Local Loving

Growing up, "farmers market" was not a phrase that frequented my vocabulary. I understood the concept of fresh and seasonal produce (typically playing out with periodic trips to the local fruit/veggie stand during the summer months). But we definitely weren't regulars at the local stand, so it was more of a treat when we went. I can still remember my two favorite items: peaches and cucumbers. There's nothing I love more than a cold, juicy peach on a hot summer day. And cucumbers, oh my, my love affair with that vegetable has been going on for as long as I can remember. I had many a gardens as a child that, in hindsight, produced a slew of fresh cucumbers (with little to no effort on my part...oh how I long for those days) and for years, summer to me was synonymous with cucumber abundance. With age, and a slightly increased amount of wisdom, I have come to not only understand, but appreciate the wonder that is a trip to the local farmers market on the weekends.

Since becoming a vegetarian, I have begun to place a higher value on good, high quality produce. I'll be the first to admit that "organic" products are overhyped and often times overrated. On the contrary, there is definitely something to be said from buying fresh and local. The food nerd inside of me loves getting to meet the people that put their blood, sweat, and tears into creating foods that bring me such joy.

I've gushed in the past about how much I love the location of my apartment and proximity to farmers markets is just one more reason. On any given weekend, I am less than a mile from three different markets, allowing me to pick the market and neighboorhood that matches my mood. This past weekend, I was gathering with some friends for a Saturday brunch across town and after we parted ways, I took a stroll through the more well-known Eastern Market. Despite the fact that the summer heat continues to wreak havoc on my life (making me want to be a hermit and take to my couch in my air conditioned aparrtment), I powered through, promising myself that I could have some fun in the kitchen with any new finds I came across. And I did.

Today's post is two fold as I sometimes find myself indecisive around meal time, resulting in a meal of samplers (case in point). One of my experimental purchases at the market was kale. I've never been a huge kale fan, but recently have felt inundated with recipes for kale chips. Naturally, I was intrigued. Turns out, they're pretty good and really easy to make!

Kale Chips

(These are crispier than they look)

Ingredients
Final inspiration found here

• 1/4lb kale, torn into bite-sized pieces and steams removed
• 1-2 tbsp olive oil
• sea salt or kosher salt (to taste)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
2. Rinse and dry kale leaves throughly
3. Drizzle olive oil over the kale leaves and use your hands to toss and coat the leaves
4. Bake in the oven for 12-20 minutes until leaves are crisp
5. Check in on kale leaves frequently after the 12 minute mark--the timing depends on how much olive oil you use
6. Just use a spatula or tongs to touch the leaves, if they are paper-thin crackly, the kale is done. If the leaves are still a bit soft, leave them in for another 2 minutes. Do not let the leaves turn brown (they'll be burnt and bitter)
7. Remove from oven, sprinkle with salt and serve

My other market-inspired recipe stemed from my shared love of a perfect summer peach and fresh, homemade salsa (recall). After returning from my brunch/marketing expedition I was so sweat covered and frazzled that I had to throw myself (in very dramatic fashion) into the shower to help calm my nerves. Once the cooling off process had begun, I was able to focus on an afternoon snack. Luckily, the peaches I'd procured not only made it home safely, but also chilled quickly. The chilled treat was even better than the sample that had wet my appetite at market and I craved more. It was from that craving that I became bold, daring to try this mix of spice and sweet:

Peach Salsa

Ingredients

(Original inspiration found here...I halved this recipe)

• 1 purple onion, minced
• 1 lb yellow peaches
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
• juice of 1 lime
• 1 large tomato, minced
• 1 bunch cilantro, minced
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• pinch of sea salt to taste

Preparation

*The original recipe called for grilling the peaches first. After my trek through the heat, turning on the oven was the last thing I was in the mood for. I shall try this again, grilled style, on a much cooler day

1. In a large bowl, combine: minced sweet onion, jalapeno pepper, tomato, cilantro and garlic. Chop peaches up, disgarding the pit, and add them to the bowl
2. Squeeze a lime over everything, toss well and season with sea salt to taste

This salsa was super versitile. I had some black beans and tortillas left over from my favorite recipe of the week, so I crafted another delicious taco with it. While working from home today, I cut up the final tortilla into pita-like chips and dipped them into the salsa. Seriously, best summer salsa ever!

