easy strawberry tarts

Smitten Kitchen

Found this recipe for Strawberry Brown Butter Bettys from Smitten Kitchen last night and I couldn't wait to make it for breakfast this morning. It's very much like buttered toast with strawberry jam but so much more decadent.

I tweaked the recipe a bit and went easy on the butter. Instead of using 3/4 of a stick, I just used 1 tbsp. Also, I didn't have panco breadcrumbs and was too lazy to make some from scratch so I mixed oatmeal with the strawberries instead.

Forgot to charge the camera's battery this morning so please excuse the blurry food shots below. I thought I would still take some shots with the lousy camera just to show you that I really made them.

Have a yummy weekend, bunnies!

the practical mommy bag

Can you complete this sentence? I never leave home without _______________.

Most people would probably answer "without my mobile phone" or "without brushing my teeth". Want to know my answer? I never the leave the house without my little guy.

For a hands-on mom like me who doesn't really have a choice but to tow the little guy around town, function usually trumps form when it comes to dressing up and accessorizing. This is especially true with bags. I've never really been a bag lady. I don't lust over bags the way I do with shoes. But it's not say to I don't appreciate a good tote. I'm still a girl at the end of the day, you know.

What bag does a practical hands-on mom like me use, you ask? My bag of choice is the Longchamp Le Pliage. It's lightweight, roomy and easy to clean. It fits all my essentials including the little guy's. I don't bother lugging a separate diaper bag for Bud. Just one bag is all I can handle when I have to trail him. Did I mention I haven't really changed my bag since summer started? Why bother? I'll just change to a different color at the end of the season.

Longchamp Le Pliage

Curious to see what I carry around with me? Here's a look....

1. wipes 2. extra shirts and diapers for the little guy 3. sticker books 4. crayons 5. sippy cup 6. mobile phone 7. lip balm 8. baby sunscreen 9. body spray in warm vanilla 10. antibacterial gel 11. toy of the day 12. hand cream 13. wallet 14. video camera 15. granola bar 16. sunnies for me and the little dude 17. raisins

What's in your mommy bag? Please share.

the cropped tee

I made the mistake of pairing my loose cropped tee with some equally loose chinos here. The ensemble was totally unflattering. What was I thinking?

The next time I wore the cropped tee I knotted it and layered it over a bright tank paired with denim shorts. Figure flattering without being revealing. I like the way the sleeve falls off one shoulder.

How have you worn your cropped tee? Would love to see.

weekend roundup

You are now looking at the winner of the 30-39yo female category of the 2011 10k Superhero Run in St. Paul last Saturday. In case you still don't recognize me, I'm the one on the right with the white cap. The other pretty lady is my running buddy, Minet. But just to set things straight, there were only 6 females in my age group and we were all amateurs running to stop child abuse in Minnesota. You know what else, there were only 23 of us who ran the 10k and I was the 11th person to finish at 55 minutes and 24 seconds. It was really all for fun so I hope you don't think I'm bragging. Well maybe a little.

But seriously, I felt really good that I finished faster than I expected. My time to beat was 58 minutes which is the Mister's time when he ran 10k in Manila 2 years ago. I guess all the running I did in 100 degree temperature with a jogging stroller paid off. Now the question is, am I ready for a half marathon by September? We'll see.

Speaking of marathons, the Mister and I did a 3-movie marathon Saturday evening. We found a drive-in theater that showed 3 movies for only $8/head. We figured that would be the best way for us to catch up on summer flicks. The conditions were ideal - it was late enough and dark enough so the little boy fell asleep on his carseat while we enjoyed our movies and stuffed ourselves with hotdogs, nachos, popcorn and chocolates.

Hope you were able to spend your weekend doing something that you're passionate about.

happy weekend

touchnbetouched

Rock that smile this weekend, bunnies!

strawberry picking

There are so many reasons why I love summer. Aside from being able to wear bright colors and short dresses, we also get to do a lot of enjoyable activties outdoors.

Last week we went to Apple Jack Orchards to pick red ripe strawberries. Freshly picked strawberries are so sweet and succulent. I can't even begin to describe how good it is - each bite is like a piece of heaven. I really regret going on the last week of the picking season though. Now that our harvest is finished, there's no chance to go back and pick more.




How has your summer been so far?

the chambray shirt

One of my must-have pieces of clothing is a chambray shirt. Aside from the fact that I don't need to iron it, it has proven to be versatile enough to be worn every season from summer to winter. A good closet investment, wouldn't you say?

