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cooking in a fast-paced world, with very little counter space
Oatmeal Breakfast Bars
Where did August even go?! I feel like each year the time between my little sister’s birthday, at the very end of July, and my birthday (Labor Day weekend) keeps getting smaller. This year, it seemed to pass in the blink of an eye. Even with all the miserably humid and hotter-than-hot days, all the army crawling through […]
this is very midsummer madness
July 9, 2015
SO HOT! It is hot. The kind of hot that clings to you. The air hardly moved today, and when it did, it brought no sign of relief. Struggling to make headway, squeezed into the lower level guest bathroom with sometimes two plumbers and one of the GC’s guys. When the sky finally released some […]
mocha cupcakes with vanilla buttercream
April 13, 2014
“So, terrible thing about the apartment, I guess, huh Julia?” I looked past the very tall lady standing at the counter who was being ignored by all salespeople, “How’s that?” I asked, wondering just what gossip these guys had been spreading about me. “Well, if the stove doesn’t work, I guess you’ll just have to […]
biscuits (in under 20 mins)
February 5, 2014
At my parents house, you’ll find a copy of the Joy Of Cooking. The pages are kinda stuck together, and have some old dollops of batter staining the paper, making it look prematurely aged when it gets to the 600s. This is where you will find all the scones, cakes and biscuit recipes. While my […]
spicy banana bread
January 7, 2014
I have to admit, I’m a bit of a banana hoarder. I don’t buy them as often as I probably should (my life could probably do with a bit more potassium in it…) but then I’m so picky about consistency when it comes to fruits and vegetables that once they look or feel a bit […]
roasted red pepper pasta sauce
January 3, 2014
I’ve got this ability to cook for about a zillion people even though it’s only been me and Mr. Julia eating on a daily basis. Sometimes the things that I really want to cook, or when I find a recipe that looks “too cool to ignore” they don’t always re-heat to then become a second meal, or […]
Kitchenaid troubles
December 15, 2013
Three or so years ago I brought my stand mixer home. It was a slightly impulsive move, but I was proud and thought it one of the best I’d made in a while. And now… Limping our way to the finish line, we made it. And by this I mean, I carried my poor stand […]
cake or death?
September 17, 2013
A few years ago my entire family (cousins too) got on the T together (a rare occasion indeed) and after pushing our way through the crowded subway stations and across the heart of Boston, we lined up outside a theater downtown. We had tickets to see Eddie Izzard. He is quite possibly one of the […]
black bean salad
July 23, 2013
Recently I’ve noticed the serious lack of vegetables on our plates. This is our first summer without a CSA share in a few years, and sadly, it’s a noticeable difference. Since I couldn’t see spending the money this year on a share, lets chalk it up to the fact that there aren’t enough hours in […]
the urge to bake
July 21, 2013
Given the fact that I am trying to get myself back behind the computer more frequently, I searched a few things on wordpress and found that they have a daily challenge, and while I’m not sure I can make the daily part of the challenge fit into my focus, or my schedule, I might as well […]
hot summer nights
July 21, 2013
It amazes me every year, how quickly I get overwhelmed by the summer months. We’ve had heat wave after heat wave, and though I know this hasn’t been the worst summer on record, it has felt outrageously brutal at times. I’ve found myself too exhausted for words after a long hot day of work. Imagine, […]
Posted in: recipes
Run for the Roses Cupcakes
May 4, 2013
Is this my 200th post? I think it might be… Today I did a few things that I didn’t think I could manage in the kitchen. It’s been a while since I’ve tried to push myself to try to make things that I usually wouldn’t even think about, but today seemed like a good day […]
Weekly Photo Challenge : From Above
May 4, 2013
Again, things have been quiet from me over here. Things have been crazy lately, not only here in Boston due to recent events, but in my own life, in my work life, and no matter who I ask they will not put more hours in the day for me. Sup? How am I supposed to get this […]
Posted in: recipes
Boston, you’re my home.
April 15, 2013
My heart is sick over todays events downtown at the finish line. My thoughts go out to those who’s lives were taken, who were injured or have lost touch with their loved ones – may you find eachother quickly and in good health.
