Mixtape

a fine frenzy . now is the start

i haven't always been the biggest fan of a fine frenzy, but i just love this song. it's so fun! the song isn't even out yet, but you can preview it from the link above.

dabruck & klein . all about you ft. anna mcdonald (disfunktion remix)

the naked & famous . no way (disfunktion remix)

i'm loving disfunktion remixes at the moment. the naked & famous remix is the perfect summer song. the melody on both are just amazing.

foxes . youth

foxes . youth (adventure club dubstep remix)

i can't even tell you have many times i've listened to this song in one continuous loop. i'm completely obsessed with everything about it: the lyrics, the songstress and the melody. it's beautiful. and if you're in the mood with something with more bass, the adventure club remix is awesome as well.

the m machine . faces

the m machine is something to be reckoned with. their music is completely epic, and bridges the gap between man and machine, combining emotional acoustics and electronic elements. 

purity ring . odedear

this song is seriously hypnotic. somehow sensuous and futuristic at the same time.

ko ko . float

whistling, tapping beats, and a fun harmony make this an amazing song. something you just wanna skip to.

the group called hr . my city

great hip hop. as simple as simple gets. 

major lazer . get free ft. amber of the dirty projectors (what so not remix)

amber of the dirty projector's voice is so unmistakable! i love collaborations, because you get the best of multiple worlds. double dose of funky from major lazer and amber, plus even funkier from the remix.

marina & the diamonds . lies (produced by diplo)

i love this song. marina's voice is undeniably gorgeous and you can just feel every emotion she's ever felt in her voice, it's amazing. the acoustic version, here, is just as amazing, if not better. 

kelly rowland . motivation ft. lil wayne (diplo remix)

question is, what can diplo not do? i really admire the guy. travels all around the world to study music of all cultures, then uses what he learns to influence his music. seriously, sometimes he makes the weirdest tracks of all time, but i love it. he takes kelly's song to a whole other level. so much soul and funk.

beach house . equal mind

new beach house album has been amazing so far and i just love her earthy, almost hypnotic vocals.

the naked & famous . young blood (tiesto & hardwell remix)

such a iconic song that's been remixed up and down, left and right. i really like tiesto's & hardwell's remix though. i can't say it's better than the original, but if i feel like something dancier, this does the trick.

deadmau5 . the veldt ft. chris james

quite arguably, the most beautiful song he's produced, second to 'strobe.' can you believe he found the vocalist to this song via twitter?! the song is based on this short story by ray bradbury, which is a great read, so if you have the time, read it!

scissor sisters . only the horses (calvin harris extended mix)

straight out of the 'we found love' fame, calvin harris drops this remix of the scissor sisters and i'm in love. such a talented individual - he produces, sings and remixes!

logic . tic tac toe

my favorite white boy rapper of the moment! his latest release is just another song i enduringly love.

avec sans . perth (bon iver cover)

i love bon iver, but sometimes their music can be too slow-paced for me, so i love it when people remix them. in this case, it's a cover that i almost love better than the original. avec sans' vocals are gorgeous; laid on top of a more up-beat tempo, it's love.

tiesto & swanky tunes . make some noise ft. ben mcinerney 

this vocals on this song are amazing, thanks ben mcinerney! the melody still hits pretty hard though, so it's a good mix of both worlds.

crystal castles . empathy (spf50 remix)

this reminds me of something that would be on the skins uk soundtrack. it's a filthy underground kind of song, but then again what crystal castles song isn't?t

the asteroids galaxy tour . major (vacationer remix)

i'm a big vacationer fan right now, but usually their music is more mellow. this song is pure funkadelic, which surprises me, but i'm not complaining. i totally dig it.

cassie . king of hearts (kanye west remix)

kanye killed this remix. simple as that.

midi matilda . day dreams (mykill remix)

i think this will become a summer staple! windows down, sun on my skin, driving to the beach kind of song.

