Rissa's "Beachside" BBQ

In the summer, I try to use my bbq as much as possible. Who says a 3x5 foot "backyard" (aka enclosed patio) can stop me from cooking out?! So when it comes to my dinner night in this season, it's usually incorporated. I wanted to do something summer-y in general so a gorgeous pink torpoedo with grilled apps was the right start. A Los Angeles summer fav for me is Duke's Restaurant in Malibu. This dinner night basically tried to mimick that beach feel with fish tacos, Spanish rice, etc. I'm just catching on to how seasonal corn on the cob is..I used to always shortcut corn by getting it out of the can, but now I know there's no substitute! So I had to incorporate this realization into my veggie dish. A good choice at that. Lots of colors and zest in this meal, which set the tone I was looking for!

Pink Torpoedoes




Kristin- These were fairly easy to make and incorpated two of my favorite things every- vodka and strawberries! Because of this, I think my expectations were really high and the drink fell slightly short. A decent summer time drink by all means, it just seemed like it was missing something. Maybe more sweetness would do the trick?

H: Thumbs up.
K: Thumbs sideways.
N: Thumbs sideways.
R: Thumbs up - I thought it was great.

Grilled Drumsticks with Herb Dipping Sauce



Nicole - These were super easy and delicious too! I am still a complete beginner on the grill, and this recipe was a good one for me to get some practice in.

H: Thumbs up.
K: Thumbs up- the sauce was a great compliment to the smokeyness of the chicken.
N: Thumbs up.
R: Thumbs sideways - anytime I eat this kind of app, I can’t help but expect buffalo sauce somewhere!


Margarita Fish Tacos with Chipotle-Lime Mayo and Arugula




These were easy enough to put together but the chipotle flavor overwhelmed all the other flavors in the tacos. If I were to make these again, I’d cut back on the chipotle.

H: Thumbs down – there are better fish taco recipes out there.
K: Thumbs down- little flavor to the fish and the sauce was too spicy for even me!
N: Thumbs sideways – a bit spicy for me too.
R: Thumbs down. Not the one..

Spanish Rice



Kristin- I was excited to tackle this recipe since I had never made spanish rice before. I believe I accidently added too many diced tomatoes, but I didn’t mind since I love tomatoes! Overall, solid rice recipe that wasn’t too bland (some of them can be!)

H: Thumbs up.
K: Thumbs up
N: Thumbs up.
R: Thumbs sideways.



Zesty 3 Bean and Roasted Corn Salad




Rissa - This recipe was one of the hits of the night. Full of flavor and spices. This is where I also learned about fresh vs. can corn. Major difference! I snuck in a smidge more avocado of course, but you just can’t waste any. And as for browning the corn and green beans in a pan, that was a good tip. Very easy and super tasty dish.

H: Thumbs up.
K: Thumbs up!
N: Thumbs up.
R: Thumbs up.


Caramel Banana Cupcakes



Even though these required a lot of manual labor in unwrapping all the caramels, it was well worth the effort! I love the flavor combination of banana and caramel and you could really taste both in these cupcakes. The only thing I didn’t like about this and would definitely change next time was the frosting. It tasted like straight up butter. I would do a sweeter, less buttery frosting or even a cream cheese frosting next time.

H: Thumbs sideways.
K: Thumbs up- such a fun surprise inside! Though best when served immediately.
N: Thumbs up – yum!
R: Thumbs down.

Heather's Summer Seasonal Night

My inspiration for this dinner night was the fresh ingredients I see all the time at the Santa Monica Farmer’s Market. I wanted to do a simple menu based on summer ingredients since many of them are only in season for a few months.

Grilled Shrimp with Corn, Tomato and Basil (Courtesy of Glamour Magazine)


Place 16 large cleaned, deveined shrimp (tails on!) in a bowl with 3 tbsp. olive oil and 1 clove minced garlic; marinate 30 minutes. Meanwhile, boil 3 ears husked corn in a pot for 3 to 5 minutes. Cut kernels from cobs. Mix with 2 cups chopped tomatoes, 2 tbsp. olive oil, 8 slivered basil leaves, salt and pepper. Remove shrimp from marinade; season with salt and pepper. Grill shrimp until cooked through, and place over salad. Serves 4.

K: Thumbs up. It was so light and refreshing.
N: Thumbs up! Who knew such a great recipe would come from Glamour.
R: Thumbs up. I’m giving magazine recipes a chance now.
H: Thumbs up – Absolutely delicious!

