4th of July Summer Drink Recipes

One of the things that I really enjoy about hot, sunny weather, is the fun, fruity, chilled drinks to help keep me cool. There are so many great variations and flavors to experiment with. As 4th of July is just around the corner, I thought I'd share some fun drinks that I came across in my recent edition of Coastal Living Magazine (July/August 2010).

While I'm not generally into overly themed parties, especially the typical red, white and blue, these drinks would be a fun addition to any upcoming BBQ or backyard party. I love that all three of these are so different from one another in not only color by flavor too. You could take your favorite and serve it at future events too. While all of these do have alcohol, sometimes you can edit them by removing the alcohol and adding in fruit, white chocolate or cacao. The first would be easiest to turn into a fruity chiller.

If red, white and blue is not your thing, HERE is a link to Coastal Living's 18 other great summer drink recipes! If you missed my post on great potluck dishes for an upcoming party you'll be hosting or attending, click to learn more about Simple and Perfect Potluck Fare.

I hope you're having a wonderful weekend!




*All images from CoastalLiving.com, header from Coastal Living Magazine July/Aug 2010

Simple and Perfect Potluck Fare

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I don't know about you but I'm a huge fan of potlucks. I love the simplicity, fun and ability to try many new dishes that I otherwise may not have tasted. Actually, I think it's safe to say that I've now been to more potlucks in the past 3 years than I have in my entire adult life. Living in Florida means more opportunity all year round for barbeques, outdoor parties and entertaining so I've started to build up quite the desktop folder of recipes.

I love homemade dishes and think they're almost a must for potlucks. I always try to bring a personal favorite that I've made a few times before, I don't like food 'surprises' when feeding others. Having said that, I love trying new recipes and if I do try something for the first time, I like to make it the night before and always make something that I am able to taste before bringing to the party. This way if it didn't go as planned I have time to whip up something else.

With spring in full swing and summer just weeks away, I know you'll all be enjoying outdoor parties soon enough and whether you are headed to a birthday party or a backyard BBQ, I thought I'd share some perfect and somewhat simple recipes that you can use to impress your friends. *winking* Sometimes the most simplistic recipes are best. As I've said before and I'll say again, when making any savory dish you can't go wrong with a pinch of sea salt, some extra virgin olive oil, fresh pressed garlic and  fresh cracked pepper-it just makes everything so much better.

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So, without further ado, here are some classy dishes (and my personal favorites) that you can make to entertain with or feed to your family. I try to make each dish as healthy as possible and keep each one I bring under $10 (several are under that like the potato salad) as I tend to use in-season and local ingredients .

Caprese Salad

Serves 10

Ingredients:

4 Tomatoes on the vine (or any other but these have the best flavor in my opinion)
2 small mozzarella balls or 1 package of pre-sliced mozarella ball

6 fresh basil leaves

1 bottle of balsamic vinegar (or you can use premade balsamic glaze)

2 tsp sugar (if not using balsamic glaze)

Preparation:

1. Slice the tomatoes into 1/2" discs and slice each mozzarella into 1/4" discs. Arrange on a platter and tuck 4 basil leaves under each corner diagonally for garnish. You can use premade balsamic glaze or use a 16oz inexpensive bottle of balsamic vinegar.

2. Set your stove to 1 or 2 (low) and let the balsamic vinegar simmer, it will continue to reduce until it thickens. You must keep a close eye on it so it doesn't burn and scorch the saucepan. It will have a very strong, vinegar scent while simmering. Be sure to stir it constantly. You can add 2 tsp of sugar near the end of the reduction to add some sweetness.

3. Drizzle the reduction over the tomato and mozzarella platter. Chop up the remaining 2 basil leaves and sprinkle on top.

This is an easy favorite and it is a crowd pleaser. I made this three weeks ago and decided to snap some pictures so I could share it with you all, knowing I'd be blogging about potlucks. The most quick and simple thing to do is buy pre-packaged sliced mozzarella balls and use a balsamic glaze if you are in a rush but want to bring a great dish.

