Honey Nut Squares
The second I saw Dana's recent post for Honey Nut Squares, I died.
Honey + Roasted Nuts+ Buttery Crumb Crust= YES PLEASE!!
I just finished cutting up squares and have packed some up for my neighbors. I seriously need to get them out of my sight. I've eaten three so far and I can hear them calling my name from the kitchen counter. "Traaaaacy!! Eat us! We are crunchy and sweet and slightly salty. You know how you love that combo TRACY! We are waaaaaiting! Look at the golden roasted cashew hanging off the edge. Just pull that off Tracy. Take a nibble!"
Continue reading→
Custard Filled Corn Bread
I just finished reading A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes from my Kitchen Table, by Molly Wizenburg. Wow...just wow! What a lovely food memoir. I devoured it whole and it's haunted me in such a good way. Every recipe has a story behind it. A tradition. It makes me think of all of the recipes that I hold so dear. The ones that came from the women of my family...and the ones that I hope to impart on my children some day. Food has the power to bring people closer together and because I am half Italian I live by that.
I had a good laugh at the tale of her husband and his maple syrup loving habits. Mine looooves anything maple syrup related. You would be surprised at how fast he can polish off a box of maple candies. It's the New England gene in him. He was born to love it. He doesn't go as far as Buddy the Elf...but if I was gone for the weekend, I am pretty sure he'd be putting syrup on everything. Continue reading→
Nutty Cranberry Granola
Every time I make granola I think "Why did I ever buy this at the store?" It's insanely simple to make at home and it is amazingly rewarding. I have to mention the smell that fills your house. Oh wow!! Casey asked me if I was making cinnamon rolls (which I wasn't...but I will soon!). It's ridiculously addictive to eat and totally therapeutic to make. I find so much comfort in the process of making granola. It's something I enjoy doing at night when the house is nice and quiet. Continue reading→
Corn Fritters
Flashback!!
Three years ago, I spied this recipe in an issue of a Rachael Ray magazine.
Dick Clark's Corn Fritters.
Whoa! He made them for his family every year on NYE before he went to the Times-Square Studio.
Isn't that super sweet and cute?
Everyday Crêpes
I made crêpes once and it was a disaster. Total FAIL. I didn't let the batter rest long enough.
Damn you impatient girl!
For the past few evenings I've been scouring my old Jan/Feb issues of Everyday Food magazine to get some new recipe ideas.
I kept seeing recipes for crêpes!
Were they just recycling the recipe, or is this a really good time of year to make crêpes?
They looked incredibly simple to make. I whipped up the batter right before we went to bed last night so I wouldn't be tempted to use it immediately and have another failed attempt at crêpe making.
How did it go?
Citrus Squeeze Smoothie
This Sunset magazine has been splayed out on my kitchen counter over the past few weeks...tempting me.
Today was the day that I bowed down and gave in.
I've heard soo many people coughing these days that I figured it's time to get my immunity boost!
Reading that there was a frozen banana in the mix had me sold. Orange banana smoothies are by far my favorite combo.
I already had a huge mess in the kitchen to clean up, what's a little more?
So get your ingredients ready-
Tessy’s Banana Bread
So there's several schools of thought on banana bread. Some people like it really dense...some people like it with chocolate chips...
Me? Well, I am nut-loaded banana bread person. I like the amount of bananas to be equal to the amount of nuts. I am a nut. Can't get enough.
But this recipe doesn't have nuts! It has a buttery cinnamon topping, which totally intrigued me.
Could I eat a banana bread that didn't have nuts and enjoy it?!?
Breakfast Polenta
For the past few months, we've been enjoying breakfast polenta at the Whole Foods breakfast to-go bar. It's a nice little routine we have. I go to yoga on Sundays, Casey watches Coop and I pick up some polenta & coffee on my way back home. It's thick, creamy and super delicious. We sit at our kitchen table and devour it slowly while Cooper naps. It ties us over until our late afternoon lunch. And it's heaven.
This morning was different. I woke up with the urge to have Breakfast Polenta immediately! Not even coffee first. NOW. And since yoga is tomorrow, what excuse do I have to go out and pick some up? None.
I mentally prepared myself for this polenta adventure to be like risotto-- where I had to coax the grains into thickness by stirring it every second....babysitting it....for a long time. But NO!!! It all came together in a blink of an eye. It thickened up perfectly. I was even able to run away to help change a diaper in the process. Totally glamorous, huh? If it got too thick, I just added a little more milk.
The only challenging thing is cleaning up the pots & bowls...which are still sitting in the sink. It's Saturday, and I'll get to that later.
This recipe comes from Heidi at 101cookbooks. It's a wonderful post! You should read it! I like her idea of having a Breakfast Polenta party...and supplying all of the sides! A big batch, a room full of friends for brunch. What could be better? Playing around with sweet & savory toppings sounds pretty fun too!
It all starts with a cup of polenta.
