A Very Pumpkin Thank You

For the second straight summer, and against my better judgment, I agreed to lead the most insane three month process that ever was (at least at my officina). Last year I did it out of naivety, but this year I knew full well what I was getting myself into and not only did I agree to go down this crazy path again, but I lobbied for it. Damn my competitive drive, quest for power, and workaholic tendencies. They will be the death of me, I'm almost certain.

Similar to last year, this process brought lots of long days and sleepless nights. Despite my shortened temper, I managed to only become frustrated and short with a few colleagues (which trust me, they deserved) and it could've been a lot worse. In the end, I used my convincing tone to get them to help my slightly depraved cause and when I finally got to come up for air, I felt a thank you in the form of baked goods was owed.

My office loves my baked goods. Because our team is quite large, I can always find someone to pawn my creations off on with minimal resistance. A couple weeks ago at a staff meeting we had to go around the room and say what our favorite dessert was. As you might expect, I was all over that one. I think I went with homemade ice cream because it was hot that day and my throat hurt (side note, but throat hurts about 85% of the time...usually from being tired, allergies, or screaming... so that wasn't really that rare). Nonetheless, no less than 3 people said that their favorite dessert was either anything I made (ever) or one specific thing I'd made. It was both humbling and wonderful. I promised them that I'd bring break goods back into their lives once things finally calmed down and I wasn't so cranky.

It's been a solid month, perhaps more, since then and even though things have yet to truly calm down (I've resigned myself to the fact that my office just doesn't roll that way) I did take a day off last week to "sleep and collect myself." I was that tired. It was a nice day and when I returned to the office I came bearing a much better attitude and my first fall creation of the season. 

Bax loves when I bake. She alternates between laying under-foot in the kitchen and watching me from the couch. She also tends to beckon me with her eyes to bring her samples. I usually cave because I can't resist her stare.

Fluffy Pumpkin Sugar Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

Cookies

Courtesy of Creme de la Crumb

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• ½ cup canned pumpkin puree 
• 1 cup sugar
• ⅔ cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 4 cups flour
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp cream of tartar
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 tsps pumpkin pie spice

Frosting

Courtesy of Sally's Baking Addiction

•  8 ounces cream cheese, softened 
• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened 
• 2-2 ½ cups powdered sugar
• 2 Tbsps heavy cream 
• 2 tsps vanilla extract

Preparation

1. In a large bowl mix together butter, pumpkin, sugar, powdered sugar, vanilla, and eggs until smooth.

2. In another bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. I accidentally doubled the baking soda in the original recipe and it yielded a more pillow like cookie. I found this to be a fun surprise, but if you want a flatter cookie cut the baking soda amount listed above in half.  

3. Gradually mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients until incorporated. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

4. Preheat oven to 350 and lightly grease a baking sheet with cooking spray.

5. Roll dough into 2-inch balls and place on baking sheet. Bake for 13-15 minutes until cookies start to look "dry". Allow to cool for 2-3 minutes on the baking sheet.

6. While cookies are cooling, make frosting preparations. Beat the softened cream cheese and butter together on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until soft, creamy, and combined thoroughly. 

7. Add 2 cups of powdered sugar and beat until thick and combined.

8. Add heavy cream and vanilla extract. 

9. Beat on medium speed for 2 more minutes. Add more powdered sugar until desired thickness is reached.

Bax's paws slay me. We shared a freshly baked cookie, but she wanted more and was certain that could be achieved by sitting proper on the couch. 

Unrelated to this recipe, but in the spirit of all things fall, Bax and I enjoyed lovely Sunday afternoon in the park watching the Blue Angels perform as part of the Star Spangled Spectacular. So much love for Baltimore.

Bringing the Blog Back to Kick off Fall

Hellloooo! So it's been a while, but I'm giving this blog thing yet another go round. I've made it through another hellish summer at work and with the impending fall season, I plan on spending much more of my free time baking rather than working.

I'm a little ashamed that my last post was in March, just after starting my 29th year. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't insanely pleased with how my last year in my 20s is going. There have been a ton of life changes, but it's made for a very exciting year. Before diving back into the recipe business, here's short photo recap, and a couple recipe links to hold you over a little longer, of all that's gone on since March. Hold onto your hat, it's going to be a wild ride:

 

I chopped my hair off [and donated it]

Hosted a birthday dinner at my new abode and Bax learned to make new friends

Welcomed the return of O's baseball and enjoyed being able to walk to games

Discovered one of the best hidden gems of Fed Hill (Spencer the Magician)

You should go immediately: http://illusionsmagicbar.com/

Made this Death by Chocolate cake for Mother's Day

Expanded my food repertoire by cooking with fennel

 

Memorial Day was celebrated by introducing my favorite summertime cookies to some new palettes

Culminated my return to meat with a return to the thing I missed most during my time as a vegetarian: smoked beef. It was so good I almost cried

Finally had a burger from Five Guys. It did not disappoint either

 

I made the prettiest homemade cupcakes using my favorite cake recipe

 

I made and gifted these little bunches of cake batter goodness 

Spent lots of time running around my beloved city thanks to the unusually mild summer temps

Took the plunge and signed up for my first marathon

[it was my goal to do one before turning 30]

Took a mini-weekend trip to upstate NY and secretly wished I attended the Culinary Institute

We celebrated Papa's birthday at Camden Yards

I spent lots of times eating crabs this summer and loved every minute of it

 

Worked every weekend in August and it was awful. Baxter stayed by my side for moral support. She's an amazing friend.

