Honey whipped cream cheese is spread over toasted crostini and topped with grilled peaches, jalapenos, and fresh basil for an unforgettable summer appetizer! I bet you thought we abandoned our Texas Wine Tour. Nope, not a chance. On the contrary, I’ve still got a variety of bottles I want you guys to hear about before…
Appetizers
Exploring Texas Wines PRT III: Hot Dog & Onion Wontons and 4R Ranch Vineyards and Winery
The following message is intended for those 21+ and products have been provided by 4R Ranch Vineyards and Winery. All opinions expressed are my own. Please enjoy responsibly! Hot dogs and caramelized fried onion wontons are a unique take on a summer appetizer! Warning: The traditionally minded, the classically inclined, the ‘rule abiders,’ and all…
Chicken Meatballs with Sweet Sesame Gremolata
Add a flare of elegance to your summer soiree with these Chicken Meatballs served alongside a Sweet Sesame Gremolata! Cecil Beaton once advised, “Be daring, be different, be impractical; be anything that will insert integrity of purpose and imaginative vision against the play-it-safers.” This is a rule that every self-style artist, and online content creator,…
Cajun-Style Shrimp
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #HuntsBestEverKetchup #CollectiveBias Spicy Cajun-Style Shrimp is a summertime must! Today we’re serving ours alongside Hunt’s Best Ever Ketchup for a richer, flavorful pairing. Recently, I watched a video entitled ‘100 Songs You’ve Heard and Don’t know the Name.’…
Springtime Dips featuring Pressels
This post has been sponsored by Pressels. All opinions expressed are my own. Spice up your Springtime board with this Rosemary and Garlic Cannellini Dip and Roasted Jalapeno Guacamole! There is security in the familiar. Change presents a challenge, whereas staying within the lines of the tried and true is easy and safe. Besides, things…
Italian Style Breadsticks
These Turin-style breadsticks are smooth with a soft interior. We’ve brushed ours with melted butter and herbs for an irresistible snack! The breadstick conundrum. I don’t know quite ‘when’ it happened or how all I am certain of is that it ‘did’ – and I’m not sure there is a remedy. What was once culinary…
Truffle Goat Cheese & Pignoli Crostini
This post is sponsored by Montchevre but the content and opinions expressed here are my own. Spruce up your holiday menu with these elegant and easy Truffle Goat Cheese & Pignoli Crostini topped with Candied Fresh Cranberries! The focus here on Living the Gourmet for the past couple of posts has been piecing together a…
Italian Fried Shrimp Balls
Thank you Carapelli Olive Oil for sponsoring this post. For more information and a store locator, please visit CarapelliUSA.com and be sure to check out Carapelli’s social channels: Facebook and Instagram. These Fried Shrimp Balls are boasting in rich Italian flavors thanks to Carapelli Unfiltered Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil. They are easy to make…
Meat and Cheese Roll-Ups
Thank you Tillamook for sponsoring this post. For a limited time this fall, try Tillamook’s Extra Sharp White Cheddar Slices! Available at Costco. These delicate roll-ups are the perfect accompaniment to your upcoming Fall gatherings. They are easy to make and elegant alongside any spread. It’s a familiar scene. You’ve planned out an elaborate dinner…
Two Mediterranean Spreads featuring Kontos Foods
Thank you to Kontos Foods for sponsoring this post. All opinions expressed are my own. Today we are sharing TWO Mediterranean Spreads for your upcoming fall gatherings featuring the delicious Flatbreads and Toasted Tidbits from Kontos Foods. It’s an easy and light spread for any occasion! It’s a scene I’ve watched countless times. The combination…
Italian Antipasto Board
Before we officially bid summer farewell, we’re hosting one last hurrah this season with an Italian Antipasto Board featuring some of our favorite appetizers, mini pizzas, and preferred wines. I’ve touched lightly in the past about appetizer boards that I like to serve at dinner parties but rarely elaborate on this intricate detail of entertaining….
