Gifts For your BFF!

1. I love this print! I saw it the other day and wanted to buy it. It is such a cute reminder that we can do anything we put our minds to! Find it here.

2. Interesting pottery is my current obsession. I love spicing up cute little succulents and plants with interesting geometric pottery. Find this cute one here. 

3. I love little fun gifts that you would never buy for yourself. Does anything sound as dreamy as French Girl Rose Lip Polish? I want some! Buy it here. 

4. Even if I don't write on paper as much as I wish I did, special notebooks give me joy and give me reason to start writing more. These little pocket notebooks are perfect for your globe trotting besties! Find them here.

5. I love the idea of gifts you and your friends can enjoy together. A classic marble cheese board is the perfect gift that will keep on giving! Buy it here. 

6. Rose scent is so luxurious. Nothing is more relaxing than a moisturizing spray before bed. Buy here. 

7. A beautiful book is an heirloom. Especially this one that teaches the lost art of handwritten letters. I absolutely adore the idea of gifting this book. Buy it here.

Spiced Cranberry Bundt Cake

I love Christmas baking; it warms my heart with the best memories of my childhood. Around this time of year, my Mom and I attended tons of different Christmas bazaars and church events - all which included baked sweets. Each year she impressed others with her famous noel balls, pink pigs, and pies. I love the way my Mom bakes; she has an intuition about good food, especially baked goods. When baking, I always remember her advice: "Look at the ingredients, only use recipes with the best." This may seem obvious, but her love of heavy whipping cream always makes her stuff a cut above the rest. I have a feeling my Mom would love this cake. I love a good bundt cake - they are so very festive. I got this beautiful bundt pan last year at Williams-Sonoma; I love its impressive shape. This spiced cranberry cake matches its impressive appearance in an even more impressive flavor. Seriously this is SO good. 

You will need:

• 2 3/4 cupsall purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin spice seasoning
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 oz cream cheese
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 lemon's juice
• 3/4 cups milk
• 1 cup halved fresh or frozen cranberries (do not thaw)
• 1/2 cup dried sweetened cranberries

Icing

• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 4 teaspoons (about) orange juice

Preheat the oven to 350˚. Butter and flour your bundt pan. In a bowl whisk together the first 8 dry ingredients. In an electric mixer beat the butter until fluffy. Add both sugars to the butter and beat until fluffy, next adding the cream cheese . Add the eggs one at a time. Add 1/2 of a lemons juice followed by 3/4 cups of milk. Add dry ingredients and beat just until combined. Add the cranberries and gently mix by hand. Pour into greased bundt pan and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Once finished, let cool completely. For the icing, whisk the powder sugar and orange juice. Let the mixture sit for 30 minutes then pour on cake. Enjoy! 

Recipe adapted from Bon Appetite. 

Current Obsession: Copper Kitchen

As of late, I am obsessed with copper kitchen accessories. For some reason, copper reminds me of a wintery cottage; it's so classic but is making a major comeback. Its a fresh pop of unexpected color that I want to start incorporating in my kitchen! I pulled together some items I am wanting from my two favorite kitchen stores, Anthropologie and Williams-Sonoma. Enjoy! 

1. Sauce pan 2.Copper flatware  3.Copper canisters 4.Copper beating bowl 5.Measuring cups 6.Colander

Our Perfect Cheese Platter

Nathan and I are HUGE cheese lovers. Little-to-nothing excites us more than a good cheese display. Literally nothing disappoints more than a lame one. While in Europe, we found ourselves wanting to incorporate interesting cheeses into our daily routine and I truly wish the U.S. would adopt this style of eating! Nothing is better than a quality assortment of finger foods.

This is pretty close to a perfect cheese platter. I would probably add some tiny pickles and something bruschetta/caprese-esque but last night, this was perfect. Not a better way to ring in the new year: hanging at home, reminiscing, and eating good food! 

These are the basics every good cheese platter should have. Our absolute favorite cheeses are the Unexpected Cheddar from Trader Joe's and their brie cheese. 

Some sort of Italian soda is key. We opted for a delicious sparkling pomegranate flavor.  

Nathan added some blackberries to his pomegranate soda which was delicious.