Where To Go? What To Do?

Dear YOU + ME*,

I recently got engaged and my fiance and I are trying to plan the wedding in six short months. We've gotten all the big decisions out of the way (date, location, photographer, caterer), but we haven't thought about the honeymoon AT ALL. His parents have generously offered to supplement our honeymoon budget as a wedding gift, which means we could really plan an amazing trip. The only problem is we're paralyzed with indecision; we have absolutely no idea where we want to go or what we want to do. If we can't commit to something we're going to spend our honeymoon sitting in our tiny New York apartment. Please help!

Thanks,
J.

Zoe's Camp, Tanzania

Dear J.,

First of all, congratulations on your engagement! It sounds like you two have been up to your eyeballs in all things nuptial as of late, so spending a little time focusing on your honeymoon might feel like a real treat. 

Post Ranch Inn, Big Sur

The honeymoon gets a lot of build up. Yes, this is your first trip as a Mr. and Mrs., but it is not the be all end all trip of your lifetime together. At least I hope not because you deserve something to look forward to once you settle back into normal life. In fact, I (Elisabeth) can tell you a thing or two about having something to look forward to because my hubby and I took our honeymoon in April . . . three and a half years after we got married.

Auberge de Soleil, Napa Valley

A lot of researching and pondering can happen over three and a half years, so let me spare you some time and share what I learned. It's all about taking the trip that is perfectly suited to you as a couple at this moment in time. Do you find yourselves experiencing a rare confluence of time and money that leaves you considering a luxury train ride through India? Do it, even though it's not typical honeymoon fare (just give yourselves a couple days to sleep in before hopping on a plane, ok?). Do you feel tempted to visit your absolute favorite vacation spot, even though you've been there a million times together or with your families? Book those tickets now. Do you just want to lounge on a beach and have someone serve you cocktails without engaging in even the teensiest bit of sightseeing? You have my permission.

Alila Villas Uluwatu, Bali

Here's the fun part. You and your hubby to be have an assignment: set aside a whole night, pop open a bottle of champagne, have some nibbles ready (because planning a vacation will give you the munchies), and make sure you each have paper and a pencil. Now each of you should make a list of what pops in your head when you think about your favorite trips together, on your own, and in your dreams. It can have adjectives, places, activities, foods, feelings, etc. When you both slow down with the list making, it's time to compare notes. I can guarantee there will be some similarities seeing as how you two have enough in common to commit your lives to one another. For instance, I know based on years of vacations that my husband and I overlap on long runs, good wine, a natural rather than urban environment, and leisurely meals. Sure, we've taken plenty of fun vacations without those things, but that combination tends to make us both extremely happy (and who wouldn't want to be extremely happy on their honeymoon?). This process works just as well anytime you're planning a trip with the goal of making sure all the travelers have a good experience.

One and Only Palmilla, Mexico

If you go through this whole process and you still find yourselves stuck, take a look at some of this vacation eye candy. They are a combination of places that we've saved because they look intriguing, places we've been, or places that come extremely highly recommended to us by people we trust. They're not exactly budget friendly destinations, but sometimes starting with a pie in the sky vision can help you hone in on what you're really looking for. If you hit a wall, please email us for some more personalized advice. We have lots of it when it comes to travel.

xo,
ME*

p.s. If you, dear readers, have a question you'd like us to tackle, drop us a line at hello{at}youplusmestyling{dot}com.

Wedding Week

We've got some good wedding-related news up our sleeves, so today, we wanted to share with you our top five wedding inspiration resources that have nothing to do with weddings. Ready? Onward!

Number One: The City Sage. Anne is killing it these days with her posts about fashion and interiors. And though it's not aimed at brides, it's dripping with inspiration. Check out this inspiration board Anne made to showcase AMYCLAIRE. Can't you just see the wedding? Golden autumn light, the bridesmaids in cocoa chiffon, and the reception in a grand old ballroom on Park Avenue? Maybe with a late-night guest appearance by The Big Gay Ice Cream Truck? SOLD.

Number Two: The Selby. Sure, it's about interiors, but it's also about fashion and lifestyle, and putting together eclectic pieces that all come together to show your personality perfectly. Do you want to show your florist in pictures how tin cans can go perfectly with sterling silver? Now you can:

 

Number Three: Color Collective. Serious prettiness. Are you trying to decide on a wedding palatte? This site has tons of inspiration, and Lauren finds the best photos and sources of color anywhere. You can even use this to prove that pink doesn't have to mean "overtly girly."

