You guyssssss, you know how all that beer has been popping up all over my Instagram lately? I guess you could say I’m actually into beer now… WEIRD, I know.
I mean, this is the girl who hated beer with a fiery passion not too long ago. Now I can actually enjoy some IPAs, and that’s seriously saying something. I’m even to the point where I want to go to breweries just to grab a flight and try a bunch of different things!
Raspberry Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake is a light, fruity dessert that’s SO much easier to make than traditional cheesecake. No pain in the butt water bath required; you might just end up loving ricotta cheesecake more than any other kind…
Ricotta cheesecake is something I only recently came around to. When I say recently, I mean a few years ago, but still. That’s fairly recent in my book.
This particular raspberry lemon ricotta cheesecake got rave reviews by my entire family just the other weekend, so I’m feeling even more confident than normal (god, that makes me sound a little pompous, huh?) sharing this recipe with you. You probably already know how well raspberry and lemon go together, so it’s not too much of a stretch to say you’ll 100% fall in love with this recipe after you make it for the first time.
Bacon-Wrapped Guacamole Burger Bombs are the ultimate way to level up your burger game this summer. Wrapped in bacon and topped with spicy pepper jack cheese, these burgers pack a surprise of guacamole in the center that no one can resist.
A couple of months ago my friend made me those bacon-wrapped guacamole chicken bombs that were floating around Facebook for the longest time. I thought the idea was pure genius and every since then I’ve been trying to find other new and fun things to stuff with guacamole.
Why had the avocado-obsessed blogger never thought to try this before? [Read more…]
Strawberry Mint Julep is a simple, fruity twist on the classic cocktail that is simply irresistible. You won’t be able to put this one down this summer!
You guys will be so proud of me! I am actually take time OFF this week. Legitimate, time away from my computer, my phone, and all those other things that pull me into becoming a crazy work-driven food blogger. It’s been a bit since I really treated myself to days and nights of not working, so I can’t even begin to tell you how excited I am.
I’ve also been working my butt off in anticipation of treating myself to some days off, so I’d say this upcoming break is well-earned. Not to mention it includes me digging into some Denver adventures to torture you with in my new Mile High Wanderings series.
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Lemon Shrimp & Artichoke Angel Hair Pasta is a light and bright pasta dish that’s perfect for those summer nights out on the patio. Pair it with some refreshing Casal Garcia wines and your taste buds will never know what hit ’em.
I could only avoid pasta for so long… I realllllllly tried you guys. Really.
Then I received some Casal Garcia wine and logically there was only one thing that I could pair that with… PASTA.
You don’t even know how much I needed a pasta dish in my life, for the primary reason of offsetting all of the intense amounts of red meat I’ve been shoveling in my face. Burgers, steaks, you name it. I’ve been taking my meats on meats, with a side of meat. [Read more…]
Steamed Vegetable Wontons are a super simple vegetarian appetizer everyone will love! They have insane amounts of flavor and you are only 20 minutes away from stuffing your face with them. Can you say #winning?
I have seen the light and it is glorious, steamed and stuffed with delicious veggies.
Did you know just how easy making steamed wontons really is? I was always intimidated by the different wrapping techniques and the fact that I’m not dunking them in a vat of piping hot oil.
[Read more…]Cuban Egg Rolls are everything you love about the Cuban sandwich, stuffed into egg rolls, fried and dipped in creamy mustard sauce. Psh, and you thought a Cuban sandwich couldn’t get any better!
Last weekend I had an insane craving for a Cuban sandwich.
I never use to get these cravings, until I found the best Cuban sandwich shop in Denver that actually rivals many Cuban sandwiches I ate in southern Florida.
For those of you located in Denver, hit up Buchi Cafe Cubano and tell me how amazing it is later. [Read more…]
A Nutella Cherry Tart is the only summer picnic dessert you need in your life this summer. It’s rich, fruity and packed with Nutella for all you Nutella-obsessed folks out there – essentially it’s like eating a Nutella-covered cherry. You’re welcome.
I’m back on the Nutella addiction train, friends… and it’s not looking good. I might have bought the extra large tub just to make this recipe. MISTAKE. I started eating it by the spoonful as soon as this Nutella cherry tart disappeared (it barely lasted 3 days…). I keep telling myself, this is the LAST TIME, Meghan. After tonight, you are hiding the Nutella from yourself so you don’t keep going back for more with every episode of Scandal that you binge-watch on Netflix…
If I ever figure out a place to seriously hide the Nutella from myself, I’ll let you know. At this point I should just call in a friend to hide it from me – though let’s be real, that’ll just result in me desperately trying to find it at midnight after a particularly stressful week. [Read more…]
Berrylicious Gin and Tonic is the only thing you need to be sipping on at your July 4th shindig. The flavors in the gin are played up with a little elderflower liquor and the berries are festive enough even Martha Stewart would approve.
It’s almost a longggggg weekend! Can I get a hallelujah?!
This week has been a bear and all I have wanted to do for the past 4 days is throw my hands up, say “F this” and run away to Mexico for a week of nothing but pina coladas and tacos.
