Always looking for sunshine, figuratively and lite Always looking for sunshine, figuratively and literally. Sometimes we don’t have to look very far and it finds us. ☀️
It didn’t take much to get me to @mikespastasand It didn’t take much to get me to @mikespastasandwichshoppe when a friend texted me a screenshot of their cheese butter. Up until last week I had never even heard of cheese butter but just two days later, I’m driving an hour round trip to get some. 😂 I was never one to succumb to peer pressure (I didn’t have my first drink until I was 21!), but when it comes to food finds, I am very easily intrigued. After all, that’s how I’ve discovered some of my favorite bites over the years … lardo from @butlerandtheboard, a spicy Italian sausage, and my love of chicharron. If you haven’t visited Mike’s in Nutley, it’s worth a visit. While there, I also got a small tray of meatballs (a bargain at $10!) and a delicious mortadella sandwich that is worth a round trip. ✨
The long, dreary and grey months of the Winter nee The long, dreary and grey months of the Winter need a little bit of color, so here you go. 😍 Love this chest of drawers. Discovered it buried in a local shop and bought it specifically for the green color (one of my favorites). Vintage Coke crate was a $10 score from a garage sale place on Facebook some ten years ago. And the assorted markers in Roy G Biv order (natch) that aren’t used anymore because my kids have sadly left that phase. 🙃
Weekend Photos in Review, old school still photo s Weekend Photos in Review, old school still photo style, hope you had a good one! ✨
A friend was taking a trip to Ireland and asked if A friend was taking a trip to Ireland and asked if I wanted her to bring me back anything. Would you believe me if I told you I asked for salt? I love picking up different varieties, whether we’re traveling or I’m just visiting a new shop. Maddie grabbed me a super cute one from her trip to Paris last year, and the Magic Unicorn Salt I get locally is another favorite. What’s yours?
One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a serious case of FOMO on the daily, gets hiccups more than anyone we know and has perpetual bed head. She’s quite the unique roommate but may be exactly what our home needed. 💛
I haven’t had a bagel in ages, but when I saw th I haven’t had a bagel in ages, but when I saw that @njdotcom had picked six bagel shops at the “best in the state,” and one was reasonably local, all the sudden I needed one. I was never one to fall prey to peer pressure, but I’m very definitely a marketer’s dream. 😂 Alfa Bagels is on Route 10 in Randolph and has a good assortment of bagels, including all the usual suspects, but with a few others like rainbow, Asiago and French Toast throw in for good measure. Their bagels always seem to have a nice chew, which I appreciate and I love their sesame one. My go-to order lately is a double toasted flagel with lox spread and tomato. Their lox spread is a little ho hum, but the bagel is delish. Check them out next time you’ve got a craving (or get motivated by a local news story 😝). What’s your bagel order?
✌🏻 ✌🏻
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Sweetnicks

Food and Life

Wednesday Roundup

April 21, 2005 · Narrative

I came home with plans of making Spaghetti with Creamy Gorgonzola Sauce, but was met with grilled steaks and homemade French fries. The Husband had decided to cook. Spaghetti will have to wait.

I promised Baking Escapades and will deliver. After a few after-dinner errands, Nicholas and I headed for the kitchen to make some goodies for him to bring into school tomorrow.

We made Oatmeal Crisps and Coconut Almond Cookie Brittle. Both recipes were beyond simple and delicious and were done within 30 minutes. Considering I had a 2-1/2-year-old helping me, those “in the know” will know that’s quite an accomplishment!


My Cookie Monster!

The Oatmeal Crisps are light, tasty and, well, crispy. The Coconut Almond Cookie Brittle is an interesting take on the traditional brittle recipe. It tastes more like a shortbread-type cookie and both recipes will be definite repeaters. Get your baking pans ready!

I figured if I led with the news, I must lose some of my audience. A cute picture of my son was a better bet. Now, on with the news. Yesterday, the Departure of Agriculture turned the traditional food pyramid on its ear, so to speak. After 13 years of the food pyramid you’ve grown accustomed to seeing, the government has turned the pyramid on its side, added a staircase with a figure climbing it and prepared a dozen different pyramid models, all to help America’s growing waistline. Still a rainbow-colored image, the new pyramid (called MyPyramid) has the colored bands running from top to bottom now, instead of left to right. Orange for grains, green for vegetables, red for fruits, yellow for oils, blue for milk products and purple for meats and beans. Now emphasizing exercise, the staircase was added on the side.

Although the traditional food pyramid is a familiar sight, Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns says that few Americans actually follow it. To that end, they have unveiled a new website to help everyone figure out their calorie and exercise needs. There you’ll find 12 different pyramid models, one for just about everyone, basing the information on your age, sex and activity level. Although it already has its detractors, the basic premise is still the same … Eat Less, Move More. Check it out when you have a chance.

Coconut Almond Cookie Brittle
Makes about 24 pieces
1 cup (2 sticks) softened butter
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoons coconut extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 350. Combine butter, sugar, salt and extract. Beat until creamy. Stir in flour gradually, beating until blended. Fold in nuts. Press dough 3/8-inch thick in a jelly-roll pan (dough will fill only 3/4 of the pan, and won’t spread). Bake for 15-20 minutes (the shorter the time it bakes, the chewier it stays; longer baking time produces a crisper cookie). Leave in pan to cool, then break apart like peanut brittle. Store in airtight container.

