go ahead and snicker

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies I Have Ever Made

2013-04-20T13:47:00.003-07:00

Yup. You read that title correctly.

I'm a bit of a cookie junkie. A fan. An aficionado. A chocolate chip cookie-aholic if you must. I have baked and consumed more cookies than I would ever like to count, and many of them from different recipes. I take copious notes. I print recipes and highlight them. I then keep the bad ones, just to be sure I never accidentally print and bake them again. This week, with all of the madness swirling around, I needed to do some baking. Chocolate chip cookie therapy.

I pulled out my hot mess of a binder, full of scraps from magazines, torn out newspaper sheets, and print-outs by the dozen. Inside was a recipe I had photocopied from a cookbook belonging to my old boss. I had written in a few changes, and remembered that they were pretty good. Of course, I was missing a few things, so I had to change it up. And I was oh so pleasantly surprised. Right from the oven they looked promising. Aren't they pretty? Then I ate one. Crumbly, not to sweet, ultra chocolatey bliss. I will never use another chocolate chip cookie recipe again.

My New Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup raw sugar

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg, at room temperature

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

2 cups Bob's Red Mill White Whole Wheat Flour

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp. almond extract (Yes. Almond. NOT vanilla!)

2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

Preparation:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar until fluffy and pale. Add egg and almond extract and beat until just combined. Sift flour, baking soda, and salt and add to the mixer at low speed. Scrape the bowl and mix until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips. Drop dough by rounded spoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets and bake for 12-14 minutes or until golden. Allow to cool for five minutes on the sheet before transferring to wire racks.

Slimming Down

2013-04-11T08:04:00.002-07:00

As the weather begins to warm up here in the Jerz, I have been feeling the need to do some serious slimming down. Not like, of my waist line or any of that crap, (cause I could kind of give two rats about bikini season and all as I don't wear them anymore) but of the menu planning, grocery shopping variety. I took a look around my kitchen the other day and realized I had nothing to eat. Now my pantry and fridge are both chock full of food, but not the kind I want to eat in 65 degree sunshine. It's time to slim down the kitchen, clean out the stew meats and root veggies, and lighten things up.

I started where most inspiration starts these days: my overflowing Pinterest boards. I have been guest pinning this month for Circle of Moms and POPSUGAR, so I have been focusing on family friendly meal ideas. Of course, I pin them like crazy and then never cook them. But I kept peeking back at this recipe for Zucchini Chips from Table for Two and had to make them. I also just bought a mandoline, so it was perfect.

Jude gobbled them up and would probably have eaten them all had I not hidden a few out of sight for myself. They are also a touch time consuming, so I tried to do a bit of portion control. With my share, I threw together this Grilled Salmon Salad with Asparagus and my favorite Green Goddess Dressing. It's lovely with leftovers, but I would definitely make this as a weeknight meal, too. Try this Asian Salmon recipe if you want to try something new, or just grill it simply with salt, pepper, and olive oil. The dressing is really flavorful!

Oven Baked Zucchini Chips
courtesy of Table for Two

Ingredients:
2 medium zucchinis
salt
Two Tbls. olive oil
*You'll also need a mandoline and baking sheets lined with parchment or Silpat mats.

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Slice zucchini on the mandoline with the thinnest setting (I did mine of the bias so they'd be a bit bigger). Lay each slice on paper towels and blot dry. Transfer to prepared baking sheets, taking care not to overlap slices. Brush with a bit of oil using a pastry brush, and sprinkle lightly with salt. Bake until just browned and crisp, about 1.5 - 2 hours.

*Tip: If your slices are super thin like mine were, a few of them may want to stick to the Silpat. A handy trick (one I picked up from paper crafting) is to bend the Silpat up and peel it from the chip, instead of bending the chip to peel it from the Silpat. Get it? You can store your chips in an air tight container for up to three days, but they won't last that long!

Caution! Mudslide Birthday Cake

2013-03-26T09:14:00.000-07:00

This cake was the big hit at The Boy's birthday party this weekend, but it's chocolate, so that wasn't a big surprise. Everyone loves chocolate! I doctored up my favorite Devil's Food cake recipe to make it taste like a mudslide and work with the party theme. No worries, of course, as the alcohol bakes out, so it is still safe to serve to children! Just don't eat to much of the batter as you are making it, or you'll find yourself with a happy buzz:) This makes a big cake, so make sure you have enough people to eat it or pack it up to take home or else it will be your breakfast for the next week. Which actually may not be a bad thing.
Chocolate Mudslide Birthday Cake

adapted from Martha Stewart

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, plus more for pans
3/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder, plus more for pans
3 Tablespoons instant espresso powder
1/2 cup boiling water
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup Bailey's Irish Cream
6 cups of your favorite fudge frosting. I ordered mine from ShopRite (gasp!) but it's hella good, yo. Better than any recipe I have tried, honest!

Preparation:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange two racks in center of oven. Butter three 8-by-2-inch round cake pans; line bottoms with parchment. Dust bottoms and sides of pans with cocoa powder; tap out any excess. Sift cocoa and espresso powder into a medium bowl, and whisk in boiling water. Set aside to cool.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter on low speed until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, scraping down sides twice. Beat in vanilla. Drizzle in eggs, a little at a time, beating between each addition until the batter is no longer slick, scraping down the sides twice.

In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Whisk milk and Bailey's into reserved cocoa mixture. With mixer on low speed, alternately add flour and cocoa mixtures to the batter, a little of each at a time, starting and ending with flour mixture.

Divide batter evenly among the three prepared pans. Bake until a cake tester inserted into center of each layer comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes, rotating the pans for even baking. Transfer layers to wire racks; let cool, 15 minutes. Turn out cakes, and return to racks, tops up, until completely cool.

Remove parchment from bottoms of cakes. Sliceone cake layer in half, from top to bottom, set aside. Place one full cake layer on a serving platter; spread 1 cup chocolate frosting over the top. Add the second full cake layer, and spread with another 1 cup frosting. Add one of the half layers, spread with frosting and top with remaining half cake layer. Using a serrated knife, carve the top two layers on the diagonal to create a hill shape. Cover outside of cake with the remaining 3 cups frosting. Decorate with chocolate graham cracker crumbs, malted milk balls, and trucks! Serve with Rocky Road Ice Cream!

Happy Birthday, Jude!

2013-03-25T11:57:00.000-07:00

Somehow in the midst of our crazy life, our Little Boy Who Was Once The Bean turned two. E-freaking-gad! I have no idea how he is a two year old who is over three feet tall, driving trains and singing "California Dreamin'." It's kind of insane. He is one of the oldest in his little kid crew of 12, so of course we had to have a party. Inspired by his current favorite book, I'm Dirty, we went with a construction truck theme. And yes, I gleaned the internet for everything truck-ish, Pinning as I went, until I had a plan. E happened to be out of town on business the entire week before the bash, so I did one thing each day to keep The Boy and I busy, and to prevent a stress-filled weekend of last minute mania. Here's the picture laden run down...

