FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY Are you a small business in LA struggling to make your social media stand out or a fellow food blogger who just can’t stand the photography part? I’m here to help! Whether you need mouthwatering food photography that captures the essence of your dishes and brand or expert social media management to boost your online presence, I’ve got you covered. Reach out to me for all your photography and social media needs—let’s whip up something amazing together! loyaloliveoil@gmail.com

LIGHT AND FLUFFY CINNAMON ROLLS Active Time: 25 Minutes Start to Eat: 2.5 Hours (Including Rest Time) Makes: 8 Rolls INTRODUCTION Personally, I was never a fan of cinnamon rolls or buns growing up, they were always so dense and doughy with soo much frosting. So I decided to make my own! There was a lot of trial and error but one day I had leftover beignet dough that I didn't know what to do with so I just rolled it out and made cinnamon rolls with it. OH. MY. GOODNESS. They came out so light and fluffy and full of amazing flavor, I'm so excited to share this recipe, it is a definite weekend go-to for me. Also, feel free to change up the flavors! I've added nutmeg, cardamom, cinnamon, pumpkin spice, etc. to the center and even sometimes to the dough itself. Get creative, it's your time to rise and SHINE! JUST ROLL WITH IT INGREDIENTS Dough: ​ ¾ cup warm water 2 ¼ teaspoons (1 package) active dry yeast ¼ cup sugar 1 egg, room temperature ½ cup milk, room temperature 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour ½ teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature 1 teaspoon vegetable oil Filling: ​ ½ cup softened unsalted butter (plus more for the pan) 6 tablespoons sugar 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon Glaze: ​ 1 cup powdered sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 tablespoons milk pinch of salt (optional) INSTRUCTIONS In a small bowl, combine the water, yeast, and sugar. Whisk it all together then let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes until the yeast dissolves and starts to froth up. (if it doesn’t froth up, throw it out and start over). Add the egg, milk, and vanilla, and whisk to blend. In a large bowl, with a hand mixer or stand mixer with dough attachment, combine the flour and salt. Add the yeast mixture and butter to the bowl, mix until well incorporated. When the dough pulls away clean from the bowl. (you may need to add up to 2 tablespoons more of flour to ensure the dough isn’t sticking to the bowl) remove the dough from the mixer and place it in an oiled bowl (oiled with a tablespoon of vegetable oil). Cover it with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and place it in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours. (You can place the dough in the fridge at this point for up to 2 days). **If you don’t have a warm area, turn the oven on to 200°F, place the bowl in the oven with the oven door open a crack then turn the oven off. Roll out the dough in a long rectangle about ¾ of an inch thick (roughly 14 x 8). Spread the softened butter evenly over the dough. Mix the cinnamon and sugar together and sprinkle over the butter. Roll up the dough starting at the long edge. Cut into even slices about 2-3 inches wide. Coat a muffin pan with butter or you can use muffin cups or parchment paper. Place 1 slice of cinnamon roll per muffin cup then let the dough rise (about 40 minutes). Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake for about 18-25 minutes or until the tops are slightly browned, err on the side of underbaking - you want them to be fluffy, not dried out. While the rolls are baking, Let’s make the glaze! In a small bowl, whisk milk, powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth. When the cinnamon rolls have cooled slightly, drizzle glaze over the tops. BON APPETIT! BACK TO SWEETS

