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

Thanksgiving is just around the corner. I feel like this holiday season has literally snuck up on us. Like, wasn’t it just Halloween? And now, here we are ready to baste that turkey and bake those pies.

This Friday, my son is having his friends over for a Friendsgiving, so technically I need to be a head of the Thanksgiving game. I’ve had a few of you message me asking for some recipe ideas for Friendsgiving. I think Friendsgiving is a great chance to play a little with the Thanksgiving “classics”. You can be a little more adventurous with Friendsgiving.

I’m a huge sweet potato fan, but I’ve never been able to get behind the overly sweet, marshmallow topped versions. Chevre (goat cheese) is a much more sophisticated take on the marshmallow, don’t you think? It’s still creamy, but instead of being sugar-loaded, it’s tart and adds a nice contrast to the smooth mellow sweet potatoes.

I partnered with Fetzer Wines to create some twists on Thanksgiving classic side dishes. Their Shaly Loam Gewurztraminer pairs perfectly with turkey, so this was a really fun challenge to take on.

This Chevre + Sage Sweet Potato Bake is really very easy to make. And the best part – you can totally make this ahead and just have is ready to pop in the oven about an hour before you eat. Any dish that can be prepared ahead when you are juggling all the components of making a huge meal, is a WIN in my books.

Chevre + Sage Sweet Potato Bake

• 4-5 sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced very thin
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 tbsp. fresh sage, chopped (plus more for garnish)
• 1 tsp. course sea salt
• 1/4 black pepper
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup pepitas
• 1/2 cup Chevre (goat cheese)

Start by peeling and slicing the sweet potatoes. A mandoline slicer can be very helpful, but you can also just slice with a knife as well. Stack the sliced sweet potatoes in a glass or ceramic baking dish. They can be packed in very tightly. 

In a small sauce pan, melt the butter and add the chopped sage, salt, pepper, and maple syrup. Pour the butter mixture over the sweet potatoes. Cover with foil and bake for about 40 mins at 350 F. Remove and stick a fork in the sweet potatoes to make sure they are tender and fully cooked. Remove the foil and pour the heavy cream all over the sweet potatoes and then top with the goat cheese, dried cranberries, and a couple more fresh sage leaves. Return to the oven and bake for another 12-15 mins or until the goat cheese is creamy and melted.

So, are you a fan of the classic mashmallowy sweet potato dish, or would you be willing to be a little adventurous this year and try something new?

Come back to the blog later this week for more recipes! I have a fun fresh brussel sprout salad and some buttery, herby biscuits.

When we were in Iceland last Summer, I noticed this odd pairing of Coffee + Tonic Water in coffee shops. I mostly wanted hot coffee in Iceland, so I didn’t try it. And then this Summer, while we were in Australia, I saw it again and was reminded of this unusual pairing. I am a fan of both of these things, but up until now I enjoyed them separately. But, YOU GUYS, it’s really such a great combo. It’s like no other drink. I don’t really think it tastes like a “coffee” drink. It’s way more refreshing, but still has all the same caffeine benefits as your morning brew.

With Summer still here in a big way, I feel like I can’t get enough to drink. My 1 pm latte pick-me-up is now Coffee + Tonic!

And if it isn’t obvious, this is a super simple recipe. Fill a glass with ice, pour a shot of espresso over the ice, top off the glass with chilled tonic water and a squeeze of lime juice. It’s sweet and bitter and just perfectly delish.

This post is sponsored by Peet’s Coffee, thank you for supporting the companies that help make this blog possible. 

If you’ve been around here for a while, you know that we renovated a little Guest House attached to our garage just over a year ago. It has really been such a great addition to our home. It’s a perfect little spot for our friends and family to stay when they are in town, and when it’s available, we also host it on airbnb. It’s just so much nicer for our guests to have a space for themselves.

We’ve recently done a couple of updates in the Guest House to make it a little more comfortable. We had a big dresser in there, but just found that guests didn’t need all that storage, so we replaced it with a little loveseat and I think it’s a great addition. Before we just had one chair, so if there was two guests, someone had to sit on the bed. And as it’s getting cooler, I’m making sure there is lot’s extra blankets, fluffy robes and even softy socks so that everyone feels right at home.

