Tell All - No Bake Lemon Bars

Let's hear about this one. I love lemon bars so I can't wait to try these!

New Member

Hi All,

I hope everyone had a healthy and happy holiday!

This week we have a new member, Debbie from Dining with Debbie:

I am a grandmother of two, mom to one and the wife of soon to be 40 years to Hubby. I have taught for 28 years, with the past twenty plus in the 7th grade. I love to cook and am fortunate that Hubby is a willing, adventurous diner:) He eats most anything. I love to travel and most at home on the beach.

Welcome Debbie!

Tell All - Crab Cakes with Smarter Tartar Sauce

This is by far one of my favorite Ellie recipes. It is one of the first things I ever made of hers.

They come out great, I usually drizzle each of them with some olive oil before baking. I have never made the tartar sauce though. You could also make the dipping sauce from the Crispy Fish Fingers that we made a while back.

Hope everyone on the East coast is enjoying the snow. We got a ton of it in DC!!

Tell All - Maple Mustard Chicken Thighs

This sounds yummy and the prep time is quick, that always make me happy!

How did this go for you?

Tell All - Potato Skins

These were quite tasty. I made them last night for dinner with some other appetizer type things. Perfect for eating while watching the Redskins lose per usual.

Tell All - Confetti Chili

Have at it.

Tell All - Thanksgiving Special

Hey All,

I want to hear what everyone has made or is making this week.

I have been considering some side dishes and desserts from the new book - maybe maple squash puree or creamed spinach OR apple brown betty or pumpkin rice pudding.

Tell All - Peach French Toast Bake

Well I am excited for this one. I have made it several times and posted about on our blog - here.

Some notes:

- I would definitely advise flavoring your egg mixture with some combo of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, clove, etc. You may find the recipe a bit bland as written.

- I usually halve the recipe in an 8x8 pan, so I am not sure if that makes a difference or not, but I almost always have to bake mine for more like 50-60 minutes.

- I think any fresh or frozen fruit will work in this recipe, so use what you have or like.

- One yummy sound change I read on the Food Network reviews is to use cinnamon or cinnamon raisin bread.

So Easy - On Sale

Hey All,

I just wanted to point out that Amazon is selling Ellie's new book So Easy right now for $16.17 which is 46% off. So now's a great opportunity to buy it if you haven't already.

They also have a few free recipes from the new book if you scroll down the page.

Check it all out here.

Thanks to MacDuff for letting me know about it :)

New Member

Hello Again,

This week we are welcoming Margaret of Tea & Scones:

Retired and learning to bake. And finally learning to cook.

Happy to have you in the group Margaret!

Tell All - Carrot, Green Apple & Mint Salad

I will admit, this one is not thrilling me or Nick. It may be a rewind week for me.

If you've made it, let's hear how it was.

New Members

Hi All,

This week we have two new members:

Liz from My Table, Their Table

I am a 30 something woman who over the past 5 years has really fallen in love with cooking. This is how I show love to my family and friends.

and Julie of In Good Taste

I am a cooking class teacher, focusing on healthy, tasty meals! I adore Ellie's cookbooks!

Welcome Ladies!

A Craving Ellie in My Belly Thanksgiving

Hi All,

I was thinking that this year for our Thanksgiving week recipe pick we could all choose our own recipe to make and post about. This will give everyone some flexibility with the holiday and still be able to participate. I also thought it would be a fun challenge to try to incorporate your Ellie recipe pick into your Thanksgiving meal if possible. I think all of us could use a healthy option at our gluttonous TG table.

For those of you who don't live in the US or don't celebrate TG, it's free play for you too of course.

Also, let's extend the posting deadline to Friday the 27th that week so we don't have to worry about posting and blogging on TG if we don't want to.

Sound good? Good.

Tell All - Linguini with Shrimp & Vegetables

How is this going for everyone?

I have made this recipe, or something similar, many times. I usually add a few anchovies and some thyme, I may add some capers this time too.

Ellie's New Book Giveaway Winners

Alright, well we had 26 comments on the giveaway post. A few were even from some bloggers who are not Craving Ellie members...yet!

And the winners, via 2 random numbers chosen by Random.org, are:

Comment #4 - Amy of Playing House
Comment# 19 - Liz of The Not So Skinny Kitchen

Yay for you two ladies, and thanks to everyone else who played along.

And an FYI, Ellie is doing a mini book tour, and the dates can be found here. Check it out to see if she will be in your area. I am a little bummed that she won't be in DC, however, I may go up to NY on one of those dates and use it as an excuse to visit my parents.

Tell All - Pumpkin Pie Muffins

I am excited to try these, I will be making them tonight.

Thoughts and experiences with this one...

Ellie's New Book and a Giveaway

Hi All,

I just wanted to check in with everyone about Ellie's new book that is coming out.

The book is: So Easy: Luscious, Healthy Recipes for Every Meal of the Week

It is available now for purchase on Amazon.

I think it is a no brainer that we include this new book in our group. However, I do understand that not everyone will be able to get it right away. I suspect that many of the recipes in the new book will also be available on the Food Network site, but I am not sure.

So here is what I propose:
- We can begin cooking out of the new book immediately. If it is your turn to pick and you have the book, feel free to choose out of it.
- If a new recipe is chosen and you don't have the book yet and the recipe is not available online, you can either do a rewind of a recipe we have already made, or just make and post about any Ellie Krieger recipe you want.
- We can operate like this through the end of the year, this should give everyone time to buy the book or get it for the Holidays.
- If you are unable to get the book by that time, just shoot me an email and we can work something out.

AND, since Nick and I are rolling in money from Foodbuzz (okay, not really) I figured it would be nice to use that money to give away a few copies of Ellie's new book. So all you have to do is leave a comment in this post by 11:59PM on Tuesday October 27th, saying what your favorite Ellie Krieger recipe is, and two lucky winners will be randomly chosen and will receive a copy of So Easy: Luscious, Healthy Recipes for Every Meal of the Week .

Also, as always, I am totally open to feedback and ideas on the group in general, and on my proposal for incorporating the new book into Craving Ellie.

Thanks!

New Member

This week we are welcoming Christina of The Baking Dentist:

Hi! I'm a dentist fixing teeth and baking sweets in Honolulu, HI. I moved here about a year and a half ago from New York. When I was in NYC, I used to cook and bake all the time. For over a year, I haven't been doing neither. Recently, after watching Julie & Julia, I realized how much I missed both! And so, my oven and stove tops are now getting heated up again :)

Welcome Christina!

Tell All - Easy Chicken Mushroom Quesadillas

I made these guys a few months ago and they were delish! What does everyone else think about them? Let's hear if you are thinking of making changes to the filling...

New Member

This week we are welcoming Melissa of It's Melissa's Kitchen:

I am an attorney in CA. I have hesitated to join this group for awhile since, let's be honest, I can barely get 1 post per month up on my blog. However, since I'm on a new weight-loss/workout kick (hopefully more than a "kick"), I need to will myself to stop picking up Chipotle for dinner (since it is right across from the office). Since I really do love to cook, I'm hoping this group will inspire me to cook healthier and more often (and have lots of leftovers for lunch...so I'm not eating Bristol Farms sushi at 3:15pm like I am currently!)

