Make it a Great Day (Networking & Garlic Pasta Carbonara)

"Make it a Great Day."

In preparation for a professional conference this weekend, I ordered my very first set of business cards!

Aren't they spiffy? :D

I wanted to support a local business in my new city, so I ordered from Hungry Dog Printing in Long Beach, CA. This printing company is very professional, affordable, and high-quality. I highly recommend their services!

The owner Kate is very friendly and seemed genuinely excited about making my business cards look good. Unknowingly, she even played a role in uplifting my mood after a difficult few months. At the end of their jolly voicemail greeting, Kate encourages her customers to "Make it a great day!" This phrase really resonated with me and made me reflect on my attitude. We're always told to "have a great day," but sometimes we need to be reminded that a positive outlook can make all the difference; often times, it's up to us if we're going to make it a great day or not. Thank you for my awesome business cards and the encouragement, Hungry Dog Printing!

#WRCSAD13

The conference I attended was the Western Regional Careers in Student Affairs Day. I had a great day mingling with and learning from higher education professionals and fellow students. Serving on the volunteer planning committee was a fun experience as well. Worked with some fantastic people!

For the undergraduates I spoke with that are applying for graduate programs, here are helpful posts I mentioned that can help with your career:

- Grad School Application Requirements Template
- Tiffany's Résumé Guide
- Cover Letters & Attraction are Kind of the Same

You can also ask me any questions about the SDHE program at CSULB!


After the conference, I co-organized a post-conference social at my new favorite spot in Long Beach - the Rebel Bite. Isn't their "Map Room" amazing? I also feel the same way about my wonderful classmates, new friends, and inspiring NASPA Region 6 leaders.

"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." - Nelson Mandela 

Garlic Pasta Carbonara 

The night before the conference, my grad student friends stayed over, so I had the chance to make them dinner! Here's a recipe for one of the dishes I cooked. Hope you enjoyed #DiningAtTiffs !

Follow me on Instagram @diningattiffs!

(makes 8 servings, even though there were only three of us...)

Ingredients:
- 1/2 to 1lb of bacon (depending on how much you like meat) sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
- 3 cloves of garlic, crushed and minced
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan/romano cheese
- 1 cup frozen peas & carrots (or any other veggie medley)
- 1 lb. box of pasta (I used whole wheat - you should too!)
- pepper (no salt needed; bacon is salty enough, friends!)

Instructions:
I broke the steps down into what's happening on your stove and what's happening on your counter. Follow the numbers to time it for maximum efficiency.


On your stove 
2.) Boil water for pasta & cook according to package directions.
3.) Sauté bacon on medium-high heat for 5 minutes
5.) Once meat is cooked, lower heat to medium and add garlic. Sauté until light brown.
6.) Add veggies and cook for about 2 minutes. Turn off the heat.


On your counter
1.) Chop up all ingredients (start with the veggies and put aside before chopping bacon to avoid cross-contamination)
4.) Crack eggs into a large bowl. Mix with a fork or whisk like you're going to make scrambled eggs (but don't scramble them!). Stir in the cheese and about a teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper (the pre-ground stuff doesn't taste like anything. Don't buy it.)
7.) Drain the pasta and transfer immediately* into the large bowl of eggs. Mix quickly to coat pasta evenly, adding the bacon/veggie mixture as well.
*It's important to do this immediately because the heat from the pasta will cook the eggs!

8.) Serve with more grated cheese (and crushed red pepper if you like it spicy!)


Overall, I had a great weekend. Thanks for stopping by -- make it a great day! :)


With love,
Tiffany R.
Dining at Tiffany's

Banana Nutella "Pizza" and a Free Download

Hello everyone!

After a very hectic February, I'm back with more food and ideas to share! I know it's been quiet Dining here at Tiffany's, but I promise I've been writing a bunch -- just in other places.

