Mr. and Mrs. Foodie

Happy almost- New Year!

2009-12-29T09:20:00.003-05:00

Mr. Foodie and I had a wonderful Christmas. It was more low key than in years past, but we enjoyed it. It is finally starting to feel like winter here in Florida. It was hot and humid on Christmas, but today it is in the 30s outside. It will be in the 50s/60s around noon. I have to say that I love living in Florida because we don't have to deal with snow and sleet, etc.

Mr. Foodie and I didn't have any money to buy gifts this year, not even for each other. Our families were still very generous and gave us many things. My Mom picked out shirts and sweaters for me that I love. She also gave me a cute PJ set that I am wearing right now. My Mother-In- Law got us the cutest Christmas ornaments ever. She always gives us at least one ornament each year. It is a very special tradition that I love. She gave us two black cat ornaments with our Cat Names on them "Southpaw" & "Katalina." She ordered them from Bronners.com.

Another favorite gift is from Mr. Foodies grandparents: Julia Child's Mastering The Art of French Cooking: Volume Two. I am so excited to read this cookbook and try a few challenging recipes. My new kitchen item came from my Sister who got me mini Cocottes from Le Creuset. They even came with a little cookbook with great recipes. I am also excited to try those as soon as I can.

I had better get back to studying. I take the Series 7 next Tuesday.... I feel I am prepared but I must keep studying to make sure. Happy Tuesday! I am very thankful for such a wonderful family and all of the great things I have in life.

Christmas Dream List

2009-12-19T23:10:00.002-05:00

This year we don't have any extra cash to buy gifts. In order to satisfy my shopping cravings I thought I would create a dream Christmas list.

1. Dean & Deluca Parmigiano Reggiano Whole Wheel Cheese

2. Classic Di Porchetta

3. Milano Diamond Leaf Band Ring

4. Micropave' Diamond Earrings

5. Princess Cut Diamond Bracelet

6. Burberry Check and Leather Headband

7. Hermes Scarf

8. Lady Dior Leather Top Handle Bag

9. Pair of Tiffany candlesticks

10. Tiffany Diamond Bow Brooch

11. 2 Round Trip Upper Class Virgin Atlantic flights to London

12. 3 month Sail Boat Charter in the Virgin Islands

The Cranberry

2009-11-30T10:45:00.002-05:00

Fresh Cranberries are my favorite thing about fall/winter. They are nutritious and taste great at the same time. Here are some of my favorite ways to use Cranberries this year.

Spicy Cranberry Sauce with Pinot Noir - I made this for Thanksgiving and it was a huge hit!

Cranberry Nut Bread - We are obsessed with this recipe. We have made it 6 times (not kidding).

Cranberry Upside-Down Cake - This was pretty good, but not spectacular. Whipped cream is a must to cut the sweetness of this cake,

This morning I made oatmeal with cranberries and pecans. I stirred in a handful of fresh cranberries in the boiling water before adding the oats. They made it taste really unique and also made the oatmeal turn pink! This would be a fun idea if you had kids.

Happy Holidays! Our Christmas Tree is in the house but hasn't been decorated because we have to get new lights. Once we get the lights and ornaments on the tree I will share some photographs.

Thanksgiving

2009-11-27T14:14:00.002-05:00

I am so busy studying for my new job that I don't have time to post. Here is a picture of my Thanksgiving table.

Last Day

2009-11-19T13:05:00.002-05:00

Today is my last day at my current job. A very exciting day indeed. I start the new job on Monday, so not much of a break for me!

I had a great time last night b/c my Friend "L" is in town. She cam over after work and Mr. Foodie and I made dinner for her. We make Chicken Tikka Masala, which I have posted about on this blog before. Such a great dish! Cooks Illustrated is always the best.

I went to World Market today with my 10% coupon and got chestnuts for my Thanksgiving stuffing and spices. They had a special buy 3 get one free on their organic spices which is pretty awesome!

I am so ready for this day to be over with...

A less-stress Thanksgiving

2009-11-16T14:00:00.000-05:00

Here are my tips for a Less-Stress Thanksgiving:

1. Prepare all decorations the weekend before.

2. Polish all silverware and glassware a week before the big day. I have stainless steel flatware and I use a little vinegar and water (50/50 mixture) to keep it looking sparkling clean.

3. I purchase my turkey the Saturday before Thanksgiving to make sure I get the perfect size, and also to ensure adequate defrosting.

4. I do my Thanksgiving food shopping at several stores. I try to buy all of the dry goods on Monday before the big day. I do all of my last minute shopping on Wednesday or Tuesday evening. This is when I buy all of my fresh herbs and produce.

5. I scan all of my recipes to see if there are any specialty food items that are not carried at my local stores. For example, the turkey brine calls for Crystallized Ginger which cannot be found at Publix.

6. On Wednesday I purchase fresh flowers and make any arrangements. This year I am going to hollow out a pumpkin to use as a vase for my flower arrangement.

7. The weekend before I do the major house cleaning projects. Make sure to look at your base boards, blinds, look for fingerprints on doors, etc. I also clean out my refrigerate about a week before to remove any out of date items to make room for Thanksgiving food.

8. Iron all tablecloths and napkins in advance. This year I am making my own napkins and napkin rings. Once complete I will post photographs.

9. Plan your seating arrangements. Create place cards if using. I created place cards with fall themed scrapbooking decorations.

10. Decide on all recipes at least a week in advance. Confirm with guests if they will be bringing any specific items. Set the time for guests to arrive.

11. Determine your wine and alcohol needs. I am making a special cranberry and orange sherbert punch to be served before and after the meal. Make sure you have enough wine for all guests.

12. If serving coffee with dessert, ensure you have adequate mugs, 1/2 and 1/2, sugar, coffee, etc. We do espresso/cappuccino and also plain coffee.

13. On Tuesday I choose cooking vessels for each dish I will be preparing to ensure I have everything I need and don't need to purchase anything else prior to the big day. I know this may sound like a bit too much, but I detest scrambling in my cabinets to find a dish.

14. I use my laundry room to store items that are crowding the kitchen. The washing machine/dryer provides a large surface for temporary storage. For Example, my Kitchenaid stand mixer has a permanent home on my counter top (as well as my toaster oven). After I finish using these appliances on the day of I move them to the laundry room for storage.

15. Entertainment: We create a slide show and have it running on the television. We also create a playlist for pre-dinner, dinner, and post-dinner enjoyment.

16. How to gather with multiple families: Mr. Foodie and I host his family for Thanksgiving dinner. Afterwards my family joins us (my Mom cooks for my family) and they all come over for dessert. This way everyone gets to see each other on Thanksgiving. We also get the added bonus of having multiple desserts!

17. Use cute paper Thanksgiving-themed plates and napkins for dessert to reduce the number of dishes.

18. Make - Ahead: I am doing several things ahead of time this year.
- I am making my cranberry sauce on Wednesday. It tastes better the next day...
- I am making my creamed spinach on Wednesday up until the point of baking it in the oven on Thursday.
- Make ahead gravy is easy.

19. Try to use all of your resources. I have one oven and 4 burners. I am trying to use other kitchen appliances to lighten the load. This year I am making the mashed potatoes in the crock pot. This is great for three reasons: 1. No stove top boiling/kitchenaid mixer. 2. Less dirty dishes. 3. Keep them perfectly warm until ready to serve.

20. Create an oven-schedule. Dtermine everything that must go into the oven on the day of, and schedule accordingly. Remember that resting the turkey once you take it out of the oven is essential. Don't be afraid to let is set, covered with foil for at least 30-45 minutes before carving. It allows the juices to re-distribute themselves, and lets you bake the last minute items and make gravy.

I hope you can use at least one of my ideas above to make your Thanksgiving dinner a sucess.

Absolute Best Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe

2009-11-16T09:17:00.002-05:00

We made this turkey recipe last year with exceptional results. All of our guests raved about the moist and tender turkey and excellent flavor. It was heralded as the best turkey ever! I would like to share the recipe with you in order to inspire your own Turkey masterpiece.

Good Eats Roast Turkey

Ingredients
1 (14 to 16 pound) frozen young turkey [we use a much large turkey b/c we have many guests, and enjoy leftovers]

For the brine:
1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 gallon vegetable stock
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 1/2 teaspoons allspice berries
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped candied ginger
1 gallon heavily iced water

For the aromatics:
1 red apple, sliced
1/2 onion, sliced
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup water
4 sprigs rosemary
6 leaves sage
Canola oil

Directions
2 to 3 days before roasting:
Begin thawing the turkey in the refrigerator or in a cooler kept at 38 degrees F.

Combine the vegetable stock, salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, allspice berries, and candied ginger in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally to dissolve solids and bring to a boil. Then remove the brine from the heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate.

Early on the day or the night before you'd like to eat:
Combine the brine, water and ice in the 5-gallon bucket. Place the thawed turkey (with innards removed) breast side down in brine. If necessary, weigh down the bird to ensure it is fully immersed, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area for 8 to 16 hours, turning the bird once half way through brining.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Remove the bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard the brine.

Place the bird on roasting rack inside a half sheet pan and pat dry with paper towels.
Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick, and 1 cup of water in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Add steeped aromatics to the turkey's cavity along with the rosemary and sage. Tuck the wings underneath the bird and coat the skin liberally with canola oil.

Roast the turkey on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F for 30 minutes. Insert a probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Set the thermometer alarm (if available) to 161 degrees F. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting. Let the turkey rest, loosely covered with foil or a large mixing bowl for 15 minutes before carving.

Cross Stitch

2009-11-13T20:43:00.002-05:00

This is the bread cloth I created for my Thanksgiving table this year. The letters are in dark purple to match my dining room, and napkins I am sewing.

Jobs

2009-11-13T12:28:00.002-05:00

I have great news to report. After months of searching I have landed a new job. I start on 11/23 as a Financial Advisor with Edward Jones. I am looking forward to the challenge. This is a great opportunity to take my career to the next level. I am also excited about helping people achieve their financial goals.

I start off by spending two months studying for the Series 6 & 7. I am confident I can successfully pass the tests. I will then spend time training here at home and out of town. Mr. Foodie has been very supportive through the process. I don't know what I would do without him.

Good luck to anyone out there looking for a job. I know it is hard, but just keep trying. Good things come to those who work hard.

Handmade Holidays

2009-11-12T12:35:00.003-05:00

About a month ago I purchased a sewing machine from costco.com and have since fallen in love with sewing. I have made a Jaguar print apron with black accents, and a Fall-themed table runner shown in an earlier post.

I am the type of person who must have a goal/purpose/task to keep me occupied. The sewing machine has been my saving grace through the past few stressful months.

For my Thanksgiving table I am making Dark Purple napkins, and napkin rings made out of the same cloth as my table runner. I hope to start cutting the fabric this evening. I have already washed/ironed the fabric so all I need to do now is start cutting and sewing. I am going to make 8 napkins. My dining table seats 8 people so I am making an entire set.

I also stitched a bread cloth for my table. It has a cornucopia on it and says Happy Thanksgiving along the sides in dark purple thread. I would be posting more pictures but unfortunately my Nikon lens is in need of repair and I haven't sent it away yet. I need to get on that so I will have it for the holidays!

Dinner...

2009-11-11T20:06:00.002-05:00

Tonight Mr. Foodie and I tag-teamed dinner and the result was spectacular! We baked on dish, and put the other in the refrigerator for another night. We will definitely be making this on again.

This recipe is another great one from Simplyrecipes.com

Sausage, Spinach, Ricotta Stuffed Pasta Shells

Ingredients

1 12-ounce package jumbo pasta shells
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 large egg
16-ounces ricotta cheese
10-ounces chopped frozen spinach, thawed, squeezed dry, chopped further (or 10 ounces chopped fresh spinach)
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 cup unseasoned bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 28-ounce can tomatoes with herbs, including the liquid, tomatoes broken up (or your favorite tomato or pasta sauce)

2 9x13 shallow baking dishes

Method

1 Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (1 teaspoon salt per quart of water). Cook the pasta shells according to the instructions on the package. Drain, rinse in cold water, and set aside.

2 Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Add the onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the sausage to the pan, breaking up the sausage into smaller bits. Cook sausage until cooked through, and no pink remains, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds to a minute more. Remove pan from heat.

3 Beat the egg lightly in a large bowl. Mix in the ricotta, chopped spinach, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese, basil, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, and sausage mixture. Fill each cooked pasta shell with some of the ricotta, spinach, sausage mixture.

4 Spread 1/2 cup chopped canned tomatoes over the bottom of each of the baking dishes. Arrange the stuffed pasta shells in the dishes. Spread the remaining tomatoes over the top of the pasta shells.

At this point you can make ahead, to freeze (up to four months) or refrigerate before cooking. (If freezing, cover with foil, then wrap with plastic wrap.)

5 Heat oven to 375°F. Cover the pans with foil and bake for 30 minutes, until hot and bubbling. Remove foil and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese, bake uncovered for 10 more minutes.

Serves 8.

Cranberry Walnut Bread

2009-11-09T09:18:00.001-05:00

I love cranberries. This fruit is my favorite thing about fall & winter. I am always searching for inspired recipes to incorporate fresh cranberries. My favorite food blog, SimplyRecipes.com has been a great resource for amazing recipes. Below is the recipe for Cranberry Walnut Bread, adapted from the Simply Recipes original recipe.

