Spring Tea Party Bites + My Bridal Shower

My whole heart is so full, it is just about to burst. I am getting married in almost a month, and some of my favorite people got together this weekend to help me celebrate with my bridal shower. We had the BEST time. I will preface this by saying one of my favorite things to do is going to high tea. Hoity-toity it may be, but I relish in the excuse to get all dolled up, sip tea with our pinkies (awkwardly) raised, and nibble on dainty sweet and savory bites with people who just make me smile. I am not one of those people who had ever imagined what my wedding dress would look like or the type of wedding cake I would have, but I knew that I wanted a tea party to make an appearance somewhere in the wedding planning process. 

I was all set to gather around with my close friends and family for tea and bridal shower games, until I stumbled upon Maddie from Madalynne Studios on Instagram. Maddie, a seamstress extraordinaire (among many other awesome things), makes beautiful sporty, modern lingerie and hosts day-long sewing and bra-making workshops which attract people from all over the country. I reached out, asking her about hosting a little sewing workshop in her beautiful studio space for my bridal shower. I was thrilled when she said yes. The plan was that we would all bring homemade tea-party bites, sip tea, and learn to sew something. She had the idea of doing a little "Panty Party" in which we would all sew cute panties while we mingled around. 

The most fantastic thing was that none of us had any real sewing machine experience, and ALL of us made a pair of fancy underpants by the end of the shower. They were bright red, high-waisted in the best possible way, and incredibly comfortable. Maddie warned us that we would all be wearing them by the end of the event, and right she was! Maddie was the perfect hostess and instructor. She was patient with the more perfectionist types and easy-going with those who got a little distracted with the delicious treats we all made. She also was a master troubleshooter when I got myself into a sewing hole...which happened quite a few times. As an added DIY, I brought materials for simple hand-sewn heart-shaped tea bags that looked beautiful floating in their tea cups. 

I must give a huge shout-out to all of my friends and family who brought the most beautiful and delicious tea party treats. We hardly had enough table space for all of the goodies! My Mom and little sister made super-cute avocado and egg sandwiches on pumpernickel, miso-yogurt and radish toasts, and cucumber and cream cheese sandwiches. My bridesmaids and friends made savory frittatas, brie-stuffed puff pasty nibbles, chocolate and red wine strawberry cakes, mini lemon cupcakes, and cookies galore. My future sister-in-law brought the juiciest strawberries from Carlos Bakery, and my future mother-in-law brought tasty Filipino empanadas fresh from the bakery. The photos below do these treats more justice than any words, so take a look for yourself. Maddie snapped the gorgeous event photos in between wearing her sewing teacher hat.

Food and tea aside, It was so special for me to have many of the important, supportive, and loving women in my life all together for the afternoon. Many of them come from different periods in my life, so to have that shared sewing experience was just the cherry on top. I cannot wait to have them all together again in just 32 days when I walk down the aisle (!).

As many times as I was told I should not have to do anything for my shower, I could not resist. I love making things look beautiful, and that most certainly means I wanted to make some beautiful food. Nothing fancy, but something certainly bright, fresh, and oh-so-spring. I made four types of tea nibbles leading up to the event as practice and loved them all!

• Egg and Avocado Salad with Radish on Whole Grain
• Roasted Beet and Tahini with Lemon and Dill on Pumpkernickel
• Cucumber with Edamame Goat Cheese on Whole Wheat
• Curried Chickpea Radicchio Cups

I could not even name a favorite for you- they work so well together. I ultimately decided to take just two of them to the shower given the amount of food others were bringing, and I am glad I did because there was not a smidgen of space left on the tables... or in anyone's bellies!

Without further ado, here they are!

Egg and Avocado Salad with Radish on Whole Grain

4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and finely diced
2 avocados, peeled, pitted and finely diced
1/2 lemon, juiced
salt and pepper, to taste
2 radishes, very finely julienned
8 slices whole grain bread, preferably sandwich bread

Mash 1 avocado with lemon juice and generous sprinkling of salt and pepper. Stir in chopped eggs. Add remaining diced avocado and mix gently so as to not break up the diced avocado too much. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spread on 4 slices of bread. Sprinkle with julienned radishes. Slice pieces into squares or into slender thirds. Enjoy!

Beet and Tahini with Lemon and Dill on Pumpernickel

3 medium to large beets, greens removed and roots scrubbed clean (no need to peel yet)
1/2-3/4 cup tahini
1 lemon, zested
1 handful dill, finely chopped (or another microgreen of choice, for garnish)
1/3 cup sunflower seeds, toasted
sea salt and pepper, for sprinkling
7 thin slices German Pumpernickel bread, toasted or other thin, sturdy bread

Prepare beets. Place clean beets in a steamer basket in a pot with water just to bottom of basket. Steam beets for 40-50 minutes, or until butter knife inserted to beet slips through easily. Be sure to add more water about half way through to prevent pot from scorching. Alternatively, beets can be wrapped in foil and roasted in oven at 400 degrees for 45-50 minutes. Remove beets from heat and allow to cool before slipping skins from beet. Using a mandoline or very carefully with a knife, thinly slice beets into paper-thin sheets. Set sheets aside.

