So, this post doesn’t really have much substance other than I wanted to share a picture of the cutest sliders I had when I visited the Philippines. I have never seen a burger as cute (I know I need a thesaurus) or tasted one as yummy as these. I don’t even recall the name of the restaurant. It was at this really nice mall called Rockwell in Makati City. Don’t these suckers remind you of Krabby Patties? Spongebob would be proud.

Here I am holding up the tiny burgers. My brother is pictured here drinking a “frozen hot chocolate” (I know – whaa? …but trust me it was so delicious). So if you are ever in Makati, definitely stop by the mall I mentioned and try to have these sliders!

Happy eating!

xoxo,
andi

Anyone ever had their fortune told from coffee grounds? I know it may sound odd but this practice actually has an official name. Fortune telling from tea leaves, or more commonly in the Middle East, coffee grounds is called Tasseography. My Mom has been reading my fortune and my family members’ fortunes from coffee grounds, tea leaves and cards for years. No, fortune telling is not her day job. She is just clairvoyant and has an innate ability to depict signs and symbols from different media. She barely ever indulges us though but after mutiple instances of begging, I had the honor of having my fortune read by her the other day.

The steps are pretty simple. Turkish is the coffee of choice since it has lots of coffee grounds left to settle at the bottom of the cup. This coffee is very rich and has a robust flavor. You must drink the coffee and cover it with the saucer once you’re done. Then you flip the cup (with the saucer on, of course) towards your heart as you make a request or wish in your mind. For instance, you can be thinking “what will my job future hold” and such.

From the coffee grounds and stains left on the cup and saucer, the fortune teller sees different symbols. Every shape and symbol is interpretted with a specific meaning (hopefully good). You must have an expert’s eye to see these shapes and symbols to define them and give meaning to them. So, unfortunately you can’t perform your own coffee fortunes but I am sure you can google someone.

~Saam

I loooove all the cute details. From the shoebox with illustrations of each Harajuku girl, to the soles printed with sunglasses.

I went to the No Doubt concert this past Sunday and was happily taken back to the carefree days of the late 90s/early 00s. It helped that Gwen did not look like she aged since her first tour. The concert was awesome! It’s def a must see, even if you just sit on the lawn like I did.

holla back,
andi

This was my first attempt at making this cookie and I think it turned out pretty well (my little brother agrees). You are supposed to coat it with cake crumbs but I couldn’t find any so I used bread crumbs, which is a decent substitute. I’ll have to find some cake crumbs for next time though (I am not trying to make that from scratch). I’ll also have to figure out how to make them into perfect circles or ovals (help! how do i do this??).

I sometimes don’t eat what I bake but I definitely did not pass on these silvanas. It was just the right balance of crunchy and chewy meringue with a not too sweet buttercream icing. This is best eaten chilled but still tastes good at room temperature if you simply can’t wait (my little brother agrees).

Hope I got you interested in some silvanas!

xoxo,
andi

……………………………………………………………………………………………………

What good is this post without a recipe?

Silvanas Meringue Buttercream Cookies

Ingredients:
6 egg whites
1 tsp. cream of tartar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 3/4 cup chopped cashew nuts
1 cup (2 sticks) salted or not butter
1 cup sifted confectioner’s sugar
1/2 cup milk (2% will do)
cake crumbs (or bread crumbs will do)

Meringue:
Process cashew nuts in a food processor until finely ground and set aside. Beat egg whites and cream of tartar (I recommend using an electric mixer). Gradually add granulated sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Fold in the ground cashews. Pipe the mixture into circles or ovals onto cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake at 300°F for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Let completely cool and remove from paper.

Buttercream:
Beat softened butter until creamy. Gradually add confectioner’s sugar. Then gradually add milk.

Assembly:
Spread buttercream on one meringue and top with another. Make sure the flat sides are facing outside (The opposite of what you would do when making macarons). Then cover all sides with buttercream. Roll in cake crumbs and refrigerate before serving.

It’s a bit tedious to make, but it’s well worth it!

Well maybe I’m getting a bit ahead of myself. Have you heard of CB2? It’s basically a modern and more hip line by Crate & Barrel. “A new destination from Crate & Barrel that dials up the fun. Smart designs, clever materials. Neat stuff, cool colors.” I absolutely fell in love with this place the first time I was up in NYC. It’s like Ikea but minus the Swedish meatballs. For now they only have 5 locations in Chicago (where Crate & Barrel started), LA, and NYC. So if you’re feeling what I’m feeling, you should check it out!

~Saam

Kitchenette has a pretty extensive Brunch menu, which they serve until a generous 4:30 pm. My friend and I decided to split the Breakfast Enchiladas (scrambled eggs, poblano peppers topped with guacamole and cheddar, rolled in corn tortillas) and The Bridgehampton (silver dollar pancakes topped with fresh fruit and yogurt). I do love variety! The enchiladas were yummy and a bit spicy but the guacamole made it delectable. The pancakes looked unassuming but turned out to be light, fluffy, and sweet enough on its own. I should have taken pictures of the dishes I ordered but just trust me when I say it’s a must for brunch.

We left happy and full and vowed to return to try their cupcakes (which the manager said was better than Magnolia’s).

Happy reading and eating!

xoxo,
andi

Our first Bon List is about color combination for the spring/summer.  As seen on Daria Werbowy, black is a great accent on pastels and bright colors.  I actually have the Forever skirt below and paired it with a white tank, beige cardigan and black sandals.  I also accessorized with my owl necklace and Botkier bag.

Bon List:
Forever 21 Brenda Elastic bracelet
Forever 21 linen skirt
Kate Spade Colin Black Suede sandals
Marni sleeveless top
Rebecca Minkoff Ostrich Rendezvous clutch

Was out gift shopping for my one year old nephew at Target and I ran into these fresh looking animal piggy banks. Check out the variety of ceramic animal banks from ducks to elephants. Afterall, pig piggy banks are played out. Love the simple flat sided design and pastel colors. So if your looking to teach your child the art of saving at an early age, why not do it with style? What’s your favorite animal bank? Mine is obviously the elephant!

~Saam

We started off with sangria and an agua fresca, a traditional Mexican drink made from fruit, water, and sugar.  I first heard about these drinks from The Splendid Table (one of my fave radio programs) and wanted to try it.  The sangria was pretty good and the agua fresca (watermelon for the night) was delicious. We also ordered beef and chorizo empanadas.  The chile chipotle sauce looks like baby food, but trust me, it tastes much better than it looks. The creme fraiche added a nice light flavor to the flaky empanadas.

We decided to split chicken fajitas, which was plenty for the two of us.  The fajitas were pretty tasty but nothing revolutionary, much like the restaurant it seemed.  Perhaps I would have really liked the other entrees (that included seafood or pork).  Overall, it was a pleasant dining experience and one of the better late night dining options.  

xoxo,
andi

Puerto Ricos anyone? I used to work at this shoe store called “the athelete’s foot” back in 2002 at one of my very first jobs. Naturally when you work in a shoe store you get pulled into the shoe obsession world. I was able to control myself for the most part and rarely gave in. But these Puerto Rican Air Force 1s were one of my fave’s. These had a limited release in 2003 and I managed to keep them fresh and unworn! One of my only fresh AF1’s still in its box. I have recieved many entertaining offers from friends but I managed to resist. I doubt you can find this very model for sale anywhere but they do have a variety of models they release once a year by Nike in correspondence with the Puerto Rican parade in New York.

Are you an AF1 collecter? Check out the awesome nike af1 collector site. They have almost every single AF1 ever made. Enjoy!

~Saam