5 Things to do on a Sunday @ Home

April 21, 2015April 22, 2015Leave a comment

1) Bake. Nothing is more aesthetically pleasing than baking something delectable that you can devour afterward. I find baking to be relaxing and stress-relieving. I can be having the most chaotic week, but when I put on that apron, I forget everything and drift into a world of sugary dreams.

I made my favorite crispy chocolate chip cookies ( I have a blogpost on the recipe) along with a lovely darjeeling chai.

2) Read or Watch a Good Movie
Most of us have busy schedules and our fridays and saturdays are packed with parties and fun. We often don’t have time to do things as simple as watch a movie or catch up on reading. I believe that Sundays were made to do the things you love and most of all relax. Curl up with a good book or put on an old hollywood movie on netflix and have fun!

This is an excerpt from one of the cutest books on style by Nina Garcia, “The Little Black Book of Style”. This is one of my favorite quotes❤️.

3) Go for a long walk
Long walks are always fun. I love going on a walk and taking pictures of the beauty of nature and perhaps doing a mini-photoshoot while I am walking… It depends on my outfit / mood. But it is honestly so fun and adveturous.

Here are some flowers , I picked up from my front yard after the walk. I love fresh flowers. It looks so rustic and crisp. Placing flowers in a mason jar or cute bottle makes your floral arrangement look vintage and unique.

4) Take a bubble bath
A hot bath with some good music, “spa water” or tea , and a fizzing bath bomb or bubble solution is all you need for a pleasant bath. Baths are calming to the body and often require alot of time. That is why I prefer to take long bubble baths on Sundays. I love addig some essential oils to my bath for a calming aroma and some bath salts.

This is my all time favorite bubble solution. I have been using it ever since I was a little kid and still love it! You can find in the baby section of Target. It smells like berries and last forever. I also love using this lemon sugar scrub. Its exfoliating and has a lovely citrus scent that lingers on your skin throughout the day. I am not exactly sure where its from, but bath & body works sells great scrubs. A combination of these two make for a luxurious and relaxing bath.

5) Exercise
This means do anything athletic. It can be anything from yoga to playing dance games on the x-box or just going for a run. My definition of a workout is jumping on the trampoline. It is a great workout for the lymphatic system. I also love doing yoga. It relaxes me. I think sunday’s are a perfect day to do fun workouts if you get lazy during the week! Make sure your playing some of your favorite music while doing so. Music radiates energy and motivating vibes during workouts.

Xoxo,
Shiza

Quick & Easy Homemade Breakfast Sandwich

March 26, 2015April 22, 2015Leave a comment

Aloha ❤️ This morning I was frazzled on what to eat for breakfast. That’s when I decided to make an impromptu breakfast sandwich using ingredients on hand. This sandwich turned out amazing and is one of my new favorite breakfast treats.
Servings: 2

Ingredients:
• 1 bottle of your favorite jarred marinara sauce
• English muffins
• Shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 eggs
• Olive oil
•Sprinkle of salt & pepper
•Butter or Margarine

Directions:
1) Cut the english muffins lengthwise and place the halves in a toaster on medium high heat setting. You want the muffins to be well done so that it can hold the weight of the marinara and egg.
2) Heat a pan with a drizzle of olive oil on medium high heat. Add the marinara . Warm the sauce thoroughly.
3) While the sauce heats up, fry your egg any style. I prefer the yolks to be cooked fully so that it doesn’t run through the marinara. However, the yolk can add richness to the sauce if you prefer your eggs runny. Poached eggs can work too. This recipe is flexible for change so I recommend you to alter it to your own preference.
4) Take the muffins out of the toaster and spread a tablespoon of butter on both sides. Then, on the larger side of the muffin , spoon a few tablespoons of the sauce. Place the fried egg on top of the muffin w/ sauce. Sprinkle some cheese. The heat of the eggs and marinara will cause the cheese to melt. Lastly, put the second smaller side of the english muffin onto the sandwich. Voilà, your breakfast is ready!

