Hyphenated-Housewife

Recipe Review: Skillet Gnocchi

2010-04-14T20:15:00.002-04:00

I stumbled upon a new to me blog, Rachel's Bite. After seeing the recipe for these gnocchi, I knew I had to make them this week. Gnocchi, tomatoes, cheese, greens and beans - how could you go wrong.

This came together easily on a work night and the hubs didn't even miss the meat. I'll call this a success.

Dirty Jobs

2010-03-11T17:30:00.001-05:00

I am always thankful for the hubster. On days like today where there is a dirty job to be done, I am especially thankful that I can pass them off to my other half.

I was getting a start on Spring yard clean up when I discovered today’s dirty job: squirrel carcass. Hopefully it wasn’t the body of the Friendly Fence Humping Squirrel.

As a trade off of the hubster’s dirty job, I did haul the recycling bins to the curb.

Recipe Review: Gingery Chickpea and Tomato Stew

2010-02-24T06:31:00.000-05:00

January marked my Grandpa’s 80th birthday and we trekked to Iowa to celebrate. I am fortunate to have three healthy grandparents in the 80’s. While in Iowa, I thumbed through granny’s Good Housekeeping magazine and found a section of “Almost Vegetarian” meals. This stew caught my eye and I book marked it to try at home.

This worked well for both the meat and non-meat eater. It is a rare night that we both eat exactly the same meal for dinner but this was a hit. I’ll try it with brown rice next time but I was being nice to The Husband who prefers white. If you start the rice as soon as you walk in the door, the stew is ready with the rice (about 30 minutes).

Gingery Chickpea and Tomato Stew, courtesy of Good Housekeeping

Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 (1 pound) jumbo onion, chopped
2 clove(s) garlic, crushed with press
1 cup(s) basmati rice
1 cup(s) fat free plain yogurt
1/4 cup(s) packed fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
2 teaspoon(s) ground cumin
1 teaspoon(s) ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon(s) ground red pepper, cayenne
1 can(s) (28 ounces) diced tomatoes
2 tablespoon(s) fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon(s) grated peeled fresh ginger
3 cup(s) cooked garbanzo beans, or 2 cans (15 ounces each) low-sodium garbanzo beans
1/2 cup(s) water
1 1/2 teaspoon(s) sugar
Salt

Directions
In 5- to 6-quart saucepot, heat oil on medium until hot. Add onion and garlic. Cook 10 minutes or until golden and tender, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, cook rice as label directs. In small bowl, combine yogurt and cilantro. Cover and refrigerate cilantro yogurt until ready to serve.
To saucepot with onion, add cumin, coriander, and ground red pepper. Cook 1 minute or until fragrant, stirring. Add tomatoes, lemon juice, and ginger. Heat to boiling, then stir in garbanzo beans and water. Simmer 15 to 20 minutes or until sauce thickens, mashing a few beans and stirring occasionally. Stir in sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Makes about 7 cups.
Divide rice among dinner plates. Top with bean mixture and yogurt.

Chickpea Panisse

2010-02-22T09:03:00.000-05:00

At the end of our California vacation, we stopped in Sonoma at the Girl and the Fig. Once I saw chickpea panisse on the menu, I knew i needed to try it.

Artfully plated Girl and FIg panisseMy recreation (ignore the nasty broccoflower puree)

These chickpea cakes are common in the Nice area of France. They have a crisp outer layer with almost a thick custard inward. There were a handful on web recipes, apparently a contestant on Top Chef made these as fries. I used Mark Bittman’s method since it made the most sense to me.

Basically, you cook chickpea flour (besan) like you would polenta and let it chill in a dish. Appetizing, right?

Some recipes called for making them into fry shapes or circles, but triangles were what we knew and it seemed like less waste.

I dusted them with all purpose flour and then pan fried them in a bit of olive oil.

The husband had them with fish, that evil broccoflower puree and a salad. They’d also be good as an appetizer for parties. We’ll have these again for sure.

So about that broccoflower

2010-02-21T20:44:00.001-05:00

I am not a fan.

Think of the worst aspects of broccoli and cauliflower and meld them together. Even goat cheese couldn’t make it palatable for me. The husband didn’t hate it, in fact he finished both portions. He did say that it’d be ok if I didn’t make it again.

Live and learn. Hopefully my next adventure in new vegetable land will be tastier.

Broccoflower

2010-02-18T08:48:00.000-05:00

I’m no stranger to impulse buys but today was a first. I was at the produce market and *had* to buy broccoflower. What, you’ve never heard of this hybrid vegetable? Basically it is green cauliflower.

So the question now is what to do with this green monster. Some online wanderings located recipes for curry roasted broccoflower and sesame broccoflower stir fry. I was also thinking of doing a mashed broccoflower with goat cheese.

How would you use broccoflower?

Recipe Review: Black Bean Chili

2010-02-17T06:24:00.000-05:00

I don’t think that there is a more perfect winter meal than chili and corn bread. Chili is a touchy subject in the Hyphenated House as The Husband eats meat and I do not.

It was a cold Saturday and I had not done the weekly shopping yet. I frantically searched the interwebs for a chili recipe using what we had on had. Vegetarian Times came to the rescue.

The chili was perfect for me as is and I browned some ground beef in onions, garlic and some chili spices for The Husband to add to his bowls. It was the perfect chili compromise.

Black Bean Chili with Dark Ale, courtesy Vegetarian Times
Serves 8, 2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, drained and minced
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 Tbs. ground cumin
1 large onion, finely chopped (1 1/2 cups)
1 medium red bell pepper, diced (1 cup)
5 cloves garlic, minced (5 tsp.)
2 14-oz. cans black beans, rinsed and drained
24 oz. gluten-free dark beer
1 14-oz. can diced tomatoes (I used fire roasted)
1 cup fresh or frozen corn

Heat oil in 3-qt. pot over medium heat. Add chipotles and cumin; season with salt, if desired. Cook 1 minute, or until fragrant. Stir in onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Sauté 5 to 7 minutes, or until vegetables are soft. Stir in beans, beer, tomatoes, and corn. Bring chili to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, uncovered, 45 minutes, or until thick.

San Francisco Treat

2010-02-16T19:10:00.000-05:00

The Husband and I took a vacation to Northern California this winter. We had been planning for a crazy international trip but then there was a pox on our house (remember the new furnace and windows and oh yes, the flood of 09?) and was scaled back the vacation budget. We had a wonderful and relaxing time.

In San Francisco, we stayed at the Pickwick on the recommendation of my pal Jen over at White Noise & Pillows. The great location and free full breakfast made up for the smaller rooms.

We hit the typical tourist spots – cable cars, Fisherman’s Wharf, Ghiradelli Square, Chinatown and the Golden Gate Bridge. The Husband, aka History Buff, wanted to see the Presidio an old fort turned army base turned residential area so we hiked up there to the Golden Gate. We also met up with some good friends who took us on a ferry ride through the bay and gave us a tour of UC Berkeley and the Oakland Hills.

Our two best meals in San Francisco were at Le Charm (obviously French) and Dosa on Fillmore (South Indian).

From San Francisco, we rented a car and drove to the Napa Valley. We stayed at a wonderful B&B, the Oakville Vineyard B&B. It is tucked back behind a vineyard but still close enough to restaurants and of course, wineries. We had a wonderful stay.

Our meals in Napa were out of this world, I wish we had been able to squeeze more meals into each day as there were so many restaurants we didn’t make it to.

Here are the highlights:

The Girl and the Fig, Brix, Mustard’s Grill, Taylor’s Automatic Refresher, and The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone.

A stop at the Oakville Grocery for lunch and snacks while wine tasting is a must.

We tasted at 3-4 wineries a day and found it worked best when we shared a tasting so we could continue on through the day without needed a nap! I’ll consult The Husband’s list of the wineries we visited and review those in a separate post.

While San Francisco wasn’t the vacation we had planned on, we had a wonderful and relaxing time.

The Crafty Wife

2010-02-15T06:40:00.000-05:00

Normally, I am not a crafter, I’d much rather spend my time in the kitchen. One day the stars aligned and I had a day off from work and needed a gift for a family having their third baby. I combined my love of the kitchen with a stack of baby items and made a diaper cake.

This was surprisingly easy to make and the mom to be loved it. I watched several YouTube tutorials and combined their methods to make my cake. This non-edible creation had a pack of diapers, bottles, a few onsies and blankets and some toys and barrettes tucked in.

Since I’m at the stage of life where babies are abundant, I am going to watch the sale racks for supplies to make more diaper cakes as gifts.

Adventures in grocery shopping

2010-02-12T06:10:00.000-05:00

I have an unhealthy love of grocery shopping. While I am admittedly not the picture of organization, something about aisle after aisle of organized shelves makes me eerily happy.

Usually I can shop off the cuff without a list and get what we need. I’ve been trying to reduce our grocery expenses, so I’m now armed with a list. I found the perfect template to plan meals and grocery lists at The Project Girl. She has tons of free downloads to help organize pretty much every area of your life plus great craft and project ideas.

In the past, I would spread out with the grocery store ads, my cookbooks and our Google Doc with our tried and true meals. This system worked well but we are trying to stash some money away for home improvements. I’ve turned to Coupon Mom to help make the most of coupons by stacking them onto grocery sales. I log on on Sundays and enter my state and grocery store and she has a list ready of how to best use your coupons.

