Author: missalaneyus
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Turkey Burgers
In January, I find myself torn, like most Americans, between heavy, comfort food and more figure-friendly fare. That being said, I’m happy to report I’ve found the perfect solution to mid-January cravings: Turkey Burgers (with feta). We’ve been eating a lot of these lately at our house, and they’re the perfect balance of comfort (burger) and health (turkey). They also…
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Spring 2011
After seasons of skinny jeans and jeggings, I’m happy to report trouser jeans are supposed to be “in” for spring. I picked up a pair for myself and love how polished (yet comfortable) they feel. If you haven’t tried this trend, I’d recommend taking it for a spin.
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Leftovers Reinvented: Spanish Scrambled Eggs
I’m a planner in and out of the kitchen. Each week, I make a grocery list and a meal plan based on our schedule.* I’m not someone who is able to just look into my fridge and dream up meals. When you’re cooking for two, the result is a kitchen is full of “extra” ingredients. Last night, I made use…
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Impromptu New Year’s Eve Party
This year in lieu of going to a large party, we invited a small group of friends to our house for New Year’s Eve. I wanted to create a menu that was elegant enough for a holiday, but simple to put together. I used the Barefoot Contessa approach and took a lot of help from…
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Paring Down
After a month of holiday-related gluttony, I feel the urge to pare down. If you know my mother, you’re aware I am genetically predisposed to this way of thinking. The idea of starting fresh in the New Year isn’t a new one, but my take on it is a little different this year. Lately, I’ve been telling myself to let…
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Places: Chicago
Chicago is one of my favorite places. I interned there in college and quickly fell in love with the city. Since my internship, I’ve returned twice, once as a newly engaged couple and most recently with my husband this fall. Although I’d lived there before, I spent a lot of time researching where we should eat and…
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Christmas Cookies
Every year, I play elf. I spend an entire weekend baking treats and then, package the results in simple boxes tied with pretty ribbon.The formula of baked items is always tweaked, and this year was no exception. Instead of adding candies, I decided to cook in my comfort zone. I prepared only cookies. Candies stress me…
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Dressing Up
Salad dressings are shockingly simple to make, and the homemade version tastes so much better than the bottled variety. Follow this simple formula to make a variety of dressings: Dijon mustard, vinegar/acid and extra virgin olive oil. I like mine with a little bit of minced shallot, but it’s completely optional. Here’s how to make your own easy dressing.
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Whip It
Growing up I didn’t like whipped cream – wouldn’t touch the stuff. My parents would order desserts with it, so they could “share” part of my meal. My parents are very crafty people. I held on to my dislike of whipped cream until I was in college when I was introduced to the real thing. The chef at…
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Wine Ratings
I like to drink wine, but admittedly, know little about it. Generally, when choosing a wine, I rely heavily on the scorecards often posted at liquor scores. I knew that high numbers correlated to better wine, but didn’t really know what exactly the ranges meant. Below is a guide to how Wine Spectator’s 100-point scale works: 95-100…