tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86513350174487456252024-03-08T06:21:34.499-08:00The Skinny GourmetUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger217125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8651335017448745625.post-53611922390041079732011-06-14T15:53:00.000-07:002011-07-05T16:35:07.187-07:00Fast and Easy Homemade TzatzikiTzatziki sauce has a fresh vibrant taste that is an ideal accompaniment to summer grill-outs. It is traditionally served cold with Greek and sometimes Turkish foods. Most Americans may know this sauce as the creamy, flavorful sauce that comes on gyros. But if you only eat tzatziki on gyros you are missing out! It works well with conventional greek tastes--such as lamb--but you'd be surprised how Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8651335017448745625.post-57517507908368033322011-05-15T17:13:00.000-07:002011-07-05T16:35:07.188-07:00CreativeLIVE with Penny de los Santos: Finding food photography I love, and figuring out whyThis weekend I was incredibly lucky to participate in a live streaming broadcast (thanks to CreativeLIVE of food photographer Penny de los Santos, whose work is often featured in Saveur magazine. Her food photography style favors drawing out graphic elements of food with overhead shots, and setting sharp colors off with white or understated backgrounds. I found out about the workshop the day Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8651335017448745625.post-33908852951058815942011-05-01T13:12:00.000-07:002011-07-05T16:35:07.188-07:00Buttercream Cake Decorating: Game of Thrones CupcakesSpring gives some people a burning desire to clean things. I have never suffered that particular affliction. But every spring I seem to find myself newly obsessed, OCD style, with some specific aspect of food. One year it was a burning fascination with making homemade biscotti. I went through dozens of recipes and then once I totally understood the form, I started making up my own. Another springUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8651335017448745625.post-11484044452425572772011-04-12T10:30:00.000-07:002011-07-05T16:35:07.188-07:00Power Cleaning the Fridge: Attempting the 20 minute super cleanIs it possible to deep clean the fridge in under an hour? That alone sounds crazy, but then I get really nuts and attempt to deep clean the fridge in 20 minutes. <br /><br />If you ask me about the last time I cleaned my fridge out entirely, I would have to ask when we moved in. I spot clean now and then when I see something dripping. I am ashamed to admit I'm such a slouch at fridge cleaning, but these Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8651335017448745625.post-44256183588030946322011-03-29T09:53:00.000-07:002011-07-05T16:35:07.188-07:00Nine things I learned about diet and exercise from a personal trainerI am fresh back from my second ever visit to a personal trainer (the fantastic Kandice King. I have always wondered about personal training, but been too intimidated to shell out the cash to try it. I've had friends who went to personal trainers and swore by them. I recognize intellectually that exercise is the other side of the foodie coin, unless some day you want to be someone who has to be Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8651335017448745625.post-87157398815623229682011-03-23T10:37:00.000-07:002011-07-05T16:35:07.188-07:00Reflections of First Time GardenersLast year I was a doe-eyed eager first-time gardener. And to complicate things, I was learning to garden in the South, after spending my whole life in the Midwest. The climate and soil and waterfall were all different. I tried to learn what I could, and in my typical fashion I probably even went a bit overboard trying to learn everything about gardening. And then, at some point, I just took a Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8651335017448745625.post-47616157941924484882011-03-17T11:35:00.000-07:002011-07-05T16:35:07.189-07:00Eight things to love about Weight Watchers YogurtEarly on in my efforts to find a life-long eating style that suited my tastes and my life tempo, I realized that I would be permanent friends with yogurt. It is smooth and creamy, with a texture that instantly reminds me of more fattening desserts, but without all the guilt. Yogurt comes in a dizzying array of flavors, so you are not likely to get completely sick of it. Yogurt has a healthy dose Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8651335017448745625.post-41333429926527497802011-01-19T17:42:00.000-08:002011-07-05T16:35:07.189-07:00The most common new year's resolutions...Recently I asked readers to share with me their resolutions for a healthier new year. Turns out nearly all the resolutions fit into just eight categories. That sort of surprised me. And while there are some classic "eat less, exercise more" some of the frequently mentioned topics surprised me a bit. <br /><br />I am forever drinking gallons of water, but I usually feel as though I'm in the minority. I Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8651335017448745625.post-20163407041337988152011-01-12T08:48:00.000-08:002011-07-05T16:35:07.189-07:00The