Uncategorized | Life Tastes Like Food

Tomorrow is a new beginning.

Friendship, Life, Self-Exploration, Uncategorized 9 Responses »

Feb 052012

Tomorrow, I embark on a new beginning.

Tomorrow, my skills and strengths will be tested at the next level.

Tomorrow, I officially begin my new job with optimism, courage, and strive. But as I welcome it with open arms, my heart is heavy because it also marks the reality that I am not longer at my old job.

Today, though, I embrace this change. Today, I celebrate how lucky I am.

They say you can’t have everything and although I definitely understand this, somehow I find myself wishing–just for a split second–that it was possible. To have everything. Then I wouldn’t have to leave one thing to follow my passion for another. Then I wouldn’t have to accept that change is a constant that can’t be messed with. Hell, then I would just eat bacon all day and swim in a pool of hot chocolate! That would be my everything. Can I just have that?! No?

No. OK–back to reality.

Today is not about doubt or fear or happiness elsewhere, it’s about celebration. I’m celebrating the fact that I even got to experience such a wonderful chapter in my life. I’m celebrating the amazing work-family that I have developed over the last 4 years at my job. They took me under their wing and taught me so much. They believed in me even when I didn’t and they have an everlasting faith in my abilities as a professional and as an individual. To experience that sort of love and support from colleagues, mentors, and superiors exceeds any of my expectations of a work community.

There are no words to say exactly how much I truly appreciate each and everyone one of them.

But there comes a time when ambition drives strength and eagerness to learn more surpasses all fear. I am ready for this challenge and so excited to dip my feet into an environment I’ve had a drive for since I can remember.

Today, I’m celebrating the end of this chapter in my life with a warm heart and sincere gratitude. And I also am celebrating the next chapter that’s about to begin. And the many chapters to come after that…

So as I keep the last 4 years close to my heart, I’m ready to tackle the world.

Wish me luck.

Happy Sunday! :)

Marinated Cheese and Olives

Food, Guest post, Holiday, Life, Recipe, Side Dishes, Uncategorized 4 Responses »

Dec 132011

Today’s Blogger Guest Post for The Holiday Project:
Carrie from Our Life In Food

[I've been reading Our Life In Food for a while now, and I just love Carrie's great recipes! This dish would make a great antipasto for any event! Thanks, Carrie!]

**********************************************************************

Many of the best memories over the course of my life involve sharing good food and drinks with the people that I love. And when it comes to the holidays, there’s just nothing quite as heartwarming as un-bundling from the cold and settling in with family over a great cheese tray and a nice bottle of red wine. We talk, we laugh, we tell jokes, and we make great memories together over appetizers and snacks. And so for me, holiday appetizer recipes might just be my favorite of all of the special foods that we make over the holiday season. They’re the little treats that I associate with the fondest memories and with my favorite part of the holiday season – enjoying the company of my loved ones.

This marinated cheese and olives recipe is a great little appetizer and a unique addition to a cheese platter. It’s a simple recipe – just tangy olives, creamy cheese, and juicy sun dried tomatoes all combined in a lovely dressing made from olive oil, vinegar, brown mustard, rosemary, and spices. It’s the kind of recipe that you can throw together quickly and easily, and it’s the kind of snack that you can leave sitting out for people to nibble on. Just throw a little container of toothpicks next to your serving bowl or onto your cheese platter, grab a glass of wine or a mug of eggnog, and setttle in.

Marinated Cheese and Olives

Source: Adapted from Southern Living Ultimate Christmas Cookbook

2/3 cup pitted Kalamata olives
2/3 cup green olives stuffed with pimientos
6-8 oz block Colby cheese, cut into cubes
6-8 sun dried tomatoes packed in oil, chopped
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons cider vinegar (or any kind of vinegar that you prefer)
1 heaping teaspoon brown mustard
1 sprig rosemary, minced
Kosher salt and black pepper
Good pinch Herbs de Provence
Good pinch crushed red pepper flakes

1. Place the olives, cheese, and sun dried tomatoes in a mixing bowl.

2. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, and rosemary. Season to taste with a pinch of salt, pepper, Herbs de Provence, and crushed red pepper flakes.

3. Pour the dressing over the olive mixture. Mix gently, and refrigerate until ready to serve.*

*This recipe can be made well in advance and will keep for a few weeks in the refrigerator. Just be sure to remove from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving, as the dressing will begin to solidify when cold due to the olive oil.

Carrie has been the author at Our Life in Food since 2008. She believes in the power of great home cooking and the role that good food and drinks play in enriching our lives. She loves to drink beer, sip wine, try new recipes and perfect old favorites, and spend lazy hours laughing and talking while out to eat at a local pub or a favorite restaurant.

Contact Info

Website: http://www.ourlifeinfood.com

Email: ourlifeinfood@gmail.com

Cookie Swap: Gingersnaps with Chai Icing and Crystalized Ginger

Baking, Dessert, Food, Friendship, Holiday, Recipe, Uncategorized 13 Responses »

Dec 122011

Oh, snap! It’s cookie season!

I love traditional cookies–chocolate chip, peanut butter, etc. etc. but sometimes I like to switch it up. While I often revert back to the comfort of simple and traditional cookies, it’s fun to experiment a bit with the cookies you’ve always loved.

This year for The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap (hosted by Love and Olive Oil and The Little Kitchen), I decided to make chewy gingersnaps with a twist. I added some chai icing and sprinkled some grated crystalized ginger to top off each cookie! The crystalized ginger gives the cookie an added kick and the chai icing slightly sweetens each bite–it’s a great balance, if you ask meee!

I was hesitant on making these for the cookie swap because I know some people don’t favor ginger, but then I thought, why not?! Ginger is healthy and good for you. Plus, if they don’t like the cookies, I’m sure they can find someone who will eat them! Hopefully.

