{baking in the spirit of} halloween candies

Kit kat mocha cupcakes with chocolate buttercream frosting. Absolutely to die for! In our household, kit-kats are our favorite halloween candy. So we figured we'd incorporate it into our favorite things to bake- cupcakes!

We found the recipe on this blog called Kitchen Karate. What's really cool is that this blog is actually written by a boy in college! We're thoroughly impressed by the genius behind these cupcakes- real coffee in the batter, kit kats in the batter and on the frosting, chocolate chips in the batter and melted into the frosting.... you get the idea, go bake them now before halloween's over!

Kit Kat Mocha Cupcakes

(makes 18 regular-sized cupcakes)

Ingredients:
Batter:
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup strong brewed coffee, at room temperature
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
3/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
9 kit kat bars- chopped into 27 pieces
 

Frosting:
3/4 cup butter, room temperature (1.5 stick)

2 cup confectioner's sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/3 semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted

chopped kit kat bars

Directions:

1. Preheat to 350°F. Line cupcake pan with liners.
2. In medium-sized mixing bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a measuring cup, combine the milk, brewed coffee and vanilla.
3. In a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugars at medium speed until fluflly, about 2-3 minutes. Add the egg and beat until combined. Slowly add the flour mixture, alternating with the coffee mixture, ending with the flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips.
4. Fill cupcake liners about 2/3 full. In each cupcake liner drop three Kit Kat chopped pieces, pressing down so only one side of the square is visible. You want them to be inside the cupcake while it's cooking. Bake for about 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. 

5. In the mean time, make the frosting. Beat the butter at medium speed until creamy. Add the confectioner's sugar 1/2 cup at a time, and beat well. Finally, beat in the vanilla and melted chocolate chips.
6. Frost the cooled cupcakes. Top the frosting with chopped kit kat bars. And enjoy!

{happy happy} last day of 30 for 30

Today is the last day of 30 for 30. I want to say that I am sad that it's over (mainly because that's just what we have to pretend to be when we say goodbye to things), but I'm just REALLY really excited to wear things from the rest of my closet!! The past 30 days were much easier than I anticipated, mainly as a result of my extensive collection of belts, scarves, necklaces and shoes. While I have always understood the importance of accessories, this experience re-enfored that for me, more than ever. I would definitely be interested in doing 30 for 30 again in the future, but not for a while- it just makes no sense when I have so many other clothes waiting to be worn. Voila, here comes the last day. Goodbye 30 for 30. 

And hello, shopping and new clothes! :)

h&m dress and belt, frye paige buckle riding boots

{inspired by} feeling knotty... (day 29)

People are drawn to choices. When they see words like the 7-way cardigan and the 100-way bra, they think they're getting an amazing bargain- it is as if they paid for one item, but got so many more! However, very rarely do we actually wear these items in all of the 7 ways or the 100 ways after we purchase them. These items, just like the rest of those "bargain" purchases, lay in our closet collecting dust. For me personally, I am not a big fan of the multi-way style that has been so prevalent lately. Although, I did borrow the Victoria's Secret's 7-way wrap idea for my wrap/cardigan today. Isn't the knot/twist kind of cool? I decided that the cardigan twist was a little lonely, and found it a knotty buddy of its own.

f21 lace wrap, f21 dress, sam edelman moccasin boots

{road trippin with} the best snacks ever

Okay Oprah, I'll give it to you, you did real good this time. No I'm not a huge fan of your favorite sweaters, or shoes, or jeans. And I never watch your show. But, if this is the kind of brownies you're snacking on... then perhaps I should pay closer attention to America's Test Kitchen.

Photo courtesy of www.browneyedbaker.com

You see, I didn't even get a chance to take a photo- because we wolved all of it down too fast! This was one of the best brownies I've had- definitely competitive with the Ghiradelli mix. Or dare I say, possibly better?

On top of the brownies, we also made these. Yep, pumpkin cinnamon chip pecan chocolate chip granola bars. If you are creative like us, you would also add chocolate chips to everything you bake! They were so perfect to have around- whether as a quick snack or as breakfast with coffee.

photo courtesy of www.browneyedbaker.com

 I could really get used to road tripping with snacks like these... as a healthy substitute to McDonalds, of course.

