My return to blogging has drawn me back down the rabbit hole that is Pinterest. And speaking of platforms that encourage hours of mindless scrolling, I must tell you: You haven’t lived until you’ve seen all 36,264 #grazingtable posts on Instagram. Srrrrsllly tho. Anyway, the point is, it’s been a long and intense search for inspiration to fuel my dive back into recipe creation, food styling and photography. So imagine my delight when I stumbled upon AlphaFoodie’s breathtaking smoothie bowls. I did not know this was a thing, but I’m fairly certain it’s part of the #grazingtable / #avocadotoast / #ramen conspiracy designed to keep us all wide-eyed and drooling…
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Gourmet game day
The best thing about game-day parties is the excuse to stuff your face and guzzle beer with zero guilt. Don’t show up to your Super Bowl party empty-handed. Seriously, don’t be that guy/gal. I’ve even taken you half of the way there, with this handy-dandy Super Bowl recipe list: You can thank me in free game-day betting squares. Dips Jalapeno popper dip Greek 7-layer dip Loaded bake potato dip Hot spinach dip White queso dip Sliders and sammies Spicy whiskey BBQ sliders Out-of-this-world veggie burgers Cheeseburger sliders Fried pizza sandwiches Philly cheesesteak with garlic aioli Crock Pot faves Slow-cooker carnitas Crock Pot picante chicken Crock Pot chicken, rice and green…
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Luck of the Chi-rish
There’s nothing quite like St. Patrick’s Day in Chicago. Starting at the crack of dawn, the city is a blur of green beer, irish whiskey and way more Flogging Molly music than should be legal. Our tradition is to wake up early, gather at someone’s house, eat green eggs, get a good buzz on and head for the bars. This year, I’m bringing a special pre-party treat that should have everyone feeling lucky. Courtesy of Jelly Shot Test Kitchen (with which I am OBSESSED), I give you, the Luckytini jello shot: Luckytini You’ll need: 3/4 cup pear flavored vodka 1/2 cup Midori 1/2 cup diet Sprite or diet 7-up 1/2…
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Like a Virgin—fed for the very first time
I’m a pretty loyal Southwest Airlines flyer, but with the frequent-flyer program revamp and climbing fare prices, I’ve been feeling a little … restless. So when Dave and I found cheap flights for our trip to California through Virgin America, I was ready and willing to be deflowered. I thought Southwest peanuts and pretzels were the last vestiges of edible airline snacks, so imagine my excitement over Virgin’s great food and drink selection and nifty personal touch-screen ordering. Regardless of the fact that we were sipping them from plastic cups, the specialty cocktails made us feel fancy. Along with expected snack-food stand-ins, Virgin stocks natural, off-the-beaten-grocery-aisle bites and libations. Best…
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The one day a year when bingeing is socially acceptable …
… is nearly upon us!! Hip-hip-hooray!!! As far as food goes, holidays don’t get much better than Thanksgiving. Last year’s Thanksgiving post pretty much covers things so I’m posting the link again (hey, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it). There’s also my Southwest Thanksgiving post and the Paula Deen post to give you a little turkey-day inspiration. Also keep an eye out for a special Thanksgiving Day post. Happy gorging!
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Nothing’s better than Effen on a rooftop
OK, so I stole my post title from the concept for Effen’s new cheeky ad campaign. I’m sure they won’t mind. Recently, I had the pleasure of enjoying some “Liquid Luxury”—courtesy of Effen and the Effen awesome folks at Zocalo Group—while contemplating sustainable design, really cool succulent party favors and apple and bacon pizza. And let me tell you, the chefs and mixologist at ROOF at The Wit aren’t Effen around (OK, I’m done with the Effen jokes, promise). The food and drinks were fantastic. And the bottles of Effen (again, courtesy of Zocalo and Effen) we got beforehand weren’t so bad either. Who gets a bottle of vodka messengered to their office??…
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Blushing bride
No not me, the drink: For Valentine’s Day I cooked dinner. It was good, but this is really the only thing worth posting about, if you ask me. Even Dave, not a big fan of sweet, girly drinks, loved it. I told you about my excuse to use my frozen pomegranate. Well, as it turns out, I got lazy, and ended up taking the easy route and using them as a garnish in this drink. Just as well, because I used them straight out of the freezer to act as the ice cubes, and I found myself munching on them as I sipped. Plus, they float at the top so…
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Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24: Giving gracias
I’m still recovering from the 48-hour cooking marathon, gluttonous spread and absolute debauchery that is our misfit-full, southwestern Thanksgiving celebration. Let me paint the scene: Colorful characters mingling over excessive amounts of tequila, criminal quantities of turkey (2, 15-pounders and a 20-pounder to be exact), all the trimmings with a southwestern flair, ridiculously perfect, sun-shiny, 75-degree weather, football broadcast on a backyard pool-side cabana bar TV… … and me slaving away in a hot kitchen. I kid, I kid. I have to admit I enjoy it. Besides, if I didn’t cook, we’d be eating pies from Costco (no offense Don) and canned cranberry sauce. OK, so we ate those things…
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1 tequila, 2 tequila, 3 tequila … no hangover??
I consider myself a pretty savvy tequila drinker—after all, I did learn from the best (thanks dad). I got an early education and managed to avoid the requisite Jose Cuervo binge in college that’s resulted in a whole generation of young adults who gag at the slightest whiff of tequila. So obviously, I jumped at the chance to attend a tequila tasting at Sunda sponsored by Tres Generaciones tequila. As a self-respecting native Arizonan, and Tucsonan specifically, I have a discerning taste for the stuff. Like a fine wine or scotch, good tequila has a unique and complex flavor profile that should be savored slowly. I know the basics of enjoying a good…
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Pulled pork, Baklavian treats and aptly named cocktails
Advertising folk and the people who love them are pretty damn fun to hang out with. On the eve of the first day of my new full-time copywriting job, I hung out with some of my favorite people from my old full-time copywriting job. Marc—marketing guru, general jack-of-all trades, and personal copywriting mentor—was gracious enough to have us all over for a Sunday, North-Carolina-style BBQ. The air was crisp, the hickory chips were fragrant, the baklava was, errr, “baklavian” (thanks Dana), and the drinks were … uhh … hot tranny messes? Michael snatched my camera and took some action shots as I, sadly, was more interested in capturing the pork than…