Italian-Style Smoky Garlic Bean Dip Recipe and Saucy Mama Giveaway!
Posted: February 28, 2012 Filed under: Contests, Food, Giveaways, Recipes | Tags: appetizer, basil, beans, cannelli beans, challenge, cheese, cooking, easy, foodblog, garlic, garlic mustard, giveaway, healthy, italian, low-cal, mustard, olive oil, parmesan, recipe, roasted pepper, roasted red peppers, skinny mama, snack, tomato, vegetables 23 Comments »***** Voting is open for this contest. Please follow this link and click “Vote” when you get there! It just takes one click!!*****
If you see me walking under any ladders, opening any umbrellas indoors, crossing paths with any black cats, or breaking any mirrors, stop me. Please.
I really don’t care how you do it. Call out my name. Yell and scream at me. Tackle me, even. Just make sure you stop me.
Because I am having quite the streak of good luck lately… and I could get used it.
What am I talking about, you ask?
Well, first there was the Soup Challenge, for which you all so kindly voted my Chickpea Minestrone into second place, and now I have my chance to compete for the judges in two weeks.
Then there was the interview on Flavorful World, where Anthony had such wonderful, glowing things to say about Food for Thought that I was blushing reading it!
And then yesterday I found out that had I won the internal poll of the Marx Foods East Meets Delicious contest for my Green Bean “Fries” and Asian Veggie Burgers!
I’m on a roll baby! I think a trip to Vegas another contest entry is in order!
As luck would have it (heh) Saucy Mama is hosting the Skinny Mama Cooking with Mustard contest right now. And I’m a contestant ;)
For this challenge, bloggers are charged with creating a diet-friendly, quick, easy-to-recreate recipe using at least one of the Saucy Mama Mustards. They sent us a variety of mustards, including Saucy Mama Tarragon Lemon Mustard, Dijon Mustard, Champagne Honey Mustard, Chipotle Mustard, Smoky Garlic Mustard, and Suzie’s Yellow Mustard.
I decided to make my very own “100 calorie pack” of Italian-Style Smoky Garlic Bean Dip using – you guessed it – the Saucy Mama Smoky Garlic Mustard!
Quinoa and Israeli Couscous Risotto with Spinach and Parmesan and BIG NEWS!
Posted: June 7, 2011 Filed under: About me, Food, Recipes | Tags: carrot, cheese, chicken broth, cooking, couscous, ethnic, foodblog, garlic, healthy, italian, mushroom, onion, parmesan, quinoa, recipe, risotto, spinach 36 Comments »
I know, I knowww. You don’t have to say it. I already know.
I am a bad blogger.
I haven’t posted in a week. And let’s be honest. That last post was L-A-M-E lame. So really, I haven’t posted a good post in over two weeks. Super lame.
But I’m back! And I can assure you that this post is most definitely NOT lame. Because not only do I have a tasty recipe for you, but I have news.
Big news.
HUGE news.
Jake and I are engaged!!!!
Friday night, we went to dinner Nomad, a romantic little Moroccan restaurant in the East Village. It was gorgeous out, so we sat outside in the front of the restaurant. At the end of the meal, Jake got up to go to the “bathroom.” When he came back to the table, the waitress was following close behind him carrying two glasses of champagne. She placed the champagne on the table, and Jake got down on one knee and asked me to marry him! Of course I cried like a baby said yes!
Jake putting the ring on my finger!
We are both so excited, and can’t wait to start planning! (Ok, maybe I’m a little more excited about the planning part of it, but we are both really excited.)
I promise to keep you posted on some of the fun wedding updates throughout the planning process. (Who am I kidding? You are going to be up to your ears in wedding updates by the time our wedding rolls around.)
So I hope this exciting news counteracts any prior lameness. Oh, and this recipe probably doesn’t hurt in the lameness category either.
Spicy Tortellini Chicken Soup and 27 by 27
Posted: April 27, 2011 Filed under: Food, Recipes | Tags: Barilla, basil, bell pepper, black pepper, broth, carrot, cayenne pepper, cheese, chicken, cooking, cumin, foodblog, garlic, italian, olive oil, onion, oregano, paprika, parsley, pasta, recipe, red pepper, salt, tomato, tortellini 37 Comments »
Today, my friends, I am 25 ½.
Yes, it’s my half birthday. And yes, I know I’m well past the appropriate age to celebrate a half birthday.
But I’ve been inspired to write a list of goals. (I do love my lists.) And since it’s not the New Year or my Birthday, and I’m certainly not patient enough to wait another six months, I figure my half birthday will have to do.
So here it is. My list of 27 goals to complete by my 27th birthday. These are not big, life changing goals, mind you. They are everyday goals that could easily fall through the cracks if I don’t track them. I’ve added a tab up top that I will keep up to date, and I’ll be sure to keep you abreast in my posts. (Because I know you are just so interested.)
