Eat, Drink, Be Merry and Chic

I’m not really one to troll the blogosphere for things to buy. Don’t get me wrong, I like purchasing beautiful things. But I also like making them, staring at them, and eating them (a beautiful cupcake or cookie that is). I get to do all of these wonderful things, and so will you, when you visit Eat Drink Chic. This is delightful blog by Amy Moss a Graphic Designer turned professional blogger. This blog is a combination of DIY, art, furniture, fashion, food, stationary &c. If you’re looking for beautiful, stylish things to buy, look at, eat or do..then Eat Drink Chic is one of the best places to stop.

A Blogging Pioneer

 If you love cooking blogs this post will not give you anymore information than you already know, probably. But if you aren’t so astute in finding good cooking blogs then read on. What do you get when you add a former city girl, who falls in love with a cowboy, moves to a ranch, has kids and home-schools? You get a very unique person and a great blog called The Pioneer Woman. Ree Drummond shows that blogging perseverance, a love of food, photography, combined with an interesting perspective creates reading necessity. Her blog is for everyone, the foodie, photographer, home renovator, home-school teacher, gardener and general lover of life. The Pioneer Woman is a pioneer. Who knew all those different interests could make such a great, informative and aesthetically pleasing blog. It makes me want to leave city life every time I visit The Pioneer Woman.

An American Southerner Expat in France: a Delicious Funny Read

 The saying goes; “Wherever you go, there you are.” What if you get to go somewhere and discover that you are quite different than where you were over there. Truth be told I always wanted to have an a true expat experience, as an adult with a semblance of common sense, unlike my time studying and living abroad in Spain at the age of 19-20. Since I’m being honest here, I’m slowly, or rapidly depending on who you talk to, becoming a Francophile. Of all my traveling companions to France I was the only one who loved the people, food, and city. I couldn’t get enough. This is why I regularly read Southern Fried French.  Lynn McBride-a South Carolinian is living out my dream of living in France. But here are the reasons why you should read it. The French recipes are simple, and simply to die for. You’ll want to hurry to the market to eat what she and her friends have cooking, or at least try to pull it from the computer screen for consumption. There is no better way to learn the French rules of etiquette from a Southerner and her husband who botch them, making for some interesting hilarity. An example, when Ms. McBride offered a round of wine to her guests viewing the accommodations in the Chateau she and her husband are leasing from now friends. Sounds like a harmless appealing offer, except it was not appropriate and Ms. McBride’s description of the event is priceless. Furthermore, I think we should all adapt the way in which the French discreetly let a guest know that she has in fact taken in too much of the liquid grapes. If you’re not a Fancophile like me you’ll probably become a Lynn McBrideaphile (that’s made up you know). Fly on over to Southern Fried French, because you should never miss tasting anything Fried!

3 Days Until Christmas: Make Sure to Get Egg on Your Face

Eggnog (photo provided courtesy of elanaspantry.com)

There are a lot of things about Christmas I love. Ironically, Eggnog is not one of them. I love creamy, ice cream like drinks. But I have never been able to wrap my taste buds around the egg holiday favorite. I must admit that I’ve only had store bought Eggnogs. That’s why I was thinking this year, I’m going to give the perennial favorite another shot, only this time the shot will be homemade and of different variations. With my goal in mind I did a little Internet research and found, a whole Eggnog website at Eggnog Recipe Collection. It has alcoholic, traditional, easy, low-fat and indulgent Eggnog recipes. This peaked my interest and satisfied the first part of my Eggnog journey. But always wondering if there is something better out there, I perused a little more and  hit on something  that fits my wannabe more of lifestyle from Elana’s Pantry, a vegan gluten free Eggnog recipe. These sites are perfect as I can amass a test kitchen laboratory of different Eggnogs to give my appetite a true opportunity to either deny or exult the tastiness of Eggnog.

I just seems to me that I can’t give up on a food item if I’ve only had the mass produced processed form of it. This year it’s all about the egg (or the almond depending on the recipe), with heavy cream, nutmeg, and bourbon made in my own kitchen. If you like me, do not like Eggnog or are searching for an Eggnog to write home to mom about, set up your own test kitchen with your family and you as the testers this very merry holiday.

