A Side of Sweet

French Macarons with Easy Green Tea Buttercream

Perfect green tea french macarons. They are filled with a fool proof green tea buttercream frosting made with dissolvable green tea. So easy it should be illegal!

The perfect french macaron is so elusive. Honestly, I’ve made dozens of batches and even took a macaron class and still couldn’t get them to turn out perfectly! They were either cracked, or didn’t have feet (that perfect little less smooth part on the edge). It makes me appreciate why it often costs several dollars per macaron when you buy them in stores.

Ironically, one of my most popular blog recipes is for french macarons. These splatter painted french macarons have been pinned almost 10,000 times and bring a steady stream of traffic here to A Side of Sweet. If you look closely though, there is not a foot (feet?) to be found. The are completely flat…. Read More »

Upgrade Boxed Mac & Cheese with Butternut Squash & Sage

Upgrade boxed mac & cheese with butternut squash and sage. This halfway homemade recipe has great fall flavors fresh from the farmer’s market. Make it extra fun by serving it in roasted acorn squash!

I’m all about easy weekday recipes made with fresh produce. Now that fall is here, our farmers market is filling up with root vegetables and squash. One of our favorite farmers markets in San Francisco is the Mission & 22nd market on Thursday afternoons. It’s small, but has a great variety, live music and there are always a bunch of vendors serving food.

I stopped by on my way home from work the other day to pick up some fresh veggies for our weeknight meals…. Read More »

Sonoma Wine Country Travel Guide

My Sonoma Wine Country Travel Guide. Here are all of my favorite restaurants, bakeries, and wineries for this charming city in one place!

Living in San Francisco, one of the most frequent things I get asked is for recommendations for what to do in wine country. My San Francisco friends, as well as people visiting, assume that I have a list of great things to do in Napa Valley ready to share! I actually do have a list that I send to people when they ask, and today I’m going to share it here.

Today I’m going to focus on things to do in Sonoma. Sonoma is super charming and slightly less touristy than Napa. The city itself is absolutely beautiful, with gorgeous roses everywhere, cute cafes and amazing wineries. It’s definitely worth a visit if you’re planning a trip to wine country…. Read More »

Cheap Backgrounds for Food Photography

The best cheap backgrounds for food photography and social media flatlays. My secrets for faux marble, vinyl ‘wood’, baking sheets and more! All $25 or less.

I have gotten an overwhelming amount of positive responses to the flatlay and food photography tutorials that I share on Snapchat. You guys really like seeing what I use to create my food images and all of the fun flatlays I share on Instagram. Because you are obviously interested in the behind-the-scenes part of blogging, I thought I would turn it into a series right here! It will be nice to have a permanent home for all of the things I’ve learned over the years.

I wanted to kick things off by sharing some of the backgrounds I use almost daily for food photography and also for flatlay shots on Instagram.The most expensive background I use regularly is $25 and many are FREE! Also, you’re not sure what a flatlay is, it’s those fun overhead shots of things arranged beautifully that are so common on social media. … Read More »

Lox & Bagel Cream Cheese Crostini

Lox & Bagel Cream Cheese Crostini are a fun spin on your favorite brunch food. They are easy to make, and they taste better than the original!

These lox and bagel cream cheese crostini are like brunch in appetizer form. A classic example of two separately awesome things coming together to make something even more amazing. (Two more great examples: sushi burrito, and a s’mores milkshake.)… Read More »

Paso Robles Travel Guide & Recommendations

Our Paso Robles Travel Guide with all the best places to visit in Paso Robles! Our favorite restaurants, wine tastings, things to do, and place to stay!

Paso Robles Travel Guide

As we continue to explore the area surrounding San Francisco, we’re always looking to discover hidden gems. Although we love Napa Valley wine country, it isn’t exactly an undiscovered secret. Paso Robles is about three hours south of San Francisco, and it’s a whole new way to do California wine country. It’s charming and peaceful, but still has great restaurants, amazing wine and beautiful places to stay.The people of Paso Robles are gracious and welcoming and everything feels much more personalized than we’re used to. It’s also wayyy more affordable. When you meet other visitors, it’s almost like you are in on a shared secret.

Here are our favorite restaurants, things to do, and places to stay for Paso Robles. Let me know if you have any suggestions for our next visit!… Read More »