Hello There, Spring!

 {the delicious pomegranate martini I enjoyed in the company of Chris and my mom}

Hooray for spring!  This weather instantly uplifts my spirits.  I can’t wait for bike riding dates with the hubs, eating dinner al fresco in our backyard, going to the park, weekly froyo field trips, you get the picture.  I decided this spring I will try to test out my “green thumb”.  I actually cleaned up our yard on Saturday, which was quite the task, but it feels so great to get it out of the way.  Last week I planted some zucchini seeds and hot pepper seeds.  Today I plan on starting my little windowsill herb garden.  This should be interesting.  I will keep you guys posted on my progression or failures, but let’s stay positive, shall we?  Have a wonderful week!

 {seriously I can't with that little face, Josiah}

 {I've been prepping smoothies for the week by chopping up fruit ahead of time and then storing them individually in the freezer.  Saves so much time!}

 {made another cauliflower crust pizza - fontina, brussel sprouts, and garlic}

{wish me luck!}

Happy Valentine's Day!

{via}

There is something so generous and satisfying about cooking dinner for someone you love and Valentine’s Day is the perfect opportunity to do so. As seen last year, Chris and I have a tradition of working together to create an amazing surf and turf dinner on V-Day. This year's menu consists of:

 

Rib eyes marinated in the Best Steak Marinade in Existence (seriously it's really called that)

Broiled Lobster Tails

Garlic and Herb Scalloped Potatoes

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

Korbel Brut Rose and St. Germain

Mocha Chocolate Ice Box Cake (I’ll share this recipe with you next week)

 I truly love this little tradition of ours.  HapValentine's Day!

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Top Food Posts of 2012

{Cubanos w/Chipotle Mayo}

I truly love to share new recipes as well as original recipes with you guys.  Here are my top food posts of 2012.

 

{Peanut Butter & Jelly Cookies}

 

 {Baked Garlic Fries w/White Truffle Garlic Aioli}

 

{Asparagus Gruyere Tart}

 {Cake Batter Blondies}

 

{Strawberry Mostachon}

 {Red, White, & Blue Pie Pops}

 

{Zucchini Ricotta Fritters}

 {Nutella Stuffed Brown Butter & Fleur de Sel Chocolate Chip Cookies}

 

{Cajeta Gelatin}

 

{Pumpkin Pie Bars}

 

{The Best Turkey Tacos}

Summer 2012

{picnicking with Chris *note to self NEVER put jalapeno in sangria}

Although the summer is not officially over the fact that September 1st is on Saturday has me thinking otherwise.  Here are some of my favorite moments of Summer 2012...

 

Don't forget today is your LAST CHANCE to enter our SoBella giveaway!!!

 {rainbow colored manis and ice cream}

 {our mini trip to Long Island}

 {fresh, perfectly ripened peaches}

 {strawberry picking and then making this amazing dessert}

{seeing the Lincoln Memorial up close and personal for the first time}

{experimenting with new popsicle flavors}



{catching the sunrise in Florida}

Zucchini Ricotta Fritters

On a trek to the farmer's market last week I picked up some zucchini since it's at it's peak of freshness right now. Instead of baking up a batch of these I decided upon this savory recipe. These light as air, little puffs of zucchini goodness were perfection. They’re super easy to throw together and even better to eat. I paired mine with a simple mixed green salad and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Dinner, made so easy.

Lemon Poppy Cream Cheese Pound Cake with Blueberry Sauce

So, I think I may need another vacation. My first day back at work was beyond stressful. All I wanted to do was go home and de-stress by baking up something yummy. For this pound cake I tried Ina Garten's Lemon Yogurt Cake recipe.  I substituted the yogurt with cream cheese, omitted the lemon glaze and added about a tablespoon of poppy seeds to the mix.  I was a little hesitant about the lemon syrup the recipe calls for.  I'm glad I did not skip this step as it really brightens up the flavor of the cake.  A nice, healthy sized slice topped with just the right amount of homemade blueberry sauce was the perfect ending to a rather overwhelming Monday.

Fonda Nolita

 I'd heard about Fonda Nolita a few years back and have been meaning to pay them a visit for what seems like forever. This past weekend I got to experience the gourmet Mexican street food they have to offer. Fonda Nolita is a carbon copy of a beachside taquería that launched five years ago in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Once a garage, now a concrete-floored space lined with dozens of folding tin-top backgammon tables and a vintage VW bus in the middle which serves up amazingly delicious tacos, tamales, tortas, tostadas and more. My sisters and I ordered some tacos, fresh guacamole con totopos (chips), and the refreshing agua de sandía (fresh watermelon juice). I forsee another trip to Fonda Nolita in the VERY near future that's for sure!

Coconut Sorbet

 We had this really delicious coconut sorbet during our weekend getaway.  I was left craving it so I came up with a recipe and made my own version.  All I used was a can of cream of coconut and a package of frozen grated coconut. 

Directions are as follows:

Chop the frozen grated coconut to about the size of ice cubes.

Add the cream of coconut and chopped frozen grated coconut to a blender and blend until thouroughly mixed.

Line a loaf pan with plastic wrap and fill with coconut mixture.

Pop into the freezer and stir every half our for about 3 - 4 hours. 

Serve and indulge!

Scenes From The Weekend

 {used 5 different hues on my mani this weekend then the hubs made it over the top beautiful w/a nail polish pen}

It's the weekends that are not planned ahead of time that are usually the best. This was one of those. Here's a peek into what went down...

 {had an impromptu brunch at my apt with my sisters on Saturday}

 {went to an art show/t-shirt line launch - btw, if I knew how to ride a skateboard this one would be mine}

 {had to pose with an Element Tree sticker we spotted on a Starbucks run}

{enjoyed a delicious lunch with my family on Sunday}