Homemade bread

I've always loved the smell of baking bread. 

There's something magical about the way it swirls the smell of the comforts of home through the air. 

Never having owned a bread machine, the process felt daunting. 

Then, in December, I went to a Mpls. St. Paul Magazine event and heard Zoë François talk. Her cookbook, Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day is all about how simple the process is. I don't have her book so I tried this recipe instead, but Zoë inspired me to whip up my own loaf of carbohydrate love. 

A handful of the ingredients. (Minus the boiling water, all purpose flour, and butter). 

Notice the cameo of F's faux hawk in the background. 

Start with 1 1/4 cups of boiling water in a bowl.

Add 1 cup of old fashioned oats 

(I used quick cooking - I don't think this matters, but I'm a newb so don't really listen to me.)

Add 2 Tbsp of unsalted butter, cut into pieces.

Add 1 1/2 tsp. of kosher salt.

Add 1/4 cup of honey.

Stir ingredients together and let sit until lukewarm.

With the dough hook attachment on a KitchenAid mixer (or knead by hand if you have major muscles), combine the oat mixture with:

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 2/3 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup nonfat dry milk

2 tsp. instant yeast

(I'd be lying if I didn't tell you that part of the reason I was excited to make bread is to use the dough hook attachment for the first time.
I'm a culinary nerd and things like that excite me.)

Stir until you have a smooth ball of dough. 

(Or a slightly lumpy hunk of dough in my case.)

Place the dough ball in a lightly greased bowl and cover. 

Let sit until it doubles in size. (approx. 1 hour, but mine took closer to 2)

Note: If dough is extremely sticky, lightly oiling your hands will help you handle it.

Gently mold dough to fit into a lightly greased, loaf pan.

Cover it with lightly greased plastic wrap and allow it to rise. 

The original recipe says to let it sit about 1.5 hours and it will rise 1 1/2 inches over the rim, buut...

My loaf was a late bloomer. I left it out over night and even then, it wasn't the yeasty, fluffy bread I was hoping for. Thinking all had been ruined, I decided to bake it anyway. (In a 350 degree F oven, for 45 minutes. After 20 minutes, tent it with foil to prevent it from getting too brown.)

I removed it from the oven, let it cool in the loaf pan for 1 minute, and then transferred it to our cutting board. 

(cue dramatic music.)

A little misshapen and squished, but it was DE-licious. 

It reminded both F and I a little of beer bread because it had a hearty, yeasty flavor, but the honey made it sweet at the end.
Pretty much everything I hope for in my bread.

We toasted it with butter, made breakfast sandwiches, and avocado toast on it and all were scrumptious. 

Do you have a favorite bread recipe? Will you try this one?
Let me know in the comments!

A few notes: 

+The original recipe instructs to brush the baked bread with melted butter and a sprinkling of dry oats. I prefer crusty bread (and didn't really see this step until the loaf had been devoured), so skipped this step.

+I read on the back of the whole wheat flour that they recommend bread flour instead of whole wheat if using it to make bread. This may have caused the disappointing expansion.

+If anything, I think my experience shows that you shouldn't be hesitant to try making bread, because even though everything didn't go as planned, it still turned out. 

Be brave, dear ones. 

images: hilaryclair

Love Story - F&H

(absolutely in love with this image from FIELDGUIDED)

I never grew out of my 6-year old self and still find joy in all things Valentine's Day.

Celebrate a holiday with oodles of pink, hearts, and sweets? I oblige.

Today I am wearing red, with pink painted nails (one with a white heart), and homemade Valentine treats to pass out. 

I apologize in advance if you are in protest of today and the lovestruck, PDA-inclined people that come along with it, but things are about to get mushy gushy up in here. 

I thought today would be a sweet day to share an abbreviated (but still novelesque) version of F and my love story. 

We met at a party of a mutual friend. 

F was standing by himself. Not in a I-have-no-friends-feel-bad-for-me way, but in a I'm-cool-and-confident-just-by-myself.

I noticed him and was intrigued by his confidence as I'm someone that feels crazy uncomfortable without a friend by my side in such situations. 

I noticed him more when he pulled out his iPhone. 

This was the dark ages people (2007) and touch phones were a thing of the Jetsons. I'd never seen one in person. 

I approached him and our very first words exchanged were, 

"Is that an iPhone?! Can I see it?"