Peach-Strawberry Margarita (Courtesy of Margaritas, Mojitos & More by Jessica Strand)

1 lime wedge
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 cup crushed ice
¼ cup peeled, cubed peach, plus 1 slice for garnish
2 teaspoons Simple Syrup
¼ cup hulled, quartered strawberries, plus 2 whole for garnish
1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
1 ounce gold tequila
1 ounce peach schnapps

Moisten the outer rim of a chilled margarita glass with the lime wedge. Spread the salt on a shallow plate and dip the glass in the salt, covering it with a light band. Set the glass aside.
In a blender, combine the ice, peach cubes, simple syrup, quartered strawberries, lime juice, tequila, and schnapps. Blend at high speed until smooth. Pour into prepared glass. Spear a strawberry, then the peach slice, then a strawberry. Garnish with the fruit spear.

Heather – These were so fresh and summery. I felt like I was on vacation drinking them. They were easy to make as well.

K: Thumbs up.
N: Thumbs up – loved the summer fruits.
R: Thumbs up.
H: Thumbs up


Fresh Mozzarella and Stacked Heirloom Tomato Salad with Green Chile-Cilantro Oil and Chipotle Vinegar (Courtesy of food network)

Heather – So we’ve done the tomato, mozzarella and basil combo a few times now but never with heirloom tomatoes and since they are only in season during the summer months, I thought it would be a perfect addition to the menu. These were very easy to put together and looked really professional and tasted great! I couldn’t really taste the chipotle too much in the vinegar.

K: Thumbs up the sauces were an interesting combo.
N: Thumbs up.
R: Thumbs up.
H: Thumbs up

Couscous with summer vegetables and herbs (Courtesy of Seasonal Food by Susannah Blake)

Serves 4.
2 yellow bell peppers, cut into large chunks
2 red bell peppers, cut into large chunks
9 oz cherry tomatoes
2 zucchinis, thickly sliced
5 tbsp. olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp. white wine vinegar
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
Pinch of sugar
1 cup couscous
1 cup boiling water
4 oz feta cheese, crumbled (about 1 cup)
1 tbsp. chopped fresh mint leaves
Large handful of fresh parsley, chopped
Large handful of fresh basil, torn

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Put bell peppers, tomatoes, and zucchinis in a large baking dish, drizzle 2 tablespoons of the oil over them, season well with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes, tossing once or twice, until tender and slightly charred.
Meanwhile, prepare the dressing. Whisk together the vinegar, mustard, sugar, and 2 ½ tablespoons of the oil, and season to taste with salt and pepper, then set aside.

Put the couscous in a large bowl, blend in the remaining oil and a pinch of salt using a fork, then pour in the boiling water. Let it stand for 5 minutes, then fluff up with a fork. Add the roasted vegetables and any juices from the dish to the couscous along with the feta, and sprinkle with the mint, parsley and basil. Pour in the dressing, then toss to combine well and serve either warm or room temperature.

K: Thumbs sideways. I would leave out the mint next time.
N: Thumbs up! Loved the combo of couscous and veggies, and have made this a couple times since.
R: Thumbs up minus the mint. I usually don’t care for couscous, but this was really good.
H: Thumbs up – minus the mint and parsley.

Grilled Skirt Steak and Peaches (Courtesy of Food & Wine Magazine)

Rissa - I typically don’t like fruit in general unless it’s in a dessert with some sort of cake, SO I had to gear up for this dinner night! When I heard about steak with peaches, that was pretty odd to me. Heather is privileged to work right next to an amazing farmers market so the peaches looked perfect for this recipe (even to me). The sauce was really good and you don’t even need to marinade overnight which is nice (I would probably not scrape it off the steak before grilling). Because it was pretty zesty and with a little spice from the jalapeno, I think it actually paired well with the peaches! My only thing is that we used a grill pan for this recipe which I would not recommend. There is no substitute and the peaches and steak did not “char” as much as I would prefer if done on a regular grill.

K: Thumbs up- I thought the sauce was so yummy. However, I agree with the other girls, I would use a different cut of meat…perhaps filet.
N: Thumbs sideways – I liked the meat and peaches combo, although the meat was a bit tough for me too. I tried it again with chicken for better results, and a different cut of beef would probably work better.
R: Thumbs up..would try flank steak next time!
H: Thumbs down – The meat was way too tough for my preference.

Old-Fashioned Strawberry Ice Cream (Courtesy of Rachael Ray Magazine)

Nicole – This is a delicious and an easy ice cream recipe, and a good way to use up a lot of strawberries. The recipe says to mash the strawberries with a fork, but I found it much easier using a potato masher.

