Wedge Sneakers

1.  Zara Studded Sneaker, $100

2. Monika Chiang Artemys Spike Sneaker, $985

3.  Steve Madden Hilight, $150

4.  Ash Footwear Alex Wedge Sneaker, $235

5.  Isabel Marant Bekett Sneaker, $685

Halloween 2012: Chocolate Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing

Since Halloween was postponed and I was out of power this week- I thought I’d save this post for after the hurricane madness had died down.  This recipe is for the people who have power – make these chocolatey cupcakes and bring them over to your friends who haven’t been so lucky!  I found these great baking cups at Home Goods (great store) that don’t require you to put them in a muffin tin.  Just place the cups on a flat baking sheet and you’re good to go.

This cupcake recipe makes a nice dense and fudgy cupcake.  I like the icing because it’s light and gives them a nice texture contrast.  All desserts need a contrast in texture, whether it’s something cold or hot (like a sundae) or crunchy and soft (like a pie and crust.)  While you might not be too concerned about texture contrast when you’re biting into a cupcake, it can definitely amp up your average dessert.  These sprinkles I (another Home Goods buy) are cute and add a great crunch.  Now is a great time to stock up on Halloween decorations and sprinkles for next year since most of it is at least half off.

Enough of that- time to eat.  Enjoy!

Love,

Lauren

Chocolate Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing

Yield: 18 cupcakes

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese icing.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups AP flour
1 cup cocoa
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1 cup cream
1 cup boiling water

For the cream cheese icing:
1/2 pound cream cheese, room temp
1 1/2 sticks butter, room temp
1 pound Confectioner's sugar
1-3 tablespoons milk
sprinkles

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Mix together the dry ingredients. (Including sugar.)

Add eggs, cream and oil. Add boiling water and stir just until mixed. Pour into baking cups and bake immediately.

Bake for about 20 minutes, rotating after the first 10 minutes.

For the icing:
Cream together the cream cheese and butter. Add half the confectioner's sugar and combine. Add the rest. Add the milk if the icing is too stiff.

Pipe/ice cupcakes. Top with Halloween sprinkles.

Take a look at last year’s spooky skeleton cookies:

Easy Granola Bars

I love an on-the-go breakfast.  It’s quick, it’s easy and it gives me an extra 10 minutes in the morning to get ready.  (Those hours are precious.)  These bars were my attempt to create a healthy breakfast that was cheaper than those expensive granola bars.  While I do love them, I think anything over 2 bucks per bar is kind of ridiculous.  These bars are great.  The key is baking them twice.  The honey gets a nice caramel color and a consistency that’s pliable but not hard as a rock.

Almost all of the ingredients in these can be substituted for something else.  I used steel oats but regular oats would be fine.  I’ll probably change the nuts or add other things as the seasons change.

Enjoy!

Love,

Lauren

Granola Bars

Yield: 10

Prep Time: 10 min

These homemade granola bars take a little finessing but are easy to make and delicious.

Ingredients:

2/3 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup raw, shelled pumpkin seeds
2/3 cup almonds
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup steel cut Irish oats
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup honey

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

In a food processor, pulse together the cranberries, seeds and almonds until they are broken up. Pour into a medium-size bowl.

Add cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and oats and mix. Add honey and using a spatula stir until everything is evenly coated.

Spray a sheet pan with cooking spray. Top with parchment paper and spray again with cooking spray. Pour granola bar mixture onto the parchment. Spray a spatula with cooking spray and use it to flatten the bars into a rectangle shape.

Bake for about 40 minutes rotating the tray every 15 minutes.

Let cool. The bars should be sticky and soft. Cut them in to the desired size and heat the oven to 350. Bake for about 10 minutes, then flip them over on the other side and bake for another 10. Let them cool and enjoy!

5 Beauty Products That Multitask

1.  Pantone’s Enchanting Dual-Sided Brush Set, $42.  This four-piece set has natural brushes on one side for blending powders and a synthetic side for liquid and cream-based products.

2.  Becca’s Nude Liner Plump & Define Lip Pencil, $23.  One side of this pencil is a neutral skin color to outline and amplify the lips, while the darker shade can be used as a regular line to set your lipstick or gloss.  The lighter color can also be used in place of a white pencil to line the water line to brighten eyes.

3.  Bobbi Brown’s Pot Rouge, $25.  This 2 in 1 product works as a bright pop of color on lips or natural flush on cheeks.

4.  Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream, $39.  This wonder cream primes, protects with SPF, moisturizes and re-texturizes skin.

5.  Sephora’s 3 in 1 Perfecting Base Coat, $6.  This nail polish protects, smooths and strengthens in one swift coat.

Pumpkin Bread

I love baking in the fall.  Maybe it’s the comfort food-cold weather thing.  So expect to see a lot more baked goods.  As much as I hate the weather changing, I don’t mind it as much if I’m wearing clothes that are warm (and can handle a few flour stains here and there) and I’m in the kitchen.

I made this recipe with mini loaf pans but you can make them as one large loaf too.  The batter is thick so I spooned it into the sprayed pans and then leveled them using the back of the spoon.  I topped the bread with pumpkin seeds but go ahead and go crazy if you want.  Walnuts, almonds, chocolate chips…the options are practically endless.

Enjoy!

Love,

Lauren

Pumpkin Bread

Yield: 5 loaves

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 60 minutes

Lauren Torrisi's pumpkin bread recipe.

