October 14, 2010

Salted Caramel Popcorn Pretzel Bars

So I went to the dentist last week after dodging a cleaning for 2 years (it could have been worse!) Coast is clear! No cavities! We are all good. To celebrate this accomplishment, I busted out a batch of these ooey gooey Salted Caramel Popcorn Pretzel Bars!! Because really…what dentist would approve such a treat?

I stood there in the kitchen, cutting up the bars and had to walk away for a minute to regroup. Why? Because I was eating too many of them! There were a few that didn’t have *perfect* edges and I HAD to take care of them. There was one with a pretzel sticking out and God forbid someone got poked with it! There was one that didn’t have enough caramel on top and one that did. I took care of those for you because I totally have your best interest in mind.

I really had no idea how good these bars were going to be! I probably ate a whole plate of them yesterday and have the scratched up gums to prove it. I think my dentist would probably say, “I told you so!”

Make these and share them. Like, put some on a plate and wrap them up and give them away BEFORE you take your first bite of one. They are utterly AHHH-DDICTIVE.

around the home, Uncategorized

October 10, 2010

Halloween Decor 2010

Our living room is decorated for Halloween!

I put some black glittered pumpkins up….

And decorated our mantle.

I got a cool black glittered skull from Target. Creepy!

Spiders littered everywhere.

A few snakes too…

I put cheesecloth over the mirror with my Halloween banner.

I like the effect!

And bits of orange make their way into other parts of the house….

Some spiders & white pumpkins.

And a new glittered skeleton for our front door!

This is what it looked like last year!!

And here’s our house two years ago!

recipes, Uncategorized

October 8, 2010

Apple Pear Phyllo Crisp

Phyllo dough. Love the stuff. Anytime I see anything phyllo dough related on a passed hors d’oeuvres tray, I grab as many as possible. It’s a good idea to make friends with the server carrying the tray because you’ll be guaranteed first dibs when a fresh batch comes out of the kitchen!

Tell them a dirty joke and they’ll bring you more than just hors d’oeuvres….Trust me.

This recipe was the first time I’ve actually USED phyllo dough. I’ve spent all of my adult life avoiding the stuff because I was always told that phyllo dough is ridiculously hard to work with (thanks, Mom!) Guess what?!! I am a phyllo dough survivor and it wasn’t so bad!! I just remembered to religiously cover the sheets after pulling a new one out. There was one moment where I ripped a sheet and then I said F-it. Like anyone is going to see a rip when they are having buttery flaky phyllo dough mouthgasm.

How would I describe this Apple Pear Phyllo Crisp?

Crispy, crunchy, flaky, nutty, fruity, buttery…. It’s like baklava with fruit on top!

I’m thinking it would be divine with a little ginger simple syrup mixed in the butter. Oh! What about some ginger spiked whipped cream? I’d love some with a hot toddy!

recipes, Uncategorized

October 7, 2010

Spaghetti Squash with Turkey Meatballs

I have a confession to make. The only reason I tried this recipe was because I was seduced by the magical powers of sprinkled Parmesan cheese on top of meatballs. The bright yellow spaghetti squash intrigued me and I knew the mushroom/spinach profile would be good, but MEAT & CHEESE sold me. I loooove meatballs. I’m 1/2 Italian. It’s in my genetic makeup. My grandma’s meatballs are what broke my 3 years of Vegetarianism. Seriously.

Is spaghetti squash like pasta? NO. There’s really no comparison BUT! spaghetti squash does taste fabulous in its own right. It’s soft & semi crunchy and a good vehicle for sauce—hence the pasta substitute. The strands aren’t soo long that you hafta twirl your fork over and over again. This means you can get it into your mouth faster. Win!

So how was this dish? Pretty good! I really liked the mushroom sauce and might add more mushrooms and spinach next time. If you are vegetarian, cut out the meatballs and you’ll still have a wonderful, hearty dish! People with children? You listening? I learned that you cannot trick a 2 year old boy into thinking that spaghetti squash is noodles. Cooper tossed them on the floor to show is disapproval. Someone is too smart for his own good….

around the home, Uncategorized

October 2, 2010

Hello Internet,

Cooper here. Today is my 2nd birthday! My mom took a picture of me playing with my cars.

My fire engine is my new favorite toy. It goes weeee wahhhh weeee wahhhhh.

I love building ramps out of the new wooden blocks I got for my birthday!

