This post is sponsored by Ghirardelli. Thank you for supporting the brands that help make this blog possible.

Life has been particularly busy lately. I’m sure opening a shop is part of that. But, Lonnie and I just want to have some chill time and home together. So, a coffee table date is exactly what we need and Ghirardelli Duet Hearts are the star of the event. Dark chocolate for Lonnie and milk chocolate for me.

Even though I love to cook and bake, I need a night off and creating a pretty fruit, nut and chocolate board is a perfect low effort dessert.

I set the scene with some pretty grocery store flowers, some pink taper candles, and some bubbly. And then I filled a cute heart shaped board with fresh fruit and berries, a few sweet and salty nuts, a little honey comb, Ghirardelli Duet Hearts and some cut camomile flowers.

Grazing boards are perfect for a slow, intimate evening. You don’t have to be in a rush, and picking at sweet treats while we visit is about as good as it gets.

Happy Valentine’s Day friends. I hope you feel loved and seen today.

This post is sponsored by Ghirardelli, thank you for supporting the companies that help make this blog possible.

It’s here! SPOOKY SEASON.

I’m sad that we won’t be hosting our annual Halloween party AGAIN, but don’t fret, there will still be treats. We might just have to deliver them to friends and neighbors instead. I don’t think there is anything more quintessentially Fall than a caramel apple. I really had so much fun creating these cute and creepy White Caramel Apples. They are just the right amount of spook, but not overly scary.

You don’t have to be intimidated by making these, they really were so easy to make. And Ghirardelli’s White Vanilla Flavored Melting Wafers make it a breeze. Simply melt, dip, chill and enjoy! Tempering is a very exact science, and with Ghirardelli’s melts you don’t have to fuss with that at all. And the best part – these melts tastes amazing. You’ll never use another melt again, I promise.

Ok, let’s get started. Here’s what you will need:

• apples (I used a mix of granny smiths and honey crisps)
• sticks (I foraged some twigs)
• caramel
• Ghirardelli White Vanilla Flavored Melting Wafers and Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Flavored Melting Wafers
• Candy Eyeballs

The first thing you need to do is really clean your apples. A lot of apples a waxed before hitting the grocery store shelves. If you don’t get rid of this waxy coating, your caramel will slide right off.

I soaked my apples in some cold water and an organic fruit and veggie wash. Then I made sure to dry the apples thoroughly with a towel.

You can use a popsicle stick, but I love how the natural twigs look in this apples. You will want sticks that are at least 6 inches long so that you can insert the stick quite a ways into the apple. Using a pocket knife or utility knife, sharpen one end and remove the bark. This will make spearing the apples a little easier.

And now you are ready to prepare your caramel and dip your apples. You can definitely be a super star and make your own caramel from scratch (I like this recipe best). But, you can also just buy a bag of caramels from the grocery store and melt them over the stove with a tablespoon of water. I mean….. I’m not going to tell anyone if you don’t. And whether you make your caramel from scratch or not, I do suggest scraping one vanilla bean into the warm caramel. It adds just a little extra and looks really pretty too.

Let the extra caramel run off the apples and scrape the bottom on the apple off completely. Don’t worry there will still be a pretty puddle of caramel at the bottom of the apple.

Place the freshly dipped apples on a parchment lined cookie sheet and place the apples into the fridge right away. Once the caramel cools it will solidify and you will be ready for the white layer.

Now we are ready to dip in the melting wafers! Ghirardelli Melting Wafers can be melted on the stove top in a double boiler or in the microwave at half power. I went old school and melted mine on the stove. I poured the melted wafers into a slim cylindric container so that it would be deep enough to dip the apple in.

Just like with the caramel, let the excess run off and then scrape the bottom on the apple off as well. I chose to dip my apples about halfway because I wanted to show off all the layers. You can dip as much or as little as you’d like. Place back on the parchment paper lines cookie sheet and chill in the fridge again.

Once set, you can add the eyes. I simply dabbed the back of the eye in some melted vanilla wafers and then adhered the eyes to the apples. I tried adding the eyes right after dipping the apples, but this just slid right off.

And because I was having so much fun, I decided to try some dark melting wafers and black salt caramel apples as well.

Aren’t these so pretty? This combo of the caramel, the dark melts and the salt was perfection.

I hope you try out this recipe. And let me know if you have any questions in the comments below.

Happy Halloween friends!

This post is sponsored by Samsung. Thank you for supporting the brands that help make this blog possible.

