France La Vie en Rose Frozen Slushy: Vodka, Grey Goose L’Orange, St. Germain Liqueur, White & Red Cranberry Juice The Alps Warm Raclette Swiss Cheese with Alpine Ham, Baby Potatoes, Cornichons & Baguette Frozen Rose Brazil Crispy Pork Belly with Black Beans, Tomato & Onions Pao de Queijo: Brazilian Cheese Bread (This cheese bread was one of my favorite bites! American Adventure Street Corn Funnel Cake topped with Roasted Corn, Cotija Cheese, Cilantro & Cumin Crema dusted with Paprika Spain Charcuterie with imported Spanish Meats, Cheeses & Olives with an Herb Vinaigrette Germany Schinkennudeln: Pasta Gratin with Ham, Onions & Cheese Mexico (La Cava) Avocado Margarita: Tequila Blanco, Melon Liquor, Orange Liquor, Agave Nectar, Avocado, Lime Juice, Hibiscus Salt Hawaii Kalua Pork Slider with Sweet & Sour Dole Pineapple Chutney & Spicy Mayo Desserts & Champagne Frozen S’mores with Whipped Cream Vodka Liquid Nitro Chocolate Cake Pops: Original, Twix, M&M’s (These are big & very rich.) Citrus Blossom Crispy Citrus Chicken with Orange Aioli & Baby Greens Lobster Tail with Meyer Lemon Emulsion & Grilled Lemon Canada Canadian Cheddar Cheese & Bacon Soup & Pretzel Roll Le Cellier Wild Mushroom Beef Filet Mignon with Truffle Butter Sauce
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We love tailgating at home while cheering on our favorite teams. There's something magical about the sound of the game echoing through the house, friends and family gathering together, the cool crisp fall air, and the delicious food.
Here are some of my favorite ideas for tailgating at home.
This guacamole is delicious, and my little pumpkin friend here helped me display it perfectly for Halloween. Sorry, not sorry. Now, prep your ingredients: Using your rasp, zest your limes into the bowl. Then cut them in half and squeeze all of the juice into the bowl. Grate your garlic on a rasp or just finely chop it. You don’t want big hunks of garlic in this, which is why I suggest the rasp. I think it’s easier than chopping anyway. Now, push it to a corner of your cutting board so you can prep the rest. Dice the tomato into small little pieces. You can also seed the tomato if you like. I typically do. Once it’s diced, push it next to the grated garlic. Dice the onion. Same thing as the tomatoes – you want it to be in tiny pieces. No big hunks of onion here. Now, push it next to the tomato and garlic. Chop the cilantro. Leave it on the board with everything else. Now you’re ready for the avocados. Cut them in half, remove the seed, and scoop out the avocado into the bowl. Use the fork to mash the avocado into the lime juice & zest. You can make it as smooth as you prefer here, or leave it slightly chunky. Add the rest of the ingredients into the bowl, and mix. Season with salt and pepper to taste. I like a lot of salt in mine, but I think avocados and tomatoes beg for salt. And listen… yes, you add a whole cup of sour cream to this guacamole. Maybe more if you’re feeling sassy. It’s delicious. If you want a lighter version, leave it out. If you want it to be delicious and have everyone rave about your incredible guacamole and beg you to bring it to all of the family gatherings… add the sour cream, aaaand maybe an extra yoga class that week. (wink) OPTIONAL: If you want to kick it up a notch, add a diced jalapeno. To store the guacamole, cover it tightly with plastic wrap, putting it directly on top of the guacamole so no air gets to it. Nobody wants brown guacamole. The Olde Pink House
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Who doesn’t love a big bowl of spaghetti and meatballs? There’s something so comforting about sauce simmering on the stove, meatballs cooking away, and the intoxicating smell that dances through your home. For the sauce, I love to use Michaels of Brooklyn. Y’all. This sauce is the bomb.com. Why in the world would I ever… ever, ever, ever spend the time and energy making my own sauce when these beautiful people have already created perfection. You can serve these meatballs with pasta, or spaghetti squash for a for a healthy spin.
