a meal not to miss

Whether you enjoy a cappuccino for breakfast

or

lattes and almond croissants

fresh coffee

mini blueberry muffins

beet hash

a cup of tea with

 an orange and cranberry muffin

an espresso

a baguette with dessert

or maybe

 breakfast outside with fresh fruit

breakfast really is 

a

 wonderful meal

I grew up always having 

  breakfast.

My dad

 would make breakfast

 for my three siblings and I

 every morning.

He would make:

Omelets

French Toast

Hash Browns

Waffles

Chorizo con Papas

and

by far

 my favorite

Chocolate Chip Pancakes!!

Everything was always from scratch

and 

I loved

 listening to pots and spoons

clang in the kitchen.

It was comforting

 knowing my dad was making breakfast.

He would always yell from the bottom of the stairs

Come and Get It 

Breakfast is Ready!!

So it is only natural that I feel that

Mornings

 are 

not

 complete

 without

 Breakfast

!

What is your favorite breakfast memory?

And do you drink coffee, tea or juice with breakfast?

Bisous!

a sweet mess ...

 Switzerland

Gruyère 2007

in the kitchen

whisking egg whites

before the oven

ready for the oven

out of the oven

Meringues 

dessert

to be enjoyed with Meringues

the perfect dessert

what was left

Late night baking

 is

 one of my favorite things to do

 and

 that is exactly what I did on Saturday.

 All day I had a recipe in mind 

 and could not shake it.

  I wanted Meringues with Creme Fraiche. 

 I first discovered Meringues with Crème Fraiche on a trip to France 

in 2007.

  We took a trip to Gruyère Switzerland

 and 

I fell in love with the sweet and historic town of Gruyère.

  Marc's Meme (grandma) had told us

 that the Meringues from Gruyère were her favorite

 and

 the Crème Fraiche was out of this world.

 Later,

 when we got back to the family farm

... 

la ferme

...

 we were busy chatting with Marc's cousin and his wife 

when we heard a knock at the door.

 It was Meme and she had bought us 

Meringues and Crème Fraiche.

We devoured every Meringue

and

gleefully ate spoonfuls of the Crème Fraiche. 

 By far,

 the best way to enjoy a Meringue is with Crème Fraiche.

 

So,

 this is what I thought about all Saturday

 and 

around 9pm 

I got to making Meringues. 

I knew that Meringues were egg whites and sugar.

I found several recipes online

 and took bits and pieces that I liked from each

recipe

 and quickly

  started on my Meringue adventure. 

 

I used five egg whites and about 2 1/2 cups of confectioners' sugar

 and 

two teaspoons of vanilla. 

I whisked the egg whites until frothy

 and then added my vanilla. 

Next,

 I whisked away with my mixer and slowly added the sugar.

 I whisked and added.

 Whisked and added.

 Finally,

 when the eggs whites were stiff

...

 I knew my Meringue was ready to be popped into the oven. 

The recipe I liked in particular

 was one that said to

 wedge a wooden spoon in between the oven while baking the Meringues.

 I baked my Meringues for 3 1/2 hours.

 And boy was this incredibly hard for me 

...

 I am not patient what so ever.

 The next evening 

Marc and I picked up some Creme Fraiche and enjoyed all 12 Meringues. 

They were INCREDIBLE!!! 

Next time however, 

I will get a proper pastry bag

 ... 

because a freezer bag

 with no pastry tip

 made making Meringues quite MESSY.

 All in all,

while eating our Meringues

 Marc and I were whisked away to one of our favorite places

  ...

 la ferme.

And that made any mess I made in the kitchen

SO worth it.

 Happy Monday

and

BISOUS!!

how do you ... dress your dog?

all the toppings

smart dogs with onions

before

after

the simple dog

the sweet dog and the simple dog

Hot Dog it is Monday!!

 The weekend went by too quickly.

 On Saturday

 Marc and I ran from Giants Stadium in San Francisco

 over the Golden Gate Bridge

 and 

back.

 The run was amazing and I took in all of the sites.

