Round-Up Posts

Life Lately: Kitchen Underground, Ramona’s Hummus, Whole Foods & Kitchen Finds

September 5, 2017 by Alyssa

Do you ever have those seasons of life where it’s just so busy?

I feel like that’s the way my life has been the past few weeks. My real life job picked up quite a bit — I’m pushing a project out the door this week, I kicked-off two others, I was selected to speak at the company conference in Berlin in 2 weeks (BERLIN!) so I’ve been prepping for that, I started teaching baking classes, and I’m gearing up for a quick jaunt through Munich & Prague with some of the office girls before settling in to Berlin.

Phew. Simply writing that is exhausting. I’m seriously stressed about being stressed. Luckily though, when I do feel the pressures of life, I typically turn to the kitchen as a way to relax. So, although I haven’t been blogging recipes lately, I have been baking & cooking.

This recipe for Summer Tomato Pesto Grilled Corn Gnocchi has made a few repeat appearances in the kitchen. I’m mostly obsessed with the Tomato Pesto. I typically eat this with gnocchi on the side — meaning just 4-5 piece of gnocchi then add in the rest of the ingredients and pesto over some zucchini noodles to make it an even lighter dish. YUM!

Still loving the Crispy Cauliflower Tacos. They are so light, 100% vegan and can satisfy any die-hard meat lover. If you make anything this week, make these. They’re on the menu again tonight!

Also, I’ve been really into cod lately. I’m typically all about the salmon but for the past few weeks I’ve switched it up, buying cod at the market. Nothing fancy here with the cod, just salt, pepper and a few minutes on the grill! And apparently, it’s the healthier choice between the two…?

When I’m not cooking, I’m dragging <3M to Whole Foods for date nights. It’s not fancy but it’s our thing. There’s just something about that environment that relaxes me. The wine & beer selections are great and cheap, plus we can order whatever we want from sushi to burgers to grilled fish & salad (my go-to!).

And fun fact, now that Whole Foods has partnered with Amazon, some of their prices dropped. You can now get a pound of salmon for just $9.99 as the Amazon special and avocados are even cheaper! Sadly, the cod is still $15.99/pound.

Something I’m looking forward to…

The opening of Ramona’s Hummus! This food truck is going to be ah-mazing. In case you didn’t know hummus is my favorite food. While I do make a darn good one myself, it can’t even compare to what Ramona’s owner, Will makes!

This hummus is dreamy, creamy delicious! I was treated to a sneak-peak dinner on Saturday where I got to sample some of the potential menu items! All of it = Perfection.

I’ve been waiting for a TASTY Mediterranean focused place in Austin and I’m pretty sure Ramona’s is it. Stay tuned for the opening pending for October! <3

If you’re looking for a way to help with the Hurricane Harvey release, Austin Bakes is hosting a bake sale on Saturday, September 16th at various locations around Austin. Stop by and pick up a treat, volunteer to help, or bake something to donate to the cause. I’ve written about Austin Bakes before, so go read about all the good they do!

I’ve invested in a few new baking tools this past month that has made baking SO much easier (ie: less dishes to wash!). I love having an extra bowl for my Kitchen-Aid mixer! It’s so nice to swap it out when I’m mixing up cake THEN frosting. I also got a couple more of my favorite cookie sheets which helps me to bake MORE cookies at once. #Efficiency

And lastly, I also invested in a Kitchen-Aid hand-mixer since sometimes I’m too lazy to pull out the big boy. My favorite cookie to make right now are Monster Cookies — I promise to get this recipe up on the blog sometime soon!

Lastly, I leave you with a confession…

I broke into pumpkin early this year! <3M came home with Pumpkin Spice creamer as a surprise for me so I figured, why not! I’ve been enjoying it in my iced coffee each morning and it’s been lovelllyyyy! If you’re ready to break into Fall already, try my easy Pumpkin Mousse, it’s chilled so it’s 100% appropriate for this warm Fall weather!

Loving This Week 9

May 27, 2017 by Alyssa

I haven’t written in a few weeks, not because I’ve had nothing to say simply because…life!

Rather than leave this space completely silent, and since I haven’t done a post like this since October — I thought I’d share a few things I’m loving lately, what I’ve been up to and a few awesome articles from around the web.

Let’s start with a good eat! Austin has a new donut place in Sunset Valley, Bougie’s Donuts, and a few weeks ago, a coworker brought in a box of Bougie’s Donuts to share.