8 Days Until Christmas: What Are You Eating Christmas Morning

 

Never-fail Souffle from Saveur (photo credit: Christopher Hirsheimer)

I don’t know about you, but every holiday morning is the exact same for me. I get up, excited about early holiday dinner. But I’m at a complete loss for what I’ll have for breakfast. The breakfast can’t be too light, so I can be satisfied. It also cannot be too heavy, so I can participate in a Spanx worthy meal. So either I have nothing for breakfast or the same old, which seems so dull given it’s a holiday. I mean, shouldn’t every holiday meal be something special. I say: “Yes!” this year. Therefore, this Christmas I’m going to do something different. I’m going to make a Christmas breakfast that is not what I normally eat. Christmas isn’t like any other day, and neither should any of my meals that day either. Here is the caveat. It has to be filling enough, special enough, and easy enough to whip up and eat. I believe Saveur’s Christmas breakfast Souffle (and all their other Christmas breakfast meals fit the bill (mostly…some are intricate). It’s special, guaranteed to be good (I mean it’s from Saveur, I love them), and quick! Click the picture to go to the recipe and see the other Christmas breakfasts. So this is my plan, a special Christmas breakfast to go with a special Christmas dinner. Now, what are your holiday breakfast plans?

 

9 Days until Christmas: Bakers Get Out Your Skills for this Holiday Torte

Ribbon Cake from Bon Appetit

There always has to be a special something for Christmas dinner. Something you don’t make often, you do well, takes time, looks incredible (like you want to smear it all over yourself incredible), and taste even better. This cake, is IT! This little item is know as the The Ribbon Cake around the office of Bon Appetit where this spiced Chocolate Torte delicacy originated. Click the image to go to Bon Appetit and the recipe, but more importantly to learn why this has been their most popular cake for 24 years. Yes, you heard me right. 24 Years!!!  About 12 years ago made a flourless chocolate cake that was on the cover of the current (back then current) Saveur magazine for some guests I was having over. Little did I know the time, patience or energy it would take to make that cake (given that I really a novice and this was my very first foray into fine baked goods. Go big or go home, no). Well it took me from start to finish, about six hours to make that cake. I’m proud to say it looked like heaven and tasted better than that. I have friends who still talk about how good that cake was to this day. In all these years I haven’t felt anything calling me as much as that flourless chocolate cake on the cover of Saveur those many years ago…until now!!

12 Days until a Christmas Candy Land: DIY Candy

White Chocolate Dipped Peppermint Sticks: Photo Credit Frances Janisch

I love the candy holidays. I really start to get that pre-sugar adrenaline rush about 2 weeks prior to Halloween. Then when Halloween arrives my world it’s a candy free-for-all until Christmas where the creme de la creme of candy is for the taking. Case in point, the white chocolate peppermint sticks from Delish. The best part is that the recipe is E.A.S.Y (click the image to go there). So, Rise. Go. And Create. Soon enough, January 1 to be exact, you’ll be enacting once again that New Year resolution to lose weight. By then you’ve missed your chance for the chocolate peppermint sticks.

22 Days until Christmas and Chanukkah Recipe

http://www.aromasofaleppo.com/hanukkah.htm

Stuffed Pancakes from Aromas of Aleppo

Some of the fondest memories of my life involve best friends  and their consistent invites to Shabbat, & Seder dinners & Chanukkah celebrations. There was a time in my life when my Christmas holidays would not be complete until I’d eaten plenty of good Jewish fare.  So naturally when thinking about a recipe to add for our Christmas countdown, Chanukkah came to mind, despite the readily apparent contradictions of the two holidays. But, being one who looks for commonality more than difference, I noted that each holiday was about celebration with an accompaniment of sumptuous food. Luckily, I came along Stuffed Pancakes (stuffed with ricotta cheese mind you, dipped in pistachios and FRIED-unfortunately one of my favorite terms). As usual you can find the How-To by clicking the link or picture above. In all my “experienced” Chanukkah years I’ve never had this recipe. Given the historical explanation that comes with the directions as to what region this dish originates it makes sense it escaped my culinary palette.  No? No matter! I’m going to make it, & eat it. Because from the looks of it, it may be my new Christmas tradition.

