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Everything But the Bagel Breakfast Bake

December 2, 2019 by Alyssa

An easy, flavorful make-ahead breakfast bake stuffed with everything bagels, NestFresh eggs, veggies, and chunks of cream cheese.

I love everything bagels. They’ve always been my go-to choice when I eat bagels so I’m not sure why it took someone so long to bottle up the spice mixture but I’m sure glad they did! So, let’s all lend a giant thank you to Trader Joe’s for bottling it and marketing the heck out of their Everything But the Bagel seasoning because now we can find it everywhere and most stores have their own version of it which inspired this breakfast bake.

Everything Bagels Everywhere

My breakfast bake stars my favorite Everything But the Bagel spice that’s not only added as a key seasoning to the dish but also makes an appearance in the form of actual everything bagels. Traditional breakfast bakes use day-old bread as a base so swapping in bagels is an easy substitution that lends major flavor. If you don’t have day-old bagels, then cut your fresh bagels in half and let them ‘dry-out’ in the oven for 10-15 minutes at 350°F making them crusty and ready to use in the breakfast bake.

I chose Dave’s Killer Bread Epic Everything Bagels as my base for this bake because I love the quality organic ingredients (plus there’s no high-fructose corn syrup!), the extra boost of protein in the bagels due to the variety of grains (13 grams compared to the average 7-8 grams), and Dave’s everything bagel topping which includes both flax and chia seeds. And, because you can’t have a bagel without cream cheese, I also incorporated dollops of cream cheese on the top of the bake that extends the everything bagel flavor.

Egg-cellent Eggs

The bagels get cozy in the casserole NestFresh eggs and milk, spices and veggies that form a rich, thick, eggy custard. I choose NestFresh eggs due to their certified humane status for producing cage-free and free-range eggs. This means I can feel good about the breakfast I’m eating knowing the eggs came from chickens who were raised in a natural environment with the ability to ‘stretch their legs’ and have access to proper food and water. If you aren’t familiar with egg production practices, visit the NestFresh site to get egg-ducated.

Get Creative with the Ingredients

I filled my Everything Bagel Breakfast Bake with my favorite veggies using onions, tomatoes, roasted red peppers, and green onions. I also added crumbled, lean turkey sausage for a protein boost but the best part about the bake is you can really get creative and make it your own. Here’s a few easy variations on my bake:

Add a cup of cooked, chopped spinach for extra greens
Use both red and green bell peppers for added crunch
Throw in some herbs like basil or dill for a punch of fresh flavor
Grate some smoked gouda or spicy jalapeno cheddar cheese for a simple smoke or spice

Prep the Night Before

While you can make this bake the morning-of, you can also prep this Everything Bagel Breakfast Bake the day before (bagels, eggs, veggies and all!). Just cover it and let it sit in the fridge overnight which makes this a perfect breakfast for Christmas or New Year’s morning or as a meal prep breakfast to eat all week long. I actually prefer the overnight method since it lets the flavors develop a bit more and it makes breakfast quick in the morning with minimal cleanup. To bake it the morning-of, just let the bake sit out for about 30-minutes before placing it in the oven to bake.

More Favorite Breakfast Recipes

While this post was not sponsored, I did receive products from NestFresh with no obligation to post about it. All photos and opinions are my own.

The Everything Bagel Breakfast Bake

Save Print

Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

50 mins

Total time

1 hour 20 mins

Author: Alyssa

Serves: 12

Ingredients

4 day-old everything bagels, cut into bite-sized pieces (about 6-7 cups)
9 eggs
½ teaspoon olive oil
½ cup white onion, diced
1½ cups whole milk
1½ teaspoons ground mustard
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground pepper
1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
½ cup roasted red peppers, sliced
¼ cup green onion, green parts only
1 cup cooked crumbled breakfast sausage of choice
4 ounces cream cheese, cut into ¼ inch cubes
2 teaspoons everything bagel seasoning

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 9x13 inch pan using a bit of butter or olive oil. Place the torn bagel pieces into the prepared baking dish and set aside.
In a small skillet, add ½ teaspoon of olive oil and heat over medium-high. Once hot, add in the white onions and cook, stirring occasionally until lightly browned. Remove from heat and allow to cool while prepping the remaining ingredients.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, ground mustard, salt, and pepper.
Fold in the cooked white onion, cheese, tomatoes, roasted red peppers, green onions, and breakfast sausage.
Pour the egg mixture over the bagel pieces then dollop the cream cheese cubes on top. Sprinkle the Everything Bagel seasoning on top.*
Bake for 30-minutes. After 30-minutes, place a sheet of foil over the pan to keep the top from burning and cook another 20 minutes until the eggs are set.
Remove from oven and allow the bake to cool for 10-minutes prior to serving.

