National Flip-Flop Day!

JUNE 20, 2014 – NATIONAL FLIP FLOP DAY

National Flip Flop Day will be taking place on 20 June 2014 – so it's time to get those toes 
exposed and start enjoying summer! 

The day is organized by Tropical Smoothie Cafe, a franchise in the USA that wants us to ditch our shoes and socks and get our flip flops on!

Now in its eighth year this annual extravaganza marks the start of summer, and customers who appear in one of the 300 stores between 2.00pm and 7.00pm in their flip flops get a free smoothie! 

There is a serious side to the campaign though.   The company makes a donation for every customer that wears flip flops to Camp Sunshine.  This special camp was created in 1984 for children and their families who are dealing with life threatening illnesses like cancer, kidney diseases and lupus.
All sorts of support is available at the camp for both children and parents, and with the help of National Flip Flop Day they can continue doing their good work.

To find out more visit the National Flip Flop Day website and get your flip flops on! 

Bride and Bride-Maids wearing flip-flops....love it!

Such a cute and clever idea to offer flip-flops to guests at weddings for their poor, aching, and tired feet...awesome!

for a dressier look...I love these amazing 'fancy schmancy' ones!

 

Old Navy has the best comfortable, and simple flip-flops that you can wear...right here in sunny South Florida, just about every day of the year!

National vanilla milkshake day

While you're frying up some eggs and bacon, we're cooking up something else: a way to celebrate today's food holiday.

Milkshake, rattle and roll - June 20 is National Vanilla Milkshake Day!

The milkshake as we know it was invented by a Walgreen’s employee in Chicago in 1922. He added two scoops of ice cream to a drink called a malted milk. Needless to say, the concept quickly caught on.

By then, vanilla ice cream had already been around for a while. Thomas Jefferson even penned his own ice cream recipe after bringing back vanilla from France in the 1780s.
Making a milkshake is easy, and usually only requires a few ingredients - so quality is key. Even Thomas Jefferson called for “good cream.” A good quality ice cream means you’ll have a thick, frothy milkshake that’s not watered down or icy. And while using fresh, homemade vanilla bean ice cream isn’t a must, it certainly is life changing.

The original milkshakes were actually milk-based alcoholic beverages. They were considered tonics or treats. Adding a liqueur like Kahlua or Bailey’s is a fun way to make a treat enjoyed by kids, adult-friendly. Just make sure you’re over 21.

Classic Vanilla  Milkshake

Ingredients

U.S.

Metric

Conversion chart

• 5 scoop(s) vanilla ice cream
• 1 cup(s) milk
• 1 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract

---

Directions

1. In blender, combine ice cream, milk, and vanilla, and blend until mixture is smooth and frothy. Pour into 2 tall glasses.

From Good Housekeeping's Blend It! ©2003 Hearst Books - 


Note: All Photos posted, are courtesy of PINTEREST 

Thank you for all your kind comments, and good wishes, everyone! Hope you're all having a wonderful summer. Stay in touch...love hearing from you!

Hugs,

Elisabeth

U.S.

Metric

Conversion chart

Mozzarella Caprese Rolls

I have actually surprised my own self creating this wonderful fresh mozzarella rolls, with fresh sliced Roma tomatoes, black olives, sun-dried tomato slices, and fresh basil leaves. All these ingredients were on-hand in the fridge at my daughter's...actually, the fresh basil, I snipped off the basil plant.

They were so easy to put together; fresh, colorful, and super delicious! You never know...really, what you can create just from your own ingredients if you are like me, having fresh cheese, vegetables, and of course condiments that are just waiting for some creative hand to liven them up. Giving it a new name, as well...not knowing if there's actually a name for it out there, so you just re-name your creation...that's why I mentioned that I surprised myself!


Seriously, having the freshest ingredients, and special cheese, which we love so much in my family; you can't really go wrong. Imported black olives, or calamata pitted olives, and I just love, sun-dried tomatoes to use in salads, and pasta dishes.
I will show you step-by step how I made this; just glancing at the photo on the package of the cheese to give me an idea

So this is the surprise...BEL GIOIOSO
UNWRAP & ROLL, Fresh Mozzarella Cheese

Just look how easy...unwrap the roll...remove the
plastic, and start filling it with your favorite filling that compliments the cheese.