K: Thumbs up.
N: Thumbs up.
R: Thumbs up.
H: Thumbs up

Blueberry Pie (Courtesy of AllRecipes.com)

Nicole – This pie was extremely easy to make – just mix everything together, and pour it into the crust.

K: Thumbs down (Disclaimer- I would say that to almost any fruit pie)
N: Thumbs up.
R: Thumbs up. I liked it and it was so easy!
H: Thumbs sideways – This was a little soggy. I’m sure I could find a better recipe for blueberry pie.

Kristin's Spicy Rebound Night

After the disaster I had at my apt in December’s dinner night, I decided I needed to redeem myself before people began to think I wasn’t a foodie anymore! With Cinco De Mayo on the way, I opted for a Mexican-southwest fusion style menu. We had our work cut out for us with the amount of recipes we had to make and sangria that needed to be drank! Only a few of us even made it to the dessert round late night since we were so full from appetizers and entree. At the end of the night, I could confidently say I’m still a foodie- a foxy one at that.

Sangria- Recipezaar.com, Reviewed by Kristin
This is now my go to recipe. I loved the fact the recipe called for vodka instead of brandy since I typically keep vodka on hand. I was nervous about how it would taste, but it’s actually better than other recipes I’ve made. I highly suggest it since it's yummy and easy!
H- Thumbs up. Delicious! Couldn’t stop drinking it.
K- Thumbs up.
N- Thumbs up.
R- Thumbs up.

Roasted poblano guacamole with garlic and parsley: Food Network

Reviewed by Rissa: This guacamole was enticing by the roasted peppers, tomatoes, and garlic in the recipe. The peppers and garlic are then blended in the food processor and added to the chopped tomatoes. Then this mixture is added to your more typical guacamole recipe. I thought the roasted ingredients would make the recipe WAY more flavorful, but I still felt it lacked the punch. And using cilantro is a must, but that’s an easy swap. It was decent, but needed something more for me. (judging from the opinion below, maybe I shouldn’t be the one to review this!)
H – Thumbs up – I just would not use the parsley next time – cilantro instead!
K- Thumbs up but mainly because I haven’t ate a guacamole I didn’t like.
N – Thumbs up.
R - Thumbs sideways.

Sunset Low fat Jalapeno Poppers: Reviewed by Heather
These were relatively simple to put together. Make sure you do wear gloves when handling the chilies so you don’t burn your eyes. Using the cornflake crumbs were tough because they weren’t finely crushed so there were some bigger chunks that wouldn’t stick to the jalapeno. Next time, I would crush them in the food processor so they are all the same consistency. These needed a little extra baking time as well.
H– Thumbs sideways. Ain’t nothing like the real thing.
K- Thumbs up, next time I would skip the cornflakes
N – Thumbs sideways – a decent attempt at a popper, but the process was a bit flawed.
R - Thumbs sideways..not “the” popper recipe that I’m looking for, but still decent.

CL Cornmeal crust tilapia with tomatillo salsa: Reviewed by Nicole
I like tilapia, but have to admit that I had never made it at home before. This recipe was pretty simple – just coat the fish in the cornmeal mixture, sauté it in the pan, and you’re done. I agree with Kristin’s suggestion of using pre-made salsa verde if you want to save time – the salsa was good, but Herdez in a can or even the Trader Joe’s version in a bottle taste just as good.
H – Thumbs up.
K- Thumbs sideways. I would replace the salsa with Herdez salsa verde to save time.
N – Thumbs up – I even had tilapia for lunch that day, and it was good at dinner too.
R - Thumbs sideways..not sure I’m a cornmeal on fish gal.

Cheesy polenta- green tomato gratin: Cooking Light, Reviewed by Kristin
This was a very unique twist on a side that can be some what bland. The polenta is loaded with queso fresco cheese and lots of yummy spices. We used tomatillos since at the time I thought green tomatoes were tomatillos- oops! Anyways, it still turned out delish.
H – Thumbs up – For once polenta tastes good!
K- Thumbs up.
N – Thumbs up.
R - Thumbs way up. So so good.

CL Cinnamon crepes with peaches and cream cheese: Reviewed by Rissa

I was the piglet who insisted on making these after we came back from the nearby bar. In fact, we ended up skipping the second bar with anticipation of dessert back at home. You know where our priorities are! Anyway, crepes are always easy and fun to make. The batter is just like pancake batter but so much thinner..no question of knowing when it’s done. The filling was easy to make as well. Unfortunately, our peaches were too ripe to use with the recipe, but we and the fellas still managed to polish them off! (oink oink)
H- N/A – I was too full to try these.
K- Thumbs up. I had several!
N – NA – I was too full, and I never turn down dessert!
R - Thumbs up. Good and easy.

