ARF/5 A Day Tuesday#5: Bottom's Up!

Wow...the stars finally aligned in my favor, or something, because I remembered what day it was, and managed to put together something for Sweetnicks' eat-healthier event, ARF/5 A Day Tuesday.

So...you may be wondering what that glass of pureed...whatever...has to do with this?

Well, there are days when Alex just won't eat whatever Matt and I are having. Tuesday was one of those. I made club sandwiches for us, but Alex wasn't interested.

So for him, I threw a cup of vanilla yogurt, some grape sherbet, a bit of milk, and frozen strawberries into a blender, and hit 'liquify me, baby'. A few tablespoons of sparkling water, and viola! Alex has dinner.

And there you go. Sweetnicks, I made it!


Tagged with: Food and Drink, ARF, 5-A-Day, Events, Strawberries, Kids, Blogging

Retro Breakfast: Gingerbread

Another another recipe from this book, a nice, old-fashioned, Gingerbread cake.

Flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, ginger and salt mixed together, with a bit of shortening cut in till crumbly. Set some aside, and to the rest mix in egg, molasses, baking soda and buttermilk. Pour into a pan. Cut butter into reserved crumbs, sprinkle over batter, and bake till done.

Nice, light, gingerbread flavor. Good dense cake, perfect for breakfast...or a snack!


Tagged with: Food and Drink, Cookbooks, Retro, Breakfast, Baking, Blogging

WCC: Comfort Foods: Eat Me!

I swear, I'm not going for the pornographic angle here; honest!

It's time for another Weekend Cookbook Challenge, and this month we're making comfort foods.

I suppose 'comfort food' conjures up different images for different people. Some think of mashed potatoes, others chicken soup.

But I suppose it's because of my love of all things from the past, but when I think 'comfort' and 'food' I find myself wishing I were strolling through Palisades Park, or the early versions of Coney Island or Atlantic City.

'Comfort food', to me, is classic, 'gee, that's swell!', middle-America.

Which is why I turned to Food Network Favorites:Recipes from Our All-Star Chefs



for Alton Brown's Corn Dogs recipe.

Hot dogs (we used Morningstar Farms veggie dogs for Alex and me, and Wellshire Farms Cheese Hot Dogs for Matt), on a stick, dipped into a batter of cornmeal, flour, buttermilk, creamed corn, minced jalapeno, grated onion, cayenne, baking soda and powder. Fried till golden.

Crispy, crunchy batter, but not heavy. Just a hint of heat from the pepper, and really nice.



To go with the theme, I also made a batch of soft pretzels, using a clone recipe for Auntie Anne's pretzels; salted and cinnamon sugar.





Thanks to Alicat and Sara for giving me an excuse to make such fun, and comforting, foods!


Tagged with: Weekend Cookbook Challenge, Food and Drink, Cookbooks, Events, Baking, Blogging

It's not true, I swear!

Saw this at Indira's blog, and of course I had to try it!

You Are Italian Food

Comforting yet overwhelming. People love you, but sometimes you're just too much.

What Kind of Food Are You?

But I didn't feel it was accurate, so I took it again. This time?

You Are Mexican Food

Spicy yet dependable. You pull punches, but people still love you.

What Kind of Food Are You?

Still don't know about that...oh, well. What do you expect from a five-question quiz?


Tagged with
Food and Drink, Quizzes, Indian, Mexican, Blogging

(Pastry) Chef in Training

Alex (with a little help from Mommy) made sugar cookies Saturday afternoon. Using mostly organic ingredients, and folk art cookie cutters, he mixed, rolled, cut-out, and decorated these gems. He'll be sending a couple off to his grammy, the (almost) pastry chef, too!


Tagged with
Food and Drink, Kids, Baking, Cookies, Organic, Blogging

Gung Hey Fat Choy!

Wishing a very happy new year to all my Chinese readers!!

We don't have the frequent flyer miles to celebrate with you, so Matt and I prepared out own feast.





Hot and Spicy Cucumbers

Chunks of peeled and seeded cucumber stir fried with soy sauce, sugar, garlic, ginger and hot chile paste. Pretty tasty.



