While the majority of my job involves sales, I work on sales on a corporate level, so it's also a matter of building relationships with people, keeping customers happy, and other aspects of customer care. And while my company has a very loyal base of happy and completely satisfied customers, we are human, and like every company there's glitches that pop up and issues that happen and customers that get upset. And it's my job to deal with those unhappy people. And if an unhappy customer who spent a hundred dollars is a problem, you can imagine that an unhappy customer who spent a hundred thousand dollars is about a thousand times more of a problem. But it happens. And we deal with it. And … [Read more...]
Creamy Orange Vegetable Soup
I realize that the title of this post is kind of misleading. When you see the word creamy, you probably imagine a rich and creamy soup, full of...well, cream. In actuality, this soup is thick and rich. However, it is not only devoid of cream, but it's pretty healthy. I've been making this soup for years, and it is one of my all-time favorites. While this soup is delicious all year round, the flavors and colors are absolutely perfect for fall. And because this soup freezes magnificently, I freeze it in single servings, and pop one in the microwave when I come home from work late on a frigid fall or winter night. This soup is thick and filling, and warms you right to the very core. Best of … [Read more...]
Grilled Mustard Marinated Chicken
I've always read and heard great things about using a grill pan, but I've been too scared to use one. Why, you ask? Simple. I have a relative who is a huge fan of the grill pan, but everything they've ever cooked on it has come out dry and overcooked. [Let us all take a moment now to say a collective prayer that said relative doesn't actually read my blog.] Let's go on. So I left the grill pan in the back of the cabinet, opting instead for the outdoor grill, the George Forman grill, or in a pinch, the broiler. Then the blackout happened. And for three days I faced very limited cooking options. 30 degrees and a foot of snow meant no outdoor grill, the lack of power eliminated the … [Read more...]
Barbecue Flavored Roasted Corn Kernels: a Healthy Snack
I've been real quiet lately, I know. But I have a good excuse. No, a great excuse. Lets start with the month of Jewish Holidays, in which I cooked and fed a monstrous amount of food. No time for pictures, no time for writing up posts. No time to breath, really. All the while, I thought to myself "well, as soon as the holidays are over (they are now) I will be cooking up a storm, photographing everything I make...after all, I will have so much time." I must have forgotten ab0ut *work* when I formulated those thoughts. My company closed for the entire week of Succos, which is very nice on Succos. Then we all came back, and the reality hits. It's not like one person going on vacation, when … [Read more...]
Spicy Carrot Chips
I've been hesitant to post this recipe. Not because it's not delicious, but because they came out of the oven at some ridiculous hour, and I didn't have the energy to get proper pictures. The one I'm posting seriously doesn't do these chips any kind of justice. But I'm going to post the recipe for a number of reasons. Firstly, there's going to be a complete sugar overload on this blog in the next week or so (you have been warned!) so I figured I'd preempt it with some delicious veggies. Because, as we all know, a vegetable plus a cupcake cancel each other out. Right? The other reason is that, as my Jewish readers know, it is traditional to ear carrots on Rosh Hashanah, the upcoming Jewish … [Read more...]
Healthy Orange Carrot Muffins
When I posted the recipe last week for my Healthy Chocolate muffins, I received a far better reception than I'd have dreamed. I mean, post some kind of decadent cookie recipe and you know people will like it, but it's a surprise- albeit a pleasant one, to discover that people are so fond of delicious yet healthy recipes. At work too, people loved my muffins. And why not? They are delicious, and they don't make you want to avoid your scale. So I decided to take those muffins and make some other versions. Why should chocolate get all the fun? Let's invite some other flavors to the party! I'm not sure why, but I've always been tempted by the non-dietetic carrot muffins I made for my family … [Read more...]
Two Colored Squash with Shallots and Herbs
So it turns out this Overtime Cook idea is harder than it sounds. Does it sound hard? It's harder. I get home at about 7:30 pm on a good night. By the time I cook and eat supper and start my baking, it's late. I finish at a ridiculous hour, then try to photograph my food, clean up, shower and get a few minutes of sleep before I wake up at 6:30 the next morning for another round of this. Whew. Just typing my schedule is getting me tired. Time for another super easy recipe, don't you think? Let's talk squash. Zucchini, to be precise. I'm pretty sure zucchini is my all time favorite vegetable. I love it's versatility; one vegetable can turn into a delicious side dish off the … [Read more...]
Honestly Healthy Double Chocolate Chip Muffins
I've been baking for years now, but have never tasted any of my baked goods. Until Thursday. Yep, you read that right. Tray after tray of mouthwatering cookies coming out of the oven, fresh hot aromatic garlic bread, delicious potato knishes...and I don't taste it. I enjoy them through the enjoyment of my family and friends, but not on my own. It's kind of sad, really, but I have been dieting longer than I have been baking. Occasionally, even a hard core dieter needs a dessert, and that's when I would turn to my local bakery. They sell whole wheat, sugar free, low fat muffins that are... well, ok. Barely. I didn't buy them often, so I wasn't all that concerned. Until last week, when I went … [Read more...]
Grilled Vegetable Rice Salad
Every year, around this time, I get this panicky feeling as I think about the summer slipping away. Wait! How can summer be ending? I didn't have enough fun yet! I didn't do all of the summery things I wanted to do! This summer more so than usual. I've been working overtime at work, on top of my super long hours. I spent weeks preparing for the party for my sister's new baby. I started a food blog. Here's what I haven't done. I haven't gone on vacation. I haven't spent time in the beautiful outdoors. My skin is as white as it was in December. For me, it might as well be the dead of winter. Except for the barbecues. And oh what amazing barbecues I've made. Chicken, burgers, steak, veggies- … [Read more...]
Za’atar Roasted Cauliflower
I know I give off the impression here that I spend every at-home waking hour in the kitchen, tinkering with recipes and creating all kinds of exciting delicacies. But that isn't always the case. Occasionally (okay, very occasionally) I have a life. I come home from work and gasp do thing. Non cooking things. And when I get home late, the last thing I want to do is spend a ton of time preparing lunch for the next day. Lunch? Why is that a big deal? It is. Let me explain. Yes, my coworkers order in daily (or so it seems). Every time I step into the elevator to leave the building, three (or more) delivery men are coming up to my floor. But I don't order in. Never have, hope never to. It's … [Read more...]