What I’m Loving Now: July 2012

Ass a follow up to my “What I’m Loving Now: June 2012” post, here’s what I’m loving this month! With so many websites and blogs releasing incredible new information daily, it’s impossible to catch everything, so here are my 10 favorite tidbits of the month. Enjoy!

10. This week’s DineLA deals got my craving some seriously good food. I’m talking sophisticated, savory meals, not the sweets that I so often cook up in my own kitchen. Easter LA’s round up of LA’s 20 most iconic dishes is the perfect way to keep treating my taste buds while trying to track down some of the city’s best fare. Two of the the highlights on this list for me are #7: Mozza Pizzeria’s butterscotch bundino, one of my favorite (and the richest) desserts in the city and #20: Jitlada Thai Resturant’s green curry, the dish that I’m most eager to try soon thanks to my obsession with any type of Asian cuisine.

9. This charming “Let’s Sleep Under the Stars” print from TheWheatField captures the true essence of the carefree attitude that summer elicits. The soft twinkling of stars and innocence of the red plaid tent illustrate the perfectly childish fun of summer camp, and show what all of us try to recapture each year as the temperatures climb.

8. This “You Know You’re A Food Blogger If…” list from Eat the Love cracks me up! While Not all 40 of these statements are true for me just yet, it’s good/frightening to know what’s in store for me in the future as I continue working on my blog. I think #20 just may be my favorite…or #10…it’s just too hard to choose!

7. I adore this sweet necklace from TagYoureItJewelry! The tiny pendant is sweet and pretty, but still simple enough to wear everyday.  It’s so refreshing to see romance jewelry without an abundance of hearts!

6. My mouth is watering simply from looking as this delicious Eton Mess Trifle from Sips and Spoonfuls. This trifle layers Middle Eastern rosewater and pistachio meringues with luscious strawberry whipped cream for a desert that looks decadent, yet tastes light and airy. This looks like the perfect end to any summer get-together! I can’t wait to ry out the recipe myself (as soon as I return from Europe that is).

5. I was so impressed by Wes Anderson’s latest indie flick, Moonrise Kingdom. Goose kindly gave into my pleas to go see the unconventional love story of two 12-year-old misfits who decide to run away together and eventually fall in love. We both walked out of the theatre in awe of how the two unlikable protagonists manage to have the audience rooting for them throughout the film. Equally impressive are the stellar performances by Ed Norton, Bruce Willis, Bill Murray, Frances McDormand and the young new comers, Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward. The movie has been out for a few weeks, so try to catch it in theaters before it’s gone!

4. I am completely obsessed with Free People’s Indian Enchantment Dress! I wrote a post a while back about how I love Free People’s whimsical, boho-chic aesthetic and this dress is the perfect elevation into formal wear. The wispy, jewel toned fabric is the perfect anti-dote to boring, monochromatic prom dresses. I don’t have any idea what I could wear this dress for, but that doesn’t make it any less beautiful!

3. Brad Pitt’s Make It Right Foundation recently released pictures of the duplex that Frank Gehry designed for the project. Gehry’s four-bedroom duplex is one of the 21 new additions to the ninth ward that he and 20 other leading starchitects have designed. PS the home’s new inhabitants chose the lavender color for their new home, not Gehry himself.

2. On Sunday I was lucky enough to witness an incredible feat of partner yoga while walking with Goose along Santa Monica beach. We saw over a dozen people engaged in this trust-based practice that ended with one of the partners in each of the pairs simultaneously lifting the other partner into a handstand. It amazes me how the yogis can have such a deep conviction in their partner’s ability to protect that they  are willing to attempt an already difficult pose while balancing upon another person. I was nervous about trying aerial yoga because I had to put my faith in fabric to support me, but by placing your faith in a fallible person takes trust to a whole other level.

1. I can’t wait to tryout the wonderful step-by-step tutorial for making my own dinosaur bookends from A Life Worth Living. The gold spray paint is such a chic update to classic children’s toys. I’m thinking of making them with zoo animals to hold up all of the books I’ll be reading as an English Major. Just a few weeks ago I decided to switch my major from architecture to English and Creative Writing, so there couldn’t possibly be better timing for this sweet literary DIY.

What I’m loving now: June 2012

This is a new series that I’m going to be staring. Every month I want to share with you 10 of the products, articles, recipes, or ideas that have struck my fancy. I hope you enjoy!

10. These shoes look super luxe but without the killer price tag. The Mona Mia Trinidad Woven Planform Heels are the perfect work shoe with a classic pencil skirt or great for a night out with your favorite jeans and a fun top. I think these vegan leather heels are the perfect way to update any summer look.

9. Check out these wonderful tips from Amy Pennington of Apartment Gardening on how to grow as garden even in an urban environment. I’ve never thought of growing my own lettuce, but after reading her advice, I think I’m going to give it a try!

8. 479° Popcorn’s Black Truffle and White Cheddar Popcorn is my absolute favorite snack right now. The air-popped treat only feels indulgent with its 70 calories per serving. The salty and umami tastes combined with the crunch of the popcorn make this the perfect way to satisfy any foodie craving!

7. Eminence’s Eight Greens Phyto Masque is AMAZING! It makes my skin look instantly brighter, cleaner, and more glowy. It uses a combination of organic ingredients to to promote cellular renewal, boost circulation, stimulate collagen production, regulate oil production and balance skin’s hormone levels, leading to healthier, clearer skin. I especially love that this Yucca-based mask uses all natural ingredients instead of the man-made chemicals in so many other facial products. 

