The Adirondack Chick

Smoked Gouda Potato Puffs

2012-01-28T10:11:00.002-05:00

After making the Bacon and Cheddar and Broccoli and Cheddar potato skins, I had a bowl full of potato insides and wanted to make more than just mashed potatoes.

I remembered that when I worked in hotel catering we had these delicious little puff pasties stuffed with potatoes we would serve. Luckily, I had some Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry in the freezer, as well as some smoked Gouda and figured I would mess around with a recipe.

They came so tasty! Warm, flaky and just the perfect amount of cheese. The smoked Gouda added flavor, but didn't make the potatoes cheesy. If you want to make this vegan, just skip the cheese.

What I used:

1 Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry sheet {thawed}
1/3 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup shredded smoked Gouda
the inside of 8 baked potatoes {about 2 cups}
salt
pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

If your potatoes are cold, warm them in the microwave. Then, mash them until there are no large lumps.

Stir in the garlic, onion and Gouda, as well as a sprinkle of salt and pepper.

On a cutting board spread out the pastry sheet and cut into nine even squares. {Usually you can follow the creases that are naturally in the dough}

Begin stuffing the the puffs by putting about a tablespoon of the potato mixture in the center of each square.

Take one corner of the pastry square and connect it diagonally to the other corner. Then gently press the rest of the pastry together, sealing it.

Repeat until all the squares are complete.

Places on a non-stick cookie sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes.

Enjoy!

Loveless Cafe Preserve

2012-01-25T08:39:00.000-05:00

There's been a lot of talk, especially lately, about eating real food with real ingredients. Well, this blackberry preserve, from the Loveless Cafe in Nashville, is the real deal.

There are two ingredients - sugar and blackberries!

It was given to me last February, along with their peach preserve and biscuit mix, as part of swag bag while on a dog food company sponsored trip to Nashville. But, I just opened it this past weekend.

It's extremely tasty -- not too sweet, but perfect on gluten-free toast or biscuits. And, I love that it is made with all 'real' ingredients. You can see the blackberries in the preserve!

I think it would be perfect in a cookie, but I'm too exhausted this week to even think about baking. :)

Do you have a favorite preserve?

Bacon and Cheddar Potato Skins

2012-01-23T12:19:00.000-05:00

Who doesn't love bacon? Well, except for us vegetarians and vegans. ;-)

Here's the thing, I still cook meat for other people. Just like they respect my food choices and provide me with a vegetarian dish when I go to their house, I always try to provide my meat-eating friends with something, too.

These bacon and cheddar potato skins are gluten free, and pretty easy to whip up.

How I made them:

4 large baked potatoes
8 sliced cooked bacon, very crisp
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees.

Slice each baked potato in half length-wise.

Scoop out the insides, leaving about 1/4 of an inch inside the skin. Put the insides of the potato in a separate bowl and save for another use.

Arrange the potato skins on a non-stick baking sheet.

Mix together the oil, paprika, garlic salt in pepper in a small bowl.

Brush both sides of the potato with the mixture.

Bake for 7 minutes, turn and bake on the other side for another 7 minutes.

Break the bacon into small pieces and fill the potatoes.

Top with cheese.

Bake for 2 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Enjoy!

Broccoli and Cheddar Potato Skins

2012-01-22T14:20:00.000-05:00

Potato skins are one of those foods that just screams football and party. But, until recently, I thought they were really hard to make at home. Surprisingly, they are not!

Some people scoop the insides of the potato almost completely to the skin, but I like to leave just a little bit inside for an added layer of flavor. These are gluten free and vegetarian. If you have a vegan guest, just skip the cheese on several of them.

How I made them:

4 large baked potatoes
2 cups steamed broccoli florets
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees.

Slice each baked potato in half length-wise.

Scoop out the insides, leaving about 1/4 of an inch inside the skin. Put the insides of the potato in a separate bowl and save for another use.

Arrange the potato skins on a non-stick baking sheet.

Mix together the oil, paprika, garlic salt in pepper in a small bowl.

Brush both sides of the potato with the mixture.

Bake for 7 minutes, turn and bake on the other side for another 7 minutes. Remove from oven and fill with the steamed broccoli. Top with the cheddar cheese.

Put the potato skins back in the oven for about 2 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

Enjoy!

This post was shared with the following websites: My Sweet and Savory, Midnight Maniac, Melt In Your Mouth Mondays, What's Cooking In Your Kitchen, Must Try Monday, Made By You Monday, Just Something I Whipped Up,

Making a Baked Potato in the Microwave

2012-01-22T12:56:00.002-05:00

I don't know about you, but I never seem to have time to make a baked potato the traditional way, especially when I'm using it in a recipe. Microwaving them is so much easier!

Here's how to do it:

Using a vegetable brush, scrub and clean the potatoes. Wash them under cold water, but don't dry them. Pierce them with a fork several times.

Wrap each of them in a paper towel and place in the microwave. If you're making multiple potatoes, try to space them evenly apart.

Microwave on high following this chart:

1 potato ~ 6-7 minutes
2 potatoes ~ 9-12 minutes
3 potatoes ~13-16 minutes
4 potatoes ~ 18-22 minutes

Large potatoes may take a little longer.

Remove the potato from the microwave. Leaving it in the paper towel, wrap in aluminum foil.

Let sit 5-10 minutes.

The finished potato.

Unwrap and enjoy!

Happy Hour at Havana Central in Times Square

2012-01-18T10:30:00.000-05:00

I first learned of Havana Central several years ago when I was working for Fox News. We went there several times for happy hour, but I hadn't been back in at least two years until yesterday.

We went there because they have a fabulous happy hour: $6 mojitos, $7 sangrias, $6 margaritas, $4 beers and $5 house wine, Monday through Friday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Yes, that's still a little expensive, but it's New York City, and more importantly it's Time Square. Those are the prices.

But, the thing that makes this Havana Central different when it comes to their drinks, is that at least in my experience, they're always made very well and taste perfect. Mojitos come in a variety of tropical flavors listed on one of three chalk vertical chalk boards high above the bar. {The other two list their appetizer samples and beer selection.}

I always order their sangria, because it's not too sweet, they go down very easy, and they quickly wash away the work-place stress. {I could do without the stirrer}

Lake George Area Beer Tweet Up: #ADKBeer28

2012-01-17T12:15:00.002-05:00

Like beer? Will you be in the Lake George area on Sat., Jan. 28? Enjoy meeting new people? If you answered yes to these questions, then the #ADKBeer28 tweet up is for you.

I thought it would be fun to gather some of us who chat back and forth on Twitter, as well as others, to enjoy a few beers and meet in person -- and the Adirondack Pub and Brewery's "Festival of Barrels" is the perfect event.

I mean, how fun does this sound?! --

The event will celebrate the brewery's limited-edition bourbon barrel-aged brews at “Festival of Barrels,” from 2 to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 28, on the deck of the pub.

Open to the public, guests can beat the cabin fever and “toast the cold” with a star-lit barrel bonfire, craft brews and delicious food.

Details are below. RSVPs are not required, but are helpful just to know who we're looking for that day.

What: Lake George Area Beer Tweet Up: #ADKBeer28

When: Saturday, Jan. 28, 2 p.m. - 6 p.m.

Where: Adirondack Pub and Brewery's "Festival of Barrels"

Cost: Tickets cost $20 and $25 at the door. Each ticket includes 5 beer tickets and a complementary mug. Tickets are available for purchase at the pub during regular business hours and online at: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/217514 {Everyone's responsible for purchasing their own ticket}

RSVP: http://tweetvite.com/event/ADKBEER28

Questions: Tweet me ~ @theadkchick or email me ~ michellemaskaly (at) yahoo.com

Hope you can make it!The more the merrier!

Please note: The brewery has nothing to do with this Tweet Up.

Crumbs Rule at Gambles Bakery

2012-01-16T09:16:00.001-05:00

I stopped at Gambles Bakery in Queensbury for the first time Saturday, despite the fact I've driven past their green and white sign out front that reads, "Bakery and Eatery" about a ba-zillion times. I went in for a few hard rolls. I left with them, as well as a small piece of crumb cake, a raspberry crumb bar, cinnamon raisin buns, a black and white cookie and a chocolate dipped almond pastry.

The hard rolls were, well hard. Very hard. Granted it was almost closing time when I went in, but I was still a little disappointed. the black and white cookie was good, and definitely one of the better ones I've tried around here.

But, the clear winners here were the sweet bakery treats above. The crumb bun had a soft bottom with a very good amount of crumb topping that was also on the softer side and melted in your mouth as you took a bite. The chocolate on the almond pastry wasn't overly sweet and the pastry itself was crunchy on the outside with a semi-chewy inside.

And, the raspberry crumb bar --- oh, wow. I could literally taste the ingredients, because of the freshness. It was like they had just come out of the oven. The bottom was almost like what you would find on that of a bar cookie -- buttery and semi-hard. It was topped with what tasted like homemade raspberry jam, and a crunchy crumb mixture finished it off. So good!

If you go, just know they don't accept credit cards, so make sure have cash.

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

2012-01-12T09:04:00.000-05:00

A few months ago I bought a box of organic quinoa at Trader Joe's, but never did anything with it -- until last night. I guess I was a little intimidated by it, but I'm not sure why because it was so simple to make and really soaked in the flavor of the other ingredients in these vegan and gluten-free stuffed peppers.

I like my stuffed peppers a little bit firmer, but if you prefer them softer, just bake them in the oven longer. I also stuffed only 3 peppers, because they were extra large, but this recipe really makes enough for 4-5 regular sized peppers.

What I used:

3 extra large green bell peppers
1 medium/regular green bell pepper
1 cup uncooked quinoa
3 cloves garlic
1 large onion
1 tomato
1 zucchini
1, 28 ounce can of Red Pack tomato sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon basil
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper {plus more to taste}
1/8 teaspoon salt {plus more to taste}
1 tablespoon sugar

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a pot, bring the quinoa and two cups water to a boil. Cover, reduce to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes or until the water is absorbed. Once the quinoa is cooked remove from heat and set aside.

Take the three large peppers, slice off the tops, remove the stem and clean out the inside, saving the tops for later use.

Arrange the peppers, and their tops, in a casserole dish, add two tablespoons of water and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave on high for 5 minutes, check for firmness and heat for another 3 minutes. Remove from microwave and set aside.

Chop up the 1 medium pepper, onion, garlic, zucchini and tomato.

Heat the olive oil in a large pan. Add the garlic and onion, lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper, stir and cover. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until soft.

Stir in the pepper and zucchini, cover and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes.

Stir in the tomatoes, basil, pepper, salt and sugar. Mix in 1 1/2 cups of the tomato sauce, cover and cook about 2 minutes or until the sauce starts bubbling. Add in the quinoa.

Remove the peppers from the casserole dish, emptying out any excess water inside the peppers and from the dish. Coat the bottom of the casserole dish with tomato sauce and place the peppers back inside.

Start filling the peppers with the quinoa mixture.

Once the peppers are filled with the quinoa mixture, place the tops back on and pour the remainder of the tomato sauce over and around the peppers.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve hot.

Enjoy! They're also great reheated in the microwave for lunch or dinner the next day.

This recipe was shared with the following websites: Full Plate Thursday, Somewhat Simple, House of Hepworths, Shabby Creek Cottage, Catch a Glimpse, It's a Keeper, Your Recipe My Kitchen, Melt in Your Mouth Mondays, Must Try Monday, Made by You Monday, My Sweet and Savory, Tasty Tuesday, Beauty and Bedlam, Today's Creative, Tutorial Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday, First Day of My Life, Delicious Dish Tuesday,

Bananas Foster for Belgian Waffles

2012-01-11T14:00:00.001-05:00

I think I may have mention that I got a Warning Pro Belgian Waffle Maker for Christmas. It's fabulous! It makes a really good crispy, golden waffle.

But, when it comes to toppings, I wanted to start playing around with different recipes because as much as I love maple syrup, it gets boring. Here is a simple bananas foster that I whipped up the last time I made them.

It takes minutes to make, and is not too sweet, so it lets the banana flavor come through. Just be careful when you add the rum because it can bubble up quickly. You will also notice I don't do anything fancy like use a lighter to make the dish flame -- very frankly, I wanted something quick and easy, so I skipped that.

What I used:

2 ripe bananas sliced
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg {increase to 1/2 teaspoon for added flavor}
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon rum

In a medium size pot melt the butter. Add the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir and cook until the sugar is mostly dissolved. Mix in the tablespoon of rum and stir for a few seconds.

Gently fold in the bananas, making sure they are getting fully coated. Cook for about a minute -- just until the bananas are warm and coated.

Remove the bananas from the pot and add the remainder of your rum to the sauce. {Be careful with this part!}

The burner with the bananas isn't lit, I just put it there, because it was the only free spot.

Cook the sauce over a medium to low heat until you reach your desired consistency and then pour it over the bananas.

Spoon over the waffles and enjoy!

