We are not Martha

RSS Feed Homepage

Articles: 1, 2, 3, 4

Spring Organization
2008-04-16 01:56:00
With the nice weather... slowly.. approaching, I figured I should begin the Spring organization process. I started with my big dresser since that's where the majority of my clothes are and I find myself searching for something in there about 5 times a day.I decided to be a huge dork and color code my shirts... (at least the ones that fit in the dresser)... clearly I have too many. I love this idea because it gives me an instant inventory of what I have too much of, too little of... and when I need to stop shopping altogether (never) ;) It also makes getting dressed in the morning a heck of a lot easier knowing exactly what drawer to look in.(reds, pinks, greens, yellows)(blues, purples, grays)(grays, blacks, browns)(this equals organized for my accessories... meaning all in one location and not scattered around my apartment)Living in the other drawers of my dresser are other clothing items that can only be so organized... pants, "unmentionables", socks etc. (p.s.- I need a method o...
More About: Organization

Food in my family
2008-04-15 05:33:00
I went to visit my parents yesterday and got an amazing home-cooked meal and tons of help with my taxes (thank you, Dad!!). I also got a whole lot of leftovers to bring back to my apartment and I'm not at all disappointed to eat the same meal for a few days straight.My mom made Barefoot Contessa's Lemon Fusilli with Arugula and I'm afraid the pictures don't really do the meal justice. But this pasta dish is most definitely the closest I've come to tasting spring. The lemon flavors burst in your mouth and, though there is some cream involved in the dish, the pasta is extremely light and delicious. Mom says she added 4 times as much garlic as the recipe called for. What? We're a garlic loving family. You could most definitely add chicken or shrimp to this pasta dish and make a meal of it. However, my dad made steak to go along with it. The steak basically made this meal a dream dinner.I hope my parents don't mind me exploiting their house, but in the Tumblr I contribute to, fff...
More About: Family , Food , My Family

Lighter Macaroni and Cheese
2008-04-10 00:37:00
Though it's definitely warming up, the weather's still a bit nippy in Boston (until tomorrow when it hits 68 degrees!). By the time I walk home from my local coffee shop in the evening, my light jacket isn't enough and I'm craving something to warm me up. One of my favorite comfort foods, macaroni and cheese, sounds good to me at any time, but it's always nice to find a recipe that's a bit lighter.Not only is Martha Stewart's Lighter Macaroni and Cheese somewhat better for you than the typical mac & cheese (1% milk, less cheese, less butter), but if you bake it in ramekins, it's perfectly portioned for you, which keeps you from going back for more...and more...and more. Here's what you need: First cut the tomatoes (6) into 24 slices. Sprinkle olive oil, thyme, and salt and pepper on them. I forgot to buy thyme so I just used parsley, which I always have in my fridge. If I were Martha (or my parents for that matter), I could just go out in the herb garden and get thyme, ...

You Should Eat At: Bouchee
2008-04-08 22:12:00
Last week, my favorite ex-coworker (and newly engaged woman!), Kerry, and I went out to lunch. She works in the Boylston St. area of Boston , which is full of great restaurants, so we get to try somewhere new every time we meet up.This time we took a stroll down to Newbury St. and had lunch at Bouchee, a cute little French restaurant. I'd say we made a good choice as we both had fabulous meals that left us feeling full and satisfied.As we usually do when we meet for lunch, we each chose a meal that we were both somewhat interested in, so we could share. Kerry ordered the macaroni and cheese with smoked ham and parmesan breadcrumbs. It was simply amazing. The mac and cheese was nice and rich, but not too heavy; while the parmesan breadcrumb topping added the perfect crunch. I ordered the flatbread with sweet sausage, bleu cheese, grapes and tarragon. Generally, I'm not an alternative pizza kind of girl. When I get a pizza craving I want the real thing with tomato sauce, mozzarella ...

