Known for French Laundry in Napa Valley, Thomas Keller is well-versed in the art of the picnic. Enter the new Bouchon Picnic Baskets to Go, which offer a variety of pre-selected delectable dishes. They are perfect to pick up for a night out at the Hollywood Bowl or a day on the beach. These baskets offer a range of sandwiches, salads, and decadent desserts. Choose from two French inspired 3 course picnic baskets for 2 people ($65.00 or $115.00) with add on all a carte options. Located in Beverly Hills, Bouchon is open daily from 11:30am - 12:00pm. - Taryn Cox for THE WIFE.
Bouchon 235 North Canon Drive Beverly Hills, CA 90210 310 271 9910 x622Entries Tagged 'Cooking' ↓
Bouchon Summer Picnic Baskets
August 17th, 2011 — Activities, Cooking, Resturants
THE WIFE’s Almond Challah French Toast
August 11th, 2011 — Cooking
Ingredients:
- Challah Bread
- 6 Organic Free Range Eggs
- 1 1/2 Cups Organic Milk or Half and Half
- 4 Tbsp Almond Extract
- 1/2 Tbsp Cinnamon
- 1/2 Tbsp Fresh Grated Nutmeg
- 1 Vanilla Bean Scraped
- Pinch of Salt
- Grape Seed Oil
- Powdered Sugar
- Butter
- Pure Maple Syrup
Directions:
- Slice challah bread into 1 inch thick slices.
- Whisk together eggs, milk, almond extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla bean and salt in a shallow dish.
- Heat oil in frying pan over medium heat.
- Dip challah slices into almond egg mixture and fry on each side until golden brown. Keep in warm oven until ready to serve.
- Enjoy with sprinkled powered sugar, butter, pure maple syrup and fresh berries (optional). - Taryn Cox for THE WIFE.
Summer Refreshment: Ginger Mint Lemonade
August 2nd, 2011 — Cooking

Ingredients:
- Juice of 2 lemons
- 1/2 Cup Mint Leaves
- 2 Cups Water
- 2″ Peeled Ginger Root
- 4 Drops of Liquid Stevia or desired amount of Sugar
- 1 Cup Ice
- Salt to Taste
Directions:
- Place all ingredients in a sturdy blender. Blend until smooth, Serves 2.
Simple Summer Dinner: Honey Chicken with Grilled Corn Salad
July 28th, 2011 — Cooking, Kids
Ingredients:
- 1/2 Cup Ketchup
- 2 Tablespoons Honey
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 1/2 Pounds Organic Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
- Kosher Salt and Pepper
- Canola Oil for The Grill
- 6 Ears Corn, Shucked
- 1 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter, Cut into Pieces
- 2 Scallions, Sliced
Directions
- Place twenty 8-inch wooden skewers in water to soak. Heat grill to medium-high.
- In a small bowl, combine the ketchup, honey, and Worcestershire sauce. Set aside.
- Slice the chicken lengthwise into twenty ½-inch-thick strips. Thread each strip onto a wooden skewer. Season with ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper.
- Lightly oil the grill. Cook the chicken, turning occasionally, until cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes, basting with the ketchup mixture during the last 2 minutes.
- Meanwhile, grill the corn, turning occasionally, until slightly charred, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Cut the kernels off the cobs, place in a medium bowl, and toss with the butter, scallions, and ¼ teaspoon salt and pepper. Serve with the chicken. - Real Simple Magazine
* This recipe is great for kids, so easy to make and perfect for grilling outside during Summer. Did I mention it’s delicious??
Gojee Cooking Website
July 28th, 2011 — Cooking
Gojee does for food similar to what Pandora does for music. Gojee is cooking website that shows you outstanding curated recipes personalized to what your craving. Do you have a pantry full of ingredients and no idea what to make for Dessert? Got Cake Flour, Nutmeg and Honey? They’ve got a recipe for that too! And on top of that Gojee only uses delicious recipes from cooks who have plenty of culinary experience. The more you use the site the more easier it is for Gojee to match your commonly used ingredients and what you like to eat. So go ahead and tell them what you love, hate or just whats in your fridge and the site will spoon feed your eyes and your belly something tasty! - Taryn Cox for THE WIFE.
