The Fourth of July is right around the corner, and what says, “I love America!” better than pie?! I’ve been eager to explore Corelyn and my new neighborhood, and it just so happens that Simple Things Sandwich & Pie Shop is less than a mile away from our apartment. Perfect!

Simple Things changes their pie menu each day of the week! While they make regular sized pies, I especially adore their Cutie Pies. Just the right size for sampling one of every flavor!

I was rather preoccupied with the sweets, but Simple Things does serve cafe food and tasty beverages.
My dear friend, Megan, came along with me! She and I have been going on pie dates for the last six years. A cutie pie enjoying a Cutie Pie!

I asked Megan if having a root beer float with pie was excessive. She answered, “Definitely NOT.” That’s a great friend.

Life is short. Enjoy the simple things.
LA has been in a heat wave, so I was pretty ecstatic about having a delicious root beer float on a hot summer day…especially since it involved a cute vintage-style soda bottle. I’m always a sucker for them!
I may just print this out for my bulletin board.
My top three favorites – peach, salted caramel, and pumpkin. The salted caramel was especially incredible!
What’s your favorite Fourth of July sweet?

It is the hottest ever, chickens, and we’re pretty much lying on the floor over here, wishing it was cooler, and cursing Los Angeles, and wondering what we can eat without doing the least amount of work, preferably without heat.

This lead us to do a bunch of research about what we could eat while keeping cool. (You are so welcome.)

First, try Strawberry Cheesecake Popsicles. These look amazing, and really will fulfill the hole of dessert, and also are nice and chilly.

Second, you should definitely make yourself a Moscow Mule. They’re easy, they go down smooth, and they are lovely ice, ice cold.

If you need a lunch, skip the salad and try a Tuna Salad Pita. Not only will you be more full, you also get Omegas and a pita. Who doesn’t love a pita?!

If you’re looking for a dinner where you don’t have to turn the oven on, you should try this Shrimp Gazpacho which has the protein of shrimp but is served cold – a perfect summer dinner.

Photo courtesy “recipes by Britta.” 

Here’s to getting through the weekend and not melting away…we hope that you have air conditioning, and if you do, please feel free to invite me over!

What’s your fave hot weather recipe?

How many ways can you eat greens this summer? More ways than you think! It’s not all cold salads and steamed spinach. Try a wilted green salad next time for something just a little different.

You want robust and slightly bitter greens for this salad. We opted for arugula and some rainbow chard greens, but spinach, kale or mustard greens would also do the trick!

Mix up a little oil based salad dressing. We actually adapted this steak marinade from epicurious (Thanks to a coworker for the tip!) because we wanted a little asian influence and some kick.
Heat the dressing in skillet, and then pour a small amount over your greens so they wilt just slightly. Top with your favorite salad goodies! We opted for sunflower seeds, pepitas and goat cheese. Eat this the same day, so your greens will be the perfect blend of wilted and crisp.

This will take you 5 minutes but make you feel like a culinary genius! 

Everyone knows that I love vegetables more than I love most things, but lately I have had such a hankering for meat. For me, living on a small budget can mean a lot of tofu, eggs, beans, and the occasional smoked turkey sausage. That can all get a little boring after a while, so this simple stuffed chicken recipe was a revelation for my protein-craving taste buds.

Start with skin-on chicken breasts or thighs. The skin is important, because it’s the part you’re going to stuff. It’s also going to ensure that your chicken stays juicy and flavorful! Create a simple stuffing with some goat cheese, herbs of your choice (I like rosemary), salt and pepper. Or if you’re lazy, just go with the goat cheese and sprinkle your herbs, salt and pepper on top.

Cook Time: 30 minutes
Prep time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:
4 skin-on chicken breasts or thighs
1/2 cup goat cheese
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
2 tsp pepper
3 tsp salt
1/4 cup white wine
2 tbsp olive oil

Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
2. Spray or lightly coat a casserole dish with olive oil.
3. Mix together goat cheese, rosemary, salt and pepper
4. Cut a small hole on the top of each chicken breast to create pocket between the skin and the meat, and fill each pocket with the goat cheese mixture. Place in casserole dish.
5. Pour the olive oil and white wine in the bottom of the pan, and sprinkle any remaining rosemary on top of the chicken.
6. Bake for 30 minutes or until the juices run clear.

Melissa and I are always on the lookout for interesting gluten free recipe, so when she found a recipe for Spicy Thai Chicken that she could make, I was in! We changed it up a little, however, to use what we had on hand.

Cook Time: 45 minutes (allotting time for rice)
Prep time: 20 minutes

1 1/2 cups jasmine rice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon Asian hot chili oil
1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts
1 onion
2 red bell peppers
4 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
A few dashes Thai fish sauce, about 1 teaspoon or so
1-3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 cups, about 40 leaves, fresh basil
1/4 cup salted peanuts
A handful of cilantro

This came together relatively easily. Make your rice according to the directions, and meanwhile chop up your garlic, onion, peppers, chicken, and rip up your basil.

Then, cook your chicken with pepper, olive oil and chili oil. Add your peppers and onion, and then add your garlic and basil. Stir in a little soy sauce and your fish sauce here, turning the heat off.

Top with your peanuts and cilantro over rice. This easy recipe will quickly work its way into your regular dinner line ups!