Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Soup

December 31, 2012 by

Channeling-Contessa-Creamy-Sun-Dried-Tomato-Soup

I’m quite convinced this soup is about to become the obsession of all food bloggers. I’m definitely obsessed with it, and the lady behind the recipe!  Love & Lemons has recently become one of my favorite food blogs- not only for Jeanine’s super healthy but insanely tantalizing recipes, but also for her stunning food photography. I can’t get enough of the clean lines and that marble white background. She’s also got one of the most incredible kitchens I’ve ever seen. I have a feeling the majority of people are in post holiday detox mode, so it’s worth noting this soup fits that bill perfectly. Despite the term creamy it’s actually vegan. The creamy texture and richness comes from coconut milk and ground pine nuts. I kid you not, this is truly one of the best things I’ve made in months. So in short you need to make it- immediately!

Hope everyone’s week is off to a great start. Any big NYE plans? We’re having a dinner party with friends, which is my favorite way to ring in any holiday.

More soup:

Channeling-Contessa-Sun-Dried-Tomato-Soup

Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Soup slightly adapted from Love & Lemons

serves 2-3

  • 2 T olive oil
  • 1 T oil from jar of sun dried tomatoes
  • 5 shallots, chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic, smashed
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 4 cups veggie broth
  • 1 cup coconut milk (I used full fat), plus more if needed at the end
  • 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes (from a jar, packed in oil), minced
  • pinch of dried oregano
  • red pepper flakes
  • handful of coarsely chopped fresh basil, plus extra for garnish
  • 1 teaspoons balsamic vinegar (or to taste)
  • 1 teaspoons or so maple syrup or a pinch of sugar (optional, to taste)
  • 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts (optional, but adds a nice richness)
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper

Heat oil in a medium pot over medium heat. .Add shallots and cook for 8-10 minutes until translucent and soft. Add in garlic, salt, and pepper and cook for 2 more minutes until fragrant.

Add wine, stir, and let the wine cook out for 5 minutes (until reduced by about 1/2). Add broth, coconut milk, and sundried tomatoes and a pinch of dried oregano and red pepper flakes. Stir, then reduce heat and let simmer for 30 minutes.

Remove from heat, add a handful of basil and blend the soup until smooth. Jeanine recommends a Vitamix- I used my immersion blender and that worked fine.

Taste and add balsamic, maple syrup or sugar, and pine nuts. Give the blender just a few pulses. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve with an extra swirl of coconut milk, some chopped basil, and a few red pepper flakes on top.

7 Comments

Weekend Wishes

December 29, 2012 by Sarah

Weekend wishes 8

 

I hope your week has been filled with holiday parties, big cups of hot chocolate, and as many lazy mornings as you can manage. I can already tell this weekend is going to be an incredibly relaxing one, as long holiday weekends tend to be. The fact that a quiet snowfall is supposed to arrive this morning is adding to my excitement.

Eat: a decadent breakfast (it’s not January yet! and of course you’ll need something to sustain you while reading magazines and watching the Food Network. This Orange Vanilla Custard French Toast is on my radar)

Count Down: to New Year’s (What do you have planned?)

Wear: your coziest pair of pajamas (After my recent traveling, I hope to spend much of Saturday in mine. I have so much blog reading to catch up on! By the way if you need yet another great blog to peruse, check out With a C.H. – love this blog, and Christin is hilarious)

Happy Weekend!

2 Comments

Best Reads of 2012: Part Two

December 28, 2012 by Sarah

channeling contessa best reads 2

I’m excited to add onto Clara’s recommendations, and give you four more books that I loved this year. Looking back, I’ve noticed that each selection I’ve made corresponds to a certain point in time over the past year. For example, I read One Fifth Avenue while sitting on the beach at Sandy Hook, and reading Where’d You Go, Bernadette (by candlelight, no less) got me through the Sandy power outages. I can’t think of a better post to end the year with.

1. Where’d You Go, Bernadette: I think everyone needs to read this book! This was by far my favorite book in quite some time, and I read it in two days. The main character, Bernadette, is hopelessly chic, always armed with oversized sunglasses and silk scarves. I’d have to describe this book as quirky- in the best possible way, and the fact that it’s composed as a series of letters adds to that fact. As someone who loves a good cover, I was happy to find that the story lived up to the beautiful artwork on the outside.

