The Jamie Update: Food photography.

Check out a friend's blog, the Jamie Update! Her blog is fun, fresh, and full of crafty things... Love her newest post on food photography, food is an excellent medium for photography and so beautiful! Thanks for sharing, Jamie!

The Jamie Update: Food photography.: "Since my camera purchase and interest in photography I've discovered something. My favorite thing to photograph might just be food. Who woul..."

Violet Hills Weddings + Events: cupcake in a jar.

Check out a recent post from my little sister on her fabulous wedding/event/style blog. She's not the foodie in the family, but this post has me anxious to try this!

Violet Hills Weddings + Events: cupcake in a jar.: "I have a recent obsession with cupcakes. I just want to go buy lots of these things here and make cupcakes for everybody and every occ..."

Chocolate Dulce De Leche bars

Yeah yeah, I know this is NOT a healthy recipe... But that's not to say it's bad!  Dessert is a necessity to keeping a sane life...  I've adapted this recipe from  to make it leaner and healthier and it's still SOOOOO delicious...  This recipe is incredibly easy to make and has little flour or salt.  The dark chocolate has antioxidants (use 60% cacao or more!), and the bars are rich and large so you are truly sated after just one.  Another bonus: this recipe makes a large batch so it's an easy dessert to take to your next function; my book club friends loved them!

What you need:

Crust:
18 graham cracker boards
4 Tbs sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted (you can use margarine, you can NOT use light margarine.  I prefer Smart Balance, it works great for baking and has Omega 3's.  If you use smart balance or margarine, do NOT add salt!)

Filling & topping:
3 Tbs cornstarch
2 Tbs milk
2 cans (14 oz each) sweetened condensed milk - 1 regular, 1 fat free.  Don't buy the cheap brand, you will regret it. 
4 Tbs unsalted butter, softened (again, you can sub Smart balance or margarine, just not light of either)
2 Tbs light maple syrup
6-8 oz dark chocolate - the darker the better (and healthier!)  I used 60% cacao.  (You can use milk chocolate if you're a chocolate wimp)
1 tsp vegetable shortening

What to do:

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  If you are using a dark pan, heat to 325.  Line a 13x9 baking pan with foil and spray bottom and sides well with non-stick spray.

For the crust:

• Crush graham crackers.  If you have a food processor, this is the easiest way.  If you do not, (raised hand...) I put them in a gallon sized zippered baggie and go at them with a rolling pin, ora can of veggies to crush.  Have kids?  They will LOVE this....  Need to let some anger out?  You will love this.... 

• Stir crushed graham crackers, sugar, salt and melted butter together until evenly coated.  (remember, if you used margarine or Smart Balance instead of unsalted butter, do not add salt!)

• Press crumb mixture into prepared baking pan.  Press evenly over the bottom of the pan and refrigerate for 30 minutes.  

• Bake the crust for 17 minutes or until lightly browned.  Remove to a rack and cool completely.

For the filling:

• Stir together cornstarch and milk.  

• In a saucepan, bring condensed milk, butter and syrup to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly to prevent burning.  Whisk in cornstarch mixture and cook 4 minutes or until thickened, whisking constantly.    

• Pour mixture over crust, spreading level.  Bake for 8 minutes or until topping starts to bubble.  

• Remove to a rack and let cool.  Refrigerate for 2 hours or until completely cold.

For the topping:

• Use a double boiler to melt chocolate and vegetable shortening.  If you don't have one, you can microwave chocolate ON A VERY LOW HEAT SETTING until melted.  I recommend microwaving in segments of 1 minute at power level 5 or lower until melted.

• Pour melted chocolate over the top of your bars and spread evenly.  Refrigerate until set, at least 45 minutes.

•  SIDE NOTE:  The first time I made these I almost felt as if there was too much chocolate.  For those of you who know me, you know I have never uttered those words before because, for me, there is no such thing as "too much chocolate."  However in this case I felt it would've been better with less chocolate on top.  Up to you!  Also, instead of spreading across the entire top, you could swirl the chocolate on the top to make fun patterns!  I didn't think of this until later in the evening, but that would be a fun and beautiful way to display these bars!  I'll try that next time......

• Use foil to lift bars (quickly!) from pan to a cutting board.  Cut into 16 squares with a serrated (bread) knife. This part gets messy, so have fun! 

•  These bars are sticky and messy so I placed them each on their own parchment liner.  It looks super cute, and it makes it easier for people to grab an individual square....
  
  
   
•  Husband tested and approved.....
  
  
  
  
  
  Love this man.  Even with what looks to be "pirate eye" in this picture, haha!
  
