Italian Bruschetta

I was watching a European travel show the other day....one of my guilty pleasures. Dan and I like to find travel inspiration for our future romp through Italy (2 months to go)! This recipe was by a chef in a little Italian hill town. He made his Bruschetta in a stone fire oven, using fresh bread, tomatos, garlic, olive oil and salt. It's that simple. I thought, "hmmm this seems super easy and wonderful; I'll give it a whirl." Dan and I are nuts for this bruschetta. It's SO flavorful and clean tasting. I think I ate 4 yesterday! It will make your whole house smell like Italy.

Here's how ya do it.

1 Loaf of bread (preferably a wide Italian loaf of bread)
1 clove of garlic
1 firm organic tomato (thinly sliced)
Sea salt or flaked salt
Olive oil


Preheat Oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit

-Cut your bread into 1 inch thick slices and place on a baking sheet. Bake in the oven until your bread is hard to the touch
-Cut your garlic clove in half and rub the garlic on the bread
-Place the tomato’s on top of the bread
-Drizzle liberally with olive oil
-Sprinkle with salt

20 Best Homemade Ice Cream Recipes

Summer is here! Time to make ICE CREAM!

Goat Cheese Quiche with Hash-brown Crust

Mmmm Martha you genius...

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter, softened, plus more for pan
• 1 package (1 pound) frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed
• 12 large eggs
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 1/2 cups reduced-fat sour cream
• 1 package (4 to 5 ounces) soft goat cheese, room temperature
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush a 9-by-2 1/2-inch springform pan with butter. Line the sides of the pan with strips of waxed paper (the same height as pan); brush paper with butter.
2. Squeeze excess moisture from hash browns. Mix in a bowl with butter, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon coarse salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Pat into bottom and up sides of prepared pan, using a moistened dry measuring cup. Place on a rimmed baking sheet; bake until set, 15 to 20 minutes.
3. In a large bowl, whisk sour cream, goat cheese, 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper until well combined; whisk in 11 remaining eggs. Pour into crust, and sprinkle with scallions. Bake until set, 45 to 50 minutes. Unmold quiche, and peel off waxed paper before serving.

Picture and Recipe from Martha Stewart

Baja Basil & Agave Margarita By Leaf

Feeling summery today. Have a Baja Basil & Agave Margarita by Leaf and wear your summers best.



How to: Baja Basil & Agave Margarita
You will need:
1 oz of lime juice
1 oz agave nectar
1 1/2 oz silver tequila
4 basil leaves
Ice
1. Add lime juice, agave nectar, tequila and basil leaves to shaker.

2. Muddle!

3. Add ice to shaker and shake.

4. Strain into a short glass over ice. Garnish with basil. Enjoy!

Spinach, Goat Cheese And Avocado Grilled Sandwich

Simple and tasty.

Picture:ExPress-O

Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie n’ Oreo Fudge Brownies

Ohhhh so bad...but soooo good.

Click here for the amazing recipe.

Mint Julep Recipe

Are you hosting a Kentucky Derby Party on May 5th? If you are or if you aren't Mint Juleps are a classy drink that can be served at any spring or summer party.

Start with the simple syrup the day before:
Boil 2 cups of sugar in 2 cups of water for 5 minutes. Place the mixture in an airtight container with 6 to 8 sprigs of mint; refrigerate overnight.

On the day of your party, fill a cup (silver julep if you have one or a glass if you don't) with crushed ice, then add 2 tablespoons of mint syrup and 4 tablespoons of whiskey. Stir well and garnish with mint. Enjoy -- preferably while sporting a fancy wide-brimmed hat.

Picture:1

A Healthy Savory Meal

Baked sweet potato drizzled with coconut oil and Himalayan salt with some steamed kale and quinoa on the side.

To bake the sweet potato:
Heat your oven to 400ºF.  Prick the sweet potato in several places with a fork, and place on a rack in the oven. Put a baking tray at the bottom of the oven to catch any juices that ooze out.  Cook for 40 minutes. Slice it open, pull the skin down and drizzle with oil and salt to serve.

