2011 November | Life Tastes Like Food

Thanksgiving Day Recap

Cooking, Dinner, Food, Holiday, Life, Relationships, Side Dishes 5 Responses »

Nov 302011

Alright, friends, prepare for a recap of my traditionally untraditional family Thanksgiving experience. The actual day of Thanksgiving is where we have the biggest gathering. We don’t eat traditional Thanksgiving food on this day. It’s a big potluck with a main course of steak and lobster–surf and turf, anyone?! Then on Fridays, my parents and I usually do a smaller Thanksgiving day dinner with the traditional turkey, stuffing, and all the other Thanksgiving Day goodies. This year, since my step Dad was away on business, we skipped our Friday tradition. But Thursday was just as fun! Now, I have an extremely large family. Does anyone else have large family gatherings? They’re so crazy and fun! I know a lot of people say that they have big families, but I’m seriously not joking. My mom has TWELVE siblings, NINE of which (including my mom) live in the area. Along with them, their [Continue Reading...]

Piroghy Pie

Baking, Cooking, Dinner, Food, Friendship, Guest post, Life, Recipe 2 Responses »

Nov 292011

Today’s Reader Guest Post for The Holiday Project: Kristin from Elk Grove, California [Kristin is a friend who always has a bubbly personality and a smile on her face. Throw in the fact that she's a law student that loves to cook and you've got yourself a girl that's ready to conquer the world! Yep.] ******************************************************************* Hello blog world! I’m Kristin, and I like food, wine, and purple things. I’m a second-year law student at UC Davis and I’m a big fan of cooking things quickly with a high yield of leftovers. My friends Gia and Danielle helped me out with assembling this casserole- cooking is always more fun with friends! Piroghy Pie is one of my go-to comfort foods, plus it’s easy and lasts for-ev-er. In my family, piroghies are kind of a big deal. They are an Eastern European equivalent to dumplings, but with a thicker “wrapping” [Continue Reading...]

Zucchini Ribbon Pasta with Tomatoes and Bacon

Cooking, Dinner, Food, Friendship, Guest post, Holiday, Life, Recipe 6 Responses »

Nov 252011

Zucchini Ribbon Pasta with Tomatoes and Bacon

Hey, friends! I hope everyone had a wonderful and warm Thanksgiving!! Earlier this week, I wrote a guest post over at Wandering Spice. Yasmeen from Wandering Spice will also be doing a guest post for Life Tastes Like Food’s Holiday Project this month too! I wrote the guest post for Yasmeen because she was going on holiday…and guess what?! She came back ENGAGED!!!! How amazing is that?! Congrats, Yasmeen! I’m so happy for you. Head over to her blog to check out my guest post, along with her great recipes! Below is the first part of my guest post: ******************************************************** I wanted to share with you a fresh and healthy pasta dish that is so fun to eat and make! Zucchini is so much prettier in ribbon form. With the green and yellow ribbons, bright red grape tomatoes, and rich chunks of crunchy bacon–this plate will make your eyes very [Continue Reading...]

Happy Thanksgiving!

Food, Friendship, Holiday, Life No Responses »

Nov 242011

From me to you. I’m so thankful for all of my family, friends, and the wonderful online community that has been growing since I started this blog. Thanks for putting up with me on the days I go on far too long about things, my weird sense of humor, and my annoying cravings that lead me to post 5 recipes in a row with the same main ingredient. You all inspire me to do what I do. I hope everyone has a lovely holiday and that it is filled with spending time with loved ones and of course, an outrageous amount of wonderful food. Cheers! -Steph

Whole-Wheat Pomegranate Scones

Baking, Breakfast, Food, Friendship, Guest post, Health, Holiday, Life, Recipe 10 Responses »

Nov 242011

Today’s Holiday Project Blogger Guest Post: Laura from Family Spice [I want to eat everything that Laura has on her site. Her photography is just lovely. This blogger and mama knows how to impress! As if today isn't already filled to the brim with food, Laura's recipe can't be ignored. Yum! Happy Thanksgiving!] ****************************************************************** My name is Laura and I am from Family Spice. I like to feature healthy, family-friendly meals, some of which reflect my Persian background. Okay, some of them aren’t totally healthy, but I do try! I am super excited to be participating in Stephanie’s Grand Holiday Project! I have never really participated in guest blog posts, and I’m really honored that Stephanie asked me. I love her blog, her recipes and her lip-smacking photographs. I hope I do her blog justice with my special addition and recipe. The holidays truly are a magical time in our house. [Continue Reading...]