Tell All - Chicken Chop Suey

Okay girls, how goes it? This is another scary long ingredient list :)

This will be a chop suey first for me.

New Member

Let's welcome 24carrots of Out of the Rabbit Hole:

I am currently slugging through in Corporate American and have made a commitment to leave in April of 2010 to pursue my passion for nutrition and helping people to eat better. To help me get organized and understand what I want to do, I've started a healthy living blog less than a month ago! Its therapeutic to document the things I am learning...

Welcome to the group!

Tell All - New York Breakfast

Thoughts on this one...

New Members

Hey All,

Let's welcome Allison of VeggiesandValentino:

Hello! My name is Allison and I am a law student at the University of Oklahoma who has loved reading food blogs for the past year and loves cooking yummy and healthy food! I finally have started a blog of my own and I'm SO excited to get involved in the blogging community!

and Maryann of Stirring it up with MEG:

I live in Austin, TX with my Boyfriend Scott and 2 dogs, Bowski & Pearl. I started cooking and baking on a daily basis after Scott and I started living together. Once I got the hang of the kitchen I fell in love with cooking and even more with baking.

A warm welcome to Allison & Maryann!

Tell All - Sweet and Spicy Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Yes! I am excited to make this one with some tomato soup. How is everyone else feeling about it?

New Member

HI All,

Let's welcome Elina of Healthy and Sane:

Hi all! I discovered healthy food blogs early last year and learned that I loved cooking (my idea of cooking before that was chopping veggies for a salad which I was really good at but that was as "adventurous" as I got). Now I absolutely love searching for new recipes and cooking for me and my husband. There is nothing better than a delicious home cooked healthy meal!
Oh and go Ellie! ;)

Welcome!

Tell All - Black Bean Mexican Style Pizza

Tell All.

I made the bean dip tonight and it is very tasty on its own.

Tell All & New Member

Hi All

So sorry I have been MIA recently - been busy.

This is a double post for the Tell All of the pulled BBQ Chicken Sandwich and to welcome a new member.

First - our new member is Jen of What Jen's Cooking:

I started my cooking blog in April as way to record my memorable recipes. I love to cook, so I end up blogging at least twice a week. I also love food, so I love to read other food related blogs!

Welcome Jen!

I am also interested to hear how everyone is faring with the chicken sandwich. I actually made this and posted about it a while back. Here is my post about it. All you really need to know is that the sauce needs some doctoring - at the very least add some salt!

Since I am on vacation this week and since I have already made this yumminess I will probably not post about it again, but I will be around to read and comment on all your posts. Hey, I may even pencil in some time on my busy vacation schedule of shopping and sitting by the pool to do a best of ;)

Happy Labor Day!

Best of CEIMB - August 20, 2009

Grilled Thai Beef Salad:
A satisfying and healthy salad topped with grilled flank steak marinated in a mixture of lime juice, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and red curry paste. Not only is this salad delicious, but it is also super simple and will be on your dinner table in no time.

Get the recipe here or on page 107 of The Food You Crave by Ellie Krieger.

BEST PHOTOS OF THE WEEK

This week best photo goes to Amy of Playing House. Don't you just love that bowl?



And second runner up goes to Leslie of Lethally Delicious for her Thai Mushroom Salad.




BEST POST OF THE WEEK

This week best post goes to Joanne of Apple Crumbles for writing about her husband's revelation while eating this salad:

Ted thought it was fantastic. We discovered he does not like cilantro. Another member of the CEimB “Rid the World of Cilantro Club“.

Haha. Welcome to the club Ted!

Great job to all this week. I am happy to see that pretty much everyone who made this salad really enjoyed it.

Tell All - Chicken Sate with Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce

Tell all about this one.

Tell All - Grilled Thai Beef Salad

Sorry this is posted so late.

Don't forget to marinate the steak! How many of you forgot? I did.

Tell All - Stuffed Turkey Burgers

you know the drill here.

I made these already and used half white and half dark ground turkey meat. I thought this would help keep them moist. They came out good and Nick really liked them (I stuffed sliced pickled jalapenos into his burger).

Best of CEIMB - August 6, 2009

Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Lemony Cream Cheese Frosting:
Did you think that carrot cake could only be satisfying when made with tons of butter and cream cheese? Well, you thought wrong. This recipe produces a moist and flavorful mini carrot cake with a light and tangy lemon cream cheese frosting. These are practically guilt free, so indulge away!

Get the recipe here!

Well we had people battling tornadoes and utility companies to make these cupcakes, but the consensus is that they are worth it.

BEST PHOTOS OF THE WEEK

This week best photo goes to Joanne of Apple Crumbles. If you read her blog regularly than you know that she is highly talented at cake decorating and blogs about many of her fabulous cakes. She made her cupcakes super cute this week with tiny frosted carrots.



Second runner up goes to Tessa of Handle the Heat. You can always count on Tessa for a gorgeous photo, and she did not disappoint this week.




BEST POSTS OF THE WEEK

Kudos to Pam at Lobsters and Fishsticks for reworking this recipe into a cookie. What a great idea, reminiscent of the breakfast cookies we made a few weeks ago.

As usual, Duff at Lonely Sidecar treated us to her humorous thoughts on these cupcakes.

Will my friends actually eat a cake whose batter is the color and consistency of baby poop?

Will my husband still speak to me if I tell him that the fiber content of our dessert is my way of telling his colon that I love it?

And Jilla of My Next Life pointed out that these cupcakes really couldn't have been bad.

Now on to this weeks Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Lemony Cream Cheese Frosting. Can you say "YUM"? Of course, cream cheese frosting will make feet taste delicious, so this was a no brainer.

New Members

Let's welcome Kayte from Grandma's Kitchen Table

My blog didn't start out as a cooking blog, and really, it's not one now actually. It started out as a way to write newsy little bits for my family and friends who lived far. We all started them so that we could garner info and see photos from each other's lives with just a click each day. And. Then. I. Discovered. Food. Blog. Alongs. The rest is history. So on my blog, you will find a combination of foodie bits, family bits, friend bits, and pretty much anything you'd share growing up sitting around my Grandma's Kitchen Table. I reside in central Indiana, with a husband, two teenage sons, two Tibetan Spaniels, and one uppity cat. I love the discipline cooking/baking and the pressure to post brings, otherwise, I would just be frittering my time away doing something else. Have purchased Ellie's book, have made 4 recipes, and love it already.

and Amanda of Fake Ginger

I'm a pregnant mom of 1 who's husband has finally decided to embrace healthy eating. My blog has been focused mainly on treats and other not so good for you things, but I'm hoping to mix it up with some yummy healthy eats.

Welcome to the group ladies, we are happy to have you!

Tell All - Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Lemony Cream Cheese Frosting

How is everyone liking these? We loved them and I was pleasantly surprised at how moist they turned out.

Many Food Network reviewers said that they thought these seemed more like muffins than cupcakes. I think they can go either way, and I opted to not make the frosting and treat them more as a muffin.