Spread about 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons tahini on one side of each of toasted bread slices. Be careful not to go over the edge or the become a little messy. Layer beet slices in thin layer atop tahini. Sprinkle with lemon zest, chopped dill (or microgreen), toasted sunflower seeds, and sea salt and pepper. Slice bread into thirds and then leave in rectangles or slice into squares. Makes 21 rectangular slices or 42 squares.

Cucumber with Edamame Goat Cheese on Whole Wheat

1 large English (seedless) cucumber
1 recipe Edamame Goat Cheese Spread
1/2 loaf of soft whole wheat bread
handful of chives, finely chopped
sea salt, to taste

Slice cucumber width-wise into thirds. Thinly slice cucumbers thirds lengthwise into paper-tin strips. Divide edamame spread amongst bread slices. Layer cucumber slices diagonally atop spread. Some cucumber will hang over the edges. This website has a great visual tutorial. Carefully cut crusts from bread, and then cut slices into 4 small squares. Sprinkle with chives and a sprinkling of sea salt. Enjoy!

Curried Chickpea Radicchio Cups

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
2 15-ounce cans chickpeas, drained (or 3 cups cooked chickpeas)
2 green onions, white and light green parts, minced
1/3 cup of dried apricots, minced
1 celery stalk, minced
1/2 lemon, juiced and zested
3 tablespoons Greek yogurt, 2% recommended
1/3 cup chopped almonds, toasted
handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1 small head radicchio, leaves removed carefully and torn in half (alternatively, use lettuce leaves or endive)

Warm olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add curry powder and cook until fragrant, about 45 seconds. Add chickpeas to skillet and toss to coat. Remove chickpeas and residual oil to bowl. Add green onions, apricots, celery, and lemon zest and juice. Stir to combine. When mixture has cooled slightly, add yogurt, almonds, cilantro, and salt and pepper to taste. mix thoroughly. Divide mixture amongst radicchio cups, placing a few tablespoons in each cup, sprinkle with any extra cilantro and almonds, and serve. Makes about 12-16 radicchio cups, depending on the size.

**A huge THANK YOU to Maddie for also taking beautiful photographs at the event and to BHLDN for supplying some of the bridal shower-perfect decor and paper products. Maddie also blogged about the event here on her blog and posted more photos, so check it out!

Good Habit #3: Try a New Whole Grain

We all get into ruts. Or maybe they are not ruts so much as patterns. We stay in our comfort zone and inertia makes it that much harder to change. So I am proposing one small change this week in the kitchen, something to switch things up. Are you with me?

Let's Fall into Good Habits #3: Try a new whole grain. Maybe your go-to is brown rice, but why not try millet? Maybe quinoa is your thing. I love how quickly it cooks and how nutty it tastes, but what about trying bulgur wheat, or if you forgo gluten, buckwheat? There are so many options! Teff, farro, barley, and amaranth. You can eat it plain, alongside your favorite main, or try it as the star ingredient of a dish.

Whole grains are little powerhouses of nutrition. They are high in fiber, iron, and even provide a little protein. Many of them have nutrients that boost our immune system, and they help stabilize blood sugar compared to refined flours and breads.

Here are a few dishes from this site for some inspiration.

Bulgur: Cherry and Herb Bulgur Salad with Golden Halloumi
Sorghum (gluten-free): Chard, Delicata Squash, and Tahini Tofu Bowl with Sorghum
Millet (gluten-free): Poblano Peppers Stuffed with Millet and Black Beans or Roasted Carrots and Lemony Millet with Black Garlic and Herbed Yogurt
Einkorn: Winter Einkorn Bowls with Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Squash, Tempeh, and Lemon Tahini Drizzle

Let me know what grain you try and what dish you make!

If you missed the other Good Habits, click Good Habit #1 and Good Habit #2 to find out more!

Good Habit #2: Develop an Evening Ritual

When I was a pre-teen, I hated getting ready for bed. I was usually too tired by the time I convinced myself to go bed to put in any real effort in the bathroom. I was not yet a flosser, and toothbrushing was over in the blink-of-eye. I nearly removed a whole layer washing my face each night with St. Ives apricot scrub and then slathered on the Clearasil acne cream- yes, the tinted version that made me look like an Oompa Loompa. Not even a lick of moisturizer on my face. My skin just crackles thinking about it. Since then, my night-time habits have improved and gotten a little more gentle, but the routine of getting ready for bed has always been a bit of a dread. Despite this, I have always been a stickler about having a bed-time routine and am pretty regimented in brushing my teeth and washing my face...Being a former dental student and having acne as a teen make those two things a must.

But now, I am just beginning to think that how I get ready for bed affects how well or how poorly I sleep. I still have a ways to go, but I am learning to use that time as personal time, a chance to unwind, a chance to connect with me, myself, and I.

