Tailored Tuesdays + Products

Today: quite possibly my favorite outfit ever and my favorite products ever!

1. bobbi brown {shimmering nudes eye palette}

seriously, the best set of basic eyeshadows, besides the urban decay 'naked' palette of course.

2. essie {nail polish in wicked}

it's vampy chic and matches with everything.

3. wet & wild {eyeliner in brown}

cheap! (i use it to color my brows)

4. shu uemura {eyelash curler}

thee best. seriously.

5. crest {whitestrips}

i have this obsession with white teeth. teeth... must... be... WHITE!

6. bonniebell {lip lites in cappuccino}

when i was 14 or something, i read great things about this lipgloss in some magazine (probably 'seventeen') and to this day, it's still my favorite. perfect color, perfect texture, perfect shine.

7. jemma kidd {liquid liner in black}

stays on ALL day! no joke! perfect for greasy lids.

8. mac cosmetics {lipstick in russian red}

my favorite red matte. mmm red.

9. bobbi brown {shimmer brick in copper diamond}

everyone needs a little shimmer in their lives.

10. lush {dream cream}

great for people with eczema (like me... bleh)

11. lush {buffy bar}

seriously this thing amazes me every time i use it! after the shower my skin feels so smooth and hydrated for the entire day! great especially in the winter months when it's too cold to put lotion on.

12. seche vite {quick dry top coat}

best. bestest!

13. psssssst {instant spray shampoo}

i have to take a shower everyday no matter what because asian hair tends to be greasy. by the end of the day if i need an 'oomph' this is awesome - and i love the retro packaging

14. e.l.f. {complexion perfection}

great for excess shine and evening out your complexion. and for $3, it can't be beat!

15. maybelline {falsies waterproof mascara in blackest black}

i change mascara's all the time, but as of now, i'm loving this.

16. alba {chapstick}

LOVE this stuff. smells awesome and has the perfect moisturizing-creamy consistency.

17. lush {ocean salt}

love this scrub! perfect for the face or the body.

18. basis {cleaner clean face wash}

smells delicious, gets everything off and keeps pimples away. i'm a fan.

19. complex 15 {therapeutic moisturizing face cream}

moisturizing without being greasy. yay!

20. maybelline {lipstick in yummy plummy}

i adore maybelline lipsticks - they have the prettiest packaging and are affordable. this shade is just perfect and subtle enough for every day wear (for me at least)

Baked Zucchini Fries with Marinara

The Mexican market around the corner from my house, which I previously mentioned in my last post, always has great prices on produce. Sometimes though, I get tricked by the great prices and overlook the not-so-awesome quality of the product. I bought a bunch of strawberries that weren't all that hot, so I made some delicious strawberry-lychee aguas frescas instead. Problem solved. 

Another great price flashed before me and then I found myself buying a huge bag full of zucchini. I love zucchini and I practically got a whole bag full for free - that's how awesomely cheap it was. This time though, the prices weren't a cover for the quality. Awesome, awesome zucchini - now what to do with it?


Zucchini fries! I had everything on hand and I felt like a snack. After trimming, slicing, dredging, and tossing into a hot oven to crisp up I was rewarded with a healthy, nom-worthy snack within all but 15 minutes. It was awesome. Normally, telling you that I ate the whole batch within one sitting would make me a bit shameful, but heck... I'll admit eating 3 zucchini within a sitting any day. I'm sure I made mothers and nutritionists proud everywhere around the world!

Baked Zucchini Fries with Marinara

Yields: 3 servings

Original recipe here.

For the zucchini:

3 medium zucchini, sliced into sticks

1 large egg white

1/3 cup seasoned whole wheat bread crumbs

2 tbsn. grated Pecorino Romano cheese

cooking spray

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

salt

fresh pepper

For the marinara sauce:

1 tsp. olive oil

2 garlic cloves, smashed

28 oz. cans crushed tomatoes

1 small bay leaf

1 tsp. oregano

2 tbsn. chopped fresh basil

salt and fresh pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 425 F. In a medium pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute until golden, being careful not to burn it. Add the crushed tomatoes, salt, pepper, oregano, basil and bay leaf. Stir and reduce the heat to low. Cover and let simmer about 20 minutes. In a small bowl, beat the egg whites and season with salt and pepper. In a ziplock bag, place the breadcrumbs, garlic powder and cheese; shake well. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray and set aside. Dip the zucchini sticks into the egg and then place into the bread crumb and cheese mixture, a few at a time and shake to coat. Place the breaded zucchini in a single layer and spray more cooking spray on top. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve with some marinara sauce for dipping. 

Stuffed Peppers

I'm a baker. I'm sure you know that by the looks of my blog here, but it's something I've ascribed to myself for some time now. Over the years, I've mastered my fears and perfected everything from cupcakes, to cookies to even bread. I've never been a cook. If I was a cook, it was merely just me trying on the title of 'cook' for the moment - following step by step directions for a recipe. 

