I couldn’t wait even 4 days to blog about this Shabbat dinner. Similar to last year’s rooftop Shabbat, I got a call from my friend Marissa from OneTable who wanted to put together a Shabbat al-fresco towards the end of summer. After how well last year turned out, how could I say no?

The Venue

The dinner was in the garden at Christy Webber Farm & Garden–a branch of Christy Webber Landscapes in Chicago. The idea of having a Shabbat dinner outside in a garden sounded too good to be true to me; luckily, it exceeded even my wildest dreams.

The Tablescapes

I love a good tablescape. My new friends at Christy Webber Farm & Garden helped me out in this department–I had a vision and they elevated it with fresh greenery, pumpkins, and gourds! I brought the tablecloths, gold chargers, and plastic plates and silverware.

I also made the candlesticks. They are SO easy to make (exactly like these DIY menorahs from last year), and I bought the actual candles from the dollar store. I outfitted all the tables for about $20 and 10 minutes of work. You just glue the 3/4″ copper tubing  (specifically called a “coupling”) from Home Depot to these wooden blocks. If you don’t feel like making your own candlesticks, the below are just as cute!

I bought all the tablecloths, plates, plastic silverware, etc. on Amazon:

The Place Cards

I created these place cards using my Cricut (shocker), and they turned out really cute! I just cut out a square with a score line in the middle, and cut a leaf shape out on one side of them. I used a white gel pen to write people’s names, and voila! I put the place cards inside so people would see them on their way out to the garden. (See more Cricut projects here)

The Wine

I don’t think it’s a secret at this point that I’m obsessed with Chloe Wine. Their pinot grigio is my go-to, and I was so happy they offered to provide the wine for this special evening! There was barely a drop left at the end of the night. Plus, it’s so pretty!

The Appetizer

As an appetizer, I put together a cheese board made with goodies from Trader Joes. It’s surprisingly easy to put together cheese boards like you see at fancy events; I couldn’t believe how well it turned out! Shout out to my friend Lauren who helped me set up the dinner AND put the final cheese board together. I just bought all the supplies!

Everything you see here on the cheese board was about $50 total (for the food):

• 2 apples
• Blueberries
• Red grapes
• Cheddar cheese
• Goat cheese
• Gruyere cheese
• Apple jam
• Fig & olive crisps
• Brioche toasts
• Assorted crackers

The actual marble slab ($50) is a Crate & Barrel piece I bought this year. It’s extremely heavy, but I can’t tell you how many compliments I get on it. It is sooo perfect for these types of large appetizers, and I keep it on display in my kitchen when it’s not in use!

The Main Course

For dinner, I had Doc B’s catered. The manager at the River North location was so nice; we basically called him and said “we have 30 people coming for dinner and want to keep it light; here’s our budget, can you help us put together a menu?”, and he put together the perfect dinner. It was an assortment of salads and 2 sandwich platters. I would 100000% order from them again!

Side note: the dishes that went the fastest were the Tangled Noodle Salad and the Brussels Sprouts Salad. I highly recommend these dishes if you’re ordering from them!

The Dessert

Sadly I didn’t photograph the dessert, and I’m not entirely sure how I missed this! I picked up black and white cookies from Manny’s Deli in Chicago. They are the yummiest and I just cannot resist a black and white cookie. The key is to get a bite of both the chocolate side and vanilla side at the same time. If you don’t get that reference, please see here.

I should also mention that my friend Eshley also made 3 dessert challahs, so we were SET in the sweets department.

Thank you so much to everyone who helped make my dream Shabbat a reality!

• Effie at Christy Webber Farm & Garden for being the most gracious host I could ever ask for
• My friend Lauren for coming 2 hours early to help me set up
• My friend Eshley for making SIX challahs, which were gone in approximately six seconds
• My friend Taryn for candy-ing the almonds for the cheese board, and for taking a ton of photos when I was busy setting up and greeting people
• OneTable for providing the grant that made this dinner happen; if you’re looking to host or attend a Shabbat dinner in your city, sign up for their platform! It’s the BEST!
• All 30 people who showed up, ate good food, drank good wine, and spent the most wonderful evening together making new friends

The post End-of-Summer Garden Shabbat appeared first on love always, audrey.

