Jessica Merchant's Blog, page 328

Memorial Day.

Remembering all today who gave their lives for our country and those who continue to protect and serve.

xoxo

The post Memorial Day. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

Currently Crushing On.

IT’S SUMMER!!

I just want to keep shouting that it’s summer. And yes, I know that it’s not reeeeeally summer yet, and that we officially have a few weeks, but in my brain after a long winter, it’s summer now. And I could NOT be more excited. This is the best weekend ever. What are you guys up to?

Some things! Next weekend, I’ll be in Nashville for The Pretty Dish event!

Earlier this week I shared the favorites we are loving now that Emilia is six months old.

And yesterday, did you catch my summer reading list?! I love sharing that post!

I hope you have a fabulous hot and sunny weekend full of fun.

The best things on the internet this week:

whole wheat sourdough! oh my gosh, i need it.

hello brown butter vanilla oatmeal raisin cookies! i may swap choco chips but YUM.

?! with pistachios!

very into this 6 ingredients sun dried tomato pasta salad.

turmeric poached egg avocado toast. i’m doing this!

these watermelon coolers are everything I want to drink.

love this: how to make a kitchen altar.

chocolate milkshakes with fresh blackberry sauce. it’s summer!

these DIY fruit inspired storage baskets are just adorable.

look at how insanely creamy this hummus is.

this avocado strawberry mango salsa is calling my name.

how fab does this secret ingredient pasta look?

3 ingredient chocolate sauce? sign me up.

The post Currently Crushing On. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

My 2018 Summer Reading List.

What a way to kick off Memorial Day weekend!

I kind of can’t stop singing “it’s the most wonderful time of the year” in my brain because there is NOTHING better than reading all summer! Sharing my summer reading list is one of my favorite things to do. If you even knew how much time went into crafting this list of things I want to read? Um, an embarrassing amount of time. 

And it’s just books I personally want to read. It’s not books I think everyone should read or anything – it’s all the books I am truly interested in reading. Woohoo!

For many years – and I mean MANY years – my favorite thing to do was head to Barnes and Noble in May and just stand in front of the fiction & lit aisle and look at the new releases, or the books displayed to see what I wanted to read for summer. Back then, I read the inside flap to decide if I really want to read it, but the color and cover are what largely determined my choice. Now with reviews? It’s so easy! I’ve been compiling this list for months and am so excited because last year’s summer reading list was everything. I still go back and reference it, along with the comments!

If you’re new around here, you should know that I’m a crazy unapologetic fan of most types of women’s fiction (and yes of course chick-lit!). Light, fun, beachy reads are my fave. I read to escape, to get lost in the story, to feel like the characters are my friends. And I actually love the day after I finish a great book and can’t even stand to start a new one because I’m mourning my new (character) friends. I know some of you get me!

I don’t want to read super sad or scary or depressing books, no matter how great they are. Occasionally there is an exception or two, and when there is I have to read about 45 happy books after it to counteract the one. Some thrillers are okay, just depends on my mood.

So, these are what I’ve picked down below! We’re actually going to take the summer reading list a little further this year, but stay tuned until next week for that.

I can’t WAIT to hear your recommendations in the comments, what you’re reading now and what’s on your list!

1. The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah. I started this (twice!) but admittedly just didn’t get to finish it with the book tour these last two months. Dying to really get into it and enjoy. My mom loved it and can’t stop talking about it.

2. The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand. As the biggest Elin fan ever, I obviously can’t wait for this! And if you haven’t read it yet, go read the book of hers that I developed recipes for!

3. All We Ever Wanted by Emily Giffin. I’m also a huge fan of Emily Giffin and now that she goes two years between novels, I’m always so excited the year a new one releases. 

4. The Female Persuasion by Meg Wolitzer. It always takes me a few chapters to get into Meg Wolitzer’s books but I usually end up loving them. Super excited about this one.

5. An American Marriage by Tayari Jones. Three words: Oprah’s book club. I have to read it. 

6. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I love this author’s writing and can’t WAIT to start this one.

