SUNDAY BRUNCH (recap!)

over the weekend i had a few of my sassy girlfriends (& their littles) over for my very first Babes Who Brunch! i say first, because i'm hoping our Babes Who Brunch brunch turns into a new little tradition between my group of friends! let's face it our girlfriends are muy muy imporatante and we need to cherish and nurture those lovely ladies in our lives. riiiiiiight!!?? so here are a few bits n' pieces from our yummy Sunday brunch!

oh! and here is the recipe for the French Toast Casserole i made... it was a hit!

polka dot straws via

turquoise serving spoon via

gold spoon via

if you start a Babes Who Brunch with your group of friends

... make sure to instagram it at #babeswhobrunch !!

FOOD PORN, these cakes are the real deal.

all images & recipes via 

Call me Cupcake

while poking around the world wide web i just about fell out of my chair when i stumbled upon this GORGEOUS food blog, Call me Cupcake. i have heard the phase Food Porn used lightly around the blogosphere before, but this chic is the real deal. she invented the term! (or should have). her name is Linda, she plays in a Swedish rock band, and makes killer (i mean, killer!!!) cakes, pies, cookies... and all lovely things in the sugar/carb category. check out her blog or just drool over these Food Porn beauties.

*this gal has a book out too (Lomelinos tårtor).. it's in Swedish, hopefully one day will be in English too!

see what i mean???

happy FRIDAY!

image via

if your family is anything like mine, your holidays are typically based by food. and THAT is 100% allllllllright with me! my mom has always loved "planning a menu". one Christmas we literally had a menu printed up and place on everyone's table seating. she doesn't mess around. so this sunday will be no different and we will be eating like kings! other then the food and quality family time... i am SO looking forward to watching my crazy adorable nephews run wild while they hunt for their Easter eggs.

so if you are a big foodie during the holidays...

here are a few links of delicious spring-time brunch (or dessert) bites... & drinks, of course!

white strawberry lemon sangria

cinnamon toast pancakes

vanilla cake with strawberry cream cheese frosting

summer peach & balsamic pizza

roasted red pepper quinoa & white bean burgers

bacon, egg, toasty bites

coconut cake with raspberry filling

strawberry citrus vodka cocktail... like a strawberry mojito, yum

bistro egg sandwich

asparagus, spinach, and feta quiche

baked eggs in potato nests

... and monster Easter cookies!

happy Easter weekend!

CREAM of BROCCOLI.

i have a major weakness for warm homemade soup on a rainy day. cloudy grey rainy days are my ultimate favorite weather and a good homemade soup is one of my favorite foods! i know it sounds a bit strange to enjoy rainy days but i love the feeling of having to stay in, get cozy, and make something. whether it's baking, finishing a craft project, or making some comforting soup. i made this super simple Cream of Broccoli soup with this recipe but added salt/pepper/garlic powder to the first step... and it turned out great! for my croutons i sauteed Trader Joe's onion rye bread in butter until they we golden brown & crunchy! 

what's your favorite homemade soup?

VALENTINE'S DAY, at home!

image via

do you typically stay in on Valentine's Day or go out? the fireman & i have done both over the years, but this year we're staying in! we are going to cook a dinner full of food we love, but don't usually make... like oysters! yesterday i learned how to shuck oysters via Cupcakes and Cashmere's pre-Valentine's post. oysters are pretty much a new thing for me. i just came to realize that these intimidating little guys are pretty harmless and are basically just an amazing vehicle for delicious condiments... like, french fries! and i am a HUGE fan of condiments. now what do i make for the rest of our v-day meal??? 

*check out all of my valentine's day gift guides, here.

recipes:  raw oysters via  //  blue cheese walnut pear crostini via  //  brie with strawberries + honey via
. . .

recipes:  heart shaped beet salad via  //  caramelized pear & blue cheese salad via  //  caprese salad via
. . .

recipes:  heart shaped four cheese ravioli via  //  beet ravioli with goat cheese, hazelnut, & chive via  //  lemon garlic shrimp via
. . .

recipes:  no bake raspberry lemon via  //  chocolate cake via  //  homemade s'more via
. . .




ok, now i'm starving.

MOCHA {chocolate chip} CAKE.

photo's by the fashion gal

my favorite kind of recipe is one that's simple, easy, and deeeeeelicious! i think it's safe to say that is what most people look for in a recipe. so you just may appreciate this Mocha Chocolate Chip Mousse Cake. we had a few birthdays in our family this past weekend... so one fabulous birthday cake was in order. the fireman & i were watching the Barefoot Contessa cooking show last week (fireman, busted) and good ole Ina was whipping together this killer Mocha Cake (man, she's good)... so i thought i would give it a go! it's basically a mocha mascarpone cheese mouse layered with rows of super crunchy chunky chocolate chip cookies! ok that may sound a little confusing... but i promise its simple. layer of mocha mousse, layer of chocolate chip cookies, layer of mocha mousse, layer of chocolate chip cookies... you get the picture. here is my version of Ina's killer birthday cake.

recipe + ingredients + Ina's how-to here.

and it turned out oooooooh-so good!

ps: you may want to serve this cake with ice cold milk, just sayin. (it was rich & delish)

yum, i want seconds!

RUSTIC BITES... yum.

//  //  Rustic Recipes  //  //

when the fireman and i went to one of our favorite dinner spots ((Tin Roof in Manhattan Beach)) we got to chatting about some of our other #1 spots... and what we love most about each of them. it turns out that we dig the rustic bites! one who's menu is based on seasonal produce, some type of grass fed meat, and cocktails that contain some type of herb... like a basil martini or anything with rosemary! YUM YUM! we are due for another adventurous date night here soon... so hopefully we'll find a new cool new spot to check out. any ideas?

*check out more food spots here or here!

breakfast: 

Vanilla, Fig, & Pistachio Parfait recipe via

lunch:  

Walnut, Grape, & Gorgonzola Salad recipe via

snacks:

Fig, Gorgonzola & Honey Tartines recipe via

dessert:

Key Lime Pie Ice Cream recipe via

not too shabby right??!

yummmm yum!

BEAUTIFUL BITES.

/ / / / /  photo's via Cannelle et Vanille  / / / / /

sometimes i like to browse my favorite food bloggers and just swoon over their gorgeous bites. Cannelle et Vanille's blog always makes me feel like i'm peeking into a lovely french kitchen that sits in the middle of the country. her food is always bright, simple, and perfectly photographed. here are a few of her photo's... aren't they perfection? i think so.

*check out Cannelle et Vanille's blog for the recipes to match. 

3 lovely recipes that incorporate berries...

(1.) Cardamom + lime-flavored black raspberry and currant custard.

(2.) An "Eton Mess" made with raspberries + currants.

(3.) A Crumble.

pretty huh? 

how hungry are you now???

grilled bruschetta.

/ / / / / / photo's by the fashion gal / / / / / /

one of my favorite things to do during the summer is... ((i've said it before, and i'll say it again!))... is BBQ!!! {bar-b-que}. i just love the smell of food grilling outside on a warm summer night. so, over the weekend the fireman, a fabulous friend of ours, and myself grilled the usual... meat, fish, onion, and sweet potato AND the newest addition to our BBQ menu Grilled Bruschetta! with a little basil + balsamic... this caramelized {n' crunchy} concoction turned out pretty good!

** see recipe Grilled Bruschetta recipe here!

i wish i had some leftovers right now!

do you BBQ anything unusual on your grill???