Savory Plantain Cakes
These savory plantain cakes are a delicious side dish for any meal and take only minutes to prepare. Simply serve them alongside your favorite dipping sauce and enjoy! I just recently reviewed a set of rosé wines, and one of the pairings I suggested was simply out in the sun with friends and perhaps fresh…
Fried Zucchini Blossoms and Lasorda Wines
This post has been sponsored by Lasorda Family Wines. The following message is intended for persons 21+. All opinions expressed are my own. Dress up your summer tablescape with these easy, elegant Fried Zucchini Blossoms and a glass of Lasorda wine! There’s a cliché that runs roughly “What would you do if you know that…
Eggplant Dip with Hello Delicious! Brands Pizza Chips
This simple Eggplant Dip is easy and delicious for any gathering and pairs perfectly with Hello Delicious! Brands Pizza Chips. I tried to avoid using this quote, I really did, since I’ve used it here a few times in the past, but the more I tried to come up with something else the more apropos…
Apricot and Brie Phyllo Triangles
These Phyllo Triangles are the perfect appetizer or snack for any occasion. Sweet apricots and savory Brie are baked into delicate phyllo pastries and served alongside a cool, creamy dip. When my kids were growing up, one of the items I would make regularly was what I can now call a sort of ‘Back to…
Sweet Mini Poivrons Stuffed with Rice
This post has been sponsored by Mahatma Rice. All opinions expressed are my own. Kick off the spring season with flavorful stuffed mini poivrons! They are a fresh and delicious appetizer for all your seasonal gatherings when served alongside a Mediterranean olive spread! Once upon a time, the Idus Martiae or ‘Ides of March,’ marked…
Spiced Wine and Cheese Crackers
This post has been sponsored by Chateau de Candale. All opinions expressed are my own. The following message is for 21+. Please enjoy responsibly! These buttery, cheese crackers are as complex as the wine they are paired with, combining warm spices and floral notes for a delicious addition to your cheese board. Early last month…
Crab Cakes, Crostini, and Torresella Prosecco
Thank you to Torresella Wines for sponsoring this post. All opinions expressed are my own. The following message is intended for those 21+. Please enjoy responsibly. Complete the holiday season and ring in the New Year with this simple yet elegant spread featuring plump crab cakes and ciabatta crostini with a tomato and artichoke salad…
Herbed Goat Cheese and Nut Crostini
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #changesnackingforgood #CollectiveBias Toasted baguette slices are topped with an herbed goat cheese spread, grilled onions, crisp bacon and Sahale Snacks! “I saw an angel in the marble, and I carved until I set him free,” Michelangelo remarked of…
Skirt Steak Appetizers with Bell Pepper Relish
Impress your guests with these Skirt Steak Appetizers served over a fresh Bell Pepper Relish! “As humans, our most important and complex concepts exist purely because we say they do. Virtue, morality, tradition, and honor are purely constructs of our over-evolved minds, as if plucked from the ether of the cosmos and applied as invisible…
Cranberry, Walnut and Honey Spread
Thank you Breton for sponsoring this post. Make everyday entertaining better with Breton! This Cranberry, Walnut and Honey Spread is a perfect way to end off the summer. It is a light, delicious spread that combines that some of our favorite Fall flavors. We’ve all heard the trope that we “Make our own happiness,” and…
Spicy Hummus
Hummus is one of the healthiest, easiest recipes you can make. Find out how homemade hummus is only a handful of ingredients away! My professor had an idea about…ideas, and yes, I am taking today as the occasion to share that idea about ideas with you. “They are like ghosts, they travel at the speed…
Salsa Fresca
Welcome summer with the vibrant flavors of this Salsa Fresca alongside Mission Organics® Tortilla Chips! All opinions are entirely my own. “Learn to love change,” we are taught, and yet we, as a species, have evolved to hate it. Change represents the unknown and the unexpected – that which is beyond the ability of our…
Spinach Empanadillas
Traditionally these little pies are fried, but we’ve baked ours to a flaky perfection with a delicious spinach and currant stuffing that is sweet and savory! “When you make your plans, enjoy making them. In our minds, our ‘great escapes’ are the stuff of dreams, an exercise in naïve perfection. Enjoy that perfect version of…