{adventures with} a fellow foodie- eggplant parmesan

Eggplant parmesan

delicious sauteed kale

Eggplant parmesan is such a traditional dish at Italian restaurants. However, I always find the ones at the restaurant less than satisfactory- with marinara sauce from a can and pre-shredded cheeses. We found the perfect recipe that called for tomatoes instead of pizza sauce, fresh basil instead of dried herbs, and shredded our own cheese right before topping the eggplants. In fact, we used a few tomatoes-on-the-vine instead of the canned tomatoes the recipe called for. The only thing I would change is to pat the tomatoes dry with paper towel before baking it, as they got a bit too watery than we would've liked. Otherwise, a success! Feel free to go extra on the cheese since it's so healthy!

{a fairytale} la boheme and le prep (day 28)

Ralph Lauren shirt/dress, Sam Edelman boots

{one pot meal love} black bean, scallops, leek & rosemary risotto

I am officially out of food.

Well, technically, I do have homemade brownies from America's test kitchen and pumpkin cinnamon pecan chocolate chip granola to snack on. (sorry about the drool on your laptop; more on these later)

But after a weekend of traveling and eating out, followed by exams and a day trip to an amusement park, my body needed something more. It needed healthy, veggie-filled, whole grained, lean protein-laden, real people, grown-up homemade food. So I decided to make risotto. Because I remembered that I have brown rice and black beans in the pantry. And I have two sticks of carrots, one onion, one stick (is that the correct unit?) of leek, ginger, garlic, ketch up and strawberry jam in the fridge. (but the strawberry jam and ketchup may be irrelevant) Oh and frozen baby scallops in the freezer. I don't know if you are the type of person to have these ingredients on hand when you run out of food. You probably should be.

Black bean, Scallops, Leek & Rosemary Risotto

Ingredients:

brown rice- two cups, uncooked

black beans- one cup, uncooked

onion- one

leek- one stick

carrot- two sticks

baby scallops- a cup and half

garlic- 4 cloves

ginger- optional

rosemary- 1 tbs

basil- 1 tsp

cilantro- 1 tsp

thyme- 1 tsp

cayenne pepper- 1 tsp

soy milk- 3/4 cup

olive oil- 3 tbs

balsamic vinegar- 4 tbs

Directions:

1. Cook black beans and rice in rice cooker if you have one. Stovetop is fine if you don't.

2. Sautee diced/sliced leek, onions, garlic, ginger, carrots and scallops together in large pan with olive oil and balsamic.

3. Pour almost-cooked rice bean mixture into large pan. Mix in the herbs and the soymilk. Simmer on medium until ready.

{currently wishing for} the windy city

brown sugar brioche french toast, with pear compote
aka, the most amazing brunch I've ever had at the Bongo Room

Chicago is one of the greatest cities in America, hands down. It has the big city glamour without the pretentious stilettos, and a beachfront to boot. What's not to love? Okay I know, the only reason preventing me from packing up and moving there is well....the wind. November though March is not fun in the Midwestern winter of foot-deep snows and negative windchills. But if I did live here, Wicker Park/Bucktown would be where it's at with its urban hipster residents, inventive restaurants, quaint coffeeshops and endless shopping options from thrift stores to upscale boutiques.

hanging out at the most adorable espresso bar on Halsted. it's called Kickstand.
h&m sweater, banana republic chinos, 9 west mocccasins

just enjoying a sunny afternoon on the magnificent mile... legos are the theme this year!
martin+osa sweater, f21 necklace, banana republic belt, cassette jeans

{inspired by} girly girl (day 27)

ann taylor ruffle tee, f21 cardigan, arden b skirt, liz claiborne flats

Ruffles, pink, chiffon, & rosettes. I am truly a girly girl at heart.

Sorry I am so behind on posting- this outfit was actually from last Thursday! I've had the good luck of being on vacation in chicago the last few days- but I'll get back to more posts as soon as I survive my two midterms tomorrow.

