Lemon Raspberry Muffins!

I love my family's lazy Sundays. We hang out at home, play outside, and I bake when the baby naps! Yesterday I decided to make these lemony, zesty, and perfect-for-spring muffins. With fresh, tart raspberries swirled into the muffin batter, these were a big hit at home and at work.

Recipe link here!

Broiled Catfish Fillets!

In my household, seafood reigns supreme. Given that we are half Italian (husband) and half Portuguese (me), we are big lovers of crab, lobster, fish, clams, mussels (the list goes on and on!)

Our toddler is also in love with seafood (thank goodness!) so I am always trying to incorporate new and different ways to cook seafood in our house.

One night recently, I decided to pick up some catfish fillets instead of our usual salmon fillets. Using shallots, fresh parsely and thyme, and lemon, I broiled them in the oven and they came out so tasty and fresh!

Recipe link here!

Blueberry Cupcakes With Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting!

Blueberries and lemon - this is the perfect spring or summer combination of bright fresh berry flavor and tart citrusy goodness. These cupcakes are perfect for those who do not like chocolate or red velvet, as they have a plain vanilla base. This recipe is so versatile, you can substitute the blueberries for any other berry since lemon goes so well with fruit flavor.

This recipe is from Sally's Baking Addiction blog.

Mother-in-law's Birthday!

I made these fun, simple lemony vanilla cupcakes to celebrate my mom-in-law's birthday back in May. They were cute and easy, using pink food coloring and rainbow sprinkles.

Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes!

A few weeks ago I baked up some lemon raspberry cupcakes for a pool party with friends. I saw the idea on Pinterest and loved the cute little white cups to bake them in (recipe from Pastry Affair). These were perfect for a hot summer day here in South Florida - light, creamy, and full of fresh fruit flavor.

Blackberry Lemon Cupcakes!

I first saw these cupcakes on Pinterest, courtesy of the lovely blog Tide and Thyme. I loved the idea of a cupcake with fresh lemon and blackberries, perfect for springtime, and pretty pastels too!

Lemon Ricotta Cookies!

Giada De Laurentiis is one of my favorite Food Network chefs. Her dishes are very Italian, yet elegant and simple. One of my favorite recipes of hers is her Lemon Ricotta cookies (recipe link). I've made them once before, and they came out great, but this time I made them a big bigger and flatter. The result is fabulous - the cookies are like little light pillows of lemony goodness. The ricotta doesn't really flavor the cookie, but it gives it a nice chewy texture and ensures that the lemon does not dominate the taste. These are perfect for tea-time, or to wrap up in a neat little package for a co-worker, which is how I used them, this time around!

Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes!

It is most definitely summer here in South Florida! Crazy high temperatures, near 100% humidity, glaring sun - also huge thunderstorms that roll through practically on a daily basis. I decided to ignore all of that and make a lovely springy-summery dessert ... lemon blueberry cupcakes! I love the spark of freshness from the lemon zest and freshly squeezed juice (which I always go overboard with) and the shock of color and sweet flavor of the blueberries. My staple recipe for this cupcake mix comes from the ever-lovely Annie's Eats. I made these once before, for my family's New Years Party a few months ago, and they looked great with festive gold sprinkles, but yesterday I opted for the more traditional blueberry garnish atop lemony cream cheese frosting. 

Juice Day Five!

I went back to juice-making last night and whipped up a wholly citrusy-acidy yellow-orange concoction that would knock back any cold, for sure! It contains oranges, clementines, limes, lemons, and carrots.

Quinoa Cakes!

Today I made Joy the Baker's Quinoa Cakes! Made using cooked quinoa, parsley, lemon, garlic, Parmesan, and bread crumbs, these small and tasty veggie patties are delicious and nutritious.

Variations: I boiled the quinoa in chicken broth (instead of salted water) for more flavor, and left out the onion, olive and zucchini completely. Instead I added more Parmesan, minced garlic, lemon zest, and dried parsley, making flavorful cakes.

As always, I pair my dinner plates with a healthy serving of full-bodied red wine, in this case a lovely Tuscan red.

Chicken Piccata and Couscous!

One of my favorite chefs is Giada De Laurentiis, who never steers me wrong! The woman is beautiful and can cook, is there a better combination? Last night I made Giada's Chicken Piccata!

Made on 02/07/12.

I also ventured out of my comfort zone and made my own accompanying side. I've had a bag of Israeli couscous in my pantry for longer than I care to admit, and finally decided to make it last night. First I sauteed two diced shallots with three minced garlic cloves in olive oil over medium heat, and then added two diced zucchinis. After cooking the couscous in boiling, salted water and fluffing it with a fork, I added the veggie mix and topped with sea salt, black pepper, and lemon zest. The dish was bright and fresh, and went great with the lemony/garlicky Chicken Piccata. :)

Lemon Cupcakes!

Lemon Cupcakes!

My love affair with food coloring continues .....

Made on 01/11/12.

Thanks to My Baking Addiction!

What I have made thus far .... Tyler Florence Edition!

Lemon Pudding Cake!
Made on 06/07/11.

Blueberry Lemon Scones!
Made on 05/08/11.

And again....
Made on 09/10/11.

Thanks to Tyler Florence! :)

What I have made thus far .... All Recipes Edition!

Spinach Quiche!
Made on 05/24/11.

Lemon Creme Cupcakes!
Made on 03/20/11.

Bacon Chocolate Cupcakes!
Made on 03/13/11.

Salmon Cakes!
Made on 06/09/11.

Champagne Cupcakes!
Made on 05/28/11.

Vanilla Ricotta Cupcakes!
Made on 11/12/11.

Cheddar Garlic Biscuits!
Made on 12/31/11.

Spinach Phyllo Cups!
Made on 12/31/11.

Thanks to All Recipes! :)

What I have made thus far .... Annie's Eats Edition!

Caramelized Sea Scallops!
Made on 01/22/12.

Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes!
Made on 12/10/11.

Rum Cupcakes!
Made on 06/28/11.

Raspberry Swirl Cheesecakes!
Made on 05/09/11.

And with a twist .... Blueberry swirl cheesecakes!
Made on 09/29/11.

Pumpkin Cupcakes!
Made on 10/30/11.

Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes!
Made on 12/31/11.

Thanks to Annie's Eats! :)

What I have made thus far .... Giada De Laurentiis Edition!

Chocolate Espresso Cookies!
Made on 12/07/11.

Lemon Ricotta Cookies!
Made on 12/04/11.

Parmesan Frico (Wafers)!
Made on 12/03/11.

Mini Frittatas!
Made on 11/01/11.

Raspberry Ricotta Mousse!
Made on 09/17/11.

Mango Cheesecake with Basil Lemon Syrup!
Made on 06/01/11.

Pea Pesto Crostini!
Made on 12/31/11.

Italian Kebabs!
Made on 12/31/11.

Zucchini Flatbread!
Made on 12/31/11.

Thanks to Giada De Laurentiis! :)