Oh Joy!

currently snacking on... 31 Jul 2012

...a mango, graham cracker, and vanilla ice cream bon bon. Ruby's been eating mangoes by the spoonful these days, so I've always got diced up mangoes on hand. I wanted to make myself a little tropical treat and concocted these ice cream bon bons that taste just like a mango creamsicle...

Simply fill half of a mini ice cream scoop with ice cream, add some diced mangoes, and fill the rest of the scoop. Then roll the ice cream balls in crushed graham cracker crumbs. Wrap each one in plastic wrap and store in freezer for little bite-sized snack you can pull out at a moment's notice... — Joy

{photo by Oh Joy}

15 courses of sushi heaven in {glendale}... 24 Jul 2012

A few weeks ago, we bid farewell to my friend Autumn and her family as they head to Hawaii for work. Since we both had babies within the last year or so, we're still catching up on all the sushi we missed during our pregnancy and decided to visit Sushi Nishi-ya in Glendale for omakase-style sushi. If you've never had omakase before, it basically means "chef's choice" and each course comes out based on what the chef thinks you'd enjoy. While they'll take into account if there's anything you don't eat, they make it clear that the more you're open to, the better your experience will be. We eat pretty much everything, and I love being able to leave the decision-making up to someone else. You also get to decide when to stop. So you could have 4 courses or 30. Here's a little sampling of 9 of the 15 courses we had. I was so, so full, but really so content afterwards. It's such a fun meal to enjoy with friends as you delight in what will come next... — Joy

{iphone photos by Oh Joy}

ice cream makes me smile... 23 Jul 2012

...whether it's conversational ice cream cones with faces, whimsical drawings of people with "Vanilla Ice" hair on the side of ice cream cups, or beautifully styled photos of ice cream, it all makes me really happy for some reason... — Joy

{illustrations by Klas Fahlen and photos by Stacy Newgent for Jeni's Ice Cream.}

summer shindig... 19 Jul 2012

{1. batik cheese slab set from Leif, 2. lasercut placeholder from Skinny laMinx, 3. Jonathan Adler block printed napkin, 4. caprice ice bucket from Trina Turk, 5. striped biergarten dining set from Terrain, 6. pink candyfloss paper plate from Shop Sweet Lulu. — Joanna}

currently snacking on... 18 Jul 2012

You might know that I have a weakness for sweet treats. I probably have the sweetest tooth of anyone I know. However, the one thing savory thing I really crave every now and then has got to be potato chips. I know you might be thinking..."You're going to tell us about potato chips?" Yes! Because these aren't just any potato chips, they're spicy pickle potato chips by McClure's...and if you like tangy, vinegary flavors like me {or simply if you're pregnant}, these are the best. I eat them by the handful. It's like a spicy pickle and a potato chip made a baby. Enough said. — Joy

{photo by Oh Joy}

{flavor stories} summer berry tarts... 18 Jul 2012

It's that time of year— that time when just about every berry you can imagine is in season. When roadside stands are overflowing with all types of fresh fruit. Just this past weekend I found, tayberries, black, golden and red raspberries, pink gooseberries, wild blueberries and tiny black currants, it was pretty great!

All those berries got me to thinking that a simple berry tart would be great for bringing along to summer picnics and potlucks! So, I whipped up these simple berry tarts and I just knew they'd be something you guys would want to know about!


 
You'll need:
— 12 sheets phyllo pastry, thawed 
— 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted {approximately}
— 1/2 cup graulated sugar {approximately}
— 1 recipe pastry cream
— assorted fresh berrries {your choice}
— confectioners sugar for dusting {optional}

 {This recipe yields 24 tarts, if you'd prefer 16 use only 8 sheets and store the remainder of the phyllo and pastry cream well wrapped in the refridgerator for up to 5 days.}

Here's how:
1. Make one batch of pastry cream. Refrigerate for at least an hour or overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 375°F.
3. Lay 1 sheet of phyllo pastry on your work service and using a pastry brush, brush with butter then sprinkle with sugar and follow with 3 more sheets {cover the remaining with a damp cloth}.
4. Use a bowl with an approximate rim diameter of 4" placed upsidedown as a guide and cut 8 rounds. Discard the scraps and repeat.
5. Gingerly fit each round into a lightly greased muffin tin. Repeat.
6. Scoop approximately 2 1/2 tablespoons of pastry cream into each shell.
7. Sprinkle with fresh berries.
8. Store leftover pastry cream or phyllo in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
9. Bake for 10-20 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown and crispy.
10. Cool on a wire rack.
11. Dust with confectioners sugar and serve immediatley.

For a tasty stonefruit alternative, skip the berries and replace with a pitted & quartered fresh apricot and sliced skin-on almonds. Enjoy!

—Nikole

{photos by Michael Graydon, styling by Nikole Herriott for Oh Joy}

 

{oh joy eats} sprinkles ice cream in beverly hills... 12 Jul 2012

After our visit to the Sprinkles ATM, we caught a glimpse while passing by of the first Sprinkles Ice Cream shop planned to open next door. So, it was only a matter of time before I returned to the newly opened shop to sample their newest frozen addition. And, it pretty much lived up to the branding awesomeness that I've come to know and love coming from this cupcake empire.

From the white and red decor to the ever-changing menu of ice cream flavors to the signature red velvet ice cream cones, it's a place to go and feel young at heart.

My treat of choice was the ice cream sandwich pressed between two cupcake tops. I chose vanilla ice cream {sprinkled with red velvet cupcake crumbs} to go with my chocolate cupcake ends. It was sweet, creamy, chewy, and the perfect summer indulgence... — Joy

Sprinkles Ice Cream | 9631 South Santa Monica Blvd | Beverly Hills, CA 90210 | 310.274.7890

{Photos by Bonnie Tsang for Oh Joy. My outfit: polka dot jeans from Anthropologie, tank c/o Hound, J.Crew clutch, watch from Anthropologie, ShoeMint striped flats.}

just a drizzle... 5 Jul 2012

{1. bee honey dipper from Graham and Green, 2. honeycomb candy from Liddabit Sweets, 3. honey dispenser from Target, 4. buttermilk & honey pancake mix from Dean & Deluca, 5. bee happy taster from New York Mouth, 6. Bonnie's Jams nuts in honey from Old Faithful Shop. — Joanna}

currently snacking on... 3 Jul 2012

...a strawberry, nutella, and toasted marshmallow club sandwich. Simply layer thin slices of toast with the above ingredients for a delicious {and somewhat nutritious} snack for breakfast, lunch, or dessert... — Joy

{photo by Oh Joy}

in the morning... 29 Jun 2012

I'm a sucker for vessels, bowls, and containers of pretty much any kind. So I'm loving these slightly rustic and handmade pieces that seem perfect for breakfast time by Just Potters and Canvas... — Joy

{left to right, top to bottom: juicer by Just Potters, Honey Pot by Just Potters, ceramic creamer by Canvas, bowls by Canvas, rimmed creamer by Canvas}