Growing up, there was really only one restaurant in town: The Rustic Oak. Sure, we had fast food places – McDonald’s, Arby’s, Arthur Treacher’s Fish & Chips – but The Oak was the only spot for a **good** meal.
The two things I remember most about The Oak was the massive fireplace that was always roaring (and the stacked wood outside the front door to keep it going) and their soup and salad bar. The salad bar wasn’t anything fancy – tan tubs of iceberg lettuce, grape tomatoes, olives, bacon bits that could crack your teeth, and croutons nestled in ice under a brightly lit sneeze guard – but as a kid, unlimited anything was exciting. If you saw me and my parents at the Rustic Oak in the 80s, we were probably celebrating something.
Photo from the New Haven Register
I don’t remember eating out much growing up, unless we were on vacation. And even then, when we would go to the Jersey Shore every year, we’d stay in an efficiency hotel room, equipped with a small kitchenette, where my mother would cook dinner for us after the beach a few nights during our week-long stay. The hotel hallway would smell like fried chicken cutlets all night.
This is the kitchen where my parents insisted on cooking dinner a few nights a week while we were on vacation. Photo from The Pan American Hotel.
Most of my restaurant meals were Happy Meals picked up from the drive thru after church on Saturday nights. My treat with my babysitter while my parents went out for the night. And when we did go out! Man, did those nights feel luxurious. It’s probably what led to my obsession with restaurants and food and eating out today.
I LOVE EATING AT RESTAURANTS.
Like, really love it. I would eat out every single night if I could. And it’s not because I don’t like to cook – because I do – but I just like having someone cook for me even more. I love reading menus and eating. I love to eat. My Insta feed is filled with deliciously plated foods and fancy cocktails, with the occasional sweater-wearing dachshund mixed in.
In what could only be described as a cruel twist of fate, I am raising a child who does NOT like to eat out. HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE??
To be clear: Little Mister likes restaurant food, but he wants to eat it at home (the place where – after you eat your meal – no one cleans up after you and does the dishes and offers you dessert).
Every weekend when Mr. KK and I are ready to leave the house and relax with an adult beverage and a meal cooked by someone who is not Yours Truly, the negotiating begins.
“Where are we going?”
“What kind of food is it?”
“What else is there to do there?”
“Is anyone else coming with us?”
“Can I watch a movie while I’m there?”
After a long week, I don’t want to see the inside of my kitchen – for cooking or for eating. Instead, let’s enjoy each other’s company, take our time easing into the weekend, enjoy some delicious food, and revel in the fact that we don’t need to clean up!
(Also, if parents say we’re going out to eat, WE’RE GOING OUT TO EAT!)
It was my first time traveling to Europe and I experienced it with Mr. KK’s cousin and Aunt – a girls’ trip with 3 generations of women (with me in the middle).
This was the first vacation I’ve even been on that I did not plan. As the resident family vacation planner, this was a foreign concept for me. I literally just showed up. When asked what I wanted to do on our trip, my response was: “Eat lots of croissants and see the Eiffel Tower.”
Mission accomplished!
We spent 5 days in the City of Love, where we ate all the food, and drank all the drinks. Our trip was the perfect balance of seeing the sights but not overdoing it. I’m so excited to share our 5-day itinerary with you!
Business Class for the Win
Yes, we flew business class overnight from JFK to Paris. And it was the single best experience I have ever had flying. First of all, the whole seat situation was amazing. Roomy. Reclining. Padded ottoman foot rest. Blanket. Sleep mask. Private TV. You would have thought we were flying on that plane for a week with all the amenities!
My home for 7 hours. This cubicle is almost bigger than a room in my house.That look when you realize that you are a travel princess. Also, travel outfit on point.
We were welcomed with a glass of champagne! “Oui, merci!” Followed by a multi-course meal that included lobster salad, a cheese plate, chicken, more champagne, baguette, dessert, and more champagne. And then, they took our order for breakfast, which was to be served approximately 3 hours after we finished eating our late-night dinner.
I am spoiled for all other travel.
Day 1: Arrival & First Meal
We made it! We checked into our super cute boutique hotel, Grand Boulevard Experimental. It was every bit as charming as you would imagine a hotel in Paris would be. It had this lovely rooftop bar where we had our very first cocktails of the trip. The rooms were quaint, and I had a room all to myself, including a HUGE bathroom with two sinks and mirrors. Truly indulgent.
