feeling fruity

still currently suffering from a post-thanksgiving food hangover (actually it's more of a post-work conference-weekend binge in cabo-thanksgiving hangover, but who's keeping track), and feeling a serious need to lighten up my eating; enter fruit salad.  

i generally associate a good fruit salad with a warm summer day, but bless the marina safeway for stocking off-season fruits all year round... it's nice to remember there are healthy options to add to my winter diet besides kale...  i combined a few seasonal fruits with a some other faves (aka any fruit the stands had to offer) and grated lime rind over for a refreshing kick.  great for snack, side dish, dessert or tossed in the blender when your sick of fruit salad.  i feel healthier just looking at these pics.

asian pear, persimmon, pomegranate, mango, & kiwi topped with lime

 tip: i break up the pomegranate in a bowl of water; cut the pomegranate in two, break the seeds out under the water and after the seeds have sunk to the bottom, skim the white membrane off of the top- super easy and you will avoid ruining your favorite t's with pom juice 

xo,

"fried" chicken + cornbread salad

this past week the weather has really turned up the heat and had me craving light dishes and salads for dinner.  an amazing salad popped into mind from my time in sb going to lunch at one of my favorite restaurants on state street, tupelo junction; i literally ordered the same salad every time we went (it was that good): the fried chicken and cornbread salad. moist fried chicken and warm cornbread made this salad amazing and more of a splurge than an actual healthy meal.  i wanted to experience the amazingess of this combo and preserve some calories so i recreated the dish with healthy twist, swapping the buttermilk dressing for a homemade vinaigrette and baking panko crusted chicken in lieu of frying it!

salad assembly:

mixed greens

cornbread croutons

dried cranberries

toasted pumpkin seeds (or pepitas)

goat cheese

panko crusted chicken strips

balsamic vinaigrette

 to start, i baked the cornbread croutons so they could sit aside to cool while i got the chicken ready.  to make these i used the trader joe's cornbread mix (by far the best mix of any store bought i've tried!).  follow the recipe as directed and spread batter in a greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 25 mins.  i sliced and broke the cornbread into small 1/2 in. chunks on the same sheet and put it back in the oven for another 15 mins to give them a crispy outside and a soft inside.

 l to r: 2 boneless skinless chicken breast cut into 1 in. pieces // 1 beaten egg // 1c panko crumbs mixed with 1 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2  tsp kosher salt, 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper

dip chicken pieces in egg and coat with panko crumb mixture

lay coated chicken pieces on baking rack placed over foil covered cookie sheet (foil will make for much easier clean up!)

then, make the balsamic vinaigrette: use immersion blender and mix above ingredients with 1/4c evoo and 1/4c balsamic vinegar 

bake chicken at 350 for 15 minutes (add 3 mins under the broiler for extra crunch!)

toss mixed greens, cranberries, pepitas with the dressing and top with goat cheese, croutons and chicken!

delicious... enjoy!

going green

enjoying breakfast rooftop style, catching some sun and diving into some of my favorite catalogs

it's a rare day when i'm not toting some green monster concoction to work for breakfast.  as it generally resembles some form of dark guacamole, it definitely draws some stares raised eyebrows and quite a few questions.  contrary to what one might assume, this green machine is actually delicious and one of my favorite meals to start my day out with (like literally addicted...). not only does the taste surpass any jamba/plant smoothie or store bought juice i've had, it's super fresh and full of great nutrients to pack your morning with tons of iron, fiber and protein!

the blueberries and the banana give you all the natural sweetness you need while the almond butter adds a nutty flavor and packs an extra punch of protein!

one of the top 3 most used appliances in my kitchen? this guy, the nutribullet!  it will blend anything in seconds and comes equip with lids for your on-the-go mornings

pure health! yum.

chocolate chip pudding cake

when i think of bundt cake i picture the famously awkward parents first-meet scene from my big fat greek wedding.. only in my vision it's me trying to foist my delicious donut like cake on friends with these skeptical looks all over their faces ('it's a butt cake!'...), but this recipe, this recipe is gold. 

i grew up making this cake with my mom for countless birthdays, dinner partys, thank yous, you name it....  i recently rediscovered the recipe tucked away in an old card holder, covered in chocolate and laminated to prevent further damage (and to preserve it's vintage awesomeness).. i figured this week was a better time then ever to revive one of my favorites; this week we'll be celebrating another year older for a very important person. this cake is so easy to make (not to mention seared in my memory after consuming so many), i didn't even need the recipe card, plus it's always a crowd pleaser- loaded with chocolate and a moist gooey inside.  an extra plus? you can sub any cake mix + pudding combo to create all kinds of delicious recipes! happy baking!

with a large spoon or spatula, mix oil, water, sour cream and eggs until well blended; add chocolate chips and stir.

ooey gooey and filled with a mouth-watering amount of chocolate chips! make sure you use cook n' serve pudding mix to keep this consistency (instant will dry it out.. yuck!)

spread batter evenly in greased bundt pan and bake at 350 for 45 minutes

after removing, sprinkle a generous helping of powdered sugar on top!  make sure to thoroughly spray the pan and let the cake fully cool before removing to preserve the bundt shape (and to prevent your beautiful powdered sugar topping from melting into the cake).  

chocolate bundt + colorful, sliced strawberry garnish

achieving this bundt with other favorite flavors? here's a few to chew on...

