twinswithoriginality

Books T.W.O. Ways

Published on October 10, 2013October 9, 2013 by twinswithoriginalityLeave a comment

Decorating bookshelves is not easy. First you have to pick a theme, color scheme, and then purchase the items. When T.W.O. first was presented the task of decorating 2 sets of bookshelves, we did some research by looking through magazines and online. T.W.O fell in LOVE with the bookshelf design by Restoration Hardware (inspiration picture above). The design was rustic, but yet ‘beachy’, which was the theme that we were going for in the room. After studying the photo, T.W.O. decided that this would be a simple, less expensive project if we were to do it ourselves and not buy the pre-made book online. And that is what we did!

Supplies

Books (Paperback and hardcover)
Rotisserie string
Brown paper grocery bags
Scissors

To start the project, T.W.O. headed down to the nearest $1 bookstore. We scanned the books for size (both height and width), color of paper, titles, and condition. Once we gathered the amount needed, we headed home to begin working on the fun part!

First, remove all the book covers from the paperback books. These will be the books you bind together. Decide on the books you want to bind together- they can vary in size, color, etc. Once you have decided, cut your rotisserie string so that it is long enough to go around the books. Cut 2 stings for each “book stack” you make. Tie your books together, one string towards the top, then other towards the bottom. Repeat for the other “book stacks.”

For the hardback books, T.W.O. wrapped each book in a brown paper grocery bag. (Yes, it is like when you were in high school and had to wrap your textbooks. Hopefully you still have the skills to do it! ) Cut your paper bag so that it lays flat. Turn the paper over so that the blank side is face down. Now start folding! Once the book is covered, repeat for remaining hardback books.

Now it’s design time! Place the “book stacks” where you would like. T.W.O. incorporated seashells in glass containers on the bookshelves to tie in the “beachy” theme. Any theme can really work with these books- nautical, Spanish, Italian, aviation, etc. The choices are endless. Just remember- be creative and original. It’s easy as that!

Spaghetti Squash “Pasta” Bowls

Published on October 7, 2013October 6, 2013 by twinswithoriginality2 Comments

Spaghetti squash is one of T.W.O.’s favorite vegetables to eat during fall and winter. It makes for a great side dish, entrée, or even a snack! Spaghetti squash is full of nutrients such as folic acid, potassium, and vitamin A. It is also gluten free! So T.W.O. decided to give your typical “spaghetti dinner” a spin and create a delicious, healthy dish for dinner!

Ingredients

-Spaghetti squash
-½ sweet white onion
-2 garlic cloves
-Mushrooms
-Broccoli florets
-Pasta sauce
-Fresh buffalo mozzarella or Parmesan cheese
-Salt & Pepper

Preheat oven to 350°. Using a sharp knife cut the spaghetti squash in half and remove all the seeds. Place squash on a foil-lined cookie sheet and put in oven. Bake for 30-45 minutes or until the “meat” of the squash is soft.

Meanwhile, chop up garlic, onion, and mushrooms and broccoli. Once the squash is done, take it out of the oven to cool slightly. (Keep oven on) While the squash is cooling, sauté the garlic, onion and mushrooms in olive oil. Microwave the broccoli florets in a bowl filled with ¼ inch of water for about 2 minutes.

Using a fork, scrap out the squash and put into a large bowl. Squash should come out like “spaghetti.” Once all the squash is out of the “shells” place the “shells” aside. These will be used as bowls for the dish.

Add the sautéed garlic, onions, and mushrooms to the squash and mix. Season with salt and pepper. Next, add in the broccoli and pasta sauce and mix.

Place the spaghetti squash back into the “shells”, top with fresh mozzarella and put back into the oven. (Parmesan cheese can also be used.) Bake for about 10 minutes. Before taking the squash out, turn the oven to broil. Broil for about 1-2 minutes or until cheese is slightly brown. Now it’s time to eat!!

Enjoy!