{happy birthday to} a girl stylish inside & out! (day 26)

Today is my good friend Chelsey's birthday. We went out last night for delicious Cuban food & drinks to celebrate! She is truly one of my favorite people- not only because we both love good food & good clothes- but also because she is so genuinely kind. If you're reading this, Chels, I hope you have a wonderful time this year! Happy birthday!

wet seal jacket, j crew tee, cassette jeans, wet seal heels

Okay, you know how every single magazine has a "Day to Night" section, in which they use the exact same day-time outfit, but just add on heels, jewelry, make up, and call it the going out outfit? And you think to yourself, really, you guys sure put a lot of thought into that one. Well, that is exactly what I did today. I took a t-shirt and a pair of jeans, added heels, big earrings and make up, and called it good! I know I wore the leather jacket yesterday- but I don't know how I ever lived without it! It is an absolutely essential wardrobe item. In fact I plan on making it my go-to going out jacket!

This is the delicious arepas Chels and I shared. I've never had them before, but after reading this description: griddled cornmeal cakes with herbed goat cheese, avocado, molajete sauce, sauteed spinach & boniato- I was definitely sold! It was so yummy- we just might have to recreate that at home soon!

Me and the birthday girl! Excuse me for the one-eye look.... I have a bang-trim appointment tonight so no worries I will be able to see with two eyes soon!

{a shout out to} lovely roomies

pumpkin cream cheese muffins

just some cream cheese filling oozing out of the muffin

oatmeal almond chocolate chunk cookies

Hello, I have something important to say. Remember the age old question of "Is there anything better than homemade muffins and cookies in this world?" Well it has been answered and it is affirmative. How is this possible, you ask? It is by sharing the joy of such goods with your roommates!

Last Thursday, I felt a strong desire to bake homemade cookies after salivating after some girl's Mrs. Field's cookies in lecture. I was this close to buying some from Mrs. Fields until I thought about how the ones we make at home are so much better! So instead, I recruited my roommate Leah & made these oatmeal almond chocolate chunk cookies. 

Today, I came home to the smell of cinnamon & pumpkin wafting through the halls after logging 4 hours in the graduate library. Well, the source of the amazing smell was the two dozen pumpkin cream cheese muffins  awaiting on the kitchen counter- made by my other roommate Julie.

I am so spoiled/lucky to live with such fabulous girls! You guys are absolutely the best. :)

{rockin the look of} an edgy lady (day 25)

h&m dress, wet seal jacket, vintage belt, liz claiborne flats

A prim & proper sweater dress, single strand of pearls, black lacy headband, & a wide polka-dot belt. The facade of a perfectly lady-like outfit falters a bit at the presence of rolled-up sleeves & a black leather jacket. What is surprising though, is how the lady-like appearance actually dominates the edginess of the leather jacket, almost lending it the polish and the professionalism of a black blazer.

While I liked the look of this on me in the mirror and the photos, for some reason it just didn't feel right. All day long, I wanted nothing but to change into a drapey tee, black yoga pants, worn-in moccassins, topped off with a colorful pashmina. I'd like the coin the term "sophisticated lounger" for this look. It's quite charming, really.

{mastering the art of} girl on the go (day 24)

Sometimes you've just got to brush, wash, get dressed and go. Today is one of those days- I got up at 5:30am. Dark-washed flares, black v-neck & converses are quite handy when you have 30 seconds to look presentable. Though it took me an additional 90 seconds to accessorize,  this Anthropologie necklace was definitely worth the time.

Just because you literally spent 5 minutes on your appearance doesn't mean you have to look like you just stumbled out. My advice on faking the "it's Monday and I'm somehow still pulled together and you are totally jealous" look is simple: Step one, choose clothes that are flattering and fit well- nothing too tight or baggy. Step two, accessorize. Step three, spritz on your favorite perfume and get out of here!

{the weekly} college cooking for one

Remember this pasta and this chili? In case you haven't noticed, I usually try to cook a huge meal with a ton of leftovers once a week. While it may be difficult to cook in college, home-cooked meals are absolutely essential if you want to eat delicious & healthy foods on a budget. I have a lot of friends that live on eating out and processed foods because they think cooking requires too much planning and tedious effort. It's really not so bad when you do the majority of your cooking every Sunday afternoon. I hope these posts will inspire you to do some cooking of your own!

