Green Beans with Garlic Vinaigrette

Steam the green beans, (1 lb)... but do not overcook; for the vinaigrette, you need 2 cloves of garlic finely chopped or pressed, juice of one lemon, 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
In a small food chopper or a bowl, mix everything together, (except the olive oil)...slowly drizzle the olive oil...you can also use a wire whisk if not using a mini food chopper!

You would think that after MIA (missing in action)...I would come back to post an incredibly (WOW) post; so not happening! You see, since Mother's Day, I've been feeling so 'bummed' out...and carrying such sadness in my heart over the death of my dear friend Dianne's mother's sudden death; right on Mother's Day! She, herself is battling lung cancer (never smoked) for the last 2 years! I've been trying to be a good support for her (age 60). Anybody that says second hand smoking is not dangerous?...think again!

I've been also keeping myself busy with my private chef work...catering, as well! Just have to get my mind off of things that I cannot change. I have made some really nice dishes, and desserts, but just did not take even one photo of them...especially my N.Y. style cheesecake, my Yellow Cake with chocolate cream cheese frosting, my Caprese Ziti Pasta with the fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and basil, just to name a few! I have not gone on any social sites at all...such as facebook, have not visited blogs, or commented;...shame on me!

Pinning on Pinterest has been my only entertainment on the web! You don't have to comment, just keep on pinning on all your favorite boards which can take up hours of your time!

Also, I've noticed how bloggers have just abandoned their blogs...some favorite follower friends stopped commenting; some have totally ignored my previous comments...but I'm sure, that has happened to most of us in the near past!

I am so thankful to you, my sweet food, and other blogger friends that are still active and keep up with your lovely blogs. We all have our private lives, our jobs, families, significant 'others'...and mostly our daily routines, sometimes health related issues to worry about! Life has its ups-and-downs but we have to keep a positive outlook...and sometimes that positive outlook can be clouded by doubts and fears which we have to overcome!

Avocado and Tomato Basil Bruschetta

Also, I have made a really healthy, and yummy bruschetta a couple months ago...I could not upload the photos during that time, and have forgotten all about it! I used the yellow cherry tomatoes, the avocado pieces were diced rather larger, or maybe I should have smashed them, but it's based on the very similar recipe that I found on Pinterest!

Smashed Avocado + Tomato Basil Bruschetta

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

5 mins

Total time

10 mins

Whole grain slices of french bread are toasted to perfection and topped with smashed avocado and a garlicky tomato basil mixture.

Author: Monique

Recipe type: Appetizer, Lunch, Healthy

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 1/2 loaf whole grain french bread (or 1 petite loaf), sliced 1/2 inch thick
• 2 avocados, smashed
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, plus exta
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 large roma tomatoes, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 3-4 basil leaves, chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat oven on broiler setting.
2. Place slices of bread on baking sheet, spray with olive oil cooking spray and sprinkle with sea salt; broil slices in oven about 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Remove from oven and rub with one clove of garlic (make sure to cut it in half before rubbing).
3. In a medium bowl, mix smashed avocado, lime juice, and 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt and ground pepper.
4. In a separate large bowl, combine tomatoes, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar. Mince other garlic clove and add it into tomato mixture.
5. Spread smashed avocado mixture onto each slice of toast, then generously spoon tomato topping on top. Garnish with basil and serve immediately.

Recipe by Ambitious Kitchen at http://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/2012/08/smashed-avocado-tomato-basil-bruschetta/

My New York Style Cheesecake...from 2 years ago, and also made it recently...original recipe can be found here; also video as well!
NEW YORK CHEESECAKE...by Joy of Baking

Santa Fe Brownies

At the rate I'm going with my post...I'll be ready for the next holiday; which is Mother's Day! Not doing too well on facebook either, or twitter, for that matter, and forget about Google + which I'm still figuring out, just randomly Google + ing people I don't even know, and try to keep up with friends that I do know!
Aside from the fact of 'social media'...which I seem to be 'anti-social'...I will still carry on with my food blog because I made so many friends there, and consider your friendship as if you lived close by!

