Tuesdays At The Table - Potato Patties

Happy Tuesday, ladies!!  Did everyone survive Thanksgiving and Black Friday?

I don't know about you, but I have tons of leftovers from my Thanksgiving meal.  One of my favorite leftover recipes is potato patties.

Potato Patties
2 cups mashed potatoes
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup grate Parmesan cheese
1 egg, beaten
1 onion, minced
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
2-3 Tbsp. olive oil

Mix together all ingredients in a medium bowl.

Over medium heat, heat olive oil in a medium size nonstick frying pan. Take about 1/4 cup of the potato mixture, pat it into 4 inch circles that are 1/2" thick and drop into the hot frying pan. Cook until bottom is browned and crisp, about 3-4 minutes. Carefully turn the patty over and cook the second side until brown and crisp, 3-4 minutes.

What's cooking in your kitchen?

Happy Tuesday, ladies!!  Did everyone survive Thanksgiving and Black Friday?

I don't know about you, but I have tons of leftovers from my Thanksgiving meal.  One of my favorite leftover recipes is potato patties.

Potato Patties
2 cups mashed potatoes
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup grate Parmesan cheese
1 egg, beaten
1 onion, minced
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
2-3 Tbsp. olive oil

Mix together all ingredients in a medium bowl.

Over medium heat, heat olive oil in a medium size nonstick frying pan. Take about 1/4 cup of the potato mixture, pat it into 4 inch circles that are 1/2" thick and drop into the hot frying pan. Cook until bottom is browned and crisp, about 3-4 minutes. Carefully turn the patty over and cook the second side until brown and crisp, 3-4 minutes.

What's cooking in your kitchen?

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Pumpkin Muffins, two ways

It's still November, so it's STILL pumpkin season, right?

I've confessed my love for pumpkin already...let me share with you two of my favorite muffins. One savory, one sweet.

These Pumpkin Cheddar Muffins come from the Baked Explorations cookbook.  I am IN.LOVE. with these muffins (I would happily eat all 12 in one sitting).  Even though they are listed in the breakfast section of the cookbook, they are wonderful with a cup of butternut squash soup or a bowl chili.

Pumpkin Cheddar Muffins
{adapted from Baked Explorations}

1 c. canned pumpkin
3 TBSP sour cream
2 eggs
1 stick unsalted butter, cooled and melted
2 c. flour
1 & 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. cayenne
1 & 1/2 tsp. coarse salt
1 & 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 c. light brown sugar
1 & 1/4  c. grated sharp white cheddar

Preheat oven to 400.  Use a paper towel to lightly coat the insides of 12 muffin cups with vegetable oil.

Whisk together the pumpkin and sour cream.  Whisk in the eggs and cooled, melted butter until combined.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, cayenne, salt, pepper and brown sugar.  Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.  Add the wet ingredients into the well and gently fold until combined.  Fold in 3/4ths of the cheese.

Divide the batter among the muffin cups.  Sprinkle tops with the remaining cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden and the tops spring back when lightly pressed.

Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out the muffins to a cooling rack.  Serve warm.

{{*sigh*}}

Next up....the sweet.

These muffins can also be called "cake muffins."  They're SO easy and SO delicious.  Yes, they are made from a cake mix...and you know, a cake mix now and then comes in handy.

{And that pumpkin makes 'em healthy. Trust me, I'm a blogger.}

If you are one of the crazy pumpkin-haters (and I know you're out there), never fear, these don't taste like pumpkin, they taste like CAKE!

Vanilla Pumpkin Muffins

2 egg whites
1 box French Vanilla cake mix
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin
sanding or sparkling sugar

Preheat the oven to 350.  Lightly coat 15 or so baking liners with cooking spray or vegetable oil.  Place in a muffin tin.

Lightly beat the egg whites. Stir in the cake mix and the pumpkin.  Stir until combined.

Spoon into the prepared baking cups and top with a bit of sanding sugar for a little sparkle.  Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the tops bounce back when gently pressed.

Cool 10 minutes in the pans, then remove and cool completely on a cooling rack.

How do you like your pumpkin?  Sweet or savory?

It's still November, so it's STILL pumpkin season, right?

I've confessed my love for pumpkin already...let me share with you two of my favorite muffins. One savory, one sweet.

These Pumpkin Cheddar Muffins come from the Baked Explorations cookbook.  I am IN.LOVE. with these muffins (I would happily eat all 12 in one sitting).  Even though they are listed in the breakfast section of the cookbook, they are wonderful with a cup of butternut squash soup or a bowl chili.

Pumpkin Cheddar Muffins
{adapted from Baked Explorations}

1 c. canned pumpkin
3 TBSP sour cream
2 eggs
1 stick unsalted butter, cooled and melted
2 c. flour
1 & 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. cayenne
1 & 1/2 tsp. coarse salt
1 & 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 c. light brown sugar
1 & 1/4  c. grated sharp white cheddar

Preheat oven to 400.  Use a paper towel to lightly coat the insides of 12 muffin cups with vegetable oil.

