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    Archive for the 'Food And Drink' Category

    Fair Fit For The Kings!

    Sunday, May 11th, 2008

    By LANIE PIMENTEL
    Petunia5045(at)gmail.com
    A few weeks ago, I was given a ticket to our local Renaissance Fair. I was pretty excited because I’d never in my 28 years of living, had been to one despite there being one each year not too far from my house. But I guess it wasn’t my thing, or it wasn’t […]

    A Butter by any other name…

    Sunday, April 27th, 2008

    By LANIE PIMENTEL
    petunia5045(at)gmail.com
    Two words. Compound butter. Much like the lesson taught in first grade where the children would go around the classroom naming compound words such as classroom, campground, and playground, the lesson of making a compound butter is the same as the word. Taking things that exists separately, and merging them to make a […]

    An Artichoke For Every Occasion

    Sunday, April 13th, 2008

    By LANIE PIMENTEL
    petunia5043(at)gmail.com
    The artichoke, according to Wikipedia.org< is a perennial thistle originating in southern Europe around the Mediterranean. The flowers develop in a large head from an edible bud about 8–15 cm diameter with numerous triangular scales; the individual florets are purple. The edible portion of the buds consists primarily of the fleshy lower portions […]

    Those Are Some Nice Coconuts

    Sunday, March 30th, 2008

    Two weeks ago, as I was doing my research for my coconut article, I came across recipe after delicious recipe using this wonderful coconut as the star.  I decided that 1 week of coconuts was simply not enough.  There are tons of great desert recipes if you are a lover of coconut, and that my […]

    Easter Eggs

    Sunday, March 23rd, 2008

    By LANIE PIMENTEL
    petunia5045(at)gmail.com
    So, you just found the last of the hidden eggs with your little ones, and you are sitting in the kitchen with three dozen crayoned, stickered and dyed Easter Eggs and you are thinking… now what?
    Below I have compiled a list of recipes I would like to try today […]

    I’ve Got A Lovely Bunch Of Coconuts

    Sunday, March 16th, 2008

    By LANIE PIMENTEL
    petunia5043(at)gmail.com
    Coconutsthe seeds of palm trees are most comely cultivated in South America and South Asia and are said to have a thousand uses! It is no wonder that most recipes that incorporate coconut into non-desert dishes are found on South Asian menus.  Especially Thai recipes. Yummy!
    In my opinion, there are thousands and thousands […]

    Food Worth Quoting

    Sunday, March 9th, 2008

    By LANIE PIMENTEL
    petunia5045(at)gmail.com
    “The chickpea is neither a chick nor a pea… discuss”
    Linda Richmond, Saturday Night Live’s Coffee Talk Host
    Chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans (and many other names) is a legume from ancient times.
    These little peas are filled with fiber and protein, which makes them a go-to necessity for many […]

    Don’t Leek Me Alone

    Sunday, February 24th, 2008

    By LANIE PIMENTEL
    petunia5045(at)gmail.com
    Leeks, an oversized green onion-looking vegetable, is a close friend of garlic and onions. Like an onion, this vegetable can be the star of the show, or an awesome side dish.
    Although leeks are big, the whole thing is not meant to be eaten! Once ready to cook with the leek, cut off the […]

    Ring My Bell Pepper

    Sunday, February 17th, 2008

    By LANIE PIMENTEL
    petunia5045(at)gmail.com
    Bell peppers, otherwise known as sweet peppers, are vegetables that have no limits.
    Green peppers are unripe bell peppers, while the others are all ripe, with the color variation based on cultivar selection. Because they are unripe, green peppers are less sweet and slightly more bitter than yellow, orange, purple or red peppers. It […]

    Salsa Up Your Life

    Sunday, February 10th, 2008

    By LANIE PIMENTEL
    petunia5045(at)gmail.com
    One of my favorite fat-free snacks of all times is Salsa. It is a versatile snack that can double as a spicy topping to our favorite main courses!
    I like to whip up my own salsa. Below is the recipe use when I make my way to my local […]