I snagged a glazed blueberry donut to taste-test! Delish! Butttt my all-time favorite donut is the classic peanut donut — you know, the donut fully covered in crushed peanuts. I can’t seem to find those anywhere in ATX except at a grocery store. Either way, go check out Bougie’s Insta it’s drool-worthy!

Also obsessing over glittered donuts. I’m co-hosting a baby shower this weekend and these are DEFINITELY on the menu. Donuts by Bougie’s — glitter by me!

And in case you missed it. This donut cake was super fun to make.

Speaking of sparkly, shiny things. This article explains the world’s recent unicorn obsession and the ‘Unicorn Economy.’ Fear not, it’s just a trend.

I’m loving all these viral articles about people paying off student lunch debt at local schools. I just love random acts of kindness.

There’s been another study on why baking is good for your health. I know when I have a bad day, I bake. Just last Saturday I was feeling stressed so I made these & instantly felt better!

<3M & I just completed a few recent home improvement projects. After having 8 different gray paint samples on my kitchen wall for a year, I finally chose one — Sherwin Williams Popular Gray. I loved it so much we decided to paint the rest of the house! #somuchpaint

Painting the house led us to upgrade our kitchen table (that we never eat at and is literally there for aesthetic purposes only). I mixed and matched with this Pier 1 table and a few cute chairs from Target — I love how on-trend & affordable Target furniture can be, especially for those pieces you don’t use too often. You can also catch a glimpse of the new gray in the pic above!

A round-up of what everyone in the world is eating, according to Pinterest pins. Of course, Texas is all about avocados.

Speaking of avocado, Starbucks has jumped on the avocado toast wagon — though I’m quite wary of their greenish-gray spread. They also got into the unicorn game.

Obsessing over cows lately and this guy is now a permanent fixture in our dining room, and one of the first things you see when you enter the house. Who ever thought this NY girl would have a cow hanging in her house? Hello, Texas!

This meal is seriously on repeat in our house. Can’t get enough Moroccan Chicken and it’s just so dang easy!

My favorite new wine. Get it, drink it, love it. And if you’re from ATX, head to Vox Table for happy hour and grab it by the glass for half off!

Cheers, friends! Be safe & Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

Best Restaurant Bites of 2016

December 31, 2016 by Alyssa

I ate a lot of good food this year and to wrap up 2016, I wanted to reminisce about a few of my favorite Restaurant Bites from 2016. In no particular order, here’s the best food I ate around Austin (and in Europe!) this year.

From Juniper, which is one of my standout restaurants from 2016, there were a few items including their Milk & Honey dessert and their Puffy Potatoes which were originally featured on their Bar Menu but I see now have transitioned to the dinner menu as well!

Milk & Honey

Puffy Potatoes

From Odd Duck, their Spiced Pear Cake which I enjoyed during a lovely lunch on their patio!

Spiced Pear Cake

Smoked Salmon Crostini at Winebelly that had capers and a dill creme fraiche.

A few items from Vinaigrette including their Tuna Salad and the Corn Griddle Cakes on their new brunch menu.

Tuna Salad

The new Red & Green brunch menu has many amazing options that all feature spicy red or green chilies. Find time to stop by some Saturday or Sunday for an extended meal and enjoy all the spicy options!

Corn Griddle Cakes

Charred Cauliflower from True Food Kitchen — a recipe I loved so much I recreated it at home. The recipe was even featured on the Statesman!

In May,<3M and I traveled to Italy and Greece. Although all of our meals there were delicious, the sweet treats we had were my favorite, including the below Cafe con Miel which is espresso with a drizzle of honey and cream.

I also loved the gelato — caramelized fig & coffee with fresh cream on top!

And lastly, while we were in Greece, we dined at Ambrosia in Santorini. I obsessed over their Moroccan sweet tower with dates, honey, nuts and again, more fresh cream!

Cafe con Miel

Gelato

Moroccan Sweet Tower

A new vegetarian restaurant and brew pub, The Beer Plant, opened in Austin this year and I was delighted to enjoy lunch there with a co-worker over Thanksgiving break. We shared their vegan Cheeze Plate with cashew cheese, butter, jams, fresh bread and pickles. Everything was delicious but I can’t get over how much I favored their butter smeared on the crusty bread.

