October 10, 2013

Peach and Chèvre Pizza with Balsamic Onions and Arugula

Peach-+-Chevre-Pizza

The instant I threw this pizza together I knew it would be going into my late summer/early fall repertoire for years to come. Its birth is the result of being faced with leaving town unexpectedly for a few days, badly in need of a trip to the grocery store, and with a refrigerator full of produce that would be past its prime when I returned. Holy moly, just try it.

 

Peach and Chèvre Pizza with Balsamic Onions and Arugula

• your favorite pizza dough recipe (or my favorite cheat, ready-to-go from the refrigerated section)
• 2 peaches
• 1 red onion
• 4 oz chèvre (goat cheese)
• 3 C loosely packed arugula
• 1/3 C balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp sea salt

Slice the onion up into thin strips. Place in a medium bowl and toss to coat in the balsamic vinegar, let sit for 10 minutes. Skin, slice, and pit the peaches and add to onion/balsamic bowl. Place and stretch your (homemade or store bought) pizza dough into a large cookie sheet, it will be fairly thin. Removed onions and peaches from the bowl and scatter across dough, saving the balsamic. Dot the pizza evenly with pieces of chèvre. Bake according to dough instructions. In the meantime, toss arugula in the leftover balsamic, olive oil, and sea salt. Once pizza is finished baking, cover evenly with the arugula mixture and let sit for 5 minutes. Some wilting will occur, which is totally fine. Enjoy!

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0
October 3, 2013

Slow-Cooked Vegetable Stew

Slow-Cooked-Vegetable-Stew-Design-Crush

Last weekend was the first it truly felt like fall, with plenty of cool temps and even a little rain to top it off. I know almost everyone seems to say it, but fall has truly been my favorite season for my entire life. So of course I had to do a little celebrating by dragging out my crockpot and cooking up some super simple, but very flavorful vegetable stew. (I served it up over a small bed of brown rice, but it’s just as good without.)

 

Slow-Cooked Vegetable Stew
(loosely adapted from Real Simple)

• 1 can vegetable broth
• 2 cans diced tomatoes, including juice
• 1 can corn, drained
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 large sweet potato, diced
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
• 4 small zucchinis
• 1 can chickpeas, drained
• brown rice

Combine vegetable broth, tomatoes and juice, corn, garlic, sweet potato, cumin, sea salt, and crushed red pepper in a crockpot. Give it all a good stir and set on low heat for 6 hours or high for 3 hours. Add in zucchini and chickpeas, cooking for one hour longer on low. Serve over brown rice or with some crusty bread. Completely easy, yes?

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0
October 3, 2013

STACT

STACT-1-Design Crush

 

I’ve seen a lo-ot of modular wine storage systems, they’re popular and we all know it. What I haven’t seen is a minimalist modular wine system that’s been done as well as STACT. The panels come in seven different colors, so you can mix and match and add to the system as your collection grows. The end result can end up looking like an incredible art installation in its own right, all while freeing up precious counter space.

 

STACT-2-Design Crush

STACT-3-Design Crush

Posted In accents, house and home
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October 2, 2013

Woodland Creatures Masks

Wood Creature Masks-2-Design Crush

 

With Halloween being just over a month away costumes and disguises are on everyone’s minds. These colorful and creative woodland creatures masks from Keely O’Brien of (kiss me)go are so good (as is her entire shop). Each mask is a print of an original collage made of sturdy card and cotton twine. Choose from a sweet old owl, a galactic wolf, a gentle black bear, a trickster coyote, and an elegant fox.