INGREDIENTS:
small pumpkins kettle corn honey cranberry crackers prosciutto kiwi aged gouda pomegranate wheat crackers blue cheese figs walnuts salami pistachios cranberries manchego honeycrisp apple pepperoni sage rosemary I’ve done several different versions of this salad, and I love it every time. It’s delicious y’all. If you like mozzarella cheese, you’ll love burrata. (I’m talking FRESH mozzarella, not the pre-shredded stuff in bag that’s coated in sawdust.) You can usually find burrata in the deli section of your grocery store, or wherever they sell the boujee cheeses. It’s basically just like fresh mozzarella, but the inside is deliciously creamy. As a rule, I like to make my own salad dressings. I just feel better knowing exactly what’s in it. I usually just grab a mason jar, add 1 part fat (olive oil for a vinaigrette, sour cream or Greek yogurt for a creamy dressing), 1 part acid (vinegar or citrus juice), seasonings, and sometimes I add an emulsifier like Dijon mustard, or honey as a thickener. Put the lid on, shake it up, and viola. Salad dressing. Use what you need, then put the lid on and in the fridge it goes. Now you have homemade salad dressing in your fridge. Look at you! If I’m getting hangry and don’t have a jar of my homemade dressing ready, I reach for Garlic Expressions vinaigrette. It’s non-GMO, allergen-free, gluten free, and only has a few ingredients. I use this as a salad dressing and a marinade for meat and veggies. It’s really good. Note: Go light on the dressing for this salad. The burrata is so creamy it acts like a dressing itself. If you add too much dressing to the greens, you’ll just end up with a soggy mess. Prosciutto is a wonderful addition to this salad. You can take it right out of the package, tear it into smaller pieces and add it to the salad, oooor you can be fancy and crisp it up in a pan. Heat a nonstick pan to medium heat, add the prosciutto and cook for 1-2 minutes per side. Then, drain it on a paper towel. After it cools down slightly, you can break it into smaller pieces and sprinkle them on your salad. Crispy prosciutto is like thin little heavenly pieces of bacon that melt in your mouth. I’m telling you… you’re gonna love this salad. This is hands down my go to recipe for entertaining a crowd. For years, though, I would spend hours in the kitchen prepping everything, searing the meat, then braising it in various concoctions of beer or soda. It would take all day. As I got older, I grew wiser. Now, I take a pork butt, season it with my favorite seasoning, and throw it in the crockpot for about 8 to 10 hours. Done and done. It’s super simple and it’s always delicious. The Name Carnitas means “little meat.” Save your jokes, people. It’s braised or roasted pork served shredded in small pieces. The Meat Pork butt. It’s actually a pork shoulder, but for whatever reason, it’s called a pork butt. Let’s just go with it. My favorite is from Butcher Box, but the ones at Publix work just fine. You can get one with the bone in, or one with the bone removed, but it’s slightly more expensive. The Seasoning Lots of salt. Don’t be afraid of it. Salt is delicious. As Anne Burrell says, “season ferociously!” You also want to use a mojo seasoning here. It’s loaded with citrus and garlic making for a very flavorful piece of meat. My favorite is Konriko Dry Mojo seasoning. It’s available in most grocery stores. It has all the delicious flavor, and no yucky chemicals or preservatives. Extra Extra If you want to be extra you can toss in a quartered onion, and a few cloves of garlic. Either way, it’s delicious. After the meat is cooked, take 2 forks and break apart the meat. Now, taste it. Does it need more salt? Season to taste. I typically serve this as tacos, but it’s also delicious in rice bowls, salads, or avocado toast. You can even add it to a grazing table… but that’s another blog. Everyone loves a good milkshake, but these are not your mamma’s milkshakes! These are epic milkshakes!
