Jessica Merchant's Blog, page 317

Come Join Us For The Pretty Dish Book Club in September!

Come join us this month for The Pretty Dish Book Club!

HAPPY SEPTEMBER!!

It’s hard to believe that this is the SIXTH month of The Pretty Dish Book Club. CRAZY!!

You guys are still killing it with the recipes. I am blown away by your support and all of the recipes you make. Like, some of you are almost finished cooking through the entire book. That is amazing and makes me so, so happy!

Most of our book club interactions take place on instagram and facebook. If you haven’t joined our private Facebook community yet, be sure to grab your book and join the club! On instagram, tag your posts with #theprettydish because I love to feature your photos! xo

Anyhoo, I’m so excited because these are the most perfect recipes to finish off the summer and start autumn. Sweet corn and peaches and apples and cider. The best time of the year is HERE!!

September Book Club Recipes

Apple Croissant Panzanella

Spicy Peach Corn Salsa

Sweet Potato Corn Fritters

Apple Cider Pulled Pork

Cider Beergaritas

 

Pumpkin Chai Sugar Scrub

These are what we will be making together all month long!

I am SO pumped about these recipes. The croissant salad is to die for. The pulled pork is SO good. The salsa! The fritters! Everything is super delicious. And if you’re feeling adventurous, you can try out the sugar scrub. It’s so easy and smells like heaven. You may want to eat it.

Remember, these recipes are just a guide for us to cook this month. You can make whatever you’d like! Members in the facebook group make tons of recipes (some of you have made 50 recipes from the book now. WHAT!) and share them all, with tips and tricks and modifications for dairy free, gluten free, weight watchers points – everything. It’s incredible!

As a quick reminder, here’s how you can join The Pretty Dish Book Club:

get your book!
join the Facebook group!
share your creations in the Facebook group and on instagram all month long with the hashtags #theprettydish (using #howsweeteats helps too!)

Thank you guys so much for all of your support with the book! xo

P.S. YOU CAN FIND PAST BOOK CLUB ENTRIES HERE.

The post Come Join Us For The Pretty Dish Book Club in September! appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

Currently Crushing On.

HAPPY SATURDAY! I hope you have a fantastic September (still summer!) weekend.

If you didn’t see my Ultimate Tailgate Menu – you have to check it out! I compiled the top ten recipes that I (and you!) make around this time every year. They are major winners and can hold up for a few hours in a party setting. SO good.

Let me know about anything delicious you found on the internet this week, okay? xo

My favorites are below!

majorly craving this roasted hatch chili tomato soup.

oh my. burrata brussels sprouts pizza is all i want to eat!

oven baked pineapple chicken is a perfect weeknight meal.

oh yes, the best red sangria.

this avocado tomatillo salsa looks amazing.

hello chocolate chip banana pudding!!

i want to dip everything in this saucy baked shrimp.

blueberry cobbler thumbprint cookies? so good.

perfection in the form of baked prosciutto wrapped figs.

and honey balsamic figs with burrata! i live for figs.

romesco pasta salad. i just want to eat it all!

yep, it’s apple cider marg time.

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20 Minute Fire Roasted Chicken Chilaquiles.

If there is one thing I could probably eat every single day, it’s chicken chilaquiles.

Chilaquiles are definitely my love language. Or, at least a verse of it.

They are, like, a very fancy, almost-as-quick, not-as-embarrasing, much more flavorful version of the tortilla chips microwaved with cheese of my youth.

I say “of my youth” like I haven’t had them in years.

Which would be a downright lie.

Now this is one of those recipes where I’m going to tell you to go out and buy a rotisserie chicken. Or use the chicken leftover from dinner last night. It comes together SO quickly with leftover shredded chicken (thighs or breast work!) – but if you really want to make this and don’t have it on hand, go ahead and bake, grill or even boil it, just to get it made and shredded.

You will thank me! I promise.

This quick fire toasted tomato sauce is the business. It is so freaking good and uses the fire roasted diced tomatoes that I adore so much. Those are what I use in the famous bolognese from The Pretty Dish. Basically, if a recipe calls for canned tomatoes, that’s all I use. Give me the fire roasted!

Because we use the fire roasted, there is this depth of flavor that almost makes it seem like the sauce has been cooked longer. It’s flavorful and rich. It’s also thick and perfect for blanketing the tortilla chips.

Speaking of – the chips.

I am alllll about a thin and crispy tortilla chip. All about it. They work fine here, but since the sauce is thicker and richer than ones I’ve made in the past, I do suggest using a heartier chip.

