April 15, 2011

What’s in my new freezer?

I was a bit worried about the configuration of our new Electrolux fridge because I’ve always had the impression that pull-out freezers have less storage. The install was a tad stressful because I had a TON of frozen items WAITING for a home and what if they all didn’t fit?l!! When I finally put everything away in the new freezer I was SHOCKED because not only did all of the items fit, I had EXTRA ROOM. This is big news, people! It means I can be an even BIGGER freezer hoarder!!! Costco, HERE I COME!
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recipes, Uncategorized

April 13, 2011

Sausage Cheddar Biscuits

For as long as I can remember, our family celebrated Easter at my grandparent’s house. We would all pour out of my mom’s avocado green station wagon and us kids would run right into the house to find my grandma working in the kitchen and my grandpa grilling lamb in their sunny backyard. We would immediately check out grandma’s candy dish to survey our Easter loot, then we’d run right into the kitchen for a slab of her infamous Italian Easter bread. That thick, delicious bread studded with Italian sausage, cheese and egg proved more tempting than EASTER CANDY. Can you imagine? Bread better than Easter candy?? We ate our pieces so fast, they’d get stuck in the bottom of our throats. No doubt, we were enthusiastic about that bread.

This year my grandma will be in New York while I’m here in California celebrating Easter without her Easter bread! I hope she makes some for our relatives back east. Eat a few slices for me, will ya? Where am I going with this? Let me get to it… I made these little biscuits last weekend and they totally tasted like my grandma’s Easter bread! I mean, they’re definitely not a 100% replacement for her legit Easter bread, but they’re a nice knockoff, if I do say so myself.

Carbs + Meat + Cheese = Trouble. The kind of trouble that I love getting into.
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Uncategorized

April 12, 2011

Spring Eats!

Spring. When I hear that word I think: Asparagus, Lemon, Eggs, Green & Yellow.

I looked into my archives this morning for some inspiration and found exactly what I was looking for.

So here’s a little roundup of SPRING EATS for you!

Egg & Asparagus Gratins

recipes

April 9, 2011

Roasted Strawberries

New post! Roasted Strawberries!

I’m no stranger to roasted fruit. I know how intense fruit becomes when it’s been sizzling & caramelizing in a high-temperature oven. I also know how intense those thick, syrupy juices are when they burst out of the roasted fruit. I know because I’m the first one to dip my finger along the sides of the pan to collect the runoff. Can we just have a moment to look at this? Thank you.

What I didn’t know about roasting strawberries is that the seeds add a whole new dimension to the experience. Their poppy crunch is pretty unreal mixed with the tender, supple structure of the roasted strawberry. I think I might really like it! Wait. I really do! How does your house smell when you roast strawberries? Divine. It’s like the fruit roll-up factory made a new Strawberry Pie flavor in your kitchen. A whole new revelation is waiting for you. You’re gonna love it!

out & about, Uncategorized

April 9, 2011

Joy Retreat: Part 2

When I was preparing for the Joy Retreat, I waffled with the idea of skipping the painting session because I thought I needed time to prepare for my workshop. Honestly, I’ve never really enjoyed painting. I love mixing paint and playing with colors but when it comes to painting, I’ve always been unhappy with my results. Coming up with something on my own in the medium has always been a challenge for me. When things don’t look right, I can only see mistakes! It’s hard for me to get past that.

The night before I left for my trip, something pulled my car towards the art supply store on the way home from work. Suddenly I was leaving with a huge bag of painting supplies. Something inside me said that if I’m embark on this journey, I really have to force myself to go out of my comfort zone. DIVE IN HEAD FIRST, TRACY! I think this proved to be the biggest lesson on my trip away. Who better to guide me through my painting struggles than Mati Rose! She’s a true spark! Her zeal for creating and her enthusiasm for creative play & experimentation changed my perspective of painting. I truly had fun and I was relaxed in a way that I never thought was possible. Thank you Mati for getting me out of my comfort zone. You helped me tap into a side of my creative spirit that was dormant for over a decade. For that, I am soo grateful.
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Photography, Uncategorized

April 8, 2011

365- Week 13

A food related photo every day until 2012. Here’s Week 13:

97/365 Roasted strawberries for breakfast with pineapple Greek yogurt.

(I’ll post the recipe soon! It’s from the new Super Natural Every Day Cookbook)

recipes, Uncategorized

April 7, 2011

Grapefruit Cucumber Gin Spritzers

TWO cocktails in a ROW?! What’s going on with you, Tracy? Honestly, it’s a classic case of denial. I’m still coming back to reality and holding onto EVERY. SINGLE. MOMENT of what I experienced last week. I want to write up the last part from my retreat but I feel too raw about it. Is that weird? I think maybe that’s why I’m holding off on scanning my Polaroids. It’s kinda like how my friend has refused to watch the last episode of Freaks & Geeks because she doesn’t want it to end. That’s where I am right now. So to ignore it, I had a few cocktails with my magic making neighbor today. She always has something cool going on in her house and when I walked in today I yelled “OMG! I forgot how your house is totally a stylist’s wet dream!” Yes I said that. I say stuff like that all the time. It’s totally true, though! You should see what she has on her back porch.

I tinkered with this drink today and nailed it! I took the idea of the grapefruit soda in the Jen & Tonics from the Joy Retreat and used some leftover cucumbers from the Boozy Cucumber Coolers to make this libation. The cucumber brings out the herbal quality of the gin and the grapefruit soda adds a nice sweet & bitter tang- much like tonic water… This drink and the Boozy Cucumber Coolers are duking it out to be THE drink of SUMMER 2011 on my street. We shall see who will win the battle of deliciousness! Care to weigh in?
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