Pink Meringues!

      When I was a little girl, I had a very picky appetite. Sandwiches were allowed to have meat and bread only, upon receiving my sandwich I would then eat each component separately. Cheese was definitely NOT on the menu either. Basically I was terrified of eating fungus (cheese!) or anything where food was mixed together (sandwiches, burritos... I hated both). Perhaps at the top of my list of foods I hated was meringue! I know it seems strange but as a kid I guess I just didn't know how they were made and they looked dry and unflavorful. Little did I know that meringue is easily made with just 4 ingredients. A few egg whites, a whole lot of sugar, and just a dash of food coloring and pure vanilla extract is all it takes to produce crisp yet light as a cloud pink meringues with the subtle hint of warm vanilla!

Magic Ingredients:

-4 room temperature egg whites

-3 cups powdered sugar (Do not descrease the amount of sugar, it will affect the texture of the meringue.)

-1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

- 4 drops pink food coloring

Getting started...

1: Preheat the oven to 185 degrees. 

2: Using a standard or handheld mixer (with whipping attachment), beat the egg whites for 5 minutes on medium to high speed until foamy.

3: Add increments of powdered sugar by the half cup while whipping the mixture for several minutes in between each addition. 

4: Add food coloring and vanilla extract, combine.

5: When the egg and sugar mixture reaches a silk like consistency (Steps 1-3 should all take about 15 to 18 minutes combined) it is ready to be piped onto cookie sheets prepared with parchment paper. Bake in a preheated oven for 2 hours. 

6: Let cool, and serve!

      

      I'm so grateful that I have been able to expand my taste buds over the years. Even trying crazy ideas like pumpkin lasagna or scary looking monster eggs (I got over my cheese aversion a few yews ago too!). But I have to say.... these petal pink meringue cookies may just be a personal favorite! I truly believed it would be much more difficult to make these petal pink (and delicious) meringue cookies but the whole process was actually so easy! I hope to make them again over the weekend. 

Yours,

Nico

PS: Easter is on the way, don't forget to whip up a batch of these chickies....

Recipe here

April Showers Bring May Flowers:

Hat- Target, Sunnies- Michael Kors, Vest- Moschino, Striped
Tank- Thrifted, Skirt- Jason Wu for Target, Bangle- Coach,
Watch- Michael Kors, Shoes- Stuart Weitzman

      I never thought I would be the one to try the mixed prints trend but this combination suits my style. Crisp stripes with a floral print in primary colors makes for a classic pairing that's on trend but not overly outrageous. And how lucky was I to find this Jason Wu for Target skirt at my local store almost two weeks after the collection was released! 


Yours,
Nico




PS: Thank you again to Maggie of MacClaveyPhotography.com for taking these photos! She also writes her own photography blog for the Santa Cruz website "Patch," I really enjoyed her latest article about how to tell a real photographer from a faux. You can view that article by clicking here

Turkey & Fennel Lasagna:

      Recently, Minted Magazine asked me to prepare a recipe for their online blog. I proposed a recipe for turkey and fennel lasagna, something simple to prepare after a long day at work! 

      If you haven't already visited www.MintedMag.com I suggest you do so right away! The online magazine offers a plethora of fashion and beauty tips, as well as yummy (plus quick and easy) recipes! To view the full post on my turkey and fennel lasagna, please click here. I would love to receive your feedback!

Yours,

Nico

PS: I would love to invite all my readers to like my page on facebook by clicking www.facebook.com/SatinandSalt !

Men's Style Feature: Keeper of the Grove

Hat- K Mart, Hoodie-Thrifted, Blazer- H&M, Denim- Diesel, Sneakers- H&M

      Last week an old friend from high school sent me a facebook message letting me know how much he loved my blog (Thanks so much Jake!) but he also was wishing that I would feature more men's wear looks. Well lucky for Jake, I was able to get my boyfriend (Shahin) to pose for the camera and let me be the photographer for a change!

      Funny story about this burgundy blazer that Shahin is wearing. While hunting for the perfect Valentine's day gift for Shahin I spotted this blazer at H&M. At first I loved the garment but decided that perhaps it was more my taste for him than his own (did that make sense?). Skip to two weeks later and we're both out shopping together. Shahin anxiously asks me "Do you think I can pull this off?" as he holds up the exact same blazer I had initially selected for him! Great minds, right?!

       Wearing a blazer with a simple hoodie and well fitting jeans instantly feels pulled together. Plus if you plan on going out later that evening all you need to do is nix the hat and hoodie and add a button up shirt and dress shoes!

Yours,

Nico

      

DIY: Organized & Personalized Bookshelves

DIY: Organized & Personalized Bookshelves by nsaich featuring glitter shoes

      Bookshelves aren't just for reading material anymore. Think of them as a bulletin board used to display all of your favorite pieces of inspiration! Show off your collection of perfume bottles, jewelry, or shoes on one shelf, utilize another for highlighting framed personal photos or memoirs. The possibilities are only limited by your creativity and the best part is, you can switch things up as often as you like, nothing is permanent! Sometimes I like to add a vase of seasonal flowers to bookshelves for a fresh fragrance.On other occasions I like to group items of like color onto shelves for a sleek and uniform appeal (but really nothing its more efficient and timeless than an alphabetized bookcase!). 

      We're experiencing a lot of rainy weather here in Santa Cruz and I plan on spending some of the time indoors reorganizing my bookshelves! How do you spend your time inside when the weather is dreary?

Yours,

Nico


PS: Here's a peek at a couple of shelves!

I keep copies of my favorite children's and young adult books,
this copy of little women is disheveled yet well loved!

A pieced together tea set displayed with Ann Taintor's "we are all utterly unclean."
I like to create small vignette's combining collections with related books on display.

Yours,
Nico