Best of CEIMB - July 30, 2009

Hi All,

I had every intention of finally doing a best of this week. And then Nick and I traveled to New York for the weekend to see my family and we were too busy getting a raping by Southwest airlines and mother nature. Seriously, it was terrible. So here it is, a little late, but posted nonetheless. And I will try to get back on a regular posting schedule soon. Thanks!

Cobb Salad:
Is it possible to have a light and healthy Cobb salad? Indeed it is. This wonderful take on cobb salad is filled with the traditional flavors without all that fat.

BEST PHOTOS OF THE WEEK

There were quite a few good ones this week, but winner goes to Pamela of Cookies with Boys. I love this one because it just reminds me of a quintessential Cobb salad.



Second runner up goes to Mary of Popsicles and Sandy Feet





BEST POSTS OF THE WEEK

This week a shout out goes to our Bella Baker Lauryn, who wins the award for most creative way to serve this salad. If you haven't already, check out her post to see her Cobb salad tower.

I also had a good chuckle when Maria at Half Meatball Half Matzoh Ball Children said

Oh this recipe was so much fun. Not to mention the organizing of the food lines.......Cobb Salad is an OCD girl's dream!

Haha, I suppose I can relate.

Awesome job to all as always. It seems that this salad was a big hit. I know I will be making it again.

New Members

For the first time in a few weeks, let's welcome some new members...

Rachel of Rachel Hearts Food:

I'm an amateur cook who likes to experiment in the kitchen while trying to lead a healthy lifestyle. As a newly married woman, I try to find or create recipes that are quick, hearty, and still healthful while satisfying both my husband and myself.

and

Chaya of Chaya's Comfy Cook Blog:

I cook kosher and gluten free-quite a combination. I am holding my own adapting recipes to "normal" ones. I love to cook and bake and experiment with recipes. I love to share my food with my family and friends and my fifth grade students who get spoiled with my cookies.

Welcome Ladies!

Tell All - Cobb Salad

Let's hear about the salad.

Tell All - Oven Baked Onion Rings

Let's talk onion rings.

I have made these a bunch of times and posted my version when we first started blogging. Don't be afraid to experiment with adding flavors to the coating. I like to add dried thyme, garlic powder, and onion powder.

I think as long as you are not expecting to have battered and deep fried onion rings, you will enjoy these.

Tell All - Aromatic Noodles with Lime Peanut Sauce

You know the drill.

I already made it with some udon noodles and it was super delicious.

It is a 5 star recipe on the Food Network but there were a handful of reviewers who said they disliked the sauce, not enough flavor, it was just PB and noodles. So check out the reviews. I suspect that if you have a lot of experience with this kind of flavor profile you may already have a combination that you are used to or that you prefer. So feel free to change this around to fit your own preferences. Some also suggested using rice vermicelli or some other lighter asian noodle instead of regular whole wheat pasta.

Enjoy!

Best of CEiMB - July 9, 2009

Lobster Roll:
This guilt free creamy lobster or shrimp roll is a great way to healthily indulge in shellfish on those lazy day summertime picnic's. The Greek yogurt and mayo sauce is a great canvas to adapt for your own tastes.

BEST PHOTOS OF THE WEEK

This week Tessa from Handle the Heat took top billing:




And runner up goes to Liz of The Not So Skinny Kitchen:



There were quite a few really great pictures this week. It was hard to choose only two. Keep it up everyone!!!

BEST POST OF THE WEEK

Best post goes to our lovely hostess this week, MacDuff of Lonely Sidecar. If you read Duff's blog on a regular basis then you know that she always has some interesting and hysterical commentary on whatever is going on in her life at the time. And she has a wonderful way of always tying it into food.

Duff explains in her post the reason she picked this recipe was because she had plans to spend a long weekend up in Maine at The Lawyer from Southie's (TLFS) family beach house. However, just getting there was a bit of a scary ordeal.

The Lawyer from Southie took me up for a weekend at his family's home on the coast of Maine. In order to get there, we had to drive, then take a ferry, then drive again. I mentioned the rain, right? The rain was torrential. We snaked up the coast of Maine going about 30mph in the dark, with a rainstorm that was sure to wash the outlets at Freeport away. TLFS started referring to our camera as "The Black Box," only because if we were found dead, the video of us driving in the thunder and lightning, rocking out to Def Leppard and dodging huge bolts of THE LORD'S WRATH would be the only thing to let our family know that we loved them.

I think I speak for everyone when I say I am happy to know that they made it there and back alive. Check out the rest of her post to be regaled about tales of croquet and couples in coordinated argyle sweaters (and I am not hating on the argyle sweater, I love a nice argyle).

Great job to all this week. Can't wait for next week's noodles - I already made them and they are super delicious.

Tell All - Shrimp or Lobster Roll

Dish here about this one.

You could also use langostino tails instead of lobster.

Best of CEiMB - July 2, 2009

Breakfast Cookies:
A delicious and healthy breakfast (or anytime) treat, made tender with whole wheat pastry flour, these tasty morsels are like a cross between a cookie and a muffin.

The recipe can be found on the Food Network website.

BEST PHOTOS OF THE WEEK

There breakfast cookies were a popular pick and there were quite a good few pictures this week so it was hard to chose the best.

This week best photo goes to the lovely Pamela of Cookie with Boys:



Runner up goes to Joanne of Apple Crumbles:



BEST POST OF THE WEEK

This week best post goes to Cathy of The Tortefeasor. As we all know, this recipe called for a jar of baby food, and I think this gave her husband a quick scare when he saw it sitting on the counter:

My poor hubs almost had a heart attack when he came home and saw that sitting on the kitchen counter. He said "What's THIS for??" and I saw the color drain from his face. I don't know if he felt any better when I told him it was just for the cookies I was making. Yeah, he probably did.

Haha. That it classic!

Great job to everyone this week, I am always glad to see a recipe that so many enjoyed.

Happy 4th of July!

New Member

Hi Everyone,

Let's welcome Heide of Chez Zero

I want to start trying new recipes on a regular basis, and thought this would be a good way to make myself accountable! I work fulltime, atwm married and have two wee girlies, and love sewing and reading cookbooks -- now I just have to start USING my cookbooks!

Welcome!

Tell All - Breakfast Cookies

These sound pretty interesting. I saw the episode where she makes these, and they did look good on TV. The reviews on the Food Network are good for the most part.

I read through some of them and this is what I gathered as far as substitutions:

1. You can use regular whole wheat flour for the pastry flour and ap flour
2. You can replace the bran flakes with more oats, some people used types of Kashi go lean cereals instead of the bran flakes
3. You can sub applesauce, pumpkin puree, or another flavor of baby food for carrots. I even read some reviewers used mango or pineapple or other baby food combinations
4. Some people used honey or agave instead of white sugar
5. Of course you can substitute any other dried fruit for raisins and you can use whatever nuts you have around

Leave your tips and thoughts on this recipe here.

Jessica at Johnston's Vin Blanc already made these and posted since she is on vacation. Check out her post for her rendition of these cookies.

