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Although it may be hard to believe, there are some people in this world who don't like chocolate! Megan37 recently asked me what she could make her boyfriend for Valentine's Day since he doesn't eat chocolate or nuts. Luckily, he eats white chocolate (which is not actually chocolate because it has no cocoa) and there are lots of options for delicious and seductive desserts. My personal favorite is white chocolate bread pudding. It's simple, warm, comforting, and scrumptiously sweet. To make this for your dearest, read more
I'm about to admit something absolutely dorky: I love grocery stores. I love walking through the aisles and checking out all the different products. In fact, whenever I travel I always end up popping into the grocery stores. In England, one of the biggest chains is called Tesco, and I've always been surprised how they seem to be everywhere except America. Well, turns out us Americans won't be Tesco-less for much longer. Starting sometime this year, the Tesco company is opening up stores under the name "Fresh and Easy." These store are going to be closer in size to Trader Joe's than they are to Safeway, and are supposedly catering to time-pressed and health-conscious shoppers. And before all of you Anglophiles get too excited, I hear that they'll have Tesco branded items and standard American products, but won't be importing a bunch of British items.
The first store is probably going to be in Phoenix, but Tesco is also looking at Las Vegas, LA and San Diego. Learn more about the Fresh and Easy Tesco stores.
Although I love a nice mixed drink with lots of interesting ingredients and specialty liqueurs, my go-to drink for the last several years has definitely been a plain ol' vodka tonic. I'm always amazed by how lovely and refreshing a few ounces of vodka poured over ice and topped with tonic water can be. If I'm feeling adventurous, I'll put a splash of lime or lemon and a few sprigs of mint. So next time you're out and you're not sure what to order, try a vodka and tonic. To learn how to make one yourself, read more
Since I know most of you are outside of the SF Bay Area, I try to keep my posts region free, but this news is too interesting to keep to myself. You know how I went on and on about the Fancy Food Show and how delicious and amazing everything was? Turns out when the show is over, the goods and samples that vendors haven't given away are donated to charity. In this case they were donated to Under One Roof (a non-profit dedicated to AIDS/HIV education and support) and (here's the interesting part) they're going to be on sale. The event lasts four days and begins on Thursday, Feb 15. I don't know about you guys, but I'm definitely going to check it out. To get the details, read more
Today I thought it would be fun to find some Valentine's Gifts for the little ones in your life. Introduce children into the kitchen early and you'll have a foodie for life!
To start things off I found this cute Cupcake Kit from Sassafras. The kit comes with everything you need to make cupcakes including a paper hat, sprinkles, frosting, cupcake mix, rhyming recipe instructions and more. It's a fun package for only $14.00 and the best part is, once your little ones are done making their gift, you get to eat it!
Every chef needs an apron, and this includes the little ones. Made from durable cotton, this personalized apron is embroidered with two hearts and your sous chef's name (up to 9 characters) or monogram. Available for $25.
Two more great Valentine inspired foodie gift ideas for kids, so read more
The other day I received a frantic voicemail from one of my best girlfriends, Melissa in Seattle. She enjoys cooking and has invited some friends over for appetizers and drinks before they head out to dinner at a fancy restaurant. Melissa is a strict vegetarian who doesn't eat meat or fish in any way, shape, or form. One of her guests has a fragile stomach, is lactose intolerant and cannot consume dairy products. Now you can guess what Melissa hurriedly asked me in the message, "What should I make?" This is a tough one guys, and I need your help (all of my crowd pleasing appetizer recipes have meat or cheese!). What should she make? I need you to add your best recipes for a meat and dairy free appetizer to the recipe database. Don't forget to mark your recipes with the keyword phrase No Meat-Dairy Appetizer.
To learn how to share your recipes in the recipe database, read geeksugar's easy to understand guide.
Alright, so you went and made a great big ham, now what? Ham sandwiches for the rest of the week? Personally that doesn't sound like such a bad idea, a little mustard, aged cheddar and some artisan bread, mmm... and yet I know that not everyone is keen on sandwiches every night, so why not try a great and healthy ham quiche? To check out the recipe, read more
This week's savory sight belongs to my own dear GiggleSugar. The other day she had this decadent salad for lunch and was showing it off. I definitely had to demand a photo. What do you guys think, doesn't this look scrumptious? To have your photos shown here, just post them in the Savory Sights Group. To learn how to post to the group, read more
Lately I've been hosting dinner after dinner and I've been dying to have a reason to host a big blowout bash. And I've just found my reason: Mardi Gras! Mardi Gras is typically celebrated the last five days leading up to Lent with the biggest day of partying on Fat Tuesday, the night before Ash Wednesday.
As much as I would love to host a huge party on Fat Tuesday, I know that not all of my friends will be able to attend, so it will take place this Saturday night instead. Mardi Gras is not the most sophisticated of celebrations and I'm excited to plan an informal party with dancing, flashing, beads, and all around havoc.
Today it's my favorite time of the week: invitation making time(!) so, read more
