~Bits and Pieces~: June 2014

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Butternut Squash Ravioli with Yogurt Dipng Sauce~

~This is something that I came up with one day. I don't know if anyone ever did this before, but I was excited that this combination of flavors tasted really good together. Butternut squash ravioli and peach yogurt sauce to dip-it tastes like a fancy meal to have on a budget. It really adds class to any occasion. I used the butternut squash raviolis from Trader Joe's and Lucerne Peach yogurt.

~Fill pot half-full with water.

~Open ravioli pack into the water

~Stir with a wooden spoon until the water comes to a boil

~Turn heat off and drain the water into the sink.

~Serve raviolis ad spoon some peach yogurt, or any yogurt you prefer, on the side

~Perfect for any dinner, romantic or fancy for one. Sit down and enjoy the two flavors that you never thought would go together, I didn't expect that they would!

Sunday, June 8, 2014

~About Me Post~

~I thought I'd do an "About Me" post so you would know who is writing these ramblings. My name is Sarah Calvello, and I'm is a 28 year old student at City College. I'm an aspiring and published writer who loves my dog, and enjoys writing and going to cafes.

Saturday, June 7, 2014

~Wake Up And Smell The Coffee~

~Wake up and smell the coffee~
~by Sarah Calvello~

Ah, the sweet smell and taste of motivation in the morning. You smile as the smell of beans

roasting hit your nose then your tastebuds; you made it through another day and it's the start of

something new. May your day be as wonderful as the first sip.

Step One: Buy fresh coffee beans or ground coffee in your local grocery store aisle. Be careful

that the coffee is sealed and not left out on display; oxygen and sunlight make the beans turn sour and

acidic. Coffee beans or grounds that are vacum-sealed in bags or containers are often a good bet.

Step Two: Store coffee beans with a fresh attitude. The good kind of fresh, that is. Always store

coffee in airtight containers. Don't refriderate or freeze your coffee; the grouds will take in moisture and

food odors. It happened to me a couple of times, I'm embarrassed to say. Never again, my beans started

to smell like chicken. I put the container in the cupboard right away, and there it stays untill this day.

Step Three: Chose the right coffee for you. People are usually snobby with their coffee and wine

choices. Look for coffee with 100% Arabica beans, but be willing to look beyond the commercialism

and just chose a good coffee for you. But avoid the cheaper and nasty Robusta coffee's that have higher

caffeine content but harsher flavors.

Step Four: Keep your stuff clean. Make sure to rinse your grinders, storage containers, and coffee

pots every day with water. Every week or mothly with water and vinager to kill the germs and oily

buildup. That can ruin the taste, too.

Step Five: Grind your own. Of coarse, it tastes better if you grind your own beans, but you don't

have to.Finer grinds have more flavor, but sometimes they grind it at the store and it does the same

trick.Whirly blade grinders that are decently affordable are Braun and Bodum.

Step Six: Good H2O. Tap water can ruin coffee in a hurry. Serious coffee drinkers use bottled

water, softened or distilled water make horrible coffee-the minerals in coffee are so important. I use tap

water, but I run it through the filter first.

Step Seven: Don't buy cheap filters. Bagain-priced paper filters equals bargain-priced taste. Look

for "dioxin-free" or "oxygen-bleached" paper filters instead of the cheap kind.Examples are Filtropa

and Melitta. Also, if you really want to get fancy with it, you may want to invest in a gold-plated filter

like SwissGold, which lasts longer. These have maximum flavor, but also may let sediment through if

the coffee is ground too finely.

Step Eight: Don't be tight-fisted with the coffee. The most used measure for brewing coffee of

proper strength is a 2 level tablespoons per 6-ounce cup or about 2 3/4 tablespoons per 8-ounce cup.

Tricks like using less coffee and hotter water to extract more cups per pound tend to make for bitter or

watery brews. People do this to save money when they have to or in general, but usually it's not worth

it.

Step Nine: Watch the heat. Water that is too hot will have compounds in the coffee that are bitter

rather than tasty. The proper brewing temperature is 200°F, or about 45 seconds off a full boil. (Most

good coffee makers regulate this automatically.) When coffee is brewed, it doesn't last with the flavor

for long. Reheating, boiling or prolonged holding on a warming platform will turn even the best coffee

bitter and gross-tasting.

Now sit back and smile, you don't have to face life quite yet. . Enjoy life sip by sip, not gulp by

gulp. Take your time, allow yourself to do things slowly. I always have the radio on when I have coffee

in my pj's, even if its not always quiet. Making coffee in the morning is a delightful excuse to linger;

and hopefully, it is coffee that tastes as good as it smells.

