Taste and Tell Blog

Taste and Tell – All New!

May 7, 2013 // 48 Comments

Today is a very good day here at Taste and Tell. You may notice that things look a little different around here. Ok, a lot different. For pretty much the last 2 years, I have been dreaming up my perfect site. I’ve changed my mind about a million times and I looked high and low for someone who could help me turn my dream into a reality.

And today, that dream has come true.

I cannot tell you how excited I am to reveal the new look here. And I have the wonderful and talented Melissa and Erin to thank for it all. I was on the search for a web designer when Melissa and Erin announced that they were starting a new boutique web design business – Wooden Spoons Kitchen. I’m not even kidding you – I emailed them the moment I saw the announcement. I’ve always love the clean style and look of both of their blogs, and I knew that I had found my designers!!

And here we are, and I couldn’t be happier. From the moment we started this process, I knew that I was going to love the end result. They have worked with me every step of the way, listening to all of my crazy ideas and bringing them to fruition. I would 100%, whole-heartedly recommend them to anyone who is looking for a new look!

Please take a look around! Here are some of the big changes:

I have always said that food will always be my main focus here on Taste and Tell. And that isn’t changing. But we are expanding!! If you’ll look under the logo in the top right corner, you’ll see links to each section.
- Food - Anytime you come to Taste and Tell, it will bring you to the main section, which is the food section. Things will continue on here as normal.
- Home - This is where things will get a little more personal. I’m not exactly sure what direction this section will take, but that’s the beauty of it. I’ll be discussing things a little more on this section on Thursday.
- Travel - If you’ve been following me here, you know this as Destinations – where I’ve been posting about places I’ve been and things I’ve seen. This section is the most exciting to me, because Erin was able to turn this into exactly what I wanted. I am a visual person, and this is as visual as it gets. I wanted it to be photo driven, since I get so much more excited about travel photos than I do words. You have got to check out this section. (I’m still reformatting the posts there, but I’m getting there slowly!) Click on one of the recent posts to get the full effect!

Only the food posts will show up here on the homepage, but you can always see what is happening in each section on the right sidebar. And you’ll still get updated if you subscribe to my newsletter, email updates, or by rss.

We’ll still be updating a few things in the next couple weeks. The recipe archives will have even more functionality in the weeks to come. (After I update 6 years worth of posts…ugh). And please feel free to tell me if I’m missing something that you had here before!

Some changes – I’ve thought long and hard about this, and after a lot of deliberation, I have decided to give up Taste and Tell Thursdays. It kind of breaks my heart because it was just starting to gain some momentum, but something had to go. But I will have recipe posts here Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and Blogger Spotlights are moving to Saturdays.

A huge thanks to Melissa and Erin – thank you for making my vision come to life!!

Check back on Thursday on the Home section for a little introduction there, and an all new recipe is coming at you on Friday. I hope you love the new look as much as I do!!

Broccoli Cheese Soup | Everyday Ingredients Extraordinary Food

May 3, 2013 // 14 Comments

I am so excited for my friend Lauren from Lauren’s Latest. Not only did she give birth to an adorable little boy last week, but she also released her first ebook – Everyday Ingredients Extraordinary Food.

Lauren has spent the last few months recording and photographing her favorite recipes - the recipes that she feeds her family on a regular basis. I don’t know about you, but these kinds of recipes are always my favorites. And Lauren does not disappoint. I’m being totally honest when I say that there isn’t one recipe in this book that I don’t want to make. Everything from Fake Out Fettuccine Alfredo to Crock Pot Pulled Pork to Birthday Cupcakes with Vanilla Frosting. Seriously, this book is full of the kinds of recipes that I’m always wanting to feed my family. And let’s not forget the photography – it is gorgeous!!

I seriously drooled through the book several times before I actually decided what I wanted to make for my first recipe from the book. And for some reason, I just kept going back to the Broccoli Cheese Soup. I love Broccoli Cheese Soup. I have a version that I make often, but Lauren’s looked so good that I just had to make it. And since there is still snow in May, I think we all deserve a big bowl of soup!!

This soup came together very easily, with ingredients that I almost always have on hand. I left my broccoli a little bigger, so it took a few extra minutes of cook time, but besides that, I followed the recipe exactly and it came out perfectly! I really may have a new go-to broccoli cheese soup recipe now!

And if you would like to buy a copy of Lauren’s book, you can visit her site for all of the details. Congrats, Lauren!!

