Bar Cart Essentials

I'm thrilled to tell you all that I joined the cool kids clubs and got myself a pretty awesome vintage bar cart. I had wanted one for a while, but wasn't ready to shell out mega bucks and I hadn't come across THE one till now.  I stumbled upon this one up top via Etsy and my jaw just dropped. It's in impeccable condition and was a steal at $350.00! And it also came with a bonus matching serving tray! I pretty much have a ton of bar accessories already that I've been collecting over the years, but a little update here and there cant hurt can it. :)

1. Vintage Bar Cart (Purchased here, Similar one here)
2. Hudson Baby Bourbon Whiskey (currently my Husband's favorite)
3. Tito's Handmade Vodka (my favorite)
4. Lillet Rosé Aperitif (my absolute favorite nightcap)
5. Pellegrino Mineral Water
6. C Wonder Pineapple cocktail stirrers
7. C Wonder Rocks Glass
8. C Wonder Highball Glass
9. Jonathan Adler Coasters
10. Vintage tray (perfect for displaying lemons and limes)
11. Mr. Ice Bucket

Apartment lust

Just thought I'd share with you some apartment eye candy. This is the old clock tower in Dumbo Brooklyn that's been remodeled into an incredible huge 6,813 square foot penthouse with 360 degree views. Just a cool 18 million. A girl can dream...

Currently Lusting

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I'm already thinking of summer brights, and cheeky swimwear. I just love all these items!

Etsy Round Up

One of my favorite things to do is browse Etsy for hrs on end. I love coming across new designers, and artists. These items are just a few of what I'm lusting after right now. Do you guys have any awesome Etsy shops to share?

1. HoneycombStudio
2. Taylor Crafts
3. Handmade by Me Shop
4. Rouge & Co
5. Eastwitching

Life Lately...

Beautiful spring blooms that stayed fresh and beautiful for 8 days! 

(tips to come)

Made a loaf with the leftover pulp from a juice this weekend.

(How to coming soon!)

My new vase (purchased here) matches so perfectly with my new

spring nail colors.

These shoes are making my feet very happy!

My Notebooks are available for sale here!! 

 Still day dreaming of life in Mexico, Take me back!

What are all of my lovely readers up to lately? I would love to know!

P.S. I think I may have a giveaway in the works soon! Stay tuned!!

Spring Shrimp Salad

So here's how Saturday went: We wake up after a long night of picking up our little dog from my parents on LI. He was staying with them while we vacationed in Mexico. Mexico, as amazing as it was has left me feeling, bloated, fat, sluggish, and everything that pounds of guacamole, rice, and mimosas will do to you after 4 days of indulging in the sun. So we made a pact to get back on track before it gets any worse. We started the morning with fresh juices, then I made some muffins with the pulp for a snack (no sugar added just 2 medjool dates for sweetness) and then this salad for lunch. It was light, and crisp. The perfect spring salad. It also satisfied us enough that a little snack was sufficient enough for dinner. You can also sub the shrimp for chicken (my husband needs to watch his cholesterol so it's a good option). I hope you enjoy it!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups cooked and peeled shrimp
1 1/2 bags fresh spinach
1/4 cup whole walnuts
1 orange peeled and cubed (you can also use a mango with is amazing as well!)
1 avocado cubed
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
crushed red pepper (to taste)
Blue Cheese (as much as you like!)
Cooked Quinoa (see cooking direction here)

Directions:
Marinate the shrimp in lemon, crushed red pepper, and cilantro for about 20 min. Toss  the shrimp and everything else together adding the avocado and blue cheese last. Top with warm fluffy quinoa, and a little dressing. My friend Annie's (of All Natural Annie) husband introduced me to his homemade dressing which is similar to this one and it is just perfect for this salad!

Remeber that time...

Sooooo remember that time I said I really didn't want to leave the city and buy a house in the burbs? I said that here. Well.....I take it back....I think.... I mean these images make me reeeaaallllly crave a bigger space. So now I think we need a house. My poor husband is going to go crazy with how fickle I am. Please tell me I'm not the only one?!?

