the chirpy bird

2014-08-02T20:13:00.000-07:00

Some girls take hours to paint every nail
Fragrant as flowers, all powdered and prim and pale
But you are as wild as that wind-blown tree
As dark and as deep as the midnight sea
While they're busy dressing, you lie here, warm and bold
Some girls you picture, some you hold.

Some girls take courses at all the best schools in France
Riding their horses and learning their modern dance.
They're clever and cultured and worldly wise
But you see the world through a child's wide eyes.
Their dreams are grand ones, you want whats just in reach
Some girls you learn from, some you teach.

You are not small talk or shiny cars
Or mirrors or French Cologne
You are the river, the moon, the stars
You're no one else I've known.

Some girls take pleasure in buying a fine trousseau
Counting each treasure and tying each tiny bow
They fold up their futures with perfumed hands
While you dance the future with no demands
Some girls expect things others think nothing of
Some girls you marry, some you love.

Who? What? Where?

2011-08-08T10:48:00.000-07:00

I know, I know saying....

Who are you, again?

What the heck happened to you...?

AND Where the hell on Gods green earth have you been..?

Well I apologize, but firstly I must say 'thank you'. I've had so many kind emails from you asking how I am and why I've been completely MIA. Well here's what... I've always believed that unless you have something of value to say, it's probably best not say anything at all. With all the noise out there consisting of people speaking just to speak, sometimes it's nice to just be quiet and listen. To have your thoughts fully formed and digested before you start sharing them.

My summer so far has consisted of spending time with one of my best and most cherished friends, horse riding, white water rafting, hiking and enough awe inspiring nature to make you seriously contemplate what's truly important. When you take yourself out of city living for anything longer than what could be considered a vacation, all of the things that you think make you happy seem to take on different shapes and forms until you're left with a clear picture of what really lights you up and makes you tick.

Turns out it's what I've always thought it was, but in order for me to stay grounded it's important to actually live and practice those ideals, not just be aware of them. And let me tell you, it's a hell of a lot easier to practice them when all that excess is removed.

I've missed you, I'm so glad to be back and I'm so looking forward to sharing lots of fun, mouth watering, jaw dropping things with you! Hope you're having a fun summer/cozy winter, no matter where you are!

lots of chirpy love
t xxx

Hip Hip!!!

2011-05-02T10:41:00.000-07:00

I'm not shy. I'm not going to pretend like I'm one of those modest 'who cares' folks that doesn't make a big deal about it because that would be a lie... and I don't lie. Well, not since my mum told me she could see my nose growing if I ever fibbed.

I'm not coy about it or believe that today's just another day. It's not! Today, I'm stoked. The singing phone calls, the friends, the family, the cake, the cake, the cake. I have so much to be grateful for and on this day I want to spend it saying Thank You! Thank You for the friendships, for the support, for the ongoing love. Thank you for checking in with me when you haven't heard from me in a while, thank you for making me laugh. And laugh and laugh. But most of all, thank you for being you! If I could hand you a fork and a slice of cake right now I would. You've given me a kind space for my inner most thoughts and mundane musings and you've made me feel less alone even when I've actually wanted to be.

I can't help shake the feeling that there's so much to look forward to... and that just maybe, it's right around the corner!

HIP HIP and loads of chirpy birthday love to all of you!

xx t

To The Rescue

2011-04-25T09:39:00.000-07:00

What happens when you have a food blog and you get severe food poisoning? Nothing.... well nothing except saltine crackers, ginger ale and a whole lotta ugly.

It's been a few days and food is beginning to take on its appeal again. Well let me be clear, we're not entirely on good terms, there's some residual trust issues that have to be worked through, but I'm committed to getting things back on track. With all the nutritional elements found in these babies, consider bananas the yellow skinned cape wearing, "here I come to save the day" superhero of your digestive tract!

So in keeping with my current timid relationship with with food I decided to keep things as simple and digestible as possible, no real expectations other than health. What I didn't expect to discover was mind blowing deliciousness. Who knew something dairy free could be so creamy? Who knew that one ingredient could be so versatile? Added bonus being that you don't need an ice cream maker to make this baby. As long as you have a food processor or a blender, you're set!

Banana Almond Maple IceCream - sans the cream!
6 ripe bananas
1/4 cup of Grade B Organic Maple Syrup (honey or brown sugar depending on your taste preference)
2 Tablespoons Almond butter (or peanut butter)

Cut bananas into one inch slices and place in the freezer until solid (if using brown sugar douse banana in sugar before placing into the freezer).

Place banana slices into food processor and whip until smooth. Add your sweetener of choice if using honey or maple syrup and then your protein booster (almond or peanut butter). Continue to whip until fluffy and smooth.
Then enjoy all of the mood elevating and disbelieving notions of digesting something that isn't but seems just entirely too good to be true!

sending chirpy and healthy love to all of you!

xx t

on the inside.

2011-04-13T12:15:00.000-07:00

"What on Earth are you doing?" Were the words my mum uttered when she caught me in her bathroom vanity furiously covering my 6 year old sun kissed face with the heaviest foundation I could find.

