Amateur Artisan

Prince of Parties

2011-05-11T10:54:00.000-05:00

I wanted to let everyone know that there have been a number of things that have taken my attention away from my blog in the last year. I will be starting back up, not sure what my schedule is going to be, but I want to stay true to journaling and jotting down various thoughts.

The spring of Minnesota is showing true here in Minneapolis; bringing rain, and not enough days in between for any gardening. My seedlings are awaiting the warm soil. More news to come.

Hi Everyone!

2010-04-09T09:36:00.001-05:00

Sorry I have been sooo neglectful! I am finishing up my last month of school, and I decided that I need/ed to take a break from my blog for a bit and prepare everything else for now. I can count all of my assignments due on two hands, and I have to write my senior paper. So, I am still in the kitchen, working, gardening, schooling, dreaming, dog sitting/house sitting, biking(!), but I will be back to you some time in Mid-May. Here is a little share of some things I have been doing.

And... this is what my garden holds as of now: Oregano, rosemary, lavender, dill, sage, marigolds, swish chard, kale, lettuce, onions, and carrots. I am hoping to get some beans, peas, squash, tomatoes (this is a must), asparagus, and peppers out there. I also strewn about wildflowers along a path in our backyard (in a semi-organized manner). Enjoy April and all of your spring starter plants!! See you in May!

Kitchen happenings. Top (left) mini pork meatballs (right) zucchini bread. I can't wait to grow my own! Bottom (left) heirloom mini tomatoes from D'lish (right) simple chicken, tomato, basil-tomato pasta, oil, and Parmesan salad.

Meet Rufus and Scooter! I got to hang out with these guys for a week and play!

And (outside of schoolwork and cooking) this is what I have been up to recently! Tending to some indoor plants that don't take well to early Minnesota spring planting. I just "invested" in a new/used bike from the Sibley Bike Depot- a place where you can get relatively inexpensive, nice, recycled bikes. I have been riding it everywhere and hoping that my grandpa and dad can rig me something like this for my graduation present so that I can use it all over this summer (just think grocery shopping with a bike, picnics, garden centers, rummage sales.. there are endless possibilities!). And lastly, there are a few pictures of my "garden". I hope that everything starts to pop up soon (with some calculation most plants should be popping up mid-to late-May =]! Yay!

I will keep you posted if there are any other exciting happenings that pop up. In the mean time have happy plantings and playing in the outdoors!

I am attending Minneapolis ArtCrank this weekend. What are you guys up to this weekend/spring. Are you planning anything fun outdoors?

Pumpkin Muffins

2010-03-06T08:30:00.001-06:00

I am feeling a little under the weather today. So under the weather, in fact, that I didn't feel like making supper (Dan is making us Mac and Cheese with broccoli and extra cheese), however I did feel like making muffins. These muffins were my perfect fix. They were really easy to make, fairly seasonal in ingredients, and things you normally have on hand. Pumpkins are still sort of in season right? So, hear is another recipe I adapted from Smitten Kitchen (are you getting sick of them yet). They are very moist, the right amount of spice, and almost took me back to Christmas in the early days of March.

Pumpkin Muffins
adopted from Smitten Kitchen
Makes approximately 2 dozen medium muffins.

Ingredients
3/4 c. unbleached all-purpose flour (or bleached is fine too)
3/4 c. whole wheat flour
1t baking powder
1c canned pumpkin (from a 15oz can) I used organic
1/3 c. vegetable oil*
2 large eggs
1t pumpkin-pie spice (clove, ginger, nutmeg, cinnimon)
1 c. + 1T pure cane sugar
1/2t baking soda
1/2t salt
1t cinnamon

*I replaced 1/6c of the oil with yogurt, I would assume you could replace all of it with out a significant difference in taste or texture.

Directions
Set the oven at 350 degrees. 1. Mix the flours and baking powder. 2. Mix the next ingredients minus 1T sugar and the final 1t cinnamon. 3. Mix the flour mixture with the batter. 4. Fill muffin tins (with or without the paper cups- the ones I didn't use the paper cups with turned out better) about 3/4ths full. 5. Mix remaining 1T sugar and 1t cinnamon together and sprinkle over the muffins. 6. Bake in the oven for about 20-30 mins. at 350 degrees.

I want to make a simple, whole wheat sandwich loaf of bread.

2010-03-05T15:55:00.010-06:00

There. I said it.

It seems sooo easy to just say it. I don't think I have confessed my fear of bread making yet to you all.. its big. I feel like there is so much mounting pressure to make a great loaf the first time or to allocate a lot of time to keep making and making bread until you get it. Usually I think about trying to make bread when my store-bought loaf is starting to look a little low. Well that only gives me about two days to perfectly create a new loaf of bread, but who wants to be making bread for two days..? I don't have time. So, maybe its my inpatients or maybe it is my lack of experience, but making bread has always been a little struggle in my baking world. So for tonight, I am attempting the perfect loaf, once again. I have two days before my store-loaf is gone. I better get a move on.....

Here are some inspiring pictures that keep me going on my bread venture...

(Source)

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.

Crock Pot BBQ Chicken Wings

2010-03-01T08:55:00.000-06:00

So, I haven't exactly made any sort of chicken wing or leg yet. Period. Its intimidating. I was browsing Local D'lish's website this weekend and I spotted this Crock Pot BBQ Chicken Wing recipe and it just looked too good and too simple to not try. So for all of you out there that are intimidated by a big'ole basket of homemade BBQ wings try this one out! It is fantastic. Like Julia said, "it is perfect for one of those cold winter days when all you want to do is curl up and read a book." It is such an easy meal to start cooking and leave it to do the work. I chose to use the BBQ sauce local in Minnesota that D'lish recommended, but I bet this recipe would be great with your favorite BBQ sauce. I prefer something a little sweet and alotta spicy so the next time I make this I will be looking at some additional hot sauce to put an extra kick on it! All of the ingredients listed can be found local to Minnesota and found at Local D'lish, however, I challenge you to find these ingredients local to you!

Crock Pot BBQ Chicken
from Local D'lish and Julia (from February 2nd 2010)

Ingredients
1-2 lb Callister Chicken Wings (or chicken wings from your local farmer)
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced1 12 oz bottle Lucky’s Bar-B-Que Sauce (Applewood Roasted Jalapeno, Garlic and Honey)

Directions
1. Salt and Pepper the chicken and saute them in a pan drizzled with a little splash of olive oil until they brown lightly, 3-4 mins. on each side, do this in batches so to not crowd the chicken. 2. Spray your crock pot with some oil and place the chicken in the bottom, spread out evenly. 3. Add the onion into crock pot. 4. Drizzle 3/4 of the bottle of BBQ sauce evenly. 5. Cook on high for 3-4 hours. 6. Add the rest of the BBQ sauce

I served these as-is with a side of creamy cheesy mashed potatoes. D'lish also suggests that they would also be great shredded and eaten on a bun with a side of cole slaw and beans.

Community Garden Season is right around the corner!

2010-02-20T22:07:00.000-06:00

I decided that my feeble gardening attempts would be better cultivated (get it..) in a community garden atmosphere this year. I will learn a lot share recipes and pointers, and I won't have to worry about bad soil and little sun! Don't worry, I know what you're thinking... I haven't given up backyard gardening. In my current rented house I don't have much of a backyard to garden! What are you guys doing this year? Does anyone have any backyard ambitions? Community garden?

Chocolate-Raspberry Tiramisu

2010-02-09T22:30:00.049-06:00

This sweet recipe was called for on the account of one of my best friends birthdays! And I am a big believer in birthday celebrations! My roommate Jenna (who I've previously introduced to you) and I decided to tackle this very easy nontraditional tiramisu recipe from her Best of Cooking Light cookbook which she has been having a hard time peeling her eyes from since she got it!

Chocolate-Raspberry Tiramisu
adopted by Cooking Light
Makes about 12 minis

Ingredients
1/4c powdered sugar
1/4c (2oz) mascarpone cheese, softened
1/4c raspberry-flavored liqueur, divided
1 (8oz) block fat-free cream cheese, softened
12 cake-style ladyfingers, split (we couldn't find ladyfingers, believe-it-or-not, so we used Twinkies, scraped and split)
1 1/2T unsweetened cocoa
2c fresh raspberries
mint sprigs (optional)

Directions
1. Place powdered sugar, mascarpone, 1 1/2T liqueur, and cream cheese into a large bowl, and beat with a mixer at a high speed until blended well. 2. Brush cut sides of ladyfingers with remaining 2 1/2T liqueur. Spread about 1 1/2T mascarpone mixture over bottom half of each ladyfinger, cover with tops. 3. Arrange on dessert plates. Sprinkle evenly with cocoa (sift cocoa over desserts with a sifter) and arrange raspberries over each. Garnish with mint sprigs.

