Friday Finds: Springtime in Durham

Leave a comment April 1, 2016 Maria

Happy Friday, everyone!  This week my kids have been on spring break and since we just got a new puppy, we’ve been enjoying a “stay-cation.”  Luckily, the weather has been glorious all week — perfect spring weather to enjoy all that Durham has to offer.  Let me tell you, Durham has A LOT to offer in the spring.  It’s such a great town all year round, but especially during late March and early April when everything is in bloom and it’s not yet 95 degrees and humid.

Here’s a list of some of my favorite springtime spots in Durham…

1.  The Duke Gardens— The gardens are a gem and right now, everything is in full bloom.  It’s jaw-dropping beautiful.  You don’t have to know a lot about botanicals to enjoy this special place.  It’s perfect for any age, although kids in particular love feeding the ducks, climbing the large magnolia trees and running around the open grassy areas.  Pack a picnic and head over there soon — before all the blooms fade!

The Duke Gardens in full bloom.

A spring offering…

2.  American Tobacco Campus — The ATC has so much to offer: great restaurants, an open air pavilion and a grassy knoll perfect for a picnic blanket.  This week we had lunch at the Mellow Mushroom then just walked around and took in the great campus.  Check out all that the ATC has to offer, including a calendar of events and list of restaurants:  https://americantobaccocampus.com.

Sunning at the American Tobacco Campus enjoying spring.

3.  The Parlour — Just a quick walk down from the American Tobacco Campus lies heaven in the form of handmade ice cream.  The Parlour offers amazing flavors of freshly made ice cream like Salted Butter Caramel, Apple Pie and Rose Chai.  They even have vegan flavors made with coconut milk, including my favorite, Vegan Mocha.  Check their site for daily flavors, hours, etc.: https://theparlour.co.

Heaven in a cone available @ The Parlour. 117 Market Street, Durham.

Old Fashioned goodness… Even the menu is inviting.

4.  ENO River State Park — After you’ve eaten your way through downtown, burn off those calories hiking one of the many trails along the Eno River.  Pack a bathing suit, towel and your water bottle for a day of hiking, swimming, sunning and exploration.  On the day we hiked, we saw water snakes, water spiders, a turtle, fish and several birds.  It’s really peaceful to hike along the river in the spring when various flowers are in bloom and it’s not yet very buggy or muggy.  For a complete guide and map of the park, check out their site.  You can download a printable map, read detailed trail descriptions, apply for a camping permit, and more!  http://www.ncparks.gov/eno-river-state-park/trails

A hike along the Eno…

5.  Delicious Dinners — End your day at one of my favorite dinner spots.  There are so many excellent restaurants in Durham but my top three are, Gocciolina, Pizzeria Toro and Vin Rouge.

Located in North Durham in an inconspicuous little strip mall, Gocciolina serves up some of the best pasta and Italian dishes in Durham.

Pizza from Pizzeria Toro is cooked to perfection in a wood-burning oven.  I also love the kale salad and their tiramisu.

Enjoy the spring weather, everyone!  I hope this has inspired some of you to get to Durham this weekend.

xo ~Maria

Best Chocolate Cake EVER.

1 Comment February 15, 2016 Maria

Happy Monday!  I hope you all enjoyed a great Valentine’s Day weekend.  Today in Durham it’s icy and there is a winter storm warning in effect so we are hunkered down at home.

One of our favorite things to do when we are home is bake.  So, I’m sharing my favorite chocolate cake recipe with you today.  It comes from the PBS show, Pati’s Mexican Table.  My kids and I were watching the show about two years ago that featured this cake and we literally turned off the tv and ran into the kitchen to make it.  We have been making it ever since.  This cake is AMAZING: moist, flavorful and not too heavy.  And the best part?  You probably have all of the ingredients right in your pantry.

We make this cake year-round and bring it to friend’s homes when asked to prepare something.  Every single person that has ever tried it, loves it.  I’m not exaggerating.  Young and old alike can’t resist a second piece, especially if the frosting is still warm.  But, you’ll have to be the judge.  Let me know how you like it…  Stay warm today! ~xo Maria

JUJU’S BIRTHDAY CAKE (for easy printing, click here)
Pastel de chocolate de Juju

Serves: 10 to 12 non-hungry people

INGREDIENTS

For the cake:

1 cup water

2/3 cup cocoa

1/2 cup unsalted butter

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 3/4 cups sugar

Pinch of salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup sour cream

2 large eggs, preferably at room temperature

For the Frosting:

1/4 cup milk

1 tablespoon vanilla

1/2 cup cocoa

1/2 cup unsalted butter

2 cups confectioners’ sugar

1/4 cup sprinkles, optional

TO PREPARE:

To prepare the cake: Grease a 9×13-inch cake pan with butter. Cover the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large pot, over medium heat, pour the water, stir in the cocoa and add the butter. Let it heat for a few minutes, stirring now and then, until it all dissolves. Remove the pot from the heat.

