tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72061755308446249992024-02-22T06:56:31.160-08:00Nom Nom Nom MomMy Super Yummy Adventures in Deliciousness while Staying Healthy & Happy
by Madonna Sulit RheingansNom Nom Nom Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08066638628124121345noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7206175530844624999.post-46254468209178872192011-10-22T18:38:00.000-07:002011-10-22T18:52:36.532-07:00"So...Whose Dish is on the Chopping Block?!"...I love that question!Golly-gee, I really LOVE the culinary show <i><b>Chopped </b></i>on the Food Network! And it so happens that as I enter this edition of my many food interests, a Chopped marathon of sorts is on the tube. I love the show's concept, the competitiveness of 4 relatively unknown but hungry chefs, the creative cooking hands & minds each chef possesses some more adept than others, the crazy ingredients they are faced with transforming into masterpieces on a plate, the no-nonsense bad-ass famous chefs who expertly judge the competitors, and just everything about the appetizer, entree, and dessert rounds culminating in someone getting chopped. Yikes! It's so exciting! It's a hot show, and I-LOVES-IT.<br />
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And how fun that at times there are themed episodes such as the Halloween Chopped edition of the show:<br />
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Think chicken feet, poblano peppers, black radishes, and fruit flavored candy as something that ends up as a delish though perhaps scary appetizer! How exciting to watch the frantic chefs come up with something innovative and tasty in such a short amount of time that needs to be presented to the likes of galant Geoffrey with his purposely styled look, Alex who lacks anything resembling a smile but a sharp genius palate, and hipster Chris who I find quite sweet & neatly tatted on both sleeves. Interestingly, the high-browed masters known as Scott & his sharp almost popped collar on his tailored shirt with a hate for onions nor Aaron with his tutorials on Mexican/Latin cuisine, proper Spanish pronunciation, and his suave hair bangage that drops ever so slightly over his high brow isn't judging this one, but gawd are they characters---all of them--and boy do they know their food, and golly do the competing chefs revere them, as do I from the confines of my couch.<br />
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In any case, this episode is not one bit scary, but instead rather tasty to watch and entertaining as usual. If you haven't caught the show yet, be sure to tune in to delight in the culinary delights that come from great veteran chefs, novice sous chefs, up & coming restauranteurs, and people who simply appreciate food and the creativity that comes from its respect and admiration. Enjoy! So...Whose dish is on the chopping block?! Can't wait to find out...Nom Nom Nom Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08066638628124121345noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7206175530844624999.post-77212690396531136862011-10-16T07:39:00.000-07:002011-10-17T14:51:50.372-07:00A Year Later, and Life & Food Is Still Filled with Sweetness!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Hello, Loves...Remember me? I know it's been QUITE a while since I last posted an entry, and for that I do apologize. I think life as a novice blogger took me by surprise, as I felt the pressure to constantly produce something fun, exciting, and <i>nom-nom-nom</i>-able, in addition to the fact that I was trying to balance the other hats I wear daily which also needed my attention. (Thanks for the pep talk, Cousin Lels!). So I think I kinda freaked out, and took a bit of a hiatus to regroup, regain my inspiration, manage my time more efficiently, get pregnant (I'm just about 2-1/2 weeks 'til go-time as I type ;) but still have continued to log in hours at fun foodie & delectable places and try my hand at recipes here and there. As such, I am again motivated and ready to bring you a taste of my food adventures. And quite fittingly, it comes on the 1 year anniversary of the unveailing of this blog, so what better timing than to restart now! I hope you continue to follow me as I journey through my adventures as Nom Nom Nom Mom!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Ok, so it happened to be Sweetest Day (or as I like to call it, Shmeetest Day) yesterday, and this past week also marked the 15th year where the Dude & I started going out as young NU students (awwww or gag, whichever you choose) and it was a free weekend to do something fun---just the 2 of us before we add to our craziness with Baby Girl #3's arrival in early November. And instead of observing some confectioners'-type holiday as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweetest_Day">Sweetest Day</a> initially was meant to observe, we made romantic (haha!) dining reservations at Paul Virant's acclaimed <a href="http://www.vierestaurant.com/">Vie Restaurant</a>. I was quite excited to head out to this suburban foodie spot because of the fantastic reviews I've found here and there. And it was truly a sweet, though not cavitiy-inducing, dinner experience. You know you're in for a real treat when your awesomely attentive server (Stephanie) knows why you're dining there (i.e., Shmeetest Day but more importantly to celebrate the silly anniversary of dating), is aware that you can't enjoy a 7&7 or glass of vino due to the preggo status but offers up the option of a house concocted mocktail (think fresh cranberried gingerale with a lemon twist), and the 1st offering for the night is bread that you normally despise (in my case sourdough), but you end up having multiple servings every time the "bread guy" comes around because it's so fresh, chewy, and with a touch of butter ever so sweet and not sour!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">So onto perusing the menu for more lovely choices for the evening...</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Alex, the Dude, seemed drawn to 1st course, salad, entree, & dessert options that included the addition of some sort of apple variety...tis the season afterall, so his evening of food delights sounded something like this: 1st-<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">seared diver sea scallops, roasted delicata squashes, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"><i>klug farm apples</i>, wood-grilled leeks, parsley; this followed by a salad of </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">city farm bibb lettuce, <i>shaved honey crisp apples</i>, dried italian plums, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">spiced hazelnuts, burnt sugar and hard cider vinaigrette; an entree highlighted by </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">pan-roasted alaskan halibut, braised spaghetti squash, <i>roasted klug farm apples</i>, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">shaved white turnips, werp farm frisee, amaretti; and dessert graced by the combo of sweet & spiced apples and roasted rhubarb in tart form, finished with a lovely vanilla creme fraiche. How you like them apples?! Take a peek:</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Melt in your mouth diver sea scallops...Super sexy, really!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Holy Halibut, Batman!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">And my evening plates were just as grand & but eclectic and meaty! First, came love, then came mar-...Oh, I mean, 1st came </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">summer beet agnolotti: roasted beet and preserved lemon filled pasta, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">red beet and sesame puree,</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"><i>crispy confit pork </i>(Filipinos & the like: think crispy lechon shavings), brown butter, lemon and oregano; then came the Vie Salad comprised of </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">local greens, fresh and marinated hawaiian hearts of palm, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">garlic and herb vinaigrette, parmigiano-reggiano (Darren, it was a mound of it, and a delish one at that!), then came the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">wood-grilled dry-aged dietzler farm beef loin with braised beef (prime beef, 2 ways!!---yes I was indulgent, yes I am using the whole "I'm eating for two" rationale here) and potato gratin, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">stout braised onions, wilted local greens, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">wood-grilled brussel sprouts, crème fraiche beef jus; and finally Vie's famously sweet </span>red kuri squash gooey butter cake pear squash chutney, pear ginger sorbet, whipped cream. Gorgeous!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Beautiful Beet Agnolotti & Crispy Pork Confit!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK0OZr74smsjALcIQZQyfZkxBzIrDcugAeq7eP0YYsGZp5Gh1NEIBm6i5wkLZNQWk2eFhNbl162waQqG_dRAKxNOgvQR1q9qFN7I2bbZLPw1JTf5X9Gb7Km88hp6AAhQ-C6M-JDzl7kS4/s1600/DSC03769.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK0OZr74smsjALcIQZQyfZkxBzIrDcugAeq7eP0YYsGZp5Gh1NEIBm6i5wkLZNQWk2eFhNbl162waQqG_dRAKxNOgvQR1q9qFN7I2bbZLPw1JTf5X9Gb7Km88hp6AAhQ-C6M-JDzl7kS4/s320/DSC03769.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Vie Salad. Can I have some parm-reg with that?!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix0gFiaxFCpuLHeusued9uBwMCAdM5JmQksYsPvAhdFoepbtdZSWJJi7Y_j73ZLZMgrAKV_aOrYQuM6nMWrgJUeqc0k7dX_7HuldCwlwHqpX6kRcX_u_GZDjj2ZDZ-6P84Ie0xDiXfaKs/s1600/DSC03770.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix0gFiaxFCpuLHeusued9uBwMCAdM5JmQksYsPvAhdFoepbtdZSWJJi7Y_j73ZLZMgrAKV_aOrYQuM6nMWrgJUeqc0k7dX_7HuldCwlwHqpX6kRcX_u_GZDjj2ZDZ-6P84Ie0xDiXfaKs/s320/DSC03770.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Beef-2 ways with wilted greens & roasted & dressed brussel sprouts</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Our sweet night ended with our respective desserts and a surprise chocolate number that helped top off our celebrating the start of the Sweet Life of Nom Nom Nom Mom & the Dude those 15 years ago up north on NU's campus...</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Sweet finish courtesy of Vie!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Life certainly has been sweet...Not always guaranteed sweet, but with lots of hard work, compromise, and sugar added, we've made it work and what it is today :) Thanks to the Dude for entertaining the Girlies to give this Mom a bit of time to reconnect with the blogosphere and remember how fun, delightful, and sweet food truly can be to me and to you! Cheers & enjoy!</span></div><div><br />
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</div>Nom Nom Nom Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08066638628124121345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7206175530844624999.post-57994590184778326082011-04-04T18:28:00.000-07:002011-04-04T18:32:17.911-07:00Grilling season & Filipino BBQ is coming soon...I hope!No, I've not quit this little hobby of blogging. But I certainly have not posted in quite some time, for which I greatly apologize...As per usual, finding the time in my nonstop schedule that includes family, work, play, and poor sleep, makes it rather challenging to keep up with creative entertaining sumptuous entries to share with you here. Furthermore, BIGGER things are on the horizon for me & my little family that have kept me busy as of late...but I digress...<br />
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Anyway, yesterday, actually this entire weekend was rather lovely. With company ranging from a visit from dear loving Grandma Maryann with her yummy oatmeal chippy cookies in tow & fun friends with their cutie-patootie toddling boy who is walking up a storm over for a Pizza Friday Night, to a Saturday deli lunch and playdate with the cool family of friends from school, to a lazy Sunday morning girly-girl playdate with dance friends, and finally the rest of Sunday afternoon playing with our great neighbors, watching the kids dig for fossils in the next lot over's backyard, and seeing Elena & Katrina enjoy the warm weather, Spring was definitely in the air...but perhaps short-lived...It's Monday & cloudy & 46*F & the Girlies are home sick with colds...(sigh). Aside from the teaser of this weekend, I was really inspired to Spring clean my mind & my palate (my house will have to wait ~ ha!). With the thought of warmer weather just around the corner also comes the thought of finding fresh local produce soon enough at nearby farmer's markets or just using my keen and picky eye at other grocery establishments to pick the most impeccable unblemished fruit & veggies I can find. And in addition to eating healthy foods from the fruit & veggie categories comes the opportunity to make delicious protein courses with the aid of the lovely grill. I absolutely love grilled food: meats, poultry, fish, veggies, & fruit (pineapple & nectarines on the grill...WOW!). So, when I was at the store most recently, I was inspired & determined to grill something delicious this weekend. I craved the Filipino BBQ marinaded meats & "salsas" that harkened me back to my childhood of being fed quite well (hence my super duper girlish figure ;) with such sweet & savory tastes. So as I shuffled my way around the grocery store's perimeter (btw, healthier choices tend to be located in the perimeter [fresh produce, protein, dairy] vs. the "junk" food-/comfort food-laden aisles [chips, sugary cereals, boxed foods]...interesting, eh?!), I found myself filling my cart with heads of broccoli, ruby red radishes, and lean though mammoth pork chops specifically to whip up a Filipino flavored "grilled" meal. I had every intention of having Alex help me pull the grill out to grill the chops, but alas I waited a day too late, and the weather was way too chilly for either of us to be standing outside while waiting for the deliciousness to cook up...But I would not give up...I wanted my chops to be Filipino BBQ'd, and so shall it be. So, I whipped up my version of Filipino BBQ marinade to dress the pork chops in before the grilling part were to come to fruition. Here's my take on the marinade not with exact true measurements, as it's all about how it tastes in the end, but anyway, approximate measurements for the audience: (if you Google "Filipino BBQ Sauce or Marinade, essentially the same ingredients pop up...)<br />
<ul><li>1/2 cup soy sauce</li>
<li>1/2 apple cider or white vinegar</li>
<li>1/4 cup red wine (not typical, but I think this is how my Aunt/Te rolled)</li>
<li>juice of 1 large lemon</li>
<li>1/2 can of citrus soda (usually the traditional recipes call for 7-up, but since I had nary a can of such, I used a 1/2 can of squirt...it served it's purpose)</li>
<li>5 Tbs. brown sugar</li>
<li>salt </li>
<li>freshly ground pepper</li>
<li>3 garlic cloves</li>
<li>medium sized shallot (in place of diced onion, which is traditional)</li>
<li>3 Tbs. ketchup or Catalina dressing (my preference, since I'm sometimes weirded out by ketchup)</li>
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</div><div>This isn't my aunt's (Te) exact version or "timpla" as she would say (I think hers includes pineapple juice & ginger minus the ketchup), but essentially it still produced the sweet/sour/tangy marinade that helps to create delectable Filipino BBQ/grilled meats. But I will eventually get her exact measurements, ingredients--basic & secret--in order to get the same awesome taste that I remember & love.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Okay, so onto the grilling part...Like I had mentioned, since it was way to chilly to grill outside today, and I already had colds scampering through my house, I used the next best option for indoor grilling, my stovetop grill pan. After the chops had marinated in the scrumptious sauciness of the Filipino BBQ for some hours, I transferred the ready chops to a sizzling hot grill pan. After about 4-5 minutes on each side, beautiful grill marks appeared and I was happy. I knew that I couldn't/shouldn't cook the big chops just in the grill pan for the amount of time that would be needed to cook them thoroughly, so after searing the chops on each & every side with gorgeous grill marks I transferred them onto a tray that lay atop a sheet pan to be headed into a 350* oven for about 60 minutes. And <i>ayan (loosely translated as "there you go" in Tagalog), </i>I had myself the Filipino BBQ Pork Chops that I was determined to make to help me get psyched and ready for grilling season even if it was 46*F outside following what was a warm weathered weekend.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRJW4n80gfBQUrJOKrlN03r4F5wIEdiVUaoA2gQ0QRyxgGCLNiKNu2wdGzI64rg9b379sm3S2BYRxoLv__IaDltZbL-EU5WdyhobvoPNiJEmCubaMbaWiadSG1PYyKMUDeSqh_mzRk_PY/s1600/DSC02732.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRJW4n80gfBQUrJOKrlN03r4F5wIEdiVUaoA2gQ0QRyxgGCLNiKNu2wdGzI64rg9b379sm3S2BYRxoLv__IaDltZbL-EU5WdyhobvoPNiJEmCubaMbaWiadSG1PYyKMUDeSqh_mzRk_PY/s320/DSC02732.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div>To accompany my Filipino BBQ chops, I made another fave of mine that often accompanied the chops or Filipino BBQ that my Aunt/Te would make: (Radish) Sisig. Now, for those of you who don't know what sisig is, let me just say that traditional Filipino <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sisig">Sisig </a>is, well, less than delicious sounding. But I suppose to some palates and foodies, perhaps, traditional sisig is something you might see getting raves on <i>Chopped, Top Chef, No Reservations, or Iron Chef </i>for its sassiness, its exoticness, its ingenious use of ALL parts pig...To each their own, I say...I mean I'm Filipino, but in this case my tame American palate dominates, and I don't think I will ever have sisig in its truest form...It's too exotic for me. When I ask you to check out the link on Sisig, I ask that for my version you only take into account the 1st part of the definition provided by the wikipedia site, and that's all I mean to suggest with the tame vegetarian version of sisig that I'll eat: "to snack on something sour"...My preferred version of sisig does not entail me eating parts of a pig that I feel should not be eaten--bleh! Anyway, so my radish sisig goes something like this:</div><ul><li>Slice up a bunch of radishes into paper thin rounds </li>
