Buffalo Blue Hot Dogs

Are you bored with ketchup, mustard and relish hot dogs this summer?  Variety IS the spice of life!  These Buffalo Blue Hot Dogs are inspired from a local hot dog joint back home in RI, Spike's Junk Yard Dogs.  Spikes has 8 locations throughout southern New England...so if your are in the area look them up!

So, once your dogs are cooked according to your favorite method you can get to work on the assembly line (normally I would grill our hot dogs, our grill is broken down for traveling purposes...I boiled them this time).

MANly Morning Meatloaf #Egg-Free

Queue the 2 & 1/2 Men theme song, because this is THE manly-est (!) breakfast meatloaf you will ever see (men, men, men, men, manly-men-men-me, oooooooooooooo...).  I am always looking for egg-free breakfasts (like here), that aren't sugary and carbo-loaded (like here).  When I stumbled across this recipe on Pinterest, I just knew I had to try it!  If you've been here before, you know that my hubby has a SLEW of food allergies and food intolerances.  I needed a manly breakfast to feed him on his way out the door; something that would keep him fueled all day long.

Breakfast is the trickiest meal to balance out when eggs are out of the question.  Often times, S just has coffee in the morning before work.  His works looong 12 hour days, most of which he's not stopping to eat lunch, resulting in him arriving home like a Tazmanian Devil searching for supper.  I know, I know....not good.  Let's all publicly shame him now......bad S!

Chocolate Dipped Tangerines #PeanutFree

Friday's Finds: Melona Bars

For this week's find, I am sharing our newest obsession:  Melona bars!!  Upon an unsuccessful search for peanut and tree nut-free popsicles (we were looking for the red/white/blue rocket pops to have on the 4th of July), S stumbled onto these gems.  They were food allergy friendly for him (ice cream and novelties are tricky in Canada - 98% of varieties in stores have the "may contain peanuts or tree nuts").  We first tried the banana flavored bars....THAT box lasted a mere 48 hrs.  What?  it was hot out that week, no judgy!  I guess you could say that banana was our "gateway" flavor; during the following week's grocery haul, S pranced his way to the checkout armed with banana, AND melon, AND mango (he really did prance).  

These can best be described as fruit and cream smoothies, frozen onto a stick.....think creamsicle - except, instead of the fruit on the outer layer and the cream in the middle - it's blended into one smooth consistency, a frozen stick of deliciousness!! Each flavor is SPOT ON!!  Yeah, we've tried them all....several times.

Wilted Salad with Apple Bacon Sliders

So I think (!!) I can say that this is a gluten-free salad, that just happens to be Paleo (again, I think).  It is definitely nut-free (as is everything I make), dairy-free, AND egg-free.  Essentially it's just vegetables, fruit, ground chicken and crumbled bacon....yet, it's most definitely NOT flavor-free!!

A Big Salad, Elaine Benes-Big

Remember Elaine Benes, from Seinfeld?  Yes?   Well, remember her fondness for a "big salad"?  I'd like to think she would appreciate this salad....so I'm naming it after her.  I give you:  An Elaine Benes BIG Salad!  This is not so much a recipe as it is just a few suggestions, my salad guidelines for a great salad experience, if you will.

What you will need for 1 salad; layer the following:

Friday's Finds: Lime Marmalade

I decided to start a new thing here at Soliloquy:  Friday's Finds.  Since my kitchen is boxed up and sitting in a storage facility and since my furnished rental is very limited on kitchen tools, I am not experimenting much with new recipes.  Oh, and how I do love to try new things....what's a gurl ta' do?!

I will be sharing some of my favorite new "finds".  Sure, they may not be brand new; they may have been around the block before.  But not my block - they are new to me!

Suasage And Pepper Pasta Salad

Nothing says summer quite like pasta salad!  For this pasta salad I had to abandon my usual pasta salad ingredients for a few unusual pasta salad ingredients:  sausage and radicchio.  I decided to take one of my favorite summer grill recipes and transform it into a pasta salad; I was looking for a make-ahead meal that would require very little time and effort to get it from the fridge to the table.  

It was blazing hot the week I made this, 94 degrees in the Canadian Prairie is H-O-T! Considering that 9 months out of the year it is an arctic tundra-like environment, I'm not really going to kvetch much about the heat.  Plus, I am under the age of 70, so kvetching about the weather is not acceptable.  

