newbies

I'm not sure how many of you were up for the big wedding last night/early this morning... I was not one of them. I am well rested and perfectly happy just looking at a couple of the pics from the event. My overall thoughts:

• Great dress-Classic and elegant
• Holy hats!
• Tasteful first smooch...

But the best part is the little girl in the photo! haha That is the same reaction I have to all this hype!

Moving on...

I have picked a couple fabulous recipes to conjure up this weekend. I hope I can make them taste as good as they look- because I'm pretty freaking excited for some brand new eats! For breaky, the bird and I have chosen 1 (of many!) delicious looking buckwheat bakes from The Edible Perspective. Her blog is awesome! Tons of good recipes and house tips, which is a major plus since the bird and I are in the market! :)

Her food always looks so good... how could I not want to make this myself?!

Oatmeal Pumpkin Bake [serves 1]

• 1/3c rolled oats
• 1/4c pumpkin
• 1/2 banana
• 1 flax egg
• 1T chia seeds
• 1/4t baking powder
• 3T unsweetened almond milk
• 1/2T vanilla extract
• 1t cinnamon
• 1/4t ginger
• pinch of nutmeg/cloves/all spice
• 2T nuts [optional]

1. Preheat oven to 350*
2. Whisk flax egg together and set aside for ~3-5min.
3. In a small bowl mash banana until egg-like.
4. Mix in almond milk, pumpkin, + vanilla with a fork.
5. Mix in rolled oats, spices, baking powder, and chia seeds.
6. Mix in flax egg.
7. Lightly grease a small oven-safe dish, add mixture, smooth, and bake for 30 minutes. [I used a personal size soup crock ~2” deep by 5” diameter]

Cant wait!

Next newbie... Dinner.

The next delicious meal-to-be comes from another one of my favorites: Fit Foodie Finds. She has a fantastic blog with a lot of great healthy options and delicious looking recipes. The one we will attempt to concur this weekend is Salmon Bean Burgies: (yes, burgies... I love it!)

Salmon Bean Burgies

• Makes 4 hockey puck sized patties: serves 2
• 3/4C garbanzo beans, canned
• 1/4C cooked quinoa
• 4 oz. steamed salmon
• 1T egg whites
• spices: garlic salt, cumin

Directions: In a medium sized bowl, mash together all ingredients. You may need to add a bit more egg white depending on how well your mixture is holding together. Separate mixture into 4 patties, packing each one together in the palm of your hands. Next, heat ~1/2T olive oil on medium heat in a medium sized sauce pan and saute you patties for about 2 minutes per side.

Looks so good... even the bird, who is a little less ecstatic than I am about healthy new recipes, gave the go ahead! I will let you know how they both turned out! Have a fabulous weekend!

study partner

Nothing says 'study partner' like a large iced coffee with a splash of almond milk...

YUM!

I have been the worst blogger. I have been over my ears busy with life lately... School being my biggest stressor! I might have taken on a little too much this semester. I will get myself back on track soon. xoxo

finally!

I recently ordered three books from Chronicle Books. I received a discount code from a fun blog I follow: Black Eiffel. Just the motivation I needed to finally take the plunge and purchase some much desired design books. And although it took them a couple weeks to get here... it was SO worth the wait. I was anticipating them everyday. Waiting and hoping for a package everyday when I got home!

 

I wouldn't dare keep you waiting as long as I had to...

 

Just wanted to offer a tince of anticipation.

My order:
Paper + Craft by Minhee and Truman Cho
Letter Press by Charlotte Rivers
Creative, INC by Meg Mateo Ilasco & Joy Deangdeelert Cho

meet granola.

This weekend I made my first batch of homemade granola... YUM! I acquired the recipe from an awesome blog I've been following: Paiges of Style. She has a lot of great recipes I've been dying to try. And my list isn't getting any shorter... so without further ado, meet Granola.

Homemade Granola

  

10c   old fashined rolled oats
  2c   whole wheat flour
  2c   wheat germ
  2c   coconut

  2c   dried cranberries (I substituted raisins)
  1c   chopped pecans

  1c   chopped almonds
         

 mix above ingredients in large bowl

    
         4T   vanilla
      1/2c    water
         2c    honey
         1c    oil (I used Safflower)

         mix wet ingredients in separate bowl
         add to dry ingredients
         spread in shallow pans

         bake at 250° until deep golden and almost dry for approximately 2 hours
         stir gently every 15 minutes or so while baking
         remove, let cool.

A serious bowl of nuts & grains.

