Happy Friday! I hope you all have had a fabulous week. If we haven’t already met, my name is Abra (Abraham without the “ham”) and I’m the brand & social media manager here at AK. Everything else you need to know about me can be found here 🙂

Really excited to jump in and share some of my summer picks with you guys today. They’re more like end of summer picks, but I swear last weekend was Memorial Day. Anyway, I put together a fun list of things that I’ve been loving lately. You’ll find my current favorite Ambitious Kitchen recipes (aka the ones I make for myself when Monique’s out of town), jeans that I seriously live in, playlists that get me up in the morning, and a few things in between.

xoxo!

For eating: AK recipes on repeat

Breakfast: Peanut Butter Blueberry Overnight Oats – I’m a sucker for a good PB&J and these overnight oats are a like the real deal sammie in creamy, perfectly sweet and filling breakfast form.

Lunch: Fiesta Mango Black Bean Quinoa Salad – everything-in-a-bowl salads are my go-to, and the flavors in this one are incredible. My mom makes this one all the time, too (and calls me every time she does. Love ya mom).

Dinner: One Pan Thai Coconut Yellow Curry Chicken & Rice – I actually made this by myself for the first time last week and OMG forgot how delicious it is. I will say that while I do a fair amount of chopping veggies at AK HQ, I’m not the most confident cook myself. That being said, this was SO easy, flavorful, and made me feel like a top chef. If you haven’t made this yet get to it! Rant over.

Dessert: Healthy Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats – just like the “scotcheroos” I grew up on. Chocolate, peanut butter, boom done. Okay I also make these cookies weekly so take your pick.

For listening & jamming

I made this playlist when I made Monique’s famous cinnamon rolls for the first time, and now I listen to it whenever I’m cooking/baking. It’s a compilation of my favorite chill indie-folk artists. I mix it up between this type of music and more electronic. If you’re looking for the latter, this playlist is for you 🙂

For reading

One of my goals for this year was to read more SO on Amazon Prime Day I treated myself to a Kindle! Currently reading: “Girl, Wash Your Face” by Rachel Hollis. It’s all about the lies we tell ourselves as girls and women, and tips for not feeding into these lies so that we can own our own happiness. A little self-help-ish, but each chapter has some great messages to take to heart or share with others.

For wearing

1. These jeans are the same fit as my go-to ones from Madewell and they’re amazing. High-rise, slim boyfriend so not too baggy, and perfect for dressing up or down. I’ve worn them with sneakers and a tee (like in this photo) and dressed them up with a cropped blouse and heeled sandals.

2. My current favorite outfit is pairing those jeans with this bodysuit and a jacket like this one (perfect for summer into fall). No fuss tucking in your shirt = win!

3. I got these black loafer mules last year in plain black AND floral because they’re just too good. People ask me, “omg are those the Gucci slides?!” and of course I say yes. Little do they know they’re under $20 on Amazon.

Just for fun

1. Chicago eats: recently enjoyed margs on the patio at Tuco & Blondie, had the best brunch at Ema

2. Favorite rug currently on Ambitious Home: Sophia – making all of my pink & blue dreams come true. Endlessly jealous of her future owner.

3. Travel essentials: I always travel with a backpack (hands-free!), am newly obsessed with this Vitamin C Serum, and don’t go anywhere without this deodorant.

Leave a comment and share your current favs with me! I’m always looking for new music (let’s follow each other on Spotify!), summer dresses, workout shoes, and great beach reads.