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June 30, 2011

Honey Rosemary Lemonade

honey rosemary lemonade

This Honey Rosemary Lemonade is dedicated to all of my pregnant friends who are desperately craving a cocktail this summer. I was pregnant during the summer and boy was it tough! There are definitely times when booze would help a tough pregnant situation. Like…when you can’t sleep at night because it takes you over an hour to find the right position, a hot toddy would help. If someone asks you if you’re carrying twins and you’re NOT, Jack Daniels would come to your rescue! When you’re at a party & your husband is getting tipsy and you overhear him bragging about how awesome it is to have a BUILT-IN DESIGNATED DRIVER, booze would help. You would no longer have to drive his drunk butt home! Let me be clear that booze would not help if you have heartburn. Booze would not help with the getting up every hour to pee situation. Booze does not help when you are gestating. That’s a fact.

rosemarylemonade (1)

So this is where this Honey Rosemary Lemonade enters the picture. It’s slightly herbal, fancy and super tasty. It will make any pregnant woman feel normal again. It’s like non-alcoholic beer, but better. But you really don’t have to be pregnant to enjoy this…you can be a thirsty person looking for something refreshing to sip on! If you’re not pregnant and want to be naughty, add some Strawberry Infused Vodka or gin up in. Just do what I do and dedicate a shot to your pregnant friends; it shows them that you care.

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June 30, 2011

Episode #7 is Live!!!

Hey! This week on the Joy the Baker Podcast over at Homefries, me & Joy are at it again!

This week we are giving you our SUMMER SURVIVAL GUIDE! Topics include:

  • picnics & bbqs
  • sodas & farro salads
  • shorts & espadrilles
  • nail polish, hair removal & arm pits (sorry boys!)

You won’t want to miss it! Come check it out!

If you want to ask us a question, email us!

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

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June 29, 2011

Crispy Fried Chicken

FRIED

I think it’s incredibly important to challenge yourself in the kitchen, and making fried chicken is a GREAT way to do so. If it means you’ll make your fried chicken-loving friend/spouse/partner/child happy, then it’s totally worth it. If it means you might not be able to button up your skinny jeans at the end on the night, then WHY ARE YOU WEARING SKINNY JEANS while eating fried chicken?? Seriously! You should know better. Think-elastic waist pants with a non-clingy dress on top. It’s summer.

fried chicken & honey!

Let’s get back to challenges! This one was a challenge. Not because the process was complicated (it’s really not!), but because I am always terrified to fry things in bubbling hot oil. I’ve been burned by oil countless times, due to my general kitchen klutziness and impulse to do MULTIPLE things in the kitchen while frying. Don’t be me. Pay attention when you fry stuff. Put blinders on and focus. Why? Because delicious Crispy Fried Chicken is worth the attention. Also it’s amazing with a drizzle of honey on top. Just saying…

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June 27, 2011

Iceberg Wedges with Gorgonzola Dressing

iceburglettucesalad (4)

I LOVE an iceberg wedge salad, don’t you? I’m easily seduced when I see a nice wedge on a restaurant menu. I can’t help myself. They’re novel, they’re fun and they usually have a creamy dressing & something bacon-y to boot. Seriously, what’s not to like? I made fried chicken this past weekend (we’ll get to that, next post!) and needed something cool, crisp, and refreshing to serve with it. This iceberg wedge salad extravaganza proved to be a match made in heaven with my OH-SO crispy FRIED CHICKEN.

up close & personal

Because I aimed to add crispy cooked bacon to this salad (WHY NOT?!), I bought low fat buttermilk & fat free Greek yogurt for the dressing. The lower fat options didn’t make a speck of difference in the overall taste. Isn’t it good to plan ahead? The creamy/sharpness of the Gorgonzola dressing was phenomenal with the sweet/juicy plum tomatoes I sprinkled around the edge of each plate. I didn’t feel an ounce of guilt after eating 2 servings in one night. I HAVE to make this again when I get around to making “killer hot wings” for my husband this summer. It’s on my list, after all.
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June 26, 2011

This weekend…

dinner on saturday

heaven

some bunny loves fried chicken!

I woke up Saturday morning to find my hard drive failed. YIKES! No computer for almost  two days made me SUPER productive in the kitchen. With the thought of possibly losing all the data on my computer, I had to get my nervous energy out somehow.  So I made stuff, lots of stuff. I tried 5 new recipes (all were good except one) and I can’t wait to show you!

Here’s a glimpse:

  • Fried chicken (my first time making it!)
  • Honey Rosemary Lemonade (soo addictive)
  • Biscuits (I put too much whole wheat flour in- boo!)
  • Cucumber Vodka (infusing as we speak)
  • Bacon, Tomato & Iceberg lettuce salad (SCRUMPTIOUS!)
  • Two more batches of Strawberry Vodka (I had a party to go to)
  • Baked Oatmeal for breakfast this AM (I added nectarines!)
  • Tessy’s Banana Bread (for dessert tonight & breakfast tomorrow)

Now it’s time for me to get reunited with my computer. It’s back up and running, but now I have SOOOOOO many photos to edit! So thankful to have my computer back.

What did you eat this weekend?

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June 25, 2011

365- Week 24

A food related photo everyday until 2012.  Here’s week 24:

174/365 Half cracked crab & a Stella at Swan Oyster Depot in SF.

swan oyster depot
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June 23, 2011

Profiteroles with Chocolate Sauce

yessssssss

Here’s a weird fact about me!  I always pay close attention to what my friends/family order when we’re at a restaurant.  It’s only because I’m nosy, weird, and I desperately want to learn their taste buds. I also like figure out what they’ll order when they pick up a menu. I take a guess in my head, and when I’m right, I feel awesome. My brother and husband always order duck or some other MEAT. Carbs always seal the deal for their entrees. My dad orders fish or chicken and makes them sub greens for carbs (he’s that guy!). He also never orders dessert BUT that doesn’t stop him from eating mine. My mom will start with a beet salad, and for her entree she picks the lamb or something pork related. She always makes room for dessert when she sees profiteroles on a dessert menu. ALWAYS. This type of information comes in handy.

stuffed

So, when it came to Mother’s Day last month (YES I’m SOO BEHIND!), I knew exactly what to make my mom for the special day. Profiteroles!  I learned how to make them at my Sur La Table class a few months back and Mother’s Day & my 31 comes before 32 list put me to the test. #8 Make cream puffs for my mom. (She LOVES profiteroles!)= COMPLETED.

They were SCRUMPTIOUS and well received! A little bit of effort but totally worth it! My mom is worth it. As it turns out, Pate a Choux is pretty fun to make and the dough is kind of addictive if you’re into eating dough like I am.  If you want to give someone a nice gift, make them something they’d order in a restaurant. Surprise them! I almost always go for the bread pudding, anything with bananas or homemade donuts. My birthday is in August. I’m just planning ahead here.
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