Unruly Bliss

Super Soft Sugar Cookies with Browned Butter Frosting

TiAn — Thu, 16 May 2013 03:04:54 +0000

Some time ago, my friend Nicole brought me some delicious cookies in to work. She found the recipe from a very popular pin on Pinterest. They were sooooo soft and undeniably delightful! I found the pin she got the recipe from and begged my super sweet baker husband to make these for me. They really are the softest cookies ever…kind of like soft little cake cookies.

Super Soft Sugar Cookies with Browned Butter Frosting
Click HERE for the recipe!

Pasta with Lemon Butter Garlic Sauce

TiAn — Mon, 13 May 2013 03:35:58 +0000

Lemon. Butter. Garlic. And pasta.

My, oh my, this dish was good.

I was out surfing the recipe filled interwebs looking for a pasta side dish when I came across this one from MagnoliaDays.com. I think the image that Renee posted of her pretty flower shaped pasta is what caught my eye. Then…one by one…each and every ingredient sounded so delicious, I could have started drooling. {Seriously, I’m nine months pregnant. So I’m allowed, right?} Although I do have to say, I have never been a fan of cooking with nuts. I don’t even like them in ice cream because it angers my ‘texture buds.’ But we decided to try the recipe with the pine nuts and my goodness I am SO.HAPPY.WE.DID. The toasty flavor and the added crunch gave the dish the extra ‘oomph’ it didn’t even really need! I loved, loved, loved this dish and plan to make it many more times again! {Pine nuts are crazy expensive. I highly recommend purchasing them from local grocers who sell foods in bulk (Sprouts and Whole Foods). That way you’re only paying for what you need right now.}

Pasta with Lemon Butter Garlic Sauce
Click HERE for the recipe!

White Wine Chicken Thighs Over Creamy Polenta

TiAn — Tue, 07 May 2013 03:27:19 +0000

Sometimes, after a long day at work, all I want when I come home is a giant glass of wine. But being pregnant, this isn’t really something offered up to me on a silver platter. {Do the French drink wine through pregnancy?} So I have been settling for second best…lots of meals prepared with wine. Smooth, delicious, sweet wine…

I found this chicken recipe over at SkinnyTaste.com. Gina has some absolutely delicious recipes on her site and I’ve yet to try one that I didn’t love! This meal is quick and easy so it’s perfect for a weeknight dinner. The sauce is unbelievably delicious so I like to serve it over a bowl of creamy polenta so as not to miss a drop going into my belly. I highly recommend.

White Wine Chicken Thighs Over Creamy Polenta
Click HERE for the recipe!

Mixed Berry Lemon Tart

TiAn — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 22:42:50 +0000

A few weeks ago, Justin and I spent a Saturday in Old Town, Fort Collins and popped into a small bakery for some treats. We bought some delicious Manchego cheddar biscuits and a slice of raspberry lemon tart. {Northern Colorado peeps…check out the Little Bird Bakeshop, you will not be disappointed.} That tart…that unbelievably scrumptious tart…sparked a great desire in us to make our own! And when I say us, I mean my amazing baker husband Justin. He made three tarts before he found the perfect recipes. Recipe is plural because he ended up combining three of them to get the results he wanted! I know that may sound kind of exhausting, but he swears that the final recipe I’ve posted here really is extremely easy. So don’t be intimidated…this tart was amazing and well worth the three step process to make it! And it looks amazing too! {Seriously…look! Look how pretty this thing is!}

Mixed Berry Lemon Tart
Click HERE for the recipe!

White Wine Ravioli

TiAn — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 00:06:23 +0000

Every now and then, Justin and I will come across a super simple recipe that is sooooo good, we’ll make it again that same week. This white wine ravioli with tomatoes and shallots is one such recipe. The entire dish is ready in less than 30 minutes and the white wine butter sauce is absolutely divine!

White Wine Ravioli
Click HERE for the recipe!

Turkish Red Lentil Lettuce Wraps

TiAn — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 04:06:12 +0000

When Justin and I were in Florida last month, we were given the most delightful opportunity to eat some authentic Turkish food. One of my oldest and dearest girlfriends married a wonderfully funny Turkish guy who apparently has an incredible cook for a mother. His mom teamed up with the bride’s to cook for their rehearsal dinner {or groom’s supper}, a low key and amazingly fun dinner at their home with homemade Turkish fare. The food was unbelievably amazing and this preggo lady was in absolute heaven. Justin and I absolutely loved the dolmas, lentil wraps, and baklava {and there was a damn good pasta salad too}!

When we got back to Colorado, I spent a good hour trying to Google all of the ingredients of what we’d eaten and to start us off, I decided to try and make these lentil wraps. {In Turkey, these tender delights are called “mercimek köftesi” (mare-juh-MEK’ kuf-tay-SEE’).} They came out very well and we were pleasantly pleased! They were delicious and lasted us throughout the week {the recipe makes a lot}. I can’t wait to make these for a party we’re going to in May! They’re vegetarian, naturally low-fat, and full of protein and fiber. Oh and inexpensive too.

Turkish Red Lentil Lettuce Wraps
Click HERE for the recipe!

Chicken and Shrimp Paella

TiAn — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 18:42:53 +0000

When I was 17, I was lucky enough to spend several weeks in Spain before my senior year of high school. While I was there, I discovered paella {pie-ay-ya}. It’s made several different ways but most often with chicken and seafood. And as we all know, I absolutely love seafood. This paella recipe is very easy to cook making it a great weeknight dish and the ingredients can be easily altered to accompany those with shellfish allergies {like my dear husband}.

Chicken and Shrimp Paella
Click HERE for the recipe!

Ultimate Quick Guide for Storing Produce

TiAn — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 03:44:51 +0000

A few weeks ago, a friend of mine mentioned that she keeps her bread on her kitchen counter. I was baffled by this. Justin and I have always kept our bread in the refrigerator, so I was quite skeptical and of course…I ‘Googled’ it. Did you know that bread should be stored on the counter?! This made me start to wonder about what else we were storing incorrectly and it turns out, quite a lot! So I scoured the internet and made this lovely little handy guide for how to store your produce. I hope you find it useful!

Produce images drawn by me, TiAn.
Information sources: here, here, here, here, and here.

10 Great Burger Mixin’s and Fixin’s

TiAn — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 03:55:20 +0000

Everyone loves a good burger. I don’t care who you are or how healthy you eat, you know you have your own favorite burger recipe. Lean turkey burgers, vegetarian black bean burgers, plump portobello burgers, hearty beef burgers. All of them. YUM and YUM. Lately Justin and I have been experimenting with our burger meat{s} and here are a few ideas that we’ve loved, along with some from a few fellow burger loving friends…

Our top four favorite burger recipes on this site:

Burger Mixin’s and Fixin’s

“The Breathalizer” – Add some Worcestershire sauce, minced garlic, dill, chives, minced parsley, lemon juice, and a small amount of horseradish to your ground meat. It tastes amazing…just don’t breathe on anyone for awhile afterwards.
“The Spicemeister” – Stuff your patty meat with some minced jalapeno and cooked bacon bits. Then top them with sauteed onions, pepper-jack cheese, and ketchup!
“The Go Greek!” - Add some Greek seasoning {salt, basil, oregano, thyme, onion powder, garlic powder, dill, marjoram, and rosemary, whew!} and some feta cheese to your ground beef or turkey. Then top the patties with thin slices of cucumber and red onion, a little more feta cheese, and some tzatziki sauce {I like to make my own using this stuff}.
“The SW” – Southwestern is always fun…mix some diced green chilies into your patties and top them with homemade guacamole, pepper-jack cheese, and some bacon. Oh my goodness, yes please.
“The Breakfast Burger” – Top your burger with a fried egg {my husband likes his a bit runny} some bacon slices, lettuce, sharp cheddar, some pickle slices, mustard, and ketchup.

