Monday, June 30, 2014

Mixology Monday: Ginger Slush

It's no secret that I'm a fan of anything flavored with ginger. I simply can't get enough of the stuff. That's why this summer cocktail Bon Appetit magazine is so delicious. It doesn't have a name, but it can best be described as a frozen, boozy, peach ginger slushy.


Here's what you'll need (serves 2):
  • 2 cups of ice
  • 3 cups of sliced, peeled peaches
  • 2 tbsp. finely grated ginger
  • 6 oz. bourbon
  • 3 oz. simple syrup 
  • 2 oz. fresh lemon juice
Mix together in a blender until a slush forms.

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Lego Fusion Is Here!

Have you heard about LEGO's latest release that lets you view your LEGO creations in 3D and interact with them? It sounds amazing! All you need is a special fusion kit and a tablet or smartphone with the LEGO app loaded on it. So cool. I can't wait until my boys are old enough to enjoy stuff like this.


Friday, June 20, 2014

Champagne Vinaigrette and Fig Chicken

We were low on dinner options a few nights ago so I pulled a bottle of champagne vinaigrette salad dressing from the pantry and started Googling recipe options. Within minutes, I found this beauty from Trader Joe's. Since we didn't have a full chicken on-hand, I made a few adjustments. We ended up with one of the juiciest chicken dishes I've ever had in my entire life. So good!

The end result. Looks good, doesn't it?
Here's how it's made:

  • 4 chicken breasts
  • 1/2 bottle of champagne vinaigrette dressing
  • 1/2 jar of Dalmatia orange fig jam
  • 1/2 jar of Maille Old Style whole grain dijon mustard
  • 4 tbsp. melted butter

Preheat oven to 350. Place the chicken breasts in a 9x13 baking dish. Put the dressing, jam, mustard, and butter in a blender for 30 seconds, then pour over the chicken breasts. Bake in the oven for 1.25 hour or until the chicken reaches a temperature of 165.

If you're feeling adventurous, you could even stuff the chicken with dried fruit and cheese before baking. Maybe a gouda/cherry combination. Lots of possibilities!

Friday Funny

Will chain mail ever die? Happy Friday everyone!

Friday, June 6, 2014

Friday Funny

Happy Friday! If this week left you feeling like you did nothing but run in circles (true for me, anyway), then you'll enjoy this video. Have a great weekend everyone!

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Sweet Nectar(ines) of the Gods

Summer is here and so are delicious nectarines, one of my favorite fruits. In fact, I went a little overboard at the grocery store the other day and came home with a whole bag of them. Not such a bad thing, as it got me thinking about new recipes. Why eat a plain old nectarine when you can have nectarine upside-down cake or nectarines with basil and fried mozzarella? Am I right? Here are some of the ideas I considered whipping up. In the end, my sweet tooth prevailed and I made the upside-down cake. It's absolutely delicious with a scoop or two of Talenti Butter Pecan ice cream. So good!

Fried mozzarella, basil, and balsamic

Upside-down cake

Pancakes. Sweet and simple.

Pizza

Monday, June 2, 2014

Mixology Monday: Bulleit Bourbon Lemonade

Happy Monday, everyone! I hope you all had a fantastic weekend. It was a low-key couple of days for us. We took a trip to the petting zoo and the grocery store and lounged around in the sun the rest of the time. (Yes, Seattle is actually sunny and warm... for about 4 months out of the year, anyway.)

Last night I decided to experiment with leftovers from our Memorial Day barbeque. I took some Bulleit bourbon and combined it with some other yummy things and the result was absolutely worthy of a Mixology Monday share. Enjoy!


Bulleit Bourbon Lemonade

2 oz. Bulleit bourbon
1 oz. Cointreau
4 oz. lemonade
2 oz. of ginger ale (or ginger beer if you prefer a bite!)

Combine ingredients in shaker with ice. Shake for 30 seconds. Strain into a lowball glass filled with ice. Add floater of ginger ale or ginger beer on top to taste.