Jessica Merchant's Blog, page 323

Summer Fridays, Vol. 7.

Welcome back to summer Fridays! so glad you are loving this series and that we can chat every week! xo

LOVING

Last weekend, Lacy and I went to Rehoboth for The Pretty Dish event. We wanted to go for a few days since we hadn’t been there before and I really wanted to take the kids to the beach. Eddie had to work so he couldn’t come. BUT. He surprised us and left one hour after us, and came for less than 24 hours just to hang out and see the kids at the beach. It was such an amazing surprise and so spontaneous and so wonderful of him to come, even though I know it had to be stressful driving six hours alone only to turn around and drive six hours back less than 24 hours later, right before work. The memories he made with Max on the beach, getting soaked in the waves in their clothes, will last forever. It was just such a wonderful surprise! Also, side note: Lacy and I taking both kids to the beach was basically a two hour workout. Ooomp.

SNACKING

On this stone fruit cheese board up above! It’s super easy to make – all you need are peaches, plums, apricots and cherries! Avocodo and olives optional, of course. With these fruits, I love a whipped ricotta and a blue cheese. You could also do a taleggio which is SO good.

MAKING

This summer chicken pot pie crostada with an herbed crust. I am ALL about the no-bake, no-cook meals in the summer when it’s hot out. But sometimes you crave that comfort food and this is exactly that. For summer!

SIPPING

I’m getting SO into peaches. Currently craving my fresh peach gin and tonic – I mean, how good does that sound in 85 degree weather? I have a few amazing peach recipes on their way… starting next week!

BAKING

Zucchini bread coffee cake for summer mornings. Give me this and a HUGE iced coffee and I’m good to go.

READING

My reading took a backseat this week since we were away! But I’m still reading Emily Giffin’s latest. What should I read next? If you need a refresher, here’s my summer reading list!

LISTENING

Are you ready for this playlist? It’s my favorite yet. How Sweet Eats Wedding Weekend!! OMG, it’s so so so good. And bonus points if you can remember what song Eddie and I danced to on this playlist. I’ve talked about it multiple times! p.s. Max and I had an hour long dance party to this playlist yesterday afternoon.

I also listened to the Armchair Expert Podcast with Dax’s mom and I loved it so much. Wow. Super inspirational and interesting. Something she said really struck me – “you can always choose again.” Love it!

CELEBRATING

Can you believe that this weekend is my niece, Evelyn’s,  first birthday party?! HOW?! It feels like a moment ago when we were so excited, waiting for her to be born. Time is flying. We have a wedding tonight and my aunt’s birthday party was last night, so needless to say, it’s cake overload over here.

WEARING

I’m actually wearing an older dress to the wedding tonight, but for the rest of the weekend I’m bringing this super casual striped dress that I just got this week. It’s SO comfortable!

BUYING

Um, all the things at the Nordstrom sale. In case you missed it, I shared my anniversary sale favorites yesterday and I’ve already updated the list since. And then I see what everyone else is loving and I keep adding things to my cart. Danger!

Just need a little grilled bread with that plate up there.

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2018 Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Favorites.

It’s the best time of year!

Today, I’m adding in my annual extra favorites post in July in honor of the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale!

This is my favorite time to shop and I wait all year for it. BUT. Many years I have a hard time getting into the sale because it’s JULY and I don’t want to buy SWEATERS and BOOTS in JULY. All drama necessary. You know?

The crazy thing is that this year there are a lot of things that we (like, me and the kids!) can wear right now, so I’m all over that. Last year, the things I bought are things I ended up wearing the entire fall and winter. And the reason that I wanted to post this for you is because almost everything linked down below? They are things that I’ve talked about in my monthly favorites for yearssss. Like we are talking five+ years! Crazy.

Also, I can’t believe how many things I found that I liked because I LOATHED the catalog. It looks so 90s to me and while we all know that I adore the 90s and never shut up about the 90s, I do not love 90s fashion or the 90s grunge or the ugly plaid and stuff like that. So not into it.