Here are a few scrumptious burgers from around the web…

“The Punkin’ Patty” - Whip up some amazing vegetarian Pumpkin Black Bean Patties using Sara and Hugh’s delicious recipe from Sprouted Kitchen.
“The Happy Hawaiian” – Pretend you’re in Hawaii with these Paleo, Gluten-Free pineapple burgers topped with a yummy mango relish! The recipe is from the beautiful and talented Danielle who runs a pretty amazing site called Against All Grain, dedicated to recipes for those that follow the Paleo, Primal, SCD, GAPS, and Gluten-Free lifestyles.
“The Thai Sli” – Thai Pork Sliders? Yes please! Katie from Katie at the Kitchen Door made the recipe while reviewing the cookbook it came from, The Chef’s Collaborative.
“The Here Fishy-Fishy” – I’ve never had a tuna burger before and I’ve been drooling over this ‘ahi’ bad boy for a few weeks now. As soon as this bun comes out of my oven, I’ll be greeting my local fish guy asking for some thick tuna steaks! It’s a Blackened Soy Ahi Burger from Whitney at Little Leopard Book.
“The Veg” – I don’t know much about the Bakeaholic Mama, but I’ve had her Spinach Feta Veggie Burgers with Crispy Fried Onions and Roasted Tomatoes in my Foodgawker queue for a long time now!

“Extra Mayo, Please” from MixedGreen Studio on Etsy.com {Image from HERE.}

Keepin’ It Zesty

TiAn — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 04:40:49 +0000

Hello lovely readers! Sorry for the two week vacation from the blog…but I was on an actual real live vacation in Florida. Justin and I went on a lovely “babymoon” and attended the wedding of one of my best girlfriends. We had an amazing time and it actually made me miss Florida {where I was born and raised} more than I ever thought I would or could. Maybe I just miss the people that I love. Or the beach. Or the seafood. Who knows.

But while I was away, I decided to write a few non-recipe posts that I will be putting out this week. Posts on tricks and tips I’ve learned over the last few years and the kitchen gadgets I just can’t live without.

Kitchen Tip: Freeze Your Citrus!

I have a love/hate relationship with my citrus zester. I either don’t push down hard enough or the citrus is too mushy and I barely get any results. So I started to freeze my citrus when I knew I would need to zest it for a recipe later that day. Now I just keep a few lemons and limes on hand in the freezer and it’s SO much easier to zest them. I’ll even save just the rinds of ones that I’ve juiced. Try it.

Apple Cranberry Crumble

TiAn — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 01:31:18 +0000

I made this dish for the first time as the dessert for our Thanksgiving meal last year. It was such a hit that I’ve been waiting for the perfect time to make it again. It’s not too much work and it tastes absolutely deeeeelicious! If you let it rest for about 30 minutes after it’s done baking, the consistency thickens and it’s just the perfect balance of crisp and ooey goodness. Oh and let’s not forget about the amazing fruit in there… It’s just all SO good! The perfect dessert for fall and winter…

Apple Cranberry Crumble
Click HERE for the recipe!

Homemade Pumpkin Dog Treats

TiAn — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 21:45:34 +0000

Growing up, I was never really much of a dog person. We had this toy poodle named Ginger but she was mainly my mother’s dog. When she passed away on the day of my sister’s wedding, I remember watching my mother and seeing how sad she was, but I didn’t really understand. I felt bad for her, but never gave much thought to how much the small dog must have meant to her. It wasn’t until Justin and I got Frankie {our Boston Terrier} that I ever considered what kind of bond a dog and a human can really have. We’d been dating for only seven months when we decided to see how well we could raise a puppy together. It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Not only did I see how well Justin and I could work together, but I fell madly in love with this little creature who seemed to love me back unconditionally.

We got really lucky with him and over the last three years, Frankie has been extremely healthy {aside from a few common pup problems}. But a few weeks ago, I noticed that he kept abruptly shaking his head and trying to scratch at his ears. The vet informed us that Frankie most likely had an allergy to one of the treats that he eats. My heart sank at the thought that I may have been feeding something to my precious puppy that was causing him pain or grief. So off I went on a mission to find something that I could make for him myself! I found this organic pumpkin “cookie” recipe that came out just perfect! I altered the bake time so that the cookie was more chewy than hard {Frankie is annoyingly picky with his treats} and he loooooooves these things. And I love knowing that I am only giving him the best! So show your pup some love and bake up a batch of these bad boys. You’ll be so happy you did.

Homemade Pumpkin Dog Treats
Click HERE for the recipe!

Charlito’s Cocina and The Welsh Rabbit Cheese Shop

TiAn — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 14:00:13 +0000

Have you ever heard of Fab.com? I looooooove this site. My first purchase from Fab was this super fun Explore America poster by the Anderson Design Group. It lives in a lovely, vintage gray frame in my living room. A few of my other purchases include a 2 year subscription to Clean Eating Magazine {for 13 bucks!} and this amazing sausage that arrived in the mail this past Friday!

It’s a dry cured black truffle sausage called Trufa Seca. It came from Charlito’s Cocina, a charcuterie based out of Long Island City in New York. I love their food ethics in that they “strive to create delicious, shelf stable foods using the cleanest, most well raised ingredients possible.” All the meat they use is 100% pasture raised, heritage breed pork and the salt they use is all hand harvested fleur de sel. {Good stuff!}

Now, one of the millions of things that I love about Justin is how willing he is to try new things with me. So, off we went to find a new delicious cheese to go with our new sausage {which we had no idea if we’d even like}. We headed to a little cheese shop that we found through a friend’s Facebook post {hello, social media!} called The Welsh Rabbit Cheese Shop.

It was absolutely wonderful! They work with other local specialty and food shops so that you can purchase and enjoy crafted cheeses, charcuterie, chocolate, crackers, and wine! It’s a cute little shop with tables to sit at and lots and lots of yummy cheeses to try. We sampled a few goat’s milk cheeses {my favorite} and we ended up buying a few ounces of Garrotxa! It’s a goat’s milk cheese produced in the Catalonia region in northern Spain and it has definitely become one of my absolute favorites! {We all know I love cheese…from here, here, and here…so to be an absolute favorite of mine means a lot!}

So…together {and separately of course}, the Garrotxa and the Trufa Seca were DELICIOUS!!! It took everything we had not to eat all of it in one sitting! Sometimes these little adventures really pay off {thanks Fab.com}. So, if you ever find yourself in Long Island City, New York, visit Charlito’s Cocina. Then buy some Trufa Seca sausage! {Or buy it here.} And if you’re ever in Old Town Fort Collins, Colorado, visit The Welsh Rabbit Cheese Shop. And buy some Garrotxa cheese! Then enjoy them both with some yummy crisp crackers and someone you love…

Easy Popovers

TiAn — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 19:17:59 +0000

Up until a few months ago, when I successfully made Rosemary Parmesan Focaccia, I would never have considered myself any kind of baker. But I’ve been riding on that baking high ever since and it’s so.much.fun. Since the focaccia, I’ve made these Homemade Sage Biscuits and now, these popovers! These were incredibly easy and simple and I’m already getting busy pinning lots of other popover recipes! Chives, Gruyere, strawberry butter filled, chocolate, cinnamon…so many variations!

