Showing posts with label New Years. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New Years. Show all posts

12 of 2012: January 

Sunday, February 12, 2012 -
To kick off 2012, some of our closest friends with hubs and I decided to kick of 12 To Do's of 2012. This list of ours will ensure that we live 2012 to the fullest with good friends and a variety of activities. Some simple, some more planned, it will surely be a great time for all of us. We began with a fantastic New Year celebration, but our list continued:
January: Sledding/tubing in a Winter Wonderland

For one to sled, one needs snow. Alas, we didn't have that.

Instead, we opted for a winter weather movie night. On a Wednesday night, we all got together to watch a movie while drinking hot chocolate and noshing on popcorn. I have to say - it was a really great evening.
Photo Credit
As we watched The Day After Tomorrow, the comments were flying. It is one of hub's favorites and we have all seen it, which leaves the floor wide open for comments such as "why aren't the people freezing like everything else" or "that just doesn't make sense." Of course, these comments are all out of love. And if you know my hub's 'fascination' with Dec. 21, 2012, you would understand a bit more.

In addition to the list of 12, we also decided to start Sunday dinners. Sunday dinners evoke the feeling of family. Of a wind down of the weekend. A time to get back to the things that mean the most before another hectic week begins. These Sunday dinners began at M's house over a bowl of chili and cheddar biscuits. Quite tasty I might add - great job Melly!



How are your New Year goals coming out? So far, my decision to not be over programmed is working, and our goal of regrouping is getting there. I continue to be excited as I look forward to the many things 2012 will offer.

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When Life Gives You Bread... 

Tuesday, January 3, 2012 -
New Year Resolutions. I like to refer to these resolutions as goals. I learned that from my friend Mo. I like it. Goals versus resolutions. I personally haven't really vocalized any this year. I made some last year. Here is a recap:
  1. Enjoy friends & family to the fullest. I think I did pretty good on this one. I made my annual trip to Boston to see my dear friends in Massachusetts, had a delightful time with my Indy friends, and missed others like the O's incredibly. It is hard to live people to the fullest when miles separate you. Good thing the phone and interweb were invented. Just sayin'. To all my friends - I love you. To my family - I love you lots too. I'm looking forward to enjoying 2012 with you. But that isn't a resolution - it is an expectation of mine.
  2. Start a new blog. City Nom Noms was born. Check and complete.
  3. Continue living a healthy lifestyle. Well, does 50% count? I did for sometime, but I fell off the wagon. Hard I might add. I tried to get back on a few times, but alas. But here I am, trying again. But this isn't a resolution - because I have a goal in mind. Team captain Ryan knows the goal - it is called the Mudathon. Bring on the mud.
So, no resolutions? Well, I guess not. And for those who decided to eat less carbs, this may not be the post for you. But for those who decided to reuse and recycle, keep on reading. I know I have a friends (hello AK!) that don't like to throw things away. And this is a quick and easy way to create something out of soon to be compost.

Hubs had made some bread for dinner. He's an amazing baker. Just sayin'. Anyway, we had an extra roll and were planning on having salad so I thought, "mmm..croutons." As mentioned, if you have resolved to forgo carbs, stop reading. But croutons are oh so delicious.

All I did was cube up the bread and toss with a little olive oil and some garlic seasoning. Simple. In a single layer on a baking sheet, toss it into the oven at 375 degrees until lightly browned. Flip and repeat. I personally like when croutons still have a little soft texture to them, not crunchy all the way through. This is perfect for a wedge salad, or any other salad you may be having that evening. Use in a day or two though, or they'll go stale.

Don't have a salad and are worried about a loaf of bread going bad? Then make breadcrumbs! Same process, but dry the bread cubes out completely. Then, whip out that food processor and process away. Homemade breadcrumbs are great, because you can season anyway you would like. Throw in some dried herbs, like oregano and basil. Maybe lemon pepper or something else. The bread is your oyster. Have fun with it. Use right away or store until needed.

It is day 3 - how are your resolutions going?

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Something New : An Announcement 

Wednesday, January 26, 2011 -
Remember that New Year Resolution about a new blog?



Well, the time is here.  May I introduce - City Nom Noms!

This blog will continue to showcase events, travels and in the kitchen cooking.  Don't worry, I won't abandon it as I still love to do everything I normally do.  City Nom Noms is solely for restaurant love (or not love) as I eat my way through life outside of the kitchen. 

My dear friend, Tara, over at Two Designs is creating some artwork as we speak.  The current look is only temporary as we move forward.  But my reviews are beginning to build and I really wanted to get them posted soon.  Thus, expect some quick changes over there, and who knows, this place may get jazzed up a bit too.  I guess we'll see.

Lots of food postings (I made this spicy maple pork last night with sweet potato hash - nom!) and events (Winterfest is Saturday!) will be posted soon.  I hope you continue to join me as I entertain life daily here while enjoying the city nom noms over there!

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Baked Blueberry & Pecan French Toast 

Monday, January 3, 2011 -
As mentioned, one of my New Year's resolutions is to focus this blog more on 'in the kitchen' fun, as well as events and daily happenings.  What better way then to kick it off with our New Year's brunch item - baked blueberry french toast!

