ROSEMARY & THYME FINGERLING POTATOES

there's nothing like sleeping in on a sunday morning and cooking brunch. even the simplest meals can feel fancy and wonderful. i had a friend who i hadn't seen in over a year come over and we cooked a really simple, but great meal.

the day before i went to a local persian market (i will have to write about my love for ethnic markets soon) and picked up some herbs and fingerling potatoes. i knew that the potatoes would be the most important part of the meal so i found some fresh rosemary and thyme. i also picked up a great bottle of virgin olive oil imported from italy. i brought back fleur de sel from paris so that added the perfect touch. i will always tell anyone and everyone to pay the extra bucks for great quality products as well as imported products. it's worth it, i promise.

these fingerling potatoes came out so delicious and we were left wanting more and then some. 

MY NEW ROOTS // LIFE-CHANGING LOAF

i was recently told i would no longer be able to have gluten due to some health issues. i'm not celiac (hell yeah), but i can't be eating gluten on a regular basis. coming back from europe where all i did was consume inhuman amounts of gluten i quickly had become accustomed to enjoying wheat-filled foods on the daily (more like hourly). so, i was definitely slightly heartbroken when i was bluntly told to take it out of my system. 

in comes this delicious recipe by My New Roots. trust me, i wish i could take credit for this kick ass recipe, but that'd be total fraud. i've become quite the sarah britton fan! i catch myself day dreaming about the next recipe of hers i am going to try to recreate! recently my brother very abruptly interrupted a conversation i was having with someone about what i wanted to cook next with a simple, but honest statement, "you are so obsessed with food!" i am, i totally 100% am. i love the beauty behind cooking a delicious plate. i love traveling and experiencing culture through food. it's my favorite, so hell yes, i am so obsessed with food.

for all you gluten lovers who unfortunately cannot consume it or for anyone who is ready to have their life changed by a simple loaf of bread i suggest that you make this. i'm not even kidding, make it. you'll love it. and it's so easy to make.

recipe from My New Roots.

AMSTERDAM EATS

so, basically all i did in amsterdam was go from restaurant to restaurant. but to be fair, what else am i supposed to do on a super windy and rainy day? i couldn't walk around all day like i was normally doing in every other city so naturally the next thing to do is eat...a lot. 

i think most of my amsterdam meals were great. the two places that i won't be forgetting anytime soon are harvest & co. as well as upstairs pannenkoeken. 

i definitely loved how great each store was set up. their interiors were killing it. a life goal of mine is to open up my own little restaurant and amsterdam definitely had me day dreaming about my dream place like crazy. who knows, maybe one day i'll surprise us all and open up my dream place.

Harvest & Co.

Tweede Helmersstraat 96 (Helmersbuurt)

+31 611 641654

Harvest & Co. is a curated shop containing vintage and new items for your home, travel, and to wear. their storefront is a coffee shop that brews speciality drinks which are delicious. i highly advise you to order their cortadito (it is one of the best i've had so far), browse through a magazine that's lying around, and hang out for a while. one of the owners took my coffee order while the other was hanging out at the front and i really loved that. i regret not striking up a real conversation with them, i bet they have some awesome stories to share.

this is definitely a shop worth checking out. i'm very into the concept they have going on. an environment of celebrating quality and honest craftsmanship truly comes to life at harvest & company which is something i admire deeply. i cannot say enough great things about this place, just simply that you must check it out.

Pazzi

1e Looiersdwarsstraat 4-BG (Jordaan)

+31 20 3202800

this first place i ate at was pazzi. it was a few steps away from my apartment and my friends and i were starving so naturally we decided not to walk very far to get some food in our mouths! they were closing soon, but the guy outside taking a smoking break happened to be the pizza maker and he told us to go in and that he'd take care of us. 

we ordered the two pizzas to go and grabbed ourselves a bottle of wine and some salads from the nearest market. maybe it was because i was so hungry or maybe they make a mean pizza, but they were both really great! the prosciutto and arugula was my favorite, but the mozzarella and cheese was also good. the crust was the best in my opinion. i love good crust and this pizza had good crust! i would go back to this restaurant, but i would order one of the more complex pizzas on the menu and probably eat in.

