The Cookie Thing: Helping Make Fool-Proof Cookies!

March 11, 2013 Leave a Comment

A few days ago I was sent The Cookie Thing. Obviously, I love any excuse to make cookies, so I was more than happy to test this out. The Cookie Thing is really a simple design, but its brilliant. It  made rolling out cookie dough (you can also use it for pie dough and more, too) totally fool proof.

The Cookie Thing arrived at my door very cutely packaged.  It’s essentially pieces of wood that are cut to four specific sizes and a simple wooden rolling pin. To use it, you place the dough between sheets of wax paper.  Then you pick two matching planks from the group of four sizes, and place them on either side of the dough. Finally, you use the roller on top of planks to roll out the perfect thickness.  And there you have it – dough rolled out to the exact right size you wanted. So simple right? Exactly. Why didn’t I think of this first?

As a side note, I’ve never rolled out dough between wax paper before, but it’s so smart.  It makes the process easier because you don’t have to add extra flour to roll out the dough and then worry about all the extra flour changing the flavor.

I’m going to try the Cookie Thing on pie crust next.  Last time I made crust from scratch it was WAAAAAAAAAY too thick. So hopefully this will help.  Here’s a step by step of how I used it to make cookies.

I used the white rollout cookie recipe from The Cookie Thing’s website: 

When done, I laid a big handful of the dough on a sheet of wax paper; I made it longer across, so it was like a log.

I laid another sheet on top.  The Cookie Thing comes with four sets of wooden planks – 1/8 inch through 1/2 inch.  The smallest is for dumplings and pies, the middle for cookies, and the largest is good for things like slicing cakes in half to fill with filling.

I chose what size I wanted to use – 1/4 inch – and placed them on either side of the dough.

I placed the roller on top, and rolled until the dough was the width of the planks – perfectly one quarter inch.

When it was finished, I placed the dough (still in between the wax paper) in the fridge. I rolled out the rest of the dough, stacking them in the fridge:

The recipe I used called for chilling the dough overnight. So after it was rolled out and I put it in the fridge, I let it chill overnight.  Using the chilled dough with the cookie cutters was MUCH easier than soft dough. So this is a practice I will definitely continue.

The next day, I took a cutting board and spread flour on it.

Then I took a sheet of dough out of the fridge and removed the wax paper.

Then the fun part came – I cut out some cookies!

 

Look how even they are! Perfect, huh? I sprinkled them with a little sugar before I placed them in the oven.

They turned out beautiful! For more information on The Cookie Thing, check out the Facebook Page. 

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The Way to His Heart? Veal and Heart Shaped Pasta, of Course!

January 30, 2013 Leave a Comment

By Erin

My Sweet Hubby has never been one to like going out on Valentine’s Day. The crowds, the prix fix menus, the PDA… its just not his thing. But don’t worry – he always remembers to send me beautiful flower arrangements or chocolate covered pretzels (my favorite!) so I’m happy to reciprocate by cooking something delicious and creating romance at home.

If you’re looking for something special to make, try veal. Veal’s one of those fancy things that I don’t cook to often, but when I do I’m soooooo happy. It’s a nice way to mix up your routine, and its much, much easier to cook with than you would think. Pair it with some heart shaped pasta to keep the love  theme going. The hubs and I both love Marsala, and we always eat Marsala with a side of pasta with red sauce. So here’s my recipe for veal Marsala with heart-shaped pasta and homemade tomato sauce. A dish that is the perfect Valentine’s Day meal. You could serve your side pasta however you like it – with butter and cheese, with a little garlic and olive oil, or with a red sauce like I did. I received the heart shaped pasta as a gift, but you can buy it online – just Google!

We like our marsala sauce with mushrooms and lots of onions, just like or favorite restaurant, Presto, makes it. fF you’re a traditionalist you can skip the onions. (Although I don’t know WHY anyone would skip onions in pasta sauce! They’re delicious!)

Here’s my basic Marsala recipe, which I’m still perfecting to be just how we like it. This sauce recipe is good for four people.