In another bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and baking powder. In another, beat the eggs and combine them with the sour cream.

In turns, add a quarter of the flour mix and then a quarter of the sour cream mix at a time into the pot with the cocoa mixture; stir with a spatula, mixing all of the ingredients as you move along. Pour onto the greased cake pan and place in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out barely moist but not wet.

Take the cake out of the oven and let it cool a bit while you prepare the frosting.

To prepare the frosting: In a saucepan, over medium heat, pour in the milk and the vanilla. Stir in the cocoa and add the butter. Heat and stir until everything is all dissolved and combined. Remove from the heat and stir in the confectioners’ sugar. Thoroughly mix with a spatula and set aside.

To assemble: Run the tip of a knife around the edges of the cake. Turn the cake onto a platter and gently remove the parchment paper. Pour the still-warm frosting over the cake and gently spread it out with a spatula. If you wish, you may add sprinkles of your choice before the frosting hardens (NOTE: The cake is soft and moist the first couple days, then hardens like a brownie afterwards if left uncovered– perfect for packing in school lunches).

© 2010-2015 MEXICAN TABLE, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Best Chocolate Cake EVER. Serve when frosting is still warm and be prepared for cheering.

 

Friday Finds: PICNIC

1 Comment February 12, 2016 Maria

Happy Friday, everyone!  I hope you’re staying warm on this chilly day!  Who’s ready for the impending snow?

Today I’m sharing a culinary find that’s sure to keep you warm: the new Durham Barbecue restaurant located off of Cole Mill Road called, PICNIC.  The restaurant just opened last Friday and is the latest addition to North Durham’s budding food scene (think Gocciolina on Guess Road & Bleu Olive on Front Street  — both of which are excellent!!).

I went to PICNIC for lunch today and was impressed with the diversity of the crowd: everything from old southern men to families with young kids to young hipsters in their 20s.   It was nice to see a crowd that truly reflects the Durham spirit…truly a beautiful thing.

I got there shortly after the doors opened for lunch and it was packed!  It seems that chef and owner Ben Adams has once again created something exciting.  He left Piedmont Restaurant last year to begin his own venture and it’s off to an amazing start.  Here are some shots from Friday’s grand opening (where rumor has it they nearly sold out of food!).

Picnic glows in the night! Photo Credit: Buck Ferguson

The full-service bar @ PICNIC serves up Southern spirits and merriment. Photo Credit: Buck Ferguson

The lively crowd @ PICNIC’s grand opening. Photo Credit: Buck Ferguson

The menu is full of new takes on traditional Southern dishes and some of the usual suspects like pulled pork, fried chicken, hush puppies and mac ‘n cheese.  They even offer a cool take on one of my favorites, Cobb salad…

Here’s the menu…

And for those of you needing a drink with dinner, you won’t be disappointed:

Here’s all the details you’ll need to get over to PICNIC and try it out yourself:

On the web:  http://www.picnicdurham.com

Address: 1647 Cole Mill Road, Durham 27705

Enjoy, Y’all!  xo ~Maria

Friday Finds: MakUs Empanadas

Leave a comment January 15, 2016 Maria

Happy Friday, everyone!  I hope that the beginning of 2016 has been wonderful for all of you.  I feel so inspired by the beginning of the new year and have been channeling that inspiration into many good things…like hunting down today’s Friday Find.  

I heard about Makus Empanadas from a Durham Magazine feed earlier this week and instantly knew I had to check it out.  While art and design are a big love of mine, food is a close second, or even tied for first.  So today, I treked over to the Hope Valley Commons Plaza for lunch to give this place a try!  And…I am SO glad I did.

