tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33689003400964918652024-02-07T00:40:35.156-05:00FoodlettesI'm Sami, a college student finally learning to cook. This blog will detail what I cook; hopefully it'll help someone out there!foodletteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15002120712030040721noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3368900340096491865.post-6496375758385784532011-08-05T10:18:00.000-04:002011-08-05T10:18:10.501-04:00necessity is the mother of invention<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Earlier this week, I made <a href="http://www.howsweeteats.com/2011/07/brown-butter-peach-crumble-bars/">these peach bars</a> from How Sweet It Is. If there is one thing you make all summer, it needs to be these peach bars.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I used about three or four peaches for that recipe, but I had one left over. So I had to come up with something to use up this peach and maybe even a few strawberries. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I ended up making <b>Peach Strawberry Shortbread</b>. Delicious! I'm traditionally not much of a baker, so trust me when I say this recipe was easy. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>What You'll Need</u>:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Crust:</span><br />
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<ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 C. flour</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 C. sugar</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 C. butter</span></li>
</ul><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Topping:</span></div><div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 peach, sliced</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">small handful of strawberries, sliced</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">a blackberry jam/preserves</span></li>
</ul><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>How to Cook</u>:</span></div></div><div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray a pie tin with a non-stick baking spray.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mix the flour and sugar together in a bowl, just with a spoon.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Measure out your butter and leave it out for a few minutes so that it's a little soft - not fresh from the fridge. Once soft, cut/spoon into little cubes or pieces and mix into the flour mixture.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Combine the flour mixture and butter together until combined; it will look very crumbly - that's what you want. Just try to make sure everything is fluffily mixed together.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Press the dough into the pie tin. This is when it will actually look like dough and when I stopped being confused about it. It may try to stick to your hands, but that just means you can probably stop pressing it.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spread enough jam/preserves to cover the entire crust. I used a blueberry-blackberry jam that I made, but basically any dark preserve will work.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Place your sliced peaches and strawberries on top.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bake for around 35 minutes. Remove, let cool, enjoy!</span></li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsbvJ3sbG9k7wHeppgFe_5iXw0vqlf0AyblkImexxTj7Tx4uqZlrc5UQSuSraOxHad071ChtHCQtaZ8NjnO4EYiY5svC4cg12sku3mEsbvvS8U2ijG8ansilmosH0NZqd-e4W5p5Eb0pc/s1600/DSCN0590.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsbvJ3sbG9k7wHeppgFe_5iXw0vqlf0AyblkImexxTj7Tx4uqZlrc5UQSuSraOxHad071ChtHCQtaZ8NjnO4EYiY5svC4cg12sku3mEsbvvS8U2ijG8ansilmosH0NZqd-e4W5p5Eb0pc/s320/DSCN0590.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It took a lot of guesswork to know when it was done baking; the shortbread won't turn crispy brown on top like a normal pie crust might. (For reference, I used the shortbread recipe from <a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/gooey-brownies-with-shortbread-crust/detail.aspx">here</a>). Check after 25 minutes to see how much longer you'll need, but I suggest 35-40 minutes in the oven.</span></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This shortbread turned out great, I think! The crust was moist and dense, but still crumbly like a shortbread; the jam was maybe a tad sour for this recipe, but store-bought won't be.</span></div>foodletteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15002120712030040721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3368900340096491865.post-55770873068334880612011-07-27T13:23:00.000-04:002011-07-27T13:23:26.166-04:00a note about tofu<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I get the feeling that a lot of people are scared of tofu and that's why they "don't like it." So in order to promote tolerance, I'd like to introduce you to your good friend tofu. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tofu tastes like what you cook it in. That's all. Doesn't sound so scary, now does it? The toughest part</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can find tofu in any grocery store (if I can find it here in the south, then it can be done). It comes in a package that looks like this:</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://tooclosetotwenty.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/spicy-tofu-red-bell-peppers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://tooclosetotwenty.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/spicy-tofu-red-bell-peppers.jpg" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For cooking purposes, I recommend extra firm tofu. When you open the package, you'll see a block of tofu sitting in liquid. Don't worry! That's how it should look. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But in order to use the tofu, you'll need to get as much of the liquid out of the block as you can. In three easy steps!</span><br />
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<ol><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Place the block of tofu onto a plate with two or three paper towels. Put two or three paper towels on top of the tofu.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Get a heavy, flat thing (a cutting board!) and place it evenly on top of the tofu. Put a small pan or heavy bowl in the middle of the cutting board; this is to put pressure on the tofu and gently get the liquid out.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Wait. For like at least thirty minutes.</span></li>
</ol><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Check your paper towels at least once during this process; if your tofu has more water than usual, you might need to replace your paper towels. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now your tofu is ready for cooking!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm not even going to write down a recipe because it is SO EASY to cook tofu, you guys. Three more easy steps!</span></div><div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spray a pan with non-stick cooking spray and bring to a medium heat (about a 5 on my stove top).</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Put the tofu in the pan (I generally tend to cube mine, but cooking it flat is also fine). Pour the sauce of your choice over the tofu.*</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cook tofu for no more than six minutes, flipping occasionally to make sure it cooks thoroughly and is completely distributed with sauce. Serve.**</span></li>
</ul><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">* - <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">I often use a soy sauce/teriyaki sauce combo, but BBQ sauce works also. I've even used honey mustard.</span></span></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">** - <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Rice makes a good side with tofu; I've also put tofu in a sandwich with lettuce and tomato. It's pretty versatile, as it just takes place of a protein in your dish.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now you have no reason to be afraid of tofu. It's the easiest thing in the world to cook, so try it out!</span></div>foodletteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15002120712030040721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3368900340096491865.post-57590147268348992922011-07-21T12:59:00.001-04:002011-07-21T15:07:41.718-04:00jamming is not hard, sorry<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Working for <a href="http://www.punkdomestics.com/">Punk Domestics</a> has opened my eyes to a whole new world of food. Besides making my own meals, I've also started to make my own jams!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now, these aren't traditional jams as I'm not using any preservatives (pectin products) or any sort of canning methods. That means that you have to use it within a few days; believe me, that's not a problem.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are basic ingredients to every jam and I've had fun experimenting with different variations. You should, too!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today I made a strawberry-blackberry "jam". It's going to make you wish every meal was breakfast.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>What You'll Need</u>:</span><br />
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<ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">strawberries</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">blackberries</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">a lemon</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">brown sugar</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">sugar</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">pumpkin pie spice (optional)</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">cinnamon (optional)</span></li>
