grilled peaches with bourbon whipped cream

These peaches are absolutely, amazingly delicious- almost like a light peach pie a la mode, but the crispy grilled edges are so much better. I was literally left licking the plate. 


Anything is better on the grill- fruit is no exception. This  grilled peaches with bourbon whipped cream are the perfect light dessert for summer--they're less than 100 calories per serving! You can even bake or sauté the peaches in non-grilling season. 

Here I kept one half in tact and sliced up the other to show you both ways...

You can leave the bourbon out of the Cool Whip if you like. And the grilled peaches also taste delicious on their own!


Serves 4-6


You'll Need: - Amounts are very flexible 
Peaches- 4, seeded & quartered or cut in half-see how
Cool Whip (I used Extra Creamy)- 1 cup or 2 scoops per peach
Bourbon- 1 tsp. 
Melted Butter/Agave Nectar/Honey- to coat 
Brown Sugar- 2 tbsp. 
Cinnamon- 1 tsp.

Mix bourbon and brown sugar into Cool Whip until well blended. Refrigerate.


Brush peaches with melted butter/agave nectar/honey. 

Place peaches on grill. Cook 4-6 minutes on each side, or until grill marks form. 

Remove from grill. Sprinkle with cinnamon and brown sugar.

Top peach slices or fill halves' centers with whipped cream. 


Sprinkle more cinnamon and brown sugar on top if desired.

work dresses

I've been on the hunt for some nice, basic dresses I can wear to work. I have a ton of sundresses, but most of mine are strapless, too summery and possibly a little too short for work. 


I want something a little more professional, that can possibly be worn year-round, maybe with some tights underneath in the fall/winter. Plus, I think a more professional dress will be a good addition to my wardrobe for other things like showers. (This is how I rationalize my shopping.)


Here are my favorite "work" dresses.... 

Gap Pure Ribbed Black Dress

Calvin Klein grey & black colorblock dress

ModCloth- I Dapple in Art Dress

Boden Knee Length Shirt Dress

6pm -Max and Cleo Dress

J.Crew Marielle Work Dress

ModCloth- Twinkle in Time Dress

Eliza J- Cap Sleeve Black & White Dress

Frankie's Shirt Dress- Khaki

Land's End Ponté Twist Waist Dress

ModCloth- Midnight Fizzle Dress

shells with artichokes, tomatoes + olives

I love a light olive oil pasta like these shells with artichokes, tomatoes and olives. I had all of these things on hand and tossed them together with some fresh herbs from my RIP garden herb pots and it was delightful. I also added a Quorn Naked Chick'n Cutlet to mine for added protein.  

Serve pasta immediately or let sit at room temperature for a pasta salad for a party. But if you refrigerate, be aware that the shells will soak up the olive oil and could dry out. I think it's best to serve without refrigerating. 

You'll Need:
Medium Shells/Conchiglie- 8 oz. 

Conchiglie means "shells"

Can of Artichokes (or fresh cooked), chopped 

Cherry Tomatoes- 1 cup, sliced

Olives- 1 cup whole & pitted & rinsed
Garlic- 4 cloves, minced
Olive Oil- 4 tbsp. or as needed to coat
Parmesan Cheese- optional, 1/2 cup?
Fresh herbs- basil & oregano- to taste (about 1/4 cup?)
Salt & Pepper- to taste

Bring salted water to boil and cook pasta according to directions. Drain. Pour olive oil over pasta to coat and season with some salt. 

For speed:
Spoon jarred garlic, artichokes, tomatoes and olives into pasta. Season with herbs, salt and pepper and add cheese. 

For more flavor:
Sauté a chopped onion 4 minutes. Add fresh minced garlic & cook 3-4 more minutes. Add tomatoes and artichokes into pan to warm. Can alternatively roast all. Add to pasta along with olives. Season with herbs, salt and pepper and add cheese. 

sweet potato black bean veggie burgers

Serve these sweet potato black bean veggie burgers on a whole grain bun with avocado for a healthy lunch or dinner. Add jalapeños for a deliciously spicy-sweet kick.

You can even freeze some of them for later and then heat them up for a quick meal.

Makes 8-9 patties

You'll Need:
Sweet Potatoes- 2, quartered (to cook faster)
Black Beans- 1 15 oz. can, drained & rinsed
Corn- 2/3 cup
Oats- 1 cup
Garlic/Garlic Powder- 3 cloves, minced
Green Onions (can sub white or leave out)- 1/4 cup
Diced Jalapeños- optional, to taste

Seasonings: (to taste)
Cilantro 
Cayenne Pepper
Chili Powder
Onion Salt
Salt & Pepper

Boil sweet potatoes 10-15 minutes until tender. Drain & place in large bowl.