I got to shop the sale early yesterday (basically because Nordstrom is the only place I ever shop) so I grabbed a few things and then ordered a couple more this morning. Like last year, I’ll come back to this post a few times and update what I like, what I don’t, what was worth it, what is garbage (ha) and if there is anything else that catches my eye. So make sure to bookmark it! And pleeease tell me down below what you’re loving?

This is in no way sponsored and I’m not affiliated with Nordstrom at all, but there are general affiliate links below! I shared my favorite clothing items for me, things for Max and Emilia and babies in general, some home products (HELLO CANDLES) and all the beauty things I’m freaking over. Once Eddie shops it (he gets lots of clothes for work!) I may add in some of his favorites if you want? Early access for the sale starts today, but it goes until the beginning of August. Since I have had a lot requests to do another post for this sale, I wanted to get it up now in case you’re shopping today!

SHOES

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BP Tonya Open Toe Mule. I’m in love with this blush shade.

Vince Alora Mule. These stuck out to me in the catalog and when I tried them on yesterday, I was sold. So sleek, so comfortable. I love Vince because the clothes and shoes are so classic.

Vince Darlington Flat. These felt like BUTTER on. I bought them in nude and think they are timeless and classic. These both are my first pair of Vince shoes and I’m so excited because they are great quality.

Marc Fisher Miggi Bootie. So I am obsessed with this boot and thing it is SO cute. But to be honest, I tried this on in the store yesterday and I couldn’t even get my foot into it! It’s like the opening wasn’t big enough for a foot to slide in or something? I wear a size 7 regular and I tried on both the 7 and 7.5 and my foot just wouldn’t budge. Maybe it’s the shape of my foot? But I want this boot to work! I think it is adorable.

Vince Camuto Reeista Bootie. This is a version of the bootie that I got last year and I wore it ALL the time. It was amazing while pregnant too because with the chunky heel I wasn’t afraid of falling or slipping. So cute and comfortable!

Louise et Cie Bow Slide. I bought two slides at the sale last year (the leopard halogen and the kate spade jeweled!) and I’m so excited to see these ones. I love the pointed toe and the bow. Definitely mom-friendly when running around like a lunatic and you don’t want to be in heels.

Sam Edelman Ankle Strap Pump. I probably own more Sam Edelman shoes then any other brand. They are always ridiculously comfortable and this is my favorite brand of pump. They are a great quality and just feel as good as a high heel can feel.

Marc Fisher Hesla Pump. This was an impulse purchase that I threw in my cart. I’m dying over the blue!

Ugg Pax Wedge Boot. Remember when I couldn’t stop rambling about my Sorel wedges last year and how badly I wanted them in black? These are like the exact same thing! But in black! Woohoo! They do have a similar version of the Sorel ones I have, but they aren’t the exact same.

CLOTHES

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Free People Sunday Morning Cardigan. I have this is cream and talked about it a lot last year. Beware that it runs HUGE! Last year I bought the M/L size because I was eight months pregnant and it was enormous even then, so it is way way way oversized. It’s really chunky and soft.

Barefoot Dreams Circle Cardigan. I’ve raved about this for years, have bought multiples as gifts – it’s the SOFTEST, most comfortable lounging sweater in the universe. I live in it come winter.

Halogen Pocket Cardigan. I have a few of these from two years ago and they hold up great. They are perfect for warmer weather too because they aren’t super heavy. I really want the red one!

Halogen Ribbed Cashmere Cardigan. I cannot profess my love for this enough. I bought this in two colors last year and lived in it. It’s so ridiculously warm and soft. I really want the burgundy shade, but do I need three?!

Rails Hunter Plaid Shirt. I always go back and forth on Rails because this kind of plaid flannel just isn’t my thing. But the one with the hot pink? I can’t resist. I love Rails shirts that are striped or plain white the most, but these are such a good price because they are usually so, so expensive.

Free People January Tee. These are some of my favorite shirts to lounge around in because they are great for breastfeeding.

Trouve Funnel Neck Sweater. This is one of the sweaters that I can see myself LIVING in come fall.