Phone number+31 20 3202800

Vinnies Deli
Haarlemmerstraat 46 (Centrum)
+31 20 7713086

i visited this cute organic cafe on my last day in amsterdam. it seemed to be a locals only kind of place which is my favorite! i ordered poached eggs on toast and a coffee and kind of wish i would've gone a little crazy and tried a few items off of their menu...as well as a piece of cake. unfortunately i was in a "i'm going to be healthy today" mood which truthfully didn't last very long. 

i suggest ordering one of their open-faced sandwiches and some coffee! the instagram photos of all their food definitely make me wish i could hop on a plane and grab a sandwich to-go (man, i wish that was a thing). last suggestion is to go eat upstairs and hangout by the window to people watch! heads up, they only take card which is a bummer!

Petit Gateau

Haarlemmerstraat 80 (Centrum)

+31 624 205631

this quote on their website sums this place up quite nicely "there once was a girl who wanted to be a pastry chef. she started a patisserie in paris, and after six successful years, she moved to amsterdam to do the same." a little bit of paris in amsterdam. this pastry shop is photogenic and is beautifully laid out. they have an open kitchen plan so you can watch the pastry chefs at work while ordering your espresso and tart (if you're like me you'll order at least two). 

i suggest ordering one of everything, but if you a normal human and cannot handle quite that many calories in one sitting then get the apricot and pistachio tart and something else. it was delicious and that crust is one to not forget. 

Jay's Juices
Haarlemmerstraat 14 (Centrum)
+31 20 6231267

somehow my traveling friend managed to get sick and it was not fun. i felt for her. the health nut in me came out and i started blurting out things we needed to get her to help her regain strength and feel better. while we were walking around waiting for our train to london we came across this gem. we entered and i very bluntly told the man behind the counter, "my friend is sick, we must make her feel better." he just laughed at us and eventually concocted some green juices for the both of us. he made her one which would help her out in her time of need and i specifically asked for a detox juice with lots of greens!

the drinks were really great and reminded me of home and sunny southern california weather! jay is clearly very knowledgable and you can tell by all the different magazine and newspaper articles written about him which he has posted on a wall in the tiny shop. so, if you are under the weather, want a really great juice, or are feeling guilty for all of the pastries and not so healthy food you have ingested...go here. 

Upstairs pannenkoeken

1012 GA Amsterdam (Centrum)

+31 20 6265603

let me start off by letting you know that this place is nestled between some other shops and is a little hard to find. keep your head up and look for their sign above a random door. once you are enter you will be surprised to see that you have to walk up these strange steep stairs to get inside the restaurant (it's all part of the experience, trust me). the interior feels like a dutch flea market. tea pots all over the ceiling and old photographs covering the walls. it's really cute in a "dutch grandma" kind of way.

let's talk about the meal. i'm still dreaming about the pancake i had. anthony bourdain (my forever crush) visited this place and said great things so obviously i would have to check the place out. thank god i did because the pancake with salami, cheese, and tomatoes will forever be one of the best meals i've had from some tiny hole in the wall. "this ain't no ihop" is what came out of my friend's mouth and she was damn right. these are dutch pancakes cooked to perfection. their menu is pretty extensive, but i think going with something simple is probably your best bet. 

PARIS EATS

the food. oh man. let me start off by saying that i ate so much food during this europe adventure. i didn't even think it was possible for someone my size to consume so much, but somehow it happened. it was very much worth it, but if you need me i'll be at the gym burning off every last meal until summer.

before i start naming some places you definitely must check out, i want to give you some suggestions:

- if you are staying at a place with a kitchen then start off by roaming around and scoping out a few markets. buy some produce to cook with back at your place. paris gets expensive so cooking a few meals will save you some money. (a baguette, eggs, yogurt, a local jam, and some fruit)

- stay away from the touristy restaurant spots. look for places packed with locals. eat on the terrace, best people watching.

