This post is sponsored by TADIN Teas. All opinions and recipe are 100% my own.

I call these my mint confessionals, mint and chip paletas. I feel like I eat them so much I almost need to ask for forgiveness. It just seems wrong how much I crave them. I know that sounds a bit much but they have stolen my heart. It all started a while back while I was making my own flavored syrup. I decided to make a batch of mint syrup using TADIN Spearmint Tea as my mint flavoring. Once the mint syrup was made I dreamt of all the ways I could use it. I thought it might taste nice added into my Fruity Iced Tea Punch Bowl , or maybe drizzled over a fruit salad, then I thought “I know, I can make mint and chip paletas with it. Cool icy mint and hints of chocolate all made into a yummy marriage! YES PLEASE! That’s how this love affair sparked into a FIRE. (more…)

This post is #sponsored by Allied Contigo on behalf of The Hollywood Bowl. All opinions and recipe are 100% my own.

Have you had a chance to check out the Hollywood Bowl family friendly movie music concert series calendar yet? Oh my word. I’m so excited for what’s in store this Summer. It’s not like the Hollywood Bowl ever disappoints, and the fact that they showcase some of the best films and concerts all sunny season long conjures up a new burst of excitement in me year after year. (more…)

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #EasySqueezy #CollectiveBias

A few days ago I was at Walmart looking for some summer water toys and wandered into the grocery section of the store in need of butter. Max (my 8 year old son, soon to be 9) has been asking to get more involved in the kitchen, I figured I may as well loosen my apron strings a little bit and teach him some basics. As a closeted helicopter mom, I thought a crispy  grilled cheese sandwich would be a good starting point. I stood in front of the wall of butter, my eyes narrowed in on the new Land O Lakes® Soft Squeeze™ Spread. I studied the new product and thought “Easy to squeeze bottle with less mess, made with real butter, will stay clean and crumb-free, will be perfect for his small hands!”

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This post is sponsored by ©Knudsen & Sons, Inc., all opinions are my own.

‘Producing fruit juices with integrity, craftsmanship, and innovation since 1961’ this is what scrolls across the label of a R.W. Knudsen Juice bottle. As a woman trying to do the right thing by her body and for her family, these words struck a chord with me. This is exactly the type of juice I can wholeheartedly stand behind.

With hot days upon us, the sun shining a little longer, and fruit being at the peak of season – it’s a sure sign of summer. I like to unwind on my patio after a hard day of work and enjoy the taste of Summer with a glass of ice cold fruit juice. My juice of choice is always R.W. Knudsen Just Tart Cherry.  Just one 8oz. glass is a serving of fruit, talk about goodness. 100% all natural juice, made with the finest ingredients, no preservatives or artificial flavors, it really is a better for you option and one I will reach for again and again. R.W. Knudsen works with amazing growers up and down the west coast from Peters Cranberries in Sixes, OR to Carpenter Pears in Lake County, CA to Stemilt Apples in Wenatchee, WA!  R.W. Knudsen literally brings the farm into the home. And it is available at Walmart. #WhatsYourJuiceMadeOf

I also use this incredible naturally sweet cherry juice for my paleta making. Since I usually have a bottle on hand I like to make my son a better for you paleta with it. I’ve been making paletas for a long time and as I get older I think it’s important to reach for the good stuff when mixing my ingredients. My favorite paleta combo is cherry coconut. A base of cherry juice and a splash of coconut milk and toasted coconut. YUM. It’s so darn good, he eats them down with a smile on his face. I grin from ear to ear knowing I’m doing the best I can for my family.

Ingredients for Cherry Coconut Paletas:

• 2 – cups R.W. Knudsen Just Tart Cherry Juice
• 1 – small can coconut milk (full fat)
• ½ – tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 – tablespoons honey
• 1/4 – cup sweetened coconut shreds (toasted)
• paleta or popsicle mold (with 8 slots)
• 8 popsicle sticks

Directions:

1. Fill each popsicle mold ¾ with cherry juice.
2. Place mold in freezer for 1 hour.
3. In a bowl mix coconut milk, vanilla extract, honey, and toasted coconut.
4. Remove popsicle mold from freezer and fill the molds to the top with coconut mixture.
5. Top mold with cover and insert popsicle sticks.
6. Freeze mold over night.
7. Fill basin with warm water and dip bottom of mold into the water for 15 seconds to loosen paletas from mold.
8. Remove top cover from mold and pull the stick straight up toward the sky.
9. Enjoy your cherry coconut paleta!