The hotel still used real keys. And held them at the desk for you. A whole big beautiful bed to myself!
Our first meal was at a traditional French bistro, Bistro Des Tournelles. We were starving! We ordered the mushrooms with garlic and parsley, Croque Monsieur, ravioli, filet of beef with fries (steak frites!), and the roast chicken.
And I couldn’t go to bed without doing one VERY PARIS thing on our very first night. We hopped on the Metro and went to see the Eiffel Tower all lit up at night!
Pictures don’t do it justice. And it sparkles on the hour every hour.
Day 2: Eiffel Tower, Champs-Élysées, Arc de Triomphe, Cocktails & Dinner
The sun shone bright on our first full day in Paris. I was so exhausted from traveling that I slept for 10 hours. TEN HOURS! I woke up with a start at 8am just minutes before my breakfast was being delivered. Can we pause to talk about how delicious the yogurt in France is? Thick and creamy, topped with honey. I ordered it every morning.
The Eiffel Tower was majestic at night, and equally as impressive during the day. We rode the elevator up to the top for the most fantastic panoramic view of the city.
If you look closely you can see the Olympic Rings on the bridge over the Seine.Bonjour from Paris!
After the ET we walked over to the Champs-Élysées (so many tourists) but we felt the need to see the Arc de Triomphe and be all Paris-like.
Our itinerary included some of the best known craft bars in the city, and our stop that night was The Cambridge Public House.
Dinner that night was at an Italian restaurant, Carbonis. This was my favorite meal of the entire trip (imagine, my favorite restaurant was an Italian restaurant in Paris!). Every bite was amazing.
We needed to start with drinks, of course. My introduction to the Sbagliato Negroni.Heirloom tomato salad, watermelon, marigold, bottargaMy favorite bite of the night: pappardelle with sweet corn, crispy shallots, guanciale, chili oil.Cacio e PepeGrilled octopus, green beans, caponataCaserecce with tomatoes, fried eggplant, spiced lamb, dukkah
Day 3: Train to Reims to tour Veuve Clicquot
You can’t go to Paris without taking a day trip to the Champagne region. Well, I can’t. And the Veuve Clicquot tour in the caves is not to be missed!
The tour ended with a tasting of four signature champagnes, one of which is not sold in stores and only served in the caves.
After a short nap on the train on the way home, we relaxed at the hotel until it was time for dinner. That night, we went to Le Mary Celeste, a cute little wine bar with small plates. We sat at a crooked little table, squished in the back corner, and basically ordered almost the entire menu.
Highlights included:
Tuna sashimiDeviled eggsVeal tartareRisotto
Put a fork in me!
Day 4: The Louvre, Notre Dame, Cocktails & Dinner
We started our morning at the Louvre – pre heist. I wanted to see the building, as it’s an impressive city block; however, I didn’t feel the need to go inside. But we did have fun taking photos outside.
Notre Dame was, well, it was a church. Mostly covered in scaffolding. With a ridiculous number of people trying to see it and get inside. I’m glad we walked by to snap a pic so I could cross it off my list.
One and done with the Hunchback’s home.
During the afternoon we did some shopping around Le Marais. We became regulars on the Metro. I felt like a local.
Sabre
Another day, another cocktail bar! This time we headed to Little Red Door, named the Number 5 best bar in the world in 2022 (and Number 6 in 2023). Hard to get in, hard to leave. Dark. Moody. Delicious.
After cocktails, we headed to dinner at a mediterranean restaurant Kubri. There were so many things we wanted to try, so naturally we over ordered!
Look at these shrimp!This roasted cabbage with aleppo pepper butter and peanuts was divineBeef tartare
Day 5: Charcuterie and Pasta
After a weather forecast that threatened rain the whole week, it finally came. The lunch vibe we wanted was wine and charcuterie, and we found the perfect place. It was a BYOB – build your own board, from a thick booklet of cheeses, meats and accoutrements. I present: Le 17.45
That lunch required some rest before gearing up for our last dinner in Paris. We went off itinerary and ended up at a little hole in the wall Italian restaurant Sugo. The menu was small, but the pastas were fresh and delicious.
