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creamy homemade mac n' cheese

Weekend Recap – An Early Thanksgiving Feast

written by Parita 11 Comments

Do you know what I love most about Vishnu?  Ok fine, maybe not the most but still…it’s high up on the list.  He loves food as much as I do.  He loves trying new restaurants, new cuisines, and the weird things I make every now and then.  When it comes to food, we’re on the same page!  I don’t know what I’d do if he was a picky eater or didn’t like to eat out and try new things.  SO thankful for my Vishnu!

When I suggested that we celebrate Thanksgiving a little early this year (I’m in Atlanta this week!), Vishnu was totally on board.  He even helped me put a menu together!

Saturday was the big day, and because I knew we’d be eating some rich foods, I decided to start the day with a run.  I then headed to Target and Trader Joe’s to do some grocery shopping.

It was close to lunchtime when I got home and both Vishnu and I were getting hungry.  Unfortunately, I was so focused on dinner that I forgot to think through what we would eat for lunch.  After rummaging around the kitchen and coming up short, I asked Vishnu if he wanted to eat mac n’ cheese for lunch.  This worked out perfectly because our dinner spread was quite the feast.  Like Vishnu put it, we stretched out Thanksgiving and made it a day long event!

So lets talk about this mac n’ cheese!  It was so unbelievably creamy and gooey.  I used my Best Ever Mac n’ Cheese recipe as the base and made a few changes.  I used whole milk instead of 2%, TJs gruyere and cheddar cheese blend instead of plain cheddar, and omitted the garlic altogether.  I also didn’t bake it in the oven with breadcrumbs because I didn’t have any patience left for that step!

This is really a must make recipe if you love cheese and pasta.  So so good!

Creamy mac n' cheese

We took a short break from eating and cooking to clean, pack, and watch TV (priorities!).

And then I was back in the kitchen!

Thanksgiving 2016

Next on the list of things to make – corn muffins.  These were easy because I used a box mix…Krusteaz I think.  We like our corn bread/muffins on the sweeter side, and this mix definitely isn’t.  I wish I had remembered to pick up the TJs corn bread mix…it’s our favorite.

While the muffins were in the oven, I started on the cranberry sauce using this Food Network recipe.  There were a few changes of course!  I used 3/4 cup raw sugar instead of 1 full cup, and I also added the juice of one lemon to the sauce.  I could eat this stuff ALL THE TIME.  It’s slightly sweet but more on the tart side and pretty much perfect on everything, especially corn bread!

With the cranberry sauce simmering away, I prepped dessert since it required some set up time in the freezer.  Vishnu originally suggested chocolate mousse for dessert, and while that sounded delicious, I changed things up and decided to make Brittany’s chocolate coconut tarts.  Both Vishnu and I love the coconut and chocolate combo, and I figured a simple ice cream like dessert would be a great way to end our meal.  And it was, except we were so stuffed and could only finish 3/4 of one tart.  I’m secretly hoping Vishnu forgets about the leftovers I put in the freezer so that I can have some when I get back!  But this is another must try recipe if you’re a coconut lover…so easy to make!

Chocolate coconut tart

Next came the stuffing.  I followed this Real Simple recipe, swapping multigrain bread for white and omitting the olive oil and chestnuts.  The end result was really delicious.  The sweet apple was a nice surprise, and I liked how the multigrain bread stood up to the rest of the ingredients.  This recipe is definitely a keeper!

I for sure thought Vishnu would want regular mashed potatoes this year, but he suggested a sweet potato mash instead.  I found this super simple recipe and decided to go with it – only change made was using whole milk instead of heavy cream.  Most mashed potato recipes suggest boiling the potato first and then mashing. This one was a one pot stovetop recipe, and I really appreciated not having to go through the extra step.  And the potatoes were still just as creamy, buttery, and flavorful!

The final thing on my list was roasted asparagus – olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Done!