Cheeze Plate

I’m a sucker for fresh cheese (both vegan and dairy!) so to continue the cheese love, this Caprese Salad at The ABGB was beyond amazing when tomatoes were at their peak this summer.

Caprese Salad

The Burrata at Winflo Osteria is my absolute favorite appetizer in all of Austin. I could eat this daily. I love how creamy, silky smooth the cheese is and it compliments the chewy bread and olive oil perfectly.

Burratra

Another highlight of this year was eating at Emmer & Rye. We dined at the Chef’s Counter and I can’t recommend this type of experience enough. If you ever get the opportunity to eat at a Chef’s Counter with a glimpse into the kitchen, say yes!

Emmer & Rye has been on of Austin’s standout restaurants this year, renowned in many reviews across the nation and I have to say, their pasta dishes are definitely where they excelled. This Cacio e Pepe was a simple, delicious dish that I can’t rave enough about!

Cacio e Pepe

Lastly, my best overall meal this year came on Christmas Eve at Barley Swine where <3M and I celebrated the holidays by treating ourselves to their 10-course Chef’s Tasting! It was tough choosing just a few dishes because everything we had there was AH-mazing but there were two that stood out specifically. The first was this Shiitake pasta, scrambled eggs, kohlrabi. These were little pasta packets that you eat in one bite where a smooth, shiitake broth bursts in your mouth!

Shiitake pasta, scrambled eggs, kohlrabi

And my favorite from that evening, the Glazed duck leg, beet marmalade, fennel, crepe — kind of like a ‘make your own taco’ where you compile all the pieces yourself. I have a feeling you might be seeing a lot of duck in the near future!

Glazed duck leg, beet marmalade, fennel, crepe

I ate many other wonderful dishes throughout this past year but these were a large handful of my favorites! If you get a chance to visit any of the restaurants, hopefully, you’ll try some of these special dishes too!

Here’s to 2016 and looking forward to other great eats in 2017!

Loving This Week 8

October 20, 2016 by Alyssa

So it’s been a while since I’ve done a non-recipe post and I have a lot to share! Life has been beyond busy here in Austin, Texas and it’s only ramping up as the holidays near. So here’s a few snapshots of life as well as some fun random internet articles and even a few recipes that have made it onto my ‘Must Make’ Bucket list!

Life Lately
So last month <3M and I took a long weekend trip to Colorado. I was yearning for some cooler weather, mountain views, and a chance to explore their craft beer scene! We spent some time in Denver exploring the beer world, took a hike in Boulder, and ended with a beautiful drive through the mountains to Vail where we played tourist in the Village. In all, the trip was beautiful, relaxing and we came home stuffed from all our foodie adventures!

Nutrition & Fitness
I’ve read so many interesting articles on the internet lately about nutrition, health trends, and fitness. Here’s three that I really enjoyed! I’d love your thoughts on them!

What the World’s Healthiest Diets Have In Common — Surprisingly it’s not the food they eat but the fact that all other cultures walk more than the average American.

Why LaCroix sparkling water is suddenly everywhere — I’m a Topo Chico fan myself but it’s all similar. This sparkling flavored water market has exploded. Here’s a sneak peek as to why, as well as a little history on LaCroix

Weight Loss on Your Wrist? Fitness Trackers May Not Help — Interesting read. I believe this more of a personal thing in regards to what motivates a person rather than a blanket statement that fitness trackers do/do note work. I myself wear an Apple Watch daily and it’s often a good reminder to stand up and move a little bit. I actually like seeing the cell filled completely at the end of the day when I hit my goals! For my, fitness trackers work!

Baking Goals
The Geode Cake — Just take a look at this site. I’m sure you’ll be as dazzled as I was. Maybe someday I’ll welcome the challenge but for now, I’m more than happy to just stare admiringly as these gorgeous cakes. I truly can’t get over how realistic they look!

Cake Decorating — Yes more cake decorating goals but this time in video form! Watching these cakes come together was mesmerizing. I bet I could definitely pull off the Watercolor Cake (video 7)! Gorgeous! What’s your favorite?

Here’s some expert advice on when pre-heating the oven is really necessary. Pro-Tip, if you’re baking, pre-heat that baby.

My Recipe Box
Here are a few recipes from around the web that I’ve added to my ‘must make!’ bucket list in the next few weeks.

Butternut Squash Goat Cheese Pasta from Half Baked Harvest — This sounds beyond perfect for the Fall season! Delicious butternut & creamy goat cheese. Yum!

