tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89534010528627402032024-03-13T08:10:43.563-04:00Life is For EatingMexican, Italian, Greasy-spoon, Healthy, Sweet, Salty, Fried- whatever it is, I want to try it, and it had better be tasty!Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11607569458203685093noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8953401052862740203.post-1536888097302206942009-12-06T12:08:00.004-05:002009-12-06T12:28:39.585-05:00Pies and the LikeI pride myself on making desserts from scratch, or at least buying from a place that you know makes them homemade. That's why on Thanksgiving morning, when I asked Amy where that homemade pumpkin pie she promised to bring was, I was directed to <gasp!> an <span style="font-style:italic;">ENTENMANN'S BOX!</span><br /><br />The nerve! I give up one of my greatest joys- bringing a homemade pie with homemade pie crust, even if it isn't that good, to the table- and what does she do? Humiliate me! Embarrass me! The only reason I had even allowed Amy that one dessert responsibility was because she knew of a pie-sale fundraiser in her hometown. Fine, I thought, it's for a good cause...<br /><br />I'm usually a fan on Entennmann's- for a mass-produced baked goods company, they actually make some not half-bad stuff. But never good enough for Thanksgiving! <br /><br />As I placed my homemade desserts on the table at Thanksgiving, my Apple Pie got some covetous looks. My Pecan Tart even got a couple of "oohs" and "ahhs." The Pumpkin Pie got a cool glance. (Which I was secretly happy about.) <br /><br />I also had made these delicious <a href="http://www.bakedperfection.com/2008/12/keep-cookies-coming.html">Chocolate Crinkle Cookies</a>, which I found on the "Baked Perfection" blog. They are amazing! Mine came out a little chewy on the inside, and when heated in the microwave for a few seconds, remind me of delicious brownies. Perfect with a nice tall glass of milk, and I think good enough for Santa! <br /><br />I got pretty into the whole pie dough this year- I tried very hard to keep my butter <span style="font-style:italic;">cold</span>, and I made the stuff on Sunday to reheat on Thursday. I think they turned out pretty great, but I'm still learning. I even used little fall-themed cookie cutters to make great decorations on top. Check out the photos below! (You can see the decorations on my Apple Pie got a bit burnt...but still tasty!)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzPHHdHtlm4TCnQJ-UhYHub9_8virio1yVYHLq07YB5laguOGekr-1cowAmsXpFmbQ1dqk4q6TaDl5ls58TrWNY7YS3epsVa-8tlvvhyphenhyphenf6eNQ4I29ZefG-P8yxz5F_98nePBmwzyoXgCtk/s1600-h/Chocolate+Crinkle+Cookies_2009.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzPHHdHtlm4TCnQJ-UhYHub9_8virio1yVYHLq07YB5laguOGekr-1cowAmsXpFmbQ1dqk4q6TaDl5ls58TrWNY7YS3epsVa-8tlvvhyphenhyphenf6eNQ4I29ZefG-P8yxz5F_98nePBmwzyoXgCtk/s320/Chocolate+Crinkle+Cookies_2009.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412176059036125442" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFXttmfx4PcD5uvNogc99c5tTVs0N-8Y-MDW9qMSl9mEnlsoEseck3QFlLhOvU8nJcz1-o5DO0PHWOSyqdB72wxr_KN_-G3ndrIGmdVCyR5loVRgxng1h0uZcCUgiQvx2FAlsNKwRWqLfL/s1600-h/Pecan+Pie+Tart_2009.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFXttmfx4PcD5uvNogc99c5tTVs0N-8Y-MDW9qMSl9mEnlsoEseck3QFlLhOvU8nJcz1-o5DO0PHWOSyqdB72wxr_KN_-G3ndrIGmdVCyR5loVRgxng1h0uZcCUgiQvx2FAlsNKwRWqLfL/s320/Pecan+Pie+Tart_2009.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412176318774851890" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRAtqIcLoLqJSFux4C_wrTcLeEgwButyLe5zHF5QqSnEn87klbRmh9TqkDtg4w3QZ6jZnlT9oDr90axYkBIgCXAs_E0VMutp_MOr29CASr-q91iNHECO20tGDIddwUc4LUKI7gWk7UY1t5/s1600-h/Splenda+Apple+Pie_2009.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRAtqIcLoLqJSFux4C_wrTcLeEgwButyLe5zHF5QqSnEn87klbRmh9TqkDtg4w3QZ6jZnlT9oDr90axYkBIgCXAs_E0VMutp_MOr29CASr-q91iNHECO20tGDIddwUc4LUKI7gWk7UY1t5/s320/Splenda+Apple+Pie_2009.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412176311838958242" /></a><br /><br /><br />What do you pride yourself on during the holidays! And do you think a homemade pie or other dessert is worth all that trouble like I do?Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11607569458203685093noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8953401052862740203.post-28392908678296748932009-11-21T11:04:00.004-05:002009-11-21T11:43:41.324-05:00Thanksgiving Prep!It's has been such a long time since I last posted! I am pleased to say that I am gainfully (and happily) employed, and will be moving out of the parents' house in a few months. I don't really have much time for cooking anymore, and I rarely go grocery shopping. It's been a bummer, but I'm pysched for thanksgiving!<br /><br />So usually every year, it's just my immediate family- mom, dad, sister. This year, however, our aunt, uncle and cousin are coming! This means that I won't get to wear PJs or sweatpants to dinner (bummer), but it's really exciting planning a real menu and cooking for people other than my direct family. My sister and I, being the nerds that we are, created a Google docs spreadsheet to organize what we're serving, what needs to go in the oven when, and what ingredients we need to buy. I keep adding and changing the menu everyday, which she gets pissed about. She literally said that we have too much food. What?! Never!<br /><br />Here's what's on the menu. Suggestions would be GREAT. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Appetizers/Apertifs</span><br />-Prosecco with cranberries in the bottom of the glass<br />-Martinis (amy doesn't know about this yet. but i might want to make a martini.)<br />-Salmon and dill with creme freche on toasts<br />-Datiles (dates wrapped in bacon)<br />-Shrimp cocktail<br />-Gougeres (Amy might make them)<br />-Cocktail Weenies (my dad still loves them)<br />-Cheese and grape platter (cheddar, muenster, brie, gouda)<br /><br />I think that's simple enough for 7 people. I'm not a cheese person, so I'm going to rely on my sister (Amy) to help pick out crowd-pleasers. I'm hoping it won't be anything too stinky. I am proud to announce I have broadened my horizons and enjoy non-melted cheddar cheese. BIG step for me.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Dinner</span><br />-Turkey (I think we're doing a brine- something Amy will be in charge of)<br />-Cranberry Jelly (my aunt is bringing)<br />-Cornbread (my aunt is bringing)<br />-Thyme-Sourdough stuffing<br />-Yam Casserole (would it be thanksgiving without it??)<br />-Mashed Potatoes (the best ever, with the use of my new food mill!)<br />-Green Beans (probably just plain steamed)<br />-Glazed carrots<br />-Homemade traditional gravy <br />-Corn with Mint (from a NYTimes article <a href="http://events.nytimes.com/2009/11/11/dining/113srex.html?ref=dining">here</a>)<br />-Ready-to-bake rolls<br /><br />We're mostly traditionalists when it comes to Thanksgiving dinner, but I'm trying to push it a little bit this year. I love trying new things! I'm still convincing my sister on letting me make a <a href="http://events.nytimes.com/recipes/245/2003/11/19/Mixed-Mushroom-And-Sweet-Potato-Stuffing/recipe.html">Mushroom and Sweet Potato stuffing</a>. With the dinner, we plan on serving Gewurstraminer wine, and maybe Riesling if people prefer that. We served the Gewurstraminer last year, and it went quite well.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Dessert</span> <br />-Pecan Tart (I will make this tomorrow and keep it in the fridge until Thursday. I am told this will be fine)<br />-Splenda Apple Pie (I made it for my dad last year, and it was so delicious, my sister asked for it again this year!)<br />-Sugar-free and regular Vanilla Bean ice cream)<br />-Pumpkin Pie (Amy is bringing this up from a D.C. fundraiser)<br />-Cookies (Amy doesn't know this yet, but I am TOTALLY making this amazing-looking <a href="http://www.bakedperfection.com/2008/12/keep-cookies-coming.html">Chocolate Crinkle Cookies</a>. I hope they last until Thursday!)<br />-Bailey's<br />-Coffee<br />-Blueberry Sour Cream Cake (my aunt is bringing)<br /><br />Dessert is pretty much my territory, and I pride myself on not buying store-baked goods, although they are sometimes just as delicious. I am still debating if I want to make a homemade pie-crust this year. Last year, I used a box mix, and it was actually fluffy and delicious. (I know it sounds ridiculous, but trust me.)<br /><br />Well as I said, we have quite a bit of preparation to do! I would also love to spruce up the table with some great decorations from Target, but I'm reluctant to go to the store. It's going to be nuts!<br /><br />What dishes do you make on Thanksgiving? Anything special you're looking forward to?Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11607569458203685093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8953401052862740203.post-66250740362273504142009-08-25T01:46:00.003-04:002009-08-25T01:57:11.284-04:00A New LoveMy boyfriend took me out to dinner for my birthday a few weeks ago, and I have to admit... I think I've found something new. <br /><br />PORK BELLY.