Avocado Toast + Cheese

I know I am jumping on the trend bandwagon with this post but I do not care because I am obsessed with Avocado Toast.  For breakfast, lunch or dinner, I just cannot get enough.  As a mom, it does make the EASIEST lunch ever, allowing you to get some great nutrients in with very little time.  The only difference between mine and perhaps the uber healthy version is that I like cheese with it, because cheese is my favorite and I see no reason not to add it.  Here is what you need to do...

Ingredients:
Two slices of cheese
One Avocado
Two pieces of bread
Salt and pepper

1. Turn your broiler on.
2. Toast two pieces of bread in your toaster and then set on a baking sheet with a slice of cheese on each piece.
3. Still the toast and cheese under the broiler just long enough to melt the cheese on top.
4. Remove from the oven and place on a plate.
5. Slice the avocado and lay slices across each piece of toast.
6. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
ENJOY!

Serving Seconds

When it comes to conducting food posts, I will happily admit that I am a beginner.  Sure I love to be in the kitchen but my knowledge is EXTREMELY limited when it comes to different recipes and kitchen tips and I rely on the ability of others who REALLY cook to help me.  Melissa at Serving Seconds is one of those people.  

Melissa and I have known each other since college when she rushed my sorority and we perhaps partook in a cocktail or two over the years.  She now lives in San Francisco and is a corporate woman by day and a food blogger by night.  Let me tell you, this girl can really cook.  When my mind is blank on what to make, I head over to her blog to gain some inspiration.  Saturday was one of those days.  I needed a dessert for a dinner party and wanted something creative and new.  Of course, Melissa had Chocolate Covered Bacon waiting for me.

via

 They, of course, were a hit (just ask the hubby...he almost made himself sick he just couldn't stop eating them).  Once again, Melissa delivered the goods.  

Melissa doesn't post just recipes but provides kitchen tips, great food links from around the web, cookbook recommendations, the best food in San Francisco and so much more.  She is also a new student to the San Francisco Cooking School so I can only image the delicious recipes that are going to start showing up.  I guess what I am saying is, your crazy to not stop by Serving Seconds and make a visit.  Believe me, your stomach will thank you.  

Zucchini Parmesan Crisps

I have been absolutely terrible with recipe posts lately.

It is not that I haven't been cooking, it is just that I haven't been planning appropriately and am usually enjoying the meal when I realize that I should have taken some photos.

With Spring on its way, I am going to be better at this and begin sharing some yummy recipes that are perfect for some nice weather (which I swear is coming soon for those outside of California.  We will stop monopolizing I promise!)

The hubby has an affinity to eating Paleo right now.

I do not.

In fact, I turn B*tch when I eat Paleo.

This lady needs her carbs, bread and chocolate.

But this is totally off subject.

He has been following it pretty well lately and so I was looking for some recipes that would be Paleo but that I would also eat.

 And then I found these Zucchini Parmesan Crisps.

PERFECT!

I mean, they are just zucchini!

Well, after making them I was told that since I used cheese and bread crumbs, they are technically not Paleo.

So I ate them alone.

And they were FABULOUS.

He totally missed out.

White Chicken Chili

As we all know, California has decided to do away with winter and enter summer 6 months premature. It has felt incredibly strange pulling out the summer wardrobe these past few days, living in shorts and tanks while the rest of the country is bundled up.  This is what I love about California...but I will be honest, I am missing winter a bit.

For as much as I am a California girl, I do love getting just a few months, okay weeks, of cold weather. I love wearing jackets and sweaters, boots and gloves, and all those winter items that rarely make it out of the closet.  I also love the comfort food of cold weather.  The food that is just too hot to eat during the summer.

Tuesday, I finally had enough and decided winter or no winter, I was going to make chili.  I wanted something cozy and warm regardless of whether I was sweating while I ate it.  I previously mentioned Bread and Wine, a book by Shauna Nieguist and how much I loved it but I do not think I have yet mentioned how fabulous her recipes are.  In the book she has a recipe for White Chicken Chili that I have been wanting to try but the weather was just not permitting.  Tuesday I went for it.

