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By Caroline, July 30, 2010

I have no excuse for this pie. Absolutely none. I could maybe defend it by pointing out the use of fresh fruit, but I’m aware that this is just not something I should be showing you in the dead of summer, also known as Bathing Suit Season.  Maybe I can place the blame elsewhere…specifically, to Saluda Grade Café, the restaurant that I worked at in high school, and the place that gave me the inspiration for this recipe.

The funny thing is, this was not a popular dessert there. It only  showed up for maybe 2 months out of the year, and when it did those pies would sit and sell so slowly that eventually I would take some home to keep it from going to waste. Not that I ever once complained about this. Except when I had to put on a bathing suit. Damn those pies.

Continue reading 'Blueberry Cream Pie'»

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By Adrianna, July 28, 2010

Raise your hand if you have a coffee addiction!

Whoa! A heck load of you raised your hand. You know what, I used to be ashamed of my coffee habit, vowing every few months to go on some cleanse to nix it, but I’ve read the reviews and coffee is healthy for me (antioxidants, people).

There are actually nights where I go to bed looking forward to the next morning’s cup of coffee.  I’ve finally come to terms with my addiction and am no longer ashamed. In fact, I recently told myself that I was going to find new ways to implement it in food I love. First way? Mocha Popsicles! Shut up…yes, they’re so amazing. So amazing that on my way into work, I dripped one all over that oxford blue shirt you see in the picture.  (By the way, this is a very common occurence with me.) Thank heavens I use my trunk as a 2nd closet. I’m proud to say that I actually had ample choices to change into! Woo hoo!

Let’s talk popsicles…

They have super strong coffee in them. They have chocolate.  And sweetened condensed milk. Basically, these Mocha Popsicles have every awesome thing ever created.  Except cheese. But that’d just be weird.

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By Caroline, July 26, 2010

I’m realizing that a lot of my daily life is a simple series of action and reaction. For instance,  I recently read, well, more like devoured, the book “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” and after reading something that good there are two logical actions that must be taken: 1) watch the movie on Netflix, 2) order the follow-up book immediately on Amazon.

Another instance is when Lindsay Lohan went to jail, and I the immediate action of people unhealthily obsessed with celebrities everyone was to look up her mug shot.  I would like to tell you that I don’t often follow celebrity gossip news, but my grandmother would disapprove of me to lying to this many people at once.

Continue reading 'Roasted Red Pepper Risotto Cakes'»

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By Adrianna, July 22, 2010

Have you ever noticed that people are straight crazy about how they make their cornbread.  Here are a few proper cornbread do’s and don’ts that I’ve heard over the years:

Do’s: Baking cornbread requires a cast iron skillet. Grease the hot skillet with bacon grease before adding batter.

Don’ts: Never add honey…or sugar…or splenda. Never sweetener. You don’t need to add kernels of corn, just cornmeal. Don’t add frilly stuff…like fruit, particularly pretty blueberries.

People get stressed out about their cornbread. I understand. Trust me. I do. Tradition is a tough thing to break.  And this cornbread breaks every cornbread rule in the book.  It has a 1/4 cup of sugar . Not a ton, but it’s definitely there. I added fresh blueberries, which is so, SO wrong! And I used butter instead of the traditional bacon fat to grease the skillet. But I’m okay with being wrong sometimes; especially when doing so results in a delicious, moist, slightly sweet, cake-like cornbread that is perfect for pairing with dinner or a cup of coffee.

Continue reading 'Blueberry Cornbread'»

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By Caroline, July 20, 2010

I am a huge fan of Looney Tunes. Note: I’m not saying that I was a huge fan as a child, I’m still maintaining my super-fan status now as an adult. I even bought tickets to see Bugs Bunny at the Hollywood Bowl, which means I spent 2 hours watching cartoons on big screens while the LA Philharmonic played the music live. I was happier than a five year old on Christmas morning.

I’m sure that my mom was at least a little happy about my love of Looney Tunes, not because she wanted me watching TV, which she normally didn’t, but because those clever cartoonists were smart enough to have the loveable Bugs always munching on carrots. Which meant that I, in an effort to be just like Bugs, also wanted to always be munching on carrots. I can even remember my mother once telling me to stop eating carrots or I would spoil my dinner.