Does it happen to you like me, sometimes?...you open up an old unforgotten cookbook, and suddenly see a fabulous dish or dessert that in the past you thought about making it?...but now, in the present, knowing the book is over 20 or 30...maybe even 40yrs old, and you know you have to make modifications...big time! A challenge is what it is; otherwise you will have to stick to more recent recipes, which are on the lighter side; and you can actually see photos...which in some of these old books you're lucky if you have diagram of some drawings and illustrations.

If I remember correctly, I have made a similar amazing decadent and rich brownies with the cream cheese marbleized swirls and posted it on my blog, in the past couple years (not looking for it now) This is Maida Heatter's recipe who's last copyright was in 1992; but I haven't seen any more of her books, since then...she might have even passed on!

Good thing that I always have the basic ingredients on hand, because I made this at the last minute's notice...allowing myself a couple of hours. I took this to my son's house...even though they are all 'health conscious'...a piece or two of brownies is a comforting simple dessert!

Besides the fact that my son Joe is an artist, and has a full time job; he has a huge project that he is involved with, and is the founder of it... cleaning up our beaches in Palm Beach county...called,
 BE OCEAN
which you can find on facebook!

This surely is a proper balance of light and delicious dinner: Steamed, and sautéed Kale...Baked Spaghetti, and Baked Salmon, (rubbed with a raspberry spice rub)...yumm!


 Maida Heatter's Santa Fe Brownies from one of Maida Heatter's chocolate dessert cookbooks.
Cake Ingredients

1 ½ c		unbleached flour
1 ½ t		baking powder
¾ t		salt
6 oz		unsweetened chocolate
6 oz		semi-sweet chocolate
8 oz		unsalted butter
5		eggs 4 eggs
1 ¼ c		sugar 1 cup sugar
1 ½ c		brown sugar 1/2 cup brown sugar
1 T		vanilla 2 teaspoons
8 oz		walnuts optional

Line a 9-by-13 pan (with vertical sides, if possible) with aluminum foil. Put a few dabs of butter in the pan and put it in the oven to melt the butter. Then use some crumpled plastic wrap to spread the butter over the foil Spray pan with Pam, or other brand name veg. or butter spray, and also the aluminum foil as well.. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. no need to sift!Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler. you can melt it in the microwave oven, adding a few drops of water to the chocolate. Follow instruction for melting chocolate!Mix the eggs, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Stir in the chocolate mixture, then the dry ingredients. Stir in about 2/3 of the walnuts. Set aside 2¼ cups of the mixture, and spread the rest in the pan.  Cream cheese topping ingredients
(This may be doubled for very cheesy brownies.) I did not double the ingredients (no need to)

12 oz		cream cheese
3 oz		butter
1½ t		vanilla
¾ c		sugar 1/2 cup sugar
3		eggs 1 egg

Warm the cream cheese and butter to room temperature. Beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Then beat in the vanilla and sugar. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Pour the cheese mixture over the chocolate in the pan. Soften the remaining 2¼ cups of cake mixture by stirring it briskly. Then pour it over the top of the cheese mixture in the pan. Cut diagonally through the top two layers to marblize them. Lay the remaining walnuts on top.

  Bake for 75 minutes. If you doubled the cream cheese, bake for about another 30 minutes. When the top is sufficiently brown, put some foil on it, especially around the edges, to keep the cheese from burning. Total bake time is 35-40 minutes. The instruction for bake time in the original recipe is totally incorrect!Put the whole business in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, turn the cake out of the
pan onto a board, peel off the foil, and carefully

cut the cake into small pieces. Wrap the pieces in wax paper to keep them from sticking together.

As soon as brownie cools down, you can lift it out with the foil that is hanging over, and start cutting up the brownies; as I have in my top photo shown!

