Soooo behind!

I am so behind on posts it's not even funny.  To catch up quickly, I will add pictures and short descriptions of what I have been up to in the kitchen!

I got this cute thing for 50 cents at a church rummage sale recently. I felt so lucky to find it!

This was my first stab at scalloped potatoes. Spencer asked for them, and when you take me to the World Series, you get what you want!

These are some yummy chocolate chip cookes I made the same night as the potatoes.  I used Trader Joes chocolate chips and followed the recipe on the back. 

We picked up this butternut squash a few weeks ago when we went to a pumpkin farm in Half Moon Bay to get our pumpkins for carving.  We still have it.  I'm looking forward to roasting it!

These are some yummy pumkin apple pancakes I made last Sunday morning.  Yummm!!! I found the recipe in the November issue of Sunset Magazine.

Carving pumpkins in the living room watching our Giants win the World Series in 4 games.  Sweep, baby!!!

I got this cake pan on clearance at Michaels for $2.99! Even though it was after Halloween, on Friday I used the leftover canned pumpkin from the pancakes to make pumpkin bread in it.  It just happened to be Dia de los Muertos, so I guess we celebrated without meaning to!

When we were at the World Series I saw a girl selling hair clips like this on the sidewalk.  I wanted to buy one, but I knew I could make something just as cute.  This is my first stab at it, and I can't wait to wear it to a game next season!

When life gives you overripe bananas...

...make banana bread! Or, in this case, banana muffins.

A friend of my mom's once said that whenever she has three overripe bananas she makes banana bread, since that is just the amount of banana you need to make it.  My mom actually forgets this statement, but I have always remembered it.  This week, I found myself with several bananas that were too ripe to still be appetizing.  I have a Better Homes &
Gardens baking book that has a banana bread recipe that looked good.  It ended up taking 4 bananas, since this specific recipe calls for 1 1/2 cup of mashed banana.  It was my first time trying this recipe, and it was great! The muffins were very moist and banana-y.

The Halloween cupcake cups and toothpicks are a seasonal touch, thanks to my mom who knows I love this time and year.  She came to visit me the night I made these, so I sent some home with her for my dad and brother.  I set some aside for Spencer, and I brought the rest to work.  They were a big hit with my co-workers!

Hopefully, now you will see brown bananas as an opportunity instead of something to be thrown out in the trash or compost!

Today I love the...

Smell of: Tea

Sound of: This American Life podcast

Taste of: Orbitz Berry Remix gum

Sight of: Sun

Feel of: New haircut

 

Good Things about Today:
- I'm seeing Spencer tonight and making dinner for him

- Today is my parents' 31st anniversary

- I got to sleep in a little this morning

- It's warm outside

-It's October, my favorite month!

1950sHousehusbandWannabe?

Last weekend Spencer took the reins on dinner and earned his own little play on my 1950shousewifewannabe domain name (is that what it's called??)

Saturday was move in day into my new apartment.  My parents, Spencer and I spent much of the day packing up at my parents house and unpacking at the apartment. Spencer took care of a lot the heavy lifting and helped my dad put together some furniture.  My mom and I got my new kitchen set up, and washed all my dishes and cookware which had been in storage for a few years.  Spencer left after a while to shop for the dinner he so nicely offered to make me that night. 

I had an idea that he was making steak salad.  We had seen some recipes in his Men'sHealth magazine that he was excited to try.  When I walked into his house, hot and exhausted, it smelled like a restaurant.  I was so impressed!! There was Spencer, standing at the counter chopping and making this awesome presentation.

He had grilled some skirt steak, chopped up onions and added bleu cheese. The salad was topped with a tasty balsamic vinaigrette. Notice the separate tomatoes. Spencer doesn't like tomatoes, but was thinking of maybe trying some mixed in with the other ingredients.  That way they wouldn't be so tomato-y:)  He didn't want to fully commit by mixing them into his salad.  He picked up some great French bread and we shared a bottle of red wine from our Carmel winetasting trip.  This salad was so delicious and what made it better was that I didn't have to do a thing!

New love

I'm in love.  And not only with Spencer.  A new cupcake has come into my life!