7. All Your Perfects by Colleen Hoover. This is a later summer release and I can’t wait. I love everything Colleen Hoover does! 

8. The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn. I love a book that I can’t put down, so this one definitely seems to fit that.

9. The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin. This sounds SO interesting to me! Also a little scary. But I’m into it. 

10. A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman. This is one of the “older” (as in, not released this year) books on my list, but last year after Bear Town, so many of you told me to read this. I never did, then my mom read it for her book club and just loved it. So I’m in! Doing it. 

11. Sisters First by Jenna and Barbara Bush. You guys know I am obsessed with presidential history, so whenever there is a book like this, I’m all over it.

12. The Summer I Met Jack by Michelle Gable. Ooooh my gosh. An imagined affair with JFK. 

13. The Neighbors by Hannah Mary McKinnon. Reviews on this one sound amazing!

14. Educated by Tara Westover. This is a memoir and just sounds completely fascinating to me. 

15. Wish You Were Here by Renee Carlino. I absolutely love all the books by this author. Can’t wait to start this.

16. Beautiful Exiles by Meg Waite Clayton. Very fascinated by this story about Ernest Hemingway! It won’t be released until August. 

17. Another Side of Paradise by Sally Koslow. Ooooh I am so interested in this – a book about F. Scott Fitzgerald’s love with a gossip columnist. Kind of like the above book!

18. Mrs. by Caitlin Macy. This comes as a recommendation from Elin Hilderbrand, so it made my list for sure!

19. The Family Next Door by Sally Hepworth. I feel like this book is a play on the popular Girl-On-The-Train-esque stories at the moment, but the reviews are amazing! 

20. The Queen of Hearts by Kimmery Martin. The reviews of this book are great and it sounds like a book that will really pull me in. My favorite thing! 

21. A Nantucket Wedding by Nancy Thayer. I love Nancy’s books and am obsessed with all things Nantucket, so this is a natural read. 

22. When Life Gives You Lululemons by Lauren Weisberger. As if I could pass this one by! 

23. Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng. I’ve heard so many mixed reviews on this (my mom loved it though, my cousin thought it was slow to start, etc) but I think I have to bite the bullet and read it.

I can’t wait to hear your list! And be sure to check out last year’s list for a list of my favorite authors and more books. xo

The post My 2018 Summer Reading List. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

Lemonade Frosé.

YOU GUYS! I have been waiting for froze for an entire year.

Is it froze or frosé?! I say frosé. But I also would paint my bedroom neon pink if I had the guts so….

A year! A whole year.

Remember when I made this watermelon frosé last summer? But I was pregnant with my adorable little loveable chubbanugget and couldn’t partake?

And even though people like my grandpa were all “oh you can totally have a glass of wine a day!” I could never ever do that so I made the frosé for everyone constantly and just looking longingly at the frosty, slushie heaven on a hot nights?

I remember. I remember it sooooo well. I’ve been waiting all year for this day, when it’s (unofficially) summer and hot enough to have some frosé! And in this case?

Um, it’s lemonade frosé.

YES. Like how can we even stand this, it’s so perfect. It’s basically rosé lemonade, frozen. Frozen wine lemonade.

I do not hate this.

In fact, I love it oh-so very much.

Uh huh. We’ve made it! It’s basically summer and we’re here and we’re living it and who cares if we can’t spend our days outside like our 12 year old selves because it’s STILL SUMMER

I’m just calling it. For me, after the longest winter everrrr, it’s summer. YEP.

Now there is just one problem. I don’t know which one you (or I!) should make this weekend.

The watermelon frosé is just dreamy because hello, it’s watermelon.

But this lemonade frosé is the perfect combination of tangy and tart and refreshing and sweet. I want to figure out how to have a permanent stash in my freezer.

I guess it would be lemonade frosé granita then. Hmmmm.