Summer Veggies

I have been working on this post for an embarrassingly long amount of time. I honestly made this recipe the week of the Fourth of July. See, way too long ago! To make matters worse, I was in OKC last weekend and even worked on it there, determined for once to keep the recipes coming while out of the District. Alas, as you can, I failed. Luckily, summer time is still upon us (never thought I'd utter that phrase) and all the featured veggies are still plentiful at the local farmers markets. 

Before diving into today's delicious post, I realized that in my excitement over the last couple of recipes, I never made mention of the new layout. Those of you that stop by frequently probably noticed something was up as it's vastly different from what I used to be working with. Basically, I had grown tired of my previous backdrop and decided to spice things up a bit. Have a look around, hope you enjoy the new design!

And now to the main event. As I've gotten older and my eating tastes have evolved, something I have truly come to appreciate are in-season fruits and vegetables. I've gushed about my love for colorful fruits and veggies in some previous posts (ie: blueberries, asparagus, zucchini) and for dinner one day I decided to fully embrace my love of all things fresh and colorful by creating a medly on my plate. The result was a fun and colorful summer sampler, which could also be used to spice up your summer cookout!

Corn on the Cob, Zucchini, and Deviled Eggs

Ingredients
(These can all be adjusted based on how many you're cooking for)

• 2 hard boiled eggs 
• Fat free mayonnaise (I prefer Hellmann's made with olive oil)
• 1 medium zucchini
• 1/4 cup red onion, sliced
• Corn on the cob, shucked and washed
• 1 tsp sugar (increase slightly if cooking more than 4 ears of corn)

Preparation

1. Fill a large pot with water and about a tsp of sugar and ears of corn, bring to a boil
2. In a smaller pot, fill with water and eggs. After bringing it to a boil, let boil at medium-high for 10 minutes. Then, remove from heat and cover for an additional 10 minutes
3. Once eggs are cooked, rinse with cold water and refrigerate until chilled
4. When corn has come to a boil, allow to boil rapidly for 3 minutes, then remove from heat and cover. The longer you let it sit in the water, the more tender it will become (10 minutes is good if you're in a hurry...my Grandmother, from whom I got this recipe, lets her's sit up to an hour sometimes)
5. Slice zucchini lengthwise in thin, ribbon strips
6. Stir-fry zucchini and red onion slices in olive oil with salt and pepper (to taste) for 3-5 minutes or until veggies reach desired level of softness
7. After eggs have chilled, peal and slice in half, separating the yolks into a bowl
8. In bowl, combine egg yolks with mayonnaise and salt and pepper. [I hate mayonnaise more than anything, so I always use as little as possible; basically just enough to get everything to stick together. Deviled eggs are very versatile in terms of what you can put in them, so this part is really dependent more on preference than anything else].
9. Distribute egg yolk mixture evenly among the egg whites, top with if desired
10. Plate and enjoy! 

Taco Time

This is hands down, one of my most exciting recipes to date! I seriously am so in love with this meal that I couldn't wait to share it, so much so that I'm skipping over two other posts  I've been working on to share this one first. Part of my elation about this recipe comes from the story behind it. I love a good story (as you probably know by now) and I've been wanting to tell this one FOREVER....well, at least since April. 

A couple months ago, during my monthly pilgrimage to the sooner state, I achieved an airline first: I spent the entire flight talking to the stranger in the seat next to me. I recognize that some people thrive on these situations, they love meeting new people anywhere and everywhere they go. I am not one of those people, especially on airplanes. At this point in my life, I probably fly more than the average person and thus I have developed a routine to help me get from terminal to terminal while remaining as unfazzled as possible. I fly Southwest almost exclusively (I seriously love them and could probably also write a whole post about my faithful devotion to them, but I'll save that for another time) and my first order of business is always picking a seat that is as far removed from children (of any age, but especially infants) as possible. Luckily, this is usually a fairly easy task as I am always one of the first to board and children are often relegated to the middle/back of the plane. When in flight, reading and sleeping are the only two things I desire to do. The only thing I hate more than making idle chit chat is making idle chit chat in a confined situation (ie: a 3 hour flight from DC to OKC).

I say all that not to make you believe that I'm a terrible person (I really just desire to travel in as much peace and quiet as possible), but rather to help you fully apprecaite how unique of an experience this was for me. Anyway, during said flight, shortly after our beverages and snacks had been served, I was working my way through a glass of red wine (another coping mechanism for me when I fly after a long workday) when all of a sudden the woman in the row with me decided to try and initiate conversation. I tried to be polite, responding to her remark, chuckling, and then promptly returing to my book. A few moments later, she returned with more words. I should also interject at this point, just to create a better visual, that we were on a less than full flight (my favorite) and I was nestled against the window, she on the isle, with a seat in the middle of us. At first I was frustrated with her antics. It seemed each time I tried to implement the polite social cue of short response + returning to my book = I'm not in the mood for chit chat, it only warded her off for a few minutes at most and then she was back with another comment!

