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Spicing-up take out: Chinese

Spicing-up take out: ChineseSee a quick sauce for Spicing up Chinese takeout From Anna's Kitchen (www.fromannaskitchen.com)

What's that one thing you really crave when a food craving hits? Pick your poison: savory or sweet. Maybe it's a really decadent chocolate dessert? Or a fresh, piping hot pizza with all of your favorite toppings?

You know that feeling of having a craving that just needs to be satisfied. A desire for something, you can practically taste whatever it is. Sometimes, the end result is amazing. Other times?

One of the worst food-related things that can probably happen in my opinion is having a craving for something, finally eating it, and having it be an epic fail. Talk about a letdown!

This happened to me recently with Chinese food. Dave and I try not to get take-out food too often, since it's expensive and not always the healthiest. But one night recently, neither of us felt like turning on a stove, firing up the grill, cutting seemingly endless amounts of produce, or doing anything for dinner other than picking up a fork (or chopsticks) and calling it a day. I ordered shrimp with broccoli, no sauce, and I couldn't wait to eat it after not having it in a while.  

Granted, it came without sauce, but on the first bite... something wasn't right. It didn't taste bad, i.e. spoiled, but it didn't hit the spot. Added a little soy—still not right. 

Then, the lightbulb went off in my head: make a quick sauce. Soy sauce needed some help from its friends ginger and garlic if there was any hope to save this dish.

The quest for a less-sweet lemon bar: The classic

The quest for a less-sweet lemon bar: The classicBrowse recipes, menu ideas and more From Anna's Kitchen (www.fromannaskitchen.com)

Every time I make one of my all-time favorite desserts, lemon bars, I'm always reminded of the insane amount of refined sugar that most recipes require. I tell myself the next time I'll find a better recipe that uses less sugar. But when that next time comes, the same thing happens.

I mean, 3 cups of sugar for a filling? Lemon bars are supposed to be sweet, but... yuck...

For that reason, I adapted Ina Garten's recipe to create a less-sweet version that cuts out half of the sugar in the filling and half in the crust.

A “new normal” farmer’s market visit & Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp

A “new normal” farmer’s market visit & Strawberry-Rhubarb CrispGet summer-ready with this Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp From Anna's Kitchen (www.fromannaskitchen.com)

Farmers markets are a sign of springtime, one of my favorite things about the weather getting warmer and not to mention also a wonderful alternative to making a trip the grocery store—especially right now.

As I'm sure you've also experienced, grocery stores and super markets have been extra chaotic. Limited choices are available of produce, meats, dairy and other essentials unless you go to the store at specific times or on specific days. Masks, bandannas or some other kind of facial covering are required to enter the store—speaking for New Jersey, which mandated this at least three weeks ago, but now also Pennsylvania within the last week or two. And sometimes you need to wait your turn to enter the store because of restrictions put in place on the number of people allowed in at once, otherwise choose to come back at another time.

Visiting a farmers market, by contrast, is a nice break from making a now-normal grocery store visit, so this weekend Dave and I stopped at a farmers market we saw in a local strip mall parking lot. It was a very different experience when compared to visiting open air markets in seasons past .

March 2020 Update – Finding an opportunity to reflect in difficult times

March 2020 Update – Finding an opportunity to reflect in difficult timesBrowse recipes, menu ideas and more From Anna's Kitchen (www.fromannaskitchen.com)

This post will be a deviation from the normal content that I typically have here, but I hope you don't mind given the circumstances?

If you've followed any type of news recently, you know that we now find ourselves faced with a very serious global health crisis.

If you asked me a year ago, even a month ago, if this is how I would've imagined the year 2020 starting out, I would've looked at you like you had 8 heads and you were talking about a plot line from a new episode of The Walking Dead or a movie that I have yet to see.

No matter how you see this playing out or believe the media, our politicians, or any others are helping address (or not) the situation, it's clear that this is far from business as usual.

Raw-curious: Essential tools to start your raw food journey

Raw-curious: Essential tools to start your raw food journeyRaw-curious: Essential tools to start your raw food journey, an overview From Anna's Kitchen (www.fromannaskitchen.com)

This installment of my raw food series discusses some of the tools you might want to make your raw food prep a breeze. In case you missed it, read some reasons why you might try a raw food diet and learn about the whos-who of raw food. As a reminder, I'm not a dietician or medical professional, so please consult with your doctors before changing your eating habits or starting any new diets. Also, this is not a sponsored post or endorsement made in coordination with or paid by any of the brands or individuals mentioned here. 

There is a lot to be said for having a really good set of knives. A good-quality 3-4" paring knife, a 8-10" chef's or Santoku knife, and a 10" serrated knife are three must-haves to get started no matter what you're cooking. When it comes to raw foods, though, there are a few other tools that can make meal prep an easier, more enjoyable process. You may even have a few of these gadgets in your home already.

Raw-curious: Why you should try a raw food diet

Raw-curious: Why you should try a raw food dietRaw-curious: Why you should try a raw food diet, an overview From Anna's Kitchen (www.fromannaskitchen.com)
Originally posted on fuchsia-revolver.org but updated with new content. I thought that this would be an excellent post to reflect on and update as we are approaching the start of yet another new year and new resolutions for healthier, cleaner eating. You can also learn about the whos-who of raw food and tools that make raw food prep easy. I'm not a dietician or medical professional, so please consult with your doctors before changing your eating habits or starting any new diets. Also, this is not a sponsored post or endorsement made in coordination with or paid by any of the brands or individuals mentioned here.  You may already know that once upon a time, I had a marketing internship at a raw food company. In spite of some of the personalities that I encountered in my month-long journey, working there not only gave me some business experience at the time, a first-hand look at what it took to get a small business off the ground, but also opened my eyes to the world of raw, organic foods. Raw food is not just uncooked food—it's a little more specific than that if you ask anyone that follows a raw food diet. Typically, any food kept under 104 degrees Fahrenheit is considered "raw". I have also heard that anything under 118 degrees Fahrenheit is considered "raw", too.

Vegetarian Shepherds Pie

Vegetarian Shepherds PieBrowse recipes, menu ideas and more From Anna's Kitchen (www.fromannaskitchen.com)

Vegetarian shepherds pie was a staple dinner for me all of those years that I was following a stricter ovo-lacto vegetarian diet. Especially when I was in college, I could make this recipe on a weekend and have it several times as leftovers for dinner when I got home from school late during the week. It's easy to make, very satisfying and comforting to eat.