ColorFresh

ColorFresh { Beachy }

It’s just the beginning of June and we have all ready banked more beach and pool time then we ever could have dreamed of!

Thankfully here in the OC there is plenty of water everywhere…the sparking beaches have tempted me to get back out on a surf board too. Surfing is a freeing and fun sport. If I can’t do my all time favorite sport skiing , this offers a similar thrill. Plus it is great to get exercise in the great outdoors.

Have you ever tried to surf?

For more color inspiration head over to my ColorFresh { Beachy } Pinterest board and Kuler.com.
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~ Marla Meridith

Giveaways

Kaldi Coffee Maker Giveaway! {closed}

Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Kaldi coffee maker on MarlaMeridith.com blog

It is time for a FUN giveaway around here. As you guys know I LOVE coffee. Not only do I enjoy sipping it, but it is also the main ingredient in my favorite Homemade Frappuccino Milkshake.

The great folks at The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf want you to experience the Kaldi single serve coffee maker. (It also makes your favorite tea and espresso!)
Continue reading “Kaldi Coffee Maker Giveaway! {closed}”

~ Marla Meridith

Berries

Tutti Fruitti Stuffed French Toast

Let’s just start with this ~Tutti Fruitti Stuffed French Toast~ was dinner last night.

Life has been busier than ever. I thought back to school was crazy ~ well it seems like the end of school is pretty nuts too! Our days are super busy as we have all kinds of parties & celebrations to wrap up a great year of pre-school and 2nd grade.

When life is busy ~ make stuffed french toast! It is awesome for any time of day and tastes like a great big treat…
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~ Marla Meridith

ColorFresh

ColorFresh { Red + White + Blue }

I am in love with all the Red + White + Blue colors I have been seeing on Pinterest! From various recipes, to DIY crafty projects, table top, home design and more….you guys have been posting extraordinary ideas with this seasonal theme. This palette was the one I used in my Freebie DIY July 4th Printables. You can create your own invites, tags and labels with my patriotic inspired collection!

We had a great Memorial Day weekend and we are looking forward to bright summer fun and a super duper July 4th.

I have two boards you can check out to inspire:

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~ Marla Meridith

Entertaining

Spring Pasta with Prosciutto & Peas

This pasta recipe happened when I was working on a gazillion other things. Do you know how that goes? I bet you do. Basically I put myself up for a challenge that looked like this:

The final day of shooting the Cooking With Trader Joe’s | Easy LunchBoxes cookbook. I had 5 lunch boxes ready to be shot. All of a sudden the urge hit to see how quickly I could come up with a scrumptious pasta dish for dinner. Well that idea turned into a photo shoot. How could I resist taking gobs of photos of spring peas, prosciutto, cheese and pasta? Had to do it all.

Let’s celebrate busy lives and great flavors with Spring Peas & Prosciutto Pasta!

Prosciutto Slices on MarlaMeridith.com blog

Do you like prosciutto? I sure do hope so. It adds great amounts of flavor to this dish.

This is well rounded enough to serve for family dinners. It would also be great to serve as an elegant main course for dinner parties. Versatile meals are the best huh!

Pasta with Prosciutto, Peas and Cheese on MarlaMeridith.com blog

Chilled this recipe dubs as a pasta salad. Hot it is comfort food extraordinaire! *Light comfort food

I mean who could resist all this shaved cheese, salty prosciutto and lip smacking pasta?! Not us. No way.

Pasta with Prosciutto, Peas and Cheese on MarlaMeridith.com blog

The petit baby peas add a little touch of sweetness to this recipe.

This pasta would be great served hot or cold. Bring it to a picnic or pack it in your lunchbox.

Pasta with Prosciutto, Peas and Cheese on MarlaMeridith.com blog

My daughter has two favorite pastas (both of which go really well with this dish) ~ Lemon Pepper Fettuccine & Spinach Basil Garlic Fettuccine. You can find similar ones at Trader Joe’s.

She has me make some as often as she can convince me too.

Pasta with Prosciutto, Peas and Cheese on MarlaMeridith.com blog

Be sure to add a few squeezes of fresh zesty lemon juice. This sauce pairs particularly well with pappardelle, linguine, spaghetti and fettuccine. A nice long strand pasta.

Also don’t forget some shaved cheese. We love firm Pecorino Romano and Parmesan.

Pasta with Prosciutto, Peas and Cheese on MarlaMeridith.com blog

Do you have any favorite pasta recipes that have won your heart lately? If so, tell us about them in your comments.

Click HERE for recipe details.

Spring Pasta Recipes

~ Marla Meridith

Appetizers

Layered Quinoa Salad with Beet Vinaigrette

Over here we love quinoa ~ in sweet & savory dishes. For breakfast, lunch, dinner and everything in between! Often I bake with it too. Quinoa is a versatile grain like seed (many folks often mistake this for a grain, it is not.) It’s delicate flavor pairs well with so many things.

In my last recipe post I shared our favorite Citrus Coconut Roasted Beets.

In this layered salad I make great use those roasted beets!
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~ Marla Meridith

ColorFresh

ColorFresh { Papaya Shake }

Color palette for design inspiration on MarlaMeridith.com blog

Welcome to a bright new + fun ColorFresh palette! I hope you had a great long weekend.

With the warmer weather here we will all be enjoying lots of shakes and smoothies. Here is a recipe I created called { Tropical Papaya, Strawberry, Avocado Shake } If you have not tried it yet, I sure hope you get to soon. You can also make a more adult version with a splash of your favorite rum…

Also see more color inspiration on my { Papaya Shake } Pinterest board and Kuler.com.

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~ Marla Meridith

Entertaining

20 Healthy & Delicious Recipes for Memorial Day

Memorial Day Recipes | MarlaMeridith.com

As we fire up our grills to welcome summer we honor those who have served our country. Beyond the smoky grill, corn on the cob and ice cream is the gratitude that we share for those who protect and help us to live peaceful lives. That is the main point of Memorial Day.

Thank you to people who have dedicated their lives to service and to the families who love them. I am forever grateful.

Are you entertaining this weekend? I have your back with 20 great recipes that I have created for you here on FamilyFreshCooking.com
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~ Marla Meridith

Commentary

Gratitude: Why I LOVE my Job

Gratitude for a reader's comment on MarlaMeridith.com blog

I had to share this comment with you guys. I love my job. Adore my job. Liz you added brilliance to my life today and I wanted to share your great energy with the world.

As a blogger and photographer I get to share the healthy recipes I dream up, photos that color my world, travel and everything in between.

You guys breath life into this blog with your comments, suggestions and love.

Thank you. I love you back.
Continue reading “Gratitude: Why I LOVE my Job”

~ Marla Meridith