Heirloom Tomato Pizza

Summer's coming to an end and, sadly, so is heirloom tomato season. But I managed to snag a few beauties this weekend at the farmer's market. At first I was planning to just roast them with olive oil and sea salt and watch them turn into caramelized sweet treats. But then I remembered I had some pizza dough in the freezer and it struck me how pointless it would be to put tomato sauce on a pizza when I could have fresh heirloom tomatoes instead.

Rummy Peach Ice Cream Float

Is it wrong that the Halloween candy is already out in some stores? YES. It's totally wrong. Stop it right now! I don't want to see pumpkin shaped chocolate covered marshmallows (even though I will be eating them by the gross in October). I want to see peaches. I don't want fall clothes and boots, I want t-shirts and back yard BBQ's. OK, I'll stop raging.

Watermelon Lava Flow

Tick tock, tick tock, summer is counting down but I'm not ready to let it pass. So I'm making sure to enjoy every warm, sunny moment and eat all the summer watermelon I can before it's all gone. And if there's anything better than eating watermelon, it's drinking it. This fruit was tailor made for summer cocktails.

Special K® Red Berries Breakfast Scones

This is a sponsored recipe created by me on behalf of Special K Red Berries.

I have a love / hate relationship with breakfast. The part of me that wants something super fast so I can get on with my busy day battles with the part that wants to make sure what I eat is healthy. And that frequently leaves me standing in the cereal aisle on shopping day, endlessly looking at nutrition labels while making sure whatever it is will taste better than the box it comes in. Sometimes I find a winner.

Summer Friday Flashback: Salted Caramel Peanut Pies

Every Friday this summer I'm going to treat you to a blast from the past. I've chosen some of the best recipes from the past few years to highlight because I love making them over and over again. Enjoy!

I originally made this recipe to celebrate Grab Some Nuts Day because, how could I resist! But I don't need any special reason to love the combination of salted caramel and peanuts. In this case, there are also peanuts in the pastry crust for a full on nutty experience. I could eat that whole stack of mini pies in a sitting!

Click here to read the original story and get the recipe.

Peach Crumb Tart

Peaches! It's August and...peaches! How can you possibly resist the aroma of ripe, juicy peaches? They're just begging to come home with you and get baked into a pie. OK, some also got made in cocktails. But for sure there needs to be pie.

Farmer's Market Spaghetti with Beet Balls

Saturday is farmer's market day for me and I look forward to it all week. There are so many around the city but I'm blessed to have one just 3 blocks away. I've done cooking demonstrations there and gotten to know the growers and their specialties. I usually buy more than I need but then have the pleasure of coming up with recipes for my bounty.

Plum Lemonade Smash

Is there anything better than summer weekends? Long days, beach, picnics and eating outside. Even if it's just relaxing on a lawn chair after a full day of running around, drink in hand, and unwinding, it's heavenly. Is a tall glass of ice cold lemonade your thing? For me, the lemonade is better with a little kick.

Strawberry Red Wine Slushies

                     This recipe was sponsored by Sweet N Low and Social Stars. Thank you for supporting the products I love and use in my kitchen.

I love entertaining. Whether it's an elegant dinner party, holiday gatherings or even just a couple of good friends over for a meal, it all makes me happy. I love planning a menu I think they'll love, getting the table set in a way that's both pretty and still functional and coming up with a special cocktail. I'm definitely all about the cocktail.

Summer in the City and Frozen Mango Bars

Summer in New York always reminds me of an old song called Summer in the City by The Lovin Spoonful. Way before my time but I'm guessing it must have been played on the radio pretty much every summer for it to be so ingrained in my head. I never remember all the lyrics but the first few lines are "Hot town, summer in the city. Back of my neck getting dirty and gritty. Been down, isn't it a pity. Doesn't seem to be a shadow in the city." And all I can say is...yup!

Summer Friday Flashback: Spiced Pear Hand Pies

Every Friday this summer I'm going to treat you to a blast from the past. I've chosen some of the best recipes from the past few years to highlight because I love making them over and over again. Enjoy!

These irresistible pear shaped pies all started when I ran across a gorgeous pear shaped cutter and it followed me home. Sure, I could have used it to make pear shaped cookies but pie is way more fun. And little personal sized pies that I don't have to share is totally winning. Enjoy!

Click here to read the original story and get the recipe.

Honey Drizzled Watermelon and Yogurt Parfait

Did I mention that we're having a heatwave? In New York, the hot sticky mess usually happens in July and by August we get a reprieve. But the months got confused this year because July was cool and rainy and so far August is steam bath. Oh, well, it can't last forever but in the meantime I'm in need of refreshing things to eat and drink.

The Month in Review - July 2015

As expected, winter lasted forever but summer is rushing by. August already?? July was a good month, though. There were plenty of cool drinks to ward off the heat, some fun new breakfast ideas, grilling and plenty of sweets to celebrate my birthday month. Hopefully August will be just as tasty but before we dive in, let's take a quick look back at all the July deliciousness. Enjoy!