This Seared Barramundi (Asian Sea Bass) is cooked to perfection in browned butter, and served with a tangy Mustard Caper Sauce. This flavorful dish is ready in under 20 minutes, and is perfect for Date Night! champagne-tastes.com

Seared Barramundi with Mustard Sauce

May 15, 2017May 15, 201722 Comments

This Seared Barramundi (Asian Sea Bass) is cooked to perfection in browned butter, and served with a tangy Mustard Caper Sauce. This flavorful dish is ready in under 20 minutes, and is perfect for Date Night!

Have you tried barramundi yet? Have you ever heard of it? Barramundi is a type of Asian Sea Bass that’s begun showing up in U.S. grocery stores recently. It’s native to Southeast Asia and Australia. If you’ve never tasted it, know that It’s a firm white fish, and its mild flavor takes well to marinades or sauces. If you like grouper, striped sea bass, or red snapper– give this fish a try. If you’re not sure whether or not you like those fish, but like trying new seafood options– go ahead and grab some at the store, and try this Seared Barramundi with Mustard Sauce!

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This light and fluffy Lemon Ricotta Mascarpone Cheesecake whipped together with luscious, creamy cheeses and yogurt, and then topped with strawberries and a rhubarb simple syrup.

Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake with Strawberry Rhubarb Topping

May 11, 2017April 30, 20173 Comments

This light and fluffy Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake is whipped together with luscious, creamy ricotta and mascarpone cheeses, and then topped with strawberries and a rhubarb simple syrup.

Have you ever planned out a meal, made a (mental) list, gone shopping, only to realize as you begin to cook that you totally forgot to get at least one or two pretty important ingredients? Desperation, however, leads to innovation. That, my friends, is how this Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake was born! I fully intended to make tiramisu, and had my fingers on some lady fingers and mascarpone, but totally forgot the wine and rum!!! (No rum?! No wine?! There will be no tiramisu!)

Instead, after scavenging my fridge and pantry– we had cheesecake! This Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake is made from mascarpone, ricotta, yogurt, and lemon zest over a crust of lady fingers. Top it all off with fresh strawberries and rhubarb syrup, and you’ve got a spring-tastic dessert!

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Grilled Chili Lime Salmon with Pineapple

May 7, 2017May 15, 201712 Comments

This Grilled Chili Lime Salmon with Pineapple is perfect way to make fish the main meal at your spring and summer cookouts! This recipe is sponsored by Orca Bay, but as always, all opinions are my own.

Can I confess something? As much as I adore the idea of a cookout– I usually find myself eating semi-sad sandwiches made up of hamburger buns and hamburger toppings– without the meat. Does this happen to you too? If you, like me, choose to avoid red meat– you may feel a little left out when grilling season begins. If you’ve found yourself gazing sadly over piles of grilled red meat, wishing for a healthier option– I’ve got one for you!

This year, as the grills fire up and spring turns into summer– reclaim your grill!!! It’s time to bring seafood out of the kitchen and onto the fire, with this Grilled Chili Lime Salmon with Pineapple.

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Rhubarb Champagne

May 4, 2017May 8, 20175 Comments

This Rhubarb Champagne is a springtime take on a mimosa, and is made with sparkling wine or champagne and rhubarb simple syrup.

Today is special, and not just because May the Fourth is Star Wars Day. Three years ago today, I got my hair curled, put on my mom’s veil and a white dress, and said “I Do” to the handsome husband. Since it’s my anniversary, I wanted to share something that screams “Sparkles and Happiness!” When I think ‘celebration’– I think champagne. This Rhubarb Champagne isn’t just sparkling, gorgeous, and delicious– it’s also my favorite color– PINK!

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Honeysuckle Vodka

April 30, 2017May 8, 201720 Comments

This honeysuckle season, try preserving the edible flowers by infusing them into a deliciously sweet and floral Honeysuckle Vodka.

Each spring, the woods behind our apartment turn white with honeysuckle blossoms, and it smells spectacular. If you, like me, grew up eating the tiny, minuscule drops of ‘honey’ from these flowers, you may have also wished that you could somehow, possibly, get a bunch of these dainty flowers together and miraculously collect all of the sweet nectar.

I don’t know how many thousands (or millions) of flowers it would take to harvest a jar of honeysuckle nectar, and I’m not even sure it would be possible. What I do know, however, is that you can preserve those delicious and edible flowers in vodka. In doing so, you’ll infuse the vodka with both the delicate floral scent of the petals AND the taste of the nectar. This Honeysuckle Vodka is a simple and easy way to savor these edible wildflowers.

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Bourbon for Derby Day!

April 24, 2017April 24, 20179 Comments

This Kentucky Derby Day, celebrate with the drink Kentucky is known for– Bourbon! Add this southern tipple to your cocktails, to your food, and to something sweet– and celebrate Derby Day Kentucky-style!

