Caramel Apple Bar

We are getting ready for our 2nd annual pumpkin carving party, happening this weekend. We have been decorating, working on our costumes, and planning our menu. One thing I always loved about Fall was apple picking with my family and getting cider and caramel apples at the orchard. I thought it would be so fun to have a caramel apple bar at our party!

Toppings are completely customizable to suit your taste but here is what I included:

Sauces: Caramel, Peanut Butter, Fudge
Toppings: Peanuts, Sprinkles, Mini Chocolate Chips, Marshmallows

What do you like on your apples? I'm a caramel and peanut kind of girl, but I did scoop up some peanut butter with chocolate chips after I took these photos. You really can't go wrong!

What do you like to eat to get into the spirit of Fall?

Skinny Blueberry Lime Margarita

I have still been going to my cardio barre class regularly. It's kind of a big deal because I have never managed to keep a consistent work out schedule for this long. It ain't cheap that's for sure, but it's effective and even a bit addicting. And of course, it's good to be active and exercise. It is helping me try to live a more healthy life.

The location I take my classes at always sends out a monthly newsletter (hey, a monthly newsletter, maybe I should try that....considering I have not sent out a newsletter since February) and the most recent one included a fruity alcoholic beverage recipe.

 And you know how I love my fruity alcoholic beverages.

Even better, this one is only 125 calories!

Ingredients:

2 cups ice
1 cup blueberries
1 cup blueberry nectar
1/4 cup seltzer
2 tablespoons frozen limeade
1 tablespoon lime juice
3 ounces tequila, optional
1 lime wedge
Coarse salt

Combine ice, blueberries, blueberry nectar, seltzer, limeade, lime juice and tequila, if using, in a blender and blend until smooth. Rub rim of 2 glasses with lime wedge and dip in salt. Pour that shit and drink up! xo JA

Strawberry Basil Mojito Recipe

You guys know I love my mojitos. This weekend I got inspired to make a strawberry basil version, thanks to the extra strawberries and basil I had hanging out in our kitchen. It was soooo tasty I knew I had to share it with you buys. Summer is right around the corner (all my friends and family back home made a point of letting me know it was 70 degrees in MI yesterday) so let's get ready for some fruity cocktails!

Ingredients:

2 strawberries, sliced

3 basil leaves

1 shot rum

1 tbsp simple syrup

juice from 1/2 of a lime

club soda

Serves: 1

Muddle strawberries, basil and simple syrup in a glass. Fill the cup with ice (I like a lot!). Add the rum and lime juice, then top it off with club soda.

These are really customizable to your liking. If you like it a little sweeter, add a bit more simple syrup. Or maybe you like more lime....or more rum! I also ended up straining it to remove some of the strawberry chunks (that kept getting caught in my straw), but maybe a bit of fruit chunks is your thang. Make it however you want! Enjoy!

Raspberry Streusel Coffee Cake

Baking has been none existent for the last couple months so it felt good to whip up some raspberry streusel yesterday. We had a nice Sunday at home, being productive but still spent some time relaxing in the sun. We got a hammock off of our wedding registry to while J got that set up I got busy in the kitchen.

This raspberry streusel turned out really good. It's not too heavy, not too sweet, actually rather light. And the raspberries give it a tarty kick. If you're not a raspberry fan, it can also be made with blueberries and boysenberries. Here's what you do:

Ingredients:

4 tbsp butter at room temperature

6 tbs sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

2 tsp grated orange zest

1 c flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/3 c buttermilk

1 1/2 c raspberries (or blue berries, boysenberries)

Topping:

1/4 c flour

1/4 c sugar

2 tbsp butter

1 tsp cinnamon

Preheat over to 350 degress. Grease and flour 9 inch pie pan.

Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl. Add egg, buttermilk, orange zest and vanilla and beat well. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add this dry mixture to the wet mixture and mix until smooth. Mix in the berries and spread in the prepared pan. Mix streusel topping ingredients until crumbly and sprinkle over the berry mixture.

Bake for 45 minutes. Serve warm. Enjoy!

