Friday fixins'

Burano, Venice

Flowy skirts

Bunch o' nummy things ta grill

Pretty outdoor dining

And a fun summer playlist for when you're loungin' pool side.

Mini peach crisps

I've made this apple crisp multiple times for various parties upon request. It's seriously so good, easy, and doesn't require extravagent ingredients from the depths of a secluded island. So naturally when I saw this peach crisp, I knew I had to try it. I love peaches and crisps and desserts and and mini things and pretty much anything that you can put ice cream on. Can't wait to try it. Mini Peach Crisps:

(not a measured recipe)

*peaches
*sugar
*flour
*cinnamon
*oatmeal
*brown sugar
*butter
*baking powder
*baking soda

In a bowl, combine peaches, a little flour, sugar and cinnamon and set equal parts into ramekins (I used 3 ramekins with 2 peaches). Then in the same emptied bowl, combine oatmeal, brown sugar, flour, butter, baking powder and baking soda. Sprinkle mixture on top of peaches and bake for around 20 minutes at 375 degrees. Serve warm with ice cream. Lots o' ice cream.

Somethin' somethin' on a Sunday

Watering can turned vase

A nummy peach drink. Also check out this super easy raspberry beer cocktail from Krystina's blog, that I made twice this weekend. Swear I'm not an alchy.

Tried this skirt on at American Apparel and for some reason decided not to get it. But I want one. Gotta have one. Love it in peach.

Mermaid nails with loose glitter, too cute.

The perfect summer cross-body bag.

I love mint and this is so perfect for summer! Toss a sprig of mint into your ice tray to freshen up any drink.

Summer sippin': Honey ginger lemonade

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Recipe: honey ginger lemonade

ingredients

For the honey ginger syrup:
1 cup (250ml) honey (I use wildflower honey)
1 cup (250ml) water (filtered or spring)
4oz (115g) fresh ginger root, peeled and finely grated (I use a microplane zester)

For the lemonade:
1 cup (250ml) fresh squeezed lemon juice, strained (about 5 large lemons)
3 cups (750ml) cold filtered or spring water (flat or sparkling)
1/2 cup (125ml) vodka (optional)
Ice for serving
Sliced lemons and mint sprigs for garnish (optional)

instructions

To make the honey ginger syrup:
Place the honey and water in a medium saucepan, bring to a boil and simmer until honey is completely dissolved.
Turn off heat and add the freshly grated ginger and any juices. Cover and let steep for 30 minutes.
Strain syrup thorough a fine mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing hard on the ginger pulp and then discarding the solids.
Pour into a bottle or jar, let cool completely and then chill until cold, about 1 hour. The syrup will keep in your refrigerator for up to two weeks.

To make the lemonade:
Add the freshly squeezed lemon juice and the honey ginger syrup to a large pitcher.
Add 3 cups of cold water (more or less depending on how strong you like your lemonade). If you are using sparkling water don’t add it until you are ready to serve so that it doesn’t lose its fizz. Add the vodka now as well if using. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Pour lemonade over ice filled glasses, top with a slice of lemon, and garnish with a sprig of mint.

variations
You can also steep the syrup with mint or basil in the hot syrup for a different variation.
The honey ginger syrup is also great for sweetening iced tea and other beverages.

Number of servings (yield): 4 to 6
Meal type: drink/cocktail

Picnic perfect

There are few things that I love more than dining al fresco. I just love it. And I'm obsessed with outdoor summertime concerts and movies where you can bring your own picnic and draaank; some of my local faves include: Doheny Blues Festival, Sunset Serenades in Laguna Beach (Fridays), classic movie and a picnic at Chapman University (Fridays), concerts at the pier in Santa Monica (Thursdays), concerts in the park at Hart Park in Orange (Wednesdays)- the list goes on and on. Just a few weekends ago, Adri, George, Bellie, Kevin and I had an awesome dinner outside by candelight, and it was perfection. It seems that in this day and age, we eat just to fuel ourselves, rushing through it and not taking time to enjoy it. I'm guilty of eating breakfast in my car on my way to work :/ This is why picnics and dining outside, away from the tv and with time to enjoy eachother's company, are perfect. They force us to slow down, and stop to smell the wine and cheese.

via here and here

Food and drinks:
My go-to picnic food always includes a variety of the following:
- Wine
- Cheese
- Crackers
- Some type of meat (prosciutto, turkey sammies, etc.)
- Something sweet. Duh.

Some recipes I want to try for my next picnic outing:

- Strawberry mint sangria!!

- Marinated figs with brie

- These awesome sammies

via here and here

Materials:

I always seem to forget something.

- Blanket

- Cups

- Utensils

- Plates and nappies

- WINE OPENER (I've forgotten this more often than not)

- A mini table or long tray to hold and serve everything (makes it so so much easier)

I posted this picnic basket last week, but I can't get over it. I wantitneeditgottahaveit.

