Christmas Tree Dip

This dip is wonderfully tasty and super easy at the same time! We served it last year on Christmas Day at a get-together at my family’s house here in Santa Barbara. People really seemed to enjoy it! The great thing about it is that it literally took me five minutes to put together and it ends up looking so festive!!

Ingredients:
1 block of cream cheese (we used Reduced Fat)
¼ – ½ cup fresh pesto (we buy it premade at the grocery store)
¼ of a red bell pepper, cut into small cubes (see picture) for ornaments
2 inches of a pretzel rod (to serve as the tree trunk)
Crackers

Directions:
1. Cut cream in half diagonally so that you have two triangles. Then fit them together so that they create one large triangle (the shape of a tree).

2. Top cream cheese with fresh pesto. Then decorate with bell pepper ornaments.

3. Add tree trunk/pretzel.

Serve with crackers! Yummm.

See! Wasn’t that easy!

National Coffee Day!!!

Woohoo! Today is a day to celebrate! That’s right, it’s National Coffee Day!!! We love a good cup of coffee and look forward to our daily cup each morning. We switch off between decaf, half-caf, and caffeinated…and love it all! Check out the guide to coffee we posted at the beginning of the year!

Cheers to coffee!

It’s our 1-year Blogiversary!!

Well, it’s been awhile since I posted anything…I’m SORRY!!! Things have been crazy in our life lately. First off, we are pregnant and expecting our baby boy (“Peanut”) on November 11th. Second, summer proved once again to be a very busy time of year for me at work…meaning that unfortunately when I got home I wanted to do just about anything except get in front of my computer and write. ANYWAY, I’m back. I figured a great time to start fresh would be on our blog’s one-year anniversary, which is TODAY! Although I might not post everyday, I will try to keep up a little better than what I was doing.

So….here we go!

Brady’s Basic BBQ Rub

This basic rub is great for any type of meat: pork, beef, chicken, and even salmon.  As with all dry-rubs, if you rub the meat and let it marinate for 2-4 hours, the flavors will be very rich and wonderful. While we lived in San Diego, our good friend Josh and Brady experimented with a lot of new rubs and marinades during our regular barbecues.  Here is a popular one.  You can add or subtract amounts of each spice depending on your own preference.  This rub is also great for pork and chicken.

Combine the following ingredients and then whisk together.  Then rub tri-tip with the mixture.

¼ cup coarse salt (kosher or sea)
¼ cup (packed) dark brown sugar
¼ cup paprika
3 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon dried onion flakes
½ to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (depending on desired “heat”)
½ teaspoon celery seeds

Directions:
1. Season meat with dry rub and allow to set for 2-4 hours in the refrigerator.

2. Grill the tri-tip (or your choice of meat).

Note: Always let steak sit for several minutes covered with foil after taking it off heat/grill so that the juices are absorbed back into the meat instead of leaking all over your cutting board/counter/floor!! Any meat juices that do escape can be poured over the meat for a great flavor.

Pineapple Sherbet Sunrise

This is a wonderfully refreshing summer dessert!  My mother-in-law, Wendy, taught me how to make it and since then we have used this recipe many times.  Yum!

Ingredients:
1 box of orange Jell-O
1 small can of pineapple chunks, drained
Orange Sherbet

Directions:
1. Prepare Jell-o following box directions.

2. Stir drained pineapple chunks into the Jell-O just before putting it into the refrigerator to set.

3. Once you are ready to serve, scoop some sherbet into the bottom of a fun martini glass, and then scoop some of the Jell-O mixture on top of that.

Enjoy!

Grilled Veggie Pasta

This is one of my dad’s wonderful original recipes!  This recipe is easy and delicious. Always remember to pick out the freshest veggies at the store when choosing what to put in this dish.  If you can pick them directly from you own garden, that’s even better.

Use any vegetables you like, but consider the following:
All colors of bell peppers
Anaheim chilies
Japanese eggplant
Zucchini squash
Tomatoes
Bermuda onion
Mushrooms

Directions:
1. Grill the vegetables on your bbq or on a stovetop griddle pan.

2. When done, cut them up into bite size pieces.

3. Cook up some bow tie pasta, (about ¼ lb. /person) al dente.

4. In a sauce pan, heat up about 1 cup (for 4 people) of good quality olive oil. Add in 4 finely chopped garlic cloves.

5. Mix the vegetables with the pasta and add the garlic infused olive oil and add salt and chili flakes to taste.  Be careful with the chili flakes if you are adding any bbqed chili peppers to the dish.

6. Add grated Parmesan cheese to taste.

Serve, and enjoy the praise of your friends and loved ones as they call you a genius at cooking.  ~ Len (my dad)

Grown-Up S’Mores

It’s getting to be camping, campfire, and s’more season! Yay!! Here is a wonderful spin on s’more. Oh my goodness, these are so good! This is a recipe based off of an article I read in Sunset Magazine and it is amazingly good! This recipe will make one S’More. Also check out the other “grown-up” S’More combinations at the bottom of the recipe (taken from Sunset Magazine article)!!

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon peanut butter (preferably at room temperature, for easy spreading)
2 graham crakers
2 squares of a chocolate bar
1 skewer-toasted marshmallow

Directions:
1. Spread peanut butter onto one of the graham crackers.