Whisk together the pumpkin and sour cream.  Whisk in the eggs and cooled, melted butter until combined.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, cayenne, salt, pepper and brown sugar.  Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.  Add the wet ingredients into the well and gently fold until combined.  Fold in 3/4ths of the cheese.

Divide the batter among the muffin cups.  Sprinkle tops with the remaining cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden and the tops spring back when lightly pressed.

Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out the muffins to a cooling rack.  Serve warm.

{{*sigh*}}

Next up....the sweet.

These muffins can also be called "cake muffins."  They're SO easy and SO delicious.  Yes, they are made from a cake mix...and you know, a cake mix now and then comes in handy.

{And that pumpkin makes 'em healthy. Trust me, I'm a blogger.}

If you are one of the crazy pumpkin-haters (and I know you're out there), never fear, these don't taste like pumpkin, they taste like CAKE!

Vanilla Pumpkin Muffins

2 egg whites
1 box French Vanilla cake mix
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin
sanding or sparkling sugar

Preheat the oven to 350.  Lightly coat 15 or so baking liners with cooking spray or vegetable oil.  Place in a muffin tin.

Lightly beat the egg whites. Stir in the cake mix and the pumpkin.  Stir until combined.

Spoon into the prepared baking cups and top with a bit of sanding sugar for a little sparkle.  Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the tops bounce back when gently pressed.

Cool 10 minutes in the pans, then remove and cool completely on a cooling rack.

How do you like your pumpkin?  Sweet or savory?

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Shop Til You DROP!

I hope that everyone had a fabulous, filling, fun Thanksgiving!  Mine was awesome.  :-)  Carbo loading potatoes and stuffing was a good idea, right?  I needed energy for shopping.

Here's where some of you are going to think that I'm absa-blooming-nuts or that I'm utterly genious.  (By the way, both are entirely true...)  Here is the Black Friday schedule that Kirstren, Heather and I used.

10 PM          Brush teeth and clean car
10:20            Leave for Kirstren's house
10:30            Pick up Kirstren
11:10            Arrive at Heather's house
11:15            Prep coffee to-go and get pep talk from Heather's hubby. 
                    His words of advice?  "Don't get stabbed, girls." 
11:40            Get in line at Toys 'R Us.
12:45            Get rained on in line at Toys 'R Us.
1:58              Successfully leave Toys 'R Us.
2 AM             Time for cupcakes and Christmas music in the car!
2:20               Old Navy - Hello, 5 dollar PJ pants!
3:30               Kohl's - I accomplished half my Christmas list here.
4: 45              Target - Easily the best organized store I was in all night.
6:10               Wal-Mart - Easily the least organized store I was in.
7:40               Breakfast with the ladies and a re-cap of our night.
9:30               BED!!!

Did you partake in Black Friday shopping?  Did you have to stand in line to get into more than one store?  Find any great deals that everyone should know about?

I hope that everyone had a fabulous, filling, fun Thanksgiving!  Mine was awesome.  :-)  Carbo loading potatoes and stuffing was a good idea, right?  I needed energy for shopping.

Here's where some of you are going to think that I'm absa-blooming-nuts or that I'm utterly genious.  (By the way, both are entirely true...)  Here is the Black Friday schedule that Kirstren, Heather and I used.

10 PM          Brush teeth and clean car
10:20            Leave for Kirstren's house
10:30            Pick up Kirstren
11:10            Arrive at Heather's house
11:15            Prep coffee to-go and get pep talk from Heather's hubby. 
                    His words of advice?  "Don't get stabbed, girls." 
11:40            Get in line at Toys 'R Us.
12:45            Get rained on in line at Toys 'R Us.
1:58              Successfully leave Toys 'R Us.
2 AM             Time for cupcakes and Christmas music in the car!
2:20               Old Navy - Hello, 5 dollar PJ pants!
3:30               Kohl's - I accomplished half my Christmas list here.
4: 45              Target - Easily the best organized store I was in all night.
6:10               Wal-Mart - Easily the least organized store I was in.
7:40               Breakfast with the ladies and a re-cap of our night.
9:30               BED!!!

Did you partake in Black Friday shopping?  Did you have to stand in line to get into more than one store?  Find any great deals that everyone should know about?