Goat Cheese and Mushroom Stuffed Chicken Breasts
2008-04-07 02:27:00
I saw this recipe for Goat Cheese and Mushroom Stuffed Chicken on foodnetwork.com and since I was craving something with goat cheese in it I decided to make it. Not to mention I loved Amy Finley on The Next Foodnetwork Star so I was excited to make something of hers :) The recipe was pretty simple to make, tasted sooo good, and like Sues always says, there were plenty of leftovers.recipe hanging and ready to gooo...Melt butter in saute pan and add the mushrooms, cook until they have released their liqued, saute until liquid is evaporated (called duxelle), and season with salt and pepper.Spread goat cheese on chicken breastsTop with the duxelleUse the kitchen twine to tie each piece of chickenAfter seasoning with salt and pepper saute for about 10-15 minutes until chicken is cooked through and golden brown. Let the chicken sit for about 5 minutes before removing twine.The recipe also calls for a Mushroom Wine Sauce for the chicken which turned out really well (make sure to season g...
More About: Breasts

Clipped Greetings by Kyle
2008-04-06 23:37:00
One of my best friends/favorite college roommate just started a website featuring her very own unique line of greeting cards at Clipped Greetings. Kyle is one of the most talented people I know, and from the time I met her (the 1st day of freshman year at UNH), she has been doing something crafty and creative. Whether it was on the floor of her dorm room, her sorority day room, our apartment, or the 5-person suite the 2 of us shared, I could always find her sitting there cutting, rearranging, painting, gluing, etc. and creating amazing works of art. The summer after senior year she tried to teach me to knit and, though she was a fabulous teacher, I currently have the half-done blanket in my apt. closet (3 years later...I still vow I'll finish it, but Kyle? I might need a refresher course).Here's what Kyle says about her cards:Clipped Greetings is what I like to think of as a unique alternative to mediocre chain store cards. Sorry, you won't see any dogs holding balloons here or o...

Souffleed Omelet with Goat Cheese, Asparagus, and Prosciutto
2008-04-04 05:17:00
I think eggs are a fabulous food because a) you can eat them for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snack (also known as any time at all) and b) you can do a billion different things with them. And they're good for you too (in moderation)!! Remember when eggs had a bad name? And then all the sudden it became "the incredible edible egg" and "I love eggs from my head down to my legs." They can be so incredibly easy (scrambled) or fancy schmancy (souflee).Last week when I was looking for recipes that involved asparagus and goat cheese, I got a little too excited and found a few too many. I couldn't decide which to make so I figured I'd just make them all. Why not? So today I made what I like to refer to as an omelet, only more complicated- Martha Stewart's Souffleed Omelet with Goat Cheese , Asparagus , and Ham. But I couldn't find Serrano ham anywhere (why not??) and had to use prosciutto. So, this is basically a combination of all the dinners I've been making lately.The first step of t...

Dairy Joy
2008-04-03 03:06:00
I was driving home from my parents' new place the other afternoon and decided to take the scenic way back to the city to head home, the roomie came with! So glad I didn't hop on the highway because I found a potential new favorite place to chow down!On a pretty quiet Route 117 in Weston, Massachusetts between lots of farm stands, houses, and a pretty country like landscape we stumbled across a little Cape Cod looking place called Dairy Joy. I was starving so I pulled into the parking lot to find quite a line for a chilly March afternoon. I figured the place must be good if people were willing to stand outside in the cold. After reviewing the menu for a minute (clamstrips and other seafoods, lots of frappes, onion rings...) I decided to get a burger.I like a good burger... add some cheese and bacon... and bbq sauce... and I'm likely to love it, which I did! The fries at Dairy Joy were great too. The roomie got a creamsicle frappe which i KNOW for sure I'll get the next time I go....

