Ciera Design Studio

Brand identity and design solutions for creative businesses and passionate entrepreneurs

Ricotta Toast with Fresh Berries for Mother’s Day Brunch

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Hello, Ciera Design readers! My name is Katie Kosaya, I’m a food photographer from New York City, and I’m really excited to be featured here today!

Fresh Berries and Ricotta on Toast

Here’s a fun, springy recipe for Mother’s Day brunch. I’m a big fan of the fancy toast trend, because it’s such a simple idea that can have infinite interpretations. And there’s  something about crunchy toasted bread that never gets old, especially when combined with fresh, colorful toppings.

Fresh Berries and Ricotta on Toast

While savory toast is always good, after a winter of comfort food, I’m very ready to start eating juicy berries and fruit again. You can use strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, peaches, pineapple, or anything else in season. Top it all with sprinkled seeds, such as chia, sunflower, flax, or nuts like toasted walnuts or sliced almonds. I also sometimes finish off the dish with a drizzle of honey.

Fresh Berries and Ricotta on Toast

I love this raspberry-blueberry combination with a pinch of citrus and a hint of mint. It’s vibrant, flavorful and bursts with vitamins! Try my recipe below, but really, it’s more one particular arrangement of tasty ingredients — feel free to experiment!

Ricotta Toast with Fresh Berries

Ingredients:

  • 2 slices of a bread of your choice (I use ciabatta)
  • 2 Tbsp fresh ricotta
  • 1 cup of mixed berries of your choice, washed (I used raspberries and blueberries)
  • 2 kumquats, washed, thinly sliced
  • 1 sprig of fresh mint, washed, thinly chopped
  • 1 Tbsp liquid honey

Fresh Berries and Ricotta on Toast

Assembly:

  1. Lightly toast bread in the oven. Let it cool.
  2. Spread 1 tablespoon of ricotta on each slice of bread.
  3. Add berries, kumquat slices and mint leaves on top of ricotta.
  4. Drizzle with honey.
  5. Serve with a cup of hot coffee or tea for a perfect start to your day!

P.S. If you are hosting a brunch, you should probably set up a Bloody Mary bar or a Mimosa bar!

DIY Marshmallow S’more Pops

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DIY Smore Pops Recipe



I’m always looking for easy, yummy, and festive party treats when the holidays roll around and s’more pops are just that! While regular s’mores are delicious, they are quite messy, so these are a perfect individual serving alternative!

Recipe

Marshmallows
1 package of semi-sweet chocolate chips
Graham cracker crumbs (or make your own)
Lollipop sticks
Wax Paper
Styrofoam

insert the lollipop sticks into the marshmallows

Steps

1) First, insert the lollipop sticks into the marshmallows. Make sure not to go all the way through or the marshmallow will fall off into the chocolate when dipping.

melting chocolate on the stove

2) Melt your chocolate  – either in a microwave or a double boiler (a makeshift one in my case). Have your graham cracker crumbs in a bowl nearby.

Festive S'more Pops

3) Gently dip each marshmallow into the chocolate and rotate until all sides are covered then dip directly into the graham cracker crumbs while the chocolate is still wet. 

Ciera-Design-Smore-Pop-Recipe-4

4) Place on wax paper, or stick into your styrofoam, to let cool and dry. I placed my piece of styrofoam directly into the decorative box I was using to display them in, and covered it with crinkled paper to be more presentable.

Ciera-Design-Smore-Pop-Recipe-5

These s’more pops were a huge hit at the party I brought them to and I’ll definitely be making them for future holiday events!

*Affiliate links used.

Halloween Caprese Salad

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Halloween Eyeball Caprese Salad

I’m back with more Halloween fun for y’all today! I have a TON of basil growing in my yard right now and I absolutely love caprese salads so I wanted to make a yummy recipe with a spooky twist. I know that olives are not typically included in a caprese salad but I also LOVE black olives and needed the pop of black for my food art creation. They are the perfect option for creating tasty and creative food art for Halloween. This recipe is super easy and a great healthy alternative to all of the candy at Halloween parties.