2. The Family Fang: If you’re looking for something different, I would highly recommend this book. It’s not your typical novel, but I loved that about it. The story follows Annie and Buster Fang as they try to distance themselves from their parents, who are entirely devoted to their work as performance artists.

3. Complications: One of my favorite classes while in school was a course called Science, Medicine, and Ethics. I’ve never been had any desire to go to med school, but I did love exploring the ethical side of things. My love of that class inspired me to pick up this nonfiction book, beautifully written by a surgeon. It explores the human aspect of medicine, through a series of case studies. I promise you, it is definitely not boring!

4. One Fifth Avenue: I’ve had this book for a while, but reread it recently, and remembered how great it is. It’s definitely a beach read, but one of my favorites to date. It follows the intertwined lives of the residents inside One Fifth Avenue.

I’m definitely in need of recommendations for 2013, so if you haven’t shared, please do!

1 Comment

Best Reads of 2012: Part I

December 27, 2012 by

 

channeling-contessa-favorite-reads

Aaaahh… hi friends! How are you? Still in a holi-daze? I must admit, it’s been pretty nice to step away from this blog for the past few days and enjoy some much needed down time. Slowly but surely my body seems to be feeling the effects of vacation (read lots of sleep and TV time on the couch), but it’s clear I’m going to need a few more days of this schedule  before I’m fully up for embracing 2013. In the meantime, I wanted to pass along a few of my favorite reads from the year. It’s been an exceptionally good year in books and I’m so excited to share my picks with you. But more importantly, don’t forget to do your part and tell me all that you’ve been reading in the comments so I can start compiling my list for 2013!

1. Wild I loved this book you guys, just loved it. If I had to choose one book out of this list to make you go and read, I think it would have to be this one. Wild tells the story of Cheryl Strayed’s journey hiking the Pacific Coast Trail. Not an experienced hiker in the least, Strayed decides to hike the trail after a tumultuous series of life experiences. The story closely follows her time on the trail- the ups, downs, and truly terrifying experiences. But in the end, it’s those experiences that seem to heal her.

2. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? This one is not so new, but I finally got around to reading it this year and I’m so glad I did. This book made me absolutely fall in love with Mindy Kaling. The peak inside her life and bits of wisdom and advice she offers in a whole host of areas had me laughing out loud (to the point where it was difficult to read this book in the subway!). I personally liked this book better than Tina Fey’s memoir… but that’s just me!

3. Broken Open: How Difficult Times Can Help Us Grow This one I’m actually still in the process of reading, but can already tell will be one of the most influential books I read this year. I really wasn’t seeking a book of this kind, but a blogger I follow closely snapped a pic on instragram and the title caught my attention. One Kindle sample download later and I was totally lost in the personal stories of Elizabeth Lesser’s and numerous other’s journeys through death, divorce, illness and more, and how it was these difficult experiences that broke them open- allowing them to come into touch with who they were truly meant to be in life.

4. The Happiness Project Another kind of dated work, but as a bit of a self help junkie, I couldn’t help but read it. The thing is though, if you’re not so into this genre, I still highly recommend this book. Gretchen Rubin’s account of the year she dedicated to making herself happier is anything but contrived. It’s witty, refreshing, and filled with incredible wisdom and tips on how to actually get greater joy out of everyday life.

Alright guys- your turn!

6 Comments

Have A Warm & Cozy Holiday

December 21, 2012 by

Channeling-Contessa--Happy-Holidays

Oh Friday. Thank goodness you’re here. I woke up last Sunday with a terrible sore throat and have continued to rock a cold and mild flu all week long. I think this is my body’s way of telling me that it’s 100% necessary for me to take the next week to sleep, spend lots of time on Netflix and Hulu, and drink hot cocoa like it’s my job. So excuse me while I go do just that.

