Product Information: http://www.daeliasbiscuitsforcheese.com/

Cheese and crackers. The best snack ever invented. I have finally discovered the perfect crackers to pair with any type of artisan cheese. Daelia’s Biscuits for Cheese are made in small batches using fresh California ingredients. Cocktail party, summer barbecue, girls night? These crackers + your favorite cheese + a bottle of wine = the easiest hostess gift or appetizer.

They come in 3 flavors:
- Almond: raisins & almonds, pairs well with aged cheddar and goat cheese.
- Hazelnut: figs & hazelnuts, pairs well with salty blue cheese and soft sheep’s milk cheeses.
- Pumpkin Seed: almonds, pumpkin seeds, rye, caraway, delicious with Gruyere and Camembert!

Make It:
1.  Pour the sesame oil on top of your wings and let it marinate in the fridge for 15 minutes. When done, sprinkle with salt and white pepper. Broil or grill for 15 minutes.

2.  Pour half of the buffalo bbq sauce on the wings and broil for another 5 minutes. Repeat with the remaining sauce.

3. Garnish with scallions and sesame seeds and devour!

Eva Longoria’s Shrimp & Arugula Salad

SHRIMP:

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• Juice of 3 small lemons (about 6 tablespoons juice)
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh chives
• Pinch ground cayenne OR to taste
• Kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste
  ·  24 jumbo shrimp (21 to 25 per pound), peeled and deveined but with tails on

  SALAD:

• 4 ounces green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 2 (10-ounce) bags pre-rinsed baby arugula leaves
• 1 pint small grape tomatoes OR halved if large
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
• Kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste

  *For Shrimp, in a large bowl, place olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, basil, chives, cayenne, salt and pepper. Stir until well blended. Add shrimp and stir gently until well coated with marinade. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours.

To make Salad, prepare a medium bowl of ice water. Bring a small saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add green beans and cook until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Drain beans and immediately add to ice water. Let stand until cool. Drain well and set aside.

When ready to serve, prepare a medium-hot grill or set a rack 6 inches from broiler and set broiler to high. Grill or broil shrimp 4 to 5 minutes, turning once during cooking, until firm and bright pink or orange.

In a large salad bowl, place arugula, tomatoes, reserved green beans, oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Toss gently until arugula and vegetables are well coated.

Divide greens among 4 to 6 salad plates and top with shrimp. Serve. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

NOTE: This marinade is Longoria’s favorite for shrimp, chicken and flank steak or any other red meat.

Adam Levine’s Signature Steak Marinade

You’ll Need:
4 ribeye steaks
1C Dijon mustard
1/2C honey
Salt, to taste
Generous splash of Worcestershire

Make It:

1. Mix marinade ingredients in a bowl. Refrigerate, covered, for 30 minutes.

2. Remove the chilled marinade from the fridge, coat the steaks. Grill over medium-high, about 4 minutes on each side for medium-rare. Adam adds lots of honey “because when it chars over the heat, it gets toasty and smoky and just awesome.”

Jennifer Hudson’s Sweet Potato Fries

You’ll Need:
1 or 2 large sweet potatoes
Coarse sea salt, a pinch
Freshly ground black pepper, a pinch
Olive Oil, a drizzle

Make It:

1. Preheat your oven to 450*F. Slice potatoes into chunks (I leave the skins on, it adds nutritional value).

2. Drizzle potatoes with olive oil, add a pinch of salt & pepper. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes than enjoy!

Argo Tea:

I’m not a soda or over-sugared juice person, but I LOVE my tea! One of my favorite brands is Argo Tea. They bring teas directly from worldwide growers and blend them with unique gourmet flavors. My personal favorite is the Green Tea Ginger Twist (see below) a blend of green tea, pure spicy ginger and ripe lemons. More details can be found at www.ArgoTea.com.

March: Favorite snack of the month!
John WM Macy’s CheeseSticks
Link: http://www.cheesesticks.com/

One year I decided to make parmesan crisps from fresh puff pastry and bring them to an event to serve with hors d’oeuvres. Though delicious, it was incredibly time consuming and stressful while trying to make dinner and dessert items as well. I decided to never do it again. While on a shopping trip at Whole Foods, I discovered these delicious CheeseSticks that taste exactly like the homemade ones that took me hours to make. When I’m headed to a party or holiday event, I pack a box of CheeseSticks along with a block of cheese, roasted peppers, tapenades or hummus and vegetables.
Flavors:
– Cheddar & Asiago
– Melting Parmesan
– Original Cheddar: This one is my #1, it’s made from shredded sharp Asiago and Cheddar cheeses, layered between thin sheets of fresh sourdough, seasoned with cayenne butter, cut into strips and twisted into shape! *Drooling!*
– Sesame Gruyere
– Bourbon Vanilla (with a cappuccino, this is perfect)!
– Java Cinnamon

If you guys try them out, post the pics of what you pair them with/how you eat them on the CaitlinCooks Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?filter=app_2915120374#!/pages/Caitlin-Cooks/134430223296230

Enjoy!
Xo,
Caitlin

You’ll Need:
2 1/2C self-rising flour
2T sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
3 oz butter, melted
2 egg yolks
1C milk
Filling:
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4C brown sugar
2T sugar
1T butter
Frosting:
1C powdered sugar
2T cream cheese, room temp
1T butter, room temp
2T boiling water
1 tsp vanilla extract

Make It:
1. Grease a 8-inch round pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Mix the flour, salt, sugar and cinnamon. Whisk the butter, egg yolks and milk. Combine the wet ingredients with the dry and stir until it makes a soft dough. Turn the dough onto a piece of wax paper and roll out into a rectangle (add flour if it sticks).

2. Make the filling: mix all filling ingredients and sprinkle over the dough. Roll into a log and cut into little buns. Brush with milk and bake at 350*F for 35 minutes until golden brown.

3. Combine all frosting ingredients, pour over the buns and devour!

Show Episode:

You’ll Need:
2 eggs
2C all-purpose flour
3T sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2C buttermilk
1/2 stick butter (make sure it’s unsalted!)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Cooking Spray
Fresh Blueberries
Garnishes: confectioners sugar, maple syrup, butter

Make It:

1. Combine all your dry ingredients and sift (this prevents lumps). Whisk your eggs than combine them with the dry ingredients. Add your buttermilk, melted butter and vanilla. Whisk a little bit more.

2. Spray a pan (or griddle) with cooking spray. Drop 1/4C of the batter for each pancake. Scatter some blueberries over the top. Cook until bubbles form on the top. Gently flip the pancakes and cook for another  2 minutes until the other side is brown.

3. Top the finished cakes with powdered sugar, butter and (lots) of maple syrup!

Who remembers the Fla-Vor-Ice pops from when you were little? I bet you don’t remember that they were also artificially died, loaded with sugar and lord knows what else! I’ve been reading labels more and paying attention to what I’m eating. I found these frozen fruit pops by Power of Fruit. Let me break it down for you:
- 100% Whole Fruit
- No corn syrup
- No additives
- No preservatives
And just to keep it real…every fruit bar you’ve tried (cough, cough Edy’s) probably has a small amount of real fruit in it.
They come in cherry berry, banana berry, tropical all fruit and (my fav) orange tango.
More Information: http://www.poweroffruit.com/