Jessica Merchant's Blog, page 324

Strawberry Cobbler Bars.

Happy 4th of July!

I’ve got a special treat for you today! This recipe is one of my fave fave faaaaavorites and it’s straight out of The Pretty Dish! These strawberry cobbler bars are a take on the blueberry peach version from my cookbook and they are SO GOOD.

While they may not be as easy as opening up a boxed mix, they aren’t too difficult and they taste like heaven. I mean, straight up heaven!

And the best news is that if strawberries are on their way out where you live? This kind of stretches their life. Our local berries aren’t the best anymore, but using them this way makes them fantastic.

Not sure which part I love more. The shortbread-like crust or the crumbly topping. Ugh! Delicious city.

All the exclamation points and fireworks for these.

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Strawberry Cobbler Bars

Yield: makes one 9x13 inch pan

Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients:

crust and topping

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cups sugar
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup unsalted butter, melted

filling

3 large eggs
1/3 cup half and half
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon cornstarch
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of salt
2 to 2 1/2  cups fresh strawberries, sliced



Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with nonstick spray.

Stir the flour, sugar and salt together in a large bowl. Add the melted butter and stir until a shortbread-like dough comes together. I even use my hands to bring it together. Press half of the dough into the bottom of the dish.

In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, half and half, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, salt and cornstarch. Gently fold in in the strawberries. 

Pour the mixture over top of the crust. Crumble the rest of the dough over top of the strawberry mixture. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the bars are set and no long jiggly. Cool completely before slicing into squares!

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Strawberry glamour shots. Yep!

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Tuesday Things.

1. Totally want to grow sunflowers next year. Do I have to do something special for that? Or can I just… plant them?!

2. Also, for the first time ever my basil plants are taken over by japanese beetles. UGH! Trying to fid a non-pesticide/essential oil thing I can do to save them.

3. All I need in life are these toasted s’mores squares. Eeeep.

4. In the midst of the massive heat wave, it never occurred to me to attach the sprinkler to the hose so Max (and I…) could run through it. Very disappointed in myself because as a child of the 90s, every summer day was basically spent running through a sprinkler.

5. Okay I am reeeeally still loving The Affair. While I love the Allison/Cole weeks better, this week was SO good (aside from the devastating news, ugh). Also, I’ve always loved Sanaa Lathan SO much (my brothers and I watched Love and Basketball so much when it came out) and am thrilled she’s in it this season. And is it just me, or are there actually a lot of funny, laugh-out-loud moments? Just when I thought Noah was as unlikable as ever, he really turned it around this week. I love that they are taking so many current issues and putting them into a genuine storyline!

6. We also started The Staircase on Netflix and it scares me so much that I’ve barely slept but I’m also hooked on it. Creepy.

7. Can’t stop watching this. Were you team N*SYNC or BSB? I was BSB all the way.

8. Just saw that amazon prime day is coming up. Is it ever worth it? I know that tons of people buy the instant pot on that day buuuut we know how I feel about that. Meanwhile I’m just over here waiting for the Nordstrom anniversary sale…

9. Obsessed with these productivity tips! I get way off track with interruptions, but also cause many interruptions myself. Hello iPhone.

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My Mom’s Veggie Pizza.

I bet you’re shocked that I’m taking it back to 1995.

Veggie pizza from 1995. This is how we do it!

Every year around the 4th of July, I get super into retro recipes that we always used to have when I was a kid.

Things like this fruit pizza! And this fruit dip. And now… this veggie pizza.

PLEASE tell me that you’ve had veggie pizza! And not, like, hot vegetable pizza from a pizza oven. Like, cold veggie pizza made with crescent rolls and cream cheese and RAW vegetables on top.

This was literally the only way I’d eat veggies when I was a kid. Freaking raw vegetables.

I think this is the best answer to “please just bring a veggie tray.”

FYI this is about 54 times better than a plain old veggie tray. You will be loved!

I made a few… hmm… how do I say this? Upgrades, if you will.

Wait wait. Not upgrades. That makes me sound like a horrific brat. UPDATES. Yes. Updates. I made updates.

Just a few updates to the veggie pizza from the 90s. At least, for me it was in the 90s. For all I know, maybe this first started in the 70s?

