RecipeMuncher

Chicken and Gnocchi Soup like the Olive Garden

admin — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 22:53:11 +0000

We rarely go to the Olive Garden or any Italian place for dinner. Face it, I’m not going to pay $15 for one plate of pasta when I can make at home for $5 and feed 4 people. But they were running the soup and salad deal so my husband and I went for a late lunch one day. I fell in love with the chicken and gnocchi soup. It was warm, creamy, and delicious. Only there wasn’t enough gnocchi in the soup for me. Heck one bowl they brought out didn’t have a single gnocchi in it. I knew (...)

Volunteer Park Conservatory

admin — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 22:52:59 +0000

I snapped a few phone shots while my mom and I were at Volunteer Park Conservatory yesterday. Every year there is a beautiful Christmas display. But I also never tire of the cacti and succulents. Of course, it’s hot and humid in the “Crystal Palace” so pictures can be tricky. Plus, my glasses fog up. Such a contrast between the bold colors of the Christmas display and the subtle desert hues of the succulents.Well, OK, some of the flowers on some of the cacti are vibrant. (...)

Hot Breakfast on A Cold Day

admin — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 22:52:50 +0000

After viewing the lunar eclipse in the frigid cold, steel cuts oats hit the spot. A splash of milk, some diced apple, slivered almonds, and a drizzle of maple syrup dress it up. (...)

Catching Up With Journalfest 2011 And Preview of Play 2012

admin — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 22:52:45 +0000

I’ve received my confirmation packet for Play, a winter art retreat held at Fort Warden State Park in Port Townsend, Washington. Teesha Moore and Tracy Moore are the folks who bring us Artfest and Journalfest. Sadly, the Journalfest I just attended in October is the last. And Artfest 2012 is the last. Likewise, Play 2012 is the last and that’s why I jumped at the chance to go. I had waffled about going for the last two years. Would it be too small for me? Artfest is too big (over (...)

Holiday Whisky (Whole Wheat) Gingerbread

admin — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 22:52:26 +0000

I love boozy cakes! There, I said it. I do! I also like to make gingerbread at least once a year. What if I told you that you could make a gingerbread with 100% whole wheat flour, and still have it be moist, decadent and rich,without the heavy whole wheat taste? You can! I’ve done it here. I’ve been very generous with the spices, because I like a spicy gingerbread. No wimpy gingerbread for me! Also, I’ve added a healthy dose of good whisky that was just begging to be used in s (...)

Make Your Own Christmas Ornament Wreath

admin — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 22:52:14 +0000

Did you know that you can take a wreath form, some ornaments, ribbon, beads and a glue gun, and make a gorgeous holiday wreath? You can! It’s easy, too. It takes a little time, but in the end, it’s SO worth it. I used to be crafty. All the time! Then I had kids, and all that goes along with them got in the way. Not that that’s a bad thing! I love my kids. But I got out of the habit of making things for myself, and into the habit of usually buying stuff already made. A few week (...)

Tate’s Bake Shop Gluten Free Giveaway

admin — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 22:52:03 +0000

Some of you may remember my last giveaway from Tate’s Bake Shop in Southampton, NY. I’m back with another one, this time focusing on their new line of Gluten Free goodies! Winner chosen! The lucky recipient of the gluten free basket is commenter #66: Julie. Congrats, Julie! Stay tuned for more fun giveaways! Now, I don’t need to eat gluten free, but these days, a lot of people do. I’m betting that many of you know at least one or two people that suffer from celiac diseas (...)

Leftovers Lunches, Brussel Sprout & Bacon Gnocchi and Spinach & Stilton Soup

admin — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 22:51:52 +0000

A couple of dishes either to get you in the mood with some Christmas flavours or a way to use some leftovers. A christmassy pasta dish well it contains , brussel sprouts, bacon (crumbled sausage would work well too, if you have some chipolatas hanging around), nutmeg and cream all pretty classic items you might have smalls the fridge around Christmas , you can make your own gnocchi but since this is a bit of a leftover dish I use bought onesChrismassy Gnocchi 400g of gnocchi2 rashers of bacon2 (...)

Sweet Potato and Lentil Dahl

admin — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 22:51:39 +0000

Dahl is something we have every couple of weeks , I find it a strangely soothing dish. Here the addition of some sweet potato makes it a filling meal with some pitta bread or chappati. I leave the seeds whole since I like the crunch but you could definitely grind the coriander. The reason we have sweet potatoes is this month we started weaning Em . Of course had visions of her happily gobbling my home made purees instead of course she has rejected both freshly prepared lentils and (...)

Five Spice Pork Belly with Pickled Vegetable Salad

admin — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 22:51:29 +0000

Many years ago now I went with my freind Nick to stay in a cottage in Wales in November we arrived to find the heating was broken ( it’s pretty cold in November in Wales ) so we decamped to the pub a leave a joint of belly pork low in the oven.After a few ciders we returned to find it was still very cold in the cottage but the pork belly was cooked to perfection delicious crispy skin , melting meat. To this day I cannot say if it was the belly pork, the wine or the cold but we left that (...)

Sugar Cookies

admin — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 22:51:00 +0000

I know you guys are wondering what happened to the light cooking for Wednesdays. I am wondering what happened to the light cooking too. I have been sewing so much that really I grab whatever for dinner just to get something on the table. I have lost my foodie mojo and replaced it by feverish working as Santa’s Elf for Christmas. I will say there has been a lot of soup in this house. Simple soup and really fairly light. That’s the easiest route to (...)

Mint - White Chocolate Ganache

admin — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 16:37:32 +0000

Well, somewhen in October I saw a huge box full with candy canes and though I have never really liked them, I took a bunch with me. I thought they might be handy to use in one or the other photo during the holiday time. Then I had the sudden idea to make macarons with mint-white chocolate ganache, but I had no time to bake them until today! After last week’s baking “stress”, it felt so good to spend some time making these macarons and relax. Ingredients: (recipe by Tartelet (...)