This post was shared with the following websites: Whatever Goes Wednesday, What's Cooking Wednesday, Penny Pinching Party, What I Ate Wednesday, Wow Me Wednesday, This Chick Cooks, Success U, Your Whims Wednesday,

National Pizza Week Recipes

2012-01-10T11:55:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure who makes up these holidays, but I always find the "National {insert noun} Week" and "{Insert Noun} Day" interesting. They also make great inspiration for blog posts. :)

According to The Nibble, this week is National Pizza Week. And, if you know me, you know I love a good pizza, but not just traditional ones with cheese and sauce. I love experimenting with different toppings, flavors and crusts. In fact, last night while eating my dinner, I decided to make a new one tonight using smoked Gouda, spinach and mushrooms.

So, in honor of National Pizza Week, here are some favorite Adirondack Chick pizza recipes.

1. Spinach Pizza with Tomatoes and Garlic

2. Grilled Eggplant Pizza

4. Poblano Pizza

5. Garden Fresh Broccoli Pizza

This post was shared with the following websites: Tasty Tuesday, 33 Shades of Green, Nap Time Creations, Tasty Tuesday,

New Year's Resolutions Revisited

2012-01-09T22:26:00.000-05:00

Let's talk about resolutions. I deliberately waited a week to write about this, because I hate the health campaign hype created by PR companies just to get people to buy their client's latest product.

This year I've changed the word resolutions to goals. Resolution seem like too much of a commitment and if you're a commitment-phobe like me, you'll never keep them because you'll feel trapped.

Goals are items you can work toward, and not a narrow-minded item. For example, instead of saying, "I want to lose 20 pound," say, "I want to feel healthier this year." To achieve that overall goal, there are little things you have to do everyday to make that come true.

I set several lofty goals, but to achieve each of them, there are things that I need to do each day to make sure I'm reaching that larger goal.

My #1 overall goal was to feel better about myself, because I have terrible self-esteem . To do that, there are hundreds of mini-goals, like making some modifications to my daily life, including:

- drink less coffee and limit caffeine intake.
- juice fresh fruits and vegetables.
- walk more.
- start the day with hot water and lemon.
- remember to take my vitamins daily.

Each of these things make me feel better overall, which in turn, helps me achieve my larger goal.

In some respects, I've just repackaged traditional resolutions and am selling them to myself in a different way -- which could make me just as bad as the PR campaigns I previously said I wasn't a fan of, but it works for me and that's all that matters. {Full disclosure, I used to work at an agency, and I currently work part-time in marketing, so go figure... lol ;-) }

To be realistic, it's only been a week, but all those mini goals above...I've done daily since last Monday.

How are you doing with your goals?

This post was shared with the following websites: Frugally Sustainable,

Russian Christmas Dinner

2012-01-08T00:00:00.000-05:00

Last night we kept a family tradition alive -- celebrating the Orthodox Christmas, or as my Dad's side of the family calls it, Russian Christmas.

When I was young, we would actually have another Christmas dinner on Jan. 7 with my grandparents and celebrate. It wasn't an evening filled with opening presents and such like Dec. 25 was, but it was a dinner filled with traditional favorites like stuffed cabbage rolls, potato pancakes, kielbasa sauerkraut, perogies and other ethnic favorites. I would usually get one small gift from my grandparents.

It was carb and gluten-loaded, but once in a while it's not so bad, right?

Plus, we started out the meal with this salad packed with fresh spinach leaves, tomatoes, radishes, olives and feta cheese topped with a dressing of lemon juice, olive oil and parsley.

Since it was just me and my Dad, we kept it pretty simple:

Potato and cheddar perogies boiled and then sauteed in a little bit of olive oil and onions.

And, of course potato pancakes baked in the oven.

My Dad also heated up the unstuffed cabbage rolls my aunt made, and put into containers, for him to freeze at Christmas.

I'm not a real religious person, but I am a big believer in traditions, so I'm not going to let this one escape. :)

Juice It Up at Cafe R in Midtown Manhattan

2012-01-06T09:06:00.002-05:00

One of my New Year's goals was to go back to juicing. I spent a lot of money on fruit, but I felt much better when I was doing it. Enter new work schedules, zero time in the morning and spending time straightening my hair every morning won out over spending 20 minutes making juice and cleaning the machine.

So far, I've been doing well with it. Although it's not as fresh, I've been juicing it at night and then having it for the next two days. Well, this morning, I was running late for my train and didn't have time to grab my apple, pear and grape juice.

I was kind of bummed. Until, I saw a sign for fresh juice at Cafe R in midtown while walking from Penn Station to the Subway.

They make a fabulous fresh apple, carrot and orange juice mix. Sweet, not bitter and good flavor balance.

I did get a few looks on the subway from people holding their Starbucks cup, but this tasted much better than a sugar-filled coffee drink. One similarity I had in common with them was the price. The drink cost $5. I guess the resolution of not spending money on morning beverages was not kept. ;-)

If you go: Cafe R is located half way between Penn Station and the 34th Street PATH station at 119 West 31 St. They also have a wide-variety of foods that will likely appease the most pickiest eater. It's also clean, modern and has space -- something you don't always find in Manhattan.

Rustic Wine-Soaked Red Onion Tart

2012-01-04T22:45:00.001-05:00

One of the items I always try to keep in my freezer is Pepperidge Farm Pastry Puff Sheets. They're not the healthiest or gluten free, but they are tasty, very versatile and easy to make -- making them perfect for last-minute entertaining.

I had two boxes in my freezer that were about to expire, so I played around with several dishes and appetizers that I will be sharing over the next few days. From what I can tell and have read, these pastry puffs are vegan. So, while I did use cheese in this, if I were making this for a vegan, I could just not add the cheese. I made this both with and with-out the smoked gouda, which does give it a little extra flavor, but it's not a deal breaker -- it tastes good either way.

The recipe calls for semi-sweet sparkling white wine, because it adds a sweeter flavor to the already mild onions. Plus, I had a bottle of some European variety leftover from Christmas that I wanted to use up. The bubbly still had a lot of kick because when I reopened it, the top flew off the bottle leaving a nice little dent in the ceiling. Lesson learned: Just because the bubbly is over a week old, it might not be "bad."

What I did:

4 red onions
1 clove garlic
1 heaping tablespoon of chopped parsley
1 cup loosely packed shredded smoked gouda {divided in 1/2 cups}
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup semi-sweet sparkling white wine
1 sheet Pepperidge Farm Pastry Puff defrosted and at room temperature
salt
pepper

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees, and spread the pastry sheet out on a non-stick baking pan. Thinly slice the garlic and onions.

Heat the olive oil in a pan and add add the garlic. Let cook for about a minute on medium, making sure it doesn't burn. Add in the onions and stir well, coating them with the oil.

Chop up the parsley, trying to remove the stems and just using leaves. {I used flat Italian parsley because that's what I had in the fridge.

Add the parsley and sparkling wine to the onions and mix well. Sprinkle a little bit of salt and a generous amount, of pepper over the onions. {I like pepper so I used about a 1/2 teaspoon, if not more.}

Cover tightly with aluminum foil and let cook until onions are mostly translucent and soft, while stirring occasionally. Once the onions reach this point, uncover and cook until just a little of the liquid is left.

Spread 1/2 cup of the smoked Gouda on the pastry sheet, keeping the cheese away from the edges.

Pile about 3/4 of the onion mixture on top of the cheese.

Put the remaining 1/2 cup of the smoked gouda on the onion mixture.

Top with the rest of the onion mixture.

Starting at opposite ends fold the corners of the pastry puff to the center.

Do the same thing with the remaining corners, pinching the ends together. Leave the sides open.

Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Slice and serve warm.

Enjoy!

This post was shared with the following websites: Full Plate Thursday, Somewhat Simple, Hookin Up with HoH, The Shabby Creek Cottage, Catch a Glimpse, It's a Keeper, Your Recipe My Kitchen, Melt In Your Mouth Mondays, Must Try Monday, Made By You Monday, My Sweet and Savory, Just Something I Whipped Up, Market Yourself Monday, Just Another Meatless Monday, Nap Time Creations, Tasty Tuesday, Today's Creative, Tutorial Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday. Tasty Tuesday, Whatever Goes Wednesday, What's Cooking Wednesday, Penny Pinching Party, Wow Me Wednesday, This Chick Cooks, Success U, Your Whims Wednesday,

Raisin Bread French Toast

2012-01-04T09:40:00.002-05:00

On New Year's Day I went to breakfast at Steve's Place -- a great little diner and restaurant in Glens Falls, N.Y. There is always a little sadness when I'm there, because we discovered the eatery about 20 years ago when my great-grandmother was in the hospital. In fact, it took me until just recently to go back there.

Being that I only eat eggs on occasion, other breakfast food like French toast and pancakes can get boring, but sometimes the flavored items are a bit too much when you order them out. That said, I decided to try their raisin French toast anyway.

Oh my gosh! So good! Unfortunately, I didn't think to take a photo of the three perfectly cooked slices, but I did recreate it at home the next day.

All I did was pick up a loaf of raisin bread at the supermarket and used my Dad's French Toast recipe. If you decide to do this, make sure you're using raisin bread and not cinnamon raisin, because it tends to not have as many raisins or flavor. I sprinkled some extra cinnamon over the toast once it was done.

I was thinking about what other types of French toast would be good to try? I've done wheat bread and it came out terrible, as did the slice of Italian bread I tried the other day. What about homemade banana bread done as French toast?

Would love to hear your ideas and how you make it!

Fresh Squeezed Lemon Salad Dressing

2012-01-03T07:00:00.000-05:00

For the most part, I've stopped using store-bought salad dressings when I'm home. Instead, I usually just drizzle a little olive oil with garlic salt and basil over my salad, but it's getting a little boring and I wanted some flavor in my salad.

Since I've been on a lemon kick, I whipped up this Fresh Squeezed Lemon Salad Dressing. Simple, healthy and all real ingredients!

In this case, a little goes a long way. The fresh lemon adds quick, but not overpowering flavor without having to drench your lettuce.

What you'll need:

1 lemon
1 small clove garlic
1 sprig of Italian parsley
1/2 teaspoon of sugar
4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil (I used Lucini Estate Select)
1/8 teaspoon (pinch) salt
1/8 teaspoon (pinch) ground pepper

Cut the lemon in half and juice it over a small bowl. Add the olive oil to the lemon juice.

Remove the parsley leaves, discarding the stems, and finely chop the leaves. Add them to the lemon juice.

Mince the garlic, and add that to the juice. Finally, add in the sugar, salt and pepper.

Whisk until well blended.

Let sit about 10 minutes and whisk again right before serving. Spoon over salad.

Makes about 2 ounces.

Enjoy!

This post was shared with the following websites: Naptime Creations, Tasty Tuesday, Today's Creative Blog, Tasty Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday, Whatever Goes Wednesday, What's Cooking Wednesday, Penny Pinching Party, Real Food Wednesday, What I Ate Wednesday, Wander Food Wednesday, This Chick Cooks, Success U, Frugal Days, Your Whims Wednesday, Show and Share, Full Plate Thursday,

Obsessed With Lemons!

2012-01-02T21:13:00.000-05:00

The other day I was reading an article about nutrition in the doctor's office and came across some information about lemons, and how they were good for cleansing.

Not one of those fad diets that you can only drink lemon and honey for 12 days and you're supposed to lose 20 pounds.

Instead, it talked about little things you can do everyday to help your body flush the toxins out of your system and make you healthier.

That's when I learned of celebrity nutritionist Kimberly Snyder. I'm not one to jump on the latest diet fad anymore, because I know how doing that in college messed with my metabolism. But, after reading over her website, her ideas were, well ... helpful and normal.

One of those was adding more lemon to your diet. Lemons, according to the website, help to cleanse the liver, while also adding extra vitamin C and enzymes to our diets. They also have a lot of flavor.

Since I love lemons this is an easy addition. For the past several days, I've been drinking hot water with a half of lemon squeezed into it either 30 minutes before my first meal, or an hour after. Then, instead of immediately reaching for a cup of tea when I was cold, I just heated water and added lemon.

I'm obsessed! The other night I made a salad dressing with fresh lemon that I'll share with you tomorrow.

Here is going to be the challenge -- keeping this habit when I go back to work tomorrow. It's easy when you're home, but getting up at 5:30 a.m. and commuting and then not getting back home until after 8 p.m. ... well, it kind of stinks, and makes it hard to keep healthy habits.

Top 10 Adirondack Chick Recipes of 2011

2011-12-31T10:57:00.000-05:00

It's almost time to welcome 2012 with open arms and say "see ya" to 2011. This year was a pretty good one here on the Adirondack Chick.

Once I stopped worrying about what people expected and just wrote, it became more fun for me, and I hope for you, too. Writing about my crazy garden experiences was a lot of fun too, and also made me get more creative in the kitchen., as did my gluten allergy.

This list was really hard to make, but here are our top 10 favorite recipes for 2012 in no particular order.

