July 20, 2011

Giardiniera

What the heck is Giardiniera? It’s a spicy Italian pickled vegetable mixture that’s mostly eaten as an antipasto. Sometimes it’s included in salads and it’s occasionally shoved into a delicious Italian sub. In my case, it’s a healthy snack eaten directly out of the jar!

Ever since I had this simple salad at one of our favorite pizza places, I’ve been somewhat addicted to the taste of crunchy pickled carrots, tangy bites of cauliflower, and red peppers with spicy slices of jalapeno peppers. It’s definitely a party in your mouth! When I wasn’t able to find a reasonably priced jar of Giardiniera in my local grocery store, I figured I’d make my own. Turns out it’s a cinch to make and the second you open the lid, one whiff will you transport you to that kitschy Italian restaurant from your childhood. Pickling your own vegetables is super fun! I highly recommend it.
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recipes, Uncategorized

July 18, 2011

Creamed Summer Corn

Just when I thought fresh summer corn on the cob couldn’t get any better, I made this Creamed Summer Corn! It’s light, buttery, creamy and has something so absolutely wonderful in it– LIME. Casey swore there had to be some magical spice in the creamed corn. He sat at the dinner table devouring bite after bite, trying to figure it out. There’s a bit of cayenne in the mix, but that’s it! The lime is really what turns this creamed corn into something absolutely unreal. You’ll see.

I made this recipe with 9 ears of corn for the 6 of us, and paired it with a few slabs of ribs while we were on vacation in Tahoe. Guess what? There was no creamed corn left. Good sign? Most def!
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Uncategorized

July 18, 2011

Episode #9 is Live!!!

Hey! This week on the Joy the Baker Podcast over at Homefries, we’re at it again!

This week we are talking about:

ROAD TRIPS!!
beef jerky
how potty training & road tripping don’t mix!
what to do in the car on a road trip- think beauty salon & car detailing!

You won’t want to miss it! Come check it out!

If you want to ask us a question, email us!

Homefries has its own Facebook page! You’ll totally LIKE it.

around the home, out & about, Uncategorized

July 17, 2011

Tahoe Vacation 2011

We’re back from our week long trip to Tahoe and boy am I WIPED. Here’s what we saw/ate/did:
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Photography, Uncategorized

July 16, 2011

365- Week 27

A food related photo everyday until 2012. Here’s week 27:

195/365 Making an awesome salad with the giardiniera I just made.

recipes

July 13, 2011

Farm Stand Buttermilk Doughnuts

I recently made Crispy Fried Chicken as well as French Fries. If I’m doing all this frying, I might as well make some doughnuts, right? Do you say donuts or doughnuts? I usually type donuts because it’s faster. Whatever you say, there’s no mistake that they are hands down one of my most favorite foods. I ate six donuts in less than 15 minutes when I was pregnant. True story.

My birthday is coming up, which means I’m rushing to knock stuff off my 31 comes before 32 list. AHHH!! I still have a cleanse to do! And a fondue party in the summer?! WHAT?! Last weekend I knocked off #2. Make donuts from scratch! I had Cooper help me measure out the dry ingredients early in the morning and almost had a heart attack when he dropped the large bowl of flour on the kitchen floor. Yikes.

Five important lessons were learned while making these AH-mazing buttermilk doughnuts:

1. Do not make doughnuts unless you are FULLY caffeinated.

2. If you want a huge mess in your kitchen, ask your almost 3 year old to help you.

3. Hot doughnuts are outrageously good! And with a yeast free buttermilk dough, they’re a snap to make!

4. If you are making these for a family of 3, make sure you have friends/neighbors to give some to! Too many doughnuts in your kitchen spells TROUBLE.

5. It may take trying 6 doughnuts to help you figure out if you prefer the cinnamon sugar ones to the vanilla glazed. Don’t be alarmed.

Now friends, it’s Wednesday. You have a few days to reduce your caloric intake to prepare for this weekend’s Buttermilk Doughnut EXTRAVAGANZA! DO IT.
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recipes

July 12, 2011

Beet Parsley Apple Juice

If you have a juicer you might already know that it’s feast or famine in Juicetown. Some weeks you juice HARDCORE and then all of a sudden you find your juicer in the back of the cabinet collecting dust. It happens because sometimes you just want to EAT instead of drink juice. Right now I’m a full-throttle juicer. I think it’s probably because I talked to my mother- in- law who just started juicing and her enthusiasm rubbed off on me. Thanks, MIL! I’m glad you are apart of the juice club! I’m also excited to see my friend Kasey in Juicetown too!

Beet Parsley Apple Juice….what can you say other than the fact that it’s delicious? Parsley is really good for you because it’s super green and packed with vitamin C. Push a bunch through your juicer and marvel at the color! Beets are bright red and full of frothy juice and apples always help balance out the equation with their sweetness. Put a few ice cubes in your Beet Parsley Apple juice with a squeeze a bit of lime and you have something bright, refreshing, and super hearty. Lunch in a cup! CONTINUE READING