washi tape/wooden tasting spoons/vintage stamp packs

Happy Friday! How was your week? I had a blissful week of vacation but still didn’t get to complete my never ending to do list. Unfortunately my left wrist has been giving me lots of problems which is slowing me down. Right now I’m wearing a wrist brace and it seems to have eased the pain a bit.

Anyway, I thought I’d share a few snapshots of my week as well as a few things inspiring me lately. Apologies if you follow me on instagram and already saw these. On Valentine’s day I wore my new Hetterson sweater from Myrtle and put a few fabric flowers in my hair for fun. If you visited the Matchbox Kitchen table at Unique LA, you might have seen these as gift box toppers. Many people were surprised I made them so I have a little tutorial coming up next week to show you how easy they were! I love crafting of all kinds (I even have a tee pee sitting in the closet) so I’m hoping to share more DIY/craft tutorials.  Then on Sunday Gary and I picked up a few Sprinkles cupcakes. I don’t care what anyone says, they really are the best cupcakes I’ve ever had, even if I’m just eating straight butter and sugar.

The weather has been a little funny over here, raining one day, sunny and 80 the next, and then gloomy and chilly all in one week.  Bright and cheerful colors have been inspiring the color palette I’ve been using for a new project I’m working on. I don’t know how long it’ll take me but I hope I can share more soon.

What are your plans for the weekend? I’m thinking of heading downtown to buy some fabric, but we’ll see how much my wrist lets me do!

Last week as I was grocery shopping a bag of frozen edamame beans caught my eye. I quickly snatched them up without a plan in mind. Then as I was driving home I remembered coming across a hummus-like dip online. I’m always looking for a healthy snack to have on hand and a quick glance of recipes showed it wouldn’t be too difficult.

The edamame dip came together in a matter of minutes, but then I was stumped on what to eat it with. Instead of pairing them with chips or pita bread I thought I’d try my hand at making gluten free crackers. I don’t have a sensitivity to gluten but I know a few people who are, and I always like a bit of a challenge in the kitchen.

After reading a handful of recipes, my first attempt was a simple combination of almond flour, water, olive oil, and a bit of seasoning. Let me just say they left much to be desired.  I did a little more research and ended up making up my own recipe. They were a success! Even Gary, a self proclaimed meat eater/lover, really enjoyed them. He couldn’t believe that it was gluten free and vegan. I’d say that’s a pretty good compliment.

It turns out when you combine ground flax seed with hot water it turns into a thick paste. A lot of cracker recipes I came across used egg as a binding agent but I knew I could make them vegan somehow, and the solution wasn’t difficult at all. I also used almond flour I made from making almond milk. Just spread the leftover meal on a baking sheet and bake at a very low heat to dry it out. The only ingredient I had to specifically buy was the edamame itself! You could even make tahini at home if you have a strong enough blender. Next time I run out I’m going to try that out in my Vitamix. I’m sort of obsessed. Do you see how smooth the dip came out?!

Edamame Dip
adapted from Food Network

1 1/2 c shelled edamame
1/4 c tahini
1/4 c water
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1/4 c lemon juice
1 garlic clove
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cumin
4 tbsp olive oil
pepper to taste

1. Bring a pot of water to boil, then add edamame and cook until done, about 5 minutes. Strain and let cool.
2. Combine edamame and the rest of the ingredients in a blender or food processor and puree. If it’s too thick add 1 tsp water.
3. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of pepper.

Almond Sesame Crackers

1/2 c almond flour
1/4 c sesame seeds
3 tbsp ground flax seed
1 tsp soy flour
4 tbsp hot water
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp thyme

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. In a medium bowl combine almond flour, sesame seeds and salt.
3. In a separate bowl combine ground flax seed, soy flour, then stir in hot water. Let stand for a few minutes to absorb and thicken, it will turn into a very thick paste.
4. Add flax seed mixture to almond flour and stir well to form a ball.
5. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and place dough on top. With another piece of parchment on top, flatten and roll out dough to as thin as possible. Slowly peel off top parchment. (I put mine in the freezer for a few minutes to help peel it off.)
6. Cut lines into the dough to make individual crackers, then bake for 15-20 minutes or just until it starts to brown.
7. Let cool then separate crackers.

