Savory Palmiers.

So some of my followers have been asking me to post some recipes since I haven't posted them in a while so I thought I'd start the New Year with a couple of delicious things that everyone would love! For the New Year's party I went to this year, I made these adorable palmiers filled with pesto, sundried tomatoes, and goat cheese. They were a huge hit at the party! In fact...ladies, one person upon eating them asked me if my boyfriend had proposed to me yet. I guess it is true that the best way to a man's heart is through his stomach! But in the case of these palmiers, these are little tastes of heaven that everyone enjoys.

The ingredients you will need.

Sprinkle pesto, goat cheese, and sundried tomatoes on a puff pastry sheet.

Roll up the puff pastry and cut into slices.

Deliciousness in a fun shape.

Ingredients:

• 1 package frozen Pepperidge Farm puff pastry, defrosted
• 1/4 cup of pesto either store bought or homemade pesto.
• 1/2 cup of crumbled goat cheese
• 1/4 cup of finely chopped sundried tomatoes in oil, drained
• Salt

Directions:

1. Lightly flour a board and unfold 1 sheet of the puff pastry.
2. Roll the pastry lightly with a rolling pin until its 9.5 by 11.5 inches.
3. Spread the sheet of puff pastry with half the pesto.
4. Then sprinkle with half the goat cheese and half the sundried tomatoes.
5. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
6. Working from the short ends, fold each end halfway to the center. Then fold each side again towards the center until the folded edges almost touch. Fold one side over the other and press lightly.
7. Repeat the entire instructions with the second piece of puff pastry and the remaining ingredients.
8. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 45 minutes.
9. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
10. Cut the prepared rolls of puff pastry into 1/4 inch thick slices and place them face up 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
11. Bake for 14 minutes until golden brown. Serve warm. 

recipe courtesy of Ina Garten

Pesto Perfecto.

Hi everyone! I hope everyone had a great New Year and is getting an excellent start to the New Year. I thought I'd start off Taltalsays this year by posting my perfect pesto recipe. Pesto is such a fresh tasting sauce/condiment and it's not just for pasta anymore! I use it in a bunch of different recipes and I think its a perfect compliment to a dinner dish. Here is my recipe:

Ingredients needed:

• 1/4 cup walnuts
• 9 cloves of chopped garlic
• 5 cups of fresh basil leaves (packed)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups of olive oil
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Place walnuts and garlic in a food processor fitted with a steel blade and process for 30 seconds.
2. Add basil leaves salt and pepper.
3. With the food processor running, slowly pour the olive oil in using the feed tube and process until pesto is pureed.
4. Add the Parmesan cheese and puree for 1 minute.
5. Voila!

Stocking Stuffers.

Can you guys believe Christmas is almost here? This month went by super fast, I feel like I still haven't gotten all my Christmas shopping done. I'm sure some of you are in my same boat...you've bought all the big gifts but need some ideas for stocking stuffers, small gifts, white elephant gifts, secret Santa gifts, etc. If you're in a rut, I compiled some picks of gifts I would like...which means the modern, fashionista in your life will love them too!

1. Spot On Leopard Robe
2. Le Mental Case
3. NARS Majella Lip Pencil
4. "Girls" Inspired Deborah Lippmann Nail Polish Collection
5. Top Shop Croc Twist Lock Purse
6. Marc Jacobs Melts Phone Case
7. Bold Houndstooth Tights
8. Anthropologie Monogram Mug
9. Moda Luxe Clutch

Canelé.

Over the weekend, my friend Natalie and I decided to hit up one of the brunch spots on our list of restaurants we must go to, Canelé in Atwater Village. They open at 10am and the wait was already a bit long so while we were waiting, we walked across the street to a local farmer's market, which had the most delicious looking things. I was extremely tempted to start eating here.

But I had to control myself because we were off to brunch, which was crazy delicious. This place is know for their "egg in hole" and bowl of berries and créme fraiche. I'll have to come back for the berries, but the eggs were amazing! The French Toast was unfortunately nothing to write home about, but still a good basic brunch meal.

Egg in hole.

Cape.Cape.Cape.Cape.

Ooh baby I like it! Capes are on my current winter trend radar. They're out of the ordinary...not quite a peacoat, not quite a trench coat, not quite a cardigan. They can be paired so well boots, thigh high socks, and printed tights or leggings. I can't wait to rock this look this season...

1. H&M Cape $59.95
2. Asymmetrical Hooded Button Cape $24.95 (letsjourneyintofashion.com)
3. Cashmere Cape with Faux Fur $209.99 (ultimatefashionfix.com)

Donut Man.

Alright, so as many of you can see from previous posts, I have a growing obsession with donuts so when I heard about this place, Donut Man, I knew I had to try it. I heard a buzz about their strawberry donut so I went there already knowing what I was going to get, and it definitely did not disappoint! This is an iceberg of a donut, guys, and a little piece of donut heaven...

This thing is literally filled with what seems to be a whole bushel of strawberries and drizzled in a glaze that has the perfect amount of sweetness. And the powdered sugar on top just pulls it all together. It's served with a knife and fork, and trust me, you'll need them! Donut Man is on Route 66 on the road to the middle of nowhere, but its very much worth the visit.

Pumpkin French Toast.

I really, really love breakfast foods...I could eat it for lunch and dinner if I could! I love French toast especially, and because its fall I thought I could put a spin to it by making it with pumpkin puree. Guys, I don't like to brag about the foods I make, but this recipe turned out amazingly and I urge you all to try it just to have this flavor party in your mouths.

The recipe is super simple. I used a loaf of challah bread...I find that this bread is the perfect bread to use for French toast because it has a hint of sweetness to it, but you can use any bread you like. I found my challah at Trader Joe's. Be aware, using another type of bread that's not sweet will call for a tablespoon or two more of sugar.

This breakfast makes me happy, I hope you enjoy it too!

Ingredients:

• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons pumpkin puree
• 3 tablespoons light or dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh orange zest
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch of ground nutmeg
• Pinch of ground ginger
• Pinch of salt
• 1 loaf challah or bread of choice cut into 1 inch slices

Directions:

1. In a bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, vanilla, orange zest, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt.
2. If you're making a lot and want to keep the bread warm before serving, preheat oven to 200 degrees. Place a wire rack on a baking sheet and transfer both to oven.
3. Preheat a cast iron skillet or griddle over medium heat and brush surface with butter or vegetable oil. 
4. Place a slice of bread in the milk mixture allowing it to soak for a minute. Flip it over and allow to soak for another 30-40 seconds more.
5. Quickly place the soaked bread onto the griddle or skillet and cook on each side for about 2-3 minutes, until lightly golden brown.
6. Transfer the French toast slice to the oven to keep warm and continue the same process with the rest of the bread slices.
7. Serve with warm maple syrup. 

(recipe courtesy of acozykitchen.com)