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Movin' On Up...
2008-06-04 20:02:00
Yeah, you heard me right! The hubby and I are moving on up in the world. This weekend we moved into our dream house. The house we plan to stay in for quite a long time. Raise some kiddies. And do a lot of entertaining! We're beyond thrilled to have found the perfect place for us. It's an older colonial with lots of character that's been meticulously maintained and updated. It has beautiful colors and light fixtures throughout, a large master bedroom, a laundry room upstairs, an abundance of bathrooms, gorgeous fireplaces, a dining room with pocket french doors, a large backyard, a hot tub (!); but I think it's safe to say that the kitchen is my favorite thing of all. So without further adieu... my kitchen, my baby :) Gas range, built in grill and griddle, double ovens underneath, warming lights up above, and loads of counter space! Island with bar stoolsAll stainless appliances, door leading out to the garage Bonus - a wine rack and beverage bar! A large, deep double sink

Spicy Peanut Sauce Sweet Potato Pasta
2008-05-28 02:40:00
Have you ever come across an ingredient that is just so "you", you don't know what to do with it? Actually, it's not that you don't know, it's more like, there are a million and one possibilities and you can't seem to settle on the right one at the right time. That's how I felt about the Sweet Potato Pappardelle that my friends Elly and Joelen were so kind to send me. I'm sure they knew I'd have a great time coming up with something wonderful for this, and they were right. There were so many directions I could go with this, inspired by flavor combinations I know and love. Perhaps the harvest-y route with sage butter sauce and dried cranberries? Or, a southwestern spin with black beans and a creamy cilantro-jalapeno sauce? Uber-richness with a gorgonzola cream? Finally, I settled on an African-inspired combination. I recalled Cooking Light's Baked Sweet Potatoes with Spicy West-African Peanut Sauce - a recipe I have made and loved. The sauce is really delicious, and I've al...
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Brie & Chutney Turkey Burgers
2008-05-28 02:39:00
One of the great things I see in the food blogging community is that there are so many wonderful places you can take your blog. For many it's more than just a hobby, and they've gained so much exposure and success that they can do wonderful things through their blog. One such blogger is Blake Killian of BlakeMakes. When visiting his blog, you never know what you'll find - a delicious meal prepared by Blake or his wife, perhaps a guest blogger sharing a delicious creation, or even a contest to receive a free, fun, new food product. Free food? Through a blog? That's right. When I read about Blake's giveaway for McQuade's Celtic Chutney , a sweet and spicy ginger and fig concoction, I jumped right in on the contest by submitting my ideas for dishes I dreamed of making with the chutney. Luckily, Blake liked them and I was chosen as a chutney recipient!Looking at the many flavors of chutney available through McQuade's website, I found that many of the varieties combine fruit and sp...
More About: Turkey , Burgers

Crispy-Shrimp Summer Rolls with Creamy Mint Pesto
2008-05-19 01:22:00
It's so exciting and fulfilling, as a blogger, to see that some of my ideas have inspired and excited others. I am so happy to have a (small but growing!) contingency of Platinum Chef followers who eagerly conjure up creative dishes with no fear of unfamiliar ingredients or combinations. I think we can all agree that we become more skilled in the kitchen with every new challenge! This round of the Challenge is hosted by the fabulous Danielle of Make No Little Meals. On top of being a creative cook, she's also an extremely talented photographer, so I personally can't wait to see her Platinum Chef meal documented! For this event, Danielle chose the ingredients bok choy, mint, mango, panko, and yogurt.Bok Choy was the only one in this bunch completely new to me. Of course I've had it in Chinese dishes, but never worked with it myself. These ingredients, minus the yogurt, inspired me to go Asian with my entry, knowing I'd work in the yogurt somehow. I decided to make this even more...
More About: Summer , Shrimp , Pesto , Mint

