Weekend Wrap-Up via Instagram

{Whiskey sodas to commemorate the Mad Men Finale}

This weekend was an utter blur, but a fantastically entertaining blur. Friday was one of my friend's birthdays and we celebrated with a "Glory Days" themed party which means I whipped out the good old cheer uniform. Little did we know that we were going to be venturing out in public in costume, but c'est la vie.

Saturday consisted of errands and girlfriend duty. Between yoga, car washes, and fish tacos, we managed to scoop up two very handsome suits and a few ties for my international businessman of a boyfriend who is spending the week in France (I'm extremely jealous too). I also started some new books, but I'll get to that in another post... Oh boy, will I!?

I also had the pleasure of seeing Prometheus this weekend. You must see it in 3D - the scenes are amazing. What I expected to be a meat-head sci-fi thriller turned out to be quite an enjoyable movie with deep thematic elements. Some people are hating on the acting or the script, but I was overall impressed. Ever since Ender's Game I heavily enjoy sci-fi movies that explore space, human beginnings and meeting your maker. What did you think of it? This article gave me a lot of insight past what conclusions and theories I came to on my own. (My favorite character by far was David.)

This Sunday was the Mad Men finale and one of my friends threw a little Mad Men party at her apartment where we sipped whiskey drinks, ate bacon wrapped asparagus (like the ones I made here), indulged in cheese and cookies, and watched the finale. Now all I can think about is how Don Draper will win Peggy back to SDCP, if Betty will ever be thin again, and how long I have to wait until the next season starts...

While we wait for next season, have you followed the @FatBettyFrancis twitter? It's one of the more hilarious parody accounts.

{New navy pinstripe suit shopping for the boy}

{Addicted to this Kiss my Face chapstick - it smells like fresh peaches and is all natural}

{Summer reading list: Fifty Shades of Grey by E. L. James, The Sweet Life in Paris by David Lebovitz, and French Women Don't Get Fat by Mireille Guiliano}

{Morning reading with my Kate Spade bookmark}

{New ankle boots via Steve Madden}

Four Ingredient Authentic Pizza Margherita

{Cheese, cheese, cheese}

Ever since returning from Coachella, I have been craving pizza, and only pizza. Earlier last week I had to do a repeat offender of my butternut squash and arugula pizza (except with an added goat cheese and prosciutto), but I only used half of my dough. Woe is me. So, since I have a slight obsession with mozzarella cheese, I decided to return to the basics: the perfect cheese pizza but grown up a.k.a. pizza Margherita. If you've never made pizza the authentic way, I highly recommend trying this recipe.

Baked Garlic Parmesan Kale "Chips"

{Baked garlic Parmesan kale "chips" - held by my beige nails}

It's official: I've fallen in love... in love with kale. First, it was the kale quiche; then it was the kale smoothie; now it is the kale chip. I had read about the mythical kale chip, how this once unpopular vegetable crisps up in the oven to absorb flavors and create some airy sort of munchie  that resembles our favorite junk foods. These baked garlic Parmesan kale chips will rival your favorite junk food and (yes ladies) it's nearly free of calories.

Crustless Kale, Onion and Cheddar Quiche

{Kale, onion and cheddar quiche}

Lately I have been playing the "what can I cook before it goes rotten" game for dinner. I recently read an article that said that Americans waste $2000 worth of food per year (that I could be spending on shoes or concerts), so I have really kicked my improv cooking skills into high gear and throwing together what sounds edible that night. Tonight: an abundance of kale plus an abundance of eggs meant that I was winging a quiche. Yes, winging a quiche... from scratch... no recipe. What could go wrong?

Smith & Ratliff's Butternut Squash & Arugula Pizza

{Butternut squash and arugula pizza c/o Smith & Ratliff}

You know those days: you've had a hard day at work and you just want to come home, crack open a Guinness and cook something delicious with friends that you've been dying to cook for weeks? That was me today. I finally tackled the recipe that my roommate and I had been yearning to make: butternut squash and arugula pizza.

Easy Cheesy Egg Pocket Breakfast Sandwich

{A perfect breakfast}

Mondays are always difficult. So why not kick it off with a perfect breakfast sandwich (that takes only minutes to make!)?

The other day I was reading Joanna Goddard's blog, A cup of Jo, and I came across the easiest breakfast sandwich in the world. I made a few (healthy) modifications to make it more accustomed to the twenty-something year old California girl's life (whole wheat, thin slice of healthy cheese, hot sauce - ay caramba!) and made one of the most satiable, delicious, scrumptious, no guilt breakfast sandwiches I've ever created in my own kitchen.

Smashed Cauliflower

{Cauliflower Jacuzzi}

I finally went grocery shopping. After eating out for about two weeks straight and burning a hole in my pocket and virtually melting my boyfriend's credit card, I've decided it's time to get healthy again and start cooking. Whenever I go grocery shopping, I buy as many fruits, veggies and lean proteins as I can because let's be honest the temptation to order take out for lunch at work is too strong. I try to keep my pantry and fridge stocked with as many fresh and healthy ingredients as I possibly can to avoid joining the obesity epidemic.

Cheese (Please)

I thank my lucky stars everyday that I'm not lactose-intolerant because I have a love, a love for cheese. If I could I would eat cheese for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, snacks, fourth meal... I'm getting carried away now. Regardless, you can't live on a diet of cheese alone (sadly that leads to a very malnourished person because cheese is not a vegetable... pity). So I have taken it upon myself to match some of my favorite cheeses to some star players for some tasty recipes that are scrumptious and yes, cheesy.

Brie and Jam Pastry Pockets

{Brie and jam pastry puffs workstation where brie was prematurely consumed}

Since it's the first day of March, I am going to make an outlandish wish that we ditch the green beer and dedicate this month solely to cheese. I ask you this: have you ever had something that tasted so right that it was almost wrong? How about combining five (yes, only five) of the most sinfully delicious ingredients together to create a whole new level of Deliciousity? Yes, I created a new word to describe these little pockets of wonderful. It should be against the law to layer brie, puffed pastry, jam, eggs and sugar together, throw it in the oven, and consume it in one day.