I Love My City - Barletta, Italy

My "I Love My City" series is back this week and we are FAR from any of the cities we've covered in the past. We're on another continent - Europe! Marissa from the boot is sharing all of the reasons she loves the Italian city of Barletta. She's also making me extremely jealous of her life...

let's just pretend this is a picture of Italy, and not the U.S., thanks

I've lived in Barletta for 3 1/2 years.

Barletta has so many amazing restaurants, but my favorite spots to dine are: La Stradina for a date night, (fastest pizza in town!), San Giorgio al Pomodorino for a night with the girls, and Bar Lara for aperitivo on Saturday afternoons. (This spot is your namesake Lara!)

My favorite shopping spot is Modem, my friend Francesca’s store.

One hidden gem in Barletta is Coco Cafe - it’s a French inspired coffee bar with WiFi (literally the only place that has it in town) and tea from Mariage Freres and amazing seasonal decor.

When I have visitors, three places I insist on taking them are the
medieval castle, the palm tree lined seaside and the outdoor market.

If I have a free day in the city, you'll likely find me having cappuccino and a croissant at Caffe 57 (a favorite bar) and then window shopping with my favorite girls, and maybe a trip to IKEA with Manu.

One neighborhood I'd love to live in is the historical center. (It’s actually where we live already!) The cobblestone streets, preserved ancient buildings and yellow lamp lights all make for a magical spot in the city.

My favorite season in the city is spring because once May rolls around it’s already summer here!

If I could describe Barletta in three words they would be lively, colorful and warm.

My favorite thing about Barletta is the people; they are so outgoing and friendly and always want to talk or say hi as you walk around. The people here make the city feel more like a small town.

Although I love Barletta, if I could move to one other city tomorrow it would be Boston so I could be close to family and friends and experience American city life!

Check back next week for another non U.S. city! Thanks for stopping by Marissa! 

the BEST kind of pie...

... is a pizza pie! Pizza is one of my go to meals and one of my favorite foods. While I love all of the amazing pizza that Chicago pizza joints have to offer, there's something about homemade pizza that I usually can't go too long without. We never tire of pizza because there are so many different toppings and sauces. The possibilities are truly endless. Here are six of my favorites homemade pizzas and some basic pizza making tips.

basic dough

1/3 cup of barbeque sauce (I use Masterpiece Original)

1 large chicken breast, seasoned with salt and pepper, cubed and cooked through

1/4 red onion, chopped finely

2 cups of Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded 

Roll out dough, cook without toppings until slightly browned (5-10 minutes). Top with barbeque sauce, cheese, chicken and red onion. Cook for an additional 5-10 minutes until cheese has melted.

basic dough

1/2 cup of pizza sauce (Trader Joe's brand is my favorite because of the thickness)

approximately 25 slices of pepperoni

1 cup of fontina cheese, shredded

1 cup of mozzarella cheese, shredded

Roll out dough and cook without toppings until slightly browned (5-10 minutes). Top with pizza sauce, cheeses, and pepperoni. Cook for an additional 5-10 minutes, until cheese has melted. 

basic dough

2 cups of fontina cheese

2 cups of arugula (topped with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, salt and pepper)

6 slices of prosciutto 

Roll out dough and cook without toppings until slightly browned (5-10 minutes). Top with cheese and prosciutto and cook an additional 5-10 minutes, until cheese has melted. Remove from oven and top with dressed arugula. 

basic dough

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced 

1 tablespoon oregano

1 1/2 cups of shredded mozzarella

1/2 cup of ricotta cheese

Roll out dough and top with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and minced garlic. Cook until dough is slightly browned (about 5-10 minutes). Top dough with mozzarella, ricotta and oregano and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes until cheese has melted. 

basic dough

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves of garlic, minced 

1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/2 cup of feta, crumbled

1/2 bell pepper, chopped

1/2 red onion, chopped

1/2 cup of artichoke hearts, chopped 

1/4 cup black olives, sliced

dressing: 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp red wine vinegar, 1/2 tsp oregano, juice of half a lemon

Roll out dough and top with 2 tablespoons olive oil and minced garlic. Cook until slightly browned (5-10 minutes). Top with mozzarella cheese, feta cheese, bell pepper, red onion, artichoke hearts and black olives. Pour half of the dressing over pizza and cook for additional 5 -10 minutes or until cheese has melted. Remove from oven and top with remaining dressing. 

basic dough

1/2 cup of pizza sauce

10 thick slices of fresh mozzarella

1/2 teaspoon of italian seasoning

1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder

Roll out dough and cook without toppings until slightly browned (5-10 minutes). Top with pizza sauce, cheese and spices. Cook for an additional 5-10 minutes, until cheese has melted. 

