waffle french toast

I was at work discussing what to make for breakfast with one of the lunch ladies and waffle french toast came up. I’ve been dying to try the recipe since I saw it on the Food Network so naturally I had to experiment.

Waffle French Toast
6 slices of wheat bread (challah and brioche probably work best because it’s sturdy)
2 eggs
1 cup of whole milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
strawberries and syrup for garnishing
pinch of cinnamon (optional)

1. Heat your waffle iron
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the milk and eggs.
3. Add vanilla and salt. The cinnamon is optional but if you prefer that kind of french toast taste than by all means add it.
4. Soak each piece of bread in the milk mixture. Soak enough to coat the entire piece of bread but don’t over soak it or else it’ll be all mushy and gross.
5. Cook on your waffle iron at the temp you’d make waffles at. I have a Cuisinart one and I use the 3.
6. Top with strawberries and drizzle syrup on top.

It’s the perfect brunch for mothers day It’s also a great recipe for breakfast. All the ingredients are ingredients that I have on hand all the time so it’s simple. I love things that are simple In other news, I’m volunteering with the Jordan Farmar Foundation this summer! It’ll be at UCLA’s Pauley Pavillion for the annual Hoop Farm basketball camp. I’m beyond excited. Jordan played for UCLA while my sister was a freshman there so I’ve been a fan ever since. July needs to come faster!

fettucine alfredo w/chicken & broccoli

I love fettucine alfredo but I believe my version is such a cheat sheet. As I’ve said many times before, college students make due with the ingredients they have. I was also a carbs lover and lazy butt in college..still am actually

Fettucine Alfredo w/Chicken & Broccoli
1 14oz jar of alfredo sauce (I used the Bertolli kind)
4 chicken breasts
2 cups broccoli (You can use the frozen kind if you like. Just make sure to thaw it first. I used fresh)
3/4 cup water
1 lb fettucine cooked
salt & pepper to taste

1. In a medium bowl, season chicken with salt and pepper. You could also add additional seasoning if you like. Cook chicken breast for about 2-3 minutes per side. I pounded mine to uniform so if yours are slightly uneven than your cook time will vary.
2. Cut chicken into strips and set aside.
3. Pour broccoli into a medium pan and add just enough water to cover the entire bottom. About 3/4 cup. Put the lid on and steam for about 3 minutes.
4. Add cooked fettucine to a large pan and pour sauce on top.
5. Once it’s thoroughly mixed, add chicken and broccoli and stir to combine.

It’s a pretty simple recipe. Like most of my college recipes, I kind of winged it and used jarred sauce because I knew it would taste good. If you like homemade sauce than feel free to make it. I’m way to lazy for that lol Thanks for reading!

flower fields at carlsbad ranch

This post will mainly be a picture post because I got some great shots of the flower fields today! There were so many people!! The drive down there was pretty therapeutic for me but it also made me want to fall asleep.

The entrance to the fields















After getting lost in the sweet pea maze! -_-

The coolest lemon stand ever

Big sis and I had to get our kettlecorn fix

The azaleas we bought our mama

Hope you enjoy the pictures! Please do not take any of my photography and claim them as your own. Thanks!

individual cheesecakes

My coworkers birthday was a few weeks back and I promised I’d make her cheesecake. I finally got around to doing so and made these delicious individual cheesecakes. She was super picky about them and requested them to be left plain but you could add any kind of toppings. I usually top mine with strawberry because I can’t stand plain cheesecake. I also do it because cheesecake is a hit or miss dessert when I make it. I have no clue why but sometimes it comes out perfect and other times it has huge cracks in it. The ones I made had some cracks on top but they weren’t too ugly. Definitely not my worse.

Individual Cheesecakes (yields 24)
2 8oz packages of cream cheese at room temp
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup graham cracker crumbs (you can substitute with vanilla wafers if you’d like)
4 tablespoons melted butter
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup sugar
a pinch of salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a food processor, mix graham crackers (about 1 1/2 individual packages), melted butter, and two tablespoons sugar. Pulse until completely combine and the crumbs are moist.
3. Line a cupcake pan with liners and spoon about 1 tablespoon of the graham cracker mixture into each liner. Press down and make smooth. If you want a hard crust, bake the crust at 350 degrees for about 5 minutes. If you prefer a soft crust (I made mine with soft crust) don’t bake the crust.
4. Using a kitchen aid mixer, mix the cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar until thoroughly combined.
5. Mix in the eggs one at a time.
6. Add vanilla extract and salt, than mix again. Be carefully not to over mix as it will cause the cracks in your cheesecake when it deflats.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for about 16-17 minutes.
8. Let cool completely before putting in the refrigerator. The cheesecakes will fall. Don’t be alarmed.
9. Chill for at least 3-4 hours. I chilled my overnight. I find that cheesecake is better after 24 hours.