Here are the general guidelines I follow when I'm cooking:

1) No cans, powders, or packaged foods. Fresh ingredients only.

2) A one-stopper for nutritional needs: veggies, proteins, & whole grains!

3) Easy to store leftovers

4) Easy to modify- if you don't like/have the veggies/meats I use, feel free to substitute!

This week I made whole wheat sauteed noodles with portobello, carrots, asparagus, shrimp & scallops.

30 for 30 Week 4: Recap

Click on the picture to enlarge!

So crazy- one more week and I'm going to be done with my first 30 for 30! Note that I said "first", meaning there for sure will be more.

I think it's so funny that I started Monday with jeans, a sweater, scarf & shoes and finished off the week with skirt, t-shirt, bare legs & flip flops on Sunday! My favorite this week was Day 22. I felt so smart casual and cool in my dress and button downs in contrast to the leggings & oversized tees worn by everyone else on game day morning. However, I do have to admit that I changed into my very own oversized tee & jeans later that afternoon for the actual game. 

This is my favorite of Jennifer's this week. I love getting extra outfits of dresses by wearing them as shirts or skirts- which is what she did here with her floral dress!

{confused by} crop tops & cutoffs (day 23)

J Crew tee, land's end canvas skirt, f21 belt

Are you going to the pool? Is your name Miranda Kerr? Am I in 90 degree weather in LA? The answer is no, no and no! So can someone please explain to me why today I saw not just one, but a slew, of girls wearing crop tops that show off the pooch on their bellies & cut offs that don't cover their buttcheeks? I get that it was 80 degrees outside. And I am definitely not bashing daisy dukes & crop tops- in fact I think they're hot & exude Califoria cool when worn correctly. Key word: correctly.

A little modesty goes a long way. It is completely okay to skip the mini-skirt & the curve hugging bandage dress for a knee-length full skirt. The longer hemlines on the runways this fall created such a refreshing change from the neon minis that forced us into gyms last year. I especially adore the way Andy from Style Scrapbook works her flowy floor-skimming skirts into her daily outfits. Sometimes, less is really more.

{completely wiped out by} football saturday (day 22)

land's end canvas shirt, ali ro belt, h&m dress, rocket dog flats

While I loved the maize & blue, tailgating, and the beautiful sunny weather today, I did not love waking up at 7:30am, being on my feet for 5 hours straights, & practically falling asleep standing up during the game. What I especially did not love about today was losing. If you're a boy/sports fan, please skip the rest of this paragraph because I might offend you. Anyway, I still don't get the huge deal about rivalries! I hate how mean people are during sports games & how much trash talk goes down. Seriously, chill out- no matter how much trash you say- it does not affect who wins, I promise!

This photo was taken in Jennifer's livingroom because we were both too lazy to go outside- & she was still in PJs. ;-) So excuse me for the awkward lighting.

{contradicting} summer weather & fall hair (day 21)

J Crew shirt, Banana Republic chinos, J Crew belt, 9 west flats

It might be difficult to tell from these pictures, but I got my hair re-highlighted today! It looks much more reddish in real life- which suits fall wonderfully. I was joking with my stylist as she finished blow drying my hair, saying that I am compelled to go read some books and put on my glasses now that my hair is so much darker. In fact, without even doing any of that, I feel smarter already. Hopefully that will translate to my exams in the upcoming week...

The funny part is that as I got my hair ready for fall, the weather decided to hit 75 degrees. Don't get me wrong, I'm definitely not complaining! But still, Michigan weather you totally have ADD!

Happy Friday!

PS, today's outfit number 21. Dear number 21, you're so cool & exclusive, I want you bad. Really bad.

{adventures with} a fellow foodie pt 2

Butternut squash tortellinis, browned cherry walnut & sage butter sauce, side of garlic sauteed broccolinis

baked pink lady with cinnamon stuffing, vanilla bean ice cream

Homemade butternut squash tortellinis? Check. Browned cherry pecan & sage butter sauce? Check. Baked apple a la mode? Check. Amazing company to share this entire experience with? Check check check!