</ul><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Notice I gave no measurement for any of those. That's because I don't use any in particular. It all depends on how much fruit you use; a cup of fruit should get just about two cups of sugar. The spices are just generous pinches.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghF0q-7XoFwXivMHDR_4KRdqCFbSpFrdSqlMkQBXtRJKKohgCQcZX-GsDLlqXUxZU4NRv3QDNppCWwl-E8oNrnE5FwXPYmIezNyZyrZcSL9H1PAtVuyozmwEi0SWGOTX0ciMJrDCQrTFw/s1600/DSCN0526.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghF0q-7XoFwXivMHDR_4KRdqCFbSpFrdSqlMkQBXtRJKKohgCQcZX-GsDLlqXUxZU4NRv3QDNppCWwl-E8oNrnE5FwXPYmIezNyZyrZcSL9H1PAtVuyozmwEi0SWGOTX0ciMJrDCQrTFw/s320/DSCN0526.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>How to Cook</u>:</span></div><div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chop/slice your fruit into small pieces and place into a saucepan.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Squeeze the juice of one lemon into the saucepan. I also like to include some small chunks of lemon.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Place the saucepan on the stovetop on a medium-high heat, about a 4 on my stove.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Add the pinches of optional spices.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Add what sugar you'd like. I chose to include brown sugar to make this jam deeper.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Check your twitmailbook to give the fruit some time to get with the sugar.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stir and mash some of the fruit. All of the liquid in the jam comes from the fruit itself (there's no added water). So it's important to squish the fruit. It's up to you how MUCH you do; I like seeing the fruit in the final product so it's chunky.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once the fruit is at the desired consistency, just stir it around.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Check your facetwitmail.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stir and raise the heat to a 5/6. It doesn't need to be that hot for too long, but this helps eventually make the jam thick.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once it's been boiling for just a minute or two, reduce to a low heat for five-ish minutes. So, check your bookmailtwit.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pour the jam-sauce into a resealable container. It's still really warm so don't put it in the fridge just yet.</span></li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqVRhb-kwQC0WSeHxnlFE8yUouAZMk_EYwmnC3EbkZ62sb5z4Pli-WuMt93O0_Y9Aw6H0nhIMC20aJXCYhHD6RFJb1GPFY_b69g5sRwxiYGo6DjOHO3BuXcKceoWi5PFPfnUGfkG0H6Z8/s1600/DSCN0527.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqVRhb-kwQC0WSeHxnlFE8yUouAZMk_EYwmnC3EbkZ62sb5z4Pli-WuMt93O0_Y9Aw6H0nhIMC20aJXCYhHD6RFJb1GPFY_b69g5sRwxiYGo6DjOHO3BuXcKceoWi5PFPfnUGfkG0H6Z8/s320/DSCN0527.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">It may not seem like much... but it is TASTY.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So what are the main points to any jam?</span></div></div><div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A fruit! Berries tend to be better in jams; citrus fruits can be made into marmalades, though I have made an orange-strawberry jam before.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An acid! Lemon is an obvious choice, but oranges would work too.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some sugar! Sugar brings out the fruits' juices and makes the jam sticky and delicious.</span></li>
</ul><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Experiment while berries are in season! Maybe next week I'll make some sort of apple "jam"...</span></div></div>foodletteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15002120712030040721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3368900340096491865.post-10595757943821301372011-07-19T09:44:00.000-04:002011-07-19T09:44:34.714-04:00did I bake an apple?<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, kind of.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is a generally pretty easy recipe, as all of mine tend to be.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's what I did; it wasn't perfect, but it was still dang tasty!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>What You'll Need</u>:</span><br />
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<ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">an apple</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">about 1/8 C brown sugar</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tsp. cinnamon</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">handful of Craisins</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">pat of butter</span></li>
</ul><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitLWPAaOZd1zCvRKNCgtZ-F6LDSdwIiTADHOvrGwqvmRVEFTzu07usW31pZd54b5RlBmxWHQSPicI38nFZPECu8cNMIw_goDP8i9jjT5-eU85UTg-YfLPQ2fyNyIEIaukN3HC6o1oPJEE/s1600/DSCN0513.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitLWPAaOZd1zCvRKNCgtZ-F6LDSdwIiTADHOvrGwqvmRVEFTzu07usW31pZd54b5RlBmxWHQSPicI38nFZPECu8cNMIw_goDP8i9jjT5-eU85UTg-YfLPQ2fyNyIEIaukN3HC6o1oPJEE/s320/DSCN0513.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>How to Cook</u>:</span></div><div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Somehow core your apple.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stuff the apple with brown sugar, cinnamon and Craisin mixture.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Place the pat of butter on top of the stuffed apple.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The apple should be in a small, oven-safe dish. Fill the dish with a little water, enough to come up about halfway up the apple.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bake for 15 minutes.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After letting the apple cool for a minute and then somehow transfer to a bowl.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Enjoy!</span></li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ww-oln9xQyGlhU1XzZx6hEoaRge88w3nS3NKnt93nhyphenhyphenXV26_XwKgkWEgMKJECeMtGJaanJ7AyUImC_hPctDJxGsnQSOi8hbW1GP6h-w4_2pn9MvQDvIjNoQtxuX2JHJqtHf5wj93mhk/s1600/DSCN0516.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ww-oln9xQyGlhU1XzZx6hEoaRge88w3nS3NKnt93nhyphenhyphenXV26_XwKgkWEgMKJECeMtGJaanJ7AyUImC_hPctDJxGsnQSOi8hbW1GP6h-w4_2pn9MvQDvIjNoQtxuX2JHJqtHf5wj93mhk/s320/DSCN0516.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now, when I cored my apple I used a paring knife. I almost got the core out beautifully but then the apple split. Oh well! I kept the apple together the best that I could. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I took the apple out of the oven, it looked like a crazy apple soup; perhaps too much water? Oh well! I put the apple into a bowl and spooned the liquid in/around it. That's where all of the sugar and Craisins had gone and that's the important part!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I almost forgot the most important step!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Eat two or three doughnut holes while you wait.</span></li>
</ul></div>foodletteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15002120712030040721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3368900340096491865.post-5870927150062391412011-07-05T11:03:00.001-04:002011-07-05T12:37:27.323-04:00princess breakfast<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We've moved on to delicious cupcakes for breakfast, you guys. And I gotta say, it's a great way to start the day. I pair a cupcake with a couple pieces of fruit (Monday, grapes. Tuesday, strawberries). </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It automatically makes you feel like a princess. What's more decadent than that?</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So when you guys are done making some cupcakes (I'll wait here), you can enter a great giveaway!</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ9GwxTr2cv7Un8PSzXmjsmBISo8ECumahHkzfXUN34m4GSvan-9cPu2OuQt6XL2GiaLFNJY1TghCuDq2xxQennQD0bSl4S7FH1RR3nxzX7ZOpslzxqcynHP9jW1bNoe_3THx90pN8HUs/s1600/allthingsforsale-contest1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ9GwxTr2cv7Un8PSzXmjsmBISo8ECumahHkzfXUN34m4GSvan-9cPu2OuQt6XL2GiaLFNJY1TghCuDq2xxQennQD0bSl4S7FH1RR3nxzX7ZOpslzxqcynHP9jW1bNoe_3THx90pN8HUs/s320/allthingsforsale-contest1.jpg" width="192" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://allthingsforsale.com/">AllThingsForSale.com</a> is giving away adorable sandwich cutters and bento accessories. The giveaway ends July 11 and it's SO easy to enter: follow that link for further instructions.</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span>foodletteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15002120712030040721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3368900340096491865.post-85560163360381704252011-07-01T12:12:00.000-04:002011-07-01T12:12:40.911-04:00I just really like frenchfast, okay?<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you're on Facebook as much as I am, be sure to click the new "Like" button at the top of Foodlettes' pages. You'll be updated whenever a new blog post goes up.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To end this week of yummy "French" breakfasts, what could be better than French toast?</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Take that, Burger King! I no longer require your services.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>French Toast Sticks</b>:</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>What You'll Need</u>:</span><br />