A few weeks ago I picked up the Martha Stewart Cupcake Book at the library.  The whole book is full of yummy recipes and cute cupcake decorating ideas.  It's not only all about cupcakes either.  There are some recipes for cute individual cheesecakes in cupcake cups which I plan to try.  I made copies of a few favorites and one of them was the snickerdoodle cupcake.  I got a chance to try it last night, as today is a co-worker's birthday and I volunteered to bake rather than get a storebought sheet cake (gag).

These cupcakes were made completely from scratch, including the frosting, and doing that really isn't that much more difficult than using a box mix.  I was a little worried about them turning out right, since it was my first time with the recipe and I was making them for an audience other than Spencer or my family who still have to love me even if what I make comes out gross. As soon as I tasted them I knew this would be my new go-to cupcake for special occasions.  They are amazing!!  The sugar/butter/cinnamon flavor combo is so simple and wonderful.  Just like the easy-to-make cookies of the same name. Ahhhh...so good!

The frosting suggested in this recipe is Martha Stewart's 7 Minute Frosting, also found in her cupcake book.  That frosting is kind of meringue-y and hardens as it dries.  I pictured it as those airy meringue cookies that turn to powder in your mouth.  I didn't think that sounded very good on top of a cupcake, so instead I used my mom's tried and true homemade frosting recipe.  To be honest, I actually just had her make it.  This recipe is eyeballed amounts of butter, milik, powdered sugar and vanilla mixed until they are at the perfect consistency.  Sometime it's dense, but this time it was light and airy and fabulous!!

The party for my co-worker is today at 4:30pm.  Instead of doubling the recipe, which would have given me close to 60 cupcakes, I made 1 1/2 times the recipe, so I ended up with about about 35.  There was a bit of batter left over, but by that time I had enough cupcakes and just wanted to go to bed.  I probably have could gotten just over 40 if I kept going.  Of course I set 4 aside for Spencer, which he will be getting tonight, in addition to my Greek chicken and squash kabobs, lemon-almond orzo and yogurt sauce.  That's a whole other blog post!

Cookie time!

Have I mentioned what a lucky guy Spencer is? When we met, he didn't screen me by asking if I like to cook and bake, but he definitely lucked out in that department! I cook dinner for him frequently, but I haven't been baking as much as I would like to.  This week I decided to try making a new cookie, incorporating white chocolate chips along with semisweet.  I had some white chocolate chips lying around by accident.  Around Christmastime, I was at home baking with my mom, and we sent my dad to the store.  We handed him a sheet of paper with two recipes on it and he bought all the stuff for the wrong one.  Oops! I like using up ingredients I have and these cookies seemed like a good way to do it.

I asked Spencer about it first, so that I wouldn't waste time making something he wouldn't eat, and he said it sounded good!  They are good! And so was the dough.  I ate a ton of it!

 
Spencer gets them tomorrow.  He got cookies from my mom yesterday, but I'm sure those are all gone by now and he will be ready for a new batch!

DIY Birthday

This weekend we went to a BBQ to celebrate Spencer's sister's birthday.  In place of wine or any other hostess gift, she asked people to bring diapers for a shelter in her area that she has been donating to.  We brought a package of diapers, but I wanted to bring something festive as well.

I have seen flower cakes around for a long time and had never gotten the chance to make one. They look so great in pictures.  Doing a whole cake can take a lot of flowers and get really expensive, so I decided to just do a slice of cake.  Next time I do this I will use "flatter" flowers.  These carnations have a bulbous thing underneath the flower that make them stick up above the floral foam, exposing it.  Flowers like daisies would create a flatter, cleaner look.  Oh well, next time!

I also utililzed some stickers and scrapbooking embellishments to make this card.

Some homemaker idols

Today is Julia Child's 100th birthday! I know this because of Google's daily image, and it seemed like a relevant thing to post about.  Julia's cooking style is a little sophistocated and time consuming for me, but she was one of the first female cooks to bring cooking into people's homes with cooking shows.  So for that, happy birthday, Julia!

The other day I was wearing a cardigan, black pants cropped at the ankle and ballet flats.  My mom told me I looked just like Laura Petrie from the Dick Van Dyke Show.  I thought it was a great compliment! She's a more modern housewife than those of the Lucy and Ethel variety, and I love her style!



