Crumbs & Creativity

MOVING!

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:09:14 -0500

In case you were wondering where I’ve run off to, I’m now on www.iamdwj.com. I decided I was tired of having sites everywhere so I needed one central location. I’ve archived the Crumbs & Creativity posts on the site along with my Art of Accessories blog and you can find out more about my world in general there. I’ll still cook, take pictures and talk about food I love there but you’ll also get a little bit of fashion and beauty too.

It’s all DWJ all the time ;)

I hope you’ll join me!

NY Street Food

Mon, 02 Jan 2012 10:50:32 -0500

I do not lie about my love of carbs. Pretzels are by far my favorite. Salty, warm and delicious. My husband and I were checking out the holiday windows on Fifth Ave in NY and I snapped a few pictures of the food vendors too.

I don’t buy much from the carts in NY other than a pretzel and nuts for the husband but I thought they looked so much more edible in black and white.

Black and white makes it all look so much prettier, right?

A Perfect Cup

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 12:07:36 -0500

Who isn’t a fan of hot chocolate? If you’re not then I probably consider you a communist. I will essentially call anyone a communist if they don’t agree with me, so it’s not a big deal.

Well my boss recently changed how I drink my hot chocolate. I’m a lover of the marshmallow but they are always stale when I’m ready for a cup of cocoa and then I’m hostile and no one wants to drink hot cocoa in a hostile environment. My boss told me to put a layer of marshmallow fluff on top of my cocoa in lieu of marshmallows.

BRILLIANT!

Not only does it give you the delicious, melty marshmallow goodness that you want. It also acts as a layer of insulation on your cocoa and keeps it warmer longer. How come no one told me of this genius before?! I will never go fluffless in my pantry ever again.

BrownieOreoCookie Bar Deliciousness

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 22:28:11 -0500

I found a recipe online for a brownie, cookie, Oreo bar and send it to my sister. She audibly gasped on the phone when she saw the image. And then she read the recipe and decided that brownie mix and standard cookie mix just wouldn’t do and she’d have to make her own version. Oh and did she. My sister Anne made chocolate chip from scratch and spread them in the pan. Then she layered in Oreo cookies and then she covered all of that goodness with homemade brownies. And they cooked into this wonderful little bar that we proceeded to put ice cream and hot fudge on top. Too much? Or just enough? Clearly, my sister loves me.

Thanksgiving Spicy & Sweet Butternut Squash

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 09:30:34 -0500

Last year I was in Hilton Head, South Carolina for Thanksgiving with my family. Catered Thanksgiving meals are my favorite because I dont’ have to do anything and clean up is so much easier

Don’t get me wrong, I love to cook but sometimes all the pots and pans and cleaning required for such a big meal can be a bit of a deterrent. This year my Mom is doing the bulk of cooking but I’ve been tasked with making my mashed sweet potatoes (no marshmallows are involved) and a butternut squash mash that I made after tasting one at Nando’s.

It’s a kind of spicy and sweet side dish. Here’s what you need…

Ingredients:

- 1 butternut squash peeled, and diced into 2 inch cubes
- 1 red onion
- About a cup of chicken stock
- 1 handful of cilantro chopped roughly
- brown sugar to taste
- salt and pepper to taste
- Nando’s Peri Peri sauce

How I Made It:

I take the butternut squash with the red onion chopped up and sprinkle it with olive oil, salt and pepper and then roast it for 30 minutes in a 400 degree oven. When it comes out of the oven I pop in a medium heat pan and add the chicken stock (or broth), cilantro and just a sprinkle of brown sugar. I mash it over the heat and when it’s to a nice chunky consistency I fold in the Nando’s Peri Peri sauce - you could do a garlic hot sauce too if you can’t get Nando’s. It’s just enough spice but still a bit of sweet in the background.

I’m adding a little something different to our Thanksgiving table, what about you?

Serendipity Red Velvet Sundae

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 16:35:00 -0500

Washington, DC got its own Serendipity restaurant with Serendipity 3 in Georgetown. My family went there on Sunday to celebrate my sister’s birthday and I made sure to save room for dessert.

