So, this last weekend I attended my first-ever food blogger’s conference in Orlando with my pal, Megan. The conference was organized by Food Blog Forum (special thanks to Lindsey and Julie, Love and Olive Oil + The Little Kitchen) and they all really did an amazing job! I can’t imagine the hours of work that must have gone in to planning such an event, but it really showed. It was fun…and hot…and informative…and hot. We boarded a plane in Detroit in the wee hours and touched down in Orlando just in time for lunch and plenty of poolside lounging before the welcome reception.

The grounds of the Grand Floridian were so beautiful and lush… and Megan tried to make friends with every tiny lizard she spotted. Those cute little dudes move fast! However, the staff uniforms were HORRID and we definitely felt for the employees — there really are few things less attractive than ankle length, baby pink, lace trimmed, petticoat-ed, maid’s uniforms. Also, there was a khaki coolot spotting in the Canada section of Epcot that we won’t delve too much into. I’m scarred. Hideous uniforms aside, we hit up the pool and pool bar immediately, followed by 3 trips in a row down the waterslide — cause we had to.

Then it was the welcome reception where we met our new homegirl, Erika of Southern Souffle. Erika offered us a ride to the closing brunch at Whole Foods weeks before the conference and we totally hit it off! It was cosmic. We mingled, sipped on wine and beers while tasting the tiny bites of food the Disney staff kindly prepared for us. After, we headed over to Epcot to find something to eat. In our hangry-crazed state, we ended up eating the most expensive spaghetti and meatballs ever, served by really nice waiters who said “prego” every 3 seconds, before slipping into a carb-induced-coma. Oh, and we also popped into the Mitsukoshi shop so I could buy my husband a Totoro plushie, and myself a pen and bag and penguin shaped dish sponge…1 for you, 3 for me! Treat yo’self!

During the actual conference, I learned a ton and took 6 pages of notes! Only to leave them on the desk of our hotel room…sad trombone. After, we headed to the dessert reception held during the Fantasmic show, and then we hit up the Tower of Terror where we scream-laughed with Charles from Local Forkful. The photo was priceless with the angsty-teen-version of Megan and maybe my clutch totally knocked her in the dome when we hit the free fall. Hazards, man! Then we went to the Magic Kingdom in search of the infamous Dole Whip — which we found in Tinkerbell’s Nook, you better believe there was a LOT of innuendo/punning happening. Had to. We also took a whirl through the ever-weird and creepy It’s a Small World ride and my childhood favorite, The Haunted Mansion, before crashing out in our room at about 2am.

The next morning was the brunch, kindly hosted by Whole Foods. They did it up right with lots of different things to try, including a tower of pulled pork and greens on a round of cornbread followed by treats from a gelato truck. Class act. We finished the trip by eating a magnificent rainbow of a salad and hitting up the pool deck before flying home, exhausted and inspired. I really enjoyed the conference, geeked out about meeting Diane and Todd of White on Rice Couple, Elise of Simply Recipes, and Jaden Hair of Steamy Kitchen – who were all super nice, easy to talk to, and great about answering all of our questions. If you’re a blogger and you haven’t been to a conference yet, this one is great! I learned a lot and made a homegirl for life, which makes it totally worth it in my book! It’s small and intimate, AND next year it will be in Asheville, NC…I’m already making plans (ps, Billy, we’re looking at you boyfren).

Guys! This weekend I’m heading to sunny Orlando for the Food Blog Forum conference with my good pal, Megan. As a girl that is usually awkward, at best, in social situations involving crowds and small talk, I’m a bit nervous…but! my horoscope for the weekend says that I’ll be inspired by people I admire and I’ll be a social butterfly of sorts, so I’m gonna take that and run with it. Who am I to argue with the cosmos?!

But, let’s get to the matter at hand…ice pops! Tis the season and I have plans to crank them out all spring and summer…maybe into the fall. Watch out!

When I was a kid I always thought cantaloupe was honeydew because it’s more the color of honey — kid brains are so interesting. My kid brain would have loved these pops because they’re a real treat and fruit was the main dessert around our house…as I’m pretty sure my mom is part fruit bat.