I'm not sure how she finally wore me down, but she did and I give her props for her persistance as I'm not an easy person to wear down. As I gave in and began to engage in conversation with her, it turned out we had a surprising amount in common. She was probably the age of my parents, but was a retired teacher (my mom's a teacher), hailed from Texas (I'm from Oklahoma), has a daughter who went to law school (as did I), and was returning from visiting one of her children in a suburb of DC (I live in the District). It seemd like the more we talked, the more we discovered we had in common.

Towards the final leg of our flight, we got on the subject of cooking. Her family immigrated here from Mexico and she began to tell me about all the delicious dishes she'd made while visiting her daughter and her family. I was basically drooling by this point (it was nearing the dinner hour and TF and I were headed to my favorite OKC Mexican restuarant the moment I landed), but I was so fascinated I powered through the hunger pains. At one point, homemade tortillas were mentioned and my eyes lit up. During my visit, TF and I were planning to cook a huge Mexican feast (the finished product of which I shared with you here), with the goal of making as many of the elements from scratch as possible. We'd gotten most of the menu sketched out prior to my arrival and had decided to make enchilladas as they would be the easiest to make for a crowd. Not only did my new in-air friend tell me how to make homemade tortillas, but she worked desperately to convince me that they were super easy and I could totally handle it. By the end of the flight I was so excited about all that I learned, I couldn't wait to share the news with TF. Unfortunately, TF (in hindsight, wisely) thought it best not to take on the pressure of making too many new things since we were cooking for others besides ourselves. I was disappointed, but he was right (I'm admitting this only because he rarely reads my blog) and I would've been even more frazzled than I already was if we'd tried to churn out tortillas on top of anything else. And thus, I put my dream to create tortillas in my kitchen on the back burner...until today.

Having spent the day working at home, I was all about taking advantage of the time to whip up something fun for dinner. Unfortunately, with a heat index of 105, I was restricted to using only items I already had on hand to avoid suffering from heat stroke while walking to market. And then it hit me, fish tacos! This meal turned into one of the freshest and most colorful meals I've ever created. I'd be lying if I said I didn't do a little happy dance when the finished product finally revealed itself. Homemade tortillas = success!

Tilapia and Black Bean Tacos on Homemade Tortillas

Ingredients

Filling

• 1 tilapia filet (baked and cut into cubes)
• 1/2 cup black beans (cooked)
• 1/4 cup red onion (chopped)
• 2-3 cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 jalepeno (seeded and diced)
• 2 tsp cilantro (minced)
• 1/8 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Tortillas

Original found here (I cut the recipe in half and made them smaller than the original recipe)

• 3 cups unbleached flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ⅓ cups canola oil
• 1 cup hot water

Preparation

1. Mix the flour, salt, and baking powder with a whisk. Add the canola oil and mix with your fingers until all the oil is incorporated and the mixture looks like fine crumbs. Add 1 cup of hot water and mix until a ball is formed. Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rest for about 30 minutes
2. Preheat oven to 350F
3. Lightly glaze tilapia with olive oil. In a ziplock bag, toss tilapia with bread crumbs until lightly coated. (I made my own bread crumbs a while back and the recipe made a ton, so I just pulled out what I needed from the freezer)
4. Bake tilapia for 10 minutes, flip, and bake for 5 additional minutes
5. Once dough is ready, divide into balls of desired size and roll out one at a time on a floured surface

6. Brush off excess flour and cook on a hot, ungreased griddle over medium-high heat. Turn the tortilla when brown blisters form on the first side

7. Once tortillas are done, fill with ingredients from above and serve

Clock-wise from top left:

breaded tilapia, red onion, cherry tomatoes (from mother's garden),

cilantro, and jalapeno (also from mother's garden)

Yummy!

Chickpeas + Guac

For me, summer is all too often about finding cool and refreshing foods to eat. In keeping with my admittedly weird food rules, there are certain foods (soup in particular) that I outright refuse to touch between the months of April and September. Then there are other, less harsh, warm foods (usually pastas and the like) that I will still consume from time to time during the summer months, but definitely with less enthusiasm than I do once the weather turns chilly. But in my perfect world, with the exception of steamed crabs, I would eat cold foods all summer long.

