cooking up a career ✥ raising a family ✥ blogging a little taste of life along the way
as seen on...
search
welcome
Welcome to The Professional Palate - my little taste of life as a working mom and registered dietitian. This blog is now "retired", but feel free to browse around if you'd like to see what I've been cooking up for the last few years.
I, along with numerous bloggers across this country brought together by Oh Sweet Basil, dedicate this space to the memory of the precious lives that were lost Friday in Newtown, CT. In the face of such unspeakable tragedy, words fail to adequately embrace the grief and loss we feel for the victims and their families. I offer the following tribute of remembrance, as well as a special prayer for the families whose lives will forever be changed. I pray God's unending love provides them comfort and healing in due time.
MawmawWeen passed away 10 years ago day. I've written about her before.... she was my dad's mom. To sum up - she meant the world to me. She inspired my love of food and nutrition. Words can't express how much I miss her.
This is the recipe box we rescued from her home years after her death.
Maybe I assume too much, but I'm going to assume if you've been around this blog for a while you know our guest blogger - Deanna from Teaspoon of Spice. She's my partner on ReDux, a very food-savvy & active RD in all things social media and honestly, one of the best friends a girl could ask for.
Deanna and I met more than a decade ago when we were both working for dairy council. I was drawn to her immediately because honestly, no disrespect to my profession, it's not every day I meet an RD who's as much of a foodie as I am.
We kept in touch off and on over the years, but it wasn't until the last couple of years that we really started putting our heads together on all things pertaining to food, nutrition, college football and life's little daily musings that make for the best early morning conversations.. It wasn't easy for her to write this post. I'll let her explain why. But I'm honored that she would make her first and only football post to-date for 2012 here on my blog. Deanna's is a friendship that I treasure, and I hope you'll come to enjoy her as much as I do.
From Deanna:
In the past, if Regan had asked me to write a guest post for Football Friday, it would have been a no-brainer. But when she did a few weeks ago, I did pause.
Obviously, I ended up saying yes, but when it came time to write this post, I was staring at the cursor for a long time. I must have started and deleted a dozen different intros. What is so difficult about writing a fun, lighthearted ditty about tailgating and yummy eats for watching the big game?
Well, you see, I bleed blue & white. And while I’ve been a die-hard college football fan my whole life (the best football happens on Saturdays in my humble opinion), nowadays saying that you graduated from Penn State can change the tone of a conversation pretty darn quickly.
I’ve resisted writing anything about the horrendous scandal - people have strong opinions, as they should. My main opinion right now? The only ones whose views we should be listening hard to are those of the victims and their families.
But Penn State has always meant so much more than football to me - starting from when I was little visiting the campus for their famous ice cream all the way up to my 2nd graduation (yeah, I stayed on a few extra semesters for another degree – wasn’t quite ready for the real world yet.) These days, I admit that I continue to fully support the team, but also my university as we strive to help those that have greatly suffered. (A notable organization alums have learned more about in the past year and have fundraised for is RAINN: http://www.rainn.org/)
So, now I will clumsily transition to what you are here for – game day eats. May I present a Penn State staple:
Grilled Stickies.
These local delights are from The Diner on College Avenue, where they’ve been making them since 1929. Stickies are basically a cross between a sticky bun and a cinnamon roll, cut into a rectangle and then fried on the large griddle. When served with vanilla ice cream, it’s called the Mount Nittany.
You really could use any cinnamon bun or sticky roll recipe here. My version uses some whole wheat pastry flour – by no means is this dietitian going to tell you stickies are a healthy nosh – but I guess it just makes me feel a little bit better to know it’s in there.
For the dough, put yeast, warm water and 1 teaspoon of sugar in stand mixer bowl or a regular mixing bowl. Let rest for 5 minutes.
In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, brown sugar, eggs, butter and salt. Add to yeast mixture. Add in 2 cups all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour. Using a dough hook (for stand mixer) or wooden spoon, mix together until sticky dough starts to form. Continue to add ¾ cup all-purpose flour (either using dough hook or kneading dough with hands on a floured surface) until dough is smooth and elastic. Place in a greased bowl, covered with a dishtowel. Let rise until double in size (about an hour.)
Roll dough into 12 x 24-inch rectangle. Mix together 1/3 cup brown sugar and cinnamon, spread all over dough, leaving an ¼-inch border. Starting at the longer end, roll dough (jelly roll style), very tightly. Pinch the ends to seal. Cover with dishtowel to prevent from drying out while making glaze.
To make the glaze, heat ½ cup brown sugar, butter, milk and corn syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently. Once sugar and butter have melted, remove from heat. Pour into a 13x9x2-inch baking pan.
Cut the dough log into 1-inch pieces and place each roll, cut side down, on the glaze in the baking pan. Make sure the rolls are right next to each other. Cover and let rise for 60 -90 minutes (rolls should be completely touching each other to form one large rectangle.)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake for 15 minutes then tent with foil and bake another 15 minutes. Immediately turn out onto wire rack. Let cool 30 minutes.
Slice into 36 rectangle shaped stickies (12 rows by 3 rows.) Heat griddle or large skillet heat over medium heat and add pat of butter. Grill stickies in batches, about
This is an open blog hop. If you're planning on blogging delicious eats for football season, I invite you to join in. Simply fill out the link to share your recipe - everyone's welcome, all football season long. And please be sure to visit the other recipes listed for more great tailgating ideas.
If you find it hard to believe that there are less than 50 days left 'til Christmas, you're not alone. It's snuck up on me, too. But if I had any doubt it's true, [CLICK HERE TO READ MORE]
As I get ready to head out on a much need (albeit quick) vacation, I've asked two of my favorite bloggers to fill in on {football friday} for me. This week, Kristina LaRue from Love & Zest is stepping in to talk all things tailgating
I recently received a copy of Cooking Light's brand new New Way to Cook cookbook.
