Friday, July 13, 2012 at 2:00PM (This post is the third installment of a four part series. To read the first post, click here.)
As the gift gestated in my head, I started thinking of all the peripherals that were crucial to making the gift really sing:
1) the all important Rosetta Stone
2) a letter - from Indiana Jones
3) a shroud
Friday, July 13, 2012 at 11:30AM (This post is the second installment of a four part series. To read the first post, click here.)
Once I landed on the idea of a hieroglyph-designed puzzle as my nephew's present, it obviously needed an "ancient" box to be housed in. The box needed decorations but nothing that tied it back to the Rosetta Stone, causing confusion as to what needed to be decoded. So the top was covered with a decorative pattern and the sides had some hieroglyphs, but more complicated and didn't look exactly like the Rosetta Stone.
Friday, July 13, 2012 at 10:37AM 
Hilary asked me to make an hors d'oeuvre for our dinner. Initially, I was torn between two: tomato bruschetta and roasted figs. When I asked her if she owned a toaster oven, and the answer was no, I thought the tomato bruschetta won. But she enthusiastically told me she loves figs so I had to make both - and bake the figs in the oven instead.
Thursday, July 12, 2012 at 9:09PM 
One of our nephews has a vast collection of found gems: dried and completely intact dragonflies, a rock he found in an area devoid of other rocks, 12-inch long pine needles, snail shells, bullet-shaped acorns, you get my drift. He's curious and can't help but find/dig/spot things. So for his birthday, I thought I'd make him a treasure.
Tuesday, July 10, 2012 at 4:00PM 
I buy peanut butter that lists only peanuts and salt as ingredients. Inevitably, there's a layer of peanut oil that separates and is pooled on top. To mix it back in, get out your hand mixer with one whip attached and immerse it into the peanut butter - below the oil. Securely grip the jar and turn mixer on the lowest level. Slowly raise and lower the whip to incorporate the yummy oil back in, making sure to reach the very bottom of the jar. When it's all mixed back together, raise the whip until it's halfway visible and turn off the mixer. Don't pull it all the way out while it's still on, unless you want to wear your hard work all over your shirt.
Tuesday, July 10, 2012 at 11:47AM 
I love going over to our friends Hilary and Will's place for dinner. Hilary's a terrific cook and I always look forward to devouring what she's come up with for dinner. She makes amazing crackers and dips, braises roasts and whips up banana "ice cream" all in less than 36 square feet - that's including the appliances. No, I'm not saying her food tastes better because of her Lilliputian kitchen, but come on! It's a good lesson for me: One can make magic with just a stick, but you need a fairy godmother's touch.
Friday, July 6, 2012 at 10:44AM 
Why did I make a specific category for foods cooked in a toaster oven?
1) Living in a studio apartment, space is a commodity. My oven has three racks, which means: Three shelves for storing things. Anytime I want to use my oven, I need to take out my roasting pans, griddle, pizza stone, cast iron skillet, and some other things I haven't crammed into some other cabinet.
2) The ventilation in our apartment isn't the best. It gets hot in the kitchen when the oven's going - especially during the summer months.
3) Most nights, it's just Mr. Mari and me. It's just not worth the hassle of having to empty out the oven, heat up the apartment - just to roast two sweet potatoes. You know what I mean?
4) Considering I've only owned two my entire adult life - and we're talking since college, one can say the toaster oven is pretty dependable. I've only ever bought DeLonghi. This is probably the closest model to the one I own. The original one came with an enamel tray that I still use to this day (they're now sold separately). When this one finally goes, I'll probably end up switching to this make instead. Don't get me wrong; DeLonghi has been very good to me. It was the best toaster oven I could find when packing up our family's Toyota van on my way to college. However, the power off knob on both models never stays off and I really hate the clicky-clicky sound the dial makes for the toast setting.
5) Years ago, I decided to make miniature gingerbread houses as my contribution to our company's holiday party - 25 of them. I didn't have an oven at the time so they were all made in my DeLonghi toaster oven. Let's just say I got serious cred with my boss. This isn't a de facto reason for getting one but getting props still feels good.
Maybe if I didn't live in a Manhattan apartment, I wouldn't own one but then I'd probably own a toaster for when I want toast. Except I find I need an oven more often than I need toast so I'm back to why I'm writing about toaster oven foods.
Monday, July 2, 2012 at 1:30PM 
Every once in a while, I get a hankering for some wings. Teriyaki wings. Sticky, lacquered, finger-linkin' yum. They take some doing but I think the results are pretty darn tasty.