A lot of folks shy away from coupons thinking that they are just too time intensive. CM’s method is great, save your weekly coupon packets and write the date on the cover. No clipping until you want to use that coupon with the weekly sale item. Easy Peasy. I’ve already scored some totally free and almost free items.

I started following two other blogs that alert me to freebies and sales: My Frugal Adventures and Money Saving Mom.

Throughout January, I saved at least 50% from the list price each week on our groceries. Granted, I wouldn’t have bought the toilet paper pack for $12 ever but it is still nice to save money. I’m going to get serious about the coupons and try to save 60% this month.

Do you have any tips or tricks for groceries on a budget?

Snow Day Lentil Soup

2010-02-10T17:41:00.001-05:00

SnOMG is back. Both the hubs and I were home from work today. I was feeling sassy and decided to make soup without a recipe. I did write down what I threw in the pot so I could recreate later if needed.

The hubs loves lentils the way I love peanut butter so I made lentil soup. Lentils aren’t exactly photogenic but they are tasty. They were recently on sale for 77 cents a bag so we’ve got a bit of a lentil surplus on our hands.

I love our soup mug/bowls they are perfect for lazy afternoons on the couch.

Here is what I threw together for our snowy day lentil soup.

2 Tbsp olive oil

3 Tbsp (heaping) minced garlic

1 medium stalk celery, chopped

2 large carrots, sliced

1 potato, chopped

1 1/3 cups dry lentils

1 14 oz can diced tomatoes

5 cups broth ( I use veg)

2 bay leaves

salt and pepper

Heat the oil in your soup pot, I use my dutch oven. Add the veggies and cook until tender. Toss in lentils, tomatoes, broth and spices. Bring to a boil for 10 minutes then simmer with lid on until lentils are tender.

When I tasted the soup, it was missing something so I added crushed red pepper flakes which gave it some nice heat. Cumin and ginger would also work nicely. It made a huge batch, probably eight 1.5 cup servings.

The husband said it is the best soup I’ve made yet. His eating 3 bowls for lunch sealed the deal that it was a great soup.

What is your favorite winter soup?

A taste of the honeymoon

2010-02-10T06:17:00.000-05:00

When the husband and I were on our honeymoon in Paris, I had the best ever carrot soup at a bistro. I searched high and low for a similar recipe when we came home and came up empty handed. Last week, we met up for lunch at the Cheese Board, a fantastic cheese shop that also serves up soups, salads and sandwiches. I had already ordered when I saw the specials board. Cream of Carrot soup was the soup of the day. I hustled back up to the counter and added soup to our order. It was good but a bit too heavy. My mission to make carrot soup was resurrected.

Vegetarian Times saved the day with their recipe for French Potage with Pistou. It brought back memories of our honeymoon without the grease factor of the cream of carrot soup. The husband declared it a keeper. That is huge considering we have differing views on what makes a good soup.

It took longer to cook then I’d like for a weeknight meal but is perfect for a Sunday night supper. We’d had a heavy lunch so we paired the soup with foccacia bread but it would also work with a heartier sandwich.

French Potage with Pistou

Serves 8

Ingredients:

For the soup:

· 2 Tbs. unsalted butter

· 2 medium leeks, white and pale green parts chopped (4 cups)

· 1/4 cup dry white wine

· 4 cloves garlic, minced (I used about 6)

· 1 large russet potato, peeled and diced (2 cups)

· 4 medium carrots, chopped (3 cups)

· 4 sprigs fresh thyme

· 1 bay leaf

· 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

For the pesto:

· 1 cup firmly packed basil leaves

· 1/4 cup walnuts, toasted

· 1 clove garlic, peeled

· 1/4 cup olive oil

Directions

1. Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Soak the leeks to remove the grit. (I had never used leeks before and omitted this step. After I chopped them, I rinsed them in a colander.) Add leeks and a pinch of to the butter and sauté covered for 5 minutes.

2. Add wine and garlic and cook uncovered for 1 to 2 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated.

3. Add the veggies, thyme and bay leaf to the pot with the broth and 2 cups of water. Salt and pepper to taste. Cover and bring to a boil.

4. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 30 minutes.

5. To make the pesto, place nuts, basil and garlic in the food processor and pulse. Slowly add oil while pulsing. Set the pesto aside.

6. Use food processor, blender or immersion blender to puree the soup. If putting the soup into the blender or food processor, do so in small batches or you’ll have quite a hot mess on your hands.

7. Serve soup with a dollop of pesto.

Bon Appetit!

Supernatural Brownies

2010-02-07T05:50:00.000-05:00

I must confess that I am an NPR geek. Recently, I discovered the joy of The Splendid Table. It doesn’t get much better than eloquent folks discussing the preparation and eating of food.

I had planned to make the old standby of Baker’s One Bowl Brownies for Smitten Kitchen’s Brownie Mosaic Cheesecake. Instead of the unsweetened chocolate, I bought the bittersweet. In search of a new recipe, I turned to Splendid Table’s recipe box where I found Supernatural Brownies. Seriously, throw out your other recipes, this is THE brownie recipe.

Supernatural Brownies

From Chocolate: From Simple Cookies to Extravagant Showstoppers, by Nick Malgieri.

Ingredients

2 sticks butter

8 ounces chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate

4 eggs

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 tsp vanilla

1 cup flour

Grease 13x9x2 pan, line with greased parchment

Preheat oven to 350

In double boiler, melt butter and chocolate, stirring occasionally.

In separate bowl, whisk eggs together then whisk in salt, sugars, vanilla. Stir in chocolate and butter mixture. Fold in flour.

Pour into prepared pan. Bake 30-45 minutes depending on your oven. My old beast oven only took 30 minutes.

I double dog dare you to try them.

SnOMG! Blizzard 2010

2010-02-06T17:35:00.001-05:00

SnOMG, Snomageddon, Snowpocalypse. Whatever you want to call it, the Blizzard of 2010 is upon us. We woke up to no power or heat this morning which didn’t seem that bad until I realized that no power = no coffee. I may need to invest in a French Press for future caffeine emergencies.

Thankfully our power issues were resolved by early afternoon. We spent the morning in the kitchen keeping warm with the gas oven open and a pot of steaming water on the stove top. The sun was bright enough for us to work on our jigsaw puzzle.

If the blizzard and power outage weren’t enough, we discovered a fallen tree limb when we went out to shovel. Looks like we’ll be adding a chain saw to our tool collection. The hubs used a hand saw to cut off some branches and then we dragged/rolled that sucker off the sidewalk. This is our second tree issue in three years, thankfully they’ve only been annoyances and don’t cause any damage.

In between the snow excitement, I baked the best brownies of my life. They were a necessary component of the brownie cheesecake for the Superbowl tomorrow.

As the snow continues to fall, we’re staying put inside with some wine and cable. Keep warm everyone!

Freebie Alert

2010-02-04T08:49:00.003-05:00

I'm dusting off the neglected blog to tell you about free granola bars tomorrow. Pop into any Starbucks and get a free Kind granola bar. I think I'll skip my coffee at home tomorrow morning and treat myself to a latte while procuring my free granola bar.

Thank a Veteran Today

2009-11-11T14:35:00.001-05:00

In honor of Veterans Day, schools are closed. I think our children would learn more about Veterans Day and participate in some meaningful activities if there were actually IN school on Veterans day, but I digress.

Since schools were closed, I had the day off and was running errands. As I rushed into the grocery store, there was a Vet manning a donation table. I pulled a few dollars out of my pocket as a donation and noticed that he was struggling with some papers.

I asked if I could help him and he said he’d like it if I could cut something out of the newspaper for him. He was sitting in a power wheel chair and his hands looked as if he had suffered a stroke. As I cut the article out of him, I noticed that it was about homeless veterans. He thanked me for clipping the article so that others would be able to read it.

I thanked him for all that he had done. It has stayed with me all day how someone with so many challenges made it out on a gloomy and rainy day to collect money for his fellow Veterans.

If you haven’t already, thank a Veteran today.

Happy Anniversary to Us!

2009-11-02T08:25:00.000-05:00

Last night, the husband and I celebrated our first anniversary at the Melting Pot. There was a surprise waiting for me when we were seated. That husband of mine is a good egg.

We chose one of the planned fondue meals for the evening. Starting with my favorite course, cheese. The Alp And Dell cheese was a mixture of white wine, garlic, and whole grain mustard with nutmeg mixed with Gruyere, Fontina and Raclette cheeses.

There were salads and they were good but who really wants to the the salads at a fondue restaurant.

Our main course selection was the Lobster Indulgence. For the record, I think all anniversary celebrations should be accompanied with lobster. I enjoyed the lobster tail, shrimp and the ravioli, the husband ate the other meaty portions of the plate. There are so many sauces I can never remember what is intended to go together.

We cooked in coq au vin broth rather than oil. It tastes better and is much healthier. There’s also the added bonus of bringing the smell of a deep fryer home with you.

Check out this lemon. It had a cheese cloth hat that I called the lemon condom to prevent seeds from escaping onto your seafood. Genius.

We each had a drink at the bar while waiting for our table to be ready. During dinner we shared a flight of three white wines.

No fondue experience would be complete without chocolate. I chose the milk chocolate turtle fondue flambé because I love fire! Sadly, the camera missed the excitement.

It was quite the feast! We’ve filled our fondue quota for the year that’s for sure.

Do you have a favorite place for celebrations?

Looking back

2009-11-01T07:46:00.000-05:00

A year ago today, we had the biggest party of our lives.