“Good Food, Good Life” Dinner Night

Nicole - A couple years ago at work every employee received a copy of the Nestle Cookbook, and I have to admit that it had been collecting dust on my bookshelf. I’m not sure why since I eat quite a few Nestle products, and it was time to crack the book open and give some recipes a try. I am sure that after the disastrous Juicy Juice Mango soup at last summer’s fruit dinner night the Foxy Ladies may have had some reservations, but how could we go wrong with “hundreds of triple-tested, easy recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert from the largest food company in the world!” (Disclosure: three of the four Foxy Foodies work for Nestle)

Corn Chowder

Heather – This was an easy corn chowder recipe and turned out delicious. I wasn’t sure about how the evaporated milk would make it taste but you really couldn’t tell the difference and it was much healthier than a version made with half-and-half or cream. The fresh rosemary is a must!



K: Thumbs up - really tasty!
N: Thumbs up
R: Thumbs up
H: Thumbs up.

Baked Pesto Chicken

Kristin - This recipe was simple and delicious. The key to it was smoothering the chicken with pesto. I topped it with tomatoes (generously!) and mozzarella cheese. A good quick week night meal.



K: Thumbs up
N: Thumbs up – easy and yummy!
R: Thumbs up - yes, great weeknight meal.
H: Thumbs up.

Broccoli Pesto Angel Hair

Nicole - The reviews on the meals.com website all raved about this recipe (mostly 5 star's), so I'm not exactly sure how we ended up with a so-so dish. Were our expectations too high since we liked everything else so much? Was it just too healthy, a la Cooking Light? I would give it a try again just to see if I can get better results.

K: Thumbs sideways- While it was a healthy version, I’ve actually made much better with spinach before.
N: Thumbs sideways – sauce was okay.
R: Thumbs sideways - I think I’d just go with pesto pasta and skip the broccoli. ;)
H: Thumbs up.

Raisin Bread Pudding

Rissa - Raisin Bread Pudding sounds fancy to me...in the sense that it’s hard to pull off my most fave restaurant editions. Nicole had a great idea to buy Hawaiian bread instead of just regular french bread. That is key. And soaking the bread pieces in evap milk for as long as you can is probably another good idea (I guess the only watch out would be to ensure it’s not tooooo soggy, but is that possible?). Add in all the spices and raisins, throw it in a pan, and you’re done! Only complaint or just a difference from the restaurants is that I need some rum sauce on top. But it was still very, very tasty and I would make again.



K: Thumbs sideways- slightly dry but overall good flavor
N: Thumbs up! Bread pudding is one my favorite desserts and this did not disappoint.
R: Thumbs up.
H: Thumbs up.

“Kir Royale”

Nicole - There was no real recipe for this one, we just filled champagne flutes halfway with Prosecco, and then added about an equal amout of Juicy Juice Berry. My friend who works on Juicy Juice had said that the product is a great mixer, and she was right!


K: Thumbs up- gotta love the bubbly
N: Thumbs up – it is hard for me not to like a bubbly drink.
R: Thumbs up
H: Thumbs up! So delicious and easy

Back to Basics, Barefoot Style (February Dinner Night)

Just a few years ago, I didn’t appreciate the Food Network much. I hardly watched it and certainly didn’t know many of the famous chefs. Then one birthday, Heather bought me a Barefoot Contessa cookbook that changed my life. J I remember her mentioning that she’s known for her home cooking and that is right up my alley! After trying one recipe out of the book, I was hooked. Since then, I have made quite a few things, watched her show, researched her online, etc. The only thing left was to plan a dinner night around the ones I hadn’t made! Almost everything I’ve made has come out terrific and this night was no different.

Pesto Pea Salad

This salad was very simple to make and turned out tasty. We actually used Buitoni pesto, instead of making our own and it still turned out good. I thought initially that the pesto would be clumpy but it was actually a nice smooth compliment to the salad. Just mix up the ingredients and you’re good to go! A good summer picnic salad.

K: Thumbs up
N: Thumbs up
R: Thumbs sideways.
H: Thumbs up – I was surprised I liked this. It didn’t sound as appealing as it tasted.