- learn how to say a few words to help you out when ordering. try and speak some french. the parisians will appreciate it and you won't look like such an ass. 

- most of the time you will have to pay at the register. don't act surprised if they never come pick up your bill. you go to them. 

- you don't leave a tip unless you feel like the service was amazing. i know, it's weird, but once you realize how much you are paying in taxes you'll be glad you don't have to cash out any more money.

- take your sweet time when eating. they are all about socializing over food so if you hangout for over two hours they won't care.

- try out different things from the bakeries. don't go to chain ones. you want the mom and pop bakery, trust me.

- wine and coffee are acceptable at any time of the day. go for it, you only live once. (yup, that happened)

- always order from the whole in the walls. you'll get some of the best bread and meals.

Merci

111 Boulevard Beaumarchais (Le Marais)

a wonderful place to shop, eat, and hangout in. two stories, three restaurants, and lots of beautiful items. this boutique store is filled with great items from earrings to dining room tables. it's fun to hangout in and grab a few items and also day dream about owning some of their stuff. like i said, they have three restaurants. two are first come first serve and the other is with a reservation. we visited the used book cafe. we did have to wait about half an hour as it was full to the brim. 

you must get their cafe creme. it's served in this big pitcher like mugs and it's good. we decided to order something small (biscuits and coffee) and eat a real meal elsewhere. we looked around and people's meals looked really wonderful so i'm pretty positive everything on the menu is good. this is a fun lounge around and catch up for hours with an old friend kind of place. afterwards you can stop by bonton the children's boutique (it's a few shops down) and jump into their old school photobooth and take some fun photos. 

Coquelicot 
24 Rue des Abbesses, 75018 Paris, France (Montmartre) 
+33 1 46 06 18 77

this place is small, absolutely lovely, and you'll most likely be sitting extremely close to your neighbor. i read somewhere that this place has been around since 1978! maybe that's why their food is absolutely amazing, they know what works and what doesn't. this is one of the restaurants that leaves you the check at your table, but you pay at the register. the cute old lady who served us spoke just a few words of english. so if you aren't lucky enough to travel with someone who speaks french you'll be okay at this restaurant.  

now about the food…incredible breakfast. i had a simple breakfast and i'm not exaggerating when i say it was the best breakfast i have ever had. the bread was baked to perfection (no exaggeration here), the eggs tasted fresh and the yolk poured out so damn beautifully, and that ham was quite tasty. simple is sometimes all you need. i suggest that you don't order their regular coffee. an espresso might have been a better choice or find a cafe after and order a coffee at the bar.

Le Refuge des Fondues

17 rue des Trois Frères (Montmartre)

+33 1 42 55 22 65

reservations, make one. it's definitely not easy getting them on the phone, but you will not get a table without one. ask for the 7pm reservation or else you will end up waiting a long time for a table to open up. this was such a fun way to spend our last night in paris. we ordered the meat and cheese fondue and red wine. it's a fixed menu so don't go asking for anything fancy because they won't have it. simple as that.

le refuge des fondues is more about the atmosphere and experience. probably the least tasty meal in paris (but that's still pretty tasty), but it was the best time. we made friends with everyone at the restaurant and laughed so much. we drank our red wine out of baby bottles which was an experience in itself. expect to be touching elbows with your neighbor, but it's fun! definitely check this place out! 

La Maison Rose  
2 Rue De L'abreuvoir (Montmartre)

the walk up is nice, but long so wear comfortable shoes. pretty touristy area, but worth the view. make sure to keep walking up after you're done at the cafe, because there is a lot to check out. 

food is mediocre, but the espresso was pretty good. this is a good 'i'm hungover i can eat anything right now' kind of meal. it's honestly nothing special, but it's such a darling cafe that it's makes it worth it which is why i added it on this list. bring a journal, order yourself a coffee, and just let yourself be inspired by your surroundings. 