There was dancing.

There was cake.

There was breaking glass.

There was wine.

There were trains.

And most of all, we were surrounded by friends and family while we made the best decision of our lives.

Last meal

2009-10-31T17:52:00.001-04:00

Tonight I cooked my last meal as a newlywed. I had the best intentions to make an elaborate meal tonight but after a long week, the couch won out over hours of intricate prep work.

When I was in Bermuda this summer, I fell in love with the veggie burger at the Swizzle Inn. I attempted tonight to recreate it and did pretty well. It is missing something, maybe cumin so I am going to try again. I’ll share the recipe once it is perfected.

Some butternut squash chips and fries rounded out our meal. I love winter squash but hate to peel it. Tonight I steamed it in the microwave first and it was easy to peel. I steamed it for 10 minutes but 7 would likely have been best since the edges were a bit mushy.

When we were on our honeymoon in Paris, we brought home a bottle of wine to drink on our first anniversary. Since our anniversary falls on a Sunday we thought it’d be best to get our drink on tonight with the French wine.

I was even fancy and decanted the wine into the decanter we used during our wedding ceremony.

I’m off to drink wine and pass out candy to the trick or treaters. Happy Halloween to the blog world and Happy Almost Anniversary to the husband!

Caramel Corn

2009-10-27T10:42:00.000-04:00

My mom has been making this caramel corn ever since we first got a microwave. There are a lot of fancier caramel corn recipes out there but this is my old trusty.

Ingredients

-1 stick butter

-1 cup brown sugar

-1/4 cup white corn syrup

-1/2 teaspoon salt

-1/2 teaspoon baking soda

-3 to 4 quarts air popped popcorn

Pop the popcorn and put it in a brown paper shopping bag.

Combine the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup and salt in a microwave safe bowl (I use my big Pyrex measuring cup). Microwave and bring to a boil for 2 minutes.

Take caramel mixture from the microwave and stir in the baking soda. Pour the syrup into the bag – be careful, I once dropped my mixing spoon the bag at this point and burned my hand trying to retrieve it.

Roll the top of the bag down a few times and shake vigorously.

Put bag into microwave and cook for 90 seconds.

Remove bag and shake the bejesus out of it.

Return it to the microwave for another 90 seconds.

Carefully dump it out onto a cookie sheet to cool. Store in an air tight container.

Enjoy!

Buffalo Chicken Dip

2009-10-26T10:33:00.000-04:00

I learned this recipe from one of my internet friends. While I don’t eat chicken, I can’t personally vouch for the delicious factor, it has been well received at parties and football games this fall.

Ingredients

-2 chicken breasts

- 1/2 bottle of wing sauce

- 1/2 brick of cream cheese

- 1/2 cup of blue cheese or ranch dressing

Since I’m a crock pot addict, I cook the chicken in the crock pot with the wing sauce. Then I either shred the chicken with two forks or run it through the food processor. If you had precooked chicken, you could shred it and then marinate it in the wing sauce.

Combine the cream cheese and dressing and then add the chicken.

We serve it cold with celery and either pita chips or wheat thins.

Do you have an easy go to dip recipe?

Sunday Snack Time

2009-10-25T22:25:00.001-04:00

Every week, the husband and I go to trivia with some friends. Our team was invited to the regional competition. Yes, I realize how nerdy that sounds. We had our Quizzo team over this afternoon to play some trivia games in preparation of the big event.

I have to say, our snack spread was fantastic. Two Smitten Kitchen recipes made the table.

The peanut butter brownies were a huge hit, as were the miniature soft pretzels.

We’re so close to Halloween, I felt we needed a candy like treat. Caramel corn fit the bill nicely.

This Buffalo Chicken Dip is always a crowd pleaser.

How did you spend your Sunday?

Bretzel Rolls

2009-10-23T05:46:00.000-04:00

I had a taste for soft pretzels earlier this week. I stopped at our local pretzel shop but they were closing for the night and were out of them. A tragedy right?

I remembered that Smitten Kitchen had a post about Bretzel Rolls that I had been meaning to try.

Mine were not as beautiful as Deb’s but they are delicious.

I think now I need to change our dinner plans and have soup to go along with these.

What does Martha know?

2009-10-21T05:40:00.000-04:00

Amongst Martha’s insane origami skills, she is the master of macaroni and cheese.

Friends of ours welcomed their second son recently. To take some stress off their hands, we delivered dinner. I wanted something that would reheat easily, so we brought over BBQ chicken, mac and cheese, salad and an apple pie.

I won’t lie, the recipe is rather labor intensive. It is so very worth it though, we call it crackaroni and cheese, it’s that good. When I make it, I always double the batch and stash some in the freezer.

It was a cold and rainy Saturday when I pulled this bad boy out of the freezer. It recooked beautifully and along with some roasted green beans and a glass of wine it was a perfect rainy day dinner.

Do you cook ahead? What is stashed in your freezer?

Pumpkin and Black Bean Soup

2009-10-19T05:33:00.000-04:00

There was canned pumpkin open and quickly approaching it’s use by or toss by day. Fall is settling in and there was a chill in the house. Put those two facts together and you get pumpkin and black bean soup.

I used Rachael Ray’s recipe. I followed it pretty closely other than I swapped a can of fat free evaporated milk for the heavy cream. I also upped the spices which wasn’t really needed since it ended up being almost too spicy.

When I went to the store for ingredients, I found locally grown and canned tomatoes. I shouldn’t be surprised since NJ is the Garden State, but I had never noticed these guys before.

I liked the soup but felt like I couldn’t taste much pumpkin. If I make it again, I’ll dial back the spices and probably add more beans to make it a denser soup.

What are your favorite vegetarian soups?

Food Swap!

2009-10-18T17:25:00.001-04:00

Recently I learned that my pal Meg had never enjoyed the goodness that is Nutella. Then I heard that she can’t get Nutella in Louisiana. I know, that is crazy talk. We arranged a food swap STAT.

I sent Meg an extra large jar of Nutella and stuck in some TastyKakes for Meg and M to enjoy.

In return, Meg sent me a box of Louisiana specialties.

Hot sauce, Jambalaya mix, two different corn bread mixes and some Cajun seasoning. We can’t wait to sample all the LA delights.

What foods from your area would you send for a food swap?

Travel Weary

2009-10-11T20:46:00.001-04:00

Greetings Blog World! The husband and I have been making our tour of midsized North Eastern cities - Portsmouth, Wilmington and Syracuse. We timed our visits perfectly to check out the foliage in NY and NH.

We’ve had a great time visiting friends but man, I’m beat. Being on the road three weekends straight makes it difficult to keep up with things around the house.

Speaking of the house, we’ve decided that someone has put a plague on our house. When we came home for Portsmouth, we discovered a flooded crawl space. Our household now contains a sump pump and we made some plumbers very happy with the two days of work they did fixing the leak(s).

Thankfully I have the day off tomorrow. It will be chock full of errands, chores and perhaps a bit of baking.

Kitchen Goodies Friday

2009-10-02T08:00:00.001-04:00

And the space saving continues.

We have no room for spices on these counters. When I found these magnetic spice jars, I literally jumped for joy in Linens and Things. My most frequently used spices hang out on the fridge while their more elusive friends camp out in the cabinet.

Also hanging out on top of the fridge are my canisters for sugar, brown sugar, flour and coffee with my tubs of utensils. Luckily we're tall enough that we can reach these with ease.

Where do you hide your kitchen essentials?

Kitchen Goodies Thursday

2009-10-01T16:18:00.000-04:00

Day four of the kitchen tour.

Yesterday I alluded that our kitchen was getting up there in years. The kitchen itself is quite spacious, the cabinets tho are tiny and limited in number.

When you’re faced with limited counter space, you’ve got to get creative in stashing your kitchen gadgets.

We received fancy pants knives as a wedding gift and had no where to put them. Enter an under the counter knife block. It's fun, it swivels, it keeps our knives close at hand without cluttering the counter.

Tech Tip

2009-09-30T20:23:00.001-04:00

My cousin is a die hard tech guru. He introduced me to Lite Facebook. All the fun of facebook with no updates about quizzes or games.

Go forth and update.

Kitchen Goodies Wednesday

2009-09-30T09:14:00.000-04:00

The horror of every kitchen is where to stash the trash. My circa 1964 kitchen is limited in cabinet space so stashing the trash under the counter was a no go.

What’s a gal to do with her trash? Get a stylish trash can.

When we were getting married, I couldn’t bring myself to register for an obscenely priced trash can. My wonderful bridesmaids knew how much I wanted this beautiful garbage collector and surprised me with it at our shower.

Thank you bridesmaids and thank you Simple Human. Our lovely trash can is stylish enough to be left out in sight. When my hands are goopy, I love just stepping on the pedal and dumping the trash in. The lid always lowers itself to keep the kitchen free of trashy smells.

Do you feel guilty about ridiculous priced items in the kitchen?

Kitchen Goodies Tuesday

2009-09-29T09:06:00.000-04:00

Welcome to day two in my kitchen tour.

Here’s a little tidbit about the people in my marriage. One person wakes up in the morning without an alarm clock and with a very cheerful disposition. The other smashes the alarm clock and grumbles all the way to the shower.

Oh, one of us requires large doses of caffeine to face the day and one doesn’t

I my friends and the grumpy coffee gulper. Thankfully, I have the world’s easiest coffee pot.

