Recipe blog by Adrianna Adarme

Caroline

23

Mar

Spinach-Artichoke Dip with Feta

Before I moved to the big city of Los Angeles, I went to college in the small city of Winston Salem, NC. Although I’m glad to have moved on, I still pine for my favorite foodie spots. If you ever find yourself in Winston Salem, I have a few suggestions of places to visit.

First, you need to get a cup of coffee at Chelsee’s downtown. Order something with chocolate in it.

For lunch I recommend the fish and chips at Foothills Brewery. If you’re in a rush, don’t go. You’ll see a server approx. once per hour, but the fish and chips are worth it if you have an afternoon to kill.

Be sure to stop by 6^th and Vine for a glass of wine. Tell them I say hi, and that I miss them. Ask if they’ll move to LA, pretty please?

Then, you need to mosey over to 4th Street Filling Station. Order the spinach-artichoke dip. Because it has feta in it. No one else in town makes it with feta, and therefore no one else in town has a better dip. This is logic, pure and simple.

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{ 27 comments }

17

Mar

For Japan With Love

in Events

So, I already mentioned that the terrible situation in Japan is making me realize that any petty complaint I have about my life really doesn’t merit any attention. I’ve stopped watching the news or reading articles because the tragedy is so overwhelming, not to mention that I feel helpless to do anything.

But – there is something we can do. The lovely writers of Ever Ours and Utterly Engaged have partnered with a ton of bloggers to try and raise money for ShelterBox. Each large, green ShelterBox is tailored to a disaster but typically contains a disaster relief tent for an extended family, blankets, water storage and purification equipment, cooking utensils, a stove, a basic tool kit, a children’s activity pack and other vital items. These people were on hand right after the quake and are helping people now.

This is a really, really good cause. Whatever you can donate is appreciated.

Love & Peace

-C

{ 2 comments }

16

Mar

Roasted Tomato Caprese Salad

in appetizers, Salads

Some days just don’t go well. I started off Monday by waking up to darkness when I had been used to seeing sunlight. I therefore convinced myself that I was owed a few more minutes of sleep, resulting in me leaving a few minutes too late for work. Not so good.

At work I couldn’t find my cell phone, and assumed it had been left it at home. To be honest, I would have been happier going through the day without clothes rather than my phone. This is a sad, but true, fact.

I trudged through the day, only to accidentally throw my keys into a dumpster, (please don’t ask me how) not realizing this until said dumpster had been locked up for the night. I do these things. It’s something you should know about me.

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{ 20 comments }

09

Mar

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

in Cookies, Desserts

Today we’re gonna learn how to make things you probably thought could only come from a store. The first is peanut butter. Peanut butter is delicious. Peanut butter: don’t ever change. Cause you’re amazing just the way you are. Next we’re going to take this peanut butter and make peanut butter oatmeal cookies, made popular first by the Girl Scouts as a Do-Si-Do. See, we’ve already taken on Thin Mints, so it’s time to branch out a bit.

Let’s talk peanut butter. Specifically, let’s discuss how easy it is to make. Here’s the recipe in its entirety: you take peanuts, and put them in a food processor. Then you blend them until they become smooth and creamy. The End. I personally prefer to use honey roasted peanuts, cause nothing about “honey roasted” sounds like a bad idea to me.

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{ 24 comments }

02

Mar

Baked Jalapeño Poppers

in appetizers

Can we all take a moment to discuss Charlie Sheen? I’m sorry, I know that EVERYBODY is talking about him, but I literally can’t take my eyes away. It’s like watching a car wreck. If the car wreck had tiger blood in it and fire-breathing fists. And was driven by a rockstar from Mars. Cause he’s Winning.

Argghh. Sorry, I can’t resist.

Charlie Sheen is like these poppers. I see the jalapeño and am immediately cautious of it’s spicy nature, and although I realize there are probably better things for me to eat than these gooey, cheesy bites I just can’t stop reaching for another one. And another one. This is all wonderful until I’m so full I have a stomachache. It’s similar to how I feel after spending 30 minutes on Perez Hilton.

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{ 29 comments }

21

Feb

Check It Out! A Super Fancy Hand-Blender Giveaway!

in Giveaway

UPDATE: Whoa, you guys are so awesome! All of your comments were great to read, and I got a lot of great tips, like these:

Use lazy susans in your cabinets to make things easier to get to.

Hang things. Everywhere you can.

Put shelves up. Everywhere you can.

And now…here’s our lucky winner, Jenny!

“Oh, I am SO with you. I dream of a bigger kitchen ALL the time! Ahh…someday. But for now, I just stay super organized. I stack things inside of each other – but not too much or it’ll be a huge pain to get anything out. I also use those extra cabinet shelf-things that you add so that I can fully use the height of all of my cabinets.”