Still used the crescent roll dough, because it’s easy but also SO good. It’s like a flaky delicious pie crust without the work.

For the base filling though? Oooooh this is where it’s going to get good.

I used a combo of mascarpone cheese and greek yogurt. Tons of spices for a little homemade ranch seasoning.

It’s absolutely delicious, almost like a savory frosting. You’ll want to eat it with a spoon. Swear.

The toppings got a little facelift too.

Way back when, we would do raw broccoli, red or green peppers, carrots and black olives. Personally, I think those are some polarizing veggies right there by themselves!

So.

I added a few more to make it seem like a big delicious salad on a pizza. Still all raw. Maybe more polarizing options (hello radish) but also some delish summertime things (hello cherry tomatoes) and then I threw a giant toss of fresh herbs on top.

This is SUCH a delish 4th of July party idea. You keep it in the fridge before serving, but it holds up fairly well (I mean, better than you’d expect!) in heat. And the leftovers are TOPS.

And I mean, vegetables! It’s full of health. Good for us.

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Veggie Pizza

Yield: serves a ton (10+)

Total Time: 2 hours

Ingredients:

2 (8-ounce) rolls of crescent roll dough
12 ounces mascarpone cheese, softened
3/4 cup plain greek yogurt (full fat or 2%)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 cups chopped broccoli florets
2 large carrots, spiralized (or chopped or grated)
1 cup diced bell peppers (red, green, yellow, etc)
1 cup grape tomatoes, quartered
1/2 cup sliced black olives
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1/2 cup sliced radish
1/4 cup torn fresh dill
2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves
2 tablespoons fresh chives
salt and pepper



Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Press the crescent roll dough into a 9×13 inch pan so it’s in a single layer. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool completely.

In a large bowl, stir together the mascarpone, yogurt, oregano, dill, garlic powder, smoked paprika, onion powder, salt and pepper until combined. Once mixed, spread it all over the cooled crescent roll dough. Add all the veggies on top: the broccoli, carrots, peppers, tomatoes, olives, onions, radish, fresh dill, basil, oregano and chives. Sprinkle the entire thing with salt and pepper. Refrigerate the pizza for at least 1 hour before serving.

When ready to serve, cut into squares.

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Means more room for rosé!

The post My Mom’s Veggie Pizza. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

Four Easy Summer Entertaining Recipes with French’s.

I’m back, I’m back!

And I’m here to share the second half of my mustard obsession with you. Raise your hand if you’re just like me and would gladly faceplant into a mustard-filled recipe.

As promised, today I’m sharing four of my favorite dishes using French’s Classic Yellow Mustard that can elevate your picnic game! Here, we have a few modern twists on some of the classics and what I really want to show you is how you can whisk some of this wonderful mustard flavor into any dressing or sauce or marinade to up your summer menu game!

The best thing about these is that they are all simple. Some can be made ahead of time, but regardless they are all perfect for a relaxed evening when entertaining friends. You don’t even have to depend on an exact recipe for any of these. Whisk a spoonful of this delicious mustard into a dip or drizzle will work almost anywhere! Nothing fussy, just really, really good food.

Let’s get to it!

First up, my personal favorite. Grilled or roasted baby potatoes drizzled with chimichurri. I ADORE chimichurri – I mean, that’s probably and understatement. And this time, I took my favorite recipe (and all those fresh herbs), added a drop of mustard and combined it all for the most delicious, tangy, slightly briny, bright and herby chimichurri drizzle.

This stuff is herb GOLD. You can use it like I do here on the potatoes, but also on steak, chicken, salads, roasted vegetables – I mean, the list goes on! Super fantastic, I tell you.

Salad is another option, but it’s not in an actual dressing like you’d expect!

It’s no secret how much we love kale salad here. A few years ago when I first learned to make massaged kale salads, our dinner game changed. I think we ate a version of kale salad for dinner once a week for over a year. Because the thing is, when you massage the kale, it not only takes on a perfectly chewy texture, it also releases some of the bitterness of the greens.

Here, I added a drop of French’s to my usual olive oil and massaged it into the greens.

Topped with cherry tomatoes, salt and pepper, this is an AMAZING starter salad summer. It has so much more flavor than you’d anticipate!