Farmers Markets & Super Markets

i already mentioned this in the list of tops above. go to the street markets, super markets, and farmers markets for produce. grab a few bottles of wine, some fruit, yogurt, baguettes...whatever it is you like. it will save you some money and their produce and items are my favorite. 

le marché des enfants rouges is a covered market in le marais that is great. i ate from a moroccan stand and was pleasantly surprised by my meal. it was cheap, delicious, and the owners were so nice. at this particular market there are wine vendors, fruit stands, and all sorts of different meal options. it's definitely a place you must check out. 

since the christmas markets were still open i was able to walk down champs-élysées and check out all of the different markets that were out. i walked by a stand with a long line so i went to check it out and was surprised to see that they were smoking the salmon right there for all to see so of course i had to get myself something. i had a smoked salmon sandwich that was topped with a seasoned mayonnaise (not normally a fan of that stuff) and it was definitely worth it. 

LONDON EATS

whoever said the food in london isn't very good clearly went to the wrong restaurants. haters gonna hate. i did not have one single back experience with the food there!

our flat was in east london...we stayed in hackney right by london fields and i loved it. (i'll write more about where to stay and what areas are great.) right across the park was broadway market which is a street full of cafes, market, and small boutiques. very hip and full of beautiful people. no joke. it's whatever. we ate meals there most of the time because there's so much variety and we loved the walk through the park.

there are tons of great restaurants in london so it won't be too hard to find some tasty food. here are a few places i think are totally worth checking out while in london:

fields - probably one of my favorite restaurants in hackney. great service, delicious food, and the interior is pretty great as well. if you go for breakfast i suggest the mediterranean brunch as well as their freshly squeezed juices and a latte. their dinner is also fantastic. and you have to try their banoffee pie. it's actually the greatest thing on this planet.

l'eau à la bouche - is the first cafe we went to for breakfast and we loved it. the interior of the cafe is hip and comfortable. la bouche is part cafe and part market. great for picking up items for dinner. (they've got a great cheese selection.) they make a mean late and the guys who work there are straight out of a movie good looking. i suggest trying the nutty granola. i've been craving it everyday since i've been gone.

The Love Shake - a cute american themed diner. we had their grilled cheese bagel with ham and it totally hit the spot. everyone else had ordered shakes and apparently they're pretty fantastic!

Ephesus - is a turkish restaurant on broadway market. i ordered their eggs benedict, turkish coffee, and their freshly squeezed orange juice and paid around £12 with tip. their mediterranean spin on eggs benedict is awesome. they have indoor and outdoor seating and from what i have read, when the weather gets nice the place gets pretty packed.

Climpson & Sons - i went one morning on my own to grab food because i needed carbs and lots and lots of coffee. i literally walked up and asked them to make me the darkest and strongest coffee they had because my life depended on it. i ordered the avocado toast which is sprinkled with pistachio and pepper and some dark coffee. that avocado toast was both massive (two huge pieces) and delicious. oh and the workers aren't horrible to look at...at all. 

Lily Vanilli - our last sunday there we ventured out to find this bakery. somehow we ended up at the Columbia Road Flower Market so we did some shopping then rewarded ourselves with some coffee and breakfast at Lily's. they are pretty hidden, but that should not stop you from looking for them because the bakery is adorable and they serve super tasty food. we ordered their toast with cheese and vegetables which is huge and filling. basically order anything and i bet you will be satisfied. 

The Breakfast Club - the long weight (we waited 30 mins) is worth it. i promise. they're menu is cleverly done. one of their sandwiches is called "When Holoumi met Salad Wrap" love it. 

Bella Vita - another restaurant on broadway market, basically what i am telling you is to eat every meal there (i'm only half kidding). i love pizza. everyone loves pizza. this italian restaurant has some great pizza and everyone who works there seems to be italian. someone told us later that one of the cooks comes out sometimes and plays music. we sadly did not get to hear the music, but the meal was great nonetheless.

last but not least...don't be afraid to eat at the kebab restaurants you see everywhere. yes, they're not cute and you might think they'll make you sick...but you won't. most of them are open 24/7 so if you have any late night cravings you have to order kebabs. our favorite kebab restaurant was one on mare street. i literally left craving what i had ordered a few nights before. i'm still so sad they didn't take card because all i wanted at 12am a few hours before i came back home was kebabs. 