Trouve Layering Tee. These are SO so so so soft. Couldn’t resist and bought them in blush and black yesterday.

Leith Sleek Knit Midi Dress. Leith makes my favorite casual dresses. I ordered both colors!

Rails Wren Stripe Dress. Again, the super soft Rails is something I can’t resist, and I bought this for vacation next week.

Spanx Faux Leather Leggings. I first wrote about these in my favorites a few years ago (I have them in a bordeaux color and adore them!). They are amazing leggings to wear out – super thick but stretchy.

Zella High Waist Leggings. Nothing really compares to the lululemon align pants right now,but these ones are SO good for the cold weather. They are thicker than the align pants and definitely warmer.

Blanc Noir Hooded Moto Jacket. Had to grab this because it looks like something I will wear nonstop in the fall.

Halogen Seamless Two Way Tank. This is something that my mom has loved and worn for years. And I finally grabbed some last year in nude and black. One side is a scoop neck and the other is a v-neck. It’s amazing for layering.

Chantelle Soft Stretch Bikinis. OMG. I looooove these! It seems crazy because they only come in one size but they are so soft and stretchy and amazing. I first bought these last year at the sale and I bought a bunch more this time around. Would you believe that these are so comfortable that I used them post-partum? But also in regular life? I love ’em.

BEAUTY



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RMS Glow Set. OMG!!! The highlight I use constantly. If you buy one beauty product (well, if you like cream/gel things on your face), it should be this!

Charlotte Tilbury Glowing Skin Palette. I’m very much having a moment with CT right now. I am loving ALL of her stuff. This reminds me of the Nars of Anastasia glow palettes.

Charlotte Tilbury Pink Lipstick Set. Love love love her lipsticks.

Hourglass Ambient Blush Palette. You guys know I love these – I almost always give one away around the holidays!

Becca Passport to Glow. I had NO intention of getting this but I swatched the powder in store yesterday and it is STUNNING. I couldn’t resist. Ugh.

Urban Decay Naked 2 Basics. I’ve used the palette for years (it’s an amazing neutral!) but also love the setting spray!

Slip Silk Pillowcase. Obsessed. Lacy and I bought a set last year during the sale and split it. We’ve been using them ever since!

Beauty Blender Set. This is one of the only tools I use in my makeup application and I can’t believe they finally have a case for it!

Supergoop Sunscreen Trio. Only Eddie and I used this (I don’t use spray sunscreens on the kids), but we go through it like crazy since we are both so pale.

Supergoop Hand Cream Set. I have this near my kitchen sink and use it constantly. One of my resolutions every year is to use SPF on my hands.

SKII Deluxe Skin Set. You may remember that last year is when I bit the bullet and discovered the SKII essence. It’s incredible and I use it daily. This set is great because it also has the sheet mask!

Kate Somerville Exfolikate. This is an incredible exfoliator. I keep mine in the shower!

Jo Malone Cologne Set. I don’t think there is a a JM scent that I don’t love.

Jo Malone Cologne Collection. You seriously can’t beat the sets of these! I love them for the travel size purposes too.

St Tropez Jumbo Self Tan Express. This is the ONLY self tanning foam I use. This was in my cart instantly!

Simple Human Sensor Mirror. I’ve had my eye on one of these for years. The mirror I have (a cheapy from Target!) broke a few weeks ago and we have yet to replace it sooo… I’m going with this.

BABY & KIDS

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I didn’t find a ton of clothing for Emilia, but I found lots for Max! There is also a lot of baby gear in the sale that I’ve used for years, and that’s amazing.

Nuna Convertible Car Seat. This is the car seat we use for Max! Can’t even believe this is in the sale.

Baby Bling Headbands. These are the only headbands I have Emilia wear because they are so stretchy and soft.

Little Giraffe Luxe Blanket. Lacy gifted me one of these blankets for Max and it is so soft. These are wonderful gifts, but also perfect for home. I love them.

Ugg Glitter Bootie. I couldn’t resist because I mean… pink glitter!

