Creative Hub | Heirloom DC

Dark Chocolate Energy Bites

July 18, 2016 By Vicky Leave a Comment

It’s easy to fall in love with all sorts of food (both healthy and unhealthy) over the Summer. From delicious Pork carnitas to Watermelon salads, our taste buds have been treated like royalty this Summer. We were craving something delicious, but also one that wouldn’t leave us feeling too guilty after a few bites and one too many barbecues later.

We present our Dark Chocolate Energy Bites.

The Ingredients

Dark chocolate chips (we went with the organic Whole Foods brand)
Dried cranberries
Pepitas
Almonds (we opted for both thinly sliced and the regular sized option for extra protein)
Coconut flakes (you deserve a little sweetness)

We went ahead and just did a handful of each to get ourselves organized. Of course we had to “taste test” each ingredient.

Once we had our ingredients lined up, we went ahead and put on the oven. Go ahead and fill up your pot about a third with water.

Warming up your Chocolate chips this way will help prevent the chocolate from burning. (You can also toss them into a bowl and put them in the microwave if you’re looking to speed up the process). Once you see the Chocolate starting to melt, stir until completely melted and then set aside.

Pour the melted Chocolate into a bowl and allow to cool just a little. You don’t want to let the chocolate to harden before you get your delicious toppings on there!

Line up your parchment paper and grab a spoon, time to make these delicious treats!

Once your Chocolate is placed on the parchment paper, go ahead and add as little or as many of the Almonds, Pepitas, and dried Cranberries to your Chocolate rounds.

Not only are these delicious and healthy, but they also don’t make for too bad of a presentation either :).

Yes, we have mini cake stands. Yes, we were excited to get to use them again for this food styling. We hope you enjoy! Don’t forget to check out our other recipes for any inspiration. Cheers!

Picnic Scapes + Easy Summer Bites

July 5, 2016 By Vicky Leave a Comment

Sunny days, vibrant landscapes and refreshing bites make Summer picnics a must. What better way to celebrate Summer than with a delicious homemade meal in nature’s perfectly landscaped setting with friends, family and probably a little Rosé?

_{Photo by Renee Hollingshead}

Whether you’re heading to the shore for a beach weekend or parking down on the edge of the Potomac, these tips from Heirloom will assure you’re all packed and ready for the perfect celebration.

Create refreshing bites

_{Photo by Renee Hollingshead}

This Summer has been a hot one. Which means our food and drinks need to be refreshing! Our first bite of choice….Watermelon, Feta and Mint skewers. These are easy, delicious and always a crowd pleaser.

Run to your local farmer’s market and pick up some Mint, Feta and Watermelon. Cut the Watermelon and feta into bite size (but thick) pieces. Place the Watermelon on the bottom, layer a leaf or two of Mint, and then place the feta on top. Add your skewer, and voila! We like ours with a little bit of olive oil, salt and balsamic vinegar for extra flavor.

Looking for something with a little crunch? We’ve opted for homemade Tzatziki sauce with delicious corn tortilla chips. Everyone loves a nice balance of salty and sweet, and these two bites will be sure to leave everyone smiling (and just the right amount of full).

_{Photo by Renee Hollingshead}

Picnic-Scapes + Style

We love the look of a vintage basket with some floral accents to hold all of your eats and treats. The great outdoors is an ideal backdrop for a beautiful picnic tablescape. Toss out your tired old checkered blanket with a setting as gorgeous as your view. Go simple. A nude tablecloth with woven baskets, delicate rustic accents and flowers from the garden will make your tablescape shine.

Wooden plates and cutlery lend a rustic, outdoorsy feel. And, of course, be sure to bring along enough wine glasses, champagne flutes, or beer mugs for your merriment.

Enjoy your summer over a cozy picnic. Check out more of our blog posts for some delicious summer recipes to get inspired! Cheers!

reneehollingsheadphotography_elegant_fourth_of_july-137

_{Photo by Renee Hollingshead}

Rosé Every {Thurs}day: Strawberry + Pimms Rosé Cocktail

June 23, 2016 By Vicky Leave a Comment

Happy Rosé Thursday! We have had such a blast tasting all of these delicious Rosés from across the world and pairing them up with a complimentary bite. As it is officially the first week of Summer, as satisfying and delicious Rosé is on it’s on, we thought we might get a little creative (as you might know we like to do that every now and then 😉 ).

We introduce: the Strawberry and Pimms Rosé cocktail. The perfect refreshing drink for any Summer day or evening. We will let you choose the food pairing for this one, and we will show you how to make this refreshing drink.

The Ingredients (makes 4-6 glasses)

6 ounces of gin (we prefer the locally distilled Green Hat gin)
8 ounces of Rosé (going with our weekly theme we decided to try a new Rosé: Charles & Charles Rosé)
1 ½ ounce of strawberry syrup
2 ounces of fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 ounces of Pimms No. 1 (for a classy British kick!)
One carton of fresh locally sourced Strawberries

The Steps

We started off making the Strawberry simple syrup first, it is quite simple we promise! Measure out equal parts water and sugar. We decided to do about 3 ounces of each just in case we wanted to add a little extra. The go ahead and cut up 5 or 6 Strawberries and pour everything in your pot. Boil the water and add the sugar, stirring it until it dissolves and you see the water have a pink tint. Viola! Let the simple syrup cool, and then go ahead and give it a taste to make sure it is just your right amount of sweet and Strawberry.