SUNDAY BRUNCH

sunday brunch is a must. sunday is my favorite day of the week and brunch is my favorite meal...so it only makes sense that combined it's basically a perfect combination.

three of my best friends and i have started trying to get together on sundays for brunch. we all love going somewhere new or cooking and getting together so it has worked out really well. we all look forward to our brunch outings! 

the first week we went and got bagels and coffee at a local cafe. a few sundays ago we went to Cliff's Edge Cafe in Silverlake. the place is great. it's got a hip vibe and the outdoor seating is set up really nicely. there is a big old giant tree in the middle and it makes it feel like you are in a tree house which is every kids dream, duh. the food there is great. the breakfast patty and waffles are actually out of this world. it was all delicious and if you are ever in the area you need to go eat at cliff's edge. you won't regret it. the sunday before i left for europe we decided to cook our own brunch. we made omelets, pancakes, and of course mimosas. brunch is taken very seriously. it ain't no small thang. 

do you guys do brunch? if so do you like cooking at home or going out and trying new restaurants?

BLUE POPCORN

it's valentine's day, people! how is it already the middle of february?! i'll be in europe next month and i feel like i don't have enough time to get everything ready before i board that airplane.

back to valentine's day. last year my friend and i spent valentine's day at the egyptian theater in LA eating pink candy and mexican food while watching Breakfast at Tiffany's. it was pretty fantastic and we still talk about it. this year i will be in class because i decided a 7-10pm class twice a week was a good idea (i was wrong).  i do intend on coming home at night and eating popcorn as well as watching either a really great maybe romantic film or a super crappy/cheesy hollywood chick flick. i am currently undecided.

this popcorn recipe is pretty great and it's blue! i will be totally honest and say that my plan was to make pink popcorn because the color pink rocks and this week is all about loooove, but i ran out of pink dye and got stuck with blue. sucks to suck, huh? either way this popcorn is tasty. i do think that next time i will add peppermint extract instead of vanilla extract and see what it tastes like. i'll keep you guys posted...well, i'll try.

Blue Popcorn

4 cups white popcorn, popped

1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp baking soda
a pinch of fleur de sel
1 tbsp butter, unsalted

1 tsp vanilla extract

a few drops of blue food coloring (or any other color)

Place the popcorn in a large bowl and set aside. On high-heat in a small saucepan, cook sugar and water until it reaches 290F {just under hard crack} on a candy thermometer. Add the soda and fleur de sel and swirl until combined {it will be a little frothy}. Remove from heat and add the butter, extract, and color and stir until combined. Quickly pour over popcorn and fold together until the sugar mixture coats most of the popcorn. Immediately sprinkle with the nonpareils. Let cool for 10 minutes. 

recipe from Oh Joy!

SHOP LOVIN' // UNREAL

for all of you who personally know me then you know how much i love companies who believe in making a difference. which is why i bring you today's shop lovin' with tons of excitement.

a few things you need to know about me. i love eating clean and living healthy. i am that annoying friend who juices (and asks you to do it with me), goes gluten-free (and makes life harder but better for all), and is always working out and trying new things (my current obsession is pilates).

one of my favorite chocolates is mast brother chocolate. i love it for many reasons but the three main ones are: it's fair trade and the company personally works with those making the product, their packaging is to die for, and it is great chocolate that is natural...with that being said, my lovely best friend who knows me so dang well surprised me the other day at work with some chocolate because she knew i would be so into the product. that product is unreal candy. it's unreal how good it is so i think the name fits the brand so perfectly.

unreal candy is not your ordinary candy. unreal is a new way of enjoying your favorite treats. their products are made with real ingredients and not that artificial bullshit that's got most americans looking the way they do. and get this...it tastes amazing. they use ingredients like blue agave and reaaal caramel.

they've got some big people backing them up and you may have heard of them: giselle bundchen, tom brady, john legend, matt damon, the guy who invented twitter, and even a doctor.

products like these get me really excited because they're changing the way we eat. if more products stayed clean like this, a lot could change.

watch this video. check their website out. and go buy yourself an unreal chocolate bar. i love them all. oh and the unreal 54's colors are great! so fall-like.