<li>Cover the sliced radishes in salt & let sit for about 5-10 minutes to let out the moisture and bitter/peppery taste of the veggie</li>
<li>Squeeze out the excess liquid from the radishes as much as you can</li>
<li>Throw in 2 stalks of thinly diced green onions</li>
<li>Throw in 1 large tomato all diced up too</li>
<li>Cover the mini "salsa" in about 1/4 cup soy sauce</li>
<li>Follow that with 1/4 cup white vinegar</li>
<li>Add a pinch of salt just in case</li>
<li>Drizzle 1 tsp. of sesame oil over the mix</li>
<li>Mix & toss and let meld in the fridge for some time</li>
<li>Oh, just as a "warning" let me just say after the flavors of this "salsa" meld, it smells less than scrumptious, but it is actually quite refreshing and delicious.</li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuFXGjmMA6vbinfLOzDX4gYjiDfmFd38hzOkVCDEc0ERQKiRgLjnq5S8FqnGlmwDPOC4NJ6I9-sKxuioejBGeVH1nZPn6szWiyJuwY1Y9vBA2dEUycPJtx5_y1cTEe1vesETzbv-75xzw/s1600/DSC02721.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuFXGjmMA6vbinfLOzDX4gYjiDfmFd38hzOkVCDEc0ERQKiRgLjnq5S8FqnGlmwDPOC4NJ6I9-sKxuioejBGeVH1nZPn6szWiyJuwY1Y9vBA2dEUycPJtx5_y1cTEe1vesETzbv-75xzw/s320/DSC02721.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2wlSsbvVaIM9PRB0Zccve1jd_RxdBbxIpB3_oGSaLwjLtUHTFAxTE3xGC-tGXR891mtTz1DX8WiaNkwNTA6i3rc-ZdVaK93ZvlziNd7zM9TgDrt1cG6ujdAu5h6PCIryl-I39tLd_jPk/s1600/DSC02729.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2wlSsbvVaIM9PRB0Zccve1jd_RxdBbxIpB3_oGSaLwjLtUHTFAxTE3xGC-tGXR891mtTz1DX8WiaNkwNTA6i3rc-ZdVaK93ZvlziNd7zM9TgDrt1cG6ujdAu5h6PCIryl-I39tLd_jPk/s320/DSC02729.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br />
</div><div>When it's time to eat, pair the Filipino BBQ Chops with some of the refreshingly piquant Radish Sisig over a spoonful of steaming jasmine rice, and repeat repeat repeat until satisfied.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd2ifb9hU9p_n3sCRVe6fzm-qJv8vf4Na6yAeqe5kWk7dONnJXVRyGlQVucXWeQ_HBzpM4xKLrWt64XZ7jcrf7VyMQifya80YCrT1KmyG0VwoXLS4hmskKTEH2ePqQkZwWpVvVff-bXPI/s1600/DSC02736.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd2ifb9hU9p_n3sCRVe6fzm-qJv8vf4Na6yAeqe5kWk7dONnJXVRyGlQVucXWeQ_HBzpM4xKLrWt64XZ7jcrf7VyMQifya80YCrT1KmyG0VwoXLS4hmskKTEH2ePqQkZwWpVvVff-bXPI/s400/DSC02736.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div><br />
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</div><div>I can't wait til it's truly Spring & Summer so that the real grilling can begin and the aroma of Filipino BBQ skewers of pork, steak, and chicken, can waft through the warm air outside. I can't wait to pair it with my Radish Sisig or steamed broccoli or roasted corn or some other fresh produce. In the meantime, I'm glad this past weekend inspired me to think Spring and think of the goodness of grilling. Spring can't come soon enough! Til then, happy nom nom nom to all!</div>Nom Nom Nom Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08066638628124121345noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7206175530844624999.post-71340841036767110442011-03-07T18:23:00.000-08:002011-03-07T18:41:52.670-08:00Birthday Dinner ~ Alex-style<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Hi! I know it's been awhile, but I truly have not had a minute to sit down and type away for the amount of time it takes me to create my witty, informative, flowery & delicious posts (as they've been graciously described for me...thank you!) for your enjoyment. But alas, looky here. I have more than a minute, so here I go typing away.<br />
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For this post, I shall recount the Birthday of my dear Hubby, my Dude, my Alex! He, like myself, was born in the beautiful month of February on the 28th in a year some 30+ years ago. In celebration of this, we did it Alex-style, hitting a suburban foodlover's haven in the likes of <a href="http://www.selectrestaurants.com/parkersamerican/index.php">Parkers' Restaurant & Bar</a> in Downers Grove, a place where the fisherman & the farmer work hand in hand to come up with some lovely delectable dishes. While I miss and lurve the City, the restaurants, the energy, Alex is just as content if not more so not hitting the City, since he commutes daily into the metropolis early in the morning, every morning. So, since it was his weekend to celebrate a few weekends back, I of course said "Downers Grove for deliciousness it is!" After all, great scrumptious food any where you have it will be just that ~ scrumptious, and Parkers' certainly did not disappoint. To make the evening more entertaining and friendly, we were wonderfully joined by friends, Michelle & Jose, fellow ballet parents and a great couple, and what fun company they were! The conversation was hilarious, informative, eye-opening, and just fun. And the meals we all had from the spirited cocktails, to the easily sipped & ripe bottles of Felino Malbec, to the fun (well, Jose might not use the word "fun") & briny raw oysters & savory golden crusted calamari, & refreshing beet salads, meaty yet brothy chowders, the filets of mignon, salmon, tuna, and duck were fabulously delicious! And then the desserts...well, we had a few to sample, but the white chocolate & apricot croissant bread pudding...WOW! It was absolutely perfect in terms of taste, texture, sweetness, just perfect! We had a bit left over, but because he was the Birthday Dude, Alex was not up for sharing with me the next morning...FINE, just the reason to return to Parkers' soon then! I think Alex had a great start to his birthday weekend with a fantastic meal and really great company! Like I had said, when the post was about <a href="http://nom3mom.blogspot.com/2011/02/older-wiser-fuller.html">my birthday</a>, 34 ain't that bad at all, and Alex will definitely agree. Here's a visual recap of our evening of delicious & great friendship:<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">Cheers to the Birthday Dude, Alex!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLx-WmN6XRN3HcD9YF_m7KGTGCkAGriFEV7OMbD7TPh1EyHVQoiOLPYOYVgxraacFKeDxQrmGQ7OmkBJno1WUn3YHWhcpcD-x0In22lwGQx2Be8rBrIvYfSGmre_q3rTKce4Re-FjKzxk/s1600/DSC02622.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLx-WmN6XRN3HcD9YF_m7KGTGCkAGriFEV7OMbD7TPh1EyHVQoiOLPYOYVgxraacFKeDxQrmGQ7OmkBJno1WUn3YHWhcpcD-x0In22lwGQx2Be8rBrIvYfSGmre_q3rTKce4Re-FjKzxk/s320/DSC02622.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Starting the evening of yumminess with some seafood fare & refreshing beet salads </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX3e1BAqYfGt3vTygxLrZiDaVxEJFH57wONsi07ahG4APaRS33BLwb_8RTKab6uyEcPahgauSPt1fLvoZoNMPxz8Gb-wAG9wXdALY8AryBHvz0rMyzleeSekX4-I1cRGpYmms3C5R7ScU/s1600/DSC02625.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX3e1BAqYfGt3vTygxLrZiDaVxEJFH57wONsi07ahG4APaRS33BLwb_8RTKab6uyEcPahgauSPt1fLvoZoNMPxz8Gb-wAG9wXdALY8AryBHvz0rMyzleeSekX4-I1cRGpYmms3C5R7ScU/s320/DSC02625.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaWGQQbLO9vdp8E3n0fvbt1lVtEF-Fzr6RCttiBb1fSoOdgjU0LNt-bHefHeuuLfAybpDRd6TwFfR5-SSOYKaZzlTLTtZ9yRinJNG3oZs5dM-QfOBcoTC0LoJXc4aPm2Vo9YqB5mujdGs/s1600/DSC02624.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaWGQQbLO9vdp8E3n0fvbt1lVtEF-Fzr6RCttiBb1fSoOdgjU0LNt-bHefHeuuLfAybpDRd6TwFfR5-SSOYKaZzlTLTtZ9yRinJNG3oZs5dM-QfOBcoTC0LoJXc4aPm2Vo9YqB5mujdGs/s320/DSC02624.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiksVCfmsjtnDobfhvWCf2TEtyszvijg6KfttsTg7MNsBTaEh29GZEh9qxbSVGhyphenhyphenkaGNai5Mf9I3p1pi5yQWIgIXwWws_e4lNKvWx6UPtd43sAFWCJlZ-JyQ9Fmx0H-R3kAjuwh8XTs93k/s1600/DSC02628.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiksVCfmsjtnDobfhvWCf2TEtyszvijg6KfttsTg7MNsBTaEh29GZEh9qxbSVGhyphenhyphenkaGNai5Mf9I3p1pi5yQWIgIXwWws_e4lNKvWx6UPtd43sAFWCJlZ-JyQ9Fmx0H-R3kAjuwh8XTs93k/s320/DSC02628.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo6jAo4UGL6pBzJfFvzxIECrYJvQgBGPwLRbKQP8hb-mA30EypdJZJU3TfSbRN9hxAiNPZhTrp6zf8of3EZMNuioWe7Yh4zo8KRNBFbqDSpo5TqGZ9k7bhBEq7iDxMNhXBeHEv-6HvkkQ/s1600/DSC02626.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo6jAo4UGL6pBzJfFvzxIECrYJvQgBGPwLRbKQP8hb-mA30EypdJZJU3TfSbRN9hxAiNPZhTrp6zf8of3EZMNuioWe7Yh4zo8KRNBFbqDSpo5TqGZ9k7bhBEq7iDxMNhXBeHEv-6HvkkQ/s320/DSC02626.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Deliciousness ensues in the form of lavender & honey glazed duck, spicy & seared Hawaiian bigeye tuna, grilled filet mignon, & horseradish encrusted Atlantic salmon! Nom nom nom & nom!!!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDLwPhg0NvOKrwPj1MXCwtXnHK1RgR9nbz1kz36Xl5LCJ5fjatmMX0_xOtCi9VCpnkexsefgBjEHnGm0OVqNWS0fSnoVkoPCrUuWz10Z30P4mkgcxxuiPtrXvPxmsgOXrC38fkg3mttMo/s1600/DSC02630.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDLwPhg0NvOKrwPj1MXCwtXnHK1RgR9nbz1kz36Xl5LCJ5fjatmMX0_xOtCi9VCpnkexsefgBjEHnGm0OVqNWS0fSnoVkoPCrUuWz10Z30P4mkgcxxuiPtrXvPxmsgOXrC38fkg3mttMo/s320/DSC02630.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHd0ahKwqsngUmef8KCca5b7NNB-gKw6I5-PoCsIaVgbPsAgTPetEwLX2RbsAJ648FeQJP0Cia0jaLzCBkY2oLWYt3fLhSqcVw0P2EOihzXCLY0bc3VjkFLlmVYR_0BrVj76P5esIWPzQ/s1600/DSC02631.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHd0ahKwqsngUmef8KCca5b7NNB-gKw6I5-PoCsIaVgbPsAgTPetEwLX2RbsAJ648FeQJP0Cia0jaLzCBkY2oLWYt3fLhSqcVw0P2EOihzXCLY0bc3VjkFLlmVYR_0BrVj76P5esIWPzQ/s320/DSC02631.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIXwbOifk-NBLdKM99mDcMc_e_df7Hg3_D7zCcoOItUchqR9kBhXrnOOcOqpkZTPwtJy3UDCYDBy27A6TsXs3H2hOexQDcakSZI_xCt69i6Hg8kaKP1FRqE7HYr6vXpyNww1DCCBMlwTc/s1600/DSC02632.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIXwbOifk-NBLdKM99mDcMc_e_df7Hg3_D7zCcoOItUchqR9kBhXrnOOcOqpkZTPwtJy3UDCYDBy27A6TsXs3H2hOexQDcakSZI_xCt69i6Hg8kaKP1FRqE7HYr6vXpyNww1DCCBMlwTc/s320/DSC02632.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQLIDetGNh0z1gBPOq29ifRL-O1Gl6i-4J5nZUEN2nEB5BWiwtESRAQlowgvWj4keFpYiyRWfXBsWYcsy7k708ip885Pw3pIDMYRKn5echjf7dVCoDYO2aBYbwPEHTo4lBfMr46xfjcnw/s1600/DSC02633.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQLIDetGNh0z1gBPOq29ifRL-O1Gl6i-4J5nZUEN2nEB5BWiwtESRAQlowgvWj4keFpYiyRWfXBsWYcsy7k708ip885Pw3pIDMYRKn5echjf7dVCoDYO2aBYbwPEHTo4lBfMr46xfjcnw/s320/DSC02633.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Happy Birthday to Alex with Jasmine Rice Pudding :)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Followed by Chocolate Tower of Richness...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And culminating in the Perfection that was the White Chocolate & Apricot Croissant Bread Pudding</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuWL0vdJbw2gy-fx55Jo4dRuHlzbdevoEXrERBIa68V4pmrbwLcG6CV3A5Rmz0CEVcA5Dsg-_HhuJDKzBTIfb0g3Q3NYvdtNm7QslaKxuXiFWlJfDxFhFd4qMtiDyOgUG9CSAXcAxVZ5M/s1600/DSC02634.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuWL0vdJbw2gy-fx55Jo4dRuHlzbdevoEXrERBIa68V4pmrbwLcG6CV3A5Rmz0CEVcA5Dsg-_HhuJDKzBTIfb0g3Q3NYvdtNm7QslaKxuXiFWlJfDxFhFd4qMtiDyOgUG9CSAXcAxVZ5M/s320/DSC02634.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5FfVLpJIpZiDKnJ2xEtH3PoabfBtYW5Vl683CmQj_MT3JA_KG-VdbpFY1ILo_sIh-_TcoAii9eJUfFjHYdGYoUgpB2CjObAwsRAfFEjjwmvnKx6HJzEn4JNHbrpzHnyFY-2jpL_6ZI3w/s1600/DSC02635.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5FfVLpJIpZiDKnJ2xEtH3PoabfBtYW5Vl683CmQj_MT3JA_KG-VdbpFY1ILo_sIh-_TcoAii9eJUfFjHYdGYoUgpB2CjObAwsRAfFEjjwmvnKx6HJzEn4JNHbrpzHnyFY-2jpL_6ZI3w/s320/DSC02635.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk7UbHxmoxs-05XakId1QKuRy8JQpSsMryzd6T0OffD107NQ2Jsj5al3BtDwiEBCrK5Hf1wR7PJ4nwIugWvtxrOTcPlgRav14OifqaWigKoAnkTdUAwK4sgv_cj-TxHx1JlqrUQxDRajs/s1600/DSC02636.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk7UbHxmoxs-05XakId1QKuRy8JQpSsMryzd6T0OffD107NQ2Jsj5al3BtDwiEBCrK5Hf1wR7PJ4nwIugWvtxrOTcPlgRav14OifqaWigKoAnkTdUAwK4sgv_cj-TxHx1JlqrUQxDRajs/s320/DSC02636.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We had a grand time with Michelle & Jose! Cheers, indeed!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglLdggjWS_hjLFDBvwu8snbGhGpTaSw7831azJWYSquPFap11EIZ-q34t5fPLATNjikqObHjUmbwWWfihmiB45dUVVapY5pPvXkJM875Utqu5DbM0OyCYGTe8lZIG4uEyyN9A-S-uBI7A/s1600/DSC02638.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglLdggjWS_hjLFDBvwu8snbGhGpTaSw7831azJWYSquPFap11EIZ-q34t5fPLATNjikqObHjUmbwWWfihmiB45dUVVapY5pPvXkJM875Utqu5DbM0OyCYGTe8lZIG4uEyyN9A-S-uBI7A/s320/DSC02638.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So next time you find yourself in lovely Downers Grove, and you crave something from the sea or the farm, and you are in the company of good friends, head on over to Parkers'! Deliciousness guaranteed!</div>Nom Nom Nom Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08066638628124121345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7206175530844624999.post-9365650805496133982011-02-22T20:20:00.000-08:002011-02-23T17:43:01.530-08:00Sisterly Love of Food ~ Alpha Chi Omega-styleSo this past weekend, I was feeling a bit nostalgic for my college days, and especially for the time I spent in the lovely Alpha Chi Omega, Gamma Chapter Sorority on NU's campus. I think the fond memories were sparked by a recent trip to the grocery store, where I happened upon the cereal aisle, and once there happened upon the box of Golden Grahams cereal. I seriously thought that they didn't make Golden Grahams anymore, but thank goodness I was proven wrong. So I put the box of golden loveliness in my cart, and I remembered that I had some ingredients at home including chocolate chips and mini-marshmallows. With these sweet items in mind, I started to reminisce about my sorority girl days as an "Alpha Chi," the friendships, the sisterhood, the bonding experiences, Chapter dinners, living in the Quad with JoMama, Curly, & Jen, or the Bowling Alley which barely was lived in (right, Jo? tee hee), or rooming with Crazy in the room all the way down the hall on the 3rd floor, Winter Rush, the frat parties, the trips to the Keg, the Monday nights during senior year at Nevins, and quite fittingly the comforting "homemade" food made for us sisters by dear Iola, the House's cook de cuisine.<br />
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Iola made Monday Night Chapter meals at the House really special. She had a way with taking "Mom's" classic recipe and making it as lovingly as "Mom" would and have enough to feed nearly 50+ girls all with varying tastes, and yet succeed in all feeling wonderfully satisfied with the puff pastry chicken or the tri-delt chicken or the chicken gerbils (or were they hamsters) or the Amy's chicken sausage & pesto pasta, and other culinary creations...Apparently, we Alpha Chi gals liked our chicken, though. But one standout recipe that always has me thinking of the House that was such a special treat were the Golden Graham S'mores Bars that Iola made. So simple in terms of ingredients but so profound in terms of the joy that each member's face showed with every delicious bite taken of these sweet treats. Although I never got a chance nor thought at the time to take down my favorite Alpha Chi recipes including the S'mores Bars recipe, I did a quick search for one that might do the trick since I happened upon the box of Golden Grahams and other ingredients I had handy, and here's what I found courtesy of a recipe on Betty Crocker's website:<br />
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Ingredients:<br />
<ul><li>1 box of Golden Grahams (approx. 8 cups)</li>
<li>1 bag (10.5 oz) of mini-marshmallows (approx. 5-1/2 cups)</li>
<li>1-1/2 cups of milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used semi-sweet to cut the super sweetness of the recipe~ha!</li>
<li>5 TB of unsalted butter</li>
<li>1/4 cup of light corn syrup</li>
<li>1 tsp. of vanilla</li>
</ul><div>Basically do the following to yield a delicious, nostalgic treat:</div><div><ul><li>Grease a 9x13 pan with non-stick cooking spray or butter</li>
<li>Place the (8) cups of Golden Graham cereal in a large bowl & set aside</li>
<li>Set aside 1 cup of mini-marshmallows to sprinkle into the mixture at the end of assembly</li>
<li>In a sauce pan, on LOW heat, melt together the butter, chocolate chips, mini-marshmallows (4-1/2 cups), light corn syrup, & vanilla</li>
<li>Pour the melted sweet sauce onto the cereal and mix thoroughly, though gently & add the remaining cup of mini-marshmallows</li>
<li>Spread the mixture into your greased baking pan and pat down with the back of a buttered wooden spoon and let it cool for about 1 hour before cutting out gorgeous bars of goodness.</li>
<li>ENJOY!</li>
