Beloved Green

Come Sunlight - After Snopocolypse 2012

2012-01-20T17:07:00.000-06:00

In the course of three days, beautiful Puget Sound went from that to this:

My power went out early this morning, but thankful has since come back on. Some folks in the area have been without theirs for the last couple days. We had a good dose of snow, then bombarded with a rain/ice mixture, and finally are looking out for urban flooding.

And unlike the Midwest which anticipates snow like this, the lovely Pacific Northwest just does not have the infrastructure to deal with this type of storm.

The worst part was knowing there are folks who have been out there trying to make the streets safe and the power is turned back on for shifts lasting over 36 hours. I pray for those folks and their continued safety.

The second worst part, for a foodie at least, is not having electricity to my refrigerator and stove. I could not even make toast this morning. The horror!

The third worst part, is going to the store and seeing them throw out carts filled with food that went "bad" when the refrigerators lost power and the back up generators could not keep them running. I was nearly in tears thinking about all the waste.

So to brighten the day, enjoy the musical styling of a fantastic Danish chap named Thomas Siem who I met during my travels over the summer. He wrote this gorgeous song for our little group of Americans, and just hearing it cheers me up. It's called "Come Sunlight" and Washington State could use some of that right now.

Seriously, this guy is going to be big one day, and you heard it here first folks.

Macaroon Coin Purse

2012-01-20T02:32:00.000-06:00

I have been trapped inside my home for the last two days during the Pacific Northwest's version of Snopocolypse 2012 raged on outside. First the unprecedented snow, followed by the freezing rain, and tomorrow we will battle urban flooding.

And here I thought the weather situation would improve once I moved out of the Midwest.

With all this extra time on my hands, I could not help but catch up on a few of my favorite blogs, most of them foodie, fitness, or crafty related. It was when I saw a combination of the foodie and crafty that my heart started thumping a bit faster.

Macaroon coin purses!

How awesome are these? The folks at Craft Passion designed them, and I think I am in love (instructions are available at the link). I kind of want to make one to store my grandmother's engagement ring in. Something that is sweet that I can use to pass it along to my niece one day.

Thanks to Jessica at How About Orange for finding this gem.

Butternut Squash in Cream and Cinnamon - Judith Jones

2012-01-18T09:42:00.000-06:00

There is something about a well-written biography that entraps me. Even if the author does not reveal all of his secrets, the tone and direction it takes often reveals a great deal. While the snow has continued to fall in the Pacific Northwest (worthy of this Mid-westerner's nostalgia) I have thoroughly enjoyed discovering Judith Jones' The Tenth Muse.

Although not as famous as the chef and cook book authors she has edited, such as Julia Child, her journey is inspiring and filled with bits of humor. Perhaps my favorite bits of the book are the nuggets of foodie wisdom woven through, such as the lesson she learned from Madhur Jaffrey;

I was struck by how one lamb korma can taste so different from another lamb korma when many of the same ingredients are used, but it became clear that the difference came from how each ingredient was treated.

How true!

Even more lovely, is that Judith includes her favorite recipes from all of the cookbooks she edited at the end of the biography. Inspired by her willingness to test and the boundaries of her own culinary abilities, I was inspired to pick up my pans once again and try out a seemingly simple dish: Butternut Squash in Cream and Cinnamon.

The recipe is truly simple and delightful. After giving it a try I love that it is not overly sweet and understandably something that Judith, "...served the most frequently at dinner parties, and always for Thanksgiving and Christmas feasts, over the years. Everyone seems to love it--and it couldn't be simpler, particularly after the food processor came along to make the grating a snap."

The Shopping List:

1 large butternut squash (weighing in at about 2 lbs)
a dash of salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup heavy cream

The Method:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cut the squash into half and remove the stem and seeds. Use a vegetable peeler to remove the outer skin (all this is going into my kitchen compost bin). Grate the squash using the coarse holes of a grating blade on a food processor. Spread about half of this grated squash in a 9x9 inch baking dish. Sprinkle some salt on top, and sprinkle about half a teaspoon of cinnamon on top as well.

Add in the remaining squash on top and repeat adding salt and cinnamon. Pour the heavy cream over top of the squash, making sure to distribute it evenly. Bake covered for 40 minutes, then uncover and bake an additional 10 to 15 so it becomes golden on top and the squash becomes tender.

This is something I am truly enjoying as the snow continues to cover the Pacific Northwest!

Cardamon Crescent Granola Cookies

2011-12-03T00:33:00.001-06:00

I was sent home from my part-time job early because the store was slow for the day. Instead of being disappointed, I walk a couple stores down to the Barnes and Nobles' that is slated for the chopping block after the holidays. I will miss walking in after a long shift and just enjoying the feel of being surrounded by books and coffee beans (even though have not inherited the Seattle mentality and despise drinking the stuff).

I pick up a copy of Bon Appetit from the periodicals and find a wooden bench to enjoy the visual delights that lay within.

The inside is filled with decadent treats for the holidays. Another sad moment for me. Usually I would spend an entire day with my sister-in-law baking cookies to give to their neighbors and friends. If I was lucky I might even sneak a plate home for myself.

But this year I am in another part of the country, amongst other complications, and will not be a part of the annual holiday baking extravaganza. In fact, I may not be able to fly home for the holidays at all. I know what I need to do in order to bring back my holiday spirit.

Amongst the plethora of recipes is one for Cardamon Crescents. Rwy'n caru ti* my little sweet treats. My recipe is similar, and I decide that on my day off I would spend it on my own mini holiday baking marathon.

The Shopping List:

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 tsp cardamon
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 cup granola, almond, honey mix
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup butter
1 Tbsp vanilla

The Method:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. On two baking sheets, put parchment paper and set to the side.

In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, cardamon, cinnamon, and sea salt. Set to the side. In a food processor, add in 1/2 cup of the powdered sugar and the granola mix and process until the almond pieces are crushed. (Granola mixes can be purchased at your local grocer, or combine oats, almonds and coat with honey on a baking sheet. Put in the oven for 10 minutes at 350°F and allow to cool)

In another mixing bowl, beat the butter and vanilla together until it is creamy, typically takes three minutes. Stir in the granola mixture. Finally pour in the dry ingredients and blend on medium for another three minutes.

Bring the dough onto a clean work station and begin to knead it together. This cookie dough is notoriously dryer, and often little crumbs will escape.

Take the dough and pull apart chunks and roll them out to about a finger length an a half to three finger lengths long (not an exact science, but we want to keep them more bite sized). Use your hands to gently fold them into a crescent shape, but keeping them the same thickness across so the outer edges do not crisp before the inside of the cookie has a chance to bake.

Place in the oven for about 6 to 7 minutes, and pull out to flip them over. Put back in for another 6 to 7 minutes. In a bowl, pour the remaining powdered sugar, and while the cookies are still warm, carefully roll them in the sugary goodness. Place them on a cooling rack, and enjoy!

And because I had way, way, WAY too much time on my hands, here is my very first blogger video. I figured to make it as cheesy as possible, I would display my unedited personality and a cameo by my cat, Skye. High quality folks, nothing but the best for Beloved Green readers.

If I ever do another, it is going to be much shorter, and I will try to have a better framing. Part of it was not my fault since the converter chopped off the top when it changed the aspect ration, but I will know better for next time.

*Rwy'n caru ti -- Welsh for "I love you"

Pumpkin Smoothie

2011-10-26T20:54:00.000-05:00

I am officially unpacking the kitchen boxes. This foodie is back in business, OH YEA! This move certainly tested my patience and appetite. There is only so much I can do with two plates, an oven, and a fork. The next time I move, there will be an emergency cooking set going into my car.

To celebrate I am making myself a little post-run smoothie fit for a perfect fall day. Something simple and filling.

And nothing says fall to me like pumpkin.

The Shopping List:

8 oz. canned pumpkin, chilled
1 cup almond milk
1/4 banana, chilled
4 Tbsp. vanilla protein powder
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
dash of nutmeg
dash of cinnamon
dash of ginger

The Method:

In a blender combine all the ingredients and puree until smooth. Drink is best if served chilled. An optional topping is a little bit of whipped cream and a dash of cinnamon for show.

I love this smoothie because it is like a little slice of pumpkin pie after a long run and oh, so filling.

On a side note, I feel this video accurately reflects how I feel every time I hit the road. I am an awkward runner, thank goodness I do not have to see myself jog -- but I apologize to all the passerby's that have to see it.

Hey, it could be worse.

I could wear spandex.

Fremont Sunday Market

2011-10-16T23:09:00.000-05:00

Day 13 of being without my kitchen gear. In an effort to console myself, I took a drive up to the Fremont Sunday Market.

I am going to digress a moment to my brief time studying in London. As a college student on an exceptionally tight budget, I remember writing down in a journal every single expenditure I made down a pence. Wasting money was not an option, but neither was sacrificing the ability to truly enjoy the city.

Every and any free activity there was, I attended. Tube fairs could add up, and to compensate I would walk across the entire span of the city. Thankfully, a lot of experience is compacted into a walkable distance.

One of the best free activities, hands down, is walking through the various London markets. Camden, Portobello, New Covent Garden, Greenwich, amongst others. Each had their own personality and cast of characters.

In a smaller scale, Seattle's markets have the same feel. Some specialize in foods, others in quirky goods. The Fremont Sunday Market was my destination this afternoon. One of my goals since moving to Seattle is to plan a Sunday afternoon trip to some place in the city or surrounding area every weekend. I want to learn about the city and embrace it.

A new Seattle friend recommended it, and I was up for the challenge. Now I will admit, even though it it is fall and chilling, and I imagine the crowds were slightly lighter then the thick of summer's good weather, I still had a hard time finding a place to park. After perusing the nearby streets, I found a spot at the top of a hill, turned the wheel into the curb, and pulled the emergency break.

Walking down the hill, I turned down Fremont and was immediately met with a distinctive incense smell. Yes, this does remind me of a mini Camden.

The booths were neat and tidy, nestled in one right after another. Snacks, antiques, and tchotchkes were in each stall. Some were homemade, some found pieces, others looked like they just walked out of a dumpster -- albeit a very vintage styled dumpster.

The usual buskers are there, peddling eclectic music and providing a bit more to the atmosphere.

A long time market vendor named Nico, is requesting a customers shoe size as he digs through his pile of gently used footwear. A hopeful patron looks on as he tries to find a unique pair.

My favorite part of the market is the vintage goods crowded into the underground parking garage. Immediately I think of my good friend Rachel. She could sort the treasures from the junk with perfect appraisal accuracy. Unfortunately for me, I could not tell you what is a good vintage investment. Instead, I am drawn to what looks beautiful, like the keys and stamp plates.

The "shop" owner tells me that many of this trinkets were collected in Germany over the last couple decades at a factory. Eventually they just wanted to get rid of the excess items, but he astutely swept in and claimed them before their demise in a landfill.

In the Fremont neighborhood Starbucks is not the star coffee shop, that honor belongs to a little street vendor. However, there is still one around the corner -- this is Seattle after all.

Of course there is the one booth that has something I have never seen at any market. Whereas Camden has a tattoo parlor at every corner, Fremont has a semi-professional portrait photographer. He proudly shows off his portfolio, including his three sons in the same pose every year from their elementary years through graduation. He explains proudly,

"I had this theory that little kids are cute, and then it all goes downhill. These photos prove it."

I hope his sons never read this.

The Fremont Market was not as large as I thought it was going to be, but it was an easy little walk. All the vendors were very passionate about their products, and like most markets of this kind, the early bird gets the best tchotchkes.

Fremont is delightful because it has personality. The market is not overgrown, and it fits meshes into bohemian style of the local neighborhood. It definatly made the sting of Day 13 without pots and pans a little bit easier.

Kitty Silhouette by Geraldine de Beco

2011-10-14T09:43:00.002-05:00

Day 11 of being without my kitchen supplies. Moving across country kind of stinks. When the cupboards are bare, I start to think about filling them with pretty things.

And then my credit card starts to cry.

But then I find these lovely ceramic bowls designed by Geraldine de Beco for Bernardaud. When the bowls filled about three-quarters full, a lovely kitty silhouette is featured. Seriously, how brilliant is that?

Skye thinks it is absolutely delightful and that I should get her one and fill it with milk for her.

And how can I deny this little face?

Tom-Grapes

2011-10-13T16:43:00.001-05:00

Day 10 of my kitchen supplies packed and on a truck somewhere moving across the country. I miss them.

In the mean time I have been trying to find snacks and foods that do not require any prep work since I am with the bare basics in my kitchen right now.

Raw fruits are favorites of mine right now for this very reason. Just wash and eat. And that is where I found something new this week.

Tom-Grapes are my newest and most delightful discovery. They are a beautiful purple-blue color, and appear to be a hybrid between a grape and a blueberry.

Simply delicious.

These little buggers are seedless and a bit smaller then traditional grapes. I can only imagine the sweetness of a wine made from this stock. For some reason, I do not want to override the taste with other ingredients, and prefer to eat them au natural.

I have never seen these before, anyone else out there ever tried Tom-Grapes?

Pikes Place Market

2011-10-07T19:13:00.000-05:00

Today I played tourist and explored my new home in the greater Seattle area. The foodie in me made the first stop the most obvious: Pikes Place Market. The fresh seafood, the kitschy shops, and the combination of tourists and locals intermingled was fun.

Perhaps my big shock being the small town girl, was the price of parking. Even in Milwaukee I do not pay $5 an hour for public parking. Despite the sticker shock, I was determined to enjoy the sights and smells of the famous market.

Of course there are the usual delights; THE FIRST STARBUCKS -- there seems to be one on every corner in Seattle -- the seafood folks who I remember from my Fish! seminar in college, street performers, petitioners looking for my signature, and a lingering smell of incense that I can still smell several hours later while I hang out at, you guessed it, a Starbucks.

I have to snatch my internet somewhere while I still move in.

On a random side note, if there are any foodies in the Seattle area who want to meet up over coffee or introduce me to a wonderful local restaurant, let me know. But just an FYI, I only hang out with fellow nerds since I have an inferiority complex that needs to be kept tabs on.

Dahlia placemats by Chilewich

2011-09-28T09:18:00.001-05:00

I am slight lust with these Dahlia placements by Chilewich. I think they would look absolutely amazing in my new apartment for a place setting. Definitely booking marking them for after I am all unpacked.

(via DesignDust)

Tailgating Green Kit: Part 2 - The Kit

2011-09-27T15:05:00.001-05:00

Part 1 of the Tailgating Green with a Tiny Apartment can be found here.

If I am going to a football or baseball game and tailgating in the parking lot, or staying at home to host, I have what is considered a general kit to keep the festivities rolling. Quite honestly, seeing the trash after folks clean up their area makes me a bit wary. Especially if I am hosting a party at home and I think about all the consumption that is going into a landfill.

These are Beloved Green's top 10 items to bring along to a tailgating experience to help keep it green.