Soft & Chewy Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies (Topped Three Ways)

Today I am sharing my favorite sugar cookie recipe; these cookies are soft, chewy, buttery and delicious.  I am also giving you three different topping options.  Yeah, I'm good like that. The recipe for these soft & chewy old fashioned sugar cookies is one I found just last year...in a mystery novel!  Joanne Fluke's  The Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder  is NOT just a who-done-it, it is also the source for these cookies - a mystery with recipes (as the book jacket states).

The main protagonist, Hannah Swensen, owns and operates a bakery in the small town of Lake Eden, Minnesota. Throughout the Hannah Swensen mystery series, recipes for cookies (mostly) and other baked goods are provided as her character bakes them in the storyline.  

Liebster Award Nominations

I have been awarded a Liebster Award.  Vicky at:  veryvic.blogspot.com nominated me several weeks ago.  With our recent move and relocation, this post fell by the wayside (sorry, Vicky!!).  I finally sat down to answer Vicky's questions, and low and behold - Lydia @ lydiasflexitariankitchen.com nominated me for another Liebster award!

A Liebster Award is for up and coming bloggers who have less than 200 followers.  It's a social award  - a virtual pat on the back -  that gets people out of their bloggy-shells.  It facilities interaction and dialogue....and a way to meet new bloggy friends (these are my own words....for an "official" description, CLICK HERE.)  

  

I don't know if this is acceptable, but I'm going to answer BOTH sets of questions in one post; first Vicky's, then Lydia's.  I will share 22 (!) random facts - 11 for each nomination,  and nominate 10 bloggers - 5 bloggers per nomination.

Honey Lime Teriyaki Chicken Wraps with Hot Sweet & Sour Cilantro Carrots

Today is July 4th, Happy Independence Day!!  When the cookouts have ended, and the leftovers are all gone, give these wraps a try......

Honey Lime Teriyaki Chicken Wraps with Hot Sweet & Sour Cilantro Carrots.  Yeah, that's a loooong title.

I'm not sure what exactly constitutes an actual Teriyaki sauce?  Soy sauce, sweetened with honey and a twist of lime?  Why don't we just call this Teriyaki sauce?  

Soliloquy's Fourth Of July Picks

Are you looking for a few last minute goodies to  bring to your cookout table this year? I have a few ideas that would fit into any menu.  Alongside the hot dogs and hamburgers, pasta salads, and corn on the cob....how about these yummy treats?

Calgary, Alberta: An Update & Brew Review!

It's Canada Day ~ July 1st, 2013!!  So, I am sending love out to Canada today, especially Calgary, Alberta.  I am also doing a beer review on a few brews from Big Rock Brewery, located in Calgary....but first lets catch up on the situation there.

They were hit pretty hard recently with rising flood waters and emergency evacuations.  Now in the process restoring power and cleaning up the devastation, people are beginning to return to their homes and restore normalcy, those who were lucky enough to have a home to come back to, that is.  Thousands are still displaced, and will continue to be for a "significant period" (click here for newspaper article).

Click here for an aerial view of the rising water, taken about a week ago, on June 21, 2013.

Bluespberry Cobblers & A Moving Update

Bluespberry:  The intense fresh berry-flavored sensation achieved whilst combining fresh blueberries with fresh raspberries.  (Yes.  I made that word up.)   This Bluespberry (blueberry & raspberry) cobbler, however, is for real!!  Last week, I needed a quick dessert for last minute dinner party.  Originally, I was going with a store bought angel food cake with fresh berries and whipped cream, then I found this recipe.

We have moved out of our downtown Edmonton apartment/condo, as mentioned in a recent post, and we are now in Regina, Saskatchewan.  The plan was to stop here for a few weeks, as S would be working out of this location for a bit, then continue 'Eastbound And Down' home to New England.  Weeellllll, we're gunna need a bigger boat...meaning:  we are going to be here a little bit longer.  Our cross-country road trip is now postponed until mid-September.  

Loaded Sweet Potato Hash

Loaded Sweet Potato Hash:  it's what's for dinner...tonight, anyway.  Or, have it for breakfast...better yet, have it for breakfast-for-dinner.  Yeah, breakfast-for-dinner. Okay, let me start over.