CONFETTI SHORTBREAD COOKIES Active Time: 25 Minutes Start to Eat: 1 hour 45 minutes (Including Chill Time) Makes: 25 - 30 Cookies INTRODUCTION Shortbread was a cookie I grew into. When you're a kid, you tend to want cookies that are ooey, gooey, and full of chocolate...but the older I get the more I crave light, crispy, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread. What's even better? Light and crumbly shortbread cookies with rainbow sprinkles. These are fun, easy, and delightful with a cup of coffee or tea. ​ Side note, if there is ever another egg shortage (crazy pandemic times)...these are eggless! WHATEVER SPRINKLES YOUR COOKIE INGREDIENTS Cookies: ​ 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled ½ teaspoon salt 1 ½ cups (3 sticks) of unsalted butter, room temperature 1 cup minus 2 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup rainbow sprinkles (or desired amount) Drizzle (Optional): ​ 8 ounces white chocolate chips 1 tablespoon coconut oil (or butter) INSTRUCTIONS In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt, set aside. With an electric mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, in a large bowl, mix together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla. Add the flour mixture at low speed. Before flour is entirely incorporated, add sprinkles. Once the dough starts to come together, dump it onto a lightly floured surface and shape it into 1 or 2 flat circles (roughly 1.5-2 inches thick. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least an hour. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prep baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Roll the dough out ½ inch thick. Using roughly a 2 ½ inch round cutter, cut out circles. Place circles on the prepared baking sheets 1 inch apart (they will not spread). If desired, use the ends of toothpicks for button indent design. Bake cookies for 18-22 minutes or until the edges just start to get golden brown. Allow to cool to room temperature. While cookies cool, place white chocolate and coconut oil in a microwave-safe bowl, heat in increments of 30 seconds, mixing between each turn, until completely melted and smooth. Using a spoon or whisk, sprinkle the glaze on the cookies. Allow the chocolate to harden then devour! BON APPETIT! BACK TO SWEETS

ESPRESSO BROWN BUTTER BLONDIES Active Time: 15 minutes Start to Eat: 1 hour Makes: 16 blondies INTRODUCTION Ever had the brown sugar shaken espresso at Starbucks? Think of that in dessert form! ​ This is a soft, chewy, decadent blondie with big bold espresso flavor balanced with the nuttiness of the brown butter and the sweetness from the granulated and brown sugars. ​ You might not need that second cup of coffee! These are packed with espresso powder and real espresso to give you that extra boost of energy. ​ Adapted and Modified from Curly Girl Kitchen Espresso yourself INGREDIENTS 1 cup (2 sticks / 227g)) of unsalted butter 1 1/3 (290g) cups granulated sugar 1 tablespoon vanilla 2 large eggs, room temperature 2 tablespoons espresso powder 2 1/2 cups (300g) of flour (spooned and leveled) 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt ​ 2 tablespoons espresso, hot and fresh and extra strong! 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (82g) packed brown sugar 1/4 cup (30g) all-purpose flour INSTRUCTIONS Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Now, let's brown that butter! In a small saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the butter begins to foam and you start to see little brown specks. Cook for another minute then take butter off the heat and allow to cool for 1-2 minutes. In a large mixing bowl with whisk, combine the slightly cooled brown butter and granulated sugar (it will look like wet sand). Next, add the vanilla and eggs and mix until well combined and smooth. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, salt, and espresso powder together. Then add that flour mixture to the butter mixture and using a spatula fold it in gently until combined. Prepare your 8x8 brownie pan with parchment paper hanging over the edge for easy removal. Then pour your batter into the pan. Next, mix your hot espresso, brown sugar, and flour together until combined and smooth. Pour this over your blondie batter and using a knife or chopstick (that's what I use) gently swirl it into the blondie batter then level the top. Bake for 23-26 minutes or until the edges are set but the blondies themselves may seem underdone and undercooked. This is fine! Do not overbake these or they will end up dry and cakey instead of that heavenly chewy, gooey blondie that you want! Set the pan on a cooling rack, and cool completely in the pan before removing and cutting into squares. BON APPETIT! BACK TO SWEETS

