Peanut Butter Cupcakes

The other day, I was feeling like I hadn't baked anything in a long time so I decided to make my favorite dessert...cupcakes! Now, like many others, I am guilty of taking the shortcut at times and using boxed cake mix. However, I thought some aspects of the cupcakes should have my own twist to them so I added some mini Reese's cups to the bottom of the cupcake and I made my own peanut butter frosting.

Peanut Butter Frosting:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup confectioner's sugar
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 5 tablespoons of unsalted butter at room temperature
• 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup heavy cream

1. Mix confectioner's sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt on medium low speed until creamy.

2. Add the cream and mix on high speed until mixture is light and smooth.

(recipe courtesy of Ina Garten)

New York, New York

After a long school year and grueling work project over the summer, I was in much need of a vacation so my boyfriend and I traveled to one of my favorite places, New York City! Even though I have been there countless times, there is always something new to explore and discover in the city. Of course there are also always some old places that never disappoint. Below are some of the highlights of my favorite places in New York. Not to say that there are still many, many places, restaurants, and bakeries I have yet to see in the city. Luckily, many of those places are soon coming to LA!

These are my favorite places in the city where we ate:

         Evergreen Diner
         Da Gennaro Italian
         Treat House rice krispie treats
         Rice To Riches tapioca pudding
         S'Mac macaroni and cheese
         Capital Grille
         Luke's Lobster lobster rolls
         Shake Shack burgers
         Magnolia Bakery
         Brooklyn Bagel Co.
         Thai Terminal

Bubble lounge in our hotel, Night Hotel.

Breathing wall at NBC Studios.

Times Square.

Brooklyn Bagel Co. Sesame Bagel with Sundried Tomato Cream Cheese.

The Highline.

The Beautiful Flora at the Highline.

Modern Art at MoMA.

Across the Corridor at MoMA.

Still Life #30 -Tom Wesselmann 1963.

My favorite speakeasy with an awesome secret entrance, PDT. Not sharing too much more information on this...shhh...

Absinthe at PDT.

Intrepid Sea, Air, &Space Museum. 

Ray's Pizza!

World Trade Center Memorial. 

FDNY.

Central Park from a Different Perspective.

Beekman's Beergarden.

Labor Day Fun in Palm Springs

Labor Day is coming up this weekend and I know a lot of you out there are going to want to get out of town for some R&R. Palm Springs is a hot spot for many Los Angelites and the city, which I used to think was boring and monotonous, is becoming more and more trendy and fun. If you're going out there for the weekend, there are a few spots I want to share that are a definite must go!

Checked in at the Saguaro Resort.

Dinner at Birba restaurant.

Burrata salad. 

I wish I took more pictures of our food here, but the Tricolore Salad is to die for and I've tried to recreate it at home many times. Also, they make the ricotta cheese fresh in the restaurant and is a great cheese to add to pizzas.

Then it was onto dessert at Crave Dessert Bar...

Creme brulee in a chocolate shell.

Blossoming hibiscus berry tea. 

Then it was onto breakfast the next morning at Cheeky's...

Two fried eggs on top of an heirloom tomato and arugula sandwich.

Sourdough french toast with salted caramel and bananas. 

Eggs Benedict with a twist. Poached eggs and hollandaise on top of bacon on top of buttermilk biscuits.

The menu at Cheeky's is seasonal and changes all the time, but these dishes are amazing and are greatly paired with honeydew mimosas and, of course, a bloody mary.

Nords.

I cleaned up at Nordstrom during their annual anniversary sale and these are some of my favorite pieces! This time of year I like to splurge on myself a little so I took advantage of it. I lined up some pieces for fall and for the remnants of summer. What did everyone else get? There are 3 days left of the sale so get on it!

(clockwise from boot)
1. BP Darbie Boot.
2. Marc by Marc Jacobs 58 mm Retro Sunglasses.
3. Voluspa Maison d'Or de Cassis Candle.
4. Natasha Couture Skull Double Wrap Bracelet.
5. Kate Spade Hancock Park Jeanne Leather Satchel.

