Day 247: Crumble Ice Cream Topper

Yield: 1 bowl
Time (Start to Finish): 15 min

Ingredients:
1 bowl of ice cream, favorite flavor!
¼ cup graham cracker crumbs
2 Tbsp butter
¼ cup coconut, shredded and toasted
¼ cup toasted walnuts
¼ tsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp sugar
chocolate chips (optional)

Directions:
1. Melt the butter
2. Add the cracker crumbs and let it soak
3. Add the coconut, walnuts, cinnamon, sugar and chocolate chips and stir until combined. You can add more butter if you want it to be a little more gooey
4. Sprinkle the mixture over ice cream and dig in

Rating: 3.5 strawberries
Notes: I made this after a long drive from LA back to San Francisco, in the pouring rain. Welcome home! It is easter Sunday, most stores are closed, so this was a pantry treat. I had some left over caramel ice cream, and this was a killer touch to make it all the sweeter. I didn’t have chocolate chips, but I know they would fit right in here. A bowl of this, a few Lost episodes and I was out like a light. I hope you like this simple fast treat.

Day 246: Farmers Market Fizz

Yield: 1 drink
Time (Start to Finish): 10 min

Ingredients:
5 fresh strawberries
½ cup fresh blueberries
fresh orange juice
ice to taste
½ 7 up or Sprite drink

Directions:
1. In a blender, blend the strawberries, blueberries, orange juice and ice until it is smooth and creamy
2. Pour into a glass but leave room in the top, about 1 cup of room
3. Pour in the soda, it will foam a lot, until it reaches the top of the glass, and drink

Rating: 4 strawberries
Notes: It may not be the most exciting of drinks, but we walked to the farmers market in the morning, grabbed the freshest of ingredients, and I made this! I know, 7up isn’t fresh, but we had just bought it at the store! It’s a nice drink, great for a hangover, and I know I have been making a few beverages lately, but when the weather is good all is want is nice drinks! You can add any fruit you want. Peach would be wonderful, as would raspberries, oranges, plums. Try it out, the sparkling soda is a great touch.

Day 245: Beer-Mosa From Baxter

Yield: 1 drink
Time (Start to Finish): 5 min

Ingredients:
1 light beer, corona
orange juice
hot sauce
squeeze lime

Directions:
1. Pour the beer into a glass, make sure there is room
2. Add orange juice to taste, about ½ a cup, maybe more
3. Add hot sauce to taste. Even just a little will add a ton of flavor so don’t be afraid
4. Add the lime to brighten it up, and enjoy!

Rating: 4 strawberries
Notes: Ok, so it is like a mimosa, but without champagne, with beer! I added the lime to go with the corona, and the hot sauce to spike the senses. I made this with my brother, his wife, and their dog Baxter! He loved it the most! (just kidding, he just posed with it. He likes watching me drink it) it’s a nice night cap or to start off a Sunday, and takes just a few minutes to make. Test it, and thanks Baxter!

Month 8

Annie’s Current Weight: 127
Pleasures:
I actually did a lot of cool things this month! I had a lot of group meals, I went to Austin and was supported by a huge group of friends, I created a lot of great things! I made some great friend contacts, and now think that since I am 8 months in, I can start to make some calls about maybe getting into some news. That is exciting. I didn’t gain any weight, which is good, and had a lot of great people eat and judge my food. This was one of the best months of my cooking project yet. It really felt worth it this month.
Pains: How do I top that month! There were some close calls, as always, for not doing recipes. I feel like the more I have going on, the better I am at planning. A lot of this month I had just working, so its harder to get something made, when I go to work, go out to dinner, I just seem to run out of time. I always did it, though, thank god. I don’t know what I would do if I missed a day. I have come so far. I also feel like I need to get more creative, and I mean that in the sense that a lot of my recipes are close to each other. I also didn’t blog as much as I should and I fell behind, and I regret that. I need to be more on top of that.
Promises: I promise to shock and amaze you all with new things. With my new contacts, I have a lot more support for creative ideas and bouncing things off of people. I also promise to blog more. I know I have been slacking on that…so I hope this month I get to do that more. I am sorry. I also promise to lose another pound! Wouldn’t that be awesome! This month has a lot of trips, lots going on, and the sun is out. Summer is here! So fruits, ice creams, lots of things will begin to surface. I promise to keep it interesting and fun
Ponders: you know, I think about what I will do after this project is over, and it is almost scary. Taking on big projects and actually following through with them only inspires me to try something even bigger. I don’t know what will happen and I cant wait for it. I also look at other food blogs, and I think to myself, do I want to become that? I don’t know if blogging is my thing…I am not a journalism major, I have terrible grammar and spelling, and life always takes precedence to me wanting to blog. I also get scared of what I should say and who will read it. I have tried to keep this blog about the food and less about my personal life, and sometimes I think, should that be? So much of what I am cooking and why I cook it relates to where I am and who I am with. I don’t know, but what I do know is I am thinking of the future, and I am really now seeing the finish line to my project. I see who I was a year ago, just leaving New York, I see who I am now, working, in a food project, dating someone, and I wonder, where will I be next year? All I know is, life is fun, and I currently have something brewing, so id better go get to it…

