1. How did the Harmaleighs come to fruition?

We met through a mutual friend at school. We first started playing music together in the winter of 2012 with a six-piece group. We ended up stripping it down to just a few of us, which turned into The Harmaleighs.

2. Tell me about the name.

Haley+Kaylee+Harmony= Harmaleighs

3. Tell me about your writing process. Where do you get your inspiration?

Haley: I get my inspiration through my own experiences. And when those aren’t exciting enough (ha!) I listen to music and get inspired. Some artists that inspire me on the daily are Brandi Carlile, Andrew Bird, & Norah Jones.

4. What is it like living in Nashville and how does it inspire your music?

Living in Nashville is like being the teeniest, tiniest feeder fish in the deepest, darkest ocean. Everyone writes/plays/sings and everyone does everything really well. It’s actually strange to talk to someone that isn’t in a band or doing something else cool. This immensely inspires our music. We listen to peers around us who are at the same level that have AMAZING songs and that really pushes us to write the best material that we possibly can.

5. Are you an independent artist or do you have label support?

We are like the ‘Al La Carte’ at a Mexican restaurant. We get some help from friends & family but we do everything ourselves.

6. What is it like being an artist in 2014 with the industry in the state that it’s in?

Hard. Labels aren’t signing artists. So if you’re really in it to win it you need to learn how to play the game. In the past year and a half we have learned how to promote a band, book shows, monitor our image, build a website, design tee shirts, & of course make the music. It can be difficult at times because you have to wear so many different hats- however we think that a band that knows more about the business side of things will be better in the long run.

7. You released ‘People Line Up’ in 2013. Talk a bit about that process and where it’s taken you in your career.

Well, that has a funny story. We knew a guy who could get us into a studio with an engineer, for free, for about 10 hours. So we said ‘Okay, let’s record an EP in that time real quick.’ (it normally takes A LOT longer). So we went in with the 5 songs picked out already & met our engineer, Paul Rossetti. Paul has ended up helping us with numerous projects, became a super fan, and has played some shows with us! ANYWAYS, we recorded that EP as a quick introduction to the band. We wanted to get some music out. After we recorded that, we got to do some touring & got some ears of industry professionals listening. ‘People Line Up’ was a good start and we are happy its out. However, ‘Pretty Picture, Dirty Brush’ will be our true introduction.

8. ‘Pretty Picture, Dirty Brush’ is slated for an early 2015 release. Tell me about the process of making your first record?

We were in a showcase through our school (Belmont University) and one of the judges was Travis Terrell. We ended up getting coffee with him afterwards and he told us that he was a producer & has a company with his buddy, Micah Sannan, called ‘Levelo.’ All of our personalities just clicked and Kaylee & I knew we wanted to work with them right away. The whole process took about 4 weeks time. We spent a week tracking the record. That means just the bare bones: voices/gtr/banjo/mando/bass. Then we spent a few more weeks adding ‘fairy dust’ which means the music you may not hear on the first listen. It’s a soft pedal steel in the back or the bells in our track ‘Doll Made Of Glass.’ Travis & Micah brought our songs & music to life. They pushed us to think critically and encouraged us to work harder. We feel that we have truly found our sound with this record, and we can’t wait to see where it takes us.

9. How did “Delicious Commentary” come about?

Kaylee & I were trying to think of fun ways to do a commentary about each song to get everyone excited. Kaylee then, the little chef that she is, came up with the idea to pair a recipe with each song. In order, the songs are going to lay out a full 10 course meal!

10. What’s your favorite kind of food?

Kaylee: My favorite type of food is Italian, specifically spaghetti and meatballs. I grew up in an Italian family and nothing was better than coming home from school and smelling my mom’s homemade spaghetti sauce. I try to recreate it myself and it’s really good, but it will never compare to my mom’s.

Haley: My favorite food is Green Olives. When I was little my mom would let me eat 8 a day after dinner. If I didn’t have a limit I would eat the whole jar & drink the juice. Ovbi we’re lyke really healthy.

11. Who’s the best cook in the group?

Kaylee for sure. Before Kaylee and I moved in together I had the diet of a 5 year old. I would eat dino nuggets & Mac and cheese. Kaylee surprises me with her cooking everyday.

