January 15, 2014

The Painkiller Cocktail

I am kind of a sucker for cocktails that come with a warning. So, Ahem.

Warning: THIS ONE IS CRAZY (in a good way). But– Beware. It’s a drink that goes down a little tooooooo smoothly. It’s sweet, TROPICAL and totally refreshing but all of a sudden, it sneaks up on you!

The first time I had one was at a fabulous Tiki Bar called Forbidden Island in Alameda. We ended the night with a gigantic shared drink that was lit on fire…surrounded by 4 straws… The painkiller was just a drop in the bucket that night. That night ended in Taco Bell…7 layer burritos and nachos bell grande, OMG.

The second time I had a painkiller, I was hanging out with the same friends in Carmel and we made a batch to reminisce over that crazy tiki bar night. What I remember from our Carmel night is that three of the four of us were laying on the floor after drinking them feeling numb and saying, “OMG!!! IT REALLY IS LIKE A PAINKILLER!” There’s just something wild about the combination of rum, pineapple juice, orange juice, coconut cream and nutmeg. Painkiller is the perfect way to describe it. Who needs a chiropractor when you can have a cocktail?

recipes

January 13, 2014

Tangerine Sherbet

I remember being so frustrated/perplexed when my parents would get out of kick of my use of the word SHERBERT instead of sherBET when I was little. It took me years to figure it out and when I did, I noticed that I wasn’t the only person who said it that way. Sherbet like it’s a sure bet instead of sure, Burt. Oof.

I had a lot of sherbet when I was growing up. I’m not sure why. I think it was something my grandma always had in her freezer and when we went out for ice cream, the color behind the glass at the store was like a DING DING DING, GET ME. Orange was my favorite flavor and I think it had to do with the time I had an Orange Julius with my friend Angela once at the mall when we weren’t supervised by adults. I chased that creamsicle high for the rest of my childhood. So simple/so good.

I was delighted to find this recipe in the Sunset Magazine because I had too many tangerines taking up real estate on my kitchen counter this week and an empty spot in our freezer waiting to be filled with a frozen treat. This sherbet is SUPER flavorful, very light & refreshing and a snap to pull together. If you decide to put a little splash of alcohol on top, we’d be fast friends.

my everyday life, Photography

January 11, 2014

My Everyday Life: Week 2

Here’s what this past week looked like:

Reflection in the kitchen sink.

January 10, 2014

I love lists, Friday!

How to shake up your kid’s lunch!
Oh… to be a kid on the school bus… seeing this every morning…
I have most of the books on this list. (I haven’t finished them all!)
This salad made me salivate.
Also. BREAKFAST TAQUITOS.
I’m pretty sure these meatballs would be a hit in my household.
These Family Tees are ADORABLE. I bet Cooper would love one.
Just another reason to love NPH.
Why I’m Not a TEDx Speaker. I had no idea…
Chocolate Crunch Bars for your late night cravings.
HANGOVER NACHOS!! I’m loving the Domestic Partners show!
Turns out I’m a Highly Sensitive Person (big surprise). I know that Cooper is too.
How to Be Productive (even in your PJs) I’m writing this in my PJs.
There’s something so gratifying about watching the evolution of a family.
Set aside some time to watch this talk on WILLPOWER.
If you’re looking for some good podcasts to listen to, Joy has ideas! UYD 4life.
Is it OK to wear leg warmers as an adult? Let me find out…

Versatile Vegan made my Brussels Sprouts Salad vegan!

Shikha La Mode made my Cookies & Cream Peppermint Bark

Strawberry Plum made my Lemony Chicken Orzo Soup

recipes

January 9, 2014

Almond Pizzelles

My grandma is one of those people who never shows up to party empty-handed. This is just one of the many reasons I’d like to be her when I grow up. I always remember being excited to see what she had in her hands when she walked through the doorway of my parents house. Whatever it was, I knew it was bound to be good. Of course it was always a treat when she brought pizzelles with her. And in my grandma’s fashion of recycling before recycling was cool, her cookies would be in a decoy container so the real fun was to see what was inside. We always knew that meatballs were in an emptied milk container. Pizzelles had to be in something HUGE. Just look at what a stack looks like!

Before my grandma left to live in a retirement home in New York, she went through her kitchen and put aside a few things for me. I accepted her pizzelle maker. with great pride because I knew that with it in my possession, I had the power to make my father happy & nostalgic for his childhood. Now, it’s something that will help build memories in our own household. Cooper was an instant fan.

I stood in my kitchen the other day and made pizzelles thinking of my grandma. I thought about how she doesn’t have a computer and how much I wish I could show her a picture of these pizzelles. I know she’d be proud of me and I know she’d be the first to tell me to put anise seeds in the batter. I ran out, Grandma! These cookies are crisp and delicate, slightly almond-y, and perfect with a cup of coffee. It’s like eating a waffle cone before it’s been shaped. I can just imagine my late grandfather eating a few with a demitasse cup of espresso spiked with anisette. Gives me warm/fuzzy feelings.

around the home, Inspiration

January 8, 2014

Top 20 Recipes of 2013!

I made a LOT of food in 2013! With about 2 new recipes each week, I put out at least 104 new recipes for 2013. With a little help from my analytics, I was able to compile the Top 20 most pinned/popular recipes in 2013. Here are your favorites!

Inspiration, Outfitting

January 7, 2014

Outfitting: Winter Weekend Wear

ONE/TWO/THREE /FOUR/FIVE /SIX/SEVEN

My weekends are for errands at the earliest hour possible and hanging out with friends/family. My goal when dressing on the weekends is to be casual yet semi-polished. Today I’m sharing my weekend winter uniform with you! Here in the Bay Area, I may or may not be wearing a coat…It’s been in the 60s this week!

First things first. Long & Lean jeans from Gap because they work really well on me (I get petite because I have short legs). This cardigan from Old Navy is AMAZING. I bought it in green & purple because I love the fit. It’s nice and long! Converse because HELLO, I can move around in them and they’re classic. A striped shirt because I’m Tracy Shutterbean. A scarf that’s black & white with polka dots because I like mixing patterns these days and I feel like mixing black & white with black & white works. My most favorite bag (ever?) because I can fit a lot inside (also with leopard lining!) and my new favorite earrings that add a nice pop of color to my black & white palette. If you see me at the grocery store I’m probably wearing this with my glasses on so you can’t tell I’m not wearing makeup. Please don’t look at the back of my head. My hair will probably be unkempt.

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