Archive for the ‘Recipes From My Kitchen’ Category
How to Throw a Favorite Things Party
Thanks to the all-knowing, addictive, most amazing website to come out of 2011 – Pinterest – I came across a few blogs that shared the idea of throwing a Favorite Things Party. So, I decided to host one for my San Francisco girls. Here’s the gist of throwing a Favorite Things Party: everyone brings five (or whichever number you choose) of their “favorite things” under a price limit. We did five things for $30. Favorite things can be your favorite condiment, nail polish color, book, amazing product you can’t live without, etc., but it should be five different things, not five of the same thing. Each person “presents” their favorite things one by one, and after each, pulls a name (from a box/hat) for the person who will receive the favorite thing. At the end, everyone goes home with five different “favorite things” from everyone at the party, learns a little bit about each attendee, and learns a lot about great products! It’s super fun, and a great change-up to the usual white elephant party.
Here are a few details I added to my party to give you some ideas if you want to throw your own Favorite Things Party! (P.S. I did it as a holiday party, but it can be thrown year-round without a Christmas theme!)
I bought brown bags, printed out labels that said, “A Few of Our Favorite Things” (you can download the labels here) and tied the bags with string. This was to play off “brown paper packages tied up with strings” from the song, and each person had a bag to put their “favorite things” they received at the party.
I made this fabulous Cranberry Mojito cocktail, also found on a blog courtesy of Pinterest. This might have been one of the biggest hits of the party. Because of it’s festive red and green appearance, everyone took pics and shared it on the social interwebs.
In keeping with the theme, I asked guests to bring their favorite appetizer. One of my girls brought pigs in blanket (or as she said, “Pigs in Down Comforters”) – everyone’s childhood fav!
I was really grateful to my friends who put a lot of thought and energy into their appetizers and presents – it was so fun to just chat, nibble on good homemade food and sip festive cocktails. The holidays are for celebrating with those you love most!
One of the best parts about the party is how fun it is to learn about each other through your favorite things. Like your friends love to travel… or love Owls… or appreciate fine wine… sometimes if they’re new friends, like most of girls in San Francisco, it’s a great way to get to know each other even more.
Some of the “favorites” that made their way to my party were: popcorn box for watching movies filled with candy, chalkboard wine glasses, Mac lipstick in Ruby Woo (I scored this one!), funny suitcase tag, non-slip headbands, Trident layers, Great Lash mascara, e.l.f. lipgloss, Almond Champagne (!!!), Bath & Bodyworks True Plue Paraffin lotion (supposed to be the best for dry hands), Gap thong (supposed to be super comfy), plastic flask for outdoor concerts, massage oil, eos lip balm and a Christmas amerilious plant.
My five favorites were: Forever 31 earrings, The Carrie Diaries
What “favorite things” would you bring?!
One of my girl friends went home with Mac lip liner in “Cherry” and a lesson from a make-up artist friend on how to apply it – doesn’t she look fab?!
Again keeping with the theme (*cough* theme party whore *cough*), I made “warm apple strudel” (part of the Favorite Things song lyrics) for my dish and topped it with homemade eggnog ice cream! It was my first time making either, and they were quite the hit. Apple strudel is a crowd pleaser with all that butter and brown sugar, and eggnog is pretty much ready made ice cream mix in a carton! And of course, I had my “whiskers on kittens“ tied up in a pretty red party bow.
It was truly a night filled with our favorite things – each other, great food, drinks, conversation and the little things in life that make us smile. All recipes for an awesome holiday party with close girl friends!
Happy holidays, blog lovelies!
Currently Feeling: Like the holidays are even MORE crazy when you have to squeeze in meeting up with everyone you don’t see all the time. Whew – I’m tired! But it’s so much fun too.
Currently Anticipating: A girls night tomorrow night – dinner at Pearl and a tour of Snowflake Lane.
Currently Loving: Spending so much one-on-one time with my high school girl friends – it’s been awhile since so many of them have lived back at home, and it feels so special to catch up and stay good friends after all these years.
A healthier version of Olive Garden Zupa Toscana Soup
While I was recovering from being sick, I turned into a nesting/cooking queen. Anything to pass the time from staying indoors all day! I’ve been wanting to try this soup I found on Pinterest for awhile now, and since the temperature in SF is just now starting to drop, I felt it was the perfect comfy, cozy lunch option for cold days.
