I love you. Your creamy, rich texture is divine. On my sandwich, your addition makes it all the more delicious. I wish I discovered you long ago, alas, you're now in my life to stay. Thank you.
I also like turning you into guacamole. And chips are delightful, too.
Love,
Tove
Bet you can't guess what I bought today? Avocados. I need to find more ways to incorporate them in my daily life. So far I know I like them on sandwiches, as a chip dip and in salads. Do you have a great avocado recipe? That is today's mission.
As for now, I'm going to continue eating my green grapes and thinking about alternative uses for the beloved avocado.
Have a delicious day!
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Monday, March 28, 2011
Getting Started... Again
I've never been great at blogging. Or journaling. I go through phases of being really excited about it, then fizzling out.
Well, I'm getting really excited again and wanted to share my new goal: being more conscious of what I eat. In doing the CSA last year my goal was to eat more natural, local products more often. Success. This year I will not be participating in a CSA (mostly because I haven't taken the time to find one in my new location), but I feel I need to refocus on being healthier.
So: I am going to tweak this blog and make it my place to write about the food I eat each day and share ideas, insights and information about food in general. My friends know that I love to cook. However, that is not my first love. My first love of food is reading cookbooks. Yep, I could spend an entire weekend on my couch paging through cookbooks and getting inspired. I've already run out of space to keep my entire collection in one place, but I feel my collection is just getting started: some day it will need it's own wall.
You can expect more frequent updates than have happened as of late. I promise to not only announce to the world what I've been eating lately, but to also share ideas, recipes, bright ideas and interests.
I hope you join me on a new adventure in my life as a foodie.
Tove
Well, I'm getting really excited again and wanted to share my new goal: being more conscious of what I eat. In doing the CSA last year my goal was to eat more natural, local products more often. Success. This year I will not be participating in a CSA (mostly because I haven't taken the time to find one in my new location), but I feel I need to refocus on being healthier.
So: I am going to tweak this blog and make it my place to write about the food I eat each day and share ideas, insights and information about food in general. My friends know that I love to cook. However, that is not my first love. My first love of food is reading cookbooks. Yep, I could spend an entire weekend on my couch paging through cookbooks and getting inspired. I've already run out of space to keep my entire collection in one place, but I feel my collection is just getting started: some day it will need it's own wall.
You can expect more frequent updates than have happened as of late. I promise to not only announce to the world what I've been eating lately, but to also share ideas, recipes, bright ideas and interests.
I hope you join me on a new adventure in my life as a foodie.
Tove
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Photos from a delicious meal
Good evening, friends!
First and foremost: the meal was a success! I made the 5 Garlic Chicken that I shared last week: worth every second of preparation time. Yum! I also made brussel sprouts prepared McNally's Style: cooked in triple sec and cream and reduced until a lovely, caramelized glaze coats the vegetable. I didn't get to the risotto for a couple reasons: first, because we had no parmesan cheese, and second because I felt we had enough food for just the two of us already. I was right.
Here are some pictures of just how delicious this meal was. Hope you enjoy!
First and foremost: the meal was a success! I made the 5 Garlic Chicken that I shared last week: worth every second of preparation time. Yum! I also made brussel sprouts prepared McNally's Style: cooked in triple sec and cream and reduced until a lovely, caramelized glaze coats the vegetable. I didn't get to the risotto for a couple reasons: first, because we had no parmesan cheese, and second because I felt we had enough food for just the two of us already. I was right.
Here are some pictures of just how delicious this meal was. Hope you enjoy!
Cake, Chili and Garlic
Yesterday manfriend and I woke up early to go to the Farmer's Market and then the grocery store... the later in the day the busier and more crowded these places become. It was cool and rainy and perfect. My produce bag was well-stocked, as well. I found inside: a few pounds of potatoes, a butternut squash, three tomatoes, a small pumpkin, two peppers - one hot and one sweet, and two cucumbers. I think this bag will do me some good this coming week. I've a counter full of produce to use, so that is my challenge for this week and coming weekend.
We attended two parties last night: one for my job and one for close friends who are moving soon - it was also her birthday! I decided to try out my new KitchenAid mixer and whip up a from-scratch Angel Food Cake with Lemon Frosting to take with us to share with the birthday girl. Although I was a bit nervous about it, I was told it was fabulous. One person even said, 'This makes me believe in Jesus.' Dang. Must have been magical. But we also must evaluate the crowd: a few beers deep and ready to devour anything in arm's reach. Nonetheless: pretty tasty!