Ingredients mozzarella tomatoes olives basil

Ingredients

Basil Leaves
Fresh Mozzarella Pearls
California Black Ripe Olives
Grape Tomatoes
Balsamic Reduction

Halloween Table Setup with Caprese Salad

Directions

First, slice your tomatoes and olives. Next, using a spoon, mash your mozzarella pearls (this gives them a little more texture and makes them a little larger). Then place your basil leaves out on a tray and layer the tomatoes, mozzarella and olives on top. The final step is to drizzle the balsamic reduction on top before serving. You can serve them plain with toothpicks or have some chips or crackers on the side. Enjoy!

Eyeball Caprese Salad in Bat Glasses

Don’t forget to download the water bottle labels that I designed as well, they add a special touch to your Halloween table setting.

Halloween Caprese Salad on Platter

Chocolate Almond Strawberry Smoothie

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This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and Nestle, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #BreakfastEssentials http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV

Chocolate Almond Strawberry Smoothie Recipe

Last month I talked about being proactive in creating a healthier diet. In addition to what I mentioned then, I’m also drinking lots of smoothies, especially since it’s getting super hot in New Orleans!  I pretty much drink them all throughout the day, sometimes for breakfast, sometimes as a snack and even for dessert!

Chocolate Almond Strawberry Smoothie Ingredients

I have always been a huge fan of the Carnation Breakfast Essentials powders. They are so yummy and easy for breakfast, just dump a pack in a glass of milk and you are good to go! But have you ever thought about adding a pack to your smoothie, SO good! They come in lots of flavors so they work well for a variety of recipes. I find that it’s pretty hard to make a bad smoothie, most of the time I just wing the proportions! But since I love y’all, I put an actual recipe together for you!

Chocolate Almond Strawberry Mango Smoothie Ingredients

Ingredients

2 heaping cups of frozen strawberries
1/2 heaping cup of frozen mango
1 tablespoon almond butter
3 tablespoons greek yogurt
1 banana broken into pieces
1/2 cup vanilla almond milk
1 packet of Carnation Breakfast Essentials powder (rich milk chocolate)

Chocolate Almond Strawberry Mango Smoothie Blender

Add all of these items into a blender and pulse until there is a smooth consistency. If you find it too thick, add a tablespoon of milk at a time until it blends more easily.

Chocolate Almond Strawberry Smoothie Paper Straw
Chocolate Almond Strawberry Smoothie

Do you have a favorite smoothie recipe?  I’d love to know about it!

For other smoothie recipe ideas visit the Carnation Breakfast Essentials website and the Carnation Breakfast Essentials Facebook page.

I got all of these ingredients at Walmart and they even have a coupon right now for $1.00 off any Carnation Breakfast Essentials. Thank you for supporting this blog by allowing me to post occasional sponsored content. All sponsored posts feature products or services that I truly feel would be of interest to you and all opinions are my own.

Choosing Healthier Options

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This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group™ and Dr. Pepper Snapple Group but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #TENways  http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV

Last week I shared how I get motivated to work out including fun fitness programs and sprucing up my gym wardrobe. Today, I’m going to share a few things I’ve been switching up in my daily meals for a healthier diet!

Kitchen Prep

I used to eat cereal for breakfast and a sandwich consisting of bread, turkey, cheese and mustard for lunch. Hello Ciera, where the heck are the fruits and veggies?! That was just no good and I’m determined to live a healthier lifestyle so I’m being proactive and changing what I eat! The cool thing about the meals I suggest below is that you start with the basics but customize them with different fruits and vegetables so that it doesn’t get boring!

 

Breakfast

Now I eat greek yogurt with fruit and granola. I stick to plain greek yogurt and use vanilla almond granola to sweeten it up some. My favorite fruits to add are pears, blueberries, strawberries and bananas.

Yogurt Blueberries Granola Coffee Breakfast

Lunch

Now I eat quinoa with veggies. I like to cook a bunch of quinoa at the beginning of the week and then switch up the ingredients each day. My favorite things to add are spinach, carrots, broccoli, red onions, garlic and garbonzo beans. I really just throw in whatever we have in the fridge. I just drizzle a little olive oil on top then I usually top it with avocado, salt and pepper.

