Color-Coated

These dipped wooden bowls, candle holders and spoons made by Wind and Willow Home are right up my alley. I love the contrast of the pale wood and the bright pop of paint, and the variety of bowls would be perfect for housing fruit, plants or tiny treasures.

[spotted on: one sydney road; available at: wind and willow home]

Weekend in Photos

Since it was sort of a gloomy weekend, we took advantage and were lazy and low-key. We had a night in with friends which included pizza, cocktails, record-listening and a board game that involved yelling "bezzerwizzer" in a German accent. I played around with my upcoming bridesmaid look, nail polish, necklace and all, and we ate grilled peaches while watching the Olympics. How was your weekend?

Thoughts of the Week

I could fill a wall with these.

The easy perfection of tomato sandwiches.

How to actually do something with all those Instagrams.

Two great creations, peaches and butterflies.

Get thee to Maui.

Admiring a nail polish rainbow.

And a yarn rainbow.

Fruity guacamole? Taste buds intrigued.

A fun movie about fun art.

So much to love about this gorgeous destination wedding.

I've always been more of an ocean person than a lake person, but people can change.

It goes without saying, but it shouldn't, thanks for stopping by, for reading, for commenting and for being the coolest. Have a great weekend!

Fashion Fruit

Stores are beginning to roll out their fall lookbooks, which always drives me crazy since it's still 90 degrees outside. Luckily, these strawberry, cherry, peach and other fruit prints are like a blast of summery freshness. A little edible inspiration might be the perfect distraction from all those sweaters and boots I wish I was wearing. 

[strawberry blouse; orange top; peach dress; cherry jeans; strawberry bikini; pear swimsuit; stone fruit sweater; pineapple blazer; watermelon tank]

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

I'm on a lifelong search for the perfect chocolate chip cookie, so I thought I'd give a recipe that involved browned butter a try. To be fair, I don't really care about arriving at the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe, it's the tasty journey that matters. These do require overnight refrigeration, but patience pays off if you can stand it. The cookies are nutty, buttery and what my husband called "chunchy" -- that's right in between chewy and crunchy. They make a fine ice cream sandwich too. I had one slathered with espresso ice cream.

Do you have a favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe?

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Recipe adapted from Food and Wine

2 sticks unsalted butter
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 large egg yolk
2 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup toasted pecans, coarsely chopped

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat until it is browned and nutty-smelling, about 5 minutes. Transfer the butter to a small bowl and let it cool to room temperature. Pour through a sieve, leaving the darkest sediment behind.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking soda. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle, beat the browned butter with the granulated and light brown sugars at medium speed until light and fluffy, scraping down the bowl halfway through, about 7 minutes. Beat in the whole egg, egg yolk, milk and vanilla. At low speed, beat in the dry ingredients, scraping down the bowl as needed. Mix in the chocolate chips and toasted pecans. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop 1/4-cup mounds of cookie dough onto baking sheet. Bake for about 15 minutes, until the cookies are just firm and golden brown on the bottom. Transfer the cookies to a rack to cool.

Stemlessware

While I do love a table filled with big, tall glasses, my collection of stemless glassware keeps on growing. They're easier to store, less prone to getting broken and still pretty darn chic. CB2 is my go-to glassware shop thanks to their modern designs and low prices.

Weekend in Photos

It was a return to routine for us this weekend. A casual brunch in the West Village, a walk along the Hudson River and a visit to an artisan ice cream truck all perked me up. I also practiced some hairstyles for a wedding I'm in next month. I'm terrible at doing my own hair, so I like to get in a few trial runs before bridesmaid duty begins.

Summer Nights

Eating outside is one of those summertime musts even if the cost is a few mosquito bites. There's just something so relaxed about it. We celebrated my friend Bethany's birthday last week with an outdoor meal at MyMoon in that perfect in-between light. I don't think it gets much better than pink cocktails, a light breeze and good company.

Thanks for all your London and Paris advice this week! I'm even more excited now. Happy Friday!

Coconut Ice Cream and Chocolate Shell Topping

I've always loved coconut, but now I'm pretty much convinced it's magical. How else could you create ice cream that's creamy and smooth without any dairy involved or make your own quick-drying chocolate shell? The coconut milk ice cream is custardy and sweet with a yummy nutty flavor, and the coconut oil-based chocolate shell topping is so easy to make and would be a welcome addition to any bowl of ice cream. Pure magic I tell you.

By the way, coconut oil also makes a great moisturizer! I use it every day.

Toasted Almond Coconut Milk Ice Cream
Recipe adapted from Whole Foods

4 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1 (13.5 oz.) can light coconut milk
1 (13.5 oz.) can regular coconut milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/3 cup toasted almonds, coarsely chopped

In a large bowl, whisk yolks and sugar together until pale yellow, 1 to 2 minutes. Add cans of light and regular coconut milk and whisk again until well combined.

Transfer coconut mixture to a medium pot and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until just thickened and mixture coats the back of a spoon, 8 to 10 minutes. Be sure not to let the mixture boil. Remove pot from the heat and stir in vanilla and almond extract.

Transfer contents of pot to a bowl and chill until cold. Process mixture in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions and add toasted almonds during the last five minutes of mixing. Transfer to a container with a lid and freeze until firm, about 2 hours.

[Chocolate shell recipe found at 52 Kitchen Adventures]