one of the first group of items to go in my clean out phase was the relish and pickles. practically every.single.jar had sodium benzoate, calcium chloride, natural flavors, polysorbate 80 and yellow #5. it was so shocking to me at first. i remember being so mad and disgusted at how virtually every condiment item i had in the house had artificial ingredients. luckily, there are real replacements for everything and it'sallgood. i just had to start looking at the labels and now i simply buy something different.
i am loving this brand i found at whole foods and i am also going to try making our own easy dill pickles from scratch with the kids. chop chop mag has a great recipe and i can't wait cuz i am going to let the kids take the lead... oooohhhhhhhhh yea!! that post is in the hole and coming on deck soon.
get ur pickle on.
ps
lookie lou who just posted her famous summer salad!! miss food revolution long grove is online... welcome to blogland bri!!! hollah that!!! this is the salad she demo'd at our food revolution day picnic and it's super duper delish.
when i got a HUGE head of cabbage in my produce box i knew it was going to get shredded. i also had some celery root and fennel bulbs that needed to be used. i thought, "what the hey, that could work!!" this was my first go at slaw and i will be coming back.
and this asian dressing i found is the cat's banana. (it just sounds so much better then meow)
i brought this huge bowl of slaw over to a neighbor's barbecue and it was a huge crowd pleaser... especially with those pulled pork and brisket lovers. it was a perfect pairing.
the best shredded asian slaw
1/2 large cabbage (shredded)
2 small fennel bulbs sliced + dice up the fronds
2 small celery root peeled and julienned
1.5 c raw almonds rough chopped (slivered almonds would be fantastic) wellness mama asian coconut ginger vinaigrette
mix the vege and almonds all up in a large bowl and toss with the prepared vinaigrette.
that dressing is ridiculous. it would be awesome in a green salad too. just make it already.
this innovative non-profit chop chop mag came in the mail yesterday and it is seriously fab. not only can mac and abbie read it and follow the 15 recipes included (no ads, super cute activity pages and tons of hands on pics!!), but hello... i like simple, fast and clean on my cutting board. anything to help me get dinner on the table easier. yippy skippy to my lou:)
if i'm going to teach my kids how to cook properly, i must first learn myself how to get it on in the kitchen!
so hollah, here we go on my first official mullies cooking klass adventure!!! my girlfriend kristy invited me to join her at amazing edibles gourmet catering last week. that lovely lady i am pictured with above is miss andrea herrera, the president and brand evangelist of this amazing company. i met andrea for the first time on my last mullies field trip with kristy to bottle and bottega where we ate her delicious food and painted the night away.
i cannot wait to go back and bring some more peeps along with. would you like to come!? this experience really got my wheels turning for date night, ladies night, bachelorette/bachelor parties, birthday bash... a.whatever.night.that.floats.your.boat.night. there is nothing better than donning an apron, sipping cocktails, learning about cooking from scratch and then of course getting to eat it all. yes please, can i have another?
amazing edible's summer classes currently scheduled:
june 13 bbq/grilling class from 6-8pm – 5 spots open
july 11 french class - 10 spots open
august 7 gluten free - 10 spots open
i can't promise that these spots are still around since i talked with andrea, but if you'd like to get in on these classes already scheduled, you better get your act in gear. i wish i could go to ALL of them, don't you!?!?
list price for classes is $75.00, and amazing edibles would be delighted to welcome any aspiring mullies chefs for $50.00 per person – WHAT WHAT WHAT!!!! holy wowza, thank you andrea!!! i left one happer camper with a ton of new cooking info swimming in my head, a stack of 8 new recipes in my purse and full belly of crazy good food and cocktails.
**all mullies guests must register in advance by calling amazing edibles at 312-563-1600 or you can email andrea at andrea@amazingediblescatering.com and she can add you to the class list. or, if you'd like to schedule your very own personalized class for a special occasion, just give her a ringah-ling. she'll work it all out with you.
feelin like it's too complicated living in the burbs?
1. get on the metra and take the milwaukee north line to western ave.
2. when they announce the stop, text for a cab - 312.300.6894. it's so easy it hurts me. all you do is type the address and they pick you up. the western ave address is 420 n artesian ave 60608. you can also take it all the way to union station - it's close to being the same distance and there are always cabs around there.
3. you're cookin $10 bucks later.