A Large Tub. It serves as the storage for bringing everything to the tailgating party, but during the party it doubles as the recycling bin.
Recycling bags. I always throw in a couple extra to grab cans and bottles from neighboring tailgate parties who might throw theirs out instead of thinking green.
The Tablecloth. aka an old twin size sheet. Not only is it washable and reusable, but it is given a second life instead of being tossed into the great dumpster in the sky.
Old Plates & Dishware. Instead of using paper plates and plastic silverware that is only going to get one use, I have a stock of mismatched plates and silverware for game day. Picking up one or two plates at rummage sales is a bargain, and saves them from being put in a landfill. Put out a dishware collection bin to wash and reuse at the next event.
Old Team Shirt Napkins. Over the years I have collected quite a few team shirts, and most have seen better days. Instead of bringing along paper napkins, I have cut up some old t-shirts and bundle them in a basket. Collect them in a basket to wash and reuse again.
Portable Compost Bin. Some of the snacks at my tailgate are going to be of the healthier variety; apples, strawberries, cherries, oranges. Instead of tossing out the core, pits, and peals, my buddies can toss them straight into the compost bucket. Of course reminding them that no animal products can go inside.
Drop the packaging. Instead of grabbing the bag of chips, encourage the use of homemade snacks that do not have the package waste, taste just as good, and can be a much healthier option. Looking for something good to eat, try out these Kale Chips or these Oat Berry Bars which travel well.
Carpool and Bike to the game. It may sound simple, but folks are hard to convince to leave behind their cars. A group of my friends put together a tailgate before a Brewers game, and decided to save on parking money and bike in together with only one car to hold a spot for us in the lot and carry our supplies. Not only did the bikers beat out the post-game traffic, we helped to reduce our carbon imprint.
Bring the guitar. This one always makes us a popular place to hang out in the lot. Granted, you need to know someone who actually plays, but instead of wasting energy to run a stereo we pull out the guitar and sing a little ditty.
Use frozen water bottles in the cooler. Instead of wasting money on ice from the convenience store to bring the temperature down in the cooler, fill them Nalgene bottles that have frozen water in them. Fill the bottles the night before about halfway full so there is room for them to expand, and by the time you leave for the game they are ready to go. A bonus, by the end of the game when you need something to cool off on the drive/ride home, the water should be mostly melted and still cold.

Feminine Pint Glasses

2011-09-26T13:03:00.002-05:00

I am loving these fun glasses from from Twig & Thistle. The sentiment on these pint glasses of "may you enjoy many, many happy hours" is perfect. I would love a cabinet full of them.

After the move to the west coast, I am going to have to hunt down some fun glassware.

.

Foodbuzz 24x24: Waste Not Want Not

2011-09-25T10:30:00.004-05:00

This month I am in the transition of moving from the midwest to the northeast US. It is over 2000 miles of travel to relocate. The process is tedious at best, but for a foodie it is even more nerve-racking.

Much of my favorite cooking gear is packed. I am trying to work down the stock of food in my kitchen. And working with just pure staples is difficult, but buying more food with the potential of just tossing it in a few days is not this green girl's idea of being waste conscious.

So for this months Foodbuzz's 24x24 challenge, I decided to take a different approach: prepare an entire meal with only what was in my cupboards and left of my staples, while only buying one extra ingredient.

Easier said then done. But I am fairly happy with the results.

First up to dish, is the main course, a nine ingredient dish: Bulgur and Chickpea Salad. I love this because it is rich in nutrients, and extremely filling. Most importantly, it uses all the fresh food I have left in my fridge and uses the one ingredient I had to buy at the store: fresh dill.

Simple and refreshing.

The Shopping List:

2 cups whole grain bulgur wheat
4 cups cool water
1 15- to 16-ounce can chickpeas, drained
1 vine tomato, diced
1 cucumber, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
2/3 cup (packed) chopped fresh dill
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/4 tablespoons olive oil
Dash of salt and pepper to taste

The Method:

In a small sauce pan, cook the bulgur wheat in water on medium heat until it has absorbed the H2O and has almost a rice consistency -- takes about 10 to 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Take the cooled bulgur wheat and mix in the chickpeas, tomato, cucumber, bell pepper and dill. Mix well.

In a small jar mix the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, cumin and a dash of salt and pepper. Shake and drizzle over the bulgur wheat salad before serving.

***** BG *****

Next up on the list is a simple Cinnamon Coffee Cake. This one has the largest ingredient list at eleven. However, it pulls out the staples of my kitchen.

Someone asked me in the comments a while back what egg beaters are. For my non-US readers, they are a liquid egg that is only made from the whites. Many times there are extra vitamins and nutrients added to it. Because it does not use the yoke, it reduces the amount of fat and cholesterol taken in. I substitute them into recipes all the time.

The Shopping List:

2/3 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup egg beaters
2 cups bread flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup almond milk
1/4 cup demerara sugar

The Method:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a bowl mix together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Slowly pore in the egg beaters and continue to mix.

In a separate bowl mix together the bread flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Add into the wet ingredient bowl. Pour in the almond milk and give it one last thorough mix.

Grease a 9 inch round baking pan, and pour in the batter. Bake for approximately 35 minutes or until it has a cake like consistency.

***** BG *****

And last but not least, I made a smoothie for a refreshing drink. I make this little bugger almost every morning after a good run. I add in the whey for a bit of protein, but this is not a necessity.

The Shopping List:

1 cup mixed frozen fruit
1 cup Almond Milk
1 tsp sugar
2 Tbsp whey powder

The Method:

Simple as can be, in a blender, add in the fruit, almond milk, sugar and whey powder. Mix until fruit is smooth. Add in more almond milk if it is still on the thick side.

***** BG *****

And there you have it, a meal based on the staples. It is something I am going to challenge myself to do more often when I move into my new home and make sure I am using up those foods with expiration dates.

Waste not, want not.

Featured on The Kitchn

2011-09-21T14:18:00.000-05:00

Life goal #16, to be featured on the kitchn of apartment therapy fame.

Check. And. Mark.

My Chickpea Salad is featured in today's delicious links.

Chickpea Salad

2011-09-16T21:52:00.000-05:00

This spring I completed my first ever full marathon. And now I am barely running. My non-running friends do not understand when I try to explain how a good run keeps me grounded. Most tell me I am mental for running at all.

But the truth is, when I am not out running regularly my whole body is out of sorts. It does not help that I have been on a baking binge lately.

So today starts my resolve to get back to my running happy place. Any Dailymile folks out there can help be my accountabilibuddy.

Don't worry, I will not stop baking my desserts as I get back on my running bandwagon. I love me some baked goods.

But I think I should also post a few of my post-run meals. My pre-run meals are rather boring -- usually pretty boring, yogurt, fruit, and toast. But after I get back I always have a hearty appetite.

True fact, when I ran cross-country in high school my dates used to think I was awesome. We would go out to a restaurant and I would inhale my meal. No dainty little dishes for this girl. They were thoroughly impressed.

And although I made a salad today for my post-run meal, don't be fooled. It packs a punch and is rather filling. Let me introduce you to my version of the Chickpea Salad.

The Shopping List:

For the Salad

2 Hearts of Romaine lettuce
2 cans chickpeas, drained
1 bunch of green onions
1 red pepper
1 vine tomato
2 tsp crushed garlic

The Dressing

1/4 cup olive oil
4 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
1 Tbsp brown sugar
a dash of salt
a dash of pepper

The Method:

Wash and cut the lettuce, green onion, pepper, and tomato. Add in the garlic and chickpeas and give it a toss.

In a jar, add in the olive oil, red wine vinegar, and brown sugar. Add salt and pepper to taste. Give it a shake. Drizzle over the salad to lightly coat.

Easy-peasie pure goodness.

Stenciled Cranberry Cake

2011-09-13T17:46:00.000-05:00

My other love (besides cooking and baking) is scrapbooking. I am a photographer by trade, and I enjoy the creative process of capturing images and then recording them with commentary that someone in the future might find interesting.

I am also a bit of a history buff, and part of me feels responsible for recording our family history to pass along. It should not surprise anyone that I also have a subscription to Ancestory.com.

I have traced my family tree back nine generations to a tiny village in what is now Austria. I have even found a mercenary in my family tree from the 1500's. Unearthing this information is like uncovering my own personal mystery.

There are some mysteries on my family tree, such as where my great-grandfather came from. He just seems to appear out of nowhere and start a family. No records are available before his wedding certificate.

That is why I record my family history. Hopefully somewhere down the line there will be another inquisitive decedent, and I want to leave them a bit of legacy.

But every once and a while my scrapbooking supplies serve a dual purpose. I like to think of them as multipurpose. I wanted to play with a bit of stenciling on a cake.

And for the inside of this cake, I also wanted to use my favorite dried cranberries.

I pulled out my faithful Cricut and decided to create my own cake stencil. The design was not suppose to look perfect, just a hint of my mantra brushed onto the top of a delightful coffee cake. Combined with my favorite frosting recipe -- a gastronomical delight.

The Shopping List:

For the Cake

1 1/2 cup wheat flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup egg beater
1/2 cup almond milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
10 oz dried cranberries

For the Frosting

6 oz baking chocolate
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup butter
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract

The Method:

For the Cake

Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a bowl mix together the dry ingredients wheat flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In another small bowl mix the wet ingredients egg beaters, almond milk, and oil. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredient bowl. Mix in the cranberries. In a round cake pan, pour in the batter and level. Bake for about 30 minutes.

For the Frosting

In a double boiler, melt the chocolate. Once smooth, pull and allow to cool. When the temperature comes down, add in the butter, sugar, and vanilla extract. With a blender, beat for several minutes. Put in the refrigerator until it stiffens.

For the decoration

And for a different kind of garnish - a stencil. For my stencil I pulled out a Cricut which is usually used for scrapbooking, and made a template for the word "Beloved". Stencils can also be found at craft stores, or for something seasonal, use leaves (after they are washed gently) now that it is fall. Using a small tweezers, place the stencil down. Carefully dust with powdered sugar. Pull the stencil off and enjoy!

Paired with a little milk and Ingrid Michaelson. Cheers!

Never Forget

2011-09-11T12:19:00.000-05:00

I love you New York. I love you D.C. I love you Shanksville.

My heart goes out to you. I will never forget.


U.S. Flag that was draped over the Pentagon after the 9/11 attacks, while on display at the Smithsonian National History Museum.

Tailgating Green with a tiny Apartment

2011-09-10T15:58:00.001-05:00

I love football! And I have a great deal of hometown pride for the Green & Gold. In my family we grew up celebrating the game, and right now I enjoy watching my little nephew play in a youth league on weekends.

A part of that tradition of Titletown is the tailgating. Beer, brats, and cheese. Welcome to Wisconsin.

And least you doubt our loyalty, the highlight of the Green Bay Marathon is at the very end of the race where we take a lap around Lambeau Field. In fact it is probably the only reason I made it to the end of this race, because with the 20-40 mph wind gusts from miles 16-21, I just keep chanting, "Touch the Tundra, Touch the Tundra."

Bonus karma points to anyone who can guess which runner in this clip is me.

My challenges

As part of Foodbuzz's Tastemaker Program I received a waste management kit from Glad, along with a consultation with their waste management expert, Keiko. The challenge, to make my home reduce the amount of waste produced, and recycle or compost what remained.

I also know I face another challenge in being as green as possible: my small living space. I love my second floor apartment to pieces, but the result is a lack of personal green space for gardening. It is something that many people face.

As much as I dream of digging up a little plot of land next to my building, I am fairly certain my landlord would not be pleased. Sigh.

I also know that I am not allowed to have a composting area on my deck. Another setback. They mentioned something about the "stench upsetting neighbors". I wanted to reply,

"It is the smell of nature people!"

My goal

Not only do I want to solve a few of these common space problems -- but I am putting together my own personal challenge of creating a sustainable Green & Gold tailgating experience.

I also want to make my local resources more accessible to the greater community. Our city has created a Sustainable Committee and put together several local green initiatives. The problem lies with there being a lack of visibility to these amazing projects. And folks like me in my small space could truly benefit from several of them.

How To Tailgate Green: Part 1

As part of my kit from Glad, I received this perfect mini compost bin. It is only about a foot tall, so it fits perfectly below my kitchen sink. It is lined with compost bags that decompose at a much faster rate then traditional plastic bags. With a filter in the top it keeps the smell down in my small apartment, and appeases my apartment manager.

To start testing it out and make sure the smell is kept at bay. I am a huge fan of Kale Chips, but for a football game where they are going to be shared, these stand up well. I also prefer to make my own chips, because you can purchase the potatoes and use your own reusable shopping bag to carry them. Once they are baked, the chips can be stored in a reusable container, whereas store brought chips come with packaging that is going to generate more waste.

To make the potato chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Peal a potato, and cut into thin slices (about an 1/8th of an inch thick). The peals can be composted. Coat both sides sparingly with light olive oil and sprinkle garlic salt on one side. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes, but watch to make sure check halfway through so they do not burn. Pull out and allow them to cool.

I like to dip my dip in a homemade ranch dressing, which you can see pictured above in Glad To-Go Snack containers with the lid inset.

Part II of my Tailgating Green with a tiny Apartment will be posted later next week. More tailgating snacks and decorating sustainably.

Coconut Oil Giveaway Winner

2011-09-10T07:22:00.001-05:00

Thank you to everyone who entered Beloved Green's first ever giveaway!

*insert cheers of adoring fans*

After using my college skills of making a spreadsheet for every entry, I dashed over to Random.org and put in 1 to 12. The result:

#12!!!

Which belongs to:

Rock on Emily! You just made the deadline, and look at you, the proud owner of your own jar of Virgin Coconut Oil. Emily, send me an email at thebelovedgreen (at) gmail.com and we will get you set up to ship out your prize.

Thank you once again to Tropical Traditions for sponsoring this giveaway.

Gratin Dauphinois

2011-09-09T18:36:00.001-05:00

For this weeks 50 Women Game Changers in Food, we were cooking from the recipe repertoire of Elizabeth David. She changed the way post World-War II Britain viewed food. After she returned from living in Egypt and Cairo, back to England she once commented,

"There was flour and water soup seasoned solely with pepper; bread and gristle rissoles; dehydrated onions and carrots; corned beef toad in the hole. I need not go on."

I am glad to report that when I lived in England, the cuisine has improved from her initial review.

I picked a simple recipe of hers, Gratin Dauphinois.

Or so I thought.

The problem lies in that the potato is to be cut into very thin slices, generally easy to do if you have a mandolin. Unfortunately, mine has seen better days and I ended up cutting them by hand.

Note to self, when going to the kitchen supply store (like I do practically weekly) pick up a good quality mandolin.

I have made this recipe in many different variations, but there are a few specific things that are a bit different from them and Elizabeth's. The most important being the baking ware it is cooked in itself -- earthenware.

So here is the recipe, I have modified it to good old English units of measurement. I apologize in advance for those of you who are now going to promptly recalculated back to the metric system. I also apologize because although this is just pure yumminess, between the butter and cream your belt will have to be expanded just a tad.

The Shopping List:

1 lb yellow potatoes
1 whole garlic clove, peeled
A little butter for greasing
Salt and pepper
10 oz. heavy cream
1/4 cup butter for topping

The Method:

Preheat the oven to 300°F.

Peel the yellow potatoes, and slice them into very thin strips. This is where the mandolin would come in handy, about 1/16th of an inch. Run the potatoes under cool water, and get all the excess water off, best to let them sit on a towel.