For anyone concerned about keeping a spotless kitchen, keep on scrolling, this isn’t for you. These things are super messy, but that’s part of the fun! So, if you’re ok with sprinkles on the floor and milkshake drips everywhere, let’s have a little fun. OK, step one, make your milkshake. Find your favorite flavor ice cream, add a little milk, and blend it up in the blender until smooth. Now for the fun part… toppings! The more toppings, the more epic the milkshakes! Get all the usual toppings: Whipped Cream Chocolate Sauce Caramel Sauce Cherries Sprinkles Aaaaand now for the epic toppings: Cookies Candy Bars Nerds (these are great because they’re like jumbo sprinkles) Pirouettes (the chocolate filled wafer cookie straws) Cotton Candy Bubble Gum SweeTarts Peanut Butter Cups And pretty much any other candy you can think of. Roll the top part of the glass in (or brush on) chocolate sauce, caramel sauce, or peanut butter. Then roll it in sprinkles, nerds, cookie crumbs, chocolates, etc. Decorate the inside of glass by swirling chocolate sauce or caramel sauce inside. Add your milkshake, and top with all the toppings you want. Go crazy! It’s going to spill over onto the counter. It’s going to get messy. Embrace it. Go nuts and have fun! These smoothie bowls are delicious, healthy, and have been the secret to beating my sweet tooth lately. We make them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and sometimes we make small ones for an after dinner snack. I love fruit, so I top my blueberry smoothie bowls with lots of different fruits. Granola and dried coconut give it great texture, and a fun crunch. Big Strong Handsome is pretty picky when it comes to fruits and veggies, so I typically just put granola, dried coconut, or an apple on top of his. TIP: If you’re worried it won’t be sweet enough for you, you can always add in some honey. These are so good y’all. You’ve got to try it. Who doesn’t love crab legs? Hot, steaming, Cajun seasoned, dipped in butter… crab legs. I love me some crab legs, and I love a low country boil, but who has time to lug out the big huge pot, bring gallons of water to a boil, make the whole house smell like seafood, and clean up that huge mess? Not me! I saw one of my favorite Food Network stars, Sunny Anderson, do a Sheet Pan Shrimp “Boil” so I decided to try it with crab legs. Now, I like to cook everything separately because that way I get perfectly cooked crab legs, delicious roasted potatoes, hot buttery corn, and smoky sausage that snaps when you bite it. When you boil everything together, it’s good, but everything gets watered down and the flavors get muddled together. This way, everything shines. TIPS
Over the summer Dustin had an abundance of fresh peaches and was looking for new ways to use them. This syrup was a winner. Now, if we could just get mamma to make some of her biscuits to go with this peach syrup... 3 pregnancies 3 miscarriages 1 failed round of IVF 4 lost baby embryos 2 surgeries 471 pills 52 needles 21 doctor appointments 102 pregnancy tests ...& too many tears to count This is what our journey to baby looks like. I didn’t get my rainbow baby. I will never have a child of my own. Every woman’s journey to baby is different. Some have challenges, & some don’t. In my case, we get pregnant very easily, and everything tests “normal.” The pregnancy just… ends. It ends with my heart shattered into a thousand pieces, and I dissolve into an emotional puddle on the floor, knowing that I’ll never get to hold my babies in my arms. The doctors and specialists weren’t able to find a cause for my pregnancies ending in miscarriage. That leaves me with nothing to blame, nothing to point at and say “that’s why.” It leaves me sitting here wondering if it’s just not in God’s plan. Now, before you lovingly tell me: "it will happen," “just pray about it,” “try acupuncture,” “take progesterone,” or “just stop trying & it’ll happen.” Please know that we tried everything we could. This is NOT an easy journey. There is so much grief and pain. Not a day goes by that I don’t grieve and feel the aching in my heart. I do my absolute best, though, to be strong, put my faith in God, and focus on gratitude for the blessings that I do have. Some days, the grief wins... and that’s ok. I give myself grace, and know that tomorrow is a new day. So how do I cope? Prayer Support from friends & family Yoga (and if I’m being completely honest) Wine To the woman on a similar journey… I see you. You’re not alone. If you want to talk, I’m here. I’ll share more going forward about our journey to baby, infertility, how I cope with grief, helpful advice for friends and family, and updates on our new adoption journey. Thank you for letting me share my story.