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Giving Thanks

I'm thankful for so much this year.  Excuse the bullet points - but away we go:

• My job.  Quite frankly - my job sucks sometimes.  But I'm thankful that I have a job in this economy and that the seven years (in two weeks) I've spent there have flown by so quickly.
• My work besties.  They make long meetings and crabby customers bearable.  I look forward to our lunch and coffee breaks each day!  They are such special ladies. 
• My parents.  They are two individuals that have totally different outlooks on life, but they both instilled in me that it's better to give than to receive, to try hard and to make lemonade out of the lemons life throws you from time to time.  I'm so thankful that they've made me the person I am today.
• The royal court.  See below.  :-)  I look at the two of them and see in us the relationship that my mom, Kirstren's mom and our Aunt Donna forged 30+ years ago.
• Kirstren - aka the Princess. Don't tell anyone, but she's my favorite cousin and has become one of my best friends.  I love our shopping trips, knitting nights and other random outings.  She's always able to cheer me up after a bad day and I'm thankful for her just being her.
• Heather - aka the Queen. I'm hugely thankful that Kirstren brought her into my life.  They're besties - and I'm such a lucky person that the Queen saw past my natural shyness, "gets" my brand of sarcasm and welcomed me to their larger circle of friends. 
• My brother. Like most sibling relationships, we've had our ups and downs.  He is really a great person, I'm proud of the time he spent in the Army and thankful that he's home and living with me now.
• My dogs.  I'm so thankful that they chose me.  Such big personalities in such little dachshund bodies!  I'm thankful for their unconditional love and that they've been so patient while I wait to get my backyard fenced in.

Instead of the eloquent soliloquy I had planned, I'm going to share the Thanksgiving letter that a work friend did this year.  I just can't say it better than she can.  She's an amazing person, my ex-boss, and was kind enough to give me permission to share her words (even though she doesn't know exactly how I was planning to share it!).

Thanksgiving: As the name implies, a day for giving thanks. Since the day that the pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock, Americans have celebrated Thanksgiving Day.



So, what am I thankful for this year?


The ability to get out of bed every morning, put my feet on the floor, and “get going”. So many people cannot do that.


A wonderful family and great friends, whom I love. Too many people do not have this either.


I have a job that I love and wonderful people to work with. How many people can say that, and really mean it? It’s all about the people, and I am blessed to work with the best group I have ever had to work with. There are probably not too many people who can say that.


I have fond memories of days gone by, which I pray I will have forever. Many people have lost their memories; they are gone forever. Some of them may be at our Thanksgiving tables. Be patient and kind, and thankful that they can still join us.


Every year, we celebrate Thanksgiving. But, do people really stop and give thanks for all of their blessings? Or are they too caught up in the cleaning and cooking and preparations for the day to stop and smell those roses.


I have a couple of assignments for each and every one of you this Thanksgiving. Take time for you this Thanksgiving. Enjoy your time off with family and friends. Think about everything you have and be truly thankful. Stop and smell those roses. They may not be there forever.


A very Happy Thanksgiving to all of you.

I'm thankful for so much this year.  Excuse the bullet points - but away we go:

• My job.  Quite frankly - my job sucks sometimes.  But I'm thankful that I have a job in this economy and that the seven years (in two weeks) I've spent there have flown by so quickly.
• My work besties.  They make long meetings and crabby customers bearable.  I look forward to our lunch and coffee breaks each day!  They are such special ladies. 
• My parents.  They are two individuals that have totally different outlooks on life, but they both instilled in me that it's better to give than to receive, to try hard and to make lemonade out of the lemons life throws you from time to time.  I'm so thankful that they've made me the person I am today.
• The royal court.  See below.  :-)  I look at the two of them and see in us the relationship that my mom, Kirstren's mom and our Aunt Donna forged 30+ years ago.
• Kirstren - aka the Princess. Don't tell anyone, but she's my favorite cousin and has become one of my best friends.  I love our shopping trips, knitting nights and other random outings.  She's always able to cheer me up after a bad day and I'm thankful for her just being her.
• Heather - aka the Queen. I'm hugely thankful that Kirstren brought her into my life.  They're besties - and I'm such a lucky person that the Queen saw past my natural shyness, "gets" my brand of sarcasm and welcomed me to their larger circle of friends. 
• My brother. Like most sibling relationships, we've had our ups and downs.  He is really a great person, I'm proud of the time he spent in the Army and thankful that he's home and living with me now.
• My dogs.  I'm so thankful that they chose me.  Such big personalities in such little dachshund bodies!  I'm thankful for their unconditional love and that they've been so patient while I wait to get my backyard fenced in.

Instead of the eloquent soliloquy I had planned, I'm going to share the Thanksgiving letter that a work friend did this year.  I just can't say it better than she can.  She's an amazing person, my ex-boss, and was kind enough to give me permission to share her words (even though she doesn't know exactly how I was planning to share it!).

Thanksgiving: As the name implies, a day for giving thanks. Since the day that the pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock, Americans have celebrated Thanksgiving Day.



So, what am I thankful for this year?


The ability to get out of bed every morning, put my feet on the floor, and “get going”. So many people cannot do that.


A wonderful family and great friends, whom I love. Too many people do not have this either.


I have a job that I love and wonderful people to work with. How many people can say that, and really mean it? It’s all about the people, and I am blessed to work with the best group I have ever had to work with. There are probably not too many people who can say that.


I have fond memories of days gone by, which I pray I will have forever. Many people have lost their memories; they are gone forever. Some of them may be at our Thanksgiving tables. Be patient and kind, and thankful that they can still join us.