Vishnu’s one big to do was a roasted chicken.  Funny story about the chicken itself.  I was secretly hoping TJs wouldn’t have a whole organic chicken because that would mean we could make something out of the chicken breasts at home.  Well, they had lots of chickens.  As I stood in the poultry section, I didn’t have a hard time picking the one I wanted, but I didn’t know how I was going to get the chicken in to my cart.  I literally had a physically reaction when I thought about picking it up myself and almost asked the customer next to me for help.  But that was borderline crazy so I decided against it.  I then closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and picked up the chicken by it’s legs and gently tossed it in my cart.  And then I almost cried!  I’m not against Vishnu (or anyone) eating meat, but Food Inc. definitely came back to me as I stood in front of all those chickens.

Anyways, Vishnu used his mom’s recipe to prep and roast the chicken.  He mixed leftover fresh thyme and sage with butter and smeared it all over the chicken along with liberal amounts of salt and pepper.  He then roasted the chicken at 375 degrees for 1.5 hours.  He said it was perfectly moist and juicy on the inside…I’ll take his word for it!

Roasted chicken

Our food babies and subsequent food comas forced us to go to bed early, which wasn’t a bad thing since I had an early flight to catch.

All in all, Thanksgiving 2015 was a huge success!  And because of my forethought, Vishnu now has a week of delicious dinners ahead of him.  Lucky guy!

What’s on your Thanksgiving menu (if you’re celebrating this week)?

Written on November 23, 2015 Related:Food, Recipe, Weekend

Epcot sphere

2015 Epcot Food and Wine Festival

written by Parita 16 Comments

Epcot + Food and Wine Festival…I don’t even know where to start!

Epcot globe

Epcot - P&V

First of all, it was my first time visiting Epcot.  What an amazing park!  There’s SO much to do and see and learn.  Both Vishnu and I were like kids in a candy store.

Minnie Ears - Epcot

Or more like kids in a Disney store.  Ha!

As far as the “rides” are concerned, we experienced five of them.

  • Spaceship Earth where we explored the history of innovations from the Stone Age to the Digital Age.
  • Mission: Space where we experienced an intense (team Orange) NASA style simulator.
  • Test Track (our favorite!) where we created our own virtual car and then rode a fun ride to put our car to the test.
  • Soarin where you take flight and soar over California.
  • Journey Into Imagine with Figment where you explore the different senses via an open house tour.

The food and wine part of the experience was super delicious!  We tried foods from 11 different countries/vendors during our eight hours at the park.

2-15 Epcot Food and Wine Festival

Nitrogen Chocolate Truffle Ice Cream - Epcot

This may seem like overkill, but I have to share all the things we ate.  If you’re a food lover like me, get ready to drool!

  • OUR FAVORITE! Chew Lab – (for both) Liquid nitro chocolate-almond truffle with warm whisky-caramel
  • Cheese Studio – (for both) Cheese fondue with sourdough bread
  • Dominican Republic – (for both) Yuca soufflé topped with griddled cheese and (for Vishnu) seared grouper, pigeon peas and rice with coconut sauce
  • Greece – (for both) Spanakopita (so good!)
  • Desserts & Champagne – (for me) Strawberry-basil champagne “toast” and (for Vishnu)cream soda float with caramel ice cream
  • New Zealand – (for Vishnu) Lamb meatball with spicy tomato chutney
  • South Korea – (for Vishnu) Bulgogi BBQ short rib with steamed rice and cucumber kimchi and (for me) vegan Korean BBQ with steamed rice and cucumber kimchi
  • Africa – (for Vishnu) Beef tenderloin tips with onions, jalapenos, tomato and pap (kind of like grits)
  • Germany – (for Vishnu) Roast bratwurst in a pretzel roll
  • Italy – (for me) Cheese ravioli, tomato sauce, mozzarella, parmesan, and basil and (for both) chocolate-covered cannoli filled with sweet ricotta, chocolate, and candied fruit
  • Belgium – (for both) Belgian waffle with warm chocolate ganache and whipped cream

If you’re wondering why I didn’t list any wine or beer, it’s because we didn’t have any.  The heat truly got the best of us.  We wanted to try the cider flight at some point, but by the time we got done with our last ride, we were exhausted.  Also, I’m not a huge drinker to start with, and Vishnu doesn’t like drinking by himself.

