* French Macarons *

Making these is still on my to-do list for post trip projects.

(image from here)

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* First Steps *

After my ticket purchase and hostel reservation, the first step to figuring out this trip was to find out how to get from the airport to the hostel. Success! So, now I feel much more secure that I won't be stranded with no idea what I'm doing. I at least have day 1 of 60 down, and it might not seem like much of an accomplishment to figure out, but it really is. I won't be able to plan out all 60 days, but I'm researching the places I want to hit, and a basic visual outline of each city and its metro stops.

Since I'm not working right now (this is officially my fourth day of freedom), I have the time to do this research so I'm not going to a new country blind. I want to have a basic orientation, a few phrases in the languages, and an idea of what I want to do in each place I visit. Although it's weird to not be planning for every single day/night, I'm feeling more comfortable knowing that at least I'll have a few plans set.

In the meantime, I've been hanging out with these two cool cats. Literally, they are cats. I'm cat-sitting for a week for a friend of mine.

Also, I made this awesome gnocchi tonight, and it came out great! Just some whole wheat gnocchi I bought from Trander Joe's, added marinara sauce, spinach and goat cheese. Pretty spectacular.

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* Happy Thanksgiving *

Hope you all have a wonderful and filling Thanksgiving. The benefit of hosting it is waking up to a house that smells DELICIOUS.

Here are some shots of what is happening here:

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* Applecrest Farm *

There is an ongoing festival at Applecrest Farm for Labor Day weekend. It is the most beautiful, sprawling farm in Hampton Falls, NH. Hurricane Earl left us with a gorgeous day today, so we decided to make the most of it.

First off, there was a petting zoo. Which, in and of itself, is probably the most entertaining thing in the world. If not for the hilarious farm animals who are slobbering hands for grain and grass, then for the adorable kids who are at once mesmerized by and scared to death of the animals.

My favorite part was watching a baby goat practically knock its momma down as it forcefully tried to get some milk.

And, also this young boy who got cornered in by all the sheep.

They also had some bluegrass music and tons of fresh food. I ate half a burger and half a sausage sandwich. The best of both worlds.

Could not have asked for a better day.

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* Red Pepper Sauce *

I made this red pepper sauce to go on haddock. It would also go well on chicken, but I liked the flavoring with a light fish.

I started out with some oil in a hot pan and sauteed chopped red peppers. I added basil, corn, and some spices: salt, pepper, chili powder, red pepper flakes, oregano. Then I added a little balsamic vinegar for some extra flavoring. It should be a thick consistency. I poured it over the cooked fish and added some red pepper cutouts for garnish.

Pretty easy and pretty delicious. Takes about 20 minutes altogether. You can also add some chopped walnuts for an extra crunch.

A-

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* Avocado and Caramelized Onion Pizza *

I have been cooking more since moving home, and am pushing myself to experiment with recipes that I've always drooled over in magazines, but never tried.

This dish is super easy, and super yummy; perfect for a party appetizer or a dinner (which it was for my parents and me). The hardest part is caramelizing the onions, but altogether the whole thing took less than 30 minutes.

First thing I did was buy a frozen pizza crust that could be unrolled and baked. About 5 minutes before it was fully cooked, I added olive oil (instead of sauce), fresh basil, caramelized onions, olives, some spices, tomatoes and plenty of cheese. After 5 more minutes, the crust was perfect and the toppings were just melted enough.

I topped it with freshly cut avocado slices, and served it warm. It was delicious. The sweetness of the caramelized onions mixed with the spices and the creamy avocado complimented each other perfectly. There were no leftovers!

Note: Be careful you cook your crust well, because all those toppings can weigh it down in the middle.

A+

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