I woke up this morning and had a leisurely breakfast. I cooked in my pajamas and glasses (something I never do, as I usually have to be ready for work) and made a lovely bowl of whipped banana oats. This was the perfect way to start my Christmas vacation. I also had to brave the cold and scrape ice off of my car, so warm, cozy oats made that more bearable.  I went grocery shopping to retrieve cookie supplies and when I got home I fixed myself lunch. I usually have to pack a sandwich for lunch at work so it felt like a luxury to take time to cook and enjoy.First I roasted beets.And then I made a yummy salad dressing with Cosimano e Ferrari Cherry Balsamic and Basil Olive Oil.Spinach Salad with Goat Cheese, Walnuts, 1/2 chopped apple (half on the side), 1 carrot, 1 stalk of celery and 1 roasted beet in a basil olive oil and cherry balsamic vinaigrette.

This lunch was light and lovely. It powered me through a few batches of cookies, and then it was snack time. I wanted something refreshing and this really did the trick:1 cup Chobani Plain Greek Yogurt, 1 clementine, roasted almonds, wildflower honey and cinnamon.

I love citrus in the winter time. Crunchy toasted almonds, creamy Greek yogurt and honey make a for a perfect combination. It is one of those snacks that makes you feel happy.Since I was in the kitchen for the entire day, I only felt it proper to continue occupying the space into the evening. My brother came home for the holidays and I made our family Beef and Butternut Squash Stew with Garlic Cheese Toast and Cabernet Sauvignon. I think we all went back for seconds of everything. It was good to be back together again.

I’m currently eying a few cookies….or maybe some hot coco. I like the sound of that. Tis the season!

Happy Family Days,

Nora

What are your “family favorite” dishes?

Spontaneous baguette purchase. CHECK. Picnic blanket. CHECK. Lover of all things bread, cheese and wine. CHECK, CHECK and CHECK. Tuscan White Beans on a bed of Kale. Fresh Garlic Baguette. Hermann J. Wiemer Field Cuvee.These are a few of my favorite things. Fresh Baguette. Parmesan Cheese. Semi-dry red wine. I ate the end piece of baguette with a hunk of Parmesan and a glass wine while preparing my meal. Bread, cheese and wine are kind of my thing.Earlier in the day, I may have made Tuscan White Beans. Creamy and herbaceous!

Garlic bread done right.  Thick slices of baguette, drizzled in good olive oil and broiled. As soon as it is golden, remove from oven and rub with a head of garlic while still hot.Dessert was ONE of these loaded oatmeal cookies. I think I might share the recipe so you can tell me what to change. I can’t stop eating them, yet there is something missing.And a splash of Pumpkin Pie Liqueur over ice. I’m not a cocktail person but I can’t help myself. It is so good!

Baguette will be the star of breakfast tomorrow. Yep, I’ve already thought about breakfast. Stay tuned!

Bonsoir,

Nora

]]> http://www.livelifeeatright.com/2010/11/20/european-vacation/feed/ 3 http://www.livelifeeatright.com/2010/10/25/my-inner-bread-snob/ http://www.livelifeeatright.com/2010/10/25/my-inner-bread-snob/#comments Tue, 26 Oct 2010 00:57:42 +0000 Nora http://www.livelifeeatright.com/?p=4589 Once upon a time, not so long ago I worked in a bakery. I would bag, slice and stock bread from 6am-2:30pm almost every day. I loved it. I consider this job to be my biggest “life changing” opportunity. I don’t know where I would be today if I had said ‘no’ to the HR representative that called me by random chance. It gives me chills just thinking about it. Through this experience I made incredible friends, learned what I wanted to do with my future and started this blog. It also turned me in to a bread snob.Great Harvest Woodstock Bread. An end piece snack for the chef .

Allow me to explain. A bread snob is not a bad thing. I was introduced to the most incredible, scratch made breads that I have ever tasted. I will never forget the sound of a fresh loaf of Italian bread being torn apart just seconds after coming out of the oven. Watching the steam release from the cavity, gently kissing my face. Digging into the doughy center and enjoying a warm, dense bite that can only be described as ‘heavenly’. I had many similar introductions with sourdough baguette, 5-grain 3 seed bread, olive fougasse and…almost every bread that we carried. It was an education. After these encounters I could no longer look at mass produced, pre-packaged breads with the same eye.  My wallet hated me for this, however; my soul loved me. A little give and take I suppose.  I have been eying the Great Harvest Bread Company down the street from me for a while now and finally stopped in. I don’t know why I waited so long! I bought a small loaf of Woodstock bread. I had the end as a snack while making dinner and was surprised by its doughy consistency. Roasted Golden Acorn Squash, Apple and Onion Curry Soup. Toasted Woodstock Bread with Local Chevre and Arugula. Pinot Noir.

This bread was even better toasted. All of the nutty flavors came out and it was divine.

I have been eating a lot of apples, squash and bread. I should probably change my name from Nora to Autumn. I had a change of lunch plans today, and was treated to good company and an Apple Bagel with Pumpkin Cream Cheese from Bruegger’s Bagels by my co-worker . After an apple/pumpkin lunch I was surprised that I was still in the mood for this for dinner. Once I smelled the fresh baked bread, there was no turning back. I NEEDED to pair it with soup for dinner. No questions asked. Pumpkin Seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds and flax seeds...oh my! I am HIGHLY looking forward to devouring this entire loaf.

Dessert was a splash more wine and a few pieces of Green and Blacks 70% Dark Chocolate. Bread, cheese, wine and chocolate! What more could a girl want?