Classic Bruschetta Bread

Serves 15


Ingredients:
1 loaf good-quality crusty baguette
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, peeled
5 medium-sized plum tomatoes, cut into 1/4" cubes with seeds removed
12 fresh basil leaves, chopped (plus extra whole basil leaves for plate garnish if desired)
2 tablespoons red onion, diced
1/4 cup finely shredded parmasean cheese (optional topping)
sea salt and cracked pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. Slice the baguette into 1/2" rounds, cut on the diagonal. Brush both sides of bread slices with olive oil. Broil at 400 degrees for 5 minutes (be sure to watch these, once browned take them out). Rub one side of each bread slice with the garlic clove.

2. Combine tomatoes, basil, onion and salt in a small bowl. Strain mixture so that it won't be too watery. Be sure to keep tomato mixture separate until ready to serve so the bread doesn't become soggy.

3. Divide the tomato mixture between the bread slices, garlic side up, and garnish with parmesean and extra basil leaves if desired. Serve immediately.

I love bruschetta bread, it's a favorite for many and a nice addition to potlucks and I've made it several times. Just be sure to separate the ingredients and assemble upon arrival to avoid soggy bread. The key here is the garlic-rubbed bagette slices, they really pop with flavor!

Healthier Red Potato Salad

Serves 12

Ingredients

12 cups cubed red potatoes
1 cup chopped green bell pepper (about 1 medium)
1/2 cup minced red onion
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
3 cloves of freshly pressed garlic (or more if desired, I use 5)
2 tablespoons deli mustard (dijon with horseradish) the hint of horseradish gives it a nice flavor
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
fresh dill (optional as a garnish)

Preparation:

1.Cook cubed potatoes covered in boiling water, 10 minutes, or until tender; drain well and cool (do not rinse!)

2.In a large bowl, combine potatoes, bell pepper and onion.

3.In a small bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients. Pour over potato mixture, tossing gently to coat. Cover and refrigerate. You can serve this immediately or let it marinate further.

This is a spinoff recipe from Paula Dean's potato salad. I was surprised that she had a lighter version of potato salad, I'm not a fan of mayonnaise-laden potato salad so this is a great healthier option. I decided to add garlic, fresh dill and changed the dijon to dijon-horseradish deli mustard and it really makes it pop. I'm pretty good with combining flavors and was pleased it worked out. In fact, I made this for a birthday potluck and everyone complimented me on it and one person even said it was good enough to be in whole foods take out bar. Who knew?

Strawberry and Avocado Summer Salad

serves 8

Ingredients:

1/3 cup white sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon lemon juice
8 cups mixed salad greens (or spinach, that is what I am using)
3 avocados - peeled, pitted and sliced
3 cups strawberries, sliced
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans (toast before chopping at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes)
 
I'm trying this one for the first time for a brunch with friends after church. I've already toasted the nuts (I'm using walnuts as that is what we had on hand), I made the dressing and it tastes great, just have to chop up the fruit and toss everything together tomorrow. The photo is compliments of allrecipes.com where you can also find the original recipe itself.
 
 

Banana Cupcakes

My friends can generally count on me to bring cupcakes to a get together, I love making them and even more than that-I love eating them! I can't take credit for this recipe or the photo above, it's Martha Stewart all the way, I forgot to snap a pic of mine. These are yummy, you'll really enjoy them especially if you enjoy bananas, and who doesn't like caramel? Click HERE for the full recipe.

Proscuitto-Wrapped Asparagus

Serves 10

Ingredients:



20 asparagus spears
4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3/4 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Salt and freshly ground pepper


Preparation:


1. Rinse asparagus; snap off tough stem ends. Bring a 4- to 6-quart pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add asparagus and cook until crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes; rinse under cold water until cool.


2. Wrap a strip of prosciutto around each spear.  Arrange spears on a platter.


3. In a bowl, mix together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, grated zests, and salt and pepper to taste. Serve with asparagus as a dipping sauce.

I love this recipe and have received rave reviews. The saltiness from the proscuitto and the sweet zesty citrus pair up well together. The dipping sauce is a vinaigrette and is really good, you could literally use it over salad and many have asked me for the recipe.


Goat Cheese and Olive Tapenade Crostini

Serves 12-15

Here is another recipe that I didn't get a photo of as I made it as an appetizer for Thanksgiving and it got eaten quicker than I could take the photo. Here is the photo and recipe source. I am a huge fan of both kalamata olives and goat cheese, I used organic olive tapenade from whole foods and it turned out great.