After our grocery store adventure yesterday we also decided chili sounds fantastic considering the weather, so manfriend (with a little guidance) put together a delicious batch of dump chili. Spicy, but not too much so, and great texture... couldn't have asked for more!
Today I have to go meet another gal to help plan a bridal shower, but when I get back this afternoon I'm going to make that 5 Garlic Chicken recipe I posted last week. I've got the garlic roasting right now and it smells wonderful; I can't wait to put together the rest of the meal: risotto and brussel sprouts. Yum!
Here is my recipe for chili. It came from my grandma, and she used Turkey Burger for it - it's not bad that way, but when I make it with turkey the meat seemed a bit rubbery. This is just the base recipe; we always load it full of spices and other surprise ingredients based on what we have on hand and what sounds good that day. Hope you enjoy!
Dump Chili
1 pound ground beef
1 whole onion, chopped
Brown the beef with the onion. Then add:
2 cans diced tomatoes (or however you like them - stewed, whole, sauce, etc...)
3 cans beans - any variety and combination (we like black beans, chili beans, and kidney beans)
1 can whole corn
1 packet taco seasoning
1 packet dry ranch dressing mix
DO NOT DRAIN ANY OF THE CANS BEFORE ADDING.
Bring to boil and simmer until time to serve.
Tada! That's it. We like to add garlic, peppers, tomato paste, and a variety of spices, so crazy and make it yours! It's way easy, way fast, and way delicious.
Hope you have a delicious day!
We attended two parties last night: one for my job and one for close friends who are moving soon - it was also her birthday! I decided to try out my new KitchenAid mixer and whip up a from-scratch Angel Food Cake with Lemon Frosting to take with us to share with the birthday girl. Although I was a bit nervous about it, I was told it was fabulous. One person even said, 'This makes me believe in Jesus.' Dang. Must have been magical. But we also must evaluate the crowd: a few beers deep and ready to devour anything in arm's reach. Nonetheless: pretty tasty!
After our grocery store adventure yesterday we also decided chili sounds fantastic considering the weather, so manfriend (with a little guidance) put together a delicious batch of dump chili. Spicy, but not too much so, and great texture... couldn't have asked for more!
Today I have to go meet another gal to help plan a bridal shower, but when I get back this afternoon I'm going to make that 5 Garlic Chicken recipe I posted last week. I've got the garlic roasting right now and it smells wonderful; I can't wait to put together the rest of the meal: risotto and brussel sprouts. Yum!
Here is my recipe for chili. It came from my grandma, and she used Turkey Burger for it - it's not bad that way, but when I make it with turkey the meat seemed a bit rubbery. This is just the base recipe; we always load it full of spices and other surprise ingredients based on what we have on hand and what sounds good that day. Hope you enjoy!
Dump Chili
1 pound ground beef
1 whole onion, chopped
Brown the beef with the onion. Then add:
2 cans diced tomatoes (or however you like them - stewed, whole, sauce, etc...)
3 cans beans - any variety and combination (we like black beans, chili beans, and kidney beans)
1 can whole corn
1 packet taco seasoning
1 packet dry ranch dressing mix
DO NOT DRAIN ANY OF THE CANS BEFORE ADDING.
Bring to boil and simmer until time to serve.
Tada! That's it. We like to add garlic, peppers, tomato paste, and a variety of spices, so crazy and make it yours! It's way easy, way fast, and way delicious.
Hope you have a delicious day!
Monday, September 13, 2010
Untested Waters...
I know this is probably illegal, but I haven't yet tried this recipe yet still want to share it. It makes my mouth water just looking at it. If anyone tries this before you see a review posted, please share your thoughts! Hope you enjoy!
5 Garlic Roasted Chicken – French Style
5 heads of garlic
2 dime-sized drizzles of olive oil
1 3.5-pound chicken, cleaned and patted dry (preferably free-range and organic)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, plus one bunch
3 stems fresh rosemary
1 cup dry white wine
2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
PROCEDURES
1 Preheat the oven to 300°F.
2 Cut the top quarter of two heads of garlic off horizontally. Drizzle each head of garlic with a dime-sized amount of olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt. Wrap tightly in foil. Roast for 1.5 hours. Allow to cool. Then squeeze the soft garlic flesh out of the head.
