well, i'm wrapping up another week of craziness over here at la casita costa mesa. this week, i hosted the hardware house kitchen's first ever menu tasting for an upcoming wedding we are catering. 

naturally, wes was scheduled for a double he couldn't get out of. so it was just me, myself and i prepping a four course meal for two. oh, and our tasting space is our home. so on top of all the meal prep i had to whip my home into serious shape. after prepping all day (and teaching at six in the morning) i was just starting to feel like i had everything under control. until the client called and was arriving twenty minutes early. basically they had already parked and were about to walk in. 

but instead of getting crazy and freaking out like i probably would have done a year ago, i took a deep breath, slapped a big smile on my face and got to work. the tasting went flawlessly, the bride and her mother walked away feeling confident about the day, and it finally sunk in that i am living my dream. which is fabulous, but it doesn't change the fact that i'm still exhausted and i definitely need a drink to unwind from the crazy. 

cucumbers have an amazing way of cooling and relaxing. they make any cocktail feel a little extra soothing. and since i missed this weeks tips & tricks, here is how i get delicious cucumber juice with out too much muss, fuss or mess. micro planes are not just for zesting citrus. next week's tips & tricks is dedicated to it's great uses. but one of the best uses is for grating cucumbers to extract their juices. 

start with a hot house or english cucumber. slice off the tip of the cucumber and use the flat edge to grate the cucumber on your micro plane. for every ounce of cucumber juice you need, you will want to grate about 1 inch of cucumber. make sure to hold your micro plane at an angle, over a bowl so you capture any of the juices created while grating. 

strain your cucumber through a mesh strainer, making sure to press out any remaining juices left in the flesh of the cucumber. then use your cucumber juice as you like.

honey + cucumber margarita
serves: 1 cocktail
prep time: 2 minutes
active time: 1 minute
total time: 3 minutes
ingredients: 2 oz tequila. 2 oz cucumber juice. 1 oz grand marnier. 1 tbs honey. 1 oz lime juice. 1 slice cucumber for garnish. kosher salt for garnish. 1 cup ice for shaker. shaker. 1 cup ice or 1 large ice cube for serving. glass of choice. 

start by making your honey cucumber garnish. dip one edge of your cucumber garnish into the honey just till it is lightly coated.

sprinkle the honey with kosher salt till lightly coated. 

make a small slice in your cucumber, gently place it onto your serving glass filled with ice. 

in your shaker with ice, combine the tequila, grand marnier, 1 tsp honey, lime juice, and cucumber juice. 

shake till well combined. 

strain over ice. 

serve & enjoy. 

xo, a

honey + cucumber margarita
serves: 1 cocktail
prep time: 2 minutes
active time: 1 minute
total time: 3 minutes
ingredients: 2 oz tequila. 2 oz cucumber juice. 1 oz grand marnier. 1 tbs honey. 1 oz lime juice. 1 slice cucumber for garnish. kosher salt for garnish. 1 cup ice for shaker. shaker. 1 cup ice or 1 large ice cube for serving. glass of choice.
tart by making your honey cucumber garnish. dip one edge of your cucumber garnish into the honey just till it is lightly coated. sprinkle the honey with kosher salt till lightly coated. make a small slice in your cucumber, gently place it onto your serving glass filled with ice. in your shaker with ice, combine the tequila, grand marnier, 1 tsp honey, lime juice, and cucumber juice. shake till well combined. strain and serve. 

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.