FAQ on Instagram this Week

Happy Monday!  To remind, you can leave comments or questions on this thread.  Scroll to the bottom to see where. 

Some of you follow me on Instagram and some of you don’t.  Same goes for TikTok. And even if you follow me on IG, you may miss things I share on stories.  I had a lot of the same questions pop up in my DM’s this week and I thought the newsletter would be a great place to share my responses.

My daughter Anna moved to Jersey City, NJ.  I went to visit her over the weekend and WOW! Jersey City sure has changed since I was a kid.  I loved her area and all the neighborhoods we visited. If anyone has any favorite spots in Jersey City, please let me know in the comments, thank you!

Salted Caramel Cashew Fudge

I love my chocolate cashew fudge and I posted a riff of this on TikTok.  So good!  I use JOI cashew milk base for it which is just super smooth raw cashew butter.) Use my link for 10% off.

• 1 cup raw cashew butter or raw almond butter (the smoother, the better)

• 4 pitted dates ( I use Medjool)

• ¼ cup hot water

• 2 Tbsp coconut oil or coconut butter, room temp or softened

• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

• pinch salt or to taste and/or flaky on top

Soak dates in hot water. Drain dates but save the liquid. Blend dates with cashew butter and coconut oil and vanilla.  Taste for sweetness. Add date soaking liquid as needed.  Spread in parchment-lined loaf pan and sprinkle with flaky salt.

Creamy Avocado Soup I made with Elissa Goodman | Sounds weird, tastes delicious!

4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil + extra for drizzling

• 1 large leek, diced 

• 1 white onion, diced

• 3/4 teaspoon salt + a pinch

• 1 medium to large zucchini, chopped

• 1 avocado (large, ripe)

• 3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped + extra for garnish, if desired

• 1 container Pumfu (see below), cut into large cubes or tofu

• 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock 

• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice, to taste

Instructions:

1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.

2. Add the diced leeks and onion to the pot with a pinch of salt. Sauté them until they become soft and translucent.

3.Place leeks/onion mix, zucchini, avocado, cilantro, and pumfu in a blender and blend until smooth.

4. Add the chicken or vegetable stock, salt and pepper, along with blended ingredients into a pot and bring to a simmer.

5.Add turmeric, cumin, lemon juice to the pot. 

6.Simmer for 10 minutes.  Taste for seasoning and add additional salt or lemon juice, as desired. Pour into bowls and drizzle with extra olive oil and garnish with more cilantro, if desired.

NOTES: PUMFU I had never used this before, but it’s so interesting (in a good way!) Pumfu is a protein rich tofu alternative made using only pumpkin seeds and water that's organic, GMO-free, soy-free, nut-free and gluten-free.  A great plant-based option for folks who can’t eat soy.  I found it at Whole Foods in the refrigerated section with tofu.

---

A fun riff on my Baked Berry Oatmeal recipe (the most flexible recipe ever)

@tasharose.herbalist used apples, pumpkin spice and added cooked bacon and pecans.

---

Go-to Nail Polish Shade

I’ve used Essie Mademoiselle since I was married.  I stopped polishing my nails for about 10 years, but since I do so many videos now, I figured I needed to keep them looking decent.  I do not love going to the nail salon, and I wash my hands 100 times a day, so I am considering a powder dip manicure that my daughter recommended to me since it lasts 3 weeks. We’ll see! On my toes, I often wear Bobbing for Baubles which is a dark navy (does not look like it looks on the Essie website) or Bahama Mama, a dark purple/wine.

Gloves that I sometimes wear during food prep

I use Clorox Comfort gloves for washing dishes and I also use them when I carve a turkey or chicken since they protect my hands from the heat.  But sometimes I wear disposable latex gloves if I am filming and touching raw poultry or I need to toss a bunch of veggies in oil and spices (especially turmeric) and I don’t want to stop a bunch of times to wash my hands.

Slow Cooker

I posted a reel about using the leftover bones from a whole rotisserie or roasted chicken to make stock. My preference is to use my slow cooker to make stock. It’s just easier to control the temp, simmering, and I can keep it going for longer without evaporation. I have been using the same All-Clad 6.5 quart ceramic insert slow cooker for over 10 years. I love it.  I don’t buy into the fear mongering from some influencers re: lead in ceramic slow cookers.  There is no evidence of this, in fact this article shows that no lead has been detected in ceramic slow cookers. I was asked about the Wolf multi-cooker with stainless steel insert, and I have never used this.  Plus, I find that the slow cooker feature of my Instant Pot (which is also a multi-cooker) does not work as well as my All-Clad slow cooker. Please chime in if you have used the Wolf.

Bamboo Risers for a Buffet

I don’t put pizza stones out of the oven or the heaviest of cast iron pots on these, but otherwise they come in handy when I need space and I want to change the heights of things on the buffet.

Mini bamboo tongs and larger bamboo tongs

Technically these are disposable, but I have washed and reused them.  They look chic and they are sturdy.  Plus sometimes I run out of serving forks and utensils.

xxPamela