My life in food

Easy Cheese Danishes and I'll tell you what I want...

noreply@blogger.com (Krysta) — Thu, 09 May 2013 16:22:00 +0000

What I really really want...

I want a...

I want a...

I really want a quilt for the new baby.

A quilt that looks like this.

Photo courtesy of Little Miss Momma

And I really, really want every special person in my life to gift a piece of fabric that they picked out to give to me so I can make this quilt. A patchwork with pieces of every one in my life right now to document forever. I want my grandmother to pick a pattern. My sister to pick her favorite color. My mother, my Aunts in California, my Aunt in Colorado Springs...I even want the girls at Creekside and and Freshies (My breakfast spots) to pick me out a piece. I'd say the girls at Winona's too, but I think I feel closer to them then they actually do to me. Awkward. Old friends, new friends, Facebook friends, people near and far who may have to ship their fabric. All of them. I want them all. Selfishly. The only problem? I have NO IDEA how to quilt.

And how do I guarantee the quilt is soft and thin, and pliable instead of the heavy rigid ones I've been around? I have no idea. How would I get it to look like the picture above that seems to embody all of those things? Can I take it to a quilter? Is there even such a thing? I'm asking you, dear friends, because I don't know who else to ask. I'm hoping you have some advice for me. I'm guessing the fabric would have to be of a certain quality or made of "quilting" material, which may present a problem. We have some thin, itchy stuff at our Wal-Mart here. That's not really what I'm talking about. I think we have fabric stores though. Fingers crossed. Although, maybe it's sort of rude say:

Would you want to pick out a pice of fabric for Baby MacGray's quilt? Oh, it needs to be quilting fabric. Make sure of that.

Maybe that's just a given. It would have to be "quilting" fabric, right?

And now I vill talk about zee food. Sorry for my shameless quilt talk. Easy Cheese Danishes, ready? GO!

I made these cheese Danishes for the Soulation gathering I catered this March. Someone in attendance asked me if I had made them and was shocked when I said yes. She expressed that she had never seen danishes that someone had made, only from the store. I suppose someone at the store had to make them as well but I knew what she meant. She went on to point out to everyone that I had, in fact, made them. They were beautiful. And they did look impressive and fresh baked and homey. But honestly? These things are so easy that I felt guilty accepting the praise. Maybe if I had made my own pastry I'd have felt more worthy. Alas, I've done that, and the results are not noticeably different, so I stuck to the frozen pre-made Pepperidge Farm version. I'm not ashamed. Even Ina Garten uses it.

I've always loved Danishes. I remember lusting after the Entemans Raspberry Danish from the grocery store that my mom sometimes got for us as a treat growing up. It was that memory that prompted me to tuck little spoonfuls of good raspberry jam into half of the cheese danishes before baking. Lemon curd would have been amazing too.

Easy Cheese Danishes
adapted From Barefoot Contessa at Home, by Ina Garten
yield: 8 Danishes

For the Danishes:
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
2 extra-large egg yolks, at room temperature
2 tablespoons ricotta cheese
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
2 sheets (1 box) frozen puff pastry, defrosted
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
Raspberry Jam (optional-if wanting to make raspberry danishes)

For the icing:
1 cup powdered sugar
1-2 tablespoon lemon juice or milk

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Place the cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and cream them together on low speed until smooth. With the mixer still on low, add the egg yolks, ricotta, vanilla, salt, and lemon zest and mix until just combined. Don't whip!

Unfold 1 sheet of puff pastry onto a lightly floured board and roll it slightly with a floured rolling pin until it's a 10 by 10-inch square. Cut the sheet into quarters with a sharp knife. Place a heaping tablespoon of cheese filling into the middle of each of the 4 squares. If making raspberry danishes: spoon 2 teaspoons of jam into the cheese mixture. I spooned one teaspoon towards the top and one towards the bottom. Brush the border of each pastry with egg wash and fold 2 opposite corners to the center, brushing and overlapping the corners of each pastry so they firmly stick together. Brush the top of the pastries with egg wash. Place the pastries on the prepared sheet pan. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry and refrigerate the filled Danish for 15 minutes.

Bake the pastries for about 20 minutes, rotating the pan once during baking, until puffed and brown. Meanwhile, mix the powdered sugar and lemon juice together in a small bowl. When Danishes are done and still warm, drizzle the glaze over the top in a criss cross pattern. Serve warm.

Fettuccine with Kale Pesto

noreply@blogger.com (Krysta) — Tue, 07 May 2013 15:12:00 +0000

Kale Pesto. I've heard of it before but never struck me as something I needed to run to the kitchen to make. I like regular pesto. In my mind the basil version can't be beat, especially with kale. I love kale, just not for pesto. But hark! I made that kale pesto namely because the recipe stated that most people couldn't believe it wasn't made with basil because the taste was so similar except kale keeps it's verdant green color better and makes for a brighter dish. So did it taste like basil pesto? Shockingly, it sort of did. Not exactly, but close enough. I may add some basil leaves to the kale next time just for an extra boost of flavor. This is an awesome version to try out with the vegetable of the moment. You did know kale was the vegetable of the moment didn't you? I say use it up while you can before it's dethroned by the next big thing.