Every year, we celebrate Thanksgiving. But, do people really stop and give thanks for all of their blessings? Or are they too caught up in the cleaning and cooking and preparations for the day to stop and smell those roses.


I have a couple of assignments for each and every one of you this Thanksgiving. Take time for you this Thanksgiving. Enjoy your time off with family and friends. Think about everything you have and be truly thankful. Stop and smell those roses. They may not be there forever.


A very Happy Thanksgiving to all of you.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Pillar of Salt cafe, Richmond

***EDIT: I've added some extra thoughts about my subsequent visits to Pillar of Salt at the bottom of this post.***

It's always exciting when a new cafe opens, especially one that looks funky and has a lot of fresh energy from new owners.  I spied Pillar of Salt on Church street earlier this week, and popped in yesterday for a quick juice.  One look at the gorgeous goodies on the counter, and I knew I had to come back for lunch.  Which I did, today!

Counter

Pillar of Salt
541 Church Street
Richmond VIC 3121
Ph: (03) 9421-1550

The building used to be a pretty average cafe, run by two lovely Chinese ladies, whose food and coffee were, unfortunately, not as lovely as they were.  It closed down a while ago, due to too much competition in the area.  Since then, the new owners have completely refitted the space, with funky exposed brick walls and a light airy feel, which extends to a bright courtyard out the back.

It was a bit of a struggle waiting till lunchtime for my coffee, but I don't do more than one a day and I really wanted to enjoy a nice dine-in coffee with my lunch so I could get a good picture!  (See the sacrifices I make for my readers?  Hehe.)

Latte, Cappuccino - $3.50 each

The coffee was pretty good, although I think there are nicer ones at cafes that concentrate soley on coffee (Espresso 3121, Brother Baba Budan etc).  It seems that cafes these days concentrate on either coffee or their food, and Pillar of Salt falls into the latter category.  It's hard to find a cafe that excells at both food and coffee.  But if you know of one, I would love to hear about it!

My friend ordered the lamb burger with chips.  It was $18 on the menu, but only came up as $16 on the bill, wahey!  I have to admit I was a little skeptical when I saw it, as the burger was quite small, and the chips didn't look crispy - I think it's one big potato slice, fried on either side and then cut into chip shapes - but by all accounts the lamb burger was fabulous!  It had a soft bun, and generous amounts of sauce, feta and rocket.  It looked small, but was a satisfying lunch.

Lamb Burger and Chips - $16

I had to order the tart of the day, which was the item which caught my eye the day before, cooling on the bench.  Apparently they have a different flavour every day; today's was goats cheese, mushroom and herb.  Incidentally I had the exact same flavour in an omelette at a nearby cafe the day before, but this was so much better!

Tart with goats cheese, mushrooms and herbs - $12

The pastry was very buttery and short, with a warm and creamy (Nigella would say baveuse) filling, studded with whole mushrooms and herbs.  I would have liked the herbs to have been more finely chopped, (a mouthful of whole rosemary leaves is no fun), and perhaps a little more goats cheese, but all in all it was delicious!  The massive pile of rocket was lightly dressed, and was a refreshing counterpoint to the rich tart.  I loved it, and now am determined to make one as the veggo option at my Christmas party this year.

Other options at Pillar of Salt include a range of baguettes, rocky road, toasted sandwiches and freshly baked muffins (rhubarb today) in the cabinet, a cooked breakfast menu and other lunches.  Can't wait to go back and try more!

***EDIT***

6/12/2010 - So, as I'd mentioned when I wrote this post, I was very keen to go back to Pillar of Salt and try more food.  I've been back a couple of times now, and here are some thoughts:

• The Positive: Breakfast savouries in the front cabinet are fabulous!  
• They have delicious-looking rolls with either bacon or smoked salmon, and they also do extremely cute mini rolls.  These are filled with one slice of tomato, a few spinach leaves, one perfectly poached egg and a spoonful of kassoundi.  I got one for breakfast the other day - only $3.50 and quite tasty, although I found it a bit odd to have a poached egg that was both runny AND cold.
• Another morning I went in looking for a savoury breakfast, and because none of the rolls had been assembled yet, they made up a toastie for me - actually slicing thick pieces of ham off the bone, and toasting it up with ciabatta bread and cheese.  So nice of them!

• The Negative: Service was a bit lacking on my subsequent eat-in visit, during a busy weekday lunch.  
• My friend ordered the same lamb burger as he did on our first visit, and although the chips were better (Matt from Pillar of Salt, by way of Claire, by way of Twitter, has informed me they have a proper deep fryer now), we saw lamb burgers at other tables with more generous servings of chips.  Also, they didn't give us dipping sauce this time, which disappointed my friend because he really liked it the first time we went!
• As for me, I ordered a chicken baguette... and was given a chicken sandwich!  When I told the waiter it wasn't what I'd ordered, he went to check, then came back and told me they'd run out of chicken baguettes, but had ham baguettes and chicken sandwiches.  Um... ok?  Why wouldn't they have told me this before they made the sandwich?  That way I could have changed my order or accepted the substitution.  And it would have been a total non-issue then.  I was staaarving, so just took the sandwich - and it happened to be delicious - but it just seemed odd the way the whole situation was handled.

