Paz Edwards » Vacation Souvenir

Vacation Souvenir Review

Paz Edwards — Sat, 10 Mar 2007 02:07:00 +0000

Hi everyone: It’s been quiet here for some time now. Sorry about that. Three months into 2007, I trust everyone is having a good start to the new year, so far. Life has been keeping me busy. I’ve also been working on stories and looking for homes for them. One should be coming out soon (more on that later). I’m happy to know that folks are still reading Vacation Souvenir. I recently received a nice review from My Book Cravings. You can read the review here. Thanks, Robin! Also, feel free to stop by Between the Sheets, the blog I share with wonderful writers Anisa Damien, Jade James, and Lyric James. Best,

Paz Edwards

Love Bites: Apple Crisp from Marco

Paz Edwards — Sat, 18 Nov 2006 20:59:00 +0000

Hi everyone. Marco here. It’s been a while since I stopped by. Life has been busy and pretty good for me. Jenna and I are still together. I didn’t think it possible, but it seems as if I fall in love with her more and more, every day. She really is a special woman. I’d like to make our relationship more permanent by asking her to marry me, but there’s something holding me back. I’m not sure about Jenna’s answer. I know she loves me – at least I think she does. I mean I’m pretty sure she does, but I think something’s bothering her. It seems like she’s keeping some kind of secret from me. I’m not sure what… I’ll have to find out what it is before I ask her the big question. I have to admit that I’m a bit nervous. Anyway, I hadn’t planned on bringing this up but since I have, wish me luck. Moving right along: I actually stopped by to give you a recipe. Yes, recipe. LOL! Don’t look as shocked as Jenna when I first made this delicious and simple Apple Crisp recipe. She was so surprised it tasted good and suggested I share the recipe with you all. I don’t really cook but there are a few foods I can make really well. I’m King of Breakfasts. I can make the best flapjacks with sausage or bacon. I also make really good omelets and I make a killer hamburger. It’s moist and tasty. Oh, let’s not forget a good steak meal. I make those, too. What can I tell you? Being a Bachelor, I learned how to make the basics so that I wouldn’t starve when I couldn’t go out to a restaurant. A few weeks ago, we went to an apple orchid. Using some of the apples we picked, I made this Apple Crisp. They say Eve tempted Adam with an apple. Now, every chance I get, I tempt Jenna with this apple treat. I make it with either flour or graham cracker crumbs. The graham cracker crumbs are a winner with her. Jenna likes it a lot and thought I should share it with you on the blog. So here’s the recipe down below. I hope you like it. Let me know.

Marco from Vacation Souvenir

Apple Crisp

Rachael Ray

6 McIntosh apples, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch pieces 1/2 lemon, juiced 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground or freshly grated nutmeg 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 1/2 cup flour or fine graham cracker crumbs 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/2 stick butter 1 pint vanilla ice cream Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a 9 by 12 baking dish, combine apples, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar.

In a small bowl, mix flour or graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar and butter together using the tines of a fork and your fingers, working until even, small crumbles form. Sprinkle topping evenly over apples and bake 15 to 20 minutes until apples are just tender and topping is golden brown. Top dishes of apple crisp with small scoops of vanilla ice cream. YUM!

Love Bites: Tomato Feta Salad

Paz Edwards — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 05:13:00 +0000

Hi this is Jenna from Vacation Souvenir!

How are you all doing? I trust you’re having a great summer! Marco, Mr. Chocolate, and I are having a wonderful summer, even though the weather’s been very hot here in New York City. Actually we’re going through a heat wave spell. It’s so hot that I don’t feel like going near the stove to cook anything. We’ve been eating a lot of salads lately. Here’s a simple salad that Marco and I like to eat. Its flavor reminds us of our vacation on one of the Mediterranean islands. Anytime we start thinking about it, we feel like dropping everything and returning there for a little rest and relaxation. That’s where we first met. Have you read our story? If not, you can find it here. The salad I make basically contains cherry tomatoes, feta cheese, red onions, and herbs like fresh basil and parsley. The dressing is made from champagne (or white wine) vinegar and olive oil. I had feta cheese for the first time when I ordered a salad on vacation. It has a tangy and salty flavor, which tastes delicious crumbled over a salad (That’s the classic Greek salad.). Another way feta cheese tastes appetizing is when it’s served with tomatoes and fresh herbs, like my salad. Here, the sweet juice of the cherry tomatoes balances the tangy taste of the feta cheese. The red onions add a bit of a crunch to the salad. The fresh basil and parsley enhance wonderful flavors of the salad. The dressing of champagne vinegar and olive oil nicely bring together the appealing taste of the salad. Even the colors of the salad are cool looking and pleasing to the eye. Make sure you use very good feta cheese and olive oil when you prepare this salad. It makes a big difference in the taste. Enjoy!

Jenna from Vacation Souvenir

Tomato Feta Salad

Adapted from the Barefoot Contessa

3 pints (6 cups) cherry tomatoes

3/4 pound good feta cheese

1 small red onion, chopped

3 tablespoons white wine or Champagne vinegar

1/4 cup good olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons minced fresh basil leaves

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and place them in a large bowl. Dice the feta in 1/4-inch dice, crumbling it as little as possible. Add the feta to the tomatoes and then add the onion, vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, basil, and parsley. Toss carefully and salt, to taste, depending on the saltiness of the feta. Serve chilled or at room temperature.