Season a shallow earthenware dish by rubbing the garlic clove into the surface. The shallower you layer the potatoes, the better. They are more likely to all crisp up this way. Then butter the dish. Layer the dried potato slices onto the dish. Pour in the heavy cream, and top with a dash of salt and pepper. Place small pieces of butter speratically across the top.

Place the dish into the oven and cook for 90 minutes. In the last ten minutes, bring the temperature up to 425°F to get that beautiful golden brown top.

These other amazing bloggers are also indulging in one of Elizabeth's recipes this week. Please check them out:

Val - More Than Burnt Toast
Joanne - Eats Well With Others
Taryn - Have Kitchen Will Feed
Susan - The Spice Garden
Claudia - A Seasonal Cook in Turkey
Heather - girlichef
Miranda - Mangoes and Chutney
Jeanette - Healthy Living
April - Abby Sweets
Katie - Making Michael Pollan Proud
Mary - One Perfect Bite
Kathleen -Bake Away with Me
Viola - The Life is Good Kitchen
Sue - The View from Great Island
Barbara - Movable Feasts
Kathleen - Gonna Want Seconds
Amy - Beloved Green
Jeanette - Healthy Living
Linda - Ciao Chow Linda
Linda A - There and Back Again

Featured on Food Porn Daily

2011-09-09T13:24:00.000-05:00

I am a tad behind in my kitchen today, it was a busy night with my beloved GREEN BAY PACKERS WINNING last night against the Saints! Good game, I like it when the score is close.

This morning I was delighted to find my Strawberry Tart featured on Food Porn Daily. I never in a million years thought I would write the word "Porn" on my blog.

Can you just imagine what my google search results are going to be now? Add in blog posts about strawberries, whipping cream, and chocolate...

Oy vey.

I suppose I should welcome my scandalous new readers in advance.

Strawberry Ricotta Cheesecake

2011-09-07T17:38:00.000-05:00

I ran three miles this morning.

And like after every run in my house, to celebrate, I bake a cake.

This makes logical sense to me. For some reason my mother disagrees.

I had the original variation of this Strawberry Ricotta Cheesecake bookmarked for a couple weeks now and at about the mile mark I started thinking about strawberries. By the 2.5 mile mark I was loosing too much water by salivating.

Not my best running moment.

By the way if any of you out there are Dailymile folks, come be my friend! I ran a marathon this past spring and then fell off the bandwagon. I need all the support I can get.

Anyways, back to the cake. I had a bunch of ricotta sitting in my refrigerator begging to be used.

Not to mention some strawberries that needed to be gobbled up to make more room for -- well, probably more strawberries -- when I go grocery shopping tomorrow.

I have to say, I love this cake, because it is sweet without being too sweet. Even though there is enough sugar in there to make you think otherwise. It is also not heavy on the stomach.

Best of all, it is versatile. I can see bringing it to a breakfast meeting , an after dinner dessert, or even a tea party. Because I go to oh, so many tea parties.

It could happen.

The Shopping List:

For the berries and sauce

2 cups of strawberries
2 cups of sherry cooking wine
1 1/2 cups of sugar (1 cup for macerating and 1/2 cup to help thicken the caramel)
1 teaspoon of black peppercorns

For the cake

3/4 cup softened butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp lemon juice
1 cup full-fat ricotta cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup egg beaters
1/2 cup liquid egg whites
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
powdered sugar for dusting
dash of salt

The Method:

For the berries and sauce

Macerate the berries by combining the strawberries, sherry cooking wine, 1 cup of sugar, and peppercorns in a bowl. Cover the bowl and put in the refrigerator where it will work its magic for at least 6 hours.

Using a strainer over an empty bowl, pour in the wine/sugar/berries. Take the berries from the strainer and set them aside, pulling off any stray peppercorns.

In a sauce pan, pour in the liquid sherry cooking wine that was left over, along with the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar. Allow the sugar to dissolve over medium heat. Once the sugar has dissolved, bring it down to a low heat, and allow it to for a syrupy consistency -- about 20-25 minutes. Set aside to cool.

For the Cake

Heat the oven to 325°F. Butter a small springform pan and set to the side.

In a bowl, cream the butter and the sugar. Add in the ricotta cheese, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and egg beaters.

Pull out another bowl (nothing like making some dishes) and mix together the wheat flour, dash of salt, and baking powder. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredient bowl and combine thoroughly. Lastly, gently fold in the liquid egg whites. Pour the mix into the springform pan.

Bake in the oven for 45 minutes, or until the edges start to turn a lovely golden brown color. Pull off the ban, and allow to cool.

Using a strainer or shaker, dust the cake with powdered sugar. Place the strawberries in the middle of the cake. Serve with the sherry wine syrup.

(Adapted from Design*Sponge, who adapted from Italian Food Forever -- now that is a mouthful!)

And for your viewing pleasure, this is my little beauty named Skye. She watches over me to make sure I am baking something good, and I reward her with a lick of my batter spoon.

The arrangement works well for our household.

Say Something Nice

2011-09-07T10:01:00.001-05:00

I am about to go for a quick run, set up my new phone (since the other was stolen on my trip) and then get back into the kitchen for some good yumminess later on. In the mean time, I have just have one thought lingering in my head after seeing this lovely little video from ImprovEverywhere:

Say something nice.

In that spirit, I adore you Beloved Green friends. Your comments and encouragement make me smile. Every. Single. Day.

Grilled Bananas and a Giveaway

2011-09-04T20:48:00.001-05:00

When I told my mom what I planned on making she promptly replied, "How do you grill a banana?"

To which I reply, "With coconut oil and sugar. You'll like it, I promise."

To which my mother responded, "Very good my child. Now feed me."

I am fairly certain she still thinks that since she expelled me from her loins that I owe her something. My payment is usually in copious amounts of good food.

Thankfully for me, she is agreeable to this.

Because my mother is a fanatic of bananas, this treat was made with her in mind.

I also received a free sample of Virgin Coconut Oil from Tropical Traditions to try out and review. They gave it to me obligation free and review if I chose to. Let's just say, I really want to, because the moment I opened the jar, it was a little coconut heaven. It works absolutely perfectly with these grilled bananas.

The Shopping List:

2 ripe bananas
1/4 cup virgin coconut oil
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp cinnamon
Strawberries to garnish

The Method:

Bring a grill up to heat. In a flat dish mix in the sugar and cinnamon. With a pastry brush, coat the bananas with the virgin coconut oil. Dip them into the sugar mixture until thoroughly covered.

Place the bananas on the grill for about six minutes, flipping half way. Pull them off the grill to cool momentarily and put the strawberries on the grill to soak up the lovely juice drippings. They will only need about a minute. Pull off and slice into little pieces to garnish.

Simple and easy. And two thumbs up from my banana loving mum.

And now for a little Beloved Green giveaway thanks to the folks at Tropical Traditions. They are providing 1 quart of Coconut Oil to one BG reader (sorry, since they are doing the shipping it is only open to US and Canadian readers). Note for my fabulous Canadian friends: Tropical Traditions is not responsible for customs or duties that Canada may charge if you decide to participate in this Tropical Traditions sponsored blog giveaway

Must do at one of the following/bonus entries for completing the other two as well, and leave a separate comment for each one completed:

“Like” Tropical Traditions on Facebook
Subscribe to the Tropical Traditions newsletter.
Follow @troptraditions on Twitter.

For additional bonus entries, do any of the following, and leave a separate comment for each one completed:

Follow @beloved_green on Twitter (or comment if you already are!)
"Like" Beloved Green on Facebook
Subscribe to the Beloved Green RSS feed

Contest ends on September 9th at 3:00pm Central Time via Random.org.

Good luck!

Oat Berry Bars

2011-09-02T17:06:00.000-05:00

This week in the exploration of the 50 Women Game Changers in Food, we are taking on the vivacious Rachel Ray.

Meanwhile, I am trying to battle against the brief power outage thanks to a wicked thunderstorm this morning. All is well on my home turf, but there are quite a few trees down around town. They did have to close my local schools because of the outages, but preliminary notes on the news say that the damage has been superficial and no deaths or major injuries. For that we can be truly thankful.

While the power was out I was reading a period piece and had to look up the word "décolletage", now I am blushing. Apparently the character in the story was as well. Very risky of those Victorians.

Thankfully these little Oat Berry Bars from Miss Ray are turning the day around. Very simple to make, and with a few modifications, these are going to be my weekend treat.

The Shopping List:

1 1/4 cups flour ( half whole wheat flour and half white flour)
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup cold butter, cut into pieces
2 cups oats
1 cup berry jam of your choice (such as mixed berry, but you can also use strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, etc.)

The Method:

Start by pre-heating the oven to 375°F. In a mixing bowl pour in the wheat flour, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon and do a quick mix. Cut the butter into thin slices and add into the bowl. With a mixer on medium, mix until it starts to form a more solid dough. Pour in the old-fashioned oats and kneed them in until all the oats have found a home in the dough.

Take 1/3 cup of oats and set them to the side. Grease a 13x9inch pan. Place the remainder of the dough into the pan and smash it flat until it is even across the base. Next layer in the jam. Finally take the 1/3 cup of oats that were set aside and sprinkle them over top.

Put the pan in the oven for about 25 minutes until the top of the oats start to turn a golden brown color. Pull them out and allow them to cool. Can be stored in a container out on the counter or in the refrigerator.

Check out these awesome bloggers who are also exploring the recipe repertoire of Rachel Ray this week:

7 Links Challenge

2011-08-31T21:55:00.000-05:00

I have had a couple fabulous bloggers pass the "7 Link Challenge" along to me -- Food Blog and the Dog as well as Gastronometart -- and without further ado, here is my round up of posts. Kind of fun looking back through all the vintage Beloved Green posts.

For those who have not done this yet, the goal of the 7 Link Challenge is

To unite bloggers (from all sectors) in a joint endeavor to share lessons learned and create a bank of long but not forgotten blog posts that deserve to see the light of day again.

THE RULES

1)     Blogger is nominated to take part
2)     Blogger publishes his/her 7 links on his/her blog – 1 link for each category.
- Your most beautiful post
– Your most popular post
– Your most controversial post
– Your most helpful post
– A post whose success surprised you
– A post you feel didn’t get the attention it deserved
– The post that you are most proud of
3)     Blogger nominates up to 5 more bloggers to take part

So here are my 7 links;

The Most Beautiful: I am going for the Strawberry Tart. I just loved the glaze on top, and everyone who saw, or actually ate a slice, commented on how delish it was.

The Most Popular: Hands down the Ricotta and Spinach Stuffed Shells.

The Most Controversial: Did not have a stand out for this one. I guess that means I should start writing some more scathing food posts. Look for those next week. Although there were not a lot of controversial comments, the Tea Handle Tea Bag trick did cause a ruckus in my office.

The Most Helpful: My choice is actually food related by proxy, and that is the How to Make Wax Paper Cookie Bags. It is probably the #1 post that folks google to find my website outside of the foodie stratosphere. I love that I am sharing how to do something that allows folks to share their yummy goodness to friends and family.

A Post Whose Success Surprised You: I never thought the White Chocolate Cranberry Oat Cookie recipe would become so popular. Cookies are just so universal, but I think that my cookie stacking ability was even more exciting for folks. That stacking was legit too, there was no extra support keeping them up other some very careful placement and a prayer that the cats would not jump up and shake the table.

A Post You Feel Did Not Get the Attention it Deserved: The Pumpkin Creme Pies. It's an oldie but a goodie. Darn sweet tooth of mine.

Post You are Most Proud of: the Pear Turnovers. It is where I really started to feel as if I have come into my own as a foodie blogger. Do not get me wrong, I still have a long way to go, but this one -- this one gave me confidence that I could share my love of food in a way that is visually appealing.

Most folks I know have already taken on the "7 Links" sometime in the last month or so, therefore I am going to challenge anyone who has not done so to create their own list. Not only is it great to revive some of the old posts buried within the blog, but it is also so wonderful to see how far you have come as a blogger.

Balsamic Tomato and Mozzarella (Caprese Salad)

2011-08-30T19:53:00.002-05:00

Today I realized things were too calm. I was productive, without any interuptions.

Unfortunately, I realized this calm was a result of my phone being left in my car.

Oops.

All my calls have now been returned. But my day of ease definitely turned to a more hectic side for a couple hours.

After the mad dash at the end of the work day, I decided it was a necessity to make a quick snack.
This is my take on a classic; Balsamic Tomato and Mozzarella.

The Shopping List:

1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
1 tomato
1 small cube Mozzarella cheese
2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Parsley
Salt to taste

The Method:

For folks who have never done Balsamic Reduction, there is a nice little video above. But really it is just taking a sauce pan, adding in Balsamic Vinegar on low heat, and allowing it to cook out the water. You are left with a beautiful sauce that is thick and can be drizzled over top of the Tomato and Mozzarella. Set it aside so it cools down to room temperture.

Meanwhile, Cut up fresh Mozzarella cheese and a tomato into quarter inch slices. Layer the two and drizzle some virgin olive oil on top. Season with a touch of salt and parsley.

Once the Balsamic Vinegar has cooled down, drizzle the thick sauce over the top. Easy-peasy.

As the day finishes up, I am back to my calm place. Just a few chapters are left in The Rule of Four by Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason and I am ready to hunker down and finish it.

Seriously recommend this book for anyone who is a Dan Brown fan out there. It has the intellectual savvy he is known for, with a dash of drama and mystery. The whole story is based around the allure of the ancient Italian work, Hypnerotomachia Poliphili to the narrator Tom, and his good friend Paul. As they try to unlock the secrets of this text, others are plotting to claim their success amidst quite a bit of drama.

Very glad I ~~stole~~ borrowed it from my brother's bookshelf.

Walnut Pesto

2011-08-29T15:40:00.000-05:00

Today I am debunking the myth that all pesto is green. The word "pesto" is derived from the Italian word pestare, which means to pound, to crush. Or even more literally, to trample. Ergo, if you put nuts in a mortar and use a pestle to crush them as was traditionally done and still create a pesto.

This pesto is featuring walnuts in all of their glory. They are a little less pricey then pine nuts, so often times I will replace them in dishes if I am watching the bottom line.

As part of Foodbuzz's Tastemaker Program I received a sample of Crisco Pure, Light, and Extra Virgin Olive Oil. For this time around, I am featuring the Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Did I ever mention how much I love olive oil? Seriously, I use it when cooking meats, on salads, and even desserts. And now I am going to give it a go in my pesto.

The Shopping List:

2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 1/2 cup walnut pieces, toasted
1 tsp sea salt
1 cup ricotta cheese
6 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
3 Tbsp parsley
3 Tbsp butter, softened
1/2 lemon
Pepper to taste

The Method:

In a food processor (because I am too lazy to use a mortar and pestle) put in the walnuts and garlic and pulse until the nuts are ground up, but not made into powder.

In a bowl, mix in the nut mixture, sea salt, ricotta, olive oil, parsley, pepper, lemon and butter together thoroughly. Put to the side.

In a pot cook pasta to al dente. I used a wheat linguine to pair with my pesto. Pull out the pasta and add it to the pesto dish and toss so strands are coated. If feeling a little adventurous, add some feta cheese to garnish.

