I am addicted to Foodgawker.com

A couple of years ago, Theresa introduced me to the website and I've been hooked ever since.

Many weekends I scroll through page after page of food photography looking for inspiration for my weekly menu. (Hopefully I will bring the weekly menu back to my blog as a regular post, but with my schedule, I'm embarrased to post so many nights of frozen pizza!)

One of the recipes that continues to pop up on Foodgawker is for Kale Chips. Billed as "the healthy chip" or "the only way to get your children to eat kale," these chips are easy to make and highly addictive. (I don't agree with those food blogging mothers, however. As much as I love kale chips, I'm not sure the flavor is entirely kid friendly.)

Ingredients:
One bunch curly kale
olive oil
salt

Prehead the oven to 350 degrees

Rinse kale very well and dry. (I use my lettuce spinner to dry them quickly and then blot the remaining moisture with paper towels.)

In a large bowl, toss the kale with olive oil. Refrain from salting until after the chips are cooked, otherwise the salt will absorb the moisture and will not crisp in the oven.

Place the kale on a baking sheet and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the edges start to brown. Don't let them get too dark or they will be quite bitter.

**Note: The more olive oil you use the longer they will take to crisp. Try not to be too heavy-handed with the oil.

I've always wanted to know how to mix drinks. Until recently, I've not been a prolific drinker of the mixed cocktail, sticking mainly to beer and wine. But for some reason I've always had an interest in mastering the classics, at the very least. Thus, I've been entertaining myself on the weekends by playing mixologist.

As far back as I can remember, my mother has enjoyed Campari. Campari is an Italian aperatif that is a distinctive red color (the liqueur was originally dyed with carmine, made by crushing scaled insects.) The flavor of Campari has been described as spicy and sweet, but most think it bitter and unpalatable (crushed bugs aptly come to mind.) Such was my opinion of the drink until I discovered the Campari Spritz.

During my first trip to Italy, I ordered a Campari Spritz without knowing what to expect. Since then, I have been a huge fan. The spritz contains a shot of Campari, a crisp white wine or prosecco, a splash of soda water, and is often served with ice. The drink can be garnished both with green olives or an orange slice. Either served in a wine glass or a rocks glass, the spritz is most often served with ice.

If the wine is cold, I tend to skip the ice.

Happy Birthday Dad!

When my schedule became too insane to make time for blogging, I figured the blog hiatus would be temporary, and as usual, I would pick it back up when life calmed a bit. Only, this time, when life calmed, I found I had very little to say.

As social networking picks up more and more momentum, I find that I am less and less inclined to share my silly little thoughts or simple goings-on. I rarely visit Facebook, but when I do, I am often sickened by the self-importance that is shamelessly paraded for all to see.

And so, I am seriously considering putting an end to the blog. I haven't quite made up my mind, but I hope to make my decision soon.

I'm working around the clock these days. No time for interesting stories or interesting meals! Hopefully I'll get my life back soon.

A quick wrap-up of the books I read in 2010. I am working on writing my reviews. Click on the book on the sidebar to link to Good Reads, my book tracking website, to read the review or to look at all of the books I’ve tracked.

Homecoming written by Bernard Schlink
Completed February 1, 2010


Half Broke Horses written by Jeannette Walls
Completed February 19, 2010


Songs of the Humpback Whale written by Jodi Picoult
Completed March 1, 2010


The Elephant Keeper written by Christopher Nicholson
Completed March 19, 2010


The Prince of Tides written by Pat Conroy
Completed April 21, 2010


The Clan of the Cave Bear written by Jean M. Auel
Completed May 5, 2010


Her Fearful Symmetry written by Audrey Niffenegger
Completed May 9, 2010


The House at Riverton written by Kate Morton
Completed May 28, 2010


I Am the Messenger written by Markus Zusak
Completed June 8, 2010


Oracle Bones: A Journey Between China’s Past and Present written by Peter Hessler
Completed August 10, 2010


The Thirteenth Tale written by Diane Setterfield
Completed August 31, 2010


Beach Music written by Pat Conroy
Completed September 16, 2010


The Late Lamented Molly Marx written by Sally Koslow
Completed September 30, 2010


City of Thieves written by David Benioff
Completed October 30, 2010


North River written by Pete Hamill
Completed November 9, 2010


Let the Great World Spin written by Colum McCann
Completed January 3, 2011


Books I Could Not Finish

The 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear written by Walter Moers
Stopped reading August 1, 2010

Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife written by Mary Roach
Stopped reading August, 20 2010