Now Tweeting + Mixtape

Hi!

As per usual, my latest and greatest songs of the moment.

Not as per usual, just wanted to let ya'll know I'm on twitter now! I'm still fudging around with the whole mechanics of the thing but I've managed to tweet a bit so far. Hopefully if you have any questions, I'll be able to answer you there on a more personal level :)

{tweet me here}

little dragon {ritual union - tensnake remix}

smoooooooooth is the best word to describe this song. her voice, buttaaah baby pure butttahh.

bodies of water {open rhythms}

i'd like to travel route 66 while listening to this song. just sayin'...

theophilus london {why even try - RAC remix}

of course, i'm always a big fan of RAC remixes, and this one is no exception. but i happen to especially love the fun retro feel to this song.

swedish house mafia vs. enur vs. congorock {one vs. calabria vs. babylon}

this is like EPICx3. formula: take three incredibly epic house songs and mash them together to make the biggest banger ever!!!! but, i will always have a special place in my heart for shm!

gyptian {hold yuh- major lazer remix}

i can't for the life of me figure out what this type of music is called, the name escapes me, but it's an amazing mix of reggae and house. this song has amazing vocals and is backed by great beats. major lazer win!

koko vs. prutataaa {first state mashup - sander van doorn vs. afrojack, r3hab}

two of the best house songs, mixed to become an ultimate MEGAsong.

digitalism {miami showdown}

showdown is right! i can totally see this in an incredibly cinematic fight scene or something like that. amazinggg.

robyn {with every heartbeat, acoustic version}

i am a HUGE fan of robyn. her music is so fun, but this acoustic version of 'with every heartbeat' shows this tender side that i love seeing!

clams casino {i'm god, instrumental version}

such a chill song. perfect for this windows down, hair flying in the wind kind of mood i've been in lately.

the beatles {and i love her - allure remix}

the beatles were instilled in me since i was in utero. i don't think my dad instilled remixed beatles in me, but it found its way to me in the end.

alessi's ark {simple man, lynyrd skynyrd cover}

folky female vocals always do me in. is it in my genes? i just can't help but love it!

dirty gold {california sunrise}

this song epitomizes it's title. it's crazy how a song can epitomize my home so well!

black light dinner party {small boxes}

i'm a sucker for great instrumentals. this isn't strictly instrumental but it has an utterly gorgeous, jaw-dropping instrumental backbone.

beethoven {moonlight sonata - sound remedy remix}

if you hadn't noticed, i love remixes. the original will always be the original... meaning i will always love it. but remixes have a way of reinterpreting and breathing new life to a song. beethoven remixed?!?!? YES.

katy perry {last friday night - laidback luke remix}

pure F.U.N.

gta ft. zashanell {u & i}

ahhhhmazing! avicii has been playing this song in all of his recent sets and i've been lapping it up.

Ólafur Arnalds {brotsjor}

something about icelandic music!!! there's always this ethereal quality that seemingly can't be produced anywhere else but iceland. iceland, i thank you very much for your music.

celeste lear {light through the branches - kris p. kreme remix}

i love 'so you think you can dance.' if you haven't heard of it before, it's basically this amazing television show that showcases all kinds of gorgeous dance types. i also love it for introducing new music to me, this is one amazing song. i happened to find an even more amazing remix of it... YAY.

september {party in my head - coucheron remix}

another euro-teen with remixes? that may be a redundant fact but it never gets old. and this song is anything but - fun with an insane drop.

Grilled Vegetable Sandwiches

Remember the delicious 10-Grain milk bread that I shared with you last week? And remember how I told you that I made a yummy sandwich with that same bread and was gonna share it with you soon? Welp, here it is!

This is a riff on a sandwich I love eating from this particular restaurant. A bunch of grilled veggies, a slather of smoky hummus and tangy, creamy feta. You really should not skimp on grilling the veggies here because it really adds a distinct smoky flavor, but if you really do not want to grill, you could always roast them in the oven. On top of my hearty 10-grain bread, it makes for a wonderful lunch.

Grilled Vegetable Sandwiches

Yields: 4 sandwiches, 4 servings

8 slices of 10-grain milk bread, or any whole wheat bread
4 tbsn. roasted garlic hummus, or more to your taste
4 tbsn. crumbled French feta, or more to your taste
2 red peppers, roasted
2 medium zucchini, sliced
1 box mushrooms, sliced
1 large eggplant, sliced
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste


To roast the eggplant, grill the peppers until their outer skin is charred and completely black. Place into a heatproof bowl and cover completely; allow them to steam for 4 - 5 minutes, then remove the charred skin (it should pinch off easily). Grill the zucchini and eggplant slices until cooked through and slightly charred (I grilled them dry, but if you prefer, you can use some olive oil on the veggies). In a medium saucepan, dry saute the mushrooms over high heat until browned and cooked through. Place all of the vegetables into a large bowl and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Toast the bread slices, then spread a tbsn. of hummus on four slices of bread. Top with the crumbled feta, some roasted red pepper, grilled zucchini, mushroom and grilled eggplant. Finish it off with the other slice of bread and enjoy!

