Olivia Frescura

los angeles beauty & lifestyle blog

PLUS Uplift Tangerine THC Gummies Review

PLUS Uplift Tangerine Gummies

If you’ve been following me for a while (especially on instagram) you’ve surely seen me sing the praises of these gummies for quite a while now. My first Plus Products Gummies review was almost 2 years ago! Since then, I’ve gotten quite a few people hooked on ’em— my dad included. When I saw they came out with a tangerine flavor…I knew she had to be mine for my aesthetic!

I ordered these a few weeks ago (along with more sour blueberry and watermelon ones) on Eaze because they deliver right to your door. Plus, with my link you get $20 off your first order! This was my first time ordering them with the new rebranded packaging (and kid-proof packaging due to updated CA regulations). Peep that old packaging below!

I re-read my old review prior to writing this and was cracking up that I used to cut up these tiny ass gummies into fourths…what was I thinking?! Turning microdosing into nanodosing I guess. Now, I’ve graduated to taking a full one or two at a time, depending on my mood. I’ve found that I really only like using weed to help me fall asleep. I have a lot of anxiety, and can find it hard to shut my brain off when it comes time to fall asleep. And my loud neighbors certainly don’t help (a problem that’s only become worse during quarantine). Also…when traveling by plane I like to take one or two before boarding. I don’t bring an entire package with me on trips though, as marijuana is still federally illegal.

And, as far as these lil orange babies go— they taste great. I still prefer the sour blueberry ones though. There’s something about that citric acid…I should just buy some and add it to all of my gummies tbh. These retail for $18 for 20 5mg gummies, which is pretty on par (or even cheaper) than some brands out there. I usually find more 10 x 10mg gummies for around $25. But I like the 5mg, because I don’t need that much to fall asleep at night. It all depends on your vibe! I can’t speak too much on the “uplift”-ing qualities that these are touted to be. No matter what kind of weed I have I get hungry and sleepy. I do want to try their “unwind” concord grape flavor though! Have yet to see that in stock anywhere I shop…one day. Until then!

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Jon & Vinny’s Spicy Fusilli Copycat Recipe

Jon & Vinny’s Spicy Fusilli (Rotini) made my moi!

Jon & Vinny’s is one of my (and Chrissy Tiegen‘s, and basically any influencer’s) favorite restaurants in LA. They’re famous for this spicy fusilli. I don’t typically love spicy things, but this pasta is fairly mild and the fact that the spice is hidden within a creamy vodka sauce makes it the perfect bite. The spicy fusilli (and rainbow cookies) are my two non-negotiables on the menu…I have to eat them every time I go! They’re that good.

This was actually one of my last meals before quarantine, the following week I made this recipe, and then had Jon & Vinny’s delivered the week after that. It’s that good.

This recipe is adapted from Bon Appetit. It’s so easy to make with ingredients that you most likely have at home right now! I used Rotini instead of Fusilli because that’s all I was able to get my hands on. Any fun shaped pasta will work (macaroni, bow tie, penne, etc.)— ideally something with some nice crevices. Anything aside from spaghetti like pastas are ideal, but if that’s all you have— use it! Who cares…it’s still gonna taste good.

Jon & Vinny's Spicy Fusilli Recipe

  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 1 shallot (finely chopped)
  • 1 small garlic clove (finely grated)
  • ½ cup tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons vodka
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • Kosher salt (freshly ground pepper)
  • 1 pound fusilli
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 ounce finely grated Parmesan (plus more for serving)
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh basil

  1. Heat up pasta water to a boil before starting on the sauce. Don’t forget to salt the water! Cook the pasta to al dente and reserve 1 cup of pasta water to help the sauce later.

  2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium. Add shallot and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.

  3. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until paste is brick red and starts to caramelize, about 5 minutes. 

  4. Add vodka and cook, stirring constantly, until liquid is mostly evaporated, about 2 minutes.

  5. Add cream and red pepper flakes and stir until well blended. Season with salt and pepper; remove from heat.

  6. Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking liquid. Add pasta to skillet with sauce along with butter and ½ cup pasta cooking liquid. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly and adding more pasta cooking liquid if needed, until butter has melted and a thick, glossy sauce has formed, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and add 1 oz. Parmesan, tossing to coat. Divide pasta among bowls, then top with basil and more Parmesan.

  7. Add cooked pasta to skillet with sauce along with butter and ½ cup pasta cooking liquid. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly and adding more pasta cooking liquid if needed, until butter has melted and a thick, glossy sauce has formed, about 2 minutes.

  8. Season with salt and pepper and add 1 oz. Parmesan and basil, tossing to coat. Divide pasta among bowls, then top with basil and more Parmesan.

The real deal…spicy fusilli at Jon & Vinny’s

Banana Muffins Recipe

Banana Muffin with Nutella = 💯

Back at it with *another* banana recipe. I don’t know what it is with quarantine and banana bread baking…it’s basically a meme at this point. But, I still haven’t ventured to a traditional banana bread— I decided to try this Banana Muffin Recipe my friend @mindykoenigsfeld sent to me since I always fail at regular banana bread!

Muffins are fun in this case (and any case) because 1…they have a way shorter bake time than a loaf…and 2…they basically count as breakfast, right? I love topping these with nutella, but I bet nut butter would be amazing too! Or, traditional banana bread toppings— salted butter & cream cheese.

This recipe comes together super quickly from prep to baking. I like how it uses melted butter because I always forget to leave butter out to soften!

I use frozen bananas frozen in the peel. Simply throw them in a container/pan overnight in the fridge to defrost. Then, once you’re ready to bake, rip the tip of the peel off and squeeze the banana right out into a measuring cup!

This recipe is also super customizable— sprinkle some chocolate, coconut, or nuts in to the mix for some added texture & flavor!

Banana Chocolate Chip Sheet Cake Recipe From Weeknight Baking

Banana Chocolate Chip Sheet Cake

Back at it again with another baking recipe from the Weeknight Baking Cookbook by Michelle Lopez of Hummingbird High! Banana bread has always been my kryptonite. It always seems to come out super gummy and too moist. So, I’ve been a little afraid to try new banana bread recipes.

On my instagram explore page I always see this banana chocolate chip cake with nutella frosting from a bakery in New York and thought it would be the perfect way for me to dabble in bananas without being afraid that I’d mess it up! So, when I got this cookbook and saw this recipe I knew I had to try it.

You can definitely frost this cake, but I made it just as a snack cake, and the chocolate chips make it sweet enough to eat by itself. It has the texture of a yellow cake with the flavor of banana bread! Next time I make this, I’ll definitely frost it (maybe even as a layer cake?)— nutella would pair so well.

As a note, I keep my ripe bananas peel-on in the freezer. To use in recipes, I defrost them in the fridge overnight (in a container in case they leak!). To use, cut or rip the stem tip off to create a hole and simply squeeze the banana guts out!

Cocktails in Quarantine: Clarified Piña Colada Milk Punch Tutorial | Video

I’ve been making a ton of cocktails while in quarantine…because…why not? I’ve always wanted to make a milk punch— especially once I saw this piña colada milk punch recipe. I figured with all this extra time on my hands…why don’t I spend it on a more time consuming recipe?

I wasn’t sure the best way to describe a milk punch, but it’s essentially a clarified cocktail that uses milk, which curdles with the citrus and is filtered out. I feel like the fat from the milk also makes the cocktail softer…but I’m not sure about all of the science. The Key To Clarified Cocktails article via Cook’s Illustrated is a great primer if you want to learn more! Otherwise, follow along with my video above and/or the adapted recipe below…where you can clearly see I haven’t gotten the “care about my appearance on the internet” memo yet.