Easy Mince Pies

admin — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 05:05:24 +0000

I have not put our Christmas tree this year, Normally the tree is up and decorated the next day after Sinterklass feest on December 6th.But this year as Mom is not there anymore, one doesn’t feel like doing all this, last weekend when Shyama came home she asked hmmmmmmmm were is the christmas tree and I was like well I didn’t had time to do it.Didn’t make a cake too this year like earlier

Gingerbread Cookies

admin — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 05:05:22 +0000

I wanted to make a Ginger Bread House from the time Shyama gave me the cutter last New year as a present. But as you all know it is decorated with so much sugar and sweets that i would be a bit too much for just us.So I asked Shyama if I make one would you take to her place so that she can share with all ther friends from her group. But then she remarked I do agree to her, that it would be too

Klasskoeken

admin — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 05:05:21 +0000

I am sure most of you have not heard about Sinterklaas Feest or the Zwart PietI am surprised that I haven’t written here about this famous feest in my blog, as I remeber from the time Shyama was born we celebrate this special day every year.
Ofcourse it was more fun till she was 9 yrs ( by the time she found out her parents are Sinterklass and Zwart piet)From the age of 2 every evening on

Hummus

admin — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 05:05:19 +0000

Few years back we went for holiday in Egypt for a month. It was Shyama’s and my first trip to the country so we both were really excited. Hans though has been there 5 times and it was his 6 th trip with us, so it was like having our personal guide with us.The only hotel we had booked was in Cairo and then we said we will decide how many days we will stay in cairo and then from there we will book

Pollo al Marsala con pinoli e uve sultanina

admin — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 05:05:16 +0000

Hi hi actually in the magazine it is written in English and Italian but I coudn’t resist to write the title in Italian well it means according the magazine, Marsala Chicken with pine nuts and sultanas.
Marsala is a winein the region surrounding the Italian city of Marsala in Sicily.While the city’s natives sometimes drink "vintage" Marsala, the wine produced for export is universally a

Dutch Pea Soup

admin — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 05:05:13 +0000

Here Hans and Shyama love this soup, just make this for them and they are really happy.Especially on winter, but I must admit I make this other seasons too as they will be going on asking me when am I going to make pea soup.
Actually I don’t remember whenI made this soup, and latley I have not been baking so much or cooking something new, that I have been taking from my file pictures to post

Black & White Wednesday - Chocolate Dress

admin — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 05:05:10 +0000

Mostly I forget to join in Black & White Wednesday and I only remember when I see the beautiful pictures from my blog friends and then I am like that I forgot again.I would have forgotten again but then with the time difference with us and India, I saw this one in Siri’s place yesterday evening and then I said oh yeah I should join up this week.So as you can see here I am with my B&W

Saffron Fish Consommé

admin — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 05:05:06 +0000

What a week! I am so totally tired, you have no idea! After all I had to bake about 6 kilos of cookies, two 40 cm cakes and one 20 cm round one. In fact, I still have to decorate them and pack the cookies, but that is just peanuts! However, I must say that I have enjoyed every single moment of baking and I would do it over and over again! On the other hand I had absolutely no time to plan for Xmas, but I am going to catch up next week and take 2-3 hours to think about everything in details. Toda (...)

Orange flavoured Beetroot Waffles

admin — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 05:05:03 +0000

Well, waffles again! I could not resist to try another version using beetroot juice. A friend of mine brought the idea to replace milk with beet juice. As beets and oranges are just great together, I decided to add some freshly squezzed orange juice to the batter among some zest. The colour is just amazing, agree? By the way, if you want double the amount of sugar, because I reduced it, after all it is sweet enough once it is served with syrup. Ingredients: 200 g flour 60 g butter 40 g sugar (...)

Tempura Shrimp with Coconut Flakes, Lemongrass-Sunchoke Puree, Avocado-Passion Fruit Salsa and Passion Fruit Sauce

admin — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 05:04:57 +0000

In the past I was not a fan of prawns, I did not even like lobster, but I was crazy about langouste. Then it has changed! Currently, I am having a kind of prawn period, that means that I prepare prawns once a week. Unfortunatly, the rest of the family don’t like prawns at all, so I do not have the chance to serve them some. Yesterday, I felt like taking a short break from baking cookies. In fact I did not even want to think about a single Zimtstern or honey cookie, so I went to the kitchen (...)

Mandarin Syrup

admin — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 05:04:54 +0000

Well, slowly I am going to disappear under the huge mountains of xmas cookies that I am baking day after day. I really enjoy it, though I was not sure if I wouldn’t get bored. Not at all! I love doing it! In fact the most time consuming part of the proccess is the package making part, but still that is great fun. On the other hand I have plenty of idea that I would love to realise in the kitchen, but there is not enough time at the moment. Of course I note everything in order not forget a (...)

Tonka Bean Flavoured Beetroot Waffles

admin — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 05:04:51 +0000

Well, I must confess, that I am a waffle addict. I never thought, that this could ever be that way, but it has just happened. Everything started with Vera’s gorgeous pumpkin waffles, that finally, made me want to buy that waffle maker. I always had it on mind, but I thought it is really stupid to store one more kitchen gadget that will not be used, not that I have many of them, but still. So I always postponed it. But then one day I bought a small round waffle maker. One lazy Sunday morni (...)

Swiss Chard Gnocchi

admin — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 05:04:47 +0000

During this cold time of the year we do not have to say good bye to the colourful meals, after all there is wide range of varicoloured vegetables available. Just think about the purple cabbage, the carrots, beetroots, or the bright green of the brussel sprouts, not to mention the various kinds of chicory. As far as swiss chard is concerned, well I doubt that these are free range and still in season, however I left my veggie calendar at home… besides I could not resist them. Also because th (...)

Parsnip Soufflé with Apple-Walnut Sauce

admin — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 05:04:43 +0000

Luckily, I still have some recipes on stock and that is pretty handy, considering that I have to bake so much lately, that I’d have no time to experiment around. This was the first dish that I prepared for the French website, however I have only managed to post it now. This light soufflé is perfect for Xmas as a starter. By the way parsnip is one of my favourite root vegetable, may it be served as a soup, puree or even oven-baked with maple syrup. Ingredients: enough for 5 ramequin (...)