This is a super simple recipe, and one of my favorite ways to use leftover crab meat. When we have crab legs for dinner, we inevitably have a little bit of crab leftover. I crack open the leftover shells, clean all of the meat and store it in the fridge overnight. The next day… summer rolls baby! Warning: This dipping sauce is addictive. You may want to make extra and store it in your fridge because it’s delicious on leftover chicken, shrimp, and veggies. It’s better than anything you’ll pour out of a jar. Promise. If you want to make these even easier, pick up some prepared crab meat from the seafood section, and precut veggies from the produce section. Done and done. These summer rolls not only look beautiful, they taste delicious, and they’re guilt free. For a vegan option, just leave out the crab meat. Who doesn’t love a good juicy cheeseburger? There’s many different methods for a great burger, but this is my favorite way to make a delicious burger at home. I’ve become a purist when it comes to cheeseburgers. I don’t add anything to the meat because then it becomes more like meatloaf, and I don’t want meatloaf. I want a big juicy cheeseburger with sauce that drips down my arm while I’m eating it. Don’t judge me. There are a few things that make this burger a winner in my book: Butta Yo Buns Butter and toast the inside of a soft fluffy brioche bun until it’s golden brown. Trust me on this. It makes a difference. Burger Sauce Simple, yet brilliant. Recipe below. Cheese Skirt I said what I said. Cheeeeeese. Skiiiiiiiirt. Your life will not be the same after this. I’m not talking about just one slice. Not just a little handful melted on top. I’m talking an absurd amount of shredded cheese piled up on your burger cascading down onto the griddle, melting and bubbling into cheesy perfection. Dome it To get your cheese to melt properly you need to put a lid or dome over your burger. If you’re using an iron skillet, you can use a lid. If you’re using a griddle you can purchase a metal dome cloche, or you can use a metal mixing bowl. You can also toss a single ice cube under the dome to create even more steam and melt the cheese to ooey gooey perfection. Sear It We’re going to sear the burger allowing it to cook in its own juices. When grilling a burger, the juices fall through the grates. Now, you won’t see me turn my nose up at a grilled burger, seared is just my preference.
This is a SUPER fast dinner, so here’s how I do it: 1 Set the table, because, duh… family dinners are the best. Get everything set so you’re ready to sit down and eat as soon as the scallops are finished cooking. 2 Make the salad. Mix everything in a big bowl. Then, spread it out on a big platter. Now, add your lemon wedges. 3 When your salad is plated and ready, start preparing the scallops. Remove the side muscle, pat them dry (like, really dry) with paper towels, line them up on a cutting board, and season them. 4 Now heat your pan. When it’s screamin’ hot, add the oil, then the scallops. *It’s important that you let your pan get hot before adding the oil and begin cooking. You need the pan to be hot so it will sear the top of the scallop to a beautiful crispy golden brown. If your pan isn’t hot enough you’ll end up with a beige scallop, or you’ll leave it in the pan longer trying to get it brown and end up over cooking it. And let’s face it, an over cooked scallop is like chewing on an eraser. Yuck. 5 Cook, baby! Cook! This part goes fast. I typically make so many scallops for my crew that by the time I finish flipping them over, it’s time to take them out of the pan. So, if you’re doubling or tripling this recipe, move fast. When the scallops are finished cooking, take them out of the pan and place them directly on top of your salad. Then walk that gorgeous platter of deliciousness over to the table and wait for the applause. (And the crowd goes wild!) Now pat yourself on the back. You just made your family an AH-MAY-ZING dinner! What in the world is a trough salad? I learned from the queen of trough salads herself, the fabulous Miss Katie Lee. A trough salad is basically a big ginormous salad that you eat right out of the big salad bowl. I’m not talking about a large bowl, I’m talking the big huge mixing bowl that you would typically serve everyone out of. Pile that sucker up with spinach, mixed greens, and a ton of fruits and veggies and viola. You just made yourself a trough salad. Now dig in, enjoy the deliciousness and feel guilt free. PRO TIP: If your family isn’t laughing at you for the size of your bowl, you’re doing it wrong. Here are a few of my trough salads: *When I say 2 cups of greens, what I mean is, I reach in and grab 2 handfulls of greens. I’m not using measuring cups here. My stepson requested poke bowls, so I created this recipe for a fun family dinner. A traditional poke bowl has diced raw fish, but we chose seared ahi tuna coated in everything bagel seasoning. This added a ton of flavor. I like to take the tuna out of the fridge before I do anything else, just to knock the chill off of the meat. This allows for a more even cook on the tuna. We chose some of our favorite toppings for our poke bowls, but you can use any toppings you like. If slicing and dicing isn’t your thing, get some help from the grocery store and buy precut fruit and veggies. You can probably find a premade dressing for the rice noodles for an additional shortcut, but you’ll be missing out because this dressing is delicious. Sometimes in this Florida heat, all we want is a fun frozen drink to sip on. Put an umbrella in it, and I mean, come on. Vacation in a glass! This drink is sure to help you beat the heat, and feel like you’re on a tropical island somewhere living your best life. It’s not too sweet, not too tart, and if you add a little rum floater to the top… whooooooooo mamma! It’s good!