Recipe Repost By Goop

Plum + Thyme Iced Tea

Serves 4                                    

Ingredients

• 2 tea bags (black or herbal)
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 plums, sliced
• 8 sprigs fresh thyme

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, bring 3 cups water to a boil. Remove from heat, add the tea bags, and let steep for 10 minutes. Discard the bags and allow the tea to cool to room temperature.
2. Stir in the honey, plums, and thyme. Transfer to a pitcher and refrigerate until cool, about 1 1/2 hours. Serve over ice.
3. For an instant cocktail: Stir in 1/2 cup bourbon before serving.

photo by Yunhee Kim, recipe by Sara Quessenberry for Real Simple

St. Germain

In my opinion, it's THE BEST liqueur in the world!

"Neither passionfruit nor pear, grapefruit nor lemon, the sublime taste of
St-Germain hints at each of these and yet none of them exactly. It is a flavor
as subtle and delicate as it is captivating. A little like asking a hummingbird
to describe the flavor of its favorite nectar. Très curieux indeed, n'est-ce pas?"

The Story of St. Germain

IN THE foothills of the Alps, for but a few fleeting spring weeks, this man will gather wild blossoms for your cocktail.

The blossoms in question are elderflowers, and the cocktail a stylishly simple creation made with St-Germain, the first liqueur in the world created in the artisanal French manner from freshly handpicked elderflower blossoms. Our story, however, does not end there.

AFTER gently ushering the wild blossoms into sacks and descending the hillside, the man who gathers blossoms for your cocktail will then mount a bicycle and carefully ride the umbels of starry white flowers to market. Vraiment.

There are no more than 40 or 50 men such as he, and in a matter of weeks they will have gathered what will become St-Germain for that year.

AND WHAT OF THE TASTE of St-Germain?
It has been said that Parisis a mélange curieux, a curious mixture of flavors, styles and influences.
So it is with St-Germain.

Click HERE for some great recipes with St. Germain

Picture: St. Germain Bottle, Germain Bottle Cap,

Salted Caramel Chocolate Fudge Cake

Ohhhh my noshhhhhhhh.

Click HERE for the Recipe

By Sweetapolita

Pictures By: Sweetapolita



Vanilla Bean Peach Cake with Peach Soaking Syrup

Oh Yum.

By: Joanne Choi

From Week of Menus

  

Makes 10-inch bundt cake, serving 12 to 14
Cake:
3 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 vanilla bean, split, seeds
1 cup sour cream
1 ½ cups diced fresh peaches

Syrup:
⅓ cup fresh peach puree, strained
⅔ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon orange juice

Method:
Place rack in center of oven, and preheat oven to 350. Grease and lightly flour inside of 10 inch bundt pan.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
Using either a stand mixer (paddle attachment) or a hand mixer, beat the butter at medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Gradually add sugar and beat at medium-high speed until the mixture is light in texture and color, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time, beating for 30 to 40 seconds after each addition. Scrape down sides of bowl as necessary. Beat in vanilla bean. At low speed, add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with sour cream. (Add a bit of flour, a bit of sour cream, a bit of flour, a bit of sour cream, a bit of flour.)

Scoop half of batter into pan and spread with spatula. Sprinkle with peaches. Scoop remaining half of batter on top of peaches. Smooth with spatula.
Bake cake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan on a cooling rack for 10 minutes, then invert it onto another rack. Place the cake, on the rack, over a baking sheet.

While cake is baking, make syrup. Combine peach puree, sugar, and orange juice in a small non reactive saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Using a pastry brush, dab syrup generously all over surface of the warm cake, allowing it to soak into the cake before reapplying. Let the cake cool completely.

Pictures:Week of Menus

Island-Inspired Cocktail

Yummy drink by Coastal Living!

8 ounces (1 cup) cranberry juice cocktail

8 ounces (1 cup) vodka

4 ounces (½ cup) ginger ale

2 ounces (¼ cup) fresh lime juice

Stir together in a large pitcher. Pour into ice-filled glasses, and garnish with lime wedges. Makes 4 servings

Cardamom Rose Cocktail & Rose Water Almond Tea Cookies

Cocktail

 Cookies

   

Amaretto-Soaked White Chocolate Dipped Cherries

40 fresh cherries
750 mL bottle of amaretto (about 3 cups)
12 ounces white chocolate chips
Vegetable oil

With a knife, make small ¼-inch cuts into the bottom of each cherry. Place the cherries into mason jars, filling each jar about ¾ of the way full.
*(If you are making these for a party and you don't want to bother your guest with cherry pits, try using needle nose pliers to carefully pull out each pit where you cut your X).