I LEFT MY HEART IN SAN FRANCISCO, AGAIN

i am back in orange county (insert sad face here) and because i didn't come home until late last night there was no time to post a music monday. but today i bring you some photos from my last minute trip to san francisco.

the way this trip happened was pretty great. i was in my graphic design class on friday and saw one of my friends post something about one of our best friends being up in san francisco and right then and there i decided i was going to go up that weekend. checked out student universe, jetblue, and southwest airlines for flights. student universe had a flight for the next day and it was super cheap. so, what do you do when you only have to buy a one way and it happens to be less than $100...you book the flight, duh!

it was a nice quick getaway, exactly what i needed. i ate some great food, had some good drinks, and loved every second of it. i miss san francisco already, but i will be back in november! for those of you who know me you know i have left my heart in san francisco and hope to one day move up there for a couple of years. for now trips every few months will do, kinda.

guys, if you are ever in san francisco i highly suggest mission beach cafe. it is one of my favorite restaurants there and even though we had to wait almost two hours this time around...it was so totally worth it! their sunday brunch is perfect. oh, and order their parmesan truffle fries. your life will be changed...forever.

PS how cute is my friend emily?!

-eli

FOOD // GOIN' BANANAS

so, for a while i have been hearing about the whole frozen banana frozen yogurt deal and decided to finally try it out! i have issues sometimes with dairy and i have friends who can't have it either and this recipe is perfect for when they want vegan frozen yogurt. it doesn't taste exactly like frozen yogurt, but it tastes great nonetheless!

i experimented and made three different flavors. you can basically mix anything with the frozen bananas and it'll taste good!

this is a cool and fun alternative to regular frozen yogurt and if you have bananas that are too ripe for their own good stick 'em in the freezer to make yourself some frozen yogurt later!

*peel and chop bananas then put them in a zip lock bag to stick in the freezer overnight. i froze eight bananas and made three servings. 

chocolate frozen yogurt 

what you need:
*2-3 frozen bananas
1 tablespoon of cocoa powder
1/4 cup of water

what you'll do:
blend 2-3 bananas, cocoa powder, and water in a blender or food processor (i used a blender and it worked fine). it might take a while (i didn't get a hang of it until my second try) but keep at it. eventually it will turn creamy. i topped my chocolate frozen yogurt with chia seeds and chopped almonds.

chocolate chip peanut butter frozen yogurt

what you need:
*2-3 frozen bananas
1 tablespoon of cocoa powder
1 tablespoon peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 tablespoon of vegan chocolate chips (you can always add more)
1/4 cup of water

what you'll do:
blend 2-3 bananas with the rest of the ingredients in a blender or food processor until creamy. i topped my chocolate chip peanut butter frozen yogurt with coconut shavings, honey, and vegan chocolate that i chopped into small pieces.

peanut butter frozen yogurt

to be honest i did not like this flavor very much. it was pretty boring compared to the others. 

what you need:
*2-3 frozen bananas
1 tablespoon of peanut butter
1/4 cup of water

what you'll do:
blend 2-3 bananas, peanut butter, and water in a blender or food processor until creamy. i topped my peanut butter frozen yogurt with coconut shavings, honey, and chopped almonds. 

BRUSSELS SPROUTS

a vegetable i did not love until last year is now quickly becoming a favorite of mine. this delicious vegetable would be: brussels sprouts! i am like totally obsessed and i don't care who knows it. it all started when my friend emily came over one day with some brussels sprouts and gave me some to try. it was love at first...taste? 

i am currently doing a 12 week program where i basically am deprived of all food (just kidding i am totally exaggerating i just want you to feel bad for me) and while grocery shopping this week i came across brussels sprouts and decided to bring some home to cook. so glad i did!

this has to be the easiest meal in the world because it takes a total of about 10 minutes and it only requires four ingredients, three of which you probably already have at home.

