Thrift Haul #4

Summer time is here and that means I have lots of time after work to hit up my favorite stores of the DC  metro area. Unfortunately, I did not visit any new stores this month; but, with that said, my "regulars" sure did not dissapoint.  

My sister's cat, Beast, enjoyed helping me photograph all my finds!

 The Goods:

J Crew Silk Top: $1.98

Goodwill on Richmond Highway in Alexandria, VA

This is a mint condition find! I love the yellow and gray print and the neckline is so fun.

Ecote Summer Linen Dress: $8.98

Goodwill on Richmond Highway in Alexandria, VA

This is a really light, linen dress. I am not nuts about the print but I loved the back! This is a brand from Urban Outfitters. 

BCBG Dress Pants: $5.98

Goodwill on Richmond Highway in Alexandria, VA

These have a great stretch to them and still had the front seam ironed. They look like they've never been worn. Score!

Silence and Noise Dress: $8.98

Goodwill on Richmond Highway in Alexandria, VA

I loved the structure of this dress. It is so flattering for all body types!

Max and Cleo Knit Dress: $4.99

Thrift Store Center in Alexandria, VA

This dress is jersey knit but looks professional enough to wear to work. What could be better than that? I love the pleated details.

Vintage Crop Top: $1.98

Thrift Store Center in Alexandria, VA

The embroidery on this top is so detailed and unique. It will look awesome with a pair of high waisted shorts. 

Forever 21 Jorts: $1.98

These are a summer staple. They were in great condition and have just enough stretch to them to make them the perfect jort!

High Waisted Khaki Shorts: $1.98

I didn't try these on but realized when I arrived home that they are high waisted! Super cute.

Tahari Sling Backs:  $4.94

This is one of my favorite finds of the month. These were in almost perfect condition and they are so great for work because the heel isn't too high. Not to mention, $5.00! 

Nine West T-Strap Pumps: $8.00

Vintage Values in Lexington Park, MD

These shoes were brand new without tags. Their soles showed absolutely no wear! Can you tell I have thing for patent leather? 

Nine West Elastic Espadrille Wedges: $2.50 

SMILE in Lusby, MD

The straps of these shoes are pure elastic which makes them so comfy. They are the perfect summer wedge!

Funky Coasters: $1.98

Goodwill on Columbia Pike in Arlington, VA

These were all shopping themed anecdotes. Very cute for my new room. 

Fashion Framed Art: $5.98

Goodwill on Columbia Pike in Arlington, VA

I normally do not even look around the art and housewares when I thrift but I have recently started to broaden my horizons. I am in love with this framed print an it was only $6.00!

Loft Metallic Espadrille Wedges: $9.74

Goodwill on Columbia Pike in Arlington, VA

Another score of mint condition shoes from the Columbia Pike store! These are a brushed silver color so they are perfect for every outfit!

Forever 21 Dolman Sleeve Sweater: $1.98

Thrift Store Center in Alexandria, VA

This was great, stretch dolman sleeve sweater. I picked this up in the middle of July because the price was spot on. 

H&M Silk Blouse: $1.49

Thrift Store Center in Alexandria, VA

I love a great silk blouse for work. This is gonna to look super chic with an ivory lace pencil skirt!

The Limited Sleeveless Blouse: $2.74

Goodwill on Columbia Pike in Arlington, VA

This is a perfect top to wear under a blazer. The front is silk but the back is a stretch cotton. 

Loft Geometric Print Blouse: $3.74

Goodwill on Columbia Pike in Arlington, VA

I was really drawn to the print of this top. It is a nice light chiffon so it will be great for work or a night out with a pair of skinny jeans.

Diane Von Furstenberg Sheer Tunic: $6.74

Goodwill on Columbia Pike in Arlington, VA

My first Diana Von Furstenberg find! This was originally a dress but has lost its inner shell so now it just a tunic. I am planning on wearing it as a swim suit cover up!

H&M Coral Tunic: $3.74

Goodwill on Columbia Pike in Arlington, VA

I love love love this color. It is the perfect pop of coral. This will look awesome with dark denim!

Banana Republic Silk Wrap Blouse: $3.74
Goodwill on Columbia Pike in Arlington, VA
This was one of my wild card finds. The print is not what I would typically choose but I thought I would give it a try. The wrap style is really flattering and the silk material makes it very comfortable.

Banana Republic Linen Floral Dress: $6.74

Goodwill on Columbia Pike in Arlington, VA

I love linen and Banana really knows how to do it well. This is a beautiful printed linen summer dress! Now I just need to find an occasion. 