The invitation: A big ol' dump truck complete with coloring page envelopes and washi caution tape.

They are not yet in the shop, but just hit me up if you are interested until I post them:)

We asked Jude's friends to make donations to St. Jude's Children's Hospital instead of bringing him presents, since with an in home day care in our basement, he pretty much has everything a kid could ever want. This is definitely going to be our annual thing. St. Jude's is the best childrens' charity ever.

The decor: Jude and I built a paper mountain to cover the oh-so-pretty wall AC unit that currently resides in the dining room. He had a blast rubbing glue sticks on paper (and then his face) while we worked on it.

The food: Dirt cups, pretzel lumber, Pirate's Booty, a bacon jalapeno cheese mountain, a tool box veggie tray, dried pineapple rocks, Boulder Cookies, and a Chocolate Mudslide Cake.

I will try to post a few more of those recipes soon!

A closer view of the cake, decorated with chocolate graham cracker crumbs and malted milk balls.

I made a table runner from the coloring pages left over from the invitations.

Luckily we had gorgeous weather, so the kids got to play with the split pea and rice sensory boxes on the deck. It took only minutes for them to start tossing it, so I am thrilled we didn't have to do it inside!

In case of rain, we set up a demolition city in the basement playroom.

It was great motivation to get my craft room in order and unpack the last lingering boxes from our move!

I painted this dump truck based on the one from his invitations. I think it will hang around a while!

He actually ate sweets! Well, this is yogurt, but it has chocolate crumbs on top!

This morning I finally let him pull some of the decorations off the walls.

He has been driving cars on this road all day!

Best.Party.Ever!

Wedding Season?

2013-02-26T10:34:00.001-08:00

It's almost that time of year folks! Wedding season. I know, I know, for most of you that means June through August, but for those of us in the invitation business, wedding season starts now! Couples start researching ideas now for spring and summer weddings, so it's time for me to get my creative juices flowing. I have a bunch of new designs in the shop already, but my favorite thing to do is work one on one with couples to create something really special. My best invitation designs come from working with couples, rather than creating something on my own.

This Henna Aspen invitation idea came from a bride who found me on Etsy. She liked my Tree of Love invitations, but was getting married in a forest of Aspens and all of the bridesmaids would be adorned with henna. From that came this sketch, and one of my favorite sets ever!

This Vintage Floral invitation design was inspired by a fabric pulled from a bride's stash of vintage scarves!

This is the newest design, which I finished literally minutes ago, so it isn't in the shop just yet.
(UPDATE: Here it is! The Emily Invitation Suite!)

Can't you just see it done with scraps of lace from a bride's veil or dress? Or from her mom's? Love.

With all that in mind,

if you or a friend will be married this spring or summer,

contact me for a custom design.

I am offering to waive my custom design fee

for the entire month of March!

That means you will pay only for the invitations themselves:

a $50-$75 savings!

Feel free to Pin or share this on Facebook

and Twitter to get the word out to your pals!

Breakfast with the Primes

2013-02-23T11:01:00.002-08:00

It's been quite a long time since I shared one of my oddball early morning conversations with E. Years actually. Before Jude our breakfast chats were about fruits and zombies, now they are about toys. This week E passed his most beloved toy down to Jude: Optimus Prime. It's only the best Christmas gift my husband ever got, and our little dude broke it within minutes. The thing had clearly seen better days, but it still works. Jude loves playing with it and feeding it gas and oil (like it's a baby), but the best part is listening to our almost two year old try to say "Optimus Prime."

E: Jude, who is that you're playing with?

JUDE: Prime.

E: Yes, but which one? Optimus Prime. There are lots of Primes.

ME: There are?

E: (eye roll ) YES. Optimus Prime, Rodimus Prime, Megatron was a Prime and then he was Galvatron and Unicron.

ME: Did he turn into a unicorn?

E: (huge eye roll) NO. He turned into a PLANET.

ME: That doesn't make sense. If his name was Unicron he should have turned into a unicorn.

E: THAT doesn't make sense. Unicorns aren't real things. Why would he turn into something that isn't real?

***
I'm only partly sure he was joking.

Last Minute Love

2013-02-13T08:56:00.002-08:00

Well, folks, Valentine's Day is tomorrow. If you have been a Last Minute Larry, no need to fret! There are plenty of shops that will be open late for you procrastinators looking for an expensive gift, and I'm pretty sure Hallmark will be able to hook you up in the early AM if necessary. However, if you are looking for a tiny something, a handmade little crafty something, maybe for a kid or a pal, here you go. These little bird seed valentines make a great last minute craft project for your kiddos and work as a sweet gift at the same time.

I found several recipes online for making bird seed cakes, but some of them actually required baking, and some included weird ingredients. I ended up with a modified version of a recipe like this one from Folk Lifestyle, a blog to which you will now become addicted. You're welcome.

Anywho, I had to add an additional ingredient to the mix because we happen to have a squirrel issue. By issue I mean serious-frigging-problem-with-giant-house-cat-sized-squirrels-who-dig-up-and-eat-anything-they-can-get-their-dastardly-paws-upon. So I added a generous 1/4 cup of red hot pepper flakes. Take that you little punks. We made lots of sizes and shapes, including bird seed beads in my mini muffin tin. These we strung along a length of twine and tied up in a tree as garland, hoping the little birdies would feast. Sadly it rained like crazy that night and most of the seed cakes dissolved and fell in a heap to the ground. I suggest hanging these outside where they won't get too wet:)

If you plan on giving these as gifts, decorate them with little tags! I stamped ours on plantable seed paper and tied them up with baker's twine. They just happened to fit into the heart printed treat bags I send out with my shop packages. Kismet!

Birdseed Ornaments
Ingredients:
3/4 cup of all purpose flour
4 cups mixed birdseed
5 Tbls. corn syrup
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup red pepper flakes
wax paper
baking sheets
baking molds/muffin tins/cookie cutters
a chopstick
ribbon

Preparation:
Line your baking sheets with wax paper. Spray any tins or cutters with cooking spray. Place cookie cutters on the wax paper. In a large bowl mix all ingredients until sticky and combined. Pour into molds/tins/cutters and press firmly. Poke a hole with the chopstick for hanging your ribbon. Let sit for 3 hours, remove from tins and flip over, let sit another 3 hours or until very dry. Add twine, ribbon or string to hang.

A good scone is hard to find

2013-01-26T10:01:00.002-08:00

I love me a good scone.

Trouble is, a good scone is hard to find. Like a good man, a good scone is warm and sweet, but not too sweet. A little hard on the outside, but still soft on the inside. Comforting, sturdy, but not too tough. Have I driven this metaphor as far as it can go? Methinks so, but you get it.

