My favorite salads are always a combination of sweet and tangy with a bit of a crunch. This particular medley was a perfect blend of all three! So dress up a boring salad with a homemade apple cider vinaigrette and candied walnuts that take only 5 minutes to make!
I love checking out new bistros for lunch around Portland, but I always wish that I could duplicate some of the gourmet sandwiches that I try! Well.. I finally have and so can you! The lemon juice marinated into the chicken pairs perfectly with the roasted red pepper, feta, and zesty cilantro pesto! The best part is that they’re good warm or cold so you can make them the night… Keep Reading
Snazz up any sandwich, pasta dish, or chicken with this easy and zesty cilantro pesto!
I’m not going to lie.. every time someone mentions beets I think of Dwight Shrute from The Office! I immediately want to yell out, “Bears. Beets. Battlestar Gallactica!” My obsession with The Office aside, I’ve actually really come to love juicing beets. If you’ve never tasted one, the flavor is very earthy, which is just a nice way of me saying they taste like dirt.. in a good way! I paired this… Keep Reading
It’s been awhile since I’ve updated about my 2nd Pinterest Challenge, so I thought I would show you one of the items I tried out! I went with Egg Stuffed Tomatoes from Give Recipe, but sadly mine didn’t turn out quite as wonderful. The recipe didn’t specify what size of tomatoes I should use, so the ones I picked were way too big! I would recommend a medium-sized vine ripe tomato. I also wanted… Keep Reading
Last Wednesday we celebrated my 2 Year Portland Anniversary with dinner and drinks at Rogue. While we were there I picked up a bottle of their Voodoo Bacon Maple Ale; a collaboration with Portland’s famous Voodoo Doughnut! I decided I wanted to pay tribute to the city I’ve called home for the past two years by baking some delicious cupcakes using the beer. The result: The mixture of chocolate, maple frosting,… Keep Reading
Grilling season is in full swing, but remember that bikini season is coming up too! Keep it light, but don’t lose the flavor with these zesty, juicy, and lean turkey burgers! The spicy avocado mayo adds the perfect touch to the bursts of onion, garlic, and jalapeño!
Coming from a state where everything is deep fat fried (at the Iowa State Fair they once did deep fat fried BUTTER on a stick! SICK!) it’s hard to get yourself away from those kinds of foods! Jalapeno poppers are one of my favorite game day snacks or bar appetizers that are so hard to give up… until I made these! You still get all the flavor and crunch as… Keep Reading
You should know right now that if anything has rum in the title TWICE, then it’s definitely worth trying! I wanted to throw a grown-up twist on a childhood classic and this is what transpired.. a concoction of decadent chocolate and caramel sauces made with Sailor Jerry Rum and chunks of pineapple soaked in rum for 2 days. Let’s just say that you’ll have more than just a sugar buzz… Keep Reading
Blame it on my overwhelming need for a vacation to somewhere with white sand beaches, but I needed a taste of paradise and this did the trick! Sweet and citrusy with a kick of spice from Sailor Jerry Rum is all you need to transport yourself from this gloomy rainy spring weather!
Almonds are one of my favorite snacks and Sriracha is one of my favorite condiments to add to… well… EVERYTHING! Combine those two?! Now I don’t want to eat them any other way! These are great to make for cocktail parties, but you better double up the recipe because they are wonderfully addicting!
Ever since I received a food processor for Christmas (thanks Momma Goose!!), I have been dying to make some homemade hummus! I figured on my first attempt it may not come out right or it would taste weird, but I was dead wrong! Making hummus is incredibly easy! The cilantro and jalapeño complement each other perfectly and I have to say, this is better than any hummus I’ve had in a restaurant!
Pizza is my heart and soul. My death-row meal. The one item I would never give up for a diet. Now let’s turn that classic dish into miniature deep dish cups of holy deliciousness! A nice crunch on the outside and soft on the inside with bursts of flavor from fresh cherry tomatoes and basil. I’m dying to find an excuse to throw a party because these make wonderful… Keep Reading
If you have ever wanted to know what chocolate covered strawberries taste like in muffin form, this is IT! To make them even more tempting..they’re whole wheat and made without oil, so you can enjoy one or two more without the added guilt!
Last week I said I was going to make these and boy am I glad that I did! They’re crisp, zesty, and fulfilling! Definitely my new favorite snack! See for yourself!
When I decided to try vegetarianism for a month, I really opened myself up to trying a lot of new things that I once deemed as gross, like mushrooms for instance! As a kid I hated them so much that if they were on a pizza I refused to eat the pizza at all, even if they were picked off! Now I absolutely love them! It’s just all on how… Keep Reading
Light and toasted marshmallow-y frosting, moist vanilla cake (that’s low-fat too!), and warm gooey raspberry sauce in the center… Do I really need to keep going?!
Yesterday was a typical Portland day.. rain, gloom, and then more rain and gloom. I actually love it when it’s like that, but I’m also looking forward to a hot summer day, sitting on the porch, and sipping ice cold lemonade! Weather is too unpredictable and I’m far too impatient, so I made a big batch of strawberry basil lemonade yesterday to remind myself that summer is right around the… Keep Reading
Anyone within 5 miles of my kitchen last night had to be in total envy of the pork loin I slow cooked for 6 hours. The sweet and spicy smell has probably permeated our furniture and walls, but I’m not sad about it! Marinated in spices, placed on a bed of onions, and then smothered in a mixture of barbecue sauce and my personal favorite… Sailor Jerry Rum!
Last week when I made Carrot Cake Cupcakes I had placed the extras in the refrigerator. I can’t eat cupcakes cold so I tossed one in the microwave for 10 seconds. The result was heavenly! The cream cheese frosting melted down and glazed the entire cupcake in creamy sugary deliciousness! This sparked today’s creation of carrot cake pancakes with a cream cheese glaze!
Ohh mimosas! You’re wonderfully bubbly and delicious and never make me feel guilty about drinking before noon! I decided to add a refreshing twist to this classic cocktail by adding ruby red grapefruits!
I’m sure you’ve seen these before on Pinterest.. I know I have about 3 dozen times! I tried to find the original source, but they’ve been redone so many times I can’t! Now while the idea of dying them may not be original, the recipe most certainly is! This is the one item we always request my mom make for any holiday, picnic, or get-together! Find out how to make… Keep Reading
Spicy Garlic Brussels Sprouts I can honestly say that I had not tried brussels sprouts until just this year! I think I just always had it in my head that they were gross or hard to cook. Was I ever wrong! Not only are these extremely beneficial health-wise, they’re extremely flavorful and delicious!
We’re heading into grilling season and I wanted to start it off with something new! Kabobs are always a favorite of mine, so I thought I’d give this recipe a whirl! I can tell you that the sizzle of the chicken hitting the grill and the aroma of garlic and rosemary cooking into the chicken will make all of your neighbors wish they were at YOUR dinner table tonight!