I once read an article about how French women are quite adept at the art of pampering themselves. Of course this is probably not true for all French women, but the point is that their culture is more celebratory of the beautification and cleansing processes compared to the American culture. We rush through the process in pursuit of the outcome. For the French, the process of getting oneself ready for bed or even ready for the day, is as important as being ready.

This week, I will be working on s-l-o-w-i-n-g d-o-w-n in the bathroom, taking care of my skin, of my body. Our bodies work really hard for us during the day, and our skin is our largest organ! These things deserve a little pampering, a little TLC. We often skip the flossing, cut short our brushing (2 minutes, upper and lower, inside and out!), and barely give that face wash a chance to do any cleansing before scrubbing it off. The whole time, our mind wanders, thinking about our to-do list and conversations we have had rather than noticing how we are feeling during this whole process.

For many, the idea of pampering oneself can only come from a spa or from that once monthly bubble bath, but why not integrate a little more pampering into our every evening? So here I give you this week's good habit:

Let's Fall into Good Habits #2: Treat Your Getting-Ready-for-Bed Routine as an Evening Ritual. A ritual suggests mindfulness and intention whereas a routine infers mindlessness. Slow down. Stay present. Maybe light a favorite candle. Floss, and brush gently but mindfully. Notice where you are more sensitive, notice those hard to reach places. Wash your face in slow circles. Massage your moisturizer in with your fingertips, traveling all of the way down the neck, the area so often neglected and that often shows the first signs of aging. If you choose to take an evening shower, use body lotion or my personal favorite, body oil on the skin, allowing it to sink in and nourish.

I hope this extra little attention helps you sleep a little better and feel a little better.

The photo shows some of my favorite products I use for a little extra pampering. I discovered Province Apothecary after searching for a natural skin care line, and while some of the other products were not the best match for my finicky skin, I love this clay mask! I can really get behind the intentionality of this brand, and its well-sourced ingredients. Lavender and Chamomile scents are naturally calming, so the candle and body oil are the perfect night-time combo. It took me a while to get used to applying body oil instead of lotion, but the spritzer makes it fun and easy to apply. While I still use lotion on occasion, I appreciate that I recognize the ingredients on the back of this bottle (hint: only natural oils and flower extracts). Another favorite body oil is more local to me: Tandi's Naturals Body Oil. The hand cream was a gift from some wonderful friends and has essences of tulip and green apple. It is perfect for giving some relief to my hands after hours of cooking and dish-washing.

What are some of your favorite ways of winding down?

Cheers!

If you missed the first Falling into Good Habits, click here!

Let's Fall into Good Habits

With colder weather and shorter days, I find it a little easier to sink back into the couch, a little easier to say no rather than yes, and a little easier to say "it can wait." All the momentum from the summer slows. As much as I love the changing of the leaves and wearing cozy fall clothes, I tend to have this mental shift- almost a resignation that winter is coming and I should hunker down.

But why be so passive, why not seize the day, why not overcome this feeling?  Rather than allowing ourselves to fall into bad habits, let's CHOOSE to fall into good ones.

So each week, let's choose to do something small but meaningful. Something to bring a little light into our days as the days get shorter. Something to bring a little warmth to our days as the days get colder. This is not a challenge so much as it is an invitation. Challenging you implies that I do not think you can do it, but an invitation implies that I hope you can. So, each Monday for the next several autumn weeks, I will invite you to integrate a little something into your days for that week. Now if you choose to keep up with these little somethings into the next week, fabulous! If you choose to let that new little thing slip away the next week, that's fine too. It's about moving in a better direction and doing it with intention. Not just because I said to do this, that, or the other, but because you think this new little habit adds value to your life.

Are you with me? 

I have some ideas for these good habits, but you can always comment below or email me if you have your own suggestions for little changes we can make to bring some value into our lives. 

So without further ado...

Let's Fall into Good Habits #1: Show gratitude to those around you. Send a hand-written letter to someone you do not thank nearly enough. Send an email with the Subject: Thank you to someone you appreciate for just being who they are. Text a friend telling them how awesome they are. Phone a family member or friend just to tell them how much they mean to you. Thank your regular barista, your dry cleaner, your yoga instructor, the guy who always makes your deli sandwiches, or whoever you cross paths with nearly every and tell them just how much you appreciate the work they do.

The notes can be sweet, the conversations can be brief. Just getting the message out is the important part. We rarely take the time to show our appreciation to those who mean the most to us. I remember agonizing over "thank you" notes to graduate program interviewers during the application process. What type of "thank you" note, what color of paper, what tone of note, what color of envelope? How silly it seems in retrospect. I would give anything to take that time back and write my very own grandmother a thank you note for just being an amazingly awesome grandma.

So give this a try, see how it goes. You may feel awkward at first, but just think about how wonderful you will make those other people feel. Think about how you just may put a smile on their faces.

Cheers to fall and to falling into good habits.