"I hate my freckles, I don't want them anymore." I muttered through about 8 layers of caked on make up. This sudden self loathing was prompted by a boy from my neighborhood who had taunted me during my after school bike ride. Our neighborhood was divided into two child 'gangs', of course girls and boys being separated and vehemently despising one another. Think mini "Pink Ladies" against "Lord of the Flies". Every afternoon we would ride our bikes around the neighborhood and rile each other up, like some kind of miniature people turf war with little to no serious fall out. Except for today.

"Only boys have freckles."
"Yeah... boys!"
"That means you're a boy!"

All followed by rounds of laughter and pointing. I rode my ribbon clad, bell ringing bike home as fast as I could and bolted inside to rectify the problem. Only minutes later to be caught by my mum face deep in foundation in the midst of a "I hate boys, I don't wanna be a boy", break down.

This prompted a conversation about how beautiful she thought I was and that what's more important than anything else was being a kind, loving and generous person. "It's what's on the inside that counts Louie, don't ever forget that", she lovingly said as she removed the entire container of make up I had slapped on my face.

Of course she's right. Look at these Nutella Molten Lava Cupcakes... They might look like a regular chocolate cupcake with Nutella cream cheese frosting on the outside, but once you get to know them they'll knock your ever loving socks off!

Still.......I shoulda kicked that little twurp in the shins when I had the chance.

Nutella Chocolate Molten Lava Cupcake

1/2 cup of semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup of Nutella
1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream

1/3 cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder
1/3 cup of hot water
1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter
1 and 2Tablespoons sugar
2 large eggs room temp
1/2 Tablespoon of Vanilla extract
1/2 cup of sour cream room temp

In a small saucepan, heat cream until quite hot whisking to ensure that it never boils. Add chocolate and Nutella and whisk until smooth. Place in bowl and let sit in refrigerator until cool.

Preheat Oven to 350F. Line muffin tins with liners. Whisk together cocoa and hot water until smooth. IN another bowl sift flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

Melt butter with sugar in a saucepan over medium heat mixing to ensure that mixture is smooth. Once brought together add to electric mixer and whisk until cool which should take around 5 minutes, remember if mixture is too hot, the eggs will cook when you add them . Add eggs one at a time then Vanilla and cocoa mixture. Beat until fluffy. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture alternating with sour cream and ensuring that it is fully incorporated yet not over worked.

Add to muffin tins. Take chilled Nutella and chocolate mixture out of the refrigerator and scoop one heaped Tablespoon into the centre of each cupcake. Bake for around 18-20 minutes until Cupcakes have risen and the tops are cooked. Transfer onto wire racks and allow to completely cook before you even attempt to frost them!

Nutella Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz cream cheese at room temperature
2 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup of Nutella
1 Tablespoon of unsweetened Cocoa powder

Whip together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar and continue to mix until fully combined. Lastly, add Nutella and cocoa powder and whip until smooth. Please feel free to add more Nutella if your taste buds require it!

xo t

tuesdays tune...

2011-04-12T13:16:00.000-07:00

"My barn having burned to the ground, I can now see the moon."-Masahide

While one of my besties was in town we took a road trip up North to one of my favorite places on the planet, Big Sur. Fate would have it that there was torrential rain prior to our trip which caused mud slides both North and South of the Freeway entrance into Big Sur, which meant a complete detour through a National Park. Fate would also have it that because of this alternate route, Big Sur was completely deserted the entire weekend.....Who could imagine that Big Sur could become even more breathtaking? Just take a few extra tourists out and bingo!

From 2008-2009 almost 180 000 acres of Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park was burned to the ground. It's pretty unbelievable to still see the extensive damage that was done and even more amazing to witness the ability that nature has to readjust and rebuild itself so spectacularly.

When you're still in the midst of some pretty large life changes {like myself} it's nice to be reminded of what's possible, especially after what seems like such a loss.... Which in this case, looks a lot like an even brighter rebirth.

xo tash

You pick.

2011-04-11T09:44:00.000-07:00

What happens when your kitchen sink clogs? You call your landlord. What happens when your landlord has the thickest Lithuanian accent and zero boundaries with his tenants?......

Landlord: What's this Cockroaches in your sink everywhere?
me: Cockroaches?! What are you talking about Cockroaches? Where?!
LL: Here, here, here and here. These ones, everywhere!!!
me: Oh. They're Lavender flowers.......for the ice cream.
LL: ...........................................................................................................................................................................
me: ...............................................................................................................................................................What....?
LL: You cook too much.
me: I know.
LL: When's your birthday?
me: May.
LL: If you don't have boyfriend by your birthday, I buy you cat.
me: umm.....thank you, but I.....I..... don't really want a cat.
LL: You have to. It's boyfriend or cat. You pick.
me: Is that in my Lease?