In other news, my doctor did a quick ultrasound the other day and this baby is already 4lbs! I'm 32 weeks and still feeling good, although was completely overcome with the need to nap the other day. Like, it wasn't even an option. An hour and a half later I was worried I wouldn't be able to fall asleep that night, but by 9pm was ready. We still don't have a name picked out which is completely annoying. When I wasn't pregnant I had all sorts of favorite girl names and now nothing sounds right or stands out. Or I can't pick between them. I'm not sure. Either way it's annoying and I fear we will be those parents in the delivery room with no name until two days after the birth. Lame. We suck.

Speaking of things sucking, have I told you how much Colorado spring weather sucks?! Yeah, Olivia wore shorts to school last Monday and by Wednesday she wore fleece lined jeans and a jacket because it was snowing...again. My daffodils need sunshine! Boooooo! Boo to the snow! That's what I say.

You? You can go ahead and say hello to kale pesto pasta. You know you're gonna make it. You can double the kale pesto recipe and freeze the second half so you can have a dinner later that's ready as soon as the pasta is done cooking. I store my leftover pesto in mason jars with a little olive oil covering the top (so it doesn't turn brown) with the lid screwed on tightly in the freezer.

And just for a bit of random... Mom! They said. Take a picture like we're getting blown away by the wind!

Please note Jeremiah's "Mary Poppins" umbrella. You can tell it's Mary Poppins because of the parrot head on the handle. He thinks it's a "boy" umbrella because it's black. He also likes parrots or any bird for that matter, so that helps too. He loves this umbrella. The play Mary Poppins? Not so much. My grandparents took us to see it in Denver last week and while he had lots of fun running around with his cousin Reisa and getting to skip a day of school to go down to see the play, he was ready to leave at intermission.

Reisa and Jeremiah with their umbrellas (in the package still) outside the Denver Performing Arts Center using them as weapons.

He much preferred Iron Man 3 this weekend at the movie theaters. Go figure.

Fettuccine with Kale Pesto
adapted from True Food Kitchen via Natural Health Magazine
serves 4-6

Kale Pesto
4 cups stemmed, chopped black kale
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/4 plus 1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup pine nuts
2 fat garlic cloves
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Pasta
1 pound fettuccine (we used whole wheat)
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (we used 1/2 cup)
1 recipe kale pesto (above)

To make the pesto, bring a pot of water to boil. Fill a large bowl with ice cubes and cold water. Using tongs, plunge the kale into the boiling water for three minutes; transfer it to the cold bowl (doing so retains the kale's bright green color). After three minutes, drain and squeeze out excess liquid. Put the kale and remaining pesto ingredients into a food processor, puree until smooth and set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta al dente according to the package.

Just before pasta is done, remove two tablespoons of pasta water and add to the pesto. Add the cheese and mix well.

Drain pasta and toss with pesto.

Red Quinoa Tabbouleh with Beets and Strawberries

noreply@blogger.com (Krysta) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 14:17:00 +0000

My friend Danielle and I met for breakfast yesterday morning. It was our first meeting since getting back from Spring Break and it was our time to rehash and catch each other up on what has been going on. She went to Phoenix and had told me about her families favorite eatery called True Food Kitchen. By some strange coincidence I had just made a recipe from True Food's cookbook via a magazine the night before, so I knew exactly what she was talking about. My dinner, a red quinoa tabbouleh packed with golden beets, mint, strawberries, parsley, arugula, scallions and dressed in a bright lemony garlic dressing hit the spot and was just what I was craving after two weeks of vacation food. As luck would have it, Natural Health magazine profiled some of True Food Kitchen's recipes, courtesy of Dr. Andrew Weil who is the mastermind behind the restaurant. I had trouble picking which recipe I should make because every single thing sounded mouth watering, from the buttery Miso-Marinated Black Cod with Baby Bok Choy and Roasted Mushrooms to the Fettuccine with Kale Pesto that I'll be making tonight. Danielle also said that on the day they were at the restaurant there were huge glass containers filled with grapefruit and mint infused water. That is my kind of place. So glad I get to bring a little sampling of it home.

It is so good to be home, but it's always hard leaving all that vacation behind, especially when it looked like this:

The beach. Our favorite family spot is Paradise Cove between Malibu and Zuma

In-N-Out, because, obviously.

Our Austin Rattler Bike Race group

I love crewing for my husband during races

Bananarchy food truck in Austin. Chocolate covered frozen banana rolled in coconut and peanuts. That's all I'm gonna say.

Dallas with Craig and Sal

We even snuck in a Disneyland trip!

The California coast

Pool time! Jeremiah learned how to swim!

