Tomato, Sausage, and Spinach Risotto

I've totally procrastinated posting this recipe because I'm not really digging the photo. Pretty photos take time, and I refuse to let my risotto get cold and gummy while I stage a photo-shoot. 

Please don't let my mediocre photography skills deter you from trying this, because this is the BEST EFFING RISOTTO IN THE UNIVERSE.

I'm sorry for cursing, shouting, and making sweeping unsubstantiated claims.

But listen you guys...

THIS IS THE BEST EFFING RISOTTO IN THE UNIVERSE.

Trust me. I've made a lot of risottos over the years, and they all pale in comparison to this one. It's so flavorful and creamy and perfect that I texted approximately four different people while eating it, just to tell them how amazing it is.

Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Muffins

I'm baa-aaack!

I'm really hoping that I have some readers left after abandoning this blog for six weeks with no explanation.

Multiple areas of my life have suddenly become quite busy (in a very good way!), leaving me little time to cook anything more exciting than a Lean Cuisine or my new go-to speedy dinner.  I've been going out to dinner a ton, so I'm still eating some good food...it's just not being made by me. In related news, if you live in the D.C. area, get your ass to Graffiato for dinner and thank me later.

I squeezed in an hour of baking last Sunday to whip up these muffins, and I'm soooo glad that I did. Early in April, I bought a couple Texas-sized muffin pans from a store in New Jersey. I wanted to make those huge muffins you buy at a bakery or coffee shop. I kind of can't believe how well these turned out. Like a good bakery muffin, the domed tops have a slight crunch to them, while the inside is moist, tender, and chocolate-studded.

These are best served hot from the oven the day you make them, but I froze the leftovers and they're still pretty good if you thaw them in the microwave for about 60 seconds. 

Orzo Salad with Chickpeas, Dill, and Lemon

Random fact: I hate bringing lunch to work.

Am I the worst food blogger ever for preferring a sandwich that's been expertly prepared by the staff of Taylor Gourmet, to a sandwich I've made at home?

Probably.

However, until I can get up at the butt-crack of dawn to roast my own meats, Taylor Gourmet wins.

A Taylor Gourmet opened roughly 5 steps away from my office last year, and I've become slightly addicted. Every time I walk into TG, I feel like I've died and gone to Heaven. Except, this Heaven is made of meat and bread, and not the white puffy clouds I've always pictured. There are no angels, just office drones in pencil skirts and Tory Burch flats. Then, I walk through the exit doors and get hit up for some change by one of 19th Street's urban campers, and I realize that I'm just in DC, and that Heaven will most likely not be decorated with pickle bucket light fixtures.

There are just two problems with working in such close proximity to Meat Heaven: 1) It gets pricey, and 2) TG doesn't publish nutritional facts. I'd venture a guess that many of their sandwiches are pushing 1,000 calories, if not more.

Since part of being a grown up is doing things we hate, I made lunch and brought it to work to save myself some calories and some coinage.*

Guess what?! It was delicious. I happily ate this for lunch 3 days in a row, and only had a slight twinge of longing for my beloved sandwich shop. I put a couple big scoops of this over a bed of baby spinach, and felt totally virtuous about eating my greens.

*In the unlikely event that some of you reading are fellow Strangers with Candy fans, yes, that is a slight homage to the brilliantly dirty "Packing a Musket", by Jerry Blank.