Monday, September 3, 2012
Tea on Tuesday Social Hop
Hello all! Today, I am co-hosting a Blog Hop...are you looking for new blogs to follow? Are you a new blogger who would like to make more friends? Hop on board!
The Tea on Tuesday Social Hop is hosted by Jessica at Boys Oh Boys and Haley at Team Ibrahim, with this week's special co-host Sara at Milwaukee Kitchen! The Tea on Tuesday Social Hop, is a multiple social link-up for everyone to meet new people, make new friends, and grow your audience! There are 8 social link-ups for you to join, including: Your Blog. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, Bloglovin', Hello Cotton, and Instagram!
There are just a few simple rules:
1. Follow the hosts, and co-host via GFC (if you can) or RSS, Facebook, and Twitter.
Jessica: Facebook - Twitter
Haley: Facebook - Twitter
Sara: Facebook - Twitter
2. For every social link-up you enter, visit at least 3 others from that link-up and follow them.
3. HAVE FUN!!
(*Note: When liking on Facebook, you MUST do this from your personal page. It does not count as a "like" if you like from you blog page.)
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Guest Post: Karen from Read:Cook:Live
Hello Friends and Happy Saturday! I am sitting on the couch watching my beloved OHIO Bobcats play Penn State...lots of emotions in this game, but my Bobcats are keeping it competitive. As I mentioned yesterday, I was a Foodie Pen Pal to Karen at Read:Cook:Live. She is terrific and is guest posting today!
Karen is a wonderful storyteller, which is what good blogging is all about. Please visit her blog and read below for her travel adventure in India. India has been on my travel bucket list for some time, but Karen's story make me want to go sooner rather than later.
This is my first stint as a guest blogger, so thanks to Sara for hosting me!
As my pen pal advised me, it was delicious served over steamed brown rice.
The flight was 15 hours long and I am cursed with an absurd inability to fall asleep on planes. I read 3 books on my flight and didn't sleep for even one minute. When I arrived, I went almost immediately to bed and woke up the next day, unsurprisingly, with a high fever.
You know you have a fever when it's monsoon season in Mumbai and you're shivering on your friend's couch! My friends wisely decided not to take me out for any Indian food and we just had Knorr's Corn Soup Mix at home. By my second day in the country, I was feeling refreshed and ready for anything.
I've eaten so much Indian food that I felt I could handle whatever they wanted to introduce me to. They disagreed; they didn't want to overwhelm me with spices on my first real day. They insisted on taking me out for butter chicken. "It's not too spicy, but it's very traditional" is what they told me. They took me to Bandra and we ate at a restaurant overlooking the harbor, then we walked along the ruins of the Castella de Aguada.
This is not a dish that I remembered seeing on a menu anywhere in the States, but it was delicious. In fact, it was one of the few dishes that I ordered twice while I was there. That's why I was so excited to get a package of butter chicken mix from Sara.
A lot of people ask me whether I got sick from eating the food while I was in India and I'm always a little surprised by the question. I inevitably answer that I got sick from the plane. While I was in India, I ate everything that was offered to me (except fresh fruit and tap water, of course) including the fried bread snacks that are sold out of pieces of newspaper on the trains and made in people's homes. I actually lost a little weight and came home feeling great. My friends, both of whom had spent time in America, assured me this was because Indian food is prepared with no preservatives or artificial anything in it. Everything I ate was so fresh, and while it was all spicy, none of the spice was just heat that overpowered the flavor of the dish, the way so many American spiced foods taste.
In looking through those old photos, I'm amazed to discover that I didn't take any pictures of the food that I ate. I did keep a journal and grilled my friend to make sure I got accurate names for what we were eating, but I wasn't very conscientious about it. As I look back, I wish I had taken more pictures. I remember the most amazing dish that I had while I was at Britto's in Baga. The restaurant was right on the sand of the beach and my friends ordered us a big plate of Crab Masala. It was whole crabs roughly chopped up in the shell and just swimming in this spicy red sauce. It was one of the few dishes that wasn't served with bread and while I'd gotten used to eating with bread and not a fork, I had no idea how to approach this seafood dish. My friends told me that you just pick up the pieces and suck the meat out of the shell. I was a little worried about getting messy, but that passed quickly as I embraced it. By the end of the meal, the three of us were more or less covered up to our elbows in Masala sauce and nobody else in the restaurant paid us any mind. I remember sitting there with my toes in the sand and feeling just so good about life...
