Monthly Archives: June 2014

Easiest appetizer ever

Posted in Food & Drink, Home & Entertaining by

Over the weekend we met up with some friends to cheer on California Chrome…womp, womp!  While the thoroughbred came up short, the appetizer I brought to share was certainly a crowd-pleaser.

Antipasto

Living in South Philadelphia, not far from the Italian Market, I’m fortunate to have Di Bruno Brothers at my disposal.  Di Bruno Brothers has been serving up gourmet goodness since 1939 and are well-known for their exceptional cheeses, meats and other Italian specialities.  I picked up a few simple ingredients: marinated mozzarella, roasted red peppers, salami, Roman artichokes, and pitted Kalamata olives – then I got to work!  Simply assemble ingredients on wooden skewers and violà….the easiest appetizer ever!  Easy to pick up and eat, each skewer is exploding with flavor.  And the best part – they can be made in advance and you can easily find all of these ingredients at your local supermarket.

The combinations are endless – here are a few other tasty ingredients to help you customize your skewer:
-Cherry tomatoes
-Artichoke hearts
-Mozzarella (marinated or plain)
-Roasted red peppers
-Olives
-Basil
-Salami
-Tortellini (cooked, chilled and dressed with Italian vinaigrette)
-Pepperoni
-Italian bread (cubed and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil)
-Sun-dried tomatoes
-Pepperocini peppers

 

Buon appetito!

Father’s Day gift guide

Posted in Gifts & Gadgets by

Father’s Day is this Sunday.  This year get Dad something he’ll actually like…and use.  I’ve assembled a list of foolproof options, $50 and under, just in time for June 15.  Check ’em out!

FathersDayGiftGuide

1.  Threads for Thought Heathered Hoodie // Nordstrom // $50

2.  Double Shot Press Mug // REI // $29.50

3.  Dubbel Boxx // Beerboxx // $46.68

4.  The Pregame // Mouth // $40

5.  Weber’s New Real Grilling // Weber // $24.95

6.  Business Card Case // Leatherology // $35

7.  Mini Bluetooth Speaker // iHome // $49.99

8.  Ultimate Suede Grilling Gloves // Steven Raichlen’s Barbecue! Bible // $22.99

Friday five

Posted in Odds & Ends by

FridayFive6.6Collage

1.  Free doughnuts…it’s National Doughnut Day // Delish

2.  The loveliest pair of strappy sandals // South Moon Under

3.  The Veggetti – the most fun, gimmicky kitchen gadget for making veggie pasta // Kitchen & Company

4.  Ina’s recipe for how to recreate steakhouse steaks at home // Food Network

5.  The best drugstore find // Drugstore.com

Love, lemon & thyme

Posted in Food & Drink by

finalcookies

I finally found the perfect match for my homegrown lemon thyme…sweet and savory lemon thyme shortbread cookies!  These buttery delights are super simple.  With a little help from BHG, here’s how to make ’em.

ingredients

cuttinginbutter

cutout

Lemon-Thyme Shortbread Cookies //

Ingredients
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon fresh lemon thyme or thyme leaves, chopped
1 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel
1 tablespoon honey
3/4 cup butter
Coarse sugar, optional

Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.   In a large bowl, stir together flour, powdered sugar, cornmeal, thyme and lemon peel.  Drizzle with honey; do not stir.  Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs and starts to cling.  Knead dough until smooth; shape into a ball.

On an ungreased cookie sheet, pat mixture into a 9-inch square.  Using a pastry blender, sharp knife or cookie cutter, cut into desired shapes; do not separate.  If desired, sprinkle with coarse sugar.  Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until bottom starts to brown and center is set.  Remove from oven.  While warm, recut shortbread.  Cool completely on cookie sheet or wire rack.  If desired, drizzle honey over each cookie before serving.  Store at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Kitchen hack – get more juice from your citrus

Posted in Food & Drink by

Lemons
Photo by Dennis Skley via flickr

This is so simple, yet I had no idea!  Spoiler alert…cut your lemons and limes lengthwise!  You’ll get way more juice from them!

 

App alert – Untappd

Posted in Food & Drink by

Three cheers for beer!  This new app is perfectly timed considering we’re in the midst of Beer Week here in Philadelphia.  I’ve been seeing this app gain a lot of praise all over the place and after trying it out for myself, I’m a believer.

Meet Untappd, your new best drinking app.

UNTAPPED
Photo by Gaelen Norman via flickr

This free app allows beer enthusiasts keep track of the brews they drink, save beers to try, and read reviews.  You can also check in to bars with the beers you’re drinking and earn badges while leaving tips and reviews for your friends and other app users. It give you the ability to easily find nearby craft beers and bars, see what beers are trending, as well as see where your friends are drinking.  After a short while, the app learns your palette and makes recommendations based on your preferences.  Prepare to take beer drinking to a whole nother level!

 

First impressions

Posted in Odds & Ends by

mayaonthemove
Photo: maya_on_the_move via Instagram

Do you make a good first impression?  In my opinion, it’s one of those life skills that you don’t really master until you’re well within adulthood.  They don’t teach this stuff in college.   Do you remember that episode of Friends where Monica and Chandler return from their honeymoon, having made friends with another couple on the flight home, only to discover that the phone number the couple gave them is wrong, and they begin to wonder if they didn’t make a good impression?

Chandler: I just don’t get it. We didn’t do anything wrong!
Monica: I know. Although you did tell an awful lot of jokes.
Chandler: I thought you said those jokes were funny! Joke, joke, joke, joke!
Monica: Joke, joke, blah, blah!
Chandler: Well maybe it was all of your questions.
Monica: What was wrong with my questions?
Chandler:The sheer volume. It was like flying with The Riddler.
Monica: I’m sorry, was that another joke?
Chandler: Was that another question?

Over the years, I’ve been coached on how to make a good first impression.  Here are some of the tips and tactics I’ve learned.

1.  Stop talking.  During a first encounter you may find yourself spewing out endless amounts of information while the listener politely nods, smiles, and asks a few relevant questions.  You walk away from the conversation feeling like an all-star, while the listener can’t seem to run away fast enough.  While the conversation was going well for you, you didn’t make any attempt for the listener to feel affirmed or appreciated.  Make sure you’re also thinking of ways to make the other person feel good – it could be as simple as asking about his/her day.

2.  Say their name.  Repeat.  People innately like to hear their own names.  It makes them feel special.  Don’t stop there – learn the names of spouses, children, and pets – then mention them in a follow-up e-mail or conversation.  Asking, “How was Katie’s dance recital?”

3.  Look interested and be conscious of your body language.  I’ve heard that a slight head tilt powerfully conveys the message that you’re sincerely interested in the what the other person is saying.  When meeting someone for the fist time, it’s crucial to keep your BRF (b*tchy resting face) under control! 

4.  Avoid bad days.  If you go to a cocktail party/networking event after having a bad day, chances are you’ll continue to have a bad day.  A bad mood is difficult to hide and most likely others will pick up on it via facial cues or body movements.  If you’re having a really bad day, avoid these types of events or make sure you have a fool-proof way to snap out of your gloomy mood.