Archive for Recipes & Food

[Yummy Tuesday] Rainbow Candy

The other day, I fell in love with this blog post by Brooke Reynolds of inchmark (perhaps it won’t surprise you to learn that she used to be a senior art director for Martha Stewart Kids – all of her blog posts are beautiful to look at).

Isn’t this a wonderfully cheerful (and easy!) idea?

Candygram 1 Candygram 2

Candygram 3 Candygram 4

I also happened upon some other photos of beautiful candy, notably, these “sweet pink” candies (below, left), which I saw on the Epicute blog (thanks to my sister). The photo comes from anzyAprico’s photostream on Flickr. The photo on the right is “Dutch Candy” by Chrizzie.

Beach Ball candies Dutch Candy by Chrizzie

I was inspired to have a look around Flickr for other beautiful candy photos, and boy did I find them easily. Take a look. I’m pretty sure you’ll be running for the candy jar.

Candy Jar by Moa Maria

Candies by Red64

Japanese Rainbow Candy by MiuMiu

Japanese Pastel Candy by Yomi955

Candy jar” by Moa Maria
candies” by red64
Candys from Japan” by miumiu
candy” by yomi955

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[Yummy Tuesday] Squash with Couscous

This is an old recipe from Martha Stewart that I use quite a bit, especially at this time of year. I love butternut squash – how about you?

Squash With Couscous

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, (about 1 cup), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon each ground ginger and ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 pound (about 2 cups) butternut squash, peeled and seeded, flesh quartered lengthwise and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1-1/2 cups low-sodium canned chicken broth
2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest
3/4 cup couscous
1/3 cup golden raisins

Squash and couscous step 1 Squash and couscous step 2

Squash and couscous step 3 Squash and couscous for dinner

Directions

1. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in ginger, cinnamon, cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper; cook 1 minute. Add squash and tomato paste; cook 3 minutes more.

2. Stir in broth and zest; simmer until squash is tender and sauce is thickened, 12 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Meanwhile, bring 1-1/2 cups water to a boil with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Put couscous and raisins in a glass bowl; pour in boiling water. Cover tightly with plastic wrap; let stand 5 minutes. Uncover; fluff with a fork. Serve couscous with squash and sauce.

(Sometimes I sprinkle with fresh parmesan cheese, too).

Last night I served this with a green salad and garlic bread. Yum.

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[Yucky Tuesday] Least Favorite Halloween Candy

Let’s not beat around the bush about this, because this is serious business. Please DO NOT give me my kids any of the following Halloween candy this year:

good_n_plenty Necco Wafers

Good & Plenty – The worst of the worst. ‘Nuff said.
Necco Wafers – Clinically designed to break your teeth.

now n laters peanut butter kisses

Now and Laters -  Or as I call them,  “Never. Ever.”
Peanut Butter Kisses – An abomination of candy and peanut butter.

Almond Joy and Mounds Three Musketeers

Almond Joy and Mounds – Coconut. Ew.
3 Musketeers -  Look at that whipped center. It’s creepy and unnatural.

I hate it when I am forced to sneak all the good stuff (Butterfingers, Reese’s PB Cups, Snickers, Kit Kats, Dum Dums), leaving my kids with the weird hamburger shaped gummy candy at the bottom of their buckets. If they got only the good stuff from you, neighbors*, there would be plenty to go around.

*My next door neighbor is totally exempt from this post. She hands out full size chocolate bars. I love her.

What’s your least favorite candy? I googled this, and the overwhelming majority seems to think that candy corn is the worst. Which can only mean that people have completely lost their minds. Candy corn (the first handful, anyway) is delicious. Indian corn, on the other hand, is just plain gross.

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[Yummy Tuesday] Soft Pretzels

Pretzels at Oktoberfest

(Pretzel vendor at Oktoberfest in Munich)

I was longing for a delicious pretzel, like the ones I had in Germany, so I decided to take a shot at making my own. I hauled out my old Better Homes and Gardens cookbook, read through the recipe, and thought, “Really? I have to boil them first?” I don’t know why I found this so objectionable.

