recent photos

1. vibrant plants
2. i'm a sucker for string lights

3. morning writing at woodlawn coffee
4. big bucket of oranges
5. the wood brothers
6. valentine's macaron
7. penny, on the kitchen table
8. woodsman market flowers
9. pendleton couch from remnant at the portland flea 
10. my two cuties

salted dark chocolate peanut butter cups

i've made a dangerous discovery. with two ingredients and about five minutes of prep time, i can have incredibly rich peanut butter cups whenever the craving strikes. there are many recipes out there for homemade peanut butter cups that involve adding powdered sugar or honey, but i really don't feel it's necessary to mess with the simplicity of the two ingredients. i mean, it's chocolate and peanut butter—you just can't go wrong with that combination!

salted dark chocolate peanut butter cups (makes 6 large cups)

about 7 oz dark chocolate
1/2 cup peanut butter (i used the kind you grind yourself at the store)
pink himalayan sea salt, for topping

line a muffin tin with cupcake liners and set aside. pour the chocolate chips in a bowl and microwave on high in increments of thirty seconds, stirring in between. after about two or three thirty-second sessions, the chocolate should be nicely tempered (smooth and shiny.) pour a little bit of the melted chocolate into the liners and use the back of the spoon to coat the bottom and sides of the liner evenly. next, drop in a little bit of peanut butter and spread it to fill up the center. then pour more chocolate over the peanut butter to cover it completely and sprinkle salt on top of the cups. place muffin tin in the fridge for thirty minutes, or until the cups are set.

friday

happy friday! plans for this weekend: happy hour, babysitting, yoga and ice cream. always ice cream. 

my eyes + edge posts from this week:
♡ reif x pattern people spring 2013 collab

current obsession

this is by no means a fancy recipe (or a groundbreaking discovery, for that matter), but lately i can't get enough of this meal—it works for breakfast, lunch and dinner. so simple, yet it feels special every time i make it!

to make: heat a frying pan over medium-high heat and add in a tiny bit of butter. once the butter is warm, place a corn tortilla in the pan and top it with white cheddar, baby spinach and a sprinkle of salt. top with another corn tortilla to make a quesadilla of sorts and flip when the first side is starting to brown. let the other side brown, then remove from heat. add a little more butter (if needed) and fry an egg to your liking. place the egg on top of the quesadilla, then add sliced avocado and cilantro. if i'm feeling extra hungry, i'll fry another egg, or serve this with black beans and sliced tomatoes.

i heart portland

the hoyt arboretum is beautiful. i can't believe i'd never been before! or that such a place exists within city limits.

1. welcome sign
2. viewpoint for the surrounding mountains
3. kat and lindsey, visiting from connecticut
4. tall trees
5. copper branches
6. the trail we took

friday

 

happy friday! i've probably mentioned this a few (hundred) times, but i love having visitors here in portland. some friends from college are in town this weekend—can't wait to see them and put my portland favorites list to use!

my eyes + edge posts from this week:
>> zz ward at the star theater

valentine's day

 

whether you love it or hate it, valentine's day is tomorrow. personally, i'll take any excuse to gorge on sugar and send handmade notes to loved ones all over the country. drew and i are honoring our valentine's day tradition of skipping the pricey and overcrowded restaurants in favor of dinner and wine at home. then, after dinner, we go all out at pix—macarons, truffles, chocolate mousse. when it comes to dessert, we don't mess around!