2.27.2012

happy monday?

Dear Mondays,

Why do you always have to be so underwhelming?  Seriously, you are the least liked day of the week by everyone and their mother.  What's up with that!! Please be better, or at least be sunnier and less rainy.

Love, me

As you have probably guessed, it is a dismal, drizzling, gray Monday over here.  In other words, I need something to spice up my life, or at least distract me from the daunting week of midterms and ever-increasing #whatthehellamIgoingtodowithmylife meltdowns I will probably have between now and Friday.  So what better way to beat the downer day than kicking off my New Orleans restaurant spotlight extravaganza with the one and only Dat Dog!


Hot Dogs. Sweet, spicy, succulent hot dogs.  I'm not even the slightest bit embarrassed to say that hot dogs, sausages, brats, whatever fall under my top 5 favorite foods, and when Dat Dog opened its funky, garlicky scented doors only blocks from my house, I lost my cool, big time. 


Sinking my teeth into their smoked Louisiana sausage dog, topped with chopped sweet onions, sauerkraut, mustard and ketchup, all enveloped in the most incredibly light and doughy, slightly sweet, homemade sourdough bun, I was a goner.  It was then and still is today the very best hot dog I have ever come across.  Major points go to their special bun for its airy and yet dense, doughy perfection.  The quality of meat is outstanding, all of which is produced locally, and all that I have sampled have the perfect blend of spice, grilled to smokey awesomeness.  You can't help but feel giddy, or at least mouthwateringly hungry when you step into this place, I mean, the guys crafting the dogs behind the counter are all clad in friggin' Hawaiian shirts. 

If you live in New Orleans, do yourself a favor, brighten your Monday right now with a hunky Dat Dog.  Throw in some of their french fries, maybe a bottled Coca-Cola if you're feeling extra fun today.  If you don't live in New Orleans, well, you just don't live in New Orleans.  Juuuuuust kidding, go get yourself some kind of pick me up and start planning your trip to New Orleans. That should brighten anyones Monday!

2.26.2012

Peanut Butta Jelly Time.

Ok, so these cookies are pretty much all peanut butter and no jelly but I couldn't resist.  The real zinger though...get ready people..is that these cookies are VEGAN. yup.  We're talking no butter, no eggs, no cane sugar.  Don't panic, I know I did at first, because these rich little peanut butter morsels are insanely good. Taste-like-the-middle-of-a-Reese's good.  All I'm sayin is that these cookies have made a vegan-believer out of me.  At least when it comes to peanut butter cookies.  And my new favorite chocolate cake recipe.  And my other new favorite carrot-ginger soup recipe.  Don't get me wrong, I love a good stick of butter as much as the next gal, but I am quickly learning that there are times when it is just more appropriate/better/delicious/moist/healthful to go the vegan route!  Give these cookies a try and I promise I will sound less like a peanut butter-vegan looney, or at least we will all be sippin' the same kool-aid.


Whole-Wheat Peanut Butter Cookies
adapted slightly from this recipe

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp fine grain sea salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup natural peanut butter (chunky or smooth, whatever floats your boat!)
1 cup maple syrup (I prefer grade B but again, whatever you like)
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl combine flours, salt, and baking soda.

In a large bowl combine peanut butter, maple syrup, olive oil, and vanilla extract.  Stir until combined.

Mix the dry ingredients into the wet, being careful not to over mix.

Drop dough by tablespoons on parchment lined baking sheets. Use the back of a fork to gently press the balls of dough down a bit.  Sprinkle dough with sugar before baking.

Bake for 10 min, and be careful not to over bake or they will be dry!!  Let cool for 5 min.

Chow down!

2.24.2012

Sprouts.

Let's talk brussels sprouts.  Those little green orbs of health that used to haunt me as a child have now become one of my favorites veggies.  Roasted, sauteed, grilled, just NOT boiled and I'll eat em.  I think the real trick to making brussels drop dead delicious is a hefty dousing in olive oil, salt, and peppa, but if you want to go the extra mile, I have recently discovered the mother of all brussels sprouts pairings. Bacon+Brussels+Avocado=Food marriage made in heaven.  If nothing else, if you are still weary of the cult of sprouts, trust the bacon and avocado in this recipe, because, well, they are bacon and avocado and if you don't like them then I don't know you.


