Today is a big day! It’s my first day working completely 100% full time for myself. Wil and I popped this delicious bubbly two weeks ago when I gave my notice, and I wanted to share it with you today :-)
Cheers to chasing BIG dreams and building the lives we want to live! Thank YOU all so much. This is just the beginning.
It’s a busy day! I have a lot of meetings and editing to do. I can’t wait to share everything else that’s in store for EJP in 2013. XXOO
Comments: 19
Categories: All things Emilia Jane, Kitchen & Cocktail Fun
WARNING: incredibly easy to make & delicious cookies ahead
The recipe is impossible to forget because it’s only four things! You’ll need: one cup of almond or peanut butter (I like a half and half combination personally), one cup of sugar, one egg, and one teaspoon of baking soda. Preheat the oven to 350, mix everything together and teaspoon out onto parchment paper. Bake for 10 minutes (they won’t look done but will set after cooling for 10 minutes). And enjoy! This will make about twenty reasonably sized cookies.
Mmmmm XXOO!
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Categories: Kitchen & Cocktail Fun
On Saturday night we attended our friends Josh & KT’s Wedding Signature Cocktail Party. Everyone brought entries for either a signature bride’s drink or a signature groom’s drink. KT’s drink should be more refreshing, so we made a Dartmouth Highball. And Josh’s drink needed to be more of a whiskey sipper. Wil mixed up some delicious options and we narrowed it down to the Billionaire Cocktail and a Kentucky Mule. I’d highly recommend this fun party idea to any engaged couples! Everyone had so much fun with it.
Do you have a preferred whiskey sipping cocktail?
Comments: 12
Categories: Kitchen & Cocktail Fun
This weekend Wil and I got to spend some good quality time together! Which, of course, means we cooked. Kina & Jonathan were coming over for a “healthy” dinner on Sunday so Wil and I decided to tackle Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc at Home and make the sautéed chicken breasts with tarragon and the summer vegetable gratin. I don’t think we could have chosen better! The chicken was probably the best chicken I’ve had in years. And let’s be honest, a mountain of vegetables on top of sautéed onions? I’m always going to think that’s delicious.
I don’t want to get in trouble with Thomas Keller for posting his whole recipe online…but I promise it will be worth it to get the book and make for yourself! (There are also several knock off recipes if you google it…they look similar but not identical) :-)
So even though we fight as much in the kitchen as out of it, it’s totally worth it! We love this quality time together and obviously enjoy the results!!
What did you do this weekend? XXOO
Comments: 6
Categories: Kitchen & Cocktail Fun
Today I am very excited to share pictures with you from our visit to Next Restaurant for the Kyoto menu on Saturday. This whole menu was a delightful play on the traditional Japanese kaiseki autumnal experience. Including but not limited to: the most amazing tea I’ve tasted ever tasted, fiery centerpieces, divine sashimi, and so much sake. It is amazing to watch your friends flourish in their artforms. Rene, it is truly an honor to know you! Dinner was delectable.
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Categories: Kitchen & Cocktail Fun
Happy Foodie Friday!! This summer Wil and I went up to the Koval Distillery to do a tour and tasting with friends. I definitely learned a lot about their whiskey and spirits and of course we came home with a few new bottles too ;-) Their liqueurs are really tasty (try the ginger and coffe flavours if you get the chance!)
Definitely this winter I want to find other local breweries, wineries, and distilleries to tour. I wonder what we’ll find :-)
Have a wonderful weekend!! XXOO
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Categories: Kitchen & Cocktail Fun
The negroni is one of Wil’s and my favorite apéritifs. It’s normally extremely delicious, but we’ve discovered something that makes it even better! Letherbee Autumnal gin! The warm spices in the Letherbee Autumnal balance out the Campari so smoothly, I don’t know that I’ll want to order a negroni any other way in the future.
Okay so here’s what you’ll need to make it: Letherbee Autumnal gin (any gin will work, it just won’t be as delicious), Campari, and Carpano Antica (though you could also substitute another sweet vermouth, this is our favorite). An orange for essence and garnish, something to measure one ounce with, an old fashioned glass, and ice that is good for stirring and diluting. 
Add ice to your glass, add 1 ounce of each of the Letherbee Autumnal, Campari, and Carpano Antica.
Slice off some of the orange peel and squeeze over the glass, then drop it in as a garnish.
Tada, deliciousness. Sip and enjoy. Thanks to Wil for making the drink while I take pictures, it’s delightful and so are you ;-)
Happy Friday everyone! What are you up to this weekend? XXOO
Comments: 5
Categories: Kitchen & Cocktail Fun
Happy National Champagne Day!
(If you’re in Chicago, you might want to check out RM Champagne Salon tonight, it sounds like a blast!)
In honor of this very important holiday, I’m cheersing with the traditional champagne cocktail! Here’s what you’ll need to celebrate too ;-)
Angostura bitters, a white sugar cube, and champagne.
Place the sugar cube in your coupe or flute (the coupe is the original glass for sipping champagne) and slowly let the angostura drip onto the cube until it is evenly soaked as you can see below. Then fill your glass with the bubbly and enjoy!!
Cheers to a fun holiday and a very happy Friday!! I hope you all have an amazing weekend! XXOO
Comments: 2
Categories: Kitchen & Cocktail Fun
Happy Monday! I can’t thank everyone enough for such a wonderful birthday on Saturday. It was a gorgeous day and I felt really blessed. All pictures are from instagram because I took the whole weekend off from my real camera :-) I did very little work, spent a lot of really nice time relaxing with Wil, and enjoying the company of friends. Friends who are incredibly sweet and know me way too well! I have to give a shout-out to Christina for teaching me how to saber a bottle of champagne too!! There’s a super silly little video at the bottom if you’d like to watch. Thank you to Tiffany for the video ;-) 
Back tomorrow with Val & Theron’s wedding!!!!!
Comments: 7
Categories: All things Emilia Jane, Kitchen & Cocktail Fun
When Brooke and I first spoke about her and Brian’s engagement photos she said they wanted to be sure to capture their love of fine food and drink. I couldn’t think of a better spot in Lincoln Park than Perennial Virant! I just had to post these separately from yesterday’s fun fall engagement photos because I thought this foodie fun deserved it’s own post! You two belong in a lifestyle magazine!
You two are classicly stunning. XXOO!
As an early birthday present to myself, I’m taking tomorrow off the blog ;-) See you all with some champagne cocktail party goodness on Monday!
Comments: 12
Categories: Engagements, Kitchen & Cocktail Fun, Lifestyle