Blog Archives
Internet Cheese: The California Story
This post is brought to you by Bonnie from PaperKeeper and Becc from TrueBlog! All things Woolmerhof and Life in Louisiana.
________________________________________________________________________________
Warning: this blog post may cause hunger and may interrupt your otherwise planned out busy day with a sudden and impulsive trip to the supermarket. We accept no responsibility for any disruption in your life. To get the whole story, you will have to do some virtual travel. This is the internet, so the commute shouldn’t be too difficult, and we will be your guides to help you find your way. But, it may work up an appetite, which brings us back to our initial warning.
_________________________________________________________________________________
It is said that you can find anything on the internet, and I completely agree! But even I was surprised by the Internet cheese.
I assume you are curious what this internet cheese is all about? I would be too.
Let me explain. It’s not cheese I found on a recipe site, I didn’t find it pinned on Pinterest {though it deserves to be!} and I didn’t find it on Facebook. I found internet cheese in a tweet. Sitting there so unassuming, and so quietly, in a tweet. Not asking for any attention or special mention. Maybe I should call it ‘tweet cheese’, but stick with me; here is why we call it Internet Cheese.
My blogger friend Becc, who is an Aussie living in Louisiana, sent me a sweet little tweet one day and said she was excited because she was going to have haloumi for lunch. This girl often shares some great recipes from down under, from home, on her blog. So, knowing that she’s far from home, and missing some of her favorite eats and treats, I figured this had to be good, and something unique to Australia, and I wanted to know. See, Becc is my personal guide to all things Aussie; I even get some special tutoring in Aussie lingo, so in my mind, this was key information I needed to know, part of my ‘education’.
Since we live in social insta-world, I got right to heart of the matter…
It turns out it’s cheese that you grill. Yes, I know. Cheese. Warm. Grilled. Tell me more, please.
I had never heard of this cheese, how could this be? Cheese, that is grilled? Are you serious? My next question is obvious, I am sure – where do you get such fanciness?
It was easier than I thought, Becc said I should be able to find it at my local Whole Foods.
So, now that I knew where to find this salty, melty goodness {seriously, cheese that you grill? I really can’t quite get over this!} I planned a trip to Whole Foods but it never happened {it’s a bit of a hike from where I live, local, but not in my neighborhood}. In the meantime, I was in my regular supermarket, picking up some fresh parm and found myself just loitering around the cheese case. Just in case, you know.
I had haloumi on.the.brain.
Oh happy day, there it was, sitting right there; right there for the taking. I had no idea, and still I wonder, how have I missed this haloumi all this time? I snapped and tweeted…
This caused both happiness and dismay in my friend. She wasn’t too happy about the apparent ease with which I could find fancy foods. Living a couple of hours from the nearest major city, she’s got to rely on online ordering, shipping, and the waiting, oh the waiting. Who wants to wait for grilled cheese. Once you’ve had it, you. kinda. just. want. it. now.
Once I had that haloumi safely strapped into my shopping cart, I realized I had no idea what to do with it…
You will have to hop on over to Becc’s to get the scoop…
{ click on the cheese button and find the matching button #1 on her blog for the answer! }
Could it be that simple? Yes, it was that simple. Really.
I had just one {important} question left for Becc after our indepth tweet conversation, which went on for days: What do you normally eat with haloumi? Not to imply that there would be anything wrong with eating it just by itself, in case you were wondering. And I thought it was great all by itself, but Becc’s got some great ideas for what to pair it with…
So, after all this, why is it internet cheese when it’s really called haloumi? Because this CA girl over here noticed the mention of it in a tweet on her smart phone, tweeted her Aussie friend living in Louisiana to find out and discovered that it’s cheese, and not just cheese, but grilling cheese, that hails all the way from Cypress.
And don’t ask us who moved your cheese. Just accept the change, go with the new cheese and you can thank us later. Or now works too.
Only on the internet. Oh, and @twitter, couldn’t have done this without you! #thanks #delicious #easy
and Becc!
The crazy mixed up lemonade that almost wasn’t…
My husband walked in the door last week with a recipe. He and some colleagues had been at a dinner function a few weeks prior where the meal had been carefully prepared by a chef, and apparently they had some kind of magical spiced lemonade. So, when the recipe was finally passed on to a few members of the dinner party; it was almost like when the Mrs. Field’s cookie recipe became known.
