Olive Oil Cake

Last weekend I had an urge to bake something that would go with all the strawberries I had, but everything I had my eye on required a trip to the grocery store (a place I avoid on the weekends). Then I came across this Olive Oil Cake from Food52, which is one of my favorite food blogs (and Instagram accounts). Not only did this cake look delicious, but I had all the ingredients in my pantry. The cake came together fast and was such a treat–light, moist and not overly sweet. While the cake was baking, I sliced some strawberries, sprinkled them with sugar, and let them sit for an hour before serving with the cake.

You can find the recipe here.

Baked Chocolate Donuts

Wow, were these good and so simple to make! These baked donuts were a pretty big treat this weekend and I have a feeling they will requested again very soon. I have these donut pans and they are the best. I recommend buying 2 pans so you can bake 12 donuts all at the same time.

You can find the recipe (makes 12 donuts) I used here. I followed it exactly, except I switched out the sour cream for greek yogurt. Either will work fine.

 

Favorites: Instagram Accounts

I love scrolling through my Instagram feed. I follow a mix of my favorite style bloggers and other food, travel and decorating accounts. Here are a few of my favorites:

Food:

1. Weelicious. The lunches she packs for her kids are amazing.

2. Bonappetitmag. Don’t look if you’re hungry.

3. Food52. Beautiful food photographs.

4. Justataste. I want to make everything she posts.

5. Smittenkitchen. One of my favorite food blogs.

Travel:

6. Bestvacations. Everything I see makes me think, “I want to go there!”

7. Clarklittle. Hawaiian water photographer.

8. Travelandleisure. Gorgeous photos from around the world.

Home design/decorating

9. Designsponge. Great inspiration for around your home.

10. Crateandbarrel. One of my favorite stores.

11. HDButtercup. Another favorite store. I want one of everything!

Fashion:

12. JCrew. A glimpse of the behind-the-scenes action.

13. Sincerelyjules. I love her laid-back style.

14. Kattanita. Beautiful clothes (and her hair!!) and I also love the NYC pictures she posts.

15. Sarahkjp. Classic style, total perfection.

16. Voguemagazine. Everything from photo shoots to street style.

And you can follow me on Instagram @culinarystyle!

Frittata

This is the first time I’ve ever made a frittata and I am hooked! I always make quiche for special breakfasts, because I can make them way in advance. Frittatas can’t be made in advance, but because they don’t take much to make, they are a great option for when you are suddenly craving a big breakfast (like us last weekend). Like making quiche, there are so many options as to what you want to put in it–anything works. I used pretty much everything that was in my fridge: fresh spinach, mushrooms, onion, diced potatoes and peppers. Total time: 30 minutes or less.

Ingredients:

olive oil

8 eggs

half and half/cream/milk

seasonings: salt, pepper, oregano, etc.

any vegetables (see my ideas above) or meat (sausage, bacon, ham, lox, etc.)

shredded cheese (I used cheddar)

Preheat oven to 350°. Heat a large (ovenproof) skillet on your stovetop with some oil over medium heat. Saute your vegetables/meat until tender. In a separate bowl, mix the eggs and add seasonings. Add a splash of half and half (or cream or milk) and mix in some shredded cheese. Pour the egg mixture into the skillet and give everything a quick stir. Then let it cook on the stovetop without any stirring for about 3-4 minutes, or until the top is no longer runny. Put the skillet into the oven and cook it for about 10 minutes, or until the frittata is set. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Sausage Bolognese

“Mom! What is that delicious smell?”

“Mom! Dinner tonight looks SOOOOOOO good!”

I’m not making this up–my boys absolutely loved this dinner and even had second helpings. Next time I make it, I will double the recipe because we ate every last bit!

You can find the recipe online at Dinner: A Love Story.

Brown Butter Rice Krispies Treats

I could easily eat an entire pan of Rice Krispies Treats. You might as well just go for it because they’re best the day you make them, right? Recently I came across a recipe for this brown butter version and had to try it. It’s the same 3 ingredients, (cereal, marshmallows and butter) but it uses more butter than the original recipe. It only takes a few extra minutes to brown the butter (versus just melting it) and trust me–it is worth it. You can see the tiny brown flecks of browned butter in each piece you cut which give this treat a big flavor boost.

You can find the recipe at Smitten Kitchen.

How to Revive Wilted Hydrangeas

Hydrangeas are one of my most favorite flowers. I would love to have an enormous hedge in my yard but since I don’t have a good spot for one, I settle for cut stems from the grocery store. So why do they look great in the store but after a day at home in a vase there is always at least one stem that completely wilts? It happens every time and makes me crazy.

A quick Google search yields a lot of tips, and I tried the ones that popped up the most consistently. Here’s what I tried, what didn’t work, and what finally revived my wilted stems:

1. Place the stem in boiling water and let it sit for about 30 minutes. That didn’t work for me.

2. Place the stem in ice water and let it sit for about 30 minutes. That didn’t work either.

3. Submerge the flower bulb in water and let it soak for about 30 minutes. Didn’t work.

Here’s what worked for me. First, remove some of the leaves (that’s just one less part sucking up much needed water). Next, trim an inch off of the stem using sharp gardening shears (dull scissors can crush the stem and you want a clean cut). Then, using a knife, scrape the sides of the stem until the white part inside is exposed. Start about 2-3 inches up from the bottom and work your way down. This will help the hydrangea suck up water better and revived my wilted flower!

 Before and after scraping the stem

Where did you get that dress?

I recently ordered this J.Crew Factory Button-Back Sundress in the melon color and wore it for the first time today. I actually lost count of how many women stopped me in the aisles of Target to ask me where I got my dress. It is truly the perfect everyday dress. I love that it’s waist-defining but has a casual, loose fit and will be perfect for scorching hot days. Currently it’s on sale, so get it while you can!

Find the dress here at J.Crew Factory.

ps–I’m wearing it with these sandals, also on sale!