Homemade Lemon Sorbet

My friend, Inez, has a lemon tree.

As soon as I found out, I instantly asked her for some lemons.

I didn't have any plans for said lemons, 

but I love using them in recipes and lemons aren't cheap!

Shortly after asking for the lemons,

Inez had a bag of lemons picked and ready for me.

I didn't just get a few lemons either.

No, I got a DOZEN lemons!

Now that I had tons of lemons,

I needed to figure out what I wanted to make with them.

After very little thought and some research, I decided on:

LEMON SORBET!

I was already salivating for the tart, yet refreshing treat and got to work making it!

The Goods:

2 1/4 Cups Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice

1 1/2 Tablespoons Lemon Zest

3 Cups Water

3 Cups Granulated Sugar

Ice Cream Machine (Not Pictured)

But first...

it was time to juice said lemons.

Before I go further, I have to say that while making the sorbet, 

I also did a little lemon juice comparison.

Why?

Because I wanted to, I could and so I did!

I had two store bought lemons before I got the dozen from Inez.

After seeing the home grown lemons, I was in shock. 

They were so BIG and I was betting they'd be a lot more juicy too.

I took the two store bough lemons, juiced them and I had 1/2 a cup.

I then took two similar sized home grown lemons, juiced those and I had 3/4 of a cup.

The home grown lemons yielded 50% more juice!!!

So my suspicions were right! 

Now back to the sorbet making...

Juice and zest your lemons.

Combine the lemon juice and lemon zest

with the simple syrup you already made.

Pour your mixture into the ice cream maker

and let the machine do it's job.

It will take 20 to 30 minutes until done.

Your sorbet will be very soft.

Transfer to an airtight container and freeze for at least 2 hours.

Remove from freezer about 5 minutes before serving.

Eat and enjoy!!!

Influenster Surfs Up VoxBox

What's Influenster?
Influenster is a community of trendsetters, social media aficionados and educated consumers who like to give their honest opinions of products and experiences. 
For more info - go here!

What's a VoxBox?
VoxBoxes are boxes filled with complimentary goodies from your favorite brands!
Again, for more info - go here!

And more importantly how do YOU get one?!?
Select Infuenster users receive FREE themed products based on information provided, social media activity, demographics, badge activity, and sometimes just plain ol' luck.
Once again, for more info - go here!

Keep reading and see what I got to review in my VERY FIRST VOXBOX!!!

My VoxBox Goods:

First Aid Shot Therapy: $2.99

Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration After Sun: $2.99-$8.99

Jamba Juice Smoothie Kit: $2.99-$3.49

CoverGirl Bombshell Curvaceous by LashBlast Mascara: $9.49-$11.99

SinfulColors Professional Nail Polish - Aqua: $1.99

I received all of the above products FREE from Influenster for review purposes.

First Aid Shot Therapy

This is the ONLY thing I have yet to try.

And I'll be honest - I'm a little scared.

It looks pretty, but I'm not too sure about a pain relief shot 

used to cure headaches/migraines, sore muscles, back pains and hangover headaches.

CoverGirl Bombshell Curvaceous by LashBlast Mascara

I'm always a fan of trying new mascaras, 

but I almost always go back to my old favorites.

I was intrigued by the design and couldn't wait to give it a try.

Left - No Mascara, Right - LashBlast Mascara

Top - No Mascara, Bottom - LashBlast Mascara

As you can tell, the mascara did do a lot for my lashes.

I really liked the end result, but I felt like it was kind of a process.

I wouldn't use this everyday, 

but will keep it around for occasions I can spend more time applying. 

Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration After Sun

Out of all my goodies, I was most excited to try this!

Being so fair skinned, I tend to stay out of the sun, 

but couldn't wait to use this after a fun Summer adventure.

It's a different consistency than normal lotion and not greasy at all.

It soaks right in, but has a slight sticky feeling for a little - less than 30 seconds.

I really like this and am glad it came in my VoxBox!

Jamba Juice Smoothie Kit

I chose to review the Caribbean Passion flavor.