Mexican Tortilla Soup


I had big expectations for this soup because of the raving reviews it gets. After we put it together, I could see why! It is critical to get bone-in chicken breasts. I usually would not bother, but it was the best and most simple piece of chicken ever. The rest of the soup was pretty easy and full of fresh veggies (good way to use up leftover cucumber!). I wondered what it would be like to add fresh corn tortillas instead of just topping the soup with chips at the end, and it resulted in an amazing thickened, fresh and tasty Mexican Tortilla Soup. Wonder what it would be like if I had the patience to make my own broth?

K: Thumbs up- one of my favorite soups ever!
N: Thumbs up
R: Thumbs up!
H: Thumbs up.


Chicken Picatta with Angel Hair Pasta


I remember thinking that this looked like an easy dish to make but it was a little misleading. You just have to set-up an assembly line so that you can easily dip the chicken into the flour mixture, dunk it in the egg bath, and then sprinkle it in the bread crumbs. As always, it was tough to get all the bread crumbs to stick to the entire piece of chicken. All in all, this turned out pretty delicious.

K: Thumbs up- this turned out good, though I prefer my picatta with capers.
N: Thumbs up.
R: Thumbs up - I liked the lemon added to this.
H: Thumbs sideways – This was pretty good, just not sure that it would be made again in my kitchen.


Garlic and Herb Tomatoes

When I first saw this recipe I had never heard of grape tomatoes being cooked on the stove, but after tasting the dish my response was “Wow!”. The dish was very simple and delicious, and a great side for the meal. I imagine that any leftovers would make a great tomato salad if served cold.

K: Thumbs up- can never go wrong with sauteed tomatoes
N: Thumbs up
R: Thumbs sideways. I liked it but I guess the night had overwhelming flavor!
H: Thumbs up – so simple and delicious!

One Bowl Chocolate Cake

My roommate made this recipe and made it look so easy for how delicious it tasted! It was extremely moist and full of chocolate, but not overwhelmingly so. I imagine the boiling water helped somewhere with that? It was very, very tasty and thinking of it now makes me want to make it again…soon!

K: Thumbs up
N: Thumbs up
R: Thumbs way up.
H: Thumbs up – Again, I was surprised I liked this because I’m not a big fan of chocolate anything.


Chocolate Cookie Buttercream Frosting

Another roommate specialty of the night. It’s meant for cookies, so she doubled the recipe and softened it with powdered sugar and milk to make it less thick. Very yum and looked terrific on the cake.

K: Thumbs up- the frosting wasn’t too rich which I loved.
N: Thumbs up
R: Thumbs sideways - not sure if I would know how to adjust it as well as Jessalyn did!!
H:Thumbs up.

5-Star Restaurant Cuisine (January Dinner Night)

I was feeling inspired by some of the 5-star restaurants in LA and wanted to pick recipes that I thought would have been served in one of these restaurants. Fittingly, my theme was “5-star restaurant cuisine”. We had never cooked Cornish hens so I knew that I wanted to design the menu around that entrée. The other picks just fell into place and all in all, the meal was really successful.

Fried Cheese Bundles – Rachel Ray

I really enjoyed using Heather’s fancy deep fryer. I added it to my Christmas list after that, too! I find that recipes which require “individual assembly” take me a while even though it was so simple. Literally, just put a piece a string cheese in the middle of a wonton wrapper, edge the wonton with water, and then fold into a “bundle”. It would be different if it was just a triangle fold, but the bundle required technique. From there it was really easy. My only complaint is that the recipe didn’t have any sauce to accompany the bundles. I would definitely serve it with either a marinara or sweet and sour (preferred).


K: Thumbs down. A little too bland for me.
N: Thumbs up.
R: Thumbs up!
H: Thumbs up! These were stringy, cheesy, and delicious.

Roasted Cornish Hens with Fennel and Peppers – Redbook Magazine

These were a bit heavy on the workload but well worth it. We first had to marinade the Cornish hens for a few hours. Once we got everything into the roasting pan and popped it into the oven, we just had to make the au jus. Not too complicated but a lot of steps. I would definitely recommend this recipe for a dinner party as it seems like a gourmet entrée and no one would guess how little you spent! J


K: Thumbs up. My first time eating cornish hen!
N: Thumbs up.
R: Thumbs up. I wasn’t sure if I would like Cornish hen but it was great and beautifully served.
H: Thumbs up – The Cornish hens were really flavorful but a few of the smaller pieces were a little over-cooked.

Au Gratin Potatoes – Weight Watchers

This was relatively easy to make but I would highly recommend using a mandolin to slice the potatoes if you have one. It makes it much easier to perfect the thin slices you might see in a restaurant’s au gratin. For being a Weight Watchers recipe, these potatoes were surprisingly decadent, great comfort food. Just a little too much salt, even for my taste.

