Peanut Butter & Dill Pickles

Wednesday Want: Condiment Tray

2013-05-22T10:00:00.000-05:00

I have a secret desire to emulate a bed and breakfast in my everyday surroundings.

Adirondack chairs on a front porch, cozy furnishings, calm mornings with coffee and newspapers...

In reality, I trip over dog toys every morning, struggle to get out the door, and usually eat breakfast at my desk when I get to work.

BUT!

If I did live in a bed and breakfast world, this condiment tray from Pottery Barn would be on my breakfast table every morning.

Photo Source

There is something so wonderful about sitting down to a leisurely breakfast with two jam selections and butter displayed in Pottery Barn white. *Sigh* A girl can dream.

Plus, this set would pair well with my little toast rack my mom got for me in London. I'm sure they are used all over the world but the first time I was served toast in a rack was in London and therefore equate it to a British breakfast staple. For some unexplainable reason I thought it was the cutest thing I'd ever seen--all those perfectly toasted triangles all lined up.

Is there something you've been coveting this week?

Monday Muse: Afield

2013-05-20T10:00:00.000-05:00

I've made no secret about my goal to rival Nigella Lawson's cookbook collection one day. In 2011, she boasted a stockpile of close to 4,000 cookbooks. I'm pea green with envy.

Photo Source Photo Source

For me, there is something incredibly pleasurable about reading cookbooks. They inspire new recipes, ideas, parties, and traditions. I love admiring the photography and looking for ways to improve my own skills. I also seem to devote more attention and enthusiasm to them as I often fall bored or struggle to make my way through traditional books. Just ask the dust-collecting stack on my nightstand.

I know I'm not the only cookbook lover out there and I'm constantly fascinated by what occupies the shelves of other cooks. Which books are used most often, sometimes treated as food bibles, and filled with dog-eared pages, and scribbles of notes?

In an effort to share what's taking up space on my kitchen counter or bookshelf, each Monday I'll be posting a different book in my collection under the heading, "Monday Muse". The featured book will be what I'm currently thumbing through or cooking from. I'll include the story of how I acquired it and what I love about it. Don't expect any recipes...first off that would be plagiarizing and secondly, I wouldn't be writing about it if I didn't think you should get your very own copy as well.

I wanted to kick-off this new segment with Afield by Jesse Griffiths. I heard about this cookbook last year before it was released and was very intrigued. My husband once brought home several pheasants from hunting and handed them to me. Not only had I never personally prepared pheasant before, I'd never cleaned one either. I floundered my way through but a book like this would have been a godsend at the time.

The most wonderful element of this book is how encapsulating it is. Most cookbooks provide recipes that start with ingredients and method. This book takes you back even further in how to hunt and prepare the main ingredients for your dishes. Even if you don't see yourself hunting rabbits or hogs or fishing for crabs or catfish, imagine if you had access to local, sustainable protein sources and could clean and prepare them on your own? Sounds much more appealing to me than meat on that pink foam board in the grocery stores.

As luck would have it, I read more into the author and discovered his business, Dai Due, is a regular at the Austin Farmer's Market which we just so happened to visit earlier in May. Read more about Dai Due and our stop at the market here. I purchased this book at the Dai Due stand while enjoying their rabbit confit, spring onion sausage, and potato hash. Talk about a win-win.

While being highly informative and unlike anything I've read before, the book is also very well written and contains recipes so delicious-sounding, it's inspired me to look into approaching food starting in its environment, rather than on the store shelves.

In fact, I'm sure my husband would love a fishing partner--just as soon as he finishes building me more bookshelves.

What cookbook is YOUR current muse?

Austin Farmer's Market

2013-05-17T13:35:00.000-05:00

It pays to have family in Austin, TX. Talk about one cool town.

My husband and I just got back from an extended weekend trip down there and one of the highlights for me was the Austin Farmer's Market. I'm quickly learning the best way to get a feel or pulse of a city is to check out it's farmer's market.

Seeing and tasting what's locally grown and made in the area gives you a unique glimpse into what the flavors and foods make up that region. I don't think you can really get that anywhere else. Heck, farmer's markets are where most of the cool chefs shop too!

During our visit we tried locally made popsicles from Mom & Pops. Pineapple basil had a really unique taste and was refreshing. It may have been morning but it was already close to 80°...it is Texas afterall.

The next stop was to try some saké from the Texas Saké Company. Embarassingly, I'd never tried saké before and found it to be a unique taste, but knowing it was made from locally grown, Texas rice was pretty interesting.

The highlight of the market for me, by far, was Dai Due butcher shop. It's times like these I really wished I lived in Austin. There were so many butcher and charcuterie offerings that the flight home and lack of ability to bring back their meats seemed grossly unfair.

I learned about Dai Due after adding Afield by Jesse Griffiths to my cookbook list. I'll post more about the book on Monday, but the important thing to note is the approach of Dai Due. Local and sustainable proteins and prepared foods are clearly the cornerstone of their business. They even offer classes on butchering. Again, I SO wished we lived in Austin!

After buying their book, I had to make the hard decision of what to try. The girl behind the counter highly recommended their potato hash. Twist my arm.

Would you ever expect rabbit confit, spring onion sausage, potato, kimchi, salt pork, mayonnaise, and a fried egg to taste so wonderful? You should.

The last thing I nabbed from the market was a big 'ole bag of Texas pecans. I forgot to take a picture so just use your imagination. The nuts were huge and I knew just what to do with them. I turned to my husband and said, "Honey, should I buy some and then I can make you a Texas pecan pie when we get home?" He just looked at me and said, "Um, is that really a question?" I took that as a yes. The good news for him is there is a pecan pie in the future. The good news for you is there is a pecan pie recipe coming in your future.

This weekend, go check out a farmer's market. Even if you're on vacation. Trust me.

What's been your favorite find at a farmer's market?

March Madness and How to Feed the Masses

2013-03-25T09:15:00.000-05:00

Spring may still be a long ways off. I feel like I haven't seen the sun in weeks and the weather forecasters are using the words "grey" and "cold" far too often these days.

But the shining spot this month has been, far and away, good ole' March Madness.

College basketball is a bit of a religion in my family. I'm the first girl out of several male relatives to graduate from Marquette University and hold that honor proudly.

Basketball games turn into family reunions as about half of my extended family have season tickets and congregate before, during, and after the action on the court.

With the Sweet Sixteen decided, the excitement is ramping up even more and my blood pressure will be elevated for the next several days!

Get togethers and parties are a given as we get closer and closer to the Final Four.

Recently Bolzano,a great local artisan meat producer, contacted several local Milwaukee bloggers to try their line of hand crafted salamis and develop recipes to highlight their awesome flavors.

Local rocks. Just sayin'.

I chose the RauchZwiebel salami which has a wonderful onion and sea salt flavor and is made with locally sourced Hereford pork from southern Wisconsin. It pairs great with hearty flavors like mustard, dark beer, fennel, and apples.

Given the basketball frenzy building in my family and social circles, it seemed only natural to come up with two easy "snackatizers" (as I like to call them) that would be a hit at any basketball gathering.