Easy Popovers
Click HERE for the recipe!

Banana Pancakes {Made with Chobani’s Banana Greek Yogurt}

TiAn — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 02:57:47 +0000

The lovely people over at Chobani sent me some more of their delicious yogurts and I decided to bake something up with the banana yogurt! These pancakes came out fluffy, delicious, and oh so full of banana! We will definitely be making these like alllllll the time.

Banana Pancakes {made with Chobani’s Banana Greek Yogurt}
Click HERE for the recipe!

Just a few reasons to love Chobani…Two Times More Protein per Serving than Regular Yogurt • Low-Fat • Only Natural Ingredients • Good Source of Bone Building Calcium • No Artificial Flavors • No Artificial Sweeteners • No Preservatives • Made with milk from cows not treated with rBST • Includes Live & Active Cultures • 3 Types of Probiotics • Kosher Certified • Gluten Free • Safe for People with Corn, Nut and Soy Allergies • Vegetarian Friendly • Less than 5% Lactose • Nothing But Good

Three Cheese Spinach Fritatta

TiAn — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 15:22:00 +0000

One of my absolute favorite things about weekends are Sunday morning breakfasts. Sundays are the only day of the week that I can test out new breakfast recipes and take pictures while I am cooking {it gets dark out so early during the winter when I cook during the week}. I tend to wake up before my husband and if he’s lucky {and he usually is}, I let him sleep in until breakfast is almost ready. This fritatta is a recent success of one such Sunday. It’s got eggs and it’s got cheese. Three cheeses to be exact, and even a veggie or two. What more could you ask for in a delicious breakfast?!

Three Cheese Spinach Fritatta
Click HERE for the recipe.

Eggs Benedict with Easy Homemade Hollandaise Sauce and Homemade Sage Biscuits

TiAn — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 01:57:24 +0000

I have had a deep, pure love for hollandaise sauce for a very, very long time. This rich and buttery condiment, with its hint of tangy goodness, is quite possibly my all time favorite sauce. {Okay, maybe it’s in my top three favorites. There are too many good ones!} Justin and I have attempted to make hollandaise several times but it has never tasted quite as good as restaurant quality. After trying maybe three or four times, we sort of gave up.

And then…I saw a photograph posted by my favorite blogger friend Chloe, of a delicious and delectable plate of eggs benedict {see photo below}. Now Chloe knows good food and she takes incredible pictures and this shot in particular made me want eggs benedict ASAP. So, Justin and I decided to try our favorite sauce one more time. And this time, we chose the most simple method we could find {we kept failing at the stove top, double boiler} and it turned out DELICIOUS! We had our eggs benedict over some homemade sage biscuits {incredibly easy recipe} and it was all amazing. Like no exaggeration here…AMAZING. A-MAZING. Hands down my all-time favorite breakfast.

Eggs Benedict
Click HERE for the Hollandaise recipe
and
HERE for the Sage Biscuits recipe.

Eggs Benedict made with poached eggs and Canadian bacon…

…topped with chives…

…served on Homemade Sage Biscuits…

…smothered in Easy Homemade Hollandaise Sauce!

Chloe’s Eggs Benedict

Check out Chloe’s fantastic blog, AndChloe.com. The photo above was taken at one of her favorite eateries, Miami Acme Bakery & Coffee. I’m hoping to try this dish there myself when Justin and I go to Florida in March!

Steak and Onion Tacos {with Fresh Tomatillo Salsa}

TiAn — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 01:27:22 +0000

I can always tell that I’m ready for winter to be over when I start pulling out my summer recipes {and my flip-flops for no-snow days}. I’ve been making these tacos for years now and I’ve slowly adjusted the recipe to exactly how I like it. It used to be extremely spicy but I’ve managed to get the spice level to perfection {they were SO hot one time that I had to abandon them for dinner}. The steak and onions are amazing when they’re grilled, but neither me nor Justin was willing to go outside in freezing temperatures to start up the grill. This time around we sauteed the onions and cooked the steak strips on a broiler pan in the oven. They were fantastic! Just because it’s not summer outside the house doesn’t mean that it isn’t inside! {I’m sooooo happy that the little groundhog decided we’re having an early spring this year!} I love these tacos, in the summer and the winter. Give ‘em try.

Steak and Onion Tacos {with Fresh Tomatillo Salsa}
Click HERE for the recipe!

Click HERE for just the salsa recipe.

Homemade English Muffins

TiAn — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 15:56:58 +0000

Remember that really cool, awesome weekend when I made bread and I was freakishly excited? Well, while I had been slaving away on that focaccia, my friend Nicole was on the other side of the counter making homemade English muffins! Yep! Homemade. They were moist and perfect and delectable and so wonderfully easy. {Keep in mind, easy does not mean fast.} Nicole did such an amazing job at these and I was absolutely delighted when she said I could take several home for myself. Try out this recipe, you’ll never want store bought again!

Homemade English Muffins
Click HERE for the recipe!

Baked Italian Ziti

TiAn — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 22:39:25 +0000

When Justin and I transitioned into “clean eating,” I found so many amazing clean eating recipe sites out there. One of my absolute favorites is The Gracious Pantry. Tiffany is a stay-at-home mother, cookbook author, and a recipe developer and there hasn’t been one single recipe of hers that Justin and I haven’t loved. This Baked Italian Ziti recipe is so unbelievably delicious and has become one of our absolute favorites. I love it for its rustic, home style taste and its simplicity. It’s fantastic for dinners with guests and even better for all the leftovers it makes!

Baked Italian Ziti
Click HERE for the recipe!

Homemade Focaccia with Rosemary and Parmesan

TiAn — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 04:15:01 +0000

I’d like to shout it from the skies for all to hear…I MADE BREAD! ME, the NON-BAKER, made bread!!! I know, it’s so unbelievably cool! And it was delicious too!!!

I got together with one of my best girlfriends for an official bread making day {during which I was served several preggo friendly cocktails!}. I’m pretty sure that without Nicole’s determination and commitment, I would never have gotten around to doing this. And I’ve been wanting to make homemade bread for a really, really long time. Can you tell how proud and excited I am?! This bread took forever to make {read the recipe before you commit} but baking it with a friend made the time go fast and it was well worth the waiting! It came out exactly how I wanted it to and made all of my other baking disasters well worth it. Now I would never call myself the baker in my house {my husband rules that kingdom}, but I definitely feel redeemed in that category. Next up, homemade raviolis!!!

*This recipe comes from the phenomenal Jonathan Melendez on his site, TheCandidAppetite.com. It’s a fantastic site with amazing recipes and incredible photos. This guy is twenty three {yep, 2-3} and has his own baking and catering company called The Bake Monster. Talk about following your dreams and going for it… Something I’m sure that a lot of us wish we could {would} do…ah hem.

Rosemary Parmesan Focaccia
Click HERE for the recipe!