Color Crush

 {all images via pinterest}

 Totally crushing on these super bright mixes. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend! xo

Like Velvet

I love these Nars Velvet lip pencils. I picked a few up to play around with, and after a few days of wearing them I can say I'm a huge fan. It's crazy how smooth they make my lips feel. The color lasts a decent amount of time. I can eat and my lips are still stained so that's a plus. These are my three favorites right now.

P.S. I've gotten 2 compliments on the street while wearing Dragon Girl. I guess that color is a winner!

Easy "Beignets" with Pear Compote

These are the easiest little treats ever to make! They seem super fancy but really they are just deep fried Pillsbury biscuits! The pear compote is also super easy and works well on any breakfast really. Try it in Oatmeal, on Pancakes, French Toast, waffles... the list goes on. Here's how I whipped these up...

For the "Beignet"
Ingredients:
1 roll of Pillsbury buttermilk biscuit dough
Oil for frying (I didn't measure, I just put enough so they would not touch the bottom of the pot)

For the Pear Compote:
2 large ripe pears peeled and chopped
3 tbs water
1/4 cup good maple syrup
2 tbs dark brown sugar (if you don't have this any sugar will work)
Cinnamon to taste
Nutmeg to Taste

Directions:
Put all the ingredients for the pear compote in a small pot and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer cover and cook for about 10-15 min checking to see how soft the pears are. When they pears are soft and almost mushy take a potato masher and give them a quick mash in the pot. Cook for another 5 min adding more syrup if needed for taste. Set aside and let cool. Pour the oil in a deep pot till it's it very hot (not boiling). Pop open the Pillsbury dough and cut each one in half leaving them attached half way. Spoon in a drop of the pear compote (not too much). Fold the dough over and pinch to secure. Using a mesh ladle submerge each dough ball in the oil, it will rise to the top (cook them on low or med low depending on your stove). Flip them over when they look golden brown (about 1-2 min on each side) remove from the pot to a paper towel lined plate and sprinkle with powered sugar or cinnamon sugar and enjoy!

Spring Blues

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   I'm typically not a blue girl but lately I've been having a major crush on blue tones!

Chicken and Quinioa Lettuce wraps

This is such an easy, delicious and healthy dinner or lunch. Even my Italian pasta loving husband raved about it. It's just the right amount of spicy and sweet and has some yummy hidden flavors.

Ingredients:

• 2 Boneless chicken breasts chopped very small
• 1 cup of minced baby bello mushrooms
• 1/3 cup crushed sliced almonds (I used honey roasted)
• 1 small white onion chopped
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• Crushed red pepper (to taste)
• Salt (to taste)
• 1/3 cup Honey
• 1 cup Trader Joe's Soy Ginger Vinaigrette
• 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce (separated into two 1/4 cup measurements)
• 2 tbs Olive oil
• 1 Cup Quinoa (See cooking directions at the end)

Directions:
In a ziplock bag toss the chopped chicken breast with the garlic, salt, crushed red pepper, honey, 1/4 cup soy sauce, and soy ginger vinaigrette. Let it sit for about 10 min. In a skillet heat the olive oil on medium, saute the onion till it turns clear. Add the mushrooms and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add the entire contents of the ziplock bag along with the left over 1/4 of soy sauce. When the chicken is almost done add the crushed almonds. Adjust with more pepper flakes, salt or soy sauce depending on taste. Serve warm over crisp lettuce leaves and top with warm cooked quinoa. Enjoy!

Quinoa cooking directions:
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water

Bring two cups of water to a boil, add the quinoa and reduce temperature to a low simmer. Cook for 12-15 min. Remove from heat and let it sit for 5 min. For this recipe I added nothing I wanted it plain with the chicken, but you can add anything you like to quinioa, garlic, onions, black beans (my husbands favorite) you can even use it as rice for stir fry (my favorite!).