Scones can be tricky, especially when you have a toddler running around and your ambitious dreams of perfectly round scones are foiled by mischief involving matchbox cars, crayons, stuffed animals or toilets. Hopefully not all of those things together.Just plan ahead and realize your scones can be close to perfect using Ina Garten's lovely recipe, as long as you lock your kiddo in his room (not really:)).

Ina's Cranberry Orange Scones
very slightly adapted from Barefoot Contessa at Home

Ingredients:

4 cups flour, plus 1/4 cup
3 sticks of butter, very cold
1/4 c. sugar
2 Tbls. baking powder
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 Tbls. orange zest
4 eggs
1 cup half and half
juice of one orange
1 c. powdered sugar
1 c. dried cranberries and golden raisins
sugar for sprinkling

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment.

Cut butter sticks into small cubes (I quarter each stick lengthwise, then chop) and return to the fridge. Using the paddle attachment on your stand mixer, blend 4 c. flour with sugar, baking powder, salt, and orange zest. With mixer set to low speed, add butter a bit at a time. Mix until dough looks like small peas. Do NOT overmix it. You'll get tough scones and be super bummed.

In a small bowl, beat eggs slightly, add in cream. With the mixer set to low speed, pour egg mixture into the dough slowly. Mix until just combined.

Toss raisins and cranberries with remaining 1/4 c. flour. Add to the mixer bowl and mix until just combined.

Turn half of the dough out onto a well floured board. Refrigerate the rest in the bowl. Floor your hands well, this stuff is sticky. Knead into a ball, floor your board more and roll or press it into a one inch thick circle. If you're ambitious, use a greased circle cutter to cut scones. If not, slice the circle into six triangles with a greased knife. See my previous note about ambition.

Place scones on the baking sheets about an inch apart and bake 20 minutes or until golden. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

Whisk juice and powdered sugar together to make a glaze. You may use more or less sugar depending on your desired consistency, so just add a little sugar at a time. I like a thinner glaze, so I use less. Drizzle over cooled scones and sprinkle with sugar.

Presto Pasta

2013-01-22T12:51:00.004-08:00

My little man is being weird about his veggies again. Weird in the way that makes me have to plan new meals and try new recipes and actually COOK something I haven't cooked for him before. Holy moly cow (as Jude loves to say these days)! Holier molier cow, I'm actually in love with it. It isn't the olden days of sifting through Food and Wine magazine looking for drool worthy photos or perusing the aisles of Whole Foods sniffing miso pastes and fennel powder. It's more like, "Shit. I have mushrooms that will go bad in 2 days, not enough spinach for a salad, and 20 minutes to make a meal of it. FML." Those moments always bring me back to pasta. It's the easiest and fastest way to stuff veggies into a kid without fail and it's done in 20 minutes. Jude powered through two bowls of this with a side of turkey meatballs dunked in yogurt (because why wouldn't you dunk a meatball in yogurt?) and begged for more. Sadly there wasn't any more to give him, because E and I had powered through the rest already. It's that good.

If your toddler (or anyone) is averse to chunks of mushroom or spinach leaves, just puree the whole batch of sauce until it's smooth and no one will know it has veggies in it. Wanna double up the veggie punch? Serve it with the Piccolini pasta Barilla makes. We love that stuff!

Fusilli with Spinach and Mushroom Cream Sauce

Ingredients:
16 oz. sliced button mushrooms
2 c. baby spinach
1 shallot, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbls. butter
4 sage leaves, chopped or 2 tsp. dried sage
1 c. cream
salt and pepper to taste
2-3 cups cooked fusilli or other short pasta

Preparation:
Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Add shallots and cook until softened, about 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and mushrooms and cook 5 minutes until garlic is fragrant and mushrooms are beginning to brown, stirring often. Add spinach and toss until wilted. Add cream and sage and bring to a simmer. Continue stirring and simmering until cream thickens and mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Using a large spoon, transfer half of the mixture to a blender and pulse until smooth. Return to the pan and stir into remaining mixture. Add cooked pasta to the pan and toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Front Page!

2012-12-13T06:54:00.000-08:00

Woot woot! This adorable treasury full of gift ideas for gardeners made Etsy's front page late last night. And look who was featured in the top row! So excited. I made a sale and got more views than ever. Thank you, Rachel!

The Great Blogger Cookie Swap

2012-12-11T13:11:00.001-08:00

Butter, sugar, flour,

crumbling between my fingers.

Add a little spice.

God, I'm so deep, yo. I can't even stand it:) No really, I'm just writing cookie haiku because last year (year one of the most epic cookie swap of all time) a participant of The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap wrote an entire cookie themed version of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas. It was adorable. And I can't find it. So if you remember who wrote that post, please hit me up and I'll link it here! Meanwhile, little ol me, former Spoken Word poet and current cookie lover, can only come up with a haiku. Maybe that's because my son has finally fallen asleep for his morning nap and it's 4:00 in the afternoon. FML. So many things on today's to do list, and this post may be the only one I check off.

For this year's cookie swap (which happens to be for charity this year, by the way. Each blogger made a donation to Cookies for Kids Cancer and you can plan your own cookie swap at home to do the same!), I made one of my favorites, Vanilla Chai Spiced Crackle cookies. This is a recipe I developed while I was living in Ann Arbor, back when I had no kid and thus ample time for developing recipes that weren't pureed. I brought the first ever batch in to share with the English department at school, and they were gone in a blink. Just FYI, teacher's break rooms are a great place for recipe testing.

These are a crunchy cookie with a bit of bite and they are best dipped in coffee or tea. I sometimes drizzle them with chocolate, if I'm feeling super ambitious, and I actually prefer them with an extra 1/2 tsp, of kosher salt. It gives it a tiny salty bite that is so yummy. They pack and ship well, so they are perfect if you have anyone to whom you would like to mail something sweet. You know you do.

Vanilla Chai Spiced Crackle Cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 c. butter, softened

1/2 c. shortening

1 c. sugar, plus 1/4 c. for rolling

1/2 c. brown sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

2 1/2 c. flour

1/2 tsp. salt

4 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 Tbls. chai spice mix, plus 1/4 tsp. for rolling

4 oz. white chocolate (if desired)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Blend 1/4 tsp. chai spice mix and 1/4 c. sugar, set aside.

Cream butter, shortening, and sugars.Beat in egg and vanilla. Sift remaining ingredients and add to butter mixture, blending until combined. Shape dough into 1 inch balls and roll in sugar/chai blend.

Place at least 1 inch apart on parchment lined cookie sheets and flatten with the bottom of a glass or your palm. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until just golden. (Keep an eye on them as they will turn from perfectly golden to crunchy brown very quickly!) If you wish, melt the white chocolate in a double boiler and drizzle over the tops of cooled cookies. Store in an air tight container for 2-3 days.

