Sometimes, even though it’s a weeknight….you just need to drink something sparkling! We picked up this cuvée at the grocer over the weekend and simply couldn’t wait to taste test 
Here’s to celebrating the littles things in life…and the big ones…and everything in between! XXOO
PS this cuvée was delicious! Wil and I both give two thumbs up, especially for the price point.
//Speaking of celebrations! Go check out my feature on Moment Junkie today!!\\
Comments: 3
Categories: Kitchen & Cocktail Fun
This Friday’s treat is brought to you by Wil…and truly we have Betsy to thank too When we went home for Easter, Betsy & Wil made margaritas…which has of course meant more margaritas at home too. We tend to get on these kicks… anyway! For Wil’s perfect margaritas you’ll need two ounces of tequila (we used Lunazul because that’s what we have), one ounce of Cointreau, and one ounce of fresh lime juice (this could take a couple limes depending on how juicy they are). You will also want ice for shaking, ice for the glass, an old fashioned glass (or your choice), a cocktail shaker, and strainer.
Pour the 2 oz tequila, 1 oz Cointreau, and 1 oz lime juice into the shaker….
Add ice inside, and shake until you can see that it’s cold (normally about 30 seconds). 
Then strain out over new ice 
and mmmm enjoy
Happy FRIDAY!!!!! I hope you have an amazing weekend 
XXOO
Comments: 1
Categories: All things Emilia Jane, Kitchen & Cocktail Fun
Good morning! How was your weekend? My weekend was nothing like what I thought it was going to be but I feel like sometimes those end up being the most fun! Saturday I photographed a wedding you may have seen the Instagram pictures? I can’t wait to post the real deal, it was gorgeous! Sunday after church I went for “Traditional Afternoon Tea” at the Drake Hotel with my beautiful friend Gillian. I have no idea how I’d never done this before! It was so much fun Of course I took a few pictures to share! 
Being silly taking pictures of the pretty glass ceiling. Do you see me? 
Last photo taken with my iPhone by our server
Have you ever been for high tea? It was such a fun little indulgence! Happy Monday, XXOO
Comments: 4
Categories: All things Emilia Jane, Kitchen & Cocktail Fun
It’s delicious cocktail time! This week I bring you the Gypsy. A yummy drink featuring three of my favorite liquors: Plymouth Gin, Yellow Chartreuse, and St. Germain. You will also need: fresh lime, ice, a cocktail shaker, jigger, strainer, coupe glass.
Pour 2 oz of the Plymouth
3/4 oz of the St. Germain
and 3/4 oz of the Yellow Chartreuse into the shaker
Squeeze 1 oz of fresh lime juice into the shaker. Shake with ice!! You can see the bottom on the right picture that it’s sufficiently cold
and strain into coupe!
Optional: garnish with lime wedge
This was actually much more tart than I had expected, next time I think I’ll add just a tidge more St. Germain to sweeten it up (thanks to Wil for the hand modeling, and cocktail making while I photograph)
So delicious! Have an amazing weekend! XXOO
Comments: 4
Categories: All things Emilia Jane, Kitchen & Cocktail Fun
Yay for spring!! I know tomorrow is technically the first day of spring but since it’s been so wonderfully unseasonably warm, we have started grilling….of course. I can’t tell you how happy this makes me! One of my absolute favorite things about the spring/summer/fall is grilling. Chopping vegetables together in the kitchen, cooking outside in the sun, sipping chilled white wine.
Today is your lucky day because I am going to share my not-so-secret marinade recipe!
You’ll need olive oil (not extra virgin for cooking), balsalmic vinegar, garlic salt, black pepper, all season, Lawry’s seasoned salt, and ground mustard.
The liquid base is two parts olive oil to one part balsalmic vinegar. I typically do about 1/4-1/3 cup olive oil and 1/8-1/6 cup balsalmic with just under 1 teaspoon (equal parts) of all of the other spices!
I trim off all of the fat from the chicken breasts and cut them in half if they’re large. I also thinly slice along the meat so that it will hold more of the marinade. I don’t soak it prior to cooking, I just spoon it on while it grills on each side. It would be great to soak in too I’m sure, but normally I decide what to make for dinner when it’s time to make dinner. (Yeah…that meal planning goal is not going so well yet…)
For the veggies I just chop whatever we have and pour a little bit of olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper Nothing fancy, but I cook that side on lower heat for longer until everything is mostly salt.
Mmmmmm delicious! Do you have a favorite grilling recipe? I want to hear them!
Happy Monday y’all!! And cheers to warm weather! XXOO
Comments: 7
Categories: Kitchen & Cocktail Fun
When I first got the Mark ii I was SO GOOD at taking my camera everywhere. I would be lying if I said this was still the case. Instagram (on my iPhone) has sadly taken over most of my day-to-day picture taken. This weekend I made an effort to carry my camera and I couldn’t be happier about it!
Friday night we opened a bottle of our wedding wine and played board games. Saying that I love married life and my husband is a huge understatement.
Saturday morning we woke up early and waiting in line for donuts at the Doughnut Vault!!! So delicious. Full blog post on that to come Thursday
We came home to a million loads of laundry (sorry no pictures, this part is boring) and I edited Ashley & Jeremy’s Las Vegas elopement that I second shot for Justin & Mary. I cannot wait to show you all this full post on Wednesday!!!
Saturday night we went to this new restaurant up the street called Storefront Company. It was yummy! They had AMAZING glassware. I have enough pictures for a full post so please let me know if you would be interested in hearing more (thanks to Wil for the picture of me!) I love getting dressed up for dinner out!
