Ice cream is by far my biggest summer guilty pleasure. I could literally probably eat my weight in it... ha. This summer in particular, I made it my mission to try as many different ice cream shops in my area (NJ / NY) as possible. For those of you who follow me on Instagram, you are probably already aware of my ice cream obsession. I keep an ongoing "Ice Cream Bucket List" on my phone's notes app, and am constantly adding new places to try! I was able to uncover some of the best ice cream I've ever eaten this summer, and now I'm here to share the SCOOP with you! ;)
Read More
Star Spangled Smoothie
One of the best parts about the 4th of July is the FOOD! I looooove making all sorts of red / white / and blue noms around this time of year, and this year I decided to concoct a "star spangled" RWB smoothie to go along with my DIY drink pinwheels! If you've been following along, you already know that I'm a liiiiiittle bit of a smoothie addict during summer. ;)
Originally, I intended for this guy to have 3 distinct layers... but when I tried pouring the layers, it gave me a bit more of a marbled look than a defined 3-layer drink. This probably has to do with the varying consistencies.. and the fact that I haven't perfected the consistency of each layer, but I actually don't mind the marbled look. I also forgot to freeze my fruit the night before, so granted my layers were probably a bit more watery / thin than preferable. Even though it didn't turn out looking quite as I had planned, it was still delicious!
Read More
Honey Basil Pineapple Banana Smoothie
Summer = smoothie season! And since summer started on Sunday... 'tis the season! ;) My blender and I are *besties* during summatime -- and there is nothing more refreshing than a cold fruit smoothie to cool you down on a hot and sunny day! Plus, they're a great way to get vitamins and nutrients into your body (giving you a healthy boost of energy) - so you can't go wrong!
Yesterday, I was in the experimentin' mood and decided to add a few things that I don't normally throw in to my Monday morning breakfast smoothie. The first of these things was basil. We recently bought a basil plant, so I have been adding it into all sorts of things - and let me tell ya - fresh herbs are a TOTAL game changer. They add this irresistible layer of freshness to just about anything - and did not disappoint in this smoothie combo! The second thing I added was honey - because I knew honey / pineapple and honey / banana were great pairs. I suspected that when the 3 combined together, it would be nothing short of mAgiCaL. I also added a little bit of vanilla extract because, well, who doesn't love vanilla extract?! The end result was diviiiiiiiiine to say the least!
Read More
Chester - The Stars Hollow of New Jersey
This week I took a "me" day and decided to drive to the historic town of Chester, NJ. It's been weeks since I've had a good local adventure, so I took advantage of the 50 degree day we had on Wednesday. As the weather has gotten colder, my outdoor hiking ventures have sadly died down quite a bit - as I don't feel as inclined to go freeze my butt off. I have driven through historic Chester many times, and always thought it was the cutest little town upon passing by. It's a small strip of shops, but I feel like there is so much to see. I spent 4-5 hours just walking around looking at everything and taking it all in. I also have been binge-watching Gilmore Girls on Netflix, and it very much so felt like a visit to Stars Hollow.. haha.
Read More
Salted Caramel Apple Slices
Today's post is a quick snack idea! I had some leftover homemade caramel sauce from when I baked a Thanksgiving salted caramel apple pie from scratch, and I have been debating what I should do with it before it goes bad (in 3 weeks or so). You are supposed to make more sauce than what you need to make the actual pie (in order to reduce chances of burning), so I had about half of what I made for the pie leftover. The Four and Twenty Blackbirds pie book suggests re-heating it and drizzling it over ice cream sundaes (which isn't a bad idea), but I personally don't eat as much ice cream during the colder months / when snow starts falling. I thought about potentially making another pie, but decided against it since it takes so much time to do it and there really isn't any special occasion / holiday to bake it for this time around. I also didn't think my family wanted to eat the same exact pie so soon again -- it would almost detract from how special the first one was, haha.