<br /><br />I've been hearing all about the amazing pork belly, and so when Alex took me to the new Aureole in NY, I had to do it. The price of the meal was definitely not ideal, but it was completely worth it. The service, all of the little extras, and, of course, the food, were all amazing. <br /><br />When it came time to order, I was undecided. I asked the waitress what pork belly was like- I'm pretty adventurous, but still want to know I'll enjoy my food. She simply asked me if I liked bacon, and that was that.<br /><br />The dish was a <a href="http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.swyyne.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/img_5214.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.swyyne.com/2009/07/16/amys-ongoing-birthday-weeks/img_5214/&usg=___S6BmCI-yIgq6q0pvklYVImNdFo=&h=338&w=450&sz=22&hl=en&start=1&sig2=TZCPMCVOnsj3bGYIM7oj2A&um=1&tbnid=vfPch3nM5Zr8IM:&tbnh=95&tbnw=127&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dpork%2Bbelly%2Bv%2Blobster%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26um%3D1&ei=43uTSoyNFsrslAfNsry1AQ">"Lobster vs. Pork Belly"</a><br /><br />The lobster had an almond foam over it, and the pork belly just melted in my mouth. I usually don't like fatty meat, but this wasn't just fat. It was silk.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11607569458203685093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8953401052862740203.post-79186279618077028952009-05-22T17:23:00.003-04:002009-05-22T17:33:32.690-04:00I Really Am a Good Daughter...Really...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhleuQ75BE-Rc7CiOkrm5wjHlsDu6wE-mqQ7G08gQSYikkZiuvqCkhibsNM3y3C9yMDdvzNZdx9l8QoNt-2Yfg83v4UgzWdOFhMedr7Vl6QhULRinV5V77_v3EaMX3mcJszij1MF0vmfR00/s1600-h/_Device+Memory_home_user_pictures_IMG00192.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhleuQ75BE-Rc7CiOkrm5wjHlsDu6wE-mqQ7G08gQSYikkZiuvqCkhibsNM3y3C9yMDdvzNZdx9l8QoNt-2Yfg83v4UgzWdOFhMedr7Vl6QhULRinV5V77_v3EaMX3mcJszij1MF0vmfR00/s320/_Device+Memory_home_user_pictures_IMG00192.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338764256497745234" /></a><br />In the blur of BU Senior Week and Commencement (yes, I am officially a BU COM Alumn!), I completely forgot to send mom a card or any kind of gift for Mother's Day. I know we've all been there, but I felt extremely lame calling her up and offering an empty I.O.U. <br /><br />So when I got home, I decided that instead of unpacking and doing laundry, I would bake her a cake. We all love coconut and any kind of tropical flavor, so I made a <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/coconut-cake-recipe/index.html">coconut cake</a> with a <a href="http://coconutlime.blogspot.com/2008/03/key-lime-cream-cheese-frosting.html">key lime cream cheese frosting</a>. I made a few slight variations on the frosting by adding 2 tbs butter, 3 tbs milk, more lime juice, and more powdered sugar. I even learned from my past mistakes and evened out the bottom cake with a long knife so it wouldn't look like the leaning tower of cake. I only got to taste the scraps, but they were awesome! I think all we need is a scoop of coconut ice cream, and we've got a delicious almost-summertime treat! <br /><br />Oh, and I also listened to my friend Lauren's advice and I put a pan of water in the oven underneath the cake pans as they baked. It makes the cakes supermoist and delicious!Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11607569458203685093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8953401052862740203.post-51439272913773455462009-03-23T00:29:00.005-04:002009-03-23T00:38:59.728-04:00Help Someone Get FedAs I was perusing through CNN's headlines today, I came across an inspiring and eye-opening article. It particularly struck me because, contrary to the name of my blog, there are far too many who don't have the luxury of experimenting with different ingredients or recipes. Many aren't even able to provide a daily meal for themselves. <br /><br />An amazing man in Queens, with the help of his mother and sister, personally cooks homemade meals for the hungry. Their home-run organization is called An Angel in Queens. Every single evening at 9:30 after he returns from his job as a city bus driver, he delivers a hot meal, hot chocolate, and coffee to those waiting. He estimates that he's served roughly 70,000 meals so far. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM91_p_roouuKFBwGWRFki9yPbOErlE3dnBPjFe4yA0LV0igjATvfPkjfF3QeT_ptTThAYg5EwUHFaP76JF1O_-D4f7fVxdLrnm94mUtK1NfS8zecDVEiKiKsU6-rYPJkO8Zu0Ccy6JRmL/s1600-h/Angel+in+Queens.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 170px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM91_p_roouuKFBwGWRFki9yPbOErlE3dnBPjFe4yA0LV0igjATvfPkjfF3QeT_ptTThAYg5EwUHFaP76JF1O_-D4f7fVxdLrnm94mUtK1NfS8zecDVEiKiKsU6-rYPJkO8Zu0Ccy6JRmL/s320/Angel+in+Queens.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316237728415370386" /></a><br /><br />Yes, things are tough in this economy, but that's not stopping Jorge Munoz from cooking many hot meals on his $600/week salary. If you have the means to eat three meals every day, can you spare something for this wonderful cause? If you don't have a few bucks to donate, they're also looking for items such as iced tea mix, jeans, and dry soap. Please visit the Web site for more information: http://www.anangelinqueens.org/Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11607569458203685093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8953401052862740203.post-68709989811129079902009-03-15T23:08:00.007-04:002009-03-15T23:27:10.706-04:00Sunday MealsI love waking up on a Sunday morning and having the entire day to cook whatever my heart desires. Sometimes, you just have one of those perfect Sundays that aren't too lazy, and aren't too productive, and best of all- are absolutely delicious.<br /><br />This morning, I made crepes and enjoyed mimosas with my boyfriend. I was surprised (and so was he) at how good the crepes came out because I had to use my roommate's Vanilla Soy Milk. They still tasted great, especially with a ton of Confectioner's Sugar, melted chocolate, and strawberry and cream cheese fillings. (The shells around the crepes are conch shells we found in Miami!) What a great way to start the day! <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU7vQLLEYmnTts5nV0tBv4LXCfziep0fPeqTQ58m2Wq4fxY1FyWY-sB17j-mzhidbBMcnIIajEwQOG8jq6tQu4F8noy1i_oc4ZmfF1LLDRo2POJzy1ePlXIsbsV97s3b9EM-zvKRpmiV81/s1600-h/Sunday+Meal+001.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU7vQLLEYmnTts5nV0tBv4LXCfziep0fPeqTQ58m2Wq4fxY1FyWY-sB17j-mzhidbBMcnIIajEwQOG8jq6tQu4F8noy1i_oc4ZmfF1LLDRo2POJzy1ePlXIsbsV97s3b9EM-zvKRpmiV81/s320/Sunday+Meal+001.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313620500570440946" /></a><br /><br /><br />Throughout the entire week in Miami, my friend Leah and I were craving a good steak and potato dinner. So when we went to Shaw's today to make our Sunday dinner, it was like God <span style="font-style:italic;">wanted</span> us to have steak! We got two large chuck steaks for $7! Talk about being economical. <br /><br />To start, we had a salad with baby spninch, toasted walnuts, strawberries, Craisins, and a Raspberry Walnut spritzer dressing. It was a very refreshing and Spring-y salad.<br /><br />We decided to brown the steaks, finish them off in the oven, and make a gravy with the juices. Leah made her amazing garlic mashed potatoes and her super fried onions (slightly crispy, but caramelized to perfection). It was exactly what we needed! <br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixpk_MZPgSYViV_g5C0OUv14PJLr9Cli4UvNw4eH5NF_u0SZ-HN-k29ldcv8e0nO8ROkqBUbNRDRWFZG4RPwcoa_tYewr6IWhxAe5Sz8f8ykKa0D9dlPaGmtVDdptKPCxVruZi-TxH_Z8V/s1600-h/Sunday+Steak.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 221px; height: 166px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixpk_MZPgSYViV_g5C0OUv14PJLr9Cli4UvNw4eH5NF_u0SZ-HN-k29ldcv8e0nO8ROkqBUbNRDRWFZG4RPwcoa_tYewr6IWhxAe5Sz8f8ykKa0D9dlPaGmtVDdptKPCxVruZi-TxH_Z8V/s320/Sunday+Steak.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313621497025666066" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIALPNClCVF5zQ05clPD8DiGDzqVuXwD96KivSiD2d4dgsSF29Akj-kqfILUx1Rw_7UV4Y8HxmSMikIgFmbuniEWvIhNZpIo1zBqoZ9H9UNvrbafI8Zu1y_SqR9gG8NSC5Z00ILdkN1Keo/s1600-h/Sunday+Steak+2.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 221px; height: 166px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIALPNClCVF5zQ05clPD8DiGDzqVuXwD96KivSiD2d4dgsSF29Akj-kqfILUx1Rw_7UV4Y8HxmSMikIgFmbuniEWvIhNZpIo1zBqoZ9H9UNvrbafI8Zu1y_SqR9gG8NSC5Z00ILdkN1Keo/s320/Sunday+Steak+2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313621549052281202" /></a><br /><br />Since I can never not have dessert, we made a key lime pie... Very rich and delicious. That's for another post.<br /><br />Enjoy your days off and make something you're craving!Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11607569458203685093noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8953401052862740203.post-33321134188527589732009-03-15T22:54:00.005-04:002009-03-15T23:08:32.655-04:00Bienvenido A MiamiIt's been more than a month since I last posted! With the craziness of school and extracurricular activities (aka PRSSA is my life), I've barely had time to cook anything more than a grilled cheese or Lean Cuisine.