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

Comfort Food

September 2, 2006 · Narrative

Icky, rainy, wet and miserable … the perfect day for comfort food. The Husband offered to make dinner – who am I to stand in the way of that? He made one of his favorite Cuban dishes, Carne con Papas, from a very well-used Cuban cookbook, Memories of a Cuban Kitchen. I happened to catch an episode of Rachael Ray’s 30 Minute Meals today and she made Smashed Potatoes and Creamed Spinach, two of my favorite side dishes and perfect for today’s weather and The Husband’s main course. Of course, since neither The Husband nor Nicholas will touch potatoes or spinach, they were mine, all mine. Delicious stuff. Both recipes were done in under 20 minutes and could not have been simpler to make; these are definite repeats, and the Smashed Potatoes will be perfect as a side for many a cold Winter’s meal and Thanksgiving dinner (‘specially since I know my Mom will like these!).

In the beginning of August, I announced the topic for I’ll Show You Mine If You Show Me Yours #4. The topic this time is to post about what item in your kitchen you can’t live without. I’m going to post the round-up on Monday, to give everyone two more days to join in. Just post about the item in your kitchen that you can’t live without, and send me the permalink.

I’ll leave you with a picture of Callie for Weekend Cat Blogging, hosted by Miss Ellie this time. I bought this blanket from The Company Store last week, and she has been hogging it ever since. I don’t blame her – it’s ultra soft, and perfect for curling up with in this weather.

Until tomorrow…

A year ago today … peace and quiet.

Smashed Potatoes
Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray
2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and chunked, 3 large potatoes (I didn’t peel)
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup half-and-half or cream, eyeball it
4 ounces, 1/2 cup garlic and herb cheese (recommended: Boursin) (I used regular cream cheese, and add minced garlic)
3 tablespoons chopped chives or, 2 scallions, thinly sliced

Place potatoes in a pot and covered with water. Cover pot with lid and bring water to a boil. Salt boiling water and potatoes. Leave lid off pot and simmer at rolling boil until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain potatoes and return to hot pot. Smash potatoes with a little half-and- half or cream and garlic and herb cheese. Smash and incorporate chives. Add salt and pepper, to your taste.

Creamed Spinach
Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray
2 boxes frozen chopped spinach, 10 ounces, defrosted in microwave
2 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup heavy cream

Squeeze defrosted spinach dry by wringing it out in a kitchen towel. To a small skillet, add butter and cream and heat to a bubble over moderate heat. add spinach and salt and pepper. Cook until spinach thickens with cream, 3 to 5 minutes.

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Posted In: Narrative

Comments

  1. Bonnie Loves Cats =^..^= says

    September 3, 2006 at 11:49 am

    Callie is a beautiful Calico and Miss Ellie is a Calico too. The colors of her blanket really sets off the autumn colors in her fur.
    I also love Rachel Ray (I think a lot of people do) she is going to have 3 TV shows.

    Reply
  2. Anonymous says

    September 3, 2006 at 1:06 pm

    Great minds think alike… I am making carne con papa tonight. I went shopping yesterday under the rain and got all the ingredients.

    Happy Birthday Pee Wee!

    The Sister In-Law

    Reply
  3. Sylvie says

    September 3, 2006 at 2:37 pm

    Hi Cate. I’m visiting with my daughter in Philadelphia this week. I expected hot humid weather, but as you mentioned, nothing but rain. Autumn is jumping ahead.

    Reply
  4. Erika says

    September 4, 2006 at 1:57 am

    Hey Cate! I have an entry for I’ll Show You Mine…

    Here’s the url: http://tummytreasure.blogspot.com/2006/09/two-part-post-ahead.html

    Reply
  5. Cate says

    September 4, 2006 at 11:37 am

    Bonnie – she definitely knows what she’s doing when she picks that blanket, it’s fluffy AND makes her look beautiful. ;)

    The Sister-in-Law — too funny. You’ll have to share your recipe.

    Sylvie – the temperature is certainly great. At least it finally stopped.

    Thanks, Erika – roundup tonight. :)

    Reply
  6. SweetSarahJ says

    September 7, 2006 at 5:47 pm

    Hello!
    I guess Clare and Kiri are still taking it easy…. and so I volunteer to host this weekend!
    Drop me your links at sweetsarahj@gmail.com. Or leave a comment at http://chefsarahjane.blogspot.com/

    Looking forward to all your kitty links!

    Sarah

    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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