Monthly Archives: August 2011

It’s Only Natural Restaurant

Posted on August 31, 2011 | 2 Comments

Once I had made my decision to move to Connecticut, I immediately switched my city from Seattle to Hartford on Groupon and Living Social so that I could start receiving emails with deals around the Connecticut area. It only took a few days before a Living Social deal popped up that I was swayed into buying. For $20, I could get a $40 gift card to eat at It’s Only Natural Restaurant.

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It’s Only Natural is an all vegetarian restaurant and is described on their website as:

Once a humble, hippie deli counter in the North end, I.O.N.® has grown organically through the years (thanks to a handful of hard working Vegetarians) into an award-winning Restaurant. Our Bread is baked every morning, before we open to the public. Our Vegan Cakes and Cupcakes are a constant source of Joy for us to present. We have a delicious selection of Organic Wine and Beer, and hope to represent LOCAL wineries soon. The entire menu is prepared here using the best available ingredients. It’s Only Natural® has been voted “Best Vegetarian Restaurant” in the Hartford Advocate’s readers poll since 1992, thanks to the hard-working staff, and because of loyal customers like you.

I knew immediately that my lovely (vegetarian) cousin would happily accompany me to dinner, so it was only a matter of setting a date once I moved to Connecticut.

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The inside of the restaurant was decorated very eclectically with tons of local art on the walls. For being a restaurant, I was impressed that they managed to keep a small, local vibe to it – almost like your neighborhood coffee shop.

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My favorite thing about the restaurant, however, was that the tabletops were painted to be a chalkboard! Each table had a small cup of colored chalk on it that made for perfect self-entertainment while waiting for our food.

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There were so many wonderful choices on the menu, that I really struggled with trying to select only one for dinner. I had stalked out the menu online ahead of time, and thought that I was going to order their Pierogis, but was instead tempted by one of the daily specials, the Heirloom Tomato Quinoa Salad.

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The Tomato Quinoa Salad came with plenty of mini heirloom tomatoes, quinoa, sunflower seeds, and tofu and was lightly dressed in a balsamic vinaigrette dressing.

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It was so delicious and very satisfying! This was my first time having tofu that wasn’t in miso soup, and I have to say, I’m a fan. My cousin ordered the tomato and onion quesadilla and also gave it rave reviews.

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I really enjoyed my experience at It’s Only Natural and would definitely recommend it to any vegetarians in the Connecticut area. Heck, I would even recommend it to any meat eaters who might be looking for something a bit on the lighter side. They also serve fresh juices and have a bakery, so it could also be a fun place to go and sit during the day and get some work done. Of course, your dining experience is only as good as your dining company, so make sure to bring a friend!

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Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries from Pinterest

Posted on August 30, 2011 | 9 Comments

A few weeks ago, Mister E sent me an email at work inviting me over for dinner at his parents’ house later that night. But this wasn’t going to be just a normal dinner at his parents’ house, you see. His older sister, brother-in-law, and their adorable one-year-old son were visiting from California, and this would be my first time meeting them as the girlfriend.

Instant panic set in as I realized that I should bring something over to the house but would have less than a half hour to prepare anything after work. I started racking my brain for ideas of something small, easy, and sure to impress. Thankfully, I had read Kristin’s post on Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries just a few days prior. They sounded delicious and I figured I could manage to make them in a short span of time.

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At home, I already had three out of the five required ingredients, so after I left work, I made a mad dash to the grocery store to pick up the rest. If anyone in Connecticut saw a crazy lady running through the aisles with graham crackers and cream cheese in her hands, I apologize on that poor girl’s behalf.

Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries

(recipe from SugarDerby)

  • 16 strawberries
  • 8 oz. package of reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup powered sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 large plain graham crackers, crushed

Directions:  After rinsing your strawberries, cut the tops off and hull out the middle using a small, sharp knife. In a bowl, combine cream cheese, powered sugar, and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth. Pour cream cheese mixture into a Ziploc bag and cut the tip off a corner to create a pastry bag. Pipe the cream cheese into the strawberries. Dip the strawberries into the crushed graham crackers to coat. Serve and enjoy! (Store in a refrigerator if not serving right away.)

