A Different Mimosa

I cooked up Sunday brunch at home recently for K and myself and decided to experiment with the ingredients I had at home to make mimosas. I used Pinot Grigio wine instead of champagne along with some strawberries for garnish and we loved how they tasted.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup chilled white wine

1/3 cup ginger ale

1/4 cup chilled orange juice

Frozen strawberry halves

Makes 1  Mimosa cocktail

What To Do: 

Combine all liquid ingredients and use a cocktail stirrer to mix the flavors.  Add frozen strawberries to the top so they help keep the cocktail cool while also providing a hint of strawberry flavor.

Sip and enjoy!

10 Best Recipes from 2015

Over the years I've picked up the love of cooking new recipes. Sometimes I go to a restaurant and try something amazing and have to recreate it at home. I also get a peace of mind knowing what ingredients go into the meals that I eat and try to use less saturated fat, sodium, and other unhealthy ingredients when I can. I also use so many herbs and spices that salt is never added to my recipes and I prefer to use coconut oil and anti-oxidizing ingredients such as garlic to give my recipes flavor.

These are some of my favorite recipes that I made in 2015 and shared on the blog:

Baked Pesto Salmon & Balsamic Salad

Cheesy Artichoke Dip

Turkey Fajita Stuffed Peppers

  

Spicy Shrimp Diablos

Jalapeno & Swiss Stuffed Chicken

Crockpot Chicken Low Mein

Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole

Easy Chinese Fried Rice

Ground Turkey & Pumpkin Chili

Broccoli Salad

Homemade Moscow Mule Cocktails

This cocktail recipe is so simple and delicious. I made the mistake of presuming ginger beer was alcoholic so I couldn't find it in the grocery store only to find out it's not alcoholic and can be found in the same aisle as all the sodas such as Coke etc.

Serving size: 1 cocktail

Ingredients:
Ice cubes
2 oz. Vodka

6 oz. Ginger Beer
1/2 oz. lime juice
1 lime wedge (for garnish)

What To Do:
Fill cup with ice cubes and pour vodka and lime juice over ice. Then add ginger beer and stir well. Garnish with a lime wedge.

Most restaurants serve Moscow Mules in a copper mug. Either way they're delicious with a nice combination of sweet and spicy flavors. Here are some fun variations of this recipe that I found on Pinterest (titles are clickable):

The Angry Mule

The Apple Pie Moscow Mule

Strawberry Basil Moscow Mules

Moscow Mule Margarita

Blackberry Moscow Mule

Joining the gals over at The Sequin Notebook for their monthly cocktail linkup.

Hosting Brunch at Home

It's no secret I'm a big fan of brunch food and luckily Orlando has some amazing brunch spots to chose from when we have a free Sunday. It's also a great time to reconnect with friends and end the weekend with some good food. I've never hosted brunch at home but I think 2016 is the year to finally make it happen. Here's some great brunch menu food and drink recipes that would make a great Sunday Brunch spread for entertaining guests.

Baked Eggs in Prosciutto filled Portobello Mushrooms

French Toast Sticks

Breakfast Pizza

Poppy Seed Pancakes

Ham & Cheese Spinach Puffs

Brussel Sprout Hash with Soft Poached Eggs

Petite Crust-less Quiche

Cantaloupe and Raspberry Yogurt Parfait

And some delicious drink ideas for Sunday brunch.

Cranberry Brunch Punch

The Ultimate Blood Mary

Mimosa Bar

And some strawberry infused water for rehydration.

Broccoli Salad

Kate and I are going to be ending the Recipe Swap after this week, but we've had so much fun hosting this link up the past two years and loved having so many of you join us! Thank you all!

 

I made this recipe for a potluck at work (I doubled the recipe to feed more people) and there was not one scrap leftover so that leads me to believe everyone enjoyed it thoroughly. My recipe was adapted from this Creamy Broccoli Salad recipe which is very similar.

Ingredients:
1 head of fresh broccoli, cut into small pieces
1 small red onion
1/2 cup crumbled bacon
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup sunflower seed kernels
2 tbsp. white vinegar
1 cup mayonnaise
 1/2 cup sugar

What To Do:
Mix together mayonnaise, vinegar and sugar in a bowl. In a separate larger bowl toss broccoli with cranberries, onions, bacon and sunflower kernels. Finally add the dressing over the broccoli mixture and toss well. Place in refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours before serving. Toss one final time before serving.

Enjoy!

1. Follow Kate and myself via GFC and Bloglovin.

2. Link up your favorite recipes or food-related posts.

3. Grab our Recipe Swap button and link back to our blogs.

Holiday Cheese Ball

I made this recipe for a friend's holiday party a few weekends ago and it got so many compliments. The good news is it's incredibly easy to make and only takes a few minutes to put together. I'll definitely be making this recipe for future gatherings and parties.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

2 (8 oz.) packages of cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup light mayonnaise

1/3 cup green onions, chopped

1/3 cup dried cranberries

1 cup sliced almonds (or more as needed)
Serve with crackers



What To Do:
 Soften cream cheese and mix together with mayonnaise. Add all remaining ingredients except the almonds in a large bowl and use a hand mixer on low speed to blend well. One mixed together well shape the cheese mixture into a ball. Layer of piece of plastic wrap on a plate and cover with sliced almonds. Roll the ball around until it become fully covered with almonds. Cover the ball with plastic wrap and refrigerate for approximately 2 hours before serving.

Enjoy!

1. Follow Kate and myself via GFC and Bloglovin.

2. Link up your favorite recipes or food-related posts.

3. Grab our Recipe Swap button and link back to our blogs.

Easy Pumpkin Soup

Soup season is upon us and one of my favorites since childhood has been pumpkin or butternut squash soup. I randomly bought a whole pumpkin so I was able to a make a few recipes with it including the Turkey and Pumpkin Chili recipe I posted a couple weeks ago. Pumpkin soup is really easy to whip together and only requires a few basic and inexpensive ingredients.

Ingredients

4 cups chicken stock
1/2 Medium white onion
2 tbsp minced garlic
4 cups fresh cubed pumpkin
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
Ground black pepper, to taste
2 tsp curry powder (optional)
1 tsp ground nutmeg
Bacon crumbles, optional

What To Do:

Bring chicken stock, 1/2 inch cubed pumpkin, chopped onion, and garlic to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes uncovered or until pumpkin is cooked through fully. Use a blender or food processor to puree the soup carefully. Return puree soup to pot on medium heat and add whipping cream, black pepper, curry powder, and nutmeg. Bring to a boil and then simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes. Garnish with bacon crumbles, peppercorns or fresh parsley.

Enjoy!

1. Follow Kate and myself via GFC and Bloglovin.

2. Link up your favorite recipes or food-related posts.

3. Grab our Recipe Swap button and link back to our blogs.

Thanksgiving Potluck Dish Ideas

I don't usually like to post two food recipes in a week but with Thanksgiving next week, I definitely wanted to share these ideas sooner than later. I mentioned on Friday that I'm always looking for new recipes to contribute to the annual potluck at work as well as our Thanksgiving family dinner and sometimes even potlucks with friends around the Holidays. I shared this Broccoli & Cauliflower Casserole recipe which is one of my favorite sides but I found a few other potluck ideas to share.

Tomato Basil Spinach Risotto

Crockpot Balsamic Pork Roast

Paleo Stuffing



Mexican Pasta Salad

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pomegranate and Hazelnuts

John Legends Macaroni and Cheese

 
Creamy Broccoli Salad

Strawberry Crumb Bars