LouLou Lollipop Teething Toy. I’ve mentioned these in the last few baby favorites and they are Emilia’s favorite. Plus they are so super cute! I bought the taco one. Obviously.

Dockatot. I don’t think I’ve stopped raving about the dockatot since Emilia was born. This is what I traveled with EVERYWHERE (plane and car) for the book tour. Definitely a huge favorite.

aden + anais silky soft swaddles. I’ve bought my aden swaddles here since 2014 and they are the softest (so much softer than the ones at Target)

Vineyard Vines Quarter Zip Pullover. We each have one or two of these and this price is amazing. I usually get one for Max and it’s even great when we’re out late on vacation and it’s breezy.

Vineyard Vines Jersey Polo. And this is too adorable to NOT get.

North Face Quilted Sweater Jacket. I always get Max a North Face or Patagonia jacket in the sale because they are a great price. Currently debating on if I can get one for Emilia based on sizing and knowing how she is growing!

Nike Dry Zip Hoodie. This is something we have in our car at all times. It’s perfect for all seasons.

Stem Jogger Pants. So cute, right?

Stem Camo Denim Jacket. Can’t resist this on Max. He’s too adorable in these kind of things!

HOME & KITCHEN



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All Clad Casserole. Seriously you cannot beat this!

Le Creuset Au Gratin Dishes. I use this size dish all the time, especially for sides during the week.

Lock Storage Container Set. I absolutely love these for photo props. I use them in real life, but they are great on camera!

Voluspa Candle Set. These have been some of my favorite candles for years.

Mini Voluspa Set. These also make for great gifts!

Jo Malone Candle Set. You guys know I’m a huge Jo Malone fan. I love the gift sets that they do at the sale because I break them up for gifts!

Dyptique Candle Set. Same as above, I’ve bought and gifted this the last two or three years!

Nest Reed Diffuser. I use these in my bathroom all year long. They last three or four months each and I adore them.

Barefoot Dreams Throw Blanket. Like the sweater, this blanket is incredible. We have two of them and people fight over them at our house!

Barefoot Dreams Cozy Chic Throw. This is a slightly lower priced version and it’s the one we have in our family room. It’s awesome.

The post 2018 Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Favorites. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

Sparkling Rosé Pimm’s Cups.

This is exactly what it looks like.

MORE rosé.

No! We can’t have enough! It’s the heart of summer and this is exactly what we need.

See also: I freaking love a good Pimm’s Cup.

It’s so super refreshing and citrusy and it’s actually my favorite thing to drink out by the pool. We been making them for years (Lacy has always made the best ones – circa 2012!) and here, instead of seltzer or soda, we’re doing rosé.

I know I know I know.

But juuuust hear me out. Don’t click out yet.

The key is to use sparkling rosé. Bubbles make the drink! Plus, we usually do bubbles in the form of seltzer so if you skip the bubbles, the drink may be rather flat. Think of rosé plus cucumbers and lemon and strawberries. Sounds super fresh, right?

In my Pimm’s cup, I NEED the cucumber and lemon. I think they are a necessity to make it a legit Pimm’s, otherwise we may just be making a cocktail with Pimm’s liqueur, you know? A few years ago I made a more strawberry-specific Pimm’s cup and that one is also to die for.

True life: I can’t stand carbonated drinks and very rarely drink them.

Unless there is booze involved. Need all the bubbles! Riddle me that.

This drink is also amazing for summer because it’s really easy to make a single serving – you almost don’t have to measure anything and it will usually turn out great. But at the same time? You can easily make a pitcher for a party and for all your friends.

I want to be friends. Invite me to the party!

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Sparkling Rosé Pimms Cups

Yield: makes 1 drink, is easily multiplied

Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

1 handful of fresh mint
4 cucumber slices or “ribbons” (done with a veg peeler)
4 strawberries, sliced
2 lemon slices
2 lime slices
4 ounces Pimm’s No. 1
1 lemon wedge
1 lime wedge
4 to 6 ounces sparkling rosé wine



Directions:

Fill your glass with a mixture of ice, strawberries, cucumber slices, fresh mint, lemon slices and lime slices. Remember to save a strawberry or some mint for garnish on top if you care! I like to to layer this: add some veg on the bottom, then some ice, add some strawberries and lemon, add more ice, etc.