So when it comes to the lemonade, I say just buy it. But your favorite brand. For this, I used Simply Lemonade which is the one I tend to buy if we’re having parties or something. I mean, I love to make homemade lemonade and most times, think that nothing else can beat it.

But since we’re just going to whip it up with some wine, I wouldn’t go to all the trouble of juicing your lemons and all that jazz. Save that for when you want a refreshing glass of lemonade on it’s own. Not one that we’re combining with (the perfection of) rosé.

And now, I just told you it’s EASY. There is really no excuse, so let’s have a lemonade froze party this weekend!

Print Recipe





Did you make this recipe? Leave a review »







Lemonade Frosé

Yield: serves 4

Prep Time: overnight

Ingredients:

1 (standard 750mL) bottle of dry rosé
1 cup lemonade
1/2 cup rosé syrup (recipe below)
1 lemon, zest freshly grated
lemon slices, for garnish

rosé syrup

1/2 cup dry rosé (from an additional bottle of rosé)
1/2 cup sugar



Directions:

The night before, pour the rosé into two ice cube trays (you might need three trays depending on the size, but two should do it!) and freeze.

When it’s time to make the frosé, place the ice cubes, rosé syrup, lemonade and lemon zest in a blender. Blend until it’s a slushy-like consistency. I like to refrain from adding ice until I see the consistency. Some rosé’s freeze different, so you might need a handful or 2 of ice to make it more slushy. If it’s TOO icy and won’t blend, add more of the rosé from the bottle that you used for the syrup!

Pour the froze into glasses and serve with a garnish of lemon.

rosé syrup

Combine the wine and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk until the sugar dissolves and the mixture starts to bubble, then turn off the heat. Let it cool completely. If you made it ahead of time (you totally can!), store it in the fridge until you’re ready to use.

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!

My life is complete.

The post Lemonade Frosé. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

Cilantro Lime Flank Steak.

This cilantro lime flank steak is the way to my heart right now.

I mean, it is GOOD. We are talking hearty and satisfying and delicious and flavorful and all the good things that you need in your life. Flank steak is super easy and perfect for so many different meals… therefore you need it. NEED. Like right now!

And right in time for Memorial Day too. Eeeep! It’s the unofficial start of summer and I am so freaking excited.

Like, I probably haven’t been this excited since I was in school myself as a tween? And back in those days, I sat on a towel in the front yard with a boom box blasting and a stack of Sweet Valley High books at my disposal. Elizabeth Wakefield was my pretend best friend even though I REALLY wished I could be as cool as Jessica.

My head was permanently buried in a book though – and I wrote a ton of stories myself – so I was much more of an Elizabeth.

Those days I didn’t have to even think about dinner because my mom had it on the table every night. But we grilled a ton. Chicken, steak, salmon, burgers – everything. The minute it starts getting warm, I’m inspired to fire up the grill. But in my secret brain? I’m convinced I’m going to burn down the house the minute I do.

And I knooow that I make flank steak all the time. It’s totally a nostalgia thing because it’s what we always ate growing up, but I also love it so much. And it’s easy!

There’s a recipe for flank steak tacos in The Pretty Dish too, so I just can’t stop.

But last week, on Mother’s Day, I made the MOST delicious meal. Before you’re all “but whyyyy were you cooking on Mother’s Day” it’s because I have a mom and I cooked for her and nothing else is more awful than going out to eat on Mother’s Day. Worrrrrssst ever.

So! I made flank steak and crispy roasted potatoes and asparagus and salad and it was so, so good. We repurposed the flank steak the next day into tacos (of course) and then Eddie had it one more time as leftovers for lunch, and he hasn’t been able to stop talking about how delish it was.  I couldn’t not share this because we adore it.

And it’s super versatile. Tacos, salads, nachos, whatever you’re feeling.

Plus, I want to drink the marinade. Lots of cilantro and lime. Apologies to you cilantro-tastes-like-soap people! Swap it out for another herb and you’re good to go.

Oh also!

