Summer Cookbooks

Last night, I had my in-laws over to thank them for taking care of our house while we were out. On the menu, I prepared a turkey lasagna, coffee and banana bread for dessert! I love having a reason to whip up a huge meal in the kitchen! Not to mention the aroma that floats around long after.


Along with one of my many hobbies, cooking would have to be #1. I just adore it.

And since I did not go to school for cooking, I try to acquire as much knowledge as I can through cookbooks! 

1) Tacos, Quesadillas & Burritos- Newest addition to my collection. Just purchased at Williams Sonoma this week and although I have yet to make anything from it, I fell in love with the book just by glancing at the first few pages. We love Mexican!

2) Sunday Brunch- My absolute favorite breakfast cookbook - filled with many easy to follow, original delicious recipes. My favorite are the blueberry, ricotta cheese pancakes. Out of this world yum!

 

3) Memories of a Cuban Kitchen- I love digging into authentic Cuban food and this book is wonderful, it has great dishes and is filled with memories of growing up in Cuba.


4) The Columbia Restaurant Spanish Cookbook- Have you ever been to the Columbia Restaurant? It started in Tampa (my homeland) and it is filled with many rich Spaniard dishes. If you've never been, you must check it out, and if it's just too far, the cookbook will suffice for now.



5) Cook with Jaimie Oliver- On the last day of school, a student gave me this book. I really like it because of the professional tips Jaimie shares and yummy meals he prepares.



 While on the subject of food, make sure to come back tomorrow & see how I've been preparing my brussels sprouts! I promise you will love them!

Today I am headed to my sister's new house to spend the day with her- she is also a teacher and has a very free schedule this summer which means more time to spend together!

Sweet Day.


Summer Reading List

I am now a week and three days into my summer break from work. Can you tell I am counting and hoping time passes by slowly of course ;)

Here is what I will spend my days reading either at home, on a plane, at the beach. I've also spend some on the summer getting into eBooks (had never thought of it as an option before) but am really enjoying the extra use of my ipad. As for my list of conventional book, here you have it: 

................

  (1)                                                                          (2)

   (3)                                                                                  (4)

What are you reading this summer?

 Here is my summer reading list from last year.

Have a sweet day! Come by tomorrow to check out what summer cookbooks I've already dug into!

My Thoughts On Peru

As I mentioned before, we have spent last week in Peru for my husband's job. Peru is one of his favorite countries to travel to for work (his region consists mostly of Central and South America). And now, I see why.

food:

culture & architecture:

 Before arriving in Peru, I had no idea what to expect. I had never been anywhere in South America. To my surprise, I loved everything about it! The people, places and site were all so nice!

 Some things to learn before you go: 

1) Chicha- a popular drink that you can find anywhere. It is made out of corn and looks like grape juice. Very sweet but very tasty.

2) Lomo Saltado- a popular peruvian dish that consists of slow cooked beef, onions, papas, white rice and corn. Between my husband and I, we may or may not have ordered 6 plates of this by the time we left!

3) Lima- The capital of Peru is a beautiful place but you have to remember that you are not in the US. Be careful when walking around. Try not to carry a purse and be aware wherever you go. The architecture makes you feel like you are in Spain (since the Spanish were the ones who built it when they tried to take over many years ago).

4) Underground Graveyards- Under almost every cathedral in Lima, you can find an underground graveyard and are able to walk into it and explore. Some tombs have been there for over 2000 years.

5) Museo De Oro- This is a museum that is filled with Inca history and many pieces of gold that were used thousands of years ago & it is here where I saw my very first mummy too!

6) If you are a fish eater, don't plan on eating it in the evening. We were dying for some ceviche at night but were told that it is not customary to eat this after lunch.

7) Ceviche- A customary Peruvian dish that consists of chilled white fish cooked in lime juice, garlic onions. Eat it cold. It is divine!

Lemon Rosemary Salmon

As I've mentioned before, my husband and I enjoy eating healthy meals throughout the week. While meal planning one day, I came across this delicious salmon recipe that I am sure you will love too!

Salmon is my absolute favorite fish. Even if you are not a regular salmon eater, give this recipe a try. The mixture of lemon and rosemary really are an excellent pairing for this type of fish.  Not to mention the many health benefits caused by eating fish on a regular basis.


Lemon Rosemary Salmon:
-1lb salmon
-sea salt
-pepper
-4 cloves garlic, minced
-2 lemons, sliced
-1 lemon, juiced
-tbs rosemary
-tsp olive oil

1. Place salmon on broiler pan. Sprinkle salt, pepper, rosemary and garlic cloves all over.
2. Drizzle olive oil. Squeeze lemon juice.
3. Place lemon slices on top.
4. Broil in oven for 25-30 minutes - depending on how you like your fish.
 Enjoy.

This recipe is very simple to make and tastes great! I usually pair it with brocolli or a light Caesar salad.


How To Host A Grown Up Tea Party

Today I am going to share with you how to throw a successful & stress free tea party.

A few months ago when my little (sorority lingo)/best friend announced her engagement, I knew I had to plan the perfect shower for her! So for the past month, I put together a small, quaint tea party that I knew she would enjoy. The shower was this past Saturday and only consisted of 7 guests -the smaller the guest list, the more intimate your setting will be.


 Menu:
Assorted Fruit
Chilled Water 
Caesar Salad
Vanilla Cupcake with Butter Cream Frosting

Once you have your table setting, you will want to create a buffet table filled with sweets, tea, sandwiches and salad. I chose to stick with a simple menu so that conversation could be enjoyed over fuss.  Once the guests sat down, we passed around fruit, hot water and an assortment of tea bags. Next came the salad and the choice of chicken salad tea sandwiches or an egg salad tea sandwiches (which I can thank my loving husband for helping me assemble right before the guests arrived).


I placed an advice for the bride card on each plate so that the guests could fill them out while waiting to be served. The bride to be read the cards aloud just before she opened her gifts.




Tea Station: 
honey, sugar, spoon, cinnamon, cinnamon sticks, tea cookies 

Make sure to prepare your sandwiches right before your guests start to arrive and cover with serran wrap so that they remain fresh. I made the spreads the night before and left them in the refrigerator to chill. Once the morning came, I cut the crust off of the wheat bread and assembled the triangle cut sandwiches. 

As for the salad, cut the lettuce, grate the Parmesan cheese and sprinkle your cranberries in the morning and cover/chill. I then added the croutons and dressing just before serving. The tea began at 11am and lunch was served around noon.