Outfit:
The comfier, the better. I prefer shorts or a long comfy maxi dress. Don't forget that sweater for night time shows!

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Me sneaking wine into cups while picnic-ing in Santa Monica with Kev.

Happy al fresco dining, peeps!

Monday and a treat

What a weekend. I haven't stopped celebrating life since Thursday evening aka Cinco de Mayo, and Monday could not have been a more dreadful day. I am tired, full of diet coke, and counting down the minutes until next weekend. Just to add on top of an already depressing day, I just signed my summer weekends away via LSAT prep courses which begin mid-June, and are every weekend until the October test. Talk about RUDE.

Welp, depressing days like today call for a delectable recipe, which I'm hoping to make tonight. They will be my reason to run an extra mile or two and add some dramatic panting on the treadmill after work. But seriously, wouldya look at these suckers???? I just want these every day for the rest of my life. I'll be sure to post pics of how it turned out...Recipe below. Have a good week, peeps!

Pat's Peanut Butter Mocha-Maple Brownies(adapted from Martha Stewart)
*printer friendly Recipe

*Mocha Brownie batter
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 ounces of unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
4 ounces of semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 Tablespoon of espresso powder
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Peanut Butter Maple Filling
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
2 Tablespoons of maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt

Ganache frosting (optional but may lead to remorse if skipped.)
1 1/2 cups of bittersweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature

Method
Brownies: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with foil, allowing a 2-inch overhang. Spray the foil and set aside.
Prepare the batter: Put butter and chocolates in a heatproof medium bowl set over a pan of simmering water; stir until melted. Let cool slightly. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
Whisk granulated sugar and espresso powder into chocolate mixture. Add eggs, one at a time, and whisk until mixture is smooth. Stir in vanilla. Add flour mixture; stir until well incorporated. Set aside while you make the filling.

Filling: In a large bowl, on low speed, beat together the butter, confectioners' sugar, peanut butter, maple syrup, and salt until smooth.
Pour about one-third of batter into prepared pan; spread evenly with a rubber spatula. Drop dollops of peanut butter filling (about 1 tablespoon each) on top of batter, spacing about 1 inch apart. Drizzle remaining batter on top, and gently spread to fill pan. Drop dollops of remaining filling on top. Gently swirl peanut butter filling into batter with a butter knife, running the knife lengthwise and crosswise through layers.
Bake until a cake tester inserted into brownies (avoid center and edges) comes out with a few crumbs but is not wet, about 45 minutes. Let cool slightly in pan, about 15 minutes. Using the foil overhang, carefully lift the brownies out of the pan and place on a wire rack. Cool completely before ganaching.

Ganache: Put chocolate chips into a medium-size heatproof bowl.
In a small saucepan, bring cream to a gentle boil. Pour the hot cream over chocolate chips and let mixture stand for about 5 minutes.
Using small concentric circles, gently whisk in butter until it is incorporated, chocolate is melted, and a smooth mixture forms.
Pour/spread the ganache on cooled brownies and let stand until set, about 20 minutes.

Makes about 12-14 brownies

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Lavendar lemonade cake

I am dying over how great/cute/perfect/nummy this idea is! You scoop out the lemon inside of a lemon, fill it with your favorite lemon cake mix, wrap it in foil, bake, and serve in the lemon shell wrapped in some twine with a lavendar accent! I want to host a shower or party or brunch of some sort asap, solely to serve these cuties!!!

Quick and easy dinner for mother hubbard's cupboard

Inspired by my cousin Krystina's recent posts documenting her homemade meals, I decided to start documenting a meal or two per week as I do enjoy cooking, but don't often document it. It's nice finding relatively easy recipes that don't require me hunting down a special herb from the depths of a secluded jungle on a tiny island in the middle of the Pacific where it only grows one day out of the year.

Anyhow, my fridge and cupboard were rather empty last night, so I had to pull a dad (seriously, my dad can make a meal out of rocks and sticks and cobwebs, he's amazing) and make something out of nothing. And thus was born a frittata/scramble/eggy thing that was actually really good and I will probably make it again. I made extra and had the remainder for breakfast on top of toast this morning.

Sauteed mushroom and spinach frittata-y scramble

Ingredients:
- Olive oil (2 tbsp or so)
- Spinach (handfull or two)
- Mushrooms (I sliced up apx. 6 or 7)
- Onion (a little less than half.melovesonions)
- Garlic (one clove, minced)
- Rosemary (1 tsp?)
- 4 eggs
- Salt and pepper (who really knows how much, idk)
- Red pepper flakes

Warm olive oil in the pan, and sautee the onions and garlic; add some salt and peppa. Oh ya shake shake shake. Add rosemary. After onions are soft, add mushrooms. And maybs some more olive oil. (image is blurry due to the excessive shake shake shakin' I was doing)

Add the spinach and continue sauteing with other veggies until soft. Crack the eggs on top and pick out any shells...honestly, some day I'll get it right.

