Good Food Reads II 04.07.17

So many things for Good Food Reads this week, so little time!  Today is the day that With Two Spoons is taking it on the road, as both Holly and I will be happily soaking up the sun in Arizona!  Unfortunately I will soon be heading back to Minneapolis.  The only saving grace is that spring time in Minneapolis is BEAUTIFUL!  So as an Ode to Spring-here is this week’s Good Food Reads-dedicated to Spring!

First let’s talk donuts.  DONUTS!  Strawberry lemon donuts to be exact.  These Strawberry Lemon Donuts  by Tornadough Alli look amazing.  Like eat the whole batch at one sitting amazing.  In fact I may need to make these when the kids are at school-and then hide them.

Maybe I’m strange, but I also think of pasta for spring.  I know, I know, it’s spring-I should be worrying about lightening things up and cutting the carbs, but when you see this Garlic Butter Asparagus Pasta by Diethood and this Lemon Cream Pasta Primavera by Foodtastic Mom, you are going to see exactly why I think pasta belongs to springtime.  Because it does.

One of my spring resolutions is to make my own bread.  I’ve done homemade bread and it is a million times better than that processed pre-sliced stuff from the supermarket.  I even went so far as to take home some sourdough starter from a friend, which I promptly killed. (I know who kills sourdough starter?  That isn’t even an easy thing to do)  I haven’t had the heart to tell my friend (although she’s probably reading it here-I’m so sorry Retu!).  BUT-I came across this recipe for Sourdough Starter by WellFloured.  So maybe I’ll make my own.  And keep it alive this time.

So from bread, a normal transition would be butter, right?  Check out this Basil Lime Vegan Butter by Healing Tomato, which is a sensational way to use up those herbs that are about to die an awful death.  And a great use for those herbs you are going to plant this summer.  Just remember basil likes it hot and dry.  Hot and dry.  (And now you’re going to click to check it out, not because of the basil, but because you, like me, are saying “what the hell is vegan butter”?  Well, I still don’t have an answer to that, but I bet you can make this with regular butter as well.  Pretty cool indeed!)

As a blogger, I’m frequently checking out other blogs.  Bloggers are doing such amazing food these days.  But every once in awhile, I come across a dish where I say-“If I can make this at home, my life will be complete”.  And that is how I feel about Food, Faith, Fitness’ Larb Gai Thai Chicken Skillet.  One look at the photos and I didn’t even need to know what the rest of the words meant.  All I know is it looked like my idea of heaven in a cast iron skillet, and that is saying a lot for something that does not contain chocolate.  I will definitely be making this at my house.  And if this does it for you too, well-then you’re invited.

As I’m writing this with a glass of wine in hand, relaxing in the beautiful Arizona twilight, I will tell you about the Instant Pot I  bought for my in-laws.  We have been using it for everything this week, which is great because in Arizona, who wants to turn on the oven?  Tonight’s dinner was Flank Steak with Chimichurri-a recipe from our own blog, with Sweet Potatoes in the Instant Pot from A Pinch of Healthy and Pressure Cooker Corn on the Cob by This Old Gal.  Is there anything this miracle machine can’t do?

Finally, a recipe for the artists among us.  There is a lot of great food art out there right now (for some reason Easter seems to spark a lot of creative juices).  I really like this Easter Bunny Bread by Foodie with Family because, well, I’m not sure exactly why, other than I am a bread addict.  Pretty sure this one would be loved by kids and adults alike.  I’m not usually one who attempts food art, but this one I might actually try.  Stay tuned.

Well, that’s all for this edition of Good Food Reads.  Join us again next Tuesday for a new recipe and again next Friday for another jaunt around the good food of the internet.  Until then, have a great week-and as always, let us know what YOU are making in your kitchens!