Tailored Tuesdays

Because charcoal & crimson make my heart sing.

As does Marc.

1. Splendid 'V-neck merino blend cardigan'

2. Bottega Veneta 'Pleated strapless dress'

3. Marc by Marc Jacobs 'Bird cage Jennifer quilted bag'

4. Marc by Marc Jacobs 'Double wrap bolt cuff'

5. Miu Miu 'Leather multi strap sandals'

all images can be found atnet-a-porter.com

Words

"If you can't do what you imagine, then what is imagination to you?"

I just love these photos, I feel like the combination of them perfectly represents the imagination.

1. 'IMG_8256' by Jason Benjamin

2. 'The Fair' by Marie's Shots

3. 'Peacock' by Marie's Shots

4. 'Old Labels' by Marie's Shots

5. 'Elephants' by Marie's Shots

6. 'Ramsey' by Bakinbitz74

7. 'Cupcake2' by Marie's Shots

(There are numbers on the photos, and I know they're tiny but if you click on the photo it should enlarge. Sorry about that!)

Nutella Banana Wontons

What to do with extra wonton wrappers?

Make dessert wontons!

These are really simple and impossibly easy. Stuff some wonton wrappers with anything your heart desires; mine heart happened to flutter with the thoughts of Nutella and banana combined. Mmmmm. Topped with some creamy vanilla bean ice cream and simple raspberry coulis? Simply divine. These are best, best, best fresh out of the fryer but they were still good warmed in the oven later on.

Nutella Banana Wontons

Yields: 20 wontons

Original recipe can be found here.

For the wontons:

20 wonton wrappers

2 medium sized ripe bananas, sliced

Nutella

Vegetable oil, for frying

Water, for sealing

For the raspberry coulis:

2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries, thawed

2 - 3 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. lemon juice

Place a dollop, about 2 tsp. of Nutella in the center of the wonton wrapper, then place a slice of banana on top. Dip your finger in water and use it to wet the edges of the wrapped. Fold the wrapper in had and pinch the edges together to seal the wonton. In a pan, heat a 1/2 inch later of vegetable oil over medium-high heat until hot, about 365 F. Place the wontons into the oil and cook them in small batches until golden brown, about 2 - 3 minutes per side. Once golden brown, remove from the oil and drain on a paper towel lined plate. To make the coulis, combine everything in a food processor and blend until smooth. Strain through a sieve and then refrigerate until used. Once they have cooled slightly, top them with ice cream, dust them with powdered sugar, serve them with the coulis, or do whatever you'd like!

Mmmm banana & Nutella filling:

Cream Pan {Tustin, CA}

Ahhhhh the joys of Cream Pan. With a name like that, I just knew I was going to love it. I looooove cream, custard, pudding, all things as such. As you can see below, the people from Yelp love Cream Pan, but in reality, I think ALL people love Cream Pan.
Just look at it, look at that beautiful, gorgeous, sight for sore eyes. This is their most famous item, the strawberry croissant, that almost always sells out midday. That's why you have to make sure you get there early enough to get your grubby paws on them. It's a delicate croissant, slathered in custard, topped with fresh strawberries then snowed with powdered sugar.

B-E-A-utiful!

The custard bun was equally as good. Again, if you love custard as much as I do, you'll be very pleased with this one!

Yelp

Empanada's Place {Costa Mesa, CA}

Ever since I came home from Chile, I've been missing everything about it, even the food. Why wouldn't I miss the food, you ask? Well, to be honest, Chile has some of the most non-exciting and non-delicious food I've ever encountered. But, the one thing I did like was the empanadas.
In the search for them, I came across Empanada's Place, a restaurant that specializes in all things empanadas. And that, they do. The varieties here are awesome, and you can choose from 10 + different kinds!
While these empanadas are fried and not baked, they are a bit heavier than what I'm used to and can get a bit on the heavy side but they are delicious none the less. My absolute favorite was the onion & cheese (last picture) - it was so savory and gooey and just perfect. But really, almost all of them quelled my cravings!

Yelp

Blackened Ahi Tuna with Mango Salsa

My family loves, loves, loves ahi tuna. And by family I mean everyone except my mom. My mom prefers her food fully cooked whereas the rest of us just live for that perfectly pink, raw center. Mmmm pink. We had some tuna steaks so my dad found this amazing recipe that we had to try!

The recipe was simple enough. Marinate tuna, rub in spice mix, blacken in a skillet, top with salsa. Simple and simply delicious. The spice rub provided a pop in your mouth, while the salsa with curiously sweet and spicy, in the best way of course. Served with some rice, this was just the perfect meal to end the evening. How delightful!

Blackened Ahi Tuna with Mango Salsa

Yields: 4 servings

Original recipe can be found here.

