April 16, 2010

You're Invited!



A *BIG* thanks to Etsy for featuring me in their "You're Invited" blog that's all about creating that perfect handmade party. :o) See the blog here!

Happy Spring!

♡ Miss Munchie

January 11, 2010

Happy 2010!

I noticed that it has been quite a while since I have last posted anything & for that I apologize! It has been a hectic end of the year for me - getting holiday orders & gifts out for Miss Munchie (ravissant too!), traveling back to the Land of Lincoln for the holiday season & all of the other hooplah. ;o)

A BIG thank you to my customers! You made 2009 a great first year for Miss Munchie! I absolutely love making everyone's tastebuds 'n' tummies happy. I feel so privileged. :o)

More to come soon! ...

♡ Miss Munchie

PS: Check out NEW Bavarian Pretzels!

:o)

October 1, 2009

Happy World Veg Day!

www.worldvegetarianday.org

World Veg day is today & it is also the kickoff to Vegetarian Month!

The EtsyVeg team on Etsy.com is celebrating with special sales & a collective sharing of vegetarian & vegan recipes on the web. Join us by checking out the list of team members who will be sharing crafty cooking by posting their fave original recipes on their blogs or websites. Also check out veggie artisans honoring the day with special sales in their shops!

Handmade savings & YUMMY veg food - don't miss it! :o)


I will never forget, it was around Thanksgiving four years ago that I stopped eating meat. (Let's just say that it had something to do with witnessing a certain bird being cleaned...EW!) That holiday was my first time preparing & eating veggies as my main course. I chose to roast a huge amount of vegetables - sweet potatoes, eggplant, carrots, red/yellow/orange peppers & zucchini with EVOO, salt, black pepper, garlic & rosemary. YUM! Now everyone looks forward to the specialty vegetarian dish that I will create. ♡

In honor of the nearing November holiday, I have decided to share a DELICIOUS family recipe: Scalloped corn. MMMMMMM. It has been a staple at pretty much every holiday gathering on my mom's side. Although this recipe is not vegan (it has eggs, milk & butter), I am sure the vegan alternatives will work just fine!

Scalloped Corn
Makes a casserole dish-ful (family-sized, dish to pass!)

1 can cream corn
1 sleeve of Saltine crackers, crushed (separated in half)
1/2 teaspoon minced onion
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
freshly ground black pepper to taste
about 1 tablespoon of butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Grease the casserole dish. Either a deep or wide dish will work.
2. Whip an egg in the dish. Add the rest of the ingredients (excluding one half of the sleeve of crackers). Mix gently, but thoroughly.
3. Melt the butter & pour over the other half of crushed crackers, lightly coating them.
4. Top the casserole with the buttered crackers.
5. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until golden brown.

Let it cool slightly & enjoy! Store in the refrigerator for a few days at most.

Please enjoy this SCRUMPTIOUS vegetarian family recipe!

Happy World Veg Month to you - stay tuned all month long! :o)

♡ Miss Munchie

September 28, 2009

Roasting Peppers...

Roasted peppers are a delicious addition to many recipes. I like to add them to sandwiches, pizza, pasta, salads, omelets....pretty much anything. Many people think that roasting peppers is a time-consuming process & choose to purchase them from the grocery store. I highly recommend trying to make them on your own! You will never buy jarred roasted peppers again....

What you need:

At least 4 large fresh peppers of your choosing (I like red the best.)

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Wash the peppers & leave stems on. Place on a plate or baking sheet. (Some juice leaks out of the peppers, so it is ideal to bake them on something that has sides.)
3. Bake for 20 minutes. Rotate peppers so they are not lying on the same side. Bake for 20 more minutes. Rotate again. Bake for 20 more minutes & remove from oven.
4. Peppers should be nice & blistered. LET THEM COOL for 20 - 30 minutes. The liquid inside of the peppers is VERY HOT.


5. Peel them. The skin should practically fall off. It is slippery, so be careful!
6. Slice & let seeds/excess liquid out. Store in an air-tight container for convenience! :o)


I would also like to share a recipe for one of my FAVORITE sandwiches. (I stole the idea from Red Hen Bread, which was located just down the block from me in Chicago.) The tartness of the apple & the sweetness of goat cheese with the roasted red pepper is very refreshing. Perfect spring/summer sandwich!

The New Veggie Sandwich



2 slices of your favorite artisan bread or a small baguette
1 Granny Smith apple
roasted red pepper slices
goat cheese spread (I actually used Jarlsberg slices in the photo above! It was not as wonderful as the goat cheese, but still very good.)

