BERRY PAVLOVAS

RECIPE LOVE

How delicious do these pavlovas with berries from Noble Pig look? Almost like berries floating on little clouds. This would be the perfect summer dessert, I can't wait to make this. Find the whole recipe: HERE :)

(photos from Noble Pig) 

HUNGER GAMES

Grilled Zucchini Ribbon Salad recipe: here

Ok. I'm hungry. Don't get me wrong, the juices have been great but I'm sick of drinking. I'm not thirsty. At all. I'm hungry...but I'm also determined not to break this juice fast. So instead of eating food I have been looking at all the delicious things I would love to eat online. Torturous? Yes. But in a small way it makes me feel a little better. So I have to share with you some of the things I've found. Starting with a couple salads. These salads look simple to make and so delicious. They would be perfect for lunch or a light dinner.  Enjoy —seriously, because I can't :( 

Tomato Salad with fresh ricotta and grilled bread. Recipe found: here

(Photos & recipes from Proud Italian Cook  and Alexandra's Kitchen)

AMERICAN GIRL GOES TO CHINA TOWN

Last weekend my new friends Jenny and Jerry took me to one of LA's "China Towns", and it was awesome.  I've been to the Chinese markets in NY and San Fran and it was nothing like either one. It was almost like a strip mall of asian stores with a gigantic grocery filled with extremely affordable yummy goodies I have never seen before.  Here are a few pictures from the day: 

For lunch we had Vietnamese pho - a type of noodle soup with fresh vegetables and meat. It was delicious. Mine came with thin slices of raw beef on the side, when you put them in the soup they cooked perfectly. This gigantic bowl was only 6 dollars and could have fed at least two people. 

An entire aisle filled with hundreds of different types of ramen! All a dollar or less. A college kids dream!

This tubed mayonnaise made me laugh.

I had never tried dragon fruit before and I loved it.

Fresh fish, crab, and shell fish. 

So many types of nooodlesss. And pretty pink packaging :)

I can't wait to go back!!!!

PS- yes, I did get strange looks taking so many pictures in grocery store. 

LAST MINUTE VALENTINES GIFT

Still no Valentines Day gift for you significant other? Why not wake them up with a homemade breakfast? Try these: Raspberry Chocolate Chip Pancakes from Joy the Baker. Click the link to see the recipe. 

(photo from here)

SWEETS FOR YOUR SWEET

I secretly love Valentines Day. So many people see it as a "Hallmark" holiday or a bad excuse to eat candy and buy overpriced roses. I see it as an opportunity to share a nice meal or a fun evening with a person you care about, whether that be a boyfriend, husband, friend or family member. To me, Valentines Day is just a great excuse to celebrate the bond you share with someone. You don't have to give over the top gifts or go to a fancy dinner, in fact sometimes the smallest gestures are the nicest. So why not make something yummy for the special person/people. Pick their favorite dessert or try one of these: 

Chocolate Pudding Pie

Recipe from Smitten Kitchen found: here

Cheesecake

Try 1 of 26 Cheesecake recipes from Martha Stewart: here

Vanilla Bean and Cocoa Nib Meringues 

Recipe from Joy the Baker found: here

Flan

Recipe found: here

Guinness Chocolate Pudding

(just because it looks so cool and has NOTHING to do with the day haha)Recipe found: here

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Instructions found: here

Jacques Torres Chocolate Chip Cookies

New York Times best cookie recipe found: here

SLEEPY SUNDAY

Today was a sleepy kind of Sunday. I got to sleep in, walk Ernie, hang out by the pool, and watch movies with my boyfriend. It wasn't a very productive but it gave me a good chance to find some good posts from around the web to share with you. Enjoy!


This Lasagna looks delicate and delicious. I can't wait to try making it (without the veal)

A way to improve your relationship in 5 min . I don't know if I could do this but it's an interesting concept.

Some pretty flats for spring!

Somewhere I would rather be. LOVE the pool.

Tutorial for the ultimate fishtail braid, mine always end up lopsided :(

SMASH is an awesome new show produced by Steven Spielberg.

Check out how this elephant got contact lenses. Amazing.

In honor of Valentines Day, the 25 most romantic movie quotes.

(photo from my private collection of Ernie photos)