Survivor's Kitchen: Share your stories of food, love, cancer and recoveryWhen someone you love is diagnosed with cancer it is a shocking, horrible thing. I will never forget when I first heard that my mother had a rare and deadly form of cancer called Synovial Cell Sarcoma. I was living in Accra, Ghana on a Fulbright. I had bought a phone card to use at the public payphone to make an international call, because in those days the cell phone revolution had not yet sweptUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8651335017448745625.post-26000861513018436452011-01-07T13:52:00.000-08:002011-07-05T16:35:07.189-07:00Resolution Redux: A poignant and painful confession and atonementIf the date on my calendar is to be believed, I am only one week into 2011. That just feels patently false. Yet there it is, staring at me in black and white. Only one small week into 2011 and already the list of "to dos" and "haven't dones" looms large and staggering like something out of a Salvadore Dali painting. And so, like a good Catholic, I'm resolving to absolve myself through a public Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8651335017448745625.post-13314779274429832452010-12-28T18:47:00.000-08:002011-07-05T16:35:07.189-07:00Goals for a healthier new year, and a chance to win $100!I'm still trying to adjust to life as a Southerner after our move to Nashville last year. One of the biggest adjustments has been the food. Southern folks LOVE their food, and rightfully so: it is delicious. But traditionally it is delicious in that fried, smothered and soaked in sausage kind of way. Which is to say, not so kind on the behind. <br /><br />Visit my skinny gourmet reviews blog and read my Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8651335017448745625.post-36748170972787824622010-12-07T10:31:00.000-08:002011-07-05T16:35:07.189-07:00Food Photography Workshop at Southern Food Blogging ConferenceThe astonishingly gifted Jennifer Davick, food photographer for Southern Living, has put a call out to emerging food photographers! She's teaching a food photography workshop at @foodblogsouth. Interested? Contact Jennifer Davick on Facebook.<br /><br />You can see more of Jennifer's food photography, and hear her take on the life photographic on her blog.<br /> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8651335017448745625.post-41747066155588050782010-11-28T03:10:00.001-08:002010-11-28T03:10:48.081-08:00Just Have Fun and Enjoy Your Life!!<br />
<br />
We all complain about our lives from time to time. An unexpected expense comes up or we get laid off from our jobs. So many things can happen to us in even just one day. Unfortunately, complaining is a waste of time. It is a grown up version of whining, and yes, we too have tantrums. The key to enjoying life is in how we react to the events and mishaps in our daily lives.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8651335017448745625.post-59146825422645652182010-10-20T11:18:00.000-07:002011-07-05T16:35:07.190-07:00Music City Signature Chef's Auction 2010This year's Music City Signature Chef's Auction will be held on Monday October 25th at the Franklin Marriott Cool Springs, and, as always, benefits the Tennessee Chapter of the March of Dimes. This fundraiser event begins at 5:30 and allows guests to sample a wide variety of signature offerings from the primiere chefs of the greater Nashville area. There will also be live music and a silent Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8651335017448745625.post-55903939618683152512010-09-24T07:56:00.000-07:002011-07-05T16:35:07.190-07:00Cupcake-palooza: All you can eat cupcakes for $10!Late in life I have developed a passion for taste tests. I suspect this could be some nostalgia for a childhood in the 80s where roving Coke vs Pepsi taste test vans dominated the suburban mall experience. Or maybe its just that I like the subtle thrill of the uncertain. Lately in our house we've blind taste tested brands of pickles, cottage cheese (where Kroger brand was a surprising hands-down Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8651335017448745625.post-58079681222806792542010-09-13T08:39:00.000-07:002011-07-05T16:35:07.190-07:00Restaurant Week Sept 13-19th: Get three course meals for a steal!It's baaaack! Book your babysiters, grab your date, your friend, your coworker...anyone! Restaurant week, one of my favorite innovations, is once again returning to Nashville's independent eating scene. Restaurant week in Nashville is organized through Nashville Originals a group of local dining establishments.