I love cornbread and soup and this Spicy Posole with Cheesy Jalapeno Cornbread Muffins from Pinch of Yum sounds just about perfect. I’m also tempted to try this out in the crockpot as a time saver!

Autumn Citrus Crunch Cake from Cooking and Beer seems like something well-suited for brunch or perfectly paired with a cup of coffee. <3M and I have some guests coming to town this weekend, so this might be nice to make on Sunday morning for our friends!

Just Plain Loving
Last weekend I treated myself to a little pumpkin spice manicure! In case you’re interested, it’s Kiara Sky Egyptian Goddess and DND Desert Spice! And if you’re loving that ring, it’s an engravable from Stella & Dot!

And to accompany that, I’m also craving all things pumpkin and cinnamon including my Cinnamon Sugar Crumb Coffee Cake & 5 Ingredient Pumpkin Spice Mousse. If you haven’t tried them yet, get on it! They both whip up quickly and pair perfectly with this upcoming Fall weekend!

Most of Austin is looking forward to the Formula 1 Race this weekend at COTA but personally, I’m looking forward to Taylor Swift’s performance Saturday night at the race track. I’m already getting in T-Swift mode — wearing some TayTay signature red Keds, singing along to the Red and 1989 albums in my car and attending the Taylor Swift Dance Party at the Alamo Drafthouse Friday night.

Yeah, Taylor, I’m ready for you!

What have you been up to lately? Any recent recipes you’ve loved or fun events coming up? I’d love to hear about them! Share in the comments.

Loving This Week 8 — Random Blog Survey

July 27, 2016 by Alyssa

Rather than the usual rundown of things I’m loving this week, I thought I’d give you all a bit of insight into me, as a person, via some random survey questions.

No chit-chat, let’s get right into it!

Guilty Food Pleasure: Peanut butter straight from the jar. Most often I treat it like dessert either spooned out with a pretzel, graham cracker or date. Right now I’m loving HEB Creamy Peanut Butter as my jar of choice.

Favorite Show to Watch: This seriously depends on the time year. During prime TV season, it’s Scandal, How to Get Away with Murder and Nashville. During the summer, I’m all about Bravo and watching The Desperate Housewives of Orange County/Jersey/NYC, Southern Charm, Million Dollar Listing NY or Below Deck.

Favorite Healthy Food: My immediate response is hummus, specifically my Everyday Hummus but if it was more of a meal, I’d have to say a large Greek Salad with cucumber, tomatoes, feta, kalamata olives, olive oil and oregano! Throw some grilled salmon on top and I’m in heaven!

Favorite Treat: I’m a sucker for a warm out of the oven dessert, specifically something classic like a chocolate chip cookie or brownie. Since they are my kryptonite, I rarely make either of these goodies but when a craving calls, you can bet I’ll go to great lengths to hunt down a tasty cookie!

Daily Supplements: Other than a daily multi-vitamin, nothing. I believe if you’re eating right you are more than likely getting your necessary nutrients. I know this may change as I get older, especially as a woman I understand the importance of calcium as I age.

Workout Love: My one one true, consistent, workout is Camp Gladiator. I’ve been doing it for over a year and a half, at least 3 times a week and I haven’t once gotten bored. Since their boot camps can be a bit taxing on the body, I also enjoy hitting up a spin class like Love Cycling Studio in Austin, swimming laps at the pool, or cycling around Town Lake with <3M.

Celebrity Crush: Johnny Depp. All the way. He can be a dirty pirate, a mad hatter or stealth scientist. I love him no matter what.

Favorite Makeup Product: I actually have 2 favorite products. I adore Love Organic’s Skin Savior Balm because it’s so versatile. It can be used as a moisturizer, make-up remover or mixed into mineral powder makeup. I use it daily as a moisturizer. As for a specific make-up product, it has to be Camp eyeshadow from Bare Minerals. I’ve been wearing it for years and is truly my go-to color. I often get compliments on it!

Cooking Tip to Share: There’s a secret to perfectly cooked sweet potatoes that have a caramelized crunchy exterior and a soft, fluffy center. The key is using grapeseed oil rather than olive oil. Quick recipe — Preheat oven to 450*, cut potatoes into 1″ cubes, toss with grapeseed oil, salt and pepper, bake for 35-40 mins tossing once half way through. Example, these Honey Chipotle Glazed Sweet Potatoes!