Cranberry Nut Bread

Ingredients
2 cups flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1 cup chopped cranberries
1 Tbsp Vanilla
3/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 egg, beaten
1 Tbsp grated orange peel

Method
1 Pre-heat oven to 350°F.
2 Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the chopped cranberries and walnuts to coat with the flour mixture.
3 Mix together orange juice, butter, egg, and orange peel. Add to flour, cranberry, nut mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until just blended.
4 Pour into a greased 9x5 or 8x4 loaf pan. Bake at 350°F for 55 to 60 minutes or until done (a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean).
5 Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack.
Serves 8.

Table Runner

2009-10-22T19:28:00.004-04:00

My latest sewing project: a fall-colours table runner for my Sideboard. This project cost me about $8.00. I absolutely love this fabric.

Butternut Squash Bisque

2009-10-22T11:53:00.002-04:00

Last night I made one of my favorite fall soups: Butternut Squash Bisque.

The recipe is adapted from "The Whole Food Cookbook" that I purchased a few years ago. This is one of my favorite cookbooks b/c it contains accesible recipes that can be made on a weeknight. It also emphasizes healthy choices and the use of unique/healthy ingredients.

Recipe:
2 to 3 lb butternut squash, peeled, and cut into 1 inch cubes.
1 Onion - Chopped
4 Carrots - Peeled and Chopped
1 inch piece of Fresh Ginger Minced

Saute in a large stockpot with EVOO for about 5 minutes.

Add 2 quarts of stock or water. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 40 minutes. Add a bunch of chopped parsley and puree' with a stick blender. Add fresh ground nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste.

I also added a little hickory smoked salt for more depth of flavor.

Wish List

2009-10-19T12:13:00.002-04:00

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. Work has been crazy lately, but today I have some free time so why not do something fun. In an effort to ease boredom I have decided to create a Christmas wish list for myself. Here goes...

Handled Cheese Wire from Fantes

Krups Fast-Touch Coffee Mill, Model 203 Recently reviewed by
CooksILlustrated for excellent spice grindining abilities. I have been using whole spices recently, and I need an efficient way to grind them.

New Cooling Racks. I have two that are starting to rust and look bad/are too small. CIA Bakeware 12-Inch x 17-Inch Cooling Rack

All-Clad Stainless 4 quart Saucepan

Jacksonville

2009-09-21T13:51:00.002-04:00

A fellow blogger out there, Jacksonville Reviews, posted her new review of a restaurant called Taverna in San Marco.

I can't wait to visit with friends. We are going out of town this weekend (our Chicago trip) but when we get back we HAVE TO VISIT!

Once I finalize the Chicago trip plans I will be posting them here on the blog. I will also be posting a full trip report once we get back.

I recently discovered an awesome website chow.com. I am sure EVERYONE else out there already knows about it, but I didn't. They have tons of Chicago message boards to take advantage of. They also have boards for many other places. Check it out if you plan on traveling anytime soon and are an obsessive foodie like I am.

Inspiration

2009-09-21T13:48:00.001-04:00

Happy Monday to the world. Not much to report today but I wanted to share an inspirational statement from my co-workers desk calendar....

"Don't waste your life in a job that doesn't express your heart. Remember the greatest things in life are not things. Meaning is far more important than money. Figure out what you love to do - what you have a heart to do - and then do it."

This is what I am working towards every day.

Coat Rack

2009-09-18T09:31:00.003-04:00

Anyone out there have a coat rack? I think I have found my small space entry-way decorating solution. This coat rack is a lovely bright orange color and would look great in my house. It's only $79.95 from CB2(Crate and Barrel spin-off store).

Plans

2009-09-17T14:01:00.002-04:00

The next time Mr. Foodie and I have some free time we are going to make this:

Candied Bacon Ice Cream Photo and Recipe courtesy of http://www.davidlebovitz.com

Oklahoma

2009-09-16T16:21:00.003-04:00

Going to see Oklahoma this Friday night with Mom and her parents. Mr. Foodie bailed on us b/c of the bachelor party so we will have to enjoy it without him. I have the house to myself this weekend. I am looking forward to it. Clean and peaceful. Just me and the cats! I have plans on Friday evening, and then the Jaguar game on Sunday. Sunday is our first home game of the year. I really hope we win this time. I am also hoping to be 2-0 in Fantasy after the weekend.

This weekend I am going to take my cross-stitch to get framed. I am thinking a silver-antique looking frame would be nice. I also hope I get my sewing machine delivered before the weekend so I can practice using it. I did some sewing when I was a kid, but it has been a long time. I am planning on using it to make napkins, place mats, and maybe a runner for our table. I could also make pillow cases. I don't know about making clothes. Maybe pajamas for me and Mr. Foodie. Who knows? I am going to sign up for a class through Joann fabrics. I will report back on my progress.

Weekend in Review

2009-09-14T13:29:00.003-04:00

We had a nice relaxing weekend. We made the carnitas recipe I posted earlier and they turned out great. We still have pork leftover so I think I will serve it over rice tonight with black beans. The White Sangria was also great as usual. Our football team had a disappointing loss this weekend. On a positive note, our college teams won AND my fantasy team had a great win. I love it win the girls beat the guys in fantasy football!

Saturday evening we met our friends at Walker's Wine Bar in Riverside. A cute little place with good atmosphere. I liked that fact that it was extremely crowded and we all had a place to sit. We shared two bottles of bubbly.

We have a very busy weekend coming up. Mr. Foodie is headed to Key West for a bachelor party. He is flying back on Sunday just in time to make the home opener - Jaguars game. I will have the house to myself Friday and Saturday night. Friday we have plans to see Oklahoma with my grandparents, and now I have to find someone to go with me. Hopefully my Mom will step up to the plate.

Carnitas

2009-09-12T19:00:00.000-04:00

Salsa Verde Carnitas Recipe - adapted from SimplyRecipes.com

Ingredients
5 pound pork shoulder, bone-in, (sometimes called "picnic"
1 jar of Salsa Verde
1 onion, finely chopped
3 cups chicken stock
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons coriander
2 teaspoons or oregano
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Salt
12 to 16 corn tortillas, heated and softened
1/4 head of cabbage, very thinly sliced
1 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon seasoned rice vinegar (if you only have unseasoned, add 1/4 teaspoon of sugar to it)
Salt and pepper
1 avocado, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1/2 cup crumbled Cotija Mexican farmer's cheese, or some grated Monterey Jack cheese
Sour Cream

Directions
1 Trim the excess fat from the roast. Put the meat in a large casserole or Dutch oven with salsa verde, onion, stock, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and oregano. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat, cover, and simmer until meat is very tender when pierced, about 3 hours. Turn 3 times during the 3 hours to ensure even cooking.

2 Preheat oven to 400°F. Remove meat from liquid in pot and put the meat into a roasting pan. With 2 forks, tear meat into large shreds. Roast meat for 15 to 20 minutes until parts are brown and crispy. The browning may take up to 30 minutes depending on your oven. Just keep an eye on it.

3. While the meat is roasting, skim and discard fat from liquid in the casserole pan. Boil juices, stirring, until reduced to 2 1/2 cups, 8 to 10 minutes.

4 Return the meat to the Dutch oven. Stir in chopped cilantro. Season with salt.

Serve with heated and softened corn tortillas (20 seconds each in the microwave spread out over a paper towel will heat and softened packaged tortillas sufficiently), diced avocado, crumbed Cotija or grated Monterey jack cheese, sour cream (or crema fresca), and seasoned cabbage slaw.

Seasoned Cabbage Slaw
Place thinly sliced cabbage in a medium sized bowl. Sprinkle on olive oil, seasoned rice vinegar, salt and pepper. You can substitute white vinegar or apple cider vinegar for the rice vinegar, if you do, sprinkle on some sugar to help balance the acidity of the vinegar. Toss. Adjust seasonings. Let sit for 10 minutes for the cabbage to absorb some of the dressing.

The Best Sangria

2009-09-12T14:50:00.002-04:00

I have been making this sangria recipe for about 4 years now with excellent results. It is very refreshing and a crowd-pleaser. Excellent for the start of football season when it is still warm outside (here in Florida it is warm until after Halloween...).

Ingredients:
6 peaches, plums or nectarines, or your favorite combination of stone fruits, halved, pitted and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 1/2 cups peach nectar
1/4 cup orange liqueur, such as Cointreau
1 bottle dry Spanish white wine (white Rioja) or Sauvignon Blanc
2 cups club soda, or more, to taste
Ice cubes for serving

Directions:
In a large pitcher, combine the fruit, peach nectar, orange liqueur and wine. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 12 hours. Stir in the club soda and ladle the sangria into ice-filled glasses. Serve immediately. Serves 6 to 8.

Inspired Design

2009-09-11T14:30:00.004-04:00

SCAD: Savannah College of Art and Design

I just found out that they have an online shop where you can purchase items from the artists affiliated with the school. They have jewelry, decor, fine art, stationery, etc. I personally enjoyed this peice:

I want to buy this shirt for Mr. Foodie, but it is meant for women and his 6"4' self wouldn't be able to fit in it. For those who don't know, his groom's cake was a large stick of butter. Yes, I didn't make a mistake. A LARGE STICK OF BUTTER!!!

13 Gypsies - Jacksonville, FL

2009-09-11T08:33:00.003-04:00

Last night we had a lovely dinner with out great Friends A&J. They just started their first jobs (real post-college jobs) as first year associates with their respective law firms. I wish them all the best. I know they will be successful at whatever they do. I am trying to get one of them to do a guest post on here but they are super busy.

They asked me to review the restaurant we went to last night so here goes.

13 Gypsies - Restaurant in Jacksonville, FL

The restaurant has a pretty good atmosphere however they could make some changes. There is too much open space. I know it sounds crazy for me to request this, but I feel like they should put more tables in. That would make it a little more cozy and give it a European bistro feel. The staff was friendly, but not exceptional. No complaints. Our server was willing to answer my list of questions about the menu without an attitude.

The Food
The restaurant markets itself as a Peasant Kitchen. Here is a quote from the website/menu:
"STAYING TRUE TO HIS ROOTS, CHEF HOWARD HAS FOLLOWED AND CAPTURED THE DOCUMENTED GYPSY MIGRATORY TRAIL... OUT OF INDIA AND WEST ACROSS CENTRAL EUROPE, ITALY, FRANCE, SPAIN, AND NORTHERN AFRICA. KEEPING THE RECIPES OF EACH LOCATION AS CLOSE TO TRADITIONAL AS POSSIBLE."

We ordered 6 tapas and 2 desserts with a side of Flat Bread and Peasant Bread. I will start with the 6 tapas dishes:

STREET STYLE PORK KABOBS - OLD WORLD MOORISH SPICED KABOBS, WITH FLATBREAD - The pork was extremely overcooked. The cut of meat was indistinguishable, but the spices were good.

SPANISH 'GAMBAS AL AJILLO' - SHRIMP SAUTÉED IN OLIVE OIL, GARLIC, AND RED PEPPER. - This was our least favorite dish. In a coastal fishing town like Jacksonville, Fl previously frozen imported shrimp from China just won't cut it. If it's a price thing, increase it and buy the best ingredients. We found ourselves very disappointed with this item.

ROMAN GNOCCHI SEMOLINA AND PARMESAN FLATS, TOPPED WITH A MUSHROOM TAREEFI SAUCE. - This was the star of the show however I have several comments to make. The dish should have been a little warmer to start out with. The plate should have been warmed before plating the food. The flavors were good, especially the Parmesan which was a high quality cheese. The mushrooms were cooked perfectly however there should have been more of them on the plate. After careful consideration of the meal, it is possible that we liked this dish the most because it was the only carb dish we tried, everything else was meat and seafood. It was also the last dish to be delivered and the flavors in it were nothing like the others we tried.

FRESH CHORIZO AND PEARS - CHEF'S HANDMADE CHORIZO SAUSAGE, SAUTÉED WITH PEARS AND SPICED DATES - The Chorizo was a little dry in my opinion however the flavors were good. A thought the dish lacked texture. We determined that the dates should have been caramelized to give them more of a crunch to contrast with the sausage and pears. Overall the flavors were pleasant.

ANGRY BULLPAN SEARED BEEF FILET, SERVED WITH PACHECO SAUCE AND CROWNED WITH CRUSHED RAW GARLIC AND PEPPERCORNS - We enjoyed this dish very much. The peppercorns added a great crunch to the beef. The sauce was very unique, like nothing I had ever tried before.

BLACKENED OCTOPUS - SECTIONS OF TENDERIZED OCTOPUS, BLACKENED WITH CHEFS OWN SPICE BLEND. The table enjoyed this dish however it need to be crispier in order to call it blackened. The spices were great and the butter sauce was incredible. It just needed a little more sear on it to make it perfect.

Bread: The Peasant Bread was blase' while the flatbread was satisfying.

Dessert: Both of the desserts we ordered were okay, but not exceptional: Bread Pudding and their famous Tres Leches cake. We were not impressed.