</ul><div>Here's a look at how my Little Miss E & I put it all together...</div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiR1G-_71z9grrpxJnD8jp0oymIUowCeLHcBtAAgKp1Xz3gdsV-jAh4rz18F-wgz9ceN0PxQp2T3JO1pJvbNxG8G3pzh1aIA0lOn3z7h4R4oklDOScMyG9nDhdNIXHVBRtZF6liYT0lQE/s1600/IMG_4702.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiR1G-_71z9grrpxJnD8jp0oymIUowCeLHcBtAAgKp1Xz3gdsV-jAh4rz18F-wgz9ceN0PxQp2T3JO1pJvbNxG8G3pzh1aIA0lOn3z7h4R4oklDOScMyG9nDhdNIXHVBRtZF6liYT0lQE/s320/IMG_4702.JPG" width="213" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Perhaps this recipe is not exactly the way Iola made it for the Alpha Chis, but goodness it sure tasted memorable! I especially love that my Little Girlies & the Dude love these special treats as much as I do. Although their fondness for them doesn't stem back to fun & crazy sorority life at Alpha Chi Omega ~ Gamma Chapter, my family's love of them is just as sweet. And to my Alpha Chi Sisters from 637 University Place, thanks for the sweet memories we created together on NU's campus, while enjoying Iola's take on our yummy GG S'mores Bars! You know the letters that should follow here.... :) </div></div>Nom Nom Nom Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08066638628124121345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7206175530844624999.post-69244164866427546372011-02-07T17:57:00.000-08:002011-02-07T18:10:09.456-08:00Older, Wiser, Fuller!Well, yesterday I turned another year older, perhaps wiser, and most definitely fuller! I've had one of the best birthdays this gal has had, and much of it, in addition to the sweet love I received via birthday greetings from the Husband, the Girlies, Family & Friends, centered around the celebration of food that occurred while celebrating my turning 34 (well, 29, if my birthday wish were to come to fruition~ha!).<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>I was treated to such deliciousness over my birthday weekend, that I feel so full as I enter this post into the books. To celebrate in style, Alex made a reservation at the swanky, oh-so-chic <a href="http://www.balsanrestaurant.com/index.html">Balsan </a>in the Gold Coast area of Chicago. Such a beautiful place, aesthetically and gastronomically. We had just about everything from every section of their pleasant menu. From the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Fashioned">Old Fashioned</a> spirited cocktail to start the night with a bang, to the briny oysters on the half shell to keep it sexy and chic, to the signature savory bacony tarte flambee to tempt our tastebuds, to the refreshing beet salad to cleanse my palate, to the rich and meltingly tender veal blanquette surrounded by lengthy egg noodles to celebrate a long life ahead for me, to the smooth glasses of lovely Argentinian <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malbec">Malbec </a>to toast my aging, to the earthy French Pressed coffee to keep me energized to celebrate throughout the evening, and finally to the indulgently sweet <a href="http://www.joyofbaking.com/ParisBrest.html">Paris Brest</a> dolled up with a birthday candle for moi, my Birthday Dinner was absolutely lovely, delectable, and memorable. And if this wasn't enough, Alex's selections were just as lovely, and he shared with me too, including a taste of his rich chocolate souffle cake with milk stout ice cream...Happy Birthday to me!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me & my Old Fashioned! So excited for my Birthday meal!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgplcORSJ3j7e9WS6VMG94JVWWpGstHtIOB26jdiYBq6HH893ZFLtdwEpgfHCi_F4Bh68Q0MXcibcuUDkbs6TRS30bKT5DV7Eh9FrU_5vYuzOkE3AYshfRdHGIvr4INN3Xv_miv4z8K_zQ/s1600/048+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgplcORSJ3j7e9WS6VMG94JVWWpGstHtIOB26jdiYBq6HH893ZFLtdwEpgfHCi_F4Bh68Q0MXcibcuUDkbs6TRS30bKT5DV7Eh9FrU_5vYuzOkE3AYshfRdHGIvr4INN3Xv_miv4z8K_zQ/s320/048+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Savory Tart Flambee</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Sexy Oysters!</div></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSBl5eukPit5oV5s_77avgbMYip3CDogJzeCzgVH21WzSrjD6wdUy5cL4WW3obC-t2ECSaWjmSZk5CBDVM0oMgosdubpPEjV36dXKIMISjUSZC_AeRkUX8fH10qf5guHruxFeWlUJxjKM/s1600/050+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSBl5eukPit5oV5s_77avgbMYip3CDogJzeCzgVH21WzSrjD6wdUy5cL4WW3obC-t2ECSaWjmSZk5CBDVM0oMgosdubpPEjV36dXKIMISjUSZC_AeRkUX8fH10qf5guHruxFeWlUJxjKM/s320/050+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pretty & Refreshing Beet Salad</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsuXnIn67yqZtSiRqWsfYaROdb_lHG-u81IxEzmTwDkPBZm6f3U4RaGuuykiL4bpZJHrgAeiBDM1_9RfIV0lnXblDB3zUa7Ul_AhEobk5wUtW8PeZMMMWk90-VkTQur4rf1CXhctI2090/s1600/049+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsuXnIn67yqZtSiRqWsfYaROdb_lHG-u81IxEzmTwDkPBZm6f3U4RaGuuykiL4bpZJHrgAeiBDM1_9RfIV0lnXblDB3zUa7Ul_AhEobk5wUtW8PeZMMMWk90-VkTQur4rf1CXhctI2090/s320/049+%25282%2529.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Delicious Ben Marco Malbec~Cheers!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgznFTsnntN4GPuZlkb9pMFcAw50Z_k5q1KPWq6-U8kTfG_WG8hdi6tkRkw2m9TnPLDDARLRCDoa6T9EVD2R0vjixmLf2VCbUcMILZjLEkjuNGo2jIuluYK1ERbZxfXcTljJbWBVbIhOQI/s1600/053+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgznFTsnntN4GPuZlkb9pMFcAw50Z_k5q1KPWq6-U8kTfG_WG8hdi6tkRkw2m9TnPLDDARLRCDoa6T9EVD2R0vjixmLf2VCbUcMILZjLEkjuNGo2jIuluYK1ERbZxfXcTljJbWBVbIhOQI/s320/053+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rich Veal Blanquette with Egg Noodles! Here's to a rich long life ahead!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzo2JWs3ahkKyKYy1ZDPgxcEskb7l0L797CdUehnyB4LGOMtSGeO9qu5NpcUqCRSkvOHv25DRbG6l1EXxgue25_8KFuY4xolTiizYym9kqKBBoAxoxcMtAlHcIqL6e2_rVWDNuaUKWpU0/s1600/057+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzo2JWs3ahkKyKYy1ZDPgxcEskb7l0L797CdUehnyB4LGOMtSGeO9qu5NpcUqCRSkvOHv25DRbG6l1EXxgue25_8KFuY4xolTiizYym9kqKBBoAxoxcMtAlHcIqL6e2_rVWDNuaUKWpU0/s320/057+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coffee & Tea time!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJp5cnTI7O-G-gjypLSxdox7QHLPmPsbD7OsVyTEVd5X9eZshPR09h-EcnHqVhmuKIWQchmcTpshqleO_e96fsQCyGqaPsaNj-rAVa5FjuqdZIdF_qEzZckUf_BfLcyYMu66ess-LwdIs/s1600/058+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJp5cnTI7O-G-gjypLSxdox7QHLPmPsbD7OsVyTEVd5X9eZshPR09h-EcnHqVhmuKIWQchmcTpshqleO_e96fsQCyGqaPsaNj-rAVa5FjuqdZIdF_qEzZckUf_BfLcyYMu66ess-LwdIs/s320/058+%25282%2529.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chocolate Souffle Cake for Alex...and Me :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAny1ugkuTXU6665lKYkRSlO00vqZgH-iMuQCY5VqiXNIBEumWMDdFaozpt6HL2Q65VsHSsUbxoXeewy9dE2TIh-FBEPYp6Y77A5dH7Ha2LrOJPid4ILibxGiHmhGXRG2J4uaSjE3k5CY/s1600/056+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAny1ugkuTXU6665lKYkRSlO00vqZgH-iMuQCY5VqiXNIBEumWMDdFaozpt6HL2Q65VsHSsUbxoXeewy9dE2TIh-FBEPYp6Y77A5dH7Ha2LrOJPid4ILibxGiHmhGXRG2J4uaSjE3k5CY/s320/056+%25282%2529.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paris Brest Birthday Pastry :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj40TA59Z6mac9YyeTrnawG1MKEs98aTz-_8fWaPUNXfTVho4LtDbi2pkZDx-uq86OMo3B6o1xyshPBMelDMsavzhGxRDJpSdaBmOsP8K6YND26jUiSuR_91AJMNEKZmjM7GimCy8LlCM/s1600/059+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj40TA59Z6mac9YyeTrnawG1MKEs98aTz-_8fWaPUNXfTVho4LtDbi2pkZDx-uq86OMo3B6o1xyshPBMelDMsavzhGxRDJpSdaBmOsP8K6YND26jUiSuR_91AJMNEKZmjM7GimCy8LlCM/s320/059+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me & My Dude, enjoying a lovely Balsan Birthday Dinner :)</td></tr>
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<div>Now, since the Balsan dinner technically did not occur on my actual birthday, but the eve of it, we decided that after spending an evening of Citylife and slumber sans the kids, we would get up on the morning of my actual 34th, and meet my cousin Mia (more affectionately known to us as "Ge Mitz" or Ate) at the equally awesome though more earthy and approachable <a href="http://nightwoodrestaurant.com/">Nightwood </a>restaurant in the Pilsen are of the City for a delightful brunch. I've gotta say, I am a lucky gal to have been the recipient of 2 fabulous meals to celebrate my coming into the world. 1st a beautiful she-she-la-la dinner at Balsan, and now a fantastic and hip brunch at Nightwood that went a little like this: a cup of earthy Intelligentsia coffee to wake me up, next a sampling of Nightwood's famous bacon butterscotch glazed donut + caramel cream stuffed donut with pecan glaze~Oh.My.Goodness.Gracious!, then my main brunch plate of a bagel sandwich consisting of a shmear of smoked trout cream cheese, layered with crisp bacon, a sunny side up egg, refreshing cabbage slaw, and beautifully rustic tater tots that are like little delightful hash brown spheres of yum. Take a look:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsL4ScCN-w5pWqIwciGMYVQAdjsl-0FrjNxhir4WIt3X8JXFpUfrLE_VCoAZNH-1S7D3MmxxMAOtDJDMGieD_OW_z9n1UEeZ8t6FR1iCqiulgdSEb-3fr94xVH1q0JeEx9ra-HTWbr1gc/s1600/063+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsL4ScCN-w5pWqIwciGMYVQAdjsl-0FrjNxhir4WIt3X8JXFpUfrLE_VCoAZNH-1S7D3MmxxMAOtDJDMGieD_OW_z9n1UEeZ8t6FR1iCqiulgdSEb-3fr94xVH1q0JeEx9ra-HTWbr1gc/s320/063+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bacon Butterscotch & Caramel Cream-filled Donut with Pecan Glaze :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdExKJe0psPe4ZvQQBIsJWO-HEeQuKU0Z3qHhUVnmHKMDe6hZZsK7QN0p3CEmAnP9dceHVEqdFOod9AavXxayqdoBUJmf4O0wub83nUp5mRUd3jc35puyKvcePLr9Gdnmm6Qv1KgJSERk/s1600/064+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdExKJe0psPe4ZvQQBIsJWO-HEeQuKU0Z3qHhUVnmHKMDe6hZZsK7QN0p3CEmAnP9dceHVEqdFOod9AavXxayqdoBUJmf4O0wub83nUp5mRUd3jc35puyKvcePLr9Gdnmm6Qv1KgJSERk/s320/064+%25282%2529.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So good!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRElgYWDC81veXVGobQdhn_-W-LzGQPGfbchmOoRRdrz8qNf6d2raGVUrXX32To-qxcQN9D1NF42JOW5GeguJq1hyphenhyphengfIseA-3vVl_gNQu09q9YxV-AyLdX-sFtc7XYTCc3gSGtOq5i09I/s1600/065+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRElgYWDC81veXVGobQdhn_-W-LzGQPGfbchmOoRRdrz8qNf6d2raGVUrXX32To-qxcQN9D1NF42JOW5GeguJq1hyphenhyphengfIseA-3vVl_gNQu09q9YxV-AyLdX-sFtc7XYTCc3gSGtOq5i09I/s320/065+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What remained of the caramel cream-filled donut after the trio of us devoured it!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJs484feTamoSfLOMhy9XoFNYyGQeibNtL6obYWwe0u2twhBreDSL_jjj1shk_jpIKiZOQGcuXzI9k6d291kR4QU1sBXh7i0ozFxJVcGSnZAkoFtEgB9bqbedPYn1Xj66YzPJCv4KYP6o/s1600/066+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJs484feTamoSfLOMhy9XoFNYyGQeibNtL6obYWwe0u2twhBreDSL_jjj1shk_jpIKiZOQGcuXzI9k6d291kR4QU1sBXh7i0ozFxJVcGSnZAkoFtEgB9bqbedPYn1Xj66YzPJCv4KYP6o/s320/066+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bagel Sandwich of Goodness, with hip Tater Tots on the side</td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div>And if all this wasn't enough, we left the city to head back to our Girlies, who were entertaining my parents at their house. And since Mom is still taking it easy to stay sickness-free, and the Chicagoland area was still recovering from remnants of the crazy Blizzard 2011, the parents decided to order <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dim_sum">dim sum</a> take out from our dear old Chinese restaurant of choice~<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/hong-min-restaurant-palos-hills">Hong Min</a> in Palos Hills, but I was soooo stuffed from the night before and brunch that I could only muster a bite out of my favorite dim sum dumpling~shumai. But the Girlies went to town on some delicious shrimp <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_noodle_roll">chiang foon</a> noodle rolls. And to top that all off, Alex & I stopped at Oberweis Ice Cream parlor to grab a small ice cream cake to make my birthday celebration with my loving little family complete. And if that wasn't enough, when we got to my parents' house, my dad opened up a bottle of sweet red wine to toast to me :) Talk about making a gal feel special and full of food and love and love of food...I heart my family!!!</div><div><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5moiD1UNQkODjQdX-nrpgxHTewTWfBQ_4zvW_JP1Avgl2oQmOzKbC-bC84yQVs9cj8ZG8DScjVgF1DLjSpfEQIgjVsyEUEZ6Ja6myfk1KTXva5lcKN97EFRk7_51Sbx4_3KPSXsOa6KE/s1600/071+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5moiD1UNQkODjQdX-nrpgxHTewTWfBQ_4zvW_JP1Avgl2oQmOzKbC-bC84yQVs9cj8ZG8DScjVgF1DLjSpfEQIgjVsyEUEZ6Ja6myfk1KTXva5lcKN97EFRk7_51Sbx4_3KPSXsOa6KE/s320/071+%25282%2529.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sweet Red Rheinhessen~Cheers!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX06Z02H7npDwSJa61ypqGgwxjJs17sTG5kSQNejbcCLBMSReMtFVhWxpBSwg55u2dkw1YZWIZtovgW9i6Dt9aS9_qEUS8JWt5kVNqaeJwEf1h50yHEEUx5UKRya5SW2EUjV3tSie76gU/s1600/072+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX06Z02H7npDwSJa61ypqGgwxjJs17sTG5kSQNejbcCLBMSReMtFVhWxpBSwg55u2dkw1YZWIZtovgW9i6Dt9aS9_qEUS8JWt5kVNqaeJwEf1h50yHEEUx5UKRya5SW2EUjV3tSie76gU/s320/072+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shrimp & Pork Shumai Dumpling with Chili Sauce on the side~yum!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQT-qZyg2SpflfMZzq54Lcl90I0E8Kr8iVHaPYCcxa5cbtHxyDgfTOh9p03L1SLrlETNJqAMist4zB2PIVSvtOpuI5Lkpld1FZbbtk5a8UUNMcgnl-KgKFuXg0YFxGmwt3qH-TPuGTiq4/s1600/077+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQT-qZyg2SpflfMZzq54Lcl90I0E8Kr8iVHaPYCcxa5cbtHxyDgfTOh9p03L1SLrlETNJqAMist4zB2PIVSvtOpuI5Lkpld1FZbbtk5a8UUNMcgnl-KgKFuXg0YFxGmwt3qH-TPuGTiq4/s320/077+%25282%2529.JPG" width="312" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Loves :)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div>Essentially a kind of foodie's dream weekend. I am so grateful that I was the recipient all the love, and of such a wonderful weekend of celebrating. 34 ain't that bad. Cheers!<br />
<br />
To think...We might do this all over again in a few weeks, Alex-style, when we celebrate his birthday at the end of the month! I love February. (Burp!) Tee hee...<br />
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</div>Nom Nom Nom Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08066638628124121345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7206175530844624999.post-17811131795814370912011-01-26T20:46:00.000-08:002011-01-26T21:26:53.845-08:00Dark Chocolate Almond Milk...It does a body good!I've got to say, I truly love eating healthily! Healthy does NOT equal blah, that's for sure. And at one point in my life, for quite some time really, I was of the thinking that healthy eating was not fun nor delicious. But oh contraire mon frere...Eating healthy can and does in fact equal eating well. For me this healthy, nutritious, wholesome, and delicious "new" way of eating has come gradually and lovingly. I try new foods and drinks that are deemed healthy for you more so now than ever before. I really enjoy the all natural, organic, wholesome, high in fiber, full of antioxidants descriptions that the healthy foods present and truly are. For me, it's helped me change my lifestyle for the better, change my appearance (though still not a size 2, but more than totally okay with it) for the fitter, change my cooking style for the healthier, and keep me on track with positive outcomes for the long run. I mean, I still indulge here and there, and find comfort in comfort foods, but all in moderation, and all with my knowledge. Ultimately, I'd rather reach for the whole-grain variety vs. the white floured carb-loaded stick to my belly kinda foods. And for that kinda "small" change I've made to my eating, I am quite proud, and I love it even more that Alex also likes to and tries to eat healthily, and that the Girlies are gaining more appreciation for the healthy foods in life, though their sophisticated palates are still developing.<br />
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So, anyway, I figured I would share with you one of my new favorite healthy "foods" that really is a drink, but truly is a treat. I have found yummy love with <a href="http://silkpurealmond.com/?gclid=CNvn-eC-2aYCFYa7Kgodq2O40w#a=3;r=1">Silk Pure Dark Chocolate Almond Milk</a>! I am totally in love!!!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5ZBWILwKo0aW0CPPcbLF0Eep_CzckEj5zItCgCHkpRMeXzzWSXwBOS-AA0nyQZlF9OIXyHyDbHcX2Pud40EFz04ne0QPEMoWQtYiNCo6WqT2hbMMciPfE43q1UYOJpN22b5cEh2Hkk4g/s1600/017+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5ZBWILwKo0aW0CPPcbLF0Eep_CzckEj5zItCgCHkpRMeXzzWSXwBOS-AA0nyQZlF9OIXyHyDbHcX2Pud40EFz04ne0QPEMoWQtYiNCo6WqT2hbMMciPfE43q1UYOJpN22b5cEh2Hkk4g/s400/017+%25282%2529.JPG" width="266" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Perhaps I exaggerate a bit when I say this, but this stuff is like pure ecstasy! Yikes! I mean, it is such a delicious cup of milk, I start licking my lips just thinking about it, and savoring every sip and gulp when I have the chance to drink a cup. And the health benefits...OH...MY...GOSH!!! According to some info from ehow.com, almond milk is absolutely <a href="http://www.ehow.com/about_5433933_almond-milk-benefits.html">beneficial</a>! It's full of vitamins, low in calories, great for baking, lactose-free, full of calcium, and healthily awesome, just to name a few things. That's (plain) almond milk in general, which itself is like drinking up a handful of fresh, raw, wholesome almonds, seriously! But I mean DARK CHOCOLATE ALMOND MILK...full of antioxidants, and tastes like a sweet tooth's dream! From a dessert standpoint, it's like popping those delectable chocolate covered almonds into your mouth in liquid form...SCORE! Golly, I love this stuff, and apparently so does everyone else...I hear it sells out quickly at your local grocer, so snatch it up the next time you're out buying the necessary items for your kitchen. I love that my girls enjoy it as a natural and nourishing alternative to "moo milk". I love that I love this stuff as much as I love Alex...I think I want to marry it...Don't tell Alex. But actually, Alex loves it so much too, that I think he wants to marry it too, and I'm not jealous...So win win for all! Enjoy it as much as we do! It'll do your body good! Cheers!Nom Nom Nom Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08066638628124121345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7206175530844624999.post-87134657887640980482011-01-19T17:37:00.000-08:002011-01-19T17:42:00.667-08:00STRESSED is just DESSERTS spelled backwards...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Goodness gracious, what a stressful couple of days it has been...Snow is still on the ground, the Bears tackle the Packers next Sunday en route to Chicago's Super Bowl appearance (tee hee), changes at the family's business are constantly happening for the betterment of the company, my Elena turns 5 tomorrow (where has the time gone?!)...And to top things off, my Mom's been coughing so badly lately and just can't seem to shake the "cold" she has that she finally agreed to seek medical attention at the hospital. If you know anything about me, I don't handle my parents getting sick nor their having to go to the hospital well at all...Like I become a crying baby...a helpless nearly 34-year-old immature adult who can't bear to see Dad or Mom feeling yucky...It makes me feel yucky as well...And even more so, I become so stressed out about the whole situation and all situations (good and bad) that occur simultaneously, that I can't and don't function well. And to deal with my stress this time around, I have turned to desserts, just like any other sane individual would, right?! Right. So to temporarily ward off my worries and concern about my endearingly crazy though loving mother while she rests and recovers under the watchful eye of doctors and nurses, I have turned to the Boston Cream Pie to put a bit of a smile on my face.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNgWZFdRjDePS6HJdkt_PfRD3z_0WEOXY5-zwNQV7MimnRPicoBDZznZBxdLhkiI8Vbe09A9xoPfHMSjRrP_LPDpixfr2FZPf3ixm7-P3l64MjdieErJZw5oO7ITaEGOx5kPaFeZuJH0s/s1600/023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNgWZFdRjDePS6HJdkt_PfRD3z_0WEOXY5-zwNQV7MimnRPicoBDZznZBxdLhkiI8Vbe09A9xoPfHMSjRrP_LPDpixfr2FZPf3ixm7-P3l64MjdieErJZw5oO7ITaEGOx5kPaFeZuJH0s/s320/023.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9MIrOEDvyNkJt4qLShOHGf_JKbuUTC0n7YIYDSwbHMQE6o8nUPz0sZCyBEugQt4SNAzAr7T2utQUTEzBIMDpwB01stpa-tLiEyaTDUs4PCVZrKjcduo_pY0MIPl3bfl3sgz8mB3k5Ml8/s1600/025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9MIrOEDvyNkJt4qLShOHGf_JKbuUTC0n7YIYDSwbHMQE6o8nUPz0sZCyBEugQt4SNAzAr7T2utQUTEzBIMDpwB01stpa-tLiEyaTDUs4PCVZrKjcduo_pY0MIPl3bfl3sgz8mB3k5Ml8/s320/025.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLln2jKVP95RJAIyZ0HzVHcs1vsBGdI3pbWJOFpvKg2WbdzD7JsXJcpDI01rS9zw9HrQDZoxsdCV5Yyc6pjVtJj5wVQe_0TPQlRWFAF6lJqHjIYZJc9sTuez7OqUecuRzy5utwAgg0awQ/s1600/029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLln2jKVP95RJAIyZ0HzVHcs1vsBGdI3pbWJOFpvKg2WbdzD7JsXJcpDI01rS9zw9HrQDZoxsdCV5Yyc6pjVtJj5wVQe_0TPQlRWFAF6lJqHjIYZJc9sTuez7OqUecuRzy5utwAgg0awQ/s320/029.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
