tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38867521003432973412011-04-21T19:52:58.029-07:00Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11422445037525769639noreply@blogger.comBlogger301100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886752100343297341.post-40447373794295385292009-01-08T21:51:00.001-08:002009-01-10T23:55:35.919-08:00

My mom and I spent a long time planning out our Christmas Day Feast - it would be like Thanksgiving Dinner but three times larger, and more open-ended. 18 people were to arrive at our house at 4 pm in just a few short days, and the menu still had to be planned, groceries bought, dishes assembled and cooked. And after it was all said and done, I still think planning the menu was the hardest part.I

Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11422445037525769639noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886752100343297341.post-15785042501508909352008-12-24T17:46:00.001-08:002008-12-24T19:12:50.282-08:00

Snow on the Grapevine, just north of Los Angeles!I've had a great winter break at home so far. It's been relaxing, and filled with family, friends, and baking... what more could a girl ask for?! Oh, presents, you're right. How could I forget? Those come tonight and tomorrow :) Anyways, here's a little recap of my break so far, with pictures and all. I spent a day shopping in San Francisco with

Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11422445037525769639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886752100343297341.post-2835456994037881842008-12-18T18:19:00.000-08:002008-12-18T20:37:58.933-08:00

These are the ultimate cookies for chocoholics. They're chewy and fudgy, with a thin crispy outer layer delicately dusted with powdered sugar. Butterless and flourless, this recipe hinges on high quality bittersweet chocolate and an egg-white meringue. My mom thought they were too rich - they should be named "For Chocolate Lovers Only". I don't think anything can be too chocolatey; I order

Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11422445037525769639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886752100343297341.post-21612029786418062682008-12-18T18:06:00.000-08:002008-12-18T18:15:43.700-08:00

Peanut Butter Hershey's KissesGingerbread MenUCLA Butter CookieVery Dark Chocolate Crinkles

Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11422445037525769639noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886752100343297341.post-34781088092766914872008-12-15T00:40:00.000-08:002008-12-19T00:41:30.493-08:00

I've made this recipe twice now, once just for myself and again for our holiday party. Some of our guests were shocked that I had made hummus from scratch; they said they never would have thought to make it. Well, the secret is out: homemade hummus is way better than store-bought, and it's incredibly easy to make. You basically just throw everything in the food processor and whirr it together

Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11422445037525769639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886752100343297341.post-12066307642649589022008-12-13T23:55:00.000-08:002008-12-14T00:55:10.517-08:00

Emily, Jamie, me and ChrissyMy roommates and I hosted our second annual Holiday Party at our apartment last night. It was so good to hang out and celebrate the holidays, the end of finals, and Emily/Chrissy/Maggie's birthdays. After a little scrambling around the kitchen an hour before the party started, we put on our heels, poured champagne cocktails, and took some pictures in front of our very

Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11422445037525769639noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886752100343297341.post-12125318243142076902008-12-01T22:20:00.000-08:002008-12-19T00:44:01.564-08:00

Deliciously tart and so easy to make, you'll never need (or want) to open a can of the weird jellied stuff again.Ingredients:1/2 cup water1/2 cup orange juice1 cup sugar12-oz bag fresh or frozen cranberries (3 cups)1/2 teaspoon freshly grated orange zestSuggestion: dash ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and ground clovesBring water, orange juice, sugar, and spices to a boil, stirring until sugar is

Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11422445037525769639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886752100343297341.post-45180161759065872332008-12-01T22:15:00.000-08:002008-12-02T10:43:16.628-08:00

Can be assembled (without oysters and not baked) 2 days ahead and chilled, covered. Bring to room temperature and stir in oysters before baking.From Gourmet, November 2002Makes 8 to 10 servings.Ingredients:2 loaves Italian or French bread (1 lb total), cut into 3/4-inch cubes (12 cups)1/2 lb sliced bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil (if needed)2 medium onions, finely

Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11422445037525769639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886752100343297341.post-73231061860277791412008-12-01T22:10:00.000-08:002008-12-02T10:38:57.395-08:00

Who knew? Red-skinned sweet potatoes are yams, the real deal. Apparently tan-skinned sweet potatoes are just posers. When roasted, the flesh of the red ones turns BRIGHT, beautiful orange. You could totally eat it like a baked potato; in fact, I'm planning on trying it sometime this week.Apparently, there was a lot that I didn't know about sweet potatoes. For our Thanksgiving yams, my mom and I

Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11422445037525769639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886752100343297341.post-20823397207100449142008-12-01T22:05:00.000-08:002008-12-02T10:40:57.095-08:00

This recipe makes gorgeous, rich mashed potatoes studded with festive red and green flecks. I realized at the last minute that I used all the sour cream in the Pumpkin Cheesecake, so I improvised and used plain yogurt, which worked just fine.From Bon Appetit, September 2003Makes 6 servings (I doubled the recipe).Ingredients:1 head of garlic1 tablespoon olive oil2 1/2 pounds red-skinned potatoes,

Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11422445037525769639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886752100343297341.post-40283852396525468192008-12-01T21:53:00.000-08:002008-12-01T22:56:14.151-08:00

I made these coconut-based treats for my Papou (Greek for "grandpa") on Thanksgiving because my mom said that he loves macaroons. But when he showed up at our house that evening, he brought a half-squished package of Twinkies. Luckily, it was a joke (at least we think it was...), and after we successfully hid his dessert of choice, he tried a macaroon and gave it a thumbs-up.Coconut takes the

Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11422445037525769639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886752100343297341.post-26756634029117691702008-12-01T16:47:00.000-08:002008-12-02T10:28:37.613-08:00

This is my Thanksgiving dessert of choice two years and running.Ingredients:FOR CRUST3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs1/2 cup finely chopped pecans1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar1/4 cup granulated sugar1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooledFOR FILLING1 1/2 cups fresh or solid pack pumpkin3 large eggs1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg1/2 teaspoon ground

Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11422445037525769639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886752100343297341.post-81707381741864209862008-11-27T14:09:00.000-08:002008-12-02T13:28:39.878-08:00

I hope you're having a great Thanksgiving day filled with family, friends, love, and, of course, food! This year, I was in charge of "re-vamping" our traditional family feast. I'm trying out new recipes, and so far (fingers crossed) everything has turned out great! Here's the menu:StartersEmily's Baked Brie with CranberriesArtichoke DipSalted Nuts & GrapesYiayia's SaladDiestel TurkeyHomemade

Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11422445037525769639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886752100343297341.post-80287981765662100702008-11-24T13:01:00.000-08:002008-11-24T13:59:35.044-08:00

Since it's my roommates and my last year of college, we decided to make a list of everything we absolutely must do before we graduate. Things that we've wanted to do since freshman year, but just haven't found the time. Things that we're old enough to do, now that we're all 21. Things that anyone and everyone living in Los Angeles should do at least once. So, now that our time together is quickly

Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11422445037525769639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886752100343297341.post-30305899974351969102008-11-10T18:11:00.001-08:002008-11-10T19:10:45.473-08:00

I fell in love with chilaquiles after ordering them for my very first time at Novel Cafe in Westwood. I don't think I've ordered anything else from Novel since - and I go there often. I've made chilaquiles twice, using very different recipes each time (one was made with chicken, the other was an appetizer for a dinner party). This time, feeling ambitious, I decided to cook up my very own

Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11422445037525769639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886752100343297341.post-62307372372439829952008-11-05T17:19:00.000-08:002008-11-06T15:31:27.550-08:00

After making my apple pie, I had lots of cinnamon-sugar coated apples left over (apparently six apples was two too many...), but didn't want them to go to waste. I wanted to somehow integrate the leftover apples with some leftover oatmeal I had from the Fall Fruit Crumble I made recently, so I put my Googling skills to the test. I found an Apple Oatmeal Muffin recipe on Cooks.com, and adapted it

Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11422445037525769639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886752100343297341.post-7867375918831058472008-11-05T17:16:00.000-08:002008-11-24T14:41:53.314-08:00

This is a classic apple pie recipe, both easy to make and insanely delicious. Four ravenous frat boys "reviewed" (a.k.a. devoured) this pie, and they all loved it.I started with six Granny Smith apples, which turned out to be too many for the shallow pie tin I had. I used the extras in the Apple Oatmeal Muffin recipe above! Many apple pie recipes suggest using half tart apples (like Granny Smith)

Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11422445037525769639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886752100343297341.post-64371324894213336452008-11-02T16:32:00.000-08:002008-11-02T17:07:15.735-08:00

In the spirit of the season... From Epicurious.com Ingredients: 2 cups fresh or thawed frozen cranberries2 firm-ripe pears such as Bartlett, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces2 apples such as Gala, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces1 cup sugar, divided1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract1 cup old-fashioned oats1/2 cup all-purpose flour1/4 teaspoon salt1 stick unsalted

Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11422445037525769639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886752100343297341.post-37895715551159799272008-11-02T14:55:00.000-08:002008-11-24T14:41:16.576-08:00

This salad is based on one of my roommate Jamie's favorites from BJ's Restaurant. We happened to run into each other at the store and were both in the mood for something healthy for dinner. Not surprising, since we'd just gotten back from a roadtrip to Norcal on which we ate In N Out TWICE!At the store, I decided to buy one each of practically every vegetable in the produce section with the

Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11422445037525769639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886752100343297341.post-35652000004852999562008-11-02T13:48:00.000-08:002008-11-02T14:47:59.550-08:00

Ralph's 88 cent special on ripe Haas avocados inspired this recipe. I absolutely love avocados, but usually don't want to pay $2.99 for one small avocado. The rest of the ingredients were just waiting in the refrigerator to be used; I'd already made a few other things with the beans and corn, and there was just enough left for one delicious quesadilla.I have a cold :( so my senses of taste and

Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11422445037525769639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886752100343297341.post-89151577608036032532008-10-28T00:37:00.000-07:002008-10-28T01:01:47.001-07:00

I've been meaning to make a pumpkin-inspired dessert, but haven't gotten around to it yet. I blame midterms! Hopefully I'll have time later this week to carve pumpkins and bake something pumpkin-y. In the meantime, in the spirit of procrastination from studying, here are some pictures from my day trip to Santa Barbara last week. I drove up to attend a UCSB psychology grad school informational

Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11422445037525769639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886752100343297341.post-63323854444645369212008-10-12T11:23:00.000-07:002008-10-12T17:44:56.204-07:00

Here are some pictures from the Brentwood Farmers Market this morning, as well as the recipe for a delicious weekend breakfast I made when I came home. It was the coolest, freshest morning that LA has seen in months... a beautiful morning to walk around outside with a hot cup of tea. I love farmers markets so much, but I think I'm about 15 years younger than the typical Sunday morning farmers

Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11422445037525769639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886752100343297341.post-66042448030314653992008-10-09T21:19:00.000-07:002008-10-09T21:33:57.431-07:00

The tri-tip in this sandwich was dinner from the previous night. I made it for lunch at work (at preschool!) and enjoyed every bite! A great way to use any type of meat leftover from the night before. Makes one sandwich.Ingredients:1 Panni roll or other roll of choiceA few thick slices cooked tri-tip (we bought ours pre-seasoned from Costco)Feta cheeseRoasted red pepper hummusMixed baby greensCut

Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11422445037525769639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886752100343297341.post-36808630711342436952008-10-07T18:40:00.000-07:002008-10-07T18:54:35.303-07:00

My sister Emily and I made this sandwich based on one of our favorites from Damon & Pythias, a great restaurant in Westwood with "Food For The Gods." Very yummy for lunch or dinner - we'll never have spend $10 on this sandwich at Damon again! Makes one sandwich.Ingredients:1 portabella mushroom, cut into 1 1/2 inch thick slices1 tomato, slicedFresh mozzarella cheese, slicedBalsamic

Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11422445037525769639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886752100343297341.post-31566689793622362732008-10-07T16:14:00.000-07:002008-10-07T18:40:00.813-07:00

I made these tonight for dinner for my roommates and I. They turned out great! I made some revisions from the original; changes are included in the recipe listed below. Adapted from Bon Appetit, October 1994Ingredients:1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil12 6-inch flour tortillas1 medium onion, chopped1 medium red bell pepper, seeded, chopped1/2 teaspoon dried oregano1/2 teaspoon dried basil3

Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11422445037525769639noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886752100343297341.post-44273673949439858202008-09-07T17:33:00.000-07:002008-11-24T14:43:00.355-08:00

I was looking for a recipe using strawberries because I bought a bunch at the Brentwood Farmer's Market, and found this one on another food blog :) It turned out great... all my roommates loved it!From www.whatdidyoueat.typepad.comIngredients:Crumble Topping1 c. flour1/2 c. sugar1 stick of margarine (stick form is necessary), cold from the fridgeTo make crumble topping, sift the sugar and flour

Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11422445037525769639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886752100343297341.post-56087697401779738092008-09-07T14:26:00.000-07:002008-11-24T14:40:44.510-08:00

I went to the Brentwood Farmer's Market this morning and picked up some fresh fruits and vegetables - strawberries, Roma tomatoes, yellow, orange, and chocolate (?!) bell peppers, basil, and an onion. This was my first experiment, aka my lunch.I used this tomato sauce for penne pasta, and heated some leftover grilled asparagus and chicken in the sauce just before it was done.Adapted from How to

Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11422445037525769639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886752100343297341.post-35703304735303216812008-09-06T23:06:00.000-07:002008-09-06T23:19:39.555-07:00

My mom and I discovered a farmer's market secret when we went to the Pleasanton Farmer's Market a few weekends ago. We got there about 20 minutes before it was scheduled to end, and all the stands were beginning to pack up. The sellers began yelling, "half off, half off!" We took full advantage of their offer, and bought over 8 pounds of peaches for about ten dollars! The next morning, I made two

Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11422445037525769639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886752100343297341.post-790313089360725952008-09-06T22:28:00.000-07:002008-10-07T18:57:33.545-07:00

I shared this recipe with my family on our vacation in Santa Barbara - everyone got involved by putting on their own toppings. The result was an easy, fun-to-make, and delicious summer dinner! My brothers and I also made twisted bread sticks with leftover dough, grilled on the barbeque. Note: The tomato sauce can also be used for pasta or as a base for soups. Ingredients:1 10-ounce tube

Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11422445037525769639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3886752100343297341.post-29155577704710835792008-09-06T22:03:00.000-07:002008-09-06T22:50:56.416-07:00

Emily's delicious kahlua cake! Recipe coming soon...

Laurenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11422445037525769639noreply@blogger.com0