California Avocado Season is finally here! Locally grown fresh avocados are available spring through summer. I'm kicking off the spring weather with my favorite Avocado Toast Variations!

Carrots always remind me of my childhood. My mom used to read me the story of The Tale of Peter Rabbit and there was something so beautiful about the Beatrix Potter artwork where Peter was sitting very comfortably in his blue jacket while eating a carrot. It is an image that I think about almost every time I eat carrots. I love this recipe because its entire focus is on this beautiful vegetable, but because it is shaved into such long strips it almost has the consistency of pasta. A great side for any meal, and a great dish to bring to any spring celebration.  

My kids love a Mac and Cheese. Always have and I am pretty sure- always will. I usually like to make this recipe in bulk on the weekends and freeze a dish or two for a quick midweek meal. I use three different cheeses in this recipe because it adds more flavor and creaminess to every bite! I also add bacon, which is my all time favorite classic addition, but you can always make it without. 

Some number of years ago (we don’t actually remember how long ago it was; we just know that it was in the “before times,” when we didn’t have kids yet), Austin and I were eating corned beef in an Irish bar in Santa Barbara, and we had a realization: Corned beef is so good! It’s really flavorful and delicious, but it’s also incredibly easy to prepare. And it’s a great use for brisket, which is one of my favorite slow-cooking cuts. “Why don’t we make this all the time?” Austin asked. We couldn’t come up with a reason. 

Simple steak dinners may be one of my favorite kind of dinners... but add this Creamy Mushroom Steak Sauce and you have a real winner. I love a simple steak sauce. It always seems to bring everything to another level of goodness. In the summer, I am looking for light and herby sauces, but in the winter I love making this warm filling mushroom sauce that balances so well with a great steak.  

I love this Strawberry Buttercream Frosting because not only does it have this beautiful light pink color but it has the sweetest taste of strawberries. So simple to make and perfect for frosting cakes and cupcakes. This frosting makes everyone smile. 

From what I understand, "Cowboy Caviar" hails from Texas and is meant to be a bit of a joke since cowboys are not really eating a ton of caviar... Let's just say, I have yet to serve caviar after a long day of work. But this is a special dish and it traditionally uses back-eyed peas, which some say looks like fish eggs... but obviously they are just a  bean full of flavor. I love this dish because it is so fresh and once I start eating it with chips I tend to never stop!

When I first starting bringing our ranch raised beef and produce to the farmers market, I was blown away by all the different varieties of vegetables that farmers would grow all over the state. So many different kinds of beets, lettuces, potatoes and oranges. Now every time I go to a market I am sure to pick up at least three variety of oranges and Cara Caras are one of them. They are so much sweeter then traditional Navel orange, they have a beautiful red color and are easy to add to my yogurts, salads and on this Up-Side Down Cake.