Teaser Pic!

2010-02-09T19:00:00.000-06:00

Guess what Jenna and I are bakin' up in the kitchen tonight??

Hint- It's our lovely friend Caitlin's Birthday!

Hearty Tomato Bisque and the Onion Monster!

2010-02-08T20:51:00.009-06:00

Brooke: I love onions. I love onions so much that I could eat them like an apple.
Me: Really? Like an apple?
Brooke: Yeah I really like them. You rememb...
Me: (Interrupting) Prove it.
Brooke: Uh...what?
Me: Prove it.
Don't fret. (onion monster enters the scene...luckily we captured it all on film to show you guys)

(Source) Onion Monster

She shows no mercy.

RAWR!

Muahahaha (Evil cackle after onion defeat)

Shortly after we put the onion out of its misery.

This my friends is a recipe that will stand the tests of time. It is one of the most phenomenal, knock your socks off soup recipe. Words.... wor... they can't even describe this masterpiece.

Tomato Bisque Recipe
adapted from The Food NetworkServes 4-6
Ingredients
1T olive oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
5T all-purpose flour
5c chicken broth (or veggie broth)
1 (28oz) can whole, peeled tomatoes (with liquid), chopped
3 parsley sprigs (or about 1/2T dry parsley)
3 fresh thyme sprigs (or 1/2T dry thyme)
1bay leaf
1 cup heavy cream
1 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions
1. Heat the oil in a large soup pot overmedium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic andcook, covered, stirring occasionally, until soft and fragrant, about 8minutes. 2. Stir in the flour and cook,stirring, for 3 minutes. Pour in the broth and tomatoes and bring to aboil while whisking constantly. Tie the parsley sprigs, thyme, and bayleaf together with a piece of kitchen twine and add to the pot (sprinkle in if using dry ingredients). Lowerthe heat, place the lid on, and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow tocool. For those of you who are impatient like me, fill kitchen sink with ice cube (aprox. 1 tray) and ice cold water to speed up the cooling process. 3.When the soup base is cool, removeand discard the herb bundle. Working in batches (if you need to), transfer the mixtureto a blender and puree until smooth. Using a sieve (I used my food mill) over a large bowl,strain the tomato puree. Return the puree to the pot and reheat overmedium heat. Whisk the heavy cream andsalt into the soup and season with pepper to taste. Divide among warmsoup bowls and serve immediately.

Almost all gone!

Cookbook oh Cookbook...

2010-02-06T10:36:00.005-06:00

I've been recently on the hunt for a new cookbook. The kind that makes me want to get my hands wet, and then before I know it my whole being is in a tub of recipes that I can't wait to taste and share with you all. You know, I want to be eyes deep in food. So, this is it. Well, not it, as in, tada "I've reached the end of the rainbow, now what?" But, this is IT! I ordered this cookbook and I am gripping at my cutting boards waiting for it to come. I am pacing the kitchen with bowls of all sizes in my mits. I can't wait.

Ok ok, I'll stop scaring you. I'll try to tone down my excitement enough to tell you all about it. It is a cookbook created (recipes, photography, and all) by Heidi Swanson from 101Cookbooks (a fantastic go to site for all of your cooking and baking needs). Super Natural Cooking is cookbook that is all about cooking whole, natural, non-processed foods. The recipes are vegetarian recipes (for all of you carnivores out there like myself you can usually stick in a chicken leg or some lamb chops here and there) that are made with care for you and care for the planet! Check out the book here and her website here (did I mention that it is in my top 5 go-to cooking pages?!).

Cookbooks are hard for me to purchase because there are so many out there and I am one to judge a book by the cover, but with cooking and baking, most of the time you must see the writer's credential to know if you will like their style of cooking, photography, and their style of writing.

Do you guys have any favorite cookbooks that you have or would like to get soon??

Happy Friday!

2010-02-05T16:43:00.005-06:00

Hey everybody this is my sister Brooke. Hi Brooke. I am very excited because she is coming down to visit today!!! Yay! She's a little goofy, but I think we can keep her around for a while. These are some of the exciting things we are going to be doing:

Zza celebration of taco pizza and guacamole from Joy the Baker (a new foodie that I just discovered!), Movies, the BEST tomato soup OF MY LIFE! (seriously, its really really good - recipe to come), Gouda and pumpernickel bread, board games, and much more!! Don't worry, don't fret. I won't leave you guys out at all! I'll be bringing you some pictures to join in the fun and the recipes to try out!

What are you doing this weekend?? Any exciting food adventures that you are holding back?

I think this one might be close

2010-01-30T21:12:00.006-06:00

So, I know I didn't previously use this recipe from Smitten Kitchen because she just put it on her website. However, I am going to try it soon and cross my fingers and hope two things. 1. That they are better than the ones from the first recipe/post that I tried 2. That I can try it before I lose this new recipe too! (as back up I am going to put it onto a Word Doc. on my computer... just for safe keeping, you know!)

Cross your fingers for me too PLEASE!

A long-time favorite

2010-01-29T08:48:00.000-06:00

I've been trying to make new ways to jazz up my grilled cheese sandwiches..... and I think i found one of my new compilations. American cheese, Havarti cheese (If you haven't tried it yet put it on the top of your list!), and some tomato slices (I've already started looking forward to fresh summer tomatoes).

Does anyone have any other ways they serve their grilled cheese gooeyness?

Learning the Art of Poached Eggs

2010-01-28T20:18:00.000-06:00

Last weekend my roommate Jenna taught me how to poach an egg without a poacher! I have never attempted nor tried a poached egg. It always sounded so fancy and I just assumed that meant very very difficult to make with fancy equipment. But I learned that it is actually really really easy and doesn't require hardly any equipment. Just the stuff you more-than-likely already have in your kitchen cupboards: a frying pan, eggs (of course), bread, and a splash of vinegar, spoon/measuring cup, a ladle or spatula. The vinegar is supposed to keep the egg white together.

Directions
1. In a medium sized frying pan simmer water and a splash of vinegar enough liquid to reach 1 1/2 to the bottom (or about 1/2 of an inch from the top lip). 2. Put your egg in a measuring cup or spoon and gently set it into the middle of the simmering water. I am told that you can push on "the white" to keep it close to the yolk (however I haven't tried this yet). 3. The egg should be done after 3-5 mins. Take it out of the water gently. I used a ladle to do this. I can imagine you could also use a spatula. 4. Set the egg on a piece of toast (or by itself) and chow down! It breaks really easy and it doesn't have a ton of grease all over it.
I am feeling really redundant, but Smitten Kitchen also has a really great "how to poach an egg" recipe (I swear she doesn't pay me to advertise!). How do you poach your egg? Any advice on mine??

Peanut Butter Cookies Like My Grandma Used to Make

2010-01-25T21:46:00.007-06:00

My grandma Betty used to make some of the worlds BEST peanut butter cookies, and I have never been able to find a recipe I liked as well as I did hers. It was a cookie taste that we spin me back to when I was a wee little girl, sitting in the kitchen with my grandma (although she never sat down)!

Well these cookies aren't hers, but they are now sitting right up there on the top of my list! These are fantastic little guys to snack on (or devour as a meal...). They have a crunchy, sugar crystallized exterior with a inside that is as soft and fluffy as a cake.

Once again, I adopted this recipe from one of my favorite blogs Smitten Kitchen. She has a fantastic cookie line-up. Check it out in her recipe archives!!

Peanut Butter Cookies
adopted by Smitten Kitchen
Makes about 2 dozen
Ingredients
1 1/4c flour
3/4tsp baking soda
1/2tsp baking powder
1/4tsp salt
1c peanut butter (I always prefer crunchy)
1/2c unsalted butter, softened
3/4c sugar (I used pure cane sugar)
1/2c packed brown sugar
1 large egg, at room temp.
1tbsp milk
1tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 1. Mix flour, soda, powder and salt. 2. Blend butter and peanut butter until fluffy. 3. Add sugars and mix. 4. Mix in egg, milk, and vanilla. 5. Finally mix the flour mixture in with the peanut butter mixture. 6. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of sugar on a small plate and roll the cookies in the sugar to coat before placing onto an non-greased baking sheet. Use a fork to make criss crosses on the top of the cookies (being careful not to press too hard). Pop these bad boys in the oven and wait for 10 mins. to take them out!