Notes

* If prepping the day before, cover the bake and place it in the fridge. In the morning, remove the bake from the fridge and allow it to sit out for 30-minutes prior to baking. The bake may require an additional 10-15 minutes in the oven (for a total of 60-65 minutes) due to the temperature difference.

Failed Jelly Roll: The roll cake that could have been

November 26, 2019 by Alyssa

I had great hopes for my baking bucket list roll cake but it didn’t turn out quite as planned. Read on to find out why.

Update on November 27, 2109: I remade the roll cake a few days after this initial blog post. You can find the full recipe for my pumpkin spice cake with brown butter bourbon frosting and salted caramel pecans on this blog post. Enjoy!

If you aren’t familiar with a roll cake, it’s a cake that’s made with a very pliable sponge that’s been filled with a frosting or whipped cream then rolled around itself. The technique is of medium difficulty with hiccups usually only occurring if the cake cracks after rolling. The cracks are really more dependent on the cake recipe itself and the temperature of the cake once rolled rather than the skill of the baker.

My first (and only!) roll cake memory is of making a jellyroll cake with my grandma one summer. I have no idea why she wanted to make a roll cake with me but she did. While the actual process of making the cake with her is a loss, I do remember we made a vanilla-butter sponge filled with her homemade strawberry jam. A simple, classic jellyroll flavor.

Since I had only ever ‘made’ one in my lifetime, I thought adding a roll cake to my 2019 baking bucket list would be a great way to revisit this classic cake.

Autumn flavors to die for

My plan for the roll cake was to make a pumpkin cake rolled with a bourbon brown butter frosting and salted caramel pecans for crunch. I knew the flavors would result in a salty, sweet, warm combination and I was excited to make it, hoping the bourbon and salted caramel would be flavor <3M could enjoy.

Last-minute decisions

I set off on Sunday morning to make my roll cake and at the last minute, chose to up the ante a bit and added an inlay to my cake plan. An inlay roll cake results in a beautiful cake with a delicate, intricate pattern that’s baked straight into the cake itself displayed only after properly rolled.

Since we’re heading into Thanksgiving, I chose a detailed autumn foliage pattern with colorful leaves and acorns as my inlay. The technique requires you to first stencil out a pattern, color the cake batter, pipe into the bottom of a parchment-lined jellyroll pan then freeze the pattern in place.

Why you dry-roll the cake

Once frozen, you pour the remaining cake batter into the pan and bake as normal. As soon as the cake’s finished baking you must immediately prepare to flip the cake out of the pan onto a confectioner’s sugar covered tea towel (to avoid the cake sticking to itself) and ‘dry-roll’ the cake. Dry-rolling the cake allows the sponge set into the rolled pattern without it’s filling since the cake it most pliable when it’s warm. The dry-rolled cake is then chilled in the fridge for a few hours, unrolled, filled, and rolled up again to complete the look.

Double flips are required for inlay cakes

However, with an inlay cake, your cake pattern is on the bottom of the cake, so when you flip it out after baking, the pattern is on top. If the pattern is on top and you attempt to roll it, the pattern will be on the inside of your cake, not the outside.

To get the pattern on the outside you must then perform a second flip.

This is where I messed up. I missed my second flip. I was so excited about flipping my cake out without breaking and seeing the bright red, orange and yellow pattern that I never flipped the cake a second time. If I had performed the second flip, the pattern would be on the bottom, and as I rolled it would have been displayed outward.

This is where I should have flipped the cake again. The design should be facing down toward the counter prior to rolling so when it’s rolled, the design is on the outside instead of the inside

What I should have done after realizing my mistake

After chilling the cake for two hours, it dawned on me that I had missed my second flip. Heartbroken, I unrolled my cake, attempted to re-roll it so the pattern was on the outside — which obviously resulted in cracks then hastily filled and re-rolled the cake.

The result was a treacherous ugly cake. Sloppy filling, a loose role, and a cracked topped with snippets of orange and red peeking out from the forgotten inlay.

We ate it anyway

While as ugly as the cake was, we ate it anyway because I KNEW it was delicious. And it was. If there was one highlight from this cake, it was definitely the flavor.

The final, ugly roll cake

Will I make it again?

I’m debating whether or not I’ll attempt the inlay cake again prior to Thanksgiving or chalk it up to lesson learned and punch out the next bucket list bake (which was to revisit my failed lattice-topped pie from July for Thanksgiving dinner). I have a few days to think about it.