Once your cup is full of ice and produce (ha), pour in the Pimm’s and squeeze in the lemon juice and lime juice from each wedge. Use a knife or cocktail stirrer to stir the mixture up and at this time, I sort of faux “muddle” the mint too. Pour the rosé over top. Give it a gentle stir. Garnish with the leftover mint or strawberry or lemon wedge. Drink up!

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So much fruit, it’s kind of like a healthy snack in there.

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On Life Lately: a Photo Diary.

The beginning of July has been so fun, from almost a week of 4th of July celebrations to The Pretty Dish singing in Rehoboth Beach! More on book tour adventures to come. I adore this summer! xo

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Blueberry Quinoa Cookie Crisp.

I’m very into this blueberry work of art right now.

In the past I’ve always asked if you were a cobbler or a crisp or a crumble person. One tends to take precedence over the other depending on how much of a texture freak you can be. As it turns out, I’ve turned into all three.

SHOCKING. 

I made a cobbler two weeks ago and I’m sharing a crumble in another week, so today: we’re in the crisp zone. The blueberry crisp zone to be exact.

And I did something weird. WELL.

If you want to consider adding quinoa “weird.” Then I did something weird.

I consider it to be “smart” (and apparently need quotation marks?) because now there is absolutely no excuse as to why we can’t eat this for breakfast. Seriously.

There are blueberries, rolled oats AND quinoa in this dish so if you’re not throwing ice cream on top (HEY IT’S SUMMER) at 8am on a Saturday, how are you even living life in July?

There’s been a few blueberry crisps in my day but did you know that you can put QUINOA in a crisp?! It adds texture in the most fabulous way. It tastes like a legit crisp but occasionally chewy oatmeal cookie.

With one very important tweak: no raisins.

Because they are the worst and there is nothing more terrible than a raisin masquerading as a chocolate chip in my cookie.

Back to the quinoa though. I used cooked quinoa – this is an awesome idea if you have some leftover. However! I’m no stranger to toasted quinoa and you could totally use that too.

Even more crunch.

The reason that I love a good crisp is because the topping is, well… crispy. Not so much crispy, but it definitely has more texture than a cobbler and I’ll do just about anything for some crunch.

With blueberries in season, I knew there couldn’t be a more perfect dessert (eh, maybe blueberry pie?) than said crisp. And I also went above and beyond and threw some vanilla beans in with the blueberries. So good.

Seriously tastes like a COOKIE.

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Blueberry Quinoa Cookie Crisp

Yield: serves 4

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients:

3 cups blueberries
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
1 lemon
2/3 cup oats
2/3 cup loosely packed brown sugar
1/2 cup cooked and cooled quinoa
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
vanilla ice cream, for serving
fresh mint, for garnish



Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. In a 9-inch round or 9×9 inch square baking dish, toss the blueberries with the sugar, cornstarch abd vanilla beans. Squeeze in the lemon juice and toss again. Set aside for 10 minutes while you make the topping.

In a large bowl, combine the oats, sugar, quinoa, flour, cinnamon and salt. Add in the softened butter and mix until combined. Use your hands to really bring the mixture together and get the butter dispersed evenly. Crumble it over top of the blueberries.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the top is golden and the blueberries are saucy and bursting. Serve with vanilla ice cream and fresh mint.

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Ice cream (not) optional.

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Tuesday Things.

1. We had three bad iced coffees this weekend. I mean, that’s a record. Nothing worse than a hot coffee served with 4 ice cubes that melt immediately in the sunshine!

2. Asking again two weeks later: thoughts on IGTV now? Is anyone watching it? Are YOU watching it? If you’re watching it, what kind of videos are you watching? My instagram app doesn’t even have me updated to IGTV yet so I watch nothing. I just don’t get it!

