Alfresco

The weather was so gorgeous this weekend that it would have been criminal to spend much time indoors. Instead, we took full advantage of the cloudless skies, lounging on the balcony with a stack of reading materials and a big cup of chai tea, browsing the first signs of fall at the Farmers’ Market, and taking a leisurely afternoon walk that led us to the patio of a local vegetarian restaurant where we enjoyed coffee, dessert and the setting sun.  

Lounge Lady

Tonight, after work, I will return to a quiet (and orderly!) condo filled with stacks of magazines, an unread Kindle book that I've been meaning to start for awhile, several Diptyque candles, a bottle of wine, and a couch that I haven't relaxed on in weeks. 

I can't wait. 

image via

RTW Spring

I wish I could say that I’ve had enough time to keep tabs on the exciting fashion happenings in New York this week but, sadly, that hasn’t been the case. I’ve merely clicked through a few of the more interesting runway slide shows, and quickly visited a few of my beloved street fashion sites.

Unsurprisingly, one my favorite shows has been J. Crew, a company that can seemingly do no wrong in my eyes. I always appreciate how they remain consistent, bringing back classics season after season, while still keeping things fresh with new color palettes and patterns. It’s an approach that makes me excited to shop my own closet—a feeling I particularly appreciate during self-imposed shopping hiatuses. So while I haven’t even had a chance to flip through their gorgeous October catalog that I discovered in my mailbox this afternoon, I’m already eagerly turning my attention to Spring 2013. 

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Berry Crumble

I have been putting this book to use ever since I added it to my cookbook collection, and it certainly came in handy when trying to figure out what to do with all of the berries that we picked in Bayfield.  I adapted two of its recipes to fit my needs, and the result was the perfect ending to a late summer dinner of grilled cheeseburgers and corn on the cob.

Filling:

1 pound of berries, picked over and rinsed (here, I used blackberries, raspberries, blueberries and baby strawberries)

¼ cup granulated sugar

1/8 cup cornstarch

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

1 ½ teaspoons fresh lemon juice

 Topping:

 ½ cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup of light brown sugar

1 ½ teaspoons granulated sugar

pinch of salt

3 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Directions (couldn’t be easier):

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
• Butter a baking dish (if you're looking for a lighter option, baking spray will do)
• Mix the filling ingredients together in a bowl and pour into the greased dish
• Mix the topping ingredients together with your hands, and then crumble on top of the filling
• Pop into the oven for 45 minutes to an hour, keeping an eye on it until it is lightly browned and bubbling
• Remove from the oven, let slightly cool, and serve with a dollop of cold vanilla ice cream!

Wedding in the Woods

Walk to the wedding

We recently spent the weekend with family, celebrating the marriage of my cousin and his long-time girlfriend. They said their vows beneath fluttering trees, nestled deep inside a sculpture park that offered the perfect backdrop to a very sweet, and very unique ceremony. 

Tucked away destination

One of the many sculptures lending their name to the venue

Handmade pouches of birdseed used to shower the couple post-vows

A nod to my cousin's Peruvian heritage: Traditional cookies and plantains,
washed down with Pisco Sours