Today on Weekend Meanderings, a crowd pleasing game day dip, a Valentine’s Day dessert & cocktail pairing, and the most stunning farmhouse kitchen.
Happy weekend, friends!
It’s Saturday and I’m joining Kim and Elizabeth for Weekend Meanderings.
Our weekly roundup of inspiration and goings on.
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Valentine’s Day is Tuesday.
I bet you hadn’t noticed.
And tomorrow is Super Bowl LVII.
I’m not for or against either team so I can enjoy the game, commercials and halftime show.
While nibbling on an array of football food.
More on that later.
Let’s jump in!
DECADENT CHOCOLATE POTS DE CREME & RASPBERRY KIR ROYALE’S
Early this week I joined a group of 12 amazing bloggers to share Valentine’s Day Dessert Ideas. I made Jim’s favorite Decadent Chocolate Pots de Creme and paired it with my favorite Raspberry Kir Royales. I previously talked about Raspberry Kir Royale’s here and here. Did you know the Kir Royale is having a resurgence thanks to Emily in Paris season 3?
Monica Vargas Photography
These pots de cremes and quick and easy to make, no baking required. Watch how easy it is here.
More decadent chocolate dessert ideas ~
Elizabeth and I are on the same wavelength. This week she shared her Chocolate Ganache Mousse recipe.
And Ina Garten is also thinking along the same lines with her Easy Chocolate Mousse and Kir Royales.
SUPER BOWL MENU & TRULY DECILIOUS DIP
Will you be watching the game on Sunday? The commercials? The halftime show? Maybe just indulging in wonderful, over the top football food while chatting with family and friends?
I’ll be doing all of the above. We’re having steak nachos and my World Famous Bean Dip. To balance the good with the bad, I made a batch of my Auntie Cookie’s Truly Delicious Dip to accompany an assortment of raw veggies.
Oops, I forgot the onion salt in this photo (see recipe below), but not to worry, everything made it into the bowl. If you’ve been following along here for a while, you know my aversion of mayonnaise. And the original recipe calls for it. I replaced it with Greek yogurt, forgive me Auntie Cookie.
Tip: Make the dip a day ahead (at least a few hours ahead) so the flavors fully marinate and be truly delicious!
Truly Delicious Dip
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup Sour Cream
- 2/3 cup Plain Greek Yogurt
- 1 tsp Onion Salt
- 1/4 tsp Beau Monde Seasoning
- 1 tsp Dry Dill
- 1 tbsp Fresh Parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients well and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
BUNGALOW KITCHEN IN TIBURON
Last weekend I joined my friend Jane, and her beautiful and charming twin daughters, for brunch to celebrate her birthday. We trekked over to Tiburon to experience the year-old Bungalow Kitchen. Anything with bungalow in the name has got to be good, right? And this newish Michael Mina restaurant is very good. It’s also beautiful … and pricey, a fun treat.
AVABLU via Forbes.com
When we walked in the door the first thing I noticed was gorgeous paint colors. I’m not sure how to describe them, bright but muted (???) blues and greens in a satiny finish. Very vivid … my first thought was Alice in Wonderland. Whimsical. Magical. The stunning colors are complimented by warm wood accents and potted plants. The half-circle and standard banquettes are beautifully upholstered, with lots of bamboo and wicker chairs, a combination of round wood and rectangular tiled tables. A warm, cozy, clubby atmosphere. Ok, I just looked up the decorator (should have done that first). It’s Martin Brudnizki, and now it all comes clear. My photos don’t do it justice.
Situated right on the ferry landing, looking out toward Angel Island and the City, the setting and views could not be more spectacular. Even though it was cold and wet outside, inside on the enclosed deck, overhead heaters were doing their job and we were happily ensconced in our banquette watching the ferry’s glide in and out and enjoying the most delicious brunch.
Jane, Moi, Tess, Alex
Brunch is served Saturday’s and Sundays from a prix fixe menu. Soccer ball size lobster pot pies passed by frequently on their way to other tables and seemed to be the menu’s piece de resistance. None of us indulged, but what we did have was amazing!
A music theme runs through the menu covers and overall decor … and their playlist was classic rock circa 1960’s thru the 90’s. I loved it. Inside, behind the enormous bar, is a fireplace flanked by sconces and bookcases … and several tables. A very library like atmosphere and if I was planning a romantic dinner I’d request it … that said, it’s tough to beat the waterfront, deck dining. There’s not a bad table. You can probably tell, I’m a huge fan and I’ll be dragging Jim there as soon as I can.
