March 28, 2014

MILK


I've had a craving for milk off and on for the last few months and have finally given in.  I was not a kid that liked milk, in fact our family doctor wanted me to drink milk when I was little, I had no intention of drinking it until he said that chocolate milk would do.  Oh my, CHOCOLATE + MILK = HEAVEN!  Yum, I had the best prescription ever!  

The only time as an adult that I really drink milk is in my cappuccino or chai and even at that I'm very selective about the source of my dairy and will often times opt for soy milk...have you noticed that many cafe's don't carry good quality milk?  

We typically have half-and-half in our house, unless of course I'm baking and absolutely need milk (baking never requires the entire quart or even pint) so unfortunately the rest of the milk goes to waste in our fridge, for this reason I refuse to buy it. The last handful of trips to the market, I have found myself standing in the milk aisle gazing longingly at the milk cartons and bottles and even going as far as putting one in my basket just to quickly pull it out and put it back on the shelf...I'd then head over to the yogurt and put one in my cart and be on my merry way...the yogurt worked to curb the craving for awhile, but alas, I gave in and bought a half gallon, for the two of us this is a lot of milk. I'm determined to finish this local, grass-fed, whole milk and not waste a drop.

So, how will I drink it?  I set out to make a grown-up version of chocolate milk....now, I'm not a picky eater, the fact that I didn't like milk on its' own when I was younger or even as an adult isn't that far fetched....but one flavor combination that I have never cared for as an adult, and this baffles many of my coffee drinking friends is chocolate and coffee, oddly enough, I have always loved chocolate desserts paired with a cup of coffee, but for some reason combining the two in a cup created a repugnant metallic flavor.  Now, if we go out for coffee, T is a mocha guy and I'm a vanilla latte or straight up cappuccino girl, well until now....This past summer we went to Hawaii for our honeymoon and Kona coffee is bright and acidic which was awful with vanilla or just sugar, so I took a sip of T's mocha and it was delicious, this time CHOCOLATE + MILK + ESPRESSO = HEAVEN! So, why not try it stateside?  Well it's taken me several months, but with this milk craving, I had to try it. CHOCOLATE + ESPRESSO + GRASS-FED ORGANIC MILK = HEAVEN!

So, as of late I've been annoying my local coffee shop, they carry a lovely coffee but then they ruin it with a non-organic milk, so I've been ordering a double shot with chocolate syrup and then I race home (we live right across the street) and add sustainable milk to it and it is quickly becoming a bad habit.

We still had quite a bit of milk left after having a few mochas, so I made my first batch of homemade yogurt.  The first test was not as tart nor as thick as I'd like it to be, but still delicious with a drizzling of honey and berries.  So, no waste here and in the future I'll just make yogurt if I think I won't drink it in time.  I'll share a proper recipe with you once I have it perfected.  For now, I give you photos.


March 20, 2014

Happy Spring

Today marks the first day of Spring.  The sun has decided to chase away the gray and now the sky is full of pudgy cumulus clouds.  For this sunny first day of spring, I give to you an earthy radish.
Eat this pungent veggie like the French, dipped into a creamy grass-fed cow's milk butter and sprinkled with fleur de sel.

Bon Appetit!









March 18, 2014

Film: How To Make Garlic Paste


Well, my friends, the time has finally come!  This Christmas, T gave me a gorgeous new camera that also takes video (Thank YOU honey!)  I've been having a blast with the camera and now I'm in the thick of shooting video!  Still so much to learn on the technical side....aspect ratios, fps, compression, video editing programs...oh my!

If you find yourself browsing on YouTube please stop by Honey Dumplings TV.

March 14, 2014

March 2, 2014

A Taste Of Summer: Tomato Soup


We've had a pleasantly dry winter here in the Pacific Northwest and have lucked out with a handful of early spring days...the sky has cleared to blue, the air has turned a bit sweet and flowers have begun to bloom.  However lately it seems that the chill won't quite bid adieu as the rain and perpetual gray have teamed up for a traditional maritime winter. 

Tomato soup suits this fickle time of year...sun-ripened tomatoes plucked from their vines preserving the warmth of summer days make for a cozy wintertime meal.

If you are in need of a little sunshine during this soggy time of year then reach for a jar of preserved tomatoes.  I prefer the fruity and sweet flavor of the Italian San Marzano, it is less acidic than other varieties that line the shelves.  Of course homemade preserves are even better!

Buon Appetito!