12. What’s your worst recipe fail?

Kaylee: A few years back, Haley & I found something on the internet and decided to try it. A Fruit cleanse. We were to eat nothing but fruit for 24 hours. I was trying to come up with unique recipes to make the cleanse a little easier on us. I came up with a Thai fruit roll. Haley will never let me live this down, as it’s been 3 years and she still brings it up. It was the worst, soggiest, nastiest thing I have ever put it my mouth.

Haley: Typically, everything I make tops itself as the worst recipe fail. Even simple things. I think the government actually put a restraining order on me & any kitchen ever to be built.

13. Do you have any other delicious pairings in the works and what can we look forward to in 2015?

We will be releasing a recipe for each song! (10 songs). Nearly every week from here on out you can be looking forward to that. Just wait until our main dishes!

It’s happening…the cravings for anything sweet dipped in chocolate, peanut butter or caramel. Well, pretty much anything sweet at all. And no, I am not pregnant…it’s the Holiday Season!

I’m not much of a baker and I usually crave a giant bowl of queso over anything sweet. But this time of year brings out my sweet tooth and the urge to experiment in the kitchen.

I’m obsessed with Reese’s. It’s my favorite candy combo and what could be more delicious than chocolate and peanut butter wrapped in buttery flakey dough, dipped in more chocolate and caramel, sprinkled with a hint of spice and cinnamon. That crazy concoction was in my head tonight and voila…Chocolate Peanut Butter Puffs. I couldn’t get the damn lighting right in the kitchen tonight for my pics but take my word for it…these are sinfully delicious!

Happy Eating!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Puffs

Serves 15 puffs

Ingredients

• 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
• 1 package Reese’s Peanut Butter Bells or Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Minis
• 2 eggs
• heavy cream
• Nutella [around 15 teaspoons]
• caramel sauce
• cayenne pepper
• ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut the puff pastry into 15 squares using a pizza cutter.

Place 1 Reese’s Peanut Butter Bell on the center of each square.

Wrap the pastry around the bell.

Roll in the palm of your hands to make a ball.

Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or lightly coated with cooking spray.

Mix the eggs with a dollop of heavy cream and whisk to make the egg wash. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush each puff with the wash. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes until the dough is cooked through and lightly golden.

Place a teaspoon of the Nutella on a serving platter for each puff. The puffs will sit on top of the Nutella so make sure they are spaced a part.

Place a single puff on top of each dollop of Nutella. Drizzle with the caramel sauce and lightly sprinkle with the cayenne pepper and ground cinnamon. Be careful with the cayenne…a little goes a long way!

Bon Appetit & Happy Holidays!

The holiday season always gets me in the mood to cook. I saw an ad in my Cooking Light magazine featuring the cutest potato wedges with assorted toppings and I had to give them a try. I used my mandolin to get exact sizes so that the potatoes cooked evenly. It was super easy and fun to think of different toppings…the skies the limit!

When I think of potato appetizers I  automatically think of traditional potato skins with cheddar cheese and bacon bits. These felt a lot lighter and packed way more flavor than the traditional recipe. So get creative and make this tasty recipe for your next holiday party!

Happy Eating & Happy Holidays!

Loaded Baked Potato Wedges

Ingredients

• 2 large russet potatoes
• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, minced
• salt and pepper

Toppings

• 1 can refried black beans [try my Spicy Black Bean recipe here – mash at the end for desired consistency]
• 1/2 cup light sour cream
• 2 tablespoons chives, minced
• 1 cup salsa [try my Spicy Fire Roasted Salsa]
• Black Bean Corn Relish [see recipe below]
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 cup guacamole [try my Savory Southwest Guacamole]
• 1/2 cup Mexican blend shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease 2 cookie sheets. Using a mandolin, cut the potatoes into 1/4 inch slices and place on the cookie sheets, making sure the slices don’t touch.

Using a pastry brush or the back of a spoon, lightly coat potato slices with half the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with half the thyme. Bake for 5 to 8 minutes.

