Strawberry Nectarine Crumble

June 21, 20161 Comment

Does everyone love crumbles as much as I do? Sweet, warm fruit topped with a buttery streusel topping, really nothing gets much better. And this crumble is honestly the best I’ve ever made…possibly the best I’ve ever had, which I don’t say lightly. I come from a family of crumbles. Strawberry and rhubarb in the spring, apple and cranberry in the fall, really whatever fruit is in season is free game. Today when I told my mom about the wonderful strawberries and nectarines that were on sale in Greensboro, her first thought was “Oh, are you going to make a crumble?!” Best. Idea. Ever. The fruit is so ripe and sweet it verges on jammy, and the topping is the best complement. Thanks, Mom, you were right again!

Strawberry Nectarine Crumble

-1 lb strawberries, hulled and quartered

-3-4 nectarines, sliced into wedges

-Zest of ½ lemon

-1 tsp vanilla extract

-3 Tbsp dark brown sugar, divided

-1/2 c flour

-1/2 c old fashioned oats

-3/4 tsp baking powder

-4 Tbsp cold butter

-Pinch of salt

Preheat your oven to 375⁰. Mix the fruit, lemon zest, vanilla, and 1 Tbsp brown sugar in an 8 inch pan. If your fruit is already super sweet, feel free to leave out the sugar in this step. In a separate bowl, add all other ingredients and combine with your fingers. Don’t go too far here—you still want to have a few clumps of butter. I suggest letting the flour mixture sit in the fridge for half an hour (or up to a day) before you top the fruit with it. This will give the butter time to get hard again and will give you better crumbles. Top your fruit and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until everything is nice and golden brown. Enjoy!

Embarrassingly Easy Corn Dip

May 26, 20161 Comment

This is one of those “non-recipe” recipes. It’s the perfect dip or appetizer when you need to throw something together that takes minimal effort and is always a crowd pleaser. Especially great for this time of year at the lake or any cookout.

Embarrassingly Easy Corn Dip

1 container of French Onion Dip from refrigerated section of the grocery

1 can of Rotel tomatoes

1 can of Mexi-corn*

1 can of white shoepeg corn*

*You can easily substitute two of either type of corn but I’ve found that I like the spice from the mexi-corn and the sweetness and texture of the shoepeg so I do one of each.

Drain and rinse corn and partially drain rotel (drained about 70%, if that makes any sense).

Combine in medium size bowl with French onion dip.

Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Keeps for several days in air tight container, in the fridge.

Serve with Fritos Scoops. Per Ina, “How easy is that?” … While she would not approve of this recipe, we hope you do! Enjoy!

French Roasted Potato Salad

May 17, 20163 Comments

Sometimes you just need a delicious side dish, and there’s no real way to go wrong with a roasted potato. It takes absolutely no thought to throw some in the oven with a little salt, and you’ve got the perfect side for just about anything. But with just an extra step or two (and some tips from those French cooking gods), you’ve got a beautiful, slightly more refined potato dish that’s the perfect pairing for anything you’re serving.

French Roasted Potato Salad

-1 lb small yukon gold potatoes, quartered

-1/2 lb cipollini onions*, peeled and halved

-2 Tbsp parsley, chopped, for serving

-1 tsp salt, divided

-1/2 tsp white vinegar

-1 Tbsp olive oil

First you need to parboil your potatoes. Add the potatoes plus 1/2 tsp of the salt and the vinegar to a stock pot, and cover it with an inch of cold water. Put it over high heat, and once the water is boiling, let the potatoes boil away for about 5 minutes. You’re just parboiling here, so you don’t want them to be completely tinder. Drain the water and put the potatoes in a large bowl with 1 Tbsp olive oil and 1/2 tsp salt. Stir them fairly vigorously so that they start to develop a little bit of a “gummy” exterior. This is going to help them really crisp up in the oven! Next stir in the onions just to coat with oil and put everything on a baking sheet and into the oven to cook for 15 minutes. Take them out and give them a good flip, then back to the oven for another 15 or 20 minutes.

Grainy Mustard Vinaigrette

-1 tsp apple cider vinegar

-2 tsp grainy mustard

-3 tsp olive oil

-1 tsp honey

-salt and pepper to taste

While the potatoes and onions are roasting, make the vinaigrette. Just whisk everything together and toss it with the still warm potatoes and onions, as well as the parsley. Enjoy!

Note: Cipollini onions can be hard to find and, quite frankly, even harder to peel. You can definitely substitute shallots or even regular yellow onions cut into smaller chunks.

Friday Favorites – Summer Essentials

May 13, 2016Leave a comment

1. Cynthia Cazort Collins Ponchos and Tunics – These babies are absolute perfection for summer time!! Their Turkish Towel seen in above picture is so thick, soft and luxurious it doubles as beach towel and a perfect tunic cover up.

Her black cotton and linen blend poncho is a best seller and my go-to, light weight, cover up that’s way too easy to pack for any and every trip to the beach or the pool. They are available online or at shops like H. Audrey in Nashville, By George in Austin and Pied Nu in New Orleans. http://cynthiacazortcollins.com/pocket-ponchos/poncho-black 

This poncho was even included in the Billboard Awards swag bags for all female nominees!

2. Josie Maran Argan Liquid Gold Self Tabning Oil in Tahitian Orchid – Current favorite self tanner on the market. It is as natural as a sunless tanner can get formulated without any parabens, sulfates or phalates. Many thanks to my friend Anna for introducing me to this product! Follow the directions and use the mit for easy application. In addition to Argan oil it contains coconut water and aloe making it moisturizing as becomes the most perfect (i.e. not orange) color! One bottle will last you all season and for $38 it’s about the same price as one spray tan, completely worth it.

http://m.sephora.com/product/P395245

3. Beautycounter Protect Stick Sunscreen – I’ve talked about this product several times but I can’t get enough of it – truly a necessity in my home. This little stick lives in my purse year round, but gets extra use while the sun is shining. It is a safe, zinc based sunscreen that goes on clear without leaving the usual white, zinc residue. It is great for every member of your family and for face or body. It has an almost sweet smell so kids really love it too.

http://www.beautycounter.com/carolineclark

4. Krewe du Optic, Franklin Sunglasses – I’m obsessed with this New Orleans based brand of sunnies. Once you’re on the lookout for them you will see them everywhere – Gigi has multiple pairs and dons them often, Selena, Allesandra and Reese are big fans too! I picked up mine from their flagship store on Royal in the French Quarter, but you can grab them from local retailers and their website as well. Besides the Franklin my favorite styles are the St. Louis, Julia and CL-10.

http://www.kreweduoptic.com/

Spa Day selfie wearing Franklin sunglasses, Cynthia Cazort Collins navy Turkish towel cover up and Beautycounter stick sunscreen.

Cinco de Mayo!

May 4, 20162 Comments

Is everyone getting as excited about Cinco de Mayo as I am? Yes, we know that Cinco is barely even celebrated in Mexico, but around here we love any excuse for a good party–especially if that party includes loads of margaritas and guacamole. Tomorrow you can try to weather the crowds at your favorite taco joint, but why not stay home and make some of our favorite Tex-Mex recipes for your friends? Amazing taste, leftovers, and no Uber required. Here is a round up of our favorite Mexican posts throughout the last year. ¡Happy Cinco!

1. Classic Margaritas