the times they are a-changin’

Ive been a little quiet on the blog lately.

Part of the reason is our move from Los Angeles to Chicago….. and then the subsequent move from our temporary apartment in Old Town to our new, permanent apartment in Chicago’s Gold Coast a month later. We are finally settled in and the new place is finally feeling like “home”.

But, another reason Ive been a little quiet on the blog is because there have been some exciting behind-the-scenes changes happening here at coffee.wine.andyoga. too!

We are getting close to introducing the changes to the public, so stayed tuned in the days to come…. things are going to look a little different here very soon!

its that time of year again….

Chicago surprised us with a chilly weekend which has me REALLY excited about Fall. Sweaters, boots, scarfs, warm soups, stews, lots of baking, and…. pumpkin spiced things.

I usually treat myself to 1 Pumpkin Spiced Latte from Starbucks each year. and then, after finishing it, I suffer from buyers remorse because I think of all of that sugar, non-organic almond or soy milk they use, and the likely scary ingredients included in their “pumpkin spice” flavoring.

This year, especially Friday as I was wandering the streets of Chicago enjoying the sudden crisp in the air, I decided that  I would just make my own pumpkin spiced things so that I wouldnt have to deal with that buyers remorse anymore. Plus, making my own means that I can enjoy more of this Fall flavor over the course of the next couple of months.

Lucky for me, one of my favorite bloggers, 100 Days of Real Food, posted these recipes on Facebook last week, which timed out perfectly.

I took her general recipe and tweaked it a bit:

3/4 cup steamed Organic Unsweetened Almond Milk
2 shots espresso or coffee (I like strong coffee drinks; you could use 1 shot if you want it a little milder)
1 tsp Organic Maple Syrup
1 tbls Organic Pureed Pumpkin
1/4 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice (I made my own using this recipe from another favorite blogger, My Baking Addiction)

and the result? a delicious pumpkin-y morning drink without the worry.

I’m going to continue playing around with this recipe along with other pumpkin spiced recipes as Fall approaches….

life in an instagram.

There are lots of new & exciting changes in the works for Aaron and I which has kept me away from blogging for a bit.

In a nutshell: Aaron and I will be relocating to Chicago at the end of August.

This means that we have been trying to check as much as we can off of our “LA to-do” list while also making sure we visit our favorite spots in LA one last time. I thought a nice way to catch everyone up on our crazy last few months was to post some instagram shots… some of which date back to April!

here is what we have been up to:

[at Kimberly & Guy’s beautiful wedding at The Bel Air Hotel in April]

[Zig, my brother and I spent several days lounging around Laguna Beach]

[my summer has been filled with LOTS of yoga & pilates]

[Aaron’s parents came to visit the weekend before Aaron’s 30th birthday, we lived liked kings by staying in The Beverly Hilton Penthouse, eating at The Bazaar, and drinking some fantastic wine]

[even Ziggy approved of the Penthouse]

[one of my most-favorite things at The Bazaar- the Caviar Cones]

[Aaron’s actual birthday was gorgeous, so we went for a hike north of Malibu and then took in the beautiful Pacific Ocean on our drive back home]

[Aaron’s birthday dinner at Gjelina. It was incredible.]

[the weekend after Aaron’s birthday my parents surprised him with a sailing adventure]

[he loved it]

[Justin Wine & Sweet Lady Jane cake for the birthday boy]

[I ended my running hiatus with a fun & blazing-hot 5k in Pasadena]

[Ziggy and I headed to Mobile, AL for a week of R&R]

[….and he took full advantage]

[I returned to LA from AL (without Ziggy) and Aaron and I celebrated our new adventures with a great meal at Sotto and great bottle of wine]

[then we did it again at Fig & Olive]

[then the packing & organizing process started]

[lots of coffee has been consumed]

[we enjoyed one Monday night on our friend’s rooftop in Angelino Heights with more great wine]

[Aaron’s parents came to visit us in LA one last time before we head out and we were able to go see the Endeavor Shuttle and check another thing off of our “LA to do” list]

[and now we are putting all things moving related on hold so that we can focus on prepping for our 3 week adventure in France that begins on August 1st]

Au revoir!

recipe: gazpacho & cheese toast.