Gruyère, Spinach, and Prosciutto-Stuffed Chicken Breast with Caramelized Sh
2008-04-01 12:31:00
I think I just had the best dinner ever. For real. It was amazing. Remember when I bought chicken breast for my pasta the other day and then forgot to use it? Well, I figured I'd use it tonight, but needed to get a fab recipe as I find chicken breast quite boring if not done really well.Well, I found an awesome recipe, and it actually came from Cooking Light. The recipe was for Gruyère , Arugula, and Prosciutto-Stuffed Chicken Breast s with Caramelized Shallot Sauce. But I substituted the arugula for spinach. And...Yum. I know I keep saying, "Oh my God, this is SO easy," with everything I make...and you're probably saying, "yeah, sure." But his really was easy. And I think that, like everything in life, you get better at cooking the more you do it. With each meal I make, I get faster and more confident, even when doing something completely new. So cook a lot! And you'll see how easy it becomes.This recipe called for 6 chicken breast halves, but I only made 2, which meant cutting d...
More About: Spinach

Pasta with Goat Cheese and Roasted Asparagus
2008-03-28 17:21:00
I had bought lots of beautiful asparagus from Russo's last week and needed to use it before it went bad. When I saw this Martha Stewart recipe that involved asparagus AND goat cheese, I automatically decided to make it. I really enjoy making pasta dishes, especially near the end of the week. They always give me lots of leftovers, making it easy to grab a quick meal before going out on a Friday or Saturday night. It was really quick and easy to make and involves very few ingredients. First, put the asparagus on a pan with a teaspoon of butter sprinkled around.Bake it at 450 degrees for 10-15 minutes, until it's nice and tender. Meanwhile, boil your pasta until it's al dente. The recipe called for cavatappi, but I used fusilli because I thought it was prettier (and a little less macaroni salad-ish). When you drain your pasta, be sure to save about 1 1/2 cups of the water. The sauce for the pasta involves about 5 ounces of goat cheese and 3 tablespoons of butter. OK, so it's not th...
More About: Pasta , Cheese , Asparagus

Little Cheesecakes with Strawberry Sauce
2008-03-28 03:32:00
Let me start by saying I absolutely love mini and personal sized items. Mini cakes, cupcakes, pies, (any sort of mini food)... ummm clothing and shoes for small children. You get the idea.So when I saw this recipe for Little Cheesecakes with Strawberry Sauce in a Food Network cookbook, I bought the book (I actually only paid $3.99 at a local bookstore!) and made the cheesecakes for Easter. The recipe calls for very simple and inexpensive ingredients [chocolate graham crackers, semi sweet chocolate chips, unsalted butter, cream cheese, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and orange zest].Process graham crackers and chocolate chips in a food processor; add butter; and divide the mixture into muffin cups. Bake the crust for about 8 minutes at 325.In a clean food processor pulse the cream cheese, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and orange zest until smooth; divide the filling on top of the already baked crust; bake until the rims are almost set for about 30 minutes; cool cheesecakes on a rack, then ref...

Aromatherapy for the 9-5
2008-03-26 18:23:00
So last week I was sitting at my desk at work, paying some bills and cleaning my purse out (the latter needed to be done). I was tearing envelopes up... you know, the ones your bills come in that are stuffed with random perfume samples, coupons and other things you never seem to take a second look at? As I was ripping an envelope from Banana Republic I realized something smelled soooo good! I looked down and noticed I tore a sample of Banana's Rosewood perfume. YUM! I didn't really feel like throwing it away, because it was sort of nice to smell something that pleasant in the office instead of... office supplies and people's weird lunches. I often find that so many perfumes are too strong to actually spray on the body and they get sort of overwhelming following you around the whole day; so I kept the sample and stowed it away under my keyboard!A week later my area at work is still giving off the perfect hint of Rosewood :)[Chels]
More About: Aromatherapy

Lemon-Raspberry Cupcakes
2008-03-24 07:35:00
When I got April's Bon Appétit in the mail, I immediately knew I had to make the lemon-raspberry cupcakes on the cover. Even though I'm not the biggest lover of raspberry-flavored things (LOVE fresh raspberries, artificially-flavored not so much), I just didn't see how these could be bad. They sounded like the perfect springy treat, so I decided to make them for Easter.Fabulous idea. I often take a few times to perfect a cupcake recipe, but these tasted really, really good the first time I made them. One reason for this? I went to Epicurious.com and read reader comments before making them. I highly recommend you always do this whenever possible. Yes, I trust Bon Appétit , but when 8 different people are saying, "No! I made these and you need to cut down on the butter," it makes sense to listen.The cake batter for these cupcakes was different than anything I've made before. First, the lemon peel. You really should use a zester (if you don't have one, they're cheap and very usef...
More About: Lemon , Raspberry