Mixed in the wet ingredients.

This recipe was spread out on 3 large cooking sheets; completely covered with a thick layer of granola.

Waiting patiently and stirring often.

Seriously... look how much granola I have. Pretty dreamy actually. And it is so yummy. I had it bright and early on my cottage cheese breakfast bowl.

Easter Best

 Easter Best by birdie to be

Dorothy Perkins Coral Dress 50 GBP

Long Sleeve Madewell Striped Cardigan $125

T by Alexander Wang Tencel Placket Tank $105

I dont like Mondays: Improvd Sheer Top $98

J Crew Lace-over tank $52

Hollister Co San Clemente Crop jeans $50

Miss Selfridge cream lace skirt 28 GBP

Tory Burch Lurex and Straw Ballerina Flats $235

Pelle Moda West pumps $150

Miss Selfridge Magnolia Plait sandal 25 GBP

Forever21 Mixed Bracelet Set $6.80

TopShop Nude Lace Corsage Headband $8.00

What better holiday than Easter to bring out your inner pink!

skinny 'tails

There are so many things to celebrate and honor today. Where do I begin?

First of all, Spring Break starts today for many. Maybe not for me, but for my brothers. I can remember how awesome it was to have a half day on Friday and have NINE whole days off after that! Man, I miss those days! It's also Emancipation Day (honored and observed by the District of Columbia)... if you are unable to relate and appreciate this "holiday" (shame on you!), you can appreciate the fact that because of this, 2010 tax deadlines were extended until Monday, April 18th! Lastly... it's just Friday. And having worked weekends for the past four years, I have really come to love my Fridays!

So...... In honor of this fabulous day, I have provided you with some deliciously lean cocktail recipes to help you celebrate:

Marvelous Margie:
2 oz        Clear Tequila
1/2 oz     Orange Liquor*
Fresh squeezed lime juice
Add Ice; shake or stir
*You can also substitute the Orange Liquor with a 1/2 oz of Agave Nectar and a little water.

(You can also purchase the Skinnygirl Margarita by Bethany Frankel. They're ready-to-pour margaritas that I've been dying to try! Available at Costco, Bevmo, & other liquor stores. Visit her site for more info.)

Miss Mojito:

2 oz.       Clear Rum

4 oz        Club soda

1 1/2 T    Fresh lime juice

1/2 t        Honey

1/2          Fresh lime, cut into wedges 

2 T          Fresh Mint leaves

Recipe inspired by Bethenny Frankel SkinnyGirl

Playful Pomtini:

1 1/2 oz.  Citron Vodka

1 oz.        Honey Syrup (equal parts honey & water)*

1/2 oz.     Fresh lime juice

1/2 oz.     POM pomegranate juice

Orange twist for garnish

 *Again, the honey syrup can be substituted with Agave Nectar.

Recipe inspired by Jonathan Pogash of Sobieski Cytron Vodka

Sassy Sangria: 

(Serves 4)

1 1/2 cup    Red or White Wine 

3/4 cup       Orange juice (no pulp) 

1/3 cup       Triple sec 

1/3 cup       Apricot brandy 

1/3 cup       Sprite or Soda Water

1                 Apple, cored and sliced

1 cup          Red or Green Grapes 
1/2 small    Cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced

Recipe inspired from Self Magazine

Cheers. Enjoy. And Happy Friday!

grocery nooks

I really enjoy grocery shopping. I love discovering great recipes online and shopping for them at the local store. I never find exactly what I am looking for, especially when I am searching for some healthy grains or flour at Safeway; usually the "good" stuff is tucked away in a little nook of the last aisle; and most likely the section I am interested in is literally a 'nook.' Not an aisle or a row. A nook. (Officially the word of the day) Per dictionary.com: Nook: (noun) any secluded or obscure corner.

 

But nonetheless, I still like the good eats I do find. 

Yogi Granola Crisps were my claim to fame this trip. I got Mountain Blueberry Flax. Under the Yogi brand, there are also some delicious looking cereals, grains, and teas! Everything is filled with serious goodness. Check out this lineup:

• oats  •  barley  •  spelt  •  amaranth  •  quinoa

 

Pretty sweet creds...

Day to Night

I found a seriously fun website awhile back called Polyvore! Its the ultimate shopper's dream site... but much less expensive than the real deal! Window shopping webstyle.

