simply vicky | a food and fashion blog

Grilled Yellowtail (Hamachi Kama)

2013-01-16T00:35:00.003-05:00

Fresh seafood is one of my favorite things in the world. Lobster, crab, shrimp, oysters (especially oysters!) - you name it, I love it! I am heading to Chicago this weekend for a bridal shower, and on the top of my Windy City To Do List is eat at Mariscos El Veneno, a Mexican seafood restaurant that one of my best friends swears by. I figure if I'm a fan of Mexican food and a fan of

BB Cream - My Latest Skincare Obsession

2013-01-09T23:22:00.000-05:00

I admit it: I'm a skincare addict. Growing up and throughout my high school days, I was a Clean & Clear junkie. When I started college and was barely making minimum wage, the one thing I would splurge on was skincare products. As I moved into the young professional working life, I also moved through quite a few obsessions with several skincare lines: Clinique, Jurlique, Shu Uemura, and a

Spicy Szechuan Eggplant with Minced Pork

2013-01-08T00:00:00.000-05:00

Before we get into the specifics of this dish, let me just say: I really, really, really love spicy food. When I was in college, my equally spicy-food loving roommate and I would add some form of spice (red pepper, hot peppers, Sriarcha, you name it!) to everything we cooked. Luckily, this habit has calmed down a little for both of us over the years, but I would say more often than

New Year, New Beginnings

2013-01-03T00:00:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year! There's something so satisfying about starting a new year: Clean slate, clean calendar, clean house (working on it)! Every January or so, I try to make a few loose resolutions in the spirit of the new year. I say "loose" in the sense that they are less tangible than your typical resolution - I hate assigning hard numbers (ie: save 10%, read 2 books a month) because

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

2012-10-29T10:57:00.002-04:00

Hi everyone, it's me, Rachel again! Since Victoria is still out on her Asia World Tour, I thought I'd stop by for yet another delicious dessert. Can you believe how quickly October is flying by? I hope that the pace slows down because I love everything about this time of year and I want to savor it all. The leaves have finally turned to a beautiful fall color scheme of red,

New Delhi, India

2012-10-20T01:29:00.000-04:00

Hello from Delhi!

M&M Blondies

2012-10-17T13:22:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone! I’m Rachel and I'm back with another sweet treat to share. I heard the most awful statement at work the other day. One of my co-workers said that she hates blondies. HATES. I couldn't believe it. First, I can't imagine using such a strong word to describe anything classified as a dessert. I hate traffic. I hate waking up in the morning. I hate when my husband says our

Caramelized Onions with Gruyere Cheese over Crackers

2012-10-15T00:15:00.002-04:00

Happy Monday! Hard to believe it, but we're already halfway through October! This weekend, I came to terms with how fast Fall is flying by when I found myself purchasing my first sparkly holiday dress of the season. That, coupled with the fact that by the time I get home from my whirlwind trip across India, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Korea, it'll already be November...which means

Lately

2012-10-11T22:50:00.000-04:00

Happy Friday, folks! Sorry for the mini absence this week...the change in seasons has gotten the best of me, and I've been in full nesting mode. The drop in temperature (32 degrees this morning!) has me going to bed earlier and waking up later...and spending lots of time snuggled on my couch under piles of blankets, watching a little too much Fall TV (X Factor, anyone?). It's

Wedding Weekend

2012-10-09T00:05:00.001-04:00

A group of us traveled down to St. Louis, Missouri over the weekend to attend the black tie nuptials of the newly Mr. and Mrs. Ryan Maher! Our trip to St. Louis started with a tour of the Anheuser Busch brewery... Followed by an extravagantly surreal 1001 Arabian nights-themed rehearsal dinner...

A St. Louis Weekend

2012-10-05T00:30:00.001-04:00

This year's wedding season wraps up for me this weekend in St. Louis. This year has been filled with friends and family saying "I do," and I'm sure this weekend's black-tie affair will be the perfect way to cap off the season. In blog news, I'm so excited to announce that Rachel will now be a regular guest blogger for Simply Vicky! Her pumpkin bread was a big hit earlier this week, and

Pumpkin Bread

2012-10-03T00:00:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone and a very happy Fall to you all! I'm Rachel, and I'm back to satisfy your sweet tooth with a classic staple in my fall repertoire- pumpkin bread. I can't think of a better way to usher in fall than with the aroma of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves wafting through your kitchen. I have not always been on the pumpkin bandwagon. Pumpkin pie was always something that I passed

Yaki Onigiri (Grilled Rice Ball)

2012-10-02T00:00:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite things to do is browse food blogs (surprising, right?). I recently discovered Just One Cookbook a few weekends ago, and I have been obsessed ever since. Nami (the author behind this blog) is an extremely talented cook who specializes in quick and easy Japanese food. I love Japanese food, but I have always found the cuisine a little daunting, but luckily she makes