Why I’m Choosing Washington State Wine

April 22, 2019 by Alyssa

Washington State wine is making a splash in the global wine industry. With over 70 varieties & 17.5 million cases produced, it’s become the new epicenter of wine.

I’m a fan of New World wine and when I scour a restaurant menu for a glass I might like and come across a wine sourced from Washington State, I order it without hesitation because I know it’s going to be a winner. So, when Washington State wine reached out to partner with me for their upcoming events, it was an easy yes! because I was already a fan of the state’s wine.

Why Choose Washington State Wine

Washington State wine is making a huge splash in the wine world and it’s easy to see (and taste!) why. If you aren’t familiar with Washington State wine, then you’re truly missing out on an opportunity to enjoy a world class glass of wine!

Washington is one of the fastest growing wine regions in the world and considered the #NewEpicenter of wine. Recently, the state produced 17.5 million cases of wine making it the second largest producer in the States. Their wine, while premium, is also accessible and bottles are sold for $8 and up.

Contributing to the state’s wine growth is the state’s optimal growing conditions which are a product of cataclysmic events (like the Missoula Floods). Washington’s also on the same latitude as regions like Bordeaux, and they have 300 days of sunlight per year — that’s more than regions like Napa making it ideal for grape growing.

The state’s currently producing 70 grape varieties, including Riesling, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah with more than 55,000 acres of vines and more than 900 wineries. One of the most popular regions for Washington State wine production is Columbia Valley. This region has over 100 wineries and is a major producer of Cabernet Sauvignon (my personal favorite) and Syrah. It’d make a great wine tasting destination for anyone looking to travel to Washington.

Washington State Wine in Austin

You may have noticed an influx in Washington State wine chatter around Austin and that’s because Washing State wine is pouring at major Austin events including Live Fire earlier this month, Hot Luck in May, and for me, the most exciting event, this upcoming weekend’s Austin Food & Wine Festival.

I’m excited to swing by the Washington State wine tent on Saturday to taste my way through this state’s extensive wine selection from whites, rose and reds. If you see me there, be sure to raise your glass of Washington State wine and say hi.

Have you tried any Washington State wine yet? Share your favorites in the comments!

I received product from Washington State wine in
exchange for a post but all opinions are my own.

Clean Beauty Products I’m Loving

March 20, 2019 by Alyssa

This year I’ve been making the switch over to cleaner beauty products. While I’ve tried quite a few that were flops, I’ve found others that I truly love.

There’s a clean beauty movement making its way through the skincare and makeup market, and with so many new products hitting the stores with claims of clean, paraben-free, non-gmo, and organic, it can be confusing to weed through them all and find the best.

Clean Beauty Ratings

If you’re new to clean beauty, EWG’s Skin Deep & the Think Dirty app are great resources for beginning to understand the ingredients in the world of beauty and skincare. EWG is great if you’re on a computer and can build your own reports if the product you’re looking into isn’t already in their database. I like to use Think Dirty for on-the-fly reviews while browsing products at stores — though their product list is more limited than EWG’s so it’s a hit or miss at times.

When I look for skincare products, I search for those with an EWG score of 3 or below. And for Think Dirty, I’m usually looking for a score of 4 or below. Of course, there are always exceptions to that rule depending on the ingredient causing a score to increase and with that, I use my own judgment based on how I feel about the ingredient. You should do the same. Here’s a great article on skincare ingredients.

Today I’m sharing four clean skincare products I love and have seen improved skin health while using them.

Over the past year I’ve been trying lots of clean beauty products. Specifically looking for skincare and makeup with quality ratings from EWG’s Skin Deep and Think Dirty that are affordable, easily accessible to stock up on, and haven proven results when using them. While I now have quite a few clean beauty products I like, the four I’m sharing today are my most frequently used.

Heritage Store Rosewater & Glycerin

EWG Score: 0 // Think Dirty Score: 0 // eco-friendly, vegan, cruelty-free, paraben-free

I use the Heritage Rosewater a toner after washing my face. I love it because the smell is light, the ingredients are simple and it’s just plain refreshing. It’s moderately priced and can easily be picked up on , Thrive Market or Whole Foods. Even <3M likes me to mist his face with it after a hot day. It’s especially refreshing after flying.

Acure Brilliantly Bright Facial Scrub

EWG Score: 2 // Think Dirty Score: 3 // vegan, sulfate-free, paraben-free, cruelty-free, mineral oil-free, petrolatum-free

I love this scrub! And the fact that it’s green makes me love it even more. Acure facial scrub is made with French green clay and sea kelp. The grit in the scrub is gently but effective which means I can use it 2-3 times a week without feeling like I’m over exfoliating my skin. It’s also easy to stock up on, you can find it at Target, Whole Foods, and on Amazon.