Polenta and Roasted Vegetable Lasagna
2008-05-19 00:53:00
I love my husband for many reasons. He's handsome, successful, and loves to do dishes. But one of the things that sets him apart from many men is that he will eat a meal with no meat. I've made enough vegetarian meals during our time together that he doesn't have an ounce of disappointment when I tell him dinner involves no meat; instead, he looks forward to whatever delicious and heart vegetable combination will be gracing his plate. I've satisfied him enough times sans meat he knows a meatless meal is just as good as any. This layered polenta dish with roasted vegetables, bold tomato sauce and gooey cheese was no exception. The polenta added more heartiness and texture to the dish than simply lasagna noodles, and it's quite healthy - in fact, anyone on the Core Weight Watchers plan knows that cornmeal is allowed. It's also fairly easy to prepare on a busy weeknight, as the components can each be prepared ahead of time. I roasted the vegetables and prepared the polenta on the...
More About: Vegetable , Lasagna

Tuscan Lamb and White Bean Skillet
2008-05-02 01:51:00
You might notice that this post and my previous post on clafouti share the same pans - my stainless steel tapas pans, which are great for so many things. Individual casseroles, single-serve desserts served straight from a warm pan, small skillet dinners - these are so versatile. You might also think my husband and I don't like to share, but we do - we share a great love for these pans! Tonight's dinner of skillet lamb chops with white beans presented beautifully and tasted delicious in in these little skillets. Simple seared lamb chops on top of a white bean and tomato saute seasoned with rosemary and balsamic vinegar - simple and elegant. I served this alongside mixed greens in a lemon vinaigrette with shaved asiago cheese.Tuscan Lamb Chop SkilletAdapted from Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book4 small lamb chops, seasoned with salt and pepper4 cloves garlic, minced1 cup drained, rinsed white beans2 plum tomatoes, diced2 tsp balsamic vinegar2 tbsp water2 tsp minced fresh rosemaryHe...
More About: White , Bean

Tutti Frutti Clafouti
2008-05-02 01:39:00
First of all, let me bet that I am not the first one to blog about clafouti with a post titled "Tutti Frutti Clafouti" - It's a no-brainer, I'm not that creative! I might also bet, however, that this is one of the healthier clafouti you'll find out there in blog land. Interestingly, I cannot really compare it to the full-calorie-and-fat version, because I've never had clafouti before. This was pretty good though - maybe I will stick with it so that I don't become disappointed. Clafouti reminds me of cobbler, but with a lighter batter for the topping which bakes up more like a pancake. My husband, who get his foodiness from me, also compared it to a crepe. It certainly tasted like a crepe, but thicker, like, well, a pancake of course! This recipe comes from the "Pink Plaid" Edition of Better Homes and Garden. It's quick to put together, adaptable to whatever fruit you have on hand, and just about guilt-free. Enjoy! Berry ClafoutiMakes 6 servings2 egg whites, slightly beaten1 eg...

Passover Rolls
2008-04-24 03:43:00
When people unfamiliar with Passover first hear that observing Jews avoid all flour-containing products for eight whole days, they are often shocked! We can't eat bread, pasta, cereal, cookies, crackers ... and there are other restrictions, besides flour, so that's just the beginning. Luckily, there are many recipes I look forward to enjoying year after year. When I was a kid, my mom always made special rolls for Passover - they were slightly sweet, and very moist. For some reason, I always enjoyed them (and still do!) with peanut butter and jelly. My mom prefers to eat them for breakfast during Passover with cottage cheese. This year, I took the recipe one notch up and beat the mixture with my KA mixture to make a light, fluffy batter that produced a roll with an airy, popover-like texture. I enjoyed one after dinner with some pumpkin butter - yum! Passover Rolls1 cup water1/2 cup vegetable oil1 T sugardash of salt1 cup of matzoh meal4 eggsPreheat oven to 375F. Coat a baking she...