Yes yes, I know the point of chilaquiles is to have the chips soaked in the sauce, but I like just a TOUCH of crunch at the beginning. You know?

And just like that, you have your weekend’s best meal.

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Fire Roasted Chicken Chilaquiles

Yield: serves 4 appropriately, 2 obnoxiously

Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

2 (14-ounce) cans fire roasted diced tomatoes
2 green onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups shredded chicken (leftover, or from a rotisserie!)
a bunch of handfuls of tortilla chips! (heartier, thicker chips work best here)

for topping:

sliced radish
queso fresco cheese
cilantro
lime wedges
sour cream or plain greek yogurt



Directions:

Place the tomatoes, onions, garlic, smoked paprika and cumin in a blender and puree until smooth.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil. Once hot, pour in the tomato mixture from the blender and stir. Cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until the sauce slightly thickens. Add in the chicken and a few handfuls of tortilla chips. Toss to combine, covering everything with the sauce. Add in more tortilla chips and toss. Throw some toppings on: cilantro, cheese, sliced radish, some plain greek yogurt. Spritz on some lime and devour!

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I appreciate you so much!

It’s impossible to live without these.

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Honeycrisp Crush.

Jump up and down if you love honeycrisp apple season!

Jump up and down if you love honeycrisp apple cocktail season.

I’m basically doing cartwheels.

It’s no secret that I wait the entire year for honeycrisp apples. What is it about them that is just so… crisp? So delicious? So… apple-ish?

Max eats an apple sprinkled with cinnamon every single day and I was so excited to introduce him to honeycrisps. He loves ‘em too and said they taste like the perfect apple. First, I was like, um, are you three or 23 years old?

Because they DO taste like the perfect apple.

After all the drinks I made this summer, all the ones with rosé and fresh fruit and what not, my favorite is… the orange crush. That freaking orange crush!

I don’t know what it is about the orange crush, aside from the fact that it’s just so super refreshing. The soda in the drink (you should definitely use a lemon lime one!) gives it even more of a boost with some light citrus flavor. And it’s SO bubbly.

It’s just so crazy because I never gravitate towards orange things. Like, it might be the last flavor I’d choose on a list of flavors (beside cranberry?) – that’s how little I’m into orange. So it blows my mind that it’s the drink I’ve loved the most in the last few months.

I knew instantly I would want to create a fall version. I considered apple cider, but that felt like a totally different drink. The orange crush uses freshly squeezed orange juice, so I knew that I needed some fresh apple juice! Or, at least my take on fresh apple juice.

We made some honeycrisp juice and this is how it comes together:

Honeycrisp syrup. I loooove this stuff and you guys love it too! I’ve used this in cocktails for the last few years and it’s awesome.

Honeycrisp juice. It may be slightly thicker like a puree, but it works! And tastes like heaven.

Vodka! Of course.

Ginger beer or ginger ale. I tried it with the lemon lime version and it overpowered the apple too much. Since it’s not necessarily hot in the fall, I didn’t think the drink had to be overly “refreshing” if you know what I mean. I kind of wanted it to have more of a comfort vibe. Use ginger beer if you want a little bite, or ginger ale if you like it more mild.

THIS MAKES ME SO HAPPY!

It still does come off as a refreshing drink because it’s so icy and cold. But it’s full of major apple flavor, without being apple cider-y. You know? And without being like that fake green apple flavor that you can find in neon green cocktails.

Seriously tastes like one giant honeycrisp apple. Well, one giant SPIKED honeycrisp apple.

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Honeycrisp Crush

Yield: makes 1 drink, is easily multiplied

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

honeycrisp juice and syrup

2 large honeycrisp apples, peeled and diced
1/4 cup water
sugar

honeycrisp crush

3 ounces honeycrisp juice
1 to 2 ounces honey crisp syrup
2 ounces vodka
3 ounces ginger beer or ginger ale
apple slices for garnish
a sprinkle of cinnamon on top



Directions:

Note: of course you can use regular old apple juice for this. Or apple cider! If you use either, you may need to adjust the amount of honeycrisp syrup. Go based on your own taste preference!

honeycrisp juice and syrup

You can make all of this ahead of time!

Place the apples and water in a saucepan and heat over medium heat. Cook until the mixture is simmering and the apple is tender and begins to break down. Transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth and blended. Strain over a fine mesh sieve into a measuring cup. This gives you the honeycrisp “juice.” Reserve a few ounces (about 3 ounces for 1 drink) and set it aside.