New recipes

I mentioned in my post yesterday that I found a bunch of new recipes online that I printed out to add to my recipe binder.  I was excited about them, and as it turns out I ended up using two of them yesterday! 

Spencer and I spoke in the afternoon about what he might want for dinner.  He felt like fish and suggested sole or tilapia.  I love fish, so that sounded good to me. I was still at work when I was planning my shopping list and I realized that one of the side dishes I came across earlier would go well with the fish and fried potatoes I was planning on making.  I also decided to try one of the dessert recipes I came across.  It felt good to have a plan rather than wander the grocery store after work when I'm tired, hungry and just want to get to my honey bunny!

Adtually, I love grocery shopping.  I find it relaxing.  Also, stocking up on food evokes that feeling in me that is probably instinctual in women - the desire to feed and take care of your family and those you love.  I feel like nothing bad can happen while I'm grocery shopping.  I enjoy comparing prices and finding the best deal, reading labels to find the best ingredients.  I just love it!

Anyway, the meal I put together was very easy and took about an hour. 

I ended up getting sole filets, because they seemed a little meatier than tilapia.  Tilapia is good, but can be thin and unsatisfying. I dipped the filets first in an egg and milk mixture and then in Italian seasoned breadcrumbs.  As I was frying them up, Spencer came in and added what I thought was wayyyyyyy too much olive oil, but they came out great.  Not partially burned like they usually do when I try to limit the oil.  It's the healthy kind, afterall, and a lot of the oil evaporates or is left over in the pan. 

The potatoes are just fried in a pan with red onions and some salt and pepper. I made the potatoes and corn first, as they could be warmed while I made the fish.  The fish should be eaten as soon as it's ready.

This is what I was most excited about. Confetti corn! I found this recipe earlier in the day from Ina Garten, aka The Barefoot Contessa.

Hers looked a lot more colorful, as my orange peppers turned yellow and blended in with the yellow of the corn.  But the idea is that the corn is peppered with "confetti" colors of other veggies.  It's always great to add color to your diet, and this is a quick and easy way to get some! Perfect for summer. The recipe is here:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/confetti-corn-recipe4/index.html 

We enjoyed our meal with a great pinot noir from Boekenoogen Winery which we picked up in Carmel a couple of weeks ago.

To end the meal, I made something that I expect to make a lot more in the future.  It is one of the easiest and cheapest desserts imaginable. It was one of the recipes I collected that morning, and I was excited to try it.

Lemon Graham Freeze

6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 can (5 ounces) evaporated milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 4 drops yellow food coloring, optional
• 6 whole graham crackers

  Directions

• Place milk in a small bowl; beat for a few seconds to get froth. Freeze for 25-30 minutes or until soft crystals form around edges of bowl.
• Beat milk until stiff peaks form. Gradually add the sugar, lemon juice and food coloring if desired.
• Place five graham crackers in an ungreased 11-in. x 7-in. dish; pour milk mixture over crackers. Crush remaining graham cracker and sprinkle over top. Cover and freeze until firm. Yield: 6 servings.

 Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 piece) equals 164 calories, 3 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 8 mg cholesterol, 120 mg sodium, 32 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 3 g protein.

Mine didn't look exactly like this.  We ate it right out of the dish rather than cutting it into squares.  It was really tasty.  It was especially good for such a warm day because it was cold and light.

It tastes kind of like a cheesecake.  And Spencer loves anything with a graham cracker crust, so it was a hit! We ate most of it, even though it says it serves 6 (servings are usually way off).  Since I had a lot of the evaporated milk left, and it's so easy to make, I quickly put together another one for Spencer to eat over the next few days.



Gettin' Scrappy

I had almost a full day to scrapbook this past weekend! Spencer was working in his yard, which is his main project these days, so I got to make some progress on my projects, too.  I felt like I got a lot done, even though I only planned on quickly putting my Sausalito page together.  I ended up finishing a total of 4 pages. That always happens.  Once I get started, it's hard to stop! There is still a bit to do before I get caught up, but I loved spending a Sunday doing one of my favorite things.

Today I love the..

Smell of: New conditioner

Sound of: This American Life podcast

Taste of: Trident layer gum

Sight of: Blue sky

Feel of: New white pants

Good Things about Today:
- I'm seeing Spencer tonight

- I'm feeling productive at work without being totally stressed out

- I found a lot of good recipes online today to add to my recipe binder

- It's warm outside!