One outlet to which I've been contributing my writing is through my Volunteer Internship with Thurman Consulting. My project is to coordinate a free, online teleseminar series covering topics about career and leadership development based on the book How to be a Nonprofit Rockstar. I have the fun role of writing event descriptions and engaging in Twitter conversations at the hashtag #nprockstar. I love the topics since they align with the "Catering Your Success" themed posts on my website.

Aside from my internship, the majority of my free time/energy has been spent completing graduate school applications and writing personal statements. It was honestly a very grueling process, but I learned a lot about myself; in reflecting on my past work and academic experience, I gained inspiration and ideas for moving forward, especially with Dining at Tiffany's.

1. I want to continue "Catering Your Success!"

So by popular request, I'm sharing my template for graduate school application requirements. Click here or on the photo! I hope that you find this helpful as a way to keep track of the many details of completing your applications.

2. I want to feed you! While Dining at Tiffany's is about both the food and the conversation, I want to make sure I'm providing enough food so you don't go hungry ;). I haven't been posting too many recipes because I have been way too busy to test out and perfect complex dishes. In the meantime, I figure I can always share some of the quick ideas I cook up in my kitchen! With that, I'll leave you with a fun dish I created over the weekend. This is a great breakfast or snack option for all you nutella lovers out there. It's also relatively good for you. Enjoy!

Banana Nutella "Pizza"

Ingredients:
- A few slices of flat bread (You can use whole grain pita, naan, etc. I used a freshly baked flat bread from here)
- A couple spoonfuls of Nutella hazelnut spread
- A sliced banana
- A handful of chopped, raw almonds (or any nuts you have on hand)

Instructions:
- Spread nutella onto slices of flat bread. This is your "pizza" sauce. Sprinkle with almonds to add crunch and extra protein!
- Heat in a toaster oven at 375 degrees for about 7 minutes (Real Talk: I cooked mine over 10 minutes because I used the "medium" toast setting, burning some of the Nutella.  When you make it, the Nutella should be a lighter brown, unlike the above picture. Oops.). Basically you want the Nutella to be melty and the bread to be crispy. The almonds get a nice roast as well. Mmm.
- Top with sliced bananas and enjoy immediately. I sure did, with a side of hot coffee (which I drank gallons of in February).


With love,
Tiffany R.
Dining at Tiffany's

A Bel8ted Christmas & Tapas!

Hi everyone!

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas this year! First I will address the elephant in the room: YES, I was 4 days short of the 12 Days of Gift Ideas. In my defense, Day 6, 7, and 8 had a total of 21 items, so technically I gave you double the amount I promised. ;)

To make it up, here are some recipes that you can use for a New Year's Party, or for any potlucks and get-togethers left in 2012.

I made these for my family's Christmas potluck and they were a hit! In fact, those on the right were gobbled up within 10 minutes of saying "grace!"

Many of my relatives asked me, "Tiff what are those?" I replied with, "Spanish Tapas!" These are basically small appetizers or dishes that are full of flavor. Traditionally, they are served with drinks to keep good times and conversation flowing. For our purposes, they served as fun appetizers and snacks throughout the party. Tapas are always so delicious because they are full of rich flavors and fresh ingredients, so consider preparing them for your next party or even just a night in with close friends!

I came up with this one on my own. The star of these tapas are proscuitto, which is a cured ham sliced very thinly. You can find this in the deli section of the market, just ask the butcher! I chose ingredients that complement its flavor and add a festive touch. Arugula is a leafy green similar to spinach that has a peppery taste to it. You can find prepared packages at Trader Joe's and most salad shelves. 

Tiffany's Proscuitto Tapas: 

Ingredients: 

- 1 5 oz. package proscuitto

- 2 packages (about 60 pieces) mini whole wheat toasts

- 1/8 or so cup fig butter (available at Trader Joe's)

- 1/8 or so cup cream cheese (I found a fig + walnut cream cheese that worked perfectly)

- 1/2 or so cup arugula 

Instructions:

- Chop proscuitto into small pieces. Stack all pieces of proscuitto in the package and roll it up into a long log  (also known as hot dog style?). Chop into 1 centimeter-wide ribbons. As you assemble the tapas, you can pull apart the ribbons to get relatively event pieces 

- Prepare other ingredients. Open the package of toast, Make sure the arugula is washed, and get a butter knife ready for the fig butter and cream cheese.  It would be good to get some help with this too!  

