February 2012 – Notes From a Messy Kitchen

Vegan Curried Brown Rice Salad with Tempeh

Notes from a Messy Kitchen

For those of you who miss vegetarian month, I’m bringing you a new vegetarian recipe today (vegan actually!), which also happens to be my lunch for the week. My only complaint is that I wish I’d left out the scallions. As someone who doesn’t really love the taste of raw...

Johanna

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My Daring Bakers Quick Bread and the True Purpose of Oscars Night

Various Other Ramblings

Much like with Super Bowl, Oscars night for me is an excuse to make fun food and get together with friends to drink too much on a Sunday night. Holly and I were noticing a theme… we’ve always drunk by the time the actual show starts and rarely stay awake...

Johanna

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This One is For the Dogs

Various Other Ramblings

No, I didn’t make a meal so bad that I had to commission Lila to clean up the evidence… although that does bring to mind a funny story my Grandmother has told me about a cake she once baked that was so bad that the dog wouldn’t eat it. I...

Johanna

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A Fat Tuesday Jambalaya and Our New Orleans Adventures in a Nutshell

No, Fat Tuesday is not pertaining to the tautness of my pants, although it probably could be after this past weekend of pure fried and frozen indulgence. I am referencing Mardi Gras, the final day of binge eating, binge drinking and general indulgence before Ash Wednesday, when the self-punishing give...

Johanna

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Our Valentine’s Day Dinner at Home

Notes from a Messy Kitchen

Having paid way too much for more than a few very mediocre Valentine’s Day dinners, this year, we decided to do Valentine’s Day dinner at home. I really wanted to go to Minibar over at Café Atlántico, but getting a reservation there on February 14th is slightly less likely than...

Johanna

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Butternut Squash Falafel Balls

Notes from a Messy Kitchen

Here’s my meatless Monday lunch, a Messy Kitchen original. I needed lunch for the week and also needed to use up the half onion, mashed squash, and half can of chickpeas sitting in my fridge. Throw it all in a food processor, and voilà! Ingredients: 1/2 cup mashed butternut squash...

Johanna

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A Dish that “Screams Jo”: Roasted Butternut Squash Lasagna with Goat Cheese, Bacon and Fried Sage

Notes from a Messy Kitchen

I pinned this recipe a while back and one of my girlfriend’s commented “this recipe screams Jo. SCREAMS it.” She couldn’t be more right. You see, this lasagna includes a lot of my “trigger ingredients”– if they are in a recipe or on a menu, I probably will order...

Johanna

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Around the World Black Bean Burgers (A Meatless Monday Treat)

Notes from a Messy Kitchen

I went through six sticks of butter and two dozen eggs this weekend, which is always a sign of a good time. Still, by Monday it felt time to clean up the act right along with the kitchen. These black bean burgers were just the ticket. This also meant that...

Johanna

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Super Bowl XLVI: Making Paula Deen Proud

Notes from a Messy Kitchen

While waiting for jury duty to get underway this morning, the verbally inclined lady in the seat behind me moaned ‘nothing is worse than coming to jury duty the morning after your team wins the Super Bowl’. Don’t worry, I held it together and didn’t get thrown out for contempt of...

Johanna

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Magical Birthday Hats & Magic Hat Birthday Cake

Notes from a Messy Kitchen

There was a lot of magic involved in our celebration of Ksen’s birthday last night. Trusty’s itself is pretty magical. There’s the magical school bus bar… and the thermos and lunch box lamps, which are also pretty magical. Connect Four? Jenga? Always good decisions. As are mason jar mugs and...

Johanna

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Month: February 2012