Plan a Warm-Weather Dinner Party With These Delicious Desserts

Now that the weather is warmer and the days are longer, you're likely planning more social events to add to your calendar. This also means that you're on the hunt for warn-weather recipes for all of those cook-outs and dinner parties. Here are just a few fresh desserts that are perfect for the spring and summer seasons.

Ina's Lemon Yogurt Cake [foodnetwork.com]
With its bright, zesty flavor and moist texture, Ina Garten's recipe for lemon yogurt cake is perfect for your spring and summer brunches and other occasions. It also features a light drizzle of glaze on top to add even more sweetness.

Ducle de Leche Crepe Cake [foodnetwork.com]
With layers upon layers of homemade crepes, this is one of the most unique desserts that you'll try this spring. The recipe also features a creamy icing and a gooey caramel topping that creates that recognizable dulce de leche flavor.

Lemon Sherbet Cupcakes With Buttercream Frosting [myrecipes.com]
While you likely already enjoy sherbet during the warm weather of springtime, you'll love it even more in this innovative cupcake recipe. These cupcakes feature the citrus flavor of sherbet in their base, while the buttercream frosting on top makes them taste rich and creamy.

Headed to a Summer Cookout? Try This Recipe for Watermelon Salad!

Because there's only so much potato salad and baked beans a person can eat in one summer, we're sharing this delicious (and simple!) recipe for watermelon salad. It's easy to memorize, hard to mess up, and requires only a few ingredients. Translation: This recipe is a go-to for potlucks, cookouts, parties, or anything other occasion that request you bring one dish to feed a crowd.

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds cubed seedless watermelon
  • 20 halved kalamata olives
  • 1 cup each mint and parsley
  • 3 cups arugula
  • 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
  • 1/4 of a small red onion, sliced
  • 2 limes
  • 1 jalapeno, julienned
  • 2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
  • salt and pepper

Read the rest of the recipe on Saveur!

Seeking Healthy Dessert Recipes? These Pinterest Boards Are for You!

If you have a major sweet tooth that just can’t be contained, you’re likely always looking for delicious recipes that aren’t too much of an indulgence. Pinterest is a great resource for discovering new, healthy dessert recipes, as the online bulletin board’s thousands of recipes contain quite a few sinfully sweet dishes that you’ll love to try. Browse these Pinterest boards filled with Paleo, gluten-free, or just low-fat dessert recipes and get to pinning your own.

Ripped Recipes
The Ripped Recipes dessert board isn’t just filled with delicious desserts; it’s actually filled with desserts that won’t ruin your diet. Each of these recipes is made with protein-rich ingredients, sugar substitutes, and all natural, nutritious foods combined in such a way that they taste just as decadent as your favorite chocolate cake. Browse single serving chocolate chip cookies, birthday cake protein pancakes, and hundreds of other deceivingly healthy dessert recipes from Ripped Recipes.

Healthy Recipes
If you want to indulge without going overboard, you’ll love the artfully photographed recipes on Healthy Recipes’ dessert board. Many of these recipes adhere to vegan or gluten-free restrictions, but they’re still all downright delicious. Just click on the photos and you’ll be redirected to the simple recipe instructions on the Healthy Recipes website.

Cooking, Decoded: Memorize These Common Recipe Terms

No matter how experienced you are in the kitchen, there will come a day when you find yourself stumped by the terminology in a recipe. Memorize these three terms so that your next cooking session goes off without a hitch.

Al Dente
We've all come across this term when cooking pasta, but what does it mean? In Italian, al dente translates to "to the tooth." Pasta cooked al dente should retain a slight resistance when chewed, as opposed to being soft.

Simple Syrup
Any mixologist worth his salt is familiar with this one. Commonly used to sweeten cocktails, simple syrup is a homogenous mixture of equal parts water and white sugar. The process for making simple syrup is, well, simple: Combine the two ingredients in a saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil to create a syrup.

Clarified Butter
A common accompaniment to fresh seafood, clarified butter is the liquid that remains when milk solids are removed from butter. To make clarified butter, melt unsalted butter in a saucepan over low heat. Once melted, remove the butter from the heat and allow it to sit for five minutes. Skim any foam from the top of the butter, then slowly pour the liquid butter into a container, leaving the white milk solids behind in the saucepan.

