Baked BarBQue Chicken

Don’t have access to a grill but you’re craving barbque? No problem! Check out this easy Baked Barbque Chicken recipe below! It’s crispy, juicy, & delicious!

• Chicken Drumsticks or Wings
• 2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
• 1 Teaspoon of Salt & Pepper
• Your fav homemade or store bought Barbque sauce

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees (F). In a mixing bowl combine the chicken, olive oil, & salt and pepper. Thoroughly mix & don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty! Place on a baking sheet and bake for 30 min. After the 30 minutes are over, coat the chicken with a layer of barbeque sauce. Do this every 5 minutes for the next 15 minutes. If you still prefer crispier chicken, turn on your broiler and watch for your desired crispness! I also like to add more barbque sauce once cooked and crispy! 

  

“Tastes Like Home” Blueberry Swirl Cheesecake

I haven’t been baking or cooking a lot because I prefer to enjoy it in the comfort of my own home, and right now I am between homes as we are in the process of house hunting! That’s not to say that my parent’s home isn’t enjoyable, cuz it sure has that country cozy charm, but I just like to be in my own surroundings to get down and dirty in the kitchen. Anyways, this blueberry cheesecake recipe is my ALL TIME FAV and is one of those recipes that will FOR SURE impress your guests! It’s creamy, fresh, and sinful!

What You’ll Need:

• 1 cup of fresh blueberries
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon cold water
  

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FOR THE CRUST:

• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons melted butter

FOR THE FILLING:

• 4 8 ounce packages of softened cream cheese
• 1 cup sugar
• 8 ounces sour cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 light beaten eggs
  

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How To Make It:

• In a small saucepan, combine the blueberries, sugar and lemon juice. Cook and stir over medium heat for 5 minutes or until the berries are softened. In a separate bowl combine the cornstarch and water until smooth; stir into the blueberry mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; cool to room temperature. Set aside.
• For crust, in a small bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs and sugar; stir in the butter. Press onto the bottom of a greased 9-in. springform pan. Place pan on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes. Cool.
• In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. (The key to an uncracked cheesecake is to NOT overbeat the filling mixture. Blend and fold the mixture slowly. What causes most cheesecakes to crack is overbeating which allows too much air into the mixture.)  Beat in the sour cream & vanilla extract. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Pour filling over the cook graham cracker crust. Drizzle with blueberry mixture; cut through batter with a knife to swirl in your own fun way!
• Return pan to baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around the edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer.

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Lasagna Rollups

This recipe is such a fun easy spin on Lasagna and full of Italian flavor! Adults love it but kids love it even more!

Ingredients: 1 package of Ground Beef, 1 package of uncooked Lasagna Pasta, 1 jar of your favorite tomato sauce (or pre-homemade tomato sauce), 1 tablespoon of Olive Oil, 1 large Egg, 1 pint of Ricotta Cheese, 1 cup of mixed Mozzarella and Parmesan Cheese, 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh basil, 1 cloves of minced Garlic, Salt & Pepper to taste.

Supplies: 1 Mixing Bowl, 1 Cooking Pan, 1 Pot, 1 Baking Dish, 1 Strainer, 1 Towel, Mixing Spoons/Spatula

Instructions: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees (F). In a large pot, fill it with water and bring to a boil. Boil the lasagna pasta until al dente (About 6 minutes boil). You do not want the pasta to be too soft and you do not want the pasta to be too hard, as it will break when you roll the pasta if one of the other. Once the pasta is cooked, place it on a towel and allow it to cool off and lightly pat dry the top and set aside.

In your cooking pan preheat to medium high heat and add the olive oil and garlic. Cook for 3 minutes and then add the ground beef. Add the fresh chopped basil, salt and pepper, and cook until the ground beef is fully browned. Once fully cooked strain the ground beef, transfer to another bowl and allow to cool in the fridge.

In your mixing bowl add 1 pint of ricotta cheese, 1 egg, and 3/4’s cup of the mixed mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Begin to add the cooled ground beef to the cheesy egg mixture and thoroughly mix. In your baking dish cover the bottom of the dish with tomato sauce.