He casually tossed it my way and responded, 

"Sure. Don't break it."

It was L-O-V-E people.

(Me and the iPhone I mean.)

A couple weeks go by and I see him at a party.  

I walk up and peppily say, "Hi! Do you remember me?"

He responds, "No."

(Before you start thinking that F is a total stink pot, know that there is a happy ending coming.)

To abbreviate the next six months.

Acquaintances: friendly, occasional texts, see each other by happenstance

Friends: We spent time together. Platonically. Usually with other people.
I feel it must be noted that I'm a total scaredy cat and didn't want to walk the whole 1.5 blocks to F's apartment by myself at night. He and his roommate would walk to my house to escort me and then walk me back home.

I enjoyed his company, but didn't feel like a prioritized friend.
We saw each other less, talked less, and grew apart. 

Months passed and we decided to catch up over bubble tea. 

He had a bit of a history with showing up late. 

I told him that if he wasn't there when I got there, I was going home. 

I was so confident he would be late that I stopped and bought milk at the corner market.

I figured I'd pop my head in, he wouldn't be there, and I'd head home with my beloved dairy in hand. 

To my surprise, he was there. 

We sat and talked for hours. Something was different. 

We were vulnerable, honest, kind.
We shared stories of our hearts hurting after relationships gone wrong in our months apart. 

We were sounding boards for one another. 

We started to study together.
The same coffee shop. Every day. 

We sat across from eachother and chatted, read, studied, and walked home.

Day after day.
We continually told people that no, we were not a couple. 

We joked that the reason we weren't dating anyone was because they assumed we were together and that we should get t-shirts made that said, "This is totally platonic."

We were friends. 

Solid, blunt, intentional friends. 

And, then summer came and I moved the six hour drive home. 

What started as a text every now and then soon turned into every day phone calls.

There are few things in life as exciting as this stage.
Capturing each and every moment of your day and storing it into your head until you can spill it all out with each other on the phone.
Talking about nothing and everything.
The way your heart flip-flops when you see their name show up on caller ID.

But still, we were just friends and happy with things just as they were.

Invited to my friend's wedding, I convinced F to be my date and come visit for a week.

The roadtrip and wedding were bettered by his company, especially since I knew only the bride and groom.
Driving home from the wedding, I got pulled over for speeding. 

(I confidently set my cruise control, but missed the sign that the speed limit changed.)

I was devastated and sad and shaky. 

F grabbed my hand. My thumb to be exact.

( My mom once told me a story of a boy she knew in college that had gargantuan hands. When they danced, she held only his thumb.
I thought this was so tender and shared the story with F in one of our rambling phone chats.)

Goosebumps. Tingles. Shock. Excitement. Confusion. 

There was a whole heck of a lot going on inside of me. 

We got home. We didn't talk about the hand holding. We watched When Harry Met Sally.

We kissed.

Terrified of ruining our friendship, I panicked and told F I wanted to date or stop kissing.
(Or did I? What was happening? What were we doing? I felt hot and panicky and so comfortable all at the same time.)

We did what all adults do and decided to do a verbal pros and cons list. 

F: "I'm starting law school. Con."

H: "I'm studying abroad in London soon. Con."

F: "I like kissing you. Pro."

H: "You make my heart beat fast. Pro."

....

Left without a sure answer, we turned to the trusted game of Rock, Paper, Scissors. 

A few epic hand throws later, and we were official. 

We both agreed that this would either be something where we dated for 2 weeks and never talked about how weird it was again or it would last a long time. 

(Spoiler alert: we are married.)

A couple months into dating, Francis became a Christian. 

The boy with the iPhone I met at a college party completely transformed in a God-fearing man. He laid down preferences for me, listened to my secrets, called me out when necessary, and loved me so well (and continues to.)

The next 4 years of dating were filled with lessons, hard conversations, moments so good I thought I'd combust. I saw a sweetness revealed within F that I never knew existed, a beautiful vulnerability. We both grew and matured and celebrated and fell in love. 

Then, on a chilly, December night in downtown Chicago, in a quiet park a block off of Michigan Avenue, Francis dropped to his knee and asked for my forever. 

I am in awe of how much we have changed from the 2 youngins who crossed paths 7 years ago.

God is so good to have made him mine and me his. 

