Author Archives: Parker

Grilled Chocolate Orange Cupcakes

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The best damn cupcake I ever made.

The best damn cupcake I ever made.

Cupcakes have become a thing in America.  I mean, there are entire TV shows dedicated to them.  Hello, Cupcake Wars.  I challenge you to try the most delicious, most unusually baked cupcake that has major WOW factor!  It’s GRILLED, people.  Like, thrown on the grill next to the rib eye, kinda grilled.

I scooped out the flesh from oranges that I’d halved, poured in the batter and placed the oranges in a cupcake tin.  Then, toss those babies on a heated grill.  Keep an eye on them, and after 20 minutes, you should have grilled cupcakes that are sheer perfection.  The orange rind really adds a depth to the orange flavor– the combination of the rich chocolate with the orange undertones is magic in your mouth.  Trust me.  Try it!

Get your Grill on, baby

Get your Grill on, baby

Grilled Chocolate Orange Cupcakes
Yields 12
Moist, chocolatey orange cupcakes, grilled to perfection
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Cook Time
20 min
Cook Time
20 min
Ingredients
  1. For the cupcakes: (modified from an Ina Garten recipe)
  2. 1 1/2 sticks salted butter at room temperature
  3. 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  4. 2/3 cup brown sugar
  5. 2 eggs at room temperature
  6. 1 tsp vanilla extract
  7. 1 tsp orange extract
  8. juice from 1/4 an orange
  9. 2 Tb orange zest
  10. 1 cup buttermilk
  11. 1/2 cup sour cream
  12. 2 Tb brewed espresso
  13. 1 cup cocoa powder
  14. 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  15. 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
  16. 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  17. 6-7 oranges cut in half, flesh scooped out
For the frosting
  1. 1 cup salted butter
  2. 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
  3. 3 one ounce squares of melted unsweetened chocolate
  4. 1/2 tsp instant coffee
  5. 3 Tb heavy cream
  6. 3 cups confectioners sugar
  7. 1 tsp vanilla
  8. 1 Tb orange zest
  9. 2 Tb fresh squeezed orange juice
For the batter
  1. Preheat the grill
  2. In an electric mixer with paddle attachment, cream the butter and both sugars until fluffy.
  3. Add eggs one at a time, then add vanilla, orange extract, orange juice and orange zest.
  4. In a separate bowl, whisk together buttermilk, sour cream and espresso.
  5. In another bowl, sift flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.
  6. On low speed, alternate adding the buttermilk mixture and the flour mixture-- starting with the buttermilk mixture and ending with the flour mixture. Do not overmix.
  7. Divide the batter among the orange halves, filling about 3/4 full.
  8. Put oranges in a cupcake tin and place on grill
  9. Bake for 20 minutes, until cooked through.
For the frosting
  1. Cream butter in your mixer until fluffy.
  2. Add cocoa, vanilla, instant coffee, cream, orange juice and zest.
  3. Melt the unsweetened chocolate in the microwave and cool slightly.
  4. Add chocolate to the butter mixture.
  5. Add in confectioners sugar gradually until you get desired consistency.
What's on Parker's Plate? https://whatsonparkersplate.flywheelsites.com/

Grilled Banana S’mores

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Grilled 'Nana, y'all

Get in my mouth, RAWT now!

Imagine a hot, melty, nutty banana s’mores….This, lovelies, is what I just pulled off the grill.  OH YEAH.  It’s freaking awesome.  Just split the ‘nana, stuff with chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, graham cracker pieces and your favorite nuts.  I sprinkled my banana with pecan bits that I sauteed in some butter, with brown sugar and bourbon.  It’s pretty much a perfect dessert!

