Crispy? check. Crunchy? check. Gooey? check. Cheesy? check
Healthy Comfort Food? check.
Want to learn how to cook up Corn Flakes Crusted Grilled Cheese at home? Great! Dash on over to my recipe post at Attune Foods for all the fabulous details!
Continue reading “Corn Flakes Crusted Grilled Cheese”
Guess who is coming to the OC? Well I bet you all ready guessed from the title of this post……I am so excited to share that a brand new Whole Foods Market is opening at the fabulous Fashion Island shopping center this Wednesday, September 19th.
This means that not only can I shop for the highest quality natural whole foods at Whole Foods, but it also means that I can hit up Lululemon, Neiman Marcus and Anthropologie all in one trip!
This store will impress BIG time with 32,000 square feet of foodie joy!
Continue reading “Whole Foods Market Newport Beach”
Let’s face it, fall is nothing without pumpkin, ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon spice. Throw in some apples, sweet potato, pear, chocolate and caramel (though we all know these really have no singular season.) Maple sweetens everything up.
We all agreed on Facebook that these are favorite fall flavors.
Grab your pots and pans, warm up the oven and invite some sweet & delicious autumn recipes into your home…even if your temperatures are still soaring outside!
Continue reading “100+ Delicious Fall Desserts – Recipe Round Up”
You might have seen a few Facebook posts and tweets flying around about my recent adventures in Sitka, Alaska. At the end of my summer in Telluride I got the best invitation ever. Within seconds of receiving it I signed onto join the Alaskan Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) and the BEST people ever on a Seafood Culinary Retreat.
What is a Seafood Culinary Retreat? Basically you go to a private island off the Southern Alaskan coastline. You hang out with some of the worlds best food writers, photographers and chefs. You learn all about wild, sustainable Alaskan seafood and you indulge on the finest seafood known to man.
Come on and join me on the adventure…
That’s right friends. Picture a private Alaskan island
A stunning luxury fishing lodge. This is the Talon Lodge. It is a little bit fabulous. It sits on a 4 acre private island. Envision chic meets rustic timber ~ perched and waiting for luxury adventure travelers.
The owners of the Talon Lodge made sure we were 100% well taken care of. My coffee cup was always full, my belly more than well feed (more on that as you scroll) and the sights of Sitka Sound and surrounding mountains were breathtaking!
The views during the day were not too shabby.
They were pretty awesome in the evening too.
We had wonderful conversations at every meal…
John often took time to sketch.
I am now obsessed with fishing boats and bright buoys.
I want to travel the world to photograph them…
There is something about bright, pop colored balloons that float in the ocean. I love the way they are tied to the dock for decor.
Thank you Béatrice for taking that photo of me below.
The Alaskan air is so clear and there are snowy covered peaks not too far away. You know how much I LOVE my mountains and snow.
During the day we went deep sea fishing. The catch of the day included rock fish, halibut and crab.
This trip was made extra special because I got to experience with amazing people.
Pictured below is Béatrice Peltre: La Tartine Gourmand, John Donahue: Stay at Stove Dad, Greg Henry: Sippity Sup and Aran Goyoaga, Cannelle et Vanille.
We were hoping for salmon catch, but they were too busy leaving the ocean to swim up stream and spawn. Had it been 2 weeks or even one week earlier we would have caught a boatload of wild salmon.
Have you ever seen a salmon run? This was unbelievable. The amount of energy it takes to fight the current, rocks and the other fish is baffling.
All to lay eggs and then die….interesting circle of life.
In Alaska’s constitution it states that the people must preserve the natural resources. Sustainable management practices are what comes first.
Everything about this natural environment is carefully maintained, fully protected and well accounted for.
You cannot just fish for fishing sake. You must obtain a fishing license and closely regard the per person quota.
The system works effectively and has become a world model for sustainability.
Before we dropped crab pots we had to label them individually with our names and addresses. Accountable…
The man below is Larry. He is the Retail Marketing Director for ASMI. He is well traveled, wonderfully educated, sincere and truly a great guy!
He was super proud of this free app he developed called Cook it Frozen! You gotta check it out. Did you know that you don’t need to thaw fish before you cook it? This is a game changer and great news for us busy folks who often need to prepare meals on the fly.
As I always say here Real food fast. Not fast food.
Both sporting fisherman and commercial people need to obey the sustainability rules. They are closely watched ~ this helps preserve the ecosystem and protect the marine life. It also helps assure that the fish we eat is pure and delicious.
We met many really nice fishermen. Here is a commercial fisherman aptly named Steve Fish who kindly showed us around his well equipped fishing boat.
My friend Helen was rather intrigued by the gadgets on Steve’s fishing boat. Including the auto-baiter. An auto-baiter is a high tech device that baits hundreds of fishing hooks so you don’t have too!