My surprise preggo cocktail tasting!

Chobani’s Black Cherry Brownies and a Bun in the Oven

TiAn — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 23:15:52 +0000

Hey fellow eaters! My last post was 16 days ago. Sheesh, that’s a long time. But I have a good reason, or at least I think it’s a good reason. I’m all big and preggo and food has not been my friend lately. You’re asking, “How could this be?!??” I know, craaaaazy. The one thing I know I’m good at…eating and cooking delicious food, has been the main thing I have been unable to do since getting knocked up. It’s like the bun in my oven is saying, “Get used to not cooking mom because your kitchen life is OVER.” Hopefully not. Fingers crossed this is just a second trimester rough patch! This baby, let’s call her Savannah, is going to be a natural born chef straight out of the gates! Fingers crossed on that one too.

So there is my reason. Nausea. Over EVERYTHING. Except spaghetti, homemade tacos {shout out to my amazing husband here for eating tacos with me every week}, and of course, anything sweet and sugary…like these brownies! I usually like to cook as healthy as possible and although these brownies are not the worst for you, at 410 calories a serving, they’re not the best either. But they’re brownies yo. S’all good. Delicious actually! {Thank you again nice people at Chobani for the yogurt!}

Chobani’s Black Cherry Brownies
Click HERE for the recipe!

Chicken Avocado Enchiladas

TiAn — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 23:35:47 +0000

I think it might be quite obvious from some of the recipes on my site that I absolutely love avocados. {See my avocado recipe roundup below.} I was messing around on Pinterest several weeks back and I stumbled upon a delicious looking enchilada recipe that uses chicken and a lot of avocado. The blogger who invented the recipe used it on a recent post claiming it as one of his top 12 recipes of 2012 and I firmly agree! I’ve altered it a bit to include a simple rotisserie, a lot less cheese {He had 4 cups!!!}, and some lovely Chobani plain Greek yogurt {I LOVE cooking with this stuff!}. If you try any new recipe in this coming new year, let it be this one, ASAP.

Happy New Year All!

Do you love avocados too? Check out these amazing recipes:

Chicken Avocado Enchiladas
Click HERE for the recipe!

Chobani Blueberry Chia Seed Muffins

TiAn — Sun, 23 Dec 2012 03:50:09 +0000

Just recently, the nice folks over at Chobani Greek Yogurt sent me a large case of 6 of their yummiest yogurts. I received Vanilla Chocolate Chunk, Blueberry, Peach, Pineapple, Mango, and Black Cherry. {Thank you Chobani!} We actually forgot that the package was arriving that day so opening the front door right before bed and finding these wonderful goodies was such a delight! I was sooooo excited to get these and I immediately started planning recipes in my head. {Justin, of course, kept commenting on the amazing quality of the ice packs that were packaged with the yogurts. That’s my honey for ya!} So I already have three recipes ready to post and I loved all of them! I had no idea that Greek yogurt could be substituted for so many things! Talk about cutting out calories. {Check out the Chobani Conversion Chart below my muffin pics!}

For our first try at Greek yogurt cooking, Justin drummed up this blueberry chia seed muffin recipe. They came out quite delicious and are pretty guilt-free. The recipe doesn’t use much sugar and the chia seeds add quite a bit of fiber, antioxidants, and Omega-3s. They were extremely quick and easy to make as well. We made a second batch a week later one morning before work and I loved how simple and fast it was. Enjoy!

Chobani Blueberry Chia Seed Muffins
Click HERE for the recipe!

{Chobani has some amazing recipes on their pinterest boards!}

Holiday Gift {Wish} List

TiAn — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 00:33:28 +0000

I’ve never done a gift list post before, but with Pinterest around, I am finding just way too many things that I’d love to receive under my tree this year! With just under the wire {perfect} timing, here is a list of extremely affordable items that any woman in your life should love. {Sorry! I’m not so good at guy gifts.} Links to each gift can be found below… Have a wonderful holiday season and happy gifting!

LINKS

1. 2013 {12 month} Paper Source Wall Art Calendar

2. 2013 Recipe Wall Calendar – Local/Seasonal Ingredients

3. Avian Friends Birthday Calendar

4. Remember the Day canvases and prints

5. Vintage Pin Board Frame

6. Fun and Funky Vintage Maps

7. Removable Chalkboard Wallies – 4 pack

8. My Quotable Kid Journal

9. Williams-Sonoma The New Slow Cooker Cookbook

10. Blue & White Paper Straws

11. Gem Earbuds

12. Wish – Eau de Parfum

13. Vintage Bird Mug with Lid

14. Stella & Dot Light Bracelet

For even more amazing gift ideas, head over to my friend Chloe’s blog. She’s posting some pretty awesome gifts every day for two weeks. {Cool guy stuff too!}

My featured image is from Heather over at her wonderful site, WhipperBerry.com. Visit there for some beautiful DIY packaging tutorials!

Chicken Enchilada Slow Cooker Soup

TiAn — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 04:11:26 +0000

Early this past summer, two of my amazing girlfriends, Katie and Lindsay, came to stay with us for a weekend. We had a fantastic time eating, drinking, and shopping at the “World’s Largest Garage Sale” {it really is called that}. One night we decided to stay in for dinner because Katie suggested a delicious slow cooker recipe that we could start in the early afternoon and come home to 6 hours later. I’ve never been huge on soups {aside from my four favorites that I’ve posted on this site} so I was a tiny bit skeptical. Well never underestimate a woman who works full time at a college, takes care of a family, and owns a CrossFit gym. We loved this soup and have made it several times since. I usually take a recipe and adapt it to be more of my own, but this one I never alter. It’s perfectly delicious as is. {Incredibly simple too!}

Chicken Enchilada Slow Cooker Soup
Click HERE for the recipe!

Katie {left} and Lindsay {right}

Roasted Red Pepper and Steak Sandwiches

TiAn — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 20:57:19 +0000

Last year when Justin and I went on our honeymoon to Mexico, we found ourselves stuck in our hotel room one night watching a torrential downpour outside our balcony. It was actually quite fun for me because it rains about 95% less here in Colorado than from where I grew up in South Florida and I miss those kinds of rains. So we flipped on the TV and not surprisingly, we had a hard time finding anything worthwhile to watch in English. After 20 minutes of channel surfing, we settled into a cooking show featuring the young and hip Jamie Oliver. This one episode of his show got me hooked on his cooking style and many of his recipes. We love his cookbook “Meals in Minutes” and have cooked ourselves halfway through it. This steak sandwich recipe is adapted from his Steak Sarnie one with a few added ingredients. And actually, this sandwich got to be eaten during this year’s first snow. It’s not rain, but I’ll take it. {Try this sandwich with my Baked Feta & Parsley Potatoes!}

Roasted Red Pepper and Steak Sandwiches
Click HERE for the recipe!

Honeyed Peanut Ice Cream with Dark Chocolate Freckles: The Buckeye State Ice Cream

TiAn — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 04:01:11 +0000

Have you ever tasted a food that instantly put a ginormous smile on your face and fluffy pink joy bubbles in your heart? If the answer is yes, then LUCKY you! Keep reading anyways. If the answer is no, well then…oh my goodness do I have some great news for you! This ice cream recipe, does just the trick. You will feel a burst of happiness without a care in the world. Guaranteed. Mainly because you’ll only be thinking of how good this ice cream is.