Next up, I used a drop of French’s Classic Yellow to make a tangy greek yogurt dill dip for a summer crudité platter! This is my go-to easy appetizer if people drop in and I have some veggies on hand. Plain greek yogurt, a spoonful of mustard, salt and pepper, a touch of mayo and a huuuuge handful of fresh dill.

I live for dill.

Dill in the summer is life. Dill every time of year is life! It’s the pickle-lover in me, I swear.

Not only does this make for a delish dip, you can use it on salads too. Toss all of those dip seasoning packets for this bowl. You’ll want to eat it with a spoon!

The final dish that I’m adoring here? Grilled cabbage wedges with a chili mustard sauce.

Oh. My. Word.

A few years ago, I never would have even entertained the idea of grilled cabbage. I’ve completely fallen in love with it (to be honest, it all started with tacos…) and now? It’s a staple on the grill. It gets smoky and charred and if you’re into the crunchy texture like I am, you’ll flip.

But what really takes it over the top is this chili mustard dressing. Ooooooh it is GOOD. It’s spicy and tangy with a hint of sweetness. It’s everything you want in a bowl even if you didn’t realize it!

I absolutely love the way that you can swirl French’s right into these dressings and dips and sauces to make each dish more delicious. It’s super easy and just gives it that extra oomph!

And who doesn’t want recipes with extra oomph?!


















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Four Easy Summer Entertaining Recipes










Ingredients:

chimichurri

1 cup fresh cilantro
2/3 cup fresh parsley
1/4 cup fresh oregano
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2/3 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon French’s Classic Yellow Mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

kale salad dressing

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon French’s Classic Yellow Mustard

yogurt dill dip

3/4 cup plain greek yogurt (I like full-fat or 2%)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup chopped fresh dill
1 tablespoon French’s Classic Yellow Mustard
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

mustard chili drizzle 

1/4 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon ancho chili powder
1 tablespoon French’s Classic Yellow Mustard
2 teaspoons olive oil



Directions:

chimichurri

Combine the parsley, cilantro, oregano and garlic in a food processor and pulse until small leaves and pieces remain. Add in the vinegar and pulse once more. With the processor going, stream in the olive oil and mix until just combined. Stir in the salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Taste and season additionally if needed. Store sealed in the fridge for up to a week or so!

kale salad massage dressing

Whisk together the olive oil and mustard until combined. Drizzle it over a torn leaves of green curly kale (I use about 8 cups) and massage the dressing into the kale for a few minutes. Let the kale sit for another 5 minutes before adding your favorite salad ingredients!

yogurt dill dip

Whisk all ingredients together until combined. Serve with veggies for dipping!

mustard chili drizzle 

Whisk all ingredients together until combined. Drizzle on grilled or roasted veggies!

All images and text ©How Sweet Eats.







Did you make this recipe?

Be sure to follow howsweeteats on instagram and tag #howsweeteats. You can also post a photo of your recipe to the howsweeteats facebook page.

I appreciate you so much!

Whyyyy does mustard make everything better?!

The post Four Easy Summer Entertaining Recipes with French’s. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

The Pretty Dish Book Club – July!

And we’re back for another month!

Welcome to The Pretty Dish Book Club for JULY!

I know that I sound like such a broken record, but the Pretty Dish Book Club is SO incredible. I’m insanely inspired by the private Facebook group and all of you that continue to participate day after day! You are making my YEAR!!

Here’s a peek at just a few of the recipes you shared on instagram for June’s book club recipes:

Chopped grilled shrimp salad from @howsweeteats bomb ass book #theprettydish is making Thursday

June Favorites: Lifestyle.

Here’s a list of all the things that I’ve been loving in June! HOW IS JUNE OVER?! xo

Skinny Dipped Almonds. I found these at Target and absolutely LOVE them for a snack. I’m obsessed with the chocolate peanut butter version (it’s not online – it is at Target!), but the espresso ones are good too. And I just saw that they have them in snack packs!

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. It feels as if I’ve done nothing but mention this book, however it is definitely my favorite out of all the ones I have read so far. The story still sticks with me and it’s one of those books that I’m measuring everything up against. I adored it.

