Summer Fashion.

Memorial Day has gone and passed and that means...its summer! To me, summer is a time to have fun with fashion and take some risks. So I've compiled some trends that I think are prominent this summer season. These trends are fashion forward and fun and can be incorporated in your wardrobe in so many ways. Here are some examples with descriptions followed....

1. Chains

Chains are back! But I'm not talking like 2 Chainz, pop rapper status...Short chains are the jam, and I like ones like this one found at H&M that have a different design than ordinary 2 link chains. I think this statement piece pairs well with a pastel colored blouse or a denim jacket.

     2.   Kimonos

Kimonos have somehow made their way from Japan to the US, and I'm loving it! Especially with some fringe on the sleeves. It's a cute piece to throw over shorts and a tank for a casual lunch or even a festival. I personally like to wear a kimono as a swimsuit cover, so perfect for pool parties this summer. This kimono can be found on Polyvore.com.

     3.   Metallic Tattoos 

Remember when you were 12 and thought you were so cool getting those temporary tattoos from vending machines? Well, this is way cooler than that. Summer is a time to bare a little more skin and adorning your body with these cool gold and silver metallic tattoos are so much fun! This pack of metallic tattoos is from Forever 21 and has pieces to tattoo as a necklace, bracelet, anklet, or ring.

     4.   Orange Hue Makeup

Orange is the new black, people! This season, incorporate orange hued makeup into your look. But be careful...accent your makeup with orange in just ONE element of your makeup, not all of it. For example, I like adding a pop of orange to my lips with this MAC lipstick "Lady Danger", available at MAC stores or Nordstrom.

     5.   Thick Strappy Sandals

I'm loving sandals with thick straps this season. It's a plus when they are two toned. These are a fabulous find from UrbanOg.com.

    6.    Geometric Shapes

Geometric shapes on clothing were all over the runway for this season. You can incorporate it into any piece of your outfit. I like it on this small purse from Zara. It includes a pattern of hexagons on a really trendy mustard color.

    7.   Long Vests

This piece kind of look like they made a comeback from the 80's, but I think they are really chic and fashion forward. I love this white draped vest from Forever 21. I would pair it with dark jeans and a fitted crop top. 

Health Conscious Recipes.

Summer is here already! And I have been super behind in getting bikini body ready. But its never too late to start a living a healthier lifestyle with a better diet and exercise.

For someone like me who thrives on deadlines and itemized lists of tasks, I really like to do 30 day challenges, whether its an ab challenge, squat challenge, or arms challenge. I find that they really work if you commit to it.

Eating healthy is a bit more difficult for people because there are A LOT of temptations everywhere. I started cooking up some recipes that are tasty and good for you in order to help me get into shape, and believe me...these aren't your average bland, cardboard tasting meals!

Breakfast
So I started my day with a yogurt granola breakfast.

I use Greek yogurt, honey to sweeten the yogurt a bit, granola with pecans and pralines from Trader Joe's, and fresh strawberries and blueberries. You can easily change up the fruit in it and sweeten it with a little vanilla extract instead of honey.

Lunch
For lunch, I made myself some fish tacos with some fresh toppings.

I used breaded cod fish, which is about 50 calories per piece. After heating that up, I place it onto a corn tortilla and then begin my toppings. First is my special guacamole...


I mash together avocados, tomatoes, and cilantro and season it with salt and pepper. To add a tanginess, I add lemon and mix it all together.

Guacamole ingredients.

Next, instead of using sour cream which is loaded with tons of fat and calories, I use Greek yogurt again and mix it with some chili powder. Lastly, I top it off with fresh corn and romaine lettuce. I also squirt some lime juice on there too. Honestly, so good!

Around 4pm I start getting hungry again and I almost always crave chips. But those aren't very bikini body friendly, duh. So I made kale chips! Don't knock it til you try it...as an avid fan of sour cream and cheddar Ruffles chips, I was surprisingly satisfied with the taste of the kale chips instead of regular potato chips.

They come out super crispy and yummy.

To make the kale chips...