Posted in: recipes
Lemony Spinach Pasta
March 24, 2013
This is a simple way to use up a lot of spinach – I usually have the majority of a bag left over once I make the handful or so into a salad or something (usually the handful is the reason that I bought the bag in the first […]
Posted in: carbs, food shopping, Italian Food, leftover, leftovers, Lunch, meats, pasta, recipes, storing food, Summer, sunday supper, Vegetables, weeknight meals
salmon with cheese orzo
March 21, 2013
Three days into my challenge to stretch just under $100 as far as I knew how, and I decided not to follow my list. Well, not to a tee… I bought Salmon, and I got parsley and a few other greens that I was going to try to make this other salmon dish with, […]
Posted in: carbs, fish, food shopping, leftover, leftovers, Lunch, pasta, recipes, seafood, storing food, Summer, vegetarian options, weeknight meals
fresh pasta, cannellini beans, poached eggs, and wilted greens in a brown butter sauce
March 20, 2013
Since I challenged myself to shop for a LARGE amount of meals for the week and then tried to stumble through them as well as I could… I tried really hard to stick to the recipes I had chosen regardless of how well I thought they might be received – though I did try to […]
Posted in: carbs, eggs, food shopping, Italian Food, pasta, recipes, sauce/dip, sunday supper, Vegetables, vegetarian options, weeknight meals
chicken pot pie
March 18, 2013
With my lofty plans for triumphs in the kitchen this week, I thought I might start off with something that I knew would be easily stored, quickly reheated, safely transported to my little sister so she could simplify her college life and (hopefully) be focused on homework and not have to worry about a few […]
Posted in: carbs, chicken, food shopping, football food, freezing food, leftover, leftovers, Lunch, meats, party foods, recipes, storing food, sunday supper, transporting food, Vegetables, weeknight meals
an attempt at meal planning…
March 13, 2013
I have this habit when I get into bed, I pick up my ipad (regardless of if the tv is on or not…) and read myself to sleep, but sometimes I scan Pintrest and like just about everything I see when I’m falling asleep. Sometimes I just google the word recipe next to something that […]
Posted in: food shopping, recipes
spinach, anjou pear, feta and cranberry salad
March 11, 2013
Hi. My name is Julia, and I’m a Doritos addict. It can’t be that I’m old enough to not be reproducing taste buds as fast as I should, cause even though I feel decrepit at times, I’m not even thirty yet. I don’t like to categorize myself as a “picky eater” but when it comes […]
Posted in: recipes
chocolate chip pancake muffins
March 9, 2013
This whole winter thing has kinda got me down, it’s got my poor little plants feeling dumpy too. I suppose you could sit back and say you’ve only had about four snow storms and I would unfortunately have to agree with you. But I wouldn’t like anything about that statement. But I would probably counter with : Nemo, […]
everyday as valentines day
March 8, 2013
Valentines day is not usually a big deal in our house, it’s usually acknowledged, but doesn’t usually find us as excited participants. This year was no different, really. I made it home early, well, before 7pm. I decided I would shower, relax, and order in some dinner as a gift of no dishes for myself. It was […]
bacon brussel sprouts
March 7, 2013
My love of bacon usually knows no boundaries. I’ll try to add it to anything. Sometimes it works a little more seamlessly than other times. When you only have two or three ingredients, it works out pretty well. I had some brussel sprouts and had absolutely no idea what to do with them. As I listed […]
Chicken & Dumplings
March 5, 2013
The list of reasons why I don’t just sit down and type a few things up seems to be growing. First, we moved, and nothing was where it should be, or where I wanted it to be, and now that we’ve been here for about a month – things aren’t all in place yet, but the boxes […]
Posted in: chicken, food shopping, leftover, leftovers, Lunch, meats, recipes, Soup, storing food, Vegetables, weeknight meals
a distraction, and arepas
February 3, 2013
I’ve been MIA for quite some time, and for that I apologize if anybody has noticed… (Sorry, Aimee!?) My life has been on such a bizarre roller coaster for the past while that I have failed to do a great many thing, but especially one of the things that have recently taken so much enjoyment […]
homemade mac n cheese