So, I searched for a pretzel recipe on the Food Network, and Alton Brown’s version was exactly the same.  In other words, yes, you have to boil them first.

This was the stickiest damn dough I’ve ever worked with. And I have to confess: it’s not often that I cook something and I say to myself, “What am I doing wrong here?” (Which probably means: a) I don’t cook that often, and b) I generally only cook things I know how to cook). The dough, for me, was so elastic that I had a very hard time getting it rolled out and in a recognizable pretzel shape. I’d roll it out, and it would shrink right back to the lump I started with.

I resorted to trying to braid a couple pieces of dough together, just to have something other than a big mound of pretzel, but as you can see by my pics below, I ended up with big mounds of pretzel anyway.

C’est la vie.

Despite looking ridiculous (especially before I baked them – I couldn’t bear to take a picture), they do taste quite good.

Soft Pretzels

Soft pretzels 2

On the bright side, the banana bread I also made today looked, smelled and tasted exactly like it was supposed to.

Here’s the recipe – try it, if you’re feeling adventurous. I think I’m going to leave pretzel making to the professionals from now on.

Ingredients:

1½ cups warm (110 to 115 degrees F) water
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 package active dry yeast
22 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 4 ½ cups
2 ounces unsalted butter, melted
Vegetable oil, for pan
10 cups water
2/3 cup baking soda
1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water
Pretzel salt [I used kosher salt]

Directions:

Combine the water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam. Add the flour and butter and, using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until well combined. Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl and then oil it well with vegetable oil. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for approximately 50 to 55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line 2 half-sheet pans with parchment paper and lightly brush with the vegetable oil. Set aside.

Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in an 8-quart saucepan or roasting pan.

In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope. Make a U-shape with the rope, holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press onto the bottom of the U in order to form the shape of a pretzel. Place onto the parchment-lined half sheet pan.

Place the pretzels into the boiling water, 1 by 1, for 30 seconds. Remove them from the water using a large flat spatula. Return to the half sheet pan, brush the top of each pretzel with the beaten egg yolk and water mixture and sprinkle with the pretzel salt. Bake until dark golden brown in color, approximately 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving.

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[Yummy Tuesday] Guten Tag!

Helloooo yummy food in Switzerland and Germany! Here are some snapshots.

I don’t know what the spikey things are, but aren’t these assortments interesting? This was an early morning farmer’s market in Zurich.

Assorted Vegetables Zurich

Sausages from the same market.

Sausages in Zurich

Macaron display at Sprüngli in Zurich. The smell of chocolate at this place was intoxicating.

Macarons at Sprungli

I could eat this whole tower of pink macaron-y goodness.

Macaron Display at Sprungli

Tropical fruits at the Viktualienmarkt in Munich.

Tropical Fruits in Munich

Pretzels at Oktoberfest. I ate a lot of pretzels on this trip, including one in Zurich that was like a pretzel and butter sandwich. It was amazingly good. They like their dairy in Switzerland.

Pretzels at Oktoberfest

These are lebkuchenherzen, which are decorated gingerbread hearts that come in all sizes (I don’t know if you can tell from this picture, but these are the very big ones) . Most women (and some men) wear these around their necks at Oktoberfest. They say things like “I love you” and “I’m crazy for you.” I don’t know if you’re actually supposed to eat them, though – they felt like they were hard as a rock.

Hearts at Oktoberfest

Are you hungry now? I am. I could go for a pretzel.

Tomorrow: I roped Karin into picking some Etsy favorites.  Because I’m tricky like that.

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[Yummy Tuesday] Go Ahead, Play With Your Food

I’ve been noticing some really funny felt food on Etsy lately. People are so darn creative.

Felt Food Camping Set Play Groceries

Eco Friendly Felt Sushi Turkey with Stuffing

Pasta by Felt Cuisine Felt popsicles and ice cream

I’m cheating – it’s not Etsy Wednesday. You get double the dose of Etsy this week. If you don’t like it, well…then, there’s obviously something wrong with you. This food is key-YOOT.