Fantastic Food,

Nora

Are there certain foods that you are “picky” about?

]]> http://www.livelifeeatright.com/2010/10/25/my-inner-bread-snob/feed/ 6 http://www.livelifeeatright.com/2010/08/23/its-raining-the-wine-is-pouring/ http://www.livelifeeatright.com/2010/08/23/its-raining-the-wine-is-pouring/#comments Mon, 23 Aug 2010 06:40:05 +0000 Nora http://www.livelifeeatright.com/?p=3385 All day long it rained…and rained…and rained some more. My parents and I decided to call it an early night and have 5pm cocktail hour.Russian Jack 2008 Sauvignon Blanc (brought to me while I finished blogging! THANKS DAD!)A couple of pieces of Farmer’s Market Bread and Olive Oil/Herb Dip.Pan-seared Chicken Breast, Corn on the Cob and Salad with Honey Dijon Dressing.With dinner we had Kendall Jackson 2008 Sauvignon Blanc. This was okay, however; was drastically lighter than the Russian Jack.

For the grand finale, I made individual peach cobblers (with a handful of blueberries in the base) with a healified crunch topping. We served them with vanilla ice cream and homemade blackberry sauce.

Healthified “Crunch” Topping (for 3):

After all of this, it was STILL raining so I turned on Cupcake Wars, caught up with a few old friends on Facebook and called it a night. I may have also found a kitten in the midst of things . I think I made the decision that I NEED one and am willing to commit to one.

Lazy Sunday,

Nora

Blueberry Peach Cobbler

Other foods tonight included:Stretch Bread from the Farmer’s Market with Dipping Oil/Spices.Grilled Pork Tenderloin. Salad. Corn on the Cob. Hermann J. Wiemer 2006 Cabernet Franc (the cherry notes in this wine are AMAZING with rosemary grilled pork!)

I can’t wait to move and cook more with Scotty. Other moving measures have been going well. I spent the day stripping paint off my coffee table preparing to varnish it tomorrow. It’s a work in progress.  I also think I decided that I am getting two cats when I move. I’m not sure how I feel about that. Is it bad that I already have names?

I Love Food,

Nora

What are your favorite summer desserts?

Side: 8-Grain 3-Seed Bread with Raspberry Jam.

What was occupying my time? Here’s a hint:This will be making an appearance tomorrow. Stay tuned.

Taming Hunger,

Nora

And now I must go play with butter.

Locally Yours,
Nora

What are your favorite things between two slices of bread?

Farmer’s Market Salad: Bibb and Red Lettuce. Olive Oil/Balsamic/Honey. Heirloom Beans. Roasted Beet. Cucumber. Blueberries. Goat Cheese (locally made). 8-Grain 3-Seed Bread with Raspberry Jam.Locally Grown: Cucumbers, Beets, Heirloom Beans, Bibb Lettuce, Read Lettuce,

Locally Made: Babaganoush, 8-Grain 3-Seed Bread.Heirloom Beans. I stood at the booth staring for a solid 5-minutes before proclaiming “I MUST HAVE THESE.” The grower thought I was crazy and offered me one to sample. They taste like a slightly sweeter green bean. Don’t heirloom beans look fun to eat!?We successfully plowed through our bucket of blueberries from a few weekends ago. It was time to pay another visit to “The Blueberry Man.”They are the size of grapes! So impressive and juicy .

Locally Grown,

Nora

What is the most interesting produce item you’ve ever seen?

Dinner: Chana Masala. Greek Yogurt. Cilantro. Whole Wheat Pizza Dough. Hermann J. Wiemer 2008 Dry Gewurztraminer.

I almost considered writing this entire post about wine. I had a glass and a half of Gewurztraminer with dinner and it made me believe that everything was right in the world. I love this wine by itself but the flavors in the Chana Masala provided me with a whole new experience.  I kept taking a bite and holding it in my mouth with the wine. Then taking a bite of food and cleansing my palate with the wine. Gewurztraminer typically pairs well with spicy food, however; I believe that the complexity of the spices I used (Coriander, Cumin, Masala, Turmeric and Cayenne) made the pairing incredible. It was a perfect balance and the most enjoyable meal I have made in a long time.

Dessert:Frozen York Peppermint Patty (and a few swipes of Sunflower Seed Butter while packing lunch.) Mint chocolate much? Love these.

Contemplating Life,

Nora

How often do you have dessert after dinner?

**I have dessert every night. Sometimes big sometimes small but ALWAYS end on a sweet note .**

So…..when I was home and had access to a real kitchen, I made Chana Masala and Whole Wheat “Flat Bread” (using purchased pizza dough).

I am currently levitating. Every part of this meal was essential. The heat of the Chana Masala was eloquently balanced by the creamy, cool Greek yogurt and lemony cilantro. The sweetness of the toasted, doughy, whole-wheat bread was a perfect vessel for the hearty bite. And the wine…oh the wine. I could not have picked a better wine. The 2008 Hermann J. Wiemer Dry Gewurztraminer needed this spicy dish to bring out its beauty.

Can dinner be magical? If it can, than I hereby proclaim this meal Houdini.

I have always been too intimidated to make Indian food. This was my first attempt and I can assure you that it will not be the last. The flavor was unreal. For once in my life I am beyond happy to have leftovers. I wouldn’t mind eating this for dinner every night.

Full and Happy Monday,

Nora

Have you ever been intimidated to make a cuisine or dish? Did you eventually try?

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