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Sweet Summery Guacamole Recipe

I am an avocado fanatic – I could eat them all day long, so naturally, I love guacamole. The local grocery store in Durango recently had a sale on avocados – 10 for $10, which is a steal. We bought 10 and then realized they would go bad before we managed to eat them all, as we’ve been adventuring to different restaurants for dinner in the evening. I decided to make my signature guacamole dish, which is sweet and salty, given that I use Robert’s Reserve Roasted Red Pepper and Onion Dip and sea salt. This dip is very summery, given it’s slight sweetness. Depending on whom I am making the guacamole for, I’ll add cilantro to the top or jalapeños – enjoy with Stacy’s pita chips (Sasha’s favorite), or celery and carrots if you’re being healthy like I am right now!

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons of Robert’s Reserve Roasted Red Pepper and Onion Dip
  • 3 ripe avocados
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 teaspoon of sea salt
  • 1/8 cup of red onions
  • 1 teaspoon of lemon juice
  • 1 jalapeño pepper (optional garnish)
  • Handful of chopped cilantro (optional garnish)

Steps

  1. Finely chop 2 garlic cloves and 1/8 cup of red onions and add to mixing bowl
  2. Add 2 tablesppons of the roasted pepper and onion dip (in most grocery stores in a stand alone section near the deli)
  3. Add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice to the bowl and mix
  4. Add 1 teaspoon of sea salt to the bowl – keep out in case you want to add more later
  5. Pit and add three avocados to the bowl – ideal to use a mortar and pestle (I love this Le Creuset one!)
  6. Mix well and add additional salt if desired

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Favorite Houston Blogs

I haven’t had much time for blog reading recently, but when I have a free second, I typically run down my blogroll – which used to only include big fashion bloggers (i.e. Pink Peonies, Gal Meets GlamCupcakes and Cashmere, Atlantic-Pacific), but has recently featured many Houston-based bloggers. I consider this my version of “going local.” I’ve compiled a list of my favorite Houston blogs, which range from party planning to photography, interior design to baking. So many pretty pictures to look at! I highly recommend you check out these blogs.


KiKiMac: I love Christie’s blog so much. KiKiMac is the perfect combination of creative party ideas, delicious food pictures and restaurant recommendations, and style. My favorite thing about this blog is the online (and in person!) friendship that has stemmed out of me posting one of her Adair Kitchen pictures! kikimac


Sugarlaws: Katy’s style is always spot-on, and given that she’s only a few weeks ahead of me in her pregnancy, I’ve loved looking to Sugarlaws for maternity style advice. Sugarlaws is a great collection of fashion and lifestyle – i.e. makeup and recipe too!

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Sugar and Cloth: My eye-candy obsession. Ashley is so talented at styling and making me very hungry with her amazing food posts. I could spend all day scouring through Sugar and Cloth posts. sugarandcloth


Ketchup on Restaurants: Patricia knows the way to my heart – through food! I absolutely love following along as she tries out new restaurants in Houston that I very often go to after she posts about them. I recently won a pie from her contest and got to meet her in person! What a treat (no pun intended). Feast your eyes on this blog if you want to stay up-to-date with the Houston food scene. ketchuprestaurants


Hellogirl*: Chelsea’s blog is wedding meets fashion meets pretty design. I love reading her posts – you’ll learn about new fashion trends, her upcoming nuptials (this July!), makeup tips, and more. hellogirl


Kimberly Chau: Kimberly is an amazing photographer, and her blog is a perfectly curated platform of pretty images. Kimberly posts engagement, wedding, food, and lifestyle pictures on her site, and it’s a pleasure to follow along. kimberlychau


Perpetual Perfection: Words of inspiration and an interior designer lover’s paradise. Cathleen’s home is dreamy, as is the rest of the content on this beautiful blog! perpetualperfection


Brighton the Day: Brighton’s style is always, always spot-on. Whether it’s animal prints, neons, or florals, I am obsessed with her styling. I always forget she lives in Houston (that is, until I recognize a location post!). Brighton the Day is definitely a blog you need to bookmark. brightontheday


Pretty Shiny Sparkly: Kristina post topics range between makeup, food, health, and style – and she does a great job detailing all. The blog is most certainly pretty, shiny and sparkly. prettyshinysparkly

Featured image via Sugar and Cloth, taken by Kimberly Chau

San Francisco Travel Guide

I was in San Francisco last weekend and on the flight there, I did a little math to figure out how many times I’ve visited the Bay Area in the past 3 years – nine! If that’s not an indication of how much I love San Francisco, I don’t know what is! We got married in Napa last July, so we made a couple of trips for planning, but most have been for fun. My sister-in-law and one of my best friends both work for Google in Mountain View, so I’ve always got a place to stay (and the best hosts!). If you haven’t been before, or if you want some of my tried-and-true suggestions, please reference the list of my favorite food, drink spots and activities below! Also, please offer any recommendations – I’ll be going back again soon (hopefully!), and always love to try new places.

