Last month my husband and I escaped to Napa Valley for a much needed vacation without the children. We love our little maniacs, but everyone needs a break once in a while! My parents bravely stepped in to care for them while we flew west for some wine and sun.
We decided to use Yountville as our base of operations and stayed at the Bardessono. It is LEED certified and has a fantastic zen, earthy vibe. The moment we drove onto the property we felt calmer. They greeted us with a glass of wine, walked us to our room, showed us how to use all the extremely efficient amenities, and left us to relax. I’ll post more about the hotel itself later this month but, suffice it to say, we loved it. We especially enjoyed that the location enabled us to walk everywhere in town. Plus, there was a garage of bikes at the ready in case we went to explore beyond the sidewalks.
Our stomachs were still on East Coast time so, after we checked in at noon, we descended on Bouchon for what felt like a late lunch. Since it was mid-week we were ushered in immediately and chose to sit at the bar. We love sitting at bars and chatting with bartenders when we don’t have the kids with us. It somehow feels more adult and less formal. The classic French interior was charming and our meal was excellent, especially my asparagus buratta salad paired with a glass of crisp rosé.
I just returned for a wonderful, almost transformative, visit to the west coast and can’t wait to share all of the details with you over the next couple of weeks. To start off with, here is little taste of what I did:
On Tuesday April 28th, the day my book launched, my friend held a book party for me at her house. She was so generous to do this! I made a few dishes from my book to pass: Lemon Cream Cheese Pound Cake, Zucchini Applesauce Bread, and Bacon & Green Chili Quiche.
There were lots of lots of gorgeous fresh flowers everywhere. Flowers are the key to livening up any party space!
While we were in San Francisco we hit a few of our favorite spots like Sausalito for fish tacos…
a walk around town, including the pond at the Palace of Fine Arts…
and a quick trip to the lookout over the Golden Gate Bridge.
Mid-week my husband met me in San Francisco and we drove out to Napa Valley for a blissful five day vacation without children. It was everything I hoped it would be and more. Stay tuned for all of the details next week. In the mean time, here are a few pictures to enjoy!
When my husband travels, sometimes I like to feed the kids their own dinner and wait to make my own until after they have gone to sleep. This may seem unusual at first, but it is actually a good way for me to get a little “me time” in at the end of the day. Now that spring is finally here it stays light late enough that I can enjoy a few slices of pizza and a glass of wine on the back porch.
On nights like this, I want a convenient dinner without sacrificing gourmet taste, so I will pop my favorite Ristorante by Dr. Oetker Pizza in the oven. It truly tastes fresh -the flavors in Ristorante’s Pepperoni Pesto Pizza burst on my tongue with each bite. I set the pizza right on the oven rack and it bakes up crisp in just minutes. Then, I let it cool, slice it up, and relish a few moments with my feet up in the fading sun.
These moments don’t last all night. Once dinner is over there is laundry to fold and photos to edit! But, I totally love a tasty bite before getting on with the evening. It is a relaxing way to treat myself and take a few moments to process the day.
Ristorante by Dr. Oetker agrees that everyone needs a little delicious down time at the end of the day, which is why they are running the awesome Love Yourself Amore contest. Come check out the details and share a reason or two why you deserve some “me time” via a Me Time Meme. Then, you’ll be entered to win one of their fabulous prizes that are specially designed to make your life easier. How great is that?!
Planning your own “me time”? Ristorante is available in eight uniquely flavored varieties, perfect for any palate. See where you can buy Ristorante Pizza near you by checking their store locator. If your local supermarket does not currently sell Ristorante, you can put in a request with the store manager! And follow Dr. Oetker on Facebook for more “me time” tips.
(Disclosure: This is a sponsored post on behalf of Dr. Oetker USA LLC. I received compensation for this post; however, all opinions stated are my own. Thank you supporting the brands that make The Naptime Chef possible.)
It only seemed appropriate to introduce this delicious recipe from the Cinco de Mayo chapter of my latest book, The Family Calendar Cookbook: From Birthdays to Bake Sales Good Food to Get You Through the Year, with my friends at OXO. They make the best everyday cooking tools and I am huge fan of using them when I make this dish. Today I am giving away a bundle of them along with a signed cookbook!
