Short and Sweet

☆ Shirt - Zara ☆ Shorts - Zara ☆ Sandals - Michael Kors ☆

This shorts immediately called my name when I spotted them. I mean, the colors are beautiful, the print is eclectic and the length is perfect. I have been wearing them nonstop since I got them with basic tees. But, I tried them with this crisp, white, button down shirt and I loved it. I added the sandals because they have become my staple shoes this summer. I wear my hair up a lot more in the summer rather than fall or winter, so I decided to go for this ponytail with a few pieces hanging out, to soften up the look. You can try this look by wearing any printed shorts you have and adding a fancier type shirt to them! Xx

Summer Baking

As you may or may not know, one of my favorite hobbies is baking. My go to desserts usually contain chocolate, but I also love to bake with fruit and I am especially inspired to bake with them in the summer. This is the recipe for my favorite lemon tart. You can surely purchase a pre-made crust, but it's easy enough to make one yourself and then fill it with this delicious and tangy lemon filling! Add some raspberries and dust it with a light coating of powdered sugar and you'll have a dessert that looks as good as it tastes! xx

Lemon Tart

Yields one 8-inch tart

Pastry:

1 1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup sugar

4oz. butter, slightly soft, cut into 1/2-inch dice

1 egg yolk

1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat the oven to 400º Fahrenheit. Combine the flour and sugar. Cut in the butter until it looks like coarse meal. Combine the egg and vanilla. Add to flour butter mixture. Stir, then briefly knead to form a dough. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate 1/2 hour. Roll to fill tart pan. Blind bake (10-15 minutes with weight, 10-15 minutes without weight).

Lemon Curd:

2 whole eggs

2 egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

zest from 1 lemon

3 oz. lemon juice

4 oz. butter, cut in dice

Preheat oven to 350º Fahrenheit. Combine the eggs, yolks, sugar, juice, and zest over a bain marie. Add butter and cook, whisking occasionally until thick. Strain into the tart shell. Bake until set, about 5-10 minutes.