I like the taste of matzo bread, I know that many people find it dry and bland, I find it flavorful and…no actually, it’s pretty dry and bland.
However, just because on its own it’s not amazing doesn’t mean we can’t make it amazing. I know that it isn’t bursting with flavor, but it issuper crunchy and it makes a great base to build on.
Spring has sprung! Growing up in Buffalo you would think that I would be used to the snow and cold, but that was not the case; instead I was simply over it before I even hit middle school.
So being the kind of person who mumbles obscenities at the weather under my breath all winter long, you can imagine that seeing signs of spring make me a very happy camper.
Bunnies are adorable, they are soft, their ears are far too big for their little heads, and they hop! Let’s face it, they are cute; that is as long as we are talking about a small furry animal and not the random guy hopping up and down behind me on the street. He’s not cute, he’s just creepy.
I tend to make the appetizers for Easter dinner and leave the heavy lifting for my father in-law. It’s hard to help him as I barley have a free hand (no, I cannot put the Sauvignon Blanc down. And what about my other hand? Well, it’s usually helping me taste test the cheese, a very important job).
The squirrels in NYC can get a little close... too close for my liking.
Through years of experiencing that getting close to humans results in the receiving of french fries, pretzels and maybe if they're lucky a classic NYC hot dog (probably better that they eat it than us), these little guys have no fear.
I love food (obviously). And I have made a happy deal with myself that I can have the pasta, garlic bread (and the brownie too) as long as I workout... but this can be a flawed deal.
I only have so many hours to spend in the gym working off said meal and let's face it, working out sucks. So I made a new deal. I cook healthier dishes during the week and the more indulgent selections are kept for the weekends.
If you know me at all, you know that more than anyone or anything...
I LOVE CHEESE.
Yes, my husband knows, it's just something he has to accept, we are working through it.
Up until I was 20 years old my diet was beyond questionable. Growing up as the pickiest of eaters my go-to list of foods included; bread (only white please), canned tomato sauce (only Prego of course), ramen noodle soup (the 25cent kind), cereal (anything with sugar), and of course CHEESE.
You see even when my diet resembled that of an anti-Atkins child, cheese was always there for me.
RECIPE:
1 15-19oz can of Garbanzo Beans aka Chick Peas, rinsed, drained + dried
1 + 1/2tsp Paprika
1+1/2tsp Garlic Powder
1/2tsp Dried Thyme
1/2-1tsp Cayenne (depending on how spicy you want)
1/4tsp Cinnamon
1+1/2tsp Onion Powder
1tsp Salt
1Tbs Oil
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and toss till well combined and chickpeas are evenly coated. Spread on a baking sheet and bake at 400degrees for 35-45 depending on how crisp you want them. Enjoy!!
In my 29 years on this odd and wonderful planet I have learned a lot of things about myself.
(And believe me, I am aware there is still a lot to learn!)
Lately, certain patterns have emerged and I have found a simple formula that can describe my overall aesthetic…
I like things really big...or really small.
Take flowers for instance, I like large simple flowers like daisies and lilies - or - small, super intricate little...um...little flowers :)
(To be honest I just buy whatever looks fresh and cheap from the deli guy on the corner and pray that they last for more than a day so my husband doesn’t realize how much money I waste on half dead flowers.)
And when it comes to food I gravitate toward things like massive, foot wide cinnamon rolls or tiny, individual...well...everything. For now, let's focus on the small stuff.
RECIPE:
3Tbs Low-Fat Mayo
1 container Oikos Plain Greek Yogurt
1/4tsp salt
8 Garlic Cloves, finely chopped
1/8-1/4tsp Cayenne Pepper
1tsp Fresh Thyme, finely chopped
¼ cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
1 loaf bread
Combine mayo, greek yogurt, salt, garlic, cayenne pepper and thyme together. Cut loaf of bread in half and spread yogurt mixture over the cut side of the bread. Top with the parmesan cheese and cook under your broiler until top is brown and bread is crisp. Serve warm and ENJOY!
NYC can be a strange place.
Apartments are small, apartment kitchens are dicey, but bars and restaurants are plentiful.
So you find yourself headed to your local watering hole to meet up with your fellow winos without even considering the idea of having people over to your home.
My apartments in NYC have slowly...very slowly...gotten bigger and bigger. In 13 years I have lived in 9 different places, all of varying sizes and with varying infestation problems...
My latest apartment has two highly coveted features...space for a dining room table and a window in the kitchen!
A WINDOW!!!!!
It was a simple idea...make a cup...fill it with stuff...
But how?
Well this is how...
With a little help from the store and a mini muffin tin you can suddenly become an assembly line for one of a kind, irresistibly cute little appetizers.
RECIPE:
1 8oz can Crescent Roll Dough
Rolling Pin
Knife/Pizza Wheel
DIRECTIONS:
Unroll crecent roll dough onto a lightly floured surface...
Pinch the seams with your fingers in order to create one seamless rectangle of dough.
Dough should be tacky enough to stick together easily.
Roll out dough till it is about 1/3 bigger than the original size.
Cut the rectangle into 24 even squares. Place squares into a greased mini muffin tin and press the dough to the sides of the cup.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until cups are golden brown.
Let cups cool and fill with things like cheese, salads or even mini meatballs. ENJOY!
"We're NUMBER ONE! We're NUMBER ONE!"
This is the chant of sweet potatoes everywhere...
What the heck does this mean? It means that the CSPI ranked all vegetables giving them points for things like Vitamin A and fiber and deducting points for saturated fats and refined sugars. And the sweet potato ranked NUMBER ONE with a score of 184!!
It outscored the next highest vegetable by more than 100 points!!
But when you smother this nutritional dense vegetable with butter and sugar it turns a once all-star food into something not quite so good for you. So...why not add just a touch of sugar, some super vibrant spices and some greek yogurt for creaminess?!
Sounds pretty good doesn't it? ;)
RECIPE:
5 lbs sweet potatoes
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4tsp nutmeg
1/8tsp cloves
2tsp Salt
1/4 cup honey
2Tbs Dark brown sugar
2 egg
2 container Oiko Greek Yogurt - Plain
Pecans and dried cranberries to top
Cut sweet potatoes into 1/2inch to 1inch cubes. Steam until soft, about 15minutes and mash or puree potatoes. Add spices, salt, honey, sugar, eggs and greek yogurt, and stir to combine. Pour mixture into a baking pan and bake for 40-50minutes at 350 until top is slightly brown. Top with pecans and cranberries and bake for another 5 minutes. Serve hot and ENJOY!