Mushroom and Onion Fajita Recipe

Happy Monday! How was your weekend? We spent all day yesterday checking out venues in Palm Springs (and I think we made some progress!). Today I'm continuing to immerse myself  in holiday card designing (almost there!) but the lovely Emily, of Anna Delores Photography, is here to share a mouth-watering fajita recipe with you! Here she is:

"Greetings, JAA readers!  I'm so excited to share this recipe with you today, created by Marlene Bernstein at Savour This Moment.  Marlene and I got together to play with food and photography, and this is just one of the delightful dishes dreamed up.  Enjoy!
Mushroom and Onion Fajitas (serves four)

Ingredients:

• 8 Corn Tortillas
• 1 Clove of grated Garlic  
• 1 Cup of sliced Mushrooms
• 1 Cup of sliced Red Onions 
• 1 Cup of "Sun-dried" Oven-Roasted Grape Tomatoes 
• White Balsamic Vinegar
• Olive Oil
• Optional: Feta Cheese

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 F. Toss grape tomatoes with olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Line sheet pan with parchment paper or foil and spread tomatoes evenly. Roast in oven until roasted and has the appearance of sun-dried tomatoes, but not burnt then set aside. 
2. Coat saute pan with olive oil and bring to medium heat add in onions and grated garlic and stir until tender. Next, add in mushrooms (mushrooms tend to absorb the oil, so if necessary add more olive oil), season with salt and pepper, stirring occasionally until tender. 
3. Place mushrooms, onions, and grape tomatoes in tortillas and dress with your favorite spicy dressing; we used Thai Chile Cilantro Dressing from Savour This Sauce, which Marlene makes from scratch!
4. Option: top with feta cheese

YUM.  Thanks again to Julie for inviting me over today.  I hope you'll check out the Anna Delores blog one of these days, too!  :)"

Caramel Coffee Ring Recipe

This time of year, all I want to do is drink a warm drink, carve pumpkins and bake comfort foods. I was looking through the recipe book my Granny made for me to find a recipe that would suit the season. Enter: the Caramel Coffee Ring. Can you say "nomnom?" It was easy to make and the taste reminded me of a Cinnabon (which is not always the best thing for me since I worked there and am scarred for life when it comes to cinnamon but if you like Cinnabons, you're gonna love this).

What you'll need:

24 frozen dinner rolls

1/2 c brown sugar

1 (4 oz) pkg dry butterscotch pudding mix

1 1/2 t cinnamon

1/2 c sugar

1 stick butter

1/2 c chopped nuts (optional)

Layer frozen rolls in greased bundt pan. Mix cinnamon with sugar and pour over rolls. Layer one at a time : nuts (optional - I put them on half because J doesn't like them), brown sugar, pudding mix. Slice butter on top of rolls. Cover pan. Let rise over night in fridge. (Mine actually didn't defrost all the way over night so I let them sit for a couple hours on the counter in the morning so they fully defrosted and rose).

Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. (I recommend putting a cookie sheet under the bundt pan because it will likely spill over).

Invert pan, let sit for a few minutes, then remove.

My friends came over Friday night and we all devoured this.....in celebration of our engagement. But more on that later.... ;]

Paleo Crepes with Plumcot-Pear Filling

Hi everyone! I'm Megan and I blog at Freckled Italian, where I write about food, personal style, and daily life. I also own a small business called Cave Girl Consulting, which is focused on all things Paleo. I thought I'd share a recipe with you today!

I know. You're confused. Paleo crepes? Plumcots? Let's start with plumcots. They're a hybrid of a plum and an apricot. I had never heard or even dreamed of them until I saw them at Trader Joe's this summer. We gave them a try and now buy them by the dozen. They're delicious and tart and sweet and the most gorgeous color. See if you can find some. (If not, you could use regular plums for this recipe.)

The truth about being Paleo is that sometimes, you just can't eat another fried egg. Or a scrambled one. Or an omelet. And definitely not another hard-boiled one. It's just too much. So we make Paleo-friendly versions of our favorite carby breakfasts. Like pancakes, or muffins. Or crepes. When I came across this recipe, I knew I needed to try it. I actually made a special trip to the grocery store to pick up more eggs and some almond flour. The fruit filling just kind of happened on its own, with ingredients I already had in the kitchen.

My grandma Angelica wasn't the most gifted of cooks, but she had three signature dishes (all of them were served with a sprinkle of sugar--she also wasn't the healthiest of cooks): Arroz con Leche, saltine crackers with butter, and crepes. My brother, my cousin Ashley, and I grew up referring to crepes as "Grandma Pancakes," and the name kind of stuck. I don't think Grandma would mind knowing that I updated her recipe a bit. Ashley is visiting me in Minneapolis next month and I can't wait to make these for her. You can try them, too.

