Category Archives: EAT

Gift Guide: For The Foodie

December 2, 2010

Filed Under : EAT

Gift Guide for Foodie

Now that it’s officially December, I need to start buying gifts for my loved ones and STAT.  I’ve made the executive decision (yes, I make executive decisions for me’self) to divide it up by category as opposed to price range because a.) I majored in Journalism and English and I don’t understand numbers; b.) I have no patience to search for items >$100 (or is it <$100? – I can’t remember which way the crocodile mouth goes); and c.) I’m a bit dyslexic and afraid I’d find an item that costs $52 and place it in the “under $25” category and then WordPress would delete my blog for life.

So…onto foodie gifts.  To me, a foodie is not only someone who loves food but also celebrates everything relating to food, whether it be finding joy in an amazing cookbook or having a mild obsession with colorful teapots.  So with that in mind, I tried to pick out gifts that any foodie would be sure to eat up this holiday season.

  1. Heirloom Recipe Card Box, Rifle Paper Co., $125
  2. Dorie Greenspan’s “Around My French Table,” Amazon, $24
  3. Teak Measuring Spoons, Merchant no. 4, $20
  4. Fluted Flower Baking Cups, Bake It Pretty, $4.75
  5. Afternoon Fete Teapot, Anthropologie, $48
  6. Loomed Bowl, Anthropologie, $14 each
  7. 12 Assorted French Macarons, Sparkleskitchen Etsy, $16.50
  8. Eat and Spoon Tea Towel Set, Studiopatro, $42 for 2
  9. Bonnie Blue 10″ Cake Stand, Fishs Eddy, $64.95

Spiced Applesauce Cake

November 23, 2010

Filed Under : EAT - RECIPES

spiced applesauce cake

I’m 100% in the Thanksgiving mindset this week.  Living and breathing it.  Breathing it?  Yes because I’m currently surrounded by the densely aromatic smell of freshly baked cake, cinnamon and clove, apples and frosting.*  Quintessential fall!  Exactly what I need to get me ready for Thanksgiving.

But even better, this Spiced Applesauce Cake (recipe courtesy of one of my favorite food bloggers, Smitten Kitchen) tastes just as good as it smells.  It’s incredibly moist and has just the right amount of appley flavor.  I even used plain, store-bought applesauce instead of making it myself and it was just as delicious.  The recipe is simple and quick – and it’s now my breakfast for the next 3 days.

spiced applesauce cake

spiced applesauce cake

spiced applesauce cake

*I started writing this post when it still smelled delicious and cinnamon-y up in here.  Now, we’re doing a 4-hour oven self-cleaning and it currently smells like melting plastic and burnt-to-a-crisp baked goods.  Oh the sacrifices we make for Thanksgiving!!

7 Happenings of November

November 14, 2010

Filed Under : EAT - MY LIFE

nutella cookies Baked Giada De Laurentiis’ Chocolate-Hazelnut Smooches.

rose bowl flea market Went the Rose Bowl Flea Market; addicted to antique bottles.

lemon tree Our dwarf lemon tree has finally sprouted lemons!

starbucks jonathan adler mug Constantly drinking tea out of my Jonathan Adler Starbucks tumbler.

kiehl's hand salve With the dry winds, this Kiehl’s Hand Salve is my best friend.

cooking magazines Planning the Thanksgiving menu with my favorite cooking magazines.

old town pasadena Walking the alleys of Old Town Pasadena.

Halloween Treat

October 31, 2010

Filed Under : EAT - RECIPES

pumpkin whoopie pie

Normally, I’m pretty good about making all sorts of Halloween treats.  This year, I was a major slacker.  Shameful.  But I did end up making one treat, Pumpkin Whoopie Pies (recipe here).

They weren’t my favorite pumpkin dessert – i.e. I’d much rather have pumpkin pie or pumpkin chocolate chip cookies – but they were still pretty decent.  The chocolate cookie was so cakey and the pumpkin center could double as a frosting.  You really can’t go wrong with that combo.

P.S.  What was your Halloween costume?  I dressed as Rachel Berry from Glee, complete with a pleated skirt, white polka dot socks, and a cropped cardigan.   The only thing I didn’t have was the voice!!!

Lentil Vegetable Soup

October 29, 2010

Filed Under : EAT - RECIPES

lentil vegetable soup

My bf and I always argue over whether or not soup is a legitimate meal.  He looks at soup as a side dish or maybe a lunch at best.  I, on the other hand, think it can be a perfectly-sized dinner if it’s hearty enough.

Like this lentil vegetable soup, for example.  The lentils are rich in protein and the soup is completely packed with vegetables.  HEARTY, trust me.  So that directly proves my bf’s logic wrong, am I right?  Besides that, there is nothing I would rather have than a hot bowl of soup in the colder months.  I could eat it every day!

I am a huge fan of this lentil soup (recipe here).  Just a warning though: it’s a serving size 10 and makes A LOT.  But I’m telling you, the leftovers are the best part.  The soup thickens and the flavors intensify overnight.  So make it all and save it.

The soup itself is rich in flavor, with undertones of cumin, garlic, and thyme.  The lentils bring it to a new dimension though, adding texture and a slightly earthy flavor.  Sprinkle a little parmesan on top, serve it with a crusty bread and you have a complete meal, my friend.

lentil soup

lentil soup

lentil soup

lentil soup

lentil soup
{
my lunch the next day…and the day after}