<br /><br />Restaurant week is a great time to try some of Nashville's best known dining spots. AUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8651335017448745625.post-38234661076591259232010-09-10T08:38:00.000-07:002011-07-05T16:35:07.190-07:00Bacon: 10 lessons learned about the fine art of hosting a bacon partyAs some of my readers already know, when we lived in Chicago we would occasionally throw bacon parties. That's right. Social gatherings entirely devoted to that gluttony of all gluttonies: bacon. And because our friends were adventurous little foodies, we would always challenge friends to come up with the most delicious and creative dish they could. After a few parties, this started to take on Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8651335017448745625.post-39610009240556082492010-08-25T10:30:00.000-07:002011-07-05T16:35:07.190-07:00Will calorie counts change the way we dine? Economic sociology takes a peek at nutritional transparencyAmong the many provisions in the loved and decried Health Care bill ("Obamacare to its detractors) passed by congress last year is one that requires restaurants with more than 20 stores to provide calorie information printed on their menus for all regular menu items. Although these regulations nominally took effect in March of 2010, the Food and Drug Administration is still working out guidelinesUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8651335017448745625.post-40756861193131233092010-07-30T10:42:00.000-07:002011-07-05T16:35:07.190-07:00Tropical "Grillswith": Grilled donuts with the best caramel sauce you'll ever make<br /><br />Yeah, that's right. I just did that to you. There you were minding your own business at your computer, you probably thought "what the heck is a grillswith?" and now you are drooling all over your keyboard like a drunken sailor. You might even be babbling a bit. It's okay. The grillswith does that to me too.<br /><br />I just couldn't resist sharing this photo with you all. It is probably the best exampleUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8651335017448745625.post-74830655565110624092010-07-06T18:54:00.000-07:002011-07-05T16:35:07.191-07:00Individual Spinach Provolone Frittata -- Brunch yourself swanky!This puffs up and has the look of a faux souffle with one tenth of the work. I love eggs but my husband doesn't eat them, so I've plenty motivation to experiment with single serving egg dishes that are low work for a fast and delicious morning breakfast. This Italian inspired version, studded with creamy provolone cheese and earthy spinach, is one of my very favorites. This is the perfect way to Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8651335017448745625.post-22081984704689384962010-06-07T17:29:00.000-07:002011-07-05T16:35:07.191-07:00Sights and Tastes of the Nashville Farmer's MarketThe Nashville Farmer's Market is a stubborn beast to characterize. I first came to know it only from afar as three enticingly large buildings called the "farmer's market" and open 365 days a year. Somehow my brain convinced me that it was reasonable to think lush, local produce could cover three football fields and that farmers somehow found alternates to sell their produce all the time. This wasUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8651335017448745625.post-66396610207600622752010-05-19T18:47:00.000-07:002011-07-05T16:35:07.191-07:00The Silly Goose in Nashville, TNThe Silly Goose1888 Eastland Ave.Nashville, TN 37206615-915-0757Tuesday-Saturday 11AM to 9PM Have you ever had one of those moments where you realize that something truly fantastic has sprouted in your neighborhood and you didn't even know it? When we moved to East Nashville last August I could swear this storefront was empty. And now? A mix of funky, eclectic, charm crammed into a small space Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8651335017448745625.post-68109936784960377762010-05-07T19:29:00.000-07:002011-07-05T16:35:07.191-07:0010 ways to conserve water in the kitchen (and beyond!)We live in Nashville, where the city is still recovering from the worst rains in the state's recorded history. The floods have taken one of the city's water treatment facilities offline, resulting in dwindling water supplies and impending water shortage. The city has asked all citizens to cut water consumption by half, and they haven't mentioned how long this water conservation effort will go on.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8651335017448745625.post-8916778625775913562010-04-27T10:29:00.000-07:002011-07-05T16:35:07.191-07:00Darling Aprons for Mother's Day: Your purchase helps an Ethopian Adoptee"There are 4.5 million orphans in Ethiopia. Help bring one home to her forever family." --Aprons for BedaAround the world there are thousands and thousands of children without parents, waiting to be loved. Lucky ones make it into orphanages, and even there many of them get by with meager provision and meager human contact. Even those orphanages headed by loving caring workers often find their Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8651335017448745625.post-79555797846190416052010-04-07T07:00:00.000-07:002011-07-05T16:35:07.191-07:00Food Blogging for Babies! 5 ways to help prevent premature birthA little over a year ago my first child was born premature. It was a total shock. The pregnancy had been going fantastically and there were no signs that anything was amiss until it was 5:30 am and I was on the phone crying with my OB because my water broke more than 6 weeks too soon.Liam, third day of life, in the NICU and on oxygenToday Liam is a warm, affable, generous toddler who charms just Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0