Instagram lately: sneakers style + DIY chocolate strawberries

Nike Free sneakers (also sold here) sz 6 - runs small, J.Brand jeans sz 24 (hemmed)

H&M scarf (similar - 50% off), Gap jacket (similar in petite), Talbots tee, Goyard bag

Rounding up some photos & answering questions from my Instagram lately - I don't think I've ever blogged an outfit in sneakers (except for Nick's spycam proposal photos where I was in pretty much the same outfit) but I'm reaching for them more and more outside of working out. My go-to lazy day outfit is black leggings or skinny jeans with these sneakers, which help visually lengthen the legs a bit despite being in flat shoes. And if you don't have a staple camel scarf by now, this Topshop one just went on markdown for half off with free shipping!

Ann Taylor dress c/o + necklace (on sale!), Talbots tee (similar), Manolo BB pumps

Just got this dress back from the tailor, whom I had slim the hips about an inch or so. I want to echo from my prior review it's a solid quality piece and I'm loving the subtle piping detail. It's currently on sale for 40% off with all sizes in stock, and my necklace is still available on extra clearance! There's so many layering possibilities with a classic crewneck neutral sheath dress - you can do collared shirts, long-sleeved tees like I did here, tie-neck tops, cropped sweaters, etc.

Oh my goodness, we might've over-indulged in these just a bit but they were SO good. They also make great little Valentine's Day gifts boxed up - my friends kept asking where they were from! I have a history of more Pinterest fails than successes, so if I can make these at home I'm pretty sure anyone can. Here's a few tips after my initial struggles (needed a hot shower after being covered in chocolate):

- This YouTube tutorial was my favorite! Toothpicks kept sliding off my berries, so I just hand-dipped then placed on parchment paper to harden.

- Since very few ingredients are involved, quality ones are key. Strawberries are sadly not in season here but I splurged on some juicy looking ones at WholePaycheck err Wholefoods. We had both Ghiradelli and Nestle chocolate on hand which were equally tasty.

- Make sure your berries are bone dry before dipping, since a drop of water in the melted chocolate could make it seize up. I washed mine ahead of time and laid out to pat dry on paper towels.

- Use large pieces of chocolate, or big chips or chunks found in the baking aisle for melting. I accidentally had a bag of mini chips which would not melt smoothly.

- I tried both a double boiler and microwave for melting my chocolate and they came out the same. Microwave was a lot easier so I stuck with that method. Make sure to have your power level on half and heat up in 30-second increments, stirring in between, to avoid burning your chocolate. Maintaining that silky consistency is key for easy dipping - I had to re-heat my chocolate several times whenever it started to thicken up.

- The ones that you mess up dipping are perfect for covering in nuts! Or eating immediately : )

Ending this post with Nick's colorful fruit & yogurt bowl...quite yummy even though I'm not the biggest fan of yogurt from some childhood trauma. My mom and grandparents LOVE making their own yogurt (which my friends eventually lovingly dubbed "couch yogurt"). This involves an incubation process at a lukewarm temperature, which they found the living room couch with all its cushions and throw blankets to be the perfect vehicle for. One too many times I tiredly plopped my butt down on the sofa only to find a yogurty surprise...

Sundays at home

cream cardigan p/s (stolen from mom) On Nick: Hedley & Bennett apron, thermal joggers

As much as we love dining out, my favorite part of the week is cooking Sunday supper with Nick. We usually reserve this day for any slow-cooking or soups / stews, and start early so that the aromas fill the house by the time afternoon sports are on. This weekend we made both my favorite dutch oven crusty bread and white chicken chili - the chili is easy enough for beginners, takes under an hour, and boy is it flavorful! Nick likes his brunch-style topped with a sunny side up egg. Read on below for the recipes!

Kate Spade kitchen towel
I'm also partnering today with Macy's wedding registry - I know several of you are planning a wedding (a huge congrats!), so I wanted to share some of our favorite, useful registry-friendly items. Snapchat friends probably see our Le Creuset cast iron oven on the regular, producing stews, roasts, bread, and so much more. It's quite heavy, so an added benefit of use is an extra arm workout!

Martha Stewart also makes a more affordable cast-iron collection that my mom uses and likes as well. Ours was thanks to a generous friend Liz who makes yummy "dutch oven crusty bread." It's soft on the inside, just perfect while warm with a pat of butter or olive oil. She got her pot as a wedding gift with the bread recipe card inside, and passed the tradition on to me since I always asked her to make it! We couldn't resist baking a loaf to go with dinner (recipe here; instructional video here) - I'm no baker, but this is the simplest bread you'll ever make. Just make sure to use instant yeast per the recipe, or proof your non-instant yeast first.

On to the chili - I love a good recipe that serves as a guideline, but can easily be adapted for individual tastes or for vegetarian friends (try veggie broth instead of chicken; extra beans and veggies instead of meat).

White Chicken Chili Recipe
Adapted from Cathy on Allrecipes. Serves 4.

- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 (4 ounce) can diced green chile peppers
- 1 jalapeno, seeds removed then diced*
- 1.5 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
- 2.5 cups chicken broth**
- 3 cups cooked, chopped or shredded chicken***
- 3 (15 ounce) cans white beans
Optional:
- canned or frozen corn
- topping ideas: cilantro, scallions, ground pepper, cheese or sour cream

* If you like it hot then put some seeds in since that's where the heat lies. Be careful and don't let your bare hands linger on the inner membrane & seeds! I learned this the hard way years ago and had hands on fire.
** Original recipe calls for 2 cans, or 3.5 cups broth which was a little soupy. You can tweak the ratios of broth, chicken, and beans based on your liking.
*** We love flavorful dark meat, so used boneless, skinless chicken thighs seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Wrap in foil to keep juicy, and bake for 20 minutes on 400 degrees. If they're not fully cooked at this point they will be in the chili. Ground chicken or turkey would be interesting too!

1. Heat the oil over a large pot on medium-low heat. Cook and stir the onion until tender. Mix in the garlic, jalapeno, green chile peppers, cumin, cayenne, and oregano. Continue to cook and stir the mixture until tender, about 3 minutes. Mix in the beans then chicken broth, and simmer for 15 minutes stirring occasionally.

2. At this point if you want a thicker texture, dip an immersion blender into your pot, and pulse a few times to puree some of the beans before adding chicken. Otherwise, just stir in the chicken and simmer another 15 minutes. We're obsessed with the Cusineart smartstick (ours is a prior model) which we also got as a gift - it's a food processor, whisk, mini blender, and immersion blending stick all in one. The immersion stick is a must if you like making creamy soups - no messy & dangerous step of pouring hot soup into a blender!

Kate Spade apple spoon rest

3. Stir in optional corn at the end before turning off the heat. Serve hot and top with garnishes. I just love the sweetness of the corn and some fresh cilantro with the spices in this!

Bloopers - got hot beans up my nose due to an impatient Nick

Here's a few other gift-able items that we have and love. Readers - what was your most memorable wedding gift received?

Thank you Macy's for partnering on this post!