The Perfect, Simplest Spaghetti Sauce

2010-01-24T10:19:00.032-06:00

I pulled this recipe from one of my favorite "webcookbooks" Smitten Kitchen and adopted it to my own tastes. This recipe is very easy; it will be even more wonderful inthe summer when tomatoes are in season and abundant. This recipe alsoinspires me to can some whole tomatoes this summer so I can easily whipsome up next winter!

(Source)
Onions

Whole Canned Tomatoes

Simmering Sauce

Finished Product
(Yes, I always get whatever I am cooking all over my stove...)

Tomato Sauce with Butter and Onions
adopted from Smitten Kitchen
Serves about 4 (I would add another half recipe if you have garlic bread that you like to load with sauce!)

Ingredients
24oz of whole peeled tomatoes from a can
1 medium yellow onion
5 tbsp of butter
Pinch of salt
Clove of garlic (minced)
Pinch of Italian seasoning

Put can of tomatoes, butter, onion (half chopped, other half whole) in a medium pot, garlic, and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Turn the oven on to a simmer and let the pot of sauce ingredients simmer slowly for 45mins. Check on it occasionally to stir. When the tomatoes start to soften after about 30mins. squish them on the side of the pot with a wooden spoon to crush. Discard the half onion. I served this over angle hair pasta that I seasoned with the Italian seasoning (you could also sprinkle some into the sauce while it is simmering) with garlic bread! Mmmm...!

I'm very sad to inform you:

2010-01-19T20:39:00.003-06:00

(Source)

...that I couldn't find my dark cocoa brownie recipe in all of my cookbooks and all of my recipe blogs. I've even spent the last two days tracing my footprints. :( This is sad for both you and I. When we both cross paths in the future I will be sure to tell you about it. Dry your eyes. (I understand. It took me a while to dry my tears too).

My two favorite cheeses at the moment.

2010-01-19T19:35:00.000-06:00

One of my life goals (this may sound really cheesy and childish) has been to be able to state a favorite beer, wine, and cheese. Well, I am happy to state that I have found all that I feel proud to state publicly in front of mature beings.

(Mature Being: "What is your favorite wine?" Me: "Um... red...")

So.... Here are my top two favorite cheeses:

(Source)

Gruyere

Found in Switzerland, this cheese is made from cows milk and fully matures in 5 months to a year. When young, it is said to have a creamy, nutty taste, and with age it develops more into a more complex and earthy cheese. Wikipedia (yes I believe it is credible to source) says that this cheese is one of the finest cheeses to bake with because it complements food verses overpowering them. It is best paired with Riesling and other white wines. And beers such as Bock and also sparkling apple cider.

(Source)

Havarti

Havarti was named after a farm in Denmark. It is made from cows milk and is aged for at least three months. It has a buttery tangy taste, and as it ages the taste gets more complex; it becomes more salty and tastes like hazelnut. This cheese is very popular on sandwiches because it slices well. Wikipedia says it "Havarti is popularly matched with lesser-oaked Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, or light-bodied Pinot Noir wine and occasionally accompanied with figs; smoked turkey; raisins; walnuts; hearty bread; pears; apples. The cheese also is an excellent snack on (sometimes salted) thin wheat crackers."

Dark Chocolate Brownies

2010-01-13T08:08:00.011-06:00

Unsweetend Cocoa PowderFloured Cake Pan
Out of the Oven!I sprinkled some powder sugar on top, and cut them into squares!

These brownies were fantastic! They weren't your average brownie. They were made with unsweetend cocoa powder so they are more rich than sweet (which I love). Second, they didn't get the typical brownie top. They were a little dry and not as gooey as brownies typically are, however, I do like this change for brownies. When I have my bakeshop I will have both! These are great for a chocolate snack that isn't loaded with sugar! Recipe to come...

Red Velvet

2010-01-07T22:40:00.012-06:00

Here's the Red Velvet Cake recipe I told you about a couple days ago. Adopted from Pinch My Salt. I didn't change much of anything. Check out the recipe on Pinch My Salt and get inspired by her beautiful food photos!

Red Velvet Cake
Adopted from Pinch My Salt

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons cocoa powder (unsweetened)
2 oz. red food coloring
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon baking soda

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Flour and butter two 9-inch round cake pans
2. Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl, and place aside. In a small bowl, mix food coloring and cocoa powder to form a paste (without lumps).
3. In a large bowl, using a hand mixer or stand mixer (or your own arms and a whisk if you would like the exercise), beat butter and sugar together until fluffy, about three minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then beat in vanilla and the prepared red cocoa paste. Add one third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, beat well, then beat in half of the buttermilk. Beat in another third of flour mixture, then second half of buttermilk. End with the last third of the flour mixture, beat until well combined. Make sure to scrape down the bowl with a spatula!
4. Make sure you have cake pans readily prepared and nearby. In a small bowl, mix vinegar and baking soda. (Yes, it will fizz!) Add it to the cake batter and mix well. Working quickly, divide batter evenly between the cake pans and place them into the preheated oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Check early. cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
5. Cool the cakes in their pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. To remove the cakes from the pan, place a flat plate on top of the cake pan and flip, then gently lift the pan. Allow cakes to cool completely before frosting. Frost with buttercream or cream cheese icing (recipe below).

Cream Cheese Frosting
16 oz. cream cheese (2 packages), softened
1/2 cup unsalted butter (one stick), softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
pinch of salt

With an electric mixer, blend together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Turn mixer to low speed and blend in powdered sugar, salt and vanilla extract. Turn mixer on high and beat until fluffy. Use immediately or refrigerate, covered, until ready to use. If refrigerated, the frosting will need to be brought to room temperature before using (after frosting softens up, beat with mixer until smooth).
If you want it to taste sweeter add more powder sugar, but I prefer the tangy cream cheese taste (as did the birthday girl!)!

This is usually what my kitchen looks like while I occupy it...

2010-01-07T20:33:00.008-06:00

Its small and I'm easily distracted with many projects at one time. But I love it! Play ISPY... any similarities to yours??

2010-01-06T22:48:00.016-06:00

OH yeah... Here are my other favorite blogs at the that continually update! Their not all foodies, but they are all really creative girls that I am constantly finding inspiration from.

Prudent Baby - all things creative and within budget!
Cakies - Momma obsessed with designing and food!
Lovely Morning - Designer, gardener, cook
Notebookworthy - foodie!
A Cup Of Jo - writer, designer, foodie
Pinch My Salt - foodie, writer, adventurer
Smile and Wave - A Crafty Momma
Fresh360 - this food and cooking blog just moved to its own web page!

You're Right, You're Right...

2010-01-06T20:53:00.024-06:00

Yeah yeah, so I haven't delivered as promised yesterday. Will you except my apologies?!

So, today I got home from work and decided to make some banana bread (background: I've been trying to raid our refrigerator and freezer to find items that have been hiding and we haven't been using. Well I hit the jackpot and found 12 [YES 12!] perfectly blackened bananas that I keep contributing to. I decided to take inventory and diminish a little.).

Sooooo... I went to a site that I just recently discovered. It is called Simply Recipes, and it is wonderful. She has great recipes, and a really good archive to look up recipes from!
Tada! This is a recipe that is so simple and so moist. I will definitely be coming back to this one!

Banana Bread Recipe
Taken from Simply Recipes

Ingredient List
3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup sugar (3/4 c was plenty for me!)
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. 2. With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the bananas in large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Sprinkle with the baking soda and salt. Stir. Add the flour last. Mix. 3. Pour into a bread pan (4x8 inches) and bake for 1 hour. Cool on rack. Remove from pan and slice and serve. Fool proof in my opinion!

I am very excited....

2010-01-05T01:48:00.004-06:00

...to share some new food blogs that I have discovered over break.. tomorrow. =) How FANTASTIC are these beauties! I want to make many in different styles. I found out how to make them... (I will let you know when I run across it again!). You can find this one here and you can find many of the different styles here. These would make my coffee taste just a hair better I believe ;)!

Follow Up!

