We've been home from Florida for almost a week now, but I'm still a bit in vacation mode--especially when it comes to my food. Too many cafés cubanos have me going through sugar withdrawal, and I don't know why I ever ate anything that wasn't a taco. Whether I'm up for it or not, it's definitely time to get back into healthier eating--which is why I whipped up this nicoise salad for lunch. It's full of veggies and protein, but it's also fancy, so you get the best of both worlds.

Ingredients (makes one large salad or a side salad for two): 

• 1 12-ounce can of Bumble Bee Solid White Albacore Tuna
• 1 large head of romaine
• 3 or 4 small, red potatoes
• A handful of green beans
• 1/4 cup of olives
• 4 radishes, trimmed and quartered
• 1 hard-boiled egg
• 1 tomato, quartered
• 1/2 shallot, minced
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Instructions: 

1. Slice the potatoes and put them in a frying pan. Cover with water and bring to a simmer. Cook for 4-5 minutes or until fork-tender.
2. In a medium pot of boiling water, cook green beans for about 5 minutes. Rinse with cold water to stop cooking.
3. Wash and chop your lettuce.
4. Mix Dijon mustard and shallot in vinegar and olive oil and dress the lettuce, green beans, potatoes, and tomatoes.
5. Arrange all ingredients over lettuce and top with tuna.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

With all that's been going on in my life lately, it's been a long time since I spent an entire afternoon in the kitchen. But on Thursday afternoon of last week, after a rapid-fire trip to the grocery store, I spent three or four hours on my feet, making a big meal from scratch. There's something about making food that is just so good for the soul.

I've lived in the South for most of my life, but it hasn't been until much more recently that I really connected with my southern roots. I suppose Mardi Gras is as good a time as any to figure it out--mostly because there's gumbo. I love gumbo. So I made some gumbo, with rice. And cornbread. And potato salad.

I scooped piping-hot spoonfuls of spicy sausage and shrimp gumbo over rice for my husband that evening when I had a bit of a revelation--it doesn't matter where you're from, or where you live. You can be down south or up north or somewhere in between, but love is the thing. Love, and food. (And maybe a cute dog in a silly hat.)

Get all three Mardi Gras recipes today on the La Crema blog.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of La Crema. The opinions and text are all mine.

Photos by Rémy Thurston for Freckled Italian.

I used to think that people were either really into Valentine's Day or really against it, but now I know that you can just be happy to eat chocolate and drink wine with someone you like a lot (although let's be honest, I think that's what life should look like every day of the year).

To celebrate Valentine's Day without being too cheesy, I decided to make some chocolate truffles (sounds impressive, super easy--exactly what I'm looking for in a recipe) and put them in cute little handmade bags for a festive truffle trade! It's like a cookie swap, but a little more lovey-dovey.

Chocolate Truffles

Ingredients:

• About 12 ounces of semisweet chocolate chips
• One cup of heavy cream
• 4 tablespoons of butter
• Toppings: cocoa powder (sweetened), powdered sugar, melted white chocolate

For the package:

• Tulle
• Tissue paper
• Ribbon

Instructions: 

1. Place the chocolate chips in a large bowl.
2. In a saucepan, heat the cream and butter over medium heat and stir until it begins to boil gently.
3. Remove from heat and pour the cream mixture over the chocolate chips. Stir until completely melted and smooth. Cover and place in the refrigerator until it hardens (overnight is fine).
4. Remove the truffle mixture and use a spoon or melon baller to scoop out bite-size truffles. If you want, you can use your palms to roll each one into a smoother ball, or you can just leave them uneven.
5. Cover with powdered sugar, cocoa powder, or a drizzle of white chocolate. Keep any extras in the refrigerator.
6. You can pack them up in cute little bags by using some tissue paper and tulle--I cut two pieces and crossed them before putting the truffles in the center. Then I bunched it all up and tied everything with a red ribbon.

I love chocolate and red wine--it's such a classic pairing. I'm really into Matanzas Creek's Sonoma Coast Merlot these days. If you make some truffles this Valentine's Day, let me know!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Matanzas Creek. The opinions and text are all mine.