Chestnut Soup with Marsala and Cranberry stuffed Ricotta Dumplings

admin — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 05:04:40 +0000

Yesterday, I wrote it pretty confident, that I have a couple of recipes on stock. Well, it turned out that this soup is the last one. I have already mentioned a couple of times that cranberries are just gorgeous in combination with clove. The last kick was given by these ricotta dumplings, that are actually also great for dessert, so if you decide to make it, go for a double portion. It is worth it! Ingredients: for the soup: 400 g chestnut 1 tabelspoon butter 1 shallot 50 ml marsala 4 (...)

Zander-Yellow Beet Ravioli with Lemongrass-Coconut Foam, Butter sauteed Chioggia Beets and Beetroot-Vermouth Sabayon

admin — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 05:04:36 +0000

It’s been a while that I have shared a recipe with beetroot, right? So it is time to show you these yellow beet-pikeperch ravioli. This main course was in fact inspired by an older beet-prawn dish of mine. Unfortunatly, there no sign of snow yet, but I can hardly wait for the first snowflakes. Until then, all I can do is to serve some for lunch. Ingredients: for the pasta: 200 g flour 2 eggs 1 teaspoon olive oil salt for the filling: 500 g yellow beetroot 150 g pikeperch 300 m (...)

Spitzbuben

admin — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 05:04:33 +0000

Somehow, I could never really get warm with these cookies, because you see them in the stores all over the year, therefore they have not much to do with Christmas at least in my eyes. However, it has just turned out that this is one of the most favourite cookies, at least in my area. They are also sold in local farmer’s shop and I had to try quite a bunch of them. I must say some were good, but others totally dry. So I decided to bake them myself and took them with me to my favourite farm (...)

Lemon Meatballish Cookies

admin — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 05:04:28 +0000

A couple of years ago Tracy from Ra Cha Chow posted a desire to have the lemon meatball cookie recipe from Wegmans. I have been on a mission ever since because I really like them too. It is really hard when your a baker (at least it is for me) to buy a cookie I feel I should be able to make easily at home. It’s kind of been in the back of my mind ever since. About a couple weeks ago I started going through my recipes, all my magazine clippings and what not. (...)

Weight Watcher Wednesday: Indian Stir Fry

admin — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 05:04:24 +0000

I know, it’s Saturday. Humor me. I missed my day for Weight Watcher Wednesday. I slacked off last week and this week but I am back in full force. I made a definite decision to lighten things up around here. In many ways. Me, the amount of stuff I have around the house… So I will have a bunch of recipes to choose from each week. Let me remind you of stir fries just in case you have put them ont eh back burner so to speak. I remember int he 90’s t (...)

Vada Pav

admin — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 05:04:20 +0000

Today, I am making chana saag. I need to do a post on all the recipes that make repeated appearances in our kitchen. You see that is why I think I have slowed on my posting. I have a repertoire that I love- not that I dont like to try anything new now, its just that its not as often as it used to be. Sometimes too, I am making meals that are boring, just because they are so fast. Having my attention focused on my sewing has really taken a bite out of my passion (...)

Black Beans or Negro Frijoles

admin — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 05:04:16 +0000

One of my most favorite parts of eating at a Mexican restaurant is the rice and beans. That is when it is done well. So often it is not. But better yet, you can make it at home and control the ingredients etc.This bean recipe I made was inspired from Homesick Texan. She has a book that just came out. Nice. I may need to buy that book as a lot of her recipes appeal to me. I wish I had more time to visit blogs. I feel like I have been in a whirlwind for a while. (...)

Cream of Celery Soup

admin — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 05:04:12 +0000

It was an interesting Thanksgiving around here. My daughter had started out the week with a stomach bug. And several people came down with it throughout the week. It was a bummer. When you are hosting Thanksgiving and having people stay at your house- the last thing you want is for everyone to get sick. Then I tried the recipe of doing the turkey in parts. It sucked. I may try it again with a small turkey at some point because I really feel like it should ha (...)

Happy Thanksgiving

admin — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 05:04:08 +0000

I wanted to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving. For those of you who are not American, I ‘d like to wish you a happy day. I will be celebrating with friends and family. A bit of a reunion of sorts. A family who has long needed to come together will be together this weekend. I am very grateful for that. For my husband who I love dearly - who continues to amaze me each and every day. We are not perfect, we have had our ups and downs like everyone e (...)

Celery Root with Curry Yogurt Dressing

admin — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 05:04:03 +0000

When I finish a head of celery, I take the little knobby end and cut the sides off- the yucky parts- and I am left with a little white square. I love to eat that “heart” of the heart. Celeriac or celery root very much reminds me of that flavor. And that makes sense because they are all a part of the same plant. When I bought the celery root, I was walking through the market with them, their stringy celery tops and leaves flailing all over the place. In the ot (...)

Faux Bulgogi

admin — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 05:03:57 +0000

Fate. Do youbelieve? Chance occurrences that tug usthis way and that, seemingly random and without objective, but ultimately witha purpose we could not have even guessed. A tricky subject, fate. Do we relinquishall control to it? Or dowe take our free will firmly in hand, never let go, and leave no room for fatein our life? I think life is a little bit of both. Happiness lies in finding the balance betweengoing for what you want with determined intent and pur (...)

Shrimps with Sambal

admin — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 05:03:52 +0000

Our little C turns 2 today! How these last two year managed to speed pastme with such impetuous haste I will never know. I have tried my best to hold on to every moment with hands and teeth,inhaling the sweet scent of it until I could no longer hold my breath, nuzzlingmy head deep into her curls, laughing and crying and trying not to worry aboutthings like growth charts and future school selection. So many times in these past two years I’ve found myselfthinking, “I can’t wait (...)

