Sunday, April 29, 2012

Anniversary

Today is our three year anniversary--let the good times keep coming!






Thursday, April 19, 2012

Griffith Observatory

Last weekend we made our way up to the Griffith Observatory since it had just rained the night before, we knew the views would be great! The building is beautiful with its' high ceilings, marble floors and amazing views from the top. After checking out the observatory, we went on a hike on one of the many trails surrounding the observatory. The trail path was wide, steady incline and not to crowded--definitely would recommend visiting the Griffith Observatory!


Facing the observatory



Hollywood sign


Outside of the observatory


More information on the observatory can be found here.

Warmly,
Jamie

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Paint

Once I own some property, I would love to spruce up the place with some paint! I stumbled upon this designer on Pinterest and I adored her straight forward way of putting different paint colors together--what is all around us! Her inspiration could be plants, a door frame, food, animals, etc.

Here are a few of my favorites:








 





More color pallets can be found here.

Warmly,
Jamie

Friday, April 13, 2012

San Luis Obispo

Thinking of San Luis Obispo, always brings a smile to my face and a few weeks ago my college friends and myself went to SLO for a fun weekend. We went the Cal Poly Wine festival, but it only lasted an hour and a half due to all the rain, but we still had a great time between the food, friends, and dancing!

Cal Poly Wine Festival being rained out:




Great friends:



Bonfire at hotel where our free happy hour was enjoyed:


Warmly,
Jamie

Friday, April 6, 2012

Pink Mousse

This pink mousse worked well as dessert with whip cream on top and it could also be served with granola in the morning! It was sweet, a little tart, and creamy. I really want to alter this recipe and make it into a chocolate mousse/pudding instead!


Pink Mousse
12 oz of silken tofu
1 1/2 cups of raspberries
1/2 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
-Place all ingredients in a food processor and mix until smooth
-Taste to see if needs anything else
-Chill for two hours and serve with whip cream or granola

Enjoy!
Jamie

Monday, April 2, 2012

Springs Rolls w/ Peanut Sauce

Recently I found out that I have a few food sensitives, therefore I have been avoiding an array of ingredients including eggs, dairy, and wheat. With my love to cook, I have been trying out a lot new  recipes--some recipes have been great and some need tweaking. Don't worry I am only listing the recipes that turn out good!

These springs rolls are crispy, fresh, and surprising filling! They go great with this peanut sauce, which has become my new favorite condiment. I have served it over rice and as a dipping sauce for meat, veggies, spring rolls...


Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce

Spring Roll
Spring roll wrappers, circle shape (found in the international section of the grocery store, Cost Plus, etc.)
Cucumbers, sliced thin
Carrots, julienned
Bean Sprouts
Butter Lettuce
Basil
Protein--tofu, chicken, or shrimp
Water

Directions:
-Place one spring roll wrapper at a time in warm water for 15 seconds
-Let wet spring roll wrapper rest for 30 seconds or until soft
-Layer lettuce and basil in the middle of wrapper, then add your desired veggies and protein on top
-Fold in the ends on the wrapper, then roll up the rest
-Serve with ponzu or peanut sauce

Peanut Sauce
1 cup of coconut milk
4 tablespoons on peanut butter
2 teaspoons sugar
3 teaspoons lemon or rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon chili paste, like Sriracha
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon soy sauce

Directions:
-Place all ingredients in sauce pan, stir, and bring to a simmer
-Let mixture simmer for 4 minutes, stirring periodically
-Can be served warm or cold and will keep for a week in the fridge

Enjoy!
Jamie 






Saturday, March 24, 2012

Pho Soup


I made pho soup during the past rain storm in LA and it did not disappoint. It look 10 minutes to prepare, tasted pretty authentic and soulful. You can substitute any of the vegetables or proteins to what you prefer or what is in season.

