Cinco de Mayo is one of our absolute favorite Holidays.  Cinco de Mayo celebrates Mexican heritage and pride and is a great reason to get together with your family and friends.  From the décor, to the music, to the food, there’s nothing we don’t love about this day!  So, today we’re here to help you host a magnifico celebration!

The Little Things:

• Buy batches of colorful flowers and place in short vases
• Stream colorful paper banners and flowers along your yard
• Buy fresh peppers and place in large glass bowls as food table décor
• Place mini-cactus’ along long tables
• Use maracas for your place settings
• Give every female guest a paper flower for their hair and every male guest a sombrero
• Have a piñata for the kids!
• Serve sopapillas and fried ice cream for dessert

The Ultimate Playlist:

Bidi Bidi Bom Bom by Selena Quintanilla Perez

La Bamba by Ritchie Valens

Macarena by Los Del Rio

La Cucaracha by The Hit Crew

Hot Hot Hot by Buster Poindexter

Your Attire:

French Connection Gwendoline Flower Dress, Ray Ban Large Metal Aviators, Rebecca Minkoff Neon Park Avenue Clutch, Sam Edelman Josie Wedges

Ultra Healthy Guacamole:

The best guacamole is made with the freshest ingredients… this recipe has been a classic in our families for years.  It’s diet friendly and also includes healthy, detoxifying spices!

2 avocados

½ cup of pico

½ lemon

garlic salt

lemon pepper

cayenne pepper

Mix avocadoes with pico (the chunkier the avocadoes, the better!), add garlic salt, lemon pepper and 2 pinches of cayenne pepper.  Squeeze lemon over guac (this adds a tang and also keeps your guac from turning brown!).  Serve with pita chips.  Serves 3-4

Our Favorite Skinny Rita:

3 ounces Patron

2 ounces fresh lime juice*

1 ounce agave nectar

Mix in shaker with ice, pour into two salt-rimmed glasses, garnish with limes.  *Use grapefruit juice for a delicious grapefruit rendition!

We are so excited for Saturday & hope that everyone enjoys their celebration!  Adios!

Kelli & Lisa

One of our favorite things about spring is the fact that it’s strawberry season. Whether you pick them yourself in the garden or at a farm, or buy them at the farmer’s market or grocery store, fresh, sweet, red strawberries are always a welcome treat.

When fresh strawberries are abundant, a favorite dessert in our family is strawberry shortcake. This simple combination of lightly sweet shortcake, fresh strawberries, and whipped cream is a hit with just about everyone, and is suitable for every occasion, from a fancy spring dinner to a kids’ tea party.

While it’s a simple matter to buy ready-made shortcakes at the supermarket, it really isn’t all that difficult to make them at home, too. You probably have most of the ingredients in your pantry and refrigerator already.

These shortcakes are similar to sweet buttermilk drop biscuits, and are quick and easy to put together. They’re simple enough to make that my kindergarten-age daughter always loves to pitch in and help. Of course she loves to eat them when they’re done, too!

You can make the shortcakes and whipped cream in advance (it keeps fine in the refrigerator for a few hours) and let diners assemble their own strawberry shortcake creations at the table and then savor the sweet taste of springtime.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/3 cup chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 3/4 cup buttermilk (plus more, if needed)
• Zest of half a lemon (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
• 1 pint (or more) fresh strawberries, sliced
• Whipped cream (recipe follows)

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 400ºF. Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and rub in butter with your fingers until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.

2. Stir in buttermilk and lemon zest (or vanilla, if using). If the mixture is too dry, thin it out with a little more buttermilk. Bring mixture together with floured hands until you get a loose ball of dough.

3. Drop shortcakes onto a baking sheet lightly coated with cooking spray or lined with parchment paper. Let bake 12–15 minutes or until lightly browned on top. Let rest on a wire rack until cool.
4. To assemble, split a shortcake in half lengthwise, then top with a generous amount of sliced strawberries and a dollop of whipped cream. Or, you can bring everything to the table and let people assemble their own desserts.

To make whipped cream, pour a half-pint (2 cups) of heavy whipping cream into a chilled mixing bowl. Using the whip attachment on your stand mixer (or a hand-held electric mixer), whip cream on high speed. When cream starts to thicken, add one to three tablespoons white sugar (depending on how sweet you like it) and one teaspoon of vanilla extract. Continue whipping until cream is thick.