Viva Las Vegas. More pool time

Disclaimer: If you live in Austin, Vegas or LA and I didn't contact you about our stay, please know the last week was completely spontaneous and since my family lives in the LA area we were completely booked up from the time we got in until we left. Plus we couldn't stay at our usual place so we were a bit out of town.

Vacation is awesome, no doubt, but it's good to be home in my own kitchen eating the food I eat regularly again. It wasn't all awful. I had plenty of green juices and smoothies from our beloved Whole Foods, and we tried an awesome raw food restaurant called Cafe Gratitude in the Venice Beach area (if your in the area, check it out, stat! They also have other locations in LA and San Francisco. Order the "I am cool" mint chocolate shake for dessert. It's like magic.) but there was definite indulging in our favorite whole grain pancakes with endless topping choices at CiCi's in Tarzaza, and I may have eaten a churro, a waffle cone filled with mint and chip ice cream and half a hot chocolate in the same day at Disneyland, In-N-Out is mandatory (if you're vegetarian like us, order a grilled cheese animal style), and we topped our trip off with a date to Firefly in Studio City (hipest atmosphere ever) where we stuffed ourselves with the most outrageous mussels (roasted in a cast iron skillet with butter, salt, pepper and lemon, served screaming hot) then keeping with the seafood theme, ordering the tempura fried lobster and fries with orange aioli for good measure. Then two desserts.

Let's just say that when I got home and read the headline

"Kim Kardashian spirals out of control as she gains 6 pounds in one week!"

My reaction may have been a bit defensive. Like, it's totally normal to gain 6 pounds in a week when you're pregnant. Completely and totally normal. Except I was on vacation, Kim. At least I can say that. Actually I wasn't defensive at all. I started laughing and pulled Jeremy aside and was all omigosh, I am on par with Kim Kardashian now and the world thinks this is the stuff that makes up spiraling out of control! Am I spiraling out of control? Did we buy enough kale?

...And then I promptly drove home and made this tabbouleh and felt so much better about myself. The end.

Red Quinoa Tabbouleh with Beets and Strawberries
adapted from True Food Kitchen by Andrew Weil via Natural Health Magazine

serves 4-6

1 pound beets (red or golden)
2 cups red quinoa or tri-color quinoa
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 teaspoon sea salt
Pinch of red pepper flake
1/3 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
3 scallions, chopped
2 ounces arugula, chopped roughly
10-12 strawberries, chopped or 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
1/3 cup chopped almonds or walnuts

Roast and peel your beets, then chop into bite sized pieces. Meanwhile, bring four cups of salted water to a boil and add quinoa. Lower heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes until quinoa is dry and fluffy. Let cool.

In a salad bowl, whisk together oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and red pepper flakes. Add beets, quinoa, parsley, mint, scallions and arugula and toss well; chill until cool.

divide onto serving plates and top with strawberries or pomegranate seeds and almonds (I just tossed these in with the rest of the salad, but if you want real crunch from the nuts just top it like the recipe states).

Whole Foods Smoothie and Juice Recipes from Austin

noreply@blogger.com (Krysta) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 14:02:00 +0000

There are many things which I want to write about here today. Much too much has gone on this past week to be able to consolidate everything into one blog post, so I'll start here, at the beginning because it's a very good place to start.

Last Thursday I woke up in sunny Austin, Texas. It was a cool city they said. Great food they said. Lots of things to do they said. Can we say understatement? I'm here to tell you Austin is a freaking awesome city with amazing food and tons of things to do. I'm ready to become a Texan ya'll!

Upon waking, I learned that our rental house was just blocks away from the original Whole Foods grocery store and that it was a mecca of sorts.

how idealic is this?

backyard backs up to a creek. Straight up.

Um, yes. Mecca is definitely the right word. This place was massive. Upon entering, you kind of just had to stand there for a moment to take it all in. It's what began a daily and sometimes twice daily trip to Whole Foods for our juices and smoothies at their bar.

Whole Foods headquarters is located just above

Our friend Chad was pumped. He knew what we were about to walk into.

The men with their first juices. They each had another (or two!) in the cart.

The juice/smoothie bar wasn't the only bar they had, guys. There was a gelato bar, A coffee bar, a charcuterie, etc, etc. And, there was a full on real bar in the middle of the store. Actually I'm pretty sure there were two bars, one for wine and one for beer. I should note I was there at about 8am or these seats would have been packed.

Don't drink? How about a cookie bar?

Or a gourmet oil and vinegar bar?

Need some spices or salt? Take your pick!

And I couldn't resist a picture of the flowers. If you look closely, you'll see my favorite flower in the world in the lower left corner. Ranunculus! A whole bouquet of just ranunculus!

This place was off the hook. I wasn't even embarrassed taking my camera into the store because if anyone gave me the stink eye it was kind of like, seriously? Look around you jaded jamoke.