I am such a fan of this dish. It is so simple and so good. This pesto is also fabulous to spread over bread.

Now if this does not inspire me to throw on my running shoes and go out for a jog, I do not know what will.

Sagaform Wine Carafe with Oak Stopper

2011-08-27T04:22:00.002-05:00

Love this Sagaform Wine Carafe with Oak Stopper from Huset. It is a Scandinavian inspired design, and having just flown back from Denmark, Norway, and Sweden--I can say it would fit right in on any dining table.

Another link I am bookmarking for an awesome potential gift for any wine lover--myself included.

(via Design Work Life)

Lidia's Crostoli

2011-08-26T13:32:00.001-05:00

This week's look at the 50 Women Game Changers in Food is taking a look at Lidia Bastianich. I have fallen in love with her cooking show, Lidia's Italy on PBS for quite some time. Not only is her personality endearing, but the way she cooks and moves around the kitchen is something I wish to emulate.

My favorite part is that she has her family on the show regularly, and her mom even acts as the sous-chef occasionally. She has said,

"Food for me was a connecting link to my grandmother, to my childhood, to my past. And what I found out is that for everybody, food is a connector to their roots, to their past in different ways. It gives you security; it gives you a profile of who you are, where you come from."

Wonderful words of wisdom to live by.

She has a lot of recipes that are just amazing, and this one is a particularly naughty one. It's deep-fried.

And I'll be honest, I never, ever, deep fry anything. But these lovely Crostoli's were too good to pass up. Especially if I pawn most of them off on my family so I do not feel as guilty.

The Shopping List:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons
¼ cup almond milk
½ teaspoon sea salt
2¼ cups wheat flour
¼ egg beaters
3 tablespoons dark rum
Zest of 1 lemon, grated
Juice of 1/2 lemon
vegetable oil, for deep-frying
powdered sugar

The Method:

Making my poor woman's double broiler (a glass bowl on top of a pan with water in it) melt the butter. Mix in the sugar, almond milk, and sea salt.

Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, add the wheat flour, sugar mixture, egg beater, rum, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Mix the dough for about10-12 minutes until it is not sticky. This is important, if after the 10-12 minutes, the dough still appears to be a bit tacky, take out and kneed in some more wheat flour. Wrap in plastic and set in the fridge for a half hour until it firms up.

When the dough is pliable, place it on a floured surface and roll out (another poor woman's touch, I use a white wine bottle to roll my dough) and make sure it is about 1/8 inch thick. With a fluted cutter, cut the dough into 1x6 inch strips and tie each one into a loose knot.

In a wide skillet, pour vegetable oil in about two inches tall. Heat it up, and use a little scrap of dough to through in. If the dough starts to form bubbles in the vegetable oil, it's ready to start cooking. Place the bows in batches, and cook them for about 45-60 seconds, flipping them about half way through or when they are golden brown.

Move the little bows over to a plate that has paper towels on it to drain, and while they cool sprinkle them with powdered sugar.

(Adapted from Lidia's Crostoli recipe)

The following bloggers are also cooking up something good by Lidia Bastianich. Check'em out!

Val - More Than Burnt Toast
Joanne - Eats Well With Others
Taryn - Have Kitchen Will Feed
Susan - The Spice Garden
Claudia - A Seasonal Cook in Turkey
Heather - girlichef
Miranda - Mangoes and Chutney
Jeanette - Healthy Living
April - Abby Sweets
Katie - Making Michael Pollan Proud
Mary - One Perfect Bite
Kathleen -Bake Away with Me
Viola - The Life is Good Kitchen
Sue - The View from Great Island
Barbara - Movable Feasts
Kathleen - Gonna Want Seconds
Amy - Beloved Green

Simple Cheese Souffle

2011-08-25T08:22:00.000-05:00

Can I just say I am slightly in lust with Modern Family. I can watch the reruns and enjoy them just as much as the first airing. Although I am slightly excited the new season is starting soon.

I like it so much because I can kind of relate to their crazy family antics. It's the little things in life after all.

And speaking of the little things -- or more accurately the simple things -- today I am whipping up a Simple Cheese Souffle. If you can say eggs and cheese are my friends, this is a must eat.

The Shopping List:

3/4 cup liquid egg whites
3/4 cup egg beaters
8 oz cream cheese, cubed and softened
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp sea salt

The Method:

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a bowl use a blender to mix 1/2 cup of liquid egg whites until they become frothy. Set them aside.

In another bowl mix 1/4 cup of liquid egg whites, 3/4 cup egg beaters, cubed cream cheese, basil, oregano, thyme, and salt. Gently fold in the frothy egg whites.

Put four, one cup ramekins on a pan and pour in the egg mixture. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the top is bubbling over and slightly browned.

Beloved Gift Guide ... Tea Infuser

2011-08-24T17:28:00.000-05:00

As a obsessive tea drinker, and a difficult person for folks to find a gift for, let me offer the following gift suggestion, this beautiful Tea Infuser designed by Claus Jensen and Henrik Holbaek.

This is especially pertinent since mine just bit the dust. I'm a fan of loose, fresh tea and appreciate the sleek design and sturdy craftsmanship of this reusable tea-bag infuser. Notes from the website:

"This reusable tea-bag-shaped infuser easily fills with loose tea and is made of stainless steel with a wire and a silicone base and tag. Makes a cup or a pot. Dishwasher-safe."

A step up from my dollar store find that always snapped open and set the loose tea free in my cup. At $30 though, it comes with a bit of price tag.

(via swissmiss)

Watermelon Lemonade

2011-08-23T20:05:00.000-05:00

Another summer staple in my home, and I will hold onto summer as long as I can. Even if the weather is confused and sticking in the mid-70's right now. It kind of makes me want to go,

"Hey Mother Nature? I know that there is craziness to contend with out there, like earthquakes that hit near DC and all and tornado watch just north of me. But do you think you could hold the warm weather for just a bit longer in the midwest? Thanks! Heart ya!"

So here I am sitting here on my porch watching the sun set and sipping on my Watermelon Lemonade -- while my electric blanket is laying over top of me.

Meanwhile, I am looking back over my rather unproductive day and wondering what I actually accomplished. Does anyone else ever have those kinds of days?

The kind of days were you do things, but it is hard to quantify them when you think back over your day before bed.

I did make Watermelon Lemonade, so that should account for something, right?

The Shopping List:

1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 lb watermelon
1 lemon
16 oz Club Soda

The Method:

In a small pan, bring the water up to boiling and pour in the sugar. Stir until the sugar is entirely dissolved to create a sugar syrup. Put this to the side to cool.

Take the watermelon and cut it into cubes, taking out any seeds, and putting the cubes into a blender. Blend until the watermelon forms a puree. This will make roughly 2 cups of watermelon juice.

Finally, juice the lemon.

In a large juice container, combine the sugar syrup, watermelon juice, lemon juice, and club soda. Mix thoroughly. Chill and serve in a half hour, or toss in a few ice cubes and serve right away. Garnish with a little mint to add extra flavor.

Swedish Almond Cake

2011-08-22T09:06:00.000-05:00

During my travels this summer to Scandinavia, one of my fellow chaperons become a "dessert bosom buddy" aka DBB of mine. In every city we would stop at, we would buy tasty treats and split them to double our sweet tooth cravings.

In Stockholm, we stopped at the Nordiska Museet where their goal is to preserve Swedish history through the ages and into the modern times. With a Stockholm Card, visitors can enter the museum with ease and tour the standing exhibits.

My DBB, Gary, was touring the gift shop with me when we happened upon a Swedish cookbook from the 1940's that was translated into English. Our eyes both widened as we proudly lifted the Holy Grail of delectable desserts to the cash register.

Gary's fantastic wife is now the proud owner of this cookbook, and she is slowly making her way through. Every time she finds a recipe that works to her liking, she makes a little extra, packages it up, and Gary delivers it to my place in the morning before work.

So even now that we are back in the good ol' U.S., I am still happily eating Swedish.

Imagine my happiness when I receive a phone call from Gary last night that begins, "I'm stopping over tomorrow morning--you have to try this!"

I become a little giddy, and seriously could not sleep. And promptly at 7am this morning, I hear the door bell ring. Gary stands proudly holding a Tupperware container in his hand. We exchange pleasantries, but right now I can only think about this dessert.

Sweets for breakfast, I have no problem with that.

Swedish Almond Cake, I adore you.

Swedish Almond Cake

The Shopping List:

Cream

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
4 egg yokes
150 g butter
75 g dark cooking chocolate

Cake Layers

1 cup almonds or hazelnuts
1 cup sugar
4 egg whites

Topping

1 cup whipped cream
Dark cooking chocolate

The Method:

For the cream, boil the sugar and water at about 240°F. Allow to cool for a few minutes, and then add in the egg yolks with a hand mixer. Drop the butter into the pot. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in a double boiler and pour into the mixture as well. Allow to cool slightly, and then put in the refrigerator to cool for a couple of hours.

Next up is the cake layers. Trace two circles (aprox. 7.5 to 9.5 inches) on parchment paper. Grease and flour the paper. Grind up the almonds and mix them with sugar in a bowl. Whisk the egg whites and then add them to the almond/sugar mixture as well. Spread onto the parchment paper and bake at 350°F for 15 minutes.

Once it is baked pull out of the oven and allow it to cool to room temperature. Pull the cream mixture out of the refrigerator and spread it over one of the cake layers. Take half the whipped cream and spread it on as the next layer. Place the other cake layer on next and spread the rest of the whipped cream.

To finish, garnish with grated chocolate, or leave it plain.

Enjoy!

Foodie Links

2011-08-21T05:54:00.000-05:00

These Sandwich Coasters gave me a bit of a chuckle. Found via swisssmiss.

When I stumbled on this blog posted this week from Flour Dusted for Caramel Brownie Pie, I nearly cried with happiness from its awesomeness. Then I recovered and started baking.

Speaking of awesome recipes, I am putting this in for now so I remember to check back and throw some together this week: Sweet Potato Fries with Avocado Aioli by Eat.Drink.and Be Merry. Seriously a major YUM!

My seriously favorite treat of all time is Raspberry Sherbet. My mom would get me a small cone whenever we would go to the local petting zoo when I was a kid. So my happy little taste buds perked up when I saw this Raspberry Buttermilk Sherbet on Like Mother Like Daughters this week. Brilliant.

One video is related to food, the other is just moving. Both beautiful to behold. 3 guys, 44 days, 11 countries, 18 flights, 38 thousand miles, an exploding volcano, 2 cameras and almost a terabyte of footage. And I imagine a whole boatload of editing.

EAT from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.

MOVE from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.

Lemon Pepper Corn on the Cob

2011-08-20T00:06:00.000-05:00

There are so many things that are quintessential to the short summer months. Things that need to be accomplished or it just does not feel like summer. Things such as:

Ice Cream
Going to lake and swimming
Fireworks
Ice Cream
Farmers Markets
Parades
Packer training camp
Did I mention Ice Cream?
Corn Roasts

This summer I have not had my fair share of sweet corn. I do not own my own outdoor grill (madness I know!) but I do have a tabletop grill/griddle. It is not he same, but it will do.

Especially since I picked up some fresh corn at the farmers market. And the vendor assured me,

“This is the best corn you’ll eat all year!”

I did not mention that this is the only corn on the cob I will have eaten all year. Hear is the simple seasonings my family uses. It is a fairly common one, but if you have not tried it before, give it a go!

The Shopping List:

2 ears of sweet corn
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 Tbsp lemon-pepper
1/2 Tbsp sea salt

The Method:

Pull the husks back and take out the silks inside -- and in my case let the kittens play with them for a few minutes, hours of free fun! Not really, my kitty is a crafty little bugger and he stalked the strands on the counter, I let him have a moment of glory with his "catch" before confiscating it.

Back to business, put the husk back in place and use some kitchen string to hold them on.

In a large pot, fill it with cool water and allow them to soak for about a half hour.

In a little bowl, mix the butter, lemon-pepper, and sea salt. Set this aside.

Grill the corn as you normal would for about half an hour, turning the corn often. When finished, pull and allow it to cool for a few minutes. De-husk it once again and spread the butter mixture on the corn to serve.

I am making this for the Packer game against the Cardinals. GO PACK GO!

50 Women Game Changers in Food - Patricia Wells - Watermelon and Feta Salad

2011-08-19T07:24:00.000-05:00

Another favorite post run, summertime salad, and this time it is attributed to the great Patricia Wells. Ironically, I've been making this salad a while, the first time I saw it was in a Runner's World magazine last summer. It was not until more recently that I looked at the attribute and realized this was one of Patricia's creations.

This time of year, the watermelon is coming in like crazy at the farmers markets. There are many health benefits from eating it since it contains some fantastic antioxidants. Interestingly enough, after watching a few television interviews, Patricia has mentioned that she really enjoys running (a woman after my own heart) and tries to run 5 miles every day.

Rock on Patricia!

The Shopping List:

Salad

2 pounds watermelon, rind removed
1 cup Greek feta cheese, crumbled
1 cup fresh mint leaves, cut into thin strips
1 cup mixed baby greens

Dressing

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil or lemon oil

The Method:

Begin by cutting the watermelon into large pieces. Divide by four and put an equal amount on each of the plates. Mix in the feta cheese, mint, and greens on top of each watermelon serving dividing the portions equally once again.

Next up is the dressing. In a small container, mix the sea salt and lemon juice until thoroughly blended. Pour in the oil and mix once again. Drizzle the dressing over top of each of the salad portions.

Simple, easy, and delightful.

Please check out these other rock star bloggers who are paying tribute to Patricia Wells this week.

Val - More Than Burnt Toast
Joanne - Eats Well With Others
Taryn - Have Kitchen Will Feed
Susan - The Spice Garden
Claudia - A Seasonal Cook in Turkey
Heather - girlichef
Miranda - Mangoes and Chutney
Jeanette - Healthy Living
April - Abby Sweets
Katie - Making Michael Pollan Proud
Mary - One Perfect Bite
Kathleen -Bake Away with Me
Viola - The Life is Good Kitchen
Sue - The View from Great Island
Barbara - Movable Feasts
Kathleen - Gonna Want Seconds

Strawberry Cheesecake Icecream

2011-08-18T14:02:00.000-05:00

Oh heavens, I've tried to be good -- I swear!

But then my brain starts concocting new ideas for desserts. No good can come of that. To make it worse, I keep finding these recipes that require some serious patience to pull off.

Let's just say, BelovedGreen + dessert patience just does not work out well.

But for Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream, I will make an exception.

I am calling this my, "I helped my mom and niece find her soccer practice today out in the middle of a farm field" reward.

The Shopping List:

8 oz cream cheese, softened
14 oz of sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup of whipping cream
2 tsp lemon zest
1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled
3 honey graham crackers, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup strawberry preserves

The Method:

Mix the cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, whipping cream and lemon zest in a mixer until it is thoroughly combined. Then let that little bugger sit in the freezer for about four hours.

You can see how my patience was tested already.

After the four hours, pull out the mixture, and beat it again until that little bugger is nice and creamy looking. Toss the strawberries into a blender and let it go until they are smooth with few or no chunks. Mix this into the cream cheese blend.