Oatmeal Crisps
Makes 25
Preheat oven to 350. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or spray with non-stick spray. In a medium bowl, mix 8 tablespoons softened butter, 6 tablespoons sugar, 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and 1/2 teaspoon salt until smooth. Mix in 2/3 x 2 (what the heck is the math here? High school math was too long ago…) cups rolled oats. Drop firmly packed teaspoons of dough 2 inches apart onto baking sheets. Bake until golden, rotating sheets halfway through, 12-15 minutes. Cool on sheet 1 minute; with a very thin spatula, transfer to paper towels to cool completely.

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Posted In: Narrative

Comments

  1. Rachael says

    April 21, 2005 at 6:37 pm

    Im sorry. I didnt get through the post because I was distracted by your adorable child. You should warn a girl! “Warning: This post contains photos of something better than food.”

    :-)

    Rachael

    Reply
  2. Cate says

    April 22, 2005 at 2:01 pm

    Thanks Rachael, that’s awful sweet of you to say. Yeah, we kinda think he’s adorable too, but we’re pretty biased. ;)

    Reply

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Always looking for sunshine, figuratively and lite Always looking for sunshine, figuratively and literally. Sometimes we don’t have to look very far and it finds us. ☀️
It didn’t take much to get me to @mikespastasand It didn’t take much to get me to @mikespastasandwichshoppe when a friend texted me a screenshot of their cheese butter. Up until last week I had never even heard of cheese butter but just two days later, I’m driving an hour round trip to get some. 😂 I was never one to succumb to peer pressure (I didn’t have my first drink until I was 21!), but when it comes to food finds, I am very easily intrigued. After all, that’s how I’ve discovered some of my favorite bites over the years … lardo from @butlerandtheboard, a spicy Italian sausage, and my love of chicharron. If you haven’t visited Mike’s in Nutley, it’s worth a visit. While there, I also got a small tray of meatballs (a bargain at $10!) and a delicious mortadella sandwich that is worth a round trip. ✨
The long, dreary and grey months of the Winter nee The long, dreary and grey months of the Winter need a little bit of color, so here you go. 😍 Love this chest of drawers. Discovered it buried in a local shop and bought it specifically for the green color (one of my favorites). Vintage Coke crate was a $10 score from a garage sale place on Facebook some ten years ago. And the assorted markers in Roy G Biv order (natch) that aren’t used anymore because my kids have sadly left that phase. 🙃
Weekend Photos in Review, old school still photo s Weekend Photos in Review, old school still photo style, hope you had a good one! ✨

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Always looking for sunshine, figuratively and lite Always looking for sunshine, figuratively and literally. Sometimes we don’t have to look very far and it finds us. ☀️
It didn’t take much to get me to @mikespastasand It didn’t take much to get me to @mikespastasandwichshoppe when a friend texted me a screenshot of their cheese butter. Up until last week I had never even heard of cheese butter but just two days later, I’m driving an hour round trip to get some. 😂 I was never one to succumb to peer pressure (I didn’t have my first drink until I was 21!), but when it comes to food finds, I am very easily intrigued. After all, that’s how I’ve discovered some of my favorite bites over the years … lardo from @butlerandtheboard, a spicy Italian sausage, and my love of chicharron. If you haven’t visited Mike’s in Nutley, it’s worth a visit. While there, I also got a small tray of meatballs (a bargain at $10!) and a delicious mortadella sandwich that is worth a round trip. ✨
The long, dreary and grey months of the Winter nee The long, dreary and grey months of the Winter need a little bit of color, so here you go. 😍 Love this chest of drawers. Discovered it buried in a local shop and bought it specifically for the green color (one of my favorites). Vintage Coke crate was a $10 score from a garage sale place on Facebook some ten years ago. And the assorted markers in Roy G Biv order (natch) that aren’t used anymore because my kids have sadly left that phase. 🙃
Weekend Photos in Review, old school still photo s Weekend Photos in Review, old school still photo style, hope you had a good one! ✨
A friend was taking a trip to Ireland and asked if A friend was taking a trip to Ireland and asked if I wanted her to bring me back anything. Would you believe me if I told you I asked for salt? I love picking up different varieties, whether we’re traveling or I’m just visiting a new shop. Maddie grabbed me a super cute one from her trip to Paris last year, and the Magic Unicorn Salt I get locally is another favorite. What’s yours?
One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a serious case of FOMO on the daily, gets hiccups more than anyone we know and has perpetual bed head. She’s quite the unique roommate but may be exactly what our home needed. 💛
I haven’t had a bagel in ages, but when I saw th I haven’t had a bagel in ages, but when I saw that @njdotcom had picked six bagel shops at the “best in the state,” and one was reasonably local, all the sudden I needed one. I was never one to fall prey to peer pressure, but I’m very definitely a marketer’s dream. 😂 Alfa Bagels is on Route 10 in Randolph and has a good assortment of bagels, including all the usual suspects, but with a few others like rainbow, Asiago and French Toast throw in for good measure. Their bagels always seem to have a nice chew, which I appreciate and I love their sesame one. My go-to order lately is a double toasted flagel with lox spread and tomato. Their lox spread is a little ho hum, but the bagel is delish. Check them out next time you’ve got a craving (or get motivated by a local news story 😝). What’s your bagel order?
✌🏻 ✌🏻

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