Sarah and I will be back later next week sharing our best reads of 2012. I read some amazing books this year so I’m really excited to dish on that topic- but I’m just as excited to hear from you guys and get lots of reading recommendations for 2013! So be sure to drop in for that. Beyond that, here are a few thing for you to cook, do, listen to, and read over the holiday:

  • Entertaining? You really totally need to host this holiday bagel brunch.
  • Did you know CC has it’s very own holiday playlist? Get it here. Mariah and Frank Sinatra all the way.
  • This particular Biz Notes post was one of my favorites. It’s a really good read- wherever you are in your life.
  • Ina Garten tasted and loved (!) these ginger cookies- I think that’s good enough reason for you to make them.
  • Lessons in blogging- here are my big ones from 2012.
  • Still shopping for gifts- we made three awesome gift guides for you this year. Get 1, 2, and 3!
  • Enough with the cookies and candy canes- you totally need this holiday kale salad in your life.
  • I’ll be making a gingerbread house this weekend! Got any tips or tricks?

However you’re celebrating, I hope your holiday is filled with great food, family, and friends. Thanks so much for all your support this year and making my little corner of the web part of your daily life. It means more to me than you can imagine!

xo Clara

Image Credit (photo via Breakfast at Toast)

8 Comments

Our Blog Crushes of 2012

December 20, 2012 by Sarah

channeling contessa blogs1

I was so excited when the idea for this post came up, because, well, I LOVE blogs. I remember stumbling across my first one while I was feeling hopelessly uninspired as a biology student, and I haven’t looked back since. I wanted to share some of my favorite blogs with you (at this moment in time, anyway). Some are being highlighted on our sidebar, but many haven’t been specifically mentioned before. I do hope you find some new favorites!

Style/ Design

1. Miss Moss- This blogger is from South Africa, and I think her tagline, ‘a compendium of radness,’ says it all. She photoshopped that photo above to look like a painting (!)

2. Extraordinary Wonders- This blog never fails to inspire me. The collage pictured above is my favorite thing, ever

3. Atlantic Pacific- I’m in love with every single outfit that Blair posts, and love how her pictures say so much without even needing words

4. Stripes and Sequins: Grace is incredibly sweet, and has the most amazing DIYs

5. Designlovefest

6. Emmadime

 channeling contessa blogs 2

Cooking

1. Butter Me Up, Brooklyn These are all baking recipes (my favorite) and there are always good stories to go along with them

2. Sprouted Kitchen

3. Joy the Baker- How can you not love Joy? She has the most creative recipes, and is such a witty writer

4. Alexandra’s Kitchen

5. 101 Cookbooks- Heidi has an incredible ability to make healthy food taste delicious, every single time

channeling contessa blogs 3

Life

1. A House in the Hills- This blog embodies a sunny California lifestyle, which makes me want to go even more, of course

2. Hither and Thither- I can’t tell you how much I love this blog. Ashely is such an amazing writer, and always finds the most interesting links to post. I’m not that big on children, but even the posts geared more towards parenting don’t bother me one bit

3. A Cup of Jo- A classic, but definitely for a reason. I think Joanna addresses very real issues in a genuine way

4. The Daily Muse

8 Comments

Biz Notes: Where You Are Is Just Fine

December 19, 2012 by

Channeling-Contessa-Always-Believe

Every month I host a meet up for a bunch of wonderful girls. The shared thread is that we’re all small business owners, freelancers, bloggers, or people just looking to make that jump. The meet up, officially called Business in the City, was started by my dear friend Jess in Chicago, and now has a home in NYC. I love this group. Every time we gather I leave feeling lighter, more inspired, and excited about the entrepreneurial path I’ve chosen. Thanks to our girl Katie, we’ve now also added hors d’oeuvres and wine to the mix, so that’s clearly a plus too.

Our December get together was an exciting one. One of women in the group officially decided (that day!), to leave her day job and make the entrepreneurial jump. It was so nice to just talk about her- about ways to grow her business, secure her first clients, create a business plan, and so on. As we sat there talking, the woman’s concerns reminded me so much of myself and where I was 12 months back. It was nice to be able to offer advice and guidance, based on everything I’d learned in the last year. And while some of that advice covered specifics- like how to find an accountant or create a business investment budget- the advice I wanted to share the most was simply to express, that where she was with all the newness of her situation, was just fine. It didn’t matter if she didn’t have it all figured out yet- where she was in the process of starting her business was all part of the process, and that’s just fine.