Favorite Store: I’m not sure I have a favorite, I buy clothes wherever I find things I like — Banana Republic, Loft’s Lou & Gray line, Nordstrom…whatever fits my style at the time!

Perfect Date Night: Cocktails out at Whisler’s in Austin followed by a small plates dinner with a glass of dry red wine and a dark piece of chocolate for dessert!

Nail color: I really love Don’t Sweater It by Essie. Though, since I’m so impatient with dry time I’ve been DIY-ing my manicures with Sally Hansen’s Miracle Gel and favor Wine Stock.

Wearing: Black shorts from banana and my Puppies & Yoga Make Me Happy Muscle-Tee from Wanderlust Yoga!

Favorite Cocktail: Anything with tequila & grapefruit or a dry glass of red wine.

Dream Vacation: Most definitely back to the Greece Isles!

So now it’s your turn. Take one or two questions from above and share your deatils with me!

Loving This Week 7

July 7, 2016 by Alyssa

I haven’t done a Loving This Week post in a while so I thought I’d share a few of my favorite food finds and some weekend eating plans that I’m looking forward to!

Eating pasta is good for you!

A recent study found that regularly eating pasta doesn’t make a person obese.

In truth, I never thought pasta caused health issues, I was of the opinion that it was all the pasta additions that impacted health (alfredo sauce, I’m looking at you!).

The study found that regularly eating pasta paired with a Mediterranean diet actually lowered a person’s BMI! So if you’re looking for a healthy way to add pasta to your diet, give my Bucatini Pasta with Rosemary Breadcrumbs a try!

Pillsbury released Girl Scout Cookie baking mixes!

Yaaaassss! The Girl Scouts created baking mixes for brownies and cupcakes for their two most beloved flavors – Thin Mints & Caramel Delights. So now, when your favorite Girl Scout cookies are out of season, you can at least get a hint of the cookie flavor at home, straight from your own oven.

I haven’t seen any of these mixes in Texas stores yet but if anyone finds a box, buy one for yourself and send one my way! I’m partial to the Caramel Delights (aka Samoas) in case you’re wondering.

Best Wine Buys from Trader Joe’s

I did my own round-up of favorite budget-friendly white wines to sip on this summer but Trader Joe’s also has a delightful list of summer favorites. Pick up a few bottles to enjoy during the week or mix up a couple with fresh fruit for a simple sangria. Cheers!

Fairy Bread is a real thing!

Bread + Butter + Sprinkles!

I’m not sure if Fairy Bread is truly appetizing but I really love anything with sprinkles. If you’re having a bummer of a morning, I suggest making yourself a slice of Fairy Bread and a glass of unicorn milk because in my opinion, Sprinkles = Happiness

Grilled Pizza is on our weekend menu!

Lately <3M and I have been trying to make fun meals at home on the weekend so we’re less tempted to eat out (healthier + budget savvy). This weekend we’re grillin’ pizza!

We’ve had a grill for a few years now and I’m not sure why it’s taken us so long to make grilled pizza but I’m super excited. I’m thinking something classic like Margarita with quality mozzarella and fresh basil. I’m hoping it turns out as beautiful and delicious as the below Home Slice Pizza! Keep an eye on my Instagram for pics to see how we do!

This weekend, I also plan to bake up a German Chocolate Cake for Bake a Wish. It should definitely be a busy culinary weekend — my favorite!

What’s on your weekend menu? Any fun weekend plans?

Loving This Week 6

April 15, 2016 by Alyssa

No lie, I’ve had a pretty hectic week at work but just because I’ve been crazy busy, doesn’t mean I haven’t found a few things to absolutely love this week….

I hardly ever keep ice cream in the house because if it’s in the freezer, both <3M and I will plow through the tub in a few days.

But this week, I happened across NadaMoo, a coconut milk based ice cream. It’s definitely not a miracle ice cream, and I’m not sharing my love for NadaMoo because it’s healthier than regular ice ceam, I’m simply sharing NadaMoo! because it is so darn creamy & delicious! NadaMoo! also have some spectacular flavor offerings like Salted Caramel, Snickerdoodle Cookie Dough, Bananas for PB & Chocolate and a whole slew of other creative offerings.

I had the Chocolate Almond and the Vanilla…AHHH this week with a bit of cold brew coffee poured over it to make a coffee float! Absolutely delicious! Check it out, and may I suggest trying the coffee float with a bit of High Brew Coffee because you know I’ve been digging that lately too!