Loaded Sweet Potato Hash:  it's what's for breakfast-for-dinner!!

It's hard for me to find a well rounded breakfast-y type meal for S (do not judge by the copious amounts of bacon on his plate).  He cannot eat eggs, so that excludes, like, 75% of most menus and meal plans.  Typically, if we have breakfast for dinner, it is a pancake meal, or our Hawaiian breakfast plate (again, minus the eggs).  So I thought I'd mix things up a little:  change traditional hash browns from white potatoes to sweet potatoes, add some sauteed peppers and onions, and "garnish" it with bacon. Obviously, S and I have a difference of opinion on the term "garnish".

Arnold Palmer Drinks (and a tribute to Robert Palmer)

Arnold Palmer - a famous golfer who coined his favorite drink:  half lemonade and half ice tea.
Robert Palmer -  a famous singer-songwriter who coined slicked back hair, pale faces, and heavy eye and lip makeup for the models/dancers in his music videos.

So, what do these two men have in common, other than the same last name?  Not a damn thing.  Me, being me, always refers to the drink as a Robert Palmer, instead of a Arnold Palmer.  An Arnold Palmer, AKA a half and half, is simply half lemonade, and half ice tea.  It's also 'Simply Irresistible' (Click here for the music video).

Overnight Yogurt Parfaits

Overnight Yogurt Parfaits are one of my favorite things.  At one point I was totally hooked on them; I was buying them from the local health food store, every day, on the way to work.  I wondered WHY they were so good?  Where they putting crack in them? Come to find out, they were using FULL FAT yogurt.  So, yes - to a chubby girl, full fat yogurt is crack!!  (Seriously, have you ever tried the regular Libertè Greek Lemon yogurt?  It has, like, 568 grams of fat per serving...it is wonderful!!)  I decided to try and make them on my own using 0% fat yogurt, plus I could then alter the yogurt to fruit & granola ratio more to my liking.

Because all the ingredients mingle overnight in the refrigerator, the excess moisture from the fruit and yogurt is absorbed into the granola, in turn, thickening the yogurt and making the granola plump and delicious (my nickname, FYI).  So if you are turned off by runny yogurt (like me), this is a good way to transform it.  I actually use Greek yogurt for my parfaits....needless to say, I could plaster holes in walls with the consistency it lends.  To each his/her own, right?

Vanilla Bourbon Strawberries

I learned early, as a child, that if you dip a strawberry into a little sugar it tastes mad, crazy-good - and it makes a lovely syrup.  At the time I had no idea what the term 'maseration' meant...I thought I was a Little Miss Wizard of strawberries!!  Fast forward 30+ years:  I'm still mixing strawberries and sugar, except now it's vanilla sugar, and now I am adding bourbon to the equation.  Vanilla Sugar + Bourbon + Fresh Strawberries = THIS INSANE BOWL OF SPIKED BERRIES!!  (sorry for the caps....I'll try and contain myself.  I promise.  Pinkie swear.)

You can make your own vanilla sugar.....but when you see at HomeGoods for only 3 bucks, you buy a couple of bags.  Right?  Alternatively, if you have a real nice vanilla extract on-hand, you could use that along with sugar and bourbon.

Black Bean (Ninja) Brownies

Sshhhh!  Don't tell anyone there are beans in dese ninja browneezzz!
Ninja brownies, because I had to move stealth-like through the kitchen - as to not attract unwanted attention - while I opened, rinsed, and drained a can of black beans.

Once I started whirling them around in the food processor, I could ninja no more.  As if the sound was a mating call, right on queue S popped his head up from the couch like a prairie dog.

S:  Whatcha making?
Me:  Brownies.
S:  Oooohhhhh, brownies.  What kind?
Me:  Good ones.

That seemed to satisfy his curiosity.  Thank goodness he has the attention span of a puppy on the weekends; he crams a weeks worth of TV, reading, internet searches,  and you tube videos into 2 days.