K: Thumbs up. These were yummy.
N: Thumbs up.
R: Thumbs up.
H: Thumbs up –


Green Salad with Feta, Candied Walnuts, and Dried Cranberries
(No recipe)
K: Thumbs up- thanks to Heather’s awesome impromptu vinaigrette
N: Thumbs up.
R: Thumbs up - a classic.
H: Thumbs up – I love the combination of flavors in this salad with the saltiness of the feta, the tartness of the cranberries, and the sweetness of the walnuts. Yum!

Apple Tartlets with Cinnamon-balsamic syrup and Butter-toffee ice cream
Bon Appétit

This recipe takes a lot of time because of the number of steps involved, but overall it was not too difficult. We did not have two hours to chill the ice cream mixture, and it worked fine to put it in the freezer for less than a third of that before putting in the ice cream maker. We used butterscotch liqueur since Heather had purchased it, but thought that it would work equally well with Scotch if one already has that. The results of this dish were fantastic, and this is a great special occasion dessert.

K: Thumbs sideways. I didn’t like the tarts but thought the ice cream was awesome.
N: Thumbs way up! My plate was completely clean after dessert.
R: Thumbs way up. I don’t care for ice cream much but the dessert altogether was amazing!
H: Thumbs up – This was delicious and definitely reminded me of something you would eat in a restaurant.

Butter-toffee ice cream
3 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter
2/3 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
½ cup half and half
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons butterscotch liqueur or Scotch
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup toffee bits (such as Skor)
Cinnamon-Balsamic Syrup
½ cup balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup sugar
2 cinnamon sticks, broken in half
2 tablespoons water
Apple Tartlets
½ cup (packed) golden brown sugar
¼ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 large Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/8-inch slices
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 large egg, beaten to blend

Ice-cream: Melt butter in heavy saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in sugar, then half and half and salt. Bring just to simmer, stirring to dissolve sugar. Whisk eggs in medium bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in hot half and half mixture. Return mixture to same saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat until mixture thickens and finger leaves path on back of spoon when drawn across, stirring constantly, about 3 minutes. Stir in cream, butterscotch liqueur, and vanilla. Strain into medium bowl. Cover and chill until cold, about 2 hours.
Process cream mixture in ice cream maker according to instructions. Add toffee bits about 3 minutes before ice cream is done. Transfer to container; freeze.

Cinnamon-balsamic syrup: Bring all ingredients to boil in heavy small saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat to medium and boil until syrupy and reduced to generous ½ cup, about 6 minutes.

Apple Tartlets: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix sugar and butter to blend in small bowl. Divide mixture among four 1-cup ramekins or custard cups, pressing to cover bottom evenly. Layer apple slices over sugar mixtures, pressing slightly on apples to compact and almost filling cup. Open pastry sheet. Using biscuit cutter or small plate, cut out 4 rounds the same size as top diameter of ramekins. Using fork, pierce dough all over. Place 1 dough round atop apples in each ramekin. Brush tops with beaten egg. Bake tartlets until pastry is puffed and deep golden brown, about 30 minutes. Let cool at least 5 minutes. Invert warm tartlets onto plates. Drizzle with syrup and serve with scoop of ice cream alongside.

Blame it on the a-a-a-Alcohol (Dec Dinner Night)

With all of the holiday parties this month I decided to opt for an easy, quick, bar food menu. I figured why fit in another heavy long dinner into the month. It just so happens when I was picking out recipes- almost every one had alcohol as an ingredient. Overall- the dinner ended up being kind of disastrous- but hey at least we got a buzz from it all!

Beer Cheese- Joy of Cooking 2006 (Rissa)

Simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat:
1 cup beer
While the beer is heating, whisk together:
1 tablespoon cornstarch1 tablespoon water
Add the cornstarch mixture to the beer and cook, whisking, until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Lower the heat and whisk in 1/ 2 cup at a time, allowing each addition to melt before adding the next:
2 cups Cheddar (8 ounces), grated1 ounce cream cheese, cut into pieces1 ounce blue cheese, crumbled1/ 2 teaspoon Dijon mustard1/ 2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Rissa- This was a really easy dip to make. Basically, the beer and cheese combination all simmered together for just enough time to taste like a good dip to put bread in..but not like TOO much beer. I also liked the cream cheese and blue cheese addition to it. Gave it just the bite that I like. It was so easy we had to keep the bread coming because we couldn’t stop dipping our hands in the bowl! This is ideal for a fondue pot or something that would keep the dip warm for a while. Excellent party dish.
Kristin: Thumbs up. This was delicious. The consistency would have lasted longer if we had a fondue pot. (Really need one of those!) Will definitely make this again for a party.
Heather: Thumbs sideways. I liked this but it had a really strong blue cheese taste and if I made it again, I would probably omit the blue cheese.
Rissa: Thumbs up!
Nicole: Thumsbs up – with all the yummy cheeses it was hard to go wrong with this one.