On one particularly hot day (during the middle of our first rapid succession of 100 degree days) I was at a loss when trying to decide what to eat for dinner. I was out running errands and knew that I had nothing in the home that I desired to eat for dinner. Unfortunately, because all I cared about at the present moment was staying hydrated and keeping my face from becoming a pool of sweat, nothing sounded appealing to me. I'm not a huge fan of getting take out, especially when I'm not dining with others. I enjoy going out to restaurants and the whole experience that comes with socializing with friends and being out amongst society, but if I'm eating at home I feel like I can cook myself something much healthier, in just as much time, and for a lot less money. Thus, I decided I needed to put my thinking cap on and quick.

Once in the market, the air condition washed over me and I was able to sober up enough from the intoxicating heat to develop a solid dinner plan. This dish was ultimately born out of two desires: my love for the foods I chose (they're some of my favorites, but I can never seem to work them into as many meals as I would like) and the cool, refreshing nature of the meal, making it perfect for a scorching summer day!

Chickpea Guacamole Salad

Ingredients

Makes 4 pita pockets



• 1 can chickpeas/garbanzo beans
• 1 large avocado
• 7-8 cherry tomatoes (sliced)
• 1/2 red onion (diced)
• Lemon juice (to taste)
• Salt and pepper (to taste)
• Feta cheese for topping (optional)

Preparation

1. Rinse chickpeas in colander until foam no longer appears on them (this reduces excessive sodium intake). Allow to drain while preparing avocado
2. Slice avocado in half, twist, and remove seed with a knife. Remove avocado halves from skin and dice
3. In a bowl, combine avocado, onion (diced), and chickpeas. Mash with potato masher until desired texture. I wanted a chunckier salad, so I only did this for a minute or so
4. Stir in lemon juice, plus salt and pepper, until desired taste is achieved
5. Fill pita pocket with mixture, top with tomato slices and feta cheese before serving

*The lemon juice helps the avocado keep its color, so it was actually still good a few days later. During my second serving, I ate the mixture as a salad and it was delicious that way as well!

Chocolate Chip Cookies with a Twist

I love work from home days. Who wouldn’t right?! I don’t have to get dressed up in fancy clothes and, even more important this time of year,  get to avoid hiking to the metro in the blazing heat. It’s amazing how much better of a mood I’m in when I don’t have to start my day with sweat pouring off my face. Today was one of those heinously hot and humid mornings in DC that made me dread having to trek into the office. Surprisingly, it didn’t start out that way (Shepherd dog and I actually had a very nice walk, followed by an equally nice run for me through our nation’s Capitol), but by the time I was ready to leave for work the sun was high overhead and the air was so sticky that I was almost certain I would kill someone with my bare hands, or sweat to death, en route to the metro. Yes, the heat makes me slightly irritable…in case you couldn’t tell. Luckily, neither happened, although I did almost start shouting at people to move before ultimately slamming into someone en route to the train (aside from cooler weather, I most look forward to fall because it means the number of tourists in the city plummets back to more manageable levels).

Thankfully, yesterday was one of my weekly work from home days and thus I was able to avoid having to start my day in a dither. The other thing I love about work from home days is that they give me a chance to cook during the week, something I’m usually too tired to do with any level of creativity on a normal work day. For the past couple of weeks it seemed as though my sweet tooth had forsaken me, but I’m happy to report that it has since returned. Consequently, I’ve been all about baking cookies lately. Still slightly craving the fun butterscotch number I whipped up for my day trip with Mother to la playa (beach), I decided to see if I could find a comparable substitute. And I succeeded.

You may recall the time when I decided to be brave an venture into the chocolate chip cookie arena. Well, yesterday, I decided to make chocolate chip cookies with a twist. In conferring with one of the chocolate chip cookie makers extraordinaire in my life (TF), I was informed that my recipe name was stolen from him (although in all the years we’ve known each other I swear I’ve never heard him refer to them like that). Because my twist is different (and some may say more fun), however, I’m going to keep the title J These cookies combine two of my favorite baking ingredients—cinnamon and oats. And, for an additional bit of fun, use white chocolate chips. Yum, yum, YUM!