I’ve made this salad several different ways, but this one is my favorite. The only thing I left out of the recipe that I always add, is cheese. Goat cheese is my favorite, but I’ve also used feta and cotija. Without the cheese, this salad is incredibly good for you and packed with nutrition. It checks all the boxes: vegetarian, vegan, paleo, keto, sugar free, dairy free, gluten free, blah, blah, blah. So if you’re trying to eat clean, this one’s for you.
Charcuterie boards are one of my favorite things on the planet, but my friends typically make a face when I say “charcuterie.” Charrrrr… what? So, let’s call it a grazing board. K? K. I’ve had several people ask me how to put a board together, so I created a demo. This one isn’t perfect or fancy, but it gives you a basic idea of how I put one together. Here are the things I typically include in my boards, and usually have them on hand so I can easily throw one together if someone drops by. Aged Gouda This is probably my favorite cheese y’all, and if you serve it right, you can taste the little salt crystals inside. DO NOT slice this cheese. I will come over there and smack your hand if you try to make slices out of this. Take the point of a knife, insert it into the cheese near and edge and twist off a hunk of cheese. Let the cheese break apart naturally. (see demo) Blue Cheese Cause, duh, it’s delicious, and a little stinky. Any kind will do. I like to leave it in a big wedge and let a few crumbles cascade down a corner. If you don’t like the bite of blue cheese, try drizzling honey over it. If you don’t like that, leave it off. It’s your board baby! Do you! Brie Mild and creamy. I like to stack them to create some height on the board. And do you see how cute that little one is? The cutest. Hard Salami You can use any cured meat, but this is a simple easy to eat option, and most people like it. Pepperoni Another crowd pleaser. I like to use the large thin cut pepperoni that you would find on an Italian sub. You can fold them into little pepperoni flowers (also shown on demo) which gives the board a fun texture and pop of color. Rosemary Crackers Crunchy, salty, and a mild rosemary flavor. Fig Raincoast Crisps These crackers also come in cranberry and orange, but this one is my favorite. It’s delicious with the blue cheese. Fresh Fruit For this demo I used grapes, strawberries, and blueberries, but I also like to use figs, raspberries, pears, apples, and citrus. Dried Fruit Dried cherries are my go to, but I also use dried apricots, apple chips, and coconut chips. You can also use dried cranberries and raisins. Go Nuts You can use any nut you like, but I like to use shelled pistachios and seasoned almonds. Sweets Honey or honeycomb are a nice addition to any board. I also like to include some kind of jam or spread like fig or strawberry. Fresh Herbs Garnishing your board with fresh herbs gives it a finished look to fill in any empty spaces, and they smell lovely.
You know those egg bi… um… little crustless quiche like things that you can get from your favorite coffee shop? I love those things! I love them so much that I figured out how to make them at home, and y’all, they’re delicious. The only problem is that they disappear fast! What I love about this recipe is that you can use almost anything you have in your fridge. Veggies, meats, cheese, anything! I honestly make them different every time, and they’re always delicious, so let your imagination run wild here. Or use it an opportunity to clean out the fridge! I think the secret to these is: 1. Blending the cheese with the eggs, and 2. Steaming them while they cook. These techniques give them a beautiful silky texture. Remember to put the pan on the oven rack before you add the water. Trust me on this. Otherwise you’ll be sloshing water everywhere. And for goodness sakes, when you pull them out of the oven remember there’s hot water still in there! Pull that thing out of the oven like you’re trying to slide out that last Jenga piece before the tower falls. One of these days I might up my game by making these in a fancy silicone mold, but for now I’ll stick with my trusty old muffin tin. Busboys and Poets
Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab
Le Diplomate
Old Ebbitt Grill
Ruth's Chris
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