Omiyage

{Bouchon Bakery - Beverly Hills}

I have been obsessed with Bouchon macarons and chocolate bouchon brownies ever since I first tried them at their Napa Valley location a couple years ago.  So, I was super excited when I heard they were finally opening a bakery at the Beverly Hills Bouchon Bistro location. In Hawaii, we bring "omiyage" (gift/souvenir) to family and friends when visiting or returning home from a trip.  Since I was flying out of LAX and sort of in the area, I just had to stop by Bouchon Bakery to pick up omiyage and of course, extra macarons for the plane!

{caramel macaron}

Summer 2011 Bucket List revisited: #4, #6, #12

6. Eat my favorite summer treats: gelato, watermelon salad, blueberry pie

{gelato - I had pistachio, as always}

{watermelon & chevre in olive oil w/ salt & pepper}

{The majority vote for best blueberry pie in NY is from Briermere Farms, about 80 miles outside the city. Finding exceptional blueberry pie in NYC has been difficult, so I continue returning to the place that first sparked my blueberry pie search; Pearl Oyster Bar (Cornelia St & W 4th St) for their blueberry crumble a-la-mode.}

4. Try a new Jean Georges restaurant

I'm on a mission to try all of chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten's restaurants in NYC. On my last trip to Hawaii, it was a pleasant surprise to find a Jean-Georges restaurant on Kauai called Kauai Grill, & it happened to be the restaurant to watch the sunset over Hanalei Bay.

We had the hamachi appetizer, grilled onaga, nut & seed crusted moi (pictured below), & coconut panna cotta with fruit salad & lime sherbet for dessert.

12. Watch the sunset on my birthday at the St. Regis Princeville Resort on Kauai

{the sunset from Kauai Grill at the St. Regis}

It's been quite a good summer.

findyourcraving

Summer 2011 Bucket List revisited: #1, #2

1. Take the East River Ferry to Brooklyn

A new ferry route opened up near my apartment this summer, connecting midtown Manhattan to various stops in Brooklyn, Governor's Island, & ending in Wall Street. I took the ferry a few times to Fort Greene & Williamsburg. It takes a little longer than the train, but it's a fun ride with a good breeze in your face & a beautiful view.

{view of Manhattan from the ferry as it heads to Brooklyn}

2. Williamsburg Flea Market

The Brooklyn Flea is no longer the same as the Brooklyn Bridge Sunday Flea that use to be located in Dumbo. Now operating out of 2 locations on the weekends, the Brooklyn Flea is predominantly thrift/vintage items & food stands. I went in search of a jewelry designer I saw at the Brooklyn Bridge Flea 2 years ago, but there are no vendors of that sort at the Williamsburg location. I didn't find anything I wanted to buy, but there were many interesting things to see.

Sat 10am–5pm: 176 Lafayette Ave (btw Clermont & Vanderbilt Aves), Fort Greene, Brooklyn

Sun 10am–5pm: East River Waterfront (btw North 6th and 7th Sts), Williamsburg, Brooklyn

{papa, mama, & baby second-hand Chucks}

{interesting finds at the Brooklyn Flea}

how Sweet it is

{strawberry mango basil salsa & homemade tortilla chips}

I just recently discovered this awesome food blog called How Sweet It Is. The blogger behind it is hilarious and up-beat, the food photos are vibrant and incredibly well-styled (I'm constantly drooling at my computer screen), and her recipes are creative in the best ways ever-- she basically just takes all the yummiest ingredients you could ever think of and makes them into recipes you seriously wish you had thought of yourself!  It's as if she knows what all of my favorite foods are, and then takes those foods and combines them into super simple recipes.  S'mores + brownies.  Buffalo chicken + nachos.  Cake batter + pancakes.  Oreos + chocolate + peanut butter.  Bacon + chocolate + peanut butter.  I'm telling you she's a genius!

So far I've tried a few recipes and have loved them all: buffalo chicken pasta, enchilada lasagna, grilled breakfast pizza (this one was AMAAAAZING! and how much more simple can it get?!) and strawberry mango basil salsa (best salsa I ever made).  But I'm dying to try the creamy caprese pasta and s'mores pie.  You must check out her blog!

