Modern Pineapple - Page 3 of 9 - Celebrating, Entertaining and Living Well

April 17, 2015

I feel the same way that it’s Friday as you do here, Ms. Hepburn. Shoes kicked off, leaping and all.

April 16, 2015

We Will Prevail

Today has been a bit more somber for me than most, as it’s the eighth anniversary of a very tragic event that happened at my university, Virginia Tech, in the normally sleepy little town (except on game days) of Blacksburg, Virginia. It was a senseless act of violence, and truly something I will never understand. What I do know is I grew up a lot faster than I expected my sophomore year, and took what I felt was my first true stance on a controversial issue: gun control. There must be more of it. What we have now in the States is not enough. The continued violence in educational institutions, and in general, has made that evident.

It’s a little difficult being across the pond today, when usually I’d be getting together with some of my college New Yorker friends to just be. Still, I know we’re all thinking the same thing. One of my very favorite poets and professors at VT, Nikki Giovanni, wrote this beautiful piece for our student body at the convocation we attended the day after. I reference it often when I’m going through hard times as it has such heart to it, or just find myself thinking back to this time. It captures the Virginia Tech spirit in the most beautiful way, and was a true source of inspiration for us all.

“We are Virginia Tech.

We are sad today, and we will be sad for quite a while. We are not moving on, we are embracing our mourning.

We are Virginia Tech.

We are strong enough to stand tall tearlessly, we are brave enough to bend to cry, and we are sad enough to know that we must laugh again.

We are Virginia Tech.

We do not understand this tragedy. We know we did nothing to deserve it, but neither does a child in Africa dying of AIDS, neither do the invisible children walking the night away to avoid being captured by the rogue army, neither does the baby elephant watching his community being devastated for ivory, neither does the Mexican child looking for fresh water, neither does the Appalachian infant killed in the middle of the night in his crib in the home his father built with his own hands being run over by a boulder because the land was destabilized. No one deserves a tragedy.

We are Virginia Tech.

The Hokie Nation embraces our own and reaches out with open heart and hands to those who offer their hearts and minds. We are strong, and brave, and innocent, and unafraid. We are better than we think and not quite what we want to be. We are alive to the imaginations and the possibilities. We will continue to invent the future through our blood and tears and through all our sadness.

We are the Hokies.

We will prevail.

We are Virginia Tech.”

Ps. The picture above is from the balloon release in honor of the 32 victims in heaven that happens each year in front of Burruss Hall.

April 15, 2015

Tzatziki for Two

If I had to name my favorite cuisine, it might be Greek. Really. It would even possibly edge out Mexican, which is saying a lot. I love the bright flavors, fresh ingredients and overwhelming sense of family I get when I dip into a bite — but maybe that’s my love of My Big Fat Greek Wedding talking (the dad in that movie is classic). The craving for Greek food hit me when I realized it was Xristos Anesti last weekend (a holiday I always remember thanks to my favorite Greek and college roommate Alexandra Sarris) coupled with the warm weather.

I mentioned it in a post earlier this week, but we dipped into said Greek fare last Friday. It was the first time I tried my hand at tzatziki, but it’s always the first thing I order when we go down the street to Mazi. I found a recipe in one of my very favorite wedding presents: Two in the Kitchen cookbook from Williams-Sonoma.* It was so easy that I almost got mad I haven’t been making it all these years, but it was too good to be upset. Side note: the recipe made quite a bit more than the two of us could handle on our own, or that we felt friends at a party would eat. I’ve halved the recipe here for you to enjoy — perfect for summer nights with crudites or small crackers.

Summer Snacks: Perfect Tzatziki for Two

1/2 cucumber, halved and seeded
1/2 lemon
250 g Greek yogurt (1 cup)
1 Tbsp minced fresh dill
1 Tbsp minced fresh mint
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Using a box grater, coarsely shred the cucumber into a fine-mesh sieve. Let the water from the cucumber drain for about 10 minutes in the sink. Squeeze the cucumber to remove any remaining moisture. Halve a lemon, and grate one half into a bowl. Then squeeze the juice of the lemon into the bowl. Stir in the shredded cucumber, yogurt, dill and mint. Season with sea salt and pepper. Refrigerate for later, or as I did, serve immediately.

*The cookbook is from my cousin Ben and his wife Kelsey, and is inscribed with a wonderful quote shared with the wisdom of several beautiful years of marriage behind them: “Cooking is like love: it should be entered into with abandon or not at all.”

