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!
Having a dinner party with assigned seating? Can’t decide on how to display your guests’ name? Well T.W.O. has the perfect solution for you! All those wine corks you are “saving” for a special occasion can finally come in handy. It’s as easy as one…T.W.O.…three!!
What you will need:
– Name Tags (T.W.O. printed the name tags on Avery template pages)
– Wine Corks
– X-Acto Knife or Swish Army Knife
Step 1: Design and print out your name tags.
Step 2: Using your knife, cut a ½ cm deep line into the cork (lengthwise).
Step 3: Place the name tag in the slit and make sure it’s secured. *
Voilà!
Now that’s an easy DIY project! Happy designing!!!
* If the wine cork place card isn’t standing upright, shave the bottom of the cork to create a flatter surface.
Remember that Sriracha Glazed Chicken Kebab recipe posted by T.W.O on Monday? Have you had the chance to try the recipe out? If you haven’t- you better get on it! And if you have, there are most likely leftovers! Hooray! T.W.O. decided to mix it up with the sriracha glazed chicken and add it to a salad! This dish is so refreshing, light, and has a nice balance of a sweet, but spicy kick to it!
Ingredients
–Sriracha Glazed Chicken, diced (link the post here)
-Lettuce*
-Mango, cubed
-Tomatoes
-Cucumbers
-Crimini mushrooms
-Cilantro Dressing**
*T.W.O. used romaine lettuce
**If you don’t feel like making your own dressing recipe, T.W.O. has discovered a great Cilantro dressing from Trader Joe’s.
First, wash and chop up the lettuce, mango, tomatoes, cucumbers, and mushrooms. Next dice your chicken into cubes. T.W.O. heated up their chicken just a bit before tossing into salad, but it can also be served at room temperature. After all the ingredients are platted, drizzle the dressing on the salad. Easy as that!
Bon Appetite!
It’s one of Europe’s best beaches, home to the gastronomic lifestyle of pintxos and one of T.W.O’s favorite cities in Spain. San Sebastián (SS) is located on the northern coast of Spain in the Basque region near the border of France. T.W.O. enjoyed 5 nights in this beach town and took day trips to Pamplona to watch the Running of the Bulls and to Biarritz to check out the surf capital of Europe.
Accommodations:
T.W.O. stayed in the Iztueta Apartments located on Miramar, which is the street overlooking La Concha beach. Jon, the owner, was very friendly and helpful in recommending local attractions and restaurants. The selling point of this apartment was the location and view. T.W.O. enjoyed many sunsets on their balcony with rosé and cheese while looking at La Concha beach. Being so close to the water, T.W.O. would fall asleep to the waves breaking onto the shore….doesn’t get any better than that!
Pintxos Bars:
Bar Zeruko: A MUST! T.W.O. went here their second night in SS and was a little bit intimated at first by the ordering process. They quickly learned that there was a second menu that you could order from; and that is what they did! T.W.O. highly recommends getting the steak (served on slate) and the papas fritas (French fries).
Atari Gastroteka: T.W.O. didn’t only visit this place once; they usually ended the pintxos bar hopping here every night! Located right across from the church, this place has it all. Great cupas riojas (glass of red wine), pintxos and cute servers! T.W.O. highly recommends the tomato salad and the arroz del día (rice of the day).
A Fuego Negro: Known for their burger pintxos, this place had a great atmosphere. T.W.O. stumbled upon this little gem trying to avoid a rainstorm and was very impressed with it’s menu. You can walk in or make reservations for the tasting menu. T.W.O. love the record-style menus!
La Playa
La Concha: is the larger of two beaches in San Sebastian and is more protected from the open sea. Many fishing boats are anchored here, so it makes for a beautiful setting. T.W.O. spent most of their time on this beach since it was right across from their apartment. They would grab some fresh bread, turkey, and cheese and a bottle of rosé and head to the beach for a couple hours. Of course there was a gelato break here and there! The beach was backed with people from all over the world, which made for great people watching! Some had their bathing suits on, some didn’t! The water was the perfect temperature to cool off in the 80 degree weather. As the day grew longer, the tide came up and then it became a party on the beach! Your sand neighbors became your friends!
La Zurriola: This beach is located east of the old town and river. Known as being the surf spot of SS, this beach has more waves and less people. If you want a quieter beach with a ton of Aussies and locals, come here!
The Old Town
The town itself is filled with shops, bakeries and mercados. T.W.O. enjoyed strolling through the streets and exploring the shops. The panaderías (bakeries) were plentiful and delicious! T.W.O. found the best goat cheese in a local mercado that they can’t seem to find here in the US.
