29 November 2014

50 Benefits of My Life


Thank you for all this goodness, please bring me more.
Find the things that bring you joy.

I have been quite in-tune with The Secret (aka Laws of Attraction) as of late, and today is no exception. I got lost in the world of YouTube watching Jim Carrey, Will Smith, Oprah, + the lot of Secret speakers. These people are so wonderful to spread the word + inspire the rest of us to not get stuck in the 'what is' + rather live for what we want, how we want it, and who we want it with.

Since moving to San Francisco, I've been all over the board trying to seek my life's purpose. And while I've had some good days + some bad, overall I am getting back into my jive + deciding what I want for my life.
*You will be able to read through my steps today + in the future as I take them and figure out this life*

As recommended by the Secret Speakers, we need to start planning our futures by appreciating the past + present. The best way to do this is to begin by making a list of what you are grateful for in your current life.

27 November 2014

Thanksgiving 2014

Happy Turkey Day Folks!



I give thanks on this day for all of the blessings I have in my life, including these pieces of pies. <3 


Wishing you + yours a special day!

<3 Nelli + Noonie

26 November 2014

Pumpkin Muffins | New Addition


I haven't made pumpkin muffins since last year's recipe, and since we are in the season of pumpkin EVERYTHING I decided to try out a new recipe.
This recipe was definitely 'up there' on the delicious factor. One of my favorite pumpkin bread's to date.

24 November 2014

Noonie's | Chicken Fried Steak





Uhm, yes please. Love me some Chicken Fried Steak! All smothered in gravy goodness, ooohhh wwweeee! lol. (I mean CFS is a Southern food so I'm just tryin' to get into it lol) Although I've obviously eaten CFS plenty of times over the years I've only ever actually eaten while dining out at a restaurant. Never had I ever (ha) had the pleasure of eating homemade CFS, that is up until recently. When I went looking for an exact recipe to use I found a couple of variations of pretty much the same basic recipe. + so I decided to combine a couple of recipes that I found + made my own by adding/subtracting a couple of ingredients that I thought the recipe could use. This dish turned out to be everything I wanted it to be + more, which is a rarity in life, so needless to say I was a pretty damn happy lady after sitting down + enjoying it. I know you're goin' love it too. 


Grab your ingredients + let's get a cookin'! :)



22 November 2014

Street Life

Here are just a few highlights of my time in San Francisco!
Enjoy!


20 November 2014

Family of Artists

Up until about 5 years ago I had no idea that there were in fact other artists in the family. I don't know much about my mom's side of the family but I managed to find out that both my Grandpa + Great Aunt were both artists. And good ones too. From what I can gather my Grandpa mostly did pencil works, while my Great Aunt was a painter. I definitely had one of those "so that's where I got it from" moments when I found out there were other artists in the family. I just hope one day I'll be as talented as them. My mom only has a few pieces that my Great Aunt Olga painted + I thought it'd be fun to share them with you! :)

Furry Friends
Rocks that she painted in 1985 + to think I wasn't even born yet when these were done! Lol.

18 November 2014

Squash + Black Bean Enchiladas

This particular evening I was feeling adventurous and wanted to try out a new + more adventurous dinner when I came across Sprouted Kitchen's Roasted Zucchini, Black Bean, + Goat Cheese Enchiladas. As per the usual, I modified her recipe based on what I had in my house; but boy were these enchilada fantastic!
They turned out much much better than I had imagined.
This was my first time making enchiladas, I was surprised at how easy they were to create. They were time consuming as I roasted the squash + used dried beans, however, I don't mind things like that. I often roast my veggies or cook my beans while working on other projects so I don't even feel like I am cooking, plus I feel like preparing these on my own results in a better overall flavor. 

Continuing on my exploration of food I picked up a delicata squash and used it for this recipe. These squash have quickly become my new favorite! For a little more on winter squash varietals here is an explanation from Suzie's Farm.



16 November 2014

Nelli + Noonie's Downtown Sac Adventures

#SacramentoStreetArt

Nelli + I got to hang the other day for the first time since she's been back in Cali Cali! First stop on our venture around Downtown Sacramento? A coffee shop of course! We met at the ever bustling coffee shop Weatherstone. It's literally always busy + crowded with people + for good reason! The coffee is top notch, it's nestled in a cozy part of town, the atmosphere+ space are lovely; the walls filled with art created by local artists, there's plenty of nice outdoor seating on their back patio, + how could I forget to mention the building itself?! I forgot to take a picture of it, but found this one online.