Pho Soup for two
5 cups of chicken broth
2 tablespoons of soy sauce
pepper to taste
1/2 clove of garlic (whole)
1 cup of frozen peas
1 cup of thinly sliced mushrooms
2 green onion stocks sliced thinly
1 cooked chicken breast cut into thin chunks
1/2 of a package of rice noodles broken in quarters (found this at Ralph's international aisle)
Scriracha, basil, soy sauce, and limes at table side

Directions:
-Place chicken broth, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, pepper and garlic in a medium sized pot and bring to a boil.
-Turn off broth once it boils, then add peas, mushrooms, green onions, & chicken and cover.
-In another pot bring water to a boil, then follow directions on side of rice noodles to cook, then rise with cold water.
 -Place noodles in bowl and add broth mixture. Have Sriracha, basil, soy sauce, and limes handy as condiments to add at the table.

Enjoy!
Jamie
 


Sunday, March 18, 2012

Norton Simon Museum

We visited the Norton Simon located in Pasadena a few weeks ago when Ryan's folks were in town and this museum truly does have a great collection! The space is large, but not overwhelming and had something for everyone's taste. Here were a few of my favorite pieces:

Degas



Outdoor sculpture garden


Van Gogh
 

 Diego Rivera 

Definitely would recommend stopping by the Norton Simon if you are ever in Pasadena! Here's their link for more information!

Warmly,
Jamie

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Kale & Brussel Sprout Salad

My friend Kate served this delicious kale and brussel sprout salad that I had to recreate it! It is earthy, crunchy, and very easy to prepare. This salad would accompany a breaded chicken breast or pork loin very well.




Kale & Brussel Sprout Salad

1 bunch of kale, stems removed and thinly sliced
10 brussel sprouts, coarsely grated
1/4 cup of sliced almonds
1 teaspoon olive oil
Dressing: 
1 lemon juiced
1/4 cup of olive oil
1/4 cup of Parmesan grated
1 tablespoon of mustard (stone ground, spicy, brown)
1 teaspoon agave or honey 
1 tablespoon of shallot diced
1/2 clove garlic
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
-Add the sliced kale and grated brussel spouts to a fry pan with a little olive oil. Saute for 5 minutes, then add the almonds and saute for another 3 minutes
-Combine all dressing ingredients together and pour over kale mixture
-Can be serve salad hot or at room temperature

Enjoy,
Jamie

Friday, February 24, 2012

Root Beer Float Cupcakes

My sister was raving about this root beer float cupcake recipe which sounded good, but the best part is that it is only three ingredents! Yes three ingredients--white cake mix, diet root beer, and cool whip. Defently would recommend this recipe for a last minute dessert or for a nostalgic treat!

More about this recipe is found here.


Warmly,
Jamie 

Friday, February 17, 2012

Apple Tart

For a quick dessert that works well for brunch or any time of the day is this apple tart. It takes about 10 minutes to prepare, 30 minutes to cook, and will impress!

(not the prettiest slice)

Apple Tart
1 puff pastry sheet, defrosted
2 granny apples
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter, cubed
2 tablespoons apricot jam
1 tablespoon water

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 400
-Defrost puff pastry for 10 minutes
-Peel apples, cut the apple into thin slices, lay them in rows on the puff pastry
-Sprinkle sugar, cinnamon, and butter on top of the apples
-Bake for 30 minutes and rotate half way through
-Combine water with jam and spread over the apple tart once removed from the oven
-Serve at room temperature with whip cream or vanilla ice cream (will make four servings)

Enjoy,
Jamie

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Happy Valentine's Day

Wanted to wish everyone a special V-Day! Here are a few of my favorite romantic movies that I wanted to share with you all:








What movies makes your heart go pitter patter?

Warmly,
Jamie 

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Animal Photos

I stumbled upon this website today and it made me smile.

Seth Casteel has a great eye photographing animals and I particularly loved his section with dogs being photographed in pools chasing after their priced toys. These cute fuzzy animals ended up looking beastly, humorous, and slightly possessed!


Enjoy!
Jamie

Friday, February 3, 2012

Chili

Whether you're hosting a Super Bowl party this weekend or craving comfort food, this chili recipe will hit the spot!