  All in all 

we ran about 12 miles

until

 we had to stop 

 because

of a dull ache in my knee.

 I think it might be from my lack of cross training

 so

 I will be trying to balance in a bit more swimming and yoga

 into my workouts.

  I have one month to go and I am hoping I will be ready to run 26 miles.

After our run

 Marc and I stopped off at Crown and Crumpet for tea and scones

 ... 

I ordered the Paris blend

 and

 was whisked away to my home away from home.

 We then walked five more miles

 and 

grabbed more goodies at the Ferry Plaza Farmers' Market.

  We had an incredible veggie wrap and washed it down with blueberry lemonade

 .... 

YUM!

 If you haven't been to the Ferry Plaza Farmers' Market

  GO 

you will love it.

For the past week or so,

  I've been craving lemonade and grilled hot dogs

 yes hot dogs!!

 I think it has something to do with the warmer weather.

 So,

 being that Marc and I are trying to cut down on the amount of meat we consume

 we used an all veggie dog

 ...

 smart dogs. 

My goal was to try and cook the dogs in a way that Marc could not taste the difference

 ...

 and 

this is what I did.

 I grilled the dogs in our grill pan

 with a little bit of olive oil and a heaping amount of sliced onions.

 And 

I believe the onions did the trick 

because

 our dogs tasted just like ball park franks

 ...

 they were perfect.

  Another tip is: 

ditch the hot dog buns

 and 

go with a baguette.

  On our last trip to France

 we went camping and used small baguettes as our buns

 and since then

  I use baguettes as hot dog buns.

 Marc toasted our small baguettes in the oven for 5-7 minutes

 and

 then brought them out to cool for a minute or so.  

And now

 for the best part,

 our toppings!!!

 We used our homemade horseradish

 that we made a week ago,

 cornichons that I chopped into small little pieces, 

tomatoes, 

onions,

 New Zealand cheddar, 

roasted red peppers,

 pineapple,

 cilantro,

 Dijon mustard

 and

 ketchup. 

We had an array of goodness to choose from.  

Here are two of the hot dog creations Marc and I made:

The Simple Dog

Dijon mustard

New Zealand cheddar

onions

horseradish

cornichons

this dog was salty, spicy, and all together good!!

The Sweet Dog

Dijon mustard

ketchup

pineapple

roasted red peppers

cheddar cheese

cilantro

this dog was the right amount of sweet!!!

And to wash it all down

 we had homemade lemonade.

  What are your favorite toppings when it comes to hot dogs??

 Enjoy your week!!

BISOUS!

everyone needs a mini

carrots

mixing

ready to go

before

after

everyone needs a mini

Last weekend,

 I made 50 mini carrot cupcakes for a good friend who just graduated.

 She asked me about a month ago

 if I would be interested in making a treat for her celebration

 and

 of course

I

 said

 YES.

  I decided to go with mini cupcakes

 because

 I think they are too cute.

 And

 people don't feel as bad when they have more than one

 (speaking for myself).

 I purchased a mini cupcake pan from Williams-Sonoma

 that was perfectly priced

 and

 that I have now put to use several times

 in the last week.

 I used my tried and true carrot cupcake recipe

 from the one and only 

Paula Deen.

 Did I change the recipe?

 But of course!!

  

The recipe calls for orange juice

 and

 instead of two tablespoons I use four.

 I also

 do not include raisins or nuts 

because when making 50 for a special occasion

 you never know who is allergic to what etc.

  I add a bit of nutmeg

 and

 ditch the coconut.

 But the kicker is that I use 1 teaspoon of pineapple juice.

 I have made these cupcakes several times now

 and

 it has never failed.

 I pair the cupcakes with my go to cream cheese frosting 

and

 garnish the tops with fresh carrots.

 All in all

 I am quite partial

 to anything that involves carrots.

  I feel these little cupcakes

 are

 perfect

 for a

 Summer barbecue,

 a picnic with friends

 or

 even breakfast.

  Who says you can't have dessert for breakfast?!

