Apple Pie... Thingies

In the spirit of the best season ever, autumn, I made these apple pie-ish things. I say “ish” because they're made with puff pastry instead of pie crust and come in single serving. I found this recipe on my new favorite website, A Beautiful Mess, and altered it a bit.

Pre-heat oven to 350.

1. Peel and finely chop 2 apples. Mix with 5 tablespoons sugar (you can do half white, half brown if you so choose), and ¾ teaspoon cinnamon.
   
   
   
   
   
2. Let your puff pastry sit out for about 45 minutes to defrost if you have been keeping it in the freezer. Cut into squares or any shape you want. I got about 5 squares out of each sheet.
   
   
3. Spoon some apples on one square and cover with the other square, crimp the sides with a fork. I sprinkled some cinamon and sugar on top before putting them in the oven.
   
   
   
4. Bake for 20 minutes or until they begin to turn golden brown.
   
   
   

This was the first time I've used puff pastry which I've heard can be temperamental. My first batch didn't cook fully, it just got a little melted and clear looking, you know what I mean? There is no word for this phenomenon in English, but my mother calls it dwakaletz in Polish, so that's what I always say.

Happy Halloweekend!!

Pumpkin Cocktail

Finally! The best season of all has almost arrived!! Maybe I'm jumping the seasons gun a little bit, but if Starbucks says it's ok to have Pumpkin Spice Lattes again, I can bust out this recipe. A friend told me about this lovely and simple drink last year that she learned from a bartender at her work. I believe I made them last year post-Homecoming football game!

Pumpkin Cocktail

- 2oz vanilla vodka
- 1 TB simple syrup*
- 1 TB canned pumpkin
- 1oz heavy cream

Add all ingredients to a shaker and SHAKE! Serve over ice.
*heat 1 part sugar and 1 part water until dissolved. Easy-peasy.

(picture is not mine)

Yesstyle.com Fall Fashion

Oh yesstyle, you are so cruel with the way you send me weekly emails reminding me of your huge variety of clothes and speedy international shipping. I happened across yesstyle last year and have been in love with their slightly cutesy fashion aesthetic. Their brands vary from East Asian countries (Japan, China, Korea, mainly) but seriously, their shipping beats anywhere you will buy from in America. The first time I ordered, shipping from Hong Kong really did only take 3 days and was only $10. It was amazing.

The one thing that is a little discouraging is their lack of sizes. Nearly everything is “one size fits all.” If I know humans at all, I know that we are not all once size. Be very careful with ordering. At least they always give a diagram of exact measurements, make sure you use it. I've ordered a dress and a sweater and they both fit me perfectly, but I would never buy pants or shorts from them. These clothes are made to fit Asian women who are generally on the petite side. Use the measurements they give and make sure your clothes will fit you before you order.

Their clothes can be either very simple or very heavy on embellishments. Stripe or polka dot heavy, lots of ruffles and bows. I guess I like a lot of these things too, but in moderation. Seeing them all lined up on the website can be a little bit overwhelming. Think of walking into Forever21 on Black Friday. It can definitely feel like that. Most of their items are on the girly, classic, and preppy side; you won't find anything grungy or super edgy here. One thing you will learn after viewing the styled shots on each item's page: the Asians are MASTERS of layering (enter the lacy hem slipdress).

Their clothes range from super cheap to slightly expensive for what you're getting. I can't speak for all the brands since they have so many, but I'm sure they range in quality. I've read tons of horrible reviews in regards to service all across the web, many people got charged in taxes (which depends on the laws of your country, USA didn't add any at all for me) and shipping times. This depends on whether it says “ready to ship” on the page you order from. Not all of the clothes are in this category.

All I can say is: know what you're getting into and read all the conditions regarding shipping and cost before you order. Once you sift through their thousands of items and find some things you like, you'll be golden.