Red Gold Tomato Giveaway

Red Gold has been producing premium quality tomato products since 1942, focusing on growing local in the Midwest, while it's cold in the winter, has the perfect growing season for tomatoes; perfect angle of the sun, perfect temps-and even the winter is good for tomatoes, as it breaks up the soil for tiny root systems.

Red Gold produces premium quality canned tomatoes and tomato-based products for retail, food service, private brands, and club stores. The Red Gold family of consumer brands includes Red Gold, Redpack, Tuttorosso, and Sacramento. Exceptional quality and operational excellence are the shared values that contributed to the employee-created mission statement: “To produce the freshest, best tasting tomato products in the world”.

Red Gold has graciously contacted me if I would sponsor a giveaway for their product...of course I said "yes"! I received a selection of 5 different diced tomatoes, along with recipe index cards...my most favorite choice was the Red Gold Diced Tomatoes with Basil, Garlic, and Oregano...I made delicious cheeseburgers with it and topped it off with slice Provolone cheese. Photo and recipe to follow!


The gift pack for the giveaway will include a sample of Red Pack goodies (ketchup, Red Gold w/Green Chilies, Red Gold Lime Juice & Cilantro), as well as coupons and recipes for a Spicy Tomato Burger and Caribbean Chicken Burger.

Look for the Red Gold Summertime Grillin' Party-  on their Facebook page. It stated on July 24th the first day of the promotion!

To enter: click on the Grillin' Party image that's posted on their Facebook header. The direct link is: https://www.facebook.com/RedGold/app_349542138512669

The promotion for the Red Gold Giveaway will end on Sunday, Aug, 4th 2013 11.00PM EST. and the winner will be determined by RANDOM.ORG

So far...no restriction apply that I'm aware of, so you can all apply (until further notice)

Thank you for all your kind comments, they are truly appreciated! xo

linking to: Thursday Favorite Things @ Katherines Corner 

                        Full Plate Thursday@Miz Helen's Country Cottage 

 

 

 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

What was I thinking? This is the "butt" of my turkey from last year, which I actually posted on my blog last year! Now, I feel like I must have been the "butt" of the turkey jokes...yet, everyone was nice with their comments to me. No "butt" jokes! I still don't understand what was the reason behind this "turkey pose!" with yet, a scar on it's backside...what a turkey...turkey! The turkey was moist, and delicious...perfectly stuffed, and roasted to a golden bronze color! I will share with you our friends' turkey, after Thanksgiving, where we are invited for a feast!

Actually, I decided to upload the other photo of my beautiful stuffed turkey from last year...not to be rude, and just show the backside! I kind of miss, not baking a turkey for the first time, in over 30 years!

At any rate, I do have my lovely cranberry sauce with
vanilla, from last year...the more I look at those weird twigs (vanilla pods) the more I'm trying to figure out why I used it for decoration...the one pod looks like the letter U...for "unknown" perhaps, and the other pod is just uselessly leaning behind it! Just an observation from last year, but the cranberry sauce was so delicious, and just the right texture!

Cranberry Sauce with Vanilla, Maple Syrup, and Cassis


6 cups (about 1-1/2 lb.) fresh or frozen cranberries, picked over and rinsed
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup fresh orange juice (from 1 orange)
1/3 cup crème de cassis (black-currant liqueur)
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 Tbs. finely grated orange zest (from 1 orange)

Half a vanilla bean, split and scraped
Put 3 cups of the cranberries and all the remaining ingredients in a 3- or 4-qt. saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce the heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries have popped and broken down and the juices look slightly syrupy, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the remaining 3 cups cranberries and cook until these have popped, 3 to 5 minutes more. Remove from the heat, discard the vanilla bean, and let cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate if not serving right away.

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I have so much to be thankful for, this year... and you, my food blogger friends and my other blogger friends, facebook, and Twitter friends, are on top of my list this year!

