Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
I’m not even 1% Irish, but I love anything worth celebrating. And hey, why not! The DC Metro area is currently covered in snow. Yes, Mid-March and spring doesn’t seem to be anywhere in sight (minus the gorgeous 65F day we had on Saturday). Though the federal government is closed for the day, I threw on my favorite pair of jeans, a comfortable top and topped the festive look off with a green headband, then got to baking. (more…)
65 F degrees mid-February … yes please!
I cannot tell you how much I’ve missed the spring. As one of my friends, Ruby, has told me, I get inspired when the weather is nice – that is, any day above 60 F and sunny. And she is absolutely right. That’s why the minute I found out we’d be having a gorgeous 65 F degree day, I planned a low-key afternoon BBQ complete with my favorite Crab Parmesan Dip, burgers, garlic yogurt marinated chicken and cedar plank salmon. (more…)
Yes, I’m that person that complains and complains about the weather. But rightfully so, I think, since this has been one of the most brutal, coldest winters I’ve ever experienced in the DC area.
I’m over heavy winter coats, and slushy snow. I’m over the fear of sliding on ice during my morning commute to work, before the sun rises. I’ve worn my boots, and cute winter outfits and I’m ready for some warmer weather. 50 F just doesn’t cut it. I’m so ready to fire up the outdoor grill and try out some new recipes. So despite the fact that there’s still snow out, I’ve decided to create my very own indoor BBQ, complete with my favorite summertime dessert; smores! (more…)
Knafeh, a Middle Eastern pastry stuffed with sweet cheese and drenched in sugary syrup, is native to Nablus, Palestine. I haven’t had the pleasure of eating knafeh Nabulsiyeh but I’ve heard it’s the best! The closest I’ve come to amazing knafeh is Habeeba’s knafeh in Amman.
The debate continues over which one is better, خشنة khishneh (coarse) or ناعمة na3meh (fine). My personal favorite is Khishneh. I cannot tell you how excited I was to find out a sweet shop opened up in Northern Virginia offering freshly made knafeh. Jenin Pastry lets you choose between khishneh and na3meh and even delivers for parties! (more…)
We’ve all heard about the health benefits of salmon, namely that it has tons of omega-3 fatty acid. Did you know that it’s also packed full of vitamins D and B12? Well, you just learned something new. I love salmon but I haven’t gotten very creative with it. Aside from baking it, I did try making cedar-plank salmon on several occasions. Smoked salmon is amazing on eggs benedict and surprisingly good as a dip with Chobani Greek Yogurt, olive oil and fresh dill. (more…)
I intended to get back to working out, and running (indoors, on a treadmill with TV access). And then, pretty much right after the New Year, I came down with something. A cold, the flu, a virus, I’m just not sure what it is, but I can’t seem to kick it. Added bonus, it’s the coldest it’s been in the U.S. in 20 years! They’re calling it a Polar Vortex. Polar Vortex … who comes up with these terms? They’re absolutely brilliant, but I wonder if there isn’t some meteorologist somewhere with a list of clever names for weather disasters who pulls it out when the time is right. Anyway, we get hit with this Polar Vortex — where no joke, it’s a high of 5 degrees Fahrenheit — which doesn’t quite help the sickness situation. It doesn’t help any situation quite honestly when all you really want to do is hibernate by the heater and watch TV all day. Needless to say, my new years resolution to start working out again (like 99.9% of Americans) has been put on the back burner for now… just until I start to feel well enough to make it through an 8 hour workday without incident. (more…)