I didn't read the back, so I didn't realize I also needed to buy Apple Juice, 

which was needed to make the smoothie.

Thank goodness for vending machines in my apartment complex!

The Kit AKA Frozen Fruit and Apple Juice.

Add the goods and blend!

Now time to taste!!!

It was quite good I must say.

While it did remind me of a smoothie I'd had from Jamba Juice in the past,

I was a little disappointed I had to purchase the juice in order to make it though.

SinfulColors Professional Nail Polish

I love the color aqua.

And I love wearing it on my toes.

But this shade was a little too irridescent for me.

If I'm being honest - I think the color 

would be much better for someone a little younger.

(Did I really just say that?!?!)

Color aside, I was a little sad with the quality.

It didn't chip, but did start to rub off the tips of my toenails

in a little over a week's time.

I hope you enjoyed reading my reviews!

As a reminder, I was given everything free to try, 

but every opinion is 100% my own.

And leet's hope I have another VoxBox coming my way soon!

Baked Ziti

I could have SWORN I've posted about Baked Ziti before!

But when I went to find the post for a friend,

it wasn't there!!!

I was shocked!

I've made this recipe FOREVER.

And even though I call it Baked Ziti, 

I don't think I've ever used real Ziti pasta.

I mix it up, but tend to use Rotini most often.

Now, let me show you how to make Baked Ziti,
or Baked Rotini, or whatever you wanna call it!

The Goods:

1 Box Pasta - Ziti, Rotini, Rigatoni, WHATEVER your little heart desires!

1 1/2 Cups Pasta Sauce - I use jarred Marinara, but you can always make your own.

7 1/2 Ounces Ricotta Cheese - I prefer to use Part Skim.

1 1/2 Cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese - Again, I like to use Part Skim. 

1/4 to 1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese - Fresh is best, but canned is ok if that's all you have!

1 to 2 Cloves Garlic - TOTALLY optional. I used to use it, but haven't the last few time.

Cook your pasta until al dente, which is usually about 5 minutes.

Don't worry - your pasta will cook a lil more when it bakes!

Once cooked, drain pasta and return to the pot you cooked it in.

Add almost all the cheese (reserve a little Mozzarella and Parmesan)

and mix it all up until pretty well combined.

If you're using garlic, add that too!

Now here come the fun part...

Time to layer your pasta!

Start with a layer of sauce and then add about half your pasta mixture.

Do another layer of sauce and add the rest of your pasta.

Add one more layer of sauce and your reserved cheese.

Now you can either bake the Ziti, or Rotini, or whatever you're using...

OR you can freeze it to use at a later date like I did!

CONFESSION!!!

I actually DOUBLED the recipe.

I not only made one to bake right away and eat,

 but I also made one to freeze and bake at a later date!

Whenever you decided to bake your pasta, 

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and bake for 35 to 45 minutes.

You want the cheese on top to fully melt and get a little color.

Before I go, one last quick tip!

I usually move the pasta from the freezer to the fridge 

the night before I want to bake it so it has time to defrost.

If you forget to do so, you'll just want to bake your pasta longer!

Everything Cookies

A few weeks ago, I got a hankering to make some homemade cookies.

While I love making simple chocolate chip or oatmeal raisin cookies, 

I knew I wanted to do something just a little different!

So what exactly did I do different?

I decided to use oatmeal, raisins, chocolate chips and 

pretty much everything else but the kitchen sink!

Hence me deciding they needed to be called:

EVERYTHING COOKIES!

These cookies are so simple to make.

And if you have a stand mixer like I do, 

the mixer does all the work!

Take a look below at how to make these easy, yet delicious cookies!

The Goods:

8 oz (2 sticks) Butter, Softened

1 1/4 cup Brown Sugar, Packed

3/4 cup Granulated Sugar

2 teaspoons Vanilla

2 Eggs

1 1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cups Old Fashioned Oats

1/2 cup Chocolate Chips

1/2 cup Raisins

1/2 cup Shredded Coconut

1/2 cup Toffee Bits

Before I go any further - I have to apologize.

I got really into making these cookies 

and FORGOT to take step by step pictures.

