Tortilla Chips with Tomato Olive Tapenade

Snicky snacks.

I love snicky snacks. What are snicky snacks, you ask? Great question!!

Snicky snacks are those delicious little bites that somehow manage to weasel their way into becoming a meal. This is purely a result of their unabashed nature of pure deliciousness. Because snicky snacks are so good, you can't help but to keep eating them. 

I mean, it'd just be rude to stop. You'd be refusing the snicky snack of its cunning little purpose. 

To be a dinner wrecker. 

The salmon you had planned to eat for dinner? Eh, save it for a rainy day, because tonight.... tonight it is all about the snicky snack.

Make this snicky snack. 

Then, make your delicious dinner as planned, behave as if you were a pig at the trough, a trough of snicky snack heaven. 

Then simply put the planned dinner into a container and put it into the fridge, to eat for lunch tomorrow, so that you can fully appreciate the snicky snack experience. 

The same experience that I had for dinner last night. 

Regrets? None. 

Because I have salmon, whole wheat couscous, and spinach for lunch today! :)

Tortilla Chips with Tomato Olive Tapenade

Yields: 4 Servings

Ingredients:
8 Roma tomatoes, seeds removed, cut in half
3/4 cup pitted olives, cut in half
3 TBS cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp garlic powder
1 TBS fresh parsley, chopped
1 TBS fresh rosemary, chopped
4 tortillas (preferably whole wheat), cut into chip size triangles
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Turn on the broiler to your oven. Place the sliced tomatoes onto a baking sheet, inside facing up. Place directly under the broiler. Broil for about 3 to 4 minutes, so that it's lightly browning, but keep an eye on it to make sure it isn't burning. Remove from oven, and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, combine 2 TBS of olive oil, the broiled tomatoes, olives, garlic, parsley, rosemary, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir until well combined. Make sure that the tomatoes are breaking up in the process.
3. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, pour 1 TBS of olive oil on top of the tortilla triangles. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix until well combined. Place onto a cooling rack that is oven proof, and place the rack on top of a baking sheet (if no cooling rack, place on baking sheet and flip the chips halfway through baking), and bake for approximately 5 to 7 minutes, checking every minute or so after 5 minutes, to make sure they are becoming crisp, but not burning. Remove from oven and serve with tapenade.
4. Yummmmmmm.

Philly Area Food & Drink Writer Meet-Up

This weekend, I had the expressed pleasure to attend a Philly Area Food & Drink Writer Meet-Up at R2L Restaurant.

R2L is a fantastic restaurant, for those who are unfamiliar, with breathtaking views of the downtown Philadelphia buildings. I work in the same building in which R2L is located, and my office has the same view; however, there is a certain mystique within the walls of R2L that the view takes my breath away, as if I had just seen it for the first time.

It was an incredible workshop with delicious food and cocktails.

The exceedingly talented Eric Mencher shared with us a wealth of knowledge on food photography.

Priceless, priceless information was given.

Did I mention the food?! I have been dreaming of the lobster mac & cheese ever since.

They were so kind to set the dishes we tasted during the cocktail hour in such a way that we could practice honing our photography skills.

Yum?!

Double triple yum?!

Poor donut didn't even stand a chance.



Behind the scenes?

It was such a great time. I really urge you to go to R2L, if you are ever in Philadelphia.

Food Network's New York City Wine & Food Festival 2011

It has honestly taken me one month to articulate the incredible experience I had at this year's Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival.

Because of the continued generosity of ShopRite, my husband and I were able to spend an incredible day- full of food, celebrity chefs, and laughter.

As a result of my inability to be able to describe the events in all of their splendor, I will do so in a few adjectives:

Awesome.
Delicious.
Beautiful.
Joyous.
Yummy.
Awesome.

I think you get the point. To further illustrate how amazing the day/evening was, I will leave you with some photos from the events!

Chicken and Quinoa Soup

There is nothing quite like getting cozy on your couch, in your muumuu, in your most sophisticated outfit with your hair and makeup done, to watch football.

The windows are open to allow in the fresh, crisp autumn air.

These are the kind of days that plead for a hearty bowl of soup.

I implore you to make this on a Sunday morning, and let it cook in your slow cooker until lunch or dinner time.

It. Smells. Like. Heaven.

Well, I don't actually know what heaven smells like. If I had to guess the scent of heaven, it probably smells like a combination of truffles, cloves, pumpkin, coffee, onions cooking in butter, newborn baby and gardenias.

Anywho, the soup smells purty frickin' fantastic.



Chicken and Quinoa Soup
Yields: 6 to 8 servings

Crab, Butternut Squash and Walnut Macaroni and Cheese with Broccoli

Macaroni and cheese is the ultimate comfort food, isn't it?

It doesn't matter what life throws your way, after sitting down to a bowl full of macaroni and cheese, all your troubles seem to melt away.

