Category: Food/Recipes/Restaurant Reviews

When Bloggers Take Over the Universe – Food Blogger Bake Sale

On Saturday, April 28, bloggers will take over the universe!

Well, not really. But at least Arkansas. Sort of.

On that day, Arkansas Women Bloggers will hold their Spring Meetup at Historic Arkansas Museum in Little Rock. At the exact same time, bloggers across the United States will be taking part in the third annual Food Blogger Bake Sale, benefiting Share Our Strength in their fight against childhood hunger.

Christie Ison of Fancy Pants Foodie is chairing the event for Arkansas, which will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 6th and Main Streets in North Little Rock, adjacent to the Argenta Certified Arkansas Farmers Market.

Organized in 2010 by Gaby Dalkin of WhatsGabyCooking.com, the national Food Blogger Bake Sale features food bloggers from across the country who unite to support the cause by holding bake sales in their states on the same day.

Last year, the Arkansas team raised over $1,000 with our first sale ever, and every dime went to support awesome Share Our Strength programs such as No Kid Hungry and Cooking Matters.

“Oh, no,” you say, “I’ll be at the AWB conference all morning and can’t participate.”

Au contraire, I say! You can double your blogger prowess that day by doing one or more of the following:

  • Bring some baked goods (smaller, individually-wrapped items work best) to the conference. We’ll have a runner bring them to the sale. No, a runner in a car, silly. Contact me  (christie@fancypantsfoodie.com) first so I can add you to the list and give you some tips on labeling and such.
  • Stop by after the conference and buy some goodies. You can take the Blue Line River Rail trolley from the museum ($1 if under 65, 50 cents if over) and get off at Stop #1 in the Argenta area of North Little Rock. Have lunch at Argenta Market or Starving Artist Cafe, then come by and see us.
  • Post something on your blog about the Food Blogger Bake Sale. I can provide copy and/or badges to help you promote this important event.

You don’t have to be a food blogger to participate. If I get your food donation confirmed by April 2, your blog name will be included in news releases about the event.

Thanks so much, and happy world-ruling on April 28!

Donation Packaging Instructions:

Donations need to be individually wrapped, preferably smallish things like cookies or cupcakes, or smaller cakes. Full size cakes are OK but don’t sell as well, and are harder to wrap. Packaging should be clear and ready to go with the buyer.

Pretty tags, labels, ribbons, etc. are encouraged. We may even do a get-together sometime before to make pretties.

Computer labels are the easiest. Label needs to have what it is, who made it, and any blog address. It can link to the recipe if it’s on the blog.

Additionally, there is no need to price your items.  They will take care of that for you!

Don’t forget to email christie@fancypantsfoodie.com to let her know to expect your donation.

 

Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Muffins {Foodie Friday}

Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Muffins {Foodie Friday}
Written by Kelly Peterson of Kelly’s Pink Bicycle.  

 

 I’m not a gluten-free expert. In fact, if there was a level below novice, I’d be in that category. But we have recently found that my husband appears to be somewhat gluten-intolerant, and since I love him very much I am learning to cook with his needs in mind.

However, gluten-free baking is INTIMIDATING. I didn’t realize how many different types of flours existed until I began scanning through gluten-free recipes for bread, donuts, pastries, and cakes. I’ve been sticking to lots of rice and vegetable dishes because they’re healthy and easy to make, but this past weekend I decided to venture outside my comfort zone and bake.

I decided to start small with my version of gluten-free chocolate chip muffins, adapted from a recipe from Arrowhead Mills. You could easily make them bigger (they’re pretty small) by filling the muffin tins all the way to the top, and lengthening the oven time to 25 minutes or so. You could also do all kinds of fillings – I used chocolate chips and dried cranberries, but I bet they’d be amazing with blueberries, chopped apples, shredded coconut, or even crunchy peanut butter!

My husband gave them a thumbs up, and he’s a pretty picky eater. I hope you like them!

