somedays, life just gets away from you. you wake up in the morning with a plan, and at the end of the day, everything you wanted to accomplish is in shambles. 

that pretty much sums up the day of my birthday party. i had all these pretty and delicious cakes planned, but life was not cooperating and time got away from me and i of course ended up an emotional mess.

no surprise, all my friends and family are amazing and they all came and made the day extra special. but i learned a valuable lesson. when in doubt, go with a staple. 

you know what i mean. that tried, true go to. and my dessert staple is cheesecake. these bites are great because they are easy to make, easy on the eyes, and easy to make disappear. the best part is you can make them seasonal with any of your favorite fruits and you can enhance colors with just a drop or two of food color. 

marbled mango cheesecake bites
serves: 1-2 dozen depending on your size preference
prep time: 5 minutes
bake time:30 minutes
cool time: 2 hours to over night
total time: 2 hours 35 minutes
ingredients: 1 cup finely chopped pecans (i pulse mine in the food processor). 1 cup flour. 1 stick butter, melted. .25 cup brown sugar. pinch of salt. 1 lb softened cream cheese. 1 cup sugar. 3 eggs. 1 tsp vanilla extract. .25 cup mango purée. 9 x 13 baking dish. parchment paper. tooth pick. 

start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees. in a medium bowl, combine the flour, pecans, brown sugar and melted butter. 

use your hands to lightly combine the mixture till it is in pebble size crumbs. 

pour the crust dough into a parchment lined 9 x 13 dish. use your palms to press the dough till it reaches the edges of the dish. 

bake until the crust starts to turn golden. about 10-12 minutes. while the crust is baking, prepare the filling. 

in the bowl of a stand mixer with your whisk attachment or with a hand blender, cream together the cream cheese and sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. about 3-5 minutes. 

reduce the speed of your mixer to add in the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract. 

once your crust is out pour all but .5 cup of the filling over the crust. use a spatula or butter knife to spread the filling evenly over the crust. 

combine your mango puree with the remaining .5 cup filling. mix until completely combined. 

using a spoon, drizzle your mango cheese cake mixture over the cheese cake filling. 

then, using your toothpick, swirl the mango cheesecake filling to create a marbled effect. 

bake the cheesecake in the oven until set, 20-25 minutes. 

when the cheesecake is set, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool completely. pop it in the freezer for a half hour or so till it gets really solid. 

then slice off the rough edges, and cut into squares of your size choice. serve or store in an airtight container for up to two weeks. 

xo, a

marbled mango cheesecake bites
serves: 1-2 dozen depending on your size preference
prep time: 5 minutes
bake time: 30 minutes
cool time: 2 hours to over night
total time: 2 hours 35 minutes
ingredients: 1 cup finely chopped pecans (i pulse mine in the food processor). 1 cup flour. 1 stick butter, melted. .25 cup brown sugar. pinch of salt. 1 lb softened cream cheese. 1 cup sugar. 3 eggs. 1 tsp vanilla extract. .25 cup mango purée. 9 x 13 baking dish. parchment paper. tooth pick.
start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees. in a medium bowl, combine the flour, pecans, brown sugar and melted butter. use your hands to lightly combine the mixture till it is in pebble size crumbs. pour the crust dough into a parchment lined 9 x 13 dish. use your palms to press the dough till it reaches the edges of the dish. bake until the crust starts to turn golden. about 10-12 minutes. while the crust is baking, prepare the filling. in the bowl of a stand mixer with your whisk attachment or with a hand blender, cream together the cream cheese and sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. about 3-5 minutes. reduce the speed of your mixer to add in the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract. once your crust is out. pour all but .5 cup of the filling over the crust. use a spatula or butter knife to spread the filling evenly over the crust. combine your mango puree with the remaining .5 cup filling. mix until completely combined. using a spoon, drizzle your mango cheese cake mixture over the cheese cake filling. then, using your toothpick, swirl the mango cheesecake filling to create a marbled effect. bake the cheesecake in the oven until set, 20-25 minutes. when the cheesecake is set, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool completely. pop it in the freezer for a half hour or so till it gets really solid. then slice off the rough edges, and cut into squares of your size choice. serve or store in an airtight container for up to two weeks. 

growth is a very funny thing. you never feel the growth happening. but suddenly, after some sort of struggle, you look back and realize how far you have really come. or in my case, you put a ton of responsibility on your plate, push yourself with in an inch of exhaustion, melt down and then come through in the end with flying colors. 