Chocolate Chip Cookies with a Twist

Ingredients
Adapted from How Sweet Eats-makes 15-20 cookies

• 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 tsps vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cups rolled oats
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsps cinnamon
• 1 1/4 cups chocolate chips

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Beat butter and sugars with an electric mixer until smooth. Add egg and vanilla, mixing well until combined, about 2 minutes
3. Stir in flour, baking powder, salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon with the mixer on medium speed. Beat in oats. Mix until dough comes together
4. Fold in chocolate chips
5. Remove dough from fridge and roll into big 1 1/2 inch balls. Set on a baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes

Basil Pesto and Veggies

Sophomore year of college was the first time I was forced to start cooking for myself. I was living in my first apartment, sans any roommates (except my beloved Shepherd, then a mischevious puppy) and since I had neither the money nor the desire to eat out every night, I had to learn how to bring the food in my pantry and refridgerator to life. I can still remember the first meal I made on my own: parmesan pasta (from a package), broccoli, and sausage (the link kind sliced up, not the breakfast kind), with a glass of apple juice on the side. I was very proud, even taking a picture of it (as is my custom). It was a meal I'd had many times growing up (recall that Mother is very anti-cooking) and it reminded me of home. A lot has changed since that first meal (both in terms of skill level and taste), but my desire for comfort food every now and then still lives within me.


The other day, finding myself with some fresh veggies in need of use before going bad, I turned to a trusted favorite: basil pesto. I'll caveat this recipe by noting that I did not make the pesto from scratch (something that I've been wanting to do forever) but definitely will be doing so very soon as fresh basil runneth over this time of year.


I discovered basil pesto during my junior year of college, oddly enough, while dining with my aunt on a visit to the east coast, and have been hooked ever since. There are very few version of pesto that I don't care for (the ones I dislike usually involve olives) and since I no longer eating pasta that frequently, I sometimes forget just how much I love the substance! This recipe was an easy and quick post-work dish to whip up. And it was great fuel for my long run the following morning.

Basil Pesto and Veggies

Ingredients [makes 2 servings]

• 2 cups whole wheat thin spaghetti
• 1 cup fresh broccoli florets
• 1 grilled portobello mushroom, diced (I had one left over from our cookout over the weekend)
• 1/4 cup diced onions
• 8-10 cherry tomatoes, sliced
• 2-3 Tbsp basil pesto
• 1 tsp olive oil
• Salt and pepper (to taste)

Preparation

1. Heat olive oil in frying pan, cook onions for 2-3 mins. Add in mushroom, cook until heated
2. Bring pot of water for pasta to a boil. Add in pasta, cook according to package
3. With 5-6 minutes remaining on pasta, add in broccoli
4. Once pasta and broccoli is cooked, drain (do not rinse) and return to pot
5. Stir in basil pesto, salt, and pepper until coated evenly. Add cooked onions, mushrooms, and tomato slices
6. Serve, topping with cheese if desired

I served mine with a slice of whole wheat bread, topped with fresh garlic powder 

[both acquired at the local Amish market over the weekend :)]

Beach Treats

Summertime at the beach. It never feels like my summer is complete until I visit the beach. For as long as I can remember, that came in the form of a trip to Ocean City, MD. When we spent summers in Maryland growing up, we'd always make the trip to Ocean City during the end of our two month stay. As a result, I would both look forward to and dread the trip. I loved a good trip to the beach, but also dreaded summer coming to an end and heading back to school and "responsibilities." In my third official summer since ending my very long stint in school, trips to the beach no longer signal the end of summer, but rather help me stay sane as I tire of summer and anxiously await the arrival of my beloved fall.
For the first time ever, Mother and I decided to head to a different beach for the day. Usually, we head out to Maryland's eastern shore for a day filled with nostalgia. Trips to Ocean City are never complete without a retelling of the time when my cousin and I talked our parents into letting us get hermit crabs on the boardwalk and I both dropped mine, allowing to fly across the bathroom floor, and nearly drowned it in a bowl of water...screaming hysterically during both occurances...within the first 24 hours of ownership; or the time when a solo trip on the haunted house ride on the boardwalk sent me into a crying fit of hysteria. This time, however, we decided to head to the first state (Delaware) for some rest and relaxation on the shores of Bethany Beach. It was a delightful day (well, at least until dinner time...Deleware doesn't do crab cakes like Maryland and I mistakenly ordered a whole lobster, sending me into an unexpected level of hysterics yet again) and we were quiet pleased with our decision for a change of pace.

