Oh Joy!

fruity summer striped ice cubes... 20 May 2013

As summer approaches, I always find myself craving fresh fruit and juices of all kinds. I love smoothies, but it's not always possible to whip out the blender and make a fresh one whenever I want. So I decided to make these pretty (and practical) juice and smoothie ice cubes, which can be frozen and saved to have on hand anytime you need a juicy kick!

They can be added to some sparkling water for a dose of fruit, or stored in the freezer so you can have smoothies on hand whenever you want some (just put a handful of the saved cubes in a cup and into the fridge the night before). Plus, they are so, so beautiful to look at in a pretty glass with a cute straw!

Here are some of my favorite combos and flavors to use, shown above:

JUICES: I used store-bought grapefruit juice, mango juice, limeade, and made some strawberry/beet juice.

SMOOTHIES: I combined kiwi, cucumber, mint and lime make for a beautiful green smoothie blend.

COCONUT MILK: I layered a lot of these cubes with coconut milk, which can be poured right from the can.

Simply add layers of pre-made juice, smoothies, and/or coconut milk (which I love for its color and for a creamy touch) to standard ice cube trays. I've even been adding veggies (like carrots, beets, and cucumbers) to my smoothie mixes for Ruby, to get her those extra vitamins whenever possible! 

What kinds of fruity ice cubes would you guys make?

{Photos: Julia Stotz. Art direction and concept: Oh Joy. Production Assistant: Michelle Tu.
This summer inspiration is brought to you by Target. Find more fun and surprises all season long on Target's #SummerUp Pinterest board. All content, ideas, and words are my own. Thanks for supporting these sponsors that allow me to create new and special content like this for Oh Joy.}

{oh joy eats} the service station in los feliz... 16 May 2013

You know I love food truck nights (it's a great excuse to not have to cook dinner!). We religiously go to On The Lot in Los Feliz every Monday night, and I'm pretty giddy for the summer season and more pop-up food truck events. In fact, a couple of weeks ago, a new one opened up on Wednesday nights on the grounds of what used to be a gas station. The Service Station is an outdoor creative space that has pop-up shops, outdoor movie nights on Saturdays, and a food truck night on Wednesdays. While the food trucks seem to be a rotation of same three, they're solid ones that I really like.

Some of my favorites include the bacon mac n' cheese from the Flatiron Truck...

...and parmesan pesto fries and gooey s'mores from The Munchie Machine. We got coconut and salted Caramel S'mores, and they were the perfect way to end our meal. The Mandoline Grill truck (food not shown) is also at The Service Station, and they make great banh mi and Vietnamese noodle dishes. 

The area is painted with accents of mint green...um, hello, gorgeous color!

The best part is the huge areas of astroturf for the kids to run around in and the giant bean bags they put out. Ruby has the best time playing with her friends after dinner. It's just a great spot for all of us to enjoy the amazing warm weather and have an easy breezy mid-week dinner.

 The Service Station | 3160 Riverside Drive | Los Feliz, CA 90027 | @3160riverside

UPDATE: Sadly, a few days after this post, I got an email that city permits made it such that they had to close. They are trying to reopen in another area in the near future. :(

{Photos by Bob Cho}

what i did in seattle... 13 May 2013

Last Thursday, I flew to Seattle to host a Petites event at Anthropologie. While I was there less than 24 hours, the one thing I had to make room for was a trip to Pike Place Market. I had never been to Seattle, but knew that I'd love it.

No trip to the market would be complete without stopping by the gum wall. It's so pretty—until you think about how much saliva is on that wall. But you've got to admire those who spelled their name in gum. Um, nice penmanship (or should I say "gum-manship", Kristina!).

Next, I ate and ate and ate...

the love behind cakes... 9 May 2013

The other night, my friend Mari made a Scandinavian Princess Cake for her husband's birthday. This type of cake has been his favorite cake since he was a kid. So she researched and planned and prepped to made a very special one for him this year...from scratch. It was so delicious, but also so special because it made Mari's husband so happy. No matter how old I get, cake still makes me really happy, too. And, I love the love that goes behind making a cake for someone else. 

When's the last time you made a special cake for someone? It's something I want to try and do more often...

{Sources: Yay cake by A Subtle Revelry, floral cakes by Charm City Cakes West, hot chocolate cake by Matchbox Kitchen, Sweetapolita ombre iced cake, rainbow cake by La De La Felicidad.}

{flavor stories} spicy + tangy... 8 May 2013

Lately I've been working on some new video ideas—like a video version of a column we used to have here called Flavor Stories. I love emphasizing flavors and thinking about how two different ones can work together. So the new video version of Flavor Stories will show you how I like to marry two of my favorite tastes. Today, it's all about spicy and tangy in this super easy shrimp stir-fry recipe. The best part is...all of these take less than 30 minutes to make! Hope you guys enjoy it!