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Please excuse any blurry photos. Remember, I was running around like a chicken with its head cut off trying to get out the door throughout the entire process of making these.

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As an afterthought, I realized that I could have just bought a container of cream cheese frosting to save time as opposed to making my own. But like my mom said, at least I had the satisfaction of knowing that these were completely homemade. Since I didn’t have time to let my cream cheese soften on its own, I put it into the microwave for 15 second intervals to soften it quickly. My only regret on these strawberries is that I wish I had more time to crush my graham crackers finer. They were a bit too chunky for my taste.

I was a little bit clueless as to how I should plate my strawberries, so I ended up just coating the bottom of a large plate with additional crushed graham cracker crumbs and standing my strawberries on their tops. I also added a few fresh, whole strawberries along the side for anyone who might not be a fan of cream cheese (aka, Mister E’s nephew).

The verdict? They were insanely delicious and were a big hit with everyone! The best part though was that it only took me 20 minutes to make, meaning I had a few minutes to spare to actually run a brush through my hair and put on some lip gloss before dashing out the door.

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Ok, but onto important things. One of the most intriguing things about Kristin’s post on these strawberries was that she mentioned that she had found them on Pinterest. I had heard of Pinterest before on blogs like Young House Love, but thought that it was just for interior decorating and DIY projects. I didn’t know that they had food on it!

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A few days later, I had signed myself up on the website and all I can say is that I AM IN LOVE. The best way I can describe Pinterest is as a inspirational board where you can “pin” images from across the internet that include a link to where you found that image. It’s sort of like a visual bookmark site. My favorite thing about Pinterest though is that it’s also a social website where you can follow what other people are pinning and like or comment on them.

You can pin anything from delicious food, fashion inspiration, hair tutorials, DIY projects, quotes, and funny images. The possibilities are endless. You should definitely check it out and follow me if only to get a laugh now and then.

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(source)

Do you have a quick and easy recipe that you go to when you need to impress? Sharing is caring!

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Hurricane Food Essentials

Posted on August 30, 2011 | 6 Comments

What a crazy week in Connecticut! First we feel the D.C. earthquake and then we get pummeled by a hurricane!

Now, being that I lived in Florida for 15 years, I’m no stranger to hurricanes. My family once went TWO weeks without electricity or running water and suffered excessive damage to our property (not the house, thankfully) after Hurricane Charley, a Category 4 storm, back in 2004. So being that Hurricane Irene was going to be a Category 1 storm by the time she made her way to Connecticut, I wasn’t all too concerned. But… I’m not foolish to ignore Mother Nature, so two days before the storm, I decided to stock up on essentials. You know, just in case.

In my house, I already had peanut butter, Nutella (yes, Nutella makes the essentials list), canned soup, and canned beans. I made a trip to the grocery store looking to round out my pantry, and came home with this:

That would be a package of croissants, a bag of cinnamon raisin pretzel sticks, and two bunches of bananas. These were the only food items that sounded appealing when I asked myself what non-perishable items would I be happy living off of for days if forced to?

As it turned out, Hurricane Irene had a meaner bark than bite when it came to my neighborhood, and I was thankfully spared of any damage. She did, however, take my power out for 16 hours on Sunday. And in that moment of crisis when I lost my electricity, my thoughts all turned to one thing.

DON’T LET THE ICE CREAM GO TO WASTE!!!

So to recap:

  • My food essentials list consists of carbs, bananas, and Nutella.
  • You should keep actual books (you know, those things that people used to read before the internet was invented?) around your house for the times that you are cutoff from the rest of the world (i.e. Facebook).
  • In a time of emergency, don’t forget to think of your frozen dairy products.
  • It’s probably not worth buying croissants as part of your hurricane preparedness since you will eat all of them before the hurricane even comes.

Did you get any damage from the hurricane? What’s the longest that you’ve been forced to go without electricity?

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Jell-O Fruit Slices

Posted on August 5, 2011 | 12 Comments

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Right before my family’s Fourth of July get-together, I came across an adorable, kid-friendly treat idea in the Food Network magazine, Jell-O fruit slices. A cool, summer treat that I could make that all the little kiddos in my family would enjoy. Perfect!