My choice was the idea of a Caprese with the mozzarella cheese...except I 'kicked it up a notch' by adding more complimentary ingredients that would go well with the fresh tomato slices.
black pitted olives could be optional...you can add capers, or even roasted pepper slices.

These are the sun-dried tomatoes I use...excellent quality, and I just love that it's julienned already.

I used about 1 cup of the sun-dried tomatoes,  maybe slightly more, and boiled them in small amount of water for 5 minutes to soften them a little more. (don't boil them longer, or they will lose their flavor and get too soft)

I placed them on a plate and poured abt. 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil and stirred them around the get them saturated.

You can use the oil to drizzle on the flat portion of the roll, or skip that part. Sprinkle some sea salt on it, and freshly ground pepper.

 I used the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes to drizzle before rolling it, but you can omit this step.







Wrap the roll tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2hrs or longer. Carefully remove wrap and slice with a sharp knife. Use a spatula to serve the pieces on a small plate as an appetizer, and serve with crunchy bread...totally amazing, and super delicious!



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

Kodiak Cakes...Pancakes

I hope all you wonderful Moms had a lovely Mother's Day! These delicious pancakes were not for Mother's Day; I made them previously, last week, to be exact! A Canadian friend suggested this unusual, super moist, totally natural ingredients...no need to add eggs, or milk, so easy, that I splurged a little, adding fresh strawberries to top it off, and a little decoration with Ready Whip whipped cream...the best pancakes I've ever had from a box mix!

I never even knew about these amazing pancakes...or 'Flapjacks' as they call them, until I was introduced to it, and can only find them at Target! It's been around for a long time, but there is a 'success story' behind it. If any of you have watched Shark Tank...which I sometimes have watched, but missed this one...here's the story behind it!

Kodiak Cakes - Pancake and Waffle Mix

Kodiak Cakes on Shark Tank

Pancake and Waffle Mix - Episode 528 - 4/4/2014

 The more I learn about these Kodiak Cake's, the more I'm convinced this business is destined to become a Super Successful Shark Tank Product. First off you need a superior and healthier product to compete in the multi-billion dollar Pancake and Waffle Mix Industry.  Next you'll need a razor-sharp marketing edge that absolutely makes your product stand out above-and-beyond any competition. Also, as with all Successful Shark Tank products, it helps to have a great story how you're business first began, and yes, the Kodiak Cake's also has a very interesting story indeed.



Original Kodiak Cakes
Flapjack and Waffle Mix

I first started writing this article (I had it half way done) with the assumption Kodiak Cake's first began by then 8 year old Joel Clark, who was selling this now famous flapjack and waffles mixes door-to-door out of his wagon. Although part of the story is true, it was his Mom who first began selling the Kodiak Pancake Mixes under the Baker Mills business name, the last names of both her Mom and Grandmother. The actual "Whole Wheat Hot Cake's" recipe was developed by Wallace Christofferson, the Family's Grandpa who perfected the now famous breakfast product over many years of trial and error. It looks like both Brother's Jon and Tim Clark, have also played vital role's in making the Kodiak Cake's a success.
 

read more....

 Kodiak Cakes...Pancakes, and Waffle Mix

The best pancakes...ever! I highly recommend it!

Make sure to add Real Maple Syrup on top...nothing but, the BEST!

Of course, if you would like to make your pancakes from 'scratch'...I recommend
Mark Bittman's Perfect Pancakes  simple and amazing recipe...(from a previous post of mine)

My choice was the Whole Wheat Oat, and Honey brand...just add;

1 cup of mix...







and add 1 cup of plain water. With a wire whisk, lightly whisk it till lumps disappear, and smooth.

In a preheated large cast iron skillet, heavy skillet, or a large griddle...
for small pancakes which yields about 6;
scoop with a 1/3 measuring spoon, and flip over when it starts to bubble!



For larger pancakes; you can scoop with 1/2 measuring cup which makes about 3 or 4.

