Sunshine, barbecues, bonfires, picnics, food, friends, family and more sunshine...Memorial Day Weekend 2014 has possibly been the best yet! Well, any weekend that gives me a chance to spend almost 30 hours outside in 80 degree sunny weather (in Ohio nonetheless) is fine by me. All of these fun social activities meant lots and lots of cooking, which made the weekend even better! I think the two biggest hits were the berry cobbler I made for my family cookout in Westlake on Sunday, and the homemade guacamole I made for the picnic at Edgewater Park Monday afternoon! I'm definitely not waiting until next Memorial Day to try these out again!
Hola! I felt like getting into the spirit of Cinco de Mayo a couple of days early on Saturday by making chicken enchiladas for Howie and I for dinner. Actually, I mostly had a taste for chicken enchiladas...and realized as I was buying the ingredients that this would make a perfect Cinco de Mayo blog post. They were so good that they're sure to bring a little bit of Mexico to your kitchen any time of the year!
Dazzle the District is finally here! I'm so excited to see all the of the lights, signs and, of course, the chandelier, the lit up! Disclaimer: I may actually be even more excited to see an end to the traffic delays, blocked roads and 24-construction that I've heard from my apartment since early March? After the Hot Chelle Rae concert and illuminating ceremony, we're of course going to throw an after party! I couldn't decide if I wanted to bring cookies or brownies, so naturally I decided to combine both into a sinfully sweet dessert that I'm calling "dazzling" cookie brownies. It's a little tacky with the stars, but so is a 25' diameter outdoor chandelier dangling over an intersection.
Happy Easter! I hope everyone is enjoying the beautiful sunshine and celebrating the holiday with family, friends and of course, food! Howie and I's day got off to a bit of a rocky start when the mass time at St. John Cantius Church in Tremont randomly changed for Easter Sunday, but at least we got a chance to catch a glimpse of the (empty) interior! The architecture of the nave was incredible, and brought back many memories of the massive cathedrals that I visited throughout Europe while I studied abroad in Italy. Though we were a little bummed, especially after our half hour attempt of driving to every church in the Tremont/Ohio city area looking for a Catholic mass turned into an epic failure, we at least had a delicious brunch that made up for it! Howie was in charge of the peach-orange-mango mimosas, and I made a savory breakfast skillet with sausage, homemade home fries, peppers, onions, egg and cheese!
Though my checkbook has apparently thought it's been spring since sundresses started coming out in February, it seems like the weather is finally catching up! But sadly, warm weather means it's also that time to say goodbye to the hearty winter recipes that can be camouflaged by a sweater, and hellooooo to delicious yet satisfying lighter recipes. Tonight for dinner I tested out Chinese Chicken Lettuce Wraps, a new recipe I've been thinking about for the last few weeks. I blended a ton of bold flavors to create a healthy meal with an Asian twist that won't let you feel like you're missing out on anything!
The recipe I'm about to share with you is a very special one. I've actually been sitting on my couch for the last twenty minutes debating if I should share it publicly because it's taken so long for me to make it perfect...but the smell of warm banana bread with a hint of cinnamon is wafting into my living room and bringing out my soft side, and I feel like it would be morally unjust not to spread the happiness that this recipe brings around to everyone! I'm going to start by saying that banana bread is one of my all-time favorite desserts. It's just so comforting, light, fluffy, it somehow feels healthy (even though it isn't), and tastes great anytime of the day, even for breakfast! Usually, I make a recipe once, and if I like it, and then other people like it, I consider it a keeper. This recipe, however, is a combination of 2 family recipes, a helpful tip from my friend's mom, and a new twist I added on my own...COCONUT! I've baked this recipe close to a hundred times, experimenting with different additions each time, and can honestly say it's finally perfect...every single batch I share with people yields at least one response saying "this is the best banana bread I've ever had!"
MIDTERMS ARE OVER! I don't even think that all caps does that statement justice. School and work have been so busy that I haven't gotten to post anything this month, so I wanted to make a really special dinner for a relaxing Sunday night and practice my Crock Pot skills. I made Howie and I a deliciously tender beef pot roast with potatoes, veggies, and a side of flaky biscuits. I'll admit, it's definitely a winter dish, but it was also snowing yesterday, so I think it's justified. And who wouldn't pair this comfort meal with a night that involved making (non-visual) progress on our 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzle and watching American Hustle.
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