In sum, I think we would go back to this place. The wine and sangria was inexpensive which was a refreshing change to most restauarants. The bill for two couples was 117.00. This included a bottle of house white, and 2 carafes of Sangria. Not bad for a pleasant evening with friends.

Design: Entryway

2009-09-10T14:45:00.003-04:00

I have been looking for something new to dress up my entryway. The space is very barren, but very small. I have to find something small but trendy/modern. Crate and Barrel has recently offered many more furniture options, and I found this: Ully Tall Pedestal Table

What do you think? My only concern is that it would not contrast enough with the wood sideboard I have. I also like this pedestal table as well: Clairemont 27" Pedestal Table

10 ways to waste time

2009-09-09T16:39:00.003-04:00

Many of my work days are filled with nothing to do. Especially late in the afternoons, when I run out of half-way legitimate things... I thought I would share 10 ways for you to waste your time.

1. Join a Fantasy Football League. This provides you with tons of time-wasting material to sift through. If there is money involved (which there is in my league) you can even justify it. Sort of.

2. Cake Wrecks - My favorite website/blog in cyberspace. Whenever I am REALLY bored (like right now at 4:41 PM, I check out the latest post and browser older ones).

3. Read about my fave NFL Football team: The Jacksonville Jaguars.

4. Facebook Stalking - An oldie but goodie.

5. Read TheOnion.com - Hilarious, Seriously Laugh Out Loud stuff here.

6. Check the sale section on Williams Sonoma.com & Pottery Barn.com.

7. Crossword puzzles. I am obsessed. I have this ludicrous notion that doing them will prevent me from getting Alzheimer's one day.

8. Play Solitaire on my iPhone. Mr. Foodie claims I am obsessed with this activity.

9. Look up recipes in the Internet. Plan dinner parties that will never happen. Look up Thanksgiving recipes.

10. Sleep. Yes.... I have an office. I close the door, and sleep sitting in my chair. The good news is that my back is to the door so no one can see me. I reason that I can wake up if someone opens/knocks on the door. So far so good.

Oklahoma

2009-09-09T15:10:00.003-04:00

I just got back from the dentist office where I FINALLY got my permanent crown put on. This whole root canal/crown business has cost me about $600 out of pocket (I have dental insurance) and at least a full day's work. Not to mention the discomfort and annoyance that has gone on for about a month.

Enough complaining....

I do have some good news. Mr. Foodie and I are going to go see our city's symphony perform Oklahoma with my grandparents. We call them "Grandma and Grandpa." My Grandmother loves musicals and brought me up singing and dancing all of the time. We are going to a nice dinner ahead of time, and then taking a shuttle to the symphony center.

Mr. Foodie and I are very lucky because we both have awesome families that get along very well. We enjoy spending time with the grandparents on both sides which is refreshing. Also... I know some of you out there might think I am crazy, but, I love my Mother-in-law like my own Mom. She is one of my best friends, and I don't know what i would do without her. I guess that is what happens when you meet your future mother-in-law at 15...

So here's a toast to all the mothers out there - Thanks for all you do.

Green Street Hooligans

2009-09-09T11:42:00.002-04:00

Last night was Dinner and a Movie at our house. Mr. Foodie made his famous mashed potatoes (he whips them up in our Kitchenaid stand mixer) and one of our all time favorite dishes Pork Au Poivre. We first made this dish about 2 years ago after watching Elie Krieger's show On Demand. Mr. Foodie likes to make recipes while watching them being made on a television cooking show. I can't stand doing this. I HAVE to have a printed recipe for me to read. This really illuminates our two contrasting learning styles! We tried the recipe and loved it so much that we continue to make it regularly. We have also served it to friends on several occasions with good results.

Click on the link above for the recipe. It will take you directly to the food network site.

We watched Green Street Hooligans. Mr. Foodie swears that I put this movie in our Netflix Queue, however I totally disagree with him. A movie about soccer, street fighting and gangs? I DON'T THINK SO! The movie was ok, made me really miss London.

I also completed about 50 stitches on a new cross-stitch piece I am working on. It is a Lighthouse Christmas Ornament for our tree. Mr. Foodie picked it out. I am done with the "sky" above the light house.

Blut

2009-09-08T14:23:00.002-04:00

What is Blut?

It is a noun?
A verb?
A body part?

Blut = Blogging + Rut, or a Blogging Rut

Webster's Dictionary defines it as the lack of witty things in blog posting. Uninspired topics. A state of blandness and mediocrity. A disease affecting millions of newly formed blogs in cyberspace.

I am close to hitting 100 posts and I find myself running out of things to say. This brings up several more fundamental questions: 1. Is my life THAT boring that I can't find things to type about to complete strangers? 2. Is this some type of blogging litmus test? 3. Will I pass?

After a thorough scan of the literature, the prognosis for my Blut diagnosis looks good. I am instructed to follow a strict regimen containing the following:
1. Positivity - Live it, Breathe it, Be it
2. Don't give up on the things I like to do and replace them with moping, TV, and sleeping/picking fights with husband.
3. Get this whole job mess sorted out. Do you know how it feels for a control freak like myself to not know what's coming next? Really.... *I just had a physical reaction to typing the previous sentence: Teeth grinding, jaw clenching, tense muscles. I <3 anxiety.

Sunday!

2009-09-06T10:59:00.003-04:00

Good morning everyone. Mr. Foodie is in the kitchen cooking up a nice breakfast for us. His new specialty is Creamy Dreamy Grits - a recipe from the Flying Biscuit cookbook. The cookbook is published by a restaurant name the Flying Biscuit in Atlanta, Georgia. The restaurant is one of mother in law's favorite places to go when she visits her best friend in Atlanta. The Creamy Dream Grist will CHANGE YOUR MIND about grits. I am from the south, so grits already have a special place in my heart. I know there are many grit haters out there but you need to try these grits before judging.

Also - I bought a pair of boots online this morning in preparation for fall. Mr. Foodie helped me pick them out. I haven't had boots in a while, so I think it will be a nice change.

We have a couple of activities planned for today. We are going to go on a guided ranger tour of Kingsley Plantation at 2:00 PM. This is a really cool place here in Jacksonville, right down the road from where we got married. We are going to take our camera and take some photographs at Kingsley and at the Ribault Club (our wedding location). In my opinion, this is one of the top 5 wedding venues in North Florida. I will post some photographs here on the blog once we get back.

Employment Mayhem

2009-09-03T14:36:00.002-04:00

I have some great news on the job search front. I currently have two really great prospects that I am excited about. I will share the details about the two options and give you a status update.

Job 1: This job would be a sales position with a major health insurance agency. Salary would be base + commission. Advantages to this include the following: Major Company (less likely to go away any time soon), Steady income (some ups and downs based on my performance), possibility of promotion (never a certain thing with a big company), and the big plus: Benefits. The only reason the benefits thing matters is because I have several health conditions that may make it hard for me to qualify for an individual health policy.

Job 2: This would be a sales position with a small local employee benefits agency. Here I would have a lot of opportunity. Salary would be base + commission, but the commission would be highly variable based on my performance. This job would require more work, but also much more satisfaction. I would have flexible hours and the ability to work as much as I would like. I could easily be making some serious cash about 1 year or so from now. The only negatives to this job are the lack of benefits, the fact that it is a very small company, and it would require a certain amount of risk.

I am 90% sure I will be able to choose one of them. I am heavily leaning towards job #2 but it will require me to step outside of my comfort zone. I thrive in a challenging environment. In my current job I spend most of time doing NOTHING (like blogging) because I literally don't have anything else to do... I will keep you guys updated. Thanks for your continued support.

Life Update

2009-09-02T09:59:00.002-04:00

A couple things I wanted to share with you all this morning:

1. I went to the dentist yesterday to get my permanent crown and the dentist chipped a minute piece of porcelain off so they have to send it back to the lab and I have to go back to the dentist. I am a little annoyed at this. I am so tired of going to that dentist office and missing time from work.

2. I have my interview tomorrow at 11AM with an awesome job prospect. I am nervous about it and excited at the same time. If this works out I will be so happy, I can barely control myself.

3. Mr. Foodie loved the Pottery Barn glasses. He was so excited and surprised that I found them.

4. College Football starts this weekend. We are spending Saturday with my parents eating ribs and watching the games.

I have had horrible nightmares all of this week. I am attributing it to a new allergy medicine the Doctor has me taking. I normally have nightmares occasionally, but nothing like this. Usually side effects like this are short-lived so I am confident it will end soon. I will just have to stick it out until then!

Crafting

2009-09-01T16:40:00.000-04:00

I have mentioned several times about my forays into the crafting world. I have some great news. I finally finished a Cross Stitch I have been working on for quite some time. I am going to post a photo as soon as I take a good one. The only step now is to get it professionally framed to hang on the wall.

The pattern is called a "wedding record." I choose to customize the colors with Hot Pink and Black, the colors from my wedding. The pattern includes our names and our wedding date. My Mom always did cross stitch when I was a little girl, and so did my Mother In Law. I picked it up about a year ago and I have really enjoyed it. I am a high strung person with a lot of anxiety at times, so cross stitching helps me because I can calm down while intensely focusing on something other than what is causing me anxiety.

My next project is to make another Christmas Ornament. I bought a pattern last year that has 16 different ornaments in it. I completed one last fall, and I just started a new one. I let Mr. Foodie pick it out. It has a Light House and Sailboat on it. I have only done about 30 stitches on it, but I thought I should go ahead and get started. I can't wait to show you all my handy work.

TOOOsday

2009-09-01T12:06:00.003-04:00

I visited Pottery Barn today on a whim before returning back to the office after my dentist appointment and I found an amazing deal of glassware. Mr. Foodie and I have an obsession with glassware. We have red wine glasses, white wine glasses, port glasses, margarita glasses, brandy snifters, champagne flutes, Pina Colada glasses, Pint Glasses, Pilsner Glasses, Irish Coffee Glasses, Martini Glasses, stemless martini glasses, and shot glasses. I think that is everything. You may have noticed that I didn't mention highballs and lowballs. We have 7 glasses left over from college, 2 from Pier 1 I purchased Sophomore year, several from a set we bought at Target, and 2 GlenLivett branded glasses we got free when buying scotch. However, do not fear. I have finally remedied the situation. While browsing in Pottery Barn I found the glasses we had been wanting to purchase for $4 a glass. Also I got $3 off for purchasing a set of 6. I was able to buy 8 highballs and 2 low balls. The rest of the set is on hold at another store in town. I will be going there tonight after work to finish off the set. I am super excited! I can't wait to tell Mr. Foodie. I would love to share a picture of the glasses but I can't find them on the website.

I also purchased a Basket for holding magazines which is not on the website either. Oh well, sorry for the severe lack of visuals.

2 things I Love

2009-08-31T13:52:00.004-04:00

Ziggy Black and White Pillow from Crate and Barrel.

Fish tank end table.... love it. Available at Costco.com

Fun things

2009-08-31T13:30:00.002-04:00

I am starting my Thanksgiving Dinner planning earlier this year so I can make everything perfect. I went to Hobby Lobby (it is 1 mile away from work) and got place cards and decorations to customize them. I have very cute place card holders I bought myself for Christmas last year. I would put up a picture but they don't sell them anymore at Crate and Barrel. I got plain white cards that I will write names on with silver/gold metallic markers and little fall colored leaves to customize. I am going to do this at least a month in advance. Last year I create a tablescape so i will be using that again this year. I might consider making my own placemats and table runner if I get in the mood. I am thinking about buying a used sewing machine. I am sure I could find one on Craigslist or something. I used to sew when I was a kid so I am sure I could pick it right up again.

I have several projects I would like to do: Placemats, runner, Tablecloth, napkins

Sunday Dinner

2009-08-30T20:47:00.002-04:00

Honey Baked Ham
Recipe Courtesy of The Neelys on FoodNetwork.com

We are also having baked potatoes and a veggie. Mr. Foodie has been begging for baked potatoes for a long time. We have leftover buttery apple torte I made for a dinner party Saturday night so we are ready to go! Buenos Noches.

Sunday Funday

2009-08-30T17:36:00.002-04:00

I went shopping with my Mom yesterday and successfully purchased a new suit for my interview this week. I just need to get it dry cleaned before then, and possibly purchase some new shoes. We always need new shoes... I also got a new pair of jeans which I wore last night. We had a great time shopping and chatting. We hadn't spent any quality time together in a while because things have been so hectic.

Mr. Foodie didn't have to work today which was a nice surprise. We stayed in bed until 10:30 AM with the cats. We are having a lazy day so far. We watched Project Runway from this week on the DVR. I am annoyed that they kicked off Malvin instead of Mitchell. We also watched the latest Top Chef and another show about animals who are living in the Chernobyl zone who are thriving, despite the radiation. Mr. Foodie recorded the show because it focused on a Momma Cat and her Kittens. They were so cute! I tried to talk him into getting another cat, but he says 2 is the max.

we are trying to find a recipe to make for dinner tonight, I will let you know what we decide on.

Jobs

2009-08-28T08:41:00.005-04:00

I currently have a job that is making me miserable because of the in-fighting and corporate politics. I decided I was not going to be a victim and have actively been searching for a new job for a couple of months. This week I have several good leads, with 3 phone interviews.

