Author Archives: Kristina

Birthday Surprise

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My birthday was a few weeks ago and one of my friends who lives on the East Coast had a dozen cupcakes from Babycakes in NYC shipped to me.  Despite having to travel a few thousand miles, the cupcakes arrived fresh and delicious.  Each cupcake is wrapped individually and the frosting comes on the side.  Since I did not eat a dozen cupcakes for my birthday, I was able to freeze the remaining and enjoy them with others throughout the summer.

It was a wonderful birthday surprise and I am looking forward to visiting Babycakes next time I am in New York.

Beverly Hills Juice

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Whenever I am in Los Angeles I always try and make a stop at Beverly Hills Juice. Whenever I am there I pick up a banana manna smoothie made with coconut strawberry juice and it is delicious. Banana Manna is Beverly Hills Juice’s homemade ice-cream consisting of almonds and banana. I was thrilled last time I was in to see they now sell pints of Banana Manna. I picked one up and have been enjoying it topped with blueberries for a perfect summertime snack. I suggest picking up a pint if you are ever in the area.





Beverly Hills Juice is located at 8382 Beverly Blvd. in Los Angeles, CA

Cats of Maui

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While I was on my vacation in Maui I was surprised how many cats I saw.  Some of them were the pets of families, others were feral cats that lived on the Island.  Since I love cats, I wanted to share some of the pictures with you.


Exploring Lahaina

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I recently got back from a vacation to Maui!  It was a wonderful trip and I am excited to share some of the highlights.  A few days ago we went to Lahaina and I was lucky to find some delicious vegan tacos at The Window. They had black beans, lots of fresh veggies, and some pineapple which made it deliciously sweet.

After lunch we headed down the street to Ululani’s Shave Ice for dessert.  Although I have never been a big fan of shave ice, these were delicious! They were the perfect dessert after a long day of snorkeling in the hot Hawaiian weather.

Butter Nail Polish

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Lately, I have been reading a lot about how harmful some ingredients in nail polish can be.  I have been researching various nail products, and found a great polish brand called Butter London.  Butter London Polishes are 3 free, meaning there is no DBT, Formaldehyde, or Toluene.  A few nail salons have started moving towards using 3 free products, but if yours hasn’t yet, you can bring your own Butter London nail polish with you.  Below are a few of my favorite colors.

Right now I have Muggins on my nails.  It is a great lavender color perfect for spring!

Butter London "Muggins" Nail Polish

Here are a few more colors great for the summer:

Butter London "Artful Dodger" Nail Polish

Butter London "Pillar Box Red" Nail Polish

Butter London "Tea With the Queen" Nail Polish

 

Sparkles For Summer

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I was inspired by Jessica Alba’s look with her Vanessa Bruno tote bag, and then I found a more affordable version while shopping yesterday!

I found a similar looking bag at the Gap that is a cotton/linen blend with a sequin trim. It is large so it is great for throwing all of your every day essential in. I got the bag in black, but it comes in a silver color as well.

Sequin Strap Tote: gap.com $49.95

Also, right  now if you take some gently-used clothes to donate, you can get 30% anything in the Gap. I brought in some old jeans and got the discount on this tote!  So clean out your closet and get a great deal on a new bag!

The Perfect Lemon Drop

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I come from a family who enjoys and appreciates a good cocktail. Over the years we have had some good cocktails, and some not so tasty ones. A few years ago my sister and I started experimenting with cocktail recipes and finally perfected a few.  I am going to begin by sharing our lemon drop recipe.  Lemon drops are perfect on a spring evening, but just a warning, they are a little strong.

Ingredients:

3 ounces of lemon vodka

1.5 ounces of an orange liquor (I use triple sec or Patron Citronge Orange)

Juice from 1/2 lemon (be sure to save the peel)

Sugar

Steps:

Pour lemon vodka, orange liquor, and lemon juice in a shaker with ice.

Use juiced lemon peel to rim the martini glass, then dip the sides of the glass a dish filled with sugar.

Martini Glass with Sugar

Lastly, pour your shaken lemon drop martini into a sugar rimmed glass.

Enjoy! Check back for more cocktail recipes coming in future posts.

Matt & Nat Wallets & Purses

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Matt & Nat is one of my favorite earth and animal friendly brands for purses and wallets.  Their products are designed beautifully and hold up well to wear from daily use.  I bought a wallet from them almost two years ago and it still looks great.  Another great feature? All the linings are made of recycled plastic! Below are a few of my favorite styles.

Matt & Nat Santogold Purse $195

Part of the proceeds from the Ikat print tote bag below are donated to the non-profit organization Charity Water.  Just another added bonus to an already stylish tote!

Matt & Nat Zocalo Tote $175

Matt & Nat Madea Wallet $95

Happy Shopping!

BBQ Crookneck Squash

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BBQ Crookneck Squash is one of my favorite side dishes to make in the summertime.  It is flavorful and goes great with most meals.  I served this last time with Tempeh Sloppy Joe’s.

Ingredients:

3 crookneck squash

1 tbsp olive oil

salt

pepper

1 clove of garlic minced (optional)

Steps:

Slice squash lengthwise into uniform pieces (about 1/4″ thick)

Combine olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic

Pour olive oil mixture over squash and let marinate about 30 minutes

Place sliced squash on the BBQ

BBQ on each side about 2 minutes

Now it is ready to be served alongside your meal or with a salad.  Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup Recipe

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I love using my slow cooker because I can turn it on when I leave in the morning, and when I get home my house smells great and dinner is ready. I tried this recipe yesterday for split pea soup and it turned out to be delicious. I am excited to share it with everyone.

Slow Cooker Vegetarian Split Pea Soup

Ingredients

1/8 cup olive oil

1 onion, diced

3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 cups of carrots, chopped

1 cup of celery, chopped

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1 pound of dried split peas

1 cup of barley (or 1 cup of chopped red potatoes)

4 cups of water & 4 cups of vegetable stock

Steps

Saute olive oil, garlic, & onion in a pan over medium heat for 3 minutes

Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker

Cook for 4-5 hours on the high heat setting, or 6-8 hours on low heat setting

You will know it is done cooking when the peas are no longer crunchy.

 

I served it with a piece of baguette and it was a perfect dinner.  Plus, this recipe makes a large amount so you can always freeze the leftovers and have easy meals ready in the freezer.