Food Lush

The Top Ten Most Popular Food Lush Posts (Ever)

By Jennie

I wanted to end this wonderful site on a fun note, a note that looks back on some of the delicious content Food Lush has produced over the years. Here, for you, on the last day of the site (at least for a while), let me share with you the Top Ten Most Popular Posts!

10. Tim Tams are Here!

How have I not tried these Australian cookies that hit U.S. store shelves, yet? Think I need to fix that soon.

9. Chicken Bacon Ranch Bake 

I love that some of these posts really need no description. Yeah, that recipe sounds delicious and like it should be one of the most popular. Kudos, Ariel!

 

 

8. How to Make: Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

One of the very first posts (posted in the very first week of Food Lush's life!), Jen shares her very good tips on making delicious cookies. In fact, this is the post that inspired me to buy my first Silpat. 

7. Recipe Knock-off: Campbell's Bean with Bacon Soup

Katie recreated a childhood favorite and it seems she helped out a lot of other readers do the same. 

6. The Best Chicken Breast Recipe EVER

Seems like some readers agree with Dani (and the Barefoot Contessa) on this delicious recipe. 

5. Rotting fruit? Sugar it up!

We are a bunch in need of keeping our fruit fresh. Just wait...

4. Strawberry Brownies

Jen shared a Pinterest success! Oh, Pinterest. What did we do before you?

3. The Fluffiest Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever 

Okay, I think it's safe to say that Food Lush readers really like their desserts. (My kind of people.)

2. Simple Cream Cheese Danish

Every one of these words is awesome. String them together? Even better!

1. The Key to Preventing Moldy Berries? Vinegar!

This post got a lot of views, obviously, but it also got featured in some fun places. See, Food Lush likes their desserts AND their fresh fruit.

***

There you have it! You've seen our favorites and our most popular posts. Tell us, on the last post you'll see for a while, what's your favorite Food Lush post?

And, to end this beautiful internet ride, let me say a sincere thank you to our readers. If I could thank you each of you over champagne, I would in a heartbeat. Goodbye. 

Restaurant Spotlight: Red PrimeSteak in Oklahoma City

Editor's note: For our last week at Food Lush, I've asked the writers to share both a favorite post by another writer, from over the last three years, and a favorite post of their own. You'll see these posts linked to at the top of their new post for the week. Enjoy a stroll down Lush memory lane!

by Tara

Since this is my actual last post, I'll pick another favorite from over the years reading the Lush sites. Jennie's post on Personalized Handmade Thank You Cards was so awesome. I often have prints made of my daughter using toys or wearing clothes given to her and write a quick note on the back to say thank you. Genius! Another of the favorite posts I've written is Red Wine Love; I am, after all, a Lush at heart. Gosh, I'll miss this site!

***

If you're in or near Oklahoma City, go right now and make a reservation at Red PrimeSteak. Located in the up-and-coming, old-but-renovated, very-hip part of the city, it's a great place for a date or party.

There are red neon lights everywhere, which kind of gives an other-worldly glow to the whole restaurant (but doesn't make you see red when you leave the building).

We started with RP's Tomatoes: yellow, red, and green, fried, with mozzarella and a bunch of other deliciousness. We were also served a bread with garlic butter. It was awesome.

I had the 7-oz filet with a garlic herb crust and creamy horseradish sauce, and the horseradish potato gratin.

I didn't take a picture of my husband's dinner, but he had a sirloin and the slivered asparagus and it was also delicious.

For dessert we ordered the Red Velvet Cupcakes, which were DIVINE. 

(Personal Photos)

The staff was friendly and knowledgable, the food was incredible. All-in-all, it was a wonderful all around experience.

Have you eaten at a great restaurant in Oklahoma City?

Top 5 Food Gifts I'd Like From My Valentine

Editor's note: For our last week at Food Lush, I've asked the writers to share both a favorite post by another writer, from over the last three years, and a favorite post of their own. You'll see these posts linked to at the top of their new post for the week. Enjoy a stroll down Lush memory lane!

by Jen L.

This is my final post for Food Lush and it has been a fantastic couple of years! I have loved sharing my foodie love with all of you, participating in this wonderful group of writers (we call ourselves the Lush Family) and reading all your comments. My favorite post from another writer is this Candy Corner post by Erik because 1. it involves Bit O' Honey, and 2.  it is HYSTERICAL.  Choosing my favorite post of my own was like being asked to choose a favorite child, but I narrowed it down, and read and read, then picked this one, a post I got to write in response to a reader's question about hosting a birthday party. The best part of Food Lush has always been the interaction with our readers, so thank you! 

