It’s Easter weekend! It’s totally beautiful out, and I really have to force myself not to do any work. Do you ever have to force yourself to relax?
Sleeping in always helps. A nice walk outside in the almost-springy weather. And a nice, fresh baked breakfast pastry. I’m not talking pop tarts here.
The other day I made vanilla mousse with rainbow sprinkles, and apart from the fact that it was delicious, it left me with a lot of egg whites. And if you’ve read some of my posts before, you know how I take pride in using up leftovers. Like how I always use leftover frosting, and how I like to smother aging bananas in caramel.
Meringues were a natural choice when it came to using up egg whites. Fyi you can freeze eggs whites in an ice cube tray and then transfer to a zip bag once frozen to store, but my ice cube trays are currently full of ice. Go figure.
Is anyone else watching March Madness? I am part of a March Madness pool this year and it is definitely bringing out my obsessive, must-win, personality. I have never cared so much about basketball. Although I do find it more entertaining than NBA. I find there is more obvious strategizing and playmaking as opposed to just running from one end to the other and scoring every time.
This vanilla mousse is obviously a win-win situation. Creamy, airy, vanilla mousse. Colourful rainbow sprinkles. Win win.
I find myself asking this question way too many times throughout the week. Sometimes, you just have no inspiration. Asking your significant other results in answers like “fish... or pork” (or is that just me??). So today I’m sharing some of my favorite ways to get inspired to cook dinner! Plus you get to feel good about yourself for not ordering that Chinese take-out or demolishing an entire bag of chips for dinner...
Last Friday I had my heart broken. Not by my husband (thank goodness), but by a much crueler mistress that is the scientific peer review process.
Just in case the last couple posts have made you think that I am all about being green and healthy, I give you this decadent cake recipe. Green is only part of St. Patrick’s day celebrations. The other part being composed of beer and whiskey, and this cake contains both!
My darling hubby Alex (see, trying to wean you off “hubby”) is gone for a whole week on business. And without him here I feel like I revert back to all my “bachelor” habits. Mostly, I have overwhelming urges to have a bag of chips for dinner. It’s so easy, there’s no one here to see, no one will know... are some of my best excuses.
It’s so good while it lasts, but almost invariably results in feelings of guilt. Being someone who works hard to maintain her weight, I want to share with you some of the best advice I’ve read in a while about this type of situation. So you ate chips... that’s FINE. It’s one bag of chips. Get out of the mindset that you’ve now ruined your day, week, diet, and get right back on the horse. Don’t let one slip be your excuse to eat terrible things all day/week/life. Therein lies the real problem.
So let’s make salad!
One thing I don’t like about St. Patrick’s day cooking/baking, is throwing green food colouring into something (anything) and calling it Irish. Especially when nature provides us with so many naturally green things to work with.
Here’s something you may not have thought of: green butter. Not green because it spent way too long in the back of the fridge, but because of the giant load of chives and parsley that we stuffed into it.
It seems like food bloggers everywhere have been doing St. Patrick’s day posts for weeks now. These truffles... I die! I on the other hand, am not so organized. I hope to have some neat (and green!) stuff up soon, but in the meantime, here is an Irish classic cocktail with my little twist. This is by no means an attempt to liquor you up so you forget my inadequacies...
Irish coffee has four main ingredients: coffee, whiskey, sugar, and cream. My secret (not so secret) is to add a little bit of Kahlua.
Traditionally Irish coffee is not topped with whipped cream, but simply heavy cream that is layered on top of the coffee. I whisked mine a little bit, just until it was the tiniest bit thickened, for extra richness.
The perfect end to any St. Patrick’s day celebration.
Irish coffee
4 oz strong coffee
1/2 oz irish whiskey (I used Jameson)
1/2 oz Kahlua
1 tsp brown sugar
1/4 cup heavy cream
Whisk the heavy cream just until slightly thickened.
Mix together hot coffee, sugar, whiskey, and Kahlua in the glass of your choice (transparent ones make the layering really pop). Grab a spoon and pour the thickened cream over the back of the spoon just above the level of the liquid in the glass so that it slowly forms a layer on top of the coffee. The spoon helps distribute the weight of the cream over the entire surface area of the drink so that it doesn’t sink straight to the bottom.
Enjoy!
There are certain processed, packaged foods that I simply can’t believe anyone buys. Pre-peeled garlic? Herbs in tubes? As if Pillsbury cookies weren’t easy enough they had to start selling pre-sliced ones.
Then there are other foods that you always buy because it just never entered into your head that you could make them. Pasta, muesli, even cheese. Then one day you’re feeling adventurous and you try it. And it’s easy! And it tastes so much better than the store bought stuff!
So who else is obsessed with the show Homeland? I think we are a little late to the party, but we are just blowing through season 1. Amazing.
This post has nothing to do with that. It has more to do with my current love of bourbon. Manhattan? yes please! Bourbon in my caramel? Sounds great!
Fridays are for wearing sweatpants to work. Fridays are for feeling justified for spending half the day browsing the internet for non-work related items. Fridays are for planning all the awesome things you will do on the weekend. Fridays are for that unmatched feeling of looking forward to two whole days where you don’t have to wake up early.
Fridays are for opening the bottle of wine while cooking. Fridays are for cocktails.
Sleeping in always helps. A nice walk outside in the almost-springy weather. And a nice, fresh baked breakfast pastry. I’m not talking pop tarts here. 