You’ll need:

  • Veal (2-3 pieces per person, depending on size.) 
  • 1 onion
  • 1 bottle Marsala wine (the bottle I use is 12.7 ounces.)
  • 1 cup chicken broth (I use high salt, high fat, because that’s much more delicous!)
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • 4 cloves garlic (chopped)
  • 1 12 or 14 oz. package of sliced mushrooms. (You could use less, but WHY?!)
Our Shop Rite has the best meat department and sells the veal in perfect strips. They label it “Veal for Scallopini.” Here’s what it looks like:
Pound the veal with a meat pounder. This will tenderize the veal.  It’ll be a bit tough, otherwise.
Then heat the butter and about a tablespoon or two of olive oil (I eyeball it, just sprinkle it in the pan) over medium high heat.
 Cook each piece of veal toroughly, a few pieces at a time.
The veal will cook fast, just a few minutes on each side.  Remove the pieces as done and set them aside on a plate.
Slice the onions, chop the garlic and wash the mushrooms.  After removing all the veal, do not clean the pan. Place the onions and garlic right in the pan. If there is no grease/oil left, add a bit of olive oil.
After a couple of minutes, add the mushrooms.
After both the onions and mushrooms are soft, add the chicken broth, marsala wine and a dash of salt.
Turn the heat way up on the burner, and reduce the marsala by half or so.  I like really thick sauce, so during this stage I’ll add a tablespoon of flour to help thicken it.  Next time I’m going to add two tablespoons.
When it reaches the desired thickness, add the pieces of veal back in and cook for 4-5 minutes, until they’re heated.
Serve on individual plates with lots of mushrooms ad onions!
For the tomato sauce, I use:
  • 1/2 an onion diced (if I don’t have one, onion powder does the trick in a pinch.) 
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • a dash of red wine
  • 1 can tomato sauce
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 can diced tomatoes
  • Italian seasoning to taste
  • dash olive oil
I heat the onions and garlic with some olive oil in the pan, then I add everything else about 6 minutes later. I then bring it all to a boil in my copper pot and let it simmer for however long it takes to cook the veal. Not too long, or it will get too thick. 
After cooking the pasta, I drain it quickly and toss it into the pot and cook it with the sauce for a minute before serving. This helps the sauce stick to the pasta.
And then I serve it! I like to keep my veal and pasta separate, but the hubby likes them on one plate!
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Valentine’s Day Treats

January 28, 2013 3 Comments

By Erin

I was in Target the other day and saw these little goodies:

 

I spend alot of time at Target these days. Like hours and hours.  It’s magical when its cold outside and you’re going stir crazy in the house and you have a baby.  It’s filled with never ending aisles of everything you could possibly need. Like that bag of Hugs. Which got me thinking about this box of deliciousness:

And this little package of hevean:

And these frozen berries that were in my freezer:

I started thinking that those three things would be just like those Hugs…. only so much better. Because if you’ve ever had Ghirardelli brownies, you know nothing is better than those. Even homemade brownies can’t come close.

So I set out to make a delicious – but easy  – Raspberry Cheesecake Brownie.  And I did! They are easy, delicious, and perfect for a Valentine’s Day treat. I made two versions, depending on your Cheesecake flavor preference:

These two (above and below) have Hugs on top. Lesson learned about the hugs – don’t put them in the oven, put them on when you take the cupcakes out. Or they’ll brown on the top like below!

So here’s what you’ll need and what to do! My recipe made 16 Brownie Cheesecakes.

  • 1 Box Brownie mix – and the things to make the brownie mix according to directions. We know my favorite – Ghirardelli. But any will do!
  • 1 package Philly cream cheese (softened)
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • Handful of frozen (or fresh if they’re in season) raspberries

Preheat the oven to 325.

Make the brownie mix according to the box. Mix by hand and let it sit while you make everything else. This will help it thicken up so it sits nicely on the bottom of the cupcake!

Take your frozen or fresh raspberries and blend them in the blender.  If they’re frozen, let them defrost for a few minutes. This many will do:

I just love how pretty raspberries are.