Sweet, sweet summertime. It’s finally here and I am LIVING for it. I vowed to travel less this summer and spend more time in Chicago, and so far it’s working out really well (aside from our Paris and London trip, but no complaints there).

I’ve seen these little Mochi Ice Creams every time I’ve gone to Whole Foods in the past year, but hadn’t tried them until now… and I just love these things! If you don’t already know, Mochis are bite-sized ice creams wrapped in sweetened rice dough. They’re perfect little finger food desserts! Of course, I wanted to figure out a way to make them even cuter for hosting purposes… because of who I am as a person.

Making pops out of them seemed like the perfect thing! And, honestly, the easiest. Because during the summer, who wants to spend all day in the kitchen?!

To make these pops, I used some pretty simple ingredients:
Bubbies Mochi Ice Cream
Lollipop Sticks
Assorted sprinkles (I used these, these, these, and these)
Candy Melts

The candy melts were easier to melt than I thought they would be – I just put them in a glass microwave-safe container and melted according to the package instructions!

While they were melting, I put the candy sticks in the mochis to get ready for dipping. Once they got dipped, they got sprinkled!

I put the pops on a plate to dry, and once they were mostly dry, stuck them in the freezer. It’s important to not put them into the freezer right after you’ve dipped them, or they’ll cool too fast and crack when you try to move them! Let them cool at room temperature for a few minutes, THEN transfer to the freezer.

Bubbies carries a TON of flavor options, but for this project I used vanilla (my favorite), and passionfruit (Idan’s favorite). You can find them at your local Whole Foods Market, or by using their in-store locator online.

Another pro tip: I served these little guys on a French marble slab — this was helpful because it stayed cool and helped the Mochis not melt as fast.

If you think far enough in advance, you can also put the marble slab in the freezer for a few hours to help it stay cooler longer!

Enjoy! If you’re entertaining this summer, this easy summer dessert idea is sure to be a hit.

This post was sponsored by Bubbies Ice Cream, a brand I love. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep Love Always, Audrey running!

If you loved this post, you’ll love these:
The Best Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
DIY Mi Casa es Su Casa Doormats
Guinness Chocolate Mousse

Save it for later:

The post Easy Summer Dessert Idea: Chocolate-Covered Mochi Ice Cream! appeared first on love always, audrey.

I am SO excited to introduce you all to my friend Charlotte! She is a fellow blogger and friend who lives in Ann Arbor, where my boyfriend and her husband are going to school together. I just adore her and knew she’d write the perfect blog post–and she absolutely delivered. Enjoy Charlotte’s blog post with a delicious recipe for Guinness Chocolate Mousse–just in time for St. Patrick’s Day!

//

Alright y’all, I’ve got a special treat for those of you who love chocolate… and beer. Guinness chocolate mousse is the must-have sweet treat for St. Patrick’s Day!

When Audrey asked me to write a guest post for Love Always, Audrey, I was so excited! Sure I’m a fan of the site but since Audrey and I met last fall, we’ve become great friends. Despite a shared love of blogging, we met through the men in our lives.

One of the reasons I think we get along so well is that we share a love of holidays. Sure, we love the holidays we spend with our families. Perhaps more notably though, we LOVE those holidays we get to plan parties around and bake on theme for! I’m looking at you Friendsgiving and Halloween.

I’ll leave the party planning to Audrey and stick to baking up since that’s my strong suit. And with this easy and tasty Guinness chocolate mousse recipe, it can be your strong suit too!

When it comes to baking on-theme for St. Patrick’s Day, it’s got to be green or all about the Irish alcohol. I’m not big on whisky but Irish beer is something I can definitely get behind for the sake of a drinking holiday. I’m usually a light-beer or cider girl but to get the most flavor and richness in this mousse, a pint of Guinness is the perfect beer!