It’s almost here– the Southern race that inspires ladies all around the country to don big hats and sun dresses. And fellas, go grab those linen suits– it’s time for the Kentucky Derby!! Every year, the Derby is held on the first Saturday in May. Whether you plan on watching the few minutes of horse-racing excitement in person at Churchill Downs, or from afar, this Triple Crown kick-off is a fabulous reason to celebrate!

This Derby Day, as the horses race down the track– celebrate with Kentucky’s most famous export (except, possibly– fried chicken)— Bourbon! This southern spirit has a wonderfully distinctive flavor, is free from additives (including added sugar!), and 95% of the world’s bourbon is made– that’s right– in Kentucky! Practice your southern drawl, taste test some bourbon, and whip up some of these deliciously boozy treats!

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Glamping Recipes for the Happy Camper - These delicious recipes will help you camp with style, and eat well while you're enjoying nature! champagne-tastes.com

Glamping Recipes for a Happy Camper

April 21, 2017April 21, 201723 Comments

Glamping Recipes for the Happy Camper – These delicious recipes will help you camp with style, and eat well while you’re enjoying nature!

Do you “glamp” instead of camp? “Glamping”– or “glamour camping”– is a perfect way to “be one with nature,” but still feel fancy-schmancy. That’s right– it’s how you can sleep in a tent, feel rugged and wild, but still not feel deprived or miserable. Some people (like my friend Jaline) glamp by setting up giant tents filled with bed-like air mattresses, gorgeous rugs, and high-end lanterns. Others (like me) stick with a simpler tent set-up, but refuse to compromise on the food.

If you, fellow camper, want to step things up with a high-end camping experience– start by picking what’s most important to you! Do you want to wake up in the woods, but feel like you’re in a 5-star hotel? Try upgrading your equipment, or invest in some battery-powered twinkle lights. If you, like me, know that you will be positively grumpy without a hot breakfast and a savory, flavorful dinner– keep reading!!!

These Glamping Recipes for a Happy Camper take a bit of planning and prep-work, but mean that you can dine in style while you lounge in the wild! Most of these recipes give you a heads-up about any special equipment you need to have (like access to a campfire or a camping stove), and others are simply travel-friendly– using ingredients that don’t require refrigeration or cooking. All of these drinks and meals will leave you full, satisfied, and ready for another day of adventures!

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How to Make Kombucha

April 18, 2017April 20, 201732 Comments

Are you tired of buying store-bought kombucha? This tutorial will walk you through How to Make Kombucha– all the way from the scoby to the bottling!

Have you ever bought something at the grocery store totally by accident? Did you misread a label, or just not understand, even a little bit, what you were buying? I have– and that, my friends, is how my love affair with kombucha began. Maybe I was in a hurry, maybe I was faint from hunger, or maybe my eyes were playing tricks on me– but I thought I was buying a sparkling juice (or sparkling tea, or SOMETHING ELSE– I forget). One sip, however, clued me in that I was not drinking what I expected to be drinking.

Kombucha can be an acquired taste, but by the time I finished my first bottle, I was sold! Have you fallen in love with kombucha too? Are you tired of paying $3+ a bottle, when you clearly MUST drink this every day??? Here’s what to do about it.

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Strawberry Rhubarb Tilapia Tacos

April 17, 2017May 15, 201713 Comments

These Strawberry Rhubarb Tilapia Tacos are filled with a strawberry cole slaw, sweetened rhubarb, and ginger seared tilapia.

Last month, I flew to Florida for the best friend’s wedding. I spent my time getting the obligatory ‘I wore SPF 5 million but I’m insanely white’-sunburn, crying ugly (but happy) tears as she walked down the aisle, and eating as much fresh seafood as humanly possible. What kind of seafood? We ate oysters– of course– because I can’t find those at home, but also mahi mahi, grouper, and whatever type of fish tacos I could find.

When I got home, I couldn’t stop thinking about fish tacos– savory fish tacos, fish tacos with fruity salsa– I wanted them all! These Strawberry Rhubarb Tilapia tacos are the brainchild of my seafood-obsessed mind and the piles of rhubarb and strawberries I brought home from the market last week. Want some? Keep reading!

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Frozen Strawberry Rhubarb Margaritas

April 12, 2017April 17, 20178 Comments

These Frozen Strawberry Rhubarb Margaritas use rhubarb simple syrup and frozen strawberries for a cold and delicious spring cocktail! This recipe is sponsored by Drizly, but as always, all opinions are my own.

It’s rhubarb season!!! I’m kind of ridiculously excited about rhubarb this year, and it’s been overflowing in my kitchen. Hopefully, a little bit (or a lot) of my rhubarb-mania will spill over into your food and drinks this spring! Today, rhubarb, along with its best friend strawberry, will be hopping into some ice-cold, party-ready Frozen Strawberry Rhubarb Margaritas!

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