Makus Empanadas opened about 10 days ago – so it really is a new find!  The owners, Hernan Moyano, Ricky Yofre and Santiago Moyano, have been friends since childhood.  They grew up in Buenos Aires, Argentina with a deep love of family and food.  Neither he nor Ricky have a background in food, except that they were raised understanding what good, simple food tastes like.  When the two ran into each other by chance in Chicago about 3 years ago, the seedlings for the idea of Makus Empanadas were planted and today we are all lucky that these two continued to nurture that idea.  After several years of research in their native country, lots of experimenting with flavors and ingredients, the finally found the perfect formula for their empanadas.

Best friends since childhood in Argentina, owners of Makus Empanadas, Ricky (L) and Hernan.  They were generous enough to sit with me today and tell me the backstory of this wonderful eatery!

The menu: simple but competent and complete. There are sweet and savory options and vegan and vegetarian choices.

Today, I ordered all 4 vegetarian options and they were delicious.  My favorites however, were the sweet corn and the spinach and cheese.  What makes these empanadas so delicious are two key points: 1) the crust is perfectly flaky & light and, 2) the ingredients are all FRESH….nothing canned or processed.  When I asked the owners about the crust (I’m very picky about my crusts!) they explained that they import the dough from Argentina.  Yes – you got it – all the way from Argentina.  Why?  Because they couldn’t recreate the perfection of this Argentinian delicacy with ingredients here.  Now that’s what I call dedication to your country…and I happen to appreciate perfectionists!  These were heavenly…

If you look closely, each empanada has a letter denoting its flavor baked into the left side. How clever is that??! And, these are $2.50 a piece. A bargain, I tell you!

 

I also tried these delicious Parmesan cheese puffs – baked to a perfect color. Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. I could have eaten 10…maybe more.

I also tried their homemade Dulce de Leche bars with toasted, sweet coconut.  If you like dulce de leche (Argentinian sweet caramel sauce) you will love these.  I’m more of a savory girl, so I only had a little in order to be able to report about it here (I know, tough job!).

Dulce de leche bars with toasted, sweet coconut.

So…where you goin’ for dinner?  Here are all the details:

Hope Valley Commons (next to Harris Teeter)

1125 W. NC Hwy. 54 (Suite 304)

Durham, NC  27707

(919) 390-7525

http://www.makusempanadas.com

Y si, se hablan Espanol!  Nos vemos alli!

Enjoy y buen provecho!

xo ~ Maria 

Baby, It’s Cold Outside! 3 Yummy Soup Recipes to Keep You Warm…

Leave a comment January 7, 2016 Maria

So… winter is finally here!  I’m actually quite relieved because I really enjoy snuggling up in the evenings around our fireplace and making hot cocoa for my kids.  One of the things I most love about cold days is making hearty soups.  It is so fantastic to warm up with a bowl of chili, lentil soup or other type of brothy wonder.  I thought I’d share some favorite recipes that I’ve been making for years with all of you.

All of these recipes are EASY to prepare (basically, the hardest step is chopping vegetables).  All are vegetarian, but you can easily add bacon, ground turkey/beef or pulled chicken for a meat-based soup.

For impromptu soup preparation, stock the following in your fridge / pantry:

• onions
• carrots
• celery
• potatoes
• dry and/or canned beans
• canned tomatoes
• tomato paste
• boxed stocks
• a variety of dry herbs such as thyme, herbs de Provence, bay leaves, etc.

If you are trying to eat more healthfully and/or lose weight, I think soups are a great option.  They are very filling and if you watch the amount of olive oil and butter you add, they are quite nutritious.  Leftovers make fantastic lunches the next day!  You can’t go wrong with a great bowl of soup.  Enjoy!

#1   LENTIL SOUP – I just made this last night and my entire family was thrilled.  I LOVE this one and you probably have all of the ingredients right in your fridge and/or pantry.  This is such a filling and nutritious soup, with great flavors imbued from tamari soy sauce and red wine vinegar.  I like pairing this soup with a spinach salad and some crusty bread from Guglhauf.

Classic Lentil Soup, from Jeanne Lemlin’s Vegetarian Classics

1/4	cup olive oil
4	garlic cloves, minced
3	large onions, diced
5	cups water
1 1/4	cup lentils, picked over and rinsed
4	carrots, thinly sliced
3	stalks celery, thinly sliced
1/3	cup tomato paste (mixed with 1/2 cup water)
2	tablespoons tamari soy sauce
1/2	teaspoon salt
1	tablespoon red wine vinegar
	freshly ground black pepper to taste
2	tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the garlic and onions and saute for 10 minutes or until the onions are very soft and begin to brown. Stir often.
2. Add all of remaining ingredients except for the vinegar and butter. Raise the heat and bring to a boil, stirring often. Reduce the heat to a summer and cook 45 minutes, or until the carrots are very tender and the soup has thickened.
3. Just before serving, add the butter and vinegar.  Stir until melted.
4. Serve with a salad and nice crusty bread.