- In assembly line style, add a tiny bit of fig butter onto the toast, then flatten a piece or two of arugula onto the toast, using the fig butter as adhesive. Quickly put a pat of the cream cheese onto the arugula to seal it onto the toast. Finally, top with a piece of the proscuitto ribbons that you cut earlier. Serve on a pretty platter. These are pretty stackable, but take caution when transporting. 

With the leftovers, you can throw together a salad of arugula -- just add cheese, proscuitto (if any), and fig butter (thinned out by mixing with just a bit of oil and/or red wine vinegar)! Leftover mini-toasts make perfect croutons! 

Anchovy, Aioli, and Red Pepper Tapas

http://www.answersencroute.com/2012/12/crostini-with-marinated-white-anchovies.html

I wish I could take credit for this recipe, but I found it via foodgawker.com. Check out the link! These were very time intensive (as homemade mayonnaise always is), but VERY worth it! The flavors from each component were very rich, but melted together with a satisfying harmony. This recipe worked especially well with my Filipino family because the anchovy was reminiscent of smoked fish delicacies like tinapa  & dilis. 

This might just be the last post of 2012. I have really exciting things in store for 2013. If you're reading this right now, know that I write for you, in hopes to share joy through food and more. Thank you so much for stopping by! 

With love,

Tiffany R.

Dining at Tiffany's 

Farewell Appendix, Farewell Hostess. Hello, Thanksgiving!

So I had these grand plans for November at Tiffany's. It involved moustaches, drummers, entrepreneurs, men, and more!

But as you may have heard, my appendix decided that it was time to go.

What I thought was a terrible stomachache landed me the hospital, visiting the different wards in this order:

1. Urgent Care
2. CT Scan Room
3. Outpatient Unit
4. Surgery Room

As you can see by my laywoman hospital terms, I ended my pre-medical career early in college, (after organic chemistry to be exact). But anyway, I was very shocked (and kind of annoyed) that I had to have surgery! (Oh!! "Operating Room".. Now I remember what it's called..).

After I bid my appendix adieu, I spent an entire week on sick leave at my parents house while enjoying tons of homemade Filipino food and personal half-gallons of ice cream (impeccable timing with the end of October #Unprocessed!). Thankfully, my surgery was routine and recovery has been going smoothly. I'm back to work!

Speaking of back to work, I have a small announcement:

You know how I provide guidance for career goals, like resume and cover letter writing (see most popular posts!)? Well, I decided that "Hostess with the Mostest" isn't a very telling title, so I've re-labeled such posts with..

"Catering Your Success!"

Look forward to more success-catering posts in the future, like tips for interviews, transitioning into a new professional setting, and more!

I also thought the timing just made sense with the whole Hostess-going-bankrupt thing.

Zombieland, anyone?

Poor Tallahassee of Zombieland. No more Twinkies for him. :/

You know what I think about the Hostess bankruptcy?

Who cares?! ;)

--

In other news, Thanksgiving is tomorrow! With my health condition, I haven't put much thought into writing a festive post. I am, however, here to answer any last-minute Thanksgiving feast questions! Ask on my Facebook page!

Here is a sample Thanksgiving consultation for my dear older sister who lives in Hawaii:

[Sister] 
So.. I'm getting a little nervous about hosting my first Thanksgiving dinner although it'll probably just be me our good ol' neighbor and her hubby, haha.. What do you think of this menu so far..
-Turkey + Gravy
-Ham
-Pot Roast..maybe
-Mashed Potatoes
-Stuffing
-Some veggie dish..? Maybe green bean casserole?
-Sweet potato or yam dish
-Cranberry dish
-Dessert: A pumpkin and an apple dish..

Suggestions? I'm trying to think of our traditional Thanksgiving dinner that I miss so much!!