Tips for success:

• The recipe calls for you to ‘temper’ the heavy cream into the egg yolks. This is just a fancy way to say carefully combine. If you pour all of the warm heavy cream into the eggs you might end up with scrambled eggs. To temper, pour a small amount of the heavy cream into the eggs while whisking constantly to combine (and gently elevate the temperature of the eggs to match the heavy cream). Once well combined, pour the rest of the heavy cream into the eggs. And voila! Now you’re an expert on tempering.
• Playing the waiting game. Once the mousse ingredients are assembled, you’re going to need to leave it to sit for a few hours. You could eat it right away but that time in the fridge will allow the air that you whipped into the heavy cream has a chance to combine with the chocolate in the custard to produce that amazing texture we all love.
• Mousse is such a rich dessert that I always prefer smaller servings. That being said, this recipe will serve as many as 8 people in small ramekins or as few as three in larger bowls. I divided my last batter into two large bowls for my husband and I and then two adorable Guinness mini pints for photos. But also for late night snacks when I want just a taste of chocolate.

Enjoy!

The post Guinness Chocolate Mousse appeared first on love always, audrey.

I’m not trying to be a suck up, I promise. But Idan’s parents are the best cooks and bakers–specifically his mom. Every time I go to their house, I know my belly is about to be full of the most delicious food (and most of it is Middle Eastern… even better!).

One thing that I absolutely HAD to have the recipe for was their banana bread recipe. I swear I ate half a loaf the first time I tried it, and I’ve made it every month since she sent me the recipe.

You guys, it’s so good. I  bring it to work all the time and it’s gone in just a few hours. And, with Idan’s mom’s permission, I wanted to share it with you all!

Note: This is NOT healthy bread. There are other websites you can find recipes for healthy banana bread. This chocolate chip banana bread recipe is PURE decadence… and I believe very strongly in occasional decadence.

Now that we have that disclaimer out of the way… here goes! Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

We start with the ingredients. I know, I know… orange juice? I promise it makes the recipe what it is. Also, as with all banana bread recipes, the older the bananas the better.

First, in a large bowl, beat the eggs, add sugar, and mix. Melt the stick of butter in the microwave, then mix that in, too.

Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add in alternately with the orange juice.

Mash the bananas and mix in. Add the cinnamon, too.

Lastly, we add in the mini chocolate chips. I do believe that they should be mini–it makes it easier to get them in every bite!

Bake in a loaf pan for about 35-40 mins. You’ll know when it’s done.

Ugh, how good does that look? This is the best chocolate chip banana bread recipe–it’s ooey, gooey, and scrumptious.

If you liked this post, you might like this one and this one. All food & drink posts are here!

//

Save it for later:

The post The Best Chocolate Chip Banana Bread appeared first on love always, audrey.

When Pocky asked me to put together an easy dessert bar idea I said HECK YES as fast as I could. Do you blame me? I need some color in my life, especially in the form of sugar. Yes, I eat pretty healthy normally, but it’s all about balance, right? Especially when I’ve already done a Whole30 challenge this year… I’ve earned some sweets!

I can’t tell you how easy this dessert bar was to put together. It would be perfect for a baby shower, bridal shower, brunch, random Tuesday, etc.

Here’s what I used:
– A donut wall (keep scrolling for instructions)
– Some serving platters (these, these, and these specifically)
– Some candy jars (less than $10 each at Target)
– A water carafe (this was $3 in the Target dollar section… I know right?!)
– Some fun treat bags with washi tape (treat bags also from Target)
– Paper plates (c/o Paper Source)
– Fresh ranunculus from Trader Joes
– Candy, donuts, cookies, and Pocky

You want your guests to take home treats, right? I know I don’t like to have all of it sitting in the house after everyone leaves. Except I shot this post myself and it’s still all in my apartment… ANYWAYS. Treat bags are a perfect way to make sure everyone takes their share home!

I feel like this is Homer Simpson’s dream blog post.

Pocky sticks just beg to be arranged in a fun pattern, am I right?

Banana, strawberry, and cookies & cream flavors of Pocky, all lined up in a row.

Cookies c/o Matt’s Cookies. Thanks friends! Also, my roommate was super jazzed about us having a real life cookie jar from now on. It is the ultimate test of self control. ;)

My washi tape collection was put to good use!

