Triple ginger molasses cookie (Santa's favorite!)

These chewy, sweet but spicy, triple ginger cookies are Santa's favorite (and my Mom's.... what a coincidence!!) There is nothing like the smell of cookies in the oven to bring the whole family to the kitchen and this time round they aren't vegan so even my brothers will join in. 

Follow this recipe, but keep these baking hacks in mind:

• Can't find cheap crystalized ginger? Check the Trader Joes nuts & fruit section 
• Freezing the fresh ginger root makes it much easier to grate, the skin will slide right off
• Refrigerating the dough overnight is KEY, patience is a virtue. 
• Roll the dough balls in turbinado sugar (larger/coarser crystals). Just trust me.

With love and cheer,

Sarah Belle

From head to toe: Holidays on the edge

This is my trendy but approachable, festive but neutral, fancy-ish, sexy-ish and layered up outfit that spans just about any occasion this holiday season. This look proves that jeans deserve an invitation to the party too- give denim a chance and give yourself a break from Spanx. Eat, drink, and be merry!

My  look:

Jacket: Warehouse leather-look biker jacket

Top: Urban Outfitters, similar without shine here

Jeans: Gap, Wide-leg crop high rise jeans

Shoes: Free People, Walk this way clog

Purse: Stella McCartney Falabella (mine is a knockoff people, reality check here)

Nails: OPI, Funny Bunny

Lips: MAC Mehr

Eyes: Urban Decay Naked 3

With love and glimmer,

Sarah Belle

Sundays with Sarah: Book club for one

I'm finding so much comfort in print these days. Pretty paintings, elegant poems, dreamy magazines, and thought provoking books. Feeling the pages slipping between my fingers versus swiping and taping away at a screen just feels right at the moment, and I'm rolling with it. Here are a few things I am reading, have read, or simply like having on my bedside table to make me feel cool.
Everything pairs well with a comfy bed/couch/coffee shop and a warm mug of whatever your heart desires. 

 

Modern Romance, Aziz Ansari: This book is a perfect balance between science and comedy. Ansari presents straight up facts and stats with a comedic charm that is both entertaining and approachable. His observations are so personal yet so damn applicable to my life that I find myself nodding in agreement while I'm reading, a true crash course in love in the digital age. Spoiler alert: love is hard, but it can be funny and beautiful too. 
“That’s the thing about the Internet: It doesn’t simply help us find the best thing out there; it has helped to produce the idea that there is a best thing and, if we search hard enough, we can find it. And in turn there are a whole bunch of inferior things that we’d be foolish to choose.” 

Olive Kitterage, Elizabeth Strout: One character weaves her way through 13 separate stories, each of them completely individual yet so heartbreakingly real. Olive Kitterage is a beautiful book that inspects the drama of the human condition from many angles, all of them rooted in empathy and perspective. 
"But Henry was pretty irritating himself, with his steadfast way of remaining naive, as though life were just what a Sears catalogue told you it was: everyone standing around smiling.”

Brave Enough, Cheryl Strayed: A collection of her own quotes, mainly on the themes of love, forgiveness, and fear. Seems like everything in life somehow comes back to those three themes. This is a perfect coffee table or bedside book because it takes minimal brain power to get value from it, plus I dare you to try and not have some kind of introspective moment when reading thoughtful quotes. There is a sappy little heart inside of all of us!
“Don't surrender all your joy for an idea you used to have about yourself that isn't true anymore." 

East of Eden, John Steinbeck: I had to include this as East of Eden will be in my book club forever. My favorite book of all time, I can flip to any page to escape to Salinas for a chapter or two of peace. This is proof that sometimes you really should listen to your high school english teacher (except about The Last of the Mohicans, that book was just awful). 
“But the Hebrew word, the word timshel—‘Thou mayest’— that gives a choice. It might be the most important word in the world. That says the way is open. That throws it right back on a man. For if ‘Thou mayest’—it is also true that ‘Thou mayest not.”

Vogue & Harpers Bazaar: Two very different magazines, but I love them both for the excitement they bring each month when they land on my doorstep. The silky pages, gorgeous images and powerful juxtaposition between a seemingly superficial industry and female empowerment inspires and fascinates me. 


What I'm wearing:
Leggings: Gap Performance Cotton Colorblock leggings
Sweater: Old Navy Open-front Cardi

With love and papercuts,

Sarah Belle

The weekender banana pancake (Vegan, GF)

Chocolate and popcorn are frequent fliers on my cravings list. My Spanish host Mom even called me "la chica de las palomitas" or "popcorn girl", a title I wear with pride. But we've all been there when out of nowhere a craving attacks and something you wouldn't normally go for is stuck in your mind. Mine this Sunday was pancakes, and I wanted them something fierce. Similar to bagels, pancakes are one of those foods that give me anxiety and guilt. Of course I am happy to indulge and I know that a happy life is lived in moderation, but I knew there had to be healthier way to satisfy my stomach. There is something so comforting and right about this spin on the classic banana pancakes, they are the food form of relaxation. 

Inspired by this Deliciously Ella recipe, here is a warm, hearty breakfast perfect for starting a cold Fall morning with protein and a little something sweet. 

The cutest little beggar 

Some adaptations made to her recipe: 

• Sub out the cup of water for almond milk, it will make the batter a bit sweeter and creamier. 
• Swap 2/3 cup of ground almonds for almond meal. Cheaper and easier to find (Trader Joes)
• Include some unblended oats in the final mixture for added texture (about 1/4 cup)
• Add in some of your favorite nuts & things for added protein and taste (chopped pecans, coconut shavings, dried fruit, chia seeds)
• Top off with chocolate/carob chips b/c why not??

With love and pretending like it's the weekend,

Sarah Belle 

Not your #basic pumpkin bread (Vegan, GF)

Skies are cloudy with a high chance of sweater weather- do you know what that means?? Pumpkin errythang. I am admittedly #basic in a lot of ways, but let it be known I am not pumpkin spice latte drinker. Point for Sarah.

 With a chewy and gooey center, melted chocolate chips, and reduced(ish) guilt I cant get enough of this crumbly confection. Inspired by this recipe by the holy Minimalist Baker, check out the Fall approved vegan, GF, oats, chocolate chip and pumpkin bread. 

Heads up: It really is best to wait to eat this bread at least a few hours, if not the next day. It needs time to settle and become more dense, the gluten free flour makes it pretty crumbly otherwise. Impatient? Grab a fork and go to town. I paired it with my favorite cold weather tea; Trader Joes Candy Cane Peppermint Green Tea and my fave mug from Sarabeths in New York.

With love and crumbles,

Sarah Belle