This was my first attempt at bean brownies and I have to admit, my expectations were pretty low.  I mean, come on...beans....in brownies.  I was pleasantly surprised, as was S!!  I didn't tell him about the beans until after he ate the brownies.  I did tell him they were a new, chocolaty, chewy recipe I was trying (technically, this was no lie).  They reminded me of Little Debbie's Cosmic Brownies, minus the chemicals and artificial stuff - come on, we've all had one before, right?  They were moist, fudgy, and chewy....all the fine qualities a brownie should have.  Obviously they were a hit - I'm lucky I snapped this pic when I did.

I originally found this recipe on Pinterest....which led me to Foodista....where I then learned that this recipe was by Andie Mitchel, CanYouStayForDinner....but I could not find it on her website.


Would I make them again?  Yes.  Absolutely!  I did only use 1 egg plus one egg yolk, as opposed to the two eggs plus one egg yolk - foods that are too eggy bother S, as mentioned before :)


Click HERE for the recipe, and try beans in yo' brownies!!

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Pastene Five Minute Marinara (w/ Five Second Marinara Option)

I kid you not!  Preheat a pan, prep the ingredients, and you can make this marina in just five minutes.  If that's still not quick enough, I'll even throw a five second version your way!

I haven't bought jarred tomato sauce in over 10 years, not for pasta or pizza.  This is my go-to recipe for a quick, easy, and fresh tasting marinara sauce.  I am totally brand loyal when it comes to canned tomatoes; not all are created equal.  I have tried many, many other brands, both gourmet and generic - NONE have ever matched the quality and consistency of Pastene "Kitchen Ready" crushed tomatoes.  This is the brand my family used in their deli (as mentioned in my RI Pizza Dough post); it is the brand recommended in my Bacon Bucatini & Meatballs post, and it is the brand used for the marinara in my Fugetaboutit Burgers....in fact the marinara for those burgers is this recipe!

Tropical White Chip Cookies (AKA: Moving Day Cookies)

These Tropical White Chip Cookies are also know as 'Moving Day Cookies' in our house.  Tropical due to the ground banana chips, fine ground coconut, and dried pineapple bits.....Moving Day Cookies because I had handfuls of all these ingredients and needed to use them up, as mentioned in a previous post.  These are now S's favorite cookies, and he would "like a plate of them EVERY DAY!!"

The ground banana chips and the fine ground coconut are actually a by-product of a kitchen FAIL(!)  I had attempted to make nut-free Macarons by grinding my own flours made from banana chips and unsweetened coconut flakes.  FYI, grinding coconut flakes in a food processor yields coconut butter, NOT coconut flour, and ground banana chips don't really have flour-like qualities.....go figure.  Needless to say my Macarons were a flop...they were more of banana and coconut flavored meringues. Good thing I saved the pulverized crumbs in Ziploc bags from my failed Macarons, or I never would have had the idea to make these cookies!  

