Hit The Bottle, Ladies: Host a Rosé Wine Tasting with Treats and Friends!

Happy Friday, lovely friends! We made it through the week—amen, right? Not sure what your plans are this weekend but if you're in the mood to play the casual-chic hostess, why not host a last-minute rosé tasting party? It's super easy (and deliciously educational, too)!

Obsessed! With This Modern Recipe Notebook.

I've been obsessing over this recipe notebook by Rachel Basinger of Oh No Rachio—the color, the design, the type—how adorable is it!? It reminds me of the"Kitchen Secrets" notebook by Portugese paper designer The Arminho that my mom gave me for Christmas, which I've been using it to write down recipe ideas and tricks when I'm outside of the test kitchen. This may need to be my next purchase...

Shake Shack Dark Chocolate Bar by Master Brothers Chocolate!

Boyfriend brought home the new collaboration bar between Shake Shack and Mast Brothers Chocolate and I am obsessed. The blend is the same Mast Brothers chocolate Shake Shack has been mixing into its concretes and shakes this past year, but now it's available in bar form at all Shake Shack locations. The dark chocolate flavor is super rich and almost cranberry-y (try breaking it off, little square by little square, and just letting it melt in your mouth—mmm!) and just sweet enough. But take a look at the packaging! The Mast Brothers wrap each bar in a sheet of custom-designed heavyweight paper, featuring the image of the original Shake Shack in Madison Square Park. Pretty rad, huh?

Shake Shack Dark Chocolate Bar
$9.00; any Shake Shack location

Dog-eared and Daydreaming...of this metallic shirtdress!

The French do it to me every time: I'm dying over this metallic A.P.C shirtdress from Lucky magazine! I don't think I'd cook in it without an apron on but I could totally wear this for a day of meetings, then out to cocktails, dinner, and dancing if the music was right ;) 

Have you flagged anything in the September issues you're dying to have? I've been hiding my stack of tear outs in our guest room...shh! I'll organize 'em eventually. 

Currently Drinking: Grady's Cold Brew Coffee Concentrate

Morning! Remember a few weeks ago when we were chatting about cold brew coffee? I admitted that I'm a sucker for the packaging, so I continue to buy bottled cold brew even though we make perfectly lovely cold brew in our French press at home. Welp, it happened again... 

Whole Foods has a whole display of Grady's Cold Brew Coffee Concentrate near the checkout line this week. I grabbed a bottle to see how it compares to the Gorilla brand Tetra Paks and, darn it, my mind is blown. I'm a fan of New Orleans–style coffee (the chicory variety and PJ's sneaky vanilla-spiked iced coffee), so that already gives Grady's a leg up, but I think the flavor is far better and it isn't overly roasty, which I love. Granted it's a little more expensive but you get a lot more coffee. Overall, I give Grady's two wiggly thumbs up! Have you tried it yet? I'm dying to know what you think!

Back To School Shopping: Baked Good Packaging

I need to do a little "back to school" shopping to get ready for fall: new cupcake liners, new outfits I can wear from the kitchen out to dinner (tricky transition), new serving pieces and definitely new supplies for baked good packaging. What about you? Any change-of-season items you're hankering for? I'll post the highlights from my own list over the next few weeks. I'm loving these!

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Currently Drinking: Gorilla Brand Cold Brew Coffee

My friends and I argue about what the next big coffee trend will be but for now cold brew seems to be sticking.

 At home we make cold brew overnight in the French press but the fancy bottles of the pre-made stuff are handy (and rather cute)—look! I picked up a Tetra Pak of Gorilla Coffee's new packaged cold brew at Whole Foods last night. It's a little pricey at about $5 a container but you know you're supposed to ration it out right?  It's true! At least it is when you make cold brew in a French press: The flavor and caffeine are concentrated because of the longer extraction period (the beans are in contact with the water for, like, 10 hours instead of 5 minutes), so you're meant to dilute it. Technically, then, $5 gets you a few cups of Gorilla coffee, especially when you factor in ice, milk, etc. That's doable.

Anyway! It's tasty. Maybe a little toasty for my taste but really darn good. Plus, it feels like a special treat, so it's getting me through a morning of recipe editing and brain storming.

Have you guys tried and loved any other bottled cold brew brands?