Today marks my one-year anniversary of this blog! What a great year it is has been! Thank you for reading, sharing, participating, and overall making this a fun adventure. I have so much more to share with you all! In honor of this milestone, I am hosting a week of giveaways, starting yesterday with Celtic Grill and today with Glow gluten free cookies. Come back daily to see what’s new. Good luck! Curious to know what the top five blog posts are from Year1 in terms of traffic and ...
I know why Hannibal Lecter craved fava beans.
4 CommentsYou know the scene I am talking about. The scene with the famous (and repulsive) quote about “fava beans and a nice chianti.” Chianti? Been there. Done that. Fava beans? Hmmmm. Let’s face it. Fava beans are difficult to locate. But then, it happened. I tasted them. And now I know why Hannibal Lecter craved fava beans. They are the filet mignon of beans. I rank them on my top 3 favorite purely delicious food tasting moments of all time. Last fall I had my first encounter with a fava ...
Rinse, rinse, rinse your rice.
4 CommentsHere’s a quick and simple tip for next time you cook your basic white or brown rice: RINSE! Why? Rinsing allows the excess starch wash away so it won’t be sticky! Of course, if you are making sushi rice, risotto, or rice pudding you will want to keep the creamy starch, so don’t please refrain from rinsing those items! What’s the best way to rinse? Eventually I worked my way to this simple technique: I use a colander and keep the water running as I pick up handfuls of rice to “squeeze” out ...
Top 5 tips I gleaned at the Gluten Freedom Day in Rogers.
Leave a CommentYou may remember me talking about the Gluten Freedom Day conference recently held in Rogers. It was a one-day conference sponsored by the Celiac Sprue Association and geared to those who live a gluten-free life. I was eager to see what an event like this would be like and wondering what I would learn, who would I see, and (no surprise here) what would I eat! Plus, I read the agenda and I saw there was going to be a cooking demonstration by Robert Landolphi, the Gluten-Free Chef. The thing ...
A fancy (yet inexpensive) way to dress up olives.
6 CommentsEver read an airline magazine and come across those ads that list steakhouses in the U.S. that are highly rated? I always wonder how they are chosen. Were they rated nationally? Or, did they simply pay for the spot? Nevertheless, I get tickled anytime I see a restaurant where I have actually dined. Makes me feel so in-the-know. Or... in one case, I saw a restaurant listed that is within driving distance of Northwest Arkansas: Polo Grill in Tulsa which was located in my favorite Tulsa ...
Here’s a handy crock-pot tip!
1 CommentI was in a hurry the other day and whirl-winded myself out the door. Argh! I had forgotten to prepare the chicken in the crock-pot. Bummer. Yet another night to come up with Plan B for dinner. But wait… Plan A was still an option. My husband did it. Not only did he “put the chicken in the crock-pot.” He took it to the next level. My guy prepared the chicken and placed it in the crock-pot AND THEN he prepared two Yukon gold potatoes and onions and placed them into greased ramekins… and ...
Friends and Family.
Leave a CommentI constantly marvel at the wonderfulness of my friends and my family. Isn’t it completely touching when someone goes out of his or her way for you, especially if you have food allergies? Thank you… …Dennis for bypassing pizza joints on the nights you really want a pizza because “there is nothing you can eat there.” …Family for always setting aside corn tortillas for me on Family Taco Night. …Mrs. Lawson for baking beautiful and delicious pies for church and then going out of your way to ...
Here’s an alternative to the drive-thru window… sushi!
8 CommentsSo I was out and about on Sunday, running around, and was famished. I wanted something more than my Larabar. Fast food was out of the question. Sitting down at a restaurant was out of the question. If I had packed a lunch, that would have rocked. Did I? Nope. So here was the challenge: what could I eat that was fast, not junk food, and still tasty? Oh, and didn’t cost an arm and a leg? Sushi! Well, almost sushi…. an avocado roll from Sho-Guns! For just $4.13 (+ tip) I had avocado ...
Delicious Creamy Orange-Avocado Salad Dressing (low fat, too).
Leave a CommentI was in Tulsa recently and visited Whole Foods off of Peoria. Man I wish we had one. My perfect food retailer world consists of Trader Joes, Whole Foods, Fresh Market, Costco, and a farmer’s market. Make that two farmer’s markets. Back to Whole Foods: I grabbed a free recipe flyer while in Whole Foods that piqued my interest: Creamy Orange-Avocado Dressing. It is surprisingly delicious and a perfect blend of bite, sweetness, and creamy loveliness. This dressing chills well since the ...