As with any trip to the beach, we packed up the cooler with sandwiches and snacks for both the car and our time at the beach. Never one to miss an opportunity to bake, I decided to make some cookies for us to take on our journey. Using both apples and cinnamon, these cookies filled my kitchen with the smells of fall and further ignited my desire for it to arrive. They were perfect for a day in the sun and will be even better to snack on when the leaves begin to fall...less than two months :)

Butterscotch Apple Cinnamon and Oats Cookies

Adapted from this version

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 3/4 cups old fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 3/4 cup apple sauce
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 3/4 cup butterscotch chips
• 3/4 cup chopped apples

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon; whisk in oats until combined
3. In a large bowl, using a mixer on medium speed, beat together butter, brown sugar and applesauce until creamy, about 1 minute; beat in vanilla and egg until combined
4. Reduce mixer speed to low and beat in oat mixture until combined. Stir in butterscotch chips and apples until combined
5. Drop heaping teaspoons of dough onto cookie sheets, about an inch apart
6. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 1 minute before transferring to wire racks to cool completely

Happy Summer!

Nuts About Nutella

Confession time. Until yesterday, I had never tasted Nutella. I will give you a minute to digest that fact. Better? Possibly the most shameful thing about my hold out was that I had no real reason or excuse for it. I love hazelnuts (at least for the last 5 or so years) and mother made sure to raise me with a healthy appreciation for chocolate as well. Thus, Nutella, at least on paper, seems like a no brainer for me.


To make matters worse, for the last year or so, Alicia has been telling me I would love the stuff and must try it. I often turn to her as my guide when I'm considering trying new foods (she and Daniel provided moral support for my Food of the Year conquering this year), but despite my trust in her judgment, I still failed to pursue the foreign substance. Then, the Nutella craze began. 


It's likely this craze, as I've taken to calling it, has existed for some time. I've never professed to be on top of current trends...and feel even less "with it" as I've gotten older. But in my little world, it seems like Alicia no longer mentioned it to me and it was all I was seeing! Recipe after recipe was calling for Nutella. People on the street and the interweb couldn't stop raving about the wonder that is Nutella. It was being used to whip up all sorts of sweet treats and I was missing out.


This all changed on Tuesday. In the late afternoon hours, as I was browsing some of my favorite blogs in an effort to pass the time at work, I stumbled upon a recipe for mini shortbread sandwiches filled with Nutella. I was intrigued. I'd not been in much of a sweets mood lately (very unusual...I blame the heat) but when these puppies came across my screen, I couldn't resist giving them a try. I took a little field trip to the local Safeway and purchased my first jar of Nutella, determined to finally see what all the fuss was about. As it turns out, Alicia was right again....I'm officially a convert. 

Shortbread Cookiedrops with Nutella

Ingredients 

[makes about a dozen shortbread drops]

• 1 stick unsalted butter (softened)
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup corn starch

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 325°
2. Cream butter and sugar together. Sift in flour and corn starch and blend together using a pastry cutter (also known as Mr. Red's hook)
3. Form dough into a big ball (it might be a little dry and flaky but thats ok) and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 20 minutes
4. Roll out the dough on a floured surface and  cut into rounds using a small round cookie cutter 
5. Place on a cookie sheet and bake for about 20 minutes, but don’t let them them brown
6. After cooling slightly, spread a dollop of Nutella atop them and serve for a delightful (and slightly messy....although that may be due in part to my overzealousness in spreading on the Nutella) treat

Happy Belated 4th of July Part II

Yesterday I shared with you the first of two fun 4th of July treats I whipped up during my extended 4th of July celebration. On Friday, Bax dog and I traveled up to Baltimore to spend the weekend with the fam and, more excitedly, partake in 4th of July cookout numero dos.

I have always been a huge fan of summer cookouts. Growing up, it never felt like summer until my dad whipped up the first round of hamburgers, ribs, and sausage links on the grill. This is my fourth summer since I stopped eating red meat and the smell of smoked/grilled meats remains the only thing that makes me miss it. As a work around during grill season, I usually talk my dad into grilling my vegetarian items as well. My dad's grilling always includes a special (homemade) sauce that he puts on all burgers and other meat products (I actually blame this sauce for why I hate bar-b-que sauce....it just never lives up) and this time I got him to make a little for my portobello mushroom and the veggie dogs Sister and I were to be consuming. Although I'm sure most carnivors would disagree, it was a delightful substitution.