My 10 Favorite Things For Every WIFE
July 15th, 2011 — Article, Books, Cleaning, Cooking, Domestic Goddess, Etiquette, Health, Sex, Stationary, Things I Love, Tips
A few weeks ago, Mina, from the website MiniPiccolini asked me to share with her readers my top 10 favorite things for wives. Below are my favorite things every wife should have in her life.
1. William Sonoma - A wondrous playground for any wife who loves to cook in her kitchen. This charming store provides tools to make preparation easier, cooking classes for those who want to learn, and inspiration around every corner for those looking for creativity. www.williamsonoma.com
2. Mrs. Meyers – Every wife should have an eco friendly conscious when shopping for her household. Enter Mrs. Meyers… A collection of household products with essential oils from flowers and herbs that pack a real punch against daily dirt and grim. From dish soap to laundry detergent to window cleaners Mrs. Meyers brings a powerful clean and a garden fresh scent to your home. All their products are earth friendly, bio degradable, non toxic and never tested on animals. www.mrsmeyers.com
3. Emily Post Etiquette Book - Every wife should always carry herself like a true lady. Emily Post’s discourses on etiquette is said to be one of the most useful reference books published, next to a dictionary, a thesaurus and a world atlas. The new edition has discussions on perennially necessary topics, such as where to place a soup spoon when setting a formal table and whether one may wear white after Labor Day (the answer is yes). This integration of new material with old, showing respect and consideration for others while placing a premium on honesty, graciousness and deference. It also serves as a reminder of how individual choices may affect others and how easy it is to choose—words, wardrobes, gifts and actions—more wisely. $27.00 on Amazon.Com
4. Stationer - Every wife can benefit from a very creative and talented stationer. While I take my services to Jonathan Wright and Sugar Paper in Los Angeles, They are always there to help with last minute gifts and an abundance of greeting cards for every occasion. Your stationer can also aid you in the designing all of life’s celebrations from wedding invitations to birth announcements to personal stationary for thank you notes. Jonathan Wright 7404 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, California 90036 323 931 1710; Sugar Paper 253 26th Street, Brentwood, California 310 451 7870
5. La Perla – Just like the age old saying “A lamb in the kitchen and a tiger in the bedroom.” What better way to inspire a healthy and consistent sex life with your husband than with luxurious lingerie from La Perla. Every man can appreciate his wife coming to bed in a flirtatious silk night gown or something else a little more provocative. www.laperla.com
4th of July Treat: Pie in a Jar
July 1st, 2011 — 4th of July, Cooking, Party Planning
Ingredients:
- Pie Crust Dough (fave recipe or pre-made)
- 2 12 oz. cans of cherry, apple or your favorite pie filling
- 2 Tb of sugar
- 1 large egg beaten
Supplies:
- 6 4 oz. mason jars, cleaned with lids and labels removed
- Star shaped cookie cutter
- 1 Cookie sheet
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Press the unrolled dough bit by bit into the jars a bit at a time (not too thick!) until the jars are lined with the dough up to the rims. Reserve some dough for toppers. Next, fill jars nearly to the top with filling of choice.
- Place the filled jars on a sturdy cookie sheet and place into oven. Bake at 325 degrees for roughly 30-35 minutes or until dough becomes a light golden color.
- Roll out reserved dough to roughly 1/8 inch thick and cut out 6-8 stars. Brush the hearts with the egg wash and sprinkle with sugar. Arrange the dough stars on the pies and bake an additional 10-15 minutes until dough is golden brown all the way around the jars. If needed, place foil over the tops of the jars to keep the hearts from burning.