2010-01-04T23:07:00.028-06:00

In my last posting I left you all with some hints as to what I have been up to this holiday season. I was truly spoiled rotten by the wonderful food that my grandmas, aunt, parents, and other relatives made, the gifts that I received, and the free time I got to spend with everyone. Here is my summary of the wonderful winter break I had! (Okay, okay, so my semester hasn't technically started, but I am back to work)This guy is my gem! He is my sweet Wrangler! Whenever I get a chance to go visit my parents in the country I get to see my pup (he was a pup when I first got him...now he is 4 years old!). He is a ball of energy, and loves to play and run outside. When I was packing my car to head back to the cities he tried to hop in!My very very sweet friend Ann Yin at Local D'Lish in Minneapolis gave this knife to me for Christmas (check out her website that she just recently updated)! It is on of my new favorite kitchen partners! I didn't even know what I was missing until she put this into my hands. It cuts like butta. =)This one of my other new kitchen companions, given to me by my brother, Brandon! My only bread knife went missing in September, and my brother came swooping in to my rescue. You should have seen me struggle with my dull, non-serrated knifes while I feebly wrestled pieces off of baguettes. It was an embarrassment; lets not talk about it.
Dan and I got together with a small group of friends and played darts to chime in the new year. On the 2nd of January it was my sweetie's birthday! This is Jenna (Hi Jenna). She turned 22 and Dan and I made her this red velvet cake. Red velvet is her favorite! I will post the recipe for it soon (tomorrow maybe).
And finally, last night Dan and I made this Basil Chicken in Coconut Curry Sauce from Simply Recipes (I didn't get any pictures then because my camera was on the fritz. This pic is leftovers! =o Don't tell!). I only used a few minor changes:

Basil Chicken in Coconut Curry Sauce
Adopted from Simply Recipes

Ingredients
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom (didn't have this)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon Cayenne powder
1 lb skinless, boneless chicken thighs (we used 4 small chicken breasts)
1 medium red onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
2 Tbsp olive oil or grapeseed oil
1 14-oz can coconut milk
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
3 Tbsp fresh basil leaves, chopped (we only had dried so we did about 1 tablespoon)
1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh ginger

1. Mix together spices through cayenne pepper. Set aside. 2. Rinse chicken, pat dry. Cut into bite size pieces. Put into a bowl and sprinkle the spice mix over all the pieces. Coat and let sit for 30 minutes at room temperature or in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours. 3. In a large skillet heat 1 Tbsp oil on medium high heat. Add the onions and jalapeños and cook for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Remove the onions, peppers and garlic from the pan and put into a medium sized bowl. Set aside. Use the same pan for the next step. 4. Add 1 Tbsp oil to the skillet and heat on medium high heat. Add one half of the chicken pieces, spreading them out on the pan so they are not crowded. Brown for a few minutes on each side. When the chicken pieces are cooked through, and no pink remains, remove from pan, add to the bowl with the onions. Cook the second batch of chicken pieces the same way. Remove from pan, add to bowl with onions. 5. Add the coconut milk, minus a couple tablespoons, to the skillet. In a small bowl, mix the remaining coconut with the corn starch to dissolve the corn starch. Add the corn starch mixture back to the skillet with the coconut milk. Cook on medium heat and stir till thick and bubbly. Mix in the Worcestershire sauce. Add chicken mixture, basil, and ginger. Cook 2 minutes more to cook through. Tada!

The recipe recommended to pour this over rice or pasta. We used angel hair pasta, and we both decided that we would make it a little different for each. For the pasta, we decided it would taste better to get the spices in the sauce and not just on the chicken. Blend it more throughout the entire dish. For rice, we thought that it would be perfect as stated above to keep the rice creamy and keep the chicken holding the majority of the flavor. Try it out for yourself!

So Much to Update, So Few Hours in the Day

2010-01-04T00:39:00.007-06:00

Here is a time capsule of pictures that I will be explaining soon! They are not in order because I don't want you to be able to guess what I am thinking! ....or you could try!

Hint: There are three events that I am going to tell you about.... one of them has nothing to do with Dan outside or camping (the picture is just being used to tell you all something about him).

I've come to realize... my camera isn't the best for taking food photos, and our kitchen is cluttered and crowded and doesn't have a good back drop for food pictures. These are things I am going to try fix for 2010!

Happy 2010!

2010-01-02T11:05:00.007-06:00

Source
I hope everyone has had a great start to their new year!

My New Seasonal CookBook!

2009-12-28T21:18:00.007-06:00

Source

Since I've been home, my mum and I have been doing some heavy-duty organizing and uncluttering. So heavy-duty, that we have thrown out all of our cooking magazines! I know. This was really hard for both of us to do. So... our solution was to go through all of the magazines (I learned a lot along the way BTW - like how to make homemade ricotta) and rip out all of the recipes I liked. I took these recipes and made my own revised cookbook. And, guess what.... Its arranged by seasons! I'm sure that this is something that is out there already, but it is this new creation that I can't wait to use and add to!

It works perfect with my New Years Resolution (I really don't like New Years resolutions because I like to make them all year long) to eat more seasonally! In doing this I will get to slim my grocery bill, experiment in the garden, and there is a lower chance of the use of nasty chemicals and other unnatural growing.

Another go-around with Biscottis that Hit Successful Scores!

2009-12-27T12:33:00.028-06:00

I am going to say that it was from the help of my dad and my new bread knife! This biscotti recipe was inspired from Cooking Light's Savory Two-Cheese Biscotti from a magazine cut-out.
Ingredients (modified to our liking):
2 3/4 c Flour
3/4 c Shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 c Shredded mozzarella cheese
2 t Baking powder
3/4 t Salt
1/4 t Ground red pepper
1/4 c Skim milk
2 t Olive Oil
3 large eggs
Cooking spray

1. Preheat Oven to 350.

2. Mix flour with the next 5 ingredients (through pepper). Combine wet ingredients in a separate bowl, and whisk. Add milk mixture to dry ingredients, and stir until well mixed. The dough should be crumbly and dry. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead 8 times. Divide dough in half. Shape each half into 8 inch long by 1 inch thick strips. Bake these two halves in the oven for 30 mins. Remove from oven and let sit on a wire rack for 10 mins. 3. Reduce the oven temp. to 325. 4. After the two halves cool cut them up into 2/3 inch pieces diagonally and place slices, cut sides down, on baking sheet. Bake for 10 mins at 325. Remove from baking sheet and let cool on wire rack before eating. I couldn't wait more than 2 mins!

We dipped these in bean salsa! Delish! Try it out an let me know what you think!

Christmas day at our house...

2009-12-25T12:48:00.012-06:00

Christmas day is here and our family always likes to take the day slow. We usually sleep in, check to see what kind of surprises Santa left with a big cup of coffee to drag us out of bed. And then we sit around the kitchen and visit, listen to music (currently Tom Petty), and cook, prepare, bake, etc... depending on what we have going on and what we are craving. My dad usually gets that look in his eyes and you know that you are in for a kitchen treat.

This morn we decided to counteract all of that sweet that we had yesterday by chopping up some veggies and made Pico De Gallo! One of my mom and my favorites.

These spicy pickled garlic cloves my dad got for Christmas yesterday, and we thought it would be the perfect new ingredient to include in his Pico De Gallo. OH, and it was.

Avocados. Not necessarily in season, but still great to add to this concoction. Only put avocados in what you are consuming or it will all be brown in a couple of days.

Our final result. Delicious, snack to counteract all of the sweet toothing we did and will be continuing today! YUM!

Back to more eating! I hope everyone is enjoying their Holidays!
Merry Christmas!

Pico De Gallo

equal parts:

Green, Yellow, and Red Peppers

Onion

Jalapeno (quantity depending on how spicy you want it)

Tomatoes

Garlic (we did 8 cloves [our bowl was about 2 gallons])

Winter dull-drum?

2009-12-20T13:07:00.020-06:00

With winter moving briskly in, I am starting to feel the need to hibernate and stay cozy. This time of year it is hard for me to avoid the "bad" foods that seem to give me the instant satisfaction that I need to pick myself up after trudging through the snow. My aunt Vickie sent me a very good article from the Maharishi Ayurveda website about the good ways to treat our selves, so that instead of dreading winter, we can look at it as a time to gather and treat ourselves to the things that are truly good for us.

Why not...

Go to bed earlier. It is natural for your body to need more sleep at this time of the year.
Stretch more and longer
Eat more wholesome foods (i.e. whole foods - not processed, veggies, fruit, whole grain, rolled oats, organics, potatoes)
Look for natural sugars and spices that are very good for your body (cane sugar, )
Read more books (my goal this christmas break is three)
Learn more about your hobbies.... knitting or sewing anyone??
Plan out next years garden!- its something to look forward to and you can purchase the seed packs ahead of time and store them in a dry shaded spot.
Play more cards and board games with friends and family
Watch some movies... old, new, classics, TV series, documentary, etc...