Scramble or flip like a frittata/omelet, however you prefer. Let cook. And pick at it because you're hungry.

And if you are lover o' da spice, add some spicy goodness to this baby. Then plop yourself on your couch with your roommate and watch Crazy/Beautiful for the first time since middle school and swoon over how dreamy Jay Hernandez is and how Kirsten Dunst is just not right for him and what the heck is he thinking she is RUINING HIM and stuff like that.

Promise the next meal will be a little more complex (and by promise, I mean maybe).

Cheez pleez

I absolutely love love Joanna's post about the perfect cheese platter. I very much enjoy having cheese platters at a get together, because there are few people who won't touch it. A few tips from her post:

-Buy one ounce per person per cheese (no more than 6 cheeses)
-Take the cheese out of the fridge one hour prior to the party (cheese should be served room temp)
- Cheeses should be arranged on the platter clockwise, from mildest to strongest: mildest at 12:00, strongest at 11:00.

Bon apecheese!

Rose martini

It's 5 o'clock somewhere, right?

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Ingredients:

1 1/2 oz vodka

1 oz white creme de cacao

1/4 oz rosewater

small pieces of Turkish delight or rose petals to garnish

1 drop rose food coloring

Methodology:

1. Fill half of cocktail shaker with ice

2. Add liquids

3. Shake

4. Pour

5. Garnish

6. Enjoy!

Feast Mode

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Hi peeps! Well one of my favorite holidays is officially upon us. Last night Melissa and I threw a little Thanksgiving potluck with some girlfriends and it was so much fun! Although they did find out that we sneakily (or not-so-sneakily) bought the bird pre-made :( woopsies. Oh well, our apt looked so cute and that's really all that matters, right? Well I'm leaving on Wednesday with my family to head up north to stay with my aunt for Thanksgiving this year. I'm hoping she doesn't already have a set menu, because I've been perusing recipes all week. Below are some of the recipes that I'm deciding between (dessert first, always):

- apple crisp: http://deliciouslyorganized.blogspot.com/2010/10/apple-crisp.html (Kev and I made this on Saturday, and it's super easy and super delicious!)
- mashed sweet potato brulee http://www.browneyedbaker.com/2010/11/19/mashed-sweet-potato-brulee/
- mini vanilla bean cheesecakes http://www.handletheheat.com/2010/11/mini-vanilla-bean-cheesecakes-with.html
- Creamed corn with bacon http://www.foodchannel.com/recipes/recipe/cheesy-cream-corn-with-smoky-bacon/
- super duper easy roasted brocolli: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/melissa-darabian/roasted-broccoli-with-parmesan-recipe2/index.html
-mashed cauliflower: http://www.elanaspantry.com/mashed-cauliflower/ (dad said I can't make this because it's too healthy :( my dad, a twig, likes manly stuff or whatever. But I love them so I might do it anyways tehehee)

Happy eatin'!

Berry Limeade

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Greatest thing I've seen all day

"Outstanding in the Field" is basically a restaurant without walls. They tour all across America, serving diners wherever their meal was cultivated (ie on the farm on which the food was grown, atop a mountain, on beaches, etc). Almost all of the ingredients are local, in an attempt to "reconnect diners to the land and the origins of their food and to honor the local food artisans who cultivated it". I love this idea, and I'm so bummed I missed them in Southern California by only a month! Their tour dates are here. Hope to catch them next year!

Yum!

Via

Delicious and easy and summery, I dig.

Sliders...or are they?

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Gotcha! These are cupcakes. HOW COOL IS THAT! I love cupcakes. And by love, I mean I am obsessed. Boy, some people are so creative.

Crispy Poached Egg Salad

This salad sounds delicious and perfect for spring time. Poached egg with roasted asparagus? NOM. Recipe here.

Sexy Salmon

I've been cooking a lot recently, and have become slightly obsessed. I made this ( http://tinyurl.com/ykrmnpt ) Pesto Salmon tonight, and it was so easy and so delicious. It's light and perfect for these warm nights that we've been having. If you're a lover of salmon and pesto, as I am, then you'll enjoy this dish. And making your own pesto is wonderful, I don't even mind that I smell like garlic and basil.

Ingredients

2 cups fresh spinach leaves

1/2 cup basil leaves

1/4 cup fat-free, low sodium chicken broth (I used regular)

1 tbsp olive oil

1/4 tsp salt

3 garlic cloves, peeled

Cooking spray

2 6-oz salmon fillets, skinned

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400

2. Place first 6 ingredients in a food processor or blender, and process until mixture is smooth. Or you can make the pesto chunky and have it look like the picture above.

3. Spoon 3 tablespoons pesto into bottom of an 8-inch baking dish coated with a cooking spray. Place salmon on the pesto layer and then spoon the rest of the pesto on top of the salmon. When the pesto is pureed, it’ll cover the entire salmon.

4. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes or until they flake easily with a fork.