There were quite a few smoothies and juices to choose from, but these were the ones we were most familiar with:

Blue Moon Smoothie-
soy milk
coconut water
blueberries
banana

Mild, creamy and dreamy. The color is the most beautiful shade of bluish lavender and tastes more like a shake than a smoothie.

Chlorophyll Up Juice-
celery
cucumber
spinach
parsley
lemon
spirulina

This one was refreshing, although not the coolest color in the crayon box (think deep, sea green). It was salty and lemony, just the way we like it. The men drank quite a few of these when they weren't drinking straight up beet juice, and also, sometimes while they were.

Pretty In Pink Smoothie-
coconut water
pomegranate juice
banana
strawberry
raspberry
agave

Our friend Sabrina just couldn't get on the green juice/smoothies with green stuff in it bandwagon, so the pretty in pink was her go-to choice. She must have enjoyed five of these while we were there. I tasted it once. Pleasantly tart, and the color will slay you.

Banana Nut Smoothie-
soy milk
bananas
almond butter
maca
honey
cinnamon

I had my eye on this one the whole time and never ordered it! I had to include it here though since it taunted me so. Doesn't it sound like the most comforting thing ever?

Energize Me Green Juice-
parsely
celery
spinach
kale
cucumber
lemon

Pretty green color. Go heavy on the lemon or it has the potential to be bland. I got this one twice. Add a dash of sea sea if you make this at home.

***For a complete Austin, TX Wholefoods Smoothie and Juice Menu Click Here.***

Endless inspiration awaits.

After our Whole Foods extravaganza, our friend and tour guide, Chad, took us around the city. Chad knows whats up about everything.

Here is Lance Armstrongs bike shop, Mellow Johnny's! And here is Lady Bird lake! And here is Lances Bar, Hangers Lounge (we might like Lance), And here are some food trucks!

And if he doesn't know just give him a hot second on his smartphone and he'll figure it out. He was awesome. Apparently, there is a place where couples take pictures. It's literally a string of words spray painted on the side of Jo's (cafe? restaurant?) in Austin. We all four illegally parked the car and quickly took pictures and ran back as fast as we could giggling like school children at our discombobulated switfness. It's great to be a tourist!

The day after we took this picture we saw a photographer out taking pictures of a couple under this wall. Tripod and the whole deal.

Jessica Alba's Go-To Green Drink (do not miss this one!)

noreply@blogger.com (Krysta) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 19:58:00 +0000

There are some posts I get way too excited over. This would be one of them. I recently got Jessica Alba's new book and I think my favorite thing so far has been this recipe for her go-to green drink. We've all heard of green smoothies, but this is something different. I don't know what it is exactly, except that it's packed, and I mean packed with nutrients and antioxidants with plenty of whole food fiber to boot. And it's so delicious! I literally make this 2-3 times a week. It could easily be lunch, but I be 7 months pregnant, so it's a snack for me.

Since I've made this so many times, there are a few things I've learned:

1) Fresh ginger varies a lot in potency. The recipe calls for a teaspoon but I had been putting more until I got a super potent batch. Test your ginger to see what amount is right for you. You can always add in more but you can't take it out!

2) This drink separates as it sits. It just does. It doesn't matter how well you blend. In fact, I prefer mine not too overly smooth. Since we're dealing with lots of whole fruits and veggies this is just something you have to be okay with. I just keep mixing it with my straw and it's fine.

3) You use green fruit to sweeten this drink like cubes of honeydew melon or kiwi, but if you don't have that, watermelon works but keep in mind, it may change the color slightly. If you don't have any fruit, a pinch of stevia will do the trick. That's what both Jessica and I do half the time.

4) Make sure you add ice. This drink is best icy cold.

This drink is refreshing, pleasantly sweet, and you can really taste the green apple which I love. I tell my kids it's a green apple smoothie and they suck it down like champs. Until the end. Sometimes, because of the separation that occurs, the end can get a little thick and since Jeremiah is sensitive to consistency so he doesn't love finishing it. Isabella and I could care less. Truth be told you are supposed to "chew" your smoothies anyway for better digestion.

Feel free to play with this one. I added mint once and it was awesome. I bet a fistful of parsley wouldn't be bad either. You can always sub spinach for the kale, but honestly, you can't taste the kale at all so it's great way to sneak it in. Jessica says she likes to make a double batch and keep some in the refrigerator to sip on all day long. It's how she curbed her appetite while trying to loose baby weight.

Want to take a walk on the wild side? Last year I posted a recipe for my other favorite green drink. Be warned. It's savory, salty and lemony. It's different, but good! If your a sweet person, stay right here.

Jessica Alba's Go-To Green Drink
adapted from The Honest Life, by Jessica Alba

makes 1 large green drink

1 stalk celery, chopped
1/2 cucumber, skin on, chopped
1 green apple, chopped
a big handful of kale (2-3 large leaves)
Juice from 1 whole lemon
1 teaspoon peeled fresh ginger (you can add more to taste)
3-4 cubes of honeydew melon or watermelon, or 1/2 a kiwi, or a pinch of stevia for sweetness
5-7 ice cubes
enough water to blend

(add a handful of spinach or fresh mint if you'd like!)