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<ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Two slices of bread.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One egg.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">About 1/2 cup of milk.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 teaspoon of sugar.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 1/2 tablespoons of cinnamon</span></li>
</ul><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>How to Cook</u>:</span></div><div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Whisk" together the egg, milk, sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl with a fork until combined REALLY well. The cinnamon may try to clump, and the egg white may resist whisking, but just do your best. The end result will be a light yellow mixture with the cinnamon blended in.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Slice your bread into "sticks"; this ends up being about three "sticks" per slice of bread.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Heat a frying pan on a medium heat (about a 5 on my stovetop); use a light amount of non-stick cooking spray.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">LIGHTLY dip each side of one "stick" and place into the hot pan. Continue with two other "sticks" and fit them in the pan, too.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cook each "stick" for about 1 1/2 minutes on each side. Remove from pan when done; there's no need to be over-browned or too crispy, but just make sure the egg is cooked all over.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Serve with a couple spoonfuls of jelly for dipping.</span></li>
</ul><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I know French toast is generally made with a loaf of French bread, baguette slices or even Cuban bread; I had none of those, but it's also easier to make "sticks" out of sandwich bread.</span></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some people might like to dip in syrup, but I find that to be a little heavy in the mornings. The topping/dipping is up to you!</span></div>foodletteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15002120712030040721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3368900340096491865.post-41229805604486015772011-06-30T19:16:00.001-04:002011-06-30T22:38:52.188-04:00what I've been having for frenchfast<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a newly christened "morning person", breakfast has become one of my favorite meals. If I could eat a breakfast pastry for every meal, I would be the happiest.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Because I don't have a delicious, French pastry shop in my kitchen (I'm assuming I'll become a master baker one day and eventually make my own), I've been trying to find ways to make breakfast a little fancier than usual.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Apparently that means adding <b>Nutella</b> and <b>strawberries</b> to otherwise normal breakfast items.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Maybe these ideas can help start your day off delicious and full of chocolate!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Tuesday</b>: Croissants avec Nutella</span><br />
<ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cut into your croissants like you were going to cut them in half, but don't cut all of the way.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Put them in the toaster oven for two minutes maximum (or quickly heat in the microwave).</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spread Nutella in the pocket you made in each croissant.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Slice a couple of strawberries to enjoy on the side; you may also choose to put them in your "sandwich".</span></li>
</ul><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Wednesday</b>: Bagel avec Nutella et la </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">gelée</span></div><div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Separate one bagel and toast/heat however you prefer.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Spread Nutella on one half and jelly on the other (I used a local boysenberry spread).</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Enjoy one half at a time, or however you prefer.</span></li>
</ul><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><b>Thursday</b>: Gaufe (waffle) avec Nutella</span></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">(I've been wanting to do this one for a while)</span></div><div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Toast/heat until they've reached your desired level of crispiness.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Instead of using butter, just spread Nutella</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Slice strawberries to enjoy on the side.</span></li>
</ul><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Good news! Foodlettes now has a <b>Facebook page</b>. Follow <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Foodlettes/155977161142425">this link</a> or check out the button at the top of the blog!</span></div></div>foodletteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15002120712030040721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3368900340096491865.post-10458470521500738872011-06-24T14:15:00.000-04:002011-06-24T14:15:26.265-04:00break me off a piece of that bur-ri-to<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With my weird metabolism, I'm generally not hungry for dessert like I used to be.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How sad is that, right? Especially when I could use a daily dose of sweet and/or chocolate.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So for breakfast, I tend to have something sweet (like PopTarts, bagels, etc); this morning, I ended up having a slice of cake. My mom baked the cake last night and I made the chocolate frosting from scratch (using the recipe on Hershey's <a href="http://www.hersheys.com/recipes/184/HERSHEY'S%20%22PERFECTLY%20CHOCOLATE%22%20Chocolate%20Cake.aspx">website</a>), so it was PAINFUL not to be able to enjoy it last night.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let me tell you, cake for breakfast is genius.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But for lunch, I figured I should make up for my culinary indiscretion with something at least a little healthy.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I haven't had much protein lately, something important to a vegetarian's diet. Hence I created a lightly fried burrito. Think of a soft taco made crunchy.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Bouncing Bean Burrito</b>:</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>What You'll Need</u>:</span><br />
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<ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tortillas</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Refried beans</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tomatoes</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lettuce</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cheese</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tablespoon of vegetable oil</span></li>
</ul><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Your burrito can be filled with anything, but just make sure not to overstuff them. That's why I didn't include any measurements in the recipe; it's up to you!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>How to Cook</u>:</span></div><div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Heat up your refried beans in a pan on low-medium heat. Be careful not to burn the beans.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While they're heating up, prepare the rest of the filling. I chopped one roma tomato, used a handful of romaine lettuce and a sprinkle of cheese.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At this point, heat the oil in a frying pan on medium heat (about a 6 on the stovetop).</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Assemble your burrito! Spread a couple of spoonfuls of bean around (evenly) on a tortilla, then add the other filling choices. Fold the bottom of the tortilla and wrap like a burrito.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fry for roughly two minutes on each side, or until it is golden brown.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Top with salsa or sour cream and enjoy!</span></li>
</ul><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don't like seeing oil in/on the food I eat, so I dabbed off what little excess was left on the burritos before eating. I also ate these with a knife and fork, so you might want to do the same.</span></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Super yummy and nutritious!</span></div>foodletteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15002120712030040721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3368900340096491865.post-20663579135622552352011-06-22T15:24:00.003-04:002011-06-24T14:17:13.718-04:00Unstuffed Peppers<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last week, my mom and I picked up some fresh fruit and vegetables from a local farmer's market. We had plans to use some of them, but then others ended up sort of sitting around for a bit.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So a cubanelle pepper has been staring at me for a few days now. Today, I decided to finally use it. But, how would I cook it? It's a sweet pepper, so it can be used in a lot of different ways.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are a lot of recipes online for stuffed peppers; I got it into my head that I would stuff the peppers with a rice/veggie mixture. But as time went on, I didn't really feel like roasting it in an oven "forever". I like my lunches to be quick-yet-delicious.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Eventually, I used some stuff from our fridge and pantry and came up with a Spanish rice-style dish. Fair warning, this is a combo of ingredients that might sound... a little strange. But it's delicious, I swear!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Unstuffed Peppers</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What You'll Need:</span><br />