Quinoa Carrot Spinach Veggie Bowl

Beverages

Now I swap regular high calorie soda with the TEN sodas product line. I know that water is always your best bet but I just can’t completely give up my occasional soda. The TEN sodas come in four flavors, 7-up, Sunkist, Canada Dry & A&W, and I found them at Walmart. They only have ten calories a serving but with the same full flavor of their regular counterparts! I also tried the 7-up with a splash of cranberry juice and it was really good!

Ten Calorie Soda Option

What do you like to eat for a healthier diet?

You can save $0.50 at Walmart when you buy TWO 2 Liter bottles or TWO 4-pack cans of 7UP TEN, A&W TEN, Canada Dry TEN, RC TEN or Sunkist TEN soda. If you share that digital coupon via email, Facebook or Twitter (there is a click to share button) the coupon will save you $1.50 off that purchase instead of just $0.50! Offer available while supplies last, from 3/27-4/17. Click here for coupon and visit DPSG on Facebook and Twitter.

The Font Feast Presents Roasted Veggies

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roasted-veggies

Last year, we signed up for our first CSA. Not the kind of CSA my friends subscribe to (no offense if you’re reading this, ladies) where you go pick up a cheap box of pineapples and bananas every week. The CSA we signed up for was run by a little family that grew, picked, and delivered all of their own vegetables every week from Spring to Fall. We signed up for a Large Box and were awash in produce for six whole months. We ate lots and lots and lots of cool vegetables–crazy varieties of cucumbers and broccoli, potatoes in every color imaginable, more tomatillos than we could possibly consume, the totally weird-looking but delicious kohlrabi–and oven-roasting became my go-to method for cooking any and every vegetable.

Oven-roasting is great for so very many reasons. First, it is so quick. It literally takes just a few minutes of prep work and just a few minutes of cooking. Even if you are cooking other things in the oven and have to wait to roast the veggies until the last minute, they’ll be ready by the time you’ve called everyone to the table. Second, you can roast pretty much any vegetable using this same method and they’ll taste great. All you have to vary is the cooking time. Third, it makes the colors really pop! Greens, oranges, purples…they all become even more vibrant as they cook. And last but not least, and actually best of all, roasted veggies taste amazing, plain and simple. They get brown and crispy in spots, and their flavor really deepens. Yum! I can’t wait for our Large Box of veggies to start rolling in again in a few weeks!

The font that inspired this easy recipe (more of a method, really) is so appropriate: Bright + Beautiful by Skyhaven Fonts.

Roasted Veggies Recipe

Roasted Veggies inspired by Bright + Beautiful

vegetables, washed, dried, and chopped into hefty bit-sized pieces (We are on a cauliflower kick lately!)
extra virgin olive oil
garlic salt

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Spread the vegetables out in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle all over with olive oil, then sprinkle generously with garlic salt. Using clean hands, toss the veggies until everything is well-coated with oil and salt. Roast the veggies, tossing occasionally with a long-handled spoon or spatula, until lovely, crispy, brown spots appear and the veggies are just tender. The time will vary depending on what vegetable you’re roasting. Green beans go quickly, broccoli and cauliflower take a little longer. Check often. Eat immediately.

So…this is my last Font Feast post, everybody. It has been such a pleasure to work with Ciera on this series for the past 18 months, and I’ve loved every single post! xoxo

About the author: Melissa writes about her adventures in food, family, and farming at Lulu the Baker. She develops recipes, cooks, and photographs for The Font Feast column.

The Font Feast Presents Crepes with Nutella & Strawberries

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Nutella Strawberry Crepes Recipe

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day! Luckily, my husband is a pro at breakfast-making. Fluffy buttermilk pancakes, crisp, golden waffles, savory scrambled eggs, hearty biscuits and gravy–you name it, he can make it. One of my favorite things that he makes for us is crepes! Crepes filled with apples and cinnamon and butter, crepes filled with lemon and powdered sugar, crepes filled with homemade berry jam. And the creme de la creme of crepes, at least at our house, crepes filled with Nutella, fresh strawberries, and whipped cream. They’re really easy to make, but they seem so fancy and indulgent, and are so delicious! They make even regular weekend breakfasts an event to remember!

The font I chose to go with our fancy French crepes is called Little Lord Fontleroy, and the moment I saw it, I knew it was the perfect French-inspired font for this month’s post. It’s just beautiful!

