Stack'em Bracelets Trend

I am currently loving the trend of stacking many bracelets together on one wrist and even adding a watch in the mix. It's such a fun way to wear multiple pieces of jewelry and mix styles. It's a great complement to any outfit!

Below I paired a couple bracelets with an oversized watch. This is a trend where you can definitely mix metals, fabrics, etc... so go look through your bracelets and start stacking!

Pictured above:
Watch: Michael Kors (at Nordstrom)
Mixed gold chain bracelet: Jewel Mint
Gold sparkle bracelet: Jcrew

Double Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Well these may be the most delicious cookies that I've ever made (and my Dad seconds that claim!). I had a craving for peanut butter cookies, then I decided that I must add oatmeal because that just makes them seem slightly healthy right?! :). To top that off I remembered that I had a bag of the Reese's peanut butter chips to add a special twist to a great cookie recipe that I got from a cute blog, Pink Parsley.

I hope you make these soon and tell me what you think, they will for sure be a regular in my house!

Recipe
(Adapted from Pink Parsley)

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter,at room temperature
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cup quick-cooking oats
• 2 handfuls of Reese's Peanut Butter Chips

Directions

Throw all of the wet ingredients (butter, peanut butter, sugars, egg, vanilla) in a bowl and mix together with a standing mixer or hand mixer. Add the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt) and mix together thoroughly. Next stir in the oats with a spatula. Lastly add the chips and work them through the dough with your hands. Roll into balls and bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until light golden brown (I like to leave them a little doughy).

Outfit Ideas: Dress for Spring

As the weather gets better it is tempting to go shop up a storm for all of those cute spring clothes out there. As fun as that is (and believe me I've been adding some new little additions to my closet), there are probably quite a few things already in your closet that you can carry into spring. And beyond that even if you have treated yourself to some new spring dresses and tops, the crazy Denver weather does likes to surprise us with 70 degree days followed by a snowstorm... makes it tough for a girl to dress!

Don't give up on those dresses just yet though! Below are two outfit ideas for this spring time weather that incorporate your winter boots and tights to get a few more uses out of them.

Outfit Idea #1 - Spring dress with tights and a cardigan

The concept: Take a look through your spring and summer dresses and see what you can pair with tights and cardigans that you already have in your closet. Depending on the dress and heels that you choose this can either be dolled up for a night on the town or a bit more reserved for the workplace. My outfit below was for my birthday party where I was determined to wear my red heels!

Dress: Target - They have SO many cute & affordable dresses right now
Shoes: Nordstrom Rack (see the details here)
Tights: These are a charcoal grey... I believe from Gap awhile back
Embellished Cardigan: Forever 21... it's hard to tell from this picture but this is embellished with gold beads on the shoulders

Outfit Idea #2 -Spring dress with boots and leather jacket

The concept: Once again shop your dress selection and see what you can pair with your winter boots. The bare leg will help take this look from winter to spring. From there if you have a great leather jacket or cropped/structured jacket of any kind throw it over to keep you warm and not looking like it's summer time. My outfit below worked for at the office and then a night out. Some offices aren't quite as casual but this would be a great weekend look as well.

Dress: Pink's Botique in Denver... if you live here you should check it out. Unique pieces at good prices.
Boots: Brown suede wedge boots from Nordstrom
Brown Leather Jacket: Nordstrom

Happy dress wearing!

Fast & Healthy Breakfast: Muesli

I always make sure to eat a substantial, healthy breakfast and like to mix it up with new ideas and creations. If you like oatmeal then you will love muesli. I've had it for breakfast out, but have never made it... until now :). I searched and read through quite a few recipes online and found a basic one on Epicurious that is easily adaptable for whatever ingredients you have laying around. I love recipes where you can just throw things in... for this one you can use up whatever fruit and nuts that you have on hand.

Muesli Recipe
(Adapted from Epicurious)

1 1/4 cups quick-cooking oats
2/3 almond milk (substitute any milk you like)
2/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tbsp ground flax
2/3 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup agave
2 apples chopped
1 cup chopped walnuts
2 handfuls of dried cranberries
Any other fruit or nuts that you want to add in

Directions:
Mix oats, milk, yogurt, vanilla and flax seed in large bowl. Let stand 5 minutes to soften oats. Whisk orange juice and agave in medium bowl. Stir in apples, walnuts and any other mix-ins. Stir fruit mixture into oat mixture and add dried cranberries.

