Strawberry Vanilla Granola Recipe for Yogurt Parfaits

Don’t you just love granola? Such a good snack, or over yogurt for breakfast, or even with some really cold almond milk over it. Granola and me, we’ve got a thing going. This granola has been one of my favorites recently – totally have this one on repeat and have made it so often I’ve found the need to give jars of it away. This gal does not need to be eating granola at every meal, ya know?

I love a fruity, bright flavor this time of year, especially after such brutally cold weather last week! If I turned my back to the windows, stood in front of the heater, and took a bite of this granola with a little (almond) milk, I almost felt like it was spring. Almost.

For the yogurt parfaits, I added a little bit of strawberry jam between the layers, which I felt really pulled the whole parfait experience together. The sweetness of the jam complimented the plain greek yogurt and elevated the granola with just a bit more sugar. I also used a combination of plain greek yogurt and strawberry greek yogurt, which honestly just looked pretty! Sometimes you just have to do it because it looks prettier, right?!

Sheet Pan Quiche Recipe with Olives, Feta, Pickled Onions & Cherry Peppers

I have to be honest with you about this sheet pan quiche recipe – it was born out of necessity; a necessity to not cut pie slices because I’m just awful at it. I almost never get even slices and it just drives me nuts! But this experiment had a happy result – I love the egg-to-crust ratio of this quiche!

This lovely little quiche made it straight onto this year’s Galentine’s Day brunch menu! I think this flavor combo might just be my favorite, but you know what I’m going to say here, right? You-do-you-boo! You can put anything in a quiche. One of the many reasons I love it – you don’t really need a recipe. It’s a non-recipe-recipe!

Nutella Croissant Bake Recipe

Happy World Nutella Day! This week, we’re talking allBlackberry Croissant Bake about recipes for Galentine’s Day and what Galentine’s Day celebration would be complete without Nutella?! And hot damn do I have a good recipe for you. This one is a little riff off the from a few months ago and is just as to-die-for as the OG. But I might love this one more, especially in this season of chocolate.

I love the way the savory nature of the croissants plays off the nutella custard in this – it balances the sweetness of the Nutella. Once this came out of the oven and was dusted with powdered sugar, I couldn’t believe I even considered adding banana or strawberries to this dish. It really is perfect just the way it is!

I also have to tell you – it’s really great hot out of the oven, and good at warm temp, and surprisingly still delicious cold. I may or may not have had this for dinner last night. I’ll never tell.

How to Make a Stromboli with Chorizo & Pepperoni

I’ve been working on our menu for the big game for a few weeks now, and when I asked my husband what he thought I should make, “stromboli!” was the first thing he said. Exclamation point included. I think secretly stromboli might just be his favorite food. I thought it was a great idea since stromboli is so easy to make and can be made ahead of time. So come February 2nd, I’ll be baking up a stromboli to be reheated and served again on Sunday. All about that make-ahead-party-prep!

This is yet another you do you boo situation – don’t you love those?! You really can put anything you want in a stromboli. This one I made with chorizo and pepperoni, honestly, by accident. I thought at the grocery store I grabbed a package of Italian sausage and it ended up being chorizo. It worked out, though! We loved this combination, definitely for the spice-lovers.

As long as you don’t pre-slice your stromboli, it will be really easy to reheat. You don’t want to cut it and let all of the fillings out!

How to Make Simple Guacamole

When I was getting ready to make this guacamole, I realized I didn’t have any tomatoes! Can you imagine my horror? Then I remembered an episode of TSC’s podcast where they interviewed Dr. Steven Gundry. Now, I don’t want to go down this rabbit hole of the Plant Paradox and what veggies are OK and which aren’t. But, he said in the episode that traditional guac does not have tomatoes. Never knew that! So, I remembered that moment from the podcast just in the nick of time before I ran out to buy a tomato to make guacamole.

I think part of me loves guacamole so much, and really avocado so much, because it’s such a good vehicle for salt. And y’all know how much I love salt! But really, I would encourage you, unless you have a health reason not to, to up the salt on your guac! It brings all the flavors together. I start with about 1/4 tsp of salt per avocado, mix all the ingredients up and then I taste with a chip. I think the key is to taste with whatever dipper you are serving, because if it’s a salty tortilla chip you have to account for it in the guac. Just taste as you go!

