Saturday, February 19, 2011

Pesto Alfredo Gnocchi

So after all of those bizarre and freakishly warm weekends in January, it has finally started to feel like the end of winter/transition into spring as we are now in mid February. 

It's one of those five day weekends when schools say that there is some weird "local" holiday so they give you a day off - just cause.

 It's also President's Day weekend too I guess so uh, yay to all the presidents! 

I (Emily) got my wisdom teeth pulled out and this was the second time I had to go under sedation for surgeons to saw through my gums and dig out this so called "wisdom" tooth. Is the tooth really wise though? Is it really..? Or is it just a tooth that's there to screw with us...

No, I didn't say anything weird or have any "David After Dentist" illusions but since this was my second time, I knew exactly what to expect. My face - like a chipmunk storing acorns in it's mouth for the winter. My diet for the next few days would be nothing but soup, jello and vicodin.

I did feel much better this time so I made some delicious gnocchi. For those who don't know what gnocchi is, it's pretty much a potato dumpling that tastes like a soft, chewy mini ball of pasta dough that has been boiled to perfection and drenched with delicious sauce. Kind of perfect to eat with a puffed up mouth.

With Julie & Julia blasting on the tv, and the hilarious impressions done by the lovely Meryl Streep, my friend and I found a pack of frozen gnocchi, herb alfredo sauce, and pesto with pine nuts all from Trader Joe's in my fridge. 

It's pretty easy to make. So easy that you don't even need a recipe.

1) Boil some water, cook gnocchi like how you would with any other pasta, drain it, all the basics of making pasta...

2) Stir the gnocchi with two big tablespoons of pesto and then two big tablespoons of alfredo sauce.

3) Add a huge chunk of butter. Paula Dean and Julia Child would really appreciate it.

4) Mix it together, add whatever other sauces you want, maybe sprinkle some parmesan. 

5) Voila! It's that easy and drenching with delicious olive oil from the pesto. Nom. 

Have a great President's Day Weekend  and go jump in some rain puddles.

-Emily 







Sunday, February 13, 2011

Anytime Chocolate Chip Pancakes




I've got four words for you: Chocolate chip buttermilk pancakes. 

Just a few things:

Sunday brunch is calling and with a late start to my Sunday morning, what better way than to start the day than make these panqueques? All I can imagine now is the Lazy Sunday SNL skit playing in my mind. (The Chronic-what-cles of Narnia?)

After making these little bundles of joy, drench them in the best maple syrup you have in your fridge.

Also, Valentine's Day is tomorrow.

My (Emily) take on Valentine's: I hate this day. I believe it's just an ego booster for ladies who are in relationships and a day for the single women to have an excuse to drown themselves in chocolate and cry while watching "Love Actually" or "A Walk To Remember". (I do love those movies though.)

Although we are just high schoolers and young teens - if you got your special someone, surprise them with these delicious pancakes! I've always thought that breakfast in bed was the cutest thing with the glasses of OJ (or mimosas if you're over the legal age of 21..) and the little trays you set up on the comforter. 

It combines the chocolate of the Valentine's Day palooza and that way you don't have to buy yourself those gross Russell Stover heart shaped boxes of chocolate. (Ew) 

Your Valentine could be these buttermilk cakes of goodness and at least you know they won't break your heart.

Doesn't matter if you're single or dating, I'd say these pancakes are also a good pick me up for anytime of the day. Breakfast, brunch, lunch and even the awesome 'breakfast for dinner'.

Once again, thank you Joy the Baker for this recipe. You definitely brightened up my Sunday afternoon with this recipe.

P.S.:
Note to self: Buy a pancake griddle. Making pancakes on a tiny pan eliminates any chance you have of aesthetically making these cakes pretty. 


- Emily 


Sunday, February 6, 2011

Chocolate + Almond butter = a Match Made in Heaven.


(Soon-to-be chocolate-coffee melting pot)


Let me start off to say that we have nothing against peanuts, or peanut butter.
We just happen to think that almond butter tastes better.

And on a cold, winter day, what is more necessary than some seriously comforting chocolate (add a hint of grounded coffee) mixed with deliciously creamy almond butter?
Nothing. That's what.
Top it off with some pretzels and voila!

Complete joy in brownie form.

Credits to
for this recipe. (Get used to seeing her name on our site, we love her)

The only changes we made were switching peanut butter to almond butter (If you prefer sunflower seed butter you could easily do that as well), and, since my house lacked normal pretzels, we used Trader Joe's Low Fat Honey Whole Weat Pretzel sticks.




-Kelly & Emily