TASTE: A Sweet Springtime Snack

Happy Monday, Friends!

I have news for you. I have finally discovered the perfect snack. Or breakfast. Or anything. It's just the tastiest treat. (Okay, I didn't discover it, but I discovered it for myself, you know what I mean.) It's even better than dessert at Max Brenner's, no joke. I've been treating myself to this since I started loading up on extra berries at the Haymarket. Having an abundance of berries around the house makes me feel like the Queen of England. This snack is truly magnificent. Live it up and treat yourself.

This is how I build it (in the order of layers, from bottom to top):

- Greek yogurt (I like Fage, but I don't discriminate)

- Granola

- Strawberries

- Sliced almonds

- Blueberries

- Walnuts

- Shredded Coconut

- Drizzle with Honey*

*The honey I use is from the fabulous honey store that I'm madly in love with. I find excuses to walk through this little boutique, Follow the Honey, far more often than I ever actually need to. They have honey on tap. They have beeswax candles. They have honeycomb jewelry. I can't get enough. Just like this tasty parfait.

I hope this special snack will brighten your Monday and make you feel like the sweetness of springtime is just around the corner :-)

Bon Appetit!

TASTE: Fresh Veggie Homemade Salsa

I woke up this morning to inches of fresh white snow.

I couldn't help but cry out in shock. Yes, it's been on the forecast for days, but I've been willing it away! More snow? MORE??? I mean, we still have icy patches of dirty snow from Nemo. There are thousands of cigarettes burned into each of these disgusting snowy depositories. Selfishly, I wanted to run errands today. I wanted to RUN today. This weather, while it looks positively lovely outside my window, is really cramping my style. I can't drive in the snow! I can't do anything in this weather. I want to see little pink buds on the trees, I want the sun to warm my soul and tan my sallow face. I want to wear sandals on my pedicured feet and sing pop songs at the top of my lungs whilst skipping down the cobble-stoned streets. But it is 30 degrees and STILL snowing. Hmm have I complained enough? I am doing everything I can to beckon Spring: I'm thinking happy thoughts, dressing in neon colors, and making summery foods. Like this homemade salsa (best if served with margaritas).

Take a moment to gather all these

Fresh Ingredients:

- Tomatoes (3-4)

- 1 Onion

- 1 Lime

- 1 Hot Pepper

- 1 Bunch of Cilantro

- Salt and Pepper (to taste)

- Some Garlic (if you really want to add a kick - this is optional!)

The Method:

(is pretty simple)

- Quarter the onion and tomatoes and throw them in the food processor. Blend just a bit.

- Then add the cilantro and 1/4 of the pepper (depending on how spicy you like it!), and blend those as well.

- Lastly, cut up the lime and squeeze all the juice into the mixture.

- Add salt and pepper to taste. Voila!

Yum.

I put my salsa in re-seal-able jars so we can eat it at our leisure. There is no need to ever buy store-packaged salsa again! Now if you really want to get crazy... here is a lunch I've been making with the salsa lately. It has tons of veggies so it feels fresh and healthy. I love feeling like I'm getting lots of veggies in early in the day :-)

Ingredients:

- 1/2 Avocado, sliced

- 1/2 onion, chopped

- 3-4 Baby Bella Mushrooms, chopped

- Some shredded Mozzarella

- A handful of Baby Spinach

- 1 Tortilla

- The yummy salsa you just made!

Method:

Combine all and enjoy! It's even more fun if you have a pretty plate to munch upon. See, you're ready for Spring already.

Happy healthy lunch day!

TASTE: Sweet Potato Soufflé

The Food Coma Shall Commence.

Where I come from, Thanksgiving is a big deal. My family and my husband’s family are from the same town, so going home is a double whammy of love, fun, and FOOD. However, this year, we decided to stay in Cambridge in order to save money and honestly, catch up on sleep.  We could use about a year’s worth of sleep. So we’re penciling that in for this week’s main activity.

Although we are not flying south, I can’t exclude myself from the glorious bought of cooking and baking associated with this holiday. I am a Southern woman, and what does that mean? I have a few recipes up my sleeve. And since I have several celebrations and dinners this week, and I am cooking up a few of my very favorites!

Sweet Potato Souffle

If you’re from the South, this is simply a staple at the Thanksgiving dinner table. This is a recipe that both my mom and my mother-in-law make, and for the past several years I’ve adopted it as one of my staple Thanksgiving contributions. Last year, I made this dish and brought it to a potluck-style dinner for my husband’s 90 classmates. Since many of the students are international (and were celebrating their first Thanksgiving ever!) they didn’t quite connect with the idea that this casserole should be on the dinner menu. They looked at it curiously, exchanged confused glances and promptly moved my pseudo-confection dish to the dessert table. Clearly these Yankees have been missing out on the CENTERPIECE of Thanksgiving supper (am I biased? Surely not. These are facts.)  I had to tell the party organizers more than once, “No, it’s not a dessert, it’s really a dinner item. Yeah, it really doesn’t belong at the dessert table. Seriously.” This year? Same dinner, and I’ve got tons of people asking for the recipe. I just told them all to move to Georgia. We cook country and we do it right. (In all honestly, cooking these family recipes away from home has made me realize what grandmotherly instincts I have, like pushing my cooking on others and getting waaaaayyy too much satisfaction out of them actually liking it.)

Here it is! My favorite November dish:

Sweet Potato Souffle

Ingredients:

- 3 cups mashed yams (1 40-oz. can)

- 2 eggs

- 1/2 cup milk

- 1 cup sugar

- 1/2 tsp. vanilla

- 1 cup brown sugar

- 1/3 cup flour

- 1 cup pecans

- 1/3 cup melted butter

Directions:

Combine the drained yams, eggs, milk, 1/3 cup melted butter, 1 cup sugar and 1/2 tsp. vanilla. Mix together (preferably with a beater) until fully combined and then put in a 10" casserole dish. Then combine the brown sugar, flour, pecans and 1/3 cup melted butter and mix together and spread this mixture on top of the casserole. Bake at 350 for 30-40 mins. Take a bite, and for a fleeting moment, experience Heaven.

I also whipped up this pumpkin pie and a pretzel jello salad (my husband’s personal favorite.) Hope you enjoy!