The outcome was pretty dang good (whether you're a basketball fan or not!).

If you'd like to check out what other local Wisconsin bloggers came up with, check out the links below:

Rebecca from CakeWalk

Susan from Little French Bakery

Melanie from From Fast Food to Fresh Food

Anna from Tallgrass Kitchen

Lori and Paul from Burp!

Disclaimer: I was provided salami free of charge from Bolzano in exchange for recipe development however, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Salami on a Shingle

Makes 20-25 appetizers

A play on the classic, retro appetizer "$hit on a Shingle"

Ingredients

1 tbsp. butter
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp. caraway seeds
1 tsp. brown mustard
20-25 pumpernickel bread squares
7oz Bolzano RauchZwiebel salami, thinly sliced (roughly 20-25 slices)
1 1/4 c. shredded Swiss cheese

Preheat oven to 400°
Melt butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onions and caraway seeds and saute until golden brown and caramelized, 20-25 minutes.
Transfer the onions to a bowl and stir in the brown mustard.
Arrange the pumpernickel squares on a baking sheet. Top each square with a slice of salami, small spoonful of onions, and cheese.
Bake for 5-7 minutes until cheese has melted and is bubbly. Serve warm.

Salami Pizza with Fennel, Onions, and Apples

Makes 1 Pizza

Ingredients

1 pkg. refrigerated pizza dough
1 tbsp. + 2 tsp. olive oil
2 tsp. whole grain mustard
1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 c. thinly sliced fennel
2 oz. Bolzano RauchZwiebel salami, thinly sliced
1 medium granny smith apple, sliced into matchsticks
4 oz. butterkase cheese, shredded (could substitute Swiss cheese)

Preheat oven to 400°.
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and fennel. Saute for 5-7 minutes until softened. Set aside.
Mix 2 tsp. olive oil and mustard in a small bowl.
Roll out pizza dough into a rough rectangle shape. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and coat with the paper with nonstick cooking spray. Place the dough on the parchment paper and prick the dough with a fork. Brush on the oil/mustard mixture. Bake for 10 minutes.
Remove crust from the oven and top with the salami slices, onions and fennel, apples, and shredded cheese.
Continue baking for 5-10 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and crust is golden brown.
Cut pizza into squares and serve warm.

Irish Nachos for St. Patrick's Day

2013-03-15T07:50:00.001-05:00

In anticipation of everyone turning Irish this weekend, I dug into the Peanut Butter + Dill Pickles archives to share my favorite Irish appetizer. If you have a crowd to feed or just need a satisfying dish to balance out green beer, these nachos are sure to be a hit! Celebrate responsibly and stay safe this weekend!

Corned beef is like turkey.

No seriously.

Reasons for my argument:
1. I feel obligated to make it on it's corresponding holiday.
2. I always make too much.
3. I keep trying creative ways to continue to consume all of the leftovers.

Corned beef = turkey in this case. Just go with it.

I started thinking about foods my husband likes; trying to find one to substitute corned beef in. While he is a software developer, his official job is really "Nacho Connoisseur--Southeastern Wisconsin Division". Everywhere we go the man orders nachos. He prefers chicken over beef, jalapenos over no jalapenos, with forks optional.

So how could I add a little "luck of the Irish" into this dish? Potato chips instead of tortilla chips, corned beef instead of spicy chicken, and homemade Guinness cheddar sauce instead of that glowing orange, gelatinous cheese product.

The sauce is so good. It goes so well with the beef, scallions, and crunchy chips. Words just can't do it justice.

It's also worth mentioning that these nachos are not only a great way to use any corned beef leftovers, they also might answer the call for munchies after several green beers...or the hangover that may or may not ensue.

Erin go bragh!

{Irish Nachos with Guinness Cheddar Sauce}

Ingredients

Guinness Cheddar Sauce

2 1/2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. flour
1 tbsp. yellow mustard
3/4 c. Guinness beer
2 tsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. salt
1/2 c. water
1/2 lb. cheddar, grated

1 bag kettle cooked potato chips
3 scallions, chopped
1 c. shredded or chopped corned beef

1. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and allow to bubble and cook for 2-3 minutes.
2. Stir in the mustard, Guinness, brown sugar, Worcestershire, salt, and water Let simmer lightly for 1-2 minutes.
3. Add the cheese and stir constantly as it melts. Turn heat down to low.
4. In a medium skillet, heat the corned beef over medium high heat until you hear it sizzle and its heated through, 3-4 minutes. Bonus points if you get some browning on the meat for extra flavor!
5. On a large platter, scatter the chips. Top with the corned beef and scallions. Drizzle the cheddar sauce over the nachos and serve.

Grapefruit Spinach Salad with Toasted Walnuts

2013-03-11T21:12:00.000-05:00

It's no secret I'm a lover of food. However, I feel like I'm in the minority when it comes to laborious endeavors and hunger pangs afterwards.

Mike and I are getting the house in order to list it in the spring and have decided to freshen things up by painting throughout the house. We completed the guest room on Sunday and managed to do so without a paint fight. Props to us.

After days like that I feel like most people want a hearty, calorie replacing meal.

Not me.

Give me something light and refreshing.

I don't want to be bogged down in a heavy, rich dish.

Maybe it harks to mornings after the gym when all I want is a small smoothie or half a protein bar rather than a full breakfast. Subconsciously, I feel like I'd rather maintain the column of calories burned rather than lose them back to large meal.

It has its pluses and minuses.

This salad is what I crave after an afternoon of painting around the house; nothing too complicated, simple flavors, and quick to prepare. Lord knows my arms feel like jelly so I'm not standing and cooking in one spot for long.

On the flip side, this salad would also be divine as a side to a lovely grilled fish or a pasta dinner--if you were in that kind of mood and not covered in paint.

Grapefruit Spinach Salad with Toasted Walnuts
Ingredients

1 bag pre-washed spinach
1 ruby red grapefruit, peeled (reserve peels to squeeze for juice) and sliced
1 tsp. dijon mustard
2 tbsp. grapefruit juice
2 tsp. honey
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste
1/4 c. toasted walnut pieces

Spread spinach leaves on a platter. Top with grapefruit slices.
In a medium bowl combine the mustard, grapefruit juice, and honey. Slowly whisk in olive oil until emulsified into a vinaigrette. Add salt & pepper to taste.
Pour the vinaigrette over the salad. Sprinkle on the walnuts and serve immediately.

Pan-Seared Salmon with Creamy Mustard Sauce, Whole Wheat Spaetzle, and Roasted Mini Brussels Sprouts

2013-03-09T13:37:00.003-06:00

Recently, I enjoyed the best salmon I've ever had.

That same evening I saw the best guitar performance ever.

Who knew salmon and guitars would go so well together?

That night I also had my first encounter with a YouTube sensation.

I've been an enormous fan of Andy McKee for quite some time. His song "She" played at our wedding.

And if after that video, you still doubt his talent, please watch this. Then pick your jaw back up off the ground and continue reading.

I got to see this guy live, in person, at one of the best venues I've ever been to.

If you're in the Chicago area, I highly encourage you to check out Space. It's hip, cool, and intimate.