Set them aside to continue to get soft. (That’s the cream cheese getting soft behind them!)

Next mix the cheesecake layer.  With a hand mixer, blend the package of cream cheese (let it soften first), sugar, vanilla and and egg. It should nice and smooth when done.

I use this vanilla because its amazing.

Now its time to layer! I found these pretty red paper cupcake wrappers in my cupboard and decided to use them.

Place these in a cupcake or muffin pan. Fill them just less than half with brownie mix.

There are two ways to do the cream cheese. For Raspberry Swirl brownie cheesecake:

Then add a dollop of the cream cheese mixture on top. Spread it around with the back of a spoon.

Then dip a knife or toothpick in the raspberries so you get just a touch of them on the end and swirl into the top of the cheesecake mixture.

OR – if you want make Raspberry Cheesecake Brownies: 

Mix a large spoonful of raspberries into the cheesecake mixture.

Then apply a dollop of this mixture on top of the brownie mix. Spread with a spoon.

Place them in the oven on 325. Set the timer for 45 minutes and see if they’re done. The spoon should come out clean, possibly a LITTLE gooey on the brownie part if you like very gooey brownies.  If you want, top with a hug immediately after taking them out of the oven. Store in the fridge and enjoy!

We posted this blog to the following link parties:


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An Oldie But Goodie: The BEST Chicken Soup

January 24, 2013 Leave a Comment

By Lia

Earlier this week, Erin posted about her one hour chicken tortilla soup, which reminded me of one of my own foolproof chicken soup recipes, which has…well, no title. It’s just chicken soup. BUT! It also takes an hour, feeds me for days, and I love it so much that I actually have to check myself from cooking it week in and week out, just for variety’s sake. It is SO good.

We originally published this way back in 2009, but haven’t since then, so no time like the present! Here is the original post!

***

While chicken soup for your soul is a good thing, chicken soup for your stomach is a delicious thing – and in my book that’s just a little bit better.

I confess to not being the best at cooking soups (yet!) but I do have a foolproof recipe for chicken soup that is tasty and doesn’t take long to prepare. Now that the temperatures have dipped into the freezing range, I consider this essential eating. As an additional upshot, a big pot of soup can last and last, providing a delicious lunch or dinner for days.

Soup-1-150x150

Hello, lovah…

To feed two you’ll need:

 

  1. Four large carrots
  2. Three medium-sized parsnips
  3. Two large medium-sized Idaho potatoes
  4. One small yellow onion
  5. Two large containers of chicken broth
  6. Chicken thighs or drumsticks. Lately I’ve been using Harvest Valley thighs because they have a lot of flavor and are both antibiotic- and hormone-free. (Skinless or not, is up to you. However, when I don’t buy skinless, I cook with it on and then remove before eating. Do what makes your stomach happy!)
  7. Optional: Egg noodles

Step One: Put a large pot of water on to boil. While you wait, peel and slice the parsnips, carrots, onions and potatoes. Set them aside.

Step Two: Once water is boiling, drop in the chicken and cook until there is no pink.

Step Three: Dump out approximately half of the water in the pot and add all the veggies. Pour over one container of the chicken broth, dipping into the second container if the pot is not full. (Keeping the water retains some of the juices that flowed out of the chicken while it was boiling but replaces it with a more powerful chicken flavor.)

Step Four: As water/broth boils off, keep replacing it with broth from the second container. Meanwhile, if you are cooking egg noodles as an accompaniment start them (with the soup or in a separate pot, up to you) when you have about 15 minutes left to go.

Once the veggies are soft, you’re done! Happy eating!

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One Hour Chicken Tortilla Soup

January 22, 2013 2 Comments

By Erin

These days, I’m all about meals that pack in a variety of food groups but can be made quickly.  I’m trying to keep the sweet hubby and I healthy this winter, and I’m a firm believer in getting nutrition from food, not from supplements.  However, we battle some serious food allergies to raw fruits and vegetables in this house, so that requires everything to be cooked – which takes time. Funny, because that’s the one thing I don’t have a ton of these days.  The baby does take a nice long nap in the afternoon, but its just a bit too early for dinner cooking, since we tend not to eat until around eight.  Instead, I normally have to squeeze dinner making in during a shorter nap she’ll take around 7.

