Weekend Snapshots

This weekend I....

1. Received most of the things I ordered online and in-store while shopping in NYC. I wanted to avoid the crazy high tax in NYC so I shipped the pricey purchases to my home haha. I'm waiting on one more box and that should be the end of it. I went on a bit of a shopping spree over the holidays and I have officially put myself on a serious shopping ban for one month. I'm gonna try and see if I can extend it to two months. Really. Wish me luck.

2. Two of the items in the big box were two pair of shoes I ordered online. I was hoping that when I received them, they'd be uncomfortable or not as fabulous in person so I could return them after spending so much over the holidays but sadly this is not the case. I love them. The leopard ankle booties from Stuart Weitzman are surprisingly comfortable and well, it's leopard. You know how much I love leopard. There are also gold metal details on the heels which is hard to see on the picture but that chic detail was the topping on the cake. The second pair I bought are going to be my everyday, casual shoes. I've been looking for a pair to casually wear on a daily basis and these Stella McCartney wedge shoes are it for me. I love the color, the warm shearling inside lining, and the wedge heel makes it extremely comfortable to walk around in while running errands and such. Both are keepers.

3. Finally had the chance to sit down and look through one of my new cookbooks I received as a Christmas gift from my photographer bestie. Mexican food is one of my favorite cuisines to eat so I'm looking forward to cook (and share with you) through this book.

4. Started doing some intense cleaning around my place. I don't know if it's a Korean thing but whenever the new year is approaching my mom likes to clean/vacuum out the dust and welcome the new year fresh and clean. I've picked up on this tradition and will be finishing the cleaning today.

5. Met with my friend Mel to catch up over dinner at Matchbox Pizza. We're both big fans of their sliders so that was an obvious item to start off with. I ordered a prosciutto and black mission fig pizza, which was something new to me. It had a great combination of flavors consisting of salty prosciutto, savory gorgonzola, topped with sweet drizzles of black pepper honey, along with bites of peppery arugula. Perfect. We haven't seen each other for about a month so knowing us, I knew we would have lots to catch up on...so much so that our dinner conversation lasted 4.5 hours. You just can't beat that combination of good food and great company.

Hope you had a great weekend. I just wanted to take this time to wish you a happy, healthy, and prosperous new year. This past year has been an amazing and surprising ride with my blog and I'm thankful that you have been part of that journey either through visiting or your sweet comments. I'm looking forward to what 2013 has in store for me and hope you will continue this blogging journey with me. Have a safe and happy new year. Cheers to 2013. Xo.

After The Holiday

Photos courtesy of Sung Shin

Coat-J.Crew

Blazer-Theory (love this color HERE)

Blouse-H&M

Pants-Uniqlo

Ring, necklace-David Yurman

Hi everyone! Hope you had a wonderful and relaxing holiday spent with loved ones. I had an amazing time in chilly NYC with the family, but I'm finally back home. I wanted to do a quick outfit post for you since I'm heading back to work today. Nothing like a blast of high winds and some morning flurries to greet you after the holidays. 

I'm sure you keep hearing this, but seriously, can you believe the year is almost over? 

Have a great weekend tying up 2012:) Xo.   

Weekend Snapshots

This weekend I...

1. Wore my new J.Crew sequin top for date night. They are having an extra 30% sale everything in store and I snagged several great pieces from the promotion. We went to dine at Poste Brasserie located in Washington, DC and ordered the truffle fries, Chef's special (snapper on a bed of gnocchi), and braised short ribs. The decor was romantic and the food was wonderful. I ordered the Moscow Mule as my drink but wasn't impressed with how the cocktail turned out from this place. The only negative to the experience, but nothing to keep me away from.

2. Drove up to NYC with the family Saturday afternoon to spend Christmas with my sister. The traffic was insane on the way which delayed us a couple of hours but we arrived safely, nonetheless.

3. Went to the Guggenheim museum to check out the Picasso exhibit which is on display until Jan 23, 2013. No pictures are allowed inside the museum other than the front entrance but the exhibit is highly recommended. There are many beautiful, original works of Picasso on display as well as Kandinsky's vibrant work, which was just lovely.

4. Went to Katsu Hama for dinner, a restaurant that specializes in katsu. They specialize in katsu with an array of different kinds of breaded and deep fried meat. The star dish of the night was the katsu with the American cheese. I've never had this odd combination before but will order this from now on because it was unexpectedly scrumptious. All of the katsu we ordered were perfectly fried, crispy, and lightly breaded. They also give you sesame seeds for you to grind at the table for the katsu, which was a nice touch.