 I am curious

 ... 

what is your favorite go to recipe?

 And what are you up to this weekend?

 Bisous!

I found the carrot cupcake recipe last year

 and

 searched high and low for it online

if you would like the recipe

email me

and 

I would be happy to send it to you.

Fresh Peaches

a white peach from the farmers' market

fresh raspberries

a gift from France

white peaches

perfectly ripe

sweet and juicy

dessert

A post or two back

 I wrote about a dessert Marc had made

 but

 I did not go into detail 

so

 now I will.

 Marc made 

White Peaches in Raspberry Wine Sauce

 and

 they were amazing.

 The dessert was light, flavorful and oh so sweet.

 What I loved was how fresh the dessert made me feel.

 Instead of  Cointreau, Grappa or Marc 

we used a tablespoon of

  EAU DE VIE (FRAMBOISES)

we got it as a gift from family in France.

 So,

 being that I get on kicks where I must have the same dessert

 twice in one week

 we made it again, two nights ago. 

 We bought ripe white peaches,

 fresh raspberries

 and

 dry white wine

 and

quickly began creating.

After mixing,

stirring

and peeling

we waited until our syrup chilled

and 

then 

slowly

  we enjoyed every last bite.

 

The dessert danced

 with our taste buds!!

 White Peaches and Raspberries are perfect together.

 The next time you are craving a tasty dessert

 I hope you will make White Peaches in Raspberry Wine Sauce.

 Here is the recipe, enjoy!!

White Peaches in Raspberry Wine Sauce

Ingredients

1 cup water

1 cup dry white wine

1/3 cup sugar

1 box of raspberries

1 tablespoon of Cointreau, Grappa or Marc (we used our EAU DE VIE)

4 white peaches

Combine water, wine and sugar in a saucepan (we used a small pot).  Bring to a simmer over moderately high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar.  Simmer until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 10-12 minutes.  Refrigerate until cold.

The original recipe wants the raspberries pureed in a food processor BUT being that I LOVE whole raspberries I lightly mashed mine so they were still hearty.  Stir raspberries into the cold wine syrup and EAU DE VIE 

and chill.

When it is time for dessert ... peel the peaches and dice them into hearty slices.  Next pour as much of the chilled raspberry wine syrup as you would like

 over the peaches 

... 

and serve.  

Marc and I found this recipe in Fresh From the Farmers' Market by Janet Fletcher. 

As usual we adapted it to our liking. 

Wishing you a lovely Wednesday.

BISOUS!

eggplant sandwiches?

eggplant

all the ingredients in their glory

"the sandwich"

Eggplant Sandwiches?

 I was a bit skeptical when I first saw 

the recipe

in Real Simple.

 Where was the bread?

 How would it stay together?

 I got over my skepticism very quickly

 and

 tackled the recipe.

  I did make

one big change to the recipe.

  The recipe calls for goat cheese

 and

 being that all of you know how much I love cheese

 ....

 I added soft bleu cheese to the sandwich.

 And

 it was a great decision

 ... 

the bleu cheese mixed with the goat cheese

 and

 created a mouth watering combination.

  After dipping my eggplant rounds in flour,

 egg

 and

 bread crumbs, 

I then browned them for 3-4 minutes.

When they were done,

I lightly sprinkled my rounds with a pinch of salt

 and

 put them off to the side

 while I cut my tomato,

 sliced onion (I added this too),

washed basil (a very key ingredient),

 and pulled apart romaine lettuce. 

After I layered my ingredients into sandwiches

I could not believe how incredible the sandwich looked

 ... 

it was almost too good to eat.

 That did not last long 

because

 Marc grabbed his plate and started digging in

 ... 

while I snapped a heaping amount of photos.

 The sandwich really is perfect

 for a Summer dinner

 and

 I love dishes that use oh so tasty vegetables.

  I paired the sandwich with rainbow chard

 that I cooked with sauvignon blanc,

 red wine vinegar and garlic.

 Chard is way better than fries.

 So,

 if you choose to make this sandwich

 remember

 ...

 bleu cheese is KEY.