I’m a HUGE fan of the “soup, salad and breadsticks” combo from Olive Garden and always ordered their Zupa Toscana soup – a creamy soup with potatoes, sausage and greens. This is a somewhat healthier version of the soup since instead of heavy cream, I used fat-free half and half to save calories. Some could argue that fat-free half and half is not healthy since it uses corn syrup. (ARGH AMERICAN FOOD INDUSTRY). I opted for organic kale and chicken broth, sausage from a butcher to save preservatives & additives to make up for the little bit of corn syrup in this soup. That being said, this was one of the easiest, yummiest most impressive things I’ve made in awhile. Don’t you just want to dive into that bowl! And only five ingredients to pick up at the store…
Here’s how ya do it, and a printable recipe card for you too if you click on the image!
Stay warm out there, blog lovelies! xoxo
Currently Feeling: In love with spin and biking! Makes me feel like I might want to sign up for an organized ride… my sis and I are tossing around STP with my dad next summer.
Currently Anticipating: A brunch with friends before SantaCon on Saturday! I have my Santa costume and can’t wait to participate in this popular SF citywide Santa bar crawl!
Currently Loving: Seeing some of my best friends pregnant and squeezing out their mini mes. So hard to wrap my head around, but so cool!
My secret to life
Have I ever told you my secret to life, blog lovelies?!
Besides good hair product, a fabulous lip gloss and the healing power of yoga, it’s this:
Chocolate cake in a mug.
Thought you were getting some deep insight, weren’t you? Nope. My best secret to life is a three minute chocolate cake recipe that you can make with ingredients most people have lying around their house.
It cures even the WORST chocolate or sweets craving. And THAT, my friends, is what keeps me sane.
Chocolate Cake in a Mug
- 1 coffee mug
- 4 Tbsp flour
- 4 Tbsp sugar
- 2 Tbsp baking cocoa
- 1 egg
- 3-4 Tbsp milk
- 3 Tbsp oil
- Small splash of vanilla
- 3 Tbsp Chocolate chips (optional, but explain the ooey gooiness shown above)
Mix the dry ingredients in the mug. Add the egg and stir. Add milk, oil and vanilla. Stir in the chocolate chips at the end. Microwave for three minutes (or slightly less for a more gooey cake). Scoop out into a bowl and serve with ice cream, whipped cream, powered sugar or a glass of milk!
Currently Feeling: Discouraged that all this traveling has put me off my exercise/health routine – it’s so.darn.hard to start back up once you stop!
Currently Anticipating: Three birthday parties this weekend AND Hopscotch Beer and Scotch Festival in Fremont. Yowza!!
Currently Hating: That I’ve watched all the movies on Comcast’s OnDemand right now – I need some new good flicks. Dying for Black Swan to come out!
Chocolate Chip Mint Cookies
I mentioned a couple weeks ago that I’d joined StumbleUpon – and oh, the addiction!
I “stumbled upon” another awesome find – Chocolate Chip Mint Cookies! This Flickr picture seriously made me drool, and ever since I’ve been dying to try them myself:
Luckily I have a great friend and an awesome little sister who were willing to entertain me on Saturday night with a little tree decorating and cookie making instead of hitting the bars. We even watched Elf and made it the most cliche December night.
Instead of using the package of Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie mix that the recipe on Flickr called for, I decided to make sugar cookies from scratch, using America’s Test Kitchen’s recipe and improvise a little on the mint part. The cookies were super fantastic, and a fun green color for the holidays.
Here’s a recipe card if you want to give them a go for your Christmas cookie making this year:
Currently Feeling: Excited to try out pilates at a new studio next to my relocated office in Pioneer Square.
Currently Anticipating: Passion Pit at The Moore Theater tonight in Seattle!
Currently Reading: The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein.
Hot Shotties
- Microwave two cups of water until warm (not too hot)
- Add four scoops of hot chocolate, stir
- Top off with 8-16 oz of Pinnacle Whipped Cream Vodka (the best thing ever invented)
- Serve into shot glasses for guests
They’re not Hot Toddy‘s – they’re Hot Shotties! Guaranteed to bring smiles and fun to your holiday party.
Currently Feeling: Snuggly and warm inside from the cold – I love living in apartments and having the option to blast the heat for cheap!
Currently Anticipating: Keeping it low-key the next four days for Thanksgiving, family time and resting. And catching up on Season Three of True Blood!
Currently Loving: That the owner of Marshmerries sent me a box of samples in thank you for my blog post about them – isn’t that sweet! Now I can try the other flavors too.
Pasta is not the devil I repeat Pasta is not the devil
Recently I was reading Shape magazine, and an article caught my eye – “Eat Pasta, Lose Weight.” Um, what? Yes, please.
