Time for Some Holiday Baking!

Enjoy House of Fifty's Holiday Sugar Cookie Recipe

Bake up a batch or two this weekend, decorate, place in bags, 

wrap with a festive ribbon and enjoy sharing with family and friends!

Enjoy!

{See more in House of Fifty's Holiday issue, available here.}

Hungry For A Delicious Treat? My Latest Discovery

Always on the lookout for healthy food options that taste fantastic while satisfying, I was over the moon upon sampling a slice of Sin Dawg made by Dave's Killer Bread at Costco this past weekend. In the cart it went! I'd heard about Dave's Bread, but hadn't yet partaken. Well...what a wonderful bit of deliciousness I have been missing out on!

Like the most yummy cinnamon roll, but better, and with not one ounce of guilt.

{Plus it's a local business based here in Portland, with an inspiring story behind the products made of organic, healthy ingredients and a big focus on giving back to the community. Gotta love that.}

But back to my plate...

Yep. Empty.

A Couple Sweet Treats & Two Wonderful Blogs

I enjoyed learning a bit more about how two women I've met through blogging celebrate during this time of year recently, sharing their stories in the Holiday issue of House of Fifty. Meenal from Delhi (Maison Marigold) and Sukaina from Dubai (Sips and Spoonfuls). If you've not been to their blogs, you must!

And if you are looking for some sweet treats to prepare for Thanksgiving, how about trying something new? Sukaina shares two of her favorite recipes, see here beginning on page 119.

Enjoy your weekend and the holiday preparations! Janell

One of My Favorite Things On Halloween

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds...the best part of Halloween, in my opinion!

Pumpkin seeds, fresh from the carved jack-o-lantern...

...covered in olive oil and sprinkled with salt.

Roast

Eat!

Happy Halloween

Nothing Says Home More Than This...

Nothing says "home" more than this...

and I guess it doesn't hurt that it is sitting on a Carrara Marble countertop.

image via Good Life of Design

Trend Alert: Macarons!

So I've just become aware there is a "new" trend in the air with an old french classic: Macarons.

The cheerful & absolutely chic San Francisco pastry shop Miette has some of the best around apparently, 

even available to order up a box online.

Another supplier is Macaron Cafe, with a fabulous range of flavors.

And for some of the prettiest photographs around of Maracons, 

there is the Etsty shop Mr. Mo Photography.

Now to be honest, my interest lies purely in the fact they are just so pretty...because I can't actually recall if I've ever actually eaten a Macaron. So don't take my word for it, but I hear they are a "melt-in-your-mouth treat"!

Deliciousness From The Lovely Cupboard

Please welcome a newbie blogger today, who is off to an inspiring start on her blog The Lovely Cupboard. Here is a delicious summer dish Heather recently posted, and if you get a chance, pay her a visit at her blog!

Summer Tortellini Salad

I call this a "salad". Really, does anything with a pasta base count as a salad? Not hardly. Regardless, this is a quick and refreshing dish for a summer brunch or side for dinner. Add a little oilve oil, and it stores just fine overnight.

*I use organic ingredients for all my recipes. These dishes will still taste delicious even if all the ingredients are not organic. 

PREP:

1. Make tortellini according to package directions. Rinse and toss with olive or grapeseed oil. Allow to  cool in fridge for 10-20 minutes. (This ensures that the hot pasta will not melt the mozzerella when combining.)
2. Chop a large bunch of fresh basil.
3. Strain and chop one 14 oz. can of artichoke hearts.
4. Drain one or two cans of sliced black olives.
5. Cut fresh mozzerrella balls into slices and then chop into cubes. (You can also slice mozzerella string cheese if fresh mozzerella is not available.)
5. Combine tortellini pasta, one carton of cherry or grape tomatoes, chopped basil, artichoke hearts, cheese, and 2/3 cup of Italian dressing.
6. Salt and pepper to taste.
7. Serve cold and enjoy!
 

Happy Fourth of July!

Have some fruit and a little bit of time this morning? Make a Fruit Flag!

For ultimate freshness, prepare this treat right before serving. Present it with toothpicks for spearing the fruit and a bowl of your favorite dip, if desired.

Ingredients:

29 large strawberries

30 large blackberries

7 or so large bananas

Lemon juice

Instructions:

1. Halve 29 large strawberries and set them aside.

2. Arrange 30 large blackberries, as shown, in the upper left corner of a serving tray or cutting board (it should be at least 8 by 13 inches).

3. Cut 58 banana slices, 3/4-inch-thick, into a bowl. Sprinkle on lemon juice and toss the slices gently with a rubber spatula to keep them from browning.

4. Assemble the banana slices in rows as shown and top each slice with a strawberry half.

{from familyfun.go.com}

Enjoy your fourth!!
Janell

Before The Berries Are Gone...

Just in time, before the berries are gone, why not cook up some delicious jam! It's a fun activity for the whole family, especially if you are lucky enough to live near a farm and can add picking your own berries to the mix. If not, just grab a flat of ripe berries at your nearest store. And then afterwards, Christi from the blog Burlap & Basil has some great recipes to get you started, just click here!

Delicious!! 

And even better? Bake a loaf of bread while you're at it and see how fast it all disappears...