Egg Salad Sandwich...

Just in time for Easter and all those hard-boiled eggs, I present to you my egg salad sandwich recipe!

Egg Salad Sandwich Recipe

Ingredients:

• 8 eggs
• 1/3 cup mayo
• 2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 Tablespoon chopped parsley
• 1 Tablespoon chopped dill
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic salt
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Fill medium size saucepan with cold water. Carefully place eggs in, making sure the water covers them. Place on burner over high heat. Wait until the water comes to a boil, reduce heat to medium and boil for 10 minutes.

Remove from heat, drain water and then place the eggs immediately in a bowl of cold water. Unshell the eggs and then chop them up.

Stir eggs and all ingredients in a bowl, toast two slices of bread and serve with lettuce or pickles (however you like it).


You can also make a few extra hard boiled eggs for Easter egg dyeing purposes : ) Now hop to it!

“There is nothing better than a friend, unless it is a friend with chocolate” -Charles Dickens

This needs no explanation : )

Apple Cinnamon Muffins...

With leftover bananas you make banana bread; additional blueberries makes blueberry pancakes; extra lemons makes lemon bars.

But what about apples? This recipe for Apple Cinnamon Muffins is very quick and easy - use any kind of leftover apples to make this delicious breakfast treat!

Before...

After....

                                                     

Apple Cinnamon Muffins (Makes 8 muffins)
Adapted from a Perfect Baking recipe by Parragon

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 small apples; peeled, cored and finely chopped 
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 egg, beaten
• 5 tablespoons butter, melted

Topping:

• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

 Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line 8 muffin tins with paper liners. Sift flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon together in a large bowl. Stir in sugar and chopped apples. In a smaller bowl stir milk, egg and butter until well mixed. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until combined. Divide batter evenly among liners. Mix together topping ingredients and then sprinkle over the muffins. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden.

If an apple a day really does keep the doctor away, all you have to do is eat half of these muffins which shouldn't be too hard : )

Fran's Chocolates...

might be my hands down favorite chocolate in the entire world. And that is saying a lot because I have quite a sweet tooth.

What about Fran's is so enticing? A bite of smooth caramel surrounded by milk or dark chocolate. The best part about it though is the sprinkling of gray or smoked salt on the very top. The saltiness against the buttery caramel and rich chocolate is divine. Gray Salt Dark Chocolate Fran's are my favorite.

They make wonderful gifts, but these heavenly chocolates aren't cheap: a box with 7 chocolates cost $12; 20 is $25. They are worth every penny though, and are much more a chocolate to savor than devour.

And they give a free sample at their store locations in Bellevue, University Village or downtown. Now that's what I call ending on a sweet note!

Fran's Chocolates - www.franschocolates.com
1325 1st Ave
Seattle, WA 98101
Hours: Monday - Saturday 9:30am-7pm, Sunday 10am-5pm

Peanut Butter Cookies with Chocolate Chips...

Peanut butter meet chocolate. You're going to love each other.

Peanut Butter Cookies with Chocolate Chips
slightly adapted from Martha Stewart's Peanut Butter Cookies recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup smooth peanut butter
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips*

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix sugar, brown sugar and butter with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Add egg, then vanilla and finally peanut butter. Add flour and baking soda until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop spoonfuls of batter onto a parchment paper covered cookie sheet. Leave about an inch and a half between the cookies. Bake for 7 minutes. Pull cookies out and lightly press crisscross fork patterns into the cookies. Bake for an additional 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

*Mini chocolate chips are my new best friend. Sure, they don't give you that single bite of melted chocolate, but they are good when using two different flavors like peanut butter because they compliment without overwhelming.

These cookies are seriously crumbly and sugar. Disclaimer though: you won't be able to stop at just one!

Send a S'more...

America's favorite campfire treat: the s'more. Sticky, gooey marshmallow combined with warm, melted chocolate inside a crumbly graham cracker sandwich. Delicious and very simple.

When I received a s'more in the mail last week, it instantly brightened my day. I had never seen or heard of anything like it. A little note accompanying the package directed me to the "Send a S'more" site - www.sendasmore.com

From the site, you can send an individually wrapped s'more to friends and family with everything they need to make the campfire treat: ingredients and a candle. Include a personalized note or let your identity remain a mystery. But rather than sending someone a congratulatory card or note of thanks, why not send a s'more? Or like my admirer did, why not send it just because?

Trust me; it will mean so much s'more : )

Happy St. Patrick's Day!...

May your day be filled with an abundance of frothy Guinness drinks, a little luck o' the Irish and the color green : )

Fish Tacos...

When I lived in San Diego, there was a little thing called Taco Tuesday. In Seattle, not so much. But Taco Tuesday was amazing: two dollars or less for a taco of your choice plus deals on margaritas and Mexican beer.

