"Book Club"

Yesterday was just one of those great days. The weather was perfect, the house was clean, the kids were in the best of moods, and "book club" was at my house that evening. 

Miss Mary 

Took the kids out for a picnic at the edge of the property. Feels like a field trip, but we don't have to get in the car. 

I use quotes around "book club" because there is no book at the moment. Everyone is either a new mom, about to become a mom, or has multiple kids under 5, so books are a bit of a commitment once a month. Wine and food we can get behind. It is a great group of girls that I am so lucky to have become close with. It was so fun hosting this time and the weather outside made for great al fresco dining. 

I stocked up at Target on plastic plates, cups, and silverware. I like to use the clear plates to class it up a bit when I do not feel like doing dishes. Target has cute cups and napkins in fun colors. I have been cutting hydrangeas from the yard and they have wilted within hours every time. But, I tried a new trick that I read about online and I am happy to say they are going strong. 

1. Clip hydrangeas from bush and put directly in room temp water. 

2. Take out of water when ready to trim, cut to desired length and place stem in very hot water, almost boiling for 30 seconds. 

3. Place directly into room temp water in vase you want to use. Repeat with each stem or do quickly with a bunch. 

Here are just a few of the few of the menu items, wish I would have gotten pictures of everything. It was delicious. 

Lemon Quinoa with Arugula and Parmesan 

Whisk together 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, 2 chopped shallots, 1/3 cup lemon juice (3-4 lemons), 2 teaspoons of honey, 1/3 cup of olive oil. 

Cook one package of quinoa according to the package directions and place in a serving bowl. Let cool a bit. Season and toss the quinoa with the vinaigrette (you may not need all of it) to taste.  Refrigerate until chilled. (Can be made a day in advance)

Toss in a few handfuls of arugula and 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan. Toss to combine and serve. 

Water, Feta, and Mint Salad

Simply cube up watermelon, chop some fresh mint, and crumble on the feta. 

White Bean Salad with Cherry Tomatoes and Bocconcini 

2 pints cherry tomatoes, 2 cans navy beans (drained and rinsed), 1 pint extra small bocconcini (mozzarella balls), handful of chopped fresh basil, 3 cloves of garlic minced. 

Mix all in a bowl and season with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper to taste. Toss well to combine and refrigerate at least one hour or overnight. 

Great served alone, tossed with pasta the next day, or salad greens. So yummy. 

Fresh Tomato Pasta with Mozzarella 

Chop 3-4 fresh tomatoes, crush two garlic cloves, rip up a handful of fresh basil and throw in a big bowl. Season with a bit of salt and pepper. Let sit at least one hour and up to all day. 

 Remove the garlic cloves. Cook your favorite pasta according to the box's instruction, drain and toss directly into the sauce. Add in 1 container of  bocconcini (mozzarella balls) and toss to combine. season with salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper to taste. 

xo

Erin 

Prosciutto, Melon & Burrata Salad

Prosciutto wrapped melon is a classic Italian antipasti that has the perfect salty and sweet combination. This salad is a variation of those delicious flavors. With the addition of peppery arugula, aromatic red onion, and creamy burrata, the classic melon salad gets even better. I also like to crisp up the prosciutto and crumble it on top. The crunchy, salty bite is a nice little treat in every bite. 

Prosciutto, Melon & Burrata Salad
serves 4

5 slices of prosciutto

1/4 cup white wine vinegar or white balsamic
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/3 cup olive oil

8 cups of arugula or baby arugula
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
8 oz burrata cheese, ripped in pieces
1/2 cantaloupe, cubed

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place prosciutto slices on a baking sheet and roast until crisp, about 20 minutes. Set aside to cool.

In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, salt, pepper and Dijon. Continue to whisk and add the oil to combine well. Taste and adjust for seasoning. 

Assemble the salad in a large bowl. Layer the arugula, sprinkle the onion on top, then the cheese and melon. Crumble the prosciutto on top and dress with the vinaigrette. Toss and enjoy. 

xo
Erin 

Fresh Summer Pasta

My mom made this delicious pasta when I visited recently. It is one of her go-to recipes since it can be made in advance, uses the best of summer ingredients, and always is loved by her guests. Make it to your taste and enjoy the freshness and sweetness of summer's favorite fruit, the tomato. 

Fresh Tomato Pasta 

serves 4

2-3 large tomatoes, chopped

handful of fresh basil, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, smashed and finely minced

8-10 ounces brie or fresh mozzarella cheese, chopped

4 tablespoons olive oil 

salt and pepper

crushed red pepper (optional)

1 lb. fine linguine

In a large bowl, add all the ingredients except for the pasta. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add crushed red pepper to taste if you want some heat. Let sit at room temperature for one hour and up to all day. 