According to Wikipedia, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston_cream_pie">Boston Cream Pie</a> is quite the confection! Cake, custard, & chocolate ganache all in one sitting. Can't beat that. Pie? Perhaps not so much, but when you do a web search and explore the <a href="http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/Cakes/BostonCreamPie.htm">history </a>of this sweet treat, the pie part may have been for lack of springform pans back in the day...Whichever way you slice it, this treat, which I purchased from a local, traditional, and reliable <a href="http://www.orlandparkbakery.com/">bakery </a>in my area, definitely put a smile on my glum face after all the stress of this particular day. It even brought a smile to my nearly 5-year-old's face, since she was more than willing to partake in a pre-birthday treat. I think I might just have to bring some to dear old Mom to make her recovery & stay in the hospital even speedier, erase her stressed feelings as of late, and surround her with just desserts, including sweet old me! Find yourself a boston cream pie or some other sweet desserts so that your stressed day may be swiftly erased and replaced with some sweetness in your life. Enjoy!Nom Nom Nom Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08066638628124121345noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7206175530844624999.post-34896754780053437252011-01-13T20:34:00.000-08:002011-01-13T20:46:25.299-08:00This is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius...Or is it? Whatever...Let's see what we should eat!Well, for all my nearly 30+ years, I thought I was born under the astrological sign of Aquarius, with my birthday falling on February 6th and such. And for the most part, I've identified with what the astrologers have said about me being a <a href="http://www.whereincity.com/astrology/aquarius-female.php">female Aquarian</a>, especially the part about being "the most beautiful [women] in the zodiac..." HA! But now, a bunch of smarty pants astronomers from Minnesota have thrown the general public for a loop and proposed that what each of us has known to be our unique astrological sign may in reality not be it after all, and moreover, there is actually an <a href="http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/01/13/horoscope-hang-up-earth-rotation-changes-zodiac-signs/">additional sign</a> that has been "missing" forever! I know, right?! So, if I go by what the new signs' assignments are, I apparently am now a <a href="http://www.whereincity.com/astrology/capricorn-female.php">Capricorn</a>, but clearly they have it all wrong...or at least this particular site's assessment of the sign has an interesting take on MY new M.O...I'm mean, I'm supposed to have a "small well-shaped body..." Clearly they are not describing the real me. Hello?! I love food, so much so that I have decided to write about my adventures with food for goodness sakes. Ok, fine. I will admit, I've lost a fairly considerable amount of weight for me with healthier eating and a renewed lifestyle commitment to eating better with more accountability for the food choices I make, so maybe the "small well-shaped body" is in the cards for me...we shall see...But then again, I think I will always be an Aquarius at heart.<br />
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But anyway, with this new found take on astrological signs, it actually got me to thinking, "I wonder if there are food horoscopes out there..." And guess what, there are! I'm really excited about this new discovery of mine. Check out the <a href="http://www.delish.com/food-fun/horoscopes/food-horoscope-capricorn">Delish </a>site or one of many horoscope sites that you may search including this <a href="http://astrology.horoscope.com/horoscope/weeklyhoroscope/index-food-horoscope.aspx">one</a> to see what foods appear to align with your sign. Now to decide if I should increase my intake of yogurt & honey per Capricorn or nom it up with some pork chops in a balsamic reduction according to the age of Aquarius...And I should also look into seeing if my Girlies' signs shed any light into Elena's picky palate & Katrina's overindulgent palate...Whatever the case, I hope your sign (new or old) steers you in the right direction towards something wonderfully delicious! Enjoy!Nom Nom Nom Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08066638628124121345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7206175530844624999.post-17579923565904802952011-01-09T18:40:00.000-08:002011-01-09T18:50:03.719-08:00A Weekend of Nothing but Doing Good, Being Well, & Eating Right!So this happened to be a rare weekend filled with absolutely nothing fancy planned for the family to do, participate in, attend, dress to the 9's for, etc., and gosh was I excited about that! Don't get me wrong...the previous weekends have been wonderful, but the Holidays can be quite exhausting with all the hustle and bustle that surrounds the beautifully crazy Season. I mean, Thanksgiving was grand & gratifying, Christmas was blessed & lovely, and New Year's was bright & festive, and all were delicious as usual, but it's just non-stop partying and eating for a good month and a half. So I was appreciative for a weekend of nothing. <br />
<div><br />
</div><div>Well, honestly, there is ALWAYS something to do at my house on the weekend, namely reminding the Girlies to share & play nicely, asking the dear Hubby to tackle the "honey do" list, and constant tidying of the house by Me, as well as contemplating the bane of my existence~laundry~and constantly heading in and out of the laundry room. So, I guess this weekend was one of lots to do, but at least it wasn't a hectic Holiday event, and we all even got to sleep in, watch some rented movies, plan our Spring Break vacation, and I more importantly returned to cooking some quick, easy, and yummy meals. So all in all, it was a lovely, relaxing, normal weekend at home with my favorite lovies and activities...yes, even doing the laundry.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Overall, I really loved how normal, relaxed, clean, and healthy this weekend was. Maybe the look of this weekend had something to do with my renewed sense of calm following the hectic schedule of holiday party after holiday party after holiday party and my little family's concerted effort to be team players all weekend. Maybe I am just psyched about starting 2011 with a clean slate. But I feel confident that this will be my year to <i><b>do good, be well, and eat right</b></i>. I think the dinner I prepared for Sunday's food offerings lends itself to my new mantra. I wanted to prepare something quick & easy, yummy & pleasing, so I decided on <i>Apricot Ginger Glazed Broiled Salmon, Edamame, & Brown Rice:</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt77R0t284sOdeTqCXVXDdnOntnTEzNlRjrHKZL81-XZ-aW22q7Ww1v6UCf-tHjbOxTyT3XMDvv5Ka7VuV0USUrbWuXAmFoQQGU05muxc9nyfBirjWu7OXzfkiurnbPvwQLROMZ8ra5y4/s1600/IMG_4203.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt77R0t284sOdeTqCXVXDdnOntnTEzNlRjrHKZL81-XZ-aW22q7Ww1v6UCf-tHjbOxTyT3XMDvv5Ka7VuV0USUrbWuXAmFoQQGU05muxc9nyfBirjWu7OXzfkiurnbPvwQLROMZ8ra5y4/s400/IMG_4203.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div><i><br />
</i></div><div>I must admit, this was quite a lovely and healthy meal, nothing fancy, nor quite <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelin_Guide">Michelin star</a> worthy, but certainly tasty & satisfying. And when picky Elena and the rest of the family of eaters deem even a taste of the plate "very very very good," that's better than any gourmet award out there. So in order for you to make a healthy and delicious meal like that seen above, find yourself a nice filet of salmon at your local fishmonger, massage is touch of extra virgin olive oil and season with a combo of salt/pepper/dried thyme or a ready-to-use seasoning such as:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWD_3B6iFbIFcws2Yw0SMV_M7JdZ0h9D_Q19vIb1peAeQxosNqlCX51j_TALa11OedsXp6LPXwvbMY4dMC-9AsLZqglnR2007egMrUrR2UAItCNMxZxdIpn_po0Pj7VPZsAs7shT6-g48/s1600/IMG_4190.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWD_3B6iFbIFcws2Yw0SMV_M7JdZ0h9D_Q19vIb1peAeQxosNqlCX51j_TALa11OedsXp6LPXwvbMY4dMC-9AsLZqglnR2007egMrUrR2UAItCNMxZxdIpn_po0Pj7VPZsAs7shT6-g48/s320/IMG_4190.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div>Broil the salmon at 450*F for 15 minutes. Once done pour the prepared Apricot Ginger Glaze using ingredients such as:</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg13x6g190DS4TP5808Z4LvFgZEdfiRToDIDgjurD7OC0aZEjBoHw7r1Ur_oY_eXIFhKVToxUjo1i6Nasb3739X3nP8eXML7TZi4NiV0Gmmtd_5RROk0eGQ5Kkn5YzO5ujNETRdRhuQSHY/s1600/IMG_4192.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg13x6g190DS4TP5808Z4LvFgZEdfiRToDIDgjurD7OC0aZEjBoHw7r1Ur_oY_eXIFhKVToxUjo1i6Nasb3739X3nP8eXML7TZi4NiV0Gmmtd_5RROk0eGQ5Kkn5YzO5ujNETRdRhuQSHY/s320/IMG_4192.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apricot Ginger Glaze = 1 cup of apricot preserves<br />
a couple of dashes of soy sauce<br />
a couple of dashes of worcestershire sauce<br />
a couple shakes of salt/pepper/dried thyme or your fave salmon seasoning<br />
approximately 1 tsp or so of grated fresh ginger<br />
(courtesy of hubby Alex & his web searches for a glaze similar to the one described above)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Remember to return the freshly glazed salmon back to the broiler just for a 1 minute or 2 melt the flavor into the fish. (Even lovelier, is that the seasonings and glaze work wonderfully on pork tenderloin, chicken breasts, scallops, and other fish...so versatile the ingredients, all yummy in the tummy the result.) And to make things even easier for food prep/accompaniment purposes, I partnered the salmon with the following Trader Joe's delicious must-haves: Frozen/Fully Cooked Edamame (I just steam for less than 5 minutes to bring them back to edible life) and Organic Brown Rice (which can come to fruition following a quick whirl in the microwave for a mere 3 minutes). And there you have it. See...nothing fancy, but rather healthy and delicious.<br />
<div><br />
<div>I did well in choosing ingredients that were easy to make and nutritious to eat...I feel well, even wonderful, after a meal that me and my little family enjoyed...I certainly ate right and helped myself and my family choose healthy options for this dinner. I'm very happy this normal weekend of nothing gave me sooooo much inspiration for the year ahead. I hope I inspired you to also do good, be well, and eat right. Enjoy!</div><div><br />
</div></div>Nom Nom Nom Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08066638628124121345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7206175530844624999.post-35203698557174965562011-01-04T20:28:00.000-08:002011-01-05T07:02:51.443-08:00A Family of Pigs!That's what we are! And I say this in the most loving way. If the New Year's Day spread of food found at my home on the 1st day in 2011 lends any support to this statement, you will see that my large and loving family does indeed love food...cooking it, baking it, eating it, sharing it, talking about it, etc. etc. and so forth. And on this particular Holiday that celebrates the start of a new year, the start of moving forward and progressing, the start of having a prosperous year ahead, a fruitful year ahead, and a bountiful year ahead, there most definitely must be roasted <a href="http://www.foodtimeline.org/newyear.html">pig </a>represented in its gourmet form, known fondly in Filipino circles and other cultures as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lechon">Lechon</a>, in addition to other lucky foods. This year certainly did not disappoint in terms of the lucky pig and lucky foods represented in our family's buffet. See for yourself...(though the following picture may not be for the faint of heart, especially if you are not fond of roasted pig in all its glory, though you're missing out on quite a delicacy...) :<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiTYvq3jov-SUtfOpLDb0sUfzC2vawUd7MDJ-DWiEED-T3ZwZoZe-V5FjrIzKd2KLN8Ap6gmPb9X4CVZpk1c1pGAlYJhw3CD0Jn2fkJPnpq3PD3rPUXrJloS9MmTgBf6Yr6FjzdLZ4aig/s1600/DSC02409.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiTYvq3jov-SUtfOpLDb0sUfzC2vawUd7MDJ-DWiEED-T3ZwZoZe-V5FjrIzKd2KLN8Ap6gmPb9X4CVZpk1c1pGAlYJhw3CD0Jn2fkJPnpq3PD3rPUXrJloS9MmTgBf6Yr6FjzdLZ4aig/s320/DSC02409.JPG" width="281" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tasty Lechon courtesy of <em>Rey's Lechon</em>, Streamwood, IL</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The Lechon that was brought to the table and into our mouths was quite delicious, flavorful, savory, tender meated, and crispy skinned, the latter being one of the most telling signs that the lechon was prepared correctly and roasted very well without losing its overall quality. If you're still not quite sold on lechon, but are a fan of bacon, then think of it as a heavenly generous piece of crispy bacon with just the right amount of crunch and meatiness all in one bite that's dipped into a lovely sweet and savory sauce known as <em>Mang Tomas All Purpose Sauce</em> or a sauce of garlic infused vinegar, salt, pepper, and maybe a touch of soy sauce for color. Yummy for serious!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If porky lechon wasn't enough, dear cousin Irene also prepared her own gourmet version of a roasted pork loin, aka <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porchetta">Porchetta</a>, prepared with herbs, fennel, lemongrass, ginger, and garlic, which was also quite mouth watering to the family's palate:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwiLRLldF-pZvxfgEtlftMHy4fMTBfk2oZRtvEJKHdal-w05o5UEbXjKUxJR6a21Ls06CjOszbRfTnafN7Mszmfhpr-kYyPf_ep3HSMafw2tYv4j9o7r_UD_K_2pnTYRmbbKfLbe8Feq4/s1600/DSC02427.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwiLRLldF-pZvxfgEtlftMHy4fMTBfk2oZRtvEJKHdal-w05o5UEbXjKUxJR6a21Ls06CjOszbRfTnafN7Mszmfhpr-kYyPf_ep3HSMafw2tYv4j9o7r_UD_K_2pnTYRmbbKfLbe8Feq4/s320/DSC02427.JPG" width="318" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Porchetta a la Irene</td></tr>