Gosh, it’s crazy hot here in LA, and will continue to be for the next few days or weeks. I can’t even stand to stick one toe outside right now. I  have the window shades pulled all the way down and my AC blasting on HIGH! I feel like I’m living in a modern age cave, and I like it. With the house cooled down to a comfortable 70 degrees my appetite is in full swing and since I’m a prisoner to my home, why not make something delicious? Cauliflower Rellenos are just the thing to make me happy. (more…)

I’m so excited to share my Falafel Sliders recipe with you. Back in March I was in London visiting my man (he was on tour at the time). To make a long story short he had ordered us some food backstage, so after the show as I joined him, I also joined my first falafel burger. (more…)

Here’s a fun story. 7 years ago I entered an original recipe salad contest Fresh and Easy Markets were hosting. The ask was for people to submit their best Summer salad ideas and the winning salad would be packaged and sold in all Fresh and Easy Markets. I casually decided to enter my chipotle macaroni salad. Why not? I had just started blogging and was anxious to get involved in the big wide web, and seriously didn’t give it much more thought than that. A few weeks later I received an email saying out of 5 thousand entries my chipotle macaroni salad was crowned the WINNER! Say what? I thought I was going MAD and had misread the email. I couldn’t believe it, never in a hundred years did I think I would win.

It took about a year before I saw it on the shelves. I felt so humbled, and proud, and excited…it was definitely a surreal feeling seeing my creation displayed and sold in a supermarket. As part of the salad launch Fresh and Easy invited me in-store to take photos with my new packaged salad. A Facebook memory popped up today with these images that my friend Stephen (LatinoFoodie) took of me as I was being photographed by the photographer the market had hired.

It was an amazing experience for sure, and one that made a little space for me among the blogging world. I look at these photos and think… I’ve learned so much since then, I’m still grateful for this slice of recognition, I like that I was wearing the evil eye around my neck on a red string (keeping the haters at bay), and it looks like my hair was in an awkward stage of mid-length bangs that needed to be pinned down. With all the growth that has come with time one thing remains the same, my chipotle macaroni salad is still a winner, if I do say so myself, and should be celebrated all Summer long. I hope you’ll love it, as much as I do. Enjoy!

Ingredients for Chipotle Macaroni Salad:

• 1 – pound elbow macaroni (cooked according to box al-dente)
• 4 – tablespoons yellow mustard
• 1  – teaspoon salt
• 1/2 – teaspoon black pepper
• 1 – teaspoon dried dill
• 1/3 – cup green onion (minced) (about 10 stalks)
• 1 – red onion (diced small)
• 1 – cup frozen peas (thawed)
• 8 – oz. corn (about one cup)
• 4 – hard boiled eggs (peeled and chopped small)
• 1/2 – cup chopped black olives
• 1 – jar zesty dill pickles (chopped small)
• 1 lb – sharp cheddar cheese (cubed small)
• 6 – heaping tablespoons pimento (diced)
• 1 1/2 – cups mayonnaise
• 1/2 – tablespoon ground chipotle chile pepper ( feel free to add more if you like it extra spicy or less if you just want a tad of heat)

Directions:

1. In a big bowl add drained/cooled macaroni and mustard.  Mix well.
2. Sprinkle in salt, black pepper, and dill.  Mix well.
3.  Add both the red and green onion. Mix to combine.
4. Next add the peas and corn. I mix with each addition to ensure all ingredients are evenly distributed.
5. Add chopped hard boiled egg, black olives, and pickles. Mix to combine.
6. Add cheddar cheese cubes and pimento. Mix well.
7. Now add mayonnaise into the salad and mix well. Lastly sprinkle in the chipotle chile pepper. Mix well and serve!
8. I prefer the taste of the salad the next day after all the flavors have had a chance to mingle in the fridge.
9. Enjoy!