I’m a huge fan of mint, but as a child I don’t recall ever having it in any other form than mint-chip ice cream or gum. I’m an adult these days, or so they say, and I LOVE fresh mint — especially with fruit, it’s just such a winner! These ice pops really couldn’t be any easier or more refreshing. They’re cool from the mint (and the freezing, duh), sweet from the honeydew, yet bright from a squeeze of fresh lime. And because I can’t help myself, I know that these would be excellent with a little booze mixed in (I love the idea of herbal gin or straight-up vodka). With or without booze, these ice pops are super refreshing, dead-simple, and sure to impress.

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Honeydew Mint Ice Pops

Makes 10 ice pops. 

Instead of pulsing the sugar and mint in a processor, you can just chop the mint and rub it into the sugar until fragrant. I made a REALLY minty syrup ’cause I like that, you can use half the amount for a more subtle flavor. Depending on how sweet your melon is, you may not need to use all of the mint syrup — taste the melon and add whatever amount of syrup you prefer.  If you aren’t a fan of honeydew, use whatever melon you’d like, cantaloupe or watermelon would be excellent! 

1/2 cup sugar

1 loosely packed cup of mint leaves

1/2 cup water

4 cups diced honey dew

juice of 1 lime

In a mini food processor, pulse the sugar and the mint leaves until the mint is finely chopped and the sugar is fragrant. Place the mint sugar into a saucepan with the water and bring to a boil to dissolve. Boil the syrup for 60 seconds, remove from heat, and strain through a fine mesh sieve.

Place the honeydew in a large bowl (or a blender, you may want to do this in batches if using a blender), along with the lime juice and mint syrup. Pulse with an immersion blender until smooth and no chunks of honeydew remain. Divide the mixture between popsicle molds, freeze 30-60 minutes, insert sticks, and continue to freeze until solid (8 hours is best).

Hey, guys!

I’m super excited to share this recipe today because it comes with a giveaway for the cookbook No Bake Makery, for you! Though it doesn’t happen as often as I’d like, I love an opportunity to give you stuff. I’m a gifter and I love it. BUT! let’s talk these little cookie, truffle bites.

These little bites are dead-easy to make. Everything gets whirled in the food processor all at once–chocolate cookies, cinnamon toast cereal, almonds, salt, a teensy bit of milk, and some honey.  The dough is then scooped, rolled, and chilled before getting dressed with some candy coating (or tempered chocolate). These bites are sweet-sweet-and-salty. I could see kids going crazy-nuts for these (and they could totally help!), but they make the perfect two-bite indulgence–which is sometimes all I want, just a few bites of sweetness.

No Bake Makery is a cookbook of sweet little treats by Cristina Suarez Krumsick (Tweet or Like), in the book you can find the recipe for these Cinnalmond Bites, along with dozens of other little, two-bite, no-bake treats…Now, for the giveaway details!

To enter, simply leave a comment sharing what your favorite no-bake treats are, as well as a good contact email address. I will choose one winner at random Wednesday, May 15th. Unfortunately this giveaway is only open to US residents with non-PO Box addresses.  (Don’t fret, I have another giveaway schemed up that will be open to all :)

*A copy of No Bake Makery was provided to me by the publisher, as well as the giveaway copy. As per usual, all opinions are my own. 

Cinnalmond Bites

From No Bake Makery

The recipe calls for almond milk, but I’m sure you could use whatever milk you’d like. These are also great from the freezer. 

12 chocolate sandwich cookies (Like JoesJoes or Oreos)

1 cup cinnamon toast cereal

5 tablespoons sliced almonds

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons honey

1/4 cup almond milk

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 1/2 cups candy melts or candy bark (or temper some chocolate, if you dare)

Line a cookie sheet with wax (or parchment) paper and set aside.

In a food processor, process the cookies and cereal until fine crumbs form, about 1 minute. Add 3 tablespoons of the almonds and 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon and process for another 30 seconds. Add the honey and almonds milk and process another 30 seconds. Transfer to a clean bowl.

Roll the dough into 1-inch balls (I chilled the dough for 30 minutes before beginning this step). Place on the prepared cookie sheet and chill another 45 minutes.

Roughly chop the remaining almonds and mix with the remaining cinnamon and salt. Set aside.

Melt the candy coating according to package instructions. Dip balls into the chocolate and place back on the sheet, sprinkle with almond mixture, and chill until coating is set, about 1 hour.

Spring has finally sprung in Michigan and it means business! Since the days are warm and sunshine-y, it’s definitely time for all kinds of frozen goodness. In a few weeks, I’m sure  I’ll be avoiding the oven completely. Tis’ the season for sandals, porch cocktail-ing, and frozen delights!