This is a slightly easier version that these flank steak fajitas I shared a few years ago, but it’s the same idea. There are SO many different options. A bunch of ways to stretch or repurpose leftovers.

Okay and! I also really love this hot or cold. We always serve it warm for dinner, of course, but grabbing it out of the fridge for lunch? No big deal because it’s so good.

Also complements a margarita REALLY well, thank you very much.

Print Recipe





Did you make this recipe? Leave a review »







Cilantro Lime Flank Steak

Yield: serves 4

Prep Time: 2 to 24 hours

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

1 (2 pound) flank steak
2/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tablespoons fresh lime zest
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
2 green onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 lime for juicing



Directions:

I like to take the flank steak and use a meat tenderizer on it – pound it out a few times all over. Place the flank steak in a baking dish or a ziplock bag. In a bowl, whisk together the cilantro, olive oil, lime juice, lime zest, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Pour it over the flank steak and marinate anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hour or even overnight!

When you’re ready to cook the steak, you can grill, broil or pan sear it to your liking. I tend to broil it as I find that easiest. Preheat the broiler in your oven and move the oven rack as close as possible. Place the steak on a broiler pan or baking sheet and broil on each side for about 5 minutes. This usually results in a medium doneness in my oven – but since the edges are thinner, they tend to be more well done.

Allow the steak to rest for 10 minutes before slicing it thinly against the grain. While the steak is resting, toss together the cherry tomatoes, onions and cilantro with a pinch of salt and pepper. Juice half the lime over top and toss well. Place the tomatoes on top of the sliced flank steak and serve. We love to do this as tacos, on salads, or as a main dish with rice, quinoa or potatoes, along with a green veggie like asparagus or broccoli!

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!

About to wrap this up in a tortilla blanket and devour it.

The post Cilantro Lime Flank Steak. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

Tuesday Things.

1. The royal wedding was seriously everything to me. Lacy and I woke up before 5 in our Atlanta hotel and stayed in bed watching it for hours. I will forever be a hopeless romantic and it was so dreamy. I LOVED that second dress. Not to mention… the Queen is Mother Lovett incarnated.

2. Baked Nashville chicken hot sliders?! I need them. I’ll be in Nashville next weekend for The Pretty Dish event, so tell me where to get the best hot chicken!

3. I still have Mother’s Day cards up on our mantle and every time I look at them and see “mom” on the front, I’m thinking “oh what a nice card for my mom” and then I realize that they are MINE! Similarly to how I was complaining about how I don’t feel my age last week, I still think HOW AM I A MOM constantly. Like, constantly. Now, who has watched Ali Wong’s Hard Knock Wife special… ?

4. Speaking of my mom, last week as I was getting us an Uber, she was talking about how all of our life we’re taught to never get in a car with a stranger. And now it’s all we do. I mean, she isn’t wrong about that.

5. Currently listening to the 5 Second Rule on audible right now. No, it doesn’t have anything to do with food being on the floor for five seconds. Have you read it? It’s interesting! But also… like, doesn’t work for me?

6. Okay, so what is this plot twist kind of thing that Billions is taking? I’m not into it. I like that they are switching it up a bit but can’t they keep the storyline to something I enjoy and/or can follow? HA. Annnd did you see all the previews for The Affair? So excited. Even after how awful it ended up last year. Also, what did you think of the Grey’s finale? It was cute, I was glad it wasn’t a plane crash/bomb/death explosion, but the most exciting part was Teddy at the end! Eeeeep!

7. Puhleeeease tell me that you saw the Salt-n-Pepa performance at the Billboard awards on Sunday night? OH MY GOSH. I died. And was so impressed. They were incredible.

8. Why do I want a La Croix swimsuit? Ugh.

9. Just how millennial can I get today? We’re having a rosé party! We should probably be wearing the La Croix suits while sipping.

10. What are your plans for Memorial Day weekend? This is always one of my favorite weeks of the year!

The post Tuesday Things. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

Black Pepper Balsamic Strawberry Pasta Salad.