- Remove and let jars cool on a rack. Decorate with ribbon, tags, or labels on lids as desired and give to your family and friends! - Greenweddingshoes.com
Take the easy way out and buy Pie in a Jar Here
THE WIFE’s Blueberry Muffins with Streusel Topping
June 28th, 2011 — Cooking
THE WIFE’s Blueberry Muffins with Streusel Topping
Makes 12 Muffins
Ingredients:
- 1 Box Duncan Hines 100% Whole Grain Blueberry Streusel Muffin Mix
- 2 Large Cage Free Eggs
- 1/2 Cup Water
- 1/4 Oil
- 2 Cups Fresh Organic Blueberries
- 1/2 Cup Butter, Softened
- 1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 1/2 Cup Firmly Packed Light Brown Sugar
- 2/3 Cup All-Purpose Flour
- 1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease muffin pan or line with paper baking cups. Throw out Duncan Hines can of wild Maine blueberries and packet of streusel mix.
2. Empty Duncan Hines muffin mix into large bowl. Stir eggs, water and oil into muffin mix until moistened (about 50 strokes). Fold rinsed and drained organic blueberries gently into batter. Spoon batter into prepared muffin pans. Fill cups 2/3 full.
3. For streusel topping beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add granulated sugar and brown sugar, beating well. Add flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg; beat just until blended. Top muffins in pan with desired amount of streusel topping.
4. Place muffin in center of the oven and bake at 375°F for 14-18 minutes until top is lightly brown. COOL 5-10 minutes. Gently loosen muffins before removing from pan. - Taryn Cox for THE WIFE.
Father’s Day Treat: Brown Butter, Bacon & Chocolate Chip Cookies
June 17th, 2011 — Cooking, Father's Day
Brown Butter Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies (adapted from Cooks Illustrated)
Ingredients:
- 1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 14 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- 2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 4 oz semisweet chocolate bar, diced into 1/4″ pieces
- 1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips (I like Ghirardelli 60% cacao)
- 3 tablespoons milk chocolate, grated
- 1 cup bacon that’s been fried until crispy and diced into roughly 1/4″ pieces
Directions:
1. Adjust your oven rack so it’s in the middle position. Pre-heat to 375 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Whisk flour and baking soda together in a medium bowl and set aside.
3. Heat 10 tablespoons of butter in a 10 inch skillet over medium-high heat until melted. Continue cooking, swirling pan constantly. Watch this carefully - butter can go from brown to burned very quickly. When butter is dark-golden brown and has a nutty aroma, remove from heat and immediately transfer to a heatproof bowl. Stir the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter into hot butter until melted.
Father’s Day Gift Idea
June 13th, 2011 — Cooking, Father's Day
With their apartment-friendly beer-making kits, Erica Shea and Stephen Valand of the Brooklyn Brew Shop make it easy to craft artisanal beer – right in your own kitchen. Showcasing the finest barley, hops, yeast and spices, your all-natural home-crafted brew will taste as great as the premium artisanal beers served at the best brew pubs. Choose either fresh summer wheat beer or India Pale Ale. The Kit includes a step-by-step instructions guide you through every stage: the mash, the sparge, the boil, fermentation and bottling. The entire brewing process takes approximately 17 days and produces 1 gal. of IPA beer or fresh summer wheat beer. Equipment can be reused over and over to make more fresh beer. $39.95
Homemade Fettuccine Alfredo with Sundried Tomato, Basil and Prawn
May 19th, 2011 — Cooking
This is one of the best recipes I’ve come across in a very long time! I cooked it last night and not only is it delicious but incredibly easy to make! Click below to see the Recipe
WIFE Sweet Treat: Chocolate Biscuit Cake
May 3rd, 2011 — Cooking
This cake is so good that Prince William chose it as his groom’s cake for the royal wedding.
