a day to play...

Official Switch

2011-11-14T15:10:00.001-08:00

Hello Everyone! The time has come for the Official Switch! In an effort to create a more streamlined and focused blog I will be moving over to my food-focused blog - From the First Bite. I'm very excited!

Please check From the First Bite for your Michelle foodie fix!

I hope you enjoy. And I pledge to do my best to keep up a consistent blogging schedule! Fingers crossed.

peace, love, new beginnings, and happiness!

Find a penny pick it up, all the day you'll have good luck!

2011-11-04T14:33:00.000-07:00

Hello... anybody still out there? Unfortunately this post does not mean a full scale return to blogging... as much as I would like it to. I'm still trying to figure out how to juggle the demands of life with my hobby of blogging. Someday I will figure it out, hopefully.

Just wanted to share something LONG overdue. The cutest thing in the world.

And she is all ours! We fostered this scruffy little (and when I say little I mean 40 pounds of strength and fur) 2 year old wheaten terrier mix for one week and she stole our heart... despite her "attitude" towards other dogs. We adopted her and named her Penny. Love. She's working on the "attitude" with the other dogs. Rescue dogs are full of surprises. But I love that I gave a dog a home.

peace, love, finally my own puppy!, and happiness!

Missing You

2011-05-20T18:17:00.000-07:00

Hi my few dedicated-but-becoming-less-dedicated-as-I-never-post-anything blog readers. I miss you. And I miss blogging. I finally had time to sit down and look at my google reader feed and found that I had up to 800 posts that are begging to be read. As I'm slowly reading through my feed I'm once again amazed by the inspiration, vision, class, and creativity that exists in the blog world. My eyes are constantly being opened to new ways to cook, eat, think about food, decorate, make a home, and many other things. I love feeling inspired when I read others blogs and hope to some day inspire people with my blog. The first step to accomplishing that goal is to probably actually blog, and then blog consistently. Keeping up with my posts has always been my biggest problem and when I finally do launch my recipe / food site I promise the blogs will come on a regular basis. For now, all I can offer is a reasonable explanation to my lack of blogging and some iphone picks. Enjoy.

Reasons why I have been a horrible blogger lately:

1. I dropped my camera in water and didn't get a new one until last week. (Thanks Adam!)

2. While unemployed throughout all of March and half of April I busied myself doing other very important things... alright, I'll be honest I have no idea what I busied myself doing... but hey, I had no camera an no money to buy one! (This might be my least reasonable of excuses.)

3. The rest of April and half of May brought a 3 state road trip for work which occupied every waking minute of my time. Lucky for me I got to be around food all day and am now spending my days watching footage of said food. Details on this adventure to come later!

4. I've been working on the new site.

So now for the fun part - some iphone pics of my adventures over the last two months!

{David Eyre's Pancake - now a go-to item in my house for breakfast and dessert}

{Rainbow in Hollywood over the Academy Award's Red Carpet}

{Beautiful Oscar arrangement that I brought home}

{Working with Tabatha Coffey and Maria Sansone}

{Homemade cream cheese stuffed bacon hugged shrimpies}

{Delicious Dinner Party with Sabrina - Tri-Tip with my famous cream and ale mushrooms, kale chips, and mashed sweet potatoes}

{My Amazing New Bike}

{Long Beach beach evenings}

{Long Beach Grand Prix}

{Hiking with Mom in Havasu}

{Sharing Ice Cream filled Cupcakes with Crystal}

{Cuban Anniversary Dinner}

Thanks to everyone still reading! It has been a fun and challenging past few months, but I promise to share more about my adventures.

Check out the beginning of my new blog! Right now I have some of my favorite recipes up from "A Day to Play" - I'm not anticipating that it will be fully ready to go and have posts up everyday until the end of the summer. But I would love any feedback on what is up there now so I can start making tweaks before the "official launch".

www.fromthefirstbite.com

peace, love, and blogging is happiness.

New Adventures All Around and Stromboli

2011-03-08T12:09:00.000-08:00

I've realized to be a somewhat successful blogger consistency is key. Which happens to be my downfall, especially when you accidentally submerge your digital camera in a stream while hiking. Which leaves me in this peculiar predicament of being unemployed (my web series was canceled a few weeks ago but you should still check it out - www.theinvestedlife.msn.com) and having plenty of time to cook new things and no way of documenting it besides my iphone. So out the window goes my new year's resolution of taking better food photos. But despite my inability to photograph anything new, I sat down today and resolved to get the new blog in better shape. I'm still not ready to debut it, but I'm excited about the possibility of it having some consistency in its postings.

For now, I will try to maintain my small readership my giving you some new posts on this site until the other one is ready to go.

In other new adventures - I made something with pepperoni in it. I notoriously hate pepperoni and always have. I won't even eat a slice of pepperoni pizza that has the pepperoni picked off of it because of the horrible pepperoni grease left behind. And my dislike has nothing to do with pepperoni being greasy or bad for you. I love greasy. I just hate the taste. But Adam loves it and probably has been suffering from pepperoni withdrawals, so when I came across a recipe for Stromboli on the blog Liv Life I decided I had to give it a try - if only for Adam - and the possibility of it being great quick and easy party food. I followed the recipe pretty much exactly. It calls for ham, pepperoni, cheese, and bread - a winning combo (except for the pepperoni). The one thing I did differently was instead of using a frozen loaf of bread like the recipe suggests, I used Pillsbury french loaf. I was unsure how it was going to work, but it turns out it is really easy to unroll the Pillsbury french loaf at the seam and laying it flat in order to lay all the ingredients on it. So easy, and that way you don't have to worry about defrosting frozen dough.

It was so easy and came out beautifully. Adam loved it and it would be great party food.

I even liked it, despite the pepperoni, in fact it was a good way to get me to consider liking pepperoni. But really, do I need to like pepperoni? I like almost everything else that is bad for you, I don't think I need to add another to the list.

I can't wait to try other combos. Next time I think I'm going to do turkey, roasted red peppers, and cheese. Check out the original recipe here.

peace, love, pepperoni?, and happiness!

And wish me luck on the new blog! I'm getting excited!

LOVE

2011-02-14T15:31:00.000-08:00

I love Valentine's Day. And not just because I have the love of my life to celebrate it with. I love that there is a whole day dedicated to telling people you love them - and not just your significant other, but your friends and family also. I love the little valentines we handed out in school when we were young, I love taking a day out of our busy lives to dedicate time solely to the idea of love. Yes, you should make your loved ones feel loved every day, but it's nice to have a day to make them feel extra special. So in honor of Valentine's Day, here are photos with red in them - the color of love.

{love}

{strawberry fields}

{pink lady apples}

{seagull}

{peppers}

{tomatoes}

{museum sign}

{stop light}

{red carpet}

peace, LOVE, and happiness!

Have a happy Valentine's Day no matter how or who you spend it with!

Pizza Wars!

2011-02-09T15:33:00.000-08:00

Christmas brought me an array of new cooking / baking gadgets and goodies. One of those fabulous gadgets was Sur La Table's mini pizza grilling set - big thanks to Mom! I've grilled pizza in the past and found it be delicious and easy, yet somehow simultaneously challenging - so I love the idea of putting the pizza on pizza stones on the grill. Armed with a pizza stone each, Adam and I challenged each other to a fight to the death (or eat to the death) very serious competition that we dubbed PIZZA WARS! We wasted no time getting down and dirty. The first round started with some technical difficulties... heating the stones too high, leaving the crust on for too long, and Adam lifting the metal lid without an oven mitt (I told him they would be hot). Adam emerged victorious with a pizza smothered in BBQ sauce, covered in smoked gouda cheese and drenched in ranch dressing.

But the second round was were things turned very serious. With so much on the line (I hate to loose), I turned to Adam's food fav and weakness - breakfast - as my inspiration and way to win him over. See, we are the only two judges of this very serious competition so I had to turn to what he loves the most to earn his vote. I cooked up some soychorizo (he'll never know the difference from the real thing), eggs, green chiles, and even hash browns. I sauced up my dough with some green salsa and topped it with the hash browns, then piled high the soychorizo and eggs, and finally threw cheese on top from all angles. This thing was destined to be a winner.

{mozzarella, smoked gouda, and sharp cheddar}

But Adam, that sneaky one, kept his cards hidden. He proceeded like he was making a normal pizza with normal sauce and normal cheese and then at the last second, he pulled out the big guns - McDonalds McNuggets - he literally pulled them out of the microwave where he was hiding them from me.

{nuggets}

Yes, I love, love, love McNuggets. Now before you go getting all judge-y on me let me explain myself. First, they are the ONLY thing that cures my hangovers. And if you've ever been around me with a hangover you would most likely be force feeding me loose little golden chicken-like nuggets - I am most definitely not a trooper when it comes to hangovers (or most other kinds of illness and aches, minor injuries such as, bruises included). Second, they taste good and most likely have crack laced into them making them highly addictive, therefore its not my fault. Third, no I don't want to know what's in them - I've seen Fast Food Nation and Food Inc. and I choose to ignore this information when I very occasionally give in to my fast food urges. So in conclusion, don't judge, and yes, Mickey D's McNuggets are the big guns in Pizza Wars. Damn Adam and his smart thinking.

{pizzas on the grill}

Our method of cooking pizza-on-a-grill-on-a-stone starts with getting the stone on the grill and letting it heat up. Once the stone is nice and hot dust it with cornmeal to keep the dough from sticking. Next lay the dough on the stone and let it cook for about 3-5 minutes until the bottom side is starting to crisp up. Flip, and then load up the toppings. Our pizza stones came with metal domes to go over the stone and create an oven like atmosphere so that the cheese gets nice and melt-y. Remember the pizzas will cook fast! Using oven mitts (ahem, Adam) take the pizza off the stones and prepare your taste buds for a pizza party.

{Adam's pizza off the grill}

{my pizza off the grill}

Add any last minute finishing touches and let the competition judging begin!

{my pizza dotted with sour cream}

{Adam's pizza dotted with ranch}

Both pizza's turned out awesome. We made great improvements in crust area - leaving it on just long enough to get crispy but not black. There was no clear cut winner. Both of us chose our own pizzas while saying the other's pizza was also very, very good. He almost won me over with those damn McNuggets - I ate all the nuggets off my pizza and even went and grabbed more ranch dressing to dip them into - but my pizza was just too good that I couldn't vote against it. After much pressing I accepted the fact that he wasn't gonna vote against his and we called a tie and gave ourselves a pat on the back for a very successful Pizza War.

Peace, love, pizza, and happiness!

Breakfast Bacon Apple Tart

2011-01-18T18:52:00.000-08:00

Weekend breakfasts are our favorite meal. Generally because they involve bacon, eggs sunny side up, bacon, hash browns, and did I mention bacon? It's not every morning you have the time to make hash browns and bacon or go to the local cafe down the street and get a heaping plate of Special Spud - which features both. That's why weekend breakfasts are so magical. Not only do they more frequently than not happen late enough in the day to double up as lunch leaving you with the ability to eat more and feel less guilty, but they only happen on the weekends making them something to look forward to. With all that said, you would think this post would be about some elaborate classic big breakfast. Its not. But it does feature bacon.

I set out menu planning on Friday knowing I would make something for breakfast on Saturday morning while we waited for our DirectTV to be installed. I surveyed the ingredients in our fridge and eyed the apples from my farmer's box delivery.

How could I transform those apples into a breakfast dish worthy of Adam's critical breakfast appetite? Simple - add bacon.

So Saturday morning I whipped together a Breakfast Bacon and Apple Tart. And it did the trick. The flakey crust satisfied my craving for both biscuits and hash browns. The spread of cream cheese was reminiscent of a bagel, the apples of apple pie, and the bacon screamed breakfast.

With only two people to the whole tart it was quite filling. It was a nice change to our usual weekend breakfast. Adam had his bacon, the apples made it feel healthy - and that made me feel like I was sticking to my new year's resolutions. It was an all around winner.

Bacon and Apple Tart Recipe:

1 pre-made puff pastry sheet, thawed (I use Trader Joe's puff pastry)
2-3 apples, peeled, cored, and sliced (I used 3 medium sized pink lady apples)
4 slices of bacon cooked almost completely
about 2 oz of cream cheese or lite cream cheese
1 to 2 tablespoons real maple syrup

1. Preheat oven to 375
2. Line baking sheet with parchment paper
3. Place puff pastry sheet on baking sheet with parchment paper and spread cream cheese over it. Leaving a crust with no cream cheese.

4. Layer apples on top of cream cheese.

5. Bake tart (without bacon) in oven for approximately 15 min. (I didn't really time it, just kinda checked on it) The pastry should be puffing and turning golden colored.
6. Meanwhile, cook bacon until almost the desired crispiness you like it. (It will cook a little more in the oven)
7. About 5 minutes before the tart is done - take out of the oven and crumble bacon on top. Drizzle with 1 to 2 tablespoons of real maple syrup. (I like to measure the syrup out and put it in a measuring cup with a spout to get a nice even drizzle.)
8. Continue to cook the tart until apples are soft and pastry is golden. Approximately 5 more minutes.