Bitter Greens Salad with Sourdough Croutons and Warm Tomato - Cooking Light

Heather- This salad sounded really delicious but it ended up being a lot of work for what sounded like a relatively simple salad. The croutons were made fresh from a load of sourdough bread. I cooked down tomatoes, vinegar and shallots to make the warm vinaigrette. Because the vinaigrette was warm, it wilted the salad greens. I’m not sure any of us really understood the concept of a warm salad dressing but it was worth a shot. I would not make this again – too much work for something that didn’t end up that delicious.
Kristin: TWO THUMBS DOWN. This may be the worst salad I’ve ever had. The dressing was sweet, and also it was way too hot. If I were to ever serve again (which I won’t) the dressing would be nuked.
Heather: Thumbs down.
Rissa: Thumbs down. No warm, wilted salad for me please!
Nicole: Thumbs sideways. I actually am a fan of wilted spinach salads, so this one was okay for me; a bit too much effort though for the result.

French Dip Sandwiches- Rachael Ray

Kristin- These sandwiches were super easy to make. Really all you have to do is make the au jus and put some deli meat onto the sandwich bun. This turned out not to be a hit with the girls. My boyfriend and I actually liked the sandwich, though I thought there was too much bread. Next time I will buy different sub buns. A good weekend lunch if you if your into the French dip thing!
Heather: Thumbs down – To be fair, I didn’t actually try these because I don’t eat roast beef.
Rissa: Thumbs down. Not a big fan of french dip sandwiches.
Nicole: Thumbs sideways – A bit too hearty for me, but I liked the combo of the sandwich and dipping sauce (this was my first French dip sandwich).

Beer Battered Onion Rings- Cooking Light

Nicole- I could sum up these onion rings by saying they were “interesting”. Not totally bad, but not as yummy as a regular onion ring. Because they were not deep fried the onion did not get as soft as a regular onion, so they did not taste completely cooked. I also learned that my technique of dipping multiple rings at once did not work well; Heather suggested separating the rings to dip individually, and that worked much better.
Kristin: Thumbs down. They weren’t terrible, but I think there’s just no way to make a “light” version of onion rings.
Heather: Thumbs down. You just can’t do cooking light versions of fried food. There’s no comparison to the real deal.
Rissa: Thumbs sideways. I thought they were pretty decent for someone who wants to save calories but wants some good ol’ onion rings.
Nicole: Thumbs sideways.

Bananas Foster- Allrecipes.com

Kristin- Probably the most fun dish of the night. We cooked the bananas with lots of fun sugary stuff, added liquer, and then lit the baby up! It burned for what seemed like forever...to the point we actually put the flame out. This could be where we went wrong... since the alcohol didn't burn off it tasted like a cocktail (stiff one at that) instead of a dessert. Oh well!
Heather – Thumbs sideways – This would have been so delicious if it didn’t have such a strong taste of the alcohol. I felt like I could have gotten drunk off the dessert. I would definitely make this again using a non-99-proof banana liqueur, if one even exists that is.
Rissa: Thumbs down- a little too crazy for me!
Nicole – Thumbs sideways – I actually thought that it was okay, but I am a big fan of bananas.

November Dinner Night - A Cooking Light Thanksgiving

Our group had not done a holiday dinner before, and since Turkey Day was right around the corner it was perfect timing for a Foxy Foodies Thanksgiving meal. The November 2008 issue of Cooking Light with the pecan pie on the cover had been waiting in my magazine queue, and I finally took the time to sit down and dig for some recipes. I ended up going for dishes that were traditional but with a modern twist, and included one with mushrooms even though I know that half of us are not fungi fans. All were from the magazine except for the cinnamon roll recipe, which I had gotten from my mom years ago (and which she had cut out of the Orange County Register in 1992). The dessert was inspired by some cinnamon rolls that Rissa had brought to my desk at work last month, and she said that she had been looking for a recipe.