Rice Krispie S'mores Active Time: 25 minutes Start to Eat: 1 Hour 45 Minutes (Including Chill Time) Makes: 18 Treats INTRODUCTION S'MORE, THE MERRIER A campfire classic turned perfect barbeque treat! These were SUCH a hit at this year's 4th of July party and the perfect dessert to wow your friends (with very little effort!). ​ Just grab your classic s'mores ingredients plus some rice Krispie treats and some butter and voila! These are nutty, buttery, and delicious on their own but dipped in some chocolate and graham crackers makes them more decadent and rich. Feel free to mix up the chocolate too! I used semi-sweet (to please the most people) but you can do bittersweet, white chocolate, dark, milk, etc. whatever you prefer, or make a variety! ​ ​ ​ The graham cracker dust is made using a food processor which gives it that great fine texture and allows for more of it to stick to the chocolate. BUT a Ziploc bag and rolling pin is a great fallback option...just be wary of the arm workout! ​ ​ ​ INGREDIENTS 70 Grams of Butter (half salted, half unsalted) This equals roughly 2.5 tablespoons of each​ ​​ 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon salt 1, 16oz bag of mini marshmallows 6 cups of Rice Krispie Cereal 1, 12oz bag semi-sweet chocolate chips (or 2 cups) 9 graham cracker cookies (this was 1/3 of the box of Honeymaid brand) INSTRUCTIONS First, let's brown that butter! In a medium saucepan, heat both kinds of butter over medium heat, stirring constantly until the butter begins to foam and you start to see little brown specks. Heat for another minute then add in the vanilla, salt, and entire bag of mini marshmallows. Stir until combined and all of the marshmallows have melted into a smooth ribbony texture. Take off of heat. In a large bowl, add in your Rice Krispie cereal, then pour the marshmallow mixture over the cereal. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, stir until combined. Spread mixture over a parchment-lined (or buttered) half-sheet pan, and using your fingers or spatula, GENTLY spread to the edges and try to make it as even as possible. Place in the fridge for an hour to cool and set. Once set, take them out of the fridge and dump them on a cutter board, cutting them evenly into squares or rectangles (approximately 3 inches by 3 inches). * Next, let's prepare the "s'mores" part of these treats! Grab your graham crackers and put them in a food processor and pulse until they have turned into a fine crumb or "dust" as I like to call it. Then place it in a shallow bowl. If you don't have a food processor, just grab a Ziploc bag and a rolling pin and start banging away! Grab your chocolate and empty it into a heat-safe bowl, microwave for 30 seconds at a time until smooth (see tip). Assembly time! Grab one treat at a time and dip half of it in the chocolate, let the excess drip off then place in the bowl with the graham cracker making sure to cover all of the chocolate in the dust. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and let set until chocolate has hardened (approximately 20 minutes). Once set and the chocolate has hardened, you can serve it immediately or store it in the fridge for up to 3 days (just bring them to room temperature before serving to ensure you're getting that gooey chewy texture we all love!) ​ * At this point, you can keep them on the sheet pan or cut up the R ice Krispies and store them, covered, for up to 2 days in the fridge before you dip and serve. ​ Tip: When melting chocolate in the microwave, you never want to melt it until completely smooth. You always want to take it out when there are still visible chunks of chip left, then hand whisk it until completely smooth. This prevents you from overheating the chocolate. ​ BON APPETIT! BACK TO SWEETS

SPICY DRY RUB WINGS Active Time: 15 Minutes Start to Eat: 1 Hour Makes: 40 wings, 6 wings per serving so 8 servings! (or 2 servings for us) INTRODUCTION Spicy dry rub wings that come out moist and flavorful every time. These are seriously foolproof and are so quick and easy, they are perfect for hosting a game, an appetizer for game night or for a full meal! ​ Don't be intimidated by the amount of ingredients, all of them will maximize your flavor but if you don't have a couple of them...not big deal - it'll still taste great! Just put that amount of spice that you're missing and add it onto your favorites spices. JUST WINGIN' IT INGREDIENTS 4 lbs wings 2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil ½ tablespoon salt ½ tablespoon ancho chili powder ½ tablespoon smoked paprika ½ tablespoon paprika ½ tablespoon garlic powder ½ tablespoon onion powder 1 teaspoon cumin 1 teaspoon cayenne powder (or more for spice preference) ½ teaspoon dried mustard powder ½ teaspoon pepper ½ teaspoon oregano ½ teaspoon thyme *Optional: ½ teaspoon malt vinegar powder INSTRUCTIONS Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. Top that with an oven-safe rack and spray it with nonstick spray. Set aside. In a small bowl, combine all of the spice ingredients (all ingredients minus the chicken and oil). In a large bowl, toss the wings in the oil. Add the rub to the wings and toss (or use your hands) to coat all of the wings. Add the wings to the baking sheet, they can be close together but shouldn’t be touching. Bake for 45 minutes, turning them over halfway through. Remove from the oven, garnish with some chive or scallion if you want, and serve immediately - but be careful, they are hot! BON APPETIT! ** They are great with a ranch or blue cheese dip! BON APPETIT! BACK TO SALTY