Since he was raving about it, I changed my plan to make this for our 4th of July BBQ with friends {sorry Gwen – I am still totally gonna make it!} and try the lemonade instead. As I checked out the recipe to see what ingredients it called for, I was was fine with the 2-3 cans of lemonade concentrate, the fruit of choice and the option to garnish with fresh basil or mint. I figured I would need to double the recipe to make enough for the bbq, so I mentally calculated the doubled amounts and stopped in my tracks when I saw that the recipe called for 1/4 cup each of 4 spices. Doubling that would call for 1/2 CUP? What??
I don’t use anywhere near 1/4 cup of any spice in my holiday gingerbread cookie recipe that makes an enormous amount of dough.
Stumped, I consulted with another person who had been at the dinner function and someone who’s had many more years of cooking than I. She was equally shocked and suggested doubling the lemonade but not the spices. Ok, sounds reasonable. Then, I figured, I would just start out by trying the actual recipe.
So, I got the lemonade going and all you do is make it as if you are just making regular ol’ lemonade, but make it in a pan on the stove. I know, it seems counter-intuitive to make lemonade hot. But stick with me…
Then, the really confusing part, I added the 1/4 CUP of each: ground cinnamon, nutmeg, coriander and pickling spices.
I did it, but it seemed so weird wrong!
I boiled the lemonade and all the spices, let it steep for 10 minutes, as instructed, and then strained it and set it in the fridge to chill. As I made it, it sure smelled good, even if a bit like autumn and it looked like I was making spiced apple cider instead of lemonade. Crazy. Mixed up.
When it was chilled, I got a glass with ice and poured some and took a sip. EWWW. YUCK. NO! I didn’t give away my reaction and called my husband in to taste it. I handed him the glass with as straight a face as I could muster and just asked him, “is THIS what it tasted like that night?”
No. Head shaking, no.
No.
Hmmm.
So, I made more regular lemonade and mixed it in.
Still No.
Horrid, actually. The spices actually kind of burned as it went down…
I tossed it all, down the drain it went. Seemed like a waste but there was no other option.
I am not one to give up though and I called my “consultant again”; I wanted to head her off at the pass and spare her the same misadventures and I needed her advice. We decided together that it had to be 1/4 tsp of spices…there is no other standard measurement in the 1/4 range…there is no 1/4 TBSP and so it had to be 1/4 teaspoon. Teaspoon vs. cup…yeah, I mix those two up ALL the time. Hmph!
I started over and made the lemonade and this time added just 1/4 TSP of each of the four spices.
Much better. It didn’t smell like October and it didn’t look like apple cider.
After straining it [much easier the second time around, with LOTS less to be straied, duh!] and chilling it, I tried round two.
Mmmm. Yummm. Yes.
I called in my husband, and with an equally straight face, I offered him another glass and the same question, “is THIS what it tasted like that night?”
Yes. Head nodding, yes.
Yes.
Success!
So, I got busy and made my second batch so I’d have enough for the BBQ on the 4th. Instead of the basil or mint and fruit garnish {I forgot to get it and frankly, was a bit worn out over this} I decided to add some spike to the spice. I froze some strawberry daquiri drinks in star shaped ice cube trays.
So that I would have something that looks like this
It was a hit and we are still enjoying it…I made more than enough, which is a great payoff for all the crazy confusion!
So, here’s the real deal:
- Use 3 cans of lemonade concentrate and the right amount of water as if you were making it just to drink
- Prepare the lemonade in a pan on the stovetop
- Add in 1/4 TSP of ground nutmeg, cinnamon, coriander and pickling spices
- Bring to a boil and then turn off but let the mixture steep for 10 minutes.
- Immediately strain the spices out and then chill.
- When chilled, serve over ice and garnish as you wish. The recipe called for basil or mint and some fresh fruit of choice. I needed a drink by that point so I added rum laced star shaped ice cubes. Don’t judge.
It really is magical, the spices do really add something special and unique … once I tasted it, it was totally all worth the crazy experimentation. And that’s the story of the crazy mixed up lemonade that almost wasn’t. But I am glad it was. In fact, I am drinking it as I write this post.
Cheers!
Oh, Rickey, you’re so fine…
It’s hot. It’s summertime. So, let’s toast the official kick off to summer, and have a cool drink, shall we?
Drinks are on the house and today I’m serving up…
Have you ever had a Lime Rickey? Yes? Great…then ya know what I am talking about.
No? How can that be? You are in for some tangy, zesty, refreshing goodness. Trust me on this.
