bad lip read

In preparation for the Super Bowl next weekend (if it's even happening?! #deflategate?!), I wanted to share this video that Bad Lip Read puts out at the end of every NFL season. It gets me every time--I can't get over how real it looks!

After you watch this one, you should definitely look up the ones from years past. I might argue that 2013 and 2014's videos are better than 2015...either way, never gets old.

Go Browns!
Cam

technologically challenged

I think most people in my generation would consider themselves pretty adept with computers--I know I do. Our parents, on the other hand, could use a little help. I'm sure many of us can relate:

cam: christmas cookie staple

Christmas is hands down my favorite holiday. What could be better than food, family and festivities?! Despite Christmas being about a week away, it hasn't truly felt like Christmas yet. And I know I'm not the only one who feels this way. My apartment is decked out with a baby Christmas tree, Christmas cards hanging on the fridge, Christmas candles, Christmas lights (that have been hanging since last December...but hey, who doesn't like the ambiance of those twinkly little lights?) but I still can't wrap my head around the fact that Christmas is right around the corner!

To help remedy that this weekend, I made some of my rosemary shortbread cookies. I've made these every Christmas for the past three years and they are always a hit. Not too sweet, perfectly flaky, and so different from the rest of what you're used to eating during the holidays. I love decorating sugar cookies, but they're never that good to eat once you're done decorating. But these--these are good to eat.

I use this recipe and use a little less flour than called for (maybe 2 2/3 cups instead of 2 3/4 cups) because the batter can get kinda dry and be difficult to work with.

Chopped up rosemary.

I like using the Christmas tree cookie cutter because it makes the rosemary look like pine needles.

Enjoy!

As a pre-New Years resolution, I am trying to be better about blogging. I apologize for the 6-month hiatus!!

-Cam

cam: woes of all 20-somethings who like to cook

I love to cook and try out new recipes. But as a 25 year old who also tends to only cook for one person, I find myself steering away from experimenting with certain dishes because of obscure ingredients that I only need a dash of and then end up wasting the rest of--and I hate wasting food! What will I do with the rest of the $12 truffle butter that I only need one teaspoon of? And I know I'm not the only one with this problem because plenty of my friends sympathize with me.

For example, on Sunday night, my boyfriend Wes and I did make your own pizzas. Wes's favorite pizza is Hawaiian while I...would prefer something else.

His and hers pizza. Guess whose is whose?

I tried a variation on this recipe for broccoli rabe, Italian sausage, and ricotta pizza I saw on FoodPornDaily (can't help it--guilty pleasure) and instead did kale, Italian chicken sausage and ricotta pizza on pre-made cornmeal crusts that I pick up from WholeFoods. It was SO GOOD! And Wes's pizza was fine, in my opinion.

However, this left me with almost an entire carton of ricotta cheese. Other than lasagna, I am not familiar with many recipes that require ricotta cheese. This morning, since I was working from home, I experimented by making some ricotta pancakes a la Giada De Laurentis and they were delicious! I skipped out on the honey syrup and just used regular maple syrup. The pancakes were light and fluffy but had a slight tang from the cheese. I would definitely make them again for a weekend breakfast or brunch.

With blubes!

The bad news is, I still have about a half of a container of ricotta cheese...any suggestions on how to get rid of it?!

-Cam

thank you mam: please pass the grey poupon?

As a mustard-lover, particularly Grey Poupon, I died when my co-worker Taylor sent me this video:

What do you Poupon?

-Cam

bam: back on the toms train

Pardon yet another one of my extended absences from blogging. I was on the road for 10 straight days, with a mix of both business and pleasure. First, I was in North Carolina with my boyfriend and his family for a wedding, complete with photo booth props...

Then I was out of the country for work for a week but made it back to Boston in time to watch lots of House of Cards, eat lots of food, and sit in lots of sun for the remainder of Memorial Day weekend. Which, by the way, apparently earned the hashtag #MDW. When I first saw #MDW, I had FOMO thinking that all my Instagram friends had gone somewhere nicknamed MDW for the weekend without me. However I soon learned what the hashtag meant once I searched the public world of Instagram (a scary place) and saw thousands of posts from people using #MDW doing a wide variety of things, from boating and drinking beers in the great outdoors, to sitting inside dark rooms and taking selfies. FOMO no'mo! Phew!

Anyways the true subject of this post is my renewed love of TOMS! Everyone knows about TOMS and the good work they do by providing a pair of shoes for a child in need for each pair you purchase, or an eye exam each time you buy their sunglasses, but TOMS has also absolutely nailed the style side of things with their newest line of slip ons...

...sandals...

...and wedges. I am excited to say that, thanks to some birthday money from my beloved family, these beauties are on their way to my apartment as we speak. They are the perfect versatile shoe for the summer and even though I don't typically like high heels (I only own one pair at the moment), I think I will get a ton of wear out of these.

Even if TOMS may not be your thing, I encourage you to check it out because their shoes are comfortable, cute, and affordable and you never know, you just might find your new favorite pair of shoes.

-Cam

bam: sweet potato hash browns

I've never been a big fan of baked potatoes. Whenever it was "baked potato day" at lunch, all my friends would go nuts, so excited to pinch open those steaming hot potatoes and top them with all sorts of fixin's. But I've just never been into 'em. I can handle sweet potatoes a bit better, but I still can't make it all the way through a plain ole baked potato--sweet or otherwise.

However, in keeping with my diet inspiration I wrote about last week, sweet potatoes qualify as a healthy "hard carb" and I've been trying to find delicious ways to incorporate them into my meals. My new favorite trick is to use a cheese grater to shred up a sweet potato to then make sweet potato hash browns, which make a great dinner side or a twist on breakfast hash browns. Just throw them in the skillet with some oil, cooking on each side for about 5 minutes.

shredded.

While they don't get as crispy as regular potatoes, they still get a similar texture and are deeeeelish! Add a little salt and pepper if you want and bon appetite!

-Cam