Hike to statue of Christ
An easy hike, T.W.O. ventured to the statue of Christ one morning before the heat. The statue is located on top of the mountain between the two beaches. If you want great photos of the city, take the hike! There were many look-out points along the way to capture shots of the city. Beware of the wild-life….wild cats were roaming around! The old canons near the castle still exist, which is pretty spectacular to envision that those were once used to protect the city. Make sure to bring water; there are no water fountains along the way.
T.W.O. absolutely loved spending time in San Sebastián and would highly recommend this city to anyone. T.W.O. hopes to come back one day and visit their favorite spots again.
Happy Travels!
Sriracha sauce has been around for many years, but it seems like just recently this sauce has become the “new hot sauce” and is being used to create innovative dishes. T.W.O. decided to take their traditional kebab recipe to the next level and spice it up to create Sriracha Glazed Chicken kebabs! The recipe is very simple and requires no marinating time. The chicken stays so moist from its spicy, sticky glaze and will no doubt make you want more!
Ingredients
– ½ cup light brown sugar
– ½ cup unseasoned rice vinegar
– ⅓ cup hot chili paste
– ¼ cup fish sauce
– ¼ cup Sriracha
– 2 teaspoon finely grated ginger
– 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
– Green onions, chopped
– Bamboo skewers, soaked in water
First, soak the bamboo skewers in water for at least 30 minutes. This prevents the skewers from splintering or breaking. Next, heat up your grill to a low-medium heat. While the grill is heating up, cut the chicken into cubed-chunks and place in a large bowl. Whisk brown sugar, vinegar, chili paste, fish sauce, Sriracha, and ginger in a bowl. Pour this marinade over the chicken and mix so that all the chicken is covered. Now its time to skewer the chicken. After all the chicken is on the skewers, place the remaining marinade in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer until it is reduced by half. This should take about 7-10 minutes. Once the marinade is reduced, take the chicken and marinade to the grill.
Place the kebabs on the grill and baste with marinade. Make sure to keep turning and basting the skewers so the chicken doesn’t burn and remains moist. Continue basting and flipping the skewers until chicken is done. (8-10 minutes, depending on the grill) Take your chicken off the grill and plate on a platter. Garnish the skewers with the chopped green onions. Now it’s time to eat!
Enjoy!
Summer is not over yet; Peaches are still in season…So it’s time to get into the kitchen with T.W.O. and make these fabulous peach goat cheese crostini! They make a wonderful appetizer that all your guests will enjoy. And you will enjoy them to because they are easy to make so you can spend more time socializing with your guests and not stuck in the kitchen!
Ingredients
-Fresh baguette
-Goat cheese
-Fresh basil
-Peaches
-Balsamic vinegar
-Honey, optional
First, pre-heat your oven to 425°F. Next, slice your baguette and place on a foil-lined cookie sheet. (The foil makes for an easy cleanup!) Then, slice your peaches into thin wedges and chop your basil into small pieces.
Once the oven is heated, place your bread slices in the oven. After about 3 minutes, check the slices to see if they are golden brown. If so, flip them over to get the other side golden brown. Once both sides are done, take the bread out of the oven and get ready to prepare the crostini! While the bread is still hot, spread your goat cheese on the crostini. Next, place some basil on top of the cheese and finish with the peach slice. Repeat this for the remaining bread slices.
Once all the crostini are assembled, drizzle the balsamic over each piece. T.W.O. also drizzled honey over each crostini and found that it added an extra kick of sweetness. So if you are in the mood for a sweet, but savory treat, add the honey! Now it’s time to serve!
For many years, T.W.O. has been riding their beach cruises to this street’s beach front to soak up the sun. It’s a great place to catch-up on your summer book read, gossip magazine news and a little game of smash ball. Generally, this beach spot is not too crowded so you don’t have to worry about finding a place to sit.
This island is famous for its Balboa Bar, which is a chocolate dipped frozen banana. It’s THE BEST in the WEST! Other than these gastronomical gems, Balboa is a great place to stroll along the board walk and enjoy the sun! And if you have young children, the island offers a Fun Zone and a Ferry Boat that will definitely keep your children on Cloud 9!
Located on Main Street in Huntington Beach, the Sugar Shack is a restaurant that T.W.O. and their family have been going to for breakfast every Christmas Eve. The eggs, pancakes, hash browns and the hot chocolate are highly recommended. The restaurant is also known for its hamburgers and Turkey Dinners on Wednesday nights.