To relax, I finally finished paintings for my entry hall

 

So, that was the last six months in an instagram-fueled nutshell. Despite all the long hours the last couple months, I didn't let September arrive without breaking out my first pumpkin recipe of the season. It was an oldie but goodie that I blogged about here, but made for my new favorite taste tester for the first time. I think it's a toss up who's going to enjoy the next three months more. I cannot even begin to express how excited I am to finally be dating a pumpkin lover. It's going to be a great fall. 

Warm Recipes for the Unrelenting Cold

I love winter. I love a nip in the air. I love feeling the cold on my face as I run. I love a good coat and boots. I love not sweating every time I step outside. 

As April looms ahead, however, I'm starting to fear that as much as I love the winter season it may never leave us. Every time I turn around lately it's snowing. Sometimes Sheppie (a fellow lover of winter) looks at me with her sad puppy eyes as if to say, "what is this snowy place in which you insist we now reside....and why do you keep sending me out in the elements without my trusty sweater?!" Clearly, I've failed her on many levels.

One area that my stock is starting to tick up in her eyes is with my eating habits. Several years ago, my FOTY was vegetarianism, or more accurately, pescatarianism, but as 2013 drew to a close I began to consider a pseudo-return to my carnivorous lifestyle. I mostly blame running for this. No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't get enough protein in me to keep from feeling exhausted whilst running. Not fun. So, come Thanksgiving, I decided to get back on the turkey wagon. It worked out well for me and I've since returned to chicken as well. I gave up turkey around the time it was growing in popularity as a substitute to beef-based, so now it's like a whole new world for me when I eat out! 

And the cooking. My cooking has been taken to a whole new level. It's like the recipe flood gates have been open and the options runneth over. I have so many recopies I'm dying to try now, there almost aren't enough days in the week! 

Since my cooking is often inspired most by the weather and my current mood, today's recipes pay homage both to the unrelenting cold and my newly discovered cooking options now that I'm back in the meat business. Get ready for a double dose of heart warming goodness. 

3 Bean Sunday Chili

Ingredients

Original recipe found here

• One 28-ounce can diced no-salt tomatoes
• One 15-ounce can tomato sauce
• One 15-ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• One 15-ounce can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• One 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
• 1/2 small red onion, chopped
• 1/2 small yellow onion, chopped
• 1 cup chopped bell pepper, color of your choice
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 2 Tbsps chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/8 tsp cayenne
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 cup white corn, fresh or frozen

Preparation

1. Combine all ingredients except the corn into a large pot and cook over medium heat until the chili begins to boil
2. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally
3. Add corn and simmer for an additional 10 minutes
4. Pour into bowls and top with cheese (mostly because I just love cheese) before serving

The colors in this meal were off the chain....

Plus I got to use my fun over the sink strainer/cutting board combo. I really don't break this gem out enough

A close second to my love of colorful foods is my love of veggies

This recipe was seriously so easy. Dump everything together at once and you're done

Can't wait to break this out for football season

Maryland Style Jambalaya

Ingredients

Original recipe found here

• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 ribs celery, chopped
• 1 white onion, diced
• 1 small red bell pepper, cored and diced
• 1 small yellow bell pepper, cored and diced
• 1 small green bell pepper, cored and diced
• 1-2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped 
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 lb turkey sausage, thinly sliced into rounds
• 3 cups vegetable stock
• 1 (14 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cups uncooked brown rice
• 2 Tbsp Old Bay Seasoning (this is where the Maryland aspect comes in, the original recipe called for Creole or Cajun seasoning here)
• 1 tsp thyme, crushed
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 lb raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

Preparation

1. Heat 2 Tbsps olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat
2. Add celery, onion, bell peppers, jalapeno and garlic. Saute for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft and mostly cooked
3. Add the remaining Tbsp of olive oil, chicken and sausage, and stir to combine
4. Continue sauteing for an additional 5 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink and mostly cooked
5. Add the vegetable stock, tomatoes, rice, Old Bay, thyme, and cayenne, and stir to combine
6. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for about 25-30 minutes, or until the rice is cooked, stirring every couple of minutes to ensure rice doesn't stick to bottom of pan
7. Once the rice is tender, add in the shrimp and stir to combine. Let the mixture continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp are cooked and no longer pink. When they pass the test it's dinner time!

