{ Sriracha: What is This Stuff Anyways? }

With all the recent "buzz" surrounding the Frito Lay: Do Us a Flavor Contest and one of the contenders named Sriracha, I took it upon myself to do a little more investigating of this ingredient often referred to as "the Rooster". What exactly is it? Where did it come from, and why the crazy fascination?

Sriracha is a type of hot sauce, named after the coastal city of Si Racha, in the Chonburi Province of central Thailand, where it was possibly first produced for dishes served at local seafood restaurants. It is a paste of chili peppers, distilled vinegar, garlic, sugar, and salt.

I've seen countless recipes for this little bottle of hot love on Bon Appetit, and despite the saying; If it's too hot, get out of the kitchen, I'm going to give it a whirl with some of the ideas below.
The deviled egg recipe looks amazeballs!

Do you use Sriracha? love it, hate it?

Stir Sriracha into ketchup along with a spoonful of horseradish, a dash of Worcestershire sauce, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice; serve with fresh shrimp, oysters, and clams.

Mash the yolks of halved hard-boiled eggs with mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, Sriracha, minced celery, and fresh chives; spoon into egg whites and garnish with celery leaves.

Skip the crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper; add a spoonful of Sriracha and you've got instant arrabiata to toss with your favorite cooked pasta.

all featured photos via Bon Appetit 

Mix Japanese or regular mayonnaise with Sriracha and lime juice. Spread mixture on sandwiches like Cuban or Banh Mi.

{Duro Olowu Collection: Now at JC Penney!}

I'm not usually one to follow designer/store collaborations, but I cannot begin to tell you how excited I am about the Duro Olowu Collection for JC Penney! This lawyer turned designer has been on my radar since I first learned of him last year.
I love Duro's style, his bold color combinations, and his ease to mix patterns.

Not only does Duro's collection feature women's apparel, jewelry and accessories, but fun, colorful pieces for your home. I think JC Penney scored when they entered into this partnership!

I am currently updating my wardrobe (new job, go me!) and I will definitely be snagging quite a few of these fun pieces. Most are corporate/work appropriate, with an added flair of style! Did I mention the Duro Olowu Collection also includes shoes?

What's not to love about this amazing man? There are so many choices to mix and match with endless color combinations. So long boring work clothes, Duro Olowu definitely makes getting dressed fun again.

All items in the Duro Olowu Collection for JC Penney are super affordable, and are now available  on the JC Penney website, and in stores! Check out some of my favorite pieces below!


Happy Monday & Happy Duro Olowu shopping!

Photos courtesy of JC Penney website

{Martha & Me}

Ok, I'll admit it. A baker I am not. I can however, cook the socks off of just about everyone else I know. I'm not exactly sure why, but I always seem to set off the smoke alarms in my kitchen when attempting any baked treat. I think baking isn't as "forgiving" as cooking. I can walk by the frying pan and add just about anything to a recipe I'm cooking, and it will still turn out a success.
Baking? No dice ladies and gents.

On my latest grocery shopping excursion, I happened upon the baking aisle (sshhh..don't tell anyone), and I discovered Martha. That's Martha White to you.
I threw her in my cart, whipped her up when I got home, and alas! We were munching on some pretty good Lemon Poppy Seed mini muffins in no time. Just add milk, my kinda lady!

Martha White has a full line of muffins, coffee cakes, biscuit mix, and a few other products you can have on your table in minutes! And if that wasn't easy enough, the Martha White website lists oodles of recipe offerings to make your life even easier.

Way to go Martha. I think you and I are new BFF's.

{Re-Purpose Hipster!}

Happy Saturday folks!

I'm always on the lookout for ways to help our mother earth, and recently came across some great ideas to implement the three "R's" into my life; Recycle, Reuse, Re-Purpose.

Who doesn't have a mason jar or two lying around their house that could be put to better use?
I love the idea of growing indoor herbs, and these herb mason jars would make a pretty addition to a sunny window sill.
Why not fill a room with an inviting scent created by yours truly (YOU), with a handmade scent housed in a re-purposed mason jar?

Finally, I was more excited than I care to admit when I discovered these solar cell phone chargers! No more adapters, no more outlet plugs, all you need are sun rays. Thank you very much, I'd love two sets!

Hope your weekend is off to a great start!

{2013: Top Women's Fragrances}

I tend to think of Spring as a "do over". New life and fresh starts are springing up everywhere.   Flowers, spring cleaning, or a new wardrobe are the first things that come to my mind.

I never really thought of revamping my perfume list to venture down a new scented path. Well not until I came across this really great list of the top perfumes of 2013.

I own a few of the above, and cannot wait to get my hot little hands on some Jo Malone after reading great reviews!

How about you? Do you change your perfume by season?

{Pinterest: Recipe Love!}

After spending at least ten hours a day on my computer for work, I still always muster up the strength to feed my habit, AKA my Pinterest recipe addiction!

If you are like me, you peruse Pinterest recipes like it's your job, hoping to find a new signature dish. Here are a few recipes that caught my eye this week. I cannot wait to give them a try!

P.S. Pinterest recipe posters: Include a mouth watering fabulous photo with your recipe, and I'm all over it!

Have a great week!

 Fried Green Tomato Sliders
What's not to love about these? Green tomatoes will soon be found everywhere!

 Inside Out Chinese Spring Roll Salad
I *LOVE* spring rolls, and the idea of the filling in a bowl for the taking? Yum!

 Grilled Shrimp With Avocado- Mango Salsa
Shrimp cooked in foil? Yes, please.

Beet, Goat Cheese and Walnut Tart
These ingredients paired together are a great combination of flavor!

{Will Smith @ Home: Gettin' Jiggy With It}

Happy Saturday friends! I hope your week was an awesome one!

Call me "old school" if you must. I have always had a love of Will Smith's early music, and let's face it, many songs are workout worthy, and will forever be loaded on my iPod.

I was recently surprised when I discovered a Malibu home tour of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett's home at Architectural Digest. I'm not sure what I expected to see, but WOW, their 25,000 square foot home is now among one of my celebrity home favorites! The architecture and interior design are amazing.

Browse through more home photos, and read the full article at Architectural Digest.

Entryway

 Gorgeous Kitchen

 Living Room

 Master Bedroom

Talk about a swimming pool!

all photos via