It was the perfect combination; easy + comforting + delicious.  Did I mention it only has 4 ingredients? That is my kind of recipe.  It was exactly what I was looking for and even indulged in my sweats, just to feel like it was winter, if only for a moment.

White Chicken Chili
(serves 6)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
1 16-oz container of fresh salsa (from the refrigeration section in your grocery store...not homemade!)
4 cans white beans
4 cups chicken broth

In a dutch oven, cook the chicken over medium heat until it is cooked through.  

Add the salsa, beans (including the bean liquid) and broth.

Bring to a roiling boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, stirring occasionally.  Simmer for at least 30 minutes but the longer the better.

As I mentioned before, I truly did love Bread and Wine and if you are looking for a great feel-good book, I highly recommend picking it up.  Also, I have now made 4 of her recipes in the book and they have all been delicious yet incredibly easy to make... perfect for moms.  You can purchase the book here or learn more about Shauna and her other books here.  

* Recipe used from Bread and Wine by Shauna Niequist pg. 110
  

Eggs Benedict

For years, I was extremely intimidated by the kitchen.

I would take a look at a recipe, see the list of ingredients, read through all the steps and become too overwhelmed to even try it.

I was convinced I would screw it up somehow.

Over the past few years, however, I began to crave the ability to cook.  And not just a quesadilla on the stove, but really cook.  My husband also began feeling the same way and slowly but surely, we took to the kitchen, sometimes working alone, sometimes working together, to create things that really, I never thought we would be able to make.

Whether the hubby was frying fish tacos for dinner, or I was making baked croissant French Toast for breakfast, we began to notice how much we both enjoyed being in the kitchen.  What I thought was going to feel stressful and overwhelming actually brought extreme calm and enjoyment.  For how crazy our life can get, cooking seems to always slow down life for a moment.  Now when we have people over, we will sit and talk menu, creating the perfect combination of flavors for our friends and family.  Whether it is as simple as an All American menu to a more complex French menu, we have so much fun cooking, baking and setting the scene with friends.

This holiday break has given us the gift of time and it has been the perfect excuse to try some new things.  I made my first French Onion Soup on Christmas, the hubby has been putting his new deep fryer to work on beignets and frites, and I finally attempted risotto, something the hubby has always made incredibly well but I have never attempted.  The hubby also made this Eggs Benedict for the first time and it was a dream come true.

I just finished reading Bread and Wine: A Love Letter to Life around the Table, a book of essays by the author followed by some of her favorite recipes.  Throughout the book she focuses on the importance of gathering around the table with friends and family and the memories that are created.  I just loved the entire book and it has motivated me to take my cooking one step further.

My resolution for 2014 is to create more time to cook for friends and family.  Every year our calendar gets booked with parties, galas, events, meetings, sports and dinners.  What is lacking is the more casual moments; the dinners at our home with the people we adore.  No matter how fun a party or event can be, it does not compare to the intimacy of a group of people around a dining room table, eating and drinking for hours.  So, that is my plan.  A little less over booking, a little more personal entertaining.

And on that note, can you believe this is the last day of 2013?  It really was such an incredible year and I feel so very blessed.  I can only image what amazing things are to come.  This life is pretty incredible isn't it?  Have a wonderful celebration this evening and I look forward to sharing more with you in 2014.

Happy New Year.   

Nutella Crepes

One of my favorites foods in France were crepes.  I cannot tell you how many ham and cheese crepes I ate while I was there but I just could not get enough.  Every time I find them on a menu, they will be ordered.  Every time I find a cafe that serves crepes, it becomes an instant favorite.  I do not know why it took so long for me to finally purchase a crepe pan and try them out for myself.

I picked up the Cuisinart Classic Crepe pan and figured there was no better way to try out my crepe making abilities than by making nutella crepes for the kids after school yesterday.  They are obsessed with nutella crepes and something a little different.  I used this recipe for crepes and got to work.

