RECIPE 1: Slow-Roasted Citrus Salmon with Herbed Salad

You've seen my 101 in 1001 list, right?! Whelp, exciting news about #89 on my list - to cook through an entire cookbook. I'm one lucky gal because my bestie Paulo (yes, him again) decided to choose a cookbook with me and cook every recipe.

After almost five years of week to week rendezvous in the same city with Paulo and his fiance Josh, living in separate states has been hard. At least we're west coasting together with Paulo and Josh in Seattle and us in Montana but long distance is still the worst.

So... drumroll please... Paulo and I chose Alison Roman's Dining In to stay connected, eat well and live colorfully. Get ready for VERY GOOD content via #PAndWDineIn as we cook through all 125 recipes. Here goes nothing and recipe #1: Slow-Roasted Citrus Salmon with Herbed Salad.

This past long weekend while the little beast napped, the Hubs and I began to cook. We sliced lots of citrus... including Meyer lemons and blood oranges... Pulled out a pound and a half of fresh caught King Salmon from our stash in the freezer. And paired our dish with Ina's tried and true couscous with pine nut and mint and a dry white wine for a relaxed lunch for two. 

Want the full recipe? Follow along as Paulo and I cook the book...

Now ENJOY and be MERRY while eating this deliciously joyous and easy dish! It won't disappoint, I promise. AND don't forget to follow our journey via #pandwdinein on Instagram OR - even better- join us on this crazy quest, let's cook together!

It's been 6 plus months...

It's been six plus months... since my last confession and I've eaten no less than my weight in Halloween candy and Ina Garten's rigatoni with sausage and fennel.

But you guys! The Bozeman move finally happened and we couldn't be happier. Literally we wake up grinning ear to ear... and we're obnoxiously happy. Yes, we're those people (face palm) but it's funny

what a place can do to you, especially a place you built.

So let's get right into it, shall we?!

EATING // We made a dank snack this past Sunday. Believe it or not, I'd never roasted a whole head of garlic. So while I peered into our new oven with fear at a softly tinfoil'd ball, I realized what a revolution for me as a cook. Without new oven stress, roasting garlic is dang easy and DAMN delicious! Don't believe me? Take the time for Food52's Crispy Brussels Sprouts and Roasted Garlic Lemon Aioli.

HOME*WORK // The garage is still Mount Vesuvius partially because of the height of the

remaining boxes but also because each box was packed with no care by our movers and may destroy

my heart with its messy hot lava contents. JK, but what's real is that it's been a journey and I'm quickly tiring of opening boxes of random things just thrown together.

We also have a ton of settling in to do... But we can't wait to share our home with you. For a few sneak peeks, follow me on Instagram and via #ProjectBoylan... I simply can't help myself.

CRUSHING ON // Tata Harper's Illuminating Eye Creme. I recently purchased Tata's moisturizing body oil (winter is coming/already here) and selected the eye creme as a free sample on a whim. I don't know how Tata does it but I swear this magic in a bottle gives this tired mama a dewy glow that could only be achieved by lots of diamond dust. Literally diamond dust is an ingredient! Each use makes me feel closer to Gwyneth, which is an obvious added benefit.

READING // I recently sped through Ruth Ware's The Turn of the Key - which was the perfect read for getting spooky around Halloween. Not amazing writing but entertaining nonetheless. Now I'm a few short pages away from finishing A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult, which should be required reading. Oprah calls this book "a nail biting thriller" but it's much more than that as it tackles a fictional shooting at an abortion clinic. Piccolo's skill in writing about this emotional hot-button issue while simultaneously putting a human face on it is startling.

THANKFUL FOR // The power of google docs. For the past year, I've been tracking and planning our furniture needs of our new house in a google spreadsheet. This spreadsheet automatically updated its budget while also tracking our current on-hand furniture, new selections, sales, prices, the quantity needed and final purchases! Dare I say this nifty tool was the secret weapon to keeping our happy marriage as I was able to design our space while also keeping our finances in check? 100% yes. And now we're almost fully furnished, there's a little bit of me that misses it.

THINKING ABOUT // DC. We're heading back to our former hometown for Thanksgiving and excited to see family, friends and revisit some of our favorite haunts. We'll lunch at Le Diplomate, snag coffee and treats from Little Pearl (now a Michelin star restaurant - eep!), take a spin around our favorite museums and of course stop by Salt & Sundry for a few necessities (mainly candles and hand towels).  DC folk, what's new that we can't miss?

WATCHING // Whelp, Silicon Valley is back on and I'll just leave it HERE...

WEARING // These Jeffrey Campbell Culvert Sherpa Combat Boots. They're incredibly comfortable  and responsible for keeping me warm and stylish on some of the most frightfully cold days. I snagged them early during Shopbop's site-wide sale. Who would have predicted me in combat boots? I sure didn't see it coming but I have no regrets.

Well... that about does it...  I'm excited to reconnect! Now take on the day like Bey, okay?! And come back Friday because I'm doing a snappy roundup of my favorite gifts this holiday season.

P.S. Dope Iris Apfel portrait by Victoria Villasana. 

Summer Edit '18

Sorry for the delay in getting out my Friday post... I was up late last night texting with my bestie Paulo about how our SOs think they're cooler than us because they sometimes teach us things on Instagram and will call our photos trash and not good enough. The gall of our nerds. The. GALL. (!!!)

KNC Beauty Lip Mask  // Collagen - say what?! I've only used this collagen lip mask once and have a few more trials before I'm ready for a verdict but it's been a nice change of pace to have time to pamper. 

Liewood Holger Pram Chain Toy // This stroller panda string brings so much joy to our bambino. And you know Henry's current love for black and white has me swooning all day long!