Enjoy!

Z Gallerie Portofino Pavilion

It’s green out, the weather is perfect, the sunsets are beautiful… it’s time for a backyard rendezvous!  To get ready for your backyard cocktail party, you need to first set the scene!

• Add sand and candles to mason jars and place around your backyard.  They look adorable hanging from trees as lanterns if you attach a wire handle.
• String white lights throughout your trees or bushes (you can order these online for only $5!).
• Spread scented candles around inside & outside.
• Use your potted plants as centerpieces.
• Our FAVORITE accessory for these parties is the bar cart.  This is a must for every household!

Other tricks of the trade:

• Start up your fire pit and have a s’mores bar for guests to make their own s’mores dessert!
• Send everyone home with seeds to plant in their backyard.
• Brew your own beer as a fun drink option.
• Keep food cool and refreshing – think fruit, iced beverages & chilled desserts.
• Don’t be afraid to serve an assortment of bite-sized goodies instead of a full meal.  Guests actually enjoy the mingling with finger foods!  Just make sure there’s plenty!
• Keep bug repellent packs near your back door for guests to use before they step outside.  Another great DIY option is peppermint oil which repels most insects, especially mosquitos and fleas.  Dab the oil on focal points of your clothing or skin.  Or mix 1 part peppermint oil with 10 parts rubbing alcohol and put in a spray bottle for guests to easily apply.
• Be sure to have charms or labels on hand for everyone’s drinks.

Our favorite place to stock up on backyard party items is Z Gallerie, here are our favorites:

Clockwise from left: Fete Appetizer Set, Trio Beverage Dispenser (great for 3 types of Sangria!), Silver Nest Placemats, Pebble Starfish Plates in antique turquoise, Silver Seaburst Napkin Ring

And our favorite, refreshing summer cocktail… a Cucumber & Cantaloupe Cooler:

Made with organic cucumber vodka, basil simple syrup and lemon juice.  Garnish with a slice of cucumber & cantaloupe!  So delicious!

Enjoy your backyard soirée!

Kelli & Lisa

Cake pops, those little balls of cake on a stick, are everywhere these days, and for good reason—they’re moist, delicious, cute, and fun to eat, and they’re easy and fun to make, too. Why not roll up a batch for your next party, play date, or special occasion?

When it comes down to it, cake pops are just balls of cake, mixed with frosting to keep them moist and hold everything together. You can make them with leftover cake or bake a cake specifically to make into cake pops.

To make these, you’ll need:

• One cake (from a 9 x 13” rectangular cake pan—we used chocolate, but your favorite flavor will do)
• 8 ounces (½ pound) cream cheese, at room temperature
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon milk (or more)
• Lollipop or small popsicle sticks (available at craft stores)
• 2 12-ounce bags white, dark, or milk chocolate chips
• Sprinkles, colored sugar, and other decorations

This recipe ends up making between 18 and 24 cake pops, depending on the size.

Let cake cool if it’s freshly baked, then break it up into a large mixing bowl and call the kids. Let them crumble the cake into fine crumbs.

Meanwhile, make a batch of cream cheese frosting by whipping together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter, and milk (add more milk if the frosting is too thick). You can use ready-made frosting, instead, if you like.

Mix the frosting into the crumbled cake with a wooden spoon and then mix with your fingers until all the frosting is incorporated. At this point, you can refrigerate the cake pop mixture for an hour or so until it firms up. Line two baking sheets with waxed paper and set aside.

With your hands, roll the cake mixture into small balls about an inch-and-a-half in diameter; place the balls on the waxed paper and keep making cake balls until you’ve used up all the mixture.

Place a lollipop stick in each ball, then put them in the freezer for at least 30 minutes so they harden a bit.

While the cake pops are in the freezer, melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler. You’ll probably need about two 12-ounce bags of chocolate chips for a batch of cake pops.

Making the cake balls is pretty simple, but this next part involves a little technique—and of course a hot burner—so it should be done by a grownup. Dip each pop into the melted chocolate and coat thoroughly. It may take a couple tries to get it down where you’re not putting too much on, but your kids will probably help you eat any of the test pops that don’t turn out.