After dinner Josh & KT came over for drinks and sadly I forgot to take any pictures of this.
Sunday was our friends’ Matt & Tiffany’s first anniversary! Tiffany had set up a surprise Beloved session with him for that afternoon Full post next week!!
Okay aren’t they gorgeous!? LOVE.
Last night it was SO AMAZING outside that we just had to grill!! Full post with my secret recipe next week!!
Yeah…I am the queen of out of focus self portraits :-/ better than nothing though!
What did you do this weekend? I want to hear all about it!! XXOO
Comments: 4
Categories: All things Emilia Jane, Beloved, Kitchen & Cocktail Fun
Last night Wil decided to mix up a nightcap and I joined him with my camera and as an official taste tester. Also I saw that he brought home grapefruit so you know I was allll over eating what he didn’t use for the drink!
The Bitter End
For this cocktail you will need a dry gin (recipe called for Gordon’s which we don’t have so we used Broker’s), Cynar, Cointreau, grapefruit juice (yes, it has to be fresh), grapefruit bitters, a cocktail shaker, jigger, strainer, ice, rocks glass (but let’s face it, any glass will do). After mixing this drink we liked it but didn’t love it, we really loved adding a dash of mint bitters (so delicious) and less than a teaspoon of simple syrup (and then stirred them in).
1 1/2 oz Broker’s Gin
1/2 oz Cointreau
1/2 oz Cynar
3/4 oz Grapefruit Juice
2 dash Fee’s Grapefruit Bitters
Pour ingredients into shaker, shake, and pour into rocks glass.
Like I said at the beginning, we weren’t thrilled with this drink so we kept experimenting. We strained out the ice, added a dash of mint bitters and just a teensy bit of simple syrup. So delicious!
Cheers to you!! Who has fun weekend plans?
Comments: 2
Categories: Kitchen & Cocktail Fun
Last Wednesday Wil and I were so lucky to dine at Next for the El Bulli menu. I can’t tell you how hard it was to narrow down to these images! This menu we had 29 delectable courses. I’m not really a picky eater, but I definitely have foods I don’t prefer if you will…I cannot point to a single course that I didn’t think was so well balanced, well paired (ohhhh the drinks), and really frankly just downright delicious. I told this to our excellent server Josh, but I’ll tell you all too. I actually liked this menu better than our dinner at Alinea. Bam! Now you know I mean it. Okay enough chatting, on to the beautiful food…
After dinner we went down to the Office for one last drink
If this wasn’t enough pretty food goodness, you can head over here to the full gallery
Happy Tuesday!
Comments: 2
Categories: All things Emilia Jane, Kitchen & Cocktail Fun
Because you see…I love dinner and cooking and food and all things associated with parties…this combination brings me joy! My love of hosting people for dinner goes all the way back to childhood. We had family dinner every night but most nights weren’t just family. Whether it was friends of mine or my sister, or students of my parents, we added a chair or three to the table almost every night. I love the community my family created around our dinner table. And I definitely have that dream for Wil and myself (and our future family) as well. Just this week I was so lucky to both host and attend little dinner parties! Cindy & Julia hosted Elizabeth Clayton, Christy Tyler, and myself for a FABULOUS dinner on Saturday (pictures on Instagram). And we hosted Tim & Bethany for dinner (you know it was good because we had lots of cheese!) and cocktails (Wil’s Instagram pic) Monday night.
What is so cool now is that I get to host friends (and clients sometimes) for dinner but some totally rad couples are opting for food centric wedding venues too! Intimate, restaurant/foodie weddings seem to me like the best imaginable dinner party celebration with all of the most important people in your life! And for those of you reading who are planning larger weddings, a LOT of this feeling can happen at your rehearsal dinner too (if you want it to, that is). [I will photograph your rehearsal dinner if you want me to ]
Because photography is my business, and really I just love this subject….of course I have to share a few favorites from family/rehearsal dinners and restaurant/foodie wedding celebrations!
Happy Thursday!
[If you missed the past 5 Thursdays you can click on any of these links to read: I think dressing up is fun(with a vintage Vegas styleboard)! I could not survive without coffee (I am a Grande non-fat latte). I believe in nightcaps (with a DELICIOUS cocktail recipe). I am a list maker. And I love to read books for fun ]
Comments: 4
Categories: All things Emilia Jane, Kitchen & Cocktail Fun, Weddings
Every year people ask, “what are you and Wil doing for Valentine’s?” And I love knowing that my answer is always the same We make spaghetti at home! I brown the beef and boil water for noodles, he spices the sauce to perfection. We serve ourselves stovetop (because seriously who is patient enough to get out pretty serving ware?!) and pour each other another glass of red wine. It is absolutely the little things in life that bring joy. Last night we ate spaghetti, drank wine, ate cake, and then watched Oceans 13. (In preparation for my very exciting Vegas trip next week of course!) Maybe I’m one of the crazy ones, but I think Valentine’s Day is special because just because it’s another day I get to spend with Wil. Regardless of where we are, or what we do. And if we’re being honest, our time at home cooking together is my favorite.
Lady and the Tramp because who am I kidding thinking I can take a spaghetti picture anywhere near as adorable as this!
Happy Wednesday all and be sure to click over to see the proposal from yesterday if you haven’t yet!
Comments: 0
Categories: All things Emilia Jane, Kitchen & Cocktail Fun
