A mid-year's resolution

I'm reinventing myself. Sorry, Mom. It's not that I don't like who I am, I just don't care for a lot of habits in my life. So I've resolved to become a better person - here are a few things I'm doing differently:

-Floss my teeth. I always had this stab of guilt hit me when the dentist asked "Do you floss?" during the routine checkups. Well, no. Frankly, I find it boring, awkward, and slightly repulsive. Who likes digging out food from in between their teeth? Well, reverse that thought, sister. Who likes rotting food in their teeth making their breath stink? Not me! But I've dug out the little box of minty-waxed string for a better cause. I have yet to see a dentist this year, but whenever that time comes, I'll be able to answer "YES" to his annoying little question about flossing.

-Drink lots of water. Every day. No excuses. This was actually my new year's resolution last year. And it didn't really kick in until this year. I used to drink maybe 20-30 ounces of water each day - and then I got addicted to the last season's Biggest Loser. Bob and Jillian both recommend 80-100 ounces of water - REALLY? Bob and Jillian are freaks, but I would secretly love to work out with them. So, I am constantly making trips to the bathroom, but the result is fantastic. I drink about 60 ounces of water at work and 20-40 at home each day. I am more alert at work and feel tons better. I can totally tell a difference on days when I don't drink as much water - I feel sluggish and gross. Try it, you'll like using a whole roll of toilet paper every day. :)

-I am also giving up tv for a month. This came as a result of me rediscovering the library. What a great place. I recently checked out a book called "Give It Up" - as self-documentary on a young professional giving up something each month for that month. Alcohol, tv, cell phones, chocolate - I know, she's crazy. Or is she? Something resonated in me with this whole tv thing...why do we keep it on in the background for noise? Why do we watch lame dramas and sitcoms and veg out on the couch every night, only to roll from the couch to the bed and sleep restlessly while bits and pieces of media influence our dreams? Ok, that sounded too deep. Really, it's not at all. TV takes up way too much of our time, conversation, and relationships. By turning it off, I'm hoping to become more productive, to simplify my life, to form better habits, and to create more meaningful conersations and relationship with my husband. He agreed to do this with me, but I think he's having a harder time than I am. Ha!

-The last thing I'm reinventing about myself and by far the most difficult is to eat less. No, I'm not really trying to lose weight - I just have this control problem. Like, control doesn't exist too much in my life. Put a bowl of salsa in front of me and I will take care of it in 10 minutes with some chips. Or that extra snack before bed? Hmm....maybe not anymore. I'm trying to eat smarter and more consistently. I hate vegetables, but I'm trying to eat more of them. I'm actually putting them in my shopping cart at Hyvee now, instead of just looking at them in the cooler. Hehe...that's a step in the right direction. And with the summer's blessing of bountiful farmer's markets around town, I'm enjoying it a lot more than I thought I would. So, the lady at work who always has a stash of chocolate is just going to have to deal with my non-presence. Ok, maybe something every now and then, but not all the time every day.

I'll probably find more things about myself I'd like to change, but one plan at a time. Or four. Another thing about myself is that I am not good at sticking to a plan...so I'm also trying to change that by sticking to these four things right now. We'll see how this goes. Who knows, I might even wake up and go to the gym in the morning instead of the evening...now that would be crazy.

Check it out...

http://www.examiner.com/x-14740-Kansas-City-Baking-Examiner~y2009m6d30-Tis-the-season-for-blueberries

New job! Sort of...

Ah! I'm so excited...I have a new job. Sort of....

A long time ago, I saw a freelance opportunity advertised on careerbuilder - so I applied for it thinking that nothing would happen, but lo and behold, something did. I am now freelancing for http://www.examiner.com/ about baking in Kansas City! Not exactly my dream job, but close to it. I would love to be a food critic - and what a great opportunity to develop this underworked muscle. I'm thrilled. I already have an interview set up with one of the owners of 3 Women and an Oven. Post to come in 2 weeks. :) How is that for tantalizing....