Print this recipe

A big thank you to the lovely blogging ladies who send me scrumptious treats in the mail! I love mail of any kind, but cookie mail? That's the bestest!

I scored a box of melt in your mouth buttery white chocolate cookies drizzled in milk chocolate from Mari, gone before E even made it home from Cali. Too bad so sad.

Kara of Kara in the Kitchen sent me some fudgy peppermint brownie bars that disappeared in mere hours. I think I blacked out somewhere in that time, because suddenly I looked down and they were gone. I can't be held responsible when chocolate is involved.

Jennifer of Bake or Break sent these gorgeous brown butter snickerdoodles, which I'm kind of obsessed with. I actually just ate one of them while typing this. These are going on my to-bake list stat.

And another big thank you to the ladies who posted photos of the cookies I sent to them via Twitter and Facebook. It's nice to see they all made it in one piece:)

And the last big thank you is for Lindsay of Love and Olive Oil and Julie of The Little Kitchen. You guys are amazing for doing all of the work required to make this cookie swap of epic proportions work. You're also crazy. Like the crazy fabulous kind of crazy.

Sippity Sup

2012-12-10T09:37:00.001-08:00

MMM, soup weather. Gray, wet, chilly, and all sorts of gross outside weather. The kind of weather that makes you want to pull the covers over your head, read a book, and forget the world for 24 hours. I know you feel me. Today is one of those days. Luckily I made a big batch of this tomato soup with roasted garlic, so I'll be sippin' on a big ol mug of this goodness today. As will Jude, who happens to love it as much, if not more, than I do. He'll take his with grilled cheese on whole wheat, sliced into sticks. And in a sippy cup, please.

I have posted plenty of tomato soup recipes before... But I think I've perfected it this time! This is easy and oh so delicious! Plus, it makes a fantastic gift or pick me up for someone who is feeling sick or blue. Wrap a loaf of fresh bread in a tea towel, label a jar with a fantastic reusable Chalkboard Sticker Label, and you have a perfect gift;)

Roasted Tomato Soup with Garlic and Rosemary
Ingredients:
3 pints grape tomatoes
1 head of garlic
2-3 sprigs of fresh rosemary
1 15 oz. can of crushed tomatoes
2 cups of chicken (or veggie) stock
1-2 Tbls. kosher salt, divided
black pepper
olive oil

Preparation:
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Slice the top off of your head of garlic. Place in the center of a square of foil and drizzle with olive oil. Fold the square up and twist to make a packet. Place the packet in the center of a baking dish.

In a large bowl, drizzle tomatoes with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Pour into the baking dish with the garlic. Roast for 1 hour or until tomatoes have blistered and browned. Turn tomatoes with a spoon a few times during roasting to make sure they all cook evenly.

Transfer tomatoes to a large stock pot over medium high heat. Add stock, crushed tomatoes, and half of the rosemary (removed from the stem!). Unwrap the garlic and squeeze as much as you like into the soup (I find that about 5 cloves does it for me). Season with remaining salt and pepper and heat until boiling. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes to allow flavors to blend. Remove from heat and blend using an immersion blender until smooth (or use a regular blender if you must, just remember to put a towel over the top and go slowly so it won't explode tomato all over you and your kitchen). Pour into a jar with the remaining sprig of rosemary for giving, or eat it all up before it gets cold!

The Gift of Giving

2012-12-05T18:03:00.001-08:00

Ah, the holiday shopping rush... so much fun isn't it? Well sure it is! If you do it correctly! I'm lucky in that I don' have to buy a ton of gifts. I do have a shortage of time and a tight budget, however, so that can always make things tricky. I have a strategy. Come up with one good idea and get everyone the same thing. Last year it was hooded towels. Seriously. I found a killer hooded Yoda towel at the Ridgewood Craft show and fell in love. I then bought six more towels online via Etsy for my nephews, cousins, and the kids I used to babysit. They were a huge hit. This year it's newsboy caps. I just ordered six of those. There's always a few books, girly things, and treats that sneak into the shopping, but at least 75% of what I buy is handmade. Craft shows help. Like the one I did last weekend at West Side Advent-ure. That's my table. Cute, no? I got a great response and it was my most successful show so far, so I'm very happy! All of the new card designs I did for the show are sneaking into the shop this week.

Here's one I love the bestest:

Baby It's Cold Outside

Etsy is also my obvious other go-to answer for handmade holiday shopping. Last year's towels came from Rubadub Buddies. This year's hats are from MyMoJo Baby. I'm still hunting for the perfect little something for my brandy new sister in law who is expecting a brandy new baby in February. I found so many gorgeous baby things I had to make a treasury to feature some of them. But now I'm so torn! What would you buy?

'Itty Bitty Holiday - GIfts for Baby' by jojobeandesigns

Perfect presents for that bitty bundle of joy, and for mommy of course:)

Baby's First Christ... SeptemberHouse $29.00	Crochet Off White baby ... JCrochetShop $16.99	Airplane baby mobile - ... LullabyMobiles $44.00	Waldorf doll, organic g... pingvini $63.00
READY TO SHIP Baby sant... TreMelarance $18.00	Hemp Baby Blanket / Rec... rebourne $25.00	Organic Infant Onesie: ... pineapplepetek... $24.00	custom christmas stocki... byebyebirdieen... $15.00
Hand knit classic Irish... IrishWoolen $48.00	Harry Potter - Infant O... ArmadilloDream... $16.00	Organic Baby Blanket wi... bunbunbabydesi... $52.00	Christmas Baby Leg Warm... GigglePoo $12.00
Natural Shea Butter Tea... krugsecologic $20.00	Hearts and Stripes Todd... PeppermintPinw... $45.00	Cotton Crochet Dishclot... SimpleCottageK... $10.00	Christmas Headband - Re... TheSassyTot $12.00

Treasury tool supported by the dog house

Cyber Funday!

2012-11-25T17:32:00.000-08:00

Did you survive Thanksgiving? Black Friday? Small Business Saturday?

We at the Bean household held it down, inlaws and all! Phew!

We had a lovely dinner, plenty of crazy kiddo play time, and good long naps.

We avoided Black Friday altogether in favor of my very favorite

almost Christmas tradition, Cyber Monday!

I've been stockpiling emails from my favorite retailers and bookmarking coupon codes, as well as creating some of my own! Here's one you can use for 15% off any purchase in my shop through tomorrow! Personalized stationery makes a great stocking stuffer, as does a membership to my Card of the Month club! "What's that?" you say? Buy a membership as a gift and your mom or sister or bestie will receive one handmade card with postage each month! Awesome sauce:)

Visit the Shop!

Fell free to Pin or Facebook or otherwise share this code with all of your buddies!

What other great deals will you be hitting up tomorrow?

