Hello Everyone! It’s hard to believe that the summer is coming to an end! I hope you’ve all enjoyed your summer, that you’ve had some time to relax and have fun, and that you’ve made lots of new memories! We’ve had a busy but great one, filled with lots of travel (and jet lag), and so many new experiences and memories. We recently spent a week in Scotland, and I wanted to share some pictures of our day in Edinburgh with you today!

Edinburgh is a beautiful city with so much ancient history and lots of charming old streets and squares. At the top is Edinburgh Castle, which overlooks the city. This is one of the views from the castle!

I was pretty excited to be wearing a scarf and a jacket in the middle of the summer! I am not a fan of the heat and the humidity that the summer brings with it, so I was loving the cool temperatures and even the occasional rain showers!

Bagpipes & Tartan

Everything was so beautifully green.

I loved this old gate!

Scottish rock candy (left) and A Scottish Recipes dish towel (right)!

Fish & Chips! We didn’t actually have this in Edinburgh, but I wanted to include this here too, because it was so so good! With all the grease that it contained, it was a heart attack waiting to happen, but it was oh so delicious!

Beautiful gardens in the city

The day that we were here happened to be one one of the days that the Fringe Festival was on in the city! There were lots of street performers and vendors out, and it was so much fun watching them all!

 Traditional Scottish tartan blankets

More tartan!

Edinburgh Castle

The interior courtyard of the castle

Cemetery for soldiers’ dogs (left) and St. Margaret’s Chapel (right). This little chapel was incredible, it was a tiny little room with just a couple of places to sit, but it was so peaceful and serene. It is also the oldest building in both the castle and in the city, and it’s hard to believe it’s been standing there since the 12th century!

You really need at least half a day to explore the whole castle, but it is so worth seeing at least a little bit of it! Besides seeing the Scottish crown jewels or some of the interiors of where Mary Queen of Scots lived, you get to see some absolutely beautiful views of the city!

I feel like we’ve been in a constant state of jet lag these past couple of weeks which has made sleeping pretty difficult, so as soon as I saw this tea, I had to get it! It’s so good, and I managed to stay asleep until 5am… !!!

This was such a fun trip, and I loved being able to visit this beautiful old city! If you are ever in Scotland, it is definitely worth a visit! This was our last trip of the summer, so it’s time to put those suitcases away and get ready for the next season…. I can’t wait for fall to come now, after the chilly weather in Scotland I am so ready for it! I hope you are all having a wonderful week, and have a great rest of the summer!

PS. I couldn’t resist re-sharing this Scottish treat with you…. I need to make some more shortbread soon!

Get the recipe HERE!

Hello, sweet friends! I have a delicious summery recipe to share with you today! With just a couple of weeks left of the summer, this is a great way to use all those fresh berries, and it’s such an easy, fuss-free recipe! I love comfort desserts like this, especially with fresh fruit in the summertime! I lightened up the original recipe slightly, but it’s still just as good. You could use a variety of berries, but I love the tart blackberries here. Here’s the recipe…

*Serves 6*

YOU WILL NEED
2 cups fresh blackberries
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 stick (4oz) unsalted butter, melted
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup milk (I use skim milk)
Vanilla ice-cream or whipped cream (or both!) to serve

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DIRECTIONS

Begin by greasing your baking dish ( I usually use a 9-inch baking pan) and preheat your oven to 350 deg F. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and 3/4 cup of sugar. Pour in the melted butter and milk, and whisk everything together until you have a nice smooth and creamy mixture. Then, pour it into your prepared baking dish. Sprinkle on the blackberries, evenly distributing them over the batter. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar over the whole thing and bake for about an hour, or until the edges are lightly browned and the berries are juicy! Let cool for a couple of minutes, then serve warm with ice-cream and whipped cream! (*Note: I lightened up the original recipe by using skim milk and reducing the amount of sugar, so if you prefer a sweeter cobbler add extra sugar!)

For other similar desserts, check out these recipes!

Rhubarb Raspberry Crisp (left) and Plum Oatmeal Crisp (right)

 

Apple Cranberry Crisp (left) and Summery Peach Cobbler (right)
*I previously shared this recipe on Or So She Says, where I am a monthly contributor! The site has lots of great recipes and ideas, so make sure you check it out!

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Hello Everybody! As promised, here is the second part of our Roman Holiday (you can catch up on Part 1 HERE) and it is all about the food! Because food this delicious definitely deserves a post of its own. And because much of it was consumed on this trip, and I want to share it with you all! From the pizza, the pasta and the prosciutto to the desserts and the gelato, it’s hard not to fall in love with Italy at first bite. Italian dining is quite a grand affair, and the taste, quality and pace of the meal reflects that in every way. The Italians not only know how to cook the food, they know how to eat it. At a leisurely pace, in several courses throughout the meal. Traditionally, there is an antipasto course (which is the appetizer), then the first course which is a pasta dish, the second course is a meat course which could either be chicken, some kind of red meat, or fish, and lastly, dessert. The dolce. Eating isn’t rushed, and it isn’t just for survival. It’s a pleasure. An occasion. And it’s a grand one. Food is to be enjoyed and to be savored. And really, ingredients this fresh and food prepared this well deserve the time and love!