SPICY GREEN PASTA Active Time: 15 Minutes Start to Eat: 1 Hour Serves: 4 INTRODUCTION Creamy, spicy, healthy, and easy-to-make pasta! Even my meat-eating husband says this is one of the few pasta dishes he feels full and satisfied with without needing a protein. ​ Make with fresh ingredients like tomatillos, jalapenos spinach, basil, and garlic, blended with some parmesan cheese and a touch of cream to balance it out...this is a quick but fulfilling weeknight dinner! Plus, it tastes great hot or cold for leftovers. And if you don't like spice, just take out the jalapeno and you still have a deliciously creamy pasta dish. Pasta la vista, baby INGREDIENTS 4 tomatillos 1 large jalapeno 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 4 large garlic cloves About 1/2 cup of fresh basil (roughly 10 leaves) One small shallot 1 large handful of spinach (about 1 heaping cup) 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon pepper 2 tablespoons salted butter 1/4 cup heavy cream 12 oz. of pasta (usually make the whole 16 oz. box then eyeball how much pasta/sauce ratio I want that day!) 1 1/2 cups reserved pasta water (or more) 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan INSTRUCTIONS First, preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place tomatillos and jalapeno on baking tray or dish and roast for 25 minutes. While that's roasting, let's cook the pasta! Boil a large pot of salted water and cook your desired pasta for about 2 minutes under the recommended cooking time. I used a large fusilli pasta but if you don't have that, I would recommend a pasta with a lot of nooks and crannies in order to sop up the delicious sauce, like rotini, or cavatappi. Reserve at least 1 cup of pasta water when you drain it! Let's start the sauce! Add the following to a blender: roasted tomatillos and jalapeno, olive oil, lime juice, garlic, basil, shallot, spinach, salt, pepper, and about 1/3 cup of the pasta water. Blend until smooth, about 1 minute. Heat butter in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add the sauce from the blender to the skillet and add about 1/2 more pasta water and the heavy cream. Cook for about 5 minutes until the sauce thickens a bit, then add the pasta and the parmesan, store to completely coat the pasta. Add salt and pepper to taste (I usually add about 1/2 teaspoon more of each). If it gets too thick, add more pasta water to your desired thickness. Serve now while it's hot! Or you can let it sit a bit to allow it to thicken. BON APPETIT! BACK TO SALTY

DOUGHNUT COOKIES Active Time: 45 minutes (Including Decorating) Start to Eat: 5 Hours (Including Chill Time) Makes: 30 Cookies INTRODUCTION These sugar cookies are the ultimate sugar decorating cookie. They have amazing flavor and texture plus they keep their shape from cookie cutting through cooking and they are very easy to decorate! This recipe is my go-to for every holiday cookie and these doughnut cookies are such a crowd-pleaser. Also, the only "flavor-forward" ingredient in this cookie is nutmeg and I always use freshly grated nutmeg, I think it makes all the difference! But I obviously know that not everyone has fresh nutmeg in their cabinet which is fine too! ​ Modified from Bon Appetit 's Holiday Sugar Cookies recipe DONUT YOU FORGET ABOUT ME INGREDIENTS Dough: 2 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour plus more for dusting 1 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg (freshly grated is best!) 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter minus 1 tablespoon, room temperature 1 cup light brown sugar, packed 1 large egg, room temperature 1 teaspoon vanilla ​ Icing: 4 cups powdered sugar 3.5 tablespoons meringue or egg white powder 6 tablespoons of lemon juice (or water ) Gel food coloring, I used pink, turquoise, and brown. Leaving a small amount of the plain icing to use as “white”. ​ Topping: Rainbow Sprinkles! You can also use coconut, mini chocolate chips, icing decoration, etc. you can get creative here! INSTRUCTIONS Sift flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg in a medium bowl, set aside. Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in a large bowl until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Mix flour mixture into butter mixture until fully incorporated. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently for about 1 minute. Shape dough into two ever circles (about ½ inch thick). Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 1 day. Take out one circle of dough, let soften for about 15 minutes at room temperature before rolling out. Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, silicone mats, or butter. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to about ⅛ inch thick. Take circle cutters, roughly 3 ½ inches in diameter for cookie shapes and 1 1/4 for middle cut out. Transfer cookies to prepared baking sheets 1 inch apart, they will not spread much. Gently reroll dough scraps, be sure to flour the surface again. Cut out more cookies and transfer them to the baking sheets. Bake cookies until light brown on the edges, roughly 12 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Repeat with the second round of dough. The dough can be frozen for up to a month - it can actually be frozen for longer but be sure to watch for freezer burn. While the cookies cool, make the icing. Whisk together the powdered sugar, meringue powder, vanilla extract, and milk. Separate into 4 equal-sized bowls. Using gel food coloring, take a tip of a toothpick and add different colors to each bowl (use a tiny bit at a time, you can always add more!). Place each icing bowl into a plastic bag or piping bag, I like to use regular sandwich-size plastic bags. When ready to decorate, cut the tiniest slit off of a corner of each bag and pipe the outside and inside lines of the “doughnut” icing lines. Once that dries, fill in the rest of the icing making sure to use cookie picks or toothpicks to smooth the icing to the edges. Next, sprinkle on those sprinkles! BON APPETIT! BACK TO SWEETS