Finally fold in the graham crackers and give it one last good mix.

And this is where patience is a must. Put the ice cream back in the freezer for another 8 hours.

When it is ready to serve, I have found it best to let it sit out for about ten to fifteen minutes to soften a bit because it is a bit firmer then traditional ice creams.

But oh, so worth it.

Finally, to add a little garnish and goodness to something that is already amazing, while the ice cream is warming up just a smidgen, pull out a small sauce pan and bring it up to low heat. Add in the strawberry preserves and warm them up ever so slightly.

Top off your ice cream with the jam and enjoy!

Zucchini and Walnut Pilaf

2011-08-16T05:33:00.001-05:00

I find myself watching the "Flea Market Documentary" on PBS. As an unabashed supporter of public television, niche shows like this draw me in. The individual vendors and shoppers the program highlights are so full of personality and excitement for their special objects. Some collect a particular item, others are just out to find a deal. Every person is putting a value on some random object or the experience of an open aired market.

"It's junk, you just to have it!" One gal says with a grin while holding a ceramic piece.

"You are not just selling, its a celebration," A gentleman holding a guitar proclaims.

No matter what each person talks about, they have this passion for their little chockey specialty.

It makes me hopeful that when I write and photograph food, I convey my passion as eloquently as these flea market aficionados.

A favorite meal of mine for after a training run is this Zucchini and Walnut Pilaf. The recipe is not difficult, but the flavors meld together and are so satisfying. Zucchini's were plentiful at the farmers market this past weekend -- and yes, I too enjoy a good market!

Add in the walnuts for a bit of crunch and my tummy does a happy little jive.

The Shopping List:

1 1/2 cup rice
1 3/4 cup water
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup walnuts
1 medium sized zucchini
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp sea salt
dash of ground pepper
1 tsp thyme

The Method:

In a small pot, bring water to a boil and stir in the olive oil. Pour in the rice and to cook. Pull from the heat once the rice has become light and fluffy.

Grate the zucchini with a large hole grater. Put to the side.

Pull out a pan on medium heat and pour a bit of olive oil. Allow this to heat up and then pour in the walnuts. Allow them to cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Be diligent, like most nuts they will burn easily, so stir frequently. When they have about a minute let, stir in the garlic.

Next, add in the thyme, sea salt, pepper, and grated zucchini. Cook until the zucchini begins to shrivel slightly (about 1 to 2 minutes). Stir the zucchini mix into the cooked rice and serve.

An end note, this works well with couscous and quinoa as well.

Featured on Crescendoh

2011-08-15T05:50:00.000-05:00

BG is spotted again, this time featured on a fun little blog called Crescendoh in the "Art of Creative Cooking" section. A fun little way to end my day. I also enjoy their mantra: Creative Passion * Authentic Community * Focused Compassion.

And it appears I am also inspiring one of the curators color palettes as well. Food meets art, I love it.

Rock on!

Salmon with Coriander Rub and Lime Cream

2011-08-14T00:26:00.001-05:00

The Salmon was on sale. I've been craving fish since my trip to Stockholm. There really was not much convincing that needed to take place beyond that.

Wellllll...I may have also wanted to make a really nice meal for my Mum. She babysat my kitties while I was away. And as the "Cat Lady", I had to show my appreciation in true foodie fashion; Salmon with Coriander Rub and Lime Cream.

The Shopping List:

1/4 cup ground coriander
4 teaspoons ground cumin
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus additional for brushing
4 large garlic cloves, pressed
3 teaspoons finely grated lime peel, divided
1 lb skinless salmon fillets (each about 1 inch thick)
pepper to taste
sea salt to taste
6 tablespoons Greek yogurt
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Chopped fresh cilantro

The Method:

Bring a small pan up to medium heat and toss in the ground coriander and ground cumin. Stir consistently for two minutes so the spice does not burn. Pull pan from heat and set aside.

In a 9x9 inch glass baking dish, pour the spices in along with the olive oil and 2 tsp of the lime peel. Mix well.

Add in the salmon strips and coat the sides of the fish with the spice mixture. Cover and put in the refrigerator for an hour (or more to intensify the flavor). Make sure to turn the salmon at least once during the marinading.

This is where I toss on some Joss Stone and dance on the linoleum in my kitchen. Breaking out the moves--booyah!

Shimmy over to the oven about ten minutes before your going to pull out the fillets and preheat it to 450°F. Pull out a baking sheet and use a bit of olive oil to coat the bottom. Take the salmon fillets out of the refrigerator, and pull off the access spice mix, leaving just a little to give it some flavor. Place the fillets on the baking sheet with a little bit of space between each one. Top with a dash of pepper and sea salt to taste.

Place the baking sheet into the oven on the top rack and allow the fillets to cook for about ten minutes.

While the fillets bake, pull out a small bowl and mix in the Greek yogurt, lime juice, and the remainder of the lime peel. Add in a touch of pepper and sea salt.

Pull the fillets out and top with a dollop of the Greek yogurt mix. Add a bit of cilantro to the top before serving. Voila! A refreshing meal.

(adapted from Bon Appetit)

Wine Quote Letter Press Coasters

2011-08-13T14:29:00.001-05:00

This is going into my personal catalog of things I am going to recommend to someone if they ask me what I want for a gift for my Birthday/Christmas/Just Being Awesome. I adore these Wine Quotes Letterpress Coaster Set by Bob's Your Uncle.

"Vigorous, well constructed, even a little bosomy" may also become my own personal mantra.

(via Design Work Life)

I heart MY food ... recipe cards

2011-08-13T05:19:00.000-05:00

I am still trying to revive the old art of handwritten recipe cards. In a previous post I may have ranted how lovely they are, how much I adore my recipes, how much I adore my blog readers.

Tears may or may not have been shed.

In any account, I still think there are always a few recipes in a cooks arsenal that deserve to have their own place on a piece of card stock.

In keeping with this theme, check out these free “I heart MY food” downloads off the infamous "I heart NY".

Simply delightful.

(found thanks to How About Orange)

Roasted Radishes

2011-08-12T05:58:00.001-05:00

When I was a wee little lass, my dad would take me over to his friend, Shirley's house by the lake. Shirley was like the grandma I never had.

And when we would visit in the summer she always picked out fresh radishes from her garden to give to me. My dad would take out his pocket knife and make a couple slices into the side, and we would grab a salt shaker to give them a little umph before eating them whole.

As I went to the gym yesterday, I hoped up onto an elliptical and grabbed a copy of Whole Living to keep me company. I stumbled on this easy little snack and modified it to my liking. What peaked my interest: Radishes.

Beautiful, tasty radishes. A treat that gives me a bit of childhood summertime nostalgia. I did grab a pearing knife and ate one raw with a dash of salt for good ol' times sake.

The Shopping List:

Bunch of radishes
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp of ground pepper
1 tsp of sea salt

The Method:

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Clean the radishes and cut them in half, putting them and their leaves on the baking sheets. Take the olive oil and drizzle it over top of veggie. Take the pepper and sea salt and sprinkle over top. Get the hands ready and start mixing it up a bit to make sure all the surfaces are covered. The radishes also bake better if the cut side is placed down on the sheet.

Bake about a half hour (depends upon your oven, so the first time around you may want to check after about 20 min) until the radishes begin to get caramelized on the inside and outside. Pull them out and allow them to cool. Eat'em up radish, leaves, and all.

P.S. Ignore my finger hanging out in the bottom of this photo. Just like Oz--don't look behind the red curtain.

(via Whole Living July/Aug 2011)
Roasted Radishes

Owl Recipe Cards

2011-08-11T04:09:00.000-05:00

Recipe cards for many are an obsolete art. The handwritten family recipe put on a firm cardstock and collected with many other recipes in the cooks own hand. Recipes so important that are closely guarded and passed onto only those closest to the cook.

I should know, my blog has become my recipe card Rolodex.

And obviously all of you are close to me since my Rolodex is practically wide open.

Now I am going to get sentimental -- I heart you guys.

But there are a select few recipes that deserve their own place on my self, or stuck to the fridge with a magnet. And they deserve a bit of style.

Without further ado, check out these adorable Owl Recipe Cards by My Owl Barn. Seriously awesome, you can download the template here.

(found thanks to How About Orange)

Guf Ice Cream Topping ... Denmark

2011-08-10T00:04:00.003-05:00

While abroad this summer, my host parents took me around their hometown of Silkeborg, Denmark. Following Danish tradition, we took a Sunday stroll where they showed me the historic homes, the art school, and the scenery along the waterfront. Upon finishing the tour they treated me to a couple scoops of ice cream at a local shop.

My host mom turned to me when the cashier asked something in Danish. She translated,

"Would you like some guf on top?"

"Guf?" I scrunched my face in confusion.

"Ahh, you have probably never had any. I think I've been told it is special to Denmark."

"I'll try some," I smiled and eagerly took the delicious looking concoction from the server.

Guf is a pink fluff that was added to the top of a cone. My host mom said she could eat it alone and forgo the actual ice cream.

Back home in the U.S. I have been fervently trying to recreate this delicious topping that has me believing ice cream is no longer good enough alone. Mine you will note is a little more melted then the original, but in my defense, Denmark is much cooler then the Midwest when I took these photos.

The Shopping List:

1/4 lb frozen strawberries
1/8 cup sugar
1/4 cup pasteurized egg whites
1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp lemon juice

The Method:

In a blender add in the strawberries and sugar and blend until smooth. Set aside for a moment.

Pull out a bowl and add in the egg whites and powdered sugar. Mix until it starts to form peaks. Pour in the strawberry mixture and lemon juice mixing thoroughly.

Put the Guf in the freezer for about a half hour to firm completely, and then serve.

I have to say this is pretty darn close to the real thing.

Oh Denmark, how I miss you. Photos below are from Denmark and the original "Guf".

Adapted from food.com
"Guf" Danish Ice Cream Topping

ffffood

2011-08-09T16:55:00.003-05:00

I admit I have a bit of an obsession.

Should I tell you?

Sure, why not?

I love seeing how folks are referred to my little blog. Every once in a while I find little gems like this one. My Strawberry Tart was featured on a really fun site, ffffood. After just discovering it today, I am now probably going to become a blog stalker. Whoever is curating this site has fantastic taste.

Obviously, she picked my recipe right?

Well, that too, but there are some other fabulous bloggers and their recipes featured, like this Wild Salmon with Basil Aioli and Quinoa by Family Fresh Cooking that I desperately want to try.

It is visual art for the tastebuds.

Strawberry Tart

2011-08-08T16:09:00.004-05:00

Oh heavens, I think I've found a new love.

It comes in the form of sugary goodness topped with berry bliss. I made it because I was missing the delicious tarts I had when I was in Copenhagen last month.

My niece and nephews were sad to hear the Watermelon Sorbet was all gone, so to keep the peace I whipped this one up for them.

Peace has been restored. And digested.

The Shopping List:

The Crust

1 1/4 cup wheat flour
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp sea salt

The Filling

1 bar (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 lb strawberries, hulled and halved
1/8 cup seedless strawberry jam

The Method:

This one is pretty easy, so lets roll up the sleeves and get bakin'.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a bowl, mix the wheat flour, softened butter (save the wrapper), sugar, and sea salt in a bowl for a few minutes. Once it starts to lightly clump, pull out a 9 inch round tart pan. If it has a removable bottom, double bonus -- this will make it easier to pull out later.

Using the saved butter wrapper, grease the inside of the pan. Then take half of the crust mix and with a large spoon, begin to press against the sides of the tart pan. Pour in the remainder of the crust mix and continue the process with the bottom of the pan. Put the crust in the freezer for about fifteen minutes.

Pull the crust out of the freezer and use a fork to poke holes into it. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes. After that time, pull it out and if the crust is puffing slightly, its good to go. If not, put it back in for another five minutes. Pull it out and set aside to cool.

Next up is the glorious filling. In a mixing bowl, but the softened cream cheese and sugar in. Mix thoroughly. Using a spatula, pour the filling on the crust and smooth it out.

Pull out the strawberries and with a paring knife, hull and halve the pieces. Place them in a circle pattern on top of the cream cheese.

In a little pan, pour in the jelly and put it on low heat. Once it starts to becomes more like liquid, use a pastry brush and go over the strawberries so it has that lovely glazed look. Put the tart in the refrigerator for at least an hour (waiting any longer is a sin).

Pull out the strawberry tart from the pan and serve to your happy guests. Or perhaps gobble it up yourself -- not that I would every do anything like that.

Adapted from Martha Stewart (aka Mum)
http://blog.belovedgreen.com/2011/08/strawberry-tart.html

BG is on Facebook

2011-08-08T00:19:00.002-05:00

Starting a Facebook page has been a goal of mine for a while. I even had the link up on the sidebar.

But with all the preparations for my trip abroad that fell to the way side.

And every week I would receive a little note from someone asking where it is at because they wanted to link up. Holding my head in shame I would reply, "It's coming."

Today it is finally here. The only problem is right now I have absolutely no fans.

Insert a very sad face.

So I'm asking folks who enjoy stopping by my little place in the blogosphere, please hop on over and say hi to me on Facebook. And if you have a little spot over there, let me know so I can reciprocate the Facebook love.

And a random side note, it feels awesome to have the No Bake Chocolate Bars featured on the front page of FoodBuzz today. All of a sudden the traffic to my blog spiked today and my heart got a little twitterpated. *Waves hello to new visitors* Thanks for stopping by!

Advice for the Creative Mind

2011-08-07T08:56:00.000-05:00

Ira Glass on Storytelling from David Shiyang Liu on Vimeo.

From the bottom of my heart, I believe that this advice transcends past writing and can be applied to every creative individual.

I love to photograph. I love to cook. But in both pursuits I fall short many times. Many of those "failures" never make it to the blog, they are left on the virtual cutting room floor.

Yet, I continue to strive to be a better photographer, a better cook. And in both pursuits where I had no formal training, either at school or home, I feel like there is progression.

There is not always someone there giving out kudos, more often then not it is quite the opposite. There is criticism or even worse -- silence.

So today I am going to challenge myself to grow creatively. Challenge myself to tap into my taste and move forward.

And most importantly, spread a positive energy to my fellow cooks, bakers, and photogs.

Because I think we have all probably grown since our first post. And that is something to celebrate.

No Bake Chocolate Bars

2011-08-06T10:26:00.001-05:00

As I was catching up on reading blog posts, I fell in love for this no bake recipe from 101 Cookbooks. Per usual, I made my own modifications, but this one is entirely inspired by Heidi, I'm just here to document that this recipe is truly as easy as she writes.

And the best note is that it is Mum approved.

The first modification is a result of my limited pan selection. Instead of turning out like a cake, mine look like bars -- a distinction which suits me just fine. They look like bars, so that is what I am calling them.

The Shopping List:

8 oz of 60% chocolate
8 oz heavy whipping cream
1/2 tsp allspice
2 tsp ground espresso
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tbsp powdered sugar

The Method:

Using parchment paper, line a bread pan and then push this aside for a bit.

Creating a makeshift double boiler (at least in my kitchen) heat up the chocolate slowly until melted.

