Archive for the Category Recipes
Baking with Bhutanese
First Time Making Snickerdoodles!
Josh and I have befriended a few Bhutanese families that are here as refugees from Nepal. It’s been such a wonderful experience for us, to be able to help them settle into their new home, and introduce them to American culture. On another outing, we learned that they girls really liked snickerdoodles. What better way to introduce them to this simple, delicious cookie than to have them over to make some from scratch?
Salted Caramel Mocha
Starring... Caramel Sauce, Cocoa, and Rock Salt
Anyone who knows us well enough knows we’re not huge fans of Starbucks. We’re not opposed to patronizing them from time to time, and I even used to work there. Any of you loyal fans (or employees - sorry Elise!) out there that may be reading this, I understand they must be doing something right or there wouldn’t be a billion of them on the planet. However, I’ve found them to be slightly disappointing over the years, and we’ve had more luck with smaller lines of coffee. So when I tried the Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate and thought that it came up lacking (tasted more like a doughnut than salt, caramel, or hot chocolate), I knew we could do better making it at home.
Homemade Nepalese Donuts
Auntie scooping up batter and looping it into the oil!
Yesterday Josh and I were invited to celebrate Diwali with some Bhutanese friends of ours. They recently came to the US after living in refugee camps for 17 years in Nepal. They are incredible people, and we feel honored to be able to join them in their festivities.
Emily is Amazing!
The Spread
Our friend, Jenn, was getting married. Emily was throwing the shower. Emily is a fellow foodie, inspiring cook, and lover of fancy things. You know this is going to be good.
Spiced Nuts
Two Racks of Spiced Nuts
I was attending a bridal shower a little while ago, and the food theme was appetizers and mocktails. My friend Emily (the gal who was hosting) is a great cook, and we both appreciate fun, creative food. So when she asked me to brainstorm for appetizer ideas and possibly bring something, I knew I had to look for something cool.
Hirotiropita-Inspired Wraps
Goodness Wrapped in Phyllo Dough
I love Spanikopita. Josh hates spinach. What’s a girl to do? We stumbled upon Hirotiropita, a variation of Spanikopita but made with shredded pork and veggies… that got me thinking. So what did I do? Take a great dish, tear it all apart and make it my own of course!
Grilled Peaches with Butter Brown Sugar Sauce
Grilled Peaches. True Goodness.
For our amazing Lamb, Steak, and Veggie Barbecue, we had to have an equally worthy dessert. When my dad said he had some really good peaches and asked if I wanted to grill them, I knew it was my moment to shine.
Grilled Lamb with Veggies
Lamb Cooked with Flames!
I have to start out by saying that my dad is a great cook. Both of my parents are. My mom does the comfort food, my dad does the “cool” food. The grilling, the seafood, the curries, the sushi. I think I got my love of good, creative food from my dad. One of my favorite ways to spend time with my dad is to cook with him. So when we got the invitation to come over and grill some lamb… how could I say no?
Chickpea and Quinoa Salad with Ginger, Lemon, and Cumin Dressing
One of our favorite food blogs, The Minimalist, posted a video for Chickpea Salad. I was inspired. I was also short on chickpeas. I got a little creative.