 Anyhoo, the food is great, and they're still pretty new so I'm sure these issues will get ironed out.  In the meantime, I'd recommend sticking to takeaway!

***EDIT: I've added some extra thoughts about my subsequent visits to Pillar of Salt at the bottom of this post.***

It's always exciting when a new cafe opens, especially one that looks funky and has a lot of fresh energy from new owners.  I spied Pillar of Salt on Church street earlier this week, and popped in yesterday for a quick juice.  One look at the gorgeous goodies on the counter, and I knew I had to come back for lunch.  Which I did, today!

Counter

Pillar of Salt
541 Church Street
Richmond VIC 3121
Ph: (03) 9421-1550

The building used to be a pretty average cafe, run by two lovely Chinese ladies, whose food and coffee were, unfortunately, not as lovely as they were.  It closed down a while ago, due to too much competition in the area.  Since then, the new owners have completely refitted the space, with funky exposed brick walls and a light airy feel, which extends to a bright courtyard out the back.

It was a bit of a struggle waiting till lunchtime for my coffee, but I don't do more than one a day and I really wanted to enjoy a nice dine-in coffee with my lunch so I could get a good picture!  (See the sacrifices I make for my readers?  Hehe.)

Latte, Cappuccino - $3.50 each

The coffee was pretty good, although I think there are nicer ones at cafes that concentrate soley on coffee (Espresso 3121, Brother Baba Budan etc).  It seems that cafes these days concentrate on either coffee or their food, and Pillar of Salt falls into the latter category.  It's hard to find a cafe that excells at both food and coffee.  But if you know of one, I would love to hear about it!

My friend ordered the lamb burger with chips.  It was $18 on the menu, but only came up as $16 on the bill, wahey!  I have to admit I was a little skeptical when I saw it, as the burger was quite small, and the chips didn't look crispy - I think it's one big potato slice, fried on either side and then cut into chip shapes - but by all accounts the lamb burger was fabulous!  It had a soft bun, and generous amounts of sauce, feta and rocket.  It looked small, but was a satisfying lunch.

Lamb Burger and Chips - $16

I had to order the tart of the day, which was the item which caught my eye the day before, cooling on the bench.  Apparently they have a different flavour every day; today's was goats cheese, mushroom and herb.  Incidentally I had the exact same flavour in an omelette at a nearby cafe the day before, but this was so much better!

Tart with goats cheese, mushrooms and herbs - $12

The pastry was very buttery and short, with a warm and creamy (Nigella would say baveuse) filling, studded with whole mushrooms and herbs.  I would have liked the herbs to have been more finely chopped, (a mouthful of whole rosemary leaves is no fun), and perhaps a little more goats cheese, but all in all it was delicious!  The massive pile of rocket was lightly dressed, and was a refreshing counterpoint to the rich tart.  I loved it, and now am determined to make one as the veggo option at my Christmas party this year.

Other options at Pillar of Salt include a range of baguettes, rocky road, toasted sandwiches and freshly baked muffins (rhubarb today) in the cabinet, a cooked breakfast menu and other lunches.  Can't wait to go back and try more!

***EDIT***

6/12/2010 - So, as I'd mentioned when I wrote this post, I was very keen to go back to Pillar of Salt and try more food.  I've been back a couple of times now, and here are some thoughts:

• The Positive: Breakfast savouries in the front cabinet are fabulous!  
• They have delicious-looking rolls with either bacon or smoked salmon, and they also do extremely cute mini rolls.  These are filled with one slice of tomato, a few spinach leaves, one perfectly poached egg and a spoonful of kassoundi.  I got one for breakfast the other day - only $3.50 and quite tasty, although I found it a bit odd to have a poached egg that was both runny AND cold.
• Another morning I went in looking for a savoury breakfast, and because none of the rolls had been assembled yet, they made up a toastie for me - actually slicing thick pieces of ham off the bone, and toasting it up with ciabatta bread and cheese.  So nice of them!

• The Negative: Service was a bit lacking on my subsequent eat-in visit, during a busy weekday lunch.  
• My friend ordered the same lamb burger as he did on our first visit, and although the chips were better (Matt from Pillar of Salt, by way of Claire, by way of Twitter, has informed me they have a proper deep fryer now), we saw lamb burgers at other tables with more generous servings of chips.  Also, they didn't give us dipping sauce this time, which disappointed my friend because he really liked it the first time we went!
• As for me, I ordered a chicken baguette... and was given a chicken sandwich!  When I told the waiter it wasn't what I'd ordered, he went to check, then came back and told me they'd run out of chicken baguettes, but had ham baguettes and chicken sandwiches.  Um... ok?  Why wouldn't they have told me this before they made the sandwich?  That way I could have changed my order or accepted the substitution.  And it would have been a total non-issue then.  I was staaarving, so just took the sandwich - and it happened to be delicious - but it just seemed odd the way the whole situation was handled.

