grilled summer veggies + jet skis

Summertime...
and the lake livin' is easy...

I celebrated the fourth of July on Lake Buchanan in Burnet, Texas with family and close friends. 


Our only itinerary for the trip: basking in the sun, afternoon naps, extended jet ski rides, cocktail hour at 2pm, spoiling our playful labs and grilling everything in sight!

Red, white and blue salsa 

with raspberries, jicama and blueberries.

Baby blue morning sky.

Just-grilled veggies ready to turn into a 

Grilled Ratatouille Salad with Basil Pesto.

Cocktail hour: Dark Cherry + Vodka Slush

Dad with grilled jalapeno cheddar sausage.

Lemon + Herb Red Potato Salad with Scallions

Cocktail hour: Coconut + Lime Daquiri

The patriotic Ms. Sadie

Afternoon nap.

Fresh berries ready for salsa.

My hammock view.

Gorgeous flames.

Blackberry Vanilla Cobbler straight from the oven.

I hope everyone had a delicious holiday!

sparkling rosé & spring birthdays

I've been a terrible, horrible, no good blogger lately. 

Please forgive me.

I do have fun spring food photos to post, a couple delish recipes to share and some simple entertaining techniques to offer. 

Cheers to spring!

Looking for a quick healthy dinner? 

Saute organic chicken sausage (this one has apple and smoked gouda), with sliced cremini mushrooms, sliced okra, fresh minced rosemary, minced garlic and edamame-- a funky delicious hodgepodge. 

 

Lovely flutes of pre-dinner rosé on the patio.

YUM Veggie Burger with sliced avocado and Tomato Basil Soup from Austin's Galaxy Cafe.

Funky Chinese take-out containers for a picnic-inspired photo shoot. Coming soon in the summer issue of Fort Worth Foodie!

Blackberry Mojitos with Serrano Simple Syrup 

from my Cinco de Mayo cooking class at Market Street

yields approximately 4 cocktails

2 cups water

1 cup sugar

2 serrano peppers, cut in half

2 cups blackberries

2 cups fresh mint

Juice and zest of 2 limes

1 bottle prosecco

Begin by making serrano simple syrup: simmer water, sugar and serrano halves in a small saucepan over medium high heat until thickened and reduced by half, approximately 10 minutes. Cool.

Meanwhile, muddle together mint and lime juice/zest in a large mortar and pestle. Set mixture aside in a small bowl. Next, muddle together blueberries and simple syrup. Split blackberry mixture between four glasses then top with divided mint mixture. Stir and add ice to glasses. Top glasses with prosecco.

A pre-birthday cupcake surprise for me! 

Vanilla with Cream Cheese Frosting.

My go-to guacamole recipe for a fiesta: Orange Peel Guacamole

This stuff is addictive and doesn't last long.

yields approximately 2 cups.

pulp of three ripe avocados

1 jalapeno, ribbed, seeded and minced

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

juice of two limes

1 tablespoon orange zest

juice of ½ orange

1 clove minced garlic

1/4 cup minced red onion

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Mash all ingredients together until chunky. Garnish with cilantro leaves, thin-sliced orange peel and a sprinkling of coarse salt.

My latest Pinterest screen-shot:

champagne, cocktails, bright patterns and Daniel Craig :)

To-die-for chocolate meringue pie from The Black Rooster Bakery

Gorgeous antique treasures: crystal wine stoppers. 

Too big for some of my bottles but too beautiful not to display.

 

Dad's charred corn on the cob. Perfect to stir in to summer salads.

Lazy Sunday Charcuterie Board: Salami, Manchego, Dark Cherries, Brie, Rainier Cherries, Crackers and Marcona Almonds-- perfect with a glass of rosé of course.

A much appreciated article in the June issue of 

Inside Fort Worth magazine (page 8).

Mini Espresso Chocolate Puddings with a Strawberry Orange Compote for a Linguine and Dirty Martinis engagement party.