Tailored Tuesday & Travel

Obsessed with maxi's right now. Glamorous and casual all wrapped into one!

1. The Row 'Roger modal and silk blend tank'

a staple.

2. Crumpet 'Cashmere maxi skirt'

maxi in mustard yellow?!?! i die.

3. Pierre Hardy 'Two-tone suede wedge sandals'

wedges are like the non-heel girl's answer to heels. amazing.

4. Alexander McQueen 'Swarovski crystal double skull bracelet'

two words: bad ASS.

5. Forever 21 'Hydrating lipstick in red'

red always works. always.

6. Nars 'Nail polish in desperado'

yes please!

7. Holga 'Holga lens for canon SLR cameras'

how awesome is that?!

8. Monica Vinader 'Fiji sterling silver bracelet'

simple but gorgeous.

9. Ralph Lauren Collection 'Fringed suede clutch'

still no fringe in my closet yet but i'm working on it...

10. Filson 'Dream wool duffel bag'

a bit hipster but wholly useful.

11. Stanley 'Flask'

do with it what you will!

12. Forever 21 'Animal instincts hair clips'

cute x 10

13. Nars 'Cream blush in cactus flower'

ummmmm summer much?

14. Forever 21 'Five piece cosmetics brush set'

probably not the best quality but cheap and cute nonetheless.

{charles bridge, prague}

i heard prague is THEE place to visit in europe. THEE place.

{7 mile bridge, florida}

wow, i can imagine this being the most awesome drive of my life!

{the gellert baths, budapest, hungary}

POOOOOOOL party!! woop woop.

{wakatobi, southeast sulawesi, indonesia}

i can die happy now...

{emerald pool, the alps, austria}

this is one of the most stunning things i've ever encountered...

{inari shrine, kyoto, japan}

i could imagine myself taking a lot of 'jumping photos' here. once a jumper... always a jumper.

{the blue caves, zakynthos island, greece}

why am i not here right now?!?!

{grampians national park, victoria, australia}

wow. just wow.

10 Grain Milk Bread

I'm very lucky to work at a bakery. Lucky in the way that I get to eat tons and tons of award-winning baked goods. Mmmm. Possibly unlucky in the fact that I should not be eating these award-winning baked goods on a weekly basis...

But, that aside, one of my favorite things to nom on is their 7-grain bread. It's amazingly soft yet has so much texture from all of those hearty grains. This recipe isn't theirs, apparently their recipe is top secret pshhh! This recipe is something I kind of developed from my favorite, favorite milk bread recipe. The Tangzhong method keeps it soft for days as it always seems to magically do and then 10 grains make it hearty and perfect for sandwiches. Speaking of... delicious sandwich made from this 10 grain bread to be posted very soon!

10 Grain Milk Bread

Yields: 1 9x5" loaf

Original recipe here.

1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup bread flour

1/2 cup 10 grain cereal mix, plus more for topping

3 tbsn. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. instant yeast

1 large egg

1/2 cup buttermilk (regular milk or soy milk also works)

120 g. tangzhong (about 1/2 of the mixture below)

3 tbsn. butter, cut into small pieces, at room temperature

For the tangzhong:

1/3 cup bread flour

1 cup water

To make the tangzhong, mix the flour and water together and whisk until it is completely dissolved and there are no lumps. Pour into a small saucepan and heat over medium heat. Begin stirring constantly as the mixture heats up - it will begin to thicken. When the temperature of the mixture reaches 150 F, turn off the stove and remove it from the stove to let it cool. 

In the bowl of a stand up mixer, combine the flours, cereal mix, salt, sugar and yeast and mix. In a large liquid measuring cup, combine the milk, egg and tangzhong and mix very well. Form a well in the center of the dry ingredients, then pour the wet ingredients into the center. Fit the mixer with the hook attachment and begin mixing on medium speed until the dough comes together, then add the butter in and continue kneading. Knead until the dough is smooth, not too sticky on the surface and elastic, about 18 - 20 minutes (but each mixer varies). When ready, you should be able to take a chunk of the dough and stretch it to a very thin membrane before if breaks. When it does break it should form a circle. Remove the dough from the mixer and knead into a ball. Take a large bowl, grease it with oil, then place the dough into the bowl and cover with a wet towel. Let it proof in a warm place until it's doubled in size, about 40 minutes. 