Ingredients

For the crepes

Five eggs

Three tablespoons almond flour

Two tablespoons arrowroot powder

One teaspoon vanilla extract

One teaspoon cinnamon

A pinch of salt

Coconut oil to grease pan

For the fruit filling

Two or three plumcots

One large pear

The zest and juice of half a lemon

Two tablespoons of honey (optional)

1. Heat a medium-sized pan on the stove and whisk eggs in a bowl. Add remaining crepe ingredients.

2. Spread coconut oil around the pan and add a couple spoonfuls of crepe batter. Spread batter around and let cook.

3. Flip the crepe (this should be really easy to do) and let cook on the other side (about a minute). 

4. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining batter.

5. Dice up the plumcots and the pear and put them in a saucepan over medium-high heat.

6. Stir and let cook until the fruit begins to break down into a thick consistency and start to bubble.

7. Zest half of a lemon over the pot and then squeeze the juice, as well. Stir.

8. Add honey and stir. Bring to a boil and then simmer for about ten minutes.

To serve this dish, take a crepe, add a couple spoonfuls of filling to the middle, roll it up, and enjoy!

Pad Thai Recipe by Studio TAC

"Hello there! I'm Sara, of Studio TAC. Today I'm going to share a Pad Thai recipe with you! Pad Thai is one of Thai well known dishes. It’s actually easy to make but the work is probably more on finding ingredients if you are outside Thailand. If you can find them, great ! You will get the right taste and I also have some photos for you to search for those ingredients. I am pretty sure if you have local Asian supermarkets nearby then you will be able to find them.

(source)

You will need:

Rice noodles ½ c

Bean sprouts ½ c

Chinese chive ½ c (cut into 1’’ pieces )

Dried shrimp 1 tbsp

Tofu (cut into 1/4” cubes) 1 tbsp

Preserved white radish, chopped 1 tbsp

Shallots, sliced or chopped 1 tbsp

Egg (optional)

For the taste:

Tamarind juice 2 tbsp (soaking the pulp in warm water until soft and squeeze out the thick juice)

Plam sugar 1 tbsp

Fish sauce ½ tbsp

For the side:

Roasted, chopped peanuts

Chilli powder

Freshly squeezed lime juice

Sugar

Bean sprouts

Chinese chives

For more exotic taste, freshly sliced banana flower (soaked in water and 1 tbsp of lime juice to prevent browning)

How to:

Heat 1 tbsp cooking oil. Fry the shallots and tofu until brown. Add preserved radish and dried shrimp. Add the ingredients for the taste: tamarind juice, palm sugar and fish sauce. Stir well. Put rice noodle, add 1 tbsp water to make it soft and stir well. After this you may want to taste it to add more seasonings, if desired. Add egg, wait until it is half-cooked. Add bean sprouts and Chinese chives and stir well. Enjoy !

If you love cooking, you may like my Pinterest group board here. I also created a board in case you may have questions; just put your comment on the pins here. xo, Sara @ StudioTAC"


P.S. Can I get your vote? :]

Taco Bake Recipe

The other night I was looking through the cook book my Granny gave me of all of her favorite recipes to find something to make for dinner. We tend to gravitate towards the same foods and cooking methods in this house and I wanted something new and different. I landed on Taco Bake. Because it sounded frickin delicious. And it was!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

1 can refried beans

1 can Manwich

1 can no bean chili

1 package Taco seasoning

1/4 cup water

crushed Doritos

 2 c shredded cheese

Brown the beef in a pan and drain. Then add the beans, Manwich, chili, Taco seasoning and water. Mix! In a casserole dish, layer half of the meat mixture, then a layer of cheese, and a layer of Doritos. Add another layer of meat, then cheese, and Doritos. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Serve with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, olives, sour cream, avocados, etc! We scooped it with tortilla chips but my Granny recommends Spanish rice as a side.

It was really easy and it serves a LOT. Six people or so I'd say because we could easily have three dinners out of it for the two of us.

This could even be used as an appetizer dish. Sort of like a baked, warm, gooey layer dip. Nomnom!

Greek Yogurt Veggie Dip Recipe

I recently fell off the exercise wagon. Did I just say recently? I meant months ago. Truth be told, I've been feeling pretty blah and bloated lately (I'm allowed to tell you that, right? We're friends.) So, I've been trying to eat better, introducing more "raw" foods into my diet. Enter vegetables. I've been trying to turn broccoli, carrots and cauliflower into a regular snack. It has not been easy. I wish I was one of those people who enjoyed working out and eating healthy but I just haven't caught on yet. Maybe one day.