Chilly day chili

Saturday it felt like winter, not the first weekend in August! Spencer spent the day outside working in the yard and he said chili sounded good for such a cold, wintery day. The chili recipe I follow is here:
http://lowfatcooking.about.com/od/beefrecipes/r/lfgmaedaychili.htm

It was the first time I used my new Dutch oven and I loved it! This chili is always a big hit, especially when you top it with yummy cheese, sour cream and cornbread.  Spencer likes to SMOTHER his with butter and honey.  It's almost like dessert!  I think he likes the cornbread even more than the chili.  There is just something about this combination of flavors. We also enjoyed a nice pinot noir that we picked up on our winetasting trip to Carmel last weekend.  This meal evokes warmth and comfort, perfect for a relaxing night keeping warm on the couch and watching the Olympics.

I also made an apple pie using my apple peeler.  I know I have already posted about that handy little gadget, but I can't say enough about how useful it is.  I have always loved making pies, but was starting to dread the idea of it because peeling the apples took so much time and effort.  Luckily for Spencer, and other recipients of my apple pies, I no longer feel that way!

These are pictures from our cozy, cold-weather dinner:)

Happy Birthday to an Icon

Martha Stewart turns 71 today!! I know she has gotten in trouble for insider trading and a lot of people don't like her.  Also, she can be arrogant on her TV and radio show.  Even so, she is the icon of the lifestyle I love and the home I hope to make. So happy birthday, Martha!

Some people are so clever!

These are great household tips.  I'm definitely going to try some of these! I especially like the idea to use an over the door shoe organizer for cleaning products.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/samir/18-household-tips-that-will-help-you-get-through-y

Another quote from my new favorite author

"[Her daughter] calls her 'Betty,' as in Crocker.  Irene doesn't  mind.  In many ways, she's flattered.  She thinks people who value creating a home and caring for children are vastly underrated.  Vastly, vastly, vastly. Plus more vastly than that, and then some.  What better thing than to have a skinned knee tended by someone who feels the injury along with you?  What deeper comfort after a bad dream than seeing a familiar silhouette at your doorjamb, feeling a familiar weight settling itself at your bedside?  A table set properly, folded clothes, a stocked refrigerator.  Who can say they do not appreciate the idea of home when it conveys such riches - not only appreciate it but also, in certain moments, grant it the elevated place it deserves?"

And another one I came across:

"A comfortable home is a great source of happiness.  It ranks immediately after health and a good conscience."

-Sydney Smith

Quote found by a bookworm

This year I found an author I LOVE, Elizabeth Berg, and I am making my way through all of her books.  I find her characters highly relatable in that they often think the same way I do about things, which is to say they feel things very strongly.  I came across this quote while reading yesterday:

"'I am living in the wrong time,' she said, suddenly.  And when he asked her what she meant, she said, 'I am fulfilled by making hamburger patties, by the care of my child.  I like the smell of laundry detergent.  I like listening to what [my daughter] has to say more than reading the newspaper.  I don't want to be a photographer or run for office.  I don't want to make a million dollars.  I want to read poetry and novels and raise my daughter and make chocolate chip cookies.' And when he said there was nothing wrong with that, she told him he was the only one who thought so."

This really hit home with me.  I feel exactly the same way, like I was born in the wrong time.  I could not care less about quotas, channel partners, referrals, pinging, closing or circling back. It makes it hard when that is what seems to make the world go round.

That hit the spot!

Tonight's delicious summer meal was truly a team effort, so I have to share the credit on this one.  Spencer suggested salmon on the grill, so he was in charge of that.  I love that he loves to grill!  To accompany the salmon, I threw together a tasty orzo salad that incorporated a lot of fresh veggies that gave it a refreshing summer feel.  I added in red bell peppers, cucumbers and red onions.  Spencer helped by throwing together the dressing for the salad while the salmon was grilling.  The asparagus came out great too.  I roasted the spears in the oven with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and left them in for 10 minutes at 400 degrees.  Delicious!  We got this altogether in about 30 minutes. This was a great, yummy and easy summer meal, made even better with our favorite Souverain chardonnay and chocolate covered strawberries for dessert. Something about that combination is so heavenly!

