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Some things I’ve bookmarked recently:
- Eggnog Fudge | recipegirl.com -I plan on making this… soon. I even bought fresh nutmeg. But I don’t have eggnog, or marshmallow fluff… so I guess this will have to wait until I can go to the store.
- Mudslide Cupcakes Recipe | Endless Simmer – Jameson + chocolate cupcakes? Worth a shot (there’s always Jameson in the house, not for myself – not a whiskey fan – but for the boy).
- Creamy Hot Chocolate Muffins | A Whisk and A Prayer – Hot chocolate + muffins? Yes, definitely a genius idea.
- Healthier hot chocolate | Nutrition Data – Well, I suppose if I’m going to consumer that much hot cocoa, maybe I should aim for healthier. But Swiss Miss just tastes so good, and it’s so easy…..
- Egg Nog French Toast | recipegirl.com – Now, I am not a French toast fan, but I do love eggnog, so I’m willing to try this out. You know, for the sake of experimenting.
- Single Serving Pie in a Jar | Our Best Bites – When is pie ever a bad idea? (
 , don’t answer that. You are the only person who does not like pie crust.)
I’ve got a few other recipes in the cue (personally, not blog-wise), but they’re all from apps on my phone, and so I can’t exactly link you to recipes at the moment. But, for your thoughts… pumpkin tiramisu, chocolate orange fudge, double layer pumpkin pie, pumpkin ginger rice pudding, spiced pumpkin bread, and vanilla bean rice pudding.
And, because they’ve been raved about, the recipes for the two types of fudge I made this weekend: Orange Cream and Almond Joy. You should make them up, bring them in to work, and let the praise just roll in.
via Google Reader (Shared Items)
Following up on last week’s sandwich post (I meant to post this Thursday), I’ve got some links for things that make for good lunch sides (or parts of sandwiches, perhaps). Enjoy!
Breads / Bread-like Items
Salty
Sweets
Pickles
Lastly… not a recipe, but something any pickle-lover will appreciate (seriously, just click through for the fun of it): Crochet Pickles by Nicole Gastonguay | Craftzine.
via Google Reader (Shared Items)
I’d be lying if I said that I intentionally planned a linkfest post about sandwiches, the #1 love of (OK, maybe #2, but it might be tied), on today, our 3rd anniversary.
But that’s the way it worked out. Honestly, I’d only saved up a few sandwich recipes, but wanted more, so I went searching on Tastespotting. Turns out that sandwiches aren’t really recipe things. Well, here’s what I came up with anyway (very, very randomly).
Side note: It’s widely known that I am a picky eater*, so there were some restrictions that applied to any recipe I found. 1) No foods that gross me out (tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, onions). 2) No main ingredients that I plain don’t like (basil, pears). 3) No strange combos (no mint please, also nix on the peanut butter and bacon sandwich). Additionally, since I like my linkfest recipes to be practical, I added these rules: 4) Must use items that are probably already in one’s pantry, or are very easy to find at the grocery store (ooh, that means the one with wasabi paste is out), and 5) No ridiculously expensive ingredients (that great tasting cheese with the weird name? Not at $20/pound, thankyouverymuch, it’s a sandwich).
Additional confession: I don’t actually like sandwiches. I really don’t like school lunch sandwiches, probably because I had way too many of them growing up. If I were to pack myself a lunch with a salami sandwich, I can guarantee that it would go uneaten (even if I were very hungry) – they are that unappetizing to me (despite the fact that I like all the ingredients of a salami sandwich). The work-around for this is bringing just the ingredients to work and assembling at my desk, because somehow that makes it better (this doesn’t always work, but sometimes). Also, hot sandwiches don’t seem to bother me that much.
Anyway, on to the recipes!
Lunchbox: the rules are simple. This is a cold sandwich, suitable for bringing to school or work, without requiring the use of a toaster or microwave. Surprisingly hard to find these, when you add in the other rules.
Hrm. That’s a pretty short list.
Then I remembered that sandwiches aren’t just for lunch (this is something sandwich lovers already know). I have class on Tuesday and Thursday nights this semester, and I haven’t been doing the fast food thing like I usually do. Instead, I’ve been stopping at home for something quick, or picking up Subway for the two of us on my way home. I have a max of 20 minutes before I have to be out the door, so this has to be super quick. But I have access to a toaster oven, microwave, and potentially someone else to help prep.
Hot sandwiches:
Some other quick kind of sandwichy things:
More than sandwich recipes, I found partial ingredient recipes. Lots of people like to make up something for dinner and then transform it into a sandwich. This is not genius nor original, but it is smart.
