Its Favorite Friday Day! | Adorable

It's favorite Friday! Every Friday we will pick one of our favorite photo's to share with everyone from our past albums. Today's favorite is From Imani's album. This picture is so adorable. With a cute pout and droopy eyes who can resist!

 

 

 

 

Strawberry Chocolate Covered Biscotti | Crumbly Crispy And Oh So Good !

 A biscotti is a twice backed Italian cookie perfect for dunking in  your favorite drink! Traditionally it pairs well with a cup of coffee. This recipe creates a delicious crumbly and semi sweet chocolate covered biscotti.

INGREDIENTS 

1/3 cup of butter

2/3 cup of sugar

2 eggs  

1/4 cup of condensed milk

1 teaspoon of vanilla  

2 1/2 cups of flower 

1/2 teaspoon of baking powder

1/2 teaspoon of baking powder

1/2 cup of sliced almonds 

1/2 granola 

1 package of instant strawberry oatmeal  

1 cup of semi sweet chocolate 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line your cookie sheet with foil paper for easy clean up. 

 

In a small bowl, combine the eggs, butter, vanilla, sugar and condensed milk and whisk to fully combine.

Place the flour, baking powder and baking soda, almonds, granola and oatmeal  in a large bowl and stir to combine.Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the egg mixture. Using a rubber spatula, mix to combine until a rough dough forms. 

Dump the dough onto a work surface and knead a couple of times or until the dough comes together, adding extra flour sparingly and only if necessary. 

Start to form the dough into a big, fat bar and cut it in half.

Place on the foil sheet and lightly press with your fingers to slightly flatten the bars. Bake for 30 minutes reversing the pan halfway through. The bars will be firm to the touch and just slightly browned. Remove from the oven.

Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet for 15 minutes.
Remove cookies to a cutting board  Using a serrated knife, slice the bars on an angle about 1/2 inch thick to form the biscotti.

Lay them back on the cookie sheet with either cut side down and place back in the oven for 10 minutes. Turn each cookie to expose the other cut side and place back in the oven for another 10 minutes. The cookies will take on the slightest bit of color and feel firm and dry. Let cool on a rack to room temperature.

Melt chocolate chips in a heat proof glass bowel over a double broiler.

Stir until smooth and creamy.

Dip cooled biscotti.

Place on cookie sheet.
Stick them in the fridge for about 20 minutes.
Enjoy with your favorite cup of coffee!

Tried out this recipe? Let me know your thoughts on it!

Dinner On The Run | Tuna Stuffed Tomatoes

Today I spent half of the day prepping and baking a batches of my yummy "Biscottis." So I had to think of a quick dinner in the oven. I had tons of fresh tomatoes and a can of tuna. One of Edwin's favorite dishes are tuna stuffed tomatoes. So I thought it was a perfect idea to prep them while my biscottis were baking. And by the way I will post pictures of my biscottis soon =)    

Tuna-Stuffed Tomatoes are fresh, light, and make a great main course for lunch or can replace a salad at dinner.

Its simple to make and easy to prep!

Ingredients:

• 6 small round tomatoes
• 1 can  of Tuna (water or oil packed)
• 4 Tablespoons of cream cheese
• A splash of sherry vinegar
• Finely chopped garlic
• drizzle of olive oil
• drizzle of balsamic dressing
• 4 tsp  Parmesan  cheese
• 4 tsp Bread crumbs

Preparation:

Rinse and dry tomatoes. Cut off the tops of the tomatoes, then cut out the flesh, leaving a cavity large enough to fill with tuna mixture.

In a small bowl mix Parmesan and breadcrumbs together. 

Open  the can of tuna and drain it, squeezing excess water or oil from the tuna. Flake tuna into a bowl and add cream cheese to the tuna. Mix thoroughly. Sprinkle finely chopped garlic on top of the tuna. Splash a bit of sherry vinegar on the tuna mixture and drizzle olive oil over top. Spoon mixture into tomatoes, allowing it to mound on top. Sprinkle tops of each tomato with Parmesan cheese mixture and place under broiler until cheese melts and tomatoes are engorged and plumped with juices! Enjoy!

Let me know if you tried out my recipe, would love to know your comments on  your version of this yummy Sumner !

