June 13, 2014

I love lists, Friday!

Birds with Human Arms. Just take a look…
Things You Didn’t Know About Bill Murray
These job titles will make you giggle.
Tot Dog. I’m not mad at it.
Who doesn’t want a Power Salad?!
Pickled Grapes! (I freaking love them)
I really want to make these.
Dumbest things that have ever happened….oh boy.
Kale in a Taco Salad?! YES.
This has to be true!
Any recipe that has OMG in the title will catch my attention.
What it’s like to be a younger sibling… (I survived having two older brothers)
You got served! I really love this series.
Working out sucks. Yes. I agree.
Graham Cracker Crust is my favorite.
I can’t wait to add peaches to my summer rotation
Swimsuits used to be so glamorous!
I’m sure Cooper can relate to this. Also hahaha.
This Coconut Pistachio Ice Cream looks dreamy
I want a yoga body. Seriously.
Let’s analyze your emoji usage!

The Baking Yogi made my Strawberry Coconut Ice Cream

Sarcastic Cooking was inspired by my Banana Nut Waffles

June 12, 2014

Watermelon + Lime

CONFESSION TIME!! I didn’t really like watermelon until a couple of years ago. I mean…I loooooved watermelon Jolly Ranchers but that’s about it. Crazy, right? All it took was this salad to change my mind about watermelon and then this one sold me for life. So…how do YOU like your watermelon? I love squeezing mine a little bit of fresh lime juice on top. Some people love putting salt or chili powder on theirs (both good calls!). But for me, watermelon and lime is absolute perfection. I like the tang the lime brings to the party. It’s especially delicious when the watermelon is super cold on a hot summer day. Picture perfect emoji + watermelon emoji + lime emoji + twinkling star emoji + heart emoji.

around the home

June 11, 2014

HS: The Organized Pantry

I’ve organized my pantry before and part of me was like… Do people really need to see my pantry again? It’s a chore that I (sadly) do once a year and I keep it up for the most part and then I FREAK OUT and want to bomb it when it gets out of control. You may be in the same boat too. Let’s discuss that! Things that race through my mind: Why didn’t I keep it clean? What part is the hardest to keep organized? What makes me drop the ball? I have noticed that the trigger for me to clean it out is always finding that I have repeats of pantry staples….and it’s because I’m not organized enough to know that I already have a jar of salsa in my pantry. I COULDN’T FREAKING SEE IT behind the chaos. The good news, is that every time I clean out my pantry, I come up with a new organizing scheme. I find that it’s best regroup and change your organizing habits to make way for new/better ideas. Let me show you!

recipes

June 9, 2014

Spicy Corn Tomato Avocado Salad

A few years ago I realized that I have a few weird issues when it comes to tomatoes. I also have feelings about eggs. Like…I will not eat a hard-boiled egg unless I make it myself and I will not eat a cherry tomato if it’s in a pre-packaged salad or at a salad bar. No. Just. NO. I don’t always trust how fresh the tomato or egg is going to be…and I get scared (I know I’m being dumb) when I bite into an egg that’s overcooked and a tomato that’s tasteless, under ripe or rotten. All it takes is one bad experience and you can easily be done for…

No wonder my kid has picky eater issues.

This salad, however has ALL THE THINGS I LOVE in it. And yes… the tomatoes were a divine mix of ripe mini heirlooms that I chose myself! They didn’t come in a package. Nope. After I mixed them with corn and I stirred in the spicy/smoky lime dressing, I thought “Hey! Wait. This is practically salsa!” But then I realized it’s so much more.

It’s essentially summer in a salad. The sweet tomatoes and crunchy corn are balanced by the spicy lime dressing. The creamy avocados break up the texture party with the corn creates. If you wanna stretch it out, add the salad on top of crostini or mix in a bunch of arugula. Feta would be a welcomed addition! You could always throw some tortilla chips up in and call it a taco salad…

my everyday life, Photography

June 8, 2014

My Everyday Life: Week 23

Here’s what this past week looked like:

I was in Los Angeles again this weekend. But this time for a project with Better Homes & Gardens Magazine. I got some quality MAJ time!

June 6, 2014

I love lists, Friday!

Anthony Bourdain’s tips on travel. Love that guy so much.
I love Kristen and how she keeps it REAL.
Roasted Strawberry Lemonade. Let’s kick off the summer with this!
I get these emails all the time…and sometimes they’re really bad….
Let’s have some epiphanies!
Peach & Blueberry Ricotta Slice (my dad would be ALL over this)
Raw Vegan Tiramisu looks FAB!
I just had Nancy’s Chopped salad in LA. I want to drink the dressing.
This book dedication made me laugh.
I want my summer to look like this.
FOUR DOLLAR TOAST. Let’s keep talking about it til we can’t talk about it anymore.
If I made this, I probably wouldn’t share it with anyone. #realtalk
This is what marriage is. Congrats on your first of MANY years Lisa & Clay
Normandy Beaches… 70 Years later. (WHOA)
Welcome to the world, Curran! Your parents are awesome people.
Splurge alert! I bought this Stripe Maxi Dress at anthro. It’s so flattering & comfy.
The Day I Left My Son in the Car– thought provoking for real.
What happens when you mix a po’ boy and tacos! (AMAZING)
Sam Smith AND Mary J. Blige. My life is complete!
More Louis C.K. goodness for you.

There’s a new Joy the Baker Podcast! Check out episode #121. We’re scheming on how to podcast with one of our favorite Instagram body building dude. Also- office romances. Yay or nay??!

THE WINNER OF MY FAVORITE THINGS GIVEAWAY IS:

Congrats, NIKKI!! I’m going to send you an email today. Stay tuned.

Taste of Divine put Whipped Coconut Cream on her Fruit Pizza!

Liz Takes the World made my Brussels Sprouts & Bacon Pizza

Tastefully Gluten Free made my Spicy Zucchini Frittata

In this Kitchen made my Mexican Popcorn

recipes

June 5, 2014

Cucumber Salmon Bites

Sometimes I forget how much I love smoked salmon. Here’s one of my favorite ways to eat it besides on a bagel is (that’s my first choice!). What we have above is a thick slice of cucumber with a dab of creme fraiche and a little sliver of smoked salmon on top. That’s it! If you want some variations, how about adding fresh dill, a few capers or a small sliver of red onion? Cream cheese is just as good if you don’t have creme fraiche hanging out in your fridge (I rarely do!). I added a little sriracha to the top of these beauties when no one was looking… It makes a perfect “appetizer” and could easily turn into dinner if you feel so inclined. See also: Salmon Cream Cheese!