Chocolate Rum Coffee Banana Bread

One of my favorite food blogs is the Smitten Kitchen. It's one of those blogs that really gets me to cook and try new recipes. Today, I adapted one of the recipes from the Smitten Kitchen to my craving for coffee, rum, chocolate, coconut and banana. The original recipe for a double chocolate banana bread can be found here. This was my base for measurements. What I added is coconut milk, coffee rum, and shredded coconut. I added about one full teaspoon for each ingredients but you can try to add more. Just be careful because the dough should not be running. I also added a chocolate glazed with about 50 -100 grams of dark chocolate bar melt with a tablespoon of heavy cream. Melt it over boiling water. When it's ready sprinkle each slice with the glaze, cover with coconut and you are ready to serve. Rather than making a plumcake shape I made it into a cake shape. 

double chocolate rum coffee bread
double chocolate rum coffee bread
double chocolate rum coffee bread

Fall Fashion Trends 2014: I Must Have

Here we go again, Fall is approaching and even thought in Florida we don't really get changes in season I can't resist looking through the Fall fashion collections of many designers and making a wish list for myself. 

I must say that now that I gave birth (it has been around 12 days) I am in shopping mode. The first thing I did after 4 days from giving birth is going shopping. Ok, I just bought casual and comfortable clothes for breastfeeding (I will write an article about breastfeeding fashion items) but the idea that I was not feeling lil a blueberry muffin really got me pumped and in a good mood. Don't get me wrong, I still have to lose 30 pounds but I feel already great. And yes, I will devote time to talk about my fitness and health diet regime to drop these pounds in 3 months (hopefully) and still breastfeeding. 
Anyway, I am all about nude colors so I definitely want to invest in getting some long-term items that will not go out of style. I have been trying to find some of these items or similar on Ebay but so far I only nailed a pair of nude Valentino pumps for under $100. I hope they arrive and that they are real!!!

So here what's in my Fall Fashion Trend's list. What is in yours? And were you able to recycle any last year items? 

Fall items on my list


It's finally here: Baby Olivia is with us. Thank God because I just could not go another day being pregnant.

Welcome little girl: 9.13.2014 @ 11:11am; 7.39 pounds and a lot of hair



38 weeks pregnant


Mood: irritated and hungry
Symptoms: what does not hurt at this point?
Craving: anything sweet 

At 38 weeks pregnant I am in pain. Everyday I am more uncomfortable believing that I could not get more uncomfortable than the day before. I am also impatient. I am ready and feel that this baby needs to be ready too but I am wrong. I had no contractions, no symptoms this baby wants to come out. My hands and feet are swollen, my back is achy, right below my breasts I feel a burning sensation as the baby kicks on my rib cage. I get headache by the end of the day. I get excruciating pain in my right leg like a needle was punching from the inside out. This prevents me from taking long walks. I am hot. I am fat. I have hurtburns. I am exhausted.

At 38 weeks pregnant, I forget everything and have no concept of what is going on around me. I pee an average of 5 times during the night and I walk slow like a penguin because of the pressure on my pelvic. I gained 4 pounds in one week even though when you reach the last weeks you are supposed to stop gaining weight. I don't sleep really but flip like a fish in no water. I am fat. I am ready. I am exhausted. Strangers stop me to guess when the baby will pop out. Strangers talk to me about pregnancy. I must look like a balloon to be so noticeable. I can't lift or do any cores in the house without having to take a 3 hours nap. When is this baby coming out?

I distract myself sewing purses and scarves, but that is becoming to be a lot of work too. Anyway, if you have a chance check out my Etsy shop and pass along to friends who might like my little clutches. I will do a special post on my purses later on. 


faux leather zipper clutch on Etsy 





Fall Trends 2014: It is that time of the year. We are getting ready to switch season and to get cozy with leather pieces, knits and high heels boots. Fall Fashion collections have been published in magazines - we have seen fall trends 2014 on models and bloggers. Now we need to decide what to buy and what to recycle from last year Fall trends.


