It's been awhile since my last food blog post, not because I haven't been cooking, but because I haven't whipped up that many "new" dishes (I've been sticking to tried-and-true favorites) or dishes that I thought were post-worthy lately. Over the last few months, I've been cooking recipes by people I discovered on Instagram; a couple of my go-tos are Half Baked Harvest and Clean Food Crush. My first dish here is by the latter.   

10-Minute Honey Garlic Shrimp

Last night, I made Clean Food Crush's 10-Minute Honey Garlic Shrimp and served it over white rice --the meal was a hit. This dish is super simple, especially since I had most of the ingredients at home: butter, sea salt, pepper, sesame seeds, honey, soy sauce, broth, garlic, ginger, and flour. All I needed to buy was 1.5 pounds of shrimp and green onions.

You whisk the honey garlic sauce ingredients together. Cook the shrimp, then pour the sauce over the shrimp and simmer for 3 more minute...

Since our wedding is a few weeks away, we've been watching what we eat. This means I haven't been baking up a storm as usual. I've tried to keep our entrées as simple and as healthy as possible. Here's what I've been cooking lately. 

Swedish Meatballs with Egg Noodles

I love Swedish meatballs. I've made IKEA's meatballs topped with their sauce packet in the past, as well as tried Alton Brown's recipe (which was missing something), but this recipe was a hit. By Damn Delicious, this recipe called for sour cream, beef broth, and unsalted butter to make a creamy, flavorful sauce. And the meatballs were tasty --made with 1 lb. pork and 1 lb. ground beef. I served it over egg noodles, and ate every last bite. 

Cilantro Lime Chicken over Orzo

Because our cilantro garden was thriving, I looked for a recipe where we could use a bunch of it and found this one: Cilantro Lime Chicken. By The Mediterranean Dish, this recipe called for chicken thighs in chicken broth, white wine, lime, and a b...

As a woman who is getting married in 93 days (I cannot wait!), I wanted to know what brides-to-be need in order to be in style on their wedding day. So, I asked an expert: celebrity bridal stylist Micaela Erlanger. Read on for my Q&A with Micaela in MIAMI LIVING's August/September 2020 issue featuring cover star, Roger Federer. Read the PDF here or click this link.  

My fiancé and I recently went to Nashville to get out of town and celebrate our engagement. Of course, we had a wonderful time eating our way around the city. We even fit in a last-minute engagement photo shoot with my talented friend, celebrity photographer Joseph Llanes while we were there. Here are a few restaurants with some excellent fare that I recommend you check out the next time you're in Music City.

CAFÉ AT BOBBY

Inside Bobby Hotel, (where we stayed while we were in town) is a small cafe that serves a small, but excellent, artisanal menu. I was blown away by the flavors that were injected into these often simple dishes.

Pan Roasted Salmon

The salmon featured complex layers of flavor and texture with the sweet corn, salty bacon, buttered succotash, fried okra, and pools of green goddess. So good!

Tomato Fennel Bisque with Brie croutons

Oh. My. God. These brie croutons definitely kicked up this tomato soup several notches. You bite into the...

I have a sweet tooth, for sure. I am one who says, "There is always room for dessert." When I am not baking sugary creations at home, I am on the hunt for the perfect sweet treat, wherever I am. Pick a city, state, or country that I've visited and ask me what dessert you should try and I will serve you a stellar suggestion. Here are a few of my favorite sweets from some spots in Atlanta. 

Five Daughters Bakery

This "croissant-style 100 layer doughnut" (aka cronut) is flaky, sweet, comes in a variety of staple- and seasonal flavors, and sometimes has a rich, creamy filling. If there's a Five Daughters around, I am definitely indulging in this decadent treat. I love their staple flavors: The Purist and King Kong. Recently, I had their seasonal Triple Raspberry (pictured) and it was scrumptious. 

Rita's Ice

Ever since I tasted my first gelati (layers of Italian ice and frozen custard) --I think I was 18--, I've been hooked. Creamy, thick...