3 Raise the oven heat to 425°F.
4 Use your fingers to separate the skin of the chicken from the flesh, careful not to tear the skin. Peel the cloves of 1 head of garlic, and scatter them all over the chicken under the skin.
5 Use a fork to mash the butter, two heads of roasted garlic cloves, and 1 tablespoon of thyme together. Salt and pepper the inside and outside of the dry chicken, and rub all over with the garlic butter.
6 Cut the fourth head of garlic in half horizontally. Stuff the garlic head, rosemary, and remaining thyme into the cavity of the chicken. Place the chicken on a rack in a roasting pan.
7 Separate, but do not peel, the cloves of the last head of garlic. Scatter them on the bottom of the roasting pan, and pour in the wine and stock. Cover the chicken lightly with foil.
8 Roast the chicken for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, and roast another 60 minutes, until the juices run clear and the skin is crisp. Baste every 15 minutes or so.
9 Remove the chicken to rest. Set the roasting pan over medium-high heat on the stove, and reduce the pan sauce to 1/2 cup. Serve alongside the roasted chicken.
5 Garlic Roasted Chicken – French Style
5 heads of garlic
2 dime-sized drizzles of olive oil
1 3.5-pound chicken, cleaned and patted dry (preferably free-range and organic)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, plus one bunch
3 stems fresh rosemary
1 cup dry white wine
2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
PROCEDURES
1 Preheat the oven to 300°F.
2 Cut the top quarter of two heads of garlic off horizontally. Drizzle each head of garlic with a dime-sized amount of olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt. Wrap tightly in foil. Roast for 1.5 hours. Allow to cool. Then squeeze the soft garlic flesh out of the head.
3 Raise the oven heat to 425°F.
4 Use your fingers to separate the skin of the chicken from the flesh, careful not to tear the skin. Peel the cloves of 1 head of garlic, and scatter them all over the chicken under the skin.
5 Use a fork to mash the butter, two heads of roasted garlic cloves, and 1 tablespoon of thyme together. Salt and pepper the inside and outside of the dry chicken, and rub all over with the garlic butter.
6 Cut the fourth head of garlic in half horizontally. Stuff the garlic head, rosemary, and remaining thyme into the cavity of the chicken. Place the chicken on a rack in a roasting pan.
7 Separate, but do not peel, the cloves of the last head of garlic. Scatter them on the bottom of the roasting pan, and pour in the wine and stock. Cover the chicken lightly with foil.
8 Roast the chicken for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, and roast another 60 minutes, until the juices run clear and the skin is crisp. Baste every 15 minutes or so.
9 Remove the chicken to rest. Set the roasting pan over medium-high heat on the stove, and reduce the pan sauce to 1/2 cup. Serve alongside the roasted chicken.
Week Something - WAY Overdue
Well folks, I apparently went on a 15 year vacation and ignored my blog. I apologize for being so neglectful.
On the upside, I'm back now. I can't tell you how happy I've been with my CSA this year. Fresh, delicious produce each and every week is a wonderful thing. I will say that I haven't used each and every piece as productively as I initially intended. I've had to throw some carrots, squash, peppers and a couple of other things away over the course of the summer. Unfortunately, I really lost my desire to cook for most of the summer. I did use a fair amount of the produce accumulated, but my goal obviously will not be complete: I wanted to use each and every piece of produce and write my experiences on a weekly basis. Fail.
Alas, I just received a cookbook yesterday at my bridal shower, and I've now a new determination to cook delicious foods once again. Along with a cookbook, I received a number of WONDERFUL kitchen tools: NEW POTS AND PANS! YES! A KitchenAid Mixer! Cutting boards, aprons, a salad spinner, mixing bowls, a toaster and a number of other fantastic (and much needed) items. My family, friends and future family are amazing. Thank you thank you thank you!
Tonight for dinner I baked some chicken breasts with green peppers and spices and served them over pasta and alfredo sauce. My favorite meal ever. No, the alfredo was not homemade, but I did at least doctor it to a point of manfriend liking it--he's typically not an alfredo fan (freak!).
