Haut Totes!!

Happy New Year's Eve! And Happy New Year 2011!


Friday, New Year's Eve... today is a day to celebrate! Even if I do have to work night shift today, and I'm crossing my fingers hoping for a quiet shift at work, so I can at least eat the 12 grapes at midnight with the strokes of the clock (Spanish tradition).


To celebrate New Year's Eve, I'm gonna introduce you to the very awesome Haut Totes! Melissa is the very amazing woman and mother of two behind the cool bags you can find in her Etsy shop. Not only she uses some great fabrics in her bags, but she also contacts fantastic artists and turn their artwork into fabric, with which she makes totes, cellphone bags and zippered bags.


I had been eying her shop for quite a while, and once she added the Sandra Vargas line, I fell in love with her Elphaba small tote, so I decided I just had to get it! She usually has a huge workload, and since she is caring for her two girls, and one of them needs some extra care due to her neuromuscular condition, she has a wait list, but always updates her shop announcement about her turn around time and shipping time.


Her bags are not for instant gratification people, but the wait is so absolutely worth the wait! I got my bag and fall in love even more with it at first sight! It's a very tough baggie, with the Sandra Vargas fabric and a mesh bottom, you may wonder if a mesh bottom can be sturdy enough, but I can assure you that it is tough! I've overstuffed the poor baggie with even my DSLR, and it is still looking like new! Not a single sign of wear or tear!








Since it's a mini bag, you might wonder if it would fit enough, but I can assure you, it does fit a lot of stuff, including my Oly, as well as my wallet, cell phone, and even my scarf and hat! It can double as a shoulder bag and as a handbag as well.






I'm thinking of getting a full sized bag, but the main problem now is choosing which one! I've been pondering on whether to get the Alice In Wonderland tote, or one of the new Amy Brown prints!

Wearing Handmade Wednesday: Poppy's Wicked Garden!!

Hello everyone!


Getting ready for a big celebration to say goodbye to 2010? Going to any New Year Eve parties? I won't be worrying about what to wear or where to go, since I work night shift at the hospital, so I know exactly where to be and what to wear! I'm just hoping we'll have a not-too-busy-shift, and we'll manage to have the 12 grapes at midnight!


But let's not forget today is Wednesday, and so we have our Wearing Handmade Wednesday feature here too!

Getting cozy with my Poppy's Wicked Garden Howl

Jennifer or Poppy as she's also known, is the amazing lady behind Poppy's Wicked Garden brand of clothing, and her many shops and ventures. She can whip you up a lovely girl's dress as well as reconstruct a guy's tee into a fantastic geeky & girlie top! You can find her original & alternative clothing on Etsy and Artfire, and she also has an Etsy shop for all the geeky awesome reconstructions she makes!


I will be doing a proper feature on her in the future, cause I have so many of her pieces! But for now, go check out her shop for unique pieces to complete your handmade wardrobe!

Monday Munchies: Stuffed Eggplant!

Hello everyone!


It's Monday once again, and after my adventure stuck in Heathrow for 5 days due to climate conditions and poor preparations from BAA, after Christmas, and after an awful morning shift today at work... I'm finally back on track on my blog!


And to celebrate, nothing like a yummy new recipe. Quick, easy & healthy for after indulging in Christmas, and enough of a comfort food for the cold days we have ahead! This one is filling enough to be a single dish dinner or served with some salad.


Stuffed Eggplant
Serves 4

Ingredients:

- 4 small eggplants
- 1 onion
- 150 gr grated cheese
- 200 gr cottage cheese
- 2 eggs
- Small branch of parsley
- Small branch of mint
- Olive oil
- Sea Salt
- Salt & Black pepper

Method:

- Blunt & cut the eggplants in half lengthwise. Spread the sea salt on them and leave them facing down for about 30 minutes in veggie drainer, so they’ll lose their bitterness. Wash & dry them up with kitchen paper.

- Preheat the oven at 180ºC (350ºF) and bake them in a baking tray for 30 or 35 minutes. While still warm hollow them with a small spoon, be careful to keep the skin intact, and reserve the pulp for later.

- Peel and chop the onion in small pieces, fry it in enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan for about 7 minutes. Then transfer it to a bowl with the grated cheese, the cottage cheese crumbled, the chopped parsley & mint, the two beaten eggs and the chopped eggplants pulp. Add salt & pepper to taste and mix till combined well.

- Stuff the eggplant halves with this mix and bake again at 180ºC for about 15 to 20 minutes. Grill for about 5 more minutes till the top starts to turn a lil brown.

- Transfer to plates, two halves per person, and serve while still pipping hot. Enjoy!

A small update...

Hey everyone!

There's been a lil disruption to my traveling plans, and also of my blogging schedule. Instead of arriving safely back in Spain on the 17th, my flight was cancelled and I've been stuck in London since. I have to say, that despite the royal pain in the behind the whole experience has been, I continue to think of myself as a really lucky gal.