And that brings me to my top tips when visiting Epcot during the Food and Wine Festival.

  • Arrive early.  The lines were manageable up until 2:00 pm.  After that, there was a long line at every single food booth.  By arriving early, we were able to experience a couple of rides before the food vendors opened up shop.
  • Get ready to spend some $$$.  Between the two of us, we spent an additional $75-100 dollars on food (and water).
  • Wear comfortable shoes because you will be walking a lot. My FitBit said I logged over 16,000 steps.
  • Orlando is hot in September/October/and even November.  Wear light clothing and bring sunglasses/a hat.  Also, it sucks but you’ll likely have to buy a few bottles of water.  Another option would be to fill up via the water fountains.
  • You’re not going to be able to do it all in one day, so don’t even try.  Instead, do some research and pick what you want to do/taste ahead of time.  Strategy is important!
  • In terms of the rides, download the Disney app and select your first three fast pass experiences well before you arrive at the park.  Otherwise, you risk there being no fast pass options available.
  • There’s a lot of alcohol available at this festival (hence “wine” being in the name).  And you’re going to come into contact with a lot of intoxicated people.  Come to terms with this beforehand.

Overall, we had an amazing time exploring Epcot and trying some tasty food!  If you have the opportunity to experience the park during the festival, I highly recommend it.

What’s your favorite Disney Theme Park?

Written on October 26, 2015 Related:Food, Travel

Friendsgiving 2013 + A Blue Nile Winner

written by Parita 16 Comments

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Nothing says Friendsgiving like a cornucopia!  Thanks to Vishnu we were able to enjoy a very festive background image while we ate!

As for dinner…

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Robin, Andy, Vishnu, and I enjoyed a delicious and VERY filling meal!  Seriously you guys.  I haven’t felt this full in a long time!  After dinner I changed out of my jeans and put on my stretchy pants.  I was THAT full.

Robin and I split up the menu and tackled it separately during the day on Saturday.  Our kitchens are super tiny so this was the best approach.  Plus I know absolutely nothing about cooking a turkey!

Robin and Andy prepared the turkey, veggie stuffing, and the best sangria in the world.  I’m not kidding about the sangria – it was delicious (and potent!).  I’ll get the recipe from Robin and share it here soon.

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Vishnu (my taste tester) and I made:

  • whipped sweet potatoes (I used half and half instead of heavy cream and cinnamon instead of nutmeg)
  • quinoa salad with pears, baby spinach and chickpeas in a maple vinaigrette (I used toasted almonds instead of pecans)
  • macaroni and cheese (will share the recipe soon!)
  • a chocolate-pumpkin pikoozie for dessert (served with vanilla bean coconut milk ice cream)

EVERYTHING was amazing, evident by the number of times each of us refilled our plates!

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My plate – round 1

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A chocolate lover’s dream!

After saying thanks, eating until we almost burst, and cleaning up, we settled in for a night of YouTube videos.  I’m not kidding.  For two hours we sat and watched our favorite videos, which ended up being the perfect plan because the last thing any of us wanted to do after our huge meal was be active.  Talk about a food coma!

Miscellaneous pictures from Friendsgiving 2013…

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I wonder if Friendsgiving 2014 will be able to top this.  I mean, we set the bar pretty high!  Until next year…

* * * * *

Annnnnd the Blue Nile necklace winner is…

image

Congratulations, Chayal!  Please email me at parita84@gmail.com so that I can send you your necklace ASAP!!

Thanks to everyone who entered!  If you’re interested in buying some pieces for yourself and/or as gifts this holiday season, be sure to enter the following coupon code for 10% off (good until Jan 1st) – BNHH10.

Happy Monday!

Written on November 18, 2013 Related:Food, Friends, Life, Recipe

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