Other San Francisco posts here. Pictures from this weekend below! Find a Google map with these locations here.

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Favorite Restaurants/Drinks

  • The Plant (Various): Hands-down, one of my favorite restaurants in America – there are so many delicious vegetarian options that I rarely order the same thing twice (try them all!)
  • Radish (The Mission): The veggie burger is so unique and delicious – very nutty (add cheese!)
  • Mission Cheese (The Mission): A cheese and wine lovers dream
  • Dosa (Pacific Heights): The Indian food here is melt-in-your-mouth delicious – try the paneer masala dish
  • Zazie’s (Haight Ashbury): Holy cow – the line here is indicative of how good the food is – come early for breakfast!!
  • La Boulangerie (Various): Starbucks didn’t decide to use La Boulange baked goods for no reason! I live for the coffee + oatmeal in the humongous ceramic bowls
  • Tacolicious (Various): I wouldn’t normally recommend Mexican food this far from the border, but it’s worth it! Amazing guacamole and Marina Girl Salad (YUM)
  • Helmand Palace (Russian Hill): My first taste of Afghani food and I hope not my last! Be adventurous!
  • Kokkari (Financial District): Hands down, my favorite restaurant in SF – the baked feta appetizer is all you really need, but you’ll want and love everything else too
  • Sweet Maple (Pacific Heights): Famous for their bacon, this place has some amazing veggie/vegan options (great salads and oatmeal)
  • Millenium (Tenderloin): One of the best all-vegetarian restaurants I’ve ever been to… get a bunch of dishes amongst your table and share!
  • Reveille Coffee Co (Financial District and Mission Bay – my favorite location!): Modern, glass wall coffee shop with amazing drip coffee and the tastiest homemade granola you’ll ever try
  • Woods Polk Station (Russian Hill): Tiny little beer (and wine) bar with a selection of empanadas (the cheesy aroma will lure you in)
  • The Brick Yard (Cow Hollow): This yuppie bar has a great atmosphere and gets pretty darn crowded during happy hour
  • Rickhouse (Financial District): I’m obsessed with the front doors alone, but the entire bar (quiet lounge area upstairs) is really cool (with great cocktails!!)
  • Cultive (Cow Hollow): My favorite frozen yogurt in San Francisco – the flavors taste fresh and not artificial (or as anti-artificial as cookies ‘n cream froyo can be!)]
  • Souvla (Hayes Valley): A very simple Greek menu, but the most delicious meal and make sure to order the Greek frozen yogurt… seriously heaven on earth!
  • Smitten Ice Cream (Hayes Valley): The eclectic flavors taste a little different than what you may be used to, but I’d sample them all! Delicious.
  • House of Nanking (Chinatown): Get to this (rather) hole-in-the-wall Asian restaurant in Chinatown early if you don’t want to stand in line outside! It’s that good! I got two tofu dishes and was in heaven – and stuffed!!
  • Greens (Marina): Ah, this vegetarian restaurant has my heart! The glass windows look out onto the Golden Gate Bridge, and Sasha (a carnivore) recently said the stuffed pepper was his favorite dish of our entire vacation!
  • Jane on Fillmore (Fillmore): This tiny cafe has a simple, but delicious menu, and is perfect for a ladies lunch.
  • The Mill (Fillmore): Amazing coffee spot near Alamo Square Park – gorgeous interior!

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Restaurants on My “Must Try” List

Betelnut, Umami Burger, Presidio Social Club, and Outerlands

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Favorite Activities

  • Mingle with the hipsters and sip on Ritual Coffee in the Mission or Reveille Coffee (various locations, but Mission Bay is the best/prettiest/offers more food – on this map)
  • Rent a GoCar and drive around the city in this baby-sized Smart Car
  • Grab San Francisco’s famous Blue Bottle at the iconic Ferry Building
  • Sip on New Orleans style iced coffee from Blue Fog Market
  • Act like a paparazzi in front of the Golden Gate Bridge
  • Shop at boutiques on Union and Fillmore Streets and in Hayes Valley
  • Explore Chinatown
  • Smell the amazing bread being freshly made at Boudin Bakery at Fisherman’s Wharf
  • Reminisce the greatness of Full House and sit in the park in Alamo Square (love the Painted Ladies!) – grab a coffee at The Mill beforehand!
  • Take pictures on and walk down Lombard Street
  • Go to the gorgeous sandy beaches of Point Reyes (where we took our engagement pictures)
  • Check out the redwood trees at Muir Woods
  • Go to Dolores Park to play, or if you’re getting coffee at Reveille in Mission Bay, then go to the Mission Bay Kid’s Park

