Zara's May Collection

We have so many awesome little boutiques to shop in this city, but they aren't always budget-friendly. I find myself going to chain stores like H&M and Forever 21 to supplement things in my wardrobe that are too expensive at other stores. Unfortunately, the quality at these stores that specialize in mass-producing trendy items isn't always great. I recently saw some images from Zara's May collection, and I'm definitely interested.

Zara isn't a store that I've frequented up to this point, but I think I may have to stop by more often now. The prices aren't quite as cheap as those at H&M or Forever, but the quality is a lot better. They have been accused very often of copying high-end designer items, but let's face it -- most of us can't afford the real thing. Here are some looks from their May lookbook that I love!

This pretty bohemian style top would be perfect for weekend brunch!

The denim harem pants might be a bit tough to pull off, but I love the floral bustier top! I'd wear it under my navy jacket to make it work appropriate!

I've been sort of on a quest after a maxi dress for this summer, and the simplicity of this one is really appealing to me!

Here's our big knockoff -- this dress is pretty much identical to a piece that Miu Miu sent down their Spring/Summer runway. For some reason I like this dress (it doesn't come with the collar), even though I really don't like cats. I just find it sort of humorous and fun!

Sweet Potato Fries the Easy Way!

This weekend, I was feeling particularly cheap since every dime I make lately goes into my apartment payments. I was visiting my boyfriend in Boston, and normally we eat in one night and go out for dinner the next. This weekend, feeling bad that I was hesitant to split the bill and not wanting to let him pay for everything, I decided to make dinner in on Saturday night as well. We went to Trader Joe's for some food inspiration, and came out with one of my favorite foods of all time: sweet potato fries.

I'm pretty much a fanatic about sweet potato. I'll eat it in any preparation, but of course who doesn't love them as fries? The problem is, I'm very impatient and not particularly skilled at cutting up a sweet potato into fry-sized slices. Thus, whenever I try to make them at home, they always cook unevenly -- some of them burn and some aren't cooked enough.

Trader Joe's actually sells pre-sliced raw sweet potato so that all you have to do is bake them! Amazing idea! We cut the top off of the bag them came in, drizzled a teeny bit of olive oil into it and shook until the spears were lightly coated. Then we spread them out on a baking sheet and baked them for a half hour. Voila! Awesome sweet potato fries and SO easy to do! A bag that cost $2.69 was plenty for two people.

We had our sweet potato fries with onion and cilantro turkey burgers and grilled asparagus!

Onion and Cilantro Turkey Burgers

I've never been a huge burger fan, I'll admit. At cookouts, I'd rather eat the side salads! Then my mom made some great burgers last summer that I absolutely love -- turkey burgers with onion and cilantro! The ingredients are mixed in with the turkey, making the meat more juicy and flavorful.

I really prefer turkey meat over beef because it is less fatty and also less heavy in your stomach. The trick though is to buy ground turkey breast for this recipe, not just "ground turkey". You'll see a price difference (turkey breast is more expensive), but the content is worth it -- regular ground turkey is much more fatty because they throw everything in.

These burgers are best made as sliders, in my opinion. They are pretty customizable too -- I like mine with slices of fresh avocado on top, whereas my boyfriend prefers to mix diced jalapeno peppers into his burger mixture before grilling and topping it with pepperjack cheese.

Ingredients

-- 1 package ground turkey breast (about 1 lb)
-- Small bunch of fresh cilantro
-- 1 small sweet onion
-- slider rolls
-- optional add-ins like avocado, jalapeno, and cheese

Directions

1. Dice about 1/2 of the onion into small pieces
2. Rinse and pat dry the cilantro. Pull off the leaves and chop them finely until you have about 1 1/2 - 2 TBSP
3. Put the ground turkey breast in a bowl. Mix in the onion and cilantro. If you choose to add diced jalapeno, mix that in too.
4. Form patties with the mixture about 1/2 inch thick. You can make about 4 medium-sized burgers or 6 sliders with this amount. (Hint: You may want to refrigerate the mixture for a little while before you make the patties as turkey breast is really messy and will stick to your hands if it is warm).
5. Grill over an open flame or on an electric grill for about 7 minutes before flipping. Continue cooking until burger is no longer pink around the sides or in the middle.
6. Serve on a roll and enjoy!