What a delicious spring this has been! 

Bring on summer...

mango cake & green curry paste

My mom celebrated her 62nd birthday this August and I wanted to make her a unique dinner and dessert for her special day.

Her dessert request for our sweet teeth? Fresh mango.

My first instinct was to make a clafouti and although I knew it would taste delicious, I wasn't sure how it would photograph for such a festive occasion. A cherry clafouti would be the better visual choice but I had to stick to my mango guns.

A not-too-sweet cake flecked with fresh mango became my inspiration. I searched around and fell across this recipe. After a few tweaks with the frosting and an addition of sugared raspberries to cut the sweetness (I adore mangos paired with raspberries), this was the perfect confection for the occasion.

Mexican Mango Birthday Cake

with Tequila & Sugared Raspberries

Cake:

3 sticks unsalted butter, softened, plus more for greasing the pan

3 cups cake flour, plus more for dusting the pan

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 large eggs

2 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups granulated sugar

2/3 cup buttermilk

Frosting:

1 cup fresh mango, diced finely

1 cup granulated sugar

8 ounces cream cheese, plus additional, as needed*

2 Tablespoons tequila

*If the frosting is too wet from over-ripe mangos, add additional cream cheese to firm frosting up.

Garnish:

fresh raspberries, rolled in granulated sugar

edible flowers

birthday candles

Position a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Liberally butter and flour a Bundt pan.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. In another large bowl, using an electric mixer beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy-- approximately 7 minutes. Add the eggs, beating well after each addition. In batches, add the flour mixture, alternating with the buttermilk and ending with the flour mixture. Do not over-mix or cake well become tough.

Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan. Bake until the cake is golden and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40-45 minutes. Transfer the cake to a wire rack and cool completely in the pan. Invert the cake onto the wire rack, then put it on a cake plate or platter.

Combine the mango, sugar, cream cheese and tequila with the whip attachment in the stand mixer. Blend until smooth and thick, adding additional cream cheese, if needed.

Spoon the mango topping evenly over the top of the cake and decorate with edible flowers and sugared raspberries.

After I frosted and decorated the cake, I went on to make dinner for four with the help of my father (aka THE Grill Master).

On the menu:

Spinach Salad with Avocado,

Grapefruit, Basil & Creme Fraiche

Grilled Filets of Beef with

Green Curry Cream Sauce (foodgasm!)

&

Grilled Asparagus

Herbed Jasmine Rice with Serrano Peppers

Delish! We were too famished for pictures...next time.

a wedding day & grapefruit 3-ways

I recently had the pleasure of collaborating with local wedding planner Shannon Schultz of Shannon Schultz Events and local photographer Sara Donaldson with food and drink for a gorgeous French Ballet-inspired wedding photo shoot.

Also a part of the shoot was friend and calligrapher Lauren Essl of Blue Eye Brown Eye who hand-constructed the most beautiful calligraphy work to grace the shoot.

Let me just tell you...

These gals are intensively creative, dynamic and talented beyond belief. The breath-taking pictures definitely reflect this.

This was my first time collaborating for a photo shoot of this sort and we had a blast in the July Texas heat! Below are a sampling of pics from the Style Me Pretty blog post featuring the shoot.

All beautiful photos are courtesy of Sara Donaldson.

Rose quartz-hued table-settings fit for a Queen.

Courtesy of Shannon Schultz.

Elegant mismatched chairs from local Simple Things.

Gorgeous calligraphy à la Lauren Essl.

Vanilla Cupcakes with Grapefruit Cream Cheese Frosting

Rustic Grapefruit Tarts with Turbinado Sugar

Champagne & Grapefruit Cocktails with Thyme Syrup

What an ingenious cocktail "table"-- an antique drum!

Dainty ice cubes with edible flowers--

a delight to shoot in this Texas heat :)

I loved being a part of this lovely collaboration!