Crepes with Nutella & Strawberries

Crepes with Nutella & Strawberries inspired by Little Lord Fontleroy

2 eggs
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 Tablespoon oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
a splash of vanilla
1 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon sugar
nutella
strawberries
whipped cream
powdered sugar

In a medium bowl, combine eggs, milk, oil, salt, and vanilla. Add flour and cinnamon sugar and whisk until smooth. Spray a crepe pan or large nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Pour 1/4 cup batter onto the center of the pan and gently swirl the pan to spread the batter out into a thin circle. Allow to cook until golden on the bottom. Using a large spatula, turn the crepe over and continue to cook until golden on both sides. Stack finished crepes on a large plate until ready to serve. Fill crepes with Nutella, strawberries, and whipped cream before serving, and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Makes about 12 crepes.

About the author: Melissa writes about her adventures in food, family, and farming at Lulu the Baker. She develops recipes, cooks, and photographs for The Font Feast column.

Baking A King Cake

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Carnival season is in full swing here in New Orleans and king cakes are for sale everywhere! When I was living in Boston I really missed Mardi Gras and king cakes, so one year Zander and I decided to try baking one. I meant to post a recipe and photos to the blog but never got around to it even though I took pictures of the process. So I’m resurrecting the photos for y’all today! It came out pretty messy and lopsided, but it tasted great and made me miss home a little less!

Baking A King Cake From Scratch

Baking-A-King-Cake-1

Baking-A-King-Cake-2

Baking-A-King-Cake-3

Baking-A-King-Cake-5

Colored Sugar

Baking-A-King-Cake-7 Baking-A-King-Cake-8

Baking-A-King-Cake-9

Baking-A-King-Cake-10

This is the recipe I used…

Ingredients

PASTRY:

  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
  • 1/3 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
  • 1/4 cup white sugar
  • 1 eggs
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

FILLING:

  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup melted butter

FROSTING:

  • 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons water

Directions

This recipe’s ingredients were scaled to yield a new amount. The directions below still refer to the original recipe yield of 2 cakes.

  1. Scald milk, remove from heat and stir in 1/4 cup of butter. Allow mixture to cool to room temperature. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in the warm water with 1 tablespoon of the white sugar. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
  2. When yeast mixture is bubbling, add the cooled milk mixture. Whisk in the eggs. Stir in the remaining white sugar, salt and nutmeg. Beat the flour into the milk/egg mixture 1 cup at a time. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes.
  3. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 2 hours. When risen, punch down and divide dough in half.
  4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease 2 cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
  5. To Make Filling: Combine the brown sugar, ground cinnamon, chopped pecans, 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup raisins. Pour 1/2 cup melted butter over the cinnamon mixture and mix until crumbly.
  6. Roll dough halves out into large rectangles (approximately 10×16 inches or so). Sprinkle the filling evenly over the dough and roll up each half tightly like a jelly roll, beginning at the wide side. Bring the ends of each roll together to form 2 oval shaped rings. Place each ring on a prepared cookie sheet. With scissors make cuts 1/3 of the way through the rings at 1 inch intervals. Let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
  7. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Push the doll into the bottom of the cake. Frost while warm with the confectioners’ sugar blended with 1 to 2 tablespoons of water.

Make Your Own Bloody Mary Bar

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Make Your Own Bloody Mary Bar

The Super Bowl is less than a week away y’all! I’m bummed that the Saints didn’t make it this year, but I still like to watch the big game for the commercials and as an excuse to throw a party! I love a good Bloody Mary while watching football but a Bloody Mary Bar is even more fun and perfect for a party since everyone can customize their own drink! You can make your own Bloody Mary Bar in a few simple steps.

Bloody Mary Bar Sign with Sharpie Markers

As a fun backdrop, roll out a big piece of kraft paper and use Sharpie markers (we used these awesome brush tip ones) to write out all of the ingredients you’ll be offering your guests. My friend Ashlee did the drawing while I prepared the ingredients.

Bloody Mary Bar

Next you’ll need your main ingredients; vodka and Bloody Mary mix. My favorite mix is Zing Zang and I also like to have hot sauce, worcestershire, Tony’s and celery salt incase anyone wants to doctor it up. Then the fun part, your garnishes! I have to include pickled spicy beans in my Blood Mary and some other garnishes I like are green olives, celery, lemon, lime, cherry tomatoes, pickles, bell peppers and pickled okra. Some people get real crazy and add shrimp, cheese cubes and even bacon!

