What to wear: 4th of July

It's no secret that I love summer, especially in New England. So, it's probably no surprise that I am a HUGE fan of July 4th celebrations and dressing for the occasion. The 4th is a day to wear classic all-American styles in patriotic colors.

Here are a few of my favorite (if not silly) looks from years past:

Boston Street Corner with Uncle Sam - 2013
Dress: Anthropologie (old), Sandals: Havaianas 

 

 

Chatham, Cape Cod, MA - 2011
Vintage Maxi Dress: Brimfield Antique Fair

Charles River Esplanade, Boston, MA - 2012
Shorts: J Crew, Tunic: Made In Guarda (Brazil), Flag: USA

These classic looks keep you summery and playful, while staying polished and camera ready...
whatever your plans maybe!

Roof-top Party & Fireworks: City Evening Look
top: J Crew, skirt: Gap, Necklaces: Kacey K (monogram)
& old clover (similar fro,m  C Wonder), Shoes: Cole-Haan, Clutch: Francesca's

4th of July Parade: Small Town Day Look
Shorts: Vineyard Vines, Shirt: J Crew Factory, Shoes: Converse, Bracelet: KJP
Sunglasses: Ray-Ban, Hat: Official Red Sox merchandise

Seaside Cocktail Party: Happy Hour Look
Skirt: Madewell, Shirt: Gilly Hicks, Shoes: Tory Burch,
Bracelets: C. Wonder (gold helm & enamel) & KJP (knotted rope),
Clutch: Orange Caramel

Dockside Clambake: Evening Look ...Heels optional
Jeans: Pilcro, Top: Tibi, Shoes: Schutz, Earrings: M. Flynn
Bracelets: Vintage Pearls (heirloom), Enamel bangles (J Crew)

Fun in the Sun: Beach Day Look
Bikini: Pisces Brazil, Cover-up: Rugby Ralph Lauren,
Sunglasses: Kate Spade, Sandals: American Eagle,
Monogram Tote: Vera Bradley

Coastal Exploration: Day Look
Shorts: Seven for All Mankind, Tunic: J Crew, Straw Tote: Michael Kors,
Sandals: American Eagle, Bracelets: KJP (knot), Lemon&Line (natural),
Kate Spade (green rope), Turkish Towel: Homegoods,
Sunglasses: Ray-Ban, iPhone Case: Sonix for Paper Source

This year, since I'll be in South-eastern Alaska for the 4th, where temps are likely to be in the low 60's and rainy, my get-up will be more cozy but no less patriotic...

Alaskan Adventure
Jeans: Pilcro, Tee: Old Navy (last year), Shirt: Old Navy (current),
Sunglasses: RayBan, Vest: J. Crew, Boots: Hunter (not shown) 

I hope these inspire your fab Independence day look for Friday!

Cheers to looking great!
Bee

Watermelon Summer Sipper

A few days ago, the mid-western humidity had me craving a refreshment of the adult variety, a common affliction for me this time of year. It was a specific craving. Something cold.

Something fruity, but not artificial. Something colorful.

Then, it hit me. 

My watermelon-strawberry refresher* was precisely what I craved...err, just with a splash of Tequila. So to the kitchen I went, channeling my inner mixologist all the way.
* refresher featured in last week's "Five Days of Breakfast" post

The result tasted like summer in a glass...I hope y'all find the results as irresistible as I did!

5 cups fresh seedless watermelon - cubed

2.5 cups fresh local strawberries - hulled

2 tsp agave syrup

4 oz Espolon Blanco Tequila

Fresh spearmint leaves

(make sure all ingredients are well chilled before blending)

Muddle 2 larger mint leaves in 3 chilled glasses and set in freezer

In blender, liquefy the watermelon+strawberries+agave. 

Once blended, add tequila, give it one more quick buzz in the blender

and pour into the prepared glassware.

(serves 3-4 depending on glass size)

Happy drinking!

Cheers,

Bee

Bumbling about Buntings...