I found Rachel Ray’s Chicken Fajita Tortilla Soup   recipe in her Just in Time cookbook. The recipe looked tasty, and I know that Rachel’s recipes are always easy to follow and fast to make. I used her recipe, but I doctored it up a bit and made some changes.  Doesn’t it look tasty?

It’s perfect for this cold weather, and I made it from start to finish (like on the table finished) in just under and hour. PERFECT for a weeknight.  And, its packed with veggies and protein.  Yum. If you’re a slow cooker kinda girl, you could probably throw it all in the slow cooker, too, although I made it on the stove top.

Here’s my final recipe, inspired by Rachel’s.  Give it a try!

  • Olive Oil – just enough to cover the pan
  • 1.25 lb. package of chicken thighs (Rachel Ray uses chicken tenders – you could use those or breasts.  I prefer thighs in soup because they’re fattier, so I think they add to the flavor and help the soup stick to your ribs in this cold weather.)
  • 1 tablespoon taco seasoning (we buy a big container in the spice section, I add taco seasoning to just about everything – not just tacos!)
  • 1 tablespoon coriander
  • 2 tablespoons dried thyme leaves
  • Sea Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 5-6 scallions, chopped
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 1 large bell pepper, diced
  • 2 jalapenos diced
  • 1 (28-ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes
  • 1 32 ounce container of chicken stock
  • White Corn Tortilla Chips
  • 1 cup shredded Cabot White Cheddar or any other cheddar or taco mix
  • Fresh cilantro leaves

Instructions:

  • Dice onion, pepper, scallion, jalapeno.  Begin to cook these over medium high heat with the olive oil.

  • Cut the chicken thighs into bite size pieces, removing some of the extra fat as you go.  I used this package of thighs that is 1.25 pounds from Target. I don’t normally grocery shop at Target, but I find it super convenient these days when its difficult to get to more than one store in a day! And, this package is the perfect portion size!

 

  • Add the chicken in with the onions and peppers while they’re cooking.
  • Add taco seasoning and mix well.

  • Add the Coriander, Thyme, Salt and Pepper. This is what Coriander looks like, in case you’ve never used it. (I hadn’t!)

  • Add the tomatoes and chicken stock. Bring to a boil for a few minutes to make sure everything is cooked. Then, bring it back down to medium and cook for about 10 – 15 minutes.
  • Break some white corn chips up and layer the bottom of your bowls with them.
  • Sprinkle with grated white cheddar or other cheese
  • Add a couple of leaves of cilantro

Pour soup over the chips and enjoy!

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Valentine’s Day Dinner Ideas

January 17, 2013 Leave a Comment

By Erin

Last year for Valentine’s day I made the sweet hubby heart shaped meatloaf.  Isn’t that the cutest little dinner for two?  And if you’re cooking for kids, how cute is heart shaped food?

I’m not sure what I will make this year, but I’m thinking it just may be a heart shaped chicken pot pie.  I bought a small cake pan shaped like a heart from Michael’s, which is what I cooked the meatloaf in, and will also be what I use if I make a pot pie.  Other than placing the meatloaf in the shaped pan, the rest of the recipe was just like making a normal meatloaf – so how easy is that? You can use your regular meatloaf recipe, or you can use mine, which you can find here.

Stay tuned for more Valentine’s Day ideas!

We linked this post up at:


Totally Tasty Tuesdays

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Maple Brined Pork Loin with Spiked Sweets

January 14, 2013 Leave a Comment

By Erin

The sweet hubby’s go-to dish for family parties is a maple-brined pork loin.  It’s delicious, not too labor intensive, and easy to make for a big group – especially when you buy a giant pork loin from BJ’s.

While we’re at it, let’s take a Time Out for one minute to discuss the meat quality at BJs.  OMG. I love it. I swear by their tenderloins – they are delicious.  And, cost-wise, its the best deal around.

