tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157593Wed, 28 Aug 2024 20:50:12 +0000trying new thingsfood tips and tricksrecipesadventuresbakingrestaurantswinesoupsfruitbeercafesveganbudgetcheesebookscocktailsice creamchurchbeveragesbreakfastgardeningholidaymoviesmusicsnackshttp://bringtoaboil.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Carly)Blogger85125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157593.post-5412846157066194629Fri, 31 Jul 2009 23:59:00 +00002009-07-31T20:44:26.635-04:00gardeningtrying new thingsHi y'all! I promise I didn't disappear: it's been a rough few months of studying for the Pennsylvania Bar Exam, but the exam is now over and I, for better or for worse, won't know the results until mid-October.While I studied, one of the few things I let myself do when I wasn't hitting the books (besides absolutely necessary planning for my upcoming wedding) was cultivate a small garden on my http://bringtoaboil.blogspot.com/2009/07/green-with-envy-fire-escape-garden.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Carly)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157593.post-4906505269121030365Tue, 19 May 2009 00:31:00 +00002009-05-18T22:13:17.557-04:00budgetfood tips and tricksfruitrecipestrying new thingsKarl is the kind of guy who has a hard time passing up a great deal on meat. We live the lives of quasi-vegetarians, not eating meat as often as many omnivores, partly because it's expensive. So, whenever there's a good sale on, say, a whole pork tenderloin, Karl buys one, slices it up, and freezes it in 1-lb packages. It's a pretty good system for insuring a steady supply of cheap, lean http://bringtoaboil.blogspot.com/2009/05/pork-roll-with-sour-cherry-chutney.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Carly)6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157593.post-6517433302002836483Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:59:00 +00002009-04-10T12:21:34.025-04:00food tips and tricksrecipesrestaurantstrying new thingsHi, folks! It has been far too long since I updated. Rather than make long, extremely detailed excuses for why I have for being too busy to write blog entries, let me just say this: I'm graduating from law school in 1 month, taking the PA bar exam in 4 months, getting married in 5 months, and regaining my sanity in 6 months. Oh, and I am still unemployed. If anyone needs an environmental lawyerhttp://bringtoaboil.blogspot.com/2009/04/enchilada-evangelism.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Carly)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157593.post-9148548478302283770Mon, 19 Jan 2009 16:44:00 +00002009-01-19T13:43:14.147-05:00budgetfood tips and tricksrecipessoupsveganI love root vegetables. I love to roast them, microwave them, steam them, and smash them. And I also love to make soups out of them.I was recently given a beautiful, blue, enameled, cast iron Le Creuset oval French oven. These pots are versatile. They can go on the stove or in the oven, and thus easily transfer from one to the other for braising or slow cooking. I decided to make a http://bringtoaboil.blogspot.com/2009/01/slow-cooked-root-vegetable-soup.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Carly)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157593.post-5055835438212081618Thu, 15 Jan 2009 00:59:00 +00002009-01-15T02:34:37.589-05:00Happy New Year, and welcome back! I hope you all enjoyed wonderful holidays and ate well. Now it's time to make up for all those cookies we ate, right? Right. I have the added incentive to get back into fighting shape this year for my upcoming wedding. Add that to the fact that I recently found out that my cholesterol is a little too high (221!!), and I have all the motivation I need to get http://bringtoaboil.blogspot.com/2009/01/roasted-eggplant-butternut-squash.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Carly)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157593.post-3364047475110126152Fri, 05 Dec 2008 19:24:00 +00002008-12-05T15:08:33.346-05:00Karl and I wanted a hearty breakfast to get us moving today. Neither of us had class this morning, so we decided to cook something a little more fancy than the usual oatmeal with dried fruit.We managed to do it without purchasing anything extra. I fried up the bacon that we had left over from our first turkey, and planned to make a frittata with whatever was around. A frittata is a lot like anhttp://bringtoaboil.blogspot.com/2008/12/crazy-breakfast-karls-mushroom-and.