Pink Lady Apple Cooking Videos

I will admit that the very thought of filming myself cooking was a bit strange as well as unnerving. You see my style of cooking involves listening to slow french music, tasting, seasoning and tasting again..not to mention chopping things nice and slow with Lulu curled up underneath my feet. I look forward to my nights at home where I can just wear a bun on my head and just cook with love. Its one of my cherished memories in life - I love it. So it's one thing to share photos of the finished meal but to show the process..that's a whole different animal. Hands down, I was nervous, but you know what? It was an more lovely experience than was promised. The process was dazzling and the finished meal was stunning. Well enough of me...go make these recipes!! I made these yummy recipes for Pink Lady® from classic favorites I make weekly in my own casa. And really hope they become apart of your recipe line up this spring/summer. Enjoy!



Pink Lady® Apple Crumble Parfait



Pink Lady® Apple and Goat Cheese Pizza

P.S: The California Grilled Chicken Wrap is by far my favorite thing to entertain with, the apples and chicken just work together brilliantly...you must make it and comment below on what you thought!!

Don't forget to pick up some Pink Lady® Apples - and check out more recipes and projects at Pink Lady America! xoxo M

Eggnog Dreams

One of my favorite things during the winter season, besides having an excuse to bake every day, was mugfuls of warm eggnog. My Mom would always pick up a carton of the creamy spicy stuff from a local farm and surprise me after a long art history class. I somehow knew that it was awaiting for me at kitchen table...the weather, the rough day ahead of me and my mom's grocery list may have tipped me off. :)

Funny enough she would warm me a ceramic red mug, taste test one herself and try to replicate the same thing with her own recipe. Every single year. It was if she was perfecting in year after year. Don't tell her though...the overly sweetened carton stuff was my preference at the time - I had a huge sweet tooth!

Now these days all I think about is her naturally uber nutmeg spiced eggnog. And after a long hard day, I was tempted to drive to the store and desperately purchase some of the creamy stuff until later last week this beauty met me in the almond milk section. Ohh glorious! The wonderful people from So Delicious Turtle Mountain sent me some coupons so I could make my winter sweets dreams come true!

The coconut nog- Creamy dreamy coconut milk with lovely spicy hints from the nutmeg and cinnamon. Naturally sweetened with dried cane sugar balances out the seasonal spices. Perfect treat for your vegan friends too!! So drool worthy that I've been drinking warm cups between Casablanca and Roman Holiday movie watching, along with eggnog lattes in the morning before I brave the cold. The perfect little dessert that I can sneak in anytime during the day! And who says a smoothie or oatmeal breakfast can't incorporate some eggnog ;)

Some adorable recipes I've been bookmarking for a while to use this wonderful nog...

Vegan Eggnog Crunch Biscotti

Eggnog Cheesecake Bars

Eggnog Soft Serve

Eggnog French Toast

I'm off to snuggle into a pair of red flannel pjs and nurse this sad little cold I have some how caught between cold runs to the market and garment shopping. Ta ta for now!

Do you like eggnog? What's your favorite way to use eggnog?

Strawberry, Chocolate, Vanilla

Sweet strawberry. Swinging on the playground at Grandmas.


Warm rich chocolate. Sunshine on blades of crayon colored green grass.


Comforting vanilla. Making forts and code names to enter our morning glory playhouse.

All little sweet nothings that came to mind while I ate this Neapolitan ice cream bar that Turtle Mountain makes from coconut milk. I was taken back to my ice cream loving days when my Papa would gather all us kids around his extra freezer in the hot garage after a seemingly forever, one hour, on their playground. We each would say our favorites, as if he didn't already know, and he would artistically pull each special treat out. Mine was always either an all chocolate bar with vanilla ice cream on a stick or this little lady, an Neapolitan ice cream bar. Ohh the good old days! I just loved the way my teeth would bite and all the pretty colors would show. These ones were ten times better than my childhood favorite, much richer from the coconut, less over powering sweet from the agave and the perfect amount of each flavor. I love them!

{French gifts from a friend, ribbon from a chocolate box for my hair and my pony sketches}


I also picked up these little darling treats - chocolate and coconut..how can you go wrong? My take on them...amazing! Just simple enough to bring the end to any wonderful dinner. I like to cut them into cubes, make a huge mount of them and drizzle more chocolate on top with coconut flakes..its so wrong but so right!

{Vintage floral chain and clasp gold bangle - found last week with my best friend at flea market}

Currently I am roasting rosemary brussel sprouts for dinner every night, snuggling with my kitten in front of the fire while watching Betty Davis black and white films, wearing pumps with bows for all my girly going outs and spending way too much time planning my trip to Ireland.

Tell me your childhood treat?