~A Spoonful of Strawberry~

~A Spoonful of Strawberry~
~by Sarah Calvello~

A Spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down. When i think of this cake, I

think of tea-time and Mary Poppins. These are some of my favorite things

and bright and lacy things. It brings back childhood memories and the hope

of something better. Truthfully, I have never heard of icebox cakes until now,

but this will be what I make from now on. I can't bake, I admit, and this is a
fanciful and bright cake I can make for guests myself. And this has two of my

favorite things; strawberries and chocolate wrapped in a pretty package.

It's called a Strawberry Icebox Cake. No bake and it serves 8-12 people.

The ingredients:

.2 lbs fresh, sweet strawberries, hulled and thinly sliced

.3 cups heavy whipping cream

.⅓ cup powdered sugar

.2 tsp vanilla extract

.20 oz graham crackers (about 24-28 whole crackers or 4 sleeves)

.A Simple ganache:

.2 oz semi sweet chocolate morsels

.¼ cup heavy whipping cream

.The Directions

.In a large metal bowl, put together 3 cups powdered sugar, heavy whipping

cream, and vanilla extract. Place entire bowl, plus beaters of electric mixer,

into fridge for only 10 minutes to chill. Set on medium-high, and beat heavy

cream mixture until stiff peaks appear. Spread a thin layer of the whipped

cream on bottom of a 9×13″ baking pan. Lay six graham crackers down to

cover. Spread a thin layer of whipped cream over the graham crackers, then

a single layer of closely-placed strawberries. Rinse and repeat. Put more

layers (graham crackers, whipped cream, strawberries) 3 more times. You

will have 4 layers total of graham crackers when you finish. Spread the rest

of the whipped cream over the top of whole dessert, and add the rest of

strawberries for garnish.

Heat ¼ cup of the heavy whipping cream in a small and heavy saucepan

over medium to low heat. Once the water bubbles, turn off the heat. Add the

chocolate and let it stand for 3 minutes. Whisk the mixture until it’s thick and

glossy. Let it cool until it's lukewarm and drizzle ganache over dessert (You

can use a plastic baggie with tiny bit of tip cut off.)

Cover loosely with tented foil and chill in fridge overnight, for crackers to

soften. Keep cold until ready to serve.

Ok, done. Just put it in the fridge overnight and leave it waiting for

guests. Bon appetite! This is a good idea if you're on a budget and

need a cake in a hurry. I'm thinking of making this cake for my friend's

birthday party coming up soon.

Source: Chew Out Loud, adapted from theKitchn

~Nanny's Tapioca~

~Nanny's Tapioca~

"Ok, buster, no tapioca for you!" People have been making and eating

tapioca for a long time. When I was a child, I remember getting excited when

my Italian grandmother made tapioca and coffee for dessert. I had milk with
it. I didn't like coffee back then, but the point was I thought tapioca was so
special and it turns out to be relatively easy to make. She always added

raisins and cinnamon to her tapioca, I remember, but this is the classic

tapioca recipe.

Classic Tapioca

.Original recipe makes 6 servings
.What you need:

. 3 cups whole milk or (lowfat is ok)
. 1/2 cup quick-cooking tapioca
. 1/2 cup white sugar
. 1/4 teaspoon salt
. 2 eggs, beaten
. 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Stir together the milk, tapioca, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring

the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to

low; cook and stir 5 minutes longer. Whisk 1 cup of the hot milk mixture into

the beaten eggs, 2 tablespoons at a time until mixed together. Stir the egg

mixture back into the tapioca until it's a nice eggy color and well mixed. Bring

the pudding to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat; cook and stir 2

minutes longer until the pudding becomes thick enough to coat the back of a

metal spoon. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. The pudding may
be served hot or poured into serving dishes and refrigerated several hours

until it turns cold.

.PREP
10 mins

.COOK
15 mins

.READY IN
25 mins

It doesn't take too long to have a light and refreshing dessert. You can dress

it up basically however you want,I like to sprinkle Ghiradelli chocolate

powder on it and have the pudding with coffee. Perfect pudding for guests or

just for you.

~Break Me Off A Piece Of That No-Bake Cookie~

~Break Me Off a Piece Off That No-Bake Cookie~
~by Sarah Calvello

~Today I will live in the moment, unless it's unpleasant in which case I will eat a cookie-Cookie Monster~

These cookies are so simple, they-re a great gift for

any occasion. I was thinking of making these for my
roommates birthday, even I can't mess these cookies cookies up.