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And if the table wasn't lucky enough with the pigs galore, we also had black-eyed peas represented in <a href="http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/texas-caviar-i/Detail.aspx">Texas Caviar</a> with the addition of a couple of cans of corn niblets & a small can of chopped green chiles made by yours truly courtesy of a recipe shared by my cousin, as well as in a black-eyed peas salad beautifully placed in a butternut squash edible "bowl" that Tita Lelet made; fish o' plenty grilled to perfection in the bitter cold by my cousin, Joe; pancit noodles from Tita Marlene to ensure long life ahead for us; round fruits from pomelo, oranges, apples, tangerines, grapes, and even rings of pineapple, and round cookies-some fancy and <a href="http://nom3mom.blogspot.com/2010/12/all-that-glittersis-luxurious-cookie.html">glitterized</a>; Tita Baby's coconut milked dessert soup known as <i>ginataan</i>, and cakes such as a <em>pecan streusel coffee bundt cake</em> from the <a href="http://www.delish.com/recipefinder/streusel-coffee-cake-dessert-recipes?click=recipe_sr">Delish </a>site that I baked for everyone's sweet tooth cravings to ensure luck in 2011. And for good measure, we even had an overabundance of petite filet mignon grilled not only by my dear Alex who braved the winter winds and cold air, but also from my cousin, Jojie, who grilled his version of the gourmet steaks outside on his patio and then rushed them over for us to savor.</div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglkUU-kdMyjih7AXvhUWrlhHl2KCo7tkt4Ocj0mj-GHGc4zKhoZ5DCmphRmoOFZ_2OiOlEz0FsjgKKA9Xvra0Tlg8EcjlgYDyQLvdxvjpeTD_M1T7yVWdiHtcZkGE9MSz7o-1v5abNohY/s1600/DSC02429.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglkUU-kdMyjih7AXvhUWrlhHl2KCo7tkt4Ocj0mj-GHGc4zKhoZ5DCmphRmoOFZ_2OiOlEz0FsjgKKA9Xvra0Tlg8EcjlgYDyQLvdxvjpeTD_M1T7yVWdiHtcZkGE9MSz7o-1v5abNohY/s320/DSC02429.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Food...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtayNkz7esbhyPqRiRan8_yyGjiYUiX9iLgh7qu2wPAnpbP6SFSq2yC_rdVWX5FrnqVnB08F3vQ9F7WyE-xeHwLk3Cj1zo4Vwubgvwg2cPSTV73sMAHHB28er-EsV_0sxwa-pOTvdcMGQ/s1600/DSC02430.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtayNkz7esbhyPqRiRan8_yyGjiYUiX9iLgh7qu2wPAnpbP6SFSq2yC_rdVWX5FrnqVnB08F3vQ9F7WyE-xeHwLk3Cj1zo4Vwubgvwg2cPSTV73sMAHHB28er-EsV_0sxwa-pOTvdcMGQ/s320/DSC02430.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> food...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl2DGRoJLA2XZTmue9HzwSS7L29ZQR0Ia_o56TMXR08oDj_D2rWbaO6AoCc2gb0o9VTYNg0Gih21YLv2BzHGpWA169pC57aG_IA3gDL2VoTw9-wIj8Yt6k4wufeAIiLfteAEcv7mNv73s/s1600/DSC02419.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl2DGRoJLA2XZTmue9HzwSS7L29ZQR0Ia_o56TMXR08oDj_D2rWbaO6AoCc2gb0o9VTYNg0Gih21YLv2BzHGpWA169pC57aG_IA3gDL2VoTw9-wIj8Yt6k4wufeAIiLfteAEcv7mNv73s/s320/DSC02419.JPG" width="281" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">and more food!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>We ate like pigs, and our bellies were full, and we are all very blessed, lucky, and thankful for what we received that day and to have one another in 2011! It's bound to be a beautifully lucky and delicious year ahead for us all! Happy New Year, indeed!</div>Nom Nom Nom Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08066638628124121345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7206175530844624999.post-78294589444523814392010-12-31T18:57:00.000-08:002010-12-31T20:10:35.313-08:00So Long, Farewell...2010! Hello...2011!Don't get me wrong, 2010 has been a good year overall, but it certainly came with some personal challenges, that when I reflect on the past year, have most likely only made me stronger as an individual. I am thankful for the ups as well as the downs that came my way personally, professionally, physically, emotionally, familially (Is that a word? It is for now...), as such have only added to my character, added to my motivation to always do better in the coming year. As 2010 draws to a close, I am thankful as always for My Little Family, consisting of Alex, Elena, and Katrina~we have one another with whom we are able to laugh, cry, hug, kiss, play, dance, learn from, and teach life lessons to on a daily basis. We have good health aside from annoying winter colds that tend to stick around temporarily just to keep things real. We have a blessed life full of loved ones from our large extended family who share their love, talents, and cooking prowess with us. We have lovely friends who share their unique gifts, fun company, and sweet kindness with us. We have the gift of tastebuds that help us to savor and appreciate every delicious bite of food that makes its way onto our palates from the kitchen. I have some growing loyal support for this new adventure in blogging I've stumbled upon that brings a smile to my face every time my fingers strike the keyboard to bring you taste of my life as <b><i>Nom Nom Nom Mom</i></b>. I thank 2010 for being what it was~real...and actually quite delicious as well. It's my hope that 2011 comes with much happiness, good fortune, sweet love, more recipes and yummy adventures, and good eats for my family and for yours.<br />
<br />
And in the tradition of my Filipino family, don't forget to ring in the New Year "right," by setting out a platter of 12-13 of your favorite <a href="http://globalnation.inquirer.net/cebudailynews/news/view/20091231-244801/Round-fruits-for-good-fortune-all-year-round">round fruits</a> to make it a prosperous year ahead. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ-WRBDcizEnPEffpULwj2Uxigm7vHaqVORGL4t9DjYnVR_NIjpAf8la_kFZxW119TdKjP3chRFafzOJ2fikMioZ_FRuJFRLCBuKXTvuA7HA-fLPx1RBaTesoUisp_g3kSTaE8leqhW24/s1600/DSC02398.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ-WRBDcizEnPEffpULwj2Uxigm7vHaqVORGL4t9DjYnVR_NIjpAf8la_kFZxW119TdKjP3chRFafzOJ2fikMioZ_FRuJFRLCBuKXTvuA7HA-fLPx1RBaTesoUisp_g3kSTaE8leqhW24/s320/DSC02398.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My round fruits include: Pomelo, oranges, tangerines, limes, lemons, green grapes, red grapes, apples, cherry tomatoes, yellow sweet bell pepper, round slices of cucumber, cranberries</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Don't know about you, but I'll also be sipping on some hot chocolate~not from the authentic Filipino <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/tablea-tsokolate-hot-chocolate">Tablea Tsokolate</a>~I often drunk hot at midnight with my parents, brothers, and "Te" (my "Aunt"/Nanny since birth, and now my Girlies "Lola Te") but hot chocolate nonetheless, maybe swigging a sip of champagne to follow, wearing polka-dotted clothing, carrying coins in my pockets, setting coins at the front door, jumping at midnight in case I have the chance of growing taller in my adulthood, turning on all the lights in the house, and banging on pots and pans just to name a few things to ensure that 2011 is a good year. Granted, it'll be less elaborate than my own parents' <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_in_the_Philippines">Media Noche</a> merriment and delicious feasting that they'll partake in at the stroke of midnight. But since I am yet again a bit under the weather with the aforementioned winter cold, and the Girlies decided to sleep early for once, we decided it's gonna be a variation on the theme in the sweet confines of our home. I am really looking forward to spending a quaint Eve with my own little family, as it should be...Besides, I have all of New Year's Day to spend with my large and loving extended family eating, eating, and did I mention eating...(More on that feast later...)<br />
<br />
Now if you find my Filipino family's traditions wacky, here's a <i><a href="http://www.delish.com/recipes/cooking-recipes/global-new-years">Delish </a></i>link to some other globally "wacky" ways to ensure a fabulous year ahead, with food in mind. Happy <i><b>Nom Nom Nom</b></i>-ing in 2011! Cheers!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRm8BxXpDl6ZoYGkVx25U1MZtu08L1T-4h9VJk63SZQgZZVuWxcLA_hBGfWO96W5WbADRoxxCRfjpXJf8hItGGmj1OND5GKl17d7gWQ8GbFgE47WwsnrIQ700u04tBbKj9yjTPTQ15UDo/s1600/DSC02406.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRm8BxXpDl6ZoYGkVx25U1MZtu08L1T-4h9VJk63SZQgZZVuWxcLA_hBGfWO96W5WbADRoxxCRfjpXJf8hItGGmj1OND5GKl17d7gWQ8GbFgE47WwsnrIQ700u04tBbKj9yjTPTQ15UDo/s400/DSC02406.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our little spread for Media Noche <i>nom-nom-nom</i>-ing...Cheers!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Nom Nom Nom Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08066638628124121345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7206175530844624999.post-46840865599508628122010-12-27T19:23:00.000-08:002010-12-27T20:34:09.539-08:00Twas 2 Days After Christmas......and apparently a toy store threw up in our house!! Wow, my Girlies are very blessed and lucky Little Ones! Thank you to Santa, and my large & loving & very generous immediate and extended family for all the love and presents Elena & Katrina received this year! You truly are the best family a Gal can have!<br />
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Aside from the material generosity as well as loving generosity that has been shared by my family this Christmas, I am also so blessed and lucky to have a family that is just fantastic in the kitchen! In preparation of this year's Christmas Celebration at my parents' house, my little family and a slew of Cousins gathered at my house days before the Holiday for our annual Christmas Cookie Baking Extravanganza! I look forward to this event, as it's been going on for at least 9 years now! Essentially, we get together to bake cookies, gossip, and in more recent years, make it a fun event for the newest bakers in the family such as my Girlies! Now, I must admit, this year saw a lot more socializing vs. baking, but homemade yummy cookies were still the main result of the evening. And although I did not take very many pictures of the Chocolate Crinkles, Christmas Cherries, Award-Winning Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies, <a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Cream-Cheese-Cookies-I/Detail.aspx">Spritz Cookies</a> courtesy of a great recipe I tried from allrecipes.com, or Sugar Cookie Thumbprints that were baked with love this year, they all ended up on Santa's plate, and ultimately in his belly that I'm sure shook like a bowl full of jelly! Here's a peak into the evening spent together to keep Santa happy:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUQBCt_heRgsCM9-uJTr90MS9Q4MqgOWoJlzak3LW6iDvfoSBEZP0ZxFYBE5jUgi3SoGoSFjRUXIDo1xu8SswE57ge75-WSRaroPFYX4rQpoS96mF0QiXtVcz6kp4cuI-36z_lu1bGrWY/s1600/DSC02163.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUQBCt_heRgsCM9-uJTr90MS9Q4MqgOWoJlzak3LW6iDvfoSBEZP0ZxFYBE5jUgi3SoGoSFjRUXIDo1xu8SswE57ge75-WSRaroPFYX4rQpoS96mF0QiXtVcz6kp4cuI-36z_lu1bGrWY/s200/DSC02163.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYcQsrSd0e8ytpon1KDSB_nIe5VC23Y6wMrTUr9eR6sTBzJ-dPLjrgau4BEV2CEAtTT3RKAA-RbEdZNf67Oes9c1aLtmjqLRMNWSm3TR3s24b-Mgcqsg24LcINjGzwrmBSK9fMWSD2qNo/s1600/DSC02179.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYcQsrSd0e8ytpon1KDSB_nIe5VC23Y6wMrTUr9eR6sTBzJ-dPLjrgau4BEV2CEAtTT3RKAA-RbEdZNf67Oes9c1aLtmjqLRMNWSm3TR3s24b-Mgcqsg24LcINjGzwrmBSK9fMWSD2qNo/s200/DSC02179.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB-XrdPLD3jFVZiOUXqzH4Bo42IZrQy8HSdRCIiDeAnGO1IjoJu771_Y6DiP43HgXmIs_p0c_rtCiwJUVwKxtgMKA3TT5jPMIqdiBUHED-zfJn_nMI8i6BoVJ58xBM05sAHOJ3UKhAOhs/s1600/DSC02165.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB-XrdPLD3jFVZiOUXqzH4Bo42IZrQy8HSdRCIiDeAnGO1IjoJu771_Y6DiP43HgXmIs_p0c_rtCiwJUVwKxtgMKA3TT5jPMIqdiBUHED-zfJn_nMI8i6BoVJ58xBM05sAHOJ3UKhAOhs/s200/DSC02165.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And here's what Santa's plate looked like on Christmas Eve, filled with all the cookies we baked at the Extravaganza, along with some healthy options:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjH2tWMrnQyaTYRiSpTS6QgLqwTMs4Eaf8Cln-7J1_K5nv6JVYi2faSqN_DqVwFOu7fKRWEsfbpm-6NihWmZRQWmupL562c3XswEsswGTR3ortKgnUWOu2-aXYYpIMr7-ojpyvPCTqIA4/s1600/DSC02217.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjH2tWMrnQyaTYRiSpTS6QgLqwTMs4Eaf8Cln-7J1_K5nv6JVYi2faSqN_DqVwFOu7fKRWEsfbpm-6NihWmZRQWmupL562c3XswEsswGTR3ortKgnUWOu2-aXYYpIMr7-ojpyvPCTqIA4/s320/DSC02217.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">On Christmas Day, itself, a guest to our Celebration has to come ready to eat and be gloriously filled with delectable foods, both sweet & savory, traditionally American & traditionally Filipino, and all in all delicious. We're not fancy, just foodies! This year, we had so many things to eat: white rice (of course), my garlic mashed potatoes and creamy cornbread, my brother Rom's jellied cranberry mold with citrus & mint, a turkey roasted not only by my husband Alex, but one also roasted with an herb rub by Lola Te & Rom, a delicious honey-baked ham bought at a <a href="http://chicagolandham.com/">local establishment</a>, Tita Marlene's pancit noodles, Lola Te's beef caldereta & filipino picadillo with raisins, Tita Lelet's boiled peanuts, wines by Alejos Cellars, and the piece de resistance: my cousin, Ate Gay's Rib Roast! I'm full just reading the line up. And don't forget the homemade cookies from me, my banana bread ala simplyrecipes.com, Kathy's Devil's Food cupcakes, and my MIL's pecan squares! And now, I'm really stuffed! But wait, don't forget to have a glass of wine, a cocktail, some mulled cider, a shot of Jagermeister or Jack Daniels while playing Catchphrase with the Cousins, Cousin Isabel's Orange Creamsicle shots (yum!), or Holiday Egg-Nog (though Rom was too pooped to whip some up...next year...).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And just to get an idea of what feasting at the Christmas Celebration with my side of the Family is like, here's just a taste:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu1JlD52_bBgdKKxdy6CLrnOP605-_8k8CzMXNPXFKlEMF8uheu-kdwbXb0ctSZQWLdf5snrfpnGbD5KuE5zyOMi9HV5tKa6CUKgpSomV_QayXAWtG8v2iy3izPgVfB3TiFi_bc0AwjVM/s1600/DSC02268.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu1JlD52_bBgdKKxdy6CLrnOP605-_8k8CzMXNPXFKlEMF8uheu-kdwbXb0ctSZQWLdf5snrfpnGbD5KuE5zyOMi9HV5tKa6CUKgpSomV_QayXAWtG8v2iy3izPgVfB3TiFi_bc0AwjVM/s320/DSC02268.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I certainly hope your Christmas Celebration was blessed, fun, and delish! Mine sure was, and it was especially lovely and scrumptious because of my large, loving, and fabulous family of naturally talented cooks, for serious! Happy Holidays to you & yours!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And now to think about what I will be serving for the New Year's Day feast we're hosting at my house...(sigh!).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Nom Nom Nom Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08066638628124121345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7206175530844624999.post-19746402803344951792010-12-22T19:34:00.000-08:002010-12-22T19:34:29.409-08:00Day Off from Work = Lots of "Work" Accomplished at HomeI had highly anticipated having this day off from work, as it landed just 3 days before Christmas with my enormous side of the family, 2 days before Christmas Eve with my hubby's family of less than enormous size, and 1 day before my annual Christmas Cookie Baking Extravanganza of Fun had with my cousins. So all in all, this was a busy day of prepping for such events in anticipation of the Blessed Christmas Holiday, so I'm thankful for being afforded the day off from the family's business so that I could enjoy some of my own little family's busy-ness. <br />
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A bit of a set back with the start of the morning, beginning at 1:00am, though...My Girlies were rather feverish throughout the day yesterday, and although Elena seemed to recover fairly quickly from her grumpiness brought on by mild sickness, Katrina just did not seem to be able to fight the ill-effects of winter colds/coughs/fever, so she did NOT sleep well and was running a temperature throughout the wee hours of the morning. And since I had a diet coke with dinner just hours before I intended to sleep, well, let's just say caffeinated & already sleep deprived working Momma+ feverish 2-1/2-year-old toddler who loves Momma=really poor night's sleep (yawn!). Despite the poor start to the anticipation of my day off, I was determined to make the most of the time I had today to do everything I set out to do, and all in all I would say it was a rather relaxing yet wonderfully busy day at home with my little family. And to make things even sweeter, some baking of deliciousness was accomplished amidst an hour of actually doing work work (couldn't resist...can't help but have the company's goings-on on my mind ALL...THE...TIME, plus there were organizational charts to be done...), loads of laundry cleaning, folding, and putting away, crazy tidying up of the house and its enormous messes created by my little family, reading books with my under-the-weather Girlies, taking temperature readings every so often to make sure no doctor's office visits needed to occur, requesting Alex to go to the grocery store for more baking needs (if I went, I would come back with the entire baking aisle...bad news bears), putting the last of the Christmas decor up for good measure, and squeezing in some easy meals so that none of us would waste away from hunger. I have to admit, I kinda liked the craziness of the at-home to-do list I tackled today with relative ease...Hmmmm, makes me want to ponder me in the life of a SAHM or at least a WAHM...hmmmmm....<br />
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Anyway, back to the most enjoyable part of my day off: BAKING! I was actually hoping to have done more than I had, but with the other to-do list items, I can't really complain...So, on today's baking short-list:<br />
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<ul><li>2 loaves of <i><b>Banana Bread</b></i> from the <a href="http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/banana_bread/">Simply Recipes</a> site. Love love love this quick & easy recipe! And I can't wait to share the love with my co-workers tomorrow when I'm back at the office for its Last Workday Before Christmas festivities (Who's my Secret Santa???)!</li>
<li>A cookie sheet pan's worth of <b><i>Tiny Apricot Almond Squares</i></b> from the <a href="http://www.landolakes.com/recipe/1049/tiny-apricot-almond-squares">Land-O-Lakes</a> site. An easy and sweet treat that's sooooooo good with a cup of tea with a touch of vanilla creme!</li>
