easiest lemonade

As you all know, I received a whole bunch of lemons recently. The lemon-strawberry ice cream that I made didn’t even make a dent in the pile that I had taking up space in my fridge. So, I needed a way to use them all up before they got all mushy and gross and I had to chuck them into the garbage. Enter: the easiest lemonade recipe you’ll probably ever make — aside from just stirring some lemon juice with water and sugar in a glass, which, lets face it, never turns out well cause the sugar doesn’t fully dissolve in cold water. The secret to this recipe? Simple syrup!

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AmandaFebruary 15, 2013September 14, 2015Leave a comment

Candy, Dessert, Fruit, Holidays, Snacks, Sweet

tuxedo strawberries

Seeking out a Valentine’s Day gift for a significant other is sometimes difficult. Aside from agonizing over just what to get your sweetie, there’s the added stress of worrying if they’ll truly love the gift you’ve gotten for them. So far, I have yet to meet a man or a woman who would turn down the gift of chocolate. Want to do them one better? Make them these homemade chocolate-covered strawberries! Sweet, creamy, chocolate-y, and while some may say that they’re predictable this time of year, they’re a great traditional Valentine’s gift. Save yourself tons of money by making them yourself. Most places that sell individual chocolate-dipped strawberries at this time of year, tend to charge per berry what you’d usually pay for several pints of strawberries. The best part about making them yourself? You can choose your most favorite brand of chocolate to dip them in.

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AmandaFebruary 13, 2013September 14, 20153 Comments

Breads, Dinner, Lunch, Savory

lazy pesto bread

A short while back, Jim Lahey’s No-Knead Bread made the rounds on the interwebs. It’s still super popular, as more people discover the recipe all the time. It’s a miracle of bread- and dough-making technique, perfect for all the people out there who feel that a good loaf of homemade, crackly-crusted bread is beyond them. The ingredients are mixed by hand into a rough dough which sits at room temperature for several hours, and then gets baked in a cast iron dutch oven. When I first made it, I was shocked that a loaf of bread so good was able to come from my crappy electric oven.

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AmandaFebruary 12, 2013September 14, 20153 Comments

Candy, Dessert, Snacks, Sweet

key lime pie marshmallows

When I first made homemade marshmallows, I was blown away. I thought I was doomed to an eternity of eating marshmallows of the storebought, chemical-filled Jet Puffed variety. I will use these in a pinch, like in my rocky road squares, but I much prefer the homemade kind. They’re surprisingly simple, too!

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AmandaFebruary 8, 2013September 14, 2015Leave a comment

Lunch, Sandwiches, Savory, Snacks, Vegetables, Vegetarian

radish + chive tartine

At Thanksgiving, I hosted my immediate family at my house for the big meal. It was my first time being solely responsible for the entire dinner, so I went all-out: various appetizers, roasted turkey, lots of sides, and two pies . One of the appetizers that I made was little squares of pumpernickel bread with chive and onion cream cheese, topped with some fresh radish slices and cracked black pepper. The tray of these little snacks went very fast, and I’ve been dreaming about them since. I wanted to turn those ingredients into a sandwich, so what better way than a classic French tartine, or open-faced sandwich?

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AmandaFebruary 5, 2013September 14, 20153 Comments

Dessert, Frozen Treats, Summer, Sweet

lemon-strawberry ice cream

Recently, my roommate brought home a bunch of lemons from a co-worker’s lemon tree. These lemons were HUGE. Like grapefruit-sized, huge.

Since there were so many, I wasn’t quite sure how to utilize them. I solicited ideas, and was met with suggestions for lemon pound cake, homemade limoncello, lemon bars, you name it. Even with all these lovely ideas swirling around in my head, I always have a weakness for ice cream, and I’m one of those crazy people who could eat ice cream even in the dead of winter. Thankfully it’s not that cold where I live, so ice cream can always been in season! When life gives you lemons, you make a whole bunch of lemon-strawberry ice cream! Well, you do if you’re me.

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AmandaFebruary 1, 2013September 14, 20152 Comments

Dessert, Snacks, Sweet

rocky road squares

(Every time I see a bag of marshmallows, I feel compelled to squish it. Does that make me weird?)

Most people who know me, know that I rarely turn down chocolate. As a kid, one of my favorite ice cream flavors (and to this day still ranks in the top 3) was rocky road. What’s not to love about awesome chocolate ice cream, with marshmallows and almonds? Plain perfection.

A few years ago, on a whim, I set out to make some rocky road candy. I went to the store and randomly bought some chocolate, marshmallows and salted almonds. I threw them together with not much of a plan in mind, and the finished product was damn near perfect in my eyes. I don’t think I’ve created such a hassle-free dessert recipe since.

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AmandaJanuary 25, 2013September 14, 20151 Comment

Dinner, Fall, Main Dish, Meat, Savory, Winter

meatloaf-lettes!

When I was growing up, I don’t really recall eating a lot of meatloaf. It’s a very basic, homey kind of dish, yet I do not have a lot of memories of my mom cooking it for dinner.

Once I started cooking on my own, it was not a dish I would have chosen if I had my pick. Red meat, while tasty, has never been my go-to entree of choice, primarily because I’d rather have something more healthy and more vegetable-heavy. For better or worse, ground beef is always generally inexpensive and that’s a definite plus when shopping on my limited budget. Save for the rest of the ingredients, which are generally pantry staples, one meatloaf runs a little over 4 bucks and can serve almost as many people. It’s great because you can still turn out an easy, delicious meal when hard times are upon you. I’m glad I decided to embrace the humble dish that is meatloaf. Now, it’s one of my bi-weekly staples for dinner, and I just love it. Try this version and I dare you to tell me that you don’t also love it!

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AmandaJanuary 22, 2013September 14, 20151 Comment

Dinner, Fall, Savory, Sides, Winter

super creamy mashed potatoes

I know this is the second post on potatoes in about as many days, but can you blame me? Potatoes are just so damned tasty. Mashed potatoes are one of those foods that I could just eat for the entire meal. It wouldn’t be balanced, for sure, but it would be a meal! They’re the best kind of comfort food. Warm, filling, with a hit of butter for good measure. I always used to make my mashed potatoes with the standard butter and milk, but then I started replacing half the milk with sour cream. They was good, but not great. It was when I used all sour cream and no milk, that I was finally satisfied with my mashed potatoes. These are creamy and slightly tangy, rich but not overwhelmingly so. Perfect with any meal, or as a meal in themselves if you’re so inclined. Don’t worry, I won’t tell.

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AmandaJanuary 20, 2013September 14, 20154 Comments

Dinner, Fall, Savory, Sides, Vegetables, Winter

rosemary roasted baby potatoes

If I had to say which side dish I cook the most, it would definitely be potatoes. They’re cheap, taste great, are quick to cook, and don’t require a lot of fancy ingredients to make them taste fantastic — salt and pepper is generally all they really need, and maybe a bit of butter if you feel like gilding the lily.

Both food snobs and picky eaters alike can find something to love in potatoes. One such satisfying dish is these simple roasted baby potatoes. They’ve got the necessary salt and pepper, as well as some fresh rosemary and garlic to punch them up a bit. Since the little potatoes are left whole, the outside takes on a slightly crispy texture, absorbing all the herbs and all that tasty fresh garlic. The insides stay perfectly creamy and soft, with nothing but earthy potato flavor.

These little taters are very simple to prepare and will do just fine left to their own devices in a hot oven while you prepare the rest of dinner on the stove. They are excellent with roast chicken, and would be equally welcome with a good steak and a simple salad. My favorite accompaniment for these guys? Just a bowl and a fork, thank-you-very-much.

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