Breakfast #52: Christmas Oatmeal

admin — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 05:03:47 +0000

It’s December! Formany of you, that means that Christmas is in the air. In the Philippines however, Christmas seasonofficially start when the months end in “-ber”. That means, for us, Christmas starts in September, when the shoppingmalls and their ilk let the first decorations out and the first strains ofcarols can be heard over their PA systems. By December, the season is in full-throttle, steam-rollering its wayover us, both guns blazing. Before you throw eggnog a (...)

Breakfast #51: Fried Egg in Aligue (crab fat)

admin — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 05:03:41 +0000

I am a relic. In aworld where fitness has swept the universe on its endorphin-powered chariot,leaving in its wake legions of runners, bikers, triathletes,and plana formadisciples, I remain resolutely languid. Feel the burn? Runner’s high? Ilisten to a multitude of people wax delirious about their physical activity ofchoice, still as puzzled and as dubious as I’ve always been. It’s not that I question fitness or physicalactivity. Not at all! Exercise, it all i (...)

Breakfast #50: Multigrain Pancakes

admin — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 05:03:36 +0000

Who doesn’t love weekends? Long stretches of time (well, in truth, neverlong enough!) to fill up as we please – spending time with friends and family, stayingout late, sleeping in, morning cuddles with no time limit, 3-hour lunches withwine, impromptu jaunts, dressing up, dressing down, naps! You time and your rules. If you are a Monday to Friday worker bee like I am, youenjoy it even more. One of my favorite things about the weekend (although Iwould really be hard pressed to (...)

Get Instant Feedback When You Publish

admin — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 05:03:31 +0000

For months we’ve been studying how, when and why people publish their posts, and what the common tasks are people perform afterwards. We know many of you immediately want to see what your post looks like, check for typos, and then share your post to social networks. Starting today you’ll see a much improved design for giving you feedback and supporting how you work. The first thing you’ll see, after your browser finishes telling WordPress.com you have a new post, is positive fe (...)

The Long and Short of It

admin — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 05:03:24 +0000

Would you like some more Twitter in your WordPress? We got ya. As an update to our ever-popular Tweet embedding functionality we’re supporting Twitter’s new embed API to enable richer, better looking, and more functional Tweets inside your blog posts. To embed a Tweet just put a permalink to it on its own line or use our new shortcode that allows for extra formatting. But wait, there’s more! Have you ever wished that when you’re on Twitter and come across a link to some (...)

New Themes: AutoFocus, Imbalance 2, and Reddle

admin — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 05:03:15 +0000

Today we are absolutely thrilled to warm your creative hearts with the announcement of three new themes: AutoFocus, Imbalance 2, and Reddle. AutoFocus is an elegant, minimal theme designed for artists, photographers, and other creatives seeking a simple but beautiful way to showcase their talents online. Designed by Allan Cole, this oft-requested theme simultaneously boasts impressive featured images throughout and a clean, unobtrusive design that gets out of the way of what truly matters—your (...)

WordPress.com Bloggers Who Covered the Biggest News Stories of 2011

admin — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 05:03:02 +0000

As 2011 comes to end, we thought it’d be interesting to look back at the events that made headlines this year, and a few of the bloggers who were there in person (or closely connected to the events) to document history in the making. Here’s a recap of some of the biggest news stories of the year, as blogged by WordPress.com users. January 25: Tens of thousands of people take to the streets of Cairo and other Egyptian cities to demand an end to the rule of President Hosni Mubarak. Cai (...)

It’s getting cold in here

admin — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 05:02:47 +0000

Oh the weather outside is frightful, but this blog is sooo delightful Until the internet gets slow, Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! That’s right, it’s that special time of year where you can show off your holiday cheer with a little special blog flair — falling snow. To get it started: Go to your dashboard. Navigate to Settings » General. Check the box next to “Show falling snow on this blog.” Roast some chestnuts. Even Texas boys like me who only saw snow (...)

Introducing WordAds

admin — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 05:02:41 +0000

Over the years one of the most frequent requests on WordPress.com has been to allow bloggers to earn money from their blog through ads. We’ve resisted advertising so far because most of it we had seen wasn’t terribly tasteful, and it seemed like Google’s AdSense was the state-of-the-art, which was sad. You pour a lot of time and effort into your blog and you deserve better. Well we think we’ve cracked it, and we’re calling it WordAds. Blogs are unique and they shoul (...)

Black Friday Sale: Free Custom Design with Any Premium Theme

admin — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 05:02:34 +0000

It’s that time of the year again, and we decided to take care of all our users whether they feel like lining up in the cold to take advantage of today’s bargains or not. This year’s offer is about two upgrades that first saw the light of day during the past twelve months: Custom Design and Premium Themes. For the next 24 hours if you pick up any of our Premium Themes we’ll throw in a totally free one year subscription to the Custom Design Upgrade, which would usually cost (...)

New Themes: Shaan and Adventure Journal

admin — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 05:02:26 +0000

I’m happy to introduce two new cool and colorful themes: Shaan and Adventure Journal. Shaan is a smooth-talking theme, quietly delivering a cool, casual backdrop for your content. It’s perfect for writers who like a calm, quiet tone to their blog. If you use images to illustrate your writing, you’ll like how Shaan displays featured images in two sizes: small in archives and search results, and large for sticky posts on your home page as well as on single posts and pages. Examp (...)

Code is Poetry, CSS is Art

admin — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 05:02:16 +0000

We want to help your websites come alive with beautiful design. The WordPress.com theme team has been adding new themes at a dazzling rate, but did you know you can customize the style of any of our themes using the Custom Design upgrade? CSS stands for Cascading Style Sheets which are styles that define how to display HTML elements. You can do anything from changing font colors to styling an entire site from scratch using CSS. Not only does the Custom Design upgrade let you choose from 50+ cus (...)

Google Knols Move to WordPress: The Annotum Platform

admin — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 05:02:04 +0000

Today, we’d like to give a warm welcome to Google Knol users who are migrating to WordPress.com. Begun in 2007, the Google Knol project has provided people in many fields with a place to share their knowledge and expertise with the world using a platform designed for scholarly authoring and publishing. Starting today, those same authors can move their articles and collaborative journals to WordPress—and they have the power to choose whether to move to a self-hosted WordPress installation (...)