Garlic Edamame

Garlic Edamame has two stories that go along with it; the first about an organic farmer, and the second about a country club in Lanikai, Hawaii.  Consider this a bonus post, two stories for the price of one! 

~~~~

For the longest time I bought shelled edamame, in frozen brick-like form, thawed it and either roasted them or added them to rice and soup dishes.  I knew edamame beans were soybeans….I thought they were a specific type, a certain variety of soybeans.  I didn’t realize that edamame beans are simply soybeans in the early developmental stage - small tender beans in the pod.

GMO Rant

Although this started out as a post on Garlic Edamame....it took on a life of it's own.  A separate post will follow, as less opinionated post, equipped with recipe and everything.  Until then, humor me :)

Quick - get the soapbox, somebody!  STAT!!  For what you are about to read is my own opinion...

Yes, bag torn open - like a savage

If you are going to buy soy products, please consider choosing organic and/or GMO-FREE.  Soy is one of the worst GMO altered foods; The Top 5 worst altered foods:  Corn, Soy, Sugar, Aspartame, and Canola Oil.

Genetically Modifying Food, in my opinion is unnatural.  Sure, there may be few exceptions...but do we really need (or want) pesticides spliced into the DNA of plants?  At the very least, shouldn't we have the right to know if what we are buying and eating has been altered?

In my house we have to read labels to avoid death!!  Seriously, if S ingests a peanut....let's not even go there.  So if scientists decide to add peanut DNA into other plants, for what ever reason, can they guarantee it won't be harmful to him if ingested?  Or, if you avoid certain foods, for your own belief-systems, and you are eating GMO foods that might have animal DNA in them....is that okay?  Guess what?  THEY CAN, & DO, THIS WITHOUT HAVING TO DISCLOSE IT!!

Trying to keep abreast of the current legislation battle against Monsanto (the Mother  EFF of all things GMO) is maddening.  They have so much more money, lobbyists, and power over our nation's food supply than they should.  They produce seeds, hold strict patterns on "their" crops....if a farmer is growing non-Monsanto GMO-free crops, and they happen to inadvertently cross pollinate with Monsanto GMO crops,  Monsanto can/will/and has sue(d) the farmer for patten right infringements.  Oh yeah!  The wind carrying their GMO pollen, mixes with other crops producing a GMO plant, in which they hold a patten on, and they will sue you....or you can pay them a  hefty "license fee" for growing their seeds without their permission.  Also, Monsanto seeds are not open pollination seeds - meaning the seeds CANNOT be saved (grown for seed, for the following year), you have to purchase seeds for a new crop - every year - making farmers heavily dependant on them.

Sadly, lab coat-wearing-scientists engineering our food could replace the idyllic overalls-wearing-farmer.  In a schoolyard, Monsanto is the bully stealing our lunch money.  Stand up to the bully - read labels, choose organic & GMO free, support you local organic farmers.

Am I an expert on this matter?  NO; these are just my opinions and beliefs....opinions are just like noses - everybody has got one, some bigger than others.

Links:
Understanding GMOs
Percy Schmeiser Stands Up To Monsanto
Nelson Farm (ND) vs. Monsanto
US Senate Votes NO to GMO Labeling
Long term toxicity of a Roundup herbicide and a Roundup-tolerant GMO maize
Connecticut says YES to labeling GMOs
Vermont Votes YES to labeling GMOs
aaaaand, you guessed it:  Monsanto threatens to sue the state of Vermont

Thanks for staying with me and reading!!

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We're Moving & My Kitchen Challenge

We move a lot; sometimes, I think we should invest in our own moving van.  It's not an intentional thing, our moving, it just sort of happens - for mostly work related reasons.  Such is the case for latest move.  A year ago we came to Edmonton, AB when S accepted a promotion.  Now after another promotion, S will be traveling for work on a regular basis and I will be squatting with family and meeting up with him as often as possible.  Eventually we will figure out where we will be living....eventually.

So here I am, again, boxed up.  All my worldly possessions locked in a storage unit, waiting for the moving vans to haul it away.  I am down to the bare essentials for a few weeks:  1 - XL nonstick skillet, 1 - spaghetti pot, 1 - electric kettle, 1 - coffee maker (I use a Melita cone carafe - I refuse to part with it.  *refuse*), 1 - coffee grinder (again, *refuse*), 2 - odd sized bamboo/plasticy bowls, that also double as plates - they've made appearances in my last few posts because they're all I have left(!), and my backpacking kitchen pouch (complete with Lexan eating & cooking utensils).  Our mattress is on the floor, and we have 2 outdoor chairs in the living room - most times occupied by Duke & Notch.