Caramel Stuffed Peanut Butter Cookies are those dense and chewy peanut butter cookies you love, taken up about twenty notches after being stuffed with gooey caramel. These won’t last long in your home!
Aaaaaaaaaand I’m already so done with this week. There is so much exhaustion setting in and yet, I don’t foresee sleeping more than 6 hours a night for the next week. Phew, you guys… I’m obviously gettin’ old because this wouldn’t have phased me for a second about 5 years ago.
However cookies… Cookies always make it better. Cookies make almost anything better. They’re the thing I crave in the middle of the night when I want a snack. They’re the thing I indulge in when I’m feeling sappy, watching a chick flick and wondering why Ryan Gosling isn’t showing up on my doorstep and professing his love. [Read more…]
The Perfect Margarita is just that… it’s perfect. It’s a recipe that took me a few years to finally get around to making, and I can’t believe it took me SO long. You’ll never guess the secret ingredient I add!
Once upon a time, I was just a girl working in corporate marketing for a big industrial real estate company. Among all the chaos and craziness of that job, I happened to be on a team of insanely talented folks. It just so happens to be one of those folks that inspired me to make this margarita for you all. The perfect margarita… with a special ingredient you’ll NEVER guess.
Ok so it might have taken me a couple of years to finally get around to it, but here it is, alright?!
It was my boss’s boss (Larry) who turned me onto the secret ingredient in this margarita. Now, I bet you can’t guess what it is… [Read more…]
Fried Mozzarella Prosciutto Pizza is the over-the-top pizza I can’t resist shoving in my face, piled high with prosciutto, basil and tomatoes. Fried mozzarella is so much better than regular mozzarella… Trust me.
Oh yea… I totally went there. I piled prosciutto and tomato on a pizza crust and topped it all off with crispy, golden brown fried mozzarella.
Lately I’ve been in a bit of an ‘over-the-top’ everything mood – I don’t know if it’s coming off the high of three back-to-back weeks of pure insanity or just being so burned out I don’t even care anymore.
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Mexican Arancini with Avocado Cilantro Dipping Sauce are my fiesta take on one of my favorite snacks of all time. The cheesy, spicy fried balls of rice get just the right amount of cooling from the bright avocado cilantro dipping sauce they’re served with.
When I lived in Rome while I was studying abroad, arancini and I had a grand love affair. We would take long romantic walks through the city and, even if it was rainy and cold outside, arancini would always keep me warm.
Ok so I might have had a fling with gelato on the side during all this, but arancini was my savory flavor for most of my time over there.
Lemon Raspberry Basil Ice Cream is a tart, sweet and herbaceous treat that’ll blow your normal ice cream routine out of the water. If you haven’t tried fresh herbs in your desserts, you’re seriously missing out!
Today is a big, exciting day! My cousin is getting married today! Which also means I have an excuse to leave the office early, dance like a loon, drink one too many glasses of wine, and *hopefully* sleep in for the first time in…. a long time. I know I shouldn’t be this excited for a break considering all of the breaks I’ve taken over the past few weeks – but all the prep work I go through before each break leaves me all wound up.
Plus coming off one amazing weekend into a work week is hardly motivating. I’m pretty darn proud of myself for making it to this point and for actually sharing food with you this week.
Speaking of sharing food… How incredible does this ice cream look?! Those pretty pink speckles are nothing compared to how ri-DONK-ulous it tastes.
[Read more…]Chorizo Egg Rolls with Spicy Queso Dipping Sauce are the one snack you’ve been craving, even if you didn’t know it until now. Spicy, crispy, and dunked in endless amounts of cheeeeese.
So I am just coming out of a comatose stage of recovering from an amazing weekend. Two of my best friends got married and it was just as magical as I hoped it would be. Somewhere in all the chaos, overwhelming emotion, and pure joy I managed to log a measly 8 hours of sleep over 48hrs…
Oops.
[Read more…]Crispy Crab Cakes with Avocado Grapefruit Salsa make a wonderful summertime appetizer or even light lunch. The simple crab cake is a light accompaniment for the rich and bright avocado grapefruit salsa. You’ll really wow whomever you serve this to!
I’ve always wished I could have spent more time on the East Coast growing up… I remember going out to Cape Cod and Florida throughout my younger years to visit grandparents and my vast extended family. I would spend hours each day playing on the beach and in the ocean, returning with sandy feet to a big family dinner every night.
[Read more…]Grilled Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp Tacos take typical shrimp tacos to the next level with savory bacon and bold Badia seasoning. Pair it with the crisp Santa Rita Sauvignon Blanc and you’re in summertime heaven.
Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Badia and Santa Rita. As always, all opinions and recipe are my own.
Who can resist bacon-wrapped shrimp?
The answer is NO ONE.
Anytime I see bacon-wrapped shrimp on a menu or at a party, it’s the first thing I head for. My friend who I just visited in Charleston can attest to this… I literally dragged her to a restaurant I heard about on a carriage tour of downtown Charleston that serves up crab-stuffed bacon-wrapped shrimp. The moment we got out of the carriage I was like, “we’re going, RIGHT NOW.”
