I DID IT! I SURVIVED THE WHOLE 30!
From now on my desserts will look like these “croNOTS” – made from donut-shaped apple slices and healthy toppings like almond butter and yogurt!
Just kidding.
W30 was fun, and I learned some things about myself and the food I eat, but I’m happy to be able to say ‘yes’ again to things like quinoa, and rice, and peanut butter, and cake.
Here’s what you’ve missed over the last week
This guy who failed at Wheel of Fortune. He has ALL THE LUCK but unfortunately zero brains…
These tiny humans who make me want to make my own tiny human fight club which I assume would be judged by various levels of round-house-hug-attacks and “my-noggin-is-too-heavy-and- I’m-going-to-fall-over” combo moves.
And more adorableness in the secret (adorable) life of snails!
Oh, and a tip about zesting citrus. Let’s get something food-related in here, I guess.
And of course, since Easter is this weekend, a round-up is in order!
My Easter tends to be CARBS-CARBS-CARBS-CANDY-CARBS-HAM.
Emma Magazine’s DIY Easter Egg Dye
This gorgeous tsoureki from A Periodic Table
Life Tastes Good’s tomato and scallion cream cheese bagel bombs
A super easy dutch baby from yours truly
Playing with Flour’s sweet or savory crepes
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Blueberry waffles from Some Kitchen Stories
East of Eden’s almond breakfast rolls
The Desserts
Cream cheese and blueberry galette from Wit & Vinegar
Serena Bake’s lemon-lime pound cake
Movita’s Easter cake with swiss meringue buttercream
Or some orange honey pound cake from Evil Shenanigans
Oh, and let’s not forget these beauties
The Drinks
Spoon Fork Bacon’s blood orange mimosas
This bellini bar from How Sweet It Is
Jellybean martinis from Wee Eats
Blueberry-almond butter smoothies from Love & Olive Oil
Kitchen Simplicity’s family-friendly (aka: alcohol-free) sangria
Savory Simple’s Boursin deviled eggs
Mini mediterranean frittatas from FoodieCrush
Bacon and potato quiche from Foodness Gracious
Crunchy Creamy Sweet’s breakfast skillet casserole
Kale, apple, and pancetta salad from Elephant Eats
This gorgeous glazed ham from Simply Recipes
I can’t believe that summer is almost gone already and Labor Day is only a week away. If you haven’t planned your menu yet, here are a few ideas…
My personal favorite for every get-together, the infinitely adaptable antipasti platter. May I mention that you can buy great cheese and cured meats at Trader Joe’s for SUPER CHEAP?? True story. I spotted this beauty over on Aida Mollenkamp’s blog.
Make sure to include some prosciutto, fig jam, and mascarpone and you can have your guests build their own prosciutto and fig bruschettas.
Or this amazing goat cheese platter from the lovely girls over at A Beautiful Mess.
If you want something with a bit more heft, give these nacho loaded potato skins from What’s Gaby Cooking a shot:
No cookout is complete without coleslaw, and A Farmgirl’s Dabbles has the most perfect-looking coleslaw I’ve ever seen.
I’ve always been a bit obsessed with cucumbers, and have been eyeing Food Taste Good’s herbaceous cucumber salad.
And throw that boring potato salad out, because Elephant Eats has a great recipe for pesto potato salad that will wow your guests and help you use up that big bunch of basil you’ve been fretting over.
Or keep it vegetarian with these hearty, summery avocado caprese wraps from FoodieCrush, which would be equally delicious (and probably even more cute) in slider form.
You could even turn these teriyaki chicken sandwiches into bite-size teriyaki chicken sliders instead!
Cool off with a refreshing sparkling blueberry lemonade, you can even serve it out of a gorgeous pitcher like the ladies over at Spoon Fork Bacon do.
Or, if you need something with a little more kick, Movita’s dark and stormy cocktail should do the trick.
Or this refreshing (alcohol-free) cucumber cooler from Chez Us, I won’t judge you if a splash of vodka or gin falls in, though. Let’s stick to ginger ale for the kids, though. 😉
Biscoff chocolate chip gelato for dessert, anyone? You could even sandwich it between two grahams or cookies to make it a little more portable.
