tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47569661727009715362024-02-19T23:53:48.246-08:00Omnivore's ParadoxTaylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01129542054374320756noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4756966172700971536.post-4871378481219839082012-01-23T07:46:00.000-08:002012-01-23T07:47:35.274-08:00Videography:: Dreamy and WhimsicalVideography is something that I've always wanted incredibly bad for
our wedding, but nothing (until now) ever quite seemed to work out. Have
you seen some of the incredible wedding videos out there?! They are
AMAZING, dreamy, whimsical....more than simply a tape-recording of the
day, that's for sure! Here are two videos that I keep going back to
because I simply can't get enough. Stick with me because *gasp* the
second video isn't a wedding video, but it is BEAUTIFUL and the
aesthetic that I want for my wedding (also, I'm absolutely in love with
food, so this video [for me] is quite fitting).<br />
<br />
This first one gets me EVERYTIME. The pink church, the gifts and <i>Wonderwall</i>...just watch, you'll see.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/26502282?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0&color=ff9933" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="620"></iframe><br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/26502282">nick+maria • england wedding</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/paperbackweddings">Paperback Weddings</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
<br />
Now, this is the wedding-less video, but I'm pretty sure that you're about to fall in LOVE with <a data-mce-href="http://tigerinajar.blogspot.com/" href="http://tigerinajar.blogspot.com/">Tiger in a Jar</a> just like I have. The dreamy lighting, documentary style and just wait for the ombre pine nuts!<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/25385248?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="620"></iframe><br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/25385248">ribboned asparagus salad</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/mrwalker">tiger in a jar</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
<br />
Now that you've seen those two BEAUTIES! Look at <a data-mce-href="http://jonathonlinkstudios.com/" href="http://jonathonlinkstudios.com/">Jonathon Link Studios</a>, the <a data-mce-href="http://jonathonlinkstudios.com/" href="http://jonathonlinkstudios.com/">amazing videographers</a> that I am going to have the privilege to work with for my wedding. They are an adorable husband-wife duo and JB and I are<b> thrilled</b> to have them on our team. <a href="http://vimeo.com/19527209" target="_blank">Here</a> is one of my favorite videos they've done, but really I love them all!<br />
<br />
Two
of my favorite things about Jonathon and Kristin Link are: 1. They are
attending our rehearsal to get a better feel for how the day is going to
go down. 2. They are shooting our wedding with 3 cameras (!!!). We met
with them this past weekend to talk about details and were just so
impressed with everything they had to say, I can't wait to watch our
video for years to come!<br />
I love the gift exchange from the first video and I always love when videos include pre-wedding preparations, but <i><b>what are some other things that I have to make sure to leave time for my videographers to capture</b></i> (other than the obvious ceremony and reception traditions)?<br />
<br />
P.S. I'm less than 5-months out! Also, I found this the other day in a book at Pottery Barn and had to share...<br />
<a data-mce-href="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/photo.jpg" href="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/photo.jpg"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-11055" data-mce-src="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/photo.jpg" height="620" src="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/photo.jpg" width="620" /></a>Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01129542054374320756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4756966172700971536.post-20591229588688534192011-12-14T09:01:00.000-08:002011-12-14T09:06:29.782-08:00My Favorite Wedding Video {of all time}This video by <a href="http://www.shadetreefilms.net/" target="_blank">Shade Tree Films</a> needs pretty much no introduction. Just watch and you'll see why it's so wonderful...<b><i>what luck. P.S. That backdrop...swoon!</i></b><br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/31097286?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0&color=fed200" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="640"></iframe>Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01129542054374320756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4756966172700971536.post-88867670496760157492011-12-13T14:07:00.000-08:002011-12-14T08:40:43.667-08:00A re-dedication to my blog & Choco LabsI stopped blogging in the spring, mostly because blogging was kind of a lot of work (I mean in my old format...make a recipe, take pics, upload, clean, blog). I've decided to take up this blog again mostly because of the wedding planning, but also because I just generally like writing, editing and collecting inspiration. This newly improved blog (like the new format?) will simply include whatever I dang well please. It's a chronicle of my current life, so hopefully (if the internet still exists), I can look back on it in years to come.<br />
<br />
To start it off, here is a BEAUTIFUL video from <a href="http://tigerinajar.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Tiger in A Jar</a>...my newly discovered obsession. This video is pretty much my dream life: a choco lab ranch (well that's not exactly what it is, but you'll see). Side note, JB reminded me that having a dog ranch would require some possible gland squeezing...I said I'd do it (I probably wouldn't).<br />
<br />
<br />
<i><b><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/32361721?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="640"></iframe></b></i><br />
<i><b>What's your dream life? </b></i>Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01129542054374320756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4756966172700971536.post-9331211729797125612011-12-12T08:43:00.000-08:002011-12-14T08:55:44.739-08:00A Cheery BreakWhen I first started my wedding obsession by reading blog post upon
post, I kept reading things about planning being overwhelming, stressful
and all-consuming. My first thought was "great" I LOVE weddings, so
I'll love mine even more. My second was "these people must not be
planners." Let me tell you, I'm a planner/organizer with a strong sense
of what I like and this wedding planning is OVERWHELMING!<br />
So, for a
break from the wedding madness, my roommate and I threw a holiday
shindig of our own. Now, I love throwing parties; I love rearranging the
furniture in to the most mingle-able setting, I love browsing through
appetizer recipes, mixing drinks, choosing serving platters and making
the house look so elegantly "lived in." However, because we're both only
21, our collection of serving dishes, holiday decor and generally money
is pretty limited, so here is our<i><b> holiday soiree *on a budget* in three easy steps.</b></i><br />
<i><b>Is
anyone throwing a holiday themed, wedding-y party? Wine and crafts?
Holiday engagement? Winter bridal shower? Tell me...I LOVE to hear!</b></i><br />
<br />
1. <b>Candles!</b> Votives are CHEAP, check out these at <a data-mce-href="http://www.dollartree.com/floral-decor/Wholesale-Bulk-Candles-Holders-Votives/White-Unscented-Votives/202c205c205p294320/index.pro" href="http://www.dollartree.com/floral-decor/Wholesale-Bulk-Candles-Holders-Votives/White-Unscented-Votives/202c205c205p294320/index.pro">Dollar Tree</a>
(4 for $1) and glass jars are cheaper (do you buy pasta sauce, salsa,
jam). We've been collecting glass jars to use at my wedding and figured,
why not use them twice?! With all the DIYs out there, it so easy to
find something festive...these are my faves. Psst, the first link has
TONS of ideas.<br />
<a data-mce-href="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/candles.jpg" href="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/candles.jpg"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-8837" data-mce-src="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/candles.jpg" height="376" src="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/candles.jpg" width="640" /><br /> </a><a data-mce-href="http://emmalinebride.com/winter/christmas-mason-jar-ideas/" href="http://emmalinebride.com/winter/christmas-mason-jar-ideas/">one</a>, <a data-mce-href="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/candles.jpg" href="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/candles.jpg">two<br /> </a><br />
2. <b>Easy appetizers.</b>
What's easier (cuter, tastier...) than tiny potatoes wrapped in bacon?