Happy Valentine's Day, darling (and to my dear readers as well). 

xo, H

Gift Guide for Guys (Guest Blogger)

H thought it would be a good idea to utilize the fact that I'm a guy for a guest post.  She is always telling me that I am difficult to buy for when it comes to gifts so in case some of you struggle as well, H thought I could lend a hand.  Here is a little gift guide full of things:

1. I own and love;
2. Would love to have, and/or
3. Think most guys would enjoy receiving as a gift.

The categories are separated into Home, Gadgets, and Style.  I also tried to make sure the price points were widely ranged.  Enjoy!

1. The Macallan 12 Year Old Scotch Whisky ($50) - We've graduated from college, so that means we should have graduated from vodka and tequila as our spirits of choice.  This was my first bottle of scotch and is one that is perfect to get introduced to the smoky, sweet, wonderful world of single malt scotch whisky.

2.  Shun Classic Chef's Knife ($140) - A great chef's knife makes cooking fun.  Seriously.  Shun makes knives with VG-10 steel, meaning it is super hard, and as a result they can make their edges sharper than their German counterparts.

3. Bodum Travel Press Mug ($20) - French Press.  Portable.  Cheers.

4. Lamy Safari Pen ($37) - Although handwriting is not what it used to be, I think it's cool when a guy has a nice pen that he whips out of his jacket pocket at the drop of a hat.  This one is German designed and doesn't cost an arm and a leg.

5. ESPN 30 for 30 Box Set ($45) - If you are not a fan of watching sports with your guy, this is right up your alley.  While based on sports, these documentaries are so well done you don't have to be a huge sports buff to enjoy them.

6. GQ Subscription ($20) - One of my all time favorite magazines.  Covers topics from sports to politics, and of course, style.  

1. Bose SIE2i Sport Headphones ($150) - For some reason, headphones simply don't want to stay in my ear when I go running.  These not only do that, but sound great and look sharp as well.

2. Xbox One ($500) - Turns your TV into an all-in-one entertainment system.  With the Kinect, you can physically interact with the device and even make the most of in-home workout programs.  Oh, it also plays video games.

3. GoPro Hero3 ($200) - For the extreme sports enthusiast.  Get a first person view of your guy's best Shaun White imitation.

4. Roku 1 ($50) - Thinking about getting rid of cable?  This gift will make the transition painless, granting access to over 1000 channels and also allowing you to stream Netflix, Hulu, etc. directly to your TV.

5. Nike+ FuelBand SE ($149) - A sports accessory that keeps track of physical movement you make during the day.  You set a goal for the amount of "Nike Fuel" you want to accrue every 24 hours.  Trust me, once you start a streak you don't want to break it.

6. Flight 001 4-in-1 Adapter ($25) - Never worry about having the right plug when you travel.  Plus, it looks like legos.

7. Titleist Pro V1 Golf Balls  ($47) -  Does your guy golf?  If yes, then he's heard of these balls.  Titleist literally changed the way golf balls were made when they introduced the Pro V1s, and your guy's golf game will thank you.  

1. J. Crew Ludlow Double Vent Sportcoat ($328) - Ultra versatile sportcoat that looks great in the office or at happy hour.  Wear it with jeans in the winter, or with shorts (not cargo, please), a T-shirt, and sneakers in the warmer months.

2. Allen Edmonds Fifth Avenue Cap Toe Oxfords ($365) - A nice pair of dress shoes is an investment, but they will never go out of style and will last you a lifetime with the right care (Can't say that about those Jimmy Choo's you're eyeing now, can you?).  Also, go for brown.  Why?  Brown goes with gray, navy, khaki, etc.  Black goes with black.  

3. The Tie Bar Ad Stripe Tie ($15) and Tie Bar ($15) - A classic with a nice pop of color.  The tie bar adds a nice touch of sophistication.  Remember, a slimmer tie requires a shorter tie bar.

4. Clark's Desert Boot ($120) - Sperry's look great in the summer, but when there's snow on the ground these will keep your guy's feet warm and stylish.

5. Nike Flyknit Lunar2 ($150) - I like my sneakers to feel light, comfy, and make a statement.  These Nike's fit all the criteria.

6. Ray-Ban New Wayfarer ($180) - Everyone and their mother own a pair of Wayfarers.  Still, they are a classic look, especially in the form of eyeglasses.  The lines on these frames are softer than the traditional wayfarers, and the tortoise shell means you'll look good whether you're a prep or a hipster.

