oh what a difference a year makes. 

this time last year i was driving down to dana point for our wedding rehearsal the day before our wedding. i was an energetic mess. so nervous, excited and STRESSED. it just felt like everything was crazy and new. because it was. 

currently i'm laying on my bed, with my cat at my feet watching an episode of parenthood and chilling. 

but the crazy part is all the stuff that happened in between. this year has been the most exciting, scary, challenging and full year of my life. it was an emotional roller coaster. i literally started my whole life over. we got married, i started MANY new jobs, wes and i started our business, we went to RIO for the olympics?! just those three weeks were a ball of emotions all on their own. i became a yoga instructor, a spin instructor and started teaching swim lessons again. we even had a feature on 100 layer cake. 

so much happened and it was all awesome. some of it really hard. but all amazing. 

but now, i'm tired. and i'm spending the next few days relaxing, celebrating with my husband and drinking some delicious champagne cocktails out of some stunning champagne glasses we got from our friends over at cherished rentals. 

pomegranate & st. germain sparkler
serves: 2 cocktails
prep time: 1 minute
active time: 1 minute
ingredients: 8 oz sparkling wine (champagne, cava, prosecco, whatever you have on hand). 1 oz pomegranate juice. 15ish pomegranate seeds & 2 rosemary sprigs for garnish.

start by pouring half the pomegranate juice in each glass. 

then divide the st. germain between the two glasses. 

top the glass with your sparkling wine of choice. 

garnish with pomegranate seeds. 

top off each with a rosemary sprig and serve. 

happy 2017! 

xo, a

pomegranate & st. germain sparkler
serves: 2 cocktails
prep time: 1 minute
active time: 1 minute
ingredients: 8 oz sparkling wine (champagne, cava, prosecco, whatever you have on hand). 1 oz pomegranate juice. 15ish pomegranate seeds & 2 rosemary sprigs for garnish.
start by pouring half the pomegranate juice in each glass.
then divide the st. germain between the two glasses.
top the glass with your sparkling wine of choice.
garnish with pomegranate seeds.
top off each with a rosemary sprig and serve. 

we are in the home stretch friends. five more days till christmas. and if you are anything like me, you still have a whole hell of a lot to do. now that we work in the food and beverage industry, our holiday has gotten even more hectic. so i will keep this short and sweet. 

more than ever i'm looking for easy holiday dishes that wow. this lamb is simple to make, but looks and tastes stunning. it is perfect to set out at a buffet or served right on the table. 

lamb lollipops & red wine + pom sauce
serves: 4
prep time: 20 minutes
active time: 30 minutes
rest time: 10 minutes
total time: 1 hour
ingredients: 1 small rack of lamb (8 chops). 3 tbs lavender leaves roughly chopped (if you can't get access to lavender, you can always sub rosemary). 3 garlic cloves, smashed. 1 tbs whole grain mustard. 2 tbs olive oil. 1 tsp salt. .5 tsp pepper. 1 cup dry red wine. 1 tbs butter. 1 small shallot, minced. 1 cup pomegranate. 4 cups mixed greens. 

start by preheating your oven to 450 degrees f. 

in a food processor, blend together the olive oil, half the salt & pepper, mustard, lavender and garlic. blend together till it makes a wet paste. 

pat your lamb dry with a paper towel and season it with half of the remaining salt and pepper and then drizzle the blended ingredients over the lamb. 

use the back of your spoon to coat the entire rack and set it aside for a few minutes. 

in a small saucepan, heat your butter over medium heat until melted and then add in the shallots and half of the pomegranates. saute over medium heat until the shallots are translucent. 

pour the wine into the saucepan and bring the liquid to a boil. once it is boiling, reduce to a very slow simmer and reduce until the liquid has reduced by half. about 30 minutes. 

while your sauce reduces, place your lamb rack in a roasting pan and roast till medium rare, about 25 minutes. 

once done, cover with foil and allow to rest for 7-10 minutes.

as your lamb rests, place your mixed greens on a platter and toss them with the remaining pomegranate. 

slice your lamb into individual lollipops by slicing in between each bone.

lay the lollipops on your bed of greens and drizzle with your red wine sauce. serve hot and enjoy.

xo, a

lamb lollipops & red wine + pom sauce
serves: 4
prep time: 20 minutes
active time: 30 minutes
rest time: 10 minutes
total time: 1 hour
ingredients: 1 small rack of lamb (8 chops). 3 tbs lavender leaves roughly chopped (if you can't get access to lavender, you can always sub rosemary). 3 garlic cloves, smashed. 1 tbs whole grain mustard. 2 tbs olive oil. 1 tsp salt. .5 tsp pepper. 1 cup dry red wine. 1 tbs butter. 1 small shallot, minced. 1 cup pomegranate. 4 cups mixed greens.
start by preheating your oven to 450 degrees f.
in a food processor, blend together the olive oil, half the salt & pepper, mustard, lavender and garlic. blend together till it makes a wet paste.
pat your lamb dry with a paper towel and season it with half of the remaining salt and pepper and then drizzle the blended ingredients over the lamb. use the back of your spoon to coat the entire rack and set it aside for a few minutes.
in a small saucepan, heat your butter over medium heat until melted and then add in the shallots and half of the pomegranates. saute over medium heat until the shallots are translucent.
pour the wine into the saucepan and bring the liquid to a boil. once it is boiling, reduce to a very slow simmer and reduce until the liquid has reduced by half. about 30 minutes.
while your sauce reduces, place your lamb rack in a roasting pan and roast till medium rare, about 25 minutes. once done, cover with foil and allow to rest for 7-10 minutes.
as your lamb rests, place your mixed greens on a platter and toss them with the remaining pomegranate.
slice your lamb into individual lollipops by slicing in between each bone.
lay the lollipops on your bed of greens and drizzle with your red wine sauce. serve hot and enjoy.