Lavender Honey Ice cream
- adapted from The Perfect Scoop

1/2 cup of good quality honey
1/4 cup dried culinary lavender flowers
1 1/2 cups of 2% milk
1/4 cup of sugar
pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
5 large egg yolks

This recipe takes a little longer to make than regular ice cream, because it's all about infusing the lavender oils into the honey and then again into the custard. So with that in mind, heat the honey and 2 tablespoons of the lavender in a saucepan until the honey is warm. If your comfortable with your microwave feel free to warm it in there for a second and then allow it to sit for around a hour. Warm the milk, sugar and salt in a separate saucepan. Once warm pour into a large bowl and set strainer over the top. Pour lavender infused honey through strainer gently pushing flowers into strainer to extract as many oils as you can and discard used lavender flowers. In another bowl, whisk together the egg yolks until smooth. Add them to the warm milk mixture and then once that's combined, pour the entire uncooked custard back into the large saucepan. Stir constantly over medium heat until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon or spatula. If you have an instant read thermometer it should read between 170 - 175 F.

Pour the custard again through the strainer to ensure that you have a silky smooth custard and add cream and remaining lavender. Refrigerate overnight, allowing the lavender to make really great friends with the custard and the mixture to chill thoroughly. Sigh... I know.. Patience... What a bastard!
Think about waking up the next morning knowing you've got something fabulous waiting for you! All you have to do is strain the mixture again removing the steeped lavender and then follow your ice cream makers instructions. Voila!

I have a thing for culinary lavender. There's something about its delicate nature that makes it a little more refined than your average flavor additive. I always find myself sitting a little straighter and speaking a little softer when I'm consuming it. Like I would be if I were dining with Julie Andrews and lets be honest, who doesn't want to dine with Julie Andrews?

....Maybe that's what I'll name my new cat..... sigh.....

x tash

p.s. it feels good to be back. Oh how I have missed you all :)

An Ode to Besties Everywhere! x

2011-04-02T13:34:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in my last post I've had my bestie visiting from Australia, which explains why it's been so quiet around these parts lately {sorry my lovelies, I hope you forgive}. You see, this is really a once in a lifetime kinda trip for her and I as it won't be too long before she'll be in the family kinda way and I'll be welcoming a little troop of mini besties into the world. So her gorgeous hubs decided to stay at home {he knows how we get when we're together} to give us our last little hoorah, well for a while anyway.

- this will give you some idea of what we've been up to!

Music: Mango Tree by Angus and Julia Stone.

I hope everyone's lucky enough to have a love like this :) I'll see you next week for lots of fab recipes!

xo tash

butter me up

2011-03-15T16:14:00.000-07:00

This week is huge..

Two of my best friends on the planet are arriving in LA. One all the way from Australia and the other from Savannah. This next month is going to be filled with adventures, live music, road trips, loud/obnoxious gut busting laugher, lots of alcohol, food truck chasing and of course wine {I'm Australian and therefore make no apologies for doubling up on the upcoming alcohol and wine indulgence}. I feel like there's a massive space in my chest that's going to explode from all of the impending love and excitement. With all the devastation that's been happening world wide over the past few months, all I want to do is surround myself with the people that I love the most and this week I get a little taste of that.

So in keeping with the idea of surrounding myself with simple pure love, of course todays post is about butter. duh.

Here's a simple trick I use in my baking and cooking recipes just to up the flavor notch a little, or rather a whole lot. Make sure that if you try to incorporate this into your baking that the recipe calls for melted butter. If there's any whipping involved, the recipe won't work out.

I mean butter is wonderful on its own, but there's something extraordinary that happens to it after this process. All of a sudden it becomes a little nutty and far far more interesting. Which is kind of how I feel when I'm surrounded by these two beauties; a little nutty, and far far more interesting!

Thank GOD for girlfriends......girlfriends and browned butter.

Browned Butter
Heat your desired amount of butter {salted or unsalted} in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Wait until butter has melted completely and then keep and eye on it as this browning process will happen quite quickly. You'll see that the butter becomes a little speckled and has separated. Wait until the flecks are a deep golden brown and then transfer butter to a separate bowl to immediately stop the cooking process. The solids can burn quite easily.

lots of chirpy love,
xx t

p.s. I hope that you're surrounding yourselves with love and surrounding Japan with love and support too. No one can do everything, but everyone can do something.

berry patient

2011-03-11T14:39:00.000-08:00

"Patience is a virtue babe," my mum would say to a 6 year old mini me in her kindest yet slightly concerned voice, "and perhaps a virtue that could use a little work. Everything will work out the way it's supposed to 'Louie' {my families nickname for me} relax, what's the rush?"

This was usually said to me after hours of trying to perfect my pirouettes or grand jetes, exhausted and covered in blisters and bruises {baby black swan much?}. I was a very driven, hard working little girl who always had a very clear vision of what I wanted my adult life to look like. My mum was always a little taken aback by how entrepreneurial and dedicated I was to 'succeeding'.

As I have grown and my ideas of 'success' have changed and evolved, I am still hard wired certain ways for better or worse. When I decide upon something, I'm an all in, give it everything you've got and lets make it happen....fast kinda gal. Why wait when you know what you want?

Well 28 years has taught me that some things just can't be rushed. Like this ridiculous Berry Cinnamon pull-apart. I know I want it, it knows I want it, but still it has its own agenda. It has its own process that it has to undergo, kneading time {pun intended} and space to grow before it can become even close to ready for what I have in store for it.

