{happy friday}

Photo: Robin West, taken at Brooklyn Botanical Garden

{side by side} retro pastels

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{in my kitchen} baked eggs

I've seen a lot of recipes showcasing how to bake the incredible edible egg, but all had heavy cream which is a bit too rich for my blood.  Feeling creative and inspired, I decided to take some things out of the fridge and just see where the ingredients took me.  

[I didn't work with actual measurements, so use as you think will suffice] By starting with some cubes of butter in ramekins, cracking some eggs, adding some maple sausage [cooked] and topping with some sage and rosemary, the broiler handed me over the perfect little creation.  All I had to do was crack some peppercorns on top and down the hatch it!

Photos: Robin West

{home therapy} Everitt & Schilling Co

Everitt & Schilling Co. create beautiful interiors with re-claimed wood. It's times like these that I wish I owned a home... 

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{baked} holla for challah

When Ruth asked me if I would like to join her to a baking class at Le Pain Quotidien last week I couldn't have said yes fast enough.  While I have 'baked' many things in my life, I have never really made them fully from scratch.  And the thought of learning how to bake fresh brioche, cinnamon rolls AND challah??  Well, color me excited!

Here lay the atmosphere...

the measurement tools [no fooling around]...

I may not know how to braid hair well, but I can braid a mean challah.  First up, 3 braid...

2 braid...

oh, the smell that these little cinnamon rolls made literally had me weak in the knees...

now we wait...

the beautiful end result...

hollaaaa!

Photos: Robin West

{happy friday + brunch}

Happy Friday!  I am sure that you can guess what is on my mind for the weekend...

Photo: Robin West, taken at Delicatessen

{snap!}

Some fun Instagram photos that have been collecting virtual dust in my phone over the last few weeks...

Photos: Robin West
[you can find me on Instagram at @RobinWest. easy enough, right?]

{Mercura Sunglasses}

There is something beautifully regal + entrancing about this Mercura Sunglasses campaign, don't you think?

images: via

{photo diary} Downtown Brooklyn food tour

I'm truly surprised I had the will to eat when I woke yesterday morning.  On Saturday, my friend Amanda of Slow Like Honey [a friend that likes to find new places to eat as I do] and I headed to Brooklyn to take in the sights, beautiful weather and food.  

First up was Prime Meats, a farm-to-table restaurant in Carroll Gardens.  The atmosphere is delightful and the German/American cuisine became more perfect with each bite ingested.  No matter what you crave, you must, MUST start with the house-made pretzel.  I got passed that "it looked like a face" cuteness and held myself back from devouring the whole thing.  For the main brunch event, I chose the Mushrooms with Poached Egg & Bratwurst, which was a perfect balance of everything that makes brunch a success.  

Because no meal is complete without dessert, we walked to a place that I visited on my first Brooklyn venture - The Chocolate Room [as seen here].  Hot or cold chocolate drinks, chocolates, sundaes, cakes... need I go on? My spicy hot chocolate with homemade marshmallow was a bit too thick for my tasting, but the salted + peppered chocolate treats made up for it all.

When I just said no meal is complete without 'some' dessert, I meant 2 rounds.  Amanda showed me this NYC's 5 Best Pie Shops list, and since we were somewhat in the Red Hook neighborhood, our second dessert came via Baked.  I had faith in myself until I saw that the apple pie slice was about 1/4 of a pie, which I usually wouldn't mind, but I wasn't wearing elastic pants that day. But again, the apple filling was so moist and amazing that we pulled ourselves through...

With some time wasted away in IKEA [had to walk dessert off somewhere] and the sun still out, our next stop was DUMBO.  Since Amanda has never been and the last few times I've ventured it was closed for private parties, Bubby's seemed the best place to take in the sunset and view of Manhattan.  I was honestly not even remotely hungry, but "when in Rome".  I made sure to order some biscuits and still the most amazing brisket I've ever had.  If I wasn't close to comma state I would have definitely tried to steal some of her fried chicken.