Dog Biscuits

admin — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 05:01:54 +0000

My food blog has gone to the dogs. ^.^ . I wanted to get my son’s dog Sonoma a bag of duck jerky treats for Christmas and I found out almost ALL of them come from China. And we know dog food from that country are toxic. So I baked biscuits instead and if I still have time next week I’ll make chicken jerky treats. My recipe is adapted from the one on the card that came with the giant bone dog biscuit cutter replacing less than half of the flour with all-pur (...)

Sweet Potato Sourdough Challah

admin — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 05:01:47 +0000

I’ve had challah before, both store-bought and home baked. It’s one of our favorite sweet breads and I always serve it on Christmas morning and Christmas lunch too. I didn’t think it will taste any better using sourdough starter and then I saw the beautiful photos of sourdough challah, adapted the recipe adding a large steamed and mashed sweet potato. I love the slightly tangy flavor and the soft tight crumb that reminds me of sponge cake. But the bread got (...)

Chocolate-Dipped Peppermint Sticks and Other Christmas Candies

admin — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 05:01:42 +0000

chocolate-dipped mint sticks, Italian torrone, and candy cane flavored cotton candy It’s that time of the year again when we indulge in sweet stuff, specially mint candy canes, Spanish turones, Italian torrone, and a variety of candies and cookies that come out during the Christmas season. I couldn’t resist getting a container each of candy cane flavored cotton candy and of chocolate-dipped peppermint sticks. The small tub of peppermint sticks is really expensive c (...)

The Daring Bakers: Sans Rival and Bibingka

admin — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 05:01:36 +0000

cashew sans rival fluffy soft bibingka baked with slices of salted duck eggs and Filipino white cheese Catherine of Munchie Musings was our November Daring Bakers’s host and she challenged us to make traditional Filipino dessert - the delicious Sans Rival cake! And for those of us who wanted to try an additional Filipino dessert, Catherine also gave us a bonus recipe for Bibingka which comes from her friend Jun of Jun-blog. Thank you Catherine for sharing with the Da (...)

Kabocha Mascarpone Pie

admin — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 05:01:24 +0000

For our Thanksgiving pie this year I used kabocha squash instead of pumpkin and mascarpone cheese instead of evaporated milk. The pie is delicious and creamy and I love its flavor specially with a tablespoon of creme fraiche and a sprinkling of superfine sugar. It’s the perfect ending to a satisfying dinner of turducken roll, gravy, bread stuffing, candied sweet potatoes, roasted Brussels sprouts and orange cauliflower, baked green beans casserole, and mini brioche rolls. Kabo (...)

Arroz Caldo

admin — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 05:01:15 +0000

arroz caldo topped with crispy flaked chicken, chicken chicharrones, crispy fried scallions and shaved garlic Arroz Caldo, a favorite comforting and restorative Filipino rice dish was chosen by our host, the indefatigable super Mom Joy for November 2011 Kulinarya Cooking Club. Arroz Caldo comes from the Spanish arroz for rice and caldo for broth. I have featured Arroz Caldo once before and am reprinting 2 paragraphs from that post. Arroz Caldo, translation is rice broth, is the Filipi (...)

Crustless Coconut Custard Pie - December Bake-A-Thon Day 4

admin — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 05:00:43 +0000

Yes, I know I am very late running, five days behind, for Champa’s challenging December Bake-A-Thon, but if the gods are in my corner, I should have every post up to speed before the next BWW. BWW is very dear to me, and I know that it is growing on you, too, but it is a major commitment which is just starting to show chinks in my armor (more about that in the next post. No, I’m not giving it up, but just retooling a bit for greater efficiency.) So let me leave you now with a time (...)

Black and White Wednesday - A Culinary Gallery - Week #22

admin — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 05:00:37 +0000

Welcome to Black and White Wednesday Week #22. I regret that I have run late this week since there are so many fabulous photos to enjoy, but I’m also juggling a baking marathon for the entire month of December. In between sorting through your talented images, I have been setting up and shooting four different recipes for baked goods. While I go crawl into bed now, those who are up on the other side of the world can preview all the wonderful shots everyone’s brought to the table. (...)

Yorkshire Parkin with Lemon Neufchâtel Frosting - December Bake-A-Thon - Day 4

admin — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 05:00:02 +0000

Yorkshire Parkin with Lemon Neufchâtel Frosting A sturdy, oatmeal gingerbread of northern England,Yorkshire parkin is a warming treat even if you aren’tin the neighborhood to watch the burning of the Guywhose yearly commemoration was a month ago. Traditionally served without frosting, it is bestcut with a very sharp knife after it cools, but youwill want to tear into it fresh from the oven. Yorkshire Parkin with Lemon Neufchâtel Frosting(Parkin adapted from The Argenta C (...)

Molten Chocolate Mint Ramekin Cakes - December Bake-A-Thon - Day 3

admin — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 04:59:55 +0000

Little lava cakes have been around for a while now, with at least two chefs claiming these sybaritic brownies as their creations. Although Jacques Torres and Jean-Georges Vongerichten can cross swords all they like, I prefer to dip and scoop with a demi-tasse spoon into these voluptuously hot cups of too-much melted chocolate and butter with the seasonal zip of natural mint extract. Such indulgences, though, do require significant penance, such as cross-country skiing or snow-shoeing for at l (...)

Coconut and Lychee Flaugnarde - December Bake-A-Thon - Day 2

admin — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 04:59:48 +0000

The French have a word for it. Don’t they always? They call it a flaugnarde, although you might think it is a clafoutis. No dice. The famed black cherry-studded flan pancake from the Limousin cannot be properly called a clafoutis unless it is baked with cherries. All other similarly battered fruit recipes are assigned the flaugnarde moniker. But let’s leave these wise and romantic linguists to wrangle while we get out some flour, eggs, and fruit, for a dish that, confidentially (...)