For the marinade:

2 tbsn. olive oil

2 tbsn. lime juice

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 tuna steaks

For the salsa:

1 fresh mango - peeled, pitted and chopped

1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper

1/2 Spanish onion, finely chopped

1 green onion, chopped

2 tbsn. chopped, fresh cilantro

1 jalapeno pepper, minced (seeded if you don't want it spicy)

2 tbsn. lime juice

1 1/2 tsp. olive oil

For the blackened spice mix:

2 tbsn. paprika

1 tbsn. cayenne pepper

1 tbsn. onion powder

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground black pepper

1 tsp. dried thyme

1 tsp. dried basil

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tbsn. garlic powder

4 tbsn. olive oil

Whisk together the olive oil, lime juice and garlic in a bowl. Rub the tuna steaks with the mixture and then place in a sealable container and chill in refrigerator for 3 hours. To make the salsa, combine the mango, bell pepper, onion, green onion, cilantro, and jalapeno in a bowl and stir. Add the lime juice and olive oil. Chill in refrigerator for 1 hour. To make the spice mix, combine the paprika, cayenne pepper, onion powder, salt, pepper, thyme, basil, oregano and garlic powder and mix.

Remove the tuna steaks from the refrigerator and gently rinse with water, then dip each side into the spice mixture to coat. Heat 2 tbsn. of olive oil in a large skillet and heat over medium heat. Gently lay the tuna steaks into the hot oil. Cook the tuna on one side for 3 minutes; remove to a plate. Pour the remaining 2 tbsn. of olive oil into the skillet and let it get hot. Lay the tuna with the uncooked side down into the skillet and cook another 3 mintues, remove from heat immediately. Spoon about 1/2 cup of the mango salsa onto 4 plates. Lay the tuna steaks on top and serve immediately.

Perfectly pink!

Prefuse 73

I've loved Prefuse 73 for some time now.

Sometimes all you need are some good instrumentals.

As of now, I'm especially loving Perverted Undertone; enjoy.

Tailored Tuesdays

1. Tucker "Silk crepe de chine printed dress"

2. Chloe "Heloise large shoulder bag"

3. Belle by Sigerson Morrison "Leather gladiator sandals"

4. Halleh "18-karat gold ripple hoop earrings"

all images can be found at net-a-porter.com

Reeses Smores Cookies

Pretty recently, I made Smores cookies. Well those were quite the hit! My cousin basically scarfed a whole plate down in a matter of minutes, that's how good they are. Well I owed my other cousin some baked goods because he did me a favor. He specifically requested something peanut buttery and I had a glorious idea: Reeses smores cookies!

Well, my great idea turned out to be a great cookie! I just love this cookie; there's something about the graham crackers in the batter and the marshmallows that create this deliciously, perfectly chewy cookie. And this version, with the addition of peanut butter chips and Reeses cups was amazing! If you love peanut butter, this is for you! Such a delicious cookie!

Reeses Smores Cookies

Yields: about 3 - 4 dozen

Original recipe can be found here.

1 3/4 cups flour

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 cup/ 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup light brown sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

2 eggs

1 cup peanut butter chips

1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows

8 Reeses cups, cut into pieces

In a stand mixer, combine the butter and sugars and mix until fluffy. Mix in the eggs and vanilla until combined. Add the flour, graham crackers, salt and baking soda and mix well. Stir in the peanut butter chips then cover and refrigerate the dough for about one hour. Preheat oven to 375 F. Take a tablespoon of the dough, roll into a ball, and drop onto a greased baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of dough, leaving about 2 inches between each to allow it to spread. Bake for 6 minutes, then remove from the oven. Push a 3 - 5 marshmallows and a few pieces of the chopped Reese's bar into each cookie. Return to oven and bake for another 2 - 3 minutes until golden brown and the marshmallows are a bit toasted. Cool on a wire rack and enjoy!

Baked Oatmeal

I love oatmeal! It's especially great for breakfast now that I'm back at school. It's funny because when I'm at school I seem to get extra hungry than normal - I guess it's because all of that hard brain usage. That's why it's really important for me to have a good, nutritious breakfast that fills me up and tastes delicious.

I love baking oatmeal because I can just bake large batches at a time and re-heat it for school during the week. I know this isn't the optimal way to eat it but it really helps when I'm in a pinch for time. If you're not, share this warm, yummy oatmeal with your whole family! I love finding new ways to eat oatmeal, otherwise it can get quite boring. My favorites? Fresh fruit always keeps things interesting! Bruleed? Even more interesting! You can add so many things, it's so fun! Nuts, granola, yogurt, chocolate, spices, honey or anything your heart desires - so have fun with it!

Baked Oatmeal

Yields: about 6 - 8 servings

Slightly modified from original recipe, which can be found here.

2 1/2 cups regular rolled oats

1/2 cup steel cut oats

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 cup packed brown sugar (or more to your taste)

2 cups milk

2/3 cup applesauce

1/4 cup cooking oil (I used coconut oil)

2 cups fresh fruit, of your choice (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 F. Lightly grease a baking dish, set aside. In a large bowl combine the oats, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and sugar. In another bowl, combine the milk, applesauce and oil. Add the wet mixture to the dry and mix to combine. Place mixture into a baking dish and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and gently stir the mixture, then fold in the fruit, if desired. Bake for another 20 minutes or until top is lightly browned. Serve warm and top with yogurt, cream, granola, more fruit or whatever you'd like!