Now that it is getting a little cooler, it is time for one of my favorite parts of the fall (and winter) - soup season! There are so many different soups that TJ and I love to make but there is one that I keep coming back to - a chickpea noodle soup. It's simple, vegetarian-friendly, light,  but if you add the right amount of flavor, it is SO comforting and delicious.

Continue reading Chickpea Noodle Soup at Pretty in the Pines, New York City Lifestyle Blog.

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With our recent kitchen space addition and the fact that we’re mid-cozy fall, we’ve been feeling extra inspired in the kitchen lately. We’ve been on the hunt for a new soup recipe to make each week to pair with the potato bread we pick up every Sunday morning at the Farmers Market and it got me thinking. We have a few kitchen staples that we’ve used for a while now that deserve their moment on the blog.

Continue reading Our Most Used Kitchen Essentials at Pretty in the Pines, New York City Lifestyle Blog.

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This is our second summer in New York City and I remember being so surprised last year about how hot it got here in July, especially as someone coming from North Carolina. I lived on cold summer salads, Italian ice, tons of ice water with lemon, and told myself we’d be traveling somewhere every July moving forward. Well, the time has come, and while we don’t have any travel plans set in stone for anytime this month, I’ll be staying as cool as possible while also making the most of our time here with our friends.

Continue reading My Summer Entertaining Staples at Pretty in the Pines, New York City Lifestyle Blog.

It’s my favorite time of the year… when it’s 70-80 degrees just about every day (‘til the summer heat arrives) and one of our favorite things to do is bring dinner outside to the park to enjoy on a big picnic blanket right before the sun sets. Sometimes we’ll pick up sandwiches at a local deli but other times we’ll make our own dinner to bring out there. When I think of summer park days, the first thing I’m in the mood for is refreshing pasta salads, salsas, and sandwiches.

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Like many others, we’ve been spending a lot more time in the kitchen lately trying to find simple (but nutritious) recipes using easy to find ingredients. We’ve been trying to limit the grocery store trips and, when we do have to go, we’ll peek our heads out the window to see how long the line is first (a perk of being neighbors with the grocery store), and head out with a list of foods that can both last a while and be incorporated into many different meals.

Continue reading Two Favorite Breakfast Casseroles at Pretty in the Pines, New York City Lifestyle Blog.

Just in time for the holidays, I’m bringing you what is quite possibly the best cocktail I’ve ever tasted… made with and inspired by my favorite fresh ingredients and infused with rosemary simple syrup (made with rosemary picked from our backyard). A few weeks ago, I was spending time at my sister’s new house and, with the help of her creative and talented-enough-to-be-a-chef boyfriend Bryan, we somehow created this festive drink recipe after testing a few different concoctions and trying to come up with something delicious.

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The other day I asked what type of blog posts you wanted to see more of and one of the most popular answers was appetizer ideas! Today I’m sharing a few really easy delicious ones to make for any of your holiday gatherings you might be hosting or attending this season. I also stopped by Home Centric and picked up a few new beautiful marble and wood charcuterie boards, serving plates, and other holiday decor that I’ll share below!

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Over the last year or so, I’ve picked up a deep love for planting flowers. My mom and my grandma have always been so skilled and knowledgeable when it comes to gardening and I always wondered when or if that would happen for me. We’ve put in a lot of long days of work in our yard to create our own oasis which has been the most rewarding part of owning our first home.

Continue reading A Pansy Potting Party with Wave at Pretty in the Pines, New York City Lifestyle Blog.

About a month ago, I had the opportunity to visit the MacKenzie-Childs headquarters in upstate NY and I came home with a deep appreciation for the brand, the people behind it, and the passion that goes into designing each piece. We toured the grounds and were able to see first-hand the process of each step along the way… from the designing, molding, glazing, painting, and more. We were even able to sit with the artists and paint our own pieces which was so much fun!

Continue reading Fall Traditions with MacKenzie-Childs at Pretty in the Pines, New York City Lifestyle Blog.

white bar cart

I’ve been in fall-decorating mode this last week and the latest corner I’ve spruced up a bit is the bar-cart. This bar cart/serving cart/whatever you’d like to call it has served so many different purposes over the last few years. What was once a coffee station, bar-cart, snack/guest cart, and wine corner, is now set up for fall entertaining. You can shop my exact white bar-cart here and if you haven’t yet checked out Walmart’s latest fall arrivals, I’m sharing some of my favorites throughout this post!

Continue reading Top 3 Quick & Simple Fall Appetizers at Pretty in the Pines, New York City Lifestyle Blog.