That's the thing about patience, it's not about waiting so much, it's about being mindful and considerate of all of the elements that go into creating something that you want. Trusting that when you do the work and have a little bit of faith, circumstances will a-rise {again, with the bread pun} exactly the way they're supposed to.

I don't know what's in store for me in the larger sense but I do know what I'm hoping for.

Except this time around I'm trusting that all of the elements will come together for a sweet finish, the way they did for this ridiculously sweet bread.

Berry Cinnamon Pull Apart

Recipe Adapted from Joy the Baker

Copy the recipe above but make the following changes:

I didn't worry so much about making the squares even. I enjoy a more rustic looking loaf but that's just personal preference!
after adding cinnamon dough squares to buttered and floured bread pan add 1/2 cup of blueberries and raspberries. Stuff them in between folds and around pan.
sprinkle 1 tablespoon of oats on top once right before baking

Happy weekend my beauties, sending some chirpy love world wide.

~ t xo

snack on some sunshine

2011-03-09T16:20:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the late start today folks. The temperature today reached around the mid 80's...what? I know. It was only a couple of weekends ago that it actually snowed {ever so lightly but still, c'mon, snowed??} on the Hollywood sign. Okay Mother Nature we hear you... you're pissed. In other news, the fashion versatility has been quite liberating. A total Forest Gump fashion opportunity... "you never know what you're gonna get".

Today I decided to make a little picnic and head up to my favorite park to bask in the sunshine. One of my favorite things to bring to any snack, grub situation is hummus. It's healthy and when you make it yourself you can guarantee that there's no more than 7 ingredients in it. It also takes a shorter time for you to whip it up yourself than if you drive to the store and back again.

Here's how it's done. Don't blink though, you'll totally miss the entire 'elaborate' process.

Hummus - adapted from Ina Garten {who else}
1 garlic clove roughly chopped
2 10oz cans of good quality Garbanzo beans
1 1/2 teaspoons of Kosher salt
1/3 cup of Tahini
the juice of 2 smaller lemons
2 tablespoons of liquid from Garbanzo beans
8 dashes of hot sauce

Add all of the ingredients to your food processor attached with metal blade. Continue to puree until coarsely brought together. Taste for seasonings and feel free to add more lemon, hot sauce, salt or a touch of pepper. Enjoy room temperature or chilled with your favorite veggies or crackers.

If you can't get out in the sunshine yet, I hope you get some sunshine soon and when you do, make this part of your basking efforts!

~ t

savor

2011-03-08T07:53:00.000-08:00

“"Well," said Pooh, "what I like best -- "

...and then he had to stop and think. Because although eating honey was a very good thing to do, there was a moment just before you began to eat it which was better than when you were, but he didn't know what it was called.”

-Winnie the Pooh

There's a child like gratitude that comes from having the presence of mind to stop and find the wonder in something simple. That's what I hope for you today dear readers, that you manage to find a moment of pure joy and excitement in something small.

My first cup of English Breakfast tea with milk. Today I savored that pre sip moment just a little longer than usual.

Thanks for the reminder Pooh :)

x have a chirpy day my loves x

~t

first image via
second image via

pure gold

2011-03-07T11:30:00.000-08:00

Is he hip or is he homeless?

When you're living in super trendy East Los Angeles sometimes that's a valid question. Where the fashion is at times questionable and basic hygiene seems entirely optional, there have been times where you legitimately don't know.

Are you going to buy me a drink?... Or should I actually be buying you one?

To be honest, I've had better conversations with some of the homeless people in this area than half the men that are out and about sporting their distressed garb. We've discussed the relevance of Aristotle, debated the opposing fundamentals of Plato and then of course Justin Beiber {because who cares about anything else really} all while I'm reaching for whatever change I have left in my purse.

And sometimes, when I'm really lucky I'll find a little bar of gold.. At least that's where these guys got their name {yes judger, sometimes I carry cake in my purse}. "Financiers" were supposedly created in a Parisian Financial district and modeled in rectangular tins to replica little bars of gold. I decided to make mine in mini cupcake tins which I highly recommend. Made mostly out of almond meal and egg whites, it's a light and slightly chewy tea cake that really should be treated like the bar of Gold is was modeled after. Okay fine, it's a little bourgeois, but once you get past it's upperclass beginnings, you'll realize that it's just a fancy cupcake that really wants to live out its destiny by going mainstream.

Financiers
5 large egg whites
11 tablespoons of melted butter
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
87 grams of Almond Meal
50 grams of all purpose flour
185 grams of icing sugar

Preheat Oven to 350F
Yields around 36 mini Financiers
Generously butter mini cupcake tins but also feel free to use liners for easier cleaning and removal. Beat together egg whites until incorporated. Don't worry about stiff peaks or anything, as soon as you've created a few air bubbles that should do the trick. Then add remaining ingredients all bar raspberries. Mix until evenly incorporated. Add around two tablespoons of mixture to mini cupcake tins and place one raspberry on the centre of each mold. Bake for around 12 minutes until skewer comes out clean.
It doesn't get easier!

If only I could actually financially trade with these guys I'd be set! And so would my neighbors and half the homeless guys in my neighborhood.

Dedicated to John.

xo tash

Pleather and Potatoes...sweet.