Seriously, how did I live without my Keurig for so long? The perfect cup of coffee every time with minimal set up or clean up. I have it set on a timer so the blue glow welcomes me every morning.

Here’s a budget friendly tip, if you are looking for a Keurig, buy it at a Wholesale club, it is cheaper and comes with tons of sample K-cups. We also have a filter so we can use any coffee in the Keurig, tho it is messier that way?

Do you wake up cheerfully like the husband? Or nasty and grumpy like this hyphenated-wife?

Kitchen Goodies Monday

2009-09-28T15:49:00.001-04:00

As most of you know, I’m a bit obsessed with baking. I’m starting off the week of my favorite kitchen gadgets with my best baking tools.

The work horse of the kitchen, my beloved KA mixer. No fancy Artisan mixers for me, I’ve had the standard white model for years and I love it. My mom and grandma have the same ones so I’m in good company with classic white.

On the left is a standard KA beater, on the right a Beater Blade. Honestly the best innovation since they decided to slice the bread before selling it. The rubber attachments scrape the bowl for you and makes perfect cookie dough.

The infamous ice cream scooper used for cookie dough. I held out for years before starting to use one and now I am a convert.

What are your must have baking gadgets?

Adventures in menu planning

2009-09-20T10:51:00.001-04:00

Sunday mornings I enjoy my coffee with a stack of cookbooks and grocery store ads. Spending a few hours on Sunday prepping for the week really helps to keep me sane. I try to get a head start on cooking for the week on Sundays, but even just getting a plan for what we are eating when is a huge sanity saver.

Today, I made a batch of baked ziti split into two 8x8 pans. One heads directly to the freezer to be used another week, the other is currently baking to bubbly perfection and will be one dinner and a few lunches this week.

When I’m working full time+, our meals aren’t super exciting during the week but we’re fed with mostly healthy foods. This week is a bit higher on processed foods then I’d like, but at least it isn’t take out or fast food.

Here’s the plan for this week.

Sunday – Tilapia, corn on the cob, grilled portabellos with goat cheese

Monday – Leftovers from last night’s holiday feast

Tuesday – the husband has a work dinner, so I’ll make up some black beans for a quesadilla, the rest will be seen later this week

Wednesday – I’ll be out at a work thing, so I prepped spaghetti and meatballs for the husband

Thursday – Tacos, chicken from our freezer stash for the husband, black beans for me

Friday – a box of TJ’s Madras Lentil and brown rice

What are you eating this week?

Rosh and the Sha Na Nas

2009-09-19T16:08:00.001-04:00

L'shanah tovah everyone. I’ve been a busy bee prepping for Rosh Hashanah.

The table is set and ready for guests and more food

Dessert is my favorite course, I can’t wait to hack into the apple cake.

Challah that come off very dark draped with a napkin from the husband’s grandma.

Kugel, sweet and sour brisket and matzo ball soup, oh my!

If we won’t have enough food tonight, tomorrow we’re meeting friends in Philly for Restaurant Week. Happy New Year!

Easy like Sunday morning

2009-09-13T10:25:00.001-04:00

After our busy week, we’re having a lazy Sunday morning at home. If the husband wakes up early on Sundays, he usually goes into the office for a few hours. Today was one of those mornings where we both slept till 9:00. It was heavenly.

Since I had the husband to cook for, I upped the ante on my usual morning oats. Chopped apples were sauteed in a dab of real butter and then I added a bit of brown sugar and cinnamon. It really brightened up my normal oats and was a great weekend treat.

The husband was the beneficiary of my desire to learn how to make omelets a la Julia Child. No pictures were snapped but the husband swears it was good.

Like a good NJ girl, I love weekend breakfasts at the local diner, but eating a non greasy breakfast whilst in pajamas is pretty nice too.

Did you have breakfast in our out today?

Social Butterflies

2009-09-11T20:30:00.001-04:00

Our social calendar has been jam packed this week. The husband and I had loads of fun, but we’re exhausted. Must have something to do with the fact that our ages start with 3s instead of 2s.

A cocktail party tomorrow night will complete the week’s festivities. I am hoping to fully relax on Sunday, maybe the dreary weather will clear up and we can veg out on the beach.

Can you still stay out like you once did?

And the obsession continues

2009-09-09T22:32:00.001-04:00

So, the United States was playing soccer against Trinidad and Tobago. According to the husband, it was kind of a big deal and we had some friends over to watch the game. In my warped, pie obsessed brain, that translated to MUST MAKE PIE.

Of course, it’s a Smitten Kitchen knock off. Sorry we hacked into it prior to the photo op.

It was utterly delicious. But with three pies under my belt this week, I think it’s time to call a pastry time out.

Step away from the KitchenAid

2009-09-07T13:34:00.001-04:00

I’ve been on a mission to ~~perfect~~ improve my pie making skills. Last week I made an apple pie, yesterday a plum galette and now, lemon meringue.

We were invited to an impromto cookout today and I had lemons that needed to be used. Combine that fact with my current obsession with pastry dough and you get lemon meringue pie.

Transforming egg whites into fluffy peaks of meringue is pretty satisfying. I’m quite grateful for my KitchenAid and as it was whipping those egg whites into shape, I thought of how long it would take me to complete the task with a whisk.

Today’s recipe come from the Better Homes and Gardens Old Fashioned Home Baking, one of my favorite baking books.

I am addicted to cookbooks, soon we’ll need to be adding an addition to house them. What cookbooks are on your go to list?

Sunday Supper

2009-09-06T18:12:00.001-04:00

We continued our battle of the ceiling fan this morning. Then decided that the beach was calling us.

Sadly for us, it was an overcast and blustery beach day, but relaxing none the less.

We’re heading out tonight to see friends of our who are renting a beach house for the week in Sea Isle. The plan is for drinks and dessert on the patio. In my continued quest to master pastry dough, I decided on a plum galette. As usual, I was inspired by Smitten Kitchen.

Not as beautiful as Deb's but I’m getting there.

Tonight’s dinner was a collection of our favorites from this summer’s menu. Tilapia, roasted fingerling potatoes and corn on the cob.

So what if the entire entree is beige, it is darn tasty.

What foods have routinely hit your table lately?

Dear Home Depot

2009-09-05T19:16:00.001-04:00

You may want to grab a fire extinguisher, because your pants are on fire.

The ceiling fan I bought is not in fact, installed in minutes with just 3 easy steps.

We’re nearing hour 3 of attempting to install this beast. The sun is setting and we’re no longer able to see.

If we don’t have better luck tomorrow, I’ll be bringing you back pieces of the fan and asking for our money back.

Signed,

The Disgruntled Wife

We really are the Garden State

2009-09-04T12:33:00.001-04:00

I stopped at a roadside stand on my way home last night. These unmanned stands dot the roads all summer. Bag your produce and deposit your money in a box on the honor system.

If you’re in NJ, check out the list of roadside stands and farmer’s markets.

My loot included cherry tomatoes and a pepper for a whopping $2.

I have no clue how they were raised, but considering they rode from field to stand on a little red tractor, the environmental impact is likely small.

Half of the tomatoes became a quick chunky pasta sauce.

Toss the tomatoes with olive oil, kosher salt and pepper then pop into a super hot 450 oven. We call these exploding tomatoes as the first time I made them, I thought something was seriously awry since they tend to pop in the oven.

Give them a shake every few minutes, when they’ve wrinkling up, take them out and mash them up a bit and toss with your favorite pasta.

Had I been thinking, adding some basil or oregano would have been a nice touch, but it was after 8:00 and we were hungry.

Here’s an update on Mr. Pepper, still no signs of changing colors.

As American as apple pie

2009-09-03T10:47:00.000-04:00

I think I’ve finally made a pie that doesn’t look like a Frankenstein creation. They almost always taste great, but I have a hard time handling pastry dough. So far, this is my prettiest pie to date. Deb, of Smitten Kitchen fame, has a great recipe for pie crust using the food processor.

Friends of our just welcomed their second baby and we brought dinner over to them. I have to say that Martha Stewart’s mac and cheese recipe is heavenly. Mac and Cheese and BBQ chicken were on the menu so apple pie seemed like a great finish.

What are your tips for perfect pies?

Back to School

2009-09-02T09:02:00.000-04:00

Well blog world, September is here and I’m headed back to the world of full time work tomorrow.

I’m starting to get prepared, the backpack is cleaned out from summer fun and I have a brand new lunch bag to start the school year.

Looking back at my beginning of summer to do list, I feel pretty accomplished.

- ~~paint trim and shutters outside~~
- refinish new to us table
- ~~continue the ongoing battle of tree trimming~~
- ~~closet organization~~
- ~~touch up painting inside~~

Since we discovered hardwood floors underneath our fugly carpet, that was a big unexpected to do added to the list. We’re all done with the exception of one last bedroom.

The summer was also filled with lots of family and fun. We traveled to New York for the husband’s high school reunion and I had 24 hours in Bermuda for a friend’s wedding. Some lazy beach days were mixed in with fun evenings out on the town.

At dinner last week, we realized that this is the first summer in our house that was relaxing. In 2007, we had recently moved in and were faced with the daunting task of painting every surface in the house while adjusting to new jobs. In 2008, we were in the throws of wedding planning. 2009 has been a most excellent summer, I can’t wait to see what 2010 brings!

How did summer 2009 fare for you?

