Nesting Habits

Eggs Blackstone

2011-11-11T11:00:00.001-08:00

We are headed to Sun Valley for Thanksgiving, as is tradition for the Barlows. We are very excited. I LOVE Sun Valley. There is an amazing little breakfast place there called The Kneadery, where they serve the most delicious, belly filling breakfasts. This dish is my favorite there, so I share with you my version.

p.s. There's a chance you will see a lot of bacon around here in the near future.

Ingredients

8 large eggs

4 english muffins

8 roma tomatoes

4 slices applewood smoked bacon

4 egg yolks

1 T fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 stick unsalted butter, melted

Olive Oil

Kosher salt

Freshly Ground pepper

Dash of cayenne pepper

2 t distilled white vinegar.

Method

Pre-heat your oven to 400. Slice your tomatoes in half, and squeeze out the seeds. Toss them in olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Roast the tomatoes on a sheet pan with parchment paper for 20-25 minutes. Mean while you can work on the rest of the dish.

Start your bacon in a cold frying pan, then turn the heat up, and cook until it's crispy all the way through, drain the pieces on a paper towel, then chop them up and set aside

Split the english muffins and lay them split side up on a cookie sheet. When the tomatoes are done, switch the oven to broil and toast the muffins.

In a stainless steel bowl, whisk the egg yolks and lemon juice together until nearly doubled in size. Set aside.

Fill a pot with water, add a pinch of salt, and 2 teaspoons of distilled white vinegar, and bring the water to a medium simmer. Crack the eggs into the water one at a time very slowly, and use a fork to gather the spreading whites around the egg. Poach the eggs for 1-3 minutes. You want to watch them - they will each spread differently. You want the whites cooked through, with the yolk still runny.

While the eggs are poaching, begin assembling your Eggs Blackstone. Start with your toasted muffins, add 2 tomato halves to each piece. As the eggs are finishing, remove them with a slotted spoon and place one on each muffin on top of the tomatoes.

Once all of the eggs are done, place the stainless steel bowl over the pan of simmering water and whisk the yolks while heating them. Slowly whisk in the melted butter, and continue stirring until thickened and doubled. Be careful not to overheat, or the eggs will curdle.

When the sauce is ready, remove it from the heat, season with a pinch of salt, and a pinch of cayenne.

Ladle the hollandaise sauce over the eggs, top with the chopped bacon, and serve your Eggs Blackstone immediately.

Classic Wedge

2011-11-10T15:55:00.001-08:00

I love a good wedge salad. I almost always order one, if it's on the menu. This recipe serves 4.

Ingredients

1 head of Iceburg lettuce

4 strips Applewood Smoked bacon, fried and diced

1/2 cup grape tomatoes, sliced in half

1/3 cup sliced red onion

1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese

1 pkg Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix, prepared as directed (not the buttermilk version, and I like to add extra milk to thin it out - make it to your desired consistency)

Freshly ground black pepper

Method

Bang the head of lettuce, core side down once or twice, and remove the core. Peel off the outer layers of lettuce, and slice in half. Then slice each half into 4 pieces - 2 to a plate. Divide the cheese, onions, bacon, and tomatoes evenly, drizzle with dressing, grind some pepper over top and serve.

Chili Beef Brisket Nachos

2011-11-09T15:42:00.000-08:00

These are perfect for a game day, or a brisk fall afternoon. This chili, with tender chunks of slow cooked brisket, is also good in bowl by itself and served with cornbread.

Ingredients

1 large piece of Brisket - in your beef section of your grocery store
4 cups chicken stock
16 oz can of whole tomatoes, crushed by hand
1 red onion, diced

4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 serrano chili, seeded and diced ** Use kitchen gloves when seeding and chopping hot peppers

1 habanero seeded and diced

1 jalepeno seeded and diced

1 anaheim pepper, seeded and diced
2 T chipotles in adobo sauce
1 t pasilla chili powder
1 t chili powder
1/4 bittersweet chocolate chips
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
4 T ground cumin
Olive oil

For the toppings:
Pico de gallo, or fresh salsa
Sliced, canned jalepenos
Mexican Crema
Shredded monterrey jack and cheddar combo

Method
Liberally season the brisket with salt and pepper, plus the 4 T of ground cumin, front and back. Sear the brisket in a hot pan with a few tablespoons of olive oil for 30 sec - 1 min each side. Wrap the brisket in tin foil, place it on a cookie sheet, and cook the brisket for 10 hours in the oven on 225. I like to cook it through the night. Meanwhile, prepare the chili.

Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a heavy stainless steel pot over medium heat. Add the onions, and cook until they become translucent, then add the garlic, and continue to cook for a minute or so, then add the peppers and cook until they begin to soften. Next add the pasilla powder, and the chili powder, tossing and coating the onions and peppers, and toast the spices for a minute or so. **Be careful not to breath deeply around the pot - the spices will get in your throat and you will be coughing for a long time.** Next add the tomatoes, and the stock to the pan. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up all the bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil, then let it simmer for 20 minutes.

Pour your chocolate into a blender, and slowly ladle the chili mixture in as well. (if your blender isn't big enough, you can do it in batches, or you can pour your chocolate into the pan and use a hand blender) Blend the chili until smooth, and return to the pot to continue simmering.

Once the brisket is finished, allow it to rest for a few minutes, clean the fat off, dice it into 1 inch cubes, and add it to the chili. Season to taste. Let it all simmer together for at least 30 minutes over low heat. The longer it simmers together the better the flavor.

Serve the chili straight from the pot over chips, add the cheese to melt, and continue with the rest of your toppings. Serve immediately.

Preston's Blessing Day

2011-11-07T21:21:00.000-08:00

Preston is totally official. Shane gave him a beautiful baby blessing yesterday, assisted by his brothers, and we were able to spend some quality time with our other Dyer families.

It's killing you, right? The cuteness?

We are DYING over this kid.

Preston is the sweetest, happiest baby! He loves to be held and kissed, and as long as you are looking at him and talking to him he never stops smiling.

We love this kid like crazy.

BIG thanks to Minna for taking these pictures.

Halloween at the Dyers

2011-11-03T12:06:00.000-07:00

We had so much fun celebrating Halloween this year in our new house and neighborhood!

James actually thinks he IS a fireman, and he wears his uniform with pride. He also thinks that candy is part of the gig.

Preston (3months old now) is our Fireman's faithful rescue dog.

Cutest rescue dog I've ever seen.

The Perfect Bird

2011-11-01T21:42:00.000-07:00

Thanksgiving is around the corner! If you are planning a dinner, you should order your turkey soon. You can order from William Sonoma and it will be delivered to your door, fresh, free-range, etc. Or, you can usually order form your local grocer. However you get your bird, fresh is best - not frozen.

Ingredients
1 10-12lb fresh turkey
Turkey Brine (William Sonoma brine mix with apple base)
Buttermilk
Turkey Herb blend (William Sonoma)
1 stick of butter
Canola Oil
Paprika
2 Yellow Onions
2 Heads of Garlic
2 Celery Stalks
Handful of fresh Rosemary and Thyme sprigs
Kosher Salt
Freshly Ground Pepper
Kitchen twine, or strong cotton thread, and strong needle

Method
24-36 Hours before you will be roasting your bird, start your brine. Follow the instructions on the brine jar, but substitute Buttermilk for Apple juice.

Pull out the neck and giblets, rinse out and drain the inside of the turkey, and quickly wash off the outside. Put the turkey back in your fridge while the brine cools enough to put in your turkey. I use my canning pot to brine my turkey, and turn it over every 8 hours or so.

Pull out of the brine, clean, and pat dry.

Mix your stick of butter with 1 Tablespoon of the turkey herb blend, and rub the compound butter all over the bird - under the skin and over the breasts, and massage it in everywhere. Season with salt and pepper under the skin as well. Let sit for a while while you prepare the vegetables for stuffing.

Quarter the onions, slice the garlic in half crosswise, rough chop the celery, and bruise the herbs.

Generously season the cavity with kosher salt, and freshly ground pepper, and stuff with the herbs, and vegetables. Fill it as much as you can, sew the cavity shut, and bind the legs.

Rub the outside of your turkey with canola oil, and sprinkle the entire surface with paprika, which will give your bird a beautiful golden brown crust.

Roast your turkey on a rack, in a roasting pan at 325 for 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Tent the turkey with tinfoil for the first hour, then remove.

Allow the turkey to rest, covered in foil for 30 minutes before cutting into it. And when you serve the Turkey, cut off the whole breast first, then slice it into pieces for serving.

Fallin Off The Bone Ribs

2011-10-18T18:37:00.000-07:00

These are easy to make - I promise. It just takes a little preparation.

Ingredients
As many racks of Pork Baby Back Ribs as you want to make (1 rack serves 3)
Pork spice rub (available at any grocery store in the spices - I like William Sonoma's Rib Rub)
Your favorite BBQ (William Sonoma's Cowtown is really good)

Method
*The night before* Wash the ribs down with water and pat dry. Then remove the membrane from the back side (optional).
Generously season the ribs with the spice rub, front and back.
Wrap each rack in plastic wrap and refrigerate over-night.

*The next Day* You need to start about 7 hours before you want to serve your ribs. Take the ribs out of the fridge, and unwrap them. Then place each rack in a tinfoil envelope, meat side up, and seal and fold the packet on the top side.
Place the ribs on a cookie sheet, and slow cook them at 225 for 6 hours, rotating front to back 1/2 way through.
When the 6 hours is up - take the ribs out of the oven, open up the tinfoil packet, and drain the liquid off. *** Hold the ribs in the tinfoil while you do this - they will fall apart if you try to take them out.
When all the racks have been drained, fold down the tinfoil on each side of the racks to fully expose the ribs.
Turn your oven onto Broil - high.
Brush the tops of the ribs with your BBQ Sauce, and place them under the broiler until it starts bubbling and forming a crust. **Repeat this at least 2 or 3 times - you are developing layers of flavor.

You can transfer to a serving platter for better presentation, or leave it in the pan. Enjoy!

Preston Flint

2011-08-16T21:15:00.000-07:00

I can't believe a whole month has gone by since this little guy came to join our family. I don't know where its gone.

He is amazing. We are so, so blessed.

Introducing..

2011-07-22T15:58:00.000-07:00

Preston Flint Dyer
7.19.11
7lbs 2oz

Another miracle. A precious little soul straight from God, in the most delicious packaging.

I wondered how I would love 2, and what it would be like, but I find myself struggling to remember what it felt like to only have James. I love this baby as if I have always loved him, and as if there were always 2.

I am smack in the middle of baby euphoria. I am so so happy.

You Know You're Nesting.....

2011-06-28T12:54:00.000-07:00

When you forget to buy milk at the store, because you're too busy looking at cleaning products, and filling your cart with:

Everyday shower cleaner, deep cleaner, and CLR
Wood cleaning wipes, everyday spray, and wax/protectant solution
Stainless steel wipes, and deep cleaning spray
3 different kinds of pre-wash treatments for your laundry and Tide Bleach pens
New bottles of hand soap for every sink in the house
Counter-top spray
A new mop
A new duster
And so on....

Then, upon arriving home from the store, you vacuum your garage floor........true story.

Brown Butter Marshmallow Treats

2011-06-22T08:50:00.000-07:00

Oh, these are soooo good. My Sister-in-Law Carrie made some rice crispy treats the last time we were visiting, and I couldn't stop thinking about them. She used a Smitten Kitchen recipe, and I based this off the same recipe, just using different amounts and proportions. I am of the "more is better" philosophy when it comes to marshmallow in my treats.