9. Slice and Enjoy!

peace, love, breakfast, and happiness!

Holiday Recap!

2011-01-07T13:23:00.000-08:00

Hello 2011! Wow, 2010 flew by! And what an amazing year it was, full of life challenges and changes. 2010 brought me back together with my best friend / soul mate / most amazing man I've met, a new home in beautiful Belmont Shore - a real home that I can decorate and make mine, a new job that has allowed me to grow as a producer (as well as consume all my time and drive me insane), and I got to be in two of my best friend's weddings! What a year! I'm looking forward to 2011 and all it brings. Happy New Year!

Here is a little recap of how I spent the holidays:

{my very first real tree at my own place}

{I love the bow!}

{Christmas Eve Dinner at Adam's parent's place}

{Sautéed Kale and Roasted Kabocha Squash with Crispy Shallots}

I was in charge of the vegetable side dish. Which of course I wanted to get fancy with, despite the fact that I was taking it to a mostly non-vegetable eating household. (They claim they eat vegetables, but since they don't like onions and Adam can't distinguish between a zucchini and a cucumber, I reject this claim.) I had just gotten my first farmer's box delivery and was excited to try the amazing fresh, local, and organic produce I received. Two of those items were a kabocha squash (go ahead and google, I had to also) and kale. Recently I have become I big fan of kale. I like the crunchy texture and it's ability to sauté without turning into a mushy mess like spinach does. And it seems I have Adam slightly onboard the kale train - or at least he eats it without saying anything. So I found this wonderful recipe that incorporated my two beautiful veggies. I loved the dish and will definitely make it again, although I'm not quite convinced of the roasting powers of the kabocha squash, I was hoping for a creamier and more caramelized result. But I am in love with the fact that you don't have to peel the kobocha, yep that's right, I didn't believe it either especially given how hard it is to cut. But sure enough, it cooks down just fine and is quite yummy and nutritious. While no one outright hated the dish, except for Adam's brother who I'm pretty sure spit his out, most of it went untouched. But honestly how can you blame them when you have a delicious HoneyBaked ham and crispy cornflake potatoes as your other options? I definitely wanted to conserve space in my tummy for a second helping of ham and potatoes... and possibly a third.

{ham}

{Cornflake Potatoes}

{Broccoli Salad}

I have to admit, I was iffy about the broccoli salad. Yeah I know, Miss-I-love-vegetables-and-get-them-delivered-from-the-farm-to-my-door, was iffy about the broccoli salad. I just can't get into broccoli unless it's in asian food. But Sandy said I would be asking for the recipe after I tried it, and sure enough guess who I emailed yesterday for a recipe?

{Christmas Eve Dinner}

Oh, that brown pile of mush in between the potatoes and the biscuit... that's my other farmer's box vegetable side dish. It was a failure. (Thanks Sandy for trying to like it.) Let's just say I learned that I hate fennel and celery root, and Ina Garten is not always right.

We spent Christmas Day with my parents in Lake Havasu.

{Havasu Sunset}

{Many Tasty Beers}

Not surprisingly, many of the presents were beer. The Bourbon County Stout is mine. That beer deserves a post all its own.

{Twice Baked Potatoes}

Dinner was the highlight (as food often is). I made twice baked potatoes. Don't let their oozy messiness fool you, those things were the bomb.

{Prime Rib}

Dad made prime rib that was simply amazing. Despite the rush-to-get-home-from-the-movies-the-prime-rib-might-be-over-cooked scare. Remind me to get his recipe, this is one dish I need to tackle very soon.

{Zucchini Sauté}

I made my go to zucchini sauté from Deb's Quick Zucchini Sauté Recipe. The only change I make is that I don't add cheese and I use a dash of lemon juice and a sprinkle of cayenne pepper.

I made my Mushrooms in Ale and Cream - which were requested by my Dad - and make a wonderful sauce over prime rib if you wish for something more exciting than au jus. The recipe is from the book Vegetarian Food For Friends and this happens to be one of only two recipes I have ever made out of it. You can also get the recipe here. The Kale and Squash side dish made it's second appearance at this dinner as well - due to the amount left over. But it went mainly untouched once again. Sigh.

{Gruyere Popovers}

The next morning I made Gruyere Popovers which we filled with scrambled eggs and ate greedily.

{Me and Adam with Indy and Hemi}

It was such a lovely holiday and I feel so lucky to have all the people in my life that I do. I hope your Holiday and New Year were lovely as well!

One of my New Year's Resolutions is to write more - which means I will be blogging more - BUT I am starting a new blog dedicated solely to cooking and food. I'm currently working on it and want to get it just right before I unveil it, but I'm very excited and look forward to sharing it with everyone!

peace, love, holidays, and happiness!

Holiday Gift Guide!

2010-12-14T13:18:00.000-08:00

I'm always late to the game when it comes to Christmas shopping. Time slips by me and before I know it it's the week of Christmas and I'm scrambling to get the perfect gifts. Don't get me wrong, I love gift giving - especially Christmas gifts. There is more room for creativity with Christmas gifts than birthday presents or other holidays, but I tend to obsess and agonize over what is the most perfect, unique, and personal gift I give each person on my list. So I wait and wait for a grand idea to come to me or until I see something that just screams "this is for Mom!" or "this is for a best friend who has everything!" and since that seems to never happen, I wake up one day and realize Christmas is just a few days around the corner and I have no gift buying accomplished. So, in keeping with my procrastinator spirit... here is my Holiday Gift Guide... a little bit late... but just in case you are still doing (or just starting) your holiday shopping - like me.

For the Chef in Your Family... who may happen to love salt... like me...

{Himalayan Salt Plate}

{Salted - A Manifesto on the World's Most Essential Mineral, with Recipes}

For the One with a Sweet Tooth...

{Culinary Institute of America 30 piece Decorating Set}

{Tartine Cookbook}

For the Fashionista with a Hippie Twist...

{Moccasins!}

{Recycled T-Shirt Scarf}

peace, love, and happy gifting!

Welcome Winter Dinner

2010-12-03T13:23:00.000-08:00

The cold has come and with it my desire to eat warm foods has amplified itself, especially since I have to fight to keep warm in our house which may or may not have insulation. (I'm leaning towards not.) To welcome winter I decided to pick up some grocery items that seemed wintery to me - a butternut squash (a whole one - not the pre-peeled and diced cubes in a bag that I normally buy), pears, walnuts, and filet mignon (steaks aren't just for summer BBQ's as far as I'm concerned, and it was on sale).

{Curried Butternut Squash Soup, Garlic crusted Filet, and Warm Pear and Walnut Salad}

The Curried Butternut Squash was simple and easy to make but packed a lot of flavor. And when I say simple, I mean simple after the peeling, coring, and cutting battle was won with the squash.

{squash simmering}

I used Ellie Krieger's recipe from Food Network and to be honest I probably wouldn't change much - it was really delicious.

For the Warm Pear and Walnut Salad I toasted walnuts in a pan with some maple syrup and added the sliced pears and cooked them for about 2 to 3 minutes each side. I added the walnuts and pears to chopped butter lettuce and topped it with gorgonzola cheese crumbles and a simple balsamic vinaigrette (I like Trader Joe's low fat balsamic dressing).

{walnuts and pears with maple syrup}

{finished salad}

For the filet, which doesn't need much at all, I like to rub it with fresh chopped garlic, salt and pepper - and that's it. Then I leave it up to the bf to grill it just right... which he seems to be getting better at (thank goodness!).

{Filet}

It was the perfect dinner to get me in the winter mood and ready for some warm, seasonal, delicious cooking.

Happy Winter Everyone! Stay warm!

peace, love, warmth, and happiness!

Happy Halloween!

2010-11-02T12:24:00.000-07:00

Halloween used to be my favorite holiday. I say used to because earlier this year I decided to change my favorite holiday to Thanksgiving. Just to mix it up a bit. Which is a good thing since I didn't get to live up Halloween to it's finest this year with work keeping me so busy. If it was still my favorite holiday I would have really missed out. But now I have my new favorite holiday - Thanksgiving (and a week off of work!) - to look forward to!

But in honor of my former favorite holiday, here are some Halloween pics! I have to say handing out candy to trick or treaters for the first time in my very own house was too much fun for something so simple.

{Pumpkin Patch}

{Picking out Pumpkins}

{I won a gold fish!}

{My Pumpkin!}

{Our Jack-o-Lanterns all glowy!}

Hope everyone had a happy happy Halloween!

peace, love, trick or treat, and happiness!

End of Summer...?

2010-09-30T17:23:00.000-07:00

The warm weather this week (record high in LA on Monday!) reminds that summer did, in fact, happen. I might have spent most of it freezing in my Santa Monica office, but Monday proved that indeed Santa Monica can experience some warmth for the year and that summer didn't just up and disappear. But while I'm basking in the sun on the patio of my office building, and wearing sundresses to work all week, I can't ignore the (3) calendars staring at me telling me that October is just a day away. Don't get me wrong, I'm still gonna hit the beach this weekend and soak in every last drop of sunshine before I give in to Halloween decorations, picking out pumpkins, and bundling up in jeans, boots, and scarfs (time to go shopping!). But nevertheless, it seems like a more than appropriate time to take a look back at my summer, as only one should, in iphone photos.

{a new home, in a new city}

{Down the street from new home}

{KROQ Weenie Roast}

{Work trip to Portland}

{Dinner for One at Stonefire Grill}

{car ride home from the Delta}

{Sonja and I working the ABC Fall Preview Red Carpet}

{lights and palm trees at The Shrine}

{summer brews}

{Teppan Birthday Dinner}

{Inside the truck for TV Guide's Emmy Red Carpet}

{Emmys}

{Five Guys Burgers}

{Naples Rib Company}

{Farmer's Market}

{White Buffalo show at DiPiazzas}

{rainbow}

{Santa Monica Sunset}

Summer flew by, and I thought I didn't have a lot to show for it, but I realize now that I have a lot: a new home to share with someone, a job that keeps me busy (too busy) - but constantly learning, a lot of good food that went in my belly, some short but fun trips, and a new favorite summer time beer.

I'm looking forward to what's in store for the rest of the year!

peace, love, summer sunshine, and happiness!

Delightful Dinner and Easy too!

2010-09-07T19:38:00.000-07:00

I love when dinner comes together effortlessly - a skill that I have yet to perfect, but am getting better at. I didn't intend to blog about this meal, but it turned so wonderful that I had to share, even with my single, only, rather crappy iphone photo.

{Delicious Dinner}

For the chicken, which I call "Juicy Honey Garlic Chicken," I adapted Chef Adam Perry Lang's recipe for a whole butterflied chicken on the grill. The recipe calls for brining the chicken - something I have never done before, or even thought to do - and I wish I had discovered this method long ago, being that it turns boring, dry chicken into something quite magical. I followed the brining instructions for the whole chicken but substituted 2 frozen chicken breasts. I also used dry herbs, mainly rosemary and a healthy sprinkle of herbs de provence. Next time I will use less brine, or less salt, since the recipe was intended for a much larger amount of chicken than I used it for, and I felt my chicken turned out a touch too salty - but damn, it was juicy. While grilling the chicken I basted it with the glaze from the recipe - and I've been using this glaze on everything lately since it is so versatile and delicious - 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 crushed garlic cloves, juice of half a lemon (I like a whole lemon if it's a small one), 2 tablespoons honey, and 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar. Try it on salmon substituting the white wine vinegar for balsamic vinegar, its subtle yet flavorful.

To go with the chicken I used my new kitchen side dish staple Smitten Kitchen's fabulous Quick Zucchini Sauté. It's sure to be an instant classic. I know this because my bf who wouldn't touch a green thing 6 months ago will actually pick it out of the pan with his fingers while I'm cooking and while I'm swatting his hand away. I like to add a tiny squeeze of lemon and a dash of cayenne pepper, and I never top it with parmesan cheese as the recipe suggests - it just doesn't need it. I suggest you try this recipe asap - it might change your world.

And to finish the meal off, some beautiful mashed sweet potatoes. Simple, healthy delicious. I boiled my sweet potatoes the day ahead and had them in the fridge to use when I got home. I just scooped the flesh into a pot with a little bit of butter (although I'm not sure they even needed it), a squeeze of honey, a spoonful of sour cream (I only had a little, and I think it really helped with the texture), and a healthy sprinkle of salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Voilá! Dinner on the table in less than 20 minutes!

Peace, love, yummy dinners, and happiness!