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Making these were so incredibly easy. To start off with, I grabbed two each of oranges, lemons, and limes. I sliced each fruit lengthwise down the middle and then scrapped out the insides with a help of a knife and grapefruit spoon.   

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So here’s the trick to this whole thing. Once you have your empty fruit “cups”, you place them in a muffin tin to hold them upright! Brilliant, right? You’re gonna want to make sure that you get your cups to stand as level as possible.

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After setting my fruit cups up, I got to working on my Jell-O mix. I used 1 box each of sugar-free orange, lemon, and lime mixes.  

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The only hard part about this whole process was getting my fruit cups to lay level so that I could fill them up to the brim with Jell-O.

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I let my fruit cups sit in the fridge overnight to set, but they probably only needed a few hours. After taking them out, I sliced each cup into thirds to create my wedges.

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Adorable, right? I was so pleased with how my fruit wedges looked and with hardly any effort being put forward!

When I arrived in New Hampshire with my fruit slices in hand, several of the adults ohhed and ahhed over them and were all curious how I made them. But when it came time for the real judges, the kids, I only received lukewarm reviews. One small cousin, that will remain nameless, even went so far as to say, “I don’t like it. Did you even try these?” Ouch. I think I know how the contestants of The Next Food Network Star feel now. 

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I couldn’t believe that the fruit slices were a bigger hit with the adults than the kids! So, after some deep reflection on my fruit wedges, I decided that the next time I make these for a family gathering, I would probably step up my game and pull out the booz to turn these into Jell-O shot fruit slices and make just a few plain ones for the kids.

How fun would it be to make Jell-O shot fruit slices and add them to other drinks as garnish? But regardless of whether you make these for a party or just as a cool, summer snack, I know you’re going to enjoy them (provided that you’re not my little cousin who has a future as a food critic).

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Have you tried to make a kid-friendly meal or snack only to get bad reviews?

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Meals with the Mister, V. 2

Posted on August 4, 2011 | 1 Comment

Welcome to another weekly edition of Meals with the Mister (aka my Mister E).

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You may be catching onto the fact that in order for a meal to be considered “Mister-worthy”, there better be meat somewhere on the plate. In response to my heirloom tomato pizza, Mister E just simply stared at me and asked “are you going to add chicken on top?” Errr…. no.

So when trying to brainstorm dinner ideas for my chicken-loving guy, I decided upon making him a BBQ chicken macaroni ‘n’ cheese – inspired by one of his favorite dishes, Mac ’N Jack, at Plan B Burger.

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Ingredients

  • 1 pound whole wheat elbow macaroni, cooked al dente
  • 2 cups shredded cheese (I used a blend of fontina, gruyere, cheddar, and Parmigiano-Reggiano)
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 2 cups shredded chicken (I used leftover chicken breasts, but you can also used a rotisserie chicken)
  • 1/2 cup BBQ sauce, plus extra for topping
  • 2 Tbsp butter, divided
  • 1 Tbsp flour
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/2 tsp ground mustard
  • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
  • salt and pepper to taste

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Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a pan over medium heat, melt 1 Tbsp of butter. Once it starts bubbling, add your chopped onion and reduce the heat. Allow to cook 10-15 minutes until the onion starts to carmelize. In a medium-sized saucepan melt 1 Tbsp of butter over medium heat. Once it starts bubbling, add flour and stir continuously for two minutes until it thicken. Reduce your heat and add the milk. Continue to stir until mixture thickens. Add in the grated cheese, ground mustard, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Continue to stir until the cheese has completely melted and remove from heat. In a separate bowl, combine shredded chicken and BBQ sauce.

In a large baking dish, add your macaroni, carmelized onion, and cheese sauce. Mix well to coat pasta evenly. Top with chicken and drizzle extra BBQ sauce on top. Cover with tinfoil and place the dish in the oven. Allow to cook for 30 minutes.

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Above is what the macaroni ‘n’ cheese looked like before going into the oven and below is what it looked like after coming out of the oven. I know there doesn’t look like there’s a big difference, but I promise you, there is.

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To serve, I prepared corn on the cob and a mixed green salad with a honey dijon vinaigrette dressing.

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And while I still prefer Plan B Burger’s version of this dish more, Mister E gave me two thumbs up on the dish. Success!

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