A few tips:

1. Start with a HOT oven. I set mine to 450 degrees and wait until it's completely preheated before placing any pizza inside. It's how you get the perfect crust - chewy on the inside and crispy on the outside.

2. I always cook my pizza dough for a few minutes before adding my toppings (especially for saucy pizzas!). It prevents the dough from getting soggy and makes a nice durable base for all of the toppings.

3. Get a pizza stone! I know that a baking sheet also works just fine, but this pizza stone really changed my life. No sticking, even cooking and best of all - easy cleanup! 

4. My favorite homemade pizza dough recipe is this one (but I use regular all purpose flour). If you're looking for the store bough variety, Trader Joe's and Pillsbury are my favorites. 

What's your favorite kind of pizza?
I'm always looking for new combinations to try!

I caught the BUG.

I hope that everyone had a wonderful and relaxing weekend and a fabulous Thanksgiving. It is officially Holiday time! I'll be spending the day traveling back to Chicago and the night decorating our little Christmas tree. 

I caught the bug. The shopping bug that is. It all started with a pair of skinny cords. I had been on the hunt for the perfect pair all season and they were on sale. So I bought these. The purchase of my perfect skinny cords  led to also buying this adorable ring, the perfect J.Crew shimmery shirt for Thanksgiving, a Christmas-y smelling Anthropologie candle, and this scarf. I figure if I share the rest of my wish list with you... maybe you'll go buy it all and I can live vicariously through you. Otherwise, I'm in trouble. 

1.scarf, 2.dress 3.shirt 4.clutch 5.watch 6.lipstick 7.bag 8.sweater 9.loafer 10. earrings

1.book, 2.nailpolish 3.tote 4.candle 5.boot 6.bracelet 7.sunglasses 

8.perfume 9.perfume 10.owl 11.beret 12.glasses

1.vest 2.skirt 3.bangle 4.loafers 5.candle 6.pajama pants 7.bra 8. book 9.lipgloss 9.lipgloss

Consider this the first of many Holiday wish lists...

Did anyone get any great snags over this big shopping weekend?

This Thanksgiving.

This Thanksgiving I'm thankful for so many things.

the basics

I'm thankful for my family, friends and my fiance.

I'm thankful that everyone I love is healthy and happy.

I'm thankful for all of the love in my life.

the rest

I'm thankful for Chuck Bass. He makes Monday night's so much more bearable.

I'm also thankful for Ryan Gosling. Eye Candy.

I'm thankful for my two and a half block commute.

I'm thankful that yt stopped suggesting that we live in awful cities next year.

I'm thankful that I don't have to drive, really ever.

I'm thankful that I can run over nine miles, with minimal aches and pains.

I'm thankful for the $1 coffee bar at work.

I'm thankful that wedding planning has been mostly stress free.

I'm thankful for red wine, pizza, ice cream and baths.

I'm thankful for cuddles, cozy blankets, and kisses. 

I'm thankful for the maps app on my iPhone. Life. Saver.

I'm thankful for girls nights, filled with teary eyed laughs.

I'm thankful for yt's skills when it comes to folding laundry, hanging paintings and unclogging the drain.

I'm thankful for the genius bar at Apple. They can fix mostly anything.

I'm thankful for glittery nail polish & yummy smelling candles.

I'm thankful for rainy Sundays with no plans.

I'm thankful for so much, every day.
I'm heading to New York this afternoon for a long weekend with my family.
I could not be more excited!!
xo

Thanksgiving Decor

I love entertaining. When I was little, I was always the one making seating cards for our Thanksgiving guests, spending hours trying to fold our napkins "like they do in restaurants", and insisting on the perfect presentations with each dish. Things haven't changed and my love for entertaining has only grown. There is something so warm and comforting about gathering in someone's home for food, wine, and conversation. I'm a firm believer that little extra touches can go a long way. Here are a few finds that I think would add to any Thanksgiving get together.

crate and barrel: turkey holder, casserole dish, leaf hurricane, pillar candles, leaf plate, taper candles

west elm: thanksgiving platters, give thanks platter, shimmer votive holders

williams sonoma: pumpkin plates, dipping bowls, spreaders, place card holders, autumn hurricane 

pottery barn: acorn salt and pepper shaker, bird salad plates, pumpkin punch bowl & mugs, faux gourds

My favorites have to be the West Elm plates (the perfect touch of sparkle) and the Crate and Barrel turkey votive holders - too cute to resist! 

What kind of decor do you use on Thanksgiving?

