tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71299929456427713652024-02-20T18:38:49.388-08:00A Girl, a Market, a Meal..."You don't have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces - just good food from fresh ingredients."
Julia ChildAlisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10798295696444126099noreply@blogger.comBlogger354125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7129992945642771365.post-59833851899342072342011-12-02T18:59:00.000-08:002011-12-06T09:07:40.699-08:00I'm Moving!!I'm moving....Thanks so much for your continued support over the years! I've just started a brand new blog over at wordpress. Because all of the recipes will be gluten-free, I've decided not to move my blogger posts over to avoid confusion. There will still be plenty of wonderful recipes for everyone to enjoy, regardless if you are gluten free or not. Please join me at my new blog, Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10798295696444126099noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7129992945642771365.post-71917999584375947452011-09-13T17:43:00.001-07:002011-09-13T18:36:46.918-07:00Celiac Awareness Day 2011Today I went for my endoscopy. It was a mildly unpleasant experience--and thankfully a brief one too. According to my doctor, the endoscopy is the gold standard for diagnoses of Celiac Disease and one was necessary to confirm the results of my blood panel.And confirm it did. Parts of my duodenum were smooth, where there should have been folds. The classic villi pattern was absent, and instead Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10798295696444126099noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7129992945642771365.post-22032501142254490392011-09-06T17:23:00.000-07:002011-09-07T09:01:36.270-07:00Back to School TreatBack to School has been more of a new year to me than the first of January since I was a little girl. It marks the end of a usually long and rather lazy summer with a return to schedules, and bedtimes, and yes, homework too. It means my house stays a whole lot cleaner...but also that I do a lot more driving around town...especially between the hours of 3 and 8 p.m. And it means, for me, more Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10798295696444126099noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7129992945642771365.post-42270414518267991622011-08-30T08:00:00.000-07:002011-08-30T08:00:11.059-07:00Wild Rice and Cherry Salad
I realize that the days of cherries may have passed us by...but I did manage to score a lovely package of organic cherries the other day and tried this salad, inspired by a recipe from the lovely Heidi Swanson. When it's this hot outside (and by this hot I mean waaaay into the 100s), I cannot eat hot food. In fact, it's hard to eat any food at all. But I was inspired by the colors of the bright Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10798295696444126099noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7129992945642771365.post-20429335333476485622011-08-25T09:52:00.000-07:002011-08-25T10:06:04.158-07:00Gluten & MeI thought I would be fine--after all, I've never been a huge fan of bread or other items made with wheat flour. And then, quite inexplicably to me, I found myself crying softly in the pasta aisle, mourning the loss of something I never really liked anyway.
My doctor told me she would call early this week if there was something really crazy in my blood work, otherwise, I'd get the results in Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10798295696444126099noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7129992945642771365.post-73241080656723642192011-08-09T20:55:00.000-07:002011-08-10T14:03:08.671-07:00A Season for EverythingHello! Hope you all are enjoying these blissful (dog) days of summer. The weeks have flown by and we have returned home to California after a clustercuss of events that made life somewhat unbearable, even as we summered on the Cape. I was, unfortunately, crippled by a certain gastric distress that rendered me unable to eat most things for weeks, I discovered that I have a shellfish allergy (so Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10798295696444126099noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7129992945642771365.post-89289952769447327832011-08-05T17:19:00.000-07:002011-08-05T17:23:09.512-07:00Hello dear blog readers! I just wanted to reassure you that I haven't fallen off the face of the earth, but I am experiencing some technical difficulties. As of now, we are lacking a camera (left it in a taxi in NY) and my laptop has breathed its last breath. Sigh.Please hang tight until I figure things out.In the meantime, I do hope you are having a beautiful summer.Best wishes,AlisonAlisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10798295696444126099noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7129992945642771365.post-67441737824670309902011-06-29T12:05:00.000-07:002011-06-29T12:38:34.384-07:00Early RisersThose who know me well know that I am not an early riser. During the school year, mornings come painfully early and the only thing that gets me out of bed most days is the mug of coffee my husband hands me. Summer is my bliss...I'm allowed to sleep in much of the time (if I'm lucky enough to sleep through the early birds who start chirping at sunrise), and everyone is so much better off because Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10798295696444126099noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7129992945642771365.post-73732123184798242422011-06-22T12:11:00.000-07:002011-06-22T13:16:45.274-07:00Greetings