Mixed Berry Crumble

Do you know the difference between a crumble, crisp, and a cobbler?
     Crumble: Baked dish of fruit topped with oat-based streusel
     Crisp: Exactly like a crumble but without the oats, making the crisp taste more buttery and like a
                  crumbled pie crust
     Cobbler: Baked fruit dish with individually dropped biscuits so that when it bakes, the biscuits
                       puff up to look like a cobblestone street.

I definitely didn't know the differences between these three and always thought that a crumble and a crisp were the same thing. But a crumble is my personal favorite because it has oats in it and is so easy to make. A crumble is usually a summer dessert but it is also a great transition dessert into the colder seasons as the fruit and cinnamon warm you up. Just follow the recipe below to make your own!

Ingredients:
Berry Mixture:
4 cups of frozen or fresh mixed berries (I did blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries)
4 tablespoons of all purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
Dash of cinnamon

Crumble Mixture:
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1/2 cup of old fashioned oats
1/4 cup of cold butter

Instructions: 
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix together the berries, flour, sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl and pour into a 8x8 baking dish.
3. In a small bowl, mix together the flour, cinnamon, brown sugar, oats, and butter with a fork until crumbly and the butter is the size of peas.
4. Pour the crumble mixture over the fruit and bake for 30 minutes or until the crumble is golden brown.
5. Best serve warm and with ice cream on top. Enjoy!

A San Francisco Summer: Lands End Lookout

After climbing up to the top of Twin Peaks, I traveled to the most northwestern point in San Francisco, Lands End Lookout, to take in the incredible views. 

It's amazing how one moment I could be in the middle of the city in the hills and within 20 minutes I'm beach-side. San Francisco reminds me so much of my hometown, Santa Barbara, as there areboth beaches and mountains contained within the same city. California is such an amazing place, I never want to leave!

A San Francisco Summer: Twin Peaks

One of my first adventures in San Francisco was going to the top of Twin Peaks because of the amazing views. I was subletting a place in the Twin Peaks neighborhood so it was just a few minutes car drive away and would have been a good 30 minute or so hike. Shame I despise hiking though.

I've already been to Twin Peaks once before, this time last year actually, but the view was still breathtaking. Luckily it was the right time of day and the weather decided to be tame so the Golden Gate Bridge, the piers, and the whole downtown SF - my favorite part of the city, partly because I work there - can be seen.  Looking at these pictures, how could you now fall in love with San Francisco?

Had to use my long lens to capture these shots!

 

A San Francisco Summer: On the Run Tour

[Diclaimer: This blog post is text heavy and consists of mad rantings a discussion of how amazing Beyonce is and how I - as well as the rest of the world - is obsessed with her.]

Well hello Internet.

It has been quite a while since I have posted on my blog. The reason being is that I've been in San Francisco for the past two months interning at a public accounting firm, so it's been just a bit hectic transitioning to a 40+ hour work week. But being in SF has been one of the most amazing and memorable experiences of my life. Coming from a small town as well as going to university to an even smaller town, it has been quite liberating to live in a city. There are so many beautiful views, so much to do and, especially, so much to eat in SF. But what makes SF so unique are the people. The city is so rich and diverse with people coming from all over the world. Thus bringing so many different cultures within the city itself. These small separate neighborhoods, like the Castro or Russian Hill, somehow blend together to make this city like none other. This is a place where you can go and discover who you are as well as help you grow as a person. I can't wait to come back to develop my career and myself here in a year with I start my career full time.

But enough about me. It's time to talk about Queen Bey.

The "On the Run Tour" couldn't have come at a better time. I was on the last week of my internship and suddenly my friend, another intern, offered me a ticket for a bargain considering the concert was only a few days away. Beyonce has always been on my bucket list of concerts to attend so I couldn't say "no."

I've always been a fan of Beyonce. I've downloaded all of her songs and recognized that she is an amazing singer, performer, and entertainer. Yet I didn't understand why everyone was so obsessed with her. I didn't even buy or listen her self titled album that dropped on iTunes. This all changed when I went to the On the Run Tour.