<br /><br />Needless to say, spring break in Miami was an extremely welcomed and much needed vacation! Our crew of nine made meals consisting mostly of sandwiches, cereal, and pasta. One day, we did venture out to <span style="font-weight:bold;">Puerta Sagua</span>, a Cuban restaurant in South Beach. It was probably my first time having authentic Cuban food, and it was amazing! I'm such a sucker for plantains. I wasn't able to take any pictures, so here are some I found online.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgir5iDUmjKFi_SDQ8-IiWQw-6gb_v495iAQ0-Ymp5rK4soRmuJEN3jCNsQBRiByQLs6Rc2ngjPtnAf5EBAUDp0TQ72dJHq6JkTGVGekGtc_vif5FAzzPQWyG4BB1FLbRpMXJdCSnbmjI2M/s1600-h/Puerto+Sagua+Outside.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgir5iDUmjKFi_SDQ8-IiWQw-6gb_v495iAQ0-Ymp5rK4soRmuJEN3jCNsQBRiByQLs6Rc2ngjPtnAf5EBAUDp0TQ72dJHq6JkTGVGekGtc_vif5FAzzPQWyG4BB1FLbRpMXJdCSnbmjI2M/s320/Puerto+Sagua+Outside.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313614641307746450" /></a><br /><br />Below is a picture of the dish I ordered: Roast Chicken served with fried plantains, white rice, and black beans. The chicken was so moist and juicy, and was seasoned amazingly. The white rice was just salty and slightly sticky enough, and the black beans were flavored with bay leaves and god knows what else. All in all, it was an awesome meal, and <span style="font-weight:bold;">less than $10</span>! It's easily enough for two meals, but I was, well...hungry!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjefFSheIK7IeeGE2hbvAdu6LzbyUUF7iyRmzvl11kxUMk3n0Ce6xPbxZ9cbGTb0Af3BDVLOmd9X8n1hYgjw3cuaa8TbI8Qi5l4SNiuMIsp-qVltWFNtJhS0NF-9Zsnpl5PtpBWY-XJggp_/s1600-h/Cuban+Chicken.bmp"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 57px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjefFSheIK7IeeGE2hbvAdu6LzbyUUF7iyRmzvl11kxUMk3n0Ce6xPbxZ9cbGTb0Af3BDVLOmd9X8n1hYgjw3cuaa8TbI8Qi5l4SNiuMIsp-qVltWFNtJhS0NF-9Zsnpl5PtpBWY-XJggp_/s320/Cuban+Chicken.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313616044010321858" /></a><br /><br />My boyfriend got the Shredded Beef, also served with plantains, white rice, and black beans. The sauce was a little bit sweet but mostly savory and absolutely delicious. It basically looked like this:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvhsaFCa3x-7e_uggCdi-HP8z3kPWkgzQJum-PSWwjKHncAj0wSxLFBSCvQDzSIWakduq2O2YrlVopfWkfMc_i-aC8lrmYFUfV7KI67TAFd9GcgQPd4mJjb18lTxrrcEwaR05tuO-2nUOF/s1600-h/Cuban+Beef.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvhsaFCa3x-7e_uggCdi-HP8z3kPWkgzQJum-PSWwjKHncAj0wSxLFBSCvQDzSIWakduq2O2YrlVopfWkfMc_i-aC8lrmYFUfV7KI67TAFd9GcgQPd4mJjb18lTxrrcEwaR05tuO-2nUOF/s320/Cuban+Beef.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313616843408503410" /></a><br /><br />If you're ever in Miami looking for a cheap and authentic meal, definitely head for Puerta Sagua. Delicioso!Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11607569458203685093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8953401052862740203.post-6530197836016389692009-02-11T17:53:00.008-05:002009-02-11T18:17:33.177-05:00Superbowl Sunday RecapOne of my roommates and I kind of went nuts with the Superbowl goodies. We actually ended up not having too many leftovers! It was totally worth spending the money and battling the massive lines on Superbowl Sunday at Shaw's, our local grocery store.<br /><br />Menu:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlAPy2bhCThyQ9Btcku1wqtcmrS4mVekMvBPGAAMwH2DZwqn94eHUsvL3BlWuS32rUlcFeEiPa4lQzR2zckEMECkxRHTicFi_r7Uz4MFBGMn-duHzP1N15X3iZbdcq0IZUhNdHaMY8xaI8/s1600-h/Baking+and+Chicken+Cacciatore+016.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlAPy2bhCThyQ9Btcku1wqtcmrS4mVekMvBPGAAMwH2DZwqn94eHUsvL3BlWuS32rUlcFeEiPa4lQzR2zckEMECkxRHTicFi_r7Uz4MFBGMn-duHzP1N15X3iZbdcq0IZUhNdHaMY8xaI8/s320/Baking+and+Chicken+Cacciatore+016.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301679231008233698" /></a> -Erica's Mom's Seven Layer Dip (with minor changes): Refried beans, avacado, sour cream, taco seasoning, tomatoes, cheese, cucumber, lettuce<br /><br />-Tostito's Lime Chips (SO good by themselves! We suspect there may be crack involved.)<br /><br />-Fried Ravioli (Bertolli's because I can't really get fresh Ravioli in Allston.) <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeeqMpLcX46W5DIskZZAFww-vsLvO3fKIHxeYb56cRcL-wFrT_jELkldogtSHfZRXgF-zNoY_Kf1gifYotyDnCErkb-4vWHhuCfyK-wtf9T_tltlfxIL0BDuE-hnmqjjb_k0p6BobIOJSQ/s1600-h/Baking+and+Chicken+Cacciatore+017.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeeqMpLcX46W5DIskZZAFww-vsLvO3fKIHxeYb56cRcL-wFrT_jELkldogtSHfZRXgF-zNoY_Kf1gifYotyDnCErkb-4vWHhuCfyK-wtf9T_tltlfxIL0BDuE-hnmqjjb_k0p6BobIOJSQ/s320/Baking+and+Chicken+Cacciatore+017.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301680880018686530" /></a><br /><br />-Caprese Salad (Always a simple and easy crowd-pleaser. I was disappointed, though, because Shaw's ran out of fresh basil leaves! What is that?!)<br /><br />-Homemade Pizza (Dough was only $1.50 from T Anthony's- a local, and only decent, pizzeria.) <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5BypJkUhZzS9ZMY7mFsvlmozM5Wv-wZ9Yi0rpIfGNLNhWlHBJt_PbGobK1rrWXeqRneBRcxrQz27KE3Cu9p2nnGzLGrVlRJN4UzkCV0MmSXMXU3UkuC3avMYrFrMIUWyU24xELRIPYsMg/s1600-h/Me+Tossing+Pizza!.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5BypJkUhZzS9ZMY7mFsvlmozM5Wv-wZ9Yi0rpIfGNLNhWlHBJt_PbGobK1rrWXeqRneBRcxrQz27KE3Cu9p2nnGzLGrVlRJN4UzkCV0MmSXMXU3UkuC3avMYrFrMIUWyU24xELRIPYsMg/s320/Me+Tossing+Pizza!.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301680403691884386" /></a><br /><br />Look at me throw the pizza! Just like the real Italians do it! I also made my own sauce (canned tomato puree, basil, oregano, garlic, salt, pepper- yum!) and grated my own fresh mozzerella. It was awesome. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1gOhxfMA_wBkuwgYaXRhTkrBi3eyDCJfd-lojKnTVJiZ2ulZdPGKjYZLJ9-XlXJY0iyeF1Loh4OM5LsNZSgwUHB0WAAefb0rCmFPjdILVAbqwlXcfLFMgDEZfRZLrdOd5jSWr8vDMMMHb/s1600-h/Baking+and+Chicken+Cacciatore+015.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1gOhxfMA_wBkuwgYaXRhTkrBi3eyDCJfd-lojKnTVJiZ2ulZdPGKjYZLJ9-XlXJY0iyeF1Loh4OM5LsNZSgwUHB0WAAefb0rCmFPjdILVAbqwlXcfLFMgDEZfRZLrdOd5jSWr8vDMMMHb/s320/Baking+and+Chicken+Cacciatore+015.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301682844551282530" /></a><br /><br /><br />-Veggies and Hummus<br /><br />-Football Shaped Cookies (Complete with the most delicious chocolate frosting, ever! No pics available. :( )Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11607569458203685093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8953401052862740203.post-64718821156634087412009-02-04T18:03:00.002-05:002009-02-04T18:09:01.507-05:00Ode to Nutella<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYPuOCBdkiK84yfqP_M83WyGE-wkag6IdT4hLwQ8XpDp1KhKQ7AprhFOLl7uM0spaBp9tnyCA4RXGU2JWrdb_JOn2Hq9uvnp7SFqiqC3shIObByyEZpVaMOJ2qUjpT6iGZ6-njOtPtMiw7/s1600-h/Nutella!.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 93px; height: 124px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYPuOCBdkiK84yfqP_M83WyGE-wkag6IdT4hLwQ8XpDp1KhKQ7AprhFOLl7uM0spaBp9tnyCA4RXGU2JWrdb_JOn2Hq9uvnp7SFqiqC3shIObByyEZpVaMOJ2qUjpT6iGZ6-njOtPtMiw7/s320/Nutella!.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299083030089845218" /></a><br />So my awesome friend <a href="http://leahnaka.wordpress.com">Leah</a> (we call her Naka) just summed up most people's feelings about Nutella:<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />"But I would eat Nutella on tissues." <br /></span><br /><br />She made this awesome Strawberry-Banana Bread last night, and she had expressed interest in experimenting with different topics. Apparently, the bar for what Nutella tops isn't set very high. I agree. Let's all just take a minute and thank whoever invented Nutella (the Italians?) for making the world a tastier place.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11607569458203685093noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8953401052862740203.post-9636224298019535322009-01-31T17:28:00.004-05:002009-01-31T17:53:05.277-05:00Take 2: Baking with Apples!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhteEz6MHJoU5U2DoVPnq64Nuo8X-I5MJu2xHcohDAvcd9t8khAYdt2cqtCPPiCDcLivzFuT7PMoeeXNr4qNKgBngNtBxKrNUHN9KqNkdUJJiDF2giofbQ2_tuYYsIQsTp2YA52BVHAoB4h/s1600-h/Baking+and+Chicken+Cacciatore+012.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhteEz6MHJoU5U2DoVPnq64Nuo8X-I5MJu2xHcohDAvcd9t8khAYdt2cqtCPPiCDcLivzFuT7PMoeeXNr4qNKgBngNtBxKrNUHN9KqNkdUJJiDF2giofbQ2_tuYYsIQsTp2YA52BVHAoB4h/s320/Baking+and+Chicken+Cacciatore+012.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297593628507308322" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj__MY9Zdeh5ioXUaIv6X6SYrh0qEMSTjCZRdKSs-9Ar7-DpO2e78449Ll0zN2zMeQEkPGZDl6Qybj451C42AY4zYG5M1SaqOAUh5iQlt9IAmrSArx5qMoOFJJ4IaXWnLaxPAUX0n3k2nFg/s1600-h/Baking+and+Chicken+Cacciatore+010.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj__MY9Zdeh5ioXUaIv6X6SYrh0qEMSTjCZRdKSs-9Ar7-DpO2e78449Ll0zN2zMeQEkPGZDl6Qybj451C42AY4zYG5M1SaqOAUh5iQlt9IAmrSArx5qMoOFJJ4IaXWnLaxPAUX0n3k2nFg/s320/Baking+and+Chicken+Cacciatore+010.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297593395074235442" /></a><br />Due to certain New Year's resolutions (which haven't been adhered to very strictly...), I was searching for a great low-fat recipe with which to utilize my new mixer!