The remaining amount of honeycrisp juice you have is how much sugar you need. If you have 1/2 cup of juice left, use 1/2 cup sugar. Equal parts. Place both the honeycrisp juice and the sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk constantly until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is simmering. Remove from the heat and let cool completely. Store this in a sealed container in the fridge and it will last great!

honeycrisp crush

Fill a glass with crushed ice. Pour the honeycrisp juice, syrup and vodka in to the glass. Give it a gentle stir. Top it off with the ginger beer or ginger ale, an apple slice and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Serve!

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I appreciate you so much!

You can totally cinnamon-sugar the rim too and be my BFF forever.

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Zucchini Bars with Cream Cheese Icing.

It’s still summer! So zucchini bars for the win.

These zucchini bars make me a leeeeettle bit of a hypocrite. I mean, I’m super excited for fall and I have fall decor out, but I’m not eating pumpkin yet or drinking pumpkin lattes. I’m still swimming and playing outside and eating ice cream and serving tomatoes and, well, making zucchini bars.

It’s like zucchini bread, but cuter.

These zucchini bars are a little more dense than cake. They remind me of banana bread and they are SO delicious when served straight from the fridge. They are topped with the creamiest cream cheese icing because I just can’t quit it.

There’s a little spice, a lot of veg and snack that is basically dessert but we may pass off as breakfast too.

THIS IS MY KIND OF BAR.

The only thing my mom really did with zucchini bread when I was growing up was make breaded parmesan rounds. I mean, they were SO good. They ARE so good. They remain one of my favorite ways to use up garden zucchini and they are always a crowd pleaser.

I didn’t even have zucchini bread until later in life! We are talking, like, college. Crazy, right?

And I was always on the fence because most versions tend to have nuts. There is nothing worse than cookies or brownies or bars with nuts. Except for cookies or brownies or bars with raisins. I just don’t want nuts in my dessert unless it’s something toasted almond or candied pistachio or what not.

That’s my truth and I’m sticking to it.

So I ended up making my own zucchini bread and then eventually made this amazing coconut chocolate chip zucchini bread. It is freaking fantastic.

I’m not a stranger to chocolate and zucchini desserts. Last year, I made chocolate zucchini cupcakes with avocado fudge frosting. I’ve made double chocolate zucchini cookies with sea salt and chewy chocolate chip oatmeal zucchini cookies. I’ve even made chocolate zucchini snack cake and that DOES have candied pistachios.

Clearly I have a little thing for chocolate.

These aren’t chocolate, but they more than make up for it in flavor. Perfect for the end of summer when zucchini is abundant and you’re all zoodled out, you know?

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Zucchini Bars with Cream Cheese Icing

Yield: serves a crowd!

Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:


2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup loosely packed brown sugar
3/4 cup coconut oil, melted
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups freshly grated zucchini

cream cheese frosting

2 (8-ounce) blocks cream cheese
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract



Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 10 x 15 inch sheet pan with nonstick spray (I like to use coconut oil!).

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg until combined. In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, coconut oil, eggs and vanilla extract. Fold in the dry ingredients. Fold in the grated zucchini until combined and dispersed throughout. Spread the batter in the greased pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the bars are set and not jiggly in the center. Let bars cool completely, then frost.

cream cheese frosting

Beat the cream cheese and butter together until creamy. Beat in the sugar until combined. Beat in the vanilla extract. Frost the cooled bars! I like to pop the bars in the fridge because we love them cold.

bars adapted from betty crocker

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I appreciate you so much!

Just dying for that bite.

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Tuesday Things.

1. We have toys that go off by themselves. I can only describe this as a parenting nightmare. Like it’s 11PM and the kids have been in bed for hours and all of a sudden, a toy somewhere starts singing and blaring music. See also: two weeks ago Max’s toothbrush that has a light timer started flashing in the middle of the night, when no one was in the bathroom. Why does this feel like some sort of horror flick.

2. Speaking of, this is the worst time of year because all those scary movie previews are everywhere and I basically have to hide under the covers constantly.

3. Oh hello homemade salted cream cold foam cold brew! Now I can make it at home.

4. I officially decorated for fall and it feels oh so good! Max was so excited to help me set up pumpkins. It definitely looks like a three year old decorated but I sort of love it and don’t want to move things.

5. While I’m more than obsessed with this time of year, I’m also all about these apps to help us refocus. I love the 7 minute workout!

