It’s 80 degrees here in Los Angeles, and although we love our scarves, we have to say no today and instead don sundresses.

We hope you’re having a lovely weekend like we are! Are you doing anything fun with your extra day off?

This past weekend, we decided to make something delicious with our beloved kale. We love kale so much, and we revel at having it available at this time of year. But alas! There is currently a kale shortage! It was hard for us, we had to go to three stores, but we found some at Whole Foods. If you haven’t been able to find kale where you are, I am so sorry for you – hopefully the shortage will be over soon.

If you have kale in your clutches, you should make this pilaf! Here’s what you do. Take one cup of wild rice, two to three small sweet potatoes, a fourth-cup of pine nuts, and a bunch of kale, and get ready for a good time.

Roast your sweet potatoes in the oven about 30-45 minutes at 400 degrees. Meanwhile, make your wild rice, following the instructions on the packet.

When your rice is done and your potatoes are crispy, roast your pine nuts for about 5-10 minutes in a pan on the stove. Then, add your rice, potatoes, pine nuts, and chopped kale to a bowl! Mix well, and season with ground mustard, cumin, salt, pepper, and chili powder (to taste!)

Serve to your closest friends and they’ll love you forever. This makes a great side dish to any dinner, or with a little cheese or some beans, could easily be a great main course for anyone who’s a vegetarian or looking to go meat-free some nights! Here’s the recipe.

For the past couple years, Mary and Becca have made a heart cake for fun. Last year, they had a little photo shoot, even! But when Becca moved to London, Mary assumed that this year’s heart cake would be made with no fanfare – how wrong she was!

Corelyn and I stepped in to help her make the cake, and we’re so glad we did. Together with Kelly (of Studio DIY) we put together a concept, shoot, and heart cake in less than two weeks! Here are selects from the day (for the rest of the shots, head over to Mary Costa Photography!)

Thanks to everyone who helped pull it off! For a full tutorial on how to make your own heart cake, check this out!

Credits:
Photography: Mary Costa Photography
Concept/Crafts: Kelly of Studio DIY
Models/Real-life in love couple: Scarlett Redmond & Jeremy Browne
Hair & Makeup: Adina Sullivan
Camera Assistant: Jeff Hayford

It’s Ms Corelyn’s birthday today, and so to celebrate, I asked her what kind of cake she wanted. Corelyn isn’t really a cake person, or a sweets person, so it’s always a tough call on what to make her. Last year she lived in Virginia, and two years we were in Vegas for her birthday, so it’s been three years since we even HAD cake on her birthday.

But we discovered a delicious option for a savory-loving lady: Lavender Lemon Cake.

This cake came together quite simply, and smelled delicious as it cooked away in my kitchen. It uses lemon as a sweet addition to lavender, but isn’t overly sweet like a typical vanilla or chocolate cake.

I also learned in the process how to blanche almonds for skin-removal. First, you boil some water. Then, you put your almonds in a bowl.

Just cover them with boiling water, and let them set about one minute.

Drain, and rinse with cold water. Now, the skins should peel off.

Peel all the skins off, and pat them dry! Now you can grind them and use them in this recipe!

Note on the recipe: I followed the recipe, but it ended up only taking 35 minutes to bake, so make sure your checking your cake – and follow your nose! Once you start to smell it, it might almost be done.

Happy Birthday, Corelyn! I can’t wait for you to try this cake tonight!

The web is full of great sites dedicated to all sorts of recipes – from gluten free, to Southern, to Indian, to paleo, you can get pretty much anything you want online. But figuring out which websites you can trust can be hard, so we’re here to tell you which we use on a regular basis so you know you’re getting a recipe you trust.

1. Pioneer Woman. Whenever we’re making anything, we pretty much check to see if the Pioneer Woman has a recipe. It’s not that we’ll always uses hers, or not cut any of the butter/cream/cheese, but it’s a good basis for what is actually in Spinach Artichoke Dip or how exactly you make Pulled Pork.

2. The Barefoot Contessa. On the FoodNetwork, you can find a plethora of Ina Garten’s recipes. We love her because she often explains what a dish is supposed to be – great for when you are making something you’ve never made. She’s also practical – she finds ways to put a menu together so you’re not dealing with cold mashed potatoes and not-quite-done chicken. Think of her like your really talented Aunt.

3. Elana’s Pantry. If I am looking for something gluten free or paleo, I check Elana’s blog. Her recipes are well organized, making it easy to find exactly what I am looking for, and her breadth of recipes is impressive – I can always count on her when I want to cook for my friends Ellen or Melissa!

4. King Arthur Flour. When I need to bake a cake, or a muffin, or a bread, I turn to King Arthur’s website. They really know flour, and I have been using them for years (my mom hooked me on King Arthur Flour from a young age) and I know I can trust their recipes to come out right, every time. Plus, it’s nice to see a “Quick and Easy” label by a hamburger bun, and know that something you never even thought to make yourself is easily obtainable!

5. My Baking Addiction. I need a cake for someone’s birthday, but I don’t know which one. Heading to My Baking Addiction, I know I will find what I need. She’s funny, and practical, and easy to follow, and she explains anything in her recipe that might seem fishy (like baking a bundt cake for an hour and forty minutes, then freezing it.) Since funny and practical is how we roll, we know we can trust her.

Where do you get your recipes from?