Burger Blogging - Stout

2010-09-02T19:12:00.000-07:00

Before I moved out of Los Angeles I wanted to say goodbye by hitting up all my fav LA spots and some new ones. I, of course, never found the time to do all the things I wanted to do... but then again when do we ever? And it's not like I moved all that far away - and I still work in LA, in fact quite near Father's Office... I need to go there... Whoops, lost my train of thought, well only a little - this post is, naturally, about burgers. What else would I eat for (what turned out to be) my last meal as a Hollywood resident? After a stressful day and the beginning of a cold rearing it's ugly head, we ended up at Stout Burgers and Beer for a much needed night out. And what works better to kill a cold than a nice juicy burger and a couple cold beers? [Side note: turns out a lot of things might work better, since my cold only got worse.] We luckily scored a table without waiting - and the place was packed! After much indecision, being that I had tried the Stout Burger before and wasn't sure which route to go - try something new or stick with what I already know I liked? Ultimately, bf decided on the Stout Burger - a tasty combo of blue cheese, emi gruyere, rosemary bacon, caramelized onion, and horseradish cream - minus the horseradish cream (no big loss). And I settled on the Six Weeker - camembert, fig jam (I'm a sucker for anything fig), mild jack, arugula, and caramelized onions (that sealed the deal).

{Six Weeker Burger}

{Stout Burger}

I'm going to base my scoring on the "Six Weeker Burger" since that is the one I ate while having this blog in mind.

Score Card:

1. Bun: based on texture, taste, and the way it complements the burger. Things that just won't do are soggy and stale.

Stout: 3

2. Meat: looking for good texture, flavor, quality, and seasoning.

Stout: 4

3. Juiciness: applies to the overall juiciness of the burger including the patty, the sauces, and anything else that makes the burger juicy. But beware being too juicy might drop the score down. I want to be able to pick up my burger.

Stout: 4

4. Cheese: mmm... cheese... do I need to explain this one?

Stout: 4

5. Fixin's: Everything else that comes on the burger from lettuce to caramelized onions and roasted tomatoes. Whatever it is it better complement the burger and be delicious.

Stout: 3 - could have used more fig and onion taste. Needed to be to quote Emeril "kicked up a notch"

Overall factors are:

1. The Perfect Bite: how well everything on the burger comes together.

Stout: 3

2. Creativity: use of unique ingredients and pairings.

Stout: 4

Overall Score: 25 out of 35

I wasn't in love with the big bun, the meat is really thick which would be fine if I had more fig jam and caramelized onion taste. But a very nice burger nonetheless!

peace, love, burgers, and happiness!

Beer and BBQ

2010-08-31T10:31:00.000-07:00

Located on quaint Main Street in Seal Beach, a small beach town I became mildly obsessed with while house hunting, the famous Beachwood BBQ seemed like something of myth and legend to me for a while. I had done my prep work - I studied the menu, memorized their slogan "where the fork meets the pork" and came to terms with their philosophy that good meat needs no sauce, and hoped they would come to terms with the fact that I would most likely drown my meat in one of their 4 homemade sauces - but every time we tried to eat there, the wait was just too long. I became even more intrigued.

{Beachwood BBQ, Main Street, Seal Beach}

Finally, one day while apartment hunting and having no luck, we hit the jackpot at Beachwood BBQ and scored a spot at the bar. With 22 craft brews on tap that rotate regularly, you never know what kind of beer you are gonna get, but you can be damn sure it's not gonna be Bud Light. The beer might actually be the highlight of this place, there is always something new to try. And you can check out their HopCam to see whats on tap before you head over. But be warned, this kind of selection of beer isn't just for anyone. I had trouble finding a beer light and simple enough for my parents to enjoy, but for those who are more adventerous in their drinking habits, this is the place to be. The bf can get his wildly hoppy IPA's and I can find something dark and rich for myself to enjoy. But let's not forget the food!

{pulled pork on pretzel bread}

We both got the pulled pork sandwich and I was quite happy with it, and yes, I did make good use of the bottled sauces.

{sauces - photo from Menu in Progess's great post about Beachwood BBQ}

{pulled pork sammy and hush puppies}

I can't say I'm a huge fan of BBQ, unless it's tri-tip which I've found is not a part of traditional BBQ restaurants' menus. But I really enjoyed the pulled pork and the variety of sauces, since I tend to lean towards wanting sweet BBQ sauce, hence why I love Rattler's so much. But my favorite thing at Beachwood BBQ, besides the beer of course, is the Smothered Steak Fries. They are oh so good! Cheddar, blue cheese, bacon, green onion, and spicy wing sauce whip your taste buds into a frenzy... a frenzy I greatly enjoy. Also, I like the Fried Green Tomato Salad. And I'm looking forward to trying the Smokehouse Burger. And now that it's right down the street from where I live, I'm sure I will get to real soon!

peace, love, food, and happiness!

Saturday Afternoons

2010-08-28T16:40:00.000-07:00

I love weekend afternoons, but this weekend I'll be spending my afternoons in here...

{Inside the TV Guide truck at the Emmys Red Carpet Rehearsal}

But I did have a wonderful Saturday morning - bf and I had a nice bike ride to Schooner or Later for breakfast (without much of the normal wait since we got there early!). And while I'm sad to be missing out on the sun, and instead am hanging out in an overly air-conditioned truck, I'm happy to be a part of my 5th Emmys red carpet with TV Guide! Wow! I remember my first Emmy red carpet where I had to hold an umbrella for 2 hours to shade Joan River's posse from the sun. (While I baked to a crisp.) Fun times. Since then I've done a variety of jobs, but this is my first year in the truck, and it's pretty exciting to see the whole show come together! And since I have access to the internet I got to check in with the blogasphere and found this cute little game on Here Comes the Sun:

Always, Sometimes, Never

I always...

Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day!
Get a hug from bf when I get home!
Say "hi puppy" and wave when I see a dog on the street!
Apply Burt's Bees chapstick 80 million times a day!

I sometimes...

Do silly dances around the house!
Do the dishes! (I'm not messy, just most of the time I cook and bf does the dishes)
Get to sleep in!
Wear heels!

I never...

Skip breakfast!
Go more than 2 days without plucking my eyebrows!
Wear tennis shoes! (unless for working out or forced to for work)
Stop thinking about food!

Feel free to join in on the fun and if you do leave a comment with the link to your blog!

Peace, love, Saturdays, and happiness!

Weekend Workaway - Portland, Oregon

2010-08-27T11:02:00.000-07:00

I've always wanted to go to Portland, it seems like a really neat city.

{Downtown Portland - taken with Hipstamatic app on iphone}

But I'm sure you will understand when I say I wasn't jumping for joy when my brand new job told me on Friday at 7:00pm of my first week that they would like me to go to Portland the VERY NEXT DAY. And I happened to be moving my whole entire apartment that day, a task which my parents had driven out from Arizona for. My work and I struck a deal and I moved on Saturday and flew to Portland at 6am on Sunday and hit the ground running for work the second we got there. Whew, I get tired just thinking about that weekend. But nevertheless, it was great fun to see Portland in bits and pieces and I can't wait to go back and truly experience the city, the food, and the beer.

Here are some highlights from the trip.

{Portland's International Rose Test Garden}

I've never seen so many roses before in my life! It was gorgeous!

{Rose Garden taken with Hipstamatic app on iphone}

There were some super cute farmer's markets with vegetables that made me want to whip out a bag, stock up, and get in the kitchen. So many fresh veggies!

{radishes and fennel taken with Hipstamatic app on iphone}

On day two we rewarded ourselves for all our hard work and went to a nice waterfront dinner at Salty's. A dinner that I am VERY happy ended up getting comped by work.

{Salty's on the Columbia River}

{the view}

{Coconut Shrimp Appetizer}

{Salmon with Apple Relish on Mash Potatoes and Spinach with a Balsamic Drizzle}

{Delicious Salmon}

And after quite a few crappy lunches on the run (and way too late in the day for my food needs) we finally hit the jackpot on our last day and had a nice (but not expensive!) lunch at Red Onion, a Thai place we had been walking by the previous two days and I was on a mission to eat at. And boy am I glad we did. This was and still is the best Thai food I have ever had! It felt authentic, not that I would know what authentic Thai is, but it felt that way. And the quality of the meat and vegetables was amazing. No skimping here. They load up your plate with fresh, quality goodness. I got the Beef Pad See Ew and was surprised to find plenty of different vegetables in the dish that weren't mentioned on the menu. I feel like at most Thai places I'm bargaining with them to add more veggies to the noodle dishes. This was pure perfection.

{The Most Fabulous Pad See Ew}

I'm glad I got to experience Portland even with the limited time I had, it's definitely a place that I'm looking forward to going back to!

Peace, love, Portland, and happiness!

Tri Tip!

2010-08-25T14:24:00.000-07:00

Wow it's been a busy few months! But don't think I stopped eating and drinking, cause you know I didn't! So I would like to start my return to blogging with my favorite food: tri-tip. And if you don't know what tri-tip is, since it seems that all too often non Californians are stumped by my mention of this delicious cut of beef, do yourself a favor and click this link ---> yummy tri-tip. I can't quite pin point why I love this cut so much, but I can pin point where this love began. Rattler's Bar-B-Que in my hometown of Santa Clarita. They may have gotten a bigger location and a better website since the days in community college when my boyfriend would bring home tri-tip salads after his delivery shift, but after all these years one thing has stayed the same - the deliciousness of the food... and how cute my boyfriend is.

So after a long day of cleaning out my old apartment, we brought a load of items up to Santa Clarita to drop off at his parent's house and then headed to Rattler's to reward ourselves for our hard work.

It was taste bud heaven. I don't know how I'm suppose to eat my regular lunch after writing this post, it's so unfair. Can't I just make the food on the page come to life? Sigh, back to reality and my regular lunch, but at least I can share the experience with you. My favorite part, besides the tri-rip... and mash potatoes... and delicious rolls, was the grilled vegetables. I hate when you order vegetables as a side and you get a pile of unappetizing steamed broccoli and carrots - how boring, it's no wonder people hardly order vegetables... but these vegetables were pure perfection! Grilled zucchini, green onions, mushrooms, carrots. So good. I can't wait to go back and order the exact same thing.

I hope I have succeeded in my goal of making your mouth water for tri-tip. If you can't make it out to the depths of the Santa Clarita Valley, don't fear, tri-tip cooking help is here! Well not quite here just yet, I'm working on perfecting a tri-tip recipe (and I'm working on getting the bf not to overcook it) and then I will share with you!

peace, love, tri-tip, and happiness!

Summer is here!

2010-08-11T18:24:00.000-07:00

Happy August everyone! It's my favorite month! And my birthday is right around the corner... might as well start celebrating all this week!

{early birthday flowers}

And to kick off the celebrations, last night we drank the most delicious summer beer ever, Anderson Valley's Summer Solstice Cerveza Crema.

I would describe it as an alcoholic cream soda. While some might find that description unappetizing, I love cream soda and am quite happy to have found the adult equivalent that leaves you with buzz instead of a sugar high. Yummm-y!

Peace, love, summer beers, and happiness!

Shameless Self Promotion

2010-07-22T17:59:00.000-07:00

Check out my vlog on Celeblogity.com! If that link doesn't work, go to Celeblogity.com and click on Top --> TV Star Bloggers.

Thanks!

xo

2010-07-02T13:37:00.000-07:00

I'm 100% addicted to Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything" and if I had the time I would just read it every single day. The best part about the book isn't the recipes, but that he explains the how and why behind cooking, so I can take the tips and go from there with my own imagination. He tells you the basics behind a marinade and then gives you options on how to mix up the flavors. He truly is my culinary hero. Someday I will credit him for my fabulous cooking skills when I open my own restaurant (ahhh, dreams). Between his book and articles (and of course Deb's SmittenKitchen.com) I probably won't ever need to open another cookbook. Last year it was the 101 Simple Salads that blew my mind, and this year it's... (I can't even take it, I'm so happy)... 101 Fast Recipes for Grilling! I can't wait to get the grill going (now that I have one at my new place!) and spend the whole summer trying out these so simple, yet genius, recipes.

{photo from NYTimes.com}

peace, love, grilling, and happiness!

AND Happy Fourth of July! I have the weekend off! A rarity these days.

CPK Break

2010-06-24T15:46:00.000-07:00

This month has been crazy busy! Between moving into a new apartment in a new city (don't worry... technically I'm still in Los Angeles County) and starting a new job that required me to fly to Portland at 6am on the day after the big move, I've barely had a moment to think, sleep, or even unpack a box. But I, of course, still found the time to eat! After a late night of planning and packing, we found ourselves sitting in an empty living room on two beat up wooden chairs (that absolutely will not come to the new house) staring at a stack of papers and a printer on the floor. We decided to get out of the house. I've been wanting to try the new CPK Small Cravings Menu, and my man won't ever argue with pizza or pasta, so we headed to California Pizza Kitchen to take a much needed break from the move.