Sometimes I am also amazed by how fabulous my life is. Could you imagine this for a Wednesday dinner? These tortellinis are probably one of the best things I've had in a long while. And if you knew me, that means a lot because I'm not so generous with compliments.

Thanks so much Emily for the inspiration! Your blog is absolutely amazing in that it truly inspires me in all aspects of life- from fashion to cooking to interior decorating. I really could not imagine my blogging world without you!

{running out} of ideas (day 20)

Gap tee, f21 skirt, liz claiborne flats

I know there're still 10 days left! But I had a mini-crisis this morning trying to decide what to wear, as I thought that my outfits have become too formulaic as of late. But what's wrong with pretty feminine if it works and just feels and looks right on me? So I thought screw it and reached for my tights and skirt. Although I do love this dolman tee that Angie so smartly recommended. Oversized, drapey, & a scoopneck- so incredibly flattering for a plain old tee!

{being realistic} yoga pants & v-necks (day 19)

Dear Victoria's Secret,

Let's talk about your yoga pants for a second here, shall we? I wear them nearly everywhere & have styled them into everything from prep to gym-goer to girl-next-door. (Okay, wouldn't this be such a fun challenge? A yoga pants challenge! As in, yoga pants for 30 days styled 30 different ways?!? No seriously, this could be genius) Can I be the rep for them, please? I've been quite the loyal customer over the years- from my 1st pair as a naive freshman in college to my 10th pair bought a few months ago. In between, I've cheated on you with only one pair of inferior yoga pants from Old Navy but I've also shared your charms with TONS of girls who ended up buying them. Not exaggerating! Although I do have to give a shout out to my friend Margaret here for showing me the wrongs of my clueless yoga-pant-less ways in high school.

Honestly though, I was so close to skipping the photo and pretending this day didn't exist. A pair of Victoria's Secret yoga pants and a pink v-neck is not the most stylish combination around. However, if you want  to 1) be comfortable for a full day of classes,  2) get hit on/honked at by random boys, and/or 3) spend the entire afternoon in the kitchen... then this is the perfect outfit for you.

{adventures in twin dressing} leopard flats & black tights (day 18)

Bows give these flats a more sweet and preppy vibe

Love perfect fall days when my coat consists of a large scarf

ann taylor shirt, f21 cardigan, f21 skirt, tahari flats

Jennifer and I both wore black tights and leopard print flats today! Haha, great minds think alike. Even in fashion! I got this pair of leopard print flats LAST fall before the animal print frenzy started, which proves how original and not trend-following I am. Not sure where I read/heard about this, but whoever said "leopard print is now a neutral" is proabably on the right track. Currently I'm craving a leopard print scarf... it would be the perfect cold-weather solution to all my black & white ensembles.

{what's the story} morning glory? (muffins)

I woke up. I baked. I cleaned. In that order. And it's 10am! Who am I?!

These muffins are truly glorious in that they're full of good-for-you ingredients such as carrots, apples, pumpkin, oats, flaxseed, greek yogurt.... and on and on! Talk about the breakfast of champions-- muffins are truly the new health food. Since I finished the last bit of my zucchini muffins over the weekend, I knew I needed to make another batch of muffins for my upcoming week!

I used this recipe as a base but modified a lot on my own. I substituted brown sugar and maple syrup for white sugar; pumpkin for apple sauce; milk, greek yogurt, and cranberry juice instead of orange juice and canola oil. So feel free to have fun with it and add your own touch to the recipe. These muffins are definitely breakfast muffins. So if you want something a little sweeter, I think some dark chocolate chips would go really well!

In case you were curious, I did listen to the Oasis album while I made these.... duh!