December 4, 2012
I love baked mac and cheese. I like to forget completely about lactose intolerance and how upset my stomach will be with me later and focus more on how nice and creamy the sauce is, how well the cheese will crisp up on the top to give it a little more something to bite into. […]
Posted in: carbs, football food, leftover, meats, party foods, pasta, recipes, storing food, sunday supper, weeknight meals
vegetable rice pilaf
December 2, 2012
If you are anything like me, you over-bought for Thanksgiving in a bewildering way. I managed to shop for carrots and celery twice when my sister had asked me only to make on tray of stuffing (which only requires one cup of diced celery) none of which required carrots. I did have a serious stomach bug issue […]
Posted in: carbs, meats, party foods, recipes, rice, sunday supper, vegetarian options, weeknight meals
pom.brie.crostini
November 28, 2012
Sometimes I realize that I like something so much that I will make it in a strange time of day (appetizer/party food for lunch, anyone?) or go shopping precisely for the ingredients to make it at somebody else’s house so that they can taste it and see if they like it? I did that the […]
peanut butter cups
November 27, 2012
My love of Reese’s overcame me the other day. I had to have some. I buy chocolate chips and or baking chocolate when they are on sale, or when I have coupons. I had a few bags in the drawer with no real plan to use them. I got a metric ton of creamy peanut […]
Posted in: dessert, party foods
BBQ Chicken Pizza
November 26, 2012
One of the pizzas that has recently become one of the more popular and frequent orders for delivery is the BBQ chicken pizza. I wasn’t its biggest fan inthe beginning, but like many of the things I’ve tried in the last few years, instead of never trying it again, or deeming it inedible , I’ve […]
Posted in: BBQ, carbs, chicken, freezing food, leftover, meats, pizza, recipes, sauce/dip, storing food, weeknight meals
Autumn Salad
November 25, 2012
I’m guilty of not making enough salads, or really making any consistent effort to get fresh vegetables on the dinner table. I notice what’s missing every time, it’s the doing something I’m going to have to work on. But this past week I got tangerines for a drink that I forgot to make – or […]
sausage casserole
November 23, 2012
Yesterday was a little less crazy than some Thanksgivings can be. I had the usual marathon, running from one house to the next, not really enjoying as much wine as I would like to given the fact that I’d have to be getting back in the car not long after the glass was poured. When […]
Posted in: leftover, leftovers, Lunch, meats, party foods, recipes, Soup, storing food, weeknight meals
Limoges Oatmeal Bread
November 19, 2012
I have been searching and searching for the best sandwich bread recipe I could find. And (knock on wood) I’ve found it. This bread is from a little cookbook that my little sister’s school put together in 2005. It’s called Food Kids Eat, The Village School Cookbook. It was a project that the kids, their parents […]
reeses cupcakes
November 18, 2012
I may be more interested in making chocolate things, now that I have an outlet for them. I’ll try a bite here and there, but I still don’t search out chocolate things (save my absolute favorite candy that is hidden inside this cupcake) but most of the things I bake get packed up and delivered to people […]
glazed chicken
November 16, 2012
I made this “glaze” but then I didn’t… glaze anything with it. I drizzled it on top of our foods. So I suppose it’s a “dressing” not a glaze. This meal was a pantry/freezer meal, I try to keep enough meat in the freezer to make at least two totally different meals. I wanted to […]
Posted in: carbs, chicken, food shopping, freezing food, leftover, meats, recipes, rice, sauce/dip, storing food, Vegetables, weeknight meals
fresh pasta with prosciutto and peas
November 15, 2012
I, like so many Americans, am so guilty of eating way more than a recommended serving of pasta, and probably everything else, as well. Since we rarely eat out these days, and can easily avoid a 3-cup portion of pasta arriving on our table, I’ve been trying to figure out just how much I should be making […]
Posted in: carbs, cooking with wine, freezing food, Italian Food, meats, pasta, Peas, recipes, storing food, sunday supper, Vegetables, weeknight meals
gooey butter cake
November 14, 2012