Carolyn’s top 15 gluten-free restaurants in Northwest Arkansas.
15 CommentsToday we continue with final topic of our three-part interview with Carolyn Lynch McKinley. 1. Carolyn’s involvement in the local celiac support group 2. Walmart’s support of the celiac lifestyle by providing affordable gluten-free products. 3. Gluten-free restaurant dining in Northwest Arkansas and Southwest Missouri. nwafoodie: We’ve already talked about how the gluten-free section came to be at Walmart and how you were personally involved in making that happen. Before that we ...
The story behind Walmart’s gluten-free section.
10 CommentsToday we continue with topic #2 of our three-part interview with Carolyn Lynch-McKinley. 1. Carolyn’s involvement in the local celiac support group 2. Walmart’s support of the celiac lifestyle by providing affordable gluten-free products. 3. Gluten-free restaurant dining in Northwest Arkansas and Southwest Missouri. nwafoodie: Yesterday, we talked about your willingness to freely give of your time to help others by taking the time to show people how to shop gluten-free at their ...
Breakfast oatmeal bean cookies. Yes, beans!
3 CommentsI came across this recipe from a healthy-conscious food blogger named Julie during a recent girls night out (#gno) twitter party held by Bush’s Beans. Seriously, aren’t you just a tiny bit intrigued by a cookie that has the word “breakfast” (aka a hearty start to your day) and “beans” in the title? Me, too! They’re grrrreeat! Yes, they are hearty and chewy and just the right amount of sweet! I used Hersey’s Special Dark chocolate chips and I feel great about my decision. Plus, I ...
Oui! Oui! Pretty little drinking glasses for thee (and me!).
1 CommentYou know how much I love cute little glasses. Now I have added six more to my collection! I found these little French beauties at Tuesday Morning in Fayetteville on Friday afternoon. Crafted by Bormioli Rocco. Historians say the origins of Bormioli Rocco glass can be traced back to the Middle Ages. Their website says their first glassware factory dates back to 1825. · Made in France · 5 ¼ ounce each · Microwave safe · Dishwasher safe · Shock resistant · ...
The best beef bacon in the world.
8 Comments(UPDATE) Richards Meat Market no longer sells this bacon. You might think I am exaggerating. Perhaps I am because I really haven’t tried every beef bacon brand in the entire world. Perhaps because you think that “beef” and “bacon” shouldn’t be in the same sentence. Hear me out. Herman’s Swiss Meat Hickory Smoked Beef Bacon is in-cred-i-ble! I found this little jewel of a package while conducting my Friday afternoon retail safari in Fayetteville last week at Richard’s Country Meat Market ...
Baked beans are more than just a pretty side dish to hot dogs!
13 CommentsI say we all should heartily thank these household grillin’ staples: hot dogs, hamburgers, potato salad, deviled eggs, and baked beans. Thank them for their steadfast loyalty to be at our beck and call from May until the final drawn out dog-days-of-summer ends. Who works harder in the summertime than these family friends? We salute you. While shopping at Walmart the other day, I was happy to discover that Bush’s new line of Grillin’ Beans is on rollback for only $1.48 a can, the same price ...
Removing seeds from a cucumber adds more CRISP!
Leave a CommentCucumbers are now coming into harvest! This means they are going to be (1) extra crispy and delicious, (2) available for a great price, like, everywhere, (3) available at all area farmer’s markets in a variety of options, and (4) perhaps even available in your very own garden! Here’s a tip: Removing the seeds from a cucumber adds more crisp! · Peel your cucumber · Slice it lengthwise · Scoop out the inside seeds (save for your compost pile!) · Slice into bite-sized ...
Do you have a grill pan?
Leave a CommentIf you are like me, your grill works hard year-round. Last year I purchased a great gadget at Williams-Sonoma: a mesh grill pan. This stainless steel mesh pan has opened so many options for me and I know it will for you, too. A grill pan allows you to easily grill items that would otherwise fall through grill top, such as mushrooms, tomatoes, cod or other fragile fish like orange roughy, and yukon gold sliced potatoes. You get the drift. The one I purchased (photo, below) works like a charm ...