Things you can make for dinner and then use the leftovers in a sandwich:
One and only one dessert sandwich (since sandwich cookies were covered yesterday, and ice cream sandwiches deserve their own list):
Lastly, a whole website/blog dedicated to sandwiches:
via Google Reader (Shared Items)
*I’m quite tired of this phrase, actually, since just about everyone else I know is also a picky eater, but they claim they aren’t. Yes, you are. I promise. Unless you are  . Or maybe  . Really, it’s OK to admit it. I won’t judge. There are just foods we don’t like, sometimes for completely unjustifiable or inexplicable reasons (yes, tomatoes are gross, but cucumbers are OK; eggplant is terrible, but other squashes can be quite tasty). You only get to call yourself a “not picky” person if I can plan a dinner for you without thinking at all about what you might or might not like. That is a darn short list in my experience.
I figured it was about time that I’d share some more links with you, and with school starting today (for pre-college students, that is), and the change in weather, well, I thought cookie recipes fit the bill. I narrowed down the list (because I’ve got more bookmarked that I didn’t share) and included only those cookies that would work for a school lunch (that is, wouldn’t get smooshed or melty or gooey). Enjoy!
Sandwich Cookies – who doesn’t love a good sandwich cookie, especially after a nice sandwich? OK, I don’t really care for the sandwich, just give me the cookies. I’ve even got some non-chocolate varieties here. I don’t even think I need to sell you on them – their names do it for me.
Chocolate Chip-like Cookies – classic, and a favorite, but sometimes it needs to get mixed up a bit, you know?
Miscellaneous Cookies – do I need to describe why these cookies might be good? I think not.
Bar Cookies – a must-have list for Minnesotans, and generally helpful for anyone with a big family or who has a cookie monster in his/her family. Or maybe a company potluck coming up.
via Google Reader (Shared Items)
Some things I’ve bookmarked recently:
via Google Reader (Shared Items)
Some things I’ve bookmarked recently:
Salads
Shrimp
- Spicy Grilled Shrimp | The Kitchn – Grilled shrimp (well, all shrimp really) is a great low-calorie protein. I love it on the grill, though I haven’t tried it spicy yet.
- garlic shrimp pasta | simmer down! – OK, if you switch out the pasta with a whole-grain variety, or just eat less of it, I think you’re good here. No cream sauce to clog your arteries.
Soup
Other
via Google Reader (Shared Items)
What’s that you say? You’re having difficulty getting enough chocolate into your diet? Never fear, I have collected some recipes to help you get through this trying dietary dilemma.
Some basics:
Taking cake to the next level:
Feeling nutty? Hazelnutty?
A bit more sophisticated:
via Google Reader (Shared Items)
Lately, my inner child wants to eat lots of yummy (bad for you) foods at a time that will most likely ruin my appetite for the upcoming meal. I have to tell her to be quiet (sometimes I shove a rice cake in her mouth, and that seems to hold her off a bit).
But if you feel like indulging your inner child, here are some recipes for you
- Nesquik Cake | Palachinka – Nesquik reminds me of my childhood, and the 80s. Not that I consumed much Nesquik – not a huge fan actually. This recipe isn’t so much a Nesquik cake as it is a cake dusted with Nesquik, but it sure is pretty!
- S’mores Cupcakes | Living Eventfully – If you find yourself unable to go camping this summer (perhaps you’ve waited to long and can’t find an open campsite, or your camping supplies have gone MIA, or you insist on sleeping in a real bed – whatever), make some of these up and reminisce in a distinctly sleeping-on-a-mattress, living-with-air-conditioning way.
via Google Reader (Shared Items)
Some things I’ve bookmarked recently:
via Google Reader (Shared Items)
 and I are planning to host a brunch for family the day after  ‘s wedding. Conveniently, I have several recipes bookmarked in my “brunch” folder. Of course, we’ll be making cinnamon rolls (because I have a fabulous recipe that we both love), and there should probably be fruit salad (it is June). I’m really tempted to make Prize Coffee Cake, but there are some good coffee cake recipes below that I’d like to try. Sometimes it’s good to try something new, even if you know the new can’t possibly be better than the usual.
What do you serve at brunch? (Or, perhaps more appropriately, what would you like to eat at brunch?)
Waffles
Pancakes
Coffee Cakes
Muffins, Biscuits, and other Breads
Cereals
Miscellaneous
via Google Reader (Shared Items)
Here in Minnesota, it’s not exactly gardening season yet (last frost date, according to Bachman’s, is May 10), but it’s definitely time to start planning. Here are some gardening and fresh food resources for you:
- Should You Grow Head Lettuce or Leaf Lettuce in Your Garden? | Planet Green – Short but helpful article on growing lettuce in your garden.
- How to Attract Birds in St. Paul or Minneapolis, MN Year-Round | Associated Content – Useful for locals, if you’re in the planning stage of gardening (which you should be, because it’s not time to plant yet), and you want to bird-watch.
