Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Chocolate and bacon can be friends!

Ok, so I am pleased to say that I made my own chocolate covered bacon today, and it was delicious!
I chose Trader Joe's Classic Sliced Dry Rubbed All Natural Uncured Bacon because it already possesses a simple, sweet but not overpowering flavor.
Next, I chose a milk chocolate bar and simply melted in the microwave for 1 1/2 minutes, stirring after each 30 second increment to prevent burning.
Then, I cooked the bacon until it was medium-well ( crispy on the edges and just done every where else).
Lastly,instead of covering the bacon in chocolate as many places do, I chose to drizzle the melted chocolate over the hot bacon. I let it sit for about a minute, and then enjoyed the salty sweet goodness with my fellow bacon-lovin' roommate Samantha! Tip: coffee and banana chocolate chip pancakes make a nice well-rounded meal:)
I am so happy that bacon and chocolate were able to work out their differences.

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Chocolate covered bacon

So, I finally got the chance to try chocolate covered bacon at a chocolate confectionery lounge...and unfortunately i was disappointed. The chocolate was too bitter and the bacon too smoky. Alas! I am now on a quest to start experimenting to find the right pairing. Any one have suggestions in the mean time?? I'll keep y'all posted...:)

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Nana Pudd'n

Ok, so my favorite dessert of all time is BANANA PUDDING! Being a simple Southern girl, who can blame me? I just love it so much that I want to share my secrets with all of you....promise me you'll try it?!

Lauren's Foolproof Banana Pudding
2 boxes Trader Joe's Instant Vanilla Pudding
4 cups Milk- I use Almond due to allergies, but 2 % probably works best!
3 ripe bananas
1 pint Heavy Whipping Cream
1 container Trader Joe's Vanilla Bean Wafers
Sprinkle of cinnamon

1. Make the pudding first so it has time to set. Simply follow the directions on the box, by whisking the pudding mix and milk in a medium bowl for 2-3 minutes.

2. Let it sit for 5 minutes. Whisk quickly for 20 seconds and let it rest. Pudding should be set at this point. If not, stick it in the fridge for a few minutes!

3. Next, whip that cream! Again, simply pour heavy cream into a medium bowl and beat on HIGH for 5 minutes until it peaks. This means it is stiff and when you lift your beaters up, it is not runny at all.

4. Cut up your bananas into thin slices.

5. Now, the fun part: LAYERING!!

6. Layer the following in this order:

Pudding
Bananas
Whipped Cream
Cookies

Repeat until bowl is full. I try to do at least 3 rounds of layers!

Sprinkle some cinnamon on top and you're ready to serve!





I like to serve mine in little glass dishes for a personal touch:)

Tip: make it the night before and it will be perfect the next day!

Let me know if you like!
Also, I'd really love for you guys to start sharing recipes/ tricks as well, so please COMMENT on this post:)

Monday, June 6, 2011

My Summer Anthem

Lights Out By Santogold

Summer anthem!

http://grooveshark.com/s/Lights+Out/1P9rck?src=5

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Morning Glory

Visited one of my favorite brunch places in Philly yesterday: Morning Glory, located on 10th and Fitzwater. It's a real grungy diner spot...but the food is delicious! I ordered the Frangipane Peach Waffle...it was delicious! The frangipane gave it a nice almondy flavor, with homemade whipped cream on top! It was so rich that I couldn't finish it:( This is a rare feat considered my gift for eating sweet treats!
Check out the diner here: http://www.themorningglorydiner.com/







Good time hanging out with friends and celebrating summer Saturdays!

Other brunch spots to try:
Sabrina's $ http://sabrinascafe.com/
Try the stuffed French toast= insanely good!

White Dog Cafe $$ http://www.whitedog.com/
A little pricier, but this cafe is committed to using local/seasonal ingredients...bottom line, worth it!
The Chihuahua Steak and Eggs is BOMB.

Local 44 $
Delicious brunch on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 AM-3 PM I believe.
I mean a burger and beer after church...awesome, right?
http://www.local44beerbar.com/PBW2011.htm

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Nicolas Cage...

We all have our favorites...favorite foods, favorite songs, and favorite hang out spots. Then, we also have our favorite things to poke fun at. For me, Nicolas Cage is at the top of my list.

A video to display my feelings towards "The Cage" perfectly:
http://www.hulu.com/watch/243579/saturday-night-live-weekend-update-nicolas-cage-and-bradley-cooper#s-p1-sr-i3

Those eyebrows...

Monday, May 23, 2011

The Met, Hot dogs, and Central Park!

This past Saturday, my roommate and fellow adventurer Rachel and I went on a spontaneous trip to New York City! We visited the Alexander McQueen exhibit "Savage Beauty" at the Met...it was definitely worth the trip! For those of you who aren't familiar with McQueen, he was a revolutionary fashion designer who tragically committed suicide last year.
The exhibit was a powerful display of the dark side of McQueen as well as his incredible innovation as a designer.

