Theirs: Coffee Cake

Both Aspen and I are dessert addicts.... though we probably wouldn't admit it to your face. We are both on the go all the time and barely have time to eat throughout the day. I take 15 units at San Francisco State University, have a job, and on top of all that, I am co-producing a documentary, an awards show for my school, and the graduation for my major. It leaves very little time to plan ahead for healthy eating (or full meals at all), so when I get a moment at home to make a treat, it just feels comforting and obviously delicious. Aspen has no interest in telling me I should watch my sugar intake, so together we make a mean, sweet-loving team. 

At nighttime when we finally are home from our busy days and have a moment to relax, we switch on the TV and head straight for the sweets. It could be worse, right? We don't smoke or drink... just drown our bodies in sugar! We are constantly thinking of desserts to make at home and recently came across the classic coffee cake. It's a pretty simple recipe but be prepared to watch about a stick of butter go into it. These coffee cake squares were absolutely scrumptious but we both agreed that they are rich enough to save for special occasions. Luckily, my future-sister-in-law's bridal shower is coming up in April so I will definitely pull this recipe out again for that event!

Here's the recipe: 

Ingredients for cake

- 2 cups all-purpose flour

- 1/2 cup granulated sugar

- 2 teaspoons baking powder

- 3/4 teaspoon salt

- 6 tablespoons melted butter

- 1 beaten egg

- 1/2 cup buttermilk

Ingredients for topping

- 1/2 cup brown sugar

- 2 teaspoons cinnamon

- 2 tablespoons chopped butter

- 1/4 cup granulated sugar

1. Stir together flour, sugar, baking power, salt, and baking soda.

2. Melt butter and pour in the dry mixture.

3. Add in the egg and buttermilk.

4. In a separate bowl, mix together all the topping ingredients (best to massage the ingredients in with your fingers).

5. Butter and lightly flour an 8 x 8 round or square pan.

6. Pour in half of the mixture into the pan.

7. Sprinkle half of the topping mixture over the cake mix already in the pan.

8. Pour the remaining cake mix, then layer again with the rest of the topping mixture.

9. Bake for 50 minutes at 350º

10. Enjoy!

It's okay to use your hands for mixing the topping ingredients!

Halfway done - add more cake then more topping for a layering effect.

Hers: Birthday

The best birthday present.

On Monday I celebrated my twenty-second birthday. I believe that birthdays are what you make of them – that's why I chose to fill up my day with happiness, relaxation, and fun with my boyfriend, Aspen. I woke up to gorgeous flowers from my brother's sweet girlfriend which was a great start to feeling special for the day. I then had to attend class from 10:00-1:00pm where my great friend Stacey brought me a hot chocolate and gorgeous necklace. After class, I headed back home for a quick lunch with Aspen before leaving for the Intercontinental Hotel in SOMA (South of Market Street in San Francisco). My lovely mama set up a massage and pedicure for me, complete with a complimentary mimosa. Mother's know best! Between school, work, being in a relationship, and co-producing a documentary... I've got enough stress to need a massage every week!

After the lush treatments, I met up with Aspen to try a new restaurant in our neighborhood. We walked over to Jasper's Corner Tap in the Tenderloin to try their famous cheesy fries! Aspen was set on the burger, while I dared to try a few different appetizers like baby short ribs and mac n' cheese. We ordered way too much, filled our bellies to the brim, and then were surprised with a birthday dessert! Aspen had quickly mentioned my special day to the waitress who (so thoughtfully) brought us homemade citrus ice cream. And if that wasn't enough, the princess birthday girl in me requested we go to my favorite donut place so we could have something to snack on for later. (I'm quite good at thinking forward when it comes to food). To end the night, we watched Manhattan by Woody Allen (another one of my favorites) and indulged in our donuts. It was the best birthday yet.

Beautiful flowers from my brother's girlfriend, Nikki.

Enjoying a post-massage mimosa at the Intercontinental Hotel.

Complimentary birthday dessert at Jasper's in the tenderloin. (Homemade ice cream not pictured because I ate it too fast.)

Theirs: Twice Baked Potatoes

These potatoes don't stand a chance once they're out of the oven.