Day 244: Candied Peanuts

Yield: 1 cup
Time (Start to Finish): 20 min

Ingredients:
1 cup peanuts
¼ cup brown sugar
4 Tbsp honey
sprinkle cinnamon
1 Tbsp butter
squeeze lemon juice
salt

powdered sugar

Directions:
1. Take nuts and put in a sauce pan with the butter, honey, sugar, cinnamon and salt.
2. Stir until butter melts, the sugar melts and coats the nuts, and all come together. The nuts will start to smell like toasted nuts, and that is when you want to turn the heat off
3. Squeeze the lemon juice, and stir to make sure the nuts aren’t sticking together. Let them cool a little
4. Dust with powdered sugar, even a little cinnamon if you like

Rating: 4 strawberries
Notes: Yummy! I have made a number if candied nuts, but these are with honey and lemon. They are tasty, but most importantly, they are quick. I am feeling a little under the weather today, and I am about to get on a flight to LA to be with my brother, so it is nice to have something quick. This is another nice thing to serve at a party, but I made a bag of them to take while I waited in the security line. I hope you try them out!

Day 243: Beef Stroganoff…Kind of

Yield: 2 people
Time (Start to Finish): 40 min

Ingredients:
1 flank steak
1 cup mushrooms, brown
1 cup chopped chard
1 cup white rice
3 cups beef stock
½ cup white wine
salt and pepper
1 shallot, small
1 garlic clove
olive oil
2-4 Tbsp flour

Directions:
1. I used left over steak, but you can brown the steak in chunks in a pan, cooked to med rare, salt and pepper
2. In a pot, cook the shallot and garlic in a little olive oil until soft
3. Add the rice and cook for 30 sec
4. Add the beef stock and cook until the rice is cooked through. There should be left over stock
5. Add the white wine and taste. Add salt and pepper to taste
6. Add the mushrooms, chopped in slices
7. Add the flour, which will thicken the sauce. You want it to be creamy
8. Add the steak and stir until the it is still liquidly, but thick also
9. Add the chard at the end, stir and serve

Rating: 4 strawberries
Notes: Left over steak from the sandwiches last night, and a fridge full of veggies my roommate left when she went out of town, and I though, what can I make?? Stroganoff is usually on noodles, so this is a little twist on that. It is also a good way to clean out the fridge and use up some veggies. You can always throw veggies in a pot, add some stock and rice, and turn out a healthy meal. I shared this with the roomie, and some jeopardy. I hope you like it!

Day 242: Steak Sammy with Au Jus

Yield: 2-3 people
Time (Start to Finish): 1 hour

Ingredients:
2 big flat rolls

pesto
mayonnaise

2 flank steaks
olive oil
salt and pepper
3 cups beef stock
1 lemon
½ cup white wine


Directions:
1. In a skillet or pan, cook the steaks to your liking. I like mine medium rare. Also, lightly oil, salt and pepper them. You can marinate them if you like. Make sure to not fully grease the pan, you want to have some drippings and sticking so you can make a nice sauce.
2. Remove the steaks and let rest
3. Pour the beef stock into the pan and scrape the bottom to get the pieces off. Salt and pepper to taste
4. Add the wine, and bring almost to a boil. Add a little squeeze of the lemon juice
5. Put the sauce in a bowl and serve with the sammys for dipping
6. Make a pesto mayo by combining the two, salt and pepper and a squeeze of the lemon.
7. Toast the buns. The toastier they are, the more au jus they will soak up
8. Spread the pesto mayo on both sides
9. Cut the steak against the grain, and make them thin slices
10. Serve with the au jus to dip, and some greens and a mashed potato if you like!