.No Bake Cookies-What You Need

.1/2 cup milk
.4 tbsp cocoa powder, unsweetened
.1 stick of butter
.2 cups sugar
.1 tbsp vanilla
.3/4 cup peanut butter
.3 cups quick cooking oats

Put the the milk, cocoa, butter and sugar together in a
medium large saucepan. Turn stove on to high and

bring to a boil and let it boil for about a minute. Add

the vanilla, peanut butter and oats to the pan and stir
to combine.

Remove from heat. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto

waxed paper and allow it to cool and set.

Everyone needs a cookie once in awhile, and these

cookies are relatively healthy compared to others. others. I

recommend to have these with tea or hot milk, these are a

good calming cookie to relax with. Also, the oats in the

cookies help to settle the stomach, so good for morning and

evening, but not too close to bedtime.

~Strawberry Valentine~

~Strawberry Valentine~

I love berries. Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, black berries, anything with an 'errie' in it!
Jordin Sparks

You can dip practicly any fruit in chocolate and have it be
romantic. These chocolate-covered fruit are a great gift, and

just to have out for guests when you feel like being fancy. . Fruit

and chocolate have always went hand-in-hand f

or any occasion, and pretty much "just because."

What You need

Fresh fruit ( such as whole strawberries, 1-inch-thick slices
peeled banana, peeled pear wedges and orange segment)

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1 tablespoon kirsch ( clear cherry brandy)

7 ounces bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate - cut into pieces for melting

3 tablespoons honey

6 tablespoons whipping cream

What to Do

Bring cream and honey to simmer in medium saucepan.

Add your chocolate; whisk until melted.

Take out of the heat.

Mix in the kirsch and extract.

Pour the fondue into bowl and place on platter.

Surround with fruit.

Serve with skewers.

Any fruit and anything with an "errie" in it, is made so much
tastier with chocolate on it. It's whimsical and airy, and I wold
have it with a light wine, I prefer a bubbling Rose or Spumone
to enhance that berry.chocolate beauty. I also make designs

and play with my food, it's all about the presentation. My

favorite would be the chocolate strawberry sun I made, not too
intricate but classy.And who would refuse a strawberry sun, or

anything covered in chocolate.

~Who Doesn't Like Pancakes Crazy People~

~Who Doesn't Like Pancakes Crazy People; Classic
Gingerbread Pancakes~
~by Sarah Calvello~

This is the Hansel and Gretal of pancakes. This is great for the

mornings to motivate you with spice and childhood memories.

What you need:

.3 cups all-purpose flour
.6 tablespoons baking powder
.3 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
.1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
.3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
.3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
.6 tablespoons ground hazelnuts
.3 cups milk
.6 egg whites
.6 tablespoons dark molasses
.6 tablespoons vegetable oil

What To Do

In a large bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, cocoa,

ginger, cinnamon and cloves; stir in hazelnuts. Set part one

ingredient aside. In a medium bowl mix together milk, egg

whites and molasses. That makes a well in the dry ingredients

and pour wet ingredients into it.

Stir just enough to moisten or

the batter will be lumpy. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying

pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the

griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake.

Wait until it's brown on both sides and serve while it's hot.

Like Hansel and Gretal with their breadcrumbs, these

pancakes will lead you on the path to a very good day.

~Natural Stain Away~

~This is a economical and pleasing-to-the-nose-way to get rid of stains in cloths before you do the laundry.~

~.Put a wedge of lemon in the glovebox if the car or anywhere to make it fresh

and clean, also to detour bugs.~

~Mix Pine Sol and laundry detergent to clean stains and give it a stronger

clean and smell~

~Smell The Gift~

~Smell the Gift~
~by Sarah Calvello~

I never know what to get guys gifts that are or look fancy, and I

think this is it if you can find the ingredients. It works great for

sensitive skin. It leaves a layer of protection from the razor

when you shave, so it reduces razor burn, even with a dull

razor. I can do without razor burn, so actually this could be

used for men or women, I'm just calling this a good gift idea for

a guy. This cream has no soap in it like generic shaving cream.

Soap dries out skin, while oils protect your skin. It's a organic

cream feeling, so the cream will melt a little on your skin as you

put in on. This is okay, just put on the thin layer of cream and

shave.

To clean the razor, just rinse it in warm water and give it a

shake like always. You don't have to rinse your face before you

shave, your face has natural oils and conditioners you need.

But you do want to scrub off the excess with a warm, wet

washcloth and press firmly. If you want to get fancy with it, you
could use a pre-wash of soap.