 

see source for credits

Number Four: Gourmet Magazine. It's got info about food. It's got info about travel. It's got info about restaurants. I may be weird saying this, but I LOVE looking at restaurant design. I think that looking at the colors, textures, and use of space with a critical eye can be a big help to those of us putting together anything that requires more than one piece (outfits, rooms, weddings). Can't you just see this restaurant being translated into a modern black, grey, and yellow affair with touches of worn wood and natural elements? You can? ME TOO!

 source

Number Five: Vintage Printable. You guys. This site is nuts. But you can find some really good inspiration (and even images to use) if you dig. Are you into playing cards? And France? What about including a French ace of hearts on your invites? 

Stay tuned for a week-long non-wedding-y wedding extravaganza! See you tomorrow, pretties!

(p.s. Can't wait to see what Tina's cooking up for dinner for the Pretty Mommy Recipe Exchange!)

Sniffle, Sniffle

I've always prided myself on never getting sick. Throughout my childhood and even through the first few years after college I could go multiple years with nary a sniffle. I could probably count the number of fevers in my lifetime on one hand--no exaggeration. Then I moved to the east coast where I seemed to be struck down by some sort of horrible weeklong illness on an annual basis. Skip to the present where I have an almost two year old. Now it feels like a constant barrage of coughs, runny noses, stomach aches, and fevers.

My typical M.O. is to ignore all signs of impending illness, maybe even trying to prove that I'm not getting sick by staying up late, waking up early, and exercising particularly intensely. As you might expect, this phase pretty rapidly induces a moment of realization, at which point I float the idea of possibly being sick to my husband (and also my sister now that she's staying with us). Once my husband and sister confirm my diagnosis, I am officially a patient. I will admit to the fact that I am not a very good one (I may be prone to crankiness, whining, and sometimes tears when I'm under the weather and maybe that is exacerbated just a little bit by also being pregnant), but I blame that on inexperience. Lucky for me, I happen to be living with two exceptional caretakers.

With cold and flu season upon us, here are some little things you can give to those whose immune systems are falling short. In addition to just being a nice thing to do, you may find yourself getting a little extra TLC when you get struck by the cold or flu du jour. 

Do you know why homemade soup is the classic gift for an unwell friend? Because soup tastes awesome to sick people. Being sick myself, I know this firsthand. Soup may in fact be the only thing I've eaten for three days. Well, soup and cupcakes (but we're not going to talk about that). These three make me feel healthier just by looking at them: Indian Spiced Carrot Soup with Ginger, Green Soup with Ginger, and Golden Beet and Beet Greens Soup (pictured).

If you had said "tissue box cover" to me a few weeks ago, I would have pictured something beige, crocheted, and most likely spotted at someone's great aunt's house. Then I went to the Jonathan Adler warehouse sale where these were about $8. My husband likes to have kleenex in every room (guess who's not complaining about that now!) and I never realized how unattractive the boxes were until they were concealed by a white lacquered cube. Make sure to give one of these with a tissue box inside and a cute note. Just think, you'll be doing your part to make drippy noses a little more chic. 

We are slipper people, probably because we don't wear shoes in the house and our floors are cold. If you're trying to convince a shoe wearer to convert to slippers there is no better time than when he/she isn't feeling well. Who wants to wear shoes while sick? These shearling scuffs are just so much better. 

source

A stack of magazines or a great book are perfect gifts for someone who should be spending the day in bed. Assuming it's a good friend or family member, already read magazines are perfectly acceptable, just so long as they're recent issues and you haven't torn out all the good pages. That way you can save a tree and provide entertainment--look at you multi-tasking!

Have a lovely (and healthy) weekend! Maybe you can even fit in a flu shot for you and everyone in your household. Oh, and we have some fantastic posts in the works for next week, so see you then!

An Easy Brunch

Does this ever happen to you:
You: "Honey, when are Joe and Sally coming over for brunch again?"
Honey: "Tomorrow, I think." [checks email] "Yeah, tomorrow at 10am."
You: "But its 11 o'clock at night now. What the f--- am I going to serve for brunch? [insert string of profanities here]"
Oh, it doesn't? Well. Me neither. And it definitely didn't happen to me last weekend. And I totally didn't use a string of profanities so foul I later worried that I had killed an angel or made the buddha's ears bleed or something.
But if it had happened, here's what I would have done. I would have packed Emi up to go to the farmer's market around 8, picked up apples, eggs, potatoes, and butter, stopped at the supermarket on the way back for some other provisions, and gone home and cooked the following:

Cheddar Apple Scones (via Smitten Kitchen)
[These are ridiculous. I want to make them and eat them again and again and again.]

