I can honestly say that clams are my favorite food. I cannot eat enough clams. When we took a roadtrip down the Pacific Coast Highway years ago, I stopped and ate all of the clams. It was the best.

Because clams are so simple to make - they just need a little steam - we made all kinds of clams. The biggest hit on that trip was the simplest of clams. But the one that sticks out the most was a spicy clam dish we had in Northern California. It was spicy, filled with sausage and brought out the best in the clams.

Now, I pick up clams at the grocery stores and make the dishes of my dreams - but they’ll never compare to those clams on the PCH.

You’ll love these clams because they are so easy to make. The secret - which is actually the secret to everything I make - is the buy the best ingredients. Go to a reliable fish monger (I love Whole Foods for everything), pick out a local sausage, and don’t skimp when buying spices. When you only have a few ingredients, you need them to be the best ingredients.

Spicy Clams with Israeli Couscous

Serves 4

1 pound Andouille sausage

4 pounds manila clams, rinsed

1 onion, about 1 cup diced

4 stalks celery, about 1 cup diced

1 clove garlic, grated

1 tsp paprika

½ tsp dried thyme

2 tbs olive oil

½ cup vermouth

½ cup chicken stock

1-15oz can diced tomatoes

2 cups Israeli couscous

STEP 1

In a large flat pan over medium heat cook the celery, onions, and garlic in olive oil until translucent.  Add sausage and spices.  Cook, gently breaking up, until cooked through.

STEP 2

Add the vermouth, tomatoes, and couscous.  Cover with a lid, reduce heat to low and cook about 8 minutes until the couscous is nearly done. 

STEP 3

Stir gently making sure the couscous is not sticking to the bottom of the pan.  Nestle the clams in the center of the couscous and cook an additional 3 – 5 minutes until the clams have opened all the way.  Discard any clams that have not opened. 

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Gin Rickey

A perfect cocktail alongside clams - and even better when the sun is shining (or we want the sun to be shining)

This year we are going skiing during Easter weekend so Easter cocktails will be mandatory! What could be better than a fun bloody mary just before hitting the slops? The hill we go to has an amazing tradition of costumes while skiing, so I can’t wait to see who comes down the hill as the Easter Bunny!

A regular Bloody Mary is great but I love a good pun so a Bunny Mary seemed hilarious to me. The kids all rolled their eyes. When it’s made with carrot juice - it becomes the perfect Easter cocktail!

Bunny Mary

makes 2

8 ounces carrot juice

4 ounces vodka

2 tablespoons Bloody Mary seasoning

2 tablespoons Bloody Mary mix

garnishes like carrots, bacon, pickled asparagus, pickled beans, celery, and lime wedges

In a small pitcher, stir together the juice, vodka and seasoning until well combined. Sometimes the seasoning sinks to the bottom, so stir to totally integrate! Run a lime wedge around the edge of two glasses and dip them into the Bloody Mary mix. Pour the vodka mixture into the glasses filled with ice. Add your favorite garnish!

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How about a traditional Bloody Mary?

Click here!

What about one made with tomatillo?

Teenagers can be so hard to buy for. I rounded up a handful of things that my kids like that may help you too! I’ve bought a few things for my teenagers for Easter this year from this list - and taken inspiration from things they have either purchased in the last few months or told me they wanted. I hope this helps!

Walk it out

I still cannot believe these nurses shoes that I only wear when I’m at the beach - AND the kids used to make so much fun of - are now popular. But here we are. At least there are cute new spring colors.

Tune me out

My teens listen to music or books 24/7. Listen in style with these - and they are great for airplanes too.

Sassy bracelet

Pearl makes these! And sells them! Click the picture to buy them from her on Etsy. And she’s sassy, just like whatever teen you’re buying for.

Go bold

Again, the music. Pearl likes these when she’s falling asleep - she listens to her books then.

High MAINTENANCE

The reputation for the teen girls taking care of their skin is no joke. Even my low maintenance daughter is still using all the product. These are delightful - and cute spring colors!

Ball boy

Jud hits one million balls a night. More balls are always needed. Any kid who plays baseball always needs another baseball.

Game night

We love a good game night when we can squeeze one in. But as they’ve gotten older, we are looking for more games that we all want to play. Obviously, the real Cards Against Humanity is a little riské for teenagers, but this one is perfect!

Put it on ice

This got teenager girl approval - and teenage boy approval - for their iced coffee obsession. Since I refuse to pay $5 a day for their Starbucks habit, we’ve been making it at home. In cute cups, they seem to tolerate it - and me.

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Joe’s Special is a classic dish from San Francisco. It originated as a late night meal for bands at a little hole in the wall in the 1920s. It’s the perfect late night meal still!