My Kitchen Challenge is to use up as much of my pantry as possible....kind of like an episode of Chopped.....Today's mystery ingredients:  Pork Pate, Canned Pumpkin, Brown Rice Couscous, and Raspberry Preserves (God, I need a hobby).  That's the randomness I have to work with.

This is what's in my kitchen

Of course, I have so many cool ideas to try....and then realize my food processor, blender, stand mixer, etc IS IN STORAGE!!  So it's back to basics for me, for a while; mixing and kneading by hand, mincing garlic without a Microplane (the horror...but the fingernails are happy), and chopping with a terrible, terrible paring knife.

So far I've made:  Sunny-Honey No-Bake Cookies,  Buffalo Chicken Patties with Blue Cheese Slaw, and Scrambled Eggs (notice they're all pictured in the same bowl?)

On deck this week:  Baked Sole with Carrot & Parsnip Fries, Garlic Edamame, and 5 Minute Marinara Sauce....then things are going to start to get complicated.

Thanks for reading!  Although an it's an unconventional move, we are both super excited!

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Buffalo Chicken Patties & Blue Cheese Slaw

These buffalo chicken patties - with blue cheese slaw - to be honest, are my lazy version of the infamous wing/tender deal.  I'm not jackin' around with a fryerlator every time we need a Frank's Red Hot and blue cheese fix.  Sure, you could go all dippy-dredgey with the 1-2-3 (flour, egg wash, breadcrumb/cracker meal), but like I said - this is my lazy version, 1-2-3-ing wings/tenders would require effort...and lighting the oven.

While we're on the subject of blue cheese, just for the record, we are TEAM BLUE CHEESE in our house.  Sorry, ranch dressing - we-don't-want-you, gettoutahere!!  For all things buffalo:  blue cheese all the way!

Prosciutto, Melon & Herbed Provolone

Prosciutto with melon is just divine, and it is so simple.  The sweet, juicy cantaloupe, the savory, salty cured ham - which itself lends a certain sweetness - both together will create a party on your palate!  This combo has been around for years, it is the O.G. of sweet and salty (O.G. = Original Gangsta, just in case...I figured I'd save you a Google search).  Now lets add some herbed provolone, shall we?

 

The inspiration for this plate came from our flight home from Hawaii.  Edmonton to Honolulu has got to be the LONGEST flight I've ever taken.  So when we grossly underspent our travel funds, an upgrade to first class, on our red eye flight home, was a no brainer!  I have NEVER flown first class - I don't get out much, period.  What a difference, OMG.  Complimentary non-stop beverage service, video players, luncheon plate, coffee and dessert.  Sadly, this will probably have been my only jaunt in first class (tear).

Scrambled Eggs & Food Allergy Talk

Scrambled eggs has to be one of THE first things I ever cooked on my own, all by myself.  It is my preferred method of preparing and eating eggs, and I really don't eat eggs quite that often.  S is allergic to eggs - he can eat them baked into something like a cake, bread, cookies, etc. - yet alone, they trigger his allergies, resulting in freakishly-swollen, distorted facial features aaaaand raspy voice.

There are many stories of his childhood experiences, and the process of elimination as to what foods would trigger a response.  One in particular, S was left with his Dad for a while, as his Mom ran a few errands.  I am assuming he was between 1-2 years old, he was in a highchair - I don't know nuthin bout birthin no babies, so just humor me with me estimation of age.  Corncob (S's Dad...he use to smoke a pipe) decided to make his famous One-Eyed-Jacks for breakfast...hollowing out a slice of white bread, breaking and egg into the center on a griddle, essentially a fried egg in toast.  All was going well; little baby S was starting in on his breakfast.  Corncob turns to prepare himself a Jack.  Stifled by screams, Corncob turns around to see his wife, D-9 (that's her nickname) standing in the garage/kitchen doorway - bags of whatever dropped by her feet -  hands clutching her face, yelping, OMG Corncob!!  Whatdidyoudo!!  There sat little baby S, happy as a clam, and swollen like a hot air balloon, diligently eating his eggs and toast.  So that's how it was determined that eggs, alone in full concentration, were a no-no.

Sunny-Honey No-Bake Cookies

These Sunny-Honey No-Bake Cookies are a peanut-free version of your typical peanut butter no bakes, except these are made with Sunbutter.  Sunbutter is my savior!!  Seeing how peanut butter is a no-no in our house (remember "bubble boy"- my hubs - and his slew of allergies?).  It is the closest thing to peanut butter, and I've tried them all.  It has a slightly thinner texture, and the taste ALMOST the same as peanut butter, almost.  Yet, if you are baking with it, you can hardly tell the difference.  Just a note:  the Natural Sunbutter may cause your baked goods to take on a greenish color - the chlorogenic acid, found naturally in sunflower seeds, causes this discoloration (which is perfectly safe to ingest, Kermit would approve), the Natural Sunbutter is just ground seeds, no sugars or tocopherols (preservatives) added.  I use the Creamy variety, which has added sugar and tocopherols; I have had no such issues with my baked goods tuning green.  