Thanksgiving for Dummies: REDUX

2012-11-19T08:29:00.001-08:00

Yet again, I have been slipping seriously on the blog front. Thanks to that dastardly Hurricane Sandy, a house full of guests living in our home for a week, gas lines, a sick kid, and a new day care buddy to prep for, I've been too busy to even remember I have a blog. I have been crafting and cooking, and occasionally taking actual photos of these things. Writing about them is a challenge I still don't have time for though! Especially since we are hosting dinner for Thanksgiving this year. I have a few days left to prep, which has me looking back... Thankfully, I already have this list, so I just have to write out the food list:) Here's the perfect prep list and plan for your holiday dinner, copied from two years ago!

Thanksgiving for Dummies:

Monday (Crap, that's today. Get your butt in gear!):

Make your list, check it twice, then go shopping. Have everything you need ready to go by checking this list against your fridge and pantry contents and your recipes. You do not want to be running off to the store in the middle of prep.
Make sure you delegated the appetizers to someone else. And a salad. And maybe some desserts. This isn't a soup kitchen.

Tuesday:

This may sound silly, but figure out what baking/serving dishes you'll need for each dish. It sucks to have a pan full of something ready to bake and have no empty baking dish to put it in. This was my first lesson from Germany. I baked stuffing in a lid. Yup.
Make My Aunt Cynthia's Party Potatoes. These are quick, easy, and crowd pleasing, not to mention sinfully delicious. Wrap them in foil and stick them in the fridge.
Make Cranberry Citrus Relish.

Wednesday:

Prep your vegetables for my Roasted Root Vegetables with Herbs de Provençal by peeling and cutting everything. Toss them into a baking dish, wrap with foil and stick it in the fridge.

Mix up your turkey rub from My Favorite Roast Turkey. Guess where you should stick it?
Make dessert. My mom's crazy amazing Frosted Apple Squares should do the trick. These actually don't need refrigeration, so just lay them on your serving platter and wrap well with plastic wrap.
Need something a little more decadent? Make this Gingersnap Cherry Cheesecake. Stupid delicious. Stick it in the fridge.
Pull out and clean a cooler. This will save your sanity whether or not you have big drinkers. You'll need that fridge space, so beers, juice, and soda can chill in a cooler so that people will stay out of your way :)
Set your table. I'm serious.

Thursday:

In the morning: Take the butter mixture for your turkey out of the fridge to soften. Eat an apple square for sustenance. Put on a pair of stretch pants and some makeup. You're all class.
2-3 hours before dinner: Finish workin' on that bird and stick it in the oven. Have a glass of wine.
1.5 hours before dinner: Make dressing. I love this Savory Mushroom Dressing recipe. My mom always did stuffing inside the turkey, but I think it's a messy pain in the ass. I use apricot or pear nectar in place of the cognac (save your pennies for the good wine). Have a glass of wine.
45 minutes before dinner: Finish the veggies and stick them in the oven. Refill your glass of wine while you set out all of the accouterments, like cranberry relish, rolls, and the good ol' pickle tray.
30 minutes before dinner: Grab your potatoes from the fridge. Stick them in the oven.
Done. Eat, drink, and be merry. Be thankful for those stretch pants. And the wine.

Now for those of you who are insane and also want to take on some fun crafty things in the midst of the week's business, here you go. Tasty links for funsies you can do with your kids or delegate to your kids to keep them out of your hair:

Printable Blessings Tags from Whipperberry. Use them for seating cards, let kids create their own blessings tree or board, whatevs.

More Free Printables from It Is What It Is. Love the colors on these!

Pom Pom Turkeys from Martha. For adventurous folk or independently crafty kidlets.

Mod Podge Pumpkins from Simple Mommy Secrets. An awesome way to use those baby pumpkins you may still have sitting around from Halloween. I do.

Bottom Line? Enjoy yourself, even if you need to medicate to handle your family. Be thankful that you get to do this at all, and say a little prayer for those who can't. That's what it's all about anyway.

This post is linked to:

Hearth an Soul Blog Hop

Tuesday Night Supper Club

Tasty Tuesdays

Tasty Tuesdays at Beauty and Bedlam

Etsy NJ - Go Team, Go!

2012-09-29T14:18:00.000-07:00

The First Annual Woodbury Fall Arts Fest...

Lots of food, beer, live music, art, crafts, and the Etsy tent,

manned by lots of lovely members of the Etsy NJ team, including moi:)

It was so much fun, and HUGE props to Jacqualynn for pulling it off!

(Your mom is super nice, by the way.)

Check out some of the photos of the day!

Life-sized treasuries! How cool is that?

Demos! This one is jewelry demo by Jaime Sia.

The Raffle Table. Hi Jenn of Paperchoke!

Oh, and I want that little girl's hoodie. I'm so excited for the new Carlo's to open in Ridgewood:)

And the obligatory boy photo.

Jude was such a trooper on our 2 plus hour drive!

It turns out that highway rest stops can make

entertaining playgrounds if you really need them to.

Rethinking Greens (and other shades of vegetable)

2012-09-26T14:13:00.003-07:00

And no, you don't have to bake them into brownies. But really, if you have a child who is refusing to eat vegetables, welcome to the club. Jude (the marathon eater who will chow down a beet and goat cheese panini, plus a bowl of pasta, yogurt and an apple) is weird about his veg. One day he ate a huge portion of sauteed summer squash at my mother's house. The next time I gave it to him he threw it at me. The only vegetable I know he will eat without fail is tomato sauce, and that's a condiment.

Sometimes you have to get a little creative when it comes to making sure your picky little gets a balanced diet. You should also start early and try try again. I can't imagine trying to get a two year old to eat broccoli if he's never had it before. Or never giving it to him again after his first refusal. It took me years to eat beets and I'm a food freak. Now I love them! Our kiddos are no different. They have preferences and moods, and the older and more communicative they get, the more they let us know about them. Now that I know this I stick to a few basic rules:

1. BE PREPARED. Keep the freezer stocked with a variety of frozen veggies (some chopped and some pureed) and anytime you prep and cook veggies for yourself, make extra. I always have a backup plan for a meal in case food flies.

2. SEASON WELL. Don't be afraid of your spice cabinet. Would you eat plain cooked carrots? I wouldn't. Salt, pepper, garlic, cinnamon and curry powders are your friends. So are cumin, chili powder, ginger, and cayenne. If your kiddo refuses something, switch up the spice and try again! You never know what he (and you) may end up loving.

3. DON'T GET DISCOURAGED. I can't tell you how many times I have prepared a meal and though, "This will be a big hit!" only to find it strewn across the linoleum as soon as I turn my back. It won't kill you or your child to eat PB&J one more night, as long as you pick up and try again tomorrow. Food is fun and not worth getting mad about!

With all of that in mind, here are my favorite ways to get Jude to get his daily fill of veggies, even if he doesn't know it.

