In Vino Veritas

I don't think I'm interesting enough to have a blog. I hope you feel differently.

[juliachildwannabe]

New York and I are fighting... NY took the first round. #burnedbyabombshell #prgirlproblems (Taken with Instagram)

[nprheygirl-blog]

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Love Ryan Gosling.

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Santa and a helpful elf drove behind us earlier... (Taken with instagram)

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SD Sunset (Taken with instagram)

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Whole Berry

For the first time ever, we made our own Cranberry sauce... and by we, I mean me. Don't get me wrong - I love the gelled cranberry as much as the next person but it leaves something to be wanted. I decided this year it was happening... and it was so easy! I used Jennifer Perillo's recipe for Spice Scented Cranberry Sauce. The smell alone will have you swooning! Without further adieu, here is the recipe:

Spice Scented Cranberry Sauce via Jennifer Perillo

Makes about one quart

One 12 ounce bag fresh cranberries, rinsed and picked over

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar (light or dark is fine)

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon allspice

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Add all the ingredients to a heavy-bottomed 2-quart pot, and stir to combine. Cover pot and bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat (keep a close eye because if it boils over it'll make a mess of your stove—I speak from experience and too much multitasking!).

Remove lid, reduce heat to a simmer and let cook, stirring occasionally, until thick and jam-like, about 15 to 17 minutes. Let cool to room temperature or chill before serving. May be prepared and stored in a glass container 3 to 4 days in advance.

On the note of what I'm thankful for - family, friends and health. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

[juliachildwannabe]

Gobble Gobble

In honor of Turkey Day, below is a Pumpkin Gingersnap Ice Cream I made a while back. It's from Sunset Magazine and may provide an unexpected twist to your Thanksgiving table. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Gingersnap Ice Cream via Sunset Magazine

1 pt. whipping cream 1/2 cup milk 1 cup packed light brown sugar 1 cup pumpkin puree 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup coarsely crushed gingersnaps 2 tablespoons bourbon (optional) - Add this unless you want a frozen brick of ice cream. Whisk all ingredients except gingersnaps and bourbon in a bowl to blend. Strain into an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's directions. Scrape ice cream into a bowl and stir in gingersnaps and bourbon. Freeze, covered, until scoopable, 2 1/2 hours and up to 1 week (gingersnaps soften somewhat after 1 day).

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On set at How I Met Your Mother with THE Slutty Pumpkin costume. (Taken with instagram)

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Homemade Italian Meatball Soup... Yum! (Taken with instagram)

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It's officially official. I have a master's degree. (Taken with instagram)

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In honor of Laura #MakingStrides (Taken with instagram)

[savedbygrace]

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Always plotting how to get back there...

[juliachildwannabe]

Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary

Steve Jobs

[today]

[juliachildwannabe]

today:

Tell us when to stop.

VIDEO: Meet Harper, the beloved handicapped puppy

This puppy was supposed to be put to death. Then someone believed in him. Just goes to show we can do anything we set our minds to. And besides, look at that darling mug!

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Phoebe enjoys a lazy Sunday morning enjoying TV (Taken with instagram)

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A new food show, The Chew, started this week and I already found a must try! I'll let you know how these turn out when I do!

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Opa!

I'm headed to dinner with a colleague from the professional organization I volunteer for and we're headed to a Greek place. Words can't describe how excited I am! I love Greek food and am known to skip leftovers in favor of running to Daphne's for a Gyro. In honor of my Greek dinner this evening (less than 2 hours to go... but who's counting!?), here is a recipe from one of my favorite food blogs, Annie's Eats. 

Chicken Gyros Ingredients: For the tzatziki sauce: 16 oz. plain yogurt (not nonfat, if possible) 1/2 hothouse cucumber or 1 regular cucumber, peeled and seeded 2-3 cloves garlic, pressed through a garlic press (or finely minced) 1 tsp. white wine vinegar Salt and pepper Squeeze of fresh lemon juice Extra virgin olive oil

For the chicken: 4 cloves garlic, smashed Juice of 1 lemon 2 tsp. red wine vinegar 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 2 heaping tbsp. plain yogurt 1 tbsp. dried oregano Salt and pepper 1 1/4 lbs. chicken pieces (I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts)

To assemble: Pita bread Fresh tomatoes, seeded and diced Red onion, sliced thin

Directions:  To make the tzatziki sauce, strain the yogurt using cheesecloth over a bowl.  Let strain for several hours or overnight, if possible, to remove as much moisture as possible.

Shred the cucumber.  Wrap in a towel a squeeze to remove as much water as possible.  Mix together the strained yogurt, shredded cucumber, garlic, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper to taste, and lemon juice.  Drizzle lightly with olive oil.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld.

To prepare the chicken, combine the garlic, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil, yogurt, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste in a medium bowl.  Whisk together until mixed well.  Add the chicken pieces to the bowl and mix well to coat.  Cover and refrigerate for about 1 hour.

Cook the chicken as desired, either in the skillet or with the broiler.  (I butterflied the chicken breasts and then cooked them under the broiler.)  Once the chicken is completely cooked through, transfer to a plate and let rest for 5 minutes.   Cut into strips.

Heat pitas (I sprayed with some spray oil and then popped them in the toaster oven for a few minutes).  Top with chicken, tzatziki sauce, diced tomatoes and sliced onions.  Serve immediately. 

[juliachildwannabe]

Grilled Pizza - Yum!

The oven went out last week so we've been getting crafty when it comes to "baking". This last week, we made not one, but two grilled pizzas. A handy baking stone made all the difference. Both recipes were from one of my favorite bloggers - The Pioneer Woman!

Fig & Proscuitto Pizza

Steakhouse Pizza

While these pizzas are nothing like a normal cheese, tomato sauce and pepperoni pizza, they sure are delicious. The fig pizza is almost like dessert due to the sweetness. Give grilling pizza a try!