COVER

ANOTHER ONE

It is raining and cold in Charlotte today which makes me think this picture is all the more dreamy. I can't wait for my Charleston reunion this weekend and Chrissie's wedding festivities.

GREAT PHOTO.

KAFTA: SUMMER BBQ

I love meeting new people and trying new cuisines so when my next door neighbors invited me to a cookout I decided it would be a great way to learn more about Egypt and Ethiopia. Turns out I was right and I got a new recipe and some new friends in the process! So far my transition to Charlotte has been a breeze, I've got a great roommate, great job and have enjoyed exploring a new city. Here is the recipe we had for Kafta. 

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
• 1 medium onion, grated
• 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 6 wooden or metal skewers
• 
  
• Directions

1. Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat. If using wooden skewers, soak in water.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the ground beef, onion, parsley, cayenne, allspice, salt and pepper until evenly blended. Divide into 6 portions, and press around one end of the skewers to form a log shape approximately 1 inch thick and 6 inches long.
3. Grill for 10 to 15 minutes, turning occasionally, until meat is no longer pink.

THE PERFECT TRUNK

SOME THINGS I'M LOVING...

SWEETHEART

MONKEY BREAD

Ingredients

• 3 cans Buttermilk Biscuits (the Non-flaky Ones)
• 1 cup Sugar
• 2 teaspoons (to 3 Teaspoons) Cinnamon
• 2 sticks Butter
• ½ cups Brown Sugar

Preparation Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Open up all three cans of biscuits and cut each biscuit into quarters.

Next, combine the white sugar with 2-3 teaspoons of cinnamon. (3 teaspoons of cinnamon gives it a fairly strong cinnamon flavor. If you’re not so hot on cinnamon, cut it back to 2 teaspoons.) Dump these into a 1 gallon zip bag and shake to mix evenly.

Drop all of the biscuit quarters into the cinnamon-sugar mix. Once all the biscuit quarters are in the bag seal it and give it a vigorous shake. This will get all those pieces unstuck from one another and nicely coated with cinnamon-sugar. Spread these nuggets out evenly in the bundt pan.

At this point, you’re going to want to melt the two sticks of butter together with ½ cup of brown sugar in a saucepan over medium-high heat. This can be light or dark brown sugar. Cook butter/sugar mixture, stirring for a few minutes until the two become one. Once the brown sugar butter has become one color, you can pour it over the biscuits.

Bake for about 30-40 minutes until the crust is a deep dark brown on top. When its finished cooking, remove it from the oven. If you have the willpower, allow it to cook for about 15-30 minutes before turning it over onto a plate.

PRETTY MUCH IN LOVE...

With this Harvard grad students's blog. I've been dying to make her graham cracker-key lime cupcakes for weekes. If only I were finished my Separation of Powers Paper...

CONGRATULATIONS MARY LIZ!!!

One of my 20 followers just got engaged, congratulations Mary Liz! Also it is my favorite time of year, peony season! 

A DAY AT THE BEACH...