New England Clam Chowder

We have had a fantastic summer when it comes to the weather. There have been very few unbearably hot days with more days in the high 80s and cooler evenings.  On a recent weekend, the temperature was perfect to enjoy some New England Clam Chowder on our porch.  While there were plumes of smoke floating from neighbor's grills, it was nice to enjoy a comforting bowl of soup that is a staple in New England year-round.  Traditional chowder is cream-based, I decided to lighten it up using whole milk.  I have found that when a recipe calls for heavy cream, you can substitute quality whole milk (I love Ronnybrook Farm) and you will not even miss its heavier counterpart.  

At the Market:: Apricots + Browned Butter Apricot Shortcakes with Cinnamon Whipped Cream

Stone fruit season has arrived - peaches, nectarines and apricots are creating a beautiful kaleidoscope of color at the farmers market.  There is nothing quite like biting into a juicy peach or nectarine and letting the sweet floral aroma take over your taste buds.  One variety of stone fruit that I typically never gravitated to was the apricot, it reminded me of the store-bought dried versions that always left a little to be desired.  I decided to give this fuzzy fruit a second chance and I am glad that I did.  Not only are they easy to eat as is, they are a fantastic fruit to incorporate into your summer baking.  I decided to give the traditional shortcake recipe an upgrade by making Browned Butter Apricot Shortcakes and topping 

it with cinnamon infused whipped cream.  This recipe is definitely a crowd pleaser because of the different textures it takes on - the shortcakes are moist with a sugar crusted exterior, the browned butter apricots practically melt in your mouth while the cinnamon whipped cream lends the perfect finish.   

Petal by Petal:: 'Café au Lait' Dahlia

It has been far long since my last Petal by Petal series. Well that is changing now and what better time than summer when flowers are plentiful, especially local varieties that only emerge once a year.  One of my favorite summer blooms is the dahlia. They come in a variety of sizes and colors, like this vampy red version that was featured here last summer.  The flower market in New York is over-flowing with this variety right now and while I thought my process of elimination would be difficult, it ended up being quite easy after seeing the 'Café au Lait' dahlia.  This particular variety is known as a Dinner plate dahlia because it is literally just that, nearly the size of a dinner plate.  The smaller varieties of dahlias have a longer shelf life, unfortunately the larger they are the quicker they begin to wilt.  Even though I only had them for about three days, they still added a dose of happiness to our home.  

Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwiches with Sea Salt Flakes

During the hot summer days there is nothing like treating yourself to ice cream.  Growing up, one of my favorite seasonal treats was an ice cream sandwich that was usually obtained by waiting for the ice cream truck to drive by our house.  I was feeling a bit nostalgic and decided to make my own super soft chocolate cookies and filled them with gelato, Talenti, to be exact.  Having made a different variety of ice cream sandwiches before, the key learning is to bake the cookies just until they are set, so that once they are cooled they are chewy and can be easily enjoyed with ice cream. Topping the cookies with Maldon sea salt flakes is the perfect way to take a childhood treat and elevate it to something 'grown-ups' will like.  

At The Market:: Cherry Skillet Crumble

Last year on a very hot summer day we headed to Upstate New York to go cherry picking. It was one of my favorite memories from last summer.  This year we will not be picking our own, but luckily the farmer's market is bursting with pints of this ruby fruit.  For a recent dinner, I wanted to get off my pie kick (something that is hard to do since I find baking a pie like therapy) and stick within the same family and make a crumble and bake it in a cast iron pan.  If you are like me and you love crumb topping you will love this recipe since there is a nice layer of crumbly goodness sitting atop juicy cherries.  

Poolside Dreaming + Swimwear Picks

Today might only be Thursday but I have my sights on the weekend.  Although I rarely find myself lounging my the pool that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t love to jump start the weekend by doing so!  Recently I have come across so many serene pool settings on Pinterest I couldn't help but find myself daydreaming and inspired. Here are just a few of my favorites in addition to some bathing suits that I am currently loving. Speaking of swimwear, have you checked out Net-A-Sporter yet? I love to workout but I think their edited selection might take that to a whole new level!

White Peach & Rose Lemonade {I HAVE MOVED TO ROSE & IVY JOURNAL!)

To discover more recipes and beauty, please visit Rose & Ivy Journal by clicking here!

Growing up I loved lemonade for it's sweet and tart taste and how it could put a few dollars in our pockets by having a stand on our suburban sidewalk.  As I have gotten older it hasn't been a drink that I have gravitated to as much, until now.  I decided to get creative and craft a more feminine and grown-up version of this iconic sip by blending fragrant white peaches with rose water for a refreshing summer drink. Not only is the shade of this drink beautiful, but it strikes the perfect balance between sweet, floral and tart.  The white peaches and the rose water lend a delicate floral aroma while the lemon provides the right amount of zest. 