Brown Sugar Spiced Shortbread Stars - December Bake-A-Thon - Day 1

admin — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 04:59:41 +0000

December has always been my favorite month. Not only does it make official the winter solstice, but it’s cramped with the celebrations of Christmas and New Year’s Eve, as well as my birthday and that of my brother. It’s a busy month. So, of course, I’ve taken on more with a December Bake-A-Thon, the brain child of Champa of Versatile Vegetarian Kitchen, a friend who spends far more time baking than I ever have. A group of five intrepid bakers (see the list after the (...)

Warm Buttered Black Beluga Lentil and Pasta Salad

admin — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 04:59:32 +0000

Although chickpeas are at the top of my list of legume favorites, there is something particularly homey, easy, and comforting about lentils. They cook up in no time, are effortlessly versatile in menu planning, and are wildly high in protein and iron. Ancient in origin, and with nearly as many varieties as there are rices, a bag of lentils is as essential in my cupboard as coffee beans. Of course, legume aficionado that I am, one bag of lentils is just the tip of my rather innocuous iceberg o (...)

Black and White Wednesday - A Culinary Gallery - Week #21

admin — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 04:59:26 +0000

Welcome to Week #21 of Black and White Wednesday. There are many fine photos for your viewing pleasure. The event is now closed for the week with a count of around forty. I hope you will enjoy the creative work of your comrades in the kitchen and behind the camera as much as I do. Thanks so much for your wonderful contributions. See you next week! Rosemary by Siri of Cooking with Siri ~~~~~~~~~~ Making Scialatielli by Cinzia of Cindystar ~~~~~~~~~~ Mango Ginger by Hyma of Hyma’s Flavo (...)

Black and White Wednesday - A Culinary Gallery - Week #20

admin — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 04:58:41 +0000

Welcome to Week #20 of Black and White Wednesday. Your talented contributions always inspire and delight week after week. It’s been five months already, and you never run out of steam. Today’s gallery presents a wonderful array of whimsy, glamor, temptation, hominess, geometry, stillness, minimalism, street life, and surrealism. I value each and every one of your photos and thank you for the enjoyment of our weekly galleries. See you next week! ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Need Help in the Kitch (...)

Desaturated Saturday - A Culinary Gallery - Week #23

admin — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 23:38:00 +0000

Black and White Wednesday came a little late this week. Thanks so much for your great photos and patience while I endured a rather nasty bit of the flu. It’s quite possible that given my delirium that I have made errors or omissions. If that is the case, please drop me a comment, and I will make the correction/s. For the moment, though, I’m pleased to present this last gallery of 2011 until we meet again on January 4, 2012. God willing it will be a Wednesday. Christmas Cookies b (...)

Homemade Sausage

admin — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 22:26:01 +0000

Hey, want to make sausage at home that doesn’t involve casings and butchering and meat grinders? Not to mention you can choose the seasonings. Then read on. Here is a recipe that involves less than an hour of your time but will leave you with homemade sausage at the ready in your freezer for weeks. And this is another recipe that lends itself well to variations on a theme - my favorite kind of recipe. I found my inspiration in the November issue of Martha Stewart Living in a piece by Lucin (...)

Pic test

admin — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 22:25:58 +0000

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Android Blogger App Test

admin — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 22:25:55 +0000

Just testing this app. I can add a link: to the library. And a pic. But will it orientate correctly? (...)

Lights In Westlake Square

admin — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 22:25:52 +0000

Walking from Artfest Annex back to my car I passed through Westlake Square. Pretty night tonight. Coming to you live from my own Galaxy! (...)

Dim Sum

admin — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 22:25:48 +0000

I have been getting organised sorting through the freezer and making a list of the meat contents which we are slowly working our way through – mostly to make way for more goodies. For some reason I had a very small bag of minced pork too small for even bread-padded meatballs or haslet . Nick suggested dim sum which pre-baby we would often make together and eat for Friday night dinner . They really are not that labour intensive to assemble we churned out 40 in about 15 minutes using read (...)

Cream of Mushroom Soup

admin — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 22:25:38 +0000

I think soon my blog is going to be over flowing with soups, here the weather has really truned cold, today it was 2°C which is so cold that I am happy to stay inside home if I don’t have to go out, which is what I did anyway today, Hans came back home saying it is so cold, his face was even reddish.
Summer or Winter we have a cup of soup for lunch before the main dish. That is a must for Hans,

Coconut milk rice with beetroot syrup, orange and pomegranate seeds

admin — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 22:25:34 +0000

Well, actually I am not a milk rice fan at all, if it comes to such kind of treats I prefer semolina cooked in milk with loads of cinnamon sugar on top, though I must say that porridge is also a great alternative. Yesterday afternoon while cleaning I was listened to a Jamie Oliver cooking show, where he served milk rice with fruits and crispy almonds. I loved the idea of the almonds, and I had the immediate urge to try it. It is very simple and easy to make, drain some sliced almonds in water, s (...)

Spicy clarified Butter Poached Seabass coated in Rapeseed with Caramelised Radicchio and Orange "Huileyon"

admin — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 22:25:28 +0000

For several months I have been planning to unite rapeseed oil and rapeseeds in one dish. If I am not wrong, I had the first idea somewhen in spring and wanted to combine it with tiny red radishes, but then I did not find the opportunity to do so. However, today the roasted rapesseeds turned to be one of the main ingredient in this fish dish, after all that beautiful piece of seabass is coated with it. The actual plan was to serve it among an orange beurre blanc, well orange, because I served car (...)

Chocolate Banana Loaf

admin — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 22:25:24 +0000

Well, it is a fact that I am completly obsessed with onions and tomatoes, and I always buy far too much, but I do not mind that at all. After all there is no such thing like “enough onions”, therefore I always have at least 5 different types in my pantry, and as far as tomatoes are concerned, those we only enjoy when they are in season. But there is something else! I tend to buy far too often and too many bananas. I can not tell you why, I have no explanation for that. In fact I have (...)