In a small pan pour in the whipping cream and set to low heat. While it is heating up add in the allspice and ground espresso, and stir thoroughly. Do not let the whipping cream boil, simply rise in temperature. After about five minutes, pull from heat and stir in the sea salt.

Add the melted chocolate into the cream mixture slowly and continue to stir. This may take a bit, but make sure the chocolate and cream mixture are totally combined. Pour the combined mixture into the baking pan and cover. Put it in the fridge and try to forget about it until it is solid.

Once it has cooled, pull from the refrigerator and gently take it out of the pan by the parchment paper. Let it sit out in the open for a few minutes and then dust it with the cocoa powder and powdered sugar because I'm a glutton for punishment - and more sugar makes a happier BG.

And now I will torture you with my big ol' chomp taken from one of the Chocolate Bar.

No Bake Chocolate Bars

Watermelon Sorbet

2011-08-05T04:17:00.003-05:00

Before I head on a trip, I am ever so diligent to use up my food in the refrigerator or give away anything that might spoil when I was gone to Scandinavia (which I mentioned here , here and here)

Unfortunately, when I get home that means I am coming back to a barren food stock in my kitchen. So last night I wanted to make something sweet but did not require too many ingredients, and voila! -- the Watermelon Sorbet.

But what it lacks in the number of ingredients it makes up for in by requiring copious amounts of patience.

The Shopping List:

2 cups water
1 cup caster sugar or processed granulated sugar
2 lbs seedless watermelon with the rind removed and meat chopped
1/2 cup egg whites

The Method:

I did not have any "fine" sugar hanging around in my sparse kitchen cabinets, so instead, I took 1 cup of granulated sugar and ran it through a food processor. Worked like a charm. I am sure you can tell the significant difference between picture "1" and picture "2" above and the sugar granular size, right?

In a medium pan, bring the heat up to a low setting and add in the processed granulated sugar and water. Let the sugar dissolve into the pan for a few minutes, and then bring the water up to a boil for about another 5 minutes. Pull from heat and set aside for roughly a half hour.

While the syrupy mixture cools, take the chopped up watermelon sans rind and toss it into a blender. Puree that little bugger until it is nice and smooth.

Once the syrup mixture cools, add in the watermelon juice and stir it up. Pour into a Tupperware container with a cover and put in the freezer for about 4 hours, or until it is sitting in there on its own. (I started at 7pm)

After 4 hours, pull out and use a metal spoon to mush up the watermelon/juice mixture a bit before throwing it into a food processor. Pulse until it is smooth and then put back into the Tupperware to freeze for another 4 hours. (finished this at 11pm)

Repeat the last step -- pull out of freezer, us a metal spoon to mush up the watermelon/juice mixture, and throw in the food processor. Pulse until smooth and put back in the freezer for another 4 hours. (for some unknown reason I actually woke up at 4am and decide this was the perfect opportunity to get a head start on this step--I am such a dork.)

Take the watermelon/juice mixture out and throw it into the food processor once again, but this time add in the egg whites. Pulse until smooth and throw back into the Tupperware to go in the freezer for another 4 hours (after getting up in the middle of the night, I actually woke up at 8am to do this step without setting the alarm clock)

Finally, take this little bugger out of the freezer and scoop into a dish to enjoy happily. Simply perfect for a summer day.

Adapted from taste.com.au
Watermelon Sorbet

The Bouroullec Brothers: Pico Collection

2011-08-04T15:38:00.000-05:00

I'm commandeering this from Design Sponge because I need to cataloging this for my future reference. Love, love, LOVE the design behind the Bouroullec Brother's new collection Pico Tile Collection.

I love the muted colors, and think this would go wonderful with my new shabby chic kitchen. Seriously salivating over the entire line.

Simple, natural, tile for the kitchen -- I heart you.

The Field Kitchen

2011-08-03T15:16:00.005-05:00

There is nothing that makes you appreciate a kitchen more then being out in the forest with no electricity and running water.

For ten days in the middle of Denmark this is how me and a few thousand of my closest friends survived. We started with an empty field amongst a forest and created our own city from scratch. Including our kitchen. Over 12,000 individuals descended to the FDF National Camp, including 20 Americans from the middle of the U.S.

We carried 200 lb logs across the camp to our site and thatched them together, covering with canvas to create a structure. Then we dug a couple ditches, so our makeshift sinks have a place to drain to (you can thank me later for not taking photos of that slop), and then prepared our meals together.

Welcome to my temporary kitchen:

I can assure you now that our cuisine was quite basic. Mostly rice and pasta dishes with some protein thrown in. Waste not, want not. Anything we overcooked was thrown away because there was no place to refrigerate leftovers.

Come rain or shine, there was always a crew assigned to the kitchen for each meal.

And the same crew was in charge of clean-up.

Sometimes it is the little things in life that I take for granted. Like running water instead of marching to a pump a mile away to fill up jugs for drinking and cleaning.

Next time I go camping, I am thinking of splurging on something like this field kitchen. 10 days is a long time for this cook to go without even the basics.

So, how would you fair in this kitchen?

Svensk Mat ... Swedish Food

2011-08-02T22:22:00.002-05:00

I will admit to falling in love with Stockholm. The city is clean, the architecture is stunning, and the food -- well, the food is simply delicious.

A night on the town my little crew found a boat on the river that served as a bar and had a simple restaurant. The main course had only three items on the menu. I appreciated the simplicity of the menu. A small ship in the harbor is hardly going to have the room to make a massive list of food.

Although the "beverages" menu was about four times the size of the main menu. I adore you Stockholm.

As we chatted with our waiter, we discovered that the boat was getting a new address next year when they started doing some road construction near the old central city. Convenient. Pick up anchor and move.

For my main dish, I ordered Char with an almond sauce covered on a bed of spinach. Infinitely better then the fish fry food served in the Midwest. In Wisconsin we have to import a good deal of fish, but to have them fresh is something I will always appreciate.

Dessert was the ooey-gooey goodness of brownie and a smidgen of raspberry sorbet. Ahhh...

The sight of one happy traveler.

Back between Heaven and Hell

2011-08-02T16:32:00.006-05:00

After a lengthy hiatus of traveling through Scandinavia, I am back and with a fury of Nordic inspiration. Between camping in the wilderness over an open fire, or going to quaint Swedish restaurants, my taste buds are revived -- along with my long neglected blog.

I'd apologize for the absence, but the entire trip was simply too good to pass up for me to be too remorseful.

To start things up right, a little kudos to my new favorite beers from Sweden made at the Jämtlands Bryggeri microbrewery.

The two brews me and my companions tried out were Heaven and Hell.

Heaven is a dark beer, with a bit of body and tastes a bit bitter. With 5.9% alcohol content, this little bugger packs a punch -- which is good since Sweden has a high tax on alcohol.

Our bartender told us if we wanted to drink like a Swede, then we needed to get the cheapest stuff possible. Check and mark.

I want for the other option: Hell. Our bartender also mentioned this one won several awards, including the gold at the Stockholm Beer Festival for "Best Value Stock". A slightly lighter stock then "Heaven" and we were instructed to pour into a glass because the "froth" at the top and the air would make it taste better. This comes in a 5.1% alcohol content, so that leads me to believe that you need a little bit more umph to get to heaven then you do to hell.

The best part was snuggling up with blankets under heat lamps on a ship moored in Stockholm.

Definitely siding more on the heaven side of things.

Chicken Pita Fajita

2011-05-09T08:26:00.003-05:00

For the last several weeks I have been craving some of my favorite wheat pitas. And as part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program, I received some "Grilled and Ready Fajita Chicken Strips". Combine the pita and chicken together and there is pure perfection.

I first started off by making my Whole Wheat Pitas (original recipe can be found here).

My sis-in-law had this big old spatula at her house that she originally bought for flipping pancakes. She said it did not work as well as she hoped and thought I could find a use for it. And I sure did, it works perfectly for flipping the pitas during the baking process. For the first time in forever, I did not burn myself once! Happy dance.

And now onto the rest of the Pita Fajita.

The Shopping List:

2 pitas (or make your own)
1 cup rice
1 cup chicken stock
a smidgen of salt
6-8 Tyson Grilled & Ready chicken strips
1/2 cup black beans
1/4 cup cheddar cheese
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup salsa
Optional: Green pepper and onion

The Method:

In a small pan, put in the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add in a touch of salt to flavor, and stir in the rice. Keep on medium heat and stir occasionally while the rice cooks. Once the rice has absorbed all of the chicken broth, stir in the black beans.

Bring a small skillet up to medium heat, add in the Tyson Grilled & Ready strips, and allow to cook about 3-5 minutes per side.

For folks who want an extra "POW!" this is the perfect time to dice up some green pepper and onion and add to the skillet. Watch until they are golden on the outside. I take them off of the heat and mix them in with the rice and bean mixture.

When I pull the pitas out of the oven, I cut them down the middle and open them up like little bowls. I toss in the cheese so it melts a little bit. Then I take the rice/bean/chicken-awesomeness mixture and spoon it into the pita shell.

Top with sour cream and finally dash some salsa on top. These little buggers are ready for their own fiesta.

¡Adoro mi fajitas de pita!

Speaking of fiestas and parties, my first every full marathon is this weekend. Somehow I think this guy sums up what my race is going to feel like:

Foodbuzz 24x24: Thee Bard and Good Wine

2011-05-01T12:59:00.007-05:00

"He hath eaten me out of house and home; he hath put all my substance into that fat belly of his." ~Henry IV Part I: Act 2, Scene 1

William Shakespeare was baptized at the Holy Trinity parish on April 26, 1564. When I studied in London, we made a side trip to his hometown of Stratford-upon-Avon. After the royal wedding this weekend, and the Bard's April birthday, it seemed fitting to have a dinner celebrating the Bard and all things British.

Below is a photo I took of Holy Trinity. A little wet on the sidewalk from a brief shower. So very English.

On the menu:

Spicy Cornish Hens with Cucumber Sauce
Balsamic Asparagus
Baked Red Potatoes
Mozzarella and Tomato
Upper Crust Bread
Farm Fresh Cheese
Pear and Chocolate Tart

I count the days I spent living in London amongst the best in my life. The history was inspiring. The infusion of foreign foods into the traditional English cuisine was magnificent.

First up, the Spicy Cornish Hens with Cucumber Sauce.

The Shopping List:

2 Cornish game hens, split lengthwise
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp sea salt
1 tsp ground pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 fresh cucumber, peeled
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
4 garlic cloves, peeled
2 tablespoons sour cream

The Method:

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Combine the cumin, coriander, sea salt, and pepper in a small bowl.

Arrange the Cornish hens in a roasting pan, and use a brush to coat them with olive oil. Spread the spice mixes over the cover and the inside of the hens. (continued below pictures)

Cover the pan and put into the oven for about 35 minutes. Love these hens because they cook so much faster then a large turkey, and they do harvest quite a bit of meat for such a little guy.

While the hens are cooking up, peal and cut up a cucumber. Add the cucumber, Greek yogurt, garlic, and sour cream into a food processor and blend thoroughly. Add a little salt and pepper to taste.

To serve, cut the hens in half, pour over the cucumber sauce and gobble up.

I have paired the Cornish hens with my favorite Balsamic Asparagus.

Pear & Chocolate Tart

For dessert the first thing that popped to my mind was a tart. But I wanted something a more special since its for the Bard's birthday and all.

The Shopping List:

Filling:

1 pie crust dough
14 oz canned pear halves
2 tbsp butter
4 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup egg beaters
1 cup almonds, grated
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa,
a couple drops of almond extract

Sauce:

4 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp honey
1/3 cup water
6 oz semisweet chocolate
2tbsp butter

Preheat the oven to 400°F. I admit, I have some made from scratch pie dough in my freezer, but did not pull it out soon enough. So I resorted to some store bought pie crust to line my tart pan. It worked just fine. After putting the dough in, I placed it in the freezer for about 10 minutes to firm up the dough.

To make the filling, in a bowl use a beater to mix the butter and sugar thoroughly. The mix should start to fluff up a bit. Add in the egg beaters and mix.

In a food processor grind up the almond until it is chopped well, add into the butter mixture, along with the cocoa and almond extract.

Spread the mixture into the tart pan. Drain the juice out of the pears, and lay the slices on top of the tart. Put the tart into the oven for about 30 minutes. The filling should rise when it is baked.

To finish it off, put the sugar, honey and water into a pan on low heat and stir slowly. Bring it to a boil. Once the sugar is dissolved, add in the chocolate and butter and mix that little bugger up. Poor the sauce over the tart when serving.

"A man cannot make him laugh - but that's no marvel; he drinks no wine." ~Henry IV Part II: Act 2, Scene 4

When I visited Stratford-upon-Avon, we toured the home of Shakespeare's daughter, Susanna. It had a beautiful garden (photo below of me and some of my American friends in her garden) and there we learned a little bit about bread.

More specifically when the servants baked the bread, it was in a much cruder process then the baking of today. When a loaf came out of the oven, the best portion was the top. It was softer and less burnt. The servants would divide amongst themselves the bottom portion, while the aristocracy would eat the "upper crust".

I thought it would be fitting that for my Bard's birthday we also enjoy the "upper crust".

Stratford-upon-Avon is certainly inspiring. The architecture is like stepping into the past. We visited Shakespeare's birth home, and even by modern day standards, it is certainly lovely.

And even in the Bard's day there was a sense of humor. This is not me after burning a batch of cookies, it is actually a gargoyle hanging out on the side of a building.

Much of my time in England was inspired by him. Including a trip to the recreation of the Globe Theatre.

This whole meal just makes me feel like I am back at my home away from home.

Random trivia of the day, I have stood in the same place that William and Kate were married. I highly recommend visiting Westminster Abbey if you ever visit London. It is right across the street from Parliament & Big Ben, and just down the road from the Cabinet War Rooms and Buckingham Palace. All that history in several city blocks.

So "Cheers" from B.G. ten years ago (above), to B.G. today (below). Enjoy!

Normann Copenhagen Whisk

2011-04-30T04:12:00.002-05:00

The designers of these whisks, LucidiPevere, are thoroughly Italian, but they are certainly inspiring me with their whisk that harkens back to Danish design. Even the name, Normann Copenhagen is making me excited. It seems only appropriate that after a week of working on Danish inspired drinks such as the Rhubarb Smoothie and Egg Lemonade, I follow up with some Danish inspired design.

They almost--almost--remind me of those "As Seen on TV" head scalp massagers that you could buy promising to scratch your head for the perfect scalp massage. Anyone else see that?

I originally spotted these over on Design*Sponge and instantly fell in love. They are available at Gretel design, and I think there is an obvious color winner in Beloved Green's heart. Mi amor.

Egg Lemonade - Limonade med Æg

2011-04-29T06:17:00.004-05:00

This is going to be my second of three specialty drinks we are going to be serving at our fundraiser this weekend. Another drink with a Danish twist, the first being a Rhubarb Berry Smoothie. Next up we have Limonade med Æg, Danish for Egg Lemonade.

What I loved about this drink that made it stand out above my other "experiments" this week, was that it had a bit of a fizz like a soft drink, and a light sweetness to it. The lemon syrup base also makes it not bitter like some of the store bought lemonades.

