food

Food || Yummiest Candy Easter Bunny

Easter bunnies are for certain one of the fun treats all kids adore having during Easter.  Here is an easy recipe you can do with your kids to make the coolest and most unique treats around.  Wishing you all a safe, restful and Happy Easter and Passover with your families.

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Albertina M. Cisneros

cake in a jar

Food || Cake in a Jar

Trying to find novel gift ideas for loved ones is not an easy thing.  So lately, I have been into sending chocolates (these are my fave), ice cream (I sent my dad this for Valentine's day) and now I can send them cakes in a jar!!  If you don't already know Jars by Dani, they are the most delicious and decadent cakes ever.  For my mom's last birthday we all went to NYC to celebrate and I special ordered her a set of different flavors of these jar cakes to try.  I had a special sticker customized just for her for the cap of each jar which made the gift even more special.  Back then NYC delivery was the only option.....but no longer!!!  Now Jars by Dani ships everywhere in the US!  How fun would it be to get a little trio like this in the mail?

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Albertina M. Cisneros

DIY

Sweet Valentine's Ideas

[1. Popcorn | 2. Chocolate Covered Spoons | 3. Treat Bags ]

One of the fun parts of any holiday is the anticipation.  There are so many fun things you can do, make, bake....before Valentine's to indulge in the moment and make it even more special.  Make a pretty pink and red bowl of popcorn on your next movie night.  Instead of a formal dessert make these easy chocolate covered spoons and these adorable treat bags by the fabulous Brynn of Dandy and Fine Party are perfect to make with your little ones.

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Albertina M. Cisneros

food

Food || NYC's The Polo Bar

Spending a few days in NYC is never a bad thing, especially when you have the opportunity of exploring divine restaurants.  This is one of the things I love about NYC you can eat an amazing meal no matter your budget.  Last night's dinner at the Polo Bar was an expensive one but it was delicious and the decor so cozy and chic yet casual.  Here are some photos-

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Albertina M. Cisneros

cookbooks

Cool Cookbooks

With friends and family coming in and out to visit during summer vacation we do a lot more cooking these days.  We love bonding in the kitchen and even discussing the next recipes to try and comparing cooking techniques.  We pour over our cookbooks and study which recipes we should try next.  It's funny because some of my friends and I end up with the same cookbooks and it's fun to learn about the successful and popular recipe choices.  Here are the cookbooks I have my eye on lately....and let me tell you I may or not want them for my coffee table as well-

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Albertina M. Cisneros

Blue Apron

Food || Cooking at Home with Blue Apron

You all know I love cooking and having friends over for dinner.  I love trying out new recipes and pampering my friends with special dishes when they come over.  My cookbook collection keeps growing and I just love planning the menu and setting a beautiful table for them. However; dinners during the week are quite a different story. Plastic placemats come out and the dinner menus are simple and predictable (think pan-seared salmon, a steamed vegetable, and a carb like rice or pasta).  Week in and week out this is pretty much it. After a while weeknight dinners can get repetitive and boring. I have gotten stuck in a rut with the same easy, tried and true recipes. But let me tell you how our weeknight dinners received an upgrade this last week thanks to Blue Apron.

Recently, Blue Apron reached out to me to see if I was interested in trying their meal service....Fresh ingredients, with chef-designed recipes delivered straight to your door? Yes, please!  I was really excited about this collaboration and could not wait to see what it was all about. We received recipes and ingredients for two yummy meals for four, and they were life-changing! Blue Apron helped us break up the midweek routine. The meals were divine and the whole dinner experience was elevated from boring to exciting. Both dinners felt like a special occasion- with menus like 'Crunchy Pork Chops with Summer Squash Slaw and Roasted Potato Wedges' and 'Seared Cod and Miso-Roasted Japanese Eggpgplant with Cucumber-Soba Noodle Salad' it felt like we were dining at a restaurant.  We all LOVED it!  Weeknight dinners all of a sudden became exciting and more like a treat, so much so that I even found energy to create a beautiful table each night to showcase the delicious meals.

Here is how it works-

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Mimosa Lane

food

Outdoor Entertaining with Pier 1

[this post is sponsored by Pier 1]

A few weeks ago I showed you how I used outdoor decor from Pier 1 Imports to freshen up our outdoor space so it would be a more inviting place for guests.  I have partnered once again with Pier 1 Imports to share with you a glimpse of our first alfresco lunch of the season where we showcased our pretty patio.  In keeping with our decor theme of Mediterrean Blue's I also planned the menu around this theme- Tabbouleh salad (so fresh and summery!), roasted butternut squash caprese salad (just add roasted butternut squash to your typical caprese salad. Oh and I used smoked mozzarella and it was fabulous), hummus dips with bread and some refreshing Sangria to drink (recipe included below!). 

