Jessica Merchant's Blog, page 407

Charred Tomato and Garlic Butter Mini Skillet Pizzas.

You know what?

I really wanted to tell you that these were “garlic butter drenched” but then I was all… “is drenched one THOSE words?” One of those words that makes your skin crawl, that gives you chills or replicates the same emotions as nails on a chalkboard do?

You get it. I know it.

But still. They are DRENCHED in garlic butter. So there’s that!

It’s pizza. You can’t be mad.

Apparently it’s mini week! Mini pizzas, mini meatballs.

That was completely unintentional. It actually makes me anxious that I’m posting two “mini”-like recipes in a row but hey. This is what happens when you don’t fully follow the directions of the editorial calendar that you set up for YOURSELF.

I don’t like to listen to anyone. Not even me!

So here’s the thing about these baby pizzas. You can use WHATEVER dough you’d like. Leftovers? Store bought? Frozen that is on it’s last leg in the freezer? Use it up.

I realize that I blast you in the face with pizza recipes every single month. You can use my favorite dough recipe or another. Here, it’s the idea of the quick, flavorful, sauceless, veggie-covered dough round that you need in your life.

The dough? I used the cast iron skillet method (in a grill pan!) and it made them adorably fluffy and flavorful.

It’s sort of a last minute recipe, something you make when you have no idea what else to make. Something that you make when you find yourself with leftover dough. You don’t HAVE to make mini pizzas – you can make one gigantic one!

But mini things are cuter…

Don’t worry. I’ll spare you. *inserts eye rolling emoji*

I started making this recipe for us back in January – if you can even call it a recipe. It’s more of a we-have-this-stuff-in-our-fridge-and-don’t-want-a-salad meal. I charred the tomatoes because even though I’m lucky enough to find some organic cherry tomatoes in the winter, they don’t taste as fabulously as they do in the summer. So I roasted the heck out of them which intensified their flavor and sweetness and made them soooo dang good.

And even though I figured that by the time I finally made this recipe for the blog, I’d use non-roasted tomatoes – I couldn’t! The roasted tomatoes are so delicious. So delicious that I started putting them in everything, like guacamole. GAH. Plus, they sort of replace tomato sauce, which you know I’m always in a love-hate relationship with.

I planted my cherry tomatoes in pots two weeks ago so we shall see in about sixty days if I bite the bullet and keep them raw. I doubt it though.

Because the garlicky butter, skillet-charred dough, roasted tomatoes and lemony arugula make my liiiiife.

Mini Garlic Butter Skillet Pizzas with Charred Tomatoes

Yield: makes 8 to 10 mini pizzas

Total Time: 2 hours

Ingredients:

1 batch pizza dough (you can use leftover, store bought, anything you'd like!)
16 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 cups arugula greens
1 lemon, juiced
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese



Directions:

Prepare your pizza dough (making it fresh or using leftovers) and separate it into 8 smaller dough balls. The exact size is really up to you, but to make them like I made them above, you want them to be about 3-4 inches in diameter when rolled out. And you want the dough to be fairly thin when rolled, since we are cooking them in a skillet. They will shrink slightly while cooking.

For reference, my most-used pizza dough yields a pretty large, puffy, thick and fluffy dough. You can get anywhere from 8 to 12 rounds out of it depending on the size.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the tomatoes on a baking sheet and drizzle with the olive oil. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon each or salt and pepper. Roast for about 15 to 20 minutes, until charred and caramely. This will depend on the size of your tomatoes, so keep an eye on them after 15 minutes.

While the tomatoes are roasting, heat your (well-seasoned!) cast iron skillet over medium-high heat for at least 5 to 6 minutes. You don't need to worry about toppings here because we are only cooking the dough rounds. You want the skillet to be hot! Add the dough round (or rounds, if they are small enough) to the skillet and cook until it begins to puff and char on the bottom, flip it. You want to cook each side for about 2 to 3 minutes.

Toss the arugula with the lemon juice and remaining 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.

In a bowl, whisk together the melted butter and garlic.

As soon as each pizza dough round is grilled or cooked, brush it liberally with the garlic butter. Top immediately with the arugula and a big old handful of tomatoes. Top with lots of parmesan and serve!

Be sure to follow howsweeteats on instagram and tag your recipes with #howsweeteats! You can also post a photo of your recipe to the howsweeteats facebook page. I appreciate you so much!

