A Food Post...

So, if you know me, you are well aware that I am no Paula Deen; however, I am going to give myself a little bit of credit lately and say that I have been doing a decent job in the kitchen. I have been hosting lots of get-togethers over the past month, so I have been whipping up all sorts of dips, sides, and hearty entrees. Amidst all these gatherings, I have been noticing a bit of a trend. If there is one thing that I always seem to have, my one go-to appetizer… it's cheese. I LOVE me some cheese. And I make one hell of a cheese platter. So, in the event that you want to wow your dinner guests, I thought I'd share my favorite little starter with you all.

To begin, I normally select about 4-5 cheeses per plate, any more than that may be a bit overwhelming.  Always best to keep it simple. I get most (usually all) of my cheeses and spreads at Trader Joe's. They have the most amazing selection of cheeses, and their prices are unmatchable in my book. They also has a vast variety of cracker assortments, but I will be honest… I like to go basic with my cracker, Club or Ritz. You really can't go wrong. Both are sturdy and simple, sure to not distract from the powerful taste of the cheese. I prefer to display my cheeses on a solid wood cutting board. All cheese served at room temperature and thickly sliced.

I hope you find this little platter to be as appetizing as I do. And it is sure to be a hit at your next party. Below are my top selections of cheeses, spreads, and sides. And a few suggested pairings. Enjoy!

Cheese:

A simple Fontina or Manchengo

Boursin Garlic and Herb 

A soft Brie (thickly sliced)

Italian Truffle Cheese 

Blueberry Goat Cheese

Spreads: 

Honey

Pepper Jelly

Sides:

Grapes

Sliced Grannysmith Apples or Asian pears

My Suggested Pairings:

Blueberry goat cheese + honey + ritz

Fontina or Manchengo + pepper jelly + club

Brie + honey + apple

The Garlic & Herb and Italian Truffle are best when paired with a cracker or alone. They are rich enough in flavor without adding any additional spread into the mix.

A Quick Getaway

This past weekend my parents agreed to watch Alec overnight, so we jumped on the opportunity and headed North to see some old friends from college. It has been over two years since I have had the chance to visit my old pal, Chelsea, who only lives about two hours away in Hoboken, NJ. She is the very best hostess and every visit is full to the brim with adventure. She is one the those people that never lets you down, always ensuring that she shows you the best time possible. Not to mention, that she alone, is such a joy to be around. 

Hoboken itself, is actually a really great time, but this visit Chelsea took us into bustling New York City.  We went to a delicious dinner at Rosemary's, an Italian restaurant in the West Village. We shared small plates, and enjoyed sipping rosemary lemonade and Prosecco cocktails. After dinner we ventured to the Biergarten at The Standard Hotel for a drink while we waited to hear from friends. Once we got in touch, we jumped on the subway and headed into Williamsburg, Brooklyn. There, we went to Kinfolk and Black Bear Bar. We had an absolute blast boozing, dancing, and just catching up on old times. We ended the night at a lock pizza shop, and each enjoyed a slice or two. Mmm, so good. I only wish we had more time the following morning to do brunch with everyone, but unfortunately, we had to be on the road by noon. 

The lifestyle up there is so incredibly foreign to me…. tiny little apartments that cost a fortune, subways and taxis, and a melting pot of all different people from all over the globe. In my early twenties, I always thought that I would enjoy the whole 'city living' experience. I thought that maybe I'd regret not jumping at the chance to live somewhere other than 'home'. But now that I see myself more clearly, I know that a big city would swallow me whole and I am surely a small town girl at heart. But that doesn't mean that I don't love a weekend city adventure, because I surely do. Thanks for a great time old pal, til next time friend. 

A Hearty Autumn Breakfast

We paid the apple orchard a visit recently and I have about a dozen honey crisp apples just waiting to eaten. Due to my hefty purchase, I have been trying to find different ways to incorporate apples into my diet. After about three days, the standard apple and peanut butter just wasn't cutting it anymore, so I set out on an apple adventure. I've always been a big oatmeal fan, but with Alec, the mornings can be a bit hectic so I rarely take the time to eat anything more than my standard english muffin and peanut butter. Today, I decided to dedicate the time to something different and what I came up with… whelp, it was darn delicious so I thought I'd share.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup old fashioned oats

1 cup water

1/2 cup diced honeycrisp apple

1/2 tbsp brown sugar

1/3 cup maple pecans

Splash of milk

Cooking Instructions:

I cook my oats on the stove top. Bring one cup water to a boil, pour in oats and reduce to a simmer. Cover and let simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let stand for one minute. Add a splash of milk and stir. Add apple, brown sugar, and maple pecans, mix, and enjoy!

