Today's Nest

Treat of the Week: Chewy Chocolate Cherry Oat Bar

2012-02-24T08:06:15-06:00

In case you hadn’t noticed, we love food around here. We talk a great deal about design and DIY, but it always comes around to food… more commonly, treats. It always comes back to treats. This week wraps up our second year blogging. It’s hard to believe that we have presented the Treat of the Week every week for 2 years.

This week we tried to tie together a few of the things we have been celebrating this month; oats, cherries, and chocolate. This chewy chocolate cherry oat bar is hearty and surprisingly easy to make. The base is a chewy bar that could be adapted for other ingredients.

We love this bar for our kids. It is incredibly close to some of the same bars we can purchase in the supermarket, but we have total control of the ingredients. I’ll admit the dark chocolate is really meant for me, but it tastes so good with the cherries that I couldn’t use any other kind. Lastly we tossed in some pistachios for the unique taste and saltiness. This bar has it all… salty, sweet, chewy, and chocolatey.

savour… total package

Get the rest after the jump…

Chewy Chocolate Cherry Oat Bar

Before you start:

Wrap these bars tightly in plastic wrap individually for lunch bags.

Tossing the chopped cherries in the flour before adding the remaining ingredients reduces the stickiness of them and keeps them separated which allows for more even distribution.

As the chocolate is a main focus in this treat, tempering is very important.

The ingredients:

2 ¼ cups rolled oats
½ cup all purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon vanilla
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
¼ cup honey
¼ cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup chopped dried cherries
½ cup chopped pistachios
10 oz bittersweet chocolate

The method:

Preheat oven to 325˚. Line an 8x8 brownie pan with aluminum foil. Spray lightly with cooking oil spray.
Toss cherries and flour in a large mixing bowl to coat.
Add remaining ingredients except chocolate.
Mix completely by hand or with a spoon to evenly distribute ingredients.
Press mixture into pan and level out the top.
Bake for 20-22 minutes or until lightly browned on top.
Remove from oven and cool for 2 minutes in pan. Use aluminum foil to lift out and finish cooling on a wire rack.
When completely cool, use a very sharp knife to cut away the edges. Cut the remaining square into 6 long strips and then each strip in half.
Temper the chocolate by melting 8 ounces in a heat proof bowl over a simmering pot of water until it reaches 110˚.
Remove from the heat and pour into a different bowl. Cool slightly. Add the remaining chocolate and stir occasionally to melt.
When melted pour into a shallow bowl and dip each of the cooled bars in the chocolate.
Push some chocolate up the sides of the bars and then lift out with a fork under each end.
Allow excess chocolate to fall away and then place on a parchment lined sheet to set and cool.
Store in an airtight container. Makes 12 bars.

Guest Posting at Ingredients Inc

2012-02-22T04:45:00-06:00

In case you haven't already heard, this is Pancake Week! I'm not sure it really needs a week at our house as every week is pancake week. Nonetheless, who am I to stand in the way of a good food celebration? Pancake week is welcome around here and a welcomed part of Hot Breakfast Month, which we are also in the midst of celebrating.

Of course, we are happy to present our very favorite recipe for homemade buttermilk pancakes, but the post isn't here. Today I am very pleased to be guest posting at Ingredients Inc. This is the product of Alison Lewis... culinary nutritionist, cookbook author, recipe developer, lifestyle journalist & blogger, and food stylist/photographer.

Do go check out the recipe for Buttermilk Pancakes (plus top 10 pancake making tips). You'll be glad you did. While you are there, please take a moment to look around at Ingredients Inc. You are sure to find food and inspiration there.

In the meantime, here's a teaser:

OK... one last word about pancakes before you go. I'm on a mission to get real maple syrup in kitchens across America. I'm not being sponsored by any syrup makers. I just think the difference between real maple syrup and the flavored sugar water that lines the shelves in the breakfast aisle is too great to not call into question. If you haven't tried it yet... try it! You'll never go back.