Time to freak out Monday with strawberry pasta salad!

Before you click that big red button on the upper left corner to unsee this, hear me out! Because strawberry pasta salad is a serious thing. Fantastic thing. Reeeeally delicious thing.

This is definitely a side dish for most people, but it’s easily dinner for me. I love all things strawberry and can’t ever pass up a strawberry dish. It’s been this way since I was a kid. If I could ever find the elusive strawberry scented Chap Stick instead of cherry, I was so ridiculously excited that I couldn’t stand it. I’d hoard it.

Strawberry flavored candy was always my go-to.

Strawberries were my first reach on a fruit plate. Always and forever!

The only thing I wasn’t into was strawberry ice cream, but that’s just because I’m a chocolate girl. Everything else? Bring on the berries.

So as you can imagine, my level of excitement for this pasta salad is UP there. It’s high. Insane. Crazy!

I know! How surprising!

One day maybe I won’t be sooo predictable.

But really, if you’ve been reading my blog during any summer over the last ten years, I usually go on and on about how I’m not a fan of pasta salads. The traditional pasta salad with noodles and ham cubes and cheese cubes and pepperoni and Italian dressing? SO not for me. Mostly because I just don’t love any of those ingredients on their own.

Except for cheese. OMG. Of course the cheese.

So I’m always looking for other fun and fancy pasta salad ideas. Half of you are probably going to think this is weird. Apparently strawberries in savory dishes can be polarizing (look away from this strawberry pizza then!) and tricky. But if you’re a lover of the sweet and savory like I am, and also a huuuuuge lover of strawberries?

I think you’ll be into it.

Also! Side note! I have never been crazy over black pepper. But here? Ooomph. I adore it. It gives this little punch to the salad that is just so fantastic. Such a perfect BITE, you know?

Here’s how we do it!

The strawberries are going to chill in some balsamic vinegar and black pepper for a while. Get all full of flavor, if you will. Act like a strawberry sponge and soak all that goodness up.

And then, we’re going to use the balsamic in the bottom of the bowl to make a quick little vinaigrette.

Boil some pasta. Add lots of fresh spinach because it will totally wilt with the heat of the pasta. And while I’m talking about that, I’ll tell you that this is SO good both warm and cold. I love it warm, right after making, because the hot pasta kind of melts the goat cheese. But it’s super flavorful and delicious after sitting in the fridge too. Best of both worlds, I tell you.

I toss in some thinly sliced cucumber too. It gives that crisp, fresh flavor that a summery pasta salad begs for. And it’s delicious with the balsamic, of course.

The flavors here just work and create a perfect taste explosion in your mouth.

Basically, serve it up and die and go to heaven.

Print Recipe









5



5 / 5
(1 Reviews)


Did you make this recipe? Leave a review »







Black Pepper Balsamic Strawberry Pasta Salad

Yield: serves 4 to 6

Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

16 ounces strawberries, halved (and hulled if you wish!)
1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, plus more for topping
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
8 ounces ziti pasta
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
pinch of salt
8 ounces baby spinach
1 seedless cucumber, thinly sliced
4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano



Directions:

Place the strawberries in a large bowl and pour the balsamic vinegar over top. Sprinkle on the black pepper and toss the strawberries well. I like to toss them every few minutes while prepping the rest of the salad.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the directions.

While the pasta is boiling, pour 2 to 3 tablespoons of the balsamic vinegar into a smaller bowl from the big bowl of strawberries. Whisk in the honey, dijon mustard, garlic and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stream in the olive oil while whisking until the dressing is combined.

Place the fresh spinach on top of the strawberries in the bowl. As soon as the pasta is finished, drain it and place it on top of the spinach. Drizzle on a few tablespoons of the dressing so the pasta doesn’t stick together. Let the pasta sit, untossed, on top of the spinach so it wilts – about 5 minutes.

Toss the pasta with the spinach and the strawberries until it is combined. Add in the cucumber and the goat cheese. Sprinkle on some extra black pepper. Top with the herbs 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!