Grilled Banana S'mores
OMG, Grilled Banana with S'mores Yum Stuffed Inside
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Ingredients
  1. 1 banana
  2. chocolate chips
  3. mini marshmallows
  4. chopped nuts
  5. graham cracker pieces
  6. Chocolate syrup
Instructions
  1. Split one banana lengthwise with the peel on, being careful not to cut through the peel.
  2. Spread open and stuff with chocolate chips, marshmallows, chopped nuts and graham cracker pieces.
  3. Wrap in tin foil and put on a heated grill for 10 minutes.
  4. Unwrap to serve, drizzle with chocolate syrup.
What's on Parker's Plate? https://whatsonparkersplate.flywheelsites.com/

Easter Entertaining

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Time to get your eggs decorated and get in the Easter spirit— literally…(didn’t think I’d be talking holidays without some spirits, eh?)  I have some really unique and delicious cocktail ideas I want to share. See the video above for all the creative ways kids (and adults) can enjoy the holiday!

Decorating eggs can be the most memorable part of an Easter celebration— and Dudley’s Spraytastic is a new egg decorating kit available at Walmart. You can use this on hard boiled eggs or Walmart’s Easter Decorating Eggs. It’s easy to use and fun for the whole fam.  It’s an airbrush inspired color spray so you can make really cool and unique decorated Easter Eggs. Just fill with the dye– pump— and spray. You can color mix and layer the sprays….And you can spray a single egg or an entire basket full! And when you’re entertaining for the holiday weekend, the sprayed eggs make a gorgeous centerpiece!
http://www.dudleyseaster.com/spraytastic.

The only downside to egg decorating is the mess that sometimes happens! I like to call it artistic expression that just needs a wipe down! Dudley’s Spin an Egg takes care of that problem with this spinner— kids just push down on the button and watch their egg spin while coloring! It’s as easy as that!
http://www.dudleyseaster.com/whereToBuy/

Dudley’s also has some other specialty egg dyes— Majestic dyes create beautiful pearlized eggs with no mess.

Puffy Strings of Color is one of my favorites— and it’s the newest way to decorate. Once you’ve dyed your Easter eggs, use the Strings of Color and applicator to make fun designs.

And Color Burst creates this speckled effect on eggs. It’s like magic! Also a little tip, if you add vegetable oil to the dye, you can create a totally different look.

You can go to http://dudleyseaster.com/ for a look at all of these Easter products!

Now that the kids are entertained, let’s talk adult beverages…

I love making a signature cocktail when I entertain– so treat your Easter Guests to the Diplo Daiquiri this Sunday!  It’s made with Rum Diplomático which is from Venezuela and recognized as one of the finest rums in the world.  The Diplo Daiquiri doesn’t even require a blender— just pour 1 ounce of Rum Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva, and half an ounce each of simply syrup and lime juice.  Shake and pour, garnish with a lime wheel.  The Reserva has a smooth and elegant finish– you can detect a bit of maple syrup, orange peel, licorice and notes of sweet toffee fudge.  http://www.rondiplomatico.com/

Amarula Cream, knowns as the “Spirit of Africa”  is the second largest cream liqueur in the world.  In South Africa, it’s typically enjoyed neat or over ice.  For Easter, try mixing it into your coffee at brunch or sip it after dinner with your dessert. https://amarula.com/

Some of my most treasured memories are from the semester I spent in Spain, stretching out long afternoons with incredible Spanish wines!  If you’re looking for the perfect Easter treat, try a cold bottle of dry Spanish Rosado.  Spanish Rosados are typically made from Tempranillo or Garnacha grapes— they have bright, fruity and floral notes, making them easy to pair.  El Coto de Rioja Rosado will quickly become a favorite among your family and friends.  This totally transports me back to Espana! http://www.winesfromspainusa.com/

And finally we have the  Avignonesi Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2012 made from 100% Sangiovese, this wine is fresh and elegant.  The taste is medium bodies with silky tannins and a long lasting finish.  This wine is perfect to pair with any lamb dish you are serving for your Easter Sunday celebration.  http://www.avignonesi.it/

Happy Easter!  