Andy put on an amazing show and given his talent and rise to fame, he's incredibly down to earth.

Before the show, we ate at the adjoining restaurant, Union Pizzeria where I had some of the best salmon that's ever passed my lips. The salmon was simple but the flavors were spot on and I couldn't wait to get home and try to make it for myself. It's one of those meals that I will remember and always judge other salmon dishes against. It was that good.

There are really only a few points I need to make to sell you on this:

Salmon and this mustard sauce were meant to be together.
Who doesn't love spaetzle?
Roasted Brussels sprouts belong on a higher level of deliciousness.

This salmon is best enjoyed with Andy McKee playing in the background and a glass of white wine. Trust me, I'm speaking from experience.

Pan Seared Salmon with Creamy Mustard Sauce

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 tbsp. olive oil
4-6 oz. salmon fillets
Salt & pepper
1/2 c. mayonnaise
1/2 c. chicken broth
2 tbsp. whole grain mustard
1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp. lemon juice

Preheat oven to 450°. Add olive oil to an oven proof skillet and heat over medium high heat. Season the salmon fillets with salt and pepper.
Place the salmon fillets in the skillet, skin side down. Reduce heat to medium and sear for 4-5 minutes.
Meanwhile, mix the mayonnaise, broth, mustard, parsley, and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Heat over medium low heat until warmed through.
Transfer the skillet to the oven and continue to cook 2-3 minutes until the fish flakes easily when pried with a fork.
Serve the salmon and mustard sauce over the spaetzle and with roasted Brussels sprouts.

Whole Wheat Spaetzle

Serves 4

Adapted from Lidia Bastianich

Ingredients

1 large egg
1/3 c. milk + more for consistency
2/3 c. whole wheat flour + more for consistency
1/8 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 tbsp. butter

In a medium bowl, beat the egg and milk together until thoroughly mixed. Stir in the remaining ingredients. The texture should be like a thicker pancake batter that drips off a spoon. Add more milk or flour to achieve this consistency if necessary. Let the batter rest for 30 minutes.
Bring a large pot of water to boil. Pour the batter into a colander over the pot. Using a spoon, force the batter through the colander so small drops fall into the boiling water.
Cook the spaetzle for 4-5 minutes. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large skillet. Drain the spaetzle and toss in the melted butter.
Serve with salmon and Brussels sprouts.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 c. mini Brussels sprouts (If you can't find mini sprouts, chop standard sized Brussels sprouts into quarters)
2 tbsp. olive oil
Salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 450°. Toss the Brussels sprouts in olive oil on a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Roast 6-8 minutes or until they are fork tender.
Serve with salmon and spaetzle.

Bourbon Apple Bread Pudding & Vanilla Bourbon Ice Cream

2013-02-28T21:49:00.001-06:00

I'd like to introduce you to the newest member of my family.

Isn't she pretty? Such a doll. We're related. No really. Here's how I found her:

Early this year I got inspired to uncover our ancestry after my husband's uncle was able to trace back their family tree to the 800's. No, I didn't forget a '1' there. I really meant 800.

After joining an ancestry website and doing some digging, I discovered my great great great grandfather was a man by the name of Charles Nelson.

Charles Nelson

Charles immigrated to the United States from Germany with his family. His father was a wealthy soap and candle factory owner who converted the family fortune into gold bars and had them sown into his clothing for safekeeping during the passage. One night during a terrible storm, Charles' father was thrown overboard and the weight of the family's wealth took him straight to the bottom of the ocean. So they say.

Charles' daughter, Louise holding my great grandmother Sarah.

With a mother and siblings to support, Charles would eventually settle in Nashville and open a distillery called Nelson's Green Brier Distillery. At one point, Nelson's was out-producing Jack Daniels 17 to 1!

My great grandmother Sarah--Charles Nelson's granddaughter.

Unfortunately the distillery closed down in 1909 when Tennessee passed prohibition laws. Sad, sad day for all of us bourbon lovers.

In discovering our family history and our hard liquor roots, we uncovered that two boys from my generation (also the great great great grandchildren of Charles Nelson) re-started the distillery business in 2012 are now distilling Belle Meade Bourbon; a brand Charles manufactured back in the day.

To say uncovering all of this incredible family history and sipping a bourbon my great great great grandfather used to make has been fun would be an understatement. Our family has had a wonderful time uncovering who we are and for me, that's what it all boils down to.

Food has always had a sentimental and memorable presence in my life. The stories that pair with recipes and food experiences are equally as important as the taste of the dish to me.

Therefore, upon receiving a beautiful bottle of my bourbon relative, I spent an entire day figuring out how I could cram as much of her smooth flavors as I could into a delectable dessert.

Ladies and gents, I've done it.

I present to you Belle Meade Bourbon Ice Cream and Bread Pudding.

If you like your bourbon, you'll love this. Just as much as I love my long lost relative.

Now, I must go pull her back out and enjoy a sip. We've got a lot of catching up to do!

Belle Meade Ice Cream
Base adapted from Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams

Makes just about 1 quart

Ingredients

2 cups whole milk
4 tsp. cornstarch
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
2/3 cup sugar
2 tbsp. light corn syrup
Pinch salt
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped out
2 oz. cream cheese, softened
⅓ c. Belle Meade Bourbon (or a different brand of bourbon...you may regret it though)

In a bowl, mix together 1/4 cup milk and the cornstarch. Set aside.
In a large saucepan, combine the remaining milk, cream, sugar, corn syrup, salt, vanilla seeds and scraped bean. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook for 4 minutes.
Stir in the cornstarch mixture and return to a boil and stir until thick, about 2 minutes.
Place cream cheese in a bowl and add in 1/4 cup of the hot milk mixture. Whisk until smooth. Pour back into the saucepan and stir until combined.
Pour the cream mixture into a plastic food storage bag. Seal the bag and submerge in a bowl of ice water until chilled, about 30 minutes.
Pour chilled ice cream base into an ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer's instructions.
Scrape ice cream into a storage container and freeze for several hours until set.

Belle Meade Bread Pudding
Serves 6

Ingredients

6 c. cubed day old french bread (1" cubes)
1 tbsp. butter
2 medium granny smith apples, diced
1/4 c. golden raisins
1 c. whole milk
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 c. Belle Meade Bourbon (or a different brand of bourbon...you may regret it though)
2 tbsp. granulated sugar
2 tbsp. brown sugar
2 tbsp. maple syrup
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350° and grease 6 ramekins. Place bread cubes in a large mixing bowl.
Melt butter over medium heat and saute apples and raisins for 4-5 minutes until soft. Fold fruit into the bread cubes.
In a medium saucepan, bring milk to a simmer over medium heat. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla, bourbon, sugars, syrup, and cinnamon. Slowly whisk in the hot milk to avoid scrambling the eggs.
Pour the milk mixture over the bread cubes and fold gently to thoroughly coat the bread cubes without mushing them. Let the bread stand for 30 minutes until all the liquid is absorbed.
Divide bread cubes among the ramekins. Place the ramekins in a 9x13 pan. Create a water bath by pouring hot water into the 9x13 pan to come up the ramekin sides halfway. This took 4 cups of hot water for my size ramekins. Be careful not to pour water in the ramekins.
Bake the bread puddings for 30-35 minutes until set.
Remove the ramekins from the water bath and serve with a scoop of Belle Meade ice cream.
Enjoy your bourbon moment.