Its been quite hot here in LA. While most people think that LA temps hover around 72 degrees year round.. that’s not the case in the summer months! We have been hitting some pretty high temperatures which makes for a warm home (we do not have air conditioning or proper insulation). This poses a bit of an issue with cooking or baking because turning the oven on is the last thing you want to do when your house is already blazing hot. This time of year is when I start relying on crock pot recipes and recipes for foods with minimal cooking.

Yesterday was warm (although not nearly as hot at the weekend and days prior) and I wasnt really in the mood to do much cooking that involved being over the hot stove or turning on the oven for too long.

For some reason I started craving gazpacho. That cold, tomato goodness sounded perfect for a hot evening.
Aaron isnt big on cold meals… so I wanted to make sure there was at least one element to dinner that was warm and “cooked” for him.

The end result was fantastic (and easy!) gazpacho with cheese & herbed toast:

Not only did the gazpacho turn out delicious, but it was SO easy to make and ended up making enough for either 2 dinners or a dinner and 2 lunches. I love that!

Gazpacho
(recipe slightly adapted from MattBites.com)

3 large heirloom tomatoes
1 large cucumber
1 large green bell pepper
2 tbls red wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves
1/2 cup olive oil
salt to taste

1. chop up the tomatoes, cucumber and bell pepper into small pieces (it doesnt have to be perfect!) and throw them into your Vitamix blender (this is the model we have, and love). Add the peeled garlic cloves (they can be whole) and red wine vinegar to the blender and blend until the mixture becomes a smooth liquid.

2. once blended, taste the mixture. Add more red wine vinegar if needed.

3. add the olive oil and salt (depending on how much it needs) and blend again until smooth.

4. taste one final time, and add salt/vinegar if needed.

5. pour mixture into bowl, pitcher, individual Weck jars (as I did), or even Mason Jars. Put in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

6. remove from refrigerator and serve. optional: top with diced avocado, sliced heirloom cherry tomatoes, pinch of flaky sea salt, etc. Enjoy!

just look at all of those beautiful summer colors!

For the cheese toast– smear a slice of ciabatta or sourdough with a butter-olive oil-herbs of choice mixture (we used cumin, oregano, pepper) and top with muenster cheese. bake until warm/melted and then broil until the cheese bubbles.

packing a lunch.

My blogging hiatus is finally over!
I blame my Spring semester (Biology and Chemistry) and being all-around busier than normal the past few months.

Even though my semester is over and I am in full SUMMER BREAK mode, I thought I’d share my food prep for my long days on campus. On Monday’s and Wednesday’s I would arrive at 7:45am and wouldnt leave campus until around 4pm. Considering I dont eat from the school cafeteria (unhealthy! eww!) I would prep a full days worth of food to keep me from getting hangry (hungry+angry) while I was on campus and then while I fought traffic on the way home at the end of the long day.

My breakfast was usually one of 2 things:
1. An Arbonne protein shake, or
2. a jar of refrigerator oatmeal

My lunch was usually a Chickpea-of-the-Sea sandwich or some quinoa with tomatoes & avocado topped with Bragg’s Healthy Vinaigrette; a bag of Smart Puffs, some freeze-dried fruit, and a small bar of organic chocolate.

I would also pack snacks for throughout the day. Things like: a banana, a Kind bar, organic baby carrots, and ginger chews.

Its a common misconception that packing your own lunch is hard and time consuming. Yes, it IS time consuming… but after a time or two of doing it you learn the tricks and you learn what works best for you.

For example, for my lunch I have learned:
1. That I need a good sized, insulated lunch box. My favorite one is this one from the Neiman Marcus + Target collection (also available here).  Aaron’s mom gave it to me for Christmas last year and I absolutely love it. Its a great size and the insulation works very well to keep things chilled until you need them. I also really like this one from reuseit.com (its great if you have smoothies or bottles of kombucha that need to stand upright).