1. Slice part of the apple into very thin discs. You will need 2 layers of this, so cut enough to fit on your bread! (The rest can be sliced into wedges for easier consumption.)
2. Spread a generous layer of goat cheese onto the bottom of the sandwich.
3. Layer the apple on top of the cheese, the red pepper on top of the apple.
4. Serve immediately!


I like to eat the rest of the apple wedges with some peanut butter & sunflower seeds. :o)

Enjoy!
♡ Miss Munchie

September 4, 2009

Breakfast: Pretzel Bread "French" Toast

French toast with a pretzel bread twist.

YUM.

I haven't eaten French toast in years until about two months ago. Now I have it about once every two weeks! The soft warm bread mixed with the butter, maple syrup & a touch of delicious sea salt is AMAAAZING.

Start with this:


1 The Original Small Loaf
2 eggs
splash of milk (or soy milk)
Cinnamon
Sugar
Maple Syrup
Butter (optional)
Powdered sugar (optional)

Serves 2

1. Slice bread into thin slices (about 1/4"). Set to the side.



2. Crack eggs into a small bowl & whisk. Add a splash of milk & mix. Pour onto a small plate.
3. Spray PAM onto a large skillet. Turn stove burner to a medium-low heat & allow it to get warm.
4. Begin dipping bread slices into the egg, making sure both sides are coated with the thin mixture. Place onto the warm skillet.
5. Sprinkle each slice with cinnamon & sugar.
6. Slightly brown both sides.



7. Top with butter & maple syrup.
8. Eat immediately!


Damn, now I'm hungry for breakfast...... ;o)
♡ Miss Munchie

June 10, 2009

A Hello to You!

Hello to all of you foodies out there!

Welcome to my food blog - Miss Munchie's Gossip Corner! :o)

I would like to share recipes, tips, ideas, stories & great finds that I come across with YOU! Aren't you lucky? I think you are. ;o)

Some of my favorite things in the whole entire world are food. Strawberries, ice cream, pretzel bread, dark chocolate, tiramisu, the perfect sandwich, sweet corn in the summer, falafel & couscous with homemade hummus, Ben's Noodles, carrots.....the list goes ON. I enjoy picnic-ing, creating new recipes, fine dining, trying new ethnic foods & baking for the heck of it.

Since it is my specialty creation, I would like to introduce to you, PRETZEL BREAD. :o) It has been a popular topic around here lately, not only because I recently opened the "doors" to my online shop, but because it is all I hear ALL DAY LONG! I am not even exaggerating.....

"When are you making pretzel bread next?"
"OH. MY. GOD. This is AMAaaazing."
"Holy crap! This is heaven."
"PB2 please!"
"MMMMMmmmmmm."
"Can you wrap these things with bacon?"

This is what I hear after anyone devours a plate of my homemade pretzel bread nuggets. Pretzel bread has now acquired the nickname "PB." PB2 (squared) is also often heard around the household (pretzel bread + peanut butter). People have even been dreaming about new toppings. Thanks to those dreams, "Everything Bagel" has been tested & approved & Cinnamon Raisin is now being tested.... :o) And of course, more are in the works!

How did I start making such delicious artisan bread? It began with a love of pretzels & pretzel bread.

I first remember discovering pretzel bread while on the road.....somewhere in Virginia. It was at a gas station-type place called _______. Blitz? Schlitz? No, that's a beer. I forget. Ugh. Well anyway, they had a nice food area where you placed your order with a touch screen menu. I ordered my sandwich on a pretzel bread bun. And believe me, it was so tasty that I made my friends stop there on a few occasions during our trip. :o) It was SO amazing! But I was unable to find it again for a few years...

I rediscovered pretzel bread at Trader Joe's in Tinley Park, Illinois. Then found it at Whole Foods in Chicago. I would buy ten or so small $1 loaves & stock my freezer with them for convenience. And FYI: those two stores have them (at least in the Chicago area), but they usually run out by early evening.

I now live in New York where pretzel bread is NOT found at Whole Foods OR Trader Joe's. Trust me, I've investigated. I just get confused looks from workers. After searching online for pretzel bread recipes, I found one - made it, loved it & altered it to be my own. Next came the creation of the nuggets. Not breaking any historical ground here, but they are the absolute perfect snack size & taste wonderful heated up. People absolutely go nuts for them. I began making them for get-togethers, then for guests, then just anytime I felt like it.

Then I had a grand idea to open a food shop on Etsy.com (my FAVORITE website - support handmade, not mass made!). I appropriately named it Miss Munchie & have been selling pretzel bread & other tasty treats ever since! I love that people can enjoy edible things that I make with my hands (I also make non-edible things).

And you know what? One day I found a pretzel-shaped hair in my sink. Weird, huh?! Is it a sign? Here's a photo to prove it. :o)


Ta-Ta for now!

♡ Miss Munchie