Next, go ahead and measure out the alcohol and simple syrup: 2 ounces Pimms No. 1, 8 ounces Rosé, 2 ounces gin + go ahead and measure out 1 1/2 ounce simple syrup.

That wasn’t too hard, was it? Go ahead and combine all four ingredients into a pitcher or large glass and give it a stir. Fill up your preferred cocktail glass and pour. We suggest giving it a taste to see if you would like to add a little more of any ingredient before we throw in the final touch!

We knew that we would want some Lemon juice to add to this to balance out the flavors. We measured out 2 ounces, but poured to taste. Again, this is up to you depending on how you want the cocktail to taste!

The Lemon juice was the perfect final touch. Lastly, we cut up some Strawberries and throw them onto the cocktail as a garnish (and little bite for when your drink runs out).

We think you might make this one again….we know that we will. Cheers with a friend on a rooftop evening, and enjoy!

See you back next Thursday, Cheers.

{if you liked this one, go ahead and check out our other DIY cocktail recipes}

Rosé Every {Thurs}day: Rosatello

June 9, 2016 By Vicky Leave a Comment

Congratulations, you’ve made it to Thursday! This is also great news for us, as we are excited to try out this week’s Rosé (especially because it’s sparkling).

And so we begin. The sound of the bottle popping is music to our ears (and gets our taste buds excited). FullSizeRender (18)

A little about Rosatello:

To ensure the perfect balance of sweetness and bright acidity, the grapes are cold fermented, charmat style, in pressurized stainless steel tanks. This preserves the fresh-from-the-vineyard fruit flavors and maintains natural vibrancy. The result if a refreshing glass of Rosatello that is lusciously sweet and easy to drink.” (Read more here)

Pop, pour & sip. We take a second…

We’ve learned that fizz is definitely our friend. The sparkling Rosés never disappoint with the taste and sensation of warm Summer time. This Rosé is sweet, sweet like a fresh ripe Strawberry. Three words we would use to describe the flavor: sweet, refreshing & fruity. We decide that it would definitely be great with something a little salty to help balance out the flavors.

We’ve thought of the perfect thing, a Prociutto sandwich that will compliment this refreshing sparkling drink.

We present: Petite Prosciutto sandwiches

What you will need:

Locally sourced Prosciutto
Mozzarella
Fig or Balsamic Glaze
Heirloom Tomatoes
Ciabatta bread

FullSizeRender (20) This little bite is perfect as a side to any dinner, a perfect bite for lunch or a nice appetizer to a summer barbecue!

This one is pretty simple for you!

Slice up your Mozzarella and Tomatoes. Once the Tomatoes are halved, toss them in a bowl with the glaze. Mix.

Cut your Ciabatta bread and go ahead and toast it (if you’d like an extra little crunch). Once your bread is exactly how you like it, toss on your ingredients. Add a little more of whatever you are craving most!

Time to enjoy. How easy was that, but so delicious?

The savory flavors in this petite sandwich are the perfect compliment to this sweet sparkling Rosé!

Take away: would we drink this again? Probably, but we would mix in some dry Prosecco to balance it to a less sweet flavor. Our final rating: we give it a 4/10. Would we eat the Prosciutto sandwiches again? We will probably be making them for lunch next week!

Thank you for joining us this week! We are excited to pop and share with you again next week. We hope that you enjoy your Rosé every day of this warm Summer weekend. See you again next Thursday…Cheers!

Coco for Kiwi + Chia Pops

June 8, 2016 By Vicky Leave a Comment

There are many ways to cool down in the Summer. You can dive into the pool, take a cool shower, drink a nice glass of ice water….or you can make delicious popsicles. We’ll take the latter.

We’ve been cooling down with the help of these delicious Coconut Kiwi and Chia see popsicles. With just the right amount of sweet, these pops are perfect for any time of the day!

What you will need:

Popsicle mold
3 Kiwis
Chia Seeds
Coconut Milk
Milk (you can make these dairy free using soy milk or almond milk)
Agave
Popsicle sticks
Any other ingredient that makes this the perfect pop for you!

First step: Measure everything out

1 3/4 cups canned coconut milk
3/4 cup milk (or any milk alternative)
1/4 + 1 Tbsp cup chia seeds
3/4 agave syrup
3 kiwis, peeled and sliced
We added a table spoon of plain Greek yogurt for some extra protein!

Once everything is measured out, go ahead and slice up your Kiwis.

Mix together your Coconut milk and milk.

Add your Agave. Depending on how sweet you want these to be, add a little extra. Add your Chia seeds. Stir.

Place your Kiwi slices into the popsicle molds. You will have to use something to keep them tight against the sides, we opted for our cute popsicle sticks. They did the trick!