Add in a dipping dish of Dijon and you're ready to go. Also, brie was
one of our splurgerier treats...but the stuff on top is just sugar and
water!! P.S. Of our limited serving dishes, we do have a wood cutting
board...perfect for cheese and crackers!<br />
<a data-mce-href="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/appetizers.jpg" href="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/appetizers.jpg"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-8838" data-mce-src="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/appetizers.jpg" height="426" src="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/appetizers.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<a data-mce-href="http://www.marthastewart.com/345014/caramel-coated-brie" href="http://www.marthastewart.com/345014/caramel-coated-brie">one</a>, <a data-mce-href="http://www.marthastewart.com/326886/bacon-wrapped-potatoes?czone=entertaining/holiday-entertaining/holidaycenter-foods" href="http://www.marthastewart.com/326886/bacon-wrapped-potatoes?czone=entertaining/holiday-entertaining/holidaycenter-foods">two</a><br />
<br />
3. <b>Simple, festive drinks</b>
(that you can make in BIG batches). We decided to offer two drinks,
cider and nog (both of which were a HIT). The best part about these is
that they are easy as heck, but still way classier than the usual
21-year-old party drink.<br />
<div data-mce-style="text-align: left;" style="text-align: left;">
<a data-mce-href="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/drinks2.jpg" href="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/drinks2.jpg"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-8854" data-mce-src="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/drinks2.jpg" height="405" src="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/drinks2.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<a data-mce-href="http://www.marthastewart.com/326843/warm-cider-and-rum-punch" href="http://www.marthastewart.com/326843/warm-cider-and-rum-punch">one</a>, <a data-mce-href="http://www.marthastewart.com/334358/eggnog?czone=entertaining/holiday-entertaining/holidaycenter-drinks" href="http://www.marthastewart.com/334358/eggnog?czone=entertaining/holiday-entertaining/holidaycenter-drinks">two</a></div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: left;" style="text-align: left;">
<br data-mce-bogus="1" /></div>
<i><b>What do you do to break from the all-consuming wedding planning?</b></i><br />
Don't
worry, I'll be done with this hiatus next week, because this weekend I
have my first WEDDING DRESS FITTING with my mom and all of my
bridesmaids! I can't wait! <i><b>Does anyone have any fitting tips?</b></i><br />
<i> P.S. I wish I could have a snowy, winter wedding...there'd be <a data-mce-href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/88174350/ermine-faux-fur-muff?ref=sr_gallery_1&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=faux+muff&ga_order=most_relevant&ga_ship_to=US&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade" href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/88174350/ermine-faux-fur-muff?ref=sr_gallery_1&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=faux+muff&ga_order=most_relevant&ga_ship_to=US&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade">muffs</a> and cider for all!</i>Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01129542054374320756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4756966172700971536.post-82319519300791283662011-12-05T08:44:00.000-08:002011-12-14T08:54:32.641-08:00Wedding veils, hats and flower crownsMy extensive list of wants and ideas for this wedding is getting a
little out of hand. My mom is continually trying to help me focus, which
I've done on a few parts of the wedding, but on others, it seems like
the inspiration and possible choices are never ending! That brings me to
my wedding headgear (not the braces kind).<br />
<a data-mce-href="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/top2.jpg" href="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/top2.jpg"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-8372" data-mce-src="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/top2.jpg" height="338" src="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/top2.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
I've
been searching for the perfect reception headpiece for a while now to
no avail. It's not because I don't like anything, it's because I LOVE
everything. I can't get enough of chiffon flowers, tulle bows, vintage
pillbox hats and especially not enough of live flower crowns. Now you
can see my true frustration and utter confusion because of the plethora
of over-the-top duds to perch on top of my head. I keep telling my
roommate that I want something ridiculous because when am I ever going
to get the chance to wear a flower the size of my head in my hair ever
again? But then I find precious little bobby pins and my vision shifts
again.<br />
Here are a few of my favorites (a FEW). Do you have this
problem? What are you wearing in your hair? Veil, hat, fascinator,
nothing? <i><b>HELP ME DECIDE!</b></i><br />
Also, almost all of these are from <a data-mce-href="http://www.etsy.com" href="http://www.etsy.com/">Etsy</a>...I am an Etsy fiend!<br />
<a data-mce-href="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/2.jpg" href="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/2.jpg"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-8373" data-mce-src="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/2.jpg" height="640" src="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/2.jpg" width="597" /></a><a data-mce-href="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/3.jpg" href="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/3.jpg"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-8374" data-mce-src="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/3.jpg" height="427" src="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/3.jpg" width="640" /></a><a data-mce-href="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/4.jpg" href="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/4.jpg"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-8375" data-mce-src="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/4.jpg" height="503" src="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/4.jpg" width="640" /></a><a data-mce-href="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/5.jpg" href="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/5.jpg"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-8376" data-mce-src="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/5.jpg" src="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/5.jpg" /></a><a data-mce-href="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/fascinator.jpg" href="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/fascinator.jpg"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-8614" data-mce-src="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/fascinator.jpg" src="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/fascinator.jpg" /></a><br />
Clockwise from top left: <a data-mce-href="http://sidebysideblog.blogspot.com/2011/02/wedding-wednesday-floral-bridal.html" href="http://sidebysideblog.blogspot.com/2011/02/wedding-wednesday-floral-bridal.html">One</a>, <a data-mce-href="http://www.stylemepretty.com/gallery/photo/207944" href="http://www.stylemepretty.com/gallery/photo/207944">two</a>, <a data-mce-href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/65164276/handmade-flowers-halo-in-palette-1" href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/65164276/handmade-flowers-halo-in-palette-1">three</a>, <a data-mce-href="http://greenweddingshoes.com/real-wedding-emily-ians-diy-ojai-wedding/" href="http://greenweddingshoes.com/real-wedding-emily-ians-diy-ojai-wedding/">four</a>, <a data-mce-href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/81163834/romantic-flower-crown-in-ivory-yellow" href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/81163834/romantic-flower-crown-in-ivory-yellow">five</a>, <a data-mce-href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/74431881/queen-of-the-woods-natural-crown-ivory" href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/74431881/queen-of-the-woods-natural-crown-ivory">six</a>, <a data-mce-href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/85805795/ivory-flower-and-feather-bridal-halo" href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/85805795/ivory-flower-and-feather-bridal-halo">seven</a>, <a data-mce-href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/81553968/ivory-rose-wedding-head-piece-in-the?ref=v1_other_1" href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/81553968/ivory-rose-wedding-head-piece-in-the?ref=v1_other_1">eight</a>, <a data-mce-href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/84294108/cream-and-copper-glitter-dipped-petal" href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/84294108/cream-and-copper-glitter-dipped-petal">nine</a> <a data-mce-href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/77023923/black-friday-sale-vintage-1950s-hat-the" href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/77023923/black-friday-sale-vintage-1950s-hat-the">ten</a>, <a data-mce-href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/69729823/amazing-real-silk-bridal-hair-flower" href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/69729823/amazing-real-silk-bridal-hair-flower">eleven</a>, <a data-mce-href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/72885983/vintage-1960s-hat-white-feather-hat-the" href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/72885983/vintage-1960s-hat-white-feather-hat-the">twelve</a>, <a data-mce-href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/80826921/white-feather-fascinator-with" href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/80826921/white-feather-fascinator-with">thirteen</a><br />
P.S.
I've already bought my headpiece for the ceremony, but you'll have to
wait and see it at the wedding (my attire is the one thing I'm trying to
keep secret from JB and let me tell you, keeping it a secret [even if
JB doesn't really care] is HARD for me).Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01129542054374320756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4756966172700971536.post-4761516198345724182011-11-28T10:45:00.000-08:002011-12-14T08:52:32.934-08:00Lights and Love: Nighttime InspirationBefore I get in to all the details that everyone always asks about
like the venue, the dress, colors…and my obnoxiously overzealous list of
potential DIY projects, I want you to get a feel for the atmosphere I’m
aiming for (I’ve been told I’m a big picture person…so here goes all of
my big picture thoughts).<br />
For me, flowers aren't incredibly
important (especially because my wedding will be at night...who can see
flowers at night anyways?). So my focus for the wedding is on creating a
dreamy atmosphere with candles...lots and LOTS of candles.<br />
P.S.
My ultimate wedding dream would be to release TONS of floating candle
lanterns...thanks Texas for your constant state of extreme drought. I
guess I'll have to settle for floating candles in the pool.<br />
<b><i>Do you have and neat nighttime inspiration? </i></b><br />
<a data-mce-href="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/top.jpg" href="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/top.jpg"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-7203" data-mce-src="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/top.jpg" height="362" src="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/top.jpg" width="640" /></a><a data-mce-href="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/middle.jpg" href="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/middle.jpg"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-7202" data-mce-src="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/middle.jpg" height="582" src="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/middle.jpg" width="640" /></a><a data-mce-href="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/bottom.jpg" href="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/bottom.jpg"><img alt="" data-mce-src="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/bottom.jpg" height="491" src="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/bottom.jpg" width="640" /></a><a data-mce-href="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/floatinglantern.jpg" href="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/floatinglantern.jpg"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-7213" data-mce-src="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/floatinglantern.jpg" height="426" src="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/floatinglantern.jpg" width="640" /></a><a data-mce-href="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/lightsandloveinspiration1.jpg" href="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/lightsandloveinspiration1.jpg"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-8024" data-mce-src="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/lightsandloveinspiration1.jpg" height="296" src="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/lightsandloveinspiration1.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