<li>A good batch of citrusy <b><i>Christmas Cherries</i></b>, festive holiday cookies shared on <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/11/christmas-cherries/">The Pioneer Woman Cooks</a> site.</li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfuXppIvht6iCTIC1KEkB7yTUaP_GYWs4821ba8KCC5sHsreACGskbn0hwzqQQzNYnQUqDn9uyIVLV2yoCnphLDHc6y591Tr5ARaVD29MEn3KIVGT86kjCaRk1Ldyn23g2j-pO4ZykA1s/s1600/DSC02141.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfuXppIvht6iCTIC1KEkB7yTUaP_GYWs4821ba8KCC5sHsreACGskbn0hwzqQQzNYnQUqDn9uyIVLV2yoCnphLDHc6y591Tr5ARaVD29MEn3KIVGT86kjCaRk1Ldyn23g2j-pO4ZykA1s/s200/DSC02141.JPG" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1OcgN5hnyiWS_yWEQXBu4Rt3g36zj1w47ymf4lFCrXFg5z7fbGyjq5881ieIkiu_6Ay1d2ipiWPFsXLH46TUvJsrQ5X0sKfAtndT8fej7u2x0LNnxErNXqaVgxV9-p9Fp0UZUEsskIYU/s1600/DSC02149.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1OcgN5hnyiWS_yWEQXBu4Rt3g36zj1w47ymf4lFCrXFg5z7fbGyjq5881ieIkiu_6Ay1d2ipiWPFsXLH46TUvJsrQ5X0sKfAtndT8fej7u2x0LNnxErNXqaVgxV9-p9Fp0UZUEsskIYU/s200/DSC02149.JPG" width="150" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXsyfQbX7jsl6UK5yALOzHVksuUhY12hs0lj9BG7vW_ieePGX0Hop9R_Rypyz-TlQqrV3pWSKthSvwbaynKlkiCaIKlIAeeGe9hjiGVCo6ETvIYldyMnQyfZiJZcO3HRnCPho5FuxzN0/s1600/DSC02156.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXsyfQbX7jsl6UK5yALOzHVksuUhY12hs0lj9BG7vW_ieePGX0Hop9R_Rypyz-TlQqrV3pWSKthSvwbaynKlkiCaIKlIAeeGe9hjiGVCo6ETvIYldyMnQyfZiJZcO3HRnCPho5FuxzN0/s200/DSC02156.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Banana Bread ala simplyrecipes.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjqZYwvBvImWhzBM_lWZlXGzlLKS8J-5ve53vMydVURgHDi9edvrlb8b4cKRnXE7R9XgA1AhyphenhyphenwVxJ8gfQtmgWya-i2w3jR1Z4ByRfjccKGzVLVComBxV3uQV1P6O_bccAp2uegajLq-xY/s1600/DSC02135.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjqZYwvBvImWhzBM_lWZlXGzlLKS8J-5ve53vMydVURgHDi9edvrlb8b4cKRnXE7R9XgA1AhyphenhyphenwVxJ8gfQtmgWya-i2w3jR1Z4ByRfjccKGzVLVComBxV3uQV1P6O_bccAp2uegajLq-xY/s200/DSC02135.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjTDBfb3XYFdv-gYFPZGPrhRoXTlJs-4udW-QsMySNdVafopLAhp7bYqf02g_yZ9oef_GoQyJQ3riPWhz9l8NW3Qj6AzjGifdeMlB-DoZDygrmG1uuf3y-xkCgYQj3n86e7SEH5sa0RJ8/s1600/DSC02140.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjTDBfb3XYFdv-gYFPZGPrhRoXTlJs-4udW-QsMySNdVafopLAhp7bYqf02g_yZ9oef_GoQyJQ3riPWhz9l8NW3Qj6AzjGifdeMlB-DoZDygrmG1uuf3y-xkCgYQj3n86e7SEH5sa0RJ8/s200/DSC02140.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSGH3vDOBiwYiM1zoo1-Q-9OLMUXShIsgh_O_flPStuULL6SYOk-pvzLLpSeoGrLd1Jh4j6zgVx-iv74UxaoMfrX13TFw5zQ9SxfC-yTwIBDb7dDkkPw8dzv3_ZobMepIYARDQZF400iU/s1600/DSC02153.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSGH3vDOBiwYiM1zoo1-Q-9OLMUXShIsgh_O_flPStuULL6SYOk-pvzLLpSeoGrLd1Jh4j6zgVx-iv74UxaoMfrX13TFw5zQ9SxfC-yTwIBDb7dDkkPw8dzv3_ZobMepIYARDQZF400iU/s200/DSC02153.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tiny Apricot Almond Squares, Land-O-Lakes style</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilI2sVGrzcTJn3-lhLTZZi-gXY7VGk682ml18yHNW5jIhQHoH6UY-goGhpQLJJ4GkRjEjAZXdP0dfaJZN1Hoxb2rr0MsKdoH24DuM-aMYEvRrjhg_sJRkDh4XBgZDr6BHQoqvGBh7QJqM/s1600/DSC02162.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilI2sVGrzcTJn3-lhLTZZi-gXY7VGk682ml18yHNW5jIhQHoH6UY-goGhpQLJJ4GkRjEjAZXdP0dfaJZN1Hoxb2rr0MsKdoH24DuM-aMYEvRrjhg_sJRkDh4XBgZDr6BHQoqvGBh7QJqM/s200/DSC02162.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christmas Cherries thanks to The Pioneer Woman!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I hope you find these recipes and sites useful, festive, enjoyable, and most importantly<i> nom nom nom</i>-worthy for friends, family, and Santa! Enjoy!<br />
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</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div>Nom Nom Nom Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08066638628124121345noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7206175530844624999.post-72717146673844224692010-12-20T19:54:00.000-08:002010-12-21T20:22:14.065-08:00I Heart Chocolate Chip Cookies, Especially When Love Is Baked Into Them!It's a shortened work week with Christmas in less than 5 days and the office closing on Friday in observance of Christmas on Saturday, but work at my family's company still must go on 'til 5pm hits on Thursday...To make the office environment a little more festive aside from the Holiday decor that lines the windows, entrance, and our reception area prettied up with a pretty Christmas tree, one of our kind marketing community liaisons brought us some extra holiday cheer in the form of her homemade and ever-so-delighful chocolate chip pecan cookies! Dear Kim made quite the batch placed ever so sweetly in 2 baking tins in the front of our coffee station, and once it was announced that her cookies were in the house, whoa! did they go fast and furiously! Kim's take on the tried and true <a href="http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/18476/Original-NESTL%C3%89-TOLL-HOUSE-Chocolate-Chip-Cookies/detail.aspx">Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie</a> recipe is absolutely enjoyable! And quite surprisingly, I especially enjoy the fact that her version yields big chewy and chunky treats which also contain chopped pecans adding a little something something to the beautiful traditional flavor of the cookie. I typically prefer to do without nuts in cookies, but Kim's cookies are just all the more perfect with the added crunch and texture of the pecans (not walnuts, not almonds, not hazelnuts, etc.). So thanks to Kim for being so gracious and so generous this Holiday Season and always! We're glad she's part of the Team, and we're glad she made this work week before Christmas all the more festive!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2P-OIByrVIuyBLxRw4VARO6pUYWMhNmM9FFoKlJg4O7FtJy0OlMP4Lr64Dc10Mc3VVifX0Kw830ofsnJ2r5hDqsdlyYS6aDiqFgxKMda81XM290GsbMokRnXKr433X1bWx6MgNO0tPKY/s1600/cookies+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2P-OIByrVIuyBLxRw4VARO6pUYWMhNmM9FFoKlJg4O7FtJy0OlMP4Lr64Dc10Mc3VVifX0Kw830ofsnJ2r5hDqsdlyYS6aDiqFgxKMda81XM290GsbMokRnXKr433X1bWx6MgNO0tPKY/s320/cookies+003.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Thanks, Kim! Cookies were awesome, as usual!</span><br />
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</tbody></table>On another front, the reality of this week is that there's still work to be done at work...But in the meantime, my Girlies are on their Winter break for the next 2 weeks, and Alex is on vacation from work for the next 2 weeks as well! I'm rather jealous that I have to pop into the office for the next 2 weeks and thereafter, but such is life at times, no?! On the other hand, I am so thankful that my dear Girlies and their awesome Daddy get to spend some wonderful quality time together, including in the area of baking, which was one of the activities of the day, besides the Girlies playing in their fanciest dresses at 7:30am, under the watchful (read: sleeping) eye of my hubby/their father...(sigh!), while I got ready for work. So anyway, while I was busily walking up and down the aisles at work getting things done and trying to organize my desk, and complete my many to-do lists (unsuccessfully, ahem), Elena, Katrina, and Alex were busy following a cookie recipe found on the back of a lesser known chocolate chip package in the hopes of making gigantic cookie replicas of Sponge Bob (ugh!) & Dora the Explorer, and this is how they turned out:<div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0RzpzVYxCnBfn6hPZ-_W9cn1TGk-hihLgAOg91Qjk8LXQvOQRjTrFAD5yVPyaG5FJ34_tbV1PXGZhyGbwUnhd4a7TJp-2DlJU-mwraz-m6yVvGXr6cKdsnb2TyFpOWxbpPYgJl-uIbZY/s1600/DSC02126.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0RzpzVYxCnBfn6hPZ-_W9cn1TGk-hihLgAOg91Qjk8LXQvOQRjTrFAD5yVPyaG5FJ34_tbV1PXGZhyGbwUnhd4a7TJp-2DlJU-mwraz-m6yVvGXr6cKdsnb2TyFpOWxbpPYgJl-uIbZY/s320/DSC02126.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">An abstract interpretation of Sponge Bob Square Pants!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwZ3sH4vf_9aWldh4qE3rNNWOk5G0GUKjKnvFJwsPeJWETGNc9V3cvKlV_pKGw4vr23NrK2BfdoAzhE0Hi5maByBPvLBVnriu_m6v3o-5zBGkEspfM9wTOkucoQMU9UJ6UrJoHaJ9Wu7Y/s1600/DSC02127.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwZ3sH4vf_9aWldh4qE3rNNWOk5G0GUKjKnvFJwsPeJWETGNc9V3cvKlV_pKGw4vr23NrK2BfdoAzhE0Hi5maByBPvLBVnriu_m6v3o-5zBGkEspfM9wTOkucoQMU9UJ6UrJoHaJ9Wu7Y/s320/DSC02127.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">An abstract interpretation of Dora the Explorer!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>So close, and yet...Well, it's all about the effort and quality time spent in the fun baking process, right? And I have to admit that the brown sugar that characterized this particular chocolate chip cookie recipe made it ever so chewy and scrumptious! It's the fun and love that went into the baking of it that also added to its yumminess, that's for sure!<div><br />
<div><div style="text-align: left;">I can't wait to take this Wednesday off from the office to prep for Christmas with my family...Of course, the goings-on at that office will forever be on my mind, but I'll be thinking of it and our hard-working employees while I bake some banana bread loaves for the following day's Christmas Fun at the Office festivities. But I truly can't wait to take some quality time with my Girlies and Alex and bake with my loved ones as we excitedly await Christmas and all the blessings it brings! That in itself is truly delicious!</div></div></div></div>Nom Nom Nom Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08066638628124121345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7206175530844624999.post-36542316531006319612010-12-19T18:22:00.000-08:002010-12-19T18:52:53.505-08:00All That Glitters...Is a Luxurious Cookie!1st of all, I must say that I feel like I have not slept for days and that exhaustion has been my middle name as of late, but then I remember 'tis the season, and I think even just thinking about the hectic craziness of the beautiful Holidays is downright cause for this feeling of weariness. <br />
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But alas, I gain a 2nd wind when I have the chance to take a few minutes to write to you all. And even better, I have chosen to showcase a fancy and sparkly cookie that my cousin, Irene (aka "Mia" I guess ;) , has perfected by way of a recipe she came across on the <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/">Epicurious </a>site. Whenever there's a festive occasion in the family, the dessert buffet table becomes just a bit more glamorous, glitzy, gorgeous, and good-tastingly luscious with the presence of <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Glittering-Lemon-Sandwich-Cookies-362630">Glittering Lemon Sandwich Cookies</a>! These cookies are simply adorable but full of luxuriousness with a smooth and tangy lemon cream filling sandwiched between two little bonbon-like soft cookie clouds all gussied up with a roll in festively colored glittery sugar crystals! The colors of the glittery sugars can be "customized" to fit the theme colors of the season/occasion, such as red & green for Christmas, or in the picture below, hot pink & sunburst yellow for a pretty princess's birthday, for example. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix3fXoFkyqRdzr-q6JT0INE9vo-z5aRarNY4GWUZtPYzHNnMxMX-pEYLe4AGqMs_aAJbrUtsusEiEUw1ylpQb_ZMwAxT2svwPauSYLQOcmIkNAaO0Gi98Enqb5tSZ6U-ncsptK98C6ixU/s1600/CIMG3815.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix3fXoFkyqRdzr-q6JT0INE9vo-z5aRarNY4GWUZtPYzHNnMxMX-pEYLe4AGqMs_aAJbrUtsusEiEUw1ylpQb_ZMwAxT2svwPauSYLQOcmIkNAaO0Gi98Enqb5tSZ6U-ncsptK98C6ixU/s320/CIMG3815.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Any which way they're rolled, these cookies live up to their sparkling personality and just burst with bright flavor. I must say, I am a bit intimidated in taking on the recipe myself, as I've only had them courtesy of my cousin's beautiful baking adventures...And they're just sooooo pretty and perfect, I'd hate to mess with the best. But perhaps Santa's impending arrival will motivate me to try my hand at creating them this coming week as me, my Girlies, Alex, and my rad cousins come together a few days before Christmas for our annual Christmas Cookie Baking Extravanganza that we host at our digs (more on that later this week...)! I hope you try your hand at taking this special epicurious.com recipe to bring yourself a little glitter and sparkle to your Holiday Season! Enjoy!Nom Nom Nom Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08066638628124121345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7206175530844624999.post-89665519241128315252010-12-16T19:01:00.000-08:002010-12-16T19:01:28.103-08:00Snickerdoodles for the Holidays!So showcasing cookies during the Holiday Season is a lot more challenging than I thought. I mean I know that there are other bloggers out there that have a cookie to talk about every single day of the year, but me being new to this whole thing, and then getting hit with a bad cold, and then having to plan a company holiday party, and then realizing Christmas is just about a week away, and then making sure Santa knows what the Girls & I (HA!) want for Christmas besides our healthy 2 front teeth and then some, and then wrapping classmates' Holiday presents, and then obviously being a mother, wife, employee, etc., etc....WOW! Such a challenge to keep up on the cookie front. I mean I'm not trying to make excuses, but I just wish I had more time in my life to share the joy that the cookie brings me (sigh)... But when I do get a chance to take a timeout to breathe, I make sure it's a long and deep enough breath that affords me some baking time so that I can continue my pledge to bring you some of my favorite cookies of the season. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>In this entry, I share with you the seasonably appropriate <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snickerdoodle">Snickerdoodle</a>! In so many ways, this particular cookie just screams Christmas to me. Perhaps it's the fact that you basically roll a version of the sugar cookie doughball in the lovely combination of cinnamon and sugar. Perhaps it's the sweet & spiced aroma that fills the kitchen air as the cookies bake away in the heated oven. Perhaps it's kinda a staple on the cookie platter at Christmas time. Whatever the reason, the Snickerdoodle cookie is surely one classic Christmas treat, best enjoyed by a toasty hearth while sipping a tall glass of milk or a cup of hot chocolate. For your enjoyment, here's the recipe I borrowed from the <a href="http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/snickerdoodles/7ffc92a9-d847-4869-9ecb-99de3b751b14">Betty Crocker</a> site. It's sure to hit the spot! Make sure you leave a few for Santa too! And special thanks goes out to my dear mini-bakers, Elena & Katrina, who helped roll the dough in the cinnasugar mix and served as fabulous cookie taste-testers...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsjlhpf1YPV73-Q6RYHJL2OESanJzAyetEebSySHiHGy7ngmO2JHE8r5GRma_r7MxXfvbgw-FCdLAlLqi_j5F7dj8c_0XHr9yq-ZBWRYrrRdS25Z0mC0CURc1P6X7z0B_HdL14TnLl2YM/s1600/DSC02109.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsjlhpf1YPV73-Q6RYHJL2OESanJzAyetEebSySHiHGy7ngmO2JHE8r5GRma_r7MxXfvbgw-FCdLAlLqi_j5F7dj8c_0XHr9yq-ZBWRYrrRdS25Z0mC0CURc1P6X7z0B_HdL14TnLl2YM/s320/DSC02109.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>Nom Nom Nom Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08066638628124121345noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7206175530844624999.post-60267093466557598422010-12-12T19:11:00.000-08:002010-12-12T19:24:17.793-08:00My Favorite Christmas CookieI've survived my bout of winter sickness, coupled with nearly a month's-plus-worth of crazy though memorable Holiday party planning for the family's company, all capped off by a beautiful stress-free and feel good kind of night last night, with lots of holiday cheer, eating, drinking, and being merry. So, since I can breathe a bit easier, literally and figuratively, I can now concentrate more on continuing to share with you some of my favorite cookies, Christmas Cookies, to be more specific. And since I felt fabulous enough to take on baking again after my rather less than healthy and hectic schedule as of late, I set aside some me time today to bake my all-time favorite Christmas cookie. And rather fittingly it's a quite a simple one, rather classic, and oh so good...Kinda like me, right?! HA! I chose to showcase the ever festive and Christmasy Chocolate Crinkle Cookie!<br />
