August 12, 2010

Lemongrass Ginger Iced Tea

We had a signature cocktail at our wedding. It was a Lemongrass Gingertini. It was FANCY! I’ve always wanted to make it at home and was delighted that the base of this drink comes pretty close! If I grated fresh ginger, added vodka & rimmed a martini glass with chunky sugar, then we would have it!

So yeah this recipe is a really good base. I say base because it’s SOO sweet & fragrant. It’s definitely concentrated! I diluted my drink with sparkling water because I wanted bubbles and I don’t really like drinking sugary drinks. If you want to drink it on its own, I suggest reducing the amount of sugar! The lemongrass gives a nice punchy pow & the ginger adds a warm spice. It’s super tasty.

Feel free to add some spirits up in. Gin or vodka would totally be buds with this tea. Casey threw in some gin last night and LOVED it. It might be fun to make some ice cubes out of this tea and pop them into your water throughout the day. Wow, clever me. I’m gonna go do that now….
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around the home, favorites, Uncategorized

August 11, 2010

MY new lunch sack

I’ve been on the lookout for a new lunch sack for COOPER because the one I’ve been using for his food broke. Stupid zippers. It was really cute too! It had navy & magenta apples. It was pretty girly, but I bought it because I liked it. He wasn’t at the age where he had an an opinion(he has one now!), so I took the liberty. It’s my money, isn’t it?!

I took a journey to San Francisco with my bff this past weekend, and spied this lunch sack within the first 15 seconds of walking into a cute little boutiquey shop. MINE!! IT MUST BE MINE!! And that’s when the love affair started.

Here’s a side shot. Yes I have dual monitors at work with my kid’s mug on them! <3

I like it because:

It’s bold.
We can learn the alphabet!
It’s well insulated! Nothing is gonna spill into my big ass purse.
It stands out in my office fridge (don’t take my shit!)
There’s a convenient handle on top.
The velcro is SUPER strong.
I love the font & get nostalgic for that old timey *paper*
It’s got a place where I can put Cooper’s My name.

I found it for you on Amazon! There’s some other cute stuff in the alphabet design too! I’ve got my eye on that spoon & fork! Look at the Floor Splat Mat!! The company is named Sugar Booger! Isn’t that silly?

And while we’re at it…let’s see what I’m having for lunch today:

Vegetable Minestrone & a sweet potato with some butter! YUM

Sorry, Coops!! Momma is holding your lunch sack hostage. I’ll buy you a special one when you are actually in school! Promise!

recipes, Uncategorized

August 9, 2010

Orange Hazelnut Biscotti

I briefly mentioned that my oven broke this summer. We got a new one. It’s fantastic. I love it. It works like a charm! Would you believe that I spent close to three days figuring out what it’s maiden baking voyage would be!?! I will now share with you the recipe that popped my oven’s cherry. Hazelnut biscotti!

As a child, I never really understood the appeal of biscotti. Through kid goggles, they were an icky grownup “treat.” I’d watch my dad dip a ridiculous amount of biscotti in a short class of Vin Santo and wanted to gag. I always thought dipping a cookie into something that wasn’t milk was weird, but now as a grown up I totally get it. These biscotti don’t need to be dipped in ANYTHING. They have TONS of flavor on their own. A nice cappuccino or some milky tea would be a good companion—but that’s it. Notes of orange, spicy anise undertones & crunchy toasted hazelnuts will assault you with each bite. They’re delightful!

So yeah- I’m a grown up and I love biscotti. I’m always surprised at how easy they are to make. Some people think that because they are baked twice, it means more work in the kitchen. It’s really not that bad!! I find cutting up the baked “logs” to be quite therapeutic (WEIRDO alert). It’s really nice to see a huge batch of cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet that have no risk of melting & sticking to each other. To me, that is worth any “extra” effort. Another upside- they last in an air tight container for a few weeks. They taste soo good that you might not have any around that long enough to find out…
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favorites, Uncategorized

August 4, 2010

Easy Peasy Tomato Basil Pasta

I’m happy to announce that Shutterbean is now a contributor at Modern Kiddo!

I’ll be posting ideas quick meals/ideas/beverages! Perfect for parents of kiddos and people who are short on time!

Check out the recipe for this Easy Peasy Tomato Basil Pasta!

Let’s put your tomato loot to good use!

recipes, Uncategorized

August 2, 2010

Spaghetti with Zucchini Walnuts & Raisins

I’m normally not a fan of pastas like this. There isn’t a sauce that saturates all the noodles so you really have to work at creating the perfect bite with all the ingredients. It’s also a bear to mix together because all of the fun stuff just wants to hang out at the bottom of the pot. It was hard for me to judge how much I liked the pasta until half of the spaghetti on my plate was eaten. Verdict? YUM!

All of the leftover zucchini, raisins & nuts on my plate tasted wonderful! We got a little fancy and topped our pasta mounds with some white truffle oil. It brought out the earthy flavors of the nuts & Parmesan cheese. Good call, Casey. If you’re a walnut & raisin fan like Cooper, you’re in for a real treat! He was begging for more plump golden raisins & toasted walnuts. Two out out two boys in this household approve. Which makes the only mom/wife/cook in this household thrilled.
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recipes, Uncategorized

July 31, 2010

Shrimp Cucumber Mango Salad

I predict that 5 months from now, in the dead of winter, I’ll totally be jonesing for this salad. It’s zesty, crunchy, sweet & spicy!!! All of my favorite things! It’s summer in a cup; which is how I served it tonight! No need to turn on the oven/stove/grill. This recipe requires nothing but a fridge, a cutting board, a knife & a few bowls to execute. The best part is that it’s super duper low in calories & has like no fat whatsoever. You know what this means? I get to go hog wild for dessert tonight!

I’m gonna go do that now…Peace out.
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