As the famous Ferris Bueller’s Day Off movie quote goes, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” Despite always being on the go, I think I did a pretty good job carving out time for amazing food, time with friends, plus other adventures and experiences in 2012. From playing tourist in my hometown, to channeling my inner Martha Stewart, to personal and professional travels, here are 12 photos which celebrate 2012 and a little background behind them.
Healthy Eating
While I’ve been known to whip up delicious homemade soup from scratch, time doesn’t always permit such fabulousness. So, when I’m short on time and a craving strikes for warm, hearty soup, I turn to a favorite boxed or canned variety and add a few simple ingredients to tailor it more to my tastes. My favorite trick? Taking butternut squash soup or sweet potato soup and thickening it with a few spoonfuls of 100% canned pumpkin. Then, I toss in a little cinnamon and nutmeg to taste. The end result is a rich, hearty soup that tastes almost homemade! Try this with Annie’s Reduced Sodium Butternut Squash Soup, or Trader Joe’s Sweet Potato Bisque and let me know what you think!
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Just an opinion, but every warm-ish fall day should be treated as though it might be the last, especially with daylight savings time hitting this weekend. From taking long strolls, to patio dining, I’ve been enjoying Boston as much as possible. Recently, I celebrated a warm day by snagging a prime patio table at Trattoria Newbury for lunch and couldn’t resist sharing a photo of my amazing Panzanella Salad.
Panzanella is an Italian bread salad that typically includes tomatoes, lettuce, cheese and beans. The version at Trattoria Newbury ($11.95) features a mix of bread, grilled chicken, fresh tomato, cannellini beans, arugula, basil, fresh mozzarella and red wine vinegar. The flavors worked very well together, though I’m not sure the cannellini beans were needed with the massive portion of grilled chicken.
The best part of this salad? It would be so easy to make at home for a dinner party! For color and a little more crunch, I might swap lima beans for cannellini beans and add a splash of balsamic vinegar to the dressing. But, that’s just me…
Trattoria Newbury is located at 264 Newbury Street in Boston’s Back Bay.
You may not know this, but the most-read blog entry on my blog is how to use canned pumpkin as a lower calorie baking swap. Simply add canned pumpkin to your favorite boxed brownie mix et voilà – delicious, moist, reduced guilt brownies. While the end result is amazing, you cannot taste the pumpkin. So, when I discovered a recipe for Pumpkin Pie Brownie Cupcakes on one of my favorite vegan food blogs, Oh She Glows, a lightbulb went on. The flavors of pumpkin pie and brownies together!? I simply had to try this recipe!
Whether you’re hosting a dinner party, or planning a special at home dinner, a delicious salad can leave a lasting impression. To truly wow your dinner companions, think beyond the traditional “house salad” of lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes and carrots and seek inspiration from vibrant fruit, crunchy vegetables, flavorful cheese and tangy dressing. Here are three colorful and delicious salad ideas to get you started!