Friday, July 31, 2009

Labor of Love

This story begins with my Sicilian Grandmother, for whom I would walk across town every Saturday to help make the meatballs for Sunday's "gravy". She is the one responsible for my love of cooking and all things food related.



One of my most prized possessions is the hand written recipe book that my mother gave to me at my bridal shower. She had taken the time to write in several family recipes that had been passed down;even ones from Grandma's kitchen. Fast forward about 14 years and you'll find my daughter rummaging through all my recipe books to find this treasure.



This gives me an idea; what better way to leave my children a little piece of "me" than to share all our family favorites in a personalized recipe book? My children all love to cook and on many an occasion you can find them right beside me getting their hands dirty and creating their own concoctions. Each of their books is different just like their personalities and over the last year or so I've been compiling recipes and adding to the books.




See for many of us we connect over the table, share our experiences of the day,relax and just enjoy some great food ;it truly is a way of bonding. So if you wouldn't mind.....Pass the Pasta

Friday, July 24, 2009

Five Things Friday

Ok, play along
5 Things Friday
I am playing along with Jean Stockdale on her blog. Jean has started a "5 Things Friday" and I am excited to participate! So this week's topic is What 5 Things Do You Not Like? So here are my 5 things:

1.I am deathly afraid of snakes, don't you bring those things around me!

2.I don't like eggplant or anything that has a slimy texture. I like my food to bite me back when I eat it LOL Gimme something crunchy.

3. Cemetaries; HATE them. They are too final and I prefer to remember people when they were happiest and not in the ground...and God forbid it is raining, you won't get me near the cemetary (don't like my feet sinking in the earth)

4.Don't like public bathrooms, you never know what is in there....YUCK! 'nuff said

5.Most people think blowing in someone's ear is romantic; NOT ME....it grosses me out when someone tries to blow in my ear. Leave it alone, only earrings belong there.

Your turn.

Fun Finds Friday

these are just too much fun not to share....TGIF

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Strawberry Bread

Tis the season for fresh,delicious strawberries. Here's a recipe that's perfect for breakfast,snack or dessert.

3 cups fresh,ripe strawberries
3 1/8 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs,beaten
1 cup chopped pecans* optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two 9 x 5 inch loaf pans.
Dice strawberries and place in medum sized bowl. Sprinkle lightly with sugar and set aside while preparing bread mixture.

Combine flour,sugar,cinnamon,salt and baking soda in large bowl; mix well. Blend oil and eggs into strawberries. Add strawberry mixture to flour mixture, blending until until dry ingredients are just moistened. Stir in pecans. Divide batter into pans.

Bake for 45-50 minutes or until tester comes out clean. Let cool in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes. Turn loaves out and cool completely.....yummm

Monday, July 6, 2009

Christmas in July

Team EEAT is celebrating Christmas in July!
July 6-11

Come WIN PRIZES in our scavenger hunt,
or just take advantage of shop discounts!
(But we know you want to do the scavenger hunt...the prizes are too good to pass up!)

PRIZES!

Grand prize: A Team EEAT Sampler Box! ($50 value)
1st Place: $10 Gift Certificate from Double Dipped Sweets
2nd Place: $5 Gift Certificate from JustBakin'
There might be more prizes, depending on # of entrants!

How to Play:
Look for the image above in the shops listed here. They will be hidden in an item listing! One listing per shop.
Email 5 of the listing Id's where you found the picture to teameeat@gmail.com
DO NOT put them in the comments please!!!

A winner will be chosen on the 12th.

Additional entries:
Go shopping! Every item purchased from a team eeat store gets you 3 entries!
Tweet or Facebook- 1 entry! Leave a comment below
Blog: 2 extra entries!

Find 5 pictures in these shops: (1 per shop)
Also- many of these shops are offering discounts!
(All discounts are before shipping)

Double Dipped Sweets - 15% discount
Just Bakin' - 10% discount
Lucky Dog Treat Company
Del Alma Bakery - 10% discount
A Thyme To Bee Comforted - 10% discount
Bears Baked Goods - 15% discount
Fancy That Cookies - 20% discount
Sweet Treats by Maryann - 10% discount
Little Snowflakes - 15% discount
Nicole's Homemade Treats - 10% discount (please wait for revised invoice)
Megs Creations - 10% discount


Other shops offering discounts only!
(no hidden pictures)

Fat Daddy Sweets - 10% discount
A Sugar Affair - 15% discount
Cakes By Sugarplums - 20% discount

Sunday, July 5, 2009

The Perfect Sunday

These days everything has become so hectic; my family and I have decided to take one day a week to just "re-energize" for the coming week. Here's my favorite way to spend a Sunday.

Step one; sleep in, well at least until 8:30. Normally around this time my head starts working on all kinds of ideas....see step two

Step two; whip up something really yummy (and probably not so healthy) for breakfast. This morning's recipe to follow.

Step three; brew a large pot of coffee to go along with reading the paper.

Step four; by this point I have come up with lots of new recipe ideas and head off to the grocery store to get ingredients

Step five (my favorite); head to the kitchen. Isn't it funny how many people can actually fit into one kitchen? My company consists of three very hungry and curious kids, two dogs and one very "supportive" husband :O)

As promised here is the very simple recipe that I made this morning.

Cinnamon Rolls

1 can Pillsbury Crescent Rounds
cinnamon/sugar mixture

Frosting: powdered sugar
milk

Apple mixture: large apple of your choice
2 TB butter
cinnamon/sugar mixture


Open crescent rounds and unfold, sprinkle liberally with cinnamon and sugar then roll back up. Sprinkle more cinnamon and sugar on top. Bake as directed.
Drizzle with frosting after removing from oven. Serve....

*cinnamon and sugar mixture: usually a 3/4 to 1/4 mixture of simple white sugar and ground cinnamon You can adjust to your own personal taste.

Apple mixture: in a small saucepan melt 2 TB of butter,add diced apple and sprinkle liberally with cinnamon and sugar. Simmer on low heat until the butter and sugar mix start to bubble and reduce down. I put apples on top of my cinnamon roll instead of frosting, de-lish

Enjoy your Sunday!