7. Superdry Arctic Windcheater ($150) - I like this jacket because it's a change of pace from the peacoat.  As they say, variety is the spice of life.  I am a huge fan of the pop of color and the swag the extra zippers offer.

8. Gap Striped Socks ($8) - Out with the boring blacks and blues.  These will provide a nice little surprise the next time your guy sits down at the office.  

9. J.Crew Broken-In Chino ($75) - These chinos are casual yet provide a more dressed-up look than jeans.  The smoke red color will up your man's style game by a few points.  They also look great with the Desert boot mentioned above.  

I hope this guide has given you a few ideas for the special man in your life.  But remember, he's already scored the jackpot in you, right?  So don't put too much pressure on yourself!  Happy Valentine's Day!

EDITOR'S NOTE: You are a blogging natural. Too bad GQ and Nike don't read my blog, because you'd be hired instantly. Thank you for the ideas, price range, linking, snarky comments, and adorable ending. Girls, you'll have to let us know if F's list inspires any purchases!

Valentine's Loves

I'm pretty last minute when it comes to gifts, so this post on celebrating Valentine's in t-4 days should come as no surprise. 

I'm a big believer in celebrating, whether it be for an engagement or because it is Tuesday. 

Life is a heck of a lot more exciting when you choose to celebrate the ordinary.

It's also a perfect excuse to compose a wishlist of recent favorites, so mine is below. 

Whether you will be celebrating extravagantly, staying cozy at home, or heading out with a few close friends, I wish you all a day filled with love and your favorite things. 

1. J.Crew Factory Fan Fringe Necklace ($49.50) - fun, statement piece, on sale

2. Cupcakes and Cashmere book  ($15.) - coffee table read with so much pretty from one of my favorite bloggers

3. Archipelago Soy Milk hand creme  ($18.) - an absolute favorite with a sweet, creamy smell

4. Kate Spade bow push pins  ($24.) - simple, pretty way to jazz up a work space

5. J.Crew Resin Droplet Necklace ($39.50) - a versatile piece, on sale

6. Russell + Hazel Fine Note Card Set ($22.) - feminine, chic cards for any occasion

7. Warby Parker Finch Eyeglasses ($95.) - prescriptions so nerdy, chic and affordable, you'll be saying EYE love you

8. Stella&Dot Renegade Cluster Bracelet ($59.) - a little bit tough, a lot a bit beautiful

9. Confetti System Tassle Garland ($130.) - this is a splurge, but such whimsical, pretty decor to hang just about anywhere
(psst. planning a DIY of this soon-stay tuned!)

10. J.Crew Lip Slip ($24.) - a colorless, shiny balm (heart be still.)

So, there you have it - my current favorite lovelies.

I don't know about you, but I think girls are so much easier to shop for than guys. Anything feminine, whimsical, sweetly scented, or part of a beauty routine and I'm in love. I get so hung up sometimes trying to buy for my husband. He wants preppy, I'm drawn towards woodsy outdoors. He wants gadgets, I buy clothes. He likes practical, I choose frivolous.

In light of this, he is ever so kindly guest posting a gentlemen's gift guide (aka cheat sheet for me)! Check back tomorrow to see his picks. 

Sochi sips

To celebrate the Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony, Francis and I had a Russian-themed date night. 

We looked for a Russian restaurant and found one a block and a half from our house (score!).
We had happy hour there which consisted of:

a Moscow Mule (one of my favorite sips - refreshing with a cool cup to boot)

Francis ordered Vladimir's Magic Hangover Cure. 

It came out as a pink drink with a mint leaf to which he replied, "This is quite a girly drink to be named after the "most powerful man in the world."" haha

Reuben sandwiches that were absolutely amazing. Seriously. The best I've had.

They have 6 different types of Pierogis, each one based on a different area of the world: Comrade, Yankee, Pollock, Cholo, Easterner, and Sputnik.

We opted for the Comrade (potato and cheese topped with caramelized onion, bacon, and sour cream)

 and the Pollock (potato, ground beef, kraut, and creamy horseradish). 

I grew up eating homemade pierogis at family get togethers, because of our Polish roots. 

These were the best I've had outside of those.

All in all, a Russian happy hour success. 