10. Eggplant Rollatini

9. Poblano Pepper Soup

8. Mini Football Cakes

7. Spicy Honey Vegetable Stir Fry

6. Cranberry Black Rice Stuffed Acorn Squash

5. Cherry Tomato Salad with Fresh Parmesan

4. Fresh Strawberries and Cream Cheese Bites

3. Garden Fresh Broccoli Pizza

2. I Heart Pitchers and Catchers Report Day

1. Lentil Soup

This post was shared with the following websites: Make Ahead Meals For Busy Moms, Your Recipe My Kitchen, Made By You Monday, My Sweet and Savory, Just Something I Whipped Up, Just Another Meatless Monday, Naptime Creations, Tasty Tuesday, Today's Creative Blog, Tasty Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday, Whatever Goes Wednesday, What's Cooking Wednesday, Penny Pinching Party, Real Food Wednesday, What I ate Wednesday, This Chick Cooks, Success U, Frugal Days,

Pomegranate Rum Cooler

2011-12-30T16:56:00.000-05:00

We made these Pomegranate Rum drinks for Christmas, but they would make a fabulously refreshing summertime drink enjoyed on the back porch while soaking up the sun. This mixture makes two drinks served in rocks glasses, but to make a larger batch, just double it making sure the ratio stays the same.

Make your own pomegranate simple syrup so there's no added junk in it and you have a clean, fresh taste that isn't too sweet.

What you'll need:

4 ounces homemade pomegranate simple syrup
4 ounces Bacardi rum
8 ounces seltzer
1 lime
ice

Fill two rocks glasses with ice, and set aside.

Fill a stainless steel shaker, or large glass, with ice. Pour in the pomegranate syrup, rum and seltzer. Using a long spoon, stir well.

Cover the top of the shaker with a strainer and pour into the glass. Garnish with a lime.

Barefoot Contessa's Scallops Provencal

2011-12-30T09:59:00.001-05:00

I was trying to use up some of the items in my freezer, when I came across a bag of bay scallops. They are the only seafood I do eat, and wanted to try making them a different way.

Enter Google. Seriously, isn't Google great for recipe searches?! The only problem, is you never know if the recipe is good, that's why I'll be starting to share the ones I find and like with you here.

When I found Ina Garten's recipe for Scallops Provencal I was a little intimidating -- the title sounded a lot scarier and more complicated than it was. In fact, it was super fast, pretty easy and tasted delicious.

Overall, it's simple -- chop up some parsley, shallots and garlic and set aside. {Oddly enough, this was the first time I ever used shallots!}

Dust the scallops with flour, salt and pepper.

Melt butter in large pan, add the scallops and according to the directions add the rest of the butter, shallots, garlic, parsley and wine.

I served it over white rice, because my Dad is visiting and he doesn't like brown rice, so it was just easier to make one type of rice. It calls for squeezing a little bit of lemon over the finished dish and it does add a certain flavor to it, so don't skip the last step.

Serve with a light, not over powering white wine, like a pinot grigio.

While I will always share how I made someone else's recipe and the photos that go along with it, you will never find the full recipe copied word-for-word on this website unless I have their permission or it's not available online.

So, to get the Barefoot Contessa's recipe, click on this link, which will take you to the Food Network page with it.

Enjoy!

Celsius Bar at Citi Pond in Bryant Park

2011-12-29T07:45:00.000-05:00

I've wanted to try the Celsius Bar at Citi Pond in Bryant Park every winter season for as long as I can remember, so when a group of alumnae from my sorority decided to eat there on a recent holiday shopping trip to New York City, I was very excited. And, I was even happier that it didn't disappoint!

Overlooking the Pond, Celsius has great rink-side views and offers indoor and outdoor dining. If you pick the outdoor dining like we did try to sit on one of the white plush couches for a feeling of high-priced lounge meets trendy European ice bar.

Oh, and don't worry, they have a ton of heat lamps that keep both you, and your food warm.

Start out with one of their alcohol infused cider drinks, and enjoy people watching while waiting for your food to arrive. We had a group that included meat eaters, a vegetarians and a vegan -- and there was something for all of us to enjoy.

I ordered the truffle mac n' cheese, and it was everything you would expect in this type of dish -- bubbling cheese with a mild flavor and tender macaroni. I highly recommend it!

Here are some other photos from our dinner, including my cold drink, which I can't remember the name of, but do remember it was packed with flavor.

The hummus platter one of my sisters ordered. It came with cheese, but if you ask, they will make it vegan for you.

Unfortunately, I couldn't find a link to their menu for you, but food prices at this place were not as bad as I thought it would be for a tourist spot. My mac n' cheese was about $16 and for the taste was worth every penny. My drink was between $10 and $12 -- a little pricier than I would have liked. If I remember correctly, whatever the sparkling option was, it was only a few dollars more, so next time I will likely just order that. Plus, bubbly goes well with the posh ambiance.

Not sure why I still have my sunglasses on.

Homemade Pomegranate Simple Syrup

2011-12-28T11:30:00.000-05:00

Making your own flavored simple syrups to use in cocktails is so easy that it will make you think twice about buying a mass produced bottle from the store. Beyond how easy it is, what I like most is that it only has three ingredients -- water, sugar and fruit.

No artificial anything!

I like to put several teaspoons in sparkling white wine, champagne or rum.

What you'll need:

2 cups fresh pomegranate seeds
1 cup water
1 cup sugar

Combine all the pomegranate seeds, water and sugar in a medium pot, stir and bring to a boil. Stir, reduce heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes.

Remove from heat and pour the fruit and liquid into a strainer over a large bowl. Discard the seeds and let the syrup cool.

Store in a sealed container or pour into ice cube trays to use in various drinks.

This post was shared with the following websites: Whatever Goes Wednesday, Turning Back the Clock, Real Food Wednesday, Wonderlust and Lipstick,

Homemade Cranberry Simple Syrup

2011-12-28T11:01:00.001-05:00

What you'll need:

2 cups fresh cranberries
1 cup water
1 cup sugar

Combine all the cranberries, water and sugar in a medium pot, stir and bring to a boil. Stir, reduce heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes.

Remove from heat and pour the fruit and liquid into a strainer over a large bowl. Discard the cranberries and let the syrup cool.

Store in a sealed container or pour into ice cube trays to use in various drinks.

This post was shared with the following websites: Whatever Goes Wednesday, Thrifty Home, What I Ate Wednesday,

Greenmarket Brings Upstate Fruit to Staten Island Ferry Terminal

2011-12-27T12:58:00.001-05:00

Last week I was on my way to visit my aunt and uncle on Staten Island when I stopped dead in my tracks as I got to the top of the escalators in Staten Island Ferry terminal on the Manhattan side.

Crates overflowing with apples, homemade breads and jams on display, freshly squeezed apple cider?!

In the Staten Island Ferry Terminal?

Impressive!

Working at a newspaper on Staten Island for three years, I got pretty well acquainted with the Staten Island Ferry, including at that time, the lack of anything healthy.

The Greenmarket features Remsburger Maple Farm's maple syrup and honey from Dutchess County and Wilklow Orchards' small fruits, vegetables, cider, baked goods, jams, beef and pork from Ulster County.

A sucker for little markets like these, as well as anything unique and homemade, I did a quick look around and decided to try one of the jams. I scooped up a jar of the strawberry rhubarb and can't wait to spread it on some gluten-free toast and try it in a new pastry I'm going to try for New Years.

Are you a sucker for farmer's markets, too? Please tell me I'm not the only one out there! :)

Adirondack Chick Recipes Featured on Recipe Lion

2011-12-27T10:27:00.003-05:00

I'm so excited to share with you that four of my original recipes were selected to be featured on the cooking website, Recipe Lion!

Recipe Lion was looking for quick and easy meals that were also budget friendly. Here are the four they selected:

   Garden Fresh Broccoli Pizza
   Spaghetti with Garlic and Oil
   Spicy Honey Vegetable Stir Fry
   Spinach and Mozzarella Pockets

Both the garden fresh broccoli pizza and the spinach and mozzarella pockets would make great snacks for a New Year's, or kids, party. So head on over to their website and check them out!

A Very Merry Christmas Time!

2011-12-24T12:03:00.000-05:00

It's a very Merry Christmas Eve here at my parents, and for some reason I'm kind of actually into the holiday spirit this year!

My dog Toby and the tree.

Toby woke me up at 7 a.m., so I decided to stay up and decorate my Dad's tree -- a Christmas Eve tradition for as long as I remember.

The rest of today is going to be filled with baking a few homemade presents, wrapping presents, visiting with my Mom and picking up stuff for Christmas dinner. Yes, I'm going to be one of those last-minute shoppers in the grocery store.

Usually I try a new vegetarian recipe for the holidays,but the other night my Aunt and Uncle asked if I would make eggplant parmesan for Christmas. I was kind of surprised at their request, because although I ate it all summer because of the ridiculous amount four plants produced, I haven't made it for them in at least two or three years.

And, of course there will be baking today. For as long as I remember, I've always baked a banana or cranberry bread for my parents' neighbors for Christmas. Today, I'm thinking of doing a cranberry banana bread ... the best of both worlds.

Christmas is filled with old and new traditions, and I'd love to hear about your family traditions. Feel free to upload photos of your celebrations, what you're cooking or your holiday decorations on our Facebook page!

I hope you have a very merry and happy whatever you celebrate!

Preparing Holiday Cookies for Gifting

2011-12-22T08:27:00.000-05:00

You take special care while preparing the perfect batches of holiday cookies, so why shouldn't you do the same when packaging them to share with friends and family?

Here are some tips on creating fun cookie gift presentation.

Find a Cute Container

During the holidays, skip the aluminum foil covered paper plates and spring for something a little more festive. I picked these up at Wal-Mart and snatched up several types of holiday treat boxes while shopping in Target and Wegmans.

Layer Them by Softness

To best ensure the cookies won't get completely crushed in transit, especially if you're mailing them, put the harder cookies on the bottom and the softest ones on top.

Separate Layers by Cookie Type

Use wax paper to put a small layer between different types of cookies to keep any outer decorations, like powdered sugar from inadvertently coating your other cookies.

Seal It Up

We all love the flavors of the season, but sometimes they get a little too strong and if left can overpower the others in the box. To avoid this, put them in a small, sealed bag to contain the smell before putting them in your cookie box.

Enjoy!

Last-Minute Holiday Colored Sugar Cookies

2011-12-20T16:29:00.001-05:00

The holidays are here and you need a quick cookie to make for a last-minute party or unexpected house-guests. Don't sweat it! These super fast cookies are semi-homemade and will look delightful on the table with some hot chocolate, Irish coffee or other warm beverage of your choice.

What I used:

1 package Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie Mix
red and green colored sugar
{or blue sugar for Hanukkah}

Prepare the sugar cookie mix as directed on the package. Pour the green sugar in one bowl and the red sugar in the another.

Using your hands, break off small chunks of the dough and roll between the palms if your hands into small balls. Then, roll the balls in either the red or green sugar.

Place on the cookie sheet leaving about two inches between the balls. Once the cookie sheet is filled, gently press the bottom of a glass on top of the balls to form flat cookies.

The thinner you make the cookie the less time you will need to cook them and the crispier they will be. Bake for about 7 minutes, being careful they don't burn. Remove from oven and let cool on a cookie rack.

Enjoy! :)

Comfort Food and Cookies!

2011-12-17T11:55:00.001-05:00

Friday was such a long, crazy and not-so-fun day. So, when it came to dinner, I was ready for some comfort food -- and, I mean full out comfort food. Mac n' cheese to be exact. I didn't even use gluten-free pasta.

Ever since I made homemade macaroni and cheese for the first time last year (unbelievable, right? ) the boxed stuff doesn't taste right. Plus, it's a once-in-a-long-while treat so why not have the good stuff?

This one is from the Food Network's website and is a recipe by Emeril Lagasse called, appropriately, Em's Mac n' Cheese. It's creamy with a hint of sharpness and is so easy to make -- basically everything you want in a classic macaroni and cheese dish.

To balance out all the richness, I did make this:

Today, it's time to make cookies! I've been trying to make them to ship out for weeks, but I finally have a free day and I'll be spending it making both human and dog treats. I'll likely be sending out some Touts of the cookie adventure, so make sure to follow me over there!

Happy Saturday! :)

Healthy Banana Granola Cup ~ At-Your-Desk Breakfast

2011-12-15T10:54:00.001-05:00

Breakfast used to be pretty easy, an egg sandwich or oatmeal, sometimes a bagel with cream cheese or maybe an English muffin. But, since I started learning toward eating gluten free and then shortly after that the thought of eggs started to make me sick, breakfast became a challenge.

Don't get me wrong, every once in a while I enjoy a nice egg and cheese on a hard roll, but it's very rare. There are tons of gluten free toasts, bagels and more out there, but I get bored eating the same old thing all the time -- not to mention all the carbs. Plus, I need something that's easy to put together and doesn't make a mess since during the week I eat my breakfast {and lunch} at my desk.

I started making this banana granola mixture last week and have fallen in love with it. It's pretty healthy, filling, simple and if you're a vegan who doesn't use honey, just substitute agave instead. Oh, and you can make it fresh! I take all the ingredients with me to work and just combine them once I'm there, so nothing gets soggy on my way in.

Not the best photo, but I took this yesterday with my Blackberry at my desk.

1 banana
1/4 cup Udi's Gluten Free Original Granola
1/8 - 1/4 cup dried cranberries (I use Trader Joe's)
1 tablespoon honey

Peel and cut the banana into thin, round slices over a bowl. Top with the granola and cranberries. Drizzle with honey.

Enjoy!

*Note: If you're commuting and making this at work like I do, combine the granola and cranberries in a small plastic container, and keep a small jar of honey at your desk.