Best Ice Cream Ever…..

March 15, 2015April 22, 2015Leave a comment

Hey guys , so today I went to a liquid nitrogen ice cream lab and fell in love. I am not exaggerating, it was simply extraordinary. The Ice Cream Lab in Beverly Hills serves up ice cream with a fun and modern twist. The flavors are unique and some of them are seasonal. The flavors most of us ordered were Blue Velvet, Banilla ( Banana + Vanilla) , Salty Caramel Pretzel, Cookies & Cream, and Vanilla . I ordered the Banilla and was in love. It tasted almost like a banana cream pie but in ice cream form. What I particularly love about this place is that the ice cream bases are pre-made , but they mix all the flavorings and liquid nitrogen in front of you. It is a really fun experience to watch them adding the liquid nitrogen and the ice cream base is magically transformed into a delectable concotion. The liquid nitrogen makes the ice cream have a smooth texture. In my opinion , the ice cream had a richer and creamier taste that ordinary ice cream. This is definitely one of the best ice cream places in LA! Here are some pictures of what we got.

Thats the Banilla…

This is the Salted Caramel Pretzel

This is the Blue Velvet

Xoxo,
Shiza

Hidden Cafè✨

March 15, 2015March 15, 2015Leave a comment

Heey Guys,

Today I went to Conservatory Coffee and Tea. This place is perfect for a coffee addict. (like me) This coffee joint is a hidden place in culver city, it’s been serving culver city since 1995. It’s a little hipster coffee joint. I ordered the caramel iced coffee. I fell in love!! It’s way better than Starbucks or Coffee bean. It’s rich coffee. I definitely recommend for you guys to check it out! It’s located on 10117 West Washington Boulevard, Culver City, CA 90232.

Xoxo,
Zaina

British Breakfast Classic : Beans on Toast

February 26, 2015April 22, 20151 Comment

This breakfast classic is a traditional part of a typical English breakfast and is a recipe that can be made in minutes and is absolutely delectable and gratifying. The recipe I am sharing with you today has an Indian flair to it, because it is inspired by my visits to Calcutta . It is a common breakfast food in Calcutta , because of the mix of Indian and British cultures that were a result of the British Raj.

Servings: 4
Ingredients:
1) 4 slices of toast, toasted well ( it needs to be hard/dry enough to absorb the beans well, if the bread is not well toasted the dish will become too soggy which is not good)
2) 1 can of Chilli Beans or Heinz Beans
3) Few dashes of tapatio sauce ( tabasco or any other hot sauce is fine too)
4) 1/2 red or yellow onion , chopped small ( Indian kick)
5) 2-3 green chillies , optional (Indian kick)
6) Butter
7) Shredded cheddar cheese ( or any other kind , I used a mexican spiced cheese that I had in the fridge)

Directions:
1) Toast bread in a toaster.
2) Open a can of beans and pour the beans with the liquid and all, into a saucepan.
3) Heat the mixture on medium flame, and cook until some of the liquid has slightly reduced. Lower the heat, add a few dashes of Tapatio for a spicy flavor.
4) Spread a tbsp of butter onto each slice of toast. Be generous. Don’t care about the fat, the butter makes this dish even more delicious. Besides it really makes ALL the difference. Trust me….
5) Now its time to assemble. Carefully spoon out enough beans and sauce to entirely cover the surface of your toast.
6) Top with some shredded cheese. Then, add some of the chopped onions and chillies. This is what makes a Beans on Toast an “Indian Beans on Toast”. It seriously makes the dish taste 100 times better.