<br /><br />I was looking through the community cookbook, and found a low-fat apple cake. It sounded awesome, and doesn't use any butter at all. I'm really not one to favor any lack of butter- especially with baking, but I figured I'd give it a try because my sweet tooth is just plain out of control. I really don't think I'll be breaking any copyright rules posting the recipe, so here it is:<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Pat's Low-fat Apple Cake</span><br /><br />3 egg whites<br />1 tsp vanilla<br />3/4 c sugar<br />1 c flour<br />1 tsp baking powder<br />1/2 tsp salt<br />8 oz applesauce<br />splash of milk<br />2 or 3 apples<br />Confectioners Sugar<br /><br />Topping: <br />1/2 c brown sugar<br />1 tsp cinnamon<br />1/4 tsp nutmeg<br />1 tbs flour<br /><br />Preheat the oven to 375. Spray square or round cake pan with cooking spray. Beat egg whites and vanilla together. Add sugar a little at a time. Sift together in a separate bowl flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to first mixture. Add applesauce and splash of milk. Beat until smooth. Add apples of your choice and pour into square or round cake pan. Mix topping ingredients and sprinkle on cake; bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan. Sprinkle with confectioners sugar.<br /><br />This cake is super moist and delicious! I really don't even miss the butter at all, and I didn't use any confectioners sugar. I think this is definitely something that'd be better served warm. It's interesting, because of the applesauce and all the apple slices, the texture reminded me a little bit like kugel. It's delicious!<br /><br />I also started to think that I could make this for my dad, who is diabetic. I'm sure I could substitute both sugar components for the Splenda stuff, and get the no sugar added applesauce. This would be a much better option for him in the morning instead of pastries and coffee cake! I'm also thinking I could add oats to the recipe to give it extra texture, and extra healthiness.Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11607569458203685093noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8953401052862740203.post-55492613514077945122009-01-24T17:11:00.004-05:002009-01-24T17:27:55.559-05:00Lesson Learned: I Don't Really Know How to Bake<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNnZQmAwXy4r6j_o9UVtXWNAJbmb3DojrhGvyN4CR52wcwL9pLU5sbxI89um2Ug3tg3Snlhc9iZX3JMt1VUBMB8Ylej1ZluCb4lnDc9tM67EHUBwrqy9fgFL08ERynfheWIVCDQnDBVuLc/s1600-h/Baking+and+Chicken+Cacciatore+005.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNnZQmAwXy4r6j_o9UVtXWNAJbmb3DojrhGvyN4CR52wcwL9pLU5sbxI89um2Ug3tg3Snlhc9iZX3JMt1VUBMB8Ylej1ZluCb4lnDc9tM67EHUBwrqy9fgFL08ERynfheWIVCDQnDBVuLc/s320/Baking+and+Chicken+Cacciatore+005.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5294989631709373922" border="0" /></a><br />My KitchenAid mixer was staring me in the face today, and I had to do something about it. So, I decided to look through my community cookbook from my home town and found a chocolate chip pound cake recipe. Baking is still pretty tricky for me, and now I know why even Top Chefs are scared to bake anything. The recipe called for a loaf pan, and I didn't have one, so I improvised... Lesson learned.<br /><br />I used a muffin pan and a cupcake pan. The cupcake pan is actually pretty sick- my boyfriend got it for me last year for Christmas, and the cupcake pans are shaped like ice cream cones. I don't think I greased the pan enough, so I think I made a mistake there as well.<br /><br />Take a look at the pictures. The things are ugly as hell, but tasty! A lot of them look and taste like muffin tops. And we know what the best part of a muffin is...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqIom9eiWbaacr_VOtQZPit14oNzz_jJy7Aj_6gsXACL9VL8OPEjmV8zac9A11hHOOafteXJ8SgPWMlLlKuUyAZfhmvl80X0Z9IVnrurREdOjOWdsaC1KXNMDnidkXkwD0oZ6LPXEXJ8JM/s1600-h/Baking+and+Chicken+Cacciatore+006.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqIom9eiWbaacr_VOtQZPit14oNzz_jJy7Aj_6gsXACL9VL8OPEjmV8zac9A11hHOOafteXJ8SgPWMlLlKuUyAZfhmvl80X0Z9IVnrurREdOjOWdsaC1KXNMDnidkXkwD0oZ6LPXEXJ8JM/s320/Baking+and+Chicken+Cacciatore+006.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5294990128500071154" border="0" /></a>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11607569458203685093noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8953401052862740203.post-77935508946320185672009-01-11T11:45:00.005-05:002009-01-11T12:06:00.774-05:00Chicken Marsala A La Marinello: Last Meal on Death Row Worthy!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgg_JjKT3TzPASZI4R1QwFzn5aQ-axvjih0lJUA7iDCfZxUNa77mCpVoX77yaX3HhHdJwDo8h3npjRznJo0fi0jwg6U-ZwVzWZpmh61edlhxgo978SAbYjkJhU2u7sNjlGztwOBX338gJF/s1600-h/_Device+Memory_home_user_pictures_IMG00117.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgg_JjKT3TzPASZI4R1QwFzn5aQ-axvjih0lJUA7iDCfZxUNa77mCpVoX77yaX3HhHdJwDo8h3npjRznJo0fi0jwg6U-ZwVzWZpmh61edlhxgo978SAbYjkJhU2u7sNjlGztwOBX338gJF/s320/_Device+Memory_home_user_pictures_IMG00117.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290079309228074786" border="0" /></a>So you've probably noticed in my list of favorite things is Chicken Marsala A La <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Marinello</span>, which is chicken <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">marsala</span> made by my boyfriend and served with white rice and peas. I don't think I can give you the recipe since it's a family secret, but it's "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">sooo</span> easy," and contains a <span style="font-style: italic;">ton </span>of butter. It's one of my absolute favorite meals, so my boyfriend made it while we were visiting his friend Christian on New Year's Eve. It was a perfect way to end 2008!<br /><br />Alex is a secret cook. He learned great Italian things (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">boppity</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">boop</span> for all you Family Guy fans) from his mother, who is the queen of the Shrimp Marinara a la <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Marinello</span>, and so he cooks some staple dishes every once in a while. I'm not a huge fan of Chicken <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Cacciatore</span>, but there's something about his sauce that is phenomenal. I think he almost burns the tomatoes and gets this awesome flavor out of them. Anyway, it's thanks to him that I really became interested in cooking well, and he's encouraged and supported me no matter what- even with my weird "experiments." Despite the rule that you never buy women any sort of kitchen appliance as a gift, he bought me a Cuisinart mixer for Christmas (that's what I wanted!), and I cannot WAIT to get back up to Boston to bake scrumptious treats!<br /><br /> I even joke around that if I were on death row, his chicken <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">marsala</span> would be my last meal. Too morbid? Nope. Just delicious!Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11607569458203685093noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8953401052862740203.post-48529530693784423482008-12-16T13:39:00.004-05:002009-01-11T12:06:35.452-05:00Enter the MarxFoods.com Contest and You Could Win $400!Our friends at MarxFoods.com are hosting an awesome Party Food Recipe Contest, which you should all enter! You could win $400 credit for their site! I just recently learned about them, and they've got lots of really helpful insight and awesome goodies over there. It makes me wonder where the heck I've been!<br /><br /><br /><br />Be sure to act quickly- the deadline is today, 4 p.m. Pacific Time. Give it a try!<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.marxfood.com/"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280459992008066386" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 161px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpQUMeSZcpWXweG6r742qG0hK4HjHnlrUAPXOTpoIcf2IKeJuYPTjLBIc-4SX91nebOgMagB8zIQJ3roVk2m3DKEih8b4zo-sHZ8si5VWdbonSebGUNKLQx_vM48MZADkHKv5NXNTukqBs/s320/MarxFoods.com+Party+Food+Recipe+Contest.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div></div>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11607569458203685093noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8953401052862740203.post-75030691422593970722008-12-16T12:53:00.009-05:002009-01-11T12:07:35.222-05:00Introducing Our Guest Blogger: My Sister!Hi everyone, I'd like to introduce myself. I'm Heather's older sister, Amy. I live in Washington DC and work as a paralegal. I will be updating at least once a week (if not more!) with a special feature called <strong>Restaurant Recreations</strong>.<br /><br />I know that many people, myself included, are cutting back on the extras, namely going out to eat. The purpose of this feature is to recreate restaurant meals at at least 1/2 the price with all of the delicious taste. All prices listed on the recipes are from my local Safeway. Since I live in DC and don't buy products from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">BJs</span> or Sam's Club, I bet that my meal prices will probably be higher than yours. Leave comments with your Recreation costs!<br /><br />The first Recreation I decided to tackle was the California Pizza <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Kitchen</span> BLT Pizza: <a href="http://www.cpk.com/menu/pizzas/index.php?page=2">http://www.cpk.com/menu/pizzas/index.php?page=2</a>. This pizza will feed two VERY hungry adults, or 3-4 kids. My boyfriend and I ate the pizza for lunch and dinner and were completely stuffed.