grilled radicchio and endive salad

i’ve been waiting a long time to fall in love with radicchio. i love how it looks but the bitterness of raw radicchio is not to my liking and i always end up picking it out of salad mixes. but grilled, with a sweet dijon dressing and some crunchy almonds… that changes everything. this is so simple to make, beautiful to serve and delicious to eat. i’m into it. *this is a salad that is better off as an accompaniment to a meal than the star of the show, in my opinion.  recipe after the jump.

the what:

1 small head of radicchio, quartered

3 endives, halved

refined coconut oil

1/4 cup tamari roasted almonds, rough chopped

2 tablespoons dijon mustard

2 tablespoons maple syrup

sea salt

cracked black pepper

the how:

cut bottom of endives (leave enough for them to stay together)

place quartered radicchio and halved endives onto a hot grill (or in my case, a grill pan, which i am mildly obsessed with!) *use refined coconut oil to grease the pan if you go that route

cook for a few minutes and use tongs to flip.  grill radicchio until it’s softened, browned and charred and endives until they are softened and have clear grill marks (see photos above for what you’re aiming for!)

while veggies are grilling, mix 2 tablespoons of dijon mustard with 2 tablespoons of high quality grade A maple syrup

once the radicchio and endives are fully cooked, remove from grill and chop into salad bite sized pieces.

toss with dressing (as much or as little as you prefer) and almonds.  season (liberally) with sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper.  enjoy!

springy springtime

pastels and polka dots again my friends. what can i say?  i’m addicted!  you know what else i think is the bomb in spring? the way one really major jasmine bush can make an entire block smell. and the fact that there is a tiny nest of baby squirrels in our yard that i can hear chirping when i’m laying in the sun. and how riding a bike with spring wind blowing through your hair feels like heaven. ahhhh, spring is really freaking glorious.  it’s the little things in life…. i hope you’re enjoying! 

pants: madewell, shirt: madewell, bike: linus (thanks max for letting us borrow it!), glasses: super sunglasses, watch: marc jacobs, shoes: madewell (similar), lips: dior blazing red  photos: lou mora

ASK SARAH

happy monday friends!  i’m going to kick off this series by answering Kate’s “what to wear” questions. Kate wrote:

Q: Since you’re offering, can you recommend a dress for a casual beach wedding and a dress/outfit for a sunset cruise the night before? The wedding is in Hilton Head, SC in two weeks, so I need to get shopping soon. Also, while I like maxi dresses on others, it’s not the best look for a 5’2″ gal like me.

I   II   III   IV

A: oh my, i’m a little jelly of your sunset cruise and casual beach wedding plans!  sounds fun!  my thoughts on wedding wear is this: i don’t care how casual the location, the couple or the plans- it’s a wedding!  and i see that as a fantastic excuse to get dressed in something pretty and feel great!  here are some options below with different price points but all from shopbop, my online shopping heaven (free shipping and free returns, and it generally arrives in 3 days!) 

i have the yellow dress and i have to tell you i’m in love with it!  i wore it to a bruch event yesterday and got so many compliments on it.  and, i know you’re petite but that slit up the leg is so flattering that i think it’d be fantastic on a woman of any height!  all of these dresses can be dressed up or down, so they’re versatile and you’ll get more than this one wear out of them. now, as for shoes and accessories, i think your best bet at the beach is a wedge sandals. here are some options : I   II  III  IV. and as far as baubles/accessories are concerned, i think dresses II & III need a big statement necklace or an amazing belt but the other two can get away with something more simple. (hopefully this is an area you can pull from your closet!) add a few gold bangles and a chunky watch if you have one to finish your look, and you my dear, are all set to celebrate! have some champagne for me!

now, as for your sunset cruise(!!!), i have a tendency to want to get all nautical on my bi-annual boat excursions and wear a striped dress, boat shoes and red lips.  not really appropriate for a pre-wedding sunset cruise, so instead i think i might veer to the glamorous side with this dress, save my pennies but still feel well styled in this dress, or be understated but sexy in this dress.  kate, i hope that helps! have fun and send pictures if you get a chance! 

now, on to the next question…. what’ve you got for me? work, love, food, sex, style, home decor? what shall we talk about next?!

chelsea’s style

meet my friend chelsea!  she’s the co-founder of no subject and girl behind all of the above blog- she inspires me in so many ways!  she also has amazing personal style and is basically living in one of my dream homes- full of spanish architectural details, brass, amazing vintage furniture finds and all sorts of other fantastic girliness that makes my heart pitter patter.  i’m going to help her learn a bit more about her camera so she can take photos as she decorates this little jem of a home for her blog…can’t wait to see what she dreams up!

chelsea is also a girl who knows how to accesorize!  i’m loving her stacks of rings, totally planning on working that into my wardrobe.  and her graphic sundress from urban outfitters looks so comfortable, easy and stylish without trying: exactly the kind of dress i live in during the summer. { a few graphic maxi dresses i’m loving right now: 1. 2. 3. 4. }

{and yes, that is a new DOMINO magazine she’s reading! i think there was a collective squeal from the internet the day that came out…}

the maxi skirt done right

shopbop sent out an advertisement yesterday showing this maxi skirt styled four ways and i really love it! too pricey for my budget at the moment, but a girl can dream right?  thanks so much for your responses/questions/email about my post yesterday and the new ask sarah series!  i’ll be answering some of the less involved questions in the comment section and i’ll kick off next week with my first official ‘ask sarah’ post!  excited to see what we all end up talking about as this series goes down the road!

in the meantime, here are a few things from around the interweb that i loved this week:

jackie and jfk’s wedding photos, oh how lovely and classic!

she takes the most beautiful street style photographs i’ve seen yet, i can’t get enough

i’m wanting to buy a dozen versions of this for summer, it’s perfectly comfortable and chic

this yummy treat is making my mouth water. it looks so amazing!

a good reminder for all of us, and one i hope to live by! 

last but certainly not least, a little cuteness to send you on your way.