The recipe is from Jeni Britton Bauer’s “Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at Home.” I did a post back in June about mine and Justin’s birthdays where my main gift to him was a package of Jeni’s ice cream pints. I remember the strange look I received from my friends when I told them I was giving my husband ice cream for his birthday but it was one of the best ideas ever. Jeni’s ice creams are the best I have ever eaten and this Honeyed Peanut Ice Cream with Dark Chocolate Freckles has instantly become our favorite. So…get out your dusty ice cream maker and give it a try. Let this ice cream work some magic. {For those without a dusty ice cream maker and no intention of buying one like EVER, you can order Jeni’s ice creams online or find a retailer close to you.}

Honeyed Peanut Ice Cream with Dark Chocolate Freckles: The Buckeye State Ice Cream
Click HERE for the recipe!

A Very Happy Thanksgiving! Recipes and Printables

TiAn — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 17:41:25 +0000

I had several people ask me this year what recipes I would be making for Thanksgiving. Despite being a type A borderline freak show planner, I don’t plan out holiday meals very far in advance. I think it’s because since the kitchen has become such a happy place for me, I tend to save stressful meals for the last minute, thus not having to stress for very long beforehand. Make sense? Well in any case, here is what we ended up making for our Thanksgiving meal. Every recipe came out delicious {and 4 of them were made at the same exact time by myself and Justin in under 2 hours, the pumpkin cheesecake was made the night before}.

Thanksgiving Recipe Round-Up

Fresh Green Bean Casserole from FitSugar.com
Browned Butter Sweet Potato Casserole from CookingClassy.com
Apple Cranberry Bake from TasteofHome.com
Mashed Potatoes with Ricotta and Parmesan from UnrulyBliss.com
Pumpkin Cheesecake from my incredible baker-man husband {Email me if you’d like the recipe!}

We ate at my mom’s house where she had made a ham, a turkey, croissants, and stuffing!

Ideas For Next Year {Pinterest Alert!}

Simple Thanksgiving Craft: Gratitude Garland / Free Download from SomewhatSimple.com

Thanksgiving Printables / Free Downloads from TheSweetestOccasion.com

Wall Art and Table Placecards / Free Downloads from SharonRowanPhotoDesign.blogspot.com

A Grateful Heart Printable / Free Printable from LandeeSeeLandeeDo.com

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving full of gratitude, good food, and happy memories!

Breaded Calamari

TiAn — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 02:58:16 +0000

Some of my favorite memories from growing up in Florida are of weekends spent hanging out with my brother. We’d go to the movies, play {really bad} racquetball, lounge on the beach, waste money in arcades, and eat out. A LOT. I remember this great Italian place that we loved {although of course I have no clue as to the name anymore} and they had the best calamari appetizer I’ve ever had. We’d go there just so that we could order it. What’s better than seafood straight from the ocean thirty minutes away? When I moved across the country to landlocked Colorado, I sadly missed my fresh seafood and amazing calamari dishes. And up until last week, it had never occurred to me to make my own fresh calamari at home {as fresh as previously frozen calamari steaks can get}. But my lovely and wonderful Sprouts {local farmers’ market/grocery store} “fish guy” orders the best wild seafood and I was drawn to the calamari steaks with the eager excitement of a chubby kid in front of a birthday cake. $5.99 for a pound?! “Umm, ten pounds please!” Okay, not really. I bought three individual steaks for about 3 bucks and proudly pranced up to my husband with my new treasures. He was nervous, but fully committed himself to the task of making incredible calamari. Boy did he deliver. TRY.THIS.RECIPE. I know fried foods are a no-no, but if you indulge yourself on anything this week/month/year, let it be this calamari.

Breaded Calamari
Click HERE for the recipe!

Quinoa with Pesto, Tomatoes, and Corn

TiAn — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 23:46:53 +0000

I have a new favorite dish! I can’t take any credit because Justin made the entire thing but I am, of course, the genius that pinned it to my Food Love board on Pinterest and picked it for dinner a few nights ago. We bought a massive bag of quinoa {keen-wa} without ever having tried it before and I was secretly worried that it might never get opened. {Click HERE if you’re like, “What the heck is quinoa?”} A good friend of mine is always cooking recipes from her Pinterest boards and I thought, “Why don’t I ever do that?” So this week, we chose several recipes from my board and this quinoa recipe blew us away. I had hoped it would be tasty but I was pleasantly surprised that it was actually extremely delicious! I LOVE this stuff! We served it as a side with a small steak soaked in a Whiskey-Vinegar marinade. This quinoa recipe works perfect for guests who are gluten-free and/or vegetarian too!

Quinoa with Pesto, Tomatoes, and Corn
Click HERE for the recipe!

It’s silently calling to you, isn’t it? Don’t be scared. Quinoa is good for you!

Spicy Blue Cheese Turkey Burgers

TiAn — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 16:00:08 +0000

Quite some time ago, one of my sisters emailed me and asked me to post an incredible burger recipe. It’s been in the back of my mind for a long time but I kept thinking that I needed to search out and find the most delicious looking recipes to try. Over these last few months we’ve probably made these turkey burgers at least three or four times but it’s never occurred to me to post about them. Maybe because they’re so simple? {Like really, really simple.} Or maybe because they’re made from turkey and it secretly feels wrong to love burgers that aren’t made of beef? {I also love this mushroom-Swiss turkey burger.} Well in any case, I am posting about them now! I know it’s not summer anymore but these burgers are easy to make year round on a grill pan over the stove and they taste delicious with these baked avocado fries.

{If you’re really only dreaming of beef burgers right now, I suggest this avocado prosciutto burger. It’s my favorite!}

Spicy Blue Cheese Turkey Burgers
Click HERE for the recipe.

A Crafty Halloween

TiAn — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 22:33:27 +0000

For Halloween this year, me and a bestie got together and made ourselves some homemade wreaths. My initial feeling about this is that wreath making, or decor making of any kind really, initiates me into the Old Ladies Crafters Club. But with my friend sitting across the table from me making a wreath at the same time, I didn’t feel so old or uncool. I felt darn crafty and it was really fun! Here are a few pictures of both of our wreaths and links to where we got our ideas. Underneath those, I’ve posted a few of my homemade Halloween cards. The jury is still out on whether or not card making is ‘cool,’ but I like doing it anyways!

My Halloween wreath {idea from HERE}

Nicole’s Halloween wreath {idea from HERE}

My homemade Halloween cards

Have a…

DIY Foyer Wall

TiAn — Sat, 27 Oct 2012 22:59:25 +0000

My husband built me a foyer wall! It took him quite a bit longer than expected, but he did it! And it’s beautiful and perfect and better than what I expected. I’ve never seen him use many power tools before {other than a drill} but he attacked this project with no fear and the attitude of a woodworking lumberjack. He’s officially my hero and I’ve already got him lined up to build me a console, coffee, and end table. We’ll see how successful those come out! {grins}

Here are a few “before” and “after” shots. We still haven’t figured out what’s going to live on the shelf there but I’m excited to finally have a place to hang Christmas stockings.

For those of you wanting the steps on how to do this, visit Sada Lewis’s website HERE.

Oh and for anyone who scoffed at my 2012 DIY List, we’ve finished four out of twelve so we’re right on track!