[Dining at Tiffany's]
I would recommend going to www.foodgawker.com for veggie side dish ideas. I even have the app on my phone. I find most of my recipes there. It should be choc full of ideas soon!

I like the menu. Isn't that a lot for just two couples? Also, are you doing this all by yourself? That might be a little crazy, haha.

[Sister]
Haha, maybe.. There may possibly be another family of four coming if they don't end up hosting for a group of single Marines. And I may or may not ask our good ol' neighbor to help, but now that I think about it, she won't really have anything kitchen wise since they'll already be all packed up ready to move to San Diego on the 28th. Yipe! Maybe it WILL be crazy after all! I just need to plan this accordingly and cook ahead of time where I can..

[Dining at Tiffany's]
I would recommend against three proteins and a bunch of sides. You don't want leftovers that last through Christmas!

[Sister]
Haha. True.. I guess this is just an ambitious menu then. Maybe no pot roast then? Turkey and ham? Or no ham?

[Dining at Tiffany's]
Casually ask your guests if they like ham or roast beef better. Like not in a planning conversation, but just a jovial, lighthearted banter about Thanksgiving!

[Sister]
Casually.. haha. I'm just gonna ask my neighbor, "Hey! You want ham or not?"  haha. 
 -

As you can see, I love answering questions about Thanksgiving! Send them over if you have any! At the very least, I hope you're a little more enthusiastic about Thanksgiving than my sister's dog Sasha:

Sasha says, "Thanksgiving, Smanksgiving."

---
I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving full of food and family and friends and festivities!

Whether you are a first time or long time reader, I am so grateful that you came! Though I got rid of my "hostess" title (and appendix if that matters), my goal is to always provide food and fun conversation to my readers like you -- I hope that you enjoy Dining at Tiffany's!

More to come soon.

Now it's time to brine my turkey...


With love,
Tiffany
Dining at Tiffany's

Others eat #Unprocessed, too! -- Clean Eating/Paleo Style

Introduction 

Hello! You just walked in for the second half of the October #unprocessed challenge, in which I join over 6,000 people to eat only whole, unprocessed foods for one month!

I've been eating very delicious, unprocessed foods lately, but of course I'm not perfect -- I have some deliberate exceptions that I have partaken in. It has been challenging, but it's totally doable!

"Autumn Cakes": Sweet potato, shrimp + fresh-squeeze orange juice, chard stems, garlic, cinnamon, cayenne, pepper

Garnished with chard leaves!

Deliberate Exception: Anything my mom cooks, like her specialty pancit (Filipino, stir-fry noodles). Processed foods include the noodles, soy sauce, & fish cakes. Other than that, my mom makes everything from scratch! Go mom!

You can join too, either by finishing up the rest October, or starting your 30 days today!

Scroll through this textbook to read the full introduction.

If you're on your mobile device, flip it on its side for easier viewing! :)

I can tell you that since I started eating unprocessed foods, I feel much healthier and I've seen a noticeable difference in my body figure! Let me know if you're joining me and we can be #unprocessed buddies. I might even send you fun texts like this one from the other day:

If you're in San Diego, I'm happy to share #unprocessed goodies with you! Take the pledge!

---

If you're like most people in my life, you won't take my word for it and will probably ignore me.  :''(

So, I invited some guests over to help me convince you!

A Gym-Owner,  A Manufacturing Engineer, A Newlywed, A Master of Food, A Fitspirational Friend, & An Aspiring Personal Trainer.

In America, there is a dangerous dichotomy in which people are very body image-obsessed but at the same time, our country has become increasingly overweight. Because of this, many fad "diets" pop up here and there, with varying levels of effectiveness, health benefits, and sometimes even safety.

First of all, I don't like the term "diet." It connotes eating naked salads for lunch, and being very miserable. And I don't very much like having naked people or misery at Tiffany's. ;)

 

So, I wanted to invite people to the table that don't necessary "diet," but stick to choices and eating styles that involve nourishing themselves with good food!

