Measuring Cups, Optional

Shrimp Fried Rice

categories: Posts, Recipes, Rice & Grains, Seafood

I’m not a huge fan of Asian foods [and by Asian, I mean far-east Asian]. I’m extremely picky. Not because I’m not adventurous with food, but everyone has different tastes and mine just happens to not be extremely fond of the sauces. I usually have one or two go-to items when I’m stuck in a situation where I have to have Chinese, or Thai, or Japanese food – usually because I’m the minority. And usually, my go-to items are sauce-free or are pretty bland in flavor. Everyone’s entitled to their prerogative and this is mine. (more…)

French Onion Soup

categories: Posts, Recipes, Soups

It’s cold. Actually, it’s beyond cold. We were hit with snow early this week and it was terrible. Fairfax County schools, DC schools and the Federal Government all failed to call – at a minimum – a two-hour delay causing mass chaos during the morning commute.

Since Tuesday’s snowfall, the snow hasn’t melted. We’ve been seeing temperatures no warmer than 30 F with mornings at 8 F and afternoons hovering around 25 F. I’ve probably said this at least 10 times on the blog, but I am not a fan of cold weather. If it were up to me, I would hibernate all winter and come back to life when it’s no colder than 60 F, sometime around late March. The layers: sweaters, coats, socks, leggings, gloves, hats, ear muffs; it’s all too much for me. And to top it all off, the days are cut short when the sun sets at 5pm. (more…)

Hazelnut Biscotti

categories: Breads, Desserts, Posts, Recipes

For as long as I can remember, biscuits for breakfast were a common occurrence in our house. It was never unusual to see cookies served with coffee and tea, and sometimes, even a piece of cake. The cookies, or biscuits, were always referred to as قرشله‎ pronounced “orshelleh.” Some look similar to biscotti, and others just look like rectangular pieces of hardened bread. (more…)

Rueben Sandwich

categories: Beef, Posts, Recipes, Sandwiches

When I was in grad school, up at Syracuse University, my mom came to visit a handful of times. She helped me move in, she cheered me on at graduation and she helped me move out. Each one of her visits were not complete without a lunch trip to Faegan’s, a family owned Irish pub at the corner of the University’s Marshall Square. Why? Because the first time we went there, mom ordered the Reuben and fell in love with the sandwich. To this day—6 years later—she’s still talking about the Reuben at Feagan’s. For anyone who’s visiting Syracuse and wants to try it out, yes, it’s still on the menu. (more…)

Cinnamon Sugar French Toast

categories: Breakfast, Posts, Recipes

I was never one for French Toast. Something about the sogginess of the bread doesn’t settle well with me. I went through a short phase where I’d make crispy French Toast and that was a hit with my brothers for a while, but I haven’t experimented with it again. (more…)

DIY Mason Jar Cake

categories: Desserts, DIY, Recipes

Mason Jars – the new DIY it item brought to you by Pinterest. I’ll admit it; I love them. They’re the most versatile DIY item out there. You can put almost anything in a mason jar, pretty it up with ribbon, burlap or twine and impress a crowd.

I’ve been known to use mason jars for plenty of projects, including the Salad Bar I pulled together for a bridal shower last month, and baked smores in a jar. This week, I wanted to try something a little more DIY… enter Mason Jar Chocolate Cake.

Let me start by saying, not everything turns out the way you expect it to – even for me. Sometimes, it really is an experiment and if it turns out I feature it on the blog. (more…)