Steve had a certain twinkle in his eye when he talked about his fabulous hi-tech fishing gadgets. We were all very grateful for his visit to our private dock.
It was interesting to learn about the intricacies of life at sea.
Here is a another fisherman, he just caught a Salmon Shark! He sure was proud to have his picture taken…
All of the fisherman were great subjects! These guys love to be out at sea…
They all love to get their picture taken…
Here is a look at our inspiring chefs. Chef Dan Enos from The Oceanaire Seafood Room in Boston and Chef Patrick Hoogerhyde from The Bridge in Anchorage.
They taught us so much about the proper preparation of seafood, how to filet it and some great recipes using the freshest Alaskan seafood. These guys are both very passionate about high quality wild seafood and all kinds of whole foods.
We taste tested 5 kinds of salmon: King, Coho, Sockeye, Pink and Chum. I like them in that order.
Homemade gravlax was a favorite, so was smoked salmon….but my all time favorite was pan seared salmon with wild cranberries served over arugula (above). This dish would be perfect for anytime at all and would be make a nice Thanksgiving too!
I have a recipe for Homemade Gravlax in case you want to try it yourself at home. It is so simple. All it takes is super fresh salmon, a dry rub with sea salt, sugar, pepper and fresh herbs…
Wrap it up and let it cure in the fridge for at least 3 days. You flip it once per day. Simple food, simply the BEST!
Just remember to use the highest quality wild fish you can find. OK? It is better for your health and the environment. Besides, it tastes better!
For exercise (gotta exercise) we took a spooky walk in an enchanting forest. Larry kept us protected with bear mace.
He was ready to fight four our lives if needed.
Thankfully the only wildlife we saw was a guy enjoying the day fly fishing…
Also plenty of beautiful trees, wild flowers and berries…
Did you know that Grizzly Bears (brown bears) are kinda everywhere in Alaska? Look at how close I was to one!
Oh don’t you worry, these soft, fuzzy bears were about 20 feet below me frolicking before their next meal.
I hope you enjoyed checking out our adventure. I am very inspired to see more beautiful Alaska some day ~ since I have been back in the OC I make sure that I purchase certified wild + sustainable fish.
What is your favorite kind of seafood? Have you ever been to Alaska? How about on a fishing trip?
People on this Trip
Related Links
Disclosure: The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) hosted me on a spectacular culinary retreat. All thoughts, opinions and views are my own.
Can we all agree that pancakes are the best excuse ever to have cake for breakfast? Especially when you top them with a healthy equivalent to cream cheese frosting…
It was pancake Saturday at our house this weekend ~ my kids woke up and they wanted to prepare breakfast with me. I love spending time with them in the kitchen. It’s these little experiences that become lifetime memories.
We decided on this hearty stack of homemade pancakes (really layer cake, let’s not fool ourselves) with a super special “frosting.” Whipped cream cheese lightly sweetened with pure maple syrup…
Continue reading “Graham Flour Pancakes with Cream Cheese Maple Sauce”
This summer while in Colorado we picked bunches of flowers everywhere we went. The colors were popping everywhere and we had lots of these little posey bouquets all around our home.
Purples and greens are soothing colors that pair perfectly together in this ColorFresh color palette. Whether you are designing fabric, rooms in your home, planning a wedding or shower, or making a beautiful cake. These colors can work for anything! Can you imagine a custom surfboard or skis with this palette? Heavenly.
For more information on these colors visit Kuler.com and my ColorFresh { Posey } Pinterest board.
I figured since I just visited Sitka, Alaska on a Culinary Seafood Retreat it makes sense to post a salmon recipe! Whenever I am asked the questions “What is your favorite food?” or “What would be your last meal?” (Quite frankly I don’t want to think about a meal being my last……..)
You know what my answer always is? Salmon. Really it is. Pretty pink, sustainably raised, wild salmon.
Simply grilled or pan seared is perfect. Lightly sauced with a huge helping of veggies ~ enlightenment found. (By the way, a lot to follow on the trip to Sitka, I just need to go through my heaps of photos!)
Continue reading “Wild Salmon with Minty Yogurt Sauce”
Do I need to twist your arm to convince you that you need Maple Banana Toasted Almond Quinoa in your life? I think not.
Quinoa has been trendy for quite some time but it’s very obvious that this seed (often mistaken to be a grain) is here to stay. We love it savory, sweet and everything in between.
Quinoa for breakfast? Yes please!
Continue reading “Maple Banana Toasted Almond Quinoa”
This giveaway is now closed. Thanks for all of your entries ~ stay tuned. I have another Blentec giveaway coming soon. Maybe it has your name on it!
Over here we are BIG fans of our Blendtec blender. It is used daily for homemade applesauce, shakes, smoothies, soups, icy treats and even homemade ice cream!