These tacos may not be two dollars or less, but they are delicious-

Fish Tacos (for two)

Ingredients:

• 3/4 pound white fish (such as cod)
• 4 tortillas
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese
• 1/4 head of cabbage, chopped
• 3 tablespoons sour cream
• 1 cup Pico de Gallo (or you can make your own- see below)
• juice of 1 lime
• salt and pepper to taste

Season fish with salt, pepper and juice of one lime. In a greased pan cook the fish on medium heat for about 8 to 10 minutes, turning half way through. The fish should be flaky. Remove from heat. In a small bowl combine cabbage with Pico de Gallo and sour cream until mixed. Divide fish among the tortillas and put a large scoop of the cabbage mix on top. Add a sprinkle of shredded cheese and enjoy! You can also add avocados or guacamole.

Pico de Gallo Recipe (from Food Network's Emeril Lagasse)
Combine all ingredients in a bowl:

• 1 1/2 cups seeded, diced tomatoes
• 1/4 cup diced red onion
• 1 tablespoon diced jalapenos
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• Juice of 2 limes
• 2 tablespoons cilantro, plus extra for garnish
• Salt and pepper

I know it's not Tuesday, but tacos are a good meal any day of the week!

“Cooking is like love; it should be entered into with abandon or not at all” -Harriet Van Horne

Have you ever forgotten the eggs in a recipe? Or how about put in baking soda when it called for baking powder? Put too much water or oil in a batter, forgotten to grease a cooking sheet, or put a dish in the oven without preheating?

These things are going to happen occasionally, but the beautiful thing and hard part about cooking is that no one dish ever turns out the same. You can cook a recipe a thousand times and still some little part of it will be different.

So next time think about adding a little something too it. Needs a little sweetness? Add some sugar. Want more flavor? Pick your spice. Don't be afraid to experiment.

You might just discover your epicurean side too.

Chicken and Veggie Pizza...

never was so easy.

Should this even be considered a recipe? So simple, very forgiving, and you can make it your way. This is a great weeknight dinner.

Chicken and Veggie Pizza

Ingredients:  (Ultimately whatever you want)

• pizza dough (frozen or refrigerated; I prefer Pillsbury)
• pizza sauce (marinara sauce works too)
• shredded cheese
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1 can of black olives
• 1 jar of quartered marinated artichokes, drained
• cooked chicken, diced

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cook diced onion on medium-low heat. When onion is soft, add artichokes and tomatoes, cooking for about 2 more minutes. Roll out pizza dough on a greased cookie sheet. Spread pizza sauce on top. Add layer of shredded cheese. Add cooked veggies, olives and chicken. Sprinkle another layer of shredded cheese on top. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

This recipe is fantastic if you have leftover chicken from something- I actually used some leftover chicken from fajitas.

And there you have it: pizza made deliciously easy. It's not delivery and it's not DiGiorno!

Easy Chicken Pot Pie...

Normally, I'm all about homemade baking. Cakes, cookies, especially pie crusts, there's just something about actually making it that's way more satisfying than unrolling or mixing it from a package.

Sometimes though, you run out of a little thing called time and that's where frozen puff pastry comes in.

Easy Chicken Pot Pie Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 frozen puff pastry sheet, unthawed
• 2 cooked chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 frozen bag of mixed vegetables
• 1 jar of gravy
• 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
• Salt and pepper to taste

Sauté onions, garlic powder, salt and pepper over medium heat until slightly caramelized. Add in chicken, gravy and vegetables. Heat until mixture is warm. Pour into a greased pie dish. Unroll pastry sheet on top and crimp edges to seal. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. You may want to put a baking sheet underneath the pot pie. Your oven will thank you later : )

Homemade Marshmallows...

Sugary foods with no corn-syrup are hard to find these days. Can you imagine marshmallows with no corn-syrup? I bet the recipe would go a little something like this:

Homemade Marshmallows (adapted from multiple recipes...)

• 1 tablespoon (or packet) gelatine
• 1/4 cup cool water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 and 1/8 cup water
• 3/4 tablespoon of honey
• Pinch of salt
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 cup powdered sugar
• 1/8 cup cornstarch
  

Grease a 9x9 or 12x8 inch pan (depending on if you want square or more rectangular marshmallows). Combine powdered sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl and sprinkle into greased pan so that it is fully covered. (This is important-if you don't, the marshmallow will stick to the pan). Set aside.

In a large bowl mix gelatin and cool water. Set aside.

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar, remaining 1/4 and 1/8 cups of water, honey, salt and vanilla extract. Stir constantly (so that the sugar doesn't burn) until mixture has reached a slow boil (about 15 minutes). Remove from heat and slowly pour into the gelatin mixture.


Using a mixer, beat on low until its combined and then increase the speed to high. Beat for 10 to 15 minutes until mixture thickens and it resembles a thick, marshmallow cream. Pour into pan and spread evenly.