When I arrived at my seat at AT&T park, my friend and I were actually amazed at how good our seats were for the price that we paid. We were right at the dugout, which would have been amazing for a Giants game, and although there was a whole baseball field in between me and Queen Bey, it in no way detracted from feeling her fierceness.

These two and a half hour of Bey and Hov were the most blissful hours of my life. The whole concert was an emotional roller coaster as it showed the phases of a relationship: Happiness, heartache, forgiveness with love as the overall theme. By then end of the concert, home movies were projected on the screens showing Beyonce's and Jay Z's private wedding as well as birth and growth of their daughter Blue Ivy while they were singing "Young Forever" and "Halo" to the screen. As I looked around me, there were tears running down everyone's face, including mine when Bey started singing "Halo."

Beyonce watching her daughter on screen

                                                                                      

This tour demonstrated that Beyonce is not only a great vocalist but she is a great entertainer and it is obvious how much time and energy she puts into her career. It was just amazing how she sang for the whole time, only the taking brief breaks when the Jay Z was performing his own songs. Not only that but she changed into at least 7 outfits, produced only from the top fashion designers of course.

Her most recent performance at the VMAs was only a small taste of her concerts. I think people find that she's so inspirational and influential because she and her songs connect to a wide variety of people on such an emotional level.

                                                                                    

One of my favorite songs currently: "Blue" by Beyonce

This was one of the best experiences of my life. I truly (and maybe strangely) believe that everyone should attend one of Beyonce's concert just to bask in her talent. Even if you're not a fan before, I really believe you will be after the Bey experience. She has made a fan out of me and I will most likely continue to listen to her work as long as she keeps producing them.

"Die in Love and Live Forever"

Turkey and Mushroom Sliders with Spicy Sauce

For July 4th, I wanted to make something that was 'American' so I immediately thought of burgers. But I wanted to make the burgers semi healthy so I substituted ground beef with ground turkey. I was worried that the turkey patties would be dry but these turned out very juicy!! I also wanted to make sliders because little things are so cute. Follow the recipe below for some delicious turkey and mushroom sliders.

Cook Time: 20 minutes
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

Spicy Sauce:
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Turkey Patties:
Dash of salt and pepper
1 lb of ground turkey
1 egg
2 cloves of chopped garlic
1/4 cup of dry bread crumbs

1/2 medium onion, diced
8 ounces of brown or white mushrooms (I used a combination of both)
12 slider buns
Cheese (pick you favorite, I used a combination of pesto gouda, cheddar, and pepper jack)

Instructions:
1. In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, ketchup and cayenne pepper until combined to make the sauce.
2. Grease a large skillet with olive oil. Add the onions and cook over medium heat for a couple of minutes then add the mushrooms. Cook until the onions are translucent and the mushrooms are soft. Then transfer into a bowl.
3. Mix together the ground turkey, salt and pepper, egg, garlic, and bread crumbs.
4. Evenly divide the turkey in 12 parts and form patties by rolling it into a ball and gently flattening it to about one inch diameter. Make an indentation with your thumb in the middle of the patty to help it keep its shape.
5. Heat the oil in the same skillet as the one used to cook the onions and mushrooms over medium heat. Add a couple of patties, indented side up, and cook for 4 minutes.
6. Flip the patty over and add the mushroom mixture on top of the patty and top it off with your choice of cheese on each patty. Then place a lid on the skillet and cook for a couple of minutes until the patty is fully cooked and the cheese is melted.
7. After toasting the buns, spread on the spicy sauce and place patties between the buns. Garnish with your favorite toppings, like tomatoes and lettuce (I used kale), and enjoy!

Birthday Haul

It was finally my 21st birthday two weeks ago so I wanted to do a quick little haul of what I received. This can also provide for some gift ideas for that special girl or woman in your life!

All-Star Converse, High Tops: I’ve wanted these babies for so long because they look good with everything. These shoes are definitely a classic that hasn't gone out of style and can be worn to dress an outfit down. I actually even wore them at my graduation in my cap and gown!

