The best cauliflower soup recipe

Ever since I got back from California, I have been craving cauliflower soup. Cauliflower has become my vegetable of choice and after talking with Matt's sister about her favorite recipe for roasted cauliflower, leek and garlic soup (very similar to this one from Love and Lemons), I decided to make my own batch. As you know, I'm not terrific in the kitchen, but this recipe was very easy to follow. We paired it with some sourdough bread, and yum—a perfect spring dish.

Are you a soup fan? Do you have a go-to recipe for the spring/summer months? 

(Image via Cooking for Seven)

Boston Strong

The last two weeks have been a bit of a whirlwind—and I can't wait to share pics from my vacation on the west coast. But I wanted to pause first to reflect on everything going on in Boston. As many of you know, I grew up in Massachusetts, and spent five years living in Boston before making the move to New York. During my time there, I worked on the corner of Exeter and Boylston Streets—the exact location where the Marathon bombs went off. It gave me chills seeing such horrific images taken on that very block next to the finish line where I spent many Marathon Mondays cheering on the runners, and enjoying the fun and festivities that take place every year on that day. 

My most immediate fear was my friends and co-workers who live and work nearby. Now—like so many others—I am left trying to comprehend and cope with how and why something like this could happen.  

The bottom line: Boston is a tough city, and one that showed incredible courage when faced with the worst. As life there slowly returns to normal, I am keeping the city in my thoughts.

(Image 1; Image 2 is one I took from my apartment window when I lived in Boston)  

The weekend is here!

My darling readers, happy Friday! It's been such a gorgeous week in New York. It's amazing to feel like spring has finally arrived. On that note, I'm off for a bit of vacation on the west coast. My little sister lives out there, and I can't wait to see her—and spend some time driving north along the California coast. Have you made that trip along Route 1? If yes, I'd love any recommendations you have for places to go, and things to see. I'll share photos of the trip when I get back! In the meantime, I hope you have a wonderful weekend off. Here, to get it started right, a few happy posts from around the web:

One of my favorite California tunes.

A blush-colored dress.

Mini-burger birthday.

For those who like kale.

New York-inspired iPhone case.

A note about the morning.

Beautiful fresh flowers.

A yellow nightstand.

Stretch your vocab.

Mac and cheese in 10 minutes.    

(Image via Pinterest)  

Matilda on Broadway

Last night, Matt surprised me with tickets to see Matilda the Musical on Broadway. What an amazing treat! I absolutely adored the Roald Dahl book as a kid, so to see it produced as a musical was spectacular—and so much fun. The show rates up there for me with Wicked and The Book of Mormon. From the musical score to Bertie Carvel as Miss Trunchbull, it's so smart and incredibly creative, too. A bonus for us: Given that it was the final night of previews before opening night, we even got to see two different Matildas. Four actresses take turns playing the title role, and they switched it up for us halfway through the show.

Bottom line: Get your tickets now!

PS—This is the show I plan to see next.

(Image 1, 2)    

City notes

Thanks to this post from Joanna, I found myself perusing Rifle Paper Co.'s colorful—and witty!—selection of personal stationary and cards. I'm a longtime fan of Anna's work, but hadn't seen her New York and Los Angeles notecards (pictured above) before. Such a good find! I love any excuse to send a hand-written note, and gorgeous cards like these are the perfect reason to drop someone a line. :) Right now, it looks like NYC and LA are the only cities available, but hopefully the site will offer more soon.

Do you ever send hand-written notes just because? 

More notecards from Rifle Paper Co. here, here and here.
 
(Image 1, 2)  

Easter eggs

Every time I go out for brunch, I find myself wavering at the question: "How do you want your eggs cooked?" I instantly flash back to that scene with Julia Roberts in Runaway Bride, where she needs to review all the egg options in order to make an educated choice. So, that's what I did: I bought a carton of eggs, found the appropriate recipes, and got out my whisk. Poached, over-easy, sunny side up—I cooked and sampled them all! The winner: Over-easy. (Although each style tasted pretty great.)

So now, I turn this question over to you: How do you like your eggs cooked? :) 

My first Brooklyn 5K

Now that I live in Brooklyn, I'm looking forward to branching out and exploring several of the local parks. This includes Prospect Park. What better way to get acquainted than to register for my first Brooklyn 5K? It's the first weekend in May, and I can't wait! But I will admit, it's been a while since I was in a running groove. This race will be my motivation to get back on track, especially since one of my 2013 goals is to run another 10K. :)

Do you like running outdoors?

(Image 1, 2) 

The weekend is here!

My darling readers, happy Friday! What do you have planned for the next couple of days? I'm excited to welcome some friends from Boston to town. You may remember them from their gorgeous Irish wedding last year. :) We're planning to go out to dinner and try this burger at Minetta Tavern. It looks pretty intense, right? In the meantime, wishing you a wonderful weekend ahead! Here, to get it started right, a few happy posts from around the web:

A new take on the French 75.

Bold and beachy.

Take me to the Catskills!

Be a green goddess.

A moon collection.

Daily dishonesty (mixed with spring prep).

Destination: Auckland.

Jay and Jimmy are hilarious.

Conversations with kids.

Let's canoodle.

(Image via I Dream Of...)

Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho

I'm probably in the minority here, but have you ever seen Psycho? I finally watched it this past weekend, and was so impressed. Throughout the entire film, I had NO idea how it was going to end, which made it all the more fun to watch. I've mentioned my Audrey Hepburn education (next up is How to Steal a Million), but since seeing the preview for Hitchcock, I had to take a brief pause to watch Psycho before I could rent the Anthony Hopkins and Helen Mirren version about the making of the film.

Do you have a favorite Hitchcock movie? Of the ones I've seen, I'm still partial to North by Northwest. But it seems like I have quite a few more to watch!

(Image 1, 2) 

Root (root, root) for the home team

Baseball is fast becoming my favorite sport to watch (basketball is a close second!), but having moved from Boston to New York, I'm in the minority when I reveal that my home team is—and always will be—the Boston Red Sox. Another complication? I've become a huge San Francisco Giants fan, thanks to Matt. If I had to choose a favorite player in the major league, it's no contest: Buster Posey is my guy. But as a New Yorker, I've got to (occasionally) root for the home team, which is why I'm going to the Mets home opener tonight at Citi Field. Reasons this is okay: 

1. They're not playing the Red Sox.

2. They're not playing the Giants.

3. It's not like I'm going to a Yankees game! ;)

Are you a baseball fan? Who's your home team?

(Image 1, 2, and 3)

A skirt with bounce

Come spring, could there be anything better than a skirt with a little volume and bounce? For some reason, I can't take my eyes off this gorgeous, crepe di chine skirt from J.Crew. The shoe sketch pattern is playful and polished, and paired with silver shoes, so fun! I keep thinking about how it would look with a crisp, denim jacket, or paired with a white tank for when the weather really gets warm.

Tell me—are you planning any splurges for spring? Share the link below so we can discuss!

(Image 1, 2) 

Happy April Fool's Day!

Happy Monday, my darling readers! May your day be filled with humor, fun...and practical jokes! :)

PS—Have you seen these awesome treasure maps?

(Image via Pinterest)