earl grey shortbread

 

okay let's first get things straight, this is NOT a valentine's post. i promise (but i will do something valentine-ish in february #sorrynotsorry). i know it is only the beginning of january, but i had the urge to bake some shortbread cookies (holiday withdrawal) & i just love heart shaped cookies. it seemed even more fitting because these are such a dreamy shortbread cookie recipe with the addition of the earl grey. i used this double bergamont tea to give them a maximum earl grey flavour! these are truly the perfect cookie to serve with your tea.

changing gears

now that we have cookies let's go over some new year plans, shall we?! i didn't want to bombard everyone with a cheesy 2016 inspirational recap post or both my personal & business goals for 2017 BUT i would love to give you a heads up on what i have planned for hey modest marce this year. up until now it has mainly been food focused, but since purchasing our first (& hopefully forever) home in the early fall i want to transition things a little. i want to show more lifestyle posts including all the different interior designs i have been working very hard on! linens, brass, paints, wallpaper (so much wallpaper) & so on. cheers to 2017 & all the fun things i have planned! i hope you are as excited as i am.

p.s. i have my first design sponge feature coming up this month showcasing both the great room & the powder room. i am very, very, very excited about it.

xo

ingredients

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup raw sugar (i use sugar in the raw)
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons ground earl grey (i use this loose leaf tea)
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1-2 tablespoons strong brewed earl grey tea, room temperature

directions

  • in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment beat butter & raw sugar until just combined. add in vanilla extract.
  • sift in ground earl grey, flour & sea salt. beat until dough comes together.
  • if dough is crumbly, add in the brewed earl grey tea one tablespoon at a time until you get the desired consistency.
  • roll out on floured surface & shape into a disk. wrap in plastic & refrigerate for one hour.
  • once dough has chilled, roll out on a floured surface to ¼ inch thick. use desired cookie cutters to create cookie shape.
  • bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, or until the edges JUST begin to brown. let cool to room temperature.

p.s. cutest pink & grey ceramics by anna wallace ceramics including the dish, pinch spoon & cake plate! 

roasted beet hummus

 

hi friends! i hope you all had the best new years yet. are we all ready for 2017? SEVENTEEN! i will forever think 2000 was just a few years ago. i took a much needed break from blogging + social media over the holidays to spend it with my friends & family, but now i am BACK with the prettiest hummus i ever did see. i think beet hummus is the best way to get back into the swing of things because it's healthy & well, it's PINK.

now that justin & i are officially living in modest house (most of the work is done.. for now) we have a lot of entertaining to do. i have been working on all different finger foods to serve when people come over to see the house! i served this hummus with a variety of different flavoured harvest snaps. harvest snaps are a snap pea crisp that i topped last year's (errr last month's) black pepper mac & cheese with! they are so good as is, but throw hummus into the mix & you have one hell of a snack! here i served it with lightly salted original, tomato basil & black bean habanero (SPICY).

ingredients

directions

  • preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  • line a baking pan or dish with parchment paper & toss beets, onion, parsley & garlic in olive oil, salt & pepper.
  • roast for an hour, turning over beets halfway through.
  • let cool while you prepare the hummus.
  • in a food processor add the chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, water, lemon, salt & pepper. puree until smooth.
  • peel the roasted beets & add the roasted beets, onion, garlic & fresh parsely. puree again until smooth.
  • transfer to serving dish & serve with black bean habanero, lightly salted harvest snaps & lentil bean tomato basil harvest snaps!
  • stores for a week in a glass weck jar.

this post was created in partnership with harvest snaps! thank you for supporting the brands that keep me doing what i love. xo

orange creamsicle cocktail

 

i hope everyone had the BEST (most spoiled) christmas ever! i am beyond stuffed from all the turkey & ham that was consumed, not to mention the italian tradition of a big plate of pasta before every meal. the sugared cranberry cheesecake was a hit too! it was the first time any of my family had eaten sugared cranberries and they loved them.

the holiday celebrations are not over yet though! we have one more boxing day dinner tonight with justin's family before we get ready to ring in the new year! i am not that big of a new years eve person anymore.. we will probably stay in, make some fancy snacks & ring in 2017 in our new home. however, i love new years day brunch gatherings. one last meal before we all start to lose the holiday weight caused by endless amounts of food & drinks.

this year i wanted to create a lighter cocktail to sip on during brunch. a vodka twist on the classic mimosa, but still including fresh orange juice. orange juice always has to be served with breakfast or brunch, so i created this orange creamsicle cocktail using zevia's natural cream soda. it is so good, it literally taste like an orange creamsicle popsicle. bonus points that it is made with zevia's zero calorie cream soda sweetended with stevia. this cocktail will be sure to impress your guest & bring them back to those childhood creamsicle days.

happy new year friends! cheers to the last post of 2016. i can't wait to see what 2017 has in store:)

xo

ingredients

  • 1.5 oz vodka
  • 2 oz freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 1 oz milk * 2 oz zevia cream soda
  • ice, for serving
  • fresh mint, for garnishing

directions

  • in a cocktail shaker add vodka, orange juice, milk, cream soda & ice. shake well!
  • pour into desired cocktail glass, add fresh ice & garnish with a sprig of mint.