from the CapeHappy summer! We've been busy settling into our summer digs and visiting all our favorite haunts. I've already been to the Bass River Farmers' Market, Tuckernuck Farm to pick up our CSA basket, and Miss Scarlet's Blue Ribbon Farm to pick up 113 pounds of piggy that my in-laws purchased. We visited this property (drool), and fantasized about starting a little farm of our own here on the Cape, Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10798295696444126099noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7129992945642771365.post-43967035944172942012011-06-01T11:56:00.000-07:002011-06-06T11:24:10.637-07:00Figgy Piggy PizzaI'm just popping in to say hi. This week is a crazy one as we are wrapping up our lives here in California and preparing to make our annual summer trek eastward. No, we are not driving again...that was a one-time deal. But there is still a heck of a lot of preparation involved. Whew.So I'm spending my week packing and going to each and every play, recital, choir show, meeting, team party, class Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10798295696444126099noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7129992945642771365.post-91161519836269139442011-05-20T08:00:00.000-07:002011-05-20T08:00:03.888-07:00Roasted Baby Fingerling PotatoesI've been obsessed with these teeny fingerling potatoes ever since my sister-in-law served them up on Easter Sunday. They are, arguably, the best roasted potatoes I've ever eaten with their exquisitely crisp exterior and tender, fluffy middle. Spiked with a hint of fragrant rosemary and pungent garlic and sprinkled with a touch of sea salt, they taste like the best french fries ever--even my Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10798295696444126099noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7129992945642771365.post-6001487408089170922011-05-19T11:00:00.000-07:002011-05-19T15:09:46.372-07:00Warm Roasted Veg and Bulgur SaladI keep explaining to my newly-minted vegetarian daughter that those who choose this lifestyle must eat a lot of whole grains and vegetables as a part of a healthy and balanced diet. Heck, we all do! But despite the fact that she used to eat just about anything, she's not only eschewing meat...she's become extraordinarily picky and learning the hard way that when you don't eat what I've prepared Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10798295696444126099noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7129992945642771365.post-74231455452786901962011-05-13T14:23:00.000-07:002011-05-18T09:45:10.224-07:00Spring Harvest-Fennel & Sausage PizzaSometimes, nature makes runts. In the barn, in our family (is it rude to call my preemie a runt?) and yes, in the garden. I don't know if it was lack of sun, or overcrowding, or both...but the fennel I had planted in my winter garden was a little on the lean side. Instead of the usual plump bulbs, I had supermodel-thin ones--long and leggy, with a glorious green and frilly crown. What they had Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10798295696444126099noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7129992945642771365.post-32885496159666176182011-05-11T11:18:00.000-07:002011-05-11T11:58:01.830-07:00What is Normal? And Link LoveOn the Ides of March, my contract with my biggest freelance gig was terminated (six months early). Though it was no fault of my own (I fell victim, like so many during these difficult times, to "restructuring" and new management), it has been a bit of a blow to my ego. No longer can I claim that I work in recipe development...rather it has been relegated back to the hobby category. A hobby I am Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10798295696444126099noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7129992945642771365.post-53848149998568863912011-05-04T13:55:00.000-07:002011-05-04T14:37:32.645-07:00Mother Lovin' Coffee CakeIf you love your mother, then make her this cake for brunch on Mother's Day. It will make up for all the times you sassed her, threw temper tantrums, upchucked on her pants, left sippy cups of milk to spoil under the car seat, told your teacher you were pretty sure she was 57 (when she was 30), kept her up all night nursing, kept her up all night wondering why you had broken your curfew, rolled Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10798295696444126099noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7129992945642771365.post-75601580532055813082011-04-20T06:00:00.000-07:002011-04-20T06:00:02.922-07:00Best Things in LifeFirst of all, I'd like to welcome new folks visiting from Bob's Red Mill! And dear readers, make sure you check out the wonderful collection of gluten-free, casein free recipes they've compiled in honor of Autism Awareness Month.Secondly (and I realize without a proper segue), I'd like to just get to business and say that the soup I made the other night (also gluten free, by the way), is the Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10798295696444126099noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7129992945642771365.post-8048915100074044072011-04-19T08:29:00.000-07:002011-04-19T09:23:35.262-07:00Strawberry Rhubarb CompoteWhat do you do when you have piles of strawberries and rhubarb leftover from jam making (because you forgot to bring the recipe to the market and therefore erred on the side of caution...)