Barcelona

Published on October 2, 2013October 2, 2013 by twinswithoriginality5 Comments

Next stop, Barcelona!! This city is the second largest city in Spain and capital of the autonomous community of Catalonia. Barcelona is located on the northeastern coast of the country, situated on the Mediterranean Sea. It is seen as a modern, but yet very old city where the new elements work to preserve and celebrate the ancient. T.W.O. enjoyed Barcelona very much and would highly recommend that this city be put on your “list of travels.”

Accommodations

T.W.O. stayed at the H10 Montcada Boutique Hotel, located in the “el Barrio Gótico,” next to the “El Born” zone. The hotel was clean, modern, and the staff was very pleasant and helpful. Upon arrival, T.W.O. was offered glasses of cava and complimentary drink coupons for the rooftop bar. T.W.O. definitely spent many evenings on the rooftop bar/lounge to enjoy the amazing views, wine, snacks and company. It was a great spot to write in the T.W.O. journal as well! T.W.O. was able to walk to many places from this hotel, which was very convenient. T.W.O. would highly recommend staying at the H10 Montcada hotel if you are planning a trip to Barcelona.

La Sagrada Familia

A tour of La Sagrada Familia is a must, if you are visiting Barcelona. This famous Basilica was designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi and is actually still being built. The expected completion date is 2026 as long as the donations continue to be made from private entities, including visitors. The style of the Basilica is considered to be a combination of Spanish late Gothic, Catalan Modernism and to Art Nouveau. T.W.O. highly suggests purchasing tickets online prior to your visit and book the audio and tower tours. It just makes the experience that much better!

Parc Güell

Situated on the hill of El Carmel in the Gracia district of Barcelona, Parc Güell is a garden complex with architectural elements designed by Antonia Gaudi. It is one of the largest architectural works in South Europe. Seeing that it is situated outskirts of the city, T.W.O. took the metro. On the way, T.W.O. picked up bread, cheese, turkey, and wine to enjoy during their visit to the garden. (Best idea ever!) Parc Güell is filled with many interesting architectural pieces and sculptures that depict the type Gaudi work. It has magnificent views as it overlooks the entire city to the ocean.

Beach

T.W.O. spent every afternoon at the beach in Barcelona. After a long day of walking and site seeing, relaxing on the beach was key. The beach was filled with a variety of people- from locals to tourists to even “secret” vendors. The water was warm, but not as warm as it was in San Sebastian. “Beachin’ it in Barcelona” is a must!

Restaurants

T.W.O. enjoyed some fabulous dinners in Barcelona. From tapas to paella, the food was gastronomical.

Ria de Vigo

Ria de Vigo is a great restaurant for its views and paella. T.W.O. wanted to at least eat one dinner overlooking the beach with some delicious paella and Ria de Vigo was perfect for it. T.W.O. ordered manchego cheese, the famous “Pan de Tomato” and seafood paella. And yes, T.W.O. was stuffed after this meal, so they walked back to the hotel.

Tapeo

This tapas bar is a must if you visit Barcelona. T.W.O. stumbled upon this place one night and thought they would give it a try. Little did they know that the food was amazing and is rated to be one of the best tapas bars in Barcelona. T.W.O. ordered burrata cheese with tomato and basil, padrón peppers, and skirt steak with a garlic cream chimichurri sauce. Wow. It was one of the most gastronomical dishes T.W.O. had during their Spain trip.

Happy Traveling!

Chocolate-Dipped Coconut Macaroons

Published on October 1, 2013September 29, 2013 by twinswithoriginality2 Comments

Tired of making the same old cookie recipe? Need a new one in your life? Well, T.W.O. has the perfect recipe for you! Chocolate Dipped Coconut Macaroons! These cookies are so easy to make, only requires 6 ingredients and are so delicious you will find yourself going back for more!

Ingredients

-2/3 cup flour
-5 ½ cups flaked coconut
-1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
-2 teaspoons vanilla extract
-2 teaspoons of butter-flavored Crisco
-2 ½ cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix together flour and coconut. Add the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla and mix until all ingredients are blended. Refrigerate the dough for about 30 minutes.