While the chocolate is still soft, roll cake pops in sprinkles or colored sugar to decorate. You can also decorate them with colored icing after they cool. Place cake pops back on the waxed paper and let chocolate cool and harden at room temperature. You can tie ribbons around the sticks for a festive appearance.

These cake pops are rich, moist, and the perfect treat for a special occasion. Enjoy!

When it comes to Valentine’s Day, everyone loves a sweet treat, especially when it involves chocolate. These decadent, gooey, baked brownie cups are as fun to make as they are delicious to eat, and of course the kids can pitch in in the kitchen and help make them, too!

We found some cute heart-shaped ramekins that are absolutely perfect for baking and serving these brownie cups—and are totally appropriate for Valentine’s Day. This dessert has the rich chocolate flavor of your favorite fudge brownie. The top has a chewy crust that gives way to a rich, dense, pudding-like interior.

Make sure you serve these while still warm, preferably topped with a dusting of powdered sugar; although if you wanted to go all-out you can top it with some vanilla ice cream, but we think they’re rich enough on their own.

Ingredients

• 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ cup cocoa powder
• 4 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup sugar
• Powdered sugar for dusting

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350º. On the lower rack, place a baking pan half-filled with water.

In a medium bowl, place chocolate chips and butter. Heat in the microwave for a minute on high to melt. If not completely melted, cook for another 20–30 seconds. Set aside and let cool a little.

Sift together all dry ingredients into a mixing bowl, except sugar. Set aside.

Beat the eggs and sugar together in an electric mixer fitted with a wire whisk attachment, beat the eggs and vanilla until frothy and light. Add the sugar and continue to beat until fluffy.

Stir in the chocolate and butter mixture, then fold in the dry ingredients. Pour into ramekins—you’ll be able to fill 4 to 6, depending on the size.

Place ramekins in the water-filled baking pan already in the the oven. The water should come up about halfway up the sides of the ramekins.

Bake for 30 minutes or until brownie cups have risen up above the tops of the ramekins and the tops are cracked. The tops should be firm to the touch.

Let brownie cups cool for 5–10 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar and serve.

Recently, my son brought home a book called Dumpling Soup from the library, and of course asked if we could make the dumplings that the Asian American family prepared in the story. Why not? Chinese New Year takes place this month, and it would be a fun way to celebrate and learn about a different culture.

There are a number of different dumplings in Chinese cuisine, and we chose to make wontons, those little filled noodle pouches that can be fried, boiled, or served in soup. We ended up making so many we prepared some in each way!

These chicken wontons are really easy and fun to make and they’re deliciously kid-friendly. You can find all the ingredients at your local grocery store.

Ingredients

• 1-1/4 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into large pieces
• 1 package square wonton wrappers (find them in the refrigerator in your store’s produce section)
• 2–3 green onions, chopped
• 1/2-inch piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• Additional water for cooking and for sealing wontons

Put the scallions, ginger, and water into a food processor and blend until combined. Pour into a bowl and set aside. Put the chicken, salt, and sugar into the food processor and pulse to grind and mix together. Add the reserved water/scallion/ginger mixture slowly until combined. Put the filling into a bowl and add pepper, sesame oil, and the cornstarch. Stir to combine.

Now you’re ready to start assembling the wontons, so call the kids. Each helper gets a cutting board, plate, or other work surface, a stack of wonton wrappers, and a little bowl of water.

First, position your wrapper on the plate so it looks like a diamond. Put a teaspoon of filling (not too much!) in the center, then dip your finger in the water and “paint” two of the wrapper edges with water. Fold the wonton over and you’ll have a little neat triangular package. Now take two corners and fold them inward, and you’ll get something that looks a little like a hat. Repeat until all the wrappers are gone.

To boil the wontons, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and gently drop them in. Let them cook for 5 minutes or until the wontons all float to the surface.

You can also fry them by heating some oil and cooking the wontons in batches until they are golden brown, puffy, and crispy. Drain on a rack placed over a baking sheet and let cool a few minutes, and then eat with the dipping sauce of your choice. It’s probably best to have a grownup cook them this way, though.

If you have too many wontons, that’s OK. They freeze well, and can go right from your freezer to boiling water. Do not, however, try to deep fry frozen wontons—you’ll end up with a dangerous greasy mess.

If you decide to serve wontons in a soup, don’t cook them in the soup—boil them first and add them to the soup when serving. Cooking them in the soup will turn it cloudy, especially if some wonton filling leaks out.