The “Before”

The “After”

Creamy Cauliflower and Potato Soup

TiAn — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 23:28:06 +0000

Ever since my pea soup disaster {very simple story…I spent a lot of time making Gwyneth Paltrow’s split pea soup that came out nasty}, I’ve become extremely wary when it comes to making new soups. And I almost didn’t make this cauliflower and potato soup because I’m not super into leeks…until I realized, how could I possibly know if I like leeks when I’ve never made a conscious effort to try them? I mean really, I don’t think I know anyone who has ever said, “Oh my gosh I made these amazing leeks last night” but I decided to give it a go anyways. I’m really glad I did! The jury is still out on leeks {I think it’s just a filler veggie to make up more substance in the soup} but the whole shebang tasted delicious! It was incredibly simple and easy and I was delightfully pleased. It seems to me a perfect soup to make again when the weather decides to fully commit to fall {78 degrees in October is lame}.

Creamy Cauliflower and Potato Soup
Click HERE for the recipe.

Balmorhea

TiAn — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 15:03:41 +0000

Throughout my entire life I have never quite “fit in” when it came to my choice of music. I grew up in south Florida where rap and hip-hop were dominant and except for a little TLC and Fugees {are they even considered hip-hop?}, I’ve never much enjoyed those genres of music. Then when I was 18, I moved to a very tiny {although incredibly beautiful} town called Durango in southern Colorado and the music scene was drastically different. I remember meeting my college roommate for the first time and shocking her with my lack of knowledge of Dave Matthews Band, Jack Johnson, and Bob Marley. I think I may have been the only 18 year-old in America who had the soundtrack to Labyrinth on rotation with Fleetwood Mac and Bruce Springsteen going on in her car.

Maybe it’s because of the drastic change of my environment that it took me so much longer than most people to figure out what my ears love to hear. I’ve come to love artists like Dave Matthews Band, Griffin House, Bon Iver, Fleet Foxes, and then Neil Young simply melts my heart {“Keeps me searching for a heart of gold…“}. So I’d say my music home definitely lies in the valley of the Indie-Folk Rock genre {or “hippie music” as my husband’s friends so lovingly call it}. But more recently I’ve found my ‘me’ music. Do you know what I mean? It’s that music that you discover that just seems to make sense of any mood you’re in and it has the uncanny ability to make you feel better and think clearer. They are not a particularly famous band, although 14,000 fans on their Facebook page might say otherwise, and I hope that they never really become all that famous. I like paying only eight dollars for a ticket to see them play! Which is what I get to do this coming Sunday in Denver and I am extremely excited! One of my favorite things about my husband is his ability to love any music (namely, mine) and he has always been a willing concert go-er. If you’re willing to check out this band {links below}, be forewarned, there are no lyrics. But they are a far, far cry from elevator music.

Balmorhea
Click here to visit their main page.

{Straight from their site:} Balmorhea (pronounced BAL-MORE-AY) is a six-piece instrumental group from Austin, TX. Founded by Rob Lowe and Michael Muller in 2006, the band has produced five full-length albums, including the forthcoming Stranger, which will be released in the United States in October 2012.

Inceptually influenced by the band’s namesake, a tiny West Texas town of 500 people, Balmorhea’s early work reflected motifs of the American Southwest: the folklore of Texas settlers, the emotive proclamations of the mountainous setting, and intimate studies on solitude, nature, and night. Slowly adding more members to the band over the years, including a string section and full percussion, Balmorhea’s rich and layered music continues to be simultaneously concise and complex, uniting a collection of ideas, textures, and sounds into one genre-defying landscape.

Balmorhea, called “an exemplary experiment in restraint” by The New Yorker, has toured the US and Europe five times each, including shows with Fleet Foxes, Mono, Tortoise, Bear in Heaven, Sharon Van Etten, Damien Jurado, Here We Go Magic, and others. Additionally the band has performed at Austin City Limits Music Festival, SXSW, Fun Fun Fun Fest, and the Hopscotch Festival. Their music has been featured and reviewed by Pitchfork, MOJO, NME, Time Out New York, Drowned in Sound, NPR, and many more.

Want to hear for yourself?

On their website:

“Days” – Balmorhea

“Pyrakantha” – Balmorhea

“Masollan” – Balmorhea

My favorites:

“Baleen Morning” – Balmorhea

“Lament” – Balmorhea

“The Winter” – Balmorhea

Crunchy Salmon Cakes with Greek Yogurt Sauce

TiAn — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 03:09:50 +0000

For years and years and years I thought I was allergic to salmon…but I’m not. {Thank goodness.} I can’t quite remember, but I think this “allergy” stemmed from a pure hatred of the fish when I was a little girl. I think I must have cried so much and hated it so badly that I caused myself a dozen itchy hives and a swollen throat. This led to extreme anxiety over the years anytime someone mentioned salmon for dinner thus bringing on hives and forming my lovely “allergic reaction.” It wasn’t until a few years ago that my insanely smart husband said, “It’s all in your head.” So I tried it. I ate salmon for the first time in maybe 15 years. And I loved it. We have several recipes for salmon {including this delicious one here} but this recipe for crispy cakes was UHHHH-MAZING. The Greek sauce compliments it perfectly. I’ve said it many times before and I’ll say it again…I’d move to Greece in a heartbeat if only just for the food.

We rounded out our Greek meal with some delicious Tabouli. It’s a Mediterranean salad that is usually made up of bulgur, tomatoes, finely chopped parsley, mint, onion, and garlic, and then seasoned with olive oil, lemon juice, and salt. If you’re short on time, try the delicious, all-natural Tabouli from Near East, available in most grocery stores {for sure in all Sunflower markets}.

Crunchy Salmon Cakes with Greek Yogurt Sauce
Click HERE for the recipe!

Slow Cooker Beef and Tomato Stew

TiAn — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 22:53:44 +0000

Chilly weather and warm stew, need I say more? This version is lighter than most but tastes all the more delicious for it!

Slow Cooker Beef and Tomato Stew
Click HERE for the recipe!

Pasta Fagioli

TiAn — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 02:35:51 +0000

I absolutely love the fall season and all of the great things that come with it. When the weather starts changing and it’s getting a bit cold out, one of my favorite things to do is make this dish! It’s a recipe from Anne Burell, one of my all-time favorite celebrity chefs. Pasta Fagioli is an Italian dish most commonly made with cannellini beans and a small type of pasta like elbows or ditalini. Herbs, tomatoes, garlic, and a sort of broth are added and then it’s all topped off with a drizzle of olive oil, some fresh basil, and grated Parmigiano cheese. It’s like autumn in a bowl.

Pasta Fagioli
Click HERE for the recipe.

An Exploration in Cheese: Part 4

TiAn — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 02:17:51 +0000

Justin and I stay away from processed foods as much as we can, but sadly, I can not break up with cheese. Never could I ever. I love it too much. So…because of my undying love for cheese, we try to only eat it as a treat (and in recipes that wouldn’t be the same without it). We go grocery shopping every Sunday and over the last 5 months we have bought a new, different, small block of cheese from the under five dollar bin. So every week, we try a new cheese. This is part 4 in this series. Read about our first five cheeses HERE, our second five cheeses HERE, and our third five cheeses HERE. Enjoy!