The article explained how there’s a common idea in the “watching their figure” subset of people in this world that pasta and carbs are the devil. But if this really is the case, then why are top of the top spas and nutritionists in the nation serving linguine, ravioli and lasagna recipes to their guests who are striving to eat healthier? Totally a question I’d like answered…So Shape provided healthy pasta recipes from some of these leading spas.
I’ve been the girl who’s on the healthy eating, low-carb (or complex carbs only, ie: brown rice) kick for years now, so they totally had me nailed when they described those who avoid pasta. I usually only eat spaghetti when at home, served via my mom, or at a guilt-inducing trip to one of Seattle’s most famous and oldest restaurants, The Old Spaghetti Factory (which is a personal, longtime fav of mine that I have to hit up at least twice a year to gorge myself to the point of literal “roll me out the door” state).
I decided to give this recipe a go from Solage Calistoga Resort in Calistoga, CA – Farfalle with Speedy Tomato Sauce, Cannellini Beans and Broccoli Rabe.
Couple notes – I had to suck up being okay with white pasta (which I haven’t eaten in FOREVER). I couldn’t find whole wheat farfalle, which stressed me out cause even when making spaghetti at home or ordering at restaurants (ie: The Old Spag), I can order whole wheat pasta. Also, both stores I stopped off at didn’t have broccoli rabe, so I just used regular broccoli, which I’m unsure how this does or does not effect the end result…
Diced onions with olive oil, red pepper flakes and minced garlic
Chopped broccoli (rabe)
Onions, broccoli, beans, oregano, tomatoes tossed with farfalle
Pasta served with more "sauce" on top with shaved Romano cheese
The verdict – totally worth a go. It was a fresh, veggie-rich dish that was quick and easy to make. However, it was lacking a bit in flavor and or salt to me, so I’d probably add some more spice next time. Also – I was hungry again two hours later, so it could use some protein to make it stick a bit more, ie: chicken.
If you want to give it a go, here’s a printable recipe card for you:
Enjoy friends!
Currently Feeling: Great after a three-hour girl dinner sesh. I have some of the smartest, most awesome females in my life!
Currently Anticipating: Sun in Seattle again tomorrow (it was 70+ degrees today!), and an art walk with friends.
Currently Loving: That I rocked a very challenging day today – and ended up on top!
In the limelight
Two weekends ago, I had planned Sunday dinner at my parent’s house. Turns out their neighbors were having a wedding shower for their niece, whom I grew up with as a child in the neighborhood. The wedding shower was set in their backyard – an overgrown, garden oasis in full bloom with a European touch – a shabby chic chandelier hanging in a tree, lights strewn throughout each bush, candles hanging from each post in a white-picket fence, beads and bobbles glittering on the tables and pictures of the bride and groom clipped in branches of the trees. It was a perfect summer night for a glass of white wine and a neighborhood gathering.
And the spread- Oh the spread! Halibut with mango salsa, sweet potato mash, strawberries and candied walnuts tossed in spinach and balsamic, Brie cheese baked in puff pastry with raspberry jam and two jugs of iced tea. While everything was amazing, there was one salad in particular that tempted me back for scoop after scoop – a recipe I immediately picked up and then brought my own version to the bachelorette party I was at last weekend. I’m telling you – this salad is amazing, and the only thing you’ll need to bring along this summer to barbecues with friends (well, that and some sangria, perhaps).
The secret ingredient? Newman’s Own Light Lime Vinaigrette – a rare salad dressing that I scoured FIVE grocery stores to find. But it’s the peanut butter to this salad’s jelly! You have to try this:
Just right click and save to print for your records!
By the way – did you know quinoa is pronounced KEEN-WAAH, and it’s a “grain” that was cultivated more than 5,000 years ago by the Incas. Here’s why you should eat it: compared to other grains, quinoa is higher in calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, iron, copper, manganese, and zinc than wheat, barley, or corn, and it’s been linked to preventing and treating diabetes, breast cancer and more. (It’s also gluten free). Hello superfood!
</dorkyhealthrant>
I’m in love with quinoa – but I’m absolutely obsessed with this lime vinaigrette! Next stop – a recipe I found on the site for the dressing – Scallop Ceviche w/Watermelon & Cucumber.
I love summer cooking!
Do you have a quinoa go-to recipe? Share it with me, lovelies!
Currently Feeling: Excited for a desk/space change at work – I love event the slightest bit of change.
Currently Anticipating: A cooking party at a new friend’s house tonight and Girl Power Hour on the patio at Joey Lake Union tomorrow!
Currently Needing: To ditch the book I’m reading and get a new one – I haven’t been reading cause it’s too slow-paced!
