Cooking in the Bean
Source: thegreatgeekmanual.com
Happy Halloween!!!
This year I decided to forgo the traditional costume/fastivities in favor of a relaxing weekend in the ‘burbs. Walking along tree-lined streets, admiring the bright foliage, watching movies and cooking…up a storm 
. Great recipes to share this week! Keep your eyes peeled for a whole lotta pumpkin .
How are you celebrating Halloween weekend?
-Christina
4 days until Halloween! I guess it’s time I get on the ‘treat’ part of this trick or treat train . I’m not big into Halloween festive foods that look like bloody fingers, eye balls or bat wings – even the titles make me squirmish. No, I much prefer my Halloween treats as just that, treats….with lots of sugar . I’ve been trying to up my baking game and figured real buttercream frosting would be the next step. In persusing Google reader, I found a short and easy recipe from Brown Eyes Baker that would be a perfect topping for cupcakes. I was obviously in a rush when I made these babies, so I went with a white cake box mix and dyed it orange. The buttercream would have to take my time and focus . 
The end result was perfect – sooo buttery and delicious (thanks to two whole sticks of butter). Man, that Paula Dean sure has something right 
. A last minute topping of candy corn added the final touch to these Halloween treats. Warning: Buttercream is apparently addictive, so pass these out or risk eating them all! (personal experience :/ ). Enjoy!
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Bon appetit!
-Christina
The sun is finally shinning! We’ve had 3 days of of cold, rainy weather here in the Bean and sunny skies are a nice change. To be honest, I really don’t mind rain/snow during the week, so long as my weekends are nice. I can also say that because I drive to work and park in a covered garage .
As I mentioned last week, I’ve been noticing a real lack of chicken/beef/pork dishes on the blog. Truthfully, that’s because I don’t eat that much meat during the week. I’m not a vegetarian by any means (med-rare steak makes me weak in the knees…yum), but between work, the gym and post-5:00 plans, salads and leftovers tend to be my go-to’s. Also, considering I’m usually cooking for 1, meatless dishes are cheaper. But lately I’ve been asking myself, “where’s the beef?” (or chicken or pork). So my friends, I’ll be making a better effort to make and post more carnivore-licious dishes , in addition to veggie fare as well.
This chicken dish, Apricot Balsamic Glazed Chicken from Rachel Ray, is perfect for any day of the week. Love her or hate her, Rachel’s recipe is super easy and only takes a few ingredients that you probably already have on hand. The original recipe also includes roasted beets, but I paired my chicken with a roasted autumn fruit and veggie side instead ( recipe to come).
Enjoy!
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)Directions:
Bon appetit!
-Christina
What a perfect weekend! Delicious food, a festival, fooseball, football and I even saw The Town (great movie if you haven’t seen it yet!).
On Saturday the BF and I headed toward the Fort Point Channel area near the Children’s Museum to hit up the Boston Local Food Festival. Looking forward to it all week, I even decided to forgo one of my other favorite Boston events. The weather was absolutely gorgeous; cool and crisp with lots of sunshine – oh Fall, we were meant for each other . 
I’m a bit late on the post and I’m sure you’ve seen a couple others, so I’ll leave it to pictures. Overall we a fun time, but it was very crowded – we only lasted about an hour. The food was delicious though (most offerings were under $5!) and I scored some hot pepper jam that I can’t wait to spread on every veggie, cracker, piece of bread I can find .
Save That Stuff set up Zero Waste Stations to dispose of 'trash' properly
Chicken Roti
Pumpkin Pie Soda
Effie's Nutcakes
Enjoying some coleslaw from Haley's House Bakery Cafe
Heartbreak Sauce
Hot Pepper Jam from Hedgie's Hot Stuff
Pumpkin Whoopie Pie from Dough Raise Me
Yum!
Once we had our fill of food (and crowds) we took a short jaunt: 
Cold beers on the roof deck – perfect end to a great day!
- Christina
We’re all busy. Whether it’s work, meeting up with friends, running errands or taking care of family, there just never seems to be enough time in the day. When life get’s especially busy, I turn to old favorites I know how to make by heart – the ones where measurement doesn’t really matter and I usually have all of the ingredients on hand. I had some leftover cilantro from a salsa I made last weekend, so I decided to make my Honey Lime Chicken; perfect for adding to salads for the week. The original recipe comes from Rachel Ray and is intended to be turned into a sandwich; although mine has never made it between two pieces of bread . With such simple ingredients, you can make a lot or a little depending on your purpose – want a few tenders to trow on a salad? Absolutely! Making a big meal for company? No problem! Whether you choose breasts or tenders, this chicken is perfect paired with a Tex-Mex rice, Mexican chunk salad or even on its own.
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.Bon appetit!
-Chrisina