Ingredients
2 10 oz bags Marshmallows
9 cups rice crispies
2 sticks unsalted butter
1/2 t kosher salt

Method
Melt the butter in a large heavy bottom sauce pan over medium heat. Let it bubble and foam and keep an eye on it, because when it begins to brown it will happen very quickly. Whisk the butter, scraping all the brown bits up from the bottom of the pan (if you are using a non-stick pan, it will be slightly different).
Once the butter is a nutty brown remove it from the heat, and stir in the marshmallows. I like to use a spatula, and then a whisk to really smooth it out, then whisk in your salt until fully incorporated. If you need to heat the mixture a little bit, then put it back on the stove, but it should be fine.
Stir in the rice crispies until evenly distributed, and press the mixture into a greased 9x13 pan, using damp hands to press the mixture evenly around.
Let them cool, then cut and enjoy.

We are Surviving

2011-06-20T16:11:00.001-07:00

I told a friend the other day that we are surviving, and that sometimes it feels like drowning, but we are making progress!

James and I are taking a break right now, eating oreos, and playing catch.

So, here's the update on the house:
We have painted nearly every room the wrong color once or twice - we're a 1/4 of the way there.
We are no longer sleeping on an air mattress.
The wood floor is IN in the Family room and Living room - still a way to go.
The counter demo/installation is DONE.
The subway tile backsplash is DONE.
We have A LOT of things to finish before we can move all the way in, and we have just a handful of days left to be out of our place.

The update on us:
Last week was CRAZY. I was rear-ended and had to go to Labor and Delivery 3 times to be monitored.
Shane split his knee open, I sealed it up with super-glue, but he still had to go to urgent care for a tetanus shot.
James got really sick, and had to be taken to the emergency room, and it now on anti-biotics.
Shane left for Utah this morning for 2 days to see his Parents off to be set apart and enter the MTC, and will be on a YM High adventure for the remainder of the week. So, any progress on the house/move has been left largely to me.

In the midst of all of this, we have been having a lot of fun spending time with Shane's parents and Dan, Minna, and kids. We have made a lot of progress, and I KNOW we will finish in time - without killing ourselves.

I am excited to show you the progress and transformation....soon I hope.

Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-06-05T21:58:00.000-07:00

I made these today. I bake when I'm stressed. It's just one of those things for me...it helps me relax and change my focus. Today I needed to bake something.

Although, soaking in the tub while eating a Magnum bar also does the trick....I tried that too.

Ingredients
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 & 1/2 sticks butter, at room temperature
1 large egg, and 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
2 t vanilla
2 cups + 2 T all-purpose flour
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 cup milk chocolate chips (or semi-sweet, if you prefer)

Method
Pre-heat oven to 325
Cream butter and sugars together until light and fluffy, add and mix in vanilla and egg and yolk until combined.
Add combined flour, baking soda, and salt and mix until incorporated, but do not over-mix.
Fold in Chocolate chips.
Scoop dough into rounded balls, they should be large, a scant 1/4 cup each.
Bake cookies for 15 minutes. They will look like they aren't finished, but they will be done, and soft. Remove to a cooling rack and enjoy!

Did I ever Mention...

2011-06-01T10:22:00.000-07:00

We're moving.

Not out of Reno, but down the street. We have been building a house for the last few months, and it's finished. We are closing today or tomorrow. We are VERY excited.

Leaving our home in Provo to live in an apartment (nice as it is) has been hard. James needs a backyard - not a parking lot. The timing of everything is working out quite nicely, although there is a lot of work to do.

We are renovating for the first couple of weeks. I know that sounds crazy. But, to do upgrades and finishes through the builder is Highway Robbery, and we loved working on our Provo house. So, we will spend a little time putting on our finishing touches before we move in, like:

Hardwood Floors
Painting ALL the walls
New Counter Tops
Tile in the Bathrooms and Laundry
Installing a 1/2 Bath downstairs
Wiring new Light Fixtures
and so on..

Did I mention that Shane is REALLY Handy?

He also has to install a Sprinkler System in the back, Lay Sod, and a new Paver Patio, so I can send James out in the yard while I work inside.

It's all very exciting, but also overwhelming. That's how Shane and I roll. We bite off more than we can chew on a pretty consistent basis.

We also have a baby coming in 8 weeks, so the work has to be done, and we have to be in and settled as early as possible

And, we have to MOVE all of our belongings - packing, lifting, loading, unloading, unpacking.....you know...the worst part.

So, I will be slowing down on the blogging. I have to start working FULL TIME on other things. We will be eating a lot of take-out. But, I will probably start again when I am in my sparkling new kitchen, making freezer meals for when the baby comes.

Turkey Bacon Avocado Burger

2011-05-31T12:57:00.000-07:00

I love Turkey Burgers, but it's hard to find a good one. These are good. Shane said, "It's the best Turkey Burger I've ever had, and you can quote me on that". So, that's all I'm going to say.

Ingredients
8 hamburger buns (recipe to follow)
2 lbs Ground Turkey
2 Ripe Avocados
12 slices Thick, Center Cut Apple Wood Smoked Bacon
8 slices Gouda cheese
2 cups thinly sliced Romaine Lettuce
1-2 T Newman's Olive Oil Vinegarette
Mayo
Salted Butter
Kosher Salt
Freshly Ground Pepper

Burger Buns
1 cup water
2 T butter
1 Large egg
3 1/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 t Salt
1 T Instant yeast

Method
Combine all the ingredients and mix and knead them together until you've made a soft smooth dough. (By hand or by mixer) Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover it, and let it rise for 1 hour.

Divide the dough into 8 pieces, and shape each piece into a flattened ball. Place the buns on greased cookie sheets, cover and let rise for 30-40 minutes, until they're puffy.

Pre-heat the oven to 375.

Bake the buns for 12-15 minutes, until they're golden brown. Remove them from the oven, and let them cool on a rack.

Cooking and Assembling your Burgers

Split your buns, spread them with salted butter, and fry them on a pan, or put under the broiler until the insides are toasted. Set aside.

Gently crumble your ground turkey and divide into 8 sections. Then gently gather each section, and form into a patty - don't smash it or squish it, just gently work it until it's the right form. Make an indentation with your thumbs in the center of each patty - you do this so when your burgers cook and swell, they plump into a nice even flat shape, instead of puffing into more of a ball shape. Season each patty generously with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, and set aside to come to room temperature.

Cook your bacon slices until crispy and set to drain on a paper towel. Drain the fat from the pan, but don't wipe it out completely.

Re-heat your pan to medium-high heat, and place your burgers in the pan - seasoned side down. Quickly season the side facing up, and let them cook for 4-6 minutes, then flip, and cook for about 3-4 more minutes, or until just cooked through. (you don't want them to dry out) Then place one slice of gouda on each burger, and tent with foil for 30 seconds so the cheese melts. Remove the burgers to a separate plate for 30 seconds to a minute before placing on the buns, so the excess liquid doesn't run down into your bun and make it soggy.

Assemble your burgers. Place the burgers on the buttered and toasted buns, break up the bacon slices and arrange on top - 1 1/2 pieces each. Then cut and slice the avocado and divide among the burgers - at least 3 good thick slices. ** Then, and this is important, season the avocado with salt and pepper. Then toss the sliced romaine with 1-2 Tablespoons of the vinegarette, and divide among the burgers. Spread the bun tops with mayo and top the burgers. Serve Immediately, and enjoy.

Coconut Shrimp with Green-Curry Mango Sauce

2011-05-29T20:34:00.000-07:00

I stopped in Mazatlan for a day last spring on a cruise. I lounged around all day on the beach and ate the most amazing Coconut Shrimp.
I thought a lot about that day during this long winter. I NEED a vacation.

Coconut shrimp

Ingredients
24 large shrimp, peeled, deveined, and butterflied
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground white pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 egg whites
2 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut, or 2 1/2 cups shredded fresh coconut
Canola or peanut oil, for frying
Green-Curry Mango Sauce, recipe follows

Method
Pat the shrimp dry with a paper towel. In a small bowl combine cornstarch, salt, pepper, and cayenne. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until foamy. In another bowl, place the coconut.

Coat the shrimp with the cornstarch and shake off any excess. Dip into the egg white and then press into the coconut to get full coverage.

In a large pan, heat the oil to 350 degrees F and gently submerge the shrimp, 6 at a time. Fry for about 3 minutes or until golden brown. Remove them to a rack to drain.

Green Curry-Mango Sauce
2 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup canola oil
1 red onion, coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
1 serrano chile, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons green curry paste
3 ripe mangoes, peeled, pitted, and coarsely chopped
2 cups water
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon honey
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Method
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, and serrano chile and cook for 1 minute. Add the curry paste and cook for 2 minutes. Add mangoes and water, stir well, and cook until the mango is soft, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove from the heat, and allow to cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a blender, and pulse a couple of times. (Have a the lid of the blender cracked open to avoid any kind of heat explosion)

Add the lime juice, cilantro, and honey and blend until smooth. With the motor running, slowly add the remaining 1/2 cup oil and blend until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Grilled Artichokes with Dipping Sauce

2011-05-27T09:13:00.001-07:00

Have you ever had the Grilled Artichokes at Houstons? It's one of my favorite dishes there. These are my version. They'll get me by until I'm allowed back on an airplane to have lunch with my Mom.

Ingredients
5 small (not miniature) artichokes, halved
Grilling Marinade (recipe to follow - make ahead of artichokes)
Dipping Sauce (recipe to follow - make ahead of artichokes)
Kosher Salt
Freshly Ground Pepper

Method
Steam the halved artichokes over medium heat for 30-45 minutes, or until the hearts are tender. Let them cool, then slice out the fibers, and bitter parts in the middle. Set aside.

Heat your grill, or grill pan to medium high heat.

Brush the open side artichokes with the grilling marinade, and season with salt and pepper. Grill the artichokes open side down for 2-3 minutes, then turn them for another minute or so.

Serve immediately, while they're still hot with the dipping sauce.

Grilling Marinade
1 Whole Shallot, finely minced
2 t kosher salt
1/4 cup olive oil
2 T butter, melted

Mince the shallot, pour the salt on top, and mash it into the shallot to form a paste. Transfer to a bowl, and whisk in the olive oil and melted butter.

Dipping Sauce
1 T Whole Grain Mustard
1 T Creme Fraiche (or you can use Sour Cream)
1/4 Cup Mayonnaise
1t Fresh Lemon Juice
1 green onion, diced
Freshly Ground Pepper (to taste)

Method
Whisk all ingredients together and refrigerate, covered until you’re ready to serve the artichokes.

Watermelon with Goat Cheese and Honey-Lime Syrup

2011-05-25T09:56:00.000-07:00

Ok, so this will be different for some of you. And, I will warn you that Shane did not like this at all - he hates goat cheese (which is a CRIME). But, I realize that even though I like it, this is not for everyone. I do suggest using a mild honey that doesn't have a sharp tang to it, and a good goat cheese that you know you like.

Ingredients
Watermelon sliced, and off the rind
Goat Cheese, a few ounces, depending on how much you like, torn into small pieces
Honey-Lime syrup (recipe to follow)
2 T Basil Chiffonnade (basil leaves rolled together and sliced into strips)

Honey-Lime Syrup
1/2 cup Freshly squeezed Lime juice
1/2 cup Good quality, mild honey

Heat together over medium heat on the stove until fully incorporated. It goes very quickly, so don't over-heat it. Then remove to let cool completely.

Method
Arrange the watermelon, and scatter torn pieces of goat cheese over top. Add the basil, and slowly pour the syrup over top, making sure to hit the pieces of cheese.

Serve, and enjoy.

Reminiscing today...

2011-05-24T11:16:00.000-07:00

Alright, so this is your typical picture you would expect a silly college girl to take on her study abroad. Everyone takes turns having their solo picture taken in a bizarre pose at some place - like the fountain in front of Buckingham Palace (where this was taken). This was 5 years ago.