As a baker, you rely on science, exact measurements. Cooks experiment, they rely on their instincts. I've never been one good with instincts. It's always a constant battle of heart versus head for me. Past internal conversations usually involved my heart longing for this, that and this while my head disagreed and said this, that and this are not possible, will not work, will fail. Recently though, it's been gratifying just to play around and end up with something good once in a while. Sometimes things don't work out, and that's okay. 

It's times when things do work out, and work out splendidly I might add, that make you want to try and try again. These stuffed peppers are an actualization to this fact. I didn't follow a recipe, I improvised, I let my heart guide me:

Heart: I want some mushrooms in my stuffed pepper.

Head: Mushrooms are too watery for the filling!

Heart: To hell with you head! Mushrooms it is!

Mushrooms won and I won in the end. These stuffed peppers are delicious, healthy, and an incredibly satisfying meal if not, an incredibly satisfying life lesson :)

Stuffed Peppers

Yields: 6 - 7 stuffed peppers

6 - 7 bell peppers (I used green because they had a nice shape for stuffing)

1 tbsn. olive oil

1 small red onion, chopped

1 cup mushrooms, sliced

3 garlic cloves, minced, divided

1 lb. lean ground beef (I used 80% lean)

1 cup cooked brown rice

1/2 tbsn. dried parsley or 1 tbsn. fresh

1 tsp. salt, divided

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, divided

1 tbsn. Worcestershire sauce

1 large egg

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 8 oz. can tomato sauce

1/4 cup water

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Cut the tops off of the peppers and remove the seeds and ribs. Save the tops and dice them; set aside. If your peppers do not stand well on their own, you can slice off a small sliver on their bottoms to even the base - but be sure not to cut through to the inside. In a large pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and 2/3 of the garlic and cook for 2 - 4 minutes, or until semi-translucent. Add the ground beef and use a wooden spoon to break up the meat. Season with 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. pepper and the Worcestershire sauce. Cook until the meat is no longer pink, about 5 - 7 minutes. Drain this mixture using a fine sieve and then place into a large bowl. 

In the same saucepan, add the chopped bell peppers that you had set aside earlier, along with the mushrooms. Dry saute this over high heat to give some 'sear' to them and so that they just lose their 'crispness.' Once done, throw on top of the ground beef mixture, then add the cooked rice on top. In a small bowl, combine the egg, parsley, Parmesan and remaining salt and pepper; mix to combine, then pour into your bowl. Mix everything to combine, then stuff as much of this mixture as you can into your peppers. Place the peppers into a baking dish. Mix the water and tomato sauce together, then pour around the peppers. Bake for 45 minutes and enjoy!

As a side dish to these, I decided to throw some brown rice and corn together. Seasoned it simply with some salt and pepper and it was splendid.

Strawberry-Lychee Aguas Frescas

When there's a good deal, it's human nature to just jump on it. So when I saw strawberries at my local market for 99 cents a pack, I kind of just went crazy and bought a couple. They looked pretty red, firm and fresh but when I brought them home... they were just meh. Not sweet and definitely not the best tasting strawberries. I couldn't eat them and I definitely couldn't bake with them... so what's a girl to do?

Since I've kind of been obsessed with green monster smoothies, I wanted to make some kind of delicious drink with the berries. If you've never had aguas frescas, find yourself some immediately! Or, at least make yourself some - it's super simple. I threw the berries, some lychees and some lychee syrup into a blender, along with some water. A couple whizzes and it was all done! A simple, slightly sweet juice - perfect for the hot weather we've been having.

Strawberry-Lychee Aguas Frescas
Yields: about 4 cups


2 cups strawberries, washed, hulled and roughly chopped
1 cup canned lychees
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 - 1 cup lychee syrup (reserved from can)


In a blender, combine the strawberries, lychees and water. Blend until completely smooth. Add 1/2 cup of the lychee syrup and blend to combine. Taste, and depending on how sweet your strawberries are or how sweet you want your aguas frescas to be, add more lychee syrup to taste. Chill in the refrigerator until cold. Serve over ice.

Tailored Tuesday & Travel

1. lanvin {ruched silk top}

this looks so comfy! even after a huge meal... lol

2. carven {silk twill shorts}

a basic for all closets

3. roberto cavalli {testimonial leopard-print satin and lace bra & thong}

ummm, sexy can i?

4. lanvin {amalia cabas leather tote}

this looks huge enough to carry my life but not too huge to make me look like a bag lady.

5. yves saint laurent {arty wooden ring}

arty is right. this is pure art for your finger.

6. lanvin {two-tone leather ballerina flats}

lanvin makes the most gorgeous flats, handsdown.

7. contigo {water bottle}

my favorite water bottle ever! chic and incredibly well designed.

8. dior {diorshow mascara}

always have wanted to try this mascara...

9. globe-trotter {luggage}

globetrotter makes the most gorgeous luggage around! one day, i'll splurge.

10. lush {sex bomb bath bomb}

to have fun in the tub, with or without a lover.