This was shared with the following websites: Lisa's Gluten Free, Full Plate Thursday,

Garden Fresh Broccoli Pizza {gluten free}

2011-12-13T23:29:00.000-05:00

I love pizza, but ordering it out all the time will quickly get costly -- for both your wallet and your waist. But, by making it at home, you can control what you put on it, as well as what kind of cheese and crust you use.

For gluten free homemade pizzas, I like to use Udis crusts. They taste like a "regular" thin crust and they cook just as well as any "regular" pre-made pizza crust. If you don't need to eat gluten free, just use your favorite pizza shell.

1 Udis gluten free pizza crust (or any other gluten free or regular frozen pizza crust)
3 cloves garlic
1 small onion
1 cup steamed broccoli florets
1 large Roma tomato
3/4 cup hot tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella
Crushed red pepper flakes {optional}
salt {optional}

Preheat the oven to the temperature suggest on the pizza crust.

Dice the garlic. Then cut the onion in half and slice each half, separating them into individual pieces. Do the same with the tomato removing any seeds or liquid inside.

Spread hot sauce on the pizza crust. Evenly cover the pizza with garlic and onion slices.

Top with a majority of the mozzarella, leaving about 1/4 of a cup on the side for later use. Arrange the tomatoes and then the steamed broccoli on the pizza.

Top the broccoli and tomatoes with the remaining mozzarella. For a spicy treat, sprinkle crushed red pepper and salt over the top.

Bake for about 10 minutes or until the crust is golden and the mozzarella is melted.

Enjoy!

This recipe was shared with the following websites: Gluten Free Homemaker, Whatever Goes Wednesday, What's Cooking Wednesday, Kelly the Kitchen Kop, Peas and Crayons, Wow Me Wednesday, This Chick Cooks, The Stuff of Success, Frugally Sustainable, My Girlish Whims, Show and Share, Gluten Free & Healthy, Full Plate Thursday, Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker, Melt In Your Mouth Mondays, Must Try Mondays, Skip to My Lou, My Sweet and Savory, Midnight Maniac, Just Another Meatless Monday,

Cranberry Black Rice Stuffed Acorn Squash

2011-12-12T13:11:00.000-05:00

I love this dish! I first made it for Thanksgiving, but lately has been my go-to recipe for several recent pot-luck holiday parties. The black rice in name usually catches people's attention, the cranberries and squash add a seasonal touch and the flower-like presentation makes it very inviting on a table full of food.

It's also vegan and gluten free, making this Cranberry Black Rice Stuffed Acorn Squash a perfect main dish for those with dietary restrictions and also acts as a hearty side-dish to almost any meal you might be cooking.

2 cloves garlic
1 onion
1 cup (uncooked) Lundberg Black Japonica Rice (blend of black & mahogany rice)
6 ounces sliced baby portabello mushrooms
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup dried cranberries (I use Trader Joe's)
1 large acorn squash
olive oil
cinnamon
salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a pot with a tightly fitting cover bring 1 cup rice, 2 cups water and 1 tablespoon olive oil to boil. Stir, cover, reduce to a simmer and cook for 50 minutes.

Wash the outside of your acorn squash and using a large, sharp knife carefully cut the acorn squash in half crosswise. Scoop out the inside and trim the pointed end so it will stand upright.

Place the squashes flesh side up in a baking dish. Liberally drizzle about 1/3 cup of olive oil all over the inside and outside of the squashes leaving at least a teaspoon-sized amount inside the center of each squash. Liberally sprinkle with cinnamon and then lightly sprinkle with salt. Pour 3 cups of water in the baking dish.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour.

Using an electronic chopper (I love my mini chopper!) finely chop the mushrooms, onions and garlic.

Once the rice is done, heat about 1-2 tablespoons olive oil in a pan. Add the garlic and onion, and cook, stirring frequently, until soft about a minute. Add mushrooms and stir. Pour in the wine and cook for about a minute before adding in the cranberries.

Mix, cover and let cook on low for 5 minutes or until the cranberries are soft.

Add in the cooked rice and mix well. If there is any liquid left in the pan, cover and cook on low until it's absorbed. {Usually less than a minute} Keep covered and remove from heat.

When the acorn squash is cooked to the point where it's soft when you put a fork in it, remove any liquid that may have accumulated inside the squashes.

Carefully {the squash will be extremely hot!} transfer the largre of the two halves to a shallow baking dish. Slice each lobe of the squash until you hit the top of the center core, without cutting through it.

Fill the center of the squash with the rice mixture.

Spread the remainder of the rice in the bottom of the pan.

Take the other half of the squash and slice each lobe of it fully through. Arrange the slices evenly around the dish creating a flower-like look.

Serve immediately, or let cool, cover and refrigerate. Reheat covered in a 300 degree oven for about a half hour or until warm. Checking after 15 minutes to make sure the rice doesn't burn.

Enjoy!

This post was shared with the following websites: Midnight Maniac, Melt In Your Mouth Mondays, My Favorite Finds, Skip to My Lou, My Sweet and Savory, Just Something I Whipped Up, Menu Plan Monday, Sumo's Sweet Stuff, Hey, What's For Dinner Mom?, Nap Time Creations, Today's Creative, Hope Studios, 33 Shades of Green, For the Love of Blogs, First Day of My Life, Gluten Free Homemaker, Whatever Goes Wednesday, What's Cooking Wednesday, Kelly the Kitchen Kop, Peas and Crayons, WanderFood Wednesday, Wow Me Wednesday, This Chick Cooks, The Stuff of Success, Frugally Sustainable, My Girlish Whims, Show and Share, Gluten Free & Healthy, Full Plate Thursday,

Free eBook: Girlfriendology Guide to Holiday Girlfriend Advice

2011-12-09T11:49:00.001-05:00

I'm super excited to share this free holiday eBook from Girlfriendology, especially since it features two articles by me!

The 80-page book contains tips to help you get through the holiday season, and you'll find everything from gift ideas to baking tips.

You'll also find my two articles -- Practical Tips for Surviving the Holidays Without a +1 {page 36} & Easy But Impressive Vegetarian Recipes for Your Holiday Parties {page 47}.

All you have to do to download the book is click on the link below!

Download the FREE Girlfriendology Guide to Holiday Girlfriend Advice eBook

Hope you enjoy it!

Bakers Gather in NY for Holiday Cookie Swap

2011-12-07T10:30:00.001-05:00

What do you get when a bunch of people who don't know each other, but love to bake get together in New York around the holidays? One really giant cookie swap!

Hosted by Bloggers Without Borders, the annual cookies swap featured more than four long tables filled with every type of cookie you could imagine -- sweet ones, savory ones, gluten-free treats and tons of creativity.

The 60 plus people who attended the Sunday afternoon soiree at Hill Country Barbeque in Manhattan each brought a dozen or more cookies to display and then were given a large container to fill with as many cookies as they could fit in it without busting open.

With all the amazing choices, I did cheat and snatched up more than just the gluten-free treats.

By far my favorite was one I would never think if baking -- an olive oil rosemary cracked pepper cookie with blue cheese. Oh. My. Gosh. Soooo good! Unfortunately, I don't know who made it, but I've already started looking for similar recipes I can play around with.

It was so fun meeting people with a similar appreciation for baking, foods, eating healthy and trying new things. Several of us even talked about setting up some meet ups where we can try new restaurants and attend future food events.

You can see more photos from the event in our Facebook album.

Do you participate in cookie swaps around the holiday?

Cookie Time!

2011-12-03T12:20:00.001-05:00

I'm getting ready to head out for a holiday trip with my sorority's alumnae chapter, but first I spent the morning making and testing cookies for tomorrow's cookie swap in New York City. Many of these people are professionals, so I really have to bring my game.

The morning started with whiskey raisin white chocolate chip cookies and then progressed to messing around with some new creations including black and while coconut drop cookies, cinnamon sugar coconut cookies and turbinado sugar coated coconut cookies. See a pattern?

I still have a lot more to make tonight, but for now, here are some yummy photo from this morning.

There's No Rush to Eat Thanksgiving Leftovers

2011-11-30T12:23:00.001-05:00

If you haven't guessed already I'm a big fan of leftovers, and since I'm going back to being pretty strict with eating gluten free *and* saving money, they are even more important -- especially when it comes to lunch.

Most of the leftovers I ate a day or two later, but the items I could freeze -- like my Cranberry Black Rice -- I did on Thanksgiving night and am enjoying it for lunch today and tomorrow.

Since I only stuffed one acorn squash with the rice, but made enough to do at least another one or two, I thew the rice in a container and put it in the freezer.

There's no rush to eat the leftovers the next day -- put them in the freezer and savor those delicious goodies you spent so long making at a later time!

Vintage Cookbooks

2011-11-29T14:03:00.000-05:00

I stopped over my grandparents yesterday to say hello, and my uncle immediately told me he wanted to get rid of a box of cookbooks my grandmother has.

But, before he trashed them, he asked if I wanted any of them. Of course I did!

There were several meat-focused ones, which I left, but I did snatch up the others and immediately started looking through them for inspiration.

I find them completely fascinating not just from a food point-of-view, but from a cultural view. They give insight into a generation, style, era that was before my time.

Gluten Free & Vegan Pea Soup

2011-11-27T23:42:00.001-05:00

For as long as I can remember my Dad has loved pea soup, and it was always a big deal when my Mom would make it for him -- like she "slaved" over it for hours. In reality, it's a quick, hearty soup that you can make the same-day for dinner, have the next day for lunch or freeze and have at a later time.

I modified what my mom used to do to make it gluten free and vegan, but it didn't lose any flavor, because my Dad loves my version and requests it all the time. I make it a lot during the winter to take for lunch, because it reheats well, and it's also inexpensive to make.

What you'll need:
16 oz. bag of split green peas {I use Goya}
2 onions
4 cloves garlic
2 small carrots {peeled}
1 large celery stalk
2 teaspoons Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Base {or two gluten-free vegetable bouillon cubes}
olive oil {about 1 to 2 tablespoons}
fresh cracked black pepper
6-8 cups water

Chop up the onions, garlic, carrots and celery.

Dump the bag of peas into a strainer, rinse well, running your fingers through the pieces and set aside.

Cover the bottom of a large pot with olive oil and heat. Once warm, add the garlic and onions. Sprinkle with a little fresh ground black pepper, stir and cover. Keep your heat on the lower side so the veggies don't burn.

In a measuring cup heat two cups of water in the microwave until hot, about three minutes. Stir in the Better Than Bouillon until it dissolves.

Once the onions start to become translucent, in about a minute or two, add in the carrots and celery. Stir and cover for about a minute.

Add in the pea, and stir, coating them with the oil, and vegetables.

Add the bouillon mixture and four more cups of water.

Cover and bring to a rolling boil. once boiling lower the heat to medium/low and cook until the peas are soft -- about 20-30 minutes. Stir several times while cooking.

When the soup is chunky and the peas are mushy. Remove from stove, scoop out three cups and puree in a blender and then put in another bowl.

Based on your personal preference for a thick or thinner soup, add one to two more cups of hot water {heat in the microwave} to the pot and continue to puree the soup in a blender.

I've used a hand blender for this if I was in a rush, and it works, but it's doesn't come as good, so take the extra few minutes and run it through the blender on the puree setting.

Top with gluten free (or regular) croutons. My version of this soup has no added salt and very little pepper, because depending on the type of bouillon you use, it could get too salty, so I prefer to put salt and pepper on the table and allow each person to individually add it if they like.

Enjoy!

This post was shared with the following websites: Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker, Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms, Stone Gable, Skip to My Lou, My Sweet and Savory, Midnight Maniac,

Small Business Saturday: Food, Wine, Clothing

2011-11-26T00:39:00.000-05:00

Today is Small Business Saturday, a day dedicated to supporting small businesses during one of the busiest shopping weekends of the year.

We've compilied a list of some of our favorite small and family run food, wine and clothing businesses across the country that we love and hope you will consider supporting today.

Some have store fronts, many have online stores and others have both.

Either way, all of these have items that would make fabulous holiday presents or hostess gifts. You'll see that many of these will also be on my foodies gift guide list. ;-)

If you own a small business, or have a favorite small business, feel free to leave a link below telling us about it so we can find more great stores to support!

You can learn more about Small Business Saturday on their website and like them on Facebook.

Wine:
Adirondack Winery
Florida Orange Groves Winery
New Hope Winery
Saratoga Winery
Make Wine With Us

Specialty Foods:
Saratoga Specialties Company
Saratoga Peanut Butter Company
Barkeater Chocolates
Gnosis Chocolate
Cupcakes From Baked By Melissa

Food Establishments:
Lake George Baking Company
Adirondack Pub & Brewery
Cafe Vero

Clothing, Accessories, Outdoors, Other Stores:
Serendipity Boutique
Lake George Kayak Company
Tina's Hair Affair
ADK Aromatherapy

Post-Thanksgiving Festivities

2011-11-25T18:10:00.000-05:00

How was everyone's Thanksgiving? Ours was actually a lot of fun -- totally not what I was expecting, or wrote about the other day.

We did end up making turkey and way more food than any of us could eat, which means tons and tons of leftovers.