Black Bean, Mango, and Quinoa Salad
2008-04-24 02:52:00
The warm weather is finally here (though being New England, we can't say for sure if it will stay) and I was craving something fresh, cool, and colorful. Mango s looked beautifully ripe and they were on sale, so I decided to pair them with black beans in a Southwestern-inspired quinoa-based salad. I chose quinoa because it is a grain that is kosher for Passover. Now, my really critical and informed readers might be wondering why, if I am keeping Passover, I'm eating legumes. Well, I urge to do some googling and reading about kitniot - personally, I just don't really feel those rules apply in modern times, so my husband and I have decided to forego our Ashkenazic roots adopt a more Sephardic style of eating in our household. Fortunately, I do have some Sephardic heritage as well. This salad is quick and easy to put together. I made a large enough batch to have dinner for myself tonight, lunch for both of us tomorrow, and another dinner for me. While preparing the salad, I rubbed s...
More About: Black , Bean , Salad , Quinoa

Spicy Honey Glazed Grilled Eggplant
2008-04-23 03:53:00
When the nice weather hits, there are very few things better than veggies roasted on the grill. The smoky, indistinguishable flavor of your favorite vegetables can be enhanced by a whatever flavorings you choose. Tonight, I had planned to make grilled lamb chops and eggplant. Typically, I go with a Mediterranean feel for this - seasoning the lamb with garlic, salt, pepper, rosemary, and lemon juice; and marinating the eggplant in some balsamic vinegar and seasonings. Tonight I decided to go with a Moroccan-inspired feel: I used a Moroccan seasoning blend on the lamb, and prepared Spicy Honey Grilled Eggplant to go with it. For glaze which I brushed on the eggplant, I drew upon the sweet and spicy flavors I love in one of my favorite dishes, Mario Batali's Eggplant Caponata. We really enjoyed this variation, and the eggplant was probably some of the most delicious I've ever made. Spicy Honey-Grilled Eggplant1 eggplant, sliced into rounds1 garlic clove, minced1 tbsp olive oil2 tbsp ...

Platinum Chef Challenge: Round 6!
2008-04-15 02:33:00
Parmesan-Rosemary Scallops with Creamy Lemon-Leek "Linguine" and Tomato-Caper Relish. My one problem with a five-ingredient challenge is fitting it all into one title! But it was my idea, so I'll live with it. The concept was born on my blog, but for this round I passed the torch to Kate, a good friend and Platinum Chef enthusiast. I knew she would come up with some fabulous ingredients and she did not disappoint! Her selection of Lemon, Capers, Leeks, Rosemary, and Cream for round 6 was both intriguing and delicious. I have recently grown to like capers, but have never actually bought them and cooked with them, so I was quite excited to do so. I thought these ingredients would pair quite well with seafood, and I decided on scallops. This was an interesting choice for me because I don't normally enjoy scallops enough to make a meal out of them, but I wanted something meatier and more flavorful than say, tilapia. I thought a mild fish would get lost with some of the strong flavors,...
More About: Challenge , Round