Clockwise from top left: <a data-mce-href="http://shadesofscarlett.tumblr.com/page/2" href="http://shadesofscarlett.tumblr.com/page/2" target="_blank">one</a>, <a data-mce-href="http://www.ourlaboroflove.com/#weddings-f4818" href="http://www.ourlaboroflove.com/#weddings-f4818">two</a>, <a data-mce-href="http://www.i-do-it-yourself.com/2009/12/clear-bottle-candle-holders/" href="http://www.i-do-it-yourself.com/2009/12/clear-bottle-candle-holders/">three</a>, <a data-mce-href="http://somethingturquoise.com/2011/09/15/inspiration-travel/" href="http://somethingturquoise.com/2011/09/15/inspiration-travel/">four</a>, <a data-mce-href="http://tinywhitedaisies.tumblr.com/page/20" href="http://tinywhitedaisies.tumblr.com/page/20">five</a>, <a data-mce-href="http://frombehindthepen.wordpress.com/2011/05/28/the-floating-lantern-ceremony-toro-nagashi/" href="http://frombehindthepen.wordpress.com/2011/05/28/the-floating-lantern-ceremony-toro-nagashi/">six</a>, <a data-mce-href="http://proudtoplan.blogspot.com/2008/11/lauren-bryans-wedding.html" href="http://proudtoplan.blogspot.com/2008/11/lauren-bryans-wedding.html">seven</a>, <a data-mce-href="http://www.save-on-crafts.com/floativory.html" href="http://www.save-on-crafts.com/floativory.html" target="_blank">eight</a>, <a data-mce-href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/43762033@N07/5229332388/in/photostream/" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/43762033@N07/5229332388/in/photostream/">nine</a>, <a data-mce-href="http://www.stylemepretty.com/gallery/photo/189347" href="http://www.stylemepretty.com/gallery/photo/189347">ten</a><br />
P.S. The floating luminaries above (number eight), I bought a few of them and somewhere near 100 paper lanterns...<a data-mce-href="http://www.quickcandles.com/Luminary-Candles-s/220.htm" href="http://www.quickcandles.com/Luminary-Candles-s/220.htm" target="_blank">these</a> are the best deal, a TON of <a data-mce-href="http://www.quickcandles.com/Votive-Candles-s/1.htm" href="http://www.quickcandles.com/Votive-Candles-s/1.htm" target="_blank">votives</a> and instead of pillar candles (which are CRAZY expensive), I bought <a data-mce-href="http://www.dollartree.com/Christmas/Christmas-Home-Decor/religious-white-candles/319c321c321p265635/index.pro?method=search" href="http://www.dollartree.com/Christmas/Christmas-Home-Decor/religious-white-candles/319c321c321p265635/index.pro?method=search" target="_blank">these</a>.<br />
<b>Follow me on </b><a data-mce-href="https://twitter.com/#%21/TaylorChatfield" href="https://twitter.com/#%21/TaylorChatfield" target="_blank">Twitter</a> :: <i><b>Get inspired on <a data-mce-href="http://pinterest.com/taylor3chat/" href="http://pinterest.com/taylor3chat/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a></b></i>Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01129542054374320756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4756966172700971536.post-69809455196811919352011-11-21T08:47:00.000-08:002011-12-14T08:53:38.156-08:00Engagement Photos...*swoon*Have you had a chance to meet our Monday bride? Her name is Taylor and she is planning a backyard wedding in Texas. <b><a data-mce-href="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/2011/11/14/introducing-taylor/" href="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/2011/11/14/introducing-taylor/">Read more about her!</a></b><br />
I
finally had my engagement pictures taken this past Sunday (we'd been
waiting for the Texas weather to cool down because there's nothing I
love more than a good "wrapped-in-a-quilt-snuggling" picture) and let me
tell you, taking engagement photos is FUN. I love getting my picture
taken regardless, but with a professional photographer and cuddling my
lovey...there's nothing better!<br />
<img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-7639" data-mce-src="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/eng1.jpg" height="428" src="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/eng1.jpg" width="640" /><br />
We
took our pictures in Prosper, Texas, (I told Braeden [our photog] I
wanted a field and he delivered with some field-filled terrain) on an
unseasonably warm November afternoon and I am thrilled (I made JB slowly
scroll through the sneak peek photos for at least an hour) with the
results.<br />
<img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-7642" data-mce-src="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/eng5.jpg" height="428" src="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/eng5.jpg" width="640" /><br />
These pictures were taken by<i><b> Braeden Rogers at <a data-mce-href="http://ambient11.com/" href="http://ambient11.com/">Ambient 11 Photography</a></b></i>
and I have got to say that he was absolutely stellar. From the moment
we arrived to the second we left, the three of us were laughing and
having a great time. As if just generally having fun isn't enough, his
photo-journalistic images are to-die-for! They are so raw in the
happiest, most joyful sense! I can't wait for Braeden to take the rest
of our pictures in June!!<br />
<img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-7661" data-mce-src="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/eng12.jpg" height="437" src="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/eng12.jpg" width="640" /><br />
<i><b>Quick advice!</b></i>
We had trouble deciding between a one-hour and a two-hour engagement
session and after a friend's advice (thanks Mal!), we decided to go with
two-hours. In my opinion, the two-hour session was the best decision we
have made this far in the process. Two-hours allows you and your fiance
to get comfortable being photographed, it allows the photographer to
get to know you two as a couple and (especially if you're shooting
outdoors) it gives you more time to find that perfect amount of sunlight
that makes your photos oh-so dreamy!<br />
So, if your budget can handle it, pick two hours, you won't regret it!<br />
Without further adieu...<br />
<a data-mce-href="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/eng4.jpg" href="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/eng4.jpg"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-7641" data-mce-src="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/eng4.jpg" height="428" src="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/eng4.jpg" width="640" /></a><a data-mce-href="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/eng11.jpg" href="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/eng11.jpg"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-7648" data-mce-src="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/eng11.jpg" height="437" src="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/eng11.jpg" width="640" /></a><a data-mce-href="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/eng2.jpg" href="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/eng2.jpg"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-7640" data-mce-src="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/eng2.jpg" height="558" src="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/eng2.jpg" width="640" /></a><a data-mce-href="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/eng13.jpg" href="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/eng13.jpg"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-7662" data-mce-src="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/eng13.jpg" height="437" src="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/eng13.jpg" width="640" /></a><a data-mce-href="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/blanket.jpg" href="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/blanket.jpg"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-7638" data-mce-src="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/blanket.jpg" height="432" src="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/blanket.jpg" width="640" /></a><a data-mce-href="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/eng10.jpg" href="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/eng10.jpg"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-7647" data-mce-src="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/eng10.jpg" height="301" src="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/eng10.jpg" width="640" /></a><a data-mce-href="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/eng7.jpg" href="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/eng7.jpg"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-7644" data-mce-src="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/eng7.jpg" height="640" src="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/eng7.jpg" width="599" /></a><a data-mce-href="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/eng14.jpg" href="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/eng14.jpg"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-7663" data-mce-src="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/eng14.jpg" height="437" src="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/eng14.jpg" width="640" /></a><a data-mce-href="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/eng8.jpg" href="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/eng8.jpg"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-7645" data-mce-src="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/eng8.jpg" height="640" src="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/eng8.jpg" width="621" /></a><a data-mce-href="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/eng9.jpg" href="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/eng9.jpg"><img alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-7646" data-mce-src="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/eng9.jpg" height="426" src="http://www.engagedandinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/eng9.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<i><b>All photos by Braeden Rogers at <a data-mce-href="http://ambient11.com/" href="http://ambient11.com/" target="_blank">Ambient 11 Photography</a></b></i>Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01129542054374320756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4756966172700971536.post-44713234487494136502011-03-30T14:48:00.000-07:002011-12-13T14:46:37.761-08:00Bean Enchiladas (Veg Friendly)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxInSNZpzheRSqWXBYopdWi8C4bnjP94G7j75xH9hHMs5_Y2V8TK-NEXBQuAlZzf7-MKZEPfBV245bmf8zC5rlh8IbNfUxwLEaJVE-FFQPmgvP5RN4u3vzpeqvR-PedOTvvqYum9iB8dg/s1600/IMG_5197.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="480" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5590002803017552658" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxInSNZpzheRSqWXBYopdWi8C4bnjP94G7j75xH9hHMs5_Y2V8TK-NEXBQuAlZzf7-MKZEPfBV245bmf8zC5rlh8IbNfUxwLEaJVE-FFQPmgvP5RN4u3vzpeqvR-PedOTvvqYum9iB8dg/s640/IMG_5197.JPG" style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt;" width="640" /></a><br />
The dish that I can absolutely eat until I'm sick: enchiladas. I've loved them since I was little and last night, as a birthday week present for myself, I cooked bean enchiladas for dinner. <br />
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An easy crowd pleaser, my mom and I have often made hundreds of enchiladas for events, and it never takes longer than an hour or so.</div>
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So, here is my easy, fool-proof recipe for enchiladas:</div>
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Makes 10</div>
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Bean Enchiladas (or meat if you want)</div>
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Ingredients:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>1 can of refried bean</li>
<li>shredded colby jack cheese</li>
<li>10 flour tortillas</li>
<li>1 can tomato sauce</li>
<li>1 packet McCormick enchilada spices</li>
<li>OPTIONAL: ground beef or ground turkey (cooked)</li>
</ul>
<div>
Directions:</div>
</div>
<div>
<ol>
<li>Simmer tomato sauce mixed with spice packet until warm.</li>