Other great ideas include a veggie platter with hummus and pita wedges, baked brie with crackers, chocolate-covered strawberries, fruit salad with mint, decadent mini cheesecake bites or steamed/grilled asparagus with feta crumbles. What could be better as a dessert this summer than a homemade key lime pie? Yummy!

How about you-do you enjoy potlucks? Do you like to make a dish from scratch or pick something up from a store on your way over to a party? I'd love to see your favorite go-to recipes so feel free to leave a link so we can all try it too. :)

Happy Weekend!

How Was YOUR Weekend?

Hi Ladies! Sorry for the lack of posts, I've been MIA for the past few days. I'd love to say it was because I was super busy or because I went away for the weekend but neither are true. I just haven't felt like writing the past few days. It's funny, I get flurries of time where I jot down tons of ideas and can't stop writing and searching for fun photos online and times where I sit down with the best intentions but can't seem to type more than a couple sentences that seem to lead nowhere. It also happened to be a really nice weekend and I was thrilled for the warmer weather and spending more time outdoors.

Did you have a nice weekend? What did you all do? Mine was relaxing, I worked a little and played a little. I got to watch a fun movie called 'My Life in Ruins' which had Athens as its gorgeous backdrop which reminded me of our Europe trip last summer and I also caught a bit of the Olympics. I got to catch up with a girlfriend whom I haven't seen since her baby shower 8 months ago (her baby was a preemie and she spent a lot of time in the hospital), and finally got to meet her precious little girl. I love days like that. I got to cuddle little Ava and watch her play and smile, hubby took a few pictures too, here is one of us below:

I also enjoyed a weekend of no cooking-woohoo! I'm not sure how I pulled that one off, it just sort of fell into place. It was great while it lasted buy now I'm getting ready to make another home cooked meal tomorrow. I love Thai food and I think I may have to try out this recipe. It is so colorful and I love sweet Penang curry! Here is a photo. YUMMMMM!

PENANG CURRIED PUMPKIN AND PRAWN SOUP

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I'd love to hear what you did this weekend. Did anything outrageous or funny happen? Did you try an interesting recipe or write a great blog post? Share it with us! :)

I promise there will be more posts this week and we'll also have a giveaway too, so check back for your chance to enter and win!

New Year, New YOU!

Don't you just love the feeling of a fresh start? That's one of my favorite things about New Year's day. It's like hitting the reset button on your life. If you've had a rough year and feel that you've missed out on accomplishing some key goals, or didn't create enough in the first place, you get another chance to do a better job.

Every year I put a lot of thought into my goals a few weeks beforehand. I separate my personal and business goals and try to create realistic expectations for myself and also write milestones for each so I know I'm staying on track. Admittedly, I had a LOT of goals last year and realized at the time that some were a bit out of reach with all that I had going on but I always like to aim high and challenge myself, I work better under pressure.

Over the past few months my hubby and I have put an even greater focus on our health.  Our priority this year is on total body health. Each year that I get older I'm more conscious about things like my water intake, blood pressure level, level of flexibility, etc. While those things have never been a problem before, I know they can creep up quickly if not proactively addressed. I am a firm believer in being proactive instead of reactive, it's easier and more cost effective in the long run.

Since we're both ex-personal trainers we have a lot of knowledge that we want to make sure we capitalize on, it's easy to get overwhelmed by life and take the easy road. We've also just learned a lot of new information, much of which I will share with you in upcoming posts to help keep you all safe and healthy too! So, this is at the top of my list this year. Following it are a few others too. I didn't want to bore you all with my business goals or new business plan for my design business, but here are 10 things I'll be focusing on this year in my personal life.

My 2010 Personal Goal List

1. Eliminate and Avoid Toxins-Avoid all foods with preservatives, food color, toxic ingredients, excess salt, MSG, excess sugar for the most optimum health while including more whole, organic foods. (We're thinking of this year as 'the year' to try for baby #1 and I want to make sure I'm not passing along any toxic, yucky stuff along to our future baby as this commonly occurs from both mother and father.) We've already detoxed our home from all personal care items and cleaners that were not up to par. We're proud to have a 'green' home complete with a compost area and a lawn that never gets sprayed with any pesticides.

2. Publish 3 Books-Many of you may know that I have written a book for women on the topic of being classy, it is getting very close to completion now (it was put on hold due to some matters I had to attend to this fall) and I am very excited to have it published and available for you very soon. There will be a giveaway of a few copies too so check back often for info on how to win your very own copy. I also have two other books that I'm writing simultaneously. (Did I mention that I work better under pressure? LOL) The second one is an environmental tip book and the third is all about the best and easiest ways to save money with a fun twist. More details on all 3 coming soon!