*****

#2 CORN CHOWDER – I love chowder, and this vegetarian version is so, so good!  I often pair this with corn bread for the full corn effect!  You could easily brown some bacon and crumble that into this soup for a meat addition – or add clams!

Corn Chowder
Adapted from Jeanne Lemlin’s Vegetarian Classics

1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 red peppers, diced
4 cups veggie stock, or water if you don’t have stock
2 cups peeled and diced potatoes (Yukon Gold work best)
1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
4 cups fresh (or frozen) corn kernels
1 bunch scallions, sliced
1 cup 2% milk
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Cayenne pepper (to taste) — optional

Directions:

1. In a large soup pot, heat the butter and olive oil. Saute the onions and garlic until onions are tender, but not brown.

2. Add the stock, peppers, potatoes, celery, bay leaf, salt, sugar, and some freshly ground black pepper. Bring to a boil.  Then, reduce heat and cook, partially covered, until the potatoes are soft (about 15 minutes). When the potatoes are soft, add in the corn and scallions and cook for another 7 – 10 minutes. Find and remove the bay leaf.

3. Ladle out about 2 cups of the soup and set aside. Using an immersion blender, blend the rest of the soup directly in the pot. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can blend everything in a traditional blender in batches.

4. Stir in the reserved portion of the soup along with the milk, thyme, and cayenne pepper (to taste). Cook about 5 minutes more just to heat everything back up. Enjoy!

*****

#3  SWEET POTATO CHILI –  Sweet potatoes are a great winter food and they play well in this savory soup!  Serve with cornbread and dinner is done.

Sweet Potato Chili, adapted from Simple Vegetarian Pleasures, by Jeanne Lemlin

Ingredients (Double everything for yummy leftovers, or to bring some to a neighbor, as I often do!)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, diced
3 small garlic cloves, minced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 scant Tablespoon chili powder (or to taste)
1 scant teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 cups water (1/2 cup more can be added to cover if needed)
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes with their juice
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
1 med-large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch dice
2 cans (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained

Salt & Pepper to taste…

Garnish cilantro, avocado and/or a spoon of sour cream, if desired.

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions are translucent. Stir in the pepper and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring often.
2. Sprinkle the chili powder and cumin over the pepper and onion and cook an additional 2 minutes, stirring often.
3. Add all of the remaining ingredients (except for the cilantro and avocado) and bring the mixture to a boil. Cover and cook until sweet potatoes are tender. (About 25-30 minutes)
4. Serve with cilantro, avocado and/or a spoon of sour cream, if desired.

I hope you and your family enjoy these soups as much as we have over the years!  Stay warm…

xo Maria

Thanksgiving Dinner: Game On!

Leave a comment November 23, 2015 Maria

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!  This will be my only post this week, as my kids are home for the entire week and I’ve promised myself I’m taking the week off to focus on family and friendship.  But, I did want to leave you with some tips on hosting your holiday meal.  So here goes!  (I shared these in the spring, so I’m recycling a bit…but, all still apply to Turkey Day!)

If Snoopy can do it, so can you!

THANKSGIVING DINNER GAME PLAN

There is a lot that goes on before the actual meal to make it look effortless, even though it requires a bit of work (ok, a lot of work!). Over the years, I’ve developed some strategies I thought I’d share on how to successfully host a large crowd for dinner  and still manage to enjoy yourself, which a lot of us forget to do. A combination of advanced planning and a thorough to-do list makes hosting such an affair a lot less stressful and intimidating. Here’s how to approach it:

• Ask yourself, “What can I do in advance?” Plan out everything you can do in advance and then do those items ahead of time. For example, you can make sure linens are ironed, china is cleaned, wine is purchased, and silverware is ready up to a week (or more!) ahead of time. I even set my table a few days in advance with the glasses turned upside down so they don’t collect dust. Consider tasks like pre-ordering special meats, baked goods or flowers so that they are one less thing you have to worry about as the actual event approaches. You will be so happy you did!

