May 23, 2011

The Podcast!!!

Need something to listen to while yer cooking dinner, commuting to work, washing windows on really tall skyscrapers, working out, or just hanging outside drinking gin? Listen to the Joy the Baker podcast! It’s silly, super informative (maybe just a little), ridiculous, thought-provoking and just plain FUN. Joy & I talk about food, blogs, kitchen gear, boys, Joy’s chipped tooth, candy….you know, fun stuff! People really like it so far, and I’m sure you will too!

So go to Homefries.com and check it out. There’s a picture of me on my sofa. You can see a chip on my wall.

around the home, sponsored

May 22, 2011

The Ultimate Beverage Organizer!

Do you watch Cribs on MTV and pay close attention to the inside of celebrity fridges? I do, and I can always tell when celebrities have hired their own fridge stylist. All of the labels are perfect, there’s a balance of fruits & vegetables and there’s no take out containers. Celebrities get take out. Even though it’s all for show, it doesn’t stop me from wanting my own fridge to have beautiful rows of beverages, all lined up waiting to be restocked and organized. One of the things I disliked most about our old fridge was how hard it was to organize our beverages! Because we didn’t have dedicated sections for beverages, we always jammed them in wherever we could. This meant that I had a TERRIBLE time figuring out what went where and I lost beverages in the process.

Let me take you on a little tour of our new Electrolux fridge with all of its cool beverage options!
CONTINUE READING

Photography, Uncategorized

May 21, 2011

365- Week 19

A food related photo everyday until 2012. Here’s week 19:

141/365 Today I introduced my dad to Sriracha. SUCCESS!

recipes, Uncategorized

May 20, 2011

Pan Roasted Asparagus with Fried Eggs

Do you balance your checkbook? I don’t, but I do check my bank statement online at least three times a day. I also have a checkbook that I keep track of in my head of what I’ve eaten. This week I’ve made a few too many carb deposits. It’s a simple/routine transaction. It’s like going up to a drive-thru ATM. It’s fast… in & out. To balance my carb indulgences this week, I made myself an asparagus based breakfast. There’s a small, yet noteworthy appearance of carbs in this dish and we’ll get to that soon. But LOOK! I didn’t pair this fried egg with two pieces of sourdough toast like I normally would. Instead, you’ll find a large section of green on my plate! I find that eating something green for breakfast makes me feel like I’m a rock star. Think Bon Jovi at a yoga retreat.

Anchovy bread crumbs. Let’s discuss. It’s one of those things that make you go hmmmm. If you’re Italian, you might already know that the secret ingredient to most Italian dishes is ANCHOVY. Yes. Anchovy. It’s not something that hits you in the face; it’s subtle. It adds a salty component to a dish and adds some depth. It’s what makes my Grandma’s stuffed peppers amazing. But it’s a secret. Don’t tell her I told you that.

Here’s an analogy for you. These anchovy breadcrumbs are like diamond earrings. They have the power to elevate an outfit and in this case, breakfast! When the runny egg oozes all over the asparagus you’ll love the flavor packed crunch of the bread crumbs. Promise.
CONTINUE READING

around the home, Uncategorized

May 19, 2011

Beauty Time: Coconut Lemon Scrub!

I would never be a good hand model. I don’t wear gloves when I’m gardening or while I’m doing the dishes. It feels weird! I don’t remember to put lotion on my hands until they’re dry enough for me scratch a phone number on them with my nail. Cuticles? Don’t get me started on those. I have issues. But every now and then I exfoliate my hands… I learned this trick in college. Sugar scrub makes your hands so soft that they don’t feel like your own hands. Sounds weird, right? You’ll see what I mean. This yummy scented Coconut Lemon Scrub is the perfect concoction for those of you who aspire to be hand models. Soft hands are awesome. Just make sure you still have a firm handshake with your soft hands. No one likes a limp handshake. No one.
CONTINUE READING

recipes, Uncategorized

May 18, 2011

Potato Rosemary Pizza

Dear Low Carb/College Student Tracy,

I write this letter from the future! I am the Carb Loving Tracy of 2011! That’s right. You will not spend the REST OF YOUR LIFE being low carb. Does that upset you? I doubt it. By the time you’re this age, you won’t care. So… Tracy. You are in college AND you are low carb. How does that even work?? What do you do when your roommate orders pizza? I just can’t imagine how you manage! You should get an award for the those 4 years of being low carb. Sadly, you don’t. Life is rough. You will learn this.

When you’re 31, you’ll make a fantastic pizza from scratch. And get this….this pizza will have POTATO on it. That’s right. Hot Carb on Carb action! The crust is crispy & all profesh tasting and the potatoes are creamy & utterly delicious. Did I mention there’s rosemary involved? Oh there’s also some onion in there too! Booya! (a word of the future) They get nice and charred. It’s heaven!!!

I know what you’re thinking. How did you cave? What stopped you from being low carb? Well…hmmm…it’s simple. You will move into a teeny 1 bedroom apartment with Casey when you graduate from college. Your parents will freak out but it’s just because moving in with a boyfriend is a BIG deal. You’ll understand this a few years later. They weren’t stupid; they knew what they were talking about. You’ll spend your nights cooking for the two of you and he’ll convert you into a pasta loving addict. Don’t worry, you’ll weigh less in the future than you do now. See? Carbs aren’t so bad! However…Casey? He becomes your husband and he puts on a few pounds but it’s only because you feed him really well. He’s still a handsome guy, even with gray hair!

Tracy, please know this– Carbs are good. Just remember to eat more salads to balance it out. Now….could you please go and get yourself a sandwich on a fat sourdough roll? Stop torturing yourself.

Carbingly,

Tracy the Carb Lover
CONTINUE READING

recipes

May 17, 2011

Tomato & Basil Pizza

My name is Tracy, and I’ve wasted 31 years of my life being afraid to make my own pizza dough. I’ve used flatbread as a substitute for pizza and yeah, it’s a GREAT substitute…it’s just that I don’t always have the time to make my own dough…and why should I? It never turns out the way I want it to. Some parts are too thick and doughy & not completely cooked. Some sections have holes in them and the middle is always so soggy that the cheese slides right off. I’ve never been able to shape the dough into a perfect circle because I have some expectation that I can toss the dough into the air like a scene from Mystic Pizza. I really can’t do that and I’m not Julia Roberts.

Then I found this recipe…this fool-proof EASY pizza dough that abolished my pizza dough fears.

Mix dough together. Let it sit. Cut it in half. Let it sit. Pull it across a lubed baking sheet. Heat your oven like a mofo. Top the pizza, bake and BANG. You have a thin crust pizza that tastes it came from a pizza joint. The bottom is nice & crispy and slightly oily. The sauce is sweet & salty and the cheese is absolutely divine. It may not be round and it may not look perfect, but just one bite will make you forget about perfect triangular pizza slices. Those pizzas look silly anyways. This dough is a game changer and I’m a believer.

Other things to note:

This recipe makes two pizzas. You can freeze one round of dough or refrigerate it for a day if need be.
Don’t be worried if the dough springs back when you shape it. Let it rest for 5 minutes and try again. Gluten is funny. It’s not you.
Don’t be nervous if the dough doesn’t seem super wet and smooth after you initially mix the ingredients together. When you let the dough rise in the moist dish towel, all will be good. There’s no knead to worry. 😉
If you are making this on a weekend for lunch, start the dough at 9:30am & you should be eating pizza by lunch time.
I completed another item from my 31 comes before 32 list! #6. Make my own pizza (and not fail!) Wahoo!