3 Quick Dessert Ideas

About a week or two before Labor Day, I received an email from 34 Degrees informing me that something new was coming to their line of crisps and that I would be receiving the new products shortly.  Let me just say that I was beyond flattered and appreciative to have been included in their initial launch of this new mystery product and also super excited to see what the heck they had come up with!  The box arrived a couple days before my recent mountain vacation and when I opened the package I couldn't help it, I screamed with delight!  34-Degrees has created a line of sweet crisps!  Chocolate and Vanilla to be exact with an official release next month, but of course I wanted to give you all the same sneak peek I had been privy to.  

I am such a big fan of these delicious crackers and was absolutely thrilled to find out that they are expanding their current savory product line to now include sweet crisps as well! The ideas and pairing possibilities immediately started rushing to my head, so I decided to pack up my new crackers and do a little taste testing while on my vacation in North Carolina.  After taste testing an array of pairings there were four stand-out recipe/pairing creations that I just had to share with you all.  Three of those recipes fell under the dessert category and the fourth was a breakfast idea.  Today I am going to share the three dessert pairings and next week I will be unveiling the details on my breakfast parfait bites (which you may have seen on my instagram feed), so stay tuned!

Banana Cream Pie Bites 

• 34 Degrees Vanilla Crisps
• 2 Ripe Bananas (sliced thin on the diagonal)
• Instant Vanilla, Banana or Coconut Pudding
• Whipped Cream 
• Mini Nilla Wafers
• Walnuts (toasted and chopped)

Instructions: Place one to two slices of banana on top of a 34 Degrees Vanilla Crisp.  Top with a small dollop of pudding, followed by a slightly smaller dollop of whipped cream.  Finish by placing a mini nilla wafer on top of the whipped cream and lightly sprinkling each bite with a few pieces of chopped walnuts.  

Chocolate Candied Bacon Bites

• 34 Degrees Chocolate Crisps
• Candied Brown Sugar Bacon (roughly chopped)
• Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
• Maldon Sea Salt 

Instructions: Place a few chopped pieces of candied bacon on top of a chocolate 34 Degrees crisp.  Melt about a cup of semisweet chocolate chips in the microwave (heat for 30 seconds, stir and repeat until chocolate is melted and smooth).  Drizzle a small dollop of melted chocolate over the candied bacon and finish with a sprinkle of Maldon Flaked Sea Salt.  

Ice Cream Sandwiches

• 34 Degrees Crisps, Chocolate or Vanilla
• Edy's Slow Churned Mini Ice Cream Cup (I used vanilla, but any flavor can work)
• Topping of your choice: Heath Bits, Mini Chocolate Chips, Chopped Nuts, Coconut, etc.

Instructions: Using a sharp kitchen knife, cut the ice-cream cup into 1/2inch thick medallions.  Carefully remove the paper from the perimeter of the ice-cream and sandwich the ice-cream medallion between two 34 Degrees Chocolate or Vanilla crisps.  Roll the perimeter of your sandwich in any topping of your choice (I opted for Heath bits) and then return the sandwich to the freezer to firm up before serving.  

Host a Labor Day Wine & Cheese Picnic

Labor Day weekend is finally here which means that we are approaching the end of Summer.  Personally I say "Good Riddance!," after the sweltering summer we have endured in DC this year, but of course I know that not everyone echoes my same sentiment towards summer.  In fact, most  people are probably mourning this time of year because it means that we are back to school and summer break is over.  In an effort to try and savor the last few weeks of summer, I thought it might be fun to host one last summer fete before officially turning the page to Fall. 

Today's post features a simple and delicious cocktail party idea for enjoying those last few summer days, with an assortment nibbles and delicious wine that can work in almost any setting. Here is how I went about creating this Labor Wine & Cheese Picnic:

Food & Beverage Details

For this spread I opted to keep it simple, since it is a picnic after all and who honestly wants to transport a ton of food for a cocktail hour?  For this delicious summer cheese board, I opted for Trader Joe's new Jalepeno and Honey Chèvre topped with thin slices of fresh jalepeno and garnished with a drizzle of honey.  To accompany this sweet and savory chèvre, I selected a current obsession of mine at the moment, Jasper Hill Farm's Clothbound Cheddar.  I swear, cheddar is making a comeback and this particular cheese is the primary reason!  To serve with these cheese, I selected an array of nuts (Virginia Peanuts, Spicy Crunchy Chickpeas and Chili Lime Roasted Almonds), a fabulous Spicy Plum Chutney and a small basket of Rosemary Crisps.  

To drink, I opted for a crisp chardonnay by Napa Cellars and garnished each glass with a few fresh currants.  The perfectly chilled wine with notes of apples, baked pears and a lemony acidity, accented by the tartness of the fresh currants, created the perfect balance for this outdoor spread.  