Sometimes that's what food does for us. I'm happy to say that I passed on my love of Butter Chicken to both of my dinner guests last night. They will be on the lookout for a recipe and I will be on the lookout for another package of the mix. Special thanks again to Sara at The Milwaukee Kitchen for introducing me to this super easy meal mix!
See, I told you Karen is terrific! Thanks for sharing, Karen. And again, visit Karen's blog at Read:Cook:Live when you get a chance!
Sara
Karen is a wonderful storyteller, which is what good blogging is all about. Please visit her blog and read below for her travel adventure in India. India has been on my travel bucket list for some time, but Karen's story make me want to go sooner rather than later.
Last night I cooked the first of the mixes which Sara sent to me in my foodie pen pals package:
I more or less followed the directions on the package which were to whisk the spices into 8 oz of water, then saute the chicken in a tablespoon of butter, add the sauce and cook it all over medium low until the sauce has thickened.
To finish, you add a 3.5 tbsp of cream and bring it to a boil.
The only things I did differently were to add some sauteed onions and some roasted zucchini and yellow squash into the mix.
As my pen pal advised me, it was delicious served over steamed brown rice.
A few comments about butter chicken. Three years ago I spent three weeks in India.
You know you have a fever when it's monsoon season in Mumbai and you're shivering on your friend's couch! My friends wisely decided not to take me out for any Indian food and we just had Knorr's Corn Soup Mix at home. By my second day in the country, I was feeling refreshed and ready for anything.
I've eaten so much Indian food that I felt I could handle whatever they wanted to introduce me to. They disagreed; they didn't want to overwhelm me with spices on my first real day. They insisted on taking me out for butter chicken. "It's not too spicy, but it's very traditional" is what they told me. They took me to Bandra and we ate at a restaurant overlooking the harbor, then we walked along the ruins of the Castella de Aguada.
This is not a dish that I remembered seeing on a menu anywhere in the States, but it was delicious. In fact, it was one of the few dishes that I ordered twice while I was there. That's why I was so excited to get a package of butter chicken mix from Sara.
A lot of people ask me whether I got sick from eating the food while I was in India and I'm always a little surprised by the question. I inevitably answer that I got sick from the plane. While I was in India, I ate everything that was offered to me (except fresh fruit and tap water, of course) including the fried bread snacks that are sold out of pieces of newspaper on the trains and made in people's homes. I actually lost a little weight and came home feeling great. My friends, both of whom had spent time in America, assured me this was because Indian food is prepared with no preservatives or artificial anything in it. Everything I ate was so fresh, and while it was all spicy, none of the spice was just heat that overpowered the flavor of the dish, the way so many American spiced foods taste.
In looking through those old photos, I'm amazed to discover that I didn't take any pictures of the food that I ate. I did keep a journal and grilled my friend to make sure I got accurate names for what we were eating, but I wasn't very conscientious about it. As I look back, I wish I had taken more pictures. I remember the most amazing dish that I had while I was at Britto's in Baga. The restaurant was right on the sand of the beach and my friends ordered us a big plate of Crab Masala. It was whole crabs roughly chopped up in the shell and just swimming in this spicy red sauce. It was one of the few dishes that wasn't served with bread and while I'd gotten used to eating with bread and not a fork, I had no idea how to approach this seafood dish. My friends told me that you just pick up the pieces and suck the meat out of the shell. I was a little worried about getting messy, but that passed quickly as I embraced it. By the end of the meal, the three of us were more or less covered up to our elbows in Masala sauce and nobody else in the restaurant paid us any mind. I remember sitting there with my toes in the sand and feeling just so good about life...
See, I told you Karen is terrific! Thanks for sharing, Karen. And again, visit Karen's blog at Read:Cook:Live when you get a chance!
Sara
Friday, August 31, 2012
Foodie Pen Pal
About a month ago, I became familiar with the Foodie Pen Pal program sponsored by The Lean Green Bean blog (great blog, BTW). So I signed up and gave it a try!
I was paired with a super-nice blogger, Vickie from Midwestern Ramblings. Vickie lives in Kansas City, which turned out to be great for me, because she sent me so many wonderful food products from her hometown!