This day, I was especially giddy, owing to the fact that I had just spent the day walking around Soho shopping, and goofing off on the Mall in front of the Palace. I bought a vintage Marc Jacobs dress, and ate 2 Magnum Bars - Almond, of course.

My dress...that I will never wear again, because it doesn't have sleeves.

BUT, even though I am a Married Mom, nearly 8 months pregnant, and cannot scamper off spending money on frivolous things in foreign countries with my girlfriends - I can drive over to the nearest Walmart and pick up a box of Magnum Bars, which have just recently been brought to the United States.

And, I can re-live (in my head) what it felt like to be carefree, with a waistline, as I spot and soak the laundry, and eat my chocolate coated ice cream bars.

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

2011-05-22T10:15:00.001-07:00

(Please excuse the darkness of the picture.) Everybody likes their pork a different way - this is how I like mine. Tender chunks of pulled pork, drizzled with BBQ (not swimming in it), topped with coleslaw and pickles on a homemade bun. The bun may look big and stiff, but it squishes down to the perfect thickness and softness.

Pulled Pork

Ingredients
1 Pork Shoulder
Kosher Salt
Freshly Ground Pepper
Olive oil
1 Bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce (You will actually need 2 bottles, but you won't use the other until later)

Method
Bring your pork shoulder to room temperature. Heat a few Tablespoons of oil in a dutch oven, or a large heavy saucepan on high heat. Season the shoulder liberally with salt and pepper, and brown in the pan on all sides. 30 seconds to a minute each side - enough to develop a crust.

Place the shoulder in a slow cooker and pour your BBQ sauce on top. Cook on low for 10 hours. NEVER touch the lid. Every time you peek into your crock pot/slow cooker it will increase your cook time by 30 minutes. RESIST the urge!

If you don't have a slow cooker, put your meat in a dutch oven, or large heavy pot with the sauce, covered, in the oven at 225 for 10 hours. Same thing goes for the peeking - just leave it alone.

When the meat is done, turn off the heat, and allow is to rest for 30 minutes. Then remove the meat from the pan(leaving the drippings in the pan), and begin pulling it apart, separating the fat. It should be very tender, and falling to pieces in your hands. Put all the pulled pork in a separate bowl.

Strain the sauce out of your slow cooker into a separate bowl. I like to use just a little bit of this sauce to moisten the pork, but not too much.

Buns

Ingredients
1 cup water
2 T butter
1 Large egg
3 1/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 t Salt
1 T Instant yeast

Method
Combine all the ingredients and mix and knead them together until you've made a soft smooth dough. (By hand or by mixer) Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover it, and let it rise for 1 hour.

Divide the dough into 8 pieces, and shape each piece into a flattened ball. Place the buns on greased cookie sheets, cover and let rise for 30-40 minutes, until they're puffy.

Pre-heat the oven to 375.

Bake the buns for 12-15 minutes, until they're golden brown. Remove them from the oven, and let them cool on a rack.

I like to split them and spread them with salted butter, then fry the buttered sides, or toast them under a broiler before serving.

Coleslaw

Ingredients
1 package pre-cut coleslaw mix (because it makes life so much easier)
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 T cider vinegar
1 lemon, juiced
1/2 t sugar
1/2 t celery seed
Kosher salt, and Freshly Ground pepper to taste

Method
Mix the mayo, mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, sugar, celery seed, salt and pepper in a bowl. Pour a little of the dressing over the coleslaw mix at a time until you get your desired amount. I find there is more dressing than I want, and the cabbage will soften over time, so less is more.

Putting it all together

You will need:
Pulled pork
Buns
Coleslaw
Sliced Pickles
BBQ sauce
Butter
Salt and Pepper to taste

Method
Split the buns, spread with Salted butter, and fry them butter side down until crispy. Put a serving of pork on each bottom bun. Drizzle with BBQ sauce, add some coleslaw, then some sliced pickles. Top the buns and serve.

Chicken Parmesan

2011-05-20T18:07:00.001-07:00

If I could only eat one type of food for the rest of my life, it would be Italian. I realize I have been posting heavily on the Italian side lately. I will try to diversify, but what can I say? I'm pregnant.

Ingredients
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus 3 T
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 bay leaves
2 (28-ounce) cans Italian whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand with juices
1/4 t sugar
Kosher Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 skinless, boneless, chicken breasts (about 11/2 pounds)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 T water
1 cup dried bread crumbs
1 (8-ounce) ball fresh buffalo mozzarella water drained and sliced into 8 pieces
1/2 cup Finely grated Parmesan

Method
Pour 1/4 cup olive oil into a large heavy sauce pan and place over medium heat. When the oil is hot add the onions, garlic, and bay leaves; cook and stir for 5 minutes until fragrant and soft. Add the tomatoes, cook and stir until the liquid is cooked down and the sauce has thickened, about 15-20 minutes, season with sugar, salt and pepper. Lower the heat, cover, and keep warm.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Get the ingredients together for the chicken so you have a little assembly line. Put the chicken breasts on a cutting board, butterfly them open, and pound them a little in between sheets of plastic wrap. Put the flour in a shallow platter. In a wide bowl, combine the eggs and water, beat until frothy. Put the bread crumbs on a plate, mix with Parmesan, and season with salt and pepper.

Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat in a large oven-proof skillet. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Lightly dredge both sides of the chicken cutlets in the flour, and then dip them in the egg wash to coat completely, letting the excess drip off, then dredge in the bread crumbs. When the oil is nice and hot, add the cutlets and cook in batches for about 2 minutes on each side until golden and crispy, turning once. ( If anything starts to burn, I like to wipe out the pan and start with fresh oil for the next batch)

Ladle the tomato sauce over the chicken and place a slice of mozzarella on each piece. Bake the Chicken for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly. Serve hot over pasta.

Bedtime Books

2011-05-18T20:13:00.000-07:00

James loves to read. It makes me so happy.

Our night time routine has become VERY important to James. Especially picking out his "bedtime books" and sitting in his "special chair" to read them. Mommy and Daddy BOTH have to be in attendance. Shane and I usually alternate roles - one does jammies and brushing teeth, and the other does "bedtime books" and prayers.

I have to say though, watching these two in the "special chair" reading the books, finding the hidden spider or mouse, and doing the special voices is one of my very favorite things.

Traditional Bolognese Sauce

2011-05-15T08:02:00.000-07:00

I tend to go for more savory sauces on pasta. This has a nice developed flavor. The cooking process is important, and you can even make this the day ahead and re-heat for use.

Bolognese Sauce

Ingredients
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 T unsalted butter
2 medium onions, finely chopped
4 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 carrot, scraped and finely chopped
5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 lb mild italian pork sausage
1/2 lb ground veal
1/2 lb ground pork
1/2 lb ground beef
1/4 lb pancetta, minced (not to be confused with proscuitto)
1/2 cup milk
1 (28-ounce) can Italian whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand, with the juices
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 cups good beef stock
Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

Method
In a 6 to 8-quart, heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, carrot, and garlic and sweat over medium heat until vegetables are translucent.

Add the sausage, beef, and pancetta to the vegetables, brown over high heat, stirring to keep meat from sticking together for about 15 to 20 minutes.

Add the milk and simmer until almost dry, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and simmer 15 minutes.

Add the wine and beef stock, bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, to let the flavor develop. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve over pasta.

Basil Lemonade

2011-05-13T18:31:00.001-07:00

The perfect combination of sweet and tart, with a hint of spring fresh basil.

Ingredients
2/3 cup Freshly squeezed Lemon juice
2/3 cup Basil syrup
2 Liters Ginger ale

Basil Syrup
1 Bunch Fresh basil
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup water

Method
Dissolve the sugar in the water in a pan over medium heat on the stove. When the solution is clear, and all the sugar has been dissolved, pour the syrup over the basil and let it steep until cooled to room temperature. Strain the solution, and refrigerate.

Squeeze your lemons, and measure out your juice and basil syrup. Combine the juice, syrup, and ginger ale in a pitcher. Stir gently, and serve. Garnish with fresh basil leaves (If you wish).

Lemon and Vanilla Buttercream Cupcakes

2011-05-11T09:00:00.000-07:00

For my Sister Allison's shower, we served a vanilla cake, with vanilla buttercream frosting that had delicious layers of lemon curd inside and on top (From Cake Love - I highly recommend it, and all other things they do). I wanted to bring the same idea to cupcakes. So, although the title is confusing - these are Vanilla cupcakes spread with a layer of delicious sweet and tart Lemon Curd, and topped with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting.

Cupcakes

Ingredients
18 tablespoons (2 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 cups sugar
6 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup sour cream, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

*Jar of Lemon Curd - I don't have a recipe that I love, so i just bought a jar from William Sonoma.

Method
Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin pans with paper liners.

Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on high speed, until light and fluffy. On medium speed, add the eggs, 2 at a time, then add the sour cream and vanilla. Scrape down the sides and stir until smooth.

Sift together the flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking soda in a bowl. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture until just combined. Fill the cupcake liners to the top with batter. Bake in the center of the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool to room temperature.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients
4 Large eggs
1 cup sugar
2 t vanilla
pinch of salt
4 sticks UNSALTED butter - please, please make sure of this. I promise it makes a HUGE difference in this recipe. Cut each stick into quarters, and let stand at room temperature until it is soft, but still cool.

Method
Combine the eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt in the bowl of a standing mixer, and place the bowl over a pan of simmering water. (Like a double boiler, use your kitchen aid bowl if you have one, and don't let the bottom of the bowl touch the water)

Whisk gently but constantly, and heat the mixture until it is thin and foamy, and registers 160 on an instant-read thermometer.

Fit your bowl back onto your mixer and beat the egg mixture at medium-high speed until it is light and airy, and cooled to room temperature - about 5 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium, and the butter one piece at a time. The Mixture may begin to look curdled after you've added about 1/2 the butter, but it will smooth out. Once all the butter is added, increase the speed to high and beat 1 minute, until light and fluffy, and thoroughly combined.

Frosting the Cupcakes
I like to refrigerate my cupcakes over night before frosting them, but you can begin when they are cool if you wish. First, spread the tops of the cupcakes with a layer of Lemon Curd - about 1-2 teaspoons each, depending on your taste.

Scoop the buttercream into a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip (or just a ziplock with the corner cut off) and pipe on your frosting to your hearts content. And, I like to garnish with strips of Lemon peel, but you can leave them plain, or do yellow sprinkles - it's up to you.

Rustic Italian Bread - step by step

2011-05-09T13:08:00.000-07:00

This bread is really, really good. It's from The New Best. It is a lengthy process, but so worth it to have a fresh Artisan Loaf right out of your oven with a tender crumb and crispy crust. The hardest part is remembering that you have to start the bread the day before you want to eat it. And, you need a pizza stone to bake it on, but I'm sure a sheet pan would be fine if you don't have one.

Sponge
2 cups bread flour
1/4 t instant yeast
1 cup water, at room temperature

Dough
3 cups bread flour, plus more for dusting the work surface
1 t instant yeast
1 1/3 cups water, at room temperature
2 t salt (I like to add an additional teaspoon, but it's your choice)

The day ahead - make the sponge. Combine the flour, water, and yeast in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a dough hook. Knead at the lowest speed until the ingredients form a shaggy dough, 2-3 minutes. Transfer the sponge to a medium bowl, over tightly with plastic wrap, and let it stand at room temperature until it begins to bubble and rise, about three hours. Then refrigerate the sponge for 8 up to 24 hours. It should look like the picture above.