When I was a kid, my dad would talk about the Joe’s Special he’d had in San Francisco and then make it for us at home. For me, without the mushrooms, but the rest of the family loves them, so I left them in for this recipe. It seems like most people like the mushrooms, I don’t see the allure. If you’re also not a fan, you can easily leave them out.

When I search the original recipes, the mushrooms and onions are optional. At my house growing up, they were not optional.

This is clearly a great breakfast, but better - it’s a late night dinner. As baseball season ramps up, late night dinners are going to be a regular thing for us. If it’s not a practice night, it’s a game night. I think we have one night a week without something happening that keeps dinner from being at a reasonable time!

Joe’s Special Frittata

Serves 4

8 eggs

2 cloves garlic

1 onion, chopped

8oz ground beef

4 cups spinach (OZ)

4 oz white mushrooms

¼ cup parmesan cheese

1 tsp oregano

Salt & Pepper

STEP 1

Preheat broiler to 500.  In a large skillet, brown ground beef with onion, garlic, oregano.  Season with salt and pepper. 

STEP 2

Add spinach and mushrooms and cook until wilted. 

STEP 3

Beat eggs and pour them into the pan.  Stir until cooked about halfway through.

STEP 4

Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top and pop into the preheated broiler.  Cook until bubbly and browned on top. 

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Every year I make an Irish soda bread for St. Patrick’s Day and EVERY year I forget it takes 40 minutes (or more!) to make. Then, a few years ago, I thought about making mini loaves and that train of thought quickly went to scones. Scones are basically mini bread loaves - and when you’re making bread that’s based in buttermilk and cold butter - you are LITERALLY making scones!

Scones are buttermilk or cream + cold butter + flour + your favorite fruit. It could not be simpler. And the recipe could not read more like an Irish Soda Bread recipe - they are so close to the same recipe.

It makes turning one into the other painfully simple.

Here are the secrets

• Use frozen butter and grate it on a cheese grater. You need tiny curls of butter

• Don’t let the dough warm up - either work fast or pop them in the fridge before baking

• Don’t overwork the dough. You’re going to knead it a few times and then let it go. They won’t be perfectly smooth and that’s ok.

Irish Soda Bread Scones

makes 8-12

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 egg

1 egg yolk

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon caraway seeds

1/2 cup frozen butter, grated

1/2 cup currants

1 tablespoon heavy cream (or an egg yolk) for brushing the top

STEP 1

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix together the buttermilk, egg and egg yolk and set aside.

STEP 2

Combine flour, sugar, baking power, and currants in the bowl of a stand mixer. Grate the butter into the flour. Turn on the mixer and combine until almost mixed but there will still be some flour in the bowl (about 1/2 cup should be remaining.

STEP 3

Turn out the dough and knead it 5-6 times until the flour is combined into the dough. Form the dough into a 12 inch circle. Slice into 8-12 triangles.

STEP 4

If the dough does not feel cold to the touch, pop the scones into the fridge and let them rest for 10-15 minutes. If they are still cool, then place the scones on a baking sheet lined with parchment and brush the top with cream.

STEP 5

Bake 20 minutes until brown on the edges. Serve warm with butter.

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Irish Cocoa

The perfect side to a perfectly Irish breakfast. And topped with Lucky Charms, it’s actually the cutest spiked cocoa you ever did see,

I recently went on a streak where I made cookies with a variety of cereals. I literally raided the cabinet in the kitchen and made cookies - the kids have been big on Lucky Charms this last week. So I made cookies with them! With the white chocolate, the vanilla, the crushed up cereal, and the marshmallows - these are epic. And they are so simple you can whip them up just in time for classroom parties, friends coming over, or just to be festive in your own house!

The big lesson I learned is that these are definitely a margarine cookie. I never make margarine cookies if I have the option. Occasionally I make them for my dairy free kid so I don’t feel guilty when he eats them. These cookies are best with margarine. Let’s not get high and mighty about ingredients on these - we’re putting Lucky Charms in there too - these aren’t health food. There is no fooling ourselves that these are anything other than a junk food treat. But a delightful one. These are amazing. And trust me - with butter instead of margarine, these turn out flat and weird.

Lucky Charm Cookies

makes 24 cookies

1 cup Crisco (1 stick)

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups flour

1 cup crushed Lucky Charms cereal (no marshmallows)

1 cup Lucky Charms marshmallows

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

STEP 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the margarine and sugar until smooth. The add eggs and vanilla. Whip until light in color.

STEP 2

Combine the dry ingredients and add them to the mixture. Do not add the marshmallows or the chocolate chips just yet. Blend the mixture until it’s just combined.

STEP 3

Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a spoon to stir in the chocolate chips.

