Being from Italian descent, I grew up with polenta. And one of my fave dishes is creamy polenta with Bolognese sauce and generous sprinkles of Parmesan on top. SO yum!! So naturally, when thinking up delicious appetizers for our end of year parties , I turn to my Italian roots. And polenta usually figures in some shape or form, in the array of bite-size delights I serve time and time again... It's like bringing a little bit of Italy to my table :)
When it comes to desserts I'm a cake kinda gal. And no self-respecting party or family get-together should go without some form of cake - homemade, shop-bought...or my fav, a combination of the too! ;) That's why this super drool-worthy but mega easy Black Forest Gateau is perfection for Thanksgiving (or any other time of year!)
This year I'm inspired by all things Monster High for Halloween (mainly 'cause I have a little fan at home...). So much so, that together with some of my fave party and food bloggers; we put together a huge and totally SPOOK-takular spread in the Fall issue of Bird's Party Magazine - with decorated cookies, cake pops, cupcakes and sparkly party ideas inspired by the Monster High vibe!
If you're looking for a BOO-tiful, kid-approved treat recipe for Halloween , this is IT! Easy to make, quick, 'scary' tasty and loads of FUN for all. Trust! Plus, it only requires two ingredients , which is a major bonus in my party book.
Italian food has a very special place in my heart due to my Italian roots. To me, it's more than food - it means love, comfort, family values, tradition... I still remember to this day, being in awe of my grandmother's pasta-making skills , in her kitchen cutting tagliatelle with a knife, dusting them with semolina and hanging them to dry on a broomstick made by my granddad!
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Truvia® but all photos and opinions are my own. Pumpkin pies are traditional and synonymous with Fall. But to keep things 'fresh' and a little more exciting, I always try to jazz up my traditional recipes with a little twist to bring'em bang up to date - like these dinky pumpkin pies! They're super easy and quick to make (and eat!) , look really cute and are therefore ideal for serving as a sweet appetizer or party food on Halloween, on Thanksgiving, or any other Fall celebration.
TGIF! And you know what Friday means? Happy hour, of course! And to test drive my brand new studio bar , we had to create a brand new cocktail recipe! This one is supper yum, and perfect 'transition' cocktail to take you from summer (and the warm days that we're still having. Yay!) into Fall. And we call it a 'Birdie' ;)
Have you noticed how almost anything tastes better on a stick?! Not sure if it's the novelty of seeing our yummy recipes in bite-form; or actually a scientific reason behind it. Whatever it is, pie pops are my new Fall favorites! They are perfectly practical for serving at parties. And can we just taking a minute to appreciate how cute they look? :)
We're starting the week on a sweet note. Is there a better way?! I think not ;) Especially when it concerns one of my all-time favorite desserts: Crème Brulée! Seriously, I could eat it all day long. And so for the sake of variety, and keeping this classic up to date, I like to experiment!
Okay, so we're all settled now into a back to school or back to work routine. But are you like me, still on summer body-clock time, and feeling like "I need my pillow" every morning? Well, it may be we need something healthy and exciting to kick start our day!
This is quite possible, the easiest "pie" recipe I've ever made! Pastry and all. Well I say pie...but really, the shape is the typical French galette style. No fuss, rustic goodness. And that' how I like my pies! The most difficult part is waiting for it cook (and cool!) so you can start devouring ;)
It's the last few days of summer vacation for us, and we're determined to squeeze out every fun moment we have! Including celebrating the every day with family and friends. 'Round here we need no special excuse for a party ;)
This has become my go-to salad this summer. You know, the salad that you find yourself making over and over, simply because you're either: a) digging all of that gorgeous, ripe summer produce b) want something healthy but delicious to chomp on c) want a quick meal without putting the stove on d) all of the above?! ;)
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?!