The treat was incredibly delicious and so easy to make.  The pan made it entirely too easy to spread the batter around and make a perfectly round shape (which I thought was going to be the hardest part).  The recipe was a no brainer and in just a few minutes, crepes were being served!  Next up?  My favorite ham and cheese of course!

I would also like to give a big shout out to the best father, husband and friend a girl could know.  

Happy Birthday Hubby.  

The kids and I adore you!  

XOXO

Seasoned Pumpkin Seeds

With Halloween just a few days away, I thought I would share my most recent Shoptopia Clip.  In this video I make three different and EXTREMELY easy ways to season and bake your pumpkin seeds.  Whether you prefer traditional, sweet or savory, there is a recipe here for you.  My favorite one?  The sweet (typical), but all three are fantastic.

What am I wearing?

The sweater is T by Alexander Wang (similar), the cords are Gap and the necklaces are Stella & Dot and CEEK.

Happy Monday.

Champagne Risotto

After an extremely busy weekend, nothing sounded better than something cozy like Risotto for dinner Sunday night.  There is something about the rice and cheese combination that I just love and when you throw in the word "champagne", it is pretty hard to turn down.  It is also hard to turn down the fact that the hubby offered to cook.  He used this recipe, which was the perfect combination of cheesy rice, perfectly cooked asparagus and, to top it all off, crispy prosciutto sprinkled all over.  It was perfection and exactly what I needed to wind down before the week begins.

Pasta with Pumpkin and Sausage

Being that it is Fall and the world is filled with all things pumpkin (pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin patches, pumpkin bread) why not put some pumpkin in your pasta?  I came across this recipe and was intrigued.  I love pumpkin.  I love sausage.  I love pasta.  I had to try it.

 I know I can say a lot of dishes are good but people, this was insane.  I mean, probably one of my favorite pasta dishes ever.  It was so good in fact that even though I made it one hour prior to the hubby getting home, and had every intention of waiting to eat with him, once I took a bite, I inhale the above bowl within minutes.  It was comfort food with a hint of sweet.  YUM.  

I could write a classy post on the details of the pasta, expanding this to try and justify why it is so good but there is no need.  If you love Fall dishes like I do, and happen to love all things pumpkin like I do, this is an absolute MUST.  You have got to try it.

Happy Weekend.

Lentil Sausage Soup

Of all the things I love to make, there has been one item that I have been terrified to attempt.  Soup.  For some reason I have felt too overwhelmed with the thought of making homemade soup.  It sounded like a lot of ingredients, a lot of time, a lot of work and who knows how good it would end up being.  For 35 years I have stayed away.

With Fall slowly arriving and the idea of warm comfort food sounding amazing, I finally told myself that this fear was ridiculous and I had to give it a try.  I really wanted homemade soup!  It can't be that hard can it?  I found this Lentil Sausage Soup recipe and it seemed easy enough.  From the minimal list of ingredients I figured this one would be hard to screw up so I gave it a shot.

Success!

I am not sure why I was so concerned with how hard soup would be because it was SO MUCH easier than I expected.  Silly me.  And how easy to make a soup while the kids are in school so that dinner is taken care of later on in the day when it is crazy.  

What I loved about this soup is that it was packed with nutrients, protein and was filling enough to serve simply with French bread on the side.  I will definitely be making this again, along with some other soup recipes I have stayed away from forever.  No more soup fear here!  

Product Review: The Little Green Pouch

Food in pouches.

This was a genius invention.

When Baby Girl was just starting baby foods, I remember how excited I was that her food was now available in pouches.  GENIUS!  

Food available in pouches are now staples for our family and thrown into every lunch ever packed, no matter where we were going.

The only downside is that they do create a lot of waste (plastic thrown out all the time!) and do not help those individuals who like to make their own baby food.

That is where the Little Green Pouch comes in.  

These pouches were created by moms who loved the idea of a pouch but hated the idea of spending a lot of money on pouches that were used only once.  My thoughts exactly.  These pouches are also dishwasher and freezer safe, making them easy to clean and store food.  When asked if I would give them a try I was definitely interested.

