January 20, 2011

Arugula Fennel & Orange Salad

Latest Food Craving: Arugula Fennel & Orange Salad.

I had my first taste of this salad last Saturday at my friend Danielle’s Champagne Tasting party. I kept a steady eye on the big glass salad bowl throughout the party. Between sips of bubbly, I monitored how much was left in the bowl. After my third helping, I dropped my napkin (on purpose) near the bowl and scooped up yet ANOTHER helping onto my plate. Did anybody notice that this was my fourth helping? It’s salad! Who cares? When I came back from the party, Casey asked me about the different champagnes I tasted and all I could tell him was how blown away I was with this salad. It distracted me; I just KNEW I had to recreate it. Like…I couldn’t sleep until I made plans to recreate it the next day.

When we had friends over for lunch on Sunday, I started with this salad as a feature and created a whole Antipasti Party around it. The surprisingly thing is that I’ve never much cared for shaved fennel, but now I adore it— especially when it’s combined with peppery arugula and juicy orange segments! The salad is light, crunchy, juicy, peppery and tangy. I love everything about it.
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recipes, Uncategorized

January 18, 2011

Orange Ricotta Pancakes

Did you know that I’ve always wanted to participate in an eating contest? I’m totally being serious here. Over the past few years I’ve been trying to figure out what would be a good item to compete with. You know what would be terrible? Pancakes. I could eat about 3 and then I’d be down for the count. Pancakes wouldn’t get me far; they always seem like a good idea until the moment they start expanding in my stomach. Lead weights, I tell ya. LEAD WEIGHTS. Although now that I’ve made these Orange Ricotta Pancakes, I’m reconsidering. Light fluffy ricotta pancakes speckled with orange zest and a little drizzle of syrup….I could seriously eat all 12 that this recipe makes. They might be on the my list next to competitive tater tot eating. I don’t know…I’m still thinking about it…
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around the home, Uncategorized

January 16, 2011

Antipasti Party

We had a little impromptu Antipasti Party this afternoon at our house. The last time our friends were over, we were eating Panettone French Toast, my friend was pregnant, and it was raining cats & dogs. Today the sun was shining and we were able to meet their brand new baby while devouring a nice little selection of Italian cheeses and cured meats!
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around the home, Uncategorized

January 15, 2011

Project Magazine Hoard = COMPLETE!

Confession: I’m a magazine hoarder.

I have stacks of magazines spread throughout our house. When I don’t make time to read AND sort my magazines, they quickly start piling up. You can imagine how many stacks I have since I have about 8 different subscriptions. My magazine hoard usually rests on my side of the bed, on the coffee table, or on my computer desk (see above). I also have a problem with not putting my cookbooks back in my bookcase! Yes–I’m bad. When I got out of bed this morning and knocked a stack of books on the floor, I knew it was time to tackle my hoard. Today was the day!
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Photography, Uncategorized

January 14, 2011

365- Weeks 1 & 2

14/365 Pretzel + Sunset

When my fellow food blog buddies Kamran & Shannalee started a Flickr group called Project 365 | Food Bloggers, I didn’t hesitate to join. I was thinking of making a resolution to be more creative with my photography this year, so this challenge is just what I need to help exercise my creative muscles! So here’s the deal– Every day for the next year, I’ll be posting a food related photo on my flickr stream. At the end of the week, I’ll share all 7 photos here. It’s been two weeks so far, so here’s what I’ve been up to!
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Uncategorized

January 13, 2011

FIVE HUNDRED!!

This is my 500th post! Wow. FIVE HUNDRED. A lot has happened in the past 4 years on this blog. I challenged myself in the kitchen, met a lot of great people, had some wonderful conversations, and ignited my passion for all things food! I also inspired a lot of people to try new things in their kitchens, and for that I’m most proud!

I’ve been wanting to do some tweaks & additions to this site because I’ve got a lot of ideas floating around in my head! I’m definitely going to add a FAQ page to this site. One of the most common questions is, “What camera do you use?” I’m currently using a Canon 40D. So there’s one question answered! If you have any questions you’d like me to answer, please leave a comment!

Thank you for helping me get to 500! If it wasn’t for your support I would have never made it. So here’s to another 500!

recipes, Uncategorized

January 10, 2011

Orange Ginger Pepper Carrot Juice

We had a tough week last week. Within the first few days of 2011, I was plagued with a massive head cold. As soon as I started to feel better, Casey was down and so was Cooper. Unfortunately, Coop’s sleeping schedule was reminiscent of the newborn phase and the poor guy was barely eating (the horror!) Basically, it was the antithesis of fun. The good news? We are all on the mend and I think I have this new juice to thank for that!

It’s really important to get in a lot of fluids in when you’re sick. This juice will totally help with that. Not only is it LOADED with Vitamin C, it’s deliciously sweet and has a tinge of heat from the ginger. It’s so vibrant that you’ll still be able to taste it when you’re taste buds are all messed up. Just look at the color, and you know you are putting something good in your body. Cheers to fighting colds!