A new year always motivates me to have a little more organization and routine in my life. We’ve been working through The Month of Minimizing, where we daily tackle one area of our home that could use a little less “stuff” and a little more organizing. When we hit day 6 and cleaned out and organize the fridge, I realized again how spacious and organized my  Samsung Family Hub ™ refrigerator already was. Last year we upgraded to this fridge and we gained over 10% more space. Fridge organization is my happy place. 10% more interior space is a big deal when EVERYONE is home all the time and we are cooking and eating EVERY meal at home. With fatigue from cooking so many meals, I decided I had space to stock my fridge with a weeks worth of grab-and-go salads for both my husband and I.

I know salads are a great lunch option, but sometimes they can feel like just another task to put together. With grab-and-go salads in jars, there are not excuses. I shop and prep once and then the work is down and we can eat healthy all week. I’ve put together 3 salads and homemade salad dressing recipes for you. These are our 3 favorite salad combinations, but really you can add any of your favorite salad ingredients. (Keep reading for the recipes.)

Whenever I share a picture of the inside of our fridge, I get questions about fridge organization. I have 2 simple fridge organization ideas for you. It’s not complicated, but these two ideas really help me keep some order.

1. ZONES – Create zones so that like items need to live together. Then you don’t end up with 4 half used ketchup bottles because they get lost deep in the fridge.

2. CONTAIN – Contain those zones. I love clean fridge bins. They keep like items together and they made cleaning up spills and leaks a lot easier.

Our new Samsung Family Hub ™ refrigerator has so many great features that make it so much more then just a place to chill your food. We use the family calendar, the white board for to-do lists and chore charts, and the shopping list and live interior view is so handy when you are at the store. With the Family Hub app, you can literally see what is in your fridge no matter where you are. If I’m at the store and I’m not sure if we need more milk or eggs, I can just pull up a live view. This really is a smart grocery list and I definitely feel like I’m living in the future.

*inside view image* I need to reshoot this, but it’s a shot with the phone in hand showing the fridge interior view.

We also love being able to change up the art and photos on the Family Hub Screen from time to time. You can customize everything, from color to style to fonts.

Since we are not leaving the house much and everyone is still working from home, there are no lunch bags to pack. So, I decided to leave the dressings in separate jars and then just add a little when we are ready too eat them. Just empty the contents of the jar into a large bowl or plate, drizzle with the dressing and then toss.

Honey Mustard Spinach + Berries Salad

• spinach
• raspberries (or any other berry)
• roasted chopped almonds
• chevre or feta cheese
• red onion

Honey Mustard Dressing

• 1 tbsp. honey
• 1 tbsp. dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. lemon pepper

In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients except the olive oil. Then, while whisking, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. The dressing should begin to thicken and emusify. Refrigerate for up to a month or serve immediately.

Loaded Italian Salad

• romaine or iceberg lettuce
• cherry or grape tomatoes
• salami
• grated parmesan cheese
• black olives
• peppercino
• grated and chopped carrot

Italian Vinaigrette

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
• 3 tbsp. water
• 2 cloves of garlic minced
• 1 teaspoon fresh oregano and basil
• 2 tbsp. fresh parsley
• a pinch of red chili flakes
• 1/2 tsp. coarse salt
• 1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper

In a large mason jar combine all the ingredients and shake well.  You can add a little dressing too the bottom on the jar or you can store it in a separate jar and just add a little dressing when you are ready to eat.

Spicy Chinese Chicken + Cabbage Slaw

• shredded cabbage
• cooked chicken (I used a rotisserie chicken and removed the meat from the bones and shredded it.)
• green onions finely chopped
• mandarine orange slices
• ramen noodles
• sesame seeds
• chopped almonds

Crunch up the uncooked ramen noodles and place them on a baking sheet with the sesame seeds and almonds. Place in a 350 F oven for about 12 mins or until they are just golden and toasty.

Ginger Wasabi Vinaigrette

• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. wasabi paste (more or less depending on how hot you like)
• 1 tsp. sesame oil
• 1 tbsp. fleshly grate ginger

In a large mason jar combine all the ingredients and shake well.  This makes enough dressing for a couple salads, so go ahead and store the extra dressing in the jar in the the fridge.

We added a little spring vibe to our Family Hub screen with a picture I took of some tulips. If you have any questions about this awesome fridge, leave it in the comments below. We are definitely fans of this high tech appliance.

While folks in other parts of the country start talking about Fall in the air, we are still faced with a couple more months of Summer. So salads are our dinner go-to. But, this salad just barely hints at the coming season with some classic Fall flavors light apples + pecans. Cabbage really makes for a great salad base, but I’m not a huge fan of a creamy, mayo type coleslaw. I prefer a crisp, bright vinaigrette almost always, so this salad checks all the boxes of me. It’s really a well balanced salad with a little sweet, a little spice, lots of crunch, and a great tangy dressing (that can be used for all kinds of salads).