Mission Accomplished

2009-09-01T15:33:00.001-04:00

My summer rejuvenate our curb appeal project is finished!

Our house upon purchase in the Spring of 07,

Now, after 3 summers of ~~love~~ blood sweat and tears,

(excuse the grass clippings)

Our front door has gone from blah to blue

My next outdoor project is to do something with the bricked over garage door.

Remember my favorite tree from earlier this summer? It is really blooming now.

I must remember next year to plant pink and purple impatiens in that flower bed so they’ll coordinate nicely.

Today was my last day of summer vacation :( I had a lovely morning at the spa, courtesy of the husband. This afternoon I painted the front door and mowed the yard.

My lunch was an ode to elementary school today, PBJ on white with a glass of milk.

Tonight we have Quizzo with friends. I need to pack my lunch and set out my clothes before we leave.

Adios Summer!

Debut of the garden pepper

2009-08-31T12:41:00.001-04:00

Finally, our pepper plants have decided to be productive. This guy is supposed to turn red, but he’s been on the plant at this size for 2 weeks with no signs of color change.

Do they change color off the vine or did we get scammed?

Where has the Hyphenated Wife been?

2009-08-30T22:11:00.001-04:00

I’ve been up on a ladder painting all week. Our house has vinyl siding which is not my favorite but it is at least low maintenance. Our trim and gutters were in serious need of repainting. Here is the before.

And how it looks with white trim.

I finished about 75% of the house when I admitted defeat. I’m just not comfortable climbing to the tippy top of the house on an extension ladder. So I called in help and hopefully the painters will be here this week.

While I’m disappointed that I needed to call in help, I’m still proud of what I was able to finish. I think I even surprised the husband with my handiness/ability to climb up a ladder and onto the roof to paint the eaves

What have you done lately that you are proud of?

Black Bean Kick

2009-08-25T08:46:00.000-04:00

I love beans, but black beans are my absolute favorite bean. I’ve been bored with our menus as of late, so I’m hoping to try one new recipe every week.

Up tonight, Black Bean Chilaquile from the Moosewood Low-Fat Cookbook.

I sauteed onion in olive oil and then added a can of black beans, garden tomatoes and farm market corn. Poured that over some crushed tortillas. That yummy mixture was then topped with salsa, cheese and spinach, then another layer of chips and cheese.

I loved it, the husband liked it. Neither of us was a fan of the spinach so we’ll nix the greens on the next attempt.

Hanging out with the casserole tonight was sauteed squash a la Smitten Kitchen. I grated a zucchini with a patty pan squash and sauteed them in olive oil with a bit of garlic, salt and pepper.

What’s your favorite bean?

Black Bean Hummus

2009-08-24T09:27:00.000-04:00

I bought black bean hummus at the grocery store a few weeks ago and it was delish. Lately, I haven’t been able to find it in the store. Hummus is so easy to make, I really need to make it more often rather than buying the expensive premade varieties.

Today I challenged myself to make black bean hummus.

A can of rinsed and drained black beans with loads of garlic, 1 tsp of cumin, some ground cayenne, red pepper flakes, lemon juice and a tablespoon or two of olive oil. Give it a spin in the food processor and …

VOILA! HUMMUS!

Black bean hummus doesn’t always look appetizing, but it sure is tasty. I turned some of this into a crack wrap for lunch today. A healthy wrap with some cheese and hummus, toasted to perfection on a hot skillet. I have crack wraps for lunch several times a week. They're still good lukewarm at lunch time on days when I need to pack lunch. Just make sure you don't put a steaming hot wrap into your lunch bag or you'll have a sog fest at lunch.

Hey Bill

2009-08-23T13:59:00.008-04:00

Hurricane Bill is certainly churning things up around here. Normally you can see all of the jetty, not just the end rock.

Atlantic City, is that you? I can barely see you.

We got to the beach this morning during high tide and there wasn't much beach to be found. We staked out a spot on dry land and set up our beach home.

Who is that peaking through our umbrella? That's Lucy. She's in her glory, all 65 feet of her. Lucy was built in the 1880s by a real estate agent to attract customers. She's since been relocated to her current lookout and has been refurbished. If you're in the Atlantic City area, come visit Lucy.

I'm somewhat of a high maintenance beach goer. My lily white skin needs to be shaded by the umbrella and I can't last a day at the beach without a chair. I am a HUGE fan of the back pack beach chair. Complete with cup holder, cell phone pocket, insulated cooler pouch and separate pouch for your towel and book, I really don't think there is a more perfect chair. Strap the chair on my back and the umbrella bag over my shoulder and I'm ready to hit the sand hands free.

Even with the rough seas and rip tides, we had a great beach morning. Especially since we avoided the badge checkers. I normally don't mind paying for beach access and buy a seasonal badge. I never got around to it this year, so I am playing Avoid the Noid with the badge checkers. So far, I've only paid once this season.

I'm off to wash the and from in between my toes.

A night on the boards

2009-08-21T21:52:00.002-04:00

When the husband came home from work earlier than expected, we decided to escape the oppressive heat and head to the beach.

It was bright and sunny when we arrived, but storm clouds quickly passed over. Thankfully they were gone as fast as they appeared.

Life on the boardwalk is so carefree. The most difficult decisions were food related.

Should we get pizza at

And should dessert come from

We played air hockey [the husband’s winning streak continues :( ] and rode the ferris wheel. It was the perfect evening.

The joy of homeownership

2009-08-21T12:08:00.001-04:00

We’ll start with the positive, my favorite tree is in bloom.

Now onto the things that have been or need to be replaced this month. We’ll work in descending order of price.

Our brand new furnace, it is nice and shiny.

See the dowel currently holding our window in position, that won’t last the winter.

Our lawn mower decided to conk out this morning.

Calgon, take me away.

Finally, the Farmer’s Market

2009-08-20T15:49:00.001-04:00

I’ve been trying to get to the Farmer’s Market all summer. Since it’s high tourist season, it would be impossible to get in and out of a weekend market, so most are on weekday mornings. That doesn’t jive so well with a working lifestyle.

Finally, a Thursday morning where I was working, in Bermuda or having work done at the house. Success! The market was larger than I expected, set in the parking lot of a local restaurant.

My loot includes two patty pan squash, four ears of corn, a single serving sized watermelon, a bag of fingerling potatoes and Ginger Gold apples, the first NJ apples of the season.

I’ve never had the squash before, the farmer suggested grilling or cooking like zukes. I’ll report back.

The market has a great location, right across from the bay and marina. I snapped a picture on my way back to the car.

For my NJ readers, I found a toll bridge today that much to my surprise doesn’t accept EZPass. Thankfully I didn’t spend all my money on veggies. I learned my lesson, I will continue to exit the island from the south side, where the bridge is free.

Sunday Morning Hangover

2009-08-16T23:05:00.001-04:00

My friend’s husband lines up his empty beer bottles to keep track of how many he’s had. Looks like a good time was had by all, right?

We had minor mix up with our margarita mix. A guest brought a bottle of the just add ice margaritas. That little gem of information was written in small font, causing all my margaritas to be doubles.

I had a bit of a headache this morning, which was cured in part by the husband bringing bagels back to us hungover gals. The second part of my hangover cure was going to the beach and having more margaritas.

All in all, it was a perfect weekend. Tomorrow I’ll be returning the Hyphenated Household to it’s normal state.

Party Time

2009-08-15T15:28:00.001-04:00

Our air conditioning went out earlier this week, when it was a balmy 100 degrees. We normally sweat it out, but with a house full of friends expected, we called our friendly neighborhood HVAC company.

The news was grim, our AC problem was actually a furnace problem. I don’t speak HVAC so my interpretation of the problem was blower….melted….carbon monoxide.

The Hyphenated Household has a new addition, a brand new furnace. We’re thrilled.

We’re also having a party. Tacos and Tequila. I’ve been a busy bee setting things up.

The bar area

The crockpot family, parties are much easier when the food cooks itself.

The area formerly known as toaster oven station, is now Margaritaville

I was looking through the husband’s grandma’s table cloth collection, and found this gem which is perfect for our Fiesta.

Adios Amigos!

And the squash saga continues

2009-08-13T07:46:00.000-04:00

So far this week, we’ve had spaghetti with squash,

Zucchini bread,

and now, goat cheese and squash pizza.

I found the pizza recipe at Smitten Kitchen. Deb is a treasure trove of fantastic recipes, each and every one I’ve made has been utterly fantastic. This pizza was one of the first savory dishes of hers that I’ve made and it did not disappoint. Thanks Deb.

I was just about to make my own pizza dough when I remembered a gem I had hanging out in the freezer, Trader Joe’s whole wheat pizza dough.

Sadly, we don’t have a neighborhood TJ’s but we stop when in Philly. This dough often makes its way home with us and we turn it into pizza or calzones. Delish.

I’m beginning to run out of squash ideas, do you folks have any squash inspiration?

Squash Attack

2009-08-12T13:13:00.001-04:00

Wonder what happens when you forget to check on the squash in the garden?

With two large zucchinis in the house, I decided to make zucchini bread.

I lightened up a classic recipe with using a mixture of whole wheat and white flour, mostly egg whites with one whole egg and 1/3 oil to the rest applesauce.

Yum!

Garden of Eating

2009-08-11T09:24:00.000-04:00

Our meal was mostly home grown tonight. I went out to the garden on Saturday to check how things had fared while I was in Bermuda and I found a bunch of Roma tomatoes and two gigantic zucchinis.