***

I love food gifts. Some people scoff at them. Some people automatically throw them out, as though they are tainted.  Other people, like me and people I'm related to, fight over them.  My husband and I get summer sausages in our Christmas stockings every year and my mom always gets me a big bottle of cranberry mustard to go with mine.  My grandpa used to give me my own wheel of Edam cheese every year.

I've never been one for flowers on Valentine's Day--I'd rather have a box of really nice chocolate or even have a nice dinner prepared for me. (My husband sometimes surprises me with cornish game hens!)  Here are five food gifts I'd be tickled to get on Valentine's Day.

1.  Harry and David's Pears.  Have you ever had a Harry and David pear? They are hands-down the greatest pears I have ever had IN MY LIFE. I don't know what it is, but they are always perfectly ripe, tender, sweet and delicious.  And look! They even have a Valentine Gift Box all ready to ship to the one you love, complete with heart-shaped stickers and pink foil wrapping.  Score.

2.  Wisconsin Cheese Mart Cheddar Deck Gift Box.  This trio of cheddar cheeses would be mine, all mine. I would use the mild for a cheddar cheese sauce (Served over pasta with bacon, of course!), the medium for grating over tacos and chili, and the sharp for eating with really good crackers.

3.  A Cookie Bouquet from Cookies by Design.  I had a cookie bouquet for one of my teenage birthdays and I remember it being delicious. I love iced sugar cookies, so that was right up my alley. (This was before I gave in to my all-consuming love for cake.)  This cute Conversation Hearts cookie bouquet would be a very sweet treat.

4.  A Crate O' Gummi Bears.  Haribo are the best gummies in the world--we all agree on this, yes?  How'd you like to get this crate of 72 packs of MINI gummi bears from Candy Warehouse? I thought so. 

5.  A beautiful box of Godiva chocolates.  Specifically, this dark chocolate collection.  Enough said.

What food gifts would you like to receive from your Valentine?  You can paste a link this post to in an email, you know...

 

Image credit  HarryandDavid.com

One Last Recipe from My Grandma's Archives

Editor's note: For our last week at Food Lush, I've asked the writers to share both a favorite post by another writer, from over the last three years, and a favorite post of their own. You'll see these posts linked to at the top of their new post for the week. Enjoy a stroll down Lush memory lane!

By Nora

Writing for Food Lush was a such a gift, and one I will always cherish. Food gives sustenance, comfort, and joy, and most importantly, creates memories. So, I guess it's no surprise that my favorite posts are the ones that link food and experiences. The one I wrote about my childhood food memories from summers in Norway is definitely the one I most enjoyed writing and which was most personal for me. But I have to say that Caitlin's post about her Christmases on Beaver Lake not only made me feel like I was there with her family, but made me WANT to be part of her family.

***

Thus, my last post for Food Lush is simply a recipe that brings back memories for me, and which will forever remind me of my Grandma. Fettucine Alfredo---the real Italian version that uses butter and cheese (NO heavy cream). I still remember my Grandma pouring the hot pasta over the creamy mixture and the steam rising from the bowl, the sweet smell of basil and parmesan hitting my nose. I am giving you the recipe with the caveat that I have not yet been able to recreate it quite as perfectly as she was able to make it, and I don't know why. I follow the directions exactly, but still it's not the same. I think it's simply the fact that she's not here to make it for me anymore. But I hope that if you decide to make this recipe, it brings you as much comfort as it did for me at the time.

Nora's Grandma's Fettucine Alfredo

1 pkg fettucine

4 tbsp butter

3/4 cup parmesan cheese

1 egg (optional)

1 tbsp sweet dried basil

2 cloves of garlic, minced

Cook the noodles until almost tender. In a separate large serving bowl (big enough so you have lots of room to mix), beat the 1 egg* and after the pasta is cooked, add a ladle full of the hot pasta water to the egg.  In a separate sauce pan, melt butter and add garlic, basil, and parmesan. Add half of the butter/cheese mixture to the bowl with the egg and pasta water, and then pour the noodles over that. Pour the rest of the butter mixture over the noodles and mix all together until combined and creamy. Eat and savor.

*If you are uncomfortable using an egg in this recipe, you can leave it out. The hot pasta water cooks the egg to the point where it thickens but doesn't get hard, and it adds a richness to the pasta that I like. However, it will taste just as good without it.

My Favorite Lemon Bars

Editor's note: For our last week at Food Lush, I've asked the writers to share both a favorite post by another writer, from over the last three years, and a favorite post of their own. You'll see these posts linked to at the top of their new post for the week. Enjoy a stroll down Lush memory lane!