I’ve been to Serendipity in NY and had one of their famous frozen hot chocolates (a peanut butter frozen hot chocolate to be exact) but this time I went for the red velvet sundae with vanilla ice cream instead of chocolate (I don’t do chocolate on chocolate on chocolate).

It was good but it wasn’t amazing. I thought the cake was a little dry and I found it odd that they put the hot fudge underneath the ice cream cup on the plate. Why are you making me work for my hot fudge? WHY?! The staff was very accommodating, the manager was silly and joked with us and we had a good time celebrating my sister’s birthday. I’d go back and just order dessert though and not an entire meal. For a glass of water, a salad, a bowl of chili and 2 sundaes the husband and I spent $68. And although that included the tip, I still thought it was a bit overpriced. But I’m always willing to pay a bit more just for dessert.

Buy This...NOW!

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 13:09:51 -0500

I may have a slight crush on Donald Glover but he’s smart, funny and a brilliant musician. Buy Camp now.

iamdonald:

Camp is out. You can get it HERE or a store.

Thanks guys.

A Work In Progress

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 13:45:25 -0500

I realize I neglect Crumbs & Creativity a lot. This is my second blog so it doesn’t get as much love as it should. But as my other blog is reaching it’s 4 year anniversary I’ve been contemplating what I want to do blog wise in 2012 and whether or not I want to continue blogging at all. It sounds weird to say outloud but it’s what I’m thinking about right now.

You know what I want to do?

Cook more.

Knit more.

Sew more.

Take more pictures.

Those are things I that I love to do and am finding that everything else gets in the way. Those are the things that make me happy, relax me and bring joy to my world. So perhaps that’s what I need to focus on doing more of for 2012.

If you subscribe to Crumbs & Creativity via RSS feed or email or you read me when I occassionally pop up in your Tumblr feed, I thank you for sticking around. I’ve got lots of photos and creative things I’ve been doing that I need to post and share and I think I’ll start uploading stuff at the end of this week. I think I just needed a moment to really think about the things I love and figure out how to find more balance in my life.

I’m clearly a work in progress.

Gosh, I still tear up when I see Jim Henson. iamdonald: All I...

Sun, 06 Nov 2011 17:27:28 -0500

Gosh, I still tear up when I see Jim Henson.

iamdonald:

All I ever wanted.

Goose Gourds! I’ve never seen these until today but I...

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 13:17:18 -0400

Goose Gourds! I’ve never seen these until today but I think they are insanely cool.

Bobby's Burger Palace

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 14:19:31 -0400

Another burger place has come to Washington, DC. Bobby’s Burger Palace, owned by Chef Bobby Flay. I’m always down for a good burger. I love Black and Orange (formerly Rogue State), was so very unimpressed with Shake Shack and wanted something a little different from Good Stuff Eatery.

I ordered the September Burger of the Month, Cheyenne. Smoked Cheddar Cheese, Bacon, BBQ Sauce and Shoestring Onion Rings made this burger incredibly good. The meat was flavorful and juicy and the bun was fresh.

I also decided it was very necessary to try out a milkshake while I was there…clearly it was research for this blog. Right? RIGHT?! The dark chocolate milkshake was so, so, so very good. Creamy, smooth and rich all blended into 1 very tall glass with a very big straw. And of course I topped it with some of their homemade whipped cream.

I also fell madly and deeply in love with the honey mustard horseradish dipping sauce that came with their sweet potato fries. I think they need to drizzle that over a burger. I didn’t have my burger “crunchified,” to have potato chips added in between the bun and patty. Maybe I will add that to my list next time because there will definitely be a next time. I loved the cheery decor and the color scheme is the same as my kitchen, apple green, orange and yellow so I felt very at home. Definitely adding this place to my new favorite burger spot in DC and I’ll be back sooner rather than later.