 

Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Muffins (makes 15)

Ingredients

  • 2 cups gluten-free baking mix (I used Arrowhead Mills Gluten-Free Pancake & Baking Mix)
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp xantham gum
  • 3 Tbsp milled flax seed
  • 1 egg
  • ¼ cup honey
  • ¾ cup water
  • ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • ¼ cup gluten-free chocolate chips
  • ¼ cup chopped dried cranberries

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the first 4 ingredients.
  3. In a small bowl, mix together all wet ingredients (egg, honey, water, applesauce, and vanilla)
  4. Pour liquid mixture into bowl with dry ingredients and mix only until lumps are gone.
  5. Mix in the chocolate chips and cranberries (don’t over mix!).
  6. Fill oiled muffin tins ¾ full with muffin mixture. The mixture will be thick.
  7. Bake for 17-20 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown.

 

Nutritional Information (per muffin)

Calories: 123; Carbs: 26g; Fat: 2g; Sugars: 8g; Sodium: 181mg; Protein: 3g; Fiber: 1g; Calcium: 11%

Kelly is in love with her husband, her cookbooks, and her bread machine. When she’s not reading The Hunger Games or trying to sprout her own lentils, she can typically be found spending way too much time on Facebook and Twitter. You can read more at Kelly’s Pink Bicycle.

General Tso’s Chicken {Foodie Friday}

General Tso’s Chicken {Foodie Friday}
Written by Sarah of East9thStreet.

This weekend my step-son is visiting from Tulsa.  He’s a typical teenage boy and typically eats burgers and fries.  Recently he’s become a huge fan of Asian food so we decided this would be the perfect weekend to try out some new recipes.

Browsing some of the foodie blogs, I came across a recipe from Far Away.  Having the majority of the ingredients on hand, I decided it was time to attempt General Tso’s Chicken.

This version of General Tso’s Chicken is sure to challenge even your favorite take-out restaurants versions.  The ingredients merry well together and there is just the right amount of heat.  My only deviation from this recipe was not using the dry, white sherry to marinate the chicken.  Instead I used rice wine vinegar only because I couldn’t find white sherry.  I hope you enjoy this and it becomes a regular in your dinner rotation.

General Tso’s Chicken

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup chicken stock
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
  • 2 tbsp hoison sauce
  • 2 tsp Sriracha sauce (I’m not a huge fan of spicy and I could have easily added another tsp)
  • 2 tsp sesame oil
  • 3 tbsp sugar
  • 1/3 cup + 2 tsp cornstarch, divided
  • 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut in 1-in pieces
  • 2 tbsp dry white sherry (or substitute rice wine vinegar like I did)
  • 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
  • 6 dried red chilis
  • 3 green onions, white and green parts cut into ½” pieces

Directions

  1. In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients up to the cornstarch.  Add the 2 tsp of cornstarch and whisk until well blended.
  2. In a large bowl, marinate your chicken for 15 minutes in the dry white sherry or rice wine vinegar.  Add a sprinkle of salt.
  3. This step is important.  Because you want your cornstarch mixture to be a dry coating on the chicken, put the chicken in a colander and drain any excess liquid.
  4. Using the 1/3 cup of cornstarch (use more if your chicken seems wet), coat the chicken.  In a large skillet, warm the peanut oil over medium heat (my oil wasn’t very deep, just enough to cover the surface of the pan) and once hot, add chicken and brown the chicken on all sides.  Once the chicken is done, remove it from the pan and set aside.
  5. Drain any leftover oil out of the skillet and add garlic and ginger, cooking for 20 seconds or so.  Add chilis, chicken and green onions, mix gently.  Add the sauce mixture and stir frequently until the sauce thickens and coats the chicken.  Because of the cornstarch in your sauce mixture, this happens fairly quickly so watch your food!
  6. Top with sliced green onions and serve over a bed of rice.

 

When not chasing toddlers, planning playdates or studying to be the most awesome healthcare administrator in the world, Sarah runs the family blog, East9thStreet.  There you’ll find amazing recipes, tips and tricks on surviving parenthood and an occasional random rant.

 

Dining with Lincoln and Washington {Foodie Friday}

Dining with Lincoln and Washington {Foodie Friday}.
Written by Lyndi Fultz of NWA Foodie

On Tuesday everyone got allllll worked-up and excited about Valentines Day when clearly their focus was in the wrong place.

