The Black Swan:

Beautiful....

....yet dangerous. 

All photos taken by Maggie of MacClaveyPhotography.com

Kitchen Magician!

      My father often signs his emails as "Kitchen Magician," instead of his actual name, I hope that one day I can fill his shoes as a culinary wizard! He and I are constantly brainstorming new recipes or feverishly chatting away about the most recent meals we have concocted. I'm not always as creative and inventive as he is but I do stash some items of inspiration in my kitchen to make sure that a new cooking idea always emerges!

Marzipan veggies!

A morning mug that pokes fun at my height.

1: Certo- For making pepper jellies this summer
2: Old Bay Season- Key flavoring ingredient for making Barefoot Contessa's salmon cakes (I add fried bacon bits!)

3: Vintage recipe box- Found at Santa Cruz's local antique fair

4: Avian Salt & Pepper Shakers

Ceramic egg tray that makes putting away groceries more fun!

Sometimes I purchase spices that come in plastic bags or boxes,
these 99 cent glass spice jars keep things well contained. 

A berry colander that's spring ready! (only $2.99 at Cost Plus!)

I always have leftover bits of onion, this veggie saver keeps
my produce fresh and let's me know what is inside the box!

Beauty and function collide in this decorative key/ bottle opener. 

      Dad, I know you log in each day (thank you!) and I wanted to take the time to let you know that I appreciate all your innovation and creativity. You inspire me each and every time I prepare a home cooked meal!

       And to my readers.... who are such a great source of inspiration to me, where do you find culinary inspiration?!

Yours,

Nico


PS: Here's a preview of an upcoming style post!

Photo taken by Maggie of www.MacClaveyPhotography.com

Monster Eggs!

      With Easter just around the corner I have the chance to mix two of my favorite hobbies, crafting and cooking! I love decorating hard boiled eggs with sparkly glittery glue and pastel dyes but this year I wanted to try something more boy approved (AKA: less cute more gross!). I gladly welcomed a recipe for Monster Eggs! Slimy, veiny, and revolting, these hard boiled eggs are sure to astound all the children in your life, as well as the adults you know that are really kids at heart!

Hard boiling the eggs....

1: Bring a large pot of water to a boil, gently add in the eggs making sure they are completely submerged. Reduce the temperature to low and let eggs simmer for 10 minutes. 

2: Using a slotted spoon, gently transfer the eggs into a large bowl of ice cold water. This step is very important. Let the eggs chill in the ice bath until they have cooled completely. 

3: Using a spoon, tap the shells on the eggs being careful not to completely remove the casing. Submerge the crackled eggs in bowls of water dyed with food coloring for 8 hours. 

      This simple kid approved recipe was really fun for me to do yesterday with my sous chef Jonas, who is 8 and hopes to one day be an artist (He selected which colors we would use, insisting that red would be too gross to eat). He almost couldn't wait the entire 8 hours for the dye to set... but I'm sure he'll be happy with the results when he sees them today!

Yours,

Nico

DIY: Chevron Manicure

      I love gaudy nail art but I hate the hefty price tag that typically goes along with getting your nails "did" at a salon. I was able to find these Sally Hansen's highlighter yellow nail strips for $2.50 at my local convenience store as well as these Sinful Colors nail art polishes for $1.99 each. Bringing my arty manicure to a total of $8.47! Although the yellow nail strips can't be reused, I know I'll be crafting other nail designs with the Sinful Colors nail art polishes. 

Get the look!

1: Apply nail strips per the directions on the box.

2: Using various Nail art polishes create triangles at the middle tip of your nail. 

3: After polish becomes mostly dry, apply a layer of top coat to your nails to seal the look!

Yours,

Nico

Polka Dots & Party Pants

Hat- American Apparel, Sunnies- Michael Kors, Top-
H&M, Clutch- Kate Spade, Bracelets- Juicy Couture &
Vintage Givenchy, Watch- Michael Kors, Pants- Helmut  Lang, Shoes- Michael Kors 

      Ever since this post, I have been craving a pair of pants that are colorful and bold. I found these Helmut Lang mustard colored pants on super sale thru the Nordstrom web site. The main selling point? These pants fit my 37 inch leg inseam!  Get them here for 60 percent off. I recommend sizing down, the stretch denim has a lot of give in the fabric. 
      Also I am guilty of wearing my american apparel hat with polka dots yet again (examples 1, 2, & 3). I pledge to you that I will try styling this print much differently next time! 


Yours,
Nico


PS: A very special thank you to Maggie of MacClaveyPhotography.com for taking these photos! She managed to get a couple good smiles out of me (which is quite the achievement!).