I grew up on smoothies. My mom used to create the most weird and wonderful concoctions of fruit and veg, all blended up into a practical and nutritious drink/snack.  Some flavors I loved, and some I hate to this day (hello trauma of beetroot!), but now find myself passing down my love of smoothies to my kids. And smoothie bowls are not only the latest healthy rage around, but I found it to be a super FUN and healthy snack for kids , as well as a lazy (but nutritious) breakfast option for busy gals ;)  Major bonus points that they look totally Instagram worthy (wink) AND are super good for you!

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Nestlé by all recipes and opinions are my own. Everyone has their go-to dessert for summertime parties, BBQs and gatherings. And for me, a NO-BAKE recipe is a must! That's where the NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Morsels come in super handy - they can be enjoyed straight out of the bag! ;) And for this summer recipe with Nestlé® , I decided to turn up the volume and update my standard lemon cheese cake into little parfaits; which are super cute to serve and the perfect little treat for a summer dinner party or luncheon.

I told you I was really into my iced teas this summer! This version came about because of the abundance of blackberries and raspberries we have growing in the garden . More fruit than I know what to do with, so naturally I turned to my love of fruity iced teas. And I'm doubly excited as I know have a fully functioning patio just outside my studio to do all these summer shoots for you guys! :)

Potato salad is one one of those dishes that shows up time and time again in all our summer gatherings - From BBQs, to pot luck lunches, to al fresco dinners, and even as appetizer spoons at cocktail parties! Mainly because my husband makes THE BEST potato salad ever. Honestly! It's the reason I married him ;p

If you follow me on Instagram , you'd have seen that I'm really into my party cocktails ;) But, I also enjoy a refreshing, non-alcoholic drink in summer.  Something healthy, delicious, easy and quick to make, and that I can whip up quickly for the whole family. And ice tea ticks ALL them boxes!

Disclosure:  This post is sponsored by The Coca-Cola Company, and I may have received goods and/or compensation for it, but all opinions are my own.  As you probably know, I love cupcakes. Baking AND eating them. So for my 4th of July party with Coca-Cola® , I combined my love of the drink with my fave go-to recipe for a super moist, fluffy and scrumptious 4th of July Stars and Stripes chocolate cupcake .

Did you see the   BBQ party  I shared last week as part of our  summer partnership with Coca-Cola®  ?! I urge you to have a look for the styling ideas 'course...but also the HUGE $1700 contest we've got for ya! ;) Since the post was super long, I decided to share the BBQ pulled pork recipe today. Honestly, it's the best BBQ pork I ever had. EVER! did I say ever?! 

If you haven't noticed, this week's all about Mexican themed party ideas  and fiesta fun! And today I'm delighted to be joining the one and only Clinton Kelly , TV personality, author, editor and general stylist-crush-of-mine... for a Makeover Your Margarita Challenge !!

Disclosure: This post is brought to you by the Tic Tac® brand. I received compensation to write this post through the Tic Tac Pack Program; however, all opinions expressed are my own.  When I say "mint", what's the first thing that pops in your head? For me, it's freshness. And chocolate. I'm a foodie at heart, what can I say?! So when I saw the  Tic Tac® brand's NEW Spearmint Mix flavor , I thought it would be a cool idea to see if I could make some yummy inspired recipes for a mint inspired party!

Happy Easter, sweet friends!! If you're reading this, means you've taken 5 minutes off to enjoy all that chocolate in peace, am I right?! ;) And you're in for another MEGA treat, 'cause we're giving away a copy of Party Pinching  's NEW Book " Party with Sweet Treats " - Oh yeah, the Easter Bunny rocks!!

As promised in my last post, today I'm sharing a recipe for your Easter Brunch today that's super easy, quick and delicious! The beauty is that it can be made the night before , and baked just before brunch on Sunday. Perfect served cold too for Spring and summer picnics!

St. Patrick's Day is 'round the corner, and what better appetizer than a creamy houmous, to soak up the lashings of Guinness ?!  This is a favorite dip in our house, and makes a welcome appearance on many cocktail parties because it's super easy and quick to make, quite healthy, you can make it a day in advance, and tastes DIVINE!  My husband has been know to "drink" the stuff. Neat! So I always make sure I make plenty. And I have a little secret for making it super creamy too!

March's arrived and St Patrick's day is only a couple of weeks away, so we've got our leprechaun party hats on 'round here! And for me, it's the ideal (excuse) occasion to treat myself to a yummy Irish Coffee. Whether for a party or just because, as it's the perfectly warming cocktail for this time of year too, and super simple to make.

Following on from yesterday's Santa inspired post, I thought I'd share the DIY for the cupcakes I made to match my  Christmas Candyland desserts table . I used sugar paste f ondant and printable toppers to decorate the cupcakes.  It's not rocket science - more like playing with modelling clay! :)

If you follow me on Instagram , you'd have seen a few sneak peeks of these cute Santa cake pops , and today I'm sharing the easy step-by-step tutorial. My seven year old daughter helped me with these ( you can see her little hands in the photos, bless ) and they are perfect to entertain little ones over the Holiday period.  

Being in charge of Thanksgiving dinner can seem like a daunting task. Even for the most discerning hostess. Between cooking the perfect turkey, the gravy, the stuffing, or setting the perfect table...the to-do list can seem endless! But the key is to prep as much as you can in advance. And ask for help! So in the spirit of sharing, I've compiled a collection of recipes to help you on your way  - Including several turkey recipe ideas, sides, condiments, desserts and treats  (making my mouth water already...).

The weekend is upon us, and there's nothing I love more than to plan some funky meals to enjoy with my family and friends .  Recently, I watched a science documentary, featuring several studies that showed that a diet heavily based on red meat is not really the best thing for us. Ever since, we've been making a conscious effort to cook more and more meatless dishes at home. But I have to say, our repertoire wasn't great. I mean, sometimes you've gotta go beyond chicken and fish to keep your taste buds guessing, right?!

Don't know about you, but after school snacks are one of my fave meals of the day. For me it's the time to catch up with the kiddos after a long day, and find out what they've been up to at school. So they also need to be fun. And of course healthy. And not fill them up too much so they don't eat dinner.  Quite a few boxes to tick for a humble snack, huh?! So prepping is essential. And I've selected some funky recipes to help make after school snack life a breeze. 

Photo source Because yesterday we were talking bar styling , then naturally today's post had to include drinks and recipes. After all, no self-respecting party bar is complete without pretty libations?!  Here are some of my faves, handpicked for their awesome taste but also good look s, 'cause we all know we eat (or drink) with our eyes first. I'm particularly digging all the recipes that contain some sort of herb: thyme, mint, lavender, rosemary ...to make use of my garden bounty this summer! Looks super funky too!!

I know some of you are already preparing for back to school, and if lunch box food poses a dilemma, then fear not! 'Cause  I have handpicked a selection of fun, healthy and totally scrumptious lunchbox recipes that are also easy to make and totally portable.  The kids can totally help too in the prepping of some of these recipes, which all adds to the fun, right?! ;)