June 2010

Parmesan Baked Artichokes.

If all vegetables were covered in bread crumbs and cheese, I would surely eat them. Like the rest of veggies, I want nothing to do with artichoke hearts unless they have the proper seasoning or are floating in a big bowl of oooey, gooey cheese. I sometimes do enjoy the flavor of them on their own, at least for a few bites. Maybe it’s the texture that throws me off? My most favorite way to eat artichokes is by stuffing them, but these come in at a close second. They make a great side dish, or even a meal in my case. Once I start eating them I can’t stop, so there is rarely room for anything else. Except bacon. You know there is always room for bacon. Parmesan Baked Artichokes 1 14oz can artichokes in water, drained 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs 1/4 cup parmesan cheese 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon italian seasoning 1/4 teaspoon sea salt 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 oz freshly shaved parmesan Preheat oven to 375. Layer artichokes in a baking dish. Drizzle olive oil on top. Season with salt, garlic and italian seasoning. Add bread crumbs and 1/4 cup parmesan on top. Bake [...]

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Fist Pump!

This is the sight I stumbled upon this morning while I was out on the beach? Isn’t it pretty? In case you were wondering, I am not anywhere tropical. I’m sure it’s difficult to see with the beautiful brown murky water and all. After a filling breakfast of 2 sugared, gummy fruit slices, I had some pancakes for leisurely bike-riding fuel. My dad always makes pancakes on vacation. Always. And for those of you who were wondering if we really do reward ourselves with ice cream every day after our boardwalk bike ride? Well, we do. After laying out for about an hour and frying my pasty tree trunk-shaped legs, it started to pour. It was quite reminiscent of last year when it rained every single day and we almost murdered each other. Luckily, we had our coconut rum and trashy books to get us through. It’s all about priorities. I know you thought I may have been joking about our Malibu consumption, but I am not. Clearly. After laying around for hours reading (and eating) mindless trash, we went to dinner around 8:30. This is no surprise, as my family often eats very late at night. We ended up at [...]

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Afternoon Delight: Beach Fare.

Afternoon Delight is all about the daytime meals I am currently enjoying. So here you go. Coconut rum + cranberry. Who cares if it is raining cats and dogs outside?

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Mango Vanilla Bean Smoothie.

Everyone loves a delicious smoothie. Could I have posted a more boring recipe today while I’m lying on the beach? Yes. Yes I could have. It could have involved broccoli. Instead I wanted you to feel like you are at the beach right besides me. You know, minus the rum. The verdict is still out on mangoes. I can’t decide if I love them alone. I always figured I would, since I love mango lip gloss and body lotion, but when I finally shelled out my entire paycheck for a mango, it just tasted a bit. . .off. Nothing like lip gloss or body lotion. Anyone else know what I’m saying? Good. Because I don’t. Regardless, I love mango when it’s mixed with something. Like scallops. Or coconut. Or eggs. Or even. . .salad. Who am I? The sun must be frying my brain. Mango Vanilla Bean Smoothie 1/2 mango, chopped 1/4 cup plain greek yogurt 3/4 cup milk – I used vanilla almond milk 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract contents of 1/2 vanilla bean Combine all ingredients in a blended and mix until smooth. Garnish with additional mango slices. Are you a mango-lover? What is your favorite way to eat [...]

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Watermelon Gazpacho.

I never thought I’d be one for gazpacho. I mean. . .cold veggies? Please. Pureed or chunky, those would not be high on my list. But what if I added a touch of sweetness and sugar? You know how much I value seasoning in my food, so I knew with the proper salt and pepper content, it could taste delicious. And it did. I loved it. Perhaps if I just puree veggies and add sugar I will be able to choke them down? Or perhaps it was the bloody mary mix that made it’s way into the food processor. One can never be sure. I don’t remember if it had vodka in it or not. But it was delicious. This recipe came from my good friend, Barb. Her husband was an Olympic chef, so there is rarely a bad recipe in the batch. Remember that artery-clogging provolone-stuffed fried zucchini? Yes, that was her, too. Don’t worry – this gazpacho won’t have the same effect on your thighs. She gave me the traditional gazpacho recipe and I threw in the watermelon. I just can’t let things be. Watermelon Gazpacho Serves 2-4 14 oz can diced tomatoes, drained 1 cup watermelon, chopped [...]

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Fitness Kick Start: Beach Workout.