Back to the story. At Christmas, the sweet hubby had bought a 9 pound pork loin from BJs to bring to our Christmas Eve dinner. He used two-thirds and froze the last third. When I learned that a few friends were coming over last week, I decided to take the last of the pork out of the freezer and serve it with sweet potatoes.  The pork was tender, juicy, and just the right amount of sweet.

You DON’T need to buy a large pork loin for this recipe – the brine and glaze can also be used on a much smaller pork loin. It’s also easy enough to make on a week night.  (You can brine it the night before, or in the morning before work.) The recipe I’ll give you before is good for a 3-pound loin or less. For a bigger one, double the recipe.

Doesn’t the end result look great?

And, the sweet potatoes – which are spiked with a touch of Drambuie!

For the pork brine:

  • 1 Pork Loin
  • Enough water to cover the loin in  bowl or pot
  • 1/3 cup maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup salt
  • Some black pepper (just a bit)
  • 4-5 cloves garlic, smashed
  • Fresh Thyme
  • Fresh Rosemary
In a large pot or bowl, Pour salt, maple syrup and smashed garlic into water. Add some fresh ground pepper. Stir until salt is dissolved.  Place the loin into the pot, making sure its covered by the water.
I used this Maple Syrup:
Adding the pepper to the pot before I stirred it all together:
Then place the pork into the pot, layering the rosemary and thyme on top of the of the loin.  I bought these small packages of the fresh herbs and just used the whole package. (I only used 5 cloves are garlic.)
Rosemary:
Thyme:
Pork in the brine, covered with spices and ready to go in the refrigerator for a while.
Refrigerate for 8-12 hours, or overnight. I made the brine first thing in the morning, set the pork in it and then cooked it at night. The hubby always brines it overnight.
When you’re ready to cook the pork, preheat the oven to 325. Mix the glaze:
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons mustard

Cover the pork with the glaze.

Place the pork on a rack in a roasting pan – FAT SIDE UP. Place it in the oven on 325. It should roughly take 20 minutes per pound.  Use a meat thermometer to check the temperature – you don’t want to get trichinosis!  The temperature should get to 160 degrees.  About halfway through, add some more glaze to the top.

And for the mashed sweet potatoes!  I had planed to use Bourbon, but we didn’t have any.  So I used Drambuie. This recipe highlights the creaminess and flavor of the sweet potatoes, without being too sweet.  The process also ensures that they’ll be super smooth – without additional butter or cream! You will need:

  • 4 sweet potatoes
  • 3 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon Drambuie
  • Sea Salt

First, I peeled 4 sweet potatoes and placed them in a pot of water.  I boiled the water until the potatoes were nice and soft.

I then strained them.

Next I used my ricer to smash the sweet potatoes. You could use a masher, or even a Kitchenaid or hand mixer, but I love the texture the ricer gives the potatoes! When they are pipping hot its so easy to use. Just put a few in at a time, and smush!

Then add 3 tablespoons of maple syrup, and 1 tablespoon Drambuie. Stir both into the potatoes.

Add a few shakes of sea salt:

Spoon into a dish and place in the oven at 325 degrees for 20 minutes.  Then serve!

 

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Sunday Supper Idea: Sausage, Cheese and Kale Casserole

January 11, 2013 Leave a Comment

By Lia

This time of year – with its cold, shortened days and sad prospect of no holidays on the horizon – always screams EAT COMFORT FOOD to me. If you’re going to spend your nights cold and locked up indoors, you want something warm and yummy to help ease the pain…at least a little bit.

I recently discovered PunchFork.com and have been dying to try some of the amazing looking recipes on the site. I found a great looking photo of a cheesy, sausage and pasta bake compliments of FoodRepublic.com and immediately knew we had a winner.

The only thing about this recipe is that it took me nearly two hours to make, not the 1 hour, 20 minutes that the original instructions provided. Whether this is because I’m a slow cooker or not, I’m not sure…but I would just leave a little more time than less; which is why I suggest maybe this be cooked on a Sunday. This should easily feed four to six people as well, so great for a family or for plenty of leftovers if you’re working with less than that.