Oh my! -- Poor little naked lemon. It's outerwear has all been grated off.

The Shopping List:

2 cups sugar
3 cups water
1 lemon rind -- grated
4 lemons, juiced
1/4 cup egg beaters
1 quart club soda

The Method:

Another nice and simple recipe. Add the water and sugar into a pot and bring to boil. Stir occasionally to mix in the sugar that settles at the bottom. Once the sugar dissolves, add in the grated lemon rind and lemon juice. Give it a quick stir and remove from heat. Add the egg beater and whisk thoroughly. Store in a juice container and put in the fridge to chill.

Before serving, give the lemon syrup with egg a quick mix and add in the club soda and give it another stir. Serve over ice.

The best part is the egg beaters will give you a little foam on top. Delish!

Rhubarb Berry Smoothie

2011-04-28T06:21:00.002-05:00

This week is a celebration of Danish and Scandinavian inspired drinks. This weekend I am attending a fundraiser to help our local youth group raise funds to go to an international camp in Denmark. My job for this event is to head up the Cafeen (Danish for Cafe) and create a few specialty drinks that are easy to make, delicious to taste, and make the participants feel a bit Danish for the evening.

My first concoction for the evening is easily one of my favorites. The difficulty is many of the Danish dishes and drinks call for local ingredients that are not readily available at my small town grocer, or not in season right now. There was a bit of improvisation in my testing, and hunting through a few different stores for ingredients. This one hit the mark on all accounts; introducing the Rhubarb Berry Smoothie.

My mom's neighbor grows this in her backyard, so later in the year I will have baskets full of rhubarb, I cannot wait to bring this out at a family and friend picnic. I'm excited to incorporate the rhubarb as well because it seems to be so popular with a great deal of Danish dishes.

The Shopping List:

2 scoops vanilla ice cream
6 oz plain yogurt
6 oz mandarin oranges w/juice
1/2 cup chopped rhubarb
1/2 cup mixed fruit (strawberries, mango, and pineapple)
1/4 heavy whipping cream
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 drops almond extract

The Method:

In a smoothie maker, scoop in the vanilla ice cream, plain yogurt, mandarin oranges with juice, chopped rhubarb, and mixed fruit. Process until thoroughly blended and there are no chunks.

In a separate bowl, mix the whipping cream, brown sugar and almond extract. Use a blender on medium speed and continue to mix until fluffy. Add on top of the smoothie and garnish with fruit.

So simple and so yummy!

I am excited to see how this drink goes over at the fundraiser, and even more excited to see our youth group make it over the pond and experience a bit of Scandinavia this summer.

Rhubarb Berry Smoothie

Balsamic Asparagus

2011-04-21T08:36:00.006-05:00

This past weekend I competed in my first larger race of the year, the half marathon. What is normally a really great distance for me (13.2 miles) became a bit more difficult. The temperatures dropped and there was a constant rain throughout the race, and after I crossed the finish line it began to snow.

It was probably the most miserable race I have ever been in conditions wise, parts of the trails we ran on were washed out and turned to pure muddle puddles. I joked with friends that it was more of a muddy warrior dash then a half marathon.

But in the end I finished, and now I am looking forward to my first full marathon next month.

Most of my extra free time is going to training right now, so I have adapted a mentality for my life and my kitchen to K.I.S.S.

Keep it SIMPLE superstar.

So in that vain, while I was doing some warm ups for my weight lifting the other day, I can across this recipe in Bon Appetit magazine and new it would be a winner, Balsamic Asparagus.

The K.I.S.S. Shopping List:

A bushel or package of asparagus
A dash of olive oil
A pinch of sea salt
A pinch of ground pepper
A sprinkle of balsamic vinegar
A slathering of Parmesan cheese

The K.I.S.S. Method:

How simple? Well heat up the oven to 400°F. Pull out a package of asparagus--I'm still using my frozen stuff since we now have four inches of snow on the ground-nature is confused this spring.

Lay the asparagus out on a baking sheet and coat lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle some sea salt and ground pepper over top. Turn them around and repeat to all sides. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes. Pull those little beauties out and drizzle some balsamic vinegar (no need for measuring, just give it a little dash, this is kind of freeing in that way) and top with a sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese.

I seriously had a mouthgasim after eating this, which seemed wrong because it is that simple. But it just hit the spot after some cardio and weight lifting.

(via Bon Appetit)

Ricotta and Spinach Stuffed Shells

2011-04-12T23:33:00.004-05:00

In prep for my half marathon this weekend, I was doing a little time in the gym this weekend. Grabbing a magazine I headed over to an elliptical to warm up before hitting the weights. Paging through I stumbled across this recipe for Ricotta and Spinach Stuffed Shells. It looked like it had potential.

Of course by the time I was using the free weights all I could thing was R-I-C-O-T-T-A! My poor brain has a one track mind.

I memorized the list of ingredients from the magazine and after my workout I ran to the store and picked up what I needed.

Then I went home and looked up the recipe online at Whole Living and perused through. The lone comment left was that it was a little "tasteless" and not seasoned enough. I took that on as a challenge.

The Shopping List:

1 28-oz. can whole tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
A pinch of sea salt
A pinch of pepper
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1/2 cup bulgur wheat
16 jumbo pasta shells
1 pound bunch spinach, stems removed
1 15-oz. container part-skim ricotta
1/4 cup egg beater
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

The Method:

On the stove top, bring a pan to medium heat and add in the olive oil. While it is warming, pull out the food processor and put in the whole tomatoes (or in my case, half a can at a time because mine is so darn small). Pulse until the tomatoes and their juices are smooth. Set to the side for a minute.

Take the garlic and add to the heated pan. Watch them carefully because they will burn quickly. After a couple minutes add in the tomatoes and stir. Keep them on medium heat.

Meanwhile, pull out some fresh ginger. Using a vegetable peeler pull back the skin of only the portion needed, roughly an inch to an inch and a half. Cut that ginger off from the rest and mince it up. If you have never used ginger before, it will give off a pleasant aroma. This will be part of our secret to make this recipe more tasty. Add this ginger to the tomato and garlic. Add in the dash of sea salt and pepper, stir in and allow to cook for about twenty minutes on medium heat.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F. In a small sauce pan, warm up the vegetable broth. In a small heat proof dish, add the bulgur wheat and vegetable broth together and set to the side for about twenty minutes. This will give the wheat a chance to soften and soak in some of the vegetable flavor. Another little trick to make this recipe a little more tasty.

And because this recipe calls for lots of dirty pots and pans, bring a large pot to boil on the stove. Add a pinch of sea salt and add in the jumbo pasta shells. Once they are cooked, drain the water and allow the shells to cool slightly so they will be easier to handle.

While the shells were cooking, pull out the spinach (wash if you have not already) and desteam. Put in a pot and add about 2 tbsp of water and cover with a lid. Steaming the spinach should only take about five minutes or so, the leaves should be softened but not wilted.

Once the spinach is steamed, drain any gathered water and coarsely chop it up. Add it into a mixing bowl (More dirty dishes, YEA!) along with the bulgur wheat and vegetable oil (which should be soaked up at this point. Add in the egg beaters and ricotta cheese. and stir it well.

In the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish, take out some of the tomato sauce and coat the bottom. Take the cooled jumbo pasta shells and fill them with the ricotta mixture and set them in the pan. Use the remainder of the tomatoe sauce and drizzle over top of the shells.

Cover the pan and put in the oven for roughly 40-45 minutes. Pull out and while still warm, take some grated Parmesan cheese and sprinkle over the top.

Now that is tasty.

(Adapted from Whole Living)

Foodie Links - Monday Edition

2011-04-11T09:36:00.006-05:00

Storms ripped through my area last night. There were tornadoes and severe thunderstorms that headed straight for my home, but luckily we were spared the brunt of the damage. There was a confirmed tornado touchdown ten miles away from us, and some meteorology students from the University of Oklahoma who were in the area said they saw a “velocity signature” and “Our current thought is that it was a dying tornado that moved across the highway," which was less then an eighth of a mile from my home.

To say I'm relieved is an understatement.

And to celebrate I'm going to give my favorite internet finds over the last couple weeks.

Huge fan of Post Prohibition. Their website design is lovely, but their cocktail mixes are even more divine.

I shared this link to Yummy Fun Cooking with my sister-in-law and my mad-scientist nephew is ubber excited. He is eagerly awaiting the kit and to start "experimenting" some more in the kitchen.

Loving the design and fresh recipes on Salt Bird blog. The runner in me is really loving this Fried Egg and Braised Kale Bruschetta.

Oh, and look at this fantastic Saveur's Best Food Blog nominations. Gosh it would be an honor to be nominated for one of these categories. Hint, hint *wink*

And how pretty is this wood mug from Neëst that I spotted over at swissmiss? I wish they were selling them in the U.S.

Giving me a bit of a chuckle was this video entitled, "How to Bone a Chicken" Just as funny with the sound off as on.

The runner in me is also digging this Creamed Spinach recipe from The Red Spoon. I seriously craved this after my run yesterday. Of course some thunderstorms and tornado warnings had to ruin that idea. There is always today.

And holla! In the last couple weeks I have had a couple recipes in the Top 9. Yesterday in the T9 was my Zucchini Couscous Salad. And in the T9 last week it was my Shrimp Cream Cheese Dip. Giving myself a little pat on the back.

Zucchini Couscous Salad

2011-04-07T21:29:00.007-05:00

This is so easy, and it is sooo good -- well, I appreciate it after I come in from a long run. Being lent and Friday, the meals around my family are either all vegetable or all fish. For lunch I have selected the vegetable variety. I like the versatility of this dish, not only is it quick and easy to put together, but it can be served warm or cold and still taste great.

Per usual, when I have a dish that is pretty much of the "toss and stir" variety, I like to get a little funky on the dance floor (aka my kitchen linoleum). My Zucchini Couscous Salad track is She&Him "Don't Look Back" It makes me dance and chop better.

The Shopping List:

10 oz Couscous
2 cups vegetable broth
2 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp olive oil
14 oz diced tomatoes
2 tsp crushed garlic
1/2 fresh zucchini
1/4 cup basil
salt and pepper to taste

The Method:

In a pan, bring the vegetable broth to a boil. Add in couscous and allow to cook. Once it begins to become light and fluffy, pull from heat and fluff with a fork before pouring in a bowl.

In a frying pan bring the olive oil up to medium heat. Cut up the zucchini in slices and then quarters (bite sized pieces). Add the zucchini to the frying pan and allow to heat and soften slightly. A few minutes on each side should do, the goal is to soften them but not make them mushy. Pull from heat and allow them to cool slightly.

In the bowl, add in the diced tomatoes, lemon juice, garlic, and basil to the couscous. Fold in ingredients. Add in the zucchini and serve. A touch of salt and pepper if you so prefer.

And now for a little Friday zucchini cutting art, I introduce my newest piece, "Chop, Chop Zucc". Feel free to shower me with praise.

Oh, Spork

2011-04-07T11:31:00.004-05:00

Nothing better then a little spoon/fork/spork humor in the morning. Kudos to Sapling Press for giving me a chuckle.

(via swissmiss)

Mini Apple-Blueberry Pies

2011-04-05T18:35:00.003-05:00

All day yesterday I was dreaming of a little pint sized pie. Just my own personal piece of heaven. One that I do not have to share with anyone -- because I'm a selfish pie lova'. Just a little something to hold me over while watching the Dancing with the Stars results.

The Shopping List:

7 oz pie crust
2 Granny Smith apples
3/4 cup blueberries
1/4 cup water
1/8 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cardamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 cup egg beaters
1/8 cup demerara sugar

I "heart" you Demetri!

The Method:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Begin by rolling out the pre-made pie crust. Cut in half, put one half aside, and the second half lay flat. Using a ramekin as a template, cut a circle a 1/4 inch bigger then the opening of the cup. Take the remainder of the pie crust and mold to the inside of the ramekin and folding over onto the lip of the ramekin. Do the same with the second half of the pie crust. Put the ramekins in a preheated oven and allow the crust to bake for 10 minutes (do not bake the top pre-cut circles yet).

Meanwhile, bring the water to boil in a saucepan. Add in the sugar and allow to dissolve in the bubbling water. Peal, core, and cut up the apples into small half inch pieces. Toss the apple pieces into the sugar water and allow the apples to soften slightly stirring occasionally. Cook for about five minutes. Remove the pan from heat.

About this time the prebake on the crust is done. Pull it out of the oven and allow it to cook slightly.

Add the blueberries, cardamon, and nutmeg to the apple pan. Stir them together and distribute between the two ramekins.

Now bring out the circles of pie crust dough that were cut out earlier. On the top make some ventilation holes. I use a hole punch that goes usually goes with a scrap booking eye setter. But mine stays in the kitchen.

Using a pastry brush, dip in the egg beaters and coat the lip of the ramekin. Lay the "holey" circles over the top and pinch them to the ramekin. Dough-to-dough kisses if you will.

Brush the remainder of the egg beaters over the top of the pie dough and sprinkle with the demerara sugar. Bake for 20 minutes, remove and allow to cool slightly. Then serve it up!

Cookbook Covers - Coralie Bickford-Smith

2011-04-01T10:06:00.006-05:00

By my nature I am a visual person. I am drawn to beautiful colors and design in food, as well as art. My brain works in a visual-spacial manner. Colors excite me. Good design delights me.

It is the reason I catalog my food journey, because I am stimulated by the visual record of food, the sight pulls me in while the smell and taste remind me to keep coming back.

The design behind Coralie Bickford-Smith's Great Food covers does precisely this. In her own words:

"I want these books to be cherished like the literature inside. If something is well considered, it will entice. People want to explore it, feel it. That design shines through and connects."

The Great Food covers she designed for Penguin were inspired by ceramic pieces that originated for the time period of each cook book. What I love is that they look lovely by themselves, but as a collection they are absolutely divine. Since my cookbooks are almost always out on my counter and never stashed in a cupboard, I appreciate their exterior beauty as much as the recipes inside.

A handful of my personal favorites. Both charming and amusing.

(via Design*Sponge)

Shrimp Cream Cheese Dip

2011-03-30T05:19:00.004-05:00

This is my office cooler snack. The one that I make when I want an excuse to hang out with my coworkers and discuss the results of Dancing with the Stars. They understand my love of Derek (who is not on this season) and Demetri (who is on this season!)

And speaking of my office, one of my coworkers won hor d'oeuvres at a local bar and grill so we went out after work. One of the items they had was a big bowl of shrimp. It could have easily served 20, but there were only eight of us there. So I bagged up the extras to make this dip. Waste not, want not -- and all that.

The Shopping List:

1/4 pound of shrimp
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp garlic salt
6 oz cream cheese
4 tsp lemon juice
4 tsp cooking sherry
2 tbsp chives
2 tbsp shallots

The Method:

Bring water to boil in a medium pan. Add in the sea salt and add the shrimp. Allow them to cook for about five minutes before draining water. Allow the shrimp to cool.

Pull out the ol' food processor and toss in the shrimp and let it rock for a half minute. Add in the cream cheese, lemon juice, cooking sherry, chives, shallots (taking the outer skin off beforehand), and the garlic salt. Process until it is smooth and thoroughly blended.

