hot apple cider

Nothing beats a cup of *hot apple cider* on a cold, dreary and rainy Saturday morning in October (wait, is it October or January?). The smell of hot cider brewing on the stove top is absolutely divine. Here is my favorite recipe that I made up when I was craving massive amounts of apple cider last fall:

[hot apple cider alla Lauretta]

1 large gallon jug of Whole Foods’ 365 Brand Apple Juice (pasturized)

7-10 whole cinnamon sticks (remove before serving)

2 regular sized oranges, its juice squeezed into the cider while it’s brewing

OR

a teaspoon of orange flower extract for taste

**optional: leave the orange peels in the cider for a subtle kick

a dash of ground cinnamon (if you are a big cinnamon fan such as myself)

Directions: add the apple juice, cinnamon sticks, juice from the orange (or orange flower extract and peels) in a large cooking pot. Add in the ground cinnamon in once everything has started brewing. Stove should be set on high to get things started, but turned down to medium high as needed. Stir for about 10-12 minutes, or until warm and boiled. Turn the stove off and cover the cider for another 5-7 minutes. Serve and enjoy immediately.

Happy Autumn… err should I say WINTER!?!

just a snippet…

of the fantastic *Columbus Day* weekend I spent con miei amici, road trippin* through 4 states in 4 days! Fun reunions, good eats and drinks, cooking, fellowship, playing games and spending quality time with quality people is a beautiful picture of what living life to the full is all about. This trip was much needed in order to reharge since the school year started. It’s taking way too long to recover from my vacation, so I thought I’d share some pics to begin with… more to come (via Facebook and/or another site):

with all the Food Network hype, it was unfortunate to discover that Geno’s steaks are now mediocre & overpriced.

Reunion with the lovely KJK and Mrs. K, over a warm lunch & tea at a cute locale in Rehoboth Beach, DE.

BD admiring the physics of the ocean and having a spiritual moment on the beach…

and last, but certainly far from the least…

The correct caption for this pic: Bill jumped first [and the rest followed].

pork butts in a tin container

[notiamo]: Taken at a wedding where I was the main photographer this past weekend. The theme was a Southern BBQ, and I felt like I was on the Food Network. Vegetarians/Vegans/Animal Activists: beware and shield thine eyes! I too, was lost for words and had to look away after performing obligatory photo duties. I mean, how do you respond to a slaughtered, well-dressed pig covered with pineapple chunks and cherry tomato eyes glaring back at you? Yeah, I definitely stayed away from the smoked pork because I was so grossed out. Yeah, the truth hurts, doesn’t it?

In other news, life has flown by like the speed of light… my life is completely different, and I hope to get back into blogging, amongst other things, SOON. So now that summer is officially over, Happy Autumn!!! and make way for pumpkin bread and other fall goodies to come.

the *LAST* days of summer…

It’s back to work tomorrow, starting with Teacher’s Orientation, lesson plans and all the joys of being a teacher (!), so I thought I’d share some photos of what I’ve been doing to celebrate “the last days of summer”… taken with my new favorite toy: the Samsung Comeback alla T-mobile! 

(1) Quality time at the pool, which was unfortunately cut short this afternoon by the approaching thunderstorm.

(2) Froyo by the ounce (multiple flavors and toppings to choose from) at CaliYogurt, a taste of the West Coast!

(3) Getting my dose of green vegetables and creamy/cheesy/starchy calories of potatoes au gratin + Gruyère mac and cheese at Cafe Deluxe, a nice bistro alternative to overpriced French food in the DC Area after a day of Mac shopping with my friend and former partner-in-crime Robin C.

(4) A quick pop into my former stomping grounds, the Freer + Sackler Galleries of Art of the Smithsonian. Talk about a de-accessioned gift shop… but otherwise, the exhibits are still great as usual. I miss being there.

And tomorrow?

Upwards and onwards to bigger and better things!!!

Yes… I can cook. Sort of.

The Gazpacho I made a couple of weeks ago turned out great… it was a pretty labor intensive process, but the taste in the end was totally worth it. I used heirloom and roma tomatoes from Harris Teeter, sherry vinegar from Whole Foods and whole wheat rustic bread from Trader Joe’s (to make the croutons… which was surprisingly easy to make!). We had some leftovers, so I ate it for breakfast the next morning with toasted slices of rustic bread, sprinkled with sea salt and olive oil. Whoaa… heavenly. Can you just say the most refreshing liquid salad ever? Making gazpacho helps you realize the role each vegetable plays in the soup’s overall flavor and puts you in touch with the benefits of eating organic versus processed foods. Lovin* it!

Anyway, above is photographic evidence of my first attempt at making this delicious summer treat. I don’t think I’ll have a problem eating it year round, though. And I am excited to try more recipes…

On a completely different note, I can’t believe its August (the summer has gone by WAY too quickly) and I will soon return to my job as an ESL & Art teacher. My friend M who was visiting from Hong Kong and I were perusing the Container Store earlier today and came across the best *to-go* container ever invented for all you cereal lovers out there:

All you have to do is pack your cereal and (soy) milk the night before and take it out of the fridge the next morning on your way to work! The bottom container has a gel covering that helps keep the milk cool during your commute. Perfect for those who never have time to eat the most important meal of the day… hmmmm… I will definitely consider getting one of these (the green one, of course) before school starts. And resume my love for eating cereal!

Till next time…