The next day - take the sponge out of the fridge, and let it come to room temperature while you make the dough. Combine the flour, yeast, and water in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a dough hook, and knead at the lowest speed until a rough dough is formed, about 3 minutes. Turn the mixer off, and without removing the dough hook or the bowl from the mixer, cover the bowl loosely and allow the dough to rest for 20 minutes. Remove the cover, and add the sponge and salt to the dough, and continue to knead at the lowest speed until the ingredients are combined and the dough is formed, about 4 minutes. Should look something like the above picture. Then transfer the dough to an oiled bowl 3x the size of the dough, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rise until puffy, about 1 hour.

After an hour, you need to turn the dough. Just pick it up around the side edge, and fold 1/3 over, then do the same to the other side. Cover the dough back up, let it rise for another hour, and turn it again, then let it rise for one more hour. (2 turns total, but the dough will rise for 3 hours before you shape it)

The dough has risen, turned, risen, turned, and risen again, and now you need to shape the loaf.
So, dust your work surface generously with flour, as well as your hands, and gently invert the dough onto your board. Carefully push the dough into an 8-10 inch square. Mine is closer to a rectangle, but it's not really important, so just do your best.

Take the 2 top corners of the dough and fold down the center together.

Then grab the point at the top and roll the dough down into the shape of a log.

It will look like this, with the seam underneath. Now you need to get a sheet of parchment paper, and transfer the dough.

With the dough on the parchment, shape the loaf into an oblong football by tucking the edges underneath. It should be about 16 inches long. Cover loosely with plastic wrap. Then set your oven to 500, with your baking stone set on a rack in the middle of your oven, and let the dough rise until doubled in size, about an hour.

When your dough has risen a final time, and is ready to go in the oven, make a slit down the top of the loaf, starting 1 1/2 inches from the end, going 1/2 inch deep. Spray the loaf with water, and transfer it to the baking stone on the parchment. Bake at 500 for ten minutes, then open the oven and rotate the loaf around to the other side (using the parchment). Then lower the oven temperature down to 400, and bake the bread for another 30-35 minutes, or until the dough reads 210 on an instant read thermometer.

When it's finished it will look like this! Then, you should let the bread cool on a rack for about 2 hours, or until it comes to room temperature. However, I have never let this bread cool for more than 30 minutes. Who can resist hot bread out of the oven?

This recipe makes a HUGE loaf that is delicious for dipping, and mopping up soup and sauce. You can eat it by itself, or you can cut part of it to make croutons, or grill slices and top them with bruschetta.

Do whatever you want with it, you will enjoy it.

In Other News...

2011-05-08T19:31:00.000-07:00

My Charming, and Handsome, Multi-talented Husband brought me breakfast in bed this morning. He usually stays far away from the kitchen, and any cooking that might happen there.

However, he made me Delicious, Tender, Fluffy German pancakes today. They were perfect! I was so proud. And, not only that - he made whipped cream from scratch! And my syrup was warm! And, he brought me sliced mangos and grapes, and freshly squeezed juice!

I must have a domineering presence in the kitchen, because it seems that I have been suppressing Shane's inner gourmet. (He also made me braised chicken in Meyer lemon sauce over Linguini for dinner)

Thank you my love, for a wonderful day. You amaze me.

Happy Mothers Day

2011-05-08T15:05:00.000-07:00

This day, when this little boy came into this world, during those first few precious moments, I was forever changed. I suddenly knew that the baby in my arms was more important than anything else in the world.

He has brought me more happiness than I thought was possible in this life. And, for all of my failures and tears, becoming a Mother is the most worthwhile thing I have ever done.

Baby #2 will be arriving in 11 weeks and I am so excited to do it all over again.

For all of you Mothers out there, and all of you who will be someday - today is truly a celebration of divine miracles. Happy Mothers Day!!!

Chicken Picatta

2011-05-06T10:56:00.001-07:00

One of my favorites. I created this recipe to suit my taste exactly, so don't be afraid to change things a little to suit yours.

This will serve 6.

Ingredients
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, butterflied open, pounded thin, cut in 1/2, 12 pieces all together
1 cup all-purpose flour
Kosher Salt
Freshly Ground Pepper
8 thin slices of pancetta
1/3 cup brined capers, drained
1/3 cup diced artichoke hearts
6 T unsalted butter
4 T good olive oil
1/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 cup chicken stock

Method
Pre-heat the oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper, dredge in the flour, and set aside on a plate. Fry the pancetta in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat, until cooked through and slightly crispy, remove and reserve.

Melt 2 T of butter, and 2 T of olive oil in the same pan with the fat from the pancetta, and brown 1/2 of the chicken pieces, about 2 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken to the baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Add 2 more T of butter, and the remaining 2T of olive oil to the pan, and do the rest of the chicken.

Put all of the chicken on the sheet pan in the oven for 5-8 minutes, while doing the sauce.

De-glaze the pan with the combined lemon juice and chicken stock. Whisk up all brown bits from the bottom of the pan, and turn up the heat to reduce the sauce to thicken slightly - 5 minutes (The sauce will still be thin when you’re finished). Then add the capers and artichoke hearts, and let it simmer for a minute. Finish by whisking in the last 2 T of butter.

Arrange all the chicken on a large platter, scatter the pancetta on top, and pour the sauce on top to coat. Serve with angel hair pasta that has been tossed with olive oil, salt, pepper, and freshly grated parmesean.

Orange Glazed Cream Scones

2011-05-05T09:55:00.001-07:00

I wish, I wish, I wish, I could go back to London. I think the very first thing I would do is walk through Hyde Park to The Orangery for Cream Tea, and then stroll through the gardens at Kensington Palace.

I recommend eating these scones somewhere outside, on sunny spring afternoon, with Strawberry Jam and Clotted Cream, and Iced Herbal Mint Tea. That's what I would do.

Ingredients
4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar, plus additional for sprinkling
2 T baking powder
2 t kosher salt
1 1/2 T grated orange zest
3/4 pound cold unsalted butter, diced
4 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup cold heavy cream
1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons milk, for egg wash
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, plus 2 tablespoons
2 scant T freshly squeezed orange juice

Method

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix 4 cups of flour, 1/4 cup sugar, the baking powder, salt and orange zest. Add the cold butter and mix at the lowest speed until the butter is the size of peas. Combine the eggs and heavy cream and, with the mixer on low speed, slowly pour into the flour and butter mixture. Mix until just blended. The dough will look lumpy.

Dump the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead it into a ball. Flour your hands and a rolling pin and roll the dough 3/4-inch thick. You should see small bits of butter in the dough. Keep moving the dough on your floured surface so it doesn't stick. Cut scones into 4 inch squares, then into triangles, and place the scones on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Collect the scraps, roll them out, and cut more.

Brush the tops of the scones with egg wash, sprinkle with sugar, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops are browned and the insides are fully baked.(If your oven is usually a little hot, you could even start checking them at 15 minutes). The scones will be firm. Let them cool for 15 minutes and then whisk together the confectioners' sugar and orange juice, and drizzle over the scones. If the scones are warm, the glaze will be thin. If you would like a thicker glaze, increase the powdered sugar by teaspoonfuls, until you reach your desired consistency.

Tagliatelle with Pesto Cream Sauce

2011-05-03T15:41:00.001-07:00

Freshly made pasta is always better than dried. If you have a little extra time (it doesn't take that long), I recommend you make some. But, this sauce is still delicious over dried linguini or fettucini, or penne ....whatever you like.

Tagliatelle Pasta

Ingredients

4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
5 extra large eggs, room temperature
Pinch of salt

Method
To prepare the pasta dough, place the flour in a mound on a wooden board, and use a fork to make a well in the center. Place the eggs and salt in the well and mix them together with your fork. Then begin to incorporate flour from the inside of the well, pushing the flour under the forming dough so it doesn’t stick to the board. Remove any pieces of dough that stick to the fork and incorporate them. Then gather the dough together and set to one side of the board. Gather all of the unincorporated flour and sprinkle across the board. Knead the dough by pushing with the palm of one hand, and folding the dough over with the other hand. Do not sprinkle the flour over the dough, it will gradually absorb the flour. Continue kneading until the dough is no longer wet, and all but 4-5 tablespoons of the flour is incorporated. If you are stretching the dough by hand, knead the dough for 5 minutes, if stretching by machine, knead for 2-3 minutes. By hand: place a rolling pin in the center of the dough and roll gently back and forth until the dough is thin and elastic. Cut into desired shape.

Boil the fresh pasta in salted water with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil for 3-5 minutes. Reserve some of the pasta water, and then strain the pasta.

If you're using dried - follow the directions on the box.

Basil Pesto

Ingredients
1 bunch fresh basil
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
scant 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesean
1/2 t kosher salt
1/2 t freshly ground pepper
1/3-1/2 cup good olive oil (depending on the what thickness you like)

*I don't like garlic in my pesto, but you could add 1 clove if you like

Method
Tear basil into smaller pieces, and put in a food processor with pine nuts, parmesean, salt, and pepper. Pulse until well combined. Then with the machine running, drizzle in your olive oil until you reach your desired consistency.

Alfredo Sauce

Ingredients
1 pint heavy whipping cream
1 cup freshly grated parmesean
6 T unsalted butter
2 T good olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

Method
Melt the butter with the olive oil in a heavy sauce pan over medium heat. Add the heavy whipping cream, and slowly bring up the heat. When the cream is hot, whisk in the parmesean. Continue whisking until all the cheese is melted, then season to taste. Turn down the heat, and let the sauce simmer and thicken slightly.

Putting it all together

The pesto should be made first, then get your big stock pot of water going with oil and salt. (Remember that pasta like to have lots of room to move around while boiling) Then start the alfredo, and get your pasta boiling. Whisk the pesto into the cream sauce, and if you find that it's too thick, use some of the reserved pasta water to thin it a little. Dress the pasta immediately with as much or as little sauce as you like, and serve.

* I like these sauces separate or combined.

Lemon Strawberry Salad

2011-04-27T18:13:00.000-07:00

I loooove this salad. My extremely fabulous Sister-in-law Sharalee shared it with me, and it has become one of my all-time favorites. It's all in the dressing..and the strawberries...and the feta....

Lemon Dressing

Ingredients
1/2 C sugar
1/2 C corn oil
3T lemon zest
1/4 C fresh lemon juice
1 tsp whole mustard seed

Method
Blend sugar, zest, lemon juice and mustard seeds together. While motor is running, slowly drizzle in oil. Set aside

Salad

Ingredients
1/2 cup candied pecans
1/2 cup dried cherries
1 Green Apple, sliced
1 C sliced strawberries
1/2 cup crumbled Feta
4-6 Cups Baby spinach

**DISCLAIMER - I never actually measure out the ingredients for the salad. I just make it up. I totally guessed on those numbers. Just add as much or as little as you like of certain ingredients - you can't go wrong

Chocolate cupcakes w/Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

2011-04-25T13:55:00.000-07:00

I searched far and wide, and suffered a number of disappointments, before I found a chocolate cupcake and frosting recipe that would satisfy me. It is done. I can rest now.

Please enjoy.

Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk, shaken, at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup dutch-processed powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Method
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and 2 sugars on high speed until light and fluffy, approximately 5 minutes. Lower the speed to medium, add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla and mix well. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, and sour cream. In another bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. On low speed, add the buttermilk mixture and the flour mixture alternately in thirds to the mixer bowl, beginning with the buttermilk mixture and ending with the flour mixture. Mix only until blended. Fold the batter with a rubber spatula to be sure it's completely blended.
Divide the batter among the cupcake pans (1 rounded standard ice cream scoop per cup is the right amount). Bake in the middle of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes, remove from the pans, and allow to cool completely before frosting.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients
2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 cup confectioners' sugar
3/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa
Pinch of fine sea salt
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled slightly

Method
In a food processor, process the butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt until smooth, about 30 seconds, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the corn syrup and vanilla and process until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Scrape the sides of the bowl, and then add the melted chocolate and pulse until smooth and creamy, 10 to 15 seconds.