Pear & Proscuitto Panini

2013-01-14T16:51:00.003-06:00

Once upon a time, I discovered a sandwich that was so good, my life was forever changed. To my grandmother, aunt, mother, sister, and I it became known simply as "the sandwich". If one of us suggested we go out to lunch for "the sandwich", there was a common understanding among us all.

One day, the bistro that served this sandwich closed. It was a sad, sad day. We all lamented the death of "the sandwich".

Days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months, and months turned into years.

I was in the store recently and saw a lone block of harvarti in the cheese case. I thought to myself, "Hey, when was the last time I had some harvarti?" At that moment, happy memories of "the sandwich" came running back.

I've decided to bring back the glory that was "the sandwich" and share it with the world with a few tweaks.

The reason we became such addicts to two pieces of bread and the fillings in between, is because it had all the best things about good flavors married together. Warm, gooey harvarti, crunchy nuts, salty ham, fruity mayonnaise, and sweet pears came together in such harmony...well, it could make me drive over 60 minutes round trip.

The original sandwich and my version below are the same with the exception of prosciutto in place of ham and fresh pears in place of canned ones.

So without further adieu, I give to you "the sandwich".

Now here's to hoping these ingredients are already in your home or only a short drive away. If they aren't, 60 minutes round trip is well worth it if that's what it takes...trust me.

Pear & Prosciutto Panini
Makes 2 sandwiches

2 tbsp. mayonnaise
1 tbsp. apricot preserves
4 thin slices of crusty bread
1 crisp pear, thinly sliced
6 slices harvarti cheese
2 tbsp. pecans
4 slices prosciutto
1 tbsp. butter

Mix the mayonnaise and preserves together in a small bowl.

Spread the mayonnaise evenly on the four slices of bread.

Top one side of each sandwich with the slices of pear and harvarti.

Add 1 tbsp. of pecans to each sandwich. Twist the prosciutto and add two slices to each sandwich.

Press the two halves of the sandwiches together.

Butter a pan or panini press and heat over medium heat.

Place the sandwiches on the press or in the pan. If using a grill pan or a skillet, use a heavy pan or brick wrapped in foil to compress the sandwiches.

After 4-5 minutes, flip the sandwiches and toast until heated through and cheese has melted.

You're now a member of "the sandwich" club. Welcome.

Cranberry Frozen Greek Yogurt Sundae

2013-01-11T16:24:00.002-06:00

Do you have a sweet tooth the size of Texas? I do.

My all time favorite calorie splurge is ice cream. If that wasn't evident from my 30 day ice cream marathon back in June, I don't know what is.

Given the push to enter the new year in a healthier way, I came up with a sundae that's been filling the sweet cravings lately.

My new favorite find is frozen Greek yogurt. I've been eating Greek yogurt for breakfast for awhile now so any other excuse to nosh on it is good in my book.

This sundae takes a grand total of 2 minutes to put together. Toss a scoop or two of frozen yogurt in a bowl, warm a few tablespoons of fruit butter in the microwave, pour over the yogurt, and top with some dried fruit and nuts.

For this version, I used cranberry apple butter from Trader Joes, dried cranberries, chopped pecans, and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

The options really are limited by what you have in your fridge and pantry. Believe me, it satisfies the craving and I don't feel like I should run a guilt-filled marathon afterwards.

Have a great weekend everyone!

A Very Foodie Christmas

2013-01-08T09:12:00.005-06:00

Well howdy! Happy 2013! Remember me?

As I'm sure you can all relate, life has been a little more than hectic around here. We logged about 2500 miles in the car over the holidays and we're all still recovering. Just ask Walter.

Once we returned home (as if I didn't have enough to do with unpacking, cleaning, etc), I joined a family genealogy site on a whim and have been completely consumed. My husband feels abandoned and left to forage for his own food, laundry hasn't been done in days, and I'm starting to see swirls of names and badly copied records everywhere I look. It's been amazingly fun and I've uncovered a lot about our family history but I've been less than "present" recently.

I finally snapped out of it (or took a short break, let's be real) and am back with some of the best foodie gifts I received this Christmas.

People collect all sorts of different things; coins, stamps, or if you're my uncle, those giant, touristy pencils. I collect cookbooks. I collect them like they are going out of style, which we all know they never will. I read them like books, write all over them when I try recipes, and pull tons of inspiration from them. My husband and I are realizing our next home will need to have a giant sized library room with lots of bookshelves if I keep this up. Imagine over stuffed chairs and sliding ladders along the walls...boy, can this girl dream!

I got some great additions to my collection this year.

Takeaways from this photo:

I idolize Nigella Lawson and the family knows it.
I drink the Pioneer Woman kool-aid. There's no way anyone can do what she "does" in one day...but I still love her wit, humor, and the color splashed all over her cookbooks.
The origins of the amazing dutch oven bread concept came from Jim Lahey and I now have the proof...and his cookbook! If you still haven't tried it yet, do yourself a favor and click here.
The Salt Lick Cookbook is the best thing that happened to my bookshelf. My sister and brother in law even got it autographed for me. Inside it says, "Molly, forget cheese! Eat more BBQ!" Man after my own heart. If you're unfamiliar with the Salt Lick, do yourself a bigger favor and click here.

Do you ever come across an ingredient that excites you and you don't know what in the world you'll use it for, but you have to add it to your pantry anyway? I got two of those this year from my mother.

I don't know just yet how I'll use the sugar and salt but believe you me, I will and it will be good. How could it not with smoky salt and bourbon sugar?!?

My mother in law also gave me some great additions to the pantry as well. This truffle oil will be wonderful drizzled over a salad or warm pasta. I've never owned anything "truffle" that wasn't a chocolate. I feel like it should have a display case or something.

You can't live with a Texan and not have some form of honey butter in the house. If I didn't smear this on toast once a week, I think my husband would slip into a depression.

Last but not least, soup and sandwich nights in this house have jumped into the 21st century! We're still the proud owners of the remaining 2 sets of soup and sandwich servers from my parent's 1981 wedding gift but thanks to my grandmother, I can now serve 4 more people with dishware that matches our everyday white plates!

So basically what I'm saying is, if 6 of you come over for chunky tomato soup and grilled cheese, 4 of you will look like you walked out of Crate & Barrel and the other 2 will look like you've stepped out of a 1980's time warp.

I hope you all had a wonderful and safe holiday season filled with family, fun, good food, and great memories. We sure did!

Do you have a favorite foodie gift you received this holiday season?

A Day of Silence and Remembrance

2012-12-17T11:59:00.000-06:00

Friday Things

2012-12-14T08:00:00.000-06:00

Happy Friday Everyone!

As I'm sure with all of you, the closer you get to Christmas, the crazier life gets. Between now and when we head to Texas, I have no less than 63 things left on my to do list. I know I'm preaching to the choir so let's all just take a break and get down to Friday Things!