New Member

Welcome to Laura of Edible Ventures

Hi! I am an avid cook, and I try to keep my focus on healthy and wholesome foods. My blog follows my adventures as I try several new recipes from my ever-growing cookbook collection each week - I post the results along with pictures and recipes. Cooking is my therapy!

Also, a reminder to everyone to please post on Thursdays unless you just absolutely can't.

Thanks!

Tell All - Vegetable Cheese Strata

How goes it with this one?

As Jen pointed out when she picked this, it is perfect for Fathers Day brunch.

I have already made this and it was absolutely delicious.

Tell All - Jambalaya with Shrimp and Ham

I don't have much jambalaya making experience and I am not a big fan of spicy creole food. Nonetheless, I think this sounds really good. I love that it has shrimp!

I think I am going to add in some chicken or turkey sausage instead of ham. Some Food Network reviews also said it was a bit bland, so if you like your food spicy you may want to consider amping up the spice.

Happy Jambalaya Cooking!

Best of CEiMB - June 11, 2009

Double Chocolate Pudding Pie:
A creamy chocolaty pudding in a crisp graham cracker crust, with half the fat and calories. A wonderfully cool dessert for a warm Summer night.

This recipe can be found on page 280 of The Food You Crave: Luscious Recipes for a Healthy Life by Ellie Krieger or it can be found here.

BEST PHOTOS OF THE WEEK

This week it was hard to pick the best pictures, there were so many to choose from. Apparently chocolate pudding pie loves the camera.

Best picture this week goes to one of our new members, Blair of Deliciously Golden. This really looks like a pie I want to dig into.

>

Runner up goes to our hostess for this recipe, Tessa of Handle the Heat. Her pie slice looks so creamy and delicious.





BEST POSTS OF THE WEEK

I had a few good laughs this week reading your posts.

Alyssa from Talley Family joked that

The filling is a little jigglie though and reminded me of an old woman waving her arms yelling "Bingo!!"...

Haha. That made me laugh out loud at my desk at work.

Andrea of You Eat Now relayed a story about her pudding photo shoot that many of us can probably relate to:

I was having so much fun that I lost track of time and my hubby stumbled into the kitchen around midnight to find me in a very intense pudding photo shoot. I don't know if he was fully conscious, but he mumbled something about the dang bloggetyblogblog and turned around and went back to sleep. I did notice this morning that one of the glasses chilling in the fridge is now empty. Breakfast pudding? I like it!

Nice job by everyone this week. Have a nice and relaxing weekend :)

New Members

Let's all welcome our new members this week:

Sarah of Sarah's Kitchen Adventures

Hello everyone! I am excited about joining this group. I love to blog, but I feel that it is always sweets that I am writing about. I love Ellie's show, and I am excited about following the recipes in her book, and all of the other bloggers too!

Blair of Deliciously Golden

I am a registered dietitian who loves all things food related...I love to cook, I collect cookbooks, and subscribe to way too many food magazines. My blog is a way for me to share recipes and nutrition info with others.

and

Jill of My Next Life

I love to cook, travel and hang out with friends.....and then I post all the gory details!

Welcome Ladies!

Foodbuzz

Hi All,

I am sure you have noticed the new Foodbuzz ad. (How could you miss it?)

Nick and I debated whether or not we wanted to sign up and obviously we decided to do it.

We think it is a good way to promote Craving Ellie. In addition. I think it will be a great way to earn a little money for some giveaways, which is something I have been wanting to do. I don't expect the money coming in to be much, and whatever we do get will go back into this blog in some way.

We are also thinking out some ideas to submit to Foodbuzz for their 24, 24, 24 that would involve Craving Ellie members.

More to come...

Tell All - Double Chocolate Pudding Pie

Alright! I think this is the first dessert pick since I have been a member of CEiMB.

I am excited to try this out, it sounds like it is going to be delicious.

If you are not in the mood for a whole pie, just make the pudding, you could even crumble some graham crackers on top for a little crunch.

Just remember that this is a sweet treat, so don't eat the whole thing yourself!

Let's hear about it.

Best of CEiMB - June 4, 2009

White Gazpacho with Grapes and Toasted Almonds:
A healthy and refreshing summer soup with cucumbers, garlic, scallions, and almonds. Surprisingly creamy with a wonderfully crunchy trio of garnishes.

This recipe can be found on page 83 of The Food You Crave: Luscious Recipes for a Healthy Life by Ellie Krieger or it can be found here.


BEST PHOTOS OF THE WEEK

This week best photo goes to Joanne of Apple Crumbles. I think this week's recipe was right up Joanne's alley. A nice light dish with no vegetarian substitutions needed!




Runner up photo goes to Jessica of A Singleton in the Kitchen. I love this photo, it is so bountiful with all the delicious garnishes. Many people commented that the garnishes really made the soup, and I think this is the ultimate illustration of that.



BEST POSTS OF THE WEEK

Here are some of my favorite lines from this week's posts:

Leslie of Lethally Delicious was a little suspicious of the wet bread. I tend to agree, normally we are trying to avoid soggy bread, not make it.

I was very skeptical about this week's selection, chosen by Lauren and Paul at I'll Eat You. Wet bread and I have a hate-hate relationship. I seriously had a hard time understanding how anything containing wet white bread would be something I wouldn't throw out, not to mention love.

Cathy of The Tortefeasor has no problem with the soggy bread, but was a little perturbed at the price of grapes:

Sidenote: I paid $8.14 for a smallish bag of green grapes for this recipe, a fact so shocking to me that I deemed it worthy of a Facebook status update ("Cathy just paid $8.14 for a smallish bag of green grapes.") For those of you not versed in social media, a Facebook status update is a far more serious and solemn affair than a Twitter status update (at least for me, as I will tweet anything).

Great job this week to all, especially to those who stepped out of their comfort zone for this one. I think most everything is worth a try at least once.

Have a wonderful weekend. Make a chocolate pudding pie :)

New Members

Hi All,

Let's welcome this week's 2 new members:

Heather of Mama Cooks

I'm a mama striving to raise a healthy and adventurous eater, all the while trying to get my super picky husband to try new things.

and Alyssa of Talley Family:

Hi Everyone! I'm super excited to become a member. I absolutely love to cook, but I want to eat healthy (and actually prefer it). I bought Ellie's cookbook last year sometime and have tried 10 or so recipes. Some of my favorites are the Turkey Meatloaf w/ Smashed Potatoes and the Stuffed Turkey Burgers. I also love the Apple Muffins (can't remember the exact name). I brought these to Easter brunch and everyone loved them. Aside from my love for food, LOL. I'm happily married to my husband (three years in August), just bought a house and started my first 'real job' out of college last Fall. Can't wait to join everyone on a quest to try Ellie's recipes.

Happy to have you cooking with us Heather and Alyssa!

Tell All - White Gazpacho with Grapes and Toasted Almonds

No "best of" this week - sorry :(

How is this one going for everyone?

I think I am going to make this as a nice light lunch on Sunday, since we are going to this on Sunday evening.

New Members

Hi All,

4 new members this week!

