nico

a reason I have not been blogging as much is 

the new addition to the joey / sarah household :

nico .

we rescued him from a shelter when he was ten weeks old .

he is now six months old and has grown three times the

size since we got him ( sad face ) , but he is still 

the most perfect little puppy to us .

he thinks he owns the couch & has even created his very

own man cave of toys under it , but he is also

incredibly loyal , happy , & smart to a fault .

I love waking up & coming home to him every day

& I am so happy we could give him a warm, loving home 

just as he has given us his loving company .

he gives me a much needed reason to take

leisurely walks around the block ,

get to know the neighbors ,

& learn to take life less seriously 

( that happens after a puppy has peed on every

square inch of your nice , new rug ) .

anywho, as you can see nico makes us

very happy & more updates will come in the future 

regarding our little one !

please say bye to these trends !

I need to vent.

I have been bottling in all of my feelings

for certain trends that have became a "thing" this year.

if everyone would work as one , we could 

stop embracing these icky new fashion trends

& the world would be a much classier place. 

case in point :

neon & crop tops -

I know electric music is "cool" this year but 

looking like a glow stick rarely makes you look cool . 

same goes for the hippie crop top look - that mixed 

with neon is even worse. gah! enough!

high / low hems -

okay I admit I thought about buying a high / low

hemmed dress - so happy I didn't ! blink & you will miss this trend .

wedge sneakers -

unless they are in fact isabel marant , just no . 

peplum -

yes it is possible to look cute in a peplum top ,

but it is just way over done . when I first saw a 

j crew collection peplum top in olive green jaquard ,

I died . now the style is all over , and my

love of the peplum died too . 

please ladies , learn to see a trend ahead of time 

before you succumb to the silliness too .

ask yourself this question :

will I wear _____ (insert fashion fad) in 10 years?

most likely , no . this is my mantra I have 

tried to stick to after seeing one too many facebook 

pictures of myself that make me cringe- why sarah?? 

trends that will always be classy:

black - 

yes I am the person that after living in nyc 

converts their whole wardrobe to this one color .

it will always be classic .

stripes -

nautical or not , a striped tee will always be cute .

chambray -

a worn in chambray pull over or button down is a staple -

but beware of the new dip dyed , acid washed , etc trends -

only cool if they were once actually your dads .

another tip:  think of looking back at yourself in pictures -

would you be embarrassed of wearing a neon 

crop top tee shirt with a high/low hem chiffon skirt ?

um, I would .

goat cheese fritters & balsamic marinated strawberry salad

recently I've been enjoying salads more than ever. 

during our trip to warrenton, virginia this past week

to celebrate my cousin lia's wedding to her husband john ,

I had a few amazing salads that really stood out as the best 

meals of our stay. 

at lia & john's wedding, a spring salad was served with 

blackberries & mandarin oranges with a fruit vinaigrette. 

I also had an amazing red leaf caesar salad with croquettes &

at the bridal luncheon a goat cheese fritter & beet salad.

needless to say I ate well during our trip. 

I had a goat cheese fritter salad once before the

lunch at claire's at the depot in warrenton, 

actually only a few days before when joey & I made them

to top one of our salads. 

since my first time cooking these , I have made them four 

more times- that's how much I love them! they are crispy & tangy- 

perfect for any salad .

[ bread cheese as you would with poultry or vegetables

with crispy panko bread crumbs ]

[ I marinated sliced strawberries in balsamic vinaigrette,

sugar, & water to soften & sweeten the berries -

refrigerating after & using the juice in our dressing ]

[ after frying in very hot oil for about a minute & a half

on each side ]

[ spring salad with a lemon honey vinaigrette 

topped with the goat cheese fritters, sliced strawberries,

& shaved almonds ]

[ yum ! ]

baked brie with apricot preserves & soppressata

tonight we made one of my favorites .

this brie wrapped in croissant rolls with

apricot preserves & soppressata is great to have for guests- 

quick & easy yet incredibly warm & comforting .

we had this for appetizer turned dinner ( it was that good ) , and will

definitely be making this more in the near future !

skinty minty cupcakes

I have been really into mint recently - I think

it started with the not - so - impulse buy

of mint chocolate chip ice cream , then the 

peppermint mocha coffees , then peppermint bark ...

then I decided enough was enough & I have to stop

the junk ! but who am I kidding , I am a choco-holic as I'm

sure you are well aware . 