STEP 4

Scoop onto a baking sheet and dot with at least three of the marshmallows. Bake 12-15 minutes, then remove from the oven. Let cool before serving. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.

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St. Patrick’s Day was made for girls like me. It’s a little bit goofy, has a fabulous theme, a color scheme, AND some built in menu items that are delicious! I can’t wait for it every year. Shopping for a few items that are thematic, but not cheesy is critical for me. Here are my picks for the year - click through and purchase them for yourselves.

Slainte!

Even a glass of milk looks festive when it’s in a green glass. Garnish with whip cream and sprinkles and you’re the mom of the year.

Throw in some green

Decorating for the holiday doesn’t have to look tacky. Pop this over your throw pillow - an easy upgrade for your sofa!

Pop it on a tray

Serve drinks on it, put it on the coffee table, serve charcuterie on it, how about cupcakes?

Swizzle it up

Glass swizzle sticks class up literally everything. Even green beer would look classy with one of these beautiful swizzles!

The good stuff

Just the marshmallows! These are perfect when you make Rice Krispie treats and add a little extra something.

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I cannot believe I didn’t think of this before. It’s so simple. And so delicious! It tastes just like a boat drink, but without the booze. My kids love this one - and depending on your kids - you can you spicy ginger beer or the version that’s a little more sugary. I choose the spicy one because we like the zip of it all!

This would make an amazing pitcher cocktail too! Fill all of the ingredients in a pitcher, pop it on the counter (do not add ice) and let guests pour their own. I highly recommend this for Easter.

Pineapple Ginger Mocktail

serves 4

4 ounces pineapple juice

8 ounces ginger beer

lime wedge garnish

fresh ginger root

Divide the juice and ginger beer across four glasses filled with ice. Top with a garnish of fresh ginger and a squeeze of lime!

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This recipe went out two weeks ago to email subscribers! Are you signed up? Sign up here if not - I send out regular recipes you can only get in the newsletter. Sometimes it’s sneak peak, sometimes it’s an exclusive!

The first Oreo cookies I saw in a cookie had the batter wrapped around an Oreo and that seemed overly fussy. I made these several times before I figured out that what the tricks are:

• White chocolate chips! It’s the same flavor as the filling so it’s PERFECT

• Don’t stir in the Oreos until the last second

• Make the cookies like you’re making a cake. It’s the only way to make them cake-y!

These are the perfect playdate, dinner out, kid’s night cookies - but if you try them with a roasted marshmallow inside, you will be SHOOK. I can’t even. Tell me what you think and what you make them for!

Cookies & Cream Cookies

makes 2 dozen

1 cup butter, room temperature

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1 teaspoon baking soda

3 cups flour

1/4 cup milk

12 Oreo cookies, crushed

1 cup white chocolate chips

STEP 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip together the butter and sugar until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla and whip until fluffy. 

STEP 2

Combine cornstarch, baking soda, and flour in a separate bowl. Add half of the mixture to the butter mixture and combine. 

STEP 3

Pour in milk and mix again.

STEP 4

Add remaining flour and mix until just combined. Then stir in the crushed Oreos and chips until just combined. 

STEP 5

Scoop onto a baking sheet and bake 10-12 minutes until just browned around the edges. Let cool. Keep for up to one week in an airtight container. 

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I buy loads of food on vacation. I love finding things that I might not usually cook with - and sometimes things I do - and pick them up somewhere unique. Artichoke hearts in Rome, tomato paste in Venice, salt in Hawaii, and preserved lemons from Palm Springs - but sometimes I’m at a loss for what to do with them once I get home.

Preserved lemons are surprisingly simple to cook with - they go with almost anything but can feel intimidating. This risotto is the perfect introduction to using preserved lemons. And then you can graduate to more complicated recipes later - or not.

Preserved Lemon Risotto

With asparagus and zucchini

Serves 4

1 bunch asparagus, chopped

½ preserved lemon, drained and chopped

1 zucchini, chopped

1 onion, chopped

¼ cup butter, divided

¼ cup olive oil, divided

2 cup Arborio rice

6 cups room temperature vegetable stock

1 cup parmesan cheese

salt and pepper

STEP 1

Heat 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onions zucchini, and asparagus.  Cook 5 minutes until slightly browned and tender.  Remove from the pan and set aside.

STEP 2

Add two tablespoons olive oil and rice to the pan - stir until coated with oil.  Pour in one cup of chicken stock and stir until completely incorporated.  When most of the stock has dissolved, add another cup of stock.  Continue until all of the stock has been added.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

STEP 3

Remove from heat and stir in remaining butter, Parmesan cheese, and reserved asparagus and preserved lemons.

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Cucumber Mint Cocktail

The perfect spring cocktail! There’s literally nothing better for your spring cocktail hour.