This theme-y cooking stuff is for the birds! I’ve lost two weeks in a row now at fantasy football, and I blame it entirely on my wanting to be all matchy-matchy with London and fish’n’chips, and that the Pats played St. Louis in London, so I made this gooey butter cake. I really shouldn’t be […]
onion rings
November 13, 2012
I suggest that you stop what you are doing, and make yourself some beer batter – or for a possibly more reasonable suggestion, just add it to the next meal that you make…I would go with about half, or even a quarter of the amount that I made for the fish and chips that I […]
Posted in: appetizer, burgers, cooking with beer, football food, Lunch, party foods, recipes, Summer, Vegetables, vegetarian options, weeknight meals
beer battered fish n’ chips
November 12, 2012
I made fish and chips, ages ago now, but have been so easy distracted by work, people, laundry, paperwork, and sleep, that I haven’t been able to get myself, my camera and my computer to have some focused alone time to be able to load, crop, and write these ideas and meals down. I made […]
Posted in: carbs, fish, football food, Lunch, recipes, seafood, sunday supper, Vegetables, weeknight meals
baked mozzarella sticks and marinara sauce
November 11, 2012
There are a multitude of things that I adore to eat, but have never thought to make at home because I had always assumed they’d be too hard to recreate in a residential kitchen, or I’d be so disappointed by how different they would come out that it would be pointless. Mozzarella sticks were a […]
best homefries
November 8, 2012
I made homefries, and for the first time ever they didn’t take a million years to cook. They came out magnificently. I never could really understand what the trick was – aside from the times that I made homefries from leftover potatoes that were already boiled. These were just what I needed on a slow […]
brown rice and arugula pilaf
November 6, 2012
Without remembering how long it took to cook brown rice, I started making this at the same time as I started to grill up some steak tips (indoors) on my griddle/grill. First you start out by tossing the orzo in a pan, and make it nice and brown. Then, get distracted and forget to take pictures […]
newfie bread
November 1, 2012
We were lucky, tucked up on a hill here in Boston, so close to the the water -link to picture is 1-1/2 blocks away from my aunt and grandmother’s house! Watching the tarps on the Tobin Bridge being battered by the whipping winds, streets already flooded and trees coming down around me as I headed home […]
whole wheat rigatoni
October 28, 2012
With the impending doom of Sandy on her way, I’m unsure if I really should’ve taken the time to go to the grocery store before it became a mess – I don’t usually prepare for storms like the news would have you believe most of us do, but I don’t like to have my weekly shopping slowed […]
greek yogurt quick bread
October 26, 2012
Greek Yogurt Pound Cake makes two 8×4 loaves, or two 5×3 and one 8×4 loaves can easily be halved 300g white sugar 208g vegetable shortening 2 tablespoons water 3-4 large eggs 2-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 454g vanilla (or plain) greek yogurt sift together 600g all purpose flour 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt Sift dry […]
Posted in: dessert, quick breads
grilled cheese with buffalo chicken
October 25, 2012
I introduced my boyfriend’s mother to the buffalo chicken dip that I made this weekend. We gobbled it up while watching the oh-so-nail-bitingly-crazy Patriots game on Sunday. She hadn’t heard of it, and after helping me make it, seems ready to put it into the rotation for football Sundays or when they have a large […]
Posted in: chicken, leftover, leftovers, Lunch, recipes, sandwiches, sauce/dip, storing food, Vegetables, weeknight meals
getting back to normal
July 20, 2015
The past year has been a chaotic mess. This past Saturday I was able to close the door on something that was on my back burner for years. I got the highest level license available in my field of work, the level of anxiety I allotted as preparation for the exam went above and […]
the break down; a store, a girl, and her breakfast sandwich
August 3, 2014
Here in Boston, I know that my fridge is not alone in feeling deeply affected by the rift between Arthur T, and Arthur S Demoulas. Whether or not it’s really or officially the “last stand of the middle class” or not, standing with the people who, at ground level, provide me with the ingredients to make […]
inasmallkitchen 
September 13, 2015
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