May 30, 2013

Farro Salad

I was invited to my friend Kasey’s birthday/picnic in Golden Gate Park over the weekend and I planned on making my favorite potato salad but then my parents came over and my mom brought me a taste of Ina Garten’s Farro Salad. I spent 15 minutes hovered over my kitchen counter spooning bite after bite into my mouth. It was tangy. It was hearty. It was crunchy. The peppers! The carrots! The balsamic and the sweetness of the red onions! The nuttiness of the farro! It’s as if you crossed farro salad with Giardiniera. And oh boy do I love Giardiniera!

So, this is what I brought. I just HAD to. And in the morning of making it, I stood over the counter pouring scoop after scoop into my a little bowl for “tasting” purposes. Because one has to get everything just perfect before bringing a salad to a picnic, right?

There’s no doubt this will be making several appearances in my summer get-togethers this year. Excited!

recipes, Uncategorized

May 28, 2013

Lemon Buttermilk Bundt Cake

I love lemons. It’s no joke.If you ever asked me to make a list of my kitchen staples, lemons would be high on that list. You can almost always find a bag of them in my kitchen because they’re the ultimate flavor enhancer. Need to perk up some leftovers? Lemon is almost always my answer. It’s also one of my most favorite smells of all time. If only you could take a whiff of this cake…

This Memorial Day weekend I was waffling back and forth about what to make in the kitchen. I wanted to make a bunch of things to get ahead of schedule but then I felt extremely lazy and decided that I’d just throw in the towel and call it a holiday. So, I sat outside with a coffee and an older issue of Bon Appetit and I realized I had all of the ingredients to make this Lemon Buttermilk Bundt Cake. I find in these moments to just go forth and create. I have no will power when I see that I have all the ingredients in a recipe. MUST MAKE. NOW.

I made this cake for my in-laws. We planned to eat it for dessert but s’mores got in the way (who can resist?!). Instead it turned into a booze-fueled-late night-snacking cake and a morning picking-on-this-because-we’re-not-ready-to-eat-breakfast-but-we-still-want-something cake. It sat on the edge of the counter in my sister-in-law’s kitchen and slowly throughout the day it withered away, half piece by half piece. A slice is perfect with a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream & berries but it’s also good on its own…eaten without a plate en route to watching BBQ Pitmasters ALL DAY long (ahem, Casey). If you love lemon, then you’ll most certainly love this bundt. The glaze is simply the best.

my everyday life, Photography

May 25, 2013

My Everyday Life: Week 21

Here’s what this past week looked like:

Dogwoods are pretty.

Uncategorized

May 25, 2013

Happy Memorial Day Weekend {ROUNDUP}

Long weekends are for sleeping in. Long weekends are also for eating lots of food with friends & family. OUTDOORS.

If you’re looking for ideas on what to make this weekend, LOOK NO FURTHER! I have some wonderful suggestions for you.

Uncategorized

May 24, 2013

I love lists, Friday!

Bill Cosby! Fashion Icon! Who knew?
Signs that You’re a Homebody (we’re homebodies)
I can’t get this Strawberry Coconut Lassi out of my head.
30 Shocking & Unexpected Google Street Views
There’s always money in the banana stand. Frozen Bananas!
I’ve been using this to keep track of my time online. It’s really helping.
Side shots of food! Very cool.
I’m craving cookies like WHOA ever since I spied these beauties.
This is what happens when you bully kids at school. Good job, Mom!
Just another reason to love Zach Galifianakis.
If I was a celebrity kid, I’d definitely do the same…
Have you seen the sequel to Ship My Pants? Big Gas Savings!
Would you rather? If you love that game, you’ll love this site.
33 Unwritten Rules EVERYONE Needs to Follow. AMEN TO THIS.
Joy is turning 32 this weekend. I love her list.

GO GET IT!!! On the most recent Joy the Baker podcast, we talk to our 21 Year Old Selves.

Rosewensian adapted my Cheddar Cheese Bread (and has made other recipes of mine!!)

Artpology made my Walnut Raisin No Knead Bread

Rocked By Life adapted my Clove Scented Sidecar

Found in Oklahoma made my Cinnamon Sugar Baked Doughnuts

recipes, Uncategorized

May 22, 2013

Almond Cookies

I have this terrible habit of buying the same items of clothing when I’m shopping. I walk in with the intent to get something new and my brain goes into robot mode. MUST FIND STRIPED SHIRTS/BLACK & WHITE ANYTHING/PERFECT BLACK DRESS. Can one ever have enough striped shirts? (NO) How about the perfect black scooped-neck shirt? I have to stop myself when I’m about to buy another black dress…It’s just that I can’t help it. I know exactly what I like/want. If only stores carried nothing but black denim wide leg pants & striped shirts year round, I’d be all set.

I suppose my food cravings are pretty much the same. I love anything almondy. Here on this site you’ve seen me make granola, danishes, bars, cookies,vegan cookiest, raw cookies, caramel corn, appetizers loaded with almonds. I feel like I have the same issue with almonds as I do with my striped shirt collection. NEED MORE. ALWAYS. Thank goodness almonds are good for you.

We enjoyed these cookies a little too much at my house. I had to freeze some and give some away because there wasn’t much stopping me from eating one after another after another. They’re nutty, sweet & fragrant with vanilla. They’re perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack with tea. I wouldn’t mind a few broken over ice cream with fresh berries. Let’s make that happen! I think on my next go-around, I’m going to add a bit of almond extract because I can’t get enough of almonds.

recipes

May 20, 2013

Bombay Fizz Cocktail

Ever feel like you need a weekend after a weekend. Yeah. Me too. Like…every weekend.

MONDAYS. Mondays are like jumping into a pool when you don’t really want to deal with the cold water shock but you have to cuz you have to like make a living or something. Mondays are for watching The Voice and eating really easy dinners (POPCORN!) that include comforting carbohydrates. Mondays are for cocktails. Mondays are annoying unless Mondays are your weekend. Then…happy weekend to you! You get to run errands during the day when everyone is working. This is cool. I’m happy for you.

This gin cocktail is just what I/you need on a Monday. The best part is that if you don’t have a crowd of people to share it with, you can totally keep it in your fridge for a few days. Because Tuesdays and Wednesdays call for cocktails too. And by Thursday…you might have a little leftover and Thursdays are for getting ready for Friday. And the day before Friday calls for more gin. Don’t fight me on this. If you’re a lover of gin, you’re already know how well it goes with lime. In this particular cocktail, orange flower (blossom) water is added to the mix as well as simple syrup, a little bit of salt for balance, and a nice spritz of seltzer. I can/will have this cocktail any day of the week if given the opportunity. All is right in the world with this cocktail. Trust.