Lilly Pulitzer Perry Cover Up. I know a lot of people want Lilly to go back to the classic non-neon Lilly look, but I obviously LOVE the neon! This cover up is amazing because it sort of doubles as a dress for pool parties. It is so gorgeous and flowy. Definitely my favorite purchase of summer so far!

Southern Charm. Ummm. I’m obsessed. Lacy has been trying to get me to start it forever and I finally did. I mean, it’s reality trash TV but it’s the best reality trash TV! And now I just want to do an event for The Pretty Dish in Charleston. Hahaha.

JuJu Be Fuel Cell Lunch Bag. So I’m completely obsessed with this because it’s so small, compact and portable and if we’re going somewhere for the day (pool/playground/outside/etc), I throw some yogurt in it for Max with a bottle of water and some fruit and it all stays cold and perfect. It fits in my diaper bag or I just throw it in my car or stroller!

Sand Cloud Wanderlust Tie Dye Towel. Probably no surprise that I adore something tie dyed, but hello! This is a gigantic turkish towel and perfect for pool days (because it’s so huge) as well as a beach or picnic blanket. It’s so soft. And, um, gorgeous!

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Perfect Bars. I’ve mentioned these before, but they are another thing that has saved me while traveling. When I’m staying in hotels with the kids and don’t really have instant access to food (I think most room service is awful), these are perfect. Because breastfeeding hunger is insane.

Costa South Point Polarized Sunglasses. You might remember me talking about these sunglasses last year… they are just the BEST. If you have super sensitive eyes, these are incredible when the sun is blaring. Driving + in the pool – these are all I need.

Lavender Melon Kevita Master Kombucha. Favorite summer drink!! I think the reason I love this flavor so much is because I first discovered it four summers ago while we were in Boyne City. So it just instantly transports me to summer. Aside from that, you know how much I love the Masterbrew Kombucha. It’s a perfect afternoon pick-me-up.

Sabra Snackers. These are the best thing ever. Lacy introduced me to these after one too many delays in an airport for the book tour. You know, we were sick of eating out, but needed something more substantial than the sad fruit cup before our last few flights home. She has grabbed these for years in airports and I was instantly hooked. Target has them too! I’ve even been packing them in that mini lunch bag cooler I talk about above if we’re out and about. Sometimes you just want a crunchy snack. My favorite is the original version with pretzels!

[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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Summer Fridays, Vol. 5.

I can’t believe we’re into week five of summer fridays! Here’s what’s on the agenda for the end of June.

EATING

There is no doubt that both the veggie burgers and smash burgers will be making an appearance on our weekend menu! I’d also suggest the hot bacon caprese salad and these grilled veggies with avocado whipped feta! And if you’ll be poolside? Here is my favorite pool party snack mix.

SIPPING

On this rosé sangria. It will probably always be my first choice! And for breakfast purposes, these iced raspberry lattes. Perfect.

BAKING

Or should I say… not baking? This red white and blue no-bake cheesecake star tart is super fun to make! Also: blueberry slab pie. Just do it.

SHARING

For our menu planning service Sweet Peas Meals, we’ve created our favorite summer essentials recipe guide! This is packed with THEEEE best (not so) basic recipes you need for your summer parties. From top to bottom! Nothing too wild – things that everyone will love. And it’s totally FREE! You can access it right here.

READING

So to follow up on last week, I did find The Last Mrs Parrish semi-interesting at the end. It got good and I stayed up until 2AM finishing it because it sucked me in. Overall though, I’d probably only give it two stars. I’m now into The Perfect Couple and… I hate to say this but I’m kind of finding it a little difficult to follow. That might be because by the time I get to it at night, it’s super late and I’m so tired. But I’m hoping to finish it this weekend and start Emily Giffin’s new one! What are you reading right now? If you need a refresher, here’s my 2018 summer reading list!

PARTYING

With the 4th of July falling on a Wednesday, when the heck are you celebrating?! This weekend? Next weekend? Are you being a rebel and actually celebrating on Wednesday even though it’s a #schoolnight? I feel like we’re in a weird place with traditions right now. Traditions are changing in my family and I don’t like it but I also love it. On top of that, I have some WEIRDO pressure about the 4th of July! I am never that person – I couldn’t care less about New Years or similar holidays, don’t ever build up expectations for the day, but next week for some reason, I have high expectations. We’ve always done really fun things on the 4th of July and I don’t want it to fall short. Aside from the universe ruining it since it’s on WEDNESDAY.