( Sorry the plating wasnt the best )

Xoxo
Shiza

Mexican inspired Egg White Frittata

February 11, 2015February 11, 2015Leave a comment

This is a healthy and scrumptious recipe that will satisfy your taste buds and your new years resolution to eat healthier. Its also a great way to use up leftover egg whites, thats what I did. I made creme brulee yesterday and was left with 8 egg whites, so I decided to make use of them for breakfast today! This recipe was made up on the spot with the ingredients I had at hand. If you do not like egg whites you can do whole eggs. Alot of the ingredients CAN be substituted with other flavors & ingredients. It will still taste great, trust me…….So have fun with it and alter it to your taste.

Servings: 5-6
Ingredients:
-8 egg whites
-1/2 red onion, diced small
-1/4 bell pepper, diced small
-1/2 jalapeño, finely diced seeds & all because we like the heat
-1 ripe tomatoe, diced small
– a handful of cilantro, chopped
– a handful of mint, chopped
( you can sub basil if you do not have these herbs)
-few dashes of lemon pepper
– 1 Tbsp Sriracha sauce (Tabasco or Tapatio Sauce are substitutable)
– Mexican style Cheddar Cheese, shredded ( pepper jack or simple monterey jack would work too)
-Salt , to taste
– A drizzle of olive oil

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
2) Chop all of the vegetables. Whisk egg whites. Add all of the vegetables and herbs. Mix well and add the spices and sriracha sauce.
3) Heat a large skillet with a drizzle of olive oil. Carefully pour egg mixture into the pan. Cook on the stove for 4-5 minutes on medium high heat to get the bottom of the frittata set.
4) Once the eggs are set, place skillet
into the oven . Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the eggs have thouroughly cooked. Generously sprinkle the shredded cheese onto the eggs in the last few minutes of baking.
5) Cool frittata for a few minutes. Then, slice and serve. Serve with a side of toast and jam . A homeade juice compliments well with this dish. I drank some homeade pineapple juice. Bon Appetit❤️

*Cooking time varies each time. Keep an eye on your eggs to ensure that they do not burn. They will be done when the center is set and completely cooked. Baking them in 350 degrees will reduce the bake time. I used a lower heat to ensure the eggs would be thoroughly cooked.

XOXO,
Shiza

DIY Valentine’s Day Gift: Vanilla Cakepops Coated in Chocolate

February 1, 2015February 2, 20156 Comments

This Valentines Day inspired recipe is a sweet, thoughtful gift for your loved ones. It requires no special ingredients or tools, and is simply scrumptious. My friend Saki decided to teach me how she makes these delicious bites and we tested out the recipe yesterday and were pleased with how it turned out.

What you need:
1) A Container of store-bought frosting any flavor you prefer. I used vanilla.
2) Yellow boxed cake mix & the ingredients the box calls for, in order to prepare the cake. (mine called for 3 eggs, water,& oil)
3) Semi-sweet chocolate chips.
4) Cake Pop sticks ( if you cant find them, just cut wooden skewers in half)

Directions:
1) Bake cake according to package. I simply mixed all of the wet ingredients with the dry and baked the cake for 35 minutes in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven.
2) Cool cake for about an hour ( its takes waaaaay less time if you cool it in the fridge).
3) Break the cooled cake into small crumbs.
4)Mix the frosting into the crumbled cake. Add enough so that the mixture is not too wet nor too dry. Make sure there is enough frosting in the mixture in order to form cake balls. Do not add too much frosting or it will cause the cake balls to break.
6)Form meatball sized balls. You can use an ice cream scoop in order to obtain uniform sized cakepops. I simply just estimated the size of each cake pop.
7) Insert the sticks into the center of the cake pops. Place the cake pops in the freezer for 10-15 minutes so that they can harden.
8) Melt chocolate chips over a double broiler or in intervals of 30 sec in the microwave until the chocolate has completely melted. You can use candy melts if you want a colorful coating on your cake pop.
9) Coat each cake pop in the melted chocolate. You can top the coated cake pops with festive sprinkles for another added touch.Allow it to cool on a tray in the fridge.