Scoopin' Scones
2008-04-11 03:57:00
I know this may come as a shocking revelation to many, but here goes: I am not perfect, and neither are my recipes. Sometimes when I get an idea in my head, I mull over it for days trying figure out the most perfect way to make something (and sometimes I still fail). Other times, I just jump right in without much thought and get cookin'. But to me that doesn't mean I can't still share my thoughts with you. In fact, perhaps with this post, I will just discuss what I was thinking and what I did, and if you are so inspired, maybe you can pull it off better than me. This is a food blog, of course, but food is not only about recipes. If I shared a recipe here and you ran off to make it, following it exactly, you might have the same disappointments I did, and that's not fair. I could, if I really wanted to, make these again and try to perfect them - but I don't really feel like it at the moment, nor do I have a reason to. Also, I'm out of gorgonzola.By now you might be thinking, "Wh...
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Maple-Chipotle Turkey Tenderloin
2008-04-09 03:18:00
Peas and carrots. Chocolate and peanut butter. Maple and chipotle. Some foods are just such natural pairings, you really can't go wrong. I love sweet and spicy flavors together, and when I came across this recipe for Spiced Pork Tenderloin with Maple Chipotle Sauce in the March issue of Cooking Light, I thought it sounded delicious. I just had one little problem that made me a bit sad - I don't eat pork, so I couldn't make this. (Well, that's kind of a lie - I do eat things that contain pork when I am out of the house, but I never bring things like bacon, pork chops, etc into the house and cook them. I have absolutely no clue how to cook a pork chop!) Then I recalled the turkey tenderloins in my freezer, and knew this would be a great way to prepare them. I suppose there's not much need for me to copy and paste the recipe since it's linked above. I pretty much followed it exactly, just replacing the pork with turkey and cutting the amounts in half because I used just one 1-lb ...
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Brown Sugar Cinnamon Raisin Pecan Bread
2008-03-31 02:39:00
A few weeks ago, I needed to buy some more yeast. I decided to buy a jar of yeast, rather than the packets, which I usually buy. Seeing that the label said it was good in the fridge for 6 months after opening, I knew I was making a commitment to make more bread! So this past weekend I made my first cinnamon-raisin-swirl bread. The recipe I was used was top-notch - easy to follow, and delicious. I love the sweet brown sugar and spicy cinnamon. The recipe called for both golden raisins and dark ones; I had only golden so I also added pecans to the dough. WOW - so good! According to my husband, this makes great toast! The recipe made two loaves, so I gave one to friends and we froze half of the remaining one to enjoy later. What a treat! Brown Sugar Raisin Bread Williams-SonomaIngredients:1 Tbs. active dry yeast3 Tbs. granulated sugar1 1/4 cups warm water (105° to 115°F)1 cup warm milk (105° to 115°F)3 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted1 Tbs. salt1 egg, lightly beaten6 to 6 1/4 cups brea...
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(Almost) Perfectly-Iced Cupcakes
2008-03-31 02:11:00
Birthdays can be so self-serving. And I'm not talking about when you are the birthday gal (or guy), I'm talking about when you decide to make someone a birthday treat. I look forward to my friends' and family members' birthdays probably just as much as they do, because it's an excuse to make a cake. Sure, it tastes yummy to them and they appreciate the treat (after all, what's a birthday without cake or cupcakes?) but for me it's a perfect excuse to flex my baking muscles. I often put a lot of thought into what I, as the baker, want out of the cake. Hopefully that is in line with what the birthday person wants too :)This past weekend was my brother Jared's big birthday - he's 21! In my book, turning 21 calls for boozy cupcakes. I wanted something that was deliciously unique that he would love, but I also decided it was time to invest in some decorating tips and practice my cupcake icing. Because to me, food is almost as much about looks as it is about taste. I turned to on...

Wine-Braised Leeks with Lemon and Feta
2008-03-31 01:56:00
Sometimes, new ideas come to me because I am having a craving for a particular food or flavor. Other times, I end up with extra ingredients that I don't want to waste. This weekend, I had given my husband a grocery list which included a leek. Yes, one leek, to use in a leek and artichoke frittata. The store he went to, however, only sold leeks in bunches of three. Three leeks?! What would I do with two extra? Soups or stews with leeks are an option, but I already had my menu sort of set for the week and plus, I wasn't really in the mood. I've never prepared or eaten leeks simply on their own as a side dish or salad, but I have seen pictures and recipes, and I figured with two whole leeks and two of us, that would probably be a good thing to try. I found a few recipes online for inspiration to create my own for Wine -Braised Leeks with Lemon and Feta . We really enjoyed the flavors here and it was a different texture than what we were used to, but very nice for a light and springy s...