<br /><br /><br /><strong>What you need:</strong><br /><br /><br /><ul><li>12" Prepared Pizza Crust, Regular Thickness (we used <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Boboli</span>) - $3.99</li></ul><p><br /></p><ul><li>8 slices of bacon - You can use maple flavored or regular. This is about half of a package of bacon. If a package is $5.50 - this would work out to $2.75. The Safeway had a buy one get one free sale on bacon, so the package was only $2.75, and thus 1/2 the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">packet</span> was $1.38. Score!</li></ul><p><br /></p><ul><li>One Roma Tomato - $0.70. I chose this tomato as it was the perfect size to cover the whole pizza and also the cheapest per pound. </li></ul><p><br /></p><ul><li>2 Tbsp of Mayo - $0.00. You probably have this in your fridge. If not, I'm sure you an get some of those little mayo packets for free. </li></ul><p><br /></p><ul><li>2 cups of mozzarella cheese - Two cups of <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Safeway</span> mozzarella cheese were on sale for $2.50. </li></ul><p><br /></p><ul><li>About 1 1/2 cups of iceberg lettuce - $0.80. I bought one of those bags of lettuce/salad mix for $1.00! I didn't even use the whole bag. I recommend using iceberg lettuce as it is pretty much flavorless, which is what the recipe needs. </li></ul><p></p><ul><li>Optional - 1 avocado - $1.99. My boyfriend and I really enjoy avocado, so we sliced some up and added it to our pizza.<br /><br /></li></ul><strong>How to Cook:</strong><br /><br />1. Cook the bacon first. Don't cook it to the crispiness level that you would ultimately enjoy, as the bacon will cook up a little more in the oven. We baked ours in the oven for 12 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">mins</span> at 400 (what can I say, we enjoy the crispy bacon).<br /><br />2. While the bacon is cooking, prep the pizza crust with a layer of mozzarella and chop the lettuce into fine shreds (about 1/4" wide).<br /><br />3. When the bacon is done, blot it with a paper towel to get the extra grease off.<br /><br />4. Put the bacon on the pizza crust, and then cover it with the rest of the mozzarella.<br /><br />5. Bake it in the oven for 10 minutes at 450 degrees.<br /><br />6. Whilst the crust <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">et</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">al</span>. is cooking, chop the tomato into circles. Also, put the chopped lettuce in a large <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Ziploc</span> bag and add the mayo. Shake the bag around until the lettuce is covered with the mayo.<br /><br />7. When the crust <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">et</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">al</span>. is done, let it sit for about 5 minutes.<br /><br />8. Add the lettuce and tomatoes.<br /><br />9. Voila! Delicious pizza!<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280449504927648466" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 221px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 166px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv3WNEA5NLTNVCa3HfuBrFMhJg5CNeGowqUbYJzxgmxvkLJCLdhxEmpWPxD-7dah9tv02lAC_nBUDWrFdKJbzDuUd4DibB_F8ZOmUjY4AMFZavRRckiasBcUNkyGbNT9QIqb08pghE_rOU/s320/Amy's+Bacon+Pizza.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br />Total cost of pizza without avocado/with avocado: $9.37/$11.36 (feeds two hungry adults for two meals) Total cost of pizza from my local California Pizza Kitchen: $10.49 (feeds one hungry adult for one meal... maybe two).<br /><br /><br />Compare your local <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">CPK</span> cost by clicking on the link above, then on "Order Online" in the BLT pizza area. Choose your location, and click on "pizzas". The BLT pizza will be listed there (clearly).Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11607569458203685093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8953401052862740203.post-84088070156665401092008-12-15T10:50:00.007-05:002008-12-15T11:28:35.882-05:00Marathon Eating: Pre-Season Cooking and Streching of the StomachsOne of my good friends is going to D.C. next semester, and I'm going to miss her and her affinity for talking about food, cooking and eating delicious food- and then talking about it some more.<br /><br /><div><div><div><div></div><div>Thus, we decided to spend the entire day cooking and eating delicious food. When I say the entire day, I mean nine hours. Straight. It was our personal heaven. </div><div><br /></div><div>We had quite an ambitious menu, and spent way too much money at the supermarket, but it was great! </div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX6vSwgX5UOF_Vu6p-YSKUCtctLRQO1qudh1rtjMnVVzwDj4KbsqxAepBC1j_TliHz7YO1ZrVvIVxje1NCGQq93Y7sEh0Xj4gILj6fJTVRVhJONqw7yANBIt3SdyN8T4-GZq_8vtQ403kG/s1600-h/Christmas+cooking+025.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280047761959975474" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX6vSwgX5UOF_Vu6p-YSKUCtctLRQO1qudh1rtjMnVVzwDj4KbsqxAepBC1j_TliHz7YO1ZrVvIVxje1NCGQq93Y7sEh0Xj4gILj6fJTVRVhJONqw7yANBIt3SdyN8T4-GZq_8vtQ403kG/s320/Christmas+cooking+025.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><div><br /></div><div>-Dates Wrapped in Maple Bacon (a slight variation on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">dátiles</span>)</div><div><br /></div><div>-One of my roommates' mom's 8-Layer Mexican Dip</div><div><br /></div><div>-<span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Caramelized</span> Onion <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Crostini</span> (we made this recipe all by ourselves!) </div><div><br /></div><div>-Red Velvet Cookie Sandwiches </div><div> </div><div></div><div></div><div>-Coconut Cake </div><div><br /></div><div>-Roasted Chestnuts </div><div><br /></div><div>First, I must say that Roasted Chestnuts are very overrated, but grew on me after a few. There's an entire song dedicated to them, so we thought we'd give them a whirl and have some out-of-body Christmas experience. It was quite disappointing. They reminded us of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">lima</span> beans... Next time, we were thinking of <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">sauteeing</span> them with butter and adding some cinnamon and sugar, which you can never go wrong with! Anyone have any suggestions for them?</div><div><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTcrK9l8ujBybgD9RrEOPgZja7zqnD3Okq4JpiYxROIkUSkrh1BseIcGvhS2YmJ4yxWnFdMBRm3d9MUs3t7P7x-NXeArgTjKz6fHtzz7UT-r6-Nuy78jz20sI7HhDBcHohPjZHrgyle-go/s1600-h/Christmas+cooking+024.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280047746083529538" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTcrK9l8ujBybgD9RrEOPgZja7zqnD3Okq4JpiYxROIkUSkrh1BseIcGvhS2YmJ4yxWnFdMBRm3d9MUs3t7P7x-NXeArgTjKz6fHtzz7UT-r6-Nuy78jz20sI7HhDBcHohPjZHrgyle-go/s320/Christmas+cooking+024.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div><div>Erica's mom's 8-Layer Dip was so delicious! The recipe had called for 1 cup of mayonnaise and 1 cup of sour cream, but we just doubled the sour cream since neither of us like mayonnaise. What really made the recipe was the sour cream mixed with a packet of Taco Seasoning. We also decided that next time we might only add one or one-and-one-half cans of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">refried</span> beans, instead of two. And maybe more tomatoes, or even a layer of salsa, since I love tomatoes so much. The other layers were <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">avacado</span>, olives, and cheese. Yum!</div><div> </div><div> </div><div></div><div></div><div>The <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Caramelized</span> Onion <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Crostini</span> was amazing! I'm bad with the exact measurements since we eyeballed, but I'll give it a shot:</div><div> </div><div> </div><div></div><div></div><div>-2 tbs butter</div><div>-3 c finely diced yellow onion</div><div>-1 tbs fresh sage, finely cut</div><div>-3 tbs flour</div><div>-3/4 c dry white wine</div><div>-2/3 c Low Sodium Chicken Broth</div><div>-Salt, pepper</div><div> </div><div> </div><div></div><div></div><div>We let the mixture get nice and thick, and after it cooled a bit, piled it on top of freshly toasted Italian bread. We concluded after that maybe we should have let the wine cook off a bit more, and maybe should have added a touch more broth. Overall, it was awesome, and I think Lauren may be making it for her family's Christmas Eve Appetizer Cook-Off. It's a real winner.</div><div> </div><div> </div><div></div><div></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSFvRaeB_TjSp7mG1TJKEF3CJ7-AL9Amuu4pO1GC88zTaZdreLRMynkFG5-c9HpdiaUZXLFFM3Ez0xRCjZnlhON_5nZy6qbMxLqXpCaon8bg4cIPjV9OsfKh1Q5ec1PaGb5P12__Z0fZOg/s1600-h/Christmas+cooking+030.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280047781872674610" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSFvRaeB_TjSp7mG1TJKEF3CJ7-AL9Amuu4pO1GC88zTaZdreLRMynkFG5-c9HpdiaUZXLFFM3Ez0xRCjZnlhON_5nZy6qbMxLqXpCaon8bg4cIPjV9OsfKh1Q5ec1PaGb5P12__Z0fZOg/s320/Christmas+cooking+030.