Mar
2014

Garlic Infused Irish Champ

categories: Irish, Potatoes
Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all!
 
When I posed the question on Facebook as to what Irish dish they wanted to see on the blog, one of my kind readers suggested I make Champ!
Of course I give the people what they want so here goes…
and by people I mean the one person that actually responded.
[insert awkward crickets here]
 
 But you know I can’t just put out any ol’ recipe so I’m going to put my little spin on it while trying to keep it as traditional as possible.
 
So here goes nothin’!

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Mar
2014

Homemade Irish Cream

categories: Beverage, Boozy, Cocktails, Drink, Irish
Top of the mornin’ to ya.
 
Have you been wondering why the supermarket has all of a sudden put out corned beef & cabbage in convenient little bundles?
Why the police all of a sudden decide it’s a good idea to put a checkpoint on every corner of your hometown?
Why people at your favorite bar have been drinking that unholy concoction of green-dyed beer?
 
Yes, it’s almost St. Patrick’s Day.
Bust out your favorite green striped tube socks, ladies.
 
Now if you’re like me & you don’t want to dye your insides green with your cocktail, have I got a treat for you.
Homemade Irish Cream is kind of like Bailey’s but better.

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Mar
2014

PeachBerry Bellini

categories: Boozy, Brunch, Cocktails
So some pretty awesome stuff has been happening in my life.
  1. I bought a VitaMix.  Only fellow food nerds will understand why this is amazing.  It’s like the Mercedes-Benz of blenders…& yes, I just said this & yes, I love it.
  2. I finished planning my wedding.  Like, from start to finish & with a month to spare!  Shoot, even I’m amazed I didn’t wait to the last minute!
  3. One of my recipes was featured on Today.com Food Section.  I’m a little overwhelmed that anyone reads my blog, let alone anyone from the Today show.  That’s legit. 
 
So for all of these really amazing things to happen in one week, I thought I deserved a little celebration in the form of a Sunday Bellini.
This drink is also going to make a great addition to our Oscar Party tonight, 
so don’t feel like you have to have a celebratory day drink like me.  
You can celebrate at night where the darkness will hide the judgement from others…
but if like me, you don’t really give a poo & love yourself a Sunday Champagne Brunch, 
have at it!
Being that I had this brand new blender just sitting there begging to be used, I decided to think outside the box & jazz up my usual o.j. & champagne mimosas.
So I raided my fridge & came up with this PeachBerry Bellini!
Not only is it full of fresh fruit (which is totally healthy, duh) but it makes the champagne feel so much fancier & look amazing which is perfect for a celebration!
I paired this cocktail with my Vegetarian Hash & Basil Vinaigrette Brunch recipe & they were perfect together! 
A little sweet, a little savory, a little buzzed. 
 
Yeah, Sunday just became my favorite day of the week.
 
Enjoy!

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Mar
2014

Sunday Brunch: Vegetarian Hash with Basil Vinaigrette Dressing

categories: Breakfast, Brunch, Potatoes, Vegetarian
Ok, so I’ve been really good these last 6 months.
Most days I try to eat healthy & try to keep my alcohol intake at a minimum…
 
Then Sunday hits & I don’t know what comes over me 
but apparently all bets are friggin’ OFF when it comes to brunch.
(I said I try, not promise!)
However, these last couple of Sundays have been a little different…
You see, in about 1 month I will have to partake in the shame-inducing act of squeezing myself into a unforgivingly tight wedding gown & parading all of this goodness in front of close friends & family as I repeat “don’t trip, don’t fall, don’t throw up” over & over again in my head.  
 
So this Sunday, all bets were slightly back ON.
 
Now, I don’t believe in giving up everything to fit in said wedding dress. 
That would just be crazy.
So I took my favorite recipe for skillet potatoes or “hash” as some fancy-schmancies like to call it, & I kicked the veggie & flavor up a notch while limiting the fat & calories by removing the meat from the hash.  Instead, I used chunky, hearty vegetables to replace the typical “corned beef” & made a kick ass flavorful vinaigrette to make this dish more satisfying & savory.
Now before you get all cray- cray on me & say, “Hey, olive oil is FATTY”, listen here:
Yeah, I know olive oil is fat. However, it is GOOD FAT. 
& yeah, there is such a thing.
You need a little fat to keep your skin & hair soft, deliver, store & absorb fat-soluble vitamins in your body & it provides a highly-concentrated form of energy.
(Do I really have to say more after the whole “keeps your skin & hair soft”?)
So make the vinaigrette, toss your hash in it & don’t worry so much!
It’s the weekend!

Trust your belly as well as your face & hair will thank you!

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Feb
2014

Home Baked Red Velvet Donuts with Cream Cheese Glaze

categories: Cakes, Dessert
I love a donut.
A doughnut.
Wait, a donut.
How the heck do you spell this anyways?
 
According to my sources (Google) I found out that the correct spelling is DOUGH-NUT which was later shortened to DO-NUT & didn’t really become popular until after Dunkin’ Donuts opened their doors.  
 
With that being said: I like spelling it do-nut.
So there.
 
You know what else I love?
Valentine’s Day.
Yeah, I know it’s commercial. 
Yeah, I know it makes single people feel like lepers.
Yeah, I know it is a nonsense holiday made up by people who make greeting cards & heart shaped boxes of chocolate.  
 
With that being said: I love Valentine’s Day.
So double there.
 
I really shouldn’t love February 14th…
There’s been a long list of terrible Valentine’s Days in my past. 
Each one its own little heart shaped death that ultimately made me 
swear off Valentine’s Days, for like, a decade.  
It was a dark phase, what can I say?
And the fact that I am old enough to refer to things in terms of “decades” 
makes my youth die a little death of its own, but that’s besides the point.
 
What was the most terrible V-Day gift I ever received? 
Oh, I don’t know. Maybe it was the roses that were bought on the side of the road that still had thorns & bugs on them that later decided to make a home in my car
or maybe it was the sad Subway gift card for $10 & handwritten note given to me by an ex-stalker that found me at work…that, by the way, I’m pretty sure he got someone else write for him judging by the swirly lettering & heart-dotted letter “i’s”
or maybe it was the weird little cross-eyed bear from the gas station that clipped on to a single rose…a single dying brown rose…
There’s so many options, it’s really hard to choose.
 
You know what would’ve been great? 
A homemade donut.
That’s all.
Just a donut made with my loved ones own two little hands showing me that they care enough to get their hands a little dirtier than rifling through the 
CVS bargain bin of sad little stuffed animals that sing, “Wild Thang”.
I’m a simple girl with simple needs.
 
So to spare you from being the giver (or recipient) of a horrible Valentine’s Day gift, I present to you what a girl really wants:
 
A gosh darn Home Baked Red Velvet Donut with Cream Cheese Glaze!
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