 Anyhoo, the food is great, and they're still pretty new so I'm sure these issues will get ironed out.  In the meantime, I'd recommend sticking to takeaway!

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope you are are getting ready for a wonderful Thanksgiving....full of family, friends and PIE!

If you're in the mood to whip up some cookies to take to the feast, here's a simple idea for you.  This turkey doesn't require a special cutter....it's a combination of a few shapes you probably have already...or can cut by hand. 

I used a flower cutter, a small circle, and hand-cut a small rectangle.  A video of the process of putting them all together is on University of Cookie.

This turkey shape idea came from Paper Glitter's free Thanksgiving printables. Printables and kids' coloring books are great places to look for cookie inspiration.

Make your cookies, break out the royal icing along with Americolor food colorings in Super Red, Orange, Chocolate Brown, Egg Yellow and Super Black.   Have fun!

Happy Thanksgiving, you guys!  I am thankful for each and every one of you....except for you spammers, but other than that....each and every one. :)

Gobble, gobble!
{ps...to my cousin, Maura, currently in labor with her first little one...we are thinking of you! Can't wait to meet your little turkey!}

I hope you are are getting ready for a wonderful Thanksgiving....full of family, friends and PIE!

If you're in the mood to whip up some cookies to take to the feast, here's a simple idea for you.  This turkey doesn't require a special cutter....it's a combination of a few shapes you probably have already...or can cut by hand. 

I used a flower cutter, a small circle, and hand-cut a small rectangle.  A video of the process of putting them all together is on University of Cookie.

This turkey shape idea came from Paper Glitter's free Thanksgiving printables. Printables and kids' coloring books are great places to look for cookie inspiration.

Make your cookies, break out the royal icing along with Americolor food colorings in Super Red, Orange, Chocolate Brown, Egg Yellow and Super Black.   Have fun!

Happy Thanksgiving, you guys!  I am thankful for each and every one of you....except for you spammers, but other than that....each and every one. :)

Gobble, gobble!
{ps...to my cousin, Maura, currently in labor with her first little one...we are thinking of you! Can't wait to meet your little turkey!}

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Tuesdays At The Table - Cranberry Sauce

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!  I have a little secret for you....I like cranberry sauce, but only the "fresh" stuff.  I find the cranberry jello in a can revolting.  Everyone in my family loves it!  Most of my friends love it!  Me?  Not so much.

Here's a cranberry sauce that's easy and so much tastier than the canned stuff.

Cranberry Sauce

1 pound fresh cranberries, washed and dried
2 cups granulated sugar
1/3 cup water
1 cinnamon stick (or a 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon)
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 orange, zested and juiced

In a medium pot, combine the cranberries, sugar and water. Stir to blend. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Reduce to a simmer and add the cinnamon stick (or ground cinnamon), allspice and nutmeg. Stir to blend and simmer for an additional 5 to 7 minutes. Some of the cranberries will burst and some will remain whole. Add the orange juice and zest, stir and allow to cool before serving.

What's cooking in your kitchen for the holidays?

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!  I have a little secret for you....I like cranberry sauce, but only the "fresh" stuff.  I find the cranberry jello in a can revolting.  Everyone in my family loves it!  Most of my friends love it!  Me?  Not so much.

Here's a cranberry sauce that's easy and so much tastier than the canned stuff.

Cranberry Sauce

1 pound fresh cranberries, washed and dried
2 cups granulated sugar
1/3 cup water
1 cinnamon stick (or a 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon)
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 orange, zested and juiced

In a medium pot, combine the cranberries, sugar and water. Stir to blend. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Reduce to a simmer and add the cinnamon stick (or ground cinnamon), allspice and nutmeg. Stir to blend and simmer for an additional 5 to 7 minutes. Some of the cranberries will burst and some will remain whole. Add the orange juice and zest, stir and allow to cool before serving.

What's cooking in your kitchen for the holidays?

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Carlton Espresso

A little while ago we caught up with my good friends Timmy K and Susu B for a midweek dinner and drinks catch-up. When Su told me: "the DOC pizza guys have a pasta place now", I was totally there!



Carlton Espresso
326 Lygon Street
Carlton 3053
(03) 9347-8482

Some of y'all may remember Carlton Espresso as the little piadini and espresso bar on Lygon street near Melbourne Uni.  Well, now they've expanded to the next door and now do a range of pastas and antipasti.

Mmm... I want this fridge!

But... navigating your way through peak-hour traffic on public transport to Lygon street requires a little liquid refreshment.  I can never go past a spritz, not least of all because my friends don't like the mediciney taste of aperol/campari, and they won't steal my drink! Hehe.

Spritz Aperol - $8.50

I can't remember who ordered the beer, but it was nice and malty.  Mmm.. extra malty.