Flip the potatoes over and brush with remaining oil, salt, pepper, and the rest of the thyme. Bake another 5 to 8 minutes, or until tender and golden on both sides. Remove from the oven, lightly blot with a paper towel to remove excess oil, and transfer to a serving platter.

For the first topping, spread a spoonful of the refried beans onto a slice. Top with a dollop of sour cream and sprinkle with the chives.

For the second topping, spread a spoonful of the salsa onto a slice. Top with another spoonful of the relish and sprinkle with the cilantro.

For the third topping, spread a spoonful of the guacamole onto a slice. Top with the shredded cheese.

Black Bean Corn Relish

• 1 cup yellow corn kernels, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 tablespoons red bell pepper, diced
• 1 tablespoon jalapeno pepper, minced
• 2 tablespoons red onion, diced
• 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 2 teaspoons chile powder
• salt and pepper

Combine all of the above ingredients in a medium size bowl and mix until well combined. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Bon Appetit! 

I’m notorious for buying too many groceries so this was a perfect recipe to use up some leftover chicken, beans and veggies. I spent a little more time adding ingredients to each chip instead of just piling everything on and it was worth it! The cheese kept the ingredients on each chip so no spillage when you go to dunk your chip into some salsa.

Happy Eating!

Southwest Chicken & Black Bean Nachos

Ingredients

• tortilla chips
• 1 cup cooked black beans (recipe below)
• 1/2 cup diced red onion
• 1/2 large jalapeño, diced
• 1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
• 1 cooked chicken breast, diced
• mexican style taco shredded cheese
• 1/2 cup diced tomato
• 1 diced avocado
• chopped cilantro
• sour cream

Spread a single layer of tortilla chips on a large non stick cookie sheet.

Top each chip with a spoonful of black beans then top evenly with the red onion, jalapeño, bell pepper and chicken.

Top each chip with as much cheese as your heart desires.

Broil until the cheese is melted and the chips are golden (around 5-7 minutes).

Move to a serving platter and garnish with the diced tomato, avocado and cilantro.

Top with two large dollops of sour cream.

Spicy Black Beans

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup diced red onion
• 1/2 jalapeño, diced
• 2 tablespoons diced red bell pepper
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 tablespoon chile powder
• 1/2 tablespoon cumin
• kosher salt and pepper
• 15oz can black beans
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

In a medium sauce pan heat the olive oil over medium high heat and sauté the onion, jalapeño and bell pepper until softened.

Add the garlic, chile powder, cumin, salt and pepper and sauté until fragrant.

Add the black beans and cook until liquid is reduced and no longer runny.

Stir in the cilantro and adjust seasoning.

Bon Appétit!

I’ve been out of the kitchen for quite a while and I have seriously missed it. This lovely little recipe landed in my inbox from my favorite blog, The Simply Luxurious Life, and I was instantly inspired. I didn’t change a thing and it turned out absolutely delicious.

I’m obsessed with caramelized onions and the flavor of the wine soaked onions and thyme paired so beautifully with the tangy goat cheese and flaky puff pastry. It’s the perfect appetizer or mid day snack. I ate one cold the day after and the flavors were so bold and scrumptious!

So add this to your list to make and enjoy! Your taste buds will thank you.

Happy Eating!

Red Wine Caramelized Onions & Goat Cheese Tartlets

Recipe makes 8 tartlets.

Ingredients

3 onions, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup of red wine
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3 – 4 sprigs of thyme leaves removed and a few extra for garnishing each tart
Salt & black pepper
2 sheets of puff pastry
1 large tube goat cheese
splash of milk to brush the pastry rim

Instructions

Heat the oil in a pan and fry the onions over a low heat until softened but not browned, about 15 minutes.

Add ½ the red wine and deglaze the pan, allowing all the liquid to cook off.

Add the sugar, thyme, salt and pepper and cook for 5 more minutes.

Add the remainder of the red wine and once again continue cooking and stirring until the liquid has cooked off.

Place your puff pastry sheets on a floured surface and cut out the circles to desired size. You could also cut the pastry into 4 squares. This way you better optimize the pastry sheet with no wastage through offcuts.