Vegetarian Hot-and-Sour Soup

Too many indgredients to mention (we couldn't find dried lily buds!)...I'm not usually a fan of this soup, but I liked this one.



Longevity Noodles

Simple and wonderful; Chinese egg noodles with mung bean sprouts, water chestnuts and snow peas, cooked with vegetable broth, sesame oil, and soy sauce.

I'm always a bit 'iffy' when it comes to thin noodles...I cook my pastas on the safe side of al dente...but I liked these. Better yet? Alex insisted I give him some, and he ate a few fork-fulls. Except, he mostly used his hands...!



Kung Pao Chicken with Cashews

Matt often orders Kung Pao Chicken (this recipe is actually for shrimp), but I've never tried it...till today.

I really liked it...mine was made with Veat bites...and surprising us yet again, Alex asked for the peppers on my plate! Red, green and yellow, he pretended they were a stop light.
Then he ate them. Goofy kid.

Hope everyone had a wonderful day...


Tagged with: Year of the Dog, Food and Drink, Chinese, New Year, Holiday, Dinner, Blogging

WDB#19: What a Gorgeous Day!

Doolin, Donegal, and Wicklow on a sunny day.

With 68 degrees and sunshine, who'd want to stay indoors?





See all the other pups at Sweetnicks'!



Tagged with
Food and Drink, WDB, Dogs, Blogging

IMBB 22: Use Your Noodle---Longevity Noodles

Phew! Just barely made it this time.

Maybe I can blame it on the new year, but I haven't been keeping up with all the foodie events since putting up our new (retro pin-up girls) calendar. I suddenly remembered that Cooking with Amy was hosting this month's IMBB, and it's all about the noodle!

Thankfully, I had already planned a Chinese New Year menu for Sunday, and that included this lovely recipe for Longevity Noodles.

Chinese egg noodles with ginger, snow peas, water chestnuts and bean sprouts, and a sauce of stock (we used homemade vegetable), soy sauce and sesame oil.

Very nice, mellow flavors, and Alex even asked for some!

Not too bad for a last-minute entry, eh?



Tagged with: IMBB # 22 + Noodle, Food and Drink, Chinese, New Year, Holiday, Dinner, Blogging

Retro Dessert: Frosted Fudge Wafers and Hot Chocolate

I finally got my Blogging By Mail package mailed off Saturday morning, and inside I included these yummy bar cookies, Frosted Fudge Wafers.

A recipe from this book, a thin, brownie-like base, with a fudgy frosting topped with chopped nuts (I picked walnuts).

They went very well with the Hot Chocolate I made; equal parts half-and-half and milk, equal parts bittersweet and semi-sweet chocolate, a bit of sugar, vanilla and a pinch of instant coffee granules to bring out the real chocolate flavor.

Very chocolate-y experience, with a balanced sweetness. And a great way to end a meal.


Tagged with
Food and Drink, Retro, Desserts, Chocolate, Cookbooks, Blogging

Retro Dinner: Chateaubriand with Bearnaise Sauce, Herbed Roasted Potatoes, and Popovers

Saturday night, another retro meal for Matt. Once again using this book (and wow...am I getting my mom's money's worth), I served up organic beef tenderloin, cooked the way Matt likes it (rare), with a rich, creamy, sauce. Matt said it was a nice accent for the steak, although given the quality of the meat, almost not necessary.



To go with, red-skinned potatoes which were quartered, tossed with melted butter and thyme, rosemary and oregano. They were roasted at a high temperature till soft and almost sweet...just perfect.

And because Matt loves them, and it seemed the perfect accompaniment to the steak, I made popovers from a 1955 Gold Medal Jubilee recipe booklet. They puffed up beautifully, were crunchy on the outside and a delicate web of layers inside; soft and chewy. Yum.




Tagged with
Food and Drink, Retro, Dinner, Steak, Organic, Cookbooks, Blogging

So...where's the ham?

A gift from my MIL; farm-fresh eggs.

Apparently, a co-worker raises hens and my in-law's reap the benefits.

This time, so did we.

I'm always amazed at the difference between fresh-from-the-farm eggs, and the ones we get from Kroger. Seriously, no contest.

But...check out the green one!


