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Fun Friday: InstantPot Apple Crisp from CenterCutCook (with a twist)

3 Nov

Ever have a last-minute craving? The Instant Pot is great for those!

Happy November!

It’s been quite a while since I’ve had the time to do a blog post, although I’ve had the best of intentions. I thought today’s recipe would be a good one to share on this nice fall weekend, now that the weather has that fall feel to it, at least in our neck of the woods.

As you know from my previous posts, we had an addition to our appliance family in September, and it got quite a lot of use right out of the gate. We had added an Instant Pot to our family. I initially shared a few recipes the first couple of weeks that we had it, but I did not get to share this one.

This was a last-minute recipe and it worked out great.

Late in the evening one Friday night, my friend Gina texted the group chat that she and I are in along with my friend Marcia. She’d just tried out a recipe from CenterCutCook for Instant Pot Apple Crisp.

Oooohhhhh…..I thought. I *love* apple crisp.

In fact, I love all things apple. I’d even just authored a special feature on a local apple orchard, Pippin Orchard. (You can read about Pippin Orchard here.) It was apple season, and I just happened to have apples on hand. However, I didn’t have a lot of them and there are five of us here.

It was also a little bit  late, and Apple Crisp takes some time, but since it was an Instant Pot recipe, it meant that I would be shaving some cook time off of the recipe and we’d still be able to have it for dessert that same night. The longest part of making apple crisp is peeling and cutting the apples, which I couldn’t avoid, but the Instant Pot would help with the rest.

Underneath the topping was a warm, bubbly apple crisp, just as if it had come out of the oven.

I decided to add a little twist to the recipe over at CenterCutCook and throw in some pears, just a couple of them, along with the apples I had here, doubling the recipe which said it served 3-4 people.

I peeled and chopped my apples and pears, and followed the recipe over at CenterCutCook’s site to a “t”, doubling the ingredients. In hindsight, I would not have doubled the nutmeg and cinnamon, since we thought it was a bit too savory with twice as much of the spices, but other than that, doubling the recipe and adding the pears to the apples made for a delightful fall dessert.

I encourage you to visit CenterCutCook to check out all their thousands of recipes, and if you have an Instant Pot and are looking for something different to make with it, give their apple crisp recipe a try!

Enjoy your weekend!

 

 

Come and get it! Five apple and pear crisps for dessert on a recent Friday night.

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Monday Musings: The story of our Little Free Library

2 Oct

It took us a couple of years, but we were finally able to open our Little Free Library yesterday!

Yesterday, October 1, 2017, we officially opened our very own Little Free Library. It was a project two years in the making and it means a great deal to us. Inside our library I have placed a binder which tells the history of our library along with some photos of the process from 2015 to now. I thought I’d share it here as well, for those who are not local and can’t just take a drive by to check it out in person.

In 2013, a friend gave us an article about a local Little Free Library from the Providence Journal. You can read that article here.

“If anyone would want to do this, it would be you and your family,” they said.

That following winter, we were in Providence with my brother for brunch, and we went looking for the Little Free Library we’d read about in the article, and found it.

We went exploring and found the Little Free Library from the article.

We decided that we too, wanted to have a Little Free Library. We began considering what sort of material to use for ours, but it seemed a bit beyond us, and buying a ready-made one was cost prohibitive for us.

 

 

 

 

 

In the summer of 2015, Chloe Rigg contacted me to do a story for the Cranston Herald about the Little Free Library she and her husband Jim had opened at their home in Cranston. You can read that story here.

I loved visiting with Jim and Chloe Rigg and learning about their Little Free Library. I even found a cookbook inside, that I still have today.

When I told Jim and Chloe Rigg that our family had really wanted to do a Little Free Library too, he offered to help us. He’d use his leftover scraps to create a kit for us. The girls and I could come to their house one Sunday and make it with him, step by step. He had the girls send him some design ideas for our library. A treehouse design, incorporating a fairy garden was soon in the works.

On September 20, 2015, we spent the day at the Rigg house, creating our library together with Jim.

Jim Rigg spent the entire day with us in his garage, walking us through every step of building our library and explaining what we were doing and why.