Owning a high powered blender is essential for getting a perfect texture for so many recipes. It is perfect for DIY Homemade Frappuccinos and all kinds of homemade slushy drinks. No need to dash out to the coffee shop. My kids enjoy the fact that I can whip up a batch of shaved fruity ice in no time at all!
My Blendtec was a lifesaver this summer and will be even more so with the holidays coming up around the corner.
Can you imagine how much easier it will be if you are hosting Halloween, Thanksgiving and holiday parties? You need to have this professional appliance at the ready!
Why you need this
The brand new Designer Series from Blendtec is fabulous. It has state of the art blending features and it’s sleek design proudly displays on your kitchen counter.
Awesome Blend Cycle Icons
The touch area has illuminated, easy to read, universal icons that enable effortless selection of our signature blend cycles. These cycles are optimized to deliver great blends with a single touch.
TotalControl™
The revolutionary new slider interface gives you absolute control over your blender’s speed. Precise touch sensors give you every bit of control you deserve. Touch anywhere on the slider to jump right to any speed, and slide your finger up and down to fine tune your blend.
It is also simple to clean up and takes the place of so many other kitchen gadgets. This means a more streamlined kitchen and less to clean for you!
Included in this Giveaway
This is over $600.00 worth of amazing Blendtec products one lucky winner.
*the Wildside Jar is a 5 sided jar to take blending to the extreme!
*the Twister Jar is designed to blend your thickest recipes such as: Nut Butters, Hummus, Baby Food, Dips, Thick Shakes, Dressings and more!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Disclosure: I am grateful to work with the BlendTec brand promoting their awesome products. This review and giveaway are based off my own experiences testing their products.
One of the most important features successful lunchboxes have are the snacks you tuck inside. You need a main meal for lunch & to keep energy levels high throughout the day it’s best to have well balanced, tasty and healthy snacks at the ready.
Snacks don’t have to be over thought, they just need to provide essential nutrients and calories to keep you going. Reaching for overly processed items in vending machines and the school cafeteria are costly, filled with sugars, salt, also empty calories. One of the goals of Project LunchBox is to help you make better, more informed choices. Those choices are best when you purchase your own foods and cook at home.
Besides, snacks and mini meals are super fun to look forward to!
Continue reading “100+ Healthy, Delicious and Easy Lunchbox Snacks”
Back in June I was in beautiful St. Moritz, Switzerland. I am still dreaming about all of the fun and unique experiences I had there. From 5 star hotels, to the most amazing food to active adventures. I did it all and I need to go back and visit asap! The folks at the St. Moritz tourism board had lots of fun planned for me. One of the first questions they asked when getting to know my interests was “Are you scared of heights?” Thankfully I am not. That is what got me to the Diavolezza. On a trip to Piz Trovat ~ via ferrata (a fixed rope climb.)
This hike had amazing views of glaciers, the Alps and the Diavolezza ski resort. It beckons in summer and winter.
Here is my fearless leader Berni Hauser.
We had so much fun together. He had many fun life stories to share as we clipped and climbed up the via ferrata.
Our route started at 2,850 meters. We climbed 2 hours up to the Piz Trovat at 3,146 meters. We even crossed a teeny tiny bridge that was suspended over a huge crevasse. Looking forward and not down was the bet way to handle that. The views from the top are spectacular. We could see the Bernina Massif. And it is massive!
I am sure if Berni was reading this right now he could point out each and every mountain peak to you. All I can tell you is that the views were 365 degrees breathtaking!
The region of the Central Eastern Alps we were gazing upon stands between Italy ( Lombardy ) and Switzerland ( Graubünden ). In case you are lost you can read the signs…
Or have Berni guide you…
The Diavolezza mountain region is a popular ski destination in the winter. It is located close to the beautiful town Pontresina. “La Diavolezza” translates to The beautiful she-devil. You can read about the myth and folklore of this mountain fairy on Wikipedia. Truly unbelievable terrain! I must ski it someday.
It was the perfect bluebird sunny day, with some breezy winds and lots of leftover snow.
Have you eve done anything like this? Oh you must!
More Swiss Posts on MarlaMeridith.com
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Back to school is here folks! Some are excited about this and others want the summer to last forever….. I kinda straddle the two. I love the fresh start to a new school year and I am also enjoying every last sip of free-time fun with my kids. This summer has been a true gift in every way.
This has been our longest trip yet to Colorado and we have established very firm roots. It will be tough to leave. My kids however are excited to see their school friends. We might end up here in Telluride down the road, lots to be decided.
No matter where we are there’s many lunches to be packed! Why not pack a little colorful paper hug in every lunchbox?!
I have made it easy for you to do that with these free, downloadable Project LunchBox printables!
Continue reading “*FREEBIE* Project LunchBox Love Notes – DIY Printables”