I prefer cooking this in a crockpot so the flavors really marry together and you can taste the TLC of this being cooked for 10 hours! I think the below spices are spot on, but this recipe easily be altered by what vegetables you already have or what kind of meat you prefer.


Chili
1 1/4 lbs of ground turkey
1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (28 oz) of diced tomatoes
3/4 cup of onion
1 Anaheim pepper, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
1 1/2 cup of corn--frozen
2 tablespoon of oil 
1 cup of dark beer
3 chicken bouillon cubes
3 tablespoon of chili powder
1 tablespoon of curry powder
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons of hot sauce
1/4 cup of agave

Directions:
-Saute onions on stove top with oil, when they start becoming translucent, add ground meat
-Saute meat until until it isn't pink, then drain off extra fat
-Spray crockpot with non-stick spray, add all ingredients, cook for 8-10 hours on low.
-Some great toppings/accompaniments for this chili is cheddar cheese, sour cream or Greek yogurt, corn bread, baked potato, and chives!

Enjoy,
Jamie

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Curry Cauliflower Salad

There's a good lunch place in Venice called Lemonade and they serve an assortment of salads to choose from. One of my favorites is their curry cauliflower salad, so I tried to make it at home!
This salad is creamy, earthy, and reminds me of the classic broccoli salad that I ate in the summer months growing up.


Curry Cauliflower Salad
1/2 of head of cauliflower florets
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
1 teaspoon on curry powder
3 tablespoons sliced almonds
3 tablespoons of golden raisins  
salt and pepper to taste

Dressing:
3 tablespoons of Greek Yogurt
1 tablespoons curry powder
1 teaspoon agave
salt to taste

Directions:
- Pre-heat oven to 375 and line a baking sheet with foil
- Mix the florets, oil, 1 teaspoon of curry powder, salt, and pepper together and pour over foil
- After 9 minutes in the oven, stir
- Pour the sliced almond onto the foil and cook for another 3 minutes
- Bake until golden, approximately 12 minutes total, then let cool
- Combine dressing ingredients together, add raisins and room temperature cauliflower, then taste to see if it needs anything else

Enjoy,
Jamie


















Thursday, January 26, 2012

Green Tip

The green tip for this week is to vacuum your fridge's coils twice a year. The kitchen is a high traffic area and your fridge's coils get surrounded by dust, dirt, and pet hair quickly! When dust builds up on the coils, your fridge then works harder to keep everything cool, so more energy is used.

Before

 After

You'll need to remove the bottom cover and use the vacuum tube to remove the extra dust, then your fridge will run more efficiently and save you money!

Warmly,
Jamie

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Green Tip

This week's tip is avoid using products that has the chemical bisphenol A (BPA) in it. BPA is usually found in plastic products like water bottles, food storage containers, and toys. Also, it can be found in the lining of metal food cans and soda cans.

Scientist are still gathering data on BPA, but the the main concern is that BPA "can mimic actions of estrogen, a reproductive hormone. Most health risk studies have been done in animals and have found breast- and prostate-like cancers and altered growth of these and other reproductive organs during development" (LA Times).

 While scientist are still researching BPA, it is wise to avoid it in the meantime by:

1) Look for products labeled BPA-Free. These labels are becoming fairly common on kitchen appliances and tools, but I still haven't seen this on food or soda cans.


2) Avoid plastics with a recycling label on the bottom with a 7 in it


3) Use glass, ceramic, or porcelain instead



4) Do not heat up plastics containing BPA--no microwaves, no dishwashers


Warmly,
Jamie



Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Greek 7 Layer Dip

Ryan loves watching sports, but a lot of game day food is unhealthy, so I have been the hunt for healthy alternatives that are still satisfying.

Here is a recipe I made last weekend that was filling, zesty, and unique--Greek 7 Layer Dip! It takes the same concept of the Mexican 7 Layer Dip, but uses Greek ingredients like olives, onion, and feta. Definitely would make this recipe again whether it is for a football game or hosting a dinner!