Servings:
Makes one 6-inch round cake (8 portions)
Ingredients:
1/2 tsp. butter , for greasing
8 ounces Rich tea biscuits
4 ounces unsalted butter , softened
4 ounces granulated sugar
4 ounces dark chocolate , for the cake
1 egg
8 ounces dark chocolate , for coating
1 ounce chocolate , for decorating
Directions:
To make cake: Lightly grease a 6″ x 2 1/2″ cake ring and place on a tray on a sheet of parchment paper.
Break each of the biscuits into almond-size pieces by hand and set aside.
Lucky Night Wine
February 8th, 2011 — Cooking, Gifts, Valentine's Day
|
LUCKY NIGHT VINTAGE WINE
A cold and relatively dry winter, and a warm spring jump-started our 2007 growing season at our Oakville vineyard. A relatively small crop meant good concentration of classic aromas and flavors that conjure up the image of a nice Bordeaux. Summer was mild, which gave us a long ripening, always best for Bordeaux varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. We harvested the grapes in mid-October under optimal conditions. (Wine Notes: Ripe black cherry and raspberry aromas. Round upon entry in the mouth, excellent balance. Supple, fine-grained tannins resolve nicely. Long, aromatic finish. If you ordered a bottle of Bordeaux in a nice Parisian bistro, it would taste like this.) $25.00 per bottle.
Valentine’s Day Sugar Cubes
January 25th, 2011 — Cooking, Valentine's Day
We just love these pretty sugar lumps painted with pink and red hearts. The perfect finishing touch for a special table. Now available in new and smaller packaging. Each box contains 30 cubes. 12.00 Pounds.
Cuisinart Soup Maker & Blender
January 19th, 2011 — Cooking, Domestic Goddess
This multitasking machine from Cuisinart sautés, cooks and blends your favorite homemade soups. It’s also a high-performance blender – crushing ice or whipping up cocktails and smoothies. $199.99 at www.WilliamSonoma.Com
- Versatile machine makes hot soup, whips up smoothies, crushes ice and does much more.
- For soups, simply add pre-cut ingredients and the machine sautes, blends and keeps the soup warm until serving.
- Razor-sharp blades quickly chop or mince foods.
- Push-button digital controls make it easy to set cooking time and temperature.
- The machine has three temperature settings - low, medium and high bringing soup from a gentle simmer to a boil.
- Four speeds – plus stir and pulse functions – blend ingredients to desired consistency.
- Thermal shock-resistant glass container with plastic base.
- Cleaning brush included.
THE WIFE’s Homemade Pasta
January 17th, 2011 — Cooking
The Wife’s Homemade Pasta
Ingredients:
5 1/4 Cups of Flour
8 Eggs
1 Teaspoon of Salt
Directions:
1. Pour flour onto counter, add 1 teaspoon of salt and make a hole in the middle to crack 8 eggs into.
2. Whisk Eggs slowly with a fork, slowly adding flour as you mix.
3. Knead dough for 10 minutes until elastic.
4. Separate dough into 2, wrap each in Saran wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
5. Once out of the fridge cut each dough ball into 3rds and roll through pasta press machine until desired thickness. We suggest setting 7. - Special thanks to Josh Rosenstein for teaching us this recipe!
Flour with Salt
Adding 8 eggs into Flour mixture.
Kneading Dough
Split into two, Wrap in Saran Wrap and Refrigerate.
Pasta Press Machine
Cooking Pasta with Cormac McCarthy
January 17th, 2011 — Cooking
Pasta. Plain. But Good.
INGREDIENTS:
Pasta.
And salt.
And water.
And Fire.
DIRECTIONS:
Place the pasta in the water and the salt in the water and the water in the pot and the pot on the fire.
In the pot? The fire in the pot?
No. The water in the pot. The pot on the fire.
The pasta in the water?
Yes, in the water.
And the salt in the fire?
No. The salt in the water.
And the water on the fire?
No. The water in the pot and the pot on the fire. Not the water on the fire. For then the fire will die and dying be dead.