At the Market:: Gooseberries & Blackberries (Gooseberry & Blackberry Pie)

It is officially berry season! Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries  and my new favorite berry, the gooseberry.  While you can purchase berries all year long (frozen or fresh), there is something extra special about eating them while they are in season and local.  They just taste much better being ripened by the warmth of the sun.  I have been picking up as many cartons as I can carry at the farmers market, since not only are they great to eat raw but they have a great way of making your complexion look better.  When it comes to berries I am not partial to one kind, although I have been eating crates of raspberries and blueberries and as I mentioned a new favorite, the gooseberry.   They look like grapes and have the same juiciness but they have the floral sweetness of a raspberry.  They are great eaten as is or a wonderful addition to a pie or crumble.  Also, blackberries, when in season taste completely different then their over-sized grocery store counterpart that are heavily seeded.  In season, blackberries are incredibly tender and sweet, with not nearly as many seeds.  In order to celebrate the season, I made a Gooseberry & Blackberry Pie, perfect after a summer dinner.  This pie is the perfect ratio of tartness to sweetness!

Style File:: The New Overalls

Happy Monday everyone! It is so hard coming back after a three day weekend, really wishing that it never ended.  I relaxed, something that I very rarely do but badly needed, by going to the beach, long walks with the dog and just being still.  

There have been quite a few times in my life when I have worn overalls - when I was a toddler, and during my teenage years (remember when it was deemed cool to wear one shoulder unbuttoned? Got to love the 90s). Now that I am in my 30's my liking has returned but thanks to a more modern version that doesn't make you look as if you should be on a farm.  The new overall is worn in, perfectly torn and no longer just in one shade of denim.  I am loving worn in white and bleached options below.  What are your feelings on overalls?  

Image source unknown 

Strawberry Soda

Growing up there can be many rules that you do not understand at the time, one rule that my mom had was 'no soda in the house'.  Actually at the time, we were living in Ohio and called it 'pop', but our move to Vermont made us transition to call the fizz drink 'soda'. Anyways, out of all of the rules, this was one of them that I am very glad my parents instated.  Besides being loaded with artificial ingredients (have you ever checked out the label - caramel flavor and high fructose corn syrup? No thank you) it can lead to weight gain, which can then bring on unwanted disease.  Last Christmas my husband received a Soda Stream, one of the best gifts ever, that allowed us to not only make seltzer with the click of a button but also allowed me to experiment in the kitchen.  I love carbonating cucumber or lemon water for a refreshing drink. I recently purchased two pints of strawberries from the fresh market that were unfortunately not that sweet.  Instead of turning them into pie, I opted to make equal parts jam and strawberry syrup.  One basically creates the other so you can get more out of doing less, don't you just love that? 

A Guide to Summer Lipsticks

Lipstick should be the final touch to any outfit.  The right color can do wonders.  The summer months are all about experimenting with fun shades and textures.  Lately I have been wearing bright pinks that border along the line of fuchsia and brilliant tangerines that when applied makes me look like I am wide awake (even when I am not).  To take the guess work out of finding the perfect summer shade(s), I have rounded up some of the best colors out there that will flatter any complexion.  Cheers to a colorful summer!

I Love This Look:: White Out

Summer, you feel amazing, don't you all agree?  Spring went entirely too fast, so I am hoping that they lazy days of summer will begin to slow things down a bit.  To start the season on a high note, we ventured to Fire Island on Saturday, which turned out to be a fantastic beach day - not a cloud in sight, just the warmth of the sun and the heavenly scent of salty air made the first day of summer wonderful.  If you are ever in the area and are looking for a tranquil beach experience, I definitely recommend traveling to the island, it feels like you are worlds away from New York City.  

Now that summer is here I am craving two things, bright prints and the opposite end of the spectrum, white.  I adore this look spotted on Victoria Tornegren, who pretty much looks effortless in anything that she wears.  Here are some of my picks to create this easy look. I hope that everyone has a great week! Stay-tuned, this week I am excited to share some of my photographs from our honeymoon.  

Get the Look:

Topshop Daisy Organza Shirt / Maje Feufollet Honeycomb Shorts (on sale) / Topshop Slim Curve Blazer / Tabitha Simmons Lily Slingbacks

Image via

Summer's Best Dresses

Right now I am craving light summer dresses that have an effortless feel about them, whether washed in denim like this See by Chloé dress or a tad bohemian like this Needle and Thread option.  Summer is about creating easy looks and that is exactly what a dress can do.  We haven't even officially entered summer yet, but summer sales are in full swing.  All of these picks below are on sale at 

Net-a- Porter, so what isn't to love? 