i always tell my yoga students, understand the difference between discomfort and pain. and more importantly, i try to teach them to understand that discomfort is a part of the growing process. which i had to remind myself of multiple times last week. i really truly did everything in my power to try and prevent an exhaustion meltdown. i made extensive lists. i did major prep in advance for our multiple catering events. i even left extra time, just in case anything crazy happened. 

but of course, despite my planning, my car still broke down mid week requiring lots of time, emotion and money. it took just enough of my remaining resources to send me right over the edge. but at the end of the week when all was said and done, i not only survived, i thrived. all the planning and preparation and struggle was just the discomfort i had to experience to have a two flawless events. 

all the craziness capped off last friday night with a birthday party for a client of ours. the party went great and we had amazing feedback on the food. but this noodle dish was the clear winner. i've been whipping up this easy noodle dish for years and it is an absolute go to for a crowd. or just to keep on hand in the fridge for a hungry husband on the go. 

spicy peanut noodles
serves: 4-6
prep time: 10 minutes
active time: 15 minutes
total time: 25 minutes
ingredients: 1 lb udon noodles (if you can't get your hands on udon noodles, a pack of linguini will work just as well). .75 c peanut oil (if you don't have peanut you could sub a neutral oil like grape seed or vegetable). .5 cup sesame oil. 1.5 tbs red pepper flakes. 3 sweet peppers thinly sliced (or 1 large bell pepper). 6 green onions, whites and greens chopped. 6 tbs honey. 6 tbs soy sauce. 2 tbs peanut butter. .25 cup cilantro, roughly chopped. 1 lime, juiced. 2 tbs sesame seeds. 

start by combining the red pepper flakes and both oils in a small pot. heat the oil over medium low heat until it lightly bubbles around the red pepper flakes. about 3-5 minutes. when the oil is bubbling, turn off the heat and allow the red pepper flakes to sit in the oil for 15 minutes. 

while the oil is infusing, cook your noodles to the package instructions. if you are cooking udon for the first time, be sure to read the package as they have pretty specific details for cooking. don't be scared, it is nothing too challenging, just make sure to take a look. when your noodles are done cooking, stop the cooking process by rinsing the noodles with cold water until they are no longer warm to the touch. 

while the noodles are cooking, combine your peppers, cilantro, green onions and peanuts in a large bowl and set it aside. 

when your oil has sat for 15 minutes, strain out the red pepper flakes. 

combine the oil, honey, soy sauce, peanut butter and whisk well to combine. 

once well combined, set the sauce aside. 

when your noodles are ready, add them to your bowl of veggie and herbs. 

drizzle your spicy peanut sauce over the noodles. stir well to combine. 

top with sesame seeds. 

serve cold or at room temperature. these noodles are great stored in the fridge for up to a week. 

xo, a

spicy peanut noodles
serves: 4-6
prep time: 10 minutes
active time: 15 minutes
total time: 25 minutes
ingredients: 1 lb udon noodles (if you can't get your hands on udon noodles, a pack of linguini will work just as well). .75 c peanut oil (if you don't have peanut you could sub a neutral oil like grape seed or vegetable). .5 cup sesame oil. 1.5 tbs red pepper flakes. 3 sweet peppers thinly sliced (or 1 large bell pepper). 6 green onions, whites and greens chopped. 6 tbs honey. 6 tbs soy sauce. 2 tbs peanut butter. .25 cup cilantro, roughly chopped. 1 lime, juiced. 2 tbs sesame seeds. start by combining the red pepper flakes and both oils in a small pot. heat the oil over medium low heat until it lightly bubbles around the red pepper flakes. about 3-5 minutes. when the oil is bubbling, turn off the heat and allow the red pepper flakes to sit in the oil for 15 minutes. while the oil is infusing, cook your noodles to the package instructions. if you are cooking udon for the first time, be sure to read the package as they have pretty specific details for cooking. don't be scared, it is nothing too challenging, just make sure to take a look. when your noodles are done cooking, stop the cooking process by rinsing the noodles with cold water until they are no longer warm to the touch. while the noodles are cooking, combine your peppers, cilantro, green onions and peanuts in a large bowl and set it aside. when your oil has sat for 15 minutes, strain out the red pepper flakes. combine the oil, honey, soy sauce, peanut butter and whisk well to combine. once well combined, set the sauce aside. when your noodles are ready, add them to your bowl of veggie and herbs. drizzle your spicy peanut sauce over the noodles. stir well to combine. top with sesame seeds. serve cold or at room temperature. these noodles are great stored in the fridge for up to a week.