I'm sorry, I know I was a BAD blogger again. 

Since there aren't step by step pictures,

Follow the steps below to make these yummy cookies:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat butter, sugars, and vanilla until creamy.

Mix in eggs until light and fluffy.

Add flour, baking soda and salt until blended.

Stir in your oats and all your goodies!

Form dough into balls (I used a 35 mm scooper)

and place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until edges are starting to brown.

Centers should be still quite soft - this will keep them super chewy!

Cool on cookie sheet about a minute, 

then remove to wire rack until completely cool.

I took these AMAZING cookies to work the day after making them.

There were about 60 or so cookies in my office kitchen in the morning 

and EVERY SINGLE ONE was devoured before lunch time!

These babies were just that good.

I will, without a doubt, be making them again.

But now it's YOUR turn to do so.

Go make them and see how good they really are!

4th of July: Friends, Food, Fireworks & Fun!!

Hope you all had a GREAT 4th of July!

This year, I had a very relaxed holiday hanging out with friends,
eating lots of amazing food and of course watching fireworks!

Check out my fun day in a few pictures below!!

Getting ready for the feast on the 4th!

I got in the spirit with a little red, white and blue!

My contributions to our feast!

Homemade soft pretzels and dip, farm fresh corn, watermelon, 

red white & blue rice krispy treats AND cheesecake stuffed strawberries!!!

Not pictured - chips and dip, homemade pasta salad, smoked ribs and chicken.

Wow - it was all so so so good, but let's just say I am STILL full!

 Fireworks, fireworks and MORE fireworks!!!
I was like a child and couldn't stop saying "WOW!"

And this little guy made the holiday extra fun!!!

Fourth of July Festiveness!

If you've been reading my blog for awhile,

you'll know how much I love decorating for holidays!

You can see some past holiday posts here, here, here and here!!

And since it's ALMOST the Fourth of July,

I figured it was about time I shared my patriotic decorations.

Some are homemade, but most are store bought.

Michael's recently had some deals I just couldn't pass us!

Like usual, my front door is festive with a homemade wreath!

What you see shortly after walking in!

Decorations around the living room.

My mantle with a homemade ribbon garland!

How cute are these lil guys?!?

I just couldn't pass 'em up when I saw them!

I hope you all have a fun and safe holiday with family and friends!!!

Quinoa Apple Salad

A few weeks ago, I met up with some friends for lunch and 

we went to one of the newly opened locations for Lemonade!

If you live in LA and haven't tried Lemonade yet, you're missing out.

Find one close to you and try it ASAP!

I've been to a few different Lemonade locations and have been a fan from day one.

A friend even gave me their cookbook for Christmas this year!

I have yet to make anything out of the cookbook, 

but after my most recent visit I knew I needed to try to recreate one of the dishes I had.

So what was the dish you ask?

Red Quinoa Salad with Apples, Arugula, Sunflower Seeds and Pistachios!

If you don't know already - I love love love me some quinoa salad.

(You can check out some past posts about it here, here and here!)

Just a few hours after lunch, I decided I didn't want to wait long and 

got to work searching for a copycat recipe online. 

To my surprise, it wasn't very hard and I had a recipe in no time!

Now that I'm done rambling, let me show you how easy it is to make!!!

The Goods:

Qunioa 

Water (Not Pictured)

Fuji Apples

Arugula 

Sunflower Kernels

Pistachios

Juice from an Orange

Olive Oil

Salt

Pepper

Cook your qunioa according to package directions.

Since I'm using this in a salad - I always like to cool my qunioa before adding it.

Pour/scoop the quinoa onto a chilled baking sheet and spread it out to cool.

While the qunioa is cooking, get your other goods ready!

Add the apples, pistachios and sunflower kernels to the bowl and toss to combine.

Fold in the arugula, orange juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.

That's it! Now it's time to dig in and ENJOY!!!

Hope you like this quinoa salad as much as I do!

I've already made it twice since having it at Lemonade.

Oh and don't forget - go try Lemonade if you haven't already!!!