YogaWear

{lululemon - Get Fit Tank}

My usual fitness routine is sporadic at best, however, for the past few weeks Holly, Rachel and I have been going to corepower Yoga, 3 times a week.  The classes are heated and intense and while I have not seen any results yet, I certainly feel stronger and more fit.  Of course since I am working out more often, I also need more active gear!  My go-to brand for athletic wear is lululemon; all the items I own, from my most recently purchased Get Fit Tank to my favorite Groove Pant, fit great and feel incredibly smooth and comfortable.  The only downside is that their prices are quite steep, especially for clothing you're going to drench in sweat, so I have been looking for a price-friendly alternative.  While perusing Target, I found these capri pants that have a similar look and feel to my lululemon pants, and so far they are functioning quite well too.  At less than 1/3 the price, they are totally a steal.

{Target - C9 by Champion - Seamless Capri Pants}

I also saw this top in store, but they did not have my size in stock.  The top comes with an inner-bra, which is one of my favorite features of lululemon tops.  I just ordered one online... crossing my fingers it works out well! 

{Target - C9 by Champion - Premium Athletic Top}

Happy Flower Friday

{dahlias and spray roses: my favorite bouquet so far from B!} 

This has been a crazy week, what with earthquakes in the most unexpected places, and a major hurricane on it's way to the east coast.  Whenever there is a significant earthquake anywhere nearby it reminds me that we're all just waiting for the "big one" here in California.  I hope this weekend doesn't bring too much chaos, no matter where you are.  I plan to take full advantage of the nice hot summer weather with friends, food, and fun in the sun. =)

Thank you for visiting our blog and I hope you all have a fun and safe weekend!

p.s. Stay safe over there on the east coast, t.lynn!

Summer 2011 Bucket List revisited: #7

7. Serious Eats' Doughnut Tour

I wouldn't take the Serious Eats guide to the best doughnuts in NYC, well, seriously.

We began at Bouchon Bakery in the Time Warner Center, winner of the best custard + jam doughnut. They warned that it was served only on weekends, but it should have specified that it was only on Saturdays. We were there, of course, on a Sunday.

{the doughnut we were meant to try}

Next up was the best mochi doughnut at Koryodang (32nd St btw 5th & Broadway). This doughnut was not good. It's called a Sweet Rice Twist but it tastes like doughy nothingness, with no textural evidence of mochi.


The mochi doughnut that should have been on the list is from Cafe Zaiya (41st btw Madison & 5th). This one is sweet & delicious, with the consistency you would expect of a well balanced mochi-doughnut. You'll probably end up leaving with more than one.


Next, we headed to The Donut Pub (14th St & 7th Ave), winner of the best doughnut holes. The site recommended the red velvet cake, which we tried, but I would rather have a Dunkin Donuts munchkin any day.


There are 15 other places on the guide, but by this point, none of us felt like traveling further to sample another sub-par pastry. The verdict: save yourself some time & head straight to Doughnut Plant, which remains, by far, the best doughnuts in NYC.

mumblepurr

i heart J.Crew

{J.Crew Ruthie shirtdress} 

From the unique color block scheme to the leopard shoes, 

I can't stop looking at this outfit!

I don't know how long J.Crew can maintain its winning streak, but it's pretty amazing how they've seemingly reinvented themselves as a result of Jenna Lyons' leadership.  I've read numerous articles about how she single-handedly "revitalized" the J.Crew brand--her story is so inspiring and she is such an intriguing woman, that you just can't help but love her and want to know more about her.  Season after season, J.Crew literally tells me what I want, what I need, and what I have to have!  Recently, I've been loving their cool, relaxed, work chic vibe.  Every single one of these outfits just has that extra J.Crew pop to it!

{J.Crew pencil skirt in bi-stretch wool}

the super laid back chambray is complimented by the 

girly, edgy, thick heeled platform pumps

{J.Crew schoolboy blazer in navy}

every part of this outfit is so right now: 

stripes! blazer! bright bold pants! leopard clutch!

{J.Crew Herringbone vest}

sheer shirt + vest = geniusness, don't you think?!

Blue Hues

New fall nail lacquers are rolling out and a blue-ish tint trend seems to be at the forefront.  I usually don't stray too far from nude and red/pink tones, but I can feel myself falling for these new shades.  I'm especially loving the dark teal variations of Chanel Blue Revel and Zoya Cynthia.  Will you be rocking blue nails this fall as well?  

{Chanel - Blue Revel, Coco Blue and Blue Boy - Fashionista}

{Deborah Lippmann - I Know What Boys Like}

not quite blue... but similar effect

{Deborah Lippmann - Billionaire}

{Butter London - Bluey - Ulta}

{Zoya - Cynthia}

You and I

The video is pretty crazy, but I cannot get this song out of my head.