Summer Smoothie + Cocktail Deliciousness

I made up and created not one but TWO delicious beverages within the past 24 hours. Pretty impressive for a busy mom on the go (shoot me in the face)! I’m sure my award will be arriving in the mail shortly.

Smoothie fixins. Thank God new house has subway tile for my super profesh food shots.

Smoothie fixins. Thank God new house has subway tile for my super profesh food shots.

I drink smoothies for breakfast most summer mornings. Quick, healthy, tasty, and I fucking love drinking things out of straws so this habit gives me an excuse to buy them. If you keep a decent stable of ingredients on hand it’s pretty easy to keep your smoothie game interesting. This one was a winner. I was so obsessed with it that I texted my husband “I just made the best smoothie in the world” to which he replied “maybe at the time.” Rude!

PB and J Smoothie

Blend together for one smoothie (I used a Vitamix, you might want to omit the chia seeds if you don’t have a high speed blender):

1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or similar)
½ frozen banana
3 frozen strawberries
1 medjool date
2 TBSP peanut butter
1 TBSP chia seeds
1 generous dash cinnamon

And now for something boozy. Balance! This next bev is still pretty healthy though, and really refreshing. Fruity, without being too sweet.

Yellow watermelon, you so fancy!

Yellow watermelon, you so fancy!

Watermelon Margarita

Serves two

Crush a cup, ish of watermelon in a cocktail shaker (I just mashed the shit out of two triangular shaped slices with a spoon-I used yellow watermelon but red would also be just dandy)

Add to shaker:
Handful of ice
3 oz silver tequila
Juice from two limes
Dash of orange juice (you can also use triple sec but I am too cheap to buy Cointreau and I think cheap triple sec tastes skanky)

Shake, shake shake and pour into your glasses of choice.

Delicious though I must admit that I probably won’t make it through summer without consuming one of these at least once.

Still Pregnant…and Eating Fudge

I have officially hit 41 weeks and am still pregnant with no real signs of impending labor…pretty typical for a first timer but it’s still a mental struggle. One day at a time! She can’t stay in there much longer than a week or she’s going to be forced out by various medications and doctors.

Kickass new Seahawks library card for future baby/library adventures

Kickass new Seahawks library card for future baby/library adventures

Something productive I did recently was make some delicious peanut butter sea salt fudge. So, so good. I gave a bunch of it away and Will and I ate the rest in about a day because we are horrible pigs.

So good

So good

Recipe is here, from Cup of Jo (I used creamy peanut butter and plain old brown sugar but I do recommend stocking up on some flaky sea salt to fancy these up, I used Maldon and I don’t regret it one bit). So I guess this weekend’s agenda is to walk around a lot and try to get this baby out. Wish me luck.

Cool Shit on the Internet

Sup. I’m kinda tired, bloated and pregnant-feeling. Good times!

Definitely making this for my kid someday. I think she'll be impressed.

Definitely making this for my kid someday. I think she’ll be impressed.


But hey, it’s almost Friday. Here is a little roundup of some things that recently caught my eye online:

1. Monochromatic fruit salad (Cup of Jo)
Doesn’t that look pretty? Totally stealing this for a brunch gathering. Maybe I should throw a brunch gathering…

2. Where Seattle chefs go for cheap eats (Eater)
Great, mostly under the radar spots.

3. City guides (Roll with Jen)
Delightful guides to San Francisco, Portland, Victoria B.C. and more.

4. Dresses to wear to summer weddings (The New Potato)
I still have a couple more weddings to go to this summer, you?

5. Tips for hosting overnight guests (Cupcakes and Cashmere)
How to not be a shitty hostess. I definitely need to follow the part about leaving remote control instructions so I don’t have to explain mine to my dad every time he stays with us.

Recipe Roundup

Behold, some recipes I have made and enjoyed lately. Fruit is the theme here, apparently. Pregnancy makes me want sweet things and fruit is allegedly healthier than a “sharing size” bag of peanut butter M&Ms. Blah.

Also there is just so much delicious fruit in season right now and I want to eat it all. Summer in Seattle is the best!

Blueberry Pie (from The New Potato)

Here’s a secret (is it a secret?): fruit pies are a super easy dessert that will impress the shit out of people. You can go with a store bought crust but I went for the glory and made it from scratch, which wasn’t painful at all.

PIE TIME YUM

PIE TIME YUM


This pie was effing tasty. Serve with ice cream. Duh.

Pie friend needed way longer to bake than the recipe calls for; just keep an eye on it. I’d wrap the crust in foil at some point near the end so it doesn’t burn.

PB and J Breakfast Smoothie (adapted from something I saw on former Real Housewife of Atlanta Kim Zolciak Biermann’s Instagram, don’t judge me)

This was hearty, refreshing, and pink. Winner!

Blend:
1 cup milk (I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk)
1 banana, ideally frozen
½ cup berries, fresh or frozen
½ cup ice
½ cup plain or Greek yogurt (optional)
1 tsp vanilla
1 TBSP rolled oats (optional)
2 TBSP peanut butter

Burrata and Stone Fruit Salad

I kinda made this up though there are a lot of different versions floating around the internets. This is great for a BBQ, summer dinner party, or when you need dinner but don’t feel like turning on your oven which for me has been most days of late.

Salad. Let's pretend the blurry effect was intentional and not the byproduct of a greasy iPhone lens.

Salad. Let’s pretend the blurry effect was intentional and not the byproduct of a greasy iPhone lens.


Salad:
Greens (I like arugula)
Sliced stone fruit, whatever’s ripe and delicious
Chopped basil
Sliced heirloom or cherry tomatoes
Burrata, ripped in chunks to a size of your liking

Dressing:
Equal parts lemon juice or champagne vinegar, and olive oil
1 TBSP or so honey or agave nectar
Salt/pepper to taste
You can throw in a splash of OJ if you have that around
A little minced shallot would also be nice