Lustrum and Megastar from NuMe: There was a really great deal going on for both the Lustrum curler and the Megastar straighter. While overall the curler and straight iron were expensive, the Lustrum is basically five different curlers which would each cost more than $50 individually at a beauty store, so it really is cost effective overall. Both of these tools heat up quickly and the heat stays consistent so I only have to curl my hair for a short amount of time and have the perfect curl or straight hair, which helps limit the heat damage to my hair.

Sony Alpha NEX-F3 Camera: I was only using my Canon 40D  to take all my pictures and while it resulted in quality pictures it was such a pain to carry around everywhere. So I received a Sony Alpha NEX-F3 for my birthday. This was hard for me to grasp at first because I love looking through a lens finder and shooting in manual but this camera develops great quality pictures and has the option of shooting in manual. 

Eye-Fi SD Card: Along with my new camera, I received an Eye-Fi SD card. This SD card is quite magical because it sends any picture taken on the camera with the SD card in it straight to my phone or computer. I used to have to take a picture of something with both my camera and my phone to Instagram or post it to Twitter but now the picture just sends directly it to my phone!

Ulta: For birthdays, Ulta gives away full sizes of Calvin Klien "One" Mascara! While the retail price is normally $18, for beauty reward members it's free. Part of the cap twists to either provide more volume or more length. It looks very innovative and I'm very excited to try it. For a gift, you could get an Ulta gift card and register it for beauty rewards before giving it to the recipient.  

Sephora: Sephora also gives out a free birthday gift to Beauty Insiders; this year it is a deluxe sample of a lipstick and mascara from Make Up For Ever. which are pretty great. I also cashed in my first 100 points ever for Too Faced’s Chocolate Soleil and it has great payoff and smells amazing!! For a gift, you could get a Sephora gift card and register it for beauty rewards before giving it to the recipient.  

 

Lemon Tiramisu in a Jar

Lemon is my favorite ingredient to bake with because I just love its tartness and versatility. Mason jars have been so on trend recently so I decided to combine these two things to make Lemon Tiramisu in a Jar, which are perfect for the summer!

Cook Time: 20 minutes
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 9 hours (including refrigeration)

Servings: 8

Ingredients:
5 tablespoons of brandy or white rum
Juice and Zest of 2 large lemons
4 tablespoons of sugar
2 large eggs separated
150 ml of cream (can substitute with cool whip)
16 oz of mascarpone cheese
1/4 cup of lemon curd (recipe below)
2 packets of ladyfingers
8 ounce (half pint) Wide Mouth Mason Jars

Instructions:
1. Stir together the brandy, lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons of sugar until the sugar dissolves. Set aside.
2. In a separate bowl, whip egg whites until soft peaks are formed.
3. In another bowl, whip the cream until soft peaks are formed.
4. Finally, in a fourth bowl, beat together lemon zest, remaining sugar, egg yolk, mascarpone cheese, and lemon curd.
5. Fold cream into the mascarpone mixture, and then fold in egg whites.
6. Prepare eight 8 ounce, wide mouth Mason Jars. Cut the ladyfingers in half, dip them quickly into the brandy and lemon mixture, and place them into the jars. Position the curved part of the ladyfinger down first into the jar (as seen in picture). 6 halves of ladyfingers should fit in a jar.
7. Spoon the mascarpone mixture in the middle and level it off at the top of the jar. Cover with plastic wrap and leave in the fridge for at least 8 hours.
8. Before serving, top with some lemon curd, a strawberry (or any garnish), and enjoy!


Lemon Curd
6 tablespoons of unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup of sugar
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
2/3 cup of fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest

Instructions:
1. Beat butter and sugar with electric mixer for a few minutes. Add the egg and yolks and beat for 1 minute. Then mix in lemon juice.
2. In a medium sauce pan, cook the mixture on low heat until it looks smooth. Then increase to medium heal and stir constantly until the mixture thickens and the butter melts, around 15 minutes, without letting the mixture boil.
3. Remove the curd from the heat and stir in the lemon zest. Transfer the curd into glass tupperware, cover the surface of the lemon curd with plastic wrap, and cover with lid. Chill in refrigerator overnight for it to thicken.