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Albertina M. Cisneros

chocolate chip

Food || Gluten-Free Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cloud Cookies

This recipe is extra special because it is my friend's grandmother's recipe. I was lucky enough that she would let me share it with you. They are gluten-free (they use no flour) and since they use egg whites they really taste like oatmeal clouds.  They are light and sweet and good for you.  My daughter and husband love them and are all kind of obsessed with them. These will be joining my regular repertoire since they are so delicious and easy to make.

6 comments

Albertina M. Cisneros

chocolate

The Scoop || Prettiest Chocolates by Maggie Louise Confections

Chocolate is one of my favorite things in the world.  I love chocolate and strongly believe I cannot live without it.  I think I may be addicted (or simply #obsessed).  It doesn't take much to keep me happy, a small piece a day is all it takes.  So, you can imagine how excited I was to find out about Maggie Louise Confections, the prettiest, chicest and most fun chocolates that I have seen.  Her creations are original, inventive and a feast for the eyes- like works of art actually.  A box of these would make the most delightful and unexpected present for that someone you love and whom you want to WOW.  

Maggie Louise trained at Le Cordon Bleu and even went to Harvard Law School previously.  In her words she wanted to create "modern, chic candies that tasted like my memories"  Each gorgeous piece is hand-crafted in Austin, Texas, from the finest ingredients but you can buy them online here. Take a look at more of her creations-

5 comments

Albertina M. Cisneros

food

Recipes to help you survive this cold winter (from the Rose and Ivy Journal)

By this point most of the country is freezing and tired of the cold.  Even Dallas has been hit hard this year with cold weather.  But I have some great recipes, by Alison from the Rose and Ivy Journal, to help you better survive this cold wave.  If you don't know about the Rose Rose and Ivy Journal it is a beautifully curated online magazine covering fashion, food, beauty and design.  The latest issue just launched and I was just entranced by it all, but especially drawn to the recipes (as in I have my shopping list ready to go!)

The first recipes are meant to brighten up your day with flavorful lemons and pomelos. Recipes include citrus vanilla bean poundcake with blood orange glaze and lemon shortbread cookies with lemon curd.  These recipes (if not the photos) should get you thinking about the tropics and warmer days ahead.  The second set of recipes to help you survive these glacial days are of warm cozy soups to comfort you and your family- like roasted winter vegetable soup, potato, leek and broccoli soup, and white bean and kale soup among others (soup recipes here).  So, yes the Rose and Ivy Journal has plenty of recipes to carry you through the rest of winter.  Alison's beautiful and inviting photography alone will inspire you to get cooking right away. Here are more photos to fire up your taste buds-

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Albertina M. Cisneros

food

Valentine's Day Dinner

Over the weekend I had some friends over for a pre-Valentine's Day dinner.  I always have fun taking my time setting the table (I may even start the day before) and trying to decide on the menu.  I love pampering friends to a delicious and well thought-out meal.  I even took out my nice china, linens and glassware (which means hand-washing afterwards).  A true testament to how much I love my friends. If I don't use these things now, when, right? Here is what I made-

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Albertina M. Cisneros

food

Friday || Prettiest Pink Restaurant in London

Since I was researching restaurants last week and then pretty pink furniture this week I came across this amazing restaurant in London called Sketch which is comprised of several rooms and ambiances offering different types of food.  The concept was conceived by three-star Michelin chef Pierre Gagnaire and famous restauranteur Mourad Mazouz. This specific room is called The Gallery, a Gastro-Brasserie, which serves tea and dinner. But don't be fooled the other rooms are equally as interesting.  Pink girly heaven indeed.  

I'm really into the monochromatic look lately and this room was just so beautifully executed I cannot help but adore it. Brass and pink really are a match made in heaven.  And how perfect are the shapes of those club chairs?  London needs to be on my list for this summer.  I have been trying to make it happen for a while as I have a good friend who lives there and I would love to visit.  But as luck should have it we have not been able to make our summer plans coincide.  This year, perhaps!

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Albertina M. Cisneros

food

A Feast for the Eyes and Mouths || A Few Restaurants I want to visit

Aren't these images spectacular? It's restaurant decor at its finest.  I can't stop thinking about this great article I read on the WSJ about the world's most beautiful restaurants.  Nothing like haute cuisine consumed in an equally haute designed space.  Let's start with the Restaurant n° 7 in Fez, Morocco.  Forget about the food which I'm sure is out of this world, I just want to move in! The tiles and stones are spectacular.

