DIY Russell from UP! Halloween Costume

DIY Russell from UP! Halloween Costume

Halloween is such a fun holiday - filled with DIY possibilities: costumes, decorations, and spooky treats. While I’m working on putting this year’s costume together, I thought I’d share one of my favorite DIY costumes! 
In 2012, I created a Russell from the movie UP! costume! Russell is one of my favorite Pixar characters, and his outfit is soo cute for Halloween. His outfit has a ton of details, but you don’t need to nail every single item to get the overall idea! :) It’s a fairly intensive process, but well worth it! I wish I had shot each step like I do for my recipes, but who would have thought I’d have a blog some day? :) Check out my steps for creating a custom Russell Halloween Costume below:

Ridiculously Easy Black & Orange Marbled Cake

Ridiculously Easy Black & Orange Marbled Cake

It’s #OrangeOctober, my favorite month of the year. October brings the start of the fall holidays, colder weather, Halloween, and my birthday as well! Our #SFGiants have made it to the #NLCS and San Francisco is lit up in orange. It’s a beautiful thing. #EvenYear

A few weeks ago I started to rack my brain for fun #Halloween tutorials to do, since it’s one of the funnest DIY holidays of the year. However, I realized that I’m not really into spooky, gross looking treats. I love the creativity of Halloween, and wanted to come up with a fun, simple, and even…elegant dish for this ghouly holiday. 

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Jack Daniels Marinated Flank Steak

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Jack Daniels Marinated Flank Steak

Summer’s winding down, but here in San Francisco, it’s Indian Summer. The weather is beautiful and the overlap of really great postseason baseball and football season brings up a need for a great steak marinade! There are so many different ways to marinade beef. I wanted to put together a marinade that was made up of things that I already had around the house, and of course, a nice lil Jack Daniels marinade came to mind. Also, for those of you who want to achieve perfect grill marks, I taught myself to make a gif! See below!

I decided on a nice flank steak, which when marinaded and sliced really thinly against the grain, is wonderfully tender and flavorful. It’s best to let the meat marinade for a few hours to overnight. You can even use this on pork or chicken..or if you’re a vegetarian, try marinating some portobello mushrooms! Let’s get cookin :) 

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Fresh Nectarine, Basil, & Fried Mozzarella Stacks with Balsamic Reduction

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Fresh Nectarine, Basil, & Fried Mozzarella Stacks with Balsamic Reduction

As summer winds down, my kitchen is stock full of stone fruit. Nectarines, cherries, mangoes, apricots, peaches and plums all fall under the name “stone fruits” because of their large hard seeds. They are native to warm climates and are at their peak from June through September, so enjoy them while you can! :)  

I have a batch of beautifully ripe nectarines. I love them for their smooth outer skin, and incredibly sweet flesh. They are beautiful to cook or bake with because of their color, and I couldn’t wait to work on a recipe celebrating the nectarine. 

Gorgeous Ginger Pear Tart

Gorgeous Ginger Pear Tart

When pears are in season, you have to cherish them, and fast. Pears seem to only flourish in their prime for a few days once brought home, scolding you if you hesitate to devour them quickly enough. My dad recently purchased an entire flat of Bartlett pears from Costco, and I instantly racked my brain for delicious recipes. Bright salads, sauces, and pastries danced around my head all day. Finally I decided to attempt baking with puff pastry for the first time. This tart is visually beautiful, wonderful for entertaining and really impressing your guests. Ginger, cinnamon, and brown sugar bring out the sweetness of the fresh pears, and they are cradled in a delicate puff pastry. 
This was my first time working puff pastry, and all I could think of was Alton Brown’s old show Good Eats, which focused on the scientific reasons behind cooking and food’s reactions to certain techniques. It was one of my favorite shows while growing up, and I remember him testing out different techniques for cutting puff pastry so as not to damage the layers. The best tool for the job was a pizza cutter! It provided even pressure with quick cuts. For this tart, you don’t need to do much cutting at all, in fact, I didn’t even need to cut my puff pastry sheet because it broke off into the size I needed when it thawed from the freezer.

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Refreshing Lime Shrimp & Avocado Salad - No Mayo!

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Refreshing Lime Shrimp & Avocado Salad - No Mayo!

This delicious and refreshing salad is a breeze to prepare - you’re about 10 minutes away from flavor heaven. This salad is made of wonderfully fresh ingredients, and is perfect for a warm weather meal. Enjoy it as an appetizer, or served in toasted tortilla bowls or in lettuce wraps for a light lunch. It’s easily adaptable for your families’ taste; you can add a dash or two of hot sauce for a little kick :) 

Cheesy Polenta with Lemon Thyme Mushrooms

Cheesy Polenta with Lemon Thyme Mushrooms

Polenta is a delicious gluten-free addition to any menu. It’s so versatile! You can bake it, grill it, fry it, or serve it creamy. Recently I ordered a wonderfully gooey Jalapeño Cheesy Creamy Polenta at a restaurant and it inspired me to start exploring different ways to serve this yummy dish. The great thing about polenta is that it takes on the flavors you infuse it with quite easily. It’s simple to make and can be tweaked to your families’ tastes! 

Asparagus and Prosciutto Hash

Asparagus and Prosciutto Hash

Before my trip I purchased a gorgeous baby cast iron skillet, with all intentions of creating delicious single serving dishes. For today’s recipe, I wanted to explore a twist on traditional Corned Beef Hash & Eggs. What makes things feel fancier than prosciutto? Yummmm. This recipe is so easy, so delicious, and really pretty for brunch. The flavor combinations are classic, and make for a wonderful and hearty meal. 

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Mango Basil Crispy Personal Pizzas

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Mango Basil Crispy Personal Pizzas

Pizza. One of the most delicious inventions in the world. It’s versatility is endless: deep dish, thin crust, cheese stuffed crust, sweet, savory, and topped with any ingredient under the sun. Making homemade pizza is, let’s be honest, kind of a drag. I am usually very hesitant when it comes to making my own dough, even though the outcome is significantly better than store-bought instant dough. 

One of my favorite pizza topping combinations is the classic Hawaiian. It’s simple. Salty, sweet, and on a light crispy dough with tons of cheese. I wanted to share a few recipes with you that take a classic dish, and update it with a new, slightly more upscale twist (while still being completely affordable). How could I elevate a Hawaiian pizza? Mango.