Happy Valentine’s Day! Here are some pink mini donuts for you. I hope you enjoyed my Valentine’s picks, I had a lot of fun choosing them!

Outside Myrtle’s window, Geronimo balloon, Handsome Coffee Roasters, Matchbox Kitchen cookies

A couple of months ago a new boutique called Myrtle opened up in Echo Park that stocks independent women designers, as well as a bit of vintage. Shop owner Whitney Bickers carries the likes of Alexandra Grecco, Fieldguided, Kyyote Jewelry, and Paper & Type stationery just to name a few. I went to her shop opening party with the intentions of giving her a box of my cookies as a shopwarming gift but was too shy. As luck would have it, a month later she asked me if I wanted to participate in a little Valentine’s Day party she was planning. To say I was ecstatic is an understatement. Not only does she support female designers striking it out on their own but everything in the shop is thoughtfully curated. And of course Whitney is as nice as they come.

Even though I got sick the morning of, there was lots of fun to be had. Handsome Coffee Roasters was there handing out delicious espressos made to order and the Pablove Foundation brought Kourage the Kauzbot as well as some other goodies. As for Matchbox Kitchen, I brought a special order of chocolate and vanilla heart cookies and topped them off with sprinkles naturally dyed with beets. I also had sampler boxes for sale that the wonderful Laura of Lulu Dee designed for me (more on that soon!).

For more pictures and information visit Mrytle’s blog.

Myrtle’s chalkboard sign, Pablove’s table setup, chocolate and vanilla heart cookies, Handsome Coffee beans

This weekend Gary and I spent some time together to celebrate Valentines day since he’ll be working all day Tuesday. He surprised me with a trip to one of our favorite restaurants, Bouchon. We’ve always had great food and service at the Las Vegas location, but I’d never been to the one in Beverly Hills and was excited to have a nice meal out. Unfortunately our time there was disappointing. The food was not the same standard as we’ve had in Vegas and our server rushed us out of the restaurant.

So after yesterday’s brunch I knew I had to make my own at home to cheer myself up. Brunch is probably my most favorite meal but I try to indulge only every couple weeks. On a trip to Brisbane one year, I had the most amazing eggs florentine of my life (no joke). I don’t remember the restaurant’s name even it’s exact location but I will never forget the perfectly poached egg, freshly baked english muffin, and the best hollandaise sauce I’ve yet to try.  Eggs florentine is one of those dishes you probably shouldn’t order at a restaurant unless you know it’ll be good. (The sauce alone is asking for a stomach ache if they have it sitting out).

While making this at home completely from scratch can be a bit laborious, it is so, so worth it. Don’t be afraid of making hollandaise or poaching an egg, or even making the english muffins. You will be so happy you did.

Hollandaise Sauce

2 egg yolks
3 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
cayenne pepper to taste (optional)
6 tbsp butter, melted

Whisk together egg yolks, lemon juice, salt, and cayenne pepper until combined and lightened. Place bowl over simmering water (or place in double boiler or bain marie) and continue whisking while slowly pouring in butter . Note: You can also do this with an immersion blender if your arm gets tired.

English Muffin
adapted from Alton Brown

1/2 c nonfat milk
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp butter
1/2 c water
2 1/4 tsp dry yeast
1/8 tsp sugar
1/3 c warm water (about 100)
2 c AP flour, sifted

In a small saucepan, combine milk, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp butter, and 1/2 c water and bring just to simmer/scald, then let cool. In a separate bowl, combine yeast, 1/8 tsp sugar, and 1/3 c warm water. After yeast has dissolved, combine with milk mixture. Gradually add flour and mix together until combined. Let stand in a warm place for 30 min.

