Food Archives - Page 2 of 6

An Itz Spritz Par-tea

August 11, 2017 by Emily 3 Comments

It will come as no surprise to many of you that I’m a bit of an anglophile. I worship the ground Kate Middleton walks on, have similar feelings for Bridget Jones, Emma Thompson, & Hermione Granger, binge watch The Great British Baking Show, melt at English accents (no matter what the teeth look like), sign off everything with cheers, and believe tea time really shouldn’t have become a thing of the past post 1776.

Then recently, Provincetown’s Tea Dance rage party was brought to my attention. Now I’m struggling to find much on the origins of this, but I’m going to go out a limb and assume its 4pm start time HAS to be a reference to tea time, no?

(Plz comment below if you are ITK about this!!)

Either way, it planted the idea of a grown up tea party in my mind. Here’s how I went about hosting one::

Bevvies //
First cliché thought? Serve Twisted Tea or sweet tea vodka cocktails. But like, this isn’t me in my dorm room circa 2009.

Then I found Itz Spritz, and its lightly sparkling sophisticated flavors turned on a switch. Cucumber Lime? Elderflower Citrus? Golden Pear? Pass the cream cheese & cuc sandwiches please.

This new alcohol spritzer is gluten-free, all natural, and has only five ingredients. Didn’t we learn in health class once that you should only be eating food with five ingredients or less? These are basically nutritional*

Pop these cute cans on a few saucers and things are lookin’ uppppscale. Which leads me to…

Decor //
This copy of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland served up a welcome dose of inspiration. Illustrated by Anna Rifle Bond, Rifle Paper Co. was just BEGGING to be included on this whimsy tablescape. Seemed like the perfect excuse to add some Botanical Garlands and floral drink coasters to my cart if you ask me.

Litter the table with a dash of rustic {these old books and burlap runners are left over from our wedding!} and some mismatched teacups for a Pinterest-ready look. Now where are the flower crowns?

Sweets //
Newsflash:: I still can’t bake. So I put my sweet ~~baby~~ brother to work with a boozy spice cake {adult tea party in the works – remember!}, with my grocery-store-floral arranging skills comin’ in hot. Scones are so 1900s.

With just the lightest, most refreshing amount of sweetness, Itz Spritz allowed room for that second piece of cake.

For more than its yummy taste, I’m excited to keep my fridge stocked with Itz Spritz because I love the story:: Girl boss Kate Sturdevant can’t find an all-natural, great tasting go-to drink that still satisfies the craving, so she creates her own! #thefutureisfemale

Well, I’m off to catch up on Downton. Cheers and cheerio chaps!!

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*This is an attempt at humor and not endorsed by a nutritionist

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Full disclosure: This post was created in partnership with Itz Spritz. Thank you for supporting the brands that support shell chic’d!

The Brunch Diaries: Row 34

June 14, 2017 by Emily 3 Comments

How many people do you think I’ve turned off by my constant ~~complaints~~ DISCUSSION of climate change slash general New England weather disgusts? Thank you for still being here.

It’s in the sweltering nineties #backstreetsbackalright this week aka the szn* in which I want to eat nothing except chilled seafood. That’s got me thinking back on an amaze brunch I got to enjoy at Row 34 Boston this spring that I bet you think I forgot to tell you about.

*WTF is this and why is it a suddenly cool abrev? I had to urbanddictionary it like an elder but still no answers in regards to its recent rise in popularity.

Island Creek Oyster Bar has been on my top-3 list for eons when it comes to Boston restaurants, so I was obviously jazzed when its team opened Row 34 Boston in the Seaport district a couple years ago. Crazy good raw bar, creative seafood dishes, Old Bay Onion Rings, few complaints. Its Sunday brunch is what I really have to write home about though.

Say hello to:: Crispy Oyster Lettuce Cups, Lobster & Grits, Smoked Salmon Avo Toast {eat it up millennials}, the most mouthwatering blueberry buckwheat pancakes, AND wash it down with a passionfruit mimosa.

Let’s see the rest of your Sunday try to top that.

Only complaint? Brunch is served on Sundays only. Perk? It lasts until 4:30. Take your sweet time with that hot. buttered. lobster roll.

[ Row 34 Boston ]
[ 383 Congress Street ]
[Boston, Massachusetts ]

Find Row 34 in Portsmouth, NH too!

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Full disclosure: I was provided a complimentary meal for the purpose of this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

by CHLOE Boston

March 24, 2017 by Emily Leave a Comment

I’ve never considered becoming a vegetarian. Not a second thought. I’m sorry, I am. I truly respect those of you who are more than you know. But the idea of meat substitutes and relying on beans and buckwheat as my source of protein is just too much.

