Oh heyyyyyyy. It’s been a while since I last posted and I apologize… BUT my peace offering is a cocktail! Yeew! This one is super fun and refreshing…. perfect for the summer months that we’re so blessed to enjoy.
The Gourmess
This one is just SO easy and SO quick I had to post it. It’s a simple concept, but I think that’s what side dishes/starter bites should be…easy, so you can put your focus into other things: the guests, the main dish, the laundry etc. I do have to warn all the ‘detail sticklers’ out there though that I am giving rough measurements… RECIPE SCHMECIPE FOLKS!
Oh MAN! I am so sorry it’s been so long since I last posted. Things got a little crazy recently and I haven’t had time to post. No excuse! But I am working on some fun new recipes as we speak and I promise to get some up ASAP! I can’t tell you all how thankful [and surprised] I am that you check my blog so often! It really means the world and I’m sorry for not posting often enough lately. Here is a picture of me and the babe-tron transforming ourselves from tent-livers to cocktail-party-attendees in the meantime. Lot’s of love! See you soon!
xoxoxox L.A.
Well I thought I was going to get another post in before the trip was over, but I couldn’t find a ton of WiFi in the woods… go figure!
The trip (aka #campariza if you follow me on instagram) has concluded and it was a DREAM. What a blessing to have gone on it and even better, experienced it with my main squeeze. We definitely roughed it most of the time but I was able to squeeze in a few real meals for us along the way (like my CAMPFIRE CHICKEN WITH ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS, POTATOES, & DILL). This breakfast I put together is really nothing too special, but for camping, I felt okay about it! Here is a little scramble from our stay in Big Sur… and YES that background is the view from our campsite/tent!!! It was insane!
** The ingredients in this are super inter-changable: use whatever things you like in a scramble. I used a lot of leftover ingredients from the last recipe I posted (link HERE) and like I mentioned in my last post, I am NOT using measurements, as you really wouldn’t be free as a bird and camping if I did!
My husband and I are currently camping up the coast for the next 20 days and I can’t tell you how excited I am! We’ve already been on the road for five days and it’s been a blast. It doesn’t hurt that my tent-mate is a TOTAL dream-boat but really, close quarters like this can either make or break you and it’s definitely making us. The memories we’ve made so far are innumerable.
With that said, I can’t go twenty days without cooking so I came up with a few recipes for this trip and thought I’d share. This one was a little on the fancy side (since I use white wine and fresh dill) but if you’re on the road for this long you gotta take a break from canned food and/or hot dogs once in a while! …And if you’re not the camping type, try it on your BBQ!
*Note: I am avoiding exact measurements in this post as you are CAMPING and should be livin’ life freely… you don’t need no measuring cups holding you down!
Growing up my mom would always keep a huge bowl of cubed watermelon in the fridge during the summer and I would go through it like……. well, WATER. Honestly, I could it eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner during the warmer months.The only daunting thing about it all was cutting it. My mom used to pull out a giant plastic bag, like three trays and two knives to accomplish the task and spent forever separating the melon from the rind as best she could… and seeing as I was gorging myself on the stuff she had to do it bi-weekly I’m sure. Amazing lady.
So, when I became a grown-up and it was up to ME to cut the watermelon I kind of panicked. How the HECK am I going to be able to keep up with my watermelon-eating-contest-like pace?? And I figured it out. I know it might seem simple, but I’ve been surprised by the amount of people this tip has helped, so I’m sharing it. If you already know it, or have a method that works for you, ignore this but this is (to me) the most efficient way to get as much of the pink from the white and green.
Summer is coming!!!! So, I decided to create a fruity cocktail to get into the spirit over here. This gal is sweeter than most drinks I make, but she’s super fresh and the rosemary cuts a bit of the sweetness with it’s herbaceous-ness. Cheers!
GOOD MORNING!….LEFTOVERS! // PULLED CHICKEN + FRIED EGG & FRESH THYME
Lauren Ariza
Posted on April 13, 2013
We incorporate leftovers in breakfast almost daily, but I made breakfast for me and my dude this A.M. and thought I’d share it since it repurposes my last recipe. Easy easy! Just reheat your your PULLED CHICKEN WITH BOURBON & BROWN-SUGAR BBQ SAUCE, fry an egg and toss some fresh thyme on top; serve next to some sliced tomatoes and BOOM. This is one yummy breakfast!
This is a recipe that I put together way back in college and has always been a big hit with everyone. I used to do it with a pork tenderloin, but we don’t eat a whole lot of pork anymore so I used chicken (but if you want pulled pork do it! It works great- just make sure you place the loin fat side up when you put it in the crockpot). I love this recipe because it’s crazy easy, you can be away from it all day (if you use your slowcooker) and come home to an INSANE meal …not to mention my secret trick that makes it even easier! I am including my recipe for house made BBQ sauce, but if you have a bottled version that you like, then just use that. We like it sweet and spicy over here, so if that’s what you’re looking for then this is the BBQ sauce recipe for you!
This recipe happens to be two of my favorite things combined: 1) Soup and 2) Celery. Actually, celery AND celery root. I’ve been experimenting with celery root a lot lately and decided to try it in a pretty classic preparation for once. Seriously, I’m not one to toot my own horn, but this soup turned out so yummy. I mean it.