*This is a sponsored post, but all opinions are my own.

Diplo Daquiri
Serves 1
A light and refreshing rum cocktail
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Ingredients
  1. One ounce Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva Rum
  2. 1/2 ounce fresh lime juice
  3. 1/2 ounce simple syrup
  4. orange peel or lime to garnish
Instructions
  1. Pour over ice and enjoy!
Notes
  1. Great Tip: To make your own simple syrup, just boil one part water with one part sugar. I'll make it with 1 cup each of water and sugar--- boil until it reduces down a bit and store in fridge for up to 2 weeks.
What's on Parker's Plate? https://whatsonparkersplate.flywheelsites.com/

Chicken Tikka Masala

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an Indian chicken favorite

Chicken Tikka Masala

Traditionally, Chicken Tikka Masala is marinated in a yogurt blend to tenderize the chicken.  I didn’t have any on hand, so I made do without and the finished product tasted so authentic and delish!  When I was at the farmer’s market the last time, I picked up a box of Chicken Tikka spice mix— normally I always mix my own spice mixes, but this looked so, well, authentic, I decided to give it a shot.

spice mix

Found this at the Farmer’s Market

So glad I did!  If you make your own mix, there are a ton of recipes out there— it’s usually a blend of cumin, coriander, ginger, mint, garam masala, paprika, chili powder and garlic powder.  I did a little research on the origin of Chicken Tikka Masala, (I used to be news reporter, so color me curious!) and this is an interesting tid bit from the Food Detective’s Diary:

To fathom the extraordinary fable of Chicken Tikka Masala, we should travel to 5000 years ago when tandoor clay ovens were invented. Locals were beginning to raise chickens at the same time and realized both made an awesome combination. But the small bite sized pieces which we now call ‘Tikka’ came into existence- thanks to the nitpicking of an emperor, Babur, the founder of the Mughal dynasty in South Asia was so sick (or afraid) of choking on the chicken bones, he ordered his Punjabi chefs to remove the bones before cooking the meat in the tandoor. The resulting delicacy was called – Joleh, Persian for Tikka.

 Delicacy indeed!  

I squeezed the juice of 4 lemons, mixed with the spice mix, added a few squeezes of ginger and garlic paste from my favorite Gourmet Garden products and cut up an onion.  Then, I sealed it all in a ziploc and let it marinate for 3 hours.  Boom.

You could skewer the chicken and grill it, but #aintnoonegottimeforthat so I threw those bad boys on my stove top skillet and in 10 minutes they were done.  That fast, that perfect!  I served it with some roasted potatoes and asparagus— my man was HAPPY.  And so am I, to share the recipe with you!

Chicken Tikka Masala
Serves 4
Quick and Easy Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe
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For the marinade
  1. 1 package of Chicken Tikka Masala spice mix (or make your own-- about 1/4 cup of spices total)
  2. 1 package of boneless chicken tenders
  3. juice of 4 lemons
  4. 1 onion cut up
  5. 2 Tb fresh ginger (I use the fresh paste from Gourmet Gardens)
  6. 2 Tb fresh garlic (paste from Gourmet Gardens)
To cook
  1. 1 Tb butter
  2. 1 Tb canola oil
  3. Chopped cilantro for garnish
For the marinade
  1. Mix marinade ingredients together and coat chicken. Place in a ziploc baggie and chill in the fridge for 3 hours.
To cook the Chicken Tikka Masala
  1. If using a grill pan, heat up the butter and oil on medium high heat.
  2. Add the chicken but don't crowd the pan.
  3. Cook for 5 minutes on each side.
  4. Let rest for 5 minutes and serve.
  5. Garnish with chopped cilantro.
What's on Parker's Plate? https://whatsonparkersplate.flywheelsites.com/

Spring Reset to Health: Grilled Spiced Grapefruit Ricotta Dessert and Chinese Chicken Salad with Mandarins

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So, it’s that time of year….y’all know what I mean. The holidays have been over for almost 3 months, but those skinny jeans are still hanging in your closet, feeling decidedly UN-skinny.  You’ve been slacking on your workout and damn, it’s almost tank top weather.  Time for a detox Healthy Spring Reset.