When guests spend the night in our little Guest House, we try to make it as much as a home away from home as possible, and that’s why we provide a simple breakfast and good coffee. In my books, a good cup of coffee is vital for having a good day. We keep it pretty simple with a pastry, some fruit or maybe yogurt and a hard boiled egg. Recently we added a Nespresso machine and stocked it with Peet’s Coffee Espresso Capsules. There’s nothing better then waking up to a yummy shot of espresso.

I’ve long been a fan of Peet’s Coffee, whenever I’m in San Fran, it’s a MUST! But, now it’s easier than ever to have their dark, rich, and intense espresso flavor at home. And they are so easy to purchase – Peet’s Coffee Espresso Capsules are available at Amazon.com, Target, Vons, and Peets.com. They are conveniently compatible with Nespresso Original machines. And the capsules are made of aluminum.

My personal favorite is the Ristretto blend. It has a beautiful rich crema.

So, come be our guest!

It felt like was time to for a new Mocktail recipe. Our pomegranate trees are loaded right now and I’ve been looking for fun ways to use this yummy fruit. Halloween is just about here, and I’m having a little fun making spooky treats. Any drink that has ginger beer as the main ingredient is a win in my books and with the sweetness of pomegranate it’s perfect for the sweet tooth that Halloween brings.

Pomegranate Potion Mocktail

• Pomegranate Cordial (see recipe below)
• Ginger Beer
• Ice
• Fresh Blackberries + Pomegranate for garnish
• Cocktail picks and plastic teeth

In the bottom on a glass muddle, 3-4 blackberries. Add ice and fill the glass almost to the top with ginger beer. Add 1-2 oz. of the Pomegranate Cordial. Top with a sprinkling of pomegranate seeds and plastic teeth. You can also drizzle I little more of the cordial on top of teeth for a creepier look.

Pomegranate Cordial

• 3-4 pomegranates
• sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• pinch of salt

Remove all the seeds from the pomegranates. Place the seeds in a blender and blend on high. Strain the pomegranate through a strainer lined with cheese cloth to remove all the seeds and pulp. You may want to poor it through the strainer more then once. Measure the amount of juice (you should get about 3 cups). Add the vanilla and salt. You will use a 2:1 ratio for the juice to sugar. So, if you have 3 cups of pomegranate juice, add 1 1/2 cups of sugar.

Bring the mixture to a boil and keep at a rolling boil for 3 mins. Cool completely and store in an airtight jar in the fridge up to 2 weeks.

As you can see, I had lot’s of fun taking these pictures. It was fun to play with my camera.

Fall weather immediately makes us think that soups and stews are the only thing we can eat. But, I’m actually a huge fan of salads. And while most of the Summer produce is gone, here in California our farmer’s market’s are still packed with fresh veggies and fruit. This salad has that winning combination – it has yummy leafy greens, fruit, cheese and nuts. I picked up the sweetest plums and some pretty arugula at my farmer’s market and with a little bite from some parmesan and a crunch from some pumpkin seeds you just can’t go wrong.

I served this salad to my church bible study group and everyone loved it. One of the guests even confessed that she never eats salad and that this was delicious! This might be one of my favorite salad dressing recipes of all time. If given the choice between a vinaigrette or ranch, vinaigrettes always win for me. I really love making salad dressings, they are quick and easy and then you know exactly what you are eating. This maple vinaigrette is just the right amount of sweet and tangy and feels like they perfect dressing to take me through the colder months.

Plum, Parmesan, and Pepita Salad

• a large bag of arugula (about 6 cups)
• 2-3 ripe plums
• parmesan shavings
• 1/4 cup roasted and salted pepitas
• Maple Balsamic Dressing (see recipe below)

Wash and dry the arugula well. Place in a large bowl. Top with slices of the plum cut into 1/4″ thick wedges. Sprinkle with the pepitas and using a vegetable peeler, shave off thin slices of the parmesan. Just before serving, drizzle a generous amount of the Maple Balsamic Dressing all over the salad.

Maple Balsamic Dressing

• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp. dijon or grainy mustard
• salt and pepper

Place all the ingredients in a glass jar, seal with a lid and shake vigorously for 30 secs. The dressing should be quick thick. Taste and add more salt or pepper if needed.