6. Who watched season two of Ozark?! AH! It is so freaking good. Just as good. We are almost finished and I love it so much. Friday and Saturday night we stayed up until 2am bingeing it.

7. Back when dELiA*s was the only store where I wanted to shop.

8. Saw something over the weekend that Oreo was coming out with wasabi and buffalo wing flavored Oreos. Why is this real life?

9. I love this video SO much. My friend Rachel on after the after of losing 80 pounds.

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My Ultimate Tailgate Menu for Football Season.

It’s here! My favorite time of year! And I’m bringing you killer tailgating recipes.

And should I say, it’s one of my favorite days of the year too.

For the last few years, I’ve shared massive lists of my favorite recipes for football season. Things that work for parties, tailgating, the super bowl – everything! I have them from years back, but you can find last year’s, 2016, 2015 and 2014 at those links.

So much good food!

This year I wanted to do something different. I know that I constantly have SO many FAVORITES, it can be hard to choose what to make. These ten recipes are exactly what I make over and over again – and also what YOU make over again. They are some of the most popular recipes on the site and ones that are perfect to make and take. Or make at home! The best ten tailgating recipes that you need in your life, right now.

First up, apple cider sangria!

This is by far the most popular cocktail here on the blog and one I look forward to all year. You can make a huge batch ahead of time and it’s so, so good.

Next, snacky things. We have chipotle caramel chex mix, because it’s completely addictive. And can also be made ahead of time!

Of course we also have buffalo chicken dip, because… hello football season. I hadn’t actually had this in years because I sort of burned myself out on it. We ate it after shooting and it was SO GOOD. Always a huge hit.

I also suggest making this pub cheese. It’s dreamy with sourdough pretzels or veggie sticks. Super easy and flavorful and easy to make ahead. Great with beer too.

And these easy puff pastry cheese straws are another necessity. They are best served ASAP, but they do hold up for a few hours after making. They make a perfect dipper.

For a main dish, I love to switch it up between this slow cooker BBQ beer chicken or saucy pulled pork. Buns, BBQ sauce and maybe some garnish are all you need!

A great salad that holds up well is my harvest honeycrisp salad! The kale is hearty and actually gets better as it sits. Just in case, you can take the apple and slice it there if you wish, however it will be okay in the salad too. This salad is INCREDIBLE.

The best treats I can recommend are these insane brownies that everyone goes crazy over, as well as these giant rainbow cookies. Both are awesome, just depends on your mood.

All of these recipes together create a fantastic menu, but the pieces work separately too. I can’t even explain how much I adore alllll of these recipes.

For fun, you can find these twinkle fall leaf lights here and the soft yeti cooler (which is incredible and keeps stuff cold/frozen forever!) here. These Pendleton blankets are so ridiculously warm (and are a great gift!) – they are wool and make perfect seat covers or can really warm you up too.

I found this jar drink dispenser at homegoods a few years ago and we just used a small folding card table to set up the snacks!

I’d looove to hear down below about your go-to game day recipes.

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Currently Crushing On.

Happy Saturday! It’s a long weekend and I’m so excited to do some of our favorite summer things.

P.S. this week, I shared my beauty and lifestyle favorites.

And be on the lookout next week for the September recipes for The Pretty Dish book club! Recipes will go live on Tuesday, unless you’re already in the club. If you haven’t bought your book yet, you can grab it here!

xoxo

The best things on the internets!

how perfect is this tomato confit with burrata?

gluten free almond coconut cake. yum!

i’m craving a 3 ingredient cold brew mocha.

a new kind of BLT… yep.

chocolate coffee pistachio scones! wowza.

i’m very into this easy lemon rice.

homemade dried fruit! get it get it.

i really want to try this southern squash casserole.

a blackberry sage shrub is perfect.

oh my. buffalo cheese dogs. i die.

a fantastic cardamom and coconut peach crumble.

heirloom tomato toast always.

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Summer Fridays, Vol 14.

Happy SUMMER FRIDAY! Enjoy this long weekend. 

MAKING

The most delicious and simple tomato salad with the tomatoes at their perfect peak. Toss heirloom tomatoes with some lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper and shaved parmesan then serve it over greens. SO amazing and so flavorful and fresh.

SIPPING

On as much chilled rosé as I can this long weekend! I’ll be referencing all of your comments in my favorite rosé post too – trying to grab some new ones up for the last few weeks of summer!

EATING

SO many good things for Labor Day weekend! Like smoked gouda smash burgers and crispy bacon pasta salad and mini zucchini pizzas and summer cheese plates and spicy watermelon sangria. What are you making?

