Home Sweet Kitchen

The past few weekends I've been lucky enough to get home and spend some time with family.  One of my favorite parts about getting to go home is having a kitchen to cook in.  Being in college and having no kitchen I really miss getting the chance to cook.  In high school I would often cook dinner for my family and plan out what I was going to make by looking through my array of cook books.
So as you probably could have guessed being home these past few weekends I took my time in the kitchen very seriously and made a few recipes from Giada De Laurentiis' new cook book Weeknights with Giada.
Cooking and food has always been a large part of my family's life- celebrating around good food, having Sunday family dinners, and always gathering in the kitchen at family parties.  Food brings people together and I truly believe that.  In Giada De Laurentiis' life cooking obviously plays a big role, but from following her journey on the Food Network family is also a very important part of her life as well and that's why I enjoy cooking the recipes she puts in her cook books and makes on her show.
Here are three of the recipes that I tried...

Scallion and Mozzarella Cornbread

Orzo with Smokey Tomato Vinaigrette 

Oatmeal, Cranberry, and Chocolate Chunk Cookies 

I have linked the recipes from the Food Network website, but they read the same as in her cook book.

First, all of the recipes were fairly simple.  The cornbread recipe called for boxed cornbread mix as the base, which made things much easier.  I would have liked to have tasted even more flavor in the cornbread, so next time I might add roasted red peppers to add flavor and color to the cornbread as well.  The orzo was also a simple recipe.  The vinaigrette was easy to mix and the fresh basil, cherry tomatoes, and apple cider vinegar added a nice kick to the orzo pasta.  I served the orzo with parmesan breaded chicken, corn, and a salad, but it would be a nice complement to any piece of meat or even the star of your meal.  It tasted great reheated the next day for lunch which I was even more excited about.  Last but certainly not least, the oatmeal cookies were some of the best cookies I have ever made.  The cranberry and chocolate together with the oatmeal was a perfect combination and the cookies are great for dessert or a quick pick me up snack with the added dried fruit.  Warm out of the oven and a few days later the cookies were still fantastic.  I would definitely recommend all of these recipes, not only were they simple but they were delicious and my family and friends even liked them too!
So get in the kitchen, bring your family together, and make some of these fantastic recipes.

Let the Good Times Roll...

This week the day I have been waiting for all semester finally came, April 17th.  The day that I would be attending the Ben Rector and Need to Breathe concert at the House of Blues in Boston with a few of my friends from home.  It felt like this day would never come, but it finally did and it didn't disappoint.
I met up with my three friends from home and off we went to the House of Blues.  It was a 7pm concert and the Red Sox had a game around the same time so the area around Fenway Park was hopping.
One of my favorite things about going to school here at BU is being able to go into the city whenever I want to.  Fenway Park and the House of Blues are both a short walk from my dorm and it couldn't be easier to get around here in Boston.
Back to the concert though, Ben Rector was opening for Need to Breathe so we got to the House of Blues early to ensure a good spot since we had tickets for the floor, and boy did we get a good spot- we were about four rows from the stage, right in front of Ben Rector's keyboard.
His performance was amazing... playing all of my favorites from White Dress to She is and Let the Good Times Roll.  He even performed the cover of Whitney Huston's "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" which was fun and really got the crowd going.  This concert just reaffirmed my love for Ben Rector and his music, and I can't wait until he goes on tour again, he sounded even better live and that is what being a musician is all about...
Need to Breathe came out after that and they weren't too bad... I only knew a few of their songs, but they has some great jam sessions and overall it was just a really fun time to catch up with friends.
In regards to the House of Blues, this was the first show I have ever seen there, but I will defiantly be back.  It is a great venue, there is really no bad spot in the whole place, its small and intimate and was perfect.

So that was April 17th for me... this concert has gotten me so excited for summer and summer concerts, I can't wait!  Until next time...

Book Signing: Weeknights with Giada

Last Friday one of my favorite chefs came to Boston- Giada DeLaurentiis.
I first fell in love with Giada and her cooking style when I was in middle school and first became obsessed with the Food Network.  After watching just one of her episodes you will be able to relate.  She is very personable on her show and makes great dishes- all with a great Italian twist.
When I first found out that Giada was coming to the Williams Sonoma in Boston I freaked... after taking a few deep breaths I  decided that I would do whatever I could to attend this book signing.
When I was in high school, I had made arrangement to go to one of her book signing back in Connecticut, but then something came up at school and I couldn't leave early to go.  So since that day I have always hoped that I would have the chance to attend one of her book signings.
As expected, when arrived at the Williams Sonoma, there was a huge crowd lined up awaiting Giada'a arrival.  Lucky for me I had called earlier that week and reserved a book so I was all set.  After getting my copy of Weeknights with Giada, my wait began.
After about two hours I finally got to meet Giada (for a quick second), and she signed by copy of her cookbook.  I have to say, I was a bit star struck... I don't know how she does it, but she was so kind and sweet and seemed genuinely happy to meet each of her fans.
Here is a picture of my signed copy of the cookbook and of the great Giada DeLaurentiis herself:

Thanks to Giada, I now have a whole new set of recipes that I need to try out... 

some of my favorites include the creamy sweet potato and rosemary soup, grilled california-style chopped salad with shrimp, mini meatball sandwiches, orzo with smoky tomato vinaigrette, and the crepes...

along with some great memories from her book signing!  Thanks Giada!