Fill each jar with amaretto to just cover the cherries. Close each jar securely, and shake gently for 10 seconds before placing into the refrigerator. Let cherries soak overnight, or up to 48 hours.

Strain the cherry mixture (you can reserve the slightly cherry-flavored amaretto for cocktails) into a colander. Pat down each cherry with a paper towel or cloth until each one is dry.

Melt white chocolate chips in the microwave, adding vegetable oil as needed. Stir well to create a chocolate coating.

Dip each cherry into the white chocolate coating. Let excess chocolate drip off before placing the cherries on to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silpat mats.

Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes before serving. Keeps best in the fridge for up to 1 day.

Adapted Recipe and Pictures from Formal Fringe.

A Romantic Dessert Served On The Titanic: Baked Apples With Custard And Meringue

This beautiful dessert was served on the Titanic in 1912  –– Apple Meringue. Baked apples and creamy custard with an ethereal meringue. 

Ooooh how romantic!

This post comes to you by the very talented lostpastremembered. You should check out her fascinating post on heroes and cowards, love stories and tragedies of the Titanic.

I'm thinking about making Danny this for our Valentine's dessert

xoxo

 

Baked Apples With Curtard And Meringue

 

Serves 4

 

2 Lbs apples peeled, cored and sliced

2 T butter

¼ to 1/3c sugar (to taste, the custard and meringue are sweet)

Juice of 1 lemon

3 egg yolks, beaten

3 T sugar

pinch salt

1 3/4 c of scalded milk (whole milk)

1/2 t vanilla

 

 

5 egg whites

5 T sugar

pinch cream of tartar

Melt the butter, lemon and sugar and toss with the apple slices. Bake the apples at 350º, covered,

till soft but not mushy, 30 - 40 minutes, tossing a few times. Drain the apples. You can reduce the liquid to a thick glaze and put in the bottom of your container but if you don't drain them the custard will be too liquid. Fill oven proof dishes 1/3 to 1/2 full of apples, to your taste.

Combine the yolks and sugar and beat until smooth. Add the salt and scalded milk. Pour it over the apples. Place the custard apple cups in a deep baking pan and fill the pan with water until the cups are half submerged. Bake at 350º until the custard is mostly firm about 50 minutes. Chill.

 

 

Combine egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar in a large mixing bowl. Beat on high until the sugar granules have dissolved and the meringue can hold stiff peaks.

 

When apple custard is cooled, pipe or spoon the meringue on the top and put in a 350’ oven for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

 

Recipe adapted from lostpastremembered.

Pictures 1

 

True Food: Cucumber Honey Lemonade

Danny and I went to True Food Kitchen with some friends; it's this great new great restaurant by Dr. Andrew Weil. "True Food Kitchen is about flavor, freshness, variety, quality, nutrition and balance. It’s about enjoying healthy whole foods that are rich in vitamins and minerals."
Their entire menu is centered on the principals of Dr. Andrew Weil’s Anti-Inflammatory Diet & Food Pyramid. According to Dr. Weil: “Following an anti-inflammatory diet can help counteract the chronic inflammation that is a root cause of many serious diseases, including those that become more frequent as people age. It is a way of selecting and preparing foods based on science that can help people achieve and maintain optimum health over their lifetime.”

Sounds good to me!

I ordered a delicious mushroom pizza with a lemonade cucumber refresher made with cucumber, honey and lemons.

Here's how to make it.

*You'll need a juicing machine for the cucumber...

Yields 2 drinks:

2 Small Lemons

4 Tablespoons Honey

1/2 Cucumber*

3 Cups of Water

Ice

Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon into a glass.

Add 2 talbespoons of honey into each glass.

Add 1 ½ cups of water to each glass.

Stir until honey has disolved.

(add more water, lemons or honey to taste -- some people like it sour some like it sweet)

Thinly slice 4 rounds from your cucumber for garnishing and set them aside.