First, there’s the pizza.

The thin crust, the melted cheese, the huge variety of toppings… there’s nothing like it! (And as a side note: it’s really not a good idea to be counting carbs when you’re in Italy. Wait until you get back home.)

One afternoon, we stumbled upon a small family run pizza shop on a little street corner after one of our very long walks. The shop had about twenty-five different kinds of pizza toppings, ranging from prosciutto (which was amazing!), shredded potato, mushroom, various grilled vegetables, and this. Zucchini blossoms and anchovies. It was so good. I later saw zucchini blossoms incorporated into a lot of different dishes since they are in season in the summer, a popular one also being stuffed and fried zucchini blossoms served as an appetizer.

More pizza. Fresh tomato & tuna.

And then there’s the pasta…

Oh my goodness, the pasta. A seafood pasta on the left, and a mushroom & bacon pasta on the right. I have no words. Pure deliciousness.

My favorite lunch stop. Cheese & Salami Focaccia sandwich.

And then, there’s the gelato.

Ever since I knew we were going to Rome, I couldn’t wait for the gelato. I had heard about this cafe, or ice-cream parlor, called Giolitti which is the oldest one in Rome and really wanted to go there. So on our way back from the Vatican, we stopped there. It’s a busy place, with people lining up to first get a ticket with what size ice-cream they want, then crowding around the large counter filled with more ice-cream flavors than you can imagine!

More Nutella. I’m pretty sure this wasn’t even Nutella flavored gelato, just straight up Nutella. And hazelnut gelato (can you tell I love hazelnuts?!)

The interior of the ice-cream parlor.

Just a couple of the flavors to chose from!

There was something else that was uniquely Italian: coffee bars. Essentially a place filled with only coffee, where you walk up to the bar, order your coffee, drink it right there, and leave. Like a brief caffeine refill during a busy day.

The funny part is, I don’t drink coffee. But I’m pretty sure my husband had enough for both of us! We had breakfast at a little cafe near our hotel every morning, and when he asked for his coffee, they automatically assumed I wanted one too. Instead (and to their horror), I asked for my usual English Breakfast Tea. To my surprise, it was served in a little coffee cup! The smallest (and probably strongest!) little cup of tea I’ve ever had!

Another Italian favorite? Nutella. In everything. Like this Nutella filled croissant. This is my kind of place.

Delicious pastries and cookies.

Like these. (More Nutella on the right)

Or this.

Lots of restaurants displayed the seasonal ingredients they were cooking with out front (like the picture on the left). They had big baskets of huge lemons, fresh vegetables and lots of different kinds of mushrooms. And on the right, these little stalls with roasted chestnuts were all over the city!

More deliciousness.

Another street cafe on Piazza Navona.

Cafe seating.

Olive trees. And more coffee.

This trip was quite a culinary adventure, and I came back with lots of ideas that I can’t wait to try out in my kitchen (as soon as I get over this jet lag!) Every time I go to Italy, I fall in love with it all over again. There’s just something about those little streets and piazzas, the way of life, and the amazing food, you can’t help but be enchanted by it! You most certainly should make the journey out to Italy yourself one day. I won’t deny, it can be quite the costly trip but one well worth the cost. If you need to bolster your funds in order to stretch your budget to get out there, you might want to check out lending options over on the Lending Expert website. One day I will have a summer home in Italy. Hopefully around the corner from a little trattoria. I have lots of “one days” on my list, but this one is pretty high up on there 🙂 I hope you’ve enjoyed coming along on this trip (if you want to read Part 1 which is all about the city of Rome, you can find it HERE), and that you are having a wonderful week! Thanks for stopping by today, and come back soon for some new recipes and projects!

Good Morning, Everyone! With the summer flying by so fast, I have a quick little summer project to share with you! You could really make this wreath for any season (I made a square-shaped Christmas one last year that you can check out HERE), but I thought the white lace ribbon added a cute summery touch here! All you need are a couple of supplies and you have a sweet little wreath to pretty up your door!

Boxwood (real of faux)

Round wreath form

Lace Ribbon (mine was about 2.5 inches wide)

Or make your own wreath form out of thick wire (like from a clothes hanger!)

Floral wire (or Christmas ornament hooks!)

Scissors & wire cutter

Hot glue gun

1. First, gather all your supplies. You can either use a pre-made wreath form, or you can make one out of some thick wire (like from a wire clothes hanger). Just make your circle out of the wire and twist the ends to secure them, and add some hot glue around where you twisted the wire, just to make sure the wire doesn’t move!

