Today :: Busy

In the words of Ice Cube, "Today was a good day." It's Friday and it was busy at work. Everyone was trying to get their projects and books finished before fast approaching due dates. The workday went by quick and everyone was pleased with their work. That makes me very happy. Here's a very small glimpse of what went on:

1. the press ready for printing 2. Becky admiring her handy work 3. Becky adding a little bling to her print 4. Sophie so happy with her first "perfect" perfect bound book 
Have a great weekend and Happy Easter!
xo, jen

Made :: Pom-Pom Banner

This upcoming weekend a friend and I are decorating for a baby shower. Weather permitting, the shower will be held outdoors in the backyard. Since flowers are the theme, the outdoor area takes care of some decorating elements. The idea is to keep it simple and pretty.
My friend is making a tassel banner (cute) and I decided to make a pom-pom banner. Do you remember making pom-poms when you were younger? They were so fun to make and guess what? They're still fun to make. It was my first time using a pom-pom maker so I was a little slow with the first batch made. as a kid we used our hands/ fingers. Overall they turned out well and can't wait to see them hanging up at the shower.


xo, jen

note: I bought my pom-pom maker ($6) and yarn ($2.99) at Joann's. I did use a coupon so the cost was even less. 

Visited :: Larchmont Village

Los Angeles is full of really cool and fun areas. Yesterday we met friends from church in Larchmont Village. There are great places to eat and shop; a nice walk neighborhood. It's also full of hipsters :) A favorite place of ours (and many others) to eat is Bungalow at Larchmont. Usually it's pretty busy, but the food is delicious. I highly recommend the Mole Eggs Benedict. On Sundays there's a Farmer's Market from 9-2pm that has a nice selection of produce, artisan, and other handmade products.




If you ever in the area, check it out. Have brunch, walk, and hangout. xo, jen

For Your Enjoyment :: Online Magazines

Can't believe it's the end of another work week. Yay. At some point this weekend I'm hoping to catch up on my favorite online magazines. It's been awhile since I've enjoyed slowly perusing each page of these consistently beautiful, digital magazines. Here are a few of my faves:

1. Lonny 2. rue 3. sweet paul
Do you have any favorite online magazines? Please share. xo, jen p.s. have a great weekend

Library Loot

Libraries are A-MA-ZING. One never knows what treasures they'll find during a visit. On a recent excursion these two gems came home with me.

What gems have you picked up at your library? xo, jen

Made :: Matcha Green Tea Latte

Last week I went to my friend's (Jen) house for a St. Patrick's Day play date. I was the only one there that doesn't have a small child :) The kids had a blast! A treat for the adults were Matcha Popsicles made in a Zoku (I want one) machine. Yum yum. It inspired me to make my own green tea latte. Here's how I did it:

Green Tea Latte
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1/2 tsp. matcha green tea powder (adjust to your liking...a little goes a long way)
1.5 tsp. agave
1c milk
ice (if you're going to enjoy it cold)
Place the matcha green tea powder in a glass or mug. Add the agave. Mix well. You should end up with a smooth, but thick consistency. Add milk and stir until dissolved. Taste and add more agave to sweeten if needed. pour into a glass of ice if you're having it cold and heat mug in microwave if enjoying it hot. Easy, breezy and oh so delicious.
note: I got my green tea powder at a tea shop, but I think you can find it at most Asian grocery stores. I also used vanilla soy milk which made my latte a little sweeter so no need to add extra sweetener. 

xo, jen

Happy Weekend

Hello Friday. Hopefully all of you had a great week and are gearing up for a fun filled weekend. Enjoy and have a great St. Patrick's Day.




xo, jen
p.s. photos from last week's trip to the farmers market.

Books Read :: February

Okay, I'm behind the ball in posting this. sorry. In the month of February I read a few really good books. My favorite read was the 1. School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister. The reason why? It's simple: FOOD. The book was well written. a lot of metaphors though. As I read, I just wanted to cook and make something that my soul could be poured into. Although the book was written a few years ago, a sequel came out this month and I'm number one on the wait list at the library. Woohoo! The other titles read were 2. Bebe Day by Day: 100 keys to French parenting by Pamela Druckerman- some really good points in this book 3. 3rd Degree: Women's Murder Club by James Patterson and 4. Ad Hoc at Home by Thomas Keller- beautiful cookbook, a little intimidating, but I will try something from it in the future.

Have you discovered and/or read any good books lately? If so, please share. xo, jen

Simple Truffle Egg Sandwich

Honestly, I think I only made one new meal in February. Time (lack of) and laziness are the reasons. I feel awful about it and am recommitting this month. So to start off I decided to make a simple, but oh so yummy egg sandwich's. This is a breakfast or lunch sandwich. It's so quick and easy, I made it two days in a row. BTW, what makes this sandwich so delicious is the truffle salt and good bread. Also, the fact that there aren't too many flavors going on...you can actually taste the ingredients.



Simple Truffle Egg Sandwich
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1 or 2 slices of bread (your choice, but make it a good one)
1 or 2 Eggs
1 green onion (the green part)
Salted butter
A pinch of pepper
A pinch of truffle salt
1tsp of olive oil

Thinly slice the green onion. as much as you like. Heat teaspoon of olive oil in a frying pan and cook egg sunny side up or fried. Add green onion and a pinch of pepper while the egg is cooking.  Turn oven broiler on. Butter bread and place in the broiler when it's ready. The bread will toast very quickly, maybe a couple of minutes, so check it and toast to your liking. Remove toast and place on a plate. When the eggs are finished cooking place it on top of toast and sprinkle with the truffle salt. Enjoy.

Note: I bought my truffle salt at the farmers market. It should also be available in some stores. If you can't find it, try a different type of salt. The bread is from a local Asian bakery and the butter was bought in France. it's to die for.

xo, jen    

Family

We're back in California now. The trip East was a great one, so much more than expected. Many memories made and happy reconciliations. Family is important and am fortunate for the one that I have. Although at times it can be easy to forget that. It was sad to leave everyone, especially S and the little ones. Hopefully we'll be able to visit again real soon.

xo, jen

In a New York Minute

Man does time fly (as we age) when you're having fun. We spent the weekend in NYC & Brooklyn and before I knew it, the weekend was over and we were headed back upstate. Most people that know me know that I absolutely love New York. There's so much to see and do and it just feels...alive. Usually when we come, I have everything planned out, but not this time. Really I had nothing planned other than going to One Girl Cookies and Muji. accomplished. We stayed at a clean and modern little boutique hotel, Nu Hotel, in Brooklyn. Loved it and would definitely recommend it.
We spent most of Saturday in the city. My husband went to Sarabeth's in Tribeca to have brunch with S. I headed to SoHo to do a little shopping. First stop,  Pearl River. I always enjoy looking around the entire store. I never seem to buy anything, but this time I did pick up a little box of sweet Mango Ginger Chews. Yum. wish I had bought more. Next on the list were Uniqlo, Chanel, and Pearl Paint. I could have gone to more places, but K & S had joined me and would not have enjoyed it. We ended with a late lunch at Delicatessen. There was a bit of a wait, but well worth it. By the time we finished, it was time to head back to Brooklyn. Then less than 24hrs later we were gone. It was a whirlwind, but a whirlwind I'm up for anytime! xo, jen