some november thoughts

Hellooo! It's incredible that we are already over a week into November, and I haven't posted since mid-October! I promised I wouldn't give up blogging, and I wanna stay true to that! But the idea of privacy has definitely taken the pressure off the need to post a certain number of times per week and month. I feel like it's a good fit for now. November is the month of gatherings and birthdays here in this family. It has been lovely and busy, as usual, with lots of dreaming and doing. Here are a few thoughts, favorites, and phases for November so far...

• my nifty fifty lens! I had been eyeing up the 50mm f/1.4 prime lens for my Nikon for a few weeks before making the (not so big) splurge. It is so cost effective and I love the super wide aperture, which results in a more blurred background with a delightful bokeh effect. The picture above was taken of me with the nifty fifty. Love the versatility of this lens, even though you can't zoom in and out. Definitely can see how it is a piece every photographer should own. 

• outfit obsessions right now: hats, vests, and boots. I have been all over hats for a while and it seems suddenly with the ushering in of fall, they are EVERYWHERE, available in all stores, and man I love it! This one is an oldie from last winter from Brixton - love the super wide, floppy brim. The whole trend is really great and even extends into better haircare, I think...here's my thinking...if I know I am wearing a hat, I'm not worrying about my hair or what it looks like.  Outerwear and vests are another current obsession of mine - I keep finding myself pinning new pieces and really lusting over unusual, textured pieces that make layering easy and interesting. And boots! I'm searching for a nice pair of black booties, and I expect I will wait until I meet the perfect pair.

• amazon prime movies and rentals. this is my new friday night date! I have been all over Amazon Prime's rentals - most start at $2.99 - because it is so effortless and easy, and almost any title is available. I've really been enjoying it on cold weekday nights when I have some extra time to relax in bed. With the free titles, I've been exploring all types of movies I normally don't watch - oldies, war movies, Jane Austen classics, etc. Most of them are clunkers but it is fun to give it a shot. My most recent eye-roller was Miss Julie, with Jessica Chastain and Colin Farrell....it had me for a while, but just got so horribly bad. My on-rotation favorite is the Civil War documentary by Ken Burns. It is going through its 25th anniversary again on Sunday nights, PBS :)

• cabin dreaming. I have been really keen on the idea of simpler country living, it seems. This year we've had talk in the family about what it would be like to have a cabin. It just seems like all of this dreaming and talking is turning the idea of a cabin into quite a lovely aspiration. The country appeals to me for its lack of crowds, the fresh air, the untainted night sky, the sounds and smells of the outdoors. I was not always like this! I am not sure where this is coming from...but I am feeling really into country, cabin life. 

• wanderlust: i am dreaming big and small. We are taking a small trip to Gettysburg this weekend, which I am looking forward to immensely. part of it is inspo from watching the Civil War documentary! It will be a poignant, but eerily enriching trip. Big dreams include international travel...I'm missing the big time trips!  I really want to get some plans into work about London, my friend and I have been wanting to go for years now but the plans just never fell into place. Maybe something in the next few months will work out...

Naan Pesto con Proscuitto Flatbread

Now that I am back in the work grind I am finding it hard to stay motivated, especially after work, to cook a healthy dinner I won't feel guilty about. I feel like that summer ease to stay active in the kitchen is long gone! Being in that kind of a rut is so frustrating, especially when options exist but you just can't think of anything. My guilty go-to is always pasta. It's easy to cook and easily my favorite food on the planet. I go for pesto when I want to keep it light, and spicy marinara or butter when I feel like diving into the "I'm SO HUNGRY I don't even care" abyss.

When I do care, a feel a little creative, I tend to experiment with my favorite flatbread: naan. I prefer greens on my homemade flatbreads - like pesto. Arugula is great, too! When I make my pesto flatbread, I feel like I am getting a little taste of my favorite dish! It's not necessarily healthy, but the portions are small and are probably less carbs than pasta.

So...introducing my new pesto flatbread favorite. The ingredients are simple - in fact, the simpler the better because pesto is such a flavorful base in itself. Proscuitto, pecorino, a little bit of mozzarella - and in this case, capers. No measurements, just what looks about right and will stay on your flatbread in the oven!

I love how the proscuitto (ripped into strips) are crispy after only 5-6 minutes at 350 degrees. The pecorino holds its' shape, while the mozzarella melts and holds everything down. Capers were a last-minute decision, but may have competed a bit with the pesto itself. Capers are really salty, and taste good with a chicken piccata sort of dish...maybe not this one.

This pairs {really} well with a nice wine and some olives, cheese, and other antipasti. 2 small, circle-shaped naan flatbreads are more than enough for a nice lunch or an appetizer.

ciao! xo

some cool-weather europe travel inspo

As you can see...

I am craving chilled, foggy hills that emit a gloomy sort of glow.

Small villages perched on cliffs, with houses made of stones.

Lights of all kinds flickering on the snow.

Jagged rocks with cold salt water lapping about.

The distant shrills of the Orient Express as it passes on a long bridge.

Europe in the fall and winter is looking so attractive to me right about now! 

I am not sure why - but I am really itching for a visit in the England/France/Germany/Austria/Switzerland area.

So pretty much everywhere.

I'm envisioning midnight sleigh rides, 

light films of frost on the countryside,

bright waters and verdant landscapes.

sigh!! 

ciao, xo

coffee diaries | boro bean

 We stumbled upon Boro Bean after taking a wrong turn on our route towards Princeton, NJ - best mistake in as long as I can remember!

Hopewell, NJ is the most charming simple American town. Its' lovely main street, Broad Street, was having a fall festival of sorts. It was a glorious, chilly Saturday of sidewalk sales, open houses and markets, and people walking together along the street. Our stop at Boro Bean was very serendipitous, as it was the first business we saw as we turned on to Broad, with twinkly lights adorning the rustic wooden porch. I loved the look of the front porch with creaky old wood. It had just the right amount of space to feel cozy yet spaced out, and there was a table right up front that I had my mom snag.

Our order was a pumpkin spice latte and a regular coffee, Jet Fuel blend (!!) for our autumn afternoon.

I was floored by the small-town feel of this cafe, where the barista was kind enough to engage me in conversation about what specifics I wanted for my latte, what I was doing in town today, what I was photographing (he noticed my camera). It's what all cafes should be like.  Nick, my barista, is clearly a master at creating a pumpkin spice latte with the works - whipped cream, cinnamon, pumpkin flavor, and perfectly steamed skim milk. It was just as delicious as it was beautiful!

So, these pictures capture a really special few moments of my day. Amazing cafes do exist outside big metropolitan areas and crowded streets. I can't wait to make my pilgrimage back here every fall, and a bunch of other times in between.

ciao! xo

Boro Bean
9 E. Broad Street
Hopewell, New Jersey
@BoroBean