Bon Anniversaire

Today is the birthday of my sweet friend Annie. Though I may not be in town to celebrate, I am certainly thinking of her (and dreaming of this incredible cake!):

If you haven't yet stopped by Sweetapolita you must- it is every dessert girl's fantasy! 

Happy Happy to a sweet friend!

xxx

Good Eats...

Making sage butter

Coffee & a Yogurt Parfait

Scrumptious

Chili and Tamales on a cold winter's morning

Squash and Quinoa with mint and sherry

Spaghetti Squash yum.

Brown Sugar- it reminds me so of the holidays

Charcuterie

Creamy cheese and sweet cherries

Caprese Salad

A fresh salad

Manchego and fresh figs from the tree

Roasted veggies and delicious prosciuttos

Hope you have a delicious week!

Evil Pumpkins + Juicing

As cheery as these little guys may seem, I have very quickly come to find that they are all evil. Down right devilish at heart. 

Don't let them fool you!

As a result of the obscene amount of evil pumpkins that have been consumed over here in my house, I have decided to try a few days of really being healthy. I've read so much about juicing lately and I've also wanted to delve further past the spinach, kale green drinks that I know and love and discover what else there is to offer. Here are a few of my favorite combinations thus far:

Breville is a well-known manufacturer of well-made juicing equipment and I've recently been reading a lot about this Breville Juice Fountain Elite- read more about it's unique juicing capabilities and its great features. 

Hope you all have a healthy day!

A Coastal Lunch.

My cute friend Suzanne had me down to her family's coastal retreat a few weekends ago and we enjoyed this delicious salad which I still think about on a daily basis- it was too good not to share with you. The recipe came straight from Food Network's website and though it called for Papaya originally, I personally wouldn't have it any other way than with Mango which we used. It was so light, refreshing, clean and yummy. It also makes such a pretty dish when displayed on a big oversized platter and the family-style presentation is great for entertaining.

I hope you enjoy- thank you Suzanne for the delicious discovery =)

Light + Refreshing

Enjoy!

I discovered this simple recipe over on one of my favorite cooking blogs, Yummy Mummy. For those of you that haven't been over there- you musssst get your little self goin' and head that way. Marina is from Santa Barbara and always has the most beautiful recipes to share- not to mention her photography is killer.

Anywho- back to the salad. This Orange and Avocado salad is perfect for a Texas summertime as avocados are nice and creamy right now while oranges are at their sweetest and juiciest. The light salad is topped off with a refreshing combination of orange juice and olive oil and a pinch of sea salt. I varied slightly from Marina's recipe by adding arugula instead of the microgreens to give it more of a salad feel- but either way I'm sure is wonderful!

Fridge Clean-Out

Sometimes the best thing to do when you're looking for a healthy boost is to clear out your fridge,  throw it all in a blender and see what happens. This combo proved very satisfying =)

A Lean Green Smoothie

I saw this recipe over on Camille Styles {one of my absolute favorite chicas, btw) and instantly felt compelled to do the body a little good. 

After Valentine's Day, I've had a serious case of sugar withdrawals, but with this smoothie, not only are you getting lots of greens {spinach leaves, mint, cucumber} but you also get lots of naturally sweet goods, like pears, chopped pineapple, and a dash of agave nectar. So yummy- highly recommend!

Thanks Camille for the inspiration!

A Valentine's Cake

In my opinion, there's nothing like a good cake to make the ordinary a little more festive. Whether there's reason to celebrate or not, (actually, let's face it, in my book there is always a reason,) having a little jolt of sugar is something I look forward to on a regular basis. With my newly-gifted KitchenAid Mixer that I received this past Christmas, I have been venturing with a bit more gusto into the world of baking.

Here's my latest attempt:

The smattering of delicate flowers added a nice touch, don't you think?

*Heaven*

Using this recipe from one of my favorite baking sources, THE Bakerella, I was able to make a delightfully fun, two-tier cake with little to-no-hassle.

Isn't she pretty??

Looking forward to enjoying a sliver over a morning cup of coffee =)

*Please note, I was in a pinch and did not use self-rising flour, per the recipe, so the cake turned out a bit more dense than it was probably meant to be- but still moist and delicious! Add the necessary baking soda/powder as is needed.*

Peach Crunch Cake

I volunteered this week to bake a cake for the Wounded Warriors Foundation, but I was worried sending it off before the event without having tried it to make sure it passed the tasty test. No problemo for Sal- I just baked another! This recipe was the absolute easiest so it really wasn't much trouble and my co-workers were extra thankful for the unexpected surprise. The sliced peaches, the soft brown sugar, the patted butter and chopped walnuts all made for a delightfully pleasant, cobbleresque delight. Mm Mm Good.

2011 Recap: Cookery!

Happy Friday! I don't know about you but this week seemed to drag on and on-I'm grateful for the weekend and a little R&R. I'm rounding out my week of Recaps with a hodge podge of inspirations, but mostly, these pictures are a look back at some incredible culinary bouts! Check back through the weekend for some last of 2011 posts!

A Chocolate Marshmallow Cake: DEE-Vine.

Burrata...Is there anything better?

Well...maybe homemade pasta al pomodoro, topped with a freshly picked basil leaf from the garden.

Or Chocolate cocoa cake, seriously?

Aperitifs in Italia often included a checkerboard of pecorino or other fromage.

Homemade dough for our raviolinis- isn't she happy?

Scrummy.

Tuna Nicoise might be one of my favorite salads ever- the hard boiled egg, salty tuna, olives, tomatoes, basil, and buttery lettuce all combined is a dish worthy of heralding.

Picking fresh lettuce, cabbage, and other greens from the garden is a true luxury.

As is making the perfect pizza dough- if those dough balls could talk...

Right before being popped in el horno!

A Simple Salad does the body good.

So do sugary, citrusy squares, right?

Right.

Light, crunchy, zesty lemon coolers with a blanket of powdered sugar = my Heaven.

A Sunday Pancake Funday.

Helmut and I learned to make a wonderful Provincial couscous.

I hope you're hungry by now! My stomach is firing off audible hunger calls =)

Have a lovely weekend!