Fontina Mauri

Fontina has been one of Italy’s most famous cheeses since the eleventh century. It is a semi-hard, cooked curd cheese, with a reddish brown brushed rind and beige interior. The flavor is earthy and herbaceous with a hint of mushrooms and has a delicately perfumed aroma. {info from HERE}

St. Nectaire French Cheese with Edible Rind

Saint-Nectaire is a French cheese made in the Auvergne region of central France since at least the 17th century. Saint-Nectaire is a pressed, uncooked cheese made from cow‘s milk and it is circular in shape. The finished cheese has a grey/brown rind, with white, yellow or red patches that surround a semi-hard pâte that is creamy in appearance with occasional residual holes. This dense cheese has a silky texture with soft acidity and its taste has hints of hazelnut and mushrooms, due to the aromatic flora where the cheese ages. {info from HERE}

Windsor Red

Windsor Red is a pale, firm, and moist cheddar laced with port and brandy; a combination of cheesy creaminess and subtle fruitiness. It is made by Long Clawson Dairy in the Vale of Belvoir, an area famous for rich pastures and great cheese, including Stilton. Windsor Red makes a great dessert cheese and naturally goes very nicely with a glass of port and some plain oat wafers or some grapes. {info from HERE}

Goat Buche with Edible Rind

This goat’s milk cheese from Poitou in the Loire Valley is aged for two months, during which time it develops a hard, edible crust complete with a bloomy white mold coating. It is sharp and tangy near the rind and gets progressively richer and creamier toward the center. {info from HERE}

Menage

Menage is a cheese made from a mixture of sheep, goat and cow’s milk and is aged for intense flavor and a drier texture. This hand-crafted cheese has a sweet, earthy flavor with a slightly sweet, tangy finish. Menage is a gourmet cheese that won 1st Place at the 2005 American Cheese Society in its category and received a Silver award in the 2010 World Cheese Awards. {info from HERE}

“If I had to give up cheese or chocolate, I’d give up chocolate in a heartbeat.”
- Amanda Peet

Sun-Dried Tomato and Couscous Breakfast

TiAn — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 02:40:50 +0000

I love breakfast…like really, really, love breakfast. I also love eating ‘clean.’ So when I find clean eating breakfast recipes that are quick to make and taste delicious, well…I sort of do a little inner swoon. I found this couscous dish on one of my favorite clean eating sites, thegraciouspantry.com. It can be made in 5 minutes flat. And all of the flavors can be turned up or toned down depending on your preference. Go ahead…try it. {See my other favorite breakfast here.}

Sun-Dried Tomato and Couscous Breakfast
Click HERE for the recipe.

A Few Fall Favorites

TiAn — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 13:30:06 +0000

My favorite season of the year is fall {as it is for so many}. I grew up in South Florida where winter and summer looked like one and the same. It wasn’t until I moved to Colorado when I was 18 that I saw the seasons change for the first time. I remember that right after I started college, we drove into the mountains and up through Telluride in late September and I was amazed and astounded at the different colors in the trees. I’d only seen scenery like that in pictures. It’s such a beautiful time of year and one that always seems to bring with it significant change. I wonder what is in store this year?

A Few of My Fall Favorites…

1. This image of an autumn leaf with bokeh lights in the background:

{image from here}

2. This poem by Carl Sandburg:

Autumn Movement

I cried over beautiful things knowing no beautiful thing lasts.

The field of cornflower yellow is a scarf at the neck of the copper
sunburned woman, the mother of the year, the taker of seeds.

The northwest wind comes and the yellow is torn full of holes,
new beautiful things come in the first spit of snow on the northwest wind,
and the old things go, not one lasts.

3. This soup:

Pappa al Pomodoro {Tuscan Tomato and Bread Soup}

4. These movies:

5. These honeycrisp apples {no other apples will ever compare}:

{image from here}

6. This pumpkin beer from Tommyknocker Brewery {this is of course inserted at Justin’s request}:

7. This Halloween wreath that I attempted to make {pics of that later}:

{image and how-to from here}

8. This pumpkin party cooler from the geniuses at Martha Stewart Living:

{image and how-to from here}

9. These pumpkin cupcakes {I’m going to be doing a non-processed version soon!}:

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Pumpkin Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting

10. This yearly tradition we have of pumpkin carving {Then Justin roasts the seeds and they are soooooo good.}:

I wish everyone a wonderful and happy fall season!

Dry-Rubbed Baby-Back Ribs

TiAn — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 16:22:41 +0000

I’ll be the first to admit that I am sort of a prissy eater and I don’t like messy food. Ribs have never been something I’ve craved because 1.} until this last April, I hadn’t had any that I really loved, 2.} I’d never made any that took less than two hours, and 3.} my fingers get sticky and by the end of it all I am just a mess with BBQ sauce and pieces of napkin all over my hands and face. See? Prissy. But after discovering our Baby-Back Ribs that Fall Off the Bone recipe back in April, I am now willing to overlook a few sticky fingers and messy napkins. Those ribs are mouth-watering good. The only issue I have with them is how long they take to make. They’ve become a special recipe meant for holidays or big barbecues so they don’t get to make many appearances.

So I’ve been wanting a similar recipe but one that I can make much faster so that we can have it during the week. We gave these dry-rubbed ones a try and they have become an instant favorite in our house. The dry-rub is incredibly simple to throw together and the only work you really need to do is get the rub on the ribs and keep an eye on your grill. These babies are done in less than an hour and taste delicious. We usually half the recipe and I tend to buy boneless pork ribs {that I can eat with a knife and fork} but I’ve loved the rub on some messy ribs too. {Be sure to tone down the chili powder and pepper for a milder flavor.}

Dry-Rubbed Baby-Back Ribs
Click HERE for the recipe!

Banana Bread {Pies}

TiAn — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 04:12:49 +0000

Justin has the most amazing grandparents. Like no joke. They’re from straight out of the movies that you see where the grandparents love and dote on the grandchildren and are constantly feeding them incredible food. He has those. And I love them. They sent us this old cookbook for Christmas one year {well the book itself isn’t old but the recipes inside are} and I love the simple yet flavorful recipes passed down from generation to generation. Justin, being the incredible baker he is, has made several things from this cookbook but my favorite has been the Banana Bread. When he bakes it and the smell is wafting throughout the house, I feel like I am surrounded by what happiness would smell like, if happiness smelled…

Banana Bread {Pies}
{Because we don’t own loaf pans.}
Click HERE for the recipe!

Pinterest Parties!

TiAn — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 02:44:26 +0000

Back in the day, to join Pinterest you had to wait months for an invite from whatever magical person sent them out. I remember requesting an invite and then forgetting about it until I got it a month later. By that point, my interest had dwindled and I didn’t care so much about it. So another month passed before I really even logged on to see what it was all about.

It’s such a simple concept…’pinning’ images to boards for others to see and repin. But my goodness, what an impact it has had. Especially for businesses, small and big, and bloggers too {like me}. I find myself spending hours just scrolling through and pinning and falling in love with everything I see. But beyond the simple act of pinning, Pinterest has helped me formed bonds with fellow crafters and DIY-ers {I’m not alone!}. We have such a wonderful time sitting around talking, eating food {recipes from Pinterest}, and crafting up a storm {all ideas from Pinterest}.