You Should Eat at: Z Square
2008-03-22 17:59:00
After Sues and I went to listen to a talk at Harvard by the founder of BlogHer, we realized we were starving. Actually, I realized I was starving during the talk as my stomach was growling louder than it ever has before. A few months ago Sues and I were hanging out in Harvard Square and we stumbled across a cafe called Z Square, we went in and grabbed a menu, and left since we had plans to be somewhere else. So when the talk had ended the other night I remembered that we never actually ate at Z Square and figured we should try it. So glad we did. Sues got the Smoked Turkey and Gruyere Cheese panini with dijon mustard and tomato and potato salad for a side. I got a ZLT (applewood-smoked bacon, lettuce, tomato, and avocado on toasted sourdough) with potato salad on the side as well. First of all... avocado on a traditional BLT... loved it. Second, the ZLT had the perfect amount of crunch and also softness from the avocado and tomato. I think after each bite I said "mmm.. this is sooo ...

Welcome to Watertown, MA
2008-03-20 06:36:00
Today I spent the afternoon in Watertown, MA. Now, if you're from the Boston area, you're probably thinking, "Watertown, woo hoo, lucky you" (cue New England sarcasm). I know, I know, the Arsenal Mall isn't exactly the hottest mall around, and the Watertown Mall is at least a hundred times worse. If you're in the area, it's probably to go to Target or maybe the less cool than Boston's version of Filene's Basement. However, I'm telling you right now, Watertown has some definite perks. First of all, where have I been hiding for the last 3 years that I've never heard of Russo's? That is, until I heard about it 3 times in one day (no joke) a couple weeks ago, which is when I realized I had to go. So after a trip to Target, Sara took me on a tour of Watertown and was more than excited to bring me to Russo's. This market is seriously awesome. The produce is plentiful and the prices are really, really good. Blueberries for $1.98, blackberries for $1.98, asparagus for $2.49/lb. I...

Spring=weddings, which= lots of invitations to be made :)
2008-03-19 02:35:00
Yet another invitation project done! Designing this stuff makes me h.a.p.p.y!The theme to this particular bridal shower is Growth. I instantly thought of  earthy tones (shocked?) like browns and greens. I designed a graphic-y tree for the image where the leaves at the bottom of the tree start of small and get larger (grow) as the tree gets taller. To finish it off I added a quote to the invite from W.B. Yeats: "Happiness is neither virtue nor pleasure, not this thing nor that, but simply growth." The result: 50 bridal shower invitations for a very lucky girl.(invitation and insert card attached, envelope)(invitation, insert card, envelope)(invitation and insert card in envelope)L.o.v.e  is in the air :)[Chels]
More About: Weddings , Spring , Made , Invitations

Pasta with Turkey Meatballs and...Mozzarella
2008-03-18 04:57:00
OK, so it was really supposed to be Pasta with Turkey Meatballs and Bocconcini, but have you ever heard of bocconcini? Because I haven't, and I consider myself fairly knowledgeable about food. And neither Trader Joe's nor Stop and Shop had heard of it either (nor apparently has Blogger, considering it keeps spell-checking it). So, I figured the next closest thing was mozzarella. And as far as I'm concerned, that worked out just fine. Better than fine actually. It was amazing.I've never made meatballs before, so I wasn't quite sure how difficult they would be. But these were so easy and quick. Just mix the ground turkey, breadcrumbs, parm, garlic, egg, parsley, salt, and pepper in a bowl and then form the mixture into little meatballs. I made mine a little bigger than the recipe said to, but they were still pretty small and cute.Put the meatballs in a skillet with butter over medium-high heat and cook them until they're golden brown all over. Then add 1 1/2 C water and continue...