Now, I'm on Instagram ALL the time, and like me, I notice that Instragram users often post pictures of their most glorious meals. Some hashtags that keep popping up under the most vibrant of these photos are #eatclean or #cleaneating and #paleo.

So, I took some time to investigate of the Eat Clean/Clean Eating and Paleo styles of dining.

Here are my findings: both of these eating styles involve choosing to eat whole, natural, and -- you guessed it -- unprocessed foods! Who knew?

I'm starting to believe in this more and more each day, especially since eating #unprocessed is found across many styles of healthy dining, like Paleo/Clean Eating, that are recommended by many fitness-lovin' people:

Meet Raquel, A Gym-Owner

Tumbl'n and Slippin' into October #Unprocessed

Hi! First, two announcements!

1. I made mayonnaise! From scratch! It was wild! (We'll come back to this shortly).

2. I have a tumblr now! Follow me @diningattiffs!

Now I know it seems overkill to start a second blog, but that's the thing.. I realize that in my enthusiasm for each topic and post, I DO tend to get a bit overkill, writing very, VERY long posts on this website. Eventually, I will turn some of my more popular posts (like resume and cover letter writing) into downloadable PDFs, but for now, just expect to find lengthy posts on diningattiffanys.com. I put a lot of time and planning into each of these posts -- I truly want to be a helpful resource for my readers, so I keep it nice and thorough, letting all the flavors and textures develop into something I'm confident you can enjoy.

My tumblr will be the "microwaved" version of this website, with quick fixes of the Dining at Tiffany's experience! Check it out!

----

So that was the Tumbl'n, let's talk about the Slippin'!

When I was in high school (roughly 6 years ago, wow!), this is pretty much what my lunch would consist of everyday:

1. A bag of Flamin' Hot Cheetos. Often doused in lemon juice and salsa. We all walked around with red fingers back then.

Last Friday Night! or "Why Deep Frying is Terrifyingly Bad for You"

A few Fridays ago, I decided to cook an Indian-inspired dinner to cheer up my inspiring, female Indian friend.

Here is what was on the menu:
- Tilapia Fillets in Coconut-Tamarind Curry
- Roasted Cauliflower with Garam Masala
- Spiced Bulgar Wheat and Zucchini Salad

My male Indian friend arrived early and brought basmati rice and frozen veggie samosas (Indian filled pastries). I had never prepared samosas before, so he instructed me to deep-fry them.

"But I never deep fry anything! That's so unhealthy! Plus, it wastes SO much oil," I exclaimed in protest. He argued and told me that it was how his mom prepares samosas. Since one of my life missions is to learn everyone's mom's cooking methods, I obliged.

I felt very skeptical as I emptied the last of my vegetable oil into the pot and turned the heat up to high. "Wow, this is taking forever to heat up," I thought. So, I proceeded to cover the pot using a glass lid with a metal handle, just like I would when boiling water. Rachael Ray will forever (and obnoxiously) preach to America that "A watched pot never boils -- so put a lid on it!" and clearly, she has indoctrinated me.

Many minutes later, I finally glanced at the pot and noticed that the clear glass had turned very brown and was starting to steam. I quickly picked up the lid off of the pot, minus a a pot holder, discovering that the lid was extremely hot. Then, the following happened in a span of about 5 seconds:

Project 365 at Tiffany's

Woo 2012!! In the spirit of the New Year, I'm jumping on the Project 365 trend with my own flavor - taking daily food photos of significance! The reason I'm so passionate about food is because it's such an integral part of life, a common necessity that can bring a diversity of people together. Every meal has a story and I want to appreciate that everyday. Today's inaugural post will feature one photo, but I plan to compile weekly updates for your convenience (and my sanity).

So this isn't the most appetizing picture, but take a moment to figure out what's wrong with this picture...

No this was not an act of negligence, those spoons are swimming in there with purpose!

My mom was boiling spare ribs to make Sinigang, a tangy Filipino stew. She told me that the "old people" in the Philippines add metal spoons because it makes the meat more tender, so she decided to try it. It makes sense, right? I figure the heat from the boiling water is retained by the spoons, adding an extra heat source or something science-y like that. Well, it worked, so maybe you can try this the next time you need to tenderize ribs!

