sous chef schnitzi

allow me to introduce you all to my sous chef, the fabulous & adorable schnitzi!

she is just as frilly as her sister (moiii), and absolutely loves to be in the kitchen. some of her favorite foods include peanut butter, brisket, and dog food roasted cauliflower. her latest adventure in the kitchen was helping out her only favorite sister while making peanut butter blondies, inspired by the lovely tina over at carrots n cake!

peanut butter blondies

ingredients:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup wheat bran
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup peanut butter (smooth)
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup peanuts and chocolate or carob chips (mixed)

directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325*F. Spray 8-inch square baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients until smooth.
3. Spread batter evenly in prepared baking pan and bake for approximately 40-45 minutes until bars are cooked all the way through.
4. Let bars cool completely in pan before cutting.

ahhh i loveee peanut buttaaa:

peanut buttttaa = gone 😦

LOVEE that it’s a one-bowl recipe:

andd, voila! peanut butter blondies:

the verdict? we all (me, momsy, popsicle, and the schnitzi) thought they were pretty delish! dense, moist, healthy – and full of peanut buttery delight. i guess the picture says it all, huh? great recipe, tina!

hope you’re all having a fabulous day!

xo,

p.s. do you have any fun sous chefs?!

wowzaa

my first week of blogging is almost officially coming to an end! i absolutely love everything about the blogging world thus far and cannot wait to see what my foodie future holds. first and foremost, i really have to work on reminding myself to photograph everything i eat. i *usually* remember to bring my camera along on my adventures, but tend to scream out loud think to myself ‘d‘ohh!’ after i’ve scarfed down half my meal and realized that i have yet to take a picture 😦 no bueno. did that happen to ya’ll in the beginning, too? i just hope it becomes second nature soon enough!

i’m babysitting for the night (gotta make that moneyyy) and packed along a delish & healthy meal. sorry for the amazing super-low-quality camera pictures!

a super duper ginormous salad (the picture is deceiving – the tupperware is as large as my head a mixing bow!l):

– 3 cups spring mix/romaine lettuce mixture
– 4 ounces of salmon
– 1/4 cup grated carrots
– 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
– 1/4 cup dried cranberries
– 2 tbs kraft reduced fat asian toasted sesame dressing

anddd, a muy delicioso caramel apple pop for ‘dessert’…that is, until i raid the stash of rugelach when i get home!

it’s time to walk the dog mentally prepare for the fabulosity of the real housewives of new york episode tonight at 10 on bravo. such a guilty pleasure. team bethenny all the wayyy. ta-ta for now, my loves!

xo,

p.s. any good stories from your first week of blogging?

get me to the greek

greek yogurt, that is! i officially jumped onto the greek-yogurt-bandwagon about a year ago and don’t evahh plan on getting off. gone are the days of icky artificially sweetened yogurts (boston cream pie flavored? really?) that boast a low calorie count but leave behind a not-so-pleasant chemical aftertaste. let it be known that i completely and utterly adore greek yogurt. it’s non-fat, ridiculously high in protein, rich, tangy, delicious, and super healthy. anddd it’s 100% natural – no added sweeteners, preservatives, or chemicals. the only ingredients are milk & live cultures. just absolutely amazeballs!

being the nerd i am, i felt the need to google ‘greek yogurt’ to see just how they manage to make it so darn thick & delish: apparently, the straining process removes the majority of the whey, concentrating the milk solids and thus creating the thick dreaminess known as greek yogurt. those greeks are just too smart – they managed to produce tina fey, my big fat greek wedding, andd fabulous yogurt. i love you, greece!

*as a side note, i performed a science experiment in my apartment last year in the attempts to make my own greek yogurt. let’s just say it was an epic fail.

0% is definitely the way to go in terms of nutrition (my faves are fage & chobani), but you absolutely must add mix-ins to fully feel the love. it’s totally satisfying and especially great with chopped walnuts and a drizzle dollop of honey in the morning. adding fruit and/or jam is delish as well, and i even tend to throw in a handful of granola when i’m feeling adventurous. on a whim last week, i decided to be a rebel and add 1 tsp of peanut butter & a sprinkle of sugar to my fage – let’s just say it was epic fail #2. such a bummer!

the possibilities are absolutely endless! some foodie trends are definitely worth all the hype. i’m telling you, my friends – once you go greek, there’s no going backkk!

xo,

p.s. how do you feel about greek yogurt? are you as obsessed as i am?!

love: starbucks

here is my first official *love* post, highlighting my current likes, loves, and all-out-obsessions. today, my friends, let’s focus on a topic that i’m currently having an all-out-love affair with…starbucks!

now, despite what you’re assuming (yes, i’m talking to YOU there in the black shirt), i’m not one of those frilly starbucks “i’ll have a venti nonfat, half-caf, 140 degree white chocolate mocha with extra whip and a slight drizzle of chocolate, kthanks” kind of girls.