Does anyone have any other favorites or goals for winter hibernation??

Immunity-boosting Foods and Lifestyle Tips for Winter

In general, immunity-boosting foods include those that are fresh, organic, easy to digest, pure and wholesome. These include fresh, organic milk and yogurt, vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and ghee (clarified butter).

Foods that are hard to digest should be avoided if you want to increase your immunity. Commercially processed foods, as well as canned, frozen, and packaged foods are old and difficult to digest, so they weaken immunity. Leftovers, foods grown with chemicals, and foods laced with preservatives tax the digestive system and clog the channels of circulation, creating a sluggish, compromised immune system.

Foods that nourish and balance the body in the cold, dry, winter season are the sweet, sour and salty tastes. It's best to eat less of the astringent, bitter, and pungent tastes in winter, although all six tastes should be included in your diet. Warm, home-cooked, unctuous foods are ideal, as long as they are not deep-fried and are cooked with easy-to-digest oils such as ghee or olive oil. Avoid cold or ice-cold foods, as cold foods and drinks douse the digestive fire and decreases immunity.

Lifestyle also impacts immunity. Staying up late, working at night, eating at irregular times, exposing the body to stress and fatigue, and sleeping during the day can all affect the digestion and body rhythms--and thus compromise the immune system. That's why it's important to follow the ayurvedic daily routine, to keep the digestive system and other bodily rhythms working smoothly, and thus keeping the immunity high.

In winter, when the days are shorter and the nights are longer, it's natural for the body to crave more rest. Try going to bed a little earlier, and you will wake up with more vitality and freshness. Winter is a more inward season, when nature is at rest, so you can take advantage of this natural tendency by giving the mind and body extra nourishment in winter.

Doing a daily self-massage (abhyanga) will also help enhance immunity. Self-massage stimulates all of the organs of the body, flushes out impurities, and builds resistance to stress and disease.

Bleached vs. Unbleached

2009-12-16T16:19:00.006-06:00

My curiosity has gotten the best of me and I am finding time to quickly get on here to share something interesting that I just learned. (Many of you may be ahead of me on this one!)

According to Better Homes and Gardens, there is really no baking/cooking difference between bleached and unbleached flour. The only differentiation between the two is that the bleached flour is made chemically whiter. Whoa! I think from now on I am going to be going the unbleached route!

Blog Hiatus!

2009-12-10T20:54:00.004-06:00

(this picture is from an Etsy artist! Artist, if you read this please reveal yourself so I can put a link on here for you. I forgot exactly where I found it!)

Sorry guys I know I've been neglectful. No excuses! I'll be back at it after finals I promise!

Books I would like to get... recycled and used of course!

2009-10-30T19:57:00.003-05:00

Here is a list of books that I would like to rent, pick up off Amazon used of course, or if anyone has any of these I would love to borrow!!

Fanny Farmer Baking Book (there is also the Fanny Farmer Cookbook that I am very interested in) I feel that this may be a classic that many kitchens should have.

A Homemade Life A very heavy hearted story about a young woman: Molly Wizenberg from Orangette who's father dies from cancer and she finds herself reaching for more than her graduate school in Seatle. She travels to Paris where she and her father had taken a very memorable trip to and she rediscovers the foodie in her. She tells of her experiences and her recipes.

Once Upon a Tart offers 225 recipes from this famous shop in Manhatan. They specialize in their tarts, but they also feature recipes of delicious soups, salads, and muffins.

Vegetables Every Day."If you find yourself in daily dread of how to fix those vegetables that Mom always told you to eat, your lifeline is here. Unique and tempting recipes are abundant in Jack Bishop's Vegetables Every Day. Throughout the book's 66 chapters--one for each vegetable he includes in the book--Bishop features the retail availability of the specific veggie, the best season to find the most flavorful choice, and which characteristics to look for in a good specimen. He also includes recommendations for best preparation and which spices and herbs will best support and enhance the flavor of the vegetable of choice."-Amazon

The Backyard Homestead will teach you how to grow organically right in your back yard! "And when the harvest is in, you'll learn how to cook, preserve, cure, brew, or pickle the fruits of your labor. From a quarter of an acre, you can harvest 1,400 eggs, 50 pounds of wheat, 60 pounds of fruit, 2,000 pounds of vegetables, 280 pounds of pork, 75 pounds of nuts." -Amazon

Farm City. In this utterly enchanting book, food writer Carpenter chronicles with grace and generosity her experiences as an urban farmer. With her boyfriend BillÖs help, her squatterÖs vegetable garden in one of the worst parts of the Bay Area evolved into further adventures in bee and poultry keeping in the desire for such staples as home-harvested honey, eggs and home-raised meat. The built-in difficulties also required dealing with the expected noise and mess as well as interference both human and animal. When one turkey survived to see, so to speak, its way to the Thanksgiving table, the success spurred Carpenter to rabbitry and a monthlong plan to eat from her own garden. Consistently drawing on her Idaho ranch roots and determined even in the face of bodily danger, her ambitions led to ownership and care of a brace of pigs straight out of E.B. White. She chronicles the animalsÖ slaughter with grace and sensitivity, their cooking and consumption with a gastronomeÖs passion, and elegantly folds in riches like urban farming history. Her way with narrative and details, like the oddly poetic names of chicken and watermelon breeds, gives her memoir an Annie Dillard lyricism, but itÖs the juxtaposition of the farming life with inner-city grit that elevates it to the realm of the magical.

Cradle to Cradle

Here is a list of books that I would like to rent, pick up off Amazon used of course, or if anyone has any of these I would love to borrow!!

Sick again...

2009-10-25T19:08:00.002-05:00

I doesn't seem like it wants to go away. It started with a cough and now I have a fever. :( When it gets better I have much posting to do.

Say Good Bye to Gourmet

2009-10-23T12:28:00.004-05:00

I just recently discovered Gourmet magazine, and now Condé Naste is saying it's farewell to this very classy "gourmet" food magazine.

(Picture shown is of the October 2009 issue, unfortunately I couldn't find a good picture of the November issue and I don't have a scanner!)

On this note, I decided that I wanted to reap all of the last benefits I could by picking up their last issue EVER! The November 2009 is their last issue that they are distributing. (I KNOW, NO Holiday Cookies!)

I would definitely recommen this purchase to the foodies out there! They have many great recipes to enjoy our upcoming Thanksgiving!

With Christmas coming, and my newly discovered lack of knowledge... I am challenging myself to get more knowledgeable about the food magazines that are out there. What a great Christmas present for someone who loves food! On my list: Bon Appetit and Suveur. I am currently receiving Martha Stewart Living, Martha Stewart Food Everyday, and Rachael Ray. They are all fantastic, but I did have to make a cut this year. I continued with both of the Marthas, but I did drop Rachael. I did this because Martha Stewart has more "hostess" tips, and I really like the hostess and recipe combo. Any favorites out there??? (They don't have to be food)

Rough week

2009-10-20T08:10:00.005-05:00

Sorry guys! I'm having a rough start to my week. I promise a new post soon!!

My room doesn't look quite like this, but it is getting too close...

To do this week:

Post!
Finish class readings, take three tests, catch up for next week
Clean my room
Make a roast (I will let you know the skinny on this one!)
Clean the kitchen

Thanks Martha for the Great Butternut Squash Recipes

2009-10-17T11:43:00.003-05:00

Martha does it again. These are some great butternut squash recipes to get you in the mood for Autumn! Check them out here!

The Herbs I was able to Save!

2009-10-15T10:39:00.005-05:00

Hello, Parsley, Rosemary, and Mint, how wonderful of you to graze us with your presence.

These are the tough herbs that survived the first snow/frost that my garden had. Funeral arrangements were made for Basil and Lavender (I'm holding out for chives because I feel that they will hibernate and appear again!).

Something Brothy to Keep in Mind

2009-10-14T16:21:00.003-05:00

I was following up with some of my favorite cooking websites today and I ran accross an interesting soup recipe from Lovely Morning and Orangette that I would like to try: Green Lentil Soup with Coconut Milk and Warm Spices! Doesn't that sound delightful! But before I post about the spicy goodness 1. I would like to make it and see if I would change anything about it. 2. This post is actually about broth!

Where does the Green Lentil Soup come in to play you may ask? Well it calls for homemade broth, and it had a link to a great broth recipe! Check it out here.

I've always wanted to get a good soup broth to make of my own... muahahaha! But seriously I'm going to try this recipe sometime this week because I can feel the chilly weather in my bones.