It’s such a pretty salad as well. What is your favorite Fall inspired salad? Would you agree that any salad that has fruit + nuts + cheese is the way to go? Salads shouldn’t just be veggies, there’s so much opportunity to experiment and play.

Well friends, long time no see. Unless you are following me on instagram, I’ve been very silent here. I’ve missed the blog, a lot. The last couple of months have been a crazy whorl wind. I have so many things I want to share with you, but by the time I get to the end of the day. For weeks now I have written blog posts in my calendar and then just haven’t had the time to follow through and get the posts live.

So, today I’m starting with baby steps and I’m sharing a little behind the scenes I’ve what I’ve been up to. I’m going to do my very very best to get a couple more posts out this week, but to start I thought I’d share some of the freelance work I’ve been doing lately. I love a lot of aspects of my weird, every changing job, but food styling and photography holds are very special spot in my heart. In the last couple of months I’ve worked with my friend Shannon, of Purveyor House, on some images for REDHOUSE Beef, to style and photograph some of their product.

Shooting raw and even cooked meat was a great creative challenge for me. It’s a totally different ball game from shooting pretty cocktail. I really wanted to play with a dark moody vibe with these images and now I’m in LOVE. The black backdrop and dark props have stolen my heart. I’ve been a sucker for bright, white marble for quite a while now, so it was fun to experiment and push myself a little. Anyways, all this to say, I’m kind of proud of these images I styled, cooked and photographed – so, I wanted to show you.

This loaded burger was super yummy, and served on Baker’s Outpost bread – win, win!

This might be favorite image of all. I love the texture and depth of the ice. It’s kind of a creepy image if you look at it too long, but it also feels a cool still life more then just a step in a recipe shoot.

This black salt is the BOMB (is that even cool to say anymore?). Anyways, the color is killer and it was a perfect contrast to the red meat.

After 3 big shoots with REDHOUSE, I’ve collected a very extensive prop closet for Red House. I think it’s kind of what I do best (find cool old crap). Like this vintage red butter knife.

If you are local to Bakersfield, I highly recommend their products. You can order online and even pick up at the ranch.

And should apologize if your are a vegan or vegetarian – there is A LOT of meat in this post. But you should know that REDHOUSE herds spend their days grazing on lush land, roaming the foothills and live in a stress-free environment. Their ranch’s grass fuels the animals, and is designed for what they need at this stage.

If you follow me on instagram, you know that our family likes to camp. Number 1. we love the outdoors, and number 2. camping is so affordable. We can’t always splurge on a hotel for a family of 5, but pitching a tent costs almost nothing. Camping allows our family quality time together and affordable travel.

When you are outdoors all day hiking and exploring, food is pretty important. My kids are always staring when we camp. And if you are missing some of the luxuries of sleeping indoors, like beds, showers and flush toilets, then having yummy meals feels like something special.

So, after lots of requests for some camping recipes and menus, I’m sharing a typical 3-day camping trip menu that we eat when sleeping under the stars. This is actually what we ate this last Spring Break when we were in Joshua Tree National Park. All this food fits in one cooler and we cook on a one burner camp stove or over the fire.

Day 1

• BREAKFAST – Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins (this recipe can be made with semi sweet chocolate chips or white chocolate chips) and Oranges
• LUNCH – Pasta Salad + Kale Chips
• DINNER – Sweet and Sour Meatballs

We usually leave very early in the morning so a grab and go breakie is a must. I can’t think of the last time we went camping and I didn’t make a batch of Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins before we left.

I like to make cooking at the campsite as easy as possible. Sometimes that means I don’t cook at all, I do all of it ahead of time in the comfort of my well stocked kitchen. Pasta Salad is a must when we car camp (When I say car camping, this is when you pitch your tent near your car and you aren’t backpacking in. So, you can have a cooler with food in it.) This is a recipe that Lonnie’s mom has made for years. And it’s really not a recipe at all. It’s a big package of spiral pasta cooked and then black olives, peppers, sun dried tomatoes, pepperoni, parmesan cheese, red onion, pepper jack + cheddar cheese cubes, and italian dressing are all added. I mix it up well and then store it in a couple large ziploc bags in the cooler. The kale chips are also made ahead and stored in a ziploc bag.

