In Between the Bites: Savory Meets Sweet

Happy Friday my friends! I hope everyone has wonderful plans for their weekend! I plan on doing nothing other than relaxing and catching up on sleep if I can help it... And maybe a little Zumba to keep my endorphins up ;)  If you haven't already, I would seriously suggest trying out a Zumba class!  It is fun, energetic, and I can't imagine a more entertaining way to work out.  As Elle Woods once said "Working out gives you endorphins, endorphins make you happy.  Happy people just don't kill their husbands!"  Speaking of being active and healthy, wouldn't it be great to indulge in a healthy dessert every once in a while?  Well, if you live in the Ellensburg, Yakima, or Cle Elum area, check out V Baked Goods!  V Baked Goods is a local company started by a very good friend of mine that bakes and sells gluten free, vegan, and soy free cookies.  They have various flavors from chocolate chip, to banana bread, to chocolate strawberry! I tried the chocolate chip cookie myself and I could not believe that gluten free could taste so good.  Take a look and give them a try, you won't be disappointed!

On another note!  The last couple of weeks I have been experimenting with different meal and food combinations.  Now I am always down for some grilled cheese sandwiches but never got more creative than the traditional cheddar and garlic on wheat.  However, the other day my roommate was on Stumble Upon and happened to 'stumble upon' this amazing blog that features NOTHING but grilled cheese sandwich recipes!  The blog is called Grilled Cheese Social and you can find every type of grilled cheese you can possibly think of from vegetarian options, cheese and fruit, proteins, and anything that you can possibly imagine!  I got inspired by the blog and decided to experiment with some of them myself.  Now I decided to start with a simple recipe in which I have the ingredients pictured AND listed below!

What I Used!

   - Daves Killer bread in Powerseed (I love the texture!)

   - Mozzarella cheese

   - Italian dry salami

   - Pure Honey

The sandwich I made was a mozzarella, salami, and honey sandwich!  It was one of the most delicious homemade sandwiches I had ever had.  It was the perfect combination of salty, savory, and sweet!  I started by spreading honey on both pieces of bread, then layered on the mozzarella (as much to your liking!), added a couple slices of salami, then finished it off with more mozzarella.  I put buttered the pan before putting the sandwich on at a medium-low heat.  The mozzarella takes a while to melt so I chose medium-low to ensure the bread would not burn.  I also used a lid on the pan to help the cheese melt faster.  I cooked both sides of the sandwich until the bread was golden brown.  Bon appétit!  And remember to check out Grilled Cheese Social! You will not regret it.

With Love,

             Traci Lee

OOTD: Blending The Seasons

TGIF and happy November 1st! I cannot believe that we are officially on track to begin celebrating the holiday season.  I am probably going to be whipping out the Christmas CDs here in just a couple of weeks long before Thanksgiving... No shame!! Christmas music never gets too old for me.  Oh my, it has been quite the week to even get to this point.  Today was the first day in nearly a month that I did not have to wake up to an alarm, and let me just say that it was an absolutely marvelous feeling!  Especially since I was up late relishing in all of the Halloween festivities.  I was a black kitty cat again *meow*!  I received a ton of compliments on my outfit and my makeup in which my inspiration I found on Pinterest (naturally). I hope everyone had an amazing Halloween evening!  The best part of mine was sitting in IHOP with my friends in the early hours of the morning and having a kind stranger pay for all of our meals!  I am sure he will have nothing but good karma for days.  It is gestures like these that remind me that there are some truly wonderful human beings in this world and that I should always try to go out of my way to treat other people.

On another note! Below is an outfit that I wore on earlier this week.  I was bored and was going through the tank top drawer of my dresser and stumbled upon my tribal print crop top that I had yet to wear.  I was immediately inspired and paired it with my mauve maxi skirt and layered on a cardigan and jacket.  What I appreciate so much about this outfit is how transitional it can be.  Depending on how I decide to layer the outerwear, I can wear this outfit in fall, spring, or summer.  I kept all the colors deep and earthy except for a pop of white to brighten the selection.  As usual, I topped my look off with some NARS lipstick and one of my many gold necklaces.  I am so excited for the fall season and to continue layering all of my looks!  It leaves so much room for creativity as well as the opportunity to mix and match.  Stay Posted!

With Love,

             Traci Lee

Get My Look!
   - H&M Maxi Skirt in Purple
   - Tribal Print Crop Top (Similar Style)
   - Nordstrom BP white cardigan (Similar Style)
   - Urban Outfitters Green Jacket (Similar Style)
   - Steve Madden Tblanket Moc Boot (Similar Style)
   - Urban Outfitters 'Rhinestone Zodiac Necklace' in Gemini

OOTD: Sunshine on a Cloud Day // Guest Threads

 Happy Monday my friends!  I hope that everyone had a wonderful Halloweekend!  Mine consisted of very little sleep due to costume parties every night, then needing to be up at the crack of dawn for a film project in the mornings.  But NO, that did not stop me from having a ball of a time!  I have probably consumed far too much caffeine for my own good.  But then again, I can never pass up a well made caramel hazelnut latte to liven my day!  I absolutely adore having an excuse to dress up so I always take full advantage of Halloween.  That being said, I was a black kitty cat one night and a Pokemon trainer the next.  Who knows what the 31st will bring! All I know is that I am going to be hanging out and having fun volunteering at a children's Halloween event! How fun!!

Anywho! The weather may be starting to simmer down and the days are becoming a little gloomy, but that won't stop me from wearing a shocking color to brighten the mood.  Below I am wearing my new red-orange H&M dress which is very simple but the silhouette is perfect for fall!  To break up the color, I accessorized with an abundance of gold jewelry and a thin gold belt that was my mother's when she was my age (so retro!).  I love digging through my moms closet and finding those timeless pieces that can be passed down through the generations.  I topped the look off with a pair of two tone suede heeled boots and my moss green Michael Kors bag for contrast. Stay posted for more fresh fall looks!

With Love,

            Traci Lee

Get My Look!
    - Dress: H&M Short Jersey Dress
    - Boots: Jessica Simpson Slouchy Heeled Boot (old)
    - Purse: Michael Kors Moss Bag (Similar Style)
    - Watch: Skagen Watch (Similar Style)
    - Bracelet: Anthropologie (old)
    - Necklace: Anthropologie 'Trios Necklace' (Old)
    - Belt: Passed down from my mom!


 

Guest Threads

Well well well! Here we are again.  Meet Haley!  Haley is my roommate and one of my best friends here at CWU.  I could not have asked for a better person to live with and we compliment each other in every way possible.  How would I describe her?  She is stunning, vivacious, charismatic, and has such a style that cannot possibly be perfectly defined.  She is the perfect eclectic combination of feminine meets grunge, meets earthy.  Imagine leather, lace, and fringe.  They are all different textures and finishes yet they all either compliment and contrast each other in the most intriguing of ways. She really should have been at her prime in the 70's!  Every day her look tells a different story and yet, she makes it look so effortless.  Yes, I envy her!  Snaps to Haley!

Get Haley's Look!
   - Dress: Tulle Dress (Similar Style)
   - Shirt: Lucky Brand Tee Shirt (Old)
   - Jacket: Nordstrom Trouve Parka (Similar Style)
   - Sweater: American Eagle (Similar Style)
   - Shoes: Forever 21 (Similar Style)
   - Black Opaque Tights