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When the Holidays come around, I excitedly await the many fabulous friends, family, and acquaintances I've had in my life share what is my favorite cookie with me. Now, don't be thinking that I have thousands upon thousands of pals sending me gift packages of Chocolate Crinkles on a daily holiday basis, but I do know about a handful of friends, family, and acquaintances that have shared with me their renditions of the classic cookie. Receiving such a lovely, precious, and homemade with love kind of confection is quite a tasty gift in itself. It's really nothing fancy-schmancy...In fact, quite the contrary, which is yet another reason why I love this cookie. In the simplest of terms, the Chocolate Crinkle is like a cute little cakelike brownie cookie with confectioners' sugar rolled on the doughball prior to baking, where when basking in the warm glow of a 350-degree oven for a mere 12 minutes, it turns into a dark chocolately brown domed disk of delighfulness crinkled with the powdery sugar which creates a pretty mosaic canvas absolutely good enough to eat. Now that I read that description again, it's absolutely delicious~a CAKElike BROWNIE COOKIE~3 types of dessert all rolled into 1...and even better, all rolled in powdered sugar! The Chocolate Crinkle Cookie is a win-win-win situation! I happened upon the <i style="font-weight: bold;">Williams-Sonoma </i>recipe for<i style="font-weight: bold;"> <a href="http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/chocolate-crinkle-cookies.html">Chocolate Crinkles</a></i>, and I respectfully share the link with you here. Their recipe uses such pure and simple baking ingredients. It's quite easy to make in no time, and it makes the perfect amount in a jiffy so that you can eat them right away! Trust me, my Girlies and Hubby could not wait for them to cool, and I only have a few left from the 2 dozen that the recipe typically yields! Such a winner of a cookie! I hope you enjoy the Chocolate Crinkle...I hope it becomes or remains a Holiday favorite of yours...I hope you share the simply perfect cookie crinkled with sweetness with someone special this Holiday Season! Enjoy!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRX-XJdsTvRSUDyf_gA8N6jp3ESbtQ0Vh0az-K8sAw2vequWjChvgSJChf4v0Y3X59kGWeSRKihlMCswboDEtlstZpDI1oNUPvWm-XWu7H-7bC5zqBTEoNFCUf3a_FT007_HTuKA_Hmpw/s1600/DSC02082.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRX-XJdsTvRSUDyf_gA8N6jp3ESbtQ0Vh0az-K8sAw2vequWjChvgSJChf4v0Y3X59kGWeSRKihlMCswboDEtlstZpDI1oNUPvWm-XWu7H-7bC5zqBTEoNFCUf3a_FT007_HTuKA_Hmpw/s200/DSC02082.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From this mound of dry ingredients...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5UWwbQvucgTeFQncowVmryY6ZZB4JF-ID3v3dfNLATtAypMS60iwGf8muwXwdWnv4QIsbanz1_hj4YlTWIr3vSEiqePFV7ma6Q1Y8Edb0jckoW8yDSnUvSynVAIPGWSBE96GX8tLqktY/s1600/DSC02084.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5UWwbQvucgTeFQncowVmryY6ZZB4JF-ID3v3dfNLATtAypMS60iwGf8muwXwdWnv4QIsbanz1_hj4YlTWIr3vSEiqePFV7ma6Q1Y8Edb0jckoW8yDSnUvSynVAIPGWSBE96GX8tLqktY/s200/DSC02084.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">to this mixed up powder of goodness...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3M6kKlYPjAeMboOw0bHsJTFYsRvJoUINm_yqalQylMTjkf8XOMmk4tR3zCMqcTP5lh1vXLPKbVvyM6rEKhPhDK5cSJhF36T3xig6C3VkdqZIj7dWJ4ZzfPyCtBXLMD4feWIBJ65LVchw/s1600/DSC02087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3M6kKlYPjAeMboOw0bHsJTFYsRvJoUINm_yqalQylMTjkf8XOMmk4tR3zCMqcTP5lh1vXLPKbVvyM6rEKhPhDK5cSJhF36T3xig6C3VkdqZIj7dWJ4ZzfPyCtBXLMD4feWIBJ65LVchw/s200/DSC02087.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">to a quick and easy cookie dough like this...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMH1G45x05A-Mpp9Txoao0vCLn2pQUlTlB7sObgxqkXxwWXbhhAsrz4R6ZYnvvCApGxl1wpgDMaPCA76pBrnB2ux_7hBE4hIrsQ1YZdLu6uChMuOTMePqahaW_gNd3JSI1tmOfJIpkG8o/s1600/DSC02088.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMH1G45x05A-Mpp9Txoao0vCLn2pQUlTlB7sObgxqkXxwWXbhhAsrz4R6ZYnvvCApGxl1wpgDMaPCA76pBrnB2ux_7hBE4hIrsQ1YZdLu6uChMuOTMePqahaW_gNd3JSI1tmOfJIpkG8o/s200/DSC02088.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">to a roll in some sweet confectioners' sugar...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7uOTCqTJOs3pxDK-mLjKTrq_as4L1Q0FfbyeHb_P9CYb3EobJqtLGptniyKNGfp-OWniC2t0pHcW4zmgi_XDXYsplry9yx3m7NNGSwO5RA6axc8sKNq_CjUhhbxRV99uE-IadH1LhyPs/s1600/DSC02091.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7uOTCqTJOs3pxDK-mLjKTrq_as4L1Q0FfbyeHb_P9CYb3EobJqtLGptniyKNGfp-OWniC2t0pHcW4zmgi_XDXYsplry9yx3m7NNGSwO5RA6axc8sKNq_CjUhhbxRV99uE-IadH1LhyPs/s320/DSC02091.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">and finally to my faves~Chocolate Crinkles!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Nom Nom Nom Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08066638628124121345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7206175530844624999.post-57121138294331591512010-12-06T20:15:00.000-08:002010-12-06T20:16:20.770-08:00Nothing a Cookie Can't Cure...So I've been hit by a nasty cold & cough for nearly a week, with the worst of the symptoms being felt physically by me and emoting themselves rather grouchily for my poor Little Family to deal with over this past weekend. Hence, my little break in the showcase of my favorite cookies for the Holiday Season. I mean I felt so incredibly horrible that I barely had any interest in obsessively checking my Facebook page or seeing how many views my little blog had gotten in the past few days. And to make things worse, I had no energy to cook, bake, or eat (gasp!) ~ mostly because of a little bug that brought on huge feelings of tastelessness, literally! But, you know, in the midst of me feeling like the life was being sucked out of me, there was one thing that I actually delightfully savored in my few days of lacking in the senses of smell and taste, all in the form of a box of cookies known as <b><i>Joe-Joe's</i></b> from Trader Joe's!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgENJKqP__v0VMH6ey1olY8lIqi0w06E6sCr3zpUI61SHShmiEGUXDJfMHEvUhqfGpIYHeuo4m_TyMMA_OjL0kMHJTbu0XQpLwSLMn924zbxJstQfnC46HN0bneLBpiDPTVsSI1031rOC0/s1600/DSC02051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgENJKqP__v0VMH6ey1olY8lIqi0w06E6sCr3zpUI61SHShmiEGUXDJfMHEvUhqfGpIYHeuo4m_TyMMA_OjL0kMHJTbu0XQpLwSLMn924zbxJstQfnC46HN0bneLBpiDPTVsSI1031rOC0/s320/DSC02051.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Despite my attempts at eating in order to garner me some energy, nothing tasted like anything, except my delightful little chocolate cookie sandwiches with the vanilla creme center, bespeckled with lovely hints of vanilla bean flavor. This all-natural cookie was the only thing worth eating, smelling, and tasting in my few days of misery! And when I paired it with a piping hot cup of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darjeeling_tea">darjeeling tea</a> with a splash of vanilla creme, the sweet flavor of this store-bought cookie came out even further for me to appreciate.<br />
<br />
Perhaps some may liken a Joe-Joe to the more well-known Oreo cookie, but I must say, TJ's Joe-Joe's are the clear winner in my cookie book. I find the taste of the Joe-Joe to be more appealing and gentler on my palate...not so bitter an aftertaste, but brightened by the lovely vanilla notes that the creme-filled center contributes to one's mouthful. And if this cookie is strong enough to make my not-so-healthy and senseless palate come alive again, you know it's something special! I may even nom nom nom on a few of these before I hit the hay in order to get an extra special dose of "medicine" to rid me of this lingering icky feeling...<br />
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Next time you're at TJ's pick yourself up a box, or the seasonal <a href="http://www.traderjoesfan.com/Trader_Joes/Products/Desserts,_Sweets/Candy_Cane_Trader_Joe_Joes_Cookies/details/">Candy-Cane Joe-Joe's</a>, especially before the Big Guy in the Red Suit comes down the chimney in a few weeks! It'll be just what the Jolly Dude ordered for a cold and wintry evening to warm the heart and clear the mind.Nom Nom Nom Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08066638628124121345noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7206175530844624999.post-55793541289413892092010-12-02T23:11:00.000-08:002010-12-02T21:10:21.884-08:00And the Winner for Best Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies Goes to...AWARD WINNING BEST SOFT CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES! Yay! And so it goes that this is the 2nd cookie I wish to showcase in my quest to share the in the Spirit of the Holidays via the beloved COOKIE, and all the goodness and good eating that comes with it. I learned about this spectacular soft, cake-like version of the traditional chocolate chip confection from my friend, Kim, when she graciously brought a beautiful batch over one day while she and her husband came to visit us...The moment my lips hit the cookie, I fell in love! The <a href="http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/award-winning-soft-chocolate-chip-cookies/Detail.aspx">recipe </a>is an extremely popular one on allrecipes.com ~ a website that I, and obviously my friend, reliably go to time and time again for tried and true favorite dishes and desserts. I just absolutely love the texture and flavor of this cookie ~ so soft, so light, so cake-like, so delectable in every bite! And the fact that it makes use of a "secret" ingredient in vanilla instant pudding mix is quite interesting and rather noteworthy! <br />
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Now, although the pictures below look totally different, keep in mind the photo from allrecipes.com was most likely professionally mastered, while my photo comes straight from the hands of one who is NOT a professional photographer, but I at least baked them up with a lot of love for my dear loving little family and that should certainly count as photo-worthy ;) Most importantly, however, both batches taste equally as scrumptious.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGONR4K-_RMTqop9bisHGV-Q0-s520LbVhYesSX0EUyLzURC8roZnsmqrDzw5qj2XmQSMtEWzt62arnKVYIBGBcrIuvoAZqHq5Laic94aJuepzx_414kvpt_IpyybziwGLoiwEzGRVHgs/s1600/sccc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGONR4K-_RMTqop9bisHGV-Q0-s520LbVhYesSX0EUyLzURC8roZnsmqrDzw5qj2XmQSMtEWzt62arnKVYIBGBcrIuvoAZqHq5Laic94aJuepzx_414kvpt_IpyybziwGLoiwEzGRVHgs/s200/sccc.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My batch of the Award-Winners</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw3Hp46TgIW-JBG9PWxkNwLFq_hd9VaBFXLUXkzJ9ZufxjeG8DrKrfOkeXvybN6qs7tkZsD6EPX56IrKgJ1PdBCz32PmxSGjynAsJdOVdXjb-dehGExXkwDyWKB42Ml5XhCsk_7pfPDGc/s1600/arsccc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw3Hp46TgIW-JBG9PWxkNwLFq_hd9VaBFXLUXkzJ9ZufxjeG8DrKrfOkeXvybN6qs7tkZsD6EPX56IrKgJ1PdBCz32PmxSGjynAsJdOVdXjb-dehGExXkwDyWKB42Ml5XhCsk_7pfPDGc/s1600/arsccc.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">courtesy of allrecipes.com </td></tr>
</tbody></table>These are a must bake, must eat, and must share kind of cookie to spread the love, especially this Holiday Season! Make sure to bake a batch with the ones you love! My Girlies and Alex absolutely adore them. And of course, make sure to leave a few out for Santa! Enjoy!Nom Nom Nom Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08066638628124121345noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7206175530844624999.post-16786096171571840182010-12-01T19:19:00.000-08:002010-12-02T17:04:58.913-08:00'Tis the Season...A light dusting of snow on December 1st in the Chicagoland Suburbs, only 20-some degrees outside, winter hat, coat, mittens, scarf, and boots being worn to keep warm, crazy bargain shoppers at the stores and doorbuster hours, fireplace ablaze with a warm hearth, the smell of cinnamon in the air, Christmas lights adorning the outdoor landscape, Christmas Tree lit in our house, and the 1st Menorah candle lit in other households...It's definitely the Holidays!!<br />
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Considering all of this and in preparation for the Season to be Jolly, I've decided that I would like to share my favorite cookies~store-bought, homemade, given, received, baked, eaten, etc., etc.~with all of you, and culminating in sharing such with Santa on the Night he comes down our Chimney to leave Elena's & Katrina's wishlist of toys at the foot of the tree. When I think of the Holidays, a smile instantly appears on my face. Some reasons being that it's a favorite holiday, my Girlies love the opportunity to circle EVERY SINGLE TOY in EVERY SINGLE TOY CATALOG that lands at our doorstep in the hopes that some circles might actually end up with the rest of the playful mess that is the playroom, my out-of-towner brothers come in for our Sulit Family's Christmas Day Extravaganza of Deliciousness, but gleefully I love that in terms of sweets that remind me of the Holidays, my favorite sweet/dessert is showcased: the COOKIE!!! With that said, I will take every opportunity leading up to Christmas Day and perhaps beyond for good measure to showcase some of my favorite cookies. Some will be classics, some perhaps gourmet, some the epitome of Christmas, some easily store-bought, and ALL definitely yummy in the tummy.<br />
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For the 1st cookie to be showcased as I make my way through these Holidays, I start with a rather new find to me, and one I just can't seem to get enough of. This particular cookie is of the store-bought variety, albeit specialty food store, and worth every penny. On a recent trip to the local Italian deli/grocery store, I happened to browse their cookie aisle since I love cookies, and was intrigued by the little glossy sack that contained little bits of semi-sweetness in the form of <a href="http://www.loacker.com/">Loacker Quadratini Dark Chocolate Bite Size Wafer Cookies</a>!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDZ4p6G3XosvR4IZFr7ahACvTLk25DUIugV7DV1ht47sh9XDZt1sG01zdb9vpFtwNuByCOFlEjvDLXPOLOvF5qh3ztejaJ8NImAUmif_HJ6CXg76x73w36yExj1K0BYsWkilhmHUJFwkM/s1600/DSC01997.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDZ4p6G3XosvR4IZFr7ahACvTLk25DUIugV7DV1ht47sh9XDZt1sG01zdb9vpFtwNuByCOFlEjvDLXPOLOvF5qh3ztejaJ8NImAUmif_HJ6CXg76x73w36yExj1K0BYsWkilhmHUJFwkM/s320/DSC01997.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Every bite size is full of delicious sweetness!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>They are simply delicious. I believe these sweet bites come from a European company. German company with an Italian-like cookie, perhaps. Hmmm, now I see what attracted me to them...a German/Italian confection. I am married to a dude of German/Italian heritage, who coincidentally has quite the sweet tooth for sweet confections. Apparently, I have an affinity for this specific combo...And there you have it ;) Ha! Now they are actually wafers, though I think I would still classify them as cookies, or perhaps more specifically as wafer cookies, and apparently the company concurs as noted on the front of the glossy bag. Nonetheless~so delicious. I am honestly satisfied with having 2, maybe 3, maybe 4 at most, by themselves or while sipping coffee or tea or a glass of skim milk, but I am more satisfied when I know I have a rather full bag of them from the specialty grocery store to replenish my craving at a moment's notice. Katrina also has gain an appreciation for the dark chocolate wafer cookie...then again she just appreciates food in general! I happened to find my bags of wafer cookies at 2 locations near me: <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/frangella-italian-imports-palos-park">Frangella Italian Imports</a> and at <a href="http://www.greenfoodandproduce.com/">Green Food & Produce</a>. Both places carry European food items, including the Loacker Wafer Cookies in a variety of flavors. I've also heard that you can find these yummy morsels at Trader Joe's~score! I highly recommend you search for them the next time you stop into a specialty European food store or TJ's! Again, worth every penny, worth a try, and worth a spot on the cookie plate for Santa's arrival! Sweet Season's Eatings! Enjoy!Nom Nom Nom Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08066638628124121345noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7206175530844624999.post-35298051423450187102010-11-28T19:01:00.000-08:002010-11-29T16:25:45.118-08:00Thanksgiving Dinner All Day, EverydayWell, it's nearly the end of what was a long and relaxing Thanksgiving Holiday Weekend. Lots of turkey was eaten on that special Thursday at two different households no less, and the day before had me eating turkey & all the fixings at a Thanksgiving Office Luncheon, while the Tuesday prior saw my 4-year-old partake in a Thanksgiving feast with blended classes with Turkey/Cheesestick Roll-Ups being the main food attraction. To round out the weekend of the Turkey, I insisted that My Little Family of four partake in our own Thanksgiving Feast for Sunday Dinner in the hope of sharing our appreciation of one another in the surroundings of our own home, our own table, our own little family. But just to recap all that was consumed in the past few days of celebration, I shall summarize with bullet points:<br />
<br />
At my In-Laws' meal, with a crowd of 7 adults & 2 children at a sit-down late lunch/early dinner around 1 table:<br />
<ul><li>Grilled Turkey: Super juicy, flavorful, and with a hint of hickory smokiness, compliments of slowly grilling on the coals for 4 hours. Inventive way to put a twist on traditional roasted turkey!</li>
<li>MIL's Broccoli Casserole: Delicious! I had more than 1 serving spoonful. I think I have the recipe, but I shall ask my MIL for permission to post lest I lose favor in their household ;)</li>
<li>MIL's Mashed Potatoes: Elena's favorite, and I'm also a fan considering how fluffy and smooth they are. My brother-in-law had a hand at whipping up the goodness this year (like the pun intended?)</li>
<li>Usual Turkey accompaniments: cranberry sauce, gravy, dressing ~ all delicious</li>
<li>Dessert: Delish Pumpkin pie, Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies ~ all homemade by Grandma Maryann (my MIL), except the yummy pumpkin cheesecake from Costco that my parents sent over with us as a gift to the In-Laws. All sweet and delectable to round out the meal.</li>
</ul><div>At my Tito Ding & Tita Marlene's meal, er I mean, buffet, with a crowd of um, I don't know, 30-40 people, all of whom are relatives near & far, with the Titas (Aunts) & Female Cousins keeping watch over the buffet and sharing gossip in the Dining Room, the Titos & Male Cousins watching football in the family room, and we "younger" cousins hanging out in the living room laughing and joking around with one another:</div><div><ul><li>Darren's Herbed-up Turkey, possibly brined: Delicious, juicy, browned to perfection in the oven.</li>
<li>Tita Marlene's Lumpia (Fried Eggrolls): I live for these rolls of absolute savory goodness! I don't have the recipe, but just know that the combo of carrots, green beans, bean sprouts, shrimp, ground pork, with the perfect amount of seasonings all rolled up in a lumpia wrapper and fried to golden goodness is out of this world! She's famous for them!</li>
<li>Tita Marlene's Pancit: Another dish she is known for. The Filipino national noodle dish, symbolizing long life. In our family, we live for and love Tita's pancit, as it's just the welcome accompaniment to our mound of rice and other food delights</li>
<li>Tita Marlene's Tofu, Shrimp, & Chinese Celery stir-fry. So good, so salty in a good way, so flavorful!</li>
<li>Tito Ding's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pandesal">Pandesal</a> (aka: Pan de Sal): He's known for these dinner rolls of goodness, a secret family recipe passed down from my grandfather. So delish with honey baked ham wedged in the middle, or with a slice of sharp cheese, or just a pat of butter. When Tito comes to parties with a large paper grocery bag, you know something delicious is inside waiting to be snatched up!</li>
<li>Wines from <a href="http://www.alejos-cellars.com/">Alejos Cellars</a> & <a href="http://www.franciscoppolawinery.com/">Coppola Winery</a>: Tondi Bolkan Merlot, Pinay Muscato, Pastel Port Wine, & Coppola Wines! How awesome it is to have relatives in the wine business! And how awesome that they are available online and now locally in Illinois at <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/prestige-contryside-liquors-inc-countryside">Prestige Liquors</a> in Countryside!</li>