Wow of the Week: Use the images from Christmas Cards:
I love holiday cards. I love sending them. I love receiving them. I always feel guilty throwing them away in January. I came across this idea from Ashley over at Under the Sycamore blog which I think its genius! Use your cell phone to take photos of the images on holiday cards and set them as the contact pictures for people in your contact list. That way when your phone rings, you get that beautiful image on your phone announcing who's calling. We sent out a few different versions of cards this year and here's one of them:

Listening To: Recomposed by Max Richter - Vivaldi:The Four Seasons
When I need to push through a big project at work or just need background music while working around the house, I love listening to classical music. I heard about this album from the cinematographer from our wedding and am obsessed. Spring 1 is by far my favorite track. The song is so beautiful it gives me chills!

Max Richter

Smiling At: Martha Stewart Treat Boxes

For the last few years I've packaged holiday cookies and candy into these adorable boxes to give to neighbors, friends, and family. I love them because you get the "Martha" look with out the hours of prep. The kit contains the boxes, small dividers, tissue paper, ribbon, and labels. You literally just open and assemble. I'll take a little "Martha" whenever I can get it!

Martha Stewart Treat Boxes

Can't Wait For: My Parent's Return!

Saturday my parents use their one way ticket back to the States and come home after living in London for two years! We're beyond excited to have them home and in our same time zone again. We're going to celebrate over the upcoming Packers/Bears game on Sunday with all the classic football fare.

Best Meal This Week: Claude's Shredded Beef Sandwiches

One of the best perks of being married to a Texan was the introduction to Claude's Brisket Marinade Sauce. Life changing is about all I can say. I made a bunch of shredded beef marinated in this stuff for our welcome home/Packer party on Sunday so it's definitely going to be the best meal of the week! I got my parents hooked on it too and regularly shipped bottles over to London. I was told when my mom would make Claude's beef for dinner, my dad could smell the smoky wonderfulness when he started walking down their block. This beef is best served on onion buns for sure!

Claude's Barbeque Brisket Sauce

Brownberry Onion Sandwich Buns

Enjoy your weekend everyone!

First Giveaway Winner Announced!

2012-12-10T09:40:00.000-06:00

Happy Monday Everyone!

My first giveaway has ended and the winner is...

Comment #22: Dina!

Congrats Dina! Please send an email to peanutbutterdillpickles {at} gmail.com so I can get your new goodies to you.

Thanks to all who participated in the giveaway. I definitely plan to do more of these giveaways in the future. It was a lot of fun reading every one's comments and favorite holiday traditions.

See you on Friday for the second edition of Friday things!

Winner chosen by Random Number Generator at http://www.random.org/

Friday Things, First Edition

2012-12-07T14:52:00.000-06:00

A lot of the blogs I love and follow have a fun tradition of posting collections of random things they love/dislike/desire/crave/etc. once a week.

I'm really surprised that I'm just getting on this bandwagon now.

The way I see it, these are all things I'd call/email my family and friends over or even pin on Pinterest so why not share the love here to? I wouldn't necessarily write a separate post for each, but when combined together...you get a good helping of Friday Things!

Without further adieu...

Wow of the Week: Better Way to Fill/Clean Pastry Bags
Where has this been all my life?!? I saw this tip on Pinterest this week and my jaw is still on the floor. Do you ever look at yourself and think, "Duh...why didn't I think of that?!?" I can finally dust off my pastry bags and tips. They'd been banished to the far corner of the bottom cabinet never to be used again since they are such a pain to clean. My life is forever changed. I wanted to frost/decorate my oatmeal this morning. I didn't...but I wanted to.

Listening To: Mumford and Sons
I'm obsessed with this British band and "I Will Wait" is my current favorite track. I've gotten into this folk music phase (never thought I'd say that at 26 years of age) and can't stop listening to this album. I can't sit still when jamming out to it either so this last week at work has been fun in terms of head bobbing, foot tapping, and weird stares from my co workers.

Mumford & Sons

Eating: Roasted Chestnuts
I just love these. A lot. More than I can say. If you would like to win your own equipment to make them, enter my giveaway on my previous post here. Giveaway ends on Sunday!

Smiling At: Spades Measuring Cups
I have a major love of all things Anthropologie and have been eyeing these measuring cups for awhile. I stopped into their store on Monday and was shocked to find them sitting on the sale table. Do you ever covet something but hold back because of the price and then discover it on sale?!? It's as if the sale gods have personally smiled down on you. Of course these came home with me. They are sitting on my counter and I just can't bring myself to put them away because they are just so darn cute. They're still available online here!

Can't Wait For: Doggie Christmas
I'm proud to say it. I'm one of those pet-loving people who gets her dogs Christmas gifts.

This year our German Shepherd and Scottie are getting these dinner plate toy sets from Target. They were a huge hit last year.

Our Scottie is also getting this squeaker mat gator toy. As cute as he looks, no squeaker is safe around him. First, he runs around the house looking for a place to hide his new toy. He quickly gives up and just shreds it to pieces. I still have de-stuffed turkey, corn, and dinner rolls from last year strewn around the house. Don't worry, he's always supervised when playing with these toys and we quickly dispose of any loose squeakers. Because it is his favorite thing to do, I can't wait to give him this toy with a whopping 16 squeakers in it. He won't know what to do with himself.

Best Meal this Week: Bistro Braised Chicken Thighs
This is one of my all time favorite recipes from Cooking Light. It's always delish, even reheated the next day. If I really love a recipe it goes through a few qualifying rounds. If I print it out, I like it. If I copy it to a recipe card for my box, I love it. If I have it memorized because I make it so often, I'm downright head over heels for it. I'm downright head over heels for this chicken.

Over and out. Have a great weekend everyone! Winner of the chestnut pan, chestnut knife, and British chocolate will be announced on Monday so get your entries in by Sunday at 8pm CST.

Do you have any favorite Friday things to share?

New Holiday Tradition: Roasting Chesnuts + My First Giveaway

2012-12-04T06:40:00.000-06:00

Happy Holidays everyone!! I'm just giddy with excitement because this really truly is my most favorite time of the year. The house is all decorated, I've got Christmas tree scented candles and/or air spray in every room in the house, I'm halfway done with holiday baking prep, the Christmas movies are all out, and I'm counting down the days until we get to see our families in Texas, Chicago, and here in Wisconsin. I even have this candle holder on the ledge by my kitchen sink. Isn't it cute? You know what makes it cuter? It was a whopping $6 at a shop in Door County, WI. I know. You don't need to say it. $6 holiday decorations are the best.

I have so much to chit chat about today so let's get right down to it. I promise there will be a special treat for you at the end of all this.

First, my parents are moving back from London to Chicago in a few days and I couldn't be more excited! They had the time of their lives and we had the best time visiting. We laughed, we cried, it was better than Cats.

Seriously, talk about a once in a lifetime opportunity--they witnessed the Royal Wedding, the Diamond Jubilee, the Summer Olympics, along with tons of trips and weekends away exploring Europe. Pinch them and then pinch me. I know they're both excited to be closer to family and we missed them terribly. Best Christmas gift of all to be sure!