I really enjoyed the cookies myself, especially with a steaming hot cup of earl grey tea. They didn’t have too much “snap” and were soft and chewy…just how I like them. The crazy thing about this whole cookie exchange was mailing the cookies! When I packed them carefully, I thought I did a pretty good job. But once I handed the boxes over to the lady at the post office, she literally threw them about 10 feet into a large bin. Whaa??? So I hope they weren’t just a box of crumbs when they got to their respective addresses.

For this cookie exchange, I made 3 dozen of these cookies and sent 1 dozen off to 3 different bloggers. In return, I received 3 dozen cookies! 1 dozen each from 3 other bloggers. Unfortunately, my mailman doesn’t leave packages at my door so I still haven’t picked them up! I went on Saturday but the post office closed early! I’m so curious about who sent me cookies! And of course, I want to EAT THEM!

So to the bloggers who sent me cookies, THANK YOUUUU! I will find out who you are very soon and taste your delicious cookies.

And to Baking With Basil, Rhubarb and Honey, and A Gilt Nutmeg: I hope you enjoyed the cookies! Happy Holidays!!

Gingersnaps with Chai Icing and Crystalized Ginger (Cookie recipe adapted from Alphabet Soup Blog)

1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup unsulphured molasses
1 large egg
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
additional granulated sugar for rolling, about 1/4 cup
crystalized ginger, chopped or shredded

For the icing:

1 cup powdered sugar
2-4 teaspoons chai concentrate

Cream together the butter and sugar. Then mix in the molasses and egg until everything is well incorporated.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, salt, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, and baking soda. In small amounts, slowly add this mixture to the butter/molasses bowl. Once everything is well mixed, wrap the dough up in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour. You can also refrigerate it overnight!

When ready to bake the cookies, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put the additional sugar in a small bowl. Roll dough into 1-inch balls and roll in the sugar. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Each ball should be about 2 inches apart.

Bake cookies for 9-12 minutes. Let cool on the sheet for a couple minutes, and then transfer to a cooling rack to finish cooling.

While the cookies are baking, make the icing and chop/shred the crystalized ginger. For the icing, place the powdered sugar in a small bowl. Add 1 teaspoon of chai concentrate at time until you get a nice icing consistency. Be careful because a single teaspoon can go a long way!

Once the cookies are completely cooled, drizzle or pipe icing across the cookies. While the icing is still wet, press on a couple pieces of crystalized ginger on each cookie.

Enjoy!

In Transition…

Friendship, Life, Self-Exploration, Uncategorized 10 Responses »

Aug 242011

So now that my blog has successfully moved over from wordpress.com to a new host, I’m still moving. Physically, that is. To a new city!

Frankly, it’s exhausting, especially because I hate packing and moving. I wish I could be cooking away right now but instead, I’m trying to convince myself which pots and pans I should keep and which I should donate.

I am very excited to be moving though and can’t wait to begin this next chapter in life (more on that in the next post). It’s all very bittersweet. So for the time being, you may not hear from me for about a week (give or take a couple days) so I can get through my move smoothly!

Can’t wait to tell you all about it, so stay tuned, you lovely readers :)

In the meantime, these quotes express how I’m feeling right now–curious about the world ahead of me…maybe you can relate to them too…

Cheers :)

One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.

Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known. - Carl Sagan

If we couldn’t laugh, we’d go insane. - Robert Frost

Logic will get you from A to Z. Imagination will get you everywhere. – Albert Einstein

Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world. – Harriet Tubman

Greek Salad with Lemon Garlic Dressing

Food, Health, Life, Lunch, Recipe, Uncategorized 4 Responses »

Aug 102011

So, I know I’ve already done a post on a traditional Greek salad, but I thought I’d do another version of it. My original post consisted of the same recipe used when I visited the Greek Islands and Athens about 6 years ago. Recently though, I have encountered numerous restaurants that serve their Greek salads differently.

Maybe it’s served this way in other parts of Greece, or maybe it’s just Greek “inspired” but either way, I have not been able to stop eating this salad!

It started when I ate a version of it at a local pizza joint. The light, lemony dressing caught my attention, and when it was mixed in with the butter leaf lettuce, kalamata olives and tomato wedges, I really enjoyed the combination. Then, fast forward to a couple of weeks later at another local restaurant named Crepeville: I was there for lunch when my collegue ordered the Greek salad. This time, it was loaded with romaine lettuce and topped off with a very light amount of thickly sliced cucumber, grape tommatoes, a sprinkle of feta cheese, olives, and that same lemon dressing.

I decided that I needed to re-make this salad! With a couple of additions and twists here and there, I found a “Greek Salad” that I really enjoy eating over and over. The dressing is just so tasty! This is perfect for a light meal, especially on a warm day. And it’s incredibly healthy yet flavorful!

Although I still feel an authentic Greek salad is comprised of large cuts of tomato, cucumber, feta and NO salad, this version is an instant hit in my book.

Greek Inspired Salad with a Lemon Garlic Dressing (adapted from Pam over at For the Love of Cooking)

For the Salad:

Romaine Lettuce
Kalamata olives
Grape tomatoes
Red onion, thinly sliced
Cucumber, sliced and seeded
Feta cheese
Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper

For the Dressing

6 Tablespoons of olive oil
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
2 Teaspoons red wine vinegar
1 Teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and pepper

For the salad, combine all the ingredients and top with fresh feta cheese and salt and pepper to taste.

For the dressing, whisk the olive oil, lemon juice and red wine vinegar together. Then add the minced garlic and oregano. Once the mixture is fully incorporated, add salt and pepper to taste. Mix well again, and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes. Then enjoy it over the salad!

P.S. There’s a giveaway tomorrow! Stay tuned! :)