2011-03-04T08:47:00.000-08:00

Through some strange twist of fate all of my beautiful and talented LA girlfriends {all bar one happily married lady} have managed to slip through Cupids clutches. There's a local trendy diner down the road from my house that's open until the wee hours of the morning, which is really in my opinion one of the best times to enjoy diner food anyway. There have been some {many} nights after enduring the wrath of the singles Hollywood nightlife, that we have found ourselves recoiling in one of their pleather booths retelling the candid happenings that the evening had bought about; goes something like this...

"no he didn't!"
"umm yes, yes he did."
"what do you mean?"
"he called me by his ex's name and then he cried in my mouth."
"...okay yeah....you're right, you win. I'm buying".

....all taking place over a round {or two} of Sweet Potato fries and buttermilk ranch dressing.

before oil and seasonings

There's something that happens to these sweet potatoes when they're subject to intense heat. Because of their high natural sugar content, the sugar in the vegetable caramelizes and you're left with soft centers and a crispy chewy shell... which pretty much sums up how we feel after nights like these.

nice and shiny after olive oil and seasonings

I prefer to bake them rather than fry them for the sheer health factor. Plus they're so delicious you seriously don't miss it. They're super simple to make and a wonderful treat to soothe the tired moral of the single troops.

Sweet Potato Fries - not fried.
3 Sweet Potatoes
teaspoon of kosher salt
teaspoon of pepper
olive oil

Preheat Oven to 400F
Peel the sweet potatoes and then slice into spears. Try to keep them all the same thickness, length of course will vary but continuity in the thickness is important to ensure that they all have relatively the same cook time. Place onto a large baking sheet. You want to ensure that the baking sheet isn't overcrowded as if so, the spears won't brown, but steam. Boo to steamed sweet potatoes. Drizzle with olive oil and mix with clean hands to ensure that each spear is coated. Sprinkle seasonings over sweet potatoes and place in hot oven. After around 20 minutes turn spears to ensure they get an even coloring. Cook for approximately another 10 minutes and place fries into a bowl with paper towel to absorb excess oil.

I'm sure I'll be seeing these sweet babies and that pleather booth this weekend...sigh.

Happy Friday beauties!

xo t

p.s. did you perform a random act of kindness? email me! I want to showcase a couple of bloggers and what you did and where! Let's encourage the kindness and show how easy it is.

Yes: to 'them'.

2011-03-03T13:10:00.000-08:00

aand it's time again for this weeks installment of say Yes... Except, this one's INTERACTIVE.

Okay, this time it's all about saying yes to strangers {no, not the creepers with candy, your mum was right about those guys}. I'm talking about random acts of kindness. I know it's all a little cheesetastic and Haley Joel Osment circa 2000 in "pay it forward" but still, I'm a big believer in it. It doesn't have to be elaborate {we're not all ballers like Oprah} it can be simple.

Whenever I'm out and about and there's parking meters, I usually like to check the cars around me to see if they're running out of time. If they are and I have some extra shrapnel, I'll throw some their way. Why not right? It's $ I'm not missing and there's nothing worse than coming back to your car to see that dreaded white envelope looming under your windscreen wiper. When I confessed this to my friend recently she pointed out that it's entirely illegal... Well that's some bullshiz. So, I'm certainly not saying that I did that 'today', I'm just saying that everyone parked around me for the next hour, was totally covered.

So whether it's a smile, a wave if someone lets you in line in horrid traffic, or a 'let me hold the elevator door for you'; your challenge today dear readers is to do one random act of kindness for a stranger, without the hope of anything in return. Here comes the interactive part - I want to hear about it! I'd love to feature a couple of bloggers, pics, stories, about their simple act of kindness.

It's not that you're going to necessarily change anyones life, that's not what it's about. Think of it as planting a seed of sorts. You have no idea what it could grow into, maybe nothing, but when you plant anything, there's always the chance of something. It's my belief that when you experience a small act of kindness from a stranger you feel a connectedness, that we're all a part of something bigger. Maybe if that starts to become a little more apparent, everyone will start to be more mindful of how we interact with one another...

...and wouldn't that be lovely?

xo tash

a sweet start

2011-03-02T09:43:00.000-08:00

This past year has been huge for one of my besties, the now Mrs Odette Annable. Not only did she say 'yes' to her real life leading man Dave Annable {that talented stud from tv show Brothers and Sisters, who were hitched in October} she also said 'yes' to FOX when they asked her to be one of their leading ladies on the new soon to be hit tv show, "Breaking In", premiering in April {also staring Christian Slater}.

So when she asked me if I would prepare something sweet for the cast and crew to celebrate the beginning of this new work chapter I said, "can't you go to Sprinkles"? Kidding! I said of course, of course!

This is another reason why I love my friend so much. Rather than being concerned with caloric consumption and one of the Atkins, Zone, sugar free, fun free diets that's out there, she's all about enjoying a balanced life style that includes the sweet stuff in life.

I put together a collection of my infamous Chocolate Chip cookies, Caramel Slice {the ones, The Mentalist Simon Baker loves}, Lemon Melts and some Coconut Madeleines.