<li>Tita Lelet's organic veggie dishes: This year, Tita shared a kale & carrot stir-fry as well as a spaghetti squash and sauteed tofu crumble on top. So delish! I love the veggie offerings Tita Lelet makes, as it brings something unique to the Our Filipino Buffet.</li>
<li>My cousin, Mia (aka: Irene, Ate Gay, Ate Ge, Ge, etc.): Gingered Cranberry & Apricot Sauce, with just the right amount of spiciness, tartness, & sweetness all thickened together into a jammy-like condiment. And for dessert, she made a cranberry & orange sponge bread. Delightful with a cup of tea or coffee...Great ending to a fabulous feast. Though the eating never really ends in our family :)</li>
<li>And aside from the delectable dishes on the communal Thanksgiving buffet table, there was of course dressing, gravy, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, pumpkin cheesecake, the cranberry orange bread mentioned above, fruit salad, coffee...you name it, it was probably at the feast at my Relatives'!</li>
</ul><div>At the Sunday Dinner at Home with My Little Family:</div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><ul><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_9b74LfOAtdIYhx8WLxaHdUiXoJDIpHgjHAPXBS9p0RGc_ENwHlgbk8eDWvgHNRJsU6JlaRW9IATzbzzHw-a1O_gekNG-wXYZS5sATKmyf1EZ_anvjXU80Y_FffWozWZ9mcGZa3R02UE/s1600/DSC01977.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_9b74LfOAtdIYhx8WLxaHdUiXoJDIpHgjHAPXBS9p0RGc_ENwHlgbk8eDWvgHNRJsU6JlaRW9IATzbzzHw-a1O_gekNG-wXYZS5sATKmyf1EZ_anvjXU80Y_FffWozWZ9mcGZa3R02UE/s200/DSC01977.JPG" width="200" /></a>
<li>Oven Roasted Turkey: Alex simply seasoned dear turkey with olive oil, sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, poultry seasoning mix, and stuffed it with aromatics such as quartered onion, freshly squeezed lemon, with the lemon halved thrown into the bird (sorry for the visual), and about 6 cloves of gently crushed garlic. Cooked to perfection on convection oven mode for about 3-1/2 hours.</li>
<li>Yukon Gold Garlic Mashed Potatoes: Elena, Katrina, & I whip these up with pats of butter, skim milk, a splash of chicken broth, salt, pepper, and a spoonful or two of light sour cream for extra fluffiness.</li>
</ul><div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrmzM9wbbByWpg0cQfRKQRln7d7V0Ead6s_SKHuMN3BSYwQxCiTlyLgdC0pTzqHzPYJVENJE7plzQxYvSVpEPgbhkNlhxxMe1fLoSgaSO4nutwIF3NTigsXSDCtaf9sz7ZlMjpdHhBy60/s1600/DSC01981.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrmzM9wbbByWpg0cQfRKQRln7d7V0Ead6s_SKHuMN3BSYwQxCiTlyLgdC0pTzqHzPYJVENJE7plzQxYvSVpEPgbhkNlhxxMe1fLoSgaSO4nutwIF3NTigsXSDCtaf9sz7ZlMjpdHhBy60/s200/DSC01981.JPG" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoohTTTDzBVImPtg31XHjTb7FPe8CQpXBm9E3RGzYnLWmpTHK5Ey3zwFcGHXVgc4JaeT_lnXEn8P3s4Sj3igtzcozLCshDEYSiW8ZxY-frhVYtOAdU-KGs2ortgrpt61g1FrZJ60XXGC8/s1600/DSC01967.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoohTTTDzBVImPtg31XHjTb7FPe8CQpXBm9E3RGzYnLWmpTHK5Ey3zwFcGHXVgc4JaeT_lnXEn8P3s4Sj3igtzcozLCshDEYSiW8ZxY-frhVYtOAdU-KGs2ortgrpt61g1FrZJ60XXGC8/s200/DSC01967.JPG" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbTkz83V_qRgpJPfDv-tqcNeqkQ2_dFIpHsLGGP7WhxewZ-uvyeMgmEvRXFk0VMSQJ1gpQdLq0JntuSCrMfDShB0KmRxf9gHn5tepkkc6NsZNkyVLaqj6Fql6nA2bONwYw10JTK1IaSqM/s1600/DSC01980.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbTkz83V_qRgpJPfDv-tqcNeqkQ2_dFIpHsLGGP7WhxewZ-uvyeMgmEvRXFk0VMSQJ1gpQdLq0JntuSCrMfDShB0KmRxf9gHn5tepkkc6NsZNkyVLaqj6Fql6nA2bONwYw10JTK1IaSqM/s200/DSC01980.JPG" width="150" /></a></div><br />
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<ul><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiewPRiFw10k1WAtiOpYTkHjjjwzs9QC08jnc9aHGLPbQQJznr4ld49hQNkBzI984Cs40UXzqBqkqtYvkvxmMN8gZAVOzvShH4z6z30n8EjsPmkchSdAnYFkMYhvYBmUh3Yol2fp_YCEhI/s1600/DSC01968.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiewPRiFw10k1WAtiOpYTkHjjjwzs9QC08jnc9aHGLPbQQJznr4ld49hQNkBzI984Cs40UXzqBqkqtYvkvxmMN8gZAVOzvShH4z6z30n8EjsPmkchSdAnYFkMYhvYBmUh3Yol2fp_YCEhI/s200/DSC01968.JPG" width="200" /></a>
<li>Fresh Cranberry Sauce: I make this more special with some orange zest, freshly squeezed orange, 1 cinnamon stick, some water & sugar , boil 'til bubbly & cranberries all pop & Voila!</li>
<li>For lack of time: I made boxed cornbread stuffing but add dried cranberries in the boil of water, chicken broth, & butter, and I admit I typically like this shortcut more than some gourmet attempts at stuffing/dressing. It did the trick...</li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPStdcUair-obFDoJztQ6qtPCKAgnfByD-Pjl9gDcFUM6oq_GY_Cdc3ph6JflkBbDlIjSufP932rtXOy1vqpnM1EoZXhw0XlS9IIAmaRDO4DID39DuV5e8Ou7L8-RKf_eusu_EWbyz418/s1600/DSC01987.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPStdcUair-obFDoJztQ6qtPCKAgnfByD-Pjl9gDcFUM6oq_GY_Cdc3ph6JflkBbDlIjSufP932rtXOy1vqpnM1EoZXhw0XlS9IIAmaRDO4DID39DuV5e8Ou7L8-RKf_eusu_EWbyz418/s200/DSC01987.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div>After all the meals over this past holiday weekend were eaten up, I am so very thankful to have such a large loving immediate & extended & extensive family who know how and love to cook and share such goodness with one another! We shared our togetherness with one another, whether it was at a semi-formal dinner table with a delicious sit-down meal, a succulent buffet table with relatives milling around three different rooms conversing, laughing, & eventually picking names for Secret Santa, or My Little Family's Table of 4, where Elena was thankful for her Little Sister, Mommy, Daddy, our Christmas Tree, and her Child of the Week designation at School, Katrina was thankful for lotion to soothe her itchy skin, Alex was thankful for his beautiful Girlies & Gal in his life, and good stable job, and life itself, and I so thankful for all of the above and then some, and this opportunity I share with you every so often about the adventures in eating I experience. For all this and more, I am truly thankful!</div>Nom Nom Nom Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08066638628124121345noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7206175530844624999.post-80946780139650658802010-11-22T20:12:00.000-08:002010-11-23T20:13:58.726-08:00Good Food...Good Friends...Good Times!This past weekend, I had the chance to partake in some needed grown-up time with some dear college friends. An historic football game was played at Wrigley Field (yes, the grand old baseball field) between our alma mater, Northwestern & its Wildcats vs. the Fighting Illini from U of I. And although I was unable to cheer on the Wildcats at the Friendly Confines despite their sad defeat, I was able to make it out later that evening with my fellow Wildcat Husband and meet up with some of our Wildcat Friends, some of whom live in the City and one of whom took a flight in for the game and a "playdate" of sorts with us Chicago-based friends. So after Facebook messages, texting, 3-way-calling on our cells during my Girlies ballet class in the suburbs, most of the morning's communications were to find a last minute dinner reservation. And it finally was decided that our playdate would take place at 8pm at <a href="http://www.geminibistrochicago.com/">Gemini Bistro</a> in Lincoln Park.<br />
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<div>I live for dinner dates with friends, and I especially love when I get to partake in mini-reunions with the NU Crew, so I was very much looking forward to the evening ahead. And to make things even neater, Alex & I were headed into the City, a place I love, to a nice restaurant to eat, an activity I love to do. The whole evening did not disappoint. Wine bottles of Tomero Malbec (yum!) immediately came to the table in conjunction with someone's (ahem) 7&7 cocktail, and my dear friend's order of a Coffee & Bailey's~Oh, Catherine! This was definitely going to be a fun evening...The menu selections were also wide and offered something for everyone's palate. Here's a look at what we lovely ladies decided upon to entice our palates with forkfuls of deliciousness:</div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht9i_5oLxu42CWEccPKWtF2URVHRu15tWC0RgOpcW8eva5xrJqEc1V7z-VtgAkq5qbXAAgCZyPodX2K2K5BAr3k0YwEwQUq8bp43uNJREE03YsJ1ve1XXyRmDGa3pla-Ewqj3Tga2jHRU/s1600/IMG_1516.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht9i_5oLxu42CWEccPKWtF2URVHRu15tWC0RgOpcW8eva5xrJqEc1V7z-VtgAkq5qbXAAgCZyPodX2K2K5BAr3k0YwEwQUq8bp43uNJREE03YsJ1ve1XXyRmDGa3pla-Ewqj3Tga2jHRU/s320/IMG_1516.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seared Scallops</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Steak Frites</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZseVqZcXZizNCI48gqAAK-jNEPSgWSOz_F_oT6s_kyn71BKhhrGytuXDsNP3bpsX2xmuxnvRSqFbkkOherPW8Sg5EBqYIzSNwLA4fC3LfuzxINPTfNGlXo4ZmI9TS6cwkrOTtR5N1xsk/s1600/IMG_1518.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZseVqZcXZizNCI48gqAAK-jNEPSgWSOz_F_oT6s_kyn71BKhhrGytuXDsNP3bpsX2xmuxnvRSqFbkkOherPW8Sg5EBqYIzSNwLA4fC3LfuzxINPTfNGlXo4ZmI9TS6cwkrOTtR5N1xsk/s320/IMG_1518.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mussels Fra Diavolo</td></tr>
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</div><div>During dinner, I enjoyed my tender morsels of spicy mussels that melted in my mouth with just the right amount of heat to help me savor the taste of it all. And that delicious garlic crouton helped soak up the savory broth that drenched the mussels in much flavor. Scallops were seared to perfection, Filet Mignon shared the spotlight with delicious Frites, crunchy Coconut Shrimp made it way into one's tummy, and eventually sweetly sugared Creme Brulee & decadent Chocolate Fudge Cake topped off a delightful meal together. We all caught up with one another's lives regarding new cars and/or homes bought, newsworthy items, innovative marketing strategies, our sassy & sweet Girlies, and the mating habits of fruit flies, yes, fruit flies~all wonderful topics that provided us food for thought. In addition to such fun conversation, friends watched me get more and more talkative and outgoing as the 7&7 quickly disappeared and the wine continued to flow, and we all thoroughly enjoyed each other's company. I wish all of the NU Crew from 1835 Hinman & beyond were present to partake in such a fun evening of good food, good friends, and most definitely good times...I can't wait til next time where we all meet again when our busy schedules align perfectly to have another grown-up playdate. Cheers to my dear friends from your faithful & foodie pal, Madonna...and these days a.k.a Nom Nom Nom Mom! Much love!<br />
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</div></div></div></div></div>Nom Nom Nom Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08066638628124121345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7206175530844624999.post-48419558422943182512010-11-18T19:41:00.000-08:002010-11-18T17:58:33.488-08:00The Happiest Place on Earth...for a FoodieHello, Audience! Sorry I've been MIA for the past week, but in that time my family and I headed down to Orlando, FL for some warm weather, sunshine, R&R, & most importantly the Girlies' 1st trip to Disney World! It was a great time had by all, and to see the smiles and joy on Elena & Katrina's faces as they met nearly all of the Disney Princesses and Disney characters was absolutely unforgettable! We were only down there for about 4 days and toured only Epcot and the Magic Kingdom, but in the end I was exhausted, but already wanting to "go" back for more.<br />
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And...to make things so much more fulfilling and delicious in the Happiest Place on Earth, look what we had the pleasure of running into while spending a day at Epcot:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi56UkDfOPG8AFGef_Aw15uKtHnfz9yE5TSAlLiH62lUxx5AuJEvyW3a0s6LRyoQgcPsvMMhh82GvsLQUl3gmVpPOYsQ_SR99q0o35mgUpOClV61LqHvu-GwN5r6aWK5AbfST2JDjLj3Rg/s1600/Epcot_Food_Wine_Festival_03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi56UkDfOPG8AFGef_Aw15uKtHnfz9yE5TSAlLiH62lUxx5AuJEvyW3a0s6LRyoQgcPsvMMhh82GvsLQUl3gmVpPOYsQ_SR99q0o35mgUpOClV61LqHvu-GwN5r6aWK5AbfST2JDjLj3Rg/s320/Epcot_Food_Wine_Festival_03.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzIHBP6geUeLtTpZpNGmk-6xwZI0rEtdL9_kVKC9WxfZaE9U9YqGuSwbMIPj-mkAOv1TvFHVsvVoRAR8LSokXSLck_iFQgwXkb7OqhPTnzVxZbrfW3LSqNeQjvE1Y2ibRTxG8kmjqYKpQ/s1600/DSC01609.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzIHBP6geUeLtTpZpNGmk-6xwZI0rEtdL9_kVKC9WxfZaE9U9YqGuSwbMIPj-mkAOv1TvFHVsvVoRAR8LSokXSLck_iFQgwXkb7OqhPTnzVxZbrfW3LSqNeQjvE1Y2ibRTxG8kmjqYKpQ/s320/DSC01609.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>The 15th Annual Epcot International Food & Wine <a href="http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/g1179-epcot-food-and-wine-festival-2010.html">Festival </a>2010 was taking place and filling the bellies of thousands upon thousands of tourists who flocked there this gorgeous November. There was quite a number of food stalls lining the World Showcase's walkway enticing each visitor with lovely aromas that made each person's mouth water, tummies rumble with hunger, and pockets empty in record numbers. The <a href="http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/guides/epcot/events/FWmenus.htm">menus </a>at every food stall offered up tapas-like gourmet samplings of the specific country and cuisine represented. And what did I partake in sampling, you might be asking?? I'm actually kind of embarrassed to admit that I DID NOT really sample any of the cuisines...Not because I didn't want to...Hello, it's me here...Nom Nom Nom Mom...But we were essentially at Epcot to have an "authentic" Norwegian buffet meal at the Royal Akershus Banquet Hall to meet the Disney Princesses with our very own Princess Elena & Princess Katrina in tow. In the end, I wish I had more opportunity and room in my tummy to sample the worldly cuisines being offered along the World Showcase, as such would most likely have been just as delicious if not more than what was being served by the Royals. But because I was already well aware of my more than girlish figure around the tiny-waisted Princesses, I refrained from consuming in additional international delights or samplings of "Beers Around the World"...Next time, I will be sure to keep my stomach empty while my Royal Girlies lunch with the Princesses, so that I can indulge in the yumminess awaiting me outside of Akershus...Til next year's Epcot International Food & Wine Festival 2011...Here's to royally good nom nom nom-ing in the Happiest Place on Earth from my family to yours!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM1Tr9kCF8EmyRr4xXjzwM0RBuZAXiE9G5Hm2fBOntN1OwbMP6NIL4sN3zSW4DW25F3B-01i5Isz3ft3_c2GxSaB2vr7y4wSzjTV8dmICbXMxNnkg54oxS-IAKHgRv1Eqpm9EkKXJxmNA/s1600/DSC01599.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM1Tr9kCF8EmyRr4xXjzwM0RBuZAXiE9G5Hm2fBOntN1OwbMP6NIL4sN3zSW4DW25F3B-01i5Isz3ft3_c2GxSaB2vr7y4wSzjTV8dmICbXMxNnkg54oxS-IAKHgRv1Eqpm9EkKXJxmNA/s320/DSC01599.JPG" width="199" /></a></div>Nom Nom Nom Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08066638628124121345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7206175530844624999.post-33658366536730262912010-11-11T21:30:00.000-08:002010-11-11T19:30:34.352-08:00Birthday Celebration = Oodles of NoodlesToday is my brother, Robert's birthday! Typically, I would make a phone call to him to greet him on the day of his birth, as he's usually found in sunny California. But for nearly the past month, my brother has graced us with his presence with an extended visit back "home" to Chicago. As a result of this, we've had the opportunity to hang out, eat home-cooked meals at Mom & Dad's house, and tonight celebrate his birthday. My parents wanted to take Robert out for dinner at a local restaurant in my neck of the woods called <a href="http://www.bonfirehomerglen.com/">Bonfire</a>. It's a reliable and tasty Greek-owned restaurant that specializes in grilled meats, seafood, pastas, Greek dishes such as saganaki ~flaming cheese~Opa! and an overall good dining experience! Now, typically, if we had celebrated Robert's birthday at home Filipino-style, there most definitely would be the requisite platter of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pancit">Pancit</a>, long noodles gently stir-fried with veggies, chicken, shrimp, chinese sausage, and shredded pork for a quick description. Pancit is THE birthday dish, as it symbolizes long life in the form of the long rice noodle. A birthday just isn't quite a birthday if there isn't pancit on the table...Well, seeing as to how we had dined at Bonfire, a non-Filipino restaurant nor home, some improvisation was in order. So after perusing the menu, my Mom & Dad settled on the Garlic Shrimp Sorrentini, which was basically "long" linguini pasta dressed in luxurious olive oil, aromatic garlic, parsley, shrimp and grated parmesan. It wasn't long rice noodles dressed in a soy sauce/citrus broth with fresh veggies and savory meats, but it was noodles nonetheless, long in nature, and delicious throughout. And to accentuate the celebration of life, my Girlies insisted on Spaghetti from the Kid's Menu, so they knew the appropriate dish to order, since that's how we Filipinos roll~ha! So in effect, tonight's restaurant-style celebration of Robert's charmed life to date also celebrated the long life ahead of him and the long life of good eats to come! And to make things even more delightful, really good wine and dessert also filled the table, Robert's belly, and his birthday feast! Happy Birthday, Dear Kuya Robert, Happy Birthday to You!! <br />
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Here's to trying your hand at serving up some Pancit or Long Life Noodles at the next Birthday Celebration coming your way! Cheers!Nom Nom Nom Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08066638628124121345noreply@blogger.com0