smiling cutie! Andy and I had such a nice time in Maryland celebrating the marriage of his cousin. Congrats Kyle and Theresa! It was such a nice weekend with lots of family time and gorgeous weather on the coast of southern Maryland. 
 
Hope everyone had a nice weekend.
 
- Heath

Happy Friday!


Happy Friday guys! Andy and I are on our way to Maryland for a family wedding. We had a short work week and I couldn't be happier. I'm hoping for lots of fall foliage on our drive too! 

Any big plans for this weekend? Hope you have a fun fall weekend!

-Heath 

Image source unknown

Shopping Strategies




Here it is, the fourth and final step - really think about your wardrobe as a whole to determine what you want/need, and then be patient and thoughtful in obtaining those items. Chances are you probably don’t have an unlimited budget so you can’t just buy everything. Take a step back and just like your mom taught you when you were little make sure you really do want that sweater and that you’re not buying it just because it’s everywhere(or on sale) . If you truly like it, get it,  you’ll probably get a lot of wear out of it. But if you just buy it because another cute girl has it chances are you’ll wear it once, it won’t feel right so it will just sit in your closet and take up much needed space. As a result I tend to try on a lot of clothes. If you’ve ever been shopping with me I may take 20 things in the dressing room and buy nothing. Sorry sales associate! But this helps me narrow down exactly what I want before actually making a purchase. It also helps me shop sales later because I have already tried on the items that are now in the online sale section (and therefore non returnable).

I’ve learned if I’m spending good money on something it better be something I’ll want to wear many seasons and years to come. I save on styles and trends that may not last long and on things like white t-shirts that don’t last too long anyway. I think we’ve all been guilty of thoughtless purchasing but my goal going forward is to make my purchases count and these little steps have helped me get here.


So my question for you is what are your shopping strategies? Are you an online shopper?Do you hold out until you find the perfect piece or do you grab something that fills that void in your closet even if it’s not the exact pair of shoes you’re looking for?

- Heath

image of Van Jean in Columbia, SC via Glitter Guide

Shopping Strategies - In-store or Online?


The third step is analyzing whether online or in-store shopping leads to more success for your closet. There is no right or wrong method, each person should find out what works best for them. Like I mentioned above, online shopping usually just doesn’t work for me. I wish that it did. Unless I’m on a girls trip or find lots of spare time (which is never) I generally don’t enjoy shopping so the fact that in person shopping works best for me really isn’t ideal. But making time to try things on is really the best option for me. I’m a fit person. If your wardrobe is simple it has to fit. Also clothes look very different on different people. Not only does each person style a pair of pants differently but they hit on the ankle in a different spot on each person. Stores are getting better about their descriptions and measurements online but it’s still just too tricky at this point for me.
This step to me is the easiest. You may already even know the answer. Just take a minute to think about what your favorite pieces are and how you obtained them. Even if you ordered it online after trying it on in store, the in-store part is key so that really doesn’t count as an online purchase.

- Heath

image via Toronto Shopoholic

Shopping Strategies - Finding What Works

Damsel in Dior, A Piece of Toast and Gal Meets Glam
Back again with what I consider the second step in figuring out your best shopping strategy. Finding brands, styles, fits and colors that work for you. I think this may be the most important. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve ordered a wrap dress online only to discover the V of the neck shows more than half of my chest. Sometimes we have to come to the conclusion that a particular style doesn’t generally work for our figure. Now this doesn’t mean your closet should be one color, style or from one store but it does mean that if you recognize a pattern of a brand not fitting you correctly then you should be more hesitant to purchase even when that cute dress is 50% off online. I won’t even get into the impact that I think sales have on our shopping tendencies -- that is for an entire different post. They’re dangerous though, let’s just say that!
Take the photos above for example, all three women wearing the same Old Navy Rockstar skinny jeans(different washes) slightly different fit and hit different on their ankles. See the difference?!

There’s no really easy way to accomplish this step unfortunately. You just have try on a lot of clothes. Try new brands and styles when you find them and don’t judge something by the way it hangs on a hanger. Try it on! You never know how a color looks against your skin tone until it’s on you. This step can be tedious but it pays major dividends in the future.

- Heath


Shopping Strategies - Defining your Style

Left - Emmanuelle Alt's famous french style: Right - Oliva Palermo's feminine style
I’ve been thinking a lot about shopping lately, shopping strategies to be specific. Then when I read this post from Victoria, it hit me. I feel the exact same way! My shopping is much less thoughtful when it’s done online. And thoughtless shopping usually leads to a closet that does not mesh well and is hard to dress from. That’s my worst nightmare! As much as I love clothes, shoes and accessories (which is a lot – ask Andy) and lust after the new styles and colors each season (again poor Andy) I have come to realize that when my closet is paired down to fewer things that are versatile and pieces that I LOVE, it’s much easier for me to get dressed. I‘ve deemed this step one in figuring out your best shopping strategy.
With the amount of online resources these days this step can seem daunting but I think taking a step back and going through your Pinterest boards and the clothes that you seem to wear over and over again can be very telling. You will eventually start to recognize patterns in the styles you like.  They may not jump out at first but I promise there is a rhyme or reason behind each one, and recognizing that is a valuable step in developing a strategy for your wardrobe. Stay with us the rest of the week as we go through what we consider the best steps in figuring out a good shopping strategy.

- Heath

images via Elle.com

Happy Friday!


Happy Friday guys! So happy it's the weekend and even more excited I got to snuggle with this little mummy/pumpkin last night. Love her!!

Anybody have big plans for this weekend? In case you're in the mood for a few good reads. Some things I enjoyed this week.

I was introduced to Back Down South and immediately wanted to make every one of their cocktails. (via The Love List)

Love having easy and adaptable recipes like this in my back pocket to whip up in a pinch. Also it’s safe to say Victoria’s blog VMac + Cheese has become one of my favorites, check it out!

Although the game wasn’t very pretty last weekend I am still loving this Tennessee vs. Alabama tailgate.  

Beyond envious looking through Jordan's photos from her recent trip to Australia.

And I'm thinking about making this Mushroom and Brussels Sprout hash topped with a fried egg. Three things I love so it must be delicious!   


Have a good weekend! 

- Heath

excuse the blurry iphone photo