Nor will the water boil and the pasta will drain dry and not cooked and hard to the teeth.
The salt falls nor does it cease to fall.
The water boils. So be it.
Cease from placing your hand in the boiling water. Place your hand in the boiling water and it will cause you pain.
Much pain?
Very much pain.
In the pot the bubbles bubble up and bubble some more. The bubbles are bubbly. Never more bubbly bubbles bubbling bubbliest. And having bubbled the bubbles still bubbly.
Or bubblier?
Or bubblier.
Across the kitchen a board intended for chopping. Here. Take it. Chop.
What will I chop? There are no ingredients to chop.
Just chop. Don’t cease from chopping. To chop is to become a man.
After 10 minutes. The pasta stiff and dry and upright no more. The pasta lank and wet and soft. In the eternal damp of water.
Pour water free like some ancient anointing. The pasta left alone in the pot. Alone and naked.
The salt? Where’s the salt?
The salt is gone. Lost to the water and gone forever.
I grieve for the salt.
It is the salt for which I grieve.
Tip the pasta out.
The pasta?
Yes. Tip it out. Onto.
A plate?
Yes. And stop.
Finishing your sentences?
Yes.
Why?
Because it’s so.
Irritating?
Nothing in your memory anywhere of anything so good. Now the pasta is eaten. Disappeared. The pasta disappeared as everything disappeared. As the comma disappears and the semicolon disappears and the inverted comma disappears and the apostrophe disappears and the adjectives and the pronouns all disappear.
Leaving just full stops and And.
And And?
And And.
And And.
-Vanity Fair.Com
Kids Cooking Party
November 30th, 2010 — Cooking, Kids, Party Planning
WIFE Sweet Treat: Macadamia, Hazelnut, Ginger and Chocolate Cookies
November 8th, 2010 — Cooking
Trader Joe’s Find: Smashing S’mores
October 26th, 2010 — Cooking
Love s’mores but dread making a campfire just to indulge in these tasty treats? We’ll fret no more, as Trader Joe’s has found a much more convenient way to package them. Just toss a few Smashing S’mores on a plate and nuke them in the microwave for 5 seconds and Ta Da….. Toasty marshmallow s’mores within seconds! - Taryn Cox for The Wife.
Trader Joe’s Find: Maple Leaf Cookies
October 22nd, 2010 — Cooking, Things I Love
Fall Comfort Food: Julia Child’s Boeuf Bourguignon
October 21st, 2010 — Cooking
Servings: Serves 6
Ingredients
Kitchen Supplies:
- 9- to 10-inch, fireproof casserole dish , 3 inches deep
- Slotted spoon
Boeuf Bourguignon:
- 6 ounces bacon
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil or cooking oil
- 3 pounds lean stewing beef , cut into 2-inch cubes
- 1 sliced carrot
- 1 sliced onion
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 2 Tbsp. flour
- 3 cups full-bodied, young red wine , such as a Chianti
- 2 to 3 cups brown beef stock or canned beef bouillon
- 1 Tbsp. tomato paste
- 2 cloves mashed garlic
- 1/2 tsp. thyme
- Crumbled bay leaf
- Blanched bacon rind
- 18 to 24 small white onions , brown-braised in stock
- 1 pound quartered fresh mushrooms , sautéed in butter
- Parsley sprigs
Directions:
Remove rind from bacon, and cut bacon into lardons (sticks, 1/4 inch thick and 1 1/2 inches long). Simmer rind and bacon for 10 minutes in 1 1/2 quarts of water. Drain and dry.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Sauté the bacon in the oil over moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly. Remove to a side dish with a slotted spoon. Set casserole aside. Reheat until fat is almost smoking before you sauté the beef.
Dry the stewing beef in paper towels; it will not brown if it is damp. Sauté it, a few pieces at a time, in the hot oil and bacon fat until nicely browned on all sides. Add it to the bacon.