BREAKFAST

4. Eggs. Easy peasy. My go to add ins are greens. I keep chopped kale and spinach in bags in the freezer, sprinkle a few tablespoons into a hot frying pan and pour a scrambled egg over the top. Cook until firm and flip, season with salt and pepper, and cut it into squares to serve. Way less mess than scrambled eggs, and you can add some cheese, too! Sometimes I use leftover veggies from the night before, chop them tiny, and add those instead of the greens. Then I make a second one for me:)

5. Muffins. Not as easy peasy as eggs, but almost. Especially considering you can make one batch and freeze them for a few weeks. Muffins are a fantastic way to add veggies like carrots, zucchini, or winter squash to your breakfast routine. Just make sure you are using a recipe low in sugar and full of whole grains.

6. Oatmeal. Yup, I said oatmeal. My favorite Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal recipe contains a full veggie serving, and if you leave out the sugar, it's perfect for your babe. You can add a little applesauce if you want it sweeter. Try replacing the pumpkin with sweet potatoes, yams, or butternut squash if you have it. Jude likes his with chopped walnuts and a dollop of yogurt.

7. Pancakes. Yup, I said pancakes, too. Or waffles! Think of them as muffins, and add grated veggies to your batter! I especially love whole wheat waffles with shredded carrot, a dash of nutmeg, and a tsp. of cinnamon added to the batter. Serve these with cream cheese and it's like having carrot cake for breakfast. Ok, not really.

LUNCH AND DINNER

8. Pasta. I don't know a kid who won't eat pasta. Any vegetable that can be pureed can be pasta sauce. Toss ravioli with pureed broccoli, fusilli with pureed peas, pastina with pureed squash. Whatever. If your kid is like mine, mix half of your puree with tomato sauce and he'll never even notice. I also grate lots of parmesan cheese over the top, of course.

9. Quesadillas. Or dillas as they are called here. Spread your cooked chopped veggie or puree on one half of a tortilla, top with shredded cheese and fold over. Slide the tortilla into a pan over medium high heat and cook until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Cook another 3 or 4 minutes until cheese melts. Cut into strips to serve.

- Try serving with dips, like salsa, sour cream, or yogurt. Just get ready to clean it off your ceiling.

- These are awesome for adding in protein from mashed beans, chopped leftover chicken, or ground beef.

10. Pizza. We have English Muffin pizzas once a week. Smear a toasted english muffin with tomato sauce, top with chopped cooked veggies or puree, sprinkle with shredded cheese and pop under the broiler for a few minutes until the cheese is melted. Slice into squares to serve.

- Our favorite is eggplant pizza with goat cheese, but again, my kid will eat anything with tomato sauce, so I've snuck in chopped zucchini and broccoli, too.

11. Sandwiches. Just think of purees as spreads. A smear of pureed peas on a ham sandwich works, as does carrot puree with turkey. If you're feeling ambitious, go for sliced beets and goat cheese (or cream cheese) or avocado and chicken. I love the teeny whole wheat pita bread you can get at Trader Joes, because for some reason Jude won't pull them apart. With bread, I squeeze the sandwich together and cut it into cubes. If he can pop it into his mouth, he usually won't bother peeling back the layers. Usually.

12. Meatballs. Another fantastic make ahead winner. Add grated or finely chopped vegetables to your favorite meatball or meatloaf recipe. I try to stick to a 2/3 meat and 1/3 veggies ratio to make sure they hold together well. You can bake them on a sheet tray, or fill muffin tins and then freeze them for later.

DESSERT

Ok, why not? If all else fails, and there may be days (or weeks) when it does, you may feel the need to treat your kiddo and yourself with something sweet. If it is the only way your little will eat a vegetable, so be it. It's also just another way to sneak in a serving.

13. Cake. I have a slammin' Chocolate Zucchini Cake recipe you should definitely try out for yourself. If you want to give it to your child, I'd suggest replacing sugar with applesauce or juice concentrate, and swapping the white flour for whole wheat. But that's just me.

14. Cookies. Just as with pancakes, waffles, or muffins, you can add veggies to just about any cookie recipe. Have a chocolate chip recipe you love? Toss in a cup of shredded zucchini. Amazing. For realz. Or try this one from one of my favorite food mama blogs, Two Peas and Their Pod.

15. Ice Cream. Or FroYo. One of my favorite ice cream flavors ever was a long ago discontinued Newport Creamery flavor called Indian Pudding that was full of pumpkin goodness. If you aren't so into making your own ice cream try this: Blend 1/2 cup of pureed pumpkin and 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt in a bowl. Stir in 1/2 tsp. cinnamon and a pinch each of ground ginger and nutmeg. Spoon into snack sized ziploc bags and roll the bags up tightly to make all of the mixture form a tube. Tape up the roll and stick it in the freezer for an hour or two. When you take it out of the freezer you can snip off one end and squeeze it out, homemade pumpkin pie go-gurt!

What's your favorite tip for getting your kiddo to eat veggies? Please share it in the comments so I can add it to my box of tricks!

Where I've been...

2012-09-24T13:38:00.001-07:00

...holed up in the basement 'craft room' of our new house, getting ready for this:

My very first craft show! The Ridgewood Fall Arts and Craft Street Fair. Yes, it takes a couple of months to stock up enough inventory when you have a toddler and a new house. I still can't believe I pulled it off. E helped with the early AM set up (including pom fluffing, which he is crazy good at. Definitely a secret talent.) and my mom helped man the booth for most of the afternoon and broke it all down with me. We borrowed the tent and tables from my awesome friend Jenn, and the day amazingly went off without a hitch.

Here are some shots of the booth inside:

Cupcake poms, gift tags, chalkboard labels, and plantable seed paper cards.

Custom invitation samples, Halloween goodies, and screenprinted cards (personalized on the spot, which was the day's best seller!)

Holiday cards and The Basket of Misfit Cards.

All of my test prints and misprints were on sale, two for a dollar. People love cheap:)

And here is the banner, which I painted and my lovely mother sewed up for me. Now how do I make this my new shop banner? Because I think I need an update.

I designed a ton of new cards for this fair, and I have quite a bit left over. Keep your eye on the shop, because I will have many new items posted by the end of the week! I'm also going to do a coupon code for those of you who have stuck around and read this blog for so long, so pop over to Facebook for that, too!

Blast from the past

2012-08-12T07:10:00.000-07:00

It's pretty obvious to anyone that I have a sugar problem. You've been spared the gory details lately (aside from yesterday's slip up) as I've been posting so much baby food, but don't let that fool you. I've just had a freezer stocked with Klondike bars and Ben and Jerry's, not to mention the constant stream of Nutella flowing out of my cupboard. I know that passing this sweet tooth on to Jude is highly likely. I know that isn't good. I'll do my best to keep him from becoming a sugar addict, which is easy right now. As long as he prefers savory to sweet foods, I'm happy to oblige. But mama has to make a treat sometime! Since it's summertime, it had better be ice cream.