Pea(ch) Soup
Last weekend I made my first attempt at homemade ice cream, well – peach frozen yogurt to be exact. I had some girlfriends over for a “We Don’t Watch Lost” party (not that I’m knocking Lost, I just got off track a few seasons ago, and have yet to back on the wagon).
I pulled the recipe out of the pamphlet that came with my ice cream maker. Three ingredients total (2 cups of lowfat vanilla yogurt, 1/3 cup of sugar, 1 can of peaches). That can’t be rocket science, right?
I’m not sure what happened, but after a half hour of churning, my frozen yogurt wasn’t much more than inedible icy yogurt soup. (?!) My girlfriend say, “So what, that’s a fancy mixer?” Perhaps I messed up by using nonfat yogurt instead of lowfat. Perhaps I should have kept it churning longer. But either way, you would think the ice cream maker would do more than what I could do with just mixing ingredients and throwing them in a Tupperware in the freezer, which is what I had to do anyway. The next day, the ice cream was a bit too icy. (Like when you freeze a Blizzard, and it’s never the right consistency again).
Turns out I made cold peach soup.
Ice Cream Maker FAIL.
I’m going to give it another shot this weekend while spending my Memorial Day on Lake Chelan in a house with 13 friends. Thought this would make a great float in margaritas. Hello Crazytown! I’m sure I’ll have some good pics and stories coming your way soon.
P.S. I took these pics on my new favorite iPhone photo app, Hipstamatic.
Currently Feeling: Junk food snack attack.
Currently Anticipating: Seeing Cari of Flipflops in the Rain and her fabulous significant other at SMC Seattle tonight.
Currently Loving: The perfect sweet and salty combination of raisins, peanuts and M&Ms in trailmis. Who was the genius that thought that up anyway? I need to marry him.
OMG. Totes hun-cal froyo
Last week I purchased a Cuisinart ice cream and sorbet maker from one of my online shopping obsessions RueLaLa.com. (If you’re not a member, hit me up, and I’ll send you an invite. The deals are amazing!)
No, I totally did not need an ice cream machine. This is obviously up there with one of my most frivolous purchases ever. Although, I’m pretty sure my onion saver takes the cake in that category. However, I did have a purchase credit, and the ice cream maker was significantly cheaper than the original price, so I paid approximately $30 for it after shipping. (Not bad, right?)
Anywhoosit, it came in the mail this week, and I can’t stop searching for ice cream (more specifically, frozen yogurt) recipes to try out. The recipes at the top of my list:
Purple Sweet Potato Ice Cream // SeasaltwithFood.com
Champagne Sorbet // SimplyRecipes.com
Strawberry Frozen Yogurt // DavidLebovitz.com (author of The Perfect Scoop)
Macha Frozen Yogurt // CreativeLoafing.com
Coconut Banana Frozen Yogurt //RecipeZaar.com
And because absolutely nothing great can exist without the addition of bacon:
Candied Bacon Ice Cream (!!!) // DavidLebovitz.com
Now…which one to try first?! I’ll keep you all posted on my ice cream progress! (Oh, and send me your recipes or ideas if you have any!)
Purchase your own Cuisinart ice cream maker here. And view the hilarious video I’m referencing in my title here.
Currently Feeling: Tired from a busy week. I think I’m going to stay in Friday night this week – and really mean it this time!
Currently Anticipating: Heading with a girl friend tonight to the opening-night gala party tonight of Seattle International Film Festival.
Currently Worried About: My little tomato plant – it’s cold as H in Seattle this week!
Easy peasy au naturel, 10-step blackberry jam
through because there's a mini giveaway at the end!]
Since being unemployed, I’ve felt like I’ve had more time to feed my creative sole. More time to read, more time to design, more time to write (even if you don’t see me more here – I have 1,000 other projects going on), more time to say, “Hey, I’ve always wanted to do that… ” And then I DO IT. Go figure.
In the last couple weeks, I’ve noticed blackberries blooming into big, fat, weighted, sweet gloriousness on the various paths I take while walking, biking or running through my environment. Then I walked into Metropolitan Market last week and saw a table set-up, advertising the products they carry to make jams and jellies. Ding, ding, ding! Light bulb. (They see girls like me coming a mile away.) I decided I really wanted to make blackberry jam from scratch. And oh hey, look! I have a TON of time on my hands without that eight hours a day, oh you know, spent in the black hole of a cubicle office.So, I bought the ingredients last weekend, and I Martha Stewart geeked out into the best case version of a housewife that I know. (A swearing, drinking, sassing Martha Stewart, which is much more fun because we’re better in bed, if you ask me). Of course, this led to me purchasing my ingredients at Metro Market. This was a stupid idea, in hindsight, that the BF was so kind to point out, because I am UNEMPLOYED and something tells me that I might have been able to find cheaper jam ingredients such as empty jars other than a place that caters to those who actually make money and can afford $4 cans of yams.