Clare V. Bandana // In anticipation of our Paris junket in July, I've already been dreaming about what keepsake to bring home. I'll be a newbie to the croissant laden city but for some reason a silk scarf just says bonjour! Once we find THE scarf, I plan to have it framed to adorn our wall and remind us of our first family adventure as three f-o-r-e-v-er!

Vio Palm Pom Structured Tote // Every time I bring out this cheery straw tote, the Hubs rolls his eyes. But you guys! I can't tell you how much this bag makes my heart skip a beat, which means (duuuh) it's now on regular rotation #sorrynotsorry

Greenwich's Ina Garten Card // Royal wedding, say what?! Sorry, I was too distracted by Ina, the domestic goddess! But in the interest of full disclosure, we no longer have cable so we watched Molly Shannon and Will Ferrell host the royal wedding via HBO Now and it was too funny! Have no fear though folks... You know I went deep on googling all the things about the new Duchess and Harry's nuptials. And damn was their ceremony gorgeous!

Soludos Knotted Linen Slides // We could not have timed our baby bundle's arrival better! My maternity leave will span both spring and summer so clearly these simple slides would be a hot addition to my closet!

Quay Australia Sunnies // Now we have an active boy on our hands, I'm ditching the Pradas for these sleek and cheap sunnies. Highly functional and ready for anything!

Crazy Rich Asians // I picked up this book in anticipation of its silver screen block buster and loved its Big Little Lies vibe. It's the perfect summer read and a trilogy... Heck YAAAS!

InvisiBobble Traceless Hair Ring // I'm anti-scrunchy for many reasons. Mostly because I hate 90s fashion and my hair is too thick to pull off a scrunchy as a mane-tamer. Buuuut these hair ties are my happy medium and a great option for wrangling my coif.

Madewell Skinny Overalls // My first attempt at breastfeeding in public was a bit of a comedy (and that's an understatement... Read on...) Needing a few supplies from CVS, the Hubs and I parked in a loading zone outside of the pharmacy for a quick minute. Baby Henry started to fuss while my dutiful Hubs was inside picking up a few items so I thought, "I can solve this!" Perhaps famous last words?! Regardless, I joined Henry in the tinted backseat area of our car, donned my full coverage nursing scarf and began to breastfeed. Not even five minutes in, I heard a knock on the car window. I proceeded to roll down the window a crack and was greeted by a uniformed police officer who promptly asked me where my parents were. Not able to utter anything more, I screeched - "I AM the parent!... I'm breastfeeding, Sir!!!" Immediately the officer reddened, told me to take my time and bolted away from the car after he said he almost ticketed us for parking in a loading zone - HAHA! I only wish I knew the officer's name because I want to dedicate these overalls to him and keeping my youthful glow!

Alrighty team, enjoy the long weekend - here's to rosé, sun and THREE days!!

Weekday ...(ALMOST Weekend)... Musings

EATING // Fall soups on repeat. Although the District's heat is unrelenting despite the newly arrived season, I can't help but pull out some of our cold weather favorites like butternut squash soup and Ina Garten's easy tomato soup! There's nothing that beats soup as a comfort food. Go ahead, challenge me!

HOME*WORK // Are you tired of having your mailbox stuffed to the brim with catalogs you never signed up for? I know I am! Although I recycle, I still feel guilty from all the unnecessary waste my loyal postal service delivers. Start your own catalog diet by signing up for Catalog Choice and opt out of the catalogs you never wanted.

CRUSHING ON // All the sweaters! Much like my love song to soup, I can't wait to layer on cozy sweaters. Chunky and soft, cashmere and wool! Please weather gods, it's FALL and by gahhhd it's time to "Make it work!"

READING // There is no denying Reese Witherspoon has a sharp eye for a good book and because we already had devoured so many of her recommended page-turners, my BFF Katie and I have pledged our loyalty to the #RWBookClub. Our first book we're reading together? The Alice Network by Kate Quinn... And you guys! This fast-paced fictional story with strong female leads is a must read! There is no doubt this book is headed for the big screen so you better start reading now!

THANKFUL FOR // Woodley. There are no buts about it, our faithful pup makes our life so much fuller. And his heart is SO BIG! Maybe too big, if that's possible?! Recently on one of our daily constitutionals at the Congressional Cemetery (yes, there is a dog walking program, promise!), we shortly crossed paths with our occasional pet sitter John and his dog Marley. Woodley immediately ran to John and Marley with a big smile and lots of wagging. It melted our hearts! Who doesn't want their dog to adore their caregiver? Given it was a workday, we were short on time so after a quick hello we continued our walk. That's when the chaos ensued. At a full sprint, our boy kept running the distance between us and John until his beloved friend left the park. Dare I say Woodley was a little heart broken? What are we to do as fur parents to help ease his worry? And I am admittedly jealous!

THINKING ABOUT // The 10 Kardashians that will soon be 13 - gahhh! Can you believe Khloe, Kim and Kylie are pregs?! My head is still spinning... If we're not careful, KUWTK is sure to last another decade or more!

WATCHING // Eeeek! Fall TV is back and we are fully indulging... Mindy Project, This is Us, Modern Family and to the Hubs' dismay Grey's Anatomy! We also stumbled upon HBO's Deuce and are totally captivated. James Franco and Maggie Gyllenhaal sparkle as they tell the story of America's budding sex industry. The show has already locked in a second season, so buckle up and get watching!

WEARING // I'm obsessed with these Nike Air Max sneaks and boy are they made for walking! I've happily retired my Nike Juvenates for these babies and relish in their daily support and extra cush. If you're a Nike loyalist like me, check these tennis shoes out STAT!

* Graphic via DesignLoveFest !!