I gathered up the maters with some oregano and basil and made a pot of marinara. While the pasta was cooking, thinly sliced up about 1/3 of a zucchini and tossed it for the last 2 minutes of pasta boiling.

The husband’s meal also had meatballs. From the ethically raised ground beef I bought a few weeks ago, I made a batch of meatballs for the freezer. Having a quick and healthy go to meal in the house really helps on hectic weeknights. The rest of the marinara joined the meatballs in the freezer so there are more pasta meals ahead of us.

What are some of your go to weeknight meals?

Honey Do List, Day One

2009-08-10T19:37:00.001-04:00

Today marked my first real day as at stay at home wife for the month of August. I’ll still be seeing my Early Intervention clients which is usually about 10 hours a week, but some are on summer schedules.

The husband and I agreed that I should take some time off in August to handle projects around the house. My original plan for today was to clean the gutters, I know you are really jealous. Lucky for me, there was a heat advisory today, so being on a ladder all day wasn’t the best of ideas. Since my honey do list is full, I was easily able to find something productive to do today.

Operation Carpet Removal continues. So far, the stairs have been the worst of it. Each tread had about one hundred staples that needed to be pried out and then have their holes filled.

Here is what the stairs looked like when we moved in

[Note, the gilded frames have been relocated]

Here’s the hallway post carpet removal and painting

I could get used to this stay at home thing, September is going to be tough.

24 hours in Bermuda

2009-08-09T09:36:00.001-04:00

My flight landed in Bermuda at lunch time on Thursday and I was back in the airport at lunch on Friday waiting to come home. It was a whirlwind trip filled with friends who really are family, good food and drinks, a tad of sight seeing and an hour on the beach. Here’s a summary in pictures of my twenty four hours in Bermuda.

Bargain Alert

2009-08-08T09:50:00.001-04:00

Restaurants.com is having a sale on gift certificates. Most $25 certificates are on sale for $10. There is a catch, most can only be used on $50 purchases and there are some meal and day restrictions. Read carefully, but there are deals to be had.

I used the coupon code PORTION and received an 80% discount. We scored $60 worth of gift cards for $4.80. In the near future, we’ll be dining at Sonsie, GameOn! and Gianna’s.

Eat up!

Greetings from Bermuda

2009-08-06T15:02:00.001-04:00

I had an early flight this morning. Normally I don’t mind early flights since it gives you longer time at your destination. It didn’t quite work out for me today since my plane spent an hour taxiing before we could take off. Boo.

Bermuda is hot. Considering we’ve been air conditioning free in the humid NJ summer, this is saying a lot. I was melting just a few minutes out of the airport.

Right off the plane, I hopped a bus and headed to the Swizzle Inn. A local bar whose motto is Swizzle Inn, Swagger Out. I treated myself to a lunchtime Rum Swizzle.

And perhaps the best lentil burger on Earth, I need to replicate this at home.

I walked around Hamilton for about an hour and then bussed it to my hotel in Southampton.

Since the hotel doesn’t have my room ready and I have no where to stash my bags while I go to the pool, I decided to try another local drink, the Dark and Stormy.

If my room isn’t ready soon, this fancy pants luxury hotel may see a bit of NJ attitude. Right now my fingers are tightly crossed that I’ll be able to shower before going to tonight’s wedding.

Going to Bermuda

2009-08-05T21:01:00.001-04:00

And all I am bringing is

well, and maybe this

A hugeass purse and Sigg, my old faithful water bottle.

It’s a quick one night trip to see one of my dearest friends get married on the beach. I’ll be sure to take loads of pictures, I’m especially looking forward to a Rum Swizzle.

Off to bed with me, my flight is early.

And the winners are…

2009-08-05T08:56:00.001-04:00

Jen and Rachel. Keep an eye out for your coupons ladies! Thanks for playing with us.

1st Hyphenated Housewife Giveaway

2009-08-03T08:07:00.000-04:00

It is pay it forward time at Hyphenated Housewife. With my blog giveaway won tickets, the husband and I went to the AC Food and Wine Festival. Where we got coupons for Fage Total yogurt.

To enter, leave a comment with your favorite yogurt. Extra entries for linking the giveaway in your blogs. Contest runs until midnight on Tuesday.

Happy Giveaway!

Atlantic City Food and Wine Festival

2009-08-02T16:08:00.001-04:00

I won tickets to the AC Food and Wine Festival from Valerie at Mom Knows It All. There was a bit of a mix up with our tickets, so thank you to Valerie for helping us through the red tape.

The husband and I arrived at 12 on the dot. We were wise to beat the crowds as some booths had run out of food the night before.

Wine, beer and mixed drinks were flowing. I think we did a nice job of sampling while still drinking in moderation. It would have been easy to stumble out of Bally's when we were done.

Lots of AC restaurants had booths with samples as well as companies with snacks, fancy pants vinegars and oils, nuts, BBQ sauce, you name it, there was a booth for it.

Marshmallow fondue from the Melting Pot.

Greek yogurt with peaches. Thanks Fage for the coupons.

Tiny limoncello gelato cone from the bakers at Ballys.

Tomato and basil gnocchi from Polistina’s at Harrahs.

Grilled lobster cerviche from Rib & Chophouse at Showboat.

Yummy chocolates.

Once sufficiently full of samples, we headed outside to the outlets. I had a 30% off coupon for Gap, Banana and Old Navy that was burning a hole in my pocket.

Terrible weather for walking around, but we got some good deals at the Gap.

Here’s my Atlantic City tip for you. Even if you don’t gamble, sign up for the casino rewards card. We saved $15 dollars in parking today buy using our reward card.

I’m off to dry off and take a nap on this rainy afternoon.

Food and Friends

2009-08-02T00:09:00.001-04:00

Our friends came to visit from Philly tonight. We had dinner reservations but I put out some snacks anyway while we were chatting. I stopped this morning at the Cheese Board and grabbed some cheese, A Bella Vitano (left) which was cheddar like and a goat’s Gouda. Both choices were excellent.

The bread in the picture is from a Smitten Kitchen recipe. It is seriously the easiest bread I’ve ever made. No bread maker required.

We took the scenic route to Ventnor for our dinner at Sage. For those who think the best food in Atlantic City is found in the casinos, you need to think outside the box. This BYOB is a gem. I had the Lobster Risotto and it was out of this world. Sometimes restaurant risottos come out gummy but this was perfection.

Our summer evening ended with a walk on the AC boardwalk. Thanks to Nikki and Joe for coming to visit.

MJ

2009-08-01T14:58:00.002-04:00

Creepy MJ display at Versailles
Originally uploaded by soapie1978

With all the Michael Jackson coverage of late, I can't believe I forgot about this photo.

We honeymooned in Paris over New Years. On a sleety day, we took the train to Versailles. We were greeted with the remnants of an ice storm and throngs of tourists. Crowd control was nothing like we're used to in the US. We waited for at least an hour outside with people bumping and elbowing their way to buy tickets.

After fighting the crowds, we did finally make it inside the castle. We had expected floor to ceiling antiques. Instead, we walked into a modern art exhibit. Complete with metallic balloon animal sculptures and a statue of MJ with Bubbles.

It was dangerously crowded inside, I've never been in such cramped quarters before. We made a beeline for the first exit we saw.

Word to the wise, buy your Versailles tickets BEFORE going and be prepared for crowds and creepy sculptures.

No Power

2009-07-31T20:09:00.001-04:00

It’s been Thunderstorms-R-us lately around here.

Tonight, we lost power for quite a bit. I realized that we’re not exactly prepared for a real emergency. I rustled some candles together before the sun went down. Hanukkah in July anyone?

Once the rain stopped, I set myself up outside for a bit.

Then an annoying drizzle started back up again so it was back inside for dinner. Thanks to our gas cook top, I was able to have a real dinner. Our handy menorah candle helped to light the stove.

Homemade black bean burger on sandwich thin with goat cheese and a pile of carrots. Not too shabby for having no power.

My plan for tonight was to clean the house as we have company coming tomorrow No such luck, but I was able to fold and put away the laundry and get in some quality unplugged time.

Ethical Eats

2009-07-30T08:14:00.000-04:00

We’re baby stepping towards a more ethical way of eating. The husband loves meat and potatoes, so meatloaf and roasted taters was the perfect meal to spotlight.

Meatloaf Muffins

1 pound ground beef, humanely raised
1 egg
1/2 onion
2 cloves minced garlic
breadcrumbs
salt & pepper
BBQ sauce

Mush together the egg, beef, onion, garlic with salt and pepper. Add breadcrumbs until the mixture feels right. Spray muffin tins with non stick spray and split meatloaf mixture into six portions. Top with BBQ sauce and bake for about 20 minutes

Roasted Taters

Chunk up 3 taters, cover with garlic, salt, pepper
Preheat oven to 550
Heat 1T olive oil and 2tsp butter in cast iron skillet
Sautee for about 4 minutes then put skillet in oven
Bake for 20 minutes, flipping once
Sprinkle with Malt Vinegar

I use the Malt Vinegar I won from Life in Vinegar. We usually don’t add vinegar to our potatoes, but they were sooo good, we’ll be doing it more in the future.

Baby steps

2009-07-28T12:43:00.000-04:00

We’re taking baby steps here in the hyphenated household to change how we procure our food. Last summer, after reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, I started buying more in season and locally grown produce. This year, we extended that by planting a larger garden. I’ve hardly had to buy any veggies this season.