Coconut Madeleines
1 stick of melted butter, now at room temperature
3 eggs at room temperature
2/3 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste
1 cup of all purpose flour
1/4 cup of cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/2 cup of sweetened coconut flakes

Preheat Oven to 375
Beat sugar, eggs and vanilla paste until light and fluffy {see above mixer pic for an idea of color and texture}. Once it's reached desired consistency and color, add butter. In separate bowl sift together dry ingredients bar coconut flakes. Fold in dry ingredients and once even, add coconut and continue to mix until evenly incorporated.

Spoon around 1 tablespoon of batter into Madeleine pan {shell should be almost full}. Rap baking sheet on tabletop to remove any air bubbles. Bake for around 10 minutes {depending on the size of your shell} or until batter springs back to the touch, turning half way through. Place on drying rack and allow to cool. Dust with confectioners sugar.

If you put these little shells up to your ear, you might think you can hear the rumbling of the ocean, but you'd be mistaken. It's actually your tummy waiting to devour this sweet little treasure and you'd be crazy not to do so! Hope you enjoy these as much as we did :)

xo t

spring

2011-03-01T08:59:00.000-08:00

Daisy: What kind of garden do you come from?

Alice: Oh, I don't come from any garden.

Daisy: Do you suppose she's a wildflower?

- Alice in Wonderland

I've been reliving all of the fantastical genius of Alice in Wonderland lately and yesterday on my hike {which was mostly spent taking these pics} I even bumped into this little guy..can you spot him?

I would've followed him too...

xo t

step one.

2011-02-28T09:18:00.000-08:00

They say the first step to recovery is admitting that you have a problem.

I have a problem.

And that problems name is, Nutella.

I have surprised many of my girlfriends with ways in which I manage to incorporate it into other foods to create new foods. What's sick, is that I actually get pleasure in knowing that I have passed on this addiction to said girlfriends. I feel less alone in my illness.

{Nilla wafers with Nutella & Strawberries, Nutella, Nutella and Banana}

I can't tell you how many nights I've come home after a dinner/drinks/date situation and taken the standby box of Nilla wafers out of my pantry and sandwiched them with a healthy dollop of Nutella. Instantly you're introduced to Oreo's sexier, blonde, foreign cousin and girls, let me tell you, he's AH-mazing.

So I decided to just embrace my addiction and take it to the next level. Ladies, Gents {okay, mainly ladies} allow me to introduce you to:

Nut-illa Ice-cream - {one more time for the cheap seats in the back} that's Nutella & Nilla Wafer Ice Cream folks!

Recipe adapted from Giada De Laurentiis
2 cups of whole milk
1 cup of heavy cream
1/2 cup of sugar plus 1/4 cup of sugar
4 egg yolks
1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste
1/2 cup of Nutella
1 cup of chopped Nilla wafers.

Whisk together milk, cream and 1/2 cup of sugar in saucepan over low heat until sugar has completely dissolved. In separate bowl whisk egg yolks with 1/4 cup of sugar until light and thick. Take 1/2 cup of warmed milk mixture and slowly add to yolks while continually whisking. Then take all yolk and milk mixture and add back to the milk mixture on stove and continue to whisk over the medium heat for around 10 minutes until it's thick and coats the back of the spoon. Add Vanilla bean paste and Nutella stirring until smooth.

Place strainer over bowl and pour custard mixture through strainer to ensure you're left with a silky consistency. Refrigerate until chilled. Then follow your ice cream maker instructions.

Fold in Nilla Wafers right before serving or placing in freezer. I like it all soft straight from the ice cream maker but if you like it frozen, you'll need to exercise your patience for another 2 hours {boo to that}.

enjoy!

xo tash

Hello, lover.

2011-02-25T09:47:00.000-08:00

Recent conversation between an ex and I:
him: You love to read. Have you read anything great lately?
me: ummmm, nothing I think you'd be interested in.
him: Oohhhhh!! Have you read 'Girl with the Dragon Tattoo?' It's seriously amazing.
me: .........................aaahhhh no...... I haven't..... BTW, don't tell anyone we EVER dated.

It's not that I have a problem with that book per say, just the fact that a dude, a dude I dated no less, called it "seriously amazing".

Cook books are my reading material of choice. No one dies, no one's getting their heart broken and I don't feel bummed about the fact that there really are no Vampires. The Cullens are not real. I usually wake up in the morning with the company of three different cook books in my bed {yes, I'm a Polyg-read-ist, don't judge}. The recipes marinate in my mind overnight and in the morning I usually wake with some kind of inspiration for the day. And then on special days like today, I'll wake up with a downright revelation.

It's cold. I feel like something sweet..... something chocolatey but warm....What about Hot Chocolate French Toast?... WHAT?! Am I crazy?! That can't be done! Oh, but YES it can....

But, how..?

...and that's why they pay me the big bucks folks {except for the fact 'they' don't.}

Double Chocolate Loaf
Firstly we need to start with a dense, ridiculously chocolatey loaf. Something that will hold up to all that vanilla custard and fried goodness. This is it! It's from my new favorite cook book Baked Explorations. Do yourself a favor, get this one asap. In the meantime, recipe found here.