2. Next, start attaching your boxwood in little bunches. Either insert those bunches into your wreath form, or if you are using a wire one, secure them onto the form in bunches with some thin floral wire, or even some Christmas ornament hooks. Make sure you wrap the wire around tight enough so the boxwood bunches don’t fall out (they may dry and shrink as the wreath hangs and you don’t want them to fall out!) Keep going around the wreath form with the small bunches of boxwood until you have filled the entire thing!

2. Once you have filled the whole wreath, check to see that it looks nice and even. If there are pieces of boxwood that are sticking out of place, trim them, or if there are bare areas, add in a couple extra pieces of boxwood. Once you are happy with your wreath, attach your ribbon. Cut a piece of ribbon to use as the wreath hanger, then make your lace bow and attach it onto the front of the ribbon you used to hang the wreath, either with some hot glue, or with some wire.

And here’s the Christmas Boxwood Square Wreath (with a tutorial) that I mentioned!

Hi Everyone! I hope you are all having a great weekend and are enjoying your summer! It’s been a busy couple of weeks for us with lots of travel and I wanted to share some pictures of our time away, starting with Rome! It’s really hard to sum up a city as grand and beautiful, and as old and charming as Rome into one post (so look out for Part 2 soon!) and a couple of pictures, but I’m going to try to at least show you some of my favorite things from the city! I’ve been to and lived in some beautiful cities, but there is just something about Rome; the ancient history that’s constantly surrounding you, the incredibly delicious food and the quaint little streets and piazzas lined with trattorias and cafes, filled with people eating (and drinking espressos!) late into the night. Just magical.

So come take a walk around the city with me…

One of the most famous places in Rome is St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican. Our hotel was in the center of the city, and looking at our little tourist map, the Vatican didn’t seem like it was that far away… a couple of blocks, one or two piazzas and a walk across the bridge and you’re there. Three and a half miles later, we were there! It was a super hot and humid day, but this was definitely worth the walk!

St. Peter’s is absolutely beautiful, both from the outside and the inside. The glorious size and grandeur of the church are breathtaking, with ornate decorations and intricate paintings filling the whole cathedral.

St. Peter’s Square… and the long walk back begins! Why is the walk back always longer?! I did have a pretty special ice-cream stop planned though (more about that in Part 2!) which made the walk back in the heat and the uncomfortable shoes (also, why do I always decide to pack the most uncomfortable shoes?!) a little faster!

And of course you can’t go to Rome without going to the Colosseum…

And the Pantheon…

We walked for miles and miles every day, but with so many things to look at on every corner, you forget how long you’ve been walking for, or how much your feet hurt!

Lots of balconies were filled with flowers.

Hi Everyone! I just wanted to stop by and wish you all a great weekend, and to share some of my favorite summer dessert recipes with you! I love baking in the summer because of all the great fresh fruit that’s available, it makes such a difference! The ripe, juicy berries and fresh, fragrant plums, peaches and apricots… they add so much flavor (and vitamins, I like to think!). It’s such a great time to bake and make the most of the fresh ingredients at this time of year. The only problem I ever have is that at this time of the year the kitchen can get VERY hot with both of the ovens and the hob on. Even with the doors and windows open, baking can be a sweaty ordeal. If you have the same problem, try WireNut Home Services or someone similar to have air conditioning installed in your kitchen. Having an icy breeze blow over you as you stand over a hot oven is a welcome relief, and it can help you to enjoy the experience. Sometimes getting too hot in the kitchen can be overwhelming, making you can lose your appetite. Instead, it’s better to be cool and breathe in all of the delicious smells, helping every kitchen creation become an enjoyable one.

I’ve been baking for a good while now (longer than I care to admit!), so I have a good range of equipment at my disposal. Summer baking is a little different to winter baking, so you might need a few new things. Don’t forget you can always add to your baking collection from websites such as PromoCodeWatch.com to get discounts on your baking equipment! I hope you enjoy these recipes I’m sharing with you, and that you have fun baking for your friends and family this summer! But first, how cute are these mugs that my mom got me from Whittard?! Pretty much a baker’s life motto and some solid good life advice!

Ok, now let’s eat cake!

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These Blueberry Crumb Bars (Left: recipe HERE) are one of my summer favorites! They are a great way to use fresh blueberries, or any other summer fruit actually! The sweet crumb topping really makes these, I can’t wait to make another pan of these soon! Or if you prefer using something other than blueberries, you can make these Apple Crumb Bars (Right: recipe HERE) which are also really tasty! The tart apples, the crunchy walnuts, the buttery topping and the sweet glaze…. oh so good!

