Author: Stef McDonald

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Balsamic: Worth the Wait

During a recent family visit, my aunt surprised us with a gift from a new shop in town that sells olive oils and vinegars. “It’s the most delicious balsamic vinegar!” she said. No doubt about it — she seemed very excited about this vinegar. We planned to fly back home with only carry-ons so she insisted on mailing it to us. It seemed like a lot of work for a bottle of balsamic vinegar, but how could we argue? The same day the box arrived in the mail, our neighbors brought over fresh garden tomatoes and we dressed them simply with a drizzle of olive oil, the aged balsamic, and a bit of sea salt. She wasn’t joking about the flavor. Yum.

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Recipe: Couscous with Peach and Mint

At a friend of a friend’s barbecue birthday party recently, I filled my plate twice with a couscous dish made with peaches and mint. With peaches in season, I knew right away that I’d be making my own version at home soon. I wasn’t sure how the dish was dressed, so I went with a sweet and tangy lemon and honey vinaigrette.

Couscous with Peach and Mint

1 box couscous

2 diced peaches

3 sprigs of fresh mint, roughly chopped

For the vinaigrette:

1 tbs. fresh lemon juice

2 tbs. olive oil

1 tbs. honey

Pinch of salt

Cracked black pepper to taste.

Simply make couscous and let cool before adding peaches, mint, and dressing. Chill before serving. Yum.

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Better than Before: Replacement Flip-Flops

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Cross-posted on the Surf Like A Girl blog

My new Sanuk flippies were a gift from my sweet mom, who went to the local surf shop to buy them for me after my silver Havaianas flip-flops were stolen from the beach near the home of my parents. (Beach-goers leave their shoes by the dunes before walking onto the beach, but my pair apparently caught the eyes of a shoe thief.) Mom wanted to replace them and picked the only silver pair the shop had in my size — and it is a definite upgrade. I love the simple style and comfort of Havaianas, but these Sanuks — made from recycled yoga mats! — are pillowy and feel dreamy on my feet.

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Safe Fake Bake

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I came back from a week’s vacation that included a lot of quality beach time. Like I always do, I lathered up with sunscreen and wore hats to keep my face protected. But when a coworker commented on my tan, I delighted in telling her it was “faux.” My sunny complexion comes from using Alima Pure’s bronzer in Maracaibo, with a touch of Vapour Beauty’s Aura Multi-Use Blush in Spark on the apples of my cheeks. Easy, non-toxic, and “naturally” glowy.

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Choose Not to Be a Lady: Nod to Nora Ephron

Not being a lady

Reading the remembrances of Nora Ephron, I am reminded about how much I like her work. And because I was a kid who dreamed of growing up to be a writer, I also admired her.

In one piece, I stopped on this quote from a commencement speech she gave to Wellesley graduates in 1996: “I hope that you choose not to be a lady. I hope you will find some way to break the rules and make a little trouble out there.”

That made me smile — and feel grateful for strong and trailblazing women like her. When I was in high school, I was told to be a lady by an authority figure and I still remember the feelings of outrage and confusion from the exchange.

“Stefanie, cross your legs,” I was told by an assistant coach of the track team. “Be a lady.” He was the grandfather of one of my teammates and was a supportive and kind man — but old-fashioned and, well, sexist.

Luckily, I had parents who raised me to be independent and to believe that I did not need to behave differently because I was a girl. I knew to assert myself and question authority if necessary (see my fashion rebellion story).

“Why do I have to be a lady?” I remember asking. He was surprised. I recall trying to explain, but I’m not sure how articulate I was. I might have asked why the boys weren’t told to cross their legs. After all, we were both wearing our shorts and track jerseys on the bus.

What I knew but couldn’t say was this. When boys and men are told, “Be a man,” it is to fight for something, to reach down into the depths of their beings and emerge stronger to do the right thing. When girls and women are told, “Be a lady,” it is to delicately suggest we be demure and adhere to rules that are, frankly, pointless. Why would I want to be constrained and controlled? Why on earth would I want to be a lady?

I hope for more commencement speakers like Ephron and parents like my own to encourage girls and women to break the rules when the rules need to be broken. That’s a good kind of trouble to get into.

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Recipe: Peach Cucumber Summer Salsa

Peaches are in season and I wanted to make a summery salsa for taco night with friends. This is loosely based on a Bon Appetit recipe I found on Epicirious, but I skipped a few ingredients and added a few more to my own liking. We served this with tortilla chips and also used it to top Mr. MVP’s grilled shrimp tacos. Note on peaches: they’re on the Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen list of produce with pesticides, so it’s always best to choose organic.

Peach and Cucumber Summer Salsa

1 white peach

1 yellow peach

1 hothouse cucumber

2 limes

1/2 red onion

Sea salt

Fresh black pepper

Dice peaches and cucumber (skins on both) and place in bowl. Finely chop 1/2 red onion and add to bowl. Add zest of 1 lime and juice from both limes. Add salt and pepper to taste.  Chill before serving. Enjoy.

Wine note: Mr. MVP poured us Moscadello from Capanna, a rare white Italian wine with the perfect amount of sweetness.

 

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Flapper Look: Sparkly, Red, Smokey

For a family friend’s 85th birthday party, she threw a ’20s-themed party and asked guests to dress in period attire. She picked good timing, with another movie version of “The Great Gatsby” coming out soon and ’20s looks showing up on red carpets and in fashion spreads. I love ’20s style any day.

You can see Lila and I had the same thing in mind when putting together our looks.

My flapper look came together easily with accessories and makeup choices. Subtlety? That’s no fun. In addition to a ring on every finger (two on a few!), I wore multiple strands of pearl, crystal, and glass beads, a pearl brooch, and a rhinestone headband. Most accessories were vintage finds.

I pulled my hair back in a clip to approximate the bob look and decided on matte red lips and smokey grey eyes. I shudder to think about the chemicals found in makeup available in the ’20s — there was certainly lead in the lipstick — but my 21st century makeup bag contains only non-toxic choices. Lips: Jane Iredale’s Lip Definer in Crimson topped with RMS Lip2Cheek in Rapture. Eyes: Jane Iredale Eye Liner in Black Grey and Alima Pure Pearl Luster Eye Shadow in Grace. Face: Un-Cover-Up by RMS, topped with Alima Pure’s Shimmer Powder in Sorbet, plus some Living Luminizer by RMS in the corners of eyes and on brow bone. Voila.