Thanksgiving Fashion

My Thanksgiving Day Attire 

goes a little something like this:

8am -11am: pajamas/sweats in the kitchen, helping with the cooking

11am - noon: running clothes for my standard thanksgiving morning run

1pm - 7pm: something semi dressy, but nothing too fancy (see below)

8pm: back into pajamas/sweats, in a food coma, on the couch

(one thanksgiving I cried because I ate too much, that's a story for another day - and no, I'm not kidding).

1.skirt, flat (on sale!), blouse, earrings

2. skirt, tee, pump, scarf

3. shorts, shirt, tights, bracelet, booties

4. skinny cords, top, watch, bangles

5. pants, booties, blouse, earrings

6. pants, top, boots, bag

7. dress, booties, scarf, cuff

8. dress, flats, scarf

9. dress, boots, scarf

What is YOUR usual Thanksgiving attire?

Thanksgiving Appetizers (part two)

Yesterday I shared three Thanksgiving appetizer recipes (which could also totally work as a side dish), and today I'm sharing three more! I'll probably make 2-3 of these next Thursday, and I'm not really sure how to decide which ones. Here's part one, in case you missed it! 

I won't take credit for this genius flavor combination. I thought long and hard about what else I could top these cakes with, but I'm SO happy I went with the original recipe. Thanksgiving appetizer or not, I'll be making these again sometime soon. The creamy sour cream pairs perfectly with the sweet crispy cake. 

This stuffing contains so much goodness. I will fully admit to eating spoonfuls of this filling out of the pan - the mushrooms were merely an afterthought. But, since you can't serve a pan of cheesy sausage filling, stuffing it into little mushrooms cups is the perfect solution. 

Here's what you'll need...

20 extra large white mushrooms (I've also used mini portabella mushrooms)

4 tablespoons of olive oil

2 tablespoons of Marsala wine (I've also used balsamic vinegar for a slightly different taste - only 1 tablespoon)

4 scallions, white and green parts, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

8 ounces mascarpone cheese

1/3 cup grated parmesan 

3 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves, minced

salt and pepper

Here's what to do...

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Remove the steps from the mushrooms. Chop the stems and set aside. Place the mushroom caps in a shallow bowl and mix with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and Marsala. Set aside. 

Heat remaining olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and add the sausage. Cook the sausage for 10 minutes, stirring often, until it's completely browned. Add the mushroom stems and cook for 3 additional minutes. Add the scallions, garlic and panko and cook for additional 2 minutes. Lastly, add in the mascarpone cheese. Remove from heat. 

Fill each mushroom with sausage mixture, arranging mushrooms on a baking dish. Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top. Bake for 50 minutes. 

The perfect fall flat bread to start your Thanksgiving festivities. Goat cheese makes everything better.

Here's what you'll need...

1 pre-made pizza dough

1 large yellow onion, 

3 oz goat cheese

1 pear, sliced

1 garlic clove, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

Here's what to do...

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roll out pizza dough on baking sheet or pizza stone. Brush 1 tablespoon olive oil on uncooked pizza dough and top with minced garlic. Bake for 5-10 minutes, until dough browns just slightly. 

While pizza dough is in the oven, heat remaining tablespoon of olive oil in skillet over medium low heat. Peel onion, cut onion in half, and then into slices (about 1/4 inch thick). Add onion and 1/2 teaspoon of salt to skillet and cook for about 10-15 minutes until soft and slightly browned.

Remove dough from oven, top with caramelized onion, goat cheese and pear. Bake for an additional 10 minutes.

What are YOUR favorite Thanksgiving appetizers? 

What do you do to help in the kitchen on Thanksgiving?

Thanksgiving Appetizers (part 1)

Here's the short story. My mom is an amazing cook. An inspirational woman in the kitchen. She's a lover of all food, just like me. She's the first person I call when I eat something amazing because she understands. For all of the above reasons and more, she does the majority of the cooking on Thanksgiving. With that being said, I have started to help in the kitchen a little more each year (last year I even carved the turkey!). An easy way to aid the chef, is with some appetizers. They are a key component to the Thanksgiving meal because they are the first thing anyone will taste! Here are a few of my favorites. I taste tested each this week - just to make sure they were Thanksgiving material.

This is my first time making homemade gnocchi and it could not have been easier! Fifteen minutes to pull together the dough and another ten for the cooking and sauce. You can't beat that for a hectic Thanksgiving morning. I'm thinking of serving in small bowls - just 3-4 gnocchi's for each guest!

Here's what you'll need...

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 egg

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 3/4 cups flour - plus more for your work surface

2 tablespoons butter

2-3 tablespoons of shredded sage leaves 

2-3 tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon salt

Here's what to do...

