Apparently the recent update to WordPress didn’t play well, so it’s currently under construction. I’m trying to upgrade to the new format of StudioPress/Genesis and start from scratch. Wish me luck!
Until then, pardon my dust.
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A New Addition to the Family
Yep, I am going to completely blame this un-intentional hiatus on the fact that in the past few months we’ve not only fostered and re-habilitated a tortie from the streets of Baltimore but adopted another cat of our own.
After losing Leopold, we were paired with a skittish declawed tortiseshell named Cindy Lou Who. We taught her to trust humans again and she regained her confidence; in return she helped our hearts heal and filled some of the emptiness losing Leo left. After 3 months we met with a family that was interested in adopting her and the next day she went to her forever home. On the day we transferred CiCi (as we affectionately called her) to her new family, we picked up Rémy (formerly Patrick) from the cat shelter. In truth, we had been courting him and visited him several times in the weeks leading up to his formal adoption.
Saying Goodbye to CiCi at the Shelter
Bringing Rémy home
As you can see, Rémy loves being the center of attention, which can make being on the computer difficult at times (he’s still learning what “Work from Home” means). As he continues to settle in and gets into his routines, I’ll return back to mine ^_^
Chocolate Caramel Chip Cookies
Back in April last year, I checked a big item off my to-do list and finally made my own caramels. I took these caramels one step further and chopped them into chip-sized pieces and added them to a new chocolate chip cookie recipe.
I am always a fan of salty and sweet combined, and the mixture of the small chips and chunks of high quality chocolate mixed with the gooey-ness of my handmade caramels made these the perfect snack. The hidden nuts in the mix add another layer of dimension that most people won’t be able to put their finger on.
Pan-Seared Cod with Curried Basmati Rice, Snow Peas & Mint
Thanks to my lovely friend Laetitia at French Twist D.C., I recently got a free Blue Apron meal box delivered. It was a welcome treat after returning from a week long family vacation that left me exhausted and not wanting to go anywhere near a grocery store.
This took all the work out and left me with a pre-measured meal for two that was pretty easy to whip together, healthy, and tasted good to boot.
One of my favorite things about this service is the fact that everything is in one place on the large, glossy recipe card. You can get the printable recipe for this cod at Blue Apron, or look below.
I usually don’t like snow peas because they are stringy and tough, but these were snappy and fresh tasting. I had never thought of using lime zest in this way before and was glad I did. I do think it’s a bit wasteful with a lot of extra (mostly recyclable) packaging, including the ice packs, but it is a nice occasional treat to come home and have the grocery shopping and meal planning already done!
I can’t wait to try my other two meals this week: Turkey Steam Buns with Quick Cucumber-Radish Kimchi and Seared Pork with Sautéed Spinach & Smashed Potatoes.
Single Origin Teas: Ginseng Oolong
Description
Ginseng Oolong, or Lan Gui Ren or just Ren Shen, is a very popular tea in China. This oolong grown in the Hainan province is covered in a fine powder of ginseng and liquorice. These small olive-green pearls release the flavors of the ginseng and the tea at the same time. We are quite fond of this tea, especially when we need to be at our best mentally. This sweet brew does not need any sugar, and can be infused multiple times, though we think the first couple are the best!
Available through: Single Origin Teas (Limited Edition).
Tasting Notes
I love oolongs and this is no exception. The dry tea is more like pellets than leaves and look to be coated in some kind of dust. The brewed tea doesn’t have a strong smell, but when sipping has great flavor. It opens with the taste of juicy plums and hibiscus, then blends into the earthiness and warmth of ginseng. It is very well balanced and naturally sweet. The cup is smooth with no astringency.
At first I tried 1 teaspoon of tea to a cup, but then I upped it to 2 teaspoons with multiple re-steeps. This tea holds up well to re-steeping.
Flavors: Earth, Fruit Tree Flowers, Ginger, Plums
Product provided for review. All notes & opinions are my own.