I Left My Heart in San Francisco

As you've noticed, I have been MIA the last couple of weeks.. and it is because i was just in San Francisco for my boyfriend's sister's wedding. It was absolutely beautiful and i had an incredible time there! We were there for a week helping out with last minute wedding details, attending the bridal shower, rehearsal dinner and then the big event! Here are a couple of pictures from my trip. Once I am done unpacking and settling in to my routine, i'll update the blog with some new recipes =)

The bride's bouquet! Isn't it beautiful!? It had a few succulents mixed in with some roses and other beautiful flowers.

Weenie puppy themed bridal shower! The Maid of Honor (and younger sister) made these delicious chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter cup centers for the bridal shower. 

It was absolutely beautiful! the weather was great all week, i felt really lucky!

I was very excited to see this! especially since we got to drive down the street! 

Sherbet Me Crazy

It's been a busy last couple of days for me, so i haven't had a chance to write any posts =(. I have been working on a lot (bringing home the bacon!) but i wanted to share a quick and easy recipe with you!

The record breaking heat has been unbearable! So here is a little something to help you cool off! I don't think i can share enough tips and recipes on cooling off this summer. Is it just me, or is this the hottest summer we've had in years!?

I tried this recipe from Barbara Bakes. It was quick, easy and very refreshing for the 106 degree weather we've been having! (the recipe and pictures are from the Barbara Bakes website)

Ingredients:

• 4 cups sliced strawberries
• 3/4 cup (6 oz.) strawberry yogurt
• Juice of 1 lime
• 2 tablespoons agave (more or less depending on the sweetness of your berries)

For the yogurt, i used Wallaby's low fat organic strawberry flavored yogurt. It is so creamy and flavorful. You can find it for $.99 at whole foods, a bit pricier than most, but it's totally worth it. They also have a greek yogurt for $1.99. I don't usually like greek yogurt, but Wallaby's greek yogurt I am a huge fan of. It comes with a little side pocket with toppings like cherries, honey or strawberry that you pour into the yogurt and mix. It is delicious! I knew Wallaby wouldn't let me down!

Directions:

1. Place all of the ingredients (except the agave) into the blender and blend until smooth.
2. Taste the mixture to determine the amount of sweetener needed and sweeten to taste.
3. Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturers directions.
4. Once the ice cream maker has finished its cycle pour the sorbet into a container and freeze. You may want to take it out of the freezer and mix it quickly every 30 minutes for 2 hours to keep the consistency even.
5. If you do not have an ice cream maker, pour the sorbet mixture from the blender into a freezer safe container (preferrably a shallow container to expedite freezing) and take it out of the freezer to mix it every half hour until the desired consistency is achieved.
6. Remove from the freezer 20 minutes prior to serving to soften slightly.

Let's Cool Off!

Wow! summer is definitely here with a vengeance today! It is 104 degrees in my city today with a heat index of 111! Yikes! My poor plants are dying from all this excessive heat =( and so am I.. and my kitty cats. I think today is a great day (and this whole weekend probably) to post some refreshing drink recipes and snacks.

I'll start off with a drink, because it is friday ::cue annoying Rebecca Black song:: and who doesn't enjoy a good happy hour on a friday!? I got the main recipe from Mama's Gotta Bake and tweaked it a little bit ;) I am using her picture of the drink because I and my partner in crime for today were very impatient and drank it all before we realized we needed to take some pics.

Ingredients: 

• 4-5 cups of seedless watermelon (1 medium-sized watermelon), cut into chunks
• 1/2 peeled cucumber, cut into chunks
• 5 -10 mint leaves roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon of fresh lime juice
• a pinch of salt
• A cup of sparkling lemonade or champagne (I used sparkling lemonade from Trader Joe's)

Directions:

1. Depending on the size of your blender, you may have to do this in two batches, I did. Divide your ingredients in half, and process it twice if need be. Place all the ingredients in a blender, and process until it smooth. Pour the mixture through a strainer into a bowl, pressing the solids with a wooden spoon to get all the liquid out. (I didn't pour the mixture through a strainer because I like the texture of pulp in my drinks)
2. Place the watermelon mixture back in your blender and add ice cubes. Be careful of how much ice you put in, as it will water down the sparkling drink you choose. I used just enough ice to make it slushy but still pack some punch. Serve immediately. 

* Depending on how you like your drinks, you will have to adjust how much watermelon/champagne/ice you use. Sometimes when i follow the recipe, my drinks come out slightly different. So I encourage you to use your best judgement on how much of each ingredient you want to use. I found that the less watermelon and ice i used, the less watery the drink turned out. 

If you use sparkling lemonade, don't add any more sugar. The lemonade will have enough sugar in it to sweeten the cooler just right =)

Thank you Mama's Gotta Bake for a great recipe (and pictures)!!