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it's been quite awhile since i posted and if you missed me, i apologize. cute ox origami at the hostess desk for my first post of the year, i wanted to highlight a wonderful night spent at alexander's steakhouse for the husband's (aka "bear") birthday. i call him bear because he's a little hairy, cuddly, docile, and bigger than me (in the picture below, i'm wearing 4in heels and barely shoulder height). there are so many places i'd love to take him to experience food, but was inspired by a post from my friend regina when she took a friend for an expensive steak dinner. i thought this would be the perfect place to celebrate the husband - he likes steak and good food and i was intrigued by the restaurant that took the place of bacar. the service is impeccable - a little too informational at times, but outstanding nonetheless. the ambience can be romantic, intimate, cool, whatever you need it to be depending on your visit. what's also ve...

my healthy quest continues...i've tried kale chips before and love the crunchy, saltiness that is a great substitute for potato chips/fries. i think this could be a super awesome alternative and something that can help get me in the right direction. for some reason, i could not find whole leaves, so i bought the precut salad variation instead and love that they mimic san francisco's, or should i say gilroy's, beloved garlic fries, but with way less than fat and no carbs! this is an extremely easy recipe that is worth the wait. i can't wait to try this with whole leaves... GARLIC KALE CHIPS posted on chelsea bakes on october 7, 2011 1 large bunch organic kale 1 T + 1 t olive oil 1 large garlic clove, minced 1/2 t coarse sea salt preheat oven to 275°F. measure out oil in small prep bowl and stir in garlic. set aside to infuse. tear off leaves from stem of kale. clean and dry. spread kale onto large baking sheet, keeping them in single layer as much as possibl...

i enjoy all types of dips...i think it's due to my oral-fixation and the motion of bringing a small bite to my mouth. the first time i had a spinach-artichoke dip was at tgi fridays and had to find a recipe that replicated it. i've made this artichoke & spinach dip many times and it has become a tried & true recipe that is always a crowd-pleaser. i actually found a recipe that turns it into a mac & cheese version, which sounds amazing! i'll have to try it out and repost. anyway, we were headed to my father-in-law's for a night of football. i love bringing treats over and felt this was fit for the occasion. it has nice chunks of artichoke and a great creamy consistency from the alfredo sauce. you can serve this with anything, but i like the presentation in a bread bowl. ARTICHOKE & SPINACH DIP RESTAURANT STYLE posted on allrecipes.com by terrad 4 cloves garlic 1 10 oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed & drained 1 14 oz can artichoke h...

the first time i tried san francisco's  san tung 's dry fried chicken wings, i was stunned in pure amazement. i am a traditional buffalo wing type of girl and don't typically do the sweet glazes (which is funny since I have a serious sweet tooth). but, when i tried this crunchy, glazy, sweet & spicy wing, i was in heaven...yes, these will be added to my list of things to eat on my last days on earth. when you go to san tung, you have to expect major delays to find a seat since everyone comes here for these tasty morsels and the other delicious chinese food they serve up. you can tell when a place is good when it gets over 2000 yelp reviews and hold a solid 4 of 5 stars. the internet is a great resource when you have a craving, but it's other bloggers who can make something from scratch to replicate one-of-a-kind recipe that really amazes me. DRY FRIED CHICKEN posted on melonoat on december 27, 2010 WINGS 3 qt vegetable oil 2 c cornstarch, divided 1 1/2 ...

the main table with the all the L goodies one of the reasons i find new recipes to try is that i need them for the parties i plan and/or host. so, i thought it'd be inspiring and fun to add posts about the parties i've put together, along with the food i contributed. i've done a couple baby showers at work and birthdays, of course, but this one party was a little more special for me. it was a bridal shower for my boss, who i've also been hired as the day-of wedding coordinator. she got engaged in august, but i had been secretly brainstorming way before that. i wanted this to be perfect, as i knew it would be my pièce de résistance! first things, first...how do we surprise her? people in the office are well aware that when i'm gone for a period of time, there is a party decorating session happening. so, i schemed with my other boss to fake a sickness. i was really worried that she would not be fooled since i never, never call in sick. but, this worked like a ch...

this was the appetizer offering i decided to go with for thanksgiving. i LOVE mushrooms and when there's cheese involved...that is serious love! i really liked this recipe because it was simple and tasty, which is what matters most. when hosting a party, i am a huge believer in finger foods and this one does not let down. STUFFED MUSHROOM WITH SPINACH posted in real simple by sarah quessenberry on november 2010 24 medium mushrooms, about 1 1/2 lbs 2T olive oil, plus extra for the baking sheet 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped 1 5oz pkg baby spinach, chopped kosher salt & black pepper 3/4c panko bread crumbs 1/2c gruyere cheese, about 2oz heat oven to 375°F. remove the stems from the mushrooms; finely chop the stems and reserve. coat a baking sheet with oil. bake the mushroom caps, stem-side down, until just tender, 10-12 mins. meanwhile, heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. add the garlic and chopped mushroom stems and cook, stirring, until tender, ...

this was the first year we didn't have any family obligations for christmas eve, which was kind of nice. of course, the next day and the day after were going to be filled with family love, but having one night to celebrate the holidays with just us two (and the furry kids) was very special. so, how do we celebrate? with a feast! i fully enjoyed the ambition menu for thanksgiving and wanted to do a slightly smaller menu for christmas eve...and, it all began with a mail order from the honeybaked ham store. the rest of the menu planning was really for decoration, but i enjoyed it very much. in addition to classic garlic mashed potatoes , our feast included: GREEN BEANS WITH BACON VINAIGRETTE i remember finding this recipe and thinking, "everything truly is better with bacon". i really do love green beans, even if they're jus steamed, but the idea of turning bacon into a vinaigrette sounded amazing...and it was! posted on real simple by kate merker & sarah q...

the first time i ever tried a spring roll was, ironically, at greasy tgi friday's , where i was working through college. but, it was delicious and great alternative to the lesser option provided. what i like about spring rolls is how versatile they are. you can put anything you'd like with the basic components...shrimp, vermicelli, and some sort of herb, like basil or cilantro. one of my favorite ingredients used in the tgif version was asparagus. they also served it with some sort of soy sauce concoction for dipping, which was tasty, but a traditional peanut sauce makes this appetizer complete. VIETNAMESE SPRING ROLLS adapted from tiny urban kitchen posted on july 30, 2009 1 pack of spring roll skins (found in the dry noodle aisle) 1 pack of vermicelli noodles 1 lb of cooked shrimp 1 bundle of cilantro 1 bag of shredded carrots **feel free to swap out any ingredients for your taste preference** soak the noodles in hot water until soft (about 2-3 minutes). drain t...