January | 2011 | strawberries in paris

PW’s Buttermilk Biscuits

January 31, 2011 at 8:00 am | Posted in Brunch, Cookbooks | 6 Comments

See that jelly goodness?? It’s apricot Bonne Maman. yummmmmm. I had it leftover from X-mas cookie making and it went perfectly on top of the biscuits Jenn and I made. So last Thursday night Jenn was pondering what to bring to a “Dessert Dinner” bible study. She had the idea of strawberry shortcakes, and so I looked high and low for other interesting options, but in the end what did I come up with?? Strawberry Shortcakes! Great minds think alike, right? So I convinced her that we should try to make the shortcakes. That turned out so-so, but I can definitely pin point out reasons for that.

See, I have this problem. It probably started when I was six in Mrs. Paaby’s first grade class. I may or may not have “learned” to read in that class. One would think, that me having a masters degree in Chemistry, would lead one to believe that I can read. But clearly from my baking adventures this past week, I have a problem reading, especially when it comes to recipes!

Go for the jump and see some step by step plays of Pioneer Woman’s recipe!

Continue Reading PW’s Buttermilk Biscuits…

Afternoon at Acacia

January 28, 2011 at 8:00 am | Posted in Brunch, Dessert, Dinner, Travels | 3 Comments

Happy Friday Friends!!! Hope you are fared well in the snow! I’m headed up with my buddy Erica to see one of our best friends from college, Jana! I remember a trip to see Jana back in 2008 when I was starting to look at food blogs, namely Tartelette, and how excited I was to find her recipes! Oh how time flies! I can’t wait to see what exciting dining trips we have up there in Bellport! (And it might snow again!) So now lets go back three weekends and check out a trip in Frederick…

The morning after our healthy feast, we felt good! On Saturday night, we had fun at NOLA listening to the house music and sipping on their amazing cocktails. The oatmeal cake was good for breakfast with a bit of jam. By 11:30 we were ready to brace the cold and have lunch and do some window shopping! I was trying to figure out a restaurant that had good, ~$12 brunch food and decided on Acacia. None of us actually got real brunch food, but it was a lovely bright meal! And we did get an amuse bouche from the chef which was nice!

I snagged a front table, it seemed much more interesting than the back dining room. At some point, when Ned and I were walking downtown and checked out the dinner prices, we felt they were a bit steep for what they were offering. Lunch is a different story… I think the meal we were served was definitely worth a $12 entree! Filled me up for the rest of the day and it was very tasty too. Go check it out below!

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Wordless Wednesday: Winter Wonderland

January 26, 2011 at 8:00 am | Posted in Entertainment | 1 Comment

A Healthy Feast for 2011!

January 24, 2011 at 10:25 am | Posted in Cookbooks, Dinner | 4 Comments

When I give myself a mission (aka to make a very healthy dinner) I go full force! And wondrously, it turned out better than I ever expected! So it had been a couple of weeks since I saw Beffy and Kelly and so I invited them to come out to Frederick for a feast and Laurita even decided to come too! To satisfy the vegetarian (ish) requirements of our meal I went to the library to search for some new recipes! I found this cookbook (French Women Don’t Get Fat Cookbook) and found some winners in there! I also browsed through my copy of the Back to Basics and found a great wintery soup!
This beauteous colorful meal was salmon en papillote! It had grated carrot, sliced leeks and, diced asparagus and supremed oranges! The real secret to the amazing flavor was some fresh orange juice and some sesame oil!

So go check out some step by step (yeah like NKOTB) pictures and me using Piknik to the fullest!

Continue Reading A Healthy Feast for 2011!…

Dinosaur!?!! Barbeque

January 21, 2011 at 8:00 am | Posted in Dinner, Travels | 5 Comments

Do you honestly think Ned and I can go into a town and NOT try the local good barbeque??? Good, your guess was right. Ned has been the Dinosaur Bar-B-Que for many years now. Although I did travel to Rochester once for work, this was my first time! And I was pretty satisfied…. so overall it was a lovely afternoon to see all thats good and tasty in Rochester.

It was a dark and stormy day and we wandered into this delicious smelling old building….

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Wordless Wednesday: Light Up My Life!

January 19, 2011 at 8:00 am | Posted in Entertainment | 2 Comments

Gotta Love the Crab Shack

January 17, 2011 at 8:00 am | Posted in Appetizer, Dessert, Dinner, Travels | 1 Comment

So I saved the The Crab Shack for last, but it was certainly not the least! Ever since I knew Ned’s parents were going to buy a house down in Savannah, I heard about this very restaurant! It’s kind of like a mecca! And with an advertising phrase like “Where the Elite eat in their Barefeet!” how could you go wrong??

The vast seating at the restaurant and the entertaining spots and pretty views make this place seem like a vacation spot all on its own! And, yes AND, they have pretty good low country fare! Now go check out some alligators and food that does not include alligator meat!

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Zesty Zunzi’s

January 14, 2011 at 12:00 am | Posted in Dinner, Travels | Leave a comment

You know those places, those tasty lunch places you wish you had right around the corner from your house or work? Ones that make really tasty, healthy, fast and cheap food? In my mind those include One World and Atwater’s, but now Zunzi’s is definitely on that list.

We found this place from the same list on Design Sponge and are so glad we found it! This establishment unlike Rancho Allegre, is right smack dab in the middle of the tourist section of the city. Very close to the parking garage Ned and I started to use every day! Go check out some more pictures of the place and some sure to be food porn!

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Wordless Wednesday: The Falls

January 12, 2011 at 12:00 am | Posted in Dinner | 4 Comments

Rancho Allegre

January 7, 2011 at 12:00 am | Posted in Appetizer, Dinner, Travels | 2 Comments

Happy 1st Friday of the year everybody!! Hope your week went as fast as mine. It was filled with lots of random tasks at the lab and lots of exercising after work (4 nights worth!!) Auntie Helen clued me into this iPhone app last night (MyFitnessPal) and it has really invigorated my weight loss goals for the year! So pray that I keep it up and stick to my little app.

So what are we here for again?? Oh PORK! You realize my life does revolve around pork… And Ned’s too, but also in a sick way. He was hyped up on french press coffee on Wednesday and kept sending me pictures of teacup piglets! I love me some doggies generally, but Ned is trying to convince me we need one of those at some point in the future! Crazy Ned! Ned is also on the funny happy train because his references and contacts are starting to produce real job leads!! Keep your fingers crossed that there is an interview scheduled in the next week!!! So yeah, we went to Savannah, remember?? And we found this gem because of Design Sponge. The Rancho Allegre restaurant is definitely away from the bustling downtown, but it was well worth the ten minute drive!

We were in cuban heaven for sure! The roasted pork they serve is OUT OF THIS WORLD. The restaurant also had a nice ambience and so I neglected/decided to not use my flash, so be aware, there are some crazy yellow pictures after the jump!

Continue Reading Rancho Allegre…