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<ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">one pepper of choice (cubanelle, in my case)</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(red) onion</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">handful of baby carrots</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">grape tomatoes</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">one clove of garlic</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 small can of tomato sauce</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1(ish) cup of water</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 cup of rice</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 tablespoons of olive oil</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">seasoning (salt/pepper, cumin, chili powder)</span></li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzYTbfkoAEcelhMiOxuYL0KVSoehbMskwYosMVyqTBcAGjqUUDFolJMjbpYgIzjchpOLI_E14becKLmv6qvtGttlKZOjjlV5owlhEaQ2nao2ukbl0MBPUAtwrlH1eC_0lBeWbG8RXNO-o/s1600/DSCN0425.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzYTbfkoAEcelhMiOxuYL0KVSoehbMskwYosMVyqTBcAGjqUUDFolJMjbpYgIzjchpOLI_E14becKLmv6qvtGttlKZOjjlV5owlhEaQ2nao2ukbl0MBPUAtwrlH1eC_0lBeWbG8RXNO-o/s320/DSCN0425.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How I Cooked It:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Piecing together some of the Spanish rice recipes I found online, I started the olive oil in a saute pan on medium heat.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While the pan heats up, mince the garlic, chop the carrots and tomatoes into small circles, roughly chop however much onion you'd like and dice the pepper into bite-sized pieces.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Add to the pan and get them cooking together for about five minutes.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pour in the uncooked rice; stir it all together for another five-ish minutes, until the rice is golden.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sprinkle a couple of pinches of seasoning and stir until combined.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At this point, lower the heat under the pan to low/medium-low. Add the tomato sauce slowly, and stir until combined. Then slowly add the water. (I didn't really measure the water level, but it should be enough to cover the rice).</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bring this to a boil. Cover the pan, then reduce the heat to low/medium-low and let it simmer for at least 20 minutes.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It'll be done when the rice has absorbed most of the liquid. Uncover, remove from heat. Stir and serve!</span></li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEJV1TYhmJf27gvuoqMHkuPWaXYYyC7DF-n9kJftiklfz22TnHdQnPWKhV12npS9AEUshlPJtk49lwSC1TrwfBcke0XAxdfTn_JJT9D0oFvEE3Ut_eH5pLDJaVC97e4hn7UBTAVLPIRlQ/s1600/DSCN0426.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEJV1TYhmJf27gvuoqMHkuPWaXYYyC7DF-n9kJftiklfz22TnHdQnPWKhV12npS9AEUshlPJtk49lwSC1TrwfBcke0XAxdfTn_JJT9D0oFvEE3Ut_eH5pLDJaVC97e4hn7UBTAVLPIRlQ/s320/DSCN0426.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now, I'm notorious for slightly ruining Spanish rice; somehow, I always add too much water. If you find that it's been about 20 minutes, and the rice still hasn't cooked the water away, just gently increase the heat then let it sit for five-ten more minutes.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The best part of Spanish rice is the bottom of the pan; the rice there has formed a delicious crust, so don't be afraid when you notice it's sticking to the pan a little.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This made enough for lunch, and then some!, so be prepared to save or share.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6kaCuJ7dTN2mT8wkAzh1n_OvIC72TIRYmW2uPM5UUxsRKPe64aVrlz3nXUqxhKQ73-Tz5llJgsdj-LRUzC2vQ3x82rDJ2OOoohnoYC1cV3xeFckH7HejCtMeE-wBfN6EQ-rU3izOtkXQ/s1600/DSCN0427.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6kaCuJ7dTN2mT8wkAzh1n_OvIC72TIRYmW2uPM5UUxsRKPe64aVrlz3nXUqxhKQ73-Tz5llJgsdj-LRUzC2vQ3x82rDJ2OOoohnoYC1cV3xeFckH7HejCtMeE-wBfN6EQ-rU3izOtkXQ/s320/DSCN0427.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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</span></div>foodletteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15002120712030040721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3368900340096491865.post-44532372689112311862011-06-21T13:14:00.001-04:002011-06-24T14:17:31.357-04:00these bagels are more than just "bites"<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm one of those people that relies heavily on Bagel Bites as a major food group. That sounds a bit extreme, but during the school year, they're usually on my grocery list.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I also love bagels (though I still tend to grab Pop Tarts in the morning) and all the yummy things you can eat with them. They're kind of like a food chameleon, or whatever.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyways, you should definitely make your own "bagel bites" when you get the chance. More satisfying and just as easy to make!</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXH_Xfxz_JdWRf5ernHjW1quR1fpu6IK-iofaQq4HaTwNUyx88-p4ml_mJSw-R5NE3ZEyGP4uTj7f63RIDtHVAN9SVP8hsl-_VG__kZNzdwJ2aM3csB_3UI1pHKSOQhJqR_biApAzSYag/s1600/DSCN0381.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXH_Xfxz_JdWRf5ernHjW1quR1fpu6IK-iofaQq4HaTwNUyx88-p4ml_mJSw-R5NE3ZEyGP4uTj7f63RIDtHVAN9SVP8hsl-_VG__kZNzdwJ2aM3csB_3UI1pHKSOQhJqR_biApAzSYag/s320/DSCN0381.JPG" width="202" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What You'll Need:</span><br />
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<ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">a bagel</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">some pizza sauce</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">choice of cheese and toppings</span></li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVs50QS7vFn7j_23EQUDMXpz3smcEJWlHXQY2EqQyOeVHhSuBzmZf2L3C6uAAcLm5P6jKJ9H_oskWGa56Vwsj0H5vx7LKFnxsHajgQ3VXBA4zQcxzNVmgvOT6RfnLfXTqdLIK-fNgsYBs/s1600/DSCN0382.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVs50QS7vFn7j_23EQUDMXpz3smcEJWlHXQY2EqQyOeVHhSuBzmZf2L3C6uAAcLm5P6jKJ9H_oskWGa56Vwsj0H5vx7LKFnxsHajgQ3VXBA4zQcxzNVmgvOT6RfnLfXTqdLIK-fNgsYBs/s320/DSCN0382.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I cooked mine in our toaster oven at 350 degrees for about 7 minutes on a handy foil sheet.</span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spread about a spoonful of pizza sauce on each half of a bagel.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sprinkle a couple pinches of cheese over everything. (I didn't add any other toppings to mine, but this is when you would add them.)</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Make sure your toaster oven is up to temperature, or as close as you can tell, and put your bagels in the oven.</span></li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFsceCgxl0hjIjBdKBQ7w4HlB4OGiG0zgQ77ORfjri448zr2Vxjc_iagPSazWtCpjPFHffhExkmnjSk0MgI2xV-qY00-Zt17YC4CbAcVUSyG4WY5gOLvDax3fyTZA5jOORv5q-HOTe8KQ/s1600/DSCN0383.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFsceCgxl0hjIjBdKBQ7w4HlB4OGiG0zgQ77ORfjri448zr2Vxjc_iagPSazWtCpjPFHffhExkmnjSk0MgI2xV-qY00-Zt17YC4CbAcVUSyG4WY5gOLvDax3fyTZA5jOORv5q-HOTe8KQ/s320/DSCN0383.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I forgot to accurately time how long it was in the toaster oven, so you might want to start watching it around 5 minutes if you don't like all that deliciously toasted cheese.</span></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_UjUX82imfIiR7GS_pCTuOxFSa_5kioNFwkCrL1kMJZsrmRXzARvwWxkdmf1u-2eN7KBxggK2qgNqrjaJ0rHpY7PSTSScqYxwqycUjNJyWWo7s-RuA76I1aF1h4_khdwobYT4a00-Gs0/s1600/DSCN0384.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_UjUX82imfIiR7GS_pCTuOxFSa_5kioNFwkCrL1kMJZsrmRXzARvwWxkdmf1u-2eN7KBxggK2qgNqrjaJ0rHpY7PSTSScqYxwqycUjNJyWWo7s-RuA76I1aF1h4_khdwobYT4a00-Gs0/s320/DSCN0384.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>foodletteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15002120712030040721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3368900340096491865.post-22426080011747211132011-06-10T10:37:00.000-04:002011-06-10T10:37:46.853-04:00Foodlettes on the Road - Part 1<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I spent 13 hours in a car yesterday. I had a good excuse, so don't worry.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm currently enjoying a mini-vacation with my grandparents in historic Williamsburg, VA. We left their house at 4 a.m. and drove, with plenty of stops, until we reached our condo.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My nana is all about her research, so we already had a couple of dinner spots we want to visit while we're here. They like seafood and eating healthy, so it wasn't too hard finding locations in this college-area.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last night we ate at "Food for Thought".</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUJtMmqYujH-f3VtIagIl7OMGzLZrEup2dr62ciGvmp7NBeASUaoFvieHd5n1C3JNFOUHC8RF0GJ2oD-cjFFvNnzYIN75x7u3hscHlB289Z8Cvm5_lkHsVSFlLONf8GutZcmWMQvMSvWo/s1600/foodforthought.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUJtMmqYujH-f3VtIagIl7OMGzLZrEup2dr62ciGvmp7NBeASUaoFvieHd5n1C3JNFOUHC8RF0GJ2oD-cjFFvNnzYIN75x7u3hscHlB289Z8Cvm5_lkHsVSFlLONf8GutZcmWMQvMSvWo/s1600/foodforthought.PNG" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px;"><div style="font-size: 11pt; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 15px;">Symbolically, <span class="fft" style="color: #0e4171; font-weight: 500;">Food For Thought</span> is built on this same success model. Our food is prepared with love and served with pride. The foundation of our menu is built upon Classic American dishes such as Fork Tender Pot Roast, Grandma's Meatloaf, and "fall off the bones" ribs. These are meals that America grew up on. To complement these American favorites we added some newer, more contemporary flavors and ideas like Pad Thai, Jamaican jerk chicken, flavored butters, and original vegetarian dishes.</div><div style="font-size: 11pt; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 15px;">A truly wonderful meal is a combination of good food and good conversation. So talk about the special people featured here. Talk about the contributions that these people have made to the world. Talk about how everyone can be great in his or her own way. Talk about how we can each make a significant contribution if we model the same principles and beliefs of those that have gone before us. Have fun while enjoying a deliciously inspiring meal and expand your mind as well as your belly. . .</div></span></span></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After being in the car all day, I pretty much just wanted a salad and a nap.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I thoroughly enjoyed my "Farmer's Harvest Salad":</span><br />
<blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px;"><span class="descrip" style="font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic;">Crisp mixed greens with sliced apples, candied pecans, bleu cheese crumbles, dried cranberries, and croutons tossed in our house balsamic or raspberry vinaigrette.</span></span></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What they don't tell you is that their pecans are SPICED, not just candied. And their croutons are homemade and baked with parmesean and herbs. A very special salad indeed. There were plenty of options for me to enjoy, though; vegetarians are often plagued with only having a choice of these leaves or those leaves to eat. Thankfully, more and more restaurants are offering more diverse food choices and themes, like "Food for Thought"!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I bought a souvenir glass from there, my first of the trip. </span><br />
<blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"> </span> </span></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span>foodletteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15002120712030040721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3368900340096491865.post-46992043484132615962011-06-04T17:01:00.001-04:002011-06-24T14:17:57.430-04:00Happy Summer Blueberry Nests!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since I've been doing so much baking lately, I decided to share with my downstairs neighbors. I've never really spoken to them, or any of our other neighbors, but they have an adorable little girl (and a UF welcome mat) so I figured they could use a treat!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I had come up with an idea for a "thumbprint"-style cookie, where you make wells in the cookies before you bake them, then fill that well with a jelly or a jam.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I still had some blueberries that I had picked a couple weeks ago (that I will hopefully finish baking away soon) so I decided to make my own blueberry "jam".</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I used the same cookie recipe that I've been raving about, those <a href="http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/glazed-lemon-cookies-10000001859014/">glazed lemon cookies</a>, but added the juice of 1/2 lemon to the dough mixture. Then, I made sure to add a "nest" as best as I could to each cookie.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Because I wasn't actually making a jam out of these blueberries, I sort of had to invent my own recipe for the sauce/syrup.</span><br />
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<ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 cups blueberries, fresh</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 1/2 cups sugar</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">juice 1/2 lemon</span></li>
</ul><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Heat that up in a saucepan over medium heat. This recipe is fun because you get to squish and mash the blueberries in order to make it a sauce; there is no other added liquid. It'll heat up and get delicious, then bring it to a boil (pretty much still on medium heat) for at least five minutes.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From there, spoon a little into each cookie. Mine had a lot of spillage, as the cookies weren't built like the dams they should have been, but that was my own fault. Either way, the cookies and jam have to cool and harden a little before serving.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I packaged up a whole tray of cookies for my neighbors (the recipe makes two trays, so we were able to enjoy some, too) and left it on their doorstep. I know they've brought it inside, but I'm still waiting to see if they think I'm some lunatic - or if they appreciated the thought. I included a recipe card so that they could make them, too.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Note: You're going to have plenty of leftover blueberry sauce. If you're like me, you'll eat a couple spoonfuls just out of the pot, then save the rest for later use.</span></div>foodletteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15002120712030040721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3368900340096491865.post-643287841886177002011-06-03T13:27:00.001-04:002011-06-24T14:18:34.576-04:00salad! the DIY way<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Many moons ago, my dad and I would make our own salad dressings. We didn't do it too often, but it was a really fun way to experiment with flavors and use ingredients you might normally use.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've been trying to eat more fruits and veggies lately (c'mon, health!), so for lunch today I thought I'd make my own salad + dressing.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Sami's "Vinaigrette" Dressing</span>:</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I didn't use any proper measurements, just sort of eyeballed what I poured into a small mixing bowl and whisked together.</span><br />
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<ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">About a teaspoon of honey mustard.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Two tablespoons of balsamic vinegar.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A dash or two of blueberry infused red wine vinegar. (I'm almost positive no one else even has this. I don't know why we do, at this point.)</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A good tablespoon of soy sauce.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Two teaspoons of honey (I used clover honey).</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A couple pinches of sugar, to taste.</span></li>
</ul><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At the last minute, I cracked in some pepper. Along the way, it's so important to taste after almost each step. One ingredient can completely change the entire dressing, so you might have to compensate with a little more of something else. I originally wasn't going to include any sugar, but it was pretty tart.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In order to have more fruits and veggies all in the same meal, I sliced up one orange and two large strawberries to toss in with a salad mix.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stir together, and enjoy! As you can see, I enjoyed the salad before I could snap any photos. I suggest you do the same.</span></div>foodletteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15002120712030040721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3368900340096491865.post-39565780992941380622011-06-02T18:21:00.000-04:002011-06-02T18:21:39.172-04:00warning: not a vegetarian recipe, but I hear it's delicious<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjnECJgRd579Ho0AT-I0hyPqIbSJThqAh7x9B9r3yZ13DxA7ILMSx_I7zbKdciVLyVejacikz6ovcHfBalJnrnUnrlfY-z4VmaSYZ59aHjpLU3BwUdDP_oxegxJKIpkcEpl-OWBAky9K8/s1600/250198_10150191466111150_673316149_7278115_6124597_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjnECJgRd579Ho0AT-I0hyPqIbSJThqAh7x9B9r3yZ13DxA7ILMSx_I7zbKdciVLyVejacikz6ovcHfBalJnrnUnrlfY-z4VmaSYZ59aHjpLU3BwUdDP_oxegxJKIpkcEpl-OWBAky9K8/s320/250198_10150191466111150_673316149_7278115_6124597_n.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After I bugged my friend Derek, he revealed the recipe for this ginger chicken soup. You see, I'm just trying to coerce all of my friends into food bloggery.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And no, like the title suggests, this recipe is not vegetarian, but that can be easily fixed.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You'll need a crock-pot (a slow cooker) in order to make this recipe to Derek's perfection, but that can be fixed, too.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Derek's Ginger Chicken Soup</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">:</span><br />
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<ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">Boiled four chicken breasts in water with fresh ginger and a bouillon cube for my broth base. </span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">Sautéed 1/2 onion and 4 stalks of celery, with about 4 cloves of garlic.</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">Put in crock pot. Add chopped carrots, broccol<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;">i, and more fresh ginger. </span></span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;">Turn on high for 3-4 hours. Add salt/pepper to taste.</span></span></span></li>