i am, however, a starbucks-card-carrying kind of girl and i suggest you become one too! did you know that registered starbucks cards have free rewards?! i.e. free soy milk, free shots of flavor syrups, free internet usage, and most importantly…free brewed coffee refills! it’s pretty amazing. my newest activity is to order a tall coffee (usually an iced coffee with sugar-free caramel & soy – it tastes like a skinny version of the elusive caramel frappaccino. scoree!), get a solid 2ish hours of facebook stalking studying done (free internet holllller), grab a free refill, and then return to the real world. pretty fabulous deal if i say so myself. some of my all-time-favorite drinks are:

– iced coffee with sugar-free caramel & soy
– skinny cinnamon dolce latte (tastes likes buttery cinnamon heaven)
– nonfat iced chai latte
– caramel light frappaccino, hold the whip *pictured below*

ohh starbucks, how i love thee. i’ll see you tomorrow – 9ish work? kgreattt!

xo,

p.s. what are YOUR favorite starbucks drinks? i’m always on the hunt for a new one!

four weddings

hellllo, loves!

it has been quite the weekend here at the frilly foodie residence: playdate with the besties on saturday, mother’s day action in south beach on sunday, and last but not least…being on television a celebrity on friday!

ok, before ya’ll get too excited, here are the deets: my best friend in the entire world, emilee, got married a few weeks ago! about a month before her wedding, her future sister-in-law wedding planner was contacted by TLC to see if they could film emilee’s wedding for their show four weddings. it aired at 10 pm on friday, may 7th. anddd, gasp, as a bridesmaid, i was lucky enough to score air time as i walked down the aisle! how cool is that?! i fully enjoyed my 15 minutes seconds of fame. kate gosselin better watch out – i’m taking overrrr!

emilee and i

emilee is the bride on the far right!

anddd, in true foodie fashion, we had a viewing party over at emilee’s house the night the show aired. i was debating about what to bring over and then it hit me: RUGELACH!! i feel like rugelach is one of those desserts that everyone loves. cream cheese dough + apricot jam/cinnamon sugar/chocolate chips all wrapped up in a frilly shape is just sheer perfection. here’s the fabulous recipe and picture timeee, obv:

rugelach recipe (courtesy of the lovely ina garten)

ingredients:
* 8 ounces (1 package) cream cheese @ room temperature
* 1/2 lb (2 sticks) unsalted butter @ room temperature
* 1/4 cup granulated sugar plus 9 tablespoons
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
* 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
* 3/4 cup raisins
* 3/4 cup chocolate chips
* 1 cup walnuts, finely chopped
* 1/2 cup apricot preserves
* 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon milk, for egg wash

directions:
* cream the cheese and butter with an electric mixer until light. Add 1/4 cup granulated sugar, the salt, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour and mix until just combined. Dump the dough out onto a well-floured board and roll it into a ball. Cut the ball in quarters, wrap each piece in plastic, and watch an episode of oprah refrigerate for 1 hour.

* to make the filling, combine 6 tablespoons of granulated sugar, the brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Place the raisins, chocolate chips, & walnuts in separate dishes.

* on a well-floured board, roll each ball of dough into a 9-inch circle. Spread the dough with 2 tablespoons apricot preserves and sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the filling, some walnuts, and either raisins/chocolate chips. Press the filling lightly into the dough. Cut the circle into 12 equal wedges— cutting the whole circle in quarters, then each quarter into thirds. Starting with the wide edge, roll up each wedge. Place the cookies, points tucked under, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Chill for 30 minutes.

* preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

* brush each cookie with the egg wash. Combine 3 tablespoons granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon and sprinkle on the cookies. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove to a wire rack and let cool.

ta-daa! how delish do they look?! making rugelach is definitely time consuming, but oh so worth it. i’ve been eating the rugelach for days – the recipe makes 4 dozen – and i literally can’t. get. enough. enjoyy!

xo,

p.s. sorry for the archaic hand mixer! i hope to *one day* own the amazing kitchen aid 5-quart stand mixer. ahh a girl can dream 🙂

happy mother’s dayy!

happy mother’s day, everyone!

i was lucky enough to spend the day with my lovely parentals in one of my favorite places in the entire world, south beach! i literally feel like i’m on vacation when i’m there – amazing food, fabulous people watching, and wayy too many people dressed in cute teeny tiny bikinis. welcome to miami! as expected, today consisted of food. food. andd more food! JUST the way i like itttt. except for the fact that i am currently in a food coma. not so nice afterall.

we also managed to see the sneak preview today of letters to juliet – ahh it was SO good! i’m definitely a sucker for romantic movies (especially when the cast includes hot british boys). ok enough rambling for now, especially since it’s time to exercise watch desperate housewives! ohh how i love sunday night tv. i hope you all had a fabulous mother’s day!

xo,

p.s. love you, mama!

heyy thereee!

Helllllo, everyone! I’m Lauriel, the frilly foodie, and this is officially my first post! I discovered all of your fabulous foodie blogs a few months ago and have not-so-secretly been hooked ever since. I graduated from the University of Florida last May (go gators!) with a degree in Nutritional Sciences and have been living the life in sunny florida for the past few months. I am a soon-to-be busy grad student with limited finances and a hectic social calendar, but I am on a mission to find tips, tricks, and easy recipes for living in style without breaking the bank. I can’t wait to share my healthy ramblings, newest discoveries, and daily adventures with ya’ll!

xo,

p.s. why did YOU start a blog? i would loveee to know!