April 14, 2015

The Best Avocado Toast

Spring has sprung! Each morning I have been opening the shutters and throwing up the sash {well, we have no shutters, but I have been swiftly unlocking and opening our big bay windows to let the fresh air and occasional flying creature in}. The sweaters are put away and we’ve been dining solely on lighter fare. For lunch, enter avocado toast. By now, we all know this has become a menu staple {lucky for restaurants, this must be a steal to make}. I’ve been doing my due diligence to find the very best in London, or at least in W8 and W11 should you find yourself in this part of town:

1. Le Pain Quotidien – This is my go to. There are two Le Pains within very easy walking distance of us, plus with so many locations in London and really everywhere else – hi New York! – this is a great choice. It’s under the Tartines section of the menu and comes out in four halves, two slices of toast. The citrus cumin salt {sea salt, cumin, lemon zest and red pepper flakes} they sprinkle on top of the mashed up avocados makes it a blue ribbon winner for me. Also, you can probably tell by the photos I really dig green juices. Get LPQ’s Revitalizer {it may just be seasonal, so go quick!}. It’s the best: tart, delicious and healthy tasting all in one sip. (Most visited location by yours truly: 81-85 Notting Hill Gate, London W11 3JS, Tele: 020 3657 6938)

2. The Daylesford – If I could have this every day, I would. It’s one of my favorite shops in London and I’m really dying to explore their organic farm out in Gloucestershire. The only downside {for consumption of avocado toast, and life overall} is the limited amount of time I’m able to spend down on Westbourne Grove. If it were closer — even though it’s just a 15 minute walk from our home — this would take over as numero uno. It mixes slightly mashed avocados with fresh heritage tomatoes, drizzled with olive oil and fresh greens on top. Pair with one of their delicious lattes or green juices and prepare to dream about it in your sleep. Ps – go downstairs in their home goods section for beautiful wares. The lavender candle is my favorite, and upstairs in the store I always purchase a bag of their linseed porridge. (208-212 Westbourne Grove, London W11 2RH, Tele 020 7313 8050)

3. Granger & Co. – Ben quotes Yogi Berra whenever I mention Granger — ‘that place, it’s so crowded no one ever goes there anymore.’ It’s true! Whenever there’s talk of brunch/lunch, this place is sadly quickly discarded due to the long lines of visitors wrapped around the block by 10am. However, if you can sneak in there on a weekday morning like I do, you’ll find yourself an Aussie version of avocado toast: two thick pieces of rye bread, sliced avocados on top like little solders, a blanket of freshly snipped parsley, and served with a lime wedge. Bonus: have it with the poached egg. Divine. (175 Westbourne Grove, London W11 2SB, Tele 020 7229 9111)

Happy eating! x.

April 13, 2015

Monday Musings

Hello dear readers. After writing and posting every day for two months {+ then some with a little time off in Italy — thanks for staying with me! the support has been amazing, and starting a blog is scary!}, I’ve been taking a bit of a step back to contemplate where I really want this little site of mine to go. I know I want to continue talking about the core idea I cherish most — creating a beautiful life withe ones you love, no matter where you are. That for me brings together entertaining with our very dearest friends {new ones here and those that visit us from the States}, decorating for our home to be both a retreat and energizing, traveling to explore this wonderful world of ours and of course, adding bits of everyday glamour.

So bear with me as I’m bouncing some ideas around. I believe the very best things continue to evolve while staying relevant, and also true to their foundation. In the interim, I want to share this thought-provoking piece from the New York Times this weekend. It’s about the moral bucket list, and resonated with me so strongly. The discussion of the professional and personal resume, and becoming satisfied with moral mediocrity. It’s all too easy to be caught up in the external achievements — and I’m so guilty of it, and especially of always wanting to have it all. From the need to excel in high school to the demands in college to racing up the corporate ladder, somehow the self-awareness we need to be good, for ourselves and others, not our achievements, gets buried. Self-reflection here is key, and the conscious decision to do better than you did the day before.

My favorite part, as it often seems, is of course from the second to last paragraph: “But eventually, at moments of rare joy, career ambitions pause, the ego rests, the stumbler looks out at a picnic or dinner or a valley and is overwhelmed by a feeling of limitless gratitude, and an acceptance of the fact that life has treated her much better than she deserves.”

Much better. x.

April 12, 2015

Diving In

This weekend we welcomed the beautiful weather by having drinks outdoors at our local pub {because everyone needs a watering hole to call their very own}. We stood outside having white wine on the sidewalk before heading home to a dinner of tzatziki and shrimp saganaki. That was about all the time we spent physically outdoors sans a few errands and the gym, as we hunkered down for some good old fashioned studying.