Toss it in the refrigerator to cool. I served with garlic pita chips which was a huge hit.

(Adapted from The Galley Gourmet)

Old School Blueberry Cardamom Coffee Cake

2011-03-26T20:36:00.005-05:00

I ran 5 miles today. The whole time I kept thinking to myself, cake sounds good. By mile three I had psyched myself up so much that the moment I walked in my door I pulled out my butter to start softening. Then I showered, because even though it is below freezing outside here, I was a little ripe.

There was a reason I kept thinking cake. It's my mom's birthday this week. Go Mom! Her mantra is once you have kids, you are allowed to celebrate your birthday for the entire month. She has stayed adamant about this since I was a child. Of course, when my niece was born, my brother tried to claim the same right and my sister-in-law put a kabash on that.

To indulge my Mom, I have been bringing over some treats once a week for the last several weeks. And this time around I was itching to make her a Blueberry Cardamon Coffeecake. Neither of us are big on coffee, but I thought I would bring it over for breakfast tomorrow and we could hang out and have some tea.

The Shopping List:

1-1/2 sticks of unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup Egg Beaters
2 cups wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cardamon
1 tsp salt
1-1/2 cup blueberries
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup Nutella
2 tbsp ground espresso
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup walnuts

The Cake:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a bowl mix together the butter and granulated sugar until it starts to fluff. Add in egg beaters about half at a time and mix thoroughly. With the empty butter wrapper, grease a 9 inch circular spring-form pan and put to the side.

In a separate bowl mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cardamom, and salt.

And dirtying one more bowl, mix in the blueberries and about a half cup of the flour mix.

Take the rest of the flour mix and add about of a third of the bowl and 1/2 cup of sour cream. Mix well. Repeat until all the flour and sour cream is incorporated into the butter mix. Finally mix in the blueberries with a wooden spoon (or any utensil that will not mush up the yummy berries). Spread the batter into the cake pan and make sure the top is even.

Bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes.

The Topping:

While the cake bakes, we move over to the topping. Bring a small sauce pan on medium heat and add in the water and brown sugar to a boil. You want the sugar to dissolve in the water. Take the pan off of the heat and mix in the Nutella, nutmeg, and ground espresso. With that last little punch, this is definitely going to rival the coffee with the flavor. Pour the topping mix into a bowl and allow to chill and harden in the refrigerator until the cake is done.

Take the cake out of the oven and make sure the center is firm. Allow to cool completely. I left it on the bottom of the spring-form pan and put a larger plate on bottom, inverted a smaller teacup cake to lift the cake up slightly. Then taking the topping out of the refrigerator and drizzle on top. The cake is smaller then the plate, and the extra topping is captured in the large plate.

Sprinkle walnuts on top. The blueberries meld so well with the nuts and make it a fantastic breakfast treat with a cup of joe (or tea in me and my Mom's case).

The Oven Mitts are Off

2011-03-24T08:48:00.003-05:00

There are two pairs of faithful oven mitts in my life. I have had them both since college. There is a pair of well worn with a slight singe to them Mickey Mouse mitts my mom got me in college.

Then there is a pair of red Kitchen Aid mitts that I got for myself when I was certain I would decorate my first kitchen with red accents. That was about ten years ago, and I am more of green gal now.

Both have served their purpose and survived many hot dishes, trips through the laundry, and a half dozen moves. An impressive feat, but it is time to send them to oven mitt retirement.

So today I am hunt for some new ones. I thought it would be an easy task, but apparently the choices have increased since my days on a college budget.

Option #1 The first pair that caught my eye came via swissmiss, the Pixel Oven Mitts. Don't really know how functional they are, but they are darn cute. Unfortunately they are out of stock. *insert pouty lip*

Option #2 Next up is the Shark Bite Mitts. I have seen a couple variations, but I like this one found via Incredible Things. But of course, this is on wait list. Also a bit sad they do not have the thumb hole. I kind of like having some maneuverability when I'm holding hot pans. *insert pouty lip, and the pouty lip of my adorable nephew*

Option #3 is the Green OrkaPlus Silicone Oven Mitt. It comes in green *squeal* It's in stock *jumping up and down* So they look pretty, but are they really that functional? Seem similar to the OXO Green Silicone Oven Mitt.

Option #4 is the Euro Oven Mitt. This little dude is made from neoprene and looks functional. I have some camera bags made out of this material and it is very flexible, while very strong. Love the simplicity of the design.

So which ones should I go with? Or are there others that I should be looking at?

Asparagus and Parmesan Tart

2011-03-22T08:33:00.003-05:00

I have a couple different songs that have been running in my head the last couple of days. The first is We Run by Sugarland, simple because I am picking up my mileage in anticipation for the 1/2 marathon next month and the full the month after. My body is taking a bit of a beating.

The second is Keep Breathing by Ingrid Michaelson. Sometimes you just need to keep your head above the water and tread. Such a busy time right now, and I am trying to make it a priority to sit down every once and a while and enjoy the simple things.

Simple things, like actually eating breakfast and enjoying it.

Last night I prepped this recipe up for Asparagus and Parmesan Tart and all I had to do was pop it in the oven this morning. For once, I just took a few minutes to kick up my feet and enjoy something good for my body and soul. It felt amazing.

The Shopping List:

1 ready-to-use refrigerated pie crust (aprox. 7.5 oz)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb fresh asparagus, cut into 1 inch lengths
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup egg beaters
1/2 tsp lemon juice
3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese.

The Method:

Heat the old oven to 400°F. Line a pie pan with the crust, and use a fork to prick holes at the bottom to aerate. Bake the crust for 10 minutes until the edges are brown, pull out and allow to cool.

Meanwhile, heat up a nonstick pan on medium heat and drop in the olive oil. Once the oil is heated up, add in the asparagus. Cook for several minutes, but do not allow the asparagus to become too soft, you want some firmness to the veggie. Take off of heat and set a side for a moment.

In a bowl, mix the cream cheese, sour cream, egg beaters, and lemon juice. Mix on low speed until they are combined. Add in 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese and mix, put the rest to the side. Pour the mixture into the pie crust. Add the asparagus on the top and cover with the remaining Parmesan cheese.

Bake the tart for about 24 minutes until the egg mixture begins to rise and firms in the middle.

So today, just enjoy the simple. May that be the simple food, the simple talk, or even the simple silence. Just simplify it a bit.

Foodie Links - Friday Edition

2011-03-18T10:14:00.005-05:00

My quick round up for the busy week.

Still kind of giddy about my top 9 on FoodBuzz this week. It's the little things in life.

I am loving the quirky Fred&Friends kitchen gadgets. I may have shucked out a few dollars for the Ninjabread men.

Love the food photography on Fresh 365. Great blog design, and equally great recipes.

On that same note I am in lust with the photography and design of Green Kitchen Stories. Same great blog design concept of Fresh 365. Brilliant.

I'm lovin' Sissi's Egg & Bacon Pie. Plan on making it before my long run tomorrow morning.

And my unrelated note, how's everyone's NCAA brackets doing? My Badgers made it to the next round.

And finally, last but not least I would be re-missed if I did not recognize the ongoing recovery efforts in Japan. I celebrate food on this blog, but right now there are thousands who are going without or very little. There are so many wonderful organizations that are mobilizing and on the ground making a difference. Perhaps the most important links this weeks are those that can help others.

Red Cross
Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Relief Fund
Animal Rescue Relief - links at bottom (for our four-legged family members)

Help Japan Now poster by Zac Neulieb, proceeds going to disaster relief (via swissmiss)

Baileys Mint Oreo Truffles

2011-03-16T08:32:00.007-05:00

Given my blog name, "Beloved Green", it is probably no surprise that my favorite color in the world is, well -- green. It definitely helps to push St. Patrick's day up my list of favorite holidays.

I have been working on my family tree for a while though, and have yet to come across one Irish decedent. Fingers crossed I eventually find one.

This is a favorite recipe of mine, folks like it and its simple to put together. I've seen many variations of it, but my twist is that there is a splash of good ol' Bailey's sprinkled in. Makes my tummy warm just thinking about it.

The Shopping List:

1 package mint Oreos
16 oz cream cheese
12 oz of semi-sweet bakers chocolate
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup Bailey's Original Liquor
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/8 cup egg whites
1/8 cup vanilla almond milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 drops of almond extract
1 drops of green food coloring

To make the insides:

Begin by separating the Oreos, the green mint cream in one pile, and the chocolate outer shell in another. Use the food processor on the chocolate outer shell until is finely ground. Pour the processed outer shell into a bowl and add in cream cheese. If find it is just best to get in there and mix it all up with your mighty bare hands, but a blender could work as well. Finally, add in the yummy inner mint green portion of the Oreos, but not over mixing. You want some green speckles to shine through when someone is biting in.

Put the mixture in the freezer for ten minutes to firm up a bit. Bring out a baking sheet and line with wax paper. Pull out the bowl from the freezer and start rolling out balls about an inch wide. Fill the baking sheet and put back in the freezer for a half hour.

The outer cover:

Meanwhile, put a glass bowl over a pan filled with about an inch of water and turn up to medium heat (also known as a double broiler -- but I'm thrifty). Add in the semi-sweet chocolate and vegetable oil, and stir until smooth. Bring the heat down to low and mix in the Bailey's. Make sure your mix is a nice smooth consistency, but not running. You want them to stick to the creamy balls (Alec Baldwin anyone?)

Pull the baking sheet with creamy balls from the freezer. Take balls individually and roll them in the glass dish to coat entirely. I found using a thong helps to pull them out of the bowl while keeping the chocolate nicely coated over it. Put the creamy-chocolate-covered-balls back onto the wax paper. Once finished with the whole sheet, put them in the refrigerator to harden.

The decorative finish:

In a small bowl, mix the powdered sugar, egg whites, and almond milk. Again, looking for a smooth consistency, but not too watery. Add in the vanilla and almond extracts, as well as the drops of green food coloring and add into a piping bag with a small tip. Pull the creamy-chocolate-covered-balls from the fridge and begin dragging the icing across in a random fashion like me, or perhaps do something more reserved, like create little shamrocks on top. I'm too impatient to do something like that though. So random frosting attack it is.

Keep the Baileys Mint Oreo Truffles refrigerated between serving.

So who else is going to join me and be Irish for a day? Because it would not be St. Patty's Day without some Irish tunes in the background, here is my baking playlist:

Front Page of Foodbuzz

2011-03-15T18:52:00.003-05:00

I woke up this morning and my little ol' blog's traffic was for lack of a better word--exploding! All of a sudden I felt like the most popular girl in the class.

The reason for the sudden influx of visitors was my Pear Turnovers made it to the front page of FoodBuzz in their "top 9" of the day. What an honor!

So in celebration, I am going to heat up my last leftover Pear Turnover and devour happily. And after that I will start working on the next recipe.

Broccoli & Black Bean Rice Pilaf

2011-03-14T12:30:00.000-05:00

Next month is my half marathon, and first race of the season. Trying to make sure I'm making some meals that are full of fuel, yet fully satisfying. Their last criteria is they must be fun to dance to. My flavor of the moment is Adele's newest album "21":

Throw your soul through every open door,
Count your blessings to find what you look for,
Turn my sorrow into treasured gold,
You'll pay me back in kind and reap just what you've sown,

Sorry, I got a little distracted by my impromptu dance session in the kitchen. Anyways...back to the recipe.

There are so many versions of the rice pilaf. The essential is chicken or vegetable stock and rice. This gives the rice so much more flavor then just cooking it in water. The second part is the seasoning. Thirdly is the trimmings. This is one of my mixes, but I love that the variations are plentiful so it never gets boring.

The Shopping List:

2 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup water
1/5 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp salt
dash of pepper
1 tbsp thyme
1 cup rice (brown or white)
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1 can black beans, drained
1 cup frozen broccoli

The Method:

Pour the chicken stock and water in a small pan and bring to simmer. While the liquid mixture is heating up, preheat the oven to 350°F. Mix in the butter to the liquid mixture. Stir in the salt pepper, thyme, and seasoned salt.

Add in the rice and cover with a lid. Put the small pan in the oven and allow for it to bake for about 35 minutes. Removed from heat and add in the black beans and frozen broccoli. Allow to cook for another 10 minutes.

Voila! Ready to serve.

Art of Cooking

2011-03-14T11:40:00.000-05:00

These made me happy. I love it when people are creative and make food into art. And Carl Kleiner has certainly hit the mark for these IKEA mini-promos. My claim to fame is when I was in high school I worked at a summer camp I would have to crack 200 eggs in a morning. I could do it one handed, both hands at the same time, and have not a single shell in the pot.

Pear Turnovers

2011-03-13T13:14:00.003-05:00

I have had this recipe bookmarked for a while. I love, love, loooove pears. So for some fun my mom and I had some girl time yesterday and made these together. Concensus--these are just fantastic. Sweet, but not too sweet.

The Shopping List:

1.5 lbs of pears
1/8 cup water
3 tbs sugar
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 tsp cardamon
1 package frozen puff pastry
1/4 cup egg beaters
3 tbs demerara sugar

The Method:

Peal, core, and slice the pears into approximately 1 inch pieces. Mix the water, sugar, and lemon juice in a small pan and add in the pears. Bring the mix to a boil and continue stirring. Let that sugar get all dissolved. Cook for a few extra minutes, but make sure the pears do not get mushy.

Pull the pan off of the heat and add in the cardamon. Allow the mixture to cool. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 400°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Take the pastry puff and flatten it to a square, mine came out to about 13.5 - 14 inches. Cut into four smaller squares. I had two sheets of pastry and was able to make eight shells.

Divide the pear filling into eight equal parts and put in the middle of each square. Brush the edges of each square with egg beaters and fold each of the pasty squares over to create triangles. Press the edges down to keep all the ooey-gooey goodness inside.

Use the pastry brush and brush the egg beaters on top of each turnover. Sprinkle the demerara sugar on top. Cut three slits in each turnover for ventilation when baking. Put turnovers in the frigerator for 15-20 minutes, and then bake for 15 minutes on middle rack. Reduce heat to 350°F and bake for another 10 minutes until the top gets a nice golden color.

Bring out to rest for ten minutes and serve warm or cooled. From experience, they also reheat well.

It's daylight savings time. We lost an hour her in the U.S., but I gained a full tummy.

(Adapted from Pictures & Pancakes)

Foodie Links

2011-03-12T07:03:00.000-06:00

A round up of this week's fabulous foodie finds or just random musings:

I rather like the idea of TasteBook, pick your favorite recipes from the website and pull them all together into a cookbook. But then again, that's what a blog is for.

I love cool drinks, but don't like them watered down. Nordic Rock Stone Ice Cubes are literally made from rock, and reusable. Eco-friendly and do not dilute my drinks. Do they ship to the U.S.?

Have you checked out FoodPairing yet? I like the idea of exploring new food combinations in a methodical manner.

My new favorite foodie blogger this week that is now bookmarked in my Reader is Delightful Bitefuls. Absolutely must check it out.

Someone has a little too much time on their hands with these food sculptures.

And my one totally unrelated link to food, I want this transparent canoe. I also want to be transported to a tropical island because it will not do me much good right now in the frozen over lakes.