Pink Grapefruit and Lychee Cocktail – Cooking Light

(Heather) I’m not a big grapefruit person but the sweetness of the lychees really made this martini! This was a pretty easy cocktail to make and it seemed like something you would order in a chic LA lounge. I would definitely make it again. The only problem is you will end up wasting the rest of the lychees because you only need a few to go into the bottom of each glass.

K: Thumbs up- My boyfriend uses grapefruit as a mixer all the time. I found this to be less tart version we could both enjoy.
N: Thumbs up – a bit bitter at first, but one gets used to the taste – especially by the second drink! Adding sugar or some simple syrup may make it even more delicious.
R: Thumbs up - chic is definitely the word for this one. Didn’t seem too complicated either.
H: Thumbs up!

Savory Butternut Squash – Cooking Light (recipe not available online)

(Nicole) I had a squash phobia growing up, but this is avegetable that I have learned to enjoy as an adult. The trickiest part was cutting the squash, but after Heather found some online directions (cut the bottom off, stand squash upright to slice) and we were in business. I like the balance of flavors in this recipe - the slight spiciness of the curry complemented the sweetness of the golden raisins.

K: Thumbs up, considering it was squash.
N: Thumbs up – loved the flavor, and the curry was noticeable but subtle.
R: Thumbs up - this was my first time trying butternut squash and I like!
H: Thumbs up – I have made butternut squash 3 times since this night.

Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese, Bacon, and Balsamic-Fig Dressing – Cooking Light

(Heather) I mainly helped with the dressing on this salad. I enjoy making homemade salad dressing because it’s such a treat compared to my store-boughts that I usually use. Wasn’t sure about the whole fig thing, but the finished product was amazing! A perfect amount of goat cheese to add some subtle texture to the salad without being overwhelming. We also used prosciutto on this salad instead of bacon which was good as well. I have been dreaming about this salad ever since we made it!

K: Thumbs up, the dressing and goat cheese mix was delicious
N: Thumbs way up – my favorite recipe of the night! The recipe made a very generous amount of dressing, and I enjoyed it for weeks to come.
R: Thumbs up!
H: Thumbs up – This was one of the best salads we have tried so far. The combination of all the ingredients was delicious!

Turkey Cutlets with Pancetta-Sage Sauce – Cooking Light

(Kristin) I’ve always wanted to cook with turkey cutlets, so I was excited for the opportunity. I made a few mistakes along the way (i.e. over cooking) but overall I thought it was a decent dish. If I were to make over, I would add more seasonings to the turkey. This is a good healthy weeknight dinner option.

K: Thumbs sideways, would be good with additional seasoning.
N: Thumbs sideways – I liked the dish overall, but was looking for a bit more flavor. I would make it again, but make it less “light”.
R: Thumbs sideways - I agree with Nicole, needed a bit more flavor, but that’s usually my complaint with turkey in general.
H: Thumbs up – This is a great recipe for those of us who don’t want to cook the whole bird.


Soft Polenta with Wild Mushroom Sauté - Cooking Light

(Rissa) This was my first time trying polenta, let alone making it. Reminds me of cream of wheat. It is a very easy side dish that required sautéing the mushrooms, leeks, etc. separately and then whisking the polenta until thickened. Upon serving the polenta, the dish is topped with the sautéed mixture and pecorino Romano cheese. I appreciated the dish’s use of “fall” vegetables which went very well with the menu. I’m a cheese fan, so I would probably add more to the recipe, but that would probably make it not the traditional polenta style.

K: Thumbs sideways…Up for the mushroom sauté, down for the polenta.
N: Thumbs sideways – I like polenta, but the polenta part was just okay. I loved the mushroom/leek sauce though.
R: Thumbs sideways - don’t think I’m a big polenta fan, but it was nice to have something different besides the usual pasta, potatoes, etc.
H: Thumbs down – Polenta is really bland and kind of mushy.

Mall-Style Cinnamon Rolls – from Orange County Register (very similar recipe found at link)

(Heather) I was really excited to make these as I’ve never before cooked with yeast and had no idea what to expect. Nicole started the process earlier in the day so by the time I got to it, it was a big balloon of dough that needed to be “punched down”. A very fun way to get your anger out by the way. The buns were relatively easy to construct once the dough was rolled out. I think they could have used a little more icing on top though. Delicious and definitely worth a try!

K: Thumbs up, very filling though.
N: Thumbs up – they tasted good even though I forgot to put the cinnamon in – oops!
R: Thumbs sideways - I’m still looking for THE cinnamon roll recipe. It was good, but I still want to try others.
H: Thumbs up – My only complaint is there’s just no comparing to Cinnabun rolls!