It was our intention to put it up the following spring, but it was that spring that we ended up unexpectedly having to start our kitchen renovations, and it delayed our ability to get the library up and finished. This summer, we finished up the bulk of the kitchen work and in September we were able to change our focus back to finishing up the Little Free Library project.

Now, exactly two years later, almost to the day, we are ready to open our Little Free Library.

Sadly, Jim Rigg passed away unexpectedly, just four months after we spent the day with him. We were devastated to receive that news, and we attended his memorial service that January of 2016.

We have dedicated our Little Free Library to Jim and his memory. Without him, it would not be possible and we know he would be so proud to see it open for business now.

We were incredibly sad to hear that Jim Rigg had passed away soon after our day spent together. We will think of him every day as we run our own Little Free Library. We made a plaque for ours, to honor him and the dedication he showed us out of the goodness of his heart.

We are forever grateful for Jim’s time and dedication and for the impact he has had on us and our memories from the making of our own Little Free Library and we can’t wait to see what stories we will have to share from this new endeavor.

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If I still used refrigerator magnets…

18 Sep

Even though I wasn’t busy blogging, I was still busy writing for you!

Which I don’t, because they would scratch my new refrigerator, but if I did…I’d want to post some of my latest work with the Cranston Herald and with the Providence Journal.

Although wasn’t active on this blog all summer, it doesn’t mean I wasn’t writing and eating, and eating and writing, because I definitely was!

In addition to writing about eating and eating so I can write about it, I was also preparing for the school year ahead, which will be our first senior year. Of course that means that not only was I preparing for it, I was also writing about it. I also chose to write about other experiences that people have had with their senior years as well as people who have a little more experience and could share their advice with the rest of us.

So today I have many things to share with you.

First off: I had two great dining experiences at Milestone Kitchen & Bar here in Cranston, and I wrote about them in the Providence Journal here. If you are looking for an affordable dining spot with a varied menu for all taste buds, I highly recommend you give Milestone a try. You can check out their website here.

Eating, and writing about eating!

Next up: I had the pleasure of interviewing Murray and Deby Kaplan who own Rainbow Bakery, a Jewish Bakery here in Cranston. I learned about Murray’s grandfather and the bakery he started 100 years ago this year, and all that Murray and his family have done to keep his family’s baking legacy alive. I also sampled many delicious pastries! I loved meeting the Kaplans and telling their story. You can read it here. To see what they’re offering for the upcoming High Holidays, check out their Facebook Page here.

And I thought college times one was a big deal…

And finally: I have done a series of three (so far) Cranston Herald articles about high school seniors/college freshman and the experience of that journey for parents and kids alike. The first article is about sending not one, not two, but three high school seniors to college at the same time! I have known these triplets since they were three, when my oldest daughter went to preschool with them, and now in the blink of an eye, they are off to college. You can read about their senior year and summer preparations here. You can read about our own preparations as we head into our first senior year with our daughter here. And, just so we all know that it does get easier from there, you can read some perspective from other parents who have done this before, in the latest article, here. Let’s hope they’re right!

I made several trips to Rainbow Bakery this summer and fall!

They say it does get better…

 

 

 

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Fun Friday: Summer is here!

26 May

Ready to plan your summer?

Well, not officially, but it’s Memorial Day weekend, and that often signifies the un-official start of summer, while seasonally it doesn’t officially start until mid-June. Today, I wanted to share two exciting links with you from my work with The Providence Journal, which will help you plan your summer adventures, if you are local to Rhode Island, most especially your eating adventures.

The Providence Journal published its annual Summer Guide last weekend, providing readers with nearly 100 pages of summertime fun. I was asked to be a contributor to the guide, providing readers with a comprehensive roundup of great places to eat during the summer months and great food festivals to visit all summer long.

To create my lists of places to eat and festivals to visit, I polled my social media community. I asked them where they like to eat, and what their favorite festivals are each summer. I was amazed by the answers. My family and I tend to be creatures of habit, and we often visit our same favorites over and over again, forgetting that our littlest state packs quite a punch when it comes to delectable meals. I found myself saying, “We’ll have to remember this place, and that one, and that one….next time we want to eat out.”