<li>Fill each tortilla with a large spoon full of beans, a sprinkle of cheese and a spoonful of sauce (add the meat and anything else you might want here too); spread evenly down the center of the tortilla.</li>
<li>Roll tortillas and place them side-by-side in the pan (the closer the better)</li>
<li>Top generously with cheese and sauce.</li>
<li>Cook at 350 F for 25 minutes, or until enchiladas are hot in the center.</li>
<li>Serve immediately.</li>
<li>Enjoy!</li>
</ol>
<div>
These enchiladas are great re-heated! You can also freeze them for about a month and take them out one at a time for lunches or dinners.</div>
</div>Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01129542054374320756noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4756966172700971536.post-19176106287622291032011-03-26T13:26:00.000-07:002011-12-13T14:47:51.894-08:00Comida<div>
<span style="font-size: small;">I haven't been very good about writing lately because I've been working on Comida, my senior </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">honors project. Comida is a mix of academic, journalistic, and sometimes humorous reflections on </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small;">Spanish culture through food. It is also an album of memories, a souvenir from my life in Spain. Enjoy!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
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<a href="http://issuu.com/taylorchatfield/docs/comida?mode=embed&layout=http%3A%2F%2Fskin.issuu.com%2Fv%2Flight%2Flayout.xml&showFlipBtn=true" target="_blank">Open publication</a> - Free <a href="http://issuu.com/" target="_blank">publishing</a> - <a href="http://issuu.com/search?q=barcelona" target="_blank">More barcelona</a></div>
</div>Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01129542054374320756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4756966172700971536.post-7187711583370732542011-02-22T15:34:00.000-08:002011-12-13T14:48:31.325-08:00Best Birthday CakeI want this:<br /><div><object style="height: 400px; width: 640px"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-hwVRzaQNkA?version=3"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-hwVRzaQNkA?version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="500" height="300"></embed></object></div>Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01129542054374320756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4756966172700971536.post-7979585403410598032011-02-22T13:53:00.000-08:002011-12-13T14:49:54.924-08:00Fort Worth, Get Ready...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCkiKbH_F-Fnc58JGbdJ8_YljElsD84SEHjZL5zvihUYCyaP2X6suMZ1pT9O2SH4lWCu7xw4DDt41U6_mBI4oLvqQTUG-ML3kcgu_tvyGus-itVJfFbmXDY3xVY2wD7Adu04YvvEo6o8M/s1600/photo+%25282%2529.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" width="640" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576644442991292818" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCkiKbH_F-Fnc58JGbdJ8_YljElsD84SEHjZL5zvihUYCyaP2X6suMZ1pT9O2SH4lWCu7xw4DDt41U6_mBI4oLvqQTUG-ML3kcgu_tvyGus-itVJfFbmXDY3xVY2wD7Adu04YvvEo6o8M/s640/photo+%25282%2529.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt;" width="478" /></a>I have now been twice and let me tell you, it is already on its way to becoming one of my <i><b><span class="Apple-style-span">VERY favorite restaurants</span></b></i>. <a href="http://www.thetavernftworth.com/">The Tavern</a>, off Hulen Street in Fort Worth is unassuming. Sitting on the corner of South Hulen and Stonegate Blvd. (formerly Snookies) with a bright neon sign, you would never guess that Chef Felipe Armenta is serving gourmet, budget-friendly dishes inside. The atmosphere is warm and dark with unique kitchen themed artwork and Pottery Barnesque industrial light fixtures. Waiters are friendly to say the least as you can tell that they all love the restaurant just as much as Chef Armenta himself. However, none of this compares to the amazing food coming out of the kitchen.<br />
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Like I said, I've visited twice and tried two different meals, both of which were worth talking about days later. Armenta's queso, although very untraditional, is to die for. The queso, which is basically an upscale pimento cheese with fire roasted peppers is served as one member of a trio accompanied by guacamole and salsa. As my boyfriend and I order a refill of chips to make sure that we could scrape every last ounce of the three dips off the plate, we realized that each dip individually was more than good enough to order on its own. Although the queso is the most unique of the three, we honestly couldn't pick a favorite (which is a big deal because we like to think of ourselves as chips and dip connoisseurs) they were all three that good!<br />
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</div>
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My first time at The Tavern, I went for the Mexico City Enchiladas, an enchilada fiend, I enjoyed the larger cut chicken smothered in cheese and a sweet but spicy red sauce as opposed to the overdone pulled chicken and sour cream. However, my favorite dish so far was the Zuni Chicken Salad. I need to preface this with the fact that I am not a salad orderer, if I had a choice between salad and enchiladas, I wouldn't even have to make a decision, however that night, my quick lapse in decision making was rewarded ten-fold. Thinking that I was ordering a chicken salad, in the chicken salad sandwich sense, I was surprised if not a little disappointed when my waiter delivered a large salad with sliced chicken scattered throughout. This disappointment quickly turned in to the best salad I have EVER eaten. Fresh lettuce lightly coated in some sort of magical sauce is tossed with dried cherries (they might as well have been gold), golden raisins, walnuts, bacon (yes bacon), some of the best grilled chicken I've ever eaten and GOAT CHEESE. As you can remember from my earlier post, goat cheese is a necessary staple in my diet, and this salad definitely subdued my craving (at least for the night).</div>
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I know my adoration for this salad might seem over exaggerated, but I can promise you it is not. Even my boyfriend, with a steak and enchilada plate sitting in front of him, agreed that this was a dang good salad. </div>
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To finish our meal we had key lime pie (that's right, they have pie...my favorite dessert) on recommendation from our waiter and it also was to die for. But I do have to say that my first time in, I had banana pie and it was the best banana pie I have ever had (there's a little surprise inside...you'll have to visit to find out).</div>
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Bellies stuffed, we left happy from our second trip to The Tavern and I can guarantee that we will be back soon.</div>
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<b>My recommended meal:</b></div>
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Queso "Americano"</div>
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Zuni Chicken Salad</div>
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Banana Pie</div>
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<b>Related Articles</b></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.dfw.com/2010/11/09/362710/the-tavern-opens-on-hulen-before.html">The Tavern Open on Hulen</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.dfw.com/2010/11/22/369173/acoolnewtavernonhulen.html">The Tavern on Hulen Scores High Marks</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;">
<img alt="" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=daf5e6de-42f1-4467-9a60-467af7bfb469" style="border: none; float: right;" /></div>Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01129542054374320756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4756966172700971536.post-47919855512925682892011-02-18T22:34:00.000-08:002011-12-13T14:50:20.134-08:00Tortilla de Patatas<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8zc8-VaRcq0DJ1DcAqypJgcTJtZGH-RmG6_VyxD27iIchbGtwCmI1sWIbzXSZgN2RaIJlK0Sz289P8-52FaZ1tlk3O52bx5tc2ESDM17SlB9ekrbxYRJnB90uh6E1IuIOc2DTES3web0/s1600/IMG_4940.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="480" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575288172281887970" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8zc8-VaRcq0DJ1DcAqypJgcTJtZGH-RmG6_VyxD27iIchbGtwCmI1sWIbzXSZgN2RaIJlK0Sz289P8-52FaZ1tlk3O52bx5tc2ESDM17SlB9ekrbxYRJnB90uh6E1IuIOc2DTES3web0/s640/IMG_4940.JPG" style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt;" width="640" /></a><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span">My favorite</span></i></b> meal while I was living in Spain was the Tortilla de Patatas or <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tortilla_de_patatas" rel="wikipedia" title="Tortilla de patatas">Tortilla Española</a>, a quintesential Spanish staple. I had this tortilla all over Spain and I can guarantee that the tortilla my Señora made was by far the very best. So, during the four months I lived with her, I was able to learn some of her secrets to the perfect tortilla and I am ready to share them with you!<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Tortilla Española (read about my adventures with la tortilla <a href="http://issuu.com/taylorchatfield/docs/tortilla_foodoir">here</a>, in an pre-release excerpt from my Spanish food magazine: <i>Comida</i>)</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Ingredients:</div>
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Potatoes, any variety
<br />1 onion
<br />3-6 egg whites
<br />2-4 egg yolks
<br />Salt to taste
<br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Cambria;">Extra Virgin olive oil</span> </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span">Directions:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span">1. </span>Pour 1-1.5 inches of olive oil in the bottom of a round-bottomed pan.</div>
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2. Peel and slice potatoes in to approximately 1 cm thick rounds. Place potato slices in warm oil until pan is about 2/3 full of potatoes. Oil should not be boiling.</div>
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3. Continue to turn potatoes for about 10-15 minutes or until all slice are soft. Potatoes should not brown.</div>
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4. Add salt to taste.</div>
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5. Grate onion in to potato mixture and continue to turn for about two more minutes.</div>
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6. Strain potato mixture, removing all excess oil (the easiest way is to allow the mixture to sit in a strainer for about three minutes).</div>
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7. While mixture is straining, beat all eggs together. </div>
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8. Pour potato mixture back in to pan and pour eggs over the top. Turn mixture so that the eggs are evenly dispersed.</div>
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9. Add salt to taste.</div>
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10. Allow Tortilla to cook for approximately three minutes, or until tortilla hold together when pan is shook.</div>
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11. Using a plate, flip the tortilla on to the plate and slide it back in to the pan allowing the other side to cook.</div>
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12. Cook for about three more minutes and carefully slide on to serving plate.</div>
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13. Allow the tortilla to sit for at least 30 minutes before serving so that it holds its domed shape. </div>
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14. ¡Buen Provecho!</div>
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To learn more about my time in Spain, visit: <a href="http://taylorqchat.blogspot.com/">taylorqchat.blogspot.com </a></div>
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;">