I basically have three options:
1. Safe corporate job with benefits, and limited financial potential
2. Middle of the road, small company, more risk than job #1 and good financial potential
3. Independent Contractor affiliated with an agency, high risk, high reward.

At this point in my life I am leaning between 2 and 3. I have done the corporate thing for 3 years and I am over it. I need a challenge. I want to work in an environment that lets me reach my full potential. I am going to call back job #2 today to set up an in-person interview.

This also means I need to buy a new suit this weekend, so hopefully I can get my Mom to go shopping with me. My Mom is what I refer to as a Power Shopper. Give her a mission, and she will find what you are looking for. All at a great price! I love my Mom, she is such an inspiration when it comes to accomplishing things.

I will keep you updated. I like these two suit jackets...

Photos from medieval times weekend...

2009-08-27T09:54:00.002-04:00

If you would like to see the entire photo album I put it on Facebook: Album

This is my favorite picture of the weekend: Mr. Foodie in a cutout cardboard face.

Bridesmaid Dresses

2009-08-27T08:54:00.000-04:00

I love this color scheme and wish my Sister liked this color green....

Early morning posting

2009-08-27T08:36:00.002-04:00

The weather outside is gray and dingy. It's going to rain off and on all day. At least it won't be 100 degrees constantly. It's Thursday, almost Friday, and I can barely control my enthusiasm. This hasn't been the best week, several things have gone wrong that I don't really have control over. I am determined to make things better by Friday night. We may be having dinner with friends Friday which will definitely make things better. In order to cheer myself up, I am going to make a list of 10 things I have to look forward to.

1. Football Season: Jaguars, College Football, and Fantasy.
2. Our trip to Chicago at the end of September.
3. Mr. Foodie's surprise birthday trip at the end of October.
4. Achieving my goal of losing 10 pounds by the end of September. I am giving myself a month to make up for mistakes.
5. Thanksgiving - I love to have an excuse to cook a huge meal. I also love turkey and dressing like a mad woman. Typing this reminds me that I need to try out a couple new dressing and gravy recipes before Thanksgiving. We have our turkey cooking method perfected, but other areas could use improvement.
6. My Sister possibly getting engaged
7. Having children..... eventually +/- 5 years
8. Finishing the cross stitch I have been working on for a year. I will be able to finish it in about 3 additional working hours.
9. Finishing/ordering my wedding album AND creating an album to present to the parents/grandparents.
10. Blogging on in to the fall.

Men

2009-08-26T12:14:00.001-04:00

"It doesn't suck being a man" from Nealz Nuze.

Your last name stays put.
The garage is all yours.
Wedding plans take care of themselves.
Chocolate is just another snack.
You can be President.
You can never be pregnant.
You can wear a white T-shirt to a water park.
You can wear NO shirt to a water park
Car mechanics tell you the truth
The world is your urinal.
You never have to drive to another gas station restroom because this one is just too icky.
You don't have to stop and think of which way to turn a nut on a bolt.
Same work, more pay.
Wrinkles add character.
Wedding dress $5000. Tux rental-$100.
People never stare at your chest when you're talking to them.
New shoes don't cut, blister, or mangle your feet.
One mood all the time.
Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat.
You know stuff about tanks..
A five-day vacation requires only one suitcase.
You can open all your own jars..
You get extra credit for the slightest act of thoughtfulness.
If someone forgets to invite you, he or she can still be your friend
Your underwear is $8.95 for a three-pack.
Three pairs of shoes are more than enough.
You almost never have strap problems in public.
You are unable to see wrinkles in your clothes.
Everything on your face stays its original color.
The same hairstyle lasts for years, maybe decades.
You only have to shave your face and neck.
You can play with toys all your life.
One wallet and one pair of shoes -- one color for all seasons.
You can wear shorts no matter how your legs look.
You can 'do' your nails with a pocket knife.
You have freedom of choice concerning growing a mustache.
You can do Christmas shopping for 25 relatives on December 24 in 25 minutes.

Random Thoughts

2009-08-26T11:53:00.002-04:00

Hello everyone out there - Hello to anyone who is reading...

Today's post is going to be about random things. First, my husband has never read my blog and this bothers me. Every time I ask him about it he says "I live the blog, why should I have to read it." Second, I am trying to get my sister to start a blog. She keeps talking about it but hasn't taken the plunge.

The chicken I made last night turned out pretty bad. Mr. Foodie refused to eat it. It really disappoints me when a recipe doesn't turn out well. Thanks alot Giada! Luckily we had leftovers from Monday evening... When a recipe doesn't turn out I take it as a personal offense to my cooking skills and it really bothers me. I need to get over it.

I am seriously thinking about getting a personal trainer. There is a new gym right next to my house that I drive by every day on my way home from work. I just need to take the plunge and get in shape. Relying on my husband for any help is just not working. I need to take matters into my own hands.

Also - I can't stand my job any more. I am so tired of doing the same stupid stuff over and over again. I need a challenge and I am not getting that. Plus I am underpaid and disrespected by my boss constantly. I applied for two jobs today so hopefully someone will call me back. I am so tired of working here I can hardly stand it.

Budget Report

2009-08-25T08:32:00.002-04:00

Good news - I went to the grocery store yesterday and spent $80 bucks on food to last us for at least a week. I saved $50 by using my own coupons, and taking advantage of store BOGO offers. I am very excited about the outcome.

Last night for dinner I created a recipe using ingredients on hand. It was a pasta with ground turkey, onions, and peppers with a little chili powder, red pepper flakes, tomato paste, and siracha for flair. I also poured a dash of rose' wine in at the end with a little lemon zest and juice to finish. I wasn't very confident with the dish, I am always weary when not using a recipe, but Mr. Foodie loved it.

I also made a desert - a Buttery Apple Tort. I used thinly sliced golden delicious apples and it turned out great. It had a custard feel to it which Mr. Foodie loves. I had a small little slice in an effort to keep the calories down. I will be making this simple and easy desert again.

*Recipe and Photo Courtesy of Simple Recipes

Foodie on a budget

2009-08-24T15:04:00.003-04:00

Lately I have been trying to spend less money. One of the biggest parts of our budget is the food, drink, and "going out" category. I am attempting to retain my flair for great food while managing our money better. I have decided to deploy several strategies:

Strategy 1: Use what I already have in my refrigerator and pantry.

I currently have a few frozen meat items in my freezer: Italian Pork Sausage, Flank Steak, and Chicken thighs. I am pledging to use these items before buying any other meat items, except for a special occasion (party). I also have a pantry full of sauces, vegetables, rice, pastas, etc. I definitely need to use these items before buying others (except for BOGOs and other great coupons).

What to do with the Italian Pork Sausage? Simply grilled

What to do with the Flank Steak? I am going to marinate the flank steak using multiple pantry ingredients and broil or grill. I will likely serve with rice and a veggie.

What to do with the Chicken thighs? Giada's Balsamic Roasted Chicken

All three of these dinners require me to purchase approximately 3-5 items. I will report back on my progress.

Project Runway Allstars and Season 6

2009-08-21T13:56:00.006-04:00

Project Runway All-Stars

Nothing on TV besides sports can get me shouting at the screen except Project Runway. Throw in a 2 hour All-Star designer challenge and a glass of champagne and somebody is violating the noise ordinance. First of all, I want to point out that Santino is a twisted weirdo with serious mental issues. I never want to see him again. Secondly, Sweetp's clothes are hideous and I can't believe they even allowed her on a show called "All-Stars."

I am so unbelievably pissed off that Daniel V won the 100K. The Red Carpet Dress was made out of tarp material. Yes, you read that correctly, TARP. Tarp, as in a plastic woven covering my Dad uses to keep his firewood out of the elements. Tarp, as in a makeshift homeless person's abode. Tarp, as in the Federal Bailout Plan, okay not going there with politics on the blog.

Back on topic, I loved both Korto and Uli's designs. Why do they hate on the women of Project Runway? It seemed pretty clear that Daniel and the rest of the crew: Heidi, Michael, and Nina all have some type of secret love affair with Daniel V. I have perused several Project Runway blogs out there and everyone is clamoring for Korto's vengeance. That sounds like a dreaded disease or a book written by Joseph Conrad.

Project Runway Season 6: Episode 1
I was so worked up from watching All-Stars that I eagerly dove into Season 6 while Mr. Foodie hung our most recent home decor purchase on the wall (more on that later). This season contains the craziest people yet. My favorite quote of the show from Malvin "I don't differentiate between different colored carpets." I loved it so much I had to put it on Facebook... with reactions from long lost friends. While I disliked the crazy Ari, it was unacceptable that they let Mitchell stay on the show with that disgusting sheer fabric mess. That was a "Hot Mess" is you ask me.

As far as the winner, I can see why Christopher won the challange, but I LOVED the navy blue gown from Ra'Mon. It is difficult for my to type "Ra'Mon" with a straight face...

My last thought on the subject... STOP THE CRYING! I am so tired of all of the crying, happy crying, sad crying, crystal meth addiction crying, whambulance crying, drama crying etc. Get over it!

One more thing -> Why have Lindsey Lohan on the show? She is such a loser and didn't belong there with her trashy looking self.

Pickled Cucumer Soup: Food Stories

2009-08-21T09:28:00.004-04:00

This morning I discovered a new Foodie blog out there from a UK writer, Food Stories.

I found the blog by searching for a soup my Boss just tried in New York yesterday at a Polish Restaurant. The mysterious dish is known as Pickled Cucumber Soup. I know it sounds quite disgusting at first glance, but he assures me that it is good. The Food Stories post provides historical and anecdotal information about the soup, as well as a recipe with variations. I am not sure if I will be trying this one any time soon but I thought it would be interesting.

On another note, while perusing the blog I found that the author and I share an obsession with anchovies. If you also love the salty creatures then head over to Food Stories for recipes that celebrate their goodness.

Bon Appetit

2009-08-20T20:37:00.004-04:00

In the spirit of Julia & Julia, and great friends... I hosted a dinner last Saturday night. Here are a few photos to cheer you up!

What I am listening to...

2009-08-20T16:49:00.002-04:00

BBC Radio 1 - Chart Singles
My Faves:
Calvin Harris - Ready for the Weekend
Cascada - Evacuate the Dance Floor
Lady Gage - ANYTHING!
My guilty pleasure - Remixes of Beyonce's Halo

My Can't Stand hearing it:
Pitbull - I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho) - This may be the most ridiculous song ever written and released to the public. I am unable to verbally express my dislike for this song on my blog. It requires hand motions and facial expressions that words can't describe.

One King's Lane

2009-08-20T12:05:00.002-04:00

I joined a new site recently called One King's Lane. They have different sales every day from home designers. Products range from candles to pillows, and even wine glasses! At first I was highly skeptical, but today I made my first purchase. I bought 12 Barbara Barry Wedgewood Crystal wine glasses for $132.95 including shipping (no sales tax)! If I purchases them from Macy's or Bed, Bath, and Beyond I would have spent $39 plus tax, for a minimum total of $468.00. I am super excited about my new glasses which should arrive in about 2 weeks. I was very tempted to purchase a few pillows, but I had to hold myself back.

Back from the Dead

2009-08-19T22:13:00.002-04:00

I have officially re-entered the human race again. I have been sick for over 5 days with various ailments:
1. Severe and sudden back ache that occurred with no warning on Saturday
2. Sore Throat and Couch
3. Root Canal that took 4 hours to complete because my tooth had 4 roots instead of the normal 2 roots.
4. TMJ Inflammation and Headache associated with the dental work.

I have been sleeping and in pain for days now, but I am finally feeling better. Tonight I was able to do some housework and even cooked dinner. I made one of my favorite comfort dishes: Split Pea Soup. This soup is very good, actually I am eating some right now. The best thing is that there is little fat, and it is high in protein and vegetables. If anyone would like the recipe just let me know.

Julia & Julia

2009-08-14T20:52:00.002-04:00

I saw Julia & Julia last night with my friend "J." Our husbands were supposed to join us, but at the last minute they decided to see G.I. Joe instead. Us girls really enjoyed the film. We laughed the ENTIRE time! J and her husband love Paris more than any other city in the world. The movie is a blast to watch.

I have designed a menu for tomorrow night inspired by the movie.
Specialty Drink: Loire Lemonade
First Course: Escargot with garlic butter and a splash of cognac
Main: Coq au Vin
Dessert: Apple Torte

I might toss in a simple salad and make a caramel sauce for the apple torte depending on how ambitious I feel tomorrow.

First the bad news...

2009-08-14T18:06:00.002-04:00

I went to the dentist this morning to find out I have to get a root canal. I am absolutely terrified. I have to take anti-biotics until then which always make me feel weird. I am trying to push this out of my head completely.

On a positive note...

I am making dinner for friends tomorrow night. I just have to decide on recipes, etc. I know we will be serving our new favorite Loire Lemonade. I have narrowed it down to three selections:

1. Indian Menu: Samosas (if I have time), Chicken Tikka Masala (I made this once before and it was INCREDIBLE), and Indian Spice Rice Pilaf with dates and parsley.