{White Corn Guacamole and Chips}

{Crispy Artichoke Hearts}

{Sweet Corn Tamale Ravioli}

I had to be stopped from ordering the entire whole Small Cravings menu. It all looked so good! We really enjoyed the White Corn Guacamole, and I will definitely be making my own version of it this summer. I washed down all that food with... you guessed it... more food!

{Asparagus Soup}

I opted for the Asparagus Soup since it's yummy and it's low in calories, I then promptly cancelled out what I saved in calories by eating these...

{Avocado Club Eggrolls}

What a nice way to end a hectic day!

peace, love, CPK, and happiness!

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

2010-06-16T19:26:00.000-07:00

For me, Memorial Day weekend always symbolizes the welcoming of summer. It's the first long weekend of the summer. The sun is shining, the collective smell of food on the grill wafts through the air, and shorts and sundresses get pulled out of the trenches of the closet where they have been hiding all winter. Ahhh, life is good on Memorial Day weekend, there is no work on Monday and it seems like there is all the time in the world. So to make this Memorial Day truly memorable I decided to take a culinary risk of epic proportions in hopes of delivering my Mom the perfect homemade present - my very first ever pie from scratch, and a strawberry rhubarb pie for that matter. Never mind that I had no clue what rhubarb was (did you know it's actually a vegetable?!) up until about 3 weeks ago when I came across a recipe in the archives of Deb's Smitten Kitchen site. I was mesmerized... the redness of the strawberries and rhubarb, the perfect latticed crust, the golden color of the cooked pie with juicy gooeyness peeking through. It was love at first sight. I had never wanted something so bad. (Well, that's not true, but it felt like it at the time.) But could I do it, I asked myself? Also I asked myself what's a pastry cutter and where do I find one? Finally, I decided to go for it and work out the pastry cutter issue as I went along. I mean, how hard could it be really? The phrase "easy as pie" had to come from some sort of truth, right?

First stop. Strawberry farm for some fresh, juicy goodness.

{strawberry farm}

Next, it was time to get my hands dirty... well more like doughy. I was shocked and in awe of the amount of butter that goes into a pie crust. It's crazy, but in a good way. I like butter.

{I can't believe it's all butter!}

{making the dough}

After the dough was made (with my $5 pastry cutter from Target), I cut it in half and formed two disks which I wrapped in saran wrap and put in the fridge over night. The next morning, yes this was a two day process, I let the dough sit out for about a half hour and then I was ready to roll!

{pie dish, dough, rolling pin}

Rolling the first disk of dough was rather hard but that's because I didn't give the dough enough time to come to room temperature. The second disk was much easier but then I felt it was too warm and tried to move it, completely rolled out, into the fridge, which resulted in flour going everywhere and an almost ruined rolled out piece of dough.

{rolled out crust}

Helpful tip! Roll out your dough sandwiched between two sheets of wax paper. But make sure you flour each sheet well! I made the mistake of not flouring the top sheet... that got me into a sticky situation.

And now the fun part!

{red - rhubarb and strawberries}

{Filling}

{new pie dish}

And then you wait... and check the oven obsessively because it would be such a shame to burn something this beautiful.

{pie}

And Voila! Like they say, easy as pie!

{so pretty!!}

Since I'm not much for baking I found it surprising that I loved making this pie. It was calming, therapeutic, and turned out so yummy I ate 2 slices... and I thought I didn't like pie!

Get the recipe from Smittenkitchen.com --> here.

peace, love, pie, and happiness!!

Vlog

2010-06-08T08:34:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! I know I've been lacking in posts lately, but there are some big changes coming up in my life that I'm super excited about! I will get posts back up soon! For now check out my vlog on Celeblogity.com. <------- click. Thanks!!

Burger Blogging - 8 oz.

2010-05-27T08:30:00.000-07:00

I've mentioned before that 8 oz. Burger Bar is my go to place for a great upscale burger, so it's surprising that it's taken me this long to blog about it in "My Quest to Find the Best Burger." The meat is ground in house using only humanely raised hormone free beef, the bacon is house-cured, the ketchup is made with heirloom tomatoes, and the pickles are homemade. Are you sold? I am.

The "8 oz"

While my photo is of the 8 oz burger, I'm going to base my review on the "Melrose" burger since it is what I normally order. The menu describes the "Melrose" as "6 oz house blend, wild baby arugula, garlic roasted tomatoes, and red onion marmalade." YUMMY!

Scoring:

1. Bun: based on texture, taste, and the way it complements the burger. Things that just won't do are: too 8 OZ : 4

2. Meat: looking for good texture, flavor, quality, and seasoning.

8 OZ: 5

4. Cheese: mmm... cheese... do I need to explain this one?

8 OZ: 4.5 (you have the option of adding cheese, I often add the bel paese or the cave aged gruyere.)

5. Fixin's: Everything else that comes on the burger from lettuce to caramelized onions and roasted tomatoes. Whatever it is it better complement the burger and be delicious.

8 OZ: 5

Overall factors are:

1. The Perfect Bite: how well everything on the burger comes together.

8 OZ: 4.5

2. Creativity: use of unique ingredients and pairings.

8 OZ: 4.5

Total Score: 32.5 out of 35

Now, there is a good chance 8 OZ gets such a high rating on my Burger Blogging O' Meter, because I just love the place so much. It is the home of my first gourmet burger... well, that's not 100 percent true, I tried 25 degrees in the Roosevelt Hotel before 8 OZ but was unimpressed. Or maybe the high score is because 8 OZ is about more than just good burgers. It's got a damn good Moscow Mule for one (with fresh ginger juice, swoon), and the non-burger items on the menu are just as good (if not better I dare say) than the burgers. You simply must try the short rib grilled cheese. This is not a request, but more of a demand. You can thank me later. Also I'm a big fan of the tuna melt - olive oil poached albacore, white cheddar cheese, add garlic roasted tomatoes, all on crispy grilled sourdough. I'll happily pay 9 bucks for this tuna melt.

Tuna Melt (please excuse the bad photo, this is pre-new camera)

Overall, I guess you can say I'm just a big fan of 8 OZ Burger Bar. Check it out when you are on Melrose, I'm pretty sure you'll like it.

peace, love, burgers, and happiness

Brightening up the House with Basil

2010-05-26T11:23:00.000-07:00

Summer seems like the perfect time to finally get started on that (indoor) herb garden I've been wanting. I've been using the excuse of not having a patio for too long. Plus, buying basil at the store gets expensive and goes bad quite fast. I purchased my basil plant at Trader Joe's for something like two dollars and some change. What a steal. I couldn't grab that thing fast enough and add it to my cart. Since then it has become something like my baby, or at the very least a well adored pet. (Yes, I do know that I have too much time on my hands.)

I'm hoping the little guy does ok positioned by the window admiring the view of the apartment building next door. Every now and again I take him outside for a little sunshine in the apartment "courtyard" (more like a walkway). If I can't keep this plant alive, which is described on the label as "a hearty plant that you don't need to worry about too much," then I'm pretty much doomed when it comes to taking caring of any other living things. Wish me luck!

peace, love, gardens, and happiness!

Happy Birthday Momma!

2010-05-25T11:58:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to my beautiful and wonderful mother! Thank you for everything. I love you!!

peace, love, birthdays, and happiness!

The Perfect Soup

2010-05-25T09:50:00.000-07:00

I can't get this soup off my mind since I made it, it was so good that thoughts of making SOUP, well just this soup, are constantly floating through my mind. I'm not normally a soup kind of girl, it's never filling enough as a meal and too filling as an appetizer. And if I'm gonna spend some time in the kitchen I want to come out with elaborate results, not just a pot full of stuff in water. But since first trying Ribollita, during the Tuscan cooking class Sabrina and I took, my taste buds were hooked. Ribollita is a Tuscan soup that literally means "reboiled." My findings while searching the web for a recipe led me to believe that often Ribollita contains a mix of veggies, a leafy green, white beans, possibly pancetta, and sometimes stale bread is mixed directly into the soup. No recipe stood out to me, so I decided to take my best shot at making this soup sans recipe - after all the basic idea of the dish is to throw together leftovers in a pot. It was easy and delicious, very delicious. In fact, I ate it so fast I only snapped a few shots on my iphone and wasn't going to share the recipe until I made it again and took some better photos, but I'm just too excited. I simply must share.

Michelle's Vegetable Ribollita:

serves 4

Ingredients:

1 large carrot

1 zucchini

1 yellow squash

½ onion chopped

6 cloves garlic

1 can Italian flavored chopped tomatoes

2 to 3 cups chopped kale

about 2 cups vegetable broth

1 cup water

1 tablespoon olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

red pepper flakes to taste

Instructions:

1) Heat olive oil in a pot. Chop all vegetables.

2) Put carrots and onions and minced garlic in pot and sauté until slightly soft.

3) Add zucchini and squash and sauté for about 2 minutes.

4) Add vegetable broth and water. Season with salt, pepper and red pepper. Cook for 5 minutes.

5) Add canned tomatoes with juice. Bring to a boil.

6) Add chopped kale and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until squash and kale are tender but not soggy.

7) Top with parmesan cheese and serve with toasted French or Italian bread.

And if my calculations are correct (which I think they are) when made with veggie broth and before adding the parmesan cheese and bread, each serving only has about 120 calories in it! It could be the perfect diet food. And I managed to eat it as a whole meal (with copious amounts of bread, naturally).

Enjoy!

peace, love, food, and happiness!

Tuscany: Date Night.

2010-05-24T09:53:00.000-07:00

My friend Sabrina and I like to eat, talk food, and experiment with cooking. So when a Groupon for a cooking class at Chefs, Inc. came up, we jumped on it. While the initial decision to take a cooking class was a quick and sure one, deciding on what class to take was the exact opposite. We agonized over which class would, 1. be the best value for our money, 2. offer the most amount of take home knowledge, and 3. accommodate Sabrina's many (and I mean many) food preferences. Any kind of Spanish or Mexican was out due to the fact that the food might be spicy. (Love her, but even the addition of pepper can sometimes push her over the edge... come on!) Any class that had a chicken dish was out. She's got this weird thing against chicken, I still don't quite understand it, but chicken is boring anyways. And then there was our many scheduling conflicts on both ends. But finally, finally, we came to a joint decision on Tuscany!... date night... oh well, so what if we are the only non-couple, couple there. Which turned out to be exactly the case, but still, we were a perfect pair.

We both agree that the class didn't offer enough hands on cooking for our taste. We pretty much got booted out of the group making the soup, but we ending up doing most of the Olive Oil Lemon Cake. And we grilled bread...

Not quite what we had in mind as far as fulfilling our "take home knowledge" quota... but hey, that bruschetta that everyone seemed to love so much (mainly, because we were all starving) couldn't have happened with out us... (or the people that chopped the tomatoes, but they don't really matter as far as this story goes.)

Three Tomato Bruschetta - bread grilled by master bread grillers, Michelle and Sabrina.

So we pretty much dumped some ingredients into a bowl for a cake, grilled some bread, and sat and drank wine. Good thing the rest of the class didn't mess up the other dishes too bad, and that we got the class for half off. All in all we did leave full, and I learned, not by actually making it but by reading the recipe book, how to make a fabulous Tuscan peasant soup called Ribollita.

Ribollita, courtesy of everyone but us.

Braised short ribs in a wine reduction. We did "help" put these in the oven.

Our masterpiece! Olive Oil Lemon Cake.

But most importantly I got to spend time with Sabrina, and anytime we are together is a good time!

peace, love, cooking, and happiness!

Burger Blogging - San Fran Edition

2010-05-21T09:13:00.000-07:00

While in San Francisco I visited Pearl's Deluxe Burgers, which came recommended by Crystal's roommates and Yelp.

It's a small place but the burgers pack a punch. I especially like that there are so many different burger combinations on the menu. You can even upgrade your meat to Estancia beef (grass fed cows). And they tout they have Buffalo burgers which apparently is healthier and has less fat, I have yet to try Buffalo meat, although I am open to it. I really wanted the burger with blue cheese, bacon, and other goodies on it, but for some unusual reason I had it stuck in my mind that I had to try to eat "healthy." Ha! At a burger place! What was I thinking? So I ordered the mini Pearl burger, and immediately regretted not getting the full size. If I'm gonna eat a burger then I should probably just eat a BURGER. And I didn't get fries. I know, I don't even know who I am anymore.

My thoughts on the Pearl burger:

I wish I got the regular size, not because the mini was actually all that small, but because I was hungry. It was a pretty good basic burger. Not gourmet, more of a hamburger shack kind of burger, which can often be the best. The cheese was very melty and the whole thing was kinda messy (not a bad thing!).

Scoring:

1. Bun: based on texture, taste, and the way it complements the burger. Things that just won't do are: too soggy buns and too dry buns.