Andalou Naturals Ultra Sheer Daily Defense Facial Lotion

EWG Score: 2 // Think Dirty Score: n/a // organic, non-GMO, gluten-free, vegan, sustainable, fair trade, cruelty-free

Moisturizer is all about personal preference. I prefer something that is light, non-greasy and contains SPF. I found to meet all of these requirements and it wears well under makeup, though I wish the SPF were a bit higher as it’s only at 18 SPF. However, this moisturizer smells well and it’s a huge bottle for the price. Find it at Whole Foods, Ulta, Amazon and Thrive Market.

Olehenriksen Banana Bright Eye Cream

EWG Score: 4 // Think Dirty Score: n/a // paraben-free, sulfate-free, phthalates-free

Yes, I know. A score of 4 is outside my preferred range but as I said, you have to use some discretion when choosing products and determine which ingredients are important to you. And for me, I’m fine with this rating and ingredients that cause it to go about my preferred EWG 3 score.

Eye cream as part of my skincare regimen is a new addition. I never used one but two times in a row, while getting a makeup touchup post-haircut at Jackson Ruiz, the makeup artist commented on my eyes and asked if I used an eye cream. After the second time, I decided to look into one and came across Olehenriksen’s Banana Bright Cream (no, it does not contain or smell like bananas, it’s named that for its pale yellow color).

This eye cream has a long list of accolades and lots of studies with proven results. And I too can attest to those results as I’ve seen a decrease in puffiness and dark circles since using the cream over the past 3 months.

Olehenriksen’s eye cream is moderately priced ($38) compared to other eye creams on the market, and after using it for 3 months I still have more than half a jar left. The cream has great coverage and you only need a tiny bit each use. I like to use it day and night and during the day, it works well as a lid primer before applying eyeshadow. Find it a Sephora and on Amazon.

Do you have any clean beauty products you love? Share them below! What other sites or tools do you use to check the quality of your skincare products?

Homemade Berry Chia Jam Pop-Tarts

March 4, 2019 by Alyssa

Start your morning off with a flakey homemade pop-tart filled with a healthy mixed berry chia jam.

Honestly, I only made these Berry Chia Jam Pop-Tarts for two reasons. (And neither reason is because I love Pop-Tarts.) I mean, I like them in a nostalgic sense but they really aren’t my jam (pun intended!).

These pastries came about because

I had a bunch of berries that were on the edge of going bad and I hate throwing away expensive organic berries.
I really love the look of bright sprinkles on white frosting. Here’s a link to my favorite sprinkle shop!

What can I say, I’m an honest blogger and sometimes I make things just because it’s what I have on hand, not always because I love the food.

Now, these pop-tarts are really made to be customizable. I’m going to give you a base recipe to work with and you can mix and match for what works for you when it comes to creating the chia jam to stuff inside.

Chia Jam

Chia jam is really easy to make. I enjoy it because it’s pretty much foolproof, it’s packed with good for you omega-3s from all the chia seeds, and you can do it with whatever fruit you have on hand.

The ratio is quite simple

2 cups fruit
2 tablespoon chia seeds
1 tablespoon maple syrup (or agave or honey)
1 teaspoon lemon juice

You simply heat the fruit and mash them slightly over medium heat. Once they look a bit jammy, stir in the sweetener, chia seeds, and the lemon juice. Put it all the in the fridge and when you come back in about 60 minutes the chia seeds will have done their magic.

Voila! You have jam.

Pastry prior to baking.

Pop-tarts baking in the oven.

Golden, flakey pop-tarts cooling before frosting.

The Pastry

You can make your own pastry for these pop-tarts, but if you want the easy way out, grab yourself a pack of store-bought pie crust and go to town cutting out 4×3 inch rectangles to form your pop-tart shells. There is NO shame in that. In fact, if it’s already in your fridge you should just use it because we all know that the doughboy makes some dang good pie crust.

But, if you really want to impress the family, you can choose to make your own pastry dough. Like the chia seed jam, it’s a handful of ingredients and difficult to mess up.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons shortening (preferably Crisco butter flavored)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup ice water

Whisk together the flour and salt, cut in the shortening then add in the water. Knead just a tad, then let it rest in the fridge for 20-minutes and roll it out. Voila! You have better than store-bought pastry dough ready to cut into 3×4 inch rectangles and your family will be uber impressed. (Side note: that’s my grandma’s pie crust recipe and it’s delicious!)

Next up, make the pop-tarts.