Makes 6 generous scones
Ingredients:
2 firm tart apples
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar plus 1 1/2 tablespoons for sprinkling
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt plus additional for egg wash
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes plus additional for baking sheet if not lining it with parchment
1/2 cup sharp cheddar, shredded
1/4 cup  heavy cream
2 large eggs
Directions:
Position a rack at the center of oven and preheat oven to 375 °F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
Peel and core apples, then cut them into one-sixteenths. Placed them in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake them until they take on a little color and feel dry to the touch, about 20 minutes. They will be about half-baked. Let them cool completely. Leave oven on.
Sift or whisk flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together. Set aside. Place butter in the bowl of an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, along with cooled apple chunks, cheese, cream and one egg. Sprinkle flour mixture over the top and mix on low speed until the dough just comes together. Do not overmix.
[I don't have a hand mixer, so I rubbed the flour mixture into the butter until it had the feel of breadcrumbs, then mixed in the rest of the ingredients.]
Generously flour your counter top and place the scone dough on top of it. Sprinkle with flour. Use a rolling pin to gently roll the dough into a 1 1/4-inch thick, 6-inch circle. [I totally shaped this by hand. Shh.] Cut circle into 6 wedges. Transfer them to a baking sheet that has either been buttered or lined with a fresh sheet of parchment paper. Leave at least 2 inches between each scone.
Beat remaining egg in a small bowl with a pinch of salt. Brush the scones with egg wash and sprinkle them with remaining tablespoon of sugar. Bake until firm and golden, about 30 minutes. With a spatula, lift them to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes.

Easy Breakfast Potatoes
Ingredients:
3 russet potatoes
9 cloves of garlic
1 medium yellow onion
rosemary (LOTS of rosemary. I used 3 or 4 big sprigs from my fire escape rosemary plant.)
salt & pepper
drizzle of olive oil

Directions:
[Since you're already making the scones, I assume that your oven is already preheated to 375. If it's not, do that now.] Cut the potatoes and onion into 1" chunks, and toss with the rest of the ingredients. Leave the garlic cloves whole (trust me), but just remove the little foot-y guy at the bottom. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, tossing every 20 minutes or so.

Scramble some eggs, cook up some sausage if your guests happen to be the kind of folks who don't consider a meal a meal unless they've got meat on their plate, brew a pot of coffee, put on some music, and you've got an easy & delicious brunch. No swearing required.

Wednesday Miscellany

Hello friends! It's Wednesday already and I sure am glad. Our whole house came to the realization last night that it's not allergies, or too little humidity inside from the heater that's making us all feel so crummy. Nope, it's that we're all sick! I'm counting down the hours until we can start a cozy, low key weekend. Until then, there will be a whole lot of tea and cocoa drinking going on here. How about some internet distractions too:

What do these three things have in common? Visit this site to find out.

Loving these pumpkins. They reminded me of this faux pottery project that I've been meaning to try for ages now. 

Remember the You Are Special plate we wrote about here? Now you can get a prettified version.

Do you need an idea for an incredibly thoughtful, completely personalized, but not outrageously priced holiday gift. Three words: this is it. 

I wonder what recipe Stephanie has in store for us today as part of the Pretty Mommy recipe exchange. If the name of her blog is any indication, it's going to be scrumptious. 

Oh, and visit the phenomenal Trent Bailey's blog for a few hints about what we did on Monday afternoon. More to come soon, but be excited, very excited. 

Enjoy your Wednesday!

What are You Listening To?

 Hi Miya & Elisabeth,

I'm having my girlfriend's parents over for brunch and need some good music to play that a) is not offensive, and b) isn't something that you'd find playing in an elevator. Any thoughts?

xo,
D.

Hi D.,

I can't speak for Elisabeth, but here's some music I'm way into right now that also happens to be appropriate. After giving Elisabeth's daughter a CD with a song that drops the F-bomb multiple times for her first birthday, I got pretty good at screening music real quickly.
If your girlfriend's parents are/were into Kate Wolf (was that just a California thing?), consider Laura Gibson. She is an amazing Portland-based folk singer.

Do your girlfriend's parents always ask you what the kids are listening to these days, but then talk about how they miss melodic music? The cure for this, dear D., is The Avett Brothers. I would say that the closest genre is Folk-Rock(?), and they're a rocking good time.