Dinner and Drinks

The weather has been absolutely amazing these past few days. Come dinner time, each night, it hits about 75 degrees and our screened-in porch feels just about perfect. We've been dining outdoors at sunset and it seems that our little outdoor space has become my very favorite feature of our new home.

I do my best at cooking, but I will openly admit that I am no Rachel Ray. The entrees I make are rather predictable and usually somewhat bland. Fortunately, Pinterest has been a real game changer for Kiel and I. My 'Good Eats" board has been a go-to as of late, and tonight I put together a little dish called Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas, courtesy of Kevin & Amanda. Four ingredient dinners are right up my alley and this one actually turned out really well. If your into Mexican, I would highly recommend giving it a go.

In addition to our yummy meal, we made a couple home-made margaritas. 

1 - 2 shots    tequila

           1 shot    Triple Sec

        1/3 cup    club soda

     2/3 cup    Fresca

                                1/2     fresh-squeezed lime

             Pour over crushed ice

With a little one who hits the hay around 7:30, and a husband who doesn't get home from work until after 6pm… a date night out can be a bit challenging sometimes. With that being said, we try and keep things fresh and fun by bringing date night to Belmont Street every now and again. These cool summer nights have made for the perfect setting so we have been taking advantage as much as possible.

Sunday Soup

Things have been crazy around the house lately. Trying to keep the house perfect while caring for a newborn has been pretty challenging. Since our place went on the market, we've had constant showings, most of which have been in the evenings. Because of the awful timing.. our little family has been dining out quite a bit, and it hasn't been good for our health or our bank account. This weekend I was determined to hit the grocery store and plan out some quick and easy meals for the week. So I hit up my "Mmm" pinterest board and picked out a few dishes. 

On Sunday, I made Cheese Tortellini and Sausage Soup in the crockpot. It was incredibly easy and the ingredients were inexpensive. The recipe makes about 6-8 servings, and it pairs perfectly with a side of italian bread. This soup is the perfect meal for a crisp, fall afternoon. 

1	(19 oz.) bag frozen cheese tortellini
1	lb. sausage (I prefer Italian)
1	bag fresh spinach
2	cans Italian style diced tomatoes
2	cans low-fat chicken broth
1	(8 oz.) cream cheese, cut into cubes

Brown the sausage in a skillet on the stove top

until cooked and crumbled. Drain. Add the sausage and remaining ingredients to a 6-quart slow cooker. Stir to combine. Cook, on LOW for 5 hours, stirring twice during cooking.

Beat the Heat

My Five Fave Summer Snacks

 to keep you cool on the hot summer days

1. Refreshing Lemonade with Mango
A. If you don't a have tumblr by now... please go get one. These amazing sweat-free adult-sized sippy cups are honestly life-changing. I have never drank the appropriate amount of daily water intake until I had one of these. They keep your bevs cool for hours on end. Go to your local Bed, Bath, and Beyond, use a 20% off coupon, and invest. B. I have become obsessed with juice throughout my pregnancy.. mostly because water with lemon became a bit boring over time. I recently discovered Simply Lemonade with Mango and let me tell you... it's amazing. I am like a kid, so I dilute my juice with H20. I fill my tumblr with ice, then half water, then half juice. It's the most refreshing drink you'll ever have. Trust. Sometimes I even add a little fresh lemon slice to jazz things up. 

2. Apples & Yummy Yogurt Dip
Dice up a nice, juicy apple. Grab a cup of non-fat vanilla greek yogurt, then mix in 1 tbsp of PB, a dollop of agave, and a dash of cinnamon. Stir together then dip your slices. And there you have it... a delish, protein-packed snack. 

3. Summer Salad
My favorite summer salad consists of no lettuce at all.  Dice up a tomato. Grab half a cucumber, remove the skin and dice. Dice up one whole avocado. Add in about 1.5 tbsp of reduced-fat feta. Finely chop up about one tbsp of red onion. Toss into a bowl, dash with salt and pepper. Then add a bit of oil and balsamic, mix, and serve. 

4. A Very Berry Smoothie
For starters, I use a magic bullet. I purchased it from Bed, Bath, and Beyond for around $40. I truly think it has been well worth the price. This little handy-dandy machine takes up little space on your counter top and acts as somewhat of a food processor. It puts your standard blender to shame. It's great for home-made salsa, chicken salad, and, of course, fruit smoothies. My favorite summer treat is a very berry smoothie. I use 1/4 cup of frozen blueberries, 1/4 cup of frozen raspberries, and about 3-4 frozen strawberries. I then add in about 1/2 cup of vanilla greek yogurt, a heavy dollop of agave nectar, and about 3/4 cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk. Mix and viola!