Cacio PepePesto MalfadineAmatriciana
We headed back to the hotel on foot, hoping we could walk off some of the pasta, and I captured this beautiful street in the quiet of the evening.
What a memorable trip! My pants are still tight!
My one request was croissants, and they didn’t disappoint. The patisseries were magnifique!
I think my last post brought the mood around here down to near depression level, so I thought we’d lighten things up.
Let’s talk about pizza.
Oh, delicious, cheesy, salty, crispy pizza. I don’t think a more perfect food exists. (Prove me wrong)
Living in Connecticut means being able to enjoy the best pizza any time you desire.
My perfect pie looks like this:
It’s a mozz, bacon and black olive pie. Perfectly thin and crispy, salty from the bacon and olives, gooey from the cheese. Well done but not burnt. Minimal bubbles. If given the time and elastic waist pants, I could probably eat the entire thing myself. (Seriously, just look at that pizza! If your mouth isn’t watering you are made of stone!)
New Haven pizza is the only pizza, in my opinion. You’ve got the big 3: Pepe’s, Sally’s and Modern (my personal favorite). But then, as you slowly move away from Wooster and State Streets, you still are surrounded by amazing pizza joints. Olde World (our Friday night go-to). Fuoco. Ernie’s.
Non-New Haven pizza? You have no place here.
Square pizza? Um, no.
Deep dish pizza? Why is it so thick?
Chicago-style pizza? Is this a cake?
Pizza is good hot, warm, or cold out of the fridge. And while you could eat it any day of the week, I feel like Fridays are the traditional pizza night.
Much to Mr. KK’s dismay, I am a knife and fork girl when it comes to pizza. At least the first two slices. Then, once the pizza is at it’s optimal stand-up-on-its-own temperature, I’ll pick it up. I’ll leave you guessing if I fold oversized piece in half.
And, sure, I could call it pizza like everyone else. But I prefer to call it by it’s proper name: Ahbeetz!
Yesterday we dined on turkeys next to trees, our house having been fully decorated for Christmas (sans trees) for a week. And guess what? Everyone survived! You actually CAN have Thanksgiving dinner while your halls are decked and the mantel is glistening.
Every year I do a Thanksgiving recap in photos, so here goes:
Our “night before Thanksgiving” partying craziness has turned into putting the leaves in the dining room table, ironing a tablecloth and being in bed by 9:30pm.
Our one drink the night before Thanksgiving because “we have a lot to do tomorrow”. Me, at 5am, mentally preparing for the day.Super proud of my Turkuterie!Frying one of the turkeys in the rain!So very thankful for a delicious meal with family, and so much more.A house full of wiener dogs.
And I couldn’t resist this, since Mr. KK is NOTORIOUS for blowing leaves on Thanksgiving when we’re getting ready for guests to come:
Except this year it was raining, so he blew “pine needles” on Wednesday, and then spent Wednesday night washing and cleaning glasses and dishes that we were not going to use on Thanksgiving! Love you, sweetie!
And now, it’s Black Friday. Though according to retailers, it’s been Black Friday since November 12th. I’m sitting on the couch, covered in puppies and a blanket, enjoying tea and typing, while Little Mister sleeps like the almost-teenager he is.
It is officially the start of Christmas! We’re getting trees! We’re decorating those trees! We’re playing Christmas music! We’re shopping online! I can barely contain my excitement!
Monday I will be hit with reality as I board a plane for a work trip. Making the most of the start of the Christmas season as I can this weekend!
Mr. KK and I both come from Italian families. On both our mothers’ and fathers’ sides, all Italian.
When we started dating approximately one million years ago, we would compare the Italian traditions our families had. While some were the same – fish only on Christmas Eve and ham pie on Easter – we discovered that while both families were Italian, there were different recipes and traditions each followed.
First, Mr. KK’s grandmother would put hard boiled eggs in her meatloaf and top it with bacon, while our meatloaf was unstuffed and naked on top. My grandmother would put pepperoni in her escarole and beans, and Mr. KK’s family made a no-meat version. Mr. KK’s family enjoyed basket cheese on Easter (eaten sliced with salt and pepper?), while my family put the basket cheese in the Pizza chiena (aka: Italian ham pie).
In sharing our families’ traditions, Mr. KK told me how his grandmother would make pasta with anchovies. Prior to this courtship, anchovies were not part of my food repertoire (unless you count the ones in caesar dressing).