BP Studded Denim Vest.

Bouquets of Bacon!

Girls love getting big bouquets of roses...and what do guys love? Bacon roses! Come to think of it, everyone loves bacon, so everyone should love these treats that are both appealing to the eyes and to the taste buds. These turned out pretty awesome, if I do say so myself...

Roll and pop in the oven.

Crisp and tasty.

Add bacon to artificial bouquet.




Voila! 

Pesto.

I just love the taste of pesto and it compliments so many different dishes. A lot of the pesto I have bought, however, has been super oily and not my style. I had been meaning to try making my own pesto to toss with pasta or on crostini. Seeing as though I've never made pesto before, I looked up some recipes and added my own spin to them. Rather than the traditional basil used to make pesto, I used arugula and some spinach. I added my pesto to linguini and threw some shrimp in there too and it turned out really great. Recipe follows. Would you say your pesto is the besto? Please share tips on how you make your pesto!

Arugula & spinach pesto in the making.

Finished pesto linguini dish with shrimp.

Paired with Hart Rose wine I got from Temecula.

Pesto Linguini with Shrimp

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of fresh arugula and spinach (mixed)
• 1 garlic clove
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1/2 freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound of shrimp (peeled and deveined)
• 1 pound of linguini pasta (can be any pasta though)
• lemon zest and Italian parsley for garnish

1. Blend the arugula and spinach with the garlic in a food processor until finely chopped. With the machine running, gradually add 1/2 cup of olive oil, processing until well blended.
2. Transfer the pesto to a large bowl and stir in the Parmesan cheese.
3. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Using a knife, cut the back of the shrimp to butterfly them.
5. Marinate shrimp with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and salt in a Ziploc bag.
6. Grill the shrimp on high heat until just cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer shrimp to a plate.
7. Cook the pasta al dente in a large pot of boiling salted water. Stir occasionally, about 8 minutes.
8. Drain pasta and reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
9. Toss the pasta with the pesto in a large bowl to coat, adding the reserved pasta water 1 tablespoon at a time to moisten.
10. Top with the grilled shrimp and garnish with lemon zest and parsley. 

Spontaneous Getaways...Wine Not?

I hope everyone had a great 4th of July weekend! For me, this weekend I had a spontaneous desire to get out of town so my boyfriend and I trekked to Temecula where some of our favorite wineries are. The first time we went there was after buying a Groupon deal that gave us a few wine tastings at various wineries, and the awesome wine and a fun time brought us back!

Some wineries are more tourist driven and a bit pricey, and they all have a different vibe. Hart Winery, for instance, is a great spot to buy good wine that is moderately priced (they have the best Rosé!), but there isn't much of a nice ambiance to sit down and enjoy a glass of wine there with a great view. Leoness Cellars, on the other hand, is more pricey but it has an amazing area to enjoy your wine outside. The outside seating overlooks the winery's grape vines and also has a nice view of the some of the Temecula wine country. Churon Winery was also a great tasting spot...word to the wise, they pour double the wine in your glass than most other wineries do for the tastings here *wink wink*. 

As far as food is concerned, I wasn't expecting anything amazing from such a small town, but I ended up finding some great local spots that left me wanting to go back for more. We loved Gourmet Italia, which had delicious authentic Italian dishes and the nicest owner/manager who spoke to all the restaurant patrons throughout the night. Check in on Yelp and you get a free cannoli! The Great Oak Steakhouse at the Pechanga was also great. And for breakfast, save your appetite for pancakes of many many flavors at Original Pancake House (pumpkin all year round!). 

Needless to say, Temecula is a great mini getaway and I would recommend it to anyone looking to relax and have a fun, delicious, and tipsy weekend ;)

Leoness Cellars.

Leoness vines.

Hart Merlot.

Before fermentation.

Pops of sunshine color among the vines.

Ponte Winery.