C’mon people… you missed Lincoln’s birthday last weekend!

Thankfully you STILL HAVE TIME for Washington’s birthday next Wednesday.  Shew!  I almost felt sorry for you if you had missed that one, too.

Let’s get real.

Does anyone really go all-out for President’s Day weekend?

Where are ads for that day?  The gifts?  The lavish family meals?

Since the powers-that-be determined that both Lincoln and Washington should have their own day, let’s dig a little deeper into the fetishes of two of our founding fathers.

Food fetishes, that is.

A quick google search reveals a surprising amount of juicy gossip when it comes to their habits and desires.   “Juicy” and “gossip” may be stretching it just a bit, I realize.  Although, I must admit, I am curious about the dining delights during that day and age.  Aren’t you curious, too?

 

President George Washington

According to foodtimeline.org. [insert link: http://www.foodtimeline.org/presidents.html#washington] “George Washington’s own eating habits were relatively simple. One observer of the time said that he “took what came with philosophy”; certainly no one could accuse our first President of having been a gourmet. Custis, Martha Washington’s grandson, described Washington’s food preferences: “He ate heartily, but was not particular in his diet, with the exception of fish, of which he was excessively fond. He partook sparingly of dessert, drank a home-made beverage, and from four to five glasses of Madeira wine”…A special passion of the President’s was nuts. He would buy hazelnuts and shellbacks by the barrel.”

There you have it.  He ate simply and heartily and was excessively fond of fish and nuts.  If it is true, Madeira may have been his best friend.  Or at least got him across the Delaware River more comfortably.

Here’s an idea.  Perhaps Monday should be called Madeira-Monday instead of President’s Day?

Let’s move on.

 

President Abraham Lincoln

Let’s learn what foodtimeline.org’s [insert link: http://www.foodtimeline.org/presidents.html#lincoln]  has to say about the man who instituted my personal favorite holiday, Thanksgiving.  “Lincoln relied on food to feed the furnace. He ate well when served a tasty meal, but was usually so preoccupied with problems of politics and power that he gave little thought to food unless faced with it. Then he could enjoy a delicious meal as well as the next one…”Family meals at the Lincolns’ were routine. Early in the morning the President liked a “good hot cup of coffee.” But often he would forget about breakfast until 9 or 10A.M. John Hay, one of Lincoln’s privage secretaries, occasionally ate with the President. He noted that the frugal repast might consist of “an egg, a piece of toast, coffee, etc.” On occasion breakfast was a single egg. For lunch, Hay reported, Lincoln “took a little lunch–a biscuit, a glass of milk in winter, some fruit or grapes in summer…He ate less than anyone I know.” Lunch was usually eaten irregularly…”

Boring.

If given the opportunity, I would skip dinner with Lincoln and accept that invitation with Washington.

Here is what I suggest…

This weekend, in honor of President’s Day Weekend, take a few minutes and do a google search on “favorite foods of presidents” and review the culinary delights, passions, and good-old-fashioned-yarns about our forty-four presidents.

At the very least, pick up a bottle of Madeira.  That is what I’m going to do.

It’s only right.

Eat well, my friends.  Eat well.

Lyndi

 

 

Blogging With Your Senses

Blogging with your senses.
Written by ARWB January 2012 Blogger of the Month, Lyndi Fultz of NWAFoodie.

 

You don’t have to be a food writer to engage your senses when you write.

As bloggers, we often work in the deeply heartfelt emotional realm when writing our posts.  Have you ever stopped to think about writing from the see, smell, hear, touch, and taste perspective?

As we entered into the new year, I took a perspective on where I am with my blog and where I want it to mature.  One missing aspect became VERY apparent.  Many of my posts exclude the “taste” element.

As a foodie, that warrants a citizen’s arrest. 

Instead of booking myself into the county jail, I am challenging myself to improve specifically in this area.

Yesterday as I sat down to write a post about the humble carrot, I tried something different.  I took out a sheet of paper and on the left hand side of the pad I wrote all the senses:  see, smell, hear, touch, and taste.

Free-flowing scribble emerged next to each category as I pondered the experience pre and post roasting.