Now, once you've made this little baby and it's cooled to room temperature, it's time to slice it. Remove the 'butts' of the loaf so that each slice has a moist exposed surface that's able to soak up all that custardy goodness. You should get around 8 - 10 slices of bread per loaf.

Hot Chocolate French Toast
6 eggs
1 1/2 cups of milk
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 bag of Large Marshmallows
1 cup of heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons of powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Unsalted butter
Vegetable oil

Preheat Oven to 250 degrees.

Place heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla in a bowl and lightly whisk until evenly incorporated and slightly thickened. Pour into your desired serving boat as this will be your substitute for traditional Maple Syrup.

Whip together eggs, milk and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Place as many slices of the loaf into shallow dish with custard mixture and allow to soak in for around 5 minutes turning once. Heat one tablespoon of butter and one tablespoon of vegetable oil in pan and place soaked bread onto hot skillet. Cook on each side for around 2-3 minutes until crisp and toasty. Place toast on baking sheet in oven until you've finished cooking the entire loaf.

When everything is toasty and delicious, cram as many Marshmallows as you can on top of each slice {I can safely fit around 9, remember they will expand} and place back into the 250 oven for around 5 mins until they get all puffy. Take them out and then blaze with your trusty kitchen torch! If you don't have a kitchen torch, never fear, just place the chocolate toast under your broiler until Marshamallow's are puffed and caramelized on the outside.

Drizzle with vanilla cream...

I'm not playing... this ones a life changer. If you've never made any of my recipes before, you just have to try this. Except you Jeanette, I'm still working on a Gluten recipe for you :)

Happy weekend beauties! Hope it's filled with a sweet love that fills you like this one did this morning!

xo t

YES! get lost

2011-02-24T11:10:00.000-08:00

"The easiest way you can tell yourself what you're worth, is by what you say 'yes' to. The easiest way you can tell your body what it's worth, is by what you put into it."

You might remember last week after doing that interview over here, I mentioned that I would dedicate one day a week to celebrating something that I'm saying yes to...here's to:

Getting lost....ALONE!

Okay, don't freak out. Breathe...

I'm not talking all extreme style like Emile Hersch in "Into the Wild". I'm talking about finding something that envelops you, something that you can dive into without consideration for anyone else.

{note reading a book alone in a bath = good, reading a book entitled "help your husband get ahead = not so good"}
So to answer your question, no Friday and Saturday nights binge drinking don't count and neither does Sunday's food feast after you realize he never asked for your number {it's okay, we've aaaall been there haha}. Nor does copious amounts of The Real Housewives franchise or being alone in the car for 5 mins while you run yourself ragged for friends and family. I'm talking about something that you can metaphysically plug yourself into. Just. For. You.

Here's some of my guidelines:

It's something you should be doing entirely for yourself that's egoless. If you're waiting for someone else's approval , a pat on the back or their direct input then that's not what I'm talking about.
In an ideal world you need to do it a couple of times a week and here's the kicker, not feel guilty about it!
It should feel like you're completely alone even if you're in a room filled with 100's of people.

For me this looks like:

Mediatation
Dancing alone like a psycho in my living room {I know, I apologise downstairs neighbor if you're reading this}
Yoga
Running/walking
Cooking myself dinner and eating it alone with no TV

See, here's my theory. When you're alone and not only are you okay with being alone, but you actually enjoy your own company, there's a stillness that comes from wholeheartedly embracing who you are as an individual. The strength that comes from such stillness infiltrates every aspect of your life. People resist being alone all the time and sometimes without even knowing it, it's their greatest fear. I get it, I do. We can hide behind the "I'm just more of a people person", "I'm too busy", but that unconsciousness can get you into a whole lot of trouble when you say yes to people and situations to avoid confronting that fear. It might feel a little strange at first but I promise you after a while, it will become extremely liberating.

So, chickadees I ask you, when's the last time you were alone and still with yourself? More importantly what are you waiting for? Take yourself on a date! Not only are you a really really good time, you really are fantastic company... but you don't need me to tell you that, go find out for yourself!

xo chirps
1/2/3/4/5

oh doughn't be so difficult

2011-02-23T16:31:00.000-08:00

I decided to make a quiche. Easy. Simple. Quick.

Lies. Lies. Lies.

Firstly, this shortcrust pastry was like a difficult relative. Someone you love and have history with but no matter how hard you try, they just aren't interested in getting along with you. In fact, the harder you try to make it work, the worse the outcome. {I'm suddenly feeling nostalgic for the Holidays haha}

I'll give you the recipe but be warned lovelies, I wouldn't go out of your way to try it. The filling is absolutely delish though and if you want to make it, just substitute the shortcrust pastry for some fabulous store bought puff pastry available in your frozen section {don't forget to blind bake that though}.

Rosemary Shortcrust Pastry
5 tablespoons of unsalted butter
1 teaspoon of Rosemary finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon of salt
one egg yolk
1/2 cup of wholemeal flour
1 cup of all purpose flour
1-2 teaspoons of water

Preheat oven to 350.
Whip together room temperature butter and rosemary until light and fluffy. Add egg yolk and whip until completely incorporated. Then add remaining ingredients on slow until barely brought together. If you can make a fist with your dough batter, it can be bought together on a floury board.

