May 27, 2011

Coconut Lime Semifreddo

Memorial Day Weekend is upon us!! Do you have a BBQ to attend? You should totally bring this Coconut Lime Semifreddo. With the exotic Thai flavor profile of coconut, lime & mango, your friends might think you worked really hard in the kitchen. Truth is– you didn’t. But go ahead, act like you did. My lips are sealed.

One bite of this Coconut Lime Semifreddo and you’re transported to a sunny beach in Thailand…. You’re sitting under a red striped umbrella eating creamy coconut- lime ice cream with a layer of toasted coconut, and fresh mango slices on top…. and when you turn your head, there’s a girl riding an elephant coming up behind you. What? You’re not in Thailand? Oh yeah, that’s right. You’re at a Memorial Day weekend BBQ and your friend with the elephant print shirt is asking you for the recipe. Whoops.
CONTINUE READING

around the home, Uncategorized

May 25, 2011

Organizing Tip: The Missing Sock

Laundry. It never ends, does it? Just when I think I’m square for the week, another load is waiting in the wings. My least favorite part is digging through our enormous pile of socks to find matches. I’ve actually traded 3 weeks of cat litter clean up with Casey so I didn’t have to do it. That’s how much I can’t stand it. I’d rather clean up cat crap than match socks! The reason why I have so many socks? I keep buying them because I’m too lazy to match the ones I have. I’m also really behind on getting rid of the ones that haven’t had a match in years. It’s a vicious cycle, people. But I’m the first to admit I have a sock problem.

I was complaining about my sock situation to my friend Julie a few weeks ago and she showed me this awesome sorting trick. Let me tell you, it has totally changed my outlook on laundry. It makes sock sorting & folding so easy! No more huge, OVERWHELMING pile of socks to match up. With this tip, you simply pull out a few stacks of socks and you’re ready to get matching.
CONTINUE READING

recipes

May 24, 2011

Strawberry Goat Cheese Bruschetta

Do NOT adjust your computer screen. That really IS strawberry & basil you see on a crostini. This bruschetta is a riff on the oh-so-fab Caprese salad, except we substitute fresh mozzarella with GOAT CHEESE and tomatoes with STRAWBERRIES! And what do we get?? Crazy deliciousness! The strawberries are mixed with a little bit of balsamic vinegar, which brings out their underlying tang & sweetness. Shreds of basil provide some greenery and a hint of sophistication! And the goat cheese…it’s just pure decadence.

If you bring these bruschette to a party this will happen:

1. people will scratch their heads.

2. they’ll eat a few.

3. guests will fight over the last one!

I like to call them The Unusual Suspects. No one suspects how good they are, and then they’re all gone.

around the home, Uncategorized

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