My fail-safe, go-to, could-listen-to-it-all-day-every-day music is old-school soul. Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, and Solomon Burke (who just recently passed--it's a huge loss for the world) have all been in heavy rotation over here. Colin Meloy (he of The Decemberists) singing Sam Cooke is always one of my go-tos. And frankly, I feel like if your girlfriend's parents can't get down with Otis, then you might want to reconsider inviting them over.

Have fun at brunch (it's my favorite meal!); I'll be posting a killer brunch recipe on Thursday if you're feeling like you'd like some [home]fries to go with that shake (ba-dum-bum! I'll be here all week!).

xo,
ME*

p.s. If you, dear readers, have a question you'd like us to tackle, drop us a line at youplusmestyling{at}gmail{dot}com.

Ashley and Aron Photos

Happy Monday, friends! We hope you all had a wonderful weekend. Elisabeth and I are shooting some fun and exciting stuff with Trent Bailey Photography today--you'll hear all about it later this month. In the meantime, here is some serious goodness for you. I know it was a long time ago (Friday), but remember how we shared our inspiration with you for the photoshoot we had with the amazingly fetching couple Ashley and Aron and the lovely and über-talented Brookelyn Photography? Well. Here are the pics:

Can you believe Brooke has never shot anyone paparazzi-style? These shots are amazing. We took some inspiration from Ashley and Aron's blog (it's hard not to get inspired by it!), and noticed that they both take amazing photos; we got them some vintage cameras to shoot each other during our shoot (talk about meta, right?).

After shooting at the Greenmarket, we walked downtown a bit for shots that were not quite so voyeuristic, but still captured the spontenaity that Ashley and Aron liked about the photos that they sent over. We love how these pictures turned out. This was like the trifecta for great photos: an adorable couple, a super talented photographer, and amazing weather. We feel so lucky to get to team up with Brooke (yet another step in what will hopefully be a long collaborative relationship for us), and so lucky that Ashley and Aron were our giveaway winners. Be sure to check out Ashley and Aron's blog, Hither and Thither, and Brooke's blog for more pictures. And if you'd like us to style a photoshoot for you, you can drop us a line right here.

Also? Can't wait to see what Catherine over at Rickshaw Design is cooking up for dinner tonight...

Ashley and Aron Inspiration

Yay, Friday! I have some big plans up my sleeve for the weekend (if all goes according to plan today, and you follow us on twitter, you can see a sneak peek this weekend); what about y'all? Anything good in the works?

(click for full-size image)
I've been dying to share this inspiration board with you since we made it. Ashley and Aron are the cutest couple ever, and we were so excited to work with them on last weekend's shoot. When they told us that they were inspired by urban shots of couples like John Jr. and Carolyn, we cooked up something a little unusual. After dropping off some accessories for the shoot earlier in the week, we told Ashley and Aron to head to the Greenmarket at Union Square, and to text us when they got there. Brooke then shot them paparazzi-style for a while, and then we got some awesome posed pics down near Washington Square Park. This is the point in the game where we should mention that we may not have even attempted this if we weren't working with an amazing photographer. Brookelyn Photography is the real deal. She didn't even blink when we told her that we wanted her to shoot the subjects without them seeing her. And the photos she took are amazing.
We'll all be posting pics on Monday; until then, friends, have a great weekend!

p.s. be sure to head over to domestic reflections to see what she's cooking up for the Pretty Mommy dinner recipe exchange!

Mexichocotofu Pudding

Kablow! Just when you thought the recipe goodness was done for the day, here I am giving you dessert. And holy cow, what a dessert it is.

When I was at the end of my pregnancy, Elisabeth served me a chocolate tofu pie, which I proceeded to devour all in one sitting. I spent the rest of my pregnancy craving it at all times of the day, and to be quite honest, I still do. I make do with this recipe, although I bet it would be awesome in a graham cracker crust laced with candied ginger. I take absolutely no credit for this recipe at all--it's all Bittman. Because I try to use as little refined sugar as possible, I replaced the sugar with agave nectar, though you can use honey or maple syrup as well.

Mexican Chocolate Tofu Pudding

Ingredients:
1/2 cup agave nectar, maple syrup, or honey
1 pound silken tofu
8 ounces high-quality chocolate, melted (I used Green & Black's Organic 70% Dark Chocolate)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon chili powder, or more to taste

Directions:

Put everything in your blender, and puree it until smooth. Divide it between 6-8 ramekins or glasses, and chill. Don't fight the urge to go, "mmmmmmmmmmmm" the whole time you're eating it. Everyone else around you will be doing the same thing.

Enjoy, friends! Have a wonderful Thursday! 