Simply put a few teaspoons of jam into the center, dab the edges with an egg wash and layer on a matching top. Before baking you crimp the edges with a fork to seal in the jam, poke a couple of holes in the top to release the steam when they bake then after a quick rest in the fridge you pop those babies in the oven until they’re golden.

Frost & Decorate

After the pastries have cooled slightly, spread on a simple glaze of confectioner’s sugar & milk and top with a few fancy sprinkles for a little bit of glam.

Devour immediately.

Homemade Berry Chia Jam Pop-Tarts

Save Print

Prep time

60 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

1 hour 30 mins

Homemade Berry Chia Jam Pop-Tarts Author: Alyssa Prep time: 60 mins Cook time: 30 mins Total time: 1 hour 30 mins Serves: 9

Author: Alyssa

Serves: 9

Ingredients

Chia Jam
1 cup strawberries, finely diced
½ cup blueberries
½ cup raspberries
1 tablespoon maple syrup (or agave, or honey)
pinch of salt
2 tablespoons chia seeds
1 teaspoon lemon juice
For the Pastry Dough
1½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons shortening (Crisco butter flavored, preferred)
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup ice water
For the Glaze
¾ cup confectioner's sugar
1 tablespoon milk
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

To make the chia jam, place the berries into a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. While heating, stir and mash the berries constantly until a jammy sauce consistency is formed, slight berry bits/chunks are fine. Add in the maple syrup and a pinch of salt and stir. Add in the chia seeds and lemon juice. Stir until combined. Remove from heat and place the mixture into a glass or heat-proof container. Place the container in the fridge and let sit for 60-minutes or overnight until chia seeds have matured creating a jam consistency with the berries.
For the pastry dough, whisk together the flour and salt. Cut in the shortening until pea-sized pebbles form. Fold in the ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough comes together. Turn the dough out on to a lightly floured surface and using your hands, gently press the dough together until it forms a ball. Gently cut the ball in half and pat each half into discs, about 6 to 8 inches in diameter. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and place it in the fridge to rest for 15-20 minutes.
When you're ready to bake the pop-tarts, line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicon baking mats and set aside.
Remove the discs from the fridge and allow it to rest at room temperature for 10 minutes. Roll one disc out into a rectangle slightly larger than 9 inches by 12 inches, trimming as needed. The dough should be about ⅛th inch thick if rolled correctly. Using a ruler cut out 4x3 inch rectangles, baking 9 in total. Place the rectangles on to the prepared baking sheets leaving 1-2 inches between each on the baking sheet. These are the bottom of your pop-tarts
Repeat the rolling and cutting process with the second set of dough, creating 9 more rectangles that are 4x3 inches, these are the top of your pop-tarts.
Prepare the egg wash by whisking together 1 egg and 1 teaspoon of milk.
To assemble the pop-tarts, place 1½ - 2 teaspoons of chia jam into the center of the pop-tart bottom, spreading it out evenly, leaving about ¼ inch of clean dough around the edge. On the clean edges, lightly brush the egg wash. Top each jam filled bottom with the top of a pop-tart and gently press the edges together.
Using the tines of a fork, crimp around the edges of the pop-tarts, sealing the jam inside. With a toothpick, gently poke 8-10 holes into the top of each pop-tart to allow any steam to escape, this will keep your pop-tarts from bubbling up while baking.
Place your assembled pop-tarts into the fridge for 15-20 minutes to rest. While resting, preheat the oven to 350°F.
Remove the pop-tarts from the fridge and bake in the oven for 25-27 minutes. At the 20 minute mark, check the pop-tarts to see if the edges are browning. If they are getting a little dark, place a sheet of foil over the pop-tarts for the remaining 5-minutes to keep the edges from burning. Remove the pop-tarts from the oven and allow to cool for 5-minutes on the sheet pan before transferring to a cooling rack.
While the pastries are cooling, make the glaze by whisking together the confectioner's sugar, milk and vanilla extract until it forms a spreadable consistency. If too thick, add a ½ teaspoon more of milk as needed. If too thin, add an additional 1 tablespoon of confectioner's sugar as needed.
Once the pastries have cooled but are still slightly warm, use a spatula to frost them with 1-2 teaspoons of the frosting. Serve immediately or keep in a cool, dry place for up to 3 days.

Five Bites on Friday: August 2nd Edition

August 3, 2018 by Alyssa

A rambling of my five favorite bites this week!

Hi friends! TGIF, am I right?

I did a down-and-back trip to Dallas on Thursday so I’m super happy it’s Friday and am looking forward to NO weekend plans! I’m just going to enjoy this slow weekend ahead of me.

