I know what you’ve been thinking lately, “I’d really love to create a big summer feast with family and friends, but I don’t know where to begin?!” I know this because I went through the exact same thing just recently. Now that Julian and I have moved into a house, we’re looking forward to entertaining more often because we actually have the space for it. With just a few helpful tips and tricks up our sleeves, we can all create an amazing summer get-together that everyone will enjoy. And that’s no joke. The first thing is that you want to keep things simple. Simplicity is key. Now is not the time to make a five course meal that will keep you in the kitchen all day long. You’ll never enjoy the dinner that way. Choose dishes that are seasonal and easy to make; that don’t require too much attention at the stove. A set it and forget it mentality is your friend. Whatever you can create ahead of time will save you a lot of heartache. While casual is best, that doesn’t mean you have to let presentation go out the window. Finally, don’t be afraid of color when it comes to serving and displaying the beautiful food you’ve created. Le Creuset‘s signature enameled cast-iron cookware and stoneware is now available in Williams-Sonoma’s new and exclusive color, Teal. All this means is that you can brighten up and add color to your meals all summer long by serving the food right in the cookware itself. It’ll add a pop of color to your summer spread. The cool thing about Le Creuset is that their cast iron pieces are still manufactured in the original factory in France that opened in 1925. You really can’t beat that.
I’m sharing three recipes to help you create that ultimate summer meal. The first is a Summer Roast Chicken with Peaches. While roasting a chicken in the heat of summer might sound like the worst thing ever, keep in mind that nothing can beat a roast chicken especially when made with seasonal fresh peaches, shallots and herbs. Embrace it. I’m also sharing a recipe for a Grilled Summer Vegetable Quinoa with Pistachios and Feta. It’s a salad jam-packed with so much seasonal flavor you won’t know even know what to do! And no gathering is complete without a signature cocktail. My Grilled Watermelon Sangria will keep you going back for more…which is both good and bad. Depends on how you look at it, really. I’ll tell you one thing that is good though, and that’s a GIVEAWAY! I love giving stuff away because it makes me feel like Santa Claus or Oprah, and thanks to Le Creuset, I’m giving away a 4 1/2 qt Le Creuset Heritage Stoneware Deep Covered Baker in exclusive teal to one lucky winner! This giveaway is a little different in that I’m hosting it on my Instagram. So head on over to my account and follow me (if you don’t already) so you don’t miss the post with all the details! You got this!
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I always have these grandiose plans of making a weekly pizza night happen in my house, but after about two weeks I get bored of having the same thing over and over again, and so sadly I drop all plans and dreams of this wonderful idea. I still love pizza though, so it’s not like I’m shunning it forever. It’s just that I need some diversity in my meals on a week to week basis; call me crazy. Because my love for pizza runs deep, I think the most obvious and smart thing to do is to think of new and exciting pizza recipes that will still fit the bill but with a fun twist. These Chicken Enchilada Pizzas are gluten-free thanks to corn tortillas, and then topped with beans, chicken cooked in homemade enchilada sauce, and sprinkled with an array of Tex-Mex taco toppings that we all know and love. It’s new and exciting enough to give pizza a second life at your house from week to week. If you’re a big fan of enchiladas, then I highly recommend these pizzas because it’s two of our favorites dishes rolled into one. They’re fully customizable so keep that in mind the next time you’re in need of a quick and easy dinner idea. 
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I’m not saying we needed another corn dog recipe out there in the world, but I’m also not saying we didn’t. Especially when said corn dogs are cooked in a waffle iron, which basically makes them the healthiest corn dogs ever since they’re not deep fried. Corn dogs that are good for you?! Talk about a dream come true. Don’t say I never did anything for you. Okay, so they might not be good for you, necessarily, but they still are golden and crispy and still as irresistible as the classic variety, I promise. They’re easy to make and in no time at all (with basically little to no effort because the waffle iron does all the work for you) you’ll have a big pile of waffled corn dogs just waiting to be dipped in ketchup and mustard or topped with chili and cheese. Let this be a lesson to us all that everything is better when cooked in a waffle iron. If you’ve been waiting for the right moment to buy that Belgian waffle iron you’ve been eying, I think it’s safe to say that this is the recipe where you give in and just go for it. Buy that iron, you deserve it. 
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This is one of the easiest recipes I’ve posted on the site in a very long time, making it appropriate for a Cheers to the Weekend post because sometimes we just don’t have the time to spend hours and hours in the kitchen, slaving away on one meal. Maybe sometimes we don’t even want to cook at all because enjoying our Saturdays and Sundays to the fullest, definitely sounds more enjoyable. Believe me I fully understand, and that’s why I’m here to help. Rather than order in something you’ll regret later on, why not take 30 minutes, that’s it that’s all you need, and cook up a big pot of comfort pasta? That sounds like a good idea to me. This pasta is springtime ready because it’s loaded with vibrant and fresh flavors, like mint, basil, lemon and peas. It’s a creamy sauce, sure, but it’s a creamy sauce on the lighter end with just a little bit of creme fraiche thinned out with pasta cooking water. It’s less than 10 ingredients and you probably already have most of them on hand. Remember how earlier in the week I mentioned that we should take back our weekends and unplug more often? This recipe is perfect for that. Let’s keep up our summer goal and disconnect from the internet as much as possible (after reading this post of course). Let’s all Cheers to the Weekend! 
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A couple of weeks ago, maybe even last month because I can’t honestly remember at the moment and I’m far too lazy to dig in and get the information, I posted a recipe for 
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This recipe reminds me of two of my firsts in my life. It reminds me of the first time I ate pho at a Vietnamese restaurant that my sister introduced me to. I remember distinctly ordering both pho and a banh mi because I wanted to try everything, and because I don’t know about you, but soup isn’t really filling to me. I always just think of it as a starter to a larger meal, but I digress, that’s not the point I’m trying to make. The second first it reminds me of is one of the dishes I cooked all the time when I was younger, and that is a meatball sandwich. I’ve always loved to cook, ever since I was little, and even though I didn’t know how to make many things back then, I tried very hard to cook as much as I could and as often as I could. So the first time I made meatball sandwiches, I realized how easy they were to make and so I would cook them all the time. I wonder if my family ever got tired of them? 
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