Potato and Rosemary Frittata

A gorgeous, scrumptious, EASY, one-pan-wonder.

Keeping with the Ithaca theme, tonight's dinner came from the Moosewood cookbook. 

The ingredient list...

The easy-peasy steps:

1. Cook with your mom. It's always better that way :)

2. Saute potatoes, onions, and garlic in olive oil (and a little butter!) until soft.

3. Add spices. We used rosemary, picked from the garden!

3. Pour beaten eggs over the potatoes. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover, and allow to cook over medium-low heat until the eggs are cooked through.

4. Stick it under the broiler until golden brown - about 2 or 3 minutes.

5. Cut, and serve. We tripled the recipe to feed the five of us, and even had some left over!

Bon appétit!

Iron Kettle Farm

On our way back from Ithaca, Emily and I stopped at Iron Kettle Farm. In the fall, it becomes Iron Kettle Pumpkin Farm and is THE place to go for...

pumpkin picking,

cute baby animals,

and your standard, run-of-the-mill, we-must-be-in-upstate-New-York-now pumpkin paraphernalia.

Don't question, just go with it.

Anywho, this time of year there are still many cute baby animals, including a teeny tiny bun who may or may not be the illegitimate child of Professor Blueberry.

Resemblance??

There was also a strange half goat/half human hybrid. 

I swear it is smiling at us. And thinking something along the lines of "Heh heh heh. I am going to distract you by smiling and looking human-like as I chew this piece of straw and then I am going to eat your camera!" Am I right or am I right?

Oh, and we picked up these gorgeous cherries!

♥Cornell♥

Cornell University, you have my heart.

Today I took a ride up to Ithaca with Emily, and we spent the afternoon on campus. It made me love and miss Cornell even more than I already do! This marks 1+ years post-grad and I stand by my belief that college is the best years of your life.

Ithaca is gorges (yeah I said it) in the summertime, and campus was surprisingly busy. It was not the same being on campus without the Class of 2009, but it was nice to relive some of my favorite Cornell things for the afternoon!

First things first - I picked up a Statler salad. How do I even begin to describe the Statler salad? I think it's something you have to experience to understand. It's good enough to spend 20 minutes waiting in a 50+ person line - every day. You heard me right; senior year I had a Statler salad for lunch day in and day out. There's just something so great about picking ingredients for your own salad, unlimited toppings, and delicious dressings. There's also something so great about wasting away the afternoon enjoying your salad with 8 of your closest friends. That, in a nutshell, is the greatness that is the Statty salad. Feast your eyes on today's creation:

Oh, and a side of sweet potato fries :)

Then we wandered around campus snapping pics with Emily's amazing camera...

I didn't even try to resist getting this AMAZING cover for my iPod.

Here is Sage Chapel, where Emma and Topher are getting married in August! Cannot WAIT for the wedding!

Finally, we stopped for some Dairy Bar ice cream.

We got Nutty Buddy Franklin: peanut butter ice cream with fudge swirls and peanut butter cups.

This is the "one scoop" size. Puh-leez.

I only got this far in. You know I am not one to throw away ice cream ("there's always room!") but it really was that big. But oooh so delicious.

See you in August, beautiful Cornell!

Congrats, grad!

This past weekend I was (and still am) home to celebrate my baby sister's high school graduation. It made me realize that I am now five years out of high school and officially old. I remember graduating and wondering where I would be for our five-year reunion (which was, unfortunately, never planned) - and here I am! Full-fledged adulthood!

Anyway, the graduation party was super fun - full of family, friends, and food.

The spread...

Poor man's caviar - recipe here.

Homemade salsa

Cheese plate

Fruit

And veggies!

Of course, the dessert plate: pink lemonade cookies, PB blondies, and peanut butter cup cookies!

Emily's request...puppy chow. Yum!

Juuust having a photo shoot in the garden!

Congrats, Emily! Good luck next year :)

Peanut Butter Blondies

With homemade chocolate frosting. Need I say more?

I think I need to start a "chocolate and peanut butter" section in my recipes. There are few things I love and appreciate more than the combination of chocolate and peanut butter. And when the peanut butter comes in blondie form? Yes, yes, and yes.

Alright - I'll admit it. This recipe breaks one of my cardinal rules of baking - it requires using the stove. I'm a no-fuss baker. If I can make it all in one bowl, I will. Using the stove = extra pots to clean, extra time, and extra patience. I don't have patience. But for this particular choco/PB combo, I'll have to stick it out. This is just one recipe you can't walk away from.

As always, thanks again, Joy the Baker! Truly the most fabulously delicious baking recipes out there. If you haven't yet, you must go check her out!

Here we go...

Combine 10 tablespoons unsalted butter with 2 cups dark brown sugar in a medium saucepan on medium heat. Stir until the butter melts, then remove from heat. It should look something like this...

Oh, hello. Don't you look gorgeous!

Add 1 cup of natural peanut butter. Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes.

Whisk in two eggs and two teaspoons vanilla. Look at these cute little guys from a local farm! 

Mix together 2 cups flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon baking powder. Add to the wet ingredients and stir until combined. 

Spread into a 9x13 pan and bake for 20 minutes at 325 degrees.

Meanwhile, get started on that chocolate frosting. 

Uh huh. Looks about right. Somewhere between chocolately heaven and fluffy frosting goodness.

Beat 6 tablespoons softened unsalted butter with 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add 1/2 cup powder sugar and 1 tablespoon milk - beat until combined. Add 1 cup powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons milk - beat until fluffy. Melt 3/4 cup chocolate chips (I used semi-sweet) in the microwave and add to the mixture.

Saving these babies for Emily's grad party tomorrow. They are currently sitting in a neat little tupperware at my feet as I ride the Greyhound back home. Must resist. Must. resist.

Celebrity sighting

Woke up this morning to meet Kaitlin and Bethenny for brunch at Cafe Cluny in the West Village. As Alix and I got on the subway, I said... "We are going to see someone famous today. I just FEEL it." I swear!

Fast forward to thirty minutes later...

I was trying to decide between Brioche French Toast and the Breakfast Club Sandwich...

Went with the french toast (duh)...

Oh the fluffiness!

...when none other than Amy Poehler walks in and sits at the table next to us! The Amy Poehler from SNL, and Parks and Recreation, and this hysterical skit. I so, so wanted to take a picture but she looked so cute and pregnant and normal that I felt badly interrupting her brunch. I hope a picture of her seat at the cafe will do?

What a trip! I <3 NY.