I’m a “Happy Hour” kinda person. Though I’m not much of a drinky drink person, I won’t turn down a well-made mojito or a fruit-laced margarita. But fill me with too much rum or tequila or any other hard stuff and I won’t be having a very pleasant evening. So when five o’clock rolls around, [...]
Monthly Archives: April 2008
Cheesecake Pops: A Daring Baker’s Challenge
April 28, 2008 – 5:15 AM
Cheesecake Pops have been popping up all over the internet today. They were the choice for this month’s Daring Baker’s challenge hosted by Elle from Feeding my Enthusiasms and Deborah from Taste and Tell. The recipe is from Jill O’Connor’s darling cookbook: Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey. Warning: This recipe has a super-high cute factor!Although I [...]
Caramel Chocolate Nut Ice Cream (hold the nuts!)
April 25, 2008 – 1:05 PM
It has been warming up again around here… and will get into the upper 90’s this weekend! Totally perfect beach weather, but I’m going to Vegas instead for a friend’s big birthday bash. Amazingly enough, Vegas (known for its intense dry heat) will only be in the 80’s. Still wonderful, pool lounging, ice cream-eating weather [...]
Tri- Berry Muffins (by Ina Garten)
April 23, 2008 – 1:15 PM
I’m truly not obsessed with Ina. Really. The fact is that I pull a couple of cookbooks off of my shelf and that becomes my reading material for a while. My 6 year old recently asked me if I could… for once, just read a normal book.
“I read normal books sometimes,” I said.
“No you [...]
An Award (or two)…
April 23, 2008 – 3:45 AM
I’m sure you’re all in the same boat, but my Google Reader is bursting with blogs that I love to read. It’s difficult to keep up on reading it all, but I try my best and comment when I can. And I’m constantly discovering new treasures to add. Blog reading is pure pleasure, but it’s [...]
Thinking Ahead to Cinco de Mayo…
April 21, 2008 – 1:00 PM
I realize that there are likely many people of the USA (and the rest of the world) who don’t recognize this Mexican holiday called Cinco de Mayo. Since I’m located in Southern California, I observe this holiday as very much celebrated- if anything- as an excuse to party, drink margaritas, and consume exhorbitant amounts of [...]
Ina Garten’s Chicken Chili
April 20, 2008 – 1:40 PM
I wish the weather would make up its mind around here. It’s 94 degrees one day, and then we’re snuggled up in blankets watching little league games the next. I have to admit that it’s nice to have the variety. Some stretches have us waking up to sunny days, blue sky and no humidity for [...]
Ina Garten’s Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies
April 18, 2008 – 3:20 PM
Barbara from Winos and Foodies is hosting the Taste of Yellow Event this year for LiveSTRONG Day. Last year 149 food bloggers participated in this event, and I’m guessing that number will grow exponentially this year as I visit blogs each day that are supporting this event with their yellow food posts.
This event is a [...]
Ina Garten’s Orzo with Roasted Vegetables
April 16, 2008 – 2:25 PM
I tested my luck with another Ina Garten recipe: Orzo with Roasted Vegetables. This was a nice side to our Rack of Lamb.
Oh yeah. This was a good one all right.
Slow roasted eggplant, peppers and onions turned into tender, caramelized morsels. I could have eaten this right off that pan.
The veggies were added to cooked [...]
Ina Garten’s Dijon- Balsamic Rack of Lamb
April 15, 2008 – 4:30 AM
Lamb is one of those nostalgic scents for me. I spoke a bit about this when I posted on Basque Lamb Stew. My dearly loved Grandma used to make roasted lamb. She and Grandpa lived on a ranch, which was an amazingly fun place to visit as a kid. After a day of swimming with [...]
A Tried and True Favorite: Avocado- Pine Nut Salad
April 13, 2008 – 1:00 PM
I’ve been making this Avocado- Pine Nut Salad for YEARS. First discovered at my sister’s house eons ago while plowing through her loads of cookbooks, this has since become a classic family favorite. Need a great salad for a potluck? This is it. Need a salad that most people will eat? This is it. Need [...]
Dark Chocolate Crackles
April 10, 2008 – 5:00 PM
For many, if there will be dessert… it must be chocolate. My family covets chocolate. I’m more of a vanilla gal. Don’t hold it against me, but given a choice- I would take vanilla over chocolate any day. I enjoy chocolate only when it’s really, really fantastically good. Only when it’s something that is completely [...]
Crazy Goat Cheese Salad
April 9, 2008 – 4:50 AM
I found this recipe for Crazy Goat Cheese Salad in an old Bon Appetit magazine. What makes it crazy? The explanation was that in France a salad is usually simple mixed greens with a vinaigrette. The addition of green beans, avocados and goat cheese is apparently what makes this one “crazy.” So I went wild [...]
Glazed Strawberry- Lemon Streusel Muffins
April 8, 2008 – 4:20 AM
We’re muffin – lovers around here. They’re nice to have around for breakfast or snacking, so I usually make them once a week or so. My little guy beams with happiness when he sees me baking up a new batch… always a new recipe… he begs to be the first taste- tester. This week: Glazed [...]
Mediterranean Chicken
April 6, 2008 – 9:30 PM
If you’re like me, you get tired of chicken recipes. Same old thing. Boring. Sometimes dry. I like chicken, but I’m always hunting for the next new thing to do with chicken to make it appealing. I’ve seen some great recipes for Mojito Chicken that I’d like to try. And I’m always up for some [...]
Dorie Greenspan’s Quintuple Chocolate Brownies
April 5, 2008 – 1:05 AM
A qualified !-*-*INSANE*-*-! brownie… from Dorie’s cookbook: Baking From My Home to Yours. Dorie has done it again. These are A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!
These Quintuple Chocolate Brownies (which are more on the fudgy side than cakey) incorporate FOUR kinds of chocolate: unsweetened, bittersweet (or semi), milk and white. The milk is left as “chunks” within the finished product, [...]
Portobello Mushroom Burgers
April 3, 2008 – 2:00 PM
In the cookbook where I found this recipe for Portobello Mushroom Burgers, the author suggests that “portobello mushrooms are so meaty that many people mistake them for beef.” Hmmm. Wonder if that would work on the kiddo?
A conversation ensued:
Kiddo: Mom, what’s for dinner tonight?
RG: Burgers.
Kiddo: Yay!!
They looked like beef burgers. The mushrooms are chopped up [...]
Strawberry- Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding
April 1, 2008 – 8:05 PM
Yes, you read that title correctly. Strawberry- Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding. Now, can you say that again without drool coming out of left-hand corner of your mouth?
I’ve been dreaming about strawberries ever since Mike decided to hold a blog event called Strawberry Seduction. He’s been sending food blog readers into swoonsville with countless delicious posts [...]
The Flowers are Blooming, Asparagus are on Sale, and a Spring Pasta Dish!
April 1, 2008 – 3:20 AM
Today was the epitome of Spring in San Diego. Not a cloud in the sky. And flowers blooming like crazy! So I grabbed my camera and went on a *flower-walk* this afternoon. Here are some flowers that I spied on my walk…
Many people don’t think of San Diego as desert, but you can tell by [...]
