Tag Archives: orange

Orange-Ricotta Pop Tarts

Posted on February 6, 2013 by Danguole| 16 Comments

Holy crap, I am obsessed with Weeds. These things tend to happen in the winter: Netflix streaming and dark evenings somehow make me extraordinarily motivated…  To sit on my couch and catch up on pop culture.  Watch all the things!  Yes!

I’m not doing so hot; Weeds premiered in 2005, you know?  I would have an easier time forgetting just how late I am to the party if it weren’t for the cell phones.  Old-school flip phones with that familiar greenish-grey/black display.  Shows about drug dealers feature phones A LOT.

On this schedule, I’ll be ready to discuss Girls and Downton Abbey in 2021.  Let’s make it a date, okay?

I’ll bring homemade pop tarts.

This has been on my to-do list for a while.  First thanks to the ever-brilliant and inspiring Deb from Smitten Kitchen. Then I had this killer homemade sweet potato pop tart at Dottie’s True Blue in San Francisco.  I guess I tend to get around to baking projects slightly more quickly than I catch up to cool TV shows.  Slightly.

And so, here they are!  And they’re beauties.  Tender,  buttery pastry crust, and zesty, slightly sweet, citrusy, creamy-dreamy-cheesy, slightly vanilla-scented filling.  A swirl of powdered-sugar icing on top.  Pop tarts!  Made from real food!

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Posted in Baking, Breakfast, Dessert, Vegetarian, Winter

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Orange and Cardamom Infused Cold-Brewed Coffee

Posted on January 30, 2013 by Danguole| 7 Comments

Guess who went to a concert 3.5 hours away on a Monday night…  Then came back the same night…  Then went to work Tuesday morning and stayed for almost 12 hours?  Simple math tells us: that is too many hours of traveling and rocking out and working.  And not enough of sleeping.

I don’t know if I’m bragging or telling you that I’m a GIANT IDIOT.

Maybe not that much of an idiot, because this was waiting for me at home.  A pitcher of coffee in your fridge can fix anything.

So, just what is the deal with cold brewing? To recap, it’s making coffee without heat–mix and let it sit, then filter.  I first posted it early last summer, but it’s been a year-round staple for me ever since.  And believe me, I love nothing more than steaming milk for a cappuccino on a winter morning, but that kind of luxury ain’t suited for the M-F of a busy life, baby.

Cold-brewed coffee is an easy, convenient solution, and even the plain-Jane version tastes far superior than hot-brewed and iced coffee.  This time, we’re taking things to a fancy new level: infusing our concoction with orange and cardamom.  Fragrant citrus and warm spice: good morning, sunshine!  It’s so, so very lovely.  I normally drink my cold brew black, but this version, combined with some unsweetened (sweetened would be great too, obviously) vanilla almond milk, is just out of this world.

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Posted in Drinks, fruit, Healthy (?)

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Double Chocolate and Candied Orange Peel Cookies

Posted on January 18, 2013 by Danguole| 6 Comments

You guys…  I have never pawned off  a batch of cookies with more urgency.  Normally, baked goods will hang out on my counter for a while, waiting for me to meet up with a friend or catch my neighbor when she’s going out for a walk.  I will enjoy one here and there in the meantime.  But this was what you might call a Dangerous Situation.  Janeane Garofalo would rightly make fun of me, but the cookies had to go!

I’m all about the orange-chocolate combo, you see.  The fragrance, the bitterness of the orange, plus rich, dark, swoon-worthy chocolate…  It’s all so dreamy.

And man, these are good.  Chewy, rich and fudgy, with tons of texture courtesy of crunchy pecans and toothsome, chewy candied orange.  That’s two kinds of chewy for those of you who are keeping track!  Flavorwise, need I say more?  My goodness.

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Posted in Baking, Cookies, Dessert

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Roasted Carrot, Avocado and Orange Salad

Posted on May 24, 2012 by Danguole| 6 Comments

I can’t be the only not-at-all-an-actor (unless you count acting like a weirdo) who secretly wishes to be interviewed by James Lipton.  First of all, he is awesome.  Second of all, he has some amazing questions…  Like the ones he always asks about favorite/least favorite words.  I like talking about words.

And boy oh boy.  I think I could go on a rather long rant about “awkward.”  I can’t think of any other word that has been abused and misused like poor little “awkward.”  I don’t dislike the word itself–not everyone can pull off the w-k-w combo!  That is impressive.  However.  It seems everything today is “awkward.”  It’s like we’re all stuck in that Alanis Morissette song about irony.  A black fly in your chardonnay isn’t ironic, Alanis, and neither is it awkward, Lots of Other People.  It’s gross.

That felt so good, you guys.  Thank you for letting me put on my grouchy pants.

Let’s talk about words we like now.  I have many!  Among them: juicy, roasted, spicy, sweet, tart, creamy, orange, green.  Do you see where I’m going?  I’m going to salad town.

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Posted in Healthy (?), Main courses, Salad, Sides, Vegetarian

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Cranberry Orange Cheesecake with Chocolate Crust

Posted on December 28, 2011 by Danguole| 3 Comments

Gang: There are 362 shopping/baking/decorating days left!  Pleeeennnty of time for you to bake up one of these for the next round of holidays, no?

I bet you can see right through me.   I made this for Christmas.  For me and my family to eat.  Not to put it up here with plenty of time for you to, if you find it inspiring, do the same.  Selfish, totally selfish and slackery, and I’m sorry.  The good news is, this would also be wonderful for a New Year’s celebration.  Or a winter birthday.  Or Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.  OR I just need to step up and be a better blogger.

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Posted in Cake, Cheesecake, Dessert, Entertaining, Holidays, Winter

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Pomegranate Cinnamon Old-Fashioned

Posted on November 10, 2011 by Danguole| 2 Comments

Oh hey, climate.  You’ve changed.  By this time any other year, I wouldn’t still be waiting to do that thing I do where I scurry from my car to the front door in a snowstorm with my shoulders hunched and head down to start the quickest change into sweats and fuzzy slippers that is humanly possible. I don’t do many things quickly, but the race to get cozy is no joke–sometimes my head emerges from the inside of my hoodie still covered with (melting, but still) snowflakes.  I’m still waiting for this to become an Olympic event.

The second phase of this isn’t quite so hectic–I light a fire and make/pour myself a drink (just like any Olympic hopeful would). Whiskey has really grown on me; it’s warm and woodsy, right at home next to the fireplace.

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Posted in Drinks, Entertaining, Fall

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