Meet Misho | Our Other Spolied Dog

Meet Misho our AKC registered Chihuahua. His favorite past times are playing fetch and torturing Twinkie. He loves chasing tennis balls and hiding them under our bed! He gets car sick so we have to be careful and not take him on long rides. And when he is not being active he loves lounging around the bed with his best friend Wall-e our "plus size" orange cat. His one weakness is that he is a kleptomaniac! He has a weird fetish for right shoes and dirty socks! But be careful if you think your going to be able to discipline him. He will find your pillow and leave you a very special gift (and its not a chocolate mint ! )

Overall he is a loyal companion and a great alarm system!

The Road Not Taken | Robert Frost | El Paso Texas

I was looking through some old photographs of a road trip we did a couple of years back. I found these pictures and it reminded me of an old poem I use to like when I was in college. Robert Frost is one of my favorite poets. His intriguing way of describing something makes you feel drawn to his poems. Enjoy. 

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth. Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim, Because it was grassy and wanted wear; Though as for that the passing there Had worn them really about the same. And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black. Oh, I kept the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back. I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-- I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.

Its Favorite Friday Day! | Italian Bruschetta | Lobo Castle | Agoura Hills

It's favorite Friday! Every Friday we will pick one of our favorite photo's to share with everyone from our past albums....

Today's favorite is from Jenny & Matts wedding at Lobo Castle in Agoura Hills. The castles food was AMAZING! I say amazing because for the first time ever I tasted eggplant. I was NEVER a fan of eggplant, now I love it! In this picture we see an Italian bruschetta (pronounced "brusketta") is a wonderful way to capture the flavors of ripe summer tomatoes, fresh garden basil, and garlic. YUM!

 

 

Newest Member Of Our family | Twinkie |

I wanted to formerly introduce our newest member of our family! Meet Twinkie. He is 3 pounds, and already 4 months! He has a BIG personality, loves to sleep in purses. He loves to play and destroy carpets and he loves to travel. Twinkie loves flirting with the girls and adores kids!

This is one of my small purses... yes he is that tiny!

On top of my kitchen counter.

He got a little shy with the camera!

Family Portriats | Santa Monica

Raising a child is not an easy task, especially for a mother. She has to be there with her child to guide them every step, and with time, also make them independent enough to make their own decisions. The responsibility of a mother increases all the more w...hen she is a single parent. I heart this portrait session very much. I am very proud of our cousin Vahlia that has taken that responsibility and a role of a super hero. Apart from giving the nourishing love of a mother, she also has provided her kids with the protective and strict guidance of a father. On top of that, if she is not recognized for her efforts, She still walks life with her head up high! We love you Vahlia!

Sweet Treats | Lark Cake Shop

Warning looking at these pictures might give you a sugar rush!

One of my favorite desserts are cupcakes. They make me happy. A cupcake can fill anyone's heart with a burst of joy and childhood memories. These cupcakes are from Lark Cake Shop in L.A on West Sunset Blvd. We first had the privilege to taste such wonderful delights at an event. The cake was heavenly, and the cupcakes were mini-treats on steroids! The taste is of the frosting was scrumptious. Looking at them makes my mouth water! Can you smell the sugar?  I Wish that these pictures were scratch-n-sniff!

 

Letty Montiel | Maternity Portraits

I was very excited and happy to shoot Letty's maternity portraits. Letty is one of my best friends. We can't wait for the baby's arrival!

Alena Bell | Senior Portrait Slideshow |

One of the things I love in life is imagination, creativity and inspiration. There are so many things in this world we take for granted, and not see the beauty in things. Some people see an old, ugly abandoned road and think nothing of it. I see the beauty, and history. I love Alena's Urban portraits. I hope you enjoy!

Wedding | Lobo Castle | Matt & Jenny

We met Jenny & Matt towards the end of last summer at a Silver Charm Events workshop. We spoke briefly and showed them some of our samples, and a few weeks later I receive a phone call from Jenny letting me know that they wanted to book with us. We were excited about this wedding because they were a fun loving couple and we knew the venue would definitely be unique.On May 15th we were privileged to be able to be a part of one of the most important moments in their lives and capture it for them to cherish for generations to come.