Plums and Pearls

My Life in Instagram Squares

My new obsession lately is capturing moments with my iPhone and posting them on Instagram. It's like Twitter but with photos and hashtags. I can't think of a better way to keep record of the things I enjoy in life; fashion, food and...well...this summer it's flowers apparently. I'm learning how to arrange flowers because I've discovered that a little fresh addition to the home makes the day much brighter.   

#DIY - Decorating using Real Flowers

#Cooking - Perfecting the Breakfast Plate 

#Accessories-  Jewelry Pieces I Currently Love  

Breakfast Pizza on Pita Bread

One of my favorite things about Saturday mornings is being able to take the time to prepare a breakfast meal without the stress of having to rush to work. I love to look inside my fridge to see what leftover ingredients I have from my weekday trips to the market. One detail about me - I don't like grocery shopping on my days off...I avoid it as much as possible! Last weekend, I was out of sliced bread so toast was out of the question. I decided to use pita bread instead and bake the usual breakfast favorites on top to create a breakfast pizza. The pita bread works perfectly as a pizza crust substitute. In fact, this is one of my favorite homemade breakfast meals, ever! I highly recommend the recipe below. XOXO

INGREDIENTS: Wheat pita bread, extra virgin olive oil, mozzarella cheese, large eggs, cherry tomatoes, red onion, basil, chili powder and pepper. 

INSTRUCTIONS: Pre-heat the oven at 375 degrees. Drizzle oil over the pita bread and layer on top some Mozzarella cheese. Bake the pita bread for two minutes then crack two eggs over the pita bread and  sprinkle your favorite toppings. I used cherry tomatoes, red onion and basil. Bake for about 5 minutes. Use some chili powder and pepper for flavoring and bon appetite!  

Lemon Cupcakes

When people bring sweets to the office I savor over each and every bite as if it will be my last one. Then I look down at the crumbs near the keyboard and ask myself shamefully, "Why did you just eat that? Gym is now mandatory after work today." This is a battle I encounter probably every other day thanks to my generous co-workers. One day I decided to return the generosity and bake a bunch of Lemon Cupcakes. I think I kind of did them a favor by making them miniature-sized...and since they were mini and could barely hold a Lemon Drop, I bought a few bags of skittles and picked out the Yellow ones. 

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XOXO

Kale & Turkey Meatball Soup

I've been experimenting with Kale a lot lately and one of my favorite recipes using this nutrient-rich vegetable has been the Kale and Turkey Meatball Soup. Sometimes it's difficult to find a truly healthy and tasty recipe but once I discover one, it becomes my go-to meal on a weekly basis. I tried a few different twists and turns with this recipe and I think I've finally landed with the right mix.

Baked Meatballs: Ground turkey, bread crumbs, egg, onion, garlic, parsley and grated Parmesean cheese. 

Soup: Low-sodium chicken broth, kale, bell peppers, onion, crushed red peppers and salt and pepper 

Faux-Croutons: This dish is carb free but if you have to have the carbs, toast some wheat bread and dip it with some red peppers before you soak it up in your bowl of soup

Enjoy! XOXO

Valentine's Day Sweets

~ Happy Valentine's Day! ~

If I had to choose between making my Valentine a card or some sugary sweets I'd go with - duh if you know me well - the sugary sweets. I 've been meaning to purchase some new baking pans since mine have gotten a little old and rusty. Well, I got lazy today and decided not to go shopping. Instead, I baked Sugar cookies in cupcake pans. They came out surprisngly adorable. The texture was soft and fluffy on the inside and crisp on the outside. The best part came last - decorating the top with a plum shade of Vanilla frosting. xoxo