The Staples

White jeans and a jean shirt are staples in my opinion. Apparently they are for Emily and Helena too. They both featured the classic pairing on their blogs last week. 

via Cupcakes and Cashmere

I wear my jean shirt a lot. I even had to by a second one because I got a hole in my first one...

via Brooklyn Blonde

I wear my jean shirt as a cover up at the beach, as a jacket over a striped t-shirt, or like these two ladies and pair it with crisp white jeans or shorts.

via Pinterest

How great is this dark denim shirt? The perfect thing to pair with your white jeans to transition them to fall. I don't believe in that whole "no white after Labor Day" thing. Who decided they could make up rules when and what colors I can and cannot wear?

 jean shirt /white jeans /zara heels

Here are my staples. This Madewell shirt is the only jean shirt you ever need. I recommend it to everyone. I love how Emily styled her outfit with my favorite Zara heels!

Embrace these simple staples and sport this classic outfit!

xo Annie

Foodie Crush

Monday morning the newest issue of Foodie Crush hit the web! I had actually never heard of Foodie Crush until my sister tweeted at me about it. Foodie is my middle name, so I instantly started researching to find out what this "Foodie Crush" was all about. 

Heidi Larsen is the mastermind behind this online food magazine. She came up with the idea from combining two of her favorite things, food blogs and food magazines. Heidi has her on food blog, but puts together this seasonal online mag to feature her recent foodie crushes. 

The summer's issue includes an article on Teen Bloggers, recipes for summer popsicles, Fair inspired food and a feature on The Big Potluck (a forum for bloggers on the West coast).

The Teen Bloggers section was my favorite. Out of the 6 featured, all are under the age of 20. I discovered Izy from Top With Cinnamon a couple weeks ago. Izy is 17, lives in London, and has the most drool worthy pictures on her blog. 

Lisey was another favorite I discovered. She is 10 years old. Yes, 10, and already has her own food blog. My favorite thing on her blog is the "About Me" section. Lisey is home schooled, has an older brother and two younger sisters, likes to fold origami, read American Girl books and is a lot like her mom. Lisey sounds like me at age 10. I was just starting to bake and was an American Girl fanatic! I can't wait to try her recipe for chocolate chip coffee muffins.

I love reading about Heidi's foodie crushes, but I have my own as well. My top three foodie crushes are consistently The Pioneer Woman, Joy the Baker and How Sweet It Is! These are the sites I go to first when looking for a recipe!

Read the current issue of Foodie Crush here.

Foodies Unite!

xo annie

Crunchy Quinoa Granola

My quinoa kick is still going strong. This stuff rocks and is so good for you. Black bean quinoa tacos are on the menu sometime this week! 

I'm a huge granola person, but since my sister started making her own granola I've completely switched over to homemade granola. It's so easy and this way you can control the ingredients and flavor. I used my sister's recipe as a base, but as always adapted it as my own. 

I made it with a few ingredients, partially because it was all I had, and partially because I like it simple so I can add fresh fruit and other flavorings.

All mixed up, ready for the oven

The first batch of granola I made this summer burnt to a crisp, but it was still delicious. 

My quinoa granola came out much better and was baked perfectly.

I prefer plain greek yogurt or vanilla greek yogurt topped with honey, blueberries and my crunchy quinoa granola! 

Crunchy Quinoa Granola
Makes about 7 cups... halved it (yes it has only one egg, but if you whisk it up you can pour half the egg white in)

Ingredients:
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant!)
1 cup unsweetened shredded or flaked coconut
1 cup uncooked quinoa
1/4 cup toasted wheat germ2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons vanilla extract ( I like a lot of vanilla)
1/4 cup maple syrup (or more if you prefer a sweeter granola)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 egg white

Directions:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Combine all ingredients but the egg white and, tossing to coat evenly. Whisk the egg white in a small bowl until frothy.

Stir into the granola mixture. Spread it in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Bake for 40 to 50 minutes. About halfway through, gently stir the granola, carefully turning the granola, breaking it as little as possible. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and onto a cooling rack until cooled.

Store in an airtight container and will stay fresh for a long while!

Annie

Bites of My Life

Summer is on the downhill slope, and I am trying to pack it all in before I have to go back to school. This week included hot temperatures, home cooking, a best friend lunch, a store opening, and the John Mayer concert. Only two weeks left till it's back to the grind.

{Bites of My Life}

{lots of food pictures this week}

-Cupcakes, green tea and popsicles for a cool afternoon treat at my favorite bakery!

-In dire need of a trip to the grocery store, but managed to whip up this stir fry with the only things we had in the fridge! (brown rice, red onion, corn, spinach and broccoli)

-Smoked salmon sandwich for lunch at Kitchen No. 324. The perfect spot to dish about life with my two best friends! 

-My parents were in Seattle over the fourth where they got to eat some of the best seafood. Lucky for me they had some shipped home! Fresh scallops, shrimp and herb spaghetti all from Pikes Place Market.

-My best gal pals and I all in Dallas to see John Mayer. 

-Perfect night for an outdoor concert!

xo annie

On My Radar

Sharing a few things that are making me excited, curious and anxious.

I'm leaving tomorrow to see John Mayer. I can't wait. His new single "Paper Doll" has been on repeat all week. Getting anxious for his next album, coming out August 13!

I cut quite a bit of my hair off back in the spring, but I'm feeling the itch to go even shorter. My hairdresser laughed when I said I wanted to go short, meaning right above my shoulders. She sports an edgy almost pixy cut, so short to her means really short. I'm not that adventurous, but I think it's time for another chop! Gwyneth is my go to hair style icon.

Brace yourself. Word on the street is that overalls are coming back. Call me crazy, but I'm kind of excited about it. I'm interested to see if the trend will take off again. Overalls seem to have gotten a bad rep after they went out of style a while ago, but come on they are so practical! You don't need a belt, they usually have tons of pockets, and they are comfy! I wonder if Gap will recreate the purple corduroy pair I used to love when I was 5.

I found this picture last week on Pinterest. With the 100+ degree temps we are having, all I want is to throw my hair up. I'm getting a little tired of the fun buns, headbands and braids. On the hunt for some little silk scarves to tie my hair up with!

xo annie