Where the shopping bags meet the surf! In T.W.O’s opinion, there is no better way to spend the day shopping than in an outdoor shopping mall that has views of the ocean. The center has many of T.W.O.’s favorite stores- Norstrom’s, Bloomingdales, Macy’s, Trina Turk, Rebecca Taylor, Elie Tahari, Kate Spade,Nike, and the list goes on! One of T.W.O.’s favorite spots to dine for lunch while shopping is True Food Kitchen, which has the most amazing salads!
Shake Shack is a great place to cool down with a shake and enjoy the views of the Pacific Ocean. This small little hut is located on Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) near Laguna Beach that is worth stopping at! They are most famous for their date shake creation. So take your next date here and share a date shake!
A local favorite, The Cannery is a wonderful restaurant that is known for its gastronomical, fresh seafood. Whether you go for brunch, lunch dinner, or drinks, this waterfront spot will not be a disappointment. They also offer a fantastic happy hour from 4-6:30 PM daily!
At the beach and craving a hamburger? T.W.O. would highly recommend that you make your way to TK Burger. This spot is filled with locals because they know that it is the best burger you can get in town with sand on your feet. All their food is fresh- never frozen and cooked to order. They also have locations in Huntington Beach, Costa Mesa, Mission Viejo, Anaheim Hills and Santa Ana.
Happy Exploring!
T.W.O.’s Labor Day weekend was filled with family, fun, beach, sun, and some gastronomical food! One of which was the famous family potato salad! T.W.O. is not a fan of mayonnaise, so potato salad was never made until this recipe was created! The recipe calls for very little mayonnaise, but is still extremely moist and full of flavor. This salad is a must for your next BBQ!
Ingredients
– 5 lbs red potatoes
– Celery, chopped
– Red onion, chopped
– 5-6 dill pickles, chopped
– 1-1 ½ cups Mayonnaise**
– 1 cup sweet relish
– Krazy salt
– Garlic powder
– Ground pepper
**T.W.O. uses the Best Foods Light Mayonnaise
First, wash the potatoes, keeping the skins on. Place potatoes into a large pot and fill with water so that about ½ to ¾ of the potatoes are covered. Cover pot with lid and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, bring to a low-medium temperature.
While potatoes are cooking, chop up your celery, onions, and pickles. After about 15 minutes, check the potatoes. If you can stick a butter knife through the potatoes, then they are done. (You don’t want the potatoes to be too soft, nor too hard!) Drain the water from the pot and let the potatoes sit for about 3 minutes just to cool a little so you don’t burn your fingers. While the potatoes are still very warm, cut the potatoes (with the skins on) into chucks and place into a bowl. Add the celery, onions, pickles, mayonnaise and relish to the potatoes and mix. Next season the salad with salt, garlic powder and ground pepper to your desire. Once everything is mixed, place in the refrigerator to chill. After a few hours, the salad is ready to be served! (You might want to check your salad a ½ hour before serving it just to make sure there is enough mayonnaise to your liking. Sometimes the potatoes absorb the mayonnaise during the chilling process.)
Bon appetite!
Travel journals have been around since the beginning of time. The pioneers kept journals while traveling to the West to document their hardships, sightings and experiences to the new unexplored land. Many of these journals have been used to learn more about history and many were lost in the rough, leaving unanswered questions. Today, T.W.O. has adapted the same concept with their travels around the world.
Before every big trip, T.W.O. buys a journal to document their memories and capture their favorite quotes and experiences. The journal selection process is important; you just can’t select a book with paper in it. Below are some requirements that are needed:
– Hard cover
– Memorable quote or picture on the front, depicting the trip
– Wire ring binding
– 70+ pages
The main idea of the travel journal is to write about each day’s activities so that you can remember everything years later. Hotel and restaurant names, shopping stores and city neighborhoods are all noted in the book.
T.W.O. uses the travel journal to suggest places to friends and family traveling to the same destination. The most important part of the book is the “scrapbook” section, which has restaurant business cards, post cards, wine bottle labels, maps and anything else that comes across the way during T.W.O.’s travels. (There is even a smudge of chocolate from a croissant T.W.O. had in Paris in the travel journal!) Scotch tape is important to bring along so you can tape the items into the book that same day.
At the end of the trip, T.W.O. recaps their favorite memories and quotes. T.W.O. finds it important to document these experiences as soon as you can because as time goes own, details are forgotten. And just like the pioneers, these journals will be passed to future generations. From wagons, to cars, to trains to planes, we will see what the next century brings!
Happy Travels!!!!
T.W.O. 