<img alt="" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=8e9a4436-1327-4460-834a-470f9694711d" style="border: none; float: right;" /></div>Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01129542054374320756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4756966172700971536.post-31532394864308214192011-02-17T15:18:00.000-08:002011-12-13T14:50:38.514-08:00Easy Chicken Picatta<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQKx6gnGg1R6egeRpt4BpJ8Ba4QA1iEIysk78r8ogj_xJpXfG5SI_VCeVQahdd_uH5vx4V0r-WqldyES2RvebzqE8TFBxpej1lzejVA7M7yW3ekYJgjyzCAew5rbadcc96Jx4z4-G3gEU/s1600/IMG_5081.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" height="480" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574807548780131554" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQKx6gnGg1R6egeRpt4BpJ8Ba4QA1iEIysk78r8ogj_xJpXfG5SI_VCeVQahdd_uH5vx4V0r-WqldyES2RvebzqE8TFBxpej1lzejVA7M7yW3ekYJgjyzCAew5rbadcc96Jx4z4-G3gEU/s640/IMG_5081.JPG" style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt;" width="640" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span">I strayed</span></i></b> f<span class="Apple-style-span">rom my usual baked ziti at Bellisimo in Colleyville and tried the chicken picatta on a recent trip. Although Belisimo's baked ziti is the best baked ziti I've ever had, their chicken picatta held its own. Since chicken picatta is a little lighter than baked ziti, and the weather has been warming up, I decided to give it a try. Here is my super simple version of chicken picatta and I promise you won't regret it!</span></span><br />
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span">Ingredients:</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span">2 chicken boneless, skinless chicken breasts, butterflied and cut in half</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span">1/4 cup chicken stock</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span">6 Tbs. olive oil</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span">4 Tbs. butter</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span">juice of 1 large lemon or 2 small lemons</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span">angel hair pasta (as much as you'd like...I used a little less than half a package for 2 people) flour</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span">garlic powder</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span">paprika</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span">salt and freshly ground pepper</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span">OPTIONAL:</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span">capers</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span">fresh lemon slices</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span">Directions:</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span">1. Boil pasta with a sprinkle of salt and splash of olive oil until desired texture (about 8 minutes).</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span">2. Heat 2 Tbs. oil and 1 Tbs. butter in large pan.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span">3. Season chicken breasts with salt, pepper, paprika and garlic powder.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span">4. Cover chicken breasts in a light coating of flour.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span">5. Place 2 chicken pieces in pan once the oil begins to simmer and cook for 3 minutes, flip and cook for three more minutes, or until golden brown and no longer pink inside.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span">6. Take chicken off heat and place on plate (they're not finished yet, this is just a holding area).</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span">7. Put 2 Tbs. of oil and 1 Tbs. of butter in pan with remaining oil and butter, cook the other 2 pieces of chicken the same way as the first two.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span">8. Remove chicken from pan add the final 2 Tbs. of olive oil, 2 Tbs. of butter, chicken stock and lemon juice (remove from heat to add these ingredients to avoid splattering and grease burns).</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span">9. Bring sauce mixture to boil, then reduce to simmer.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span">10. Add all 4 chicken pieces back in to the pan with the sauce and let simmer for a minute or 2, coating each chicken piece in sauce.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span">11. Plate the angel hair pasta first, topped with chicken and remaining sauce.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span">12. Top with fresh lemon slices and capers if you have them.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span">13. You're gonna love it!</span></div>
<div class="zemanta-pixie" style="height: 15px; margin-top: 10px;">
<a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://www.zemanta.com/" title="Enhanced by Zemanta"><img alt="Enhanced by Zemanta" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/zemified_e.png?x-id=3fd8c837-9ea2-4adc-938c-cdce5939f855" style="border: none; float: right;" /></a></div>Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01129542054374320756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4756966172700971536.post-61215770988715190892011-02-14T23:55:00.000-08:002011-12-13T14:50:48.556-08:00Fried Goat Cheese Salad<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip-5sN9w_f-Wl8ZAffdL11UfIM11hZBKAfWjgCdc4vxEFd4cqig6_Ea0rA5n70bTqWGdCvQ4PelXpK94XV3uNe2raHtYWKcLCnkrDzKhuKOufHDZ58lKRlvRAcMwZ8oQ75NuUY2u3AtfU/s1600/IMG_4987.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" height="480" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574330580645280258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip-5sN9w_f-Wl8ZAffdL11UfIM11hZBKAfWjgCdc4vxEFd4cqig6_Ea0rA5n70bTqWGdCvQ4PelXpK94XV3uNe2raHtYWKcLCnkrDzKhuKOufHDZ58lKRlvRAcMwZ8oQ75NuUY2u3AtfU/s640/IMG_4987.JPG" style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt;" width="640" /></a><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">While</span></i></b> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">I was in Spain I developed an undeniable adoration for goat cheese (like eat a pound of goat cheese in one sitting, even when I'm full, kind of love). So, upon returning home to Texas it has been my goal, or rather a necessity, to incorporate goat cheese in to my life. While watching one of the new shows on OWN (I will always follow Oprah), I saw a chef cooking fried goat cheese and it looked easy. So, I decided that Valentine's Dinner was the perfect time to attempt this fancy-ish technique. My little goat cheese bubbles where hard to flip and cooked much faster than I expected, but they were absolutely wonderful!</span></span><br />
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">Fried Goat Cheese Salad (serves 2)</span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">Fried Goat Cheese</span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">1 6 oz. package of goat cheese (or 3/4 of a 8 oz. package)</span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">1 egg</span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">panko bread crumbs (I used italian flavored)</span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">flour</span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">olive oil</span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">Salad</span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">Baby Spinach</span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">Honey Balsamic Dressing</span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar</span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">1 tsp. olive oil</span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">1-2 tsp. honey (depending on how sweet you like)</span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">Directions:</span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">1. Roll goat cheese in to small 1/4 balls.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">2. Make three bowls, one with flour, one with an egg (well stirred) and one with bread crumbs. With your thumb, lightly press each ball in to a disk.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">3. Coat each goat cheese ball in flour, dip it in egg and coat it in bread crumbs. Repeat the final two steps, dipping the ball in egg and then bread crumbs once again.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">4. Heat 1/8 inch of olive oil in pan.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">5. Place each disk in oil, cook for 30 seconds to a minute, flip the disk and cook the other side 30 seconds to a minute.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">6. Mix all dressing ingredients.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">7. Serve warm goat cheese disks on a bed of baby spinach, topped with the honey balsamic dressing.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">8. Enjoy!</span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01129542054374320756noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4756966172700971536.post-4327193547814875742011-02-14T23:09:00.000-08:002011-12-13T14:51:01.940-08:00Black Bean Soup<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjayFJdLkbrlk7PmixPrEmNTjQTsB5PIfEvXhI9W8WR25ileMC-05oTVL4py3NEbCGQ2g3rkOOnDqDh6UX1Kxz3Jb06sLWfp-a8-OWPP0jJ-ucVXGh2pOUGRh4R0OFh5UpjObUiu-tl-8g/s1600/IMG_4980.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" height="480" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573819367778812146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjayFJdLkbrlk7PmixPrEmNTjQTsB5PIfEvXhI9W8WR25ileMC-05oTVL4py3NEbCGQ2g3rkOOnDqDh6UX1Kxz3Jb06sLWfp-a8-OWPP0jJ-ucVXGh2pOUGRh4R0OFh5UpjObUiu-tl-8g/s640/IMG_4980.JPG" style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt;" width="640" /></a><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">One</span></span></i></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">of my all-time favorites, I remember my mom ordering black bean soup at the now long-gone Espinosas (a Chatfield favorite). As I've grown to unabashedly adore beans of all kinds, black bean soup has been on my to-cook list for a while so the other night, I finally tried and based on boyfriend reviews (which might be slightly biased) succeeded. Here is my ramshackle black bean soup that I threw together out of my college-student pantry and turned out to be extremely quick and tasty.</span></span><br />
<div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">Black Bean Soup</span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">Recipe:</span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">1 can black beans, juice poured off, but not strained </span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">2.5 cans water (fill the black bean can)</span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">1 large handful of brown rice</span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">.5 medium onion, coarsely chopped</span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">6 pieces cooked bacon (I used turkey bacon because I like it better)</span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">1 large tomato diced</span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">1-1.5 Tbs. chili powder (to taste)</span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">1.5 Tbs. garlic powder (or 1 garlic clove if you have one)</span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">handful of chopped, fresh cilantro</span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">1 tablespoon of your favorite salsa (I use my homemade salsa)</span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">salt and fresh ground pepper to taste</span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">OPTIONAL:</span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">crumbled feta cheese for topping</span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">sour cream for topping</span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">Directions:</span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">1. Sauté garlic (if you have it) and onions until onions are transparent.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">2. Pour excess liquid off beans, put beans, rice, water, tomatoes, onions, cilantro, salsa and cooked bacon in large pot. </span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">3. Bring mixture to boil and then reduce heat to simmer</span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">4. Season mixture with garlic powder (if garlic cloves weren't used), chili powder, salt and pepper to taste.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">5. Allow mixture to simmer until it has reduced to your desired consistency and the rice is cooked through(mine took about 10 minutes). Extra water can be added and reduced if the soup becomes to thick.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">6. Serve hot with crumbled feta cheese, sour cream or both.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">7. Eat up!</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">P.S. Sorry if this picture isn't the most appealing, we ate it so fast that the soup was almost completely gone before I remembered to take a picture.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><br /></span></span></div>