Last week, I saw Food, Inc. Seriously, you all need to go and see how our current food system works. It has really caused me to think about how we are getting our meat.

Erin over at IWITH has tons of information on Ethical Eating, go check her out.

My small goal to help change our current food system is to have one meal a week with humane meat. This week at the grocery store, I picked up Laura’s Lean Beef, Stonyfield yogurt and some organic nuggets for the husband.

I’ll be back later this week with our Ethical Eating meal.

Odd Package

2009-07-27T12:57:00.000-04:00

I'm lucky. I have a job that is in demand and have thankfully never been out of work. Several times a week, I get mailings or phone calls from health care recruiters. Today's mailing was an odd one though.

Seeing a small box from a national rehab company, I was hoping for some good swag. Sitting on a bed of rafia was a flat magnet and a card from the company. I emptied the box to see if I was missing something, nope, they artfully arranged a magnet and note card in a box and mailed it. Totally random and a waste of packaging.

What's the weirdest thing you've received in the mail?

Like Food and Wine?

2009-07-26T20:52:00.001-04:00

Head on over to Mom Knows It All and enter her giveaway to win tickets to the Atlantic City Food and Wine Festival.

Saturday Night in Philly

2009-07-26T11:10:00.001-04:00

Q: Why does the hyphenated household sometimes escape the beach on the weekends?

A: Crazy traffic. It is often backed up for miles to get into town.

I forgot my camera. Bad blogger. So there are no pictures of what the husband referred to as our “Gastronomic Experience.”

Our night started at Beneluxx. Friends of ours had recommended this tasting room. The menu is somewhat overwhelming so we ordered the Chef’s Choice Cheese Board – a nice selection of hard to soft cheeses I’d never had a goat’s milk brie before and it was fantastic. Cheese board was served with baguette toast and a tray of chutneys and jam.

Wine and beer samplings were had by all. Truly a wide selection of choices at all price points. I sampled some whites and then finished with a full glass of a Meritage. The husband started with beer and ended with a delish Italian Pinot Grigio.

A typical finish to a Beneluxx trip would be chocolate tastings. We skipped chocolate on this trip, but will be sure to sample on our next visit.

The ever hungry husband wasn’t full from our tasting menu. We set out to wander Old City and look for a dessert spot. The husband saw two Afghan restaurants and decided that that our evening would not be complete without stopping.

So it was into Ariana Restaurant for us. Looking at the menu, it seemed somewhat similar to that of an Indian restaurant. The husband had the Kabuli Palow which was lamb covered in brown rice with carrots and raisins, it smelled fantastic. I ordered Chalow Kadu which was pumpkin sauteed with spices and topped with yogurt over rice. As a pumpkin lover, this was the perfect dish for me, sweet from the pumpkin with a little heat from the spices. Bread was served for the table, it was good with bagel like qualities. We finished our meal with baklava and Turkish coffee.

We loved our city date night and escape from the beach craziness. We’re headed out in bit to see friends in Brigantine, we’ll get our fill of summer fun today.

Earned Relaxation

2009-07-25T15:50:00.003-04:00

The husband goes into the office most Saturdays to meet with clients and catch up on paperwork. I think many wives would hate this, but I don't mind. It gives me the opportunity for weekend gym time and tackle the housework.

We've been somewhat ignoring our regular chores with Operation Carpet Removal and busy work and social calendars. Today was super productive Saturday. Before the husband came home for lunch, I had

tidied up the house
tackled the mountain of mail
cleaned the floors
washed, folded and (this is key) put away the laundry
weeded our overgrown flower beds and watered the plants.

My wonderful husband cleaned the bathroom when he returned. I hate to clean bathrooms so I was very lucky to marry a man who does a mean bathroom scrub down.

I'm reading Son of a Witch while the husband takes a power nap. Tonight is date night in Philly. We're trying a new to us restaurant, Beneluxx. I'll be back with a review tomorrow.

Happy Relaxing!

Giveaways!

2009-07-22T20:32:00.001-04:00

This week marked the first time I won a blog give away. Mandy over at Life in Vinegar sent me some fantastic looking malt vinegar. This definitely calls for some roasted taters.

Janetha over at Meals and Moves is running a giveaway for personalized Sigg bottles. I’ve had my Sigg for over a year now and let me tell, it is a wonderful thing.

Erin at I Walk In This World is giving away Musselman’s Healthy Picks Applesauce. They look delish.

Happy Blog Giveaways!

Meeting through memories

2009-07-21T08:55:00.000-04:00

Though I never met my husband’s grandparents, I feel like I know them, especially his grandma. We’re lucky enough to have inherited some of their things, and through the family stories I’ve heard and having their things in our home, I feel like I had a change to get to know them.

Grandma was a tough cookie. As a young girl, she and her siblings left Europe for NY to escape the Pogrom. They worked much harder then we can probably imagine to have a better life

Grandma and I would have been like peas and carrots. She was a classy lady with great style. We could have done some serious shopping damage together. I have some of her jewelry and wore her earrings on our wedding day. Her evening bags have been with me for some happening nights on the town.

I’m a sucker for dishes and linens, many of Grandma’s items fill our kitchen. This pink bowl is perfect for a small ice cream treat.

And we love the rocking sugar bowl.

We have some boxes left from her apartment and I’m hoping to find her recipe box, that would be an amazing connection to the family’s past.

Garden picks

2009-07-20T08:35:00.000-04:00

A pic of this week’s picks. We may turn into green beans with the frequency they’ve been stopping by our dinner table. To date, this is our biggest tomato take. I LOVE cherry tomatoes, these bad boys will be appearing in my lunch bag this week.

What is popping in your garden?

Grilled Portobello Mushroom with Goat Cheese

2009-07-19T20:14:00.001-04:00

After last night’s dinner, I wanted to recreate the fantastic portobello experience. I poked around online and tweaked recipes for what I had on hand to make this. The meat loving husband also had grilled chicken with an Asian wasabi marinade. I’ll be making this again for sure.

Ingredients:

2 Portobello mushroom caps
2 oz goat cheese
2 TBSP olive oil
1/4 cup each of fresh basil, oregano & parsley
4 TBSP balsamic vinegar
salt/pepper

Heat grill to medium. Whirl oil, herbs and vinegar in blender or food processor. Brush herb mixture on the underside of the portobello, grill for 5 minutes. Brush top with her mixture, flip and grill for 3-4 minutes. Slather the goat cheese on for the last 30 seconds or so.

I plated it over mixed greens with balsamic and polenta.

I crazily bought instant polenta and had to make the entire box. Any ideas of what to do with leftover polenta?

I’m back!

2009-07-18T23:16:00.001-04:00

Sorry for the break folks, work and home improvements have been sucking me dry.

Operation carpet removal continues on. We’re down to just one room left with foul flooring. I started ripping things up early this morning while the husband went to the office. He was my hero and brought me home lunch when I was famished.

I had ordered an area rug from Crate & Barrel with a super discount. As luck would have it, the rug arrived just was we finished the living room floors.

As a reward for our hard work, tonight was date night in Cape May. We rarely go there in season and boy was it hopping. Dinner was at A Ca Mia and it was fabulous. Our app was grilled portabella with goat cheese on a disc of polenta. Delish! I wish I had brought the camera for you guys.

A trip to the beach isn’t complete without ice cream. Kohr Bros. was had by all. Peanut butter for me and strawberry/banana for the husband.

Off to bed for me before I zonk out on the laptop.

Unveiling

2009-07-14T07:51:00.004-04:00

We now have two updated guest rooms. Woohoo!!

I still can't believe that we didn't take many "before" pictures of our house, but we do have "afters." In my free minutes last week, I ripped up the carpet in both of our guest rooms. Yesterday I ended up getting skunked out of some contract work I had been scheduled to do, so I cleaned and polished the hardwood and put the rooms back together again.

First up, our tiny guest room, formerly known as the Pink Room due to the floor to ceiling shades of pink.

The larger guest room had a rocking sea foam green carpet, 80's anyone?

Now off to our bedroom, the hallway and living room.

A weekend in pictures

2009-07-12T19:04:00.008-04:00

I spent the weekend in NYC for my good friend's bachelorette party. The new ACES train that offers an express train between Atlantic City and NY is a godsend - clean, reasonably priced and comes with bar service. What more could a gal want?

We took the bride to be for dinner at Mexican Radio. All I can say is holy party in my mouth. I split the Plantain Relleños and Spinach/Goat Cheese burritos with a friend. Both were fantastic.

The Duck Tour was not as entertaining as I had hoped, but I had fun being camera happy.

These subway cars were being recycled as reefs.

I love how 42nd street seems to cut the island in half.

The cruise ship terminal where the husband I took our first real dating vacation.

Off to spend time with the husband and get ready for work tomorrow.

Scenic Route

2009-07-10T12:04:00.000-04:00

Last month, my pal Erin posted about her hellish commute in NJ. I feel her pain and have experienced more than my share of jams.

A few nights a week, I end my day in a locale that allows me to take the scenic route home. While this doesn't make up for my bumper to bumper time, it does always cheer me up.

Seeing the golf course is almost like finishing a victory lap!

Off to work some more, thankfully tonight is the scenic route again!

Busy Bee

2009-07-09T15:53:00.004-04:00

I've been making good use of my down time this week.