These ice pops combine my perennial favorite, tart rhubarb, with creamy coconut milk and sweet vanilla. I love rhubarb because it’s so weird and so pink and so tart-fruity…there’s a lot to love. These pops are dairy-free by default, the coconut milk is such a wonderful creamy flavor and honestly sometimes I need a break from dairy-overload (I just love cheese and dairy-goods, mmmkay?). The creamy coconut milk juxtaposed with the tart rhubarb is a pretty amazing match–plus, those colors just get me! I can’t resist anything that’s both pretty and tasty — these pops are just that.

So, while the temperatures rise and rhubarb can still be found at the market, make these, eat, repeat, and dream of summer!

Rhubarb Swirl Ice Pops

Makes 10 ice pops.

For the hot-pinkiest of purees, try to buy rhubarb that is pink all the way through the stalk (look at the cut-end, cross-section, is it pink? is it green?). If it’s not super pink, that’s okay, it will be just as delish, just maybe not so vibrant. 

2 cups diced rhubarb

1/2 cup sugar

1, 14 ounce, can coconut milk

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 vanilla bean OR 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, cook the diced rhubarb with the 1/2 cup sugar until the rhubarb releases it’s juices and begins to break apart, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

In a small bowl rub the seeds from the vanilla bean with the sugar, if using. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the coconut milk and sugar to combine (add vanilla extract/paste at this step if using instead).

Layer spoonfuls of rhubarb into the popsicle molds, followed by the coconut milk mixture, repeat until all the molds are filled. Insert a skewer and swirl the mixture in each mold if needed. Cover and insert sticks (the rhubarb mixture is thick enough to hold the sticks and keep them from being too buoyant  and freeze for at least 4 hours. Un-mold frozen pops and serve immediately or store in a zip-top bag in the freezer.

If you’ve been reading for a while, you may already know I have a thing for putting beer in my waffle batter. Not just because it’s a fun excuse to have booze in the AM (it IS fun, though…), but because the effervescence of the beer gives the batter lift and a yeasty-malted flavor that I find irresistible and the perfect foil for copious amounts of maple syrup.

The resounding reason why these pancakes are not waffles is because sometimes I just don’t want to dig my waffle maker out of the recesses of the cabinet. That’s just true life and laziness at it’s finest…thus, the pancake. These pancakes take the griddle-standard blueberry and pairs it with zesty orange and yeasty beer. While the beer and baking powder give these pancakes their lift, the buttermilk brings tenderness, and coconut oil adds a bit of richness, while a teensy bit of cinnamon brings a little interest to the background. Blueberries and citrus are already friends, adding an orange-friendly beer to the mix just makes it a party.

BeerBerry Pancakes

Adapted from THIS recipe. 

I added a dash of Cook’s orange extract and vanilla paste* for a creamy-sweet-citrus note–both are totally optional, but fun additions. 

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 Tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 cup beer (I used Blue Moon Valencia Grove Amber)

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 large egg

1 Tablespoon orange zest

1/2 teaspoon each vanilla paste/extract and orange extract (optional)

3 Tablespoons coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly

Preheat oven to 200˚F and set an oven safe dish inside.

In a mixing bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon. Set aside. In a large measuring cup combine the buttermilk, egg, zest, and extracts, whisk to combine well, whisk in the beer. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the beer/buttermilk mix, fold gently for a few turns and add the coconut oil. Continue to fold until just combined–some lumps and streaks of flour are okay, do not overmix. Gently fold in the blueberries.

In a non-stick pan or griddle over medium-high heat, ladle out as many pancakes as you will fit in the pan and cook until bubbles begin to appear around the edges and the surface of the pancakes and the bottoms are golden-brown, flip and continue to cook through. Place cooked pancakes on the dish in the preheated oven and repeat with the remaining batter. Serve with butter and syrup.

*Cook’s provided me with a complimentary sample of some of their extracts. Though the products were provided to me, free of charge, all opinions expressed are my own. 

Heeeeeey, guys! I totally missed you AND I made cookies!

There’s nothing like getting out of a cooking/baking/life-rut than an indulgent cookie. Many ailments of life can be cured via the humble cookie. It’s just a fact.

These cookies combine the ultimate sweet-tooth trifecta — salty-crunch, peanut butter, AND chocolate. Only good things can happen with this trio, believe it! These cookies are thick, dense, and chewy. They’re the kind of cookie that holds it shape and has a little heft — not the daintiest, these cookies mean serious crave-curing business.