PEARL'S : 3.5

2. Meat: looking for good texture, flavor, quality, and seasoning.

PEARL'S: 3

PEARL'S: 4

4. Cheese: mmm... cheese... do I need to explain this one?

PEARL'S: 3.5

5. Fixin's: Everything else that comes on the burger from lettuce to caramelized onions and roasted tomatoes. Whatever it is it better complement the burger and be delicious.

PEARL'S: 4.5 (because I ordered a basic burger and it came with the basic things)

Overall factors are:

1. The Perfect Bite: how well everything on the burger comes together.

PEARL'S: 3

2. Creativity: use of unique ingredients and pairings.

PEARL'S: 4 (not for this burger, but because the restaurant has so many burger options)

Score: 25.5 out of 35

If you are in San Fran, Pearl's is a good place to hit up if you want a good burger (hold the frills) for a good price. I would definitely like to go back and explore more of their options!

peace, love, burgers, and happiness!

Maxim Hot 100 Party

2010-05-20T21:28:00.000-07:00

One of the things I love about Los Angeles is the Hollywood night life, even though when asked I insist that I am more of a local bar kinda girl then a Hollywood scenester - which is completely true. But every once in a while you gotta take advantage and hit a hot party. This works well for me since my roomie gets invitations and gets us on the guest list, something I tend to fail miserably at.

Last night we went to the Maxim Hot 100 party... with some effort... as we arrived late, 9:45pm (gasp!), and they closed the list we were on. Some wandering around and looking lost eventually paid off for us and we made it inside! And I must say, our effort was worth it! Mainly because of the open bar and free food carts... free food... yum. But the best part for me was meeting Jake from "The Bachelor" (yes I know I'm a dork). "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette" is my guilty television pleasure and even though Jake was never a favorite of mine his friendliness made me really like him. He was really approachable, or I was drunk, one of the two or both.

And yes, he was with Vienna.

peace, love, parties, and happiness!

TO DO: San Francisco

2010-05-20T11:01:00.000-07:00

Exploring new cities is the best, and San Francisco is one of the best to explore! With it's mix of natural beauty and city life, it's truly one of the prettiest cities, and one with a lot to do! You can see the Golden Gate Bridge, tour Alcatraz Island (which always fascinated me because I love the movie "The Rock"), check out Ghiradelli Square, and of course take a ride on a trolley car (if you can bear the wait in line). But this wasn't my first time crossing the Bay Bridge, so I took a different route as a tourist and hit up the local hotspots with my friend Crystal who lives in the city - very conveniently near all the shops and restaurants on Haight Street.

So here is my "Livin' like a Local"- Guide to San Fran:

The public transportation in San Fran is pretty awesome (and the parking is not) so take the bus...er... Muni to get around. For father travels around the bay area use the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit).

On Wednesday's and Sunday's visit the Heart of the City Farmer's Market and pick up some of the freshest looking produce I have ever seen and take in the wonderful cityscape background.

I fell in love here because they have a stand dedicated to one of my favorite things to cook with... mushrooms! All different kinds! I nearly died, you can't find this at the Studio City Farmer's Market.

Be a tourist for a day if you're a local, or just be a tourist if you're a tourist and scour Chinatown for cute trinkets and deals, or pick up some bamboo to add life to your apartment. Did you know that San Francisco's Chinatown is the largest Chinatown outside of Asia and North America's oldest Chinatown?!

Swing by Pearl's Deluxe Burgers to satisfy your hunger and marvel at the burger options, or satisfy your sweet tooth with a rich and creamy shake.

*be on the lookout for my review of Pearl's for my Quest to Find the Best Burger

After a long day of exploring quench your thirst and rest your tired feet at Toronado located on Haight Street. It's fabulous, if your definition of fabulous is a laid back, cash only, local beer bar with an awesome selection of beer (no Bud Light here), which my definition of fabulous most definitely is. If you don't like beer (what is wrong with you?!) then this is not the place for you. But if you do, and like good beer at that, then this place is heaven.

I like my beer dark, Crystal likes her's light. Options for everyone!

The next morning fight your hangover with a hearty breakfast at Kate's Kitchen. Make sure you try the cornmeal buttermilk pancakes and check out the specials board.

Finish off your time in the city with a relaxing day at the park, if the weather is nice, and if it's even close to nice take advantage of it!

Awww, I miss it already!

Helpful tips: lots of places are cash only, so bring some! And wear comfy walking shoes.

peace, love, San Fran, and happiness!

Burgers! Burgers! Burgers!

2010-05-19T13:46:00.000-07:00

Love burgers like I do? Then you will be excited to hear about DineLA.com's Best Burger in LA Contest!

Sure it's no small time blogger's Quest to Find the Best Burger(ahem, as in MY quest)... but I was excited nonetheless, especially since everyday they are offering discounts at LA's top Burger joints! So looks like the next few weeks will be full of burger eating heaven... just in time for swimsuit season...

Check out the Facebook page to vote for your favorite burger from May 19th thru 31st and enter your email to receive the Daily Deal email with discounts to the featured burger havens. Some of my favs are on there! 8oz, Father's Office, The Apple Pan, Stout Burgers and Beer... yumm... and those are just some of the ones I've tried! There are plenty I haven't even gotten to yet.... so if you'll excuse me, I've got some burgers to eat.

Peace, love, burgers, and happiness!

Indy's Spring Break

2010-05-18T18:09:00.000-07:00

In March my mom came to visit and brought her little bundle of fur along with her - Indy, the Bichon Frise. So without further ado... here are pictures of Indy's Cali Spring Break. Why? Because who doesn't love pics of cute puppies? Seriously, if you find someone let me know, I would like to know what is wrong with them.

Indy at work

Indy at the beach

Indy and Mom

Indy taking a little break from shopping at Bed Bath and Beyond

Indy at the Farmer's Market

Indy in heaven

Indy bra shopping

He's a happy little guy who loved his vacation, but I'm sure I loved having him around more.

peace, love, puppies, and happiness!

Vegan Banana Pancakes

2010-05-10T21:54:00.000-07:00

After resolving to only eat fruit for breakfast as some kind of diet / desire to eat healthier, I woke up craving pancakes more than I have ever craved pancakes in my entire life. I checked my kitchen only to discover that indeed I had a box of pancake mix... but not a single egg in the fridge. Sigh. But I would not give up that easily on my dream of having pancakes that morning! And I most certainly would not walk the two whole blocks to the store for one measly egg. Yes, I may be lazy, but I am also innovative... I came up with Vegan (only by circumstance) Banana Pancakes - single serving size with strawberries (thanks roomie) and banana slices.

The pancakes turned out so good! I was pleasantly surprised at how moist and fluffy they were! Way better than using a box mix!

Recipe (one serving):

1/2 cup whole wheat flour or white flour (I used mainly whole wheat with a little bit of white flour)

1/2 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

dash of cinnamon

1/3 cup (or more if needed) almond milk (or soy milk)

1/2 banana (ripe and mashed)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon together. In another bowl, combine all other ingredients. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir well. Add more almond milk if batter is too thick.

Cook on medium-high heat in a skillet till browned on both sides.

Top with left over half of banana and whatever else you like! Enjoy!

peace, love, pancakes, and happiness!

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

2010-05-06T12:22:00.000-07:00

I enjoy celebrating just about every holiday, in fact, I can't think of one that I don't enjoy - any reason to celebrate anything is a good day in my book. So when I almost let Cinco De Mayo slip by me without any notice - a holiday that generally consists of celebrating by eating and drinking - I really let myself and my Mexican heritage down. But at the last second I picked myself up and threw together a taco dinner. Now, even though I mentioned my Mexican heritage, don't expect this to be some fancy traditional taco dinner, I don't speak a lick of Spanish and my idea of a traditional Mexican dish is cheese enchiladas. So I picked up a few items from the store and let whatever was in my fridge and pantry do the rest. The result was some yummy chicken tacos and a fantastic black bean and corn side dish.

The only thing missing was a cerveza, but I'm trying to cut back on my weekday drinking (being unemployed seems to create an occasion to enjoy a beer or glass of wine everyday). The tacos were simple. I marinated chicken tenders in lime juice and coated them with a packet of chicken taco seasoning from the store. I generally am against using packets of seasonings as I view it as cheating in the cooking process, but I am slowly revising my stance on that. They are a quick and easy fix for when your cooking time is limited, and they also cut down on cost, since most of the time I don't own every single spice and herb that is already in the packet. AND they made these chicken tenders damn tasty! But the key is the lime juice to make a little bit of a liquid marinade and get the spices stick to the chicken. Then just grill 'em up!

My accompaniments to the tacos were some diced up tomatoes, diced jalapeno, lettuce, shredded monterey jack cheese, plain greek yogurt (substituted for sour cream - saves calories, tastes pretty much the same) mixed with a little bit of Tapatio hot sauce, and sliced avocado.

While I cheated with the taco shells and used store bought shells, I created a homemade side dish that stood out - spicy black beans and corn. Yummy!

Michelle's Spicy Black Beans and Crunchy Corn Recipe:

1 can black beans

3/4 cup to 1 cup frozen corn

1 diced tomato

1/2 diced onions

2 to 3 garlic cloves

pinch of chile powder

Tapatio to taste

*Heat a little bit of olive oil in the bottom of a saucepan. Add diced tomatoes, diced onion, and chopped garlic. Cook until onions soften up, sprinkle with a dash of chile powder.

*Add thawed corn (I just heated it up for about 45 seconds in the microwave), stir. Add one can of rinsed black beans. Be sure to rinse them!! Stir.

*Add salt and Tapatio hot sauce to taste, stirring occasionally until beans are warm. Serve hot.

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Peace, love, fiesta, and happiness!

Farewell Winter Dinner

2010-04-12T17:35:00.000-07:00

With the coming of spring and sunshine (yippee!) it felt fitting to say goodbye to winter and all the delicious, hearty food that goes along with it by making one last warm, wintery meal.

With my mom in town visiting, making this meal turned into an all day adventure that was a lot of fun!

We stopped off at the farmer's market to browse for fresh veggies and pick up the brisket from the butcher.

I made Deb's southwestern pulled brisket from the Smitten Kitchen blog and it turned out phenomenal as always. I did half the brisket in the slow cooker and half in the oven. Surprisingly we liked the oven one a little bit better, although it was very hard to tell the difference. The slow cooker left more of the juices in tact (the oven brisket seemed to absorb all of the juices), and I like to shred the brisket and then add it back to some of juices that I reduce in a pan for about 10 -15 minutes.

{brisket in slow cooker}

{shredded brisket}

To go with the brisket, some wonderful creamy, winter potatoes. I tried to be innovative and came up with the idea of "beer braised potatoes."

And while it sounds pretty awesome - potatoes and leeks browned in beer - I wouldn't run out and try this recipe just yet. In fact I'm not even gonna share it, at least until a second attempt is made and some of the kinks are worked out. It was a very good idea in my mind... but the finished product lacked that certain wow factor I was looking for.

{potatoes cooking in beer}

But my second side dish DID pack a healthy dose of wow! Roasted carrots with sautéed mushrooms on top a bed of wilted spinach and topped off with toasted pine nuts - turned out to be a winning flavor combination and I was quite proud of myself for coming up with it.

{baby carrots and baby bella mushrooms}

{carrots oven roasted with olive oil, salt, and pepper}

{wilted spinach, roasted carrots, sauteed mushrooms, and pine nuts}

Dinner turned out to be a very nice exploration in winter flavors and was shared with some amazing people. I'm looking forward to planning a "Hello Spring!" and dishing up some light and sunny springtime dishes!

peace, love, cooking, and happiness!

Cheesy!

2010-03-27T15:28:00.000-07:00

This week the much talked about and highly anticipated (by me) Grilled Cheese Truck came to Hollywood!

{food truck}

{line}

And you bet your bottom I waited in line on my lunch break and shelled out $12 bucks for a grilled cheese and tater tots. And yes, I'm pretty sure it was worth it, even if only to say that I've participated in the food truck craze that has swept over LA.

{ordering}

I still have a soft spot for Kogi, the truck that started this whole crazy business of hunting down roach coaches through Twitter and scarfing your food while sitting on a curb with other hungry patrons. But, I can't deny that the Grilled Cheese Truck was just as tasty. Where else can you get a grilled cheese with mac and cheese and bbq pork in it?! It's likely to provide you with enough calories for two days worth of eating, but damn, it was good.

{tots, pickles, and cheesy mac and rib}

{mac and cheese, sharp cheddar, bbq pork, and caramelized onions sandwiched between two buttery slices of french bread}

I scarfed my gooey goodness while sitting on a bench in a parking lot and it couldn't have been better. My one complaint, they skimp when it comes to the meat. I could have used a little bit more bbq pork in my sammy. But as my friend Sabrina says, "it's called a grilled cheese cause it's suppose to be about the cheese."

{cheesy}

Follow the truck on twitter here and enjoy some gourmet grilled goodness out of a truck for yourself!

peace, love, food, and happiness!