28CHICKSKIN-articleLarge.jpg (600×345)

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 13:45:45 -0400

28CHICKSKIN-articleLarge.jpg (600×345)

Football Food

Mon, 12 Sep 2011 10:05:49 -0400

Last week the husband and I went to Louisville, Kentucky to visit some friends. We love these friends for lots of reasons, but one of them is that they love to cook as much I do. So while we were there, Adam decided to experiment and he fried up corn tortillas made tortilla chips! BRILLIANT! Why have we not done this sooner?

You cut up the tortillas into 4-8 even triangles (I cut them in varying sizes but in the future if I buy the small tortillas again I’ll just do it in 4’s since they weren’t that big) and then fry them for a minute or until they get golden brown in about a half inch of oil.

Let the oil drain off on a plate with a napkin and then sprinkle with sea salt while hot.

OMG! These are so good. So of course this meant we had to make homemade nachos yesterday in honor of the return of football. I’m not a football fan but my husband is a huge enough fan for the 2 of us. We also have an agreement that as long as he gets all the stuff we need for the house done, I’ll leave him a lone for the rest of the day on Sunday to watch football and lounge in his basement. I actually don’t mind it and he gets him to chill out (which is rare) and I typically spend the entire Sunday in the kitchen.

So I made salsa (another recipe I stole from our friends in Louisville) with some really ripe Roma tomatoes, cilantro, onion, lime juice and salt.

I made a ton of guacamole.

I slow roasted pork AND made some really delicious taco meat.

And then we layered it all up with cheese and sour cream and I made the best nachos ever. I think I’ll be frying up our own tortilla chips from now on and we have the Burns family to thank for the idea. YUM!

It isn’t a road trip if I don’t get a Bojangles...

Sat, 03 Sep 2011 08:30:28 -0400

It isn’t a road trip if I don’t get a Bojangles chicken biscuit.

I've Been in the Kitchen for a Long Time

Tue, 30 Aug 2011 16:49:38 -0400

Proof that I’ve been in the kitchen for a long time. Who knew a 3 year old could have such a dope kitchen set-up?! Hand mixer, pots and pans, oven…thanks, Mom!

Today is my 33rd birthday and I’m going home so I can cook dinner for the folks I love. Couldn’t imagine a better way to spend my birthday.

#33in33for33 | An Update

Tue, 16 Aug 2011 09:33:31 -0400

I finally went to Millers Farm, a farm not far from my house, to buy vegetables. WHY HAVE I WAITED SO LONG?! This salad might’ve been my best salad of the year all because of the incredibly fresh and delicious produce. Their tomatoes were like little round bites of heaven. Seriously. While I was at the market I picked up green and yellow squash to cook for my Mom. She broke her ankle a few weeks ago and I have been working from her house and trying to cook a few things for her so she could have healthy options. She requested squash and I’ve never cooked squash. I’ve eaten it but never really cooked it (the husband isn’t that big of a fan). So I took my mother’s directions: cut it up evenly, add onion, salt and pepper and let the squash produce it’s own juices and you’re good to go. It was quite yummy if I do say so myself. So now I’ve checked 2 food items off of my 33 in 33 for 33 list. YAY ME!

Kitchen Upgrade | Fiestaware

Mon, 08 Aug 2011 15:38:29 -0400

When I was in college, the only things I thought about buying were makeup, clothes and dinners out with my girlfriends. I never thought there would be a day when I would browse for double ovens (which are quite expensive), flooring and dishes. Well, the days have come and I’ve realized that’s just part of what makes me a grown up. I’m excited because this weekend I took the plunge and replaced the dishes I registered for when I got married (tear) and bought FIESTAWARE!

If you’re not familiar with Fiestaware or Fiesta as it is called, it is a series of ceramic dishes glazed in bright colors. The best thing about Fiestaware to me is that you can mix and match so many colors and you know how much I love color!

This weekend I picked up 8 place settings in peacock (a bright teal), sunflower (yellow), lemongrass (lime), shamrock (grassy green), plum (dark purple), cobalt (dark blue), scarlet (red), tangerine (orange).