Sweet Potato Bread
2008-03-31 01:40:00
Here's a recipe I made for a brunch menu that I borrowed from Kevin of Closet Cooking. I love sweet potatoes and figured this would be much like pumpkin bread, one of my favorites. With the indulgent pecan praline topping, you really can't go wrong! The bread is deliciously moist and spicy. I really do recommend roasting the sweet potatoes. You can probably make this quicker by boiling or microwaving them, but roasting really brings out the flavor. I was out of honey, so I substituted maple syrup. The final bonus, this bread is absolutely lovely to look at. I sometimes get just as much joy out of plating my food as I do preparing and eating it, and this was a good example of that - I cut the bread down the middle the long way and then into even slices and arranged them perfectly on a long plate. It was gorgeous!Sweet Potato Bread Ingredients:1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour1 teaspoon baking soda1/4 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon cinnamon1/4 teaspoon nutmeg1/2 cup butter (room temperature)3/...

Platinum Chef Challenge - New Round, New Hostess!
2008-03-25 14:31:00
Last round, I selected Kate of Paved with Good Intentions to pick the next round of five ingredients for Platinum Chef . I'm very excited about what she's chosen - be sure to head on over to check it out! This time you will have until April 14th to submit your dishes. Get cookin'!
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Mini Mint Chocolate Cheesecake Tarts
2008-03-22 22:47:00
First of all, please accept my apology. If you all you like is pictures, feel free to stop reading. But, if you like me and you trust me, and you like mint and chocolate and cheesecake, I suspect you'll keep reading! Forgive me, dear fans, for I have committed a sin in the blogging world. The following recipe has no picture. I'd like to think that's because this dessert is just so darn good that each one was gobbled up before it had a chance for a photo shoot. Seriously, just take my word. And make your friends and family happy next time you have a party to go to :)Crust:1/4 cup butter, softened1/4 cup sugar1 egg3/4 cup flour1/3 cup cocoa powderCream butter and sugar together in food processor. Add egg and process to combine. Stir together flour and cocoa powder, and add to food processor, pulsing to combine until mixture is just crumbly. Gently roll small balls of dough in your pamn and place them in a greased mini muffin tin. Use a tart shaper to press tarts, flouring the tart ...
More About: Mini , Chocolate , Tarts , Cheesecake , Mint

Gorgonzola Pecan Shortbread
2008-03-22 22:42:00
*Sigh*. Sorry for the picture. Same excuse as the one I gave for the onion tartlets. These little crackers were a result of having a whole lotta leftover blue cheese and wanting to make something to compliment a brunch menu. My husband described them as a "sophisticated cheese-it" and my friend claimed they were so deliciously different, she had never quite tasted this flavor in this texture. These are simple to make and I'm sure it would be fun to experiment with different ingredients. Goat Cheese and pistachio shortbreads, anyone?Blue Cheese & Hazelnut Shortbread (adapted from What's Cooking America)1 cup (8 ounces) crumbled blue cheese or gorgonzola cheese, room temperature8 tablespoons (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature1 cup all-purpose flour1/2 cup cornstarch1/2 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon black pepper (I'm sure I used more; I went a little crazy with my pepper grinder - love the results!)2/3 cup toasted hazelnuts, finely chopped (I used pecans)In a food processor...

Caramelized Onion Tartlets with Bacon and Sage
2008-03-22 22:28:00
I was a bad blogger this weekend - I made a bunch of yummy stuff, took it to my parents' house, and forgot my camera! Of course, my mom only has an ancient 2 megapixel camera that refuses to take pictures. So I had to make do with my husband's cellphone, which at least takes 5 megapixels. Still, though, I had trouble capturing the beauty of these tasty little tarts. These were simple to put together and thoroughly enjoyed by my family - in fact, I think they were declared a favorite of all the food on the table!Tart Shells5 oz cream cheese, softened3/4 cup butter, softened1 1/2 cup flour1/2 tsp saltFilling (adapted from Epicurious)3 medium onions, sliced thinly4 slices bacon, finely diced1 teaspoon sugar1/2 teaspoon salt2 to 3 teaspoons balsamic vinegar2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sageFreshly ground black pepper1/4 cup cream or half and half1 large eggCaramelizing the onions (this can be done ahead of time): Heat a large nonstick saucepan over medium heat and cook the bacon,...
More About: Sage , Onion , Bacon