It was in the middle of the grocery store that I had the epiphany of making homemade veggie dip to ease the "pain" of raw carrots. When I was kid, my parents gave me a children's cook book. One of my favorite kid-friendly recipes to make from it was a dill veggie dip. I knew I had dill, among other seasonings, in my cupboards at home, so I grabbed a container of plain greek yogurt and headed home to make my own!

 Ingredients:

1 cup plain greek yogurt

1/2 cup mayo (I used light)

2 tsp dried dill weed

1 tsp onion (grated)

2 tsp seasoning salt (I used Lawry's)

dash of pepper

Stir all ingredients in a bowl till smooth. If you like your veggie dip cool, stick in the fridge for a bit to chill. Then dip away those veggies!

A Basic Mojito Recipe, Plus A Little Story

About a month ago, I noticed a dark discoloration on the fingers of my right hand. I did what most people would do these days, and Googled it. Everything I found online seemed to pertain to losing pigmentation and that wasn't my case. So I went to the dermatologist. Do you know what the first thing she asked me was? "Do you cook with lemons or limes a lot?" I said "....ummm I make a lot of mojitos?" She said, "Do you make mojitos and then go sit outside in the sun?" This is like, every weekend for me, so I said yes.

Apparently, the combination of dried citrus juice with sun exposure can cause dark skin discoloration. I mean, seriously? My obsession with mojitos is so intense that it is discoloring my skin?? (Do I have a problem? Do I need to go to mojitos anonymous?) At first I didn't believe it, but that would surely explain why the discoloration is only happening on my right hand.

Determined to never give up my dear mojitos, I got myself a handy dandy lemon squeezer thingy (do these have a name?), and now pair that with rubber gloves (that J insists I wear when cooking anyways since my skin is so sensitive). While the discoloration has faded, my love for mojitos has not. So I wanted to share my go-to, basic mojito recipe with you guys. The ingredients are estimates, as I always just throw it in without measuring. Here's what I do:

Put the juice of one lime in a martini shaker. Add about 2 tsp of simple syrup (I like mine more tart than sweet so if you prefer sweet add more simply syrup!). Add mint leaves and muddle. (I use a lot, probably 10. I like mint.) Then add rum to the martini shaker. I like Bacardi. I like a lot of Bacardi. Add as much as you want. Then add a bunch of ice and shake it in the martini shaker so it gets nice and cool. (This is probably not necessary, as you can just pour the mixture over ice but I like feeling fancy.) Pour the entire mixture into a glass and top it with club soda. I like to add extra mint leaves because I tend to nibble on them as I drink. Did I mention I love mint? And mojitos?

Now please excuse me while I go sit outside in the sun, drink my mojito (and write this blog post).

Pretzel Bread Recipe

Jordan has been bugging me to try my hand at making pretzel bread. Every time I ask the "Hm, what should I blog about?" question, it's always the same answer. (Come to find out, when I actually make it his reasoning is because he thought "it would make a cool blog post" not because he actually wanted to eat it, so now I have two loaves of pretzel bread to devour on my own).

I'm on a tangent.

I wanted to share this pretzel bread recipe today because basically, I can't believe I pulled it off. And if I pulled it off, YOU can pull it off. Dough from scratch (and without a mixer) without my mom here to help? I was pretty positive this post would be a "The Day I Tried To Make Pretzel Bread" post but surprisingly, I pulled it off. Here's what you do:

Ingredients:

Dough:

1 cup milk

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 package yeast

2 teaspoons salt

3 cups all-purpose flour

Boiling Solution:

3 quarts water

3/4 cup baking soda

Egg Wash:

1 egg

1 tsp water

Heat milk and butter until warm ( the butter will not completely melt). Combine with undissolved yeast and brown sugar in a large bowl. Add salt and 2 cups of the flour. Beat for 3 minutes (I used a hand mixer). Gradually add remaining flour to make a soft dough. Knead on a floured surface for about 8 to 10 minutes (this is where I was certain I'd fail). Put dough ball in a greased bowl, covered, for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Bring the boiling solution (baking soda and water) to a boil. Divide dough into 2 balls. Boil each ball in the boiling solution for 2 minutes, turning after 1 minute.

Remove loaves from pot using a slotted spoon and place on a greased baking sheet. Brush the tops with the egg wash and cut a criss cross with a sharp knife. Bake for 15 minutes, Then reduce to 350 degrees and bake an additional 10 to 12 minutes until the loaves are evenly browned. Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack.