Love. It.
I mean... if you like Cooking Light Magazine, which I do... you'll love this book. It's a great blend of familiar dishes you expect in an encyclopedia covering how to do healthier the tasty way, but it's also got that Cooking Light edge of new flavor combos and culinary explorations. I really enjoyed this book.
One of the recipes that first caught my eye was a version of spinach-artichoke dip.
Maybe it's because the unbearable heat lasts well into early October around here.
Or maybe it's because I need Halloween to arrive on my door step.
But whatever the reason, right about now is when I get ready to celebrate fall in full force. How do I celebrate? Boots, comfy sweaters, a big bout of seasonal allergies + soup, of course!
Place uncut squash on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour. Remove from oven; let cool slightly. Slice in half lengthwise and discard seeds.
Scoop cooked pulp into a medium saucepan. Place over medium-high heat. Add sage and chicken broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in remaining ingredients. Puree with a hand held blender (or place in blender or food processor to puree). Serve warm.
To say this football season has been a disappointment to Auburn fans everywhere is the understatement of the year. With November just days away, we only have one win to celebrate - an overtime nail biter to a team that historically Auburn likely would’ve put away in the first half.
This follows a whirlwind of emotional seasons starting back in 2008 with the infamous Tony Franklin/Tommy Tuberville departures, an uncomfortable and low chapter in Auburn football. And then, the highest of highs, the National Championship season of 2010 (which for those of you who follow college football know was certainly not without its own controversies.)
This is how I summed up my feelings last Saturday about recent football seasons for my Facebook friends
The 2012 season tops (or bottoms) them all.
(This share from Facebook - while less poetic & but tragically comical - sums up fan sentiment fairly well)
The reality is I neither play football for Auburn, nor does any member of my family, nor have we ever. So at the end of the day, my vested interest is merely that of a loyal alum of Auburn University
....the school I grew up visiting as a small child with my dad, who also graduated from there
....the place where I made countless memories with the best friends a girl could ask for
....the educational institutional that provided me the foundation for a career path I cherish
My alma mater is special to me, win or lose.
But it wasn’t until I found myself last weekend being reminded OVER and OVER by a fan of a rival school how bad Auburn’s season was, the controversies that surrounded the National Championship, the fact that our rivals like to make fun of Auburn as being a land grand university (hence his insult “Meet Regan, she’s an A-Barn fan” - meaning barns are something to be ashamed of? Tell that to the farmers who grow our food), that I really grasped how low some people will sink in their desire to make other people feel bad - simply based on what team they chose to cheer for on Saturday. (And if you find yourself wondering did I deserve this barrage because of something I'd said to this fan in the past, rest assured we'd never met before. And I hope we never do again.)
So to that unsavory fan, I dedicate today’s {football friday} recipe:
"Don’t be a Jerk Bloody Marys"
The real irony is this drink choice fits with his assessment of Auburn fans. He educated me - over dinner as I ordered a glass of Cabernet - that I was probably the only Auburn fan who even knew what wine was....
I. Kid. You. Not.
So no matter what side of the W or L column you find your favorite team on this weekend, please do yourself and everyone around you a favor. Remember it’s only a game, it’s meant to be fun and above all else, don’t be a jerk.
Combine vegetable juice, lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, vodka, and 1/4 teaspoon jerk seasoning in a cocktail shaker; fill with ice. Cover with lid; shake vigorously until chilled.
Rub rim of a small. glass with a lime wedge; dip rim of glass in 1/4 jerk seasoning to coat. Strain bloody mary into prepared glass filled with ice. Garnish, if desired
This is an open blog hop. If you're planning on blogging delicious eats for football season, I invite you to join in. Simply fill out the link to share your recipe - everyone's welcome, all football season long. And please be sure to visit the other recipes listed for more great tailgating ideas.
This month's ReDux theme is one that I embrace all year round - a celebration of the colors of fall in food: think butternut squash, pumpkin, carrots, sweet potatoes & even golden beets.
I know I embrace it because as I started thinking about what recipe I wanted to create, I realized I have an "orange" food recipe in nearly every category of my blog.
Remember these?
So what was left to create? Here's what I came up with:
Pumpkin Spice Latte is to fall as Eggnog is to Christmas. But wanting to put a new spin on it, I combined my husband's favorite coffee shop choice - the caramel macchiato - with the cromforting spice of pumpkin. No... this isn't exactly a recipe that showcases all the health benefits of orange colored foods ... but it sure does get you in the mood to. Plus, as you can see above - I've got a recipe index full orange-inspired dishes to dine on. Give them all a try!
***
Caramel-Pumpkin Macchiato
by Regan @ The Professional Palate
6034980
Ingredients (1 drink)
1 to 2 tablespoons vanilla syrup for coffee
1 tablespoon canned pumpkin
Pinch of pumpkin pie spice
3/4 cup freshly brewed strong coffee or espresso
1/3 cup milk, steamed and foamed
Caramel
Instructions
Add syrup, pumpkin, spice and coffee to a large coffee mug; pour steamed milk over mixture. Spoon foam on top and drizzle with caramel.
As the first and only recipe challenge founded by registered dietitians, The Recipe ReDux aims to inspire the food lover in every healthy eater and inspire the healthy eater in every food lover. Thank you for visiting. We hope you enjoy!
(Please note that this is a closed link-up for Recipe ReDux posts only. Any links added to this collection for non-ReDux posts will be deleted.)
Monday, December 17, 2012 at 4:28AM 