My dear friend and Gold+Bee partner, Sonal, introduced me to the beauty of buntings.  To be honest, I had no idea what the word even meant before her.  She is the "master buntress", and has made a delightful variety of these happy little flags for all sorts of occasions and home decor.

Cake Bunting for Charlotte's 4th Birthday - I mean COME ON...it's a teeny-tiny bunting!

Neon+Grey bunting for the party favor table - Mad Scientist 5th Birthday Party

Amiya's 7th Birthday party - Have you ever seen anything so whimsical?

In the past year, when friends have gotten married or had babies I have tried my hand at crafting these little flags, making buntings to ring in the occasion:

Chris+Dylan's Nauti Wedding - Vineyard Haven Yacht Club, Martha's Vineyard, MA

 Grayson's 1st Birthday- My latest project mailed off to his mom in MN last week!

Sarah+Colin's Maine Event - Waterman's Beach Wedding, S. Thomaston, ME

Sweet Noelle's Baptism - Darien, CT

It makes me SO happy to be a part of these lovely celebrations and I am thrilled by the requests for more!

If you have a special occasion coming up, and would like your very own BeeBunting, you can place your orders in the comment section below!!!

Happy Decorating!

Cheers,

Bee

Bounty Bars - Clean & Green Eating

Last week I stumbled upon a new app called, Clean & Green Eating, which is a fresh healthy recipe datatbase.  The app gives you complete ingredient lists, good instruction, nutritional info and even features an "add to shopping list" button so you can easily access your ingredient list while grocery shopping!

I have tried a handful of these recipes so far and they have been delightful.  Our household favorite so far, has been the "Bounty Bars" made from different forms of coconut and strong dark chocolate. Halfway through making the recipe I was convinced it wouldn't work...but the results were AMAZING and quite beautiful.  They are great frozen (which is where we were forced to keep them, because of all this heat and humidity!)

For the recipe, download the app here and be sure to follow them on Instagram at CleanandGreenEating.

Happy snacking!
Cheers,
Bee

Five Days of Breakfast

They say it's the most important meal of the day.  
It's your first chance to make a healthy choice. 
It's your first chance to make your mouth happy.
I'm giving you five delectable excuses to rise+shine instead of hitting snooze.

Go ahead, eat your breakfast!

Day 1 - Overnight Oat Bowl:

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1.5 cups unsweetened almond milk

2 tbsp dark maple syrup

Dash of cinnamon

1/4 cup raw sliced almonds

2 tbsp chia seeds
Handful of fresh pitted cherries

In a bowl stir all indredients (except chia+cherries), cover, and refrigerate overnight.  When you wake up, top with fresh pitted cherries +chia and enjoy! Recipe makes 3 servings. You can either share or eat leftovers within a few days!

Day 2 - Simple Scramble on Lemony Arugula:

One large egg

Handful baby arugula

Handful grape tomatoes

s+p to taste

1 tsp good olive oil

juice of 1/4 lemon

In a bowl, toss a handful of arugula in lemon and olive oil

Top with scrambled egg (use non stick pan to avoid the oil calories). Top with sliced grape tomatoes, s+p. Recipe serves 1. 

Watermelon & Strawberry Refresher:

2 cups cubed seedless watermelon

1 cup fresh local strawberries

Blend until smooth. Serves one. Beware: you won't drink anything this refreshing for the rest of the week!

Day 3 - Vegetarian Huevo Ranchero:

1 large egg (over easy)

1 6in organic corn tortilla

2 tsp shredded cheddar

2 tbsp black beans

3 sprigs fresh cilantro

2 tbsp chopped bell pepper

2 tbsp chopped tomatoes

s+p

(optional non-fat greek yogurt, fresh salsa, sliced avocado)

In a pan, toast tortilla with cheese on top until cheese melted. Remove from pan onto plate and cook your egg.  Toss veggies in s+p and spoon onto tortilla. Top with egg, cilantro sprigs and s+p. 