3. How stunning is this coconut vertical roll cake?! Wowza.

4. Apparently on my journey to become quite elderly, I’m finding myself caring a whole lot about PILLOWS. As I type this, I’m in a hotel with horrific pillows so that doesn’t help, but our pillows at home are awful. We have a king bed and those long king pillows flatten out easily. Tell me all your pillow secrets.

5. Haven’t watched The Affair yet this week since we’ve been away but I am four seasons deep into Southern Charm and have so many thoughts. I love Shep. I also actually like Kathryn a lot. Can’t staaaand Thomas or Landon. They are the worst! Also, this is a whole new experience for me because I don’t really watch reality TV (like the housewives, etc – don’t watch it!) and some of it just feels so scripted.

6. Loving the idea of this slower living. The concept really always seems impossible (and very unrealistic) for me, but reading that post makes all that seem doable!

7. I realized that I think I’ve been accidentally meditating. I mean, it was one of my new years goals and I totally failed, BUT, sometimes I lie down with Max when he takes a nap and in order to get him to fall asleep, I do yoga breathing (I’ve done it since he was a baby) to calm and relax him and it’s almost a little meditative for me. For like, 13 seconds at least.

8. Dying over the on brand childhood meme. Except pathetically, I can’t even think of my own! What’s yours?

9. So excited for the Nordstrom anniversary sale to start this week! I always get the best booties and some basics and things for Max – even though I usually find the catalog to be lackluster (totally did this year), once the sale goes live there are always a bunch of things online I love. I’ll share later this week, woohoo.

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Spicy Fish Taco Bowls with Mango Pico.

If there was a taco that I would always pick…

Hands down, it would be a fish taco. Always! Especially in the summer. Especially when I’m at the beach! Which I am. And that makes Monday so so so much better.

So these were born after I spent a day (excitedly) planning on fish tacos for dinner and made the slaw and the mango pico and chopped the toppings and then realized that I was OUT OF TORTILLAS.

The shame. Ugh!

However. Since I’m sure you dyyyyying to know.

I still made the fish tacos minus tortillas for dinner.

And the thing is? We didn’t even miss the tortillas that much. This bowl is SO incredible. It would be fabulous with rice or quinoa or a grain of some sort. But it also reminds me of the crispy carnitas bowls in The Pretty Dish – those are rice-less and freaking fantastic. I don’t even ever miss the rice!

Yep yep. This is like that.

I mean, don’t you just want to dive into this bowl of goodness?

Here’s how it’s going down:

The base is a napa cabbage slaw. Which I LOVE. It doesn’t need anything in my opinion, even to go on tacos. Napa cabbage is one of those things that I can eat total raw and LOVE. Crazy, right?

Anyway, I love that it’s a more delicate leaf because it works perfectly as our salad green. Super crunchy and fresh, but not grossly chewy is that makes sense.

Lots of chopped cherry tomatoes.

A quick mango pico! It has more tomatoes, mango, onion and cilantro.

A little diced red onion. Queso fresco (lots, duh). Cilantro. Avocado. Jalapeno! LIME.

Sounds like a dream, right?

It gets even better with the fish on top. I broiled it because it’s easy. You can grill it or even bread it and fry it or do whatever you’d like. It’s so flakey and fabulous on top.

And then. THEN!

On top of all that we’re drizzling a chipotle lime crema. I’m not a huge dressing lover so this with a spritz of lime is PERFECT for me. Plus, the mango pico is also a little juicy and really adds great flavor.

Toss that bowl up and boom. We’ve arrived! Dinner is golden.

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Spicy Fish Taco Bowls with Mango Pico

Yield: serves 2

Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

1  pound wild caught cod
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 to 6 cups shredded napa cabbage
1 jalapeno pepper, sliced
1 avocado, thinly sliced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/3 cup fresh cilantro
1/3  cup queso fresco cheese
2 tablespoons diced red onion
1 lime, cut into wedges for spritzing

mango pico

1 mango, diced
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered or diced
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced
3 tablespoons sweet onion, diced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 lime, juiced
salt and pepper to taste

chipotle crema

1/2 cup plain greek yogurt or sour cream
3 tablespoons half and half
1 chipotle pepper in adobo
1 tablespoon adobo sauce from a can of chipotles
1 lime, juiced



Directions:

Preheat the broiler in your oven to high and set the oven rack about 6 inches below it.

