Coral

Happy Monday! How was your weekend? Mine was busy busy busy.  I did some fun stuff with my son, took him to an event, and attended a couple of other events.  Wooh! Exhausting, but fun. After all the fun, I took some time to try the daunting task of organizing my clothes and shoes. You never realize how much stuff you have until you try to organize it. And of course you start pondering whether to give stuff away or keep it. So how was your weekend?

I am so excited about the giveaway! If you have not entered there is still time. Click here for details.  I think I might be just as or even more excited than some of you because I know someone will have a big smile on their face in a couple of days:-)  It is always such a joy to give someone a treat. I am one of those people that loves giving people gifts or being a blessing in any way I can think of. 

Today I am wearing coral which is a color I absolutely love.  I don't particularly find this dress figure flattering, but I love the color. And of course a cute comfy pair of oxfords is a great change of pace from heels.

Jacket: Old Navy, Dress: F-21, Purse: Dereon, Oxfords: Rosebowl Flea Market, Scarf: Private Boutique

These are just as comfortable as they look:-)

 Happy for no reason! 

Have an amazing Monday!

H&M Shopping Spree Giveaway!!!

I am thrilled to announce my one year blog anniversary giveaway! H&M and I have partnered to  bring you a $50.00 Gift Card to purchase the fashion item of your choosing.  And it gets even better, in addition to the gift card, one lucky winner will receive an amazing orange bag that can be worn as a clutch or with the gorgeous gold chain strap.

But that's not all, there are some special surprises inside the bag.  Are you intrigued? Do you want to know what goodies are inside that bag? You must enter this giveaway:-) I will give you a hint:  it will heighten your shopping experience and one of the items will light you up like dynamite:-)  

Here are the guidelines to enter the giveaway

Mandatory for 1 Entry

1. You must follow Food Fashion and Flow on GFC and Bloglovin

2. You must leave a comment that you want to be entered in the giveaway and your email address

Additional Entries

3. Tweet the giveaway on Twitter for an extra entry 

Giveaway starts now and all entries must be received by next Tuesday at Midnight. Winner will be announced on Wednesday

 A gift card, this bag and the contents inside, can be all yours.

 An amazing bag for all seasons. The color is stunning

So, what are you waiting for? Enter now!  Good Luck:-)

Cloudy Monday

Hi Lovelies! Happy Monday:-) Today is one of those cloudy  unpredictable days, but Daisy over at Just Daisy awarded me the awesome blogger award and it surely put a smile on my face:-) I will do a post on that later this week. Be sure to check out her blog here Thanks Daisy, you are such a sweetheart:-)  I had a good weekend and I hope you did too.  We had some amazing weather last week and now there are dark cumulus clouds and the threat of rain.  I am still expecting this to be a great week and tomorrow evening I will announce the details of my one year blog anniversary giveaway.  

Even if you think you don't have luck with giveaways, I encourage you to enter.  I used to be hesitant about giveaways too, but I have won some amazing items through giveaways.  You have nothing to lose, but something fabulous to gain if you enter, so be sure to stop by tomorrow and I will post the super easy guidelines for a giveaway that is sure to keep the winner smiling for a long time:-)

This is the perfect outfit for days like this. I love the comfort of a maxi skirt and the edginess of a motorcycle jacket.  Both pieces are very versatile items to have in your wardrobe.

This gorgeous necklace is courtesy of Mimi Boutique.  You can find other amazing accessories by clicking here

Jacket: Private Boutique:, T-Shirt: H&M, Maxi Skirt: Thrifted, Clutch: Ebay, Boots: Pour La Victoire, Beaded Necklace: Mimi Boutique

Have an amazing day!

Caramel Praline Cheesecake

There are desserts. And there are DESSERTS!  This praline cheesecake will make chocolate lovers cheat with caramel.  Sweet,  gooey, smooth and creamy.  This is one of those desserts you have to eat out loud.   It is so good that you will ooh and aah and lick your fork and if you are like me, you will shamelessly lick the plate when you are done. 

 I love to serve this cheesecake with a side of roasted pecans with sea salt. It is an amazing accompaniment and will tickle your taste buds.  The cheesecake is amazing on its own, but I love to make homemade whipped cream to really put this over the top.  And in case you need more convincing I will let the photos speak for themselves. Try not to lick the computer screen. Okay?

Imagine sticking your fork in this amazing cheesecake and watching a sea of caramel ooze out.  As if that wasn't enough,  the cheesecake is nestled next to a puddle of caramel.

A cloud of homemade sweet whipped cream...

Don't you want this in your mouth?

 Pecans and sea salt on the side

Put it all together and you have sheer deliciousness. Ready to make this? I promise this will take you to a level of decadence you wont want to come back from:-)

Ingredients

2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/2 cup melted butter

1 tablespoon white sugar and 1 tablespoon brown sugar

3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

1 cup white sugar

3 eggs

1 (8 ounce) container sour cream

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Whipped cream

Smuckers caramel ice cream topping

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly coat a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Mix together the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and 2 tablespoons of sugar until well combined. Press into the bottom of the prepared springform pan, and 1 inch up the sides. Bake in preheated oven for 8 minutes, then remove to cool on a wire rack.
3. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
4. Beat the softened cream cheese in a large bowl with an electric mixer until fluffy. Gradually add 1 cup of sugar, beating until blended. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in sour cream, espresso and vanilla. Pour batter into the baked and cooled crust.
5. Pour approximately 1 cup to 1 cup and a half of cheesecake batter. Enough to cover the crust.  Bake this layer for about ten minutes, when the batter is slightly set. Pour a half cup of caramel over the batter.  Pour the remaining cheesecake batter on top of the caramel
6. Bake cheesecake in the preheated oven for 1 hour and 5 minutes; then turn the oven off, partially open the door and allow the cheesecake to rest for 15 minutes more. Remove from the oven, and run a knife around the edges. Cool cheesecake on a wire rack to room temperature, then cover the springform pan with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for 8 hours.