My absolute favorite food is mashed potatoes. The creamy texture compliments any homemade meal and you can't blame me for loving something covered in butter. Aspen and I picked up a bag of russet potatoes at Trader Joe's in hopes of having baked or mashed potatoes sometime this week. Instead, I looked up a couple recipes and came across this one for twice baked potatoes. I love trying new recipes and Aspen loves trying new cooking so I decided to give it a go. With a little twist of my own, they turned out perfectly cheesy and creamy. These potatoes are great for when you and your man have a cozy night in and want a hearty, comforting meal.

Here's my take on the recipe:

1. Rinse 2 potatoes under water and lightly scrub. Dry off with paper towel.

2. Heat oven to 400º and place potatoes directly on rack for 30 minutes.

3. Puncture potatoes 3 times each with a fork and put them back in the oven for another 30 minutes.

4. Turn the oven down to 375º and take the potatoes out of the oven. *Careful, they will be very hot! 

5. Carefully cut potatoes in half and scoop insides into a bowl. *Be sure to leave enough potato on the skin so they aren't too flimsy.

6. Mash up all potato in the bowl with fork. Add 1 tablespoon of butter, 1/4 cup milk, a pinch of pepper, two pinches of salt, and a light handful of cheddar cheese shreds. 

7. Stir up everything together so the consistency is that of mashed potatoes. *No large lumps should be found. 

8. Evenly scoop the potato mixture back into the 4 skins. Place potatoes on a baking sheet and into the oven.

9. Bake potatoes for 25 minutes.

10. Enjoy!

Add some cheddar to the tops right before putting them back into the oven for a nice, cheesy top!

I added a bit more salt and pepper to the top before placing in the oven for  a nice kick.

Theirs: Valentine's Day

The "funfetti" cake I made for us.

I've always had mixed feelings about Valentine's Day. Do you buy into the consumerism and shower each other with gifts? Do you make it a point to act like it's just any other day and treat it normally? And what if you're single? I'm definitely not a fan of "Single Awareness Day!" The answer to face Valentine's Day with is to create a happy medium. It's fun for me to buy heart shaped cards and decorate the apartment with pink and red candies and if that makes me happy, then why not do it?

This year for Valentine's Day, I decided to do a little decorating around the apartment to surprise Aspen when he came home from a long day of work (he works for a local chocolate company so you can only imagine how busy he's been). Another easy thing to make the day a little more special was to make a yummy, homemade dinner for us. And to finish off the night, a classic romantic comedy was in order. All in all, it was a lovely, loving evening to celebrate our relationship without going too overboard.

Aspen brought me a rose with two orchids and beautiful chocolates from his work.

Hers: Gone Girl

I just finished reading the book Gone Girl, but I feel like I just got hit by a bus. For the mystery loving readers out there, I highly suggest you get on your kindle and order this book now. You will spend each moment trying to figure out "who done it" and will continuously jerked around in this roller coaster of a story. Every page has you wanting more and wondering why you didn't get on Amazon and order it sooner. Best part of not knowing? You're sure to finish it in about three days time. It's that good.

And for those of you who have read it, I have some good news. It's becoming a movie! With talks of Reese Witherspoon as the leading lady, it's sure to be a blockbuster hit by summer 2014. Can't wait that long? Read it again. I plan on it.

His: iamamiwhoiam

This week, Aspen introduced me to the band iamamiwhoami. At first listen, I thought it might be a rip-off of Grimes or maybe even a revised Beach House. I didn't think much of the vocals at the time but Aspen promised me I'd like it once I was "in a better mood." (I'm quite moody about my music).

We visited his family in Castro Valley on Sunday afternoon and on the way home, I decided I should give iamamiwhoami another shot. After listening carefully and getting really into the beats of the music, I realized exactly what I had been missing and was swept by a sudden obsession. To top things off, I got another chance to hear Aspen's so lovingly "I told you so!" remark. (He's pretty much always right about music). Regardless, I am now in a full-force binge of this music and I'm loving every note.

For your listening pleasure:
"Play" by iamamiwhoami