    Mustard Is Not Only For Hot Dogs

    Sunday, February 3rd, 2008

    By LANIE PIMENTEL
    petunia5045(at)gmail.com
    Mustard is a condiment that most people associate with pretty much just hot dogs (my fiancé was stunned with this revelation!). But mustard adds a great zing to pretty much anything!
    I have discovered and prepared three recipes using honey as one of the main ingredients. One is for […]

    Birthday Party Foods

    Sunday, January 27th, 2008

    By LANIE PIMENTEL
    petunia5045(at)gmail.com
    I threw my first party this week to celebrate my birth, 28 years ago. And since I love most things food, I wanted the food at my party to be a little more than chips and dip. So after years of watching tons of Food Network programming, I […]

    Happy Happy Melanie

    Monday, January 21st, 2008

    It would make sense to wish Melanie a happy birthday today since, well, she was born today many, many, many moons ago [[okay, not that many]].
    But we here at the cactus also want to wish her congratulations for getting engaged to her long-time boyfriend Brian.
    So, we’re torn: Which do we wish first?
    Brian asked her to […]

    Mac And Cheese

    Sunday, January 13th, 2008

    By LANIE PIMENTEL
    petunia5045(at)gmail.com
    Many things can bring on the need for some good old fashion comfort food. Bad weather, homesickness, a rough day on the job. One of my favorite comfort foods is Macaroni and Cheese. And thanks to people like Grandma and Kraft, Mac and Cheese can be a […]

    New Year’s Hors d’œuvres

    Sunday, December 30th, 2007

    By LANIE PIMENTEL
    petunia5045(at)gmail.com
    New Year’s Eve is quickly approaching and that means lots of mini-bite sized snacks to eat from 2007 ’til 2008. Each year, no matter where I end up ringing in the new and best year to come, I always bring some staples. Here are some tasty little treats […]

    N.O.D.: Milk Doesn’t Always Do A Body Good

    Saturday, December 29th, 2007

    Right now, you have to take out a second mortgage if you want to buy a gallon of milk. I mean, it’s seriously cheaper to raise a cow from birth and squeeze your own milk than to go to the grocery store and buy some. I don’t care if you live in a no pets […]

    Something For Your Noggin

    Sunday, December 23rd, 2007

    By LANIE PIMENTEL
    petunia5045(at)gmail.com
    Eggnog.
    Some may like it, some may hate it, but this milky drink has been traced back many generations to England where usually only the rich could partake in its frothy goodness. Poor people rarely had milk at their disposal, and no refrigeration. Since the big wigs owned […]

    Soup To Warm The Belly

    Sunday, December 16th, 2007

    By LANIE PIMENTAL
    petunia5045(at)gmail.com
    On cold winter nights during December, nothing makes my tummy feel all warm and toasty like a warm oversized mug of soup, an electric blanket and a good book or movie!
    I am new to the whole butternut squash soup thing, but the idea was appealing. I found a nice two-pound butternut squash […]

    Warm Drinks When It’s Cold Outside

    Sunday, December 9th, 2007

    By LANIE PIMENTEL
    petunia5045(at)gmail.com
    When the temperature drops, and the snow starts to fall, nothing says warm up the bones to me like hot beverages. Hot teas, ciders and chocolate are as warm and comforting to me as a blanket out of the dryer!
    There are so many varieties of teas to choose from out there. […]

    It’s The Holidays, Have A Heart

    Thursday, November 29th, 2007

    By JIM MONTANA
    jim.montana(at)hotmail.com
    On a personal note: First let me say that I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Second let me apologize right now for what could be sub-Jim Montana quality of this week’s column. This past Thursday, I lost a true inspiration in my life: My Grandmother finally lost her fight […]

    More Turkey Anyone

    Sunday, November 25th, 2007

    By LANIE PIMENTEL
    petunia5045(at)gmail.com
    Fat Thursday has passed. After offering out as many doggie bags to guests as you can, you are still stuck with a refrigerator full of leftovers, what is there to do?
    I am one to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner again on Friday for lunch, this I admit, but after that I am ready for […]

    Do You Fondue?