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cup pumpkin
3 eggs
1 1/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups All Purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease 5 5x2-inch loaf pans. (You can also use 2 8-inch loaf pans as well)

On a low speed, mix together the eggs, sugar and oil until blended. Add the pumpkin and vanilla. Gently fold in the dry ingredients.

Pour into greased pan. Sprinkle pumpkin seeds on top of bread and gently press them into the dough. Bake for 45 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking.

Rodarte Teams Up With Starbucks

Image credit: Starbucks

A Starbucks cup can be just as much of a fashion accessory as your handbag.  The company has taken a hint from the fashion folk and announced plans to collaborate on a Rodarte-Starbucks line for the holidays.  Cards, bags and mugs will be some of the items launching November 13.

Laura and Kate Mulleavy of Rodarte are known for their over-the-top, creative designs.  From their sand-filled shoes to intricate Black Swan costumes, the design duo is always pushing the limits and is a strong start for the brand.

Can a coffee house be that chic?  Will you buy items from the new collaboration?

Fried Eggs with Swiss Chard and Italian Bread

This blog post was inspired by a huge amount of kale and swiss chard in my fridge begging to be used.  While I love eating the sauteed greens plain, sometimes it can get a bit boring.  I usually put a fried egg on anything- from pasta to pizza- so adding an egg to this was not unusual for me.  It’s now my go-to dinner and I love making it because it’s quick AND healthy which are two things that don’t normally go together.  It’s also pretty portion-controlled so you don’t end up overeating when you’re totally full already.

Feel free to use any greens – kale, spinach, swiss chard or escarole all work well.  You can also adjust the amount of red pepper you add to the greens depending on how spicy you want it.  Enjoy!

Love,

Lauren

Fried Eggs with Swiss Chard and Italian Bread

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 20 min

Total Time: 30 min

Lauren Torrisi's fried eggs with swiss chard and italian bread recipe.

Ingredients:

4 thinly sliced pieces of Italian bread
4 eggs
1 large bunch Swiss Chard
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon red pepper
salt, pepper

Directions:

Rinse and chop Swiss Chard. Heat a large pot on medium heat with the olive oil. Add garlic and onion and sweat for a few minutes. Add the red pepper and the Swiss Chard. Cover and lower heat. Cook greens until tender. Season with salt and pepper.

Toast the Italian bread and drizzle with a little bit of olive oil. Top with greens. In separate pan, fry eggs and place one on top of each piece of toast.

6 Fabulous Fall Bags Under $100

1.  Nine West New World Large Top Handle Satchel $89

2.  Aldo Gyori $60

3.  SR Squared by Sondra Roberts Foldover Snake Clutch $48

4.  Colorblocked Tote by Sorial $98

5.  ASOS Metal Frame Clutch Bag $32

6.  Zara Tote Bag with Pocket $50

Guilt-Free Summer Salads

©Lauren Torrisi 2012

This summer I joined a CSA and the amount of fruit and vegetables we’ve received so far has been a bit overwhelming.  Arugala, kale, radishes, cilantro, peaches, currants and blueberries are just a few examples of what we’ve received.  The fridge is stuffed.  If any of you have done a CSA before, you know how labor intensive it can be.  If the food isn’t cooked immediately it goes bad much more quickly than the pesticide-bathed stuff from the grocery store.

The upside is that I’m forced to get creative and come up with new, healthful options every week with what we get.  You can see my blueberry, peach and basil fruit salad above.  Sliced peaches, a pint of blueberries, a handful of fresh basil and 2 squeezes of lime juice make this refreshing salad. Basil and peaches are one of my favorite combos- you can tear up the leaves or keep them as-is.

The orzo salad below is another easy one to throw together as well.  I added tomatoes, sauteed onions, swiss chard, arugala and parsley.  Use it as a barbecue side dish or top it with grilled chicken and feta cheese for dinner.

Enjoy!

Love,

Lauren

©Lauren Torrisi 2012

Orzo Salad

Lauren Torrisi's orzo salad with swiss chard, arugala, tomatoes, onions and parsley.

Ingredients:

1 pound orzo pasta
1 bunch swiss chard, roughly chopped
2 large tomatoes, diced
1 bunch parsley, chopped
2 medium onions, halved and sliced thinly
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 1/2 cups arugala or beet greens
olive oil
salt
pepper
grilled chicken (optional)
feta cheese (optional)

Directions:

Bring pot of water to a boil. Add orzo and cook until done. Drain, then put pasta in large bowl. Toss with 1 Tablespoon olive oil and arugala. Set aside.

In a skillet on medium high heat, add 1 Tablespoon olive oil and garlic. Add onions and cook until translucent. Set aside. In the same pot cook the swiss chard until done.

Add the onions, swiss chard, tomatoes and parsley to the orzo. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Top with grilled chicken and feta cheese.

©Lauren Torrisi

©Lauren Torrisi

©Lauren Torrisi 2012

Latest Obsession: Anthropologie’s Settled Confetti Glasses

Credit: Anthropologie

How gorgeous are these glasses?  For $10 a piece at Anthropologie, these colorful glasses will add an extra splash of sumer to your table.  They can house a frozen watermelon margarita or a glass of sparkling lemonade.  You can also drop a votive in them and use them as a simple and colorful way to decorate your table.  Cheers!