Apple Pecan Slaw

• 1/2 head of cabbage (shredded)
• 1 apple (finely chopped)
• 4 radishes (sliced
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro (chopped)
• 1/2 a red onion (sliced)
• Candied Curry Pecans (see recipe below)
• Honey Mustard Vinaigrette (see recipe below)

Candied Curry Pecans

• 1/2 cup whole pecan halves
• 1/4 sugar
• 1/2 tsp. curry powder
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• pinch of salt

In a shallow pan. Heat the sugar, curry, cumin and salt until the sugar starts to melt and liquify. Immediately add the pecan and stir until all the nuts are coated. Remove from the heat and spread the pecans out an a piece of parchment paper to cool. While they are still warm, but not too hot to touch, put apart the nuts that are in big clumps. You can also just let them cool completely and then chop them up as well.

Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

• 1 tbsp. honey
• 1 tbsp. dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. lemon pepper

In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients except the olive oil. Then, while whisking, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. The dressing should begin to thicken and emusify. Refrigerate for up to a month or serve immediately.

Now to assemble the salad, start with a base of the shredded cabbage, layer on the rest of the veggies. drizzle the dressing over the top and then finally top with the candied nuts just before serving. Give the salad a good toss to make sure every bite is covered with yummy vinaigrette.

We are actually going to eat this salad this weekend on our overnight camping trip. I’m going to make the dressing ahead of time and just store it in a mason jar and then I’ll just chop up all the other ingredients at our campsite. Cabbage is such a great veggie for packing and traveling with, it’s hard to get it to wilt or go limp. It’s made for outdoor eating. Happy Weekend friends!

What kind of a Californian would I be if I didn’t have a go-to guac recipe? I think after over 20 years living here, I finally have landed on my BEST guacamole recipe. This guac is a little decadent with creamy chevre and has a little crunch with toasted pepitas – the perfect combo.

After I shared this recipe on stories, I’ve gotten quite a few requests to put this recipe on the blog for future reference. So, here it is friends.

Goat Cheese Guacamole

• 3-4 large avocados
• 1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro
• juice of two limes (or lemon)
• 3-4 garlic cloves
• salt + pepper
• 1 tbsp. hot sauce (I like the Chipotle Cholula)
• 1 jalapeno seeded and diced
• 6 oz. chevre or goat cheese (cut into 1/2 inch chunks)
• 1/4 cup pepitas (toasted pumpkin seeds)

In a large bowl, peel and pit the avocados. Using a fork (or a pastry blended is what I use) mash up the avocados. I like my guac a little chunky. Add the all the ingredients, except the goat cheese and pepitas and mix well. Gently fold in the goat cheese and pepitas. I like there to still be a few chunks of the cheese. Add a few more pepitas to the top and serve with tortilla chips.

And for the BEST guac, I recommend getting fresh, ripe avocados from your neighbors tree 🙂

So, do you like to stick only with the “classic” version of a recipe, or are you one of those folks that likes the TWIST? I’m obviously always team twist! I appreciate the craft and history of a classic, but I like adding something a little unexpected or fresh take. A good example is yesterday I made fresh strawberry jam, but I added lavender and lemon because I like to play with flavors. So, where do you stand? Team classic or team twist?

Before I say anything else here, I just want you to know that I am sharing this as a resource to maybe alleviate some stress at this time. I do not, in anyway, what to add to the panic or worry that you my be experiencing.

This is a crazy time for our world. Covid-19 has brought so much change, fear and disruption to our lives lately. I don’t know about you, but I feel better when I have some sort of tangible action I can take (and that is not hoarding toilet paper). And to be completely honest, we are actually down to 2-3 rolls, and I haven’t been able to find any at the stores. But, life can be lived without toilet paper, we can survive that. Stocking up with some food to feed my family for the next couple of weeks did feel like an action I could take. And, I fully understand that I am coming from a place of privilege, that I even have the resources to do this for my family.

I shared on IG stories, a couple days ago, that I was headed to the store armed with a list of meal ideas. And quite a few of you asked for me to share that list. This list is not recipes, but more just ideas. I know I often head to the store or try to plan meals and can’t think of a single thing my family likes or that I know how to make. So, maybe this will help you as you prepare for a couple weeks of social distancing.