I’m looking forward to getting in a puppy walk, going to the gym, making dinner at home with <3M, and wrapping Sunday up with a blogger’s brunch at Iron Cactus. I know, I’m such a bore but sometimes you just have to soak up the slow season of life and that’s exactly what I intend to do!

Any who…below are a few highlights from my week that I thought I’d share.

What I’m Sipping

1 – June’s Sparkling Rose

Happy Hour Alert! June’s All Day has half-priced bubbles on Monday night and the June’s Sparkling Rose is delish – crisp and slightly sweet. If you’re looking for a great place to people watch with good drinks, head over there on Monday night and grab a glass of bubbly.

What I’m Cooking

2 – Nashville Hot Chicken Tacos

For a girl who grew up eating Buffalo Sauce in upstate New York and because I’m a bonafide pickle lover, these Nashville Hot Chicken Tacos hit the spot when I made them for dinner earlier this week. I followed this Cooking & Beer recipe, tweaking the recipe just slightly to make it a little healthier on the fat side. Here’s the changes I made if you want to recreate them yourself:

nixed the oil in the slaw, opting for vinegar and pickle juice instead
browned my chicken pieces rather than frying them in oil
reduced the butter in the Nashville Hot Chicken sauce to 1 tablespoon instead of half a cup, I thinned the sauce some with vegetable broth and it still coated the chicken well
used my favorite low-carb tortillas in place of traditional flour

What I’m Craving

3 – Vietnamese Lemongrass Coconut

I swear this dish is better than takeout. When I crave any sort of Asian curry, I pull out this recipe. It’s so easy to make too! It requires only a handful of ingredients and 30 minutes. Even <3M likes making this because it’s so simply and is a 1-pot dish.

Processed with Snapseed.

Where I’m Dining

4- Home Slice Pizza

Hands down this week’s best bite goes to the Sicilian Pizza from Home Slice. <3M and I went on Monday night to celebrate our 5 year engagement anniversary (it’s a tradition). Home Slice only serves the Sicilian on Monday nights at the South Congress location and you can either get plain cheese or pepperoni, nothing else! Sicilian Pizza has a super thick crust and is double baked in the pizza oven so it’s crispy on the bottom. It’s my favorite pizza, we only eat it once a year, and it’s so worth the carb splurge. #noregrets

I did hear a rumor that Home Slice serves the Sicilian Pizza all-week long at their new Central location but I haven’t stopped in to try it yet. Let me know if you have any details.

What I’m Making

I love acaí bowls but it seriously kills me to pay +$10 for a bowl from Blenders ‘n’ Bowls on the regular so I like to make mine at home. I’ve also perfected my method so I thought I’d share my tips:

Use the frozen unsweetened packets of acaí and blend them frozen
Only use 1 cup of frozen fruit, no ice cubes
Use a 1:1 ration of juice and unsweetened almond milk, about 3/4 cup total
Be sure to have a good blender, I use and stir it often between blends until everything is smooth
Hand mix protein into your bowl. If you’re using protein powder, I suggest blending the acaí, frozen fruit, and liquids together first then mixing in the protein powder by hand. This ensures you get an acaí texture similar to BNB. I’ve found that if you add protein powder and blend it with the other ingredients, it tends to get fluffy and you do NOT want a fluffy acaí bowl.
Top with whatever you have in the pantry. I usually go for fresh fruit, nut butter, and some kind of sweet either coconut, honey, or a dusting of cocoa powder.

That’s it! Five Bites for Friday. What are you eating, craving, sipping? Enjoy your weekend y’all!

Weekend Vibes | Life Lately + What I’m loving

February 18, 2018 by Alyssa

Another weekend vibes post where I share a round-up of things I’m loving, what I’m cooking lately, a little life update, and a few good-reads from across the web!

Since the New Year, I’ve really been taking my weekend as a time to truly relax. In the past, <3M and I would fill our weekend to the brim with activities and chores and never get a chance to rest. But now I’m truly started to understand the benefits of a restful weekend.

My perfect weekend now consists of

a bit of exercise
cooking a good meal with <3M
personal care – a manicure or home-facial, reading, coloring
a lunch date, because it seems more indulgent to have a fancy weekend lunch!
lots of cuddles with the dogs
some girl friend time!

I’ve found this sets me up for the best possible work week. Giving myself a true mental break and doing all the things I love.

How do you like to spend your weekend?