Our package was delivered to us just in time for school starting and the process of packing lunch becoming a daily ritual again.  To see how well these pouches really worked (Are they easy to clean?  Are they easy to pour into?  Are they easy to eat from?) I decided to make the Carrot, Apple and Strawberry snack from their website.  Right off the bat, the first plus was that I could use all fresh, organic ingredients!

The verdict?  This entire process was beyond easy.  The ingredients took about 10 minutes to prep and then it was a simple mix in the blender.  I initially thought it was going to be a pain to pour them into the pouches but by simply following their instructions, it was very easy with no mess.  Baby Girl wanted one right away but I told her to let the pouches sit in the refrigerator just a bit to get cold. As soon as they were ready I gave her one and she loved it and asked for another one.  When it came to cleaning it out, that was incredibly simple too.  They are dishwasher safe but I simply cleaned it in the sink and let it air dry.

After realizing how easy the recipes are to make and how simple these are to use, I will definitely be keeping these on hand for school or snacks at games over the weekend.  Plus, I will now know EVERYTHING that is going into their snack.  You can order directly from the website and make sure you check out all their recipes here.  

Also, I am over at My Thirty Spot today sharing my "Must Have Boots for Fall".  Come visit by clicking here!

* Juggling in Heels did receive a complimentary product in order to try but the opinions are 100% my own.

Kale Salad

Last week when I was in LA, I had lunch at The Fat Cow, a great restaurant located at The Grove.  I was in a salad mood and ordered their "Skinny Cow Chopped Salad".  It is one of the best salads I have ever had and have been thinking about recreating it ever since.

Last night we met up with some friends in Palm Desert to relax, BBQ and let the kids play.  We were in charge of a salad so it seemed like the perfect opportunity to gather all the ingredients and try this salad out.  It was nutrient dense, easy to throw together and a delicious compliment to the food.  I have found a new staple for our menu at home.

Ingredients needed:
Kale
Shredded Cabbage
Shredded Carrots
Chopped Radishes
Pumpkins Seeds
Sunflowers Seeds
Dressing of your choice, but I suggest a vinaigrette to keep it light

Grilled Vegetable, Herb and Goat Cheese Sandwiches

After completely over indulging on the Fourth, I was in the mood for some uber veggie filled meals on Friday to make up for it.  I came across these Grilled Vegetable, Herb and Goat Cheese Sandwiches and it sounded pretty delish.  With all the eggplant, zucchini, sun-dried tomatoes and spinach, it seems like the perfect way to get some healthy food back into our system and was light enough for a warm summer evening.  The entire sandwich involved some simple grilling and mixing, making it incredibly easy to make.  I finished the meal with a grilled caesar salad and a glass of red wine.  All in all, a fab dinner if I do say so myself!

Patriotic Rice Krispy Treats

Yesterday the kids and I got into the spirit of the 4th and decided to make some rice krispy treats with a red, white and blue spin.  We followed the basic recipe for rice krispy treats but added some red and blue M&M's and candy sticks to make them less sticky to eat.  They are an incredible easy dessert to make for the 4th and who doesn't love a good rice krispy treat?

Ingredients:
3 Tablespoons butter
6 cups Rice Krispies
40 regular marshmallows
Red and blue M&M's (pulled from a regular bag)
Star cookie cutter
Candy sticks

How To Make:
1. Melt the butter in a large sauce pan on low heat.
2. Add the marshmallows and mix continuously until they are all melted.
3. In a large mixing bowl, mix the cereal and marshmallows together until all the cereal is covered
4. Mix in the M&M's
5. Flatten mixture on a rimmed baking sheet that has been lined with butter or nonstick cooking spray
6. Let cool until completely cooled
7. Cut out star shapes with the cookie cutter
8. Place the candy stick into the star and enjoy!

If you are interested in some more 4th of July fun, I am over at My Thirty Spot today sharing a little wardrobe inspiration for the holiday!  Come visit here.