Xhilaration Knit Summer Dress: $0.75

Vintage Values in Lexington Park, MD

This was one of my glorious "bin finds." This is a simple summer dress and for $0.75, who could pass it up!?

Silver Jewelry Dish: $0.96

Goodwill on Columbia Pike in Arlington, VA

Another house ware find of the month. This looks great on my vanity with all my jewelry. 

And there you have it, another month of thrifting for the books!

Jaleo: Restaurant Review

I visited a fabulous restaurant this weekend that I believe everyone in the DMV should try at least once. Jaleo, one of the few famous Jose Andres restaurants in the DC area, is nestled in a busy corner of the Crystal City shops district in Arlington, VA. 

 

         As their website states, "Under the direction of famed chef José Andrés, Jaleo offers an impressive assortment of tapas, the traditional small dishes of Spain, as well as savory paellas, superb sangrias and a fine selection of Spanish wines and Sherries in a festive, casual atmosphere. Created in 1993 by Rob Wilder, Roberto Alvarez, and José Andrés, Jaleo has become a DC institution." This spot has an amazing variety of tapas, cheeses, paellas and wines. My friend and I dined vegetarian and the selection was awesome. I must admit, I have a love-hate relationship with Spanish tapas; some places cover everything is so much oil, you leave feeling like you need your waiter to roll you out of the place. Jaleo's dishes were flavorful, light and refreshing; just heavy enough to fill us up and leave us with room for a desert! The atmosphere of Jaleo is bright, inviting and open. The building features beautiful high ceilings and an outdoor patio area.

Here is what we tried:

Drinks:

Rose Sangria and a Mayahuel (Repasado tequila, canela syrup, grapefruit)

The Rose Sangria had a great bite to it. It was meddled with apricot, citrus and strawberry flavors. The Mayahuel has a kick of cinnamon and tasted great. I wouldn't have paired cinnamon flavors with tequila but it made for a great, refreshing drink.

Tapas:

Alcachofas fritas con tapenade y limón

Fried baby artichokes with tapenade and lemon dressing ($12)

These fried baby artichokes were served on a bed of salty olive tapenade and garnished with sweet fried plantain chips. It was the perfect fix for a fried food craving.

 

 

Sandía con tomates, queso de cabra y pistachios

Watermelon with tomatoes, goat cheese, oranges and pistachios ($10)

The watermelon, when served, looked almost like fresh Ahi tuna. The pairing of the earthy goat cheese with the sweet summer fruit was nice and refreshing. This was my favorite presentation!

 

 

Pimientos del piquillo rellenos de queso

Seared piquillo peppers filled with goat cheese ($7)

 

These peppers were sweet and filled with goat cheese. They also had some sort of orange spread in them which tasted like roasted red pepper and paired really well with the cheese.

 

Papas arrugas

Canary Island-style wrinkled baby potatoes served with mojo verde ($7)

Simple and perfect is how I would describe these potatoes. They were baked and rolled in salt. I die. This was served with two dipping oils: cilantro and garlic.

 

 

Setas al ajillo con La Serena

Sautéed seasonal mushrooms with La Serena cheese potato purée ($8)

The mushrooms were dressed in a light garlic sauce and served over the creamiest potato and cheese puree that I have ever had. The intense garlic flavor pairs so well with the wild mushrooms.

 

Desert:

Manzanas 'Carlota' al PX

Apple Charlotte with Pedro Ximénez and vanilla ice cream ($7)

      

This dish was good but didn't "wow" me. The ice cream was served on a bed of lightly sautéed granny smith apples which gave the dish a surprising crunch. The Apple Charlotte reminded me a lot of a dry bread pudding.

And that concludes my review. Overall, this restaurant has fantastic service; the staff doesn't hesitate to decode the Spanish menu and make some amazing recommendations. It is clear that the food is prepared with great care. The flavor pairings are not only very unique but very well thought through. With the friendly atmosphere and tantalizing dishes, I will certainly be back!

 

Details on the Crystal City Location:

Jaleo

2250 A Crystal Drive
Arlington, VA 22202

 

Phone: 703.413.8181

 

Hours:

Sun – Thurs: 11:30 AM – 10 PM
Fri. and Sat: 11:30 AM – 11 PM
Brunch Sat. and Sun. until 3 PM
Pre-theater Menu Mon. – Sat: 5 – 7 PM

 

 

 

 

Better Than Sex Cake

I've been hearing some buzz about this infamous "Better Than Sex" cake on some of my favorite foodie websites and I decided to give it a try for one of my friend's graduation parties. This is the tropical version of this recipe but there is also a chocolate recipe which I plan on trying soon. This is a version of "poke" cake so it comes out so insanely moist and delicious. It was definitely a perfect summer cake! 