The requisite powder room shot.
Oh, and I was thrilled to see the new Malibu Farm outpost (between Bungalow Kitchen and stalwart Sam’s) nearing completion for its spring opening. I can’t wait for that!
But back to the decorator, Martin Brudnizki … some snaps of his other work. Swoon. The Bungalow Kitchen is more laid back and California casual than these examples, but you can get Martin’s whimsical, storybook aesthetic.
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- Le Chardenoux via @galeriemagazine
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- Annabelle’s via @galeriemagazine
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- Baur Au Lac via @galeriemagazine
More from our brunch adventure here.
WINTER WEEKEND BRUNCHING OUTFIT
What to wear to a weekend birthday brunch on a cold and rainy day? So glad you asked. I pulled out my Banana Republic corduroy blazer purchased last fall for a wine country dinner. To my shock and dismay, the blazer is no longer available. What?! I checked Banana Republic’s Factory (outlet) and they have this black version at a good price, but limited sizing. Note: the blazer is generously sized and I’m wearing size zero. Talk about vanity sizing. eBay has the same blazer in size 6, Poshmark has it in an 8 and 10. I’m sure it can be found on other resales sites as well. Google ‘Banana Republic Oversized Corduroy Rivoli Blazer in Vicuña Brown.’
Anyhoo, a blazer is a great piece to spiff up jeans and t-shirt. And speaking of jeans and t-shirts, I wore my Madewell Flea Market Flares which are also no longer available (this is getting ridiculous), but they have many other options. And I love this Loft long sleeve boatneck tee … I bought two in white and two in black. The fabric is a nice weight, a little heavier than a standard tee, but not bulky.
Did I already mention it was a cold, rainy day? So the suede booties I planned to wear stayed home, and my Steve Madden lug sole boots went instead. I was running late or I would have changed out my bag to my more rain friendly Longchamp Le Piliage tote. I also forgot my raincoat, but did remember an umbrella.
I might wear this outfit to a Super Bowl party. If I was going to a Super Bowl party.
Corduroy Blazer (see above) | Long Sleeve Boatneck Tee | Flare Denim (another option) | Silk Scarf | Belt | Lug Sole Boot | Hoop Earrings | Tote
KITCHEN CRUSH – HEDGE HILL FARM
Do you follow John Kanell of Preppy Kitchen? Last year I bought his new cookbook, Preppy Kitchen; I don’t think I mentioned it here. When it arrived I set it aside and quite honestly forgot about it. Earlier this week, I stumbled upon a Preppy Kitchen tour on the Quintessence blog/YouTube channel, part of their At Home in the Kitchen series. Well … after watching the video and seeing this amazing kitchen, I went running for the cookbook. Next thing I knew several hours had passed with me balancing the cookbook on my lap while watching John’s YouTube channel and Instagram all at once. I had to stop in order to get this post written. I wasn’t planning on sharing this today, but it’s what’s on my mind so here goes.
I haven’t completed my deep dive, but from what I’ve gleaned so far John (a former middle school science and math teacher) and his husband, Brian, along with their twin boys, moved from Los Angeles to a Connecticut farmhouse around in 2019. While refurbishing the house, that they named it Hedge Hill Farm, they documented the process in a series of videos that live alongside John’s cooking videos on his popular YouTube channel. I’ve only seen the kitchen so far but if it’s any indication the rest of the house and surrounding property is going to be right up my alley.
Without further ado … the drop-dead amazing Preppy Kitchen!
John’s book is beautiful too and I’m planning to read it cover to cover this weekend. I’ve got a fresh stack of sticky notes to mark recipes I’ll want to make. Probably every single one.
So there you have it.
Let’s see what Kim and Elizabeth are up to.
Odds & Socks ~
This Simple Romantic Valentine’s Day menu!
A wild Galentine table setting.
Wondering how to add red to your wardrobe, check out Kim and Cindy’s Signature Style posts here and here.
If you missed the last weekend’s meanderings, you can catch up here.
And follow along for more fun on Instagram and Pinterest.
As always, I appreciate your visit and welcome your thoughts in the comments below.
Happy Valentine’s Day from Snowberry!
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