Peanut Butter Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes about 30 cookies.

(highly) Adapted from THIS recipe. 

Go ahead and use crunchy OR smooth peanut butter, baker’s choice! I used a natural, peanut-only, peanut butter with great results (THIS brand). It was unsalted, so you may need to dial back the salt if you use a salted brand. 

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter, room temperature

2/3 cup peanut butter

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups crushed, salted pretzels

1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

30 mini pretzel twists (optional)

Preheat oven to 350˚F and line baking sheets with parchment or silicone liners.

In bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, soda, and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a mixer, beat the butter, peanut butter, and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing completely before adding the next and scraping the bowl after each. Add the vanilla. Dump in all of the flour mixture and pulse to combine. Fold in the pretzels and chocolate chips.

Scoop about 2 tablespoons of dough, place on baking sheets 1 inch apart, and press a pretzel (if using) into the top of each cookie and flatten with gentle pressure. Bake cookies one sheet at a time in the center of the oven for about 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on racks. Can be stored in an airtight container at room temp for 4 days.

Hey, gals (and guys)! Remember when I promised you that beauty-faves post 2 weeks ago? Well…it’s here! I have to apologize for getting majorly distracted by family/friend time while I was away in the wild West. Toddler and baby nieces, man, they get me EVERYTIME!

But really, let’s talk about this make-up sitch…cause I love it and love talking about it…so bear with me! These are just 15 (fifteen!) of my current favorites — products I use, have used, or just discovered and love.

1. I picked up this Sonia Kashuk Hidden Agenda concealer palette several weeks ago and I am loving it. It contains 3 cream concealers (light, medium, and a green-tinted one for covering redness), as well as a setting powder (which I NEVER use, I’d honestly rather have another cream concealer shade for blending). I mostly use the green tinted and light concealers the most, though I appreciate the darker shade for blending and I think it will definitely come in handy this summer.

2. Urban Decay Razor Sharp Ultra Definition Finishing Powder. GUYS! THIS POWDER is amazing, despite it’s super long name. I am so-super-obsessed. It’s an HD-style (as in HDTV) finishing powder, claiming that it creates an optical illusion that hides flaws…and, I totally drank the kool-aid. Since using this, I have totally given up on foundation primers, it has a similar effect with out the weird end-of-the-day foundation slide that sometimes happens with primers.  It has a weirdo-applicator that I was okay with at first, but grew to hate, so I just popped off the top and use it as a loose powder with a brush. I use this powder on my whole face after I apply my foundation and concealer. It’s super silky, smooth, and does not leave a cakey-powder finish. It’s also great over a little BB cream to smooth things out and amp up the coverage. I will definitely be re-purchasing.

3. Again, another overwrought name, but really, Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen WOW Brightening Makeup is my current go-to and has been for several months now (I have re-purchased it a few times). It has medium coverage and a super lightweaight feel on the skin. I love the silken texture of the liquid and it’s smooth application. As with everyone, I struggle with matching my skin tone. As an Asian/Caucasian I have yellowish undertones, some redness, some hyper-pigmentation, and I go from medium-light to bronzed depending on the season. The shade Honey…I’m so money is one of the best matches for my skin tone I have found, and it blends like a dream. Paired with the UD Razor Sharp powder and I feel pretty much as flawless as possible when I leave the house. Also, the pump-style package makes for very little waste.

4. These DreamLumi Touch Highlighting Concealers have been all over the internets recently, and I have totally jumped onto that bandwagon. I use these (I have them in Nude and Buff) exclusively around my eye area. If you have dark under eyes, these are a dream — they brighten with just a bit of highlight, without making you look crazed. PLUS they are a drugstore find and at Ulta you can often get them (and mix/match) for their Buy1Get1 50% deal they always seem to run on drugstore brands.

5. This Pixi Endless Silky Eye Pen in Cafe Gold is SO PRETTY! It’s a gold-flecked brown eye pencil that glides perfectly AND is waterproof. They are a lot like the Urban Decay 24/7 pencils (which I also use and love), but a bit cheaper and I think the colors are a bit more restrained. I have weepy outer-eye corners, so waterproof liners are my jam and this one is definitely a keeper.