While getting in the holiday spirit, I began looking through last year's Christmas photos when we were lucky enough to fly across the pond to visit the 'rents. The first night in London, we got to visit a lovely holiday fair in Hyde Park. Talk about a warm, classic holiday spectacle...

There were wonderful shops, rides, and eating spots all filled with British holiday charm. Think Hogsmeade Village in Harry Potter, minus the wands and wizards. The only "head scratcher" of the whole experience was the Cyndi Lauper music being piped in everywhere. I still haven't figured out why Christmas music wasn't playing that night...but it made for a good laugh. Girls do just wanna have fun after all.

Side note: this moose will talk to you in German. Just thought you should know. Just in case you're ever in Hyde Park over the holidays.

Another side note: apparently penguins are mad scary. I respectfully disagree but this sign still makes me chuckle.

Among the lovely sights and sounds (and Cyndi Lauper), my mom and I noticed a sign for roasted chestnuts. Then the smell hit us...maybe it was this giant pans of caramelized onions or maybe it was both. We tried stealing that massive onion pan. My dad looks too much like Bruce Willis. We'd never get away with it.

No really, it was the chestnuts. The aroma was out of this world, warm and cozy, and immediately appealing. Here's my dad being the great guy he is and buying us a bag.

None of us had ever had roasted chestnuts before and had no idea what to expect or how to eat them. I was expecting a hard, toasted nut but instead got a warm, soft nutty piece of wonderful. We fought over the bag and devoured every last one.

That same night I had to stop for a hot chocolate...just to say I strolled with a hot chocolate in London...at Christmastime. I know you get it.

The cocoa was so delicious and topped with real whipped cream and homemade marshmallows. Calorie free, I tell you. They even stuck a British chocolate bar called "Flake" in it too.

I got so nostalgic thinking about our past Christmas in London that I decided to take some special moments and make them traditions. I am pretty big on tradition.

Therefore, I declare this year and all years hereafter will contain roasted chestnuts and hot chocolate with Flake bars for this girl!

I was so excited to see fresh chestnuts at Trader Joe's a few days ago.

It gave me the perfect opportunity to try out my new chestnut pan and knife. Roasted chestnuts are pretty simple to make.

So how does one roast chestnuts at home? I'll show you how I do it:

Using the pointy curve of the knife, cut a line along one side of the nut, ensuring it goes through the shell down to the meat of the chestnut. Since these chestnuts can be jumpy little buggers (did you catch the British lingo?), I would highly suggest wearing thick gloves (here's my husband demonstrating with our oven gloves) to protect your hands in case the knife slips.

Place the scored chestnuts in the roasting pan in a single layer and roast at 350° for 30-35 minutes. The holes in the roasting pan help heat circulate all the way around the nuts. If you're lucky enough to have a fireplace, you can even roast the authentic way and the holes allow the flames to touch the nuts directly, adding to the smoky/roasty flavor.

While the nuts are still warm but cool enough to handle, break away the hard shell and the papery layer underneath.

Serve warm, savor, and imagine you're in London with a talking German moose and Cyndi Lauper serenading you in the background.

Now, could you use a regular knife and sheet pan to roast chestnuts? Sure, but what's the fun in that? Especially when you can win a set for yourself.

That's right folks. I'm sharing the love this holiday season. One lucky winner will receive a chestnut roasting pan, a chestnut knife, and I'll even throw in two Flake bars from England to add to your hot chocolate!

Photo Source

So the nitty gritty...

How to enter:
Leave a comment below telling me what your favorite holiday tradition is. It's that easy!

To earn extra entries, complete any of the following and leave a separate comment BELOW for each one:

"Like" Peanut Butter & Dill Pickles on Facebook

Follow Peanut Butter & Dill Pickles on Twitter and tweet the following: Holiday giveaway from @pbdillpickles! Enter to win a chestnut roasting pan and chestnut knife before Sunday http://www.pbpickles.com/2012/12/new-holiday-tradition-roasting-chesnuts.html

Follow Me on Pinterest

Subscribe to Email Updates for Peanut Butter & Dill Pickles (upper right hand corner of screen – enter your email address and confirm subscription)

That's 5 ways to enter!

The giveaway and chance to leave comments will end on Sunday, 12/9 at 8pm CST and the winner be announced Monday, 12/10.

Good luck and a safe and happy holiday season to all of you!

Giveaway rules:
Must be 18 years of age or older. No purchase necessary to enter. Void where prohibited. Open to continental US residents only. Giveaway prizes purchased by me and not sponsored by an outside individual or company.

Easy Peasy Rustic Bread

2012-12-02T18:04:00.002-06:00

Growing up my mom had an electric bread-making machine that sat on our counter and it spit out decent bread, yet in the form of a perfect cube.

Outside of that machine, I'd never made homemade bread before.

Why had I never made homemade bread before? Well, generally you come across one or all of the following terms in a bread recipe: benching, proofing, punching down, etc.

All of those things send me running for the hills. I'm a much more "feel as I go" cook. I use recipes as guidelines and breadmaking isn't exactly the niche to do that in. Also, I feel like if the water isn't the EXACT temperature or ingredients aren't measured perfectly you'll end up with a brick. I don't like bricks and butter.

But then the skies opened up and a ray of bread-based light shown down.

I stumbled across a glorious image of a crusty, artisanal loaf on Pinterest and the caption heavily emphasized how easy the bread was to make. That led me to the blog, Simply So Good and her post for crusty bread. The origins, technique, and recipe for this bread are unknown to me--frankly they're so simple we may never know. It may even have been this New York Times article from 2006.

Regardless of where this technique came from, it's life changing. I absolutely cannot believe this dough was so easy to put together and the end result came out of my oven. All you need is 4 of the most basic ingredients and a enameled cast iron Dutch oven.

While this recipe is easy, the dough needs to be left alone for 12-18 hours so you do need to think ahead in terms of when you'd like to serve this crusty loaf. That down time is the only downside.

Since the end result has such a high payoff and it takes all of 5 minutes to prepare, this recipe is wonderful for hostess and new neighbor gifts, and would be fabulous for parties. Of course, I would use the fact that it's Sunday...or Tuesday...or any day to justify making this bread.

The other great thing about this recipe is that it's just a base--you could do countless variations (three I've included below) to suit whatever your need is.

I've always wondered why people had those large drawers in their kitchens, filled especially with big bins of flour. Now that I'm on my third 5lb bag in two weeks...I'm starting to see the logic.

Welcome to the light my friends.

Easy Peasy Rustic Bread
from Simply So Good

Ingredients

3 cups all purpose flour
1 3/4 tsp table salt
1/2 tsp yeast (I used quick rise yeast because that's what I had on hand, if you try this with active dry yeast, let me know how it turns out!)
1 1/2 c. water

Whisk together the flour, salt, and yeast in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the water until a dough forms and no flour remains in the bottom or sides of the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit overnight or 12-18 hours.
Preheat oven to 450°. When oven is preheated, place an empty enameled cast iron Dutch oven (with lid) into the oven. Set your timer for 30 minutes. While pot is heating up, turn the dough out onto a heavily floured surface and lightly knead the dough until smooth and not super sticky. Re-cover with plastic wrap.
Once 30 minutes has passed, remove the Dutch oven from the oven and drop the dough ball in. DO NOT GREASE THE POT! Trust me on this, the bread will just slide out at the end. Put the lid back on and place back in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, remove the lid and bake for 5-10 minutes more until the bread is golden brown and crusty. Remove to a cooling rack.