Sidenote: Best. Macaroons. Ever. Not even joking. It's been - gosh, like 3 years since I've been there, but once you eat a macaroon like that, you don't easily forget it. Unless you hate coconut. Loser.

So visit http://www.examiner.com/ - type in kansas city, click on food and drink, and then click "meet the examiners" - my picture should be up there. And please click on my posts - that's how I get paid.

Updated June 23: Most recent post - http://www.examiner.com/x-14740-Kansas-City-Baking-Examiner~y2009m6d23-Delicious-twists-on-favorite-chocolate-chip-cookies#comments

Bakery Blues...

I've got the blues........the bakery blues. I'm sure you're familiar with feeling blue - maybe a tad discouraged, dishearthened, or disassociated with the world because of the lack of something relevant to you. My something relevant is the lack of a place to get the perfect, fluffy, delicious blueberry streusel muffin under 100 calories with a coffee and not spend over $4. Maybe I'm asking too much in this world - people say I'm a cheapskate and I'm starting to believe them.

-Let's pause for an audible sigh-

Ok, I'm over it. Moving on...

There ARE places to find blueberry muffins around town, but I doubt that none of them qualify my less-than-100-calories wish. Oh well. An indulgence of the taste buds is certainly required every now and then, right? Right! So for an unofficial list of my favorite places to stop at in the morning, read on. (I will become a local at one of these places sometime soon...you know, where you can walk in a say, "I'll have the usual" and they'll know exactly what that is.)

1. Coffee Girls - located in the Crossroads district and within a stone's throw of where I work downtown, this independently owned business is a must for one's morning jolt of java. Try the Ethiopian blend - a sure-fire way to make those eyelids fly open. Grab a croissant or breakfast sandwich to go with, and you're set...at least until 10am or so.

2. The Roasterie - hailed as the coffee equivalant of Kansas City's own Boulevard beer, this shop has got lots to offer the starving Brookside commuter. Er, wait - Brooksiders are never "starving", they're "stahving" - meaning, even the pickiest, snootiest, Brookside-iest person has to satisfy a sweet tooth craving every once in awhile. Try a chocolate croissant, banana nut muffin (my personal favorite), or their fruit parfait with your cup of joe or artistically designed latte.

If the Roasterie is too busy, you don't like being perceived as yuppy, or you just want a different alternative, step next door to:

3. Bella Napoli - Italian family owned and operated, this tiny shop provides homemade goodies in the morning. No frills, but big on making better espresso than the Roasterie (or so they claim). Yum.

4. Cosentino's downtown - I must say, for a grocery store, this place straight up rocks. They have a salad bar that stretches the entire depth of the store, a cheese counter that will make your knees wobble, and, amazingly refreshing grapefruit gelato. But I digress.....come in and try a cranberry orange scone, glazed doughnut, or devilish muffin from their pastry case, grab your Roasterie blend coffee, get your parking ticket validated, and you're good to go!

5. Broadway Cafe in Westport - cheap coffee, and if you stay, free refill, too! If you have time to lolligag about in the morning, check out their back patio. It's a little spot of tranquility among the hustle and bustle of the city getting it's morning biz on.

Skip your Starbucks routine and try a newbie. What can it hurt? I am a strong supporter of all things independent and will continue to leave my $4 somewhere un-corporate. If your case of the Monday's needs a pep talk, visit one of these places soon! I allow myself one coffee out per week due to -ahem- budget cuts, so maybe I see this weekly activity through rose-colored glasses, but my, how beautiful, fun, refreshing, and tasty those glasses are.

Goin' to the Loo

You know what my favorite thing about the 4th of July is? Any guesses? Here's a hint - it has to do with food. Of course it has to do with food....

Ok, besides fireworks and as default, everyone else's painfully obvious answer....my absolute favorite thing about celebrating the 4th is........

drumroll..................

homemade ice cream!

