Strawberry Passionfruit Tea

This recipe is very fast and easy to make. It's one of my favorite drinks whenever I'm having a detox.  You will only need 5 ingredients. The strawberries are a wonderful antioxidant and I love to freeze them to use as 'ice cubes'. Coconut Oil is beneficial to your hair/skin care and can also increase your metabolism. My favorite ingredient and my new obsession is Agave Nectar. I try to avoid sweetening my foods with white sugar and sometimes honey can be a little too pricey. I remember seeing Agave Nectar in my Nutrition class when I was in Culinary School and in the baking section of my local grocery store. A few days ago, my curiosity told me to give it a try and seriously guys, I'm in love! It is so easy to pour, unlike honey's thick consistency and it's surprisingly sweet!

You will need:

• Water
• Frozen Strawberries
• Coconut Oil
• Agave Nectar
• TAZO® Passion Tea

All you have to do is brew your tea, add a tablespoon each of Agave Nectar and Coconut Oil, and throw in your frozen strawberries. Stir until the Agave Nectar has fully dissolved and the Coconut Oil is melted completely. You can also add a few, thinly sliced lemons to bring in an extra pop of color and flavor. I hope you guys enjoyed this quick and easy recipe. Are you a tea fan? If so, what's your favorite type of tea? 

Baked Huli Huli Wings

It's that time of the year when everyone's having barbecues and picnics. What's a better way to enjoy a hot summer day than with some delicious Huli Huli Wings? The word "huli" is a Hawaiian term for to flip over; rotisserie, or simply barbecue. I learned this recipe in culinary school at Johnson & Wales from my Meat Cutting teacher. It was a class where you're in a walk in freezer for 7 hours fabricating meat (torture, I know). It was so cold in there that some people had to wear an extra pair of pants under their slacks to keep warm. But I learned a lot about the different parts of some animals. We worked on lamb, chicken, cows, and even a whole pig was brought into the classroom once.  Anyways, this recipe is very easy to make and all the ingredients only came up to about $20 at my local Harris Teeter.

You will need: 

• 25 Chicken Wings
• 1 cup Pineapple Juice (I bought a can of pineapple chunks, used the juice and ate the rest as a snack)
• A small container of soy sauce
• Light Brown Sugar 
• Ginger
• Garlic
• 1 Lemon 

First, you will need to mince your garlic, lemon zest, and ginger into fine pieces. In a small bowl, mix together the marinade until it's a thick consistency and add the chicken. Squeeze fresh lemon juice on top and refrigerate for 2-3 hours or overnight. 

Preheat your oven to 450 and bake for 30 minutes or until the internal temperature of your wings is at 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Let sit for 5 minutes and serve! This recipe will feed a family of 4. I personally like to eat wings with French fries and bleu cheese. But I'm just an ex waitress from Buffalo Wild Wings so what do I know, right? If you would like to try this recipe at home, please share it on Instagram with the hashtag #thesilvercities. I'd love to see how they all come out. 

Baked Rotini Recipe

2 cloves minced garlic
1 whole diced onion
1 diced green pepper
1 whole diced tomato
1 pound ground beef
1 tablespoon oregano
45 ounces of Ragú Chunky Tomato, Garlic, and Onion tomato sauce
1 box Rotini Pasta
4 cups (or more, yolo) of mozerella cheese
1 tablespoon of butter
salt and pepper (to taste)


1. Sauté your vegetables on medium high heat starting with garlic, onions, bell peppers, and then tomatoes.
2. Once your onions are translucent, add the ground beef and cook thoroughly.

3. Change your heat to a low summer and add the tomato sauce. (Hint: boiling your sauce at a high heat creates a soupy texture and we don't want that.)
4. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
5. In a large pot of boiling salt water, cook rotini until al dente.
6. Strain pasta and add butter to the noodles. Stir into tomato sauce and top with mozzarella cheese.
7. Bake in the oven until the cheese is melted and forms a light brown crust on the edges.
Let cool for 5-10 minutes and Enjoy!