But the real significance of this photo is what that moment represents. Ever since I was young, I've always spent time in the kitchen with my mom. I remember being young and standing on a chair so I could reach over the counter and watch my mom cook. My favorite times were when she'd make layered Jello for get-togethers and I'd get to help her mix all the colors, then eat the gelatinized leftovers off the spoon. I remember the first time our parents taught us how to cook. I think it was eggs. I remember my mom mentioning to my dad that she can tell that I would become a good cook because of the way I naturally handled the spatula. I remember the warm confidence I felt at that moment. In recent years, I'm often helping my mom cook army-sized meals for our family and friends on special occasions.

Just as my mom learned a wise tip from her elders in the Philippines, I've learned many lessons from being in the kitchen with her all these years -- about how to be a good cook and more importantly how to be a good person. In between all the recipes and ingredients, my mom tells me stories ranging from her day at work to her life growing up in poverty. I'm blessed to have developed my character after her - a life living toward compassion, generosity, and excellence with love.

If I have children one day, I pray that I'll be able to share similar memories and moments with them in the kitchen. If you do have kids at home, I encourage you to do the same! Following recipes and measuring ingredients is a fun way to teach math skills. Kids are more likely to eat food (even veggies!) if they are involved in the process of grocery shopping and cooking. But more importantly, it can transform the chore of meal preparation into fond occasions to forever cherish. If you're like me and not quite ready for a family, cook with friends and loved ones. It's a fun and cheaper alternative to eating out!

But I guess the moral of the story about why I want to write food stories.. is that fond memories start in the kitchen and last long after everyone's had second helpings. This year, take a moment in between bites to think about the meaning behind your meal -- what it tells you about who you are, who you're with, and how the food got on your plate. And please feel free to comment with your food photos and memories! I look forward to sharing many moments to savor  in 2012.


With love,
Tiffany R.
Dining at Tiffany's

How to Win Friends and Influence Others (with just 3 ingredients!)

I went to UCSD. For the most part I enjoyed it, but I sure did get myself into stressful situations! So when times got tough, I'd run to my dear Trader Joe's arms for comfort.

<3

And he taught me a lot. He taught me that the best thing to do during the hard times is to surround yourself with what you love and share it with friends. For me, it's always been yummy food. And that I did.

I've cooked meals small and large throughout college, from comfort food to vegan fare. Simply inviting people over to eat has been a great way for me to get to know new acquaintances, celebrate with close friends, and even attract the love of my life.

Recently, I was asked to cater an event for a student organization I used to lead  and needed to come up with a semi-healthy dessert on the fly. So, for old time's sake, I headed over to my trusty friend Trader Joe's for some inspiration. I came up with what I thought was a simple, no-fuss dish; surprisingly, I received many requests for the recipe, introducing me to new friendships and the opportunity to spread what I love to others!

So, like the popular self-help book, you too can win friends and influence others with just 3 ingredients from Trader Joe's.

Vanilla Berry Crumble

Ingredients:
- 1 package Trader Joe's Ultimate Vanilla Wafers
- 1 tub (1 lb.) Trader Joe's Organic Vanilla Yogurt
- 1 package frozen Trader Joe's Fancy Berry Medley (store in refrigerator overnight or thaw for 30 minutes before preparing)

Stir together thawed berries and yogurt in a medium or large bowl. (I did this ahead of time and stored it in that container on the right because I used the same mixture for a Thanksgiving dessert)

Place vanilla wafers in a single layer on the bottom of an 8x8 square dish

The Thanksgiving Episode

Happy Thanksgiving weekend! I am thankful for always having wonderful friends and family to cook for.
I am having a delicious holiday and I hope you are too! Here are three tidbits from my Thanksgiving, including tips and recipes. Enjoy! 

[1] Cook an awesome turkey

As my rite of passage into the grown-up world, I was in charge of the turkey. 