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</div>Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01129542054374320756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4756966172700971536.post-2670094658037894172011-02-12T23:12:00.001-08:002011-02-12T23:35:43.312-08:00Want, want!<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I've been </span></span></span><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">searching</span></span></span></i></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> everywhere for a canister set. I've always loved my mom's collection of 4 mix-matched houses that hold our flour and sugar and it's hard to find something I like as much as those, but, thanks to etsy.com I've found some I love. Now that I love some, the problem is that I can't choose, which do y'all like?</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I'm crazy about copper, love the warm and cozy antique look and yellow is my FAVORITE color, so I absolutely can not choose.</span></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_570xN.211412003.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 570px; height: 636px;" src="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_570xN.211412003.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_570xN.213496899.jpg"><br /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_570xN.213797889.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 570px; height: 295px;" src="http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_570xN.213797889.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_570xN.214630215.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 570px; height: 570px;" src="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_570xN.214630215.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://ny-image0.etsy.com/il_570xN.169620584.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 570px; height: 550px;" src="http://ny-image0.etsy.com/il_570xN.169620584.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_570xN.216556833.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 570px; height: 496px;" src="http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_570xN.216556833.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01129542054374320756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4756966172700971536.post-87784294726225860222011-02-10T08:00:00.000-08:002011-12-13T14:51:34.995-08:00Banana Bread with Dark Chocolate<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtG_8iJlf1oGhMkBK4bKBEriNluVp-r47AWSKKSrg1GkEWakJn1RXej48c13KtuXBzj8dLc1SURBgEzDoKqzxEdBU8_uisKWapztYAGcR3SVnmduYELafFProoAWuQRe62T55_tT5Z4E0/s1600/IMG_4958.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" height="480" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571950901936333250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtG_8iJlf1oGhMkBK4bKBEriNluVp-r47AWSKKSrg1GkEWakJn1RXej48c13KtuXBzj8dLc1SURBgEzDoKqzxEdBU8_uisKWapztYAGcR3SVnmduYELafFProoAWuQRe62T55_tT5Z4E0/s640/IMG_4958.JPG" style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt;" width="640" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">Perfect</span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"> for a snow day, banana bread is one of my favorite hearty desserts. Today I decided to make it a little bit more dessert-y with some dark chocolate and a brownie pan, rather than the typical loaf pan.</span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia,serif; font-size: small;">Ingredients:</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;"></span><br />
<ul style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: initial; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<li class="plaincharacterwrap" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: initial; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">2 cups all-purpose flour</span></span></span></span></li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: initial; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">1 teaspoon baking soda</span></span></span></span></li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: initial; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">1/4 teaspoon salt</span></span></span></span></li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: initial; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">1/2 cup butter</span></span></span></span></li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: initial; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">3/4 cup brown sugar</span></span></span></span></li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: initial; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">2 eggs, beaten</span></span></span></span></li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: initial; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">2 1/3 cups mashed overripe bananas (about 4 bananas--I freeze mine and de-thaw them in warm water right before it's time to bake)</span></span></span></span></li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: initial; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia,Arial,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">1 dark chocolate bar</span></span></span></li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: initial; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia,Arial,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><br /></span></span></span></span></li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: initial; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">D</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">irections:</span></span></span></span></li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: initial; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan or an 8 x 8 brownie pan.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: initial; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><br /></span></span></span></span></li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: initial; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Chop the chocolate bar in to small shreds and sprinkle on top of the batter.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: initial; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><br /></span></span></span></span></li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: initial; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">Bake in preheated oven for 50 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;">.</span></span></span></span></li>
</ul>
</div>Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01129542054374320756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4756966172700971536.post-71495307153376217772011-02-09T23:07:00.000-08:002011-12-13T14:51:48.967-08:00Sliced and Spiced Baked Potatoes<img alt="" border="0" height="480" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571955001147684802" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghhVl8FVwgyWZlZTWPoBpPDExuErtm2IB1IyAAmPFjtHXW2QW2o3NU3ccZEkwz0PddHidNphu9Hwpm3W1zJ8D6ApH3cMrTaYqrte53pt-aPupLCVLYf87hlMt6xSb-IKwlhMdyHlQ_fD8/s640/IMG_4972.JPG" style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt;" width="640" /><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;">I adore</span></span></i></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"> potatoes, all forms of them, baked, fried, mashed, you name it, I love it! My mom used to make these potatoes when I was little and I always loved them because they look so fancy, but believe me, they're incredibly easy, versatile, yummy and healthy.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"> </span><br />
<div>
Ingredients:</div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Potatoes (1 for each person you're serving)</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Olive oil</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Salt</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ground black pepper</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Garlic powder</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Your choice of herbs--rosemary, thyme and oregano are some of my favorites</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Optional Parmesean cheese (whatever kind you have in your pantry)</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Directions:</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Preheat oven to 375 F. </span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Slice thin cuts 3/4 of the way through the potato, the thinner the slices the better the potto will cook. Be careful not to slice all the way through, you want the potato to stay together for serving.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Place the potatoes on a baking sheet and drizzle each of them with olive oil. Make sure to get a little oil in between each cut (a basting brush is good for this...or fingers).</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Mix together salt, pepper, garlic powder and herbs to taste (truly taste the mixture with each addition so you can get it just right. You will want 1-2 tsp. of mixture per potato.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Sprinkle the mixture on each potato and in between all cuts. Sprinkle parmesean cheese on top of the potatoes if you would like (I wouldn't recommend other kinds of cheese because they will get melty in the oven rather than crispy).</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Bake the potatoes in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes or until all potatoes are cooked through (they should be slightly soft to the touch but not mushy). </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Bon Appétit! </span></div>
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</div>Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01129542054374320756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4756966172700971536.post-3898779068988244282011-02-09T20:23:00.000-08:002011-12-13T14:52:02.653-08:00Gorgonzola Stuffed Bacon Wrapped Chicken<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf481W2KjUAHh14b-Fs5OHb0ANkeBz8fcSH1axRn-WzlU1ao1E_NN4sMG_wUNnlDxv4mvP8Zc_niNfa1Nr65m9grPv1tB19voVyMKDrsscK_VLYhVJznWfZTZxLrrtJJW5v_PDkRGSCzs/s1600/IMG_4976.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" height="480" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571912129520474658" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf481W2KjUAHh14b-Fs5OHb0ANkeBz8fcSH1axRn-WzlU1ao1E_NN4sMG_wUNnlDxv4mvP8Zc_niNfa1Nr65m9grPv1tB19voVyMKDrsscK_VLYhVJznWfZTZxLrrtJJW5v_PDkRGSCzs/s640/IMG_4976.JPG" style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt;" width="640" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Today</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;"> was my fifth snow day in the past week, so my roommate and I decided that it was a perfect day for some gourmet cooking. In our search to find a recipe that only included the array of ingredients that we had in the kitchen (it's way too cold to go to the store), we decided on a recipe that my roomie has made before...Gorgonzola Stuffed, Bacon Wrapped Chicken! YUM!!<br /><br />Ingredients (adapted from </span><a href="http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/gorgonzola-stuffed-chicken-breasts-wrapped-in-bacon/Detail.aspx"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;">allrecipes.com</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia;">)<br />Feeds 2 people<br /><br />2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (our chicken breasts were sliced)<br />1/4 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese<br />2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley (we used dried parsley mixed with about a tablespoon of water)<br />2 tablespoons minced shallot (we used a white onion)<br />1 clove garlic, minced<br />4 thick slices of applewood smoked bacon<br />salt and ground pepper<br /><br />Directions<br /><br />Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Spray an 8x8-inch baking dish with cooking spray.<br /><br />Mash together the Gorgonzola cheese, parsley, shallot, and garlic in a small bowl; season with salt and black pepper.<br /><br />Using a sharp knife, cut a slit into the thick side of each chicken breast about 2 inches long and 1 1/2 inches deep. If your chicken breasts are sliced, you can simply spoon the filling in to the center and roll them up).<br /><br />Divide the filling in half, and stuff each chicken breast with cheese filling. Wrap 2 slices of bacon around each breast, and secure with wooden toothpicks. Place the chicken breasts into the prepared baking dish.<br />Bake in the preheated oven until the bacon is browned and the chicken is no longer pink inside, about 35 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of a breast should read about 165 degrees F (75 degrees C).<br /><br />If you want crispier bacon, you can pan sear the bacon/chicken presents in a little olive oil for a minute or until the bacon is crispy to your liking.<br /><br />Enjoy!</span>Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01129542054374320756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4756966172700971536.post-2046013935520733272010-11-02T04:49:00.000-07:002011-12-13T14:29:55.655-08:00High Tea, Transvestites in Australia and a Pleather JacketI just got back from London and it was so refreshing. It was nice, first off, to speak english, all the time, to everyone. I could ask for help from anyone at anytime...what a relief. It was also nice to be taken care of, to have Taylor (Lunsford, I'm not referring to myself in third person) lead me throughout the city. I was so happy to simply follow along behind her goggling at clock towers, theaters and store windows.<br />