Ingredients:

• 1 head of kale washed and thoroughly dried
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• Sea salt

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 275 degrees.
2. Remove the ribs from the kale and cut into 1.5 inch pieces. 
3. Lay on a baking sheet and toss with olive oil and salt. The kale shrinks when its baking so don't use a lot of salt, otherwise its going to be too salty!
4. Bake until crisp, turning the leaves halfway through, about 20 minutes.

Dinner

Finally for dinner, I made garlic rosemary chicken. I made this for my whole family, but obviously to eat healthier, I just ate the chicken breast, not the dark meat. 

To make the marinade:

Mix 3 tablespoons of fresh rosemary, 2 garlic cloves minced, 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, 1 lemon zested and juiced, salt and pepper. Pour the mixture on top of the chicken and let it marinate for 3 hours or overnight. You can cook the chicken is a skillet or bake it, but since the weather has been so nice lately I grilled the chicken outside.

Pair it with some arugula with dressing: olive oil, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt and pepper...perfect!

These are just a few health conscious recipes, but I'm definitely trying to create some more to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Happy eating! 

Nutella Cheesecake Bars.

The other night, I decided to have some friends over to watch movies and I wanted to have some really delicious treats for us to snack on. I had an extra large jar of Nutella and decided to use it to make a cheesecake. I cut up the cheesecake into small bar in order for it to be portable/hand held for everyone to easily eat.

Ingredients.

I used Oreos for the crust instead of graham crackers because...well, who can't get enough of chocolate? So I layered the cheesecake into 3 levels: the Oreo crust, plain cheesecake, and Nutella cheesecake.

3 layers of deliciousness: Oreo crust, plain cheesecake, and Nutella cheesecake.

Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of Oreo crumbs
• 1/4 cup melted, unsalted butter
• 16 ounces of cream cheese at room temperature (very important!)
• 2 eggs at room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup Nutella

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees and butter an 8x8 baking dish and line with parchment paper making sure the parchment is well pressed in the corners.
2. In a food processor, pulse Oreos until they become crumbs. Add in melted butter and pulse until moistened. Press Oreo mixture evenly into the bottom of the baking dish and bake until the crust is set about 12 minutes. Set aside.
3. Mix cream cheese, eggs, sugar, 1/4 cup heavy cream, and vanilla until its smooth. Put 2/3 of the mixture in a bowl and set aside. Add Nutella  and a tablespoon of heavy cream to the remaining cream cheese mixture. Pulse until smooth.
4. To assemble, spread the plain cheesecake mixture over the cooled Oreo crust. Then pour the Nutella cheesecake layer on top of the plain cheesecake layer and spread evenly. 
5. Bake on the center rack of the oven for 35 minutes or until the center slightly jiggles.
6. Remove from the oven and cool completely on a cooling rack. Then refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
7. When ready to serve, lift the cheesecake out of the pan and cut into 16 squares and serve.

Voila!

Camilo's California Bistro.

Yet again, I am on a constant search for the best brunch spots in LA and I came across Camilo's, which definitely ranks high on my list! Camilo's is local, found in Eagle Rock on the main street, Colorado. It's very homey and has a clean, classic atmosphere.

I am a huge fan of Eggs Benedict in general, and the "bennies" here really good. The hollandaise sauce is really lemony and adds a really complimenting flavor to the dish. 

My boob shaped Eggs Benedict :P.

My girlfriends I came here with ordered sweet breakfast dishes, which included Bananas Foster Waffles and French Toast dipped in Grand Marnier. This isn't your average IHOP french toast and waffles! 

Bananas Foster Waffles.

I loved the selection of AM drinks here too. My go to drink is a Bloody Mary and I liked that Camilo's kicked it up by adding soju instead of vodka.

Array of brunch cocktails. 

There is an entire section of the menu dedicated to Mexican style breakfasts like Huevos Rancheros and Chilaquiles. I really need to come back here to try these...I couldn't help but glance over to the other customer tables to look at these south of the border dishes and they were all mouthwatering. Needless to say, it may take a while for me to go through my list of hot brunch spots, but I will be coming back here!