Super Bowl Roundup

Happy Wednesday! In preparation for Super Bowl Sunday, I am sharing some of my favorite Hilary Stone Soup recipes that are perfect for a crowd. For all you football (and half-time show) fans, I got you covered!

Appetizers

Deviled Eggs
Goat Cheese Stuffed Dates
Greek Yogurt Dipping Sauce
Guacamole

Mains

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches and Tomato Soup
Grilled Turkey Sandwiches

Semi-Homemade Pizza
Turkey Chili 

Desserts

Banana Bread
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Chai Banana Smoothie

New Year's Resolutions. Are you still keeping yours? I dropped mine after 5 days. I swore off dairy--good-bye cheese, pastries, and cappuccinos. Then, I realized that the twice-baked pumpkin croissants at Jane on Larkin were only around for a limited time, and they are pretty amazing. Oh, and they have dairy in them. Au revoir resolutions!

That being said, I am still limiting my dairy intake. I avoid dairy Monday through Friday, except for the occasional post-workout pizza and a little bit of cream in my coffee. 

I've been relying on creamy and delicious smoothies to help me forget about my recent lack of dairy. In particular, I love spicy and creamy chai tea lattes, and I've been missing them. These smoothies remind me that just because I'm dairy free doesn't mean I have to give up on my chai. 

These smoothies are creamy and faintly sweet, but have no added sugar! I make up a batch for Z and I in the mornings. They give me a boost of energy for the day. 

Enjoy!

Chai Banana Smoothies

1 frozen banana

1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Puree all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Add more almond milk if necessary. So easy and delicious!

Winter Fancy Food Show 2015: Favorite Finds

Happy Friday everyone! I hope you have lovely plans for the weekend. I'm spending the weekend completely with friends--dinner on Friday, Napa on Saturday, and then galavanting around the city on Sunday. Follow me on Instagram for adventures!

In the meantime, check out my favorite products from the Winter Fancy Food Show. It's clear I have a massive sweet tooth! Check out below for descriptions and purchasing info on these amazing and innovative products.

1. Ludlow's, from the co-founder of Coolhaus (another Hilary Stone Soup favorite!), creates craft cocktail jello shots. Forget the jello shots of college, and try these 30-proof jello shooters with adult flavors like Old Fashioned, Meyer Lemon Drop, and Moscow Mule. You can purchase them at Fresh & Easy!

2. I am already a fan of Califia's almond milk for coffee and smoothies, so I wanted to check out their booth for new products. This chocolate, coconut and almond elixir isn't new (it's already out in stores!) but it is AMAZING. I don't even like coconut, and I want this in my fridge. This almond milk will take you straight to a beach in the Caribbean. You can find their products at Safeway and Whole Foods!

3. Jeni's Ice Cream, based out of Ohio, is constantly in our freezer at home. This coffee flavor though, with Intelligentsia espresso, is my new favorite coffee flavor. This is the coffee ice cream of my dreams. You can buy it online here.

4. Plush Puffs makes the most amazing marshmallows I have ever tried. They are good by themselves, in a cup of hot chocolate, or toasted for a s'more. What makes them different? All-natural ingredients, awesome flavors, and no corn syrup! You can purchase them here.

5. This last product is by far my favorite product. Il Morso makes coffee in a bar. You eat it like chocolate, but it's not chocolate...it's coffee! I think it could be the next big thing. Become a fan before the hype hits. Try it out!

Winter Fancy Food Show 2015

When you were little, was your favorite part of going to Costco all of the food samples? You know, the samples of cheese, cake, ice cream, and other delicious treats?

Wait, who am I kidding, that still is my favorite thing about Costco.

Now, imagine your samples at Costco all rounded into two giant conference rooms, with thousands and thousands of stands. Would you believe me if I told you such a place existed?

It's called the Fancy Food Show, and I was lucky enough to attend the Winter show in my hometown of San Francisco.

It's the West Coast's largest specialty food and beverage trade show with over 80,000 products to eat and drink! Over 1,300 different exhibitors came to show off the best of the best when it comes to food.

We started off near the high-end Greek providers, sampling our way through freshly grilled haloumi cheese and beautiful olives.

I made a quick stop at the Califia Farms booth--they had a barista making Four Barrel & almond milk creations, plus a fully stocked case of all of their products to sample. I was blown away by their chocolate coconut almond milk.

We breezed our way through other European countries, including France and Italy.

In the Italian section, there was a massive pizza oven, and a chef making delicious pizza.

We also tried Hug, a pre-mixed elderflower, mint, and sparkling wine mix that would be perfect in the summer.

And of course we had to sample some Parmesan.

One of the coolest things to try were these vinegar pearls or "caviar". They were wonderfully chewy, and burst into a liquid in your mouth!

We then swung by the Canadian section for some birch syrup tastings.

Bocci set up a stand with not only free chocolates to take with you, but also handmade (and freshly made) candies, filled with hazelnuts and chocolate. They were amazing!

After exploring the international food, we moved into the American hall. 

One of my favorite stations in this room was Plush Puffs. They make amazing marshmallows, and they had a marshmallow toasting station for everyone!

Next up is one of the most interesting things I tried...finger limes! These limes have tiny little balls instead--kind of like Pop Rocks! They burst in your mouth with tons of lime flavor.

I fell in love with Frosting Queens--the most delicious store bought frosting you will find out there!

Of course, I spent lots of time sampling ice cream from some of my favorite companies--Jeni's, McConnell's, and Double Rainbow.

After some ice cream, it was time for more sugar (and alcohol) in the form of artisanal lemon drop jello shots.

After a few more hours of wandering, eating, and more wandering, it was time to go home. I can't wait for next year's Fancy Food Show--it's clearly going to be my favorite three days of the year. 

Tomorrow, I'll be sharing all of my favorite finds from the Fancy Food Show, so come back tomorrow for purchasing details and more fun finds!

Favorite Finds: Sugar Sugar

In the spirit of transparency, today's blog post is not entirely unbiased. I have had the pleasure of knowing and spending time with the owner of Sugar Sugar for close to five years now, and I just wrapped up a wonderful trip with her and her family. I was not paid to write this post, but I do have a special connection to the owner of Sugar Sugar and candy-maker extraordinaire, Shelley.

Z's mom, Shelley, started a high-end candy and chocolate company, Sugar Sugar, last year. From her kitchen in Dallas, Shelley makes delicious toffee, caramels, and chocolate bark that she ships to customers across the country. 

Everytime I see Shelley, she brings samples of her chocolates, and I continue to be amazed with the top-notch ingredients that result in scrumptious treats. Her chocolates and candies are the perfect gift, whether it's a birthday, Valentine's Day, or a get-well-soon treat.

In case you were wondering, these beautiful photographs of Sugar Sugar's confectionaries are from Evan Winslow Smith. 

You can order Sugar Sugar treats here!