Place dough (about a golf ball size) onto greased cookie sheet. Bake for about 12 minutes or until the tops of the cookies are slightly toasted.

Let cookies cool for about 45 minutes. Once cool, begin melting the chocolate by placing chocolate chips and Crisco into a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 30-45 seconds and mix until chocolate becomes smooth.

Dip each cookie into the chocolate and place on wax paper.

Slide the wax paper onto a tray and place dipped cookies in the freezer for about 10 minutes so that chocolate hardens. Now it is time to indulge!!!

Harvest Salad

Published on September 30, 2013September 29, 2013 by twinswithoriginality2 Comments

Fall is one of T.W.O.’s favorite seasons because of the weather and the harvest foods! To kick off the season, T.W.O. decided to make a dish with butternut squash. The weather has been quite warm, so a fresh salad with all the Fall ingredients was put on the T.W.O. menu.

Ingredients

Roasted Butternut Squash:

-Butternut Squash
-Olive Oil
-Cinnamon
-Nutmeg
-Salt and Pepper

For the Salad:

-Roasted butternut squash
-Spinach
-Apple (Honeycrisp or Granny Smith)
– Cucumber
-Crimini mushrooms
-Dried Cranberries
-Pepitas
-Goat Cheese

For the Dressing:

-1/4 cup olive oil
-3/4 cup Balsamic vinegar
-2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
-1 ½ Tablespoons Greek yogurt
-I tablespoon honey
-Cinnamon
-Salt and Pepper

Preheat oven to 415°. Cut butternut squash in half and remove seeds. Place butternut squash on a foil-lined cookie sheet and brush the squash with olive oil. Next, season the squash with salt, pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Put the squash into oven and roast for 45 minutes to one hour.

For the dressing, mix together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, mustard, yogurt, honey, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Put the dressing in the refrigerator to chill. Ten minutes before the butternut squash is ready, prepare salad. Dice apple, mushrooms, and cucumber and place on platted spinach. Next, add your cranberries, pepitas and crumbled goat cheese.

When the squash is done, take out of oven and let sit for 3-5 minutes to cool. Cut the squash into cubes (removing the skin) and put on salad. Drizzle the dressing over salad and mix. Now it’s time to enjoy this gastronomical, fall inspired salad!

Flower Bouquets by T.W.O.

Published on September 26, 2013September 24, 2013 by twinswithoriginalityLeave a comment

Flower bouquets make great gifts for any occasion- birthdays, hostess gifts, “Get Wells,” “Thinking of You’s”, or just to show appreciation for someone else. But let’s face it, most of the time these fabulous gifts are all wrapped the same way- in plastic. Boring. To add a little more spark and personal touch to each boutique gift, T.W.O. decided to wrap the flowers themselves. Now let’s get crafty!

Supplies

-Large, brown paper grocery bag
–Tissue paper, colored
-Raffia or Ribbon
-Bouquet of flowers

First, cut the bottom of the paper bag so that it becomes a long rectangle. Flip the paper bag with the blank side face down if one side has writing on it.

Next, take 2 sheets of tissue paper and place on top of paper bag, with one side situated higher than the paper bag.

Then, place your bouquet of flowers at an angle on the tissue paper. Start wrapping the bouquet. You might need to fold or cut the paper bag if it is too long. Secure the paper bag with raffia or a ribbon.

Now you have yourself a marvelous gift!

Chicken with Garbanzo Bean Salad and Burrata

Published on September 23, 2013September 22, 2013 by twinswithoriginality1 Comment

One of T.W.O. ‘s favorite proteins to experiment with is chicken because it is eaten more often than any other protein and can get very old if you don’t switch it up! So T.W.O. decided to create a spin on chicken Parmesan and bruschetta by creating a dish using chicken, a garbanzo bean salad, and burrata! Whether it is for a dinner party, family gathering or weeknight meal, you will find this dish to be easy but most of all- gastronomical!