*Place 1/2 of a cucumber into your juicing machine and set juice aside.

Add ice to each lemonade cup.

Pour the green cucumber juice over the top of the honey lemonade and add  your cucumber slices.

Drink up.

P.S. Here are some pictures of True Food Kitchen...

Strawberry Blackberry Margarita

I found this WONDERFUL recipe on The Nest. You will love it!

Makes: several drinks

Ingredients:

2 large oranges, seeds and peel removed and sectioned
15 strawberries, tops removed
10 large blackberries
7 shots Hornitos Reposado
7 shots Sweet and Sour
3 shots Triple Sec

Directions:

Combine the orange slices, strawberries, blackberries, Hornitos, Sweet and Sour and Triple Sec into a large pitcher. Using an immersion blender, puree the mixture until it becomes smooth and all the fruit has been broken down. Serve over ice.

Raspberries with Chocolate Chips

This is brilliant.

So fancy and easy!

Thank you Little Cakes. 

Vanilla Bean Cupcakes with Rose Buttercream Frosting and Sugared Rose Petals

The recipe for the vanilla bean cupcakes is a modified version from  CupcakeProject and it is by far the best homemade cupcake recipe I've ever made -- dense, rich, moist and bursting with vanilla bean flavor! The rose frosting and sugared rose petals are something that I whipped up myself. Vanilla and rose are a match made in Heaven. These cupcakes are a definite must for any girly party.

P.S. Guys like them too!

Vanilla Bean Cupcakes

Yield: 12 cupcakes

• 1 cup (225 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 vanilla bean
• 1 3/4 cups (175 grams) cake flour, not self-rising
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup (57 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1/3 cup (75 grams) full-fat sour cream
• 1/4 cup canola oil or vegetable oil (60 ml)
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup (160 ml) whole milk

*(I didn’t have whole milk in the fridge, so I substituted with 1/3 cup low fat milk and 1/3 cup half and half and the cupcakes turned out perfectly)

Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C).

1. In a small bowl, combine sugar and seeds from the vanilla bean.
2. Rub the vanilla bean seeds and sugar between you fingers, to break up any clumps of seeds and to better infuse the vanilla flavor into the sugar. Set aside.
3. In a medium-sized mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, mix together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
4. Add the vanilla bean sugar and mix until well combined.
5. Add butter and mix on medium-low speed for three minutes. Because there is so little butter, you'll end up with a very fine crumb texture.
6. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, sour cream, oil, and vanilla extract until smooth.
7. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and beat on medium speed until just combined.
8. Slowly add milk and mix on low speed until just combined. The batter will be liquid. (Don't worry, you didn't do anything wrong. It's supposed to be that way.)
9. Fill cupcake liners just over 1/2 full.
10. Bake for 14 minutes and then test to see if they are done. They are done when a toothpick comes out without wet batter stuck to it. The cupcakes should appear white with specks of vanilla bean. They should not turn a golden brown. If they are not done, test again in two minutes. If they are still not done, test again in another two minutes.
11. When the cupcakes are done, remove them immediately from the tins and leave them on a cooling rack (or just on your counter if you don't own a cooling rack) to cool.

Rose Frosting

1 container of vanilla frosting

1/2 cup of unsalted butter (room temperature)

1/2 cup of confectioners sugar

2 drops of red food coloring

3 tablespoons of rose water

This frosting is the super easy cheaters way of making Rose Buttercream Frosting with half the fat. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl on high-speed until smooth and light pink in color. The consistency should be thick enough to hold peaks, but soft enough to easily spread.

 

Sugared Rose Petals

Preheat oven to 300 F

1 rose or 15 rose petals (I used pink roses)

1 egg white

1/2 cup of sugar (for coating)

Carefully wash and dry about 15 petals. Cut off the hard bottom of each petal (that is the bitter part...not yummy). In a small bowl whisk 1 egg white. Dip each petal one at a time into the egg white and then into the sugar. Be sure to coat the entire petal to protect it from browning in the baking process. Place sugared petals on a baking sheet lined with wax paper or a silpat. Place in the the oven for 35 minutes or until the petals are crispy.