Continue reading 'Gajar Halwa, AKA Carrot Pudding'»

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By Adrianna, July 15, 2010

Scones! Milky tea! Big hats! Fanciness! Pinkies in the air!

These are all of the things I think of when I hear ‘Tea Party’. So when my friend Johnna was gifted a tea set that’s been in her families for generations, we thought we might break it in with a little tea and our lady friends. Heck yes, tea party!

Wanna get your tea party on? Ooooof course you do. Here’s are a few suggestions for tea party success:

Grab one of your bestest friends in the whole wide world, ’cause you’ll need company when making the grocery list, the shopping, the cooking and cleaning.

{Image via The Cherry Blossom Girl}

Continue reading 'How to Throw a Tea Party'»

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By Caroline, July 13, 2010

I don’t know who decided that cucumbers were especially cool vegetables, but I suspect he/she may have coined the phrase “cool as a cucumber” after drinking some cucumber juice. This stuff is by far the best way to eat a cucumber. Granted, it takes a little more effort than just dunking slices in salad dressing, but the extra work most definitely pays off.  And over ice, this drink finally gives meaning to the expression “cool as a cucumber.”

While we’re finding meaning in expressions, can I discuss a few others with you?

Dollars to Donuts – I heard this for the first time about a week ago, and I am already looking for every opportunity available to work it into conversation. Is it bad that I might actually be happier winning donuts instead of dollars? I wonder in that case if I can still use the phrase…

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By Adrianna, July 9, 2010

A few things I will gladly admit I’m not good at:

Cutting my own bangs. It’s true. I tried it a few days ago because I was too lazy to drive 5 minutes to my hairdresser for a trim….aaaand now I’m grateful bobbi pins were invented. Not good at cutting bangs/fringe. Check.

I’m not good at moving furniture, lifting heavy boxes, using a drill, etc.  Last week I tried to hang curtains and broke out in a sweat which lead to lots of cursing. I’m convinced that this is why boys were invented.

Lastly (because I’m just about perfect at everything else), grilling stuff. There are so many variables with a charcoal grill. Where is the hottest part of the grill?  When are the coals hot enough? Why is there so much stupid smoke? Dangit, there isn’t a thermometer on the cover…blah blah blah. So basically what I’m saying is that this Grilled Breakfast Pizza stressed me out. But I did it. And it was totally worth it. And since I lived to tell about it, I can tell you exactly what you’re not supposed to do and everything you should do so you end up with an amazing pizza. Ready? Annnnd let’s begin….

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By Caroline, July 6, 2010

There are a lot of remakes going on in Hollywood right now. Every week there’s a movie coming out either based on a book, or a remake of a classic older film, which isn’t exactly my favorite thing. I am definitely the girl that will read a book, go to see the movie, and spend the entire time making a mental list of everything that they changed. When I saw the movie version of “The Phantom of the Opera” I could even tell you when they had changed individual words in the songs. Yes, it bothers me. If something is good, just leave it alone. I see no reason why some snotty director or writer needs to come along and “make their mark” on a classic. Basically, I’m a big fan of the phrase “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

Therefore it surprised even me when I decided to change up what is considered a Southern classic – peach cobbler. If you live in the South and manage to go an entire summer without eating a gallon of this, then you obviously live in some sad, dark cave and you have my sympathy.

Continue reading 'Peach-Almond Cobbler'»

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By Adrianna, July 3, 2010

If you’re looking for a party in your mouth, look no further. Please meet my new infatuation: grilled fruit.  This recipe is by far the most impressive dessert I’ve had in quite some time, while simultaneously being the easiest and quickest. What really makes this special is the contrast of flavors going on.  First, there’s the hot and cold action due to the ice cream with the just-off-the-grill -fruit.  And then there’s the bite from the balsamic vinegar, the hint of olive oil, and the awesome sweetness from the ice cream, fruit and honey. This is definitely a super special recipe.  So if you’re not in the mood for slaving over the perfect pie crust, then this is an awesome alternative.