Fall Trends 2014




3 MUST HAVE FALL ITEMS 2014 

1). Leopard: get in your closet now and polish that leather coat, purse or pair of shoes you bought last year. This is the second year leopard and print animal are in so save yourselves some $$.

2). Grey Knits: Get on Ebay or find your cashmere J.Crew sweater because knits are everywhere this Fall. From pants to sweatshirts to sweaters grey knits will be your best friend. Again no need to spend big $$ because everyone can score a knit grey sweater at Good Will or on Ebay. 

3). Ethnic clothes and purses: colors and ethnic prints are still part of every season now, but they are paired in the fall with warm and dark colors or wild fur like the one above. The World Market has plenty of cute ethnic accessories and clothes. Pair any of their items with some kick ass leather boots and a leopard cashmere pashmina and you are set. 
Hat by Forever21 and Scarf by Zara 


WHAT DO YOU THINK OF FASHION FOR REAL PEOPLE? LEAVE YOUR COMMENT BELOW - 
I have been wanting to write a piece on this past trend of commercializing high design fashion with popular mass produced and processed food. This is a subject very close to me. I love food and fashion. I eat organic, I dislike processed food and everything that is industrialized. A paradox in many ways since fashion, big brands have industrialized the industry of fashion. So what can we get out of this new idea of integrating high fashion into vernacular environments?


Many designers 'reinvent' the same trends all over again. If you think about it everything has been invented already and we as artists redefine base don our experiences what had already been exposed in front of us. This is very true for fashion. Chanel killed the brand with their adaptation of Andy Warhol having models showing off trashy Chanel clothes in a fake supermarket, like women who can afford Chanel actually shop at Wal-Mart or Publix. Moschino has taken even a step further by bombarding us with ugly McDonalds' giant sweater and bags like we are supposed to believe that these people who wear Moschino eat fast food every day. The New York Times did a piece on Chanel, interviewing Mr. Lagerfeld who stated that these days supermarkets have become a common part of people who wear Chanel. You can read more about Chanel and supermarkets here. I would like to know where Mr. Lagerfeld shops. Sure I own some designer pieces and I do go to Publix, but I  ain't seen those clown looking Chanel clothes in any supermarkets near me. Real people do n't all live in Paris, Milan, or New York.

Chanel, by Karl Lagerfeld, autumn/winter 2014, in Paris. CreditGio Staiano/Nowfashion.com

Some people believe this reinvention of fashion for the popular masses is genius, accrediting these designers to be superb and superior. Everyone is entitled to his/her opinion, but my personal perspective is that fashion is a money machine that needs to keep up with societal, political, and economic changes. McDonalds in the past years has seen a decline in sales (see article here) and Chanel must have refocus their branding to a younger population given some of the latest trends totally in conflict with Coco Chanel and what the brand used to stand for - classic and elegant.

To me, it is obvious that these brands are desperate to 'be in the moment', to 'stay relevant and cool' in a society which is made up mostly by millennials who are artists themselves and seek authenticity. And I say this coming from a brand marketing perspective. Now, I love fashion and I love marketing. I don't see anything wrong with planning around a product, but it needs to integrate and merge together in a way that appeals to me as a consumer first, an observant, a marketer, and an academic scholar.

Fashion is a form of comfortable art. For real women fashion needs to evoke confidence, comfort, fun, beauty, you name it....Real women do shop at grocery stores, run errands during the day, attend business meetings and then run to get the kids and take them to soccer practice. So the concept of fashion and commonality is not new.... but do we really look this foolish (as pictured by Chanel) when we are put in these common environments wearing a pink fur, a cropped top with holes, or/and a giant McDonald's red and yellow dress?

You can definitely wear designer clothes on the streets but don't lose your function in life, your identity, your common sense - The Independent wrote a piece on whether it possible to pull designer clothes off on the streets. See what you think - here -