Today I love the..

Smell of: The way it smells outside on a hot day
Sound of: Alice radio
Taste of: Leftover chocolate covered strawberries!
Sight of: Blue sky
Feel of: Sun

Good Things about Today:
- Yoga tonight with my mom
- I got to sleep in a little today
- I woke up next to my honey buns
- I finally have an apartment!



Dear Santa, I know it's July, but...

There isn't much to post today, other than that I really want one of these!

I think my favorite color is pistachio, although how can I really choose?!? Maybe I just need all of them!

I CANNOT wait to get my hands on my very own Kitchenaid mixer. I think I will have really arrived as a "domestic diva" when this is proudy displayed on my counter.  I'm already thinking of all the cookies, cakes and other things I will make.  The possibilities are literally limitless!! For now this is what I'm Googling instead of working.

Today I love the...

Smell of: Mexican sage

Sound of: Martha Stewart Radio

Taste of: Strawberry/citrus gum

Sight of: Sunshine

Feel of: New sweater

Good Things about Today:
- I get to see a very special person tonight

- It's warm out!

- The workday is almost over

- I am one step closer to checking a major thing off my "list" (more details to come if all goes well!)

Gadget that has changed my life

I love making apple pies, especially for the holidays.  Apple is my favorite kind of pie, likely because I grew up eating it more than any other type since my grandparents had an apple tree in their backyard.  The apples were much too bitter to be eaten right off the tree, but when baked in a pie they were delicious.  I usually make pies for the Christmas, and it can be an all day event that I have to plan for during an already busy season.  I usually make several at a time, and it can take hours and once I get on a roll I may as well keep going.  It's mainly the peeling and slicing part that takes so much time.  I usually set myself up on a chair in front of the TV with a bowl of apples, another bowl or pot for the peels and go to town for a couple hours.  But no more! This week I used the apple peeler I got for my birthday for the first time. It peels and slices at the same time!  It turned what would have been a 1.5 hour job into a 5 minute job, and I couldn't have been more excited! I like how the peeler looks old fashioned, because we know how much I love vintage kitchenware. 

I got a set of Paula Deen pie crust cutters a while back and this week was my first time using them as well.  The set came with a star, a heart, a flower and a leaf.  The star was perfect for the 4th of July, and helped me copy an idea I saw on Martha Stewart's website for a star-covered pie. How cute is this? I sent it with my parents to the BBQ they were going to and I heard it was a big hit!



A little of this, a little of that

This post is about something I made last week, but I wanted to share it anyway. 

I bring my lunch to work everyday.  It's more economical than going out and buying something, and also it makes it easier to be healthy.  I often bring soup, because it's healthy and inexpensive.  Last Tuesday night I was thinking about lunch for the rest of the week and thought about going to the store for a few cans of soup.  Then I decided to look at what I had to see if I could make something from scratch, which wouldn't cost anything and would be a lot healthier.

This is what I found that seemed useful:
1 can black beans
1 can white beans
1 can tomato sauce
some veggies including celery, squash, peppers, tomatos, onions

It seemed like I could make a pretty good soup from this stuff.  I started by sauteeing the vegetables in some olilve oil and spices (chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. I eyeballed the amounts, but it was probably 1 tbsp chli powder, 1 tbsp cumin, 1 tsp each of salt and pepper) then added the tomato sauce and beans.  I simmered it for about 30 minutes, and voila! Easy, cheap and good for you! It made enough for lunch for three days.  I love the feeling of utilizing what I have.

Today I love:

Smell of: Marc Jacobs perfume

Sound of: Quiet office

Taste of: Canteloupe

Sight of: Sun
Feel of: Stretching

Good Things about Today:

- I might be singing a lease for an apartment tonight

- I'm not totally stressed at work today (yet)

-The sun is shining

- I woke up before my alarm

A weekend of scavenging

This weekend was the annual rummage sale at St. Peter Church. My mom and I got up early on Saturday and planned on being at the front of the line of people waiting for the doors to open.  While we were getting ready to go, my mom's friend called to say that her husband had seen a vintage Pyrex bowl at a garage sale that morning for $1.  I decided I should go check that out right away before heading to the rummage sale, so I did.  The bowl was still there and for $1 I couldn't pass it up.  I love the pattern, but it's not in great shape. If I ever find one of the same in better condition I will swap this one out.