For my second 4th of July cookout (or "Pho 4th" as I took to calling it), I was all about making use of my beloved cake stand and whipping up a refreshing dessert to counter the string of 100 degree days we've been experiencing and to top off the meal. Once again, my love of fresh blueberries prevailed in my recipe selection. I used this find as inspiration but then blended a couple different recipes to achieve the final product. It was a little touch and go during decorating time (I feared I'd overshot my ambitions) but Sister talked me off the ledge and a masterpiece was born (that was probably a little boastful, but I was really proud I pulled this out)

Lemon Blueberry Buttermilk Cake with Lemon Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients


Lemon Blueberry Buttermilk Cake
Adapted from this one with some changes

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 stick butter, softened
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsps fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tsp lemon zest
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 10 ounces fresh blueberries (I just guessed put in a good distribution)

Lemon Buttercream Frosting
Adapted from this one (my go to buttercream)

• 12 ounces (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 pound confectioners' sugar, sifted
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsps fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp lemon zest

Preparation [cake]

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees with the rack in the middle of oven. Spray two 8-inch round cake pans 
2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside
3. Beat butter and sugar on medium-high until pale and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add vanilla extract, lemon juice and lemon zest. Add egg and beat well
4. At low speed, mix in flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the buttermilk in two batches, mixing until just combined. Add berries and fold in with a spoon
5. Pour batter into cake pan, spreading and smoothing the top
6. Bake until cake is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes

Preparation [frosting]

1. Beat butter with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes
2. Reduce speed to medium. Add sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, beating after each addition, about 5 minutes. (After every 2 additions, increase speed to high, and beat for 10 seconds, then reduce speed to medium-high). Add vanilla, lemon juice, and lemon zest; beat until buttercream is smooth (I had to add about a Tbsp more sugar to thicken it up a little)

Time to eat

Bax always sits with us....she's little a little person

Happy Belated 4th of July Part I

I've always enjoyed the 4th of July. Growing up, we were usually in Maryland for the 4th and would spend the day swimming and having a big family cookout, topped off by chasing each other around with sparkles. As Sister and I got older, we discovered the wonder that is fireworks. Sister's high school dance team always made the dancers and their families (thankfully, I was always spared from that nightmare due in part to my own summer job, and in part to my inability to deal with people in a friendly manner in the heat) work at the local fireworkstand as part of their fundraising activities. As a result, Sister got the inside scoop on the best fireworks of the season, allowing us to light up our cul-de-sac in celebration of America's freedom (and Sister's freedom from the stand).

Since moving to the District, my celebrations have consisted more of watching the fireworks from a rooftop rather than setting off my own, but the food has remained my favorite part. This year, since the 4th feel at the worst possible time (despite working from home on Thursday, returning to work at all after a holiday was nothing short of torturous) I got to have two celebrations (which was thrilling to me since we know how much I love to stretch out a holiday) and, more importantly, afforded me mulitple opportuntities to share my with cooking with the masses!

First up, a cookout and fireworks with friends on the "real" 4th. My usually dominant sweet tooth had hit a lull as of late, but to my joy, it returned just in time to inspire me to make a fun dessert creation for the cookout. My original inspiration was found here, but as I found myself lacking both m&ms and chocolate chips, I decided to put my own spin on the recipe, even topping it with a little buttercream for an extra sweet kick!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bites with Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter softened
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips (I chopped up some mini hershey's bars since I was out of chocolate chips)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 325 F and grease baking pan (I used an 8inch round cake pan)
2. Cream butter and sugar, then add in egg and vanilla extract and blend
3. Combine flour and baking soda in seperate bowl, then mix with butter/sugar mixture until completely incorporated
4. Fold in chocolate and spread into cake pan
5. Bake for 18-25 minutes (depending on oven temperature...my oven cooks faster than most recommended baking times)
6. Cool completely (I cooled mine overnight)
7. Once cooled, icing (once again, turning to my favorite buttercream recipe) and cut into bite size pieces (I also added some festive sprinkles for the occassion)

Blueberry Bonanza

Although I'm fully aware that I probably sound like a broken record at this point, I hate summer. When I was a kid I loved it, but I'm fairly certain that's because I didn't have to go to school for 3 months and could spend my days swimming and doing anything my little heart desired. As an adult, I detest it. I never go swimming and, not only do I have to spend my days cooped up in an office building, but I show up most mornings exasperated and sweat covered from trekking to the metro in my fancy clothes. Not fun. 


