Bar Cart Bliss

Ahhhh I've been dying for a gold bar cart! Alas I cannot find one that I love that is in my very limited budget. I have no idea why they are so expensive!!!? $1200? Why!? So, I will continue my hunt for the perfect {and affordable} cart. I just love how they bring a refined vibe into your home. I guess if a bar cart could talk it would say, “Yeah. I like to party, but I be classy.” Plus it's a great way to display some of your favorite items… artsy glassware, flea market finds and pretty bottles etc. Daaaaarling, The styling opportunities are endless. It would be perfect for little get-togethers with friends. And the bar cart has been around since the mid-1930′s so you KNOW it’s not going out of style any time soon. Here are some carts from around the web + decorating inspiration!

1.Roland Gold Cart /2.Gold Leafed Cart / 3. Brighton Gold Leaf Bamboo Bar Cart / 4.1950's Faux-Bamboo Bar Cart / 5.Wooden Crate & Barrel Bar Cart / 6. Lacy Bar Cart / 7.Tea Cart / 8.Worlds Away Gold Bar Cart /9. Crate and Barrel wheeled cart / 10. Threshold Wood and Brass Bar Cart /  Sur La Table glass decanter / Whiskey Ice Balls /Zara Home Drinkware / Striped Straws / Sur La Table Stainless Steel Straws / Seletti Glass Bottles / Golddust Bead Coral Wine Coaster / Book: The Little Black Jacket: Chanel's Classic Revisited  

Pictures: HG, shopsocietysocial, restorationhardware

Domino Gold Bar Cart X Sun Burst Manhattan Chanel Bar Cart Chambord

Cortaditos {With A Stove Top Espresso Maker}

Cortadito, is a Cuban espresso topped with steamed milk. It's by far my new favorite way to drink espresso! Sweet, creamy and full of flavor.

Here's what you'll need:

Stove top espresso maker

French coffee press

2-3 tablespoons Cuban espresso {Italian is fine too...I won't tell}

4 tablespoons white sugar

1 cup evaporated milk

Directions:

Makes 4

1. Prepare your espresso maker according to the manufacturers directions. The amount of grounds used will be specific to your individual pots. Most require 2-3 tablespoons of espresso grounds. Fill the bottom container with water {just below the pressure valve} and then spoon your espresso into the metal filter. Gently smooth the grounds with the back of a spoon.  Screw the top back on and place on the stove. Wait for espresso to peculate.

2. Scoop 4 Tbs. of white sugar into a cup. Pour a few drops of hot espresso into the sugar and vigorously mix. This will result in a creamy, light brown paste. Add the remaining espresso to the paste and stir, creating a light brown layer of foam. 

^^^

*This is the cheaters way of simulating crema with a stove top espresso maker...not all of us can afford fancy pressurized machines, right? This is the next best thing.

3. Pour your sweet espresso in to tiny cups {fill halfway}.

4. Pour 1 cup of evaporated milk into a microwavable cup. Heat for 30 seconds or until hot. Then pour it into a French press. Pump the filter on the French press a few times to force oxygen into the milk, this will make it thick and frothy -- perfect for fine foam. 

*If you don't own a French press, you can stir the milk with a whisk and tap the cup on the counter to get rid of any large bubbles.

5. Pour the hot evaporated milk over the espresso and top with a pinch of cinnamon.

Beware. They are extremely addictive. I may have had 4 in one morning... Maybe I should just make them in a bigger cup? Ehh? No? 

I say yes. 

P.S. Dan is hooked too.

Pirch Cooking Class

Last Saturday Dan and I took a free cooking class at Pirch {it's this super beautiful home design and fixtures wonderland. No joke.}. This place is amazing, even if you aren't a home owner, it's great to get ideas and look at all the purdy things. Dan and I are in the middle of building two rental houses, so we like to walk around this place and dream of the day when the houses will be finished or better yet, dream of the day when we can move into our own home someday {I love the little house we are renting, but it'll be nice to have a place we can officially call our own}. Oh I'll take that granite counter top and the built in espresso machine please -- if money only grew on trees right? Every square inch of the Pirch is spectacular!

So as I was saying. We signed up for a FREE cooking class! As soon as we entered the Pirch we were greeted by some lovely baristas offering us fancy coffee! What? Can we live here? Then two chefs gathered us for a walk to the local SOCO Farmers Market where we learned about organic farming and free range livestock. After sampling cocoa almonds, blood oranges and avocado honey we walked back to the Pirch to begin our cooking lesson.

Our awesome chefs John and Craig.

        Me and Danny concentrating on choppin' veggies. 

Eggs over sautéed kale and chard. Dan's new favorite dish...he's made it twice this week! I love it when he cooks! I even managed to take it to work with us {hot out of the oven}! I looked semi- ridiculous carrying a hot pan to my car in the morning, oven mitt and all. Worth it.

It was a fantastic class and a great start to our weekend. I can't believe they offer it for free! So cool. A big thanks to the Pirch for being so amazing. We had a lot of fun! 

Pictures 1,8,15 and 16 thepirch.com

Lemon Velvet Cream Pie & Tarts

I would have to say that this is my favorite pie/tart recipe {you can either make 1 pie or 6 tarts}! The texture is perfection...smooth like a velvety custard with a tart refreshing taste and a creamy finish. I like mine served cold with a glass of milk!

Ingredients

1 refrigerated 9 inch pie crust {or 2 9inch for tarts}

1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin

2 tablespoons cold water

6 egg yolks

2 cups sweetened condensed milk

¼ cup whipping cream

¼ teaspoon salt

¾ cup fresh lemon juice

For Decorating:

Whipped Cream

Lemon zest

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Line your pie pan or tart pans with premade pie crust and place in the oven at 375 for 15 minutes. Be sure to prick the bottom and sides of pastry with a fork so the crust won’t bubble up when baking. Cool on a wire rack.

In a small bowl mix 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin in 2 tablespoons of cold water for 5 minutes. Then heat in microwave for 10 seconds and set aside.

In large mixing bowl combine 6 egg yolks and 2 cups of sweetened condensed milk. With an electric mixer, beat on high speed for 2 to 3 minutes until well combined. Add gelatin,  1/4 cup whipping cream and 1/4 teaspoon salt on low speed. Add 3/4 cup of fresh lemon juice and beat on low speed for 30 seconds. Pour into prepared crust {pie will be full}.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until center of pie if firm when gently shaken; cool on wire rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate until time to serve.

Top with whipped cream and lemon zest

Merry Christmas!

Wishing you all a beautiful Christmas filled with love, hugs and happiness...

tucked into each stocking,

resting softly beneath the tree,

nestled into every corner of your world.

Love Brittany and Daniel

Frosted Rosemary Sprigs with Cranberries {Drink Garnish}

I made these for our Christmas party this year. They are so easy to make and they look really pretty. I paired mine with a Brut Champagne (but I'm sure they would work with a variety of drinks}. The rosemary is very aromatic -- a lovely little surprise that lingers in your glass. 

Here's what you'll need: 

5 inch or longer rosemary sprigs {= to # of glasses you'll be serving}

1 bag of fresh cranberries

1 bowl of water

1 cup of sugar {for dusting}

 ^^^ strip the rosemary so that just the top needles are left. Spear each cranberry in the middle and push it up towards the top.

 ^^^Dip the Rosemary needles into the water bowl and then into the sugar. Tap to get any excess sugar off.

^^^Then put them in the freezer and take them out just before your guests arrive.