Labor Day Fiesta and Margarita Cupcakes

Margarita Cupcakes

A Cup of Sugar...A Pinch of Salt

My friends and I will be celebrating this lovely three day weekend with a long standing tradition: Cinco de Septiembre. This annual fiesta celebrates the births of a couple close friends from college and consists of skip and go naked's and lots of tequila. Clearly, by those two alcoholic combinations alone, I'm in for an exciting weekend, but I'm thinking my contribution to the festivities will be something rather necessary during heavy drinking: sugar-filled, carbo-loaded cupcakes! And what's more appropriate for a fiesta than margarita cupcakes? Luckily I came upon this recipe recently and finally have a reason to try it. Can't wait to tell you all how it goes! Hope your Wednesdays have been lovely! xx

Margarita Cupcakes
A Cup of Sugar...A Pinch of Salt

Ingredients
For the Cupcakes
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
Zest and juice of 1 1/2 limes
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk

To Brush the Cupcakes
1 to 2 tablespoons tequila

For the Tequila-Lime Frosting
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 3/4 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 tablespoons tequila
Pinch of coarse salt

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325F. Line a standard muffin tin with paper liners; set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. In an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the butter and sugar together until pale, light, and fluffy (about 5 minutes). Reduce the mixer speed to medium and add the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the lime zest, lime juice, and vanilla extract. Mix until combined. (The mixture may start to look curdled at this point, but don’t worry, it will all come back together) Reduce the mixer speed low. Add the dry ingredients in three batches, alternating with the buttermilk in two batches. Mix only until just incorporated, using a rubber spatula to give it one last mix by hand.

Divide the batter between the muffin cups. Bake for approximately 25 minutes or until just slightly golden and a toothpick shows only moist crumbs attached.

Allow cupcakes to cool for 5 to 10 minutes, and then remove to a cooling rack. Brush the tops of the cupcakes with the 1 to 2 tablespoons of tequila. Set the cupcakes aside to cool completely before frosting them.

To make the frosting, whip the butter on medium-high speed of an electric mixer using the whisk attachment for 5 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium-low, and gradually add the powdered sugar, mixing and scraping the sides of the bowl until all is incorporated. Give it a mix on medium speed for about 30 seconds. Add the lime juice, tequila and salt mix on medium-high speed until incorporated and fluffy. If the frosting appears a bit too soft, add some additional sugar, one spoonful at a time until desired consistency is reached. Frost cupcakes and garnish.

A Book is a Book.

{Photo via weheartit.com}

I caved. I tried so hard not to, but it was just too tempting. I own a Kindle, but I'm not proud of it. The stubborn English Major in me struggles with the idea that print is dead. I refuse to believe that people will stop buying texts completely, because I know I won't. But the day has come where I have finally realized that my life is too precious. Yes, I mean my life. The San Francisco Municipal Transportation system has put quite a damper on my daily reading activities. The crowded buses that I take to and from work usually provide me with questionable life threatening moments. Let's do the math. With one hand on the bar above and one hand holding a large hardback novel, how many hands does that leave for turning a page? None. So when you get to that moment in your book when nothing will stop you from reading on, the only thing to do is risk your balance, take your hand off the life-supporting bar and flip the page, hoping to God your crazy bus driver won't pull a fast one on you and aggressively slam on the brakes. Believe me, falling on passengers on the bus isn't a great way to start or end your day. So inevitably, this little device that lets you hold and flip the pages of thousands of books with just one hand will save my life. I'm not proud of it, but the Kindle is my new best friend.

What's your take on this digital revolution? I'm keen on print, but Kate Spade does make adorable covers for any reader of your choice, if you were wondering :) Hope your weekends were fabulous! Mine went too quickly, so I am already looking forward to our next 3 day weekend ahead! Happy Monday! xx

Good Days

Heavenly Day - Patty Griffin

This song played at my Yoga class this morning during meditation time, and one question kept my mind turning upside down for the next several hours: Can you think back to the last good day you had? Not just any old good day, but the kind of day where nothing is planned. Only the little random things you decide to spontaneously do make it the best day ever. I was thinking all morning about this, and while I have had plenty of memorable, great days, I can't remember the last time that I left a day on my planner completely empty. 