Greek 7 Layer Dip
1 cup of humus (store bought or follow below recipe)
1/4 cup of red bell pepper
1/4 cup of cherry tomatoes diced
1/4 cup of cucumber cubed
1/4 cup of crumbled feta
8 olives diced
2 tablespoons of onions diced
salt and pepper

Directions:
- Smear 1 cup of humus on the bottom of the serving dish. 
- Scatter chopped ingredients on top of the humus, then add salt and pepper to taste. 
- Serve with pita slices.

Humus Recipe:
1 can of chickpeas or garbanzo beans drained
3 tablespoons of tahini
1 clove of garlic chopped
1/2 lemon juiced
3 tablespoons water
1/4 cup of olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions:
- Add all ingredients to a food processor and mix until smooth. 
- Try it and see if needs anything else (lemon, oil, salt, etc.), then mix
- Pour into bowl and enjoy with veggies or pita.

Enjoy,
Jamie

Monday, January 16, 2012

Mika

This songs reminds me to have fun and my love to dance!


Enjoy,
Jamie

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Green Tip

This week's tip is unplug appliances when you're not using them. When appliances are plugged in, they still have energy running through them whether you are using them or not, which is also known as phantom energy or standby power. This phantom power becomes very cumulative and ends up wasting money, electricity, and resources.


A few easy ways to stop phantom energy is to unplug your coffee maker or toaster or phone charger or fan when aren't using them.



Another solution is to get a smart power strip and it does this work for you! For example, it can tell when you "turned off" your computer or DVD player, etc. and will stop sending electricity to that device. When you press on, your device will turn right back on.



Warmly,
Jamie

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Dining w/ cell phones

I thought I was a little "old school" in my philosophy for not checking my cell phone during meals because I felt I was in the minority for it, but now there is a game that is gaining in populating that supports my view found here.

Rules:
1--The game starts after everyone has ordered.
2--Everybody places their phone on the table face down.
3--The first person to flip over their phone loses the game.
4--Loser of the game pays for the bill.
5--If the bill comes before anyone has flipped over their phone everybody is declared a winner and pays for their own meal.

Variations/house rules:
-Starting the game after everyone is seated.
-In the rare event that multiple people flip their phones simultaneously, the bill is split between said players.
- Feel free to invoke penalties/strikes systems.

Thoughts on using your cell phone during meals and this game?

Warmly,
Jamie

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Chicken Curry Crockpot Recipe

The crockpot has become my favorite kitchen appliance due to the ease of cooking with it and the tasty meals it creates. I spend 5-10 minutes cutting and pouring everything into the crockpot before work, then when I come home 9 hours later, dinner is ready! This is a great $20 investment.

Here is a new dish that I will be served at my dinner table once a week--chicken curry. I enjoy eating curry when I eat out because it was a dish I knew I couldn't master at home, but I was wrong...


Chicken Curry Crockpot Recipe
2 chicken breast, cut into thirds
1 sweet potatoes, peeled and largely diced
1 can of chickpeas (garbanzo), drained 
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup sour cream
1 cup orange juice
1 tsp salt 
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground ginger
3 teaspoons curry powder

Directions: 
- Place chopped onion in crockpot, followed by chicken, garbanzo beans, sweet potato, garlic, salt, pepper, cumin, ginger, curry powder, and orange juice, then cover.
- Cook on low for 6 hours.
- 10 minutes before serving, add sour cream, stir.
- Serve over rice.

Enjoy,
Jamie

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Mark's Gardens

Every arrangement I have seen from Mark's Gardens has been amazing! This florist gets their flowers fresh daily, they smell incredible, and the arrangements all look uniquely beautiful. Here a few shots of my recent thank you flowers.
























When I have ordered from them in the past I tell them the color palate I want, any flower requests, and price range and they create phenomenal pieces. You can find their contact info here.

Warmly,
Jamie