You Need to Go to: BerryLine

I have one very important piece of advice for you. If you're in Boston, run to Harvard Square. Or whatever, you can walk; that's what Sara and I did today (LONG walk!). Or you can even take public transportation. Just yourself there and to 1 Arrow Street as soon as possible.

Why? To get to BerryLine. BerryLine is officially my new favorite place. It's a frozen yogurt place, but you know how most frozen yogurt tastes pretty much like ice cream? This actually tastes like real yogurt. Amazingly good, creamy yogurt. Of course, the best part is the toppings. They offer tons of different fruits, candies, cereals (Fruity Pebbles!), etc.

Or maybe the best part is that the yogurt has 25 calories/oz. So a small yogurt has 125 calories. A medium, 200. Wow. I'm seriously in love.

Finally. BerryLine is Boston's answer to PinkBerry. Now if only there were one just a little bit closer to my apartment, I think I might move in.

Sorry, we couldn't really wait to take pictures before we started eating!

[Sues]

San Francisco bound...

I'm off to San Francisco today :) The GPS is packed and I'm hoping to do lots of exploring around Northern California so I can bring back some goodies. One place I'm super excited to check out is Kara's Cupcakes. Check out the flavors... That alone could be worth the trip!

Can't wait to report back :)

In the meantime, some pictures from my last trip...

[Chels]

Greek-Stuffed Chicken

While shopping in Trader Joe's with my mom the other day, I decided that I wanted to make Greek chicken. So I figured I'd buy all the ingredients and find a recipe when I got home. But when I got home, I couldn't find a recipe that made me happy, so I decided to just make something up on my own with the ingredients I had. And I made Greek-stuffed chicken.

I basically threw all my ingredients in a bowl. They included:

• half of a red onion, chopped
• a bunch of sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
• a lot of feta cheese, crumbled
• a bunch of kalamata olives, halved
• a huge handful of parsley, chopped
• a splash of balsamic vinaigrette
• some pepper

So scientific, right? But I was just experimenting and I figured I'd throw it all in a bowl and mix it up.


Then I cut slits into the chicken breasts and stuffed them full of the mixture. I put A LOT of the mixture in the chicken because I wanted to, but you can do as much or as little as you'd like.

Then I put the chicken on a pan covered with foil and baked it at 350 for about 30 minutes.

I made a little spinach salad with some fresh tomatoes and served it. I probably could have cooked the chicken for a bit less time, but I really liked how some of the filling got a little crispy. And the chicken was still nice and tender.

The only thing I didn't like is that I used reduced-fat feta, which, while it tasted just as good as the regular, it was extra super salty. I didn't add any extra salt to the meal, but I wish the feta had just a little less. But overall, everything went really well together. Opa!

[Sues]

Weber Smokey Joe Grill

I saw this Weber Smokey Joe Grill while I was waiting in line at Crate and Barrel the other day. I think I neeeed to have it asap and for only $49.95 why wouldn't I want it even more? It would be perfect for my deck, the beach, or anywhere else the wind takes me this summer! It's small and easy to carry but large enough to toss a few burgers on at once. And it comes in my favorite shade of green... no brainer!

[image: www.crateandbarrel.com]

Can't wait to start grilling!

[Chels]

Vanilla Cupcakes and Chocolate Chunk Cookie Cupcakes

My sister and her fiancé, Adam, moved to Boston this weekend and since they have never had the pleasure of indulging in my cupcakes, I made some to take to my family's house for dinner on Friday evening.

I made my traditional vanilla cupcakes, and I also made a chocolate chunk (chip) cookie cupcake. Though we had a huge dinner cooked by my parents (Chilean sea bass and whipped sweet potatoes), we still managed to eat the cupcakes for dessert!

The vanilla cupcakes come from a Magnolia recipe that I adjusted a bit. If you follow the recipe exactly, they really don't taste anything like Magnolia cupcakes, but it is a good start.

I'm a big fan of self-rising flour, but if you don't have any and the recipe you're using calls for it, make sure you add some baking powder and a little bit of salt.

I add A LOT more vanilla than the recipe calls for. I don't really measure it; I just keep adding it and tasting it (oops) until it tastes perfect to me. The vanilla extract you buy at the store is fine, but my mom makes her own vanilla and gives bottles of it to me, and nothing really compares.

Pretty cupcakes holders can make all the difference. Chels gave me these Martha Stewart ones for my birthday.

The vanilla cupcakes:

The recipe for the chocolate chunk cookie cupcakes was very similar to the simple vanilla, but it didn't call for self-rising flour (and did call for baking powder and salt). It also called for light brown sugar and just a tiny bit of whole milk. I didn't have a semi-sweet chocolate bar, so I used chocolate chips instead of chunks in my cupcakes.

I cut the recipe in half, but it barely made 9 cupcakes (it should have made 12).

It was my first time making chocolate buttercream frosting and it was really delicious. Since you need a double boiler and I don't have one, I made my own by putting a heat-resistant bowl over a pot of boiling water and putting the chocolate chips in the bowl.

Keep stirring and the chips will melt nicely:

Then add confectioners' sugar, milk, and vanilla (again, I add lots!) and beat on a low speed.

The final frosted cupcakes:

I made vanilla buttercream frosting too, which is made the same was as the chocolate, without the melting of the chocolate chips. I usually try to make the frosting pretty colors, but I left it white this time.

[Sues]

Chicken Lo Mein

Chinese food is one of those things that sounds like a really good idea until you eat way too much of it and you realize it's overly greasy and just not good for you (yes, it takes eating lots of it for you to realize this common sense fact). But lo mein is just so good, right? When Sara and I were in Russo's last week, we saw lo mein noodles and I realized I it was possible for me to make my own.

I found a simple recipe for chicken lo mein and changed it a little bit. Also at Russo's I found enoki mushrooms, which I've never seen in a store before but love whenever I'm eating at a Japanese restaurant.

In a large pot filled with water, add whatever you want in your lo mein. I added carrots, snow peas, the enoki mushrooms, and the lo mein noodles and boiled until the pasta was al dente.

Then I mixed the cornstarch (2 t), sugar (1 t), and water (2 t) together. And added some sprouts (1/2 C), chicken broth (1/3 C), soy sauce (1 T), garlic (4 cloves), and ginger (2 t).

My wok was a bit too small so I got out Nina's giant one and cooked the chicken in it. Then I mixed in the broth mixture and the vegetables and pasta, and cooked for 2 more minutes.

The lo mein came out fabulously and actually tasted pretty authentic, but was a lot less greasy. So you can feel a lot better about eating it!

[Sues]

Warm Grapefruit Tea

I'm a big tea drinker. Well, if I could I'd drink coffee all day long, but I know tea is better for me so I try to stick to that after my morning coffee. I've also been trying to cut down on my caffeine intake because God knows I already don't get enough sleep. So I try to drink decaf after 8 p.m., which is when I get a majority of my work done.

I'm also a big fan of grapefruit and loved the idea of making my own tea from it. Making tea is something I never even considered before, and while this isn't your traditional tea, it was totally easy. Martha's ended up looking a lot prettier than mine, but what did I really expect?



You'll need two ruby red grapefruits. Squeeze all the juice out of them, which should give you two cups.

You'll also need honey, whole allspice, and cinnamon sticks. Combine the juice and other ingredients with 1/2 cup of water and boil in a pot over high heat. Strain the mixture and serve with a cinnamon stick!

Mine wasn't as pinky as I would have liked, but it tasted really good. The tartness of the grapefruit juice mixed with the sweetness from the honey made it perfectly refreshing. Caffeine free and full of vitamin C!

[Sues]