Thursday, May 27, 2010

Weekly Daily Special!

As you've probably noticed I have very recently become a Foodbuzz Featured Publisher.

Yup. Me. Newly 24 year old me.



That's right. Moustachioed me.
But this post isn't about me.
Its about the weekly special posts I'm going to attempt to write because let's face it sometimes I post and sometimes I don't and everyone needs some normalcy.

And each week there are certain products that are featured in a challenge. The challenge for me, really, is writing once a week about a product I probably can't afford, thus, won't ever use. Here I go.


My pick of the week is.....






I'm pretty sure this is the whisk of the future. It comes in green (my faaaaavorite color) and, at its sale price, its practically a steal. And if it didn't look like it would poke an eye out, I'd be more likely to buy it. I'm also pretty sure that if I did own this contraption I'd wave it around in the air like a wand. And maybe use it to whack people with if they stepped into my kitchen. It is kind of cool though. Look at it! No scratched pans. No more wire whisk messes where all the wires get smooshed and tangled. And those balloon whisks... Yeah right. So actually I think I've changed my mind... These silicone whisks are cool.



:)




http://www.foodbuzz.com/daily_special

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

I Think It's Time To Break Up


Quinoa, I want to like you but you keep letting me down. I keep giving you my all and time and time again you give me nothing.


I have a gigantic bag of of you that I would feel bad throwing away. Nothing good comes from any ways I have cooked you. Heck, quinoa you're even hard to pronounce (KEEN-Wuh).

When I saw a post for you in a pudding I thought maybe you could redeem yourself. Boy was I wrong.


Quinoa Pudding with Apricots and Pistachios
By Dinners and Dreams



Ingredients

1 cup quinoa, rinsed
2 cinnamon sticks (I used ground cinnamon)
1 cup water
3 cups almond milk (I used fat-free lactaid)
1 tablespoon honey (I used agave nectar)
1 teaspoon orange blossom water (I don't know what this is.. it sounds scary)
2 gum mastic grains, ground (optional) (yeah.. no thanks)

½ cup chopped dried apricots (didn't use this)
¼ cup chopped pistachios (or this)

Directions

Place the quinoa and cinnamon stick with the water and almond milk in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat to low, cover with a lid and cook for about 12 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Stir in the honey, orange blossom water and gum mastic. Serve topped with the apricots and pistachios.

4 servings



As much as I wanted this to taste good, it really didn't. So instead of throwing it away I mixed it with yogurt, strawberries, and raisins.






It's not you, it's me.
I love you, but I'm not in love with you.
We could still be friends.



:)

Bread!!!

I miss bread.
I miss peanut butter and jelly.
i miss grilled cheese.
i miss toast.

When I found this recipe I got super excited for the possibility of a PB&J sandwich. I had most (not all) of the ingredients for this bread so I decided to go for it anyway.




Gluten Free Sandwich Bread
By Elana's Pantry


Ingredients

1 ½ cups blanched almond flour
¾ cup arrowroot powder (I used cornstarch)
¼ cup flax seed meal ( I used Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Biscuit Mix)
½ teaspoon celtic sea salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
4 eggs
1 teaspoon agave nectar
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Directions
  1. In a medium bowl, combine almond flour, arrowroot, flax meal, salt and baking soda
  2. In a larger bowl, blend eggs 3-5 minutes until frothy
  3. Stir agave and vinegar into eggs
  4. Mix dry ingredients into wet
  5. Pour batter into a well greased 7.5" x 3.5" loaf pan
  6. Bake at 350ยบ for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of loaf comes out clean ( My loaf only took about 20 minutes)
  7. Cool and serve

Makes 1 medium sized loaf of gluten-free bread




This loaf was the most beautiful thing ever. It wasn't the most moist bread I've ever had so next time I will try to put some oil in it. It sure is tasty though.

:)

Wordless Wednesday



Humphry Slocombe Secret Breakfast
<3

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Nice To See You... DidYouBringTheSauce????

Secret Sauce.
Special Sauce.
Spread.
Russian Dressing.

Whatever you call it is fine. I call it The Only Condiment That Ever Needs To Exist.

Especially when Aunt Kelly makes it. Now I love BBQs and I love when we invite Aunt Kelly and Aunt Becky over but I love it even more because they bring The Ultimate Sauce (made from scratch, of course!).

So... Check out Aunt Kelly's blog. She shares the good recipes as well as her dinners (which always look uber delicious... especially my fave mac n cheese n peas).
With that being said here it is... THE SAUCE!! (Mostly gone..)





It goes fast! So keep it for yourself!


Kecky's Klassic Burger Sauce

Ingredients

1/2 cup mayonnaise

4 Tbsp ketchup
2 tsp sweet pickle relish

1-2 tsp sugar (start gradually. I use Agave Nectar)

2 tsp Kecky's Red Swine Vinegar(or sherry vinegar)

1 tsp ground black pepper


Directions

Whisk it all together.

Admire it in all of its glory. (<-- I may have added that step)






How beautiful it is...


:)

Monday, May 10, 2010

And There's Only One Thing To Wash



For some reason every smoothie I make turns out the same. When I really want some fruit but I'm not craving a fruit salad or just plain fruit I whip up a smoothie. I love how smoothies are yummy quick snacks. And this is my yummiest one yet.





My Best Berry Banana Smoothie

Ingredients

1/4 Frozen Mixed Berries
3/4 of a Banana
1 Vanilla Yogurt Cup
A splash of Milk
A quick swirl of Agave Nectar

Directions

  1. Put all ingredients in blender.
  2. BLEND BLEND BLEND
  3. Admire the pretty color
  4. Drink up!


Enjoy.

:)

Friday, May 7, 2010

What A Great Idea

Sometimes I love chocolate.
Sometimes I don't.

When I saw this post I loved chocolate. Since I had all the ingredients and it seemed so easy I didn't see why I couldn't whip up some chocolate syrup.
I put it in milk and swirled it on the bowl before scooping ice cream into it. It tastes and smells wonderful. Just try to refrain from tasting it in the pot. It burns.





Homemade Chocolate Syrup

  • 1 cup good-quality unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (or half as much table salt)
  • 1 cup cold water
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla

In a medium saucepan, whisk together cocoa powder, sugar, and salt till there are no lumps. Add water and stir well.

Place saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, till syrup has thickened. Remove from heat and cool slightly before stirring in vanilla extract. Store in refrigerator.


Enjoy.

On everything.


:)