One of the great things about living in Colorado is the great access to farm-fresh produce during the summer.  From fresh corn to fragrant tomatoes, everything seems to be in season right now, so we decided to take advantage of the abundance of wonderful food at a summer “Farm to Table” dinner party last weekend.  The meal featured local, organic produce and flowers, and herbs and other goodies right out of the garden!

Our friend Robin, of Robin Cain Photography, was …

When Dr. Dave and I were first dating, one of the things we enjoyed doing together the most was cooking.  From shrimp scampi to chicken wraps, we experimented with new dishes as we got to know one another in the kitchen.  When we realized that we both had a passion for making (and eating!) sushi, we put our heads together and busted out our sushi mats.

Now that we’re married, despite all the caramel white chocolate pancakes, stuffed french toast, and …

Unicorns. Easter Bunnies.  Instant hangover cures.  Stilletos that I can wear all night (and all day).  A camera that doesn’t make me look 10 pounds heavier.

A delicious open-faced sandwich fancy enough to serve for dinner guests.

All things that, until last week, I thought were figments of my wishful-thinking based imagination…and then. I discovered Croque Montagnarde.

“What are you serving for dinner tonight, Briana?”
“Croque Montagnarde.”
::insert stunned silence here::.

That’s how I picture that conversation going.  To sum up this “sandwich,” found in Martha …

Remember that post a while back about the Black Swan Diet? Forget all of that information.  It’s time to talk about…pancakes.

These aren’t just pancakes. They’re not just pancakes with a handful of blueberries, or a handful of chocolate chips, or a handful of anything “tossed in.”  These are premeditated, first-degree-murder-on-your-waistline pancakes.

AND THEY ARE AMAZING.

{all images courtesy of author’s personal collection}

These pancakes have pretzels.  They have a sweet topping and a salty crunchy bite.  They have a white chocolate and a caramel …

Please excuse the cheesy post title.   Nothing else would suit. There are few people in this world who make me more happy than my best friend Lisa.

You know those people you meet and instantaneously can’t imagine your life without?  The ones who you have graduation parties with, who cry with you over that jerk ex-boyfriend, bring you chocolate ice cream by the gallon, and do cartwheels with you on the beach?

That’s Lisa.  And I’ll tell you what: the only thing that …

Ok. If you are looking for a figure-friendly way to start your new year, a nutritious start to your activity-filled day, or a low-fat egg-white protein smoothie recipe…this post is not for you.  However, if you happen to be snowed in, feeling a bit indulgent, having a rough day, or just craving something wonderful, delectable, creamy, slightly crunchy, and a bit sweet…. buckle up, darlings.  You’ve hit the jackpot.

{Image courtesy of Author’s Personal Collection}

Well hello.  I’d like to introduce you …

There’s a little film out right now called “Black Swan,” with Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis. You miiiiiiiiiight have heard of it. It’s getting some well-deserved (in my opinion!) attention right now.

Saw the movie. Loved it. It scared the crap out of me. But that’s beside the point, as this post is not a movie review. The movie itself is based on the ballet world, which is awesome, because ballet hasn’t gotten this attention since Center Stage came out over …

We are finally. FINALLY! Done with our kitchen!  With the last of the hinges put on our cabinets today, we can sit back and enjoy our comfy little kitchen.  As a reminder, here is what the kitchen looked like before, when the old tenants lived here:

And now, complete:

It has been one heck of a DIY journey, and we’re so thankful for my dad, mom, and sister, who were able to put in significant amounts of time helping to get this …

I have been wanting to make this cake for roughly forever.  It’s called a crepe cake, and to me, it brings to mind images of elegant, exotic european tea parties.  This weekend, I finally got the chance to whip this baby up.  Be prepared, it utilizes 1 dozen eggs, so have a dozen handy (preferably cage-free, local, organic eggs).

The cake was a bit tricky, and definitely time consuming.  There were moments when I thought I’d have to scrap the whole thing, …

A couple of weeks ago, my family had the joyous occasion of watching my sister and her fiancee be married at my parent’s home in Golden, Colorado.

It was a beautiful backyard wedding: elegant, sweet, and thoughtful.  I had the pleasure of debuting my new floral company, Petaling in Tandem, and I am so thrilled with the photos that I had to share them all with you!

All photos courtesy of Jason Long Photography.

Bride’s bouquet, wrapped with lace from mom’s wedding dress

Centerpieces and decor

Bridesmaid …