Things I'm Lovin' Tuesday: Farmer's Markets!

This is a non-sponsored review and I purchase my own Farmer's Market goodies.

Last year I started a monthly blog series called

THINGS I'M LOVIN' TUESDAY!!!

Past post can be found:

here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here!!

And make sure to check back every last Tuesday of the month!

Now onto what I'm lovin' this month...

I've been going to farmer's markets for years.
There's a great little one just a few miles from my house on Sundays.
But I was recently introduced to two other amazing ones in Los Angeles.

I had heard good things about the Calabasas Farmer's Market
and just a few Saturdays ago I finally went for the first time.
While it was bigger than the farmer's market in Encino,
parking was a little more of a hassle unless you wanted to pay.

My boyfriend took me to the Brentwood Farmer's Market recently
and it was by the best farmer's market I've ever been to!
It was huge and the quality of the goods were amazing.
And parking is surprisingly pretty easy for the area on a Sunday.

What are your favorite goodies to buy at the farmer's market?

And if you're Los Angeles local - what's your favorite farmer's market in the area?

Lemongrass Chicken Banh Mi

I consider myself a pretty big foodie and  I love trying new foods!
I am pretty picky so I don't always love everything that I try,
but when one of my best friend introduced me to Bahn Mi sandwiches,
I immediately knew I wanted to recreated it in my own kitchen!

I did what I do quite often and turned to Google in search of a recipe.
I found quite a few ideas, but decided to use this one,
and modify it slightly to make the sandwiches to my liking.
Keep reading to see how I made them!

The Goods:

Serrano Chilis

Jalapenos

Fresh Lemongrass

Green Onions

Coconut Sugar

Tamari

Rice Vinegar

Carrots

English Cucumber

Radishes

Tomatoes*

Spinach*

Limes

Fresh Ginger

Garlic

Chicken Thighs

French Rolls

*Include in your shopping list if wanting to make salad instead of sandwichs

In a blender, add the following:

2 Serrano chilies - thinly sliced

1 lemongrass stalk -smashed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces

2 green onions - thinly sliced

1 teaspoon coconut sugar

6 tablespoons tamari

1 lime - zested

10 inch piece of ginger - peeled and chopped

2 garlic cloves - peeled and smashed

Puree for about a minute until paste like consistency.

Pour half of the mixture into a large lidded container.

Add your chicken thighs...

And cover with the remaining half of the mixture.

Cover and let marinade for at least 30 minutes,

but can be marinaded for up to 24 hours!

While meat is marinating, make your quick pickled vegetables.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the following:

2 Teaspoons Coconut Sugar, juice from one lime and 3 Teaspoons Rice Vinegar.

Add 2 grated carrots, 1 thinly sliced Serrano chili and 1/3 of an English cucumber.

Mix well and let sit at least 10 minutes, or refrigerate overnight. 

Heat your grill to medium high, wipe off excess marinade and place chicken on hot grill.

Grill each side about 5 to 7 minutes.

Let grilled chicken rest a few minutes...

And then chop it all up into bite sized pieces!

Make sure to grill your french rolls so they're nice and toasty,

and then assemble the sandwich to your liking.

Mmm mmm mmmm!

Looking at this picture, I can just taste the deliciousness of the sandwich!