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Carly)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157593.post-2875193668879542410Thu, 04 Dec 2008 14:10:00 +00002008-12-04T09:37:42.944-05:00food tips and tricksrecipessnacksveganKarl and I bought a pumpkin before Halloween. We had grandiose plans to make pumpkin wine by scooping out the insides, rubbing sugar all over the flesh, sealing it back up with wax, then letting it naturally ferment for a few weeks. Apparently, you get pumpkin wine out of all this, and it would have been a fun experiment, but our lives got busy, and the pumpkin sat out on my fire escape for http://bringtoaboil.blogspot.com/2008/12/waste-not-want-not-roasted-and-spiced.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Carly)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157593.post-6801788843621575233Wed, 03 Dec 2008 16:24:00 +00002008-12-03T12:07:08.947-05:00adventuresfood tips and tricksholidayrecipestrying new thingsKarl and I committed to bringing a turkey to a friend's Thanksgiving gathering on the Saturday before Thanksgiving. There were going to be about 20-25 people there, but quite a few are vegetarian, so we figured a 14 lb bird would do the trick. We opted for a regular, store-brand bird (I'm still amazed that an organic turkey costs about $50...yikes!).But how to cook it? Neither I nor Karl has http://bringtoaboil.blogspot.com/2008/12/first-turkey.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Carly)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157593.post-1762172648053762180Tue, 02 Dec 2008 22:33:00 +00002008-12-02T21:23:31.554-05:00food tips and tricksrecipessoupsveganIt's starting to get chilly out there! I love winter, because it means that the soup pot will be put to more regular use. Soup is so comforting, so versatile, and so delicious. Last year, Karl and I started using parsnips more often. The parsnip is an overlooked vegetable, and I just love the tangy and earthy flavor. If you've never had one, it tastes a lot like a carrot, but stronger. Wellhttp://bringtoaboil.blogspot.com/2008/12/soups-on-spiced-parsnip-and-apple-soup.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Carly)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157593.post-2274353229837523988Mon, 03 Nov 2008 18:41:00 +00002008-11-03T13:57:37.584-05:00budgetfood tips and tricksrecipestrying new thingsveganFor our Diwali party, I decided to break out an old-school snack that I think I had forgotten about since the ol' college days. I used to keep boxes and boxes of microwave kettle corn at all times: you never knew when a movie would spontaneously begin playing in those days.Popcorn is the ultimate budget snack, especially if you make it using plain kernels either on the stove in a pot, or using http://bringtoaboil.blogspot.com/2008/11/party-fare-on-budget-spicy-popcorn.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Carly)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157593.post-6009026449743534339Mon, 03 Nov 2008 18:20:00 +00002008-11-03T13:40:20.261-05:00budgetfood tips and tricksrecipestrying new thingsveganMy roommate Ruchi and I hosted a Diwali party last week for a few friends. In the spirit of Diwali, we lit a ton of candles and played fun games like carrom board, UNO, and Fluxx. We also had lots of snacks out, including burfee, spicy popcorn, vegan chocolate chip cookies, and spicy peanut balls.I found the origins of the spicy peanut balls recipe in one of those cookbooks you can find 365 http://bringtoaboil.blogspot.com/2008/11/party-fare-on-budget-spicy-peanut-balls.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Carly)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157593.post-3515395747185655651Sat, 01 Nov 2008 16:21:00 +00002008-11-01T12:53:36.968-04:00bakingbudgetfood tips and tricksrecipestrying new thingsveganI believe that, even in a small-scale, personal economic crisis (or a big one), one should indulge every so often. Cookies are simple to bake, lift the spirits and, more importantly, stave off the symptoms of SAD (seasonal affected disorder) and PMS (no explanation necessary, I hope). A homemade cookie is also a treat that potentially will not break the bank. Last week, I decided to bake http://bringtoaboil.blogspot.com/2008/11/baking-on-budget-vegan-chocolate-chip.