24 small brussels sprouts

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus more for rubbing

fine-grain sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Wash the brussels sprouts well. Trim the stem ends and remove any raggy outer leaves. Cut in half from stem to top and gently rub each half with olive oil, keeping it intact (or if you are lazy just toss them in a bowl with a glug of olive oil).

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in your largest skillet over medium heat. Don't overheat the skillet, or the outsides of the brussels sprouts will cook too quickly. Place the brussels sprouts in the pan flat side down (single-layer), sprinkle with a couple pinches of salt, cover, and cook for roughly 5 minutes; the bottoms of the sprouts should only show a hint of browning. Cut into or taste one of the sprouts to gauge whether they're tender throughout. If not, cover and cook for a few more minutes.

Once just tender, uncover, turn up the heat, and cook until the flat sides are deep brown and caramelized. Use a metal spatula to toss them once or twice to get some browning on the rounded side. Season with more salt, a few grinds of pepper, and a dusting of grated cheese. While you might be able to get away with keeping a platter of these warm in the oven for a few minutes, they are exponentially tastier if popped in your mouth immediately.

Serves 4.

so, next time you guys need a quick dinner you know what to do!

enjoy!

*recipe taken from 101 cookbooks

PIZZA NIGHT

there are nights like when your plans just fall through and you are left hungry and thirsty, right? well, this happened to me last night and i did what any rational and smart would do...i decided to make pizza. i got in my car, drove to trader joes, and bought two bags of pizza dough. if i had had the time i would've opted for making pizza dough from scratch (i love everything from scratch) thi was not the case. these two pizzas were so tasty and easy to make that i think you need to go and make yourself some pizza asap. i don't want to braaaag or anything...but pizza number two was amazing. 

so, if you are ever in a dinner or lunch rut and have about 30-40 minutes to spare i suggest making these easy and tasty pizzas and if you have a little more time than make a salad as well as some pretty cocktails and you've got yourself a perfect meal!

what you need for pizza number one:
pizza dough

chicken

pepper jack cheese

spinach

sundried tomatoes 

orange bell pepper

corn (cut)

1 can of tomatoes

sea salt

how to make it:
the instructions for how to work with the dough are all on the pizza dough bag and they are incredibly easy to follow. the rest is easy: open the can of tomatoes and squish them and use that as your pizza sauce (you can use the whole can, less, or more!) from there you just add the toppings and top that all with a little bit of sea salt. stick it in the oven for 8-10 minutes and voila!

what you need for pizza number two:
pizza dough

chicken

pepper jack cheese

spinach
sundried tomatoes 
2 handfuls of kale
asparagus
mushrooms
1/2 cup of pesto sauce
sea salt

how to make it:
for this pizza i made the sauce by combining 1/2 cup of pesto sauce with a handful of cooked kale. you stick it in a blender and mix that up (this sauce is what really blends this pizza) if you want more pesto or kale you can always add more. you then add the cheese, veggies and chicken. top it all off with some sea salt and stick the pizza in the oven for 8-10 minutes. 

ORANGE POPPY SEED CAKE

i made this bread a few weeks back but have been so busy and have not had the time to post about it. this cake was so delicious and citrusy and perfect. i ended up making one load instead of the directed two and it took a lot longer to bake. a lot lot longer. everyone seemed to love the taste of the cake even someone who doesn't like poppy seeds (who doesn't love poppy seeds?!) ate it up.

i'm currently craving the heck out of this bread. i definitely need to make this again soon. so very soon! i didn't bake anything last week because i was away (i took a much needed mini vacation to my favorite city: san francisco) and did not find the time to bake anything so this week i will be making up for it and baking two yummy treats! 

i found this recipe from always with butter which is such a fun blog! love the recipes i get from there. check it out! 

 

sorry for being so mia lately. i will post some photos from san francisco soon and suggest some great restaurants.

-E