By Julie

I really wanted to do justice to Food Lush in this final post, to leave something at the finish line that not only made me and the lovely editors proud, but something that could make you happy.  I have gotten so much joy from being a part of this site, and I am thankful for every moment, every word, and every one of you out there.

In looking back, the most memorable post for me was Erica's Homemade Childhood Favorites, because, as a mom, I am always on the lookout for foods my kids will want to eat that doesn't come from a box. This one hit me square between the eyes.

And as for my posts, my favorite is probably my recollection of making my daughter's birthday cake, because of the gargantuan effort it took and the enormous number of mistakes I made along the way. But mostly because it was so fun in the end. Just like today!

***

Fun fact: I was named after the character Julie on Days of Our Lives. It should come as no surprise then that one of my guilty pleasures is watching the occasional soap opera (OK, maybe more than occasional, ahem, especially in college, but I digress), and perhaps perusing a magazine on the subject now and again. Today, I share my (minor, totally manageable, slightly embarrassing) addiction for your benefit, because, years ago, I found this fabulous recipe in Soap Opera Digest.

I present the most delicious lemon bars (or squares, depending on the shape you cut), courtesy of Suzanne Rogers, Maggie on Days. I've made these many times for my family and friends, and even some of my fellow Lush writers, and they are always a hit. This is my go-to non-chocolate dessert, a little taste of summer any time of the year.

Lemon Squares

Ingredients the First:

1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 pound salted, softened butter

Mix together and press into a 9 X 13-inch dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. (Depending on your oven, check after 20 minutes.)

Ingredients the Second:

4 eggs
4 tablespoons flour
6 tablespoons lemon juice (fresh is good, but regular ol' bottled juice works just as well)
2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Mix these ingredients while the crust bakes. Remove crust from the oven.  While the crust is still hot, pour the new mixture on top and bake for 25 more minutes. (Again, depending on your oven, check after 20 minutes.) Remove from oven and let cool in dish. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. After it has cooled completely, cut into desired portions.

(Photo Credit: en.wikipedia.org)

White Bean and Pumpkin Stew Recipe

Editor's note: For our last week at Food Lush, I've asked the writers to share both a favorite post by another writer, from over the last three years, and a favorite post of their own. You'll see these posts linked to at the top of their new post for the week. Enjoy a stroll down Lush memory lane!

By Dani

As everybody has said, it's really, really hard to pick a favorite Food Lush post, so I'm going to go with my gut and what I'm enjoying this week: Tara C.'s Zuppa di Anglio Fresco has been fighting off cold winds and germs for me lately, and I love it.

For me, I have to pick Tell Me: Starbucks vs. Indie Coffee - a topic that is oddly close to my heart. It's also a post that recalls one of the things I have loved about Food Lush: that it's a place to relive travels, bounce around ideas, debate the merits of food-related issues and try new things. Thank you for being a part of that, and letting me be a member of the team that played here every week.

***

Now, I want to share with you a stew recipe that has been a staple for me this winter - it's sweet, salty, hearty - and a perfect use for leftover ham. It's adapted from a recipe is Campfire Cookery (an excellent cookbook in its own right!)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb of dried beans (I used Great Northern white beans, but anything will do)
• 1 lb. or so of fresh pumpkin, cubed (butternut squash also works)
• 1/2 lb. of ham or pancetta, chopped
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon of thyme
• 1 cinnamon stick
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Soak beans overnight, or simmer for about an hour before making the rest of the stew. Once the beans are softened, place all ingredients in a Crock-Pot with two quarts of fresh water or broth, and let cook for about eight hours. (The longer it simmers, the better it is!) Serve with crusty bread and a sprinkle of brown sugar and nutmeg on top.

(The finished product and cookbook. Photo by me.)

Mac & Cheese Style Cauliflower

Editor's note: For our last week at Food Lush, I've asked the writers to share both a favorite post by another writer, from over the last three years, and a favorite post of their own. You'll see these posts linked to at the top of their new post for the week. Enjoy a stroll down Lush memory lane!

by Sarah Anne

I'm so sad to be saying good by after such a short time with Food Lush, but I am forever grateful to have been included in this amazing bunch of women who love food as much as I do. I haven't been around long, but before I was a writer, I was a reader brought over by Caitlin (Thanks Caitlin!). So I will link you to a post of hers that gave me the guts to try something I'd always wanted to - Fresh Strawberry Jam!  As far as my own post, I think my very first post on Lentils is my favourite. 

***

Onward and upward as they say, folks. I don't have any huge "my last post" kind of post, but I do have a favourite recipe that I rediscovered this week. It's definitely one that I think you'll love. Mac & cheese style cauliflower.  