We visited my mom in the nursing home, where my dog Toby was, of course, the center of attention.

When we left, we headed back to my Dad's where I needed to heat up a few things for dinner and make gluten-free crunchies to go on the green-bean casserole. It was my first attempt at them and they came amazing! I'll share how to make it next week. You will never buy the canned again after tasting these. (Sorry Frenchs!)

Since my grandparents live next to my Dad, we opened this bottle of Cabernet Franc from Stonington. It's a Connecticut winery that my best friend Kelly and I randomly visited a few years ago while on a girls weekend.

It s a very dry red. I liked it, but my Dad thought it was, "alright."

My aunt and uncle stayed at my Dad's too last night and this morning we made an awesome brunch of pancakes, eggs, bacon, warm maple syrup and hot coffee. It's always so much fun to have guests stay over! I was lucky enough to work remotely today, so although I was doing work, I also got to spend time with everyone.

Hope your Thanksgiving rocked!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T01:45:00.001-05:00

Wow --- Can you believe it's Thanksgiving already? This year flew. I spent Thanksgiving Eve cooking so all I would have to do is reheat everything today. Since we spend most of the day with my mom in the nursing home before going to my grandmothers, there's not that much time to cook.

So, I thought I'd give you a sneak peek at what will be on our Thanksgiving table!


cranberry black rice stuffed acorn squash


gluten-free cranberry banana bread

vegan and gluten free green casserole

Hope you enjoy your Thanksgiving!

This post was shared with the following websites: Marvelous Mommy,

What Should I Make for Thanksgiving?

2011-11-23T00:00:00.000-05:00

Go ahead and gasp, but I'm still not 100 percent sure what I'm making tomorrow for Thanksgiving.Yes, really. Before you click off my website and never take my entertaining or cooking tips seriously again, let me explain.

My family is small, and have never been one to make a big deal about holidays, well at least anymore. When I was little it was slightly different, but it still wasn't what you see on TV -- big family gatherings with a 3-course meal and beautiful centerpieces.

There's no special wine served, dessert made or appetizer to pass around. Being someone who likes to cook and entertain, it's kind of disappointing, but it's how they do things. Someday when I have my never-going-to-happen-anytime-soon in-laws over for Thanksgiving things will be different. :)

My family doesn't even make a turkey, which obviously doesn't bother me, because I'm a vegetarian, but still. Instead, my aunt cooks everything at my grandparents house, my dad makes a dish and I make at least one vegetarian dish, since our Thanksgiving table is filled with ham, kielbasi and sauerkraut, cabbage rolls and pierogies. Yeah -- not vegetarian friendly at all.

Last year I made a butternut squash risotto with dried cranberries that even the meat eaters at the table loved.

This year I think I'm going to try making a cranberry wild rice stuffed acorn squash and a gluten-free pear bread. But, who knows, maybe I'll see something else fun tomorrow and make that instead.

Safe travels, and happy Thanksgiving! :)

New York Giants Tailgating Cupcakes

2011-11-22T00:00:00.000-05:00

These New York Giants tailgating cupcakes were so fun to make, and were the perfect addition to tailgating before Sunday's game against the Philidephia Eagles. But, you don't need to be at the stadium to enjoy them -- make them for your next Giants game-day party!

I usually use my Wilton pastry bags and tips to decorate, but I was crunched for time so I tried the Betty Crocker Easy Flow Icing Blue, which comes with four different tips. It was awesome -- great control, good flow and zero mess!

To make these, I took a white cake mix, prepared it according to the box directions, and added blue food coloring to it. I used the blue color from the Wilton icing color kit.

While they were baking I practiced drawing the logo on a piece of paper with a pen and then using the easy flow icing, I practiced several time on a paper towel.

Once the cupcakes are completely cool, frost them with a white icing -- I used a vanilla flavored whipped icing. Then draw the logo on the cupcake. The smoother the frosting is, the easier it becomes to write on the cupcakes. I wanted them to have a homemade feel, so I deliberatly used a regular butter knife, and didn't smooth it completely.

To transport them. I used a disposable broiler pan -- easy clean up and didn't need to worry about having to take it back home on the train.

Here are three quick videos I recorded on Tout showing step-by-step how to decorate these.

And, here were are at the game! The cupcake even made it in the photo :)

I'm in the center with the NY hat on.

This post was shared with the following websites: Balancing Beauty and Bedlam, Naptime Creations, Today's Creative, Hope Studios, A Vision to Remember, Sweet as Sugar Cookies, Hodgepodge Life, Simply Designed,

Asiago Cream Sauce Over Artichoke Ravioli

2011-11-20T01:00:00.000-05:00

As soon as I spotted and read the package for the artichoke ravioli in Trader Joe's -- stuffed with three cheeses artichoke hearts and ripe olives -- I wanted to try them in a light cream sauce.

However, the $6 price tag on a half-pound block of asiago cheese, almost made me put it back on the shelf, and grab the Parmesan, which was half the price. The asiago gave it a different flavor and more depth. It also melted in the cream much easier, creating a consistency that wasn't too thin, but also wasn't too thick.

Plus, it's pretty quick to make, and it can be used on any type of pasta.

Asiago Cream Sauce Over Artichoke Ravioli

6 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic
1 pint heavy cream
1/2 pound block of asiago cheese
1 container Trader Joe's Artichoke Ravioli (or your favorite pasta)
fresh ground black pepper (optional)

Fill a large pot with water, add a little salt, cover and bring to a boil. In the meantime, peel and chop the garlic into tiny pieces.Grate one cup of the asiago cheese.

Melt six tablespoons of butter in a pot over medium to low heat. They key to this sauce is being patient, keeping a close eye on it and stirring! I almost never stop stirring it.

Add garlic and let cook for about 2 minutes (make sure it doesn't burn!) If you notice it's starting to boil or bubble too much, lower the heat and then raise it again as needed.

Stir in the heavy cream.

Bring to a boil and then lower the heat to a rolling simmer, till it gets a little thicker. Your cream sauce should at points get frothy and rise. Be care it doesn't boil over.

If I'm using a gas stove, I usually let it get about 3 inches from the top and then remove the pot, lower the heat and then put it back down. If I'm using an electric stove it can get tricky. I tend to just continue stirring and keep the heat more consistent, which sometimes takes a little longer.

The idea is you want to reduce the amount of liquid by about one-third.

At this point, you should start cooking your pasta -- how good do these ravioli look?!

While your pasta is cooking, add in the asiago cheese to your cream mixture.

Mix well and then grate an additional half cup of the asiago into the sauce.

Continue cooking on medium heat and stirring until the sauce it thickens.

Drain your pasta, or in this case ravioli. Make sure you let it sit draining for a few minutes to make sure all the water is out.

Spread a little of your cream sauce on the plate.

Arrange your ravioli, or other pasta, on the plate.

Drizzle more of the cream sauce on top and sprinkle with fresh ground pepper.

If you have more ravioli, or pasta left, you can make the same great meal for lunch. Do it exactly the same way. Put a thin coat of the sauce on the bottom of a microwave safe container. Add the pasta, and then add a little more of the sauce on top. Put the remaining sauce in a container and refrigerate for up to three days.

Enjoy!

This post was shared with the following websites: LambAround, Hey What's for Dinner Mom, Midnight Maniac, My Sweet and Savory, Melt in Your Mouth Monday, Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker,The Girl Creative, Menu Plan Monday, Must Try Monday, Amaze Me Monday, Balancing Beauty and Bedlam, Naptime Creations,

Disastrous Cream Sauce

2011-11-19T17:31:00.001-05:00

Everything that could have gone wrong last night when I was trying to make my cream sauce for my artichoke ravioli did -- and it all started with my Dad who when I told him what I was making said he makes the perfect cream sauce and I should try it.

After raising some concerns about his method, I decided against my gut, to try it. Big mistake. Four cloves of garlic, a glass of wine and a container of half-and-half later, I still didn't get to try my ravioli that I was looking forward to all day.

His method was to saute a little garlic and oil and then add the cream. Bring it to a boil and then simmer. Yeah... totally didn't work. It simmered ... and simmered ... and simmered...

I'm going to try it again tonight -- but with a different cream sauce. Any advice?

A Quick Tader Joe's Bender

2011-11-18T19:31:00.001-05:00

There should be a Trader Joe's within a short drive of everyone's house. If you have one near you, or have been to one, you know what I'm talking about. If you haven't, you need to stop by one. I'm lucky that there is one on my way to and from the Adirondacks, and a larger one right near my eye doctor's office.

Still, I don't get there much, so when I do I stock up on some favorites and try some new stuff. Today, I had a problem with my eye and had to go to my eye doctor, and of course I had to stop in for a quick look.

I ended up walking out of there with $40 plus worth of groceries. Here are some of them --

The breads, hummus and almonds are old favorites, but I'm really excited to try their pumpkin butter, fig butter and gluten-free granola. Tonight I'm making their artichoke ravioli in a cream sauce and will post photos and the recipe tomorrow.

Do you have a favorite place you like to shop, but don't get to often enough?

Amy's Rice Mac & Cheese {Gluten Free}

2011-11-17T15:26:00.000-05:00

After having several bad experiences with frozen gluten-free prepared meals, I decided to stay away from them. Spending money on something I was always just throwing away anyway was not budget friendly.

But, I ran out on my lunch break to get eye drops, and happened to walk past a big display of Amy's frozen products. Since I was hungry, they caught my eye, and I'm glad they did.

On a whim, I decided to try their gluten-free rice mac and cheese.

So good!

You can't taste a difference in the pasta and the creamy cheesy sauce is the same great taste you get from their non-gluten free one.

As you can see, I really enjoyed it. By the time I thought to write about for others who might be going through the same should/shouldn't I buy a frozen gluten-free meal, I was already done eating it!

Butternut Squash Mousseline at The Carlton

2011-11-16T11:42:00.001-05:00

Always trust the bartender. Well, at least if he's the one pouring drinks at the lobby bar inside The Carlton.

Yesterday was a long, packed day with work and a bunch of pet related events. I had just left a charity event hosted by Cocktails that Care {more on that later} and was starving. The Carlton was right across the street. Totally convenient. Plus, walking in and seeing several empty seats, as well as an open plug to charge my dead Blackberry helped with my decision to stop in for a drink and a bite to eat.

After ordering a glass of chardonnay and looking over both the bar menu and the regular restaurant menu, I still wasn't sure what I wanted. A vegetarian in a full-out French seafood brasserie doesn't always end well. But, I did see what I thought was butternut squash fries, which I have been wanting to make, or try, ever since my friend told me that's what she was going to make from the ones I gave her from my garden.

I read the menu wrong and it was actually butternut squash mousseline. The bartender assured me it was one of the best things they make. He said it was whipped and absolutely amazing.

He was correct.

It was smooth, creamy, sweet and almost tasted a little pumpkin pie-ish. You could taste the fall inspired seasonings, and another spice that I couldn't identify. It was also incredibly rich.

You can bet that I'm going to try and recreate this for Thanksgiving.

If you're in the Murray Hill area of Manhattan, stop in and try the $8 side dish that if you're a meat eater, would I'm sure pair well with a good steak. Although I stuck with my chardonnay, a lighter wine like a pinot would be perfect with this.

The lobby bar is also a great, low-key spot perfect for relaxing after a long day, grabbing a post-dinner date drink or bringing a client

Charity Blogathon for North Country SPCA Is Today!

2011-11-12T07:48:00.001-05:00

It's the second Saturday in November and that can only mean one thing -- it's Blogathon time over at my pet lifestyle website, My Tail Hurts From Wagging So Much! And, this year I'm so excited to announce our charity is the North Country SPCA right here in the Adirondacks.

Starting at 3 p.m. Eastern I'll spend the next 24 hours awake with a team of other bloggers from around the country and blog for 24 hours raising money for our respective charities as part of Dr. V's yearly blogathon on Pawcurious.

I picked the North Country SPCA because they were impacted by severe floods earlier this year, and could use some help -- especially to build a new shelter since the roof is leaking, the foundation has shifted, there is minimal insulation and the furnace is dying.

We'll have a ton of fun giveaways, such as treats, books, swag, toys and a professional social media consulting session with me!

Last year, I double booked myself to participate in this and also host a girls weekend at my house, so I played travel guide to not only my sorority sisters who were visiting the Adirondacks, but we virtually took everyone following the blogathon with us by writing about all the fun places we were going in the Adirondacks.

We would love for you to follow along on this insane idea to stay awake blogging for 24 hours, and if you can a donation to the North Country SPCA, would be much appreciated. Every dollar counts -- so even a $5 donation can help this group help animals in need.

My Day as a Keratin Hair Model at Tina's Hair Affair

2011-11-11T10:50:00.000-05:00

I've always been afraid of trying all the new services out there to tame my curls. Chemical straighteners, Brazilian blowouts, harsh chemicals -- it all scared me. So, instead I would spend what felt like a gazillion hours straightening my hair every morning before work.

Then, last December, Tina at Tina's Hair Affair in Lake George, N.Y., suggested I try a Keratin treatment. Don't you have to wear a mask to put that on? Isn't that crazy expensive and will hurt my hair? No, and no.