Cranberry Orange Variation:

When whisking the dry ingredients, add in 1/2 c. dried cranberries and zest from one orange. Stir in water and follow the rest of the recipe.

Dilly Sea Salt Variation:

When whisking the dry ingredients, add in 2 tsp dried dill weed. Stir in water and follow recipe as is. When it's time to knead the dough, sprinkle in 1 heaping tsp of sea salt and knead until combined. After dropping the dough into the hot pot, sprinkle with more sea salt, pressing in to help it stick. Bake as stated above.

Cheddar Jack Jalapeno Variation:

When whisking the dry ingredients, add in 1/2 c. shredded cheddar jack cheese blend and 1 1/2 tsp. dried jalapeno flakes. Stir in water and follow recipe as is. After bread has baked for 30 minutes, remove the lid and sprinkle on 1/4 c. more cheese...because more cheese is always a good thing. Bake 5-10 minutes more until the cheese has melted and browned.

Turkey Candy and Everything to be Thankful For!

2012-11-26T16:12:00.001-06:00

Happy Cyber Monday everybody! How was everyone's Thanksgiving?

I hope filled with as much fun, family, and food as ours was.

Speaking of Cyber Monday, I'd much rather prefer Cyber Rewind Day.

I could use another two days of vacation, a long weekend, and wonderful food feast just as bad as I could use the Powerball jackpot on Wednesday.

Yes, that bad.

Our spread (and surroundings) were quite something!

Usually our Thanksgivings are spent in the northwoods of Wisconsin but this year we gathered at my aunt and uncle's house and kept it local.

It also allowed us to dabble in Black Friday...and boy was that an experience!

Back to Thanksgiving.

Doesn't my aunt make you feel like you're eating in a Pottery Barn catalog?

You felt it too? See, I knew I wasn't the only one...

We had beautiful weather, which was great for frequent trips out to our smoking turkey on the grill. Read more about that and get the recipe here.

This turkey was affectionately named Cheryl by my cousin. I think it fits. I've never met a Cheryl I didn't like.

It really is about that turkey skin. I mean, come on. It was out of this world, do not pass go, do not collect $200 kind of good. In fact, it spawned a new term--turkey candy. As my aunt, sister, grandmother, and I hovered around, picking at the skin (as is customary to do), we knew the only way to sum up the amazing-ness was just simply turkey candy.

In addition to the 13 lbs of turkey candy, we also enjoyed, in no particular order:

Mashed Potatoes

Mashed potatoes' cousin, sweet mashed potatoes (no one puts baby in the corner...just in a red crock pot in this case!)

Autumn Chopped Salad

Sauteed Zucchini and Yellow Squash

Un-stuffed Stuffing (does that make sense?!?)

Corn Pudding (my life isn't complete without it)

Good Ole Gravy

and finally an assortment of pies and this beauty...Brown Butter Cranberry Tart.

I'm stuffed and smiling just thinking of it all again.

I'm thankful for the wonderful food we ate, that beautiful sunny day, family, friends, you and all my other readers, people and turkeys named Cheryl...and turkey candy.

Not a bad list at all.

Winter Farmers Markets, Who Knew?!?

2012-11-20T08:39:00.000-06:00

Saturday mornings used to be pretty typical.

Wake up. Hit snooze. Wake up again. Look at these furry mugs and decide to get up. Yes, this photo was literally what I woke up to one morning. For reals.

Let the dogs out. Eat breakfast. Think about cleaning and/or laundry. Make some tea. Watch a cooking show. Think about cleaning and laundry again...repeat x10 until you realize it's noon and you still haven't showered...

No more! After years of hemming and hawing, I finally checked out the local winter farmer's market here in Milwaukee. What's even more pathetic to admit is that this market is a whopping 2.5 miles from my house...and it took me over 2 years to finally check it out.

Until I heard about the market, I naively never knew such a thing existed. I figured the end of summer signaled the end of farmer's markets...not the start of another wave of fresh and local goodies! If you're local to southeastern Wisconsin and interested in checking it out, click here for their website.

So what does one find at a winter farmer's market?

Kale Bouquet

Golden Beets

Garlic Salt Jalapeno Cheddar Bread

Sorghum Syrup

Brussels Sprout

Celery Root (Celeriac)

Buffalo Burgers

And what I took home doesn't even scratch the surface of the wide variety of offerings.

This market has become my new favorite Saturday morning activity. If you're out of the farmer market loop like I was, do some research and see if a winter market operates in your area. It really is a great way to support local farmers and artisan food companies and who doesn't love that?!?

Even though the laundry and cleaning still sit idle, I do feel a lot more productive with my Saturday mornings. It's all about priorities, people :)

Brined and Smoked

2012-11-15T10:24:00.000-06:00

Brined and smoked. Enough said.

The only way to do a turkey in my book.

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I wanted to link back to my all time favorite way to make a Thanksgiving turkey that I posted last year.

Cider Brined Smoked Turkey

Regardless of how you prepare your bird, I hope everyone has a fun and family filled Thanksgiving!

P.S. My apologies for the lack of finesse in the turkey images. I didn't know what I was doing back then--with the camera that is...not the bird!

Fall Visit to the Apple Orchard

2012-11-11T11:47:00.000-06:00

My hands down favorite place to go in fall is the apple orchard.

The hands down best orchard I've ever been to is the Elegant Farmer in Mukwonago, Wisconsin.

We've been going to this orchard for several years now and one of the major reasons is their caramel apple pie. It's out of this world good. Just ask the Wall Street Journal, Food Network, or Gourmet magazine.

My Dad has a love for anything apple and I'm pretty sure has dreams about their pie. In fact, it's so good my Mom brought one from Wisconsin all the way back to London this summer for my Dad.

Over the years we've developed an itinerary that we tend to stick to every year. Here's our winning formula for a stellar day at the orchard:

Start with hot cider and cider donuts from the Donut Shack.

Grab a basket and head to the orchard.

Pick apples to your hearts content! This year, because our summer drought was so bad, apples were placed in bins out in the orchard and we weren't able to pick directly off the trees. Here's to a milder summer next year!

Ensure you have a wide variety.

Walk back down to the market, enjoying the crisp air and the fall colors.

Head into the market to stock up on goodies including beef sticks, soup mixes, bread mixes, cookies, and of course...the famous apple pie!

Round out the day with a caramel apple snack, BBQ sandwich, or a bowl of warm chili.

That's our winning recipe for a visit to the orchard! If you're ever in Southern Wisconsin, do yourself a favor and try out their famous pies. If a trip to Wisconsin isn't in your future, don't despair. Elegant Farmer ships pies too!

Not sponsored by The Elegant Farmer. Just sharing my experience and spreading the love.