11. marc by marc jacobs {acetate iphone 4g case}

i'd have to have an iphone first wouldn't i?

12. lensbaby {composer lens}

to have a bit of fun with your photos.

13. essie {nailpolish in au natural}

i seriously am obsessed with all of essie's polishes. they are the best!

{the twelve apostles, australia}

nothing short of amazing!!!!

{brooklyn bridge, new york}

i gave up the chance to walk across the brooklyn bridge last time i visited NY, i won't make that same mistake again the next time!

{chicago}

city lights always have a way of drawing me in.

{crete}

ugh i die for old brick walls and cute bikes.

{haiku stairs, oahu, hawaii}

supposedly off limits now but i must, must visit here the next time i go to hawaii!

{lago di garda, italy}

can you imagine the sense of peace you'd feel laying here?!

{london, england}

i used to think london was the last place i'd want to go, but now i have this sudden urge to ravage the country!

{milan, italy}

if only i had some hot louboutins to trek across in!

{mont st. michel, france}

this almost seems unbelievable, like a castle in the sky!

{paris, france}

when given the chance to go to paris, never pass it up!

{sardinia, italy}

i deeply wish i was that man (except with a top on, of course).

All images from Pinterest and Net-a-porter.

Images are linked to their sources.

Muhammara

I love all things Mezze. If you don't know what Mezze is, basically, Mezze is a compilation of small dishes served in the Middle East or Mediterranean that is served during lunch or dinner as an appetizer. Some things that are typically served in a Mezze are hummus, grape leaves, tabouleh, baba ganoush, lebni, halloumi cheese, olives and my favorite ever: muhammara! I mean, I must really love Mezze because I named my dog 'Baba Ganoush!'


It's kind of impossible to make a complete Mezze platter for myself since I would be the only one eating it and could not possibly eat it for all meals of the day for a month! My plan has been to cook one mezze dish per every two weeks, that way I can have mini Mezzes for myself and not let anything go to waste. This week, I made Muhammara. It is love. It's literally the simplest thing to whiz together in a food processor and once you've arranged all of the ingredients in front of you, it takes a second to make.


Muhummara + warm whole white pita = snack heaven! Slightly sweet, slightly savory and smoky; delicious.

Muhammara

Yields: about 3 cups

1 1/2 cups shelled walnuts, toasted

2 roasted red bell peppers (freshly roasted or 3 jarred)

1/2 small red onion, coarsely chopped

1 tbsn. fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup finely ground unseasoned dry breadcrumbs

2 tbsn. pomegranate molasses

1 tbsn. ground cumin

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

Finely chop the walnuts in a food processor but be careful not to pulse them into a paste. They should be the texture of coarse breadcrumbs. Add the bell pepper, onion and lemon juice and pulse until the peppers are finely chopped. Add the breadcrumbs, pomegranate molasses, sugar, cumin, salt and cayenne pepper. Pulse once to blend. Gradually add the oil, blending until the mixture resembles a very coarse puree. Transfer to a serving bowl.

Tailored Tuesday & Travel

1. vivienne westwood {fringes linen and silk-blend scarf}

i just love linen scarves in warm weather!

2. thakoon addition {printed silk tank}

love the shape of this.

3. acne {sensational washed satin-twill shorts}

good for day, night!

4. chloe {marcie small leather bag}

ummm, die.

5. chan luu {sterling silver and leather bracelet}

casual jewelry ftw.

6. dkny {destin faux python washed leather sandals}

looks comfy!

7. rosebud perfume co. {rosebud salve}

i keep moisturizer on me at all times - this is great for your lips, skin, etc.

8. shimmi {nicole lace-up bandeau bikini}

love the back detailing.

9. chanel {nailpolish in dragon}

the most perfect shade of red.

10. neutrogena {sport face sunblock}

i almost never burn but i always make sure to stay protected! i wear sunscreen on my face err'day!

11. bumble & bumble {surf spray}

again, live for that perfect tousled do.

12. forever 21 {square rhinestone bands}

forever makes the best, accessible jewelry!

13. forever 21 {metal elements bobby pin set}

always losing bobby pins... must always have an infinite amount!

{beach cathedral, ribadeo, lugo, galicia, spain}

beach cathedral is RIGHT. i've never seen something so wondrous!

{big sur, california}

hopefully visiting this beauty sometime this year :)

{agua azul waterfalls, chiapas, mexico}

a blue that's oh so hypnotizing. 

{etretat, upper normandy, france}

where has this been hiding all my life?

{galapagos lagoon}

this looks like some kind of amazing!

{guangxi zhuang, china}

i can only imagine what kind of amazing beings dwell here.

{kawasan falls, cebu, philippines}

laying on one of those bamboo mats with a coconut in my hand sounds like perfection.

{marrakech, morocco}

i'd love to stroll these streets on a warm day and examine every notch on the walls...

All images from Pinterest and Net-a-porter.

Images are linked to their sources.