Tagged with
Food and Drink, Eggs, Blogging

Retro Dessert: Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownie

I apologize for the crappy picture; I was trying to snap it during a commercial break for the 100th episode of Smallville (not really a fan of the show, although I am a fan of DC; I just wanted to find out who got killed off).


Another recipe from this book; a layered brownie treat.

Also, another mix the whole thing up in a saucepan recipe; butter and unsweetened chocolate melted, and taken off the heat. Stir in sugar, then eggs, flour, chocolate chips, salt and vanilla. Spoon half the batter into a foil-lined pan, and freeze till set.

Cream butter and peanut butter till smooth; add powdered sugar and your choice of white chocolate chips or nuts. I went with honey-roasted peanuts.

Drop spoonfuls of the peanut butter mixture on to the chocolate batter and smooth to edges. Top with remaining brownie batter. Smooth, and bake till puffed and set.

What you get is a moist, pudding-y like brownie. Not too sweet, peanut butter-y, filling.

I liked Matt's comment: "Decadent, white trash, soul food."



Tagged with
Food and Drink, Retro, Desserts, Baking, Blogging

Boys will be Boys

We invited my FIL to dinner Wednesday night, and after a lovely meal, we cleared the table so the 'boys' could play with Alex's train set. Tell me if you think they had fun...






Tagged with
Food and Drink, Dinner, Kids, Trains, Blogging

Feeding the Hungry

Doesn't that look fabulous?

My mother-in-law was out of town this week, so we had my father-in-law to dinner Wednesday.

He went home stuffed...which is what we aim for!

The photo above, gorgeous pooris.



Dal Bukhara: lots of tomato, butter, and cream. Rich, slightly spicy, almost meaty, despite being completely vegetarian.



Murgh Shahi, using a recipe from this site: Chicken in a yogurt-rich sauce thickened with ground cashews. 'Nuff said.



Vegetarian Murgh Shahi (using Veat)



Kadai Paneer, using Sailu's recipe: Onion base, lots of spices, chunks of fantastic paneer. Thick, deeply-flavored sauce, which is the sort of thing we look for.



Lots of rice with both a mint and a tamarind chutney



And for dessert? Grapefruit/Rosemary and Green Apple Sorbets. Brrr...but good.

Both are made from freshly juiced fruits, the flavors are emphatic. The grapefruit has just a hint of extra bitterness from the rosemary, and the apple? Slightest touch of carbonation left over from the sparkling cider.



Tagged with
Food and Drink, Dinner, Indian, Desserts, Blogging

Hey, Hey; It's Donna Hay #2: Macaroons

I completely ran out of time for the first DH event, which is a pity. Everyone was making those self-frosting cupcakes, and I wanted to be a part of that! (I will get 'round to it, though.)

So when Glutton Rabbit specifically asked me to join the second round, how could I refuse?

This month, Donna Hay-wannabe's are putting their own creative spin on Donna's Lime Macaroons.

There's just one small problem; no one in my little family likes coconut!

Oh, well...lucky for me? My father-in-law is coming to dinner Wednesday night, so I'm sure to find a good home for the cookies!

I have to admit I've never actually eaten a macaroon...what with the coconut, and all. So when it was my turn to play with the recipe, I really had no idea what to do. Our challenge was to replace the lime zest with something else.

Oh, yeah...that helped.

I tossed a few ideas to Matt, and he suggested I use one of those bottles of flavoring I'd recently purchased, for candy making.

Good idea, but I don't think cotton candy-flavored macaroons would impress anyone.

I finally settled on raspberry. Once the cookies had cooled I dipped the bottoms in melted white chocolate tinted with pink color, and made macaroon sandwiches.

How do they taste? I have no idea. At least not until tomorrow...I can't get anyone around here to try them!



Tagged with
Food and Drink, Donna Hay, Baking, Events, Blogging

Cute Kid Filler

As I wait for Matt to come home...with the coconut needed for the Donna Hay Macaroons...I'll give you something cute to look at.

Say to Alex "Smile!", and you'll get that goofy face. Priceless.

And yes; that Dora the Explorer on the television. The bane of my existence...



Tagged with
Food and Drink, Kids, Blogging

Cat Lovers Up in Arms

Bringing to mind that scene from 'China Beach', with the German Shepard...

