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    Food & DIY

    Chocolate Cake with Honey Roasted Apricots

    May 11, 2015
    If there’s one way that I know how to tell my friends and family that I love them, it’s by baking them something delicious. That is why it was a no-brainer to bake my mom a cake in celebration of Mother’s Day this weekend. This chocolate cake with honey roasted apricots definitely received my mother’s approval and, if anything, the amount of effort I put into it definitely demonstrated to her how much I care.
    I went a bit out of my comfort zone with this recipe. Aside from the cake recipe, which I adapted from this Vegan Chocolate Cake recipe on the Free People Blog, I decided to experiment with making the frosting and roasted apricots. Whenever I try out this method, I usually end up having to make modifications and start all over again. Thankfully, I managed to get this recipe just right on the first try and saved myself multiple trips to the grocery store. My mom and family really enjoyed this recipe, and you know that you’ve baked something yummy when you immediately start receiving cake requests for upcoming birthdays.
     
    CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH HONEY ROASTED APRICOTS
    (Serves 10-12 people)
    CHOCOLATE CAKE
    Adapted from Free People Blog
    3 3/4 cups of flour
    2 1/4 cups of sugar
    1 cup of cocoa powder
    1 tbsp of baking soda
    1 1/2 tsp of salt
    1 cup of olive oil
    1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar
    3 cups of warm water
    1 tbsp of bourbon vanilla extract
    WHIPPED CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
    1 lb of cream cheese
    2 cups of heavy whipping cream
    1/2 cup of sugar
    1 tbsp of bourbon vanilla extract
    HONEY ROASTED APRICOTS
    8-10 small apricots
    1/4 cup of honey
    1/4 cup of olive oil
    1 tbsp of cinnamon
    Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl mix the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, warm water and bourbon vanilla extract. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir until the mixture has a smooth texture. Transfer the mixture into a large circular baking pan and bake for approximately 60-70 minutes. Let the cake cool to room temperature.
    In a bowl combine the cream cheese, heavy whipping cream, sugar and bourbon vanilla extract. Use a handheld mixer to whip the ingredients until the mixture has a thick and creamy consistency.
    Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Slice the apricots and place them in a bowl. In a separate bowl combine the honey, olive oil and cinnamon. Pour the mixture into the bowl with the sliced apricots and mix the two together; you want the apricots to be completely covered in the wet ingredients. Spread the apricots evenly on a greased baking pan and bake them for 15-20 minutes. Let the roasted apricots cool to room temperature.
    Slice the chocolate cake into two halves and place the top layer aside. Spread half of the frosting mixture on top of the first cake layer and then spread half of the roasted apricot slices. Place the second layer on top of the first and decorate it with the remaining whipped cream cheese frosting and roasted apricots.
    Enjoy!
    —
    I hope you all liked this recipe. Please let me know how you like it if you ever give it a try!
    xoxo,
    Helen
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    Beauty, Outfit, Uncategorized

    My 5 Favorite Lipsticks

    May 4, 2015
    Photos by Sarah Veyna
    My everyday makeup routine stays pretty consistent except when it comes to the shade on my lips. I like the way a certain lipstick color can completely transform your entire look and reflect a certain mood. I love lipsticks so much that it’s actually very rare to see me walk out of a cosmetics store without an armful of different lipstick swatches, and it takes a great amount of self-control to keep me from buying every shade of lipstick that catches my eye. Luckily, I’ve managed to find a few lipsticks that I truly love and and rotate depending on what type of style I want to achieve on any particular day. Keep on reading to learn more about my favorite shades of lipstick!
    Burt’s Bees Lip Crayon in “Redwood Forest”: This reddish-brown lipstick glides on very easily and I love that the color is very buildable–you can apply one layer to add a subtle reddish sheen to your lips, like I did in the picture above, or you can also apply it to create a more deep mahogany color for a more edgy look.
    M.A.C Cosmetics Lipstick in “Rebel”: Don’t be scared by how dark this particular lipstick looks like inside the tube because it’s actually a very beautiful shade of plum once you apply it. For everyday wear, I like to blot this lipstick and wear it as a pinkish-plum shade. However, every once in a while I also like to wear it as a deep plum color for a more “vampy” look.

     

    M.A.C Cosmetics Lipstick in “Russian Red”: A nice red lipstick is definitely a great thing to have in your makeup bag, but it’s also very difficult to find the perfect shade. After trying several shades of red from different cosmetic lines, I finally settled on this bluish-red color from M.A.C. I like that this shade is very vibrant but doesn’t clash with my warm, but pale skin tone. I also like that this matte lipstick stays put without drying out my lips.
    M.A.C Cosmetics Lipstick in “Twig”: This brownish-rose shade is my go-to everyday lipstick because it adds the right amount of color to my lips while still looking natural. I love how versatile the color is–I can wear it with mascara and a bit of eyeliner for a demure look, or I can play it up with a nice smokey eye.

     

    NYX Cosmetics Soft Matte Lip Cream in “San Paulo”: The first thing that I was reminded of when I laid eyes on this shade of lipstick was flamingos. Just like flamingos, this hot pink color is very fun and vibrant which makes it perfect for summer months. It’s also just a great shade to wear when you want to add a nice pop of color to any outfit.
    Please let me know what you think of these picks and if you have any favorites from this list. I’d also love to hear if you all have any recommendations, since I’m always on the lookout for new exciting products.

    —This weekend was very busy for me in a good way. I had the opportunity to catch up with a couple of friends on both Friday and Saturday. On Sunday, I invited my sisters out to brunch in celebration of my sister Alejandra’s(Ale) birthday. Then we went back home where we enjoyed a delicious crepe cake that Ale made, which she will be sharing on this blog very soon. Ale takes many of my pictures and helps out with this blog in so many other ways, as you may already know, so I’m very excited to have her do a guest post.

    Before I end this post, I also want to mention that I’m always amazed at how supportive the blogging community can be. I was so excited when I found out that Emma from the blog Fan In Style featured me in her recent post “8 Lifestyle Bloggers You Should Know”. Emma was also kind enough to interview me for her Blogger Spotlight series back in February. You should check out both posts and Emma’s amazing blog!
    xoxo,

    Helen

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    Outfit

    Leather and Skinny Jeans

    April 29, 2015
    Photos by Sarah Veyna
    Outfit Details:
    H&M Faux Leather Jacket (Similar SPLURGE and STEAL)
    Madewell Skinny Skinny Crop Jeans (Available in regular length.)
    Madewell Ames Boots (Also available in suede)
    M.A.C. Pigment in Blue-Brown (Eyes)
    M.A.C. Lipstick in Twig (Lips)
    I was really looking forward to some rain and gray skies when I visited Portland, so that I could finally have the opportunity to get some use out of a few of my lightly worn sweaters and jackets that I packed in my carry-on. Unfortunately for me, it was nothing but blue skies while I was in town. We did, however, enjoy a few days of gloom in LA and I quickly jumped at the opportunity to practice dressing for slightly cooler weather. While I am very well aware that this ensemble will not cut it when freezing temperatures and rain hit Portland–my friends have already told me that it is necessary for me to invest in a good rain coat– it is an outfit that I rarely get to wear in sunny Southern California. Although I’m not complaining about being able to enjoy good weather all year-round, I have to say that I am definitely looking forward to living somewhere where the changes in the weather are a little more noticeable.
    xoxo,
    Helen
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