You will need:
Fresh Limes (approx 12) for 3/4 cup fresh lime juice
:: 1/2 cup sugar :: 1/2 cup water :: 1 + 1/2 quart soda water :: ice ::
Here’s how you put it all together
- Use a 1 quart pan and mix the sugar with the 1/2 cup of water and stir over low heat until sugar is dissolved, about 5 min
- Pour into a glass/heat proof container and chill in fridge or freezer { I suggest making this ahead of time, so it’s chillin and ready when you are }
- In a container, combine the lime juice + the cooled syrup. Cover and refrigerate/freeze till ready to use
- To serve, pour the lime juice and simple syrup into a pitcher + add the soda water.
- Cut the extra limes into slices for garnish in the pitcher + the glasses.
- Pour into ice-filled glases and garnish with lime
Such a signature summer drink! Hosting a party and need some tang + zing? Just add the juice of approximately 6 more limes and add 1 1/2 cups of gin to give it an extra sparkle!
As I was making this, I thought of a few things I will do differently next time…
– make the simple syrup ahead of time so you can have it chilled, I had to wait { impatiently, I might add!} for the syrup to chill. Who wants warm Lime Rickey?
– double the recipe, but prepare in two batches, and freeze one batch of the lime juice and syrup
– just think, a pitcher of ice cold zesty fizzy Lime Rickey will be ready to serve at a moment’s notice, just add the ice, soda water; and of course, the gin if it’s a big girl party!
Oh, and I’ll be adding these next time too…
via PaperStrawsParty (Etsy)
And, now because you have the tune in the back of your mind…I know you do…and it’s ok if you change the words to Rickey instead of Mickey, because a Lime Rickey is in fact so fine and just might blow your mind… C’mon, sing along! 
Cheers to you, go have a drink!
Girl on the go…and food to go with her
I have to thank my friend T for this amazing recipe: grain-free granola bars. I am a girl on the go; and always want a bar to stash in my purse/bag to tide me over in between meals.
T and I were discussing foods that fall into the gluten-free category the other day, and she mentioned this recipe. Naturally, it’s pinned on her ‘gluten free foodie board’ so I grabbed it and and went on a quest to find all the ingredients. My regular grocery store did not have the pumpkin seeds or almond flour.
The jury is still way out on whether I need to omit or simply decrease this ingredient from my life, if at all, so I am in the process of experimenting to see where I fall along that continuum by taking it out altogether. If this recipe is any indicator of GF foods, I’m in on taking it out!
Enjoy the recipe and if you wish to try, a printable version is included, along with a link to the book where other recipes by the same person can be found.
If you do not need to worry about gluten/wheat, just use a 1/2 cup of regular all purpose flour
The chocolate was my idea [briliant, yes?] it’s not in the actual recipe.
Assemble the following in your food processor
per serving: Calories: 139 | carbohydrates: 13g | protein: 4g | fat: 11g
Print the recipe: Grain free protein balls
Recipe is orginally from Hallie Klecker’s book, The Pure Kitchen:
Clear the Clutter from Your Cooking with 100 Glute-Free, Dairy-Free Recipes
Enjoy!
Oh Lighten Up, part 2
A few weeks ago, I talked about my quest to lighten up and shared an awesome savory french toast breakfast sandwich recipe { p.s. update on that recipe below }. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had that between now and then. Is a light food still light when you eat it all the time? Hmmmm. I guess that’s better than eating Cheez-Its all the time, which by the way, since we are talking about Cheez-Its, it’s been 24 days. Ha! 24 days! I beat the 21 day rule. And you want to know what I say now about the { bleep } Cheez-Its? WHAT Cheez-Its? They have lost their power on me! YEAH!! I suppose those human behavior experts might have something after all.
So, my quest to lighten up continues; last time it was breakfast, today, we are moving on to part 2 – my new favorite snack. Should we do lunch next? It’s easy, it’s quick, it feels like dessert and it’s packed with healthy goodness.
Let me introduce you to Apple Cinnamon Yogurt.
4 simple ingredients: Nonfat vanilla greek yogurt; an apple, cinnamon and ground flax seed.
Start with 1 cup of non-fat vanilla Greek yogurt. Any kind will do; I usually use Chobani, but I was “sickity sick” this week { thanks Gwen, over at The Bold Abode, I cannot get that out of my head! } and Trader Joes is across the street from where I pick up my drugs, uh I mean, my miracle medicine. Thank goodness for antibiotics. I mean really.
Add in 1 small apple. I like the Pink Lady apples, but you can use a gala, fuji or any kind you choose! Sweet and crisp is key.
Dice up that apple into small bits. This is the hardest part of this recipe, but if you have one of these slicers — the best thing since sliced bread { ha, like that? } – it cuts the job in half. And, I’ll be honest, it’s just plain fun to use.
