gingered peaches & cream

this time of year i love dessert that feels light, refreshing, 

and capitalizes on bright summer fruits. 

i've made this recipe twice now, and both times it was a hit.

the original recipe calls for whipped cream, but i couldn't resist the urge 

to serve it with my favorite slow-churned vanilla bean ice cream.

also, do not skip the graham crackers,

those really put this dessert over the top.

recipe via date night in

serves 2

ingredients

1 peach, sliced

3/4 teaspoon fresh ginger

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons dark brown sugar, divided

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

3 graham crackers, roughly ground into small to medium crumbs

flake salt

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
your favorite vanilla ice cream

directions

1. in a medium bowl, combine the sliced peach, ginger, and 1 tablespoon brown sugar 

and let sit for 15 minutes to a couple of hours so the juices begin to release.

note: you can use slightly less than ripe peaches, 
because the ginger and the brown sugar soften them up. 
also, the longer you let this mixture sit, the more the ginger flavors will come out. 
i think this was perfect after a couple hours.

2. in a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter 

and let it brown until it foams and smells nutty, about 4 minutes. 

stir in the graham cracker crumbs and cook for 2 minutes. 

remove pan from heat and set the crumbs aside to cool. 

finish the crumbs with a pinch of lake salt. 

you can make the buttery graham cracker crumbs three days in advance 

and store them in a well-sealed container. if they get soft, just toast them in a hot pan.

3. when almost ready to serve, whip the cream with the remaining 2 teaspoons 

brown sugar to form soft peaks. this can also be made in advance if desired!

4. divide the peaches between two small bowls and top 

with whipped cream and/or ice cream and graham cracker crumbs.

tips & tricks: pineapple

ever since our honeymoon, i've been obsessed with everything pineapple and coconut.

it takes me back to the poolside drinks, tropical shaved ice, and a warm breeze smelling of sunscreen.

today i wanted to create the first edition of 'tuesday's tips & tricks'!

today's topic? pineapple!

finding the perfect pineapple

*the color of the pineapple does not indicate it's ripeness, 

so don't be alarmed by those green ones at the store!

*there are two great ways to tell if your pineapple is ripe.

smell the bottom to see if it has a sweet aroma and/or

pull one of the leaves from the very center of the top of the pineapple. 

if this pulls out easily - your pineapple is ready to go! 

if the leaf does not come out easily, give it a couple more days.

storing your pineapple

*pineapples are best stored at room temp until you're ready to use them. 

like most fruits, once ripe, you can extend their life a bit by putting them in the refrigerator.

*sliced pineapple is best kept well sealed in the refrigerator.

*i've heard that storing your pineapple upside down for 30 minutes prior to cutting 

allows the juices to distribute more evenly through the fruit, instead of settling in the bottom.

cutting your pineapple

1. pull off top set of leaves. these should usually break off easily.

2.  slices 1-2 inches off the top and bottom end of the pineapple.

3. set upright, and begin slicing down around the sides, 

allowing yourself enough margins to get all the outer layer.

4. go back around your pineapple and with a pairing knife 

scooping out any small sections of the exterior skin that remain.

5. slice into 1-2 inch rings

6. with a knife trace a small circle around each of your rings to cut out the core and discard.

7. enjoy solo or in your favorite recipe!

some of my favorite pineapple recipes:

pineapple upside down pancakes

broiled pineapple sundaes

and for some non-food pineapple inspiration, click here

balsamic broiled citrus

so i'm minding my own business, grabbing lunch at the market,
 and end up in the express checkout lane.

a young man comes and stands right next to me and asks if i am in line.
i look up briefly to tell him that yes (obviously) i am in line
before looking back down at what was likely my instagram feed.

he proceeds to stand there for another minute or so
until he says 'will you go to prom with me?'
(wait, i'm sorry, WHAT???)
i look up and say 'ohhh, uh, are you in high school???'
(didn't know what to say obviously!)
before he says anything else i say 'i'm too old for you...'
he proceeds to ask how old i am - as if that's really the problem (LOL).
then i say 'oh, and i'm married!"
(first time i've used this line! perks of marriage - hello!)

at this point he runs off to some friends standing in the corner
waiting for him while i hear him say 'she's married!!!!!'

totally ridiculous and simultaneously made me feel SO old and SO young all at the same time.

in other news, my mom and i tried these balsamic broiled
grapefruits and oranges alongside our breakfast bake a couple weeks back.

they were decent. definitely had no complaints,
but i can't say they blew my socks off either.
next time i might increase the honey a bit and make sure i'm
drizzling the citrus right before placing them in the oven

recipe via simply real health

for other grapefruit recipes,
click here, here and here

ingredients

1 grapefruit, sliced in half
precut for easy scooping is best!