4. text for a cab when you're done, go home or go out dancing... next time i'm dancing.
are you excited yet!?
here is our most excellent tapas and sangria cooking class adventure with chef’s Alexi Mandolini and Gabriele Ausraite. these chefs can educate. i learned so much, thank you for an amazing and delicious night girls!
i'm kinda feeling a song coming on...
can you hear what i am trying to say? we need to be domesticated and liberated back into the kitchen.
you know i want it, i know you want it and i'm a good girl so let's get blasted.
everybody get up... and get an apron on. hey hey hey!
a little knife skills chat.
i love me some onions. i have always made three cuts to dice an onion... now i know how to make only TWO!! ohhhhhhh liberate me.
first make perpendicular cuts across the onion, but don't let it pass all the way through.
second make cuts the other way... why didn't i think of that before!?
ohhhhhh domesticate me.
i'm a good girl. i've never cut an onion like this before. this makes me wanna get hurt... i usually cut an onion on the circular side which is great, but sometimes, i don't want the half circles. are you laughing at me yet? julienne, hit me up baby...
pepper cutting: hollow it out, flatten it and, hey hey hey, julienne is far from plastic. do you notice how she tucks those finger tips back and rests the knife blade against her knuckles?
christina, you are such a pro and a good girl!! the way you grab that pepper...
now don't get hurt. what!? you don't like work!?
watch those hands kristy... you good girl you.
look, it's stephanie from bottle and bottega!! you got it going on girl, nice toss!! work it.
the makings for shrimp rosemarino.
rock chopping like a rock star.
our rosemary shrimp skewers.
garlic toasts with saffron marinara and goat cheese.
i know you want it.
we made those puffy poofs of pleasure. black bean & chorizo empanadas with cumin crema. giggle.
bacon wrapped dates. you know you want it.
and for my favorite dish of the night... this paella hurts me. i was blind and deaf to this technique before. i'm out of my mind in love with it now.
make a well around the cooking veggies and pour DRY rice in the middle. i have always made my rice on the side... i feel so lucky, i could have hugged everyone... hee hee.
and then pour some simmering broth all over it and let it SIT.
so good it hurts me.
we ended the night sitting under this lovely DIY chandelier and eating our amazing cooked.from.scratch grub.
i hope to see these twinkle lights again very soon.
you know i want it.
cooking is good work and it's a blasted good time.
1. make dinner. i still haven't yet.
2. put the kids to sleep.
3. make some cocktails.
4. watch the season finale of game of thrones. omg, it's over... noooooooooooooooooo.
5. start book 4 and wait patiently for the next season. sob.
that phrase always has me cracking up... it's a goodie from childhood:)
wanted to catch you all up with the food babe's latest update on the soap opera saga with kraft food going on. yet another major allergy food is getting closer to the GMO grouping. (check out this great blog post from Lauren Minchen Nutrition that discusses the foods that i'm talking about to bring you up to speed. i don't think it's a coincidence that milk (cow's are fed GMO corn), soy, peanuts and now wheat are the country's highest allergy causing foods.)
you go food babe... i would like some answers too:)
this is my first try at making homemade gluten free gnocchi. the best part is that they are about to get a super fab makeover when my girlfriend and fellow food ambassador briana gets ahold of my flour and puts her recipe to the test. she's kinda of a big deal. i don't even know if i can contain myself. i can't wait for take 2!!!! this gnocchi is just going to get better with some simmering sass.
last time we cooked together, i laughed so hard i snorted... twice. it's a hoot i tell ya.
i brought them over to laura's house for a saturday night cooking fest. once you pop the little balls into boiling water, it only takes a few minutes to cook. how do you know when they are done? well, they simply float to the top!!! not one gnocchi was left and i doubt even a double batch would have made it to leftover status. even tommy wanted more:)
and then of course was the homemade strawberry shortcake with coconut whipped cream (darn it's blurry). oh the lovely summer days are here!!
mullies notes:
gnocchi: i used the first link and equally subbed the gf-flour blend (i sub arrowroot for corn starch) and sheep's milk yogurt for the greek stuff. i did not have fresh sage leaves, so i cheated and used dried sage. lame. the sauce was too watery for my liking and that needs to be tweaked. the rest i followed to a T.
(the second recipe link is the first one i found. all i did was add "yogurt" to my search and found the first super simple link from saucy little dish... i love easy recipies!!!)