Homemade Marinara Sauce

2012-10-29T12:20:00.000-05:00

Lately life has been slowing down a bit around here.

Most summer weekends were spent out and about but recently we've been able to sleep in and spend more time around the house.

I'm not quite sure what's come over me but I've developed a strong desire to get back to basics and stock my freezer with everyday basics to use throughout the winter.

I started with marinara sauce. I don't know about you but we go through a lot of it.

I froze the sauce in one cup portions so I can serve one or a whole crowd with it--depending on whatever I need to make.

Now if I only had the looks and kitchen to match Giada De Laurentiis...

Homemade Marinara Sauce
Makes about 7 cups

Ingredients

1/2 c. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 garlic cloves + 1/2 tsp. salt, crushed into a paste (see below)
1 tsp each: dried rosemary, dried basil, dried parsley
1-32 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1-32 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
1/4 c. red wine
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. freshly ground pepper

1. In a large stock pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat and saute the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic until soft, 5-6 minutes.

2. Add in the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce to a low bubble and simmer for 30-45 minutes until thick and flavors have combined.

3. Remove the bay leaves and serve or portion out and freeze.

Crushed Garlic Paste

Whenever I need to add garlic to a recipe where you want it to thoroughly meld into the dish, I like to make a paste with the cloves and salt. This process turns the garlic into a paste that infuses garlic flavor without having small pieces or chunks of garlic clove.

The great thing about this paste is you can make whatever amount you need. Just take the peeled cloves and a sprinkle of salt and begin chopping.

When the garlic is mostly chopped, start sliding the sharp end of the knife across the garlic at an angle with firm pressure.

Repeat until you have paste and you're done!

Roasted Butternut Squash Sweet Potato Soup with Smoky Cherries & Walnuts

2012-10-24T10:54:00.001-05:00

Remember when I said no squash was safe in my Pumpkin Butter post?

Yeah, butternut was next on the chopping block. No pun intended.

The butternut squash for this recipe came from my very first market bag from Growing Power. You can read more about my discovery of them here. I'd never cooked with butternut squash before and had only eaten them as filling in ravioli. Getting one in a market basket gave me an opportunity to come up with something new to try, hence this soup.

Roasting the squash and sweet potatoes caramelizes them and brings out some of the natural sugars which go great with the smoky paprika.

The soup was just the ticket on a cold, rainy day.

But would be just as good on a crisp, sunny autumn day too!

Enjoy!

Roasted Butternut Squash Sweet Potato Soup with Smoky Cherries & Walnuts
Serves 6

Ingredients

1 butternut squash, peeled and chopped
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
1/3 olive oil
1 tsp. + 1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. + 1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. + 1/4 tsp. smoked paprika
4 c. vegetable or chicken stock
1 tbsp. + 1/4 c. dried cherries
2 tbsp. coarsely chopped walnuts
1/4 c. apple cider
1 tbsp. maple syrup

Preheat oven to 400°. In a large bowl, combine the squash, potatoes, olive oil, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, and 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika. Toss to coat and transfer to rimmed baking sheets.
Roast the vegetables for 30 minutes or until fork tender, tossing once to brown evenly.
When the vegetables are fully cooked, transfer them to a large pot. Add the stock and 1 tbsp. cherries. Bring to a simmer over medium heat for 10-15 minutes until cherries are reconstituted and soft.
While the soup is simmering, combine the remaining salt, pepper, paprika, 1/4 c. cherries, walnuts, cider, and syrup in a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat until the cherries are reconstituted and the cider syrup thickens, about 4-5 minutes.
Using a hand immersion blender directly in the stock pot, puree the squash and potatoes into a soup and the consistency you like. I prefer a smoother soup but you could leave this chunkier. You could also process this in a standard blender in small batches--be careful of hot liquids in blenders!
Ladle the soup into bowls and top with a small spoonful of the cherry and walnut mixture.

What's a CSA?

2012-10-23T07:23:00.000-05:00

One of the perks of meeting new foodies and bloggers is getting exposed to all sorts of things you've never stumbled upon yourself. My blogger friend Karis, over at Karis' Kitchen, opened my eyes up to CSAs, which stands for Community Supported Agriculture. When you purchase a CSA share, you receive lots of fresh, local produce, usually on a weekly schedule. I've heard about the volume you get on a regular basis from CSAs so I sought out a way to start small and get my feet wet.

That brought me to Growing Power here in Milwaukee. This wonderful organization is only located about 6-7 minutes from where I work. While most CSAs have you pay up front for the whole season, Growing Power allows you to purchase week to week while also using smaller, local wholesalers to get produce not available locally at a better rate. I picked up my second bag last week and here's the haul: pears, apples, oranges, kohlrabi, and collard greens.

Not pictured: 2 bananas, butternut squash, cabbage, and jalapenos

All of this for only $9! I love not knowing what I'm going to get every week and I love the challenge of coming up with ways to use it all--not to mention supporting a local organization focused on healthy eating and getting back to understanding where our food comes from.

In these two weeks I've made butternut squash soup (recipe coming tomorrow!), kohlrabi chips, roasted broccoli, and mashed cauliflower as well as having a fresh piece of fruit with breakfast and lunch.

If you're interested in finding a local CSA or other sources of local produce, check out http://www.localharvest.org/

Do you participate in a local CSA or market basket program? What's your favorite fruit or veggie and your preferred way prepare it?

Caramelized Pear & Walnut Bread with Apple Cider Glaze

2012-10-21T20:17:00.001-05:00

Because I love bread...

Because I love pears...

Because I love walnuts...

Because I love saving butter wrappers to make greasing pans easier...

Because it's Sunday...

Because the Green Bay Packers won...

Because technically it's still the weekend...

I give to you, this yummy recipe!

Caramelized Pear Walnut Bread with Apple Cider Glaze
Makes one loaf

Ingredients

2 eggs
1 c. unsweetened apple sauce
1/3 c. canola oil
1/4 c. skim milk
1/4 c. apple cider
3/4 c. all purpose flour
3/4 c. white whole wheat flour, such as King Arthur
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
Pinch of cloves
1/2 c. chopped walnuts
1/2 c. caramelized pears *see below*
Apple Cider Glaze *see below*

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Butter and flour a 9x5" loaf pan. Set pan aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, applesauce, oil, milk, and cider until thoroughly mixed.
3. In a large bowl, sift flours, both sugars, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and cloves. Push any clumps through sifter.
4. Slowly fold in the egg mixture into the dry mixture. Add in cooled pears and nuts. Fold lightly. Do not overmix. Some flour streaks or small clumps are ok. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
5. Bake 55-60 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Allow bread to cool in the loaf pan for 10 minutes then remove from the pan and place on a cooling rack.
6. Slice the bread and drizzle on the cider glaze. Enjoy!

Caramelized Pears

1/2 c. dried pears, roughly chopped
1/2 c. apple cider
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tbsp. maple syrup

Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Boil until pears have doubled in size and the liquid is a thick syrup, 5-6 minutes. Let cool completely.

Apple Cider Glaze

2/3 c. apple cider
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. brown sugar

Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Boil until thick and syrupy, 8-10 minutes.