Just want that entire bowl to myself.

The post Black Pepper Balsamic Strawberry Pasta Salad. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

Currently Crushing On.

Hey hey! Happy Saturday from Atlanta, where I’m gearing up to do an event for The Pretty Dish this afternoon! I can’t wait to see you guys! In two weeks I’ll be in Nashville and we just added DC to the schedule, so check out the book tour here!

More importantly, have you been awake since 4AM in order to catch all the royal wedding coverage?! I might have…

As soon as I get home from this trip, I’m going into full blown planting mode! All the herbs and tomatoes and flowers. And I can’t even wait! What are you guys up to this weekend?! Who is planting this weekend?

P.S. if you haven’t ordered your copy of The Pretty Dish yet, you can do it here! xoxox

Amazing internet things this week:

this date night pasta pomodoro looks incredible.

doing this! baked stuffed peppers with feta. OMG.

i’m very into these chocolate strawberry shortcakes!

tuscan tuna and white bean salad. delish.

these honey miso salad bowls sound fantastic.

salted brownies. they are killing me.

the ultimate cheeseburger. WHOA.

roasted carrots with carrot top pesto. love this.

this vanilla raspberry cake is stunning.

so is this elderflower lemon cake. gorg.

healthy beef and broccoli. so pretty and green!

The post Currently Crushing On. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

The Best Ever Baked Oatmeal.

This is seriously the best baked oatmeal you will ever eat.

I know I have ten million favorite everythings and that I seriously love all the things and that I get excited over everything in life, but using the term “best ever” isn’t something I take lightly. THIS IS REALLY THE BEST EVER!

And I know that I’ve shared many baked oatmeal recipes over the years. I even have one in my first cookbook, Seriously Delish, and you guys make it ALL the time!

So here’s the thing about this oatmeal recipe. It’s basically dessert. It’s DIFFERENT.

Yes. It’s like oatmeal cake. Dessert oatmeal. Baked, crunchy, sugary oatmeal that is so fantastic you won’t be able to stand it. Or stop eating it.

This is one of those recipes that you make for a crowd, a brunch party, or even dessert if you’re weird like me and want to serve it with ice cream. It’s not something I’d prep ahead to eat for the week for breakfast because it isn’t that good-for-you kind of oatmeal, but I’m definitely not against having the leftovers for breakfast or a snack during the week.

It’s the oatmeal you make instead of cinnamon rolls or French toast or chocolate chip pancakes. Like, it’s on that level.

Dessert, I tell you!

And it came from a big old box of recipes that was a combo of ones my mom had saved, some on index cards and what I have left from Mother Lovett’s stash. Apparently it’s close (or similar) to a baked oatmeal recipe at Hershey Park. Take me to the chocolate spa please!

The texture is UNREAL. It’s super dense but also crunchy. It’s satisfying and filling and so incredible that I can’t help but with it was THAT oatmeal. You know, the oatmeal that does all the good things for us.

Alas, it’s not, but we still have to discuss it. We should probably have a contest to see who will make it the most!

The oatmeal recipe itself is very versatile. I added nothing extra to it. No fruits or nuts – but that’s the thing! You can add WHATEVER you want to it. You can stir fruit or chocolate chips or toasted pecans into the oatmeal before baking.

Now the top is where I went a little crazy.

I sprinkled on sliced almonds, flaked coconut, extra chocolate chips, hemp seeds and even chia seeds before baking. It make the top even crunchier!

Oooooh my gosh, just look at that layer of oatmeal love. SO GOOD.

Serving this with a drizzle of milk or cream is perfection, but like I mentioned above, ice cream for dessert on top? I’d never say no.

I also love how it’s served in perfect squares. With the semi-crispy outsides and the soft yet dense insides… oh Mylanta. It’s simply heaven.