When I first opened the box she sent me, I was so excited that she included a nice note with her "supplies." She knew we love coconut around here, so she kindly included a recipe for Coconut Congo Bars...look for this yummy recipe to be tried soon. I LOVE Vickie's cute recipe cards. Mine are BOR-ING!
Little did Vickie know this would be my favorite item in the box. I LOVE trying regional honey! I have way too much honey right now, but this will go to good use soon.
Did you know that when you first move to a new area, you should make a point to begin using honey from that region? The honey will contain regional pollens, etc. that can help you acclimate to the new allergens in the area. Honey is amazing like that.
Look at all of these yummy treats! It might just have to be BBQ time over here soon. Bill and I were just talking about eating more salads and "the Pink Stuff" will be just perfect. And how did Vickie know how much I LOVE PENZEY'S??? Hmmm...maybe it was because of a post I had about Penzey's a few months back.
Last, but certainly not least, Vickie included these beautiful note cards from the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. A KC gem! This was a nice idea and it inspired me to go out and get MY pen pal something similar, so thanks for letting me steal that idea, friend.
Vickie happened to mention to me that she works at a veteran's hospital. Thank you, Vickie, for all you do for our disabled and ailing veterans. I am sure the folks you interact with are the better for it, as am I for being your pen pal.
Vickie was a great pen pal!! Please visit her blog and learn a little more about her!!
To see what I sent my pen pal, visit Karen's blog at Read:Cook:Live.
Until next time,
Monday, August 27, 2012
Frosted Cashew Drop Cookies
Happy Monday! On July Fourth, Bill and I attended a party where we had these GREAT cookies. Bill couldn't stop raving about them (and eating them!), so we asked for the recipe. Bill's friend said they were cashew cookies with brown butter frosting.
So a few days later Bill looked up the recipe and sent it my way. "You should make these," he said. So I did! These were so yummy and I wanted to share the recipe with you. This recipe is from the Land O Lakes website; I took a look at the site and there are lots of great recipes...take a look and give these a try!
Frosted Cashew Drop Cookies
from landolakes.com
1 c firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 c butter, softened
1 egg
1 t vanilla
2 c flour
3/4 t baking powder
3/4 t baking soda
1/3 c sour cream
1 3/4 c cashew halves
1/2 c butter
2 c powdered sugar
3 T milk
1 t vanilla
Drop dough by level tablespoonfuls, 2 inches apart, onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely.
Melt 1/2 cup butter in heavy 1-quart saucepan over medium heat. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until butter foams and just starts to turn golden (4 to 6 minutes). Immediately remove from heat. Pour into medium bowl; cool 5 minutes.
Add powdered sugar, milk and vanilla; beat until smooth. Frost cooled cookies. Top with cashew half, if desired.
Sunday, August 26, 2012
What I Did Today...
Well, this morning I got up early and participated in my first triathlon. My goal was just to finish and I did! In one piece too!
The race was in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin. They have a beautiful facility there and the race was very well-run.
When I came home, Bill made me waffles :)
As this is a cooking blog and not a Sara's exercise blog, here is the recipe. Enjoy!
Basic Waffle Batter
source: cooks.com
2 c sifted flour
3 t baking powder
1 t salt
2 T sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 c milk
3 T oil
Mix all ingredients. Pour 3 T batter in a waffle iron. Cook until done.
Bill would like to add a "pro tip"...make sure to use PAM on the waffle iron prior to making waffles. Also, Bill likes to add a little vanilla to the batter. I guess this is a bonus pro tip!
Until next time,
The race was in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin. They have a beautiful facility there and the race was very well-run.
 |
| Me post race...Victory Comes in Threes...my "supplies" |
When I came home, Bill made me waffles :)
As this is a cooking blog and not a Sara's exercise blog, here is the recipe. Enjoy!
Basic Waffle Batter
source: cooks.com
2 c sifted flour
3 t baking powder
1 t salt
2 T sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 c milk
3 T oil
Mix all ingredients. Pour 3 T batter in a waffle iron. Cook until done.
Bill would like to add a "pro tip"...make sure to use PAM on the waffle iron prior to making waffles. Also, Bill likes to add a little vanilla to the batter. I guess this is a bonus pro tip!