2. Hungarian Beef Stew Dinner with Egg Noodles & Sautéed Spinach with Leeks and Hazelnuts.

3. Coq Au Vin with french accompaniments.

I will update you later with my decision. I am trying to get input from Mr. Foodie but he is watching TV and won't respond to questions right now. :)

Fundamental Questions about life

2009-08-13T12:55:00.007-04:00

If you could live the rest of your life as a movie, which movie would you choose?

I heard this on BBC Radio One on my drive to work today. I posed this question on Facebook this morning with the following responses thus far:

Labyrinth or Fifth Element

Love, Actually

White Chicks (this is from my brother in law)

I have been thinking long and hard about this and it is too difficult to make a decision... Here are my top 3 choices:

1. The Secret Garden (the old version) - I read this book over 12 times as a kid. Yes, I had OCD from a very young age.

2. Sophia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette with Kirsten Dunst - I know she dies, but I love the clothes and glamour.

3. Star Wars - I spent much of my childhood fantasizing about being a Star Wars character. To this day I am still enthralled by space exploration and the sci-fi genre.

About Me

2009-08-12T23:01:00.001-04:00

I love puns and stupid jokes. It drives my husband crazy. I love my two cats more than anything. I want to name my 2 future children after British Monarchs. I like to cook and bake. I love using my camera to take photos. I like to decorate cakes. I am addicted to the Young and the Restless. I like martinis and champagne. I love cheese. I love driving my car. I would agree to give up 2 years of my life for a year of non-stop traveling with my husband. I like purses and shoes. I hate body hair. I don't understand the movie Tron from the 80's and my husband doesn't understand why. I was recently converted to Star Trek obsession status in the past few years. I love my parents and my in-laws. I can't stand people who do things slowly, especially those who talk slowly and don't understand things quickly. Especially at work. I hate Bill O'Reilly because he yells all the time. I REALLY dislike hearing other people chew while they are eating. I have to turn the music/TV up loud to overcome the chewing noises.

Wednesday Night

2009-08-12T22:48:00.003-04:00

Good evening my friends. I made the stuffed zucchini recipe I mentioned a few days ago. I was lucky because zucchini was on sale at my local grocery store. The recipe is great, very easy, and has little to no fat. Mr. Foodie really enjoyed it.

We took an evening bike ride tonight. We are lucky because Mr. Foodie's grandparents live very close so we rode over to their house and made a surprise visit. His grandparents are 86 and 85 years old! I hope we both live that long.

My Sister is thinking about starting a blog after reading mine. I offered to let her be a guest blogger to give it a spin before taking the plunge. I really hope she takes me up on my offer. I am also working on Mr. Foodie to be a guest blogger. After all, the title of the blog is Mr. and Mrs. Foodie. He assures me he is going to work on something to post on the blog. He is watching Star Trek Deep Space Nine right now and eating 2 slaw dogs. I am not kidding....

Only 2 days left until the weekend. We are going to see Julia & Julia tomorrow evening with friends. I will post a review of the movie here for all to read.

Inspirational Quote:
"People create their own questions because they are afraid to look straight. All you have to do is look straight and see the road, and when you see it, don't sit looking at it - walk." - Ayn Rand

2 Pictures Game

2009-08-11T19:40:00.004-04:00

2 Pictures Game - Inspired by Oh, Mishka

My boy kitty Southpaw always sits on the back of the computer chair cleaning himself, and licking my hair while I use the computer.

Mr. Foodie's 1st Solo Flight frame. I haven't mentioned this before, but Mr. Foodie is taking private pilot lessons and I am super proud of him.

Fish Stew Tuesday

2009-08-11T19:33:00.006-04:00

My Ingredients are ready to go in the pot. Yes.... I do have a hot pink cutting board.

Another view

The finished product is ready to be served. Mr. Foodie insisted on serving it over rice, so he whipped up a batch of Basmati to serve the fish stew over. I love the way Basmati smells while you cook it.

Tuesday

2009-08-11T13:14:00.005-04:00

Our latest purchase arrived in the mail yesterday from West Elm. Mr. Foodie hung it on the wall before I got home from work in the bedroom. It looks great. The frame is much larger in person. We are now picking out a new color to paint our bedroom. Mr. Foodie wants a darker blue color, so I am probably going to give in on this one considering her let me paint my kitchen purple... We are slowly making the house look a little better. I am also on the hunt for rugs. Rugs are expensive and I can never find what I like. I find this very frustrating.

Going to see Julia & Julia some time this week which is exciting. I'll review the movie here once I see it. Also be on the lookout for a review of the Fish Stew I posted about a few days ago.

Whisk Necklace

2009-08-11T08:40:00.003-04:00

I purchased this necklace from ExoDesign on Etsy.com. I absolutely love this necklace. It is exquisitely crafted and everyone loves it. I highly encourage everyone to check out her shop for beautiful handmade jewelry with a modern twist.

Cupcakes to die for...

2009-08-10T09:54:00.003-04:00

I made the cupcake recipe below on Saturday for a dinner party hosted by our lovely friends. They were spectacular and I will definitely be making them again. What a hit!

Chocolate Cupcakes: Recipe courtesy of Williams-Sonoma

I topped the cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream Icing, also courtesy of Williams-Sonoma.

*The above photograph is from the Williams-Sonoma Website, and is not my own.

Saturday Morning

2009-08-08T10:33:00.004-04:00

Good morning everyone! My Saturday mornings are usually filled with household tasks like laundry and cleaning, and grocery shopping. Mr. Foodie works almost every weekend so I am always here at home missing him desperately. Tonight we are having a dinner party with our friends, the hostess is making roast beef for the first time. I applaud her efforts, and can't wait to try it out. I volunteered to bring dessert. I am going to make chocolate cupcakes using a Williams-Sonoma recipe, with Chocolate Buttercream frosting. This is the best of both worlds: Cupcakes are compact and easy, and I get to practice my decorating skills with the frosting. I haven't mentioned this before, but I have taken cake decorating classes and I love to use them whenever I can.

I am also doing my meal planning for the rest of the week. I have been browsing my new favorite recipe blog, Simply Recipes. This is such as great site. The photographs are beautiful and the recipes are easy to understand. In addition, the blog author provides little anecdotes about her family and history. I have decided to make these two recipes:

Dad's Fish Stew
&
Stuffed Zucchini with Turkey Sausage

These are both easy weeknight dishes that are health any taste great. I will review them this week once I make them, and may even remember to take photographs.

Just for fun.... below is a picture of us on our Honeymoon in the British Virgin Islands

Guilty Pleasures

2009-08-06T14:35:00.006-04:00

Today I am going to shake things up a little bit and share guilty pleasure tidbits about myself.

Soap Opera

I watch The Young & The Restless every single day. I have been watching this show since I was born, literally. My Mom's side of the family all watch Y&R, even my Uncles and Grandpa! In our family we call it "the show." I was home-schooled during elementary school so I watched it with my Mom and Grandma during the day, usually while we were in the swimming pool. My Grandma has a small black and white TV that she would bring out to the pool and we would lounge on rafts and watch "the show." FAST FORWARD. I still watch "the show" today, with my DVR of course so I can ignore the commercials. Mr. Foodie even watches it with me most of the time.

More Guilty Pleasures.....

Pickle Juice

I don't think this needs much explaining, but I really love pickle juice from the jar.

Extra Anchovies on a Caesar Salad

Project Runway and The Next Food Network Star I tell myself that because these shows include a "real" competitive element that they aren't "Reality TV." Delusional.

Parking my car and seeing my cats in the window sill ready for me to walk in the door and give them some love.

Freshly Laundered Sheets are my Fave

Back Scratches from Mr. Foodie. I'll take one any time any where.

Facebook Stalking my friends and people from high school and college I don't talk to anymore.

Tomato Soup

2009-08-05T09:48:00.003-04:00

Last night I made one of my favorite easy/go-to recipes: Tomato Soup. The recipe is from a recent issue of Cook's Illustrated. This soup is super easy and is basically made of pantry staples. The recipe makes enough soup for 2 dinners, especially if you pair it with a nice green salad. This soup is a unique recipe because it uses bread to thicken it instead of cream which adds fat and calories.

Mrs. Foodie's Variations: I definitely used the red pepper flakes and brandy in this recipe. I did not add additional olive oil in step 2. I added a pinch of Hickory Smoked Sea Salt I recently purchased in Charleston, SC from The Spice and Tea Exchange.

Ingredients
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil , plus more for drizzling
1 medium onion , chopped medium (about 1 cup)
3 medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
Pinch hot red pepper flakes (optional)
1 bay leaf
2 (28-ounce) cans whole tomatoes packed in juice
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 large slices good-quality sandwich bread , crusts removed, torn into 1-inch pieces
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons brandy (optional)
Table salt and ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives

Instructions
1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion, garlic, red pepper flakes (if using), and bay leaf. Cook, stirring frequently, until onion is translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and their juice. Using potato masher, mash until no pieces bigger than 2 inches remain. Stir in sugar and bread; bring soup to boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until bread is completely saturated and starts to break down, about 5 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaf.

2. Transfer half of soup to blender. Add 1 tablespoon oil and process until soup is smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to large bowl and repeat with remaining soup and oil. Rinse out Dutch oven and return soup to pot. Stir in chicken broth and brandy (if using). Return soup to boil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve soup in individual bowls. Sprinkle each portion with pepper and chives and drizzle with olive oil.

Oysters

2009-08-04T20:42:00.002-04:00

Oysters are my favorite culinary adventure. I have been eating oysters raw and steamed for a long time. Until a couple of years ago I had only enjoyed Apalachicola (Gulf Oysters). My love of food has opened the door to many new and interesting treats.

As usual, I always get super interested in a topic and then I proceed to read books about the subject. I have since enjoyed two great oyster titles. Books on oysters may seem dull to you, but those I have had the pleasure of reading combine history with science and a dash of personality. Food is something we all have in common. Reading about families who have been in the oyster for centuries entertains me. I wouldn't consider myself an oyster expert, but I have a good knowledge of the different types, growing regions, and the politics involved. Oyster politics? Yes..... I am serious.

Reading List:
A Geography of Oysters by Rowan Jacobsen
Check out his Notebook for interesting Oyster happenings across the U.S., Canada, and Europe.

Newlyweds

2009-08-03T10:08:00.005-04:00

Newlyweds: Thoughts on the subject....

1. Things do change once you get married. My husband and I have been in each other's lives for 10 years. We even lived together for several years before we got married. I thought I knew exactly what to expect after the "I Do." Fortunately or unfortunately, however you want to look at it, marriage brings a whole new set of goals, issues, demands, etc. I think change is a good thing, especially in a marriage. As individuals we are constantly growing up (or down, or sideways). At the same time we are growing as a couple. The key to success is to keep growing toward each other.

2. I swear my husband got dirtier once we got married. He has always been a messy person. I thought I had accepted this. Unfortunately he has regressed once he started wearing the wedding band. All those habits you thought you had accepted seem to surface again.

3. There are many times when I think I couldn't possibly love him any more than I do. It seems that I love him more and more every day. I know it sounds cheesy but I can't help it.

4. Compromise, known as the "C Word" in our house is critical to a good marriage. How do you think I end up watching Star Trek: Deep Space Nine from start to finish?

5. When does one stop being a newlywed? After 1 year, 2, or 5? I think a couple should always stay newlyweds. Mr. Foodie and I regularly look at our wedding photos and gush about how perfect our wedding day really was. We can both say that it was the best day of our lives and we wouldn't change a thing (except maybe the weather). Talking about you wedding day and looking at photos helps to keep the spark alive.

6. Food nourishes the soul. Make time to eat dinner together. Turn the dang TV off and actually have dinner together at the dining room table. It sounds so simple, but can be a powerful thing. On days I feel stressed and overwhelmed I make a nice dinner and invite Mr. Foodie to sit at the table with me and enjoy our food together.

7. Speaking of TV. I think that television is the downfall of family and marriage in the United States. Mr. Foodie spends way too much time in front of the TV. It hinders him from doing all of the things he is supposed to do (i.e. housework, paying bills) and from achieving his personal goals (i.e. working out, obtaining his private pilots license). I have to admit that I have considered breaking our TV, disconnecting the cable, etc. on several occasions. My personal fantasy is a home without a television in it. Any good ideas for limiting TV intake?

8. I am obsessed with everything wedding. I would love to be a wedding planner. I am seriously considering a wedding planning side business. Mr. Foodie's cousin is getting married next spring. I want to ask her if I could assist with the planning (especially the day of) to get some experience under my belt. I just might do it, and see where this goes.

Weekend

2009-08-02T13:12:00.003-04:00

The photo above was taken in Big Sur, California during my recent trip. I love the texture of this photo. I took about 800 images while we were there and 15 videos. The highlight of the trip was enjoying the beautiful landscape.

This weekend ranks pretty low on the totem pole. Mr. Foodie worked all weekend (he is still working at 1:00 PM on Sunday). I had to go to a birthday party alone yesterday which was sad... We couldn't go out last night because he had to be at work at 7:00 AM this morning.

I will overcome!

I spent the weekend cleaning and relaxing. I am trying to spruce up the house with new design ideas so I have been brain storming. One of my main problems is that I have too much stuff in my kitchen. My cupboards are over flowing with essential kitchen items. I must find another solution for the madness! I am thinking about moving some least often used items into the cabinets in the laundry room. I am going to be purchasing two wall decor items mentioned in a previous post for the house, as I have gotten approval from Mr. Foodie.