Without further ado, my 27 by 27 List:
Food
1. Take two cooking classes
2. Use five new to me ingredients
3. Go to a new restaurant in each of the 5 boroughs of NYC
4. Enter five food/recipe contests
5. Cook at least one recipe from each cookbook I own
6. Bake French macaroons
7. Go completely meatless for a week
Health and Fitness
8. Go to 25 yoga classes
9. Run in a 5K
10. Take a spin class
11. Take a kickboxing class
12. Drink at least 64 oz of water every day
Blog
13. Reach 300 followers on the Food for Thought facebook page
14. Reach 700 followers on my twitter account
15. Feature a guest post on this site (any takers?)
16. Write a guest post for someone else’s site
17. Meet 3 other food bloggers in person
Travel
18. Visit 2 new U.S. Cities
19. Travel to another country, preferably in Europe
Community
20. Participate in an event for a cause
21. Volunteer for a day
Miscellaneous
22. Plant an herb garden on my fire escape
23. Learn how to really use my camera
24. Do one touristy NY thing
25. Surprise Jake with breakfast in bed
26. Watch 3 movies from the AFI 100 years… 100 movies list
27. Read 5 books that have nothing to do with school
Because I am oh-so-organized and ever prepared, not only am I posting this list today, but I am also posting a recipe which will help me complete one of the listed goals! If you scroll back to item #4, you will see that I plan to enter at least 5 food and recipe contests over the course of the next year and a half.
Well, here is entry number one of five: a delicious Spicy Tortellini Chicken Soup!
Double Tomato Bruschetta
Posted: February 2, 2011 Filed under: Food, Recipes | Tags: appetizer, balsamic vinegar, basil, bread, cheese, cooking, easy, ethnic, foodblog, garlic, italian, mozzarella, olive oil, recipe, sundried tomato, tomato, vegetables 19 Comments »
I don’t get picky eaters.
I know that may sound strange, especially coming from a self proclaimed picky eater when it comes to meat. But I’m not talking about picky eaters like me.
I’m talking about the other kind.
You know the ones. The ones who call you up to make dinner plans and say that you should pick the place. They’re open to anything. They’d just like to avoid anything Indian. Or Thai. Japanese. Middle Eastern. Greek. Mexican. Or French. Ok?
So you suggest that cute little Moroccan place up the block.… And they say that on any other day they’d love it. But they’re just not in the mood for that today.
Yes, those are the kind of picky eaters I don’t get. The real picky eaters. Not people like me. I can find something to eat no matter where I go. I mean, every place has some sort of chicken dish…. right?
Butternut Squash Spaghettini
Posted: November 30, 2010 Filed under: Food, Recipes | Tags: bread crumbs, butternut squash, dinner, easy, garlic, italian, olive oil, onion, parsley, pasta, spaghetti, spaghettini, squash, vegetables, vegetarian 28 Comments »
On the off chance that you aren’t absolutely positively 100% over Thanksgiving, I’m going to tell you how much I love it.
I love that there are more sticks of butter in the food than people at the table.
I love that I can eat far more food than necessary and chalk it up to getting into the holiday spirit. (Hey, I’m just showing how thankful I am for all this delicious food.)
And, most of all, I love that I know exactly what’s going to be on the table a year in advance. Without exception, I know that there will be butternut squash soup, creamed spinach, stuffing, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, homemade gravy, and of course, turkey.
We may have the occasional impromptu addition to the meal, but under no circumstances will anything be omitted from that list. Ever. It’s like an unwritten law.
So, you can imagine my surprise when I received a phone call from my mom saying that she was doing away with the squash soup and making a Butternut Squash Spaghettini that she saw Mario Batali make on Good Morning America instead.
Mediterranean Dinner Cruise
Posted: October 3, 2010 Filed under: Food | Tags: appetizer, brie, challenge, cookies, dinner, ethnic, french, ghoriba, greek, israeli, italian, meatballs, moroccan, party, pita, project food blog, tapas, tortilla, turkish, tzatziki 28 Comments »
All Aboard!
We cordially invite you (yes, you!) to join us aboard the luxurious PFB Mediterranean Princess for a once in a lifetime culinary experience. Using never before seen technology, we have devised a way to visit seven Mediterranean countries in just three short hours!
Grape Tomato Bruschetta
Posted: July 1, 2010 Filed under: Food, Recipes | Tags: appetizer, bread, easy, garlic, italian, side dish, tomato, vegetables 2 Comments »One of the best things about summer is the availability of deliciously fresh summer produce. Especially tomatoes. I mean, we can get sad looking, pinkish tomatoes all year long, but for juicy ripe tomatoes, summer is the time.
I love all kinds of tomatoes, but I must admit, I am partial to the little sweet grape and cherry tomatoes. They’re just so cute! I even just bought a cherry tomato plant to grow in my apartment! (We’ll see how that goes… more on that at a later date.)
So, in the spirit of summer and my little tomato plant, today’s recipe is a Grape Tomato Bruchetta, so easy you can whip it up for today’s lunch, and so tasty you can bring it to a BBQ this weekend!
Garlic, White Bean, Spinach, and Tomato Sauté
Posted: June 17, 2010 Filed under: Food, Recipes | Tags: appetizer, balsamic, beans, dinner, easy, garlic, italian, side dish, spinach, tomato, vegetables 3 Comments »
Today’s recipe is so easy, versatile and delicious that you’d be crazy not to try it! I was first introduced to this topping at my friend Jenna’s apartment, where she served this Garlic, White Bean, Spinach, and Tomato Sauté on top of toasted garlic crostini as an appetizer. It was so delicious that I emailed her for the recipe the next day. When I received her instructions, I was happily surprised to see that it was SO easy and quick to make.
Turkey Meatballs in Garlic Sauce
Posted: June 8, 2010 Filed under: Food, Recipes | Tags: dinner, easy, garlic, italian, meatballs, sauce, turkey 4 Comments »When deciding on last night’s dinner, a recipe for turkey meatballs in garlic sauce from allrecipes.com caught my attention. I’m always a fan of recipes that use ground turkey in place of beef. The recipe seemed easy and very healthy, and the comments from other readers were all really positive. The only change that I made was doubling the amount of sauce, so that we had extra to cover our pasta and dip our veggies.