Bloody Mary Bar Ingredients

Put out some toothpicks and each of your garnishes in storage containers for easy access. This also makes cleanup super easy on you!

Bloody Mary Bar Ingredients Sign

Do you have any party plans for the Super Bowl?
This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group™ and Rubbermaid and Sharpie but all my opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting this blog by allowing me to post occasional sponsored content. All sponsored posts feature products or services that I truly feel would be of interest to you.

The Font Feast Presents Kale Berry Smoothies

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Kale Berry Smoothie Recipe Inspired by Raleway Font

It seems like eating better is at the top of everyone’s New Year’s resolution list, and really, it’s no wonder. I think a brand new year inspires us to find our best selves, and after the treats and sweets and snacks of the holidays, everybody is ready for fresh, healthy foods. I’ve been having smoothies for breakfast every single day (okay, fine, except Saturdays and Sundays) since January 1st, and I’m really liking this change! It gets me eating breakfast, which we all know is the most important meal of the day, and gives me the chance to load up on fruits and veggies and superfoods and vitamins, and all that good-for-you stuff. We’ve done a little experimenting here and there over the past two weeks, and this Kale Berry Smoothie is my favorite smoothie creation to date. It’s packed with goodness (Kale, people!), and is sweet and delicious.

I have to admit that I chose a little bit of a tongue-in-cheek font to go with these smoothies: Raleway. You probably don’t get the connection yet, so let me explain. Raleway is a great all-purpose font, smooth and sleek, and it comes in lots of weights, ranging from Heavy to Thin. See?? It goes perfectly with healthy smoothies and New Year’s resolutions!

Kale Berry Smoothies

Kale Berry Smoothies inspired by Raleway Thin

1 banana
1/2 cup non-fat plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon coconut oil
kale (I use 3 big black kale or dinosaur kale leaves.)
1/2 cup blackberries
1/2 cup raspberries
1/2 cup strawberries
100% apple juice (I start with a generous splash and work up from there.)

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Stir as necessary. You will still see blackberry and raspberry seeds, but you shouldn’t have any visible green bits.

P.S. Ciera was over on Lulu the Baker last week sharing what it’s like in her kitchen, check it out!

About the author: Melissa writes about her adventures in food, family, and farming at Lulu the Baker. She develops recipes, cooks, and photographs for The Font Feast column.

The Font Feast Presents Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix

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homemade hot cocoa mix with candy cane

I’ve never been particularly high-brow about my hot chocolate. Give me a box of Swiss Miss and a pot of boiling water and I’m good to go. I could drink cheap cocoa all winter long and be perfectly content. My husband, on the other hand, is a bit of a hot chocolate snob. When we were first married, he bought himself a little cookbook full of really legit, high-class hot chocolate recipes from all over the world; he loves to make “real hot chocolate” and turns his nose up at most hot cocoas. So it came as a shock to me when I made him cocoa the other night using a favorite recipe from my childhood and he said, “I love this hot chocolate!” My Nana used to make us this cocoa mix when I was little, and we’d keep it in an absolutely massive jar with a Santa face painted on the side. It makes me happy that this bit of my childhood has passed the cocoa test in our house with flying colors and gotten two enthusiastic thumbs up from everyone, even the cocoa snob!

I paired this Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix with a fun, retro font, Remachine Script. It reminds me of a Christmas party from the swinging’ 60’s, complete with ugly sweaters, turtlenecks, and cocoa!

homemade hot cocoa mix with candy cane

Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix inspired by Remachine Script

32 oz Nesquik
1 lb powdered sugar
16 oz powdered coffee creamer
25 oz powdered milk
1/2 cup natural unsweetened cocoa

Combine all ingredients in a really enormous bowl (or the largest soup pot you have) and stir until well combined. Store in an airtight container. To make hot cocoa, combine 1/2 cup hot cocoa mix with 1 cup boiling water. Stir, and top with whipped cream, mini marshmallows, or crushed candy canes!

About the author: Melissa writes about her adventures in food, family, and farming at Lulu the Baker. She develops recipes, cooks, and photographs for The Font Feast column.