My Fave Blogger

2009-07-31T16:05:00.002-04:00

Cake Wrecks is publishing a book and going on tour. The first stop you ask?
Orlando, FL Borders (Winter Park)Tuesday, September 22, 5PM.

Unfortunately it falls in the middle of the week, and I can't take any time off for work.

What did I do today at work?
1. Browsed on Etsy.com at awesomely cool hand creations and vintage brew ha-ha.
2. Read all of the updates of blogs I am following.
3. Made reservations at Alinea, a hugely famous restaurant in Chicago. If you have never heard of it, definitely click on the link and take a look. You have to book at least 2 months in advance and secure your reservation with a credit card. You can read a great review with beautiful photographs by 5 Star Foodie Culinary Adventures
4. Talked to my Sister through email
5. Facebook stalked people
6. Joined the BlogHER community
7. Had lunch with my boss
8. Completed 2 crossword puzzles
9. Looked up recipes on my fave recipe blog Simply Recipes. This blog inspires my cooking on a daily basis.

What am I craving right now? Ceviche, Fondue, Bisque (of any kind: mushroom, butternut squash, corn, crab, shrimp, lobster)

Living Notoriously Well

2009-07-31T10:10:00.007-04:00

We had a fabulous night with our friends who just moved back to town. [We will call them A&J]

They have chosen a beautiful condo on the St. John's River which is absolutely gorgeous. I can't wait to see what they do with the place! We had a wonderful evening at my favorite restaurant Bistro AIX, followed by beer at our local hometown brewery: Bold City Brewery. Yesterday they tapped a brand new beer: Orange Blossom Mad Manatee Cask Ale, dry-hopped with Amarillo Hops. It was very tasty. We played Connect Four and Uno at the Tap Room while enjoyed the Cask Ale. We had a blast.... a little too much fun because I am super tired this morning.

I spent time yesterday and today browsing wedding ideas with my sister. I love weddings...

I am trying to focus my efforts right now on adding decorative touches to my house. I love the paint colors, but we need some wall art and some above cabinet lighting. I also want to replace the light fixture in my foyer. This sounds like a great time to make a list.

1. Wall Art: I am considering several options at this point but I really like this item I found on Etsy.com: Barren Winter Birch Tree Triptych - 3 Panel Mounted Vinyl Wall Art

2. Something cute in my kitchen also found on Etsy: KEEP CALM Parody Martini Glass Modern Wall Art Bar Decor Sign This is the image found at the top of this blog post.

3. Bedroom: I found this duvet cover at West Elm that I think is beautiful. I am not sure if you know this, but Mr. Foodie is a professional painter. Lately he has really wanted to repaint our bedroom. I think this duvet might inspire him: organic cotton sketch-leaf duvet cover + sham

4. We need a mirror for our bedroom. I am trying to decide if we should hang on the wall, or get a floor mirror. I found several options at West Elm, but nothing I absolutely love.

Too bad I don't have any cash to be purchasing these items. At least I can have fun while looking.

Excitement in the air!

2009-07-30T11:21:00.002-04:00

After talking to my Mom and Sister it looks like this engagement will be coming before the end of the year. Yay! I am super-super excited. My Sister is a really down to earth kind of gal with an appreciation for the outdoors. She loves to hunt and fish with her boyfriend. They really make a great couple. Plus they are too cute because of their freckles!

We have already started looking at wedding venues because she would like to have the wedding next April - July so she would have to book it quickly after the engagement. So far our favorite is the San Marco Preservation Hall. This place would be perfect for her. They could have an outdoor reception in the garden. They will probably have only 50+ guest so this would be perfectly intimate. She is thinking of doing barbecue, southern style food which sounds great to me!

We already have plans for the weekend. We are celebrating her boyfriend's birthday on Saturday. They are making Low Country Boil and I am bringing a lovely corn salad. Recipe courtesy of a good friend, and fellow culinary aficionado.

The corn salad has 5 basic ingredients: Fresh corn, Cherry Tomatoes, Feta, Basil, S&P

What else do you need for a delightful and refreshing summer salad? This would be great with a nice summery sangria.

Cats

2009-07-29T20:48:00.002-04:00

I love my cat. If I could be an animal for a day I would be a black kitty cat like my Southpaw. He is always relaxed. He loves to have fun. I wish I could get excited about catnip like he does.

It is thundering outside.

Mr. Foodie is forcing me to watch the third Matrix movie. I am going to seriously intervene in the Netflix queue because he is making bad choices. The only thing that gets me through his movie choices is a drink. I am currently enjoying a Mimosa.

Mr. Foodie entices me to watch the movie with memories of the past. The Matrix was the first movie we ever saw together, back in 10th grade, when we were 15 and just met. Okay fine.... his charm has worked on me again. Going to watch the movie and sneak in some kisses!

Maple-Glazed Pork Tenderloin with Smoked Paprika and Ginger

2009-07-28T20:49:00.000-04:00

Excellent dinner! Served with steam broccoli and a dinner roll.

Ingredients
3/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup molasses , light or mild
2 tablespoons dry sherry
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon table salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 pork tenderloins (1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds each)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Instructions
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Stir ½ cup maple syrup, molasses, sherry, paprika, and ginger together in 2-cup liquid measure; set aside. Whisk cornstarch, sugar, salt, and black pepper in small bowl until combined. Transfer cornstarch mixture to rimmed baking sheet. Pat tenderloins dry with paper towels, then roll in cornstarch mixture until evenly coated on all sides. Thoroughly pat off excess cornstarch mixture.

2. Heat oil in 12-inch heavy-bottomed nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just beginning to smoke. Reduce heat to medium and place both tenderloins in skillet, leaving at least 1 inch in between. Cook until well browned on all sides, 8 to 12 minutes. Transfer tenderloins to wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet.

3. Pour off excess fat from skillet and return to medium heat. Add syrup mixture to skillet, scraping up browned bits with wooden spoon, and cook until reduced to ½ cup, about 2 minutes. Transfer 2 tablespoons glaze to small bowl and set aside. Using remaining glaze, brush each tenderloin with approximately 1 tablespoon glaze. Roast until instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of tenderloins registers 130 degrees, 12 to 20 minutes. Brush each tenderloin with another tablespoon glaze and continue to roast until instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of tenderloins registers 135 to 140 degrees, 2 to 4 minutes longer. Remove tenderloins from oven and brush each with remaining glaze; let rest, uncovered, 10 minutes.

4. While tenderloins rest, stir remaining ¼ cup maple syrup into reserved 2 tablespoons glaze. Brush each tenderloin with 1 tablespoon glaze. Transfer meat to cutting board and slice into ¼-inch-thick pieces. Serve, passing extra glaze at table

10 Things

2009-07-28T15:10:00.004-04:00

While napping in my car during my lunch break I got an idea to make a list of 10 things on my blog. The 10 things don't necessarily mesh together, but oh well. It's my freaking blog and I can type what I want!

1. I am trying to plan a picnic with my hubby for this weekend at the spot where he proposed. We need some serious together time because life, work, and family have been seriously getting between the two of us! I plan on bringing my camera to take some pics of the spot. Maybe I can talk him into letting me take some scandalous pictures of him, but I doubt it.

2. We are having maple glazed pork tenderloin for dinner tonight. A Cook's Illustrated Recipe that I will share with everyone once I make it.

3. I tried a new place for lunch today: TacoLu's in Jacksonville Beach. Off the freaking chain tacos man! This is my new favoritest place ever. I am making Mr. Foodie go here. They have a lamb taco... nuff said.

4. I purchased the water goblets I posted a few days ago. They haven't shipped yet, maybe tomorrow. Something to look forward to. I haven't been doing any shopping lately, but they were such a great deal and I had a $75 gift card left over from the wedding (1.5 years ago) so it helped with the cost. I am excited about using them to entertain in the coming months.

5. Our best friends are taking the Bar Exam today and tomorrow and this seriously stresses me out even though I have nothing to do with it. I guess it may be sympathy pains or something else weird...

6. I am incredibly angry that NBC cancelled Dirty, Sexy, Money. What a great show. The acting is superb, I love the music, and the writing is awesome. Everything I like on TV always gets ruined: Deadwood, Arrested Development, etc.

7. The Next Food Network Star: The season finale airs next Sunday night. I am really looking forward to see who wins. We are totally rooting for Melisse because she is fun and makes recipes that I would want to make. If they give her a show it will definitely be a huge hit! The other guy who is left, Jeffrey, really annoys the crap out of me when he talks. I also can't stand his slicked back greasy hair-do. Who told him that this was acceptable?

8. I finished my wedding album last night, just need to save up the money to get it printed. It is hard to commit to finishing this thing because it seems so final.

9. My Sister told me she thinks she will be engaged by Thanksgiving during our lunch date yesterday. It was the first time in months that we actually saw each other without other people around. We had a good time. She wants to have an outdoor wedding which sounds like fun. She will make a beautiful bride. I see a hideous bridesmaid dress in my future: "Hunter Green" is the color she wants. Holy S*** you gotta be kidding me. I expressed my distaste and reminded her that I chose a plain black dress that complemented her figure for my wedding and I expect the same.

10. Last but not least... The sky is absolutely beautiful right now. I am lucky to have such an awesome office window view of trees and blue sky. Thanks Karma!

ABCs

2009-07-28T08:37:00.003-04:00

ABCs: Everything I need to know I learned in my twenties.

Everyone should ready this article from a fellow blogger: http://www.genpink.com/.

Weddings without Booze

2009-07-27T11:00:00.002-04:00

Who ever thought it was okay to have a wedding without booze? I always thought Booze was a funny word.

Mr. Foodie and I spent our entire weekend in Charleston attending a wedding. There were so many things wrong with this wedding I don't even know where to start. Below you will find some of the dreadful highlights.

1. Hot and Sweaty - The temperature reached 90 degrees in the church. We were all sweating our butts off with the sun shining directly on us. The groom was a huge sweat-ball the entire time.
2. A family friend couple sang a duet. Possible the worst thing I have ever heard in my life. I could barely control my laughter.
3. The wedding planner was a bumbling idiot who had no idea what was going on.
4. The Reception - Hot as hell. We were still sweating. Our only solace was water, Sweet Tea, and Lemonade. No freaking booze at all!!!!
5. The menu was misspelled, and said "rusted bread."
6. I got elbowed twice by the groom's family while in the buffet line. Oh, did I mention they are all Greek and act like a bunch of weirdos??
7. No alcohol.
8. No toasts at the rehearsal dinner or wedding. No bouquet toss. Nothing romantic or fun. No dancing..... it goes on and on.

We all agreed this was the worst wedding we had ever been to. The highlight of our weekend was Frozen Alcohol Slushy Drinks at Wet Willie's - a cheesy place in Charleston. We also found a new nickname for Mr. Foodie, "Robo-Cop." This name is courtesy of his brother for his obsession with technology, even when it delays him, and his monotone voice when dialing over Blue-Tooth phones.

Edward Maison Water Goblets & Wineglasses, Set of 4 | Williams-Sonoma

2009-07-23T16:44:00.001-04:00

Edward Maison Water Goblets & Wineglasses, Set of 4 | Williams-Sonoma

Shared via AddThis

I have been looking for water glasses for my table, and these are perfect. I am purchasing them when I get home from work this afternoon.

Update

2009-07-21T21:20:00.002-04:00

We bought our Chicago plane tickets on Sunday so I have been busy gathering trip plans. I am super excited about an awesome restaurant I found called Alinea. Here is an interesting review of the restaurant. We have several activities lined up: Art Institute of Chicago, Millennium Park, John Hancock Observatory, Architecture Tour, etc. I have also found an awesome champagne bar called Pops for Champagne, touted as "the nation's most acclaimed champagne bar." They even have amazing music performances and live jazz.

We are headed to a wedding this weekend for a family member. The ceremony and reception will be at the Tidewater Chapel in Mt. Pleasant. We are leaving Friday morning and return on Sunday. I still have to get a wedding gift for the couple.

I posted a few days ago about an awesome new drink called Loire Lemonade. I am actually enjoying a glass as I type. Here is the recipe for those who are curious:

Makes 4 servings (you can easily cut it down to 1 or 2 of you like)

2 ounces fresh lemon juice
4 ounces Simple Syrup
4 ounces Citrus Vodka (we use Absolut Citron)
16 ounces Sauvignon Blanc
4 lemon twists for garnish.

1. Fill a shaker halfway with ice cubes. Add lemon juice, simple syrup and vodka. Shake well.
2. Put 2 ice cubes in 4 wine glasses (or highball). Divide the shaken mixture among the glasses. Add 4 ounces of the wine to each glass and stir gently.
3. Twist a lemon twist over each glass and drop in. Serve immediately. Try to release the essential oils into the glass.

*in my opinion this could be made ahead and served at a party, just like a traditional Sangria.