Can I get an award for using this LITTLE amount of cheese? Who even am I?!

Tuesday Things.

1. FINALLY. The bacon and avocado emojis are coming!

2. See also: why I’m terrified of using the taco emoji, eggplant emoji, peach emoji. What if they do something terrible with the bacon emoji? Whyyyyyyyy.

3. Whaaaat. This chocolate peanut butter cheesecake CAKE is calling my name. LOOK at that. Ugh.

4. I had a very serious obsession with Nike Shox about ten years ago. Remember how cool they were? Were you a shoxaholic?!

5. There is such a thing as glitter chalk and I might have bought it because “Max” realllly wanted it.

6. We finished Bloodline!! GAH. We both still think it is such a fabulous show even though every review I find online keeps trashing it. I think it is excellent TV, but I also DVRed Mistresses last night soooo there’s that. But the storyline was so great, the ending was crazy and I seriously hope they keep a certain character in next year because he is still my favorite.

7. Speaking of… could you give up TV for a month and change your life?!

8. Like seven times last week I spelled strawberries “STRAWBERRYS.” I hate myself and the internet forever. Pretty sure I did this before and even wrote about it.

9. These pictures for color lovers? I’m dying!

10. I’m absolutely LOVING connecting with your guys in the food entrepreneur summit masterclass. Nicole just reopened registration (it closed after early bird) and if you go for it, it’s 20 masterclass videos, 22 speakers, PDF worksheets and a private facebook group that we are all talking in nonstop. It’s awesome.

Zucchini Noodles with Mini Chicken Feta and Spinach Meatballs.

It’s a Monday meal!

We all have Monday meals right?

I mean, besides a salad with chicken because OMGIateallthethingsthisweekend but there are a few things that are simple, healthy and frankly… boring… come Monday night. amIright?

It’s right for me. I am the cliche stereotype and Monday is always a struggle. Almost always! Sooo… to find the most delicious meal that doesn’t includes as many cheeseburger and pizza as the weekend? That’s the mission.

Max LOVES meatballs. Like completely loves them. So I wanted to throw a spin on them and include some greens, and also figured they’d be perfect on top of zoodles. A super light summery meal that feels comforting and more satisfying that the summer grilled chicken everything we tend to lean towards this season.

ALSO. This pin. This freaking pin has been haunting me. It looked so beautifully delicious but I couldn’t find the recipe, so I decided to just make my own. The flavor combination just sounded incredibly delicious. Albeit, well… green. Very very green.

It’s okay! I can handle it. We can handle it.

The meatballs are filled with a mixture of chopped up spinach and garlic and studded with feta crumbles, then baked. I know most people hate turning on their oven in the summer, but the thought of standing over a skillet flipping meatballs sounded worse to me than baking the balls. You can totally make them either way! Throw a bit of olive oil or grapeseed oil in skillet and cook until browned on all sides if that’s your thang. 

Or bake ‘em like me. When you bake them, you can make a huuuuge amount at once and save them for sandwiches or salads or even freeze them if needed.

Plus, they are mini. Mini things are adorable and mini means you get to eat MORE. Woohoo.

The zoodles, up next. The zucc noodles are tossed in olive oil, garlic and butter and cooked until slightly soft. I prefer my noodles to have a bit of crunch to them but sometimes I cook them a bit longer for Max.

If you wanted more flavor, you could always toss the whole thing in red sauce, in some sort of cream sauce, in whatever sauce you’d like. Cream sauce… is probably not on your list of Monday meals. Let me guess. 

That’s that! The meatballs will take the longest and you can have this meal finished in under an hour. That’s sometimes a bit longer that I prefer to spend on a Monday meal… but it’s TOTALLY worth it.

Just look! Promise. Swear. On the moon and the stars and the sky.

Zoodles with Chicken Feta and Spinach Meatballs

Yield: makes 30 to 35 mini meatballs

Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups fresh baby spinach
3 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled, plus extra for topping
1 pound lean ground chicken
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
1/3 to 1/2 cup seasoned panko breadcrumbs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons fresh oregano, plus extra for sprinkling

 

2 medium zucchini squash, spiralized
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
pinch red pepper flakes
1 lemon, juiced



Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In your food processor, combine the spinach and garlic and pulse until small pieces remain. You don't want it completely pureed, but you want it to look as if the spinach is chopped. Drizzle in 1 tablespoon of olive oil and add half of the feta (2 ounces), pulsing again just a few times.

