Buttermilk: It's not just for your grandparents anymore

Buttermilk.

The word brings a gloppy, old milk-like image to mind.

The only way I have experienced buttermilk has been through parents and grandparents. I grew up watching my grandmother occasionally enjoy one of her favorite dinners: crumbled up cornbread with a healthy pour of buttermilk over it. It was a sort of old-school cereal, I suppose. Also, my mom cooks with buttermilk sometimes, and when she does my dad gets excited about the prospect of getting a full glass of it with his dinner.

It's not to say that I have anything against buttermilk, I just haven't had a reason to use it in my past 23 years, but now that I'm 24, I have found a few ways to really appreciate what this sour milk can do.

Eating through the Big Apple

Well, I did it.

I finally visited New York City.
My best friend Allison and I flew up to the city to visit some other dear friends for a few days. It was fun to experience the city and especially fun to eat all of the delicious food. It's kind of great that in New York, you can get any type of food at pretty much anytime.

Here were some of my favorite food adventures in the city.

First of all, I love a good bagel...and I love how so much of the food we ate in NYC were carbs! Lenny's bagels was just down the street from my friend's apartment and so tasty.

Chicken salad minus the mayo

Last weekend, I spent some fun time with my mom in Tulsa. We had a great time shopping, hanging out, hitting up our favorite coffee shops and eating some delicious food. If you are taking a trip to T-town anytime soon, I highly recommend eating at Lucky's for Sunday brunch, getting a coffee at Shades of Brown and hitting up Brady Tavern for a delicious drink and some fancy pub food.

Before we left Tulsa, we ate lunch in Utica Square. It was a restaurant that I hadn't been to very much and I ended up ordering a chicken salad sandwich. I was looking forward to getting a creamy maybe sweet chicken salad on some delicious bread. Unfortunately, it did not come out as I had hoped. Although it wasn't terribly bad, it wasn't the southern chicken salad that I had hoped for...and half of the sandwich consisted of lettuce. Bummer!

Food Resolutions

Happy New Year's Eve!

Sorry I haven't updated much in the past week and a half. I have been loving not checking my e-mail, not paying attention to the outside world, eating anything and everything and being with my family and friends for a few days. Did I mention that I got some amazing kitchen things, too? A fancy icing spatula, tongs to get toast out of the toaster, a little butter knife and some wonderful Trader Joe's treats were in my amazing Christmas stocking this year. Score! Also, I felt so blessed with the time I was given with my family this year, and I'm looking forward to being in full-fledged wedding mode once 2012 hits us!

I thought this might be a good time and place to write out a few of my food goals for the coming year. Here's a list of some cooking resolutions that I would really like to shoot for in 2012.

Sometimes you just need a cupcake

It was one of those days.

One of those days when I just needed a little cupcake. You know what I mean?

Understanding the pomegranate

You may have seen it at the grocery store and wondered what it contained. Or you may have seen a small, red seed on your salad and wondered what it was and what made it taste so tart yet sweet.

Well, I'm here to tell you that the pomegranate should not a be a secret anymore. The wonderful pomegranate is an amazing fruit, in the way that you seed it and the delicious crispness it adds to many dishes. I was introduced to this lovely fruit by my mom, who is a lover of the pomegranate and usually includes the seeds in our holiday salads. Pomegranate seeds are so beautiful and add a fantastic pockets of that deep red color.

Although it does take some time to de-seed a pomegranate, you should not fear that anymore with these simple instructions.

Seasonal Scones

I'm in full-swing Christmas mode. I have been listening to Christmas music every day, my few but glittery Christmas decorations are up at my apartment, and, yes, my fiance and I have already scoured the nearby neighborhoods for the best lit houses. I love this season and honoring its significance in our lives.

And as long as we don't have any snow storms like last year where I'm stuck inside, I should stay cheery for the remainder of the month. And I'm so excited that I get a few days off for Christmas this year where I can join my family to celebrate.