Entertaining Essentials

In an effort to create an homage to the final days of summer, I started by covering this picnic table in one of my favorite white picnic tablecloths/beach blankets.  For a pop of fresh floral color I opted to include four small bud vases filled with red roses that flanked the cutest wine basket which held three american flags.  For serveware, I choose to keep the color scheme fairly neutral with this olivewood cheeseboard and these white hors d'oeuvre plates.  I then added pops of gold to accent the table using gold cheese knives and these fabulous wine tumblers. I selected cocktail napkins from Caspari's summer collection to incorporate an additional pop of color and summer flair to complete this look.  

Summer may be coming to a close, but there are still a few more weeks to enjoy one of the most celebrated seasons of the year!  Happy Labor Day everyone!

August Favorite Finds

As we are nearing the end of summer, all I can think about is the fact that cooler months are on the horizon (thank goodness!).  DC has been a sweaty humid microwave for what honestly feels like forever.  It's been tough being cooped up inside for much of the summer due to the excessive heatwave.  I have definitely developed dog mom guilt because we haven't been able to take Dolly out on walks longer than 5 minutes for fear of her overheating.  While I am certainly looking forward to the impending Fall season, I have still had many moments over the past few weeks (when not glued to the TV cheering on Simone Biles of course) to discover a few new favorite finds to share with you all today.  

Healthy Water Bottles

In an effort to reduce my carbon footprint and add to my healthy living, I have been on a mission over the past month for the perfect water bottle.  I know this sounds ridiculous, but it occurred to me one day while trying to shop for a water bottle on Amazon that I had no clue what I was looking for and what bottle provided the best value.   I knew I didn't want a plastic bottle (for fear of chemical leaching, BPA, etc...), it needed to be practical/functional and fit my lifestyle.  After surveying dozens of colleagues at work, all of my friends and family members, and reading way too many reviews I ended up purchasing two water bottles (which I would enthusiastically recommend to anyone).  

The first is the oh so popular S'well.  This is a double insulated aluminum water bottle that claims to keep cold drinks cold for 24 hours and hot drinks hot for 12 hours (I can vouch after testing both claims, this water bottle lives up to the hype).  Keeping my drinks hot or cold while at work has been great because it has meant less trips to the kitchen for ice or additional hot water.  In addition, I love the oh-so-chic color options offered for this water bottle (totally obsessed with the gold).  Drawbacks to the S'well are the price and the fact that it isn't dishwasher safe.  

The second bottle I purchased is the DRPP Water Bottle (a sister bottle to the BKR).  This is a glass bottle that is wrapped in a silicone sleeve, which keeps it protected from shattering if dropped and provides you with a secure grip on the bottle.  This water bottle is glass so it's free of any potential leaching issues, is dishwasher safe and slightly less expensive than the S'well.  If I had to name drawbacks to the DRPP, it would be the inability to keep drinks ice cold for longer than a few hours.  

Gladiolus

Did you know that the gladiolus is the flower of August?  Personally, I had no idea that this was the case but it actually makes sense now that I think about it as there seems to be an abundance of gladioli for sale in every local grocery and flower store. Naturally, it seems very fitting to highlight this gorgeous bloom as one of my favorite finds this month.  

Gladioli are truly gorgeous flowers that have some serious presence.  I love how hearty they are and the added height they bring to a space.  This flower comes in an array of vibrant colors, is relatively low maintenance to maintain and very inexpensive to purchase.  Not kidding- the gladioli pictured above in front of the window cost me a grand total of $3.99 at my local grocery store the other day.  Love love love!  

Die Cut Coasters

Caspari is certainly a go to for me when it comes to finding fab cocktail napkins, tapers, guest towels and other entertaining essentials, but recently I discovered their new line of die cut coasters and am completely hooked!  These coasters are offered in an array of patterns, with a laminated top to prevent any warping caused by a sweaty glass and a fabric lined bottom to prevent any scratching on tabletop surfaces.  A set of 4 coaster's cost about $14 and let me just say that they are worth every penny!  Functional and unique, these coasters are a current favorite in my home.  

Pimento Cheese

Pimento cheese is one of my go to menu items lately.  This southern favorite makes for a delicious hors d'oeuvre spread atop a thin cracker and garnished with either fresh thyme leaves, crispy bacon pieces or even a light sprinkle of toasted pecans.  It also makes for an excellent grilled cheese sandwich and is super easy to make!  I am a huge fan of Southern Living's recipe for pimento cheese, but if you don't have time to whip up a homemade batch of this delicious spread, Whole Foods offers three different types of pimento cheese spreads that are out of this world!  Pimento cheese never fails to be a crowd pleaser with my guests and it has been a great way to shake up my typical entertaining repertoire in recent months.