Maybe it's just reminiscent of my childhood, but there is nothing quite like a frosty bowl of vanilla ice cream and the searing brain freeze that is sure to follow such a deliciously cold treat. My grandma used to make this rice krispie/coconut ice cream topping that I would sneak handfuls of before the ice cream was done. To this day, it is my go-to topping of choice. I love making it - I mean, let's not lie here - you can never go wrong with butter and brown sugar as the base for anything. Reading and re-reading that recipe makes me miss my Grandma even more. Her rice krispie topping and potato salad were iconic in my family growing up, and therefore, legendary. Two staples of my 4th of July. Always and forever.

This year poses a problem. We are headed outta town for our first, official, post-honeymoon, really legitimate weekend vacation. Over the 4th of July weekend. St. Louis, here we come! We're staying here. Ooooh, I'm so excited! Making reservations on the phone makes me feel so grown-up. Yes, dahling, book me a suite on the concierge level and make sure the sheets are turned down and there are chocolates on the pillows when we arrahve. I think the phone conversation went something like that if I remember right.

So since we're out of town on the 4th, and since the Marriott probably won't let you set off your own fireworks, I probably won't bring my own ice cream freezer, because fireworks without ice cream? Blasphemy. But I did watch this really fun show the other day on the Travel Channel featuring this quaint ice cream shop in downtown St. Louis. If you finish drinking 5 of their milkshakes (120 oz of milkshake heaven) in 30 minutes or less, you get your name inscribed on a plaque. I might have to pay them a visit.

AND, we're making a Trader Joe's run. Can you believe KC does not have a Trader Joe's? I mean, come ON. We have Dean and Deluca, Cosentino's, Whole Foods, and a handful of other privately owned specialty grocery stores, but zero Trader Joe's. Rumor has it we're supposed to be getting one, but show me the excavators and sign that says "Coming Soon" and then I'll believe it. I've already started my list. And other people's lists, too. How can you pass up a pound of coffee for $4??? You can't!

So if there are any other must-see attractions (besides Busch stadium and The Arch) or must-eat-at destinations, pass them my way!

I will post the recipe soon for the irresistable ice cream topping recipe from my Grandma Edna's kitchen.

April showers bring....May herbs?

Can you believe it's May already? Holy crap. The picture above is my reaction to the fact that it is indeed May. My birthday + Dana's graduation (little sis) + day off = lots going on. And lots and lots of baking. Last week was great - my oven churned out banana bread, salted caramel cupcakes, and 2 delicious not-good-for-you-in-any-way-shape-or-form peanut butter cakes. Everything was going so well...until the PB cake on Saturday morning. Well, unbleached white flour and baking soda really do make a huge difference, come to find out. If you don't believe me, just ask my trashcan - it welcomed the four (count 'em, 4) reject peanut butter griddle cakes with open arms. Third time really was the charm after a dozen eggs, a gigantic jar of peanut butter, a whole bag of flour, and 2 trips to HyVee. I cried. It's true - I cried because I felt like a foreigner in my own kitchen. Who forgets baking soda in a baking recipe? My gosh....

(The gas bill next month? We won't speak of such things. )

Other than that and the fact that it practically rained buckets all week, last week was still great. I finally got around to planting my basil, mint, and rosemary plants (in the mud), I ate at Jack Stack twice in one week (yeah, BBQ baked potato!), and I will soon have a new pair of tennis shoes thanks to a lovely giftcard to Dick's Sporting Goods (woo!). So, to sum things up, that pretty much means I'll get to run off that BBQ baked potato (seriously, waaaay good) in my new tennis shoes just to go back home and use my still-living herbs to cook up something spectaculah. Viscious cycle.

Here's the dang-blasted recipe for that cursed peanut butter cake - make sure to add the baking soda, and if anyone has suggestions on how to cut out the oil, fat, and essentially, all the good taste, let me know. Not sure if applesauce would be the best substitution for oil...but I could try it. Or you could try it and tell me all about it. I'm always looking to improve on old recipes.