This dish begins with a fairly simple marinade that includes fresh citrus juices, garlic, and a hint of spice. Using the garlic press and citrus juicer ensures that making this is so easy to get all of the ingredients mixed in a jiffy without a big mess.
After the shrimp have marinated we grill them up in just a few short minutes. In this case I bought shrimp that were already deveined, but you could use this really cool shrimp tool to clean them if you bought the shell-on version instead.
While they are grilling I prepare the toppings by stripping corn off the cob with the corn stripper, slicing fresh avocado, and shredding fresh cheese.
My husband and I vary when it comes out our ideal taco so I set up a buffet of toppings so we can build our own. Here you can see avocado, sour cream, spanish rice, corn, cilantro, and lime wedges. So easy and so fun!
I hope you have a great Cinco de Mayo celebration planned. If you need a spectacular main course look no further. Even better, this delicious recipe is great not only for today, but for the rest of the summer as well. So, come enter to win your own OXO taco night tool bundle and a book to get you well on your way to taco night in your house!
The OXO taco bundle includes: A Shrimp Cleaner, Citrus Squeezer, Garlic Press, Corn Peeler, OXO complete Grate & Slice set. I am also including a signed copy of The Family Calendar Cookbook!
To enter to win:
1) Leave a comment sharing your favorite taco topping!
Place the shrimp in a large resealable plastic bag. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, cayenne, and salt. Pour the mixture into the bag with the shrimp and shake gently so the shrimp are evenly coated. Place the bag on a flat plate or in a pan and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to overnight.
Light the grill and bring it to medium heat. Once it is hot, brush a small amount of vegetable oil on the corn and grill it over medium heat until the kernels char, but don’t burn to a crisp. Rotate the ear as necessary to it cooks evenly, 6 to 8 minutes. Allow the ear to cool slightly; then cut off the kernels into a bowl.
Place the shrimp in a grill basket and cook them for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until they are bright pink. Then remove the basket from the grill and allow them to cool slightly.
While they are cooling, quickly grill the tortillas on each side, about 30 seconds per side. Place them on a platter for taco assembly.
To assemble your tacos, place two or three shrimp on a tortilla and top it with some charred corn, a dollop of salsa, a few cubes of avocado, a pinch of cheese, and a pinch of cilantro, dividing all the garnishes evenly among the tacos and serving on a large platter. Or you can plate the shrimp, tortillas, and garnishes separately and allow every- one to assemble their tacos as desired.
Today is publication day! I know it is has been a long time coming and I am SO excited it is finally here. As of today you can officially find The Family Calendar Cookbook: From Birthday to Bake Sales, Good Food To Carry You Through the Year on store shelves and online. There is an ample acknowledgements section but right now I am want to thank all of YOU! My readers, supporters, and friends. I am so immensely grateful for your support! As book reviews come in I’ll be sure to share them with you. In the mean time, here is a little bit about the book and some events I’m planning for 2015!
About the book: I wrote this book to help families always be able to find the perfect recipe in a pinch. A couple of years ago I found myself suddenly tasked with a lot of cooking above and beyond my every day fare and needed a recipe repertoire to match. Go-to bake sale recipe? Done. What to make for Thanksgiving dinner? A beach picnic with friends? I needed recipes for occasions that were a little different than my usual weekday breakfast, lunch, and dinner routine.
Organization: The make the book match the theme I organized it like a family calendar. It is organized by season. Within each season there are menus for specific occasions. There are also seasonal crafts and some light, fun gardening tips.
Artwork: Instead of layering in a few glossy photographs that might eventually look dated my editor and I decided to have the book illustrated. We love the work of Lindsey Spinks and were thrilled with the pictures she drew.
I’ll continue to fill you in about the book throughout the year. In the mean time, come and see me if you can!
Book signings:
Thursday May 7th, 6-8pm at JMcLaughlin in Southport, CT.
Thursday June 4th from 6-8pm at JMcLaughlin in Concord, MA.