We love hobo meals (or foil package meals as some folks call them) – these are meals that are cooked wrapped in foil and placed in the coals of a fire. It’s no mess, no pots and pans and no dishes!

Day 2

• BREAKFAST – Corn and Green Chili Breakfast Burritos
• LUNCH – Lemon Chicken Garbanzo Bean Salad, Baby Carrots + Strawberries
• DINNER – Grilled Cheese with Apples + Smokies Over the Fire

As I mentioned before, we camp with a tiny one-burner camp stove. So, these burritos are made in one very small IKEA frying pan.

For lunch, again there is another made-ahead meal. This garbanzo bean salad is something we eat regularly at home as well. Garbanzo beans are great for making in advance, they don’t go mushy and they are a great source of protein. I store this salad in a couple large mason jars in the cooler.

Who doesn’t love a grilled cheese sandwich? These are made on a baguette with thin slices of green apples and sharp cheddar or brie cheese. I always bring a stick of butter in a mason jar. And these have a generous smear of butter on both sides of the sandwich so that they get good and toasty in the fry pan. Baguettes are perfect for camping. They aren’t easily smashed and even when they are a few days old and stale, they toast up beautifully.

Day 3

• BREAKFAST – Corn Bread Pancakes with Cranberries + Orange and Bacon
• LUNCH – Peanut Butter + Honey Sandwiches with Pringles
• DINNER – Camping Charcuterie

By day 3, the cooler is usually running out of ice and you might be getting weary of cooking. So, we keep things super simple. Start by cooking the bacon first, the bacon grease that is left can be used to cook the pancakes in. Everyone will be pretty tired on this last day of camping, but the smell of bacon cooking outside their tent is guaranteed to get the up and going.

You just wouldn’t be camping if a pb+j or honey wasn’t in the mix. We like to travel with honey because it doesn’t have to be kept in a cooler. And pringles are the only chip to camp with. They are in that nifty can that keeps them from getting smashed.

I’m always a fan of charcuterie or any form of a cheese, meat + bread spread whether I’m camping or not. This is another one of our favorite no-cook camping meals. The other half of the baguette from the grilled cheese is used with this meal. A good assortment of salamis, crackers, cheese, berries, apples, jam/honey, nuts and dried fruit are sure to make everyone happy. Cost Plus World Market is my favorite place for picking up packaged meats and cheeses that don’t have to be refrigerated. They also sell the adorable tiny oil + vinegar bottles, small bags of olives and lots of nuts and crackers.

Happy National Donut day! I do love a good donut, and we always seek out a gourmet donut shop when I travel. But, nothing beats a homemade donut. When you can eat them just minutes out of the fryer and they are still piping hot and the glaze is still gooey. I grew up overseas, where there were no donuts to purchase, so I was spoiled by only having access to my mom’s homemade donuts. She only made them once or twice a year, but they were darn good.

Last we when my parents were here, my mom and I made two batches of donuts Sunday morning – chocolate cake donuts and classic glazed yeast donuts.

I follow in my mom’s tradition and make donuts a couple times a year. It’s kind of a mess, and your kitchen smells like a fryer for a few hours, but gosh my family loves it.

If you are new around here, I thought I’d share some of my donut recipes that I make often.

Cake donuts are the easiest to make, you don’t have to kneed the dough or wait for it to rise. These Lemon Old Fashioned Donuts are some of my husband’s faves. He loves anything lemon.

Last year I came up with these Faux Gourmet Donuts, so if you don’t want to touch a fryer at all, this is a great option for you. And no one needs to know that you just doctored up grocery store donuts.

These are my favorite chocolate cake donuts. Here they are shown made as Chocolate Chipotle Donuts, but you can also omit the cinnamon and chipotle and just make the good old chocolate donuts and then topped with a chocolate glaze.

I also rounded up some other really great donut recipes if you are wanting to take the dive and make a mess of your kitchen

• Maple Bacon Donuts
• Smores Donuts
• Glazed Donuts with Macaron Sprinkles
• DIY Donut Wall
• Homemade Glazed Doughnuts

Today is our last day of school!!!! YAY, we made it. Now I better get a bag packed, because we head to the airport tomorrow for Iceland! Have a great weekend friends.