  

 Enjoy!  KDH.

BLUEBERRIES!!!

 Picture courtesy of culture.spalaska.com

Oh my gosh... I.Love.Blueberries.  And they are on SALE this week at Safeway!  Right now, through next Tuesday, buy one 6oz container and get a second FREE!!  These little cartons are usually $4 each in the off season (now) so this is a smokin' hot deal saving you $4.98 on 2 cartons. 

My favorite way to eat fresh blueberries?  Why in vanilla yogurt of course..  The way I eat it, the yogurt is really just a vehicle for the blueberries.... Y.U.M.  And incredibly healthy! 
Yogurt = calcium, vitamins A and D, protein, and live active cultures at a low calorie cost. 
Blueberries = low cal, high antioxidant powerhouse fruit.  Mix in granola and you've got a meal, baby.

Other close second favorite ways to eat blueberries:

• My mother's blueberry cobber.  If you're lucky I'll share the recipe someday
• Crumble ginger snap cookies, toss in blueberries, sprinkle on cinnamon, microwave for 40 seconds, top with  a dollop of whipped cream
• FRESH...BY THE HANDFUL

Did I mention I love blueberries?  Surely I will be visiting safeway for yogurt and blueberries a few times before next Tuesday, this deal is just too good to pass up....

Enjoy!  KDH.

Tea is my friend

Yes, my friends, I am a HUGE fan of tea.  I am a lover of all teas and don't discriminate by color of leaf; I am no tea racist. I love them all white, black, green, red, etc...  I drink tea on an almost-daily basis.  I'm a purist, I like it straight, no cream, no sugar, no bs, just straight, delicious, strong tea flavor. 

There are so many conflicting ways to make a great cup of tea.  Google it.  You'll be surprised at all the different and "better" ways to make tea!  A lot of the tea I drink comes in bags so I find the easiest way to brew is to pour boiling water into my giant tea mug, then bounce the bag in the water, dragging it back and fourth to all sides of the mug by the string.  After about 2 minutes, I remove the bag WITHOUT SQUEEZING.  This is a common misconception.  Do not squeeze your teabag.  If you do choose to squeeze your teabag just to test me, the tea Gods will see this and punish you with bad, bitter, mean tea for all eternity.  Ok, just kidding on that last part, but it will make your cup of tea bitter.  So just don't squeeze the teabag, alright people? 

I also quite enjoy loose-leaf tea.  It has a fuller flavor (in my opinion) and there's just something fun and pretty about seeing the colorful tea leaves.  If you use loose-leaf tea, you'll need some sort of way to strain the leaves out of your cup before drinking.  There are several options:
Tea Ball - which I am not a fan of.  Tea leaves need to swirl and move around, the tea ball is just too crowded.  Besides, it's ancient and we have way cooler ways to steep tea now...  Look at this midieval tea ball, it looks like something a mid-14th century knight would carry around to brew his tea.  Ya know, like they carried around their own silverware and tea balls.....

tea stick - Which I find awkwardly shaped and it seems difficult to get the tea into this little thing...

And the best way.... a tea infuser... See?  It even sounds modern.....  Tea infusers allow the tea leaves plenty of room to stretch their little tea leaves and stems to steep you a flavorful cup of tea.  Here are some of my favs:

Assam Teapot by Republic of Tea.  $24.99

 Click here to purchase

Personal Carafe - Raspberry Red, by Republic of Tea, $29.99

Click here to purchase

Trudeau Tea-Mendous 16oz Tea Tumbler - Clear, available on Amazon.com, $12.27

Click here to purchase

And, this one is my own personal favorite... it's yellow, which I love, and it has its own matching infuser that rests perfectly inside the top of the mug...  AND every time you see it, you have a wonderful piece of motivational speaking shouting at you to be happier! Who doesn't like a little positive shouting??

Get Happy Mug by Republic of Tea, $12.50

Click here to purchase

So now that you have your super-cute ways to carry and drink your tea, what kind of tea do you drink?  This, my friends, is the fun part....TASTE TESTING!  You're just going to have to get out there and find out what you like. Black tea, red tea, green tea, white tea, herbal tea, there are so many!!!  If you're a tea newbie, stick to white teas, which have a more mild flavor, or herbal teas, which can be fruity or customizable to whatever flavor you like...  As I said earlier, I love pretty much any tea, but my go-to, personal favorites are peppermint, and plain ol' black tea. I also enjoy chocolate hazelnut if I'm having a sweet craving, peach or raspberry if I'm feeling fruity, ginger if my stomach hurts (seriously, just boil some ginger root...), and chamomile or lavender when I need to chillax.

