All Natural

I still play with leaves. Is that childish? 

Fashion Inspiration: Kristenglam

New York fashion blogger Kristen Lam, of Kristenglam has an effortless, casual style with youthful notes-- simple, but sophisticated. Her fashion photo blog combines the New York landscape, an eclectic mix of the industrial city scene and the beauty of the numerous parks, with her equally unique sense of fashion. She's this month's favorite blogger, and has long been a favorite of Coffeestrokes. 

Here are a few of our favorite posts, make sure to check them out!

Flicker

It was a pretty crowded day at the Huntington Library the Thursday that I visited for an AP Literature assignment. I came to analyze the originals of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales; ended up spending not so much time doing the assignment than strolling the unique, beautiful gardens that attracted so many visitors that day. This walkway cuts through rows upon rows of roses of every variety in the Huntington's famed Rose Garden. In the midst of the crowds shifting in and out of my camera's viewfinder, here's a shot of the flicker of emptiness, of serenity, of peace that so beautifully captures the natural wonder of the rose gardens. 

Love,

Eileen

Germany

From the Netherlands, we traveled about 3 hours along mountainous roads to Heidelberg, Germany. Most can agree to describe our short stay in Germany as a sweltering hot castle-hopping experience. For a city that is generally mild in the summers, our tour landed us on a few of the hottest days of the year in Heidelberg. And during our time in this beautiful country, we explored a few of Germany's most famous castles. 

The quaint city of Heidelberg prides itself in its traditional, non-industrialized aesthetic charm. Years ago, the town square banned the coca-cola umbrellas that patio cafes sported to more natural looking umbrellas of earthy shades. It's a small, but profound difference that preserves the authenticity of German city life, the independence of family business, and the beauty of the town. Heidelberg also prides itself in not only being a popular tourist spot, but a intellectual center of research in many fields of science.

A few hours drive from Heidelberg is the site of the Neuschwanstein Castle, supposedly the castle that inspired Disney's Sleeping Beauty castle. A nineteenth-century Romanesque Revival palace, this castle minimalist exterior housed an equally appealing ornate, lavish interior. 

This view from the highest tower of the Neuschwanstein is a magnificent one. From here, you can see Hohenschwangau Castle in the distance.

#FIRST

I haven't seen many legitimate looking trophies in my life before, nor have I ever been able to take a low light picture in one shot so shoutout to the Motivate Award for letting me hit two birds with one stone. 

Avocado Toast

If I can manage to get up 10 minutes earlier in the mornings, its because there are perfectly ripe avocados ready to be made into spread for a quick, but hearty breakfast. I first tried avocado spread at Gum Tree Cafe in Hermosa Beach and I've since fell in love with it. 

Here's the recipe!

For 4 servings:

-1 avocado

-4 slices of bread

-1/4 tsp salt

-1/4 tsp pepper

-red pepper flakes (optional)

-egg whites/ ham / roasted chicken breast

Directions:

-Mash your avocado into a bowl. You want it to be creamy but don't get too carried away with this-- you'll end up with soup. 

-Add in seasonings and red pepper flakes to taste

-Toast bread (I recommend French Baguettes)

-Top with avocado spread and any other toppings of your choice

Hope you give this recipe a try!

All I Want for Christmas...

At Gumtree cafe during christmas time, they put up this christmas tree and leave tags on a little table for people to write down their wishes and tie them onto the tree. Super cute right? This one was the greatest. 

And I know Miley Cyrus has gotten cray, but she was great in Hannah Montana. 

Blog Inspiration

Rishita's Recommendation: Humans of New York

This photoblog is definitely and will infinitely remain my favorite thing on the internet, period. It's Brandon Stanton's daily journey to capture New York's eccentric personality through its citizens. Often coupled with equally stimulating captions, these pictures will touch anyone on an emotional level, whether it be a candid or a composed portrait. If you've lost faith in humanity, this will bring it back. No doubts about it. 

11/10 would recommend to anyone. 

Vanessa's Recommendation : Wild Olive

This blog inspired me to take up embroidery. It's a very simple blog run by a mom and I just love it. The blog contains DIY tutorials, templates, and even free printables. Go check it out! 

Eileen's Recommendation: A Beautiful Mess

This blog is run by two amazing sisters, Elsie and Emma who consistently write captivating posts about the things they love best-- music, food, interior design, starting a business, etc. This is actually the first blog that I ever started reading, after finding this cake pop recipe (they turned out great!). I obviously recommend all the food posts they write, and also their simple DIYs!

Thanks for reading, and be sure to check out all these awesome blogs!

Chocolate Chair

A trip to LA Koreatown is never complete without the obligatory two scoops of blueberry icecream at Chocolate Chair. I'm usually not a fan of fruity ice cream- I tend to go for the classic duo of chocolate and old-fashioned vanilla. But, I've since been a convert. 

Chocolate chair makes each order of ice cream fresh, every single one. It's unique, not your usual ice cream. There's a definite sense of purity in this kind of cooking- a fast dwindling art form of "made to order food". 

Definitely stop by and have a scoop (or two!) for yourself whenever you are in the area! Bon appetit! 

Simple Granola

Today we will show you how to make a super simple and delicious homemade granola. It's a great addition to any yogurt parfait, or just to eat alone as a snack.

Ingredients:
- 2 cups Rolled Oats
- 1/2 cup Honey
- 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
- 1/4 cup Melted Butter
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-pinch of salt

Optional:
-raw, unsalted almonds
-dried fruit
-chocolate (add in after granola is baked and cooled)

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
-Mix all the ingredients in a bowl
-Lay out the mixture on a baking sheet 
-bake for about 30 minutes or until golden brown, tossing the mixture every 10 minutes

Hope you give this recipe a try!