~Dad's Egg Cream~

With it being Father’s Day today, I’ve been thinking a lot about my dad who passed, and one memory has been standing out today. My dad had only a few guilty pleasures in life, and this was one of them. His bright blue eyes would light up in his old, Italian face as he told me about the egg cremes he would get where he grew up in Brooklyn. I was thinking,memories are why food means so much to us and why we have “comfort” foods throughout our liffe. This, as it turns out, is one of mine. Also, it’s perfect to make right before you go, you know. Food memories are very sensory and embedded, even if we can’t see that at first.

~Here is a simple Egg Cream that I found online and tweaked.~

~Make coffee ice cubes with leftover coffee from your pot that morning. Freeze overnight. Making coffee ice cubes make nice and thick. You may still want to add crushed ice when you make your drink if the ice cubes are small~

~2 eggs~

~2 oz cream

~¼ t vanilla~

~2 packets  sugar in the raw or brown sugar~

~6 coffee ice cubes~

~Mix in a blender and pour in your coffee thermos before you head out the door for the day. When I think of my dad, I think of going with him that morning to the coffee cart to get an egg cream~

~I wrote this yesterday, but I was thinking of this memory all day, so I had to get it out.~

-Sarah Mahina Calvello~

~my Study Snack~

my Study Snack
by Sarah Mahina Calvello

Sometimes when I study, I need something extra. Get those grains and proteins going on there! This works for a quick breakfast or snack, too, with no particular extra effort.

~Two frozen waffles, I used blueberry from Trader Joe's~

~A single Greek yogurt or any yogurt you want, I chose Danon Light and Fit Greek Yogurt from Safeway~

~This takes one minute to make-I toast it in the toaster in my room and munch it before study time.~

~Dip the Butternut~

Butternut Squash Ravioli with Yogurt Diping Sauce~

by Sarah Mahina Calvello

~This is something that I came up with one day. I don't know if anyone ever did this before, but I was excited that this combination of flavors tasted really good together. Butternut squash ravioli and peach yogurt sauce to dip-it tastes like a fancy meal to have on a budget. It really adds class to any occasion. I used the butternut squash raviolis from Trader Joe's and Lucerne Peach yogurt.

~Fill pot half-full with water.

~Open ravioli pack into the water

~Stir with a wooden spoon until the water comes to a boil

~Turn heat off and drain the water into the sink.

~Serve raviolis ad spoon some peach yogurt, or any yogurt you prefer, on the side

~Perfect for any dinner, romantic or fancy for one. Sit down and enjoy the two flavors that you never thought would go together, I didn't expect that they would!

~One Cookie is Good Enough for Me~

~One Cookie is Good Enough For me~

                                ~by Sarah Mahina Calvello

One cookie after a hard day.When I have a bad day, I 

just have another cookie. This is my kind of cookie, one 

that calls for lazy cooking so you can just relax and 

enjoy the chocolate hug you have deserved for so long.

1 tbsp butter melted

1 tbsp white sugar

1 tbsp brown sugar

3 drops of vanilla 

pinch of salt

1 egg yolk

1/4 cup flour 

2 tbsp chocolate chips

MICROWAVE 40-60 SEC IN A CUP OR BOWL 

Viola! Single serving deep dish chocolate chip cookie! 

Ahhhh! Lay back and taste the well deserved laziness. 

The Cookie Monster from Seseme Street say's that when 

his day is bad, he just has another cookie.

~Ice, Ice Baby~

~Ice, Ice, Baby~
~by Sarah Mahina Calvello~

  The traveling coffee; here is my recommend for the girl, or 

   anyone, on the go. The key to smooth tasting iced 

   coffee is to cold brew it with no water involved. But

   that doesn't make too much sense when you hear

   about it, right? It took me awhile to figure that out.

   I’d tried to make iced coffee simply by cooling my

   leftover morning coffee and pouring it over ice. It 

   always tasted way too bitter. Turns out that cold-

   brewed coffee is 67% less acidic than when it’s hot-

   brewed. That acid is what causes the bitter taste that

   is especially pronounced when it’s drunk cold.” The

   acid taste is not too friendly to your tummy, is it?

   This is a simple way to make a strong iced coffee to 

   last you for most of the day.  Make it a day ahead by

   soaking ground coffee in water overnight, which is 12 

   hours. Strain out the grounds, and what's left is a 

   liquid coffee concentrate that can be stored in the

   fridge for up to 4 weeks. Pretty interesting to know to

   impress people with, right? If you want to make a

   glass of iced coffee at any time, just pour some of the

   coffee concentrate over ice, add milk and sweetener if

   you want any, and stir. Thats all you have to do. It's

   smooth, refreshing, and delicious without any

   bitterness. Who knew something this good you

   usually buy in cafes could be so easy?