Rating: 4.5 strawberries
Notes: Wow, there is only one word for there…TOUCHDOWN. They are epic!!!!! Mac and I made these, he cooked the steak (I am the WORST at cooking steak) and I made the rest. Do not forget the lemon, it really cleans up the whole meal, ties it together, and sparks it up. The sauce is great, and you can add garlic, or a cooked onion to it if you like some more flavor. The bread is key, I toasted it with just a little olive oil, and it crisps right up. You can use any steak, just be sure to slice it thin so you can bite it. You have to try this. I realized it is a great meal to make with someone else! You can even have a third person making the potatoes, and a 4th making the salad. A well rounded manly meal. Be warned. It is messy. You both wont look so pretty after this, so just laugh and let it be messy!

Day 241: Easy Chocolate Mousse

Yield: 4 servings
Time (Start to Finish): 20 min

Ingredients:
7 oz dark chocolate (guittard)
¼ cup boiling water
1 tsp sugar
½ cup heavy cream
vanilla
½ tsp cayenne pepper
1 egg

Directions:
1. Melt the chocolate
2. Heat the water with the sugar until boiling
3. In a blender, add the chocolate, and the water and blend
4. When it is cool, add the cream, vanilla, cayenne and blend until smooth
5. Keep scraping the bowl or there may be chunks
6. Pour mixture into bowls of your choosing, I like ramekins, and chill

Rating: 4 strawberries
Notes: This recipe is fast. There are more complicated chocolate mousses, but I was in a rush to the airport to pick someone up, MAC!! I wanted to make a little snack pack (I am always hungry after a flight) and I thought chocolate mousse would be just the thing. It was! It is fluffy, and yummy. Make sure the chocolate is melted and blended or you will get chunks, which doesn’t taste good. Try it out, make it while cooking dinner and serve it to surprise your kids, or someone you love! It’s a good dinner party dessert too.

Day 240: Super Salad

Yield: 1 salad
Time (Start to Finish): 45 min

Ingredients:
2 cups mixed greens
goat cheese crumbled

1 tsp vinegar
olive oil (about 4-5 Tbsp)
fresh thyme, chopped
squeeze lemon juice

¼ cup walnuts
2 tsp brown sugar
sprinkle cayenne
salt and pepper
1 Tbsp butter

½ apple, chopped
4 strawberries, chopped

Directions:
1. In a saucepan on med high heat, combine the walnuts, butter, sugar, cayenne, salt and pepper and mix until the nuts begin to smell like toast, and the sugar and butter are melted onto them. Set aside
2. Whisk together the vinegar, olive oil, lemon, salt pepper and thyme for the dressing
3. In a bowl, combine all ingredients and toss for a wonderful salad!

Rating: 4.5 strawberries
Notes: I love fresh herds mixed with fruit on a salad. This is a very simple summery dish. I made it early in the morning, which is weird for breakfast to have salad, but it was awesome nonetheless. It travels well, just keep the dressing separate until you get to your destination, or its lunchtime. This is also an easy salad to make more of in case you are having a dinner party. You can use pecans, or pine nuts, or other fruits! Try it out. Oh, a nice basic ratio for dressing is 4 parts oil, 1 part vinegar, so play around with different flavor combos.

Day 239: Chocolate Decadence

Yield: 2 8inch cakes
Time (Start to Finish): 2 hours

Ingredients:
12 oz semisweet chocolate chips (guittard)
4 oz unsweetened chocolate
1 tsp vanilla (optional)
1 ¾ cup sugar
1 ½ cup melted butter
½ cup water
7 eggs
2-3 tsp cinnamon

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease 2 pans, and put them on a cookie sheet that has sides. You will be filling the sheet pan with hot water so they are baking in a water bath
2. Chop up all the chocolate and make sure it is in equal sized pieces.
3. Melt the butter, and pour it over the chocolate. Stir to melt the chocolate
4. In a saucepan, heat up the water and 1 ½ cups of the sugar until it just begins to boil. Pour it over the chocolate and stir. This will finish melting the chocolate
5. In another bowl, whisk the eggs and the ¼ cup of sugar until it begins to get pale in color. Gently fold it into the chocolate mixture until it is combined
6. Pour the batter through a strainer into each of the 8 inch pans, making sure to be even. The strainer will take out any cooked egg or unmelted chocolate.
7. Bake in a water bath for about 45 min until it is stiff in the center, and wiggles like jello.
8. Take out CAREFULLY (there is hot water involved) and it will fall a little bit
9. Place in the fridge and serve cold!