Now, back to weekend vibes and things that caught my eye

Polishing a sink with flour is something I’ve got to try, I’ll let you know the results

I finally tried Elizabeth Street Cafe and loved their shrimp spring rolls and iced coffee. However, I was a bit disappointed with their macaroons. I definitely need to stop back and try a few other flavors before I make up my mind

Loving chocolate coconut chips mixed into my yogurt

Poached chicken thighs with coconut-ginger quinoa is a weekend meal worth making

We recently canceled our local Texas wine club in favor of Winc and we’re really enjoying the wine selections. So affordable

I found yesterday at South Congress Books and I’m really looking forward to reading it myself!

I whipped up a cocktail for <3M this weekend that we haven’t had in ages. So simple. So delicious. It was the ‘His’ cocktail at our wedding

On the blog this week I shared my skincare routine for healthy skin as I age

Making this Jungle Smash Cake for a first birthday celebration was probably the most fun baking I’ve had in a while

I can’t stop pinning spring wardrobe photos! I’m getting the itch to shop. What’s on your spring shopping list?

Phara’s is one of my favorite places in Austin and we went Thursday during Austin’s mini-heatwave. Hookah, belly dancers, and the most delicious Mediterranean food. Get the tzatziki. And the dolmas. And the baba ganoush. Just get it all.

Today I’m off with some ladies to watch Crystal – Cirque du Soleil on ice and I’m beyond ecstatic. Afterwards, we’re swinging by a friends place to celebrate Chinese New Year (Year of the Dog!). Luckily, this our friend is also a phenomenal cook so I’ll be spoiled with all the delicious homemade Chinese food.

Happy Sunday!

It’s been 6 months

January 14, 2014 by Alyssa

So here’s the truth – I haven’t gone missing. I’ve literally just dived into life and a lot has happen in the last 6 months, making life much too fun to break for anything – including this blog!

But now that 2014 has rolled into town, life has slowed a tad, at least momentarily. And to bring you up to speed, here’s the cliff notes version of what I’ve been up to the past 6 months!

July

I got engaged! There were cupcakes, champagne AND a ring!

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August

I took a trip to New York, vacationed in Montauk (the Hamptons people, yeah, I’m that girl) and watched my best friend & college roommate marry her prince charming – also another great friend from college.

Biking in the Hamptons

September

Autumn rolled into town, the Texas heat became moderately tolerable and people actually wanted to visit us! This month, M<3 and I had a few New Yorkers visit and we played tour guides as we toted them around the great ATX.

We had to hit up obvious Austin activities – hanging on Town Lake and drinking Mexican Martinis.

October

This month I pushed wedding planning into high gear –

Venue – CHECK
Cater – CHECK
DJ – CHECK
Photographer – CHECK

Basically, I’ve been knocking this wedding planning thing outta the park.

BTW – did I mention, I’m having two weddings. One in India and one in Austin.

The one in India is thankfully being planned by my future in-laws, whom I met for the first time, along with the rest of my soon-to-be-family, during our October trip to India! This trip was to not only meet the family and celebrate our engagement but to also honor M<3’s parents’ 30th wedding anniversary!

November

It’s 2 months until the close of 2013 and M<3 & I believe we need to up our karma for the before twenty-thirteen becomes a thing of the past, so we decide to take in a foster dog from Austin Boxer Rescue. Meet Jack (aka Sean in the ABR world). He was a rock star and luckily we found him his forever home after just 3 short weeks.

This month also marked my first time cooking Thanksgiving dinner. Since we’re not avid turkey fans, we went the non-traditional route and I roasted a whole chicken instead. I also made a delicious homemade spread of cornbread stuffing, roasted brussel sprouts, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce (NOT from a can, thank you very much). And you can bet these were all healtified but delicious none the less.

December

Winter came into full swing and I went on a baking spree – gingerbread cutouts [and houses], a plethora of cupcakes, donuts, muffins, and a dozen different flavors of cookies.

Gingerbread House

Thank goodness I have a slew of coworkers and friends whom are more than delighted to indulge in my baking obsession!

December also brought my parents to town! For the first time they took the trip South to visit M<3 and I in Austin. We were also able to celebrate Christmas together for the first time in 3 years, they met Stella, checked out some Austin wedding related items [I bought THE
dress] and of course, they enjoyed some BBQ and tacos.

January

As midnight struck on January 1st, 2014, M<3 and I welcomed in the new year with a group of amazing friends, champagne, and of course – more cupcakes.

M<3 and I have also taken on another foster dog from ABR [whom sadly just gnawed on one of the dining room chair seats as I was writing this post]. Other than that little issue, Jefferson has been great so far and Stella enjoys have a friend around to beat up.

This month I’ve also continued rocking the wedding planning thing and we’re gearing up for our next trip to India at the end of February for our first wedding on February 28th.