So the fact that I’m now addicted to a new VEGAN restaurant is quite the headline.

by CHLOE {how are you not intrigued by that name?} just opened its first Boston location in Seaport {because what isn’t opening in Seaport} and I’ve already spent more money there than I care to admit.

This trendy AF quick-service joint got its start back in NYC, and the IG-ers of Boston have already lost their cool over how #grammable this place is, with its avo toast, coconut water, tile tables and floors, and beachy window swings.

The thought of vegan cheese and mayonnaise substitutes used to be one of the more revolting ideas in the world to me, but you haven’t lived until you’ve tried by CHLOE Boston’s Lobster Roll or Mac n’ Cheese. Don’t question what’s in it and you’ll enjoy it even more.

The decor is half the fun of this new hot spot, but if you really can’t sneak out for a Seaport lunch hour, DoorDash is actually offering FREE delivery on by CHLOE orders today(!!!!!). Click here for some free DD credits.

Add the fries to your cart. You won’t regret it. And calories don’t count if they’re vegan…right?

[ by CHLOE ]
[ 107 Seaport Boulevard ]
[ Boston, Massachusetts 02210 ]

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Bake Your Own Luck

March 17, 2017 by Emily 6 Comments

Don’t be fooled. I haven’t yet figured out how to be a food blogger. But I can now tell you how to trick people into thinking you’re Pinterest-worthy in 30 minutes or less.

Here’s what you need for this just-barely-passes-as-homemade Lucky Charms cake::

One box Funfetti cake mix
Two boxes Lucky Charms cereal
4-6 oz heavy cream

And here’s how it goes down::

{1} Follow back-of-the-box cake instructions. You can’t mess this up. Let cool completely.
*Hint:: Use egg whites as opposed to full eggs for a light & bright color and texture!
{2} While baking, grab a friend and separate all marshmallows from cereal. No snacking.
{3} Pour heavy cream into a medium-size bowl, and whip until texture of whipped cream using a handheld mixer.
*I added no sugar to the whipped cream; the marshmallows and cake are toothache-inducing enough!
{4} Frost cake completely. Not too thin, not too thick.
{5} Lay on the marshmallows ya little leprechaun.

This Lucky Charms cake goes great with Guinness. I think.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

ps. My sweet ombré latte bowls can be purchased here! See footer for additional product links.

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Rosé on the Rocks

January 26, 2017 by Emily 3 Comments

Ice ice baby, do I have a two-for-one to share with you today! #makeitadouble

If you’re a girl after my own heart, you’ve been known to order certain dishes and drinks based on appearance…especially when good lighting is involved. Because nothing says hashtag Sunday Funday like a perfectly placed Bloody Mary and some avocado toast.

You’re also on my side if you prefer any and all of your cocktails served on the rocks, including those featuring bubbles.

Here’s a little project that checks both of those boxes: floral ice cubes served alongside a champagne cocktail featuring some of my favorite flavors—grapefruit, gin, rosemary, and rosé. Let’s shake that up first::

Rosémary on the Rocks
serves one

{ingredients}

for the simple syrup::

1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
3 springs fresh rosemary

for the libation::

Ice cubes
1 ounce gin
2 ounces grapefruit juice {if not fresh squeezed, opt for unsweetened}
1 1/2 tablespoons rosemary simple syrup
4 ounces 90+ Cellars Sparkling Rosé

{instructions}

To make rosemary simple syrup, mix sugar, water, and rosemary sprigs in a small saucepan. Stirring regularly, bring to a low boil over medium-high heat. Continue stirring until sugar is dissolved, then remove from heat and let sit for 2-3 hours as rosemary infuses. Allow to cool completely.

In a cocktail shaker, combine gin, grapefruit juice, and simple syrup over ice {no need for these to be flower-filled!}. Shake well. Strain into a DOF glass over ice. Top with 4 ounces sparkling rosé. Serve alongside a celebration.

Ninety+ Cellars still rosé has always been one of my go-to’s in the summer, but their new-to-me Sparkling Rosé – Lot 49 is the perfect sparkling addition to this subtly fruity cocktail. Between the sugar, juice, and champs, this cocktail is dangerously approaching too sweet, but the dryness of the wine keeps it fresh and light. Its notes of rose petals match just spLENdidly with rosemary.