2. That I need a variety of small glass jars and containers. I love using mason jars (both the tiny ones and the pint sized ones), but I also keep a few of these and these on hand; they are great for keeping oils/dressings from leaking all over your lunch bag.

3. Reusable napkins (these are my absolute favorite) & silverware (I use a set like this or these) are a must.

4. Reusable & nontoxic ice packs are essential.

5. It also helps to buy lunch items in bulk. For instance, at my local Whole Foods I can buy a 6pk bag of the Smart Puffs and a 6pk bag of the freeze-dried apples. I also purchase a whole box of Kind bars at a time. Having items on hand makes prepping my lunch even easier. If you dont have a Whole Foods nearby, Amazon.com is another great resource for purchasing things in bulk.

6. and last but not least: prep your lunch (or at least the majority of it) the night before. Have the containers stacked up on the top shelf of the refrigerator waiting for you and have your lunch bag with napkin and cutlery sitting on the counter or dining room table just waiting for the chilled items & ice packs to be put in it the next morning. If you prep ahead of time, the morning of will be a breeze. And trust me, you will thank yourself for the extra effort when you’re eating a yummy homemade lunch while your coworkers or classmates are eating nasty & chemical ridden food from the cafeteria or a nearby fast-food place.

Spring Break 2013.

In hindsight, I should have done a lot less “having fun” and “relaxing” and “spring cleaning” and a lot MORE  “studying” and “prepping for midterms” over my Spring Break…… but alas, I cant turn back time and change that.

The good news is, I had a great, fun, and productive week anyway (regardless of what my midterm grades were).

Here’s a peek into my Spring Break thanks to Instagram:

coffee. lots and lots of coffee.

baking. lots of baking.

I tried out FoodBabe’s Decadent Pound Cake with Chocolate Frosting… which is now a new favorite in our household.

spent two different days in Laguna Beach with my brother. It truly is a peaceful and fabulous place.

Laguna Coffee Co = amazing.

Ziggy loves the beach.. and the City of Laguna Beach is extremely dog friendly.

I spent a little time day-dreaming of a beautiful home on the beach.

love brother & sister days of fun.

checked out the new Stone Company Store in Oceanside… fantastic dog friendly patio!

and made lots of yummy & healthy breakfasts since I wasnt have to dart out of the house to get to class.

Orange Coast Magazine.

My dear friend, Melissa Valladares, is an amazing photographer. She was asked to take some photos for Orange Coast Magazine for an article they were doing in the April 2013 issue about dog-friendly restaurants in Orange County. Knowing that Aaron and I are always on the hunt for dog-friendly places that have good food and allow you to enjoy a beer or glass of wine on the patio… AND since we have an adorable dog who loves to be the center of attention…she asked if we could come along with her on her photo shoot.

We had a great time trying out some new places to eat, spending some much-needed quality time with Melissa and (her now fiance!) Vinnie; AND, our little Ziggy had his very first magazine debut:

You can check out this article, the adorable picture of Ziggy, and other articles involving restaurants in Orange County in the the April issue of Orange Coast Magazine:

Here are a few other photos Melissa snapped that day:

*Photos are the property of Melissa Valladares Photography
*Magazine Cover is the property of Orange Coast Magazine

Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip cookies.

I have been craving some homemade cookies. I havent had the time to bake any due to school, homework, studying, etc….. but since it was the weekend I figured I could find some time to bake while I working on my lengthy Lab Report for Biology. Taking breaks to step away from a Lab Report to bake some cookies sounded like a perfect idea.

I gave Aaron two options:
1. I could make Chocolate Zucchini cookies, OR
2. I could try out a new recipe and bake some Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip cookies.

He chose option number 2.

Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies
(recipe from Zesty Cook who got it from Sallys Baking Addiction)

Ingredients:
2 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (I used unbleached all-purpose; next time I will use whole wheat)
1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) organic salted butter, softened
1 cup organic light brown sugar
1/2 cup organic granulated sugar
1 organic, free range egg, at room temperature
1 organic, free range egg yolk, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
16 wrapped caramels, cut into 4 or 5 pieces each (I used Trader Joe’s Fleur de Sel Caramels; make sure the ones you choose dont contain High Fructose Corn Syrup or Hydrogenated Oils!)
flaky sea salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Mix the flour and baking soda in a bowl and set aside.