Basic Vegetable Broth

1 ½ Tbs olive oil
1 medium onion, coarsely sliced
1 small leek, white part only, coarsely sliced
½ stalk celery, coarsely sliced
1 carrot, peeled and coarsely sliced
1 large clove garlic, peeled and smashed
8 cups cold water
1 Turkish bay leaf

In a large saucepan, warm the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, leek, celery, carrot, and garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 15 minutes. Add the water and bay leaf, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook, partially covered, until the vegetables are very soft, about 1 hour. Strain the broth through a sieve into a clean bowl or heatproof container, pressing down on the vegetables to extract all their juices. Let cool, uncovered. Refrigerate in a sealed container for up to a week, or freeze for longer keeping.<BR/>

Yield: About 6 cups, give or take a little

10 Ways to Winterize Your Garden

2009-10-13T09:11:00.007-05:00

Sorry I didn't write yesterday. I'm working to be better dedicated on Monday's. They are always my hardest days to post.

Now that Autumn is here it is time for us to winterize our gardens just like we winterize our houses.

HowStuffWorks has been my most recent favorite website to literally find how anything works! This morning they are telling us How to Winterize our Gardens!

1. Plant Bulbs
These little lovelies need the time over winter to store nutrients in their roots for next years bloom. The word "bulb" refers to the organ-like shape that these plants start in. Bulbs range from daffodils to tulips and many more. Some are better at with-standing the cold than others, so make sure to check yours out. The blooming for them also vary by type. After you plant them, make sure to insulate them with some shredded leaves (shred your leaves by mowing them) after the first frost. The shredded leaves still give them breathability so it won't smother and kill the grass that is under the insulation. Bulbs are an easy "head-start" to your early planting!

2. Growing or Maintaining Wildflowers
Now is the time to maintain your perennial wildflowers that you have, or plant seeds for some that you want to see spring up next year. Growing and maintaining wildflowers is very similar to that of the bulbs. Mow any of the perennials that you wish to see again next year and insulate it with mulch or shredded leaves. You may even need to water some varieties. To learn more, I would recommend reading more specifically into species that you would particularly like to grow.

3. Herb Cover
This is the time of year when you should pull in your herbs to save for using in the Winter months, and to tend to until replanting next spring. I'll show you which ones I was able to save from the frost this year in a later post. Also- I still had some pepper plants that were still producing, and I would have brought them in the house too if I had a good window space open. Consider, if there are any plants still producing, which ones you would like to shelter to gain the last of the fruiting.

4. Lettuce Varieties
My goal this winter is to read up on the lettuce varieties... how they grow? What they need to flourish? Which ones are good for you? Etc.. They don't need a lot of space, so I feel that this is a good way to still keep veggies growing in the Winter! I will keep you posted on my adventures. Let me know if anyone has tried this out for themselves!

5. Succulent Challenge!
Succulents/Cacti are plants that need very little maintenance. Someone tell me if they have any great Succulents growing! Plant these guys to liven up your house to defeat the winter dull. I challenge you to name them! Why not even greet them in the morning! It has been proven that plants grow better when communicated with, weather its you singing to them, or them even hearing music. They just want some love!

6. Water Features
If you have any water features that can be damaged from the winter. You should consider winterizing these so you can enjoy them again next year. Shut down the water and remove the pump. Place the pump in a bucket of water to prevent seals from cracking.

7. Ground Cover
Ground cover are things such as shrubs, vines, perennials, bulbs, etc... These are things that may be sensitive to the harsh winter weathers, and many need to be insulated. The best insulation is fir bark, sawdust, bark, tree leaves, gravel and rocks (as I mentioned before, shredded leaves works too). You should apply this to the ground cover after it has been established. On that note, ground cover for regions with cold winters should be planted in the early spring. Mild areas should plant in the fall or winter months.

8. Shrubs
If the rain is scarce where you live, give the shrubs a good dose of water before frost comes. Use wind breaks on the plants that are young or moderately resilient plants. To make a wind break, stake the ground around the shrubs with wood stakes and use a material like burlap to wrap the shrubs. When there is no risk of frost, remove the wind break.

9. Evergreen Maintenance
HowStuffWorks recommends that evergreens get a good dose of water right before Autumn. Well established evergreens wouldn't require water to live through the winter. Evergreen leaves produce moisture all year long, so they are sensitive to cold winds. You could apply 4 inches of mulch around the evergreens to ensure better moisture for the tree and to prevent the soil from freezing. Whack down heavy snowfall that may bend and break the branches.

10. Weeding
I'm sorry if many of you thought you didn't have to worry about this now that Autumn and Winter are fast approaching, but the lawn maintenance that you do now will save you time in the early Spring. Rake the leaves that fall to prevent grass suffocation. Weed your garden now so that the weeds won't be there waiting when the snow melts and your perennials are starting to show. Dispose of any annuals that are not looking as lovely as they once were. Throw them in a compost bin or in the trash. Clean pots that were outdoors and store them in a nice dry place for next year. And make sure you have your winter equipment in the front of your closets!

Good bye hott Summer, and hello Autumn colors and hot coco!

Morning Inspiration

2009-10-11T08:29:00.019-05:00

I am up and feeling way better today then yesterday! I think the Echinacea is finally kicking in! Another cup and I am on the go. I'm going to pick up bread at the New French Bakery for work today at D'lish! It is wonderful there. We have great fall produce, pumpkins, cute gourds, and squash of many shapes and sizes, and so much more!

By the way- the farmer's market and canning last night was a wonderful success! It took much longer than I thought but it was well worth it! Now we can have fresh tomato sauce in the winter! I also made applesauce. I used Haralson, Sweet 16s, and I think the third variety was the Stella. When I took the canning class, Anna told us that it works really great to use a variety of apples when making the apple sauce. This is a great sight to check out for learning more about our apples in Minnesota.

Morning Inspiration

If this doesn't get you in the mood for Autumn and Thanksgiving I don't know what will!

My sister's dog Riley doing dog yoga in the morning. (And the fact that there is actually dog yoga out there! )This should remind us that stretching is good for your soul. (This is not a picture of her actual dog, but it does look really close)

You are never too old to jump in leaves!

Get some of your weekend tasks done today that you put off on the last two days!

Home, Sick...

2009-10-09T13:22:00.004-05:00

Creaping in since yesterday have been flu symptoms. I am now in bed cuddling up with a glass of Simply Apple Juice.

There are two things that I have discovered in the past two days in between trying to cram a lot of reading in and running to the store balancing a box of Kleenex's, cough drops, and all of the "sick prevention" beverages that I could think of.

1. I have heard many people preach Echinacea tea for when you get sick, so yesterday I drank 4 glasses hoping to nick this sickness before it worsened. I feel like it helped a bit. What is so special about Echinacea?

The Echinacea flower (commonly known as the coneflower looks like this. It is grown primarily in the Midwest. This is a great flower for many people to grow because it is so colorful, and it does have health benefits. Echinacea stimulates the immune system by increasing activity to your white blood cells which help battle viruses and bacteria that may cause sickness. It is also known to treat respiratory illnesses like colds. I also read here to drink Echinacea tea about 2-3 times a day to gain it's benefits. (Looks like the rumors are true!). Coneflower is definately going into my garden this summer!

2. Simply Apple Juice is the best juice!

It is so good and so good for you! It is so natural and isn't caulk full of nasty preservatives and sugars to make the flavor fake. It is made of pure pressed apples. No concentrated stuff. No added sugars. Simply also makes a variety of other juices here! They are a little on the higher price point, but if you are a juice feen or the occasional juicer you must try this! It is like having your very own juiced apples! With their natural sweet taste. The website says it best:

"It isn't like the apple juice you've always known. It doesn't look the like apple juice you've always known. Or taste like it. It tastes like biting into a crisp, juicy, perfectly ripe apple.
Made from 100% pure apple, Simply Apple is never sweetened and never concentrated."

Something else...

2009-10-07T18:58:00.021-05:00

If anyone has a really good recipe or some advice for me I would love to hear feedback! Try my recipies and let me know what you like, didn't like, changed, if you could follow my directions and actually make something the way it looks in the pictures!

