Frozen Herbs and Vegetables

This past weekend I did my grocery shopping at SuperTarget, and while not a weekly occurrence, I always find fun things when I shop there. I haven't used them yet, but I bought some of these wee little frozen herbs and aromatic vegetables from White Toque. For me, parsley and shallots are two that many recipes call for, but I rarely remember to buy (shallots) or know what to do with all the extra (parsley). The boxes are so cute, maybe 3 or 4 inches x 3 or 4 inches. My only wish is that they had frozen dill, and I think you ladies know why....photos from White Toque.

Wheat Thins Toasted Chips

I have been slighly obsessed with these lately. So good with a thin slice of colby jack or laughing cow cheese. Photo from here.

Gourmet Garden Herbs

Until recently, I'd never been tempted to pick up these tubes of Gourmet Garden herbs being that I'd rather use fresh herbs. But...last week I made Sara's awesome pasta salad and this week I made tzatziki sauce, so it worked out well for me timing wise.

My review, okay for herbs you don't use as frequently or tend to have leftover after a recipe. Anyone use them?

photo from here.

New (and better?) chocolate chips

You know how everyone has a signature dish they bring to parties or family gatherings? Mine is chocolate chip cookies.I know terribly boring, but I make big honking ones that soft in the middle and crunchy on the edge cookies. My secret is not my recipe (it is the one of the back of the toll house bag), but a few things I do differently.

Last week someone who'd had my cookies gave me this article from Cooks Illustrated about their search for the perfect chocolate chip cookie to see if the methodology was the same. I never understood the science behind why my cookies turned out like they do, but the article explained everything. This is all a roundabout way to get to my new favorite chocolate chip:

When I made these drunkcakes, I bought some Ghiradelli 60% cacoa bittersweet chips because I was lazy and didn't wan to chop up a bar of chocolate. I had some leftover, so I tossed them in with the last batch of cookies I made. They made the cookies so much better! The bittersweet mixed with the sugary dough was so tasty. They had intense flavor and the chips spread out into thin disks, so there's more to go around. And lo and behold, the Cook's Illustrated article rated them as the top chocolate chip. Yum!

image from here.

Best (BEST) Balsamic

When we were in Florence, I picked up some just pressed extra virgin olive oil (gone) and two bottles of Manicardi balsamic vinegar (almost gone). I wish I'd bought cases of each because they both revolutionized salads at our house. The olive oil was citrusy, light and flavorful. The balsamic is rich, tangy and tart, thinking about it makes the sides of my tongue get all prickly.

Anyway....if you happen to come across Manicardi balsamic vinegar, buy it! And let me know where you can purchase it. I found it on Amazon, via EuroGrocer, but its $23.99!

Dark, tart and tasty

Kashi's Cherry Dark Chocolate chewy granola bars had me at hello. I'm a sucker for anything marketed under the Kashi brand, and these delicious granola bars keep me satisfied with a perfect mix of sweet and tart. Plus, they're full of fiber and other good-for-you ingredients. I've been eating one for breakfast for weeks now and I always feel powered up afterward.

Key Lime Cheeseball

I first had this cheeseball at Des Moines's winefest last year. I found it at our local grocery store and made it a few weeks ago for tailgating. It is really tasty and unique. You could eat it as an appetizer with savory crackers (like we did), or eat it for dessert with vanilla wafers or graham crackers. Now I want to try some of their other mixes, especially the cranberry orange.

Swedish Meatballs

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know I could make Swedish meatballs from scratch. But why bother when McCormick does such a good job? Photo from McCormick.com

What is your Favorite Seasoning?

This is mine. I use it on everything...well, maybe not everything but a lot of things. What's your favorite seasoning?













Image courtesy of http://www.foodservicedirect.com

Potlatch seasoning

Okay ladies, we are venturing into cooking salmon tonight. I was originally going to do a recipe from my sister-in-law Colleen (salmon in foil with ginger, soy sauce, butter, green onions and pea pods) that I will just have to try another time. We doing it on cedar planks on the grill, with this yummy Potlatch seasoning from Williams-Sonoma. So good

Fold Flat Tableware

I saw this Orikaso fold flat tableware on a blog I frequent, EmilyStyle. I love how compact they get and how easy they would be to clean when camping or backpacking. Let's be honest, I don't backpack, but I do camp and I do tailgate. Maybe I'll get the mugs for the football season.

Food Links from It's All Happening

Here's all of my food related links from my other blog.

Spicy Wedding Gift
Lemon Egg Soup Recipe
Slow Cooker Bean & Barley Soup Recipe
Cutting Boards
Melamine Salt & Pepper Shakers
Paula's Mashed Potatoes
Potato Pancake How To
Luna Bars
Pork Chops and Rice
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle
Winefest
Citrus Vinaigrette
Teriyaki Marinade