My kids have gone wild for chocolate hazelnut spread and use it on everything these days. Of course, I totally get it because I introduced them to the magic of it. I’ve been loving the flavor ever since I tried my first spoonful in Italy in 1994! Recently we tried a new, delicious treat with this amazing Nocciolata Dairy Free spread sample I received in the mail: I stuffed it into cookies!
Here is how we did it: I made a batch of our Dorie’s chocolate chip cookie dough. I formed the dough balls then made a little well in the center of each one like a thumbprint cookie. Then I added the spread and pinch the well shut! When they baked the cookies spread out and the chocolate hazelnut stayed snug in the center.
Waiting for them to cool was difficult but we managed! Once they were warm enough to touch we bit into the enjoy the delicious melty, gooey center. They were perfection!
Over the summer I received a shipment of wine from the Martha Stewart Wine Co. It was their Sip of Summer package featuring six varieties of wine selected specifically for summer enjoyment. Needless to say, I loved it. Ever since I started my journey with WSET I’ve become very picky and selective about the wine I drink. I want each bottle to be a learning experience, an education for my palate. It’s not about spending lots of money, it’s about noting quality, reading tasting notes, and generally paying attention to the details.
It seems that the good people at the Martha Stewart have my back in this because the wine that was selected with quality in mind. The package I received contained a well-balanced selection of 3 whites, 2 rosés, and 1 sparkling wine. If that doesn’t sound like the perfect summer wine bar I don’t know what does! The wines ranged from sweet (a succulent Italian Moscato) to dry and acidic (a lighter than air Pinot Grigio). We enjoyed them with everything from oysters, to grilled chicken, to goat cheese frommy favorite farm in Cooperstown.
While I don’t plan to give up my regular trips to our awesome local wine shop, based on this experience with Martha Stewart Wine Co. I can honestly say that is the perfect place to turn when you are looking to expand your palate. The themed boxes are fun and contain interesting wines you might not be recommended at your local wine shop but are definitely worth a try!
To get you started at Martha Stewart Wine Co. I am thrilled to share a special shopping code they’ve created for Naptime Chef readers: Just type NAPTIME20 in the promo code box to receive 20% off your order. Go ahead, treat yourself to some new delicious sips this fall and enjoy!
(Disclosure: I was sent these wines to try but was not compensated for this post. The photographs and opinions are wholly my own.)
(Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Mirum but all opinions are my own. I am proud to work with Mirum to bring attention to the Feeding American program.)
Friends! I took a lot of the summer off to be with my kids. They are growing so fast and I really need to take time just to enjoy having them around. It was also a good time to take a brief break from the blog because I really needed to replenish my cooking repertoire. The good news is that I’ve done just that and later this month you’ll find lots of new and interesting content here. Today I am starting off with a topic that is near and dear to my heart, Feeding America.
I am very proud to promote this partnership between Feeding America and Unileverbecause it is particularly important this year while we all reach out to those affected by Hurricane Harvey, and by those who are hungry closer to home. This fall I am getting in the hometown spirit and shopping for Unilever products at my local Stop & Shop.
This month Feeding America has partnered with Stop & Shop and Unilever to help alleviate hunger in their communities. Making your own contribution is SO simple:
If you purchase $15 in Unilever products, you’ll save $5 on your purchase, and part of it will be donated to the Feeding America program. Each transaction provides 11 meals to people in need from September 1st through September 14th, 2017. In addition, if you tweet about this promotion and use the hashtag #HomeTeamAgainstHunger an extra $1 will be donated up to $5,000. Check out the scoreboard above!
This is such a simple way to do so much good! It is not about donating money, or buying something you don’t want or need. It is simply about selecting some of your favorite Unilever products at Stop & Shop and letting them do the rest.
So, if you have the time this weekend I hope you’ll buy some Unilever products and help out this campaign. It will make such a huge difference in the lives of many. Together we can work to alleviate hunger in our communities and I am grateful that this partnership is taking place in mine.
Friends! I am still reeling from the amazing number of good cookbooks that came out this spring. I’ve been having such fun profiling them here and I hope you like reading about them. So, recently my friend Pamela came out with this terrific book called Kitchen Matters: More than 100 Recipes and Tips to Transform the Way You Cook and Eat — Wholesome, Nourishing, Unforgettable. For me it’s the perfect book for healthy eaters who don’t want to give up all their favorites. Pamela is the master of healthy cooking with tons of flavor. She knows what we all like and makes dishes healthier without becoming dull and flavorless.
This spring I had a great chat with Pamela about her recent book!:
I have to stop in today, while we are in the middle of a terrible heatwave, the share this super fun recipe. It was sent to me by my friends at Santa Margherita when I spotted it online. It is the most genius idea! It requires two things: edible flowers (my pot of nasturtiums is overflowing), and Prosecco!
My friend Phoebe is so accomplished. I love reading her blog Feed Me Phoebe for all kinds of great recipes and her instagram account is amazing. This spring I am proud to say she came out with a terrific new book called The Wellness Project: How I learned to Do Right by My Body Without Giving Up My Life. In it she chronicles her year of trying new wellness solutions to combat her Hoshimoto’s disease and several other chronic ailments. It’s terrific for anyone looking for concrete solutions to long term problems, or just for general health tips!
Recently I had a great chat with Phoebe and here is what we discussed:
1) Your wellness journey was an inspiring read. Even for those of us who are mostly “well” can glean a lot from your work. When this all began did you realize it was going to be such an endeavor?
I did! I commited to the year up front and tried more or less to design my 12-month curriculum. A lot changed along the way as I really wanted to let my body do the steering. It wasn’t just a gimmick: I really wanted to heal! As intimidating as the year commitment might seem, it was actually a huge relief compared to what I had been doing prior, which was basically throwing a million health darts at the wall to see if one would stick. I felt guilty all the time about the doctor’s orders I failed to apply to my life, and since there wasn’t a lot of awareness behind the things I was doing, it was hard to tell what was really moving the needle. I designed this slow and steady approach—one lifestyle change, one month at a time—so I could figure out which health practices were actually worth the time, money and energy I was spending on them.
