tofu veggie burger

Cutting out meat, and eating a mostly fish/veggie diet has been great so far, but I find it more challenging to come up with quick, healthy meals to whip up at home. Finding this tofu veggie burger at Trader Joe's has been one of the best finds I've made in a long time. It makes for a quick, easy, and yummy meal especially when doctored up by adding sauteed mushrooms, bell peppers, micro greens, cheese, and of course, avocado. Because avocado makes anything better. This discovery also led me to try out other veggie patties and while there are some good ones at Whole Foods, this one takes the cake for best overall in price, taste, and texture.

loungin' around town

BCBG pants and cardigan, Wilfred Free tee, Madewell sandals and bag, Makeup Forever lipstick

I purchased these pants a while back on sale, but never got around to wearing them. I finally dug them out of my closet and am not sure what took me so long to wear them. They are by far the most comfortable pant I own and are really great for lounging around in, but since they're made of silk they easily feel more dressed up and less like you're in a pair of sweats. It's not always easy to find pants that you can feel super comfortable in (without looking like a slob) and also having the versatility of being able to dress it up or down depending on what you're wearing. On top of all that, it's a bonus that they are in a neutral gray color, making them an easy piece to pair with just about anything.

music mondays

I can feel it. This week is going to be.

I've always liked Keri Hilson, but I especially love this song she does with Chris Brown.

fish in parchment paper

This fish recipe is simple, easy, healthy, and not to mention delicious. Over the past few weeks my diet's mainly been pescetarian (I'll admit it, with an occasional late night slice of salami or bite of meat here and there) so I've had to come up with various ways to cook seafood. It's by no means a normal protein I cook at home, so I've definitely been forced to think out of the box when it comes to preparing dinners. This way of preparing fish is healthy and super easy, with little to clean up because you can eat right out of what you cooked it in!

I used snapper and an assortment of veggies that were in the fridge, but you can use whatever you prefer. The best thing about this is that you can put anything in it and experiment with different flavors and ingredients, making this a perfect meal to use up whatever is in your arsenal (fridge). Since becoming (mainly) pescetarian I've felt much healthier, lighter, and less lethargic after meals. It's definitely something I'm going to continue with so I'll hopefully be sharing more meals like these in the future.

Cooked Fish in Parchment Paper

About 6 oz. of fish (your choice, I used snapper)
Two generous handfuls of spinach
Red, yellow, and orange bell peppers
Crimini mushrooms
Ginger (either slices or grated, whatever you prefer)
Lemon
Green onion
Salt & pepper
Parchment paper

Sauce

Soy sauce
Fish sauce
Oyster sauce
Vinegar
Lemon juice
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt & pepper
(Optional: a splash of white wine)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Take large piece of parchment paper and lay flat onto baking sheet or pan. Place spinach in the middle of parchment paper. Add other veggies on top and slices (or grated) ginger. Place fish on top and add a slice of lemon and more ginger on fish, salt and pepper everything. Combine all sauce ingredients until desired taste and pour over fish (you don't need a lot, about a shot glass size of liquid will be fine). Take opposite ends of parchment paper so ends meet and fold over, then take sides and fold over a few times. You should basically have made a pocket so no steam or liquid escapes. Bake in oven for 25-30 minutes or until cooked. Take out of oven to rest for 5 minutes, unwrap (careful, it's really hot!), and enjoy!

Feel free to try variations of this and let me know what recipes are your favorite! Also, if you're looking for more recipes with fish try this long-time homemade favorite, or this super good whole steamed fish.

biking golden gate park

Abercrombie & Fitch denim jacket (old), Madewell silk tee, Express leggings

Jack Purcell sneakers, AX sunnies, Leather backpack by Tylie Malibu

Golden Gate Park is not just one of the prettiest parks in San Francisco, it's also home to the Conservatory of Flowers, the De Young Museum, and the California Academy of Sciences, to name a few. Aside from these awesome establishments it's also host to a fun Sunday tradition when part of the park is closed to all traffic. On this day roller-skaters come out and skate to music and Lindy in the Park happens with free swing dance lessons. It's definitely a super fun time and this past weekend we decided to take advantage of the weather and the fact it was Sunday, and bike from the beginning of the park all the way to Ocean Beach, stopping to see the activities along the way.

