Cooking with Sara: Roasted Asparagus with Browned Butter Balsamic Sauce

It's Thursday!  So, it's my day to cook for the food blog!

Ok, so yes, that title is a doozie.  But when I tried to whittle it down, I couldn't think of what word to leave off - Certainly not the asparagus, it's the main player here.  And it needs the balsamic in there so that you know it's not just a veggie plus butter.  And, oh, that browned butter is truly the nectar of the gods, so it can't possibly be left out....  And, there you go.  A long, stumbly recipe name that only uses a handful of ingredients.  But don't let its simplicity fool you.  This side will quickly become the star of your dinner show.  And you won't even mind when it asks for its own separate trailer and chair with its long, rambling name printed on the back.

Roasted Asapargus with Browned Butter Balsamic Sauce on From Blah to Ta-Daa

Also!  Mellisa and I just started rearranging the furniture and picking paint samples over at the Blah blog.  We're giving it a whole new look, and it's shaping up to be really cute!  We plan to rotate that top banner photo in and out; the inaugural one up there with berries is a photo that Mellisa took - so pretty!

Cooking with Sara: 1-Ingredient Ice Cream

It's Thursday!  Which means that it's my day to cook for the Blah blog!

Oh boy.  This recipe is fun!  You throw frozen bananas into a food processor and voila!  Ice cream comes out!  Ice cream that's very low in calories, is sugar free and dairy free, and has zero Weight Watchers points.  It's basically a magic recipe.  It may even cause unicorns to skip and prance around your yard, so keep watch out for them.

1-Ingredient Ice Cream on From Blah to Ta-Daa



You really need to click-zoom this photo.
It's pretty crazy how creamy and smooth frozen bananas can get!



Wordless Wednesday: Little Rory Foo-Foo

  

100 Things: 11-15

11.  I say "ow!" at least five times every day.  It's so bad, that I was going to count the number today, and I realized that I say it without even being aware.  Calling me clumsy would be putting it mildly.  I am my own worst enemy.  And Bo thinks it's hilarious to call me "Roomba."

12.  I wake up to pee in the middle of the night almost every single night.  I gauge how deep I slept by that.  As in, "Wow - I slept so well that I didn't even wake up to pee!"  Sad, but true.  All the women in my family are this way. We often end our phone calls when one of us has to pee.

13.  My most favorite (non-dessert) food is taco salad. I hum a happy taco salad dance and bounce around in my chair when I eat it. And then I lay claim to any and all leftovers. I have to really hold back to keep from eating 3 platefulls.

14.  When I say that a glass of red wine is "good" or "yummy," what I really mean is that it's more tolerable than most. I've tried really hard to like red wine, and I just can't do it. I've tried a million kinds, and I know which varieties are generally ok, but truth be told, I'd way rather have a glass of water. Champagne and Moscato are a completely different story.

15.  In 3rd grade, I got really good at writing my name backwards. In cursive. I was a bit of a showoff about it too. I'm sorry about that.

Wordless Wednesday: Eggs-cellent!

More photos over at the Sarandipity blog!

Today is Brought to You by the Letter M

M.  As in Monday, MS, and money! 

You mayyyy remember a whopping month ago, I mentioned my new blog, Sarandipity, and helping my childhood friend, Jenny, fundraise for her Multiple Sclerosis walk.  I decided to make my donation this year with the help of Sarandipity Sweets, to see how much we could raise by making it a joint effort.  It was simple - for every cake pop sold in March, I'd donate fifty cents.  Want to know how we did? :D

I'm proud to announce that, with all your amazing support, Sarandipity Sweets donated $313 to MS research through Jenny's team.  Hurrah!  I'm seriously so amazed and thankful for everyone who teamed up to help make a huge donation. 

How's that for a happy Monday, eh? 

Cooking with Sara: Easy Fruit Rollups

It's Thursday!  Which means it was my day to cook for the food blog!

I've gone and done it now.  I've made a junk food into a healthy snack.  Yep.  No weird dyes, no strange fillers, no unpronounceable ingredients.  And it still turned out delicious.  Delicious, with a capital D. 

I'm horrible about eating fruit; I basically don't eat it, ha!  But I know that I should.  I know that it's good for me and contains all that vitamin, fiber, and anti-cancer stuff.  I've known it for years, and yet.  So!  I decided to try making fruit rollups - They're portable, don't bruise, don't require napkins, and just might entice me to eat a serving's worth every day. 

Delicious with a capital D.

Easy Fruit Rollups on From Blah to Ta-Daa

Wordless Wednesday: Sniffy

Photographer Ken Haley took the picture in his back garden at his home in Eugene, Oregon, USA. He said: "I had never seen a squirrel doing that, and I knew I had captured a special image. I think this is a young squirrel which may be sniffing the dandelion to see if he wanted a quick snack. But in this case, after holding it for a few seconds, he let go and went off to look for something else to eat."  Source

Book Report No. 2

Black Heels to Tractor Wheels by Ree Drummond

Verdict:  This book was fun.  If you haven't read her online collection (that was the pre-cursor to this book), definitely check it out.  Otherwise, it feels like a re-read.  Also, if you are even slightly discontent with the man in your life, you may want to skip this title.  Ree's tale of cowboy romance is hard for any man to compete with, and the fact that it's a real story makes it even worse.





The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

Verdict:  I just finished this book last night, and the more I think about it, the more I love it.  Yes, it's written from the dog's point of view.  But although it may seem simple and simply amusing at first, this story is a deep and touching one, with some very emotional lessons.  Lessons all taught by the dog, Enzo.  It's not my normal kind of book choice, but I really recommend it.  And I'm definitely going to see if my library has other titles by Stein.





What the Dog Saw by Malcolm Gladwell

Anticipation:  I love just about anything by Malcolm Gladwell, and the fact that this book is a collection of essays makes me happy.  I currently don't have the focus (or time or energy) to get my way through an entire book with inter-related themes, so a collection sounds just about perfect right now.   

   



The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen

Anticipation:  I gushed about this book before, I know.  But it finally arrived in the mail this week, so I hadn't yet been able to read it.  It's currently sitting under the edge of my bed (where all my next-in-line books live), pretty much screaming at me to crack open the cover.  I haven't even allowed myself to remove the paper slip cover yet, because I needed to finish my library books before the distraction of a shiny new novel by my favorite author.  But, wait no more!  I get to start this book tonight, and I'm so excited!  I may or may not spend my Friday evening under a down comforter with this book and a plate of congo bars.  Please don't judge.