LISTENING

4th of July party playlist is HERE! I might be blasting it for the next ten days.

WEARING

Last year for Christmas, my brother got me a pink shep shirt from Vineyard Vines and it’s pretty much my most favorite thing ever. I then bought a blue one and every time I have one of them on on insta stories, you guys ask about them. I’m obsessed with this striped version that just so happens to be very red, white and blue friendly. Also want to put Emilia in this cute one piece!

SHOPPING

As we gear up for some time at the beach (my next Pretty Dish signing is at Rehoboth Beach on July 8!), I’ve got a question for you. What do you use for babies (think Emilia, not Max) to shield them from the sun and sand? I’m talking umbrella, tent or canopy. We had a tent with Max and there is no way Lacy and I can set it up in a few weeks while watching the kids, plus it just gets SO hot in the tent. The umbrella doesn’t seem like enough though. And the canopy seems way too complicated and large for us to manage with both kids. I realize this is leaving me with no solution… ha. But I’m hoping you have an answer!

CREATING

The perfect office set up. Now that I’m home from the majority of my book tour, I want to design a great home office and desperately need inspiration since I can’t even decide on a photo to hang on our wall four years after moving in. In need of the perfect space!

ORGANIZING

My life! Not joking when I say I’ve left suitcases on my bedroom floor since March of this year with all the travel. I have a long list of things to clean out (closets! pantry! food styling props! garage!) but also want to settle into a (slight) schedule. I say slight because it’s summer and I don’t want a strict schedule. But! I’m still using the Passion Planner this year and I love the set up sooo much.

Let’s eat all the guac we can this weekend.

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Tequila Rosé Spritz.

Now this is theeeee cocktail that you need for the fourth of July!

A rosé spritz cocktail; a refreshing and light dreamy drink that tastes like heaven. 

It’s my take on the rosé all day cocktail from Floor 2 – and while I don’t have the exact recipe, it came pretty close! This is the cocktail that we served for The Pretty Dish book launch party and

it

is

delicious.

And so easy to drink. So wonderful to drink!

My mind is seriously blown that the launch party for The Pretty Dish was over three months ago. Three months! It was two seasons ago since we were technically still in winter and there was even a blizzard that night.

The book tour this time around has been a (super fun) whirlwind, one that I will probably never forget and one that I need a huge vacation from after taking both kids, even though to you guys it probably seems like the entire thing was one giant vacation! It kind of was because it was so fun. I love getting to explore new places but I also love going back to places that I’ve already been. And I secretly love hotel rooms and just want to stay in a hotel bed for HOURS.

But! After these amazing three months, I want nothing more than to spend some time on our patio and grill and drink even more rosé than you’d normally expect I would drink.

Can’t help it. I love it.

And the thing is – I know that rosé is trendy. But it’s just SO GOOD. If you fall into the camp of not adoring red wine and you really enjoy white wine but sometimes want a change? Then you probably love rosé too!

I swore that last week I was taking a break from rosé cocktails, but then I just HAD to share this. And I have one more to share for you in another week or two. Gah! Yes – I love to drink it but I really love having it on hand to use in other cocktails or trying a new fun beverage.

And when you really only get the chance to have a cocktail on the weekend, trying something new means new things allll summer long.

Floor 2’s version of their cocktail is called Rosé All Day and it could not be more perfect. Admittedly I’m jealous that I didn’t think of that name… I mean, it’s perfect for these hot summer days!

And the ingredients. The ingredients in this glass are everything.

Muddled strawberries, tequila and rosé all in one glass. Um, it’s no secret that those are three of my favorite things. And together?

Yes yes yes.

Since it’s going to be HOT hot hot here this weekend, this is all I can think about. Sometimes a chilled glass of rosé on its own won’t cut it and when that happens, it’s time to break out the tequila. These glasses are also rimmed with a touch of salt and spritzed with lemon juice. Doesn’t that sound incredible?!

It’s ridiculously refreshing. It’s kind of like rosé spritzer meets margarita and sangria. Not that there is any other fruit in it – just the muddled strawberries. HOWEVER. I went and threw in some frozen peaches! You know that’s my favorite way of keeping a drink cold and, well… then you can eat them.