Santa Monica Saturday and Burger Blogging

2010-03-23T12:52:00.000-07:00

Since I'm a valley dweller it isn't often that I venture to the Westside. I often scoff at the idea when a friend suggests that we ride bikes in Santa Monica or grab a drink on Abbot Kinney... you want me to take the 101 to the 405 and the 10??!! That's too many freeways for a weekend meant for relaxing! But I've been feeling adventurous lately and the warm weather makes me want to constantly be by the water, so this weekend I made the trek (including all three freeways) for a little adventure in Santa Monica. Even after parallel parking only to discover that I was on a permit only street, thus crushing all my hopes and dreams of being the best parking spot finder ever, it proved to be very worth it! I love walking along a street lined with cute restaurants and shops, filled with people dressed in beach attire and their bikes parked out in front. Feels like life stops and there is only the weekend. Sigh, if only everyday really was the weekend.

First stop: Library Ale House for a few beers.

Since my early twenties I've always loved beer. I wasn't one of those girls at a college party who HAD to have a girly drink to have a good time. I could throw a Bud Light back like the best of the boys. Thankfully, since then my palate has sophisticated; and armed with my partner in beer drinking escapades who has an extensive (and frankly quite frightening) amount of knowledge when it comes to beer, I have discovered the art that is behind great beer. Which means beer drinking is my activity of choice (and eating, but you already knew that). Unfortunately though, the two beers I had at Library Ale House didn't quite stand out to me, but I liked the ambiance of the place and would happily come back to munch on sweet potato fries and drink beer at the bar.

Second stop: The famed and hailed as having the best burger in LA Father's Office.

We met friends there who suggested we go early cause the place is small and it's dog eat dog when it comes to getting a table, so we grabbed beers at the bar while Tim and Sabrina stared down a girl sitting at a four top until she left and we claimed victory. I had a Craftsman beer called Honesty which was described by the bartender as "having the taste of tart cherries balanced with the taste of butter and biscuits." Sold. Oh man, just smelling this beer was heaven. It tasted just as he said, the tart cherry taste was wonderful - sweet and tart and not too overpowering. And the beer was rich and complex, not like most fruity beers. I loved it! And then the burger came and I simply died. How could I ever have called myself a burger lover and never had a Father's Office burger till now?!

{photos courtesy of Diary of a Cookie since I ate my food too fast to take any}

**This post will also serve as my first official post in my QUEST TO FIND THE BEST BURGER! Look for more posts with the title "Burger Blogging" as I eat my way through burgers around LA (and even some outside of LA) and report back to you with my findings.**

My thoughts on the Father's Office Burger:

It was delicious. Caramelized onions, Maytag blue cheese, Gruyere, arugula, and a thick, juicy patty all on a french roll. Loved it. Didn't even need ketchup (and I really like ketchup on my burgers). It really could be the best burger. But I will have to revisit some of my old favs and search out some new ones before I can truly decide.

I will score the burgers based on 7 criteria - 5 main components and 2 overall factors on a 1 to 5 scale. Making the highest possible score a 35. The 5 main components are:

1. Bun: based on texture, taste, and the way it complements the burger. Things that just won't do are: too soggy buns and too dry buns.

2. Meat: looking for good texture, flavor, quality, and seasoning.

4. Cheese: mmm... cheese... do I need to explain this one?

5. Fixin's: Everything else that comes on the burger from lettuce to caramelized onions and roasted tomatoes. Whatever it is it better complement the burger and be delicious.

The 2 overall factors are:

1. The Perfect Bite: how well everything on the burger comes together.

2. Creativity: use of unique ingredients and pairings.

The Father's Office Burger Score Card:

Bun: 4

Meat: 4.5

Juicy: 5

Cheese: 5

Fixin's: 4.5

Perfect Bite: 4

Creativity: 4

Total: 31

I left happy, full and drunk, although the bill sobered me up a bit - this burger's got a price tag that matches its hype.

Third Stop: Intelligentsia Coffee Shop for a latte to top off the night.

I'm not much of a coffee drinker but the cute design with the steamed milk won my heart.

A successful evening of eating and drinking in Santa Monica, even if I got us lost on the way home.

Peace, love, exploring the Westside, and happiness!

100th post!

2010-03-16T13:22:00.000-07:00

In honor of my 100th post, 100 things I love / cherish / am grateful for / or just really like. In no real order. Enjoy!

1. My family. They are the best.

{Christmas photo - 2007}

{Hemi as a puppy. Pre-Indy}

2. Hemi.

{Hemi - 4th of July 2007}

3. The new addition - Indy.

{Indy - Christmas 2009}

4. Honey. The best childhood companion an only child could ask for.

{Honey - 2004ish}

5. My wonderful, amazing, and fun friends.

{the girls (and flip cup champions) - 4th of July 2007}

{Halloween in Vegas, 2007}

6. New friends that feel like old friends.

{Christina and I, winning the Company pic-nic water balloon toss, 2008}

{Sabrina and I, Havasu - 2009}

{Christina and Jessica - Halloween 2008}

7. Sunshine.

8. Living in California.

9. Plans to see the world.

10. Kinda shared b-days with my roomie of almost 3 years!

{Brandi's B-day, 2009}

11. Sushi.

12. Meatball sandwhiches.

13. Cheese enchiladas.

14. BBQ Tri-tip.

15. Food, in general.

16. Cooking.

{Christmas dinner, 2009}

17. Learning new things.

18. Reading.

19. Hiking.

{Hiking, Malibu, 2010}

20. Finally liking to run.

21. Traveling.

{Puerto Vallarta, 2009}

22. The lake.

{Lake Havasu, 2009}

23. The beach.

{Malibu, 2010}

24. Lazy weekends.

25. Busy weekends.

26. Planning events or parties with themes.

27. Dinner parties.

28. Drinking good beer with an amazing person.

{Stone Brewery, 2010}

29. Fancy cheese.

{Cheese at the Farmer's Market, 2010}

30. Wine.

31. Wine with friends.

32. My job.

{Golden Globes, 2010}

33. Making dinner with Christina the night before an award show for almost 3 years now!

34. Getting to see new places, meet great people, and eat amazing food.

{Oklahoma Joe's, Kansas City - 2009}

35. Long summer days.

36. Bikram Yoga.

37. Trader Joe's.

38. Jewelry.

39. A sexy pair of boots.

40. Sharing burgers with a bestie.

{Umami Burger with Sabrina, 2009}

41. Farmer's Markets.

42. Organic produce.

43. Good arms.

44. Colorful flowers.

45. Writing in my diary.

46. Blogging.

47. Feeling inspired by other's blogs.

48. Scuba Diving.

49. Day Dreaming.

50. Shopping - not the actual process. Just the end result.

51. Ice Tea.

52. Sundresses with Sandals.

53. Friends that are far away.

{Jaclyn and I, 2006}

54. Memories.

55. Making new memories.

56. Cold sheets.

57. Cuddling.

58. Cuddling with puppies.

{Hemi and Indy, 2010}

59. Disney Animated movies.

60. Disneyland.

61. Any event that involves food, fun, and friends.

62. Being passionate.

63. Honest communication.

64. Beer and Baseball games.

{Cubs game, 2009}

65. Seeing new things, going to new places.

66. A good slice of pizza.

{Pizza Port - San Clemente, 2010}

67. Snow.

68. Wakeboarding.

69. Riding on boats.

70. Pine Flat Lake.

71. Living life to the fullest.

72. My Birthday and Pinantas.

{Birthday, 2009}

73. Vacation days.

74. Los Angeles.

75. Watching the Amazing Race and hopefully someday being on it.

76. Nature.

{Death Valley, 2009}

77. Animals.

78. Adventures.

79. Burt's Bees chapstick.

80. Sephora.

81. Lions and Tigers.

{San Francisco Zoo, possibly 2006}

82. Classic Rock.

83. Drinking a cold beer in the shower on a hot day.

84. Painted nails.

85. Vegas trips with the girls.

{Vegas, April 2009}

86. Choco Tacos. Why can't I find those anywhere anymore?!

87. Sight seeing.

88. Bike Rides.

89. Waterfalls.

{Big Sur, 2008}

90. Concerts at small venues.

91. Hugs.

92. Kisses.

93. Kindness.

94. Spontaneity.

95. Impromptu dance parties.

{2008}

96. Long dresses.

97. Short dresses.

98. Quality time with the people you love.

99. Smiling.

100. Peace, Love, and Happiness.

{Halloween, 2008}

Chicken - inspired by Top Chef's Fabio Viviani

2010-03-12T15:54:00.000-08:00

I love the show Top Chef! So when TV Guide went to Top Chef's fan favorite from season five - Fabio Viviani's restaurant, Firenze Osteria, to film him making a Julia Child inspired dish in honor of Meryl Streep's Academy Award nomination for "Julie and Julia" I was all about it. Fabio showed us how to make a simple whole roasted chicken. The end result looked so delicious I decided I simply had to make this recipe as soon as possible. Up until this point I have never worked with a whole chicken before. So that was a little scary. Fabio recommended getting the chicken de-boned, so I asked the Whole Food folks to do that for me. The guy gave me a funny look when he asked what kind of chicken I would like and I responded with "the kind you can roast, I guess." While he deboned my chicken (I couldn't watch him actually deboning it, yuck) I picked up some lemon, rosemary, and garlic. And that was all I needed! At least for the chicken, I also picked up some beautiful organic carrots, stuff to make garlic cheese mash potatoes, and shallots to carmelize.

Working with the whole chicken wasn't as traumatizing as I had imagined it. I sliced up the lemons, smashed the garlic, and pulled the leaves of rosemary from the stem and stuffed the chicken and then used toothpicks to secure the closure.

Rub olive oil on the chicken and salt and pepper both sides. Next I heated olive oil in a pan and seared the chicken on both sides before putting it in the oven at 425 degrees for about 25 minutes. I threw the cut up organic carrots into the pan to roast with the chicken as well.

While the chicken was roasting I got to work on the carmelized shallots from Smitten Kitchen, one of my favorite cooking blogs and the shallots being one of my favorite recipes. They are so easy and so yummy. Even if you don't like onions (like my roomie) you will probably love these. Melt about 6 tablespoons butter to every pound of shallots in a pan. Add peeled shallots and toss in about 3 tablespoons sugar (I like a little less) and saute for about 10 min until the shallots begin to brown. Add 3 tablespoons quality red wine vinegar and some salt and pepper. Transfer shallots (and juice!) to a glass baking dish and bake for about 15 -30 minutes in a 400 degree oven. I put them in with the chicken at 425 and adjusted the time accordingly.

Next, the mash potatoes. These were simple. I mashed the cooked yukon gold potatoes with garlic (which I put in the water with the boiling potatoes), cheddar cheese, milk, sour cream, salt and pepper, garlic powder, and green onions. The potatoes were delicious, but the stand out really was the chicken. I was excited with how it came out! And the carrots in the roasted chicken juice... yummmm...

Roasted chicken and carrots

carmelized shallots

dinner is served!

What a fun dinner! Thanks Fabio!

peace, love, cooking, and happiness!

Oscar is in town!

2010-03-05T10:29:00.000-08:00

The Academy Awards have taken over Hollywood!

Which means it's crunch time at work and as my boss likes to say "this is our superbowl!", which also means I really don't have time to be writing this post so I'll make it quick.

Wednesday I got to go inside the Kodak theater and see the Oscar set-up and it looks fabulous! They kept a security guard with us at all times and told us if we even thought about snapping a photo our credential would be revoked, which would be very bad. So I have no photos to share. Sad. But I can tell you that there is an amazing Swarovski Crystal Curtain framing the stage that just sparkles! And I got to sit down this year's Oscar producers, Bill Mechanic and Adam Shankman, and they told me that the show this year is going to be very different and very fun! I don't normally watch the entire show (mainly cause I'll just have finished working a 12 to 14 hour day and all I want to do is get away from anything Academy Award related) but these guys really sold me on the show this year. I think it's gonna be skewed to a younger audience and have a little bit more edge to it, so I'm excited to see what is in store.

Well, I gotta get back to work! Make sure you tune into TV Guide Network for your Academy Awards pre-show coverage!

I snapped this photo coming down the escalator so that's why it's a little blury. I don't think the security guard was gonna let me get a better one.

peace, love, Oscars, and happiness!

California Dreamin'

2010-03-02T13:28:00.000-08:00

The best part about living in SoCal are beach days at the end of February followed by fish and chips at Malibu Seafood and a scenic hike that winds up to a view of the coast (and also helps work the fried food off). And the best part about beach days in February is... no traffic!!

This weekend was lovely.

Malibu

Seaweed

Sand Crab

Corral Canyon Trail

Wild flowers and an old chimney

Another great place to hike in Malibu is at Malibu Creek State Park, which is also where I learned to rock climb.

peace, love, california dreamin, and happiness!

