99 Days…

…Until Halloween!

I know it seems a bit premature to start thinking about Halloween since it is 99 days away, but I felt that my early excitement is justified by Williams-Sonoma’s Halloween Shop, which is now up online! The spooky sour pumpkins look so good, and those cute cauldron cups look perfect for hot chocolate or tea. Fall is the best time of year, in my opinion, and I could not be more excited until all of the holiday festivities begin. For now, however, I’ll just have to stick with the heat and humidity and continue counting down.

{pictures via}

About these ads

Flavor of the Month: Raspberry

{1} Raspberry Fruit Tart  {2} Homemade Raspberry Jam  {3} Raspberry Ice Cream  {4} Raspberry Coffee Cake with Cinnamon Streusel Topping  {5} Raspberry Limeade

Raspberries are an excellent fruit for breakfast dishes and dessert items, particularly because of their tart yet sweet flavor. Whether you want to use then to make jam for warm English muffins or as a fresh topping on frozen yogurt, raspberries have proven over and over that they are a versatile and simple fruit. The only tricky thing with raspberries is that they perish quickly, so you’ll want to use them right away. Raspberries are also very delicate, so use light water pressure when rinsing them and pat dry.

Not only are raspberries delicious, but they are a great source of vitamin c, manganese, riboflavin, and the antioxidant ellagic acid, which appears to have some anti-cancer properties. Raspberries are usually in-season around mid-summer, so eat up while they’re ripe!

The Food Group: Pastel

{1} Misty Minty Peppermint Patties | {2} Lemon, Raspberry, and Mint Cupcakes | {3} End of the Rainbow Cupcakes | {4} Orange Milk Sherbert | {5} Purple Sweet Potato Chiffon

As I noted last month, mint and pastels have been taking over the runway. I truthfully have never incorporated pastels into my closet until a couple of weeks ago when I purchased my first pair of mint-colored capris. I usually opted for dark jeans and a top that was either gray, white, or black. The same applied to my food choices. Until recently, except for fruit, my food would be brown or white (chocolate and pasta). However, besides colorful cupcake frosting and fruit, there are so many different ways to make food more colorful and fun. Staying true to the spring trends, these desserts prove that you can include color in your diet without disrupting your usual and comfortable routine.

Marble Cake

Just like chocolate and vanilla soft serve ice cream, I love eating desserts that are swirled. Marble cake (recipe here) gives you the best of both desserts – chocolate cake and vanilla cake. Marble cake never fails to remind me of my childhood, as I would drool while watching my mom swirl the chocolate and vanilla batter with a toothpick. I opted for a pan that made the cake more of a pound cake shape, but a 9 x 5 pan would have worked just as well. Next time, I would add more chocolate layers for a better swirl in the center of the cake, but regardless, there were enough chocolate and vanilla flavors in each bite.

 

Sweet + Crunchy Munchies

When I get the munchies, I often crave something sweet with a little bit of crunch. While passing the cereal section in the grocery store this past week, I realized Rice Krispy Marshmallow Treats were the answers to my prayers. They are sweet, crunchy yet soft, and most importantly, delicious. They are fairly simple, yet messy, to make. I use my own recipe for this one because it leaves room for improvisation and minor changes.

You’ll Need: Butter, Rice Krispies, Marshmallows

Recipe:
1. Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in the microwave and mix in 1-2 cups of marshmallows until soft and gooey
2. Transfer marshmallow/butter mix into greased square pan
3. Pour 1 1/2 cups of Rice Krispies cereal into the butter/marshmallow mix
4. Mix together with hands or utensils (make sure your hands are greasy before molding the treats or it’ll be a sticky mess!)

Instead of the usual squares that come wrapped in the shiny blue packaging, I wanted to form these treats into sweet spheres. These snacks paired with ice-cold milk are a match made in heaven.

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 1,209 other followers