P.S. You can follow along with all the Oh Joy videos by subscribing to my YouTube channel right here!

P.P.S. You can pin the dish right here. And here's the printed recipe below...

what's your favorite thing to eat? 25 Apr 2013

Someone recently asked me what's my favorite thing to eat. I find that to be a really hard question to answer. Do I pick savory? (A great eggs benedict). Do I pick sweet? (I'd say ice cream or a chocolate croissant). Do I pick type of cuisine? (Thai, hands down).

What would you say? What's your one favorite food?

(It's hard to pick just one, right?)

{Photo Sources: donuts by Joseph De Leo, avocado toast via Melting Pot, summer rolls via Lily, smoked salmon via Kwestia Smaku...and more right here.} 

{oh joy eats} goldie's... 23 Apr 2013

There's no shortage of spots to have lunch in Los Angeles. But my favorites are places that are casual yet have a bit of character—places you'd want to meet up with friends for lunch to catch up. I recently visited Goldie's in Mid-City West, a newish spot by the owners of Eveleigh, for a mid-day lunch break. 

My favorite dishes were the avocado on toast, watermelon and burrata salad, and the pork belly and caramelized onion flatbread. Oh, that flatbread was the perfect combination of crispy, chewy, sweet, and salty!

I love the contrast of the handsome aesthetic inside with the greenery outside, which creates an indoor/outdoor space that makes wonderful use of the climate here and feels homey yet still very Southern California. And the polka dotted shirts the staff wear are pretty awesome. Where can I get one in my size, please?

We (especially Jen) loved being surrounded by the wall of flowers as we sat outside. The scent was just incredible on this beautiful, sun-filled day.

Goldie's | 8422 W. 3rd St. | Los Angeles, CA 90048 | 323.677.2470

{Photos by Bonnie Tsang}

{oh joy eats} sweet treats in little tokyo... 9 Apr 2013

When we visit our friends—especially those who have new babies—one of my favorite things to do is bring a box of treats for the new parents. And since we've had a ton of friends having babies over the past year ('tis the season!), I've been looking for something to bring other than my standard cupcakes or pies. So I took a little trip to L.A.'s Little Toyko in search of some treats for friends, as well as some for future sweet cravings of my very own.

My first stop was Fugetsu-do, a family-owned staple of Little Tokyo since 1903 that specializes in the freshest mochi (rice cakes) and manju (sweet bean-filled rice cakes). In addition to the beautiful mochi and manju, Fugetsu-do has packaged and boxed candies and crackers that I stocked up on for last-minute gift and snacking needs. (And they're up with the times and offer shipping across the country and sell online!)

For the best ice cream mochi (rice cakes filled with ice cream), Mikawaya (located in Japanese Village Plaza) was my next stop. Mikawaya has a ton of regular mochi options, but specializes in the ice-cream-filled variety. So while these might not be things I can take over to a friend's house, they are a nice treat to have while you're in the area shopping. The green tea, cookies and cream, and plum ice cream mochi were my favorites.

While in the Japanese Village Plaza, I stumbled upon Café Dulcé. I'd heard great things about the green tea doughnuts, and I loved the variety of doughnut and pastry selections available—it's simply a great Japanese version of your favorite local bakery. I especially loved the tapioca roll and, of course, the green tea doughnut.

Once all was said and done, I gathered together my finds from all three places to put together a little box of treats for friends. It was such a fun morning of exploring what Little Tokyo has to offer and experiencing a bit of Japan right here in Los Angeles...

Fugetsu-do | 315 East First St. | Los Angeles, CA 90012 | 213.625.8595

Mikawaya | in Japanese Village Plaza | 335 E. 2nd St.| Los Angeles, CA 90012 | 213.346.9910

Café Dulcé | in Japanese Village Plaza | 335 E. 2nd St.| Los Angeles, CA 90012 | 213.346.9910

{Photos by Bonnie Tsang. My outfit: dress by En Soie, tote by Mar Y Sol, vintage shoes.}

currently snacking on... 8 Apr 2013

Lately I've been loving hand pies because they're a neater version of one of my favorite desserts. I recently received a gift box of goodies by a*pour toi (which specializes in French food gifts) that included these raspberry-filled treats by Saint Aubert. Oh. My. Goodness. They taste like mini raspberry pies, with a not-too-sweet filling and a soft, buttery, cookie-like crust. Needless to say, the box was finished within 24 hours of its arrival...

{Photo by Oh Joy}

currently snacking on... 1 Apr 2013

This time of year, spring really starts to show itself. California's plants are so lush and rich in nutrients—which means the soil here is just phenomenal. Lately, I've been sprinkling soil on top of ice cream, in my morning latte, and even serving it alongside a platter of French cheeses. It's nutty, crunchy, and just a tad sweet. I'm so lucky to have access to this amazing little treat right in my own backyard...

{Photo by Oh Joy. Dirt by April Fool's Day.}