Lola Finds: Bird Houses

2012-02-21T04:45:00-06:00

Lola is a bit of an expert where bird houses are concerned. She's seen her fair share and knows what a modern girl likes. Below we have highlighted some of our favorites from around the web.

Note: Not all bird houses are for all birds. On the other hand, some of these are so smart looking, they might just stay inside.

Roost Bodega Bird House at habitat design
Birdhouse by cpopp workshop
Nest Birdhouse by arcamita
Birdy Modern Bird House by Vladmir Jackard at Nova 68
Burd-Haus by Nathan Danials at Papernstitch
Birdbottle Bird House at blend design
Planter Bird House at Jardin Chic
Egg Bird House by Jim Schatz
Anderes Bird House by Oliver Krapf at Stadtnomaden

Treat of the Week: Mint Chocolate Vacherin

2012-02-17T06:31:55-06:00

We have dedicated each Treat of the Week this month to chocolate. The first week we gave you Chocolate Hazelnut Mille Crepe and last week, one of my all time favorites… truffles. This week we lighten things up just a bit with a light and airy meringue base for our dessert. It makes the perfect backdrop for fresh mint and of course, plenty of chocolate.

The vacherin (vash-rahn) is a fairly common French dessert. Ours is made with whipped cream, but you will see many of these made with ice cream, as well. Beyond the fact that it is delicious, it is very pretty to serve and will make you look like a kitchen genius. The best part of all, it’s really simple to make.

savour… luscious layers

Get the rest after the jump…

Mint Chocolate Vacherin

Before you start:

If you don’t have superfine sugar, simply put granulated sugar in your food processor for about 30 seconds.

Folding must be done gently and just enough to incorporate ingredients. Too much folding will deflate your egg whites.

Be sure your lines of piped batter touch slightly to keep the meringue in one solid piece.

Try to keep your lines as consistent in terms of height by applying even pressure from start to finish.

Be gentle with finished meringues while assembling. They are quite fragile.

Likewise, you must be cautious when serving. For best results, cut with a very sharp knife. Do not press, but use a sawing motion to slice.

The ingredients:

For the meringues:

3 egg whites
¾ cup superfine sugar / 175g
1 tsp cornstarch
1 ½ ounces grated semisweet chocolate

For the filling:

8 ounces milk chocolate
1 1/2cups heavy cream
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoons superfine sugar

Garnish:

Semisweet chocolate
Fresh mint leaves

The method:

For the meringues:

Preheat oven to 275°.
On a piece of parchment paper draw 3 rectangles approximately 4 inches wide and 10 inches long. Place the parchment on baking sheet and set aside.
Beat eggs in a clean mixing bowl fitted with whisk attachment until soft peaks form.
Add ½ cup of the superfine sugar and whisk until mixture is quite stiff and glossy.
Fold in the remaining sugar, cornstarch, and grated chocolate.
Fill a pastry bag fitted with a ½ inch plain tip. Pipe lines of batter across the rectangles.
Bake for 45 minutes. Rotate tray. Bake another 45 minutes.
Turn off oven and allow the meringues to cool completely inside the oven.

For the filling:

In a heat proof bowl over a simmering pot of water, melt the milk chocolate.
Stir the chocolate until smooth.
Spread the chocolate on two of the meringue layers while still warm. Set aside.
Muddle the chopped mint leaves with the sugar in a pestle and mortar.
Add sugared mint and cream to a chilled bowl and whip to soft peaks.
Place one of the chocolate covered meringues on your serving dish. Spread a third of the cream on top of the chocolate layer. Add the other chocolate covered meringue and repeat the cream layer.
Add the final meringue disk. Add the remaining cream right down the center of the top disk.
Grate just a bit of semisweet chocolate over the top and place a mint leaf on alternating sides of the cream about every inch along the top.

Finding Inspiration: Design Blog Picks

2012-02-16T07:21:02-06:00

Blogs have become a mainstay in web surfing. Many business owners, including designers, have come to realize that to be competitive in the web sector a blog is no longer a gimmick, but a necessity. Because of that, there are now thousands of blogs for you to use for inspiration. Some are geared toward the blog author’s work while others discuss design in general.

