3 Brunch Cocktails to Greet a Lazy Sunday

From savory omelets stuffed with melted cheese to maple syrup-drizzled French toast, weekend brunch is arguably the best meal of the whole week, made even better by a sip of a bloody Mary or a bellini. Whether you're serving brunch to two people or twenty, these three brunchtime cocktail recipes will get your Sunday off to a great start.

Champagne Punch [Martha Stewart]
Not only does Martha's take on champagne punch taste great, it looks pretty in the pitcher. Her recipe combines fresh blueberries, raspberries, sliced peaches, ice, lemon juice, and simple syrup in a pitcher, then champagne is poured over top.

New-Look Bloody Mary [Bon Appetit]
This bloody Mary receives a spicy kick from the unique combo of sriracha sauce, horseradish, black pepper, and curry powder. Dill pickle and lemon juice brighten the mix, while celery stalks and lemon wedges provide the finishing touch.

Pamplemousse [Food & Wine]
Kick off your Sunday with this refreshing cocktail, which is relatively low in alcohol. The juices of grapefruit and lemon are shaken with gin and elderflower liqueur, then garnished with a basil leaf.

Chill Out With These Recipes for Lemonade

Lemonade is a summertime favorite that you’ve loved since you were a kid, but it may be time to update the cool beverage to suit your adult tastes. If you’re searching for new recipes for your old favorite lemonade, these three might do the trick!

Honey Basil Lemonade [Serious Eats]
The warm, sweet taste of honey is offset by flavorful basil in this unique lemonade recipe. The base is made from the juice of 12 fresh lemons, and a pinch of salt really helps to bring out the flavor of each individual ingredient. Garnish with more basil leaves to create a drink that’s just as attractive as it is delicious.

Vodka Lavender Thyme Lemonade [Saveur]
Turn your favorite childhood drink into your new favorite cocktail with this lemonade recipe that’s all grown up. Dried lavender gives it a fragrant, floral taste that really complements the tart lemon, while vodka and earthy thyme add an extra kick of flavor.

Thyme Lemonade [Martha Stewart]
If you haven’t yet experienced the wonderful combination of thyme and lemon, this lemonade will make you a believer. All it takes is a few sprigs of the simple herb to create a fresh, pretty drink that’s perfect for dinner under the stars.

5 Delicious Recipes for Chicken Pot Pie

While chicken pot pie is typically considered a winter dish, the simplicity of this comfort food makes it a go-to meal for all seasons. If you're deciding what to put on the dinner table tonight, here are five chicken pot pie recipes to consider, one of which can be ready to bake in as little as 30 minutes!

Chicken Pot Pie IX [Allrecipes]
The votes from over 6,000 reviewers have earned this pot pie recipe a five-star rating.

Chicken Pot Pie [Food Network]
From Barefoot Contessa's Ina Garten, this recipe yields four individual pot pies.

Pot Pie [The Pioneer Woman]
Step-by-step photos make this recipe appear especially appetizing.

Classic Chicken Potpie [Martha Stewart]
A decorative edge on the pie crust makes Ms. Stewart's recipe shine.

Easy Chicken Pot Pie [Campbell's Kitchen]
This easy recipe relies on a can of cream of chicken soup for its base.

4 Heart-Healthy Desserts That Won’t Ruin Your Diet

Even when we’re dieting, it can be hard to resist having dessert every now and then. The key isn’t cutting out dessert completely; it’s about changing the desserts you decide to indulge in. These decadent-tasting recipes will satisfy your sweet tooth without ruining your diet.

Frosted Cake
Perfect for birthday parties or family dinners, this sweet frosted cake tastes just like the original, without all of the added sugar. By using things like low-fat cream cheese and skim milk, this cake becomes a smart alternative to the traditional bakery variety.

Tropical Fruit Compote
Because it has a fruit base, this fresh and summery dessert is a much smarter option for an after-dinner treat that’s also low in calories.

Crunchy Pumpkin Pie
Serve this traditional treat for Thanksgiving dinner and your guests won’t be able to tell the difference from its high-calorie original. Whole wheat flour and ground almonds make for a healthier crust, while canned pumpkin is a nutrient-rich base for its creamy middle.

Mousse a la Banana
If you’re looking for a delicious dessert that’s also low in saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium, this is just the thing. At under 100 calories per serving, this sweet banana mousse is one dish that won’t make you feel guilty for indulging. 

For more healthy dessert recipes, visit the NIH website here.

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Bake Your Own Bread With These 2 Recipe Sites

Who doesn’t love the taste of warm, crusty bread right out of the oven? Though homemade bread may seem intimidating to many at-home chefs, these simple websites offer bread recipes for cooks of all skill levels. Whether you’re looking for a sweet cinnamon raisin loaf for tomorrow’s breakfast or an elaborate multigrain baguette for a dinner party, these websites have recipes for every type of bread imaginable.

