Reminiscing: Thanksgiving

November 6, 2015 Allie Ellenbogen

With the beginning of November here I have Thanksgiving on my mind.

Since Xan and I began dating Thanksgiving has become a really special holiday for us. For his family Thanksgiving is THE holiday. Usually around 20 people gather at his parents house which is nestled in an art community among the Appalachian Mountains. If you’ve never spent time in the Appalachians in the fall you’re truly missing out on something. The leaves epitomizing the colors of fall, the crisp cold refreshing air, and the sun streaming over the peaks of the Appalachian mountains in the morning while you sip warm coffee and take it all in. It makes me nostalgic just thinking about it. Once we got serious I spent every Thanksgiving there and those are some of my happiest memories from our relationship to date. All the best things in one long weekend: cozy sweaters, fires burning, creative cooking, a slow and intentional pace, quality time with people we love, and amazing conversations. It was always a time to unwind, truly rest and relax, and reflect on the many things we had to be grateful for. Heading back home to the flatlands we both felt content, refreshed, and filled up with love and happiness. My entertaining dream is to eventually host Thanksgivings and other occasions that are reflections of those times with a gaggle of our closest friends and family.

Furniture Sourcing

October 26, 2015 Allie Ellenbogen

About six weeks ago Xan and I moved into a new apartment (yay!). It’s a large one bedroom that nearly doubled our living space and it’s in a neighborhood of San Francisco that we love. To say we’re loving it is a complete understatement. The apartment was built in the 1920s and has the great charm from that era that true craftsmanship and classic details can provide. It’s got a spacious bedroom and living room, moderate kitchen with an eating nook, 3 large closets, and a big foyer. Oh, and did I mention, we love it

It's time for a party!

October 12, 2015 Allie Ellenbogen

’ve always been enamored with entertaining. Even from a young age, the idea of rooms filled with people laughing, eating, or celebrating has been a romanticized vision in my mind and one that I thought longingly of often. Now that I’m old enough to truly start entertaining on my own, I took on my first opportunity in the form of a wedding shower.

Marriage: Year One

August 10, 2015 Allie Ellenbogen

I’m finally getting around to posting about our one-year anniversary celebration. You know, nearly in time to celebrate our second. Better late than never?

We decided that instead of giving any gifts we would take a trip. Nothing elaborate. I used to love going on vacations in big cities and any other destinations with promises of exploring around every corner, requiring weeks of planning, and leaving you happily exhausted at the end of each day. But, since moving to San Francisco I’ve found that I crave the exact opposite. I think it’s because every day is like the best kind of vacation where you’re constantly discovering new things that come time for vacation, I’m ready to not do a thing. The thought of quietly unwinding, sitting aimlessly on a beautiful deck, cocktail in hand, and warm sun on my cheeks makes me giddy. And that’s exactly what we did for our first anniversary.

Gougères

January 29, 2015 Allie Ellenbogen

A few weeks ago I posted a chocolate mousse recipe from Paris Pastry Club.

The second recipe I’ve tried and really liked from the book is the gougères (pronounced goo-zher…think French). I first made them as an appetizer for this year’s NYE dinner party. They were delicious. Salty, parmesan-ey, fluffy, and little gooey in the middle, with the tang and zest of a heap of paprika. They make a lovely appetizer, snack for girls night, or accompaniment to your favorite movie. Pair with wine for best results!

They don't keep for very long; 3-4 tops. But, they're best fresh from the oven. If I were you I'd eat them all up right then.

Chocolate Mousse

January 15, 2015 Allie Ellenbogen

One of my Christmas gifts from Xander was a new cookbook, Paris Pastry Club. I love baking, but my current repertoire is largely classics. Brownies, cookies, cakes…you get the gist. This book is mostly made up of French classics with some other outside-of-the-box recipes mixed in. I’ve made three things from it so far and two have been outstanding. It’s been really exciting to bake from PPC because it’s so far outside of my normal. I’m getting to try new techniques, hone ones I already know but have little use for, and get fresh ideas for meals and dinner parties. As a (hobby) baker it’s been wonderfully stretching.