Moving to New York has made me a lot of things: more independent, more street savvy, more into walking everywhere. The thing it has not made me? Skinnier! I’ve done quite a satisfactory job of putting on extra lbs since my swapping of coasts (this sort of thing is clearly not helping) and with swimsuit season practically on my Upper East Side doorstep, I’ve put a whole lot of effort behind trying to eat better and being creative with my snacks. Here are a few of my recent go-tos that I highly recommend.

Special K Chocolaty Delight and Raspberries

A great way to get in a serving of fruit and the perfect substitute rather than reaching for candy or ice cream.

Sabra Pine Nut Hummus and Carrots

This hummus is de-lic-ious and I love pairing it with baby carrots or whole wheat tortillas. The chickpeas in hummus make it full of fiber which also fills you up faster. Yay!

Apples and Peanut Butter

As my recent downloading of the Lose it! app has notified me, I’m taking up waaaaay too many calories in peanut butter, but I somehow can’t stop notifying myself that the “good fats” found in it are ok to have. I pair it with a granny smith apple for lunch many days.

Dried Apricots

I carry these around with me in a baggie now so when I get a craving for something to snack on I’m not popping into a bakery or picking up a treat laden with hidden calories. They’re no candy, but if I pretend hard enough, I can fool myself sometimes

Want more snacking ideas? See other w&w favorites here, here and here. Have a favorite satisfying snack? Do share in the Comments! I’m always on the look out for more!

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Today I finally learned what the weather forecast means when it calls for “wintry mix.” And let me just say, it’s gross. I endured rain, hail and snow all in a 14 hour period. And once home, in the comfort of my favorite sweats and coziest tee, I decided it was the perfect night to do some baking and warm up the ol’ little apartment.

I turned to a recipe featured by Emily I had starred long ago and whipped them up and let me tell you…oh.my.god.deliciousness. These little treats are the perfect indulgence. With the richness of chocolate and the consistency of a brownie, these Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies are supremely easy to make, but so utterly sinful in the most indulgent of ways. Be sure to pour a big glass of milk to accompany these little guys, you’ll need it! After a not so stellar day, these cookies (along with tasting help and mmm’s from the roomies), were the perfect pick me up.

p.s. – I also sprinkled some sea salt on a few of them as a trial, as inspired by this recipe via Whipped. SO good!

I gave thanks, I ate and I conquered. Thanksgiving has come and gone, but I’m STILL thinking about the food. Food is the way to my heart.. seriously. I absolutely stuffed myself with the perfect salmon, rosemary roasted potatoes, sweet potato fries, chive + leek mashed potatoes, arugula + radish salad, roasted brussel sprouts, carrot soup, pumpkin pie, chocolate fudge cake and so much more. Here are some great pictures (and blogs, with recipes) that still have me drooling for more:

All I have to say is YUM. I didn’t cook for Thanksgiving this year (surprising, I know!) but you can be sure that I’ll be busting out the cookware for Christmas. Did anyone go out for Black Friday? Do share your big buys (in addition to your big eats)!

After being inspired by this New York Times article, my brother proposed we do a take on the idea during the long weekend post-Thanksgiving…and boy did we! Everyone in my family (and my good friend Megan, in town visiting moi (more photos to come)) cooked a dish (or two!) and we had an amazing, delicious feast that involved a whole day of cooking, crafting, baking and then indulging.

Warm Brie & Spinach Salad (using this recipe, sans chicken)

Carrot & Ginger soup: the perfect Fall color and made by my sister

The most amazing Eggplant Parmesan EVER. Courtesy of Megan’s fav food blog, Eggs on Sunday.

A Donovan family favorite: Lamb & Apple Stew

Chocolate Ganache Cupcakes (I used this recipe)

Chocolate, Caramel & Banana Cream Pie (a favorite from SF’s famed Tartine)

Yum, yum, give us some! We love ourselves some ice cream and will definitely be hiking it to the nearest Ben & Jerry’s when free cone day rolls around!

Date: Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Time: 12:00pm – 8:00pm

Location: Participating Scoop Shops in the US

photo courtesy of Ben & Jerry’s

Ina Garten is by far our favorite Food Network chef. She’s always cooking up something fresh, easy and delicious and leaves us always wanting more from the self-proclaimed Barefoot Contessa.

This weekend we decided to try our hand at a peach raspberry crisp that turned out to be soooo delicious that we just had to share it with you! Since peach season is just about over, if you’re unable to find them, you can always substitute a different fruit.