You can email me: ekay_22@hotmail.com

You can post a comment on my blog. You can click on the place where it says "0 Comments" or "4 Comments" and then you can write something in the box and then click the drop down box to Name/URL (URL-which really just means who you email through ex: http://www.hotmail.com/ or http://www.wiktel.com/ or http://www.trjobbing.com/ )
Any one can comment! (email me if you have questions)

Adding to the weekend board:

2009-10-07T17:36:00.007-05:00

1. See Wednesday's post (Canning 101)

2. Homemade chili (Dan's mums savory recipe) CHECK! I did this on Friday....spicy food is supposed to be really good at clearing your sinuses as long as you can stomach spicy when you are sick.

3. Dig up and transfer some of my living pepper plants- (Too late. Woke up to snow this morning!)

5. Halloween party planning... date, who, and what foods (hopefully Martha can help with this one!)

Canning 101

2009-10-07T16:32:00.004-05:00

With the summer season cooling rapidly, I bet many people are rushing around trying to squeeze in the last little bit of summer's food juices (literally!).

My exciting summer garden adventures are over and the Minneapolis farmers markets are starting to taper.... so its time to start PRESERVING!!! I am lucky because I have always been so close to my grandmas' great cannings that I haven't even given canning much more of a thought. I still get some canning from them, but I have to wait for such a long time in between that I wish I knew more about the underrated art!

My inspiration sparked from work one day (Local D'lish). Ann (the owner) decided to contact one of Minneapolis's well-known healthy living/eating experts Anna Dvorak. This woman is amazing and so inspirational. Check her out here and here! Fantastic artist as well!

The class was great. Ann and her daughter CC, Anna, and I canned all night long! It was very nice because we got to do a lot of hands-on to really learn the tricks and techniques. At the end of the night we walked home with a tasty treat! (A jar of concord grape jelly!) We even used organic sugar!! I'll let you know how my canning goes this weekend!

List of things to can before fall:

Tomatoes (stat!)

Apples (while the pickin' is good!)

Some fruits... (the farmers market will show me what there is now!)

Wish me luck at the Farmers Market this Saturday!!! Depending on how early I want to wake up I will either go to the Midtown Farmers Market or the NE Farmers Market!

Fall foods are beginning...

2009-10-04T19:19:00.009-05:00

Spaghetti Squash with Moroccan Spices and Chicken

I have been trying to dive into using more fall produce to take advantage of what our seasons give us. So here is my second attempt (first attempt see Squash soup recipe)! It was amazing. A little spicy and very versatile!

The recipe was taken from Epicurious online and tweaked to Dan and my liking.

Ingredients:

1 Medium Spaghetti Squash

1/2 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces

2 garlic cloves (flexible for garlic lovers and haters), minced

1 t. ground cumin

1/2 t ground coriander

1/8 t cayenne (for the spicy kick!)

3/4 t salt

2 T chopped fresh cilantro (if you don't have fresh use less dry, but fresh is SO worth it!)

What I added as extra: (I would suggest putting your fav. veggies in this Moroccan Spice Sauce! Make more sauce if you want!)

1 medium scallop

2 chicken breasts

some broccoli (depending entirely on how much you like)

a few zucchini slices

2 corn ears

pepper (we used yellow because that was what was about to go bad), thinly sliced

Sriracha sauce (on the meal at the very end)

2 t olive oil

Cut holes in the squash with a sharp knife all around the outside and set it in a pan to bake in the oven for about 1hr on 375 degrees F. After the squash has been baking for about 15 mins you can start the rest of the cooking.
While the squash is baking, simmer butter with onion and garlic until transparent. Add remaining spices and let simmer. Boil water and put in broccoli and corn. Corn for 3 mins, and broccoli until softened. Fry chicken breasts in oil. Take corn out of water and set aside. After the sauce has been simmering for about 5 mins ad zucchini slices and peppers (or what ever veggies you have ready). Let this simmer on med low for about 10 mins to soften them a little bit.
Take the squash out of the oven and cut it in half the long way. Scoup out the seeds and start using a fork to scrape at the soft flesh. As you are scraping, put the spaghetti looking squash flesh into a separate bowl. When the squash is all scraped out add the sauce, chicken, broccoli, and the corn (we cut the corn off of the cob and mixed it into the whole shebang!). And Serve!

National Free Coffee Day!!

2009-09-29T11:03:00.006-05:00

Good excuse to drink a cup of joe! (or two...or more! :) ) Sorry I've been neglectful. Falling behind a bit on sleep and homework. My cup of joe is now teetering between a hot and cold beverage as we are working our way into Autumn.

And in celebration of today I am drinking both the hot and cold beverage as I am typing! Also- here is a little history for those of you who would like to brush up on your coffee savvy!

I have a new favorite, but late-bloomed (due to the season change) iced coffee drink::Vietnamese Iced Coffee. I have been able to enjoy some this morning, but it needs an overnight sleep in the fridge while the coffee steeps, for those of you who want to jump on this coffee drink right now! Check it out! By the way- this is probably one of the most caffeinated iced coffee drink you can make because of the concentration of the cold-press coffee! Yay!

Vietnamese Iced Coffee

Need (my version for others see alternative links):

Pitcher

hot water

cheese cloth or a fine strainer

chicory based coffee (regular works fine too; just not as authentic)

sweetened condensed milk

Now, I have found many varieties for making this drink and I have come up with one that is easy enough for me to make. Here is a recipe that allows you to do it more authentic, but make sure you have some allocated time for preparing it this way. I really like this drink, and I don't have a lot of time to prep this in the morning so I made cold-press coffee with chicory based coffee (its a little spicier than normal coffee; more authentic Vietnamese coffee) ahead of time in a large quantity and put it in a pitcher in the fridge. When I am ready to serve it I use the amount of sweetened condensed milk I would like for that particular cup of coffee. Some days I want it sweeter and some days I want it more bitter!

2009-09-23T13:48:00.006-05:00

Pizza Party

Last night my boyfriend Dan and I made some homemade pizza! Dan usually gets roped into my cooking and baking adventures because he likes to cook and we usually have great success cooking together!

We cheated with the pizza a little because we used Boboli ready-to-bake pizza crust. However, I feel that the sauce made the pizza! I didn't think this was going to be a fantastic feat so I didn't take any pictures unfortunately :( . This picture is similar to the slice of heaven it resembled.

Pizza Sauce Ingredients

2 garlic heads (medium sized), roasted*

1 medium onion, diced small

2T extra virgin olive oil

28 oz. can Italian plum tomatoes or 5 to 6 fresh

Pinch of cayenne pepper

1T sugar

Kosher Salt

10 basil stems, whole (leaves reserved for the topping)

In a deep saucepan, combine sweet onion & oil over low heat until the onions are translucent. Crush tomatoes & drain well. Add to pan with sugar, garlic, & cayenne. Season with salt. Place on medium heat for 15 mins., stir occasionally (we used homegrown tomatoes so they had a lot of water still after draining so we let them simmer longer to evaporate some of it). Add basil stems sans the leaves & cook another 5 to 10 mins. Do not puree. Remove the basil stems, adjust seasoning to your taste, and spread on pizza crust!

After we spread the sauce on we chose to top last nights pizza with pepperoni, Mexican cheese blend (would have preferred moz. but Mexican was what we had on hand); from my garden the basil, banana peppers, and jalapenos!

After the masterpiece was done we popped it in the pre-set 350 degrees oven for about 15 mins. (or until the cheese melts completely and starts to brown on the edges).

*here is a simple garlic roasting how-to that I found very helpful...and fragrant!

Muy Delicioso!

Cupcake store!

2009-09-22T08:57:00.006-05:00

This is the kind of bakery I want! The look the feel.... Mmmmm...

Enjoy Cupcakes located in Santa Barbara, CA has captured this irresistible 1960's flare that I think is just adorable. I love the clean and dainty interior. I would invest in less of a '60's feel and go more towards a fun and whimsical flair with this dainty interior.

...and of course I would have every pastry imaginable! This is a bake shop that I am putting on my list to visit!

2009-09-20T13:24:00.010-05:00

Butternut Basil Soup

This week I am going to take advantage of the bright fall produce and I am going to make Butternut Basil Soup. (it is a little different from this picture above, but the color is very much the same!) I pulled this recipe from the Minnesota Homegrown Cookbook.

1 large butternut squash
1 large onion, finely chopped
2T butter
2T olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
4t dried basil
1 quart well-seasoned veggie or chicken broth
4 slices American or soft cheese
1t balsamic vinegar
Brown sugar, to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste

I'll let you know how it goes!!