The prep for this one required LOTS of chopping....and space

This was Bax's favorite part

She basically refused to leave the kitchen until she was certain the meat wasn't coming her way

And then the fun started!

And the colors. So many colors.

Preparing to be liquefied and simmer

Eat Run Eat: Part 2

Well, I'd intended this post to be a tad bit closer to the last one, but better late than never I guess.

Honestly, as long as it seemingly took my legs to recover from race day, it seems fitting that my recap of the day is stretching on as well. This week I'm back to running, but also still thinking about these fabulous St. Patty's Day themed brownies that I made for our post-run celebration and festivities. 

As I've gushed about in the past, I love, love, LOVE St. Patty's Day as an adult. It's quite possibly the only holiday that has gotten better with age and I look great in green. The latter statement isn't really saying much as I look great in most colors (sorry, but I speak the truth), but as so many of my childhood joys have been taken from me with age, it's nice to have this to hold onto, plus the Irish part of me really just loves a day devoted to drinking. 

In that vein, I often like to take the opportunity to give my baking an extra kick by infusing it with alcohol as well. Years ago, during one of my first St. Patty's Days in DC I first tried my hand at alcohol-infused baking. I was still a novice baker at the time though, so I added Bailey's to boxed brownies. I had evolved into making my own frosting by that point, so that's something, and I infused it with Bailey's as well. I remember being a little...ok EXTREMELY liberal with my measuring of the alcohol additive and the finished product was very strong to say the least. Since I've progressed past boxed brownies, I was super excited to put my new skills to the test with this year's creation. 

About a month ago I found a fabulous brownie recipe. If you've ever tried making brownies from scratch you know it's incredibly hard to get the same gooey consistency that you get with boxed brownie mix. This is a huge issue for me because the fat girl inside of me loves her some half-baked brownies (and brownie batter too for that matter). A little over a year ago I found this recipe that had been my go to when I wanted to woo people with my brownie-making skills...or when I wanted a good brownie. But then about a month ago I found another one that blew my socks off. I tried it out on my coworkers and it was a huge hit with them as well. It's not ready for the big blog reveal yet as I want to tweak it a little first, but for now this recipe isn't too shabby either.

Bailey's Brownies with Bailey's Buttercream

Ingredients

Brownies
Original recipe found here 

• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 3 squares Ghirardelli baking chocolate
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup flour
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup Bailey’s Irish Cream Liqueur

Buttercream

Original Recipe found here

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 4 Tbsps Bailey's Irish Cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350 and grease baking pan (I used an 8x8 pan so they were nice and thick)
2. For brownies, melt butter and baking squares in a microwave safe bowl. This should be done at 30 second intervals (stirring in between) to avoid overcooking the chocolate
3. In the mixing bowl, cream melted butter and chocolate mixture, then add in sugar and vanilla. Beat until fluffy, about 2-3 minutes
4. Add in eggs, beating one at a time, flour, and stir just until combined. Stir in Bailey’s
5. Pour into greased baking dish and bake for 35 minutes f you prefer a gooey center, and 5-10 minutes longer if you want them to be a little more sturdy
6. After or while brownies are cooling (I prefer an overnight cool time), cool butter to room temperature. I never plan enough ahead for this to happen naturally, so I usually stick it in the microwave for 15 seconds
7. Once butter is softened, mix with remaining ingredients until smooth and creamy. Spread lavishly over brownies...and if you're feeling fun, add some festive sprinkles to round things out

 

Happy [slightly belated] St. Patty's Day!

Eat Run Eat: Part 1

I've never been what one would call a serious runner. I run out of a desire to stay in shape rather than any actual love for the craft. For the most part I waiver between hating running and growing accustomed to its face, but alas, like the masochist I am, I continue to return to the run.

In my early years of running, my focus was on doing several races a year. As my interest has waned in recent years, so too has my yearly race count, but one constant has remained: my yearly appearance in the DC Rock and Roll Half Marathon. 

I first did this race in March of 2011. Having lived in the District for almost a year at that point, I still loved everything about the city and was excited to do a run that took place in my backyard. The course has evolved in recent years, as too have my feelings for the District, but even with my still-recentish move to Baltimore, I couldn't help but sign up for the race that's become my favorite St. Patrick's Day tradition for the 4th straight year.

One of the things that keeps me coming back to this race, masochist tendencies aside, is the food. So much wonderful food goes into the pre and post race process that I can't quite turn my back on race-life just yet. By now, this blog has been around long enough that I've been able to share a couple of my pre-race meals. In 2012 I whipped up this easy, 10-minute pasta sauce for my pre-race fuel and last year I returned to an old favorite. This year, I decided to be adventurous and try something I'd been wanting to do for a while: crockpot pasta sauce. 