 

 

The post  oozed mental color.

Let’s try this together.  Take a look at this jar of pickled rainbow carrots.

 

 

At first glance we could describe it as:  colorful, cloudy, inviting. 

 

Now, let me engage the senses:

See:  colorful, cloudy, inviting, a nostalgic nod to a day when women canned and preserved for a future event instead of simply running to the closest Walmart

Smell: as I prepped the pickling juices, the pungent, acrid smell attacked my nose and caused me to pause and ask, “ do I really want to finish this?”

Hear: my husband, walking into the house with panic in his voice “what is the smell?  did something happen?”  (again I question myself “do I really want to finish this?”)

Touch:  crisp, snap, crunch

Taste: think pickled okra, only crispier, I imagine how it will add the perfect touch minced up in egg salad or adding as a pop of shredded color to the humble coleslaw
Better?

The blog challenge for all of us is to try this with our next post (include a link in the comments so we can all read it).  Start off with something ordinary, like your daily walk, playtime with your kid, or movie night with your significant other.  Or something as simple as sipping your morning coffee.

Describe how you feel within.

It’s not just coffee, it is the carrier of life on a chilly January morning as the first sting of heat slips past your tongue, the heady aroma wafting up your nostrils, begging you to wake up and face the day ahead.

Now it’s your turn.

How are you engaging your senses when you write?

Eat well, my friends.  Eat well.

Lyndi

Lyndi of NWAFoodie is a girl who just happens to live in beautiful Northwest Arkansas. Much of her blogging inspiration comes from this gem of a place which she refers to as the proverbial land of milk-and-honey.

Eating for Pleasure {New Year, New You}

Written by ARWB January 2012 Blogger of the Month, Lyndi Fultz of NWAFoodie.

As this new year broadcasts its frantic message of resolutions and fervent hopes for tomorrow, twitter and the blogosphere is abuzz with diet tips, calorie counters, and an overall confusion of diet, diet, diet, and denial.

A healthy diet doesn’t have to mean denial.

A healthy diet should mean eating for pleasure.

First, let’s talk about the word “pleasure.”  Webster defines “pleasure” as desire, inclination; a state of gratification; sensual gratification; frivolous amusement; a source of delight or joy. 

These are strong and healthy phrases.  Pause and dwell on them.

When we talk about eating for pleasure, it means that we should not focus on the guilt of eating.  Eating is a privilege and should be a source of delight or joy for us.

It’s all about mindset.

Sometimes we just need a little tweak or reminder of our priorities!

The RIGHT mindset when eating

1)     Slow down.
2)     Engage all of your senses.
3)     Consume half of what is on your plate.
4)     Savor by taking time to chew.
5)     Give thanks.

The WRONG mindset when eating

1)     Fret about calories.
2)     Fret about fat grams.
3)     Don’t pay attention to what just went into your mouth.
4)     Shove.
5)     Regret another dissatisfied meal.

Let’s face it.  We all have gone down the wrong mindset path a time or two.  But that’s okay because that was yesterday.  Today we start anew…

Which would you rather choose?

Eat well, my friends.  Eat well.

Lyndi

Lyndi of NWAFoodie is a girl who just happens to live in beautiful Northwest Arkansas. Much of her blogging inspiration comes from this gem of a place which she refers to as the proverbial land of milk-and-honey.

Gluten Freedom {New Year, New You}

My name is Dana, and I am the author and creator of Gluten Freedom.  I am a student at the University of Arkansas, a substitute teacher, a wife, a blogger, and will soon be a certified early childhood educator.  I live in Fayetteville, and you can find me calling the hogs at football, basketball, and baseball games!  PIG SOOIE!
As I think back to this time last year, when 2011 was fresh and new, I realize how much my life has changed.  I have lost thirty pounds.  I have started a new blog.  And I have been diagnosed with celiac disease.  So bring it on, 2012!  I am ready for anything!