Monday night, I trimmed our trees. We must have very friendly trees as they keep trying to enter our house. Either that or they want in on our cable. When the husband came home, he helped me tie up the trimmings and set them out for the city.

Tuesday was a work-a-thon so not much free time for this gal.

Yesterday I had a three hour break in between gigs. What can the hyphenated-housewife do in three hours? If your answer is pull up nasty carpet from the 80's and return furniture to the guest room, you're right. Seriously folks, pulling up carpet has got to be one of the nastiest jobs.

But all the dust was worth it, check out the beautiful floors that were hiding under sea foam green carpet.

We're in serious need of area rugs before I unveil the rest of the house. Any suggestions on where to shop for my flooring needs?

Jersey Fresh

2009-07-05T10:00:00.004-04:00

The first pickings from our garden this year. We shared them with my family for Friday night's dinner. With the exception of a box of pasta, we had an all local meal - fish caught nearby, beans from our garden and pesto from my mom's bumper crop of basil.

Soon we'll be overtaken by bushels of tomatoes, anyone have a to die for marinara recipe?

Happy Birthday America!

2009-07-04T10:00:00.001-04:00

Cakewrecks has some highly patriotic baked goods available for your entertainment.

We're hoping that our 4th will be filled with fireworks and fun not traffic and turmoil. The husband and I trekked up the Parkway last night to stay at a lovely B&B (aka my parents' house). We were treated to neighborhood poker night and as always, it was a ton of fun.

On our agenda today is some morning pool time, a BBQ with friends of mine who are home for the weekend from NH and then a trek, er crawl, back down the Parkway for another BBQ and fireworks.

*fingers crossed* for an easy drive.

What are you folks doing today?

Half off, half dead plants

2009-07-03T13:34:00.000-04:00

This may be one of my favorite sale signs, second only to shoes.

While I murder most houseplants, I love buying almost dead outdoor plants and reviving them. This past Mother's Day, my mom and I found 1/2 off Martha Washington geraniums at the grocery store.

I brought Martha and her twin sister Georgina home and replanted them. During their watering sessions, I've been plucking off the dead portions and watching them flourish. Here is what Martha looks like 2 months later.

Not too shabby, huh?

Parking Lot: FAIL

2009-06-28T20:28:00.001-04:00

The sign says Fuel Efficient Vehicles Only. Somehow, neither of these gas guzzlers seem to fit the bill.

We had a fun and friend filled weekend. New babies, a wedding, birthday party and a girls day of movies, lunch and shopping.

On my way home today, I stopped at Costco. Since I live in relative boonies by NJ standards, my closest Costco is over a half hour away. I was overly excited to wallow in blatant American commercialism. I may have won the healthiest cart award today, organic salad greens, strawberries, blueberries, milk, dried fruit and roasted edamame. I managed to escape without impulse buys which is always fantastic.

Adios.

Fingers crossed

2009-06-26T07:05:00.000-04:00

After this morning's weather check, I'm crossing my fingers that it stays dry today.

Selfishly, I have fun new sunglasses that I'm dying to wear. I don't have any clients to see until late this afternoon, so I'm headed out to visit an old friend. She has two boys, an infant and a super fun two year old. I'm going to give this momma a break so she can run some errands. I'd love to take the boys outside, so please stay out Mr. Sun. If not, I see lots of indoor forts in my future.

Can you believe there is a "how to" guide to build a blanket fort? Where has the creativity gone?

Rascally rabbits

2009-06-25T15:03:00.000-04:00

Last spring, the husband found a rabbit's nest in the back yard. From a distance, he'd peek in on them every night and report back as to how they were doing. Sadly, after a heavy rain, the rabbit babies didn't make it. The husband lovingly put them to rest under the holly tree.

That is where our love/hate relationship with the bunnies began.

As a new homeowner, I was looking forward to planting the flower beds. My parents brought down flats of annuals from a great market near their house. I watered and weeded, things were looking good.

Enter the rascally rabbits. Those stinkers ruined my beds and chomped off the buds of every plant.

This year, the husband wanted to admit defeat by the rabbits. I wasn't ready to give up, I knew their had to be a solution that was safe for the bunnies but would keep them out of my flowers.

Our garden center saved the day with a mixture of dried blood (yum), garlic and pepper. They rabbits have stayed out of the flowers and all is well.

The sun is out!

2009-06-22T09:03:00.000-04:00

Finally, it looks like we may have a dry day in the northeast. Woohoo!! Our recent weather proves that I couldn't hack living in the Pacific Northwest.

In other news, my hibiscus has returned to live. Every year around Mother's Day, I see rows and rows of beautiful hibiscus everywhere I turn. They come out just as I really need signs of spring and every year I have the internal battle of really wanting one and knowing that it is too early to bring one home.

Yet, every spring I end up with a hibiscus. Then we do the inside (where it isn't sunny enough) and outside (where it is too cold) dance until I end up with a half dead tree.

Well folks, the hibiscus is back in all it's blooming glory. What a way to officially welcome summer.

Happy Father's Day

2009-06-21T10:17:00.000-04:00

Klassy, right? That's how we roll.

Maiden Voyage, Kitchen Aid Edition

2009-06-20T15:08:00.000-04:00

Of all the fabulous gifts I received at my bridal shower, the one I was most excited to use was the ice cream maker attachment for my Kitchen Aid. Somehow wedding planning, work and other business got in the way and the ice cream maker sat sadly in the box for nine months.

Since we're trying to eat healthily in the hyphenated household, I decided to forgo ice cream and attempt sorbet. I tweaked this recipe from YumSugar. Next time, I'll add a bit more balsamic but we were both guilty of some bowl licking after the sorbet was gone.

I needed photo evidence of this momentous occasion:

And the finished product:

It's yet another rainy day here, so I'm off to the couch with a book. I've made good use of my library card lately, rainy days = lots of books.

Stay dry!

Beach Day: FAIL

2009-06-18T21:57:00.001-04:00

Today marked the first day of my more laid back summer schedule. I had planned to mark this occasion with a few hours of sand, sun and a good book. Sadly, the weather has forgotten what June feels like and it continues to be grey, wet and cold. Ugh.

So, instead of beaching it, I couched it instead. Since I'm still getting over a nasty sinus infection, the couch was probably the best locale for me anyway. I plowed through two easy beachy books and catch up on some bills.

I also scored a good deal on new glasses today. Who knew you could bargain on eyewear, but I walked out of the office with a $150 discount. My mom will be so proud.

Hopefully tomorrow brings us some sun as my garden is begging for my attention.

Back on the wagon

2009-06-17T20:02:00.000-04:00

Ever lose your cooking mojo? End of the school year craziness + busy weekends + off our normal routine = lots of fast dinners in the hyphenated house. While we love breakfast for dinner, I've been relying too much on pancakes and eggs.

I buckled down tonight and made a "real" dinner for the husband. He's very easy to cook for and always appreciative, but I've been feeling badly about the sorry state of meals of late.

Since we're still getting pretty cool weather, I fired up the oven for Herbed Lentil & Brown Rice Casserole and some roasted green beans. I experimented with a new chicken recipe for the carnivorous husband, Greek Lemon Chicken. He loved it, hopefully enough to enjoy the leftovers tomorrow.

Escape to Europe?

2009-06-16T07:08:00.001-04:00

We honeymooned in Paris and I am hooked. The husband took a trip to Amsterdam during law school and I took a quick weekend jaunt across the pond to London, but we are craving more time in Europe.

There are some great travel deals to be had right now and Suddenly Frugal is talking Europe today.

It doesn't look like Europe is in the cards for us this summer but we are hoping to get back quickly.

What are your favorite Europe trips?

Peanut Buttery Giveaway

2009-06-15T20:32:00.000-04:00

Click on over to Erin at I Walk In This World to enter her Maple Peanut Butter giveaway.

Schools Out for Summer

2009-06-15T19:53:00.000-04:00

In two short days, I'll have finished my 9th year working in public schools. Boy does time fly. I'm an occupational therapist and work for the school district helping out with our kiddos with special needs.

I am very grateful to have such a wonderful job with a fantastic schedule. There is a lot to be said about having clear start and end points.

My summers are a nice mix of beach days, projects around the house and doing summer work. So far, I have a nice balance of work for the rest of June and all of July. I'll work at our summer school program and continue to see my home care clients. Hopefully August will bring a few days of per diem work at nursing homes and rehab facilities.

My summer project list is quickly growing, here is what we have so far:
- paint trim and shutters outside
- refinish new to us table
- continue the ongoing battle of tree trimming
- closet organization
- touch up painting inside

That's all for now kids!

Flea Market

2009-06-15T19:20:00.001-04:00

My cousin was visiting from Seattle and we spent the weekend with my family.

What happens when you put three frugal Dutch ladies together? Bargain hunting of course!

A flea market was being held at Allaire State Park, and bargains were abundant. I scored a great retro bead necklace ($3), a pedestal table ($20) , Fiesta dishes ($10) and some canning jars ($1).

I'll be refinishing the table this summer and it will have a new home in our living room. Painted or stained? Decisions, decisions.

The rest of our day was equally lovely, lunch at Old Man Rafferty's with some window shopping in Asbury Park, a rousing game of Settlers and dinner with the men folk an a local Italian restaurant that my parents frequent.

That's all for now folks!

Newlywed Life

2009-01-27T22:27:00.000-05:00

Welcome to my newlywed life. I hope you enjoy my attempts to keep us well fed and in a nice home while working as an occupational therapist.