Now, hold on, don't go anywhere just because I said cauliflower.  I know. It's kind of a misused vegetable. Bland when steamed. Used as 'rice' for the raw food and paleo crowd. Whipped up into faux mashed potatoes. Poor thing. I'll admit this recipe is kind of similar in that it is an attempt to lighten up a homey, cheesy dish.  But do me a favour and give it a shot. I promise, it's a dish worth adding to your rotation. 

Source

I definitely always increase the garlic in this recipe (and all recipes, let's be honest here) and sometimes I'll add a little dijon to the sauce.  I'm sure this recipe would be flexible enough to add bacon for those that like that sort of thing, green onions, maybe even peas?  For some reason, I always feel like peas go with mac and cheese, and since I like to mess with recipes so this is no different. Try it out and jazz up the flavours a bit! What kind of flavour combos can you think up. I love recipes that are simple in flavour and technique that lend themselves to a bit of play.

The other bonus to this recipe? It can be made pretty inexpensively depending on the cheese you buy. It can be doubled for more leftovers too. Maybe it is a way to get kids (and adults!) to eat their veggies rather than that blue box that advertises cauliflower in its pasta? Far healthier and in my mind, way tastier!

I serve this with a green salad most often and call it dinner. Oh, and don't forget to try a little sriracha on top, because who doesn't like sriracha? 

Are you a cauliflower fan? Have you tried any other 'faux' recipes using cauliflower? Perhaps a recipe like this?  

Reader Help: Surviving a Kitchen Remodel

Editor's note: For our last week at Food Lush, I've asked the writers to share both a favorite post by another writer, from over the last three years, and a favorite post of their own. You'll see these posts linked to at the top of their new post for the week. Enjoy a stroll down Lush memory lane!

by Elissa

Boy is it hard to pick a favorite Food Lush post--there has been so much amazing stuff written here. But the recipe I have probably made the most since learning about it here is Jonna's enchilada casserole--it's delicious, flexible, and easy! My favorite post of my own (perhaps for nostalgic reasons, as my baby is now 18 months old) is this one about eating while pregnant.

***

In a couple of weeks we are embarking on a renovation of our kitchen. We're not moving any walls, but the current space will be totally gutted and everything is going to be replaced.

As eager as I am to say goodbye to the hideous faux-brick floor, the stained butcher block counter, and the cabinets that give off splinters, I am dreading living without a kitchen for a month. Who better to give me some tips to keep us fed than all of you?

We will have a refrigerator, microwave, and toaster oven set up in our dining room during the remodel. I know we will eat out more than usual and do plenty of take out, and I am also planning to stock up on frozen meals that I can stash in our chest freezer. For those of you who have been through this, what did you end up eating the most? Should I invest in a slow-cooker (I had been toying with the idea of getting one anyway)? And what frozen meals do you like the best (there's only so much mac n' cheese one family can eat)?

Finally, I want to thank all of you for reading, commenting, and making Food Lush such a great online community. I have loved being a part of this. The end of Food Lush has motivated me to find a new place to write online, and my sisters and I have started a food blog called Harts in the Kitchen. I hope you'll check it out and visit me there--we'll be writing about all kinds of food-related things, and I'll be sure to post the "after" pictures of our kitchen once it's finished.

Chana Masala and Indian Spiced Vegetables

Editor's note: For our last week at Food Lush, I've asked the writers to share both a favorite post by another writer, from over the last three years, and a favorite post of their own. You'll see these posts linked to at the top of their new post for the week. Enjoy a stroll down Lush memory lane!

Jess M.

I have been a faithful Food Lush reader from the start, having been a Style Lush reader for a long time. So, when it comes to choosing a favorite post, it's just so hard! I love how reading Food Lush has always seemed like sitting around with friends and talking about what we're all making for dinner or what great kitchen gadget someone found. So, I have to list the two Food Lush Gift Guides, 2011 and 2012, as my favorite posts. Even today when I looked back at them I was newly interested in things on the lists. They have given me plenty of ideas for my own Christmas list and ideas for others. I also really enjoyed this post about owl-themed kitchen things. I bought the mugs right after reading that post!

As for my favorite of my own posts, it has to be the one where I talked about my cookbook collection. I am so attached to certain cookbooks and I try and give a lot of thought to which ones I buy, so it was fun to show my cookbook-nerd side and share these with my friends.

And I know that this is Food Lush, but I cannot let it go without mentioning just how many things I bought for myself after they were mentioned on Style Lush: this coat, a bunch of these shirts, and BB Cream to name a few.