Just cross your fingers so my flight tomorrow does take off and gets me home, finally!

Monday Munchies: Cottage Cheese Tiramisu

Good Monday everyone!


Days get a bit muddled when you're on vacation, but since the bf isn't I still know what day of the week I live in, even if he had to go to work yesterday, when it was a Sunday to show and discuss a presentation with his boss.


Today, I am sharing a super easy and delicious recipe, to make Monday a much bearable day. This one is an absolute favourite in my house, and the absolute winner when a dessert is requested. Just be warned, this tiramisu is NOT your regular tiramisu, it's even easier to make, but equally delicious! And even those that aren't big fans of cheese will love it!


Cottage Cheese Tiramisu

Ingredients:

- ½ kg cottage cheese

- 100 gr confectioners sugar

- 1 vanilla pod

- 200 gr sponge biscuits or ladyfingers

- 4 egg whites

- Pinch of salt

- A few drops of lemon juice

- 3 dl of black coffee

- 10 gr cocoa

Method:

- Mix the cottage cheese in a bowl with half the confectioners sugar till creamy and without lumps. Cut the vanilla pod open and add the seeds to the cheese and mix well.

- In another bowl beat the egg whites with the lemon & salt until fluffy, when the peaks start to form, add the rest of the confectioners sugar. You can use a whisk or electric mixer, though I recommend the electric mixer, for your hands sake!

- Fold the egg whites with the cheese mix carefully till well blended and reserve in the fridge.

- Pour the black coffee in a low & wide bowl and dip each sponge biscuit/ladyfinger quickly (make sure you don’t over do it, they could break). Place them lined in the bottom of a deep baking pan till you’ve covered all the bottom.

- Spread on top of them a layer of the cheese mix, on top of it another layer of dipped in coffee sponge biscuits, and to top it off a final layer of the cheese mix.

- Cover it with cling film and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour.

- Sift the cocoa on top of it when you’re going to serve it. Enjoy!

Friday Photos while on holiday!

Happy Friday everyone!


I'm gonna do a small blog entry showing off a few photos of the trip so far, some from Darjeeling, some from Delhi. Hope you enjoy! Have a great weekend!

Black Ruby tea & White tea, best of Darjeeling!

Kachenjunga Mountain range, part of the Himalayas

Wearing Handmade Wednesday: Stellar Cheri Clothing And Accessories!!!

Hello everyone!


It's Wednesday again, and though it means I missed Monday Munchies this week (we were away for the weekend), it also means it's time again for a Wearing Handmade Wednesday entry again!

My amazing StellarCheri messenger bag!

StellarCheri Clothing And Accessories is run by the awesomely talented Cheri, and have been previously blogged here, but since then I've got myself quite a few new pieces, and I just wanted to show off my messenger bag, that went with me to Darjeeling and through all the trotting around here and there has stand the test wonderfully! And you wouldn't believe all that it can hold inside! If you want one, she still has a blue & black one available in her shop too!


Oh, and for the record, I'm also wearing my Julian Bean hat, my MTCoffinz scarf and my AngryGirl Gear Rime of the Ancient Mariner hoodie! ;)

Handmade Crochet Accessories by Julian Bean!!

Friday has come around again, and here I am, with another blog entry ready!


This time, I'm gonna show off a shop that is gonna seem like a godsend for those of you undergoing this lovely new cold wave in Europe, and also for anyone who loves cute accessories!


Let me introduce you to the super crafty Erin and her shop for her crocheted accessories: Julian Bean! Here you can find all sort of warm & cozy wearables like hats, cowls, scarves, ear warmers... all hand crocheted and all custom made in the yarn colour(s) of your choice!


I got myself her Button Slouch Hat, and since you can choose from 24 different yarn colours and a bunch of buttons, after considerable pondering, I went for the eggplant with one black oval and one white star buttons! Erin has great customer service, and it's quite the fast crocheter! In less than two weeks my hat was made and received! Shipping only took a lil over a week, and coming from the US!




I'm absolutely in love with my hat! The eggplant colours is so rich and vibrant, the hat looks great whether you wear it more slouch or not, and the different coloured buttons give it a sort of yin & yang feel & look to it!




Well, I love it so much that I already ordered another hat (cranberry with just one star button) that is sitting at home waiting for me to return home to Spain, and I think I've finally decided on the colour for a button-less hat, finally! Btw, if you check her Etsy shop, you can see yours truly in the custom hat's listing!




Not only this hat is fashionable but it's also super warm, cozy and comfy to wear! I took it with me to our trip to the mountains in Darjeeling, and I sure can tell you I (and my ears) were truly grateful of having it with us!






One last note, remember how I said that Erin is super crafty? Well, she has another two Etsy shops, one called Take Two Skate Shop, where she sells eco-friendly items like jewellry, coaster, pins, magnets and more, made out of old & broke skateboards, a rather cool shop! And the other, it's her original shop, Little Momma Erin, where you can find all kinds of cool geeky accessories!