The Font Feast Presents Gratin Dauphinois

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gratin dauphinois recipe

My family is really big on food traditions. We always have the same thing for dinner on St. Patty’s Day. We always have the same thing for breakfast on Christmas. And the Thanksgiving menu never changes. Without fail, we have mashed potatoes and gravy with our turkey, and they’re always delicious. BUT. These Gratin Dauphinois, which are really just scalloped potatoes with a fancy French name, are pretty irresistible, and would make an amazing addition to any Turkey Day menu. They’re actually a long-time family favorite, filled with butter and cheese and hints of garlic. If only I could talk my family into a potato upgrade…

For potatoes with such a fancy name, I needed a font with lots of oomph, and Baker Script is a perfect fit: rustic yet elegant, lovely and legible.

scalloped potatoes on plate

Gratin Dauphinois inspired by Baker Script

1 1/2 cups milk
3 lbs waxy potatoes, unpeeled (I like Yukon Gold or Klondike Red)
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 heaping cups shredded cheese (whatever kind you want)

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Pour the milk into a small saucepan and bring it to a simmer over medium-low heat. While waiting for the milk to simmer, thinly slice the potatoes. We’re talking THIN slices, like 1/8″ thick. I use a mandolin for this and it’s a breeze. If you don’t have a mandolin, just slice them with a sharp kitchen knife. Lightly spray a 9×13″ pan with nonstick cooking spray. Scatter half of the potatoes evenly over the bottom of the pan. Drizzle half of the melted butter over the top (2 Tablespoons), and sprinkle on half of the salt, half of the pepper, and half of the garlic powder. Top with 1 heaping cup of shredded cheese. Repeat layers. When the milk has come to a simmer, pour it evenly over the top of the cheese layer. Bake for 40 minutes, or until deeply golden and bubbly. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

About the author: Melissa writes about her adventures in food, family, and farming at Lulu the Baker. She develops recipes, cooks, and photographs for The Font Feast column.

The Font Feast Presents Candy Bar Surprise Cookies

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candy bar surprise cookies with halloween jackolantern

I have had a pretty major sweet tooth for as long as I can remember. My family tells a funny story about me trying to lunge out of the shopping cart as a baby whenever my mom went past the candy aisle! Needless to say, I have to try pretty hard to resist all of the candy my kids bring home from trick-or-treating. These fun little surprise cookies with candy nestled inside are a great way to use up all of those delicious little mini candy bars from Halloween. Make a batch and give them to friends, neighbors, and co-workers. Surprise!

To go with these Candy Bar Surprise Cookies, I chose a cute Halloween font, Sketch Bones. There aren’t too many occasions that call for really cartoony fonts, but if you can’t write out a message with cartoon bones at Halloween, when can you?!

halloween candy bar surprise cookies

Candy Bar Surprise Cookies inspired by Sketch Bones

1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
about 30 mini chocolate candy bars, unwrapped (Milky Way, Snickers, 3 Musketeers, etc.)
Preheat oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, cream butter, sugars, and vanilla until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Add dry ingredients to wet, and stir to combine. Use an ice cream scoop to shape the dough into balls. Take a dough ball in one hand, and flatten it slightly. Place a mini candy bar in the middle of the cookie dough, and carefully fold the dough up and over the candy bar, completely enclosing it in dough. Reshape as needed. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and repeat with the remaining dough balls and candy bars, placing 12 cookies per baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes until just beginning to turn golden on the edges. Remove from oven, cool on sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool. Makes 2 to 2 1/2 dozen cookies.
About the author: Melissa writes about her adventures in food, family, and farming at Lulu the Baker. She develops recipes, cooks, and photographs for The Font Feast column.

The Font Feast Presents Caramel Apple Cider

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Caramel Apple Cider In Mason Jar

I’m always excited when Autumn rolls around because it means one thing: seasonal Fall drinks at Starbucks. Their Caramel Apple Spice tastes like the very essence of Autumn. It’s my absolute favorite, and now that I’ve discovered just how easy they are to make at home, you better believe I’m going to be awash in cider for the next few months!