If you can't, you'll need to adjust the amount of water you add. Add more flour if it's too wet, or more water if it's too dry. Either way, it shouldn't be sticky whatsoever.

Bring together on lightly floured board and then make a flat disk. Place in plastic wrap and allow to sit in your refrigerator for at least an hour until fully chilled.

Once chilled, roll out to fit your desired pie tin, line with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dry beans and cook for around 20 mins in 350 preheated oven until lightly browned.

Mushroom Goat Cheese Filling
2 tablespoons of Olive Oil
3 Portobello mushrooms
handful of Crimini mushrooms
1/2 large yellow onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
3 eggs slightly beaten
2/3 cup of milk
1 teaspoon of freshly grated nutmeg
salt and pepper
5 oz of crumbled goat cheese

In a saucepan, heat olive oil and begin to saute onion until translucent. Add mushrooms and continue cooking until the flavors have been developed and they become tender. Add garlic and cook for another couple of minutes until it becomes aromatic. Take off of heat and allow to come to room temperature.
Whisk together all remaining ingredients bar goats cheese.

Layer mushrooms, onions and garlic on the bottom of the pastry and then pour egg custard over mushrooms. Take goats cheese and crumble over the top of custard. Place in the 350 preheated oven for around 35 - 40 minutes until egg mixture has set.

I must admit, the aromas are pretty AH-mazing!

Hope your day was filled with something gorgeous, simple and delicious.

xo t

love fest

2011-02-23T07:55:00.000-08:00

this is just a quick shout out to my bestie... or 'wife' as we call each other :)

We've known each other for almost 20 years.

We've been through it all together....we've been mugged in Disneyland, chased by a pimp down Sunset Blvd {story for another time perhaps?}...and we may have even 'crashed' a wedding or two {see bride above}.

We live in separate countries but she is and will always be one of the great loves of my life.

Happy Birthday Wife!!! I can't wait for our girly adventure to begin in a couple of weeks.

♡

See you later on you gorgeous people with some delicious savory goodness...
{I hope I didn't lose you on the savory part....hehe}

xox t

remember...

2011-02-22T11:17:00.000-08:00

Alice: I simply must get through!

Doorknob: Sorry, you're much too big. Simply impassible.

Alice: You mean impossible?

Doorknob: No, impassible. Nothing's impossible.

~Alice In Wonderland

Remember that, friends.

xx t

ahh speaking of remembering, I should remember to quote my photographic source...eeeekk.

shots on me

2011-02-21T13:13:00.000-08:00

This weekend is was uncharacteristically rainy in LA and rather than going out to one of our fav local hotspots in Hollywood, I decided to stay in with my girlfriends and create the perfect shot... Let me warn you, I'm not much of a drinker. In fact I'll just be completely honest and say I'm hopeless. But I did create a shot that I could down with the best of them, time and time again.

A pie shot.

Yes, that's right, I said pie shot.

I introduced those drunkin berries to an amended version of the graham cracker recipe and let me tell you, it was perfection. These shooters were the perfect combination of jammy goodness with a crunchy sweetness to top it off. They will absolutely be making many appearances in the future!

Drunkin' Berry Pie Shots

{see TCB's drunkin' berries recipe}

Fill miniature souffle cups 3/4 way full with drunkin berry mixture.

Graham Cracker Topping

{see TCB's graham cracker recipe}

add 1/4 cup of packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup of slithered almonds

1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

Rather than rolling out the dough, bring it together with your hands and crumble mixture on top of your drunken' berries. In a preheated 350 degree oven, bake for around 15 to 20 minutes until drunken berries thicken and get nice and jammy and cookie chunks turn a deep golden brown color.

That's my kind of shot!

xo tash

Move It

2011-02-17T14:15:00.000-08:00

Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and right doing, there is a field. I'll meet you there. - Rumi

Today is the second installment of the interview that I did over at Tame Your Mind Monkey, all tackling the delicate topic of finding balance.

One of the key factors that aids me in finding my own balance is moving my body. Apart from the benefits of working off the obscene amount of food I have coming out of this itty bitty kitchen, it's the peace of mind and clarity that comes with burning off excess energy that I'm really after. Suddenly the 'white noise' is separated from what truly matters and when that happens, it's a hell of a lot easier to navigate my way through the day.

This is one of my favorite things about Los Angeles, the hiking. Living right under the Hollywood sign means it's pretty easy for me to access some of the greatest hikes in this city and I really try to make the most of it. Especially on days like today where it's just so beautiful that it's easy to forget that you're actually in LA....well perhaps if it wasn't for the massive white sign giving it away of course!

There's a horse stables up here too, so I spend most of my mornings running with these guys by my side.

After some windy trails, steep inclines and spectacular scenery, I'm always relieved to make it to my marker.

In a town where everyone's trying to "make it", it's nice to know that I do. At least 4 times a week anyway. :)

Now head over HERE to check out the second installment of the interview! Hope you're having a gorgeous day filled with all the balance, peace and clarity you desire.

xx tash