Fast forward a bunch of decades, and I’m listening to Ina Garten’s podcast “Be My Guest”, and she has Bobby Flay coming to visit her in the barn to chat and cook. And what does he make for Ina after they talk, pasta with anchovy butter!
It just so happened that I found myself with an open can of anchovies with two missing (that I had used for a salad dressing); what better way to use them up than in a delicious pasta.
Bobby Flay’s recipe was a little more complicated, involved a food processor that would be caked with butter and impossible to clean, and used fettuccini. I used his recipe as a guide, but modified it to be less labor intensive, and to use fresh pappardelle pasta, one of my personal favorites.
Pasta with Anchovies Recipe
This pasta dish is easy to make with just a few ingredients. Serves 2.
Ingredients:
1 stick of unsalted butter 8 anchovy fillets (removed from oil) 9 oz fresh wide pasta (I used pappardelle, but fettuccini works too) Lemony breadcrumbs (recipe below)
Lemony breadcrumbs:
1 Tbsp unsalted butter 1 Tbsp olive oil 1 clove of garlic, minced to a paste 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs Zest of one lemon Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Make the lemony breadcrumbs. Melt the butter and oil in a small frying pan together. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant (don’t let it burn!), then add the breadcrumbs and stir until coated. Continue stirring and toasting until golden brown. Add lemon zest and stir. Let cool.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta. Once water is boiling, start melting the butter.
Melt the butter in a large frying pan and add the anchovies. As the butter melts, break up the anchovies with a wooden spoon or spatula. Add the pasta to the water. Fresh pasta usually only takes minutes to cook. Once cooked add pasta to the butter and anchovies and reserve a cup of pasta water.
Toss the pasta with the butter until evenly coated. Add a small amount of pasta water to help coat the pasta. Divide pasta into two shallow bowls. Top with breadcrumbs.
***
If you’ve never had anchovies I suggest you try this. It’s not fishy and has more of a rich, salty taste.
If you ask Mr. KK, we have boxes delivered to our house every single day. And while I think that’s a slight exaggeration, the delivery drivers are so familiar with our house they know they can drive right down our driveway and have enough room to turn their big trucks around.
As a professional shopper, I have made some AMAZING purchases over the last year. And I’m going to share them all with you right here!
Image from Amazon.com
Cabinet water bottle organizer. If you own more than 2 water bottles (and honestly, who doesn’t?) this is the perfect organizer for you. I knew we needed this when Mr. KK kept opening the cabinet and swearing when water bottles would either fall on his head, or he couldn’t find something behind the sea of water bottles.
image from eddiebauer.com
Black summer dress by Eddie Bauer. This dress is deceptively comfortable and can be dressed up or dressed down. I’ve worn this to date night with sandals and around a city with sneakers. It’s especially great for hot weather because the material has wicking and doesn’t cling.
image from amazon
Small pizza peel. I know this one isn’t for everyone, but we have an Ooni outdoor pizza oven and Mr. KK needed this! The peel we had was too big to do the quick rotation of the pizza that you need to do so you don’t end up with a burnt hockey puck. This was probably the best thing I bought him this entire year.
image from amazon
A set of grown up luggage. It was time to have a set of matching luggage so I didn’t look like a college spring breaker headed to cancun with mismatched bags. I love this set. The tote is very room and unzips for extra room. The roller bag is durable and fits a full long-weekend of clothing!
image from amazon.com NOTE: this is not me.
Soft pajamas. I love these pajamas so much I bought a second pair! They are soft and just the right kind of loose to be uber comfortable. I’m going to see if they come in long sleeves/long pants for the winter!
image from Dicks sporting goods
Pool slides. When I first saw these, I said NO WAY. But then after going to pool day after day, I needed something rubber that wouldn’t slide off my wet feet. It was the watermelon color that got me, and then they turned out to be super comfortable! I wore them every day to the pool.
image from rothys.com
Rothy’s loafers. It wouldn’t be a list without a pair of Rothy’s! I LOVE THESE MULES. They are super comfortable and the perfect fall shoe. The leopard goes with so much, and it’s like wearing a slipper out in public (that’s my kind of shoe!)