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It was an accomplishment to simply get to London by myself on Easy Jet, a somewhat sketchy airline. After walking out on to the tarmac (something that I never do) and an easy ride on the aptly named easy jet, I arrived in London Luton airport. I killed the time during my 55 minute bus ride in to London by listening to The Beatles and Kate Nash (the two most British groups I had on my Ipod) and was truly enchanted by the empty and dark London streets. It was amazing to me that at 1am the streets were quiet, in Barcelona, people don't even begin going out until 2am. <br />
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Taylor met me at my bus and we slowly made our way to her flat on the inefficient night busses. A brief stop at Star Kebab, an indian restaurant, for chips with curry finished the night and I QUICKLY fell asleep on the couch.<br />
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In the morning, we ventured to Hampton Court, on of Henry VIII's palaces. My excitement for the trip grew once I found out that there were not only costumed actors at the palace, but that we were also able to wear robes and join in on activities like a courtly dance class and a meeting with the queen and her advisors. After getting lost in a perfectly manicured bush maze, we stopped for a quick lunch of tomato soup and crusty bread. Mmm, what could be better on a chilly day than tomato soup in a royal garden. <br />
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That night I was able to visit Alex at her apartment which was, unfortunately, on the opposite side of the city. After riding on the most tightly packed subway you can imagine for 11 stops, I finally arrived. It was so fun to just hang out at Alex's apartment, we cooked a long and simplified version of chicken parmesan for dinner before heading out to some pubs for cider. The cider was wonderful, but the BEST was strawberry beer. Who would ever want to drink beer when cider exists? It blows my mind. <br />
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Saturday was quintessentially British. After pad thai for lunch, we headed downtown to see the sights. We made quick stops at everything I needed to see, including Buckingham, Big Ben, the Globe...and finished the afternoon with my favorite part of the trip, high tea. <br />
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The tea was in an old and slightly stuffy hotel, we were seated in the drawing room where small groups of ladies chatted and snacked. Our tea came with complementary champagne and from the time the champagne arrived, the fanciness never ended. I chose a black currant and hibiscus tea which was served in an adorable individual tea pot. We were also given a selection of sandwiches, scones, candied apples and pumpkin tarts. The food was amazing. I've always loved scones, but I feel that I can say I had never had a truly great scone until this tea. We slowly ate and drank until our bellies were full and tastebuds were exhausted.<br />
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We had some time to kill before heading to our musical, so we pit stopped at Harrods. Something that I didn't think I would be that impressed by was simply amazing. We turned the corner to find Harrods sparkling with tiny lights, but the exterior opulence was minimal compared to the floors of decadence inside. We wandered aimlessly from floor to floor admiring the vogue clothes, home goods and food, as well as the people who were able to buy them.<br />
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Our musical, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, was more extravagant than any show I've ever seen. It focuses on 3 transvestites as they journey across the desert in a bus named Priscilla. As you can imagine, the costumes were over the top in the very best way. Every song that you would expect to be sung, was, including I Will Survive. I can't imagine a more fun musical to attend!<br />
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My last day in London was filled with markets. We first went west to Portabello Street, a collection of antique vendors selling everything from magazines to fur coats. We left empty handed and headed to Camden Market, a gigantic intertwined maze of vendors. You can buy anything at Camden Market, from craftsman jewelry, to antique luggage to pleather jackets (which I purchased). You can and should also buy the trashiest of trashy chinese food. The asian woman lure you in with a sample and then give you a "special" price, which, if you're like me, you won't be able to pass up. Three pounds for a overfilled bowl of, well, whatever the woman decides to give you which could include, chicken, veggies, noodles and, my favorite, a sort of tempura fried dough ball. I ended the night with my 20 pound pleather jacket in hand (I worked the guy down from 35 pounds) and in severe need of fruit or some other healthy snack.<br />
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I adore London and absolutely can't wait to go back! I was sad to be home in Barcelona, but the weather today is sunny, my Señora fixed a wonderful dinner last night and I feel very European in my pleather jacket. I guess Barcelona isn't so bad.Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01129542054374320756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4756966172700971536.post-49239089100191733232010-10-10T14:22:00.000-07:002011-12-13T14:52:39.690-08:00Where is Andorra?Today I went to Andorra, the tiny country nestled in the Pyrenees directly between France and Spain. I had, really, one main goal in visiting Andorra: get a passport stamp. My roommate had read online that the stamp is Andorra's Coat of Arms (neat!) and I wanted one. Since I started with this anecdote, you're probably assuming that I didn't get a stamp. If so, you're correct. Did you know that when you're traveling within EU countries you don't get you passport stamped! But worse, the office in Andorra that gives stamps and all of the post offices were closed because it was Sunday. I know, our planning wasn't very well though out.<br />
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However, there were two things that made up for my lack of a passport stamp:<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfPvvQV2QJXSclR0I6NKi7CHTx6CHbQGiTzK8BPHB5E9Z_AHOmeJ-DUNR1wjHLSgCK8jXt2CazUGd779GKzKlo1u6Pw8ULCWZujPmF6JavYEVJhnWUE4V9LzNARnFkwVG4g6uRe2b-M8p-/s1600/teapotjump.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526533627224903762" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfPvvQV2QJXSclR0I6NKi7CHTx6CHbQGiTzK8BPHB5E9Z_AHOmeJ-DUNR1wjHLSgCK8jXt2CazUGd779GKzKlo1u6Pw8ULCWZujPmF6JavYEVJhnWUE4V9LzNARnFkwVG4g6uRe2b-M8p-/s640/teapotjump.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
Yes, that is a copper teapot in my hand. I bought that amazing, antique copper teapot at the same store that was selling this shirt:<br />
<a href="http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_la37sxS2Ei1qe6h2ko1_500.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="480" src="http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_la37sxS2Ei1qe6h2ko1_500.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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There was pretty much nothing else to do in the quirky country of Andorra, so we ate a nice lunch and headed back on a bus to Barcelona about 4 hours after arriving.Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01129542054374320756noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4756966172700971536.post-87279086673155121762010-10-10T13:27:00.000-07:002011-12-13T14:56:47.585-08:00Fish HeadsThis week I was able to take a cooking class through my Food and Culture class. I was excited all week because, number one, I love cooking, and, number two, my teacher told us that we would be cooking something exotic. I was picturing fruit combinations with unheard of spices. Little did I know, that exotic meant sardines.<br />
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Yes, SARDINES. Eww.<br />
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Come to find out, not all sardines are pickled in salt and oil. They were actually just small fish.<br />
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The cooking instructor eased us in to the idea of cooking sardines with a wonderfully tasty Romesco sauce, made from peppers, tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, hazelnuts and almonds. Just when the room was filled with the wonderful Romesco smells, the teacher pulled out the slimy little full, eyes-in, scales-on fish. <br />
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It doesn't bother me to look at these gross little fish, but soon to find out, we would be doing a lot more than looking at them.<br />
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The teacher first showed us how to push our fingers backwards under the fish's scales to remove each and every fingernail-like, metallic scale. By this time I was starting to freak...I don't even touch the fish to give them to the dolphins at Sea World, much less descale a fish with my own hands.<br />
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But then came the kicker, the teacher nonchalantly explained how to push your fingers right in to the little fish's gills and squeeze until it's tiny head just pops off and its innards pour out. I was starting to sweat just watching her pinch of the fish head, but it wasn't over. You had to slide your finger in to the headless fish cavity and raise your hand up, splitting the fish down the center. Once it's open, you not only have to finish cleaning out the intestines, but you also have to break the large bones and remove them piece by piece.<br />
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My knees were tingling as I looked at the vegetarian in my class, he returned my horrified look of panic.<br />
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Once the instructor had finished cleaning her fish, she immediately had us form a line to receive our 2-3 sardines. I hung back and was happily last in line, hoping that they would run out of fish, but, of course, they didn't.<br />
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When I was handed my fish to descale, I almost couldn't touch it. But I knew I couldn't be the only one in my class who didn't clean a fish, so reluctantly I began peeling off layers of slimy scales. I was doing okay, until I hit a snag and one of the fish's fins popped out in to swimming position. I almost lost it. I'm terrified of fish in the lake, I don't even want them near me, much less to pull out a fish's fin. Once I had finished descaling the slippery little sucker, it was time for the debauchery. <br />
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I carried my fish to the table, which was now covered in fish blood, innards and some sort of brown gunk (I'm assuming fish poop). Not only was I disgusted by the task at hand, but I felt like I was covered from head to toe in fish scales, I had scrubbed my hands many times, but they're sticky and clear. I stood, trying to muster enough courage to physically rip a creatures head off, but each time I looked down at the little guy all I could see was his half-winking eye, asking me to please leave his head and his body together. I couldn't do it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSBlUqr1EMUc3bQPImzcFx4W8_E7Cq8WjY89pDGO1BHxYNLX4W3sXTPqJR8EVgHqMX499qIh7jT8SATUac0phZohBK5t-TWdzhJ-RsKcOGO6fuyXa0yEvZjgNcTQjxJRzEQnMN2tviZrGF/s1600/uncertain.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMTUqrW3RZhD1FrvSWykNrrhk4aq89zpYsLF7PvetFOIbqBT_4fXH3UDu3vky-2PKFFsJp0DSH6ALcfl2t_wjgbJzjRNij9laSQurB7gRpIh50kdqt_O8Ihx7szEqanFbqOUR4o8At7V_Z/s1600/descaling.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526527557146126530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMTUqrW3RZhD1FrvSWykNrrhk4aq89zpYsLF7PvetFOIbqBT_4fXH3UDu3vky-2PKFFsJp0DSH6ALcfl2t_wjgbJzjRNij9laSQurB7gRpIh50kdqt_O8Ihx7szEqanFbqOUR4o8At7V_Z/s640/descaling.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSBlUqr1EMUc3bQPImzcFx4W8_E7Cq8WjY89pDGO1BHxYNLX4W3sXTPqJR8EVgHqMX499qIh7jT8SATUac0phZohBK5t-TWdzhJ-RsKcOGO6fuyXa0yEvZjgNcTQjxJRzEQnMN2tviZrGF/s1600/uncertain.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526527560569026610" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSBlUqr1EMUc3bQPImzcFx4W8_E7Cq8WjY89pDGO1BHxYNLX4W3sXTPqJR8EVgHqMX499qIh7jT8SATUac0phZohBK5t-TWdzhJ-RsKcOGO6fuyXa0yEvZjgNcTQjxJRzEQnMN2tviZrGF/s1600/uncertain.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" width="640" /></a><br />