It might sound terrifying or tremendous, depending who you talk to, but it’s true! We’re working our way towards our scuba certification to dive in a few weeks off the coast of Thailand. We did an intro dive in St. Lucia last summer {go! it’s marvelous, and stay at Jade – the people are wonderful}. I was appropriately nervous but — ever the learner and a closet daredevil — wanted to give it a go. It turned out to be quite beautiful {we swam with a school of fish!} and one of my favorite memories from our week on the island.

Fast forward nine months, and we’re at it again. We’re learning through the London School of Diving. Once we finish the online PADI course this week {it’s about 12-15 hours of studying and tests}, we’ll do our confined water training. That’s next Saturday, and then we’re prepped for taking our open water dives in Koh Samui. It’s been fun to learn something completely new for the both of us, together. I feel so lucky to be sitting side-by-side on our sofa going through lessons and taking tests, talking out the science behind diving and how to properly descend with your buddy {luckily, he’s mine and is very studious}. It’s a decent-sized time commitment, but diving isn’t something to take lightly. I appreciate the extra effort and am excited for being Cousteaus very soon. x

Post-diving, appropriately soaked with face mask imprints, and with the biggest grins.

April 11, 2015

Styling with Pineapples

Here at Modern Pineapple, I’m a big fan of anything to do with pineapples {clearly}. Though I believe they never go out of style, pineapples are back in vogue — and in a big way. I’ve rounded up some of my favorite citrus choices right now to pick up just in time for summer entertaining. I’m especially coveting that Julia Knight tray {how cute is it!}, and the pink Persifor dress to wear for all kinds of outdoor adventures. The pineapple cheese board would serve as a fabulous hostess gift for your summer soirees, too!

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April 10, 2015

Friday Favorites

1. Have you seen the newly released Season 3 trailer for OITNB? It’s back June 12! {Evening Standard}

2. Love the lucite containers in these chic office decor ideas. {Domaine}

3. Belize in 2018, plus other celebs that have taken to tourism. {NY Times}

4. Mouthwatering spring vegetable dishes to make this season. {Stylist}

5. And finally, Chanel launches an online pop-up shop with Net-A-Porter for their fine jewelry. Swoon. {The Telegraph}

Image via Garance Dore

April 8, 2015

Spring Cleaning {or Life-Changing Magic} in 5 Steps

After an absolutely wonderful long weekend away celebrating Easter with my husband and parents in Italy, we’re back to our day-to-day lives and spring to do list. This involves shaking off the winter with a bit of reorganization and decluttering some of the extras that have built up over the past few months.

Have you heard of Marie Kondo? She’s a cleaning expert in Tokyo {seriously!} and has inspired me with her method explained in her book The Life-Changing Method of Tidying Up. She suggests focusing on what to keep {instead of looking for things to discard} and picking up each item you are considering saying “does it spark joy?” What a great concept — and how many things do we all have that just detract from our happiness? That shirt we stopped wearing three years ago or the old plastic tailgate cups that just take up space {and should have been left in college!}. Those are elements that don’t spark joy for me anymore. Here are the tips I’ve adopted:

1. Group like items together {instead of going room by room}. You may find you have multiples of the same item, and you can choose what inspires you most out of that group. Plus, who needs eight spatulas?

2. Pick up each item and ask “does this spark joy?” If the answer is no — it goes. Set the items together that you’re keeping to be organized once you’re done sorting.

3. I’m a work in progress on #2 and getting better. But — there are still times I’ve been unsure. If I am, I put it in a duffel bag under our bed. I set a calendar alert a year from now {truly!} and if I haven’t thought about the contents in a year, I donate the items. It sounds extreme to wait that long, but I’ve found it’s worked for me {and sometimes something I thought I was ready to part with, I really did enjoy wearing seasonally}.

4. Place all your papers, including cards, photos, receipts, etc. on your kitchen table. These items take up so much space in drawers {so guilty here}. File the papers you need like your tax forms, keep any receipts from the past month to check your credit card statement, and toss the rest. Leave cards and sentimental letters till last, as they’re the hardest. Appreciate the joy they gave you when they arrived, and then let them go {eek! so hard, but necessary}.

5. Now invest in great storage solutions — shelving system and shoe cubes for your closet, a proper filing box for those important papers you kept, etc. This will keep things in their place and easily accessible for when you need them next.

Most importantly, let things go with gratitude. Appreciate what things were to you, and what they can be for someone else. Next I’m thinking about the capsule wardrobe. I’ve been really inspired lately by ideas of a uniform and brands like Cuyana with their motto of “fewer, better things.”

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