Lemongrass Chicken Banh Mi Sandwich

Adapted from Goop

3 Serrano Chilis

1 Jalapenos**

1 Stalk Fresh Lemongrass

2 Green Onions

2 Teaspoons Coconut Sugar

6 Tablespoons Tamari

3 Teaspoons Rice Vinegar

2 Carrots Carrots

1/3 English Cucumber

2 Radishes**

3 Limes

10 inch Piece Fresh Ginger

2 Cloves Garlic

1 1/2 Pounds Chicken Thighs

French Rolls

**Used for Sandwich Garnish

1. In a blender, add 2 Serrano chilies - thinly sliced, 1 lemongrass stalk -smashed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces, 2 green onions - thinly sliced, 1 teaspoon coconut sugar, 6 tablespoons tamari, 1 lime - zested, 10 inch piece of ginger - peeled and chopped and 2 garlic cloves - peeled and smashed. Puree for about a minute until paste like consistency.
2. Pour half of the mixture into a large lidded container, add the chicken thigh and cover with the remaining half of the mixture. Cover and let marinade for at least 30 minutes, but can be marinaded for up to 24 hours.
3. While meat is marinating, make your quick pickled vegetables. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the following: 2 Teaspoons Coconut Sugar, juice from one lime and 3 Teaspoons Rice Vinegar. Add 2 grated carrots, 1 thinly sliced Serrano chili and 1/3 of an English cucumber. Mix well and let sit at least 10 minutes, or refrigerate overnight. 
4. Heat your grill to medium high, wipe off excess marinade and place chicken on hot grill. Grill each side about 5 to 7 minutes.
5. Let grilled chicken rest a few minutes,then chop it all up into bite sized pieces.
6. Grill the French rolls so they're nice and toasty,and then assemble the sandwich to your liking.

Bubble Bath Review: Au Lait Bathing Milk

This is a non-sponsored review and I purchased my own Bubble Bath.

It is finally starting to cool down again,
and I've been enjoying soaking in lots of bubbles,
so I have a new bubble bath review today!

If you've followed my blog for the last year or so,
you've probably realized that I'm a fan of Marshalls.
I love being able to get high quality goods for a fraction of the price.

From clothes, to decor, to home goods, and yup even bubble bath.
I spotted a bottle of Au Lait Bathing Milk on a recent trip,
and was really excited to buy it and give it a try.

The packaging is just beautiful and it had a really subtle scent.
I didn't want to get my hopes up, but it seemed like a winner.
Keep reading to see what I thought after trying it out.


 Au Lait Bathing Milk

Bubble Bath essentials - refreshing drink and reading material!

  

Just like most bubble baths I've reviewed, 

simply pour a good amount under running water.

Confession: I tend to over bubble and use way more than required!

Sit back, relax and get to reading!!!

This bubble bath was AH-MAZING!

I had high hopes for it and it lived up to them.

Lots and lots of lasting bubbles 

and it left my skin feeling super smooth!

I don't love the steep price of it,

but if I can find it discounted again I will for sure buy it.

Grilled S'mores!

Summer will be gone in less than a week.

And while I'm REALLY excited for Fall,

(Hello boots, scarves and sweaters!!!),

I'm going to miss a few things about Summer.

And one of those things is s'mores!

Of course you can make s'mores year-round,

but there's just something about the hot Summer months

that just make it perfect for s'more making!!!

I even started my Summer making them Memorial Day weekend at the beach.

Now if you're like me and crave s'more year round,

I have a super easy solution for you!

Having a nice bonfire to roast your marshmallow is nice,

but it's not a necessity for s'more making.

I bought a grill this Summer and was grilling everything possible.

I quickly realized I didn't need a bonfire to make s'more,

and could use my newly purchased grill instead.

You don't get the same effect as sitting around a fire, but they're just as tasty!!!

The Goods:

Large Marshmallows*

Chocolate Bars

Graham Crackers

*I purchased S'mores specific marshmallows with HIGH hopes,

but sadly they didn't roast as easily as regular large marshmallows.

The weight distribution seemed off or something.

Get all your ingredients prepped before starting to roast your marshmallows.

My grill has easily removable plates,

so I took them off to get closer to the flame.

Roast the marshmallows on a stick like usual.

Once your marshmallow is golden brown and gooey,

 sandwich between two graham crackers and some chocolate.

Take a bite of the deliciousness,

 getting marshmallow all over your face,

and enjoy this yummy treat!

DIY: Watercolor Glasses - A Failure

Not to toot my own horn,

but I think I'm pretty good at DIY projects 

and craft type stuff in general.

But I'm not gonna lie - I sometimes fail.

And today I'm here to show you a BIG fail.

One of my coworkers showed me this fun project.

I immediately knew it was something I wanted to try,

but to put my own twist on it, I used glasses instead of mugs.

