NomNom: Grilled Cheese with Dates and Ham

Rainy and cold October days calls for grilled cheese sandwiches and a piping hot bowl of soup. But when you're feeling fancy in the kitchen and want to dress up that simple sandwich, I highly recommend you adding dates, basil, and ham to that melted cheese. It is at that point that grilled cheese sandwich then becomes a big deal.

I'm not sure why I love sandwiches so much. Maybe it's the crusty bread and all the glorious fillings in between those two pieces of awesome carbs. I find it melodious and this sweet and salty combo of ham and dates just sings with its delicious simplicity.  

Have a great weekend. Xo.

Ingredients (Adapted from Food Network Magazine April 2011) Yields 4 sandwiches

4 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened

8 slices crusty bread

8 slices ham or prosciutto (about 2 ounces)

8 slices monterey jack cheese (about 4 ounces)

1/2 cup pitted dates, thinly sliced

1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn

Procedure

1. Spread the butter on one side of each bread slice. Heat a large skillet over the medium heat. Put 2 bread slices in the skillet, buttered side down. Layer 2 slices of ham, 1 slice of cheese, one-quarter each of the dates and basil, and another slice of cheese on each piece of bread. Close each with another piece of bread, buttered side up.

2. Cook, pressing sandwiches occasionally with a spatula, until the cheese melts and the bread is golden, 3-4 minutes per side. Repeat to take 2 more sandwiches.

Modern Prep

Photo courtesy of Sung Shin

Cardigan, Gingham shirt-J.Crew

Skirt-Forever 21

Shoes-Sam Edelman

Sunnies-Karen Walker

Necklace-Kenneth Jay Lane

Ring-David Yurman

Happy Wednesday! Nothing like updating a preppy look with some leather, right?;)

Have a great week. Xo.

Weekend Snapshots

This weekend I....

1. Was really worn out from the past work week and just wanted to stay in all weekend to catch up on sleep and decompress. There are times I have these anti social moments where I just want some time to myself after being around people literally all day at work and this weekend was one of those moments. Anyway, closet purging/reorganizing has been on my list of things to do for awhile now and I started on that project. Let's just say I didn't succeed much. I was tired. It was surprisingly overwhelming. To be continued.

2. Made ice-coffee after Summer decided to visit us on the east coast over the weekend. The temperatures rose close to the 90's which is all sorts of strange as we are in the month of October. I really dislike the taste of watered down ice-coffee so I usually freeze the leftover coffee I made from that day into my ice-cube tray so that when I make ice-coffee I won't have to worry about that horrible watered down taste.

3. Went to go eat at the ever popular Peking Gourmet Inn in Falls Church, Virginia. If you've never had peking duck before, I highly recommend this place for traditional peking duck. They expertly carve the whole duck table side for you into thin slices along with the delicious crispy skin so that you can wrap it in their house made tortilla, along with the onions and hoisin dipping sauce it comes with. The meat is moist and the skin is crispy with the perfect amount of chew. Major nom. However, it's pricey as a whole duck is about $40.

4. Started thinking about where I want to travel abroad next. I've been wanting to explore more of Asia since I've only been to Korea and have already traveled to Europe quite a bit. China and Japan are high on my list and are possible places to visit for 2014.

How was your weekend?

Think Pink

Photos courtesy of Sung Shin

Sweater, necklace, belt-J.Crew

Jeans-Zara
Baseball cap-Express

Purse-Celine

Sunnies-Karen Walker

Shoes-Pour La Victoire

Not only is the month of October American Pharmacist month (kinda geeky but whatever!) it is also Breast Cancer Awareness month. Working as a health professional in the industry, there are certain diseases that cloud my thoughts a bit more as a female. I can't stress enough the importance of simply being aware of this disease and the steps you can do to detect breast cancer early on.

Knowledge is power, ladies. Xo.

Day to Night

Photos courtesy of Sung Shin

Dress-Clover Canyon

Blazer-Theory

Clutch-Chanel

Shoes-KORS Michael Kor

Cuff-John Hardy

Sunglasses-Karen Walker

One of my favorite purchases I made in the past couple of months has been this sleeveless dress by Clover Canyon. I discovered the label this past year while shopping with my mom and we were both drawn to the amazing prints and colors that were consistent in their clothes. The first item I bought from this label was a v-neck neoprene dress earlier this year, but because of the v-neck cut on the dress, I usually reserve it as my "going out to dinner" dress. Clover Canyon has easily become one of my favorite designers not only because of their beautiful and colorful prints but the fit is just as amazing. It can get difficult to find petite friendly clothes that fit well with out having any alterations done, so when I find a label that does I'm pretty loyal to it. And I love that their clothes are made in USA. 

This dress is versatile enough to wear to the office with a blazer or cardigan thrown over it especially if exposing arms isn't suitable in a conservative work environment, but is also great to wear for happy hour or for those dinner plans you have right after work. Throw on a bold accessory, grab a clutch, and you're ready to go without having to change;)

Have a great rest of the week! Xo.