This week I also happened across this old (but new to me) article about 2016 Kitchen Trends which highlights —

Wood Floors
Neutral Walls & Cabinets
Lots of Storage
Stainless Steel and
Granite

It’s definitely spot on with how I’m thinking about our kitchen.

I love our stainless steel appliances and we have white cupboards with matching stainless steel handles. When we first moved in, the cupboards were just a horrible stained, wood color and updating them to white was one of mine and <3M’s very first projects.

I’m also gearing up to repaint all the walls from our ‘builder’s beige’ to a light gray (someday). <3M and I also have plans to soon replace the stone flooring with hardwood. I know we’re no trendsetters but at least our kitchen will be ‘on trend!’

One thing I’m looking forward to this weekend is the Austin Food Blogger Alliance‘s Colossal Curry Cook-Off at Shangri La this Saturday from 2-4pm. I’ll be competing with my Chana Masala recipe! If you’re into curry, grab a discounted ticket now and swing by on Saturday with a full bell and a spoon to vote for my Chana Masala.

In an old blog post, I shared how the recipe was inspired by the Chana Masala <3M’s Aunt made for me while I was visiting them in Delhi! Sadly, although I make the recipe often, I still don’t have it committed to memory! Maybe after this weekend, and making 6 quarts of the curry, I’ll finally have it down without having to reference my own recipe.

One last link before heading into the weekend, check out A Taste of Koko‘s post 25 Instagram Worthy Restaurants in Austin — then go follow each of the restaurants on Instagram for some drool-worthy posts! If I had to suggest a few favs, check out Houndstooth, Odd Duck, and Ramen Tatsuya!

Got any weekly highlights or something fun you’re looking forward to this week? I’d love to know about it!

Loving this Week 5

March 25, 2016 by Alyssa

We have a new addition to our kitchen this week, a beautiful riddling wine rack displaying air plants! The Pottery Barn catalogue inspired me to create it.

Typically, when I receive a store’s catalogue in the mail, I throw it straight in the recycle bin, as I prefer to shop online. But about a month ago, I received a Pottery Barn catalogue in the mail and although it’s typically a little too country for me, this time, I flipped it open and browsed through it while I ate my lunch.

And of course, this one time I decide to browse a catalogue, I find something I just had to have — a riddling wine rack. Which was decked out in the catalogue with a bunch of air plants, not wine. I know, the horror! A wine rack filled with PLANTS instead of wine?

This oversized plant holder looked gorgeous on the wall in the PB photos but the price point just wasn’t cutting it for me and the wine rack was actually too wide for where I wanted to hang it in our kitchen.

So, I hopped on Etsy (Wood4Decor created the custom rack for me) and had one custom ordered to fit our wall at half the price of PB’s. When it came, I hung it on our wall and a coworker hooked me up with a budget-friendly air plant site and I recreated the Pottery Barn riddling wine rack & plant look in my own kitchen.

I absolutely love how it turned out! I mentioned before that I wanted to add a bit of nature and green to our kitchen and this definitely did the trick. Every time I walk into our kitchen the site of this wine rack and air plants makes me instantly happy. Totally worth the extra DIY effort!

Although the wine rack was the highlight of my week, here’s a few other little things I’m loving —

High Brew Coffee – If you need a quick jolt of espresso, I highly recommend checking out these slim coffee cans. They’re super delicious and they come in a few different flavors including – double espresso, vanilla, caramel and dark chocolate mocha. They’re also low-cal ranging from 20-60 calories a piece. Find them. Love them. Then thank me.

Viniagrette – This is a new salad-centric restaurant in Austin and I absolutely adore it. <3M and I treated ourselves last Saturday afternoon for lunch out on Congress and both of us loved our meals. We enjoyed a few soups, a couple tea-based mocktails and two humongous salads. Although their salads seem a bit expensive, these salads are well worth their price and are much better than the $15 salad I make myself at the Whole Foods’ salad bar.

I enjoyed the Tuan Nicoise Salad and it was loaded with tuna, chopped kalamata olives and artichoke hearts! I loved the saltiness of the salad and it kept me full for hours without feeling weighed down.

Vinaigrette Mocktails | Hibiscus Tea & The Pepino

Vinaigrette | Tuna Nicoise Salad

Vinaigrette is also beautifully decorated. It’s light, airy and earthy with lots of simple decorations. I especially love their patio which is shaded by a huge flowy, green tree. It made for a very relaxed dining experience. I can’t wait to go back later this Spring and Summer to enjoy it again.