Place all ingredients in a blender and add just enough water to get it going. Blend until smooth. Pour and drink right away with a straw.

Just got back from our trip to Texas! More to come on that!

"Healthy" Reeses Chocolate Frosting

noreply@blogger.com (Krysta) — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 14:16:00 +0000

This post goes with the Healthy Chocolate Cake recipe that I posted yesterday. However, because I often get asked for a healthier frosting recipe when kids birthday's roll around and cupcakes are baked, I decided I should make this its own post.

So what exactly makes this recipe healthy, you may ask? Definitely the fact that it uses peanut butter as its base, for one. This step is only as healthy as you make it. We use organic, all natural peanut butter in this house (meaning very little sugar is added) instead of something like Jif or Skippy which can be very sugary, so I'll let you come to your own conclusions about which you should use. The point is to make this frosting healthier, after all. You can also use almond butter, although it will have a different taste. Secondly, no bad fats are added. Typically frosting starts with large amounts of butter. Here? No added fat. Cocoa powder is added for the chocolate, a smidge of maple syrup is used to sweeten (along with some Stevia, which doesn't count) vanilla extract and unsweetened vanilla almond milk finish it up, and what you are left with tastes like you melted a bunch of Reeses Pieces and frosted it thickly on a cupcake. Except this is less sweet. And I mean that in the very best of ways. You can always add more sweetener.

This frosting is thinned a bit extra with milk. It can be thicker though.

Like I said, you can use this frosting for any little thing your heart desires, but I used it on my Healthy Chocolate Cake and am in love. I mentioned this in the other post too, but for whatever reason, the combination of this frosting with my cake tastes a lot like my Cracker Barrel Coca Cola Cake. A healthier version anyway. Try it out! Let me know what you think!

In the rest of my life, I have officially entered into my third trimester of pregnancy. Week 28! Feeling good despite some muscle discomfort and back pain when I move around or stand a lot. I know that sounds pathetic like I'm a beached whale but I promise it's not that bad. I still do everything I normally do. I just can't take up running or anything. Which is fine by me because I would hate to take up running. And because I always state my opinions on this blog and then change them to the complete opposite a few years later, I will probably be a marathon runner come 2015. Check back for updates on that. True story- on one of my earliest blog posts I wrote about how I can't stand vegetarians. Although I have just started eating meat every now and then, I have been a vegetarian and many times eaten like a vegan for three years now. So...I'm not very solid? Or maybe I continue to grow and change? I'd like to think it's the latter. Lets go with that one. And then eat this vegan frosting. Yum!

Healthy Reeses Chocolate Frosting
adapted from Chocolate Covered Katie

makes 1/2 cup

1/4 cup peanut butter (or other nut butter)
4-8 tsp pure maple syrup (I used 4 teaspoons, plus a pinch of stevia)
2 tbsp cocoa powder
4 tsp milk of choice (or more for thinner frosting- I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk)
3/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

Blend everything together with a fork in a bowl. Best to store uneaten frosting in the fridge, covered.

I'm in Austin, TX this week on vacation (and a bike race for the husband) with new friends this week! Yay for us. NO kids! Also, we get to meet up with some of our favorite people, Craig and Sally in Dallas! I am super excited!

Healthy Chocolate Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Krysta) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 13:40:00 +0000

I struggled with what to title this post. Originally I was going to go with "guiltless chocolate cake" but that implies that low-fat ingredients are used or it's a low calorie cake. And it is, but it's more than that. "Healthy" chocolate cake implies that this cake is actually good for you, and therefore might taste kind of terrible as far a proper chocolate cake goes. That doesn't adequately describe it either. It's kind of a cross - except for the tasting bad part. It's totally amazing- because while this cake is much lower in calories than regular cake, it also uses very healthful ingredients to get there like Spelt flour, canned pumpkin, unsweetened almond milk and coconut oil. However, because this is a "proper cake" there is still some white sugar and an egg involved. I am sure this is why it bakes up so nicely. You can substitute flax seed for the egg if that bothers you. Just for comparison consider this:

This "healthy" chocolate cake calls for 1/3 cup of sugar

A normal chocolate cake of the same size would typically call for 1- 2 whole cups of sugar

The recipe subs a tiny bit of stevia for making up the sweet flavor. In the end, the cake is only mildly sweet but this is how my family likes it. If you plan to top it with the "healthy" Reeses pieces frosting that I'll be blogging about tomorrow -you lucky ducks, you- it works very well. You can add more stevia if you'd like yours on the sweeter side (or use a sweetened milk instead of unsweetened). This cake, with the frosting, actually tastes a lot like my Cracker Barrel Coca Cola Cake oddly enough. My husband who does not love frosting in general and doesn't appreciate the whole peanut butter chocolate combination that make up this frosting, preferred to eat his naked. -Insert inappropriate comment here about how my husband appreciates most things naked- He seriously loved this cake. And? When my kids come home from school today I won't feel guilty about feeding them squares of this cake (sans frosting) as an after school snack. It's too wholesome.