Party in My Mouth
2008-03-20 01:46:00
Today was, overall, a very good day. It's my day off from the gym, after working out for the past six days in a row, which means I got to come right home after work (well, after stopping at the grocery store - but that's much easier when I don't have to go to the gym!). I ate lots of chocolate today and didn't feel too guilty. Because, after all, I've been working out a lot lately. I spoke with a new client for a catering gig and we're both really excited about the upcoming party. And, dinner was a party in my mouth. Yup, you heard me right.Tonight's meal came to me through the Taste and Create event hosted by myamii over at For the Love of Food. This event pairs up bloggers randomly and asks that each person choose a dish from their partners blog to make and write about. I took this on as a bit of a challenge, hoping to discover a new blog and experience some different flavors. On most days, I have every recipe in the world at my fingertips to choose from; and even then, I c...
More About: Party , Mouth

Teaser Pics
2008-03-17 03:01:00
Just wanted to share with a few pics I've been hanging onto for a couple of weeks. I'm not necessarily going to give you recipes, because they don't really exist other than in my head. I still think these photos deserve to be on my blog, however. Maybe you will be visually inspired. Rosemary and onion flatbreadMade from my new favorite pizza dough Turkey tenderloin stuffed with cranberry & apricot barley. Sage. Onions. Celery. Nutmeg. Goat Cheese. It's all in there. Rosemary & balsamic roasted butternut and turnips on the side. Cider and rosemary-glazed grilled lamb chops. Gorgonzola Polenta. Roasted Butternut Squash. Hope you enjoyed!
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La la la LAMB!
2008-03-17 03:00:00
Over the past couple of weeks, we have really managed to stock up our freezer. Chicken breasts, lamb chops, ground turkey, turkey cutlets, turkey tenderloins, beef stew meat, a red wine-marinated pot roast, salmon and tilapia filets... you'd think we'd have absolutely no reason to go out and spend more money on meat. But when my grandparents planned an impromptu visit up from Florida, I thought it was the perfect reason to go out and buy some lamb shanks and have them over for dinner.Lamb shanks are one of those things I only make a couple of times per year, but would love to eat every week. One of my favorite dishes is Greek lamb youvetsi, or lamb shanks braised in a tomato sauce with orzo. There's something about that fall-off-the-bone tenderness you just can't beat. I didn't make lamb youvetski, but I did braise. The method I used is quite simple, yet perfect for an elegant occasion. The only thing you need to remember is to start the night before so that the meat really has...

Platinum Chef Challenge Round-up!
2008-03-17 01:02:00
Well, I know you have all been waiting for it. You want to see all the yummy and creative dishes made with butternut squash, barley, cumin, chickpeas, and vanilla! It may sound like a stretch to some but these talented cooks stepped up to the stove and created some tasty treats.Steph made two great sounding dishes: a butternut barley risotto spiked with vanilla and a cumin-spiced hummus. Though it takes longer to cook (I concur!) she seemed to like this change to the typical arborio used for risotto. Kate of Paved with Good Intentions was very excited to hear about the return of Platinum Chef . After passing the bar, she is back with a bang! Never one to turn down a good soup, she saw the ingredients as making the perfect pot. Her butternut broth with barley is kicked up with all the platinum chef goodies and looks extremely satisfying and delicious!Meghan of Joy Through Cooking admits this was her first time working with barley and chickpeas, but that's never something to inhibit a...
More About: Round Up , Challenge , Round

