Take your drinks up another level with these gorgeous and refreshing ice cubes. They are absolutely beautiful and infuse drinks with the seasonal flavor of summer. It’s a great way to use up fruit and herbs before they go bad and the result is nothing short of stunning.

These colorful ice cubes brighten everything from water, lemonade, to grown up drinks with alcohol. Get creative with combinations of assorted berries, lemon, orange, basil, mint, rosemary.

I used combinations of:

*sliced lemon & mint

*blackberries, raspberries, & blueberries

*lemon, blueberries, & mint

There are so many delicious combinations. Enjoy!

Does anything say summer like S’mores? This recipe is so crazy easy that I’m not even sure it’s fair to call it a recipe. This version of S’mores has all of the basic ingredients: chocolate, marshmallows, and graham crackers. While it has all the same ingredients, it’s served as a dip instead of a sandwich. In other words, it’s AMAZING!

The pan gets very hot in a 450 degree oven. Please remember to use oven mitts (on both hands!) and when you layer the chocolate and marshmallows, remember not to touch the sides of the pan.

This recipe is super easy and will be a huge hit with the kids.

Happy Summer!
Enjoy!

I miss weather. When I was a little girl growing up in Wisconsin, I loved the first signs of a new season. It was exciting to wake up to a fresh blanket of snow or get lost in the magic of the leaves changing color. In California, we don’t have seasons marked by dramatic shifts in weather. Southern California is mostly sunny with comfortable temperatures. I love the consistency but do miss Mother Nature’s show of force with every new season.

Locally, the change of season is marked by what is popping up at the local Farmers Market. Lately, I see enormous artichokes, gorgeous radishes, and beautiful spears of asparagus. This seasonal produces announces the arrival of spring and inspires me to get in the kitchen. This week, I’m offering up one of my favorite ways to make asparagus. It’s so addictive I find my self wandering down to the kitchen well after dinner looking for leftovers.

A few of my favorite things…

One of the kitchen tools I can’t live without: bamboo strainer.

Shock on the left, blanch on the right.

Learning how to make Mexican Rice was a labor of love for me. Someone very close to me used to make this rice and I loved it. Aurora was like family to me and there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t miss her. She was not only gentle and loving but happened to be a talented home cook. She never used recipes; everything was off the top of her head and always turned out perfectly. When I would ask her for a recipe Aurora would shake her head, laugh, and tell me there was no recipe. Nothing out of Aurora’s kitchen came from a cookbook or was learned in a class. She learned everything from years spent in the kitchen watching her mother cook.

Perhaps in making this rice I was chasing her memory. The rice she made was comforting and delicious. This was her signature dish, and I wanted something like it for my family. The rice’s restaurant worthy taste made this a family staple. We love this rice with grilled chicken, tacos, or saddled up next to enchiladas.

We are big fans of Mexican food around here. These Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas make everyone happy and are so incredibly good you won’t believe how easy they are to make. In fact, once I started making enchiladas, I thought about all the years I saved them for “restaurant only” figuring they were too time consuming to make. What a total waste of enchilada eating years! I could have been enjoying them at home all that time. The truth is, if you can roll a filled tortilla, cover it in an addictive enchilada sauce, and bake them off in the oven, you will be a pro at making enchiladas in no time.

Enchiladas are not only a great weeknight option because they are so easy to make, they are perfect for feeding a hungry crowd. There is nothing better than a beautiful platter of enchiladas topped with cheese in a bubbling sauce to put out for your guests. Throw in a salad, rice, and/or beans and you have a great dinner for friends. I love that kind of entertaining. It reduces stress in the kitchen and allows you to actually have fun with your guests. Who doesn’t want to go to that house for dinner?

Enjoy!
xx

Shred your own cheese. You can taste the difference!

I love the holidays. The food, the fun, and of course, the parties! My friend hosts an annual cookie exchange or “Cookiepalooza” as we call it. It’s an amazing Open House where guests are asked to bring a batch of decadent treats. As the guests file in with loads of holiday goodies, her dining room turns into a scene out of Willy Wonka with stacks of amazing cookies, rows of beautiful cupcakes and piles of other seasonal bites galore! It’s a sweet tooth junkie’s paradise. Pastry boxes are provided for guests to scoop up whatever catches their eye. It’s fun to catch up with old friends and sample the sugary delights.

Our gracious hostess appreciates homemade, but assures everyone store bought is just fine. She basically says, come have fun and let’s not turn this into an episode of Cupcake Wars. With limited time on my hands, I knew right away that this year I would bring Little Sparks Cookies insanely addictive, handmade sugar cookies. They are my favorite cookie on the planet and her holiday selection this year is beyond. They are just as delicious as they are beautiful. The cookies are custom made to order and can be delivered in Los Angeles or shipped anywhere in the country.

I’m also headed to a special holiday dinner at a friend’s home. While I refuse to give a candle as a hostess gift, I will gladly present a tin of my seasonal obsession, Williams Sonoma’s The Original Peppermint Bark. In addition to the delicious confection, I will also wrap up a beautiful candy dish as a gift with the bark. That way, when the bark is long gone, she will still have a lovely gift from me to enjoy. Whenever I bring food as a hostess gift, I throw in a cake plate, a platter, or in this case, a candy dish. I just think it’s a pretty presentation and makes for a longer lasting token of my appreciation.

I have a few people on my gift list who are impossible to buy for. Either they have everything, don’t want anything, or it’s just hard to find something special for them. Instead of making myself crazy and inevitably feeling like I’ve come up short, I like to send special treats that are always big hits like Garrett Popcorn from Chicago. When I go back home to the midwest, I always stop into Garrett and indulge in the best caramel corn I’ve ever tasted. Another fun thing to send is Graeter’s ice cream in Cincinnati. Long ago, before it made Oprah’s List, a business associate of my husband sent it to us for the holidays. I remember opening the door and there was the delivery man with a huge box filled with pints of ice cream and various sauces! We were so surprised and loved it.

The holidays are so much fun and the best time of the year. I’ve decided to give myself a break this year by taking a few short cuts and and enjoying them. Here are a few things that will be on my edible gift list for friends and family this year.

Enjoy!

1. Garrett Popcorn
2. Williams Sonoma The Original Peppermint Bark
3. Little Sparks Cookies
4. See’s Candy Bridge Mix
5. Graeter’s Ice Cream