SHARING

A beat-the-boredom dinner series over at Sweet Peas Meals in the next few weeks! It’s three meals, 30 minutes or less to bring back the fun + flavor back into the kitchen! Follow along on instagram for launch time details!

WEARING

The best basic t-shirt and it’s less than $20! I used to go crazy with Mossimo ones at Target, but these are so much better. Lacy and I are obsessed with them. Get the white and black for sure.

LISTENING

To the best of summer 2018, right here.

READING

Currently, two books! Tonight I’m starting Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine and I also just downloaded How to be a Happier Parent on my audible!

BUYING

Just a few things when it comes to fall decor, because I’m totally decorating this weekend. I AM! First love: the MacKenzie-Childs courtly check pumpkins. I love them so so much. But I also am freaking over these blue luster pumpkins. They almost look holographic.

CELEBRATING

The start of college football this weekend! Woohoo! I have a ton of football food recipes right here, and check back early next week for something special when it comes to my annual football food post! Eddie is so excited because he has always been a huge Notre Dame fan… but we grew up Michigan fans. My brother is currently going to Notre Dame so now Eddie has someone else on the team. HUGE celebrations to happen every weekend.

GOING

Live on instagram. I’m going live soon! Do you guys like instagram lives? What time is best? After work? Lunch hours? Give me the deets.

LOVING

All things summer fridays! I loved doing this series over the last three months, but now that we’re hitting Labor Day, I’m shelving it until next year. These next four months are my most FAVORITE months to share recipes, so my Friday recipes will be returning. I have so many delicious things coming that I’m actually concerned there aren’t enough days left in 2018 for me to share everything. Thanks so much for sharing summer fridays with me. I post lots of similar content over on Crumbs, especially in my Tuesday Things and in my monthly favorites, so head there if you’re missing this!

The best of the best.

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August Favorites: Lifestyle.

Here’s a peek at everything I’ve been loving in this perfect month of summer! xo

the Salted Cold Foam Cold Brew from Starbucks. OMG. If you haven’t tried it yet… what are you waiting for! It is fantastic. It’s even making me hate the adult sippy cup… less.

My favorite book this month was definitely All Your Perfects. I flew through it. I can’t recommend Colleen Hoover’s books enough.

My favorite TV show was… The Affair! It came back with a vengeance after the worst third season ever and I absolutely loved it. So glad it’s returning for one more next year. If you haven’t watched this show yet, it’s super bingeable!

And I haven’t stopped listening to this dinner playlist. I really love it. It’s so feel-good.

Alo Ripped Hoodie. I know. It’s RIPPED. This is something that my mom would be like… why are you spending money to wear something that is ripped. She is not wrong. However, I love everything this brand makes. And I love throwing this on over workout clothes!

I’m also loving this stretchy t-shirt from Athleta because you can knot it in the back. It’s really cute and also super comfortable.

Finex Cast Iron Skillet. I have used this like eight days out of the last ten. I use it constantly, it’s by far the BEST cast iron skillet I have ever used. It’s fabulous. Only downside is that it is so super heavy.

Mrs Meyers Apple Cider Hand Soap. I know that it’s early and I talk about it every season, but get yourself to Target and buy this! It’s so wonderful and the best scent ever. Plus, now that it’s nearly September, it IS apple season!

Reusable Waterproof Wet Bags. I’ve had one of these since Max was born, but I find them even more useful now with both kids + it being summer + swimming + Emilia eating, etc. I have one in my bag at all times and it saves me in so many situations.

Trader Joe’s Caroline Style BBQ Sauce. So many of you have told me about this. SO many. I finally bought it and it’s incredible. It kind of does taste like Chick-fil-a sauce, in a way. I have to stock up for winter!

KitchenAid Stainless Odor Bar. I never wear plastic gloves while chopping garlic or anything. I hate them. And for years my solution has been to dig my hands in lemon halves, but that gets old (and wasteful, duh). SO I finally grabbed one of these and it works. It’s perfect. And it’s sleek! Sits on my counter and I love it.

Yeti Rambler + Straw Top + this handle. I realize that I’ve mentioned this before, but this is amazing for my water intake. I drink so much water all day because of this, it stays cold, it has a straw AND the handle is fabulous and makes it so easy to carry with having kids.

[none of this is sponsored, just like to talk about things that I discover and love over the month. i purchased everything myself. tell me your faves! there may be a few affiliate links above. xoxoxo.]

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