Teresa of I'm Running to Eat:

I like to run and I like to cook, though lately I'm doing more cooking than I am running and a lot more cooking than I am blogging about. I live in the Midwest and cook for a family of 5 kids, one husband, two dogs and a cat and usually a couple of stray teenaged boys. I'm trying to cook healthier meals for my family and I spend a lot of time online searching for recipes my family would like.

Amy of Playing House:

I'm a beginning cook and baker who can't get enough of experimenting in the kitchen (and taking photos of the things I cook). Lately, I've had a tendency to make delicious but unhealthy things to blog about. I've been on Weight Watchers for several months and it's going well, but I could use some extra structure to incorporate more healthy dishes into my routine.

My main criterion for buying a cookbook is whether, when I flip through the pages in the bookstore, I'd like to make/eat the majority of the recipes. When I picked up The Food You Crave, I literally wanted to make every single thing I saw! I can't wait to get started with my new favorite cookbook. Thanks for having me!

Mary from Popsicles and Sandy Feet:

Hi! I am a stay at home mom of two and three year old boys. I live at the Connecticut shore and love to cook. I am a member of Tuesdays with Dorie and wanted to balance all the chocolate and sugar with something more healthy. I own the Ellie book and thought that being in this book would help me to make more of the recipes.

Maria from Half Meatball Half Matzoh Ball Children:

Right now, I have a simple food blog about ANYTHING food related. It's more of a diary for me at this point. I read the Tuesdays with Dorie baking posts each week and love them but I'd like to participate in more of a cooking group. And so, I'm here.......

Welcome to all of you. We are happy to have you join the group!

Tell All - Cripsy Fish Fingers

Crispy. Fish. Fingers.

How could this possibly be bad?

Some of the reviews on the Food Network site said they were a bit bland, so consider adding some extra spice and flavor to the flour and/or breadcrumbs.

I also think I am going to try to bake them on a raised baking rack in the oven. This idea came from our own Aggie's post last week about her air baked crispy chicken bites.

Best of CEiMB - May 21, 2009

Thai Style Halibut with Coconut Curry Broth:
Meaty halibut poached in a flavorful Thai red curry and coconut milk broth served over a bed of brown rice and spinach.

This recipe can be found on page 232 of The Food You Crave: Luscious Recipes for a Healthy Life by Ellie Krieger or it can be found here.


BEST PHOTOS OF THE WEEK

This week best photo goes to Liz of The Not So Skinny Kitchen. Liz was also our host this week and picked this fabulous recipe for us to try.



Runner up photo goes to Andrea of You Eat Now. Andrea made her curry with chicken and she added peanuts and mushrooms.



BEST POST OF THE WEEK

This week best post goes to Natalie of What's for Supper?

Natalie's husband Ben does not like cilantro (clearly Ben is a very intelligent man with proper taste buds), but Natalie still thought she could sneak it into the dish without him knowing. Silly silly Natalie.

Apparently Ben came home and commented that the kitchen was smelling of deliciousness.

Ben took a shower and Natalie covertly added cilantro to the pot.

Ben came back into the kitchen and informed Natalie that the kitchen now smelled like a urinal (Amen Ben!)

Furthermore, he said he liked the dish but thought that something in the sauce on top of the fish was not quite right.

Ben was a trooper though and ate his supper. If it were me, I would not have been able to finish this if it had cilantro. I think it is so offensive and totally ruins otherwise tasty things for me. I know so many people love it, but I just don't get it. It's just one of those things I guess.

So thanks to Natalie for making me smile by retelling her semi successful attempt to trick her husband into eating the evil herb.

Great job to everyone and enjoy your Memorial Day weekend!

New Member

Our new member this week is Lauryn from Bella Baker.

I have a constant conflict going through my head; the conflict between wanting to cook and eat in the healthiest way possible and wanting to bake up as many sugary, chocolaty desserts as possible! I suffer from your classic case of health nut with a sweet tooth. So when I found out about CEiMB a light bulb went off in my poor, conflicted head! I will commit to making at least one healthy-well rounded meal a week! I am hopeful that cooking along with this group will inspire me to stay healthy, help me to improve my cooking skills and push me to try new things. I am looking forward to cooking along with everyone!

Welcome!

Best of CEiMB - May 14, 2009

Jerk Chicken with Cool Pineapple Salsa

Sorry this post is a bit late this week. One of our friends got married on Saturday so I didn't have much time to put this together.

BEST PHOTOS OF THE WEEK

This week best photo goes to MacDuff at Lonely Sidecar for her vegan jerk tofu.



Runner up goes to Farah at Confessions of a Novice Baker.




BEST POST OF THE WEEK

This week best post goes to Joanne of Apple Crumbles. I think we all got a good laugh when Joanne had to do some improvising while making this recipe in her mother's kitchen because

Mum apparently doesn’t beat her meat…hmmm, should I change the wording on that last sentence?…ANYWAY…she just doesn’t have the “gadgets” I have so we made do…

Can you guess which kitchen tool her mother was missing?

Great job to everyone this week!

Tell All - Thai Style Halibut with Coconut Curry Broth

Hmmmm. Curry.

Nick and I hate curry, actually. Anyone else? I know it is like a love or hate thing for most people, kind of like cilantro.

I guess I will just leave it out...as well as the cilantro.

What does everyone else think about this one? It has gotten great reviews on the Food Network site.

Any suggestions on changes for the non curry lovers?

New Members

Hi All,

This week we have a mysterious new member, Anonymous New York. She is a

New Yorker who has fallen off the food blog wagon, trying
to get back into healthy cooking at home instead of ordering out delicious Thai food or going out to eat!

Let's also welcome Jen of A Mid Life Culinary Adventure.

Hi I'm Jennifer. I'm a native of San Diego and I occasionally give tours of the city to visiting groups. Before that I took groups to Ireland and throughout the Western US. Since I've been off the road working a real 9-5 job I've been taking culinary classes at my local Jr College, and have been baking along with the group at TWD. Many of the bloggers I follow from there are here, and I've so enjoyed their posts and lusted after their creations, I decided to join this group. I'm looking forward to some healthy cooking to balance out the desserts!

We are happy to have you both!

I also want to take this opportunity to announce a small administrative decision that we have made. Since we seem to be adding new members on a weekly basis (which is awesome), I have been concerned about when we will be able to get back to the top of the list for recipe picking. I am so happy to see so many fellow bloggers joining our group and hope that new members continue to come. I also want to make sure that some of our older loyal members have a chance to pick another recipe.

So, I have decided that starting July 1st I will restart at the top of the blogroll. This allows for us to complete the blogroll as it stands today, including our 2 newest members. Any new members added after today will definitely get a chance to pick their recipe as we make our way down the blogroll again. I hope this is agreeable to everyone and I also hope that this will reinvigorate some of the older members interest in the group.

Tell All - Jerk Chicken with Pineapple Salasa

How do you feel about this week's pick? What are you going to serve with it?

This will be different for Nick and I, the flavors of the chicken, a fruit salsa. I think I am going to have the pizza delivery number ready, just in case. The rule in our house is you can make anything your heart desires, but if nobody likes it, you have to order the pizza.

