VYLETTE

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As summer draws to a close (even though we will have at least another month of summer-esque weather here in the sunshine state) I have been trying to get plenty of citrus into our recipes before it goes out of season. Lots and LOTS of zest in our savory dishes, fresh juice mixed into beverages, and of course both being added to my bakes. Few things are quite as lovely as that little zing of lemon or lime that cuts through the sweetness of a dessert, am I right? When I was at the grocery store this past week, they had the most gorgeous ruby red grapefruits I’ve ever seen. We’re talking high end commercial worthy, so I of course had to grab a couple.

At first, I wasn’t entirely sure what I wanted to do with them. I am always a sucker for a good bruleed grapefruit, but I wanted something I little more special. After some browsing, I found a recipe for Grapefruit Bundt cake, and while it wasn’t exactly what I was looking for, it was a great jumping off point to come up with a recipe of my own. Aside from a little mortar and pestle time since I only had whole cardamom pods, it was a pretty simple recipe and one I will happily keep in my summer rotation. If you’re not overly familiar with cardamom, don’t let that put you off trying this out. The amount included is very light and leaves just the slightest hint at the back of your pallet after you’ve taken a bite. On the other hand if you are a big cardamom fan, the amount could easily be doubled if you want a more assertive flavor.

Ingredients:

Cake:

• 2 1/4 cup All Purpose Flour
• 1 Tsp Ground Cardamom
• 1 Tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
• 1/2 Tsp Salt
• Zest of 1 Large Grapefruit
• 2 Large Eggs
• 1 Cup Sour Cream
• 3/4 Cup Sugar
• 1/2 Cup Grapefruit Juice
• 1/4 Cup of Milk
• 1/3 Cup of Butter (Softened)

Icing

• 1 Cup Powdered Sugar
• 3 Tbsps Grapefruit Juice

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F and grease and flour the bundt pan.
2. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Add the eggs one at a time and mix until thoroughly incorporated.
4. With the mixer on low, incorporate sour cream, milk and juice.
5. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, zest and cardamom.
6. Add the dry to the wet 1/3 at a time in mix until just combined. Do not overmix.
7. Transfer the batter the the bundt pan and smooth so the batter is even.
8. Bake the cake for 35-45 minutes.
9. Let cake cool for 25 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack to cool complete.
10. Once cake is cool, mix icing ingredients and drizzle cooled cake with the icing.
11. Enjoy!!!

If you get a chance to try this recipe out, please comment below or tag me on Instagram. I would love to see your creation and hear any feed back you have to offer 🙂

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While the hot muggy hand of summer has yet to release the sunshine state, I am ready to enthusiastically jump into fall with both feet. Who knows, maybe a little wishful thinking will speed up the season dip of the thermostat. Since sweaters and long sleeves are out of the question, I’ve turned instead to warm toasty baked goods to help us get into an autumnal state of mind. These Brown Butter Oatmeal cookies are the perfect complement to almost any warm or cold fall beverage.

Ingredients:
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter
1 cup dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract or paste
2 cups old fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
*Flaky Sea Salt for finishing – Optional

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a frying pan, toast chopped pecans over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally until they become fragrant. Set aside to cool.
3. In a sauce pan, brown butter over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it has become golden brown. Remove from heat and transfer to a heat safe bowl to cool for 1 hour.
4. Sift together flour, salt and baking soda and set aside.
5. Using a hand or stand mixer beat together the browned butter and dark brown sugar for 5 minutes. The mixture should be lighter in color and slightly fluffy.
6. One at a time, beat in the eggs and add the vanilla.
7. Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture and stir until just combined.
8. Fold in the oats and the chopped pecans.
9. Place the cookie dough into the fridge for 20-25 minutes so it can firm up.
10. Using a medium cookie scoop, scoop mixture on to lined baking sheet leaving 1-1 1/2 inches between each cookie.
11. Bake cookies for 9-12 minutes (depending on size) and sprinkle with sea salt as soon as they are removed from the oven. Allow cookies to cool for 5 minutes before removing from the cookie sheet.
12. Enjoy!

*With my cookie scoop, this recipe made 18 cookies.

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Routines evolve over time to accommodate lifestyle and habitat modifications, and the products we use the most change to reflect and accommodate our new needs. 2020 has been a very big year for changing the way we all live our lives, and over the last few months, my daily needs have definitely changed. Here are some of the products that I am using the most these days.

Nano Toothbrush – I am unnecessarily aggressive when I brush my teeth, so much so that my dentist and orthodontist both told me I had to take it down or I was going to cause serious gum damange and end up needing a gum graft down the road. Hard pass, so I did some research and settled on the Nano Toothbrush. The dense super soft bristles get your teeth squeeky clean with the tiniest bit of pressure and some gentle circles. I’ve been using this for a couple months now, and I just bought my three month replacement.

Good Day Chocolate Melatonin Supplement – Originally these were purchased as a bit of a joke. The idea of “night night” candies seem a bit silly and like an excuse to have a piece of chocolate before bed. I was so wrong, and I sincerely apologize for ever doubting these amazing blue candies. Since the pandemic started, I have had such a difficult time falling asleep: I toss and turn unable to shut my mind off; I sometimes almost end up in tears because physically I am exhausted, but I still can’t rest. I’m not saying that this hasn’t happened since I started taking them, but the number of sleepless nights has reduced drastically. A candy before bed is now considered an essential part of my nightly routine.

Rose Gold Classic Crocs – I have been VERY anti-Croc clogs for years. I think they’re clunky, unflattering, and ridiculously overpriced for something that is essentially a giant foam shoe. Then I found myself working from home for months. I had a couple pairs of “house shoes” aka plastic flip flops/slides that were perfectly fine for a couple of hours in the evening, but wearing them all day every day began to cause callouses and blisters on the sides/tops of my feet. I tried switching them up for some of the shoes I used to wear to work or to run errands, but from an ease standpoint it was tedious since none of them could be easily slipped on or off. The last straw came when I was folding laundry and I stepped down wrong and my flip flop literally cut the side of my foot. I was so done with something that was such a stupid problem that I decided to just give in and go with the most extreme comfort based option, the classic Croc. I did make sure to get a pair that was a pretty metallic color and I got them on sale, but they are what they are. Hideous, but insanely comfortable. I am considering buying a pair for Andy.

Garnier Fructis Mint Mojito Dry Shampoo – This product became my go to when I stopped washing my hair a couple of months ago. I find the overly intense scents of a lot of dry shampoos off putting, but this has a light pleasant scent and it certainly gets the job done. Depending on how active I’ve been, I go through a can of this every week and a half to two weeks, but the price is good and the spray function makes it very easy to use. I’m sure I’ll eventually branch out and try other types of dry shampoo, but for now, this is what I keep on hand.

Lime Crime Unicorn Hair Dye in Pony – This was my go to color a couple of years ago when I dyed my hair purple the first time, so when I found myself telecommuting with no need to keep a “normal” hair color, I placed an order immediately. This shade is the perfect bright pinky purple, and the dye gives a ton of color payoff without damaging your hair. My hair is very fine, so I can usually get two uses out of a single jar. Since it looks like my telecommuting won’t be ending anytime soon, I am considering trying another color in this product line, I just have to figure out which one. They’re all gorgeous.

What items are you loving right now?

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Covid has definitely put a damper on a lot of my favorite fall activities. Corn mazes, hay rides, and even trips to the orchard are far less appealing when they come with the threat of serious illness. That being said, I refuse to let my favorite season pass by unacknowledged, so I have put together a Fall Bucket List filled with things that can be done from the safety of my own home or at least at a safely socially distanced range.

What’s on your bucket list this year?