I promise, promise, promise you can't taste the pumpkin in here. It just helps keep everything moist while making up a lot of the normal fat called for in cake, like say, a whole stick of butter. This way we only need to add 3 tablespoons of coconut oil to the whole thing. Another plus? Coconut oil revs up the metabolism like no other. Bonus! And, as if it could get any better, the spelt flour is a whole grain so this cake will make you feel satisfied with a smaller portion. This can be served up in nine servings at 120 calories each (without frosting). Truth be told, I prefer my serving size a tad bigger, but at that rate, I don't really care to know the calorie count. I just know it's good and I shouldn't feel guilty. What the heck are you waiting for anyway?!

As you look over the recipe, you'll see lots of options for substitutions. This is just so you can fit this into your own personal definition of "healthy."

Healthy Chocolate Cake
adapted from Chocolate Covered Katie

Makes an 8x8 inch pan

3/4 cup spelt flour or sub white flour (for less healthy) or Arrowhead Mills gf (120g)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (20g)
1 egg or 2 tbsp ground flax. You can omit; the cake just won’t rise as much.
1/3 cup white sugar (64g)
1/8 tsp uncut stevia (I use NuNaturals NuStevia) or 3 nunaturals packets (or 1/4 cup more sugar)
1/3 cup mini chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate (60-120g) (Do not omit. The recipe just won’t be the same if you do.)
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/3 cup milk of choice (I used unsweetened almond milk)
3 tbsp coconut oil, melted, or canola oil

Preheat oven to 350F, and grease an 8×8 square baking dish. Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl, and mix very well. Combine all liquid ingredients and the pumpkin in a mini food processor or mini blender and blend until super-smooth, so there are NO lumps whatsoever. Pour wet into dry, and mix until just combined, then pour into prepared pan and bake 30 minutes. Let cool completely.

I frosted this with a "healthy" Reeses Chocolate Frosting.

The Best Maple Olive Oil Granola

noreply@blogger.com (Krysta) — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 17:14:00 +0000

You all. I've made many different granolas in my day and I'm happy to report the search stops here. This recipe is the one. I admit to being a bit thrown off by the olive oil. Not because I worried it might be weird, but wondered if it would even made a difference in taste (I don't think it does. I've made it with both canola and olive oil and each were great). I served this as part of the catering breakfast I did last week and people kept commenting on how good it was. When something like granola takes center stage at breakfast, it's time to pay attention.

This recipe comes from Molly Wizenburg of the blog Orangette, which originated from a recipe for Early Bird Food's granola in New York. She thinks the chief appeal is the way it crisps up in the oven and almost shatters on your teeth with it's delicate texture. It's addicting. Another of it's highlights is that it nails the sweet salty thing. Lest you be worried about your granola being salty, know that this is not a bad thing. The salt brings out the sweet and the combination together is pure bliss. This granola is sweet and I like it that way. However, you can always add less brown sugar if you like yours less sweet. I suggest making it the way it's written first though, since I deem it perfection.

I'm sort of picky about granola. You won't catch me buying it in bags from the grocery store where the flavor is lackluster and unnaturally sweet and texture is somewhat stale. No, for the amount of times granola is eaten in my lifetime I can make it at home. I love how the combination of nuts and add ins can be adjusted to whatever I have around the house. No almonds? Walnuts will do. No pumpkin seeds? I'll just add in more coconut. I prefer this granola without dried fruit added in, but if your going to do it, cranberries are the way to go. Raisins are too sweet.

The Best Maple Olive Oil Granola
adapted from Molly Wizenburg

300 grams (3 cups) rolled oats
125 grams (1 cup) raw hulled pumpkin seeds
130 grams (1 cup) raw hulled sunflower seeds, or whole almonds
50 grams (1 cup) unsweetened coconut chips
135 grams (1 ¼ cup) raw pecans,or walnuts, whole or chopped
85 grams (packed ½ cup) light brown sugar
1 tsp. kosher salt
175 ml (¾ cup) maple syrup, preferably Grade B
120 ml (½ cup) olive oil or canola oil
Dried cherries, optional

Preheat the oven to 300°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine the oats, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, coconut chips, pecans, light brown sugar, and salt. Stir to mix. Add the olive oil and maple syrup, and stir until well combined. Spread the mixture in an even layer on the prepared sheet pan. Bake, stirring every 15 minutes, until the granola is golden brown and toasted, about 45 minutes. Remove the granola from the oven, and season with more salt to taste. Cool completely on a wire rack. If you'd like, stir in some dried cherries (I like mine without). Store in an airtight container.

Note: Will keep at room temperature for up to a month.