Happy Easter

2011-04-24T21:27:00.001-07:00

From Shane, Myself, and this not-so-little-anymore guy. Why is he growing so fast?

Want to see Something?

2011-03-22T16:14:00.000-07:00

This is my cousin Price. I stole this picture from facebook.....sorry Price.

Right now Price is in a competition to win the opportunity of filming a professional ski video with Poor Boyz Films. It is his dream.

I am telling you this, because you can help him achieve his dream. The voting happens everyday - march madness bracket style - and right now he is behind.

I don't normally do this type of in-your-face promoting, but this kid is worth your vote, and 5 minutes of your time.

Watch the video. See the awesomeness for yourself. Vote for pfoulger ALTA-HOLIC ON A BENDER.
http://contour.com/contests/march-radness/bracket

And, if you would be so kind - keep voting for him, and tell your friends.

James goes skiing

2011-03-11T18:01:00.000-08:00

Showing us his "Rad Moves" before we jump in the car.

Being his adorable, irresistable self.

Heading down to the lift with Daddy.

Riding up the "lift", waving, and saying, "Hi Mama!"

Being cute... Again. I swear, he never quits.

Heading down with Daddy, screaming, "Whee! Yeah! So Fun! Go Faster!"

I'm positive that Shane and I had more fun than James.

I'm in Eugene...

2011-01-22T22:58:00.001-08:00

Enjoying the company of Miss Charlotte.

And Master Henry.

My sister Annie had Twins!
Two beautiful babies, who are perfect angels, and are utterly adored by all.

James is 2

2011-01-19T19:09:00.000-08:00

I feel like I just blinked... and James was 2... and talking.... and starting potty training. What happened? He never was a squishy little baby, who liked to be in my arms, but this biking, scootering, destructive tornado is definitely NOT my baby anymore.

James is crazy, and charming, and skillfully manipulative for such a young age. He is curious and energetic, and gets into a lot of trouble, but for all that, he is a sweet boy who loves his Daddy (and Mom too, just not nearly as much as Daddy), and wants to be happy.

He is my Angel boy, who I can't wait to put to bed, but sneak in to hold him while he sleeps. I could, of course, write my proud list of accomplishments by age 2, his likes and dislikes, and so on, but I'll just tell you - he is doing very well. And, obviously, Shane and I think he is the brightest, most adorable, funniest, and sweetest boy that ever lived. We are grateful everyday for the blessing it is to have him in our lives.

P.S. I'd also like to make the official announcement that Baby #2 will be arriving at the end of July. We are very excited.

Halloween

2010-11-03T14:54:00.001-07:00

This was James' first trick-or-treating experience.

He picked it up in no-time.

Home

2010-11-03T14:42:00.001-07:00

I love the east in the fall. We went home for 2 weeks, and we're going back again in another 2 weeks. Shane keeps reminding me that my "home" is in Reno, but my heart will always reside back there.

We went back for Melissa's wedding, and I was able to catch up with some of my favorite girls in the world.

And, we stayed for my Sister Annie's baby shower, which was beautiful - thrown for her by two of my other sisters - a tea party theme. She is having TWINS! One boy, and one girl - Instant Family.

Sydney...

2010-10-08T11:23:00.000-07:00

My sister came to visit me last weekend. She drove 10 hours all by herself. Adorable, isn't she?

We treated her to the usual delights of the area. Tahoe was particularly beautiful after a storm.

Tahoe

2010-09-27T21:53:00.001-07:00

James wanted to be EXTRA careful.

We were at Tahoe for a Dyer family reunion....we're wishing we were still there.

Brioche French Toast with Marscapone and Maple Cream Syrup

2010-08-22T15:04:00.000-07:00

I'm really into breakfast lately. I'm having a hard time even thinking of other meals.

This is a recipe I've been playing with for a while. Not that its complicated or earth-shattering, but its meant to be eaten with Peaches, and being a snob about peaches, I've only worked on it during peach season.

(Marscapone is a soft, sweet Italian cream cheese available at any grocer. And, if you don't love Brioche Bread, or can't get it, or don't want to make it - I interchange it with Challah, or Hawaiian Sweet Bread.)

Ingredients
Toast:
3 Slices Brioche/Challah/Hawaiian Sweet Bread, 1 inch thick
4 Eggs
2 T Marscapone
1 T Sugar
1/2 t Vanilla
Pinch of Nutmeg

Marscapone Spread:
1/2 C Marscapone
2 T Heavy Whipping Cream
1 t sugar
1 t lemon zest

Maple Cream Syrup:
1 C Heavy Whipping Cream
3 T Real Maple Syrup
1 T Agave Syrup
1/2 t Almond extract

Method
Whisk together the ingredients for the Maple Cream syrup over medium heat and let simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until it has thickened and reduced. Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.

Meanwhile, in a mixer, combine Marscapone, whipping cream, sugar and lemon zest and whip with the whisk attachment for a few minutes, scraping down the sides until it is light and spreadable.

For the toast mixture: FIRST - whisk together the Marscapone, sugar, nutmeg, and vanilla. Then whisk in 1 egg, until fully combined, and smooth. Continue to whisk in 1 egg at a time until all the eggs are combined. This is important is because the marscapone will separate into chunks and never really combine if you try to mix it in after you've scrambled the eggs.

Dip the slices of bread in the egg mixture, and cook in a buttered skillet over Medium heat until golden brown on each side.

Slice the pieces diagonally, spread a dollop of the marscapone on each piece, pile some peaches on top, and drizzle the maple cream over the whole thing.

Serves 4-6, depending on how hungry you are.

Enjoy.

post script

2010-08-08T20:56:00.000-07:00

I've been in the kitchen again. I'm cooking and writing new recipes, which makes me feel at home more than anything else. I'll start sharing soon..

We're here...

2010-08-08T20:49:00.001-07:00

And, this is the view from our place every night. There is so much to love about Reno - I have been pleasantly surprised.

I know.....It's Been a While.

2010-07-09T10:34:00.000-07:00

So, I thought I was done blogging. But, even though it's hard to get to sometimes, I'm not going to give up. It's been 5 months. A lot can happen in 5 months, so I'll give you a very brief (and somewhat incomplete) summary.

First Haircut

Easter

Cruise to Mexico.

Which was beautiful, and wonderful, and relaxing.

Where I got to play with a LION CUB!!!

We went to Reno.

And Tahoe, which is always incredible.

But, also very cold.

We SOLD our house!! Our first little home that we put our blood sweat and tears into!

Took a trip to San Diego to visit the Penas. James is afraid of the ocean.

We also took him to the San Diego Zoo, but I don't know what happened to the pictures.

General summertime fun in the water-spouting whale pool my Mom got for James.

And, last night, a trip to the Lake with Kerianne and The Welches. James had his first tube ride, and LOVED it.

AND, can't believe I'm saying it, but we are actually MOVING! We're headed for greener pastures in Reno, and Shane is beyond excited to begin working with his Dad. I am excited for some change, and we are all looking forward to a new phase of life.

However, we are going to miss Provo! We have LOVED our time here, and our friends. We have been so blessed! If there is anyone out there from our Provo Family that still checks this blog - We Love You!!! You have made our time here unforgettable!! Thank you!

Oh my goodness...

2010-02-15T16:12:00.000-08:00

I want to eat him alive.

Just incase you were wondering..

2010-01-21T14:59:00.000-08:00

I haven't given up on blogging. I know I have been very sporadic with my posting, but I have been renovating my kitchen - so, no cooking, and I have been traveling, and lastly - there isn't enought space on my computer for 1 more picture. I am looking for an external hard drive, and I need to do some major organizing, but I should get back with more regularity soon.

My Baby Turned 1 Today

2010-01-19T22:00:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it's been a whole year since this little man came into my life. It has gone by so fast! And, he has become so much a part of me that I can't remember life without him.

The first thing I would say to describe James is that he is HAPPY. He loves people, he is confident and adventurous, and very clever. He is also the sweetest boy, and when I look at his little face my heart feels like it is going to burst.

Some of the things that James did his first year.......

12 rides on an airplane
6 road trips
Visited 7 states
Took 1 Cruise to Mexico
Went to the Beach, the Lake, and the Mountains
Had 4 double ear infections
1 pretty serious UTI/Kidney infection
1 bout of the Flu
Learned 5 words
Acquired 8 teeth

Rolled over at 2 weeks
Rolled both directions at 2 months
Smiled at 5 weeks
Laughed at 8 weeks
First tooth at 4 months
Solid foods at 5 months
Sitting up at 5 months
Eating what we ate at 6 months (the kid loves food)
Crawling at 7 months
Standing up at 7 months
First steps at 9 months
Said Mama and Dada at 9 months
Walking at 11 months
First word - Dog, 2nd bottle, then 3rd Lucy at 11 months
Plays Patty cake, itsy bitsy, and popcorn popping at 11 months.

James has never taken a pacifier, and only recently he has shown an attachment to his Pig stuffed animal, and the blue fuzzy blanket we brought him home from the hospital in. James loves food - just like his mama, and he will eat anything - Sushi, Thai, Korean, chopped salad - I mean anything, but he loves bananas, broccoli, carrots, ice cream, any kind of bread or pancake, and yogurt. He loves to play games, especially patty cake, and he skips just ahead to the roll-it part, because he loves to do the hand motion. He is very independent, but he likes to stay around where Shane and I are. His favorite toys are eye glasses, any kind of ball, and his toothbrush. And, although I could go on for days, the last thing I will say is that James has continued to adore his Dad like he has since came out of the womb and craned his neck toward the sound of Shane's voice. He LOVES his Dad, and only very recently is starting to show a similar attachment to me, which I think I deserve, although Dad is still #1

I am amazed at how fast he is growing and changing, and how much he learns and remembers, and I am amazed at how he has changed me.

Dearest James, (if you ever actually read this), I want you to know that you are the best thing that has ever happened to me. Your Dad and I thank Heavenly Father everyday for sending you to us. You have been pure joy in our lives, and WE LOVE YOU LIKE CRAZY!!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

I'm sorry....

2009-12-17T22:16:00.000-08:00

They just don't get cuter than this.

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T14:00:00.001-08:00

I have much to be thankful for.

New Phase

2009-11-18T21:06:00.000-08:00

Yes, he has a sock in his mouth. He was carrying it around like this for a good part of the morning.

Just hanging out...chewing on his sock.

It's the same thing our dog Lucy does - I'm pretty sure that's where he got the idea.

BIG News...

2009-11-15T20:36:00.000-08:00

James took his first steps today.

He walked 3 steps from me to Kerianne, and then we got out the video camera, and he was so excited that we were so happy about it that he kept bouncing and losing his balance. We repeated this process several more times throughout the day, never getting it on camera. I have high hopes for tomorrow.

James is 9 months old.

Pumpkin Coffee Cake

2009-11-09T10:56:00.001-08:00

Reasons why I love coffee cake:

1. It is dense and moist.
2. It usually has some yummy crumbly topping inside or out.
3. It always accompanies a delicious hot and frothy drink.
4. It is the perfect thing to serve on a fall or winter morning, or after dinner with friends.
5. It feels like you're eating super delicious bread - not cake.