My mom lines up all of my toys on the table when I’m not looking. She’s always fixing things I knock over throughout the house. I like to test her and put things where they don’t belong. She’s crazy.

See my toy stash? I’m gonna make a giant mess out of it in a second. Then I’ll watch Mama come in and clean it up again. She takes two big black fuzzy pillows and covers up my toys at night so she doesn’t have to look at them. I think it stresses her out that I have soo many toys. I’ve been told that I came to this world to teach her patience and acceptance. I wonder if it’s working?

I started jumping off the couch arm and onto the couch a few weeks ago. I’ll throw the pillows on the floor and sometimes when my mom isn’t looking, I’ll stuff some of my snacks in between the cushions.

I love baseball, just like my dad. I love to say “Let’s Go Baseball!” It makes my parents giggle. I just started saying Red Sox a few weeks ago. It makes my dad very proud.

My mom is trying out a new hairstyle on me. I think she’s just lazy and doesn’t want to take me to get my hair cut. Who could blame her? I was a pain in the butt last time in the barber’s chair. It took a lollipop and countless animal crackers to get me to sit still. The clippers freaked me out!

I climbed out of my crib a few weeks ago. After my mom put me down for a nap, I surprised her in the kitchen while she was cleaning dishes. I shouted “Hi Mama!” She stood there stupefied and then she started laughing. I haven’t climbed out since…but who knows. It’s bound to happen again.

I still love my blankie. I cover my head with it when I’m sleeping. It’s the best.

My vocabulary is growing more and more each day. Yesterday I asked my mom for “waffles with syrup on it, pleeeeeze” and she almost had a heart attack. Last night I said “luv you” to my mom when I was saying goodnight and she gave me a hundred kisses. She calls me her little “tuffy” because I’m a tough boy. I’m still super active and I have no fear! I can’t wait to ride a skateboard one day, like my dad.

I know the whole alphabet now and have started counting. I say “1, 2, 6!” Maybe one day I’ll count to 10.

Today I am going to be playing in the pool at my Nini & Papa Phil’s house. I started off the day with a special birthday donut!

I keep saying baseball cake, so I’m hoping my family gets the point!

Xoxox,

Cooper

recipes, Uncategorized

September 27, 2010

Chicken Avocado BLT Salads

Murphy’s Law says that when I post about a season changing, the season that I’m saying goodbye to comes back to tell me that it hasn’t yet departed. So guess who had a little heat wave this weekend??? The Bay Area! Which meant that it was in the high 80’s at my house!! Saturday night I had a mad craving for BLT sandwiches, but already devoured a tasty grilled cheese/mushroom sandwich at Bar Tartine with my new friends Jenifer & Mati at lunch. You can’t really have sandwiches twice in one day, can you? So I followed my craving and turned it into this hearty Chicken Avocado BLT Salad!

Casey and I enjoyed our meal outside while sitting on the steps of our back deck. Sometimes I forget about the Indian Summer situation we have here during “Fall.” You’d think after 30 years, I’d learn. Doh.

Food craving was fufilled. I am a happy camper. My husband gets some greens in him and we have leftovers for the next day.

High fives all around.

recipes, Uncategorized

September 25, 2010

Couscous with Swish Chard, Raisins & Feta

After posting Brown Butter Biscuits with Sausage Gravy & Baked Caramel Apple Donuts, I felt the need to balance out my indulgences with something on the healthier side. Last Sunday afternoon while Casey worked in the basement and Cooper napped, I made this yummy couscous dish. I stood at my kitchen island, chopping up a huge bunch of dark green & crimson leaves when all of a sudden, a cool draft wafted through the window. I breathed it in and realized that Autumn had arrived. With a little Ray LaMontagne playing in the background, I was in my happy place. Alone in the kitchen, a few pans sizzling behind me with a hearty fall recipe in the making…Life is good.

Have I told you how much I love chard? I’d never thought I’d say that because I absolutely hated it as a child. Chard is a good balance of bitter & sweet and it makes me feel like I’m being super healthy when I’m shoving fistfuls of it in my mouth. Red Swiss chard is an excellent pairing with the sweetness of the plump golden raisins, the hearty nuttiness of the chickpeas and the salty feta crumbles in this dish. There’s soo many fun textures to venture through! The only thing I can’t figure out is whether I like this dish hot or cold because it’s fabulous both ways. It’s definitely going in my fall rotation and next time I might add a poached egg on top…or perhaps some toasted walnuts to the mix? CONTINUE READING