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Statistics |
| Unique Visitors: 75 |
| Total Unique Visitors: 1196273 |
| Visitors Out: 548 |
| Total Visitors Out: 3074 |
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| Tapping into my Inner Oprah: A Favorite Things Giveaway |
| 2011-02-25 23:43:00 |
I'm having a mini Oprah moment. By that I mean I have the opportunity to share and give away one of my favorite things to my readers. Okay, admittedly Oprah gives away cars and Rolex watches and trips to Australia, complete with a visit from John Travolta, but I stress the "mini" part of my opening sentence. Be that as it may, who doesn't love free swag? And I've got some pretty cool swag burning a hole in my pocket... A trio of swanky soy candles from www.modernlightcandles.com! Chic and sophisticated, these long-burning candles (more than 50 hours) not only look great in any home, but come in 6 intoxicating scents that range from light and floral (Flora No. 23), to woodsy, deep and sensual (Midnight Noir). There's even a Fresh Cut Grass scent that will have you dreaming of spring....
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| The Christmas Cookie that Google Forgot |
| 2010-12-09 23:49:00 |
I’m not a traditional person, per se. Or at least, I pride myself in railing against tradition in most areas of my life. I guess I’m more of a non-traditional traditionalist, if that makes sense. I don’t decorate for the holidays in red and green. Quite frankly, I think they clash. I don’t eat fruitcake or Yule logs. Ever. I’m far too disorganized to send out cutesy Christmas cards to everyone I know, so I don’t. Although I love getting them, so thanks everyone and keep ‘em coming! I don’t have any Christmas-y family heirlooms I drag out every year, but I’d give anything for that retro aluminum tree from the 60s that my Grandparents once had, the one with the groovy color wheel. Remember those?
That’s not to say I don’t have traditions that I look forward to, especially at holiday time. I do make it a point to watch “Nestor the Long Eared Christmas Donkey” every year. And every year I cry when his Mom dies (my apologies if I've ruined it for you). Sappy, I k...
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| Old-Fashioned Peanut Brittle the Easy Way! |
| 2010-12-08 14:26:00 |
There are all kinds of methods and theories for making perfect peanut brittle. There are those who insist you cannot make it without a candy thermometer. Some swear by the back of spoon trick, or the water test. Frankly, I find them all daunting and off-putting, even a bit scary. I need things to be easy, so I have always been happy to leave the candy-making to other people. My Aunt Harriett has been making the most delicious peanut brittle during the holidays for as long as I can remember. I just assumed she dragged out all of the same accoutrements everyone else did and stood by nervously staring at a candy thermometer trying to gauge the right temperature. “Not true,” she told me rather matter-of-factly one year. “Grandma never used a candy thermometer to make peanut brittle, so I’ve never used one. I go by the color. Light golden brown is the key.” She also told me she throws the peanuts in at the beginning because “it’s just easier.” Her words were a revelation an...
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| “Where’s the BFF?” Beef.org & Sutter Home Gift Basket Giveaway |
| 2010-10-08 00:22:00 |
“Where’s the BFF?” Okay, I admit it’s a bit of a stretch harkening back to that famous Wendy’s commercial from the early 80s, but you’ll forgive the reach when you hear what I have to offer you. Tailgating season is here and I've teamed up with Sutter Home Winery and Beef.org - you know, the people behind the “Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner” campaign - to bring you an exciting way to kick-start the tailgating season with party tips, easy beef grilling recipes and an awesome giveaway!Forking Delicious Blog will be giving away two tailgating gift baskets, each valued at $190 and jam-packed with swag and entertaining inspiration for the football season.Each tailgating gift basket includes a cutting board set with knife, fork, bottle closure and corkscrew, dish towels, oli...
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| Endless Summer – One Last Hurrah |
| 2010-09-05 13:40:00 |
There is a moment every September when I look up and realize that summer is officially over. That’s precisely the moment that I find myself scrambling to hold on to my favorite time of year before the balmy evenings give way to crisp and eventually chilly nights that force me inside for the winter. Don’t get me wrong, I love a hearty, comforting meal inside by the fire, but what I really love is standing over the fire, grilling dinner for myself and friends.Some sand from the hardware store and a bit of creativity turn my table into a night at the beach.It’s my need for the proverbial “endless summer” and the realization that I didn’t make it to the beach even once this year that inspired this last hurrah. I figured that if I couldn’t find the time to make it to the beach,...