Weight Watcher Wednesday: Pecan Waffles

admin — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 22:25:19 +0000

Yup- pecan waffles. Fabulous and delicious. I made a batch on Sunday last week when my daughter had a friend sleeping over our house. The next morning I made these waffles. They were gobbled up pretty quickly. I made them again on Monday so I could freeze them for some quick toaster breakfasts for the week. I realized when I went to make them on Monday that I completely omitted one major ingredient… butter. Yeah, I know. Like a stick of it. (...)

Pink Cake and Growing Up

admin — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 22:25:11 +0000

Growing up. Ithappens to the best of us. Often I feelthat there is too much “leaving behind” and “getting older” associated withgrowing up, and not enough “ripening” and “getting plain ole awesomer!”. It is, undoubtedly, a struggle sometimes, butit can also be one amazing ride. I liketo lean towards the awesomer side and do my best to ignore the little creaksand crankiness of the former. Besides, growing up doesn’t mean letting go ofeverything. O (...)

New Themes: Anthem and Luscious

admin — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 22:25:04 +0000

I’m happy to announce that we have added two great new premium themes to our ever-expanding Theme Showcase! First up is Anthem – a responsive, minimal design from The Theme Foundry. Anthem is perfect for artists, designers, and photographers who want their images to take center stage. Choose from seven different post formats to give each post a unique look and feel. Anthem provides 4 customizable widget areas in the footer as well as 3 custom menu locations. You can also upload a cu (...)

Drag & Drop Media Uploader & Flyout Dashboard Menus

admin — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 22:24:54 +0000

We’re excited to share some new features that will make it even faster to create content on your WordPress.com site. Drag & Drop Uploads The media uploader now supports drag and drop! You’ll be able to use the new drag and drop media uploader wherever you need to upload your media files – while writing a Post or Page, or directly in the Media Library. In fact while you’re creating a post, you’ll notice now there’s just one icon to represent all of the diff (...)

Easier Invitations Mean More Followers and Blog Contributors

admin — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 22:24:43 +0000

We’ve made two big changes that make it easier to encourage friends, family, and colleagues to interact with your WordPress.com blog. First, now you can invite people to follow your blog. If your blog is public, anyone can use the Follow button to sign up to receive an update each time you publish new content. But if you’d like to share your blog with specific people, we’ve made it easy to send them an invitation to check out your site. Try it out now and invite some friends to (...)

Root Beer Float Fudge

admin — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 22:24:29 +0000

On September of this year, I received a cookbook gift from The Daring Bakers; thank you Lis, Lisa, and Mandy for choosing my Chocolate-coated Brown Sugar Meringue and Caramel Candy as one of the top three candies. The book is CHOCOLATES AND CONFECTIONS from the Culinary Institute of America by Peter P. Greweling. I have made a few of the candies in the book and they are really good and easy to make too. Today I made half (...)

Black and White Wednesday - A Culinary Gallery - Week #19

admin — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 22:24:18 +0000

Welcome to Black and White Wednesday Week #19. As usual, there are so many very fine photos for you to enjoy scrolling through. Thanks to all who have joined with your very talented and beautiful work. See you next week! ~~~~~~~~~~ “Life is like a good black and white photograph, there’s black, there’s white, and lots of shades in between.” - Karl Heine by Lubna of Yummy Food~~~~~~~~~~ A Wedding in the Sixties by Sra’s Dad - When My Soup Came Alive ~~~~~~~~~~Wo (...)

Will Bake For Food Preparations

admin — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 21:45:39 +0000

Last night I tested a recipe I’m thinking of making as part of the 2011 Will Bake For Food bake sale. This is the event where Seattle food bloggers bake delicious goods to sell to benefit the Emergency Feeding Program of Seattle and King County. I’m glad I took the time to follow the instructions as written by the author (a discipline I rarely exhibit). I found a couple of issues that I do not want to pass along to bake sale customers on a printed recipe card. The resulting product is de (...)

Butternut Squash with White Beans and Sage

admin — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 21:45:31 +0000

When I look at a butternut squash I see two recipes. The lower bulb part Ill seed and season with olive oil, salt and pepper and perhaps homemade sambar or garam masala and roast until tender. But the upper part is solid squash, a real treat when you want to peel and cube squash for risotto or curry, soup or stew. I had one lone can of cannellini beans and a butternut squash. I knew I could turn these into two meals simultaneously. Oh, and on our way down the driveway to take a walk I s (...)

Simple Cranberry Apple Tarts

admin — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 21:45:23 +0000

With just a few simple ingredients, you can have these delicious little tarts on the table and ready to serve to your family and guests. Puff pastry, apples, cranberry apple butter, plus a few other pantry staples and you’re all set! Simple, too! Yes, really. I had two sheets of puff pastry kicking around in the freezer, and I couldn’t make my mind up about what to do with them. Fate took over when I found that Trader Joe’s was selling sacks of Macoun apples. They’re one (...)

Red Beet and Orange Salad

admin — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 21:44:22 +0000

If you don’t like beets, boy are you missing out. As a child I never liked beets. As an adult, I love them. My husband can not stand them. I eat my beets alone. Gladly. I don’t have to worry about him eating my beets. There are a lot of recipes for orange and beet salad. You don’t have to get fancy for it to taste good. All you need is some oilve oil, cider vinegar, salt, and of course an orange and beets. Oranges (...)

HHDD: Cucumber Dayap (Lime) Cooler

admin — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 21:44:07 +0000

Once upon a time, when I was single, with no dependents, fancyfree and super-messy, I had more time to join blog events. I loved blog events! They were a chance to connect with other like-mindedindividuals, discover new food blogs, and find inspiration and encouragement. To this day I’d be hard-pressed to find afriendlier or more positive online atmosphere. Now I am happily married, the blissful parent of onehungry dependent, just-slightly-messy, and fancy free only part of (...)