6. Another Sonia Kashuk palette, this Arch Alert Brow Kit is pretty great. Though I have super dark eyebrows, they are sparse in areas, and ladies (gents, too) your eyebrows make your face. Non-eyebrowed folks are just creepy. For an example, check out this creepshow. There are 4 shades that have a bit of a waxy texture–eliminating the need (in my opinion) for brow gel. The darkest and medium brown shades both work for me–the medium is a more everyday look, while I use the dark one for nighttime. There is also a reddish shade and a fair one for our redheaded and blonde friends. I use this palette with a short, compact bristled brush.

7. I just picked up this Smashbox Halo Highlighting wand a few weeks ago, hoping that I would get the most product from it possible, and I am loving it. I am a big fan of liquid highlighters and was using one for Stila for a while, but the packaging frustrated me — the brush doesn’t reach the bottom of the bottle, so the remaining contents get dry and goopy…not cute. This wand has a click/pump that pushes from the bottom up, lessening the waste…which I love! I have the wand in the gold color — because I LOVE gold things — though I think the pink is just as pretty. I have only been using highlighter religiously in the last 6 months or so, but I feel like it really brings something extra to the make-up party. I use it to highlight the tops of my cheeks, the bridge of my nose, my brow bones, and the cupid’s bow of my upper lip. You could use the brush on the wand, but I just use to to dot the product on my face where I want highlight and brush it out with a stiff bristled, short haired, flat brush (like the white handled one pictured above).

8. Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush has been making huge waves on the internets and I couldn’t resist trying it out. I am a big fan of Tarte cosmetics and this blush does not disappoint. I purchased it in the color Natural Beauty, which is a matte rosy-red color. I call it the perfect Snow-White-Princess blush–it’s really red and rosy and pigmented and PERFECT. I love a doll-face, fairy-tale cheek on anyone and this product delivers. The color pay-off is huge — a little goes a long way and a light hand OR blending is absolutely necessary. I am a big fan of blending, so I pile it on, blend, and repeat until I like what I see. I have tried this blush in other colors and love them all just as much, but this is my absolute fave for my skin tone. My BFF has the color Blissful which is coral-y and beautiful too, and may just be next in my collection.

9. I am a huge fan of the glossy, balmy, lipsticks that are popping up all over drugstores these days. This one by Maybelline Color Whisper in Pin-Up Peach may just be my EVER-FAVE lipcolor for any and everyone. It’s creamy and light on the lip, glides on easily, and leaves behind just enough color. This particular color looks good on pretty much everyone, I could not possibly love it more. It’s the perfect sweet and vintage-y peach-pink color at a great price point.

10. & 11. Revlon’s Colorburst Lip Butters are really similar to Color Whisper, but waxier. The color pay-off is similar, sheer color with a bit of pop. These shades in Sweet Tart (10.) and Cherry Tart (11.) are my favorite shades of the bunch. Sweet Tart is a sheer, creamy, bright pink — think barbie toned down a bit. Cherry Tart is a great red — my other red lipsticks are from MAC and super pigmented and opaque — this one is more sheer and you can build the color allowing you to go for a cherry-stained look or a more bold red lip.

12. Revlon Just Bitten Kissable BalmStain in Rendezvous is the first (and only?) tangerine-y color I own. I like this one because it’s definitely part of the orange lip trend, but not overly so and is a nice intro into a more bold lip look. I like the chunky crayon style and the smooth balmy texture, not to mention the sheer, fun color. I woud say that if your natural lip is fairly dark, this may not apply evenly color-wise, since it is a sheer-stain product.

13. I recently dropped my Birchbox subscription and took up with Julep Maven. I’m liking this subscription because no matter what  I get at least 2 new polishes a month…which, for me, makes it totally worth it. Plus, if I’m not feeling the boxes, I can skip that month. This Julep color in Teri is such a perfect coral cream. I love a cream polish and I am loving coral this year, so this is perfect. In the bottle, it appears a little more drab and muddy than it does on the nail, and online is seems REALLY orange. I assure you, it’s definitely a coral and definitely one that I will use all summer.

14. I got this FLO Atomizer in a Birhcbox before I cancelled and it was hands-down the best thing I got from them all year. Even though it totally looks like a vibrator (oh, I went there… because it totally does) it’s the PERFECT size to decant a sample-size of perfume and fits perfectly in any purse, plus you can clean it and fill it again with something else. I thought I actually lost this and immediately purchased a new one (Sephora brand that seems to be pretty comparable).