Drizzle caramel over the top of cheesecake and sprinkle with praline crumble.

To Make Praline crumble: 

Put a half cup of pecans in food chopper and pulse until finely chopped.  Put into small bowl and mix in 1 tablespoon of brown sugar. Bake in oven 5-7 minutes until golden brown.  

Homemade Whipped Cream

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Whip cream until almost stiff. Add sugar and vanilla; beat until cream holds peaks.

Orange + Camel = Leopard

Happy Monday! How was your weekend? Mine was awesome! Today is warm and beautiful outside and perfect for those bold colors I love so much. I have a love affair with blazers and think that a blazer always looks stylish no matter what you wear with it. I paired a neutral blazer with some very vibrant orange pants and accessories.  

I love orange and it pairs well with so many other colors.  I am also wearing some comfy leopard loafers.  Some ladies wear sky high stilettos all the time, but I am certainly not one of them. In fact, I love a cute comfy pair of flats. How about you?

I want to take a moment to thank all of you so much for your sweet comments and emails.  I try very hard to respond to every comment, but sometimes I get swamped and I don't get a chance to. But my readers are important to me and I appreciate more than I can say,  the time you take out of your day to read my blog, so I wanted to let you know that if you left a comment and i didn't respond, I probably got really busy, so charge it to my head not my heart:-) I will respond to you soon if I haven't already.

Stay tuned for a great giveaway in the next couple of weeks.  I had my one year blog anniversary n February and I meant to do the giveaway then, but life got in the way. I am excited about some new partnerships this year, so expect some great stuff!

Blazer, T-Shirt and Pants: H&M, Clutch: LA Fashion District: Loafters: Kohls, Bracelets: Indian Boutique, Earrings: F-21

I actually felt a little self conscious about these photos because my fondness for sweet treats and anything else that is bad for you, but tastes good is showing on my hips, LOL.

who says flat shoes can't be cute and stylish? You can get these cute Kohls shoes by clicking here

The leather on this purse is as smooth as butter. I am in love with the color too. 

Have an amazing day!

Mini Shepherd's Pie

Shepherd's Pie is great comfort food.  Mashed Potatoes, Veggies, and flavorful seasoned meat.  Most Americans make this traditional English dish with ground beef, but I like to make it with the healthier alternative of ground turkey.  These mini Shepherd's pies are great if you want a small individual serving or if you are entertaining and want to present them in a unique way.

The other great benefit of this tasty dish is that you can sneak in some veggies for those finicky little eaters like mine:-) My son loves these mini shepherd's pies and he almost forgets that this dish has vegetables in it because they are surrounded by so many other tasty ingredients. When you have children, sometimes you have to get creative when trying to make sure they get a healthy serving of vegetables. This is the perfect meal for those busy days when you want something very filling and delicious. These mini pies are baked in a crust made of Pillsbury Grand biscuits, which makes them even more tasty:-)

This dish starts with seasoned ground turkey and plenty of vegetables

Fluffy mashed potatoes

 And Grands flaky biscuits for that extra special crust

You will also need a 12 cup muffin pan

 

Isn't miniature food the cutest, LOL

And who can resist a tasty mini casserole with melted cheese oozing all over the place...

Ready? Lets make Shepherd's Pies!

Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 1/2 can biscuits (12) (recommended: Grands)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound ground Turkey
• 1/2 onion, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup beef or turkey broth
• 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• 1 1/2 cups leftover mashed potatoes
• 1 tablespoon granulated garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons granulated onion powder
• 2 cups shredded Cheddar

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Spray a 12-count muffin pan with cooking spray. Split biscuits in half and mold biscuits to the shape of each muffin cup. Par-bake biscuits for 6 to 8 minutes until light golden. Remove from oven and set aside.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add ground turkey and brown. Stir in the onions, salt, pepper and garlic and allow to cook together for a couple of minutes. 

Mix flour into the meat mixture and stir until a paste consistency is reached. Add turkey stock to pan and stir in vegetables and herbs, the last few minutes, until combined.

Reheat mashed potatoes in a microwave for 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in granulated garlic and onion powder.

Spoon equal amounts (approximately 2 tablespoons) of warm potatoes on the bottoms of each par-baked biscuit. Then top with equal amounts of turkey mixture (approximately 2 tablespoons). Finally top with equal amounts of Cheddar. Return to oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes until cheese is melted and browned. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before popping individual pies out with a knife.

Minty Fresh

Hi beautiful ones!  I hope you had a great Easter Sunday:-) It is a beautiful day and I am wearing neutrals with a pop of mint green.  I am actually on the fence about what color this scarf really is because it also looks aqua with a splash of mint green. I am looking forward to once again embracing my bold colorful wardrobe.  What are your favorite colors to wear in spring and summer?

This butterfly ring is one of my favorite rings in my jewelry collection. 

POW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am so in love with this color combination. I think you will be seeing me play with this palette a lot this spring!

Have a wonderful day!