Now and then I think of when we were together

Posted on April 23, 2012 by

{ Eryn Brinie blazer, LNA tee, Stuart Weitzman “Capsize” heels c/o, Citizens of Humanity jeans c/o, Anya Hindmarch bag, vintage charm necklace }

♫♪ Gotye — Somebody that I used to know

Nostalgia. Fear of the future. Omnipresent, I suffer from both most of the time. But, then there are moments like this weekend, when Dawn and I picked up iced teas at the new corner coffee shop, our Australian friends happened to be riding by on their bikes and cherry blossom petals fell from the sky like winged raindrops. Everything felt right, in the moment.

(Side note: I was also wearing my new shoes and my favorite jeans so there was probably a Prosac-esque outfitting mood enchancement also going on).

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Dutch baby with lemon sugar

Posted on April 20, 2012 by

Flipping through my Aunt Isabella’s collection of cookbooks, which we always seem to do late at night, while sharing a bottle wine, I came upon this recipe. I love that it’s simple, perfect for a cozy breakfast at home, when you only have a few ingredients and just can’t bring yourself to leave the apartment. The result is somewhere in between a popover and a crepe, and it’s so delicious you have to do everything in your power not to eat the whole thing.

Dutch Baby with Lemon Sugar 

Ingredients:

1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
3 large eggs at room temperature 30 minutes
2/3 cup whole milk at room temperature
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Equipment: a 10-inch cast-iron skillet

Accompaniment: lemon wedges

Put skillet on middle rack of oven and preheat oven to 450°F. Stir together sugar and zest in a small bowl. Beat eggs with an electric mixer at high speed until pale and frothy, then beat in milk, flour, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt and continue to beat until smooth, about 1 minute more (batter will be thin). Add butter to hot skillet and melt, swirling to coat. Add batter and immediately return skillet to oven. Bake until puffed and golden-brown, 18 to 25 minutes. Top with lemon sugar.

Posted in Cooking | Tagged | 3 Comments

Snapshots

Posted on April 17, 2012 by

Even though I was in the Bay Area technically for work, I got to spend some really nice time at home this weekend.  I met my dad’s new dog, Mieka, visited my two favorite people (Nanna and Poppa), celebrated my cousin’s 30th birthday and even spent some time in the city. The only downside was the Giant’s loss– don’t worry Timmy, I still love you.

Posted in Culture, Marin | 9 Comments

These streets will make you feel brand new

Posted on April 9, 2012 by

{ Joy Cioci sweater, Current/Elliot cords, Jimmy Choo heels, Eres bra, Dannijo bracelets, vintage belt, Asos iPad case (slash clutch?)}

♫♪ Jay-Z — Empire State of Mind

Part of me died when I saw this weekend’s SNL faux-commercial skit. Not only did it star my two favorites (Andy and Jason), but the whole thing was shot right across the street from my apartment. But, that’s just one of the crazy things about New York. One second you’re cursing the bar across the street for being so loud at 5 am, and the next, you’re pressing your face up against their windows wishing you were inside.

Posted in Fashion | Tagged , , , , , , | 20 Comments

Rosa Rugosa

Posted on April 4, 2012 by

As just about everyone who knows me can tell you, I love few things more than fresh flowers. I spend an inordinate amount of time daydreaming about the hybrid coffee/flower shop I plan on opening in my next life, and I gush for days when I get a surprise flower delivery. To further my personal flora education, I’ve decided to buy a different type each time I visit the floral shop. Yesterday’s find: Spray Roses, also know as Rosa Rugosa, or as I call them, affordable Sweetheart Roses.

You can read more about them here.

Posted in Flowers | 7 Comments

Curried Chicken Salad

Posted on April 3, 2012 by

Whenever I’m in L.A. I make sure to get a curried chicken salad from Jones on Third* at least once. This weekend I tried making it myself. I adapted my recipe from this one, adding almonds and nonfat yogurt and halving the mayonnaise to make it a tad more bikini-season friendly.

* The one at Urth Caffé is also pretty good.

Curried Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

1 whole boneless, skinless chicken breast (8 oz), halved
2 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tbsp nonfat plain yogurt
1/3 cup chopped almonds
1/4 cup soaked raisins
3 tbsp diced red onion
1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1 tsp curry powder
Salt and black pepper
Mixed salad greens

Place chicken breast in a medium saucepan, add water to cover by 1″ and add salt and pepper. Bring water to boil, remove pan from heat, cover and let stand until chicken is just cooked through, about 15 minutes depending on the size of chicken. Transfer chicken to a plate and let the cool. Dice or shred chicken. Add yogurt, mayonnaise, almonds, raisins, onion, curry powder, and cilantro to a bowl. Add the diced chicken and mix. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve over a bed of greens and pretend you’re sitting in 70 degrees L.A. weather.

Posted in Cooking | Tagged , | 6 Comments

Says she talks to angels

Posted on April 2, 2012 by

{ Joy Cioci dress – you can get the white version here, J.Crew blazer, Aldo shoes, old ribbon, Seiko watch }

♫♪Black Crowes — She Talks To Angels

I’m always on the look out for pieces that are equally unique and versatile.  I wore this dress to work and then dinner on Thursday (we ate at A Voce– I highly recommend the pork belly appetizer) and again this weekend to brunch. The detailing makes it feel special,  and the open back will let me wear it well into the summer. Best of all, it’s elastic waist makes it’s really, really comfortable (all the better to eat lots of pork belly with).

Posted in Fashion | Tagged , , , , | 12 Comments