2 Weeks of Meal Ideas

1. Loaded Nachos + Guacamole
2. Tuna Melts + Tomato Soup
3. Sausage, Potato + Kale Soup
4. Chicken Pad Thai
5. Swedish Meatballs, Mashed Potatoes, Gravy + Peas
6. Chicken Curry, Rice + Naan
7. Veggie Frittata
8. Pesto Chicken Pasta
9. Salmon + Roasted Veggies
10. Loaded Ramen
11. Spagetti
12. Breakfast for Dinner – Biscuits, Bacon, Egg and Cheese Sandwiches
13. Dumpling Soup
14. Mac + Cheese

I planned meals, kind of the way I would for camping. I bought items that have a long shelf life, don’t need to be refrigerated, or are frozen. Please know that I did not stockpile 6 peanut butters or 18 loaves of bread, just enough food to make meals for a couple weeks. And if for some reason, life goes back to normal very soon, this is all food that I can use and not waste.

And since my kids will probably be home more (with schools closing left and right), I also stocked up on lunch supplies.

Lunch

• Bread
• Cheese
• Lunch Meat
• Peanut Butter
• Crackers
• Nuts
• Dried Fruit
• Apples

And for breakfast I made sure I had these items.

Breakfast

• Cereal
• Milk
• Oatmeal
• Bread
• Green Juice (that my kids LOVE)
• Granola
• Yogurt
• Protein Powder + Spinach for Smoothies
• Powdered Milk or UHT milk for backup

And if we are going to be home for a few weeks, we are probably going to need to make cookies or brownies, so I double checked my pantry to make sure I had the staples.

Baking Staples

• Flour
• Sugar
• Brown Sugar
• Butter
• Eggs
• Chocolate Chips
• Cocoa

And then because this is a virus we are dealing with, I stocked up on some vitamins to help us keep our immune systems in good working order and some basic cleaning supplies

Vitamins + Supplements

• Elderberry Chewable Supplements
• Multi Vitamins
• Kid’s Immunity Chewable Supplements
• Emergen-C
• Pain Reliever
• Zinc
• Vitamin C

Cleaning Supplies

• Bleach
• Disinfecting Wipes
• Hand Sanitizer
• Anti Bacterial Hand Soap

I know this list may have some holes and I’m sure I’m forgetting something really important, but hopefully it can help you start to plan as you brave the grocery store this week. Please add an items I missed in a comment below, and I’ll update this ASAP. Please don’t let fear steal your joy, but feel empowered with a little preparation. And then enjoy sometime at home with your family. Stay healthy and well-rested friends.

I’m also putting together a list of home projects that you can tackle if you are healthy and just practicing social distancing. That blog post is coming SOON!

This post is sponsored by Ghirardelli. Thank you for supporting the companies that help make this blog possible.

Is there any better way to say I LOVE YOU then with cake? Chocolate Buttermilk Cake, with Dark Chocolate Ganache Filling and Fresh Strawberry Buttercream Icing – now that combo has to express your affection.

I teamed up with Ghirardelli to make these sweet little Valentine’s Day cakes. They are perfect for a little Galentine’s Day get together, a romantic dessert for two, or box them up and deliver them to the folks you love. Each cake is topped with a Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate Caramel Duet Heart and Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramel Duet Heart and then lots of fresh fruit and edible flowers.

And while these look like something you might buy at a fancy bakery, they are actually very easy to make. This chocolate cake is my go-to recipe that I’ve been making since I was a teenager. And the Fresh Strawberry Buttercream Icing is my mom’s recipe that she has perfected over the years. And it might be my all time favorite frosting. You don’t need to have a special heart shaped baking pan to make these, I simply baked the cake on a large sheet pan and then cut the hearts out with a large heart shaped cookie cutter.

Chocolate Buttermilk Cake

• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups flour
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup Ghirardelli 100% Cocoa
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup butter
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 2 eggs

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line a large cookie sheet pan or jelly roll pan with parchment paper.

In a small pan, bring the water and butter to a boil and then simmer until the butter is fully melted. Remove from the heat.

In a large bowl, combine the sugar, flour, salt and cocoa. Mix with a whisk to combine.

In a small dish, dissolve the baking soda in the buttermilk. Add the eggs and beat with a fork.

Add the water and butter mixture and the egg and buttermilk mixture to the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined and there are no lumps. Pour the batter into the prepared baking sheet and bake for 15 mins. at 400 F.

All the cake to cool completely. Using a large heart shaped cookie cutter (mine was 4 inches wide) cut out 12 hearts.

Then the cakes are layered with dark chocolate ganache in the center and a generous amount of buttercream piped all over the tops of the cakes.

Fresh Strawberry Buttercream Icing

• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 tbsp. strawberry puree

In a blender or food processer, place about 6 strawberries, blend until a pureed.

In a stand mixer, place the room temperature butter and beat. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla and strawberry puree. Beat on high for at least 4 mins. or until the icing is very light and fluffy.