</ul><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He suggests removing the ginger from the soup before serving, as it has a strong flavor.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">VEGETARIAN FIX: Skip the chicken and bouillon cube; opt for a vegetable broth instead.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CROCK-POT FIX: Once all of the ingredients come to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and cover your pot with its lid. Let simmer for 20 minutes, give or take, in order to let the flavors get delicious.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This makes a ton of great soup, so you'll have plenty of leftovers for extra comfort.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thanks, Derek!</span></div>foodletteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15002120712030040721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3368900340096491865.post-10643410370571003152011-05-30T14:33:00.001-04:002011-06-24T14:19:13.959-04:00cocoa powder does not mess around<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We all know that I bake cookies a lot; there was a month where I didn't even have to look at the recipe anymore.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A few days ago, I decided I had to bake away some of the blueberries I had picked. By using my strong Google-fu, I was able to find a great recipe! (You can find the recipe <a href="http://www.blueberry-recipe.com/cinnamon-blueberry-muffin.html">here</a>.)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today, though, is the day before my parents return from their two-week safari, and I had promised them brownies.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I follow <a href="http://www.keepitsimplefoods.com/">Keep It Simple Foods</a>, a fabulous blog for vegetarian recipes and everything delicious. Before my parents had left for their vacation, I had found a brownie recipe on KISF that was seemingly to die for.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can find the recipe <a href="http://www.keepitsimplefoods.com/desserts/old-fashioned-brownies-with-cinnamon-and-pecans/">here</a>, but you'll want to make them right away. Don't say I didn't warn you.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The recipe uses pecans, but I left those out. Kept the chocolate chips, though.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje7-JGddmA0BtSmd_SHbiCFMYqYdctxwfUlCjAcR2tvit44km70Vz0fYZLhSj4Tp-PbYEY5FVhyeNJILfsXIFLd_gVD7YnQw001mnqtNbvvczB5Ljz6hmbgBRBgKvR19szdh6mFwZdQtE/s1600/DSCN0270.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje7-JGddmA0BtSmd_SHbiCFMYqYdctxwfUlCjAcR2tvit44km70Vz0fYZLhSj4Tp-PbYEY5FVhyeNJILfsXIFLd_gVD7YnQw001mnqtNbvvczB5Ljz6hmbgBRBgKvR19szdh6mFwZdQtE/s320/DSCN0270.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Hello, lover.</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've never made brownies from scratch before, and certainly never with cinnamon or cocoa powder, but these are winners.</span>foodletteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15002120712030040721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3368900340096491865.post-2836054197830260392011-05-28T19:36:00.002-04:002011-06-24T14:19:48.397-04:00true life: I'm a carboholic.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm pretty sure my body needs twice as many carbs as it does protein; where normal people need meat, I'll be happy with crackers or bread.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the foods I crave the most when I'm away from home is potatoes. ANY kind of potatoes. They just don't keep in a dorm situation.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've been toying with the idea of frying my own french fries, a Main family staple, or my own hash browns.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tonight, though, I went with my favorite version of the potato: roasted.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After consulting Google, which has a handy recipe function, I concocted a winner.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Sami's Potatoes</span>:</span><br />
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<ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dice two small potatoes.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mince/roughly chop two cloves of garlic.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chop as much onion as you'd like.</span></li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_zrJHxk_riZdGxyGIiJweffzT9e4A2mX6I-Tiyy0tUjJ96UPaJ1B-edypqmsQfQ9HzILY88tFbVyRxu8_73VwE3Ea76qe8HbYlUsYOTzHkTkfKPePePxDwG0T9JUJG5Q1oCiqQfXHqj8/s1600/DSCN0247.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_zrJHxk_riZdGxyGIiJweffzT9e4A2mX6I-Tiyy0tUjJ96UPaJ1B-edypqmsQfQ9HzILY88tFbVyRxu8_73VwE3Ea76qe8HbYlUsYOTzHkTkfKPePePxDwG0T9JUJG5Q1oCiqQfXHqj8/s320/DSCN0247.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next, you need some seasoning in order to roast!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(About) 1/4 cup of butter, melted</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dashes of parsley, rosemary and thyme.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pinches of salt and pepper.</span></li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUlVTri7P3BuT9XFLiIOHdY7KaxCLAdovJiBDwHJX7TB34ayJyCWRncUj6JIXP5CGFyBWrGuPInftGtOR3iARIZgrSIDDCXpIHXgKOB8wbZQjei8V9sPeCEi5R0RvtiN9DEvFXAf6eAfs/s1600/DSCN0248.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUlVTri7P3BuT9XFLiIOHdY7KaxCLAdovJiBDwHJX7TB34ayJyCWRncUj6JIXP5CGFyBWrGuPInftGtOR3iARIZgrSIDDCXpIHXgKOB8wbZQjei8V9sPeCEi5R0RvtiN9DEvFXAf6eAfs/s320/DSCN0248.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Put the chopped vegetables in your roasting pan of choice. Pour the seasoned butter blend over. Mix together so that everything gets coated.</span></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bake at an oven set to 360 degrees for 30-40 minutes, depending on how brown and soft you'd like your potatoes to be. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT1qIGYPRlICveMNlmOG0APKB5gx8egaAxy5JZVZRl6IyN8Ynq8FPWMdq783QYWWT47dQIeR3eAYlfSdA4VpEWdEswKCwGieKecQyFb0Wmnw3Qjp8Aqccdi6F8y0w02ior302fUCPK4eE/s1600/DSCN0252.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT1qIGYPRlICveMNlmOG0APKB5gx8egaAxy5JZVZRl6IyN8Ynq8FPWMdq783QYWWT47dQIeR3eAYlfSdA4VpEWdEswKCwGieKecQyFb0Wmnw3Qjp8Aqccdi6F8y0w02ior302fUCPK4eE/s320/DSCN0252.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However, I know I can't run on just carbs. And thankfully I come from a family of excellent salad makers. My Nana makes the healthiest salads that are chock full of delicious things seen below.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBKg_MUz5msNDV5xbAeW7dxLYjtYvPYesEfJa3LxoI-VO97qbSCb2h_SQlXH-we8oLHHDhtBSecf_MjUBeQd-uNjwzqGGl8KEGrOq6k15xLKOLl5VCR6jH5iT8f7B59gcMJvRG8a8QutA/s1600/DSCN0250.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBKg_MUz5msNDV5xbAeW7dxLYjtYvPYesEfJa3LxoI-VO97qbSCb2h_SQlXH-we8oLHHDhtBSecf_MjUBeQd-uNjwzqGGl8KEGrOq6k15xLKOLl5VCR6jH5iT8f7B59gcMJvRG8a8QutA/s320/DSCN0250.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Sami's Salad</span>:</span></div><div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However much lettuce/salad mix as you'd like</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chopped strawberries, a handful of blueberries</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Handful of sunflower seeds, handful of craisins</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mix with a vidalia onion salad dressing</span></li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOX3alp9CB4Unltlf7dU2tqcHVRAIPauIykXUyQ-5hcv6Qz1CWNYeabcrbpjtru2hraKgjmoCLvwPyna1K14EMA_8wXA6LJBaJ3G7xEfcUmvPrZq5ui8mhdeAQIOKVp_Gaa1VxkopFV4Y/s1600/DSCN0251.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOX3alp9CB4Unltlf7dU2tqcHVRAIPauIykXUyQ-5hcv6Qz1CWNYeabcrbpjtru2hraKgjmoCLvwPyna1K14EMA_8wXA6LJBaJ3G7xEfcUmvPrZq5ui8mhdeAQIOKVp_Gaa1VxkopFV4Y/s320/DSCN0251.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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</span></div>foodletteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15002120712030040721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3368900340096491865.post-55973246009978517342011-05-24T13:48:00.002-04:002011-05-30T13:59:45.774-04:00healthy is not boring, sorry<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've had some apples sitting in our fruit basket for a while. Pretty sure the only way to tell if apples have gone bad is by squeezing them every day and making sure they're not mushy. These are still far from mushy, but they're not doing anybody any good just sitting there.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I wanted to make an apple salad! I remembered these lemon glazed cookies I made a couple weeks ago; the glaze was just lemon juice and powdered sugar. (Cookies <a href="http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/glazed-lemon-cookies-10000001859014/">here</a>.)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I dumped a small amount of granulated sugar in a bowl and squeezed the juice of one lime over it. Combine via whisking and add two chopped apples. Stir together; enjoy.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq9AIRgNGXWpJ5kDhYEJznTqi-z3hPRPGN8v8yyRlP717QSHh9uW3jzGrUe46mspfp8bLX_cylRYT_8NY7CQFOs0iWqLHbkcDG4H_iW13c2FXiCiJPPNGXJT1DXeAqitx0JC-3UCk6lEY/s1600/DSCN0246.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq9AIRgNGXWpJ5kDhYEJznTqi-z3hPRPGN8v8yyRlP717QSHh9uW3jzGrUe46mspfp8bLX_cylRYT_8NY7CQFOs0iWqLHbkcDG4H_iW13c2FXiCiJPPNGXJT1DXeAqitx0JC-3UCk6lEY/s320/DSCN0246.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">You guys have no idea.