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Carly)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157593.post-4432829478276040874Wed, 22 Oct 2008 17:03:00 +00002008-10-22T13:30:02.926-04:00I'm experiencing an economic crisis. This one has less to do with Wall Street and the collapse of global financial markets than with having been a student for the last 6 and a half years with no source of income besides the extreme generosity of my parents. As a result, I've decided recently to tighten my belt. This has led me to really re-think what I buy while I'm shopping. For example, http://bringtoaboil.blogspot.com/2008/10/tightening-belt-eating-oatmeal-in.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Carly)7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157593.post-8806813792432229641Thu, 02 Oct 2008 15:23:00 +00002008-10-02T12:07:22.510-04:00food tips and tricksrecipestrying new thingsMy fabulous roomie Ruchi recently inherited a bag full of wicked-hot chile peppers from her friend Mala, who received them from her weekly batch of CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) produce. What a windfall! Ruchi and I decided to use all the peppers in one night to make stuffed peppers and spicy mashed potatoes. Since Ruchi has recently committed to being vegan (thanks to Skinny Bitch, a http://bringtoaboil.blogspot.com/2008/10/spice-girls-vegan-stuffed-chile-peppers.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Carly)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157593.post-3652322332127146740Tue, 16 Sep 2008 16:24:00 +00002008-09-16T12:53:59.614-04:00adventuresbeveragescocktailsfood tips and tricksrecipestrying new thingsA couple of weeks ago, Karl emailed me a link to a New York Magazine article containing a recipe for a Bacon-Infused Old-Fashioned. I had the feeling he had sent it to me for its shock value, or even in an attempt to induce his favorite response of mine (apparently, my face is capable of evincing both horror and scornful disdain simultaneously). Imagine his surprise when I emailed him back and http://bringtoaboil.blogspot.com/2008/09/cocktail-hour-bacon-infused-bourbon.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Carly)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157593.post-541699767579862543Sat, 06 Sep 2008 19:27:00 +00002008-09-06T15:36:23.198-04:00adventuresbakingfood tips and tricksfruitrecipes"I need you to think of what we can do with 25 lbs of apples."This was the text message I received from Karl last Friday as I was on my way to have one last relaxing day at the pool before really settling in to my law school routine. What followed was a conversation on the phone, somewhat miffed on my part and unrelentingly jubilant on his, about where he had come by a garbage-bag full of appleshttp://bringtoaboil.blogspot.com/2008/09/fruity-booty-what-to-do-with-25-pounds.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Carly)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157593.post-8259492870083819622Thu, 04 Sep 2008 13:04:00 +00002008-09-04T09:54:39.198-04:00adventurescocktailsfood tips and tricksrecipestrying new thingsMy brother's former roommate Helen taught me how to make egg rolls! Perhaps this isn't the most mysterious kind of food, but I have definitely had difficulty maneuvering those little wonton wrappers in such a way that they don't explode. I have had some small success with steaming them, but frying is a whole different matter.Helen taught me how to roll the egg rolls properly and tightly in http://bringtoaboil.blogspot.com/2008/09/how-to-make-eggrolls.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Carly)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157593.post-6297039552746794799Thu, 24 Jul 2008 13:38:00 +00002008-12-09T09:31:57.468-05:00restaurantstrying new thingswinePangea736 Bellafonte StPittsburgh, PA 15232412-621-3152Last night, the ladies and I went out on the town. Since I'm moving next week and am feeling the stress of packing, I voted we have dinner out instead of cooking. Ariel suggested we check out Pangea, a new tapas restaurant in Shadyside.The ambience of the restaurant is incredible: soft and yellow, helping me feel very relaxed, as though I http://bringtoaboil.blogspot.com/2008/07/girls-night-out-pangea.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Carly)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157593.post-3501985999082942949Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:03:00 +00002008-12-09T09:31:57.624-05:00adventuresbreakfastfood tips and tricksrecipestrying new thingsKarl and I decided to throw our worries about future heart disease to the wind this weekend and made a sumptuous breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, and scrapple. Originally, Karl had wanted corned beef hash, but can you believe it: not only is scrapple less expensive than corned beef hash (a 1 lb. block of scrapple at Shur-Save was $1.99, while a 14 oz. can of hash was $2.19), but it also http://bringtoaboil.blogspot.com/2008/07/trying-new-things-scrapple.