P.S. Make our finalists day by voting for one of them for the Blog of the Year.

23 Days until Christmas: Cocktail Recipe

http://www.cityfood.com/drink/christmas_cocktail___video_party_/nick_devine_s_santa_s_crutch

the Santa's Crutch created by Nick Devine

This week I watched what was one of the funniest Simpson episodes I’ve ever seen. In the standard opening there was a billboard for Duff beer which read: “Don’t face this Christmas sober.” When I think of Christmas I think, the birth of Jesus, Spritz cookies, holiday parties, and booze. This inventive recipe called Santa’s Crutch invented by Nick Devine includes among other things bourbon and apple juice (a couple of my favorite things). For the complete recipe click the link above or the image. Remember: Christmas is not just about the gifts, but also a little liquid warmth. As with any holiday season..don’t over do it (it’s not attractive when you’re drunk and falling over) and do not drive while intoxicated!!! Cheers.

P.S. for more great drink recipes visit Food City Magazine.

A.L.S.O. Don’t forget to vote for the Blog of the Year and acknowledge the great work of the finalists.

It’s so easy being…vegan

Lunch box bunch blog image

http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com

I think I’ve said this in a previous post, but I’m toying with becoming a vegan. Better health is on the horizon for me & all of us…especially given the fact that the government has recently said that 72% of Americans are clinically obese. Yikes! I have to admit I stumbled on to this vegan blog extraordinaire via twitter. I followed the tweets first (@lunchboxbunch) that then led me to the blog. Everything about the blogstress Kathy Patalsky is happy! The tweets, the blog…must be because of the food. If you were afraid of being a vegan and thinking what on earth appetizing could I eat on a daily basis, visit Kathy. She makes all the food look absolutely delicious (and I venture to say it is not just because of her photography skills). It’s just good food. Lunchboxbunch now has a permanent place in our dinner regimen (especially since I’ve gotten my meat-eating husband to go vegetarian or pescetarian 6 days out of the week-his veganism is coming, as is mine!!!) So here is the secret to happiness. Good food made by, served, & tweeted about at lunchboxbunch.

Your Life Would Be More Interesting if You Had More Passion in It

www.passionateaboutbaking.com

Passion is the Food of Life

Passionate About Baking’s Mixed Cherry and Berry Pie

Alright so I’ve been gone for some time. I’m not going to harp on it or berate myself. All I’m going to do is say: “Thank You loyal readers for sticking around.” Now onto the show! Summer is almost here. Every year as this season approaches I have delusions of grandeur which involve, canning (which I have never done); vegetable gardening (ditto, but I read a lot about it) and baking (which I do with abandon-hence the gym membership). But enough about me. “Really?” you may be saying as you roll your eyes. “Yes, really.” Let’s talk about Deeba Rajpal the blogstress, blogging live from India, behind Passionate About Baking. First lets talk about the layout/design of her on-line vision, fantastic. Second, her blog pictures are S.I.C.K (in the U.S. urban slang good way). Third, her content…oh her content. Pies, macaroons, jam tartlets, and fresh fruit cream cake…oh my!! If you claim to be a baker to yourself and the outside world or you want to be one, then Passionate About Baking is now one of your on-line baking cookbooks.  Because life my friends, just isn’t sweet without a passion.

Saffron and Blueberry

http://saffronandblueberry.blogspot.com

Saffron and Blueberry blog image

Creating a life with beautiful pictures of the world coupled with drool worthy food

I’m preoccupied with all things food these days. Maybe because it is the dead of winter in my home town of Minneapolis. Recent nights have been spent indoors with high heat, the Winter Games from Whistler, and food and drink. After following Hilda of London on twitter (you can find her @saffronberry) I took a look at her blog. She tweets about the most amazing food and her blog is no exception. It makes me want to leap to the kitchen, preheat the oven, and dismiss the measuring spoons from their indeterminable sentence in the drawer. But what Hilda has been hiding, at least from me on twitter, is her photography skills-not just of food but of life. These worldly snap shots match delicately well with her recipes. When I look at her pictures I too believe I can be just as good, just not anytime soon, which is my disappointment. Nonetheless, please visit Saffron and Blueberry they may seem like an unlikely pair, but they are not. They surely will not disappoint, only inspire.