Here is the board I created and uploaded directly from Polyvore:

Day to Night by birdietobe on Polyvore

Top Shop cami top, $90

Chinti & Parker scoop neck tank top, $70

J brand dark blue jeans, 165 GBP 

Top Shop Linen short, $60

Naughty Monkey ankle strap sandal, $100

Steve Madden pumps, $100

J Crew Market striped tote, $50

Bakers Tiffany li Clutch, $28

Princess Cut Diamond CZ Silver jewelry, $11

Ray Ban metal aviator sunglass, $159

goodness two ways

An unexpected road trip this week prompted an experiment for a yummy vegan cookie recipe. Yes, vegan. They were surprisingly delicious! I had been eying this recipe from the edible perspective for sometime. Her blog is amazing! There are SO many scrumptious, nutritious recipes to be enjoyed.

The recipe I discovered this week was for "Vegan Oatmeal Choco Banana Cookies." Quite a mouthful... but the name really speaks for itself. The cookies were filled with yummy goodness!

• 2c rolled oats
• 1 & 1/3c spelt flour
• 1/2t salt
• 1t cinnamon
• 1/4c unsweetened coconut
• 2t baking powder
• 1/3-1/2c dark chocolate chips
• 1 medium chopped banana
• 2/3c ground flaxseed meal
• 2/3c brown rice syrup
• 1/4c & 2T nut butter [I used Laura Scudder's All Natural Peanut Butter- Nutty]
• 3t vanilla
• 4T safflower [or other light oil] 

little t= teaspoon 
big T=tablespoon

I had most of these ingredients, but I have to be honest with you... I had never heard of Brown Rice Syrup and was fairly confident I wasn't going to find it. To my surprise, Safeway had it. It just took a little aisle searching. (In case you're looking, its located near the rice... not in the baking or syrup aisles!)

-Preheat oven to 350°
-Combine oats, flour, salt, cinnamon, coconut, chocolate and baking powder.  Stir well.

I used a trusty KitchenAid for the cookies (surprise, surprise). So after mixing these ingredients, I placed them in a separate bowl, so I could use my mixer for the wet ingredients.

-In another bowl combine the flaxseed meal, brown rice syrup, nut butter and vanilla. 
-Next, stir the oil into the wet mixture.
-Gently stir in the banana with the wet mixture.

The recipe calls for adding wet to dry, but since I already had my wet mixture in the mixer, I added dry to wet. I just added the dry ingredients gradually, so they would actually stay in the bowl!

 

-Stir until just combined. 
-Line cookie sheets with parchment [or lightly grease your pans]. 
-Scoop out 1-2T of batter and slightly flatten the cookies. They do not spread much at all when baking.
-Cook for 12-14min, until JUST starting to brown.  Do not overcook these!  
(To prevent further cooking, remove the cookies from the baking sheet and place on a cooling rack.)

The ingredients and consistency made it hard for me to tell when they were turning brown. Just stick with the recipe times to make sure your cookies are nice n' moist.

 

While these aren't really the best "cookie dough" cookies, they are delicious when baked. I'm not a big coconut fan, but it only added more texture. It definitely wasn't overbearing. I was also surprised that they were still sweet and moist without any sugar or butter!

Enjoy!

blue, pink, sparkle

I just want to make sure absolutely everyone was aware of the newest and greatest in the Kate Spade world! She has introduced their bridal line... Wedding Belles (& Whistles)! Adorable. The line incorporates all of the great color combination that define Kate Spade. The blues and pinks and sparkles, coupled with Kate Spade perfection, mixed with wedding bliss... does it get better than this???

Here are my favorite finds under $100!

a. squiggle headband

b. say yes "Mrs." necklace

c. say yes "I do" necklace

d. squiggle barrette

e. kate spade straight barrette

f. kate spade ring

g. very opaque tights

h. mod dot tights

i. metropolitan pearls studs

summer days

I'm not sure if you're living in the same beautiful world I am... But it seems as though we went straight from Winter to Summer this year. It's been absolutely gorgeous the past couple of days. The warmth gave me inspiration for this beauty. If this doesn't get you ready for summer days, I don't know what will.

1. Straw Bow Cloche Hat by Topshop

2. Ice Cream Bowls & Spoons by Sur la Table

3. Sage of Innocence Dress by ModCloth

4. Wooden Croquet Set by Anthopologie

5. Backyard Bocce Set by Anthopologie 

6. Blooms Espadrille Slingback Sandal by Nordstrom 

7. Francine Mint Tubular Suede Sandal by Topshop

8. Asymmetrical Ruffle Tank by J. Crew

9. Stripe Farmer's Market Tote by J. Crew