Entertaining
Keep Cool This Summer with Chef Jamie Gwen (Sponsored)
You heard it here first, new to the food scene, this is the first of its kind! Joyba is a Ready to Drink Bubble Tea that comes in four delicious flavors; Cherry Hibiscus, Strawberry Lemonade Green Tea, Raspberry Dragon Fruit Black Tea and Mango Passionfruit Green Tea. Joyba Bubble Tea offers a refreshing unique infusion of fruit tea and popping boba, allowing you to enjoy it anytime, anywhere. This is a great alternative to sodas, juices and energy drinks – I especially like that Joyba is made without artificial flavors or artificial sweeteners. It gives you a little burst of joy in every sip on a hot summer day! Click here to learn more.
Antipasto skewers are so quick to prep while delivering huge flavor. I simply combine meats, cheeses and fresh basil with delicious Pearls Black Ripe Olives. You can get creative with the combination you put on here, but Pearls olives really balance out the bites with their always consistent and buttery flavor. Pearls Black Ripe Olives are 100% grown and packed in sunny California and picked at the peak of freshness. They are a pantry staple of mine because you can add to so many meals like nachos and enchiladas, salads or even hearty dishes like pastas and even meatballs to add texture and flavor. Click here to learn more. Scroll down for the skewers recipe!
Another pantry staple I like to keep around to add fresh, new flavor to the “same old” dishes is simply add one ingredient, Athenos Feta, and you’ll bring a creamy, tangy taste to any meal. I added it to this easy Feta Pasta salad. Click here for the recipe! While Feta is traditionally used for salads or in Greek dishes, you can use it on tacos, as a pizza topper, in your omelet, on a burger, in pastas or even wraps. Athenos Feta, the No. 1 Feta in America, comes either crumbled or chunk – or get creative and add their Garlic & Herb, Tomato & Basil or Mediterranean Herb flavors to meals the whole family will love. Click here to learn more.
For an easy, delicious and healthy way to beat the heat this summer, I like to reach for a frozen treat. GoodPop’s Organic Freezer Pops are a better-for-you take on the classic freezer pops we all grew up with. They are made from 100% fruit juice and fruit puree with no added sugar. Flavors everyone will love like Cherry Limeade, Fruit Punch and Concord Grape. They have the same mouthwatering taste, with less sugar, calories and no artificial ingredients, like things you can’t pronounce. I like that they are shelf stable so I can keep on hand to throw in the freeze when I’m ready to use them. When you are, just shake the bag, pop in the freezer and enjoy! Perfect for after a workout, a mid day summer snack or a hot day at the beach. Click here to learn more.
---- RECIPES ----
ANTIPASTO SKEWERS
Ingredients
20 Pearls Medium Black Ripe Olives
5 slices of salami, cut in half
5 slices of prosciutto, cut in half
20 small mozzarella balls, tossed in dried herbs & olive oil (or bought pre-marinated)
About 20 basil leaves (torn if big)
1 jar mild cherry peppers
About 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
About 1 tablespoon balsamic
Salt & pepper, to taste
20 small cocktail skewers
Cooking Instructions
1. Thread ingredients onto each cocktail skewer, folding ingredients like basil and salami into halves or fourths to achieve desired size. For a vegetarian option, skip the salami & prosciutto ingredients and add a carb like tortellini.
2. Drizzle with extra olive oil and balsamic over the top and sprinkle lightly with salt & pepper before serving.
