What I've Been Eating: Key West Edition

 Key Lime Pie

 My new favorite, Cuban Bread!!

 Conch Fritters

SUPER Fresh Oysters

Cuban Sandwich

Get Your Feast On!

Bark! It's beginning to look a lot like.....

So  much Christmas spirit this year....well, every year but this year in particular. We rummaged every inch of our storage unit aka the basement and managed to put out 99% of our Christmas/Holiday decorations. So far, it's looking good :)

The first time I ever tried Peppermint Bark was at a holiday party at work several years ago. I'm not a huge fan of mint-chocolate anything, so naturally this didn't sound appetizing at all. Surprisingly, I enjoyed every bite. I'm so happy I tried it. It's decadent, but refreshing at the same time and has become my favorite holiday nosh. I'm pretty sure this is a popular treat in general, but in case you're  not sure how to make it yourself, I included a quick and straight-forward recipe.


White Chocolate VS Almond Bark?

Now this is something I've always wondered. Does anyone else out there prefer to use almond bark over white chocolate or vice versa? I've always used almond bark in place of white chocolate and I don't really taste the difference, but I'm sure I'm wrong. I know that white chocolate dries a little bit more yellow whereas almond bark dries completely white, which I usually prefer because it's aesthetically more appealing to me and for this time of year it's just wintery and gorgeous. Oh and white chocolate tends to be a little bit more expensive, but I've always wondered, other than the color, what the difference is between the two.

If anyone knows, please let me know in the comments!

Candy Cane Bark

Ingredients

• 1/2 Cup almond bark melted
• 1 (about 1/4 Cup) crushed candy cane

Cooking Directions

1. In 10 second intervals, microwave almond bark until it's melted (be careful not to burn it!)
2. Crush candy cane and sprinkle into white chocolate. Mix thoroughly until candy cane is well incorporated.
3. On a cookie-sheet lined with wax/parchment paper, spread mixture evenly and thinly OR create cookie sized dollops.
4. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes or until completely solidified.
5. Break off into pieces and serve!

What is your ultimate favorite holiday snack?

Get Your Feast On!

DIY: Holiday/Seasonal Coasters

My adorable mom who has taken the reigns for a VERY festive holiday season in the house gave me the greatest DIY idea.  Instead of throwing away those old coasters, re-vamp them! I chose to do a snowflake design because it'll not only fit the holiday spirit, but can be used the entire winter season.

I never realized what a big difference something so small like a coaster can do to your home. These coasters put a smile on my face every time I look at them or set my drink down :)


What You'll Need:

• an old coaster
• red acrylic paint
• paint brush
• white blank paper (or scratch)
• scissors
• Triple Thick Glaze
• glitter nail polish (optional)

Directions

1. Wash and dry surface of coaster you'll be painting on.
2. Brush on two coats of red acrylic paint (allow to dry before each coat)
3. Create snowflake using paper and scissors. For an easy tutorial, click here.
4. Make sure snowflake is completely flat. Place it between heavy books for an hour to make sure.
5. Brush a little bit of Triple Thick Glaze on back of snowflake and carefully glue it onto top of coaster. Make sure there's no air pockets. Let dry.
6. Using glitter nail polish, evenly paint over snowflake. Let dry.
7. Finish off with Triple Thick Glaze. Air dry for several hours.

 It's hard to tell in this picture, but the glitter polish I used had a silver shimmery base with some blue larger glitters mixed in. In person, the silver looks so beautiful and perfect for a snowflake design.

Hope you are all having a wonderful holiday season so far! 

Get Your Feast On!

Happy Thanksgiving 2012!

“A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all other virtues.”
Cicero

Happy Thanksgiving!