This month’s Font Feast post was inspired by a lovely font called… Cider Script! I’ve generally tried not to pick fonts and recipes that share a name (because that’s too easy!), but I love Caramel Apple Cider and Cider Script so much that I just couldn’t resist pairing them up to celebrate the arrival of cool weather and hot drinks!

Caramel Apple Cider With Whipped Cream

Caramel Apple Cider inspired by Cider Script

1 Tablespoon Starbucks Cinnamon Dolce Syrup (available online or at some Starbucks locations)
8 oz hot apple cider (seriously, just the Tree Top stuff from the juice aisle works great!)
sweetened whipped cream
caramel sauce (I actually spoke with a Starbucks employee who said, “Yes, just caramel ice cream topping.”)

Pour the Cinnamon Syrup into the bottom of a large mug. Add hot cider. Top with whipped cream and drizzle with caramel sauce. If you want to make it just like Starbucks, be sure to drizzle in a circular motion!

About the author: Melissa writes about her adventures in food, family, and farming at Lulu the Baker. She develops recipes, cooks, and photographs for The Font Feast column.

The Font Feast Presents Easy Lemon Ice Cream

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easy-lemon-ice-cream-melany-lane

With summer winding down, we’re trying to squeeze every last ounce of sunshine and warm weather out of each day. Ice cream sure helps, and what’s even better is ice cream that tastes homemade but doesn’t take forever to make. This tart and tasty lemony treat is so refreshing and so simple, you’ll find yourself wanting to make it again and again for as long as ice cream weather lingers.

The month’s Font Feast recipe was inspired by Melany Lane, a sweet and simple script font that looks hand-drawn.

easy-lemon-ice-cream

Easy Lemon Ice Cream Inspired by Melany Lane

1/2-gallon carton of good vanilla ice cream, softened slightly
8 fl oz frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed

In a large bowl, combine softened ice cream with thawed lemonade concentrate, stirring gently until mixture is well-combined. Cover with plastic wrap, putting the plastic right on the surface of the ice cream, and freeze until hard.

About the author: Melissa writes about her adventures in food, family, and farming at Lulu the Baker. She develops recipes, cooks, and photographs for The Font Feast column.

Salsa Fresca with Roasted Veggie Tortilla Chips

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Salsa Fresca with Green Giant Veggie Snack Chips

Y’all, I love chips. I can not even eat a sandwich without having some on my plate. I’m always looking for some healthier alternatives to your average greasy chip. SO when I saw the new Green Giant Veggie Snack Chips I was very excited! While these are not a replacement for real vegetables they do contain about 40% less fat than regular potato chips. I was got two flavors, Roasted Veggie Tortilla Chip – Garden Ranch and Multigrain Sweet Potato Chip – Barbecue.

So first let’s talk about theBarbecue Sweet Potato Chips. I’m not usually a fan of barbecue flavored chips, they are always too overwhelming and sweet. But I was pleasantly surprised, these are good! They are slightly spicy but the flavor is not over the top, which I like.

The second flavor I tried was the Roasted Veggie Tortilla Chips in Garden Ranch. I love tortilla chips and I love ranch so of course these chips were amazing! I had a hard time not eating the whole bag while I was taking these photos.

I not only like chips with a sandwich, but I also loooove chips for dipping, so I decided to share a Salsa Fresca (Pico de Gallo) recipe that goes great with the Garden Ranch Tortilla Chips. The chips and salsa are perfect for an afternoon snack or backyard party!

Pico de Gallo Salsa Ingredients

Ingredients

1 tomato, seeded and diced
1/4 of a red onion, diced
1/4 of a red bell pepper, diced
1 tablespoon jalapeno, seeded and diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
Juice of 1/2 a lime
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
Salt and pepper

Salsa and Veggie Snack Chips

Directions

Add all the ingredients to a medium bowl. Toss to combine. Transfer into a serving dish and set aside for 15 minutes to blend flavors.

Pico de Gallo Salsa with Green Giant Veggie Snack Chips

So, now that I am done talking about these chips, I’m going to eat the rest of the bag!

Pico de Gallo Salsa with Garden Ranch Green Giant Veggie Snack Chips

Thanks to Green Giant™ Veggie Snack Chips for sponsoring this post! Thank you for supporting Ciera Design by allowing me to post occasional sponsored content. All sponsored posts feature products or services that I genuinely feel would be of interest to you and opinions expressed here are all my own.