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Albertina M. Cisneros

cocktails

Drinks || A Cozy Winter Cocktail

There is nothing cozier than sitting by the fire curled up with a furry blanket with a yummy cocktail on hand.  It has been freezing in Dallas lately (which I love!) so thoughts of cozy evenings by the fire abound here right now.  byejoe 'red' liquor is the star in today's cozy wintery cocktail.  byejoe is a reinvention of China’s ancient spirit baijiu, the equivalent to Mexico's tequila or Russia's vodka. You may remember last year I prepared a holiday cocktail with byejoe that was also delicious (see it here).  byejoe 'red' is distilled from 100% red sorghum, one of the world's most important grains which is rich in antioxidants, B vitamins and is an excellent source of protein. It is also one of the only grains that is naturally gluten free. Sounds like the perfect base for today's cocktail!  Here is the recipe for today's libation- Beijing Bitter-

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Albertina M. Cisneros

cranberry chutney

World's Best Cranberry Chutney

Can you believe Thanksgiving is only a week away!?  Oh my! We are in full swing planning our menu, but I had to share this recipe with you and really hope you will try it this holiday season because it is AMAZING.  Our very good and old family friends (I'm talking the equivalent of family) make this chutney every year.  We usually spend either Christmas or Thanksgiving with them, and even if we don't they always send along a jar of their famous cranberry chutney.  We await this care package as if it were a gold shipment or something just as precious. We have been celebrating alongside this delicious chutney for over 35 years! I asked permission to share this recipe with you all since its a cherished family secret, so know this post is an act of love toward you all and is the Thanksgiving turkey's best friend.

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Albertina M. Cisneros

chocolate chip

Food || Olive Oil, Chocolate, Chocolate Chip Cookies

We are all obsessed with olive oil around here. It must be because my husband is from the Mediterranean and grew up playing in the family's olive groves.  They are all so well versed and passionate about anything olive oil.  We take our olive oil very seriously around here. We cook everything with it (you may remember this family recipe for an olive oil and yogurt cake or this olive oil lemon meyer cake we make often as well).  Plus, olive oil's health benefits are no secret.  Everyone is my husband's family lives till 98 at least!  So, this time around when I saw a recipe for chocolate, chocolate chip olive oil cookies I just had to try it.  The cookies are AMAZING! Very rich and decadent with a fudgy-brownie consistency.  I highly, recommend this recipe.  Plus, they might add years to your life, so why not give them a try?  They might become your delicious secret weapon to keeping young.

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Albertina M. Cisneros

food

Rose and Ivy || The Launch

I'm so excited to share with you the launch of a new online lifestyle quarterly magazine called Rose and Ivy. It is filled with amazing recipes (like the crepe and blueberry cake pictured above. Doesn't it make you almost want to lick the screen?), fashion editorials, shoppable trends, articles on beauty, and interiors.   Rose and Ivy is the brainchild of Alison who was one of my first blog friends. I'm just so proud of her as this project really blends all her loves and talents into this work of art that is Rose and Ivy. This is an impressive labor of love.  Her photography and styling are absolutely breathtaking throughout. Come read this first volume that is inspired by still lives- it will elevate your soul.

8 comments

Albertina M. Cisneros

food

Food || Quinoa Cookies

Baking is such a normal part of life around here that I usually forget to blog about it because it's just what we do. If we want sweets, we make them. And most of the time things are eaten and enjoyed before they have even cooled from the oven. This definitely means there is no time for food styling or photograph taking.  A good friend of mine came to lunch the other day and for dessert I offered her one of these cookies.  She pointed out that she had not seen them on the blog and that she wanted the recipe.  So here it is for you all enjoy.

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Albertina M. Cisneros

Austin Cocktails

The Impromptu Bar with Austin Cocktails

I love entertaining and having people over.  A few days before a I host a dinner I start compiling all the things I need.  The to-dos can get lengthy...from finding the right ingredients, that special bread, the perfect spirits with their appropriate mixers, the good wine, to finding that special French cheese.  Ooooh and the flowers, of course.  And this doesn't even include, the deep cleaning, setting the table....  So sometimes it's nice to be able to welcome friends last-minute for a nice evening. No fuzz, no mixers, no fancy Hors d'oeuvres.  Enter Austin Cocktails.  These are pre-mixed cocktails with the yummiest of flavors from Vodkarita (Vodka + Natural Lime + Natural Orange + Organic Agave Nectar), Paradise Found ( Vodka + Natural Coconut Water + Stone and Citrus Fruits + Basil + Organic Agave Nectar), Tea Twister (Vodka + Real Tea + Natural Lemon + Organic Agave Nectar), to Cucumber Vodka Mojito (Vodka + Natural Cucumber + Natural Mint + Natural Lime + Organic Agave Nectar). They are like a party in a bottle.  With these to serve to your guests you don't need much else to entertain your friends. 

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Albertina M. Cisneros

food

Casual Tailgating || Homemade Pizza with Franks, Pineapple and Herbs

I'm using football season as an excuse to come up with a fun and delicious tailgating recipe.  In my mind pizza, franks and football just go hand in hand perfectly, don't you think?  And since I love pampering my guests only homemade pizza dough will do.  I don't think there is anything more delicious. Homemade dough elevates the pizza from fast-food to divine.  Add some Hebrew National hot dogs and pineapple as toppings and some home-grown herbs like rosemary and you have an explosion of flavors to keep you rooting for your team. Hebrew National are where are loyalties lie when it comes to franks and the ones we use to treat our friends because quality ingredients are very important to us.  Plus they are just so delicious. 

3 comments

Albertina M. Cisneros