Our lovely host this week, Jen from Notes From The Table, is getting out of dodge and going on vacation to San Diego this week. Lucky! She was gracious enough to post about her pick before she left, so check that out here.

Best of CEiMB - May 7, 2009

Garden Risotto

Well, the pool for choosing best of's this week was small. There were only 12 posts (including myself) this week out of our blogroll of 29. What's up everyone? Do I smell? Is it my breath?

Anyway, I am sure that everyone is busy doing this or that. I hope nobody is dealing with anything too serious that is keeping them from our blogiverse. That said, I hope to see many of you back soon. It is much more fun when everyone participates.

Mini guilt trip over. Now onto the accolades.

BEST PHOTOS OF THE WEEK

This week best photo goes to Andrea of You Eat Now for her spoonful of risotto.



Runner up photo goes to Mary Ann of Meet Me In The Kitchen. If you read Mare's blog then you know that her photography is always top notch.



BEST POST OF THE WEEK

This week, best post goes to 2 ladies, Liz of The Not So Skinny Kitchen and Peggy of Pantry Revisited.

I know that there are two schools of thought when it comes to making risotto - some people find it enjoyable and relaxing and some people find it enraging and stressful. Jen and Peggy really illustrated those differences in their posts and I found it quite entertaining.

Peggy had this to say:

I love to eat risotto. I always hesitate to make it though. It is just the “time” thing. You cook, you stir, you cook, you stir, you cook some more...Having said that, with a glass of wine in hand, there is something incredibly relaxing about making risotto. Add a little broth, drink a little wine, stir. Add a little more broth, drink more wine, stir. Add wine, drink broth, stir. Taste risotto, slide down on floor where wine spilled, stir. Stir, drink wine, broth add. Yeah, you can tell I had fun with this one!

And on the flip side, Liz shared her frustrations:

I tried to enjoy the process of making it. I tried, but I’m now convinced that risotto and I are not compatible in any way. I do not find joy or peace in the process nor am I able to appreciate the steam facial I receive while standing over a pot of rice that simply refuses to absorb all the broth I’ve poured into its pan... Try as I might to convince the rice to be more absorbent, try as I might to convince it that it was taking too long, I just could not get this done in 18 minutes. I decided not to time myself, but I felt like I was in the kitchen for days, and I’m pretty sure I got carpal tunnel from all the stirring. The thing I hate most about making risotto is that I feel chained to it, like I can’t stop stirring for even a moment or it starts to bubble at me in anger.

Awesome job everyone! Have a wonderful weekend :)

New Member

Let's welcome Tessa from Handle the Heat. She just started her blog a few weeks ago and it is adorable. Check it out!

Hi, I'm Tessa. I love cooking and baking (especially Italian food and desserts!) with health in mind. Sometimes.

Tell All - Garden Risotto

Is everyone ready to stir, stir, stir, stir, stir, and then stir some more?

Well, I am. I absolutely love risotto and I have a whole freezer full of homemade chicken stock to use for this. I will be leaving out the peas since when it comes to peas, Nick and I are like children and refuse to eat them. I will definitely be adding some garlic to this, and maybe some leeks, and perhaps some nice meaty mushrooms, too.

How do you feel about risotto - love it, hate it (is such a thing possible)? I have read that some people are intimidated/afraid to make it. Any risottophobes out there? Will this be anyone's first time making it?

Happy risotto eating to everyone ;)

Best of CEiMB - April 30, 2009

Turkey Meatballs with Quick & Spicy Tomato Sauce and Whole Wheat Spaghetti

BEST PHOTOS OF THE WEEK

This week best photo goes to Liz of The Not So Skinny Kitchen. This photo is exactly what I picture when I think spaghetti & meatballs.



Second runner up goes to Jessica of Johnstone's Vin Blanc. Another perfect bowl of pasta!



Great job ladies :)

BEST POST OF THE WEEK

This week best post goes to Joanne of Apple Crumbles. Joanne seems to be our resident vegetarian, and every week she shows us how to make our favorite (and sometimes not so favorite) Ellie recipes vegetarian friendly. As if that wasn't enough, she almost always also cooks the original recipes for her meat eating husband Ted.

This week, Joanne made turkey meatballs for Ted and "turkey" meatballs for herself using Quorn. I can't vouch for how they tasted, but I can say that you really could not tell the difference in the picture. Impressive! Check out Joanne's post to see if you can pick out the real meatball.

Tell All - Turkey Meatballs with Spicy Tomato Sauce and Whole Wheat Spaghetti

Who else is excited for this meal?

I have made these meatballs many times, and I actually posted about it before I joined CEiMB. I like to broil these instead of cook them in a sauce because they get all crispy and brown on the outside. You can check out my post if you are interested.

Let's hear what you thought of these meatballs and sauce.

Best of CEiMB - April 23, 2009

Balsamic Chicken with Baby Spinach and Whole Wheat Couscous

BEST PHOTOS OF THE WEEK

I am happy to announce this week's best photo goes to Pamela of Cookies with Boys:




And second runner up goes to Joanne of Apple Crumbles:



Both of these ladies give us quality posts week after week, so a big congrats to them!


BEST POST OF THE WEEK

This week best post goes to a great blogger, Leslie of Lethally Delicious. This week Leslie regaled us with her tale of aliens who forced her to alter the recipe against her will.

Last week, I got carried away with modifying the recipe, including leaving out the star ingredient. It worked out well, but I felt a little guilty. This week was going to be different. I was going to make this dish (chosen by Marthe of Culinary Delights) without substitutions or omissions. I was excited about the recipe and couldn't imagine wanting to do anything different with it. Then, I was taken hostage by aliens. They liked their chicken breasts thick and juicy. They liked doubling some things, but not others. They were saucy, garlic loving aliens. They said they wouldn't hurt me if I followed their orders. This is what they made me cook.

Check out Leslie's post to see what those saucy aliens made her do!

New Member

Welcome to our newest member Lauren of I'll Eat You

Hi Everyone!

I'm Lauren and I write I'll Eat You with my husband, Paul. I'm a children's therapist living in Philadelphia, and I love to cook and bake in my spare time. Most of my blogging adventures have leaned to the not-so-healthy side, so I'm looking for ways to keep my blog healthy and delicious at the same time. I'm looking forward to blogging with all of you!

New Member

Hi All,

I am pleased to announce our new member Anne from Rainforest Recipes.

I'm a Canadian, living in the jungles of northern Guatemala. I love cooking, eating delicious healthy food and blogging. I have a dream of "self-sufficiency" and have begun practicing with gardening and solar cooking. I look forward to cooking with ellie!

I can't wait to see how Anne cooks up our Ellie recipes all the way from the jungle!

Welcome Anne :)

Tell All - Balsamic Chicken with Baby Spinach and Couscous

This sounds simple and delicious. How did this one go for you?

Best of CEiMB - April 16, 2009

Lamb Stew with Orange


BEST PHOTOS OF THE WEEK:

This week best photo goes to Liz of the Not So Skinny Kitchen. This marks Liz's first post ever for Craving Ellie in my Belly, so a big congrats to her!




Best photo also goes to Jessica of A Singleton in the Kitchen for her creatively styled photo.