- Where to find pick your own farms and orchards in Minnesota – It’s probably too late to join a CSA, but never too late to pick your own (limited only by the seasons). I’ve only gone the orchard route, but would try something else if anyone wants to plan it.
- Enjoy Fresh, Local Food All Year | Mother Earth News – Excellent tips, including links to more resources.
- GrowVeg.com – Free 30-day trial of the Garden and Crop Planning Tool – If I knew the dimensions of our garden areas, I would have started my plan already. Because, well, I’m a planning girl. I like graph paper.
- 75 Things You Can Compost, But Thought You Couldn’t | Planet Green – We don’t compost, and I don’t really see myself picking up this habit any time soon. But, I know people who do, or who want to. This is for them.
- Vegetable Harvest and Storage | University of Missouri Extension -
- Vegetable Storage at Home | University of Vermont Extension -
- How to Get Your Kids to Eat Almost Anything | Dumb Little Man – Bound to be controversial, but I found this article many months ago and bookmarked it for reference later. I like it. Think I can use it on myself?
via Google Reader (Shared Items)
For most people (in this hemisphere), now that it’s warm out, grilling season has begun. Our grill happens to be less than five feet from the kitchen door, so we grilled throughout the winter (just have to make sure to shovel a path after it snows), and our neighbor across the street grills daily, year-round. But I know that’s not the norm, so I’ve saved these for sharing until now. Enjoy!
- Grilled Herb Chicken with Vinaigrette | Have Recipes-Will Cook – This makes me wish that I was better at maintaining an herb garden. I have that one plant… but anything in pots tends to die on me.
- Taco Chicken | Our Best Bites – Yum. You can hardly go wrong with lime, garlic, chili powder, and cumin.
- Chicken Satay Recipe | hsa*ba: please eat – I love Chicken Satay, especially the peanut sauce. Such an odd combination, but so tasty.
- How to Prepare Chicago Style Hot Dogs | Apartment Therapy The Kitchn – This is just for Prince Charming, though I’m sure he could figure it out on his own. I think we need to have a party, though, since otherwise we’d have a ton of leftover ingredients (I don’t care for hot dogs that much, especially Chicago-style; chili dogs are about the only way I eat hot dogs).
- Grilled Pork Chops with Chipotle Sauce | Grumpy’s Honeybunch – We don’t make pork often, but I do enjoy a pork chop now and then. It’s such an easy meat to cook – like chicken, but without all the worry (of undercooking).
- Easy Ribs Menu | MarthaStewart.com – I have not yet been brave enough to try ribs, on the grill or otherwise. Sure would like to give it a try some day, though.
via Google Reader (Shared Items)
Next Tuesday is the final night of my literacy class, and so we are having a party. I volunteered to bring lemon bars, because sometimes I like to make things other than cookies. However, this has me searching for a lemon bar recipe that is … similar to those they used to serve at Starbucks (they may still, but I don’t frequent Starbucks anymore, so I don’t know). Searching through all the recipes I have bookmarked (to share with you all, of course), here are the lemon-y ones I found.
- Citrus Bars | marthastewart.com – Basic, classic lemon bars.
- Creamy Lemon Bars | Straight from the Farm – Rave reviews of this in the comments.
- Lemon Bars – Everything Nice – Double the filling. Interesting. But… I love the shortbread crust part too! Oh, what to do?
- Ultimate Lemon Butter Bars | Apartment Therapy The Kitchn – This is closer to what I want to make, but will take a lot more work. The only time I have to bake is Sunday afternoon, or late Monday night after class.
- Lemon Coconut Bars – Probably not the best for class, since not everyone loves coconut, but I sure do. Ooh, these would be good with lime juice subbed in, wouldn’t they? ~You take the lime and the coconut…~
- Lemon-Olive Oil Cake | TheKitchenSinkRecipes.com – Cake, oh I love you. I would eat all of you, right now. You know, to help you fulfill your destiny.
- Lemon Buttermilk Tart | Rosa’s Yummy Yums – I’ve never made a tart before. This looks like a good recipe to start with. Since the “crust” is just shortbread, I wonder if would eat this (he who eschews all things crust-like).
- Tartest Lemon Tart | Babette Feasts – Because I really need an excuse to buy a creme brulee set like this one.
- Key Lime Pie | King Arthur Flour – OK, not lemon at all, but this looks so much better than the “Key Lime Pie” flavor of Yoplait Light yogurt that I had for lunch. Sigh.
via Google Reader (Shared Items)
Some things I’ve bookmarked recently:
via Google Reader (Shared Items)
Some things I’ve bookmarked recently:
via Google Reader (Shared Items)
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thankful
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, a warning – this is a banana desert, but it’s combined with toffee. Is toffee OK with you? I have a hard time keeping all the different caramel-like things straight.