24-hour Thanksgiving

Happy post-Thanksgiving and pre-Christmas! It's officially that time of year when you feel obligated to start rolling your Pandora Christmas station, stop to drink some peppermint hot cocoa and constantly hum Christmas songs. I am loving this time of the year: the Christmas movies, music, gift buying, sales and family time.

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Mine was a 24-hour, wonderful whirl of family, friends and food. Since I had to work the day before and after Thanksgiving (and by a huge blessing got Thanksgiving day off), I drove home Thursday early morning and spent 24 hours there. We cooked, watched the parade and had a great time celebrating the season. Isn't being thankful wonderful?

Save a bonfire, make S'mores cookies

As I have previously said, chocolate chip cookies are one of my favorite sweet treats. They just make the world feel okay, if only for a few seconds. So, when I kept seeing recipes on food blogs that I follow for S'mores cookies, I was intrigued.

Could graham crackers and marshmallows hinder the humble chocolate chip cookie or make it into something much greater?

Rainy Day Mac and Cheese

It's one of those dreary, drizzly fall days that just makes you want to curl up with something warm, gooey and decadent to eat. Anything that will make you want to immediately take a nap will probably do the job.

With the chill and rain beginning to come in, I just couldn't deny my need for a yummy mac and cheese. I've seen quite a few chefs on TV whip up a quick macaroni and cheese, and let's face it, box mac and cheese just isn't the same. I'm a Southern girl, and I love some creamy, cheesy macaroni and cheese!

Spoooky spiders

Happy Halloween everyone!

Although I'm not usually a big celebrator of this haunted holiday, this year my fiance and I are throwing a little party with friends and I'm contributing a little sweet treat.

My family has been making these "chocolate spiders" for as long as I can remember. They are a great, easy treat to make for holidays to give away or to munch on yourself. And the hint of butterscotch in them is so tasty!

Bananas + Toffee + British touch= Banoffee Pie

If you haven't heard of banoffee pie, you need to take some time to get to know it! It's a fantastic British dessert that combines a tea cookie crust with a rich toffee filling, bananas and fresh whipped cream!

Since I came back from studying abroad in England, I have longed to try banoffee pie. I actually didn't ever eat any while I was across the pond, but I did get to enjoy some delicious sweets. You know what I'm talking about if you have ever had sticky toffee pudding! The Brits really know how to make a cake or pie and smother it in a rich pudding or sauce that makes it so deliciously sticky sweet.

They happened to be featuring British desserts on Saveur.com (http://www.saveur.com/, a fantastic foodie magazine), and I could almost squeal when I saw the banoffee pie recipe (http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Banoffee-Pie-Classic)!

We all scream for grilled cheeeese!

Who doesn't love a grilled cheese?

Even better, who doesn't love a fancy grilled cheese made with amazing flavor combos and fresh, local ingredients?

One of my favorite restaurants in Fayetteville (which is saying a lot since we have so many great places) is Hammontree's on Dickson. http://hammontreesgourmet.com/index.html

$1 for 8 meals

Lately I have been bitten by the talk show bug. I know, crazy, right?! I have never been one to enjoy daytime talk shows. Most of them just seem to be about a lot of things I don't care about. But, this was all before The Chew (http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/the-chew) began airing a few months ago.

Finally, a talk show about cooking, eating and food news. And it features some of my favorite chefs: Mario Bitali and Michael Symon, along with chef Carla Hall and Daphne Oz (daughter of Dr. Oz and a nutritionist, I think). Oh, and What Not to Wear's Clinton Kelly is also on the show. I love his personality!

Caring is sharing...cookies

One of my favorite cookies has got to be snickerdoodles. They are easy to make, easy to share and oh so yummy.

I would have to say that chocolate chip cookies are my absolute fave!

I worked at a bakery, called Ambrosia Bakery in Hot Springs, Ark. (http://www.ambrosiabakeryco.com/), throughout high school. I have always loved baked goods and the joy that they bring to others. By the way, the absolute best chocolate chip cookie in the world can be found at Ambrosia. How I miss those days of grabbing a fresh out of the oven cookie off the tray and eating it.