Sugar & Spice by Celeste

Lately, I've been loving granola.  I can't get enough of it.  I love sprinkling it over greek yogurt and fresh blueberries for a healthy, yummy snack.  Or, it's equally as mouth-watering by the handful. So, I got to thinking...Why don't I come up with my own recipe for the crunchy, satisfying goodness that is granola?  This recipe was the fabulous result.  It's perfectly sweet, thanks to a combination of light brown sugar and wildflower honey.  Sliced almonds, roasted sunflower kernels, and sesame seed also make an appearance.  Plus, a smattering of ground cinnamon only adds to the wow factor. If you're a granola fan like me, you will really love this recipe!  It comes together easily and is ready in a flash.  Store it in an air-tight container, and you've got a snack that will last for days (if it doesn't disappear faster!). Bon appetit, my friends! Homemade Granola Ingredients: 3 cups old-fashioned oats 3/4 cup light b...

I've been searching for the perfect balsamic vinaigrette that's easy to make at home and tastes delectable.  I'm thrilled to say that I've finally perfected said recipe and am eager to share it with you all! This salad was inspired by a trip to our local farmers market a few weeks ago.  I purchased some gorgeous arugula, red & yellow tomatoes, and a dozen cute-as-a-button quail eggs.  That's the thing I adore about farmers markets...I always find something new and exciting that I usually don't cook or bake with.   When I stumbled upon these quail eggs, I knew that I had to try some.  This is the first time I've cooked with them, and it was a success.  They taste just like a regular egg (surprise!), with a mild flavor.  Just be careful not to overcook them, and you'll be good to go. A fantastic salad is one of my favorite things to eat during the summer.  The flavor combinations are endless and change with what's in season....

I have SUCH big news to share with you...I have a recipe featured in the May issue of Southern Living magazine, y'all!  After months of anticipation, it has finally hit store shelves.  In fact, we just got back from the grocery store, where I saw it for sale for the first time.  I may have bought 4 copies and excitedly shared my glee with the cashier while checking out.  :) Southern Living has always been one of my favorite magazines.  Growing up, I remember my mom and grandmother's dog-eared copies lying around the house.  Never did I think my name would ever grace the pages! I love the magazine so much, that back in July 2005, I started 2 back-to-back marketing internships for the publication.  It was an incredible experience, where I made great friends and had the opportunity to be a part of on-location photo shoots, marketing campaigns, and fun events like the Southern Living Cook-Off, which was hosted by Tyler Florence that year. ...

Some of my best memories growing up revolved around vacations spent along the Gulf of Mexico.  Those vacations were filled with fun in the sun, time spent with family, and delicious meals made unforgettable by the amazingly fresh seafood right out of the Gulf near my home state of Alabama. To this day, I still love a big plate of fresh shrimp, grouper, snapper, flounder or yes...even raw oysters (with hot sauce and a saltine cracker, of course!).  The wonderful thing about seafood is that it cooks quickly, plus it's really healthy (as long as it's not fried).  That's always a combination worth smiling about! This dish for Roasted Greek Shrimp with Orzo has become one of my recent favorites.  It's packed with vibrant flavors that will have your tastebuds singing.  I love Greek ingredients almost as much as fresh seafood, so I'm particularly proud to say this is an original recipe.   And you know what?  It's SO Easy! For this dish, fre...

  I learned to really appreciate the wonderfulness of simple cooking, made with the freshest, in-season ingredients during our trip to Europe back in 2009.  There, we dined on the most exquisite food, but you know what?  It wasn't particularly fancy or pretentious food that comes to mind...It was simple, down-to-earth dishes packed with flavor from what was in season at the time.  To me, that's the best way to cook.  Period. This was most noticeable to us in Italy, where amazing toppings were carefully layered onto the pizzas, with thinner crusts than us Americans are used to, which really allowed the toppings to shine.  My mouth is watering just thinking about it. Earlier today, I came across an article written by the great Jacques Pepin, in which he recalled some of his favorite memories of Julia Child, one of which involved this simple, flavorful cooking technique.  Here's an excerpt from that article, where Jacques recalls a dinn...

I recently saw a gorgeous photo of fish tacos that literally made my mouth water.   Ever since, I've been craving them like something fierce!  For the life of me, I can't remember where I saw that photo....I think it might have been a restaurant advertisement.  I keep thinking I'll see the photo again, but not so far. Plus, the May issue of Food Network Magazine ran a special section on tacos, with 50 Taco Recipes .  Well, after seeing that original photo and seeing all the delicious taco options in FN mag, I've been on somewhat of a taco kick.  Do you ever get on food kicks?   Well, fish tacos were at the very tip-top of my taco list, so I came up with the recipe below.  I have to say that they came out quite scrumptious...Gorgeous to look at with an incredibly fresh and citrusy flavor.  The creamy guacamole, paired with the fresh lime and cilantro in the pico de gallo results in a stellar combination. Brad and ...

Not sure how to wrap an egg roll?  Don't worry...It's easy and fun. Delno - This video is for you!  :) Today, I'm excited to share with you what has always been a family favorite of ours...Homemade Egg Rolls.  My family has been making these for as long as I can remember, and we've tweaked the recipe here and there to make it just right.   The wonderful thing is that these rolls are so much fun to make, and this recipe is enough to feed a small army of your hungriest, most favorite people.  Which, makes them perfect for a party or family gathering. My awesome sisters were in town recently to visit, and we couldn't resist the urge to whip up a batch of these yummy egg rolls.  We tried something new this time around, by putting a few in the oven to see how they would taste baked.  Our thought was...Maybe, just maybe, they'd be just as delicious baked, which would save on calories.  But alas, the baked rolls paled in comparis...

Glorious strawberries are coming into season here in Alabama, and what better way to celebrate than with a decadently delicious Strawberry Shortcake??  But, not just any old Strawberry Shortcake, my friends.  I've created a recipe for Toasted Pecan Buttermilk Biscuits that make such an absolutely perfect addition to the traditional strawberry shortcake recipe.  And guess what?  I recently got to share this recipe on a Good Day Alabama cooking segment on Fox 6 News here in Birmingham, which is scheduled to air on Monday morning, April 30th!   I couldn't be more excited to share this experience and recipe with you all.  I'll update this post with a link to the video as soon as it's ready! UPDATE:  CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE SEGMENT! I'm particularly proud of the Toasted Pecan Buttermilk Biscuit recipe.  I wanted to find a way to kick things up a notch when it came to regular ole' buttermilk biscuits.  Toasted p...