Nashelle Jewelry

2010-02-23T09:24:00.000-08:00

I've been seeing those gold initial charm necklaces everywhere for the last year or so, like the one Tina Fey wears on "30 Rock" with the letter 'L' stamped on it for her character Liz Lemon, but I haven't been able to figure out who makes them. After a minimal amount of internet sleuthing it turns out all I had to do was, at some point, pick up one of many magazines that have featured the beautiful designs from Nashelle Jewelry. I feel like I am really late to the party on this one, but I am in LOVE with the lucky charm necklace (as well as pretty much all the bracelets and rings), but I figure the initial necklace is the best place to start.

Picking the color of the stones would be the hardest part. Right now, I'm leaning towards the golden quartz and some shade of green. So pretty! Also, all Nashelle jewelry is handmade to order so that each piece has it's own unique character. I love it.

In February's issue of The Knot magazine they feature a gorgeous aqua cuff to be worn as your "something blue" on your wedding day. What a great idea! And the color is pretty close to the color in my friend's upcoming wedding. How beautiful would the aqua cuff be with our coral / orange bridesmaid dresses!

peace, love, jewelry, and happiness!

Pretty things from the last few weeks...

2010-02-22T11:36:00.000-08:00

I've been very absent lately in the blog world. I blame work and the new hours they imposed on us, as well as award season 2010, and life just kinda hitting me like a freight train. But I've been collecting photos of my favorite things and happenings on my iphone from the last few weeks so here they are!

Hemi and Indy. My parent's puppies after a haircut!

Breakfast and a book.

The Grammys. The picture is awkward because it took a covert operation to get it.

Friday night in, with In N Out and wine. Good in theory, not a perfect pairing in actuality.

Beautiful shoes that I can't buy because I would last 5 minutes in them before I fall over.

Rain in LA! Which reaked havoc on my wardrobe but created some beautiful hiking scenery in the weeks after.

Beer. Yum. :)

Duck tacos to go with the beer.

Gorgeous Henri Bendel Jewelry Box that I would kill to have.

Inside the little beauty.

peace, love, pretty things, and happiness!

I heart Valentine's Day

2010-02-12T11:29:00.000-08:00

I HATE it when people trash talk Valentine's Day. It's such a lovely holiday. I know what you are thinking, what if you are single and just don't want to be reminded of everyone's everlasting love? Well, I've been in that boat (in fact, I currently am) but I still find joy in Valentine's Day. I just love the idea of it. Love that there is a day to take time out of our busy lives and focus on someone special or maybe even everyone that is special in our lives (like our friends, my single companions). I just don't believe Valentine's Day is some so-called "Hallmark Holiday." There are plenty of creative ways to celebrate that don't involve buying fancy jewelry (although I LOVE jewelry) or going to over-priced dinners. Such as, a hike and a pic-nic (perferably with wine), taking a tour of your town's sweet shops (did this last year and it was fabulous), candle lit dinner at home (note to men: candles make a difference, it doesn't take much effort to light them so just do it), or surprise your lover with something thoughtful (not expensive, just thoughtful). I just think it's nice to stop and appreciate love and the people you love in your life.

If you don't have a special someone, do something with the other single special someones in you life (you know, your friends - the people that are always there to pick you up when you are down). I've had a few (well, one) lovely Valentine's Day with my friends (Jaclyn - remember our candle lit carne asada dinner, flowers, and matching sorority sweatshirt presents!) and this year I'm gearing up for another. Saturday night my roomie and I are throwing a Cheesy Valentine's Day party! Complete with candy hearts, streamers, and heart shaped brownies. I'm very excited to spend time with my best girlies (both single and taken, since the party isn't actually on V-day) and enjoy a homecooked (by me and the roomie) pasta dinner and have a few drinks (maybe more than a few...). So in conclusion (of what seems like a sales pitch for this holiday), try to enjoy Valentine's Day! It really is a beautiful holiday. And if all else fails just look at is a day to have a party and get drunk!

Also, I am simply in love with hot pink roses! And bouquets of colorful gerbera daisies! Anyone want to send me some? ;)

hot pink roses

bright Gerbera Daisies

Daisies and Roses

Working it out!

2010-02-04T22:59:00.000-08:00

My roomie and I tried a new workout today. It's called Pure Barre and it put me in a really great mood. And, as an added bonus I think I'm gonna be sore tomorrow which is good cause it will make me feel like I worked out this week (which I didn't, besides today). While some of the moves were awkward... squeezing a ball between your thighs while lifting your legs in positions that my legs don't normally go in, I could feel how it was tightening my muscles and hopefully toning my core!

I always love finding new ways to workout! And can't wait to go back on Tuesday!

Peace, love, toning, and happiness!

Restless

2010-01-28T20:26:00.000-08:00

Feeling restless is the worst, it's my least favorite emotion.

Here is a pretty picture that kinda describes my restlessness. I didn't take it, but what the hell.

Any suggestions on how to not feel restless?

GOOD times!

2010-01-28T16:52:00.000-08:00

Since one of my good friends moved to Los Feliz I've begun a deep love affair with the Los Feliz / Silverlake area. I love the charm, the ease, the eclecticness, the variety, and how it seems like a playground for people in their 20's and 30's.

Last night my friend invited me to Mystery Beer Night at Good Microbrew and Grill in Silverlake. And you betcha your bottom I was in. I looovvvee beer. With it's vast selection of beers, this place is the place for me.

On Wednesday it's Mystery Beer Night from 6pm to 10 pm. It's $3 bucks for a beer, which I like. But you don't get to pick your beer, which I might not like if I end up with an IPA. They pick the beer and it's a mystery to you - hence, mystery beer night. There is a list of 11 beers on the table and you can guess which beer you have and then check the number on the bottom of the plastic cup. Try not to cheat! That's no fun! I guessed both of my beers correctly! Yay me! The night was a lot of fun, guessing beers is a great conversation starter and sometimes you find out you like a beer you didn't think you would. The one problem, at 10pm the restaurant closes. We shut the place down. So if you wanna keep the night going you gotta find a new place at 10pm to drink at. Unfortunately the night was over for me. Gotta get my beauty sleep :)

peace, love, beer, and happiness!

Mangia! Mangia!

2010-01-25T23:44:00.000-08:00

Pasta is a recent addition to my ever growing list of "things I love to eat." I find it somewhat odd that I did not discover the wonderfulness of pasta until recently. How did I not know that there were so many ways to make it besides just plain old spaghetti noodles and a jar of Prego sauce?! I use to just order chicken parmigiana every time I went to an Italian restaurant. But with the discovery of some amazing Italian restaurants in LA, like Il Capriccio in Los Feliz, where just this Friday I had squid ink pasta for the first time and it was phenomenal. Silky black and very smooth spaghetti noodles with a creamy tomato sauce, caramelized onions (...swoon...) and finished off with a healthy amount of shrimp. Wow. Who knew pasta could be this good? (I'm willing to bet a lot of people, just not me.) With my new found love for pasta I decided to try making a dish my friend always talks about when she goes out to get Italian food - Spaghetti alla Carbonara.

Here is where I have to admit that I have never had spaghetti alla carbonara before, so I can not attest to the authenticity of my version to traditional versions or restaurant versions. But I can say my friend and I went back for third helpings. Hey, it's Monday, it's practically still the weekend. Don't judge me.

Recipe adapted from Food Network's Tyler Florence

Servings 2-4 (depending on if you eat like me)

Ingredients:

about 7 ounces dry whole wheat spaghetti noodles (about half a small box)
2 shallots chopped
8-10 Italian brown mushrooms sliced
about 8 slices of bacon chopped (or more if you like, it never hurts)
4-6 cloves of garlic chopped
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 egg
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup reserved cooking water from pasta, or cream, or low-fat milk

It is very important that the pasta is hot when adding the egg mixture, so that the heat of the pasta alone cooks the raw egg. Plan accordingly.

Heat oil in pan. Add bacon, mushrooms, and shallots. Saute till shallots are slightly caramelized and bacon is cooked throughly. Add the garlic.

Boil water for pasta and cook pasta according to directions on box.

Meanwhile, mix with a fork the egg, water or milk, and 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the parmesan cheese.

After pasta is drained add the noodles to the pan with the bacon, mushrooms, and garlic. Saute briefly - about a minute. Remove from heat and stir in egg mixture. Stirring gently. You are not trying to scramble the eggs but instead make a sauce out of them. Add more water or milk if needed to achieve a saucy consistency that you like.

Top pasta with a healthy amount of parmesan cheese and freshly grated black pepper.

Enjoy! (I know I did!)

Peace, love, pasta, and happiness!

Helping Haiti

2010-01-21T11:57:00.000-08:00

I've decided on another New Year's Resolution! Do more charity work and help others. I've taken part in things of this nature sporatically throughout my young adult life - helped kids learn how to read while in college, sorority philanthropy events, volunteering at a soup kitchen, made and passed out sandwiches for the homeless on a corner of Cahuenga and Hollywood Blvd, and recently I volunteered at a dog adoption. While I'm proud of the small contributions I have made, I think it would be beneficial to help out more than once a year or once every two years.

And it is important to note that helping can be done in many different forms - from volunteering your time, or your resources, to simply donating money, or attending fundraising events. Last night I attended my first fundraising event which was a Haitian Earthquake Relief Fundraiser at Bar Marmont.

Now I will admit (don't judge me), that I wanted to go paritially because this event was being held at Bar Marmont which is a famous Hollywood hotspot. And the drinks and appetizers were enticing as well. But I maintain that my intentions were in the most charitable of places. It's nice to attend something where you can meet the people that are putting your money to good use and hear how it is helping others.

{decorations inside Bar Marmont}

While it was fun to be at Bar Marmont, which is beautiful eclectic old Hollywood glamour at it's best - with peacock feathers hanging from the walls and butterflies attached to the ceiling, and the appetizers were delish, the best part was knowing that my small contribution was going to help others. In fact, the organization that this event supported was the same one that had doctors and medical help on the ground within 24 hours of the earthquake and also treated the 4 year old boy that was buried for three days.

I don't like to urge people to do anything (besides eat good food), but if you can try to lend a hand in anyway you can this year! It gives you a warm feeling inside! Next up, Disney's Give a Day, Get A Day!

Peace, love, helping others, and happiness!

Raindrops and Roses - Golden Globe Best Dressed!

2010-01-19T14:02:00.000-08:00

Good ol' perpetually sunny Los Angeles (as those who are not from LA tend to think) really let us down this past weekend at the Golden Globes. While, I've spent my share of award shows bundled up in a jacket covering my cute and painstakingly sought out dress while running from one covered area to the next (which are few and far between) in heels (which, by the way, are not meant for the rain), it seems this year the weather really wanted to stick it to us. As if on cue, right before the red carpet arrivals, the sky opened up and dumped buckets of water on the Beverly Hilton. (And I'm sure the rest of LA as well, but does that really matter?) As umbrellas popped up all over the red carpet the media outlets began to worry that the stars would rush inside and skip interviews, which would be a big problem. And of course, we did not have enough umbrellas, so I settled for getting soaked. Luckily (and unfortunately), my job required much running around and a credential that got me kicked off the red carpet just as all the action started to happen. So today, (as yesterday was dedicated solely to sleep) I finally found out how the celebs weathered the storm and checked out all the gowns. Here are some of my favorites.

Penelope Cruz holding her own umbrella - got to love her! (I've been the hold-the-umbrealla-girl, it's no fun, your arm gets tired.) {image via NYDailyNews}

Oliva Wilde - she blows me away every year. Normally she goes more sweet than this sultry, sparkly number; but I love, love, love this on her. Maybe I just have a girl crush on her? {image via Glamour Fashion}

Modern Family's Sofia Vergara - while this isn't a dress that I'm head over heels for, I do like it, and I had to put her on my list because I saw her in the lobby on rehearsal day and she is unbelievably gorgeous and Modern Family is one of the best new shows on TV. {image via Glamour Fashion}

Sandra Bullock - I love her so much that she can do no wrong in my eyes. I literally screamed aloud (along with many others) when they announced she won Best Actress while watching the show at the hotel bar. Plus, purple is one of my favorite colors. {image via Glamour Fashion}

Jennifer Anison - I love Jen's leggy look. I just wish the top was symmetrical, that way all the attention is on the amazing slit and lots of leg. {image via UK Daily Mail}

Christina Hendricks - there is something about her red hair, red lips, hourglass shape, and sultry stare that just makes this dress work. On anyone else as pale as her I don't think it would have. {image via Glamour Fashion}

And of course I can't leave you without a photo of yours truly working hard on the red carpet. (I coordinate all the talent for our Countdown to the Golden Globes 2 hour show.) I'm obviously not on the best dressed list (and wasn't allowed on the red carpet shortly after this), but I liked my dress and feather earrings! (Don't mind the walkie attached to my dress.) This is pre-terential downpour. Shortly after this I wasn't looking as happy.