Print Recipe





Did you make this recipe? Leave a review »







The Best Ever Baked Oatmeal










Ingredients:

4 1/2 cups quick oats
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
2 cups milk (whatever you like! dairy or nondairy)
3/4 cup canola oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/3 cup sliced almonds
1/3 cup flaked coconut (toasted if you’ve like!)
1/4 cup chocolate chips
2 tablespoons hemp hearts
1 tablespoon chia seeds
milk or cream, for drizzling



Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, whisk together the oats, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla extract. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until combined.

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!

Extra extra extra coffee too.

The post The Best Ever Baked Oatmeal. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

Lavender Sangria.

Oh my gosh. This lavender white wine sangria is going to be your signature summer drink!

This is going to be a problem. I have so many great drinks lined up for thirsty Thursday that every single week, I’m going to be telling you that “this is your new drink for summer.”

And while I totally LOVE the idea of a signature drink, I can’t do that. It’s like picking my favorite movie or song or food or color or show or outfit. Completely depends on my mood. When friends ask “well what do you usually order” and they are talking cocktails, I’m like “umm… whatever I feel like at the moment?”

I wish I was cool and could have a signature drink but my brain won’t allow it. I’m not cool enough. Or chill enough.

Inside my head is a constant swirl of ideas and I’m so easily distracted by fun! delicious! bright! neon! sparkly! things. Worst kind of millennial, right here.

It’s also why I could never have a niche on this blog. Or a theme on instagram that makes everyone want to follow me. My brain is churning all the time and I constantly want to CHANGE things. Do you get this?

I know I’ve been a bit overzealous with the lavender. Those lavender cupcakes from last week are INSANE. So freaking good.

And I know that I keep saying it’s crazy because I don’t love floral flavors! Two exceptions though. If there is sugar involved? And vanilla? I’m all over it.

And the second exception… if there is booze? I’m in. Not because it’s booze. No, shockingly no. But because

I love the floral scents and flavors in cocktails. Not only is it pretty, it’s fun and delicious and so perfect for summer!

The base for this sangria is a chilled pinot grigio. Whatever your favorite brand is. I really love La Crema.

The most important part? The lavender simple syrup! If you have a lavender liqueur of some sort, that would work too. And if you do have a lavender liqueur, tell me all about it! I need one.

Next comes a bit of brandy and some grand marnier. Both work great with the lavender flavors.

I brought back my favorite way of icing down big pitchers of cocktails from last year: frozen peaches!

Not only are they cheaper, you can actually find them, they will be great quality and… they are frozen! No ice to water down your drink.

I threw some strawberries in there too because what is sangria without boozy fruit? Of course you can add whatever you’d like – citrus, apples, berries – anything that may soak up the wine.

Can I just say how much I LOVE these pitcher cocktails for warm summer nights? They also work great for pool days, dinner parties – so many options! I think I’m going to make this for Memorial Day weekend. Or on Sunday. Just because.

Print Recipe





Did you make this recipe? Leave a review »







Lavender Sangria

Yield: serves 4 to 6

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

1 (750mL) bottle pinot grigio
1/2 cup brandy
1/2 cup grand marnier
2 cups club soda, whatever flavor you’d like
1/3 to 1/2 cup lavender syrup (recipe below)
1 pint of strawberries, sliced
1 (10 ounce) bag frozen peaches

lavender simple syrup

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons dried culinary lavender
2 sprigs fresh lavender



Directions:

Add the strawberries and frozen peaches to the bottom of a pitcher. Pour your wine, brandy, grand marnier, lavender syrup (start with 1/3 cup, taste and add more if you want) and club soda over top and stir. This tastes great when it sits in the fridge and “marinates” for a bit. But you can also serve it right away!

lavender simple syrup

Place the sugar, water and lavender in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk until the sugar dissolves, bringing the mixture to a simmer. Cook for 1 minute. Turn off the heat and set the saucepan aside. Let it cool completely. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve to remove the lavender. Store in a sealed container in the fridge!

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!

I want a pitcher of this to decorate my kitchen daily.

The post Lavender Sangria. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.