Challenge for the next couple weeks: vacant days for spontaneity and good times. 

When was the last time you had a day of random activity? I'd love to hear about it! Hope you are having lovely Thursdays. I can feel Friday upon us and it feels good! xx

Pre-Paradise Picnicking

Palmilla, Los Cabos, Mexico

After an extended weekend in this beautiful place, it's hard to get back into the swing of things. Frankly it just wasn't "extended" long enough. It was an amazing weekend with great friends, plenty of great food and endless laughter. It's never easy to leave paradise, but I guess that makes returning that much more pleasurable. While I could dive right into several top moments, I'll spare you the painful "you had to be there" scenarios and tip you off on a couple crowd pleasing recipes I attacked this weekend. Turns out, forgetting that your Farmer's Market produce won't survive the week without you, ends up benefitting you and your snacking, traveling buddies. These sandwiches were great picnicking items for our plane ride down to Cabo. Enjoy! (Photos and Recipes thanks to Big Girls Small Kitchen) Hope your weeks have been going well! Sending each of you a bit of sunshine from south of the border! xx

Pesto Chicken Salad Sandwiches with Arugula and Sundried Tomatoes

Makes 8 sandwiches

Ingredients

For the Chicken Salad:
1 rotisserie chicken, all meat removed (dark and white) and shredded
1 cup pesto (see below for basic recipe, or use store bought)
3 tbsp mayonnaise
salt to taste

For the Sandwich:
2 loaves ciabatta, cut in half lengthwise
3 oz baby arugula
8 sun-dried tomatoes (preferably packed in olive oil), thinly sliced
1 lb cow’s-milk or buffalo mozzarella, torn into rustic chunks

Combine all ingredients for the chicken salad in a bowl. Taste for seasoning. This can be done one or two days before.

NOTE: if you’re using store-bought pesto, the flavor profile might be slightly different. When you taste for seasoning, if it lacks acidity or tastes rather dull, add a squeeze or two of lemon juice to punch up the flavors.

Preheat a broiler or toaster oven. Brush the ciabatta with olive oil and toast until golden brown but not hard. Allow to cool slightly, then place the bottom half of each loaf on a sheet of plastic wrap. Spread the chicken salad evenly between the two slices, top with the mozzarella, sundried tomatoes, and a handful of arugula. Place the tops on the sandwiches and cut each into four even pieces.

Secure the plastic wrap tightly around the two loaves, and then wrap each in tin foil. Store in a cooler, or keep shaded until time to eat.

Basic Basil Pesto
Makes about 1 cup

Ingredients
1 garlic clove
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
2 cups basil leaves
½ – 1 lemon, juiced
¼ cup olive oil
1/4 cup grated parmesan
salt to taste

In a small food processor pulse the garlic and the pinenuts until finely chopped. Add the basil leaves and the lemon juice and blend until the basil has begun to break down. Add the olive oil in a gentle stream, blending until the mixture is smooth and at your desired consistency.

NOTE: If making the pesto exclusively for the chicken salad, use less oil for a coarser mixture than you ordinarily would. This will keep the salad from making your bread soggy while retaining all the good pesto flavor.

Fold in the parmesan and taste for seasoning. Add salt and extra lemon juice for acidity as needed.

Roasted Eggplant Sandwiches with White Bean Spread and Chive Pesto

Makes about 5-6 sandwiches

Ingredients

2 medium eggplant, quartered and cut into 1/4 inch slices
2 medium red onions, quartered and cut into 1/4 inch slices
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 lemon, juiced
2 tablespoons chives (optional)
1 loaf fresh sourdough or country white bread, cut into 1/2-inch slices (about 10)
1/2 cup chive or basil pesto
1 cup white bean spread (recipe follows)

Preheat the oven to 450°F.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggplant, onion, olive oil and salt. Toss until fully coated, and then turn out onto a parchment or foil-lined baking sheet. Shake the pan to make sure the vegetables lie flat and have the maximum possible surface area exposed.

Roast in the oven for 20 minutes. With a spatula, redistribute the vegetables so they brown on the opposite side, and return to the oven for another 10-20 minutes, until the vegetables are dark brown and caramelized.

Remove to a bowl and toss with the lemon juice and chives, if using. (Eggplant can be make up to 2 days in advance).