the cataracts . all you ft. waka flocka and kaskade

the cataracts always make some fun music but in combination with waka and kaskade, it's a total winner! they sample kaskade's "all you" so it's a great mix of the signature cataracts' beat, gorgeous vocals and some fly rap. 

t.i. . love this life

he's backkkk! i love my man t.i.! if you're a fan of him, this song is just an instant like.

bondax . all inside

gorgeous song for this rainy weather we've been getting intermittently.

lana del rey . blue jeans (gesaffelstein remix)

as i said, gesaffelstein is someone i'm really into at the moment. something about that french urban techno vibe i'm digging. if french techno isn't your thing, i still think you'd love this remix. just makes the song a bit funkier and not just fluffy.

birdy . skinny love (bon iver cover) (secret weapon remix)

i've always loved birdy, such a talented girl with an amazing voice! she takes skinny love to a whole other level, but this secret weapon remix gives me chills.

all links are to where songs can be downloaded and/or streamed.

Salted Caramel Crème Pastries

One of my new favorite foodie show is definitely Unique Sweets/ Unique Eats on the Cooking channel. The way they film the food is utterly gorgeous, and seriously makes me salivate every single time I watch... it's painful and delightful all at the same time. I guess I'm a masochist of sorts...

Anyways, I was watching the episode that featured breakfast pastries, and while drooling extensively, I came across a breakfast pastry that I knew I had to try to recreate at home. I forget the name of the bakery now, but basically they make their own puff pastry, pre-bake it, then fill it with salted caramel, custard then brulee the whole thing. Sounds pretty decadent for a breakfast pastry doesn't it? Well, it sure sounds like heaven to me.

Of course, re-creating it at home, I simplified the process because I was no way in hell gonna make my own puff pastry! I happened to also have some leftover salted caramel sauce from a cake I made the weekend before... so it was all a snap for me. Just as it is, this pastry is amazing, but to add my own little twist to it, I added some sliced strawberries in the center to cut the sweetness a little and add a some freshness. But honestly, this is one of the simplest, most delicious, ingenious things I've ever eaten - I urge you to make it immediately!!

Salted Caramel Crème Pastries

Yields: 18 pastries

For the custard:

1 small package instant vanilla bean pudding

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

1 cup whole milk

1 tsp. vanilla bean paste or vanilla

For the salted caramel:

3/4 cup sugar

1/8 cup corn syrup

4 tbsn. butter, softened, cut into cubes

3/4 cup heavy cream

1/2 tsp. fleur de sel or any other sea salt

1 package puff pastry, defrosted, each sheet cut into 9 squares

1 cup strawberries, sliced thinly

coarse sugar, such as turbinado

To make the caramel, stir together the sugar, corn syrup and 1/4 cup of water in a small saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat and continue stirring until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat to high, stop stirring and allow the mixture to come to a boil. Continue boiling until the mixture turns a deep caramel color. If you are unsure of when to turn off the heat, the mixture should register 300 F on a candy thermometer. Remove the saucepan from the heat, and add the heavy cream and butter, being careful as it should bubble up vigorously. Add the salt, then allow the mixture to cool to room temperature. 

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Spread the squares of puff pastry on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, leaving about 1" in between each. Use a 3" round cookie cutter to impress a circle into each square (this will help to form a indentation later after baking so that it can be filled with cream). Bake until golden brown, about 12 - 15 minutes. Once golden brown, remove to a wire rack to cool. While baking, you can make the custard. In a medium bowl, whisk together the pudding mix, heavy cream, milk and vanilla  until smooth and the mixture starts to thicken. Set aside in the refrigerator for about 10 more minutes so that it can firm up some more.

To assemble, use a spoon to press in the circle indentations to make room for the custard. In each indentation, add about 1 tbsn. of the salted caramel. Add a few sliced strawberries, then top with custard, filling to the top. Sprinkle the tops with sugar, then use a torch to brulee until the sugar has melted and caramelized. Repeat with remaining pastries. Enjoy!