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUNK7XqBmGuQKSe7qyJgHhSvA0o-DSTD0DRg4JDkj6FhSP25u1-NIfbpyhyXuOkCpN7ZdRAjw_9GZcXFzVABc-9UjrSwUxJg0wOxc06M5YCnqNrollC8svKvKypjxncuTEcjmAVcgYY9M4/s1600-h/Christmas+cooking+029.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280047776338706642" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUNK7XqBmGuQKSe7qyJgHhSvA0o-DSTD0DRg4JDkj6FhSP25u1-NIfbpyhyXuOkCpN7ZdRAjw_9GZcXFzVABc-9UjrSwUxJg0wOxc06M5YCnqNrollC8svKvKypjxncuTEcjmAVcgYY9M4/s320/Christmas+cooking+029.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div></div><div></div><div> </div><div> </div><div>The Red Velvet Cookie Sandwiches, off of the Food Network, were pretty good, but we ran into some trouble since we forgot to grease the sheets before we baked. We tried to cut the cream cheese icing recipe in half, but it still tasted too much like cream cheese for our liking, and so we kept adding sugar to our liking. The cookies were also huge, so we cut them in half to make moon-like sandwiches instead of monstrosities that would make us ill. Overall, it was delicious and could be a real crowd-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">pleaser</span>.</div><div> </div><div> </div><div></div><div></div><div>The Coconut Cake. I personally am a huge fan of coconut, cake, and icing, and when the three are combined, I turn into a monster. We had this cake at the end of the day, and so we didn't have very much room, but it was delicious! We did not have two round cake pans, so we used one large rectangular pan and cut it in half to stack the cakes. Icing was much easier than I had expected, and we used the recipe for icing from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">JoyofBaking</span>.com instead of the recipe that went along with the cake recipe. The cake recipe was from Paula <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Deen</span>, and was definitely decadent and delicious. A+!</div><div> </div><div> </div><div></div><div></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQHrb2xQHjgdGpc9LgEBVXGweQJUadtb1gmPO7RSp2rDIRtulb78_SYK8DyId1bWnMG15QxiL18SG5XYS18pZ8pZdEbWVtjBvcHf9P0JRzdR2mE_Rq9nZ2Yin-FWfdgCpJLowg25VGbkgJ/s1600-h/Christmas+cooking+038.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280049229669917298" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQHrb2xQHjgdGpc9LgEBVXGweQJUadtb1gmPO7RSp2rDIRtulb78_SYK8DyId1bWnMG15QxiL18SG5XYS18pZ8pZdEbWVtjBvcHf9P0JRzdR2mE_Rq9nZ2Yin-FWfdgCpJLowg25VGbkgJ/s320/Christmas+cooking+038.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9_GGwyIpJNoqALNSn-AzwWiNiJeqiSvWuTaAimthmiK0qzPcthVvokiJ-c0TGDwMGKUMHB8o9qq4u5wApdt0lUDDqmAtJnIzbWafzH12KKbTySOMCb4rHbShtpnimCwW2KYcdVudjGP-N/s1600-h/Christmas+cooking+032.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280047790147207250" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9_GGwyIpJNoqALNSn-AzwWiNiJeqiSvWuTaAimthmiK0qzPcthVvokiJ-c0TGDwMGKUMHB8o9qq4u5wApdt0lUDDqmAtJnIzbWafzH12KKbTySOMCb4rHbShtpnimCwW2KYcdVudjGP-N/s320/Christmas+cooking+032.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div></div><div></div><div> </div><div> </div><div>I'm going to miss Lauren while she's off politicizing and all that, but I know it won't be long before we blow all of our money and partake in marathon eating again. </div></div></div></div>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11607569458203685093noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8953401052862740203.post-37140812366785468342008-12-15T10:42:00.003-05:002008-12-15T10:49:43.610-05:00Round Two: Sugar Cookies with the Aim to Perfect!My roommate needed a great treat to bring to a Holiday Potluck, and so she decided to make giant sugar cookies with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">everyone's</span> names on them. As far as I know, they were a hit, and they looked great- probably since I helped a lot (but don't tell her I said that...). <div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCRPLlZM6M1JhfAmSvBnGoHrzq78iRz3JbaPBsE5XdTZ3BHx8QQ_O9lU-8ffgss1vDVli0eeh14AhodiumsLitZlj3EjJ5l25RGBvfCz9uLcKMGS_OLVT5Eflmb-b4Y4zm4Rrn-ea21D59/s1600-h/Christmas+cooking+023.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280043927521210722" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCRPLlZM6M1JhfAmSvBnGoHrzq78iRz3JbaPBsE5XdTZ3BHx8QQ_O9lU-8ffgss1vDVli0eeh14AhodiumsLitZlj3EjJ5l25RGBvfCz9uLcKMGS_OLVT5Eflmb-b4Y4zm4Rrn-ea21D59/s320/Christmas+cooking+023.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>Our key learning is that to make the sugar cookies similar to the ones you buy in the bakeries, make them large, and don't be afraid to make them a little thicker. We got our recipe from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">JoyofBaking</span>.com, and the cookies baked in no time! The frosting recipe (also from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">JoyofBaking</span>.com) was also delicious, and it hardened perfectly. </div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLkcNSY01mjueBJ65N1p4c_tNt0stGbn9WfRl84euJPnQhNGW4ybzx4RthVIy8_pve0a4OfQ10jcAmFIwF-2XQDIoN0sK7lwSObABFLO9UgD79sSS16NOVdn49uazmcPlKVUVGdV5PSbXC/s1600-h/Christmas+cooking+021.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280043912170609938" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLkcNSY01mjueBJ65N1p4c_tNt0stGbn9WfRl84euJPnQhNGW4ybzx4RthVIy8_pve0a4OfQ10jcAmFIwF-2XQDIoN0sK7lwSObABFLO9UgD79sSS16NOVdn49uazmcPlKVUVGdV5PSbXC/s320/Christmas+cooking+021.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiDhA9S-n985eOKLZk9M3rO-AUe1yXBMf21Es_jgAvfqDmi8e2mJoLDMwhNSBKRgc3Ai2ErDqcbXPca65klFRD3j76prpjVzzYB6Ftgu-bWDOdprEcSHY8ei85t1as31oXrV86sOGIvxz-/s1600-h/Christmas+cooking+020.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280043901972445634" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiDhA9S-n985eOKLZk9M3rO-AUe1yXBMf21Es_jgAvfqDmi8e2mJoLDMwhNSBKRgc3Ai2ErDqcbXPca65klFRD3j76prpjVzzYB6Ftgu-bWDOdprEcSHY8ei85t1as31oXrV86sOGIvxz-/s320/Christmas+cooking+020.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />My smarty-pants roommate decided to use a pint-size <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">tupperware</span> (the kind you get soup in from Chinese take-out) as her cookie cutter. They worked really well!<br /><div></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAZ751KYlfSBUVXxym5q21FKfiWlpXrGaBtBUSaIq2oa6Dp1sE-TaYRLOS2GwRB2Sy1bcpS1tlZIHoIogFTo0CAebVuGN84aw1Q2hPzAggdW7hKPZ_JTZ39XotVL6PThWqSQJ8d-CZCkyw/s1600-h/Christmas+cooking+022.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280043915466917186" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAZ751KYlfSBUVXxym5q21FKfiWlpXrGaBtBUSaIq2oa6Dp1sE-TaYRLOS2GwRB2Sy1bcpS1tlZIHoIogFTo0CAebVuGN84aw1Q2hPzAggdW7hKPZ_JTZ39XotVL6PThWqSQJ8d-CZCkyw/s320/Christmas+cooking+022.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11607569458203685093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8953401052862740203.post-38322935923036632392008-12-15T10:27:00.005-05:002008-12-15T10:42:04.637-05:00It's Beginning to Feel A Lot Like Christmas...<div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ7mC4D12-J2rhcct-QprkwZ45qr6iJ9TFTNETPxT_taLIqLcdTxDqkAdQ1Is1PF4o2aRDJHLc6pVCOUp1YSWVjH7zMYRk8ZnAI68JMMDtu1jS6XrYJlaC7cUf6Dv6f46Dp6rQSvP11TQL/s1600-h/Christmas+cooking+014.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280041754434167714" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ7mC4D12-J2rhcct-QprkwZ45qr6iJ9TFTNETPxT_taLIqLcdTxDqkAdQ1Is1PF4o2aRDJHLc6pVCOUp1YSWVjH7zMYRk8ZnAI68JMMDtu1jS6XrYJlaC7cUf6Dv6f46Dp6rQSvP11TQL/s320/Christmas+cooking+014.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><div>With finals looming, things were pretty crazy last week. I finally had a few days to relax, and decided to make a new post about some wonderful goodies my friends and I had made a few weeks ago. </div><br /><div></div><div>It's always fun creaming butter and sugar when you don't have any sort of electric mixer, and I'm grateful that both of my friends who helped are very athletic and actually have some upper body strength. We made the traditional sugar cookies, but made them kind of thin, and so decided to make them thicker the next time we would bake them. </div><br /><div>I was also dying to try my hand at some puff pastry treats, and obviously bought the frozen <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">pre</span>-made <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">phyllo</span> dough sheets. I had seen Sunny Anderson on the Food Network make these beautifully simply puff pastry cookies simply by spreading jam on the sheet, and rolling and slicing. </div><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6kkVdXbNJk0WZcuvNTKpUiZgJMHVQTTCvR_ZiIvQ5tJtoG-HMRwRVl9DJ4NGfXS-t_yHteX5EliCLJ99tRSMy_DUvF31Y2vm1WS1RcPZ-vIfOqwVn1RsRR_b90RIIJmigVJ207_Tlg6F7/s1600-h/Christmas+cooking+009.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280041743884885634" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6kkVdXbNJk0WZcuvNTKpUiZgJMHVQTTCvR_ZiIvQ5tJtoG-HMRwRVl9DJ4NGfXS-t_yHteX5EliCLJ99tRSMy_DUvF31Y2vm1WS1RcPZ-vIfOqwVn1RsRR_b90RIIJmigVJ207_Tlg6F7/s320/Christmas+cooking+009.