image from rothys.com
Rothy’s clogs. And…a second pair of Rothy’s! These clogs are so very comfortable and the perfect slip on shoe to run errands. They run big so I sized down and they still fit with cozy socks. They provide great support and this color goes with everything!
image from instagram
ReciMe recipe app. If you save recipe posts on Instagram, or any other platform, this app is for you. It’s so easy to use: just download the app, and when you find a recipe on instagram that you love, you hit the share button and choose the ReciMe icon, and the recipe can be immediately imported into your account. From there you can file it in your themed “cookbooks”, such as “desserts” or “soups” or in my case: “cocktails”. Your recipes are always easy to find and at your fingertips! There is a minimal cost for an annual subscription.
image from target.com
Duster cardigan. Long cardigans are everywhere this year, and this version from Target is lightweight and comes in a variety of colors. And the price is always right. It’s not too long on my short frame.
How much protein do you need to eat to lose weight?
What foods have the most protein?
Are you getting enough protein?
Eat more protein!
Protein for President!
(too soon on that last one?)
Over the last year, I have been working with nutritionists to help balance my food intake, manage my weight, and counteract the M word. In the last few months, I have been tasked with focusing on eating more protein, in order to meet a certain goal each day. I’ll tell you, some days, I don’t want to even look at more protein. But I have learned a few things.
My Personal 10 Thoughts About Protein
Eggs do not have a lot of protein. So if that’s what you’re hoping to get all your protein from, you will be very disappointed. Or, you will be eating 20 eggs a day and likely have other issues.
It takes advanced math skills to balance the amount of protein you need without going overboard on fat and carbohydrates. Be ready to spend half of the day doing calculations.
If you are a vegetarian, good luck!
I hope you like cottage cheese.
Start drinking bone broth. Not chicken broth, but BONE broth. It’s the same, but more expensive, and like double the grams of protein in a cup.
Buy Greek yogurt in bulk.
Factor in nuts! Then see how how much fat are in nuts and cut your nut intake in half. Realize you are short your protein goal. Repeat.
Eat meat. Then more meat, topped with meat and with a side of meat. Fish also works.
Meal plan. Plan your whole day’s meals out ahead of time. This helps to eliminate you crying in front of the fridge when your dinner is ready and getting cold, and you realize that you still need 20 grams of protein in your meal.
Eat beans. But make sure you won’t be in public, or that you work from home.
So am I getting the 120+ grams of protein I should be eating in a day? Sometimes.
Luckily, I eat meat and fish. And yogurt. And cottage cheese. And bone broth.
Do I make my protein goal every day? Nope. Can I easily go overboard on my carb and fat goals? Yep. Because carbs and fats are delicious.
That statement could not be more true:
Some days I find myself not meeting my macro nutrient goals, but I’m not hungry. And the number one rule is DO NOT eat if you’re not hungry. So on those days, I miss my goals. When I find a magic combination of breakfast/lunch/dinner, I do a little dance, and then I tend to try and replicate that.
Tips for Eating Enough Protein
I’m not an expert, but this is what I’m trying:
Find a protein-rich breakfast that works for you, and eat a variation of that.
Have something high in protein that you can snack on. Last week, I made a batch of turkey meatballs and when I needed a little boost or addition to a meal, I snacked on 2-3 of those. Or beef jerky.
Make one recipe each week that you can quickly and easily grab as a meal. For me, I make a soup each week that I have for lunch. Something with – you guessed it – meat and vegetables of some sort.
Try a new recipe each week. I bought the Macros Made Easy cookbook, and I’m trying 1-2 things from this each week. This week it’s the Sunday Quiche (makes an easy breakfast!) and the Blackened Chicken Caesar Cobb Salad, which packs a hefty 42 grams of protein in a serving!
Do your best. Make conscious choices (yogurt is better than potato chips, that sort of thing).
If you’ve been to our house, and you read that headline, you’re likely thinking: “But KK, you have a HUGE garden in your yard, why would you join a farm share?”
Great question! Mr. KK asked me the same thing.
