Fresh Foods the Best Food

There is nothing more beautiful than going to your local farmers market and gazing at the fresh produce. I love all the different colors and shapes of heirloom tomatoes. Make sure to support your local farmers market!

-A

Travel Essentials: LBD

I know, this is only the millionth post you have seen about the versatility and general amazing addition to your wardrobe a little black dress brings, but since Spain is only two weeks away, I'm starting to freak out a little about packing. I have no idea how I am going to fit 3 and a half months worth of clothing into a suitcase or two. Don't even talk to me about carrying it. Luckily, one thing makes the whole packing ordeal easier and that is the LBD, or Little Black Dress.
I am lucky enough to own two different styles that are on my list to bring with me. One is more formal, with a cut out in the back that I got from the boutique that I work at- C Collection- in New Orleans. The other one is more casual, and a racerback cut with a pocket in the front, from Mercer at Stanford Shopping Center.
I can dress them up and down with tights, heels, boots (if I find them), scarves and coats. Hopefully they will lighten my load for packing!
-K

Sunday Baking

I went to the Farmer's Market this morning and there was a special on blackberries. I haven't had a good blackberry pie yet this summer, so I thought I would take advantage of the opportunity, and make a pie. When I got home, I realized I didn't have quite enough blackberries, so I also cut up three small apples from our tree outside to add. Here is the recipe I used:
Blackberry Pie

I decided to get a little fancy and make the crust a lattice one too. It's currently cooling on the countertop...

-K

Tiffany's Leather

Tiffany's has a new Leather Collection- it's available to buy starting September 1st at a select few stores across the country. I want one of these clutches so badly. I do have a big birthday coming up in a few months...:) Hopefully there isn't too much of a wait list. These are so classic- I can see it going with anything. I love the Tiffany blue, but I think I would probably get the tan. Unless I just got two...


-K

Dress Like: Gossip Girl

One of my guilty pleasures is watching Gossip Girl- I know it's only deteriorated over the years but A and I both love the visual aspect- the clothes are amazing. I found this site the other day that catalogs all of the outfits that they wear on the show, and provides cheaper alternatives to the couture worn on the show. I'm not the biggest fan of knock offs, but I like this site because I always want to know the labels that the characters are wearing.
Shop Gossip Girl
My favorite is definitely Serena- I need that closet. Do you have a certain TV show that you love watching, even if it's just for the clothes?

-K

Fresh Bread

We didn't have bread at home for some reason today, so I decided to whip up a fresh loaf in the bread machine. I've been having issues making bread recently- it's either collapsed or has been undercooked. Not that it didn't taste good, it just wasn't very attractive. This loaf however, came out perfectly! I used a mixture of white and whole wheat flour, and added in some flaxseed for some texture.

Here is the recipe I used:
3/4 cup of white flour
3/4 cup of whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
pinch of salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 stick of butter (cold, cubed)
2 tablespoons yeast
1 cup lukewarm water

1. Combine the yeast and water in a bowl and leave for 10 min
2. Combine all of the dry ingredients in a smaller bowl
3. After the 10 minutes is up, add the dry ingredients and butter to the yeast and water mixture and knead. Let this dough rise in a room temperature place for 10 more minutes.
4. Put the dough in a bread pan, and bake on 350 degrees for around 45-50 minutes.
(If you have a bread machine, just put everything in the machine and select the setting!)

Nothing makes a house smell better than freshly baked bread.
-K

A calm after the storm

One of my all time favorite places in the world is Lake Tahoe. I have spent at least a weekend there every summer since I was five years old and nothing compares to the crisp smell of mountain air and the warm sun soaking into your skin. There is so much to do in Lake Tahoe, everything from relaxing and enjoying the fantastic views, hiking either a mile or ten, boating or just spending a day on a pier jumping into the refreshing lake water. I could spend all day on a boat speeding by with the wind against my skin or wakeboarding behind it, but I can't argue with just sitting back with a good book and relaxing!


One of the more spectacular events that happens every so often during Lake Tahoe summers is a summer storm. While there recently I experienced two and I found it romantic, the way the weather changes so quickly from choppy waters and dark thunder clouds to the pinks of the sun reflecting off of the clouds creating an amazing sunset, all within a half hour.


-A

A Dinner for 8

I recently held a dinner party for me and 8 of my closest friends and I decided the main dish would be sushi! It is a fun food that gets everyone involved, each girl brought something she would like to put in a roll or what they thought would make a delicious addition, we had everything from carrots and avocados to smoked salmon. A friend brought the rice cooker and we soon started rolling sushi!

I set the table with as minimal decorations as possible, a large wooden bowl sat in the middle with a woven basket on top and giant lily flower leaves stretched the length of the table. Each girl got a small dish for soy sauce and either brown or black chopsticks. I left it simple not only to make it appear modern and Japanese but to ensure the delicious food we made was the center star!

-A

Travel Essentials: Pashmina

Since we're starting to get into the final countdown for A and my departure to Spain, I have started my packing list of essentials. On the top of that list is a pashmina for the plane rides- and I am assuming train rides around Europe. Whenever I travel, this is an essential for me. I can use it as a blanket on the plane (instead of the gross airplane ones) and it's a cute addition as a scarf to whatever outfit I have on.

You can dress these up and down too- they work well as a shawl with a nice dress or just pair it with jeans. What do you always travel with?
-K

Favorite Fall Trend

My favorite trend for Fall 2010 (so far) that has been all over the place recently is military themed clothing. I like that many designers have been pairing it with softer accents, like a floral print or pastel color, in order to tone down the intensity of this androgynous look.


As we get further into the winter however, I think that replacing the light colors with rich colors like burgundy and navy make a seasonal and stylish change.


What are you excited to wear this fall?

-K

credit to The Sartorialist for the first picture

My Central Perk

One of my favorite things to do when I am in a new location is find a cute local coffee shop- as many of my friends know, coffee is essential for me to function. I try to make friends with the owners and baristas, and make a point of going there regularly instead of a chain. In high school, my friends and I were consistent customers of Douce France, a bakery and cafe right across the street from my high school. In college, I found a cute little patisserie on Maple Street that I would always stop in at on my way to work. Working in Redwood City over the summer led me to find a corner kiosk called The Daily Boost in the square with excellent service and divine freshly baked chocolate chip cookies.

I love knowing the first names of the baristas- when I make my daily visits they always ask how things are going, how a weekend trip went, or my opinion on a new baked good (Usually I can't complain!). Even if these places are a little more out of my way, the interactions make the trip worth it. I personally find it very important to support local businesses- and they generally have higher quality ingredients and less of a carbon footprint than big name chains.
When I arrive in Spain (less than a month!) I look forward to finding another café that I can go to daily for some café con leche- let me know if you have any recommendations for places in Granada!
-K