5. Went to the overcrowded Rockefeller Center to see the Christmas tree. I love NYC around the holidays because the city is especially beautiful with their festive lights adorning the stores. 

NomNom: Copycat Williams Sonoma Peppermint Bark

I am so, so excited to share with you today's food post on these perfect holiday treats that taste exactly like Williams Sonoma peppermint bark. If you've been following my blog for awhile now, you may have noticed that I have lots of love for anything peppermint based around the holidays. Last year I made these scrumptious peppermint bars and this year I've made these rich chocolate peppermint sandwiches so far. Have you noticed the theme going on here?

When I came across the page in the December issue of Food Network magazine, which boldly stated Copycat: Williams Sonoma Almost Famous Peppermint Bark, I was floored. I eat these things every year around this time but they are severely addicting as well as pricey. They're so popular that it's not that surprising to know they sell out before Christmas. They have a cult following and I am shamefully a follower but, not anymore because the recipe is now in my hand, thanks to the geniuses at Food Network!!

I love you Food Network. Really, I do.

I was excited to test this recipe out to see if it really would be close to the real thing and let me tell you, the people at Food Network are brilliant. I honestly can't tell the difference between theirs and Williams Sonoma and that's saying something. Now, if you've never had peppermint bark it tastes very similar to Hershey's York Peppermint Patties but with the crunch of the cool, peppermint candies. Gosh, it's so darn good.


This right here is magic happening. Wait patiently for the chocolate to harden up--this is probably the toughest part of the recipe. I probably could've crushed up more of the candy canes but I actually liked mine with that extra crunch. Feel free to break it up to your liking.

The crazy thing about this recipe is that it is so simple and only requires very basic, but quality ingredients. What's not to love?

I'll be leaving for NYC this weekend with the family to visit my sister and will definitely be toting these along with me on the trip. I might have to hide these in the trunk so I don't get tempted to eat them before it gets to my sister. Precautionary measures. I'm just saying.

Wishing you a bright and wonderful holiday surrounded by lots of love and good food. As always, thank you so much for visiting.

Happy Holidays and have a great weekend. Xo.


Ingredients (Adapted from Food Network magazine Dec '12): Yields 2 lbs 
12 ounces good-quality semisweet chocolate, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces (I used Baker's chocolate)
1 1/2 teaspoons peppermint extract
1 pound good-quality white chocolate, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces (I used Lindt)
3 candy canes or 12 round hard peppermint candies, crushed

Procedure
1. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with aluminum foil, shiny-side up; smooth out any wrinkles. Heat 1 inch of water in a saucepan over low heat until steaming.

2. Put all but 3/4 cup of the semisweet chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Set the bowl over the saucepan of steaming water (do not let the bowl touch the water) and stir until one-third of the chocolate is melted. Remove the bowl from the saucepan; keep the steaming water over low heat. Gradually stir the reserved 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate into the bowl, a few pieces at a time, until all of the chocolate is melted. Return the bowl to the saucepan, 5 to 10 seconds at a time, to help melt the chocolate, if needed. Do not rush this step: It may take up to 10 minutes to melt the chocolate.

3. Wipe off any moisture from the bottom of the bowl. Stir 3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract into the chocolate, then quickly pour into the prepared baking dish and spread in an even layer. Firmly tap the dish against the counter to remove any air bubbles. Set aside at room temperature until almost set, about 10 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, put all but 1 cup of the white chocolate in a large heatproof bowl and repeat the melting process over the steaming water; dry off the bottom of the bowl. Stir in the remaining 3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract; pour over the semisweet chocolate and spread in an even layer. Sprinkle immediately with the crushed candy canes, gently pressing them into the white chocolate. Set aside at room temperature until firm, about 1 hour. Lift the bark out of the pan using the foil and break it into pieces. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

Fuel

Photos courtesy of Sung Shin

Sweater, Blazer (J.Crew, blazer currently on sale, love this color HERE)

Jeans-Gap

Shoes-Vera Wang Lavender Label

Necklace-Sequins via Neiman Marcus

Happy Wednesday! Nothing like a mid morning coffee pick me up to get me through the day. After working 14 hours yesterday, I am exhausted. I'll be running some last minutes holiday errands on my day off by wearing something bright such as my new blazer with a cup of coffee on hand to keep me energized;)

Talk to you soon and thanks SO much for visiting. Xo.