Place the cod on a baking sheet and brush it with the grapeseed oil. In a bowl, stir together the paprika, salt, pepper, garlic and cayenne. Sprinkle it evenly over the top of the cod and press gently so it adheres.

Broil the cod for 6 to 8 minutes, or until just opaque and flakey with a fork!

To assemble the bowls, add shredded napa cabbage in the bottom of a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Top with the mango pico, tomatoes, cilantro, jalepeño slices, red onion, avocado and queso fresco cheese. You can obviously use as much as you’d like – my quantities above for toppings are really just a preference!

Drizzle the entire thing with chipotle crema and spritz with lime. Serve!

mango pico

Combine all the ingredients together in a large bowl and stir. Let sit for 30 minutes or so for the flavor to develop.

chipotle crema

Whisk all ingredients together until combined. Let sit at room temperature while you prepare the bowls! Store in the fridge to save any extras.

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I appreciate you so much!

Really could eat this every day though.

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Currently Crushing On.

HAPPY WEEKEND!

After such a wacky week with the holiday in the middle, I love that we’ve finally reached the weekend. Right now we’re on our way to Rehoboth Beach for The Pretty Dish event! Can’t wait to see you guys! xo

p.s. I shared a little update on Emilia at 8 months! HOW IS SHE SO OLD.

Huge favorites this week:

prettiest rainbow crudite platter!

s’mores icebox cake. eeeeep.

craving green goddess potato salad. yum!

lemon grated zucchini salad. yes yes yes.

this amazing almond dutch baby with blueberry glaze.

blueberry london fog popsicles sound so good right now.

how incredible is this fresh jalapeño relish?

stonefruit strawberry sangria is so pretty!

all about this street corn pasta salad.

southern peach cobbler. i need this.

refreshing fresh mint iced tea.

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Summer Fridays, Vol. 6.

Here we are for summer fridays in the heart of summer. We’re doing it! xo

CREATING

Our perfect beach day. I realize that unlike my 17 year old self, this will rely heavily on how my kids are doing that day. But I’m curious about YOUR perfect beach day. My entire life growing up, we would wake up, ride bikes on the boardwalk and then be on the beach all day (and by “all day” I mean like 11 until 7 or so) and then we would move to pool before figuring out what we were doing for dinner. We rarely left the beach and took everything down that we could possibly need. My playlists on first-generation mp3 players were loaded and I would sometimes read a book a day. We’d take a long walk in the middle of the day and bring down everything we’d need to eat and drink. It was perfection.

WAKING

Up to my favorite morning refresher. I’ve been drinking apple cider vinegar in the morning for over 10 years now but lately I’m loving it with 1/2 a freshly juiced orange, half water, a few grates of fresh ginger and a squeeze of lemon! Over ice too.

DRINKING

Since we’re going to Rehoboth this weekend, I’m allll over this orange crush. I can’t wait to try the grapefruit version! I’m also currently craving this frozen watermelon lime agua fresca because it’s SO refreshing. I often forget about all the mocktails I made while I was pregnant last year!

EATING

Now that the 4th of July has come and gone and we’re in the thick of summer, I’m alllll about the easy and quick summer meals. My favorites right now are this peach caprese salad, summer skillet gnocchi, crispy kale grilled cheese, grilled corn avocado toast and this summer BBQ quinoa salad. And then of course… all the heirloom tomatoes and sweet corn.

MAKING

If you follow me on instagram, then you’ve heard me raving about this triple berry salad. It’s UNREAL. I have made it four times in the last two weeks for parties. I’ve switched up the cheese for feta and goat based on what I have in my fridge. Everyone raves over it. It’s super light and refreshing and with this 95 degree heat wave, it’s all I’ve wanted to eat.