I had half of a loaf of french bread leftover from the week, some frozen blueberries and eggs.  So I thought, why not make blueberry french toast for our NYE brunch?  But I knew that I wouldn't want to get up and have to prep it that morning.  So instead, it turned into one of those lovely overnight breakfast prep items.

I cubed the french bread and prepped the egg mixture, which contained eggs, milk, cinnamon and nutmeg.  I then reached for the brown sugar...

...and kept reaching...

...insert a huge sigh here...

...because I didn't have any brown sugar.

What to do?  Improvise.  I knew I had some molasses and regular sugar, so I made my own brown sugar and added about half a cup to the mix.  A tip for you all - a cup of sugar and about a teaspoon of molasses will make you a cup of, you guessed it, brown sugar.  So next time you find yourself in a situation like mine, I hope this tid bit helps you out!

Then, I poured the egg mixture over the bread, covered it and let it sit in the fridge while I enjoyed the evening (you see that beer in the background, yup, I moved on for the night...)

The next morning, I gathered up some items for my topping.  I sprinkled some blueberries over top and added some pecans I found in the freezer after thinking "why not?"  I sprinkled on some more of the homemade brown sugar and then dabbed it with a tablespoon or two of butter before popping it in the oven for about 45 minutes.

I then reached into the drawer for aluminum foil...

...and kept reaching...

...insert another sigh with a tad bit of frustration - I mean, how did I let this happen?!  In this case, I covered the dish with a cookie sheet for the first 45 minutes.  And for the remaining 15 minutes, I removed the cookie sheet so the bake could get that crisp topping and color I was looking for.

And then, heaven on a fork.  It was crisp on top, and tender in the middle - just like french toast should be.  I love the crispy edges mixed with the soft blueberries and crunch of pecans.  The cinnamon was great in the mix as well, and the homemade brown sugar gave it the perfect sweetness.  I served it with syrup, but I bet a blueberry syrup would make this dish even more divine.  I'm sure it would work with other berries as well!

So friends, what is a great substitution that you've done recently when you discovered you have overlooked an item in your pantry?

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A Sparkling Tasting 

Thursday, December 30, 2010 -
Last week, hubs and I attended a champage tasting from the Moet-Hennessey distributors.  It was full of great bubbly and educational information.  But, it didn't have something our tasting last night had - food.  Great food made by our friend Steven at Tastings: A Wine Experience. 

Aperitif - Poinsettia Champagne Cocktail: a great way to begin the meal as I adore Champagne cocktails.  This was a mix of cranberry juice, triple sec and champagne.  The citrus of the lime was the main smell, but the cocktail itself was delish.

 
First Course - Schramsberg 'Blanc de Blancs' Brut with Caramelized Apple Tart & Gorgonzola Potato Bite: The sparkling wine (made in California) was overwhelming in carbonation, but it did break up the typical "dryness" of a brut disolving like air in the mouth.  The tart consisted of diced caramelized apples with creamy St. Andre brie, all on top of a buttery and savory dough.  The roasted baby yukon gold potato was hollowed out and filled with sharp gorgonzola, savory toasted cashews and a Bleu cheese sauce that worked well with the sparkling wine.  Both were delicious, two of my favorites.
 
Second Course - Poper-Heidsieck Brut Champagne with Spiced Plantain Crostini & Goat Cheese Crostini: I was dissapointed with this champagne, as it was so subtle in flavor, I really expected more out of the wine.  But the crostini's would have overshadowed the champagne either way because they were absolutely fantastic.  Though mild in flavor, a spiced plantain puree burst to life with roasted pineapples and feta to finish it off..  The other was a savory Cypress Grove Truffle Tremor cheese with a rich toasted walnut pesto and white balsamic spring onions.  It smelled amazing and the richness of the cheese with the truffle balanced the nutty pesto. Divine
 
Third Course - Carras Vinas 'Vino Espumoso de Calidad' Brut with Tuna Skewers with Fennel and Spanish Shrimp Cocktail: This was the most interesting wine of the evening, as it had an extremely nutty smell and flavor to it.  Hazelnuts stood out making you want to wrap your head around the flavors (it took us quite a while).  Though intriguing, I don't know if I would order this out, but would sip it again if offered.  It was paired extremely well with both appetizers we were served.  The tuna, though a little fishy, was cooked medium rare and served with a crunchy shaved fennel salad in a bright lemon vinaigrette.  The other was a deep smelling paprika roasted shrimp, boasting sweet hints of honey, with a rich toasted almond romesco. 

 
Fin - Banfi 'Rosa Regale' Sparkling Brachetto with Lemon Tarts & Brownie Bites: I've had the rose colored wine before and thought it was great, but this time around it got sweeter with each taste.  And the two desserts were also too sweet for me this evening (I think I was in a savory mood!)  The lemon curd was tart, but still sweet, as it was paired with a crisp pie crust, light fluffy whipped cream and a tarragon raspberry jam.  The chocolate-Wenselydale brownie was rich in deep chocolate flavor, but the black currant Rosa Regale sauce gave it the sweet factor of a dessert.


After trying all of these sparkling beverages, I've decided to bring back a philosophy of mine that faded about two years ago: a girl should always have a bottle of sparkling wine in the fridge.  You just never know when you might need to entertain the day with a celebration.  Thus, I may bring this back, along with a few other resolutions, this New Years...but moreon that later.

If you are popping some bubbly this New Year's, what will you be drinking?

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