Top'o the Mornin'

2009-09-12T12:53:00.018-05:00

I love breakfast. So, my crazy recipe searching typically is densely geared towards breakfast/brunch. Here is a breakfast that is one of my new favorites! I didn't have flax seed, but it still tasted great. It has such a rich but smooth flavor. The combination of the banana and the vanilla soy milk really bring the whole drink together into a sweet (but not-to-sweet) breakfast drink! If you want it to be more bitter add more cherries! This recipe would work with any fruit! Try it out for yourself.

Cherry Vanilla Flax Smoothie

From Kashi

Makes 2 servings.
Cooking time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

2 tablespoons organic flax seeds
1 cup organic low-fat vanilla soymilk
¼ cup frozen organic dark tart cherries, defrosted (use fresh when available)
½ medium organic banana
3 ice cubes

Directions

Using a coffee grinder, grind flax seeds to a fine powder. Pour the flax powder into a blender and add the remaining ingredients. Blend until smooth.

Nutrition Facts

Number of servings: 2 servings. Serving size: 1 cup, Calories 139, Calories from Fat 47, Total Fat 5.2g, Saturated Fat 0.5g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 65mg, Total Carbohydrate 18.8g, Dietary Fiber 3.7g, Sugars 10.5g, Protein 5.8g, Vitamin A 1%, Vitamin C 6%, Calcium 5%, Iron 7%

Breakfast of Monkeys...

2009-09-11T08:04:00.019-05:00

Yesterday morning I made one of my favorite recipes: Monkey Bread. The recipe is a quick way to impress anyone you are serving for. It looks incredible in the end and it is SO easy to make. I am using the recipe from Pillsbury, but I was not happy with their caramel recipe so if you have a favorite I would recommend using that. I will be on a mission to find mine and I will surely substitute it!

Ingredients (pulled from the Pillsbury website)
1/2c. Sugar
1tsp Cinnamon
2 Cans Buttermilk Biscuits (the ones that come in the tubes you pop open)
1c. Firmly Packed Brown Sugar
3/4c. Margarine

First you mix the sugar and cinnamon in a medium size Ziploc bag. Then you cut each individual into quarters and toss them in the bag (about 2 individual biscuits at a time). Shake them to ensure they get coated very well with the cinnamon and sugar. Then place them in a pan. Some people prefer bundt pans because it makes it easier to cut portions, but I personally just like to keep it in a 9x9 glass pan and just dig in. I would use a larger pan than 9x9 or an additional smaller pan like a bread pan (that is what I did::one for work and one for home!) because 2 full biscuits is a lot to fit in one with out it exploding over the edge once it bakes. After you have placed all of the biscuits in the pans drizzle the caramel topping over them and place them in the oven for about 30 mins. with the oven on 350 degrees.

When they are all done they should have a slight crust on the top. Tip them upside down in a pan or on a plate and serve them up! They are the best to eat the day you make them. All fresh out of the oven!!

Healthy Pasta!

2009-09-10T17:06:00.013-05:00

I was brainstorming today about what to eat; as I usually end up doing in the middle of my mug of coffee or on my bus ride between classes. I often find that I rarely have any time during the week to make a meal meal more than a couple of times. So subtracting out the days for left-overs that usually leaves me with at least 3-5 meals where I don't have a lot of time to prepare an extravagant dish.

Lately I have been finding everything that I can whip up quickly is usually not the healthiest for you.... anything prepacked with an expiration date that is longer than three months from now is probably chalk full of preservatives that are unnatural for our bodies.

Pasta is my favorite go-to dish for a quick meal, so I decided to do some research for everyone and find some pasta dishes that are healthy to for your body and quick to make.
(These pictures are not pictures I have taken. They are pictures from the website that the recipe is located on.)

No Bake Mac&Cheese
from: EatingWell

This recipe contains most of the ingredients you would have on hand. I would advise switching the cheese depending on what you liked. I even kick it up a bit by adding some spices and additional veggies like red peppers and some Sriracha sauce! And for those meat lovers, this dish would be very youthful with some chopped up hot dogs or more fancy with some thinly sliced prosciutto.

Prep time: 20mins
Total time: 25mins
Per serving: 412 Calories; 13 g Fat; 7 g Sat; 1 g Mono; 37 mg Cholesterol; 56 g Carbohydrates; 22 g Protein; 7 g Fiber; 640 mg Sodium; 236 mg Potassium

Athena Pasta Primavera
from: EatingWell

What I like about this recipe is that everything is literally fresh. The recipe is so simple that you could change it depending on what veggies are in season. You could also tailor it to your favorite veggies. It is a very filling dish, but with the nutrients you gain from the veggies and the whole wheat pasta it is a quick and healthy dish to keep handy!

Prep time: 30mins
Total time: 30mins
Per serving: 305 Calories; 6 g Fat; 3 g Sat; 3 g Mono; 13 mg Cholesterol; 51 g Carbohydrates; 10 g Protein; 8 g Fiber; 326 mg Sodium; 236 mg Potassium

Whole-Wheat Pasta with Garlic and Olive Oil
from: MarthaStewart

This is probably the easiest pasta recipe I could find. Once again, like all of the other pasta recipes, this one could be tailored to what you like to have in pasta. Personally if I'm feeling like something a little less sharp I would replace the parsley with basil and I would definitely add some tomatoes. Preferably cherry tomatoes!

Sorry guys, Martha doesn't have the nutritional values nor length of time it would take to make. If I were to guess though:
Prep time: 5mins
Total time: 15mins

Exploring the New French Bakery!

2009-09-06T13:33:00.015-05:00

Today I visited the New French Bakery to get some bread! This is where Local D'lish gets all of their fresh bread. They have many great sorts of breads from a cinnamon raisin loaf to baguettes to certified organic rolls! They make new batches daily and have markdowns for their breads that weren't made that same day!
I snagged a baguette and the raisin loaf for myself! A hearty loaf of bread is also on my list of foods to tackle and be really good at making. Leslie greeted me from behind the counter, and Rebecca chimed in on information about their store. The New French Bakery is located on 26th ave and 26th street in south Minneapolis accross the street from a popular hang-out Memory Lanes. Check them out! Also, check their breads out at Local D'lish! Buying local is soo rewarding and SOO fresh!
(The baguette picture was found on the New French Bakery website, and unfortunately I didn't have my camera with to take a picture of the outside so I found that on Google)

Cinnamon&Sugar Biscotti

2009-09-05T10:05:00.009-05:00

For my first upload into my "journalBlog" I am starting with a Biscotti. I have always wanted to learn how to make a biscotti and I have heard that they are very easy to make and I feel that they would be easy to modify!

Diving on to Epicurious I found this recipe for Cinnamon & Sugar Biscotti's. They were delightful. I made these tasties last night and I was too busy figuring out how to blog.. (I know I'm in my early twenties and still don't really know how to blog. Sad.)

(Reminder: I am still an amateur food photographer!)

The original Epicurious recipe:

2 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs

1 large egg yolk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

I changed this recipe a bit due to the repeating comments on Epicurious. I cut the sugar to about 3/4ths cups because I thought 1 full cup would be a bit much. Many of the reviews also said to add another egg. So I did!

Over all the recipe was easy to make and worked really well. The texture of the biscotti was a little more moist than biscotti's should be so next time instead of adding an additional whole egg. I might try just adding another egg yolk to see if that helps. This recipe would be an easy one to make sweet or savory! For savory I will try to toss some fresh rosemary and some olive oil (perhaps as the egg substitute!) in the next batch!

Experimenting

2009-09-05T09:43:00.006-05:00

This may sound strange to some, and maybe completely normal to others, but I love to search the internet for new recipes on any down time that I have. On my lunch break at work I am searching...in the mornings before I go to work instead of checking the news or weather I am looking at new recipes...at school when my professor is taken a breath I'm searching...

I love it. It is a thrill for me to find something that I want to try. I love cheeses, salt, sugar, you name it. I have just this year started an herb garden in my kitchen window sil. I have found it more rewarding and exquisite to cook with fresh herbs. After realizing this I would purchase the herbs recipes needed from the grocery. Being a scrounging college student I decided that this new habit would get expensive fast so I started diving into information about growing herbs to cook with. This grew into a small kitchen herb garden, which grew into a small front yard herb garden. About a month after I found the success in this herb garden I decided to grow some fresh veggies too!

I can't stop. I have been reading and experimenting with anything and everything cooking related since. It is becoming bittersweet seeing the sun come up more slowely in the morning and faster at night. I have been reading advice online about how to bring gardens inside, but it seems very expensive.

If anyone has any advice they would like to share about thier successful indoor gardening PLEASE speak now! Thanks!

PS. I promise my other blogs won't be this long! Whew!