After it has cooled (about 20 minutes in the fridge or 3 to 4 hours sitting out), sprinkle powdered sugar over the top. Cut into squares with a sharp knife and roll the sides of each marshmallow square in powdered sugar so that no part of the marshmallow is sticky. Keeps 2 weeks in an airtight container.

I think tomorrow night calls for a cup of hot chocolate....

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away" -Unknown

I had one of the best days on Saturday. And the best part about it? Nothing was planned. Honestly, I couldn't tell you what made it so different from every other day. It was just simply a great day.

Being a planner, it's hard for me to remember that life isn't all about planning, and that sometimes the unexpected can be just as rewarding.

I took this photo of downtown from Kerry Park, a scenic lookout spot in Queen Anne. It was a gorgeous day which can be unusual in January, but even rarer in Seattle. (Did I mention, no rain?) You can see almost everything in it - the Space Needle with the city skyline behind it, a ferry coming in, a hint of Mt. Rainier, and even a seaplane just taking off.

What you can't see in it, is all the people that were there doing the exact same thing we were- walking around, laughing, taking photos. And I like to think that they were having a simply great, unplanned day too.

Chicken Curry with Cashews...

Over the past few days, I've begun to think that you can add cashews to just about anything. Crushed up in salads or on top of vegetables, it seems to be such a versatile addition that adds a bit of crunch to any dish. So when I saw this recipe for Chicken Curry with Cashews, I was sold.

I made a few adjustments to the recipe (mainly because it served 4-6 and I wanted it to serve 2-4), but I'm very pleased with the way it turned out. Careful, this version has a bit of a kick.


Chicken Curry with Cashews
Adapted from January 2005 Gourmet

Ingredients:

• 1/2 stick unsalted butter (1/4 cup)
• 1 large red onion (finely chopped)
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 2 tablespoons curry powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• 3 or 4 skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 tomato (diced)
• 1/4 cup cashews (finely chopped)

Heat butter in a saucepan over low heat until melted. Stir in onions, garlic and ginger. Cook 2 minutes. Add curry powder, salt, cumin and cayenne. Cook 2 minutes. Add chicken and cook, stirring, 3 minutes. Add tomato and bring to a simmer. Then cover and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked (about 25 minutes). Serve over white rice with finely chopped cashews sprinkled over.

And finally because I'm devoting this post to cashews, did you know...
- Cashews are in the same family as poison ivy and poison sumac. We can eat them though because it's found in the shell oil and not the nut itself.
- Although when it comes to cooking, a cashew is a nut, in the botanical sense it is actually a seed.
- There is such thing as a cashew apple. It's an accessory fruit that's pear-shaped and yellow.

Yep, when it comes to cashews, I guess I'm a little bit nuts.

A Whole Latte Love...

I've discovered a secret.

Hands down the best caffè latte in Seattle. (And no, it doesn't come from Howard Schultz himself).

Located on Lower Queen Anne, Citizen Coffee is a tucked-away place serving up breakfast, lunch, and amazing caffè lattes. The layer of frothy foam blanketing the latte allows you to get a little bit in every sip. Presented beautifully with a rosetta (which resembles a fern), the caffè lattes look as good as they taste.

Head upstairs for a unique, loft-like experience: eclectic in it's own right, you'll find a few diners sitting in old movie theater chairs, and feel as if you've snuck up to a not-so-secret fort.

The crêpes hold true to their French origin with a selection of sweet or savory tastes. Service can be slow on weekends, but all you need is a caffè latte while you wait.

Citizen Coffee - http://www.citizencoffee.com/
706 Taylor Ave. N
Seattle, Wa 98109
Hours: Monday - Thursday 6am-9pm, Friday 6am-10pm, Saturday 7am-10pm, Sunday 7am-9pm

**Check in on Foursquare and receive a dollar off any coffee or tea drink. Yes, including a caffè latte.

"When nothing is sure, everything is possible" -Margaret Drabble

I read somewhere that a good exercise is to write down the three things you most want to do with your life or that you are most passionate about, and then go start doing them.

Hence, how I began this blog. What's on your list?

Photo Credit: Tina Phillips

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream...

is delicious. Homemade Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream is divine.

I got an ice cream maker for Christmas and this was my first experiment with it - or should I say experi"mint"!

Here's the recipe (easy, hardly any preparation):

• 2 cups nonfat milk
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon mint extract
  
• 5 drops green food coloring
• 1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Stir together all ingredients (minus choco chips) until sugar has dissolved. Add chocolate chips.* Pour into ice cream maker and freeze for 35 minutes. After the mixture has thickened, spoon it into a container and freeze for 2 hours.

*I refrigerated the mixture overnight which made the mint flavoring seep into the chocolate chips. The ice cream also came out with more of a chocolate mint flavor.

Enjoy! I know I did...