1 orange, sliced in half

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons honey

directions

1. set oven to broil.

2. add vinegar and honey to a small saucepan over low heat. whisk to combine.

(can also place in a microwave safe container and heat for 30 seconds)

3. place citrus face up on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
drizzle with warmed vinegar and honey mixture.

4. broil until browned and bubbly on top - about 1-2 minutes

after drizzling...

after broiling...

strawberry shortcake

at girl's night a couple weeks back one of my friends shared 

that her current pregnancy craving is strawberry shortcake. 

and that just sounded amazing. pregnant or not!

i'm usually a bit intimidated by anything that calls for a dough of sorts. 

not only was this recipe relatively simple, it came together exactly 

as the recipe suggested. and, most importantly, it was DELICIOUS.

the shortcakes were just perfection.

with the perfect amount of softness and chewiness. 

just sweet enough, but not too sweet. 

i decreased the amount of sugar in the strawberries, 

as good ripe strawberries don't need much!

perfect dessert for summer. i plan to make this again this coming weekend.

also: YES i made this from my new fave cooking blog

(see other recipes here and here)

and YES i totally cheated and DOUBLED the recipe.

ENJOY!

recipe below is doubled and serves four

shortcake ingredients

1 cup flour

4 teaspoons sugar, plus extra for topping

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 pinches of salt

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, frozen

1/2 cup heavy cream, plus extra for topping

filling & topping ingredients

2+ cups small diced strawberries

2 teaspoons sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

3/4 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

directions

1. preheat oven to 400 degrees

2. line a baking sheet with parchment paper

3. in a food processor, add flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. pulse once to combine.

4. add frozen butter diced into small pieces. 

pulse 10-12 times, until the butter is the size of small peas.

5. add all the cream through the top and continue pulsing. 

the dough will not come together entirely - do not fret!

6. dump dough on to a floured surface and knead a few times until a dough forms. 

pat the dough into four evenly sized 1/4" thick circle or rectangle. 

move biscuits to prepared baking sheet and brush with extra cream and sprinkle with sugar.

7. bake 15-18 minutes until biscuits are lightly golden brown. 

let cool completely.

8. in a small bowl, stir together diced strawberries, lemon juice and sugar. 

allow to sit at least an hour, until he berries soften and red juice forms at the bottom of the bowl.

9. when ready to assemble, whip the cream with powdered sugar and vanilla.

10. slice each biscuit in half, spoon in whip cream and top with strawberries. 

serve immediately.

 not my best photos.
but seriously, these were amazing!

grapefruit margarita

going against what everyone knows and says,

my mom basically taught me to play the lottery.

during the spring of 6th grade,

it was time for our middle school's ASB elections.

for some reason i really wanted to run for secretary

but everyone knew that only the 7th graders,

who would soon be the big bad super cool 8th graders,

could secure these highly esteemed positions on campus.

i must have somehow mentioned the situation to my mom....

you know what advice she gave me??

you should run! 

SOMEONE has to win!

it might as well be you!

and you know what...

that advice might as well be convincing you to 

buy a powerball ticket next time the jackpot gets big.

because SOMEONE is going to win! 

why not believe it's going to be you???

good advice, right?

what my mom really taught me: believe in yourself

my translation: play the lottery

it's a loose connection, i know :)

(yes, i was elected secretary)

recipe via sprouted kitchen cookbook

ingredients

sugar for the rim

pink or ruby red grapefruit

1/4 cup grapefruit juice

1 tablespoon agave nectar

2 tablespoons triple sec

1/4 cup reposado tequila

splash of coconut water

ice

makes 1 cocktail

(you will want to make more than one)

directions

1. pour thin layer of sugar on a small plate.

rub grapefruit wedge around the rim of your glass, 

and roll in the sugar to coat. set aside.

2. put the grapefruit segments into the bottom of prepared glass and fill with ice.

add remaining ingredients and stir. serve immediately.

marcy gave this bevy her stamp of approval.