Begin placing spoonfulls of the cheese and beef mixture & tomato sauce on the al dente lasagna pasta and slowly roll them up. Place the rolled lasagna in the baking dish after completing each roll. When the baking dish is full, pour the remaining tomato sauce over the lasagna rollups. Top the dish with the remaining 1/4 cup of mozzarella and parmesan cheese and bake for 20 minutes, uncovered. Serve warm!

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Healthy Summer Snacks

What’s a day at the pool without some good eats?! 

 

Pictured above is a 7 Layer Mexican Dip, Guacamole Deviled Eggs, and Fresh Sugarfree Lemonade. These snacks are perfect for a pool party or a  beach day! They’re healthy & won’t make you feel so bloated while trying to feel sexy in that bikini you worked so hard to fit into! See these fresh homemade recipes below! 

7 Layer Mexican Dip- In a strainer, drain 1 can of kidney beans. Add the beans to a food processor and blend until nice and smooth but try not to over blend (It should be “dip worthy” consistency). In a glass dish, evenly spread the blended kidney beans. Next, in a seperate small bowl mix 1 small container of low fat sour scream and 1/2 a packet of taco seasoning. Once thoroughly mixed, add a thin layer of the sour cream to the top of the beans. Add a thin layer of low fat shredded cheese (Colby Jack), 1 layer of chopped white onion, 1 layer of minced green onion, 1 layer of diced tomatoes, and 1 layer of diced black olives. Let the dip chill for at least 1 hr or overnight. 

Guacamole Deviled Eggs- Boil 4 large eggs in a pot of water. Once eggs are fully cooked (10 min) quickly rinse in cold water and allow them to cool in ice water. Peel the boiled eggs and cut in half, long way. Remove the yolks and add them to a mixing bowl. Combine the 2 avocados (peeled, pitted, & mashed), 1 tablespoon of cilantro, 1 tablespoon of minced green onion, and 2 teaspoons of minced seeded jalapeno. Stir in 2 teaspoons of lime juice, and 1/2 a teaspoon of salt, & 1 dash of hot sauce. Fill the emtpy egg white halves & chill until serving. Sprinkle with paprika just before serving, if you desire. 

Fresh Sugarfree Lemonade- Add 64 oz. (8 cups) of water in a pitcher. Combine 1/4 cup (equivalent of two lemons) of lemon juice to the pitcher of water. Add 8 scoops pure stevia extract. Mix thoroughly and keep chilled. This drink is best served in a cold glass with ice. If you’re looking for a more “adult friendly beverage”, add 3 shots of vodka to the full pitcher! 

Have a great summer!

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Frolicking Frankfurt, Germany

Ok, so I know I have complained a lot about the awful grey weather in Germany, but the heat has been unbearable these last couple of days! Nearly 100 degrees with NO A/C! That isn’t exactly what I had in mind! Because it so rarely stays hot in German it is uncommon to find an air conditioned home, or even restaurants. My husband & I had only one solution to break free from our near heat exhaustion… Take a road trip to a fun city and stay at an air conditioned hotel! So here we are, in Frankfurt, Germany living in the Wyndham Grand until Sunday! Not bad! I really love this city. It’s one of the rare cities in Germany where you will see actual sky scrapers too! We walked the streets, did some shopping, ate amazing food, & most importantly we stayed nice & cool!

Wyndham Grand Frankfurt Lobby

Wyndham Grand Frankfurt Lobby

Bridge in Frankfurt, Germany

Bridge in Frankfurt, Germany

Wyndham Grand Frankfurt Lobby

Wyndham Grand Patio

Wyndham Grand Patio

Wyndham Grand Patio

Wyndham Grand Menu

Wyndham Grand Patio

Louis Vuitton

Wyndham Grand Frankfurt Lobby

Frankfurt, Germany

Selfie

Frankfurt, Germany

Wyndham Grand Frankfurt Lobby

Graffitti

Wyndham Grand Frankfurt Lobby

Graffitti

Selfie

Wyndham Grand Frankfurt Lobby

More Selfies

Bridge in Frankfurt, Germany

Bridge in Frankfurt, Germany

Salmon

Lamb Chops

Caesar Salad

My dress is by, you guessed it, Forever21. You can find similar dresses here & here.