{Do I sound like I know what I’m talking about yet?}

At under $20 a bottle, this just became my new go-to bubbly. Better yet, 90+ Cellars is based in Brighton, and you all know I go loco for local. If you haven’t heard their story, I sincerely suggest checking it out. Talk about a genius business plan.

Now, get your Martha Stewart on and take this cute concoction to the next level with some floral ice cubes.

{Just don’t let them melt before you finish your photos. Possibly speaking from experience.}

{supplies}

Edible flowers {can frequently be found in the produce (not flower!) section of Whole Foods, or purchased online here & here}
Silicone ice cub trays
Tap water

{instructions}

Fill ice trays 1/2 of the way full with water; place one petal in each, facing downward, and freeze completely. Remove trays from freezer, fill to top with water, and freeze again. Carefully remove each cube individually.

Pinterest AF.

It’s not rosé season my a$$. Galentine’s Day is coming up and is the perfect excuse for some flower-filled pink drinks. Pick up your wine here or at your local liquor store and get shakin’!

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Full disclosure: This post was created in partnership with Latitude Beverage; however all content and opinions expressed are my own.

Top Catch @ Joe’s Waterfront

September 14, 2016 by Emily 1 Comment

From ages three {fact check that Mom?} through eighteen–when I moved here officially–my family would visit Massachusetts for the month of August, and I’d get to spend one glorious, sweaty, touristy, adventure-packed day in Boston. Virtually all of my memories are stuck along the Waterfront, somewhere between Christopher Columbus Park and The Children’s Museum. I don’t think we ever made it south of the Public Garden, or west of the MFA.

This is a rambling {and I’m not through yet} makes-more-sense-in-my-head back story to get to the point of one of my favorite childhood restaurants being the waterfront Joe’s. And that it stayed for long after. Now I have memories of ordering burgers at 11pm in the years I lived in the North End. Hunkering down at its bar during a 2-hour 4th of July rainstorm. Eating there for a pre-Christmas dinner with my college roommates because it was the fanciest place we could afford at 21.

I’m not alone; there’s no denying that this restaurant has earned a reputation as a local classic. But classics can grow: Joe’s recently opened Top Catch Boston above its waterfront location, and game. changer.

It’s seafood on another level, literally {har har har}. Traditional New England assortments with the slightest twists that set them apart from other chains–a monster Lobster Roll with lemon and herb aioli, crab cakes with sweet chili cucumber. THE best scallops I think I’ve ever had, over English peas. And the crab tater tots alone are reason enough to Uber right on over there.

I was gluttonously drooling over the thought of going back for brunch ever since I finished my last bite of blueberry pie {quintessential upper right USA or what?}. Lobster Frittata overlooking the Boston Harbor with a Garlic & Basil Bloody? Makes my heart skip a beat.

While tourists will, no doubt, continue to flock to Top Catch as they dock at Long Wharf, it has yet to feel like a tourist-favored, overpriced restaurant, like the trap some of its, ahem, neighboring seafood establishments have settled into. It boasts fantastic fresh catches, reasonable prices {excluding lobster, there’s not a dish over $30}, incredible panoramic views of the waterfront, and a staff of chefs genuinely excited to cook for you.

This ain’t your mama’s Joe’s anymore.

[ Top Catch Boston at Joe’s Waterfront ]
[ 100 Atlantic Avenue ]
[ Boston, Massachusetts]

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Full disclosure: I received a complimentary meal at Top Catch for the purpose of this review.

Can the Cork

August 15, 2016 by Emily 2 Comments

Let’s get real here. Pinterest and lifestyle blogs and all of the above frequently paint this picture of easy-breezy-beautiful beach picnics, featuring cheese that doesn’t melt, fruit that sand never touches, and—most importantly—chilled full bottles of rosé with coordinating hand-painted wine glasses that absolutely fail to tip over despite the sandy uneven surface! {ahem.}

If any of you have ever pulled off the above, please do tell me your secret. But here’s mine: Lila Wines.

Say what you will about canned drinks {though why doesn’t beer get any slack?!}, but wine is not the most portable bevvie of choice. Lila Wines solves that and checks all of the boxes:: Gluten-free. Eco-friendly. Low-calorie. Low-carb. No added sugar. And LOCAL. That’s just the party umbrella on top:: Latitude Beverage Company is based out of Allston.

Doesn’t hurt to mention it tastes as good as any wine out of a bottle I’ve had recently.