I have spent way too much time on my blog this year, but the rewards were worth every minute of it getting to know more people, and actually making friends on a personal level that will be remembered for a lifetime I learned a lot from other cultures, and feel that I have traveled around the world, just by reading their amazing stories, and to learn about the foods of their region. You get to learn so much just by sharing your ideas, opening your homes, and kitchens, talking about families, friends, trips, but mostly food...good food, and that is what food blog is about, making friends, laughing, crying, but mostly sharing!
I have a beautiful family; children, grandchildren... which I am blessed with and I am thankful for, every day of my life!

As for social networks... Twitter, and have just recently joined facebook...but haven't delved into it yet as much as I would love to!
Every day, I check comments, and comment back as much as I can, and/or find new blogs to comment to, and make friends...hopefully! It is so important in our foodie community to support one-another, and through Foodbuzz, I have experienced just that, by joining the Foodbuzz Blogger Festival, for the first time this year, which was the 3rd annual event.

I have not joined hardly any...actually "none" of...social networks, other than Foodbuzz! All the other ones, which I did join, I forgot my password, or even the name of the site! For instance, just recently, I signed up for YELP...which is about restaurant, and business reviews. I did upload some restaurant photos, but have not posted a review yet. Also, Taste Spotting...I forgot my password there, as well!...and there is another site...Foodieview.com! Well, I signed up for that too, but have abandoned it, and forgot all about it. There's Etsy shop, and on that one I'm still trying to figure out how to copy and paste a logo!

There's Stumbleupon where I would get all those blogs to my e-mail, to stumble it...when I'm still stumbling here on my own, trying to figure out all these social networks. I actually joined FoodieBlogroll at the same time I joined Foodbuzz, but there, I felt lost...did not know how to connect with other food bloggers. I guess Food Gawker, is the biggy of them all where you have to have impecable photos, or else it gets rejected...I heard. (did not try out for that one either.) One very good networking I did sign up for is the Very Good Recipes, where you just register, and they do all the work for you to upload your posts!

A little preview of  my Hungarian Kifli that I made today for Thanksgiving to take to our hosts' house

So, I wish you all, here in the United States, and in other parts of the world where you reside,
A Blessed and Happy Thanksgiving, and may you have a safe one as well, if you are traveling!
Hugs, to all!
Elisabeth

Chunky Tomato Sauce... and a Book Giveaway!

As I mentioned in my last post, that my son Joe has finally published his first novel, self-published through Amazon.com I'm proud to offer a copy of his book, as a giveaway. Yesterday, he stopped over for a last minute lunch, and wanted to check out the waves on the beach, since we've been having such windy and rainy days in the last few days. He is also an avid surfer, since the age of eleven, and has won several awards, over the years. By profession he is an "Equity Trader" and these last couple years he's been working out of home, so he could finish his novel. Also, he decided to go back to college to get his masters degree in creative writing, after 14 years, graduating from college. He is a fabulous artist, as well, doing totally different designs...as for instance, surf board art designs, and creative designs on canvas. He also designed his book cover. Now, the latest project is his "political cartoon, daily art" which I myself don't quite understand, which has a lot to do with the "stock market."

Anyway, the emphasis now, is on my quick pasta sauce, served with fettucine that I made within 30 minutes, tops.
I always have fresh, dry, and frozen herbs on hand, for which is a "must" in my kitchen. Canned, or fresh tomatoes, is always a "must"...of course, onions, and garlic, and olives...so there you have it, a vegetarian meal to enjoy, even if you are not vegetarian. Joe and his wife Cara have decided to take that route now after and on-again, off-again route, for the last few years. Actually, they do eat seafood, and dairy...so they are "pescatarians?"...is there such a thing?

