Host a Festive Easter Brunch

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There is no better way to celebrate Easter, and the wonderful days of Spring, than with a scrumptious midday meal!  This one is filled with a wonderful array of dishes from Pork Loin, spring Strawberry salad, and luscious carrots.

Check out the menu with recipes below.

2017 Easter Brunch Menu

Pear Sparklers

Plum and Marscapone Crostini

Fresh Strawberry Salad

Strawberry Hot Cross Buns

Ginger and Herb Roasted Pork Loin

Classic Mashed Potatoes

Steamed Carrots in a Garlic Ginger Sauce

Individual Strawberry White Chocolate Trifles

Menu

Start the holiday right by offering Pear Sparklers in fancy goblets.  This light and refreshing drink is non-alcoholic but the addition of vodka would turn this into an adult cocktail.

Set out a platter of Plum and Marscapone Crostini for family and guests to nibble on while you put the finishing touches to the rest of the meal.

Spring salads can be a delight.  Present them with this Fresh Strawberry Salad that is bursting with in season strawberries, pecans, spinach, and feta.

Strawberry Hot Cross Buns are a holiday tradition.  The addition of strawberries just elevates it up a notch and screams spring.

Make this year's main entrée a beautiful and delicate Pork Loin.  Roasting this  Ginger and Herb Roasted Pork Loin  caramelizes the outside and produces a tender and juicy cut of meat. 

Potatoes are a traditional side dish at most holidays.  These Classic Mashed Potatoes will make the whole meal warm and comforting.

Spring carrots make an excellent side dish.  Serve my Steamed Carrots in a Garlic Ginger Sauce which compliment the pork loin perfectly.

Move over carrot cake, there's a new favorite in town! Individual Strawberry White Chocolate Trifles  make a dazzling individualized dessert that your guests will love.



For more Easter inspiration use the search word "Easter" in the search bar to the side.

Benefits of Oranges

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There is still plenty of citrus in the markets, so before it goes away until next year I wanted to talk a little about Oranges.

Oranges are one of the greatest members of the citrus family.  Nutrients in oranges are plentiful and diverse. The fruit is low in calories, contains no saturated fats or cholesterol, but is rich in fiber.

Oranges, like other citrus fruits, are an excellent source of vitamin C, vitamin A, and other antioxidants.  They also contain minerals like potassium and calcium.  Oranges are in season  from October to February/March, (depending on the variety) although I am still seeing these delicious beauties everywhere.  Some varieties of sweet oranges are Valencia, Navel, Persian variety, blood orange, and Cara Cara.

I'm IN LOVE with Cara Cara oranges right now!

Oranges can be kept at room temperature for a week or so. They will also stay fresh for a few weeks in the refrigerator.  

Celebrate the goodness of oranges while they are still around!  Here are some of my favorite orange recipes:




Orange Salad with Arugula and Spinach






Simple Asian Salad







Blood Orange and Pear Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette






California Salad

Orange Iced Tea

Pork Chops in an Orange-Cumin Sauce

Caribbean Chicken Salad


Enjoy!

Using Leftovers: Pumpkin Pie Milkshakes

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I usually don't ever have leftover pumpkin pie that I don't know what to do with!

We usually just eat it all...

However, there have been times when we had multiple desserts and just too much pumpkin pie to finish before it gets old.  So I have a delicious and easy way to use that leftover pumpkin pie!

PUMPKIN PIE MILKSHAKES

This shake is the real deal....it's made with actual pie!

You are going to love this Pumpkin Pie Milkshakes.  And the kids?...forget about it!  This drink is really off the hook.  By putting a slice of pie, crust in all into the shake you get a chunky texture that tastes like mix-ins at your favorite ice cream parlor. 

So if you are planning on having pumpkin pie for Christmas make sure to save a couple of slices and make these Pumpkin Pie Milkshakes.  They are soooo good!

Enjoy!






Pumpkin Pie Milkshakes

serves 1-2

1 slice of pumpkin pie (crust and all!)
1 -2 scoops of vanilla ice cream
1/3 - 1/2 c milk
Garnish:  whipped cream, sprinkles

Place all ingredients in a blender.  Turn on blender and blend until all ingredients are combined, leaving a little texture from the crust.

Pour in tall glasses and serve.

Strawberry Lime Slushy

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I'm loving the California strawberries this year.  They are so sweet, plump and a juicy red!

There nothing better than biting into a juicy strawberry on a hot day, don't you think?

Well possibly one thing that could be better is drinking them instead, preferably while sitting in the pool cooling off!

So I grabbed my fresh strawberries and started out making us fresh drinks with a virgin strawberry margarita in mind but more on the slushy side with lots of crushed ice.  Perfect for a hot day while lazing by pool.

With very few ingredients and using all fresh fruits you can create a wonderful cooling drink!  Just throw it all in a blender and give it a whirl.  It's as simple as that...but tastes like HEAVEN!

Enjoy!