Mine turned out pretty tasty. My only suggestion would be to add a bit of salt to the top of the loaves before baking. I hope you enjoy!

P.S. Wanna know how you can win a bunch of new JAA products before you can buy them? Be sure to follow along on Instagram for an exclusive giveaway this week! I'm so excited!

Homemade Popsicle Recipes

While I am in the final days of preparing for Renegade Craft Fair this weekend in L.A. (who's coming?!) I have my sponsor, Aukele, here to share a few tasty popsicles for you to try out on these hot summer days we've been having! Here she is:

"Whats cookin' JAA peeps!  I'm Aukele, I run a salt shop over at Uncle Bob's Salts (15% off with the code JULIEANNART) dedicated to my dad, Uncle Bob!!  I also have a personal blog at 91 dash.  I should have been knocking on wood in late June - bragging about how lovely the weather has been this summer in Hawaii.  Little did I know it would be as hot as Hades the first week of July!  

Enter summer popsicles here!  I've enjoyed seeing all the different flavor combinations in blogland and wanted to create some of mine own to share with you!  Lately I've been on a health kick and have been really trying to incorporate a clean and fresh diet into my lifestyle.  Today we're doing two flavor combos - Straw-Melon Balsamic and Tropical Green Tea.

We're gonna use (what I like to call) the triple P popsicle method.

1. PUREE your fruit/ingredients

2. POUR the puree into the molds

3. POP the molds into your freezer

Get it? Got it?  Good. Easy peasy, right?

Straw-Melon Balsamic Pops
1 cup of strawberries
1 cup of watermelon
Sweetener to taste (I like honey!)
2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar

I had a strawberry balsamic vinegar on hand - so I was lucky enough to use that!

Tropical Green Tea Pops
2 cups of tropical frozen fruit
1 cup of brewed green tea
Sweetener to taste (again, I like honey!)

For the tropical fruit, I use a mix from Target that has banana, mango, papaya and peach. [FREEBIE: frozen fruits are equally, if not more nutritous than fresh fruits because frozen fruits are picked at it's peak ripeness and flash frozen to preserve all of its nutrients - opposed to a mango sitting on a boat to Hawaii from Mexico] So I wouldn't lose the tea flavor amidst the fruit, I brewed a strong (3 tea bag) cup!

Again, use the three P popsicle method: Puree, Pour, Pop!
*its okay if your puree is chunky, it gives the popsicle character!

Thanks Julie for having me! Here's to keeping cool this summer (and keepin it popsicle fresh!)
**********
keep up with me at:
bloglovin' | shop | twitter | instagram"

Sweet Tea Recipe

When I was in Michigan I got to spend some time with my cousin, Kristen. While I was at her house she offered me some homemade sweet tea. Michigan was having a sticky heat wave so I couldn't pass up the refreshing drink. When I got back to California, I had to ask Kristen for the recipe, because it was damn good. So damn good that I knew I had to share it with you!

Ingredients:

12 tea bags (I used Lipton's)

4 cups hot water

12 cups cool water

1 1/2- 2 cups sugar

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Put tea bags and baking soda in pitcher. Boil 4 cups water and add to pitcher. Let sit for 15 minutes. Take out tea bags and add sugar. Stir til dissolved. Add the 12 cups cool water. Refrigerate.

(I don't suggest having limes with your iced tea....I was just out of lemons!)

If you like sweet tea, you need to try this. I was sipping it as I was trying to take these photos and had to keep refilling my little mason jar. It's that good. Let me know if you try it! xo JA

Honey Limeade Recipe

My awesome sponsor, Alli, passed on this refreshing drink recipe to share with you guys, just in time for those hot summer days! Alcohol is optional on this one, so either everyone can enjoy it, or you can add a bit of kick for the adults (ya'll know I'm gonna add a bit of vodka up in here). It's super easy, here's what you do:

What you'll need:

1 cup lime juice

5 cups water 

2/3 cup white sugar

2 tablespoons honey

*1 cup vodka (optional)*

In a pitcher, combine lime juice, water, sugar and honey. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Chill in refrigerator. And that's it! Enjoy!

Be sure to check out Alli's blog! She has a ton of yummy recipes, including this Blueberry Lemonade Mojito that I am just dying to try. :]

I will be up in northern CA for the rest of the weekend. You can follow me on Instagram for peaks at what we're up to! Username: julieannart

Happy weekend! See you Monday! xo JA