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Monday, February 6, 2012

blood orange sherbet & pink heart meringues

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Summer fruit seems to get all the glory with it's juicy berries, melons, and stone fruit. But winter has some pretty spectacular fruit itself. Blood oranges are a favorite in our house this time of year. I always think I'm getting way too much as I place the stretching plastic bagful into the cart.  And although the bowl of oranges on the counter looks massive, it only lasts a day or two. L (almost 2) screams "peel it, peel it!" which of course leads to a white kitchen table (and little girl) covered in red drips.
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Every time I cut into a blood orange I'm amazed that such a vibrant color just grows in nature
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With their natural sweetness, these blood oranges were just begging me to turn them into a sinless dessert. So we juiced them, added some milk, a tiny bit of sugar, and soon had the most amazingly delicious ice cream. It tasted like 50/50 ice cream - that refreshing orange and vanilla combination - with the added bonus of being naturally pink! If you have girls who love the book Pinkalicious, you know just how big of an added bonus this really is. Huge. Hubby was at a conference in New Orleans all week so our household was feeling very pink. 
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 After the girls went to bed while Yummy Hubby was away I did what I do when I get anxious. I bake like a mad woman. So we ended up with these delicate pink heart meringue cookies. They are also fairly sinless, being that they are fat-free and low-carb. Both of these recipes would make perfect Valentine's Day desserts.

Blood Orange Sherbet 
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2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice, approximately 2 to 3 pounds oranges
zest of one blood orange 
1/4 cup sugar (amount may vary depending on the sweetness of your oranges)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups whole milk

In a medium bowl, whisk together juice, zest, sugar, vanilla, and milk. Chill until very cold, about 1 hour. Pour into an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturers instructions. Transfer to freezer-safe container and store in freezer.


Heart Meringue Cookies 
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4 egg whites
2 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
pink gel food coloring (if you want them to be pink!)

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a glass or metal bowl, whip egg whites until foamy using an electric mixer. Sprinkle in sugar a little at a time, while continuing to whip at medium speed. Add a tiny drop of food coloring if using. When the mixture becomes stiff and shiny stop mixing, and transfer the mixture to a large pastry bag. Pipe the meringue out onto the prepared baking sheet using a large round tip or star tip in a heart shape.
Place the meringues in the oven and place a wooden spoon handle in the door to keep it from closing all the way. Bake for 2 1/2 hours, or until the meringues are dry, and can easily be removed from the pan. Allow cookies to cool completely before storing in an airtight container at room temperature. meringue recipe via

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Friday, February 3, 2012

Panini Party: Winter Edition

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The Super Bowl. Everywhere I turn people seem to be chattering on about it. I have to admit, I could not care less about the Big Game. Are you still reading? Or have you furiously slammed your laptop closed at that blasphemous statement? Okay good, you're still with me. I have absolutely no clue who is even playing, but I'm pretty sure it's football. On the upside, I'm all for any occasion to get together with friends and eat. And I always loved those Budweiser commercials with the Clydesdale horses. Do they still run those commercials for the Super Bowl? 

Although I'll probably take the girls swimming, or bake cookies, or do something a toddler and preschooler would find more enjoyable than football this Sunday, I thought this the perfect time to share one of my favorite easy dinner "recipes" - Panini Party night. It would be great Super Bowl fare.
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The secret is that everyone creates their own panini and therefore everyone is happy. A panini bar is made by assembling ingredients on a platter with a loaf of sliced bread. I even have B (4) make her sandwich and then I grill it for her. It's a big step up from the average grilled cheese, but still very little work, and some veggies can even be sneaked in. Great for busy nights and for cheering soccer tennis football fans. What are your plans for this weekend? Are you making anything special for the game?
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Marina's Panini: fig jam, pears, white cheddar, arugula. 
Our panini bar was filled with winter ingredients: pears, avocados, prosciutto, sage, fig jam, arugula, onions, and white cheddar. In the summer I would use tomato, basil, zucchini... 

Extra fillings? Use them to top a salad. 

Panini "Recipe" 

Sliced bread
sliced cheese 
vegetables
pesto, fig jam, etc. (optional)

Assemble sandwich. Heat grill pan over medium heat, or heat a panini maker if you have one. Brush  outsides of bread with olive oil. Grill until panini has golden brown grill marks and cheese has melted.


Go...... Team!
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Monday, January 30, 2012

Warm Winter Weekend {Orange & Avocado Salad Recipe}

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spacer   The weather was incredible this weekend. The rain from last week left clear skies and 80 degree temps in it's wake. Excitedly we put on our summery dresses and flip flops. We headed to Padaro Beach Grill for a first sweet birthday party and soaked up the sun while the kids played tag and dug in the sand until naptime. Having lunch alongside the Pacific, sun beating on my back, kids giggling in their 80's style plastic sunglasses was perfection. I don't think Yummy Hubby or I looked at our iPhones once, and that was just what we needed after a busy week. I hope your weekend was equally as rejuvenating.
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While L took her nap, B and I had a tea party. We decided on a pretty, healthy, simple, and refreshing snack: sliced orange and avocado with delicate microgreens and a drizzle of good olive oil. We stuck an extra stack in the fridge for Daddy. I am really enjoying the sweet juicy winter citrus right now. L (22 months) has a new favorite phrase, "O-ange! Peel it pease, Mommy!" I must hear that passionately exclaimed at least 10 time a day.

spacer   Try this recipe for your next dinner party. Or tea party with your favorite 4 year old. It's beautiful, but really only a few simple and healthy ingredients thrown together.

Orange and Avocado Salad

Serves 2 
1 orange, peeled and sliced crosswise 
1-2 avocados, peeled, pitted, and sliced crosswise 
1/2 cup microgreens (available at Trader Joe's and Whole Foods)
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice 
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 
pinch of coarse sea salt

Sprinkle avocado slices with sea salt. Arrange avocado and orange slices in 2 stacks.  In a small bowl, whisk together orange juice and olive oil. Top with a microgreens and drizzle with olive oil mixture.


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Friday, January 27, 2012

Left Over Spaghetti? Try Spaghetti Pie!

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Do you ever end up with extra spaghetti and find it a little, well... boring the next day? My grandma, and now my mom, makes a baked spaghetti pie that is so warm and comforting with crispy noodle ends that escape the sauce, and ricotta on top that adds a creamy lasagna-y taste. Knowing this week would be incredibly busy, Wednesday night I "accidentally" made a huge batch of my 10-minute veggie loaded marinara (will share that recipe later!) and spaghetti. When Thursday rolled around and we were on the go to swimming lessons and an afternoon mommy/kiddie play date, baked spaghetti pies were the perfect answer to my no-time-to-cook dilemma.
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Grandma's recipe was always made in a standard pie dish. I like baking it in ramekins fit for little hands.

Spaghetti Pie 
printer friendly recipe 
makes 1 pie, or 4 mini pies 

2 cups cooked spaghetti 
1 1/2 cups spaghetti sauce 
1 cup ricotta cheese 
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup fresh chopped Parsley, plus more for garnish 

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Place spaghetti and sauce in pie dish. In a small bowl, stir together ricotta, 1/4 cup Parmesan, and parsley. Top spaghetti and sauce with ricotta mixture. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan. Bake until cheese is golden brown and pie is hot, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle with more parsley.

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