How cute is this candy pedestal jar??

All signs point to a sweet day. ;)

This donut wall is almost too good to eat. Almost.

Here’s how you make it:
– Buy a piece of pegboard from Lowes or Home Depot (I think this was like $10)
– Buy a few wooden dowels (check to make sure they fit in the holes) and have someone at the hardware store cut them into 2.5-3″ pieces (I had to do this part myself with Home Depot’s wood-cutting station, but it was pretty easy, promise!)
– Using a mini paint roller, paint your pegboard in your desired color (pink, duh)
– Space out the pegs (I did them 6 holes apart each) and hammer them in if they don’t fit easily
– Hang your donuts and ‘gram the heck out of your new donut wall!
Bonus: stick some pretty flowers through the holes (randomly) to add even more color! 

I got the DIY instructions originally from Oh Happy Day.

What do you have coming up that you could make a donut wall for? I’d love to see pictures!

//

This post is brought to you by Pocky, a treat that I love to enjoy. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep Love Always, Audrey running!

The post An Easy Dessert Bar Idea appeared first on love always, audrey.

First of all, I finally found this Dollop location after admiring it from afar on Instagram for a long time.

Shout out to Katie from Little Black Blog for letting me know the address! This location is in the lobby of an apartment building and it’s charming as well as Instagram heaven.

Ugh, I die.

Pocky’s strawberry flavor is very, very flavorful (you can smell it from across the room, in a good way), so I thought pairing it with a nice, plain latte would do the trick. And it did! The taste of strawberries with espresso and milk was the perfect combination.

There is no lack of pink or gold accessories in my life, clearly.

Oooh, little darling, stir it up.

Next up? My favorite flavor of all time (duh): chocolate. Adding chocolate to chocolate was a no-brainer for me, so I paired the chocolate Pocky flavor with a steaming hot mocha! Saying that always reminds me of the episode of Friends where Monica makes recipes for the Mock-olate company (“steaming hot mock-olate!”).

The chocolate melts in the mocha. So YUP, I drank this one quick (and ate my stirrers)!

One thing about Chicago: sunshine here is deceiving. If you need sunnies during the winter, you know it’s going to be absolutely brutally windy and cold outside. So I definitely sat in this coffee shop for almost the entire day because brrrrr.

Last combo: Matcha Green Tea Pocky with a Cortado! This particular drink consisted of espresso, honey, cinnamon, and steamed milk.

Full disclosure: I really did not like this drink (I don’t like cinnamon unless it’s cinnamon sugar on a pretzel, cake, cookie, etc.), BUT the baristas that made me these drinks said this was an excellent combination! And they’re the experts, right?!

Plus, St. Patrick’s Day is coming up, and we need all the green things we can get right? ;)

//

So, there you have it! 3 coffee and Pocky pairings sure to make your coffee even more enjoyable (and whoever thought that was possible? Coffee is sent from heaven.).

Which of these are you going to try?! You can pick up Pocky at any World Market, or on Amazon. Enjoy!

This post was sponsored by Pocky, a treat that I love to enjoy. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep Love Always, Audrey running!

The post Coffee and Pocky Pairings + A Cute Chicago Coffee Shop appeared first on love always, audrey.

Head over to the Paper Source blog to see the rest of the details and my tips for throwing a tea party! Plus, enter to win a private party at your local Paper Source with the #myPSparty contest! If you win, I’m inviting myself. ;) Contest ends March 3rd, 2017.

The post Spring is Here with This Easy Tea Party appeared first on love always, audrey.

At the beginning of this year, I embarked on my second Whole30 journey. While my first attempt only lasted 22 days, this time I did the whole damn thing (*pats self on back*). If you don’t know what Whole30 is, you can read about it here. In short, it’s 30 days with no grains, sugar, dairy, alcohol, soy, or legumes. That cuts a lot out of most people’s diets, including my own.

In addition to giving up all of the above, I also gave up coffee for the month. I felt that it’s just not worth it to drink my coffee black, and wanted to give my body a break from the constant caffeine intake anyways.