I am not a huge fan of pumpkin pie. I like the tradition, but actually sitting and eating spoonfuls of warm pumpkin custard - not that great. So, I'm working on pumpkin recipes that I will enjoy, because it's pumpkin season. This coffee cake was an instant success with my family. Its a mild pumpkin spice flavor with a brown sugar and butter crumble. I recommend serving it with White Hot Chocolate.
(Regular hot chocolate would be great too, and you could do a chocolate drizzle on top, or even fold chocolate chips into the batter - whatever mood you're in)

Ingredients
2 1/2 c cake flour + 2 T
2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 t cinnamon
1 t ground ginger
1 t nutmeg
pinch of ground cloves
1 1/2 c sugar
1 1/2 sticks butter
1 1/2 c pumpkin puree
3 extra large eggs
1 1/2 t vanilla

For the crumble:
3 T butter
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t salt

Method
Cream the butter and sugar together in a mixer using the paddle attachment. Then add the eggs one by one, then the vanilla, then the pumpkin. Sift together the flour baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Set the mixer to low, and add in the dry ingredients until just combined. Turn the mixer off and finish folding the batter together with a spatula. Pour the batter into a greased 8 inch springform pan. (You can also use a tube pan, or a square baking dish. Smooth out the batter and top with the crumble. Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes.

*If you do use a tube pan, invert the pan to turn out the cake, and serve crumble size up.

For the crumble:
Place all the ingredients in a bowl, and pinch together with your fingers until you have small pea sized pieces

Pumpkin Puree for Katherine

2009-11-08T11:19:00.000-08:00

My sweet newly-wedded cousin Katherine recently moved to England. She's living in a quaint little town called Cambridge - you may have heard of it. Her brilliant Husband is doing some Masters work over there. ANYWAY, she sent me an email the other day telling me that there is absolutely NO pumpkin puree to be had in Cambridge. Can you believe that? So, not only is she in a new place far far away from family and friends, she can't even cook familiar comforting holiday foods like pumpkin bread or pumpkin pie. So, if you are in a similar predicament, or if you are suffering from Libby's crop failure and subsequent shortage of canned pumpkin in Grocery stores, here is how you can make your own.

Head over to your grocery store and buy some cute little "pie pumpkins". They should be in the produce section with various other gourds and squashes. Cut them in half, scrape out the pulp and seeds, brush them with melted butter, sprinkle on some kosher salt, and roast them in the oven at 375 for 1 1/2 hours. They will look like the above picture.

Next, drain off any excess liquid, scoop out the soft flesh, and puree it in batches in a food processor or a blender until perfectly smooth. When your done you will have a big bowl full of pumpkin puree that is a beautiful orange autumn color. One pumpkin makes just over 1/2 cup puree.

And you can use it to make something like this, which is my pumpkin coffee cake recipe, that I will post tomorrow.

Love you Katherine.

Mama's Boy

2009-11-07T15:27:00.001-08:00

James is a lot like me - he prefers Shane from everyone else. It's a beautiful thing.

I Know....

2009-11-01T08:33:00.000-08:00

I've been gone from the blogging world for a long time. So, I'm just going to throw up a ton of pictures of what we've been up to, so I can get back to business....or food.

You get the general idea.

I'm Done

2009-08-18T19:54:00.000-07:00

Tonight I taught my last class on cooking with Food Storage. I feel happy and relieved. It was a lot more work than I bargained for, but very worth it.
Now, all I have to do is post it here. It's going to come fast, and one subject after the other. If you want to start from the beginning, just look under the food storage section.

In the next few days look for posting on: Corn, Oats, Honey, Sugar, Legumes, and Milk.

Life goes on...with a little indulgence.

2009-08-16T08:00:00.000-07:00

Now that James is a mobile little man, he is just about covered in scrapes and bruises. I knew that this time would come. Yesterday James had big fall - from an elevated surface, to the hard wood floor, head first. It scared me to death. Was he okay? Did he break any bones? Will he have a concussion? I HATE that this kind of thing is going to happen all the time now.

I was heart-broken listening to my baby sobbing and shaking for what seemed like forever. I HAD to make him feel better. I would do whatever it took to see him calm down and smile again. So, I did what I do best - I threw food at the problem - old reliable. As soon as he calmed down I left him with Shane and drove as fast as I could to my favorite bakery to get James a cupcake - his very first one.

He was intrigued.

What is this?

So, he gave it a try.

Oh yeah.

Then he got serious - he's just like his Mama, bless him.

Ding Ding Ding!

Dad needed a cupcake recovery too.

And, obviously I brought out the Big Guns for myself + one very large Diet Coke.

Of course, I don't intend to continue this kind of behavior. I don't want to teach my kids that food will solve their problems. But, doesn't all this talk of cupcakes put a little bounce in your step?

New Tricks

2009-08-15T10:07:00.001-07:00

I put James down for a nap the other day, but when I went to check on him a few minutes later I found him like this. He can push himself up to sitting now, and apparently he likes to chew on his crib.

He was a little over-tired, and being really silly, so I went to get my video camera.

And, when I came back he was doing this. WHOA! This crib is no longer safe - we adjusted it to the lowest setting immediately. All of a sudden James is crawling, he can push himself up from laying on the floor to a sitting position, and he can pull himself to standing - jut in the last few days. My house is suddenly looking like a very dangerous place.

We have some videos of James taking his first real crawling steps, and pulling himself up. I'll post them if I can get Shane to do all the technical stuff for me.

Boo

2009-08-13T17:29:00.000-07:00

I made a Bobby Flay recipe for saffron risotto tonight. I hated it. In fact, I almost remember it with disgust. (nothing against Bobby Flay of course, I LOVE him, and usually everything he does) I just didn't like the flavor. And, I'm so disappointed because I was seriously craving a good risotto, and I wasted a lot of time and money making it.

Pan Seared Halibut and Farmers Market Salad

2009-08-11T19:36:00.000-07:00

This was what we had for dinner tonight. All I knew was that I wanted white fish, and the rest I had laying around - if that tells you how easy and fast this meal is to make. And, it was delicious.

Halibut

Ingredients:
4 6oz pieces of Wild Alaskan Halibut
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper
For Lemon Caper Sauce (to serve on top):
1/2 cup fish stock (or chicken stock if you prefer)
4 T unsalted butter
2 T freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 t olive oil
1/4 t salt
2 T capers

Method:
Preheat oven to 400. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy stainless steel pan (that can be heated up to 450 degrees). Season Halibut with kosher salt and ground pepper. Place the fish one piece at a time in the pan, and DO NOT TOUCH them after you've put them down. You want to sear them on a high heat for 1-2 minutes to form a crust. Then turn them over - they will come loose easily when the crust has properly formed. Place the pan in the oven and finish cooking the fish in the oven for 6-8 minutes.
For the sauce: Melt the butter over the stove, and stir in the olive oil, fish stock, and lemon juice. Then bring the sauce to a boil, reduce to a simmer and let the sauce reduce for 15 minutes. Season with salt, and stir in the capers. Spoon over fish.

Garden Salad

Ingredients:
4 cups mixed greens
1 cup green beans, blanched and shocked in cold water, then drained
1 cup sliced red bell pepper
1 cup sliced cucumber
For the dressing:
1 T minced shallots
1 T dijon mustard
1 T pure maple syrup
3 T white wine vinegar
1/4 t kosher salt
1/4 t ground pepper
1/2 cup olive oil

Method:
Place all the salad ingredients in a bowl. Then in a separate bowl, mix the shallots, dijon, maple syrup, vinegar, salt and pepper. Then slowly whisk in the olive oil to create an emulsion. Toss the salad with enough dressing to coat, and serve!

If you're in Manhatten..

2009-08-07T14:12:00.000-07:00

And, you get the chance...take a walk over the Brooklyn Bridge.

And, come here to eat.

You will be happy you did.

Then, come here. That's an order.

I recommend the Chocolate Chocolate Chip, but Shane would say to get the Pralines and Cream.

James is a BIG fan.

He gives us this face and a whole lot of noise when we take it away.

La La La Lemon Bars!

2009-08-06T08:00:00.000-07:00

Ina Garten's recipe. You'll like them.

Ingredients
For the crust:

1/2 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cups flour
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

For the filling:

6 extra-large eggs at room temperature
3 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest (4 to 6 lemons)
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup flour
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Method
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the crust, cream the butter and sugar until light in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Combine the flour and salt and, with the mixer on low, add to the butter until just mixed. Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and gather into a ball. Flatten the dough with floured hands and press it into a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking sheet, building up a 1/2-inch edge on all sides. Chill.

Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes, until very lightly browned. Let cool on a wire rack. Leave the oven on.

For the filling, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour. Pour over the crust and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the filling is set. Let cool to room temperature.

Cut into triangles and dust with confectioners' sugar.

F.S. - Thai Sticky Rice w/ Mango and Ice Cream

2009-08-05T07:30:00.000-07:00

So delicious, so simple. All you need is a steaming basket, and sticky rice (medium grain, opaque), which you can find at your local Asian market. The rest is at your regular grocery store. You can make your own sweet coconut sauce to go on top, but I find it very convenient to just keep a can of "Lopez" Coconut Cream around - you can find it by the drink mixes.

Ingredients
Thai sticky rice (in whatever amount you wish to make)
Coconut cream
Mango, peeled and cut into slices
Vanilla Ice Cream

Method
Soak the rice over night, or all day (6-8 hrs) then rinse. Place the rice in a steaming basket over a pot of boiling water, and cover the basket with a kitchen towel. Steam the rice for 20 minutes, then flip it over (it will have formed into a mound) and steam on the other side for 10 minutes. The rice will have become elongated and translucent. Transfer rice to serving dishes, drizzle on coconut cream, add mango and ice cream, and serve immediately. The rice will be warm and chewy.

You can also serve the plain sticky rice with Thai curries or stir-frys, and you can put the rice in a plastic bag sealed tight with all the air out of it to keep it for a couple of days in the refrigerator.

Seriously?

2009-08-03T20:28:00.001-07:00

What am I supposed to do with that face?

I can barely handle it.

I console myself with cookies ....... lots and lots of cookies.

Back to Business: F.S. - Tagliatelle w/ Basil Pesto

2009-08-03T19:13:00.000-07:00

Freshly made pasta is the best. And, although it can be time consuming, it is very forgiving, and totally worth it. Once you learn how to roll out your pasta, you can cut it or, or twist it, or use is it any way you like.

I have written lengthy directions below, but basically you make a well in the center of your mound of flour, and slowly scramble the eggs with a fork, while gathering bits of the surrounding flour. Then knead the rest of the flour in. Don't be alarmed if dough is very tough - the more time that passes the more flour the dough absorbs, and it will become softer and softer. So, it's a good idea to have extra flour on hand to keep your hands from sticking when you are stretching the dough.

I stretch pasta using a pasta machine, but you can do it with a rolling pin as well. Just keep folding and rolling, until you have a smooth even consistency.

Tagliatelle Pasta

Ingredients

Basil Pesto

Ingredients
2 c fresh basil
1/2 c grated Parmesan
1/2 c grated Romano
2/3 c Olive oil
3 T toasted pine nuts
2 cloves garlic
1/2 t kosher salt
Pinch of freshly ground pepper

Method
Put the basil, chesses, pine nuts, garlic, salt and pepper in a food processor or blender, and pulse a few times. Then with the machine running, slowly pour in the olive oil until well combined.

All Better

2009-07-30T10:28:00.000-07:00

Thank you for all the love and support! We are home, and James is all better!

Not only that, he is a different baby. He is into EVERYTHING. And he's threatening to crawl. He's been doing the inchworm/army crawl for a while, and I know that any day he's going to launch forward, fully mobile.

I know its going to be a lot more trouble to manage him (like the other day when he pulled himself up over the edge of his pack-n-play, and nearly fell out), but Shane and I love watching him learn new things. It's so fun! He holds his arms out for us to pick him up, and he crawls towards me and tries to get in my lap - it kills me. I love being a mom, and I love my baby.

Sad Day

2009-07-13T18:56:00.000-07:00

James is OK. But, he has been very sick the last few days, and today after 5 hours of testing we have discovered that he has a pretty serious UTI and kidney infection. It is uncommon for his age, and the reasons why are still unclear. James is miserable, and may possibly be admitted to the hospital to be put on an IV to keep him hydrated.