Rating: 5 strawberries
Notes: This gluten free chocolate cake (without the vanilla) is out of this world. I made if for my neighbors, scott and alan who were moving out next door, so sad! Scott cant have wheat, so this was a treat to say I will miss them. I brought some to work, and lets just say I have never seen cake go do fast. It is really morel like chocolate fudge. It is thick and dense, so only eat it in small slices. Whipped cream goes best, it cuts the intensity, or you can just eat a few bites every hour, that’s what I would do. This is really a great treat. It is a commitment, but once you make it once, you will see how easy it is. It is very impressive, and something I am already getting requests for again! I will miss you guys next door!!

Day 238: Bourbon Milkshakes

Yield: 2-3 servings
Time (Start to Finish): 25 min

Ingredients:
2-4 shots good bourbon
1-2 shots espresso
1 pint dulche de leche ice cream
ice to taste
splash milk
dash cinnamon

whipped cream (optional)

Directions:
1. In a blender, combine all ingredients and blend until smooth. You want it to be thick and not runny.
2. You can serve with whipped cream if you would like an added touch

Rating: 4.5 strawberries
Notes: One of the reasons why this is so good is the memories. The idea came from being in the Roxy in Austin and drinking a similar drink. What a great day! I had to recreate it at home, and who better to share it with than my roomie alley and her friend sam. It’s a great ice breaker and something to have when just hanging out. It tastes like nothing ive had before. You simply have to give this a go. Its filling, so just one will do. Try having it on a warm day, I have only had them on cold rainy ones. I know this can only get better.

Day 237: Sriracha Limeade

Yield: 1 glass
Time (Start to Finish): 20 min

Ingredients:
2 limes
¼ cup sugar
water
siraracha
(vodka optional)

Directions:
1. Squeeze the limes into a glass
2. Add the sugar. You can add less if it is too sweet, but this is the most you would need
3. Fill the rest of the glass with water, and then squeeze siraracha in to taste
4. If you want to add liquor, now is the time.
5. Enjoy over ice

Rating: 4 strawberries
Notes: I don’t know how I thought of this, but this is a pretty tasty beverage! The sriracha is a nice touch. You can really do any sauce you like, but I like this with the lime juice. It doesn’t work so well with lemon juice. This is also something that works best on a hot day, and maybe while you are serving tacos or some type of Mexican food. You have to try it. The flavors work great together, you can control the spice, and it is also refreshing. You can also salt the rim for an added touch. Cool!

Day 236: Annie Cristo

Yield: 1 sammy
Time (Start to Finish): 25 min

Ingredients:
2 slices sourdough bread
2 slices turkey
2 slices cheddar cheese
1 egg
1/8 cup milk
salt and pepper
½ tsp dried basil
1 Tbsp butter

Directions:
1. Take the bread and fill with cheese, turkey, and a little salt and pepper
2. In a bowl, mix the egg, milk, and basil. A little salt and pepper to taste
3. Heat up a skillet on med and add the butter to grease it
4. Dip the sammy in the egg coating each side and place in the center of the skillet
5. Cook until it browns and then flip and cook. Make sure the cheese melts and the outside it crispy
6. Serve with chip and cut at an angle

Rating: 4 strawberries
Notes: Who likes French toast? Who likes turkey and cheese sammies? Who likes them combined?! If you have ever had a monte cristo, this is a take on that. I love this sandwich. Mine was a little soggy, but you can crisp it up more if you need to. You can add ham, or bacon, or anything you like as long as there is cheese to melt. You can even just have it be a grilled cheese. They are quick, and a good lunch or snack!

Day 235: Red Wine Reduction Dressing

Yield: 1 cup dressing
Time (Start to Finish): 1 hour

Ingredients:
2 cups red wine
1 shallot
salt and pepper
olive oil

Directions:
1. In a sauce pan, place the wine and cook on med heat until it reduces by half
2. In skillet, take the shallot and chop fine. Cook it in the pan on med with salt and pepper and a little olive oil until it is either caramelized or translucent.
3. Add the shallot to the wine reduction and take of the heat and let cool
4. When making dressing, use however much wine you want, but it will be a 2-1 ratio, olive oil to wine. So, add 2 Tbsp of wine, and 4 Tbsp olive oil. You can add more if you like, and whisk while you combine them
5. Pour over greens or salad and enjoy!

Rating: 4 strawberries
Notes: I love wine reductions, and this one with the shallot is awesome. I always love caramelized onions and shallots. I just put it over mixed greens, nothing else, but you can put it on any salad you like. It was a tiring day, but this is pretty low maintenance. You just set it on the stove and let it reduce. Use a wine you would drink. I used 8 zinfandel. So so good! I hope you like it.