   You can drink it hot, too. This method isn't just for

   making iced coffee. It's becoming more popular these

   days to cold-brew coffee, store the coffee

   concentrate in the fridge, and heat it for a cup of hot

   coffee.  The low acidity and bitterness makes for a

   smooth and nice cup of hot coffee. It looks weird, but

   once it's made, its worth it.

   Cold-Brew Iced Coffee

   It's a breeze to cold-brew coffee. I'll bet you on it.

   ~Get It Together~

   Coffee: Medium ground of whatever brand you prefer. 

   It tastes better if you grind the beans yourself before 

   you brew it. But who has time for that, really, I don't.

   If you want it in a hurry, buy it ground or get it 

   ground at the store. You'll need 1 cup of ground

   coffee to make 3 cups of cold-brew coffee

   concentrate, which is enough for six 8-oz iced   

   coffees.

   Filtered water--I use a Brita pitcher to filter our tap

   water. Filtered water is used by Starbucks and other 
  
                        cafes to make clean tasting coffee. It's not just about 
  
                        the coffee, the water needs to be clean and good

                        tasting as well. A filter pitcher is the easiest way to

                        accomplish that. You can buy it at pretty much any

                        grocery stores, or even online at Amazon. I don't

                        know about you, but I want my coffee to taste fresh   
  
                        and clean.

                       To Be Sweet or not to be Sweet. There's no correct

                       answer; so only if you want them to be. Do you like your

                     coffee black and unsweetened, or creamy and 

                     desserty? I use Lucerne creamer at Safeway or any 

                    grocery store, thats the cheapest and good brand I've 
  
                    seen around so far. If you like it sweeter, I 

                   recommend the Mexican Chocolate or Mochiatto

                   creamer, or on the softer tasting side Cinnamon

                   vanilla.  Its fun to be able to do whatever you want 

                  with your iced coffee, huh? It's also good with brown

                 sugar and milk if you want to go in that direction.

                Iced coffee is a traveling something extra to power

               through the day. Make everything just a little bit sweeter.

               Brew it black, then change it to suit your personality, like your

               daily coffee mood ring.

     

~Smell the Guy (or Girl) Gift~

~Smell the Guy (or Girl) Gift~
 ~by Sarah MahinaCalvello~



I never know what to get guys gifts that are or look fancy, and I

think this is it if you can find the ingredients. It works great for 

sensitive skin. It leaves a layer of protection from the razor 

when you shave, so it reduces razor burn, even with a dull

razor. I can do without razor burn, so actually this could be

used for men or women, I'm just calling this a good gift idea for 

a guy. This cream has no soap in it like generic shaving cream.

Soap dries out skin, while oils protect your skin. It's a organic

cream feeling, so the cream will melt a little on your skin as you 

put in on. This is okay, just put on the thin layer of cream and 

shave.

To clean the razor, just rinse it in warm water and give it a

shake like always. You don't have to rinse your face before you

shave, your face has natural oils and conditioners you need. 

But you do want to scrub off the excess with a warm, wet 

washcloth and press firmly. If you want to get fancy with it, you 
could use a pre-wash of soap.

You can use both refined or unrefined coconut oil. The

unrefined version will have a more coconut smell to it. The

important distinction here is between coconut oil and

fractionated coconut oil. Coconut oil should be a solid at

temperatures below 74º F. Fractionated coconut oil is a liquid,

and that is not what we want. We want a solid oil that will make 

this nice and whippable.

Shea butter comes from the shea tree in Africa. It’s a

moisturizer, and you can buy them either online from Amazon 
 
or Vitacost, or you can find it in the beauty department at Whole 

Foods and in the personal care aisle at Walgreens and other 

drugstores.

Use a big canning jar for this gift, it's good to make a lot of it at 
 
one time, it won't get old for quite awhile.

Rosemary Mint Shave Cream

1/3 cup shea butter
1/3 cup virgin coconut oil
1/4 cup jojoba or sweet almond oil
10 drops rosemary essential oil
3-5 drops peppermint essential oil

In a small saucepan over low heat, combine and mix he shea

butter and coconut oil, stirring until just melted. Remove from 
 
   the heat and transfer to a heat-safe bowl. Add in the jojoba oil 
'
    and the essential oils. Stir.

Place the bowl in the refrigerator and chill until solid. Remove 
 
   from the refrigerator and whip using a hand beater or a stand

mixer until light and fluffy. Spoon into a jar. Lid and keep in a 
 
   cool, dry place.

Makes 8 ounces. Jar and tie a ribbon around it and give it to

your special guy. You'll know its cheaper then store-bought s

having cream, but he won't. It will smell way better, too-and

   isn't that the most important gift of all?