Fish & Veggie Pockets
2008-03-18 04:21:00
I saw this recipe for Italian Fish & Veggie pockets on Food Network over the weekend while I did nothing but eat and be merry with the siblings at my sister's house.  I haven't had much of an appetite lately (maybe because the seasons are changing, or allergies are starting to kick in... or the fact that ever since we started this site I've been stuffing my face and now it's time to rest?) but I thought this recipe was perfect because it's light and refreshing.The recipe actually calls for trout but I decided to use salmon instead (a. the recipe says "or other fish about 1/2-inch thick and b.) the pickins' of fresh fish at my grocery store are pretty slim by the time 6pm rolls around.   [the veggies washed & prepared | the salmon about to start cooking in the oven]2Guys Uncorked recommend a A to Z 2006 Pinot Noir. I think I enjoyed this recipe so much because it not only tasted great, but it was so simple and quick to make (a few minutes prepping and about 15-20 minu...

Warning: Cupcakes Ahead
2008-03-17 01:53:00
My weekend consisted of a lot of cupcakes. This may have been the first time I've had cupcakes since the infamous Chicago Cupcake Crawl in January. And, oh how I've missed them.TKTC brought cupcakes from Molly's Cupcakes (the best place for cupcakes in Chicago) and I bought cupcakes from Party Favors (the best place for cupcakes in Boston...or maybe anywhere).Party Favors cupcakes usually have really beautiful frosting flowers on them, but since we are in Boston and it is St. Patrick's Day weekend, it was all about the shamrocks. They also had ones with big leprachauns on them, but they were a bit creepy.We definitely had a bit of fun sampling the cupcakes. We would have rated them for you, but we were way too busy enjoying them. Just know that if you're in the Chicago area, you need to go to Molly's Cupcakes and if you're in the Boston area, you need to go to Party Favors.And if you can get them both at once, well then, consider yourself pretty lucky.[Sues]
More About: Warning , Ahead

Tofu and Broccoli Stir Fry
2008-03-13 06:03:00
Though I am quite obviously a meat eater, I'm also a fan of tofu when it's done right. Sometimes I'm just in the mood for it, plus it's pretty easy to cook. And it lasts in the fridge for months, which is a huge plus for me because I enjoy buying things and then forgetting about them for a bit. But when it comes to tofu, you usually have to make a dish with a lot of flavor, as it tends to be rather bland on its own.I decided to make Martha Stewart's tofu and broccoli stir fry since it looked simple, healthy, and delicious. It was exactly what I was in the mood for.Since tofu is pretty much a thick block, you'll want to start by cutting it. Cut it crosswise into 5 or 6 slabs. And then cut each slab horizontally into 4 triangles. Place triangles on a paper towel and leave for a while so that it can dry a bit.Now you can cook the broccoli. But really, only cook it for about 2 minutes, until it turns bright green. For me, there's nothing worse than overcooked veggies. After it's...
More About: Tofu , Broccoli

Chicago Cupcake Crawl
2008-03-10 13:31:00
I want to do all our Chicago readers a service and let you know that your city has some of the best cupcakes in the country. I should know. On my last trip to Chicago, I ate a lot of cupcakes. Just for you guys. Because I wanted to tell you what was the best. Aren't I nice? Awww, I know; you can thank me later.Beth, Adam, and I created a cupcake crawl, hitting on what we think are the hottest spots to get the best cupcakes in the city. If you live in Chicago, you must do this cupcake crawl. Or at least read through it and go to our fave spots. If you don't live in Chicago, I'll try to do a Boston cupcake crawl soon and possibly a New York City one. Or feel free to create your own and let us know the results!Our first stop was Sensational Bites (located at 3751 N. Southport Ave), and yes, it actually was sensational. The cupcakes at SB (yeah, we're on that kind of basis) were my second favorite in all of Chicago. The shop was super cute and perfect for the freezing cold (um, it w...
More About: Crawl