In the same fat, brown the sliced vegetables. Pour out the sautéing fat.
Return the beef and bacon to the casserole and toss with the salt and pepper. Then sprinkle on the flour and toss again to coat the beef lightly with the flour. Set casserole uncovered in middle position of preheated oven for 4 minutes. Toss the meat and return to oven for 4 minutes more. (This browns the flour and covers the meat with a light crust.) Remove casserole, and turn oven down to 325 degrees.
Stir in the wine, and enough stock or bouillon so that the meat is barely covered. Add the tomato paste, garlic, herbs, and bacon rind. Bring to simmer on top of the stove. Then cover the casserole and set in lower third of preheated oven. Regulate heat so liquid simmers very slowly for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.
While the beef is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms. Set them aside until needed.
When the melt is tender, pour the contents of the casserole into a sieve set over a saucepan. Wash out the casserole and return the beef and bacon to it. Distribute the cooked onions and mushrooms over the meat.
Skim fat off the sauce. Simmer sauce for a minute or two, skimming off additional fat as it rises. You should have about 2 1/2 cups of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly. If too thin, boil it down rapidly. If too thick, mix in a few tablespoons of stock or canned bouillon. Taste carefully for seasoning. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables. Recipe may be completed in advance to this point.
For immediate serving: Covet the casserole and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce several times. Serve in its casserole, or arrange the stew on a platter surrounded with potatoes, noodles, or rice, and decorated with parsley.
For later serving: When cold, cover and refrigerate. About 15 to 20 minutes before serving, bring to the simmer, cover, and simmer very slowly for 10 minutes, occasionally basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce.
Copyright © 1961, 1983, 2001 by Alfred A. Knopf. Reprinted by arrangement with the Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc.
Sweet Treats: Ming Makes Cupcakes
October 8th, 2010 — Cooking
Fall Sweet Treat: Apple Cake
September 15th, 2010 — Cooking
Ingredients:
2 Eggs
2 Cups of Sugar
1 Cup of Canola Oil
2 Teaspoons of Vanilla
2 Teaspoons of Cinnamon
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
3 Cups Flour
3 Cups Chopped Apples
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350′
2. Beat eggs in mixing bowl.
3. Add sugar, oil and vanilla.
4. In a separate bowl combine cinnamon, baking soda, salt and flour.
5. Slowly add the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until dough has formed.
6. Add chopped apples to dough (if you dont have a kitchen-aid mixture with a dough hook, then it is best to mix in apples by hand as dough becomes very thick.)
7. Pour into a lightly greased bundt cake pan and cook for 45 - 60 minutes. - Recipe from the kitchen of Selma Horan
Back to School: Tips for a Fun & Healthy Lunch
September 3rd, 2010 — Cooking, Kids
A kid-friendly lunch doesn’t have to mean a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Not only can dishes such as fruit kabobs, pizza quesadillas and noodle bowls be just as easy to make as a sandwich, you may be surprised to discover how popular and kid-friendly such healthy choices are.
Ideas for spreading the lunch love:
- Give kids something they can assemble themselves. They love dipping, stacking and rolling up their food into fun treats.
- For kids, anything “mini” equals fun. Serve them things like mini whole grain bagels, potstickers or cheese cubes.
- Make food into fun shapes. Colorful or interestingly shaped pasta, sandwiches cut into shapes with cookie cutters, or fruit cut into triangles, circles, etc.
- Try to expose your children to at least one new flavor each week. This could be an item they’ve never eaten before or one they haven’t had in awhile.
- Include a fun container, special note, napkin, cartoon or joke in the lunchbox.
BUILDING THE IDEAL LUNCHBOX
Like the ideal breakfast, lunch should have lots of fiber and whole grains, some protein and healthy fat, a veggie and just a bit of natural sugar, like a piece of fresh fruit.
To give kids a sense of control and a vested interest in eating their lunches, involve them in the prep-work and the decision-making process about what goes in the bag. Best to do this on the weekend or the night before to avoid morning meltdowns.