The world of herbal teas can get quite complex... remember, before modern medicine, our ancestors used herbs for medicinal purposes..  So do your research before trying anything new.  If you are pregnant, nursing, or have a serious medical condition, be especially cautious before drinking herbal teas!!! Check with your doctor first to make sure it won't cause any complications.  

Places like The Republic of Tea have mixed herbal teas for practically any ailment.  "Get Charged" to energize and get you moving, "Get Heart" to boost heart health, "Get Passionate" to boost your "passionate" health, "Get Smart" to boost brain health and dozens of others.  They even have a "Get Maternal" tea for the pregnant and new moms.  If you're really interested in getting into the whole herbal tea world, there are herbalists you can consult for a specific ailment, or do your own research and try making your own herbal concoction!  Please be advised, the FDA does not recognize any health benefits of tea or statements made towards the health properties of tea.  Which, to me, means it's awesome and means it's full of health benefits because the FDA doesn't really "approve" healthy things... (Velveeta anyone???  Red #5??  MSG?  Hydrogenated oils???  All FDA approved....)  I'd rather go the opposite way of the FDA's opinion, thankyouverymuch!  

Check out some of the following herb cheat sheets and get sipping!

Herbal Tea Reference Guide

Natural Herb Guide

something from ehow 

Livestrong 

Check back for more info on tea..  I love tea and love sharing it's awesome health powers!  Drink up, everyone!

Valentine's Day = love and....

It's Valentine's day today....

And although this post is coming to you a little late to do anything with, it's better late then never.  I'll try harder for upcoming holidays to plan ahead.  Which is strange I didn't for the Day of Amore because I'm a major planner

So, in honor of this most lovey-ist of days, I'm providing you with a stash of recipes to help turn up the heat.  Yeah, you know what I mean.... Oh, and BTW, don't think you have to wait for next Valentine's day to surprise your sweetie with these nosh-worthy treats..I give you permission to make them any day of the year!

Oysters:

We've all heard it before, oysters are the best aphrodisiac out there.  While some say it's their appearance that causes the appeal, oysters are a great source of libido-lifting zinc.  Want to try oysters for yourself?  They're incredibly versatile but you'll want to buy them fresh. 

To Steam:  

Boil 3/4" of water or beer on high in a pot.  Add oysters and reduce heat to medium.  Steam 5-10 minutes or until most of them have opened.  Serve hot.

To Fry:

Shucked oysters

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup bread crumbs

2-3 Tbs vegetable oil

salt, pepper, lemon wedges and any condiments you want.

Drain shucked oysters in a colander; dip oysters in eggs, then bread crumbs coating each oyster.  Set aside to dry for about 30 minutes. 

Heat oil in a frying pan until quite hot.  Fry oysters 3-4 minutes on each side.  Serve hot with lemon wedges, hot sauce, tartar sauce, or whatever your fancy

Salmon

 Image courtesy of microwaverecipe.net

Oh yes, friends, that delicious and super healthy pink fish is great for your *ahem* life too!  Full of omega-3 fatty acids, salmon improves your cholesterol and reeuce blood pressure to improve circulation.  And you know what happens when you let your blood "circulate."  

My favorite way to make Salmon is in a foil pouch on the grill.  Place salmon on heavy-duty foil, add a bit of butter, fresh dill and rosemary, a bit of pepper and lemon juice.  Fold up and roll edges to seal in steam and place on a hot bbq until salmon is cooked through.  Usually takes about 10 minutes depending on how thick your fillet is.  Check often as overcooked salmon is not great.  Fish should be opaque and flake apart.

Less-known dinner-food aphrodesiacs:

Garlic

 image courtesy of timesunion.com

Garlic might not be the BEST choice before kissing, but if you both eat it, it's great!  The allicin in garlic can increase blood flow to the sex organs.  These are just the facts, ma'am....

Dark Chocolate

(I saved the best for last.....)

Image courtesy of omninfo.com

Dark chocolate contains good-mood-boosting seritonin and phenylethylamine (which can mimic the feeling of being in love...)  So, single people out there:  you don't need a partner, you just need MORE CHOCOLATE!

Where, oh where, do I start for chocolate recipes...Oh man, this could be 10 million blogs just on its own....  Some of my favorite ways to eat dark chocolate:

Chocolate Fondue:

Melt dark chocolate slowly, stirring often, in a fondue pot or double boiler or very slowly and on very low heat in a microwave. Once melted, dip to your hearts desire!  Strawberries, cherries, apples, blueberries, pound cake, pretzels, marshmallows, or cookies. 

