Steak tacos are one of my favorite ways to serve a crowd!  Especially at a tailgate or a backyard barbecue.  Using a cut like a Certified Angus Flat Iron, Tri Tip Roast, or Flank Steak means you can serve a crowd fairly inexpensively.  

Also, I am currently obsessed with Certified Angus Beef.  It's shocking how much better it is than 'standard' beef.  The meat is tender, juicy, and reliable - even on cuts {like a tri tip roast} that I would usually say are stringy and weird.  And they aren't paying me to say that.  I'm just obsessed.  

A really simple marinade works perfectly for a tailgate too.  I throw everything into a ziploc bag with the meat - slosh it around in the marinade - then take it to the tailgate in the cooler.  Cooking the meat in the parking lot and slicing it to serve at the tailgate makes these tacos the absolute best.  That, and a good beer.

And don't forget

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Pineapple Margarita Salsa

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Spicy Summer Salsa

This is a sweet topping for your steak tacos - or really for anything.  It desperately needs the jalapeño or a dash of hot sauce to balance the sweetness of the roasted pineapple.  But holy moly it's tasty.  And it's fab for your tailgate!  

Watch the video here

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Summer fruit is ridiculously amazing right now - it seems like everything is ripe at the same time.  Pair that with some fabby cheeses and a glass of rose wine and you're set for an amazing afternoon outside.  

pitted cherries  ::  basil  ::  burratta

nectarines  ::  beechers flagship cheese {or white cheddar}  ::  basil

apricots  ::  blue cheese  ::  mint

Printable Version of the Recipe

1 package puff pastry, defrosted

2 cups pitted and roughly chopped cherries

½ cup sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons melted butter

sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

On a floured surface, roll puff pastry dough out to approximately 16”x14”.

In a mixing bowl toss together cherries, sugar, and cornstarch.

Spread cherries out on one side of the puff pastry.

Cut a handful of air vents out on the opposite side of the puff pastry using a cookie cutter.

Pick up the unfilled side of the puff pastry sheet and lay it over top the cherries enveloping them completely.

Pinch the edges tightly to close.

Brush the top of the pastry with melted butter, sprinkle with a bit of sugar and bake 20-25 minutes until bubbly and browned.

Remove from oven and let cool slightly.

Serve at room temperature.

Oh, hey!  Don't forget to watch the video!

Mr. Hedin and I decided a few weeks ago to try a juice cleanse.  It lasted about a half of a day.  I hated it, he loved it.  The last remnant of our attempt is surprisingly good green drink that I've been having almost daily.  It's especially helpful - for me - when I need to feel more focused, more energetic, and less hung over.

Waring Pro Blender

 ::  

ZICO Coconut Water

Martha Stewart's Tuna Nicoise Sandwich

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Martha Stewart's Ham & Swiss Sandwich

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Martha Stewart's BLT Sandwich

Opening Day of Boating is this Saturday!  Is it a big deal where you live?  It's a big deal for me.  It means that it's almost summer.  It's almost time to hang out on the boat.  To have cocktails in the sun. To smell the ocean.  I adore being on the boat.

Even if you aren't on a boat this weekend, you can still feel the call of the ocean with a little Fish Food.

What is Cinco de Mayo without tacos?!  If you have time, then my

Slow Cooked Beef Tacos

are a fab choice {or sub out beef for pork!}.  If you don't have time, that's where fish tacos are a marvelous choice.  Fish tacos cook ridiculously fast and require very little prep.  You can literally get home from work at six and be eating by seven - with time in there to set the table, drop some flowers in a vase, and pour yourself a cocktail!

Follow Alexandra Hedin's board Inspired by Cinco de Mayo on Pinterest.

have fun.  be fun.

Have you made Pineapple Upside Down Cake recently?  Or ever?  Do you know how simple it is?  Totally fabby and worthy of a weeknight party.  Any night of the week.  

Topping ::

3 ounces butter

½ cup packed brown sugar

5 pineapple rings

5 maraschino cherries

Cake Batter ::

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup chopped pineapple

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter the bottom of an 8x8 pan and line with parchment paper.

In the bowl of a stand mixer whip together butter and brown sugar until light in color and fluffy.  Using an offset spatula, evenly cover the bottom of the prepared pan with the brown sugar mixture.  Place drained and dried pineapple rings on top of the brown sugar mixture and place one cherry in the center of each ring. 

Clean out the mixing bowl and whip together eggs and sugar until light and airy.  Add vanilla.  In a small bowl, combine dry ingredients and add them to the egg mixture.  Mix in flour with as few strokes as possible.  Add pineapple and combine. 

Pour batter over pineapple rings and smooth out with an offset spatula.  Bake 35-40 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. 

Let rest 5 minutes before inverting.  When slightly cooled, place a platter on the top of the pan and flip over so cake lands on the plate. 

Serve warm. 

Measuring Cup

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Emile Henry Oil Dispenser