For another berry, strawberry, recipe, try this Strawberry Layer Cake (Right: recipe HERE)! I love love love layer cakes like this because they look impressive, yet are one of THE easiest desserts to throw together! All you need is three things: cake, whipped cream and fruit! I know these Sour Cream Pancakes with Blueberries (Left: recipe HERE) are technically breakfast, but they are so good they might as well be dessert for breakfast! As far as I’m concerned, sour cream makes everything better, including these pancakes! And the fresh juicy berries make this a great summer breakfast!

If you love fruit crisps, this Plum Oatmeal Crisp (Left: recipe HERE) is a great one to try! I love Italian plums, and they work so well here! The tart, juicy filling is so good paired with the crunchy oatmeal topping! For a similar recipe, try this Summery Peach Cobbler (Right: recipe HERE) which is a great way to use fresh peaches!

To cool down on a hot day, try this Strawberry & Mint Flavored Water (Left: recipe HERE) which is so refreshing! And if that doesn’t cool you down, these Homemade Ice-Cream Sandwiches (Right: recipe HERE) definitely will! I LOVE making these, because what could be better than ice-cream sandwiched in between two homemade chocolate chip cookies, coated in chopped nuts and candy bars! YUM!

And lastly, here are some s’mores inspired summer desserts! Oven Baked Banana Boats (Left: recipe HERE) that can either be made at home in your oven, or outside on your campfire! The best part is, you can stuff them with any delicious treats you can think of, wrap them up in some foil, and a couple of minutes later, you have the most delicious ooey-gooey summer treat to enjoy! Or try these Summery S’mores Treats (Right: recipe HERE) which are super quick and easy to make, and great to share with friends!

I hope this has given you some summer baking inspiration, and that you are all enjoying your summer so far! If you are cooking with fire, you might to keep a fire extinguisher on hand. Campfires can sometimes get out of hand and you might want to read on here about how to handle an out of control fire. I’ll see you again soon with some more recipes and ideas! Until then, have a great weekend!

Hey Everyone! I have another no-knead bread recipe to share with you today, and this time it’s for a whole wheat bread. I have made a couple different variations of the famous NY Times No-Knead Bread, with the Pesto one (recipe HERE) being one of my favorites, and it took me a couple of tries to get the whole wheat bread just right. I tried it with all whole wheat flour which didn’t work well at all and the bread was as heavy and dense as a brick! I then tried it with different ratios of whole wheat and all-purpose flour, and ended up with this recipe which I think works best both in texture and flavor.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 tsp instant dry yeast

2 tsp salt

1 5/8 cup water

Extra flour or cornmeal for dusting

For other no-knead breads, try these recipes:

No-Knead Pesto Bread (recipe HERE)

The NY Times No-Knead Bread (Recipe HERE)

Hi Everyone! If you are a tea lover like me, you are going to love this shortbread to go along with your tea! I can’t make it through the day without my favorite English Breakfast Tea in the morning, and sometimes an extra cup in the afternoon, which is always made better by a sweet treat, of course! Shortbread is one of my favorites, and this recipe, which only requires three ingredients, a couple simple steps, and can be prepared in under an hour, is both delicious and super easy! There’s nothing like that sweet, buttery cookie with a big cup of tea!

4oz (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
2oz (about 1/4 cup) granulated sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
6oz (about 1 1/4 cups) all-purpose flour

1. First, whisk together the softened butter and granulated sugar until you have a smooth, creamy mixture. Slowly add in the flour and mix until a soft dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll out into a rectangle that’s about 1/2 inch thick.

2. Next, either cut out shapes using a cookie cutter, or cut out rectangles using a knife or a pizza cutter. Place your shapes onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Using a toothpick, make little holes in your cookies by inserting the toothpick and wiggling it around a little bit. Then, sprinkle the cookies generously with more sugar (the cookies themselves are not super sweet, so if you prefer a sweeter shortbread, add extra on top of each cookie).

3. Preheat your oven to 375 deg F, and place your cookie sheet with all the shortbread in the fridge for 10 – 15 minutes. Then, bake the cookies for about 12 – 15 minutes until they are just slightly golden brown around the edges.

And as for the tea, these are some of my favorites…

Hey Everybody! I don’t know what the summer has been like so far where you live, but it has been super hot and sticky here in Maryland! Pretty much the only thing I want to be eating in this weather is ice-cream and lots of it, but since I can’t exactly do that all day long, this is another (healthier!) way to stay cool (and hydrated!) – flavored water! There are so many different things you can add to your water – lemon & lime slices, cucumber, blueberries, basil or strawberries and mint, like this one! It’s super refreshing and perfect for a hot summer day like today!

Water (obviously!)

Ice cubes

Quartered Strawberries

Mint Leaves

The directions are pretty self-explanatory here…. just mix all the ingredients in a glass! Or you could make flavored ice cubes instead; for that, just fill your ice cube tray with chopped fruit and herbs and top with water and freeze, then add to your water!