Macy’s is currently having a buy 1 get 1 free sale for the 4 piece and 5 piece place settings, which is a pretty good deal. The husband and I also plan to drive to Kentucky in Septmeber and are going to stop at the Fiestaware outlet to pick up platters, bowls and other serving dishes for cheap. I feel like this pop of color really does perk up my already sunny kitchen. And who knew I’d ever get this excited about buying dishes?

August 3 - National Watermelon Day

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 10:29:37 -0400

Today is National Watermelon Day, a day I know my father is probably going to enjoy.

For Father’s Day this year I bought him the Kuhn Rikon Watermelon Knife (I picked mine up at Sur La Table).

Since I was little, my father has always enjoyed picking and chopping up a perfectly ripe watermelon. As long as they’re in season he will get at least 2 watermelons a week and chop them up and put them in very specific green containers to store the pieces in the fridge. Of course as soon as I saw the ad for this knife in a cooking magazine I called my mother and told her what I had to buy him for Father’s Day.

Last week when I was at my parent’s house and I finally got to see him with his knife in action. The blade is extra long so that it can go through an entire watermelon and the serrated blade makes slicing through the rind even easier. My Dad chopped up an entire watermelon into small chucks and even disposed of the rind in under 5 minutes.

It is kind of funny to think that I’m this excited about a knife. But if you could see how excited my Dad is when he has a special knife to do the one thing he loves to do in the kitchen, you’d be just as excited as I am too.

Happy National Watermelon Day!

33 in 33 for 33

Sun, 31 Jul 2011 21:57:48 -0400

I wrote a post on my more active site, The Art of Accessories about some goals I want to accomplish in the next 33 days. I thought I’d share it here as well on Crumbs & Creativity since it’s about my life and there are som food related goals.

Enjoy…

{Originally posted on the Art of Accessories on Friday, July 29, 2011}

I realized this week that today marks 33 days until my 33rd birthday (August 30th). I don’t mind getting older, I don’t mind my age either and 3 is my lucky number so I have a feeling that 33 will be an incredibly lucky year for me.
In honor of my 33 days to 33 I’ve decided to take on 33 small things that will enhance my life in some way. Nothing major or monumental (so that I can accommplish them in 33 days) but still fun things to try to do over the next 33 days.

Here is my list:

Knit a baby blanket for a friend
Knit a scarf for my Mom
Finish a project from knitting class (cowl or fingerless gloves
Sew a simple skirt with fabric in my stash
Sew a zippered bag with fabric in my stash
Sew a new camera strap for my camera with fabric in my stash
Experiment with polymer clay making beads for a necklace
Buy a new tripod for my camera
Take pictures of a monument at night
Focus on learning more about lighting for photography
Take more pictures in black and white
Take 1 (at least) outfit photo a week for the blog
Go to spinning class twice a week
Only eat French fries once a week
Ride my bike
Take a trampoline class
Go to the driving range
Play at least 9 holes of golf
Bake something new
Bake something for my office
Cook a vegetable I’ve never tried before
Eat a fruit I’ve never tried before
Buy fruits and veggies at the local farm around the corner
Send a dozen postcards to friends to say ‘I love you’
Have dinner with a girlfriend I don’t hang out with often
Hang out with someone new
Read a book
Read a magazine cover to cover
Get a dessert stone massage
Do not buy any makeup
Watch season 1 of Mad Men on Netflix
Print copies of my favorite photos
Finish the gallery wall of images in my living room

33 is a big number. Hmm…we’ll see if I can get this all accomplished. I have hope in myself that I can do it. A few of them require money but the majority of them are things I can do with resources I already have. And perhaps if I put myself on a no makeup budget (#30) I’ll have some extra cash to do some of the things that require cash.

There are some days that I wish I could do this…and that I...

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 13:52:45 -0400

There are some days that I wish I could do this…and that I owned an orange bathtub.

sesamestreet:

Cookie cookie, you’re the one!