Rosé for dinner? I’m in!

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Tequila Rosé Spritz

Yield: makes 1 drink, is easily multiplied

Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

crushed Himalayan pink salt for the rum
3 strawberries, chopped
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon honey
1 ounce silver tequila
4 ounces rosé wine
fresh strawberries for garnish
frozen peach slices for garnish



Directions:

Rim your glass with a slice of lemon and dip it in the coarse salt.

In the bottom of the glass, muddle the strawberries, lemon juice and honey until the strawberries are completely crushed. Add a bit of crushed ice. Pour in the tequila and muddle a bit more. Top with the rosé, add in the strawberries and frozen peach slices and serve!

All images and text ©How Sweet Eats.







Did you make this recipe?

Be sure to follow howsweeteats on instagram and tag #howsweeteats. You can also post a photo of your recipe to the howsweeteats facebook page.

I appreciate you so much!

So yes way we can definitely drink these all day. SORRY.

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June Favorites: Beauty.

Happy June!

Not sure how we’re here, but we are and it’s full blown summer and I’m LOVING it.

Honestly there are a ton of products that I talk about ALL the time that I’ve been loving this month and things that saved me while traveling. I’ve been doing my hair SO much – the Redken Hot Sets 22 saves me with how much heat styling I’ve down, the Kenra Blow Dry Spray too – both those things I’ve talked about over and over again.

With it being summer, I can’t stop using the Sol de Janeiro Bum Bum Cream and also haven’t quit the Tom Ford Soleil Blanc perfume. Signature scents all the way!

The rest? Just minimal makeup now that I’m pretty much done with the book tour. I’m constantly using the RMS luminizer because it brightens up my face, even with no makeup on.

And here are a few other stand out things this month that I adore! Make sure to leave your loves down below.

Drunk Elephant D Bronzi Serum. I was waiting MONTHS for this!! Drunk Elephant is definitely my favorite skincare brand (along with Sunday Riley!) and when I saw this was coming out, I was super excited. However, I assumed it was a self tan type of thing, like the Coola serum that I mentioned last month, and it’s not! It’s simply a bronzer gel-serum that works in your moisturizer or sunscreen. I’m obsessed. The color is perfect for me and doesn’t look orange at all. I have been using this everyday, even when I’m not wearing makeup!

Jouer Skinny Dip Highlighter. If you remember some of my favorites last summer, this was ALL I wore! I wore it as highlighter and as eye shadow. I love this SO much. It’s gorgeous, a perfect texture, such a pretty color. I can’t really break it out until summer because it’s a bit dark for me. But it’s so so so stunning.

Nails Inc Flock You Polish Duo. Yes I’m in my 30s and still really into neon. I can’t help it. Especially in the summer near the pool and the beach! I found these at Sephora and couldn’t pass them up. The lighter sparkle color is definitely sheer, but it looks so pretty over the pink. And the pink is perfect on its own too!

Volume de Chanel Mascara. I mentioned this once earlier this year but since I just bought two more tubes it’s worth mentioning again. I shy away from most Chanel products (because $$$) but this is unreal. The best mascara I’ve used in forever. Totally worth it.

Supergoop Everyday Sunscreen. I’ve raved about this sunscreen for years. I’ve mainly used it on my face the past two summers, but now I’m just using it everywhere since it’s SPF 50. I love it, it rubs in easily and barely has a scent. It’s perfect.

Pat McGrath Lipstick. With my last book tour, I exclusively wore MAC Relentlessly Red, which is still a huge favorite. This time, I’ve mostly worn Pat McGrath Pink Ultraness. I’ve mentioned these lipsticks before because they last FOREVER. They stain the lips (in a non-stain way if that makes sense) and seriously stay on for hours and hours. They are also super comfortable!

YSL All Hours Concealer. I’ve been using this concealer combined with the Tarte Shape Tape for a few months. I’m very into it. It’s almost like a thinner version of Shape Tape with the same coverage. My face is so dry and this doesn’t emphasize the dryness. The only downside is that the lightest shade still isn’t really light enough for under my eyes. It just feels so much easier to use and less thick than Shape Tape. So I mix ’em!