Roasted Vegetable Enchiladas

These enchiladas aren't made from an authentic family recipe passed down through generations and the final product isn't necessarily photogenic, but this is definitely one of our favorite meals. Enchiladas are warm and cozy and versatile enough to be stuffed with just about anything taking residence in your produce drawer (or your meat drawer, if that's your thing). If, like me, you love stocking your freezer with homemade goodness for those nights when cooking a real meal is just too daunting, then this is the meal for you. These taste just as yummy when pulled from the freezer as they do when eaten the night you prepared them. Martha freezes her enchiladas this way, but I've always frozen ours smothered in sauce without a problem, so you may want to save yourself a step. 

Don't be overwhelmed by all the components of this meal because there are plenty of ways to multitask while you're cooking. You can easily end up with a few extra dinners with barely any additional effort. For instance, when you roast the vegetables, make extra to add to salads or pasta. Freeze half the enchiladas for another night or just freeze half the sauce to make it easier to throw these together on a weeknight. They're worth the effort.

Enchilada Sauce

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
5 cloves garlic, crushed or chopped
1 medium red onion, chopped
26.5 oz box of chopped tomatoes, with most of the liquid drained
2-3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Coat the bottom of a medium sized saucepan with olive oil and heat on medium. Add the cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, and garlic and stir until fragrant. Add the onion and cook until translucent. Stir in the tomatoes and chipotle peppers. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let the mixture simmer until it reduces slightly (about five minutes). Remove from heat and let the sauce cool slightly. Puree with an immersion blender (or a regular blender) and add salt and pepper to taste.

Roasted Vegetable Enchiladas

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups sliced cremini mushrooms
1 yellow onion, chopped in 1/2 inch pieces
2 medium sweet potatoes (or winter squash), chopped in 1/2 inch cubes
2 cups baby spinach, wilted with water squeezed out (one 10 oz box of frozen spinach, thawed with water squeezed out is fine)
1 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup goat cheese
1 1/2 cups black beans, mashed with garlic powder, salt, and pepper to taste (these are the tastiest, but you can substitute canned, if necessary)
12 small corn tortillas
1 cup grated monterey jack cheese

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Toss the cremini mushrooms and onion with enough olive oil to lightly coat and spread in a single layer on one cookie sheet. Toss the sweet potatoes or squash with enough olive oil to lightly coat and spread in a single layer on a second cookie sheet. Roast the mushrooms and onion for about 15 minutes, until the bottoms are golden brown. Roast the sweet potatoes or squash for about 30 minutes, tossing halfway through (when you remove the mushrooms and onions). Toss the vegetables together and set aside. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees.

Puree the spinach, cottage cheese, and goat cheese in a blender or with an immersion blender. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Now you're ready to assemble the enchiladas. Coat the bottom of a 9x12 inch baking pan with a thin layer of enchilada sauce (you can also use two 8 inch square baking pans, if you want to bake one and freeze one for later). Wrap your stack of tortillas loosely in a cloth napkin or towel and heat for about 30 seconds in the microwave to soften. Take one tortilla and spread with a thin layer of beans. Add a layer of vegetables, and top with two spoonfuls of the spinach cheese mixture. Roll tightly and place seam side down in the prepared baking dish. Do the same with the remaining tortillas. 

When they are all assembled, top with enchilada sauce, making sure the ends of the tortillas are completely covered (or they get too crispy). Sprinkle with grated cheese. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the sauce looks bubbly. 

Top with additional cheese, sour cream, or guacamole.

Guacamole
Please make your own guacamole, I implore you. It pains me anytime I see someone defrost guacamole and squeeze it out of a bag. If you're truly pressed for time, mash the avocados with lime juice, salt and pepper, and then stir in fresh salsa. Everything is already chopped for you if you use salsa, so there is really no excuse.

Ingredients:

2 ripe avocadoes, cut in half and pitted
2 limes, juiced
salt and pepper to taste
1 small tomato, seeded and cut into a 1/4 inch dice
1/8 cup red onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped

Directions:
Scoop the avocado flesh into a medium sized bowl. Add the juice of two limes and salt and pepper to taste. Mash the avocado with a fork until only small lumps remain. Stir in tomato, onion, and cilantro.

Do you know the trick to saving guacamole without it turning brown? Just smoosh a piece of saran wrap directly into the top layer.

If I weren't pregnant, I'd insist this Mexican feast be enjoyed with a frosty margarita. Since I am, I can say with authority that it's still quite yummy accompanied by sparkling water with lime. Whatever your beverage of choice, happy eating!