• Create your menu and then have a corresponding shopping list. I type out my menu in a table and then have a corresponding column for ingredients and notes. By doing this ahead of time, you can check your pantry and figure out what you have on hand and what you need to purchase. This makes shopping so much easier. I usually have to go to at least two different grocery stores so I break things down further by creating a list for each store. There is nothing more annoying or stressful than beginning to cook only to realize you’ve forgotten a major ingredient. An organized shopping list will make sure this doesn’t happen. See sample below.

Menu Item	Notes
Chicken Marbella	Order chicken from Whole FoodsNeed: prunes, olives, capers, brown sugar, bay leaves
Roasted fingerling potatoes	Need: potatoes, fresh rosemary
Salad	Need: Bibb lettuce, pears, pecans, goat cheesePrep In Advance: Champagne Vinaigrette Need: shallot
Baguettes	Order from Guglhuaf
Fruit Tart	Order from Guglhauf
Wine & Prosecco	Trader Joes – Vouvray & Prosecco

• Have a “Day-to-Day” Game Plan. After I have thought through my menu and the tasks associated with meal, I break down my to-do list day-by-day. I think about what needs to be done 2 to 3 days before the meal, the day before and the day-of. This helps spread out the work and makes the day of the meal a lot less stressful. For example, I might need to marinate the meat 24 to 48 hours in advance of cooking it so I plan for this. I also do things like chop vegetables, make salad dressing and prep fresh herbs and lettuces by rinsing them and wrapping them in paper towel so they are ready to use.

• Delegate Tasks. My husband is my go-to-guy. Whenever we are hosting a large meal, he gets a list. He can’t cook, but he is awesome at running errands, picking up food items around town and helping with set-up and clean up. I also delegate food responsibilities to friends that will be attending. This usually means that someone will be coming with a fruit platter or dessert. Every little bit helps!

• Order some food items. Planning a large meal for over 8 people can be daunting. One of the ways I negotiate all of the work is to simply order some food items. Usually this means I will buy dessert from one of the wonderful bakeries in our area. This makes my life so much easier and just reduces stress. Ina Garten, chef and cookbook author, says she always buys one part of her meal to make hosting easier and more enjoyable. So, consider what you might purchase instead of prepare. Your guests will not mind!

• Keep notes for next year. If you host an annual dinner for a specific holiday, start keeping notes. A few years ago I started doing this for our Passover meal because there are so many little details to keep track of. Every year, I pull out my notes, update them and then carry on. It is SO HELPFUL. This year, I was especially thankful for these notes because I couldn’t recall some items, but as soon as I took out the notes, I thought, “Oh yeah! How could I have forgotten the parsley?!”

• Stop cooking / prepping 30 minutes before guests arrive and get yourself ready. Sometimes I have to force myself to do this, but I do it! Over the years I’ve learned that I need to give myself 30 minutes before the meal begins to enjoy a glass of wine and get myself dressed and ready. By attending to myself for these precious 30 minutes, I know I will be prepped to attend to my guests when they arrive. And, your guests will not mind if you are still assembling a platter or heating something up as they arrive. It really is ok to be putting finishing touches on dishes as guests arrive. You will enjoy yourself a lot more if you have carved out this time for yourself.
• ENJOY YOURSELF & YOUR GUESTS!

Cheers,

Maria

Holiday Entertaining Made Easy

Leave a comment November 16, 2015 Maria

Good Monday morning, all!  I hope you had a great weekend.  As next week is Thanksgiving and I’m sure you are all starting to think ahead to either hosting or attending a dinner, I wanted to share some tips and inspiration for general holiday entertaining.  I presented these ideas last Thursday at the “Ready for the Holidays” event and they were well received.

As things start to get busy and your calendar fills, please remember:  entertaining during the holidays should be about connection and creating memories. Don’t let the stress and pressure of trying to be perfect and do it all take that away from you and your family.  Here are some ideas to help you embrace this concept.

