Recipe: Kale Salad

My stepmom made the best salad on Christmas that I've tried to replicate since being back.

Kale, feta, apple slices, sunflower seeds, with a homemade dressing - lemon juice, olive oil, red wine vinegar, and honey.


Yes.

Those Summer Nights- Avocado and Blueberry Salad

I love fruits and vegetables. raw. not cooked.  I'm always looking for new, simple recipes that involve very basic combinations of the two.

Today I stumbled upon a recipe for a great summer salad, that's too easy.

Avocado and Blueberry Salad

Ingredients

• 1 ripe, Fresh California Avocado, peeled, seeded, cut in slices
• 2 cups fresh blueberries, rinsed, picked over, well-drained
• 2 medium sized apples peeled, cored, seeded, diced
• 2 cups diced fresh mango chunks
• 1 package mixed baby greens
• 2 Tbsp. chopped chives or green onion
• 2 Tbsp. walnuts, toasted*, chopped coarsely

Avocado and Blueberry Fruit Salad Dressing

• 2 Tbsp. honey
• ¼ cup plain nonfat yogurt
• ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
• ¼ cup fresh orange or grapefruit juice
• pinch o salt
• pinch o ground white pepper (I don't know what white pepper is so.. I'm going w. normal person pepper)

Instructions

Salad

1. Place chopped avocado, blueberries, apple, and mango in medium bowl and toss with about 2/3 of the tangy dressing; set aside.
2. Toss salad greens in large bowl with remainder of tangy dressing, and distribute evenly on each of six salad plates. Place an equal portion of dressed fruit/avocado mixture on top of each greens serving. Sprinkle with chopped chives and toasted walnuts to serve.
3. *To toast walnuts, place nut pieces in dry skillet over medium-high heat and stir occasionally for about seven minutes, or until pieces are browned lightly. Remove from heat. Let nuts cool slightly before chopping and using to garnish salad.

Dressing Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, mix honey, yogurt and cinnamon together until smooth and creamy. Whisk in juice; stir in salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning.

**Allison revision**
I would add feta to this. Or goat cheese. I love cheese.

Those Summer Nights- Peach Collins

I love summer. And I love peaches. In the summer. And I love drinking. In the summer.
All of those things are stirred up in a cup and create this lovely beverage-

Recipe via Cupcakes & Cashmere via myrecipes.com

Ingredients.

• 1/4 cup simple syrup*
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/2 cup chopped ripe peaches, divided
• 1/2 cup peach-flavored vodka
• 1/2 cup club soda
• 2 peach slices

Preparation.
1. Mix simple syrup, lemon juice, 1/4 cup peaches, and about 1/2 cup ice in a cocktail shaker or plastic cup. Using the end of a wooden spoon, muddle mixture until peaches start to break up. Pour in vodka, cover shaker with top (or the cup with plastic wrap), and shake until blended.

2. Divide unstrained mixture between 2 tall glasses. Add half the remaining chopped peaches to each, then fill glasses with ice. Top each glass with 1/4 cup club soda and garnish with a peach slice.

Sea. Food.

(image via Setsual)

Thaw frozen fish in milk. The milk draws out the frozen taste and provides a fresh caught flavor.

Thank you to Setsual.com for that handy tip. 

Gingerbread Cocktail

Ingredients

For Syrup:

• 1 cup water
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1-inch piece fresh ginger, thinly sliced
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 3 whole cloves

Espresso:

• 1 cup boiling water
• 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
• 3 to 4 tablespoons hazelnut liqueur (recommended: Frangelico), optional
• 4 ounces (1/2 cup) Kahlua

Directions

For the syrup: In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the water, sugar, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved.

Remove the pan from the heat and allow the syrup to cool, about 20 minutes. Remove and discard the ginger, cinnamon, and cloves.

For the espresso: In an 8-ounce glass measuring cup, whisk together the boiling water, espresso powder, and liqueur, if using, until the powder is dissolved. Set aside to cool.

Combine 1 cup syrup with the espresso/hazelnut liqueur mixture in a large martini shaker. Add the Kaluha and shake to combine. Pour over ice-filled glasses and serve.

(via Food Network)

A Mexican Christmas

This will complete the Rodriguez  / Farinella / O'Connell / Streuter Christmas festivities just perfectly...

Cranberry Margarita

1 1/4 cups cranberry juice cocktail, divided

1/2 cup sugar, divided

1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries, rinsed

3/4 cup fresh lime juice

3/4 cup tequila

1/2 cup Cointreau

3 cups coarsely crushed ice

Pour 1/4 cup cranberry juice into a shallow bowl. Pour 3 Tbsp. sugar onto a plate. Dip rims of 4 to 6 widemouthed glasses into juice, then sugar. Set glasses aside.

Reserve 12 cranberries. In a blender, mix the remaining cranberries, cranberry juice, and sugar, the lime juice, tequila, Cointreau and ice until smooth & slushy. If necessary, blend in 2 batches, then mix together. Divide among glasses and garnish with reserved berries, skewered 3 at-at-time, on toothpicks. Serves 4 to 6.

* images & recipe via ( my recipes, & we heart it, & this is yingying )

Thanksgiving Treat

I think this is what I will be making to bring to my Aunt's Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday and my Dad's on Friday. Such a delicious treat, with the perfect sweet and salty mix.

(Recipe +photo via: Delish.com via O, The Oprah Magazine)

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cup(s) sugar
• 1 can(s) evaporated milk
• 3/4 cup(s) heavy cream
• 3/4 cup(s) light corn syrup
• 2 tablespoon(s) butter
• 1/4 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract
• 1/2 tablespoon(s) coarse sea salt
• Oil or cooking spray

---

Directions

1. In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring sugar, evaporated milk, and heavy cream to a boil over medium heat. Add corn syrup and continue cooking until mixture reaches 230 degrees F.
2. Add butter and vanilla; continue cooking, stirring constantly, until caramel reaches 240 degrees F. Remove from heat, stir in salt, and carefully pour into a lightly oiled 9" x 13" baking dish (parchment paper in the bottom of the pan is helpful).
3. Let cool at least 1 hour. Invert onto a cutting board covered with waxed or parchment paper and cut into 1-inch pieces with a sharp, lightly oiled knife. Caramels can be wrapped in waxed or parchment paper or cellophane. (To serve candy-store style, wrap individual pieces in parchment paper and secure the ends with a simple twist.) Store airtight at cool room temperature (around 65 degrees F) or in the refrigerator; will keep up to 3 weeks.