All Recipes
All Recipes is a go-to website for just about any recipe you can think of, and their bread section leaves nothing to be desired. It features recipes of the day with mouth-watering photos of breads, muffins, and biscuits, as well as a variety of staff picks that are tested by the site’s knowledgeable employees. If you have a specific bread in mind, All Recipes also offers a handy search bar that allows you to search by the name, ingredient, or purpose of the bread.

Food Network
If you’ve ever watched a show on the Food Network and wondered how to make the fresh, delicious breads from your favorite shows, the bread section of the network’s website is the place to go. This page offers simple, instructional recipes for the simplest no-knead breads to the most complex bread puddings, and they’re all ranked by level of difficulty.

 

Three Unique Ways to Make a Great Cup of Coffee

Good coffee's almost everywhere these days, with cafes dotting every corner and even fast food restaurants offering espresso drinks. Of course, many coffee aficonados still prefer to make coffee at home, using gourmet beans to create their perfect cup.

Drip coffeemakers might remain the most popular way to make coffee at home. But for those willing to experiment, there are a few other simple ways to make a great cup of coffee. Here are three you can try at home at Marquis at Barton Trails:

Pour Over
Like drip coffeemakers, pour over brewers run hot water through ground beans. Made by Melitta and other companies, pour over brewers offer a bit more control over the taste: you'll wait to grind the beans immediately before brewing, you'll pour the water over the grounds evenly, and you'll only make as much coffee as you'd like to drink. Click here to read a guide from Stumptown Coffee Roasters on pour over coffee.

Aeropress
The aeropress follows the same principle, combining hot water with coffee grounds. However, the press speeds up the process: the grounds soak for just 20 seconds, and then you'll press out the coffee into a cup. The result is coffee that's smoother and much less acidic. Click here to learn more about the Aeropress.

Cold Brewed
An increasingly popular way to make coffee, cold brewing dispenses with the hot water entirely and instead involves soaking ground coffee beans for up to 12 hours in cold water, then filtering out the grounds. The result is a very strong coffee concentrate. Mix one part concentrate with three parts water (or milk) and you'll have a very smooth cup of coffee that's very flavorful without much bitterness. Toddy, a company that makes a handy brewing container, offers some more detailed instructions on its website.

Make These Easy Pasta Salad Recipes Tonight!

If the words "pasta salad" conjure up images of mayonnaise and barbecues, you're not alone. But, there are actually a variety of ways to make delicious, savory pasta dishes that won't make you feel like you're picnicking. Below are five pasta salad ideas that break from tradition to provide outstanding flavor!

Caprese Salad
Draw inspiration from the Italian caprese salad, and season your pasta, such as hearty rigatoni, with fresh basil, good olive oil, vine-ripened tomatoes, and chunks of mozzarella. Add a bit of salt and pepper to taste, and you're all set!

Greek Pasta
Taking your cue from Greek Salad, add a mix of cherry tomatoes, sliced cucumber, tangy feta cheese, and robust olives to the pasta. Try using mostaccioli, the small, curved pasta named after the mustache, as the base of the salad so all the elements are comparable in size. Complete it a dressing of olive oil, vinegar, and lemon juice.

Soba Noodles
Prepare a pasta salad an Asian cuisine feel by using soba noodles, which are made from earthy buckwheat flour. Season the noodles with soy sauce and sesame oil, and top it with slivers of carrots and diced scallions for a delicious, simple dish that offers take-notice flavors.

Mediterranean Side
For an alternative to pasta salad, make tabbouleh instead. This side makes use of kernels of bulgur wheat instead of pasta, and seasons them with a combo of finely-diced mint and parsley. It’s a wonderful option if you're tired of noodles!

Low Sodium Cooking: 4 Great Tips To Add Flavor, Not Salt

If you suffer from high blood pressure, or are just trying to get healthier by cutting back on your salt intake, check out these great tips for low sodium cooking from WebMD. Try incorporating them into your diet, and you'll feel better in no time!

  • Stick with real food. Processed stuff often stays good by (surprise!) incorporating lots of extra salt as a preservative. It's often healthier to stick with homemade recipes than to use stuff from boxes, cans, or jars.
  • Ignore some directions! When you're prompted to add salt to a recipe, season with another spice instead, such as cumin or garlic.
  • Watch your butter! Sure, salted butter tastes great on its own, but in some recipes you won't notice much difference if you substitute unsalted butter.
  • Avoid additives like MSG, baking soda, and sodium benzoate. They're all sodium compounds, with similar effects as salt.

You can read more by visiting WebMD's page on Low Sodium Recipe Tips!

Prepping For The Holidays: Dishes To Make Now And Freeze

The holidays are a time meant to be enjoyed with loved ones, but often times, more time is spent in the kitchen than in the family room enjoying your guests. In order to make holiday entertaining easier, why not prep parts of your holiday meal in advance. That way, you can still boast about your homemade meal, without slaving all day in the kitchen! The Kitchn offered a list of holiday food you can make in advance, freeze, and reheat just in time for holiday celebrations. Here's a list of dishes that store well in the freezer:

  • Breads
  • Stuffing
  • Gravy
  • Casseroles
  • Cookies

Want to learn more? Visit The Kitchn.

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