Recipe: Overflowing vegetable tart

this tart is a compilation of different recipes with an addition of things that we had at home. how this whole thing started i am not even sure, but we had potatoes, leeks, and zucchini at home and i have been having an ongoing love-affair with goat cheese so i decided to combine everything into one dish. at our house we also eat tomatoes with just about everything and the little colorful heirloom ones were perfect here. 

the finished tart was more delicious than i ever imagined! there is still left over dough in the freezer anxiously waiting to be made into another one of these. :)

Past Weekend Photos...

the last few weeks included a visit to the santa monica pier

some delicious breakfasts

a trip to the beach

yummy churros on the pier...so good!

a ride on the ferris wheel over the ocean!

i was terrified at first, but it was kind of amazing

market night in our tiny little town

fresh crepes and ice cream!

have a wonderful week!

An Outfit...

one / two / three / four

Weekend Photos....

this saturday we lazily stayed in bed longer than usual.

we made EVERYTHING for breakfast including biscuits, fruit, soft boiled eggs, tea...

after breakfast we got in the car and drove up into the mountains to get away from the already unbearable "summer" heat. we wanted to try a new hike, but soon began to have doubts as the gps led us on a rather sketchy, dirt road far into the woods. after initial reservations, we finally found the start of a trail that led us five breathtaking, yet very steep miles up the mountain and then another five muscle-aching, but gorgeous miles back. and i am definitely still feeling those ten miles today! 

* we may have also picked up a giant, delicious pizza on the way home to recover with. :)

Recent Snapshots

Recipe: Custard with Strawberries

i've shared my lemony obsessions here multiple times, but a dessert that i find even more irresistible is custard. this has been one of my favorites ever since i can remember. my sister and i used to make giant bowls of instant custard and devour it in its entirety in one sitting. choosing a dessert when we eat out, my attention always goes to anything custard related....bread pudding, creme brulee, custard filled tarts, and so on. there was also a certain magic custard cake circulating around pinterest a few weeks back and i am almost embarrassed to say that i "pinned" it in the morning and had already baked and eaten half of it later that day (there was an extended trip to the gym the following day). but most times, custard in its simplicity is the perfect solution for my dessert cravings. 

*recipe here*

A long absence...

as the school year is finally coming to an end i am becoming more and more anxious! although i say "finally" it also seems crazy to think that my first year of teaching is just weeks away from being over and that i survived! it seems like just the other day, i was telling my husband that i can't wait to be a few weeks into the year, where i would feel comfortable with all my classes - that was eight months ago! it was an incredibly busy school year with many ups and downs and i am definitely ready for a little breathing time!

pictures from our walk in the mountains this past weekend.