Lay 6 slices of bread on a work surface. Slather each with pesto, and divide the eggplant among the slices. Slather the remaining bread with the white bean spread, and top the sandwiches.

If traveling, wrap each individual sandwich in foil and take with you to your picnic.

White Bean Spread
Makes 2 cups

You can use the excess spread as a dip for crudites, or slather it on crusty bread and serve as a crostini.
Ingredients
One 15-ounce can cannelloni or white beans
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary or thyme leaves (optional)
1 garlic clove
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt

In a small food processor or blender, puree the beans, lemon juice, herbs (if using), garlic, olive oil and salt. Add another tablespoon of olive oil if the mixture is still coarse, and puree until smooth.

{a la mode PS} Some personal tips for these items: Making the pesto and white bean dip ahead of time saves you so much work on the day of your event. I made this pesto days before, when my fresh basil wasn't so fresh anymore, froze it and still had some left over in my freezer trays. Also this bean dip goes great with any left over bread or veggies you have post sandwich assembly. 

Off to Paradise...

"The bar is in full swing, and floating rounds of cocktails permeate the garden outside, until the air is alive with chatter and laughter, and casual innuendo and introductions forgotten on the spot, and enthusiastic meetings between women who never knew each other’s names."
- F. Scott Fitzgerald

Off to Cabo for a much needed vacation! Be back soon! xx

Outside Lands 2011

Trying to describe my weekend at Outside Lands in one post is just too hard. Honestly, I'm sure you don't really need to hear it all anyways. I did my best to keep it short but inevitably got a bit carried away. For someone whose not a big "festival goer," I have to say this weekend changed my mind about it all. Amazing. Here's a little taste of some of my favorite take aways, and if none of this suits your fancy, I know no one can turn down crepes in the end :) Hope your weekend was as unpredictable and crazy as mine! xx

1. Girl Talk. Never seen anything like it. If you ever get the chance to see him live, do it. You won't regret it. Ever. (See below)

2. Saturday morning crepes with berry compote, chocolate and bananas, butter and sugar. Anything goes with the Big Girls, Small Kitchen recipe. They were incredibly necessary after Night 1. (See below) 

3. Running into random friends you would never be able to find otherwise because of the terrible service and 60,000 person crowd. Sometimes the universe works in your favor.

4. Summer sun and heat, a midst an otherwise depressing season in SF. Couldn't have asked for better weather this weekend. 

5. Packed cars, filled high with friends, music and craziness. It's a wonder how we got away with it, but it made getting to and from the park unbelievably fun. 

6. Meeting new people, going with the flow and enjoying every second of this crazy mish mash of excitement. I definitely let myself enjoy the little things that happened this weekend, and I wouldn't have had it any other way.

Girl Talk. Day 2. Unreal.

Twin peaks, SIA, Day 2

Twin Peaks, STS9, Day 3

Saturday Morning Crepes. So necessary.

Zesty Lemon Crepes with Butter & Sugar

From Big Girls, Small Kitchen

Makes 4 crepes

Ingredients
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
1 tablespoon butter, plus more for serving
Pinch salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar, plus more for serving
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest (from about 1/2 a lemon)
1 teaspoon lemon juice, plus more for serving

Melt 2 teaspoons of the butter in the microwave. Add it to a mini prep or blender and add the milk, egg, a pinch of salt, sugar, flour, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Process until smooth. Set aside for 10-15 minutes. This is a good time to make your coffee or, er, wash last night’s dishes.

Heat a 9 to 12-inch castiron pan over medium-high heat. Brush it with some of the remaining butter. Pour 1/4 cup of crepe batter into pan and tilt to spread it in an even, thin layer. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until the top of the crepe looks dry and slightly bubbly. Using a small offset spatula, release the edges of the crepe from the pan and flip the crepe with your fingers. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until the second side is dotted with gold. Spread about 1 teaspoon of butter across the crepe, then slide it onto a plate. Sprinkle it evenly with about 1 teaspoon of sugar, and drizzle with a little lemon juice. Fold into quarters and serve.

Repeat with the remaining batter to make 3 more crepes.

Weekend update to come...