Forever21 Dress

Forever21 Dress

Forever21 Dress

Forever21 Dress

Forever21 Dress

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Spanish Saturday

My first Saturday while being back from my vacation and BOY was it fulfilling! This evening I went to an outdoor dinner party of family friends. There was no particular reason for the event other than friends just getting together and enjoying each other’s company. One thing I have learned about the German’s, or maybe Europeans in general, is that they take their parties/get togethers very serious. From tea parties, to afternoon  coffee get togethers, to evening dinner parties… they have the whole “sha-bang” setup to a T. And this particular dinner party was, of course, no different.

Window View

Neighborhood home

Neighborhood home

Neighborhood home

Neighborhood home

Interior Deco

Neighborhood home

Window View

Window View

Entrance

Dinning Room

Interior Deco

Cheers

Relaxing

Champagne bucket

Drinks

The neighborhood in particular was so beautiful so I took a quaint little stroll enjoying the views before I arrived. And being the polite guest that I am, I brought a courtesy gift to the hosts which was Spanish rose wine, fitting for the Spanish themed dinner. Their home décor is top notch and I couldn’t resist taking pictures of almost every room I entered. The kitchen was prepped with appetizers and side dishes and was full of savory aromas which traveled through the dinning room. One things for sure, if you didn’t arrive feeling hungry then you certainly did after catching a wiff of all the aromatic food! And as if that wasn’t enough, we were soon greeted by a delivery man who brought Paella… enough Paella to feed one of the entire islands I just recently visited! No joke!The pan was so big that there was an issue getting the Paella into the house. The only resolution was to leave it outside covered with foil. Nonetheless, it was still very delicious. My particular favorite dish of the night was the marinated sardines. So simple but so full of flavors that tickled every taste bud in my mouth… healthy too!

Paella

Paella

Classy Cheese

Sardines Spanish Style

Summer Fav

Classy Cheese

Capp

Posing

On another note, I decided to dress semi-casual for the evening, as there was no real reason to get overdressed. I decorated my outfit with my summer staple jewelry, which was a turquoise statement necklace and turquoise chandelier earrings. You can find these goodies at Francesca’s … AND they currently have a jewelry sale of buy 1 get 1 50% off!

Enjoy the rest of your summer Saturday!

Home entrance

Waving

Jewelry by Fracesca’s

Viewing the garden

Caught off guard

Backless top by Forever21

Home entrance

Wint

Strolling the streets

Courtesy Gift for the hosts

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Pesto On Everything

Once a month I like to  make a fresh batch of Pesto because I know at some point in the next coming weeks I’ll be using it. Fresh pesto can be stored in your refrigerator for one to two weeks. Storage time can be extended by pouring enough of your favorite olive oil on top to cover. This will keep air from the pesto, adding an extra layer of protection. Sometimes I use Pesto as a marinade, sometimes as a dip, sometimes as a sauce… The possibilities are endless!
Recently I made Grilled Pesto Shrimp and it was such a hit! Check this easy recipe below:

For Pesto prep: Prepare your pesto 1 day before this grilled shrimp recipe, as the pesto is used as a marinade. Grab 2 handfuls of fresh basil from a basil plant and toss in a food processor. Add 2 garlic cloves, along with 1/4 a cup of pine nuts, and 1/3 a cup of olive oil, & 2 tablespoons of water. Blend in the processor until nice and creamy. Add more water if you prefer a smoother texture, rather than a crunchy pesto. (I like mine somewhere in between.) Add salt and/or pepper to taste. Add half of the pesto mixture to a ziploc bag as well as 1 bag of defrosted cocktail shrimp. Mix around in the ziploc and let it marinade in your fridge over night.