Continue reading 'Grilled Nectarines + 4th of July Food'»

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By Adrianna, July 1, 2010

“Millions of peaches, peaches for me, millions of peaches, peaches for free”…(on a sammich!). Umm…do you remember this song? If not, apologies for 90s reference. I love the 90s…and peaches. I love peaches when they’re in season. Heck, I love peaches even when they’re in a can. I love, love them in salads, and on their own. Not while driving, though. I always end up with a sticky steering wheel and a pit that I don’t have a place for. Even though my teachers in school always told me I could throw it on the grass, I feel bad. It’s still technically littering since it’s not going back into the earth for a few weeks, ya know?

Anyway, back to peaches…I especially love them on this sandwich. I’ve eaten this sandwich a bunch of times, but each time using pears, but since peaches are in season right now, I figured I’d put them to good use. And I think it turned out pretty great. Pearhaps you should try it!

Continue reading 'Peach and Tallegio Panini'»

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By Caroline, June 29, 2010

So, I’m not exactly a trend-setter. I’m more of what you might call a trend-copier. And really, I’m not even good at that. I tend to catch onto really hot trends right as they’re on the way out the door, and then I hang onto them long after they’re considered cool. Yeah, I’m that girl.  This would all work out find if I could hang onto my clothes long enough for them to come back in style and be considered “vintage,” but I every few years I have a serious Feng Shui attack and empty my wardrobe of everything I haven’t worn in the last 6 months.

I’m definitely the same way when it comes to food. You’re all probably tired of seeing recipes for kale chips, since they’ve show up here, here and here and I’m sure plenty of other places as well. Heck, you can even find these at your local grocery store now. But even then, I still had to try them out for myself. I was incredibly skeptical that something so simple could really be as delicious of a snack as everyone raved.

Continue reading 'Kale Chips'»

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By Adrianna, June 25, 2010

I have a few questions for all you lovely people.  If you can answer them, I’d be forever grateful.  You see, when I’m really bored (or not), I think of questions that I wish I could ask someone, but since I’m not sure who that “someone” would be, I’ve decided that it may be one of you….

When was the first cake baked?

Who baked the first cake?

What did they consume, i.e., drugs, alcohol, love, etc. that gave them the fantastic idea of mixing flour, butter, sugar together?

Did it taste good upon their first attempt?

If it did in fact taste good, did they then get massive amounts of marriage proposals?

Who took a cucumber and put it in vinegar and then called it a PICKLE?

Who’s dang bright idea was that?!

And why isn’t that person a national hero?

Why isn’t that person’s face on their country’s currency?!

If I ran the world, that dude or lady’s face would be on the nations currency.

And then, who’s amazing idea was it to put it in batter, fry it up and called it a Fried Pickle Chip. Answer: a genius, that’s who. A genius.

Continue reading 'Fried Pickle Chips'»

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By Caroline, June 23, 2010

Remember bubble gum ice cream? You know, vanilla ice cream that has bits of bubble gum scattered inside it? Chances are that you have a distinct memory of either loving or hating this as a kid. As I asked people about it in preparation for this recipe, I found that everyone had an incredibly strong opinion to offer. Me? I LOVED it.

The trick to eating ice cream that had bubble gum in it was trying to manage the gum as you ate. As every kid knows, if you swallow a piece of gum it will stay inside you for 100 years, so it’s best if you avoid having this happen. Therefore, as you ate the ice cream you had to save the bits of gum in your mouth. This gets a little tricky toward the end when you have a big wad of gum on one side of your mouth and you’re trying to get the last bites of ice cream through the other.

Continue reading 'Bubble Gum Vodka Ice Cream Float'»

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By Adrianna, June 21, 2010

Growing up, I was a total tomboy who had to be bribed with candy to wear dresses, or fancy shoes, or anything remotely girly. And even now, I wouldn’t consider myself a super girly-girl. But every now and then, I totally give in and embrace it.  Case in point: Thursday night a friend scored tickets to the Twilight premiere, and yes I’m going. I have this weird love/hate thing with the Twilight series and am sort of excited to laugh my way through the movie.  I’ll be doing what any normal person would do at the premiere:  tweeting pictures, of course.  So if I end up getting tackled by some security dude, I’ll just blame it on all of you…

Back to cupcakes…these things taste down-right pretty;  they’re baby pink, paired with cream cheese frosting, and topped with shredded coconut. Try them. Embrace your girliness for gosh sakes, even if you’re a dude. Trust me–they’re worth it.

Here are a few other girly things I’m loving right now…

Continue reading 'Pink Lady Cupcakes'»