    Sunday, November 18th, 2007

    By LANIE PIMENTEL
    petunia5045(at)gmail.com
    There is nothing that brings excitement to my heart more than to hear the word, fondue. According to our old friend, Wikipedia, Fondue refers to Swiss communal dishes shared at the table in an Earthenware pot over a small flame. The term fondue comes from the French fondre […]

    An Apple A Day…

    Sunday, November 11th, 2007

    By LANIE PIMENTEL
    petunia5045(at)gmail.com
    An apple a day can do more than keep the doctor away. They can ensure hours of hours of fun and delicious apple-ey treats!
    And since apples are good pretty much year round, go to sleep knowing that there is never an apple treat far away from consumption.
    Apple harvest […]

    Pumpkins Aren’t Just For Carving

    Sunday, November 4th, 2007

    By LANIE PIMENTEL
    petunia5045(at)gmail.com
    [[Ed.’s note: If Lanie’s name looks familiar — but maybe out of place — that’s because she was our regular In The Workplace writer, but now she’s replaced Michelle Riccardi as our food and drink writer. This is her first regular food and drink column — she did guest once — so wish […]

    Goin’ To The Chapel

    Sunday, October 21st, 2007

    By MICHELLE RICCARDI
    mia8263(at)gmail.com
    Good day cactus readers! And congratulations to my friends John and Amy on their wedding yesterday!
    I’m not sure if it is being a girl or what, but when I hear the word “wedding,” I get so excited. Marriage, caterers, flower girls and honeymoons; the whole package is thrilling.
    I took a career quiz not […]

    ‘Home’ Cooking

    Sunday, October 7th, 2007

    By MICHELLE RICCARDI
    mia8264(at)gmail.com
    It’s October, my favorite month! Magazines like Montgomery Ward and Harriet Carter get me so excited to own my own home, and when October comes around, everything looks like how I imagine my home.
    Of course I obsess over what my kitchen would look like — from the pots and pans to the tableware. […]

    Cooking With Rachael — Almost

    Sunday, September 30th, 2007

    By MICHELLE RICCARDI
    mia8263(at)gmail.com
    Rachael Ray finally called and asked me to be on her show.
    Just kidding, but I did get tickets to her show. I am no pro in getting tickets for shows or concerts or sporting events because people always get them for me. I read the directions to the show about 15 times and […]

    Hot Menu Item

    Sunday, September 23rd, 2007

    By MICHELLE RICCARDI
    mia8263(at)gmail.com
    It amazes me how busy the restaurant Chili’s is near me. The food isn’t that good. I think it is more convenient than anything else. I worked at the busy location near me for about two weeks and decided the patience you need to be any part of that staff is way beyond […]

    Utensil Drama

    Sunday, September 16th, 2007

    By MICHELLE RICCARDI
    mia8263(at)gmail.com
    In middle school, my class took a trip to Medieval Times, which is a restaurant with a show. The idea of the restaurant is to be fun and different. There aren’t any utensils, so eating with your hands is different — but I don’t recall it being fun, for me at least. […]

    Happy Birthday Michelle

    Sunday, August 26th, 2007

    Today our favorite food and drink writer — Michelle Riccardi — turns 23.
    So, in honor of her birthday, we at cactus i.v. ask: What’s the recipe for your favorite birthday cake?
    P.S. — e-i-c Lisa’s grandma’s birthday is the day after Michelle’s. She turns 86, so we at the cactus wanted to take a minute to […]

    Michelle’s Life Story

    Sunday, August 26th, 2007

    By MICHELLE RICCARDI
    mia8263(at)gmail.com
    Happy Birthday to me! I graced the world with my presence 20 somewhat years ago (Age withheld because I have panic attacks every time I say it, but if you are one of my loyal readers you already know how old I am.)
    [[Ed.’s note: Sorry Michelle. I already blew your cover in your […]

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