Keratin Complex is a smoothing therapy that uses natural keratin protein to rebuild, restore and rejuvenates all hair types. And, it has completely changed my life.

It used to take me a half hour or more to straighten my frizzy, curly hair, and now it's under 10 minutes, and that's just because I'm picky about the way it looks. It also feels healthier, smoother and softer.

So last weekend, when Tina asked me if I would be her hair model for a Keratin class she was teaching, I jumped at the opportunity.

In addition to getting my hair done by a professional, (and what girl doesn't love that?) I also had the chance to really learn about the product, company and science behind it, because that's what she was teaching the other stylists.

I won't bore you with the details, bit since it's adding something that's naturally found in hair, it makes way more sense to do this relaxation process over others out there. Plus, I'm very sensitive to smell and harsh chemicals, and this has almost no smell and has never bothered me.

Yes, I received a free treatment during the class, but I've always paid for this service at Tina's in the past and keep going back because it works. It has made me love my hair -- something I never thought would be possible because every frizz reducing product out there never really worked for me.

If you're in the Lake George area, or anywhere remotely close (I know people who come from Albany and I pick Tina's over any salon I've ever been to in Manhattan) you must stop in for a consultation and see if Keratin is right for you. Plus, Tina just rocks - she's also responsible for finding me a hair color and style I love.

If you're not in the area, learn more about Keratin Complex on their website and find a trained stylist near you.

Kamoni Ice - The Next "It" Drink

2011-11-10T10:40:00.000-05:00

OK folks, you heard it here first -- Kamoni Ice will be the next "it" drink you'll be ordering at the trendiest bar in your city.

I had the opportunity to sample the drink -- a secret combination of two rums and fruit juices -- last night at a Sturdi Products-sponsored event in Manhattan, and it was really good. It's not too sweet, and doesn't have a strong alcohol or rum taste. Instead, it's a unique flavor that's refreshing and all it's own.

They are a small two-person operation based in New York City, and are off to a great start. Right now, you can only purchase the bottles directly from them, but if you friend them on Facebook, you'll be kept up-to-date on where they'll be available next.

Cute Holiday Treat Boxes

2011-11-09T11:37:00.000-05:00

I'm in love with these!

My usual reaction to seeing, or buying holiday items before Thanksgiving is a negative one, but when I saw these while walking through Wal-Mart I had to snatch up a bunch.

More than the holidays themselves, I just love the season: Sweaters, hot beverages, ice skating, social gatherings... It's fun!

It also means an excuse to bake a variety of treats, and these boxes will serve as a perfect way to store those cookies for co-workers, friends, family and neighbors. Since I have friends of varying faiths, the snowflakes are generic and fit all occasions.

Fall Treats at Bouchon Bakery in New York

2011-11-05T15:51:00.000-04:00

I was in the Time Warner Center yesterday afternoon and before leaving I knew I just had to grab a cup of coffee at Bouchon Bakery on the third floor. The coffee I order is nothing fancy, but always has a rich flavor. While standing in the 10-minute line, I spotted these:

That's when I realized I never had a macaron before. Since Bouchon always has seasonal treats, I decided to try a cranberry and a pumpkin.

Oh-My-Gosh!

The pumpkin was amazing. It had the perfect spice balance and the pumpkin flavor ... well, it was basically exactly what you would think something pumpkin should taste like. The cranberry was very mild, especially compared to the pumpkin.

I had them in my purse, so they got a little crushed.

I also picked up a mini stout bread that ended up becoming my dinner because I got stuck at work for a news special until 9 p.m. It was really good -- moist and flavorful while still being light and not overpowering.

My only surprise was the bill. The two macarons, coffee and the bread were $14, which I guess wasn't too bad, but still pricy enough.

Cupcakes From Baked By Melissa

2011-11-03T00:02:00.002-04:00

How did I not know about Baked by Melissa? These absolutely adorable miniature cupcakes are bursting with fun flavors like peanut butter and jelly, mint chocolate chip and cookie dough.

I was walking to Penn Station after a pet event last night and their bright, clean and cheery looking all-glass window store front in mid-town Manhattan, caught my eye. At first I didn't know what the store was selling, but whatever it was, it looked really cool. I was delighted to find out it was cupcakes!

They are the perfect two-bite dessert that you don't feel completely guilty about eating. Sometimes those large cupcakes are just too much, even if you're splitting it with someone.

These cupcakes are also not too sweet, but still flavorful. I think my favorites was the cinnamon, which tasted like a creamy, rich coffee drink and the cookies and cream (pictured above). What's also pretty neat is they have a handy guide you can take with you that tell you what each flavor is. The only disappointing part is that they don't have specific vegan or gluten-free cupcakes.

Baked By Melissa has several locations in New York and also ships nationwide. So, even if you're not in Manhattan, you can enjoy their yummy flavor. They would make wonderful thank you or birthday gifts.

Snow Garden

2011-11-02T00:13:00.003-04:00

Last weekend, the Northeast was hit with an unusual pre-Halloween snow storm. It was very weird. I was at my Dad's in New Jersey and wow did we get hit. You know the story about "The Boy Who Cried Wolf"? Well, I completely thought that's what the weather forecasters were doing.

Snow in October? No way!

Way.

Believe it or not, I went out and picked what was left of the basil in the middle of the snow storm. Thanks goodness no one got photos of that!

Surprisingly, there are a few eggplants left on the plants, several tomato flowers and the kale is going strong.

This post was shared on the following websites: Wordless Wednesday, Bit of Byrd,

Poblano Pepper Soup

2011-10-30T14:40:00.006-04:00

To steal a line from the Proctor's Theatre Facebook status last night, 'Fall is dressing up as Winter for Halloween this year.' With yesterday's snow, I thought it would be the perfect time for some soup! Well, that and, I had a bunch of poblano chile peppers from the garden to use before they went bad.

This poblano pepper soup is based off of a Weight Watchers recipe I saw years ago that I still kept healthy, but modified a bit to fit my tastes and uses. It's vegan, gluten free, and makes a hearty dinner, as well as refrigerates well for the next day's lunch. Slightly funny story about this recipe, too. The first time I made it, I saw it called for brown rice, so before I did anything else I cooked some instant brown rice to use it. I didn't realize until I kept reading the rice needed to be uncooked.

I always end up leaving it sit on the stove for hours on low, because I get started doing other things, or like last night decide I'm going to have it for dinner, so putting it away to just reheat in a few hours is pointless. If you do this, too, just watch your broth level. If you see it evaporating, add a little more liquid.

Just a note: I used 4 poblano and 4 yellow peppers, because they were small, as you will see in the pictures below. If you are using large ones you can use less.

3 cans College Inn Garden Vegetable broth
1 can cut green beans
1 cup tomato puree
4 poblano peppers
4 yellow peppers
2 large cloves garlic
1/2 cup brown rice {uncooked}
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon brown sugar
2 small pinches of cayenne pepper
small handful of fresh parsley {about 1/4 cup}
olive oil

Place the poblano and yellow peppers, along with the garlic cloves on a lipped baking pan and place under the broil for about 10 minutes. Watch the vegetables to make sure they char, but do not burn and turn them as needed. {I turn them at least five or 6 times during this, because I'm paranoid about making sure all sides get browned}

Over a bowl, peel off the skin and take all the seeds out of the peppers. Keep any juice that comes out of the peppers in the bowl for later use. {Don't worry about seeds, we'll strain it}

I set up three things for this: A bowl where do the peeling over, a paper towel to discard the skins and a plate where I put the skinned and cleaned peppers.

Now that the peppers are cleaned out, chop them into smaller pieces for the soup. For this batch I happened to have a red poblano pepper so I used that for added color.

Next, peel and mash the roasted garlic.

Drain and rinse the cut green beans. Spread the pieces out on a cutting board and chop them into small, 1/4 to 1/2-inch pieces.

In a large pot over medium heat, drizzle just a little olive oil in the bottom. Then add the peppers, pepper juice and garlic. {Use a strainer held right over the pot to pour out the juices from the bowl so you don't get any seeds in the soup}

Add two cans of the vegetable broth. Stir and then add the green beans, vinegar, brown sugar, rice, tomato puree and cayenne pepper.

Mix all the ingredients well, cover and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to simmer and cook for about 45 minutes or until the rice, peppers and beans are tender. When there's about 20 minutes left shop up the parsley and add it in.

If I'm not in a rush I turn the burner to very, very low and let it cook longer. Depending on how much liquid evaporated or was soaked up after the 45 minutes, I usually add another can of vegetable broth and let it keep cooking. Just make sure it's on a very low heat.

Enjoy!

This post was shared on the following websites: Midnight Maniac, My Sweet and Savory, Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker,

B.Y.O.P. Bring Your Own Pumpkin

2011-10-29T13:53:00.000-04:00

Isn't that a great saying? My best friend Kelly texted it to me during a conversation about what she was doing Friday night. Her and her boyfriend were going to be carving pumpkins and invited me over with the stipulation B.Y.O.P. I literally started laughing out loud.

Believe it or not it was the first time either of us had tried carving a pumpkin ... and it went, um, interesting. We had her boyfriend, a much more masterful carver than us, guiding (and likely laughing) at us through the process.

I have cut up pumpkins for cooking before, but never to carve. It's a lot harder than I thought it would be, but it was a lot of fun. I'm going to cook up the pumpkin today, but here's some photos from last night. You can see how excited my friend Kelly was to scrap out the inside of the pumpkin.

Since I'm a total novice at this, I'd love to know your best tips for carving the perfect pumpkin. :)

National Chocolate Day: My Top 5 Favorite Chocolates

2011-10-28T11:24:00.003-04:00

As if you needed another excuse to grab a piece of sweet, yummy chocolate, today is National Chocolate Day! My favorite is dark chocolate. I've found a small piece of dark, or really good, well made chocolate, satisfies my sweet cravings instantly.

Dark chocolate can also be healthy for you. It contains flavonoids, which protect cells from free radicals and can stimulate the production of endorphins.

Earlier this year my friend Vikki and I went to the Chocolate World Expo in New Jersey, and it was amazing! There were so many different vendors, many of which were family-run businesses, which I just absolutely love. But, by the end of the day, I never wanted to see another piece of chocolate again! You can check out my story on it here.

So, in honor of National Chocolate Day, here are my top 5 favorites chocolates. Enjoy!

Barkeater Chocolates

So good! Barkeater Chocolates are handmade in the Adirondacks and you can taste the difference. What I love most is they're not overly sweet and you can taste the flavors. Sometimes with flavored truffles or chocolates that have something in them, like peanut butter, one flavor overpowers the other. With these, they're the perfect combination of both tastes. Another cool thing? They make vegan, dairy free and organic chocolates!

Teuscher Chocolates of Switzerland

My high school history teacher got me hooked on these. Actually, I think she got most of my high school hooked on Teuscher. It was one of the stops she would always make on the Travel Club's trip to Manhattan to see a Broadway show. I'm not sure who, I think it might have even been her, bought a box of their champagne truffles and handed one out to everyone. It was heaven at first bite. A firm outside with a soft inside that has the slightest bit of champagne taste. When I worked for Fox News Channel, their store was only about a block away. If I was having a really bad day, I would stop in for a single piece and savored it throughout the day.

Rescue Chocolate

It's true what their website says, "the sweetest way to save a life." Started by fellow animal lover and all around awesome gal, Sarah Gross, Rescue Chocolate donate 100 percent of their net profits to animal rescue organizations around the country. Not only do they taste good, but the vegan treats are packaged and marketed in a way to shed light on a various issues facing pets.

Gnosis Chocolate

I learned about Gnosis Chocolate earlier this year at the Chocolate World Expo I mentioned earlier. They are raw, organic, handmade chocolates that have added nutrients to promote better health. They're also all about environmental consciousness and use post-consumer recycled and biodegradable packaging with vegetable based links. My favorite is their SuperChoc bar, -- healthy and yummy!

Trader Joe's Sea Salt and Turbinado Sugar Sprinkled Dark Chocolate Almonds

When it comes to cost, these are likely the least expensive of the group, so I tend to keep a box in my fridge at all times. Why? Because in one or two almonds I've got my chocolate fix covered. They are the perfect mix of sweet and salty. I wrote about them over the summer the morning after I tried/found them in the store, and you would have through I struck gold.

Although these are my favorites, I love trying and finding new chocolates, so I'd love to know what your favorite is? Let me know in the comments below!

6 Favorite Pasta Recipes for World Pasta Day

2011-10-25T13:44:00.002-04:00

Happy World Pasta Day! Here are six of my favorite pasta recipes in honor of World Pasta Day. Feel free to substitute gluten-free pasta for regular, or vice versa -- I do it all the time. :)

Enjoy!

1. Fusilli With Lemon Basil Pesto

2. Pasta Caliente

3. Spaghetti with Garlic and Oil

4. Creamy Mexican Macaroni and Cheese

5. Pumpkin Lasagna Roll Ups

6. Bowtie Pasta with Adirondack Pomodoro Sauce

This post was shared with the following websites: Balancing Beauty and Bedlam

Let's Cook App! With Chef Fabio Viviani and Bertolli Olive Oil {Plus Giveaway}

2011-10-25T08:00:00.001-04:00

Bertolli Olive Oil has partnered with Chef Fabio Viviani to create a one-stop iPad and iPhone app that brings you more than 5 hours of video right at your finger tips!