Outside Lands 2011. Recovering from the weekend and trying to get back in gear for work and travel to come, but I definitely learned a few things over the past 3 days. More on that tomorrow. Hope your Monday was better than mine! xx

Eric Holch Prints

Eric Holch Gallery

Speaking of TACKO, these Eric Holch prints are scattered all over the walls of the new restaurant. I'm dying to find a place for one of them in my bedroom but am pretty indecisive because they are all to die for! My Southern California roots are strong, but I'm a closet East Coast girl. Check out these prints and help me decide! They are too cute to pass up. Hope you have a lovely morning! xx

Bringing ACK to the Marina!

Tacko

3115 Fillmore Street

San Francisco CA 94123

I went to TACKO  last night for the first time, and let me say, AMAZING. I've been to Nick's Crispy Tacos enough to know the food is devine, but TACKO's atmosphere just steps the whole experience up a notch. Nick Fasanella did a fabulous job incorporating a bit of East Coast flair alongside his famous Nick's menu. My affinity for everything Nantucket was bundled up nicely in this adorable restaurant. I ordered chips and salsa, a pacifico, and the grilled Mahi Mahi tacos, which surprisingly had quite a kick! Loved it. If you get a chance, swing by for dinner or lunch. It was pretty crowded, but the atmosphere alone made it worth the slight wait.

Fraiche

1910 Fillmore

San Francisco, CA

We also made the trip up the hill of Filmore Street (by car) to try out the frozen yogurt shop, Fraiche. I couldn't have asked for a better night of new tastes and flavors. Fraiche is the type of place that convinces you everything you're eating has to be terrible for you, but totally isn't! My Chocolate and Original combination with blueberries, shaved dark chocolate and a bit of cinnamon was to die for. I'm dying to try the cinnamon peaches as a topping the next time I go, which will definitely be soon.

Have you tried any great new Bay Area restaurants lately? I'm constantly on the look out, so let me know! Hope you all can see the weekend in sight! xx

Doing some backtracking.

Tuesday: Roomie night and Eggplant Mozzarella Melt (Martha Stewart Style)

2 large eggs
Coarse salt and ground pepper
3/4 cup plain dried breadcrumbs
Olive oil, for baking sheet
1 medium eggplant (about 1 pound), sliced into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
1 loaf (8 ounces) soft Italian bread
2 cups store-bought tomato sauce
8 ounces part-skim mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced

Directions

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. In a shallow bowl, lightly beat eggs with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Spread breadcrumbs in a pie plate or shallow bowl. Oil a rimmed baking sheet. Dip eggplant rounds in egg, then dredge in breadcrumbs, turning to coat completely; transfer to prepared baking sheet. Bake (without turning) until golden and tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Meanwhile, split bread lengthwise, and place cut side up on another baking sheet; press gently in centers to create a well. Layer both halves with tomato sauce, eggplant, and cheese. Bake until cheese is browned in spots, 6 to 8 minutes.

Monday: Giants vs. The Pirates

Got lucky and was able to go to the Giants game on Monday. I've almost been living in the Bay Area for 5 years now and it turns out, that game was my first! How lame am I! They lost, but I won with great company and garlic fries :) 

Saturday: "Big Girls Small Kitchen" Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

This bread has now been dubbed, "the best bread I've ever made." It's chocolatey goodness still makes my mouth water, and 2 loaves and 5 muffins were literally gone in a matter of 1 day. "In the Small Kitchen" is now my favorite cookbook, and I know others our benefitting from my attempts at their yummy recipes.

Makes 1 small loaf and 10-12 mini muffins

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons safflower oil
1/2 cup sugar
2 large very ripe bananas
1 egg
3/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 tesaspoon salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips (milk or semisweet)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a small loaf pan and a dozen mini muffin cups. In a mixing bowl, combine the oil and the sugar. Beat in the egg, then add the bananas whole and mash them with a fork. Don’t overmash; you don’t want the batter to become gummy. Whisk together the flour, soda, powder, and salt. Fold it into the wet ingredients until the flour is just barely moistened. Fold in the chocolate chips. Bake for 10 minutes for the muffins and 25-35 minutes for the loaf, until a sharp knife stuck in comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before digging in.