Fall book signings planned for:
Charleston, SC
Charlotte, NC
Chicago, IL
Edina, MN
If you’d like me to come to your city please let me know! Stay tuned tomorrow for a very special giveaway which includes a signed book!
I’ve been wanting to feature my friend Cathy’s book, Mrs. Wheelbarrow’s Practical Pantry: Recipes and Techniques for Year Round Preserving for some time now, but I had to wait until spring. Why? Because I am finally using up my remaining frozen strawberries and rhubarb from last fall and want to feature her amazing Strawberry Rhubarb Sauce. Also, Cathy’s book WON the 2015 IACP Single Subject Cookbook Award so now I can officially brag about that for her. (There is even a new beauty mark on the cover!) Congratulations, Cathy!
You all know how much I love preserving and Cathy does too. In fact, Cathy has written this beautiful book for us home preservers. In it she shares her infinite knowledge about home preserving and everything in between. This week Cathy and I had a little chat about her book and she graciously allowed me to share her sauce recipe. If you want to see this book for yourself don’t forget to enter the giveaway below!
Over the weekend we celebrated my husband’s birthday. In keep with tradition I made him a cake. My kids were slightly disappointed that this chocolate cake wasn’t as kid-friendly as last year. But, they still had plenty of Easter candy to enjoy so I really didn’t feel guilty. The original cake recipe is adapted from Molly’s famous rich and fudgy wedding cake recipe. I’ve tweaked it by adding a generous nip of kahlua and an extra topping of whipped cream. It takes very little time to prepare and is perfect for any celebration.
Hi Friends! I am heading to San Francisco and Napa Valley for a much-needed vacay soon. I am SO ready for some sun and a change of scenery. Do you have any tips for places I must see in Napa? I would love to hear any and all suggestions. I love wine, riding bikes, and anything to do with being outdoors and enjoying good food. I’ll be sure to report back after our trip. Thanks in advance!
Spring and summer entertaining season is on the horizon and that means one thing: showers. As in, baby showers, bridal showers, and engagement showers. So many showers! I personally love showers of all kinds and have thrown quite a few myself. In doing so I’ve learned a few things along the way as well. First: have a standby menu. It is best to have a few standards you can riff on: chicken salad, quiche, punches, bon bons, and a solid dessert nibble. For a baby shower you might do a big cake too, but I find having a bite size dessert on hand is always an good idea. Which is where my Lemon Raspberry Jam bars come in.
I love these roast potatoes because they are perfect for entertaining. As in, you can make a nice big batch and serve them in a bowl to lots and lots of people and everyone loves them. Potato dishes are usually good for entertaining in general, but this one is totally foolproof. The come out perfect every time and the paprika and crispy skins make them so delish. They also don’t need any heavy adornments which I don’t find as appealing in the warmer months. There is no cream, cheese, or onions, just salt, pepper, oil, and paprika. In the oven, then done and done.
Our kitchen renovation is still in the works. All winter we’ve been checking out design books and kitchens we like around town. I also found this great article about 15 small and clever kitchen designs and I want all of them to be included in ours! One thing I’d never paid much attention to before was the sink. Every kitchen has one, but I never gave much thought to how they fit into the overall design scheme. Equally as important: functionality. What do I use my sink for and what kind do I need?
I’ve lived with both single and double sinks and think we should go with a double sink. I love the option of one space to wash and one space to drip dry. The hardware above is not my style, but that is a different design decision altogether. This undermount double sink catches my eye in particular because it is paired with my favorite wooden countertop. (But is an undermount easy to keep clean around the top edges?)
Then I see these gorgeous deep apron sinks and think how pretty they are. They give a room a nice polished feel and the gleaming white always looks clean and modern. Maybe I’ll have to add a utility room to our wish list just so I can have a sink like this.
I like this sink with the apron and the window above it. I definitely want to position our new sink so I can look out on the yard and the kids while I wash dishes.
I am gaga for Grace and Julia’s recent kitchen renovation. Bright space, wooden countertops, antique wooden floors, sink with a window view, giant island, open shelving, pantry to the side… So many of my favorite elements! I have pinned every image from their renovation to my idea board.
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