Cooking Terms [Recipe Goldmine]
The Basic Kitchen: Glossary of Cooking Terms [Les Petites Gourmettes]
Glossary of Cooking Terms [BHG]
Glossary of Cooking Terms [Cookery]

Public Domain/Photos-Public-Domain

Healthy Brunch Recipes to Try this Weekend

On the weekend, you have more time to cook a big breakfast — or brunch! If you and your friends or family enjoy having a late, leisurely brunch, these healthy recipes make delightful options:

Baked French Toast Fritters With Apples and Bananas
The addition of fruit makes this recipe the perfect combination of nutritious and decadent. Using whole-wheat bread instead of carb-heavy white helps you stay on track with your diet, while peanut butter and fruits are sweet substitutes for the usual maple syrup.

Pita Pizzas
For those who enjoy a more savory taste for brunch, these pita pizzas are fast, simple to make, and incredibly tasty. Using grilled chicken, whole-wheat pitas and a few other common ingredients, you can create a filling meal that guests of all ages will love.

Tuna and Avocado Cobb Salad
Avocado is a nice addition to just about any brunch dish, and this Cobb salad combines it with protein-rich tuna for a fresh, healthy meal.  The usual heavy Cobb dressing gets a makeover with lemon, lime, honey and olive oil, and the whole thing equals just 224 calories.

To browse even more healthy brunch recipes, visit the NIH website here.

5 Granola Recipes That’ll Kick Start Your Morning

A nutritious breakfast basic or on-the-go snack, granola is simple to make — and occasionally pricey! Stretch your dollars by trying these five recipes at home.

Alton Brown's Granola Recipe [Food Network]

Megan's Granola [Allrecipes]

Basic Granola Recipe [Chow]

A Better Granola [Bon Appetit]

Homemade Granola Recipe [Joy of Baking]

Satisfying Sips: Homemade Sangria

If you're looking for a fun beverage for your next dinner party or celebration, there's no better sip than a glass of chilled Sangria. This easy-to-make recipe makes one large pitcher of tasty, refreshing Sangria, certain to please everyone's palate.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

1 bottle of red wine (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Rioja reds, Zinfandel, Shiraz all work well)
1 lemon cut into wedges
1 orange cut into wedges
1 peach cut into wedges
2 tbsp sugar
1 shot brandy
2 cups ginger ale or club soda

Preparation:

Pour wine in the pitcher and squeeze the juice wedges from the lemon and orange into the wine. Add in all the citrus and peach wedges (leaving out seeds if possible), and mix in the sugar and brandy. If possible, chill overnight to allow the flavors to meld.

Add in the ginger ale or club soda just before serving to add some extra fizz. (If you'd like to serve right away, use chilled red wine and serve over lots of ice.)

Cheers!

Recipe courtesy of About.com

Signature Cocktails: Make Your Next Party Great!

It’s the small details that make celebrations truly memorable. To impress your guests, delight them with the thoughtful details, like signature cocktails! Signature cocktails are a fun and easy way to set the tone for your next party. Not only that, but it will save you from setting up a full bar! Your guests will love sipping on your signature concoction as they mix and mingle.

Enhance the Theme
Make  sure your signature drink fits the overall feel of the party. For example, if you’re preparing a meal with a Mexican flair, opt for a Margarita or Sangria. Or, if you’re going for a swanky feel, be sure your signature cocktail includes a classy ingredient like champagne.

Make in Advance
The last thing you want is to be mixing drinks all night when you should be enjoying your party! Make a pitcher (or two) of your signature cocktail in advance to save you from playing bartender.

Crowd Pleaser
Make sure you choose a cocktail that will delight a variety of palates – meaning stay away from anything too obscure or too strong. A hint of citrus or a tinge of sweetness is often a good way to go, like a vodka & cranberry spritzer with lime.

Don’t Forget the Garnish
Nothing makes a cocktail feel classier than a little garnish. Think about what would pair well with your drink, and make sure it’s available to your guests – a few berries in the bottom of a champagne flute or a lemon twist to brighten a martini.

Cheers!

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