The Font Feast Presents Grilled Peaches with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream & Salted Caramel Sauce

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the font feast presents grilled peaches with vanilla bean ice cream and salted caramel sauce

This sweet and easy recipe is perfect for those lazy summer days when you want something delicious for dessert without all the fuss. Juicy, tree-ripened peaches taste even better when warmed on the grill and topped with creamy vanilla bean ice cream and a luscious salted caramel sauce.

This month’s Font Feast recipe was inspired by Sail, a breezy script font that is both gorgeous and free!

grilled peaches with vanilla bean ice cream and salted caramel sauce

Grilled Peaches with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream & Salted Caramel Sauce inspired by Sail

– peaches
– good quality vanilla or vanilla bean ice cream
– salted caramel sauce (if you’re feeling extra “summery” you can use store-bought sauce in a pinch)

Slice peaches in half, removing and discarding the pits. Lay peaches cut-side down on a preheated grill. Grill over medium-low heat until peaches are hot and tender (and have really impressive grill marks). Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving. Top with ice cream and salted caramel sauce. Eat immediately.

About the author: Melissa writes about her adventures in food, family, and farming at Lulu the Baker. She develops recipes, cooks, and photographs for The Font Feast column.

Carrot & Beet Microwave Chips from The Perfect Pear

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A big hello to the lovely readers of Ciera Design! 🙂 I’m Lauren from The Perfect Pear and I’m super happy to share my latest guilt-free healthy chip recipe with you! I’ve done kind of the same thing with potatoes, but this time around I actually didn’t have any potatoes so I decided to give beets and carrots a try and oh my goodness were they delicious!
 
 
 

You’ll Need:

• Root veggies like beets or carrots
• Olive Oil
• Salt

Directions:

1. Use a mandolin or sharp knife to thinly slice your vegetables.
2. Lay down a sheet of parchment paper and lay flat your slices of beets and carrots
3. Sprinkle some salt over top of them and put in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time on half power until they are crispy.

Enjoy!

Thanks for having me Ciera!
Stop by my blog, The Perfect Pear!
xo, Lauren
 
Thanks for sharing this recipe Lauren, I can not wait to try it out! I love easy and yummy food like this! – Ciera

Mellow Mushroom Oak Street: Out & About New Orleans

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Out & About Mellow Mushroom New Orleans

I’m totally obsessed with one of the newest restaurants on my street. Mellow Mushroom is a franchise but the owners, Elizabeth and Austin Kent and James Son, did such a good job of making it fit right in on Oak Street! They totally transformed a two-story house that was built in the early 1900s and were able to preserve the original façade and a handful of interior decor. 

The franchise really promotes local ownership and operation, said Son, a New Orleans native. Each location is completely different and really focuses on the local community.”

Although the chain has certain requirements regarding consistency and standards for the menu, franchisees are still able to source their produce and products locally. When renovating the building they used local contractors, architects and artists, including Graffiti Graphics, aka my super talented parents, for their awesome sign!

Mellow Mushroom Oak Street New Orleans Fortune Teller and Colored Windows

We really wanted to emphasize where we were and use as many locals aspects as possible, said Son. For me it’s really important that we be a part of this community.”

Mellow Mushroom Oak Street New Orleans Booths

Mellow Mushroom Oak Street New Orleans Colored Windows

Mellow and Oak Street each portray a funky vibe that fits right in with the culture and residents of this area,” states Elizabeth.

Mellow Mushroom Oak Street New Orleans Teeth Bar

Mellow Mushroom Oak Street New Orleans Mason Jar Lights

Mellow Mushroom Oak Street New Orleans Skeletons

Mellow Mushroom Oak Street New Orleans Lights and Tin Ceiling

Mellow Mushroom Oak Street New Orleans Fortuna Spin To Win

Mellow Mushroom Oak Street New Orleans Downstairs Dining Room

Mellow Mushroom Oak Street New Orleans Arrow Marquee Light

Once I was done obsessing over the decor, it was time to eat and man is their pizza good! I especially like the Red Skin Potato Pie. It sounds a little weird, but it’s SO good! I have already been way too many times since they opened in March!

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