Like I said, he is OK. He will recover and be fine, but it is breaking my heart to see him like this. His little body is fighting a painful and serious grown-up infection. So, James and I will stay in MD until he is well enough to go home. We'll call it an extended vacation, and take advantage of all the love and support we're getting from my family. Later.

We like this place

2009-07-09T18:00:00.000-07:00

We like to come to eat here.

I looove clam chowder. It's been such a rainy summer that I'm craving soup all the time.

And, this is a very good salad that I want to re-create. Burbon steak tips on Ceasar salad. Mmmmm.

Rain, Rain, Go Away....

2009-07-08T17:33:00.000-07:00

The weather has changed. It's gotten ugly.

But, we're not letting it stop us.

We're still in good spirits.

After all, rainy days create bonding experiences, right?

Love Hate

2009-07-07T19:57:00.001-07:00

Shane gave James his first popsicle today. Orange flavor. He didn't know what to think.

It was love/hate. He made faces like this because of the cold, but screamed at Shane when he took it away. Overall, a very funny, and cute experience.

One Happy Family

2009-07-07T09:28:00.000-07:00

Shane's getting his daily fix.

And, this guy is getting so much love and stimulation, he spends half the day sleeping.

As for me, I have a house full of family to cook with, talk with, and play with. What more could we want?

100

2009-07-06T09:13:00.001-07:00

We're in D.C, NY, and NH for the next week. We're already having lots of fun. See you later.

He wants to show you...

2009-07-01T12:07:00.001-07:00

He just cut a new tooth, which makes 2. Right next to each other, on the bottom, in the middle.

Hey, Barlows.......remember this?

2009-06-30T11:26:00.001-07:00

Let's do it again, shall we?

F.S. - California Rolls

2009-06-30T08:25:00.000-07:00

Yes, I will have California rolls in my food storage - Rice, Imitation crab - frozen (which I prefer in my California rolls anyway), mayonnaise, and Cucumber from my garden if I can't get avocado. I promise these are good - really. Shane doesn't like Sushi at all, so I make these for myself at home, and they are delicious.

Ingredients
2 cups sushi/short grain rice
2 cups water plus extra for rinsing
2 T rice vinegar
2 T sugar
1 T kosher salt
1 stick imitation crab (found at asian markets)
1 1/2 T Mayonnaise
Avocado
Seaweed (Nori)

Place the rice into a mixing bowl and cover with cool water. Swirl the rice in the water, pour off and repeat 2 to 3 times or until the water is clear.
Place the rice and 2 cups of water into a medium saucepan and place over high heat. Bring to a boil, uncovered. Once it begins to boil, reduce the heat to the lowest setting and cover. Cook for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes.Combine the rice vinegar, sugar and salt in a small bowl and heat in the microwave on high for 30 to 45 seconds. Transfer the rice into a large wooden or glass mixing bowl and add the vinegar mixture. Fold thoroughly to combine and coat each grain of rice with the mixture. Allow to cool to room temperature before using to make sushi or sashimi.

Shred the imitation crab into thin strips, toss with Mayonnaise, and a pinch of salt. Slice avocado, and cut your piece of Nori in half. Wrap your bamboo mat in cling wrap for easy clean up.

Grab a handful of rice and spread gently across the nori (which will be dry and brittle when you begin, but will soften with the moisture from the rice).

Flip the nori over, and put down a line of crab mixture, and a few slices of avocado, leaving more space on the side opposite you.

Roll the nori over just short of the end of the piece, and tuck it in tightly with the bamboo mat.

Roll the rest of the way over, squeeze gently, and unroll the mat.

Sprinkle with black sesame seeds, slice in half, line the two pieces next to each other, and cut into thirds or fourths. Serve with pickled ginger, soy sauce, and wasabi (if you want).

F.S. - Rice and Pasta

2009-06-29T18:27:00.000-07:00

Rice

Can be used as a cereal, a substitute for potatoes, a base for a soup, as a side dish, or as a dessert. The best type of rice to store in the long term is long grain white rice, but other types will store well, so if you use various types of rice, try and incorporate them into your food storage. The only exception is Brown Rice - it will only store for a few months before is goes rancid, due to a higher oil content.

Long Grain Rice - it's length is 4-5 times its width. The grains are clear and translucent. They remain separate after cooking, and are light and fluffy. (jasmine, basmati)

Medium Grain Rice - is about 3x long as it is wide. Less expensive than long grain rice because it requires a shorter growing season and produces a higher yield per acre. It is easier to mill, and when cooked, it is moister and more tender than long grain rice.

Short Grain Rice - 1 1/2-2x as long as it is wide. Generally the least expensive of the three, and clings together when cooked.

Brown Rice - is the whole, unpolished grain of rice with only the outer fibrous, inedible hull removed. Brown rice requires more water and a longer cooking time than white rice. It is chewy and has a nut-like flavor when cooked.

Regular Milled White Rice - Rice that has had the hull, germ, outer bran layers, and most of the inner bran removed in the milling process. The grains are bland in flavor, and are fluffy.

Parboiled rice - sometimes called processed or converted rice, has been treated to keep some of the natural vitamins and minerals the whole grain contains. It has been pre-cooked by a special steam pressure process, and requires a longer cooking time than regular white milled rice.

Pre-coked, or Instant Rice - is completely cooked, and needs only to stand in boiling water before serving. It generally results in a gummy mass, and is not recommended for flavor, texture, or nutritional value.

Fortified or Enriched Rice - combination of regular milled rice, and highly fortified rice. A coating of vitamins and minerals is used to fortify rice, the coating adheres to the rice, and does not dissolve with ordinary cooking or washing

Wild Rice - is not rice at all. It is the seed of a wild water grass found in the great lakes region. It is more expensive than all the above.

Rice should be stored in airtight containers in a cool dry place. Semi-dark, if possible.

Pasta
Is pretty much self-explanatory. Dried pasta stores the same as Rice, but if you are making pasta from scratch, use soft white wheat, or cake flour.

All information is courtesy of The Wooden Spoon

James

2009-06-27T12:13:00.000-07:00

He is 5 1/2 months old right now. He started sitting up a few weeks ago, but it was still so fun to see him hanging out on the crash pad, blowing raspberries, when I came home today.

For as hard as he was the first couple of months , he is equally easy now. He sleeps 11-12 hours every night (without waking up, since he was 3 1/2 months..hallelujah! It contributes greatly to my personal well-being), and he is the happiest baby! He smiles and laughs all the time.

Also, he is a MAJOR thumb-sucker. It's his favorite thing to do, besides chew on his burp cloths. And, of course, he is still extremely active, rolling all-over the place all the time, and trying to crawl. He's growing like a weed, still in the 90th percentile for height, and people tell me everyday that life as I know it will soon be over. I have visions of my baby in a harness dragging me all over and destroying everything in his path.

However, despite the impending doom, I am amazed at how happy I am as a mother. Nothing could have prepared me for the amount of love and adoration Shane and I have for this child. And, I'm sure that when the next stage begins, and every inch of this house has to be baby-proofed, and things are being destroyed left and right, I will love him even more than I do now.

F.S. - Whole Wheat Pancake Mix

2009-06-22T21:55:00.001-07:00

This recipe makes several batches, so store it in an airtight container and put it in the freezer, so it's ready whenever you want to use it.

Ingredients
8 c whole wheat flour
1/2 c sugar
4 t salt
2 1/2 c powdered milk
2 c vegetable oil
5 T baking powder

Method
Mix all the dry ingredients together, then add the oil. Store in an airtight container.

To Use Mix
1 1/2 c mix
3/4 c water
1 egg

Beat egg and water together, then add mix. Ladle onto skillet, cook over medium heat until bubbles form, flip pancakes and cook for another minute. Remove from heat and enjoy.

F.S - Vermont Oatmel Maple Honey Bread

2009-06-22T21:49:00.001-07:00

I have put this recipe up before, so you may recognize it, but it has become my absolute favorite bread. It is my food storage bread because it has oatmeal in it, which acts a natural preservative, so this bread will last at least a week unrefrigerated. But, I promise you'll finish it off before then.

Ingredients
2 1/4 to 2 1/2 cups boiling water
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup maple sugar ( you can find it in bulk at health food stores) or brown sugar
1/2 t maple flavor (optional)
1 T honey
4 T butter
1 T salt
1 t cinnamon
1 T instant yeast (SAF brand is the best)
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

Method
In a large mixing bowl combine water, oats, maple sugar, maple flavor, honey, butter, salt, and cinnamon. Let cool to Luke warm.
Add yeast and combined flours, stirring to form a rough dough. Knead (10 minutes by hand, 5-7 by machine) until dough is smooth and satiny. Transfer to a lightly greased bowl, and let rise for 1 hour - it should double in bulk.
Divide the dough in half, and shape into two loafs. Place the loafs in two greased 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch bread pans. Cover pans with lightly greased plastic wrap, and allow to rise until loafs have crowned 1 inch above the rim of the pan - about 1 hour.
Pre-heat oven to 350. Bake loafs for 35 to 40 minutes. Remove when they are golden brown and the interior registers 190 on an instant read thermometer. (I don't have an instant read thermometer, and I've never had a problem.)

F.S. - Wheat

2009-06-22T21:22:00.000-07:00

There are three types of wheat that you need to be familiar with.

1.Hard Red Wheat - Stores the longest, has the most protein and lowest moisture content of the three, and has a stronger harsher flavor. It is the cheapest per pound, around $.70

2.Hard White Wheat - Has a milder flavor, can be used for breads, pancakes etc.

3. Soft White Wheat - Has the highest moisture content of the three, will produce more tender baked goods, and is best for pastries, pastas etc. It is the most expensive per pound around $1.20

All of these will store for years - longer than you need them to as long as they are kept in air-tight containers.

Fresh ground wheat flour will produce better bread, but it loses 90% of its nutritional value in 72 hrs if it is not refrigerated. Fresh ground flour also goes rancid - treat it like a dairy product.

If you are baking with older wheat, you can add dough enhancer (found at kitchen stores - bosch, orson gygi, william sonoma) to improve the flavor and texture - 1 T per cup of ground flour.

If you are baking with hard red wheat, you can add some yogurt as a tenderizer.

YEAST

1. Active Dry Yeast - needs to be proofed, use water just above your body heat, and your dough will need a double rise.
2. Instant/Rapid Rise Yeast - does not require proofing, is better with warmer water, and your dough does not require a double rise.

Store your yeast in your freezer, opened or unopened.

Please leave comments if you have any questions, and I will leave answers.

F.S. - Chocolate Mousse

2009-06-22T21:14:00.000-07:00

This is a very bad picture/representation of this recipe, but please don't hold it against the mousse. It's very good. I have done it very simply, topped with whipped cream and chocolate shavings, but you can do anything you like with it (serve on a graham cracker crust, add yummy toppings etc...)

Ingredients
4 oz chocolate pudding mix
1 envelope Dream Whip (found at your local grocer in the baking isle)
1 1/8 cup milk, divided
1/2 t vanilla

Method
Using an electric mixer, beat together 1/2 cup milk and the dream whip until soft peaks form (do not over-whip). Add the rest of the milk and the pudding mix and continue beating until soft peaks form. Stir in vanilla. Spoon into serving dishes, or pie shell, and chill. Enjoy.

BLT

2009-06-22T21:00:00.001-07:00

This is one of my all-time favorite sandwiches. Simple, easy, and satisfying.

Just fry up some bacon, finely shred romaine lettuce and toss with mayo, slice some fresh tomatoes, pile it on top of a piece of lightly toasted honey-wheat bread, and season with salt and fresh ground pepper. I like mine open faced, but you do what you like.

p.s. Food Storage updates are on their way. There's going to be a down pour of recipes and information.

