With the falling of the leaves and the first hints of snow, my favorite foodie season rolls around. There are holiday potlucks, classy cocktail parties, white elephant exchanges, ugly sweater parties...all the amazing reasons that are great for gathering friends and family.

At these shindigs, everyone usually brings a dish to share, and now comes the big question I ask myself every time: "What dish do I bring that is sure to win over the crowd?" I want my dish to do that magical disappearing act, leaving party-goers asking for recipes left and right, without leaving the kitchen in such a disastrous state that FEMA needs to step in to help.

Well, my foodie friends,  I have, tucked under my belt, many delicious holiday staples, and while I can't share all my secrets, I can give out a few that even the pickiest eaters will enjoy. 

So for the next few posts, I'll share my "Delicious Holiday" series, starting with the infamous Goat Cheese Spread with Pomegranate, Cucumber, and Dill. Silly simple, pairs great on any carb-like carrier (i.e crackers, bread, pita, etc), and  disappears faster than coworkers on a Friday afternoon.

The sun is out, the temperatures are balmy, and the produce is getting amazing again - summer is just about here! My Chicago blood is still running thick from the winter, and I've been finding ways to cool down this week via cold treats. Paletas have become my newest chilled obsession. 

I've been buying up these delicious Mexican fruit popsicles at a Paleteria nearby, but honestly, they are so easy to make. Fruit, sugar, water (or milk) + 3 steps until tasty time - that's it! Plus, they seem to be healthier and more natural than most store-bought stuff.

So instead of single-handedly buying out all the paletas in my nearby store, I figured that this recipe will feed my cool appetite. There are ways to get super creative with this recipes, so many fruit combinations you can try:

• Mango + lime juice + chile powder
• Coconut milk (instead of water) + raw oats + cinnamon
• Watermelon + mint leaves
• Kiwi + Strawberry
• Coconut milk (instead of water) + Pineapple + lime zest/juice
• Raspberry + Blueberry
• Half & Half (instead of water) + peach
• Blueberry + Lemon Zest
• Orange + Passion Fruit
  
• Guava + Pear
• Lemon + Lavender

Can't wait to try all these flavors! Using just one fruit  is also super tasty if your a fruit flavor purist. :)

WARNING: This post contains copious amounts of cursing in the name of healthy food. If this isn't your thing, here's a less offensive post for you.

For all others, let's f*cking do this!


I received the most wonderful, in-your-face cookbook from a good friend this week. This video explains the book quite beautifully:

I about died laughing at this video. You're welcome.

In all seriousness, this book is a pretty great, approachable way to start cooking dishes that taste good and are healthy for you. It gives a lot of starter tips on the tools needed in the kitchen, basics on how to cook some staple foods such as rice and beans, and general advice on cooking. Some great examples:

• On reading recipes completely before starting to cook: "READ THE GODDAMN RECIPE...Nothing is worse than getting to a crucial point in a recipe and realizing that the next thing you need is dirty in the sink...Don't just glance at a recipe and assume you've got that shit."
• On substituting ingredients in a recipe: "We offer ideas for substitutions in can't you can't find one of the ingredients or don't want to all the way to the store for just one fucking item...Feel free to try and mix shit up on your own, but use some goddamn sense. Out of tomato sauce? Not  problem, just...PUT THE FUCKING KETCHUP BACK. NO. NOT THE SAME THING...Like we were saying, just throw some diced tomatoes in a blender."
• On basic tools to have in the kitchen: "Who needs an avocado slicer? A person without any goddamn sense, that's who. Stick to this basic list [on the page in the book] and you'll be set for almost anything"

All the recipes in the book are plant-based - no meat or animal products! The average American eats more than double the pounds of meat that is recommended for a healthy diet, according to the book. "So come the fuck on, the last thing anybody needs is another book coming out telling you how to cook meat. Clearly you that shit on lock."

I've only had time to test out a couple recipes, but so far so delicious! I the best part is I don't feel bad eating any of it because it's all healthy. They have awesome recipes for breakfast, salads, sandwiches, soups, mini-meals, snacks, dinners, and dessert - they cover all the eating occasion bases.

If you're still on the fence about this book, Thug Kitchen's website has a recipe section, where you can make some of their tasty creations. The book has way more than what the website offers, though, with lots of nifty and helpful kitchen tips and tricks.