First, while yes, we do have a big garden, the offerings in that garden are a little limited. Though we did branch out a bit this year. This year’s crop list included:
Tomatoes (a variety)
Cucumbers
Zucchini (which did not do as well as they usually do)
Yellow Squash (which we had coming out of our ears)
Eggplant (one of my least favorite vegetables to cook with or eat)
String Beans (which did surprisingly well)
Yellow Peppers (which took their sweet time turning ripening – we harvested unripened peppers in November)
While that is a hefty list, it should be noted that the upkeep of the garden become difficult during a busy summer. I would have to be a full-time farmer to keep the weeds at bay. And since I have a day job, weeding was relegated to the weekends (the ones we weren’t away or busy) and it was like hacking through a jungle.
Also? I wanted some variety and the chance to incorporate new vegetables in our daily routine.
We joined a CSA from a farm one town over on the recommendation of a friend. It was only about 10 minutes from our house and I selected a Saturday pick up (Wednesday was also available). I have driven to this CSA every week since early June, and I still need GPS to get there. I have such a mental block on the directions to this farm; that, plus GPS takes me 5 different ways each time I go. This is the last week of the CSA and I still get get myself there without satellite help.
What we got in our CSA
The offerings in the CSA varied a bit week to week, but you could tell the farm had an abundance of certain crops. On pick up day, you are allowed to switch out one item from your box with any goodies on the table.
Early in the season we enjoyed:
Strawberries
Lettuces (also includes: 5 pounds of sand)
Greens (of the leafy variety)
We then transitioned into:
String beans (Little Mister’s favorite vegetable)
Corn
Beets (Mr. KK loves them but boy are they a pain to cook)
Zucchini (this took the place of our zucchini which had some weird disease)
Eggplant (SO.MUCH.EGGPLANT.)
Cabbage
Turnips
Tomatoes
Arugula
As we entered fall:
More Mystery Greens
Apples (this renewed Little Mister’s love of apples so for that I’m grateful)
Broccoli rabe
Spaghetti Squash
Butternut Squash
Honeynut Squash
What did we do with all this produce?
We only signed up for a half share, which was plenty of vegetables. If I did the math it equated to about $19.50 on vegetables each week, which is close to what I would spend at the grocery store. Between our garden and this farm share, I didn’t have to substitute too much from the store.
Some weeks we ate everything. Other weeks, the timing was just off and we were left with vegetables that we weren’t able to cook. I traveled for a bit in October and those weeks we didn’t get through everything.
We ate a lot of salads after salad spinning the sand out of the lettuce five times (no exaggeration). The arugula was so peppery and fresh, I’m ruined for all other arugulas. We ate lots of corn, which was sweet and delicious most weeks.
I used the greens in soups. It was October, light chill in the air, a lazy Sunday spent in front of the stove.
These were the greens in question. I made two different soups with them.
First, I made Italian Wedding Soup.
Classic Italian Wedding
I loosely followed this recipe for the basics, but used my own personal recipe for the meatballs.
This soup was so good, I ate it every day for lunch for a week!
Not only did I use the next installment of my mystery greens for this soup, I also diced up the butternut squash from the share as well.
Ina’s Minestrone
We had eggplant coming out of our ears
Between our garden – which had 2 varieties of eggplant – and the eggplant from the share (which I traded out when I could because how much eggplant could two people eat?) we were deep in eggplant. We used some, but it was so much. I brought eggplant as a hostess gift when we visited friends. I gave some to both mothers. And we still had a ton leftover.
I mentioned earlier, eggplant is not one of my favorite foods. But the one way I DO like eggplant, is when it’s fried!
I made a ridiculous amount of fried eggplant this summer. We ate it stacked with tomatoes and fresh mozzarella as a light dinner. I made eggplant parmesan not once, but twice this year (that is 2 more times than I have made eggplant parm in the last 20 years). I still have fried eggplant in our freezer.
If you meet 10 people and ask them about their eggplant parm recipe, you will likely get 10 different recipes (most handed down from Nonna’s and the hills of Italy). I like my eggplant crispy, so I used a mix of panko and Italian breadcrumbs to bread mine. For someone who doesn’t make eggplant, my eggplant was on point.
Our eggplant stacks were delicious! Those are yellow tomatoes from our garden, too!
Will we do a CSA farm share again?
I think the answer is yes. I liked getting some new veggies (and mystery greens), loved having fresh arugula and lettuces, Little Mister is eating apples again (and has declared he will only eat FARM apples which I find hilarious), and I think I ended up saving money (a little bit?) at the grocery store. Little Mister enjoyed coming and picking out the flavored honey sticks that they sold and playing on the playground.