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I don't know what gave it away, but the instructor sensed my overwhelming repulsion to the idea of dismembering a fish, walked over to me, grabbed the fish and within a second, my fish was headless.<br />
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She made me (quite literally moved my hands) open up the body cavity, pull out the organs and break the large bones out of the fish, a job that was only slightly less miserable than actually beheading the fish.<br />
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We fried the fish, and honestly they tasted decent. But, I will never again butcher or clean my own meat. I understand there is a certain pride in cleaning your own meat, but for me, I am going to leave it to the professionals. <br />
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This simply reaffirmed my want to have meat so well butchered and cleaned by the time I see it that it is unidentifiable as an animal.<br />
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I guess I'm glad that I got to doing something a little "exotic," but I can say confidently that I would never repeat this class.Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01129542054374320756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4756966172700971536.post-26713095617411456972010-10-02T16:19:00.000-07:002011-12-13T14:44:09.088-08:00The Men of ValenciaI took a short (less than 24 hours in the city) trip to Valencia this weekend and one thing stood out more than all others about Valencia, the men.<br />
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Everyone that we encountered was overly nice, talkative and friendly, even if it was sometimes creepy. This "friendliness" of sorts, was severely exaggerated when it came to the men of Valencia. <br />
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Firstly, there was an old man who came up to my roommate and I and talked to us in Spanish about how pretty we were and how we should forget about our boyfriends while in Valencia for a good 5 minutes. During the 5 minutes, an American family came up to us to ask for directions, we told them we were just visiting too and they left. On reevaluation of the situation, we think they might have been attempting to save us from the awkward situation, we were too naive.<br />
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Our second encounter was with a man in a jewelry and craft store. He insisted on fastening my bracelet and also fitting me with a scarf (although he was a creepy salesman, I mostly enjoyed the small talk). <br />
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A third man came up to my roommate and I, kissed our hands and tried to talk us in to coming to the beach...that was a definite "no." This encounter I enjoyed the least, actually I can say, I didn't enjoy this at all, I'm not really okay with anyone laying a dirty teeth kiss on my hand, much less a stranger in the street in Valencia. <br />
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Finally, the best, was our waiter at the restaurant we chose for dinner. We had picked this restaurant because they offered paella, an appetizer, dessert and sangria all for 11 euros, a pretty good deal. We sat down and the first thing the waiter did was take our drink order, my roommate ordered a glass of wine and the waiter replied "sure." She took this to mean "are you sure," and got almost a little sassy with the confused waiter until I explained that he was just affirming that she had ordered wine. Next, he brought us an extra basket of bread (which we were a little nervous he would charge us for, but we couldn't resist). Our three appetizers came out one by one, salad, patatas bravas, and calamari. When our waiter realized that we didn't eat the calamari, he brought us an extra plate of patatas bravas. <br />
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I realize you might be thinking this is normal service, but in Barcelona, the service is pretty much non-existent, we would never be offered a substitute appetizer or extra bread.<br />
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Finally, we received our paella, and dessert and ate them both happily. After we had finished all of this food, we began to notice that all of the tables around us had been cleared and new people were being seated, but we still hadn't received our check. We started to try to make eye contact with our waiter, but he was very clearly ignoring us. After multiple tries and about 30 minutes, we decided that we would start to stand up and wave so that he would know we were finished. Maybe he had simply forgot our check. When we did this, he just waved back, so my roommate, annoyed by the uncertainty, said "our check." Our waiter continued to smile and wave while shaking his head no and motioning for us to leave.<br />
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That's right, we received a meal for FREE! We were astonished because we hadn't even been overly nice, talkative, or honestly even that clean (we had taken a 5 hour train earlier that day). <br />
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It was a wonderful day full of attention (whether wanted or unwanted). Valencia, I'll be back!Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01129542054374320756noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4756966172700971536.post-50825780134037324972010-09-26T08:55:00.000-07:002011-12-13T14:30:33.881-08:00El CorrefocLast night was the climax of the La Merce celebrations-Correfoc (fire run). My teachers have been talking about the Correfoc since I started class, so I had been looking forward to it, but I had no idea how absolutely insane it would be.<br />
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To start, a few days ago we all received an e-mail from IES warning us that if we were planning to attend Correfoc we needed to wear protective clothing (long sleeves, closed-toe shoes, hats...). I took this as a pretty extreme exaggeration, "how crazy can a parade really be," I thought.<br />
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The night rolls around and after much discussion, my roommates and i decided on long-sleeved shirts, tennis shoes and shorts (it's hot, we didn't want to be completely covered). I didn't even bring any head cover, again, I couldn't imagine needing a head cover for a parade.<br />
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We left early and made our way down the street toward the start of the Correfoc, as we approached, we were overcome by the sounds of various drum groups each jamming to their own specific beat. The street was filled, top to bottom, with people dressed in colors corresponding to their specific group. Each group had drummers, people dressed as devils who later would be the people with fire and, in most cases, some sort of huge beast that shot fire out of all orifices. <br />
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We made our way through the crowd, stopping at each beast to take pictures and walked toward the "Gates of Hell" where the parade began.<br />
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After about 20 minutes of anticipation, a man's voice came over a loud speaker. He spoke Catalan so I don't know what he was saying, but he sounded like an announcer for a haunted house radio commercial. It was kind of terrifying. Suddenly, ear-piercingly loud fireworks that were attached to the gates began to go off and a red cloud of smoke billowed out from around the looming gates.<br />
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By this time, we had realized that we were standing on the wrong side of the gates, so we slowly started to make our way through the crowd. The crowd was the most dense group of people I have ever been in, at times I felt like I couldn't breathe, not from claustrophobia, but from being squished so tightly between people that my lungs couldn't expand. Luckily, I made it through (with my purse and all of its contents) and found a prime location on the side walk right at the beginning of the parade.<br />
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Within minutes, we learned just how crazy Correfoc truly is. As the groups came through the gates, they lit firecracker-like torches that were attached to tall poles that individuals held and ran through the crowd with. These fire torches rain huge flaming sparks down on to the crowd. Not only did you need head covering (which luckily one of the girls I was with had an extra), but you also need to cover every part of exposed skin. I learned very quickly that the sparks hurt when the touch your legs, hands and neck.<br />
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Each time (every few seconds) that a fire runner ran in to the crowd everyone huddled and ducked to find relief from the relentless flames. There were, of course, the young locals who, instead of ducking, ran in to the street to dance and frolic in the sparks, but I was not brave enough to expose my bare legs to the sparks.<br />
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The parade went on for nearly 2 hours. Two hours of fire, drumming and constant firework sounds...I wouldn't have missed it for anything. I have to come back at some point in my life to experience Correfoc again. Everyone needs a Correfoc experience.<br />
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At the end of the night my roommates and I were talking about how a fire festival like this would NEVER be allowed in the U.S., thank goodness for study abroad or I would never get to experience such a wild festival!Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01129542054374320756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4756966172700971536.post-15088588536036207882010-09-21T11:22:00.000-07:002011-12-13T14:30:38.536-08:00PotatoesSince I've been in Barcelona for a few weeks now, I am beginning to notice which foods are served more frequently than others. We have chicken a lot, and pan con tomate, but there's one thing that we eat more of than I can even fully explain, Potatoes!<br />
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We have potatoes with pretty much every meal, which I am happy about because I love potatoes, even if I'm going to have to buy an extra seat on my ride home. Normally we have the potatoes with something else like chicken and fruit to at least slightly balance out the carbs, but this weekend my lunch was the most carb-filled experience I think I'll ever have in my life.<br />
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I sat down at a beach cafe in Cadeques and decided to order tortilla de patatas, a traditional spanish dish made from eggs and potatoes. It's one of my favorite things that I've had so far in Spain so I was really looking forward to a nice hearty meal.<br />
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I didn't know just how hearty it would be.<br />
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Turns out that the tortilla de patatas was under the bocadillo (sandwich) section, which I didn't realize, so my 4 euros bought me a sandwich made from two thick (half loaf sized) pieces of bread, FILLED with cooked potatoes.<br />
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That's right, a potato sandwich!!! Potatoes and bread, nothing else!!<br />
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Needless to say, although it tasted good, I simply couldn't eat it as a sandwich, so I ate the potatoes by themselves. <br />
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As absurd as this seemed to me, carb on carb, I asked my Food as an Expression of Culture teacher about it and she said it's very common. If these beautiful, skinny Spanish girls really do eat potato sandwiches, I'm ticked out of pure jealousy.Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01129542054374320756noreply@blogger.com0