No need to do the Master Cleanse for 17 days– yup, did that.  (Never again!!)  It’s just a matter of swapping out some fries for a scrumptious salad– and passing on the chocolate cake and going with grilled what?  Grilled grapefruit, lovelies.  It’s a thing. And it’s GETINMYMOUTHRAWTNOW kinda good.  Like, I am kind of obsessed with it right now.  This is my first time trying Wonderful Sweet Scarletts Grapefruit and I’m hooked– so sweet, so juicy!  These are a new brand of Texas Red Grapefruits, launched nationwide in November. I remember being a little girl and my Mom would sprinkle sugar on grapefruits to get me to eat it—- you don’t even need sugar, they are so sweet!  The Texas climate has warm days and cool nights, so they are getting some of the sweetest, premium grapefruits around.

PARAMOUNT CITRUS WONDERFUL SWEET SCARLETTS TEXAS RED GRAPEFRUIT

And the lavender honey sounds fancy, but it’s super easy.  Just grab a lavender plant from the grocery store or a local florist, pop a few buds of lavender in some honey and let it soak for an hour or so.  Didn’t know you could be so fancy, did ya??

OK, onto the salad next…

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Chinese Chicken Salad with Peanut Ginger dressing and Wonderful Halos

 

This is one salad I can actually stand.  I hate salads, people. For real.  I know, I know, I’m like the 1% of chicks who chooses NOT to eat salad.  So when I do, it’s got to be really freaking good.  This one is really.  Freaking.  Good.  It’s one of those, ‘slurp it off the plate with your tongue’ yum.  The Wonderful Halos add the perfect, citrus element to this sweet and savory salad.  And they’re only in season until April, so you still have a few weeks left to enjoy these sweet, seedless mandarins.

PARAMOUNT CITRUS WONDERFUL HALOS LOGO

p_281_great_grains_granola

 

Another Go-To in my pantry now is Great Grains Granola in both Super Nutty and Blueberry Flax.  Pop it on some Greek yogurt with some fresh fruit and call it breakfast.  Or a snack.  I keep some in a ziplock in my purse for those times when hunger starts gnawing and you really want to pull over and hit a drive thru!  They’ve got 26 grams of whole grains per serving and are made with real fruit, nuts and oats. Try this granola– you’ll find in most grocery stores.

And try these recipes– I guarantee those Skinny jeans will be feeling skinny again very soon!

*This is a sponsored post, but all of the opinions are my own. 

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Spring Reset to Health: Grilled Spiced Grapefruit Ricotta Dessert and Chinese Chicken Salad with Mandarins

Ingredients

    For the Grilled Grapefruit
  • 2 Wonderful Sweet Scarletts Grapefruit (peel sliced off with a paring knife) and cut into thick slices
  • 1 Tb olive oil
    • For the Spice Mix
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp cloves
  • 1 Tb brown sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • pinch of kosher salt
  • sprinkle of cayenne
    • For the Ricotta Yogurt
  • 1 cup Ricotta (full fat)
  • 2/3 cup Greek Yogurt
    • For the Lavender Honey
  • 1/3 cup local honey
  • 3-4 lavender flowers (soak in honey for one hour and remove)
    • For the Chicken Salad
  • 1 cup diced chicken
  • 3 cups butter lettuce
  • 1 cup dry coleslaw cabbage mix
  • 2 Tb each of mint, basil and cilantro chopped up
  • 1/4 cup chopped peanuts
  • Handful of snow peas
  • 5 Wonderful Halos mandarins pulled into individual pieces
    • For the dressing
  • 2 Tb garlic chopped up
  • 1/3 cup peanut butter
  • 3 Tb Rice vinegar
  • 1 Tb fresh ginger
  • 1/2 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 Tb soy sauce or tamari
  • 1/4 cup mandarin juice
  • 1 Tb honey

