It's Monday. It's raining. It's the perfect excuse to fill up the house with the smells of roasting chicken and garlic. And the best part is that none of the recipes for this meal require you to pay too much attention to detail. Once everything is started, you can set your timer, grab a glass of wine and a book, and chill.

THE MENU
Thomas Keller's roast chicken is the best and easiest chicken out there. The only requirements are a chicken, salt, and a love for perfectly crispy skin.

These slow-cooked Greek green beans are unfussy and delicious.

We're doing puréed cauliflower instead of mashed potatoes. Yes, it's maybe a smidge healthier (although it still has plenty of butter), but it's comfort food alright. Also, the less starchy cauliflower means that you can't overwork it like you can with potatoes, so that's one less thing to worry about.

Puréed Cauliflower with Roasted Garlic
1 head cauliflower, leaves removed and chopped into large pieces
1 bulb roasted garlic, peeled and with cooking oil reserved*
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup or so part-skim ricotta cheese (other dairy works well here - feel free to add cream, whole milk, and/or parmesan)
Salt and pepper
Parsley to garnish (optional)
 
Steam cauliflower in a pot of boiling, salted water for about 15 minutes, or until tender. Strain the cauliflower, reserving the water. Purée cauliflower in a food processor with the butter, garlic and oil, and cheese. Add some of the cooking water if the mixture looks dry. You can season it and serve immediately, or put it back on the stove on low, stirring occasionally, until ready to serve.

*To roast garlic, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Chop off the top quarter off a bulb of garlic. Put the bulb in a ramekin, add extra virgin olive oil, a splash of water, and a pinch of salt. Cover the ramekin with foil and cook for about 45 minutes, or until garlic is very tender. Roasted garlic is divine spread on bread as well, which you should definitely try if this is your first time making it. And don't be afraid - it seems like a lot of garlic, but roasting it mellows the garlic out so it won't overwhelm you.

Open a bottle of wine and bon appétit!

There are few things better than a classic margarita and its salty, citrusy, tequila-y punch. A patio marg and basket of chips and salsa is just the thing after a long day. Today's margarita isn't the classic recipe, but it rounds out those classic qualities with with the addition of refreshing cucumber and kicky jalapeño. Perfect for an August happy hour.

CUCUMBER JALAPEÑO MARGARITA

Zest of one lime
Kosher salt
4 ounces silver tequila
2 ounces fresh lime juice
1/2 ounce agave nectar (or simple syrup)
1/2 a cucumber, sliced
1/2 a jalapeño, sliced

Combine lime zest and kosher salt on a plate. Rim two glasses with the salt mix. Set aside two cucumber and two jalapeño slices (to use for garnish), then muddle remaining cucumber and jalapeño in a cocktail shaker. Add tequila, lime, and agave nectar and shake with ice. Fill rimmed glasses with ice, strain cocktail into glasses, and garnish with remaining cucumber and jalapeño.

Salud!

I'm a bit of a serveware junkie. It doesn't matter if it's a set of small bowls for olives, a cutting board used as an antipasto tray, or an ornate china platter for a holiday meal. Anything that brings food, friends, and family to the table makes me insanely happy. Let's check out a few items I'm coveting for my next gathering.

Let's oggle some spaces designed by Steven Gambrel today. How striking is that entry in this Chicago townhouse?

I will never, ever get tired of rich blues with gold and leather details. I love the mix of antiques and bold, playful colors.

There's that blue again. This shot of Café Clover in Manhattan is just charming.

I love a painted ceiling, and those hits of green in this Hamptons house are so cheery and fun.

Image credits: Chicago townhouse via House Beautiful / Café Clover via Architectural Digest / Hamptons house via Elle Decor

We spent the weekend working on our patio (better late than never?), and now that it's been cleaned and freshened up I'm motivated to add the finishing touches and take advantage of the nice weather we've been having lately. 

1. Bar Cart

I love the look of this rattan bar. Here's a version from Williams-Sonoma.

2. Lighting

I love good outdoor lighting. Sadly, the roof of our covered patio is too low for anything like this, but a girl can dream. In the meantime, a few lanterns of varying sizes will do just fine.

Summer isn't over yet, so let's celebrate today with the summeriest (it's a word) drink of them all: the Southside. This minty, lemony concoction is just the thing for lawn parties and pool days. Hurry and make a batch before anyone can say "sweater weather".

THE SOUTHSIDE

4 oz gin
2 oz simple syrup
Juice of two lemons
Several sprigs of mint
Splash of club soda
Lemon rounds for garnish

Add gin, simple syrup, lemon, and mint to a shaker and shake with ice. Strain into an ice-filled highball glass. Top off with soda, and garnish with lemon and extra mint.

Cheers.

I have a thing for dining rooms. They are, after all, where all the best things (like eating and drinking with friends and family) happen. So naturally, when Chairish reached out and asked me to design a room with shabby chic elements for their Mix & Chic style challenge, I took the opportunity to design my ideal rustic and relaxed dining room.

I started with the shabby chic dining table and dresser (wouldn't be the first time I've used a dresser as a china cabinet) to anchor the space and create a casual vibe. From there, I picked out a couple items that echoed the rustic textures of the distressed wood table and cerused oak dresser. The faaabulous concrete deer wall mount and mixed media art both have the patina (or patina look) of the other pieces, but add something a bit unexpected. Keeping with the theme of unexpected pieces in a neutral color palette, I added the industrial halo chandelier and Poltrona Frau leather and chrome chairs to lighten up and modernize the room a bit. I love a contrasting table and chair style in a dining room - it keeps things looking modern even when you're using vintage items. Finally, it was a no brainer to throw in the overdyed pink Turkish rug to pull together one of my favorite color schemes of black, white, cognac and pink. It's not the usual palette you'd expect in a more rustic space, but the key to today's look is all about adding the unexpected in thoughtful ways.

All that's missing now is some table wine, homemade bread, and farmer's market cheeses.

From top left: Halo chandelier / Jean Aber mixed media art / Ebony cerused oak dresser / Concrete deer wall mount / 1920's English pitcher / Art deco bust / Poltrona Frau chairs / Pink overdyed Turkish rug / Shabby chic distressed white table

I was perusing House Beautiful when I came across these green lacquer walls and immediately had to stop everything else I was doing to find out more about this space and designer. Are you kidding me with this room? It's colorful and risky but completely livable. I'm charmed.

The designer is Palmer Weiss, a Charleston native who now lives in San Francisco. The woman knows her color.

I spent the weekend with a group of wild women in Newport, Rhode Island for a friend's bachelorette. Between various dance parties and debaucheries I had a few spare minutes to explore and snap some photos. It was my first time in Newport and I fell in love with the town.

(Subtitled: Wooohooo.)

Last weekend we drove up to Purcellville, Virginia to visit the Catoctin Creek distillery. Edward and I are big fans of their Roundstone Rye, and the distillery is only a couple hours from Richmond, so away we went.

First up was a tasting, clearly. My sister ordered the cocktail tasting, which was darling.