American Horror Story Premiere Party Time

We Whoreders love a party post, especially when it's about the return of one of our favorite shows! Tomorrow marks the day for the season two premiere of American Horror Story: Asylum. Important note: if you have your DVR set to record the show, update the subscription to the new show title (make sure it includes the word Asylum), otherwise the old setting won't record the new episodes. Because we love any excuse to get together with friends for food and drinks, we put together some ideas you might enjoy for your own premiere party. Hang on to your gimp masks!

Peanut Butter Lovin'

I was at Target the other day and saw in their clearance 'fridge section some peanut butter cookie dough! Be still my clogged arteries, I LOVE peanut butter ! To sweeten (SWEETen, get it?) this deal, I had a rare coupon for $1 off and Pillsbury cookie dough that I found here making it only $1.08 ! Holla !

Yesterday was "National Peanut Butter Day", so in light of this I made delicious "Peanut Butter Blossoms" for my co-workers with a Valentine theme. I referred to them as thumbprint cookies all day long because Heather has ruined the word blossom for me forever.

Anyhow, these cookies are super easy to make. You will need peanut butter cookie dough, granulated cane sugar, an un-greased non-stick cookie sheet, and heart shaped milk chocolates .

First you roll spoonfuls of dough into balls. Next you roll the balls in sugar and place them on the cookie sheet.

Bake for 10-12 minutes at 375. Take the cookies out and press your chocolates into the middle of the cookie while still hot.

I obviously made them a little large so they stuck together but they were so yummy so who cares ? And you gotta figure if two stick together then it only counts as one cookie... NOM NOM NOM. Now don't be a fatty and eat them right away, you will burn yourself and/or get hot melty chocolate all over the place and look like you have poop face. Your welcome.

Matzo Ball Soup: How do I love thee?

It's the week before Halloween in New York City. In a perfect world, I'd be walking down Broadway after a long day at work, wearing a cute, fitted trench coat and sipping a pumpkin latte and maybe even kicking up some yellow and orange leaves under foot. The soundtrack on my iPod would be something dreamy like Fleet Foxes, Cocteau Twins, or classic Feist. Tonight was not that kind of autumnal evening. It was bone chilling, ice cold rain and wind. I could get some specifics from weather.com but let's just say it was a watery hell. Anyone remember "frog in a blender" from the early days of the internet? It's better if you don't but if by chance you do, you'll know how pretty much all of commuting Manhattan felt during rush hour tonight. During my short walk to the subway, my favorite leopard print umbrella spastically inverted itself not once but twice before breaking and ending up in a pile of other defeated, dead umbrellas (RIP). My cold, clammy hands turned an unhealthy shade of pink and my iPhone was getting an unwanted shower even though it was deep in my coat pocket. I'm pretty sure I even saw a little girl in tiny rain boots almost blow away before her father could save her. I couldn't get home and get dry fast enough. Once at my apartment and after peeling off my wet, chaffing jeans (the worst!) there was only one thing I could imagine warming my rain soaked, weathered, and slightly bittered soul: a  bowl of matzo ball soup. 

Banana "Ice Cream": A cheap and magical treat

My summer of 2011 brought a few culinary firsts: My first trip to the famous Rockaway Beach (and hence, Rockaway Taco), my first "Iced Coffee Sangria" (which an eager barista talked me into on a 90 degree day), my first time cooking with Herbes de Provence and Himalayan pink salt (both from the bargain shelf o' kitchen delights at Marshall's. How could I resist?), and my first taste of Crystal Light's new Lime Maragarita flavor (still on the fence abut this one. Hint: tequila helps). I know, it is an exciting and whirlwind life that I lead.


One of my favorite foodie firsts this summer also happens to be one of the simplest concoctions ever. Banana ice cream! Churning frozen bananas into ice cream is not a new discovery but it sure was to me when I picked up the idea somewhere along the blogosphere. Here's what you do: throw frozen, peeled bananas, unsweetened cocoa powder (I like Trader Joe's because it's organic and like $2) and a splash of milk (I've even used water or a bit of french vanilla coffee creamer in a pinch.You cannot mess this up!) in a blender or food processer (no fancy machine with a corny name neccasary). You can add more cocoa powder if you want it super chocolate-y and less banana-y. If you are feeling decadent, you could even toss in some chocolate chips, dried cherries, peanut butter or almonds before serving. I've made this several times a week all summer long. Obsessed. Even my boyfriend loves it and his idea of healthy food is putting ranch dressing on something (really). I enjoy a bowl of ice cream like the next person (Ben and Jerry's Half Baked, please) and banana Ice cream isn't ice cream exactly but it does have the same cold creamy deliciousness that makes me crave the stuff. The frozen bananas take on a consistency strangely and delightfully similar to soft-serve but have almost no fat, no dairy, only about 100 calories, and costs pennies since as you might know, bananas are super cheap (I read all about it in Freakonimics).


To score even more cheap-o points, I like to buy a big bag of over ripe bananas (even better for this recipe) for $1 at the bodgea by my apartment. I peel, chop, and freeze the bananas so I always have them on hand. Guilt free ice cream in every aspect! I like to serve mine in a vintage champagne coup and with a demitasse spoon, but that's just because I'm fancy like that. 


[Posted by Rita]