Last summer I made ice cream constantly. The summer before that I made a lot of ice cream, too. This year I've been seriously slacking in the frozen treats department. I do believe that this ice cream makes up for it. I wanted to try two new things this time. 1. Make an ice cream without any sugar. You know, so I won't feel so guilty feeding it to the boy. And 2. Make a fruity flavor I've never made before.

The latter part was easy, since all I've been craving lately is Chelo's Banana Berry Pie. I worked there for an embarrassingly long part of my youth, and that pie basically fueled my double shifts. It's the stuff summertime dreams are made of. I figured since I can't have a slice or six when I need a fix nowadays, I can make it into ice cream.

Making sugar free ice cream was another issue. I refuse to use sugar substitutes, so I had to try out a juice concentrate. Cascadian Farms makes an organic grape juice concentrate without any added sugar (it's what I use for my Baby Cakes) so I started there. Subbing juice concentrate for sugar isn't such a big deal, really. You just use about 3/4 of a cup in place of every 1 cup of sugar. I was just concerned that the water in the concentrate would make for icy ice cream when what I want creamy ice cream. I figured that little trick out. The other thing about fruit ice creams is that I hate chunks of frozen fruit. It's like chomping on rocks. Hence the pureeing steps below. If you like chunky fruit in your ice cream, by all means, fork mash it, but don't say I didn't warn you.

Banana Berry Ice Cream

Ingredients:

2 cups heavy whipping cream

2/3 cup half and half

1 can of organic grape juice concentrate, thawed and divided (see below)

1 ripe banana

1 cup mixed berries (I used blueberries, strawberries, and cherries)

Preparation:

Take your can of grape juice out of the freezer and stand it up on one end in the fridge overnight to thaw. This will give you a layer of juice at the top and a layer of thick concentrated grape sludge (for lack of a better word) at the bottom. When you are ready to make your ice cream, pour off the juice and reserve for another use. Measure out 1/2 c. of the sludge into a large bowl. Whisk in cream and half and half until well blended and place bowl in the fridge.

Set up your ice cream maker. If using the KA attachment, make sure it is locked closed and set to the lowest speed. Otherwise, follow your ice cream maker instructions:) Pour in the cream mixture slowly and set a timer for 20 minutes.

Puree banana and set aside. Puree berries and set aside. Once ice cream has mixed for about 20 minutes, it should be reaching a soft set. Pour in the banana puree and half of the berry puree. Continue mixing the ice cream for another 5-10 minutes until it begins to firm up. Turn off machine and fold in the remaining berry puree. Transfer ice cream to a freezer safe container to freeze, or serve immediately.

Gimme some

2012-08-11T12:50:00.001-07:00

Because as my friend Andrew pointed out, "How can I have s'more when I haven't had any?"

Yes, yesterday was National S'mores Day. If you read food blogs, I'll bet you were smacked in the mouth with all manner of fabulous takes on the classic summer sweet treat. S'mores brownies, s'mores cookies, s'mores cupcakes. The best thing to serve with all of those choices? S'mores ice cream, of course.

I'm a fan of Ben and Jerry's S'mores ice cream, but as much as I love it, it just doesn't taste like s'mores. Not really. To me the star of s'mores is not the chocolate (which is the dominant flavor of their chocolate based version), but the roasty, toasty marshmallow. In order to pay true homage, you just have to have toasted marshmallow ice cream. Don't worry, the chocolate and graham is there in force, but they are second and third fiddle, as they should be:) This ice cream is so good, you may have a problem getting it from the bowl into the freezer.

S'mores Ice Cream
Toasted Marshmallow Ice Cream with Graham Cracker and Chocolate Fudge Swirls

Ingredients:
For the chocolate fudge:
1 c. sugar
2 Tbls. all purpose flour
1/3 c. cocoa powder
1 c. milk
For the base:
2 cups heavy cream
2/3 c. half and half
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1 10 oz bag of marshmallows
butter
1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs

Preparation:

Preheat broiler. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and butter it well. Spread marshmallows in a single layer on the pan. Slide pan under the broiler and toast for about 2-3 minutes, or until tops are golden brown. Remove from the broiler and flip marshmallows with a buttered spatula. Return to the broiler for another minute to brown the other sides. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.

Transfer marshmallows to a blender. Add cream, half and half, and sugar. Blend on high speed until smooth. Transfer to the refrigerator to chill for an hour.

Set up your ice cream maker. Remove ice cream base from the fridge and whisk it until smooth (it may seize up a bit as it chills). Pour into the machine and process according to your instructions. (If you have a KA ice cream maker, it will take 15 minutes on the lowest setting.)

While the ice cream blends, make the chocolate fudge. Mix ingredients in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly. Boil until sauce begins to thicken. Remove from heat. Sauce will continue to thicken as it cools. Once the ice cream has finished processing, spread 1/4 cup of chocolate fudge in the bottom of a 1 quart container. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the graham crackers. Spread 1 third of the ice cream on top. Repeat layers, ending with ice cream on the top. Freeze for an hour or two to set before serving.

Bean! Beans! The... oh, you get it.

2012-07-19T12:24:00.001-07:00

Beans are awesome. Protein powerhouses so versatile and delicious that I could probably eat them is some form every day. The boy who was once a bean himself is confused by them. He loves them, he just doesn't know it. Give him a bean of any kind in its original form and he'll likely flick it across the room. Attempt to feed him a partially mushed bean and he will somehow swallow all but the skin, which he will then pull out of his mouth and flick across the room. Pureed food is not his bag anymore, but that's the only way he'll eat a bean. Luckily beans from a can are practically mush anyway, so a few additional ingredients makes for easy mealtimes. I fricking love black bean soup. I love making it from scratch with dried beans, but this way is just perfect for babies. Quick and easy, and you can adjust the seasonings of course. But really, this is a great way to introduce a little kick, so go for it!

Baby Black Bean Soup

Ingredients:

2 cans of black beans, drained and rinsed

1 quart chicken or veggie stock

1 small can of tomato paste

1/2 red pepper, chopped

1 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional, but why wimp out?)

salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Add beans, stock, tomato paste, and pepper to a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Add salt and pepper to taste, cumin, and red pepper flakes. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat. Using an immersion blender or food processor, pulse a few times to crush most of the beans. If you have a wee little one, blend until smooth. Serve with a good dollop of whole fat Greek yogurt or some shredded cheese.

The Artist

2012-06-29T08:30:00.002-07:00

OK, not so much. But we did have a blast finger painting for the first time today! I made a batch of paints (one part flour to one part water with a few drops of food coloring) and gave Jude two little bowls so he could get a little texture and color play in before nap time today. I highly recommend it as long as you don't mind messes:) Yeah, it's definitely messy.