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| Just for the Grill of It! Adding Sizzle to Your Summer Meals |
| 2010-05-20 14:17:00 |
There is a time of year in Los Angeles (a city not exactly known for its change of seasons) when the mildly warm days of spring give way to the blistering hot days of summer. The days get longer, the whirring sound of central air-conditioners everywhere become a constant hum and the first scent of a neighbor’s grill wafts through the window, signaling the start of grilling season. It’s my favorite time of year! Though admittedly, I don’t limit my love or consumption of grilled food strictly to the summer months. I have long had a sturdy, well-seasoned cast iron grill pan in my kitchen that I use with unapologetic regularity, rain or shine. Sometimes, it’s just more comfortable to grill inside, in the 65° comfort of my own central air-conditioned kitchen, than to be outside sweatin...
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| The Best Chocolate Cream Pie I Ever Ate |
| 2010-03-11 23:25:00 |
"You always had it, Dorothy." It's my favorite moment in the Wizard of Oz when Glinda the Good Witch gives a gentle reminder of what should have been obvious all along. By "it" of course, she is referring to the power to return home, an answer Dorothy spent the entire film searching for. I've always believed she missed it because she was expecting something bigger, something that would hit her over the head, rather than quietly whisper in her ear. It's true that sometimes exactly what we're looking for has been right there all along and it doesn't always hit us over the head.I got that reminder recently when I was searching high and low for the perfect dessert to serve at a dinner party. I'd been pouring over my favorite cookbooks and websites. For me, it's not really a dinner party withou...
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| Flourless Chocolate Cake with Orange-Scented Whipped Cream |
| 2010-03-04 03:00:00 |
This cake is something between a soufflé and a dense chocolate brownie. It's incredibly light and cloud-like. Light in texture mind you, NOT light in calories. In spite of that fact, I've always felt that if you're going to indulge in dessert it should be one that falls somewhere between nirvana and heaven and this cake certainly doesn't disappoint. If indeed there is a heaven, and if I make it there, I want to eat this cake every single day.Enough said.Flourless Chocolate Cake with Orange-Scented Whipped CreamServes 8 to 10FOR THE CAKE12 ounces good quality bittersweet chocolate12 tablespoons unsalted butter6 large eggs, separated12 tablespoons sugar, divided1 tablespoon pure vanilla extractFOR THE WHIPPED CREAM1 cup heavy whipping cream1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract2 tablespoons sugar,...
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| Outrageous Macaroni & Cheese - Aspen Style! |
| 2010-02-25 21:08:00 |
Macaroni and cheese is like pizza. Even when it's not that great, it's still pretty good. But when it's really good, it can be on another level! My early introduction to macaroni and cheese was humble at best. Like most people, I grew up with the boxed variety that still stocks many a pantry. I honestly didn't know that you could get it any other way. While my Mom made many things from scratch, including bread and cakes, homemade macaroni and cheese just wasn't in her culinary lexicon and I was fine with that. As a kid I hadn't yet learned to appreciate the beauty of quality ingredients made into something from scratch and I certainly wanted nothing to do with macaroni and cheese of the homemade sort. It had to be psychedelic orange powder or nothing! Admittedly in my teen years...
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| Baja-Style Fried Fish Tacos |
| 2010-02-20 13:08:00 |
It's threatening to rain again, and weirdly I'm not craving slow cooked stews, or big bowls of chili. All I can think of is summer food, namely Baja-style fried fish tacos. If you've never had a fish taco the way they make them in Baja you don't know what you're missing.Okay, admittedly I’ve never been to Baja. But taco stands that serve Baja style fish tacos are a staple in Southern California these days. I swear you can almost imagine yourself standing on the beach in San Felipe when you eat these. Served with an icy cold Mexican beer, there is nothing better.Serves 4 FOR THE FISH 1 cup pale beer 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste Vegetable oil, for frying 1 pound boned, skinned white fish (cod, catfish, halibut) 24 warm corn...
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