Saturday Night

2009-07-19T11:03:00.002-04:00

Good morning... Last night we had a great evening with family. Mr. Foodie's parents and grandparents came over for dinner. Mr. Foodie made his signature dish: Baked Ziti. It is one of the best things I have ever tasted. I also love it because it is a one dish meal great for dinner parties. We served it with garlic bread. For dessert I made Smore Brownies, a recipe I found on the Food Network website. We served them with cappuccino and they were a big hit. Mr. Foodie even ate Smore Brownies for breakfast this morning!

The hit of the evening was a new cocktail we tried called Loire Lemonade. I bought a new cocktail book in San Francisco for Mr. Foodie called "Wine Cocktails." The book is broken up into sections: Red, White, Bubbly, & Exotic. The Loire Lemonade recipe contained fresh lemon juice, citrus Vodka, and simple syrup topped off with chilled Savignon Blanc. A wonderful recipe that will be making it's way onto our cocktail menu.

We are looking forward to next weekend because we are going to Charleston for a family wedding. We already have dinner plans for both nights (wedding stuff), but I am going to do a little research and find a place for lunch on Friday, and maybe Sunday if we have time.

Back in the swing of things

2009-07-17T08:16:00.003-04:00

My trip to California was amazing. I got to spend time with my Mom and Grandparents which was really special to me. We saw some beautiful things while we were there. The highlight of the trip was riding the Cable Cars up the extremely steep hills. We also went to Monterey and Big Sur. Mr. Foodie and I are planning a trip next year because he has to go there! I brought him back a cocktail recipe book focusing on wine cocktails and bleu cheese dijon mustard.

I am trying to get back into the swing of things. At least today is Friday so I will have the weekend to recover. I made an awesome Reuben Sandwich for dinner last night that blew both of us away. The recipe came from my autographed Barbara Jean cookbook given to me by my Mother in Law. I will definitely be making this one again. I don't have any pictures because we ate them too fast!

We are leaving for Charleston a week from today for a family wedding. Looking forward to a road trip in our new car. Keep you posted.

Birthday

2009-07-08T13:13:00.003-04:00

I just booked Mr. Foodies birthday trip. We are flying to Nashville on October 31st to watch the Jaguars play the Tennessee Titans. We have always wanted to go to an away game and here is our chance. We are flying Southwest and staying at the best hotel in Nashville: Loews Vanderbilt Hotel.

I also found a great Blues Club to take Mr. Foodie to while we are there: Bourbon Street Blues and Boogie Bar. I am really looking forward to surprising him!!

Totally Awkward Tuesdays

2009-07-07T11:05:00.003-04:00

Totally Awkward Tuesdays - The concept brought to you by the lovely Tova Darling. Check out her blog for more Awkward moments.

The Beauty of CakeWrecks

2009-07-07T10:55:00.002-04:00

If anyone has failed to check out the Cakewrecks blog then you are totally missing out. In my opinion it is one of the best blogs out there. The dry humor of the blog owner never ceases to amaze me.

I made Baked Salmon with a mustard and dill crumb crust last night for dinner along with spinach. Everything turned out great, but our hunger we forgot to take any photos. I did however begin taking photos for the other blog I am considering right now entitled "My Husband is a Slob." I definitely have material to keep that thing updated.

I am trying to nail down the details for our Chicago trip. We are deciding between two hotel options:
Trump International Hotel & Tower
-or-
The Wit Hotel

The two hotels are very different, especially when it comes to price! Mr. Foodie's parents are buying all of our plane tickets with Amex points so we just have to decide on a hotel. I am also looking into several restaurant options and activities. Yay!!!

Boo! I just looked out the window and it is raining and overcast. So much for leaving work for lunch today... I will be eating a cafeteria creation with a side of reality check.

Back in the swing of things...

2009-07-06T09:35:00.004-04:00

Whenever we go away for the weekend it is always hard to get back to normal life. We had such a great time this weekend it is difficult for me to concentrate on work. This is especially true when I am leaving for San Francisco on Thursday. I am also working on making plans for our October Chicago trip. I am glad to be busy because it keeps me motivated.

I visited my college town this weekend and it brought back many memories. It is amazing how places and spaces can trigger emotions. I am very happy with the way my life is now with Mr. Foodie. I feel like we have evolved into our own selves more than we were back then. I also see this in my friends. We are all much more content with our own choices, quirks, personality, etc. I think it is lovely. Mr. Foodie and I are lucky to be surrounded by friends that are truly special. The future looks bright for all of us!

I have several personal goals for today. They say that writing things down helps you visualize your goals and makes you more likely to achieve them. Here goes...

Goals:
1. Laundry
2. Begin packing for SF
3. Choose a recipe for tonight
4. Grocery Store
5. Make a healthy dinner

4th of July

2009-07-05T21:07:00.003-04:00

We enjoyed a wonderful weekend in Gainesville with our dearest friends to celebrate the 4th of July. Our lovely host prepared a Strata (shown in the picture above) and it was quite lovely. I will definitely be using this concept for Christmas Breakfast this year. Never too early to start planning for the next big holiday! My Mom leaves for San Francisco in the morning and I will be joining her on Thursday. If only I didn't have to work for the next 4 days... We are also trying to pin down the details for a trip to Chicago in September with Mr. Foodie's parents.

Southpaw - Our male 3 year old Kitty

2009-07-02T20:58:00.000-04:00

Happy Wednesday

2009-07-01T08:42:00.001-04:00

I didn't post yesterday because I spent my time customizing my blog. I created my header in Photoshop and I am very excited about it. Luckily there are many resources on the web that walk us newbies through the process. I am not especially creative in the design arena (using Photoshop from scratch) but I am pretty proud of myself and happy with the header.

I saw my new therapist last Friday. This lady is super cool and very smart. She has taught me several coping strategies for dealing with my anxiety, etc. One of the key things to understand is that I control my happiness, not other people. This includes Mr. Foodie. I have to stop myself from letting his inaction cause me unhappiness. All he has been doing for the past week is sleeping when he gets home from work, sometimes 12 hours or more. I just don't understand this. Plus he has been super messy and not helpful around the house. I am tempted to create a blog entitled "My Husband is the messiest person alive." Wives/girlfriends could post pictures on the blog with a contest for the messiest man. Ha Ha! Wouldn't that be funny?

On a more positive note.... I am doing much better. Whenever I begin to get mad at Mr. Foodie I just ask myself one simple question "Is this making me happy?" Depending on the answer, I act accordingly. I have to re-train myself to take control of my life instead of letting another person who constantly lets me down impact my happiness level. I have much to be thankful for and should focus on that every day.

Salute to Moms

2009-06-29T20:20:00.002-04:00

Good evening. Mr. Foodie is taking a post-dinner nap and I thought I would take a minute to post. Below you will find a great recipe that I tried tonight from the Stella Style Low Carb Cookbook. It knocked my socks off! I even have leftovers to take for lunch tomorrow. Mr. Foodie loved it.

I am really looking forward to this week coming to a close because I get to see my favorite friends in the world this weekend. We are going out of town for the 4th of July. The only thing I hate about leaving town is that I have to leave me cats at home. I wish they were like dogs and you could take them places, but then if they were like dogs I wouldn't love them so much. Yesterday morning when I got up Katalina was sleeping in the cat bed next to my side of the bed, and her brother Southpaw was curled up on a pillow next to her. I got up to make coffee and then came back to bed and they were giving each other a bath. I don't know what I would do without those cats. They are the only peace in my life. Whenever I look at them I instantly calm down. If only I could take them to the office with me. No pets allowed even though many of my coworkers would probably qualify as barn animals. HA!

I am not working on Thursday or Friday which is quite amazing. I am getting my hair done on Thursday and afterwards Mom is coming over to do a little shopping and to borrow a suit case. She is redoing the hems in 5 pairs of my work pants which is probably saving me from paying $50 at the seamstress. Gotta love a Mom with multi-talents.

Cauliflower "Mac" and Cheese Casserole - Eating Stella Style

Ingredients:
Salt
Nonstick Spray
1 head of cauliflower, cut into small florets
3/4 cup heavy cream (may use sugar-free soy milk)
2 oz cream cheese, cut into small pieces (may use low-fat)
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard [I used Coleman's because I didn't have Dijon]
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, plus 1/2 cup for topping the casserole
Black Pepper
Cayenne Pepper
1/8 Teaspoon Garlic Powder

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season the boiling water with salt. Spray and 8-by-8 inch baking dish with the nonstick spray.
2. Cook the cauliflower in the boiling water until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.
3. Drain well and pay between several layers of paper towels to dry. Transfer the cauliflower to the baking dish and set aside. [Instead of drying it with paper towels, I left it in a colander until right before I assembled the dish]
4. bring cream to a simmer in a small saucepan and whisk in the cream cheese and mustard until smooth.
5. Stir in the 1 1/2 cups of cheese, salt, cayenne, and black pepper until the cheese melts. Put Cauliflower in baking dish and pour over the cheese mixture. [At this point I added cubed ham to make this a one dish meal, but you could omit and serve as a side dish]
6. Top with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese and bake until browned and bubbly hot, about 15 minutes, and serve.

Other options: Cooked chicken, crab, shrimp, and of course cooked diced ham.

Breakfast Bites

2009-06-29T09:35:00.002-04:00

Good morning everyone. Below you will find a great breakfast recipe that is sure to please. It is from the "Eating Stella Style" cookbook that I talked about several posts ago. This recipe was super easy and very satisfying. I am eating one right now as I type this post. This recipe may become a Sunday night tradition. There are endless variations: chicken sausage, pork sausage, chorizo (that is what the original recipe calls for), Salsa Verde, cheddar cheese, goat cheese, etc. I followed the variation recipe which substituted premade salsa for chopped onion, garlic, and green pepper. If you do not have salsa, and do have the vegetables you could always saute' them with the sausage.

"Southwestern Breakfast Bites" by George Stella

Ingredients:
8 oz Chorizo (I used Italian Turkey Sausage)
9 Eggs
4 Tbsp Salsa
Shredded Mexican Cheese Blend
Salt & Pepper
Non-stick Spray

Equipment:
12 cup Muffin Pan.

Instructions:
1. Preheat Oven to 350. Spray Muffin pan with nonstick spray.
2. Cook sausage in skillet until cooked through. (I used Italian Turkey Sausage - may need to add a teaspoon of oil due to the low fat content.)
3. Mix eggs in bowl with salsa. Add Salt and Pepper. (I also added a little Cayenne Pepper because that is my favorite spice.)
4. Distribute sausage amongst muffin pan. Ladle egg mixture over the sausage. Top with cheese (as much or as little as you would like).
5. Bake 15-20 minutes or until eggs or set.

Enjoy! The Bites are designed for an on-the-go lifestyle. I brought 2 to work for breakfast this morning, wrapped in tin foil.

Steak - It's whats for dinner

2009-06-28T21:26:00.003-04:00

Mr. Foodie didn't have to work today so we were able to enjoy time together. He made me breakfast this morning: Scrambled Eggs British Style with Dill, Bacon, and Leftover thinly sliced Filet Mignon from last night. We went over to my mom's house and had grilled shrimp on skewers, and I made Okra and Tomatoes with fresh Okra from my parent's garden. It turned out to be very good, even if Mr. Foodie refused to eat it! He doesn't like okra or tomatoes...

The Best Way to Cook a Steak
Cooks Illustrated - May 1, 2007

Rib-eye or filet mignon of similar thickness can be substituted for strip steaks. If using filet mignon, buying a 2-pound center-cut tenderloin roast and portioning it into four 8-ounce steaks yourself will produce more consistent results. If using filet mignon, increase the oven time by about 5 minutes. When cooking lean strip steaks (without an external fat cap) or filet mignon, add an extra tablespoon of oil to the pan. If desired, serve with a pan sauce, relish, or butter.

Ingredients
2 boneless strip steaks (1 1/2 to 1 3/4 inches thick (about 1 pound each) (see note above)
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Instructions
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 275 degrees. Pat steaks dry with paper towel. Cut each steak in half vertically to create four 8-ounce steaks. Season entire surface of steaks liberally with salt and pepper; gently press sides of steaks until uniform 1 1/2 inches thick. Place steaks on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet; transfer baking sheet to oven. Cook until instant-read thermometer inserted in center of steak registers 90 to 95 degrees for rare to medium-rare, 20 to 25 minutes, or 100 to 105 degrees for medium, 25 to 30 minutes.

2. Heat oil in 12-inch heavy-bottomed skillet over high heat until smoking. Place steaks in skillet and sear steaks until well-browned and crusty, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, lifting once halfway through to redistribute fat underneath each steak. (Reduce heat if fond begins to burn.) Using tongs, turn steaks and cook until well browned on second side, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Transfer all steaks to wire cooling rack and reduce heat under pan to medium. Use tongs to stand 2 steaks on their sides. Holding steaks together, return to skillet and sear on all sides until browned, about 1 1/2 minutes. Repeat with remaining 2 steaks.

3. Transfer steaks to wire cooling rack and let rest, loosely tented with foil, for 10 minutes while preparing pan sauce. Arrange steaks on individual plates and spoon sauce over steaks; serve immediately.

Don't Go There: My Top 10 Overrated Travel Experiences | Frommers.com

2009-06-26T14:15:00.002-04:00

Don't Go There: My Top 10 Overrated Travel Experiences Frommers.com

I think this is a great article. Made me laugh on a late Friday afternoon.