First Row
Felt Food Camping Set by Sweetie Pie Bakery ($40) [This is pure genius, isn't it? I love that fire.]
Play Groceries by The Bird Perch ($105 – free shipping) [The meat and cheese are my faves.]

Second Row
Eco Friendly Felt Sushi Set by Little Fluff Stuff ($29.99) [Check out the awesome felt macaroons in this shop]
Turkey with Felt Stuffing by Bug Bites Play Food ($25) [Possibly tastes better than my your mother-in-law's turkey]

Third Row
58 patterns on CD for all Felt Cuisine play food by Felt Cuisine ($64.97) [How real does that pasta look?!]
Ice cream and Popsicle patterns by Bugga Bugs ($6) [That ice cream sandwich is the best.]

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[Yummy Tuesday] TNS and a Halloween Snack

I have to thank my mom for giving me a little inspiration for today’s post. (And maybe you’ll be thanking her too).

I was only going to write about this quickie Halloween trail mix that the girls and I threw together last night (more on this in a minute), but then I got an email from my mom, who said, “One thing about Charlotte’s Fancy that is beginning to annoy me: You sound more and more like Mr. Rogers talking to his kids.”

Moms always know just what to say, don’t they? I was even wearing a cardigan at the time.

So, ok. Let’s switch things up just a little for today. Let me introduce you to Michelle and her blog: Thursday Night Smackdown, my favorite unapologetically foul-mouthed food blog with regular features that include “Shit I Want Monday” and “Tight Ass Tuesday” as well as live blogging episodes of Top Chef and other reality food TV.  For me, it’s not really about the recipes/food (but don’t tell Michelle that). I just think she’s hilarious.

Thursday Night Smackdown

I don’t include it in my Good Reads list, because it’s not design/crafts related. But it is a good read, and I am a regular reader.

I’m not funny enough to write like Michelle, but I’m too sarcastic to be Mr. Rogers.  Also, Lady Elaine really creeped me out. So, I can cut out the nicey-nice chit chat, but I won’t be venturing into the land of f-bombs either.

Now, about that Halloween snack.

It’s good because it features candy corn, and candy corn is good. (And if you don’t like candy corn, you might not be allowed to read this blog anymore).

IMG_8283

Halloween Trail Mix:

1 cup roasted pumpkin seeds (I bought them hulled and raw and popped them in the toaster oven)
1 cup peanuts
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup candy corn
1 cup pretzel sticks
1 cup Corn Chex cereal

(Dump it in a bowl and mix it up – I know I don’t really have to tell you that).

Fortunately for my teeth, I can only take a couple of scoops before I’ve completely had my fill. Also, obviously you can toy with amounts. I don’t think I actually put a whole cup of cranberries or candy corn in, and I probably went heavy on the Corn Chex, which is an absolutely key ingredient.

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[Design Thursday] EAT + This Water

My husband and I stumbled across this place to grab a quick bite at Heathrow Airport called EAT (which seems to have a lot of locations in and around London). Great packaging, great food. (Yes, I just called airport food “great” and I wasn’t being sarcastic.) I even had a nectarine, and it was juicy and fresh.

So, if you find yourself in Terminal 5, and you’ve simply had your fill of your shopping at Harrod’s, Prada, and Chanel, seek out EAT for a very good little meal.

EAT - soupsEAT - sandwich

EAT - CupcakesEAT - Salad

EAT also sold This Water drinks, which were excellent. Plus, they have rainbows, hummingbirds, butterflies and rain clouds on the packaging, so how could you possibly go wrong?

This Water Mangoes and Passion Fruit This Water Lemons and Limes

I don’t know about you, but package design is a very big factor (usually sub-consciously) in my decision-making process, and undoubtedly why I gravitated toward EAT over other options at Heathrow. I especially notice this influence when I see beauty products on Etsy – many of which I pass right by because the packaging is too generic. Have you had this experience too? How important is the packaging when you’re buying a new product?