13 November 2014

Advice to Our Former Selves

The other day I was exploring new blogs when I came across Kyla Roma (who by the way, is one of my absolute favorites!) + specifically her blog post Notes to My Younger Self. As she concludes she asks the readers "What advice would you give to your younger self?" Advice which I have amply taken.
In addition Noonie + I have been wanting to collaborate on more blog posts so this seemed like a supreme place to start!

THE ADVICE

.  .  .

Nelli
Be your own best friend.
Love should make you feel good.
Keep in touch.
Cut out the negativity.
Set Goals.

Noonie
Stay focused.
You're stronger than you even know, be confident in this.
Follow your heart + dreams, no matter anyones' opinion.
Be open to change + accept change, even if you think it sucks at time. Most of the time change is just a blessing in disguise.

12 November 2014

Arab Meal 101: Manaeesh | Za'atar + Olive Oil 'Pies'




I've been wanting to share this next recipe with ya for a while now for a couple of reasons: 1) it's one of my favorite Arabic snacks/breakfast item + I like to share recipes from my culture! + 2) it literally takes 10 minutes to make including prep + bake time! I'm talking about a little something we Arabs call Manaeesh aka Za'atar pies aka flaky savory goodness! I've talked about Za'atar in the past here on BSOM but for those of you who missed it let me catch ya up on exactly what it is...! 

Za'atar is an Arabic spice that one could describe as kind of a tangy + savory. It typically consists of Roasted Sesame Seeds, Sumac, Thyme, Oregano + Salt, although there are a few variations here + there on the mix. I usually get my Za'atar fix from my local Mediterranean store, but I'm sure an international grocery store will probably have it as it's a popular spice in the Arab world. If you don't feel like buying it just to try it you can always make your own at home, although I haven't personally tried making my own I found this recipe online. Seems pretty legit. Anyways you're goin need some Za'atar for the recipe I'm about to share!



09 November 2014

Noonie's 1st Art Show!!




Yeah yeah I know, I've been blog slackin', lol. Life has just been a little hectic for me lately, I guess it all began a few weeks ago when I received word that I was chosen to participate in an art event...my very first art show! You may have already heard the news as I've mentioned it once before on BSOM, but today I thought I'd go a little more into detail + tell ya the whole story of how this exciting news came to be!


08 November 2014

Baked Yams | 2-Ways


Tis the season for all things pumpkin, potato, hearty, + sweet!
Over the past few years I have been experimenting with foods that I never ate as a child, many of which quickly became my favorite foods!
In 2011 I set my new years resolution as "trying new edibles" and boy did I! This was the first time I'd had lamb, oxtail, + octopus! Since that years end, I've continued on my mission to try new things, + periodically I come across a food I've yet to try. So guess what the first thing I do is... Try it! Now of course, this method does not always result in a new favorite, or even something I like for that matter, but I relish in the fact that I can definitively state that I tried it + as such know that I am not a fan. For instance tripe. I spent 2 years working in an authentic Italian restaurant where we served tripe in a tomato sauce. When the owner swore to me that it was delicious, I went for it + boy was I thrown for a loop. The flavor of this delicacy was not bad, not was the broth it produced, but for me the texture killed it (If you don't know, tripe is intestine). However, another dish I sampled at the same restaurant was rabbit + that was very good. It honestly tasted like dark meat chicken. Another fail was squid, I am simply not a fan of the texture. But the failures only help me solidify myself + my conquest to sample everything!

06 November 2014

#TBT


I rarely ever post a #TBT (that's Throwback Thursday for those of you who have been living under a rock lol)  but I do enjoy doing it from time to time. Hell maybe I'll start doing it more regularly. We'll see. It's just kinda fun to look back + reminisce sometimes. Anywho here's my #tbt for ya, a photo I took a few Summers back when my mother + I took a trip to the city (SF). We had such a good day hitting up all the 'usual spots', but we also headed to Golden Gate Park, a place we don't usually venture to when we go to the city together. I personally love GGP. Certain parts of it just make you feel like you're in the middle of the forest, when really you're in the middle of a huge city. That feeling always trips me out. Anyways after we hit up the park we decided to go to the beach to soak up some sun + ocean time. This particular beach we went to has a huge wall that runs alongside the beach area + it's COVERED with graffiti. If you're a regular here on BSOM you know I LOVE graffiti, so this huge wall of pieces was right up my alley! Of course I snapped some photos! One being the photo pictured above :) 

So there ya have it my #tbt. 
I'd love to see your #tbt! Comment below with a link so I can check it out! 

Until next time friends...Cheers!!!

<3 Noonie

04 November 2014

Views From Above


Here are a few skyline views from my recent 'urban wandering' adventures through my new city, San Francisco!


Enjoy!
Nelli

02 November 2014