In a large skillet, all you do is saute, one sliced onion, 3 cloves of garlic sliced, 2 stalks of celery sliced, in 2 Tbsp.vegetable oil till  soft, and slightly golden. Add a 15 oz. can of diced tomatoes, 1 teaspoon tomato paste, mixed in 1/2 cup of water, 1 Tbsp.extra virgin olive oil... salt and pepper, dry, or fresh basil, and let the tomato sauce cook for about 20 minutes, on medium heat, open. Stir from time to time, and after the 20 minutes, add pitted olives (I used Nicoise pitted olives) you can slice the olives, or cut them in half. (I left mine whole)...Serve over pasta of your choice, and add chopped fresh Italian parsley, or fresh basil for flavor and for a nice appearance. You can drizzle more extra virgin olive oil on the top, and serve.

note: I sauteed the vegetable in vegetable oil, because it absorbs the flavor of the vegetables better, since it's cooked on medium-high, and it prevents burning of the oil. Adding the extra virgin olive oil, when you add the tomatoes, gives it a nicer and more flavorful texture. Also, instead of adding the tomato paste directly into the 1/2 cup of water will give it an even texture, and prevents lumpy and too thick of a  texture. 
Now, for the book giveaway:

Lamb's Bread: A Marijuana Fueled American Revolutionary 

[Paperback]

About the book, and Joe's art and Cartoon

Adrian Amato is a pot-smoking, marijuana-dealing, equity trader with a plan to set a trap and imprison the president of the United States on Palm Beach Island. His revolutionary intentions seize the imagination of his brother-in-law, Jeff Silver, who assists Adrian and serves as his biographer, believing that it is an unprecedented, inside opportunity to document the rise of a radical aimed at reshaping the world. Loosely based on the recent collapse of the nation’s economy, Joseph Pregadio’s subversive allegory about a new 

American age is as captivating as it is thought provoking. A suspense-thriller full of unexpected twists and surprising turns, Lamb’s Bread captures the anarchical soul of American discontent and channels it into a fictional tale far more plausible than anyone should feel comfortable with.

Attacking the hubris of the ultra-wealthy and the indiscriminate profiteering of corporate America, Pregadio dares to lay bare the very schemes by which many investment practitioners got rich and then watched the economic system cave in—and funnels that outrage into a broadside indictment through the eyes and actions of Adrian Amato, a modern-day pirate whose goal is to attack the establishment at every possible turn. Bracing in its honesty and entertaining in its method, Lamb’s Bread is a modern parable everyone should put at the top of their reading list. 

As for the giveaway, all you have to do is to comment, so you will be on the list. If you don't follow either on my blog, or Twitter, you will not be eligible. I will ship this signed copy of the book anywhere in the United States, Canada, anywhere else, in the world. YES!... for the first time! I will announce the winner Monday morning. Giveaway ends on Sunday, April 3rd, at 11:00PM, EST.

Buffalo Chicken Wings with Blue Cheese Dressing

Ever wonder why they call these hot wings Buffalo wings?...well, it sure doesn't have anything to do with buffalo meat!...oh, yuck...even the thought of it! I'm going to enlighten you with a little history of these wonderful messy, but so tasty, juicy, and tender wings oozing in a special hot sauce that you make your very own, and have it medium, or extra hot.

It has been repeated so often that these wings were invented at the Anchor Bar on Main Street in Buffalo, that pretty much everyone accepted it as the truth. There has been less consensus, however, about whether the wings were created when a mistaken delivery of wings arrived at the bar and Frank Bellisimo asked his wife, Teressa, to do something with them...or, when Dom, their son, asked his mother to concoct a late-night snack for regulars at the bar. Either way, it was Teressa, who in 1964 came up with the idea of combining spicy wings with crisp celery, and blue cheese dressing.

Buffalo wings did not become famous until 1980, and the city declared July 29..."Chicken Wings Day"...and simply left it at that!