Instructions

    For the Grilled Spiced Grapefruit
  1. Spread the spice mix on the slices of grapefruit and heat up oil in a grill pan.
  2. Put slices of grapefruit down on hot grill pan and grill for 2 minutes on each side. Add some more spice mix to the flipped side.
  3. Mix ricotta and yogurt together.
  4. Top with grilled grapefruit and Drizzle with honey.
    5. For the Chinese Chicken Salad
  5. Whisk dressing ingredients together.
  6. Toss with lettuce, slaw, chicken, crushed peanuts, fresh herbs and mandarins.
https://whatsonparkersplate.flywheelsites.com/2015/03/spring-reset-to-health-grilled-spiced-grapefruit-ricotta-dessert-and-chinese-chicken-salad-with-mandarins/

The Bra Blog….National Bra Fit Styling Month

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OMG, I'm taking a picture in my bra...OMG, I love this new bra! OMG, are you looking at me in my bra?

OMG, I’m taking a picture in my bra…. OMG, I love this new bra! …. OMG, are you looking at me in my bra?

Let’s be real, ladies.  Bras need to fit perfectly.  Or you get that weird alien looking chesticle thing happening….

Katie Holmes on a bad bra day...

Katie Holmes on a bad bra day…

I had a wardrobe malfunction recently on a shoot where I was not only wearing the wrong bra, but the wrong shirt….so, there you can see the microphone cord and the bad bra.  Suh-weet.  Nothing like a nationally televised segment with lumpy boobs to motivate you to get a better fit, right?

Wardrobe Malfuntion!

Wardrobe Malfuntion!

Enter Intimacy.  Their timing couldn’t have been better!  Not only did they ask me to be a Brand Ambassador, they just launched National Bra Fit Styling month to help women find solutions to everyday bra fit issues. Throughout the month of March, you can donate your old bras in support of Free The Girls at any one of INTIMACY’s 16 store locations across the United States, receive a complimentary bra fit styling session, and shop their new spring collection.

I had never had a bra fitting before and this was a really great experience– seems like it might be awkward, but it wasn’t at all.  Their sales staff talks to you about your style, your wardrobe and what kind of bra you usually wear.  There’s no tape measuring or sizing in the traditional way you might think.  They’re just that good!  Intimacy caters to every woman, regardless of shape, style or size. Intimacy promises: For every woman, we will find the “perfect fit”.

Per the experts, “It’s very important to wear a properly fitted bra for several reasons which include preventing breast sagging and harm, making your clothes look better and making you feel more confident among many others. Also, a woman’s body changes more than six times throughout her lifetime so it’s important that her bra keeps up with her life and changes sizes depending on what stage she is going though. This includes puberty, pregnancy, losing or gaining weight, nursing, menopause, aging and more.”

 I learned a few things during my fitting as well— like, you shouldn’t wear the same bra more than twice a week.  And you need to hand wash them and let them dry hanging from the center bridge, not from the straps.  And believe it or not, a red bra is actually more like a neutral color– you can wear it under a white shirt and not be able to tell it’s red!  Who knew??!

After trying on a number of beauties, I found my perfect fit with this gorg Marie Jo bra in blue!  (36 C by the way…)  Here’s a model in my bra– cuz she’s got that whole “I model underwear on the reg” vibe going on…..(Oh, and there are cute matching panties too!)

leaverslaceSo, don’t wait for a bra malfunction, girls…Schedule a fitting at Intimacy– soooo worth it!

*Bra provided courtesy of Intimacy, but all opinions are my own. 