{inevitably experiencing} a case of the mondays (day 17)

f21 cardigan, casette jeans, converse sneakers, tibetan scarf

So glad that Monday's over. (almost) It has been an extremely long day, but at least there was Gossip Girl to look forward to at the end of it. (for those of you that did watch, OMFG, right?) In regards to today's outfit, let me just say that it is incredibly hard to dress with glasses! I don't know how all these girls do it, but "geek chic" and "sexy librarian" somehow just becomes geeky librarian on me. Anyway, I decided that this would be my "dressed to blend in" outfit. You see, I'm wearing glasses and no make up. I'm wearing jeans (yes I know! Jeans! I never wear jeans!) and converses and a plain white tee. I feel so college. The one thing that I really love about this outfit is the scarf though. I got it when I traveled to Tibet a few years ago-- clothing is totally the perfect souvenir.

30 for 30 Week 3: recap

Click on this picture if you want to enlarge it.

Sorry for the sloppy editing job on this one! Otherwise I consider this week a definite success- this is my favorite week of outfits so far. Perhaps it's because the weather is finally cooperating and acting like fall, which is what I originally planned my 30 pieces around.

My favorite outfit this week is actually day 14. It's not necessarily the prettiest or the most creative this week, but I really like it because the boyfriend chinos are definitely out of my comfort zone. And it's a great feeling to wear something that differs your usual style, but still feel comfortable in it!

My favorite of Jennifer's is 

She wore this outfit on Monday- the layering and the colors are such fun ways to brighten up the most dreaded day of the week. Good job!

{happy belated} football saturday (day 16)

J crew shirt, f21 dress, thrifted belt, rocket dog flats

Happy belated football Saturday... from the ladies room! Yes you might recognize those familiar tiles from your own little private moments. Well, a girl's gotta do what she's gotta do to get her outfit photos.
  
I love the gingham on gingham for this outfit. Since I spent the entire day writing articles, I thought this outfit was perfect for a school-spirited journalist. 

On another note, our team is 5-0! Although I might have more fun exploring my maize & blue outfit options on game days than I do watching the game. Just kidding!

{falling in love with} autumn in ann arbor

I did not realize how I lucky I was to live in such a beautiful town until I took a brisk walk to the People's Food Co-op today. With Jack Johnson on the ipod, a toasty northface, and streets lined with trees changing colors, the walk could not be more pleasant. Ann Arbor is such a gem in the midwest-- it has so much culture to offer. In a mere15 min walking-distance radius from my home- I go to college, get heirloom tomatoes at the farmer's market, drink fresh locally roasted guatemalan coffee, listen to indie & rock concerts, attend global film festivals, take pilates classes, peruse used bookstores, and shop the latest Nanette Lepore... and that's just the beginning. From fine dining to thrift shopping, this town's got it all. 

I finally got some fall nail polish the other day. I'm currently sporting OPI's "Espresso your style". I also picked up the "You don't know Jacques". Love them!

the reading may be tedious... but at least I have pretty nails!

Of course, to continue the fall theme, I made some chili for dinner. I really dislike using anything processed or canned, so I boiled my own black beans and used fresh tomatoes- it was so tasty! If anyone dares to tell me that chili is unhealthy, they definitely have not had mine!

Fresh & Healthy Chili

Ingredients:

black beans- 1 cup (pre-cooking)

ground beef- 1 lbs

tomatoes- 3 big round ones

sweet onions- 4 small ones (I just happened to have small ones on hand, one or two larges are okay too)

peppers- an assortment (I used an orange, a green, a red and some real spicy ones)

carrot- 1 stick

garlic- 5 cloves

herbs: cilantro, parsley, basil, marjoram, oregano to taste

Directions:

1. Boil the black beans in water on medium. Meanwhile, chop up all veggies. (keep the tomatoes in a separate bowl)

2. Brown beef and drain excess oil. Sautee beef with all ingredients except the tomatoes and herbs.

3. In a large pot, cook the tomatoes with the herbs on medium to high. For approx. 10 min.

4. Combine beef veggie mixture into the pot of tomatoes. Mix in black beans (drain excess water). 

5. Cook on medium until done. (approx 15 min) Season with sea salt and red pepper flakes.

Note: This makes a really large pot. So expect to have a lot of leftovers. I love having one-pot dinners with all the nutritions I need, so this works perfect for me.