3. Make a 'from scratch' Meal 5 days/week-This is the healthiest way to eat to ensure you know what is going into your food. Unfortunately we have less control with pre-packaged foods, restaurants and fast food. I know this seems a bit ambitious but I've been doing it everyday for the past week already and so far, so good. Hubby is overjoyed and especially loves my homemade pizzas. I'm a gal that loves to create new things with my own two hands and I get really bored if I don't, so it will help me be even more creative and experimental in the kitchen.  Don't worry, I'll post the best recipes for you all to try too!

4.  Take More Photos- I realized this past year that we don't take enough photos. I was reminded of this while visiting the homes of some friends' this holiday season who are camera happy. I want to snap them all-the romantic, the goofy, the picturesque. I need to make a better effort to have my camera on hand at all times so I can capture the amazing things I see everyday. I would love to eventually get a much better camera to take more professional photos but in the mean time my focus is on taking more quality photos. I love making memories and reflecting back on the best moments in time through pictures.

5. Write More Blog Posts this Year- I really enjoyed blogging in 2009 and it has turned into a labor of love. It is like a little garden that needs to be tended to daily and keeps the little birds chirping and butterflies happy and fluttering about-those would be you ladies, my readers (or so I hope and that is my intention). I started off slow last year and started increasing my monthly posts in June. Now I find myself getting a new etiquette post idea every time I run an errand or a fun money-saving/decor post all while shopping for my design clients. In 2009 I wrote 89 posts, this year I would love to write a post per day but I know that may not always be possible with vacation and the busyness of life. So, I'm aiming for over 250 posts  for 2010, including at least 1 giveaway per month starting next week!

6. Read The Word EVERYDAY-I really want to get back to starting EVERY morning reading my bible.  It is filled with great inspiration and wisdom for my day, sometimes a gentle reminder of His love and grace is all I need and other days some bold scripture to encourage me to fight a battle or stay strong in the midst of a storm is what is required. Sadly, many days I've already started my day and then wait until I'm ready for bed to read and inevitably fall asleep instead-not good. My goal is to re-read it in its entirety again from cover to cover. On a side note, I enjoy praying for others including complete strangers so if you ever need or want prayer for a particular area in your life, feel free to send me an e-mail and I will keep it confidential and keep you in my prayers. :)

7. Travel to 3 New Countries-My husband and I love to travel, he has been to 60 countries and I'm still trying to catch up to him! My goal this year is to see 3 new countries which should be doable considering he travels quite a bit for work (motivational speaking) and I try to join him as often as I can. Last year we saw 3 new countries together: Turkey, Greece and Italy. I really enjoy learning about new cultures, meeting new people and of course tasting a lot of great, new cuisine! Traveling is a great escape from the stresses of everyday life and we firmly believe in taking two vacations per year when finances allow.

8. 5x per Week Workouts-During the time I was a personal trainer I was in the best shape of my life. I miss the strength that I once had (and my bicep muscles) and the balance that once came so easy to me. I told my hubby that I really want to commit to working out 5 times per week again, he is my accountability partner. I will be adding fun sports, yoga, pilates and outdoor activities to the mix so it won't be gym-only workouts or boring monotonous routines. I hope that by getting back into the best shape possible before trying for a baby, I can bounce back more quickly and maintain a high energy level at such a physically demanding time.

9. French Lessons- Growing up in Canada, I learned French from grade 4-9 instead of Spanish, as they learn here in the U.S. I didn't enjoy learning it at the time because I didn't see how it would be useful, but we've traveled to France a couple times now and I love knowing how to order my meal, ask for specific things and make conversation with Parisians. It comes back to me so quickly once I'm there and I want to keep it fresh once I return again. One of my long term future goals is to live in Nice for at least 3 months, so this would be most helpful in adapting to life France.

10. Create Something New Everyday-This was on my 2009 list and was my favorite and most accomplished goal. As I mentioned above, I feel best when I am creating, so whether it's sewing a cute little pillow, re-purposing a piece of old furniture, baking a new dessert recipe, or making a fun scrapbook page layout,  it is essential to my sanity.