Strawberry Lime Slushy

serves 2

1 c water

2 T lime juice

4 T sugar
2 c fresh strawberries, hulled
2 c ice cubes

Optional:  Straws for drinking

Place all the ingredient in a blender. Blend until ice has crushed and everything is blended.   Pour into glasses and enjoy!

Summer Drinks: Tropical Green Tea Cooler

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I've found my drink love for the summer. 

I was wandering around the mall parched from all the shopping, when I stopped in a random coffee house to get something to quench my thirst.  They had a wonderful array of cold drinks.  Typically I gravitate to iced tea.  That's my main stay.

But today something came over me and I decided to try their Green Tea Specialty Drink.  I was blown over by the light refreshing taste.  So much so that I new I had to try and recreate this at home.  After several tries I got it down.  I dare say, mine is even better!

You don't need a fancy blender for this recipe.  Nope!  Just a couple ingredients, a tall glass and some ice and you are set.  This will become your drink of the summer as well.  Just one taste and you'll be hooked.  Promise.

This is the perfect non-alcoholic drink, so it's kid-friendly.  Serve this at a BBQ, picnic, or a potluck.  It's versatile and oh so tasty!

Kitchen Note:  This recipe is based upon a ratio of liquids instead of exact measurements.  This will allow you to use this ratio for a glass or a pitcher of drinks.  Also, I used a sweetened ice tea.  If you use one that is unsweetened you may need to add 1 tsp of sugar to the drink.  Try it first unsweetened and then add to taste.

Enjoy!



Tropical Green Tea Cooler

serves 1

Ice cubes
Green Iced Tea ( I used Gold Peak Green Iced Tea)
Mango Puree ( such as Kern's)
1 tsp lime juice
optional:  sugar to taste, if not using sweetened tea

Fill a tall glass with ice cubes.  Pour in 2/3 of the glass with Green Iced Tea.  Fill in the last 1/3 of the glass with Mango puree.  Add the lime juice and stir to combine.  Serve immediately.

Fresh Strawberry Milkshake

Ice cream is a weakness of ours.

We just love the creamy goodness but sometimes we like to shake it up a bit from our usual scoop of ice cream.

This time we turned our favorite dessert into a creamy, dreamy, Fresh Strawberry Milkshake!  Oh man was it good! We had just come from the farmers market and had bought extra strawberries to make a shortcake with but I couldn't help myself, and decided to put them in a milkshake.

Now I typically gravitate toward a chocolate milkshake, but something about these strawberries were calling me.  Might have been the nice spring weather, or the bright red colors. Whatever it was I was disappointed because these berries were just delicious!

A milkshake is easy to make, you just through everything in the blender and turn it on.  Voila, a perfect milkshake is born.

So now we are sitting on our patio enjoying the beautiful cool weather and a delicious Fresh Strawberry Milkshake.  Life is good!

Enjoy!



Fresh Strawberry Milkshake

serves 4

8 ounces strawberries, cored and sliced
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 pint low-fat vanilla ice cream
1/4 cup 2% milk

Pour all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into glasses and serve immediately.

St. Patrick's Day dishes

I'm a wee bit of Irish I am...!

I love St. Patrick's Day.  Everyone is Irish that day and it's filled with fun, laughter, beer, everything green, and Irish food!

My Grandmother on my Dad's side was half Irish and half American Indian.  My Great Grandmother Addie McClary migrated with her family from Ireland to Oklahoma during the Cherokee Land Strip run.  Such great history there.  I wish that my Grandmother had more Irish recipes from her mom and aunts.  But I've still got a great collection of delicious treats for you to make.

I think I should explore that side of the family and their food a little more. Don't you?  I'll put it on my ever growing 'to do' list to make some wonderful Irish dishes. Yep, that's what I'm gonna do.

We won't be here to celebrate this year but I wanted to leave you with some inspiration for celebrating with your own Irish feast.

St. Patrick's Day Cheddar Biscuits - Oh my these biscuits are good.  Hot and bursting with flavor and cute shamrocks on top.  

Pioneer Spotted Dog - One of my favorite breads.  We like to have it for breakfast with hot tea.

Chocolate Bailey's Milkshake - A 'grown up' milkshake that will have you singing "Oh Danny boy"!

Potato Cakes - One these are one of my favorite items to make with left over mashed potatoes.  I just love the flavor of these and could eat the whole batch myself!

Irish Stew - This will be warming your soul.  Serve it with the Cheddar Biscuits above or the Pioneer Spotted Dog and you will have a meal to remember.


Enjoy your St. Patrick's Day!

Sunset Punch

It's cocktail time!

One of my favorite cocktails is a Madras.  The combination of cranberry and orange juice with vodka makes a wonderful fruity drink.  Sipping this makes me feel like I'm on a tropical island with my toes in the sand and a breeze in my hair. Heaven!

So we were hosting a holiday dinner with some friends last month and I decided to make a variation of this drink.  I combined 3 fruit juices, and to make this an adult punch we topped it with some Prosecco.  

