Tasty Achievements: June 2014

"Spring being a tough act to follow, God created June."

Al Bernstein

Happy 4th of July week! It's been a busy month for us here at Blog to Taste. We've been super happy with the posts that we're producing, and we hope that you're loving them too. Since it's the end of the month, it's time to share our absolute favorites for this month.

The first post that we knew we wanted to share was Holly's Princess Ice Cream. June starts the hot summer months and what better way to cool off than with ice cream? Plus the pictures on this post were everything we wanted.

PRINCESS ICE CREAM

To kick off our 4th of July menu, Sarah put together an a spritzer worth saluting. Since it's decorative ice, it's another perfect way to cool down this summer.  And to make the post even sweeter take a look at the flag. As Rosie said, it's giving us life!

STAR SPANGLED SPRITZER

Warren's post of worthiness in June were his adorable pies. We loved that he was using fresh fruits and was using the post as a nice reminder of his grandmother who he lost in June to cancer. 

STRAWBERRY RHUBARB AND BLACKBERRY PEACH PIES

The final post to check out from June were Rosie's Mini Cakes. The moment that we laid eyes on these cakes we fell in shoulda-put-a-ring-on-it love with them. Heart Shaped Mini Cakes are always a must.

HEART SHAPED MINI CAKES

Again, thank you for checking out our blog! We love the comments ♥ What were you favorite posts from June? 

Stars Spangled Spritzer

Hiya pals!  I stole the Friday spot from Rosie and made a drink.  I like ice.  Pretty ice is even better.  I can admit that I love when fancy ice ends up on my Pinterst feed.  I thought I would try my hand at making some myself.  Not as easy as I thought it would be.  I have a star shaped ice cube tray that I havent played with much.  This was a perfect time to try it out!  I froze some berries in the ice and to make the ice extra tasty I used juice.  I decided on food dye instead of trying red juice and I didnt want to use a blue drink.  The ice melted really fast because of the bubbles in the sparkling water, but they were tasty!

Freedom Fish Tacos

We are jumping right into our Independence Day theme with some Freedom Fish Tacos! What makes them free? Well it's because this 4th of July you are free to make something unexpected, something other than brats and chicken, you are free to make fish tacos, and now you have the perfect recipe and they are federally delicous! 

Last week while I was doing my menu planning, I decided I wanted to find a way to work more fish into our plan. But I have a secret: I don't really know anything about fish. I don't know how to cook it, I don't even know what fish I like to eat. As a kid the only fish I liked was tuna, on a sandwich. As a teen I discovered sushi, which I love, but something about cooked fish is more, well, fishy. I've been trying to eat different fish and seafood in the past couple years, but it's hit and miss for me. But I know that I like to eat white fish. White fish is like fish for beginners, or fish for weenies, whichever you prefer. 

So I headed into my local market and talked to my meatman. Halibut and Cod were side by side, Halibut was about $20 a pound and the cod $6 a pound. My meatman and I chatted for a minute about whether the price for halibut was worth it, decided at wasn't and I headed home with a couple of pieces of cod. 

4th Of July Menu

We're doing a theme for 4th of July for the next two weeks, now through July 4th! 

Pineapple Pork Marinade Recipe

Hey foodie friends and happy Friday! I keep having these cravings for different fruits. First it was raspberries, then peaches and now it's pineapple. I've been just thinking of different ways to enjoy the fruit and then I thought...grill it! Unfortunately, I don't have a grill, so I decided that I should try some sort of marinade on pork, so I came up with this delicious recipe.

Princess Ice Cream: Homemade Vanilla Bean and Cherry Ice Cream

Despite what people may lead you to believe, ice cream is a treat that can be enjoyed all year. There is something special, though, about indulging in a refreshing cold serving of frozen cream on a warm summer day. For this recipe, Princess Ice Cream: Homemade Vanilla Bean and Cherry Ice Cream, I was inspired by luxury, gorgeous rose blooms, and my love for anything cherry flavored.  I used Tyler Florence's Vanilla Bean Ice Cream Recipe as a starting point.