Yield: about 7 cups

Broiled Salmon with Homemade Teriyaki Sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Krysta) — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 13:49:00 +0000

This week kicks off my second big catering job this year. I'll be serving one meal a day for five days for 12-13 people. Today I'll be knee deep in prepping roasted tomato and sausage lasagna, perfect Caesar salad and dulce de leche brownies. Tomorrow it'll be all be about orange scented brioche french toast, berry salad with mint, strong coffee and cream and some breakfast sausages for good measure. Soup and salad night is next, complete with a s'mores platter and hot chocolate for stargazing and so on and so fourth. But before all of this, I wanted to quickly share this simple Salmon Teriyaki I made last week. It's not so much a "teriyaki" as it is a soy-ginger-honey marinade, but Queen Gwyneth Paltrow calls it teriyaki, and so it shall be.

In other news, my sister made me order a bridesmaid dress for her wedding in June that is not actually a maternity dress even though it is technically an empire waist style. I will be 9 months pregnant. She has ordered me extra fabric in hopes we can rig it to fit over my belly. She has done this because it is absolutely necessary and crucial to her that the dresses all be the same color and fabric as her other non-pregnant bridesmaids. I realize this is a gamble. But it is a gamble to argue with my sister who is in the throes of wedding planning too. Her original thought was that I should order a size twelve dress so that it could fit over my belly and then we could just get the top part altered. I'm a four in real life and six in bridal, for reference. I said no. Because, obviously.

Yeah, so back to salmon because I'm a natural at writing transitions. This is a grown up teriyaki salmon with fresh flavors that don't completely mask the fish in an overly sweet sauce. It's light but has tons of flavor and a perfect fit for the upcoming Summer months. Gwyneth likes to cut cubes of fish for her kids before broiling to make "bites" with extra sauce for dipping. Next time I think I'll add a sprinkle of sesame seeds along with the green onion for garnish. Served with some brown rice and an Asian cucumber salad this was a winner, winner salmon dinner. I love how the salmon gets perfectly browned under the broiler.

You'll need to start the marinade about 1-2 hours before you need it but I recommend making it the day before so you can marinate the salmon in it longer. Read the recipe completely before starting. It's not complicated at all, but you should plan ahead with this one, even if it's only by a few hours.

Broiled Salmon with Homemade Teriyaki Sauce
adapted from My Fathers Daughter, by Gwyneth Paltrow

serves 4

1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons mirin
3 tablespoons honey
1/3 cup water
1 teaspoon peeled and finely grated ginger
a fistful of cilantro, chopped
4 6-ounce salmon fillets, skin discarded
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh chives, for serving

Combine the soy sauce, mirin, honey, water, ginger, and cilantro in a small saucepan over high heat. Once it boils, turn the heat to low and let it simmer for 2 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the sauce cool down. Once it's cool, pour into a large bowl or plastic bag and add the salmon. Marinate in the fridge for at least an hour, up to overnight.

When your ready to eat, pre-heat the broiler.

Put the salmon on a heavy baking sheet with whatever sauce adheres to it and broil until cooked to your liking, 7-8 minutes, but check after 5 minutes if your salmon is on the thin side. While it's cooking, strain the extra sauce into a clean saucepan, bring to a boil, and let it reduce. It won't ever get thick - just expect that.

To serve, drizzle the cooked salmon with some of the extra sauce and a sprinkle of chives.

Make it kid friendly: Cut some of the salmon into 1-inch cubes, broil alongside the larger pieces, and serve without chives. Kids love these, especially if you call the teriyaki "honey sauce"

The Best Caesar Salad. Ever.

noreply@blogger.com (Krysta) — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 15:56:00 +0000

In about 30 minutes of writing this post my friend Kel will be coming over for lunch. I am going to serve her the same thing I've been eating twice a week for two weeks now. Theres something addicting about this Caesar salad. When my sister was visiting a few weeks ago she told me she used to crave Caesar salads all through her pregnancy, but they had to be good. She talked about the croutons not being too dry and needing to be house made (no pre-bagged stuff) and the dressing needed to be real Caesar dressing which meant no overly milky concoctions that resemble something more like ranch. This is Caesar salad we are talking about and it should come with a proper Caesar dressing.

I don't order Caesar salads much because I guess, like my sister, I'm somewhat of a salad snob. With Caesar you only have a couple components going on (lettuce, dressing, croutons and cheese) so it makes sense that it would be important that all those things should work together in harmony. For my part, I like salads that are well tossed in a big bowls and served in the same. I love huge salad bowls to push the roughage around with my fork so I can orchestrate the perfect bite. Everything must be bite sized. I hate having to cut lettuce or croutons after I'm served. Of course, at a restaurant you can't control these elements. That's why I prefer to make a batch of this dressing on Sunday and leave it in the fridge to use whenever I get a salad craving. Of course, being the snob that I am, this means I need to make homemade croutons fresh right before I need them each time, but I don't mind since it take 4 minutes and only dirties a small saucepan. Plus, when I crush that garlic clove to infuse the olive and oil and small pat of butter where I'll later add my bread cubes, it makes me happy. I like to be invested in my lunches. Once the oil is infused, it's just a matter of tossing in cubed bread and crisping them up in the skillet. This method makes for chewy crisp croutons which are my favorite for texture. It pairs so well with the lettuce and they don't scrape up the roof of your mouth, which is always a good thing. I use Ezekiel brand english muffins for this just to keep my figure in check and to justify using that butter, but anything will work.