LISTENING

Since Lacy and I are road tripping to the beach, this week we have a girl’s road trip playlist! Also, if you haven’t listened to the Maria Shriver episode on Oprah’s Super Soul Podcast, run to it! Go go go!

READING

I finished The Perfect Couple this week and I ended up loving it SO much. I had a hard time getting into it but once I got in, it was so so good! Right now I’m into All We Ever Wanted. And Lacy and I are thinking about starting When Life Gives You Lululemons on audible while we drive!

BUYING

I’m obsessed with this pockets sports bra that has pockets in it for a key or credit card or whatever. Brilliant, right? And since I’m beach-bound, wanted to share two beach blankets. This las bayadas one is the one I’ve had for a few years and it’s so neon and incredible. This waterproof one by little unicorn is a recent purchase and I can’t wait to take it. Seems like it will be great with the kids. I’ll report back!

VISITING

I’m saying it for the millionth time, I know – but Rehoboth Beach this weekend for The Pretty Dish event at Browseabout books! What is your favorite (very kid friendly) place to eat?! More importantly, WHERE IS THE BEST ICE CREAM? Daily ice cream is a requirement at the beach. I’m so super excited to go there because I’ve wanted to visit for years!

It’s the heart of s’mores season, people. Melty marshmallows, here I come.

The post Summer Fridays, Vol. 6. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

Iced Coconut Coffee Soda.

I figure that since it’s the morning after the 4th of July, BIG coffee is in order!

Like iced coffee soda, k?

Trust me! You’ll be into this.

Hasn’t this been such a weird week?! Well, if you’re here celebrating the 4th of July, I mean. With it right smack in the middle of the week, there were parties last weekend and some this coming weekend and random things yesterday and it feels like it should be one giant vacation week!

And worst of all…

Today feels like Monday.

And that? That means COFFEE.

This isn’t my first foray into coffee soda. A few summers ago I made cold brew soda floats which are insane and intense and amazing.

But they are also kind of like dessert, SO. That probably shouldn’t be our breakfast.

Truth be told, the biggest coffee drink on my radar right now is still the lavender latte from The Pretty Dish! I love that lavender vanilla syrup so so so much. And I’ve made coconut syrup before but this whole soda thing just takes it to another level.

This is definitely more of an afternoon type of coffee for me. I don’t love bubbles or carbonation enough to drink this first thing in the morning, but it’s perfectly refreshing for the afternoon or early evening. Or okay… brunch! You could even add kahlua.

Oops?

My coffee evolution on this blog is well documented. You guys know how much I went from loathing coffee to really loving it and the whole thing is still crazy to me. My obsession for iced coffee is WILD. I want every coffee I drink to be iced and it’s always going to be my preference, but sometimes I’m lazy and it’s so much easier to make a cup of coffee super quickly now that I have kids and I just #omgneedcaffieine to survive.

Having the coconut (or lavender! vanilla! whatever!) syrup in the fridge ready to go and some cold brew prepared saves me. It’s the only way that I get the coffee I really want without going through the Starbucks drive thru!

You know what else? This kind of tastes cocktail-y!

Or, I guess it doesn’t TASTE cocktaily, but it kind of has a cocktail feel with the soda. Reminds me of these espresso martinis in a way.

It’s a great way to prep for summer nights out: hello coffee soda.

Print Recipe





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Iced Coconut Coffee Soda

Yield: makes 1 drink, is easily multiplied

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

coconut syrup

1/2 cup flaked, unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon coconut extract

coffee soda

3 tablespoons coconut syrup
8 ounces cold brew coffee
coconut milk or cream, optional
3 to 4 ounces seltzer (coconut flavored works too!)



Directions:

coconut syrup

Combine the coconut, sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk until the sugar dissolves and the mixture starts to simmer. Remove from the heat and let cool completely. Strain the syrup through a fine mesh strainer into a jar and stir in the extract. Store in the fridge for a week or so!

coffee soda

Fill a glass with crushed ice and add the coconut syrup. Pour in the cold brew and stir. If it’s your preference, stir in the coconut milk or cream. top with the soda and serve!

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I appreciate you so much!

Yep going to need all of those today.

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