And so, here are my two pieces for you so that as you sit down and with your calendar to plan out some summer fun, you have a place to start.

You too, might find a new place to eat that you never knew about!

To see the roundup of Rhode Islanders’ Favorite Restaurants, visit the link here.

To find some great new food festivals to visit (Swedish Meatballs anyone?) visit the link here.

Foodie festivals for everyone’s tastes and budgets!

And finally, to read the entire guide, visit this link here. You can find the best beaches, historic homes, fairs and more, to fill your summer months with fun and adventure.

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What’s for Dinner Wednesday: Looking to eat out?

26 Apr

Looking for some dining out adventures and recommendations?

Welcome to a slightly different version of What’s for Dinner Wednesday. Normally I provide you with a recipe or a two week menu plan to help inspire your home-cooked meals.

Not this week.

It’s been some time since I’ve done a blog post, and a big part of the reason why has been work-related. I have had several big projects that I have been working on for The Providence Journal, and I can now share two of those three projects with you!

Take some advice from those who have been there and visit some of our great local restaurants with your family!

The first is a piece that I did about dining out as a family in Rhode Island. If you are a Rhode Islander or live close to the state, or maybe you’ll be visiting the state, I have gathered together some family dining recommendations for you that are great for eating out as a family. You can find that link here.

Looking for meal deals when dining with kids? Check out a few ideas here.

In addition to that piece, I also compiled a list of restaurants both local and chain, that offer kids’ meal deals. Sometimes it’s on a certain day of the week, sometimes there is a required adult meal purchase, but every time there is some sort of deal for kids. Kids can often dine for free or at least dine for less, if you explore your options. This piece will start you off on the right foot, finding out who’s got great deals for kids.

Sharing their love for Syria, the owners of Mosaic hope to introduce many to the traditions and culture of their home country.

Locally, I’ve had the great fortune of being able to explore a wonderful Syrian restaurant that recently opened in Cranston, RI, and that is the second project that I’m sharing with you today. The name of the restaurant is Mosaic, and it’s located in a great part of our city with lots of international dining spots on the same street. Over time I’ve not only gotten to try some delicious new foods, but I’ve also gotten to learn a lot about the Syrian culture and traditions. For example, Ramadan is coming up, and I learned about many of the traditional foods and beverages that are used to break the fast, which takes place from sunrise to sunset.

The decor in Mosaic is stunning, and you feel as if you are there in Syria, enjoying your food among the lovely Syrian people.

Mosaic will be specializing in traditional Ramadan offerings during May and June, when the holiday will take place this year. I’ve truly enjoyed meeting the owners and family members at Mosaic and I am looking forward to visiting them again soon. You can read my dining review of Mosaic here, and learn more about the Syrian culture by reading my feature piece here. Thanks to my friend Shelley for the photos of the Mosaic pieces!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The next project I was working on over the past few weeks’ time will be running at the end of May, and I will be sure to share it with you then. I’ve been busy, busy, busy and you won’t be disappointed!

Until that time however, be sure to be on the lookout for my next post. I promise to give you some meal inspiration for eating in, with a special twist.

How’s that for a teaser?!

 

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Fun Friday: To warm your heart and soul

10 Feb
We have had blizzard conditions for most of the day today, but we're warm and safe and all together.

We have had blizzard conditions for most of the day today, but we’re warm and safe and all together.

Today (Thursday, as I type this) was our first snow day of the school year, and tomorrow (Friday) will be our second. We had quite a storm today, with about a foot of snow falling throughout the day. It was cold and windy and snowy, but inside we had a lazy day for much of the day, and we were warm, safe and together, which is really what matters on a day like today.

I thought I’d take the opportunity to share some recipes with you for some nice, warm, delicious treats, since it’s so cold and snowy here. Even if it’s not snowy where you are, there’s nothing like something warm and delicious to warm your heart and soul in the winter months.

DIY crepes in both the regular and gluten free varieties.

DIY crepes in both the regular and gluten free varieties.

