Recipe Resources

I have several cooking blogs in my Google feed reader which inspire me daily to try new ingredients and recipes. Recently family members have been turning to me for vegetarian meal ideas, so I thought I would share some of my inspirations with you.

Gimme some of that yummy food mommeee!

The Kitchn – this blog is part of the Apartment Therapy blog series and pulls from many blogs. There are often 10-15 posts in a day, so only add this blog to your feed reader if you can keep up. They address all kinds of topics (cleaning, cooking, alcoholic beverages, sweet treats, meats, cheeses, and more) and answer reader questions. They scope out many other cooking blogs/news articles and condense the information on their blog. I often skim through their posts, but something usually catches my eye and is saved for later to be tried out.

Smitten Kitchen – I’ve tried a couple of her recipes recently and have had great results (Tomato Corn Pie and Barley Risotto w/ beans and greens). I love the way these posts are organized with pictures both of the finished result and several shots of the different cooking steps. Not all her recipes are vegetarian.

101 Cookbooks – One of the more recent blogs to enter my feed reader, this blog shares recipes focused on natural, whole foods and is vegetarian.  I think the only thing I’ve made is the Double Broccoli Quinoa, but I have many other recipes saved for another day.  Again, the photography on this blog makes me want to cook, and the stories behind the recipe are nice to read as well.

Two Blue Lemons – A vegetarian/vegan recipe blog with emphasis on cooking with fresh food from local farmers’ markets written by two sisters.  I’ve tried several recipes (Tostones, Taquitos, Peach/Blackberry and Mango Lassi ice cream, Honey Apple Challah, and others I can’t remember) and saved many more.  I love this blog for its fresh ideas and emphasis on eating in season.

Bakerella – So this blog is more fun than nutritious and good for you. Bakerella’s site rose to fame with her adorable (and tasty) cake pops. I had previously made cake balls, and at some point stumbled on this blog and fell in love with all her creativity. While I haven’t made cake pops, I’ve made cupcake bites several times due to their demand by friends and co-workers. I’ll probably never make the cute shaped cake pops, but her treats are fun and inspiring to look at.

Bake or Break – Bake or Break’s posts are similar in format to Smitten Kitchen, and I’ve saved many of her posts and am eager to bake her treats for birthdays and special occasions. Again, this is not a health food site, but if you need to satisfy your sweet tooth, check out the archives for something great.  I’ve made Cookies & Cream Cheesecakes and I can’t remember what else…although, maybe I’ve just salivated over the rest!

ChowMama – Great blog for ideas on baby food with adaptations for allergy sensitive ingredients. We’ve made Zucchini Orzo Risotto, Orange Cardamom French Toast, Sesame Noodles, Edamame Hummus,  Sweet Potato Muffins w/ Cream Cheese Filling, Pumpkin Walnut Cream Cheese, Cheddar Crackers – although mine never turned out right, and Fresh Corn and Ricotta Crostini, and you’ll enjoy the food as well as your baby/child. I made all of Arcadia’s baby food, except when we traveled, and believe home made food is the best thing for babies. Plus, I think it has contributed to Arcadia eating everything we give her and eating such a great diet.

Food Network – This is not a blog, but a great recipe source. When we had cable TV, I could sit and watch the food network channel for hours. My favorite hosts/chefs are Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa) and Giada DeLaurentis – I know that their recipes always turn out well and are extra tasty. Recently I made Ina’s Buttermilk-Cheddar Biscuits and they were delicious. I’ve also made her Lentil Soup and can’t remember what else.  Tysen really likes Giada, but that’s more for her looks. I don’t recall what I’ve made of hers, but I know it was good.

Plus, for more inspiration or to see what’s inspiring me, you can check out my new ‘Recipe Box‘ on the blog — check out the link at the top of the blog.  Basically its a place where I can save and tag all the recipes I come across so that I can easily find and make them later.  If we’ve tried the recipe, I’ve included a ‘tried’ tag.  This recipe listing doesn’t include all the recipes I’ve found on the internet, but I’m hoping to build a nice collection moving forward.  Enjoy!