Note: the name of this cake makes for some very interesting conversation! 

Ingredients:

1 box yellow cake mix (and necessary ingredients)
1 box instant vanilla pudding
1 large can of crushed pineapple 
1 tub cool whip
1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup of Malibu Coconut Rum
1 cup of sugar
2 cups of cold milk

Directions:

1. Prepare yellow cake mix as directed using a greased 9" round cake pans or one 13 x 9. The cake should take approximately 30 mins to cook at 350. 
2. As the cake bakes, pour the pineapple (with juices), Malibu and 1 cup of sugar in a saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir this mixture constantly because it will stick otherwise. Once the mix is brought to a boil, simmer it for approximately 10 mins. Set it aside to cool slightly. 
3. Remove cake from oven and using a fork, pierce holes into it. Pour pineapple mixture over hot cake and set aside.
4. Prepare pudding according to package directions. Instant pudding works best with whole milk. Spread pudding over cake and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
   
5. While your cake is chilling, take 1 cup of shredded coconut and spread it out evenly on a baking sheet. Place it in the oven at 350 degrees for approximately 5 minutes. Be sure to continuously look at and turn the coconut to prevent burning. 
   
6. When your cake is cool, use Cool Whip to ice the entirety of the cake. Decorate with toasted coconut and pecan pieces. 

Note: I used sugar free pudding and sugar free cool whip. This recipe could be even further lightened up if you use a reduced sugar cake mix and light style canned pineapple. 

Enjoy!

Perfect Potluck Dishes

  

We recently had a potluck at work and I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to try out some new summertime appetizers. These recipes are all along the lines of "whatever I have in the fridge." These three dishes can be easily prepped the night before a party or potluck and they all withstand the brutal summer weather very well. They all three seemed to be crowd pleasers- especially the fruit brushetta! 

Spicy Tropical Brushetta

Ingredients:

1 pint of strawberries

1 peach

1 small mango

1/2 medium sweet onion

1-2 jalapeno peppers (optional)

3 tbsp fresh basil

3 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp fine sea salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp ground red pepper (optional)

Directions:

1.     Rinse all fruits, basil and peppers.              
   
   
   
2.     Finely chop strawberries, peach, mango and fresh basil. Place all contents in a medium-mixing bowl.
3.     Add finely chopped jalapeno and onions
4.     Add in balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, and ground red pepper.
5.     Serve cold with goat cheese and crackers or a french baguette.

Caprese Salad

Ingredients:

 3 vine ripe tomatoes

1 ball fresh mozzarella

1 bunch fresh basil

Salt and pepper to taste

Drizzle of balsamic vinegar/olive oil

Directions:

1.         Rinse tomatoes and fresh basil under cold water.
2.         Slice tomatoes and mozzarella approximately ¼ inch 
3.         Pluck fresh basil leaves from stems. 
4.         Layer tomato, basil, and mozzarella on a plate.
5.         Drizzle with olive oil and or balsamic vinegar.

Pear and Gorgonzola Flatbread

Ingredients:

1 package of Garlic naan bread (2 pieces)

1 Bartlett pear

1/3 cup of Gorgonzola cheese crumbles

1 red onion

3 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar 

1/4 cup chopped pecans

1/4 cup chopped green onions

1 tbsp butter

Olive Oil

Directions:

1.      Rinse pear and slice into 1/8 inch slices.
2.      Peel and thinly slice the entire red onion.
3.      Over medium heat, add the slice red onion. Cook on medium for approximately 5 minutes, once the onions begin to become translucent, add balsamic vinegar and sugar. Continue cooking for 10 minutes. Set aside when onions have caramelized.
4.     Add sliced pears to the pan that the onions were cooked in. No need to clean in between; it will season the pears well. Cook on medium heat for approximately 5 minutes.
5.     Rub naan bread with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt. 
6.     Arrange cooled pears and onions evenly across the flatbread. Add chopped green onions, pecans and Gorgonzola crumbles.
7.     Bake in 350 degree oven for 10-14 minutes or until the crust becomes brown and slightly crispy. Note- Gorgonzola cheese does not melt like traditional softer cheeses so do not wait for the cheese to melt!