Clearly I spoke too soon when I said that fall was officially here because now we’ve had nearly a week of temperatures ranging from the high 60′s to low 80′s! So in an attempt to coax fall into returning, I’m looking for warm and cozy treats so at least it smells like fall in my apartment. The salty, sweet, and spicy kick of these chewy ginger cookies will hopefully do the trick.

Saturday I headed to the Hudson valley to Bear Mt. for some hiking and Storm King Arts Center for some amazing sculpture sightings. But the best part of the day was eating at Baba Louie’s woodfired pizza in Hudson, NY. There’s a Baba Louie’s near my family’s house in the Berkshires and my craving was so strong I decided to make the trip to the other location and it was a totally worth the hour and a half drive north! If you’re ever in Hudson NY, Gt. Barrington or Pittsfield MA I highly recommend trying out the amazing varieties of sourdough crust artisinal pizzas.

via mrs. lillien

If Mrs. Lillien wasn’t cool enough already, now she’s adding facial scrub and pasta recipes to her repertoire. I love this blog for the incredible design elements and how they are perfectly matched with such an amazing sense of style. And throw in tips on travel destinations, cocktails and summer activities it’s basically a one stop shop for all things fabulous!

PS: This simple pasta recipe looks easy enough for me to make, and definitely delicious enough for me to eat:

2 boxes quinoa pasta cooked til al dente, then drained

the juice and zest of 2 fresh lemons

1/3 cup good olive oil

1/2 cup fresh basil chopped

1/2 cup fresh flat leaf parsley chopped

6 oz fresh mozzarella pieces

coarse salt and pepper to taste

add all ingredients to a large pasta bowl, toss + enjoy!

Most people have this secret compartment in their stomachs where they can always find the room to scarf down a little dessert — I seem to have that same compartment but mine is specifically for guacamole! (But I probably have the dessert one as well). And because I have finally figured out that I can make my own guac when the hankering strikes me (using a take on this recipe), I’m dying to buy this molcajete that all my favorite restaurants serve their’s in.

via style swoon

In case drinking lots of beers to cool off on hot summer days and eating burgers and hotdogs off the grill wasn’t enough to pop a button on your jorts, this cookie will surely push you over the edge. While I’m not a huge fan of oreos, they tend to be dry and I definitely don’t dunk them in milk, I think I could manage to put a few of these down. Yum!

via because im addicted

I made guacamole for 4th of July and the batch got nothing but rave reviews. While there are a million and one different recipes online, I doctored up the recipe below to made it my own. The secret? Jarred jalapenos, between the chunks and the juice it adds the perfect kick.

3 ripe avocados, diced (I prefer Haas avocados)

1/3 cup white onion, chopped

1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped

1 jalapeno, seeded and minced (if you prefer it spicier add 1.5-2 jalapenos)

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (or more if you like it limey which I do)

Salt to taste (be generous as salt really brings out the flavor of the avocados)

1. Halve and pit the avocados. Scoop out the flesh with a tablespoon into a mixing bowl. Dice and mash the avocados with a fork.

2. Add the remaining ingredients, fold everything together and mix gently.

3. Lay a piece of plastic wrap right on the surface of the guacamole so it doesn’t brown and refrigerate for about an hour before serving.

I think these Mason jar meals are such a good, adorable and delicious looking idea. The creator, from the decorated cookie, sought to create a meal that could travel and stay fresh after sitting for a long period of time. I can totally see making some of these for a trip to the beach this Memorial Day weekend or a picnic in the park this summer!

Here’s are some pointers for how you can to make your own:

Put dressings and heavy items on the bottom, foods to stay crisp and fresh at the top. For the salad, I mixed the dressing with the chick peas at the bottom to keep them away from the lettuce. Barriers help, like my layer of cucumber slices. For the pasta, I figured the tomatoes would add moisture (for mixing) and acidity (to prevent browning) to the pesto, so I put them together. And I left space at the top of each for shaking and mixing.

via zagat

After a long Passover diet for the last week I had my first supper at Peels with my friend (who had also just broken a very strict [read: insane] lent) and it was a blast! The place is adorable, the food is simple but scrumptious and there’s nothing better than a menu with endless options. I would highly recommend checking the place out. It has a bit of southern charm and diner/cafe feel. The dinner was scrumptious but I’ve heard their brunch is even better!

The deliciousness of the cinnamon and sugar biscotti in this picture has me wanting to bake and enjoy the fruits of my labor. Mandel bread is jewish biscotti. It’s a crunchier cookie that you can put just about anything into that you like. I am thinking one of these days, hopefully in the not so distant future, I will make my Nana’s mandel bread. And maybe I’ll add some chocolate chips, just for a little sweet surprise?!

Nana’s Mandel Bread

4 eggs
1 c. sugar
1 1/8 c. oil
1 tsp. vanilla
4 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. finely chopped almonds
1/2 c. chopped dried candied cherries (optional)
cinnamon and sugar mix (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Lightly grease 1 or 2 baking sheets.
3. Beat eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla until blended.
4. Sift flour, baking powder and salt together and stir into liquids (Use just enough flour to make a soft dough — it may vary slightly depending on the size of the eggs.)
5. Add nuts (and cherries if desired.)
6. Shape into 4 rolls about 2″ in width and transfer to baking sheets.
7. Bake for 30 – 35 mins. and remove from oven.
8. Turn oven down to 250.
9. Cool loaves slightly and cult into slices (approx. 1″ or desired thickness.)
10. Dip tops of warm slices into cinanamon & sugar mix (if desired.)
11. Arrange slices on cookie sheets and return to oven to dry for 1/2 – 1 hr.

Just thinking about this amazing recipe for Burrata makes my mouth water. Thanks to Sunday Suppers, it looks like even I, the most inept chef on the planet, could finally create one of my all time favorite Italian appetizers! Now if only I had the patience to actually make it!