With an electric mixer or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars together. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and mix well. Gradually add the flour mixture and stir until a dough forms (may take a couple minutes of stirring). Fold in the chocolate chips (do not add the caramels yet). Do not over mix the dough at any point in this process.

Chill dough for at least 30 minutes (or overnight) in the refrigerator. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto un-greased baking sheet (I used a Silpat which made clean up a breeze). Press a few pieces of caramel onto the tops of the cookies. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until edges are slightly browned. The centers should appear very soft and puffy. Sprinkle each cookie generously with sea salt while they are warm.  Enjoy!

*Make sure to keep dough cold at all times while the batches are baking. I kept my dough in the refrigerator in between batches.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

help create a new standard for our country’s food.

Please join Vani Hari (from Food Babe), Lisa Leake (from 100 Days of Real Food), myself, and thousands of others in the fight for eliminating dangerous chemicals, additives, and food dyes from our food.

Sign this petition on Change.org to get the message out to Kraft Foods (and many others) that we, as a nation, don’t want to consume these dangerous (and deceptively hidden) ingredients! Especially since these same companies send out additive & chemical FREE versions of these foods to other countries who have already voiced their concerns over these ingredients and have successfully banned their use.

For more information on this issue please read Food Babe & 100 Days of Real Food’s informative article:
How Food Companies Exploit Americans With Ingredients Banned in Other Countries

 

Are you as passionate about this as I am? Then…
Get involved.
Sign the petition.
Help create a new standard for our country’s food.

a birthday weekend.

so, this post is nearly a month late. oops.
I blame it on Spring semester starting and Aaron being on hiatus. ha

February is a busy birthday month. Not only is it my birthday (on the 9th), its my Dad’s birthday and my former roommate Ashley’s birthday (both on the 21st) and my Mom’s birthday is the 29th (leap year) however, since 2013 isnt a leap year, she celebrated on the 28th.

Luckily my birthday fell on a Saturday this year. Which meant I was able to have a day full of fun actually ON my birthday; instead of a day or two after.

my day started with a delicious cup of coffee & snuggling Ziggy while I shopped for shoes on my iPad.

for breakfast, Aaron made baked eggs and toast (with my homemade ciabatta) topped with his grandmother’s homemade jam.

I was super excited about my birthday outfit (complete with a custom made tutu!) but I had to send this photo to several friends, my mom and Aaron’s mom to help me pick out which shoes to wear.

Aaron and I took a walk over to The Grove to grab a birthday donut from Bob’s Donuts (the donuts we had at our wedding in lieu of cake), we walked back home and then Aaron drove me to my appointment at the DryBar on Montana Ave. After my hair appointment, we ran a few more errands and then came back home so that we could shower and I could start the process of getting ready.

We had dinner reservations at Roof on Wilshire which is a restaurant and bar on the rooftop of the Hotel Wilshire. We became fans of chef Eric Greenspan’s after going to The Foundry; so when we found out he was behind the menu of Roof on Wilshire we knew we wanted to check it out. As it turns out, the Roof on Wilshire ended up being the perfect space for a birthday gathering as well. So it all worked out nicely.

invites via Paperless Post.

cocktails by the fire pit.

I went with the pink shoes.

Dinner was lovely (I love that any menu associated with Eric Greenspan contains a grilled cheese!) and I am so grateful that so many of my friends were able to come share a cocktail with me on my birthday. The weather was a little chilly to be hanging out on a rooftop, but thanks to a few heaters and the fire pit I completely forgot that it was cold. While the Roof on Wilshire’s cocktails were a little pricey; they were tasty and everyone seemed to have a good time. It was nice having friends from several different parts of my life (yoga, school, my former career as a costumer, my former roommate, etc) all come together and have a fun evening.

Thanks to everyone that helped make my birthday so special!

Here’s to a great last year in my 20’s.
and, who knows how I will celebrate the big 3-0 next year….