I was trying to think of ways I can make something pepperminty

yet skinny at the same time , & I came up with the idea of these cupcakes .

by substituting oil with pumpkin mix ( something I have 

been doing for years - I swear you'll never know ! ) , my attempt

to skinnify my cupcakes was a success .

as for the peppermint , I placed a mini york peppermint patty

in between half of the cupcake batter , then made a fresh mint

whipped cream for on top . I love how the peppermint creates

an overwhelming chilly feeling in your mouth ... betcha can't eat just one

(especially after cooling overnight in the fridge - in fact joey & 

I each sneakily had one this morning & didn't tell each other ... shhh )

the map necklace by three jane by katie schloss

I am continually in awe of the pieces jewelry designer 

katie schloss creates for her line , three jane by katie schloss .

though she is a close friend of my sisters , I am 

tremendously proud of her success & 

only flourishing position in the fashion world .

mentioned in gift guides of nearly every 

important print media's gift guides for this season ,

I have a feeling katie & three jane are

only going up from here .

check out her "map necklace , "

an innovative , clever , yet classic chic

piece , allowing you to customize your necklace &

always keep fond memories & special places

close to your heart at all times ( & marked with a diamond , of course ) .

P S - she also created a collection based on classic 90's 

icons - gusher bangles & lego necklaces ... amazing .

http://www.threejaneny.com/

RHOBH lisa vanderpump vs kyle richards

I may seem crazy , but I feel like these women are my best friends .

actually , I know you feel that way too ( admit it ! ) .

over the past couple of seasons of the real housewives of 

beverly hills ( precaution : if you don't watch , you may not relate )

I have developed a relationship with the girls just like I did in high school

with MTV's "laguna beach " - laughing , crying , & watching 

their ups & downs in awe .

the beautiful houses , the beautiful families ( hello , mauricio ! )

and doesn't beverly hills look like the most magical place ever ?

anyway , I do love my life so I will not go on about the 

oh - so - glamourous lives of the housewives - BUT , 

I had an epiphany while watching the most recent episode .

lisa's hair is always perfect . she always looks so feminine ,

especially when she wears pink ( most definitely her color ) . 

I thought , my hair is thick , brown , & slightly wavy -

I have been needing a haircut , why not try the " lisa " look ?

but then kyle came on , and her hair is always perfect as well

( okay fine all of their hair is perfect ! ) - long , shiny, & manageable .

it kind of looks like my hair now - but note the word manageable ,

as mine is not .

anywho , the brunettes of beverly hills clearly have me inspired

as to my next much needed haircut - but as you can see

I am having trouble choosing between the ladies .

what do you prefer ? long & sleek , or short & chic ?

chinese chicken wings

[ teriyaki , soy sauce , sweet chili sauce , apricot preserves , 

ginger , & garlic ]

[ simmer above mixture in sauce pan & add 

green onions & honey ]

[ once cooking the wings through , place in sauce pot 

& allow to simmer covered for 30 minutes ]

[ broil the wings & flip halfway through for a crispy skin ]

[ serve with scallion pancakes - recipe to come ]

I have been wanting to make these chinese chicken wings

for years now . I used to make them for guests / friends

in high school , but lost my cookbook the recipe was in .

for some reason , the thought of preparing the wings 

without remembering the ingredients was intimidating .

two weeks ago , I made these chinese chicken wings 

for joey & we loved them so much we made them again !

by having the wings simmer in a sauce for 30

minutes , we allowed the meat to really moisten &

soak up the amazing honey / ginger / teriyaki glaze .

joey & I have really stepped up our food game  -

think prosciutto , apricot preserve , & gruyere on toasted 

truffle oil baguette and goat cheese , fig , & sopressata crostini .

I am excited to share the new , exciting things we have been

cooking up here in queens ! these chicken wings are just the start .

corn with queso fresco & chili powder

corn is underrated. in the hot summer , 

there is nothing better than coming home to my parents

making local corn on the cob from my family's farm .

the ability to eat local is something not a lot of people

are able to experience . being from the east end of long island

allows for fresh food of any sort- whether it's eggs ,

heirloom tomatoes, or fish .