Add condiments if desired. (serves 1, cook time 10 min)

Day 4- Deconstructed Yogurt Parfait:

2 tbsp non-fat plain Greek yogurt

Honey - drizzle to your taste

Raw nut mix (I used cashews+almonds+walnuts+coconut)

Fresh fruit 

(I used kiwi, watermelon, cantaloupe, blueberries, mango)

This is a great option to eat at your desk, and because it's deconstructed you can eat it throughout the morning without it turning into mush)

Day 5 - Mama Suzie Smoothie:

2 ripe bananas

1 cup almond milk

1 tbsp peanut butter

Blend until smooth and pour....I added ice cubes to make colder.

(It's really thick and delicious, a GREAT pre-workout breakfast)
*This creation was inspired by my mom, who's eaten pb+yogurt + banana  for breakfast as long as I can remember

DON'T FORGET TO GET YOUR BUZZ ON...A COFFEE BUZZ

Normally I buy my coffee, but I recently stumbled upon this cold-brew concentrated coffee from Trader Joe's that is so good, economical and so easy to make. I am thrilled!

1 part coffee concentrate+2 parts milk or water

(I use 1 part  coffee+ 1 part unsweetened almond milk+1 part water+ice). 

Enjoy!
-Bee

Peachy Keen: Peach Sorbet

Nothing quite says summer like juicy+ripe fruit...and peaches are the cream of the crop!

Peachy-Keen Sorbet:

7-8 ripe large peaches (either white or traditional)

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp real vanilla extract

pinch of salt

Peel and slice peaches and put in the freezer for 1 hour.  

Remove and put in the blender with sugar, lemon, vanilla and salt.  Blend until smooth, pour into a loaf pan and freeze.  Set for 2 hours.  Scoop and serve!

Try it with toppings!

sliced almonds, shredded coconut, fresh mint leaves

I recommend running out immediately to get some peaches to try out this ahhh-mazing SORBET!

Buzzing- The trouble with being busy

I've been buzzing around a lot the past few months.

Moving

Traveling 

Working

Planning

Errands

Trying new recipes

Getting back in shape....woof!

I knooooowww that we leave in 5 days for 2.5 weeks of exploration and adventure in the Great Pacific Northwest. It will be so restful and refreshing. But...today, I just want to put my to-do list on the back burner, slow down and think. 

There's been tons of buzz lately about our culture's obsession with busyness. The Busy Trap - Article in the NY Times and Why You Need to Stop Bragging About How Busy You Are  on FastCompany shed some light on the epidemic. What do you do to slow down and recharge?

Slow day Agenda (I said slow down, not avoid planning):

• Breakfast: that's as tasty and nutritious as it is pretty
• A long walk through a new neighborhood with Mae
• Reading in the park
• Flexing my creative muscles with a little art project
• Mixing up a batch of cocoa-nut bars

xoxo,

Bee

The bookshelf diaries...

For months now, as I envisioned our finished apartment in my mind, I had one missing mental image.  The bookshelf.  Now, I found a bunch of stunning pieces, but they were over-priced and too polished for the relaxed look of our home. On the other hand,  I could've gone to Ikea. While I normally covet the clean simplicity of the brand's minimalism, I knew I wanted something with more character than they could offer.

So, I informed my better-half, that HE would build our bookcase...using vintage wooden crates, as seen on Pinterest. This gauzy, filtered image looked like a dream to me and I was imagining a room  inhabited with these crates, it was full of light and hope...and I was drooling at the prospect.  "LOOK!" I shouted at  him, "Look at all that character! And it's so easy!" Next thing I knew, he loved the idea too.

Source: Pinterest

The following week, we went to the Randolph Street Market and scoured the vendor tents for crates.  Unfortunately the only vendor who had them was charging upwards of $50 each, as they were "rare" crates.  Deflated, we left without crates. But, we parked next to a warehouse that was selling pallets for $5 each.  We bought 4 and my handy-man made us a one-of-a-kind rustic bookshelf!