St. Patrick’s Day Sips, Snacks & Style

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shamrock-the-station-atlantic-station-2015-bannerIf you’re local in Atlanta, the GO-TO spot for the Saturday before St. Patrick’s Day is Shamrock The Station, in Atlantic Station. We’re talking, bring the whole fam for face painting, cookie decorating and a whole pot of gold kinda fun!  And, if you’re a foodie, you’re in luck.  Literally! Check out the food and drink specials from Meehan’s and The Pig and the Pearl Smokehouse and Raw Bar….

Meehan’s St. Patrick’s Day Drink Specials:

  • Guinness, Harp and Smithwicks for $6
  • 32 oz beer for $11 and $9 refill in Meehan’s Cup
  • Car Bombs and O Bombs for $7
  • Clover Cosmo : Absolut Citron + Cranberry $7
  • Leprechaun Libation : Absolut, Pineapple, Splash Melon Liquor $7
  • Shot of Jack Fire $7
  • $13 double cocktail $11 refill in Meehan’s Cup

Chef Todd Richards from The Pig & The Pearl Smokehouse and Raw Bar will be featuring his famous Smoked Corned Beef Brisket and crispy Brussels sprouts with a mustard jus. Can I get a yum, yum, y’all? He’s promised me the recipe…..stay tuned.

Chef Todd's Brisket

Chef Todd’s Brisket

Pig & The Pearl is 0pen Tuesday-Thursday and Sunday from 11:30am-10pm

Fridays & Saturdays 11:30 am-11 pm

Shamrock The Station fun!

Shamrock The Station fun!

Face painting for the kids

Face painting for the kiddos

outside view of ShamRock Station

Next up, the world’s favorite Irish beer, GUINNESS.  Guinness has recently launched GuinnessHooley.com – Hooley being an Irish word for ‘party’ – (like, duh!) where Guinness fans of legal drinking age can find great cocktail and food recipes and beer pairings.

Guinness

On St. Patrick’s Day, over 13 million pints of Guinness are enjoyed around the world. From the iconic stout to the recently released Guinness Blonde American Lager, there is a Guinness beer for everyone this St. Patrick’s Day. Guinness Blonde American Lager, brings together American and Guinness brewing techniques for a distinctly awesome, Guinness beer.  What better combo than black with blonde, right?  So, check out this modern version of a half and half.

Guinness Black & Blonde

  • 10 oz. Guinness Blonde American Lager
  • 10 oz. Guinness Draught

And, my new favorite bourbon is Bulleit.  Check this cocktail out– guaranteed to put a little green hair on your chest….Or get you some green beads.  Wait, Mardi Gras is over.  OK, it’s really good, just take my word for it.  It’s called the Wilde Oscar for a reason….

Wilde Oscar

  • 1 oz. Guinness Extra Stout
  • 1.5 oz. Bulleit Bourbon
  • .5 oz. Rich Simple Syrup
  • Dash of Botanical Bitters

Stir all ingredients in an ice filled mixing glass. Strain cocktail over a large ice cube. This cocktail is also delicious when made with the signature Guinness Draught. Garnish with a large orange peel and maraschino cherry.

In its third consecutive year partnering with The Leary Firefighters Foundation, Guinness is continuing its support for local firefighters nationwide by trying to raise $1 million by St. Patrick’s Day. Guinness celebrates those who are Made of More and go above and beyond to help their communities without the expectation of anything in return such as firefighters. Day in and day out, firefighters make tremendous sacrifices for the betterment of others and embody the same spirit and character founder Arthur Guinness instilled into the brand more than 250 years ago.

From now until St. Patrick’s Day, Guinness is raising money for local firefighters with the release of limited-edition firefighter-inspired t-shirts available for a $20 donation at www.GuinnessGivesBack.com. All net proceeds go towards The Leary Firefighters Foundation in support of firefighters nationwide.

Guinness Blonde Logo Now it’s time to get down with some of Ireland’s most delicious and cool products, y’all.  They’re from The Irish Store.