Tips for building a kid-friendly lunch:
- Involve them in the prep-work.
- Include a protein.
- Choose whole grains, whole grain breads, crackers and pasta for fiber.
- Choose one fruit and at least one veggie per lunch.
INSPIRED LUNCHES
Stuck in a peanut butter and jelly rut? Try these ideas for a little something different:
- Whole wheat tortillas spread with peanut butter sprinkled with raisins or dried cherries, rolled up and cut in two.
- Pizza quesadilla or a tomato cheddar soup and cold antipasti spread including tortellini, meats, cheeses and green beans served with grapes any other fresh, bite-size fruit.
- Hummus and spinach wrap, cherry tomatoes with string cheese, and yogurt.
- Baked corn chips, black beans, cheese wedges and fresh pico de gallo with jicama sticks.
- Whole wheat or buckwheat noodles with peanut sauce, sugar snap peas, a pear, almonds and a fortune cookie.
- Tuna salad with grated carrots, served with crackers or in a pita.
- Cheese triangles served with pepperoni and whole wheat crackers for stacking.
- Crostini (toasted French/Italian bread slices) served with chopped olive salad, roasted turkey and hard-boiled eggs.
- Vegetarian brown rice sushi rolls with soy or ponzu sauce.
- Smoked salmon, cream cheese and cucumbers on mini bagels.
- Shumai dumplings/potstickers packed cold with ponzu sauce or peanut sauce.
- Vegetable fried rice (make the night before or use dinner leftovers).
- Chocolate almond butter with graham crackers.
- Fruit kabobs made from assorted colors of melon balls and other fruits on a bamboo skewer, served with yogurt for dipping.
Find out how to stock a tempting selection of healthy snacks. - WholeFoodsMarket.Com
After School Snack: Apple Sandwiches
September 2nd, 2010 — Cooking, Kids
Serves 2
Kids will love to help you make this healthy snack since it’s fun to spread the nut butter and sprinkle the chocolate chips. No corer in the kitchen drawer? Slice the apples into rounds first then use a small cookie cutter to remove the core from the center of each slice. Wrap sandwiches tightly and tuck them into lunchboxes, if you like.
Ingredients
2 small apples, cored and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch thick rounds
1 teaspoon lemon juice (optional)
3 tablespoons peanut or almond butter
2 tablespoons semisweet chocolate chips
3 tablespoons granola
Method
If you won’t be eating these tasty treats right away, start by brushing the apples slices with lemon juice to keep them from turning brown.
Spread one side of half of the apple slices with peanut or almond butter then sprinkle with chocolate chips and granola. Top with remaining apple slices, pressing down gently to make the sandwiches. Transfer to napkins or plates and serve.
Nutrition
Per serving (about 7oz/192g-wt.): 300 calories (150 from fat), 16g total fat, 4.5g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 115mg sodium, 36g total carbohydrate (6g dietary fiber, 25g sugar), 8g protein - WholeFoodsMarket.Com
Back to School: Organic Reuseable Sandwich Bags
September 2nd, 2010 — Cooking, Domestic Goddess, Eco Friendlly, Kids
Set of 3 Sandwich, Fruit and Snack, $24.00
Set of 5 Sandwich, Fruit, Veggie, Snack and suprise, $38.00
Summer Ice Pops
August 19th, 2010 — Cooking, Things I Love, Video
You can currently buy the Zoku at William Sonoma for making fun Summer ice pops! Watch the video below for cool tips and tricks for making your Ice Pops fun and unique. Zoku Quick Pop Maker, $49.95
For More Zoku Kits and Accessories Visit: WilliamSonoma.Com
Sweet Weekend Treat: Blueberry Lavender Pops
August 19th, 2010 — Cooking
Servings: Makes 6 to 8 popsicles, depending on the mold
1 1/2 cups full-fat Greek yogurt
3/4 cup whole milk
1/4 cup blueberry preserves (or grape preserves)
1 pint blueberries
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon dried lavender blossoms
1. Place the yogurt, milk, preserves, blueberries and vanilla in a blender. Blend until smooth. Sprinkle in the lavender, then re-cover the blender and pulse briefly to combine.
