Pancake Day

Depending where you're presently located, today has a number of names: Mardi Gras, Shrove Tuesday, Fat Tuesday. But my absolute favorite comes from the UK where Pancake Day is celebrated. Traditionally, the Brits mark the last day before Lent by indulging in rich foods, specifically the milk, eggs, and butter found in pancakes. While in the states, pancakes are usually topped with syrup and fruit, the Brits prefer lemon and sugar.

Pancake Day Pancakes (Adapted from BBC Food)

Ingredients
1 cup plain flour, sifted
Pinch of salt
2 eggs
1 scant cup milk mixed with 1/3 cup water
1/4 cup butter
Caster sugar
Lemon juice
Lemon wedges

Directions
1. Sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl with a sieve held high above the bowl so the flour gets an airing. Make a well in the  flour and break the eggs into it. Begin whisking the eggs, incorporating any bits of flour from around the edge of the bowl as you do so.
2. Gradually add small quantities of the milk and water mixture and continue to whisk (don't forget to scrape down the bowl). Melt the butter and add 2 tbsp to the batter. The remaining butter will be used to grease the frying pan.
3. Warm the pan on high heat, then turn the heat down to medium. Spoon 2 tbsp of batter into the pan and quickly tip the pan from side to side to get the base evenly coated with batter. The pancakes will cook quickly, so flip when the edges appear browned when lifted with a fork (about 30 seconds). Flip the pancake over, the other side will need a few seconds only, then slide onto a plate.
4. To serve, sprinkle each pancake with freshly squeezed lemon juice and caster sugar, fold in half, then in half again to form triangles, or you can roll them up. Serve sprinkled with a little more sugar and lemon juice and extra sections of lemon.

Happy Pancake Day!

Image via BBC Food

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

I happened to walk past a fruit stand on the morning of Valentine's Day, and I saw the most beautiful strawberries at an unbelievable price (especially considering the season!). Of course, immediately I knew that in honor of the holiday, I'd put them to good use with the best of counterparts: chocolate.

First, I washed and patted the strawberries dry. Use a paper towel to make sure the berries are completely dry, as excess moisture will prevent the chocolate from sticking.

 I don't like the fuss of a double boiler, so I opted to melt the chocolate in the microwave. Be sure to warm the chocolate is small increments, decreasing the time as the chocolate is nearly fully melted. Chocolate burns easily, and there's nothing worse than ruining something so delicious.

I dipped each strawberry in the melted white chocolate, then placed them on a baking pan that I had cooled in the refrigerator. I'd recommend lining it with parchment paper if you have it on hand, as it will make the removal easier.

 

To decorate, I melted a small amount of dark chocolate in a plastic bag (again in small increments of time), then snipped a small hole in the corner to use as a makeshift pipping bag. The squiggles are the easiest design, but I also played around with letters, hearts, and panda faces. 

The final product was delicious. Unsurprisingly, they hardly lasted the day. As soon as my Valentine's Day sugar rush wears off, I'll be on the lookout for more fruit to cover in chocolate. After all, that makes these somewhat healthy... right?

Heart on Your Sleeve

You can wear your heart on your sleeve for Valentine's Day... but why limit yourself? Here are some of my favorite holiday themed pieces. Whether or not you choose to wear head to toe hearts is entirely up to you.

 

 A cheery printed cardigan (Forever21, $22.80)

 

A flirty pink skirt (See by Chloe, $125).

 Heart printed tights (Topshop, £8.50)

Sparkly shoe clips (Ban.do, $25).

Here's to an excuse to wear head to toe pink!

Love and Life

"Where there is love there is life." -Gandhi

Gearing up for Valentine's Day. Be on the lookout for a fun new recipe Monday!

Image via weheartit

Mastering Marzipan

Rabbit rabbit! I can't believe it's February already. January always seems to fly by, perhaps because after the hustle of the holiday season in sets the exhaustion. By the time we've recovered and garnered the motivation to get back to our old, productive selves, well, the month's over!

Speaking of animals, I saw these adorable elephants on the Metrocurean blog today. As with most things from Dean & Deluca, they'll only be admired from afar. It is nice, however,  to see a less typical motif employed for something so Valentine's Day related. As cute as they are, bears with hearts are extremely overdone. Elephants are known for their exceptional memory span and I'm a big fan of Dean & Deluca's urge to "let someone special know that—like an elephant—you'll never forget them." It's a fresh and witty take on the holiday.
  
Until then, it looks like I'll have to add "mastering marzipan" to my bucket list.

Image via Dean & Deluca

Loving: Anna Bond Stationery

When it comes to stationery, I could spend hours fawning over beautiful paper and coordinating envelopes. I'm currently smitten with Anna Bond's whimsical Valentine's Day cards. I couldn't agree more with Rifle Paper Co.'s, the brand started by Anna and her husband Nathan, philosophy on stationery:

"We strongly believe life's personal stories and moments are best told through the gift of a hand-written card or note, and hope that our goods inspire you to share these moments with others."

Anna's designs have been featured in magazines such as Martha Stewart Living, O The Oprah Magazine, and Real Simple Weddings as well as numerous blogs.

This Valentine's Day, I think I'll take a note (eh?) from my elementary school days and send a few pretty paper reminders to family and friends. After all, everyone deserves a little piece of art to display on their desk on Valentine's Day.

If you're in need of inspiration, be sure to check out Anna's blog as well. Now to narrow down a print...

Images via Rifle Paper Co.

This or That: Peppermint Ice Cream

I've always thought it a shame that peppermint ice cream is largely a seasonal flavor. When I was younger, I begged my mom to stock the freezer with as many tubs as possible, only to be disappointed come February when the last of the supply was diminished. To this day, my obsession with seasonal ice cream flavors (pumpkin around Thanksgiving, etc.) continues to amuse my friends. In honor of my favorite winter flavor:

 Seasonally appropriate peppermint and chocolate treats....

... and an equally sweet plaid Lacoste shirt dress.

Image via weheartit.

Window Shopping Season

Today I got in a bit of post-Thanksgiving shopping (I'm not a fan of crowds, so I waited until the Black Friday hubbub had died down). More on those purchases tomorrow, but in the meantime, I wanted to highlight one of my favorite aspects of the holiday season: window displays!

Macy's has adopted "Believe" as this year's theme. While the displays aren't entirely original, they still are cute and seasonally cheery.

Bergdorf Goodman invokes the luxury and adventure of travels in many of their window displays. I love the vintage feel of the maps and trunks.

Another Bergdorf Goodman window. The carriage is playful and romantic.

I love Barney's "Have a Foodie Holiday" theme. After all, the food is one of my favorite parts of the season. I could do without the Snuggies though...

This Barney's window, inspired by Illy cans, is absolute perfection.

And finally, what girl or woman wouldn't swoon at the sight of this tutu in Henri Bendel's window?

Let the window shopping commence!

Images via The Cut.

Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies

No visit home is complete without a bit of baking. Thanksgiving of course necessitated making four pies Thursday morning, but I also had the chance to do some experimental baking. The latest creation: a peppermint white chocolate chip cookie.

The peppermint was a last minute decision, but is definitely perfect for the upcoming holiday season (yes, now that Thanksgiving has passed it is officially the holiday season). I used Andes Peppermint Chips, but you could also coarsely chop white chocolate peppermint bark (click the image for a recipe). Alternatively, you could also easily use white and milk chocolate chips and add half a teaspoon of peppermint extract to the dough instead. The recipe I used is after the jump. Welcome to holiday baking season!