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Carly)6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157593.post-3914932721782890757Fri, 18 Jul 2008 23:23:00 +00002008-12-09T09:31:57.904-05:00beveragescocktailsfood tips and tricksfruittrying new thingsKarl and I bought a ton of limes at Shur-Save in Bloomfield because they were 6 for $1. I suppose you can probably get them even cheaper if you buy them by the 5- or 10-lb bag at CostCo or some other similar store, but we don't have a membership to anything like that.So, what to do with all these limes?Well, I decided to keep it simple. I had contemplated trying my hand at lime curd, since http://bringtoaboil.blogspot.com/2008/07/what-to-do-with-too-many-limes.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Carly)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157593.post-8552412949066313188Fri, 18 Jul 2008 22:53:00 +00002008-07-18T19:21:29.593-04:00food tips and tricksrecipestrying new thingsSorry ahead of time for no visually stimulating pictures...Blogger is acting up!Some time in the last few weeks, I stumbled across this article on my New York Times newsfeed Called "The 11 Best Foods that You Aren't Eating." The author had compiled a list of nutritious, easy to find, cheap to purchase foods that most people don't even think about keeping around the house even semi-regularly. http://bringtoaboil.blogspot.com/2008/07/i-read-news-too.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Carly)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157593.post-1213025131205206691Mon, 14 Jul 2008 18:29:00 +00002008-12-09T09:31:58.206-05:00bakingfood tips and tricksfruitrecipestrying new thingsApparently, my unconscious goal for the summer has been to make a pie per week. I indulged Karl the week before July 4th by making another strawberry rhubarb pie, then he requested that I make an apple pie for a July 4th picnic (very American, right)? Last week was the week of trying something new: blueberry pie made without opening a can of pie filling.Blueberries were on sale at Giant Eagle http://bringtoaboil.blogspot.com/2008/07/fresh-blueberry-pie.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Carly)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157593.post-8911776831830496086Wed, 02 Jul 2008 16:07:00 +00002008-12-09T09:31:58.827-05:00adventuresbeerrestaurantsRed Drum Grille and Tap House2412 S. Virginia Dare Trl (The Beach Road, Mile Post 10.5)Nags Head, NC 27959252-480-1095While Karl and I were on the Outer Banks last week with my entire family, we managed to slip out for lunch one more time (after the Outer Banks Brewing Station). Karl was really craving some good local seafood, which is surprisingly hard to find on the Outer Banks. Most of the http://bringtoaboil.blogspot.com/2008/07/red-drum-tap-house.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Carly)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157593.post-4331409596184083955Mon, 30 Jun 2008 17:40:00 +00002008-12-09T09:31:59.592-05:00adventuresbeerrestaurantssoupstrying new thingsThe Outer Banks Brewing StationP.O. Box 2584; MilePost 8.5Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948 Last week I had the pleasure of attending a family reunion in Nags Head, North Carolina on the Outer Banks. My dad's side of the family squeezed about 30 people into a beach house, and fun times were had by all. I was extra excited because Karl tagged along for the first few days (and didn't break up with me http://bringtoaboil.blogspot.com/2008/06/outer-banks-brewing-station.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Carly)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19157593.post-258003284162377053Wed, 18 Jun 2008 14:12:00 +00002008-12-09T09:32:00.453-05:00Rhubarb pie in the summer, Rhubarb pie made by my mother. Nothing better in the winter Than rhubarb pie after dinner. ~Five Iron Frenzy, "Rhubarb Pie"I think that rhubarb is one of those fascinating roots that the common man has forgotten, unless his mama still makes it for him when he comes home to visit. Or maybe if he finds it athttp://bringtoaboil.blogspot.com/2008/06/rediscovering-rhubarb.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Carly)0