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Eatin’ and Drinkin’ My Way Through New Orleans

January 11, 2013 Leave a Comment

By Lia

So yesterday, we established that New Orleans is great for sightseeing, haunted houses and watching your football team let you down in the saddest of ways. But what it is AWESOME for? I mean, truly truly awesome for? Its food. Holy $*&# does this place have some amazing food.

For those who know Erin and I personally, you know that we never say no to two things: happy hour or a meal. No matter what else we have going on, if food or drinks are involved we.are.there. Even if we’re not invited. We just show up. It’s why we’re best friends, really. On a separate but related note, when I travel, I don’t buy myself anything but a keepsake Christmas ornament and occasionally, a funny gift for a friend. I don’t shop. I don’t buy art. I do something I consider way better. Food. I find the best-reviewed restaurants (cheap, expensive and everything in between) and I eat. The only souvenirs I ever bring back from my travels in addition to the aforementioned items? Five to ten pounds. When I came back from Italy in October 2010, I looked three months pregnant.

So when New Orleans was scheduled, I got down to business making reservations. I ultimately settled on three restaurants for official dinner and brunch rezzies:  Mike’s on the Avenue, Herbsaint, and SoBou. We also popped into Deanie’s Seafood, Cafe DuMonde, Somethin’ Else Cafe and various establishments along Bourbon and Frenchman Streets.  Every last place was delicious.

Deanie’s Seafood: Upon arriving, our bellboy at the hotel – who we tapped for suggestions since he said he was born and raised in NOLA –  said we should go to Deanie’s for lunch. So we did and thanked him every day thereafter. We were starving so we ordered a ton of stuff.  This started a terrible trend, which was order too much and worry about the consequences later. We got: one Bloody Mary a piece, shared a plate of fried artichoke hearts, and then I got calamari, oyster leek soup and a half-dozen raw oysters. My friend ordered a house salad and a red snapper po’ boy.

As discussed earlier this week, I’m a bit of a Bloody Mary fanatic, and this one was AMAZING. In fact, all of the Bloody’s we had in NO were amazing, but this particular one came with an olive, a pickled okra, a whole shrimp (head on) and was rimmed in Cajun seasoning. Paired with oysters, good lawd. At this point we had been in New Orleans an hour and I knew I was in big, big trouble. In fact, I didn’t take any more photos of the meal after this because I was too busy going to work. This whole post is going to be full of disclaimers like that. Sorry.

For New Year’s eve dinner, we had our first dinner reservation at Mike’s on the Avenue and followed their prix fixe menu. I found Mike’s via the blog, NOLA Food Porn, which was spot-on with its recommendation. I wish I had taken some photos here but we were so busy eating, drinking and being merry that I totally forgot. However, I did find this photo of the steak I ate on their site, which is their Marinated Sizzling Steak with Oyster Sauce. Cooked to perfection. Their cocktail list was also really good. I had one of their cocktails made with champagne and St. Germain, which is a delicious combo.

Image courtesy of Mike’s on the Avenue

The next morning, we had to pop into Cafe DuMonde to try the world famous beignets.  I am not much for sweets, but fried dough with powdered sugar and a hot coffee is pretty hard to beat when you’re hung over from New Year’s Eve ridiculousness. Definitely worth trying.

However, we were still hungry for regular breakfast, so wandering around the streets we found Something Else Cafe where we got the traditional two eggs, bacon and grits kinda breakfast. I also got a Bloody Mary that was just as delicious as the rest of we had on the trip. For 9.99, the breakfast is worth it. Check it out.

Later that night (still New Year’s Day) most restaurants were closed and for those that were open, a reservation was hard to come by. So when I found Herbsaint, named by the Times-Picayune as one of the top restaurants in the city, and open!,  I yelled bingo. I had to do a 5:30 reservation because that was the only time available. Acting like an old person has never been more worth it though. Again, unfortunately, I was too busy almost crying with happiness over how yummy the food was to remember to snap any photos, but my friend and I shared a plate of the Housemade Spaghetti with Guanciale and Fried-Poached Farm Egg and then I dove into the Slow Cooked Lamb Neck with Saffron Fideo and Tomato Confit as my main course.