Ingredients

– 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
-1 can of garbanzo beans
-Favorite pasta sauce
-Fresh Basil
-Garlic cloves
-Fresh pepper
–Crazy salt
-Burrata cheese

First, chop garlic and basil and place in a mixing bowl. Next, add garbanzo beans, pasta sauce and fresh ground pepper. You want to add enough sauce just to cover the garbanzo beans and create a little liquid. Let this mixture marinade for about 20 minutes in the refrigerator.

While the garbanzo bean salad is marinating, start the grill. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Place chicken onto grill and cook for about 20-25 minutes or until done. Meanwhile, turn on your oven to 425° and take the garbanzo bean salad out of the refrigerator. When the chicken is done, place the chicken breasts into a Pyrex and top with the garbanzo bean salad. (You will have left over salad if you only use 2 chicken breasts, but it makes for a great side dish or snack while cooking!)

Put the Pyrex into the oven for 3-5 minutes. Next, place the burrata cheese over the garbanzo bean salad and put in the oven.

Allow the cheese to melt for about 2 minutes and then turn the oven on broil. Let the dish broil for about 2 minutes, or until the cheese gets a little brown. Once this is done, take the chicken out of the oven and get ready to serve!

Bon appetite!

T.W.O. Hikes Torrey Pines

Published on September 18, 2013September 16, 2013 by twinswithoriginalityLeave a comment

Southern California has some of the best outdoor activities in the nation year around. One of T.W.O.’s favorite activities in SoCal is to hike Torrey Pines State Reserve in La Jolla, California. There are 8 trails at the reserve and range from ½ mile to 1 ½ miles. Each trail has magnificent views of the ocean and coastline. Take the “Beach trail” if you want to get down to the beach (hence the name!) and walk the sandy coast of SoCal. This hike is a great way to start your day, end your day or fill in some time you have in the middle!

Cheers to being healthy, active, and happy!

Polenta + Tomato Appetizer

Published on September 17, 2013September 16, 2013 by twinswithoriginality2 Comments

Polenta is a staple of Northern Italy, but has made its debut in all types of cuisine today. It is most noted for it’s versatility and can be a great addition to your next meal! T.W.O. decided to create an appetizer for their family and let us tell you- it was a hit!!

Ingredients

-Polenta
-Tomatoes
-Fresh buffalo mozzarella
-Garlic powder
-Cayenne pepper
-Ground pepper
-Italian seasoning
-Dried basil

First, line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper and preheat your oven to 425°F. Next, cut your polenta into thin, circular slices. Place the polenta on a lined cookie sheet and season with garlic powder, ground pepper and a dash of cayenne pepper. Then, slice your tomatoes into thin circles and place on the other cookie sheet. Season the tomatoes with Italian seasoning, pepper and dried basil.

Put the polenta and tomato slices in the oven. T.W.O. would recommend putting the polenta slices on the top rack. After about 8 minutes, flip the polenta slices over. Bake the polenta and tomatoes for another 8 minutes. (You might need to keep the polenta in a little longer depending on your oven.) Make sure that the polenta gets crispy. When the polenta and tomatoes are done, place a tomato on top of the polenta and add a slice of mozzarella. Continue this process for the remaining polenta circles. Next, turn your oven to broil and place the polenta “stacks” into the oven for about 3 minutes. Make sure to keep an eye on the stacks so that they do not burn. Once the mozzarella is melted and slightly brown, take them out of the oven. It’s time to serve!!

New York Fashion Week

Published on September 13, 2013September 13, 2013 by twinswithoriginalityLeave a comment

Tory Burch, Michael Kors, Kaufman Franco, Rachel Zoe, Carolina Herrera, or Stella McCartney? Who is your favorite designer? Bold florals, black and white, mixed patterns, winter whites, or metallic shine? What is your favorite print?? Baggy trousers, pointy toe, boxy collared jackets, crop tops, jeweled jackets? What’s your look?

T.W.O. has featured some of their favorite designers, prints, and looks from NYFW 2014. Can’t wait to get some of these in the closet!