Hello, again, old foe.
As some of you might recall, last week I solicited some advice for improving what I thought was a good recipe for making stuffed mushrooms, but which only turned out to be s0-so.
Because I harassed her, friend and Yay! DIY reader Beth – aka Ladimcbeth – provided some off-the-cuff thoughts for better harmony of the ingredients.
Eager to try, I went home and re-did the recipe according to her instructions and VOILA! - a far superior tasting mushroom. In fact, I was so pleased with the result, I went ahead and ate the whole pan for dinner (because that’s how I live my life sometimes. Please don’t judge.)
After the jump, Beth’s stuffed mushroom improvement advice!
Recipe contributed by Ken Green and Tammy Towers, a father daughter cooking duo
Tammy Towers is my sweet BF’s sister in law. Her father, Ken, lives with Tammy and her hubby. But that’s not a bad thing – having your father live with you can havesome major perks – especially when he’s a great cook! I’ve had his chili at a superbowl part, and let me tell you – it was DELICIOUS. This week Ken a made a southern stewed tomato sauce, and Tammy was nice enough to share the recipe and a photo with all of you. Try it out and let us know what you think!
Thanks, Tammy and Ken! Recipe after the jump. Read More→
One of the things I spend the most money on – which never fails to make me sad – is lunch. In our neck of the woods here in Manhattan, the average lunch is approximately $8-$10. Compounded over a year, that is a potential spendings of more than $2,250! You could take yourself to Europe on that kind of money and eat far better meals than my go-to spot of choice, Chipotle! (No offense, Chipotle, love you.)
However, if you’re like me, one of the hardest parts of bringing our own lunch is making it exciting to eat. That why I was so pumped to see this post on Apartment Therapy’s The Kitchn, which has ten easy lunches you can toss together. I liked these ideas because they are the other thing lunch must be – easy to make. Check out the link here!
Do you have any easy lunch ideas that are quick to toss together and hit the spot? I feel a good series on that coming on.
Last fall, I took a ten day trip to Italy that more or less changed my life. But one of the things I came back with – besides an expanded waistline from all the food – was a deep love of the Fleur-de-Lis, which is the emblem of the city of Florence. When I started thinking about decorating the master bedroom in the new apartment (yes, six months after I moved in because that’s how I roll), I wanted to make a painting that incorporated the symbol in some way.
The Fleur-de-Lis
So I started Googling Fleur-de-Lis paintings and came across a surprising number that used the symbol against a checkered harlequin background. I fell in love with the combo because it would a perfect compliment to our new bedspread, which as you might recall, looks like this:
After the jump, part one of how I am making the painting to match!
It was the last home-cooked supper in 135 South Second Street before the divorce. Naturally, for our last home-cooked meal together, I went back to an old favorite: beet risotto with goat cheese. Creamy, rich, delicious comfort food.
For those of you who don’t know me in real life, don’t be concerned. The sweet BF is just fine. (more intimate details after the jump.) Read More→
As many of you know, I’m taking the month of August to be vegan. I have reached heights of dizzying success! I have also reached the depths of despair (not an exaggeration. I miss steak terribly.) Mostly, I’ve netted somewhere in the middle. Like with the following recipe, which I’m hoping our lovely readers – more talented chefs than I – might help with.
In short, I really wanted to try and make some kind of stuffed mushroom. And I was so very close to making something delicious. Alas – I did not. I’m hoping that if I post my ingredients, someone out there might help me out with ideas to make it better. Because this was simply just an amalgamation of vegetables that tasted like…an amalgamation of vegetables. I teased this post last week, but am about five days late in actually posting it. So…sorry about that.
- Artichoke hearts (the ones I used were from the actual artichoke)
- Portobello mushrooms
- Cherry tomatoes
My cooking process and photos after the jump. Read More→
It’s mid-August. And this is the most excitement I’ve seen from my garden all summer. Three cucumbers, some basil that hasn’t been attacked by either a bug or a disease, and a handful of cherry tomatoes. Cute, but pathetic. Especially considering my plants grew 7 or 8 feet tall! Pics after the jump. Read More→
One of the great loves of my life - the artichoke.
Anyone who knows me well, knows there are two things I really like about myself: my incredible cursing ability and my Italian/Irish-ness. This post, this time anyway, is about the latter.
I consider it one of the great priveleges of my childhood to have had an Italian grandmother. Visits to her house are what I hold responsible for my love of eating – because as a kid, visits to Grandma’s meant something delicious was on its way to my stomach. That feeling of excitement for food – especially for Italian food – has never really left me. No matter what time we arrived, she would have a five course meal on the table within minutes – with plenty of extras of everyone’s favorite thing. In my case, that was artichokes. I would eat three or four at a clip – which is impressive for an eight year old, I think.
Over the years, I’ve tried to recreate my grandmother’s recipe many times. And while I’ve never been able to make an exact replica (I think I’m missing the special touch that only a 77 year old woman can give) I have come close. Here is the recipe.
When I said that we’d be heading to New Mexico for a wedding, my BF was instantly excited. And no, it wasn’t for the open bar and fear that I would catch the bouquet. It’s because, apparently, there are a plethora of National Parks in that part of the country. The BF loves National parks more than just about anything. I, on the other hand, am not quite so enthusiastic. So, naturally, when he told me that we were going to drive four hours to look at some petrified wood, I was like, “Um, really? Why?” Which was quickly followed by, “Um, what IS petrified wood?” But I got in the car, anyway, staring (literally) at this for four hours each way:
But you know what? The Petrified Forest National Park and Painted Desert were really amazing! And on the way back we
stayed in another hotel on the register of historic places – The El Rancho Hotel in Gallup, New Mexico. The El Rancho was a hub for the movie stars of the old west during filming – including John Wayne, Katherine Hepburn, Spencer Tracy, Errol Flynn, Kirk Douglas, Ronald Reagan and others. The grand lobby – decorated in traditional New Mexican decor – is filled with pictures and notes from these stars. It wasn’t the most modern hotel we’ve ever stayed in, but we loved the kitschy-ness of it all, particularly looking at the pictures from the 1950s when the El Rancho was much more of a hot spot. If you’re ever driving through Gallup, you won’t want to miss it. More details and photos after the jump! Read More→
Heading into labor day, we’re on a hunt for the best BBQ recipes – side dishes, main dishes, desserts, drinks, the works! Do you have a good recipe you want to share? Email us! Today’s recipe comes from one of our favorite blogs, Ramshackle Glam. In one of today’s posts Jordan Reid gives the recipe for her favorite potato salad – YUM. Potato salad is always a crowd pleaser!
Check out Jordan’s post here for the whole recipe.
Photo courtesy of Ramshackle Glam.
A few weeks ago, my BF and I packed our bags and headed to New Mexico to celebrate my good friend Steph’s wedding. I’d never been to New Mexico before, and the BF had only driven through it, so we decided to turn it into a vacation/adventure. We researched and researched, and came together with a very good itinerary that had something for us both: national parks for him, wine and fancy hotels (at a steal!) for me. We ventured to Santa Fe, the Petrified Forest National Park, spent a few days in Albuquerque and stayed in a hotel frequented by old Hollywood stars of the Wild West movies in a town called Gallup. This will be a two part post, filled with recommendations of what we enjoyed the most, and what you may also enjoy, if you’re planning a road trip, or long weekend to New Mexico.
The Bishop's Lodge
Day 1: Santa Fe:
