I am a Honey Bee

All about my adventures with cooking, crafts, and travel

Archives for March 2012

The Jack Benny @ Doo Wop Diner, Malden MA

When Price and I started our adventure of looking for a place to buy we took the adventurous approach and starting blindly guess where we would want to live and looked on the web for listings. Just kidding!!! We thoroughly researched areas where we could live around Boston and that brought us to Malden one day. We set out to look around neighborhoods within walking distance of the train stations there and in the process we came across the Doo Wop Diner.

 

The Doo Wop Diner is your quintessential greasy spoon. There are old posters on the wall of classic cars and movie stars from the 50’s. You never see the bottom of your mug as servers are constantly buzzing around tending to the customers. As soon as you walk in you know who the regulars are as they are perched at the counter leisurely bent over a paper listening to the woman behind the counter chatting while they fill orders. I love places like this.

Places like this always make great comfort food. The Doo Wop Diner has a great variety of menu options and they playfully section the menu into different categories and are labeled such things as break it to me gently | build me up buttercup |every egg beat of my heart| hot rod sandwiches | the chubby checker double decker | a family affair | all shook up. Since we were wandering around Malden early one Saturday morning we decided to stick with the breakfast dishes. While I toyed around with some different menu options I decided on The Jack Benny.

 

2 Poached Eggs with Ham served on English Muffins and topped with Hollandaise Sauce

My love affair with Eggs Benedict runs deep. Eggs Benedict compelety satisfies me, and just like the real Jack Benny, this was a hit. For just $6.99 I had a plate piled high with Eggs Benedict and homefries. The English muffin was gently toasted providing a nice sturdy base for the eggs. They were toasted enough to give a nice flavor was well as texture to hold up again the Hollandaise sauce. There was 1 slice of lean ham that was draped over the English muffins. And on top of that sat 2 perfectly poached eggs. The eggs were cooked well to set up up the albumin (white part) while keeping the yoke very runny. The eggs looked nice as well as they were neatly trimmed. Lusciously coating it all was a silky Hollandaise sauce. The sauce was mellow as it was a light flavored sauce without too much lemon. All together the perfect bite of English muffin, ham, egg, and Hollandaise sauce.

To go along with The Jack Benny I substituted their regular homefries with their Larry’s Special homefries for an extra $1.25. Price and I shared the homefries from his meal and mine. I suggest the Larry’s Special as I felt the regular fries where a bit plain. I prefer my homefries to have pieces of peppers and onions mixed in and the regular order did not. The Larry’s Special had pieces of onion, as well as melted cheese and some finely chopped pieces of bacon. The amped up homefries were very good but I suggest eating them quickly before the slice of cheese on top firms up again.

Such a beauty.

While we decided that Malden wasn’t for us, we did discover the Doo Wop Diner. If you happen to be in the area I suggest stopping in to enjoy a great meal.

Rating

English muffin– 15 pts

Canadian Bacon– 15 pts

Poached Egg– 25 pts

Hollandaise Sauce– 20 pts

Side– 7 points

Total: 82/100

Doo Wop Diner

269 Main Street

Malden, MA 02148

(781) 324-9441

Quinoa and Brussels Sprouts Salad

Quinoa and Brussels Sprouts Salad is the perfect side for grilled hot dogs, steak, or chicken. It’s flavorful and pairs well with everything. Yum!

Post from 3/29/12, Pictures Updated 10/8/18

Post Contains Affiliate Links. Read my full disclosure HERE

I am going to be one of those people who argue the amazingness that is the brussels sprout. It can be raw in a slaw or cooked and eaten by the bowl full. You can saute it, bake it, or roast it. I don’t remember if I grew up hating them (mom?), but I can tel you now that I love them. I really think that if you hated them growing up you should give them a try again. You rock if you already love  Brussels sprouts as much as me.

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Ooh La La LO

Ruffles, butterflies, sequins, and angled… how is it that I made this page?!?!?!?? This is so unlike what I normally do. Most pages are very simple and regimented like this or this. But I am trying to do things I would not normally do. That is the only way to get better at something you do. So that is why I made this page documenting the ‘Ooh la la’ necklace from Kate Spade that Pricer gave me for my birthday.

 

I love the Dear Lizzy Neapolitan line from Elizabeth Kartchner because it is so pretty but that prettiness makes me a bit nervous because I don’t want to wreck anything! But I lept and had fun with this. I was playing around making swirls with the sequin ribbon and that make me think about using it for the O’s in Ooh. Then I just decided to make the whole title with it. Looking back on it I wish I would have pulled out my Cricut and cut a title first to use as a guide but I still like it for what it taught me to do.

Sautéed Green Beans with Lemon and Almonds- SRC

When Price and I were first dating he was working at a place close to Chinatown and we would often meet for lunch in there. We would often go to Chau Chow City down the road from his office. I would always get their “String Bean Szechuan Style” dish. A spicy dish that is so large that it would make up 2 lunches for me. String beans are one of my favorite vegetables so an entire dish centered around them was an obvious winner. And that is why I loved this recipe for Secret Recipe Club this month.

This month I was given Yasmeen’s blog called Wandering Spice. What I loved most about her blos is that she paired a song with each recipe. I think that is adorable. Yasmeen makes such interesting recipes that it was so hard to pick from. It sounds corny but I could see myself making most of them in the summer. I just equate flavorful spicey food for the summer. Strange… I know! So I’m sure I’ll be whipping up something like her lentil + fresh basil orzotto or her Chicken + Phyllo “Ladies Fingers”. I have not really explored cooking with lentils before , although I keep buying bags of them to stack up in the cabinet, so her recipes will definitely help me learn.

 

 

Yasmeen posted a simple Sauteed String Beans with Lemon and Almonds recipe around Thanksgiving and I was hooked once I saw it. I know that string beans are often associated with Thanksgiving but I think that they should be made more often. As long as they are not viciously overcooked and mushy. Please don’t do that to this lovely bean. And with this recipe you won’t do that since it’s quick cooking and very flavorful.

Sauteed Green Beans with Lemon and Almonds

Serves 4

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups fresh green beans, approximately 1 1/3 pounds
  • 2 medium-sized garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/3 cup raw sliced almonds
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • pinch of red pepper flake, optional
  • Extra virgin olive oil, for dressing

Process:

Warm a large skillet over low heat. Gently toast the almond until they are aromatic and light brown, around 2-3 minutes. Remove from skillet and set aside.

Wash and trim the cut ends of the beans.
Turn the heat up for the beans. Once the skillet has gotten hot again,add the green beans and 1/4 cup water. Cover the skillet and let steam 2-3 minutes, until beans are just tender.

Add the minced garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper, red pepper flake, and rice vinegar to the beans. Sauté for a 1-2 minutes, until flavours combine and beans are tender (but still crisp). Once done toss in the toasted almonds and dress lightly with olive oil.

Serve immediately or at room temperature.

Secret Recipe Club

Check out my previous Secret Recipe Club Posts:

February: Fried Pickles

December: Shrimp Sriracha Stir Fry

November: Vegetable Enchiladas

October: Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

Check out the rest of the reveal day posts!

http://www.inlinkz.com

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Thanks for visiting. Please leave me a comment to provide some feedback. I appreciate all the comments I receive. 

spring… a new beginning

So if you’ve been following along you’d notice some posts about us looking for a place to buy. It’s been a rollercoaster ride for us with finding places online that look great but are not right for us for various reasons from location, work to do, utility costs, etc. The biggest thing is that it was hard not to get our hopes us for any one place because we had to look at the whole situation together.

Well, it seems like it is all coming together for us since seeing a place for the second time, putting an offer on it, getting a counter offer, and accepting it this weekend. Actually all in less than 24 hours. Crazy. It’s exciting, nerve-wracking, stressful, exhilarating, and so much more.

Right now everything is GO! GO! GO! since closing is scheduled for 4.30. eek!

Fingers crossed it all goes swimmingly. 🙂

{Product Review} Foodler- Online Delivery Service

Let’s be honest here.

By the end of most weeks I don’t want to cook, I just want to get some beer or wine, some take out, and lounge around. I’m so burnt out from the week that the thought of making anything more than boxed mac and cheese is out of the question. Falling asleep on the sofa around 9 is not even all that unrealistic. (How is Price still with me after 7 years?!?)

So the point of all of that is how I’ve been relying on Foodler recently. Foodler is an online food delivery service that connects you to restaurant menus for quick ordering. Foodler is a national company that has a growing network in such cities as Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Miami, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Washington. Plus is has a quick search for campuses so if you are a college student this would be perfect for you as well.

Once you pick your location you will see that the options are divided into several cateegories for sorting. First, Foodler sorts by what is available right now for delivery and what is not currently opened but is accepting orders for a later scheduled delivery. In addition to that you can sort by Cost, Rating, Distance, and Delivery Fee. Plus you can sort by cuisine to make your search efficient.

A cool thing about Foodler is that is keeps a record of all your orders making repeat ordering very easy. You can see what you order previously with the little green arrow next to the item.

We typically schedule our delivery since I will feel the crash around Friday mid morning so at lunch I will pick some things and then have Pricer finish the rest of the order. I love knowing that we will have delivery arriving shortly after getting home. Or you can plan ahead an order for a few days in advance or weeks.

My favorite things about Foodler is that they five out Frequent Foodler Points. These are points that you earn with each order. 3pts per dollar!

What do you do with these points? Well you can save them up to redeem them for Foodlerbucks or other great things such as Amazon gift cards.

One thing I think is lacking from the site is that it provides you sorting options for several different criteria, however estimated delivery time is not one of them. As I said before, we typically schedule our delivery so this is not a specific thing that inhibits me but I could see that this would be hard to deal with on a busy Friday night. Only when you have selected your items and are about to check out is when you get the ETA.

Also, the first time that I ordered my order arrived incorrectly. I think this was based upon how Foodler relays the order to the restaurant, based upon the print out I received with my order. We were ordering Chinese and after selecting the entree it asked us if we would like to add rice to the order. We did, so we added that option. Well no rice came because the print out that the restaurant received was just the entree, however the price was adjusted to reflect the addition of rice, which I doubt most people would notice. I did notify Foodler about this so maybe this have been update, I just have avoided bundling items since then.

Whether you are like me, so burnt out and in need of take out or having people over to watch a movie, Foodler is a great online food delivery service option. The next time you feel like ordering in give Foodler a try!

*I received a $15 Foodler credit to try the Foodler service and write a honest review. These opinions are entirely my own and are not influenced by my compensation

Maximo’s with Boston Brunchers

When a place says they are a family run restaurant I will wonder how they compare to the crew that runs Maximo’s in Watertown, MA. This is a TRUE family restaurant. While Maximo’s is run by husband wife team, Phil and Betsy, it is a big family affair with their kids and parents’ help. Don’t be surprised if you order take out and Phil delivers it to you! That is hand’s on service.

For a recent Boston Brunchers outing, things were changed up a bit and we went to a dinner. I enjoyed the change of pace from our ‘typical’ brunches to have a dinner out together. Plus, I don’t typically go to Watertown for dinner from work in Boston since it takes so long to get back home without a car (1 hr 40 min trip back home thankyouverymuch) so it was nice to learn about a new place. I’ll just have to drive next time! (And bring my camera & camera SD card, as I just used my iphone for these shots- please don’t judge too harshly.)

 

Roasted Tomato Bruschetta: This was a fantastic start to our meal. The crostini were toasted providing a crisp surface for the moist bruschetta that did not get soggy as we prepared the and photographed these little beauties. The bruschetta itself was very oniony and garlicy, which I love (says the girl who sweats garlic) but someone else could think it is a little strong. I think the fact that the tomatoes were roasted was what really sets this dish apart from other restaurants.

Betsy, one half of the power couple, sat with us while we dined and explained the story behind she and Phil and the creation of Maximo’s. The name comes from the family’s kids- Max and Mo. Of course Mo is ticked that everyone thinks that the places is named after Max only, but that is to be expected from teenagers 🙂  Betsy explained that the menu is still in development and will be trying new things out for the season. In all honesty, the menu is a bit of a mash up of things, but it is a reflection of what they like to eat. And I think that makes perfect sense.

Mediterranean Turkey Burger: Turkey burgers are such a hard thing to make well. They are typically too dry and bland but these turkey burgers are none of that. The burger is so flavorful from the spice mix that is added to it as well as the tabbouleh that is mixed in. The tabbouleh makes the burger moist as well.

The roasted potatoes that were served with the turkey burger were also really good. I could see enjoying these with the Slamin’ BLT (more on the later!).

 

Steak and Onion Salad: I loved this salad! The combination of the greens, cheese, steak, and chimichurri sauce was harmonious. The grilled steak was very tender, almost-melt-in-your-mouth tender. The chimichurri sauce on it was incredible. I would like to have a bottle of that at home. Overall, I highly recommend this salad, but I think it would have been even more fantastic with a very light vinaigrette on the salad. Just my 2cents.

I loved the salad so much that I even had to Instagram it to brag about that I was enjoying.

When each dish was served, Phil came out to explain what we were about to enjoy. I could clearly understand his passion in what he does when he came out to present each dish with us. Betsy has explained to us Phil’s background and how he has lived all over the world. I really could taste how his world travels has really left a lasting imprint on his culinary point of view.

 

Slamin’ BLT: 

This Slamin’ BLT sandwich would be a perfect hangover cure, but of course enjoyable at any hour of the day. The BLT has a fried egg and slice of cheddar cheese on it that takes it to the next level and sets it apart from other BLT’s. The grill marks make this so inviting to dive into. I love details like that.

The sandwich was served with roasted corn and black bean soup. This pops up on the specials menu so be sure to look for it. Perfect soup and sandwich combination.

Go ahead… take another look at that sandwich…

Oooo that is an nice runny egg!

Cilantro Lime Grilled Tuna: I have to admit that this was the dish that I liked the least. It was perfectly fine, more than fine actually, but it did not appeal to me. I felt the tuna was seasoned and cooked nicely but I didn’t like the sides that were served with it. I liked the kale but I always prefer my wilted greens with butter, oil, or lemon. I felt it was a little flat for my palate. I liked the quinoa side but I would have preferred if it had a citrus based dressing tying it together.

Besides Betsy and Phil, we met Max and Phil’s parents, who explained that they are enjoying seeing their son’s dream come to life and are enjoying helping out as well. Getting to see toddler Max running around and stealing bites of Betsy’s meal was just too cute.

*While I did receive this complimentary meal from Maximo’s these opinions are entirely my own.

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Thanks for visiting. Please leave me a comment to provide some feedback. I appreciate all the comments I receive.

True Love LO- 3.18.12 Sunday Sketch

Aprilsketchi

–3.18.12 Sunday Sketch–

So I am a slacker. I’m not talking about my constant feet planted approached at taking the LEED test, but a craft/blogger slacker. My love for Studio Calico’s Sunday sketches is should be no surprise at this point since I have a whole page on the blog devoted to linking my take on the sketches on there. Well, if you noticed it’s been barely lately. I am good about doing the sketches but I don’t have the consistent follow through on scanning, photographing, posting, linking… hmmm I wonder why?!?!

Well this is a brand new Studio Calico Sunday Sketch so I rushed to do it, and actually follow through and post it. As soon as I saw the sketch I knew which layout I would use it for so I just dug through my ‘to scrap’ photos and got to work. It came together really quickly and I love when that happens. I made a mistake but shit happens so I made myself work with it instead of tossing the whole thing in the trash. Do you see it?

 

One of my favorite things about this layout is my use of FabRips. This was my first time using Studio Calico’s FabRips. I just never felt the need to use the product before. Mainly because I didn’t know how I would want to use it. I felt just needed to give it a try once and for all so I cut a strip and scrunched it up. I think I’ll def be exploring more with the pieces I have, but I know I definitely need to get this filmstrip FabRips!

Guinness Brat Sandwiches with a Guinness Cheese Sauce

A recent St. Patrick’s Day/Guinness discussion on twitter lead me to making this recipe. I was mentioning to Pricer how I think brats cooked in Guinness in a slow cooker would be good, then maybe I could make a cheese sauce for it. He agreed saying that I would have to test it out for science. I am not one to pass up an opportunity for trying things out in the name of science so off I went to the store.

 

 

While this recipe is great to enjoy for St. Patrick’s Day, it is great for any dinner. I personally think it would be great to enjoy while watching a foodball game since it is hands off cooking, being that the most work is toasting the buns and making the quick cheese sauce right at the end. The Guinness makes the brats and the veggies very flavorful and juicy. Nestle the brats and soft veggies on a toasted roll and drizzle some Guiness Cheese sauce on top… pure perfection.

 

 

Guinness Brat Sandwiches with a Guinness Cheese Sauce

serves 5

Ingredients

  • 1 package of brats, containing 5 links
  • 2 green peppers
  • 2 large onions
  • 1 1/2 14.9 oz cans of Guinness
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 4 oz of white cheddar cheese
  • 5 sub rolls
Process
  1. Cut the peppers and onions into long strips.
  2. Place the peppers and onions in a slow cooker and then place the brats on top. Pour the Guinness onto the brats at well.
  3. Set your slow cooker for 6 hours.
  4. When the grats are all done, remove them and the peppers and onions and set aside.
  5. Strain the liquid from the slow cooker into a measuring cup.
  6. In a skillet, combine butter and flour creating a roux. Slowly add 2 cups of the liquid into the skillet when the flour is golden and the roux is smooth. Continue to wisk the mixture and add in the cheddar cheese.
  7. Place the brats, peppers, and onions on a toasted roll. Drizzle some cheese sauce on top to finish it off.

The Pioneer Woman Sings!

To top off a relaxing day off from work yesterday filled with PJ’s, scrapbooking, eating cold leftovers, and a Jersey Shore marathon, I went to see The Pioneer Woman speak at The Coolidge in Brookline. The ever so lovely Ree Drummond was doing a stop in the area at Brookline Brooksmith for her new book, The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food from My Frontier. She was first doing a talk at the Coolidge (the most adorable independent movie theater ever (that serves wine!)) and then a signing back at the Brookline Booksmith.

 

I attended the speaking arrangement with Lena, Amanda, and Megan, as well as my coworker Rebecca.  Rebecca didn’t know all too much about Ree so this was a perfect introduction to her as she explained her roots, 2-week obsession of Sun-in, and random musings along the way.

To start the night, Ree explained that she has been enjoying Boston but the stactic cling here is something she was struggling with. Her signature flowly tops just don’t work when they are clung to you. (I completely understand.) She shared her story of spraying starch all over herself, as well as her ride’s car, and rubbing her self down with drier sheets. I hope that she shares this on her blog. (updated! She did!)

Ree had a power point going on behind her as she spoke. Of course there was some Marlboro Man added into the mix.

And photos of the kids. As angels. From mall kiosks.

Ree explained that she started her blog in May of 2006 with some stories and basic photos from a point & shoot… and the rest is history. She explained how the blog grew from Confessions, to include Cooking, and more. At first she would start a new blog for new segments, like Cooking, but then she rolled it all into 1 place under the “The Pioneer Woman Umbrella.” The blog prompted 4 books, TV appearances on national news shows, and then her own cooking show on the Food Network.

To finish the night she sang to her One True Love… Charlie.

Amazing.

It was a fantastic experience and I am so glad that I got to attend the packed event. After Ree spoke at The Coolidge she went across the street for the book signing portion of the night. The line was insane so Rebecca and I grabbed her hubs from Sbucks and we had really good Thai food at a tiny shop down the road.

Perfect P-Widdy-Dub-Diddy-Diddy-Dub-Dub night.

Project Life 2012: Week 8

I’m in a mad dash at this point to catch up with Project Life.

I took today off from work because our dishwasher has to get repaired and the service window was 10-1. Since that kills getting into work, back home, then back to work, I figured taking the day off would be best. Plus, I am going to a book signing tonight for the new release of The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food from My Frontier.Yes, that means I get to see Ree tonight! Now, I can’t wait to add that to Project Life! Perfection!!!

I spent today working on 3 weeks of PL. I’ll be finishing those weeks soon when I finish them off but for now this post is all about Week 8 (2.19-25). It was such a busy week that had some great moments in there like an Ingrid Michaelson show, a town hall meeting, lots of wine, and a great date night. I actually had Pricer write up some stuff to incorporate his thoughts and I know I will have to do that more often since this is about our ‘adventures’ just as much as it is about my day to day stuff.

Full Spread

Left Side

 

Right Side

 

Mint Oreo Brownies with Mint Buttercream Frosting

These right here are going to blow your mind. If you like mint and chocolate I suggest you run to your grocery store and get the few things you need to whip these suckers up. I love the mint and chocolate combination so these were very hard to resist. Thankfully I have an office full of taste testers so I was able get their feedback. I popped these suckers down at a table in the main corridor with a post it note and watched as people walked to the kitchen and stopped to take one, and then on their way back with their coffee they stopped for another sliver. Ohhh trouble!

 

 

As lame as it is, I made a resolution this year to enjoy holiday’s more. I have been extra grouchy about holidays and the effort they are so I have been trying to dive into the celebrations more this year. I will have fun damn it! So I am throwing myself at St. Patrick’s Day and all things green with wild abandon this year. So expect a few more St. Patrick’s Day themed recipes and posts leading up to the booze soaked day.

Back to the important things… brownies. The mint Oreos provide a lot of minty flavor, plus they provide a lot of moisture from the cream. I suggest baking them until they are just set so they are super fudgy. The frosting makes the over the top minty. I liked topping the brownies with crushed Oreos so it gave everyone a hint as to what was inside the brownies.

Mint Oreo Brownies with Mint Buttercream Frosting

Makes 16 brownies

Ingredients

For the Brownies:

  • box of fudgy brownies with ingredients to prepare brownies
  • 14 mint Oreos

For the Frosting:

  • 1 stick of unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup of confectioners sugar, sifted
  • green food coloring
  • 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
  • 4 crushed Oreos for garnish

Process

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 and grease a 9×9 pan.
  2. Crush the 14 mint Oreos for the brownies.
  3. Prepare the brownie mix according to the directions on the box. Just prior to mixing complete, add in the Oreo cookie pieces and gently mix in.
  4. Bake the brownies according to the box, start checking at the minimum time and remove once a tooth pick in clean upon insertion and removal.
  5. Prepare the frosting by beating the butter until light and fluffy. Add in green food coloring, start with 12 drops and continue until the preferred shade of green is achieved. Add the peppermint extract and mix thoroughly. Lastly, slowly add the confectioners sugar and beat until the frosting is formed and is fluffy.
  6. Once the brownies have cooled completely, add frosting the top of the brownies. Garnish with crushed Oreo pieces.