Those lamb kebabs for sale in Shanghai? Most likely contain cat meat.


Oh...I think I'm going to be sick.

Retro Breakfast:: Toasted Poundcake with Nutella

I'd made a poundcake for one of my Blog Party: Retro Party dishes, and ended up with a cake and a half more than I needed.

I suggested Matt take it work, and toast it, then spread some of Jessica's homemade Nutella over it.

He liked that idea.



Tagged with
Food and Drink, Retro, Baking, Breakfast, Blogging

WDB#18: Choosing Sides

It's pretty clear; Doolin just loves Donegal. He's always at her side...or on it.


Look at that face!


Donegal is such a good girl, she does her best to put up with her little shadow...


And Wicklow? He's just happy to be left out of it!

See all the other cute pups at Sweetnicks...



Tagged with
Food and Drink, Dogs, WDB, Blogging

Blog Party#6: Retro Party! The Round-Up

Welcome, welcome, to our Retro Party!

My, don't you look lovely! Please come in; Matt will take your wrap into the next room. Would you care for a drink? The bar's stocked, and we are set for our most well-attended Blog Party to date!

If you'll excuse me for just a moment? I need to put another record on...how about some Henry Mancini?

I have a rather large collection of his work, but Midnight, Moonlight & Magic: The Very Best of should get things going.



And we can't have a Blog Party without music from Ultra Lounge, can we?

Tonight, it's Mambo Fever!





While we're getting in the mood, be sure to stop by Reprodepot, a fun source for retro-themed fabrics, including this one, which we turned into curtains for our kitchen!



Their fabrics can be turned into cute hostess aprons, dish towels, and more.

For setting the table, you simply must visit Retro Redheads; a mother and daughter-run on-line company who always manage to dig up fun and retro tableware, barware, and more.

I found a beautiful set of red-and-white striped cups and saucers at their store, and I'm sure you'll see something you like, too!

And may I recommend the fabulous Collector's Press, for all your retro food (and pop culture) needs? With titles like Retro Baking, Retro Diner, Retro Luau and more, you just can't go wrong!

And who could forget the classic Fiesta Ware?? (Although, apparently, it is not sold through Amazon in the UK; sorry.)

But now, ladies...let's introduce the guests, and get to the food!

First to arrive, it's Cyndi! She really got into the spirit of this month's party, making Chuck's Bean Dip...using canned soup and Velveeta!...and Hot Buttered Rum Mix for a Crowd. Which is perfect, as this month's party has the most guests so far!
Cyndi; you did a terrific job, and we're so happy to have you here!



Next guest through the door? The lovely Ulrike, all the way from Northern Germany!
I couldn't be more excited; I now have someone to practice my rusty German on.
Ulrike's brought us an absolutely perfect and Retro dish; Toast Hawaii. Don't you love how post-war it looks? And to go with, a very classic, but anti-007, Wodka-Martini,. It's just great, Ulrike; thanks so much for coming!



It just wouldn't be a Blog Party without Nupur! And without having to borrow one of our three pots, Nupur's made some yummy-looking fondue, which she's serving with bread, potatoes, and fruit. Mmm...I do love fondue, do you? (I know, bad bad.)
She's also supplied us with my kind of drink; the Virgin Mary. Anything with tomato juice, and I'm there!
So glad you could be here, Nupur!



Let's all give a warm, Blog Party welcome to first-time guest, but much-beloved blogger, Sam! We're honored to have you at our little soiree. Sam's brought us these fantastic Homemade Mayonnaise and Deviled Eggs, and they appropriately-titled Classic Champagne Cocktails. Spot on, Sam; and thanks for coming!



Next guest through the door, it's Alicat! And she brings one of the nastier-sounded treats to the party, but don't let that stop you; these Meat Puff are actually quite tasty. How perfectly Retro!
Be sure to grab a cup of her Spiced Tomato Juice, too...looks great, Alicat; so glad you could make it!



Here comes Heather! And lucky for us, she's brought dessert; the fun-sounding Accordion Treats. Heather knows how well desserts go over here at Blog Party, so good call!
And she's offering up Cabana Boy Cherry Rum mixed with Diet Cream Soda, although she won't say anything if you'd prefer to eat these treats with milk, tea or coffee!
So good to have you here, Heather!