Tappeto Volante - $7.90

They have a short but well selected pasta menu, each around the $20 mark.  I had a tough time narrowing down my choices, but I'm sure in time I'll sample them all!

I got the kamut fusili (I'm a sucker for ancient grains, like spelt and kamut!) with a deliciously vibrant basil pesto. I loved the pasta, which was both wholesome and satisfying.  I've seen kamut pasta at my local supermarket, but being super-expensive I don't think I'll be making it at home any time soon.

Fusilli (kamut -ancient grain pasta) w/ fresh basil pesto (Liguria) - $20

Timmy's carbonara was leaps and bounds above the standard stodgy cream-soaked carbonara you get at suburban restaurants and takeaways.  With a thin yet rich sauce clinging to the spaghetti, tiny nuggets of guanciale, and loads of coarsley ground black pepper, it was fabulous!

Spaghetti carbonara w/ guanciale, free range egg  & pecorino romano (Lazio) - $18

Su's pappardelle with truffle oil and porcini mushrooms was also a winner, although the woodsy taste might be a bit strong for anyone not accustomed to truffles.  It was also quite dry in that traditionally Italian way, where the pasta itself is the focus of the dish.

Pappardelle w/ porcini mushroom & truffle oil in bianco (Tuscany) - $20

Last up is a lasagne.  The meat sauce had a lovely deep taste, but the edges of the lasagne were slightly overcooked and chewy.  It's always tricky heating up a lasagne to a nice temperature inside without the edges going dry!

Lasagne - traditional w/ meat sauce & bechamel (Emilia Romagna) - $18

And that was it!  A delicious, quick dinner of simple ingredients cooked well.  It seemed a little pricey, but considering the quality of the ingredients I think it's well worth it.  As Timmy said: "you could go to one of the other restaurants around here and have something crap, or pay a bit extra and eat something that's actually good".  Before we went, Su told me she'd googled the restaurant and read some pretty dire reviews of the service, but we were lucky and didn't have any problems at all.  I'll definitely be going back!

A little while ago we caught up with my good friends Timmy K and Susu B for a midweek dinner and drinks catch-up. When Su told me: "the DOC pizza guys have a pasta place now", I was totally there!



Carlton Espresso
326 Lygon Street
Carlton 3053
(03) 9347-8482

Some of y'all may remember Carlton Espresso as the little piadini and espresso bar on Lygon street near Melbourne Uni.  Well, now they've expanded to the next door and now do a range of pastas and antipasti.

Mmm... I want this fridge!

But... navigating your way through peak-hour traffic on public transport to Lygon street requires a little liquid refreshment.  I can never go past a spritz, not least of all because my friends don't like the mediciney taste of aperol/campari, and they won't steal my drink! Hehe.

Spritz Aperol - $8.50

I can't remember who ordered the beer, but it was nice and malty.  Mmm.. extra malty.

Tappeto Volante - $7.90

They have a short but well selected pasta menu, each around the $20 mark.  I had a tough time narrowing down my choices, but I'm sure in time I'll sample them all!

I got the kamut fusili (I'm a sucker for ancient grains, like spelt and kamut!) with a deliciously vibrant basil pesto. I loved the pasta, which was both wholesome and satisfying.  I've seen kamut pasta at my local supermarket, but being super-expensive I don't think I'll be making it at home any time soon.

Fusilli (kamut -ancient grain pasta) w/ fresh basil pesto (Liguria) - $20

Timmy's carbonara was leaps and bounds above the standard stodgy cream-soaked carbonara you get at suburban restaurants and takeaways.  With a thin yet rich sauce clinging to the spaghetti, tiny nuggets of guanciale, and loads of coarsley ground black pepper, it was fabulous!

Spaghetti carbonara w/ guanciale, free range egg  & pecorino romano (Lazio) - $18

Su's pappardelle with truffle oil and porcini mushrooms was also a winner, although the woodsy taste might be a bit strong for anyone not accustomed to truffles.  It was also quite dry in that traditionally Italian way, where the pasta itself is the focus of the dish.

Pappardelle w/ porcini mushroom & truffle oil in bianco (Tuscany) - $20

Last up is a lasagne.  The meat sauce had a lovely deep taste, but the edges of the lasagne were slightly overcooked and chewy.  It's always tricky heating up a lasagne to a nice temperature inside without the edges going dry!

Lasagne - traditional w/ meat sauce & bechamel (Emilia Romagna) - $18

And that was it!  A delicious, quick dinner of simple ingredients cooked well.  It seemed a little pricey, but considering the quality of the ingredients I think it's well worth it.  As Timmy said: "you could go to one of the other restaurants around here and have something crap, or pay a bit extra and eat something that's actually good".  Before we went, Su told me she'd googled the restaurant and read some pretty dire reviews of the service, but we were lucky and didn't have any problems at all.  I'll definitely be going back!