As I hit the official one year mark of being in business for myself, I feel the pressure to deliver some sort of awe inspiring lesson to you guys- like some big secret to how I have it all figured it out. Well the truth is, and I hope you know this already (!), I definitely don’t have it all figured out. I may have some secrets, but I don’t know if I’d call them awe inspiring. Rather, the biggest realization I’ve walked away with from this first year is that where I am right now is just fine. It’s part of the process, and maybe more appropriately- part of my process. This first year, though I didn’t know it going in, was really all about exploration. I went in with the intention of being an event planner and came out as a consultant that specializes in creating sincere brand experiences through events, social media, and online content. While I’d love to think that last statement is final, I know my work will continue to evolve over this next year and years to come. But the exciting part is- given everything that happened in 2012, that exploration and evolution of my business is bound to be pretty awesome! So let’s do this, 2013.

Ps: If you live in NYC and would like to join the meet up group (gals and guys welcome!), we’d love to have you! Join the Facebook group to get all the updates on meeting dates and locations.

Image Source

5 Comments

NYC Entertaining: A Holiday Bagel Brunch

December 18, 2012 by

Channeling Contessa Holiday Bagel Brunch with Photos by John Dolan 7

I am so excited to bring you guys the next edition of our NYC Entertaining series! When Jen and I were dreaming up concepts for our holiday post, we got really fixated on the idea of doing a bagel brunch. The concept obviously feels very New York, but I also love it, because, well- it’s easy. It allows you to create an incredibly festive menu totally worthy of company, but doesn’t require a ton of work on the part of the hostess. It would be perfect for a late Christmas morning breakfast, or an indulgent New Year’s day brunch. Everything can be purchased and prepped ahead, and only requires a few last minute things to execute the whole meal. We know you’re gonna be eager to throw this brunch yourself, so here’s how to bring it all together!

  • The week of I picked up my supplies- smoked salmon, fresh herbs, cream cheese, clementines, coffee, champagne, and so forth. I’ve provided a full grocery list below. I bought everything ahead except for the bagels as I wanted those to be super fresh.
  • The night before I prepped my pickled onions and herbed cream cheese. Since most of the elements of the brunch are store bought, it’s nice to have some homemade touches. This herbed cream cheese is truly to die for- you could even make extra and package it up in little jars for a party favor. And the pickled onions make a great condiment and add such a gorgeous pop of color to the table. Both take less than an hour to pull together.
  • The morning of I walked around the corner to my favorite bagel place and picked up an assortment of fresh bagels. If that’s not convenient for you, you can buy the bagels ahead and freeze them. Remove them from the freezer first thing when you get up that day and let them defrost on the counter.
  • Two hours before I set the table, prepped my platters and toppings, and put them back in the fridge to stay chilled.
  • 1 hour before I cut my bagels (first in half, then down the center), brewed a big pot of coffee, got some classic holiday tunes going, lit my candles, and positioned all the food on the table.

Once guests arrived I popped the champagne and began mixing up cranberry mimosas. They’re just like regular mimosas except we swapped in cranberry juice and garnished with fresh cranberries to create a truly holiday feel. To see how we pulled this whole table together- including how to safely put the toaster directly on the table, head over to Jentertaining. Jen’s giving you all the details on how to style this festive feast in no time, and for very little money I might add. Here’s to easy entertaining during the holidays!

Other NYC Entertaining Post: A Rooftop Dinner Party & Girls Night In

Photography by John Dolan

Channeling Contessa Holiday Bagel Brunch with Photos by John Dolan 3

Channeling Contessa Holiday Bagel Brunch with Photos by John Dolan 5

Channeling Contessa Holiday Bagel Brunch with Photos by John Dolan 1

Channeling Contessa Holiday Bagel Brunch with Photos by John Dolan 2

Channeling Contessa Holiday Bagel Brunch with Photos by John Dolan 4

Channeling Contessa Holiday Bagel Brunch with Photos by John Dolan 6

Grocery List (serves 8-10 guests):

  • 8 mixed bagels
  • 3 8 oz packages cream cheese
  • 8 oz smoked salmon, cut into pieces
  • 2 beef steak tomatoes, thinly sliced and cut in half
  • capers
  • apple cider vinegar
  • 1 red onion
  • fresh chives
  • fresh dill
  • garlic powder
  • onion powder
  • lemon and extra dill for garnish
  • coffee, cream or milk, and sugar for your coffee tray
  • 1 box of clementines
  • Cranberry mimosas: champagne, cranberry juice, and fresh cranberries for garnish

Below are the recipes for the onions and cream cheese. Along with your herbed cream cheese, also include a bowl of plain cream cheese on the table.