What concluded, after I obsessively read what I believe is every blackberry jam recipe and canning instructions available on the Worldwide Web, was a night of whipping up some pretty damn fantastic au naturel blackberry jam. Even if it meant I had to drag myself out to pick more blackberries in the dark at NINE P.M. cause I didn’t have enough. Here is my Martha Stewart geekiness and easy peasy instructions for you in pictures:
What You’ll Need – in layman’s terms:
Canning jars with lids
Pectin (No Sugar Needed Pectin for a sugar-free or au naturel jam)
Blackberries (Or other fruit that sounds yummy)
Splenda, honey or other sweetener of choice
No sugar added apple or white grape juice
A very, very large pot
A large saucepan
A potato masher, or big metal thingamajig
Tongs
A couple clean towels
1. Find blackberries and pick em. Just don’t tell PETB (People for the Ethical Treatment of Blackberries). If you’re really smart, you’ll enlist a boyfriend or friend to help you out since this is the most strenuous part of the adventure, and having thorn-poked fingers and brier-scratched arms sucks.
2. Pick somewhere around 8 cups (to make four 8 oz jars). If you pick only four ounces, you’ll have to go back outside in the DARK to pick BLACKberries. This is very difficult. You’ve been warned.
3. Put your jars and lids in the pot, fill it with water and heat the water on medium-high heat, but make sure it doesn’t boil. This heats the jars so they don’t crack when the hot jam is poured in.
4. In the large saucepan, mash the berries with a potato masher, or something that can equivalently mash such as the metal thingamajig I used, one layer at a time. Don’t puree them in a food processor!
5. Once all the berries are mashed, add a cup of no-sugar-added apple or white grape juice and one package of no-sugar-needed Pectin. This is for the sugar-free or au naturel jam. If you want to make jam with seven cups of sugar, you can purchase the regular box of pectin. Boil the berries and pectin/apple juice mixture until it rapidly boils and cannot be stirred down.
6. Next add the sweetener of your choice – or none, if you like. You can use Splenda, another artificial sweetener or honey, which is what I chose. If you’d like to use honey too, add one cup. Bring this mixture to another rapid boil, for three minutes, stirring constantly. While this is boiling, or earlier if you can fit it in, pull the jars and lids out of the hot water with tongs and place them on a clean, dry towel.
7. Skim the foam off the top of the heated jam, then ladle or pour, using a funnel, the jam into each individual, warmed jars. Wipe the edges and rims of the jar with a clean, damp towel. Screw the lids on tightly.
8. Using the tongs, carefully place the jars back into the very, very large pot of hot water. Make sure there is one to two inches above the tops of the jars, and bring the water to a boil with the lid on. Let it boil for 10 minutes (or the correct time for your altitude, according to the instructions in the pectin box). What you’re during right now is sealing and preserving the jam, so you can store it, and it won’t go bad.
9. While this is boiling, pour any leftover blackberry jam mixture over vanilla ice cream IMMEDIATELY. Eat it like a fat kid eats cake.
10. After 10 minutes, carefully take the jars out with tongs and set them on a clean towel. Don’t shake them, so the pectin in the jam can set. Let them cool on the counter for 12 to 24 hours. If the lid doesn’t pop up and down after this, each jar is properly sealed and preserved. Decorate them with ribbons and a label if you’re a SUPER dork like me.
TA DA! Easy peasy au naturel blackberry jam in only 10 steps. Isn’t it fabulous to have a jam that is made of only blackberries, apple juice and honey?! The stuff in the grocery store is so full of sugar and additives… I’m now inspired to try to make all types of jam from scratch – it was that easy!
So, if you made it though that entire, ridiculously long post on how to make blackberry jam, I will reward you… I’m giving away one little jar of my beautiful culinary masterpiece that I’m quite proud of. THAT’S how much I love you! All you have to do is leave one little comment, telling me you’re absolute favorite type of jelly, jam or toast topping. (Peanut butter, honey and cinnamon sugar is accepted as well). Make sure your profile links to a place that I can find your e-mail… I’ll choose the winner of the jar of au naturel blackberry jam on Friday. Good luck!
Currently Feeling: Overworked and underpaid – I’m volunteering so much, it’s taking up all my time! But it feels really great to be involved.
Currently Anticipating: Having a free day tomorrow.
Currently Loving: The both Top Chef and Project Runway have started! TV swooon!