Heart Shaped Mini Cakes

Hey foodie friends! With my birthday right around the corner, I figured it was time for me to bake a cake! I know everyone is used to me making drinks, but it promise I can actually wield a spatula, or at least a kitchenaid paddle pretty well. 

I have been obsessing over mini cakes, they are so cute! So I figured that's the direction I would take. 

Mini cake pans exist, but are a lil spendy and I chose to go my own route. I baked the cake in a sheet pan with sides and cut out shapes with cookie cutters

Wedge Salad

I love that the weather is warming up but when it is hot I dont want to be in the kitchen.  Salads are a staple for me in summer.  They are cool and fresh just what you need when it is hot.  This salad is extra easy because you dont cut the lettuce till you are eating it.  I remember ordering wedge salads when I was younger and loving them!  I would get them at a local restaurant that is no longer around.  The one I loved was made of iceberg lettuce, not my fave, and chunky blue cheese dressing.  I loved blue cheese.  Now that I am dairy free it is nice to still have a creamy dressing.  The balsamic mixed in the dressing gives the salad a blue cheeseish taste.  Love.  I mixed things up by using butter lettuce and adding bacon.  Not to shabby.  Normally I make a oil and vinegar dressing in the bowl.  With this dressing I could make a bunch in advance and eat it for days.  

Strawberry Rhubarb and Blackberry Peach Pies

Hello foodie friends! I know we've had a few pie adventures on this blog so far, but it's only because pies are beyond amazing. My grandma has been having some health issues, so we've reminiscing about good times. One thing that we were discussing was her strawberry rhubarb pie. There was something just so perfect about it, so I had to try and replicate it. 

I've also been obsessed with peaches lately. I decided to attempt to make a blackberry peach pie. Peaches are just so summery, sweet and perfect. My absolute favorite thing about a peach, by far, is the smell.

Homemade Gourmet Dog Treats: Cheese and Mint

While cooking, one of the joys I experience is being under the constant surveillance of 4 hungry animals. My dog pack crowds joyfully yet aggressively around my feet as I chop, mix, stir, and cook. This makes my kitchen a hazardous and noisy place, but I wouldn't want it any other way.

In order to please my demanding audience, I decided to bake up some gourmet doggy treats. I will share my recipes every few months as I try different things, and I know my pups will appreciate the special attention too. My first recipe is a parmesan and mint bone. The mixture may sound odd, but it smelled delicious while baking. My dog pack loved the end result, and the small amount of mint is great for freshening stinky dog breath.

Tasty Achievements: May 2014

"You are as welcome as the flower in May."

Charles Macklin

Hello food friends! It's time again to celebrate our favorite posts for the month of May. These are the posts that we fell in love with. We have a great group here on Blog to Taste and these are the best of the best in May. 

Our first post comes from Mother's Day. Rosie made lovely mimosas and candied bacons. They pictures were perfect and really set the tone for a perfect day with our mom.

MOTHER'S DAY MIMOSAS & CANDIED BACON

Another great post from May was Holly's Italian Chicken Kabobs. The colors on the post popped and the end product made us all want to break out our grills and start making kabobs. 

MEMORIAL DAY ITALIAN CHICKEN KABOBS

Sarah intrigued us this month (a proved why she's only 97% paleo) with her Criss Cross Potatoes. Plus she used Rosemary which is the perfect partner to potatoes. 

CRISS CROSS POTATOES

Finally Warren's post, using his favorite soda, was a fun twist on a Memorial Day classic. The Homemade Coca-Cola BBQ Sauce goes well with all sorts of dishes. 

HOMEMADE COCA-COLA BBQ SAUCE

So we have to know! What were your favorites this past month and what do you want to see us do in June? Leave us a comment below, we love hearing from you!