No streaming required.

The Let's Cook app features 16 step-by-step video recipes in full HD, 100+ recipes hand-selected by Chef Fabio, a dozen of Chef Fabio’s cooking and entertaining tip and menu suggestions.

And, to celebrate, they sent me a bottle of their yummy extra virgin olive oil to try and another to give away to one lucky reader!

I used the olive oil drizzled over tomatoes, to make Rosemary Olive Oil Popcorn, to dip some gluten-free bread in and basically for everything I've been cooking that requires olive oil.

OK, enough about all the fun foods I cooked with their olive oil and back to the awesome app. Here's a sneak peek at one of the videos you will find when you download the app!

Cool, right?

Bertolli was also nice enough to share this exclusive recipe:

FRESH FETTUCCINE WITH CRISPY PANCETTA, SAUTÉED MUSHROOM AND CHERRY TOMATO
by Chef Fabio Viviani

Serves 2, double ingredients for 4 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes

2 cups cherry tomatoes (20 small), halved and seeded
2 Tbsp. Bertolli® Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
2 ounces pancetta or bacon, diced
1 Tbsp. Bertolli® Extra Light Tasting Olive Oil
4 to 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
12 ounces oyster mushrooms, very thinly sliced
1/2 cup chicken broth, divided
8 ounces fresh fettuccine
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
Shaved Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 475°. Drizzle tomatoes with Bertolli Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Season with salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste. Arrange in baking pan and roast 5 to 10 minutes or until wilted.

Sauté pancetta with Bertolli Extra Light Tasting Olive Oil over medium-high heat until crisp. Season with fresh ground black pepper and very little salt. Add garlic and mushrooms and sauté until golden brown.

Add roasted tomatoes and 1/4 cup broth to sauté pan. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered.

Add fettuccini to boiling water over high heat, stirring occasionally until it floats, approx. 5 to 8 minutes.

Add cooked fettuccine to sauté pan and remaining broth. Increase heat and drizzle with Bertolli Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Add parsley. Simmer 2 to 5 minutes.

Top with shaved Parmesan and serve.

Doesn't that sounds so yummy?

Now, for the giveaway details!
One lucky Adirondack Chick reader will win a bottle of Bertolli Olive Oil to enjoy for themselves through a random drawing of all qualified entries. Sorry, but the giveaway is only open to residents in the continental U.S. only. Giveaway ends at midnight Eastern on Nov. 1.

Mandatory Entry
Leave a comment below telling me what your favorite thing to make for dinner is. Oh, and make sure you leave an email address so we can connect you if you are the winner!

Extra Entries:
(each is worth one entry)
* Like The Adirondack Chick on Facebook, and leave a comment below telling us.
* Follow us publicly on Google Friend Connect, and leave a comment below telling us.
* Follow us on Twitter -- @theadkchick -- and leave a comment below telling us.
* Tweet about our giveaway using @theadkchick and "Bertolli Olive Oil" in your tweet, and leave a comment below telling us.

Good luck!

Cute Tea Cupcake Molds

2011-10-24T13:00:00.005-04:00

How adorable are these?! Tea cupcake molds!

I picked them up last weekend at Happy Jacks in Bolton Landing, N.Y. I kept debating back and forth if I really wanted to spend $17.95 on bake and serve cupcake molds when I was trying to save money.

In midst of this internal debate, the store's owner came over to chat and mentioned that everything in the store was on sale, because they were closing for the season in a few weeks.

Sale? In that case, I could totally justify buying them.

Plus, I knew if I walked out of there without them I was going to regret it and I'd be calling the store the next day, asking them to set a box aside for me.

If you've never been in Happy Jacks before, it's got a cool, Urban Outfitters feel that fits perfectly into the trendy, but down-to-Earth and welcoming town of Bolton Landing in the Adirondacks.

I'll definitely be stopping in there more often.

Grilled Eggplant Pizza

2011-10-23T14:16:00.008-04:00

Since I have more eggplants than I know what to do with, I'm determined to incorporate them into my cooking in every way possible. In fact, look for my new e-book, "365 days of Eggplant," on a Kindle near you. Just kidding! Well, maybe only sort of kidding.

Anyway, I figured why not try it on pizza. As with most of the things I make, it's vegetarian, and can be modified to be gluten free by using a gluten free pizza crust. For vegans, just eliminate the cheese and make sure your crust is vegan.

If you don't have one already, purchase a Presto Cool Touch Electric Grill. You will absolutely love it. I can't live without mine, and use it all the time. It makes grilling veggies and making pancakes so easy, and cooks over easy eggs like the best breakfast place you've ever eaten at.

Back to this scrumptious pizza! I only used the grilled tomatoes on half, because I wanted to see how it tasted. It was good, but overpowered the eggplant a little. This is key, too -- the thinner the slices of eggplant the milder the taste.

So, for example this pizza had a very, very mild eggplant taste, because I made the slices super thin. It's a good way to get kids to eat their veggies. But, if you're looking for a strong eggplant flavor, or to make it taste more like an eggplant parm pizza, then make the slices thicker.

1/2 - 1 cup hot tomato sauce
1 pizza crust
(for gluten free I use Udis & for regular I use Mama Mary's)
1 small eggplant
1 tomato (use 2 if you are using it on all the whole pizza and not just half)
3 large cloves of garlic
8 ounces shredded part-skim mozzarella
olive oil
salt

Preheat your grill to 350 degrees and preheat your oven to the recommended temperature on your crust package.

Peel the skin off the eggplant. Using a large knife, slice the eggplant into thin, round slices. Set aside on a dish and sprinkle with just a little salt. Do the same with the tomatoes.

Peel the garlic and thinly slice the cloves.

Brush the eggplant, tomatoes and garlic with a little bit of olive oil.

Once your grill is heated to temperature, drizzle a little bit of olive oil on it and then wipe clean with a paper towel.

Place the eggplant and tomato slices on the grill with the olive oil-coated side down. Brush the tops with a little more olive oil. Once the eggplant just starts to become translucent, flip the slice over.

The tomato will cook a lot faster, so flip them after a minute and then remove from heat once they are browned. You don't want to get them too mushy.

Continue to flip the eggplant until they are almost completely cooked and translucent. They should have grill marks on them, but make sure they're not burnt. It's better for them to be a little undercooked, because you'll be cooking them for about 10 minutes in the oven, than burned.

Next comes the garlic. Put the slices on the grill and cook until browned, flipping at least once.

Now it's time to put together the pizza! If you're using the Mama Mary's put a think coat of olive oil on it. If you're using Udi's go straight to the next step and skip the olive oil.

Using as much or as little sauce as you like, coat the crust with the sauce. (I prefer just a little)
Then top it with the mozzarella, leaving just a little to use at the end.

Arrange the garlic on the pizza so that when you slice it, every piece will get a taste of garlic.

Next, arrange the eggplant slice on the pizza.

Top half with pizza, or the whole pizza, whichever you prefer, with the tomato. (I did half) Then, sprinkle over the remaining mozzarella over the pizza.

Bake in the oven according to the pizza crust package, or until the cheese is bubbling. (Usually about 10 minutes)

I like to serve the pizza with a hardy red wine like a Chianti or Cabernet, or a nice beer.

Enjoy!

This post was shared with the following websites: My Sweet and Savory, Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker, Stone Gable, Midnight Maniac, Organizing Junkie, A Southern Fairytale, Sumo's Sweet Stuff,

A Not-So-Simple Saturday

2011-10-22T15:17:00.000-04:00

Ah, the weekend. It was supposed to be spent writing, updating my resume, sending out some new pitches, experimenting with a few recipes and writing. Lots and lots of writing. I owe three different outlets blog posts and I still need to write about all the fabulous opportunities we had and did while we were in Disney World.

Instead, I've spent a majority of the day in a panic over my furnace. A very long story short, it's not working. A local company just left a little bit ago and apparently I need a part that of course they can't get until at least Monday -- and that's if somewhere has it in stock.

In the mean time, I have no heat, which also means I have one very cold doggie. You can read more about that on my pet lifestyle website, My Tail Hurts From Wagging So Much.

I guess, that means it's time to cook, so I can heat up the house. :)

Since yesterday's blog, I've had a few more garden surprises. I found a butternut squash, a bunch of poblano and habanero peppers, as well as, more eggplant.

Yes, more eggplant. If you have a favorite dish you make with eggplant other than parmesan, rollatini or ratatouille, please let me know in the comments below. I'm looking for some new things to do with it.

I'm heading out now to pick up a few things to make what will hopefully be a vegan, dairy-free creamy butternut squash cauliflower soup! I can't wait to share that adventure with you.

Also look for an upcoming cupcake bakery review:

And, a post about where you can find the best donuts in the Lake George / Lower Adirondacks area.

Hope you're having a fabulously fun Saturday! :)

Garden Surprises

2011-10-21T08:34:00.001-04:00

After Hurricane Irene, much of my garden was ruined. I was able to salvage a bunch of tomatoes and several zucchini, but all the great pepper plants, pumpkins, watermelons and corn were gone. The kale is still looking decent and I'm going to try to winterize them.

The incident gave me a much better understanding of the news stories you hear about food prices rising because a storm wiped out crops upon crops. While I wasn't planning on selling the fruit, I did plant them with the intention on not having to buy as much produce and saving some money.

My Dad's garden in New Jersey, which if you recall from previous posts, are all plants from the Adirondacks because I bought too many and figured they would make a great birthday/Father's Day gift, weathered the storm a little better. The cucumbers, watermelon and cantaloupe were gone. But, many of the pepper, tomato, eggplant and basil plants were still standing.

The broccoli and cauliflower looked decent, but there were no heads forming. We both wrote it off.

So, you can imagine how surprised I was when I saw this sitting on his counter:

And, there's at at least two or three more forming!

The first photo at the top was also a bunch of veggies picked over the weekend. The yellow peppers were a complete surprise, because I don't remember buying them. Either I picked up a mixed pack, or one that was not marked correctly. Either way, I'll happily take them since I've seen them in the store for upwards of $3 each!

I can't believe it's the end of October and the plants are still producing fruit -- wish it could stay like this all year. Just out of curiosity, how long is your growing season?

Butterfly Flowers

2011-10-19T06:16:00.008-04:00

This is one of my favorite photos from my recent trip to Disney World. We were walking into Animal Kingdom when I saw people looking up. That's when I spotted this butterfly. I think the reason I like it so much is because it was just outside the park, so it was in a very natural setting and wasn't part of some attraction. The butterfly left a few minutes after I got my shot.

This post was shared on the following websites: Wordless Wednesday, Bit of Byrd, 5 Minutes for Mom, Better in Bulk, Shanamama, Live and Love ... Out Loud, SOOC Saturday,

Weekend Eats: The Good & The Bad

2011-10-18T08:02:00.001-04:00

Over the past several days I made some really good, and really bad food. It started Thursday night with what was supposed to be an apple and peach pie and ended last night with sauteed kale with garlic and beer. Needless to say, neither of them came great, but oddly enough for the same reason.

In between there was sweet sauce, hot baked ziti and yummy pancakes.

Using a recipe based off my peach puff squares, I decided to try making a peach apple pie. Mostly, because, well... I had both peaches and apples and they were about to go bad. I was so excited about the topping I had played around with.

Everything looked great, until I went to put away all the ingredients. Instead of lemon juice, I grabbed lime juice. They're both citrus, so I'm sure it wouldn't impact the taste, too much, right? Yeah, not so much.

The crust was flaky and the topping was the perfect balance of sweetness, but the inside was tart. And, it wasn't just because of the apples I used. I could taste the lime juice, and it wasn't good.

On to Saturday.

After Oktoberfest, we came back to the house and I threw (at some points literally) together homemade sauce and meatballs, cooked up some sausage and made a baked ziti. I don't think I've ever made a dinner that fast in my life.

For the meatballs, I cracked an egg and poured some Italian flavored bread crumbs in with the ground meat, mixed and started rolling. After a little time under the broiler, they came out surprisingly good, as I was told. (You can see how I made the sausage in this previous post)

Unfortunately, we all fell asleep while it was in the oven. Thank goodness I heard the timer, but it needed longer, so I put it back in . Repeat 2 or 3 times. Once it was finally done, we were all passed out so I let it sit and cool. Finally, I woke and put it away. About 10 minutes later, everyone else woke up, so we pulled out the casserole dish and heated it up. At least it didn't burn!

Before the ziti went in the oven.

My attempt at pancakes for breakfast on Sunday went a whole lot better than the weekend before, when I was sure the squirrels were going to throw the pancakes back at me after I threw the leftovers in the woods.

I kept it very simple and used the first recipe I found doing a Google search for "pancakes." They came pretty fluffy and flavorful.

Last night, I decided to pick some kale from the garden and try sauteing it with three cloves of garlic and since we happened to have some leftover beer that was going flat I threw some in. It came OK, but the kale was a little bitter. To combat it, I really needed some fresh lemon juice, which I didn't have.

That darn lemon juice! :) While it didn't come out terrible, the kale also wasn't great. It also didn't go well with the leftover ziti I was reheating. That recipe is going to need a little work.