How do you like them apples? Pour the yogurt into one of your favorite bowls. Then place the diced apples on top of the yogurt.
Sprinkle 1/2 to 1 teaspoon { depending on how much you like } of ground flax seed over the top of the yogurt and apple mixture. And just read how healthy this stuff is…I feel stronger, faster, better, lighter, already!
Finish it off with a 1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon. Add a little extra if you really love cinnamon…it’s got just about 0 calories, and did you know how good cinnamon is for you? This tasty spice is very low in Cholesterol and Sodium. It is also a good source of Vitamin K and Iron, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Calcium and Manganese. In fact, studies have shown that just 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon per day can lower LDL cholesterol. One study even found that smelling cinnamon boosts cognitive function and memory. { Would it be wrong to carry around a little pouch of cinnamon…? } And it’s already yummy; it’s not like trying to convince yourself to eat brussell sprouts, or for me, egg plant.
{ Stir it up…grab a book, a blog or just relax…. and enjoy! }
And, for the number savvy among us…this all adds up to about 240 calories. That’s it!
{ 22g protein, 38g carb; 4g fiber, 0g cholesterol, 1g fat/0g sat. fat }
Update on the french toast recipe…Becc over at TrueBlog! had a great idea if you don’t like jam/preserves – use honey instead! Brilliant.
Oh, Lighten up
It’s a constant effort – the whole balance between what I want to eat and what I should eat to keep things in check. It’s even gotten to the point of a self-imposed 21-day moratorium on Cheez-its. Frankly, all of cracker-kind are subject to this new rule. As we know, experts in human behavior say that new habits form after 21 days of doing the same thing; so I figure 21 days with no Cheez-its and they will fall off my radar. Right? Right! Hm-mmm. That’s worked so well, I’ve restarted twice. I know, sad. What is it with those {bleep} Cheez-its? I’m quite convinced they contain something illegal…
So, I don’t know about you, but I never feel like this when I get on a scale
and I try to do a lot of this
so that this stays in control.
I don’t play golf, but I totally get how you win with a lower number. But, it remains a constant effort. Sigh. This isn’t about the summer bikini. Wait, a what? That word is not in my vocab! It’s just a matter of keeping things in check and with the hibernation season officially coming to a close – at least according to the calendar if not for the weather forecast – it’s time to get serious. To tell those Cheez-its where they can go. So, I’ve been scouting for a few new recipes to help me get back on track and shall we say, oh, lighten up a bit? Breakfast is one of mychallenges; I’d skip it if it were up to me, but apparently it’s the most important meal of the day. Figures! So, I found this recipe for a super easy yummo Savory French Toast. Of all b-fast foods…that would be my favorite, but before you get too excited, no butter, powdered sugar or syrup found here. We will just have to get over that together.
So, here we go. Here is what you will need
1/8 tsp Herbs de Provence | 2 tsp apricot jam/preserves | 2 slices light whole wheat bread | 1 TBS goat cheese | 1/4 cup liquid egg substitute | 1 TBSP snipped fresh chives | 1/2 tsp unsalted butter | 1/2 cup grape tomatoes | 1/8 tsp salt*
First step, spread the goat cheese and apricot jam on the bread. Easy.
Then, put the two pieces together; like a sandwich. Resist temptation to eat this now. Trust me on this. Just set it aside, and walk away. Not easy.
Then, get the egg mixture ready. You could use a whole egg, but this recipe called for egg whites. Pour the 1/4 cup of egg whites in a bowl, with the snipped up chives.
Then take that ‘sandwich’ for a quick dip in the pool
And then over to the hot tub. Uh, frying pan. I swear, this is not about bathing suits.
It’s a quick few minutes on each side, just to give it that crispy outer crunch. And to get the goat cheese and apricot jam all warm and melty.
See, I told you to trust me and wait. Now, put the french toast ‘sandwich’ off to the side. Yes, I am asking you to wait. Again. Don’t hate me.
Now you will need to get your tomatoes ready. Cut in half, lenghth wise, a 1/2 cup of cherry or grape tomatoes.
You will need a dash of salt, and the kind I used deserves a special mention. I received this as part of set from my friend BCW as a kitchen warming gift when ours got a much needed and long overdue face lift. It’s counterparts are equally cool; one is black salt and the other is a red salt and come with a salt dish with three small sections and three itty bitty little salt spoons. Coolest ever and you can find them at artisansalt.com
The tomatoes go in the pan with the tiniest bit of olive oil, the salt and the Herbs de Provence - and they are in the pan for a quick minute
And, there you have breakfast. An easy, quick, healthy and delicious way to start the day.