Happy wonton making—and eating!

If you’ve been reading my blog posts here, you know that I’m a dad who cooks. Chili is one of those things that I like to think of as a traditional “dad” food, and I’ve crafted a variation of my time-tested chili recipe that appeals to just about everyone. In fact, my eight-year-old always wants to pack some in his school lunch whenever I make it.

Chili is also ideal football food (which has become all the more important now that my hometown team, the San Francisco 49ers, has made it to the NFC playoffs this weekend). If you have guests over to watch the big game, serve chili in mugs—they’re easier to hold while you socialize—and have at the ready an variety of condiments to choose from.

Here I’ve adapted my recipe for the slow cooker. You can put everything in the cooker in the morning and let it go and it will be hot and ready in time for the game, and you don’t have to miss any big plays while you’re working in the kitchen.

If you want to spice things up with some cayenne pepper or jalapeños, go ahead, but I figure it’s better to make the chili mild and let everyone spice it up the way they like it. While you can add all the hot stuff you want after the fact, you can’t take it out after you’ve put it in!

Ingredients

• 2 pounds lean ground beef
• 2 medium yellow onions
• 2 green bell peppers
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 small can fire-roasted chopped green chilis
• 6 ounces beer (optional)
• 1 cups beef broth
• 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 4 tablespoons mild California or Pasilla chili powder
• 1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 whole cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 16-ounce cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 tablespoons masa harina (optional)
• Kosher salt to taste

Directions

Coarsely chop bell peppers, onions, and garlic, then throw them in the food processor and pulse until everything is finely chopped.

Now you can either toss everything into the slow cooker or let it cook, or you can sauté the vegetables and ground beef to remove excess moisture and add some depth of flavor.

If you’re doing the latter, heat the oil in a large sauté pan and then add the vegetables. Cook until soft and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer vegetables to your slow cooker and return pan to the stove. Add beef and cook until browned, then add to the cooker.

Add all the other ingredients except for the masa and stir to combine. Cook on low for 6–8 hours or high for 4–5 hours. Before the last hour of cooking remove the lid and turn slow cooker to high. Dissolve the masa (if using) in some broth or water and stir into the chili, along with the beans. Leave the lid off to finish cooking. You can also add a little more beef broth if the chili is too thick.

Serve chili in large mugs and offer an array of condiments like chopped white onions, cilantro, sour cream, grated cheddar cheese, hot sauce, chili flakes, finely chopped jalapeños, or whatever strikes your fancy.

On cold winter evenings, there’s seldom something better for dinner than a hearty savory long-simmered soup or stew. But who has that much time to spend in the kitchen? That’s where your slow cooker comes in. Put the ingredients in before work or school, set it to “low” and let it go all day. You’ll usually be rewarded with something tasty around dinnertime.

I love making meals in my slow cooker, and my family always enjoys the results. It comes in especially handy on those busy days when I know I’m not going to have time to spend in cooking in the evening.

One of the problems with many slow cooker recipes, however, is that they rely too much on using processed foods like canned soup that are high in fat and sodium. Here’s a recipe that I developed for easy slow cooker chicken and dumplings, a one-pot meal that’s a little bit more work (but not much) and really delicious.

If we make this at home my kids always ask for seconds, even my six-year-old daughter, who usually doesn’t like anything.

If you’re really in a hurry you can use two cans of condensed cream-of-chicken soup instead of the sauce called for in the recipe. It tastes great either way.

Ingredients

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks, or chicken tenders (frozen OK)
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 medium carrots, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 2 medium waxy potatoes like Yukon Gold, diced
• ½ cup fresh or frozen peas
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Kosher salt to taste
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 1 32-ounce container low-sodium chicken broth (about 4 cups)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 16-ounce package refrigerated buttermilk biscuit dough (I use the kind from Trader Joe’s)

Directions

Put all ingredients except broth, butter, flour, peas, biscuit dough, and parsley into your slow cooker.

In a large saucepan, melt the butter and whisk in flour to make a roux. Cook over medium heat for a few minutes to get rid of the raw flour taste, and then slowly whisk in the broth. If you whisk in the broth bit by bit until it’s all incorporated you’ll avoid lumps.

Bring to a boil over medium high heat and then reduce heat and simmer for a few minutes until the sauce thickens.