You can use both refined or unrefined coconut oil. The

unrefined version will have a more coconut smell to it. The

important distinction here is between coconut oil and

fractionated coconut oil. Coconut oil should be a solid at

temperatures below 74º F. Fractionated coconut oil is a liquid,

and that is not what we want. We want a solid oil that will make

this nice and whippable.

Shea butter comes from the shea tree in Africa. It’s a

moisturizer, and you can buy them either online from Amazon

or Vitacost, or you can find it in the beauty department at Whole

Foods and in the personal care aisle at Walgreens and other

drugstores.

Use a big canning jar for this gift, it's good to make a lot of it at

one time, it won't get old for quite awhile.

Rosemary Mint Shave Cream

1/3 cup shea butter
1/3 cup virgin coconut oil
1/4 cup jojoba or sweet almond oil
10 drops rosemary essential oil
3-5 drops peppermint essential oil

In a small saucepan over low heat, combine and mix he shea

butter and coconut oil, stirring until just melted. Remove from

the heat and transfer to a heat-safe bowl. Add in the jojoba oil
'
and the essential oils. Stir.

Place the bowl in the refrigerator and chill until solid. Remove

from the refrigerator and whip using a hand beater or a stand

mixer until light and fluffy. Spoon into a jar. Lid and keep in a

cool, dry place.

Makes 8 ounces. Jar and tie a ribbon around it and give it to

your special guy. You'll know its cheaper then store-bought s

having cream, but he won't. It will smell way better, too-and

isn't that the most important gift of all?

~Ice, Ice, Baby~

~Ice, Ice, Baby~
~by Sarah Calvello~

The traveling coffee; here is my recommend for the girl, or

anyone, on the go. The key to smooth tasting iced

coffee is to cold brew it with no water involved. But

that doesn't make too much sense when you hear

about it, right? It took me awhile to figure that out.

I’d tried to make iced coffee simply by cooling my

leftover morning coffee and pouring it over ice. It

always tasted way too bitter. Turns out that cold-

brewed coffee is 67% less acidic than when it’s hot-

brewed. That acid is what causes the bitter taste that

is especially pronounced when it’s drunk cold.” The

acid taste is not too friendly to your tummy, is it?

This is a simple way to make a strong iced coffee to

last you for most of the day. Make it a day ahead by

soaking ground coffee in water overnight, which is 12

hours. Strain out the grounds, and what's left is a

liquid coffee concentrate that can be stored in the

fridge for up to 4 weeks. Pretty interesting to know to

impress people with, right? If you want to make a

glass of iced coffee at any time, just pour some of the

coffee concentrate over ice, add milk and sweetener if

you want any, and stir. Thats all you have to do. It's

smooth, refreshing, and delicious without any

bitterness. Who knew something this good you

usually buy in cafes could be so easy?

You can drink it hot, too. This method isn't just for

making iced coffee. It's becoming more popular these

days to cold-brew coffee, store the coffee

concentrate in the fridge, and heat it for a cup of hot

coffee. The low acidity and bitterness makes for a

smooth and nice cup of hot coffee. It looks weird, but

once it's made, its worth it.

Cold-Brew Iced Coffee

It's a breeze to cold-brew coffee. I'll bet you on it.

~Get It Together~

Coffee: Medium ground of whatever brand you prefer.

It tastes better if you grind the beans yourself before

you brew it. But who has time for that, really, I don't.

If you want it in a hurry, buy it ground or get it

ground at the store. You'll need 1 cup of ground

coffee to make 3 cups of cold-brew coffee

concentrate, which is enough for six 8-oz iced

coffees.

Filtered water--I use a Brita pitcher to filter our tap

water. Filtered water is used by Starbucks and other

cafes to make clean tasting coffee. It's not just about

the coffee, the water needs to be clean and good

tasting as well. A filter pitcher is the easiest way to

accomplish that. You can buy it at pretty much any

grocery stores, or even online at Amazon. I don't

know about you, but I want my coffee to taste fresh

and clean.

To Be Sweet or not to be Sweet. There's no correct

answer; so only if you want them to be. Do you like your

coffee black and unsweetened, or creamy and

desserty? I use Lucerne creamer at Safeway or any

grocery store, thats the cheapest and good brand I've

seen around so far. If you like it sweeter, I

recommend the Mexican Chocolate or Mochiatto

creamer, or on the softer tasting side Cinnamon

vanilla. Its fun to be able to do whatever you want

with your iced coffee, huh? It's also good with brown

sugar and milk if you want to go in that direction.

Iced coffee is a traveling something extra to power

through the day. Make everything just a little bit sweeter.

Brew it black, then change it to suit your personality, like your

daily coffee mood ring.