15. While dry shampoo is hardly a new thing, I couldn’t resist sharing this travel-size bottle of cherry scented Batiste. I find this brand to be well priced (compared to Rockaholic, which was what I used to buy), and while the scent is hardly cherry-like, I love the throw-back look of the packaging and that it’s travel sized. I have not tried any tinted dry shampoo’s, but I do have super-dark brown hair and yeah, I do get the white residue, but I just let it set/absorb for a few minutes (I usually tweeze my brows or something while I wait) and then just rub it in super fast. As someone who NEVER washes her hair consecutive days in a row (I can’t even imagine how dry my ends would be), dry shampoo is worth minimal the effort. It’s easy enough and FAR less time consuming than washing, blow-drying, flat-ironing my hair on the daily.

**HEY! Just a little disclaimer to say that none of these opinions are sponsored–I purchased all of these products with my own dollars and tested them out on my own face and head and nails, etc. Links are provided for my readers by me and are un-sponsored, so that the products mentioned are easy to find and check out. All opinions are my own. 

Guys, I maybe made these while big, fluffy, frigid snowflakes drifted from the sky. I maybe wore shoes without socks that day too…my mind has been thinking spring, even if the elements are insisting it’s not time just yet. I couldn’t help it, I wanted to turn my favorite cocktail of the moment into an ice pop before citrus season ends. Enter the Maple Brown Derby Cocktail Pop!

A Brown Derby is a bourbon drink combined with grapefruit juice and honey syrup. I’ve been using maple syrup in my Brown Derby’s as of late, and I love the flavor–plus it’s already the perfect viscosity for cocktail mixing. I also like to add a few dashes of bitters for that extra little somethin’. These pops are sweet and almost smoky from the whiskey and maple, yet refreshing from the fresh ruby-red grapefruit juice. I may even love the color of these ice pops even more than I like eating them…I’ve been smitten with blushy/peachy/sunset colors. I think it has to do with these late-winter doldrums, but the next season is on the horizon and there warm-weather ice pops in our futures, friends.

Maple Brown Derby Cocktail Pops

Makes about 10 ice pops. I use THIS mold.

A traditional Brown Derby uses a syrup made of honey and water and doesn’t necessarily include bitters. I’ve tailored this recipe to my taste, so definitely do the same and make it your own…ratios are just a suggestion! However, upping the alcohol by too much will prevent the ice pops from freezing solid, so use a lighter hand and serve these with a shooter on the side if ya wanna get crazy.

2 1/2 cups fresh squeezed ruby red grapefruit juice (about 4 medium grapefruits)

1/3-1/2 cup pure maple syrup (depending on how sweet your fruit is)

1 ounce bourbon

a few dashes of bitters (I did about 6)

In a mixing bowl whisk together all of the ingredients to combine. Divide the liquid between the 10 ice pop molds and freeze for 1 hour* before inserting popsicle sticks. Continue to freeze for several hours until frozen solid.

*You can soak/saturate the sticks in boiling water before making the pops, so you can insert the sticks immediately without waiting for the pops to set up. I always forget, though!

When my family gathers, there are always lots of things to eat and drink–as it’s always a kind of “open-door” scenerio, we never know how many friends or other relations may stop by. One of the standards are my cousin Amy’s stuffed mushrooms. They are super simple and a total guilty pleasure–as the filling consists of sausage and cream cheese. Even though I love her version…I had to do my own version…I just can’t help myself!

For these mushrooms I swapped breakfast sausage for spicy italian (I’ll add heat anywhere I can), reduced the cream cheese by quite a bit, added some parmesan, a bit of wilted spinach for color and science, and some intensely sweet and chewy sun dried tomatoes. I added more parm and a little panko to the top for toast-iness and crunch. I think these stuffed mushrooms are the perfect 2-bite appetizer–they don’t have to be served super hot and you can eat them one handed, freeing your other hand for cocktail wrangling. Which, is totally key for appetizer greatness, amiright?!

Sausage, Spinach, and Sundried Tomato Stuffed Mushrooms

Makes 12 large stuffed mushrooms.

I used neufchatel-style cream cheese (1/3 less fat) instead of cream cheese and I don’t think the results suffered at all…but go ahead and use the regular cream cheese if you like.  I think one could go even further in the flavor department and add capers or briny olives to the filling–I didn’t think of it at the time, but I bet it’d be delish! (PS, my grocery store sells mushroom caps for stuffing, you can use regular button or cremini mushrooms–they will be smaller and will make double the amount in smaller mushrooms). 