Mom's Peanut Butter Cake

2 c. flour

2 c. sugar
1 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. oil
1 stick butter
1/2 c. peanut butter - creamy
1 c. water
1/2 c. buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
Bring oil, butter, water and peanut butter to boil. Pour over remaining dry ingredients which have been stirred together in a bowl. Blend well.
Add buttermilk, eggs and vanilla and blend well.
Pour into greased jelly roll pan @ 350 for 20-25 min.

Frosting:
1/2 c. creamy peanut butter
1/3 c. milk
1 stick butter
1 tsp. vanilla

About 2/3 of a 1-lb. bag of powdered sugar

Heat the first three ingredients in pan until melted.
Remove from heat & add vanilla and powd sugar. Beat well.
Frost cake while still warm....and eat your heart out.

"I eat, therefore I write."

Somewhere, I read the above phrase: "I eat, therefore I write." I couldn't have said it any better. For me, there is no better way to describe my culinary adventures, as little and as silly as they may be. To me, they mean everything - these adventures are the remedy to a difficult week; the healing salve for an unfortunate burned roast. I eat, therefore my brain lights up with smells, sounds, and tastes. I eat, therefore my fingers fly across this keyboard and tell about my experience. I eat and write and talk and eat some more so I can share this with you.
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After a particularly exhausting week at work, Mr. T and I decided to skip the kitchen skills and look elsewhere for our Friday night dinner. Restaurant-hopping is one of our biggest hobbies. Of course we have our favorites hot spots around town, but we are always ready to venture out to a different place. So after a little discussion that basically consisted of me sending him one text message, we (read: I) decided our Friday night would best be spent at Blue Grotto in nearby Brookside.

At the recommendation of a co-worker, we drove into Brookside, half insane from pure hunger and half delusional from the rigorous week of work. After screeching into a parking spot 5 blocks away, we trekked down to BG - me in my new heels clopping as fast as I could go. FOOD was nearby. RED WINE was nearby. Peace and comfort were a little farther away, but would assuredly come after the food and red wine. I don't know if you're like me at all, but when I'm hungry, I get cranky. And when I'm cranky, tunnel vision usually seems to follow. Must....eat......or chew gum.........SOON......!

We were pleasantly surprised upon entering BG - this place isn't huge, but offers all the necessary facets of a Brookside-esque chic pizza joint. Open-air seating and bar at the front, sleek staircase upstairs to a quieter area with more seating, and a sexy open kitchen give off vibes of coolness. We were cool. We chose to sit upstairs on a rather muggy April evening in the semi-air conditioned room which felt great.

Although the menu is on the small side, we took our time picking out a few different choices. Would it be the lobster ravioli or red pepper and goat cheese torte for our appetizer? White or red? Bottle or glass? Well, that was the one thing we decided on quickly - bottle. Taking the suggestion from our server (who, by the way, was fantastic) we opted for the bottle of Syrah - modestly priced at $24. Bring it on. The demands of the week slowly melted away as we devoured our goat cheese and red pepper torte appetizer. I am not a huge fan of goat cheese, but this was delicious. So delicious that I polished it off completely.

We ended up sharing the pizza special of the night - a white pizza with prosciutto, marinated artichocke hearts, and more red peppers topped off with a drizzle of olive oil. Two people can easily split a pizza and salad or appetizer. I'm usually a bottomless pit when it comes to sharing, so for us to say that we left full means there was plenty to go around. Although we did not order dessert, we did see two different dessert choices go by and land on other fortunate tables. Judging from the expressions on those patron's faces, I'll bet some money dessert is well worth the splurge.

I strongly believe in taking suggestions or advice from servers - after all, they work there and have the inside scoop on the menu. We thoroughly enjoyed our service, food, and overall experience at Blue Grotto and will definitely go back. For a table of two, expect to pay between $30 and $60 depending on if you get drinks or not. For a leisurely night out with friends or just a simple date, dinner at Blue Grotto is a real treat!

http://bluegrottobrookside.com/