Score the inside of the pastry with a small cookie cutter or a knife, but don’t cut all the way through, to make a small rim.

Brush the rim of each case lightly with milk, or and egg and milk mix (I find the egg just makes it a little darker but isn’t entirely necessary), and bake in a oven that has been preheated to 180C for 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven and press down on the inner circle piece so that it drops down, it should come away where you have scored it, and fill each pastry case with the caramelized onion.

Top with the goat cheese (you can either crumble this or cut into discs), scatter over fresh thyme leaves and return to the oven to bake for 20 more minutes.

Disclaimer 1: I am a Lana Del Rey fan

Disclaimer 2: I am a singer

When I first heard Lana Del Rey’s breakout single “Video Games” I have to admit…I wasn’t completely sold, but I was definitely intrigued. Her seductive tone and alto range was different and refreshing next to the powerhouse vocal stylings we’ve seemingly come to expect from female pop vocalists. She’s no Beyonce or Ariana Grande, she’s Lana. And the throng of screeching teenage girls at Wednesday night’s show proved that Lana doesn’t need to prove herself to anyone.

From the time she sauntered onstage in a simple, off the shoulder red dress with no shoes to the first line out of her mouth, “My pussy tastes like pepsi-cola”, the 6,000 sold-out theater erupted as if Harry Styles had taken his shirt off and pledged to make out with one lucky fan in attendance. I don’t even remember Justin Timberlake receiving this kind of response when I saw him in Houston a few months back. One thing is for sure, Lana’s fans could care less about her lackluster SNL performance that sent critics in a frenzy claiming the luscious lipped songstress was done, or that every news outlet in North Texas is criticizing her simplistic, haunting (and yes, somewhat pitchy) vocal abilities. So back to disclaimer 1. Yes, I am a fan, maybe not the shaking-until-I-lose-my-mind-rush-out-and-get-lip-injections type of fan, but a fan nonetheless. I was enthralled. She did what she does best. She drew the audience in with her hypnotic voice and dark songs of love, drugs and freedom.

The reasoning for disclaimer 2, I have a big voice, and I love big voices. I grew up on the likes of Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, and had a choir director mother who sang her guts out on stage from the moment I was conceived. It’s easy to criticize a singer like Lana for not being “big enough” and for not delivering the show stopping performance we’ve come to expect from over the top performers like Lady Gaga and most of her pop predecessors. Yes, Lana comes across as incredibly shy onstage. Almost to the point of awkwardness, but her songs resonate, and to me, there’s nothing more important.

Getting down into the pit of fans, taking selfies and signing autographs mid-show, it’s obvious Lana loves her supporters, in fact, I would say she feeds off of it. Some would call it self-indulgent, and maybe it is, but it added to Lana’s Old-Hollywood persona that she has so perfectly crafted. From images of Marilyn Monroe to the celebrity images from her “Video Games” video, there’s a charm and mystery to Lana that eludes most artists in today’s celebrity culture.

“I feel really lucky to be singing in front of you,” she said to the thousands of screaming fans, “because there’s a connection, and you get it.”

And a connection there was…more than most shows I see. Lana fans relate and Lana loves to connect with her fans. So in my opinion, she did exactly what she set out to do Wednesday night. Put on an amazing show for her fans.

Dallas Set List:

• Cola
• Body Electric
• Blue Jeans
• West Coast
• Born to Die
• Young and Beautiful
• Carmin
• Gods & Monsters
• Summertime Sadness
• Video Games
• Millions Dollar Man
• Radio
• National Anthem

I am soooo excited to share my new single with you guys on Valentine’s Day. I am absolutely in love with this track and since the origins of the song started with an acoustic guitar and vocals, I thought I’d put together an acoustic version for you guys.

I had a blast shooting this at the beautiful Majestic Theater in Dallas with the amazing Justin Goode, Steven Reeves and of course, Josh Goode on guitar. Check it out, let me know what you think in the comments below and don’t forget to download the single on Valentine’s Day!

Head over to Yahoo Music’s Reality Rocks blog for more recipes and Idol updates.

