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]
crostini
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]
Cinnamon Apple & Sage Goat Cheese Crostini + Weekend Recap
Happy Monday! Are you as psyched about your week as my dog was about letting the breeze hit her face riding in the car last weekend? Trying to capture her funny faces as she sticks her face out of the car window is hilarious. People that aren't entertained by dogs perplex me. My knucklehead puppy makes me laugh all the time! Before I get to this fabulous appetizer recipe... I'm backing it up a couple of days to chat about the food, fitness, and fun of my weekend. On Thursday night (I know, not technically the weekend yet!) I attended a yoga class at the new PUMA Women's store at South Coast Plaza Mall in Costa Mesa on behalf of FitFluential. Holy moly, that shopping center is gorgeous! My cousin Michelle lives somewhat close a bit north of there, so I invited her to come get her yoga on ... [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]
Mediterranean Goat Cheese Crostini
Hello friends! Ever have days when you feel like you're going a mile a minute from the minute you wake up until the minute you go to sleep? That has been me for the past couple of days. At the moment I'm procrastinating packing for my trip to San Diego tomorrow. Packing is the worst but I'm excited for my trip! In the spirit of hectic days, I thought it'd be fitting to share a recipe I whipped up last week during a busy day. I was starving for dinner and all I felt like eating was the loaf of fresh bread I had picked up at the grocery store earlier. What resulted was an easy appetizer recipe that can also be your meal if you're like me and love to make appetizers your main dish. Mediterranean Goat Cheese Crostini Crostini creations are perfect for get togethers and quick ... [Read More]
Crostini Combo Ideas
At the farmer's market yesterday, a loaf of fresh bread was calling my name (and so were berries, broccoli rabe, spinach, guavas, cinnamon peanut butter, granola, and the list goes on and on!). When I came home with a French baguette, I decided that experimenting with crostini combos sounded like a good idea. After slicing the bread, brushing them with olive oil, and throwing in the oven for a few, I began pulling out random things from my fridge to top my crostini with. This was the result: From top left going clockwise, here are the toppings: Goat cheese, fig butter & drizzled honey Fresh mashed raspberries, brie cheese & slivered almonds Arugula, roasted pepper & fresh Burrata (a ridiculously creamy cheese I bought yesterday as well) Sun-dried ... [Read More]