Monthly Archives: January 2015

Tricked Out Toast

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We always like to keep things interesting and fresh, and toast is no exception. No longer will we settle for just butter or jelly! Here’s just one version of making toast a little more exciting (and filling!). If you have any other interesting toast toppings you use, let’s hear about it!

  • 2 pieces of health nut bread (or whichever kind you choose)
  • 1/2 of a pear, thinly sliced
  • 2 tbsp ricotta cheese
  • 1 tsp honey
  • Dash of cinnamon

I’m sure you know the drill here – toast the bread, spread on the ricotta cheese, layer on the pear, drizzle the honey, and dash on the cinnamon. Viola! A delicious and filling breakfast.

Tricked out toast
Now Sonia claims she does toast better: mashed avocado, sea salt and a boiled egg. My sweet tooth thinks, I prevail. Team #trickedouttoast

Happy Eating, XO.

Homemade Gnocchi

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Being Italian, I thought it was high time to learn how to make pasta from scratch. Although, with it being just after the holidays I can’t afford a pasta attachment. The next best thing? Hands! The second best thing? Pairing it with our homemade red sauce (or gravy, or whatever you want to call it). Pour yourself a nice glass of Chianti, turn up your best Italian Pandora station and get to it!

  • 2 russet potatoes
  • 2 cups of flour
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp salt

(that’s LITERALLY all you need!)

Peel the two potatoes while bringing a pot of water to boil. Boil the potatoes for about 30-40 minutes or until tender enough to mash. In a bowl, mash the potatoes until completely smooth. (I made the mistake of not mashing them enough the first time and the chunks create air pockets in the dough.) Once you have some smooth potatoes, add in the flour, egg, and salt until a dough begins to form. Kneed it until completely blended, but is still a little sticky. (Add a dab of water if it gets too dried out.) Take a fist size chunk of the dough and roll it into a long thin rope. Cut it into 1/2″ to 1″ pieces.

If you want to get fancy, with fork tines, make small indents in the pieces (another great fancy tip is adding a pinch of dried rosemary or chopped chives, both pair super well with gnocchi or any potato based dish). Boil another pot of water with a dash of salt in it and drop in the gnocchi pieces. You’ll know it’s done when the gnocchi starts to float to the top. In the words of Frankie Sinatra, now that’s amore!

Gnocchi

Happy Eating, XO.

Dirty 30, Red and Flirty

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By now, you probably realize that today is no ordinary day. Today is our BIRTHDAY! And not just another birthday, it’s Sonia’s dirty 30! This weekend we’re celebrating together with a red velvet cake from this awesome little shop in Sonia’s town. We figured we’d keep with the theme and give you all a tasty red velvet cake to join in! (PS. This is also great for V-Day).

Cake mix

  • 1 box Betty Crocker German cake mix (TRUST ME. I tried making this without the premade mix and it’s just not worth it.)
  • 1 Tablespoon cocoa
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups oil
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 Tablespoon vinegar
  • 1-2 oz. red food coloring

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 8 inch cake pans. Put all of the ingredients in to a mixing bowl,  mix on medium until well blended, and pour directly into cake pans. Now here’s a cool trick I just learned – drop the pans on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles. (Who knew?!) Bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. After about ten minutes, remove from pans and cool completely on a wire rack (approximately 20 minutes). While they cool, it’s time to blend the frosting.

Frosting

  • 8oz cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 5 cups confectioners’ sugar

Blend the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla well, then slowly add in the confectioners’ sugar one cup at a time. Once all the sugar is added, blend on medium-high for another minute until it’s a thick consistency.

Put the first layer of cake on a plate and add a layer of frosting on top. Then add the second layer and frost the entire thing to your hearts content. (We give you permission to lick the spoon when you’re done.)

 Red velvet cake

Happy Eating Birthday!, XO

Welcome to the birthday week!

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Hey guys, it’s just about here – our birthday! We don’t have to tell you how excited we are about this. You’ve already heard all about it in our two birthday posts from last year – cake, cake, cake, and pink champs, darling.

We know you’re used to getting a recipe every Monday, but we wanted to create a little drama this week and save it for the big day (aka Thursday). And trust me, we have another damn delish birthday creation to share with you!

Until then, let this kid get you through the week:

Spicy Detox “Teas”

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Over the holidays I got a bit of unpleasant news – I developed a stomach ulcer. Yuck. And ow. After going to the doctor they told me that I need to change my diet a bit. Cut back on spicy foods, no more tomatoes/tomato sauce (sigh, goodbye red sauce) and eat more frequent, smaller meals throughout the day. Challenge accepted.

A couple of years ago I went to an Ayurvedic cooking class with a friend, which teaches you how to incorporate healing spices in to your diet. I decided now would be a good time to really pay attention to what I learned. Turmeric helps with heartburn and an upset stomach, so what better place to start?

In your comfiest mug, fill it with hot water and these healthy ingredients:

  • 2 dashes of turmeric
  • 1-2 drops of honey or Agave
  • 2 tsp of lemon juice (or lime if you’re in a pinch)
  • 1 dash of cayenne pepper if you’re feeling frisky (although not recommended for getting over a stomach ulcer…)

After doing a little more research on spices that promote a healthy stomach, cumin, anise and nutmeg were at the top. So for a something a little sweeter:

  • 1 stick of cinnamon
  • 1 star anise
  • 1 dash of nutmeg
  • 1-2 drops of honey

 

Turmeric tea

You can find more information on healthy herbs from the Huffington Post.

(PS. This your friendly reminder to go get your yearly physical!)

Happy (Healthy) Eating, XO.