You could even serve it alongside some blackberry-peach pie from Hummingbird High.
Or skip the pie and opt for some very portable, very delicious black plum mini-streudels from A Periodic Table.
Or keep cool and get your s’more on with this fabulous s’mores icebox cake. Seriously, it’s SO GOOD.
If you guys have any favorite Labor Day recipes, feel free to share them in a comment below! 🙂 <3
Independence Day is rapidly approaching, and if you’re still trying to think of what to make for your annual BBQ, I’ve got a recipe round-up just for you!
Fig & Prosciutto Bruschetta or Flatbread
Cucumber Guacamole from A Periodic Table
Artichoke & Roasted Garlic Dip with Flatbread Sticks from Spoon Fork Bacon
Loaded Baked Potato Salad from FoodieCrush
Chopped Antipasto Salad from The Right Recipe
Caesar Wedge Salads from Some Kitchen Stories
Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese from Elephant Eats
Homemade Brioche Burger Buns – have some fun and make them mini for sliders, or stretch them out for hot dogs!
If burgers are on your menu, you may want to check out Saveur’s guide to the perfect burger
Cheddar Bacon Onion Sliders from The Little Kitchen
BBQ Chicken Sandwiches from TheKitchn
Tenderloin & Red Onion Kebabs from Tasting Table
4th of July Cookie Bars from A Farmgirl’s Dabbles
Tie Dye Cake from Sally’s Baking Addiction
Lemon Sorbet from Movita Beaucoup
Strawberry Lemon Spritzer (Alcohol-Free) from Dine & Dish
Watermelon Limeade (Alcohol-Free) from Serious Eats
Strawberry Pimm’s Cup Cocktail from Brown Eyed Baker
Blood Orange & Thyme Paloma Cocktail from Aida Mollenkamp
Summery Mojitos from A Beautiful Mess
A collection of stress-free Wee Eats recipes that are perfect for your super bowl party
(Click the picture to go to the recipe!)
1. Puff pastry makes these cheese twists super easy (to save time, you can make them in advance and freeze them!)
2. Make a batch of chili (or even sloppy joes) and serve it on top of hot dogs or tots to make a tasty snack! Or go vegetarian with some cheesy artichoke bread.
3. Cut the pretzel rope into 2-inch pieces for delicious pretzel bites. You can bake these ahead of time, freeze the bites, and reheat them in the microwave or oven before serving! (Short on time? Try this 30-minute pretzel recipe instead!)
4. With all the artery-clogging goodness you can eat at most football fiestas, sometimes a veggie or two is a nice break. Or some super easy & portable bruschetta or flatbread should do the trick.
5. This loaded potato dip takes about two minutes to make, and you can make it a day or two ahead of time. Warning: You will want to double or triple the recipe to have enough to serve your ravenous guests.
6. How about some sliders? The chipotle bacon variety, 5 chile turkey burgers, or just a build-your-own burger slider bar!
If you’re not in a burger mood, you could make sliders out of sloppy joes or (our favorite) beef sammies, too!
7. This easy salsa is made in your food processor or blender and only takes a few minutes!
1. Cut these brownies into football-shaped bites if you want. I’m sure they’ll be just as enjoyable as squares, though 🙂
2. Make these cake pops and cover them with sprinkles that match your team’s colors.
3. Mini oreo cheesecakes are a quick and easy (make-ahead) bite-size treat that are sure to please. You could add food coloring to match them to your team’s color!
4. These toffee chip cookies are a favorite around these parts, they’re easy to make and you can freeze them pre or post baking to save yourself some time on game day. Or give these giant chewy M&M-stuffed cookies a try.
1. Start infusing vodka today with berries or pineapple and it should be ready by the time game-day arrives. Tip: the smaller you slice your fruit the faster your vodka will infuse!
2. Cut this solid hot chocolate into football shapes and you’ll have super bowl hot chocolate on a stick!