To assemble the cakes, place the first tier on a plate, pipe the outside edge with the Fresh Strawberry Buttercream and then fill the middle with Dark Chocolate Ganache. Then place a second heart shaped cake on top and pipe the entire top of the cake with the buttercream.

Then embellish the tops of the cakes with Ghirardelli Chocolates, fresh fruit and edible flowers. Here’s some ideas for fruits and flowers that work well on cakes.

Fruit

• Raspberries
• Strawberries
• Peaches
• Nectarines
• Kiwis
• Blackberries
• Gooseberries
• Blueberries

Edible Flowers

• Camomile
• Pansies
• Violets
• Mint Leaves
• Lavender
• Hibiscus
• Carnation
• Nasturtium
• Peony

Easy Dark Chocolate Ganache

• 4 oz. bar of Ghirardelli Bittersweet Chocolate 60% Cacao Baking Bar
• 1/4 cup heaving whipping cream

Place the heaving whipping cream in a small pot and heat on the stove top till it just comes to a simmer (do not bring to a boil).

Place the chocolate bar in a blender or food processor and pulse until the chocolate bar is small crumbles. Pour in the very warm cream and pulse again until the chocolate melts completely.

While the ganache is still warm, spread the ganache in the center of the bottom tier of each cake. You can be quite generous with this.

Note: I piped a little wall of buttercream on the bottom tier to start, this helped hold my ganache in the center of the cake. (see image above)

And these little cakes are perfect for gifting. Box them up, add a bow and deliver them to all the folks you love. And now I’m ready for Valentine’s Day!

This post is sponsored by Fetzer Wines. Thank you for supporting the awesome brands that help make this blog possible.

I’m back with another Thanksgiving side dish that is a crowd pleaser. Earlier this week I shared yummy a Chevre + Sage Sweet Potato Bake and today I’m sharing a fresh + festive Fall Brussel Sprout Salad. Even if you think you don’t like brussel sprouts, I’m pretty sure I can convert you with this crisp, loaded salad.

This is another “twist on a traditional” Thanksgiving recipe that I came up with for Fetzer Wines. As I mentioned before, their Shaly Loam Gewurztraminer White Wine pairs perfectly with Thanksgiving’s star – turkey! So, they challenged me to come up with some fresh, new sides.

My family loves brussel sprouts when they are finely shaved and eaten raw like in this salad. It’s when the are boiled or even roasted sometimes that they get stinky and a little less appealing. A raw brussel sprout is a whole different veggie.

While you can definitely drink a glass of Fetzer’s Shaly Loam Gewurztraminer  with your meal, I took it one step further and created a salad dressing with the base being a white wine reduction. It’s a very yummy dressing if I do say say so myself.

Festive Fall Brussel Sprout Salad

• 6-8 cups brussel sprouts, finely shaved
• 1/2 cup asiago cheese shavings
• 1 pomegranate
• 6 dates, pitted and finely chopped
• 1/4 cup pecans, chopped
• 1/4 cup sugar
• Dijon Maple Dressing (see below)

Start by candying the pecans. In a hot skillet or fry pan sprinkle the sugar in an even layer. Set the heat to medium high, and watch until the sugar begins to melt and liquify. Immediately add the chopped pecans and toss in the molten sugar to coat all the nuts. Remove from the heat and immediately pour out the nuts onto a sheet of parchment paper. Allow them to cool completely and then break apart the nuts that have stuck together. 

In a large bowl, toss the brusel sprouts with all the Dijon Maple Dressing. Add the remaining ingredients, but set aside a little of each ingredient to add to the top of the salad. Toss gently. Serve on a large platter and sprinkle with the set aside pomegranate, dates, candied pecans, and cheese.

This salad holds up quite well even if it is made a couple hours earlier. The brussel sprouts do not get soggy.

Dijon Maple Dressing

• 1 cup of Fetzer’s Gewurztraminer White Wine
• 2 tbsp. maple syrup
• 2 tbsp. dijon mustard
• 1/4 tsp. course sea salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1/4 olive oil
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 2 tbsp. white balsamic vinegar

Start by putting the wine in a small sauce pan and simmer until in reduces to 1/2 cup. Set aside and let come to room temperature. In a large lidded jar, place all the ingredients. Shake vigorously for at least 1 minute to combine. The dressing should thicken a bit as the oil emulsifies. 

And to totally brag, you guys, these pomegranates are from out tree! Ya, living in California is not so bad.

Oh and I have one more side dish to share with you, come back tomorrow for an easy, quick bread recipe. Buttery, herby biscuits are so much easier to make than yeast rolls and no one will be disappointed with this shortcut.