A Southern CA weekend :)

Happy Monday~

I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend and spent it outside with friends, family and loved ones!

Days like these past few make me SO appreciate that I live in SoCA with the glorious weather and bright outdoors beckoning me to come out and play.

These past few weekends I've gone on beautiful walks through tranquil gardens (Quail Botanical Gardens) and hikes in the hills (Santa Monica Mountains), enjoyed some delicious eats at an outdoor Earth Day foodie-type festival (WorldFest), explored super cute vintage shops in equally charming little towns (Orange and Carlsbad), and walked along the beach and boardwalk (Oceanside Pier) extending out into the Pacific. 
Not bad.  Not bad at all!

What was your favorite thing about this weekend?

Xoxo

Image Sources | All images taken by Remember when we lived in that castle ...? and pinned to my Pinterest Boards |

Asparagus, Artichoke, Petit Pois, Fennel & Lemon Risotto

One of my favorite meals that I almost always order when I go out to eat at an Italian restaurant is risotto.  (The other is gnocchi -- YUMM!).  

I usually end up feeling guilty thought because it’s just a big ol' plate of white --  rice, wine, cheese, butter --  all tasty, but I prefer a little added texture, and crunch with some nice green veggies full of healthy vitamins, minerals and fiber. 

This risotto below is full of Springtime goodies – asparagus, fennel, lemon, peas, leeks, chives, artichokes, etc. – it’s like a salad mixed in with your risotto, which to me is the perfect meal!  I like mine extra lemony, but feel free to cut down on the juice or zest if you don’t – it’s still balanced, fresh and flavorful if you use just 1 lemon instead of the pair I opted for, and add in whatever extra veggies you like! 

When I ate leftovers of this the other night I stirred in a nice big handful or two of fresh spinach, which kinda wilted from the heat of the risotto – SO good!  If you don’t have any basil-infused oil on hand, you can quickly make some following my recipe here, throw in some fresh basil, or even a pinch of dried could work.

I’m already looking forward to dinner tonight knowing I have more of this risotto leftover in the fridge :)

SO good! 

Enjoy!

XOXO

Sweet Citrus Buttermilk Gelato

Sometimes for dessert I'm craving a lil' sumptin' sumptin' that's a bit tart, smooth, sweet, sour, and creamy all at once.

This Sweet Citrus Buttermilk Gelato hits the spot every time.

The mouth-puckering tartness of citrus is so often found in overly sweetened sorbetti or slushie ice-based Italian sodas or frozen treats.

When mixed with a little creaminess, the result is a mild, smooth, velvety and delicious combination. I used mostly low-fat buttermilk in this recipe, which gives such a nice sour zippiness, and just a bit of milk and cream to round out the richness.  This ice cream is also dotted with pretty little flecks of bright green and yellow citrus zest which also give a zap of flavor in each bite.  You won't believe how much flavor you can get from the zest of just 2 small pieces of fruit!

I'd think this is refreshing and mild enough to be used as a palate cleanser between courses at a large dinner party, but I like it piled up high, scoop upon scoop as a bright and decadent treat (sometimes with a little shaved dark chocolate on top!).