Category: Recipes
S’mores Tarts
Buttery graham cracker crust, creamy chocolate filling, and a dollop of marshmallow meringue come together to give these s’mores tarts an elegant twist on a campfire classic.
Coconut Curry Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce
If I could fill a pool with anything in the world, it would probably be coffee or some type of melted cheese. However, if both of those options were unavailable, then I think my third choice would have to be peanut sauce. I would float on rafts made out of spring rolls, and the pool noodles would be actual noodles. It would be kind of gross, but in the best kind of way. Thai food is one of my all-time favorites, and I think the peanut sauce might be like, 80% of that reason. One of my favorite Thai restaurants in town serves it with pretty much everything on their menu from chicken satay to salads, and I am here for it. My favorite thing to eat it with is the curry puffs, which is essentially a Thai samosa. I could honestly eat three or four plates to myself. They serve all their dishes with some marinated cucumbers, and the combo of sweet, salty, tangy, and crunchy haunts my dreams. Continue reading “Coconut Curry Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce”
Coffee & Almond Ice Cream + a Smile Brilliant Giveaway!
The first time I ever remember trying coffee was when I was three years old, and it was in ice cream form. Growing up, my family and I would visit San Diego almost every summer, and on this particular trip, we were staying in Old Town. Right down a few flights of stairs from our hotel was this tiny ice cream parlor. My dad went down to the shop one night after dinner and got coffee ice cream with chopped almonds folded in. Ice cream has always been one of my favorite things, so of course I wanted to try it. He probably thought I would be unimpressed by anything coffee-flavored, but joke was on him, because coffee ice cream was just the gateway brew that fueled my addition. I clearly remember being personally offended when he told me I couldn’t have anymore (probably because of the caffeine content, but like, who doesn’t want a caffeinated three year old jumping all over the hotel room beds??). Continue reading “Coffee & Almond Ice Cream + a Smile Brilliant Giveaway!”
Caramel + Coconut Nanaimo Bars
Hello from beautiful Oregon! I’m here for the next few days road tripping through the state, and I have big plans of drinking lots of beer + coffee and buying all the cheese at Face Rock Creamery! Yesterday, we went fishing on the Umpqua River, and I caught 20 fish! I even stuck my thumb into a few of their mouths, because apparently this stiffens them up and keeps them from flopping everywhere. I wasn’t totally down with this method of fish-holding, or any method for that matter, but I did it for the ‘gram. The Umpqua River might be one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen, so for most of the journey, I sat back on the boat and admired the view. I saw at least a dozen giant birds, including some bald eagles which you can recognize because they have white butts.
Today, I head over to the coast, and apparently there will be wine tasting involved! I’m also in desperate search for some good coffee, because being in the middle of nowhere Oregon = little to no coffee options, and I’m dying of caffeine headaches. On the other hand, I found a legit drive-up ice cream spot today, which I honestly didn’t even know existed anymore, and they had cherry-dipped cones (a.k.a. the way to my heart). I vote that Reno gets an ice cream drive-up that specializes purely in cherry-dipped cones. I will invest actual money into this enterprise. Continue reading “Caramel + Coconut Nanaimo Bars”
Sparkling Strawberry Bourbon Lemonade
Ok, I know it’s been 10 days since July started, but happy July!!! Did everyone have a great Fourth? I spent mine getting fried to a lobster-y red crisp while floating the Truckee River on a donut tube, and it was *worth it*. Everyone was out, and it was like a giant Fourth of July party! The water wasn’t even that cold, and I became friends with a guy dressed like Jack Sparrow. I christened him Pirate Steve, and then he gave us a bunch of PBRs that were kept cold by the melted ice water that is the Truckee River. Pirate Steve was the ~homie~. We kept scraping our backs and booties on the rocks, since the river was fairly low, but if you don’t have battle scars, did you even float the Truckee? Continue reading “Sparkling Strawberry Bourbon Lemonade”
Thai Cucumber Salad
I just got back from Vegas, and it was hot as f%^#*@((%. I totally forgot what Vegas summer is like, and I think I almost died. There is no escape. It’s like being under a blowdryer. It’s that feeling of when you open the oven and it burns your face. It’s like your body is turning to dust and also you’re pouring a waterfall of sweat at the same time. But!!! I had so much fun. I got to go shopping with my grandma and spent probably three days worth of work on sandals. My grandpa took me to breakfast at the golf club on multiple occasions. I went to the second tiki bar of my life (the first being in Bergen, Norway, fun fact), and I drank all kinds of rum drinks and laughed with my friends. Then, I woke up with my first Vegas hangover. I breathed in a whole lot more cigarette smoke than I have ever wanted to. I also got lost in my own hometown, and I was offended. When did Vegas change the roads?? And, I found a lovely specialty coffeeshop near my childhood home, which didn’t even open until after I moved away! Continue reading “Thai Cucumber Salad”
Coconut Cream Pie with Macadamia Nut Caramel
To know me and my dad is to know that we are utterly obsessed with coconut. So I shouldn’t have been surprised when I planned a family BBQ and somehow got talked into making an entire coconut cream pie. The conversation went something along the lines of –
Me: “So we’ll have tri-tip, carrot salad, and I’ll make a pie. What else would be good with this? Some asparagus?”
My mom: “Maybe potatoes gratin.”
My dad: “I think coconut cream pie would go great with all of those things…” Continue reading “Coconut Cream Pie with Macadamia Nut Caramel”
Funfetti Pancakes
I have used more sprinkles in the past few weeks than I have over the course of my entire life. First, it was Molly Yeh’s funfetti cake, which my best friend and I decided to add extra sprinkles to, and then I unicorned it for my cousin’s sixth birthday. (Side note: The amount of effort it takes to make a unicorn horn that doesn’t look like a wiener is actually impressive, but I don’t think I did too bad for my first time?). The next notable encounter with sprinkles involved these pancakes. Back in the good old days of SSL, I made a ‘birthday cake pancakes’ recipe with ‘homemade cake batter’. As an avid anti-cake batter proponent, I was dead set on making the birthday cake pancakes that were floating around Pinterest but without boxed cake mix; at the time, this was downright impossible to find on the internet, and I went through a whole process of making homemade ‘cake batter’ that involved a food processor and a freezer. Overall, way too much time for Sunday-morning pancakes, and while they tasted like cake, it still wasn’t the perfect funfetti flavor that I was looking for. Continue reading “Funfetti Pancakes”
Everything Bagel Popcorn
Growing up, one of my all-time favorite things to do was spend the night at my grandparent’s house. My grandma and I would sew, take a ride in the golf cart, and have tea parties. My grandpa would buy me ice cream and take me to breakfast after church on Sunday mornings. Whatever sports game he was watching would blare throughout the house, and every time I smell Listerine, I think of my grandpa. He has a green comb that he keeps on a side table next to his recliner. My grandma has a violin hanging on a velvet backdrop across the room. My grandparents have lived in this house my whole life, and it’s still one of my most comforting, happy places. Continue reading “Everything Bagel Popcorn”