 And if you do not like bleu cheese get creative

 and

 try it with your favorite cheese. 

I hope all of you have a wonderful Tuesday 

filled

 with fresh vegetables and tasty cheese. 

BISOUS!

(I searched all over for the recipe online

 but could not find it

 you can find the recipe

 on page 202 

in

 the July 2010 issue of Real Simple)

Perfect for Summer

sweet tomatoes

a new way to dice (thank you Lacey)

baguette slices with garlic

Bruschetta with Tomatoes and Purple Basil

Dessert: Cherry Raspberry Popsicles

Now that the weather is warmer

 I find myself craving simple and refreshing meals for dinner.

  Last Sunday,

 I made my favorite Summer Recipe 

...

  Bruschetta with Tomatoes and Basil.

I used purple basil to give it a twist!!

 The trick to having the perfect baguette for your bruschetta

 is 

slicing thin pieces of garlic

 and

 wedging them inside each slice.

 The garlic will ooze into every inch of the baguette slices.

  And 

being that I can't have a meal without cheese,

 I love grating fresh Parmesan cheese over the tops of my bruschetta. 

 

Bruschetta is perfect for Summer

 ...

 it's light,

 fresh

 and

 incredible.

  The recipe I use calls for the tomatoes to be boiled

 BUT 

being that I never follow recipes

 (sometimes this is a good thing or as you all know ... a roller coaster ride)

 I do not boil my tomatoes

 ... 

I use the tomato as is.

  And for dessert

 ... 

I made Cherry Raspberry Popsicles.

 I made these little pops

 with

 fresh Cherry Raspberry Juice

 (found at Whole Foods)

 and

 then added fresh raspberries

 that I bought from my local Farmers' Market.

 I turned a three dollar bottle of juice into 8 popsicles

 ...

 now that is a magic trick

 if I do say so myself.

 Enjoy your weekend!!

 I hope it is filled with fresh and simple Summer Goodness.

 BISOUS!

Procrastinating with Iced Coffees and Yogurt

filtering my coffee

waiting

pure coffee goodness

the starter

warming the milk

milk and the starter

8 hours until YOGURT

So,

 the last couple of weeks have been incredibly busy

 but

I am happy to say ...

 it is over

 ...

 I am officially done until Fall Quarter!!!

 That means

 my time will be filled with

 trying new recipes,

 writing,

 day trips,

 photo adventures,

 and

 relaxing days at farmers' markets.

 I have a couple of ideas that I want to set into motion

 and

 will fill you in once I get a hold of them.

 But for now,

 I wanted to share with you two of my latest obsessions:

 making

 homemade iced coffees and yogurt.

 I saw Lily's post on iced coffees about two weeks ago

 and

 since then

 have been brewing my own coffee

 about every other day.

 I mix my coffee grounds in a mason jar,

 let it sit for 12 hours,

 filter,

 and chill

 by far the best coffee

...

ever (maybe an exaggeration)

Making my own iced coffees has allowed me to be more content at home.

 I love whipping up an iced coffee in my mason jar and relaxing.

 I haven't bought an iced coffee in two weeks

and 

for me

this is a long time!!

What do I put in my iced coffee?

  I add honey

 a small spoonful of sugar

 and ice cold milk.

 If you have mason jars sitting around

 I strongly encourage you to use them as your glasses

 ...

 they are simple,

 unique and just fun glasses to have.

 Oh and did I mention reasonably priced.

And

 now for my other obsession

 or

 rather

 Marc's.

 He has been making homemade yogurt.

 The recipe pretty much blew my mind 

because it is so easy

 and

 pretty much effortless.

 Fermenting yogurt at home is healthy,

 cheaper than buying it

 and

 the taste of fresh homemade yogurt will knock your socks off.

 If you are interested in the recipe that we use

 ...

 email me at writingldy@gmail.com

 and

 I will send you the recipe.  

Wishing you a great rest of the week 

...

 and I am interested

 ... 

how do you procrastinate? 

BISOUS!