***

When we try to eat healthy it always involves a lot of beans. And when we discovered Indian food from a local restaurant we were instantly in love. Beans! Vegetables! Spiciness! Many vegetarian dishes! Unforuntaly the Indian restaurant in our town isn't convenient to us at all. We almost never happen to be near it to just pop in and bring home carryout. And when we discovered that our son would eat Chana Masala, I knew I had to find a way for us to have this dish more often. I didn't have to look very far because Smitten Kitchen has a great and easy recipe.

Chana Masala and Indian Spiced Cauliflower and Potatoes from Smitten Kitchen

Both dishes use overlapping spices, so when you measure them out for one, measure out for the other. They both also start with sauteeing some onion, so I just start them at the same time. Both reheat very well and when we put away the leftovers we often just combine it all into one big delicious bowl.

(Photos: me)

Let's Go Out on a (sugar) High Note: Sugar Cookie Bars!

Editor's note: For our last week at Food Lush, I've asked the writers to share both a favorite post by another writer, from over the last three years, and a favorite post of their own. You'll see these posts linked to at the top of their new post for the week. Enjoy a stroll down Lush memory lane!

by Caitlin

I know plenty of others before me have already said this: but I had a hard time choosing a favorite post to share with you all. It's been such fun for me to write here, to reconnect with some of you reading, and to be part of this little community. I can hardly believe I've been doing it for almost two years. I have long wondered how Jennie does it all, and fully support her decision to step away. But, oh, I will miss it here. I will miss you. Thank you for reading along, talking about food, sharing your food memories with me, and being part of this adventure. So, until next time: the recipe I make most from this site is probably Sarah's versatile marinade. And my favorite post of mine has to be this one, about my Gram. A perfect bittersweet note to end on.

***

So! Does anyone else feel like blasting Vitamin C's classic hit Friends Forever - Graduation Song?

"If you got somethin' that ya need to say you better say it right now cuz you don't have another day."

Here's what I have to say.

A) I'll always have a soft spot for late 90s belly shirts and hackey sacks.

B) TODAY is Day 30. 30 days of grain-free, whole foods, no added sugar, no alcohol, no nothing? DUNZO. Fruit, vegetables, meat, seafood, nuts, seeds, oils. There was a lot of coconut. 30 days. I can't believe it.

C) I'm not sure what I'm going to eat tomorrow, other than oats for breakfast. It's a little scary, actually. They recommend you reintroduce things slowly to see how your body reacts with the clean slate it has to work with. And that's great and I totally get it, I just don't know exactly how that looks for me yet. I'm just going to take it one day at a time. At some point I plan on trying dairy, and at some point I will try gluten again, and then I shall make these delicious sugar cookie bars. 

Photo from dinnersdishesanddesserts.com

Back in December my friend Jen posted on twitter about the angels she heard singing when she made something magical called "sugar cookie bars." And the thing you need to know about me is that I LOVE sugar cookies. A nice soft, chewy, fat sugar cookie with frosting and sprinkles? GIMME. But I hate rolling out cookies and dealing with all that. It's so much work and I can never find a recipe that gives me the exact cookie I want. I'm a sucker for those horrible grocery store cookies that are round and topped with seasonally appropriate colored frosting and sprinkles (I think they're called Lofthouse?). They're full of nasty ingredients and probably dye your insides the same seasonally appropriate shade, so I don't buy them, except maybe once a year. Maybe. And then I eat one or two and throw the rest away. 

All of this is a long way of saying that while I really wanted to make sugar cookies at Christmas, I also really wanted to NOT make sugar cookies at Christmas. Enter this recipe. It was so easy, and so good, and I no longer see the point of cut-out cookies, unless someone else is making them. Sugar cookie bars! SUGAR COOKIE BARS! How had no one thought of this sooner??

I halved the recipe and made it in an 8x8 pan, and I had a hard time getting the cook time right. The first batch was way undercooked, the second was over - so far over I had to throw it away. It turns out that slightly underbaked sugar cookie bars are actually delicious, if a bit much. Next time I make them I'm going to have to be much more careful watching the cook time. I am willing to experiment and get it right though. For science.

The buttercream is the perfect consistency, the dough is soft and chewy, and the right sprinkles - I did a layer of sanding sugar, then a layer of Christmas colored jimmies - tie it together perfectly for look and crunch. They'd be fitting for any holiday (Valentine's! St. Paddy's Day, Easter! Rainbow sprinkles for summer, fall colors, Halloween! Thanksgiving and Christmas!), a shower, a birthday party, or just because HEY, sugar cookies are DELICIOUS and you just ate nothing but pure, whole foods for a month. Good luck having two bites and slipping into a diabetic coma, crazy.

Have you made sugar cookie bars? Do YOU have a favorite Food Lush post? I'll miss you!