Next year, however, I am going to work on memorizing how to actually get to the farm.
Well, in true KK fashion, things could NOT go smoothly. We started the morning with a non-working oven, but at 11am Mr. KK pulled through and replaced the lighter so we were back in business!
My oven. Taken apart. Just a mere 30 minutes before I had to preheat for the bird.
Did anyone else wake up at 5:13am and plan out the timing of the day? And then follow that up with timers set as reminders? No? Just me?
Welcome to Crazy Town, folks. Population: 1.
So once the oven was fixed we could get this day started! Not pictured below are the 1,000,000 cocktails I had.
Homemade pasta from the chef! We always look forward to the first course!
My dad – MY DAD – made stuffed artichokes this year. They were delicious! He’s hired!
This year we once again decided to fry a turkey. Oh, except the pan we fry in had holes in it (which we discovered once Mr. KK put the oil in it). And we didn’t have another pan big enough to hold the oil and the turkey so we had to improvise. Broken-down fried turkey parts it is! And they were delicious!
Our oven turkey breast – came out perfect!
We added a few new dishes to our repertoire this year:
For appetizers, I made hummus that I put out with pita chips and veggies. Creamy and delicious!
I am so thankful that we were able to be together, and that we’re all healthy. 2021 was a weird year, and here’s hoping to be back to “normal” in 2022.
Potatoes are one of the most perfect foods on the planet.
They are so versatile: you can bake them, roast them, hasselback them, mash them, french fry them, hash brown them, and even turn the into pasta. Very few foods an claim this amazingness.
As much as I love potatoes, I don’t eat the as often as I would like. This short, pear-shaped body would likely morph into a pineapple if I got the fries instead of salad every time.
But everyone once and I while, I treat myself (and, indirectly, Mr. KK). Last night was one of those nights. I busted out the big guns and made Gorgonzola Twice Baked Potatoes.
Gorgonzola Twice Baked Potatoes Recipe
Ingredients
2 Russet baking potatoes Crumbled gorgonzola cheese (exact amount depends on your taste; I tend to use maybe 1/2 a cup or a little more) 2-3TBSP of sour cream Milk Salt and Pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Wash and completely dry potatoes. Place them on a baking sheet and piece them with a knife (about 5 good pierces per potato)
Bake the potatoes in the oven until they are crispy on the outside and a paring knife glides in easily, about an hour
Remove from the oven and let cool until you can handle them (reduce oven temp to 400 degrees)
Hold the warm potato in your palm, and using a knife, slide off a little oval flap of potato. This will be the opening you will use to scoop out the potato. I usually do one that’s about a few inched long and an inch or two wide. It should just be across the length of the top of the potato (see photo below)
Scoop out potato from both potatoes into a bowl. Mash with a potato masher to remove any lumps.
Add cheese, sour cream, salt and pepper. Mix slowly. Add milk as needed to loosen the mixture just a bit – it should still have a very thick consistency and hold together.
Put the stuffing back into the potato shells, place stuffed potatoes back on the baking sheet.*
Warm and slightly brown the tops of the potatoes in the over for about 10 minutes (or as long as you need to get the filling hot and the cheese a little melty).
*At this stage, you can wrap the potatoes in foil and refrigerate for a day and then bake the next day in the oven at 350 until the are hot, then increase to 400 to brown the tops a bit.
Steps 4 and 5: the hollowed out potatoes. Just slide a small flap of the top so the potato holds its shape when it’s empty.Scooped out potato and gorgonzola cheese.Add sour cream, salt and pepper. After mixing start to add a little bit of milk to moisten the mixture just a little bit!Refill your potatoes and brown them in the oven!
Are these good for you? Not likely. Are they delicious? YOU BET.
These are probably one of my favorite ways to enjoy a potato. Though roasted baby potatoes with oil, garlic and rosemary are a close second. And the french fries from our favorite beer bar. Oh, and gnocchi. Who am I kidding? I like ALL potatoes. Except scalloped potatoes, which I feel are that second cousin of the potato that no one wants to invite to family reunions.
Speaking of adoring potatoes, my child doesn’t like mashed potatoes. Let me repeat that: my child does not like mashed potatoes. I’m not quite sure how this relationship is going to turn out, to be honest.
Life of kk 