Pickled Red Onions adapted from Gourmet

  • 1 red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Blanch one sliced red onions in a small saucepan of boiling water to cover for 1 minute and drain in a colander. Then return them to the pan and add a 1/2 of cider vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and just enough cold water to barely cover the onions. Bring to a boil over high heat and simmer the onions 1 minute. Transfer the onions and brine to a glass jar and chill (you can remove some of the brine if it’s too much for the glass). Serve the onions from the jar for your guests. They’ll also keep for weeks in the refrigerator, and can be used in salads, sandwiches, and anything else you can dream up!

Herbed Cream Cheese

  • 16 oz softened cream cheese
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp ground pepper

Mix together all ingredients until well combined. Place in serving dish, cover in saran wrap, and let chill for at least one hour or overnight before serving.

12 Comments

Roasted Cranberry and Winter Citrus Muffins

December 17, 2012 by

Channeling-Contessa-Roasted-Cranberry-and-Winter-Citrus-Muffins-3

It’s no secret around here that I’m an absolute Greek yogurt addict. I ate it for breakfast with homemade granola for probably two years straight. I love making salad dressings with it. It’s always present in my smoothies. And to top it all off- I love using it in baked goods. I find muffins and quick breads to be really good candidates when using Greek yogurt instead of oil or butter. So when Chobani offered to send me a variety of their yogurts, I knew I wanted to put it towards a holiday baked good perfect for Christmas morning. I also had a hankering to work in cranberries, since that’s something people always seem to have an abundance of this time of year. I took raw cranberries and roasted them to prep them for the muffins- but you could always use homemade cranberry sauce you already have on hand. I finished off the flavor profile with some winter citrus in the form of fresh clementine juice and Chobani’s pineapple yogurt. I have to admit, I’m pretty proud of these little guys- they turned out even better than I imagined! They’re the perfect holiday bite, whether you’re serving them for breakfast or brunch, or enjoying them as an afternoon snack alongside some hot mulled cider.

Hope your week is off to a great start!

Channeling-Contessa-Roasted-Cranberry-and-Winter-Citrus-Muffins-2

Channeling-Contessa-Roasted-Cranberry-and-Winter-Citrus-Muffins

Channeling-Contessa-Roasted-Cranberry-Citrus-Muffins-4

 

Roasted Cranberry and Winter Citrus Muffins
 Makes 12 muffins

For the muffins:

  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 4 T unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 1 cup Chobani Pineapple yogurt
  • juice from half a clementine
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the roasted cranberries:

  • 1 1/2 cups raw cranberries
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • juice from the other half of the clementine

Roast the cranberries: Preheat the oven to 450°. In a small baking dish toss together the cranberries, clementine juice, and sugar. Roast for 15 minutes, or until the cranberries have burst and browned a bit. Set aside to cool. Lower oven to 375°.

In a medium size bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl beat together the eggs and vanilla. Stream in the melted butter slowly, whisking as you pour so the butter doesn’t harden. Then beat in the milk, clementine juice, and yogurt.

Scrape the cooled cranberries on a cutting board. Give them a rough chop. Then sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the flour mixture over the cranberries, and mix together a bit on the cutting board. You want the berries coated so they don’t sink to the bottom of the muffins. Scrape the berry mixture off the board into the wet ingredients, and whisk to combine. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and whisk until just combined.

Grease a muffin tin with unsalted butter. Divide the batter between the 12 cups, and bake for 18-20 minutes until the tops of the muffins are golden brown. Serve immediately, or store on the fridge for up to 3 days.

Disclaimer: Chobani graciously supplied the yogurt for this post. I’m a big lover of their products, thus all words are my own.

10 Comments

Weekend Wishes

December 15, 2012 by Sarah

Weekend wishes 9

 

Breathe : the scents of the season (Pine, cedar, and spices make the most sense at this time of the year. I think making a point to take in the little details- like a flickering candle- can help you relax during this hectic month!)

Discover : a new favorite book (I recently stumbled across this book, and am beyond intrigued. It’s like a graphic novel meets art installation)

Support : A favorite cause (December is a great month to make it a point to give back. I love supporting this organization. How cute is that puppy?!)

Have a festive weekend!

Leave a Comment
«Older Posts