Similar Tassel Tank | Lilly Pulitzer Beach Shorts | Eliza Gran Topanga Beach Tote | Similar Turkish Towel

I’m not condoning any illegal activity, but let’s just say this is making drinking on Massachusetts beaches a whole lot easier #rulebreakers. This is a no-substitutions ingredient to the perfect beach party.

Where can you find Lila Wines? Google maps that ish.

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Full disclosure: I received samples from Latitude Beverage for the purpose of this review. This post is not sponsored monetarily, and all opinions expressed are my own.

Strawberry-Grapefruit Smoothie Bowl

June 23, 2015 by Emily 5 Comments

strawberry grapefruit smoothie recioe

I’m sharing this with you because it’s super yummy. Not because I expect you to hit the “pin” button on the mess I made. I would definitely be Chopped for presentation on this one.

BUT let’s not be superficial here. This is a smoothie from our new book at the office [hi, I’m 26] that I turned into a smoothie bowl because, #basic.

[ Latte Bowl + Farmers’ Market Baskets are Anthropologie; Tray is Kate Spade! ]

strawberry grapefruit smoothie from best 100 smoothies for kids

makes 4 (9-ounce) servings

[ ingredients ]
1 cup grapefruit juice [I made my own using our new juice fountain plus!]
1 cup water
2 cups frozen strawberries
1 apple
2 tablespoons agave syrup or honey

[ instructions ]
1 // pour the grapefruit juice and water in a blender. add the frozen strawberries. core the apple, cut it into chunks, and add it to the blender.
2 // add the sweetener. blend until smooth.

serve in shallow bowl + top with fresh fruit!

How to make a smoothie bowl

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Basil Lemonade

June 9, 2015 by Emily 4 Comments

Any of my Boston bettys been to Bon Me? Apart from having themostaddicting banh mi sandwiches, they also boast a seriously refreshing Thai Basil Limeade that I have been known to go far out of my way for. Lazing about this weekend, I found all the ingredients to make my own version already sitting in our fridge! This is definitely going to be a go-to recipe all summer long.

basil lemonade from lemonade by fred thompson

makes about one quart

[ ingredients ]
3 1/2 cups cold water
1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 6 lemons)
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (about 2 limes)
small sprigs fresh basil for garnish

[ instructions ]
1 // in a small saucepan, combine 2 cups o the water, the basil leaves, and the sugar. bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes. removefrom the heat and let cool for about 30 minutes.
2 // strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a 1 1/2- quart container. add the lemon juice, remaining 1 1/2 cups water, and lime juice and stir until well blended.
3 // chill until very cold. serve over ice, garnished with a basil sprig if desired.

[ the addition of vodka makes for a nice summer cocktail! 🙂 ]

Drink while wearing this dress 🙂

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When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Limoncello

May 19, 2015 by Emily 4 Comments

One of my favorite Kate Spade collections of the last few years popped up in the Surprise Sale today– snag these beauties at 75% off until Thursday! I can’t think of a more perfect spring//summer bag…

Lemon Street Micha | Lemon Studs | Henrietta Makeup Bag
Wellesley Lemon Fabric Small Rachelle | Lemon Street Coin Purse
Wellesley Lemon Fabric Hanna
Lemon Street Bon Shopper | Wellesley Lemon Fabric Medium Harmony

Shop the rest of the Surprise Sale HERE.

And a limoncello recipe for good measure…!

limoncello from luscious liqueurs by a.j. rathbun
makes about 3 1/2 pints

[ ingredients ]
4 cups grain alcohol
14 lemons
3 cups simple syrup

[ directions ]
one // wash, dry, and peel the lemons, trimming away any white pith. put the peels in a glass container with a tight-fitting lid.
two // add the grain alcohol and seal. place in a cool, dry spot away from sunlight. let sit for 2 weeks.
three // add the simple syrup, stir, and reseal. return to its spot. let sit for two more weeks.
four // strain the liqueur through a double layer of cheesecloth into a pitcher or other easy-pouring vessel. strain again through 2 new layers of cheesecloth into 1 large bottle or a number of small bottles or jars.

[ a cocktail suggestion ]
fill a collins glass three-quarters full with ice cubes. add 1 1/2 ounces limoncello. fill to about 1/2 inch from the top with chilled club soda. add 5 or 6 fresh raspberries, and stir well.

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An Itz Spritz Par-tea

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The Brunch Diaries: Row 34

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by CHLOE Boston

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Bake Your Own Luck

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Rosé on the Rocks

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Top Catch @ Joe’s Waterfront

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Can the Cork

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Strawberry-Grapefruit Smoothie Bowl

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Basil Lemonade

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When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Limoncello

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