Happiness Ted Talk – I truly love Ted Talks. In fact, one of my favorite podcasts is the TEDTalks Health but this video on Happiness, appropriately titled, “Want to be Happier? Stay in the Moment,” is especially inspiring.

I don’t know about all of you, but I often find myself analyzing my past actions or conversations, thinking about how I should have done X or responded with Y. All this ‘reflection’ truly only makes us regret our previous actions. You often hear the saying ‘Stop living in the past!’ and this TEDTalk proves that if you start being more mindful and living in the present, you’ll not only be happier but also MORE productive.

If you’re happier because you’re getting stuff done and no longer have negative self-talk by dwelling on the past then I view that as a win-win in my book! This talk is only 10 minutes long and most definitely life changing.

That wraps my week, hope you all have a fabulous weekend and if you’re looking for something delicious to bring to Easter brunch or dinner on Sunday, may I suggest checking out my recipes for Ginger Spiced Cookies, Lemon Pound Cake, or Biscoff Cookie Butter Pie!

Loving This Week 4

March 11, 2016 by Alyssa

Hope you all are having a great week! Spring’s in full force here in Austin and our entire week has been filled with rain and the weekend looks like it’s going to shape up to be the same. Although, I’m excited for Spring I wish I could bypass the rainy season. It’s simply so depressing!

With all the dreary weather we’ve had here are a few things that have made my week extra bright!…

Loving This Week 3

March 4, 2016 by Alyssa

I hope you all had a great week! Mine was super busy at work. Strangely, I always feel at my best when I’m juggling multiple things and have a completely filled day with problems to solve! Lucky for me, I also love the people I work with so not only is the job rewarding but fun!

Although this week has been a bit busy, here’s a few things that I came across that made it extra special.

<3M and I celebrated our 2 year (Indian) wedding anniversary at Juniper on Saturday. Juniper has quickly become our favorite restaurant in Austin. Each time we’ve eaten there and each dish we’ve tasted has been spectacular. I look forward to each visit and can’t wait to go again for my birthday in April. One of these days, I’ll have to do a full review!

Forgive the photo quality of a nighttime iPhone picture

I work in tech, specifically around a lot of mobile devices/products but just this week a co-worker showed me the iMovie app for iPhone. I had no idea how easy the app was to use and it produces beautiful videos in mere minutes on your phone. I can’t wait to take a few videos of our dogs to post. This has definitely become a must have app for me! I highly recommend checking it out.

A new obsession as of late has been kombucha in the evenings in place of a glass of wine. I treat it as a special drink and even get a bit dorky by pouring it into a wine glass to make it a bit more classy (and also to trick myself into thinking I’m drinking wine). It definitely helps me relax after a long day at work – plus it’s a healthy swap since kombucha has a slew of health benefits specifically aiding the body with digestion.

My favorite brand of kombucha is Buddha’s Brew. It’s local to Austin and you can find it pretty much anywhere in the city. You can even buy it at Farmer’s Market or on tap at Whole Foods, which makes stocking up on large quantities easy and affordable.

Although I’ve tried different brands, I can’t help but come back to Buddha’s Brew because of its great flavor offerings and it’s bubbly everesence that tops all others I’ve tried. If you pick up a bottle, try one of my favorites — Pineapple Super Greens, Blueberry, Tangerine & Sea Salt or Peach Mint!

One last thing I’m loving this week is this Skimm the Vote article that summarizes all the presidential candidates. Since it’s obviously an election year, and I believe it’s important to know where each candidate stands, this article gives a great run down of who’s who and whether they are yay or nay all on the important subjects.

Also, if you haven’t heard of The Skimm before, I highly suggest you check it out. It’s a weekday newsletter delivered straight to your inbox that gives you a cliff-notes version of the day’s trending news topics — from politics and controversy to celebrity and sports. It’s a really great way to stay informed about what’s happening around the globe with a quick 5 minute read. Sign up here!

That’s about it for this week! Hope you all have a wonderful weekend, and if you’re in Austin, get out and enjoy the weather! I have a biking adventure planned with <3M on Saturday and on Sunday, we plan to relax and head out to a winery for a tasting and lunch!

What made your week extra special?
Is that anything you’re loving?