No, I am not condoning eating your feelings.
But, I am not condoning not eating your feelings, either.

Food has a way of bringing about comfort. And memories. And joy.

For me, macaroni and cheese has a way of bringing about all three of the above. It was my favorite food as a child and it still remains tops for me to this day!

But sometimes, you may feel a little guilty about just eating noodles with some whizzy type of cheese on top for dinner, or even a side dish. It's not the most fancy thing to eat. And you definitely won't impress your boss or in-laws with that kind of dish.

Until now.

With just the simplest additions of crab meat, pureed butternut squash, walnuts, and broccoli, macaroni and cheese just got a promotion. It woke up and put on its fancy pants.

Er, nevermind. Well, we'll just say macaroni and cheese just got kicked up a notch, or twelve.

Try this out for dinner. Or lunch. Or heck, instead of your bacon and eggs in the morning. You won't regret it. Your boss won't regret it. And your in-laws will love you even more because of it.


Crab, Butternut Squash and Walnut Macaroni and Cheese with Broccoli
Yields: 6 servings

Nutmegged Butternut Squash

Eating lunch at work is seldom a glamorous experience.

The majority of Americans brown bag a bologna and cheese. Maybe a salad, because they are feeling fancy. 

...Or it's perhaps that they ate a plethora of hot dogs during the weekend and are afraid to go near a scale. 

No, I am not speaking from experience. I am completely unafraid of the scale. I stepped on it. And turned around to see who else was on it with me. 

Hence, a squashy lunch. No, not squishy, squashy. 

It's fall. And it's rainy. So, I want comfort food. But, I do not want a whole lot of calories. Remember? Hot dogs? Oy.

Oh, yes. And I want glamour. Because it's Thursday. Why else? 

This is where the lovely little butternut squash comes in. See? Your lunch immediately got a little more glamorous! So put down that bologna and cheese. Don't you feel better already?!

Throw it on top of some arugula and call it a day. 

......Actually, don't call it a day. You should stay at your job until the day is finished, and then call it a day.

*Not held responsible for the deliciousness of your lunch being to the point that you call it a day, and subsequently lose your job*

Nutmegged Butternut Squash

Yields: 2 servings

Calories per serving: 238 calories

Check 'Er Out

Remember my Holy Guacamole Eggs? Of course you do, that was my last post! Oy. I'm losing it I tell ya! Well they were totally yum.

You can find it featured on Eggland's website  here! Go on! Check it my recipe, as well as a ton of other great recipes using Eggland's Best Eggs!

Holy Guacamole Eggs - Eggland's Best and Susan G. Komen for the Cure

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. So many of us have been touched by this horrific disease- either personally battling with it, or watching someone we love battle with it. It is the most common form of cancer among women in the United States. And, I don't know about you, but I'm pretty tired of it. And it's about time for this disease to finally hit the road.

Eggland's Best has teamed up with Susan G. Komen, the world's largest breast cancer organization, to help raise money to continue their fight and find a cure to end this terrible disease once and for all! Susan G. Komen has already invested nearly $2 billion since it's founding in 1982 for breast cancer research, education, advocacy, health services and social support programs in the U.S. 

For the second year in a row, Eggland's Best has pledged a donation of $50,000.00 to Susan G. Komen's fight for a cure.

This is the carton you need to look for from now until November 15th:

And within it you will see cute little eggs that look like this: 

I was contacted by Eggland's Best to create a unique recipe using these great eggs and help bring awareness to their outstanding cause! I was so humbled by this request and my ability (although small) to shed light on such a great cause. Check it out the recipe below!



I am so proud of my maturity! I didn't even once say the word boobies.

...Oops. Blew that didn't I?



Holy Guacamole Eggs
Yields: 6 servings

Waffles with Mocha Syrup

There are some things in life that are just worth jumping up and down about, doing a happy dance in your chair for, and/or yelling Hallelujah from the roof tops over.

This is worth all three. Are you ready for this?:

Mocha. Syrup.

I know. Absolutely incredible. It tastes even better than it sounds.

And it sounds pretty stinkin' fabulous.

How did this recipe come about?

I had a stressful day at work and all I wanted to eat for dinner was a cupcake. Or twelve.  I would happily eat a cupcake (or twelve) for dinner, but I don't think my super hungry hunk of a husband would appreciate eating a cupcake for dinner (he is disciplined, he wouldn't eat twelve).

So, I settled for waffles. But I didn't just want any kind of waffle. I wanted something with just a little extra oomph.

This was the oomphiest thing I have ever made.

I think these made me taller. And made my hair grow a little, too. And that blemish I had in my hairline? Disappeared upon my consumption of the mocha syrup.

It's so true that I can hardly stand it.


Waffles with Mocha Syrup
Yields: 8 Waffles and approximately 2 cups of syrup