The Irish Store Logo

This afternoon, it felt like Christmas, because a massive box with The Irish Store’s USA Deluxe Family Breakfast Hamper arrived on my door step.  OMG.  It’s filled with just a few of my favorite things– namely, sausage, bacon, cheese and Irish butter.  Can anyone say Bulletproof coffee???

Check it out! Pop in the promo code when you order it and you get the 20% discount from $189.95 to $151.95.  Deal!

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The Basket Includes, (in addition to the 2lbs of Irish sausages…

  •          1 lbs Cocktail Sausages
  •          2 8oz Black Pudding
  •          2 8oz White Pudding
  •          3 8oz Irish Bacon
  •          1 Pack of Scones
  •          1 x 8oz of Irish Butter
  •          1 Box of Barry’s Gold Blend Tea
  •          1 Jar of Irish Jam
  •          1 Kerrygold Cheese (7oz)

And, now let’s get into some cool style for your St. Patrick’s Day party…The Irish Store is offering gorgeous jewelry and yummy knitwear….

Marcasite & Connemara Marble Celtic Cross – Now $99.95, with 20% promo code discount: $79.95

Marcasite & Connemara Marble Celtic CrossSterling Silver Trinity Knot Half Pearl Pendant – Now $74.95, with promo code: $59.95

Sterling Silver Trinity Knot Half Pearl PendantNATURAL Medium Ladies Hooded Zip Coat – Now $99.95, with 20% promo code discount: $79.95

NATURAL Medium Ladies Hooded Zip Coat
So, here’s wishing for your favorite Leprechaun to bestow some presents that will last long after the Green Beer runs out!  Remember, drink responsibly and have a fabulous St. Patrick’s Day!

**This was a sponsored post but all opinions are my own. 

Candied Strawberry Bacon (with salad if ya want it)

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unnamed-2Behold, Candied Strawberry Bacon.  It might be the best thing, since, well, my low carb peanut butter and chocolate dipped candied bacon.  Seriously, y’all, it’s some melt-in-your-mouth crazy town.  The easy way to candy bacon is to cook it on a low temperature for about an hour with something sugary on top— like brown sugar.  I added Parkesdale Farms Strawberry Syrup to the mix and, well, just call it Strawberry Heaven.

I had the chance to partner with the Parke family for my latest Weather Channel segment and these strawberries are seriously the sweetest, juiciest berries I’ve ever tasted.  Below is a shot of me with Matthew Parke, after he picked me a long stem red strawberry!

unnamed-4The caption should just be “WHOAH.”

After my candied strawberry bacon experiment, I added it to some candied walnuts and then feeling guilty for all the candied things happening, I threw in some more strawberries and a little feta and spinach for good measure.  My kind of salad.

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Candied Strawberry Bacon (with salad if ya want it)

Ingredients

    For the bacon
  • 1 package of center cut bacon
  • brown sugar
  • Parkesdale Strawberry syrup
    • For the candied walnuts
  • 1 bag of walnut pieces (about 2 cups)
  • 2 Tb butter
  • 1 Tb brown sugar
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • sprinkle of cayenne pepper
    • For the balsamic vinaigrette
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1 Tb brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup olive oil
    • For the rest of salad
  • Fresh spinach leaves
  • sliced strawberries
  • feta

Instructions

    For the bacon
  1. Preheat oven to 250
  2. Lay out bacon on a rack over a large rimmed baking pan
  3. Press brown sugar into each slice of bacon from top to bottom.
  4. Drizzle strawberry syrup over each slice.
  5. Bake for one hour.
  6. When cool, cut up bacon and put on salad
    7. For the walnuts
  7. Heat up butter on medium heat in a large frying pan and add walnuts. Add brown sugar, cumin, salt and cayenne and stir to coat. Toast in pan for another 5 minutes and set aside.
    8. For the dressing
  8. Add garlic, brown sugar and balsamic vinegar to food processor and pulse till combined. Turn processor back on and slowly add olive oil to emulsify.
  9. Toss spinach with dressing.
    10. Make the salad
  10. Add feta, strawberries, walnuts and bacon to dressed spinach and serve.
https://whatsonparkersplate.flywheelsites.com/2015/03/candied-strawberry-bacon-with-salad-if-ya-want-it/