</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Because I wanted breakfast for lunch, I had this apple salad with a slice of banana pineapple bread, bought at a local farmer's market, with Nutella on top.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If I could put Nutella on everything, I would eat everything.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Everything.</span>foodletteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15002120712030040721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3368900340096491865.post-85178563819440948602011-05-23T14:54:00.002-04:002011-06-24T14:20:06.620-04:00pita pizza!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As I was putting away groceries today, I found a can of pizza sauce that we had used recently. Lunch was invented!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I kind of made up some of it as I went along, but it turned out delicious.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0aIzPWqjE57zfQryqGmJHyvMt9Ezl8s0paAVIcGe4grhsLAIOmv231G9EpPQ2S_Ju7WDmwXDx272-zpXwsQXITrGW5aeX1JmWL7FXmkB09b5g_08j13mabyQawOBEJOZfo4v_drkpQcM/s1600/DSCN0238.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0aIzPWqjE57zfQryqGmJHyvMt9Ezl8s0paAVIcGe4grhsLAIOmv231G9EpPQ2S_Ju7WDmwXDx272-zpXwsQXITrGW5aeX1JmWL7FXmkB09b5g_08j13mabyQawOBEJOZfo4v_drkpQcM/s320/DSCN0238.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">The tools! You can have whatever toppings you'd like, but the sauce and cheese are a must.</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I used a pita round as the pizza's crust. It works perfectly! Boboli also makes a good pre-made crust.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbblhL6lyhlCFDwd4g2mHPpWrw3xijpZoUWEW8qChb_AHtUFrd-_qejACVsRI6w2FbM-eXcdgQpK08N9W4MA5tJuIppUeeOQqCQzT-xVU5KCTD2FMiJbBLtrevC8L3k9TOQafZ_Vjdch8/s1600/DSCN0239.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbblhL6lyhlCFDwd4g2mHPpWrw3xijpZoUWEW8qChb_AHtUFrd-_qejACVsRI6w2FbM-eXcdgQpK08N9W4MA5tJuIppUeeOQqCQzT-xVU5KCTD2FMiJbBLtrevC8L3k9TOQafZ_Vjdch8/s320/DSCN0239.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Before.</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spread sauce, cheese and whatever toppings evenly over the crust.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-FrMoM5hz_RoZG3hyoIObeNejfoVeKyLe2aL-L-L_fKPkaGqXVVeIEYvfVf0-5YUPEsbxTLyvdCdnMBG52kelIo2VaEJN5IUtQN7qzYemn5bru6ZBZ320k8IbouskPsdB1m8GSDXEMFg/s1600/DSCN0241.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-FrMoM5hz_RoZG3hyoIObeNejfoVeKyLe2aL-L-L_fKPkaGqXVVeIEYvfVf0-5YUPEsbxTLyvdCdnMBG52kelIo2VaEJN5IUtQN7qzYemn5bru6ZBZ320k8IbouskPsdB1m8GSDXEMFg/s320/DSCN0241.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">I left an edge just to make it feel like real pizza and not messy.</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi96wjFRy8pbXspwAs5SWxKf6s8vqaokC-vfqmKMgkRxUUOZZVl7Fc0eJVS4xYnUEomt-FJ7TXR4yGRsJN10eimdO5wB-kkUqyRBSgZ3q1iwhFUUjaGxSdLIZSrVAqfPZVEaKcNxt7BMIE/s1600/DSCN0242.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi96wjFRy8pbXspwAs5SWxKf6s8vqaokC-vfqmKMgkRxUUOZZVl7Fc0eJVS4xYnUEomt-FJ7TXR4yGRsJN10eimdO5wB-kkUqyRBSgZ3q1iwhFUUjaGxSdLIZSrVAqfPZVEaKcNxt7BMIE/s320/DSCN0242.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">The more even the toppings are, the more evenly the pizza will cook.</span></div><br />
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<ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Preheat your oven to 300 degrees.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Prepare your pizza however you like. (For quick clean-up, bake the pizza on a sheet of aluminum foil on a baking sheet.)</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bake for 15-20 minutes, depending on how crispy you'd like your pizza crust.</span></li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZLxByUEsXhWBg7puIIbSpsPWzW9UmyR57P30CtOK9FBU-b1UvcZC5rRun1zrC6T0D1xGB2s7kXLRUCiF0xvG7kuH0mzKpduVfSpiDeSMzztFH2fYnCb1lOVebLDlUFrYLtN3f6d-MSOc/s1600/DSCN0243.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZLxByUEsXhWBg7puIIbSpsPWzW9UmyR57P30CtOK9FBU-b1UvcZC5rRun1zrC6T0D1xGB2s7kXLRUCiF0xvG7kuH0mzKpduVfSpiDeSMzztFH2fYnCb1lOVebLDlUFrYLtN3f6d-MSOc/s320/DSCN0243.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Slice and enjoy!</span></div>foodletteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15002120712030040721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3368900340096491865.post-38478695316075941172011-05-22T20:07:00.002-04:002011-05-30T14:00:16.014-04:00quinoa, I barely know her!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Quinoa is somewhat of a mystery to me, but I've learned how to use it to my advantage.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's a grain that is PACKED with protein; as a vegetarian, I have to get my protein wherever I can find it.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tonight's dinner was quickly thrown together. I never know what I'll feel like eating (or cooking). I saw my infrequently used box of quinoa in the pantry and figured it was time.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbw5Ljab0icW9MoTHbeepB2HKhEi-PFCbZ5CA1y-fRXHgAJ_A6u2QYCSE_n4B9LY5WiUWJWg9O7TQhoGPXJVwhsP7Wg-JOAUYqClWV6guipfU8SyUFtc4kVPmzrbnak_Bs30sbm9kgMRM/s1600/DSCN0237.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbw5Ljab0icW9MoTHbeepB2HKhEi-PFCbZ5CA1y-fRXHgAJ_A6u2QYCSE_n4B9LY5WiUWJWg9O7TQhoGPXJVwhsP7Wg-JOAUYqClWV6guipfU8SyUFtc4kVPmzrbnak_Bs30sbm9kgMRM/s320/DSCN0237.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Tools of the trade.</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I put my own spin on the recipe on the box, so it may not be to everyone's liking. There are a million different things to do with this nutty grain, though, so I'm sure there's a variation for everyone.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What you need:</span><br />
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<ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 cup of quinoa</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 cups of liquid (water or <b>vegetable stock</b>)</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 handful of chopped celery</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 clove of chopped garlic</span></li>
</ul><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Put everything into a medium-sized sauce pan and bring to a boil. As soon as it is boiling, reduce it to a low heat (one of the first settings on your stove will do) and cover with your pan's lid.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wait 10 to 15 minutes, checking to see if the quinoa has soaked up all of the stock. Believe me, it will all be soaked up.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once the stock has been absorbed, go ahead and serve!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I wanted a side dish to go with this, but stopped myself from reaching for some yummy Publix bread. Quinoa isn't a heavy grain, but it's a carb all the same. So I grabbed something light, instead!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don't be afraid to try quinoa, folks! It's fast and easy - also, delicious!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">**NOTE** The celery ended up being a little undercooked and tasted very celery-y, so maybe cook the celery and garlic together in another saucepan before starting this whole dish.</span></div>foodletteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15002120712030040721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3368900340096491865.post-26139896536583710992011-05-21T23:04:00.002-04:002011-06-24T14:20:36.527-04:00snacks became tradition<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sometimes it's hard to balance a college life with my home life. I suppose I technically don't live at home anymore, but I do visit whenever I can during the semester.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This year, I would bake cookies every time I came home. It started out as a way to say thank you to my parents, either for driving two hours just to bring me home or for constantly putting up with my various problems. Cookies became synonymous with Sami.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However, I was basically terrible at baking. I'd follow the recipe on the back of the Nestle chocolate chips bag (the same recipe in this post), but my cookies would turn out like pancakes.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Flat, misshapen, but still delicious.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've now baked cookies so often that I know the recipe by heart. Every time I bake, the cookies turn out a little differently than the time before. Oh well.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There was no way I could have taken photos for this post; my hands were incredibly messy. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's the recipe and how I make these cookies my own:</span><br />
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<ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 sticks of butter (1 cup) at room temperature</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3/4 cup of brown sugar</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3/4 cup of sugar (granulated)</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tsp. of vanilla extract</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 large eggs</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 and 1/4 cup of flour</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tsp. of baking soda</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tsp. of salt</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 cup of goodies</span></li>