In a bowl, mix together the chicken, egg, worcestershire, spinach mixture, salt, pepper, oregano and 1/3 cup breadcrumbs with your hands until just combined. If it feels too wet and is difficult to shape into balls, add a touch more breadcrumbs and mix. Add in the remaining feta cheese and mix. Form into 30 or so mini meatballs, about 1/2 inch in diameter. Place on the parchment and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through.

While the meatballs are cooking, spiralize the zucchini into noodles. Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat and add olive oil and butter. Add the garlic and pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute, the stir in the lemon juice. Add the zoodles and toss well to coat. Cook until the noodles softened slightly, tossing often, for about 5 to 6 minutes.

To serve, serve the meatballs on a bed of zoodles. Top with extra feta and fresh oregano.

Be sure to follow howsweeteats on instagram and tag your recipes with #howsweeteats! You can also post a photo of your recipe to the howsweeteats facebook page. I appreciate you so much!

Oooooh this makes me happy.

No-Bake Chocolate Cashew Coconut Crusted Summer Fruit Tart.

[this post is brought to you by Rodelle, who I’m partnering with in 2016 to make all sorts of delicious dessert! as always, I only work with products that I 100% love and use in my own kitchen. thank you for your support!]

Summer dessert: covered.

I have the one thing you need to serve every weekend for the next twelve weeks! Are you in? I’m so in.

Lots of my favorite flavors here, wrapped in one delicious, fruity, bright and colorful package. Chocolate, vanilla, coconut, cashew and all the fruits.

You already know that I’m a huge fan of vanilla bean paste (um hello, THIS CAKE) so I incorporated it twice here: in the filling and the glaze. Just for a hint of vanilla and because I love the bean flecks in such a weird way. Almost positive that stems from eating vanilla bean ice cream (with the flecks!) with my grandma when I was a kid.

The standout here though is the gourmet cocoa – it is SO insanely delicious. The crust is made with cocoa but tastes like it’s made with melted chocolate bars. Eeeeep!

This is straight out of my DREAMS.

The crust. I wanted to do something no-bake, but didn’t want it to be like those no bake oatmeal cookies and didn’t want it to be a graham or cookie crust.

I’m also fairly obsessed with this chocolate + coconut + cashew combination at the moment and it’s alllllllll I want to consume, forever.

So you can just make the crust in your food processor and it’s full of cashews, unsweetened shredded coconut, dutch process cocoa, coconut oil and a touch of honey. You could probably use dates to sweetened and “sticky” it if you’d like, but I can’t stand when everything tastes like dates.

I actually really like dates themselves, or even stuffed with almond butter. But when raw desserts all taste like the exact same larabar I’m just like noooooooo. No dates for me.

We just make a teeny tiny bit of filling in the form of mascarpone cheese + sweetened condensed milk + vanilla bean paste. For some extra flavor and richness, it’s delicious when the fruit sits on top. Sort of cheesecake-like but not completely. A touch lighter.

I could seriously eat this part with a (gigantic) spoon. Ugh, I don’t know which is my favorite part? 

Decisiveness is not my strong suit.

Then the fruit! All the fruit you’d like, cut however you’d like. Slice it or throw it on whole and fill in all the spaces with cherries and blueberries. I made a vanilla bean glaze to go on top of the fruit too – just like the glaze from that old school fruit pizza that I love so much. Then a handful/rainfall of fresh mint.

And it’s GOOD TO GO.

More than good to go.

I’d possibly like to be pie-d in the face with this fruit tart.

No-Bake Chocolate Cashew Coconut Crusted Summer Fruit Tart

Yield: serves 6

Total Time: 2 hours

Ingredients:

crust

1 1/2 cups whole, unsalted cashews
1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
3 tablespoons rodelle dutch process gourmet baking cocoa
pinch of salt
2 tablespoons coconut oil
3 to 4 tablespoons honey

filling + fruit

8 ounces mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 tablespoon rodelle vanilla bean paste
2 apricots, halved
2 peaches, sliced
2 kiwi fruit, sliced or halved
1 cup strawberries, halved or sliced
1/2 cup bing cherries, pitted
1/2 cup blueberries

glaze

1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoons rodelle vanilla bean paste
a handful of fresh mint



Directions:

crust

Place the cashews in a food processor and pulse until coarse crumbs remain. Add the coconut, cocoa and salt and pulse a few more times until combined. Add in the coconut oil and 2 tablespoons of honey, pulsing and blending until the crust mixture is sticky and comes together. If it doesn't seem sticky enough, add in more of the honey.