Cook the pasta according to package instructions, drain, and pour over the sauce. Toss to combine until cheese is melted and sauce and pasta are well mixed. 

Serve immediately with some cracked black pepper on top and crusty bread to soak up all that lovely sauce. 

xo

Erin 

Cinco de Mayo Carnitas

With Cinco de Mayo just five days away, I wanted to share one of my favorite (and easy) Mexican recipes. This takes just a few steps and produces the most melt in your mouth carnitas I have ever made. It is the perfect base for a taco bar and a night of margaritas. I like to set out warm tortillas, crumbled queso fresco or cotija cheese, pickled red onions (recipe here), lots of chopped fresh cilantro and a variety of hot sauces. The recipe makes quite a bit, but you can certainly make even more for a large crowd. I like leftovers, as the carnitas are amazing the next day with fried eggs and tortillas. 


Carnitas
Epicurious April 2011
serves 8, 24-32 tacos


4 lbs pork shoulder (also called Boston butt, I know not a great moniker), cut into two inch cubes
3 cups water
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1/2 navel orange, halved
8 cloves of garlic, smashed
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 bay leaves
1 tablespoon sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons dried oregano, Mexican if you have it
1 tablespoon salt


Put all the ingredients in a wide 6 to 7 quart heavy pot (don't worry if the pork is not completely covered) and bring the water to a boil, skimming the surface and discarding any froth that comes to the top. Lower the heat and simmer vigorously, stirring occasionally, until the pork is fork-tender. About 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Discard the orange pieces and bay leaves. If the liquid hasn't evaporated, leaving just the fat, after two hours, transfer the pork pieces to a bowl and let the liquid continue to bubble away, stirring often until it has. 


Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Transfer the pork and fat to an ovenproof dish and brown, uncovered, in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes. This gives the pork that nice crisp on the outside. 


Carnitas keep in the refrigerator for up to three days. 


Note: If you want to make half a batch, cut the amount of pork, salt and oregano in half, but use the same amount of remaining ingredients and water. 


xo
Erin 

Au Naturale

In an effort to try to go a bit more natural with my skin care, I have been testing out some face washes with less chemicals and more plant based ingredients. I am not a person who obsesses over these things, but my skin has been in freak out mode for a few months now and I figure changing to something a bit closer to the earth could not hurt.


La Roche-Posey Effaclar Purifying Foaming Gel ($22) has the most amazing foaming action. It is soft and really deep cleans. I like how it feels like it has tighten my pores a bit without the feeling of over drying.


Neutrogena Naturals Cleansing + Make Up Remover ($6) kind of feels like every other cleanser, but is the most plant based of all three. It scrubs the make up off my face really well and has a really nice fresh scent.


Fresh Umberian Clay Face Treatment ($48) is a two in one. It does not take off make up, but is great as a light cleanser. It can also be used as a mask. It seems to really calm my skin and get some of the red out when it is irritated.


I have all of these on rotation now. The La Roche-Posey is my favorite, but I think all of them are great additions to my daily routine.


What natural products have you discovered lately?


xo
Erin

Lip Service: Hints of Color

Lip stick can be a little scary at times. That full on pigmented color needs to be applied correctly, retouched and needs multiple mirror checks. When it comes to every day and wanting to add a little color to your lips, these three options are much less scary and give you just a bit of juicy color to brighten up your face and your day. Bonus is they all have a bit of shine and moisture to keep your pucker soft. I keep all three in my bag (clearly the Kiehl's tube has seen better days) and pick the color that best matches my mood. Each have a hint of pink to them, but the consitency is different.

Smith's Rosebud Salve smells like rose petals and is a soft balm with a hint of pink. It also can be used on cuticles, any dry skin you have or diaper rash for your little one.

Fresh's Sugar Rose lip treatment has SPF 15 and is a soft pink stick that is easy to apply. It also smells divine.

The Kiehl's lip gloss has the most color, but is not as red at the tube implies. No fragrance, but has an easy applicator.   I like it in Golden Berry, but there are a ton of great color options.

xo
Erin

Beauty Snapshot: Kelly

If you have checked out my favorite blogs, you know that I love the site Into the Gloss. It is a fun site with beauty profiles of some very chic women in the fashion industry. From designers, to PR girls, to editors at Vogue, they provide us with what they have found works best for them. I love reading it, but sometimes it does feel slightly far reaching for a girl like me. No fashion house connections, no access to the BFF hair stylist, and no flights to Paris to hit up the pharmacy. I thought I would bring the same concept to Imperfect Polish, but make it more accessible to all of us ladies looking for what's great. So every so often I will be profiling chic ladies I know who will share some of their favorite ways to look great from all over the country. 