Until next time,
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Barcelona Bites
Eating in Barcelona
My dad recently sent me an article from the Wall StreetJournal about the wine scene in Barcelona.
On the clipping, he wrote, “Sara – no wonder why you came home with wine
from SPAIN.” And he is right! When I went to Spain and France earlier this
summer, I came home with two bottles of wine; both are from Spain.
The food and wine of Spain are like no other. I want to tell you about two great experiences I
had in Barcelona – lunch at Bar Mut (featured in the WSJ article, go figure)
and Bodega Bonavista, a nearby wine shop that had a great selection of wine
and an enthusiastic English-speaking owner.
Bar Mut is a pretty well-known restaurant in Barcelona. So well-known, it was recommended to prior to my visit. I was in
Barcelona for a very short time, so I sought out Bar Mut for Sunday lunch. I got a quick lesson in Spanish culture…I got to the restaurant way too early in the day and ended up interrupting the staff
enjoying a communal breakfast on the patio. Whoops!
When I returned at a decent time, the staff were
terrific. I had a lovely waiter who made
sure I understood the menu and suggested wine accordingly. Although Bar Mut is very well known for its
wine selection, I had the best food I enjoyed during my stay. I had fresh squid and the BEST spinach salad
with goat cheese I have ever had.
Actually, it might be the best salad ever. The staff was very kind and attentive.
At the end of the meal, I asked the manager where I might be
able to find a wine shop open on Sunday.
He pointed me in the direction of Bodega Bonavista, which was a great
choice.
Bodega Bonavista is a small wine shop in the Eixample
neighborhood of Barcelona. It is open
Sundays (and probably most other days) and, most importantly, the owner spoke
English. We spent a little time discussing
the ins and outs of the different varietals and he helped me choose not only a
bold, traditional Spanish wine, but also a more mellow blend of traditional
Spanish varietals. Both easily fit into my suitcase home.
One of the greatest things I learned from my experience at
these two great establishments is to ask
questions of locals when traveling (especially when traveling abroad). I took a chance in asking
for a recommendation at Bar Mut; the manager was happy to point me to his
favorite wine shop. At Bodega Bonavista,
I asked the owner what he would recommend; the result were two fantastic wines
that I have enjoyed as a reminder of my special trip to Spain.
I wish you happy travels on this Travel Tuesday!
Until next time,
I wish you happy travels on this Travel Tuesday!
Until next time,
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Cookbook Corner: Farm to Fork
I hate to admit it, I am recommending a cookbook by Emeril Lagasse. I didn't really like him when he first came on the scene; all of the BAMS! and the like. But now, I feel a little different about Emeril.
That guy made the Food Network and then they let him go. Now, he is a kinder and gentler Emeril. I actually enjoy him interacting with Martha Stewart and I am happy he has a show on the Hallmark Channel. I even watch it from time to time!
This cookbooks is great for anyone with a home garden or who frequents a local farmer's market. It is divided by vegetable with many recipes in each section. This isn't a super-new cookbook; as you can see, I picked mine up at Half Price Books.
I have made a few recipes and all have turned out great. A sampling of a few of the recipes I would like to try:
Homemade Applesauce
Cranberry Orange Sauce
Emeril's Anytime Eggnog
Herbed Quiche with Blue Cheese
Roasted Garlic Soup
So yummy (and lots of pictures). I wanted to share with you a recipe for a hot potato salad, which we enjoyed a few weeks ago. Here we go!
Warm Potato Salad
by Emeril Lagasse
3 oz bacon (you will see I used ham instead)
1 c sweet onion, diced
2 lbs baby potato (such as fingerling)
6 c water
2 T salt
1 T whole grain mustard
1 T black pepper
1 T honey
1/4 c cider vinegar
1/2 c vegetable oil
3 T minced chives (I used dill, because I love it)
1. Place the bacon in a pan and saute until crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the onions and cook until they are soft, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat.
2. Cut potatoes into 1/4 inch slices and place them in a sauce pan. Add the water and salt and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat and simmer until the potatoes are cooked, about 5 minutes. Drain the potatoes and set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the mustard, pepper, honey and vinegar. Whisk to combine. Add the oil in a steady stream while continuing to whisk. Add the chives. Add the potatoes and bacon-onion mixture, and stir gently to combine. Serve warm!
That's it! Very easy, for sure. So give this cookbook a try, you will love it!
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