Meyer Lemonade with Rosemary Sprigs

Yields: about 5 cups

Meyer Lemonade with Rosemary Sprigs
1/2 cup Meyer Lemon Juice
1 ½  cup Simple Syrup (recipe below)
4 cups Water
1 Sprig of fresh Rosemary for each glass
1. Combine all ingredients in a pitcher. Add a few freshly squeezed Meyer Lemon rinds. Stir to combine and serve over ice.

Don’t go overboard with the rosemary, because it can quickly overpower the lemonade. It should give just the subtlest hint of rosemary to compliment the Meyer lemons. Throw in a few of the squeezed Meyer lemon rinds into the lemonade to give it extra flavor. Citrus fruits release an incredible flavored oil in their rinds after squeezing which will add a deeper lemon flavor.
Simple Syrup Recipe
Yields: about 3 cups.
2 cups Water
1 ½  cup Sugar
1/2 cup Light Corn Syrup
1. Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Stir and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 15-20 seconds then take off the heat. Allow to cool then store in a sterile jar in the refrigerator.


Recipe adapted from: whiteonricecouple in sunset magazine

A Picture That Will Make Your Day

Picture:bayanjargal

A Nice Morning For A Run

My sweet nanny baby (a.k.a. bug-ah-boo) and I went for a run through the back bay today. What a glorious morning. Here are a few pictures of the bay and things we saw along the way.

Bear Flag Fish Co.

One of my favorite spots! The best seafood in town.

The Los Angeles Times calls it --

"A vision of seafood simplicity, the type that should exist along every waterfront but that rarely does. The Bear Flag Fish Co. in Newport Beach is a fish market that also serves a loyal crowd with fresh seafood, sandwiches, tacos, burritos, salads and more."

 

Dan and I LOVE their Ahi Poke and chips. You might just see us here after our sailing class on Saturdays or in the evenings after work. I can't get enough of this place! They bring in fresh fish daily and use local bread from the C'est Si Bon Bakery for grilled fish sandwiches and bowls of clam chowder. They also have fun drinks like Wild Poppy's, grapefruit ginger, plum licorice, vanilla peach, peppermint lemonade and young coconut water straight from the coconut! 

Vanilla Bean Peach Cake with Peach Soaking Syrup

Oh Yum.

By: Joanne Choi

From Week of Menus

  

Makes 10-inch bundt cake, serving 12 to 14
Cake:
3 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 vanilla bean, split, seeds
1 cup sour cream
1 ½ cups diced fresh peaches

Syrup:
⅓ cup fresh peach puree, strained
⅔ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon orange juice

Method:
Place rack in center of oven, and preheat oven to 350. Grease and lightly flour inside of 10 inch bundt pan.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
Using either a stand mixer (paddle attachment) or a hand mixer, beat the butter at medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Gradually add sugar and beat at medium-high speed until the mixture is light in texture and color, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time, beating for 30 to 40 seconds after each addition. Scrape down sides of bowl as necessary. Beat in vanilla bean. At low speed, add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with sour cream. (Add a bit of flour, a bit of sour cream, a bit of flour, a bit of sour cream, a bit of flour.)

Scoop half of batter into pan and spread with spatula. Sprinkle with peaches. Scoop remaining half of batter on top of peaches. Smooth with spatula.
Bake cake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan on a cooling rack for 10 minutes, then invert it onto another rack. Place the cake, on the rack, over a baking sheet.

While cake is baking, make syrup. Combine peach puree, sugar, and orange juice in a small non reactive saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Using a pastry brush, dab syrup generously all over surface of the warm cake, allowing it to soak into the cake before reapplying. Let the cake cool completely.

Pictures:Week of Menus

DIY: Votives

#1 Romantic Painted Votives

Use complimenting colors of a water based paint and muddle them around on the inside of a clear glass votive (be sure to water down the paint thin enough for the light to shine through). Let them dry and place a small candle inside.

These are so beautiful, but I would advise that you only use them outside...most paints are flammable once they're dry, despite being water based. But they should be safe to put on an outside table for your backyard parties!

 #2 Lavender Love

 Find a narrow glass and cut your lavender stems just below the rim of the glass. Tie with twine. The heat from the candle will help carry the smell of the lavender.

#3 Simple Thyme in Baby Masons

Tie some thyme to a baby mason jar with twine. Simple and sweet

Pictures: Painted Votives, Lavender, Thyme

Vodka Gummy Bears

This is funny... I am definitely going to try this at our next party!

Adults only -- Vodka Gummy Bears

Soak a bag of gummy bears in vodka for 3 to 5 days in the fridge. The Gummy Bears will absorb all the liquid! Serve at a party for a bit of fun!

My favorite gummy bears are by Albanese.

They have fantastic flavors like:

Granny Smith Apple

Watermelon

Wild Cherry

Lemon Meringue

Peach

Orange

Pineapple

Banana

Lime

Strawberry

Blue Raspberry

Grapefruit

Concord Grape

Might Mango

Photo:timeinc