So the Sunbutter is the "Sunny" part of this equation, and the "Honey" part is just that; I swapped out the sugar for honey.

Blueberry Chai Banana Bread

This Blueberry-Chai Banana bread is a keeper!!  It's also a good way for me to highlight some of my spices, and the overripe bananas in my kitchen.

Cooking for a person with food allergies - especially foods from other countries - means that you are going to have to stock an array of spices and condiments.  If you want Chinese, Thai, or Indian foods you can't simply call for take out, or eat out....these types of food usually utilize peanut oil for it's high smoking ability, or flavor.  For making Chinese, and Thai food, it's handy to have sesame oil, rice vinegar, fish sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, various soy sauces, and Chinese 5-spice...just to name a few.  For Indian food, dried chilies, black & green cardamom (which you must husk and grind), fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds, turmeric, again - just to name a few, are essential.

DIY Del's Lemonade (Frozen Soft-Serve Lemonade)

When life gives you a 4 pound bag of lemons, you make your own  Del's Lemonade!!

What's a Del's Lemonade, you ask?  Why, it is a soft-serve, frozen lemonade famous in Rhode Island.  It's like drinking snowy lemonade (which is exactly how it was created), but NEVER with a straw - you shake it and roll it around the cup, the heat from your hand slowly melting it into the perfect drinking texture.  And weather you buy it from a Del's Lemonade stand, truck, or cart - a pretzel rod or gumball stuck atop is the perfect garnish, regardless of age.

So I don't have any pretzels or gumballs....and I don't have any of the iconic green, waxy cups that it's dispensed in...but I do have the sweet, tart, and frozen concoction that has all southern New Englanders swooning!!

Star Wars Pizzas, #MayTheFourth

MayTheForth be with you... In honor of Star Wars Day, I decided to try my hand at making Star Wars themed pizzas.  I first found these on Pinterest and have traced them back to Ramahughes' Flickr page.  Admittedly, I am no artist....especially using produce as my medium....I did my best.

I had fun making these...combining pizza & Star Wars seemed like a no-brainer!  I kept speaking Yoda - out loud, to myself (not weird)- " Yoda, on my pizza, your face is!"  And lets not forget Lord Vader....gggoooooooo (said whispering, while inhaling), gggaaaaahhhhh (said whispering, while exhaling) - again, it's only weird if you let it be weird.

Beef & Broccolini Lo Mein

Get lo, get lo...get Beef & Broccolini Lo Mein!  

Do you think Lil John sings "Get LOw" when he eats his lo mein?  (These are the things that keep me up at night).  Perhaps Sandra Bullok sings it when doing so?  Her version of 'Get LOw',  in The Proposal, was quite amusing.  

Sing, or don't sing...but you must try this lo mein!!  The vegetables take center stage, the beef is more of an accent.  Together they play out wonderfully....the tender mushrooms and noodles....the crunchy broccolini and snow peas....hints of marinated beef throughout.

Blueberry-Corn Muffins

These blueberry-corn muffins are best described as the following:
Suppose a blueberry muffin met a corn muffin (perhaps they were co-workers, who gazed longingly at each other from across a crowed room), fell in love (after several attempts at asking Lil Miss Corn Muffin out - she was playing hard to get - she finally said yes; their fate was set), and had little muffin babies (triplets!!) - the little baby hybrid muffins would be these, blueberry-corn muffins....not too corny....not too blueberryish...just perfect.

Corn muffins and blueberry muffins are tied as being my favorites.  So why not merge the two, right?  Upon several unsuccessful attempts - they were either too cornmealy, or too cakey - I had come to the conclusion that I just would have to have one of each.

Confetti Pasta and Beans & #crazybird

I didn't quite know what to call this...I went with 'Confetti Pasta & Beans'.  It just sounded better than 'Refrigerator Haul-In-A-Bowl, with pasta and beans'....or, 'Roy G. Biv pasta and beans'.

Seeing how I represented every color in the rainbow, except blue, I opted to serve this in a pretty blue bowl.  You remember ROY G. BIV...the acronym used to memorize the order of colors in a rainbow?  Although it would have been a good description of this dish, I associate Roy G Biv as being a person - middle-aged, married, 2 kids, Laberdoodle, etc., not as dinner.

Let's just humor Mr. Biv, shall we?

Red = mini bell peppers, grape tomatoes

Orange = carrots

Yellow = mini bell peppers, corn, grape tomatoes

Green = scallions, cilantro

Blue = the bowl

Indigo = (see Blue)

Purple = red onion...it's purple-ish
**Update** I am a moron....ROY G. BIV....V='s Violet, not Purple....whoopsie!!!!