Set a large pot of water to boil. Combine pumpkin, egg, nutmeg and salt. Add in the flour, a bit at a time, stirring to combine. Continue adding flour until the dough is firm enough to handle (it will still be slightly sticky). 

Take about a quarter of the dough and roll into one long rope, about one inch thick. Cut rope into one inch pieces. Repeat with remaining dough. Drop pieces of dough into boiling water. Cook until they rise to the surface (about five minutes). 

Meanwhile, melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Add sage and stir frequently until butter browns. Drain gnocchi on paper towel and add to brown butter. Toss to combine. Serve with parmesan cheese. 

Baked brie? Yes please! This one has candied pecans and brown sugar - 

in case melty cheese and flakey pastry isn't enough! 

Here's what you'll need...

1 sheet frozen puff pastry

1/4 cup candied pecans, chopped

1 (8 oz) wheel of brie

2 tablespoons of brown sugar

1 egg, beaten

crackers for serving

Here's what to do...

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Defrost puff pastry and lay out on baking sheet. Place the brie in the center of the puff pastry. Place chopped pecans on top of brie and sprinkle on brown sugar. Fold two opposite ends of puff pastry together, then fold in other two ends of puff pastry (like wrapping a present). Apply gentle pressure to secure dough. Brush egg wash over pastry and bake for twenty minutes, until pastry is golden brown. 

This spinach dip doesn't need to be scooped, spread or dipped in - because it's conveniently baked into it's own bread bowl. Quick preparation and quick cooking makes it the perfect Thanksgiving app. Plus, it uses fresh spinach in place of the frozen stuff, which makes it more appealing in my book!

Here's what you'll need...

1 roll of refrigerated french bread dough (Pillsbury)

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups baby spinach, chopped

1 clove fresh garlic

3 oz softened cream cheese

1/2 cup light sour cream

2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese 

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

pinch of salt - to taste

1/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Here's what to do...

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray muffin cups with non stick spray. Cut french bread loaf into 12 slices, about one inch thick. Flatten dough and press into muffin tins, forming small cups. 

Heat olive oil in skillet and cook spinach until wilted (3-5 minutes), add garlic and cook for an additional minute. Turn off heat. 

Mix cream cheese, spinach, sour cream, garlic, parmesan cheese, chili powder, salt and pepper. Mix well. Scoop dip into each prepared bread bowl (1-2 tablespoons of mixture into each cup). Top with mozzarella cheese and bake for 15 minutes or until cheese and bread have browned. 

Three more THANKSGIVING APPETIZER recipes... 

coming tomorrow!

I Love My City - Washington D.C.

We're back on the east coast this week (I happen to be headed that way next Wednesday for Thanksgiving and I couldn't be more excited!) I've only been to Washington D.C. once. I was in 8th grade on a school trip and I was way more preoccupied with the middle school social scene than the historical learnings. I need to make it back there in my adult life and take it all in.

 I'll hand it over to Julie for the rest...

Hello Simply Irresistible readers, Julie from Julip Made here. I love Lara's blog and am constantly drooling over her recipes and have even made a few of them.  Yes folks, they taste as good as they look!  I'm honored to be here today sharing why I love my hometown of Washington, D.C.

via Julip Made.

Zaytinya, Medium Rare, Palena, POV, Jaleo, Circa, Firefly, Le Pain Quotidien, Rustik Tavern.

via Julip Made.

via Carol Highsmith.

via

via Julip Made.

Thank you again Lara for having me and I'd definitely recommend visiting our nation's capital if you haven't yet.  Feel free to e-mail me if you are visiting or stop by Julip Made to get a better glimpse of living in the District.

Cheers, Julie

PS. If you couldn't tell, DC is a pretty dog friendly city and we take our pup everywhere!

Wondering where everyone else is heading to celebrate Thanksgiving... anywhere fun!? 


I'm so so honored to be featured over on Vmac + Cheese in her Behind the Scenes series!

the ANNOUNCEMENT.

The time has finally arrived to reveal the big announcement I've been referencing the past few days. After much deliberation (and a little encouragement) I decided to open an 

etsy shop!

I've always loved painting and I'm so happy to finally be sharing my artwork. This collection is focused on silhouettes. They have such a clean and simple look and add a little something to any room. I hope that you all hop over to check it out! I'll be taking orders for custom objects and colors if you're looking for something that you don't see in the shop.  

Please click here to view the collection!



On another note.
natasha {schue love} is the winner of my pretty smitten giveaway!
please e-mail me to claim your iphone cover. congrats and thanks to all for entering.

i'm also on breakfast at toast sharing thanksgiving favorites + what i'm thankful for
&
guest posting on things that sparkle sharing the favorite parts of my home