The pile of pallets before....

During Construction.....

Serious organizing requires serious coffee
Tip: Before you hit the shelves, arrange piles of  books on the floor.
  I chose color coding, but I also love the idea of organizing by genre (like a mini-library)! 

Once he finished building, it was time to organize and beautify. I spent the morning stacking books, arranging curiosities and treasures that we have collected. It was the most fun! Check out my decorating tips below...

Ahoy! Anchors are always a bright idea...

Tip: Bookcases don't only have to hold books!
Old-fashion spools of twine and a curious little magnifying glass
add interest, while framed photos add a personal touch to the vignette.

Genius: built in electronics slots in the bottom corner to keep
these necessary eye-sores neat and tidy (just how I like 'em)

Tip: Remember the scale of knick-knacks.
Family heirlooms look great when they are placed appropriately.

Tip: Vary the sized of your decorative items to add depth.
The smaller side shelf holding our newly acquired lantern.
#homegoodshappy

Tip: Bookcases are a great platform for displaying collections.
Our beach-combing treasures are a lovely compliment to the
 unfinished look of the case.

Tip: Keep pretty books on display so guests can flip through them.

Home-Cooked Dog Food...

Did you know that I have the best dog, like, ever?

Her name is Mae, she is 9 years old, and a Gemini. She is sweet and patient and funny. Enjoys sniffing everything, long runs on the beach and even longer hikes in the woods. Some days, I find myself staring at her, thinking that I have the best looking dog, on earth. I also know that every dog owner out there thinks the same of their pup. 

As we all know, there is some horrifying reading material on the current condition of our food system available on the internet. Armed with this knowledge, I have been carefully selecting foods that are whole, clean and as local as possible for years now. Since the move, I have been packing Tyler's lunches for work, and making our breakfasts and dinners from scratch. We dine out considerably less than average American couples too, and I subsist on a mostly plant based diet...you'll have to pry the cheese and ice cream from my cold dead hands, I'm not giving it up, sorry! I still make some lean meats and fish, but I happily pay more for the comfort of knowing where it comes from (and that it's not hiding toxic antibiotics).

Then it hit me:  If our household is committed to eating clean food, why then, are we still feeding the dog, who we adore, dry pellets of fillers and unknowns? So, I decided to start feeding her better too.  But it wasn't as simple as I assumed.  I figured brown rice, lots of chicken and egg would be just the ticket. She loved it (way more than the kibble) and was wagging all the way to the kitchen each morning.  After a few days, though, I noticed that she seemed sluggish.  My worry brought me to the internet once again, where I started to research. Turns out that she needed a LOT more nutrition than I was giving her. Calcium, vitamins, minerals, complex carbs, omega 3s ...woah!  

So, after a lot of reading, I came up with the balanced recipe below. Using my savvy shopping skills (Thanks Mom), and magical Trader Joe's, I managed to get everything I needed in one spot. It cost me only $30.26 in groceries and 45 min of prep and cooking time. It yields enough dog food for a month. However, just to be on the safe side,  I still mix in a small handful of  the designer grain-free organic dog food that costs $50 a bag. But, what used to last me 2 weeks, now lasts over 2 months. I estimate that I now spend $45 a month on dog food and treats. A considerable savings.

Mae's Super Food:

3 cups dry brown rice ( I cook mine in sodium free organic beef broth using a rice cooker)

16 oz bag frozen peas

16 oz bag frozen kale

16 oz bag wild frozen blueberries

1/2 doz large brown omega-3 eggs (hard boiled, shells saved)

3.5 lbs all natural chicken drumsticks (baked in 400 degree oven for 30 min)
2 lbs all natural (no hormone) ground beef (browned in a pan)

3 lbs of sweet potatoes (cut, boiled and mashed with skin on)

Once everything has cooked and cooled and you have mashed or chopped it down - mix it all together evenly, including the egg shells (grind with mortar and pestle). Pack and freeze in one week sized containers.

