Hi friends!
The time has come. I think we’re in the clear to say it’s officially springtime. Long gone are the days of big, puffy coats and snow boots. My winter sweaters have been moved to storage. Flowers are blooming, trees are green and the sun is shining. I for one could not be happier.
One of my favorite parts of spring is getting to spend more time outside. There’s nothing better than going for a walk around Wash Park, setting up a picnic at Sloan’s Lake or simply drinking my morning coffee on the front patio.
This spring, I am committed to eating as many meals outside as possible, starting with hosting my best friend Kate’s 30th birthday in our backyard. We went all-out decorating the backyard in all things ‘garden party.’ Pink streamers, colorful tablecloths, cute taper candles and lots and lots of flowers. The evening was everything we ever dreamed of, for our girl Kate. Delicious food, fun wine and lots of belly laughs.
And because Kate is a foodie just as much as I am (check out her instagram @k8s_eats), I knew the menu had to be stacked.
We had all our favorite starters — crunchy chili onion hummus from Trader Joe’s, ‘The Dip,’ cheese and crackers, and radishes with salted butter (the snack of the summer!). Our dinner consisted of homemade focaccia (recipe here!), herby greens salad, pea and leek pasta with burrata, and a spicy burst tomato pasta — because the only thing better than one pasta is two pastas. We ended the night with a delicious — and gorgeous — strawberry cake from D Bar.
For this backyard birthday dinner party, I also knew I had to whip up a recent favorite of ours — Lemon Honey Whipped Ricotta.
I’ve been obsessing over this dip — I think it’s a dip — for weeks now. It’s light, fluffy, sweet and creamy. We’ve been eating it with crostinis as well as veggies. Spread it on toast and you won’t be disappointed. It’s a fun dish to put alongside all your other favorite apps, and it’s perfect for spring.
Here’s what you’ll need —
7 oz whole milk ricotta — about half of a 15 oz container
7 oz whole milk cottage cheese — again, about half a container
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon honey — I’ve been using this whipped wildflower lemon honey from Honeyville but I don’t expect you to buy this. It’s amazing but any ole honey will do
Salt and pepper
Please note that you can sub for low fat ricotta and cottage cheese. It just won’t be as thick and creamy.
In a food processor, add the ricotta, cottage cheese, lemon zest and juice, olive oil, honey, and salt and pepper. Blend on high until fluffy and smooth, about 1 minute.
Taste to see if you need more lemon juice or salt and pepper. Adjust. Blend again.
Serve with cut veggies like carrots, celery, radishes, snap peas or endives. This is also perfect with crostini or crackers.
For what’s been giving me life recently, of course it was celebrating my sweet friend Kate. I loved how the party turned out, and I’m definitely not mad about all the flowers that were left behind. The house feels like a flower shop. It was spending a week in Kansas City for work, staying at the beautiful Hotel Kansas City, eating at The Town Company, and playing pickleball at Chicken N Pickle. It was finishing Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt as well as Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey. Both 5 stars!
Last, but definitely not least, it was spending a long weekend in Key West for our girl Erin’s bachelorette. It was amazing to share a place so dear to my heart with all my best girlfriends. We did it big by having dinner at Martin’s, going to the drag show at Aquaplex — and spotting Heather McMahan there as well!! — having brunch at Hot Tin Roof, getting temporary tats, going on a sunset boat ride and eating lots and lots of peel & eat shrimp. Some oysters, too. It was a weekend for the books, and we can’t wait to see our bride say ‘I do’ this summer!
Wish I was with you,
Maddie