1154 Lill Studio... THE BAGS ARE IN!
2008-03-10 04:22:00
And I am in love with how mine came out... now I'm thinking about going back to make a matching tote or something to toss this makeup bag in! I also kinda like how it takes 3 weeks to make; it's like a nice little treat when you finally get it!1154 Lill Studio 220 Newbury StreetBoston, MA 02116617.247.1154[Chels]
More About: Bags

Commitment-phobe...
2008-03-07 03:39:00
Ever since moving into my apartment I've been a little nervous to hang an excess amount on the walls and go "crazy" with the decorating. We were lucky enough to find an apartment in a really great location in the city that happened to be a gut renovation. Needless to say I would enjoy getting a decent amount of my security deposit back whenever I happen to move out... meaning no to very little damage left when I leave... so I'm always on the lookout for temporary design solutions. That's why I think these Tile Tattoos and Tile Decals (aka Tile Tats) from 2Jane.com are a greaaaat idea for those who are renting.... or afraid of commitment, both of which I am.  [image: www.2jane.com][www.2jane.com]Bonus: They can be removed without leaving any residue andddd they withstand the effects of water and moisture... perfect for the kitchen and bathroom! *FIERCE* as Christian, aka the winner of Project Runway, would say... love him! :)[Chels]
More About: Commitment

Saturday Night Fiesta!
2008-03-04 19:25:00
When Sara said suggested cooking dinner together on Saturday night, I thought it was a fabulous idea. Since we're all obsessed with Mexican-ish food (can you tell with our posts lately?), we decided to try and do healthy Mexican featuring fajitas. And we succeeded! No doubt, the best part of the meal was the Mexican-style hummus that Sara was in charge of. It was simply pinto beans, salsa, lime juice, olive oil, garlic, and cumin, put in a food processor and pureed until smooth. Stir in a little cilantro and bake some pita bread with olive oil, salt, and pepper sprinkled on top, and voila: It was SO easy and tasted SO good that I have a feeling I'm going to be making it quite often. I have a bit of a hummus addiction and this tasted better than any kind I've ever bought in a grocery store. The recipe isn't lying when it says, "it's so good, however, you may just want to eat it with a spoon." I may have had more than a few spoonfuls the other night.Nina made the tomato salsa, wh...
More About: Night , Fiesta

White Bean Dip with Pita Chips + Turkey and Vegetable Chili Verde
2008-03-03 05:39:00
I was at work the other day and realized I had spent way too much money on lunch last week. I decided to make some soup when I got home because I love how it a) is so quick and simple to make - i.e. I finished cooking and was sitting down eating in time to watch Idol and b) it's great to freeze and bring for lunch throughout the week. I went to www.whfoods.org and found a great recipe for Turkey and Vegetable Chili Verde. All of the ingredients were easy to find (the recipe calls for a 15 oz can of diced tomatoes and a 4 oz can of green chili... I happened to find two cans of diced tomatoes with green chili in the Goya aisle, which worked out quite well... love when that happens). 2guysuncorked recommend Ravenswood 2005 Zinfandel to bring out more of a spicy-ness or Los Vascos 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon. I also had quite the craving for white bean dip so I decided to whip some up too. Aaaaaand it was great and took about 5 minutes to make. I'm going to have to keep this recipe in min...
More About: White , Bean

Black Bean and Turkey Chili
2008-02-29 06:35:00
I have really nice childhood memories of my parents making chili on cold winter nights, and it's something I've always wanted to try making on my own. While I have no hopes of my chili matching my parents', I figured I'd try to come up somewhere in the ballpark.The awesome thing about chili is that you can do whatever you want to make it your own. I was originally inspired by a recipe from the March 2008 edition of Bon Appetit, but then got more inspiration from this Epicurious recipe. And then I went wild and did a few things of my own. So, basically, this chili can just be called "Susie's Chili ," or something like that. I'm really bad at following recipes because I get so many ideas about what I think would be good that I just can't help myself. Usually when I cook, I try to make my meals as healthy as possible, while still having them taste delicious. So, for this chili, I used a lean ground turkey, which in my opinion, is just as good as beef. This was another one of thos...
More About: Turkey , Black , Bean

