Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Bacon and Blue Cheese Guacamole

There's nothing quite like a perfectly ripe avocado.  It is pure creamy, buttery deliciousness.  My go to avocado recipe has got to be guacamole.  I like mine with extra lime and cilantro, please.  When I want to switch things up a bit, salty bacon and rich blue cheese are the perfect combination for a new take on classic guac.  
 
Classic Guacamole
Ingredients (serves 2-4):
-4 ripe avocados (they should be firm, with just a slight give)
-2 plum tomatoes, cored, seeded, and chopped
 -1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
-juice of 2 limes
-2 tablespoons onion, finely diced
-1 jalapeño, minced (remove the seeds if you don’t want it too spicy)
-1-2 teaspoons coarse salt, to taste
-1/4 teaspoon freshly grated black pepper


Bacon and Blue Cheese Guacamole
Follow classic guacamole recipe and add:
6 strips cooked bacon, crumbled or chopped
1/4 - 1/2 crumbled blue cheese

Directions:
1. Cut avocados in half. Remove seed. Scoop out avocado from the peel and place it in a mixing bowl.
2. Roughly mash the avocado with a fork. Add the tomatoes, cilantro, lime juice, onion, jalapeño, salt and pepper and continue to mix well.

3.  For Bacon and Blue Cheese version add bacon and blue cheese.
4. Transfer to a clean bowl and serve immediately. 

5.  Top with extra bacon and blue cheese (optional)



Monday, May 13, 2013

Life Lately

{the secret to amazing salsa is to dry roast your veggies in a pan first.  Check out my vine here} 
Last week was a pretty crazy one, hence the lack of posts.  Here are some snaps of life lately according to my iPhone...
 {there's been some baby muggins going around}

 {Duchess Delights has been pretty busy lately.  Check out our donut cake pops!}
{my wonderful mom and I on Mother's Day}

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

My Top Ten Met Gala 2013 Best Dressed

#1 Sarah Jessica Parker – She was the queen of the ball.  Props to SJP for rocking that Philip Treacy Mohawk headpiece like a true punk.

The theme for last night’s Met Gala was "Punk: From Chaos to Couture", with a theme like this I would have expected more people to go “balls to the wall”, but not so much, too many people playing it safe.  Here’s to the ladies that actually made an effort to bring it last night…
#2 Madonna – Really?  Do I even have to say anything?  On a side note, can you believe those legs belong to a 50 something year old woman!?
#3 Rooney Mara – Punk meets Corpse Bride.  All sorts of right.
#4 Sienna Miller – I can’t with that Burberry jacket!
#5 Gwen Stefani – She’s a punk by nature.  The girl just can’t help herself.
#6 Cara Delavingne – stunning in Burberry.
#7 Anne Hathaway – Hated the Oscar speech, LOVE the new hair.
#8 Jennifer Lopez – Less punk, more sexy wild beast.
#9 Nicole Richie – in custom TopShop.  Love the dress, not super crazy about the hair, but it was very punk rock of her.
#10 Hailee Steinfeld – love that she is dressed very age appropriate with subtle hints of punk in her hair and makeup.
 
images via

Thursday, May 2, 2013

St. Germain Margarita

With all the yummy food to eat on Cinco de Mayo it is important to have something equally as tasty to wash it all down with.  Enter the St. Germain Margarita aka The St. Rita.  St. Germain is an artisanal French liqueur made from freshly picked elderflower blossoms.  The taste is very floral and fruity.  I usually enjoy it with champange, but today we are mixing it up with some tequila blanco for a new take on the traditional margarita.  It's kind of like a trip to Mexico in a glass.
 
St. Germain Margarita
2oz tequila blanco
1oz St. Germain Liqueur
1oz freshly squeezed lime juice
1tsp simple syrup or super fine sugar for added sweetness (optional)
salt for rimming
 
Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into an ice-filled rocks glass (salted rim optional). Garnish with lime wedge.  Enjoy!



 


Tuesday, April 30, 2013

My Top 5 Recipes For Cinco de Mayo


1.  Chorizo and Potato Flautas - These are addictive.  I made them last Friday for dinner and will make them again for Cinco de Mayo.  I even made a Vine while preparing these last week.  Needless to say these are crazy delicious.

I'm pretty much obsessed with Mexican culture and Cinco de Mayo is the perfect time to enjoy delicious Mexican food and of course some margaritas.  Here are my top 5 recipes for your ultimate Cinco de Mayo celebration. 
2.  Strawberry Mostachon - Don't forget to serve up something sweet this May 5th.  This meringue cake topped with fresh strawberries will have your guests raving.

3.  Turkey Tacos - These are more Tex Mex than authentic Mexican, but they sure are delicious.

4.  Lime Cotija Dip - This is the perfect appetizer for any Mexican fiesta.  Serve with plantain chips and save the tortilla chips for the salsa and guacamole.

5.  Chicken & Cheese Enchiladas - Serve these up with some yellow rice and refried beans for  a perfect Mexican dinner.

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Beet Berry Smoothie

So, I am in two weddings this year and I need to get myself together.  Those dressing room mirrors and florescent lighting are the devil I tell you.  As you may already know I am a fan of smoothies as seen here.  I need to bring my smoothie game to the next level especially since I need to wear two bridesmaids dresses.  That being said I present to you my Beet Berry Smoothie:

2 cups unsweetened coconut almond milk1 cup frozen mixed berries
1/3 cup diced beets (roasted or steamed)
1/2 cup chopped kale
1/2 cup spinach
1 - 2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 tablespoon chia seeds

Place all of the ingredients in a blender and blend for 1 full minute. Pour into a glass and enjoy.  Don't you feel healthier already?
Serves 2



Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Randomness


 {I have perfected my guava filled cupcake recipe and am pretty excited about it}
Just some randomness….
 {the wall is back up in our yard and evening graffiti sessions are what some weeknights consist of}

 {drove out to Kilwin's for some of their toasted coconut ice cream}
 {Jada kept herself entertained with Chris' drumsticks and my springform pans while singing Trouble by Taylor swift, that's her jam if you couldn't tell}
 {thanks to a friend of ours I am now addicted to Green Tea KitKat bars}
 {prettiness during my weekend jog}