*white cake mix + banana pudding mix + white chocolate chips*

*yellow cake mix + chocolate pudding mix + milk chocolate chips*

*chocolate cake mix + caramel pudding + butterscotch chips*

*white cake mix + pineapple pudding + shredded coconut*

a special birthday slice for the roomie :)

the most adorable birthday boy... another year older today and still as precious now as he is in this pic


happy birthday tony!!

mini heart beignets

i have a huge sweet tooth so i'm always looking for an excuse to buy or bake some sort of pastry or dessert... and what better reason do i need to make something than to help celebrate not one, but two holidays happening this coming week!? that's right people, valentines day and even more importantly, mardi gras!  to honor the occasion i thought beignets would be a fun treat to pass out to friends and also devour myself (someone has to taste test, right??)... 

it was meant to be! two holidays that celebrate this exact indulgence, plus beignets are a new orleans tradition and one of my favorite desserts. i found this recipe on epicurious- it stuck out to me because of it's great reviews and simple list of ingredients. i made the dough the night before and let it rise overnight so i could fry it up and enjoy with my morning coffee. 

i put the valentines day flair on them by using a heart cookie cutter to shape the dough into mini hearts before frying 

i rolled the dough on the thinner side to get a lighter, airier consistency

fresh from the pan and generously dusted with powdered sugar

i used these waxy basket liners from sur la table to pack these tasty treats to give away. what i didn't finish of them that is...

my top two breakfast essentials captured here, coffee + sweets!

...have a wonderful weekend and enjoy!

happy + holidays

an old fashioned christmas: my favorite shots from christmas day plus a bon apetit recipe for the perfect holiday drink

the cutest kitschy tinsel tree

...plus a tiny snowman hiding in the branches.

a reflection of peace

a curious cat in his basket

a snowy setting in this glass lamp

ten ingredients to create the perfect drink: the makings for and old fashioned.

drop sugar cubes in a rocks glass; sprinkle with bitters, add citrus wheels, cherry, and grenadine. using a muddler or the handle of a wooden spoon, mash just to release fruit juices and oils. add bourbon. fill glass with ice cubes; stir to combine. top with equal parts club soda and ginger ale (c/o bon apetit magazine).

o.f. close up

b&w ensemble with a pop of lip color for the perfect holiday outfit

i hope everyone enjoyed their holiday surrounded with family and friends, good food, strong drinks and lots of happy moments.  here's to another great christmas past and prepping for the new year!

*cheers!*

top, zara; pants, jcrew cafe capri in 'snow leopard'; watch, mk large 'runway'; rings: max&chloe, 'nashelle' initial ring; gold+antique coral ring, gift; lips, nars 'schiap' matte lipstick

chewy + molasses

one of my favorite things about this time of year are all of the gifts baked goods that come with it... one of my favorite treats is a cookie i made for family and friends every christmas growing up.  even in my tiny sf kitchen with my dysfunctional oven and overused bakeware, the smell and taste of these deliciously chewy molasses cookies brings me back to home and revives some of my favorite christmas memories.

. . . . . . . . . .

to begin, gather the ingredients: 2c all-purpose flour, 2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, 2 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp ground cloves, 1 tsp ginger, 3/4 c unsalted butter, melted, 1 c + 1/3 cup sugar (divided), 1 egg, 1/4 c molasses

in small bowl (similar to one on left), whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves +  ginger; set aside. next, in medium bowl (like glass one above), blend melted butter, 1 c (the 1/3 c will be used later!) sugar + egg until smooth with mixer on low speed (spoon is fine too); stir in molasses.

gradually add flour mixture to molasses mixture; mix until completely combined until looks like the above (minus the flour everywhere...); cover and chill dough in refrigerator for 1 hour.

preheat oven to 375 degs; roll dough into walnut sized balls then roll each in remaining 1/3 c sugar.

place 2 inches apart on lined baking sheet (i used regular foil, but silpat or parchment work great too).

bake 8-10 mins just until tops are cracked all over, but cookies are still a bit gooey inside the center cracks; remove and cool on wire racks.

cookies + christmas cheer

tips: 

*for less mess i opted out of rolling the entire batch on the plate and poured some of the remaining sugar in a small cup to toss the dough ball in until coated

*i like to keep extra dough on hand in case there are any cookie mishaps or last minute holiday treat deliveries you need to give!  i securely wrap my dough with plastic wrap and write with permanent marker the cookie, temp cook and time and pop it in the freezer!

hey, it's okay to...
*eat the batter from the mixer and bowl
*to eat as many as you can stomach before giving out

but it's not okay to...
*skip the fridge time- the results will not be pretty!
*put a batch in without a timer and leave room to catch up on your dvr (see results)

...make + enjoy!