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div></div><div>We decided to be safe with only one sheet, and went crazy with the other! I can't tell you exact amounts, but here's how we made our filling:</div><div></div><div> </div><div>-first, we started with a simple sugar in a small saucepan</div><br /><div>-then, we diced clementines very small and added them</div><br /><div>-when they didn't reduce exactly how we wanted, my friend popped them in the Magic Bullet (love that thing!) and returned back to the saucepan</div><br /><div>-We added about 2.5-3 tbs of Blackberry Jam and let it all meld together</div><br /><div>-To get the consistency we wanted, we popped it in the fridge for a few minutes</div><div></div><br /><div>The clementines weren't at their best, so there was a slight aftertaste, but overall, they were great! </div><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrk6F_cLg4Mr84GBOkR3RsZ6xjg6YYUgl5e5dmnUyexOh6lAittUHgNZJMkxBC5nrS6brm3U5V8NqM7uYIZU83fDqpDULyXVgNNUAzBWLeDoUtx2V6eoBVjGHIWj9FgqdKfOcH8qWNCKKu/s1600-h/Christmas+cooking+016.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280041769342592514" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrk6F_cLg4Mr84GBOkR3RsZ6xjg6YYUgl5e5dmnUyexOh6lAittUHgNZJMkxBC5nrS6brm3U5V8NqM7uYIZU83fDqpDULyXVgNNUAzBWLeDoUtx2V6eoBVjGHIWj9FgqdKfOcH8qWNCKKu/s320/Christmas+cooking+016.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>The pictures show sloppy pastries, but my friend reminded me how to make them really look like hearts: you roll the doll from each end, meeting in the middle, and you slice them. It was a yummy and fun experience! We also <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">discussed</span> adding cinnamon, sugar, and butter for the next time we experiment with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">phyllo</span> dough. </div><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipSNtmSoE5-SNWXb2ZWTGNFhaF2CUfwJQmjk6zYSUlqETkW22h3kaqNf_1glf_oqhk8_Bq80kpMaBPc74ycObsXRuNoYYqYW0faOYQknYlRJVSmmW3seq7m3clgJAKiVXH623uIGb0rmjn/s1600-h/Christmas+cooking+011.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280041752616200802" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipSNtmSoE5-SNWXb2ZWTGNFhaF2CUfwJQmjk6zYSUlqETkW22h3kaqNf_1glf_oqhk8_Bq80kpMaBPc74ycObsXRuNoYYqYW0faOYQknYlRJVSmmW3seq7m3clgJAKiVXH623uIGb0rmjn/s320/Christmas+cooking+011.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div></div>Does anyone out there have any great <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">phyllo</span> dough dessert recipes or suggestions?<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11607569458203685093noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8953401052862740203.post-32778760154581944302008-12-02T01:27:00.011-05:002008-12-02T04:13:52.009-05:00Great Success! Fried Dough!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipjd42L9SIuMGqG9Ydt2CQNAYhLlxyoZsaSlqSTzIqItUtVsWBkOWDgiD_qRHmexKMJj64E6phygYmNIXJ5e6H0f5_fZjYl55aGMYUULWkvkiBrWKKDgUVVxlen6FcCIjcq1NdGOO1onpz/s1600-h/Funnel+Cake.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275116888809171794" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 221px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 166px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipjd42L9SIuMGqG9Ydt2CQNAYhLlxyoZsaSlqSTzIqItUtVsWBkOWDgiD_qRHmexKMJj64E6phygYmNIXJ5e6H0f5_fZjYl55aGMYUULWkvkiBrWKKDgUVVxlen6FcCIjcq1NdGOO1onpz/s320/Funnel+Cake.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><div>I made this a couple months ago for a special Halloween Treat, but I'm very tempted to try it again. It's something that is warm and delicious, and great for an evening in when you just want to drink hot chocolate and munch on something delicious and festive. To be honest, I can't remember if I got the recipe from Food Network or Epicurious, but they have since taken the recipe down, and I can't give either proper credit. The recipe for the fried dough had maple syrup and cinnamon, which was a great alternative to the usual sugar. It was a delicious fall treat! I made the batter and tried to create a make-shift piping bag, but was pretty bad at it. I need more practice in that department. </div><div><br /> </div><div>Here is what I learned:</div><div> </div><div>The fried dough works better when piped in thin pieces. You should remove excess oil well, and put LOTS of confectioner's sugar on top. Also, be sure to serve hot. They're far better when warm, but I also served them cold to some PRSSA kids, and I got some great reviews. </div><div></div><div>As you may have gathered by now, I'm a proud New Jerseyan, and I always remember Zeppoles from the church fairs and street festivals. This is basically the Italian fried dough, placed in a brown paper bag with confectioner's sugar, and then shaken up for a delicious warm and sugary bite. I can never turn down a visit to a Zeppole stand, and you really shouldn't either. Do you have any great fried dough memories or recipes?</div><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11607569458203685093noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8953401052862740203.post-34879366247428871062008-12-01T23:15:00.006-05:002008-12-02T00:03:35.902-05:00Thanksgiving Recap!<div>Here is what is left after the delicious and painful consumption that was Thanksgiving:<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275044119195636658" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 154px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBHBI6oJ_EbNYbkhmNr5InkF4TV6npQd4xOfKm3eIRgr5XwgKuxYJS9ipoxIyrXqhTdoUH_Y02ee5ftnp6c085FkxC25tCJ9HtkD_P1yNN73qTNZGMrX1nkYMMnplS90CcGdFQyerkoUDp/s200/SN850654.JPG" border="0" /></div><br /><p>It's such a lonely piece of pie, isn't it? Maybe I should go take it out of its misery...</p><p>Anyway, here's what we had for Thanksgiving. My sister is actually a pretty good cook, and she chipped in a lot. Overall, it was a success! </p><p>-Salume and Sopressata with Melba Toast Rounds</p><p>-Turkey rubbed with butter, sage, rosemary, and thyme.</p><p>-Standard sour dough stuffing with celery, onion, mushroom, rosemary, and sage.</p><p>-Sweet potato casserole with marshmallows on top.</p><p>-Mashed potatoes with disgusting amounts of butter and milk. </p><p>-Fresh cranberry sauce and cranberry jelly. The sauce had orange zest and fresh orange juice.</p><p>-Heat 'n serve rolls.</p><p>-Steamed green beans.</p><p>-Homemade gravy. </p><p>-Pecan Pie</p><p>-Apple Pie with Splenda</p><p>-Peppermint Ice Cream (no winter holiday is complete without it!)</p><p>Now, this may seem like a bit of a basic menu, and it is. Keep in mind, though, that I have a very small family (four of us only!), and I am just a beginning cook. Considering we used to use Stove Top, canned Cranberry Jelly, and store-bought pies, I think we did quite well.</p><p>This was our first year with fresh stuffing, and it was pretty clear that my family didn't have a ton of confidence in my newly found culinary abilities! My dad bought about four boxes of Stove Top "just in case." This was also our first year cooking real cranberry jelly (yes, jelly!) and it was super easy, and so worth any of the extra effort! We also enjoyed a Prosecco before the meal and a Riesling to accompany the turkey. Nothing like a good bubbly bubbly to get the holiday spirits going!</p><p>I was also pretty impressed with the Splenda Apple Pie. My father's diabetic, so I've recently been trying to have at least one diabetic-friendly dessert. Confession: I did use an already-made pie crust for the apple pie and the pecan pie. It was still delicious!</p><p>I cannot wait for Christmas to bake more desserts and cookies. I think I'll ask to make a ham this year instead of a turkey. And I promise to try and make things a bit more...nontraditional. </p>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11607569458203685093noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8953401052862740203.post-35471826335525055232008-11-30T23:23:00.003-05:002008-12-01T23:08:46.323-05:00Can We Just Take a Minute and Laugh?Hopefully everyone's recovered from the Thanksgiving food coma. I didn't have Internet back home in Jersey (my parents still don't even really know what the Internet is...), and couldn't make a Thanksgiving post! A menu post will follow, but no pictures available... :(<br /><div></div><br /><div>Anyway, my roommate and I were walking home one day a few weeks ago and saw a squirrel outside of my window, chewing on a chicken bone. What a foodie.</div><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274674422827785842" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 148px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaoH8q-oucYFzfADTAsCxqQUkFnz6nmK_FTW1KbasFrU75qiJEJVSRvgToDoEW2D2TmKqmCYBiR1iCChvzZ0vtxJUzFNKK-Fy_ZAEvy4OOFE-7y7OynJTdnWrGyEd0m97Ss0dMKz7c_Bc4/s200/Squrriel+on+Ledge.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div></div>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11607569458203685093noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8953401052862740203.post-1323888655732265762008-11-22T15:28:00.022-05:002008-12-01T23:09:37.138-05:00Feels Just Like I'm Falling for the First Time...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixJtb31QrxoFx4TK9nFd0SXnH1XgCwlZ77rqtDcYK40JHgZWQk3u-lku-lhOif9FSh82A3PDF8UKDrltzoNq6ut_4Oj9V6QkWhW1KyKH4K0x7-R0LpOvFaC2nVDO_V_ixrmDRF_S081ItO/s1600-h/BU+funnn+050.