5. Vanilla Frozen Yogurt with a dash of cinnamon, topped with amazing fruit salsa.
For the salsa, one kiwi (peeled and diced), one golden delicious apple (peeled and diced), 8 oz. of red raspberries, one carton of strawberries (diced). Mix in a large bowl with 1.5 tbsp of strawberry preserves, 1.5 tbsp of white sugar, and 1/2 tbsp of brown sugar.

Fall = Pumpkin

I absolutely LOVE fall in Delaware. I love fall foliage, honey crisp apples, spiked apple cider, pumpkin ale.. the list goes on and on. Mostly, I really just love consuming anything pumpkin flavored. I've already picked up a couple cans of pumpkin puree because come October, the shelves are empty. I have found some interesting pumpkin recipes on pinterest that I am definitely going to give a try.

Pumpkin Frozen Yogurt

Only 4 ingredients!

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie 1/2 banana (peeled, frozen, diced) ~1/3 cup pumpkin puree (Libby’s) ~1/3 cup FF plain Greek yogurt ~3/4-1cup lt vanilla soy milk (or milk of choice) Few shakes of pumpkin spice (Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice) Few shakes of cinnamon (optional) Pinch of cloves 1tsp vanilla 4-5 ice cubes

Baked Pumpkin Spiced Donuts

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

This one is a must. I made this a couple times last fall, and it was a hit!

Power Foods

I've been trying to recently cut back on my carb intake and pay more attention to my diet. In doing so, I have came across some healthy, low-carb snacks that are not only tasty, but very filling. Here are my three favorites.

1. 1 Ripe Avocado + 2 Egg Whites, diced and seasoned with salt, pepper, and a splash of olive oil

2. Kale Chips, Kale (washed and stems removed) sprinkled with olive oil & sea salt, Bake in the oven @ 350 for 15 mins or until crisp

3. Plain, Non-fat Greek Yogurt mixed with 1 tbsp of peanut butter

Fave Summer Side

Favorite Summer Side:

1 Roma tomato, diced

1/2 Avocado, diced

1/3 Red onion, diced

1/2 Cucumber, skinned and diced

Toss in Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar

Add Salt and Pepper to taste

Viola!

Light and Delish. I love to pair this with a veggie burger and swiss :)

Organic Treats from Trader Joe's

Chipotle Pepper Hummus. I love to dip green peppers.

The most amazing midnight treat, when all your body wants is chocolate.

I eat this almost every morning on a whole wheat english muffin. Peanut butter will never be the same.

Love these chips. So flavorful and delish when dipped in the chipotle pepper hummus.

Two cups = perfect afternoon snack.

I also discovered Alba Products @ Trader Joe's. The enzyme scrub is pretty incredible.

Check em out!

xoxo - L

Margarita Love

I recently went to happy hour with some of my best girlfriends. The Bartender at our local MexiBar, Lime, introduced us to the Jalapeño Margarita. Delish! Margaritas are one of my favorite summer beverages and I recently found some fun recipes to spice things up...


Blood Orange Margarita
3 oz of Fresh Blood Orange Juice
3 oz Tequila
1oz Triple Sec
Splash of agave syrup


Rub the rim of an old fashioned glass (or whatever similar vessel you prefer) with an edge of a blood orange slice.  Swirl the rim through a small pile of kosher or sea salt to salt the rim. Combine all ingredients into a cocktail shaker, add ice and shake for 15 seconds. Put a few cubes of ice in your glass.  Strain the cocktail into the glass and enjoy.

Grapefruit Margarita
3 oz Tequila
2 oz Orange Liqueur
2 oz Fresh-squeezed Lime Juice
6 oz Fresh-squeezed Grapefruit Juice
Simple syrup, to taste
Salt, for rim
Grapefruit wedges


Mix tequila, orange liqueur, lime, and grapefruit juices well. If you think you need a little more sweetness, add a splash of simple syrup. Rub one of the used lime or grapefruit rinds around the rim of two glasses and dip in cocktail salt. Fill each glass with ice and pour in the margarita.

Orange-Lime Margarita via cupcakesandcashmere
2 limes

1/2 orange
2 1/2 oz. tequila
1 oz triple sec
1/4 oz. agave syrup
1/4 oz. Grand Marnier

In a cocktail shaker with ice, juice 2 limes and 1/2 orange. Add tequila, triple sec, and simple syrup. Shake vigorously for 20 seconds. Strain over glass with new ice cubes and float Grand Marnier on top.

I also love Bethany Frankel's Skinny Girl Margarita. It's already prepared, just pour over ice and I often add some fresh lime.

xoxo -L