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

Weekend Dog Blogging (WDB) #23

February 27, 2006 · Narrative

The Neighbor was kind enough to play chauffeur this morning and took me to another bookstore so I could get my “import fix.” Got everything this time, except Donna Hay’s current issue. I’ll give you all a peek tomorrow at my stash, but in the meantime, onto today’s food…

The Neighbor’s Husband’s birthday was back before we went on vacation, but between the looming vacation and then my unexpected hospital visit, we haven’t had a chance to have his “official” birthday dinner … until today. I asked him what he wanted and his request was simple, “paninis.”

Since I’ve been catching up on my Tivo’d shows, I happened to catch a recent episode of Boy Meets Grill with Bobby Flay, and he made Cuban-Style Hamburgers, using the brick method on the grill to make them flatter – perfect! I just used the same recipe (see below) and used the panini to make them flat. They were quick and simple to make, and I’d definitely make them again. I love how the buns get a little soft from the hamburger juice that oozes out during cooking.

To add to the burgers, we also made Caramelized Onion and Feta Pizza, Bleu Cheese Chips (one of The Neighbor Husband’s favorites), Bruschetta and Orange Julius Martinis (think of an alcoholic creamsicle). The Neighbor came over to help me with dinner, since this is the first meal I’ve made since I went into the hospital, and my energy is just not there yet. Everything was yummy, with the burgers and pizza being stand-outs. The Bleu Cheese Chips recipe was the only tried-and-true; all the others were new.

Caramelized Onion and Feta Pizza (recipe to follow tomorrow)

Just a few TV programming notes … if you’re a Rachael Ray fan, set your VCRs and Tivos, as she’s going to be on Oprah tomorrow afternoon. And Bravo’s new show, Top Chef starts on March 8th – I’m really looking forward to this one. Sort of a nicer take on Gordon Ramsey’s Hell’s Kitchen…

OK, without further ado, the round-up for Weekend Dog Blogging #23. Here we go. Until tomorrow…

Cuban-Style Hamburgers from Bobby Flay
2 pounds ground chuck
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup best-quality mayonnaise
3 cloves roasted garlic, pureed
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
4 soft, classic hamburger buns
8 slices thinly sliced Swiss cheese
4 slices thinly sliced smoked ham
2 dill pickles, sliced 1/4-inch thick

Preheat the grill to high. Form the meat into 4 (1/4-inch thick) burgers. Season the meat with salt and pepper on both sides. Grill for 2 to 3 minutes on both sides for medium doneness. When the burgers are done, remove from the heat and reduce heat to medium-low.

Meanwhile, combine the mayonnaise and roasted garlic in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Spread both sides of each bun with mayonnaise and mustard. Place a slice of cheese on the bottom portion of each bun, place the burger on top of the cheese, then top the cheese with a slice of ham and another slice of cheese, and finally, the pickle slices. Place the tops of the bun over the pickles, wrap the burgers in aluminum foil, and place them on the grill. Using a heavy pan or a brick wrapped in foil, press down on the burgers for about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Lower the lid on the grill and continue grilling for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the bun has become pressed and firm.

Our own Eli will start us off this week:

Platelicker from Belly-Timber strikes a pose:

Great vintage shot of Piggy from Something So Clever; unfortunately the sentence “taken in 1995 when I was 12” made me feel incredibly old. ;)

Lucky Buddy Bear from Farmgirl Fare gets a soft nuzzle from the donkey. Every time I see the donkey, I remember riding one them when we lived abroad … I’ll have to ask my Mom for a picture, because I know there’s a few floating around somewhere …

One of the pups from Live, Laugh, Love relaxing in style:

A beautiful sheepdog at a flower market in Nice, France checks in from Why Travel to France:

The cute puppy, Willie, from Eating for One:

Poolside in February? I want to be where Ziggy lives!

A guest pup, Roscoe, from Urban-Agrarian, visits. What a cutie!

Harley and Oliver from Culinary Adventures:

Uh-oh, somebody’s not happy. Australia’s in the house:

Snug as a bug, it’s Edward from The Moveable Feast Food Blog:

Go over and check out Doolin and the other pups at Dispensing Happiness:

Kita from Sugar Mountain Farm is on the prowl:

Two of the well-poised pups, Mocha and Choco, from Rob Wonton:

The beautiful Bailey from The Savory Notebook, doing that crazy back-paw-eating-thing dogs do:

Some snoozers from Ragus Pug – too cute!

D from The Hungry Rose joins me in my recovery, poor thing…

And lastly, my parents’ dog, Beau, zooming in for his close-up:

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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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