Even though I work from home on Fridays now, I usually don't have a ton of time to devote to dinner prep. I also had to turn in fairly early as I prefer to sleep in my own bed pre-race, and thus would have to head down to DC on Saturday morning. Enter my trusty crockpot.  We've been together only slightly longer than I've had this blog and during that time I've found myself coming to love him, especially during the winter month. He proved to be the perfect vessle for which to create this delicious pre-race sauce [the remains of which also make a great base for pizza night].

Crock Pot Veggie Pasta Sauce

Ingredients
Original Recipe Found Here

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1 (8 oz) package sliced mushrooms
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 15 oz can tomato sauce
• 2 (14 oz) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
• 6 oz can tomato paste
• 1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp sugar
• Pasta of choice

Preparation

1. Cook onions and garlic in a medium skillet for 4-5 minutes or until tender.
2. Once tender, add in carrots, mushrooms, and bell pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes.
3. Line the bottom of the crock pot with veggies. Top with tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and seasonings (salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and sugar).
4. Cook on high for 4 hours. Stirring periodically throughout. Remove lid after 4 hours and cook on high for 1 hour to allow sauce to thicken.
5. Serve over your favorite pasta! 

A Taste of Baltimore

Despite growing up in Oklahoma, I spent nearly every summer as a child in Baltimore. Because my mom was a teacher, she had the summers off as well and would load Sister and I up in our van (along with seemingly every toy we could get our hands on) and drive us out to the east coast for a couple months. Since Papa didn't have as much vacation time he would typically join us for a couple weeks at the end and then accompany us on our drive back. In the early years of this road trip (which I've done as an adult more times than I care to think about) we didn't have videos to keep us occupied and I marvel to this day how mother didn't kill us both. The mere thought of driving in a car for an extended period of time with children gives me a migraine. 

It was during these summers in Baltimore that a profound love of crabs and Old Bay Seasoning was instilled in me. During the course of our summer stay with my grandparents, there were a couple key events that I most looked forward to: trips to Ocean City, DC, and the inner harbor, swimming at my mom's aunt's house, and crab feast day. I never felt like my summer was complete until I'd picked my way through a huge pile of crabs. 

Still an annual tradition as we've gotten older, Crabs and Natty Bo

Back in Oklahoma, there was always a small piece of Baltimore in my parents'pantry: a can of Old Bay Seasoning. To this day I remain slightly amazed that we were even able to find it in local grocery stores (I do remember it being difficult at times...this was all before it became slightly more mainstream). My dad would use it throughout the year and it would always take me back to summertime in Baltimore. When I moved into my first apartment in college, it was one of the first things that I bought to stock my kitchen with and I've never been without it since.

Inspired by Old Bay's Oscar commercial debut last weekend, I decided to break out my trusty can this for an Old Bay-inspired meal. It hit the spot and helped me remember that there are a few things I love about the summer season.

Baked Zucchini Cakes and Old Bay Mac and Cheese

Ingredients

Zucchini Cakes [makes 5]

• 1 medium zucchini, shredded
• 4-5 asparagus sticks, chopped finely
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• Old Bay seasoning, to taste 

Old Bay Mac and Cheese

Inspiration found here

• 1 cup noodles, cook according to package
• 3/4 cup almond milk
• 1 Tbsp flour
• 1-2 cups sharp cheddar, shredded
• Old Bay seasoning, to taste

Preparation

1. Prepare noodles for pasta according to package and preheat over to 425.

2. While noodles are cooking, wash and shred zucchini using the large holes on a cheese grater. Use a kitchen towel to ring out the extra moisture (it works so much better than using paper towels).

3. Finely chop a couple sticks of asparagus (I included these because I needed to use them up, but they actually gave the cakes a nice texture) and combine shredded zucchini, breadcrumbs (which I swear by making from scrap bread, especially the heels from loaves), Parmesan cheese, egg, and Old Bay in a large bowl. Mix until well combined.

4. Spray foil on baking sheet with cooking spray and then form patties from mixture and place on baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, then flip and bake for 8 more.

5. While zucchini cakes are baking, prepare sauce for pasta. Warm 1/2 cup of milk in a saucepan over medium heat. In a separate bowl, combine 1/4 cup milk with 1 Tbsp flour. Whisk until no lumps remain.

6. Once milk in saucepan begins to steam, add in milk-flour mixture. Whisk until it begins to thicken, 3-4 minutes. Season with Old Bay until it reaches desired taste.

7. Reduce heat to low and add in cheese, one hand full at a time, whisking in between until melted and well combined. Once all cheese is well mixed, pour cheese over cooked pasta in a large bowl and toss until well combined. 

Baltimore-inspired perfection