Every summer I make a promise to myself that I will wear more cute, summery dresses but I rarely follow through because I feel like I stick out, wearing a dress in a sea of shorts and t-shirts. This summer however, I have been inspired by the plethora of gorgeous dress that are everywhere and I have started to wear some from my small but slowly growing collection of frocks. I recently discovered one of my new favorite design teams, Thread Social, and their girly yet sophisticated pieces. Don't these dresses (and other one-shoulder dresses that are a bit more affordable) seem perfect for a warm summer night with friends?
Whether it is a result of my not wanting to do homework or of being sick of living in the Midwest (or more likely a combination of the two), I am terribly missing the ocean. I was lucky enough to be able to experience Belize and Hawaii in the past couple months, so to illustrate my point, here is some unBelizeable beauty:
{Altun Ha - ancient Mayan ruins}
{sunset over the gorgeous house next door - imagine the rooftop parties!}
{family time - grandma walking the kids to school}
{Caye Caulker - just a short boat ride from Belize City, home of the 2nd largest barrier reef in the world}
{hanging out on the Cayes}
{amazing sailboat cruise to go snorkeling}
{bliss}
P.S.: coming up soon, some pictures from our trip to Hawaii :)
Thought of the Day: "We can do no great things... only small things with great love." -Mother Teresa Listening to: Bob Marley
I am living at home this summer to take four courses at a local college which means that while I might not be living it up as a college kid, I do have free reign in a bigger kitchen than my apartment’s and I have unlimited ingredients – always a huge plus.For the past week, I have had the whole house to myself too because my parents and little brother are traveling (all without me since I have class), so I have been trying some different recipes that probably would be flops with the rest of my family (I tend to be a bit more adventurous). So, when I found this recipe on this blog written by two girls who share my obsession for Martha Stewart, I was inspired to buy some of the super-cheap strawberries that have been on sale for the past week and give it a try.
[Forewarning about this and future culinary experiments: I love to try new healthy and quirky recipes.I find the process more rewarding than the product, which is why many things turn out rather strange.]
½cup strawberry puree (15ish strawberries, depending on the size; I’ll explain the pureeing)
1 tsp. sugar (adjust amount depending on how sweet your berries are)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 egg white, room temperature
1. Preheat oven to 350° and lightly coat 2 ramekins with cooking spray.
2. Wash and hull strawberries.Puree strawberries, sugar, and vanilla in a food processer until smooth.Set aside.
3. Place egg white in a medium bowl and beat with an electric mixer until soft peaks form (don't under-beat because they will fall!).
4. Carefully fold the strawberry puree into the egg whites with a rubber spatula.
5. Fill ramekins with the mixture and bake for approximately 15 minutes or until the tops are lightly browned.and a toothpick comes out clean.
Nutritional Info (per serving): 40 calories; 0g fat; 1g fiber; 5g sugars; 2g protein
My thoughts: These were easy, beautiful, and delicious (although they slightly tasted like Special K Red Berries - in a good way).My only problem was that the top browned a little too quickly resulting in a not quite done middle; next time I might play around with the baking times and temps.I was happily surprised that they didn’t fall though.What better way to get over half of your vitamin C for the day?
Thought of the day: “Peace.It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work.It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.”-Unknown