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271601152624099378" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixJtb31QrxoFx4TK9nFd0SXnH1XgCwlZ77rqtDcYK40JHgZWQk3u-lku-lhOif9FSh82A3PDF8UKDrltzoNq6ut_4Oj9V6QkWhW1KyKH4K0x7-R0LpOvFaC2nVDO_V_ixrmDRF_S081ItO/s200/BU+funnn+050.jpg" border="0" /></a>Exactly one year ago today, I was in Paris. Last fall, I studied abroad in London, and a friend and I decided to travel the Chunnel to reach a land full of beautiful people, the Eiffel Tower, and croissants- on what would have been our Thanksgiving weekend.<br /><br />Did we indulge in Duck Confit, expensive French wine, or rich French cheeses? Nope. I'd like to think that even if our wallets had been much fatter, we still would have taken the simple and inexpensive route. We dined one-at-a-time on pastries and baguettes that were seen as peasant food, but we didn't care- we were staying in a one-star hotel <em>(not</em> a hostel)<em>,</em> and we felt like kings.<br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><br />What better way to start my new blog with a post about my travels abroad, and how they changed the way I look at and appreciate food?<br /><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq82wwsBfoEEJr7gbr77kF2zX7_Pj_kfxWO0qHHA9GKPCqAokjSFmVIpDpkyGhY8O9B9Y0lQrdkDVcH9zyQjw9-HgOWoGJSXavK7NSwGO_aUpt-85f7wW5aYAwCX4MCDrfsXh6FSTC8cSE/s1600-h/Sainsbury"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271585975135006130" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 94px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 52px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq82wwsBfoEEJr7gbr77kF2zX7_Pj_kfxWO0qHHA9GKPCqAokjSFmVIpDpkyGhY8O9B9Y0lQrdkDVcH9zyQjw9-HgOWoGJSXavK7NSwGO_aUpt-85f7wW5aYAwCX4MCDrfsXh6FSTC8cSE/s320/Sainsbury's.jpg" border="0" /></a>Let's start with my home base: London. With the dollar/pound conversion rate at two to one, and sometimes a bit more, it was a challenge to eat delicious food without breaking the bank. I would personally like to thank <strong>Sainsbury's</strong> and <strong>Tesco</strong> for the 30p baguettes and 2.90 bottles of wine. </div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2NSma4kYzkwdbHaCJxOyS506h-BVixuWDES-jkBbAewkklZScOEmG2HuLSGU1dXQZG6iSB-QqUsOreVuk09jhXGHvw3g6JiEVScjgWblN-7ATkPaTEw5cWWWQgjVlr5xRcInXsXtypdO5/s1600-h/Tesco.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271585977208070626" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 90px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 59px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2NSma4kYzkwdbHaCJxOyS506h-BVixuWDES-jkBbAewkklZScOEmG2HuLSGU1dXQZG6iSB-QqUsOreVuk09jhXGHvw3g6JiEVScjgWblN-7ATkPaTEw5cWWWQgjVlr5xRcInXsXtypdO5/s320/Tesco.jpg" border="0" /></a>Without you, I would not have enjoyed getting drunk off of cheap wine, or eating delicious drunk munchies. I salute you, and will praise the day I can walk into one of your stores on American soil.<br /></div><br /><br /><div>You want to talk about acting like a kid in a candy store? Go to the biggest open-air food market in London, <strong>Borough Market</strong>, and I dare you <em>not</em> to buy anything. You can't resist! <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCwL27uqASgkVzk-tJMIxgUH6blH4Bh0wVHUmn6ohd22IEcK2VIZKXAm09LEp4dcBtOBrdvtDsIAUN0kuETpkyGGwY8s41FmLLynpY7vcCdCjuiwOtmVK-zgaovByD3j8blAIVAje3Jgri/s1600-h/Borough+Market.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271588372581345266" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 128px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 68px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCwL27uqASgkVzk-tJMIxgUH6blH4Bh0wVHUmn6ohd22IEcK2VIZKXAm09LEp4dcBtOBrdvtDsIAUN0kuETpkyGGwY8s41FmLLynpY7vcCdCjuiwOtmVK-zgaovByD3j8blAIVAje3Jgri/s320/Borough+Market.jpg" border="0" /></a>There is almost every kind of food imaginable. My personal favorite stands were the candy/baklava stand (of course), the Scrumpy Apple Cider stand, the gourmet burger stand, any and all bread stands, and, best of all, the fresh ravioli and pasta stand. I even bought venison ravioli. Scrumptious. Every time I was feeling homesick or blue, I'd hope on the Tube to Westminster, walk along the Thames, and make my way to London Bridge, where Borough Market gloriously stands every Thursday-Saturday.<br /></div><br /><div>Going abroad, of course, meant stretching my comfort zones a bit. In foodie terms, that mean<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNFiO5qnFg3YUnL9SWiZxWfKbN1ARUfqzGQiPsc2xr4zb2nLscWyAsE6rAUDotFPq3BJNLQNMBzQZXNKckS1BgG0Pol-OAZx9yafFqgxBtr1NCai3c6XzhHkLKgruUZGLHInFVIlZs3QLG/s1600-h/South+Hall+experience.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271590593274036514" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 130px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 97px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNFiO5qnFg3YUnL9SWiZxWfKbN1ARUfqzGQiPsc2xr4zb2nLscWyAsE6rAUDotFPq3BJNLQNMBzQZXNKckS1BgG0Pol-OAZx9yafFqgxBtr1NCai3c6XzhHkLKgruUZGLHInFVIlZs3QLG/s320/South+Hall+experience.jpg" border="0" /></a>t trying spicier foods. One of my flatmates was familiar with the <strong>South Hall</strong> area, famous for its Indian restaurants and vendors- basically, she was going to get us the inside scoop on the most delicious homemade Indian food in all of London town. I've always loved Indian food, and was psyched out of my mind to experience all the new tastes and smells of South Hall...Unfortunately, I would also experience some new discomforts. I tried my best, but simply could not finish all the food I had ordered. My flatmates made fun of me the entire bus ride home.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPLiaa1B4F5shEFP9JPZl2vGSwvqgnOyiboToXFbTPWirUa9_INxZbYWHY-gSDXc92GKlqxhHXCGtvfI1hgmI-1e9qwzDpe3FQiZJfCPfuf5-x9oJEF5iKiUe09qFiwEVqwVWczMxugYml/s1600-h/IMG_0612.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271592085364644674" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 124px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 90px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPLiaa1B4F5shEFP9JPZl2vGSwvqgnOyiboToXFbTPWirUa9_INxZbYWHY-gSDXc92GKlqxhHXCGtvfI1hgmI-1e9qwzDpe3FQiZJfCPfuf5-x9oJEF5iKiUe09qFiwEVqwVWczMxugYml/s320/IMG_0612.JPG" border="0" /></a>In late September, my sister came to visit, bring me any comforts from the homeland, and tackle <strong>Oktoberfest</strong>! Munich is phenomenal, and the weekend can be reduced to two words: 1.) Beer. 2.) Meat. This picture pretty sums up both. </div></div><br /><br /><div><div></div><div></div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271595024352950082" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 124px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 107px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgva8eOfxsYaHEQ0mfY5tQ58fAtAyyVgJigNPTNSDe38oDLtjsZvpbS8yPRQ6QA0xeVT5tWd_9Lw-Kg9MhgOb94DSDpR1K7yqmlrNfLKzZsD0Z8YMH1JG9kPrrsm6aoWKjn-18f9KYuHdrA/s200/IMG_1192.JPG" border="0" />A few friends from high school were studying in <strong>Rome and Florence</strong> the same semester, so I gladly hopped on a few Ryan Air flights to gorge on pizza, pasta, wine, and the fresh delicacies that these wonderful cities offered. One of my most memorable experiences in Europe was my brave consumption of <strong>rabbit</strong> while in Florence. Honestly, it tasted like chicken, smothered with a spicy and light tomato sauce. I'd eat Pietro Cotton tail any time.</div><div><br /></div><div>Last, but certainly not least, was my weekend in Barcelona, which was perhaps my favorite city. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1VxNLrC-cT3BeTju6DrVQT_FW0M2ZPU0mBrm5BPelXpgpO3k3JQENqDZ8CbVAAl1wKZHac36vR_jJJUDfzXE-xTy3tlprJz_kUnRP-vshD2ag97tECUGAcHRWX07bqScOXHQf72SfWfOE/s1600-h/Barcelona.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271599804192312882" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 130px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 86px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1VxNLrC-cT3BeTju6DrVQT_FW0M2ZPU0mBrm5BPelXpgpO3k3JQENqDZ8CbVAAl1wKZHac36vR_jJJUDfzXE-xTy3tlprJz_kUnRP-vshD2ag97tECUGAcHRWX07bqScOXHQf72SfWfOE/s200/Barcelona.jpg" border="0" /></a>The city is right on the water, and menus offered fantastic seafood prepared in savory and succulent ways. We almost died when we decided to splurge and eat dinner at a restaurant on Port Vell, a pier/mall on the water. A few months later, my family and I traveled to Barcelona, and I insisted we go to that restaurant. It was still phenomenal. They have almost every kind of Paella you can imagine. I tried the Fideua Paella with cod, which was to die for. Most people don't realize how different the Spanish regions can be, and this Catalunian dish is a paella with noodles instead of rice. Accompanied by the calm of the dark water and a wonderful bottle of red wine, we sat back, belly full, and tried to forget that we would be returning to the States in just one week. </div><div> </div><div></div><div>A year after my gallivanting in Europe concluded, I often look back on those memories and wish I could return to European Paella, beer and meat, pastries, baguettes, and ridiculously cheap wine. Someday I will, but I know how many wonderful food experiences I have ahead of me right here, right now.<br /><br /></div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Heatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11607569458203685093noreply@blogger.com3