My Food List Challenge Update!

It's hard to believe today is August 31st?! Where has the summer gone? If you'll remember 2 months ago on June 1st, I made a Pledge to increase the number of foods I've tried by a minimum of 10! Well yesterday, I reached my goal! Below is a recap of the delicious journey I've taken in food this summer.

Tom Yum - June 4, 2012

Po' Boys - Check!

Last night for supper, I cooked up one of the final items on my Food List Challenge, Shrimp Po' Boys. After hearing about them over and over on the Food Network through various shows like Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, as well as Eat St. and other random restaurant shows, I have been dying to try one. Once I came across Emeril Lagasse's recipe for an authentic and classic po' boy I was ready to eat!

Pavlova - Check!

Yesterday was a big day for me, I crossed not only one, but two items off of my Food List Challenge. One of those items was Pavlova. To be honest I've always wanted to try it! I mean what's not to love? Meringue, whip and fresh fruit?! Not only is it very yummy, and not only does it look quite fancy and gorgeous, but it's actually quite simple to make. My recipe came from allrecipes.com.

Recipes from Home

When I left for University and moved to the city, my mom gave me one of the best gift's a mother could give - a personalized cookbook of recipes from home! This 3 subject exercise book, divided into sections of meals, desserts and miscellaneous, included all of my favourite recipes from home, each of them handwritten with love by my mom. Even though I couldn't bring her with me to cook them all, at least I could have a taste of home any time I started to feel homesick.

Below is a selection of photos I snapped of my beloved book which I still use on a regular basis 8 years later! I've even added some of my own recipes over the years and consider it one of my prized possessions in the kitchen. As you will see, you can tell which recipes are popular by the stains on the pages ;)

♥ :)

Alligator - Check!

Last night for supper, I crossed another item from my Food List Challenge - Alligator! After questioning my Twitter followers on how to cook it (I live in Newfoundland and we definitely don't have gators here), to which the response was to make fritters (I purposely don't own a deep-fryer because I would deep-fry everything!),  and some online research, to which the overwhelming response was to cook it any way I would cook chicken, I decided on Cajun Alligator Rotini Alfredo (an altered version of Cajun Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo). Sounds good right?!

All the way from Louisiana!

Blueberry Squares

This recipe comes to you courtesy of my wonderful mother, who, over the years, has had a knack of discovering and creating recipes I don't just love, I crave! These things are probably my favourite cookie ever - delicious cake with a fluffy meringue and blueberry topping - they melt in your mouth! I could seriously eat an entire tray in one sitting - no joke. So naturally, after a day of berry picking, I just had to make them, especially once I discovered my husband had never had them before?!

Dulce de Leche - Check!

Another day, another item crossed off the Food List Challenge! Today that item was Dulce de Leche, which as it turns out is one of the easiest things I've ever made! Who knew something so delicious and luxurious would involve such little effort?!

Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon

In celebration of the fabulous Julia Child, on what would have been her 100th birthday yesterday, I braved one of her most popular and favoured dishes - Boeuf Bourguignon!

Beautiful, dark, rich stew, served with boiled potatoes.

I was a little nervous going into the recipe, I mean there's a lot of steps and a lot could go wrong! But heeding a little advice from Julia herself, I decided to Be Fearless!

While reading up on the recipe - literally studying it as if it were an exam, I read through several versions floating around the internet. The version I found most comprehensive came from Julia herself in PDF's of pages straight from Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Thanks to the KNOPF for posting these! I've re-typed the recipe below, but I'll admit it was fun reading directly from the book with Julia guiding me step by step.

Root Beer Float - Check!

Sooo we're nearing the end of summer (not sure when that happened!), and I'm getting closer to the Food List Challenge deadline I set for myself back in June. Just to jog your memory, it went a little something like this:

'The pledge I make today (Saturday, June 2, 2012), is that by the end of August (Friday, August 31st, 2012), I will have checked a minimum of 10 additional dishes off my foodie list. I challenge you to do the same!'

Refreshing, Homemade Salsa!

If you're looking for a delicious, homemade salsa, you've come to the right place. My hubby makes THE BEST salsa around. It's very fresh, vibrant and full of flavour.

Sweet Peppers, Mint and Apple, Orzo Salad

The rain may have kaiboshed our berry picking plans for today, but it didn't spoil our picnic! Well... I guess it sorta did since we ate it in our kitchen, but it was still quite the treat! You see planning for the picnic today really got my arse in gear to recreate the orzo salad we fell in love with on our Lighthouse Picnic. I'm happy to report it was a successful attempt, tastes delish if I do say so myself ;)

Fun new kitchen items!

I recently celebrated a birthday and received some pretty entertaining gifts. There were some great new gadgets in there, as well as a super cute apron (thanks mom!!). Having seen many 'haul' videos by bloggers I follow in the makeup and beauty world, I was inspired to do my own version in this mini-kitchen haul blog-post!

The Ultimate Boiled Dark Fruitcake

August 6th, 2011 was a day of wind, misty rain, fog and let's not forget, it was (in Newfie terms) 'nuff ta perish ya' (translation: really friggin cold!). Not exactly the weather I was envisioning as I planned for an August wedding. Regardless of the weather, we had the most amazing day with our friends and family and aside from having to brave the cold for the quintessential scenic shots, and having to stop for a much needed hair touch-up before the reception, the day went off without a hitch!

One of the things that made this day so special was the cake. It was perfect - simple, traditional, beautiful and elegant and most important of all, made with love by my Mom! Having never wanted a fruitcake as a wedding cake, my opinion quickly changed when a relative suggested my Mother bake my cake. You see anyone who has ever tasted my Mother's dark fruitcake can attest to how moist, sweet and delicious it is, it's really a cake even fruitcake haters love. Needless to say, after some light arm-twisting and a design plan, my Mom agreed to be our baker.

Glazed and Confused Carrots

If you're tired of plain ol' carrots on the side, spruce them up a bit with this glazed and confused variety. This recipe hails from one of my favourite cookbooks The Loonesypoons Collection. These 'babies' add a burst of flavour to any meal ;)

Chile con Queso

While searching for a savory dip to serve at a summer party, I came across this delicious recipe for Chile con Queso. Originally posted by Brown Eyed Baker, this Mexican dip was a nice break from the standard guac, salsa or 7-layer dip my friends and I usually have. It was a total hit, everyone wanted the recipe and I will definitely be serving this again!

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