Here we have outlined 10 of our favorites. There are many more that we love, but in an effort to keep the list short we sifted through many to provide you with what we think is a good starting list. Do you have favorites that are not listed here? Feel free to share a comment for the other readers.

savour… shared inspiration

Get the list and links after the jump...

Know Your Food: Egg Basics

2012-02-15T04:45:00-06:00

Eggs… we all eat them. In fact, we eat a staggering number of them. Egg laying chickens in America produce around 75 billion eggs per year which is 10% of the world’s production. While many of those end up on our breakfast table or baked into our recipes, many more make their way to the prepared foods or the food service industry.

From a nutritional standpoint, these little wonders add an enormous amount of value to your daily diet. Chicken eggs supply all essential amino acids for humans. They also provide many other vitamins including vitamin A, many B vitamins, iron, and potassium.

From a culinary perspective, eggs are nothing short of magical. Apart from sugar, they might be the most versatile ingredient in your kitchen. Like sugar, preparing them in different ways and with varying temperature and amount of air can completely transform the finished product.

savour… incredible edible

Get the rest after the jump…

Egg Basics

Things to consider:

Bird eggs have been used as food for thousands of years. Their pre-historic timeline places their origin in Southeast Asia and India as early as 7500 BC.

Always check the carton of eggs before buying to ensure that none are broken. Take an extra step and move each one slightly within its cup to make sure it is not cracked on the bottom and stuck to the container.

For maximum volume when beating egg whites, it is best to have them at room temperature. Use a grease free bowl and beaters. Copper bowls are best for this purpose.

If you over beat egg whites they will become dry and flaky and won’t hold nearly as much air. Remedy this by adding another egg white and beating only until stiff and glossy. Remove ¼ cup of the egg white to maintain the integrity of the recipe.

Add whipped whites to heavier ingredients when folding in and not vice versa.

Egg yolks in the whites can wreck a good recipe. If you are concerned about this consider using three bowls. One for the yolks, one for the whites, and one for the white you are separating. This way, if the current egg white gets some yolk in it the whole bowl of whites won’t be ruined.

Eggs separate best when cold.

Older eggs are best suited for boiling. As eggs age the membrane thins and an air pocket forms between the membrane and the shell. This allows for easier peeling. Use the fresher eggs for baking!

If a recipe does not specify the size of egg to use, assume it is large.

The egg carton was invented in 1911 in British Columbia. The first cartons were made of paper.

There is no conclusive proof of any advantage between brown and white eggs. They simple come from different breeds of chickens. The taste and composition up are essentially the same. Because the majority of commercially sold eggs in the US come from the same breed of chicken, we mostly get white eggs. As a result, brown eggs are often more expensive.

Ways to prepare eggs:

Boiled
Steamed
Scrambled
Whipped
Fried
Poached
Pickled

Where you’ll find eggs highlighted around Today’s Nest:

Lola Digs: The Smart Gardener

2012-02-14T04:45:00-06:00

Modern Hen’s Garden Go To:It’s that time again! Garden planning and planting are just around the corner. I’d like to introduce you to an amazing tool – The Smart Gardener.

This amazing product is free and the steps are outlined below:

Setting up your garden is as simple as entering your zip code, size, and plants you’d like to grow. What’s especially nice is that the program will alert you if you’ve chosen something that is unseasonable. This improves your gardening success rate and ensures you are growing what is in season for your region. Additionally, this program helps you with succession planting. Succession planting is one of my goals this year. I’d like to keep the goodness going year round!

Your first step is to select your garden type and garden layout.

Select your plants.

Out pops your garden plan.

And finally, your to do list which keeps you on track throughout your growing season.Some bonus features include a relevant gardening blog and seed shopping right within the application. This smart gardener has thought of everything! Follow The Smart Gardener on Facebook and Twitter.

savour… smart solutions.