Sauteed Brussels Sprouts w/ Bacon and Avocado
adapted very slightly from this recipe @ thelittleredhouse

1lb fresh brussels sprouts
juice of 1 lime
1 avocado
2 slices thick cut bacon, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tbsp olive oil
salt&pepper to taste

Cook bacon in a large skillet till it's nice and crispy. Remove bacon from pan but keep leftover drippings in the pan, adding the olive oil depending on how much drippings there are leftover.  Roughly slice the brussels and then add them to the pan along with the minced garlic and red pepper flakes.  Cook on medium-low heat for about 4-5 minutes till the sprouts are nice and tender, then add the lime juice and crumbled bacon.  Finally, add the sliced avocado to the pan and mix lightly (you don't want to avocado to get completely mashed in) and season with salt & pepper to taste. 

2.23.2012

Spring Fever.

The sun is shining (partially) and the temperature is back up to the 70s here in balmy Nawlins' and I am ready to bust out in some pastel colors!  Here are some of my fav looks right now (I guess I'm on a pink kick?)....

Love the shades of pink/coral together. @cupcakesandcashmere.  


Obsessed with this Madewell dress!

La pochette by Clare Vivier :)

Hints of pink- love it! @AtlanticPacific

Belle by Sigerson Morrison flats for Madewell. must have.

Sheer blush blazer from nastygal. sexyspringchic.

2.21.2012

Mardi Gras Mambo.

Happy Fat Tuesday! I'm definitely still recovering from the madness that was these past five days but couldn't wait to post some pics from the weekend.  Also if anyone has any tips on how to re-enter the real world after a week of obnoxious amounts of drinking and eating and bead catching, send them my way!

:)

so. many. beads.

birthday bestie about to experience krispy kreme bread pudding at Boucherie.





mah friends! come back plz.

turkey sandy and popeye juice from Satsuma. breakfast of champions.

love.

dranks on dranks.

late night cafe du monde beignets and cafe au lait. herro.

why not?

most amazing crispy, garlicky parmesan fries @ Boucherie.

lil' peach pie with a satsuma martini.

Getting funky at Galactic :)

snack break @ Sucre!

2.09.2012

v-day inspirations.

LOVE the tea canister as vase.
Chocolate and rosewater cupcakes from the lovely JOy the Baker.
:)
Black currant pavlova. GORG.
Valentine's collection from Rifle Paper Co.
Chocolate cupcakes with cherry mascarpone frosting by Sheena @thelittleredhouse. YUM.

2.05.2012

Supabowl Sunday.

Let's get real. I could care less about football. Superbowl snacks on the other hand, I can get into, in a big way.  Pigs in a blanket, chips and dips, bbq wings and ribs-YUM. Chips and guacamole stole the show for me today though. I love a good, chunky guacamole because it is so easy to make and because I love basically anything involving avocados. Below is my "recipe" for guac!



Chunky/Spicy Superbowl Guac-

-1 ripe avocado
-half a red onion, diced
-half a tomato, diced
-juice of 1 lime
-2 tbsp chopped cilantro
-1 tsp minced jalapeno pepper (alter this according to how spicy you want it)

 Combine/mash all ingredients in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Eat with chips and salsa. Dare ya to make it last more than 5 minutes.




                               Banana malt ice cream w/whipped cream and sprinkles from Creole Creamery

2.03.2012

Happy Friday + 2 Weeks till Mardi Gras

SO excited for the next two weeks' festivities...bring on the beads, booze, and general debauchery!


.....and mardi gras CRAWTATORS of course.

2.01.2012

A Smoothie A Day...

I'm on a huge smoothie kick right now.  Maybe its the crazy warm weather down here or maybe its just that smoothies are so freakin tasty. Not to mention that if I start my day with a healthy smoothie I don't feel nearly as bad about the cookies or inevitable fro-yo run later in my day :)

Here is my go-to recipe! Feel free to swap out different fresh/frozen fruits to your liking.

1 small handfull frozen rasberries
1 small handfull frozen mango
half of a banana
1 small handfull fresh or frozen blueberries
1 scoop of any type of Pro/Power Greens powder
1/4 cup coconut water
1/4 cup almond milk

Blend to your desired thickness.

Happy Smoothie-ing!