Remove the mixture and press it into a tart pan with a removable bottom or a springform pan. You can even use a regular pie or baking dish, but the pieces may not come out as clean. It will still taste delicious! Press the crust up the sides a bit. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

filling + fruit

While the crust is in the fridge, whisk together the mascarpone, condensed milk and vanilla bean paste until smooth. Pour it into the center of the crust and use a spatula to spread it evenly. Stick the crust back in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

glaze

Make the glaze while the mascarpone filling is chilling, because it needs to cool a bit after making. Combine the sugar, juices, cornstarch and salt in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk until the cornstarch dissolves and bring the mixture to a boil. Let it boil for 1 to 2 minutes, until it starts to thicken. (It will thicken more as it sits and cools). Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla bean paste. Let cool for 10 minutes, but not much longer.

Slice your fruit while the tart is in the fridge.  You can use whatever fruit you'd like and cut it however you'd like too! After at least 30 minutes, place the fruit on top of the mascarpone filling. Drizzle the fruit with the glaze. Chill for another 30 minutes, then sprinkle with mint leaves for serving.

[inspired by the old school fruit pizza]

Be sure to follow howsweeteats on instagram and tag your recipes with #howsweeteats! You can also post a photo of your recipe to the howsweeteats facebook page. I appreciate you so much!

Don’t even want to share it.

Currently Crushing On.

{via}

HI and HAPPY SUMMER! I’m officially calling it summer. It’s here. It’s done. After a super busy week, I’m excited for a break this weekend and a bit more planting. I might do a plant “tour” on snapchat, so follow along at howsweeteats!

Also, I’d love if you guys would follow me on Pinterest – it’s the one place where I pin sooo many more things that just food. Style, home, travel and my personal fave… my inspiration board.

Important things! I’m showing you how I make our favorite acai bowls over on Facebook.

I shared my May beauty picks!

And, I’m sharing the MOST incredible donuts over on the Shop Simon blog. They are lavender vanilla! Please take a peek. And a taste.

My faves of the week:

totally making this DIY donut beach umbrella.

whoa whoa whoa: strawberry bruschetta avocado boats.

PB and J donuts. oh my word.

loving on this smoked salmon strawberry zoodle salad.

10 organizing tips that I neeeeeeed in my life.

one stunning hummus salad.

how insanely delicious does this bananas foster affogato look?!

very lovely thai curry soup with sweet potato noodles.

super pretty summer berry pie.

really want to try these eggplant lasagna roll ups.

super quick raspberry ice cream! it’s a thing.

and this macaroni salad with smoked mozzarella. i’m in love.

a stunning orange crush cocktail. let’s do it.

Lemon Cheesecake Doughnuts.

Oh come on.

I KNOW you need one more doughnut in your life today!!

Lemon freaking cheesecake. That’s what we are doing. It’s insane and decadent and rich and tangy and sweet and creamy and fluffy and light. I cannot.

But I so can!

And you can too.

I rarely celebrate national food holidays because if I did, I’d be celebrating one, sometimes two, every single darn day. But I just can’t pass up doughnut day. Never ever ever. Here’s why:

strawberry sprinkle doughnuts

chocolate frosted kettle chip doughnuts (i know)

peanut butter filled chocolate glazed doughnuts

tres leches coconut doughnuts

greek yogurt doughnuts with stovetop granola

chocolate glazed cake doughnuts

blueberry doughnuts!

maple bacon doughnuts

chocolate pistachio doughnuts

Need I say more?

Yes, there was a time on this blog when I didn’t love doughnuts. That means that you’ve witnessed my entire doughnut-loving transformation right here. RIGHT HERE.

Why are they so good? Ugh. 

So. The insides.

We have homemade lemon curd whipped with mascarpone cheese. Piped inside of the hot, doughy, yeasted doughnut.

The outsides? A drizzle of mascarpone glaze. A sprinkle of lemon sugar. More lemon curd spooned on top.