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[Yummy Tuesday] Snack Ideas?

Hello all! Back from the holiday weekend, in which I did a lot of decluttering around the house, took the girls to see the movie Ponyo, got to hold a couple of cute babies, played in the park and at the pool with all of our friends, and made a trip to Philadelphia to visit the lovely Karin and the oh so adorable Charlotte (more on that visit later in the week). I miss the summer already!

This morning I sent my girls off to their first day of Kindergarten and third grade. Time sure does fly, doesn’t it?

With two kids in full day school now, that’s two snacks and two lunches to make every day. It’s easy to run out of interesting (and healthy) snack and lunch ideas, so I bought “Healthy Lunchboxes for Kids” by Amanda Grant last week when I stopped by a Pottery Barn Kids store. I’ve gotten other books from PB Kids before, all excellent (also, curiously, all by British authors), so I am hoping this one is just as useful as the others have been.

Healthy Lunchboxes for Kids

Some of the recipes include: chicken with mango chutney and cucumber sandwiches, sliced bananas with jam, pesto cheese twists, sausage and red pepper rolls, fruity oat bars, and sticky gingerbread. The book also has a lot of simple recipe and snack ideas (fresh fruit, fresh veggies with various dips, little salads, etc.).

Typically, we’re not so ambitious with our snacks and lunches – a healthy sandwich, veggies, fruit, or maybe leftovers. But we rarely cook things ahead of time; what’s for lunch is usually whatever is in the fridge that morning. But I’m hoping this book will nudge us in a new direction.

Do you have a favorite snack/recipe you’re willing to share? What do your kids love to find in their lunchboxes? Please tell me your ideas in the comment section – it might help others who are in the same boat, and I would love to have a list that I can turn to when I feel like I’ve run out of ideas.

Tomorrow’s Etsy Wednesday picks are a must see if you need a gigantic dose of adorable.

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[Yummy Tuesday] Snapshots of Spanish Food

Today I’m sharing with you some assorted food photos from Spain.

This is the central market in Barcelona, the Mercat de la Boqueria (and the ever present hanging ham):

Jamon Barcelona

Was it juvenile of me to take a picture of a calf’s head? Why are sweetbreads called sweetbreads? You know that’s a terribly cruel and misleading name for it.

Meat and Calf Head Barcelona

Does it surprise you that I took a picture of the stall with all gummy candy? It shouldn’t. I really wanted to try one of those gummy ropes that had cream filling (or some kind of filling) but never got around to it. Too busy marveling at how many different kinds of gummy candy they had, I guess.

Gummy Candy Barcelona

And next to the gummy stand was the lollipop and gummy stand.

Candy and Lollipops Barcelona

(That’s my husband in the blue shirt)

Mercat Barcelona

Another market in Barcelona, the Mercat de Santa Caterina. It was not nearly as crowded but maybe also not nearly as interesting as the Mercat de la Boqueria.

Mercat Sant Caterina Barcelona

This photo from Sevilla makes me giggle every time I see it. Darn good dagels at that joint, but you haven’t lived until you’ve tried their strillberry fristed dagnuts.

Duffin Dagels Sevilla

On the grounds of the Alhambra in Granada, this pomegranate tree (Granada is the city of the pomegranate):

Pomegranate Granada

Rolando had this sea urchin dish at a cafe in Granada. Looks pretty, didn’t taste so pretty. The cafe, however, was a chic little place.

Sea Urchin Granada

Apparently I didn’t take any photos of the thousands of orange and olive trees we saw. I also failed to take a pic at Xocoa, a fabulous chocolate shop in Barcelona.

Our favorite restaurant was a joint in Barcelona called DosTrece, where the menú del día was excellent and the super nice waiter turned out to be a guy from L.A. It’s right around the corner from MACBA.

We also ate A LOT of ice cream on this trip (hey, it was 100 degrees). Mostly mango sorbet. Though Marscapone in Sevilla, where their ice cream was made from (take a wild guess) marscapone, was probably the best we ate.

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