Wise Words

2012-09-28T09:32:00.001-04:00

Happy Friday! I came across this quote in Pinterest and I love the simple message behind it. Remove ego and desire to achieve happiness? Sounds simple enough! This weekend is filling up quickly but in a good way! I've got drinks with a friend tonight, a football themed birthday on Sunday, and I am planning on squeezing in a Costco trip with a friend (buying things in bulk is a big 'yes'

How To: Make Your Own Marinara Sauce

2012-09-26T00:00:00.000-04:00

The "How To" series is back! I kicked off this kitchen basics series with How To: Caramelize Onions, and I hope you did a little caramelizing of your own. It's a great way to use up those onions and to add a little fancy flavor to your pastas and soups! The series continues today with one of my favorite cooking basics: Homemade Marinara. Making your own marinara sauce is something I wish

Hello, Fall

2012-09-24T00:26:00.000-04:00

This weekend was the first time where I could no longer brush off the drop in temperature. One too many times, I found myself sneaking in a few extra minutes under my covers before getting out of bed in the morning. While Fall is my favorite season of the year, the initial transition weeks are always a little hard for me as it means saying goodbye to shorts and flip flops, summer half

A Doggone Weekend

2012-09-21T00:00:00.000-04:00

This weekend, I'm looking forward to puppy sitting my friend Brian's two little ones! Gracie and I can't wait to have two additional fur balls hanging out with us...and I can only imagine what my 700 square foot apartment will look like after the three of them romp around for days on end to their little puppy hearts' content... And for all you Columbus locals, my friend

A Spotty Wednesday

2012-09-19T00:00:00.000-04:00

Madewell navy dress / J Crew iPhone cases / Old Navy flats / J Crew green cashmere sweater / J Crew silk tie / Madewell bowtie / Madewell notebook Something about polka dots always seems to put me in a cheery mood...all the more reason to sneak a little dotted happiness into every facet of your Fall wardrobe - including your man's! I'll admit, I enjoy coordinating his & her outfits a

End-of-Summer Heirloom Tomato & Basil Pasta

2012-09-17T00:00:00.000-04:00

With the weather starting to cool down here in the Midwest, I thought it was only fitting to create one last summery pasta dish. Summer's freshest vegetables take center stage in this dish, and the only cooking you'll need to do is boil the pasta...the rest takes care of itself! I feel a little silly for posting this "recipe" but sometimes simplicity is bliss. So, gather your last

Worry Free Weekend

2012-09-14T00:00:00.000-04:00

I don't know about you, but I'm definitely guilty of this, one too many times. Here's to a lovely, worry free weekend! xoxo Keep up with Simply Vicky on Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest

Things I Love Thursday: Fall TV Lineup

2012-09-13T00:00:00.000-04:00

One of my coworkers today showed me this Fall TV Lineup "cheat sheet" she made...and I must say, I was very amused, a little horrified, but overall extremely impressed and excited for a new season of TV! I highlighted my "can't miss" shows in pink and I can't wait to get my DVR queued up and ready to go! Which shows are you most excited for? The country loving girl in me is just

Sweater Shopping

2012-09-12T00:00:00.000-04:00

I'm loving this animal sweater trend for Fall! It's a little edgy, a little preppy, and somehow very chic all at once. And while Kate Bosworth's Burberry sweater may be a little out of my price range at $1,295, Target, Madewell, and J. Crew each have their own version, with much more friendly price points. I have a feeling I'll be wearing these and the many other variations that are

Currently Reading: The Defining Decade

2012-09-11T00:00:00.000-04:00

I've been doing a lot of self-reflection lately, and I could not have been happier when Rachel (from yesterday's chocolate chip pudding cookie post!) recommended this book to me - The Defining Decade, by Meg Jay. I spent the majority of my Sunday afternoon at Barnes and Noble poring through this book. It offers a lot of great insight and tidbits of advice and theories that are applicable to

Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies

2012-09-10T08:07:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone! My name is Rachel and I'm so excited to be sharing one of my most coveted and beloved cookie recipes to Simply Vicky readers. Cookies are one of my favorite recipes to experiment with. They are quick, easy, and the variations are endless! Despite the fact that my pinterest "Cookies" board is multiplying with recipes to test (I recently found this - amazing idea!), I find myself

Happy Weekend

2012-09-07T00:00:00.000-04:00

Happy weekend, everyone! I've been on a bit of a cleaning spree recently and I'm looking forward to spending some quality time this weekend cleaning, purging and re-organizing my apartment (and my life!). I'll also be stopping by a friend's house for a girly little baking session for another guest post collaboration that I can't wait to share with you guys. Hope you all have a lovely