The trashiest of all the lemon doughnuts to have ever lived!

This is one heck of a high maintenance recipe. It’s why I linked all of my other favorites above. Last year I went the baked route and while I’ve come around to baked doughnuts so much more after having Max, I wanted to do national doughnut day RIGHT.

Do it a solid.

Make some legit, insane, out-of-this-world doughnuts.

But now really, I’m not sure if I can ever bake a doughnut again. I might have completely screwed myself. Because lemon cheesecake is all I will think about foreverrrr.

Gigantic latte, cheesecake doughnuts, morning (internet?) newspaper, a killer playlist.

Let’s do it everyday.

Lemon Cheesecake Donuts

Yield: makes 20 to 25 doughnuts

Total Time: 2.5 hours

Ingredients:

doughnuts

1 1/2 cups milk (whole or 2% is best)
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup unsalted butter
1 tablespoon honey
2 packages active dry yeast (4 1/2 teaspoons)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
5 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
oil for frying

filling

2/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cups sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
pinch of salt
5 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
8 ounces mascarpone cheese, softened

mascarpone glaze

8 ounces mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 to 5 tablespoons milk
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest



Directions:

[as a note, you might want to make the lemon curd first so it can chill for a few hours!]

doughnuts

Add the milk and water to a saucepan over low heat and heat until just warmed.

Place the butter in the bowl of your electric mixer and pour the warm milk over the butter, stirring until it melts. Add in the honey and sprinkle the yeast over top, giving it a quick stir. Let sit for 5 minutes or so until the yeast is foamy.

Add the eggs, sugar, salt, nutmeg and half of the flour to the yeast mixture. Using the paddle attachment, beat the dough on low speed until combined and sticky. Add in the remaining flour and beat on low speed, gradually increasing to medium speed until the dough comes together. It will still be stick! Switch to a dough hook and beat the dough for 5 minutes on medium speed, or until it is pulling away from the sides of the bowl.

Remove the dough from the mixing bowl and place it in another oiled bowl to rise. Cover and let it rise in a warm place for one hour.

Place the dough on a floured surface and roll it out to be 1-inch thick. Use a 1-inch biscuit cutter (or something larger if you prefer) to cut out the dough rounds and a smaller circle (I used the bottom of an apple corer) to cut out the center. Place the rounds on a baking sheet, cover, and let rise again for 30 minutes or so.

Heat a large pot of oil (I used vegetable oil) over medium heat. Use a candy thermometer to determine the temp - you don't want it to be higher than 365-370 degrees. Add the donuts 2 or 3 at a time and fry for 1 to 2 minutes per side. Remove with a large slotted spoon and place on a paper towel to drain. Let cool completely.

filling

In a saucepan, whisk together the lemon juice, sugar and cornstarch. Heat over medium-low heat, whisking, until the sugar dissolves. Place the egg yolks in a bowl. Whisk in a few tablespoons of the warm lemon mixture, then reduce the heat and add the eggs to the saucepan, whisking the entire time. Cook over low heat until it thickens, stirring constantly, for about 10 minutes. Whisk in the lemon zest.

Once thick, remove from heat and stir in the butter until it melts. Pour the curd into a bowl and press a piece of plastic wrap directly on top. Let it cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for 4 hours.

To make the filling, Whisk the mascarpone with about 1/3 cup of lemon curd until smooth. Reserve the rest of the curd for topping. Take the creamy lemon filling and scoop it into a piping bag (or ziplock fitted with a frosting tip).  Squeeze and pipe a bit of filling into the center of each doughnut. If there is any filling left, feel free to do whatever wonderful thing you'd love! (< oatmeal topping, toast, banana bread, etc.)

mascarpone glaze

Add the mascarpone to a large bowl and whisk until creamy. Whisk in the powdered sugar and vanilla extract, then stream in the milk and stir until a glaze forms. You will have to stir for a minute or two to remove any lumps and bring the glaze together. If the mixture still seems too thick, add more milk 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking well until smooth.

Spoon the glaze over the doughnuts. In a small bowl, mix the sugar and lemon zest together with your fingers until well combined. Sprinkle over the doughnuts. Top them with the remaining lemon curd if desired.

[doughnuts, curd filling, glaze]

Be sure to follow howsweeteats on instagram and tag your recipes with #howsweeteats! You can also post a photo of your recipe to the howsweeteats facebook page. I appreciate you so much!

