7.09.2014

MangiaMore: BLUEBERRY pie


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Let’s just get this straight, right off the bat— I am not entirely sure I like blueberries or blueberry pie and I am not entirely sure I liked this blueberry pie. This was my first time making blueberry pie, and perhaps even tasting homemade (well almost) blueberry pie. With all that said, our pie was decent— the filling was pretty tasty, but the store-bought crust was far less than tasty.
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My boyfriend wanted to make one of these fruit pies for the 4th of July festivities and I got excited. I like to bake new things and eat baked things. We kind of just picked the first recipe we saw, and used it as the base. Boyfriend wanted to add a few extras: lemon zest, lemon juice and mint. I was like, why the heck not.
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It resulted in a very floral filling. The tangy blueberries melted to sweetness once cooked, while the lemon brought back the tart memories. Though subtle, the mint created a rounded edge, adding to the floral brocade.
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The pie was nice, but it was easy to tell we cheated. The crust was just not on the same level as the layered filling, lacking depth, character and love. Unfortunately, that purchased crust was the downfall of the pretty pie, tainting both texture and flavor to displeasure. Next time I make a pie, I will definitely go all out Martha and construct a homemade crust.
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What did you bake for America’s Birthday? Have you been taking advantage of the delicious seasonal fruits? Anything good or out of the ordinary I should try with summer season fruits or veggies? Would love to hear from you!
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7.07.2014

photo op: July 4th Weekend


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This post is photo heavy, but don't worry pictures don't have calories! 
Hope everyone had a delicious Independence Day. I just happened to stuff my face the whole entire weekend per usual. We deffo celebrated the biggest hotdog holiday to the fullest with a ton of hotdogs. The Fourth of July was filled with tasty bites like homemade hummus, a corn, cucumber and avocado salad, and sweet baked beans. There were grilled hotdogs with all the toppings, sweet marinated chicken and fat juicy burgers galore. Steamers drenched in butter, oysters freshly grilled, and scallops seasoned. The feast was topped off with our fresh blueberry pie (more on this later), nutty and crispy homemade baklava, caramel crumb apple pie, and a colorful fruit pizza. As with almost all holidays, mine was all about food!
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Eat anything good or have any fun adventures? Get any mosquito bites like I did? Don’t forget to follow on facebook, instagram, twitter, yelp and pintrest to keep up with all the food adventures.
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7.02.2014

loungy LUNCH with friends


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There is nothing more delicious than lunch with friends, taking in the sunshine and eating our veggies. It was all about sundresses and chatting, while filling our bellies with fresh food and white wine.
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Our hostess put together a delicious strawberry and balsamic bruschetta appetizer using this recipe from Pinch My Salt, paired with smooth and tangy goat cheese on crispy bread. This was so yummy. The recipe played to my mild aversion to tomatoes in bruschetta by replacing them with fresh strawberries. A touch of sweet and tart balsamic, a dash of salt and pepper, and chopped lively basil, made the appetizer sing. Goat cheese added heft and luxury, but kept with the summery theme.  Who knew how delicious savory strawberries could be!?
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We also munched on a delectable salad, complete with all of my favorite toppings. There was blue cheese for salt and bite, craisins and apples brought mild sweetness and tang, meaty walnuts, and crunchy carrots, all on top of crispy romaine. Salad is not as stressful when there are a ton of tasty goodies resting on top. I like to think of the greens to be a kind of plate, serving up all those colorful toppings.
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At the end of our little luncheon, we shared some mini cupcakes from Louissa's Cupcakes (more on those later). A special sweet ending to a lovely afternoon!
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