Chicken Piccata and Homemade Pasta

I recently had a hankering for some for some homemade pasta, 

so I quickly started to think about what I wanted to enjoy with said pasta.

After a little thought, I couldn't get my mind off:

CHICKEN PICCATA & HOMEMADE PASTA!!!

I found this recipe and couldn't wait to get to work.

And sadly, was so into making it I don't have any step by step pictures.

I know - HUGE blog fail.

The meal was so good I couldn't not post about it.

And as the recipe states, it really is easy!!

Piccata Goods:

Chicken

Flour

Butter

Salt

Lemons

Olive Oil

Chicken Broth

Flat Leaf Parsley

Capers

For my step by step homemade pasta instructions,

see this blog post!!!

The finished product!!

So good and I can't wait to make it again.

Maybe the next time I'll be a better blogger, 

and remember to take more pics to update this post.

Homemade Hummus & Pita Chips

I've made homemade hummus multiple times before,
but I recently discovered a recipe and I doubt I will make it another way again.

It's better than so many other hummus I've tasted.
No more store bought hummus for me!!!

This hummus is creamy and SO SO SO easy to make!
Take a look below at the process.

Hummus Goods:

Tahini

Olive Oil

Garbanzo Beans

Sea Salt

Paprika

Water

Cumin

Lemon Juice

Garlic

Mix the tahini and the lemon juice in the food processor for about a minute.

Scrape the sides, and process for about 30 more seconds.

Add the olive oil, garlic, salt and cumin to the tahini/lemon juice mixture.

Process until combined.

Rinse and drain the garbanzo beans.

Add half the beans and process for about a minute.

Scrape the sides and add the rest of the beans.

Process for a minute or two - until hummus is smooth.

The hummus will most likely be too thick,

so slowly add 2 to 3 tablespoons water until the consistency is to your liking.

What's homemade hummus without some homemade pita chips though?

I Googled and found this recipe from one of my old time favorites!
Again - this is SO easy and SO much better than store bought.

I don't think you'll want any other pita chip after trying these.
Check out how easy they are to make below.

Pita Chip Goods:

Pita (I use Whole Wheat)

Olive Oil

Sea Salt

Cut the pita into wedges.

Toss in olive oil and sea salt.

Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet.

Bake at 375 degrees for 7 to 10 minutes, flip and bake 5 to 10 more minutes.

Pita chips should be toasted and crisp!

Ta da!!

Now go make some homemade hummus and pita chips.
It's a great snack and I THINK you'll thank me! 

Homemade BBQ Sauce & Spice Rub

I recently made ribs for a couple girlfriends.
When planning, I went to this post where I made ribs with Elina.

While it looks good, it isn't entirely helpful.
Yes, it has some useful information,
but not measurements or anything for the rub and sauce.
I apologize. Really - I do.

Because I wasn't 100% happy with the other ribs post,
I decided I needed to share the sauce and rub recipe that I recently used.
I've made the sauce twice and don't think I'll ever made any other sauce again!!!
It's THAT good!

Now - let me share the delicious sauce and rub I recently made for ribs.

For the sauce, I used this recipe and made little changes to make it my own!

The Goods:
1 1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
1 tablespoon Tobasco sauce
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 sprigs fresh oregano

Mix all the ingredients in a saucepan and simmer 5 to 10 minutes.

That's IT!

Super easy and super tasty.

When making the sauce - it smelled so much like McDonald's BBQ Sauce.

AND it tasted a little like it too, but with a kick!

I don't know about you, but that's for sure a winner in my book!!!

Now that the sauce is made, let's talk about the rib rub.

I used this recipe (rub only, not sauce) as a starting point, 

and again made little changes to make it my own.

The Goods:

1/4 cup coarse sea salt

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder

1 tablespoon paprika

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon cayenne peper

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon nutmeg

Mix everything together and store in an airtight container until ready to use.

The above recipe will make enough for  between 2 and 3 racks of ribs.

Now go, go make yourself some delicious ribs!
I followed the cooking instructions from my previous rib post.
I'm sure the sauce and rub would be great on grilled or smoked ribs as well.