The only exercise that takes place on this vacation is the obligatory 15-mile boardwalk bike ride that we have been doing for over 25 years, complete with a Dairy Queen stop at the end every single day. We have to reward all of that hard work, you know? The only other ways I can describe fitness on our beach vacation is with the words zero, zilch, none, and nonexistent. Oh, and one more word. . .rum. Just because. So, the only way to get an effective workout is to wake up earlier and head out before everyone else. Mr. How Sweet will go for a run, but we all know how I feel about running. It belongs right up on that shelf next to veggies. The I-Need-To-Do-Something-Because-I-Am-Such-A-Load-On-Vacation Workout 2 mile walk/jog/run (in my case, very slow walking) 20 alternating lunges 15 pushups 10 squat jumps 15 burpees 40 mountain climbers 15 pushups 60 second plank hold REPEAT 10 minute stretch Then take some time to de-stress. Because laying on the beach with a bottomless glass of Parrot Bay is extremely tiring.

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Whole Wheat Pepperoni Rolls.

*HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY MOM!* She is incredible – love you Mom!           Are pepperoni rolls a Pittsburgh thing? Since I have lived in a bubble my whole life, I am not sure. However, I do know that pepperoni rolls go hand in hand with most sporting events. Wash ‘em down with an ice cold beer, and there isn’t much better.         I don’t even like pepperoni. But I was determined to make Mr. How Sweet some healthier pepperoni rolls. He asked for them last week, so after letting him suffer for 7 days, I tried my hand at them.   I made a whole wheat pizza dough and let it rise. Does the whole wheat counteract the endless grease from the processed meat and cheese? In my book, yes.       I wasn’t planning on trying one of the rolls – usually anything with pepperoni turns me off. Then Mr. How Sweet cut one in half and it just looked too good to be true. It was to die for. After eating half of one, I went shopping for some necessities (like bacon and Crisco) and thought about them the whole [...]

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Cuisinart Mix-It-In Soft Serve Maker WINNER!

You guys made me gain 5lbs just from reading all of your ice cream submissions. I spent my life savings on a bowl of Coldstone ice cream last night because I just couldn’t take it anymore. Thanks to all who entered! I appreciate you all so much. You have made this such a fun journey for me. I wish everyone could win! The winner of the Cuisinart Soft Serve Maker is … JENNA who said… ‘Oh my gah my world would be complete with this. My favvvvvorite kind of ice cream is chocolate! Holy cow you can add so much to it or keep it plain and it is still amazing. I always try to do a fun little twist using plain greek yogurt and jello chocolate pudding mix to make imitation chocolate soft serve but this would be wayyyyyy better!’ Congrats, Jenna! Email me at merchant.jessica@gmail.com with your mailing address and phone number! Stay tuned – more delicious giveaways coming up!

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Giveaway!

I am jealous. I have wanted an ice cream maker for months. I have wanted to make flavors that would disgust anyone within 100 yards of me, like olive oil and gorgonzola ice cream. But I love you guys so much that I wanted to give one to you instead of buying it for myself. If it wasn’t for you, I would be sitting at home on my couch all day eating bonbons and flipping through Us Weekly with a green mask on my face. If it wasn’t for you, I’d also probably be in a smaller jeans size too, but what’s the fun in that? You can win this Cuisinart Mix-It-In Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker. Fully automatic ice cream maker—makes up to 1½ quarts of soft ice cream, yogurt, sorbet or sherbet in as little as 20 minutes. Mixes treats right into ice cream as it’s dispensed—choose one, two or all three. No chemicals, salt or ice required. Even if you already have an ice cream maker, wouldn’t this make a fun gift for someone? Like me? To Enter: 1.) Leave a comment telling me which ice cream flavor you’d love to make. Are you plain vanilla? Peanut [...]

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Peanut Butter Bacon Blondies.

I did it. I baked for the first time with my beloved bacon. How many of you are completely grossed out right now? Because I plan on continuing. Sure, in theory bacon in baked goods sounds incredible. Up until now, I just couldn’t go through with it. I was afraid it would taste terrible, and then all my bacon fantasies would be ruined. What if it was like Lindsay Lohan and Grey Goose? Perfectly fine when apart, but add the two together and you just get a hot mess. Or like my sausage thighs encased in straight-legged jeans? Again – manageable alone, disaster when combined. If bacon and baked goods didn’t work out, I didn’t know if I could bear it. Luckily, within minutes of tasting the batter I knew I had made the right choice. I couldn’t just stop at sweet, chewy blondies swirled with bacon. I topped them with an inch of fluffy peanut butter frosting, sprinkling on more crispy bacon. I honestly thought I was going to die and go to heaven. This is heaven. Given my obsession with ‘sweet and salty’ lately, these fit the bill perfectly. And they made Mr. How Sweet want to vomit. [...]

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