Vegan Meatballs!

Although no one in my household is vegan or even vegetarian, I enjoy finding new recipes for dinner that don't involve meat - it's fun to change it up every now and then!

I found a recipe for vegan meatballs that used cauliflower and quinoa. I made a coconut milk-based sauce with turmeric and other spices, and the flavor profile was delicious! The spices packed a punch and the meatballs were "meaty" and very filling.

Max's Harvest - Brunch!

Max's Harvest is one of my favorite places to go for brunch in Delray Beach. They have an incredible interactive mimosa bar that I always enjoy!

Lemon Buttercream Cookies!

To celebrate one of my best friends' birthdays at her birthday brunch, I made lemon buttercream cookies. These cookies are pillowy soft with a burst of lemon both in the cookie and buttercream. My friend had a gorgeous birthday tea party brunch set up, and these elegant cookies went great with the theme!

Jupiter Donuts!

Can you tell I love donuts? To be fair, I enjoy specialty donuts - not standard Dunkin fare. I was in Boynton Beach back in February attending a meeting, and stumbled upon Jupiter Donuts next door. I immediately took a box back to work with me and they were devoured within minutes!

Crockpot Mania!

I love using my crockpot and I wish I used it more! I made a fun Sunday night dinner for some friends a few weeks ago and borrowed my mom's crockpot (in addition to mine) so that I could make two different soups. One was a spicy white chicken chili, and the other a traditional ground beef and bean red chili. I made cheesy cornbread muffins to go along with both, as well as cute owl-themed cupcakes!

Happy Hour at Home!

I love entertaining at home, and one of my favorite things to do is buy some different bite-size appetizers, bake them up and prepare them on one of my many cupcake towers. The look is aesthetically pleasing, as well as delicious with any wine!

Spring 2020:

Duck Donuts!

A wonderful new donut shop opened up by my work recently called Duck Donuts! The concept is awesome - the vanilla cake-like donuts are fried fresh and warm, and you pick the toppings/glaze that go on top! The combination possibilities are endless, and to be honest, you may find the task a bit daunting when you first walk in, but they helpfully provide some suggestions, as you can see in the colorful menu below. My favorite combination is on the simple side - marshmallow glaze topped with graham cracker crumbs! Mmm once you try these, it will be hard to go back to cold donuts!

Chicken Tostadas!

Making tostadas is a biweekly staple in my household. I always buy corn tortillas, avocados, sour cream, a shredded Mexican cheese blend, limes, shredded lettuce, canned black beans, canned corn and enchilada sauce - but then I like to switch it up with my proteins. Sometimes I'll quickly stir-fry some thawed shrimp from my freezer with some taco seasonings (I make my own with chipotle powder, cayenne pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, white pepper, cumin and chili powder). Other times, I'll throw some chicken breasts in my crockpot with enchilada sauce and taco seasonings to cook all day, and then I'll shred it in the sauce when I come home after work. The varieties are endless!

Boca Resort - A Waldorf Astoria Property!

The Boca Resort is one of my absolute favorite places in my hometown of Boca Raton. It is a historic and beautiful property with a world class spa, and several lovely restaurants and bars. I chose it for my company's annual investor conference, a two-day affair that takes me 8 months to plan with over 70 investors in attendance.

One of the many perks I experience as an event planner are working lunches, and working lunches at the Boca Resort are always phenomenal!

Friends Double Bday Dinner!

In mid march, we celebrated two of our good friends birthdays by having a BBQ at home. My husband loves to do surf n' turf, and this meal was no exception! We had grilled corn on the cob, lobster tails, shrimp skewers, steamed broccoli, grilled sausages and grilled steak, followed by a delicious vanilla berry cream cake!

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins!

I usually throw a couple green/yellow bananas in my shopping basket once or twice a week and wait for them to ripen. I usually forget about them for a few days and then notice them one morning and think aha! Muffin time! I love banana muffins, and I switch it up by alternating ingredients like honey, rolled oats, greek yogurt, walnuts, and chocolate chips.

I found cute butterfly containers at my local Dollar Store, and filled them up with banana chocolate chip muffins for Giuliana's teachers as a fun mid-week treat!