In an effort to keep my sanity while waiting for my beloved fall, I have been trying to focus on some of the positives of this time of year. The longer days are a delight. Bax dog and I can go for our morning and evening walks in the daylight (much better than the creepy winter mornings...thank goodness Bax is a trained assassin....not really, but she is very protective and if I gave the signal she'd cut a person) and the fruit and veggie choices abound!


Last weekend, I got a little excited about all the options while marketing and consequently now have a fridge filled with more fruit than anything else. I love fruit the most, so this excites me greatly. The only thing I love as much as fruit is being able to incorporate it into my baking. As luck would have it, my first weekend back in the District brought with it a little breakfast gathering among friends...and my discovery of a new blueberry muffin recipe!

Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients

Adaptation based on this one

Topping

• 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Muffins

• 3/4 cup fat-free (skim) milk
• 1/4 cup apple sauce
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 egg
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup fresh blueberries

Preparation

1. Heat oven to 400°F. Spray 12 regular-size muffin cups with cooking spray or place paper baking cup in each muffin cup. In small bowl, stir together topping ingredients; set aside
2. In large bowl, beat milk, applesauce, honey, and egg with spoon until well blended 
3. Stir in flours, baking powder and salt just until dry ingredients are moistened (batter will be lumpy). Gently fold in blueberries
4. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups (cups will be full). Sprinkle with topping
5. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and muffins are golden brown

Breakfast on the Go

Well hello blog, crazy long time since we've been together! June definitely takes the cake as fastest month thus far (although I hate summer more and more every day, so the faster it goes by the better). Nonetheless, even though I made this recipe weeks ago, I'm still going to share it as it was both delicious and created for use duing my blogging hiatus.

Most of June for me was spent traveling. I've been traveling a lot the past couple of months, but June started off with a work trip and ended with a road trip through my favorite state, Colorado. I have loved Colorado since I was little   and long before I even stepped foot there. Not only do I find it to be one of the most breathtakingly gorgeous states, but I love all of the wonderful outdoor activities that come along with it. TF and I road tripped through Colorado a few years back (my first time in the state) and since we both share not only a love of the state, but a desire to reside there one day, we were nothing short of ecstatic to be returning.


The only thing I don't like about traveling is that it's hard to stick with a consistently healthy eating routine. I definitely love a good cheat day, but since I was going to be gone from my routine in the District for 2 weeks, I was determined to find a way to infuse some healthy eating into my life on the road. Literally a few hours before my flight, I found this recipe for no-bake breakfast bars that I could cut up, individually wrap, and take along on my adventures and have for breakfast when my traditional oatmeal isn't an option. My only disappointment with this recipe was that the longer the bars were out of the refrigerator (a couple days) the more they began to lose their shape, resulting in more of a trail/granola mix. They still retained their wonderful flavor though and definitely did the trick!

No Bake Breakfast Bars

Ingredients

• 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1/4 cup whole almonds
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
• 1 tablespoon flaxseeds
• 1 cup unsweetened whole-grain puffed cereal
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
• 1/3 cup chopped golden raisins
• 1/4 cup peanut butter (can also be made with almond butter)
• 1/4 cup in the raw sugar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat an 8-inch-square pan with parchment paper
2. Spread oats, almonds, sunflower seeds, and flaxseeds on a large, rimmed baking sheet. Bake until the oats are lightly toasted and the nuts are fragrant, shaking the pan halfway through, about 10 minutes
3. Transfer to a large bowl. Add cereal and dried cranberries; toss to combine
4. Combine peanut butter, sugar, honey, vanilla and salt in a small saucepan. Heat over medium-low, stirring frequently, until the mixture bubbles lightly, 2 to 5 minutes
5. Immediately pour the peanut butter mixture over the dry ingredients and mix with a spoon or spatula until no dry spots remain
6. Transfer to the prepared pan. Press the mixture down firmly to make an even layer (wait until the mixture cools slightly if necessary). Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes; cut into 8 bars

*To make up for my hiatus, a few of my favorite pictures from my time in Colorado:

One of many picturesque scenes from our drive through the mountains

Great Sand Dunes (from the top)

Wild fire near Colorado Springs

Garden of the Gods

I love a good factory tour (TF found this one for me)

View of Boulder while hiking the Flatirons

More from our hike in the Flatirons

Best surprise of the trip--one of our campsites had a Bernese Mountain dog (also known as my favorite breed) that guests got to play with. I wanted to take him with me as a friend for Bax

We ate lots of good food on our trip, but since it was in the upper 90s most of the time, the ice cream breaks were my favorite