BEST POST OF THE WEEK

Hands down, this week's best post goes to Jessica of A Singleton in the Kitchen for her description of an encounter she had with a little boy at Whole Foods while procuring her lamb for this dish. The story is ridiculous to begin with, but the Billy Madison dodge ball reference gave me a good chuckle.

I went and procured the lamb and I was standing in line, waiting to check out, pondering my brother's assertion that Whole Foods "is a bunch of hippies saving the world one organic carrot at a time" (mind you, he shops there all of the time so there's no animosity in that statement), and generally minding my own business. I was literally knocked out of my reverie by the very loud slam of my cart into my abdomen. You see, this punk-a** little kid in front of me decided to mess with me. He took his empty cart, turned it around, and gave it a mighty shove into my cart. I like kids a lot, and they generally like me a lot too, but it took all of my "grown up" sensibilities not to rudely shove my cart back into his! And the look I got from him was just daring me to do it, too. We could have had a Billy Madison dodge ball moment: "Now you're all in big, BIG trouble." But his poor mother was embarrassed enough as she was whispering to him not to do such things and I thought it was probably best to go back to musing about the organic carrots.

Everything looked great this week and I loved all the different variations of this recipe :)

Tell All - Lamb Stew with Orange

How is everyone liking this? Not unlike the salmon from last week, not everyone has a taste for lamb. Personally, I love lamb. How about you?

I also can't wait to see what our creative vegetarians do with this one :)

New Member

Hi All,

We have another new member, Liz from the Not So Skinny Kitchen.

I am a full-time student and most-of-the-time Weight Watcher. I share my kitchen with Ryan, my boyfriend of five years, and our three pets: a giant Chihuahua named Irving and two cats, Oskar and Sinatra. We all enjoy food quite a lot, and our television is on Food Network 75% of the time. Ryan and I often talk about going on a "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives" road-trip across the country. You see, this is why I need WW. So I struggle to make the food I should eat taste like the food I want to eat and try to focus on cooking lighter and healthier. I like that Ellie's recipes combine my love for Food Network and healthy eating, and I'm looking forward to being a member of the group.

Welcome Liz!

The Best of CEiMB - April 9, 2009

This is our first installment of the Best of CEiMB. It was hard to chose from all the great pictures this week. The salmon proved to be very photogenic.

Salmon with Sweet & Spicy Rub

BEST PHOTOS OF THE WEEK:

Best photo of the week goes to Aggie of Aggie's Kitchen:




And second runner up goes to Mary Ann of Meet me in the Kitchen:




Both of these wonderful women feature delicious and healthy recipes on their blogs every week, you should read them regularly if you are not already!

BEST POST OF THE WEEK

Best post of the week goes to Cathy of The Tortefeasor who consistently makes me laugh out loud every week. This week she combined her posts for Barefoot Bloggers and CEiMB. Even though the below excerpt was not about the CEiMB recipe, it gave me a good laugh:

Of course, it's the dressing that makes this a "Chinese chicken salad." Ina's recipes often specify to use not just olive oil, vinegar, etc., but "good" olive oil or "good" vinegar. I am never 100% sure what she means by "good," but I have a feeling that she means "not the stuff they sell you in Publix." In this recipe, the dressing calls for "good apple cider vinegar." I did have apple cider vinegar in my pantry, but I'm afraid Ina would probably think of my vinegar as: Heinz: The Apple Cider Vinegar of the Unwashed Masses. I am pretty sure that Ina would not consider this to be "good" apple cider vinegar. If you read the label closely, however, it says that it is "ideal for food." I figured I could build on that.

Congrats to this week's champs!

Tell All - Salmon with Sweet & Spicy Rub

How goes it with the salmon?

Here is some good information on Salmon from Seafood Watch.
http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/SeafoodWatch/web/sfw_factsheet.aspx?gid=17

Check out their chart of alternatives as well.

A New Ellie Krieger Book Planned for November 2009

Hi All,

I was perusing Ellie's website today and saw that she is publishing a new book in November 2009:

Coming soon…
So Easy
Luscious Healthy Recipes for Every Meal of the Week
(Wiley, November 2009)

I make eating well easier than ever with delicious recipes that are real solutions for every meal of the week- from breakfast in minutes and easy-pack lunches to rush hour dinners and sweet treats that are ready in a flash. Plus there are breezy recipes for when you have a little more time and you want something special but you don’t want to fuss. This book is all about maximum reward for minimum effort.

I am excited for a whole bunch of new recipes that we can all cook together!

Did you also know that...

* Ellie has a blog, too. If you are interested, you can find it here.

* The Food you Crave was nominated for a 2009 James Beard Foundation Award for the Healthy Focus category. Congrats to Ellie!

New Member

Let's all welcome Jen of Notes from the Table to Craving Ellie in my Belly.

I am a stay at home mom who is obsessed with food and cooking. I love to find economical ways to prepare tasty meals to share with my family and friends. I love to experiment with new ingredients, and I try to keep all of our meals fresh and somewhat healthy. I love ethnic cusines and I try to stay away from processed foods as much as possible. I like to fit some vegetarian meal choices into our rotation at least two to three times a week, too. I love writing and I enjoy the creative outlet that blogging allows me. I live with my husband, son, and a pack of crazy pets. My blog is http://notesfromthetable.blogspot.com/ and I am really looking forward to being a part of CEIMB!!!

We are all happy to have you join the group. Welcome!

Tell All - Buffalo Chicken Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing

Thoughts on this dish go here.

If you don't love blue cheese - are you going to skip this week or what are your ideas on a variation.

New Idea...Looking For Some Feedback

Hi All,

The idea that we have been toying with of late is each week we will award 1 or 2 of our bloggers with the honor of "Best of CEiMB this Week" or something of that ilk. We would most likely include a picture and/or a blurb from the post here on Friday evening to make sure that any later postings can be included.

If your post is a winner, we would post it on CEiMB with a link to your post and congratulatory sentiments from us :) Nick has also been acquiring some basic photo editing skills for use at our own blog, and we will put them to use here, too. If he feels that the photo has potential to be accepted by Tastespotting, Photograzing, or Food Gawker, he will do some minor editing and submit it.

We think it could be a fun way to recognize great food writing and photography within the group and challenge everyone to take great pictures of the CEiMB meals. In addition, submitting photos to the various food porn sites is a great way to get more exposure for this blog and those blogs of our members, and that can only mean good things for everyone involved.

I don't want people to feel as though we are stealing their content or their right to submit their photos directly to the sites themselves. That is not our intention at all. You would be able to opt out of this completely or if there is a particular week that you don't want us to include your post, you can simply email me when you publish your post and let me know. I would add something to the rules that reflects this so everyone knows how to proceed if they want to opt out.

We would really like to hear what everyone thinks about this. This group is all of ours and Nick and I don't want to impose our ideas on everyone if you don't like them. Please leave your comments here or feel free to email me directly at cravingellieinmybelly at gmail dotcom.

Thanks!