Heat skillet over medium low heat. Using 3″ metal rings, spray or grease inside with oil, then scoop about 6 tbsp into ring. Cover ring with pot lid or baking sheet and cook for about 5 minutes, then flip, cover, and continue cooking for another 5 minutes. Let cool and split with a fork.

Poached Egg How To
(at least how I like to do it)

Fill a small saucepan a little more than halfway with water, then bring to a simmer. Crack egg into fine mesh strainer to get rid of excess water, then place egg into a ramekin. When the water is barely simmering make sure to turn it town so there’s no movement/bubbles. Very slowly pour egg directly into water, then leave alone until cooked, about 3-4 minutes. Make sure the water isn’t showing any movement, even if that means turning your flame all the way down. Take egg out with a slotted spoon, making sure to remove excess water.

Eggs Florentine Assembly

1. Quickly cook fresh spinach in hot water until wilted, then take out to cool and dry a bit. You don’t want excess water or it’ll make your english muffin soggy.
2. Halve an english muffin and place cut side up
3. Lay spinach on top
4. Gently place poached egg on top
5. Slowly spoon hollandaise sauce over
6. Finish off with pepper on top

Today’s Valentines pick is the rose print scarf by Ilana Kohn for Of A Kind.

Today’s Valentines pick is a 14k gold heart ring from Catbird. Would be cut alone or stacked with a few of these.

Today’s Valentines pick is Leah Goren’s light blue dots scarf. Isn’t it beautiful? At the top of my wish list for sure.

They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but most days I can barely get myself out of bed early enough to make it to work on time. Most mornings I am running out the door grabbing whatever I can eat on my drive over. Some days it’s an apple and almonds, other days it’s a couple of cookies. Rather than trying to change my sleeping habits, I thought I’d make something at the beginning of the week and have my breakfast ready to go.

Whole wheat biscuits fit the bill of being quick, easy, and filling, but it needed something more. I thought I’d try my hand at making grapefruit curd mostly because I didn’t have any lemons at home. It turned out to be a nice change from lemon curd with a slightly bitter after taste. Plus I couldn’t resist adding some of my beet food coloring to give it a hint of pink!


Let’s be real here, the star of the show is the grapefruit curd. But really, the biscuits weren’t so bad! I even ground up some uncooked quinoa to make my own flour. (We just got a Vitamix and I’m sort of in love with it). Next time I’d even add some wheat germ or flax seeds to add more nutrients in.  Most importantly though, it’s so easy to grab and go and keeps me satisfied until lunch.

Or, you could just eat the curd with a spoon. I won’t judge you.

Whole Wheat Biscuits
makes 5 large biscuits; adapted from food.com

1 c wheat flour
3/4 c old fashioned oats
1/4 c quinoa flour
2 T sugar
1 t baking powder
1/4 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1/4 c butter
2/3 c milk
2 t vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 450.
2. Mix dry ingredients together. Cut in butter until mixture resembles bread crumbs.
3. Combine milk and vanilla, then gradually add to dry mixture. Stir until a sticky mass has formed.
4. Lightly dust surface with flour and knead together just until dough comes together, no more than 4 turns.
5. Roll out to about 1″ thick and cut into rounds.
6. Bake for 15 minutes or until the tops start to brown. Optional: A couple minutes before the biscuits are done, drizzle honey on top and finish in the oven.

Grapefruit Curd

1/3 c sugar
2 large eggs
zest of 1 grapefruit
1/2 c grapefuit juice
3 T butter
2 T heavy cream

1. Over medium low heat, combine eggs, sugar, juice, zest, and cream.
2. Constantly stir mixture, making sure not to let the eggs scramble, until it starts to thicken, about 10 minutes.
3. Take off heat and stir in butter. Pour into container and let cool to thicken more.

Today’s Valentines pick is a cute and easy craft from Martha Stewart. Choose your favorite tea and replace the tag with your own heart + message.