Early in the day we had crepes, which is one of our favorite special breakfasts. They are labor intensive, so we don’t do them often, but they’re so delicious when we do. They can be made gluten free, so we make both kinds. My husband does the majority of the cooking for these, but today I did the hot bananas with the maple-brown sugar sauce and Elizabeth made the scrambled eggs, so he had some help. We put out many filling options for our crepes: scrambled eggs, ham, bacon, cheese, peanut butter, Nutella or a Hershey’s chocolate spread, bananas, and today the maple-brown sugar bananas. Everyone can fill them as they wish.

The recipe we use is the same for both gluten free and not, but we use gluten free all-purpose flour for our gluten free crepes, specifically Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 All-Purpose Flour. This is the recipe we use:

Thanks to the New Betty Crocker Cookbook!

Thanks to the “New Betty Crocker Cookbook!”

Warm chocolate pudding is soothing on a sore throat, especially on a snowy day.

Warm chocolate pudding is soothing on a sore throat, especially on a snowy day.

Tonight, my youngest daughter requested homemade chocolate pudding, which is a relatively new recipe for us, but I have posted it on the blog before. You can find it here. She’s had a sore throat and cough, and prefers the pudding to be warm, which would soothe her throat. I didn’t have a sore throat myself, but that pudding sounded good to me too, especially on a day like today, so I obliged. Another warm and soothing recipe that I make often in the winter months is homemade hot chocolate. Although I didn’t make it today, I will re-share it here anyway, since it’s been a long time since I originally posted it. It’s an absolute favorite for my family.

Finally, I had some great new articles in this week’s paper to share with you too, and they will warm your heart and soul also. You can find my latest feature from this week’s Providence Journal here, about Rachel’s Sugar Shop in Cranston. She’s got lots of great Valentine’s Day treats on deck, and she does amazing wedding, birthday and all kinds of occasion cakes, so stop by and see her if you’re local.

I have lots of stories in this week’s Cranston Herald, but this one about a family who immigrated to the United States is one of my favorites, especially with all that is in the news currently about immigration to America. I also loved doing this one about Janet Tanury, the owner of Botticelli’s, which is a local store whose tagline is “Generous clothing for the curvaceous woman.” Janet is working hard to make plus-size shopping a whole new experience for women of all ages, especially when it comes to formal wear, and her shop is wonderful, as is she. If you have a prom or formal event on the horizon, stop in and visit her in North Providence, RI or visit her website here. She’s hosting a special prom shopping event on President’s Day from 10-5pm.

You can view all of this week’s Cranston Herald stories by visiting their website, and there you will see all of my work for this week. It’s certainly been a busy one!

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It was a banner day!

30 Jan
My very first piece for the Providence Journal's Food section!

My very first piece for the Providence Journal’s Food section!

Last Wednesday was an exciting day for me, and I’m so happy to be able to share the excitement with you!

I have been working very hard over the past month or so on some great projects. Recently, I was asked to be a freelance contributor for our state newspaper, The Providence Journal. Specifically, I have been asked to write for their Food section. I have been a fan of this section for a long time now, and in past years both of my grandmothers’ recipes have been featured in it, as have my daughters’ accomplishments in various cooking competitions. The section contains great recipes, restaurant reviews and features, as well as tips and tricks for your kitchen cooking adventures, and I am so thrilled to be a part of it.

On Wednesday, my first piece, “Vive la France at Cranston’s Caffe Bon-Ami” appeared on the front page of the section. You can read the feature here. I’m so proud of this piece, and if you’re local, I highly encourage to pay a visit to Malcolm over at Caffe Bon-Ami, you’ll be glad you did! If you’re not within driving distance, be sure to check out his Facebook page!

This was such a fun project to work on!

This was such a fun project to work on!

As if that wasn’t exciting enough, I also recently agreed to take on a different sort of project for the Beacon Communications newspapers I have worked for, the Cranston Herald, the Johnston SunRise and the Warwick Beacon. I volunteered to take on this month’s special RhodyLife section, which was a bridal feature. I visited local bridal gown vendors, I spoke to brides, photographers, bakers, and explored local and widespread wedding trends. I interviewed a friend who had recently had a Harry Potter themed wedding, and their wedding story was featured in the section, front and center, so I was thrilled to see her smiling face, alongside her husband, when I opened up my paper Wednesday morning. You can read my three wedding articles here, here and here.

All in all, it was a banner day!

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