• Keep a well-stocked pantry, freezer and wine fridge.
• Delegate food items to friends and family members when you are hosting a large group.
• Order food items from places like Parker & Otis, Fosters, Med Deli, Q Shack, Nana Taco & Whole Foods.
• Order sweets from your favorite bakery.  My favorites for cookies, pies and the like: Sweet Cravings (see contact information below), Daisy Cakes & Guglhauf (all Durham-based).
• Keep several boxes of fine chocolates on hand for both hosting and as gifts for hostesses. A large “chocolate bar” is such a fun & easy alternative to desserts. Have your kids make decorative “labels” for all the various types of chocolates. Couple this with a “hot cocoa bar” (mini marshmallows, chocolate shavings, cinnamon sticks, etc.) and you are set!
• Embrace brunch as an alternative to a full dinner. It’s so much easier to do than a full dinner and still gives you the opportunity to see friends and family.
• Another option to hosting a full dinner is to do a meal of heavy appetizers. Yes, it’s not as formal, but it can be a lot more fun. Order some things, fill in the rest with homemade platters of cheese, crackers, salamis, etc. and viola – you’re done!
• Another option is to go out to dinner at a restaurant and return home for dessert, coffee and aperitifs. This is such a great way to still carve out bonding time in the privacy of your home, without the pressure of preparing a full dinner (and this is minimal prep and clean up!).

Sample Menus for Easy Holiday Entertaining

(* Denotes items you can keep in your pantry or freezer)

Mediterranean Tapas	Tex-Mex Round-Up	Southern Gathering, Y’all!	Asian, Tapas Style
*Jarred olives	* Corn chips	Pimiento cheese dip	*Pot Stickers
* Crackers of various flavors	* Jarred Salsas	* Cheese Straws	*Egg Rolls
* Cornichons & other pickled items	* Quesadillas (I keep tortillas and shredded cheeses in my freezer)	* Peanuts	Sushi
* Spiced Almonds	Guacamole	Order-in Fried Chicken or buy it frozen; pulled pork sandwiches	*Seaweed crackers   *Edamame
Assorted Cheeses & spreads like *fig jam, quince paste & cranberry relish	Black Bean Salad (combined rinsed blacked beans, corn, diced red peppers & onions, cumin, cilantro, s&p, and EVOO with a bit of lime juice)	* Cornbread muffins (make from mix in your pantry)	* Mahi-Mahi skewers or grilled fish with soy sauce, garlic, ginger & honey glaze
Assorted cured meats, such as prosciutto and salami (these will keep for a while in your fridge so keep them in stock)	Rice & tortillas (El Superior Latin Grocer in Durham makes them fresh daily! $1 per pound)	Mac ‘n Cheese / hush puppies	*Sesame Noodles with a toppings bar: shredded chicken, julienne carrots, slivered green onions, cilantro, chopped peanuts
Hummus or other type of bean dips	Bar of fixings: shredded lettuce & cabbage, diced tomatoes, shredded cheeses, diced green onions	Biscuit sandwiches	Seaweed Salad
Baguette slices	Grilled fajitas (simply slice up peppers & onions with s&p)	Deviled Eggs	Dumplings / Wontons
Drinks: Wines from Spain, France, Greece or Italy & don’t forget the bubbles: Prosecco, Cava & Champagne	Drinks: Sangria, Mojitos, Margaritas, Coronas with limes	Drinks: Mint Juleps, Bourbon-based drinks, various beers, refreshing white wines to complement salty foods	Drinks: Sake, Asian Beers

For our event last week, we actually sampled these ideas and created a wonderful appetizers offering.

Here, a chocolate “bar” with various boxed chocolates and mini-cupcakes we ordered were offered alongside cheeses, dips, cured meat and crackers. All of this took one grocery store run and one bakery stop.

My biggest piece of advice is to order some items and take things off of your “to-do” list.  I don’t love to bake so I always order my pies and cookies from a great baker, Jessica Satterlee.  She’s a local Durham baker and does an amazing job with pies, cookies and cakes.  Check out her offerings @ http://www.sweetcravingscookiecompany.com.  She also does custom orders, so if you don’t see something you like, she can work with you.

I hope this gives you some ideas and most significantly, helps you take a less stressful approach to hosting your friends and family.  Embrace “easier” this holiday season!

Cheers,

~Maria

 

 

Meal Planning Made Easy – Like, Really Easy!

Leave a comment March 25, 2015 Maria

I know what you’re thinking as soon as you see the title: “Are you seriously kidding me? I work full-time, have 3 kids and 2 dogs. I barely have time to brush my teeth, must less plan meals.” I get it. I really do. But let me offer this: by taking 15 to 20 minutes each week to think about your menu and plan your shopping list you will save time and money, eat more nutritiously, bond with your family and decrease your stress level. Those are some hefty promises, right? I agree, but meal planning delivers big and it doesn’t take a lot on your part — just (1) a commitment to doing it and (2) time each week (or every two weeks) to plan it out.