What have you cooked -- good or bad -- in the past week?

Oktoberfest 2011 at the Adirondack Pub & Brewery

2011-10-17T08:40:00.001-04:00

Going to Oktoberfest at the Adirondack Pub and Brewery has become somewhat of a tradition since I bought my house. It's close so we don't have to drive, is always a fun time and there are usually some unique beers that are not on tap at your local bar.

Me, Kelly and Roger (l to r)

Let's start with the music. The first year we went there was a German band that had us cracking up. This year there was a polka band that surprised the heck out of us. When we got there they were playing traditional German tunes and even got people dancing. Then they decided to "mix it up." Their first selection - "Jersey Girl." On an accordion. The variety of music was a nice touch.

Food was not included in your $25 ticket, but was extremely discounted and extremely good -- $2 for each thing or $6 for a plate. They even had vegetarian selections like hot pretzels and potato pancakes. I went for the potato pancakes, which were the perfect carb/salt balance after all that beer.

The best part of the day usually comes toward the end of the event -- the always-fun keg toss. Women compete against each other with an empty keg and the men compete against each other with a full keg. Usually by the time they start, everyone has had time to sample a number of beers, so it becomes a friendly competition where every is cheering everyone else on.

Many of the breweries, brought a very limited number of taps, and pretty much had only their Oktoberfest, which was a little disappointing. But, there were several breweries that stood out, including The Saratoga Thoroughbrews, who had a fabulous white ale, Crossroads Brewing Company's red and stout, as well as Brewery Ommegang, who had a tasty brew, but unfortunately, I can't remember what it was called!

Oktoberfest at the Adirondack Pub and Brewery is a really fun event to check out in the Adirondack region, and always provides a really good time. A portion of the proceeds every year also goes to a dedicated charity. So, fill up your mug and drink for a cause!

Just a little tip, if you can, buy your tickets in advance at the brewery, because they're usually about $5 cheaper. And, while you're there, make sure you try one of my favorite beers, the Cafe Vero Stout. While we were eating, I went and bought a pint so my friends could taste it. At least one of them was an instant fan.

Make-Your-Own Ground Black Pepper

2011-10-14T11:16:00.000-04:00

I love pepper, but I'm never buying ground black pepper again. Why? Because I've been making it myself, and it comes stronger, fresher and with way more flavor! Plus, it's so, so easy!!

Wow, that paragraph sounded like an infomercial. It's seriously not, though.

I stumbled on this new pepper practice last Thanksgiving when I needed ground nutmeg and could only find whole nutmeg. Since I needed it for my Butternut Squash Risotto with Dried Cranberries I was bringing to a holiday party, I bought them as well as a coffee bean grinder I found for $9.99.Yeah, they had special spice grinders, but they seemed to do the same basic thing as the coffee grinder, which was way cheaper.

It worked just fine for the nutmeg, so when I ran out of ground pepper one night, but found whole peppercorns in the cabinet, I figured why not try the coffee bean grinder. It was fabulous!

It grinds it finer than a pepper mill and is so fresh that you don't need to use a lot. I haven't bought ground black pepper since. And, have I mentioned how easy it is? Just put the peppercorns in the grinder, hit the button and boom, you've got fresh ground black pepper in seconds.

This is the grinder I happen to pick up, but anyone will work just fine.

Enjoy!

Rosemary Olive Oil Popcorn

2011-10-13T16:14:00.001-04:00

When it comes to snacks, I love fresh, air-popped popcorn. It's healthy, quick, vegan and gluten free. But, when it comes to seasonings on the popcorn, I fret.

Many commercially produced seasonings have MSG and other artificial flavors and preservatives in them. It kind of negates the healthiness of air-popped popcorn! As a result, I've started playing around with my own seasonings -- olive oil, fresh cracked pepper, rosemary, garlic, Parmesan cheese.

I prefer olive oil to butter, because it's a good fat, vegan and really, I just prefer the taste! So, when I got a bottle of Bertolli Extra Virgin Olive Oil to try, I immediately used it in my popcorn testing. It gave my popcorn a light, fresh flavor with a touch of fruitiness.

For this I used dried rosemary, but have used fresh in the past. When using fresh rosemary, cut the pieces into smaller ones instead of crushing them, and depending on how much rosemary flavor you like, you may want to use just a tad bit less than you would with dried.

1-2 tablespoons of Bertolli Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon rosemary
1/2 cup Orville Redenbacher's Gourmet Popping Corn
salt

In a small dish crush the rosemary and add a tablespoon of the olive oil, along with a sprinkle of salt. Let it sit for about 15 minutes.

Drizzle a little bit of olive oil in a large bowl, and place under your air popper. Using the popper (I like the Presto Pop Lite hot air popper) pop the kernels according to the directions.

Once the kernels are popped spoon the olive oil and rosemary mixture over the top. Either mix or if the bowl has a lid, like the one I always use, cover and shake. Depending on the popcorn, and your taste, you may want to drizzle a little more olive oil over the top or add a little extra salt.

Enjoy!

Fall Foliage in the Adirondacks: Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-12T15:55:00.000-04:00

This is only a partial Wordless Wednesday, because I'm going to be mad at myself if I don't explain this photo a little. Over the weekend I took my aunt for a drive around the southern Adirondacks. We drove down the road my great grandmother used to live on and just had to stop at this pond to take a picture when we saw the colors.

So pretty!

This is one of my favorite ponds, because we always used to walk down the road from her house and skip rocks across the pond. I was never exceptionally good at it, but did learn the secret to picking good rocks to do it with.

The colors on Saturday were just stunning. There are more fall foliage photos on our Facebook page.

This post was shared on the following websites: Wordless Wednesday, Bit of Byrd.

Views From Prospect Mountain

2011-10-08T22:04:00.001-04:00

The past few weeks have been busy -- traveling to Atlanta for a conference, then Orlando to Disney World and this weekend we brought my aunt from Staten Island up to the Adirondacks. Two words: So fun!

My great-grandmother was her father's sister, so she's been coming up to Lake George since she was a young girl, too, but hasn't been here for more than 20 years. Obviously, a lot of things have changed. We took a little tour around the area -- driving up Prospect Mountain, passing through Bolton Landing and taking a stroll through The Sagamore.

It was unusually beautiful this weekend -- not a cloud in the sky. Plus, the leaves are perfect -- some areas have changed while others still have at least a week or two until they are there.

The photo above was taken on the road up to the top of Prospect Mountain. It was so interesting to watch the change of leaves there. At the bottom everything was green and as you went higher the leaves began to change color.

And, the sky -- not a cloud in it. It was so beautiful! You can see more photos on our Facebook page page.

Our day was capped off with eggplant rollatini made from vegetables grown in my garden, homemade sauce and of course some red wine. Cooking for my aunt was so nerve-racking, because she is one of the best cooks I know! Thanks goodness it all came out OK.

Hope you had a happy Saturday!

The Disney Magic Lives On

2011-10-05T01:25:00.000-04:00

A guest post by Vikki Hurley-Schubert

It’s no secret I love Disney World, so I love bringing my friends to the happiest place on Earth to share the magic.

After years of trying, Michelle finally agreed to come with me for her first visit as an adult. Mind you, this was after the bribe of a stay at her personal Mecca-Animal Kingdom Lodge, where African animals roam freely on the hotel grounds. It is also moments away from the Animal Kingdom theme park.

We spent the day at Animal Kingdom park today, and it was like watching a kid on Christmas. Every turn was a new discovery and squeals and giggles of delight were at every corner. Her face was like a Christmas tree-lit bright and shiny, full of joy.

This is the magic of Disney.

It is pure and simple…there is something for everyone everywhere. For the kids, it is discovering Disney for the first time. For the adults, it’s rediscovering Disney for the first time as a grownup and seeing it through the kids eyes, remembering how you felt at their age, while having an appreciation for all the magic that happens.

I love coming with someone like Michelle, and rediscovering why I love Disney so much as she experiences it again as an adult during our getaway.

In our first 36 hours, there have been many magic moments. From fireworks at Cinderella’s castle to parades to musical shows in the parks, the moments have just kept coming where she is saying “wow, that was amazing.”

Even something as simple as grabbing lunch has been an amazing experience. Michelle is vegetarian, so it is a new way for me to look at Disney dining and I’ve taken it as a personal invitation to try new places and new foods, which is opening a whole new world of yummy delights.

It’s amazing for me to be able to share that magic through her, keep reading as we chronicle our adventure for many posts to come.

Vikki

Ahhhh - Disney Vacation!

2011-10-04T01:45:00.001-04:00

Disney has been a complete blast!

So far, we did Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party and a majority of the rides in the Magic Kingdom (when did Space Mountain become so frightful?), hit Hollywood Studios (what happened to MGM?) and tasted some new foods in Epcot (who knew Moroccan food was so good).

My friend Vikki, who along with her husband invited me here to Disney, was so right -- Disney World is much different as an adult. You notice new things and have a different appreciation for the fabulous ~~marketing~~ magic that takes place.

No, seriously -- it is fun in a different way. So, yes, all my friends who told me this and have been trying to get me to come here for years, you are all welcome to say, "I told you so."

We're staying at the Animal Kingdom Lodge and it's just amazing. What a beautiful place!

Here's a photo from one of the hotel windows. Can't wait to share photos!

Off to Disney World!

2011-10-02T10:10:00.000-04:00

Waiting at the gate in Newark.

I can get bored easily, so it's not surprising that I love traveling -- exploring new places, meeting new people, having new experiences. Maybe I should have named this website, "Have Laptop, Will Travel."

Seriously.

It's just so expensive to travel, that I don't get to do it nearly as much as I would like. Wouldn't it be nice to decide, "Hey, I'm going to Chicago for the weekend to check out this new restaurant?" :)

But, it has been a traveling week/weekend for me, and I kind of like it. I got in from BarkWorld Expo, a social media conference for the pet industry just after midnight, and now, 8 hours later I'm sitting back at Newark Liberty waiting for a flight to Orlando.

I'm meeting my friend Vikki and her husband at Disney World, and I can.not.wait.!Vikki is a food writer, too with a much more experienced pallet than mine, so I'm looking forward to trying new things, especially at the Food and Wine Festival.

Not sure how much time I'll have to write, but I will be tweeting from there and will hopefully send some mobile blog posts and photos.

I'd love to hear about your Disney experiences!

Bacca Bellini at Loews Hotels

2011-09-30T09:10:00.003-04:00

Rarely do I have the urge to immediately come back to my hotel room and write about what I ate or drank, but seriously this one drink tonight at the Loews in Atlanta -- ahhhmazing!

Their drink menu features the signature drinks from all of the Loews properties and the first one I tried was the Bacca Bellini -- the signature drink at the Loews Portofino Bay Hotel in Florida. It has Prosecco, blueberry preserves, strawberry puree and rose syrup. It wasn't sweet, but it wasn't bitter or tart either.

I should have just ordered another one of them, but instead I tried the Rose Side Car -- the signature drink at the Loews in Denver. Although I do like cognac, I ended up dumping this drink when I got back to my room. It had too strong of a taste for me personally.

It's made with Hennessy VS Cognac, orange liqueur, fresh lime juice and homemade rose petal syrup with a sugar rim.

Atlanta Bound!

2011-09-29T15:25:00.000-04:00

So sorry for the recent lack of posts, but Ive been crazy busy at work! Which is why, I'm very much looking forward to a week away from reality.

Well, sort of. My itinerary is a little crazy.

I'm on my way to Newark Liberty International Airport to catch a late flight to Atlanta for BarkWorld Expo, a social media conference for the pet industry. It actually starts at about the same time I;m leaving here, but it was the best I could do. After the last session Saturday evening, I head back north arriving just after midnight.

Then, I have an 11 a.m. flight out to Orlando, where I'll be meeting my friend Vikki and her husband in Disney World for the Food and Wine Festival! The Disney leg of this trip, will be the first non-conference or work related vacation I've been on in a very long time -- at least three years.

OK, back to the Atlanta trip. We're staying at the Loews Hotel, which is dog friendly and from what I understand is beautiful and I hear there are some fun places to eat and drink. Unfortunately, I'll only be there for less than 48 hours, so the only review, or tips, that come out of it might be about the airport.

(Although, looking at the black cloud that's come over Newark, I might be writing about the drinks in Terminal B of Newark Liberty. ...)

Have you been to Atlanta? What's your favorite memory from there?

Beautiful Day on Lake George

2011-09-28T08:34:00.000-04:00

I know most of my Wordless Wednesday photos lately have been of the lake, but just looking at them, especially on a gloomy day like today, make me smile. I hope they do the same for you

Birthday Time!

2011-09-22T22:49:00.000-04:00

Despite my plans for tonight completely going to hell, I at least got to have some champagne to celebrate my birthday.

Aren't these little bottles of bubbly awesome? I love that bars are starting to carry them.

From my sometimes erratic postings -- 2 weeks everyday and other time not for a whole week-- my gig in the news business keeps me pretty busy with little time to write this sometimes. Well, today was one of those insane days.

Markets crashing means a prime-time special, which means there's no way I could have done anything I really wanted to for my birthday.

So after a 13-hour day, I finally got to enjoy a bit of bubbly at the bar while waiting for my train home.

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry