I received some kitchen Turkish Towels for Christmas last year and I have fallen in love! They are made with Turkish Cotton, a premium cotton with long fibers and are so lightweight but absorbent. I think the best thing about them is that they get softer with every wash. They come in so many beautiful colors so you can match every room. I’ve made a point to buy different sizes to I can put them in multiple places in my home. I have purchased more for my kitchen and I’ve added some hand towels in my bathroom.
I’ve got some outside on my grill, I do keep a darker one outside because of the charcoal.
Because they are so lightweight, it’s easy to throw them in a beach bag. When I came across this yellow striped one, I had to have it because it matched so perfectly.
I do love taking them to the beach, because they dry so quickly. And Winnie loves them too!
My dad is such a great cook. He really didn’t get started cooking until after I was out of the house. At that time, his job took him away during the week and I guess he didn’t care for eating out. Either way I am grateful because when he comes to visit we LOVE to eat his food. He is kinda funny, because I try and cook for him but the next thing I know he is cooking for me! Anyway, the reason I tell you this, is I have learned a lot of secrets and amazing recipes from my dad. I have yet to have a bad meal that he has prepared.
Last summer he introduced me to the Himalayan Salt Grilling Slab. I purchased mine from Sur La Table and I thought it was the coolest thing. They have been around for quite a while but sometime us midwesterners are the last to know! Himalayan salt is from Pakistan and some consider it healthier than table salts. I personally feel it tastes less “salty” and has a more mineral taste. The grilling slab adds amazing flavor to food without the need for extra seasoning. To begin you need to make sure to heat up your salt slab properly. Heat up the salt slab gradually to a temperature of around 450-500 degrees. You will know it is hot enough when you sprinkle a little bit of water on it and it sizzles. At that point it is perfect for grilling. I love meat and seafood on the salt slab. It is really easy and so flavorful!
You can also grill fruit and I am sharing this yummy grilled peach dessert, one of my favorites. We have our own peach trees and I love using them for this recipe. Make sure to use ripe or almost ripe peaches. The flavor is that much better when the peaches can meld with the salt slab flavors. This recipe is easy and sure to please!
I know most people don’t like to drink water, let alone a lot of it. I happen to be that rare person that loves to drink water. Unfortunately, I am in the bathroom all the time! However, I feel so much better and it is best for my health. Some of the benefits of drinking water are the following:
1.) Helps with constipation. I know I don’t really talk about personal things such as this but it can help and this is a common problem for a lot of people.
2.) It can help reduce the risk of kidney stones. It hasn’t been entirely proven to be true and more studies are needed but what they do know is it helps.
3.) Retains hydration. When your body is dehydrated it doesn’t functioning at its best. It can reduce your physical performance and stamina.
4.) Weight loss. I personally notice that I retain weight when I do not drink water. Odd as that is, it is true!
Infusing water with fresh fruit is a great way to enhance your water. I have some fun combinations for you to try! It makes such a difference if you get bored with water, do not care for sparkling water and do not want more sugar in your diet! I love using the herbs out of my garden whenever possible. Here are a few favorites:
Strawberry and fresh mint
Pineapple and fresh mint
Grapefruit and rosemary
Cucumber and Jalapeño (make sure to remove seeds!)
Lastly, I like to use a muddler. The one I got is from Amazon. It’s a little short for this particular pitcher but what I like to do is muddle it when it gets poured into my glass. The best way to drink it is within an hour or two of mixing. Otherwise the flavors are lost and the fruit gets a little funky. I really hope this is something you will try especially if you are trying to up your water intake. Share with me any new mixes you have come up with. I would love to try!
Let’s talk about salads. We love them. We hate them. We really can’t live without them. I know I sometimes just don’t want to eat my veggies but we all know it’s good for us. They are the staples in my life but sometimes I get in a rut and bored and need to “mix things up”. This Thai Cucumber Salad recipe is my best kept secret.
Like many of you, I am growing a garden this summer. I have an over abundance of some of my veggies. Why is it that the one veggie we really want, we can’t seem to grow and then have so many of others we don’t know what to do with so many! This year I have a ton of cucumbers! I did get a few carrots. They weren’t very pretty and so this recipe is perfect for them. They have to be shredded so it makes it easy.
This recipe is one of my long standing favorites. It has an amazing Asian flare without being heavy, complicated or requiring intimidating ingredients. I use my spiralizer for cutting the cucumbers, it can be a little tricky, you have to be patient when spiraling a cucumber. I shred the carrots and chop the nuts (this is still tasty if you need to leave them out because of an allergy) and onions and then mix up this fabulous dressing!
This recipe is light for a hot summer day. It can be eaten alone, with some shrimp or as a side dish. It also stays well in the refrigerator for a few days, so I like to make a double batch and nibble on it throughout the week. If you can’t make larger quantities of a recipe to eat throughout the week then whats the point? It keeps me on the healthy track and that my friend, is smart cooking!
I was inspired from our trip to Italy to make this amazing cake! I know that sounds funny to you but on our recent trip to Italy we hiked a volcano! The volcano we hiked was Stromboli. After a long arduous trip up 3,000 feet of vertical, a six mile hike with lots of sweat, dust and heavy breathing, we finally got to the top! On the climb all I could think of was of was guzzling more water, jumping in the ocean to cool off and molten chocolate cake! Lava pouring over the top with vanilla ice cream! Oh, how refreshed I would be, if I could just take one tasty bite!
Upon our return from our amazing vacation to Italy ( I will expand on another blog post) I had to make it. After that hike I owed it to myself and quite frankly I couldn’t stop thinking about it! Have you ever had edibles on your mind and they wouldn’t go away until you satisfied your cravings? Well if you answered no then I am completely embarrassed, but if you can be obsessed about food than Bon Appetite!
One of my favorite things about either baking or cooking is when I can make something that is simple, delicious & looks like I spent all day in the kitchen! It’s a huge win! A lava cake looks so fancy (the shape, the powdered sugar, the lava) and difficult. I could never figure out how to get the “lava” in the cake but this recipe makes it super easy. You are likely to find the ingredients in most pantries so if you need a quick dessert this is one to grab! Plus your family will think you are a chocolate rock star after eating this cake! I can’t guarantee there aren’t a ton of calories but I’m okay with that. I guess I will have to go back to Italy and hike Stromboli again. I don’t think my family will mind! 🙂