Attempting Low Carb Recipes...

2009-06-25T20:40:00.005-04:00

My latest cookbook purchase is an attempt to try low carb cooking. I enjoy some of the low carb culinary principles: Lean Protein and Fish/Shellfish, Vegetables, and even whole grains. I looked around the Internet at different options and settled on "Eating Stella Style" by George Stella.

I have browsed through the entire book and I think there are some great ideas in here. Most of the recipes are east and great for week-night options.

I choose to make the Cream of Asparagus Soup for several reasons:

1. I recently went to Costco and bought Asparagus.

2. Soup is my favorite thing to eat and make

3. It sounded easy

4. It would require using one pot..... you get the picture.

5. OH.... and I get to use the Immersion Blender which is my favorite kitchen tool.

*I should design a hot pink kitchen tool belt with a holster for my immersion blender. If only I were creative and could draw up a design.

Cream of Asparagus Soup - Courtesy of George Stella's "Eating Stella Style"

Ingredients

1 Tbsp Butter or Margarine

8 oz Fresh Asparagus, ends trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths. [I used more than this because I wanted to get rid of it all]

1 Tbsp minced red onion

1 garlic clove, minced

2.5 cups chicken broth [I used more to stretch the soup, and because of the amount of asparagus]

1/2 cup heavy cream

Instructions:

1. Heat the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the cut asparagus, onion, garlic and cook while stirring for about 5 minutes.

2. Add broth , raise the heat to high, and continue cooking until reduced by half, about 5 more minutes.

3. Removed from heat. Puree using immersion blender. Add cream to soup and season with salt and freshly ground pepper.

San Francisco

2009-06-22T09:02:00.005-04:00

I am going to San Francisco for 4 days in July with my Mom and Grandparents. Mr. Foodie may be tagging along. I am trying to plan everything last minute. I am going to fly southwest because they have the best routes and prices for the trip.

Several things I want to do while there:
1. Golden Gate Bridge
2. Tour the harbour or go to Alcatraz.
3. Take awesome photographs with my Nikon D90.
4. Chinatown visit for culinary investigation.
5. Muir Woods tour.

I am doing my travel research to see what I can find. The family will be spending two weeks there but I can't take that much time off from work.

Any suggestions for things to do, see, or eat are appreciated.

Sunday Night Dinner

2009-06-21T16:20:00.003-04:00

Grilled Flank Steak with Garlic-Ginger-Sesame Marinade [Cooks Illustrated: Published May 1, 2005]

We really enjoyed this recipe. Very simple to throw on the grill and cost-friendly. I served with broiled asparagus and mushrooms.

For Marinade:
4 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 inch piece fresh ginger , peeled and minced (about 3 tablespoons)
2 medium scallions , minced (about 3 tablespoons)
3 medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)

For Steak:
1 flank steak (about 2 pounds), patted dry with paper towels
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions
1. Puree all marinade ingredients in blender until smooth, scraping down blender jar as needed.
2. Place steak on rimmed baking sheet or in large baking dish. Using dinner fork, prick steak about 20 times on each side. Rub both sides of steak evenly with salt and then with paste. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
3. Using large chimney starter, ignite about 6 quarts (1 large chimney, or 2 1/2 pounds) charcoal briquettes and burn until covered with thin coating of light gray ash, about 20 minutes. Empty coals into grill; build two-level fire by arranging coals to cover one half of grill. Position grill grate over coals, cover grill, and heat grate for 5 minutes; scrape grate clean with grill brush. Grill is ready when coals are hot (you can hold your hand 5 inches above grate for just 2 seconds).
4. Using paper towels, wipe paste off steak; season both sides with pepper. Grill steak directly over coals until well browned, 4 to 6 minutes. Using tongs, flip steak; grill until second side is well browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Using paring knife, make small cut into thickest part of meat; if meat is slightly less done than desired, transfer steak to cutting board (meat will continue to cook as it rests). If steak is significantly underdone, position so that thinner side is over cool side of grill and thicker side is over hot side; continue to cook until thickest part is slightly less done than desired, then transfer steak to cutting board.
5. Loosely tent steak with foil; let rest 5 to 10 minutes. Using sharp chef's knife or carving knife, slice steak about 1/4 inch thick against grain and on bias. Serve immediately.

More Blueberries

2009-06-21T16:16:00.003-04:00

My Mom gave me more blueberries so I decided to try another recipe for fun. Looks pretty good huh?

Another great way to use fresh summer blueberries.

Ingredients
Filling
1/2 cup granulated sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
pinch ground cinnamon
pinch table salt
6 cups fresh blueberries (30 ounces), picked over
1 1/2teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Biscuit Topping
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (5 ounces)
2 tablespoons cornmeal , stone-ground
1/4 cup granulated sugar , plus 2 teaspoons for sprinkling
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon table salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick), melted
1/3cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions
1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. For the filling: Stir sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and salt together in large bowl. Add berries and mix gently with rubber spatula until evenly coated; add lemon zest and juice and mix to combine. Transfer berry mixture to 9-inch glass pie pan, place pie pan on rimmed baking sheet, and bake until filling is hot and bubbling around edges, about 25 minutes.
3. For the biscuit topping: Whisk flour, cornmeal, 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in large bowl to combine. Whisk melted butter, buttermilk, and vanilla in small bowl. Mix remaining 2 teaspoons sugar and cinnamon in second small bowl and set aside. One minute before berries come out of the oven, add wet ingredients to dry ingredients; stir with rubber spatula until just combined and no dry pockets remain.
4. To assemble and bake cobbler: Remove berries from oven; increase oven temperature to 425 degrees. Pinch off 8 equal-sized pieces biscuit dough and place on hot berry filling, spacing them at least 1/2 inch apart (they should not touch). Sprinkle each mound of dough with cinnamon-sugar. Bake until filling is bubbling and biscuits are golden brown on top and cooked through, 15 to 18 minutes. Cool cobbler on wire rack 20 minutes and serve.

Havana Black Beans with Cilantro Lime Rice

2009-06-14T19:06:00.007-04:00

One of my favorite cookbooks I have ever purchased is The Whole Foods Market Cookbook published in 2002. This book is also a great reference tool for every type of food. There is a great selection of vegetarian fare and traditional favorites with an organic or whole grain twist.

The recipes below were added to my repertoire about 2 years ago. This can be a complete meal or it can be served as a side to roast pork, or marinated flank steak.

Mr. Foodie absolutely loves this meal. I am serving tonight with his Jamaican Jerk Pork he is cooking on the grill.

Havana Black Beans - What differentiates this recipe is the addition of coconut milk.

1 Tbsp EVOO
1 Onion, Chopped
2 Bell Peppers Chopped
3 Cloves of Garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons thyme
2 Bay Leaves
1 Teaspoon canned chipotle chillies. minced with sauce (I substituted two dried chipotle chilies soaked in water to rehydrate)
3 15 oz cans of black beans, rinsed and drained well
1/2 cup water
1 can of coconut milk
1 Teaspoon Lime Juice

Directions:
1. Heat EVOO in a medium saucepan. Add onion and saute' for 3 minutes until golden brown.

2. Add peppers and garlic and saute for 2 minutes (I saute' for about 5 minutes)

3. Add Cumin, Thyme, Bay Leaves and chilis. Stir well.

4. Add beans, water, and coconut milk and simmer for 10-15 minutes.

5. Stir in lime juice and salt to taste.

Cilantro Lime Rice

2 cups water
1 cup Basmati rice
3 Tablespoons EVOO
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1 Teaspoon lemon or lime zest
1 Tablespoon Lime Juice
Salt to taste
2 cups finely chopped fresh cilantro
2 cups washed finely chopped baby spinach
3-5 scallions finely chopped

Directions:
1. In a large saucepan, bring water to boil.

2. Add rice, EVOO, Garlic, Zest, Lime Juice, and salt and reduce to medium heat.

3. Stir Gently, cover, and simmer slowly for about 25 minutes, or until the rice is tender.

4. Leave the rice covered so the steam stays in, making the rice fluffy.

5. Transfer the rice to a large mixing bowl. Add cilantro, spinach, scallions and salt to taste and combine thoroughly.

Got Blueberries?

2009-06-11T22:21:00.002-04:00

Blueberry Buckle - Cooks Illustrated.com

This recipe turned out great. I even got Mr. Foodie to eat fruit! I served with Vanilla Gelato.

Makes one 9-inch cake, serving 8 to 10. Published July 1, 2005.

A blueberry buckle is a blueberry coffeecake with a streusel topping. The batter will be extremely thick and heavy, and some effort will be required to spread it into the prepared cake pan. This buckle is best made with fresh blueberries, not frozen ones, which are too moist. If you'd like to serve the buckle as dessert, consider a vanilla ice cream or whipped cream accompaniment (see related recipe for Cream Cheese Whipped Cream). Leftovers can be wrapped in plastic and stored at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Ingredients
Streusel
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (2 1/2 ounces)
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch table salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick), cut into 8 pieces, softened but still cool

Cake
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour ( 7 1/2 ounces) I ONLY use King Arthur Flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
10 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/4 stick), softened but still cool
2/3 cup granulated sugar (about 4 3/4 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs , room temperature
4 cups fresh blueberries (about 20 ounces), picked over

Instructions
1. For the streusel: In standing mixer fitted with flat beater, combine flour, sugars, cinnamon, and salt on low speed until well combined and no large brown sugar lumps remain, about 45 seconds. Add butter and mix on low until mixture resembles wet sand and no large butter pieces remain, about 2 1/2 minutes. Transfer streusel to small bowl and set aside.
2. For the cake: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9-inch round cake pan with 2-inch sides with nonstick cooking spray, line bottom with parchment or waxed paper round, and spray round; dust pan with flour and knock out excess.
3. Whisk flour and baking powder in small bowl to combine; set aside. In standing mixer fitted with flat beater, cream butter, sugar, salt, and lemon zest at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes; using rubber spatula, scrape down bowl. Beat in vanilla until combined, about 30 seconds. With mixer running at medium speed, add eggs one at a time; beat until partially incorporated, then scrape down bowl and continue to beat until fully incorporated (mixture will appear broken). With mixer running on low speed, gradually add flour mixture; beat until flour is almost fully incorporated, about 20 seconds. Disengage bowl from mixer; stir batter with rubber spatula, scraping bottom and sides of bowl, until no flour pockets remain and batter is homogenous; batter will be very heavy and thick. Using rubber spatula, gently fold in blueberries until evenly distributed.
4. Transfer batter to prepared pan; with rubber spatula, using a pushing motion, spread batter evenly to pan edges and smooth surface. Squeeze handful of streusel in hand to form large cohesive clump; break up clump with fingers and sprinkle streusel evenly over batter. Repeat with remaining streusel. Bake until deep golden brown and toothpick or wooden skewer inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Cool on wire rack 15 to 20 minutes (cake will fall slightly as it cools).
5. Run paring knife around sides of cake to loosen. Place upside-down plate (do not use plate or platter on which you plan to serve the cake) on top of cake pan; invert cake to remove from pan, lift off cake pan, then peel off and discard parchment. Re-invert cake onto serving platter. Cool until just warm or to room temperature, at least 1 hour. Cut into wedges and serve.

What's for dinner?

2009-06-11T18:49:00.002-04:00

I got to leave work on time today, so I went to Publix to get something for dinner. In response to my husband's need for beef I got New York Strips on sale. We are having them with sweet potatoes and a green salad. Finally a home cooked meal!

My parent's blueberry bushes are really producing right now and she dropped off a large bag for me yesterday. I am searching for recipes right now for some sort of dessert. Today while zoning out at work I found a great food blog out there: http://simplyrecipes.com. I love this blog because every recipe has family story behind it.

I am struggling between several ideas:
Blueberry Buckle - Simply Recipes
Lemon-Blueberry Streusel Pie - King Arthur Flour
Best Blueberry Muffins with Streusel Topping - Cooks Illustrated

I will let you know what I decide... and post a picture.

Joe's Crab Shack

2009-06-11T13:29:00.003-04:00

This is one of the worst restaurants on the face of the planet. I had never been to this place before and I hope I never have to go again. We had another work dinner last night and Joe's was my manager's choice because it is on the ocean and we had co-workers from out of town. My husband joined us for dinner because he had not met any of my co-workers before. This is quite ridiculous seeing that I have worked for the company for almost a year now.... I won't go into the details of exactly what foulness we were served. I can firmly say that I will never go to this place ever again.

On a lighter note. I will finally be able to get home before 9PM tonight. Every night this week we have been working until about 8:30 PM and then I have to drive home. This really wears you out after a while. My biggest complaint is that I have barely been able to spend any time with my husband. Last night he was very puzzle and exclaimed that there is no food in the house, I countered by reminding him that I took him to the grocery store on Sunday in preparation of my work schedule this week. He understood and again exclaimed that there was still no food. Obviously there is "no food" because I do the cooking and haven't been around to do it... Aha moment!!!

Only one more day in the office and the weekend is here. Mr. Foodie is working all weekend so I am going to take the opportunity to make a couple good dinners. I am going to start researching/menu planning. Mr. Foodie complained about the "lack of beef in his life" last night so maybe we can have steaks.