You can double or triple the recipe...no eggs or milk required to add!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Wishing all the Mothers, Mothers 'to be'...Grandmothers, Stepmothers (who rarely get the honor)...Mothers who passed on; such beautiful memories to cherish!

We love you, and honor you, on this special day!
I wish you all, my dear blogger friends a...
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Enjoy this beautiful day with your loved ones!
May you be Blessed with health, wealth, and all the happiness, for many days to come!
Hugs,
Elisabeth
 

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!

Shrimp Ceviche...and Easter Sunday!

Hi everyone...in order to keep this staggering food blog of mine going, I must be honest with you, and mostly with myself; that I'm never gonna make the Top 9 on Foodbuzz!...Foodbuzz?...oh, how sad!...there is no more Foobuzz, so I don't have to worry about the Top 9!

Although we all remember how nice it was to be part of that 'fun' circle, meeting each other way back about 4 years ago, buzzing each others' posts...and actually even meet each other in person, at the Foodbuzz Festival events, in San Francisco! Great memories...but that's all in the past!

This post may seem out of place...or I'm out of touch; but this amazing and refreshing...all fresh veggies, and the most delicious fresh Florida shrimp marinated in fresh Florida lime juice, and the freshest chopped cilantro, also Florida product, like everything else fresh Florida grown products.
As for every holiday you may well know that not only in our immediate family do we celebrate both holidays...for Passover (no photo)...and Easter, but we always celebrate with our wonderful and best friends, who also celebrate both holidays!...so you see; we all get along, and still believe in one GOD!

I watched both the Ten Commandments movies...the Hollywood fancy version with Charleston Heston, and the most recent one on the UP channel, and the recent one was quite intriguing...realistic, and more accurate. Unlike in the old one where Charleston Heston came down from Mt. Sinai with totally white hair and beard; in the more recent one...he still had the brown hair and beard!
Also, with the Passover movie...I was very shocked to see the 1960's version of Jesus with a short straight hair...only covering his ears; and the 'blue eyes'...that was a shocker to me with the Middle Eastern Jew...could not understand the part at the Last Supper...only 8 disciples?...what happened to the other 4?...guess they didn't fit into the picture screen?...also I watched the Book of Ruth movie...that was another Hollywood glamorous festive movie...among some of the others. So, I spent an entire week of 'reconnecting' with the biblical people!

I feel bad for having to post these quick photos that I took...just didn't have a chance to take time to stage my photos; but I must admit that this shrimp ceviche...which I cam up with at the last hour of desperate attempt, to bring something to the Eastern celebration!

Maria's beautiful home...we started out with my Shrimp Ceviche...

A few of us started out early, as usual, it's always a 'feast' at holiday; Easter is one of the biggest holiday for Italians and it is such a joyous tradition!

Such a sweet and gracious lovely hostess...Maria

Nonno Sal, (Maria's husband...carving the lamb roast, which was specially purchased from an Italian meat market. It was perfectly done...medium, rare, to medium. Lamb is a very traditional Easter treat especially in Italy and Greece!

A typical festive Italian holiday table setting; can't leave out the kids' table!

Great company, fantastic foods, we are so blessed to have great friends who are like 'family' to us!

My daughter Lora's traditional Easter wreath that she makes every year! Isn't it gorgeous?...almost too pretty to eat!

Lora's Italian Ricotta Pie...so flaky and delicious with the ricotta, and chocolate chunks filling...yumm!

Thank you for all your good wishes; Hope all of you had a blessed and Happy Easter!

Shrimp Ceviche

recipe by; Elisabeth

2 cups grape, or cherry tomatoes diced

2 cups English seedless cucumbers diced

1 cup scallions sliced thin, including the green part

1/2 cup tomato juice

about 1 or 2 Serrano chili, sliced thin (optional)

juice of 2 limes

1/2 cup tomato juice

a handful of finely chopped scallion

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl, add sea salt and pepper to taste.

For the Shrimp ingredients

2 lbs of large shrimp peeled, deveined, and chopped

juice of 4 fresh limes

Marinate shrimp and lime juice for 30 minutes. Add shrimp to the ceviche, and serve with fresh tortilla chips.

Serves 12