Serves:

10 servings

Ingredients:

* 4 to 5 pounds firm, ripe peaches (10 to 12 large peaches)

* 1 orange, zested

* 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

* 1 cup light brown sugar, packed

* 1 1/2 cups plus 2 to 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

* 1/2 pint raspberries

* 1/4 teaspoon salt

* 1 cup quick-cooking oatmeal

* 1/2 pound cold unsalted butter, diced

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the inside of a 10 by 15 by 2 1/2-inch oval baking dish.

Immerse the peaches in boiling water for 30 seconds, then place them in cold water. Peel the peaches and slice them into thick wedges and place them into a large bowl. Add the orange zest, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, and 2 tablespoons of flour. Toss well. Gently mix in the raspberries. Allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes. If there is a lot of liquid, add 1 more tablespoon of flour. Pour the peaches into the baking dish and gently smooth the top.

Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, salt, oatmeal, and the cold, diced butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until the butter is pea-sized and the mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle evenly on top of the peaches and raspberries. Bake for 1 hour, until the top is browned and crisp and the juices are bubbly. Serve immediately, or store in the refrigerator and reheat in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until warm.

Enjoy!

Remember how we told you about the tasty treat-like Fruit2o Essentials water? Well we’re excited to let you guys enter to win a 12 pack of these waters. Each bottle packs in two fruit servings so staying hydrated has never been so sweet & satisfying!

Want to enter to win? Enter by e-mailing us at witwhimsy@gmail.com with “Fruit2o” in the subject line. Be sure to include your full name and mailing address. One entry per person (U.S. residents only) up until midnight PST on October 8th, 2009. Winners will be announced the following week!

We love water. We also love when water gets a little kick like Fruit2O Essentials does with its liquids. Boasting zero calorie (what what), Fruit2O Essentials are fortified with nutrients equal to two servings of fruit in six flavors. And they taste like popsicles! We kid you not.

Almost as important (ok, maybe more important), Fruit2O is offering a fab spa sweepstakes to kick of their Essentials launch!

Enter here (every day, if you’re so inclined!) through October 17, 2009 online for the Grand Prize, a $5,000 Spafinder.com gift certificate, which you can spend at more than 5,000 spas across the U.S., plus a $900 travel voucher.

And, if you don’t win, still check out Fruit2O.com for discount coupons. We love ourselves some deals!

Recently we came across a great iPhone app that will change your life….well cooking life that is. Courtesy of the people who bring you Epicurious, their iPhone app (also for the iPod touch) is so great,  you’ll get off your tush  and to the store in search of ingredients for the recipes.

We downloaded the app (for free!) a few weeks back and have been experimenting with the recipes since. What’s particularly great about this app is you can search for recipes by ingredient, meal type, cuisine – you name it. There are even categories for weeknight dinners, healthy snacks and cocktail recipes. For instance, we have a bottle of elderflower concentrate we want to include in a cocktail, we searched “elderflower’ and voila – up came a handful or cocktail recipes we could create with elderflower as an ingredient. Love it!

As for the other features? The app gives you the ability to save recipes in your virtual recipe box and transfer ingredients into a shopping list. Can you say genius? Perfect for the girl on the go who is trying to spread her culinary wings. We’re seriously addicted to this app, in fact, we just created a shopping list for three weeknight dinners we want to try. Now it’s just a matter of gathering the stamina to hit Trader Joe’s after work… le sigh.

While down in Atlanta the other week we took the opportunity to have ourselves some food with Southern flare & boy were we in for a treat. Two Urban Licks & One Midtown Kitchen, both owned by Concentrics Restaurants, were delicious and brought a delightful array of flavors that used Southern basics like grits and brisket, but not ignoring fresh produce and a unique perspective on dish preparations.

We totally recommend these restaurants the next time you’re down in Georgia. It was our first time & Atlanta is beautiful! If you’re lucky enough to try Two Urban Licks or One be sure to check out our favorite dishes of the meals:

Two Urban Licks:
Empanada
Spring Salad
Pulled Pork & Peaches

One:
Smoked Brisket with Grits
Calamari

One was also kind enough to share the recipe for one of our favorite meal elements! Check out this delicious, refreshing & unique side salad idea below!

Watermelon Sweet Corn Salad

Diced seedless watermelon
Fresh corn, cut off the cob (ONE chefs hit the corn lightly on the wood grill to enhance the sweetness, but it is also great raw)
Halved cherry tomatoes
Fresh cilantro and scallions
Extra virgin olive oil
Lime juice
Salt and pepper

Toss all ingredients and serve as a side dish

photo courtesy of Delta Sky Magazine