Xoxo
– Shiza

Guest Appearance: Saki

Thin, Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies

January 30, 2015April 24, 2015Leave a comment

This recipe was not created by me and in no way am I claiming credit for it. I am simply sharing a slightly altered version of them because I am absolutely obsessed with them and may or may not be addicted…..This is Ree Drummond’s recipe from thepioneerwoman.com , who also happens to be one of my fav chefs and someone who has an amazing show on the food network. Yes, I am a teenager who watches food network, judge me for it. But its a channel whose spectacular chefs such as Giada and Bobby Flay have inspired me to have an immense love for cooking.

I have tweaked the recipe, to better fit my tastes. Also it is halved and makes about 13-16 cookies depending on how large you decide to make each cookie. If you want the original recipe search, “Malted Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies” . Hope you enjoy this recipe.

Preheat Oven: 375 degrees Fahrenheit
Bake time: 10 to 12 minutes ( I typically bake mine for about 10 so that they’re chewy and crisp)
Ingredients:
– 1 c. all purpose flour
– 1 tsp vanilla
– 6 tbsp brown sugar
– 6 tbsp white granulated sugar
– 1 egg
– 1 tsp vanilla extract
– 1/2 tsp + 1/8 tsp baking soda
– 1/2 c. or 1 stick butter (recipe calls for
unsalted but salted works just as
well… trust me)
-1/4 c. malted milk powder ( SECRET
INGREDIENT)
– 1/2 bag or 6 ounces semi sweet
chocolate chips
– 1/4 c. walnuts or pecans ( or a
mixture of both, I kinda just add as
much as I want ) .
*You can sub almonds or completely
leave out any kind of nut if you’re
allergic. It will still taste amazing.
– splash of milk (less than a tbsp) in
case batter gets too dry

Directions:
1) Preheat Oven
2) Cream butter, add the two sugars ,
continue creaming until mixture is
fluffy. Add vanilla. Mix.
3) Crack egg in a seperate bowl and
whisk with a fork. Add eggs to
butter sugar mixture. Beat until
it is thoroughly combined and add
the malted milk powder. This is
what makes the cookies thin and
crisp.
4) Sift the flour and baking soda.
Gradually add into the butter sugar
mixture. Be sure to add about 1/3 of
the dry into the wet a time so that
you do not end up in a cloud of
flour. Mix well.
5) Add the nuts and chocolate chips
and stir gently.
6) Bake, Cool, & Enjoy. Bon Appétit ❤️

XOXO
– Shiza

I apologize on the messy quality of the pictures , they were taken by an iPhone 5s.

Cafè Buna

January 26, 2015January 31, 2015Leave a comment

Heey guys!! One of my all time favorite Sunday brunch spots is Cafè Buna. Omg you guys I’ve literally been here like a million times. The ambiance of this place will give you such good vibes! It’s walking distance to the beach additionally, which makes going there even better. However whenever I go there I usually get baffled between what to order. If I am trying to satisfy my sweet tooth I get there Red Velvet Pancakes, which are incredible! Of one my fav savory dishes is the lobster omelet. The omelet is stuffed in with sautéed lobster and topped with a delectable pesto sauce 😍.
Here are some photographs of my food!

Xoxo
Z

Hidden Gems : Malibu Cafè

January 26, 2015January 31, 2015Leave a comment

I absolutely love Malibu Cafe. Its in a discreet part of Malibu a hidden place where only some now about, up in the mountains, at Calamigos Ranch. Although I’ve only been there twice everything about it is simply breathtaking. From the gorgeous lake in the middle of the outdoors-y rustic restaurant to the sublime food the cafe has to offer it has honestly captivated my heart and is one of my favorite places to go to. I love the relaxed vibe the restaurant gives off and is truly a must go spot in California. Also, be sure to paddleboard or row on the lake , while your waiting for your food to come. I promise its amazing. Here are pictures from my adventures yesterday💞