THAT BITE.

Layered Coconut Blueberry Slushie.

This is how I wish my snacks looked every single day.

Instead, it’s often a spoon covered in peanut butter finding it’s way into a bag of chocolate chips, slices of cheese and olives from the fridge or a smoothie that is a few hours old and has started to majorly liquify. REAL LIFE.

It’s been six months now that I’ve been sharing a favorite beverage every week and while most of them have been cocktails that I’ve been nuts over, smoothies are stealing the show right now since it’s super sunny and gorgeous outside.

We are LIVING on them.

And. You know what?

It’s so weird that I’m in love with smoothies right now. I’ve written countless times over the years about how I’d rather eat my food instead of drink it, how I don’t love to drink super cold drinks and how I’d rather have annnnnything in the morning than a smoothie.

It’s true! Errr, it WAS true.

Then I had a kid. I started making smoothies as an easy way to make breakfast or a snack happen. I started making smoothie packs each week for time and ease purposes. And then my babe started loving them and wanting to drink them too. He thinks they are a treat, sort of like dessert.

That we have for breakfast, obviously.

I think HE’s a treat and practically dessert.

We don’t always do them for breakfast – many times I make us smoothies or smoothie bowls for morning or afternoon snacks. Totally depends on the day. I also have used the extra smoothie we have left to make homemade popsicles and Max LOVES that.

These high-maintenance glasses here are much more slush-like. They have lots of ice which I often exclude from our breakfast smoothies and aren’t anywhere near the consistency of milk or yogurt. They are fruity and icy and crazy refreshing when it’s blazing hot.

The blueberry layer is sweetened with some pineapple juice and reminds me of blueberry sorbet. The coconut layer is a little more ice cream-like but also still frosty and slushy. Together I’m obsessed with the combo – slightly tart and sweet berries combined with smooth and rich coconut.

PLUS, it’s pretty.

I made something similar almost exactly two years ago, but with watermelon and lime sugar. It was the start of my watermelon obsession that has never really left, and now I’m just stuck on deciding if I should always make a pink smoothie or always make a blueberry one?! Coconut is a must, forever. 

Decisions are hard.

Layered Coconut Blueberry Slushie

Yield: serves 4

Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

blueberry layer

1 1/2 cups ice
1 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup fresh pineapple juice

coconut layer

1 1/2 cups ice
1 (14-ounce) can coconut cream (I use Trader Joe's brand)
3 tablespoons unsweetened, shredded coconut
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon coconut extract
fresh mint for garnish



Directions:

Add the ingredients for the blueberry layer to a blender and puree until smooth and frosty. Pour the mixture into glasses and stick them in the freezer while you make the coconut layer.

Rinse the blender quickly with water so it's not blue (haha!) and add the ingredients for the coconut layer. Blend until smooth and frosty. Spoon the coconut layer on top of the blueberry later. Top with some frozen blues and a sprig of fresh mint.

Be sure to follow howsweeteats on instagram and tag your recipes with #howsweeteats! You can also post a photo of your recipe to the howsweeteats facebook page. I appreciate you so much!

Spoon or straw?

Summer Breakfast Tacos.

Or, the 15 minute meal that I can’t stop eating.

These are seriously, horrifyingly, embarassingly easy. They are what I want to eat for breakfast every day and what I make for dinner when 1. Eddie isn’t home and/or 2. I have no idea what else to make for dinner. That’s like all the time, really.

Do you ever have those nights when you’re like… NOTHING sounds good to eat but you’re super hungry? That’s where these come in. Make ’em. Try ’em. Serve them forever!

It’s 11:13 PM right now and I’m about two seconds and a whole lot of laziness away from making one of these for a late night snack. They never not taste good. NEVER.

It’s that or cinnamon sugar toast. Pick your poison.

I’ve made breakfast tacos before, but they were more of a comfort food version. Well, not that this isn’t comfort food – usually anything with scrambled eggs is deemed “comfort food” for me. But my previous version had potatoes and chorizo and was a bit heavier and slightly more time consuming that this version that can be made with your eyes closed.

15 minutes guys! FIFTEEN!

Okay. Maybe only 15 if you’re familiar in the kitchen. But even if you’re not, chances are you’ve scrambled some eggs before so you can probably get these made in 20 minutes or less.