We have a “Pin Party” every 3 months and we rotate who hosts it. We’ve done a few where everyone coming chooses a project and then everyone else brings their own supplies for it. This has resulted in our Pin Party lasting 4 to 5 hours and we would still have projects left over untouched. So this last time, we decided that the host would choose the projects and supply the craft materials for everyone coming. Then everyone else would bring the food. Either way we do it, it’s always a great time. Here are some pictures from the last 3 parties we’ve done. I’ve included links to Pinterest, so if you like, you can find the projects to do for yourself!

Button Barette

Map Art

Menu Board

Stuffed Strawberries

First Wedding Dance Song Lyrics Tree w/Initials

Photo Blocks

Mimosa with Frozen Blackberries

Citrus Salt Body Scrub

Post It Board

Carrot Coconut Bread with Cream Cheese Glaze

Braided T-Shirt Scarf

Jar Etching

Ceviche with Avocado, Tomato, and Cilantro

TiAn — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 03:52:17 +0000

Have you ever tried ceviche before? {Pronounced “seh-BEE-chay.”} Up until about a year ago, I hadn’t even heard of it. It sounded like another one of those fancy dishes that really intimated me and kept me wondering what was so special about it. On our one year anniversary, my husband and I dined at a great farm-to-table restaurant called Root Down. Their main special for the night was ceviche. Usually when we eat out at new restaurants we try to make sure we have things we’ve never tried before so…the ceviche was the first thing we ordered. In one word…it was…fantasticamazingincredible. Like no joke. I was shocked. I feel like right then and there, in the five minutes it took to devour it, if someone had asked me what one food I could eat every single day for the rest of my life, I would immediately say ceviche. It was that good.

So of course after finally trying and loving it, I found a simple recipe to start with and we decided to try to make it ourselves at home. The basic ingredient of ceviche is raw fish, cut into bite-size pieces and then marinated in the juice of an acidic fruit {usually lime}, salt, and seasonings. The citric acid in the juice changes the texture of the fish, without changing its “raw” taste. The recipe I have posted here is extremely easy and uses my all time favorite, the mighty avocado. I sincerely urge you to try this incredible dish if you’ve never had it before, whether it be at a fancy restaurant or you make it at home in your own kitchen. I guarantee it will not disappoint.

Ceviche with Avocado, Tomato, and Cilantro
Click HERE for the recipe.

Sweet Corn Risotto

TiAn — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 20:42:51 +0000

Way back in the day before Justin and I really learned how to cook, we would watch Food Network all of the time. We would sit there and watch these incredibly talented chefs make the most delectable and intricate dishes, always wishing we could do it ourselves. So one day we decided to learn how to cook and we started making some amazing things…lamb, monkfish, swiss steak…and some not so amazing things…gnocchi and potato knishes {I’m sure there are more but I’ve blacked out those memories}.

Despite our culinary efforts, there was always one dish that felt too far out of reach for me. Risotto. It just always seemed too complicated and like it was too much work. But my husband, who has no fear in the kitchen, attacked it full force and has made risotto so many times now that he laughs in the face of danger and refuses a recipe for it. He knows it by heart. I do remember though that his first risotto took him over an hour. Now he’s got the timing down to 30 minutes flat. His specialty is mushroom risotto but I love his sun-dried tomato recipe too.

We had some left over sweet corn from another dish and I suggested we try tossing it in some risotto. Great decision. It was sooooooo delicious! I’m starting to learn that whenever I think something is going to come out super weird, it’s almost always amazing. Oh and I have actually tried my hand at making risotto, it just wasn’t nearly as good as my husband’s. *wink*

Sweet Corn Risotto
Click HERE for the recipe!

Peanut Sauce

TiAn — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 13:38:47 +0000

We all know how much I love sauces {here, here, and here} so I am not at all ashamed to show my extreme enthusiasm for this peanut sauce! I was a bit worried but it really is soooo delicious! I seasoned some chicken and grilled them on skewers and used this sauce to dip them in. I also diluted a small portion of it (I believe I used water…but I can’t quite remember) and poured it over a crispy Asian salad with onions and dried pineapple. This sauce is so versatile and can probably be used for almost anything! I think next time I will try tossing it with noodles or marinating some chicken.

Peanut Sauce
Click HERE for the recipe!

Feta and Parsley Potato Bake

TiAn — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 01:12:08 +0000

It doesn’t get any easier than this folks! Cut ‘em up, grease ‘em up, throw ‘em in the oven. Add some cheese {because cheese makes everything wonderful} and parsley and voila! You have yourself a delicious side dish that took only 5 minutes of prep work. These potatoes are so simple yet so undeniably delicious!

Feta & Parsley Potato Bake
Click HERE for the recipe!

My 2012 DIY List

TiAn — Sat, 08 Sep 2012 21:33:45 +0000

I have made a decision. A big one. I have WAY too many DIY projects lying around my house because I accumulate them and then let them die a slow death in a corner of the garage or down in the basement. So my decision is this: I am going to finish 12 DIY projects by the end of 2012. “How?” you ask? Well with the help of my handy husband and my super crafty girlfriend of course! My handy husband will be my back up paint brush {I can paint for maybe an hour before I get bored} and my crafty girlfriend will teach me to sew better {she’s magical with those machines}. I’m extremely excited about working on everything and showing the progress as things come along. I created a list below for you to see and a few pictures of what is in store. So stay tuned! {Oh and I am very excited to say that I can check off number one from the list! See the pics below!}

1. Paint kitchen shelves – I’ve got number one done!!! I stained them a green color similar to the shelf in the background that we bought from Etsy.

2. Sand and paint office shelving unit - We got this for free from Justin’s mom’s house. We have no idea whose it was or who treated it so poorly.
But it’s solid wood and I’m going to give it a whole new life!

3. Sand and paint vintage cabinet - I bought this little lovely for 30 bucks from an antiques shop. I’m pretty excited about this one. I’m going to sand it, stain it white, distress it, and use it as a small buffet/cabinet in our kitchen ‘nook.’

4. Paint window frame and find some photos - I purchased this window frame for 35 cents at Recycled Resources, a local ‘scrap’ shop for home goods like cabinets, frames, doors, etc. I am going to paint it and somehow suspend photographs in each opening. I’ve got a few ideas but nothing decided yet…

5. Paint office - We’re kind of torn with this room, but we’re loving this green color right now:

6. Paint living room wall - We’re thinking of doing multiple walls in this color scheme:

7. Paint kitchen nook - Another one we’re torn on. The kitchen has a country/vintage feel…so maybe this color:

8. Build foyer project - This is my favorite project! It will most likely be done by Justin while I supervise like a champ. It’s a DIY coat/shelf wall that I found on Sada Lewis’s website. This first image is of the wall we’re going to build it on and the second image is from Sada’s home and is hopefully what ours will look like when it’s done!

9. Paint picture for stairwell - I found a painting that was a bit out of my budget. Hopefully I can recreate something on my own that I love just as much as this Flower Market one. {The image has been instagrammed. It doesn’t really have a thick black border.}

10., 11., & 12. Sew curtains for the kitchen, office, and living room –
This is where my beautiful friend Nicole comes in… I’m really liking these fabrics, shown in the order as listed:

Well so what do you think?! You’re thinking I’ll have no problem getting all these projects done, right? Me too! Although any words of encouragement will always be appreciated…