More New Members

Hi All,

I am pleased to welcome 2 new members to the group:

Amanda of Oddball Oven Mitt

I am a stay at home wife and mother. I unschool three of my four children in sunny Florida. Florida has only been our home for eight months. Before seeking the warmth of Florida we lived in rural Vermont. Vermont is where I learned to love GOOD food and make it even on our tight budget. There is nothing that can rival real foods cooked from farm fresh eggs (we had our own chickens), wholesome milk, cheese and meat from cows who get outside to eat the grass, naturally raised (often organic) produce plucked from the Earth in my own garden or others. These days we live a more suburban lifestyle and I rely more on what I find on sale in my local ethnic markets and grocery stores. The stores here cater to the spanish speaking population in the area and that means plenty of fresh produce at great prices so cooking well is easy. My husband and I both battle with our weight so I need to add some lighter dishes to the menu and cooking Ellie style seems like a good way to do that as well as add some variety to the menu. Many times when I cook you will see that I put a frugal spin on the recipes I am cooking, that is a necessary evil and I hope that it inspires people

and Jessica of A Singleton in the Kitchen

I'm a displaced Texan living in Washington, DC while I get a masters in English Lit. I love it up here but I miss having people to cook for. This past summer I got hooked on reading food blogs and I finally decided that I wanted to have my own food blog. I've wanted to join the CEIMB group for a few months now but I was trying not to add another cookbook to my collection (which is rapidly outgrowing the very small amount of space that I have!). But, every week I read the CEIMB blogs and the food looks so tasty and healthy that I decided to join!

Welcome to both of you!

Tell All - Chicken with Mango Barbecue Sauce

What's the word on the chicken? What is everyone serving this with?

A New Old Member

Let's all welcome back Marthe from Culinary Delights. She used to be a CEiMB'er, and we have her to thank for the pick of Portobello Lasagna Rollups and Easy Tomato Sauce. She has decided to rejoin the group.

Here is some info about Marthe and her blog:

I'm a soon to be 30-year old secretary, who also helps out in a restaurant as a waitress for about 1 or 2 nights a month.
My blog is all about baking (Tuesdays with Dorie) and cooking, recently I've decided I need to lose weigth so last week I started Weight Watchers.
I love to spend time with my family, Border Collie Scott and cat Senna. Other than baking my new found hobby since about one month is sewing.
I'm looking forward to making all kind of yummy receipes with all of you at Craving Ellie in my Belly.

We're all happy to have you back Marthe!

New Member

Hi All,

We have a new member, Farah, from Confessions of a Novice Baker.

Here is a little tidbit about her:
"I'm a mum of two boys living as expatriates in Singapore. Now that I'm not working anymore I'm able to spend more time doing things i love, baking and cooking!"

Welcome Farah! We are all happy to have you in the group :)

Tell All - Greek Style Stuffed Peppers

How is everyone faring with the stuffed peppers?

I noticed that the cooking time varies by 20 minutes between the recipe in the book (75 minutes) and the online recipe (55 minutes). Not sure if this is a typo or Food Network wanted to shorten the time on their website to make the recipe more attractive. (I am leaning toward the latter). Either way, don't forget to plan accordingly for the long bake time!

Some New Stuff

Hi All:

Thanks so much for the comments and suggestions over the last few days.

We love Andrea's idea from You Eat Now to open up the recipe selection to anything that is on the Food Network website, in addition to the book. I have amended the rules to reflect that, so start trolling around http://www.foodtv.com. If you choose a recipe that is not in the book, please provide the link to the recipe when you email me your pick.

We are also on board with Leslie's suggestion from Lethally Delicious for some shameless cross promotion for CEIMB. I am certainly not above shameless self promotion! Many of us are TWD bakers or Daring Bakers, or both, and I think that this group is a great counter balance to the recipes we make for those groups. Feel free (but in no way obligated) to make that known in some of your TWD or DB posts, or any of your posts for that matter. While I love that our group here is so small and close knit, I think having some new members would also be fun and good for everyone.

We are also working on some other ideas that we will let everyone know about as we develop them further.

See everyone soon for Greek Style Stuffed Peppers :)

CEIMB Under New Management

Hi Everyone,

Sara here from Imafoodblog. You may have seen that our
fearless leader,Natalie of What’s for Supper, recently
posted that she was looking for someone to take over CEIMB
so that she could focus on other things.

I am excited to announce that I have volunteered to do that,
along with my wonderfully charming and handsome boyfriend
Nick, who will be doing most of the webmastery stuff. (We need
him, because I call it webmastery stuff).

I think we all owe a collective thanks to Natalie for doing
such a great job managing this group until now, and I hope
she will still participate in CEIMB when she can.
THANKS NATALIE!!

You may see some minor site changes as we play around with
the layout and settings. We are also trying to come up with some
ideas for how we can publicize this group better and make membership beneficial for everyone involved. We are open to any ideas that you might have to improve the site and the group in general. We will post updates on any changes and hope to add some new features to the site/group. Please sign up for the feeds (either in a reader or via email - new links already on the page) if you would like to stay abreast of the (hopefully) exciting new stuff!

Thanks for participating and I hope everyone enjoyed their fish tacos
this week, courtesy of yours truly.

Sara & Nick
http://www.imafoodblog.com

Tell All - Fish Tacos with Chipotle Cream

How is this one going for everyone?

Anyone?

Want to take over?

I explained HERE.

I just need to focus on other things at this time. I will continue to manage this site for all you Ellie members until someone else contacts me to take over.

Welcome

We have 2 new members to welcome this week!

Andrea from You Eat Now

-and-

Pam from Lobster and Fishsticks

Tell All - Shrimp & Tomatoes

Anyone care to share?

Tell All - Granola

Please share how your nutty granola is coming along.

Welcome

We have a new member this week. Aggie joins us from Aggie's Kitchen.

I think that you will have fun cooking up Ellie's recipes with us!!

Tell All - Sesame Chicken

Please share how your chicken is coming along!

Welcome

Everyone please help me welcome Ali to our group!

The Healthy Hostess

Tell All - Spinach & Artichoke Dip

OK ladies. I am sure most of us are making this for the Superbowl, right?

Tell All - Pork Chops

Let's share how the pork chops are coming along.

Also, could Jessica and Leslie let me know what your choices are for your picks on the 12th and 19th of February? Thanks ladies!

Tell All - Cacciatore

You know the drill....how is the chicken?

Welcome

There were 2 more joiners this week:

Joanne from Apple Crumbles

and

Sara from imafoodblog.com


We hope that you have fun cooking along with us!

Tell All

How about the beef and chocolate?

Welcome

Last week I also forgot to welcome our newest member, Pamela.

Cookies with Boys

I hope that you enjoy cooking with all of us and Ellie!

Housekeeping

Hello Everyone. I hope that everyone had a nice holiday season.

If you noticed, we lost some people recently who requested to pass on CEiMB. I also removed some others who were not participating or didn't participate since they began. I hope that there are no hard feelings and if you want to join again just let me know.

I am going to try to do a "clean up" every so often. I think that it is only fair to the people who are participating at least twice a month.

Cook on!

Tell All

I think everyone knows the drill. How's your rice and tofu frying up?