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Activities on my “Must Do” List

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Other City Tours

ParisDurango (Colorado)AustinHoustonBaliWashington, DC

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Me (6.5 months preggo belly!) and Georgia

Vegan Chocolate Beet Muffins

I think that everyone needs their signature baked good. Unfortunately for me, I’ve never had one, and as a health-focused vegan, it has been hard to find recipes that fit the bill for nutrition while tasting delicious. That is, until I came across Minimalist Baker. This blog is my everything! I found two chocolate beet muffin/cupcake recipes and have fallen in love (as has Sasha, my toughest vegan critic!). I slightly adapted this one – replacing the all purpose flour with Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free flour, using Stevia vs. sugar, canned beets, and adding Attune bar chocolate crumbles. Sasha gave them two big thumbs up. I highly recommend you give this recipe a try! If you do, please let me know what you think.
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Ingredients
  • 3/4 can of beets (pureed)
  • 1 cup unsweetened soy milk
  • 1 tsp white or apple cider vinegar
  • 
3/4 cup baking Stevia (or coconut sugar)
  • 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup + 1 heaping Tbsp gluten-free flour (or regular all-purpose if you don’t want them GF)
  • scant 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • pinch salt
  • 3 vegan Attune bars (found at Central Market or Whole Foods next to probiotic yogurts)

 Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F
  2. Open can of beets and puree them until they are in liquid form. Measure out 1/2 cup and set aside.
  3. Line a muffin pan with paper liners.
  4. Whisk together the soy milk and vinegar in a large bowl, and set aside for a few minutes to curdle. Add the Stevia, coconut oil, vanilla extract, and 1/2 cup beets and beat until foamy.
  5. Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to a sifter and slowly sift it into the wet ingredients while mixing with a hand-held or standing mixer. Beat until no large lumps remain.
  6. Put vegan Attune bars (amazing chocolate filled with antioxidants!) into Ziplock bag and break into small pieces with a wooden spoon. Pour small chocolate crumbles into the mix.
  7. Pour batter into liners, filling 3/4 of the way full. Bake 22 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely. Do not try and unwrap them or they’ll stick to the wrapper.
  8. Once cooled, store in an airtight container to keep fresh. Optional: Dust with cocoa powder.Vegan-Chocolate-Chocolate-Chip-Muffins-minimalistbaker.com-vegan-chocolate

Recipe adapted from The Minimalist Baker (obsessed with her recipes!), and pictures are from here and here. If you try them, please let me know what you think!

Whirlwind Trip to NYC

I love, love, love New York City. It has so much energy. I adore walking around all day long, eating far too much (delicious) food, acting like a total tourist with my big Nikon DSLR, getting excited about things I’ve now seen numerous times, like Central Park and the Empire State Building. I spent a very brief 36-ish hours in NYC this weekend with a good friend of mine – play-by-play itinerary below. What are your favorite things to do in the city? We’re thinking about making this an annual trip, so I welcome suggestions!

Friday

  • Landed around 2:30 and took an Uber cab to the Ace Hotel
  • Walked to Eataly and roamed around, then went to nearby Mangia for a quick salad
  • Walked to the observatory level of the Empire State Building (totally worth doing once)
  • Returned to the hotel and drank at their very hipster bar
  • Walked to Almond for an early pre-show dinner (I highly recommend this Flatiron spot)
  • Cabbed to the Al Hirschfield Theater for Kinky Boots (a must see)
  • Walked through Times Square and then back to the hotel
  • Step count: 7.5 miles
Saturday
  • Breakfast at Pastis (we ran into one of my best friends and her boyfriend while walking, so they joined us!)
  • Sat awkwardly at Pastis while they filmed a movie right beside our table for 30 minutes
  • Popped into Kate Spade Saturday’s Pop Up Shop
  • Got a drink at Revel Garden Bar (gorgeous, gorgeous spot)
  • Strolled through Chelsea Market enjoying the aromas and sample sales!
  • Walked along the High Line
  • Left the Meat Packing district and walked to the Gramery Park Hotel bar
  • Walked to Barbounia for lunch – amazing hummus and falafel and the busiest restaurant I’ve ever been to
  • Returned to the hotel to freshen up and drop shopping bags, then cabbed it to Barneys (sigh)
  • Stolled through Central Park as the sun was setting
  • Went to Kate Spade Madison AvenueI want it all
  • Walked to Bloomingdales and spent ages lusting at Equipment blouses
  • Took a taxi to Market Table, which is a perfect West Village restaurant (try the Brussels sprouts!)
  • Crossed the street for some froyo at 16 Handles
  • Walked back to the hotel for an early-ish bed (due to a 5am wakeup)
  • Step count: 12.5 miles

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Kate Spade Madison Avenue changing rooms… I need this wallpaper!