I am starting with my friend, Kelly, who is a mom of two adorable little girls and lives in the Chicago suburbs. She loves design and fashion as much as I do, so we love pouring over great blogs and ideas. Kelly shares with us some of her favorites in our first profile. Check out her adorable girls, Eloise and Millie Bea. Thanks Kel! 

"I keep it pretty simple. Things I really care about are things I put on my face and fragrances. I am definitely no product junkie but I do love a good cream. I was a long time La Mer  devotee but after a recent trip to Versa Medi Spa, the esthetician told me my skin did not require the kind of moisture it was providing, (not to mention it’s pretty spendy at $130/ounce), so I recently switched to Dr. Hauschka after reading a couple of celebrities I have skin envy of use it. I love the cleansing cream, face toner, and rose day cream. It’s all natural, holistic, and smells yummy and in the 2 months I’ve been using it, I’ve been happy with it’s performance. 

After a shower I slather on Kiehls Creme de Corps. It really doesn’t smell like anything and it makes my skin feel softer and more hydrated than any other cream I’ve tried. At night I use Egyptian Magic under my eyes, on my elbows, and feet. This cream, although it really shouldn’t be called a cream because the consistency is more like vaseline (which I also love), is truly magic. This super powered formula gets rid of eczema, under eye circles, dry cracked skin, basically anything you can think of. I’ve read others have used it as a hair mask, designers use it on their models for the runway, or slather it all over your face after a long flight. Amazing and you can buy it at Whole Foods. 

After having kids, my hair is now wavy so most days I spray Bumble and Bumble’s Surf Spray  and that’s it. Some days I’ll diffuse it about a quarter of the way and let air dry but the hair dryer rarely makes an appearance. I have fantasies of my hair looking like Gisele’s, my hair muse, but I’m thinking it requires way more work than I’m willing to put in. For shampoo I’ve been switching between Bumble and Bumble and Pureology for a while.  If I remember I will put Moroccan Oil on after a shower. I’m not sure how much I believe in this hair oil moment going on right now but I guess I’ll try whatever Rachel Zoe tells me to. I’ve only been coloring my hair for about 5 years and the only person I’ve let touch it is Laura Shepherd at Swerve Salon in Chicago. 

My makeup story is much like the rest - pretty simple. I like Benefit’s That Gal brightening primer and I also like Fresh’s Illuminating cream. I’ll switch off between the two. Certain days I’ll also use Erase Paste under my eyes. I swear by Cover Girl’s Lash Blast mascara. I’ve tried a lot and this one is really great. Mascara is really the only thing I put on every day which is weird because it’s the most time consuming part of my morning. It literally takes 5 minutes to put it on and although that doesn’t seem like that much time, I do not usually have the patience for things like that. However, it truly is one thing I really think makes a difference in how I look. I also like Anastasia’s clear brow gel,  Nars Turkish Delight lip gloss, and Make Up Forever’s waterproof eye liner. I am very sensitive to smells and perfumes. Day to day I love Body Time’s China Rain. It’s fresh, clean, floral, and a little musky and perfect for me. Special occasions I’ll wear Quelques Fleurs.  I have loved this perfume for a long time and it takes over 15,000 flowers to create just one ounce. Which is amazing. It’s been around for hundreds of years and one I’ll always go back to. 

Other services I love are the oxygen facial and bikini wax at Bliss and getting my eyebrows done at Versa. I can’t remember the last time I had my nails done - probably when I got married. I prefer them natural and can’t really sit long enough to get through it and it also requires WAY to much maintenance for me. I don’t think I’ve ever not ruined a manicure within the first hour. Ah well. 

For the girls we use Mustela or Noodle and Boo. Mustela has a great clean smell that is not too babyish and Noodle and Boo is the exact opposite - the epitome of what you think a baby smells like. They are both delicious and we switch off regularly. The best diaper cream is Kiehls. 

Going into this I thought it was funny Erin asked me because I didn’t think I would have anything to talk about but I guess I really do use quite a bit of product. I never thought of myself as a girly girl and compared to a lot of women who have crates of makeup (mine can all fit in one little travel pouch), I feel less superior in the world of beauty. Although I guess it doesn’t so much matter how much you do or don’t have but the quality of what you do."

Let me know what you think of our first profile. I would love to hear your feedback and what information you are looking for most. I will be adding a fashion aspect to this as well, like favorite jeans and accessories. 

xo

Erin