Layering Necklaces

I love layering things...shirts,nail polish, tights, scarfs, bracelets, vanilla cake...ahem.. Something about this winter though has left me acting strange..instead of my gravitation to all things layered..I've traded warm comforts for chilled bones. Perhaps its due to my current love for short blazers and barely there sheer tissue tees. Only thing that I want layered is my necklaces..its become this art that I am addicted to perfecting. My collection is constantly growing, although I keep giving my friends cherished pieces, its a work in progress. Right now I always adorn my dream Effie tower and love note charm since they are the newest ones - but my childhood necklaces always have their place in between those days when I feel nostalgic. My little tips on this art....

Start with your signature piece.

Add a childhood piece when your missing those days.

Something eye catching or currently trendy is sometimes fun.

Classic favorites are always a lovely thing!

I think tiny treasures around ones neck tell a brilliant story and sometimes I rather just day dream of the significance but never ask.

Whats something you are layering lately?

Oats and lace nothings

My weekend included a foodie adventure with four girls, two restaurants, one night and red polished nails. A newly built clothing boutique stuffed with sequins, blush pink blouses and cable knit black scarves may have swayed me to buy some goodies that I wasn't ready to open my travel funds for..opps. Fast forward a few hours to yesterday - glitter gifts and heartfelt notes for my new little sister, future plans to Hong Kong next year and stuffing injera bread for two hours till we finally said we would take home the odds and ends. And my bestie getting in the groove with her crochet skills to make me the ultimate ruby red chunky neck scarf. It was exquisite..I keep wondering why I am so blessed.
I dreamed last night about this recipe and along with that..I realized I promised the recipe to all of you days ago..double opps! It is not much of a science..or a handed down recipe of sorts..but more like something I put together in the most eased relaxed state of mind I could have possibly been in at the time..kinda recipe. Its like that hot bath after a long day in the cold rain kinda recipe. Its like that.."I just woke up but I'm ready to go back to bed now and that's okay" recipe. Instant comfort, makes you just want to snuggle with it. Just make the bowl of oats..you'll understand later.

Creamy Coconut Vanilla Oatmeal with Cashew Milk

The cashews and the coconut milk make it the ultimate decedent breakfast - but secretly healthy for you! I am a huge lover of flax seed in my smoothies, so adding it into my oats was a revelation that needed to come years ago. Seriously if any of my babbling doesn't makes sense..just take from this post one thing...go make this bowl of oats now! You must!!

Serves 1

1/2 cup gluten free oats

1 banana, ripe, mashed

1 cup water

1/2 cup vanilla coconut milk

palm full raw cashews

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 tbsp ground golden flax seed

1 scoop raw vegan vanilla protein powder , optional

In a blender, throw in cashews, coconut milk and spices. Pulse until a smooth milk consistency. Place to the side. In a pot on high heat, boil water. Add oats and turn heat on medium. As water is absorbed, add blended milk to help oats continue to cook. Temper it. Mix in flax seed, and protein powder. Add more milk if needed. In a bowl, mash up very ripe banana, mix into oats. Lower heat. When cooked, turn off heat and place lid on pot. Allow to sit for 3 minutes. Place into bowl and enjoy!

Currently I am drooling over of honey wine (Mess), wearing lace nothings when its below burr outside and awaiting my dream "adult shoes" to arrive at my door. Oh and I may or may not be doing a two hour pilates workout..ahem after my foodie adventures :)
xoxo M

When you make this recipe, tell me what you think! Like it, love it?

Collection of Cravings

Breakfast this morning was a collection of cravings I had all week. Oranges-spices and pumpkin! Something that said California sunshine during fall time..perhaps my two favorite things. Nothing like thick red knitted scarfs, cold cheeks, warm sunshine rays and this breakfast to brighten the day. To conclude my taste testing of all the goodies Navitas Naturals sent me I saved the best for last...the Citrus Chia Snacks!


Warm Pumpkin Pie Pudding with Crumbled Citrus Chia Snacks -the perfect addition to any breakfast. Burst of citrus flavor with the crunch of chia and sweet date goodness. Not too sweet, not too tart. I'm never making raw bars again! These snacks can be crumbled on top of oatmeal or ate on their own for the best energy possible -maca powder and chia seed for energy paired with natural sugar, dates and apricots, for long term endurance!


-crumble on oatmeal
-toss in a smoothie for flavor
-mixed in pancake batter
-raw crust for desserts
-energy snack


They were the perfect sweetness to compliment the other spicy flavors of the pudding -and I loved the crunch of the chia! I would add these to any of my breakfast meals for instant energy or before pilates snack! I'm already thinking of ways to make my own- dates, orange zest and chia are the main attractions. I'm pretty sure that these could be easily made if you had all the lovely super food ingredients to create a similar raw snack. Overall I loved everything - especially how raw food can be integrated into any style of food. Thanks again Navitas Naturals! Check out my other taste testings for Navitas Naturals at these links- Creamy Coconut Vanilla Oatmeal , Sweet Mulberry Green Smoothie , Sweet Vanilla Bean Oatmeal , My Raw Lemon Frosting Cookies , I Love Cashews .

More amazing breakfast posts this week involving...a special ingredient...coconut!!

Whats your current collection of cravings?