It was also St. Patrick's day so I decided to break out this silk tee from Madewell in a sort of putrid mustardy green, which I love. I recently dug up this old denim jacket from my early college days and decided to break it out. There's been many a time I thought about donating it, but for whatever reason I've kept it each time, and I'm so glad I did because I'm seeing them everywhere lately. I'll for sure be making good use of it this spring and summer. Talk about investment, I've had this thing for nearly ten years and still love it!

music mondays

Have a chill week. Enjoy!

hoodies and things

VINCE men's hoodie, Forever 21 crochet tank (old), Bebe denim

Madewell sandals and bag, Pura Vida and handmade silver bracelets, Cole Haan sunnies

Back in college I used to live in hoodies, but after graduating they just weren't part of my every day wardrobe anymore, and for no particular reason. Perhaps I just grew out of them? Anyway, since then I haven't purchased many hoodies besides this one, which I am obsessed with. It's slouchy, has a great fit, and can be thrown on top of so many items in my closet. I usually tend to steer clear of blues besides navy (it reminds me of the baby blue that was popular in high school which really turns me off) but I think this shade complements me and I love it's contrast with the white details and lining. It's become a go-to item in my closet, especially on days I just want to chill out. 

The weather lately has been gorgeous. Spring is definitely here and I can't wait to enjoy the weekend with family and friends in the sunshine. What are you looking forward to this weekend?

alameda antique fair

The thing I love most about living in the Bay Area, aside from the great weather, is the fact that there is always something going on, always something to do. A couple weekends ago I went to the Alameda Antique Fair for the first time. It's by far one of the largest flea markets in the area. It happens on the first Sunday of every month and is fantastic. A great place to go if you're looking for vintage items, particularly furniture (go early to get the good stuff!) and also to find diy or repurposing projects. Not only is it great for that, but also a lot of fun to walk around and check out all the vintage stuff. I definitely recommend going if you have the chance, I know I'll be back again!

music mondays

Speaks for itself.

denim all day

Madewell denim top, jeans, and sandals

Cole Haan sunglasses

The thought of denim on denim used to make me cringe as it reminded me of 80's fashion back in the day, but now I think it's a matter of finding the right wash to pair together in order to avoid any cringing. This top in particular is so easy and pretty much goes with anything. My favorite thing is that it has characteristics of a button-down chambray, but the zipper front gives it that slight edge and makes it anything but typical.

simple floral arrangement

Flowers are one of those items that people don't receive often, but are always nice to have around. Here's how to make an easy, beautiful arrangement for the next occasion you give someone flowers, or maybe it will inspire you to find a reason to. :)

You'll need: flowers, banana leaf, vase, floral wire or wet floral foam, water, garden shears

1. Decide on a palette of colors (I went to the SF Flower Mart and found a beautiful lilac flower-- this was my inspiration for the rest of the color palette)
2. Find a combination of flowers that are different in size, texture, color and fullness
3. Pick a vase, this will determine the height and shape of your arrangement
4. Begin by combining and alternating the different flowers you picked. Go with what you think looks best, there's no right or wrong, if you don't like it you can always change or add to it after
5. Once you have the arrangement bundled and you're satisfied with it, take floral wire and wrap the stems together tightly*
6. Cut stems at an angle and at the height that fits your vase
7. Add banana leaf around circumference of vase and trim to fit
8. Add flowers and water

*You can also use wet floral foam which will allow you to stick the flower stems into the foam to hold the arrangement in place. If you do this, you will need to cut the stem as you go (and skip step 6).

homemade oreos

I have a love-hate relationship with oreos. Mainly due to the amount of cream filling they have. I'm not a huge fan of the filling, but rather, the delicious, chocolatey cookie. I wish that instead of having to scrape out some of the filling and throw it away, that it would come with less (if they have double stuffed, why not a skinny version too? C'mon Nabisco!), so of course, I decided to make my own! I used this recipe and they turned out great. The filling on the other hand, I went a little crazy with. I got carried away with the filling on the cookies, which totally defeated the purpose of me making these with less, ha! It worked out since the filling wasn't quite like what you'd find in the store bought cookies, so I tolerated them a little better, but next time I make these I'll for sure hold back on the filling.