Check it out here: http://www.metmuseum.org/special/se_event.asp?OccurrenceId={55189B0E-51CF-4801-BC24-1D7CC67F7633}





When it came to food, there was no question: HOT DOGS!!
We grabbed our local beef hot dogs from a stand at the Met and thoroughly enjoyed them on the steps.
Th best part about them? The soft pretzel hot dog buns! I am planning to try and make these...stay tuned!

We also witnessed a couple getting engaged on the steps! Guess we're good luck: )

After the museum, we sought respite in Central Park...the perfect place to escape the city grime and unwind. Sigh...a perfect day!



Lastly, we went to visit some Upper East Side puppies at the pet store:) So cute...it took all my power not to bring one back on the bus with me!

With this final step, the recipe to a perfect day was complete! The key ingredients: art, hot dogs, a rest in the park, and PUPPIES:)

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Always Start with Coffee

Day 1
I woke up excited to begin my day, as always, with BREAKFAST! I started with a Krispy Kreme doughnut for inspiration. 20 seconds in the microwave, let me tell you it was INSPIRING.








The menu for today:

Freshly brewed cinnamon-nutmeg coffee
Cheesy British scrambled eggs
Roasted red breakfast potatoes

Let us begin.

Coffee : a vital nutrient in my opinion. Hey, a cup a day is said to promote a positive mood. Now my opinion is fact. I only use a french press,and it has never let me down. They are pretty inexpensive, mine is a Bodum original that my wonderful brother got me for Christmas! I looked it up, it's only $20 at target.com:)


What you'll need
A coffee grinder
1/2 cup of freshly roasted beans
12 oz. hot water
Dash of desired seasonings...today: cinnamon and nutmeg!


1. Bring about 12 oz. of water to a boil. Turn off the heat and let it sit for about 30-45 seconds.
2. While the water is boiling, grind your beans. If you don't have a measuring cup on hand, a good way to measure is to fill to the first line for every 6 oz. serving of coffee. I fill it to the top to make a full french press.
3. Pour the grounds into the press, add hot water.
4. Stir with a wooden spoon- metal can crack the glass!
5. Put the top on and let it sit for 3 minutes.
6. Gently push down and serve immediately!

Roasted red breakfast potatoes
YUM! These are a hit and pretty inexpensive if you're on a grad school budget like me:)

3 small red potatoes, in skin
2 tbsp canola oil
1 tsp salt
2 dashes Herbs de Provence

1. Rinse potatoes. Cube potatoes by cutting in half, quarters, and then eighths. The smaller they are, the faster they will cook!
2. Place a medium saucepan or skillet on medium heat. Add oil and salt to pan.
3. Quickly add potatoes to pan. Use a spatula to coat all evenly with oil and salt!
4. Spread evenly in pan.
5. Add desired herbs. Sprinkle lightly over the potatoes. Rosemary and thyme works great!
5. Stir every minute or so.
6. After about 4 minutes, start flipping so that potatoes are cooked evenly.
7. Potatoes will take about 12 minutes to cook. You know they are done when the skins and light brown and crispy and the insides are soft when lightly pressed with the spatula!




Cheesy British Scrambled Eggs
In a bowl, combine
2 eggs
2 tbsp almond milk*
Dash Lawry's season salt
Dash black pepper
Whisk with a fork until evenly mixed.

Grate in a small bowl and set aside:
1 oz. mozzarella cheese
2 oz. British cheddar with caramelized onions (Trader Joe's brand)

* I prefer almond milk for health reasons, but any kind of milk or half n half even will do!

1. In a medium saucepan on medium heat, add egg mixture and immediately begin stirring.
2. Once eggs begin to fluff, add mozzarella. Fold into eggs.
3. Add British cheddar as the final touch and fold into eggs.
4. Take off heat before eggs begin to brown!



Kristina, my wonderful roommate and co-chef, sat by our window and enjoyed our creations. Just another morning in our house.





Hope you all enjoy!

Song for the day: http://grooveshark.com/s/Awake+My+Soul/2Ca3Yn?src=5

Awake My Soul, Mumford & Sons...my inspiration for this blog and a celebration of some incredible British folk rock perfection.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Skipping breakfast should be illegal

I want to begin by explaining my purpose in creating this blog. I believe every one has a word that can describe the core of who they are. A single word, you ask? To describe an entire human being's existence? Yes, I provocatively suggest this to be true. My word is the reason behind everything that matters to me and explains who I am than and the things I love in this life. I'll give you some clues: it starts with an A and ends with LIVE. ALIVE. That's my word and the reason for which I write this blog. I hope to create a glimpse, an album, a collection of the things I love most and that bring me to life. I'm a simple girl, really. If you want to know two of the quickest ways to my heart, then I'm going to let you in on the secret: music and BREAKFAST. So, for the purpose of this collection I will share with you some of my favorite discovered recipes and songs...as well as some other things I find beautiful and humorous along the way!