Bruschetta; Life is Good with a Little Baguette and Basil

Today I made a very quick and easy recipe with my friends. It is called Bruschetta. It is a fabulous appetizer and snack that, in my opinion, combines some of the most delicious ingredients together into a bitesize piece of amazingness! 

     Ingredients: 

• One Large Baguette (or really any crunchy on outside, soft in middle bread) 
• Cherry tomatoes 
• Chopped Basil and Full Leaf (for garnish)
• Butter (or ghee, which is clarified butter and is considered a dairy substitute)
• Parmigiana cheese 
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil 
• Finely Diced Garlic 

1. First cut the Baguette into slices at a slight diagonal angle, so to make even slices. 
2. Then melt a little bit of butter in a pan/skillet and tilt to spread. 
3. Take each slice of bread and gently dip in olive oil and then place in pan. 
4. Let the bread get nice and toasty and make sure it is not soggy then flip to other side. 
5. Chop the cherry tomatoes into either quarters or halves and put in bowl. 
6. Drizzle a little olive oil into the bowl and coat tomatoes. 
7. Then add the finely chopped garlic to the bowl and mix. 
8. Then add the chopped basil and repeat again. Then add salt and pepper to your liking. 
9. Next coat every nicely toasted piece of baguette with the tomatoes, garlic and basil. 
10. Then to finish it off shave Parmigiana cheese on top and some basil leaves, for garnish! 

   And VOILA!

Enjoy! 

Gluten Free... why?

The big phenomenon; Gluten Free!
I try to be Gluten Free and I always get asked why I am. I always answer; "because I have an intolerance." Which they usually accept as an answer. It is also though the question of Why Not? It is so much easier these days to be gluten free for many reasons. The biggest one being the fact that because the audience for gluten- free products is growing bigger, more products and substitutes for wheat and other sources of gluten are emerging now, more than ever. There are whole companies that are devoted entirely to gluten free bake goods and products. My favorite being Udi's. They have great gluten free bread, muffins, bagels and more! They taste so much like regular bake goods that is so easy to satisfy cravings for bake goods with Udi's. Udi's is only one of hundreds of gluten free brands.
But why not just eat regular not gluten free stuff? Why do so many claim it is healthier? Because it is healthier!!! I found even though I get some gluten free bread and some muffins every once in a while I still am eating less bake goods. Less bake goods means less sugar, calories, carbs and unhealthy ingredients. Bake goods are one of the main ways people develop obesity.
I have found personally that when I am eating gluten free I have more energy during the day. This would make sense of course because carbohydrates make you really energized but then lets you crash and become suddenly tired. Other foods that have more protein in them will energize you but not let you crash. Lots of empty carbs are just not good for you. Also I have found that I eat less sugar when I am gluten free. Which probably also has to do with the reduced amount of bake goods. Also a lot of candies, ice creams, and other desserts have Gluten.
So overall the question is more "why not?" than "why would I?". Gluten Free is the next phenomenon for a good reason.

How to Make the Most Delicious Peanut Butter and Chocolate Concoction Ever.....

I know... that is a really long title but every word of it is true! I was thinking earlier about what I should post next and I thought, "Why not a recipe!" But I don't cook much. If I do it is throwing together a salad or frying a cheesy corn tortilla in a pan. I want to cook more though! I just don't have the time. So I try to find recipes that are delicious but quick. This is one of my favorites:
It is called a Homemade Reese's Bar. It consists of crushed graham crackers, peanut butter, melted butter, melted chocolate chips and lots of sugar! You just layer it all in a pie pan and stick it in the freezer for a couple of hours. It comes out cold and rich and with intense flavors of the best combination ever existed; Peanut Butter and Chocolate!

For a Recipe follow the link: Recipe That Is Similar to Mine  *

*Just note that if you want to hurry the process of making them chill I would put them in the freezer.

What to do with your day off....

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is tomorrow! So what can you do on this day off? Watch TV, play on your phone, text and take selfies. NO! Thats no way to use your day off! Do something new! Do something interesting! Here are some ideas:

1) Go to a restaurant and try a new food. Find something that is new but delicious! A recommendation is the Bone Marrow tacos at Stone Park Cafe in Park Slope, Brooklyn. If you don't know what Bone Marrow is, it is the fatty meat inside the bone of a cow. It goes really well with the scallops, avocado, cilantro and corn tortillas it comes with. It may sound gross but I can assure you it is delicious and rich.
Another recommendation from the Stone Park Cafe menu is the squid ink tagliatelle. It is delicious black pasta with chorizo and a creamy tomato sauce. It is a great entree. Perfect to share with a friend.
For more of the menu and the address of Stone Park Cafe click on the link here: Stone Park Cafe

2) Another great idea is to DIY your home! DIY is "do it yourself". If you search DIY ideas on google you will get some great ideas but some of my favorite ideas include:
- Paint/ Decorate your shower curtain. Get some paint and fabric and make a mural of patterns on your shower curtain. Click here for a tutorial: One of a kind shower curtain
- Another fun idea is to take mason jars and grow herbs on your window ledge. This is a perfect idea for those without gardens but who like the idea of being green. Here is a link for more information:
Mason Jar Garden

                               

See you don't have to be lazy to have an awesome day off! Do something you will look back on and be happy you did.