Peace, love, award shows, and happiness!

Golden Globes! (and one of my dreams come true!)

2010-01-16T23:55:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow it's award show party time! It's that time of the year where the red carpet is rolled out, the Beverly Hilton gets decked out in gold, and I get to wake up at 5:00 am tomorrow for a long, partly stressful, partly fun day. That's right, tomorrow is the Golden Globes - the award show where the stars let loose, have a few drinks, and have some fun. While my day consists of coordinating schedules, simultaneously having conversations on my cell phone, walkie talkie, and in person all while running around in heels, I look forward to the excitement and fun of the red carpet. And most of all I look forward to wearing my new hair extensions (if I wake up early enough to put them in... which isn't looking like it's gonna happen). It has been one of my major goals in life to have long hair, but my hair refuses to cooperate with my wishes. Lucky for me TV Guide can't afford models and this made one of my dreams come true, I was selected for a little award show hair how-to segment with the fabulous celebrity hairstylist, Ken Paves, where he gave me long hair with his amazing clip in extensions. And let me keep it! So I can Rapunzel myself up anytime! You can see the segment tomorrow sometime between 1pm and 3pm on TV Guide's Countdown to the Golden Globes. I don't like to post about my job all that often, BUT I'm just too excited to about my beautiful hair extensions to keep it too myself, so check out the video and let me know what you think!! Oh long hair, you are my favorite thing ever. Plus it never hurts to throw out a shameless plug here and there. Watch Carrie Ann Inaba and Chris Harrison Live on the Golden Globe red carpet on the TV Guide Network! Hey, you never know, you might be helping me keep my job!

peace, love, flowing long locks, and happiness!

Dinner Accomplished

2010-01-12T22:35:00.000-08:00

While I fancy myself an expert planner in most areas of my life, the reality is when it comes to cooking I am decidedly not. I get overwhelmed, excited, and more overwhelmed way too easily. When planning a meal I often get my heart set on one certain dish and find myself trying to plan a whole meal around that, regardless if it's just an appetizer or side dish. Then I flip through what feels like a hundred cookbooks (which is really only about 5), feverishly bookmarking every recipe that catches my eye, completely forgetting the task at hand. Then I get fixated on fancy ingredients and end up with a grocery list way too long and even farther out of my price range.

It's a good thing that while planning dinner for girl's "Bachelor" night I came across the website Smitten Kitchen and the recipe I became fixated on was this amazingly simple roasted tomatoes and cipollini onions. I decided I simply had to plan my menu around this divine recipe which features baby tomatoes (I used baby heirloom tomatoes) and cipollini onions roasted to tender juicyness with olive oil and coarse salt.

To find the perfect pairing with this dish I gave up my chicken strike and marinated some breasts in lemon, garlic, and rosemary and baked them. It was simple, cheap and surprisingly good. I also made cauliflower with toasted garlic and panko crumbs. Another easy and cheap dish. I keep panko in my pantry at all times for when my craving for crunchy shrimp with spicy mayo kicks in. And who doesn't have a head of garlic on their kitchen counter at all times? Pick up a head of cauliflower and boom, side dish complete.

But still, the star of the meal in my mind was the roasted heirloom tomatoes and cipollini onions. Dump them (with the juices, of course) over a bed of ciabatta bread and white beans and sprinkle with basil and you have an appetizer / side dish / hell, even a meal worthy of catching your guests attention and taste buds.

Thanks to Christina for bringing a delicious salad to go with the meal and to Jessica for a great dessert and of course for the company of good friends!

And props to me for planning a meal that didn't break the bank and wasn't terribly hard to prepare. (Although I still didn't get dinner on the table till well after 8:00 PM, but that's an improvement from the spinach lasagna dinner party where we were eating at 10:00 PM.)

Peace, love, cooking, and happiness!

Food, Fresh

2010-01-10T09:36:00.000-08:00

I'm still working on my final draft of New Year's Resolution (I know, I'm quite behind) but one of the items on my rough draft is to eat more local, fresh food. This task should be rather easy if I kick my laziness to the curb and plan out some meals. Los Angeles has a good amount of farmer's markets - in fact, there is one every Sunday just down the street from my apartment that I must take full advantage of this year as I have not in the past. But one of my favorite places to go is The Farmers Market at The Grove.

It's celebrating it's 75th anniversary and I love the history and charm, the feeling you get walking through the bustling aisles. It's as much fun to shop there as it is to eat at all the wonderful food stands. The selection of goodies is amazing, from roasted nuts to fresh baked bread, and candied fruit.

Yesterday I wandered around picking up fresh fruit for brunch with my friend. I was there fairly early and it was nice to shop in the soft morning sunlight and not have to dodge too many people (everywhere in LA is always sooo busy!).

I even picked up fresh sausage meat for breakfast patties. I've never bought meat straight from a butcher before! And while I took a picture of the meat, I've decided posting pictures of raw meat kinda creeps me out... especially since at this place they shape the hunks of ground pork into a pig face and use olives for eyes. Eeek. It's almost enough to make be want to go vegetarian again, at least until I tasted the cooked patties I made drizzled with maple syrup. Oh. My. Goodness. They were the highlight of brunch.

And of course, like every time I am there, I absolutely must stop at Monsieur Marcel's Gourmet market to admire the selection of unique spices, sauces, gourmet items, and old fashioned olive barrels. And the cheese! Oh, how I love cheese.

Brunch was a success thanks to the items from the farmer's market and with the help of Sabrina opening the champagne for mimosas (since I am inept at such tasks) and working the french toast frying pan like a pro. What a great way to start a relaxing and quiet weekend!

Hope everyone else is having a good weekend!

Peace, love, fresh food, and happiness!

Peaceful and Planet Blue

2010-01-08T11:29:00.000-08:00

I wish I was on the beach again, dreaming away peacefully.

{photo by Capture Scratch}

And I really wish I was wearing this Willow Gown while on the beach.

Planet Blue is having a great sale on their super cute clothes! Check them out if you are in LA or shop the sale online.

peace, love, more peace, and happiness!

A Glimpse at my Holiday

2010-01-07T13:57:00.000-08:00

Sorry I've been absent! I've been brainstorming ways to make my blog better and evaluating my New Year's resolutions before sharing them with the internet world. I have some great things planned for the blog that I hope everyone will enjoy and I can't wait to share them with you! But for now here is a little look at my Holiday. My parents call Lake Havasu, Arizona home and that's where I spent my Christmas with my amazing parents and their amazing dogs. I hope everyone had time off of work to eat, spend time with family, and have fun!

Christmas Sunset

Christmas Puppy!

Christmas Dinner: Prime Rib with mushroom ale cream sauce, homemade flat bread, roasted balsamic glazed winter vegetables, and mash potatoes with spinach.

Making the Mushrooms

Mash Potatoes with Spinach

Hemi and Indy

Indy

Hiking with Hemi at the rock slide

Two miles to get to the water...

and totally worth it for Hemi

Mom

Another fun thing I did while out in Havasu was attempting to go out on the dune buggy with Dad (the battery was dead), it's becoming a tradition that we take the dune buggy out only to discover it isn't working. Ha. What did you do over your Holiday?

peace, love, family, and happiness

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-22T12:25:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays everyone! I'm so excited to spend time with my family and have time off from work! I don't have a tree at my apartment this year, but I had a color scheme picked out in my head. This year I'm in love with sparkly lime green. It's a nice way to punch up the traditional red and green. Apparently the management company that runs the building I work in read my mind! The tree they put up in the lobby was the exact colors I had picked out in my head for my imaginary tree at home! It's been nice to come into work and have Christmas tree smell fill the air and twinkling lights.

This year is going to be extra special at my parent's house because there is a new addition to the family! I'm so excited to meet cute little Indy.

For some reason my photo won't center, and please excuse the picture quality, it's from a text. But isn't he darling!? He's a Bichon Frise like Hemi, but he's a runt and only 2.6 pounds right now at about 10 - 12 weeks old! My parents are trying to fatten him up and keep Hemi from bodyslamming him across the tile floors. Words can't describe how excited I am to see him. Like I've said before I want a dog so bad it hurts, but for now I will just have to settle for 4 and half days of puppy love at my parent's house.

Happy Holidays! Oh, and I'm taking a little break from blogging for the Holidays (unless I get bored), so I'll see you in the new year! xoxo

peace, love, puppies, and happiness!

Julie and Julia, and Kitchen Disasters

2009-12-18T17:19:00.000-08:00

The other night I watched Julie & Julia. My first thought was how did I not already see this? It's about blogging and cooking! Two things I love. Julie Powell's idea of writing a blog about cooking her way through Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking in just a year is simply brillant!

I wish I could come up with something that would create a following as her blog had. Readers, what do you want me to do? Cook my way through a cookbook? Already done. Eat every hamburger in Los Angeles? That could hurt my waistline. I've got to come up with something!

Anyways, I thought the movie was cute, although I fell asleep in the last 5 minutes (but I do that with every movie watched after 8pm). And I feel even more inspired to learn more about cooking! Which brings me to my "simple" pumpkin pie. I managed to mess up one last weekend. I mean, how does someone mess up a pie that is being cooked from the recipe on the back of the pumpkin can and using a frozen pie crust! All I had to do was follow the directions, mix some things up, and put it in the oven. But noooo, I decided to try to make a "healthy" pumpkin pie. Brillant. I used non-fat evaporated milk instead of regular evaporated milk which resulted in a very watery pie that I had to bake for an extra 40 minutes just to get it to firm up. The result was a pretty misshapen pie, but the taste wasn't all that bad. We just piled whip cream on top of it. So much for being "healthy." So on my second attempt for my work potluck, I followed the directions on the back of the can to the T. And everything was working out just fine for me until my clumbsy ass (which had maybe a few too many glasses of wine) dropped the pie on the way out of the oven. Well, really the pie never even made it out of the oven. I dropped it face down in the oven. And let me tell you, pumpkin pie oozing out of every crevace of your oven at 11:00 pm after a few drinks is both equally funny and devasting. So much for my contribution to the potluck.

It was like a scene straight out of Julie & Julia...

Peace, love, kitchen adventures, and happiness!

Save a Stray for the Holidays: The Perfect Gift

2009-12-16T13:34:00.000-08:00

My dream Christmas gift would be a dog. (And also an apartment that allows animals to go along with my new companion.) I want a dog so bad that my heart hurts when I think about it. But alas, it's not the right time in my life to have a little bundle of fur to call my own, which is why when I get to see my parents puppy, Hemi, I can hardly contain my excitement. (Only 7 more days!)

Isn't he the cutest thing ever?!

But if you're looking to fulfill some lucky loved one's dreams of having a dog, this Saturday in LA is the right time to do it! Found Animals Foundation will host their second annual "Save A Stray For The Holidays" adoption event on Saturday, December 19th, 2009 from 9am-2pm. You can find your new best friend at 14 Los Angeles area animal care locations. Due to tremendous public misconception that these animals are undesirable and a lack of funding and space, only approximately 50% make it out alive, so in addition to saving a life, you can get a great deal on your new pet. Each location will reduce adoption fees, including microchip and spay/neuter surgery fees, for the special program. Hundreds of animals will be available and trained "matchmakers" will be on hand to help visitors find the perfect pet.

photo from foundanimals.org

Peace, love, and puppies equal happiness!

Owl Obsession

2009-12-15T14:54:00.000-08:00

Recently I have become obsessed with all things owl. I just find those wide eyed birds oh so cute. I keep gravitating towards everything with owls on it. Here are some of my current favorite owl items.

Owl Evening Ring from Anthropologie.

Owl coaster on Etsy.

Owl Ornament from Anthropologie.

What's your current obession?

Peace, love, owls, and happiness!

Who says it doesn't snow in LA?

2009-12-14T13:04:00.000-08:00

I've been scrambling to get my Christmas shopping done in a timely fashion while trying to be attentive to getting creative and enjoyable gifts for my loved ones. Friday night was spent perusing The Beverly Center, The Grove, Target, and Urban Outfitters, which resulted in missing dinner and A LOT of walking around. (Note to self: do NOT wear high heeled boots all day and then walk around for five hours shopping in them unless you are positive they are the most comfortable boots in the whole world.) Mine were not, and my feet paid the price. But the night was fun and really got me in the Christmas mood, although I'm afraid there is much more shopping to be done. The Grove was all decked out in holiday cheer.

And at 7pm (and again at 8pm according to The Grove's website) it snowed. Yep, snow in Los Angeles. Well, it's really little bubbles that look like snow, but still, it was the best thing ever.

BF also surprised me with a Coffee Bean Holiday Chai Tea which was delicious and helped appease my growling stomach.

Tips for Holiday shopping: wear comfy shoes, make time for dinner, stop to look at the sights - whether it's decorations and lights or fake snowing falling from the sky, and finally just enjoy - Christmas only comes once a year!

Peace, love, holiday cheer, and happiness!