I do have some other goals that I haven't listed here as they are more personal and private in nature. I look forward to tackling them all and I'll let you know how I did in December!

In the mean time, I'm curious to know which blog post at Classy & Fabulous was your favorite this year? Did one in particular speak to you or challenge you? Leave us a comment. Don't forget to read yesterday's post about  New Year's Resolution success secrets. I'd love to hear what's on your list for 2010!

I hope this year will be your best year yet. My wish for you is that you'll stretch and challenge yourself in ways that you didn't know you could. I pray that you'll love yourself more each day, realize all of your dreams and know that you are worth it! Here's to a fabulous and fun year ahead and a new YOU!

FREEBIE- Martha Stewart Cookbook!

In the sprit of the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, I wanted to continue my theme of giving by offering you all a fabulous freebie, something that everyone can use this Thanksgiving.

HERE is a link to a copy of Martha's downloadable Thanksgiving cookbook! It's a PDF, so be sure to save it to your computer.

I don't know about you, but ALL of these recipes look amazing! I'm not sure which one to make first! One things is for sure though, I will be trying out a few of these soon! Part of my New Year's resolution for this year was to experiment with more recipes. I'm sure hubby will be happy!

Which recipe do you think you'll try first? Let us know!

BTW-If you haven't already filled out our first blog contest (our other freebie) click HERE to enter! Contest ends today at 6pm EST.

Happy Cooking!

What Are YOU Doing For Thanksgiving?

Image Source

My husband and I just solidified our plans for Thanksgiving. We're heading to my inlaws home where there will be about 12 people. My mother-in-law loves to entertain and cook so it only seemed fitting that she would be hosting yet another holiday gathering. In fact, she hosts almost every year, but really enjoys showing off her skills and she is a natural.

I typically bring a special homemade pie, usually pumpkin, and some other appetizers or treats for everyone. Once we have children or we move into a larger more open concept home, I can almost guarantee that I'll be hosting at some point, but in the meantime I'm enjoying not having a mess in my kitchen and lists full of things to prepare.

I love to decorate and host small dinner parties but my husband and I aren't the kind of couple that enjoy having more than about 8 people (including ourselves) for a dinner or hosting large parties in our home. I guess you could say we are a bit more private when it comes to our homestead and we enjoy more intimate gatherings. 

We have a smaller kitchen that is not very open which can be frustrating because all of the fun and conversation is behind my kitchen wall (in the living room) and after preparing several courses I feel like I've missed out on the whole point, which is to catch up with family and friends. Because of this, I usually try to do most of my prep work beforehand to make dinner gatherings as seamless as possible and my crockpot is one of my favorite tools in the kitchen. The first year we were married our oven broke down right before family arrived for the holidays and I wound up making an entire Christmas dinner for five with my handy crockpot and it turned out great!

With this wonderful holiday being just 2 weeks away, I got to wondering what you all had planned for Thanksgiving day. Do you host a dinner in your home? Are you like me and bring goodies to a family's home or do you alternate year after year taking turns with other family members? What are your favorite dishes to bring or cook?

If you're hosting this year and you want some great Thanksgiving or Fall decorating ideas, click HERE for some beautiful indoor and tablescape ideas and HERE for some gorgeous outdoor decor. If you want to bake something other than the traditional pumpkin pie for dessert, take a peek at this heavenly caramel apple pie recipe that will leave everyone wanting more!

The Perfect Apple Pie

I apologize for the lack of posts this week, it has been a very busy and eventful one to say the least. Since Sunday is a day of rest for many, including myself, I thought I'd post one of the best recipes I came across this week (in the few minutes I did have to spare) so that you can make it for your family or a special dinner party. Doesn't this pie just call out to you to grab a fork and dig in?!

 If you're not hosting a gathering in your home this year, this would make for the perfect apple pie to bring to a Thanksgiving dinner that you've been invited to. It will be an instant crowd pleaser. Don't worry, although this dessert is super yummy, the turkey is still the showstopper of the dinner table, so you won't steal the host's thunder or upstage her efforts. ;) This recipe is compliments of Better Homes and Gardens.