WordPress.com Blogger Scores Book Deal for “You Are Not So Smart”

admin — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 21:43:45 +0000

According to David McRaney, “You may think that you’re a rational, logical being who sees the world as it really is. But you’re as deluded as the rest of us, and that’s OK, because it keeps you sane.” David is a journalist and the creator of the WordPress.com blog You Are Not So Smart, which was recently expanded into a book, You Are Not So Smart: Why You Have Too Many Friends on Facebook, Why Your Memory Is Mostly Fiction, and 46 Other Ways You’re Deluding Yours (...)

New Themes: Photography, Brand New Day, and Bouquet

admin — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 21:43:31 +0000

I’m happy to announce that we’ve added another group of three new themes to our collection today. Each one has its own distinct personality but they do share one thing in common: they’re all awesome themes that I know you’ll love. Let’s check them out. The first up is Photography, a premium theme designed by The Theme Foundry specifically for Photographers looking for a great way to share their photos. It takes advantage of Post Formats to present your galleries in (...)

Your Memories Take Center Stage with the New Photo Carousel

admin — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 21:43:07 +0000

Photo galleries on WordPress.com are a great way to share the pictures you’ve taken with your friends, family, and your followers. But the design of your theme can limit how large your high-resolution photos are displayed. Today, we’re announcing a great new way to make the most of your photos: a full-size carousel view that presents your images as large as your display can contain them. To experience the carousel, just click an image in a photo gallery on any WordPress.com blog. You (...)

Pan de Cadiz

admin — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 21:42:22 +0000

Early this year, while browsing La Tienda’s catalogue, a small dessert loaf called Pan de Cadiz caught my eye. It’s marzipan baked with a filling of candied sweet potato, normally sold and eaten during the Christmas season. Of course, I had to find a recipe for it, found one online written in Spanish, and this one in English. My cake came out a little bit dry and crumbly on top because I overbaked it but I love its moist interior specially the candied sweet potato portion, and m (...)

Thanksgiving Day-Style Turkey Sandwich

admin — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 21:42:11 +0000

Thanksgiving Day-style turkey sandwich with a layer of cranberry sauce, slices of roasted turkey breast, turkey gravy, crumbled corn bread croutons, I got the munchies for Thanksgiving-style turkey sandwich after watching Food Network’s Guy Fieri downing one. The sandwich has fresh cranberry sauce, roasted turkey breast, turkey gravy, and crumbled corn bread croutons which give the sandwich a good crunch. As expected the copy-cat sandwich I made is so good and (...)

No-Hassle Hasselback Blue Potatoes for Novel Food

admin — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 21:41:54 +0000

Some old tins and a few shriveled potatoes occupied a shelf and some vaguevegetable refuse the window. It reads like a sentence out of Dickens, and in more than one way, the thirty-seven page account of John (Joseph) Merrick in The Elephant Man and Other Reminiscences by Dr. Frederick Treves reveals just as much about the dreadful poverty, social ignorance, cruelty, and compassion of Victorian times as the thick tomes written by one of the preeminent novelists of the day. John Merrick, less co (...)

Miso Shirataki Noodles with Edamame and Shichimi Togarashi Seasoning

admin — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 21:41:38 +0000

This was our Saturday night slurpy supper, a classically healthy Japanese broth-based bowl filled with innumerable soy-based ingredients that take it over the top for legume-centrity. Easy, naturally vegan and gluten-free, as well as very low in carbs, it warms the bones and soothes the hackles after a long day of obligations and futile attempts to squeeze more minutes out a clock that can only register sixty. Most ingredients can be found in health-food stores, but the optional shichimi tagar (...)

Black and White Wednesday - A Culinary Gallery - Week #18

admin — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 21:41:17 +0000

Welcome to Week #18 of Black and White Wednesday. I am very pleased to present another amazing gallery of deliciously talented photos in marvelous shades of monochrome. All photos, this time, are presented in the order they were received. The final count is around fifty. Thank you so much for sharing. I have read many a kind word about how this event nicely breaks up and brightens what would otherwise be a long week. This is true for me as well. My commitment to catch up on commenting on y (...)

Turkey Mulligatawny

admin — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 17:51:00 +0000

I have wanted to make mulligatawny for a few years now. Finally. Man, this is good soup.With some turkey on the horizon, this is something wonderful and different to have with some of that leftover broth. Turkey Mulligatawny SoupThe recipes I used came from Epicurious and The Kitchn and a book called 400 SOUPS, publisher: Hermes House. Turkey brothTwo turkey legs and wings1 large onion, quartered1 inch fresh ginger, about 1 ounce4 large garlic cloves, peeled and smashed water to cov (...)

Cooking with Tea

admin — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 14:47:44 +0000

lapsang souchong tea-smoked duck ham Sarah from Simply Cooked was our November Daring Cooks’ hostess and she challenged us to create something truly unique in both taste and technique! We learned how to cook using tea with recipes from Tea Cookbook by Tonia George and The New Tea Book by Sara Perry. Thank you Sarah for the challenge. It was fun and a great way to use up the various teas I have in my pantry and I ended up preparing 4 dishes. Beef Braised in Rooibos Tea with (...)

Pumpkin Sunchoke Gnocchi Gratin

admin — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 14:14:47 +0000

Last week, I had the idea to prepare sunchoke gnocchi, and I was thrilled about this “new” idea. However, then I realised that last year I have already prepared some, though then it was a sweet dish. Even now, I wanted to include beetroot in a form of a sauce or something, but then I decided to make a simple gratin with pumpkin. Ingredients: 550 g sunchoke 60 g ricotta 1 egg 200 g flour nutmeg 250 g pumpkin 100 ml mlik 100 ml cream 1 pinch of cinnamon 2-3 sage leaves 1 (...)

Spanish Rice Salade

admin — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 12:52:14 +0000

It has been a very busy week, and health wise not good too.Have been having such a severe Migraine, I think I have taken so much pills in this last week and on top of it, had a Memorial Concert here for WW1 so feeling good or not had to be busy for that.Must admit had bad days and good days.Have been trying to keep away from the computer, I don’t think that was possible as temptation to check