I have a number of gourds on my counter begging to be cooked, and a drawer full of potatoes staring at me each and every day... I'll be getting around to a number of new recipes this week and next, and I'll be sure to keep you posted as I go along.
Thanks for reading! Have a delicious eve and a more delicious tomorrow!
On the upside, I'm back now. I can't tell you how happy I've been with my CSA this year. Fresh, delicious produce each and every week is a wonderful thing. I will say that I haven't used each and every piece as productively as I initially intended. I've had to throw some carrots, squash, peppers and a couple of other things away over the course of the summer. Unfortunately, I really lost my desire to cook for most of the summer. I did use a fair amount of the produce accumulated, but my goal obviously will not be complete: I wanted to use each and every piece of produce and write my experiences on a weekly basis. Fail.
Alas, I just received a cookbook yesterday at my bridal shower, and I've now a new determination to cook delicious foods once again. Along with a cookbook, I received a number of WONDERFUL kitchen tools: NEW POTS AND PANS! YES! A KitchenAid Mixer! Cutting boards, aprons, a salad spinner, mixing bowls, a toaster and a number of other fantastic (and much needed) items. My family, friends and future family are amazing. Thank you thank you thank you!
Tonight for dinner I baked some chicken breasts with green peppers and spices and served them over pasta and alfredo sauce. My favorite meal ever. No, the alfredo was not homemade, but I did at least doctor it to a point of manfriend liking it--he's typically not an alfredo fan (freak!).
I have a number of gourds on my counter begging to be cooked, and a drawer full of potatoes staring at me each and every day... I'll be getting around to a number of new recipes this week and next, and I'll be sure to keep you posted as I go along.
Thanks for reading! Have a delicious eve and a more delicious tomorrow!
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Week 7: Good Stuff
Last weekend was a bit crazy: good friends of ours got married and we had all sorts of things to do... all fun things, though! However, I did find time to pick up my week seven produce bag from the farmers market. In the bag I found: a HUGE kohlrabi (yes, HUGE... it was about three times as big as the others I've received), a bunch of beets, a bunch of green onions, a spring onion, a bag of red potatoes and the smallest, cutest carrots, ever!
Although I haven't done much with most of it (yeah, I've been putting it all off this week...), I did FINALLY find a new way to enjoy kohlrabi: I roasted it with small yukon gold potatoes and garlic cloves tossed in extra virgin olive oil, a little salt, and a lot more pepper. Set the oven for 450F and roast for 20 minutes, then stir the mixture and roast for another 20 or so minutes, stirring once or twice more. Perfect! I paired that with lemon and dill baked salmon... it was a fantastic meal!
Tonight I think I'll be making buffalo chicken with a crisp lettuce salad... very simple and flavorful. The guys from work taught me how to make buffalo sauce: it's just cayenne pepper sauce, a little butter, and a little whiskey that's been reduced to at least half. Yum!
The rest of the produce will be used in the next couple of days... pickled beets, cooked carrots, onions in the salad and roasted potatoes and kohlrabi again.
Sorry this is so short and to the point... I'm a little distracted today. I start my new job on Monday and am meeting with my mentor this afternoon.
Thanks for reading! Have a delicious day!
Although I haven't done much with most of it (yeah, I've been putting it all off this week...), I did FINALLY find a new way to enjoy kohlrabi: I roasted it with small yukon gold potatoes and garlic cloves tossed in extra virgin olive oil, a little salt, and a lot more pepper. Set the oven for 450F and roast for 20 minutes, then stir the mixture and roast for another 20 or so minutes, stirring once or twice more. Perfect! I paired that with lemon and dill baked salmon... it was a fantastic meal!
Tonight I think I'll be making buffalo chicken with a crisp lettuce salad... very simple and flavorful. The guys from work taught me how to make buffalo sauce: it's just cayenne pepper sauce, a little butter, and a little whiskey that's been reduced to at least half. Yum!
The rest of the produce will be used in the next couple of days... pickled beets, cooked carrots, onions in the salad and roasted potatoes and kohlrabi again.
Sorry this is so short and to the point... I'm a little distracted today. I start my new job on Monday and am meeting with my mentor this afternoon.
Thanks for reading! Have a delicious day!
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