Almost everyone makes breakfast tacos and I know that they aren’t a super special thing, but I was dying to share my favorite summery version with you. I’ve also been semi-uninspired in the kitchen lately and struggling for new and exciting ideas. It comes and goes, and right now all my fun and delicious ideas are going… somewhere. Other than my brain.

Anyhoo.

My must haves include the scrambled eggs, avocado and queso fresco (no other cheese) and lately, I’ve loved a big sprinkle of furikake. It just adds a touch of FLAVOR that I can’t replicate with a pinch of one seasoning.

Can we talk about how Eddie DOESN’T like to eat tacos like this?!

He’s not into breakfast tacos or breakfast burritos and I have no idea why.

I don’t even think he has any idea why. New life goal: get him to eat a breakfast taco by September.

The only other thing I’d maaaaybe add to these tacos is a drizzle of pesto or a drizzle of chipotle crema or a drizzle of… something, because I’m all about the drizzle. Avocado ranch? Chipotle avocado deliciousness? Let’s figure it out.

Fact: eggs taste better at dinner than they do at breakfast?

Fact for me, but I’m thinking there will be a day when I make these for both.

Summer Breakfast Tacos

Yield: serves 2, is easily multiplied

Ingredients:

4 large eggs
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
small (4-inch) corn or flour tortillas, your preference!
1 avocado, thinly sliced
1 green onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup sliced cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup salsa for topping
1/4 cup crumbled queso fresco cheese
1 tablespoon nori furikake seasoning



Directions:

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat and add 1 tablespoon of butter. Lightly beat the eggs until just combined and then pour in the skillet. Stir and toss until the eggs cook, and right before them firm up, stir in the remaining tablespoon of butter and toss until it's incorporated in the scrambled eggs.

To assemble the tacos, add the sliced avocado on the bottom. Top with the eggs, tomatoes, some green onion, cilantro, salsa, queso fresco and a touch of furikake if you'd like. Devour!

Be sure to follow howsweeteats on instagram and tag your recipes with #howsweeteats! You can also post a photo of your recipe to the howsweeteats facebook page. I appreciate you so much!

Your morning wins.

May Favorites: Beauty.

Hellllllo end of May! How are you here?

This is nuts. This year is FLYING! Glad it’s my favorite time of the month to ramble on about how much of a product junkie I am. Indulge me!

For makeup, I’ve been wearing next to NOTHING! And loving it. My current routine is moisturizer, BB cream, concealer, bronzer, highlighter, brows and mascara. No eyeshadow at all. Sometimes blush depending on what I’m doing with the lip. Always something on the lips but it just depends! I’m loving the summery feel and going with it. I’ve even been wearing a more natural look OUT which is crazy for me. Of course I’ll still trash it up with a smokey every now and then but time is not on my side at the moment.

Ooooh let’s talk about hair! I got a small size of Living Proof Blowout spray and uh – absolutely hated it. It seriously made my hair feel like straw and made it IMPOSSIBLE to blow dry. It was the weirdest thing. At first I thought I used too much so I used less TWO more times and it was still terrible. Ugh! I only tried it because I love the Kenra Blow Dry Spray so much and wanted to see if it did the same. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t. Kenra all the way! I’ve actually been blow drying my hair again recently (I probably did this only 5 times in the last year until this month, ha) and I will forever love that stuff.

Okay, so loves this month!

Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Bronzer in Light. Eeeep. You know I’m nuts about the Bronze Goddess line. My cousin grabbed me this because she loved hers last year and I’m so glad she did! Last year I was using the Kevyn Aucoin Tropical Nights bronzer and absolutely love that too – but it has a highlight and shimmer in almost half of the powder. This one isn’t completely matte (not as matte as chocolate soleil) but it’s close.

Supergoop Everyday Sunscreen SPF 50. I’ve loved supergoop for years and this is what has gone on my skin every single morning this month. I’ve mostly finished the illuminating Dr Jart sunscreen that I talked about last month and have stashed it in the diaper bag, so I’ll mix this with the Glowstarter below. I’m pretty insane about sunscreen and wrinkles so I will reapply multiple times during the day if we’re outside and it’s smooth without that sticky sunscreen feel. I usually go by what the EWG recommends for sunscreen and this is still in their moderate range, but it really works well under makeup.

