September 18, 2011

Caramelized Onion Jam

Let’s talk about kitchen staples for a sec. You should always have extra virgin olive oil on hand. Always always always. Onions are a must too. Make sure you get some every time you’re out grocery shopping. Balsamic vinegar, chicken stock, salt & brown sugar are necessities as well. Why? Because without these staples, you can’t just go into your kitchen one Sunday afternoon and make caramelized onion jam on a whim. And how sad is a refrigerator that doesn’t have a nice little jar of Caramelized Onion Jam in it? Very sad.

So, what does one do with Caramelized Onion Jam? Let’s brainstorm!

put it on a pizza with Gorgonzola and pears
add it to crostini with figs and goat cheese & prosciutto
put it on a steak sandwich or burger with a grainy mustard
add it to pasta with roasted tomatoes and peppers
stir it into your mashed potatoes
shove some in your grilled cheese
put some on a hot dog
make an arugula salad with it
add it to a baked potato with sour cream
add it to an omelet with mushrooms
stand in front of your fridge and eat it directly from the jar

Caramelized onion jam is now a staple!

Photography, Uncategorized

September 17, 2011

365- Week 37

A food related photo everyday until 2012. Here’s Week 36:

256/365 A hibiscus fizz & a fancy lemonade with Hula & Leslie at Luka’s.

recipes, Uncategorized

September 15, 2011

Three Cheese & Herb Tomato Tart

Let’s pretend we are neighbors for a second. Wouldn’t that be awesome? We’d have coffee together in the mornings with an occasional cinnamon roll or maybe a slice of coffee cake. I’d call you up last minute to see if you wanna hop in the car for a late night Target run and you’d totally be down. In fact, you suggest we hit up IKEA on the way there. Good call! Sometimes I’d borrow a few eggs or a cup of sugar and I’d always repay you with delicious treats.

One day you’d drop off a box of tomatoes from your garden and within hours I’d show up at your door with this Three Cheese & Herb Tomato Tart. You’d invite me in, offer me a slice (even though I already ate two before I arrived at your door) and we’d sit on your back porch eating together. We’d talk about what was going on in the neighborhood (why does that dog ALWAYS bark?!). I’d pull up some hilarious videos on You Tube from my phone and then you’d show me a sewing project you’re working on. Eventually we’d have some fancy boozy beverage and no doubt we’d drink too much. I love how we never have to worry about driving home!

When I ask you what you liked about this tart, you’d say “Duh! There’s puff pastry involved!” Then you’d marvel at how perfect your homegrown tomatoes taste paired with a blend of three different cheeses, garlic and herbs. I’m so glad we’re neighbors, aren’t you? Now can I please borrow your hedge trimmers? My front yard is getting unruly.
CONTINUE READING

around the home, Uncategorized

September 15, 2011

Episode #18 is Live!

Friends! This week on the Joy the Baker Podcast over at Homefries, we’re at it again!

We’re discussing how the Grass is ALWAYS Greener! On this episode you’ll find us talking about:

Cat LAND!! (I wish I was Joy’s cat!)
Big Thighs vs. Little Thighs
Home-owning vs. Renting
Married Life vs. Single Life
We also take food related questions from listeners
And I confess what I might be for Halloween…

I bet you’ll be laughing. Come check it out!

If you want to ask us a question, email us or CALL US! 817-82-FRIES

Homefries has its own Facebook page! You’ll totally LIKE it.

recipes, Uncategorized

September 13, 2011

Moscow Mules

I like to think that given the opportunity, Oprah and I would be the best of friends. We’d drive across the country together, stopping at every rest stop to get beef jerky and blue corn tortilla chips. I’d teach her how to buy toilet paper and people would constantly stop us to get their picture taken. We’d follow the same diet trends, have our own book club, wear matching diamond pinkie rings and make coffee dates with Nate to look at wallpaper samples. While Oprah was off playing with her dogs, I’d hang out with Gayle and do a few sandwich tastings. The three of us would sit out on the veranda of one of Oprah’s fabulous mansions with stacks of magazines and a fancy bar cart full of Moscow Mules. I’d tell her how I wished I had my own traditional copper mugs for Moscow Mules and a man would appear out of nowhere with a box of 12. We’d get a little tipsy and I’d convince Oprah to get Donald Trump to personally deliver us a Trump turkey burger. It would be his second time eating that burger.

We would have such a good life together Oprah.

I realize that none of this will make sense to you if you aren’t an Oprah lover. The Moscow Mule is Oprah’s favorite drink. I can totally see why. The combo of lime, mint and ginger beer is so sweet, refreshing and thirst quenching that you might not even notice there’s vodka in the mix. In other words, this cocktail will go down EASY. One drink and you’ll be imagining living the good life with the my pal, Oprah Winfrey. Trust.
CONTINUE READING

recipes, Uncategorized

September 12, 2011

Maple Cashew Oatmeal Squares

I absolutely LOVE oatmeal raisin cookie dough. It’s the only cookie dough that I’ll actually eat. Other doughs just don’t compare. There’s something about the texture of the oats mixed with brown sugar and a hint of salt that makes me swoon. Yesterday I was sitting on my couch flipping through this Raw Energy Cookbook I picked up at the library and the teaser on this recipe said that it tastes just like chilled oatmeal raisin cookie dough. SOLD! I immediately sprung into the kitchen to test it out.

After quickly blending a few ingredients in the food processor I was blown away; it totally DOES taste like oatmeal raisin cookie dough! You won’t find eggs, butter, flour or refined sugar in this mixture YET it totally tastes like dough. Weird. Crazy. Amazing! One of these Maple Cashew Oatmeal Squares pairs perfectly with a glass of milk/soymilk. I bet they’d also be great with a scoop of ice cream on top. The trick is to keep the squares in the freezer so they remain chewy. At room temperature they tend to be super gooey; they’re raw! With that said, I have a strong feeling these might not last very long in my freezer this week.
CONTINUE READING