 

For those of you not familiar with celiac disease, I will give you the basics:
Celiac disease –  an autoimmune digestive disease that damages the villi of the small intestine and interferes with absorption of nutrients from food. What does this mean? Essentially the body is attacking itself every time a person with celiac consumes gluten (National Foundation for Celiac Awareness)

 

Cooking, eating out, traveling, and holiday get-togethers are just a few of the things that I used to love doing and have had to completely overhaul.  I was diagnosed two days before Thanksgiving, and with no time to learn or prepare, I found myself eating only turkey, turkey, and more turkey.  I even had to check the label on the bird!

 

Here are some of the symptoms of celiac disease, but please be aware that the symptoms are a mile long, and this is just a list of some of the common complaints:
  • abdominal pain and bloating
  • diarrhea
  • anemia
  • gastric ulcers
  • Crohns disease
  • skin rash
  • muscle cramps
  • osteoperosis
  • depression
  • malabsorption
  • bruising

I also have some great resources for you to check out if you have, or think you might have, celiac disease!

National Foundation for Celiac Awareness

Center for Celiac Research at The University of Maryland

I have found, through blogging, that there are people everywhere facing this, and although it can be frustrating, resources, friends, and supporters are around every corner!  If you or someone you know is going through life changes due to celiac disease, or a gluten or wheat allergy, come by and visit me in my gluten free world!  In the meantime, here is a recipe that I have embraced in my gluten free lifestyle!

GLUTEN FREE HAM AND CHEESE QUICHES

3 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup milk
4 ounces shredded cheese
1 tbsp minced dry onion
1/4 tsp thyme
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3/4 cups diced ham

*AS ALWAYS, CHECK INDIVIDUAL PRODUCT LABELS TO ENSURE EACH INGREDIENT IS GLUTEN FREE*

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray muffin tin with non-stick canola oil spray.
2)  Combine all ingredients besides ham.
3)  Spoon 1-2 tablespoons into each muffin cup.
4) Sprinkle ham evenly on top of each muffin cup of mixture.
5)  Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until knife inserted comes out clean.
6)  Broil for 2-4 minutes to brown tops of quiches.
7)  Serve and enjoy!

 

New Year, New You is the Arkansas Women Bloggers topic of the month for January 2012.  If you have a story to share with our readers please check out our Guest Post Guidelines and contact julie@arkansaswomenbloggers.com.

Wassail, wassail all over the town! {Foodie Friday}

“Our bread it is white and our ale it is brown…” Ok, I’ll stop. In case you’re wondering, those are the words from the traditional English Gloucestershire Wassail song. Come on, indulge me, you’ve got a minute to explore that link and the background on wassail!

Gloucestershire Wassail (on Youtube)

Apparently, my high school years of performing in a Madrigal dinner had quite an effect, and now those around me must also endure it. If you don’t feel like delving in, here’s the gist of it: today’s definition of a madrigal dinner is a multi-course, Medieval-style meal served by costumed performers singing traditional (old English) Christmas carols. (“The boar’s head, in hand bear I…” Ok, sorry – I’ll really stop this time.)

So, why does this matter on foodie Friday? Because wassail (literally “waes hael” or “be you healthy”)  is a foodie tradition you should most definitely explore! Before we go further, though, I need to offer my standard disclaimer from The Food Adventuress: I’m quite horrible at precisely following directions and tend to just do whatever I want in the kitchen and wait to see how it turns out. So, if you’d like a real recipe for wassail, you’d best go elsewhere. Just do a quick search on the Interweb and you’re sure to turn up lots of lovely options. Now, don’t tell my Mom, but here’s what I do:

  1. Grab crock pot a little too late in the day for 6 p.m. wassail readiness.
  2. Have a glass of wine or your relaxing beverage of choice.
  3. Recollect that you were going to make wassail and get back to it.
  4. Fill said crock pot about 2/3 full of apple cider.
  5. Top it off with generous pours* of orange juice (I like pulpey for this!) and pineapple juice.
  6. Add a good amount** of lemon juice and honey.
  7. Start adding spices to your taste. I choose cinnamon (lots!***), ground cloves, freshly grated nutmeg and sometimes ginger and allspice depending on my mood/desire to exert myself.
  8. Decorate your wassail. I typically add a cloved orange (sliced or not, per your own desire to exert yourself) and some apple slices from near the core along with a cinnamon stick or two.
  9. Let simmer for several hours and return to your aforementioned beverage.
  10. Serve to standing ovation (or at least a few compliments).