Needle & Thread Gilded Filigree Dress / Collette by Collette Dinnigan Daisy Dress / Zimmermann Vivid Broderie Dress / Kate Moss for Topshop Floral Dress / See by Chloé Belted Denim Mini Dress Anna Sui Floral Lace Dress

A Summer Floral Fragrance Guide

Summertime is flower time in my book. Practically every turn you are greeted with ruffled peonies, towering irises and creamy honeysuckle (yes, even in Brooklyn!) whether planted in a garden or at your favorite flower shop.  This time of year is about lightening up and wearing fragrances that are not cloying, but rather give an air of freshness and happiness about them, basically what summer is all about.  I have rounded up some of my favorite for the season by flower type.  What fragrances are you wearing during these warmer months?

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie with Rose Scented Whipped Cream

This is definitely my favorite time of the year at the market - ruby red strawberries are available by the carton next to the long stalks of rhubarb, snap peas are piled high and fragrant green garlic pave the way for the soon to arrive fava beans, blueberries and peaches.  I love pairing these fresh market finds together to create seasonal dishes, whether for dinner or dessert.  One of my favorite combinations is strawberry and rhubarb where the former lends a sweetness while the latter adds a tart bite.  On a recent Sunday dinner with the family, I decided to make Strawberry Rhubarb Pie and topped it off  with Rose Scented Whipped Cream.  This pie is truly summer in a bite!

At the Market:: Rhubarb

Blogging Over Thyme: Rhubarb Meringue Cups 

I am excited to bring you a new column here today called At The Market where I will highlight seasonal fruits and vegetables that are gracing the local fresh markets and delicious recipes to accompany each find.  I will be baking/cooking as well as finding inspiration from some of the best food sites around.  Today I am excited to start out with rhubarb, the pink-tinged vegetable that is especially delicious in a pie or made into a jam.  Rhubarb is now available at farmer's markets and grocery stores.

Adventures in Cooking: Strawberry Rhubarb & Tarragon Tart Tartan

(Apt 2. B Baking: Rhubarb & Gin Sorbet with Rose Cream)

Perfectly Distressed: A Guide to Denim Shorts

It was a wonderful 82 degrees in New York yesterday, it seems like we completely by passed spring! I am not complaining though, the warm weather feels heavenly.  This spring I am currently craving distressed shorts whether they are cut-off at the perfect length or frayed around the pockets or cuff.  I love this look paired with a feminine top or a perfectly worn tee.  Here are some of my favorite picks of the season.  

Summertime in New York

Summertime is one of my favorite times of year living in New York, from leisurely laying on a blanket in the park to strolling through the farmer's market, this is the time of year that I revel in and want to soak up every minute.  I also relish in the fact of summer Fridays, which are (very) sadly coming to an end this week.  Here are some photographs that I recently took while in Central Park and the Union Square Market that is exploding with so much healthy goodness. And with that I leave you - I hope you have a wonderful Labor Day weekend, my plans are to head to the beach, cook some delicious meals and relax.  See you back here Tuesday!

Banana Butterscotch Ice Cream {No Churn} + Giveaway Winners

For the longest time I had some sort of aversion to any recipes that involved bananas - I am not sure why but thankfully disappeared after I had a chance encounter with the Banana Pudding from Magnolia Bakery and well, the rest is history.  In my final recipe using Spoonable Caramel I incorporated the Brooklyn Butterscotch into Banana Butterscotch No Churn Ice Cream.  This recipe is so easy and the best part is that you do not need an ice cream machine, just your hand-held mixer.  If you are looking for a quick end-of-summer recipe that allows your freezer do the majority of the work, this recipe could be it.  Continue for more...

Petal by Petal:: Gladiolus

Gladiolus, also known as Sword Lillies, are one of those darling flowers that appears during the late summer months and when they arrive they definitely make their presence known. They have beautiful towering stems with flowering buds that cascade and gently bloom from the bottom to the top and each stem can produce up to two dozen blossoms.  The gladiolus come in a variety of shades from vibrant fuchsia with white flecks to a pale, peachy bloom as seen here.  If you are looking for a bloom to add height (and to not empty your wallet) this is an excellent choice. Continue for more...

**Today is the last day to enter the Spoonable Caramel giveaway! If you already entered feel free to enter again. Three lucky winners will win a jar of Salty Caramel and Brooklyn Butterscotch!