Octopi are Awesome

Hubs has a habit of making me pretty shiny things to ensure that I attend Renn Faires with him. Earlier this year, while I was making the octopus hat, he had a brilliant idea -- to make me a matching octopus hard corset as a birthday present. Brilliant!

Chicken Goat Cheese Salads

The statistical consulting group to which I belonged at my old University would have a "farewell" lunch at the end of every semester. Once during this lunch, when I was trying to be healthy, I ordered a salad with a smattering of fruit and what I thought would be a smattering of chicken. It wasn't. It was an entire grilled chicken breast. So much for healthy! But, while that lunch might not have been as low-cal as I was looking for at the time, it was an inspiration for a simple salad that I could make at home.

Avocado Ice Cream

There were a few moments during Hubble-Telescope's and my relationship when I briefly doubted the foundation of our love. One of those moments was when he revealed that he didn't like avocados -- outrageous! Fortunately, I have obviously since recovered, and his declaration has never really influenced my avocado consumption. Phew, crisis avoided.

This past winter, the Hubs bought me an ice cream maker. Months later, I finally broke it in by making two ice creams back to back. The first, which is the focus of the post today, was Avocado Ice Cream.

Cream Cheese-Chile Powder Caramel Popcorn

The guiltiest of my guilty pleasures has to be caramel popcorn. Whenever I make a batch, the hubacious (!) and I devour it instantly. I have put many things in caramel popcorn over the years, including:

1. Molasses
2. Peanut butter
3. Honey

All were successfully, particularly the peanut butter caramel popcorn, which I talked about previously on Everyday Creations. Almost immediately after making (and instantly consuming) the honey popcorn, it occurred to me that I needed to really break out of the box and try something with more zest. Naturally, I settled on a sweet-and-spicy combination: Honey and Chile Caramel Popcorn with Cream Cheese Glaze.

Duck and Cherries for the Win

I'm back and more married than ever! The wedding was lovely and the honeymoon was fantastic, as most such events tend to go. Very exciting all around, but I'm glad to be back and eating healthy again.

Food facts of life: Everything is super delicious in tortillas. Also, cherries make everything delicious. Finally, duck? Also delicious. Noticing a theme? Combine the three and you have a three-ingredient nom-fest that is classy, simple, and not too terribly unhealthy.

Hub-to-be's Mask Outfit

Hello world! In two days, the boy and I are getting married, which is pretty much extra-exciting. So, after this post, I'll be on vacation from everything -- including the blog -- until May 21st. Given our upcoming nuptials, I thought it appropriate to share one of his creations in this last pre-vacation post -- his outfit of masks.

Roasted Salmon with Leeks

This recipe for roasted salmon with caramelized leeks was my first experience working with leeks. By the way? Leeks, while quite dirty (split those suckers and wash them thoroughly), are absolutely delicious. They are like onions-light, and are absolutely addictive caramelized. Now that I have experienced the deliciousness that is leeks, I sometimes get leek cravings and wish I could have a whole bowl of caramelized leeks. That's how good they are. Seriously.