TikTok Cooking Club

Valerie hosted us for Cooking Club this month, and the theme was "Fucking TikTok" or #foodtok. The idea was to make a recipe that you've seen on TikTok or other social media! Sadly, Nancy has a cold so she wasn't able to join us.

Yumi made a scrumptious jalapeño popper dip!

Summer did an egg taco recipe that was exciting to watch! First she fried some feta in a pan, and then she crack an egg in.

Then she put that on top of a tortilla with guacamole!

The egg yolk mixed with the spices to create a sauce.

It was delightful!

I made the infamous baked feta pasta. You bake a block of feta with a bunch of cherry tomatoes and olive oil.

Then you stir in freshly cooked pasta and it becomes creamy, tangy deliciousness!

Emily made this glorious baked cauliflower with tahini dressing. It was soooo good.

Valerie made a loaf of pull apart garlic bread, and Golden Girl salad.

The salad was super flavorful, and the bread had delicious pools of garlic nestled inside. YUM!

Val also made a French Apple Cake, to end the night! We had a lot of fun enjoying recipes from TikTok. I never really followed recipes on there before, but I will now!

August Cooking Club: Summer's Bounty

Our August cooking club theme was Summer’s Bounty! We had a few very special guests and ate boatloads of delicious summery goodness.

Nancy made Pink lemonade Jell-O shots. Yum!

Cheers!

Emily made watermelon salad with basil and feta. So refreshing!

Summer made roasted tomatoes with goat cheese. We put this on crackers. Sooo good!

Valerie made cold avocado soup with cilantro oil. This had a kick!

Valerie also made this grilled corn and halloumi salad with Israeli couscous. I looooove halloumi so much!

Nancy made two tomato tarts. One cooked tomato tart with basil and parsley purée and Gouda cheese...

...and one fresh tomato tart with a goat cheese & basil spread! I couldn't decide which one I loved more so I kept tasting both.

Emily made sabayon with fresh peaches. Mmm!

This photo IS summertime!! 

Davis Vacation

I went with Mom and Dad over to Davis this week for a quick trip to visit Mer, Pete and Kate! The evening we got in, we headed to The Billy Motel for a cocktail!


Dad being silly:


I'd never been there before, but apparently they just renovated it and it looks awesome! 




SPARKLY BOOTHS!


Manhattans! Cheers!


Twins!


It's Pride month and there are rainbow flags all over Davis and Thomas. So cheerful!


Family!



We ordered pizza from Sirianni's for dinner. Yum!


After dinner, Mer, Pete and I went to a little sightseeing. We went to Lindy Point for sunset!


Sissies at sunset!


Then we checked out the Gentle Overlook at Blackwater Falls. Pretty!

Tuesday morning, Dad made eggs! Yum! There were jalapenos and cheese inside.


Tuesday was a rainy day, so we hung around the house most of the day. Mer's friends brought their new puppy Homer over, and he was soooo cute!


The rain cleared up in time for us to grill some veggie burgers. Yum!


After dinner, a few of us went into town to get some ice cream. Yum! This is Coconut Canyon flavor.


Wednesday was sunny and gorgeous! We went back to the Gentle Overlook with Mom and Dad! Still gorgeous!

Then we went to Pendleton Point!


We found a bouquet of fake flowers so Mom and Dad did a little photo shoot.


Don't forget to stop and smell the fake flowers!


We went back to the ice cream shop for lunch! This time I got Mornin' Sunshine. Coffee with chocolate slivers! It was supposed to have a caramel ribbon, but I did not detect one. It was still delicious though.


That evening we set up some targets and did bb shooting!


Pew! Pew!


We made roasted sweet potato and black bean tacos for dinner. They were amazing!


I taught everyone to play the card game Golf, and we had a great time!


This morning on our way home, we stopped to look at the windmills before leaving the area. They're so cool!



It was a great, relaxing week in Davis. Until next time!

Spring Cooking Club

Tonight, Valerie hosted the first indoor cooking club since the beginning of the pandemic!!!!! The theme was spring, and needless to say we were ecstatic to gather and cook and eat! We had two special guests joining us -- Heather and Valaree! Sadly, Yumi couldn't join us because she was in recent contact with a friend who tested positive for COVID. BOOOO!! Yumi felt fine and tested negative, but the recommended five-day waiting period isn't up yet so she stayed home to quarantine. Which we appreciated but man, did we miss her!

Valerie set the table with lovely spring flowers.

Nancy started us off with a fancy gin cocktail! It had a sugar snap pea and fennel puree, lime juice, simple syrup, and gin. It was so springy!

Heather made little toasties with garlic and anchovy olive oil/butter spread with red pepper flakes and pan-roasted radishes, topped with chives, dandelion flower, and violets.

Lucy enjoyed the spectacle and hoped for a taste.

I made a spring salad, with quick-pickled rhubarb, Cara Cara oranges, pistachios, red buds, feta, and violets!

Valaree made spring rolls! SOMEBODY had to!! LOL. Aren't they gorgeous?

Served with a carrot miso ginger sauce.

Valerie made a pasta with leeks, asparagus, peas and scallops. What a treat!

Summer made a palate cleanser: honeydew sorbet with lime and black pepper. It was so tasty!

The sorbet was extra yummy with a splash of gin in it. We recommend The Botanist.

Emily made a braised lamb with creamy polenta and mint chimichurri. This was divine!

Valerie made darling little almond shortbread cookies.

Nancy also made limoncello, which paired perfectly with the shortbread cookies!

Summer also made a dessert, frozen honey mousse. This was the most honey-tasting honey-flavored treat I have ever tasted! It was SO HONEY-LICIOUS!

Will you just look at how Summer's dessert matches her jacket which perfectly matches the daffodils? She is a vision of spring!

It was absolutely fabulous to celebrate spring with the cooking club gang. We're back, baby!! (Stay away, COVID!!)