Pecan Encrusted Shrimp with Strawberry Horseradish Sauce

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unnamed-1One of the first “date meals” I learned from my friend Lynne who is a stellar cook, is a pork tenderloin recipe with caramelized onions and a raspberry horseradish sauce.  Seedless jam is the base of the sauce recipe– when it’s heated, it melts down and the horseradish gives it a kick and cuts the sweet.

Since pork is tough to make ahead of time to have live on set at The Weather Channel, I experimented with shrimp.  Even my man, JP, was like, “Yeah, not sure that’s going to go together.”  One taste and he was convinced!  And you will be too…..The texture of the pecans on the shrimp and the not-too-sweet sauce is peeeeeeerfect. 

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Pecan Encrusted Shrimp with Strawberry Horseradish Sauce

Ingredients

    For the shrimp
  • 1 pound large shrimp peeled and deveined
  • 1 cup roasted pecans ground up in the food processor (I saute the pecans in a pan on low with butter and a bit of brown sugar, cumin, salt and a sprinkle of cayenne)
  • 1/2 cup bread crumbs
  • flour and eggwash for the dipping
  • 1 Tb butter
  • 1 Tb canola oil
    • For the sauce
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 jar of seedless strawberry jam (make sure it's seedless!)
  • 2 Tb prepared horseradish (not horseradish cream)
  • 1 Tb red wine vinegar
  • 2 Tb port

Instructions

    For the shrimp
  1. Make a triple batter station with bowls of flour, eggwash and the pecan/breadcrumb mixture.
  2. Dip shrimp in flour first, then eggwash, then pecan/breadcrumb mixture
  3. Heat up a frying pan on medium high heat (I use heavy duty non-stick) and add butter and canola oil
  4. When butter is bubbly, add shrimp. Don't crowd pan, so cook in 2 batches if necessary
  5. Cook for 3 minutes on one side, flip and 2 minutes on the other side. (If using smaller shrimp, reduce saute time and only cook for 2 minutes on the first side, 2 minutes on the other side).
  6. Remove from pan and put on a plate until serving.
    7. For the sauce
  7. In a medium sauce pan, saute garlic in olive oil on medium heat until fragrant, about a minute.
  8. Add jelly and stir until it melts.
  9. Add horseradish, red wine vinegar and port.
  10. Keep warm until ready to serve.
  11. Serve sauce on side with shrimp.
https://whatsonparkersplate.flywheelsites.com/2015/03/pecan-encrusted-shrimp-with-strawberry-horseradish-sauce/

Strawberry Smasher

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unnamedGoing with the strawberry theme today, it would have been easy to just slide in a strawberry margarita, but that would’ve been boring, right?  Well, my Strawberry Smasher is a smashingly delicious start to your day.  Wait….. Or end to your day!  Either way, go easy, or you’ll be, uh, smashed, my dear!

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Strawberry Smasher

Ingredients

  • 2 strawberries plus one for garnish
  • 10 leaves mint
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 1 shot of bourbon (I like Makers Mark or Bulliet)
  • 1/2 shot of Amaro or your favorite bitters
  • top off with soda water
  • ice

Instructions

  1. Muddle the strawberries, mint and sugar and put at bottom of a low ball glass.
  2. Add ice
  3. Pour bourbon and bitters over ice.
  4. Top off with soda water and stir.
  5. Garnish with a strawberry on rim-- you can also add a sugar rim for added sweet effect.
https://whatsonparkersplate.flywheelsites.com/2015/03/strawberry-smasher/