2. Divide the mixture evenly among the pop molds, pouring so that you leave about one-half inch of headroom at the top. Once they are filled, tap the molds gently against the counter, allowing the liquid to settle evenly into the molds and dislodging any air bubbles that may have formed. Cover the molds and fit with popsicle sticks, if necessary. Freeze the molds until completely firm, at least 5 hours. For easy unmolding, run the frozen pops under warm water for 10 to 15 seconds before removing them.
Each of 8 popsicles: 125 calories; 4 grams protein; 15 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram fiber; 5 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 10 mg. cholesterol; 11 grams sugar; 26 mg. sodium. - LaTimes.Com
Weekend Sweet Treat: S’mores Pie
July 24th, 2010 — Cooking
S’Mores Pie
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (10-15 graham crackers)
8 tablespoons melted butter
7 ounces milk chocolate, broken into chunks
1 cup heavy cream
1 egg
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup cold water, divided
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract.
1. Make the crust. Crumble graham crackers into the work bowl of a food processor and process until finely ground. Alternatively, you can put them in a bag and whack them with a rolling pin until finely crushed. Pour melted butter into crumbs and mix (hands are best for this) until the butter is fully incorporated and the texture is that of wet sand. Butter or oil a 9-inch pie pan and firmly press the graham cracker crumbs against the sides, then against the bottom of the pan (the underside of a measuring cup works well for smoothing the bottom crust). Chill for at least 30 minutes to avoid crumbling when serving.
2. While the crust chills, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare the chocolate filling. Put the chocolate in a large mixing bowl. Heat the cream in a saucepan until scalded — do not boil. Pour the cream over the chocolate and allow to stand for 1 minute. Whisk the cream and chocolate together until glossy and smooth. Add a pinch of salt, then crack the egg into the chocolate mixture and whisk to fully incorporate. Pour into chilled crust and bake for 25 minutes, or until the filling is set but still slightly wobbly in the center. Remove from the oven and cool completely.
3. Prepare the marshmallow topping. Pour 1/4 cup water into the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the gelatin on top. In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, stir together the remaining 1/4 cup of water, sugar and corn syrup just until sugar is dissolved. Heat until a candy thermometer reads 260 degrees, or hard-ball stage. Remove from heat, turn stand mixer to medium speed to begin beating the bloomed gelatin, and slowly pour in sugar syrup, scraping any remaining syrup from the pan with a heat-proof spatula. Begin increasing the speed of the mixer, avoiding any splashing, and beat until the mixture is white, fluffy and tripled in volume. Add vanilla and beat for a few moments more. Pour the mixture onto the cooled chocolate layer, gently spreading it to the edges of the crust with a spatula. Refrigerate, uncovered, 30 to 60 minutes.
4. The last step: brûlée the marshmallow. A torch is best for this (a propane torch from the hardware store or a butane crème brûlée torch). If using a torch, clear the area of any flammable items, ignite the torch, and slowly wave the flame over the surface of the marshmallow until you achieve the desired level of toastiness. If you do not have a torch, use the broiler of your oven. Preheat the broiler, cover the edges of the pie crust with foil or pie shields, place the pie on a baking sheet and broil — watching carefully to prevent burning — for 2 to 3 minutes, rotating as necessary.
5. To slice the pie, it helps to dip your knife in hot water, then dry it with a towel. The heat facilitates easy slicing through the marshmallow layer. Serves 8. From Allison Kave of First Prize Pies.




























