James loves his Dad

2009-06-21T06:52:00.000-07:00

From the minute James was born, he was searching for Shane, craning his neck in the direction of Shane's voice. There has been an unmistakable bond between the two of them right from the start. James loves his Dad. If Shane is in the room, James will just stare at him until Shane looks over at him, and then light up with a big smile. It is a beautiful thing to watch, and the feeling is mutual. James is Shane's pride and joy. He takes him everywhere with him, talks with him, teaches him, and plays with him every chance he gets.

Dear Shane,
Watching you transform into a Dad has been one of the happiest experiences of my life. You amaze and surprise me everyday. Thank you for for taking such good care of our baby. I love you.

Happy Father's Day.

We're back...

2009-06-20T09:37:00.000-07:00

Have you missed this face?

We have been gone for a long time. D.C., NY, D.C., Provo, St. George, and home again. Almost a month total of travel, and as nice as it was, it's always nice to be home again.

I have A LOT to catch you up on.

So, anyway..

2009-05-15T22:11:00.000-07:00

My computer has been broken for the last week or so - not sure what happened. Sadly, all of my photos and recipes are stored on my computer. So, I'm sorry that I won't be able to do any updating for a few days.

In the meantime I wanted to share something. We went out tonight for dinner and a movie, which is a pretty usual thing. But, tonight I made an attempt to dress myself for the occasion (a very unusual thing). I luxuriated in a bath, used pretty scented lotion, did my hair, put on make-up, and I even wore a skirt. And, can I tell you? I felt like a person again, and it was really very nice.

I hope my computer gets fixed soon. Until then.

New Posting on its way..

2009-05-10T11:43:00.000-07:00

I'm going to catch you up on Food Storage, James, and Mothers Day a little later. I promise.

For your viewing pleasure...

2009-05-06T14:58:00.000-07:00

We blessed 3 babies this past weekend - James, Eva, and Claire. It was really fun to do with so much family. Minna and Dan flew out form New York with their little girl, and while she was here, Minna (of Miriam Lovell Photography) took this picture of James. It absolutely kills me.

F.S. - Southwest Chicken Chopped Salad

2009-05-01T22:18:00.000-07:00

This salad uses half fresh ingredients and half storage. I think it will surprise you.

Ingredients
2 heads Romaine Lettuce, chopped (into a small dice)
2 cans of Chicken, chopped
1 heaping cup petite diced Cheddar Cheese
1 (15 oz) can of Whole Kernel Corn
1 (15 oz) can of Black Beans
1 Red Bell Pepper, diced
1/2 medium Red Onion, diced
Newman's Oil and Vinegar
Sour Cream
Barbecue Sauce
Tortilla Strips
Fresh Chopped Cilantro

Method
In a large bowl, toss lettuce, chicken, cheese, corn, beans, pepper, and onion. Toss with enough dressing to lightly coat (Newman's). Plate the salad, drizzle with sour cream and barbecue, and top with tortilla strips and a pinch of fresh cilantro.

F.S. - Tomato Basil Soup

2009-04-29T23:14:00.000-07:00

This recipe can be entirely made from food storage items. All of the soup ingredients are dry or canned, and croutons can be made from homemade bread, basil can be grown indoors all year round, and sour cream can be made from powdered milk.

Some of the recipes I post for food storage will be my own creation, and some will be others. This one is mine. Try it. I hope you enjoy it.

Ingredients
1 (26 oz) can tomato soup concentrate
1 can milk (use empty soup can)
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 T Olive Oil
1 t Kosher salt
1/2 t Garlic powder
1/2 t Fresh Ground Pepper
Fresh Basil, Chiffonade ( this just means the style in which the basil is cut when you stack some leaves together, roll them tightly and slice them into thin strips)
Sour Cream
Croutons

Method
Pour soup concentrate, milk, olive oil, tomatoes, salt, garlic powder, and pepper into a large pot. Stir to combine, and heat to a gentle simmer.

For croutons: Dice a loaf of french bread into 1 inch cubes. Lay them out on a cookie sheet, drizzle with a few tablespoons of olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Bake at 375 for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. (You can also drizzle balsamic vinegar over croutons, but I like them without it for this recipe.)

Ladle soup into bowls, drizzle with sour cream, add croutons, and a pinch of basil. Serve immediately.

Powdered milk Sour Cream recipe to come later.

Sweet Baby James

2009-04-29T16:56:00.001-07:00

We had a Doctors appointment today, where my suspicions were confirmed. James is HUGE! At 3 1/2 months he is 26" tall, and weighs in at 15 lbs 4 1/2 oz. That puts him in the 95th percentile for height, and 75-90th percentile for weight. He takes after his Dad.

Food Storage - Getting Started

2009-04-28T21:48:00.000-07:00

Building food storage, for me, seemed very over-whelming. Shane and I just started buying bulk rice, wheat, and other items from the cannery. We had a food storage check-list, and were building our 3 month supply, but I couldnt come up with a single, regular meal that I would make from our bulk items.

This class is about gaining a new perspective on food storage. You can do it. It can be simple, and you can make meals that your family will love.

To get started:
1. Clean out your kitchen. Get rid of anything that is old, broken, or that you don't use. Throw out old foods, and rancid oils.
2. Research. What does your family eat most often? What are your favorite meals? How could you translate them to food storage? How many of the ingredients are canned, or dried already and how long would they store for?
3. Write down 10 meals.
4. Take stock. What's in your pantry and food storage to get you started? Based on the meals you chose, what more do you need? Decide on a weekly budget and begin building your food storage 1 meal at a time.
5. Start a new Family Cookbook. Put in your favorite recipes, family recipes, and some you would like to try.

Bag Meals!
Put all of the dried or canned parts of your meal together in a bag (ziplock, paper - doesn't matter) Pancake mix, muffin mix, bread ingredients...If you're making soup, measure out the spices and have them ready to go in a little bag. If you're doing pasta, measure out the amounts and seal them up. Put the recipe in the bag and label the meal. You will have to pick up some fresh ingredients from the store, or use what you have in the fridge, but dinner is almost done.

Bag meals are great for a number of reasons:

1. You can start rotating old storage items immediately.
2. Its a more cost effective way to build storage.
3. You will actually use it.
4. When you look at your food storage you will see actual meals that you want to eat instead of a drum of wheat, and a bag of rice.
5. It's a nice and easy way to take care of breakfast/lunch/dinner for everyday use.

Get together with a few friends, and have everyone bring X number of the same meals to exchange, and you all walk away with a variety of meals with minimal effort.

This concludes the official lesson portion for this week. Look for the Tomato Basil Soup recipe later today.

2 Things

2009-04-27T07:23:00.000-07:00

1. We have spent the last week or so doing sleep training (Which, is why I have not blogged - I have been sooooo tired - lots of rough nights). And, now I am am thrilled to tell you that James sleeps 9-10 hours a night, and takes full naps in his crib!!!!!!!!!!! Wow. It feels really good to say that.

2. I am teaching a class on Cooking with Food Storage, and I am going to share all of the information here on my blog. It's going to be a combination of cooking skills, cooking on a budget, cooking with food storage items, and general information about Wheat, Rice, Pasta, Corn, Sugar, Honey, Legumes, Milk, storage info, vendor information etc. It's really cool stuff - I promise.

The class, called "Be Prepared", is taught in a series. Every week I will put up new information, tips, and recipes. This week will focus on the purpose of building food storage, and some fun ways to use it for your family. I will also post 3 food storage recipes this week - Tomato Basil Soup, Southwest Chicken Chopped Salad, and Chocolate Mousse.

If you're wondering why I'm doing this - it's because I love food, and I believe in being prepared for whatever emergency may arrive. Also, I took this class from a group of women who have been teaching it for years, and have incredible knowledge on all things food. Seriously, these women know everything. And they have very generously allowed those who take their class to share what they have learned with whomever they wish.

I will put all posts relating to food storage in a new "food storage" category, so you can have it all organized in order.

This is going to be fun.

Creamed Chicken in Pastry Shells

2009-04-15T20:56:00.001-07:00

This is another favorite family recipe. I'm not sure where it comes from, but all of my Aunts, and my Grandmother, and my Mom make it. I make it every year for Easter, and for me this dish is very special and sentimental.

Ingredients
3 bone-in skin-on chicken breasts, roasted and shredded
12 Pastry shells (freezer section - Pepperidge farms)
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups good chicken stock (make it from scratch to pour some serious love into this dish)
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms
3T chopped fresh parsley
4 T butter
1/3 cup flour
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Method
Heat oven to 350. Season chicken breasts with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roast in the oven for 35 minutes, or until cooked through (consult meat thermometer). Remove from oven, cover with tinfoil, and let rest for 10 minutes, then shred.
Re-heat oven and cook pastry shells according to the directions on the package.
Heat a large and heavy stock pot over medium high. Drizzle about 1 1/2 T olive oil in the pan and add chopped onion and a pinch of salt. Turn heat down to medium and saute onions until translucent, about 6 minutes. Remove onions from pan and set aside.
In the same pan pour another tablespoon + of olive oil and saute the mushrooms. (They may seem dry, and you may have the urge to add more oil, but resist! After a few minutes the mushrooms will soften and release juices) Remove mushrooms from pan and set aside.
In the same pan melt 4 Tablespoons of butter, and sprinkle 1/3 cup flour over top. Whisk constantly over medium heat for a couple of minutes to cook the flour.
Add 1 1/2 cups chicken stock to de-glaze the pan, and whisk the mixture for a few more minutes until it is smooth and begins to thicken. (You'll also be scraping up all the flavor from the onions and mushrooms on the bottom of the pan)
Add 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, shredded chicken, sauteed onions and mushrooms, and heat through.
Fill pastry shells, and garnish with fresh parsley. Serve immediately.

Serves 6 people, 2 shells per person.

3 Months

2009-04-13T08:04:00.001-07:00

And, the little man can stand, but we have to watch him carefully.

Life gets easier as time passes, and James is becoming much more independent. He wakes up in the morning and hangs out in his crib smiling and eating his hands until I come to get him. He is learning new things all the time, and showing more of his personality. Everyday is still unpredictable, but we have the night-time routine down, and for that I am extremely grateful.

I love my boy, I love being a mother.

Happy Easter

2009-04-12T09:32:00.001-07:00

And happy spring too.

Baby Announcement

2009-04-03T11:19:00.001-07:00

I have some seriously talented people in my family - Artists, Graphic Designers, Photographers, Interior designers, and on and on. I have 2 graphic designers in my own immediate family, and my sister Lindsay was kind enough to design these announcements for me and my sweet baby. I know I am shamelessly late getting these out - we've had some difficulties, but they are all going in the mail next week! Most people I'm sending them to don't even know what a blog is, so I'm posting here as well.

p.s. I took pictures of these instead of scanning them in, so they don't look as nice as they do in person.

Fingerling Potatoes

2009-04-02T10:26:00.000-07:00

I think I like these so much because of their unique shape and size, but they also have a really good flavor. Plus, they're easy to make, and I love potatoes.

Ingredients
2 cups fingerling potatoes, washed clean
1 T olive oil
1 T butter
1 T chopped fresh dill
Kosher salt and Fresh Ground Pepper to taste

Method
Steam potatoes for 45 minutes in a covered steam basket. ( I don't have one so I put my colander in my large stock pot with the lid on top - it works really well) Remove from stove and toss potatoes in olive oil, butter, and fresh dill. Season to taste and serve immediately. That's it!

Little Things

2009-04-01T18:02:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago James learned that he had arms and legs, and that he had some measure of control over them. A week or so later he learned to put his right fist into his mouth, then his left, and more recently to put both hands in at the same time. Figuring out how to separate his thumb to suck on is his most recent accomplishment.
We started from scratch people - no knowledge whatsoever - this is a big deal in his little world.