For the meal prep: Preheat your grill for 20 minutes. In the meantime, add your marinated shrimp to wooden skewers. Place on the preheated grill until grill marks form. About 5 minutes. Before serving top the grilled shrimp with the leftover pesto mixture. Voila!

Grilled Pesto Shrimp

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Healthy Grilled Salmon

Homemade Grilled Salmon

Salmon is one of the BEST foods you can eat when trying to get in shape and to stay in shape! I eat it at least twice a week!

Today was such a gorgeous summer day so I decided to spend most of my time outside, including dinner time. Below is a very quick recipe for this easy summer entree!

Preheat your grill for 20-30 minutes. In the mean time, roll out aluminum foil and drizzle with olive oil. Add the salmon steaks (or any form of Salmon) to the foil & add another drizzle of olive oil over the salmon. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, parsley, & 1 slice of lemon per salmon. Fold over aluminum foil and bind all openings, ensuring everything is sealed. Place on your preheated grill for 25-30 minutes. Voila!!!!

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New York Rooftop Party

What an incredible Thursday! I am still in awe of how timeless the city of Ulm, Germany is. I am so honored and appreciative that I have been able to call this place my home for the last year.

Ulm, Germany

Eis from Cafe Ulmer Munz

Ulm, Germany

Yesterday I attended a summer kickoff event here in Ulm, Germany. The restaurant was called Siede Punkt. The event had a very “New York Rooftop” party feel to it. From the elevated scenery, to the live DJ, and the semi-sophisticated/business casual crowd. I could sense that most everyone had just left their day job because each one came dragging in, desperate to snatch the fine wine and Prosecco floating atop the serving trays. We were all “oooh-ing and awwww-ing” as the food was being served and taking “food porn” pics just as much as we were taking selfies (Selfie Addict)! The great thing about the food was it was dressed in such a fancy way but really they were recipes you can easily cook at home! From chicken & beef sliders, to steak & potato salad, & even grilled feuerwurst  – aka sausage! I plan to serve a dinner like this during summer!

HalHuber Bag- Rolex- Chanel Glasses

Selfie

Sliders

Steak and Potato Salad

Feuerwurst

Mandarin Seabass

There was a German white wine being served throughout the event which I completely fell in love with! In fact, it was the only white wine being served, and it’s obvious why! I am no wine connoisseur but after sipping that wine, I think I am finally learning the difference between good and bad wine. The hosts were even gracious enough to give me my own bottle! I ended the evening puffing a cigar and watching the blue sky turn pink… what a sight!

Ulm, Germany

Muschelkalk German Wine

Selfie Addict

Cigar

Sunset

Homemade Chile Sauce

Earlier today I posted a photo on my Instagram of many different red chiles & a few other spicy peppers to make a homemade chile sauce! I prefer mine really spicy but the recipe instructions below will give you a mild chile sauce. I use chile sauce like its Tobasco, becasuse all it truly is, is a homemade hot sauce. I topped it on my homemade Chipotle inspired burrito bowls that I made for dinner tonight. There was plenty leftover, so you can bet I will be using it on tomorrow’s breakfast eggs! Fact: Chile sauce and/or salsa can last in your refrigerator for up to a month when made fresh.

I opted to make two chile sauces because I prefer the green, while my husband prefers the red! It’s the same recipe except for the different colored chiles & peppers… How FUN! The best part is that this recipe is made with ALL fresh ingredients and take about 30 minutes to make. I suggest you make your chile sauce a few hours before your expected meal so that all the flavors have time to blend and marry!

Recipe/Instructions:

Add 6-7 serrano chiles (red or green), 1 bell pepper (any color with stems/insides removed), & 2 whole tomatoes to a pot of water and boil until soft & tender; over medium-high heat. Remove the stems and add all contents to a food processor. Before blending the food in the processor, add 2 cloves of garlic and 2 tablespoons of water from the boiled pot of water (it’s got some chile flavor floating around in there). Now, blend and cool at room temperature before serving. Add salt to taste. Refrigerate any leftovers.

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