So far, turkey successes in my family have involved either A) deep frying in peanut oil (take caution and ask for advice before you try this!) or B) brining and roasting.

I did option B yesterday. All modesty aside, it was one of the best turkeys I've ever tried. Juicy and infused with comforting aromatics! Basically, I followed almost everything Emeril told me to. Except I put my plastic trash bag of brine and turkey into another trash bag, and into a cooler full of ice. This was much easier logistically, and saved valuable refrigerator space. Find the recipe I used here!

[2] Be a thoughtful host, both for yourself and guests! 

My mom had the brilliant idea of assigning platters for each dish the night before Thanksgiving. This was to avoid scrambling and ransacking cupboards and garage cabinets 15 minutes before dinner is served, looking for that darn pie stand and gravy boat that you haven't seen since last year. This is especially important if you're hosting a potluck, because adding bustling guests in your kitchen to the equation causes high levels of stress. Also, be sure to factor in time to shower and pretty yourself up. No matter how pretty your tablescape is, you will not feel happy entertaining guests looking like a hot mess. 

Meanwhile, be prepared the array of guests with varying arrival times, ranging from those that show up early to help out, to those that came late -- causing uneasy guests and growling tummies. Be sure to have simple appetizers and snacks that won't ruin the look of your Thanksgiving spread if guests pick off of it. I did a cheese tray this year, and it was really easy to replenish the crackers throughout the night. 

The key to a good cheese tray is to mix up textures and flavors. I follow my own formula: a semi-soft mild cheese (left: fontina), a deep-flavored cheese (middle: aged cheddar with whiskey), and a bleu cheese for color (right). It's fun to change it up and try new cheeses for every occasion. I recommend buying cheese at Fresh & Easy because they have smaller portions (and this week they had a buy 3, get 10% off deal!) so you can have all the fancy fun of serving a cheese tray without breaking the bank. I used water crackers and rosemary cracks, garnished with berries and grapes leftover from other recipes, and candied walnuts (walnuts sauteed with butter and brown sugar). Remember that design always looks good in odd numbers (3 cheese, 3 bunches of grapes, etc.), and to cluster and sprinkle the walnuts free-hand for a natural, autumn look. 

[3] Be creative with your leftovers

Whether you are feeding ravenous Black Friday shoppers, or decided to stay in your PJs all day, here are some easy ideas to serve leftovers while changing up the fridge-to-microwave routine. 

Mashed Potato Stuffing Fritters

Ingredients:

- 2 cups mashed potatoes

- 3/4 cup stuffing
- 1 tablespoon of gravy

- 2 teaspoons of leftover herbs (I used parsley from the Turkey garnish) 

- 2-3 plain crackers (perhaps from your cheese tray), crushed (you can also substitute 3 tbsp of bread crumbs) 

- 1 egg

- Freshly ground pepper to taste

- light oil

Instructions

- Heat 4-5 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet on medium high heat
- Mix all ingredients together in a bowl
- Add 1/2 to 3/4 cup sized scoops into the pan, and flatten a bit with a spatula. 

- Cook evenly until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes each side.  
- Serve alone, or drizzle with gravy for your bad self! ;)

Grilled Turkey & Cheese Tray Sandwiches (left)

Create an hearty, upscale grilled cheese with leftover Turkey, cranberry sauce, and a semi-soft mild cheese (I used fontina)! This was the first thing I thought of (and ate) this morning.

Leftover Dessert CrepesThis is a great option if you have overnight guests hungry for brunch and you want to keep up your reputation of creating beautiful dishes. Find your favorite sweet crepe recipe, and fill with any leftover dessert/ingredients!

Top: Pumpkin Pie crepes (crust included!)
Bottom: berry + vanilla yogurt cream (leftover from making fruit tarts. Find the berry-yogurt mixture here, and the tart recipe here)

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I wish you all many blessings to be thankful for all year long. Enjoy the rest of your Thanksgiving weekend!

With love,

Tiffany R.

Dining at Tiffany's

Unprocessed: Sweet Potato Rosemary Sauce recipe (vegan!)