2. Slide marshmallow off skewer onto peanut butter.

3. Top with chocolate and remaining wafer and squish down gently.

More S’Mores for grown-ups:
- Thin peanut-butter cookies with Nutella, sliced banana, and marshmallow.

- Thin peanut-butter cookies with bittersweet chocolate, caramel sauce, and marshmallow.

- Graham crackers with a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, sliced banana, and marshmallow.

- Gingersnaps with a caramel-filled chocolate square and marshmallow.

- Graham crackers with plain dark chocolate, marshmallow, and strawberry slices.

Throw a Cinco de Mayo Party!

Have this party on or around May 5th, or really at any time during the year when you feel like margaritas, Mariachi, and enchiladas!

The Food: As your guests arrive put out fresh salsas or guacamole (see Dips section) with tortilla chips.  For dinner, offer enchiladas (see Main Courses section) or tacos (see Meats & Fish section).  Accompany either entrée with Kitchen Sink Rice (see Veggies & Side Dishes section) and beans of your choice.

The Drinks: Mexican beers, Slushy Maggies (see Cocktails section), and Beer Margaritas (see Beer & Wine section).

The Décor: Bright colors, sombrero hats (try using upside down sombrero hats to hold tortilla chips or silverware!), cactus, etc.  Be sure to set the mood by playing tunes from a Mariachi Band, or other appropriate music.

The Fun:  Buy a traditional piñata and fill it with adult prizes, such as neat bottle openers, matches, tea light candles, gourmet chocolates, gift cards, etc.  Hang the piñata and have everyone take a swing.  Remember to spin them around before they try!  You could also have a salsa dancing instructional DVD playing in the background for whoever is interested.

Have this party on or around May 5th, or really at any time during the year when you feel like margaritas, Mariachi, and enchiladas!

The Food: As your guests arrive put out fresh salsa or guacamole with tortilla chips.  For dinner, offer enchiladas or tacos.  Accompany either entrée with Kitchen Sink Rice (see Veggies & Side Dishes section) and beans of your choice.

The Drinks: Mexican beers, Slushy Maggies, and Beer Margaritas.

The Décor: Bright colors, sombrero hats (try using upside down sombrero hats to hold tortilla chips or silverware!), cactus, etc.  Be sure to set the mood by playing tunes from a Mariachi Band, or other appropriate music.

The Fun: Buy a traditional piñata and fill it with adult prizes, such as neat bottle openers, matches, tea light candles, gourmet chocolates, gift cards, etc.  Hang the piñata and have everyone take a swing.  Remember to spin them around before they try!  You could also have a salsa dancing instructional DVD playing in the background for whoever is interested.

Throw a Green Party!

It is important to be conscious of the environment and to raise awareness amongst friends and family to be more environmentally friendly.  This party is packed with great ways to make your next get-together truly green.  Encourage your guests to walk, ride their bike, or carpool to the party!

The Food: Serve any of your favorite foods, making sure to buy and use only sustainable ingredients.

The Drinks: Do not use disposable cups; serve options like punch (see Cocktails section) to avoid excess garbage.  If guests choose to drink beer, recycle cans and bottles.

The Décor: Go with the green theme all the way: decorate with green items and set out clearly marked, decorative recycling bins.

The Fun:  Have each guest bring one usable item that they no longer need for a gift-exchange; instruct them to wrap it like a gift.  You could also have each guest bring one garbage bag full of old, but usable clothing or other items that you will take to donate to your local homeless shelter.  Recycle, reduce, reuse!

In honor of day 2 of “Global Youth Service Day” I thought it would be appropriate to come up with a “green” party.  Afterall, we can do our part to recycle and be environmentally aware and still have fun! It is extremely important to be conscious of the environment and to raise awareness amongst friends and family.  Even encouraging one person to recycle can make a difference.  This party is packed with great ways to make your next get-together truly green.  Encourage your guests to walk, ride their bike, or carpool to the party!

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The Food: Serve any of your favorite foods, making sure to buy and use only sustainable ingredients.

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The Drinks: Do not use disposable cups; serve options like punch in a punch bowl to avoid excess garbage.  If guests choose to drink beer, recycle cans and bottles.

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The Décor: Go with the green theme all the way: decorate with green items and set out clearly marked, decorative recycling bins.

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The Fun: Have each guest bring one usable item that they no longer need for a gift-exchange; instruct them to wrap it like a gift.  You could also have each guest bring one garbage bag full of old, but usable clothing or other items that you will take to donate to your local homeless shelter.

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Recycle, reduce, reuse!

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Party Tip: Use local and/or organic ingredients where possible.  Also remember to concentrate your cooking on what vegetables are in season and what meats and/or fish are the freshest and hormone free.  This will ensure a delicious and appropriate meal for this or any party.

Global Youth Service Day (April 23-25, 2010)

Today marks day 1 of the Global Youth Service Day project. I’m really excited about it!  Although I am not involved I do think that it is important for people of all ages to volunteer and give back to their communities.  Here are some great websites for finding volunteer opportunities in your town:

- VolunteerSBC! – A site run in my hometown by United Way.

- Volunteer Match – This is a more national version of the site above.

- Idealist - A wonderful site for all types of service (volunteer opportunities, partnerships, Board positions, etc).

- California Volunteers – A cool site that acts as an information point for volunteer matching networks in California.

Get active and make a difference!