What is this stuff?

Ooh squishy!

And pretty!

And fun to smear!

And fun to fling.

The inevitable taste test.

Yummy? Not so much.

Bathtime!

Don't forget to save a bit of art for your memory books!

Temper Temper (and a Giveaway!)

2012-06-28T12:49:00.000-07:00

To all of you who downloaded my digital cookbook, Foodie Baby, thank you! If you haven't, what's stopping you? It's free for Pete's sake! The button is at the top right corner of this blog:) If you did, I'd love to know what you think of it! You can leave a review on the book or comment here if you have suggestions.

***
My kid is going through a thing right now. A weird veggie thing. As in he won't eat any of them. Actually it isn't just veggies. Fruits, too! One day he'll house a bowl of blueberries, the next we throws them at me. He seemed to love sauteed summer squash, now he turns his nose up at it. Or yells at it while squeezing fits of fury. My mother claims it is because he's had so much yummy variety that he refuses to be bored by the same foods day after day. If that's true, I suppose it's all my own fault, trying to get this kid to be a foodie baby after all.

In the meantime I have had to get creative about including veggies in his diet. Any pureed veggie instantly becomes pasta sauce or quesadilla filling, which seems to do the trick. He also has a weird love for winter squash, even though it's out of season and not that good. But whatever, he's a bit young for the seasonal foods talk, so if he wants to eat acorn squash in June, so be it. Here's my new favorite way to make it. It's barely a recipe, and it's creamy and a bit sweet without adding butter or sugar. Love.

Roasted Acorn Squash with Coconut
Ingredients:
1 small acorn squash
1 heaping tablespoon coconut oil
salt and pepper (optional)

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice the squash into quarters and remove seeds. Spray or brush lightly with olive oil and bake for 35-45 minutes or until fork tender. Scoop flesh into a bowl (or a blender if you are preparing this for a littler baby than mine!) and mash with the coconut oil. Season with salt and pepper if desired.

Don't have any coconut oil at home? Not to worry! You can win some! Yup, who doesn't love a giveaway? Tropical Traditions has a huge quart sized jar of Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil for me to give to one of you lucky lovelies. They sent me a jar and the stuff is incredible. I love coconut oil. Delicious, organic, versatile, and I can't wait to whip up some hair tonic with it, too!

To enter, sign up for the Tropical Traditions Newsletter and then leave me a comment. I will choose one winner at random by midnight EST on July 8th. Don't forget to leave me an email address to contact you if you win.

Want more than one entry? You can earn an extra for:
1. Following this blog publicly via Google Friend Connect
2. Liking Jojobean Designs on Facebook
3. Following me on Twitter and tweeting this giveaway
4. Follow on Twitter @troptraditions and @ttspecialdeals
5. “Like” Tropical Traditions on Facebook (Please no, “I was sent by…” posts or posting a link to your blog, they will be removed
6. Follow on Pinterest http://pinterest.com/troptraditions/
7. Follow on Google + https://plus.google.com/117521286213187663525
8. Find Giveaways and Deals! http://ttspecialdeals.com and http://freecoconutoil.com

Just leave me a comment for each thing you do so I can keep track. I have perma-baby-brain.
Good Luck!

*Disclaimer: Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.

Win 1 quart of Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil!

Tropical Traditions is America’s source for coconut oil. Their Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil is hand crafted in small batches by family producers, and it is the highest quality coconut oil they offer. You can read more about how virgin coconut oil is different from other coconut oils on their website: What is Virgin Coconut Oil?

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Foodie Baby, The Cookbook!

2012-06-21T18:03:00.001-07:00

Are you a BakeSpace member yet? If you aren't, I have no idea what's stopping you. I've been using BakeSpace to catalog my recipes for ages, and was once a total sucker for chatting it up about flour substitutions, wine reviews, Velveeta cheese and other high brow food issues with fellow members. Sadly my time is shorter nowadays, so my chatting is limited to occasional flybys. But I did find a whole hour this week to do something I've been dying to do. I published a digital cookbook! Foodie Baby is now available for download, for free!

Yup. BakeSpace now has an amazing feature called Cookbook Cafe that allows you to organize your recipes and photos into a digital cookbook. You can choose to sell it, use it to raise money for a charity group, or just offer it for free. Your pals can download it online or on their iPads:) The app is awesome for those of you with iPads, but the online version is just as fun! Here's a sneak peek of how some of the app features look:

Check me out! Right next to Annette Starbuck from Cupcake Wars! She's so cute :)

This is how a recipe appears in Cooking Mode. I love how everything is lined up with
highlighted steps as you go! You can't forget a step that way:) Take that, baby brain!

Even if you don't have a baby, you'll want this Stovetop Mac and Cheese recipe. Trust me. I couldn't get Jude to keep his little paws off even though he just finished eating a bowl. Piglet.

Now what are you waiting for? Go download Foodie Baby! It's free! Feel free to Pin, Tweet and Share away to show some love:) http://www.bakespace.com/cookbooks/detail/Foodie-Baby/295/

So Very Berry

2012-06-20T17:43:00.001-07:00

I'm so excited for summer. I can't even stand it. We have so many incredible new things going on at once that I think my head may explode! We're in the middle of buying a new house, I'm getting ready for my first ever craft show, opening an in home day care, and today was my last day of work. Like, the last day ever, of a job I've held for 2.5 years. So freaking psyched about it all that I had to bake to celebrate. Usually celebrations call for chocolate, but E is travelling and I won't let Jude have chocolate or sugar yet for fear of creating a mini junkie. Thus, I went the healthy route and created these no-sugar, whole grain baby cakes. A full serving of whole grain and fruit in each little cake. Plus they are cute! I baked mine in a mini bundt, mostly because I like to say bundt, but you can use a muffin tin!

Cherry Berry Baby Cakes
Ingredients:
3/4 c. white whole wheat flour
3/4 c. spelt flour (you can substitute soy, chick pea, millet flour, anything you like!)
1/2 Tbls. baking powder
1/8 tsp. kosher salt
1 beaten egg
1/2 c. grape juice concentrate
1/4 c. vegetable oil
1/2 c. soy milk
3/4 c. blueberries, divided
1/2 c. pitted cherries

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a muffin tin. In a food processor, pulse cherries and 1/2 c. of blueberries until almost smooth. Set aside.
Sift together dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add wet ingredients and blend until well combined. Gently fold in remaining 1/4 cup of whole blueberries and 1/4 c. of the puree, just until the fruit is swirled through the batter. Divide evenly among twelve muffin cups and bake 15 - 20 minutes or until tops are golden. Allow to cool for a few minutes in the pan before inverting.

* Use the leftover puree to top Greek yogurt, whole wheat pancakes, or to replace jam in a PB&J!