This was the perfect cocktail.  Of course I would also say that this would be the perfect blend of fruit juices to sip on a hot day without the alcohol as well!  And to make it kid friendly for a party or holiday mocktail, you can top it with sparkling apple cider, or a little sparkling water.

Just look at this color.  It looks like a sunset.
It tastes like a dream.  Dreaming of a vacation on a tropical island!

Enjoy!




Sunset Punch

1 pitcher

2 cups of orange juice
2 cups of cranberry juice
2 6oz cans of pineapple juice
1 bottle of Prosecco (substitute sparkling apple cider or sparkling water)

Add the juices to a pitcher, stir to combine.  Serve over ice filling the glass 2/3 full. Top with Prosecco.

Chocolate Peppermint Cocoa Drink and a Product Review: King Arthur Flour's Premium Hot Chocolate Mix

One of MGG's favorite pass times is going to get coffee.  I tell you it's not just an addiction, it's a "thing".

A thing like a social gathering kinda thing.  He loves his coffee and has to have it, but wants to go get coffee at a coffee house and then sits there, barely sipping his coffee. Unwinding and socializing I guess.  I tell you it really is a "thing".

So his favorite haunt is Starbucks.  Well..I must confess it's not my favorite. Only because I'm not a coffee drinker, and Starbuck's doesn't offer much for non-coffee drinkers.   So I usually end up with a Chai Latte, Hot Tea, or Hot Chocolate.

When it turns cold out I love a good hot chocolate.  I crave that chocolaty goodness which is so comforting to me, and if I can hop in my PJ's and have a cup of cocoa at home all the better!

(picture source: King Arthur Flour)

Which leads me to today's product review of King Arthur Flour's Premium Hot Chocolate Mix.  I splurged recently and order this.  The word "premium" got me.  It totally did.  So like I said I splurged on a 3lb bag of hot chocolate mix in anticipation of cocoa euphoria.  (3lbs! talk about an impulse buy).  Not to worry though, they sell this in a nice 12 oz. can as well.  

Let me tell you something.  This mix IS THE BOMB!  It is so creamy and has the best, I mean the BEST chocolate flavor. It's just incredible!  They use Guittard chocolate which in this case makes a decadent cup of hot chocolate.  I just about swooned when I had my first sip.

All you do is mix it with some hot milk and BAM!  The BEST hot chocolate to sip on.  No more Starbuck's for me.  I'm staying home and having my King Arthur Flour's Premium Hot Chocolate!

Then I got all fancy and created a Chocolate Peppermint Cocoa drink using the mix.  O M G !  Heaven!

Honestly, I've been bragging about this mix all over town. Strangers and co-workers alike think I'm off my rocker, but believe me...this stuff is good.  Try some....please...you've got to.

Below is my recipe for the Chocolate Peppermint Cocoa.
Enjoy!




Chocolate Peppermint Cocoa

serves 1

1 cup 2% milk (or whole if you choose)
3 Tablespoons Premium Hot Chocolate Mix (King Arthur Flour)
1 Tablespoon Peppermint Crunch (chopped peppermint)
Whipped Cream
Peppermint Crunch for sprinkling

Heat up the milk on the stove or 2 minutes in a mug in the microwave until the milk is nice and hot.  Add the chocolate mix and whisk to combine. Add the peppermint crunch pieces stirring until melted.  Top with shipped cream and more pepper crunch and serve.

Strawberry Agua Fresca

You know what goes well with chicken verde tacos on a warm and sunny afternoon? Agua fresca!

On Sundays, we hit the gym. We've recently gotten into spinning in our gym. Riding out on the streets around Los Angeles is a peril I'd rather not experience. With crazy drivers everywhere bicycling can be harmful to your health! Instead we spin (high-intensity, indoor cycling on stationary bikes) and we love it! It's really hard though, and after a good workout and all that sweating (or glistening for Southern girls!) all I want is an ice cold agua fresca to hydrate myself.

If you know me I frequent the farmer's markets a lot. We have a fantasic one down the street that takes place on Sundays.  So usually before our workout I hit the market and by some fresh seasonal fruit for the week, and our agua fresca! This week I found some late season strawberries....oh were they sweet! .

Essentially, agua frescas are made with pureed fruit, water, a little sugar and splash of lime juice. It can be made using a variety of fruits. I love melons and berries in mine. I've seen agua fresca all of the internet in two ways, strained and unstrained. I prefer a clean water texture with the hint of fruit so I strain mine. You can do this either way. If you like it pulpy, go for unstrained.

So make yourself a wonderful lunch, such as my chicken verde tacos , and a refreshing drink to go along with it, sit back, relax, and enjoy the day!





Strawberry Agua Fresca


yield: 4 cups

3 cups strawberries, washed and hulled

2 cups water
juice of 1 lime 

3 Tbsp sugar, more or less according to taste

In a blender add the strawberries, water, lime juice, and sugar.  Blend until liquified and sugar is well blended.  Strain through a fine mesh strainer (optional) into a pitcher.  Serve over ice.