 

Wood Creature Masks-3-Design Crush

Wood Creature Masks-4-Design Crush

Wood Creature Masks-1-Design Crush

Posted In create, halloween, holidays, mixed media
1
October 1, 2013

Paola Navone Collection for Crate&Barrel

Paola Navone for Crate&Barrel-1-Design Crush

 

Paola Navone’s collection for Crate and Barrel have me daydreaming of the coast. Any coast. Platters full of fresh seafood, bowls brimming with just-picked vegetables, and glasses full of chilled wine. Choose from three distinct looks. The Como Collection, covered in painterly blues and inspired by Morocco, Turkey, and the Mediterranean. The Mallorca Collection, featuring white porcelain and zigzags reminiscent of flower petals and shells. And the Riviera Collection, with hints of turquoise and the look of the 1950s on the French Riviera. I mean really, no matter what you just can’t go wrong.

 

Paola Navone for Crate&Barrel-2-Design Crush

Paola Navone for Crate&Barrel-3-Design Crush

Posted In entertaining, house and home, kitchen
0
September 26, 2013

Amy Wilson

Amy Wilson-1-Design Crush

 

Fine I admit it, I’m already thinking about the holidays. It’s so hard not to in an industry that moves months ahead of reality! But don’t worry, I’m no further than Thanksgiving in my mind and I’m blaming it all on these delicious photos from prop stylist/set designer Amy Wilson.

(You’re thinking about it too now, am I right??)

 

Amy Wilson-2-Design Crush

Amy Wilson-3-Design Crush

PHOTOS: Amy Wilson

 

Posted In entertaining
1
September 20, 2013

Happy Weekend

1-Design Crush

2-Design Crush

3-Design Crush

4-Design Crush

5-Design Crush

6-Design Crush

7-Design Crush

8-Design Crush

9-Design Crush

10-Design Crush

01/ 100 handmade shark fins float in a lagoon in New Zealand.
02/ Clever wallpaper that shows the skeletons of animals.
03/ This paperless artist uses her thigh as a canvas.
04/ This old-fashioned homemade soda party looks delicious!
05/ Beautiful bird flipbook machines.
06/ Delft wallpaper, who woulda thunk it?
07/ A typeface made of carefully shaped fried eggs.
08/ A beautiful state flower print.
09/ Aerial and fashion photography mashups.
10/ Simple timelines put today in perspective versus the rest of history.

This week on Design Crush:
Jen Kindell
12 September DIYs
Washed Up
Tesler + Mendelovitch
Lisa Krannichfeld
PROEF
Spiced Pear Upside-Down Cake
Stephanie K Clark
Moving Windows

Posted In create, entertaining, graphics, happy weekend, house and home, illustration, installation, paper goods, photography, prints, recipes, walls
1
September 19, 2013

Spiced Pear Upside-Down Cake

Spiced-Pear-Upside-Down-Cake-Design-Crush

I cobbled together this cake last Sunday for a dinner and it was a hit. The pears weren’t over-baked or the slightest bit mushy and the cake was the perfect density and texture. I’ll definitely be putting this recipe in my back pocket to mix up with different fruits throughout the year. (Blackberries! Fresh cherries! Plums!)

 

Spiced Pear Upside-Down Cake
Makes 2 cakes, serves 6 each

• 1/2 C butter (half a stick)
• 1 1/2 C packed brown sugar
• 4 pears, peeled and sliced (6 if you like a higher ratio of fruit, like me)
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, and 1/4 tsp clove)
• 3/4 C unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 C sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 4 large eggs
• 2 1/4 C all-purpose flour
• 1 C milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt 1/2 cup butter and pour equal parts into two 9″ round glass cake pans. Divide and sprinkle brown sugar evenly over melted butter. Peel and half pears, remove cores, and slice into quarter-inch sections. Place slices into large bowl and toss with pumpkin pie spice until coated. Arrange pear slices in concentric circles over butter and brown sugar mixture on bottoms of pans and set aside. Beat softened unsalted butter, sugar, baking powder, and vanilla with mixer on high until fluffy (about 3 minutes). Add eggs, one at a time, until well incorporated. On low, beat in flour and milk alternately. Gently pour half of batter into each pan to cover pears. Bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes, then run a butter knife around the outer edge of each and invert on serving dish. Gently lift cake pan. Serve warm, with vanilla bean ice cream for bonus points.

Posted In recipes
3