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So that about sums up my past 6 months – which you can see has been a whirlwind of fun, excitement, and filled with amazing memories.

I’m looking forward to the next 6 months and hope to once again begin posting regularly. Except, with the encouragement of my friends & family, this blog will be changing a tad.

Content here will have less of an emphasis on my daily life and a little heavier emphasis on recipes that showcase how I balance my enjoyment for food with my obsession for health aka Healthified Recipes!

But no worries, some daily shenanigans and of course wedding related items will be sprinkled about when it feels right – because let’s face it, it’s hard not to talk about wedding planning and life here in Austin is just too amazing to not share with you all!

What all have you been up to while I was MIA?

Any recipes you want me to healthify? Just leave a link here and I’ll get to work recreating a healthier, tastier version!

6 Months Later

June 24, 2013 by Alyssa

It’s been six months since we’ve returned to Austin and every day I’m positive we made the right choice.

As soon as we returned, M<3 and I fell back into your what felt like an old [but new] routine. Somehow returning to Austin meant a return to “us” – a return to normal.

Normal…

To drive again & listen to the radio.
A renewed love for baking.
Date nights.
Conversations that no longer center around work.
Sunday Fundays!
A growing group of friends.
Time to enjoy the sunshine, warm weather, and fresh air.
Seeing a real future together in Austin.
Genuine happiness that radiates in eyes, voice and smile.

Returning to Austin meant a return to LIFE.

Jamba Juice Favorites

April 11, 2013 by Alyssa

That I’m a Jamba Juice Ambassador.

Yes, it’s an official title.

Sadly, this Ambassador-ship doesn’t grant me global amnesty but it does grant me the opportunity to live a long and fruitful life (#LiveFruitfully).

Now let me share how my Ambassador title came to be….

My little po-dunk hometown in upstate New York doesn’t have a Jamba Juice within a 1,000 miles of it which means I had never even experienced Jamba Juice until two years ago when I moved to Austin, Texas. Thankfully, Jamba has a vibrant, fun logo and a brand name I was simply just drawn to and that, paired with my overwhelming love for smoothies, made us instant buddies.

My new Austin gym was conveniently located around the corner to a Jamba Juice which meant that after waking up at the crack of dawn to sweat it out before heading to work, I could reward myself with a protein packed, healthy treat. I loved that Jamba listed all its ingredients, provide nutritional facts that were easily accessible in the store and online, and everyone could customize their smoothie with add-ins like Energy Boots, Daily Vitamins, extra Protein, or a Metabolizer. My love for Jamba was sealed upon the first sip! I’d even talk <3M into grabbing “Special Drinks” with me on Saturday mornings. It just became habit!

When we moved from Austin to NYC, I thought I’d have to scrounge around to find a Jamba Juice for breakfast in the morning but to my surprise, Jamba followed me! On my way to work in the morning while living in NYC I walked by TWO Jamba Juice stores. Oh, the smoothie possibilities were endless. I could grab a smoothie for breakfast or make a quick trip there during the work day for an afternoon treat and so, our courtship continued in NYC.

Finally, after bidding a-due to my NYC life and making the move back to Austin, I was more than pleasantly surprised to find that my new office was located a mere 3 blocks from a downtown Jamba Juice! (Can you hear the Smoothie gods singing?) We were meant to be. When the call for Jamba Juice Ambassadors arose, I knew I had to apply and proclaim my love for Jamba Juice to the world!

After hearing about my love for smoothies, my new profound love for running, and my overall active, health conscious lifestyle, Jamba chose me! (I already knew you loved me back Jamba Juice but now it’s official!) So from now on, be prepared for an increased outpour of smoothie pictures & Jamba love as I spread Jamba’s #LiveFruitfully message!

To start you off – here’s two of my favorite nutrient and protein packed smoothie options.

Post-Workout Smoothie
Vibrant Blueberry: It already comes packed with nutrients as a Pro-Biotic smoothie but add in a whey protein boost anyway!
Order a 16oz and you’ll end up with 280 calories, .5g fat, and a whopping 20g of protein!

Mid-Day Snack
Caribbean Passion: It’s a classic smoothie so order the 16oz and ask them to “Make It Light!” This will cut the calories, carbs and sugars by a third.
Again, throw in some added protein (soy this time) to increase the staying power along with a 3G Charger boost to help push through the afternoon slump.
Order a 16oz and you’ll end up with 195 calories, 0g fat, and 12g of protein!

If you happen to grab one of my favorite smoothies, Tweet me @hermodkitchena pic and don’t forget to tag @JambaJuice & #LiveFruitfully