Double Chocolate Brownies:

You don't get this recipe yet..it's my favorite thing in the world and I'm planning an entire post around this one recipe.... Keep checking back!

Wat more?? 

Check out these 30 Dark Chocolate Desserts in this incredible post from Better Homes and Gardens

For more ideas on aphrodisiac foods, go here or here

Sources:  http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Wellness/valentines-day-food-put-mood/story?id=12896699

 

OHSU

Well... if you are ever at OHSU and have to pull an overnighter, you'll be happy to know they offer a wide variety of options for all sorts of diets including gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan.  In fact, their salad bar is one of the best I've seen, it's full of awesome fresh produce and reasonably priced..  If you're going for not-so-healthy, they have an ice cream machine where you can create your own mix-ins, and cheesecake straight from The Cheesecake Factory.  So, if you're ever having to spend a significant amount of time here, just be comforted by the fact that you can be well-fed...

Safeway....

By the way...has anyone seen the amazing deals Safeway has been having on meat lately??  LOTS of bogo (buy one get one..) and lots of clearance items!  Don't be afraid of clearance meat.... it's just meat that needs to be eaten or frozen ASAP.  Oh, and also don't be afraid of red meat that looks brown instead of red or has brown splotches on it.  That is the REAL color, the red is a chemical that is put on the meat to make it look more appetizing to the public.  Don't fall for it...the brown meat is perfectly fine!  So stock your freezer to save big bucks! 

We scored a ginormous pack of country style ribs for $8!!!  Country style ribs are usually about $3-$5 per pound, we got a HUGE pack for just $8.  Put them in the freezer and they'll be there when we need them!  I saw the other day NY steaks in an "extreme value pack" for 50% off... that is an amazing deal!!  We passed on it because we are stocked up on steak, but it was a fabulous deal.  In fact, I would go as far to say if you're buying meat at full price, you are giving your money away to the stores..Just handing it over!  And don't be fooled by Costco's big bags of chicken breasts, they're often more costly per pound than safeway deals or winco at full price!  Shop your price-per-pound, people!!

My favorite breakfast....Cabbage Mess!!

This recipe came to me from a Martha Stewart Living from about a year ago.  Martha calls this "Shredded Sauteed Cabbage" but that is so boring, I had to rename my version...  I had previously only had negative experiences with cabbage but was willing to give it another try.  This is an amazingly nutritious breakfast, easy to customize and very simple to make.  Oh, and did I mention it's cheap???  And amazingly delicious???  Love love love!  Post your reviews after trying it!  Oh, and please forgive the crappy pictures....we need a new camera....

1.  Gather ingredients:
1 tsp Olive Oil
1 medium sweet onion
1 small head of green cabbage, cored and thinly sliced (about 10 cups)
4 red potatoes
1 tomato, or 1 can of diced tomatoes (I almost like the canned better, they're juicy!)
3/4 inch of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1/4 tsp Thai Seasoning
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1-1/2 tsp coarse salt
Salt & Pepper to taste
eggs - however many you need to serve people.  We usually do 3 eggs and 2 egg whites for this

(Yep, I forgot to include the tomato in the picture...)

2. Chop your onion, julienne your potatoes (long skinny slices), and shred your cabbage

3.  Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil, onion and potatoes.  Suaté to soften onion and potatoes, about 5 minutes.  The potatoes should be mostly fork-tender, but still a bit hard in the middle. 

4.  Stir in the tomato and ginger, Thai seasoning and red pepper flakes.  Cook for another 3 minutes

5.   Add the cabbage and 1-1/2 tsp salt.  Stir to combine. Sprinkle 2TBS water over the top. The cabbage will FILL the skillet, but will cook down, so don't be scared to pack it in there...  Cover and reduce heat to medium.  Cook for approximately 13 minutes, stirring occasionally as cabbage begins to collapse.

6.  While cabbage is cooking down, make your eggs however you choose to.  We usually do fried eggs with this and mix 3 whole eggs with 2 egg whites.  Scrambled eggs work great with this recipe and stir in well at the end. 

7.  To serve, pile Cabbage Mess onto a plate and top with eggs...  Salt & Pepper to taste and ENJOY!!

 This breakfast is filled with nutrients and healthy stuff.... Fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals, and you're eating veggies for breakfast, so it's a perfect start to your day!  It's super healthy and delicious...  We always have leftovers which we eat as a side dish with dinner, or take for lunch the next day.  This reheats wonderfully so it makes for a perfect take-to-work lunch!