12 large mushroom caps

1 spicy italian sausage link

2 cups fresh baby spinach

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 clove garlic, minced

salt

2 ounces neufchatel or cream cheese (cut from an 8 ounce block), softened

4-6 sun dried tomatoes, chopped

4 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese, divided

3 tablespoons panko bread crumbs, divided

olive oil

Preheat the oven to 375˚F and line a baking sheet with parchment. Set aside.

Brush off any soil stuck the the surface of the mushrooms with a pastry brush or dampened towel. Remove the stems and place the caps, well-side down, on the baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool while you prepare the filling.

In a skillet over medium-high heat, remove the sausage from the casing and crumble into the pan. Cook, breaking up the sausage into small crumbles with a wooden spoon, until browned and cooked through. Remove from skillet onto some paper towels to drain the grease and cool completely  Pour the remaining grease out of the pan, return to the heat and add the spinach, red pepper, garlic, and a sprinkle of salt. Cook the spinach over medium until wilted. Remove from the pan and set aside to cool completely.  Once cooled, squeeze the spinach to remove excess liquid. Chop coarsely.

In a small bowl combine 2 tablespoons of the parmesan with 2 tablespoons of the panko, drizzle with olive oil (1 teaspoon or so), and mix together with a fork to combine. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, stir the softened cheese until creamy and slightly loosened. Add the sun dried tomatoes, 2 tablespoons of the parmesan, 1 tablespoon of the panko, the cooked and cooled sausage, and the chopped, wilted spinach, and fold to combine. Spoon the filling into the pre-baked mushroom caps, sprinkle with the parm-panko mixture and bake in the 375˚F oven for another 10-15 minutes or until the tops are lightly browned.

Yes, it’s another ice-cream-drink…and yeah, maybe it was lunch yesterday. I hope you don’t mind, I’m just in the mood for stripey straws and swift-sweet-tooth-satisfaction…plus, this one is different because of the BOOZE factor.

It’s no secret that this weekend is a BFD for lovers of all things green, and pinching, and Ireland, and Guinness,  and corned beef, and whiskey, and drunk-stumbling camaraderie. As a certifiable hermit, I’m not one for crazy, raucous partying, but I do like to get down with a festive, boozey, treat to share with my favorites (you all included!). Enter this milkshake. It’s dead-simple, I mean…I know we can all handle making a milkshake, so think of this as more of a suggestive guide, rather than a recipe.

We’re blending together store-bought coffee ice cream, a little milk mixed with a little espresso powder, some whiskey (if I had any shame, I’d be real and use certifiable Irish whiskey…but I didn’t), and a boozed-up homemade caramel sauce. This shake has some of my favorite flavors ever–I mean, whiskey and caramel should just be BFF’s, right? plus, coffee? Get out. This shake is a quick indulgence for one, but can be easily adapted to make a batch of impressive, crowd-pleasing treats. Pop in a straw and knock one back!

Irish Coffee Milkshake

Makes 1 milkshake. 

I’m sure you guys know what a milkshake is all about and exactly how you like them, so ratios below are just a suggestion. Shake it up, add mix-ins, do yo’ thing. 

2 hefty scoops of your favorite coffee ice cream

2-4 tablespoons of milk

1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder

1 ounce (or as much as you want) whiskey

whiskey caramel sauce (recipe below)

whipped cream to garnish

Begin by dissolving the espresso powder in the milk, add to a blender canister along with the ice cream, whiskey, and a generous drizzle of caramel sauce. Blend it up! Drizzle the inside of your glass with more caramel, pour in the shake, top with whipped cream and more caramel if desired. Cheers!

Whiskey Caramel Sauce:

adapted from THIS recipe.

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

1 Tablespoon golden syrup (or corn syrup)

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

2/3 cup heavy cream

1 ounce whiskey

1/4 teaspoon salt

In a medium saucepan combine the sugar, water, and golden syrup, gently combine. Heat over medium-high until the mixture becomes a syrup and comes to a boil. Continue to boil until the syrup becomes a deep golden, brown caramel color–as dark as you dare before it burns. Remove from heat and quickly whisk in the butter, cream, and salt, until smooth. Return to heat if needed to create a smooth sauce. Whisk in the whiskey to combine. Pour into a heatproof jar and cool. Can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for a week.