Sephora I Love Cushion Bronzer in Light/Med. Since I’m really into bronzer at the moment but also love liquid and cream products, I threw this in my cart the instant I saw it. This is SO cool. It definitely leans a little orange but since it’s liquid-based it’s so easily blendable and I just use it mostly around the edges of my face and cheekbones. It doesn’t lift my tinted moisturizer and the little sponge thing it comes with is great. I have a feeling I will completely go through this in a month or two.

Glam Glow Glowstarter. Oh to the em to the gee – I’m not being dramatic when I say that this is my FAVORITE purchase of 2016 so far. Absolute favorite. So I bought this as a sephora VIB exclusive because I love all things Glam Glow. I thought it was just a regular moisturizer that would give me some glow and I was blown away when I opened it and saw the most gorgeous shade of shimmery skintone pink. And it makes my skin SO glowy – not glittery or shimmery, just glowy. I cannot get enough of this. The only thing that totally sucks is that it doesn’t have any SPF. So I’ve been mixing it with my sunscreen in the morning and even with my BB cream. LOVE so much. This is definitely a daytime moisturizer for me and I still am using the Tidal at night.

Dr. Jart+ Premium BB Cream. Oldie but goodie!! You might remember when I started my beauty posts, this was my all-time favorite BB cream. I stopped using it when I got pregnant with Max since it has parabens, but I did buy it again last summer. I recently threw on some self tanner and needed a darker shade than the Chantecaille that I’ve been using and remembered I still had this. I love this so freaking much. It’s way too dark for me in the winter but it works for my skin now and is so super natural. It will be a forever favorite.

Hempz Hydrating Stick SPF 30. I grabbed this on a whim at Ulta and it has been a lifesaver. Max and I have been outside a LOT – like every single day, multiple times in the day – and it’s a lot more than I’ve been outside in years. I’ve used the sunbum stick for the last few years but it is smaller. This stick is huge (like deodorant sized, clearly) and covers my face or shoulders or neck in a swipe or three. It also smells wonderful. I’ve used the regular Hempz lotion since high school (the one that smells like banana) and always love their stuff.

Skyn Iceland Hydrocool Firming Eye Gels.I LOVE using these right now – as it gets warmer out – because they are so refreshing! I still rarely sleep much thanks to Max so popping these on under my eyes at least makes me FEEL better if I look like a zombie.

Orly Cake Pop. I love white polish in the summer but it isn’t very flattering on my skintone. This is the perfect alternate – it has a little purpley pink undertone in it but it still opaque enough and white-like. Love it.

That’s it! What are you loving this month? This summer? What is your go-to summer look? Are you slathering on more highlighter than is humanly possible like I am? xoxoxo

{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 a few amazon affiliate links above. thank you for being here!}

Tuesday Things.

1. On Sunday I ate what felt like a pound of sour patch kids. My tongue still hurts.

2. Super in love with this summer bliss juice. And no, it’s not wine.

3. Please tell me that you’ve watched Blake Shelton try sushi. I laughed so hard.

4. So. I made us amazing breakfast on Sunday morning and had saved my favorite bite for last. I went to do a few things and snap a pic while Max was eating in his high chair – all in the same room, mind you – came back to take one more bite and my breakfast was GONE. Eddie’s like “oh I threw it away, it looked like you were finished.” Um, this is coming from the person who let Max’s uneaten Saturday morning breakfast sit on the counter for 12 hours. Clearly I’m still not over it. THE PERFECT BITE.

5. Do you use packing cubes? Are they life changing? I’m considering it and wondering if it would be wonderful (and extra wonderful with a kid) or just no biggie. I’m very much of a throw-everything-in-a-mess packer (folded, of course) and I overpack times forty. Please help.

6. As a major lover of putting pen to paper, I love these benefits of writing by hand.

7. BLOODLINE is back! Okay so we are only about five episodes in but I was afraid it wouldn’t be as good… and I definitely think it IS! Maybe it goes downhill from here but I’m excited about it. And I’m glad that Mistresses is back because I loooove my non-reality trash TV. Aside from that the only thing on our TV is playoff hockey.

8. 50 outdoor dates that are awesome for summer. Love this!

9. I’m craving old-school fruit pizza like whoa. I think it’s an almost-June thing.

10. Favorite brand of rosé?! Go! I’m really liking Minuty right now.