</ul><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Before you get started, preheat your oven to 375 degrees.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In a medium-sized bowl, combine your dry ingredients (flour, baking soda and salt).</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In a big bowl, use a mixer (I just use an electric hand mixer) to blend the first four ingredients (butter, brown sugar, sugar and vanilla extract) until it's creamy. This is the step I often have the most trouble with - sometimes it's more creamy than others, so just go with the flow.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Beat in the eggs one at a time to the wet ingredients until fully combined.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now, beat in a little of the flour mixture at a time. Depending on how creamy the wet ingredients are, this could become difficult or incredibly easy. I've seen it all, trust me.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All that's left is the cup-ish of goodies! These are usually milk chocolate chips, but I've been adding craisins to my cookies lately. I once made cookies with milk chocolate and white chocolate chips - those were a big hit!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stir in your goodies until it seems like each cookie will have equal amounts.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then get out two baking sheets - no need to spray them or grease them with anything.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One cookie = one spoonful of dough. Space them on the cookie sheets about two inches apart.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you have room in your oven, put both baking sheets in for 9 to 11 minutes. So, 10 minutes, basically. After 10 minutes, take a peek to see if they need more time. If you can't tell, stick a toothpick in the middle of one of the cookies - if it comes out clean, your cookies are done!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sadly, that means I'm not really doing any of the cooking, so I have no recipes to share with you.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But! We picked our own blueberries today. Of course, you have to sample as you go. Blueberries are one of nature's "superfoods": they're packed with antioxidants and tons of vitamins.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIcies1DOT0IEKmVMBdLoVmnErSPLLRXMaz5u3ZIIHCYNMydj7Mtl0_QNezCHKdnSdT1LNFIzwlFUWAo2E4ckCiB0FiTP6DKm7q_BJWqaiXhzIZULe8SIwMVEP_goVQU4YNoyqRRJsrO8/s1600/301183301.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIcies1DOT0IEKmVMBdLoVmnErSPLLRXMaz5u3ZIIHCYNMydj7Mtl0_QNezCHKdnSdT1LNFIzwlFUWAo2E4ckCiB0FiTP6DKm7q_BJWqaiXhzIZULe8SIwMVEP_goVQU4YNoyqRRJsrO8/s320/301183301.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">The bigger ones tended to be sweeter.</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I've had a ton of these today, along with my new favorite granola. The "Back to Nature" brand makes a "honey almond cluster" </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">granola that is TO DIE FOR.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I may not eat a lot, but I try to snack and eat smartly when I do.</span>foodletteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15002120712030040721noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3368900340096491865.post-84299349437104175262011-05-16T20:49:00.002-04:002011-06-24T14:21:32.300-04:00my "own" pasta sauce<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I've been slightly cooking for myself for a little while now. As a vegetarian, a lot of my meals or protein elements come from the freezer, so I just have to heat them up in the microwave - bing, bang, boom. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Living in a dorm does make cooking harder, but this past year I lived in an apartment-style dorm. Technically, that made cooking easier, but nothing compares to the access of my pantry at home. Not that it's extensive, but it at least has more to it than a college pantry.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm pretty sure carbohydrates are really what my body needs, not protein or certain vitamins. I can eat crackers anytime of day and I love getting loaves of bread from the store to snack on during the week. So, as a carb lover, I think it's fitting that I start off this blog with a pasta post. I was inspired to start blogging once things were already cooking, so bear with the photos.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I chopped some fresh garlic and started heating that over low heat in a pan with a capful of extra virgin olive oil. I let that heat up for a while to make sure the garlic got slightly browned; it's important to keep it on low heat during this part, because garlic can burn easily.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh26JHCaWnPI5vzBpa_y71yPLb9SziTrVl1rQn4ce6BpiKlTb0pcecb-RIB9gewOq2cw3IuwGer-BgJhPKD6CXHDmHZVRcZuoo-NsI0LwPyueQSXIkmwEbndg_gvFdJ4oFLrqsixzdhP_0/s1600/DSCN0225.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh26JHCaWnPI5vzBpa_y71yPLb9SziTrVl1rQn4ce6BpiKlTb0pcecb-RIB9gewOq2cw3IuwGer-BgJhPKD6CXHDmHZVRcZuoo-NsI0LwPyueQSXIkmwEbndg_gvFdJ4oFLrqsixzdhP_0/s320/DSCN0225.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Tools of the trade.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To that pan I added a can of diced tomatoes, juices and all. I added a couple shakes of what's called "Italian Seasoning", some parsley and a couple cranks of a pepper seasoning grinder.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwTa48PQT7i55Lt0YFnIZKqx-Z9L_hyro_sLbUVXDqmVZi2wIs4RYPmlp0hrOk8hSzT5tORdwO9FUOzddH62lQx-8_OWdgLDfHXgedeakGJhPVPz-F5cKIljTSjULqyCzZznK0e312d1k/s1600/DSCN0230.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwTa48PQT7i55Lt0YFnIZKqx-Z9L_hyro_sLbUVXDqmVZi2wIs4RYPmlp0hrOk8hSzT5tORdwO9FUOzddH62lQx-8_OWdgLDfHXgedeakGJhPVPz-F5cKIljTSjULqyCzZznK0e312d1k/s320/DSCN0230.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">This is after a few minutes on low/medium heat</span>.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once that sauce was on its way, I got some water boiling and added a heavy pinch of kosher salt. It's very important to salt the water once it's boiling, otherwise the pasta will taste bland. Remember to stir your pasta occasionally; if you don't, it'll stick.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4_i_zT7FlLbXPOxQ3suWKrNbsUOi7im6hUteXgBvGrFssfDiq2tq3jLAX15RtCU0dx6Oo99SIfqyAIKPSlIlG9nyTmjVVerP9n5ytM_HVvoTCHrqxv06WvjOrmrjMd_uId2PRjNg6mqE/s1600/DSCN0227.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4_i_zT7FlLbXPOxQ3suWKrNbsUOi7im6hUteXgBvGrFssfDiq2tq3jLAX15RtCU0dx6Oo99SIfqyAIKPSlIlG9nyTmjVVerP9n5ytM_HVvoTCHrqxv06WvjOrmrjMd_uId2PRjNg6mqE/s320/DSCN0227.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">This is what boiling water looks like from the top.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then, it's just a waiting game. It'll take around 10 minutes, maybe a little less, to get your pasta cooked through. Keep stirring the sauce to make sure it is heating evenly; the sauce should never boil, just simmer.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When the pasta's done cooking, drain the water/noodles through a colander into the sink. I used tiny shells, but the sauce is chunky enough that it'll go with pretty much any noodle you want.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjXj4Bd23nS2JWiGu4rK-y_2pRvEdEFNyj9ENcavMMyJrXgtCs60rfGfQKHo3LkCnSHJA4c6ZA-8hkh7FKAuR2xK7f53iPeqeDFaDYi8o5C0iezo_mb6zmhUjXQBm3v4btybs2Tbc8K6M/s1600/DSCN0232.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjXj4Bd23nS2JWiGu4rK-y_2pRvEdEFNyj9ENcavMMyJrXgtCs60rfGfQKHo3LkCnSHJA4c6ZA-8hkh7FKAuR2xK7f53iPeqeDFaDYi8o5C0iezo_mb6zmhUjXQBm3v4btybs2Tbc8K6M/s320/DSCN0232.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Like so.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br />
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</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've had a bowl waiting while everything got delicious.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtXgLmHZLh1QxbNS-HHDHWgOVzZ1qzDWGAxycUsm42St6EE7FAttxrHV3FGkGXzRQHUB4147iWxu8lfyLhSMU0CfmtFiYgH1Mdjxh7Z3EL0wHPRADK-HGOJJmI1qJuIAuNMQY41cVZ-Qo/s1600/DSCN0226.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtXgLmHZLh1QxbNS-HHDHWgOVzZ1qzDWGAxycUsm42St6EE7FAttxrHV3FGkGXzRQHUB4147iWxu8lfyLhSMU0CfmtFiYgH1Mdjxh7Z3EL0wHPRADK-HGOJJmI1qJuIAuNMQY41cVZ-Qo/s320/DSCN0226.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Spoiler alert.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Combine the sauce and pasta in a bowl, top with however much cheese you want. Protect from any kitchen help.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeJ5AV4ksT345Gv6ugiYqA4B1vS-KA5Itgl54HCVyhSPqIRDcey3SvHbK8u_Al83GsMcZHFltT0RtrD0A8xrljdgnAecmvd6utgL72XRFnHqNZtHVmh3B4JdR9YiWqVZRKKrW37U0krqA/s1600/DSCN0233.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeJ5AV4ksT345Gv6ugiYqA4B1vS-KA5Itgl54HCVyhSPqIRDcey3SvHbK8u_Al83GsMcZHFltT0RtrD0A8xrljdgnAecmvd6utgL72XRFnHqNZtHVmh3B4JdR9YiWqVZRKKrW37U0krqA/s320/DSCN0233.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Yum!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU_kAjufi1Z3DLoNE-CBJHZjGEFQxUOIA2xxPG7tYs9GhP2L-ygz4BcIimRbiyCoOnwCQeZKrdlwaLtxiGyRacVTXSlE8rAICnmDexQxAEHI9Qk3m7MQ-G2a0O4tUJjb6GuR_BFdvuGgQ/s1600/DSCN0231.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU_kAjufi1Z3DLoNE-CBJHZjGEFQxUOIA2xxPG7tYs9GhP2L-ygz4BcIimRbiyCoOnwCQeZKrdlwaLtxiGyRacVTXSlE8rAICnmDexQxAEHI9Qk3m7MQ-G2a0O4tUJjb6GuR_BFdvuGgQ/s320/DSCN0231.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Don't worry, he was a good assistant.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Enjoy! I had enough leftover for lunch tomorrow, some might not. I also have a great loaf of Publix's "Three Cheese" bread, but I had some with my lunch. Figured I shouldn't have too much of a good thing.</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span>foodletteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15002120712030040721noreply@blogger.com0