* In this case, generous pours mean probably a cup or two each, but let’s not get too precise.

** Under duress, I would probably estimate that a good amount means half a cup?

*** I’m pretty sure my favorite measurement is “to taste.” That’s what you do here – you won’t mess up!

A couple of notes that will increase your cool factor: first, everybody has a scratchy throat around the holidays. Wassail is the guaranteed fix-it and soother – offer it to everyone who enters your home. Of course, your home smells completely fabulous because you made wassail! Also, I recommend not adding alcohol. Shocking, I know. Wassail is enjoyable by all… the kids and those who abstain should enjoy it as much as everyone else, and anyone who wishes to doctor (ahem) their drink may do so with ease once in the mug.

Finally (insider tip!) just store the wassail outside between servings, assuming it is even mildly chilly at night in your neck of the woods of Arkansas (and beyond). Just slowly warm it up starting a little earlier on subsequent serving days. The wassail gets a little thicker as the spices mull, so just add some more of the juices prior to simmering and the original batch should get you through several servings.

Again, this is all highly unscientific but fairly popular Chez Stephens, and it’s standard fare throughout the month of December from tree-decorating through New Year’s. I hope you’ll try it, and maybe add a few of the old English carols to spice up your holiday tunes as well! Give some background to your family and your kids may be the smartest ones on the block. Mine is definitely the one who knows about wassail, which either makes her incredibly cool or highly nerdy. I’m ok with both.

Happy Wassailing to you!

Beth is the marketing maven and one of the four founding members of Arkansas Women Bloggers, but her real job is as executive director of the Ozark Natural Science Center – a nonprofit field science, environmental education, camp and conference facility in northwest Arkansas. She blogs over at The Little Magpie and The Food Adventuress and finds herself eating far more of her mother’s rum cake around the holidays than she would care to admit.

Please note: all images and links are public domain from the web, and used only to illustrate topics for your personal use.

Chef Hall’s Peach Soup

Recipe courtesy of Chef Robert Hall,
Culinary Programs Director, Winthrop Rockefeller Institute. 
Photo courtesy of Julie Kohl, Eggs and Herbs

 

Peach Soup
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Ingredients
  1. 2-3 Ripe Peaches, peeled and cubed
  2. Approx. 2 cups Chardonnay, Champagne, or other white wine
  3. Sugar to taste
  4. 1 cup Heavy Cream
Instructions
  1. Combine cubed peaches and wine in a medium saucepan (there should be just enough liquid to barely cover the peaches.
  2. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and allow to simmer until peaches a tender throughout, approx. 35 minutes. Remove from heat and mix with an immersion blender (you can use a table-top blender but be careful, as hot liquids in a blender can be dangerous).
  3. When thoroughly blended and all peach cubes are blended, add just enough sugar to remove any sour from the fresh peaches.
  4. Stir in the cream.
  5. Refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving.
  6. This soup can be served hot or room temperature as well, but is best served cold
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Revisiting Chef Hall’s Peach Soup. #WinthropRockefellerInstitute #FoodieFriday #ARWB

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Fried Green Tomatoes (Gluten Free)

Recipe courtesy of Chef Robert Hall,
Culinary Programs Director, Winthrop Rockefeller Institute.
Photo courtesy of Julie Kohl, Eggs and Herbs

Fried Green Tomatoes
2 Green Tomatoes, sliced ¼ – ½ inch think
1 cup Buttermilk
1 cup Course Corn Meal
1 TBL Cajun Seasoning
2 tsp Granulated Garlic

Slice tomatoes.  Prepare two bowls – one with the buttermilk and the other with the corn meal and seasonings.  Dredge the tomatoes in the buttermilk then the corn meal.  Immediately transfer to a skillet prepared with 1 inch vegetable oil over medium-high heat.  Deep fry until golden brown.  Remove from hot oil and drain on a paper towel.  Serve immediately with remoulade.

Coming tomorrow…Peach Soup!