Spaetzle from the Hungarians

Posted by Erika in rad*kitchen

My mom has lived almost her entire life thinking that a part of her family came from Hungary….or what was Hungary at one time, during the days of the Austro-Hungarian empire.  Her family recipe files are full of pepper dishes and dumplings, and stuffed cabbages.  Imagine her surprise when several years

focaccia in a flash

Posted by Erika in Punk Rock Lunchbox, rad*kitchen

Got a few minutes?  That’s all it will take to mix up this tender, delicious batch of focaccia..
Take this stuff and throw it in your mixer with the paddle attachment.  Or you can throw it all in a bowl and whip it up quickly yourself.  Don’t say I didn’t warn

potential career choices

Posted by Erika in rad*random

While I’m certainly relieved that she has begun to consider these things early in life, I think the DOF and I need to talk about setting the bar quite a bit higher.
En route to an afternoon screening of Alice in Wonderland, we passed by several chain restaurants, one of which is

petite francophile

Posted by Erika in rad*random

 
Since the DOF was the BDOF (baby director of fancy), she has loved all things France.  Several factors of influence at the time included my love of France and it’s cuisine, my cousin living in Paris at that time, our closest playdates/dear friends whose mama was raising bi-lingual babies (en

no more soup for you!

Posted by Erika in rad*kitchen

 
My days of hot soup are quickly coming to a most welcome end.  Not because I have been forbidden to eat it, or worse yet, thrown out of the soup store, but because the weather- it’s a changing. 
See, we have actually had a fairly mild winter here in Wisconsin’s northeast

love is…..a good book

Posted by Erika in rad*reads

Bedtime stories are, for me, some of the best moments of the day.  In case no one has noticed, I am a total book nerd.  If I’m not cooking or writing, I’m reading.  Probably to the point where it’s annoying. 
As I have mentioned before, I also have a really soft

is that a tapeworm?

Posted by Erika in Punk Rock Lunchbox, rad*living

Hey, you know there’s like no actual fruit in those things called “fruit snacks”, right?
 http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2010/03/01/10-surprisingly-unhealthy-kids-foods-and-their-healthier-alter/
Does anyone else think that those “snacks” look like paper fly traps?  eewwwwwww.

lunching with leftovers

Posted by Erika in Punk Rock Lunchbox, rad*kitchen

Last night, I made….and we ate, a lovely rosemary and garlic focaccia (more on that later) with our pasta.  And this morning over yogurt smoothies, the DOF asked me to make her this sandwich.
(Caution- items in photos appear larger than they actually are.  I like the close-up.)

 
Let me preface this

matchmaker, matchmaker

Posted by Erika in rad*random

 
The following is a conversation had by the DOF and me last night regarding her single uncle, who had sent her some music:
“Uncle Roo is all alone. He doesn’t have any pets or anything.”
“Um, actually he has a cat. Remember Scaredy?”
“Oh yeah, a kitty. But he should get a dog,……. and

ringing in our ears

Posted by Erika in rad*random

 
It’s been almost 2 weeks since I solicited some overdue advice regarding “girl rock” selections and continuing ed in rock & roll for the DOF.  We have listened to more bad ass chick music than I have since I was about 23. 
In fact, I’m feeling so inspired now, I’m considering a