MILE-HIGH CARAMEL APPLE PIE RECIPE

Makes: 8 slices
Prep: 45 mins
Bake: 65 mins
Broil: 7 mins per batch

INGREDIENTS:


1/3 cup butter, melted

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

4 lb. cooking apples, such as Fuji or Granny Smith, cored and cut into 1/4-inch thick slices (about 12 cups)

1 recipe Oat Pastry for Caramel Apple Pie, OR one 15-oz. pkg. rolled refrigerated unbaked pie crust (2 crusts)

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 Tbsp. water

1 12-oz. jar caramel ice cream topping (about 1 cup)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 475F. In very large bowl combine butter and cinnamon; add apples and toss gently to coat. Spread apples evenly in a parchment paper- or foil-lined, large roasting pan or two 15x10x1-inch baking pans. Roast (one pan at a time if using baking pans) 4 to 5 inches from heat for 7 to 10 minutes or until apples start to brown on edges, turning once halfway through. Cool apples in pan(s). Reduce heat to 375F.

2. Prepare Oat Pastry or let refrigerated pastry stand at room temperature according to package directions. Line 9-inch pie plate with half of pastry as directed.

3. In very large bowl stir together brown sugar, flour, and salt. Add apple slices and any juices; stir to coat. Transfer to pastry-lined pie plate. Trim top crust to edge of pie plate. Fold top pastry edge under bottom pastry; crimp edge. Brush top with mixture of beaten egg and water. Cover edge of pie with foil to prevent overbrowning.

4. Place on middle shelf in oven; place foil-lined baking sheet on lower rack beneath pie. Bake 30 minutes; remove foil from pie. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes more or until top is golden and filling is bubbly. Remove to a wire rack. While warm, drizzle with some of the caramel topping. Cool completely. Serve with remaining topping. Makes 8 servings.

Oat Pastry: In medium bowl, stir together 2 cups flour, 1/2 cup quick cooking oats, and 1 teaspoon salt. Using pastry blender, cut in 2/3 cup shortening until pieces are pea-size. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon water over part of mixture; gently toss with fork. Push moistened dough to side of bowl. Repeat, using 1 tablespoon water at a time, until all dough is moistened. (You will need 8 to 10 Tbsp. total water.) Divide in half; form each half into a ball. On lightly floured surface, flatten 1 dough ball. Roll from center to edge into 12-inch circle. To transfer pastry, wrap around rolling pin; unroll into a 9-inch pie plate, being careful not to stretch pastry. Trim pastry even with rim of pie plate. Fill pie plate with filling. On lightly floured surface roll remaining dough into 14-inch circle; cut slits for stream to escape. Place on top of fruit filling; trim to 1/2 inch beyond edge of pie plate. Fold top crust under bottom crust; crimp edge. Makes pastry for 2-crust pie.

You can click on the recipe title link above if you want to simply visit the original site and bookmark it for later.

Visit my fabulous fare post to get more great baking ideas and to see a new food blog I came across a few months ago with many yummy recipes.

What is YOUR favorite pie recipe? Do you have a dessert that you make as a tradition every Thanksgiving or a fall recipe that you just found and are dying to make? Share the link with us or leave a comment.

Fabulous Fare

With the nearing of fall and the routines that come with kids back to school and regular work schedules, I thought I'd share a little something amazing that I found, that I think all of you will love and find useful.

If you're bored with mealtime and have been wanting to try a new recipe, or have been craving some sweet treats, have I found the blog for you-it's called Closet cooking! I don't just love it because the chef extraordinaire is a Toronto native like myself but because everything he makes just looks so darn yummy and is super creative!

Today's Recipe: Peach & Maple Sour Cream Pecan Pie

Photo courtesy of Closet Cooking Blog

I love that this recipe embraces both the essence of summer with peaches and the flavors of fall with maple sugar. What a yummy treat!

5 Ingredient Panini

Photo courtesy of Closet Cooking Blog

For all you eggplant lovers, forget eggplant parmasean, try something new with this panini! What a fun way to get your children to try eggplant. All smothered in maranara and cheesy goodness, they're bound to love it!

Tomato Tart!

Photo courtesy of Closet Cooking Blog

Instead of pizza, try this fun tomato tart made with phyllo dough for a light and tasty treat!

In case you are wondering, the blog post header photo is Roasted Strawberry Balsamic Ice Cream which is anything but ordinary.

There are too many amazing recipes to list here, so if you're in the mood to do something different, I encourage you to check out Kevin's blog for some inspiring fare. You'll never have to wonder again what to make for dinner.

Happy Cooking!