People ask about my experience a lot, so I wanted to share some tips and insight for those wanting to try a Whole30 challenge! If you have any questions on things I haven’t covered, please comment below and I’ll do my best to answer!

 

 

Creamy Spinach Sweet Potato Noodles with Cashew Sauce

 

Pear, Shrimp, and Pomegranate Salad

 

Buffalo Chicken Dip

 

Turkey, Kale, and Cauliflower Soup

 

Salmon with Lemon Herb Cauliflower Rice

 

Crispy Smashed Potatoes with Chipotle Lime Mayo

 

Zoodles with Turkey Meatballs in a Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

 

Cauliflower Crust Pizza (without cheese of course)

Potato Avocado Toast with Poached Eggs

 

Slow Cooker Beef Brisket with Tomatoes and Onions

 

California Club Sandwich

 

Chicken Salad

 

Spaghetti Squash Bolognese

 

BLT Salmon Salad + Cilantro Dressing (I used dill instead of cilantro)

The post Whole30 Tips, Tricks, and Recipes appeared first on love always, audrey.

As many of you know, I’m currently in the middle of my second Whole30 journey (read about my first experience here). This time around has been much easier, and much more successful (i.e. I’ve been following all of the rules this time). What’s made it easier is that my friend Emily and I are doing the program together! It’s always good to have a buddy, and we’ve been making lunches for each other to make everything easier. I’m going to round up all the recipes we made during the month in a later post, but I wanted to share this delicious and easy Whole30 salad recipe from Emily first! Also, even if you’re not doing Whole30, it’s still good. Promise.

What you need:

– Shrimp
– A pear

– Pomegranate seeds

– Spinach/arugula mix, or just arugula

– Tessemae’s Balsamic Vinaigrette

//

To make this salad, I sautéed the shrimp with a little bit of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, salt, and pepper. When it was done, I squeezed fresh lemon juice on top! This gave it a nice little kick, and it blended well with the vinaigrette.

I’m sure I don’t have to tell you how to make the rest of it. Bon appétit!

I do have to say, though: this Tessemae’s Balsamic Vinaigrette is the best dressing I’ve ever had. I love it so much more than all the other versions out there (and those all have some kind of sugar, ew!), and I will absolutely continue to purchase this in bulk even when I’m done with the program. This isn’t sponsored, I just really love it! It makes it so much easier to make a delicious and easy Whole30 salad recipe.

//

Do you have any Whole30-approved recipes to share? Please post them in the comments below–you can never have enough compliant recipes!

The post A Delicious and Easy Whole30 Salad Recipe appeared first on love always, audrey.

Setting the stage for a New Year is a detailed process that takes dedication and hard work. Creating New Year’s Resolutions (and sticking to them) is quite difficult in my opinion, and while it’s always exciting to think of what’s to come in the next 365 days, it can also be daunting.

While I’m fully up to the challenge, I’ve found that bouncing ideas off of people who I love and respect helps a lot in holding me accountable and creating realistic goals in the first place. For these reasons, I put together this colorful New Year’s Day Brunch!

There’s nothing I love more than a good brunch party (see this Galentine’s Day Brunch here), and I figured it would be a blast to start the New Year off with something so bright and cheerful! Enter the New Year’s Brunch:

For food, I made some delicious toast that I found in this toast-dedicated cookbook. All the recipes look so good; I’m excited to make even more in the future!

There are so many more photos of this New Year’s Brunch and more of my thoughts about New Year’s Day on the Paper Source blog — head over there to see! Also, go to my Instagram page to see the giveaway happening this week! Hint: a LOT of the items you see here are prizes. 

Shop my brunch picks:

P.S. A Galentine’s Day Brunch with Paper Source, desk decorating tips to start you off on an organized foot, my 2016 wrap up and 2017 goal setting, and, if you’re not so into New Year’s Resolutions, anti-New-Years-Resolutions wallpapers.

Some items you see here were gifted to me by Paper Source, but all opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that keep Love Always, Audrey up and running! 

The post Why You Should Host a New Year’s Brunch appeared first on love always, audrey.