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

More Tasty than a Chocolate Frog

*Do you have the theme song in your head yet?*

Last week, part one of the movie of the last Harry Potter book was released.

We haven't seen it, yet, but I must tell you, we LOVE Harry Potter.  At first glance, it may seem a story of wizards, but at it's heart, it is a tale of the power of love, loyalty, bravery, sacrifice and friendship.

Once I thought kiddo was old enough, we started reading them together.  Actually, *I* read them...aloud, all 4,100 pages of them (to be exact).  Snuggled on the couch, under a pile of afghans, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Hagrid and Dumbledore...they became a part of our lives.  Everyday we ended our reading with kiddo begging, "more, more!"

 

 

We waited for the last book to be released and I sobbed though the entire thing.  Not only was I going to miss Harry, but I knew this had been precious time with kiddo.  Yes, there would be more books to read together,  but these were special.

Want to make some Harry Potter cookies?  Here's what you'll need:

• royal icing in Americolor copper/flesh, super black, super red, and leaf green
• disposable decorating bags
• squeeze bottles
• icing tips in #2 and #1
• round cookies

With a #2 tip, outline the face in copper/flesh.

Thin the flesh color with water until it is the consistency of thick syrup.  Let sit several minutes covered with a damp dish towel.

Stir gently, transfer to a squeeze bottle and fill in the face.  Let sit a few hours.

With a #2 tip, outline the hair in black.

 

{Forgot to take pictures of a few of the steps here, but.....}

Fill in the hair in black flood icing,
pipe the glasses with a #1 tip,
pipe the lightning bolt with a #1 tip in red.

With the #1 tip, pipe a smile.

I've said it before.....do NOT try to cheat and use a baggie instead of a piping bag.  I slipped a #1 tip in a baggie for the eyes....not wanting to waste a piping bag for a few eyes.  Yep, the bag exploded and broke Harry's glasses.  Not even a "Reparo" charm could help me.


On the brooms, I tried a trick from Kudos Kitchen.  Painting on the wood grain.  Renee is a master of this; I'm still learning.  (You can see a video of her technique here.)

{Broom cutter from Sweet!}

Don't forget sweet Hedwig, Harry's snowy owl.

Ron & Hermione sittin' in a tree....

{JK Rowling...thanks for making Hermione a hero to "bushy-haired" girls everywhere!}

A special shout-out to Diamonds for Dessert!  Her Harry Potter cookies were a MAJOR inspiration to me and the first Harry cookies I'd ever seen.  (Love that Snape!)

*Do you have the theme song in your head yet?*

Last week, part one of the movie of the last Harry Potter book was released.

We haven't seen it, yet, but I must tell you, we LOVE Harry Potter.  At first glance, it may seem a story of wizards, but at it's heart, it is a tale of the power of love, loyalty, bravery, sacrifice and friendship.

Once I thought kiddo was old enough, we started reading them together.  Actually, *I* read them...aloud, all 4,100 pages of them (to be exact).  Snuggled on the couch, under a pile of afghans, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Hagrid and Dumbledore...they became a part of our lives.  Everyday we ended our reading with kiddo begging, "more, more!"

 

 

We waited for the last book to be released and I sobbed though the entire thing.  Not only was I going to miss Harry, but I knew this had been precious time with kiddo.  Yes, there would be more books to read together,  but these were special.

Want to make some Harry Potter cookies?  Here's what you'll need:

• royal icing in Americolor copper/flesh, super black, super red, and leaf green
• disposable decorating bags
• squeeze bottles
• icing tips in #2 and #1
• round cookies

With a #2 tip, outline the face in copper/flesh.

Thin the flesh color with water until it is the consistency of thick syrup.  Let sit several minutes covered with a damp dish towel.

Stir gently, transfer to a squeeze bottle and fill in the face.  Let sit a few hours.

With a #2 tip, outline the hair in black.

 

{Forgot to take pictures of a few of the steps here, but.....}

Fill in the hair in black flood icing,
pipe the glasses with a #1 tip,
pipe the lightning bolt with a #1 tip in red.

With the #1 tip, pipe a smile.

I've said it before.....do NOT try to cheat and use a baggie instead of a piping bag.  I slipped a #1 tip in a baggie for the eyes....not wanting to waste a piping bag for a few eyes.  Yep, the bag exploded and broke Harry's glasses.  Not even a "Reparo" charm could help me.


On the brooms, I tried a trick from Kudos Kitchen.  Painting on the wood grain.  Renee is a master of this; I'm still learning.  (You can see a video of her technique here.)

{Broom cutter from Sweet!}

Don't forget sweet Hedwig, Harry's snowy owl.

Ron & Hermione sittin' in a tree....

{JK Rowling...thanks for making Hermione a hero to "bushy-haired" girls everywhere!}

A special shout-out to Diamonds for Dessert!  Her Harry Potter cookies were a MAJOR inspiration to me and the first Harry cookies I'd ever seen.  (Love that Snape!)

reade more... Résuméabuiyad