? You make strawberry rhubarb compote of course! It takes almost no time to whip up and has an outstanding flavor. You can serve it over pancakes, ice cream, crepes (pictured below) or even lemon cake (I did Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10798295696444126099noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7129992945642771365.post-90995531284459173022011-04-13T11:23:00.000-07:002011-04-18T15:44:55.778-07:00Strawberry Rhubarb JamStrawberry rhubarb jam is arguably the best jam that I make. It's a perfect mash up of sweet and tart and its glorious ruby red hue looks so lovely on top of a cream biscuit, or a vanilla scone...or even a plain ol' slice of toasted bread. We go through gobs of the stuff every year, my own homemade supply supplemented with jam from the Green Briar Jam Kitchen in Cape Cod.Jamming is simple (reallyAlisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10798295696444126099noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7129992945642771365.post-38442026459572874212011-03-22T07:55:00.000-07:002011-03-23T17:02:11.320-07:00Meatless Mondays...Meatless Everyday?This is Bodhi doing what Bodhi does best...enjoying long naps in his cozy bed of hay. You should hear him sigh contentedly, and you should hear the way he saws logs--puts my husband's snoring to shame.Bodhi lives at The Gentle Barn an animal rescue farm that takes in severely abused animals and rehabilitates them with medical care, massage, acupuncture, good eats and lots and lots of love.PerhapsAlisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10798295696444126099noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7129992945642771365.post-1564359676134732452011-03-18T09:29:00.000-07:002011-03-18T10:01:59.654-07:00Risotto Cakes with Crispy Cheese CurlsI promised you a recipe for leftover risotto. And I thought I'd drop by and share it with you before I trot off and enjoy my 36th birthday. I don't have much planned...just a quiet day with my loves. I was greeted in bed with some homemade cards (aren't those the best?) and some hot coffee too. And now I'm enjoying the peace of the morning, sitting at my sunny kitchen table and listening to my Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10798295696444126099noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7129992945642771365.post-18524395362218935712011-03-17T13:26:00.000-07:002011-03-17T14:20:33.358-07:00Irish Car Bomb CupcakeHappy Saint Patrick's Day! If you've been around this blog for any amount of time, then you know that we love to celebrate just about anything. Saint Patrick's Day is no exception--after all, who couldn't use a little luck of the Irish every now and again? And there is a wee bit of Irish blood in running through our veins too...just enough to make it official. (And I've heard somewhere that my Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10798295696444126099noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7129992945642771365.post-9462255731852272432011-03-16T14:05:00.000-07:002011-03-16T15:57:11.965-07:00Yes, Peas!A season of change is upon us. My rose bushes are in full bud, the peas are ready to harvest, and the days are longer and warmer and sunnier. I love this time of year--the time when I can open the windows and let in the breeze which smells of jasmine, cut grass and citrus blossoms. The birds feel it too and are a mass of righteous chirping in the trees (and pooping on my window box).Spring is Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10798295696444126099noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7129992945642771365.post-57750257240858864212011-03-15T09:07:00.000-07:002011-03-15T11:32:40.701-07:00For the Love of Citrus...and WineLast week I had the opportunity to take a carload of 13 year old boys to the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles. Not only did we see a fantastic exhibit all about tracing one's family history, but we also had a brilliant "only in LA" moment as we were walking to a nearby park to eat our picnic lunches. Two men who lived in a small house that was nestled between giant apartment buildings, had Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10798295696444126099noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7129992945642771365.post-91789464620576397202011-03-06T15:12:00.000-08:002011-03-08T16:48:44.519-08:00Salted Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies. Yes.I like my sweets with a touch of salt, and apparently I'm not alone. Salted desserts can now be found just about everywhere, and for good reason--salt rounds out the sweetness of baked goods and other treats. Chocolate dipped pretzels, salted caramel ice cream, and bacon topped cupcakes abound, each a study in contrasting flavors.I've made salted desserts before. One of my favorites is the Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10798295696444126099noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7129992945642771365.post-24098114212354355482011-03-04T14:36:00.000-08:002011-03-04T15:01:22.929-08:00Basic Chicken Stock: A Must-Have Skill!Everyone should know how to make chicken stock! Do you? It's the simplest thing, really, and the perfect way to use every last scrap of chicken from the one you roasted the other night. You do know how to roast a chicken, don't you? Good, I thought so.Homemade chicken stock is so very much better than the stuff you can get in a carton or can. So! Much! Better! It actually tastes like chicken (Alisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10798295696444126099noreply@blogger.com0