Cleaning Your Refrigerator

Chefs always seem to talk about the stand mixer being the work horse of kitchen appliances.  While it certainly is a work horse, I would have to say that the refrigerator is really the ultimate work horse appliance in the kitchen.  When you take a moment to think about it, the refrigerator is the only appliance that never shuts off.  It's constantly in work mode keeping food cold or frozen in an effort to maximize the longevity of your groceries.  Being that this is such a critical kitchen appliance, it is important to keep this appliance in tip top shape so that your perishables are optimally stored.  For today's post, I am sharing my list of go-to cleaning supplies as well as my schedule for properly maintaining my fridge.  I know this may not be a top of mind cleaning chore, but when you stop to really think about the actual importance of the refrigerator in your home, I think you may gain an appreciation for the value of today's post. 

Refrigerator Cleaning Supplies

• Weiman's Stainless Steel Cleaner (I prefer the Spray, but wipes are fine to use too)
• Spray Bottle filled with equal parts Water and Distilled Vinegar
• Rubber Gloves
• Baking Soda Fridge Pack
• Mild Dish Detergent
• Paper Towels and/or Cleaning Rags
• Vacuum 

Suggested Cleaning Schedule

• Weekly
  • Wipe up any/all food spills
  • Clean out any food that is past its prime/expired
  • Polish Stainless Steel Exterior (if applicable) using a polish like Weimans
  • For refrigerators with a non-stainless steel exterior, clean using a mixture of distilled vinegar and water
• Monthly
  • Remove all food from fridge, clean all shelves and interior walls using distilled vinegar and water (*odors tend to absorb into soap detergents, so using a mixture of water and vinegar will not only disinfect but it will also prevent unwanted food odors from lingering)
  • Check expiration dates on all refrigerated condiments and discard any that are past their prime
  • Remove and clean exterior base grate on refrigerated with a mild detergent and water
  • Pull refrigerator away from the wall to vacuum any dust/debris that may have accumulated behind the appliance
  • Replace Baking Soda Fridge Pack (*baking soda will help to eat up any food odors and keep your fridge odorless)
• Additional Fridge Cleaning Resources
  • Apartment Therapy
  • Real Simple
  • Martha Stewart

Weeknight Taco Ideas

I have to admit that for the longest time I could never understand why tacos were a weeknight dinner go-to for so many people.  In my mind tacos seemed like a very involved dinner option with lots of steps and clean-up associated.  How could tacos possibly be a weeknight friendly dinner idea?

After mulling this idea over for quite some time, I finally decided to put homemade taco making to the test and see if it was really as weeknight friendly as people had made it out to be.  The result?  Absolutely a weeknight friendly dinner option!  

Tacos can be made a zillion different ways using an endless array of toppings.  For this post I wanted to show you how I have gone about creating a healthy taco night that can be made vegetarian friendly and uses a bunch of seasonal produce.  The most labor intensive aspect of taco prep would have to be the veggie chopping and "Mise en Place."  However, the majority of the prep work can be done ahead of time (i.e. over the weekend) leaving you with simply preparing the proteins during the weeknight.   

Ingredients

• Light Tortillas or Crunchy Taco Shells
• Ground Beef or Extra Firm Cubed Tofu (drained and squeezed dry with paper towels)
• Yellow Onion (diced fine)
• Reduced Sodium Taco Seasoning
• Coconut Oil or Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Mexican Cheese (Shredded)
• Light Sour Cream
• Salsa
• Watermelon Radish (diced fine)
• Vine Ripened Tomatoes (de-seeded and diced)
• Italian Radicchio (cut in half and sliced thin)
• Jalepeno Pepper (de-seeded and diced fine)
• Fresh Cilantro (leaves roughly chopped)
• Boston Bibb Lettuce 
• Fresh Limes (cut into wedges)
• Roasted Poblano Peppers (skin removed and diced)

Instructions for Roasting Poblano Peppers

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit and move your oven rack up to the top half position
2. Slice the top off of the poblano pepper and remove the seeds
3. Once the bulk of the seeds are removed, slice the pepper lengthwise and place each half on a lined baking sheet with the skin side up
4. Give each poblano pepper half a light mist of olive oil and a dusting of kosher salt
5. Roast in the oven for approximately 20minutes until the skin is sufficiently blistered
6. Remove the peppers from the oven and allow them to cool
7. Using the back end of a knife, scrape the blistered skin off of the pepper and then dice the pepper into 1/2in pieces

Instructions for Cooking the Protein

1. Heat 2 TBS Olive Oil or Coconut Oil in a large skillet over medium high heat
2. When the skillet is hot, add 1/4 finely diced yellow onion to the skillet
3. Cook the onion until it starts to turn translucent
4. Add the protein to the skillet
   1. For beef - cook according to the taco seasoning packet instructions
   2. For tofu - cook until evenly browned on each side, then add 2 tsps of the taco seasoning to the mixture and cook for an additional 3 minutes