Zucchini Basil Soup

Yum! This zucchini soup recipe is so delicious and it is always difficult to find something to do with all of those zucchini that the plants produce. (I was given a handful by several of my neighbors and had to come up with a solution to not waste any!) And BONUS: this pureed soup recipe contains NO CREAM and only a little bit of olive oil to cook the onions in! So it can easily fit into the diets of those who are health conscience. Also aside from the chopping it is not a time consuming recipe. You can eat it chilled or warm. Delicious both ways!

Zucchini Basil Soup


1. Place a stock pot over medium heat and drizzle with olive oil. Enough to cover most of the pan bottom. Approx 1/4 cup.
2. Add a chopped onion (any variety will do, I used sweet) and a few cloves of garlic to the oil and cook until soft. About 5 minutes. Stir occasionally.
3. Chop, chop, chop a variety of zucchini! I used several types of summer squash including Magda, Italiano (the long twisty one), Sable, Super Creamy (the yellow grocery store kind), and Black Beauty (also usually found in the grocery store. Add chopped zucchini to the onions and garlic. Cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Add 3 cups of stock (I used chicken, but vegetable is find too!) to the pot and let simmer for 15 miuntes.
5. The final step is to puree the soup in a food processor or blender with a hefty handful of fresh basil leaves! Return to the pot and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with a little bit more basil or even some sour cream. Enjoy!

Mara Hoffman S/S 2012

There is nothing that pleases me more than seeing that hippie-chic, beach-loving, bright colors and over-sized jewelry is going strong in to the next season! I can never say no to a bright pattern, sultry shape, and beachy attitude in an outfit. Mara Hoffman's Spring/Summer 2012 collection is nothing short of amazing. And it is right up my fashion-alley.

Fabric hand-embroidered by Otomi, knit separates, and silky fabric embroidered with neon threads are all integral parts of this collection. Aztec prints and sheer silky tunics are everything I want. I legitimately would wear everything from this collection! My fav of S/S 2012. Don't even get me started on the amazing-ness of these necklaces!! The rope necklaces were created with a partnership between Mara H and Holst & Lee. Thanks nyfw for keeping me excited for the upcoming seasons! (After the cold ones are over.) Enjoy!

Leaf: how to layer for fall.

The best thing about fall is layering! Although I am a summer lover, laying makes it okay for the weather to get cold! This season there are many, many opportunities for interesting layering pieces! Crop-shaped tops, scarves, vests, and jackets. And it is always fun to layer up on a summer dress and carry it into fall. Especially carrying the maxi dress into fall and keeping the 70's vibe going is really big this fall!

Enjoy and layer-up!

Outfit 1: JBrand jeans, H&M silk button up, H&M sweater, H&M denim button up, LnA leather jacket, Manolo Blahnik camo heels and Balenciaga bag.

Outfit 2: Zara dress, H&M button up, H&M belt, Banana Republic vest, H&M necklace, Zara trench, H&M boots and Khirma Eliazov clutch.

Leaf.

Lemlem

I have been really into stripes lately. Is it just me or do stripes become "in style" again year after year? I don't really think they ever go out of style. Scarves as well are something that I've been into for several years now! These striped scarves by lemlem are ABOSOLUTELY amazing!!! They are just so beautiful and can be worn at any occasion. The scarves are hand-woven in Ethiopia and block-printed. You can find these scarves and other amazing finds at the lemlem website!

Semifreddo!

This is my first food post! Horray! Anyone who knows me, knows that I absolutely love to cook. (my husband loves my food, but hates that I use approx 15 pots and pans and bowls in order to accomplish my meals). This dessert was certainly no exception!! I used 4 pots, 5 bowls, 1 food processor, 2 electric mixers, and lots of small bowls and strainers to complete this feat of culinary delicious-ness!

I made a semifreddo. What is this you ask?! It is an amazing mousse-like Italian dessert. It is equal parts ice cream (usually gelato) and whipped cream folded together and usually frozen in layers. I made mine pistachio (my fav), strawberry and vanilla-honey.

This was by far the most complicated recipe I have even made and it wasn't easy! I made each layer from scratch. The pistachio layer being the most difficult. I hand-shelled all the pistachios and then chopped them in the food processor with a bit of sugar. The next step was to boil the pistachios in a little bit of whole milk and then let them soak in for 20 minutes. Afterwards I had to strain out the pistachio bits, and voila! Homemade pistachio "flavoring".

I repeated the same steps for the vanilla and strawberry (except that the strawberry as no added milk). The next and most difficult step was the beat 2 eggs and 1/2 cup of sugar together in a metal bowl over top of a pot simmering with about 3/4 in of water, all while keeping the bowl from actually touching the water. I beat them for about 6 minutes until the mixture tripled in size. Then folded it into the pistachio, strawberry and vanilla separately.

The final ingredient was to beat heavy whipping cream and fold it into the 3 mixtures. Then pour the pistachio first in to a loaf pan and freeze for 45 minutes. Then gently pour the strawberry on top, followed by the vanilla after 45 minutes. Freeze for 4 hours before serving.

AND boy was it worth the wait! It turned out light and fluffy like a frozen mousse! The pistachio was the most smooth. The strawberry was a bit icy because it was not mixed with any milk. I would highly recommend to anyone who likes to experiment with cooking to make one of these! I love a frozen dessert, especially one that does not require an ice cream maker to create it =).

Karen Zambos: Vintage Couture

I just love this Karen Zambos: Vintage Couture top! It would be so cute with some new bright colored jeans for this coming fall season. I would mix it up with a bright patterned scarf and a blazer in the fall. I just love the asymmetrical hemline!

Sneak Peek!

Here is a sneak peak of my latest vintage find!! I absolutely love it! I just need to do a few simple alterations before I can wear it! I'm just loving the color and texture of this piece!