Oh, Lyn; you crack me up! Who else would have made Spamakopita?? How funny, and wonderfully Retro...Spam, pineapple, and cheddar? Pass that platter around! (And naturally, I have that Monty Python tune stuck in my head)
And your Mai Tai's look amazing...thanks so much for coming!





Next to arrive is Alanna, with one of the healthier dishes at the party (she's tricky that way!); Artichoke Nibblers. She has me hooked, and I'm not even a fan of artichokes! Thanks so much, Alanna, and enjoy the party!



Hey, look; it's Becky! Come on in, and allow me to speak for all of us when I say thanks so much for skipping the aspic!!
Instead, Becky's brought Egg Salad in Puff Pastry; oh, yum. Just my kind of food!
Great job, Becky; so happy you could make it.





B'gina sends her regrets; she's a bit tied up right now, but she did want us to enjoy her fabulous Retro treats, so let's all dig in . She's made all kinds of goodies, including Gyros Meatballs with Tzatziki Sauce, Rumaki, and Caviar Art Deco Canapes. What about drinks, you ask? She's taken care of that, as well. Retsina, Sake, Saporro, and a classic Martini. Excellent job, B'gina; and we do hope to see you at next month's party!


I'm sure you're just as happy to see boo_licious as I am, but when you get a look at her Mini Chocolate Eclairs, I promise you'll do a happy dance! Sweet, chocolate-y, treats (she even used a hazelnut chocolate for the tops...to die for), perfect with a cup of tea. And as I have an endless supply of tea, in just about any flavor you could hope for, it's perfect.
Thank you so much, boo_licious; and don't expect to take any home!



One of the last through the door, but always welcome; it's Anni! And it's just possible she's already taste-tested a few of those Bellini's...slip showing, indeed! Powder room's that way, my dear...

But yum; Anni's made a trio of appetizers for tonight's party: Blue Cheese - Stuffed Apricots, French Brie - Onion Marmalade Canapés, and Pear Vichyssoise. How 'bout that?
To go with those Bellinis, she's also provided the alcohol and non versions of the Bloody Mary, and one of my favorite mocktails; the Shirley Temple.
Fantastic, Anni; and thanks for being here!



I decided to save Cookiecrumb for last, because she really got into the spirit for our Retro Party; submitting two entries!

First up is a fun and fun-ky The Flaming Pupu-Head with Molten Lava Dunk; dip served in a hollowed-out cabbage (we almost did this, honestly!), and stuck with little nibblers. And sticking with a classic, more fixin's for a nice, dry, Martini.
For her second entry, Cookiecrumb's starting us off with The Chichi Cocktail (Matt and I love the delivery, by the way), and some old-time-y Rumaki.

Talk about dedication! Thanks so much for all your effort, Cookiecrumb; we're all happy you're here!

We've prepared a few treats, too...so gather round, and dig in! Um...that's not terribly lady-like, is it?

Ok, ladies, do try a few of the appetizers we've set out; napkins are just over here!

Matt and I worked from the 1967 volume of Gourmet magazine; each year, the magazine would publish the entire year's worth of issues in a hard-bound book.

So, we began with a half-hearted attempt at something healthy; Crudites with Cashel Blue Dip.



Avocado with Hot Sauce

Oil, tarragon vinegar, Tobasco, mustard, Worcestire, and shredded hard boiled eggs, spooned over avocado halves.



Rock Lobster Tails with Pink and Green Sauces



Marie Joses

Chocolate cups holding Maraschino-soaked pound cake (I used a 1 lb. recipe!), topped with whipped cream and a cherry. Yum.



Lime Mock-dka's

In lieu of vodka and orange-flavored liqueur, we used sparkling water and orange syrup, mixed with lime juice. Mmm...



And there we go! Mingle, enjoy the food, be sure to have the number of a cab company handy...because the booze is flowing tonight!

I hope everyone's having a good time...we loved having you here for a Retro Party, and hope you'll join us again next month. Be watching 1 February for our next Blog Party theme!


Tagged with
Food and Drink, Retro, Blog Party, Cocktails. Appetizers. Events, Blogging