Soy-Glazed Salmon
2008-02-27 08:01:00
Tonight I made the easiest, quickest dinner ever. It was so easy, I don't even know what to say about it, except that you should make Martha Stewart's soy-glazed salmon if you want something deliciousss but don't have a lot of time and/or energy. Also, here's the part where I give another HUGE shout-out to Trader Joe's...this time to their frozen fish selection. It seriously saves my life. I'm not very good at planning my meals ahead of time, so I like to have lots of ingredients on hand. And I ALWAYS have some fish from TJ's in my freezer. Which makes me very happy. Now, I know you might be thinking, "frozen fish?? Ewwww." But I am being 100% honest when I say it is just as good as fresh. Seriously. Would I lie to you? They actually "flash freeze" it, which means they basically freeze it right on the boat when it's caught, so it's at its ultimate freshest.Anyway, now that you all probably think I work for Trader Joe's, I'll continue on and you can see how easy this recip...

This is What Happens When Your Parents Move...
2008-02-27 05:25:00
So my parents sold their house in our hometown of Andover (A-town as the cool kids like to call it). We moved there when I was six so it's the only place that I know as home... the only place that ever felt like home. I can walk through every room in that house and think of something hilarious, sad, life changing, and ground breaking that happened in it. I can probably remember exactly where I was standing during all of these times too. It is in a great neighborhood filled with great neighbors, all of my closest friends grew up within a 5-10 minute drive... so many memories. It's sad to leave it behind, but exciting, in an extremely weird way, to move on.I stopped by the house for one last time the other day to help the parents finish packing up... wrapping up lots of pictures and dishes in the kitchen. I think everyone goes through this when they move... but you sort of start throwing everything out and giving things away because you really don't feel like wrapping it up and box...
More About: Parents , Move

Double Lemon Bars
2008-02-26 04:35:00
A few of us got together at Sues and Nina's place for the Oscars the other night. I had been out all day (paintballing... true story) but decided to make a quick little something to bring over. I found this recipe for Double Lemon Bars on epicurious.com. So good... and simple to make... and with only about 7 extremely basic ingredients (flour, sugar, powdered sugar, butter, fresh lemon juice, lemon peel and eggs) it turns out to be very inexpensive too!All you do is mix the flour, powdered sugar, and butter until it's a "coarse meal".Pack the mixture into a baking dish (I used an 8x8). Pop it in the over at 350 for 20 minutes and remove;Then beat the eggs, fresh lemon juice, more flour and lemon peel, put in the oven for another 20 minutes and remove...Set aside to cool then sprinkle some powdered sugar on top... mmm. I'm not usually a fan of super "lemoney" foods, but this has the perfect hint of lemon... not too overpowering!While I made these, I had the sound dock blasting wit...

Golden Clog Awards
2008-02-25 19:41:00
Two of my favorite foodie men were at the South Beach Food and Wine Festival this weekend announcing the winners of some very exciting new awards. The Golden Clog Awards . Michael Ruhlman and Anthony Bourdain created these absolutely hilarious awards with categories such as: "The Alton" for being on the Food Network and yet, somehow managing to not suck. Winner? Ina Garten. I completely agree."The Rocco" for the worst career move. Winner? Tyler Florence for becoming the spokesperson for Applebees. What I wanna know is, how was Rachael Ray and her Dunkin' Donuts move not a nominee?"The Steingarten" for the writer or blogger who actually GETS it. Winner? Mike Nagrant. Agree, but I'm a big Bill Buford fan, too.Some of the nominees and winners I'm not familiar with, but Ruhlman and Bourdain seriously make anything funny. And I'm wicked jealous of anyone who was at the South Beach Food and Wine Festival this weekend. I'm jealous because a) So many celebrity chefs were there and it lo...