6. Seattle’s Beacon Food Forest that’s on its way to becoming the first park of its kind with 7 acres of land just 2.5 miles from downtown Seattle. where people can relax and munch on fresh fruit and vegetables for free. This sounds like a genius way to target the nation’s obesity epidemic during the recession. Free produce plus getting active in the park sounds like a great way to improve anyone’s health. I hope that the trend of food forests catch on because I want one near me.

5. Abby Paloma is trying to connect New York’s yoga community with the farm-to-table food movement by hosting a series of summer yoga dinners at Growing Heart Farm in Wingdale where yogis pay $60 to tour the farm’s vegetable, herb, and flower gardens before taking an outdoor yoga class complete with live music and finally enjoying a vegetarian dinner made from the farm’s bounty. I think that this sounds like a genus way to capture the basic similarities of the yogic approach to living in the moment and being in harmony nature and the local farm movement’s emphasis on sustainability and embracing nature.

4. These Chocolate-Dipped Tea Bag Shortbread Cookies are a perfect addition to any afternoon.Dark chocolate covered shortbread is always delicious because of how the buttery cookie complements the bitter chocolate, but the shape of the cookie is really what makes them special. It’s such a great idea to turn a typical household item into an impossibly chic cookie!

3. We are Handsome’s Scoop Back Puppy One Piece is quite possibly the cutest bathing suit I’ve seen all season. While the $300 price tag is absurd, looking at the adorable puppy face is a sure way to make anyone smile. Who could help but love that adorable, oversize puppy face!

2.Heike Mutter and Ulrich Genth created this 21 meter sculpture in German Duisburg as a reaction to local development. The Tiger and Turtle-Magic Mountain shows an impressive view of the surrounding area when visitors climb the winding roller coaster-esque staircase. The impassable loop forces people to turn  back halfway through the loop, but the obstacle makes them really think about the entire experience of the manual roller coaster.

1. This one  you can’t get yourself because he’s all mine. The number one thing I’m loving right now is my Dad. He’s the only dad cool enough to join a fantasy football league with my boyfriend, fly our family halfway across the country so that he and I could go see the incredible Lollapalooza music festival in Chicago, and be in better shape than me or any of my sisters even in his 50’s (wow that man can do a lot of burpees!). My dad may very well be the coolest man I’ve ever met. He’s taught me how to appreciate good food, good movies, and good music. He’s taken my sisters and I to visit some of the magnificent places in the world to give us the type of cultural education that would be impossible to get simply by studying at home. If you’re reading this, I love you Dad! Happy Father’s Day!

Fudgy, Dreamy Hot Chocolate Cookies

In my yoga class last the instructor told us that we were going to stay in headstands for a fun 5 minutes. Since I had only figured out how to get myself into a headstand a few weeks ago, I thought to myself “NOT going to happen.” After the third minute, when my body was about to give out on me, the teacher told us to switch from thinking about our fatigued muscles to focussing on our breath, and guess what..it worked!

To celebrate my amazement at achieving achieving what I had deemed impossible, later in the day my two younger sisters helped me bake cookies for the hike and picnic that we are planning on taking this afternoon (more about that in tomorrow’s post). For my first recipe post I wanted to bake something that I’m passionate about…COOKIES….chocolatey ones!

I had seen various hot chocolate cookie recipes all over the blogosphere and wanted to give them a try. The marshmallows on top and mixed in chocolate chips are an absolute must! They elevate this delicious cookie from a yummy brownie/cookie into a nostalgia-evoking treat!

First I measured out all my ingredients in order to reduce the actual assembly time (and reduce the chance of error with my young baking companions)

 

Fudgy, Dreamy Hot Chocolate Cookies

Adapted from Baked Bree

Ingredients:

• 1 stick butter (room temperature so that it creams easily)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg (room temperature so that the egg expands)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups plus 2 tbs all purpose flour
• 6 tbs high-quality hot cocoa powder (I might only use 4 of 5 tbs next time)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/8 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup regular-sized bittersweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup mini marshmallows (24 large marshmallows would work too)

Directions:

1. Combine all dry ingredients (flour, hot cocoa power, salt, and baking soda) in a small bowl and set aside
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer cream together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until it’s airy and smooth
3. Beat in the egg and vanilla until just combined
4. Add the the dry ingredients VERY slowly (My sisters rushed through this step, so some of the flour mixture came out of the bowl, and as a result we lost about 2 tbs. It was no big deal…our cookies were just a touch fudgier, which is fine by me!)
5. Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a spatula to stir in both types of chocolate chips to the cookie dough
6. Let the dough chill in the refrigerator for about an hour (It’s worth it in the end I promise)
7. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
8. Spoon about 1 1/2 tbs  balls of dough onto parchment lined cookie sheets
9. Bake the cookies for about 8 minutes
10. Remove the trays from the oven and press in a couple of marshmallows to the top of each cookie then return the trays to the oven
11. Let the cookies bake for another 2-3 minutes, or until the marshmallows start to soften and expand (Eat the remaining marshmallows while you stare at the cookies in the oven window)
12. Allow the cookies to rest for a few minutes before transferring them to cooling racks

Enjoy your delicious cookies while they’re still warm with a cup of cold milk!