Shrimp Potstickers – Martha Stewart

Ingredients

Filling

• 2 tablespoons cilantro
• 1/2 pound large shrimp, shelled and deveined
• 1 large egg white
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chile oil, or 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil mixed with a pinch of cayenne
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 medium carrot, grated
• 3/4 cup finely chopped (about 2 ounces) Napa cabbage
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
• 2 small scallions, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon minced (about 1 small) shallot
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 package 3-inch round Chinese dumpling wrappers
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Dipping Sauce

• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon rice-wine vinegar
• 1 scallion, sliced

Finely chop 1 tablespoon cilantro leaves. Set aside. Coarsely chop half of the shrimp by hand, and set aside.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine remaining shrimp, egg white, chile oil, sesame oil, and soy sauce. Puree into a smooth paste.

Transfer to a medium bowl, add chopped cilantro, reserved chopped shrimp, carrot, cabbage, ginger, scallions, shallots, salt, and pepper.

Mix well.

Place 1 teaspoon of filling toward the front of a dumpling wrapper. There are two methods of sealing dumplings. Pleating one edge of the wrapper gives the dumpling its distinctive curved shape and allows it to stand upright in the pan. Do this by moistening edges with water using your finger. Bring the edges together, forming a taco shape, and pinch them together only in the top center to seal. Pinch 6 small pleats (3 on either side of the sealed center point) along one thickness only of the wrapper. Seal dumpling by pressing pleated and unpleated edges tightly together, enclosing filling. Alternatively, moisten wrapper edges with water, fold in half into a crescent shape around the filling, and pinch edges tightly closed. While forming dumplings, keep remaining wrappers covered with plastic wrap. Place filled dumplings on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and cover with plastic wrap.

In a small serving bowl, whisk together ingredients for dipping sauce.

Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in a well-seasoned 11-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Arrange half of the dumplings tightly together in heated skillet, and cook until deep golden brown, shaking the pan one or two times, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Add 1 cup hot water, partially cover, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, and cook until the bottoms of the dumplings are very crisp and all the water has evaporated, about 4 to 5 more minutes. Slide a spatula under dumplings to loosen them from the pan. Serve this batch of dumplings immediately or place them on a baking sheet, cover loosely with aluminum foil, and keep warm in a low oven.

Wash skillet, and repeat process with remaining dumplings. Transfer to a plate, garnish with remaining cilantro leaves, and serve with dipping sauce.

Bon Appétit!

I’m happy to be back as a guest blogger for Lyndsey Parker’s Reality Rocks blog during Season 13 of American Idol. For tonight’s cities I’m combining Boston’s love for Italian food with the spice of the southwest in Austin, TX.

Thanks for all the love for my Mac & Cheese Bites recipe last year. You inspired me to try another one. Make sure you let these cool before you remove them or you’ll have a pile of macaroni.

Southwest Mac & Cheese Bites

Ingredients

• 8oz large elbow macaroni
• 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
• 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp flour
• 3/4 cup milk (I used 2% but whole milk works just as well)
• 1 cup grated white cheddar cheese
• 1 cup grated pepper jack cheese
• 1/4 cup parmesan
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp chile powder
• 1 4.5 oz can chopped green chiles
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tbsp panko
• 2 chopped scallions
• 1 small avocado, diced
• cilantro for garnish

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Cook the pasta according to the package directions and drain well. Spray a nonstick mini muffin pan with cooking spray. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil over medium high heat in a medium sized skillet and sauté onion and bell pepper until softened. Set aside.

In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for about 1 minute.

Whisk in the milk and bring to a boil. Cook, whisking occasionally, for about 2 -3 minutes until thickened.

Add cheddar, pepper jack and Parmesan cheeses. Stir to melt.

Add the onion mixture, salt and next 4 ingredients through the chiles.

Stir until well combined and remove from heat.

Stir in the egg yolk.

Fill each tin with the macaroni mixture and sprinkle with the panko and scallions.

Bake for 10-15 minutes until bubbling and golden.

Remove from the oven and cool for 5-10 minutes. Using a teaspoon, carefully loosen the mac and cheese bites and transfer to a platter to serve. Top with the avocado and cilantro.

Bon Appétit!