lost & found

a couple of days ago , I left my beloved army green

utility jacket ( shown above ) in a taxi cab while

 rushing around the city .

as it was one of my wardrobe staples , I need to find

a replacement - and fast .

here are some jackets , though not the same as

my classic j . crew version , that will look just as 

great in my closet :

[ images via 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , & 5 ]

style icon : rachel bilson

this girl can do no wrong .

I love rachel bilson because she can

pull off virtually any look .

though she seems like a jeans and tee girl ,

she also looks drop dead gorgeous dressed for an event .

check out some images I found that make me

want to dress like rachel  :

[ who cares if her hair isn't perfect ... this is perfection ]

[ she makes every day look so easy ]

[ who else could pull off the awkward - self - cut - jeans look ? ]

[ & i'm sure she is not even trying ]

[ & more cuteness ]

[ images via 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , & 5 ]

blueberry crumb bars

I love love love these crumb bars . I have made them 

many times before & in different variations -

apple , raspberry , blueberry , etc .

my favorite has proven to be blueberry because

of the intense tart of the fruit with the 

buttery simplicity of the crust & crumble .

I also love these bars because they are grab & go -

my favorite kind of snacks / breakfast ... 

perfect in the morning , as a mid afternoon snack , or dessert .

yum !

[ I used this recipe , but substituted brown sugar

for white sugar in the original blueberry mixture ]

pineapple chicken shish kabobs

after our vacation to puerto rico , I couldn't stop thinking

of making dishes with a tropical flavor .

enter : pineapple chicken shish kabobs .

the grilled pineapple tastes amazing with the

chicken & vegetables - & even better

with a side of vegetable fried rice .

even though we left the tropics ,

it's nice to bring a touch of it back to our dinner table .

[ fresh pineapple is key ]

[ we gave the chicken a teriyaki glaze

by marinating the meat for a few hours in 

teriyaki sauce  ]

 [ our shish kabobs included chicken , pineapple ,

cherry tomatoes , red & white onion , & red pepper ]

[ final product with our vegetable fried rice ]

zucchini fries

joey & I had another amazing dinner last night .

we had turkey burgers with monterey jack cheese , avocado , & caramelized

red onions  & a side of zucchini fries . yes , I already made 

one of my pinterest inspirations . 

delish delish delish !

[ we used two zucchinis - more than enough ]

[ I never fail to make a mess in the kitchen ]

[ once breaded with crumbs & paprika , I coated

the zucchinis with parmesan cheese & olive oil for

crispiness ]

[ joey made his special sauce ( sriracha , ranch , wasabi ,

mayo , ketchup) ]

[ & I just had to show you the amazing salad

we had - caesar with broccoli , cherry tomatoes ,

cheddar cheese , joey's homemade croutons , 

romaine lettuce, & romano cheese crisps I made .

 so easy to make -just grate cheese over a non-stick skillet

 & flip when brown ! ]

pinterest inspired meals

I just had to post these dishes - they all made my mouth

water & I can't wait to try some of these out .

avocado , cream cheese , & salsa bites

mozzarella & tomato salad

pickle chips

zucchini fries

island in the sun

sorry again for leaving all of you hanging !

my trip to puerto rico was amazing - good drinks ,

good food, & good company .

I'm still getting back into the groove of reality 

( I just unpacked this morning after getting back on monday ) 

but the blog will be back in action in no time .

I am so excited to make dishes inspired from my vacation ! 

in the meantime , here are some highlights of my trip : 

icebox log cake

I remember making icebox log cakes for as long as I can remember

with my mother & sister . I absolutely love this dessert .

it is beyond easy to make , two ingredients , & the chocolate

wafers taste even better after getting soggy from the cool whip .

it may be one of the messiest desserts , but also one of the best .

happiness is ...

less than forty eight hours until my much needed vacation !

all my thoughts are centered around our trip & though it 

was a beautiful weekend in ny , spending some time

laying in the sun will do works for me .

here are some additional things that made me happy this week :

[ new lingerie inspired bikini ]

[ dulce de leche fro yo & toppings from 16 handles ]

[ nude monotone nails ]

[ beach read : the help by kathryn stockett ]

[ candy from f . a . o . schwartz ]

mango chutney chicken

I love when joey & I come up with the most random ideas for

meals in the middle of the grocery store . it always feels good coming 

up with the idea of a dish from scratch - figuring out how to make 

an ideal combination of ingredients & preparation .  

the idea for mango chutney chicken sprung upon us the other day

in the grocery store , when I was in one of those starving but picky moods .

joey & I were able to bounce off each other's ideas while combining others 

to make the perfect dinner .

enter mango chutney chicken with coconut rice :