Now what is on your list for the next month or so? There’s nothing I’m crazy over right now, but I am looking forward to the Nordstrom anniversary sale and some of the makeup they will have discounted. I also got a Glo Pro last year and some great skin care stuff, so I’m pumped!

[as usual, none of this is sponsored and all of these products were purchased by me. i am not affiliated with any of the companies above, nor do i accept free products. just love to talk about what i like, makeup junkie to makeup junkie. there are some amazon and general reward style affiliate links above. thank you for being here!]

The post June Favorites: Beauty. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

Black Raspberry Lavender Cobbler.

How on earth was there a time when I didn’t want fruit in my desserts?!

Because black raspberry cobbler is where.it’s.at. All the exclamation points!

My obsession with fruit desserts and cobblers continues. Last summer I was nutty about it. Convinced that it was just a pregnancy thing, I thought for sure that I wouldn’t care or be interested in such desserts this summer. I’d be all over the chocolate peanut butter ice cream things and on the s’mores train and what not.

But I was oh-so very wrong.

Behold the perfect black raspberry!

I can only find these for about 32 seconds in my area every summer. A local farm has their own in June and I ran in there last week, bought seven quarts of them like a psychopath and was embarrassed to check out at the counter.

I made this cobbler for dinner Sunday night (where it was devoured by all!), made it again on Monday to share with you and then froze the rest.

What to do with the remaining gems?

My thing with black raspberries is that the seeds are INTENSE. Lots and lots of little seeds and since the berries are so small, it seems they are in every bite. I know that some people love this but I’m not one of them – so my solution is to take ’em and make them into dessert.

When the berries are warm and bursting and then topped with ice cream? The seeds don’t even come into play. Sure, they still have that bit of crunchy texture (which you would assume that I love being the #texturequeen and all!), but it’s the flavor that really shines through.

OMG and the color. I mean, how stunning is this color? It’s kind of natural lipstick and I’m very into it.

And! I’m still having a moment with lavender. Clearly. My lavender plant is going wild right now and it thrills me.

For someone who has ZERO interest in floral flavors and scents, I can’t get enough.

Also! I’ll let you in on a little secret. While I’ve been infusing syrups and cream and desserts for a few years with culinary lavender flowers, and I love doing that… for this? I used an organic lavender extract and I found it added the PERFECT amount of lavender.

Sometimes when you infuse your own, the floral flavor is super overpowering. While I’ll always use the flowers for cocktails and drinks and coffee and things like that, using the extract here made it ridiculously easy and also took the guess work out of it. Love!

Oh and p.s. I find mine on amazon! Easy.

The flavor here is rich and fruity from the berries. But the lavender adds this floral hint that makes you wonder just what the heck it is, because it tastes fantastic. And I’ve always said that when lavender is mixed with sugar, it takes on an ice cream shop flavor and scent. That’s exactly what happens. It’s SO good.

Makes me think I couldn’t even make this cobbler without the lavender.

The cobbler itself? It’s a batter poured on butter and topped with the berries. It’s based on paula deen’s peach cobbler and while this doesn’t produce the “pretty” biscuits-on-top-of-cobbler masterpiece, the taste more than makes up for it. It is SO so good.

And who doesn’t want to eat hot purple dessert.

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Black Raspberry Lavender Cobbler

Yield: serves 6 to 8

Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

2 quarts black raspberries
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk (any kind works!)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon lavender extract
vanilla ice cream for serving
fresh lavender for garnish



Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place the butter in a 9×13 inch baking dish. Once the oven is at temperature, place the dish in the oven until the butter melts, about 5 minutes or so. You want it melted!

Place the berries in a large bowl and sprinkle on the 1/2 cup sugar. Toss gently. Add the lemon juice and toss gently again, trying not to break the berries. Set it aside for a moment while you make the batter.

Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a measuring cup, whisk together the milk and extracts. Pour the milk into the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth. Pour the batter mixture on top of the melted butter. Don’t mix it! Just pour it on top and spread it to the edges if necessary.

Gently toss the berries once more. Spoon them over the batter in the dish (again, not mixing, but just placing them on!), covering all the batter.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the mixture is golden brown and not very jiggly in the center. Let cool slightly before serving with vanilla ice cream!

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This melty bowl should be framed.

The post Black Raspberry Lavender Cobbler. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.