A Nice Salad, and "WOMEN FOOD AND GOD"

I've been obsessing the last couple weeks, about my life,  and doing a little (lot) of soul searching, what is it with us women that we always have to be worrying about our weight? It should be more of a problem how you look, and how you feel, not because of that magic number which could be either joyful, or detrimental to our self image. If you feel good, and you are comfortable with yourself, no matter the size, (except obesity)-which is another subject, then why torture yourself, "what if I loose 10 lbs, 30 lbs, or maybe 50? Well, if you set your mind on it and you really want to do it, then by all means set your goal.
I ordered this "gently used" book from Amazon.com ( remember? I'm a thrifter.) I just cant' seem to put it down, it is really intriguing, and tugging at your "heart sleeve" about these stories of women that have been trying to lose weight for years with all the diets that are out there, only to lose it and gain more weight back. So, stop dieting, and concentrate on being happy with who you are, the way you are, and get to know YOU! You will start to have a clearer focus of what you are actually feeding your stomach, and your soul.
Since I've been blogging about FOOD, and THRIFTING, just for about a few months, I've been so focused with all the helpful information out there, through my Twitter friends, and my Foodie friends, from Foodbuzz. I did not even imagine all the wonderful people out there that have so much to give, and share. So, do yourself a favor, and check out all these amazing food blogs, and the great people that contribute them from the heart. You will not be sorry...and you will make lots of friends in the interim.
Note:
I did not express this minor confession for the reason that I have these issues, but then we all have some sort of issues that we have to, or have had to work out, and FOOD is one of them for most people. Either you get passionate about it, and start realizing that there are so many fresh and nutritious things are out there, there is no excuse for any of us not to start a new chapter in our lives, with our love of GOOD FOOD, and not obsessing about it like a "lost love"...maybe a lost puppy! ...hope not.

Here are some deep excerpts, from WOMEN FOOD AND GOD by: Geneen Roth


I don't believe in the God that most people call God, but I do know the the only definition of God that makes any sense is one that  uses this human life and its suffering--the very things we believe we nee to hide or fix--as a path to the heart of love itself. Which is why the relationship with food is a perfect doorway.
While I realize that some people find the word God explosive and potentially divisive, and that others have a deeply satisfying relationship with God, I us the word in this book because it evokes a vast expanse that we cannot penetrate with our minds, although we can know it through silence or poetry or simply sensing what is always here.
And because pairing food with God fizzles the mind--the two seem as unrelated as titanium computers and scarlet peonies-- all that you believe about food and God can fall away.
UNDERSTANDING THE RELATIONSHIP WITH FOOD IS A DIRECT PATH TO COMING HOME AFTER A LIFETIME OF BEING EXILED.
PERHAPS THAT HOME IS WHAT GOD WAS ALWAYS MEANT TO BE.

After reading a few chapters of my book, I wanted to be more aware of what I'm going to make for lunch for myself. Romaine salad, always on hand in the frig, better than the ready bags of salads. This one, you cut it yourself, and it's more economical, and lasts longer,. Three nice heads of Romaine, is equivalent to a bag of cut up salad, and (you can feed an army with the Romaine)...and lasts longer when it's not cut up. Cucumbers, sliced red onions, sliced tomatoes, and a few olives Top it off with hard boiled, sliced eggs, and freshly grated carrots...use nothing but your best extra virgin olive oil, and a little drizzle of your favorite vinegar. I like white balsamic, lately. Oh, and the plate, I bought 2, just to make myself happy...it looks so nice on the photos. Isaac Mizrahi plates, from Target, purchased ate Goodwill, for 79 cents, each. Now, isn't that special!?

A simple Lipton ice tea, made with the real tea bags, specifically just for ice tea. One tea bag will make a huge pitcher of ice tea. I love it with lime, lately, since lime is so cheap to buy, you can get about 10-15 limes for just $1.00. The glass is a Coca Cola collectible glass, @ 69 cents a piece, I was able to get two, so now I have a set of two special collectors glasses.