Add black beans and mash.

Stir in corn, oats, onion, garlic and all seasonings. Taste and season accordingly. If batter is too moist, add more oats or even a tiny bit of flour.

Roll into balls and smash by hand or with masher. Place on tin foil or cookie sheet. You can refrigerate the patties 1-4 hours to let help them firm up if you have time.

You can either grill them, bake them or sauté them.

Today I grilled them. I didn't oil the tin foil, so they all stuck to it and kept ripping off the outside layer of the burgers, so I just placed them on the grates and it actually worked well.

To grill- cook on low heat a few minutes on each side or until grill marks form. Spray tin foil well or place directly on grates. 

To bake- cook at 375 for about 30 minutes.

To sauté- cook on med-low heat for about 5 minutes on each side, or until slightly browned.

Top with a slice of sharp cheddar cheese and avocado slices!

weekender bags

Summertime means more travel and weekend trips and I love a good tote you can throw everything in for a quick getaway or use as a carry-on for air travel. Here are my favorite weekender bags for summer...

Tory Burch Roslyn Stiped Weekender

DKNY Rubber Small Tote

Michael Kors- Medium Weekender Tote in black

Steve Madden Studded Tote - Taupe 

Forever 21- Striped Canvas Duffle

Longchamp Le Pliage Large Tote

baked polenta with fontina mushroom sauce

Polenta is a traditional Italian dish that can be served as breakfast, lunch or dinner depending on how you season and top it.

This baked polenta with creamy mushroom sauce is one of my favorite dinners to make for other people. It's great for a dinner party beause it's different than the regular dishes people are used to. You can serve with a light olive oil pasta like this one, or in place of any bready side dish.  You can also grill it, see how here.

Serves 6-8

Baked Polenta 

Ingredients:

Corn Meal- 2 cups

Water- 10 cups

Olive Oil- 1/4 cup

Shredded Italain Cheese- 4 oz. or 1/2 cup 

Italian Herbs- Oregano & Parsley- to taste
Garlic/Garlic Powder- to taste

Butter- 2 tbsp. optional

Directions:

Bring water and olive oil to a boil. Whisk in corn meal. Stir constantly for first 3 minutes. Be careful, air bubbles will pop! 

Simmer on low heat until thick- about 10-20 minutes, stirring frequently so it doesn't stick. It is done when it pulls back from the sides or bottom. 

Season polenta with garlic powder, salt and herbs. Stir in butter and cheese and remove from heat immediately. 

Pour into sprayed 9 x 13 pan. Bake 20 minutes at 350. (Once it's been in oven 10 minutes, I start the sauce.) 

Fontina Mushroom Sauce adapted from Food.com

Ingredients:

Sliced Mushrooms- 16 oz. or 2 cups
Green Onion/Shallot- 1/2 cup,  minced

White Wine- 1/2 cup

Fat Free/Reduced Fat Sour Cream- 1/2 cup

Shredded Fontina Cheese- 2/3 cup 

Salt- to taste
Tarragon- to taste, optional

Directions:

Sauté mushrooms and shallots in a drizzle of olive oil about 8 minutes. Add wine and turn heat to high until absorbed- about 2-3 minutes.  Stir in tarragon, sour cream and fontina cheese. Remove from heat. Pour over individual slices of polenta and serve. 

beach bags

It's officially time for trips to the pool and days at the beach here in the Northeast. Here are my favorite beach bags to tote your sunblock, books, (okay, magazines), bottled water and other goodies to the beach. One of my other must-haves is a spray bottle filled with ice water to stay cool.

Which is your favorite? 

Under One Sky Oversize Straw Tote

Rafé New York 'Kim' Straw Beach Bag

Top Shop- Oversized Aztec Sack Bag

Target- Straw & Sequin Beach Bag

Target- Straw Blue Beach Bag

mango salsa

So good. So fresh. So easy! This mango salsa is a great light dip with chips and everyone always love it. I like both jalapeños and chiles, it makes a great blend of sweet & spicy.

My friend, Abby, made this mango salsa for our Cinco de Mayo party at work and I loved it! Check out her fashion blog here.

 You'll Need:

Mango- 2, skinned & chopped

Pineapple- 8 oz. (chopped or can of crushed)

Red Onion-1/3 cup or half medium onion, chopped

Cilantro- 1/4 cup, chopped

Chiles and/or Jalapeños- 4 oz. diced (I use more chiles than jalapenos to keep the spice down) 
Lime Juice- 1/2 lime squeezed

Salt- to taste
Pepper- to taste 

Mix all ingredients in bowl. Season with salt. Refrigerate until ready to serve.