Thanks for commenting everyone, you’re super rad

-C

I need to make a confession – I don’t actually own a blender. Well, not the normal standing kind. The reason being…those things take up counter space, something I am very short on. In fact, the kitchen counter might be the hottest piece of real estate in my apartment at the moment. My microwave won a prime spot near the sink. My super nice juicer wasn’t so lucky…neither was the blender. The juicer went in a storage cabinet, and my blender went to Goodwill.

But it’s cool, cause I have a hand blender. Totally perfect for making soups, sauces, smoothies or some even juice. And, it fits nicely in a drawer. No counter space needed.

A while back CSN contacted us about doing a giveaway, and Adrianna gave one lucky reader and all clad griddle. That’s pretty cool. Now I’m getting to give away this lovely hand blender/whisker/chopper contraption. It’s pretty cool too. Actually, it’s really freakin awesome. To whoever wins this: I’m jealous of you.

BTW – you should check out CSN stores sometime. They have tons of super cool cookware and furniture, like modern bar stools. I hope when I own a house one day I have bar somewhere in it. I would buy bar stools like this. And then I would drink bubble gum martinis. Cause I’m cool like that.

However, until I get my awesome dream home, I have a favor to ask: how do you conserve space in the kitchen? I need to know. My juicer needs to know too.

Here’s how to win this awesome hand blender:

1) Leave me a comment with your best space -saving tip and I’ll enter you to win. You win, and I win. This is how I like things.

2) And if you’re without any helpful hints? It’s okay – just tell me you dream of a bigger kitchen too. It helps to feel I’m not alone. I’ll still enter you to win.

I’ll pick a winner at 12 midnight on Wednesday, so be sure to check back!

Thanks guys, you’re super awesome.

-C

{ 329 comments }

16

Feb

Avocado Fries

in appetizers, Snacks

I have a particularly tragic memory of looking at rental houses with my friend when he first moved to LA and finding one that actually had an avocado tree in the backyard. I mean, a tree that was taller than the house and was heavy with ripe avocados This memory is tragic because my friend didn’t rent the house. If he had, I would have had a never ending supply to feed my avocado addiction.

BTW – what are avocados, a vegetable? Some weird fruit? Either way, I really, really, REALLY love these…veggie-fruits from heaven. Let’s count the ways, shall we?

1. Guacamole is possibly my favorite food.

2. I like avocado sandwiches. A lot.

3. I have been known to sprinkle some salt on a halved avocado and just eat it with a spoon. I’ve been known to do this without the salt.

4. Avocado on a burger? Yes, please.

5. Avocado fries on the side of my burger? Now you’re really talking.

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{ 138 comments }

11

Feb

Mexican Chocolate Tofu Pudding

in Chocolate, Desserts

Okay, I know that Valentine’s day is coming up, and maybe you guys out there are trying to think of what to buy your special lady friend. Here’s a hint: she wants some chocolate. Even if she says she doesn’t, she wants some chocolate. Her resistance is coming from the fact that she doesn’t want an extra pound of weight to squeeze into her jeans. That just isn’t any fun.

You know what would make you a rock star? Chocolate that won’t add on the pounds. Chocolate that she can eat a big bowl of. Or even…go for seconds. And, you’re gonna make it yourself. We’re talking triple brownie points.

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{ 18 comments }

07

Feb

Anti-Ramen Noodle Soup

in Dinner, Soups

You’re supposed to learn something new every day. Meaning you should learn on average 7 things every week (math is awesome!). Here’s what I’ve learned in the past few days:

There is such a thing in football as a penalty for “excessive celebration”. This is something I never hope to have in my own life.

The 405 freeway in Los Angeles is ALWAYS a traffic jam. Even when it goes against all reason, there are more people on that highway than live in my hometown.

I can eat tuna melts 5 days a week and still not be tired of them. This is a fact.

There can be up to 40 grams of sugar in a can of soda. Definitely not worth it.

Ketchup was invented in Asia. NOT at the American burger stand

You can make Ramen noodle soup without the use of a seasoning packet.

Ramen noodle soup made without a seasoning packet is way awesome. Especially when you add in some ketchup. Totally weird.

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{ 26 comments }

26

Jan

Tomato Basil Frittata Sandwich

in Breakfast, Sandwiches

Did you see the movie Morning Glory? It’s okay if you didn’t, but let me just tell you there is a lovely scene where Harrison Ford makes a frittata and gives a dissertation on how wonderful they are. I love this. Because I love frittatas and I really, really love Harrison Ford. He can make a frittata for me anytime, even if he is in his 60s. Oh, Han Solo…

Okay, sorry about that. Moving on.

Wanna know why frittatas are awesome? Because you can use them to clean out any vegetables in your fridge that are about to go bad. Because you can cook eggs until they’re brown and tough and they’ll still taste good. Because you can put the frittata between two pieces of bread and call it a sandwich. I did this. True story.

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{ 17 comments }

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