Full disclosure because I am an animal: the lamb neck was so amazingly good, I ate as much as I could –  well, well past the point of being full. This resulted in not being able to even finish one beer (on three attempts) while listening to jazz on Frenchman street later that night and then even later on, waking up from a dead sleep to vomit because I literally ate too much. Do you know how many times I eat past the point of being full? Always. Do you know how many times I have vomited from that? Never. New Orleans finally broke me. It was worth it. You’ve never seen someone so happy while vomiting, I swear to God.

The following morning was game day and so we needed to eat early. Our last stop on the official tour was SoBou (also found thanks to Nola Food Porn) and the lunch was absoutely amazing. Truly unique combinations, like this mango tuna ceviche, topped with a scoop of avocado ice cream and served in a teeny tiny ice cream cone. I know this sounds weird, but it was sooooooo crazy yummy, I wish I had ordered it myself. Instead, I had to content myself with the bite that my friend gave me. I wouldn’t have given me a bite, if I were him.

For my own lunch, I chose something really filling since we had to make this meal last all day. So I went hard – even though at this point during the trip I definitely should have eased up. But that’s not how I liiiiiveeeeee. So I got fried chicken and then bacon mac and cheese. I housed the chicken like it was my job. J-O-B, job, because how could I not? Look how delicious it looks ! And it tasted doubly as good as it looked. I couldn’t make it through the mac and cheese, but luckily since our hotel was just around the corner I dropped it off so I could finish it later. (I couldn’t. But it didn’t feel right not to try.)

I would absolutely, 100 percent recommend any single one of these places if you have plans to be in New Orleans soon. And I highly recommend using local newspaper top 10 lists and local food blogs to find delicious places to eat, no matter what city are you in.

On a not-so-separate note, I’m running a half-marathon in February and the training is what’s helping lose those five pounds I gained. Wish me luck.

 

 

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New Discovery: Zing Zang Bloody Mary Mix

January 4, 2013 1 Comment

By Lia

As far as parents go, I lucked out pretty good with mine. My parents travel. They stay out late. They love to dance. They go to concerts like Bon Jovi and Kelly Clarkson and call me screaming from their seats like a teenager would. It’s pretty great.

One of my favorite things about my parents, though, is that they both used to bartend together in their 20s to make extra money. One of my dad’s most famous concoctions was his Bloody Mary. It’s pretty famous in my family — whenever anyone ever came to visit us in Florida after we moved from New Jersey, inevitably the request was made…”Lou, could you ummm, whip up a Bloody Mary?”

And as a kid, you can only hear family members make this request so many times before you, too, get to wondering about this drink that your dad makes that everyone finds so delicious.  So my dad would make us virgin ones from the time we were very small. So literally having grown up drinking these, and at this point having sampled literally thousands of different varieties,  I consider myself somewhat of an expert on the Bloody Mary. (Get at me if you ever want a suggestion on NYC restaurants that make the best.) And when it comes to what makes a good one, I’m a liiiiittle bit snobby about it.

Which is why when I caught my dad using a mix when I was home for the holidays, I almost lost my mind. My dad has been making his with a special blend of ingredients forever. I had to check myself from screaming at him.

When I calmly politely simply asked him what the hell he was doing, he explained that since he was short on time (party time was indeed almost near) he was taking a short cut. In his hand was a bottle of Zing Zang Bloody Mary mix.

Skeptically, I watched him pour in the vodka and stir — and then I all but ripped the pitcher out of his hand so I could pour myself a glass and taste. And to say I was surprised would be an understatement. Not only was the Bloody Mary delicious…it tasted JUST like my dad’s version. So I did what any normal person does during the holidays. I commandeered the pitcher, refused to share, and drank it all myself on Christmas Eve.

Zing Zang says it’s not just another Bloody Mary mix — and it is right. Because I have literally tried them all and find most come up short. But if you need to whip up some quick, I can’t recommend this enough. And now you all know what I’m doing every Sunday forever.

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