I think it is so important to know where your food is coming

from , and supporting local farmers & people who are able

to bring such fresh, natural ingredients to the general public

is something I aim to embrace more & more in the near future .

on that note , the corn I used to make chipotle seasoned corn

topped with queso fresco ( a mexican crumbled cheese ) was 

in fact not local , & made me appreciate the fact that I can walk 

down the street in late august & buy vegetables, knowing where

they were grown ( if it's not corn I can get my veggies right in my 

backyard from my parent's garden- now that's the best ) .

[ stalks of corn I got from the grocery store in astoria ]

[ chipotle-mayo seasoning - low fat mayo, sour cream ,

paprika , cumin , cilantro , lime juice , & chili powder ]

[ after rubbing the chili powder mixture onto the corn ,

I wrapped the corn in tinfoil and baked in the oven ]

[ after the corn was nice & hot , I crumbled

the queso fresco over the corn ]

[ full of flavor & so easy ... my kind of side ! ]

chicken fajitas with garlic cilantro aioli

mexican is my favorite food group . wait, is it a food 

group ? whatever, it's amazing. 

last night joey & I made bomb chicken fajitas ,

& before we even sat down to eat we knew

it was going to be one of the top 10 things we've made.

it was that good .

obviously you can tell by now that joey & I 

are into making aiolis- mayo based sauces that you

can pretty much cater to whatever dish you're making .

for our fajitas, we made ours with sriracha , 

garlic , cilantro, lime ,  and sour cream .

it was just the right amount of freshness added to our

sauteed veggie & chicken mix . 

[ start of our aioli ]

[ joey made his own fajita seasonings which really

made the difference- including my dad's chili flakes

from the garden- spicy spicy ! ]

[ we added a piece of a hard taco shell to give it 

some crunch- I love different textures in food ]

[ had to ... ]

caramel apple slices

I don't think I'm the only one that 

fully embraces the fall season when it is still

clearly summer .

not only have I started my daily pumpkin 

iced coffee habit, but I've already fully

transitioned into my fall wardrobe ( yes I wore a 

cowl neck sweater tunic when it was 80 degrees )

and have begun a list of autumn-inspired recipes

( read : roasted pumpkin seed brittle ) .

I love this time of year - the fresh smell of the air ,

crisp mornings , and cool evenings - but inside my apartment

fall also means warm candles, comforting meals , &

enjoying the company of good friends .

my friend melissa from college came over for dinner

last night, so for dessert I made these caramel

apple slices using halloween sprinkles - because I know

she'd appreciate the cute skull candies as much as I did .

granny smith, gala, & fuji apples .

soaking the apple slices in lemon not only adds 

amazing flavor , but also keeps them from browning .

instead of making homemade caramel ,

I cheated and melted down caramel squares

in a double boiler .

caramel squares + milk 

how cute are these sprinkles ... I can't

finished product !

turkeyteki burgers

yes... we're back & reunited with the blog 

and it feels so good !

I say "we" because I have got 

to give due credit to where it belongs ...

& that's to joey, who basically 

does half or as much of the cooking as I do .

anywho ... while grocery shopping / 

wandering aimlessly around the store ,

I was stuck on what to have for dinner until I

saw feta ... and then walked by the mint .

voila ! I was inspired to create a fresh take

on a burger ... so last night , we made 

turkeyteki burgers . a beefteki burger

is a greek spin on a classic hamburger ,

incorporating fresh mint , parsley , & feta .

we made ours with turkey meat rather than beef 

to make our burgers extra lean .

our burgers were made with parsley , mint , feta , garlic , 

& squeezed lemon juice

joey made the tzatziki sauce to complement

the burgers using greek yogurt , sour cream ,

cucumber ,sriracha , & lemon juice

mmm !

 garnished with  a sunny side egg 

simply the best !

Three Jane by Katie Schloss Trunk Show

to all you NYC-ers ... I advise you to clear your schedule

for this event ! 

katie's jewelry is one of a kind , a collection of drool - worthy bright colored

& stone pieces that 

can be dressed up or down ... a necessity when living in the city !

below are some of my favorite pieces ... though just these 

five does not give enough credit due to the lovely katie schloss &

her jewelry line three jane by katie schloss .

check out the line's facebook page at 

https://www.facebook.com/ThreeJaneNY

if you can't make it to the trunk show !

how gorg for the holidays ?

love these cocktail rings 

a touch of color 

wilma flinestone chic

I need these present earrings