Friday: Toby Keith at Shoreline 

One of the best concerts I've ever been to. Great atmosphere, great music, great friends. What summer is all about! Hope your weekends were as enjoyable as mine :) 

Trying to keep the positivity flowing into this crazy week. Somehow, things just keep getting busier and busier, but I'm taking that as a good sign! Happy Tuesday!

A few necessities...

1. Tory Burch Tote, 2. Smith's Minted Rose Lip Balm, 3. Kate Spade Planner, 4. Nars "Manhunt" Lipstick, 5. Michael Kors "Michael Kors" Perfume Lip Gloss Duo, 6. Ray Ban Aviators, 7. Senna Cosmetics Compact, 8. Kate Spade Wallet, 9. Kate Spade iPhone Cover, 10. Kate Spade Key Chain 


Clearly I have an unhealthy obsession with Kate Spade. I literally have to refrain myself every time I stop by their website. Too cute right now with their "Live Colorfully" campaign! These are just some items you will ALWAYS find in my bag. I was lucky enough to receive my Tory Burch Tote as a gift for my birthday, and never thought I would actually be able to fill it up. Low and behold, it's occasionally not big enough and definitely holds some weight. I couldn't go a day without my planner. I rarely used it in college, but since I started working, it's my Bible. I love Kate Spade's planner designs. I have an older version of this "Debra," but the great thing about it, is that with each new year there is a new design. It's like starting the year fresh, when I switch out my packet! As for the lip items found in my bag, my go-to is the Minted Lip Balm. I use it daily and absolutely love the slight tingle and tint every time I put it on. "Manhunt" is saved for special occasions and used very sparingly. My sisters constantly make fun of me for it's name, but this lipstick is the best shade of red I own (especially since it's the only shade of red I own.) Michael Kors is my scent, and by that I mean, I load it on whenever I leave the house. I truly believe that every girl should find that one perfume that makes others rave about how great they smell and NEVER be without it. Luckily mine comes in a handy travel friendly size! I used Bare Minerals for a while, but found that this Senna compact kept my skin oil-free for much longer than the Bare Minerals. Now I have a powder at home, and this compact in my bag for touch ups. One of my favorite steals, and I literally mean steal since I permanently borrowed them from my Mom :) has to be these Ray Ban Aviators. They are "in" right now and probably will be "in" forever if you ask me. They are basic but fit my face to a T. I'm lost whenever I misplace them! All of these items were investments. Because I use them on a daily basis, they are all worth the price. Fortunately, because of their quality, they last much longer than expected and have never failed me. 


I think it's fun to read what items people carry in their bags. I feel like they are letting me into their own little world, so I hope you enjoyed mine! Have a wonderful weekend my lovelies and wherever you are, I hope there is laughter and warmth to surround you! xx

Cooking Ideas in Progress...

Received this gem from Amazon this morning, and I literally couldn't put it down! I've been following the ladies of Big Girls, Small Kitchen for a while now and am utterly impressed by their collaboration of impressive recipes and unique style of writing throughout their cookbook. While I have yet to dig in and try their mouth watering masterpieces, I can't wait to share all of my mishaps and successes as I embark upon these incredible recipes. Stay tuned for some more feed back as I get further and further into this amazing cookbook! 

Weekend Take-Aways

Hello my dears! I hope you all had an enjoyable weekend. Mine was low key, but it was exactly what I needed before this upcoming hectic week. Spent each day with friends, catching up, and trying to stay warm in this gloomy San Francisco haze. After a quick afternoon trip down to Palo Alto on Sunday, I realized how much I really miss the warm Southern California summers! Take-aways from the weekend:

• Nights in, watching the Food Network = relaxation heaven.
• The Saturday Farmer's Market still brings me to my happy place.
• Helping friends move is both rewarding and INCREDIBLY exhausting!
• Yoga is now required in my weekly schedule! Can't get enough of it.
• Flea Market's are my new favorite home decor destination!

Looking forward to spending more time with friends all over the Bay Area and getting back into the swing of things at work, which is never an easy task on a Monday. Here are a couple instagrams from my weekend. Hope you all survived the post weekend depression day :)  xx

(Dahlia's from the Ferry Building Farmer's Market)

New Nantucket themed Mexican Restaurant on Filmore St.!

The largest heirloom tomatoes I've ever seen.

Outside the Treasure Island Flea Market.