Eat right away or make the night before for a delicious breakfast!

Easy Flatbread Pizzas

Thanks to Whole Foods you can make flatbread pizzas in no time at all. I recently used these to make appetizers for a party but you could use for a quick and delicious dinner option. You can get these flatbreads for b/w $2-3 next to their pizza section.

When I was coming up with recipes for the flatbread appetizers at the party I knew that I wanted one with savory flavors and another sweeter option.

These are so great, all you have to do is compile with your favorite ingredients and bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until cheese is milted, greens wilted, etc. Just watch it carefully to make sure not to burn the flatbread as it is very thin.

Flatbread #1 - Savory:

1) Spread pesto (I grabbed a small tub from hot bar at Whole Foods) as your first layer onto the flatbread

2) Prosciutto (about 4-6 slices per flatbread)

3) Add Arugula (use as much as you would like)

4) Top with sun-dried tomatoes (I grabbed a small tub from hot bar at Whole Foods)

5) Sprinkle fresh parmesan (as much as you would like to top with)

Before: 

After:

Flatbread #2 - Sweet:

1) Drizzle aged balsamic vinegar and olive oil on the flatbread 

2) Next add thin slices of pears (about 2-3 pears)

3) Add crumbles of blue cheese (you can get a pretty good deal on a wedge of blue cheese at WF)

4) Add walnuts (however much you like for some delicious crunch)

5) Drizzle with more balsamic and oil oil

-- BAKE--

6) After baking drizzle with agave nectar and serve!

Before:

 After:

Fish in Artichoke and Tomato Broth

Another Sunday night family dinner feast! Tonight we decided that we would like something a little bit lighter as we have been eating A LOT of yummy comfort food this winter. I had seen Giada's recipe for Halibut in Artichoke and Tomato Broth awhile back and have been meaning to try it. The nice thing is this is much lighter than a pasta dish, but was still warm and comforting on a chilly evening. And I don't think there is anything better than dipping crusty bread in a delicious broth :).

I changed up the recipe a little bit to use ingredients I already had and make it quick and easy to assemble. One main swap I did was use tuna steaks and sea bass that we had rather than getting halibut. I would say choose your favorite fish or one that there's a good deal on and your good to go! I also added kale because I can't get enough of this superfood lately and am having fun using it in recipes.

Recipe

Fish in Artichoke and Tomato Broth

(Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis, Food Network)

Ingredients

Olive oil

4 servings of fish (your choice, I used tuna and sea bass)

Salt and pepper for seasoning the broth throughout

1/2 red onion, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 14oz canned artichokes in water, sliced in half or quarters

1/2 cup white wine

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 14 oz can diced tomatoes

1 teaspoon dried thyme 

1 bunch kale (remove stems and chop or tear into bite size pieces)

Crusty bread 

Directions:

Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a large saucepan. Add onions and saute until translucent. Next add the garlic, artichokes  and kale... cooking until garlic starts to brown. Add the white wine while continuing to stir and removing brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the broth, tomatoes (and juice) and thyme and stir together. Let the mixture come to a simmer. 

Meanwhile grill up the fish that you have seasoned with olive oil, salt and pepper (it should only take a few minutes on each side). 

Once the fish is ready spoon the broth mixture into shallow bowls and top with the fish. Serve with crusty bread and enjoy!

Outfit Idea: Art/Foodie Event

So last night I attended an art/food event. It was a great time featuring some of Denver's top restaurant chefs in a cooking demo/competition along side a cocktail party. Great food at a cocktail party... this was my kind of event!

Of course when I found out I was going to this event my first thought was "What to wear?!". I recently found a fabulous sequin top from Ann Taylor Loft that was majorly on sale and I knew that this must be the statement piece of my outfit for the event. Side note: I have been obsessed with the sequins trend and can't seem to get enough of the sparkle :).

So once I had my statement top I knew that I needed the rest of my outfit to be clean and simple with minimal accessories. As you see below I paired the top with black dressy cropped pants (from the Gap, these are a definite staple) and simple black heels. As far as jewelry goes I went with a cocktail ring and earrings, there was no need for a necklace with this top.

This can be a great look for an upcoming event where you don't need to go super dressy, but still want to be dressier than jeans. Let me know your thoughts!