Here are some clear, road-tested tips to help you plan your meals.   Once you’re in the groove of doing this each week, it will happen automatically and not require much thought on your part. While it does take some time on the front-end, it saves a lot of time and stress throughout the week. So think of meal planning as a pay-forward system that rewards you all week long.

Meal Planning 101…Break it down now!

Step 1: Make the commitment to try this and be faithful to it. It’s like starting an exercise or other new routine — you have to stick to it for a few weeks to make it a habit. You can also involve your family in the process — make it a family effort from the planning stage to the table setting duties.  You’re much more likely to stick to it if you’ve got buy-in from everyone who will be benefiting from the meal planning.

Step 2: Decide when and where you’ll plan. I like to use Sunday nights to map out both my schedule and meals for the week. I do it at my desk in my office. I have my calendar, cookbooks and phone with me while I plan. I factor in work dinners, kids’ activities and other significant issues that will affect our dinnertime routine. On nights when either my husband or I is going to be out for a work dinner, I arrange for either left-overs or something else that is easy to prepare, like pasta or garden burgers, which can be popped into the oven.

Step 3: Identify 10 favorite meals.   An easy and effective way to start meal planning is to identify 10 meals that you frequently prepare and then just rotate through them during a two-week period.   Most of us can easily come up with 10 meals that we like to prepare and enjoy eating. Want ideas? Tune in later this week for 10 meals your family can add to their rotation.

Step 4: Grocery shop with a plan and a list. Once you’ve identified the meals you will prepare, shop accordingly. There are mobile apps you can use to create your shopping list that will categorize your items (like Dairy, Dry Goods, Snacks, etc.). I use List Ease, a free mobile app, but mostly I write out my list the old-fashioned way, using pen and paper. I do however, sometimes shop online at Harris Teeter.  I find that this is an efficient way to plan meals and shop because I can be looking at my list and putting items in my cart in the comfort of my home!  There is a $4.95 convenience fee for this service, but it’s a fee I happily pay to have someone shop for me on weeks when I am very busy. There are comment fields for every product in which you can add notes such as “select slightly green bananas” or “make sure the expiration date on the lettuce is at least 5 days out.”  If you are a local reader, the Harris Teeter on University and MLK in Durham offers this service. I usually pick up my groceries on Mondays after I pick up my kids from school.

Step 5: Prepare & Consume your fresh items first, then move on to canned and frozen items. This is both for better taste and to ensure that perishable foods don’t spoil before you have time to prepare them.

Step 6: Add new recipes as you gain confidence in your meal planning when time permits. I try to add one or two new dishes a month. Sometimes it’s more and sometimes it’s less. I like to read my cookbooks for new ideas, but of course the Internet has many recipes. I easily get overwhelmed on the Internet, so I stick to my books. My favorite cookbooks are:

• The Mom 100 Cookbook, by Katie Workman (It has both meat and vegetarian options, in addition to great ideas for sides and desserts, all with children and families in mind.) She also has a blog under the same title.
• Vegetarian Classics and Simple Vegetarian Pleasures, by Jeanne Lemlin (I’ve had both of these cookbooks for years and use them just about every week. I have never made a thing from them that didn’t taste amazing. The recipes will please both vegetarians and meat-eaters alike.)
• Moosewood Restaurant Favorites, from the Moosewood Collective. If you loved the original Moosewood Cookbook by Molly Katzen, you’ll love this one as well. It is a more modern version with new takes on all sorts of dishes.
• The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook and Barefoot in Paris by Ina Garten. I love her recipes because they are simple and taste excellent. Her Roasted Chicken recipe is amazing and I use it when we are entertaining and have meat-eaters coming over. I also love her salad and dessert recipes.

Internalizing these steps and integrating them into your weekly routine CAN be done. If planning an entire week of meals seems overwhelming, start by trying to plan two or three meals a week and work up from there. And don’t be afraid to take advantage of convenience ingredients like canned beans, frozen and pre-sliced vegetables and prepared broths. In an ideal world we’d all have time to reconstitute dried beans and use fresh, local produce in every meal. But using canned beans doesn’t mean you’re eating unhealthfully; it means you’re being realistic about your time and resources. You’re still eating more cost effectively and healthfully than you would have had you gone out to eat. And that’s the whole point of the exercise, right?

 Happy Cooking…  ~Maria