How cute are these Jonathan Adler salt and pepper shakers that I got for my birthday from my boyfriend. I have a thing for whales and my round white tabletop was missing both s&p shakers and something whimsical. He really can hit the nail on the head with the right gifts, huh?
(Can also be found at tabletop in DC along with so many other great kitchen finds)
Is it summer yet?
Until today (when the temp dropped a whole lot) it was starting to feel like summer. Beautiful weather, running down by the mall (dodging tourists) and long fun days with the bf. (Of course, my idea of summer will be completely different this year since I’m out of school.)
So with the windows open and the sounds of Dupont flooding in, some of Sam Adam’s Summer Ale, and the Caps game on in the background, I made BBQ chicken pizza for dinner last night. And it tasted like summer.
Drumsticks smothered in BBQ sauce are one of my most memorable summer flavors. I even love that it’s sticky and gets all over your hands when you eat one. Add some corn on the cob and iced tea, and the whole family eating outside….just perfect.
I wanted to channel those flavors and make a fun weekend dinner that goes well with the lovely weather and sports watching night ahead. (We even watched the 6.5 hour Mets game!) I’ve made this pizza before, but I did it better this time around, and it was really good. I definitely think it’s important to use the three types of cheeses…and a lot of them. And I love the sweetness of the caramelized onions.
Are you anticipating summer with certain foods?
This gorgeous purple orchid was a Valentine's Day gift...
...love it, and the city street behind.
I’m starting to think about what to make my sweetheart for Valentines Day. I’ve seen a lot of beautiful desserts on various blogs, including this gorgeous Heart Cake from i am baker. Wow!
And while I love chocolate, I’m leaning towards something different this year. Does anybody have any fun cranberry recipes they’d like to share? (Andy’s favorite) Not sure what I’ll be whipping up yet, but I promise it will be delicious and I’ll try to make it pretty.
And of course I’m expecting something sweet in return as well. *hint hint* So in honor of V-Day approaching, here’s Andy’s PB Pie, which he makes all by himself and just for me.
Will he share his recipe?
(Ok, I taught him how to make the pretty swirly pattern on top.)
“Remember when you where a kid and your Mom would drop you off at the movies with a jar of jam and a little spoon?”
That’s a quote from that episode of friends where Monica makes jam and Joey is obsessed with it. It’s so funny and that’s the first thing I thought of when I decided to make Andy jam for his birthday.
I had been thinking about it for a while and I realized it was a perfect gift for him. From his PB & J’s to spooning a little into his yogurt, I knew he’d love it.
I was a little nervous about making it, because canning things intimidates me, but I ended up finding a great, simple recipe.
The key to easy and still delicious jam is using no-cook freezer pectin.
* The jam will keep in the refrigerator for a month or freeze for up to a year.
I’m so glad it was so simple to make and we both found it absolutely delicious! It tastes so fresh. Also, I didn’t mash up the berries all the way, so we found some good chunks of blackberries in the jar… so good! We spread it on croissants from the farmers market and topped our cinnamon french toast with it.
Andy called it a never-ending present, so it looks like I’m going to make more, once berries come back in season. I also want to make a peach version. I definitely recommend this recipe if you’re looking for a quick, no boil, no fuss jam to make for yourself or as a gift.