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Taste and Tell Thursdays – Navajo Tacos

May 2, 2013 // 39 Comments

And now – Navajo Tacos. I feel so badly, because I have been sitting on this recipe for months now. We were having our monthly family dinner, and my sister chose to have my mom’s Navajo Tacos for the dinner that night. (So yeah – technically, I didn’t even make these. But I was there while they were being made!!) For some reason, this post has been pushed back for too many reasons to list, but I am so happy to be finally bringing it here.

Because this is one of my favorite meals.

I grew up in a smallish town in New Mexico, just miles outside of a Navajo reservation. It was always said that the population of my hometown doubled on the weekends because the indians from the reservation would all come into town to do their shopping. So it goes without saying that I’ve had a Navajo taco or two in my life.

This is one of those recipes that is going to vary widely depending on who is making it. It’s a traditional Navajo meal that has been made since the 1800s. The main component – and most important, in my opinion – is the fry bread. There are 2 different versions of fry bread you will find – with yeast, or without yeast. My mom usually made the non-yeasted version growing up, which I think is the most traditional version. But more recently, she’s been making a yeast version. And while I will always love the non-yeasted one, I really do think that the yeast version is my favorite.

I know that many people will just use frozen rolls to make the fry bread, which is totally ok, but I think it’s worth the effort it takes to make it from scratch. It does take some time to make, but the hands on time is minimal. The bonus is that you can make the dough the day before! Many times, the Navajo tacos will be served with mutton, but I definitely prefer to stick with ground beef.

And make sure you make extra of the fry bread. You’ll want some to eat with honey for dessert. You totally don’t want to skip out on that!!

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Snickerdoodle Hand Pies

May 1, 2013 // 17 Comments

It is starting to feel like spring. Finally. The trees have blossoms, you see kids walking to school without jackets, and the sunlight is sticking around longer. I can’t tell you how happy I am. This girl is not a winter girl, and springtime is just what the doctor ordered.

And I’m not gonna lie – I have been looking forward to the nicer weather so that I could break out the grill. I am seriously starting to love cooking on the grill. It’s been intimidating in the past, but I’m finding my groove and getting comfortable cooking on it now.

Luckily, my friends at Pillsbury came looking for grilling recipes. And not just any grilling recipes. But pie. On the grill. With pie crusts.

Seriously, I had to think twice about this. Pie? On a grill? Now, I adore pie. I dare say I like pie better than cake. But I had never even though of cooking any type of pie on the grill before.

Luckily, those wheels in my head started to turn and I envisioned the perfect grilled hand pie. In one of my very favorite flavors.

Snickerdoodle.

Snickerdoodle is one of those flavors that I can’t get enough of. I think it’s because of my love of cinnamon. And these incorporate another one of my favorites – cream cheese. Cream cheese & cinnamon. You just can’t go wrong with that combination, in my humble opinion!!

So get out in that backyard and start grilling. And remember that the grill isn’t just for burgers!!
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Pimiento Grilled Cheese

April 30, 2013 // 18 Comments

What better way to finish off National Grilled Cheese Month than with the ultimate grilled cheese sandwich?

I’ll admit – I have a thing for pimiento cheese. Growing up, the only time we had it was the jarred kind that we’d put on celery sticks and serve at Thanksgiving. (And we still have it that way!!) But in the last few years, I’ve truly grown to love the real deal – with the cheese, the mayo, the pimientos… Heaven. But if you put it between 2 slices of bread and grill it up so that it is melting and gooey and dripping out of your sandwich? It just can’t be beat.

To make things a little easier, I like to make mine with roasted red peppers instead of pimientos. They are similar in flavor, in my opinion, and I always have roasted red peppers on hand. But pimientos could certainly be substituted.

Happy Grilled Cheese Month! Make sure you grab a napkin!

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Spinach Artichoke Grilled Cheese

April 29, 2013 // 27 Comments

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Someone please tell me that the calendar is wrong and that it isn’t already the last week of April. Because, seriously. It can’t be.

I can’t believe it’s the end of National Grilled Cheese Month, and I haven’t even shared one single grilled cheese sandwich this month. It’s a travesty.

Thank goodness we still have a few days left, and I’ve got 2 grilled cheese sandwich recipes up my sleeve. I almost forgot about them, because I created them a little while back for Grate. Pair. Share. – an amazing online magazine put out by my friends at the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board. This sandwich, along with another that I will share with you tomorrow, are in this online issue that is stuffed full of amazing grilled cheese sandwiches. Seriously – the creativity is off the charts.

And this sandwich – well, I could probably eat it every day and still get excited about it. It really was the perfect combination of flavors. Kind of like spinach artichoke dip, but warmed in between two slices of buttered, toasted bread. Pure heaven, I tell ya.

So excuse me while I go off and make myself a sandwich for lunch. Grilled. With cheese. All in the name of celebrating!

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