You didn’t think you could love a mimosa more than you already do, right? Well, prepare to be amazed. I’ve been participating in a little drink recipe contest with Better Homes & Gardens and Simply Juices, and I’m excited to announce I’m a finalist for the best recipe: A Frozen Berry Mimosa — everything you love about frozen drinks, combined with the greatest brunch cocktail a girl could ask for, the mimosa. The recipe for this tasty concoction is below, and if you’re feeling kind please head over to BHG to vote for my drink!
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Sometimes the best inspiration comes from just walking through the grocery store. I found bunch of fresh lavender at my local Whole Foods and I couldn’t pass them — I had to make something with them! Of course my inspiration gravitated towards the ingredients on my bar cart, and a homemade lavender simple syrup was the perfect ingredient to start refreshing new drink idea. Full recipe below!
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It’s National Apple Month — the perfect time for apple picking, and then of course the perfect time for baking and cooking with apples! I realize I have quite the arsenal of apple recipes from this fall and previous seasons, so I thought I’d round-up my favorites to give you some inspiration for what to make with all of your bounty from apple-picking this autumn. Check out the full list below!
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Feel that crisp, cool air? Feels like fall is here! I know everyone gets all pouty that summer is coming to an end, but not me. Bring on the boots and jeans and cozy sweaters, and most of all: bring on the apple picking and the baking! I got the baking bug this weekend and was inspired to test out a recipe inspired by IZZE’s sparkling apple flavor — a flavor full of that perfect green-apple tartness. The result? A mini apple-toffee “pie-let” — the name my husband dubbed this sweet treats when he saw them cooling on the counter. Full recipe below: 
I’ve got a recipe for you today that’s a little bit cheesy, a little bit spicy, and is served in a crispy, carb-y, delicious bread bowl made from La Brea Bakery’s jalapeño cheddar bread. So you know, you’re welcome. The bread itself was the inspiration for the recipe, jalapeño and cheddar are a winning combination in my book! I used those flavors to update a classic baked spinach dip for a savory appetizer with a little bit of a kick. And if you’re not ready for a piping-hot dip just yet, you can refrigerate it and serve it cold too, I tested it both ways and they’re equally delicious. Recipe below!
This hot, steamy, humid weekend called for a serious cool-down concoction. I’ve seen this idea of adding popsicles to cocktails on Pinterest before, and this felt like the perfect time to try it out. In a wine glass I muddled a few mint leaves and sliced peaches, poured in some chilled vodka, and topped off the glass with half an IZZE sparkling peach. Then for the finishing touch, a peach popsicle dunked in to keep things cool! And the best part is that you get to snack on the popsicle while you enjoy your drink! Cheers! 
A trip to Texas this past spring turned me on to jalapeño margaritas, and a recent dinner at Besito put watermelon margaritas on my mind. When Breville sent me one of their powerful blenders to try I thought this was the perfect time to combine the two! It’s got the tang of lime, the heat from the jalepeno-infused tequila, sweetness from a bit of agave, and the pureed watermelon gives you a majorly refreshing taste. I blended up a big batch, which was helpful since they were so tasty they disappeared fast. Now, the real question is, how have I lived this long without a blender in my life? Full recipe for your own summer-cocktail enjoyment below! 
Guys, let’s talk about wine spritzers — why does this drink get such a bad rap? I have to start this blog post with a shout out to my brother-in-law who inadvertently inspired this idea. Sometime last summer we asked him to whip us up a drink at a family party, and maybe-sort-of-jokingly he told us he was going to make us wine spritzer. We giggled when he actually made them and brought them over to us, but guess what? They were really delicious. They can be light, crisp, and fruity — which are some of the most basic tenants of a good summer cocktail option. Plus they have a great name! A spritzer just sounds refreshing, doesn’t it? I decided to take a stand and stick up for the poor little wine spritzer and make one of my own with mixed fruits and IZZE sparkling waters:
- Step 1: Fill a stemless wineglass or tumbler with ice and mixed fruit of your choice.
- Step 2: Fill the glass 1/2 to 2/3 full with a fruity, light white wine.
- Step 3: Top with a flavored sparkling water (I love the Mandarin Lime IZZE flavor!)
- Step 4: Clink! Times to cheers glasses with friends and enjoy a summer evening outside.
I love my apartment, and I love summer, but gosh is it hot in my home right now. Once the weather gets warm, our place heats up and just never seems to cool down again until summer is over (the perks of living on the top floor, right?). The idea of turning on the oven can just about send me into a fit of tears, so we’ve been eating a lot of quick, simple summer salads for dinner around here. My new favorite combination is can barely count as a recipe, it’s just a few quick ingredients tossed together: baby arugula, cubed cantaloupe, chopped up prosciutto, crumbled blue cheese, salt and pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil, good balsamic, and lemon juice. Need a few more summer salad ideas? I included a list of some of my favorites below: 
- Antipasta Pasta Salad
- Greek Potato Salad
- Mason Jar Layered Salad
- Grilled Peach and Arugula Salad
- Watermelon and Mint Salad
- Eggplant Caprese Salad
I feel like I claim a lot on here that my recipes are pretty easy — which makes sense because while I love to cook, I’m not the most patient person (and hate following a complicated recipe step by step!). But this recipes? I mean you almost don’t even have to look at the instructions below. All you need it some fresh white fish, a few pieces of butter, and chopped up tomatoes, shallots, corn and chorizo — wrap it all up in parchment paper and pop it in the oven while you have a glass of wine and scroll through instagram for 20 minutes (you know that’s what I do when I’m waiting for dinner to cook — no shame here!), what’s better than that? 
Ingredients
- 1 lb Cod or haddock loin
- 2 tbsp butter, 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1-2 ears of corn
- 1 cup of cherry tomatoes
- 1 small chorizo link, chopped
- 2-3 small shallots, chopped
- Fresh lemon and chives for garnishing
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Place cod loin, divided into 2-3 portions, in a pan lined with parchment paper. Salt and pepper cod, drizzle with olive oil, and disperse cubed butter over fish.
- Combine corn, tomatoes, shallots and chopped chorizo, spread out over fish.
- Pull parchment paper up over fish and fold edges to seal. Bake in oven for 20 minutes or until fish is cooked though.
- Garnish with a squeeze of fresh lemon and chopped chives. Serve over rice.
