Domestic Geeks

halloween themed treats, part one!

the Decorated Cookie strikes again with these creative marshmallow zombie pops!  these look completely simple and fun to make.

looking for something a bit healthier, check out this fun witch sandwich from ZiggityZoom.com:

A fun and easy Halloween treat for a quick lunch or dinner.  Serve this as a cold sandwich or make a two-part grilled cheese and then assemble the witch. For the Witch:

• 2 slices light bread
• 2 slices dark bread
• Green apple
• Carrot
• Olive slice
• Sandwich filling

Stack light slices of bread and cut out an angular head for the witch’s head. Stack dark bread and cut out a long, thin hat.  Fill both sections with sandwich filling of your choice.  A fun option here is to make grilled cheese.  Set sandwich sections in place on the plate.  Use long strip of green apple slice for the brim of the hat, layers two slices if needed.  Cut small circular slices for polka dots from carrot and arrange on hat. To make the hair, cut five irregular, slices of carrot and add to plate.  Use an olive slice for the eye and a thin strip of apple for the mouth.  Happy Halloween!

more fun ideas to come!

<3 kt

pizza pops!

wow. i never thought that a pizza and a Popsicle would combine to create a pizza pop! but Meaghan Mountford (The Decorated Cookie) did just that! here, she shows us how she did it plus tips on different toppings & calzones pops! now i am dreaming up ones i would make myself...like butternut squash spinach & walnut ones...nom nom nom. these are not only adorable, but make excellent appetizers for a party! <3 kt

uses for your apple peels

its fall and tis the season for apple picking!  i came across this article today by http://www.thekitchn.com and it made me think about what i do with my apple peels!  here are their suggestions:

1. Make jelly: Any apple peels will do, but red colored ones make an especially lovely jelly. The Recipe Link has a recipe that calls for added pectin, while Craftster has one that simply uses peels and cores.

2. Brew tea: Pink tea! We can't wait to try this recipe from Finding Joy in My Kitchen.

3. Add to oatmeal: Store peels in the freezer and add them to simmering oatmeal along with raisins and cinnamon. For a finer texture, process the peels in a blender first.

4. Add to smoothies: Throw some frozen apple peels into a smoothie for extra fiber.

5. Clean aluminum cookware: According to DIY Network, the acid in apple peels can remove stains and discoloration from aluminum pots and pans. Fill the pan with water, add apple peels, and simmer for about 30 minutes.

here are some of my own suggestions:

• start a compost!
• add them to a salad.
• make them into a crunchy snack: place on parchment lined baking sheet and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. bake them at the lowest temperature for a couple of minutes until they start to curl.  NOM NOM!

<3 kt

 

 

tentacle pot pie

yes, OF COURSE i am making this amazing personal pot pie for Halloween this year: while i stay at home on ALL HALLOWS EVE and countdown to AMC's WALKING DEAD, i will be nom noming on this!

*thanks to Babble.com & Megan Reardon at NotMartha.org!

<3 kt

stand up for Organic!

i recently came across this fantastic post by one of my favorite RSS feeds: The Atlantic. i really enjoyed this article:

State of the Organic Union

here are the keys points brought up in the article:

1. Americans are very confused about what organic is and is not and why organic matters. 

*coming from the Midwest, i did not know what organic meant until i started working for Whole Foods Market.  there, i was completely educated on what organic means, how important it is, and the type of impact it has on my health and quality of the food.  i now live in California and whenever i go home, i am constantly trying to spread the wealth of knowledge to my friends and family.  word-of-mouth is some of the most powerful ways to educate those around you.

2. The organic industry must focus on clearing up that confusion and communicating why organic food is so important and the safest food you can buy.

*how does one go about learning what organic means?  unless you seek out the knowledge, you have no way of really learning.  farmers markets and grocery stores that host classes to educate you are good spots to learn more.  however, it's not easy.  although you can easily google it on the internet, it's still not common knowledge.  in health classes in schools, they should be teaching organics to students! the organic society needs to branch out and grow within our culture.

3. If we are going to save the world, we are going to have to unite and work together instead of fighting amongst ourselves.

*i think this point is pretty self explanatory! please read the article in full here.

by local produce and if you can, MAKE IT ORGANIC!!!

<3 kt