I love how a homemade guacamole tastes fresh – don’t you think? And it’s really so much better than a prepackaged guac from the store. I will say, though, if you don’t have the time or you can’t find ripe avocados (or yours haven’t ripened yet), the store-made Whole Foods guacamole is so, so good. I am game for buying their guac any day. Don’t buy the stuff that’s vacuum sealed in plastic, it’s not the same. Just make it!

Peanut Butter Cup Popcorn & 4 Food Shows to Watch on Netflix

Get your remotes and popcorn ready, have I got a list for you! If you want some foodie things to watch on Netflix, I’m your girl and this is your post. Plus, I’m sharing my recipe for peanut butter cup popcorn, which you’re gonna want for your next #netflixandchill sesh. Trust me.

Okay, friends, let’s get into the list, while we collectively drool over this peanut butter cup popcorn. I mean….can you even???

 

To make this popcorn, you’ll pop up some in your microwave or follow the directions from my stove top popcorn recipe. Next, you lay it out on a sheet, drizzle with peanutbutter magic shell and sprinkle peanut butter cups on top. Pop it in the fridge until the chocolate hardens and then serve in small bowls! Easy!

Goat Cheese, Honey, Pistachio Toasts for White Wine Cheese Pairing

Yesterday, I shared my marinated feta and olive recipe that I prefer to pair with pinot noir. Today, I’m sharing these little goat cheese appetizers that I love with a chilled glass of sauvignon blanc or even a rose wine.

You guys know I love an easy recipe, especially an appetizer that feels well thought out but is still easy to keep in your back pocket. Most of the time, I have these ingredients in the house. I’m constantly using goat cheese in an appetizer situation so I typically have it on hand. And aren’t they pretty?! Especially when you’ve got that swirl down!

I also really love a pop of green on this dish with the pistachios! The pistachios are an important part of this appetizer recipe; they really balance the sweetness of the honey and the tanginess of the goat cheese.

Mixed Berry Cobbler Dessert Recipe

Get ready for this one, friends! You will not believe how easy this dessert is and how simple it is to pull together. If you are in a pinch, need a quick idea, or just want to shake it up a little, try these mixed berry cobblers for dessert! Don’t let a crumbly topping scare you away from this one – it’s easy, promise! And the filling is literally just berries and sugar. C’est tout!

I served these hot, out of the oven and topped with fresh whipped cream. The whipped cream melted into the cobblers and it was simply lovely.

The cobbler topping baked into the sweet berries and gave a little saltiness and a little crunch that mixed so well with the baked berries.

Balsamic Roasted Vegetables Recipe

What would a meatless dinner party be without some roasted veggies?! There’s something about roasted veggies that can get very boring very quickly, but I am totally loving these balsamic roasted veggies – they are so easy!

These literally require 2 ingredients. Okay four, because you’ll want to salt and pepper to taste. Can you even believe that these veggies only require a few ingredients and they are so, so good!

I opted to garnish this dish with parmesan and balsamic glaze, but you can totally forgo a garnish and just get straight to it. Honestly, if you use a good mixture of vegetables it will be so colorful you won’t even really need a garnish. But, this year I put finishing dishes off with fresh herbs and citrus on my bucket list – I’ve been so good about it! I chop up a little parsley and squeeze lemon or lime on almost all our dinners. It really does up the ante – but, I digress.

Spanish Tapas Chicken Thighs Recipe

Are you a grazer? I totally am, and would prefer to have snacky, appetizer-type food any day, which of course means I’m such a sucker for a cocktail party.

This chicken thigh recipe has been on repeat in our house, having made it at least 4 times for 4 different cocktail parties. I will tell you, it does work with chicken breast, but this dish is nowhere close to as good as it is when you use the chicken thighs. There’s no oil, though, so it evens out – right?

 

The flavor in this is out of this world, too. The paprika and garlic make the loveliest combination, and the chicken comes out so juicy. A little squeeze of lemon (or lime) and the fresh chopped parsley really bring a brightness to the dish. You can serve it with an aioli or sour cream or nothing at all. And don’t worry, won’t judge you for eating out of the pan.