When we got home, a White Russian seemed fitting. Cupcakes and Cashmere posted a White Russian recipe earlier this week. I adapted it just a bit by using 3oz. of milk instead of heavy cream. 

It's really delicious and the perfect sip for sports-watching. 

White Russian Sochian

Start with ice cubes in a glass.

Pour over:

1.5 oz. vodka

1 oz. Kahlua

3 oz. milk

makes one serving.

images: hilaryclair

Drink your vegetables.

My love affair with our blender is off and on. 

I go through phases where I prefer all of my meals to be sip-able and others where chewing sounds more enjoyable. In an effort to bring smoothies to work for breakfast vs. skipping the meal altogether or spending money on something bought, I've been looking for new recipes. 

I found a couple around the interwebs that I wanted to try. F and I tend to be pretty good at eating vegetables, but not necessarily fruits and greens. I'm not exactly sure why, because I love fruit, but we just don't seem to have it around the house. I'm so not a salad girl so greens become a forgotten ingredient in my day-to-day. 

Keeping this in mind, this recipe really stood out to me as it was packed with greens and fruit. 

Downside? It is supposed to be a juice, made in a juicer. Ain't nobody got money time for that.

So, I turned to my handy dandy blender that could once again to see if it was up for the challenge. 

I threw into the blender:

1 pear, sliced

1 green apple, sliced

1 red apple, sliced

1/3 fennel bulb and stem

4 stalks of celery, chopped

1 small English cucumber, chopped, 

1" piece of ginger, chopped

1 large handful kale (approximately 2 c.)

1 lemon, juiced

It was only after I put everything in and F asked, "Do you add almond milk? Where does the liquid come in?" that I realized it may be a doosy of a fail. But, I held out hope, hit liquify, and waited. 

It made a dry whirring sound at first. I used the stem of the fennel to stir things around and then we were cooking blending with steam greens. 

It tasted a little like freshly mowed lawn clippings, so I added more lemon and ginger and twirled it again. 

It made 3 mason jars full, which I kept in the fridge to grab for a quick breakfast.(Shout out to my friend A for the Mason jar lid. So fun and convenient!)

 Being blended vs. juiced left the consistency thicker with tiny pieces of the ingredients, but not enough to keep me from drinking it. 

It was a refreshing start to the mornings, and kept me full until lunch time.

Do you have any favorite smoothie recipes? 

I would love to try them! 

images: hilaryclair

Winner, winner, Brussels sprout dinner!

I consider myself a majorly blessed person, but not necessarily lucky.

I've won my fair share of things - silent auctions, stuffed animals at a play when I was just a wee one, the occasional trivia, I came home from Vegas ahead of the casinos ... but I don't have any Powerballs or new cars in my winning repertoire.

I follow a few of my favorite companies and blogs on facebook and see their contests pop up every now and again in my newsfeed. For the longest time, I didn't even bother to enter, assuming the odds were against me, but then I figured, what is there to lose?

Well, ladies and gents, I am here to tell you that it is worth it.

This weekend, I left a comment on a Williams-Sonoma contest saying what dish I would make in their Staub pan and well, meet my new Staub Perfect Pan!

The contest post.

Their response after the random drawing (there were 3500 entries).

All my lucky stars!

Williams-Sonoma is one of F and my happy places; we could NOT be any more excited.

images: hilaryclair

Superbowl Sweets

This post is a bit belated, seeing as the whirl and watercooler convos of the Superbowl have come and gone, but I decided to post it anyway. 

We were invited to a Superbowl party on Sunday and I offered to bring cupcakes. 

Of course, I couldn't just bring a regular old frosted cupcake when the option existed to make them football-themed. I found a couple images on Pinterest and tried my hand at them.

The first was simple and straightforward.

Chocolate cupcake, chocolate frosting, piped laces.

The second was a bit more elaborate and let's be honest, not as well executed. It looks a bit like a kindergartner's project, but oh well, I tried. 

Can you tell what it is?

I was going for a bird's eye view of a football stadium, but the off-colored green and wavy, white lines make it look a bit more like an impressionist painting. 

Oh well, still delicious. 

I don't particularly care for football, but having just been to Seattle (and gone to high school with one of the players), it was fun to have a vested (and ultimately victorious) interest in one of the teams this year. 

Did any of you have a particularly special (or themed) Superbowl this year? 

Please, do tell. 

images: hilaryclair