Pour sauce over chicken and vegetables in the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours.

During the last half hour of cooking turn slow cooker temperature to high and stir in peas. Tear each biscuit into four pieces and add to the pot. Gently stir into the chicken and vegetable mixture, then cover and cook for 30 minutes or until biscuit dough dumplings are tender but cooked through.

Stir in chopped parsley just before you ladle the stew into soup bowls. Enjoy!

It’s hard to believe that Christmas is just a few days away…2011 has flown by! As we all get ready to celebrate with family and friends, we want to share a few of our favorite things about Christmas. Christmas is one of the few times where we all slow down and pay attention to every little detail. Just another reason why we love the holidays so much!

When it comes to the Christmas tree, it’s the small details that make a grand masterpiece. And when it comes to the details, we have a little obsession with ornaments! We’ve narrowed down our favorites.

1) Rachel Roy designed ornament – Macy’s (part of the proceeds benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation) 2) Cotton Candy Machine ornament – Nordstrom 3) Glitter Football ornament – Macy’s 4) LOVE ornament – Urban Outfitters 5) Macaroon ornament – Sur la Table 6) Fireside Feelings ornament – Anthropologie 7) Double Decker London Bus ornament – Harrod’s 8 ) Dachshund ornament – Z Gallerie

If you haven’t broken down and gotten a real tree this year, or if you need some extra Christmas scents, we love stovetop potpourri. It’s an easy way to pull items you likely already have at home and fill your home with fragrant goodness!

Stovetop Potpourri Recipe

Ingredients:

• One whole orange or orange peel
• ½ cup of fresh cranberries
• 1 tablespoon whole cloves
• 3 sticks of cinnamon

Directions:

Slice the orange into quarters and place into a saucepan with the rest of your ingredients. Fill the pan with water and place on the smallest burner. Heat on the lowest setting and refill the water as necessary.

You can certainly increase the recipe and add additional ingredients like nutmeg. And if you need a last minute gift or gifs for neighbors and co-workers, package the ingredients in a cellophane bag, add a bow (you can even add a tag with the instructions) and give the gift of a gorgeous-smelling home!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Kelli & Lisa

With the holidays upon us, it’s time for good cheer, family fun, celebration, and… house guests. It’s not unusual to have a house full of people during December. It can often be a challenge to entertain and feed guests, especially when you’re busy with the craziness of Christmas.

When I’ve got a lot of people to feed for breakfast or brunch, I like to make this easy and delicious egg and sausage casserole. It’s simple to make and delicious, and it’s something the kids can help out with, too. You can also vary the ingredients depending on what you have on hand or what sounds good to you. I’ve made it successfully using diced smoked ham and chicken apple sausages, and you can even leave out the meat for a vegetarian version.

Prepare the casserole the night before and let it sit in the refrigerator overnight. (While you can make it and cook it immediately, it really turns out much better if it sits overnight.) The great thing about this is all you need to do is pop it in the oven in the morning! This dish is great as part of a holiday brunch buffet. It’s rich and filling, and a little bit goes a long way.

Ingredients

• 8 large eggs
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• Half a 1-pound loaf of sourdough bread, cubed or torn into 1-inch pieces
• 1 pound breakfast sausage, removed from casings, crumbled, and cooked
• 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Note: Kids can help tear the bread into pieces, mix the ingredients, and beat the eggs and milk.

Lightly butter a large (10–12-inch) casserole dish. In a large bowl combine bread pieces, sausage, and half the cheese. I used sharp cheddar cheese because that’s what we had in the refrigerator, but gouda, Monterey jack, and fontina are all equally good substitutes. I always use leftover sourdough bread, but any kind of sturdy white bread can be used. Stale bread is perfectly OK to use, too.

Pour bread mixture into prepared casserole dish.  In another bowl, whisk eggs and milk together in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Pour egg mixture over the ingredients in the casserole dish. Make sure all bread is moistened. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover and put it in the refrigerator to rest until the morning.

When you’re ready for breakfast, remove the casserole from the refrigerator and uncover and preheat the oven to 350º. Bake casserole for 30–45 minutes or until top is golden and bubbly and eggs are set. Let cool for a few minutes, then cut into squares and serve.

This casserole reheats pretty well, too, but you probably won’t have any left over! Happy holidays!