I hope you try the recipe It’s super easy and they’re pretty delicious for plain cheesecake. I plan on making a margarita cheesecake for the Cinco de Mayo potluck that my work is having. Let’s hope they turn out good

flowers galore

My parents love planting flowers in our front yard. We have birds of paradise flowers, roses, what I believe are lilies, and this other flower I can’t name. I was practicing my photography again with this years flower bloom.








Aren’t they gorgeous? I can’t wait till this weekend. Another trip to the Carlsbad Flower Fields to get some flowers for my mama. This time my sister’s coming with me so we’re probably going to make a trip of it and head to the outlet for some much needed shopping after the fields. I’m having my camera ready this time! Thanks for reading

Reasons why I miss Irvine

I love Orange County. I used to live five minutes from Newport Beach. It was my sanctuary. Then I graduated college and it was time to move back home. Only, I didn’t want to move back home. I don’t think I ever shared pictures of my first apartment in Irvine on this blog so I’m doing that now. My first apartment in Irvine was expensive as heck. I shared a room with another person and my rent was over $500 plus utlities and insurance. Although it was expensive, I loved it there. The architecture is absolutely beautiful and it’s probably one of the nicest places I’ve lived. It was right by the 405 fwy and about 5 minutes from campus. There were food plazas down the street in every direction. If it weren’t so expensive, I’d be there now!

This is a picture in the pool area. It’s the clubhouse and offices of the complex.

The famous bellagio pool right smack center of the apartment complex. It was also the closest pool from my apartment.

Outdoor grills right next to the jacuzzis!

The awesome jacuzzi The picture doesn’t do it any justice but there’s actually steam coming from the water.

The deck area, bellagio pool, restrooms, and some apartments.

For anyone who’s wondering, the apartment complex is called Villa Siena. They’re owned by the Irvine Company (as most buildings are in Irvine). It’s an upscale apartment complex. I believe they had a bellagio pool, a junior olympic size pool, and several wading pools for kids. The staff there are super helpful and friendly. My move in process and move out process was easy. The only complaint I have is the parking. It freaking sucks. They need to have more spaces available. It’s also a gated community and the people living there usually say hi or wave when they see you. It’s super safe. Not a lot of crazy stuff happens here. The craziest thing I saw was when someone living on the premises tried to cut herself and her roommate called the police. Literally there were five squad cars and the S.W.A.T team. I want to go back!

bolsa chica wetlands

Today my class got to take a field trip to Cherry Beach (Long Beach) as part of a beach clean-up in honor of Earth Day. I was so bummed that I didn’t bring my camera because the beach was beautiful. I would definitely have gotten some great shots After Cherry Beach and lunch, we headed to the Bolsa Chica Conservancy also known as Bolsa Chica Wetlands/Ecological Reserve. They have a nature walk there and it’s sort of like a hiking trail. I honestly did not realize how out of shape I was until I was walking that trail. I don’t remember walking that much since my college days of running from the shuttle stop all the way to the other side of campus in five minutes. I really loved it though because it was sunny and windy. It was a great day for the field trip. As I was walking back to the parking lot, I suddenly found myself missing Orange County more and more now that I live in the valley. I’m determined to find enough money to move back to Irvine again. The wetlands is in a pretty cool location. Across the street on one side is Huntington Beach and on the other side is the Huntington yacht club. The kids really had fun on the trail and it was great to see them in their natural environment. The wetlands itself has a bunch of wildlife. I saw lizards, cranes, ducks, and etc. It was also a great spot for photos but being the forgetful dummy that I am…I didn’t bring my camera. I’m totally kicking myself for that. I got a great tan today If you’re in the area or would like to volunteer to clean up stuff, it’s the perfect place. I went there a few years ago to do a clean up (weed pulling) with my honor society. The nature walk is great. Since it’s by the beach, it’s super breezy and cool. It felt great just taking that walk and having time to myself. I seriously miss the OC Until next time!