That may have been my first mistake if I'm being honest...

The Goods:

Nail Polish

Glasses

Disposable Bucket

Wood Skewers

Warm Water

Not Pictured:

Nail Polish Remover

Cotton Balls /Q-Tips

Set up something to dry your glasses on,

keeping them raised to prevent sticking if possible.

I used parchment paper and plastic knives and it worked well.

Fill your disposable bucket with warm water...

Add the nail polish to the surface of the water

and quickly swirl it around with a wooden skewer.

Dip your glass into the water - straight down and straight out.

Place glass on plastic knives to dry completely.

Change the water and add more nail polish between dipping each glass.

As soon as I dipped the first glass, I didn't love them.

Heck, I didn't really like them that much, 

but I thought I could keep dipping to fix them!

After drying, I dipped them a second time with a second color.

And I still wasn't too thrilled...

So I dipped them yet again, making a total of three dips.

While not perfect, they were much better than after the first dip.

Use nail polish remover and cotton balls/q-tips to clean up the tip line of the dip.

Now here's where I REALLY failed...

The original directions say to seel the nail polish with a dishwasher safe ModPodge.

Silly me - I hand washed these glasses before doing so and completely messed them up!

My hard work (ok maybe not so hard) was ruined by my stupidity.

I luckily was able to save the glasses to use un-dipped.

For two DIY projects that weren't fails,

and ones that would be great for Halloween,

check out my Bat Decorations and Spook Banner.

Peanut Butter Protein Bites

I've been making Coco Date Balls for awhile.

They're really good and super tasty,

but I was looking for something a little more substantial.

That's when Google helped out once again and I found this recipe! 

I made it literally within hours and love them from the first bite.

They are really yummy, satisfy a sweet craving AND are full of protein.

Oh and did I mention they're peanut butter flavored too?

My boyfriend I and were HUGE fans and I can't wait to make them again.

Here's how you can make them yourself!

The Goods:

Rolled Oats

Vanilla Protein Powder

Cinnamon

Chia Seeds

Peanut Butter

Honey

Vanilla Extract

Peanut Butter Chips

Milk

In a large mixing bowl add the oats, protein powder, cinnamon and chia seeds.

Stir to combine.

Add the peanut butter, honey, vanilla extract and peanut butter chips.

Stir to combine.

Slowly add in milk, one tablespoon at a time, until mixture is sticky and holds together.

  

Roll into balls using your hands.

Let set up in fridge for at least half hour.

Store in the fridge in an airtight container.

Peanut Butter Protein Bites

Inspired By The Healthy Maven

1 1/2 Cups Rolled Oats

1/2 Cup Vanilla Protein Powder

1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon

1 Tablespoon Chia Seeds

1/2 Cup Peanut Butter

3 Tablespoons Honey

1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1/3 Cup Peanut Butter Chips

2 to 4 Tablespoons Milk

1. In a large mixing bowl add the oats, protein powder, cinnamon and chia seeds. Stir to combine.
2. Add the peanut butter, honey, vanilla extract and peanut butter chips. Stir to combine.
3. Slowly add in milk, one tablespoon at a time, until mixture is sticky and holds together.
4. Roll into balls using your hands.
5. Let set up in fridge for at least half hour.
6. Store in the fridge in an airtight container.

Whiskey Wednesday: Peach Mint Julep

Happy Wednesday guys!!!

In 2015, I started a fun new blog series - 

Whiskey Wednesday!!!

If you missed them, here are past posts:
Irish Mule
 Mint Julep
Bourbon & Sparkling Lemonade
Irish Redhead
Old Fashion
Jameson Coke Floats
Bourbon Cherry Coke
Bourbon Spiked Apple Cider
Hot Toddy
Whiskey Sour
Sage Brown Derby

Strawberry Whiskey Smash
Gold Rush
Blackberry Whiskey Punch
Kickin' Blood Orange Spritzer
Cherry Lime Whiskey Fizz

Since I've been doing this blog series for over a year,
I'm starting to run low on cocktails I want to make,
(Side note - please send me your suggestions!)
so I've started adding different twists to cocktails I've already featured.