Butternut Squash Soup

Cooking, Dinner, Food, Friendship, Guest post, Holiday, Life, Recipe 2 Responses »

Nov 222011

Today’s Reader Guest Post for The Holiday Project: Lily from Brooklyn, New York [Lily is a dear friend of mine from high school, and I was lucky enough to visit her in New York earlier this year! She's such an amazing and inspiring individual. And this soup sounds amazinggg! ] ********************************************************************** In the winter months, I spend the majority of my days dreaming of beach weather, rooftop barbeques, and outdoor concerts. I brave the snow only with the prayer that it will be summer again, and everything will be right. In the summer, though, I daydream of winter squash – the horrible cold’s one redeeming accessory. Roast it, toast it, mash it, fry it, casserole it – I love winter squash, and butternut is my favorite. Butternut Squash Soup 2 T butter 1 medium sized butternut squash, peeled and cubed 2-3 average sized potatoes, cubed (best to use something creamy like a Yukon [Continue Reading...]

Pumpkin Spice “Latte”

Breakfast, Coffee, Drinks, Life, Recipe 5 Responses »

Nov 212011

Happy Monday, Everyone! Do you guys hate Mondays as much as I do? Yeah, I feel ya. But coffee helps, right? Well, to help you get through your Monday, I’m sharing something I discovered about a certain Fall favorite. Ohhh, boy, I have found the secret! To a pretty freaking good mock pumpkin spice latte, that is. Like, just as good. And ridiculously cheaper. Without all the hoopla of making your own syrups or pumpkin puree and whatnot. If you’re like me, you waited a while after the pumpkin spice latte came back to Starbucks this Fall to purchase one because at a whopping $4.95 for a grande sized drink, it’s hard to justify such a treat. I finally gave in, because, well, they’re just undeniably delicious. But I’ve only had 2 this year…on special occasions. Special occasions = walking to the local starbucks to get coffee right before work [Continue Reading...]

Drive, Just Drive

Cooking, Food, Friendship, Health, Life, Self-Exploration 4 Responses »

Nov 192011

“The big lesson in life, baby, is never be scared of anyone or anything.” – Frank Sinatra When I was at the Foodbuzz Food Blogger Festival, the Saturday morning panel was a wonderful way to start the day. Kath, Sarah, Joy, Tracy, and Jessica were such amazing panelists and really opened up my eyes even more to the world of food blogging. Before this festival, I was pretty much on my own. When I first started my blog, I was the only blogger I knew. Slowly through this experience, I have met many other bloggers and it has been such a fun adventure. Really, it was quite a random choice and to this day I can’t really explain why I started a food blog. Actually, yes, I can. I knew I needed a hobby and I knew it needed to be something that I actually enjoyed and wouldn’t wind up [Continue Reading...]

Caramel-Glazed Apple Cake with Caramel Whipped Cream

Baking, Dessert, Food, Guest post, Life, Recipe 4 Responses »

Nov 172011

Today’s Blogger Guest Post: Rachel from Bakerita [Rachel does the majority of her cooking in her dorm building--how amazing and talented is that? This recipe would make a lovely Thanksgiving day dessert. All hail Rachel!] *********************************************************************** Being from Southern California, I had never really, truly experienced “fall” until this year. Venturing up to college in Tacoma, Washington, one of the things I was most excited to experience was the weather. Weather, I have come to know, as being cold, wet, and dark. Yes, I admit, I do miss the California sunshine. However, as I watch the leaves around campus turn every shade from gold, to maroon, to purple, I do marvel at the idea of fall I’ve missed out on all my life. Fall was always a mysterious concept. Trees change colors? The leaves actually fall off the trees and just lay on the ground? It was nonsensical, yet intriguing. [Continue Reading...]

Bacon-Wrapped Abalone Poppers

Cooking, Dinner, Food, Friendship, Guest post, Life, Recipe, Side Dishes 10 Responses »

Nov 152011

Today’s Reader Guest Post: Tammer from Oakland, California [Tammer is a close friend who is an amazing cook. On top of this recipe, he makes a ridiculously delicious abalone ceviche that is to die for! I am constantly in awe of the creative things he comes up with in the kitchen. Enjoy!] ************************************************************** Eaten abalone is not soon forgotten. It’s truth, and as an ab diver I never get tired of hearing people fondly recall an abalone feast from long ago. I’ve been diving for Red Abalone for a half-decade now and have had the pleasure of introducing many friends to this animal that was hunted for thousands of years by Native Americans along California’s coast. Today, the highly regulated take of abalone, along with the difficulty of free-diving to find these elusive sea snails, ensures that each meal is special for both the first timer and the avid diver [Continue Reading...]