Here are some of the many ways I've worn my chambray shirt this summer.

channeling Ralph Lauren with white jeans

knotted with a pair of bright-colored shorts

layered over my favorite summer shift dress

Would love to see how you've worn yours!

weekend roundup

I didn't realize how much we've accomplished in a day until I started uploading the photos for this post. To say that our Saturday was eventful would be an understatement.

The Mister finished his first Sprint Triathlon in the morning which comprised of a .55km open-water swim, 25km bike ride and a 5km run...whew!

All the Mister's training for the traithlon has rubbed off on me. I'm planning to run a half marathon by September so I've been training as well. Saturday proved to be a milestone for me too as I had exceeded my 10km record and ran 13km. I have a month more to build the endurance to run 8kms farther.

After sweating buckets, I changed to my dress and met my girlfriends for an early dinner. We dined al fresco to take advantage of the short and sweet Minnesota summer and talked about our favorite blogs, recent clothing purchases, latest restaurant discoveries, etc... Just being able to share the most mundane thoughts with friends brings me such thrill. I'm lucky to have two very encouraging friends who share my enthusiasm for blogging (and shopping). If you want to know what I mean, visit Grace and Faye to follow their love affair with food and fashion.

Thanks to the photography skills of my good friend and fellow blogger, Faye, we still looked fresh in the pictures despite the unforgiving heat and humidity.

It was supposed to be a night out with the girls but someone tagged along..... The truth was the Mister used the triathlon as an excuse to avoid daddy-daycare duties.

After leaving the restaurant, we continued the girl chat, this time with the hubbies and the kids, at our friend's house. We found ourselves drinking martinis and singing oldies but goodies tunes until midnight.

Hope your weekend was spent doing what you love with people who inspire!

would you rather

Bunnies, it's almost the weekend! If you had free time, would you rather...

have a date with the hubby

or have a night out with the girls?

Would really love to know!

photos from someonelikeyou

toddler-approved recipe: banana peanut butter bites

Need a breakfast idea? Here's a simple and nutritious one. Must warn you though, it could be a bit messy.

Banana Peanut Butter Bites

1 Banana

Peanut Butter

Slice bananas into 1" pieces. Top with your favorite peanut butter. I use the kind with NO partially hydrogenated oils and high fructose corn syrup. Serve with a smile.

photo archive

Look what I unearthed over the weekend - photos from my pre-Missus life!

Playing PA to Aga while managing a California junket in 2006.

During the whole trip he was teasing me that I was going to get married that year. And I did!

My last TV commercial shoot before becoming the Missus.

Have I ever mentioned that I was able to pull off a wedding with only 2 months to prepare (and an ad campaign to launch)?

Double trouble.
I'm referring to myself and my former boss.

Donna Cruz was really stunning in person without making any effort.
We all looked blah next to her.

My self esteem went up a notch when I realized I was a few millimeters taller than GMA.

the basic white tee

Believe it or not, I haven't worn a basic white tee in years, maybe not since I graduated from college. What? I like my tees embellished or with ruffles and whatnots. If it weren't for the 50% off-the-entire-store sale at Banana Republic last week I probably would still go on with life without owning one.

So, being the feeling fashionista that I am, I've styled my white tee three ways. Still trying to decide how to wear it this weekend. What do you think?

Live, love and laugh this weekend, bunnies!

Bud's hot picks: books

My little man is currently obsessed with trains and is completely enamored with Thomas the Tank Engine. Just a few months back he was totally fascinated with diggers and fire trucks. I'm amazed at how the interest in anything that moves just comes so naturally to boys.

It's not enough that he plays with his trains and trucks, he loves to read about them as many times during the day too. Of course, I happily oblige and read to him over and over. I'm just glad that he is eager to read as much as he likes to play.

It's never too early and not yet too late to develop a love for reading. If your little one is anything like mine, he (or she) might fall in love with these books too. Here are a few of Bud's favorite books about trains and trucks that we have been constantly borrowing from our local library.

Hey Mr. Choo Choo, Where Are You Going? by Susan Wickberg

Freight Train by Donald Crews

Digger Man by Andrea Zimmerman

Fire Engine Man by Andrea Zimmerman

Happy reading!

4th of July weekend

Great company + BBQ + bottles of bubbly = limbo rock and Chinese garter showdown!


In case you were wondering, I wore the white tank with my cobalt skirt to the party.

red, white and blue smoothie

The perfect way to counter the fourth of July weekend hangover and meat coma - a red, white and blue smootie packed with vitamin C and antioxidants.

Just blend together a handful of strawberries and blueberries, skim milk and ice. Add some sugar if that will make you feel better.

Cheers!