Until we meet again and waddle together again...

Photos: Robin West

{happy friday + sparkles}

I think this sums it all up.

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{in my kitchen} rosemary + potatoes

When I go food shopping I always have the best intentions when I buy fresh ingredients, but I don't always use them quick enough to avoid being wasteful.  Being on a super, super budget this week I am making the most out of the red potatoes and rosemary that I came across at my favorite new organic market. 

For lunch: Rosemary + Potato Pizza [I have seen this all over the blog world and had to try. Any excuse to use my pizza stone, really.]

For dinner: Rosemary Potatoes

Photos: Robin West

{good eats} Crif Dogs

If you haven't heard of Crif Dogs, all I can say is that you need to make it one of your destinations while visiting NYC.  It's one of those great little places that you can indulge in your hot dog craving the most magnificent way possible - by piling on even more indulgent toppings like egg, cream cheese, avocado and bacon.

As a Jersey girl myself, I find it near to impossible to find something our state likes to call Pork Roll [if you live on the shore] or Taylor Ham [if you live in North Jersey]. It's a pork item that is probably only second to bacon and no one outside the Garden State eats.  Why, I ask, WHY?!?!  Anyhoo, I've been having a serious craving for the stuff so I couldn't pass up on the "Garden State" dog wrapped in Taylor Ham and topped with chopped pepperoncini, american cheese and mustard.  Eating this on a Ms. Pacman table only made it more nostalgic.  When in Rome, right?

Photos: Robin West

{golden touch} CB2 birch boxes

I purchased these birch storage boxes from CB2 to put on my bookcase a few weeks back but found myself a little underwhelmed when I put them on my shelf.  It's not the boxes themselves, there was just something missing among the neutral room.  I used to be crafty so I figured a little gold paint held the possibility of transformation.  With a bit of tape, Martha Stewart paint and a little bit of patience, they actually look the way I was hoping they would.  How 'bout that!

Photo: Robin West

{in my kitchen} french toast soufflé

I am in no means a chef or baker BUT I have always enjoyed doing things that allow me to wear this hat, even if only temporarily.  That, plus I need to try at least 3 new recipes each and every month for my things to do before turning 30 bucket list.  Sooo for this installment of newness, voila, the french toast soufflé!  Another reason why I love Pinterest, recipes like this.

I used the french bread as told, but I think some challah could be a great substitute. And that pouffy'ness you get right out of the oven? Extremely satisfying.

Since this is french toast after all, go ahead and powder some sugar and drizzle some maple syrup.

Photos: Robin West

{end of an era} Stefani Pilati's finale

So bitter sweet.  Yves Saint Laurent's master genius for the last 7 years presented his final runway show yesterday during Paris Fashion Week's Fall 2012 Collections.  Just because it was his last, though, doesn't mean it was any less spectacular than before.  The darker tone definitely seemed fitting, with accents of leather, constricted waists, baring cuts and the luxurious tailoring fans of YSL have come to expect.  A more sophisticated version of s&m, if you will.

I don't know about you, but after seeing what Pilati did with such an iconic Parisian fashion house over the years [Muse bag + Tribute heels ring a bell?], I am looking forward to watching his next steps and creations...

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{runway} Stella McCartney Fall 2012

Stella McCartney never disappoints.  For this coming Fall the designer presented the best looking black + cobalt blue concept with a pop of strategic placed white.  The embossing details on some of the black pieces [bottom left] are extremely subtle, but are still pretty stellar.  Being a little conservative never looked so good.

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{#marchphotoaday} up

I came across #MarchPhotoADay just in time to join in on this monthly photo hunt.  I love the idea of urging people to take a picture of a specific theme every day and seeing the broad range of how others interpret the same notion. Here's "up", which is a great way to looking at things around NYC, anyway...

Photo: Robin West

  

{side by side} goth florals

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