*****Please, if your dog has food allergies, problems with their weight or any other health concerns, consult your vet before changing your dog's diet.  Like people, each dog's health and nutritional needs vary, and it's better to be well informed than have a sick puppy. *****

Cheers,

Bee

Egg shells - a nutritional POWERHOUSE, full of calcium and protein
We humans may hate that shell crunch, but dogs don't mind.
 Afterall, they do lick the floor!

Simple preparations that anyone can do -
chopping, boiling, roasting & browning

The food critic, hoping for falling morsels. 

Clockwise from left corner: hard boiled eggs, brown rice & peas,
ground beef with kale and blueberries, mashed sweet potatoes

The finished product packed into freezer containers.
Keep refrigerated or frozen

The problem with leftovers...

So here's the dilemma:

You make dinner. 

 It tastes AMAZING.  

You eat it.

 Maybe you even go back for seconds. 

Once the dishes are done, you pack up those precious morsels that were spared, and put them into the fridge for safe keeping....

Fast forward 18 hours and one of two thoughts cross your mind:

....Ooh, I have leftovers, GET ME TO THE FRIDGE!!!!

or

....Ugh, I'm starving, and there's only leftovers, maybe I'll just swing by the Whole Foods Buffet

For me, any leftovers that don't involve Thanksgiving dinner are usually more of an "ugh" than a "ooh!" But I have learned, over time, how to give new life to these items, so they end up on top of your plate instead of in the bottom of your barrel. Some of these tricks can even save you cooking time later in the week.

PRE PLANNING:

...when shopping, make sure to get a variety of bright fresh vegetables.  My usual suspects are bell peppers, fingerling potatoes, grape tomatoes, english cucumbers, avocados, baby kale, romaine lettuce, broccoli, carrots, squash, sprouts and lemons. But buyer beware: don't buy too much! The magic number seems to be one package of each (for a household of 2 in a week).

....staples to keep stocked: fresh herbs, soft salad cheeses, carbs (pasta, rice, bread), pastry dough, organic "better than bullion" (LOVE THIS STUFF), garlic and onions.

....when cooking try to keep it simple and don't douse foods in sauces/dressings - soggy and wilted never taste good the next day. When I make a pasta dish, I usually cook the entire box of pasta, and only sauce on the plate.  When I pack up leftovers, I make sure to do so separately.

THE NEXT DAY:

...make a different meal than the night before.  Don't just heat up leftovers.  Give them a whole new flavor profile! Use your imagination.  Try using meat leftovers in a stir fry with some julienne vegetables (from the shopping list above) sauteed with a soy, garlic, honey and ginger. Or toss it into broth with wild rice and veggies and lots of lemon. Another option, that is my favorite, is a giant salad.  It is a great way to clean out the fridge and fill your plate with lots of color and tastiness!

Leftover Makeover!
 bison steak (recipe) +cilantro+ potatoes from the day before, 
tossed with all these veggies and gorgonzola - 
served with lemon wedge and grilled baguette

Leftovers don't have to be savory.
 Invite the sweets to the leftover party too!-
Strawberry Popovers (recipe below)

Strawberry  Popovers:

I made these up on the fly last week before I took off for a business trip. I had a hunch that they would go to waste if I left them whole in the refrigerator, so I decided to leave a treat behind.  These were the result....not too shabby

1 sheet of puff pastry (leftover in the freezer) - cut into 6 rectangles -

Line the botttom of a greased muffin tin with dough

Melt:

2 tbsp brown sugar

2 tbsp butter 

2 drops of vanilla

Toss with 3 cups of hulled and quartered ripe strawberries

Pinch the excess dough closed at the top, brush with a teeny bit of melted butter and sprinkle with sugar.

Pop in 350 degree oven for 15 min  (until the tops are golden brown).

Let cool and enjoy with freshly whipped cream or vanilla ice cream!

Cheers,

Bee