Then we went to the rummage sale and could tell pretty quickly that there was no Pyrex:(  I did a couple sweeps of the tables and didn't find anything.  Then on my third and fourth sweeps I started to find some stuff I "needed."  I got three plush patchwork pumpkins, originally from Hallmark, for only $1 each.  I love Halloween/Fall so I couldn't pass those up.  I got a really nice, brand new looking vase and a pan to make mini-bundts! I think mini-bundts are getting to be the new cupcake in the hierarchy of trendy baked goods.

After the rummage sale my mom went to her friend's house and the house next door was being cleaned out because the woman who lived there recently passed away.  Her daughter was there clearing stuff out.  My mom knows her and she said basically everything in the house was up for grabs because she didn't want to deal with having a garage sale.  My mom called me to meet her there to see if I wanted anything.  Man, we were in a scavengy mood that day!  I got a cute end table with a glass top that lifts up to make a shadow box display inside.  But I am most excited about this:

A Dutch oven! Of course it's old and used, but it's a real Belgian, enameled, cast iron Dutch oven! I was so excited to get this.  And for free!! I have been wanting one for a long time, but new ones of this size can cost between $250-$300.  It also came with a smaller one that has a handle.  This was such a great find.  I'm already planning all of the chili, soups and stews I will be making in this!

Prepare to have your tastebuds blown

I was shopping at Trader Joes yesterday on my lunch break shopping for the dinner Spencer I would be making that night.  I was walking around frustrated that they didn't have what I needed, and annoyed that I would have to go to Safeway as well.  Then I saw the woman at the sample cart sampling something called cookie butter.  It looked like peanut butter and was spread on gingersnaps.  I was skeptical, but tried it anyway and was amazed at how good it was! The woman giving out the samples said she wishes she didn't know about it because now she eats so much of it! It's ground up gingersnap cookies mixed into a peanut butter-like consistency.  It's like cookie dough, but better and you aren't risking getting sick when you ear it.  She suggested putting it on apples, which sounded great. At Safeway I picked up some nice, crisp gala apples, in addition to what else I needed for dinner. 

After our grilled chicken, asparagus risotto and grilled squash on skewers, I surprised Spencer with the cookie butter.  He was instantly hooked and after a few spoonfuls, I brought out the apples.  What a great combo!  This stuff is dangerous!

Wine, anyone?

As a craft-minded person, I am always trying to think of ways I can reuse things that most people just throw away, such as blank CDs, Altoid tins, and wine corks.  I recently started collecting corks and family and friends joined in on the fun! They started saving their corks for me too, and my collection was growing quite slowly.  Then, Spencer's sister found a huge bag of free corks in the "free" section of a new mom's group message board she belongs follows.  She snatched them up for me and I was instantly inspired! There were enough corks to do any/all of the cork craft projects I had been researching online and thinking of myself.  I went out that day and got some wicker wreaths from the dollar store.  I came home that night planning on finishing one wreath, and ended up making two!  They take about 1.5 hour each and require a lot of corks, so a big bag like the one Jennifer got for me definitely helps! Thanks, Jenn! (PS- She is getting one of the wreaths as a "thank you", but she doesn't know it yet)

For your viewing pleasure

I wanted to backtrack and post pictures of somethings I have made recently before starting this blog.

This one has proved to be one of my boyfriend, Spencer's, favorites.  Marinated Greek chicken kabobs with lemon orzo and dill yogurt dipping sauce.  Very easy to make and tasty!

This steak salad was Spencer's idea and it turned our great! I used my new indoor grill pan to grill the steaks.

Lemon mousse with blackberry garnish has a lot of steps, but is overall an easy recipe for a refreshing, light dessert. 

I think this fresh berry cobbler is going to be a new favorite! It's very simple to make, tastes great and is a good excuse to use your favorite vintage bakeware!

Spencer's ultimate favorite thing that I make is my chicken parmesan.  This picture isn't great, because I didn't think to take one until we had already dug into the chickem parmesan! But if you look closely you will see the watermelon pink vintage Pyrex baking dish that I picked up at an antique store earlier that day.  I couldn't wait to use it!