COUSCOUS SALAD Active Time: 10 Minutes Start to Eat: 45 Minutes Serves: 6 INTRODUCTION What is couscous, do you ask? It's like Dip 'N Dots but pasta! This is a great summer recipe! Flavorful, light, and crazy easy to make, this recipe is perfect for weekday lunches or as a side for dinner. The textures make it so every bite is different and the flavors are a perfect blend of sweet, savory, and tart. Plus, this is a very forgiving recipe so you can change it up if are missing ingredients! ​ Adapted from Bon Appetit's Couscous Salad with Dates and Almonds going coo coo for couscous INGREDIENTS Couscous: 1.5 cups pearl couscous (Israeli couscous works too!) 1 3/4 cups water 1/2 teaspoon salt ​ Dressing: ​ 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon lemon zest (zest from 1 large lemon) 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon 3/4 teaspoon curry powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper ​ Salad: ​ 1/2 large red pepper, diced 1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans, 15-ounce can) 1/3 cup golden raisins (or craisins) 1/2 cup of slivered almonds 1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped 1/2 cup scallions, diced INSTRUCTIONS Bring the water and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan then add your couscous. Turn down your heat to a simmer and cook (stirring occasionally so it doesn't stick to the bottom) for about 3-4 minutes. Take the pan off of the heat, cover, and let stand for 10 more minutes. Uncover, fluff with a fork then set aside to cool completely. I like to transfer it to a container and cool it in the fridge. While the couscous cools, you can prep the rest of the ingredients! In a large bowl combine all of the dressing ingredients and whisk until combined. Next, add all of your salad ingredients as well as the cooled couscous to the bowl with the dressing. Mix well! If it seems a bit dry, you can add more olive oil and lemon juice to your liking. You can serve it now or refrigerate it until you're ready to eat! This lasts up to 5 days in the fridge and is perfect for lunches! BON APPETIT! BACK TO SALTY

Avocado spread Active Time: 5 Minutes Start to Eat: 5 Minutes Makes: 1 Cup of Spread INTRODUCTION Looking for a perfect topping for burritos? Tacos? Burrito Bowls? Pizza? Look no further. ​ This lime-y, tangy, salty, spread will help elevate any dish. It's also the perfect consistency to replace things like mayonnaise and sour cream for a healthier option! ​ PLUS, this is perfect as a dip for veggies, chips, meatballs, etc. ​ Give it a try, it only takes 5 minutes to make! That's a kick hass avocado INGREDIENTS 1.5 avocados or 1 jumbo avocado 1 lime (or roughly 3 tablespoons) A small handful of cilantro 1 tablespoon garlic powder (or you can use minced) 3 tablespoons olive oil (or more) 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon pepper Dash of cumin (optional) Dash of cayenne (optional) INSTRUCTIONS Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Add more lime juice and/or olive oil if too thick. You can play around with this, it's a very forgiving recipe in terms of quantities - so put in the amounts you want! This is my go-to for a lot of recipes, it's a great sour cream or mayonnaise replacement. You can use it as a sauce, a dip, etc. AND since it has so much acid (lime juice) in it, you can store it in a container in the fridge and it will last for a few days! BON APPETIT! BACK TO SALTY