I really must stop procrastinating, but I created this recipe for my pledge to October #unprocessed 2011 with Eating Rules! Or maybe I'm just doing this late to encourage everyone to choose unprocessed foods beyond October! :) 

Pasta w/ Sweet Potato Rosemary Sauce 

A cozy, comforting meal to ring in the autumn weather and use in-season produce! 

INGREDIENTS

- 2 Sweet potatoes (washed)
- 2 tsp finely chopped rosemary

- 1/4 cup coconut milk (your new, vegan best friend! refrigerate it in an airtight container to use as a milk substitute for other sauces) 1 tbsp of olive oil 

- 1/4 cup water

- dash of cinnamon

- dash of coriander (can also use cumin or any spicy crushed herb like curry powder) 

- dash of cayenne pepper

- garlic salt (or a 1/2 a clove of finely minced and sauteed garlic. prep the garlic beforehand!)

salt & pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

i. Boil water if you're making pasta! 

1. Poke sweet potatoes with a fork 4-5 times to vent. Place sweet potatoes on top of a paper towel on a microwave-safe plate (place a paper towel on top as well if you're paranoid of potato explosions).

2. Microwave for 5 minutes. Flip potatoes over (be careful, they're hot!), and microwave for another 5 minutes.

3. Remove from microwave. Cut a slit in each potato, scoop out the sweet potato (discard the skin). 

4. Use a blender or food processor to mix together the sweet potato and coconut milk/water. Alternate to ensure that the mixture is moist enough to blend. Add olive oil whenever you feel like it (or omit it, I don't know if this really made a difference)

5. Once you've blended about half of it, add rosemary gradually (Also, add sauteed garlic now if you're using it). Add more water or coconut milk if the mixture becomes too dry. 

6. Blend until the mixture is completely smooth (and beautifully glistening! okay, maybe that's what the olive oil is for!) 

7. Transfer to a small saucepan and heat on medium. Stir in spices gradually (including garlic salt if you didn't use sauteed garlic). Stir for about 5 minutes or until you feel the flavors are well-incorporated.

8. Salt and pepper to taste and mix with pasta. 

I would recommend whole wheat fusilli, or any other pasta that grabs on to sauce well! Also, the rosemary is raw, which can be a little bitter, so make sure to blend the mixture until the rosemary only appears as little, green specks. Enjoy!

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With love,

Tiffany

Dining at Tiffany's

Salvaging Tomatoes

Stop!! Don't you dare throw out those shriveling tomatoes! Sure they're not quite fresh enough to make a respectable tomato sauce or be the star of your salad, but that doesn't mean they don't deserve a little love.

So here's a little culinary tidbit from my evening.. A recipe for a simple side or vegetarian dish to give your tomatoes their last hurrah.

Tomato Egg Saute 

Ingredients (1 serving):

+ 1 tsp light oil 

+ 1 clove of garlic (or 1 tsp garlic powder) crushed and roughly chopped

+ 3/4 to 1 cup cherry tomatoes sliced in half (or into 1 inch chunks if you're using larger tomatoes)

+ 1 egg 

+ salt & pepper to taste 

Directions:

1. Turn on stove to medium heat and add oil. Saute the garlic until light brown. (Or in my case, add the garlic powder into the oil as it heats.)

2. Add tomatoes and a pinch of salt to draw out the water. Saute until very soft and dissolved. 

3. (Forgot to take a photo) Crack egg directly into pan and stir until completely cooked. Add salt & pepper as needed. 

*Tidbit: Contrary to popular belief, it's much neater to crack an egg on a flat surface as opposed to an edge, like the side of a bowl. A paper towel on your counter, or a plate works perfectly. This reduces runny raw egg everywhere and salmonella risk (eek.)!

4. Serve as a side dish for a simple meat or fish entree, or simply over rice for a delicious vegetarian meal! 

Enjoy and let me know how it goes! 

Do you have any tomato-salvaging ideas? Share below!

With love, 

Tiffany

Tidbits at Tiffany's