One of my favorite things to do in the summertime is hang out in my backyard in the evening with my husband, while we listen to relaxing music coming through my patio speakers with glasses of refreshing white wine in hand, while munching on an easy appetizer dinner and laughing at our pup running around chasing her ball like a nut. With temperatures steadily in the 80s and the sun blaring strong every day in the San Diego area for quite awhile, my house has been on the warmer side lately - which means I don't necessarily feel like turning on my oven or sweating over my stovetop to make dinner... or putting all that much effort into meal prep for that matter. We've thought about getting air conditioning, but just when I'm over feeling hot in my house and want to see about getting ... [Read More]
appetizers
Tomato, Artichoke & Spinach Pizza Bites
Hello! Whew, it's been a busy week - so busy that I didn't get to do my usual Wednesday blog post yesterday. I've been pretty consistent with a Monday/Wednesday/Friday schedule for awhile, and it's rare that I'm here on a Thursday...well hi friends! So shall we hop right into the topic at hand? Delicious food, of course. Last year I planted an herb and veggie garden, and out of everything, my tomato plant has flourished the most. It's a total hog that has crowded the rest of my raised garden bed, and at some point last summer it overtook the zucchini plant next to it. As it grows and spreads out of control, we continue tying it to new wooden sticks to hold its different ever-growing branches upright. Certainly no complaints here though, because it's been producing lots of ... [Read More]
Mini Pretzel Twists with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce
Happy Friday! Ooooh, do I have a yummy recipe for you guys today! So, I think that part of being a foodie is often getting mildly obsessed with a certain food or meal. For me, this can go 2 ways: 1.) Sometimes I get a craving for something, and I simply must eat it because the yen just doesn't go away. I eat it once, feel satisfied, and then I'm over it. 2.) I get really into a food/recipe, and I just want to keep making it. I can eat it every week for months on end - such is the case for almond butter, this orzo veggie soup I've been into this winter, or the protein pancakes I've been making every week for heaven knows how long. This leads me to today's recipe. I hadn't had a soft pretzel in years and years, and then my hubby and I went on a weekend adventure to Big Bear ... [Read More]
Mediterranean Feta & Lemon Hummus Dip
Hi friends! So, this weekend's the big game in California... and while I have no strong feelings towards one team or the other, I always love a good Super Bowl! The actual game, the half-time show, the obscenely expensive commercial spots... I love it all. And we obviously can't forget about football food! I've been drooling at my computer screen all week checking out my fellow blogger friends' recipes for game day, and today I'm sharing a new yummy one of my own. While I'm a sports fan in general, football is definitely my favorite sport. I grew up with my dad coaching football (still does!), so I think I was kind of bred into loving the sport. I was a competitive cheerleader from ages 7-17 who cheered at many football games, both of my brothers played football growing up (one ... [Read More]
Goat Cheese Stuffed Zucchini Blossom Crostini
There are certain foods that people immersed in the healthy living world tend to be obsessed with... things that the average person isn't even aware of. Take nut butter for example. Every healthy foodie not only knows about nut butter, but probably has a dozen jars of it in their pantry at any given time. But use the term "nut butter" with a random person and ask them what their favorite is, and prepare for them to look at you like you have three heads. That's because they probably know about peanut butter, but that's all about it when it comes to nuts being processed into a smooth, creamy and dreamy spread. Foods like hemp and chia seeds are another example. If you normally have these in your kitchen, you're probably a health nut foodie. During a stint visiting my family ... [Read More]
White Bean Bruschetta
It's no secret that I adore farmers markets. The colorful fruits, veggies and flowers. The fresh food being cooked for the many hungry bellies. The local bakers, producers, growers, and artists all hanging by their stands offering samples and eager to talk to patrons. Everyone there seems happy to taste, happy to pay a bit more for the high quality foods being offered, happy to just be there. I love the vibe of farmers markets. Nothing screams weekend morning more than walking around at a nearby market, getting excited at the heirloom tomatoes and juicy nectarines as only a real food lover like me does. The last time I lived in SoCal, I used to go to the Little Italy farmers market all the time, and it's amazing there, but it's a bit of a hike from where I live now. So a few ... [Read More]