[Read more…]Pineapple Jalapeno Smash is a sweet and spicy cocktail that’s guaranteed to cool you off this summer. Pair it with your heavy grilled meats for a refreshing twist on your next backyard BBQ!
I’m back to a “normal” routine again after my trip to Charleston last week. Of course, there’s no way in hell I was going to get there without a cocktail or two (you do know me, don’t you?).
Getting back into the swing of things after a vacation is probably my least favorite feeling in the world.
Usually I build in an extra day of vacay after I get home to compensate for all the unpacking, laundry, time change, etc.
Alas, the woes of a self-employed gal kick in and I did not have the luxury to spend a day in bed sleeping and continuing my marathon of Supernatural (Sam and Dean though… I just can’t). [Read more…]
Grilled Honey Sriracha Wings are those sticky sweet and spicy that you crave, grilled over charcoals to give you an extra depth of flavor. Fair warning: you’ll be licking your fingers and fighting over the last piece!
Sun’s out, grill’s out! The one thing I love about summertime is all the grilling. Not even necessarily me firing up my own grill. I love finishing up a long day’s work, retiring to the back patio (retiring… yikes that makes me sound old, doesn’t it?) with a glass of whatever I whip up for cocktail hour, watching my pup go nuts chasing bees and smelling charcoals burning somewhere in the distance.
The smell of charcoals or a good fire just makes me sink into that summer lazy feeling with all my might. [Read more…]
Boozy Chocolate-Covered Raspberry Smoothies are the one cocktail that’ll satisfy your indulgent side without ruining all the work you’ve put into that summer bod. No one will even realize these smoothie cocktails are so healthy!
I just made you a healthy way to do cocktail hour (which means it’s ok to hit you with two cocktails this week, right?). Yep, I committed to making a healthy cocktail, or as my bestie Susannah lovingly calls it, “an oxymoron smoothie.”
You all KNOW me. I get on the healthy train as much as I can, but when it comes to my cocktails… Heaven help me, I can’t give them up. My affinity for cocktail hour at the end of the day is just too strong and I refuse to give it up. I also refuse to give up patio day drinking when the weather gets nice. [Read more…]
The Rocket Sandwich is a riff on a sandwich I fell in love with when I lived in Rome. It’s been upgraded with the much-needed addition of avocado and a peppery lemon spread that you’ll want to use on everything.
When I lived in Rome, after the first couple of days being there on my own, I realized just how expensive living on my own in a foreign country was. It took my roommates and I a couple days, a couple nice meals out and the exchange rate to smack us into reality pretty quick.
As soon as we realized how much we had to stretch our dollars, we went on the hunt for cheap eats around our apartment. There was this one sandwich shop with 3-euro sandwiches that actually tasted more delicious than all the pasta we’d been inhaling. [Read more…]
The Siesta Cocktail is a delightful combination of tequila, Campari and grapefruit juice. This drink isn’t too strong and gives you an extra boost of acidity and freshness with every sip.
Normally I am not a tequila girl. Save for the margaritas I love to down on Taco Tuesday, or anytime I dare to venture to The Rio in downtown Denver, I usually stay away from tequila.
I mostly attribute this to a particular friend who encouraged one too many tequila shots into my system throughout college and well into my mid-twenties. Tequila was 100% her go-to libation of choice, and it got me into trouble every single time. [Read more…]
Breakfast Taquitos are a spicy flavorful breakfast that will wake you right up in the morning. They can be devoured the morning of, or you can even make them ahead and freeze them for the rest of the week.
I’m sure I’ve mentioned it before, but I’m not generally a big breakfast person. I reserve breakfasts for special weekend celebrations, brunches and the occasional nursing of a hangover. That is, except for taquitos.
Taquitos have been a weakness ever since college when I used to run over to the 7-11 to stuff my face with a couple before class each morning. Cereal in the food hall didn’t always cut it, you know? [Read more…]
Sparkling Grapefruit Old Fashioned is a summery update on the classic cocktail with just the right splash of bubbles and citrus. I swap out traditional rye whiskey for bourbon because of bourbon’s slightly sweeter notes, ideal for this lighter take.
I’m struggling a bit this week, I’m going to be real honest. I had an awesome Monday – I busted out recipes left and right, I met surprise deadlines and I felt so accomplished. Oh and did I mention that was all on about 5 hours of sleep?
Then I shattered an entire bottle of beer on Tuesday (epic explosion, it was all over the walls and down the stairs to the basement) and I dropped my camera battery on my toe yesterday, so my feet are now covered in cuts and bruises…
It’s like Monday was this shining, gloriously productive today and the rest of the week is seriously falling short. Self-inflicted injuries aside, I’m moving slowly through my work and I’m not getting nearly enough done before the long weekend (crossing my fingers I can still take a solid 2 or 3 days off at this point). [Read more…]