Read More
Salted Caramel Apple: A Thanksgiving Pie Experiment
For Thanksgiving this year, I decided to take my first stab at making a salted caramel apple pie. It was only the second pie ever that I've ever made - ever. Over the summer, I made my first pie - which was a simple blueberry pie. I figured I would write a blog post about my pie-baking experience thus far, as it's definitely one of my newer food experiments that I've recently tackled (and a skill that I'm determined to hone). I used Four & Twenty Blackbirds Pie Book for a reference / recipe for both the crust and the pie filling. If you don't own the book, and are interested in baking pie - I highly recommend their book! It's filled with everything from tools to technique to seasonal recipes - and great for beginners. Four & Twenty Blackbirds is a sweet little pie shop based in Gowanus (Brooklyn, NY) and they were a place I frequented during my Pratt days. Their pie is literally to die for - so if you are in the area / in NY, I highly recommend giving them a visit!
Read More
For the First Time in Forever
Last week I went to Disney's Frozen on Ice with my dad - and for the first time in forever, we spent some quality time together. Okay, maybe that's an exaggeration (I really just wanted to make a Frozen reference in the title ;)…) my dad and I aren't that distant, lol. I guess what I mean to say is that since going away to school, I haven't been able to spend as much quality time with him or with any of my family. However, now that school is over - I have been trying to scoop up these moments even more-so. It's like being away from home (for school) made me realize just how special things like this are, and that they should never be taken for granted - and therefore, I've grown to appreciate them much more.
Now I know what you're thinking… what "grown" adult goes to see Disney's Frozen on Ice with their dad…? I may be 22, but that doesn't stop be from being a Disney fanatic - and it certainly doesn't stop me from going to Disney's Frozen on Ice (with my dad). Most 22 year olds would probably be too embarrassed to go to such a thing with their dad (let alone write a blog post about it), but not me … haha.
Read More
Apple Bread
Last Friday I baked apple bread for the first time ever. I’ve made many variations of banana bread before, but I’ve never even heard of apple bread until I started researching quick/easy apple recipes last week. I went apple-picking recently, and I have been wanting to bake something with the apples since bringing them home from the farm. They basically have been sitting in a box in the kitchen begging for me to bake something yummy with them. My first thoughts involved attempting a salted caramel apple pie because I’ve also never baked an apple pie before… but my lazy ass didn’t feel like it. I feel like you really have to be in the mood to commit time into making the perfect pie, and I guess I wasn’t feelin’ it last Friday. I made my first pie ever this summer (a blueberry pie), and it was fun and delicious and everything, but it took me the span of 3 days to make it between getting all the ingredients, making the dough from scratch, letting the dough set in the fridge, prepping the filling, cutting / weaving the lattices, and then FINALLY putting it in the oven. It was a lot of work – work that my lazy ass didn’t feel like doing at the end of last week. I do want to attempt an apple pie some day, but last Friday was not that day. Let’s be real – we all have our lazy days. Maybe I’ll feel more motivated for a special occasion … (Thanksgiving, mayhaps?)
Read More
An Afternoon at Alstede
Yesterday, I spent an afternoon at Alstede Farms (Chester, NJ) – and it was seriously the best day. It was the perfect mix of food and adventure, so it was right up my alley. ;)
The leaves in New Jersey are starting to change colors, and the air is finally getting crisper and cooler. Fall is my favorite season, and it’s finally arrived! I’ve never been to Alstede before, and can’t believe my family has never gone since we only live about 20 minutes away. While I was there, I overheard people talking about how they had come from hours and hours away. After spending the afternoon there, I totally don’t blame them for coming from so far away. It’s absolutely worth it.
Read More
MY GO-TO GUACAMOLE RECIPE
I wasn’t planning to write my second blog entry so soon, but today is a very special and important day: National Guacamole Day – so I made an exception!
Guac is one of my favorite things to both make and eat. It’s easy to make and also healthy for you – what more could ya ask for? It’s something I taught myself how to make through experimenting and made often while I was away at college. I've made it on my desk multiple times when other people were in the kitchen LOL - no need for fancy facilities or tools! ;)
Read More