Once the dough has doubled in size, transfer it to a clean surface. Roll out the ball with a rolling pin into an oval shape. Take one end of the dough and fold it to meet the middle of the oval, then take the other end and fold it to meet the middle. Flip the dough over with the folds facing down and flatten with a rolling pin. Roll out the dough until it forms a thin rectangle. Begin rolling up the dough along the wide/ long side of the rectangle so you end up with a long skinny roll rather than a short and fat one. Place it into a 9x5" bread pan lined with parchment paper. Cover in plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size, about another 40 minutes. Beat an egg and brush the mixture on top before baking. Bake at 325 F for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Tea Time & The East India Company

I think people often underestimate the time you need for yourself. It's nice to keep yourself busy with work, school, loved ones and lovers but I firmly believe that to be happy in life, you have to be happy with who you are. I love to spend time with myself. That sounds weird, I realize, but I like having my alone time with only my thoughts and I like to take time out in the day to relax a bit, whether it's going to the gym and sweating it out or just spending 10 minutes out of my day to enjoy a hot cup of tea. 

The nice people of The East India Company were kind enough to send me some of their delicious jams. I had just baked a loaf of 10-grain bread (recipe up soon) the day before, and it was perfection paired together. Soaking up the sun, reading the paper and nomming on some jam-laden homemade bread... what an afternoon! It only took 10 minutes, but that 10 minutes could be, quite literally, the thing that saves me. That sounds a bit dramatic but stress is probably the worst thing for your body.

The East India Company's Strawberry & Champagne jam was like a little gift of self-appreciation and I thank them for that! I don't normally like to talk about products on this site, but I thoroughly enjoyed this jam and thought I'd share what large effect this small bottle of jam had on me, and who knows? Possibly on you too :)

{Website}

Thanks again, The East India Company!

Zion, Springdale, Utah

I know this is a wee bit late, but my vacation to Zion, Utah was something I'll never forget and something I definitely want to share with you guys. Vacation in Utah, you say? I swear I told so many people that I was taking a week away to Utah and they responded all the same way: "Why Utah?!" 

Even though there are about a million places around the world that I'd love to see in my lifetime, one of my lifelong dreams is to see all of the beauty that the United States has to offer, because, well, there's so much of it! Zion was just one of the most unbelievable places I've ever been to. The landscape... oy, it's like nothing I've ever seen and something I've never even dreamed of. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves...

{weeping rock, zion national park}

our first official hike in zion after a 6-hour + all night long drive up. we were such troopers, driving all night then hiking all day long!

{weeping rock, zion national park}

weeping rock is literally a huge overhung rock that weeps. slow trickles of water drip down its sides and even though the hike is short and uneventful, the end stop is nothing short of breathtaking.

{the narrows, zion national park}

our second official hike and definitely one of my favorites! wallowing through ice cold water in deep lush canyons was such an awesome experience - we even had to swim through some parts!

{the narrows, zion national park}

NARROWS we rocked you!

{the narrows, zion national park}

a quick long-exposure to capture the awesomeness of the fast rapids!

{the narrows, zion national park}

oh hey it's me!

driving through utah while the sunrise greeted us!

a guided multi-repel trail through outer zion land. amazing - except for the one repel where i basically skinned my hands. ick!

{angel's landing, zion national park}

the gorgeous beginning to my favorite hike of the trip.

{angel's landing, zion national park}

finding inner peace in zion.

{angel's landing, zion national park}

oh hey, it's my girls & i in a rock! what's upp?

{angel's landing, zion national park}

angel's landing was by far the most gratifying hike of the trip. climbing 12,000 ft. up was challenging and most definitely terrifying but the view... oh that view!

{springdale, utah}

such a small quaint town! almost nothing to do once the sun went down, but after 8+ hours of hiking everyday, sleep was on our minds anyway.

{springdale, utah}

we ate out one night and decided to cheers with some ice cold beers... they weren't that refreshing though. did you know utah reduces the amount of alcohol in all of their alcoholic beverages?! another interesting fact: they don't let you order an alcoholic beverage without the accompaniment of a meal... interesting.

{bryce canyon, utah}

like nothing i've ever seen - definitely the most visually stunning hikes of the trip.

{bryce canyon, utah}

my girls & i in the most epic canyon ever.

{bryce canyon, utah}

of course, there had to be a jumping picture!

{bryce canyon, utah}

ugh, seriously!??!

{bryce canyon, utah}

me, wandering a new world. btw, camelbaks save lives!

{bryce canyon, utah}

{bryce canyon, utah}

taking advantage of the gorgeous sunlight.

{bryce canyon, utah}

utah, i sure will miss your golden horizon!