last minute dip

Over the weekend, I got a last minute invite to attend a potluck dinner with some older classmates — it turns out the email had been sent to the wrong Meredith so I didn’t find about about it until just a few hours before!

The hostess told me that I didn’t need to bring anything since I only learned of it at the last minute, but my mama raised me right and I knew I couldn’t show up to a potluck empty handed. The theme was Italian and since I had no tomato, basil, or fresh mozzarella on hand, I had to think outside the box. Immediately my mind went to hummus, which is clearly not from Italy. But I went ahead and threw some chickpeas and garlic cloves in the oven and hoped an idea would hit me.

By the time they were done and I wanted to dive into a vat of roasted garlic cloves and eat my way out (anyone else??), inspiration had struck and chickpea crack dip was invented.

After a quick prep in the food processor and the world’s fastest mascara application, I went to pick up Jake (after I gave him the pie) and we headed over with my crack dip and some baguette for toasting. I toasted the bread and set out the dip a little apprehensively. However, all fear disappeared as the dip disappeared in a matter of seconds and all my classmates voiced their approval. I knew that this recipe was a keeper.

Roasted Garlic and Chickpea Dip (makes about 2 cups)
2 cups chickpeas, drained
5 cloves garlic, whole and peeled
2-3 T olive oil
1 1/2 T balsamic vinegar
1 T parsley flakes
1 tsp red pepper flakes
salt & pepper to taste
Roast the chickpeas and whole garlic cloves for 25 minutes on 350*. Immediately transfer to a food processor, along with the balsamic vinegar, parsley, and red pepper flakes. Pulse the food pro a few times until the mixture becomes a bit more lumpy and then slowly drizzle in the olive oil until it reaches a smooth, paste-like texture. Serve warm or room temperature with toasted baguette slices!

miss american pie

This week marks another challenge of Project Tasteless. Remember when I cooked meatloaf naked? Well, this time around, we’re talking “Girls who eat their feelings”.

So, other than busy with school work, how am I feeling these days? I’ll give you a hint: giddy & with butterflies in my stomach. Figured it out yet? That’s right kids — I’ve got a crush! I’ve found myself a nice, sweet, Texas boy – an American classic. I’ve been walking around with a warm, fuzzy feeling inside. I also happen to associate these warm, fuzzy feelings with another American classic: Apple Pie.

So I stocked up on butter and got to work making “This Boy Makes me Feel All Warm and Fuzzy Like An Apple Pie” Pie (which is actually my Great Great Aunt Nell’s recipe I’ve made my whole life.

I decided that if I was going to whole hog and eat my feelings, I might as well go whole hog on the pie and do it 100% from scratch. I decided against the store-bought pie crust and braved making it on my own. My Aunt Josette, a chef, had confidence in my pastry skills, but I’m sad to say my own mother did not. But I persevered and made what is, in my opinion, perfect pie crust (I used this recipe from King Arthur Flour).

The key to my family’s apple pie, and what makes it unique from any other pie I’ve eaten, is the use of sweetened condensed milk!

(Shout out to my friend Mary for humoring me & playing photographer!)

When you make the pie crust, it makes 2 so you’re going to want to roll out the top pie crust to cover the apples. How you design this is up to you, but if you use a straight up pie crust make sure you cut some vents into it or use a pie bird! I decided that this guy was worth the “go big or go home” attitude and went for the lattice. 20 minutes and a lot of awkward dough later, I ended up with a semi-normal looking design!

Now you’re ready to bake at 350* for 45 minutes. Be sure to line the edges with aluminum foil for the first 35 minutes so they don’t get too brown!

“This Boy Makes Me Feel All Warm & Fuzzy Like Apple Pie” Pie
For this pie, you’ll need 2 pie crusts (I used this recipe which makes 2!)
3 baking apples (Braeburn or Granny Smith are the best), peeled and sliced thin
cinnamon
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 T cornstarch
1/2 can Eagles Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 egg (for egg wash)
4 tsp butter
Once you have one crust lining a buttered pie pan, place the sliced, peeled apples in the crust. Dust with a few shakes of cinnamon. In a separate mixing bowl, combine sugar, vanilla, cornstarch, and the condensed milk — do not be tempted to add more than 1/2 the can, it will be too runny! Once that is all mixed up, simply pour it over the sliced apples and cover with the 2nd pie crust, using whatever design you choose (be sure that the top crust has some vents!). Beat up an egg to make the egg wash and brush it on the exposed crust. Cut the 4 tsp of butter into small chunks and drop onto the top of the pie crust. Line the edges of the crust with aluminum foil, and be sure to remove it 10 minutes to the end of baking! This bakes for 45 minutes on 350*. There you have it, perfect apple pie! Now go eat your feelings!

product review: Blistop

So I have a bad habit of whining on Twitter. However, sometimes it gets me good things! The particular occasion of which I speak is, of course, when I was wearing one of my favorite pairs of shoes that were suddenly giving me horrible blisters. Like, my ankles were bleeding. Not attractive in any way. I couldn’t understand it; I’d worn these shoes as recently as March or April and they hadn’t caused problems.

Has Texas caused my feet to swell? Have my feet grown even more freakishly huge?

Well the folks at Flexitol make a spray called Blistop and they suggested I try their product. After a few messages, I wound up with a sample in the mail.

So I grabbed the same shoes that had caused the offensive blisters and decided to try it out. Besides, haven’t you all always wanted pictures of my feet?? Don’t answer that.

I have gotten ankle blisters my whole life but now apparently my little toes have morphed? So I gave a liberal spray to my little toes (both feet, naturally) and my ankles now that they’ve stopped bleeding and healed. I let it dry and finally ventured to put on my favorite flats.

I have to admit I was very skeptical and packed flipflops in my backpack, but I ventured off to a full day on campus complete with tons of walking between buildings, bus stops, and libraries and guess what? NO PAIN. NO BLISTERS.

This stuff is miraculous. I wouldn’t care what it is made of, if the aerosol made it bad for the environment, if it was super expensive… I wouldn’t care. I’d buy it. I have had blisters all my life, and this is the first thing other than a band-aid that has prevented them. Seriously, miracle cure.

Thank you to the kind people of Flexitol Blistop who let me try their product — I’ll be stocking up on this pronto (available at most drugstores)!!

beets, bears, battlestar galactica

Beets, bears, Battlestar Galactica…. and other important facts about my life:

My favorite cookie is a French macaron. I dream about these.

I eat breakfast in bed every day while watching “Saved By The Bell” reruns.

I don’t always wash fruit before eating it and usually just wipe it on my jeans and hope for the best.

I know how to open a bottle of champagne with a sword. (Yes, really.)

I watch Food Network pretty much constantly (unless “Saved By The Bell” is on).

My favorite animal is a shark.

I miss my best friends’ parents’ dog, Sophie.

And, I’m currently procrastinating a paper due tomorrow.

Edited to add:

I drink more water when it comes from small, plastic cups instead of grown-up glasses.

I don’t like Thanksgiving stuffing.