After eating this, I didn’t even think of Cheez-its. And, I am on round 2, day 9, in case you are wondering. I got to day 11 on round 1. Go ahead, place your bets. Leave me a comment with your favorite bad-habit food/snack.
If you are a label checker -here are the stats:
230 cal | 14g protein | 30g carb | 8g total fat 5g sat fat | 8g fiber
{ go find something yummy. It just better not be Cheez-its. }
Treasury Thursday :: light & lovely lemongrass
For this week’s Treasury Thursday, I posted a little challenge on my Facebook wall. I asked for a word, phrase, color, concept, and I would choose one idea to create a Treasury, include an item from that person’s shop and give them a shout out here. LuxeyLegCandy {Lacey Leg Warmers For The Fashion-Forward Lady} suggested ‘lemongrass’ – it made her think of spring! Be sure to check out her shop on Etsy for some very unique and creative leg warmers. She runs a great shop while managing being a mom to three kiddos! Stop by her Facebook page and say hi!
Lemongrass has a heavenly lemon-esque aroma that includes a whiff of ginger and the heady scent of tropical flowers. While it can be delicious with most anything, lemongrass is particularly delicious with chicken and seafood. Think of it as perfume for your food.
The flavorful part of lemongrass is the lower stalks. It is usually sold with the leaves and upper stalks removed. Look for lemongrass that is firm and pale yellow-green and a bit of a bulb at the end. The top stalk should look relatively fresh – they tend to dry out quickly but they shouldn’t be yellowed or sad looking.
Here is a Recipe for grilled lemongrass chicken if you think you might want to try cooking with it; if it’s new to you.
Enjoy the treasury and hopefully spring comes early to wherever you call home!
Think you want to play too? Leave me a challenge in a comment!
 Meadow and lemongrass green … $120.00
|
 Melee Perfume coconut, lemon… $25.00
|
 Spring Grass under Tree bran… $49.00
|
 LEMONGRASS Whipped Sugar Scr… $8.50
|
 Lemongrass Grass Citron Butt… $16.00
|
 The Grass Is Greener Where Y… $16.00
|
 lemongrass. earrings. (soft … $35.00
|
 Messenger Sling Bag – Lemong… $97.00
|
 Lace and Button Leg Warmers … $25.00
|
 Thirty One skirt purse cover… $12.00
|
 Nikon Camera Strap Cover dSL… $20.00
|
 Business card holder – desk … $21.90
|
 Grapefruit lemongrass orange… $1.89
|
 Organic Cotton Cocktail or L… $45.00
|
 Lemongrass Pure Wool Infinit… $38.00
|
{ happy spring! }
Winter Sunshine in a Jar
I have a confession. It seems I have a mini obsession with tangerines these days. I would like to say that it’s just because they are the fruit that is trending at the moment, or because they are good for you { lots of Vitamin C! }, but honestly it’s the color. I can’t help it, that color just gets me every time. But I am happy to say I am in good company…when I typed in ‘tangerine’ into the Etsy treasury search, over 4,000 results came back with the word tangerine in the tittle, tag or description.
Last week my Treasury Thursday was all about the tangerine and I shared a recipe for “Honey Tangerine Marmalade“. Since then, I haven’t been able to get it out of my mind, so I tried the recipe on my day off a few days ago. It was surprisingly easy and exceedingly good. And so, I wanted to share it with you…
The ingredients are simple, few and inexpensive:
- 5 honey tangerines [or any tangerine will work]
- 1 1/2 cups of orange juice
- 1/2 vanilla bean, split and pulped {instructions below if this is new to you}
- 3/4 cup of granulated sugar
- Juice of two lemons
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
The first step is to zest the the tangerines, and set the zest aside for now.
Then, cut the tangerines into segments, removing the skin and membrane and any seeds.
The recipe didn’t call for it, but I decided to add in even more orange, and included the fruit of a blood orange. The color is just amazing!
Next, take two regular lemons and press the juice into a dish, and also set aside.
This is one of those recipes where you have to get everything ready ahead of time and have it set up to go into the cooking pot all at once.
Take your time and enjoy the process, and remember to clean as you go!
The last step of preparation is to split and pulp the vanilla bean pod. Using a sharp paring knife, slice the pod down one side, open it up with the knife and scrape the seeds and pulp off the inside of the pod; that’s what you will use for the recipe. You will also use the pod during the cooking process, so don’t toss it yet!
Did ya know: vanilla is the most widely used flavoring in pastries, confections, and other desserts. It is the second most expensive spice in the world, next to saffron.
In fact, vanilla has quite a story.