Baking with Bailey's
2008-03-17 00:29:00
A couple of weeks ago, I bought a bulk package of cream cheese from the wholesale store to make a cheesecake. I had two 8oz packages leftover, so I thought a Bailey's cheesecake during the week of St. Paddy's Day would be a fun way to use them up. As I anxiously awaited the holiday, I read about Emiline's Pub Crawl event. What a perfect event for my cheesecake!Also in the weeks before the holiday, I re-thought the idea several times and finally settled on making the Bailey's cheesecake into little tarts in a brownie crust. These would be much better for sharing with my friends at work. These were delicious, but I'll admit, I'm still slightly inept at getting things out of my mini muffin pan, so they were not as pretty as I had hoped. I wish my pictures were better, too. Hopefully you've had enough green beer that you don't notice.Do you think I could hire a photographer for my blog?!To make these babies, I simply used my favorite brownie recipe, adding a couple tablespoons o...
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Platinum Chef Challenge - number ??
2008-03-10 17:21:00
I'm back with a new Platinum Chef Challenge . I took quite the hiatus once it came for my wedding, the holidays, post holiday weight-loss and feeling grumpy,. etc. The bad news is I can't remember what number this is in the series. The good news is I now have a logo, and I'm going to change the rules a bit.For the newbies, Platinum Chef Challenge started as an activity on a cooking message board to encourage members to create a meal out of 5 selected ingredients. You might think they go together, and you might not. You might have used them before, or maybe not. Maybe you will have a recipe in mind, and maybe you will create a new one. Most likely, you'll put on your creative (chef's) hat and whip out something new and exciting.To play, just create a meal using the five given ingredients and blog about it. Please link back to this post, and feel free to include the event logo in your blog. The meal can consist of 1 or 2 dishes - so you can use all the ingredients in one recipe, o...
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Crossing some things off the list
2008-03-09 15:46:00
I know, I've been a bad blogger. Over the past couple of weeks, a few very kind and talented people have taken the time to compliment my blog in such nice ways, and I have not yet passed on the gesture. With so many wonderful blogs out there to choose from, it shouldn't be too hard! So, I'll wrap it up all in one.First, Danielle Kathleen of Make No Little Meals awarded me with the E for Excellent award. Me?! Excellent? She is the one combining marvelous ingredients and taking lovely pictures. Not to mention her gorgeous layout that I am extremely jealous of. Thank you, Danielle! I'd love to return the compliment and name you the first of my Excellent blogs. Keep up the good work! Well, since I have put off passing on the award, I imagine that most of the people I think are excellent have already received it. But, there's always room to be a little more excellent, right? So, next I will highlight Gretchen of Canela & Comino. She's got something unique in the blogging world:...
More About: List , Things , Crossing , The List

ByeBye, BlogRoll
2008-03-06 15:32:00
Sadly, I had to remove the Foodie BlogRoll element from my page. I'd been told, and experienced myself, that my blog was loading very slowly and this may be due to the blogroll. I hope it's not forever, but in the meantime, I hope you have a better time visiting my blog!
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Mastering the Mini Muffin
2008-03-04 03:32:00
The mini muffin. When made properly, it's an oh-so-cute two-bite piece of delectable indulgence. When done wrong? An annoyingly ugly piece of cake, spilled over and molded to the pan, with darkened bottom and sides. Trust me, I know, as I've screwed up many batches! Mini muffins sound easy, but really, it's not quite as simple as trading in your cake or regular muffin pan for those little itty bitty ones. There are a couple adjustments you can make to ensure a better mini muffin, and I'm writing them down here not only for you but for me too - I don't want to forget!These mini coffee cake muffins were inspired by some leftover ricotta in my refrigerator. I knew there were some delicious recipes for cakes and muffins calling for ricotta, and I set out to find one. I chose this recipe for "Seriously Good" Apple Ricotta Coffee Cake. Because if there's anything better than cake or muffins in my book, it's coffee cake. I'm a sucker for struesel. I used Kevin's base recipe for th...
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