garlic parmesan pita bites

i've been working a lot in my make-shift office, and other than working, the thing i do the most is snacking. i have absolutely no self control when it comes to food within reach :(. my favorite new (super simple) snack to make & eat lately: garlic pita bread bites (with parmesan)!



cast of characters: 

pita bread, cut into small pieces
butter
crushed garlic
dried italian-style seasoning (if you don't have any, just mix some dried thyme, oregano and basil)
grated parmesan cheese

(no exact measurements, it really just depends on how much pita you're using and how garlic-y/cheesy you like your food)

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1. preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
2. cut your pita bread into small pieces (i slice about 6 slices per round) & arrange on a baking sheet.
3. in a small saucepan, melt the butter (over medium heet) and mix in garlic & seasoning. pour it over your pita pieces!
4. sprinkle with cheese and bake for 10 minutes (a little less if you don't want it too crispy, a little more if you like extra crispy)
5. enjoy! i like mine with some hummus, but it is equally good without!

summer eats

since it's the first summer i've spent out of LA where summer = unbearably hot weather (and the constant sunburning of my fair skin), i'm enjoying it rather immensely. we're still settling in (catching up on work has taken up most of my time), but i can't wait to have everything in order and invite a few friends over for breakfast/lunch/dinner! how delicious do these sound to accompany your summer meal:


- white peach lavender soda

- grilled corn with cheese and lime (mexican corn, yum!)

- fig, gorgonzola & honey tartines

- avocado & romaine salad (woe to me for being allergic to avocado..)

- poached eggs on toast with cream cheese, salmon & capers

- grilled peach with honey & ice cream


(photo via nouvelle/nouveau )

a food truck wedding

ever since i saw this food truck wedding shoot on GWS i've been obsessed with finding an equally cute and tasty food truck. down-home meets classy and unique!

i tried inquiring about MIHO, but alas, san diego is quite a ways from santa barbara. i also considered kogi truck and some other food trucks, but i'm worried about how fast the food-output is. anyone have any experience with wedding food trucks? T and i need some affordable catering for our wedding...and when i say affordable i mean REALLY affordable.

we have an option we're gonna check out soon, but if you guys know any great catering options in santa barbara, throw me a line!

i love these little personalized touches!

dessert first, please!

(1, 2)

How typical of me to have gotten obsessed with dessert ideas for my wedding already. One trend that has won me over: dessert in jars! How cute would it be to have tiny jars of desserts with adorably tiny spoons to match? Think about it! Pies...ice cream sundaes...cake... italian ice! Is it crazy for me to think I can do this on top of making my own bouquet and decorations?

Some pros:

1. no messy transport!
these would be easy to transport in a box without worrying about a mess of epic sized proportions to follow. i'm sure the moisture and humidity inside a closed jar would make the cake even more rich and tasty. don't quote me on that.

2. portion control: you could definitely make individual sized portions for people to enjoy, or even use larger jars to share family-style!

3. the container: who doesn't love mason jars to keep afterwards!

Con:

I'd have to buy hundreds of jars.... maybe I could just have them for my bridal shower. Heh-heh.

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make your own:

15 dessert recipes in a jar!

dinner rolls in a jar!

pies in a jar! (green wedding shoes)

daily deal: vive le crepe

doesn't this look delicious? i just purchased a coupon from guilt city for 41% off vive le crepe. yum! can't wait! snatch up a coupon if you're in the LA area!

one of my favorite and least favorite parts of a long-distance relationship is coming across things like this and waiting for a time when we can use it together. the waiting sucks. the using it together part is splendid. :)

delightful cups

not sure why, but i'm totally sold on the idea of food in the shape of cups right now.

check out these tasty cups:

-bacon, egg, and toast cups from martha stewart
-lasagna cupcakes from heirloom LA (here's a recipe)

- shrimp salad in a savory cup from sunshine and smiles

- honey baked peaches with almond praline and mascarpone cream from what katie ate

gosh, now i'm absolutely starving. someone please make some of these and bring them over!

smoked salmon & cream cheese on rye.

yesterday's breakfast... :)

Oatmeal reinvented

I know this looks quite nasty... but it's actually quite good!

So, I told a dear friend that I had never eaten oatmeal in my life (to her shock). As a health nut, I think she was quite offended. I told her that it always looked quite unappetizing to me, and there always seemed to be a sugary cereal alternative (which I took).

She quickly put together an... oatmeal kit (?) for me. That's the only way I can think of describing it.


It contains the following:

1. yogurt (any will do)
2. flax seed (as someone who would be content with a diet of fried chicken and potatoes, my eyes glazed over)
3. blueberries (other fruits will do as well!)
4. cereal (honey bunches of oats is a good choice)
5. oatmeal (can't forget you!)

Mix it all together, and voila! I call it, blueberry oatmeal mush.