And today I'm adding my own spin on Adam's Mint Julep.
I'm making the last bit of Summer count,
and incorporating some fresh juicy peaches to make a Peach Mint Julep!
I was inspired by this recipe and made slight modifications.

The Goods:

Sugar

Water

Peaches

Whiskey

Club Soda

Mint

Make your peach simple syrup by combining the following:

1/2 Cup Sugar, 1/2 Cup Water, 1 Peach - sliced. 

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until syrup is dissolved.

Remove peaches and let syrup cool completely.

Crush a whole bunch of ice.

Add crushed ice and fresh sliced peaches to a glass.

Add torn pieces of fresh mint leaves on top of ice.

Add one shot of whiskey

and one tablespoon peach simple syrup.

Top with club soda

and garnish with mint and a peach slice.

Take a sip, sit back and enjoy the last bit of Summer!

Baked Donut Monday: Whole Wheat Donuts with Browned Butter Glaze

Happy Monday everyone!!!

I'm back again for another Baked Donut Monday post

and today I'm going to tell you about some super tasty

WHOLE WHEAT DONUTS

WITH BROWNED BUTTER GLAZE!

Yes, the name of these donuts is a mouthful.

But man oh man are they soooo good!

They may not look too exciting,

but the taste is just amazing!

The Goods:

Whole Wheat Flour

Sugar

Baking Powder

Ground Nutmeg

Ground Cinnamon

Salt

Milk*

Vinegar*

Eggs

Vanilla Extract

Butter

Powdered Sugar

Milk

*Take a quick look to see how to make homemade buttermilk. 

In a large mixing bowl, combine the following:

flour, sugar, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt.

Set aside.

In another mixing bowl, combine the following:

buttermilk, eggs and melted butter. 

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients...

and mix with a rubber spatula until fully combined.

Transfer donut batter to a large zipper bag.

Cut off the end of the zipper bag 

and fill your greased donut pan until 1/2 to 3/4 full.

Bake at 325 degrees for about 10 minutes.

You can test that they're done with a toothpick.

Cool in the pan for a few minutes.

Remove from pan and finish cooling on wire rack.

Of course the donut pin had to make an appearance again!

Right Becky? :)

While donuts finish cooling, it's time to make the browned butter glaze!

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat until it's browned.

It will take 8 to 10 minutes and will smell nutty when it's ready.

Watch it carefully, because it's VERY easy to go from browned to burnt!

Pour the butter into a bowl, leaving most of the sediment in the pan.

Whisk in the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla and whisk until glaze is smooth.

Dip the top of each donut into the glaze...

And return to wire rack to let glaze set up.

Take a bite to taste test them....and then try not to eat them all!

Whole Wheat Browned Butter Glazed Donuts

Adapted from Buns In My Oven

For the Donuts:

2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour

3/4 Cup Sugar

2 Teaspoons Baking Powder

1/4 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg

1/4 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

 1 Teaspoon Salt

3/4 Cup Homemade Buttermilk

2 Eggs

1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

For the Glaze:

8 Tablespoons Butter

2 Cups Powdered Sugar

4 Tablespoons Milk

1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
2. In another mixing bowl, combine the buttermilk, eggs and melted butter. 
3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix with a rubber spatula until fully combined.
4. Transfer donut batter to a large zipper bag. 
5. Cut off the end of the zipper bag and fill your greased donut pan until 1/2 to 3/4 full.
6. Bake at 325 degrees for about 10 minutes. You can test that they're done with a toothpick.
7. Cool in the pan for a few minutes, then remove from pan and finish cooling on wire rack.
8. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat until it's browned. It will take 8 to 10 minutes and will smell nutty when it's ready. Watch it carefully, because it's VERY easy to go from browned to burnt!
9. Pour the butter into a bowl, leaving most of the sediment in the pan. 
10. Whisk in the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla and whisk until glaze is smooth.
11. Dip the top of each donut into the glaze and return to wire rack to let glaze set up.