One thing most Caesar salad afficianattos will scoff at: This salad dressing does not have a raw egg yolk in it and it really should if it's a proper Caesar. There are rules to these things, you see. I'm fine with this because I'm pregnant and shouldnt have them. Plus, I really only care about the flavor which is spot on without said egg yolk. You can always add it. The other thing? I leave out the anchovies. I know, another no-no. Don't get your panties in a bunch becuase the recipe still calls for it so you can breathe a sigh of relief.

I love that my friend Kel is super talented. Like, when you invite her over for lunch and ask her to snap a few pictures of you preparing salad for the blog, she happily obliges, clicks a few times and that's it. Miraculously, every picture is in perfect focus. Photographers are not fair this way. It's like they don't even have to try. Even though I know she practiced and practiced and learned such things to make it look effortless. Or maybe she has no skills and I just have a stellar camera with phenomenal lighting in my kitchen. Except then I'd have to explain why my pictures don't turn out as well. There goes that theory.

The six-month bump

The Best Caesar Salad. Ever
adapted from Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman

Salad Dressing:
4 whole anchovy fillets (optional)
2 tablespoons (and up to 3 tablespoons) Dijon mustard (I use 3 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon balsamic or red wine vinegar (balsamic makes it nice and rich. I use this)
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 cloves fresh garlic, peeled
1/2 whole lemon, juiced
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 dash salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Croutons:
1/2 loaf crusty French bread (*see my note at bottom)
1/4 cup olive oil (I substitute about half of the olive oil for butter. I really recommend)
2 cloves fresh garlic, peeled
Salt

Salad:
Hearts of romaine lettuce
Fresh Parmesan wedge

For the dressing: Place the anchovies into a blender or food processor (I use a magic bullet). Throw in the Dijon mustard, vinegar, Worcestershire, garlic and lemon juice. Pulse the processor or blend on low speed for several seconds. Scrape down the sides.

With the food processor or blender on, drizzle the olive oil into the mixture in a small stream. Scrape down the sides. Add the Parmesan, salt and a generous grind of black pepper. Pulse the whole thing together and mix until thoroughly combined. Refrigerate the dressing for a few hours (it just gets better!) before using it on the salad.

For the croutons: Slice the bread into thick slices and cut them into 1-inch cubes.

Heat the olive oil and butter in a small saucepan or skillet over low heat.

Crush-but don't chop-the garlic and add them to the oil. Use a spoon to move the garlic around in the pan. After 3 to 5 minutes, turn off the heat and remove the garlic from the pan.

Add the bread cubes to the butter and oil in the skillet. Mix together, and then sprinkle lightly with salt. Toss and cook in the pan until golden brown and crisp.

For the salad: Wash and dry the hearts of romaine lettuce and chop into bite size pieces by cutting once vertically down the rib and then horizontally. Use a vegetable peeler and shave off large, thin slices of Parmesan.

Drizzle about half of the dressing over the top of the lettuce. Throw in a good handful of the Parmesan shavings. Give it a good initial toss, just so you can evaluate how much more dressing you need.

Add more dressing and Parmesan to taste. Add the cooled croutons. Toss gently.

*Since I make this salad for one, I just use whatever bread I have on hand which is usually an ezekiel english muffin. This works fine. Also, I eyeball how much olive oil and butter I'll need to make the croutons, usually about a half tablespoon of each, and one garlic clove to infuse the oil. It's not rocket science, so don't be afraid to mess this up.

Pasta Puttanesca

noreply@blogger.com (Krysta) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 14:33:00 +0000

Did you know that Pasta Puttanesca literally means "whores pasta" in Italian? It's spicy, salty, tangy, sultry and delicious...you know, like a...wait, I don't think I like that. I even have a spicy sense of humor and it still bothers me. One of my confessions? I love dirty comedy. I love stand up comedy. Dane Cook makes me pee my pants until he goes too far. Once he goes to far, he's just gross. What? I also have a super classy proper side so I have to keep both sides happy which means it can only go so far. I can handle quite a bit though. I loved "Bridesmaids", profanity and all. I think Melissa McCarthy and Kristen Wiig are genius. "Knocked Up" made my year when it came out. And you better bet I love some Puttanesca "whore" pasta. Even if I still firmly believe that "whore" and "pasta" should not be used in the same sentence.

Once while at Ace Hardware, my son held up something and asked me what it was. I replied "It's a rape whistle" (I grew up in LA and it was honestly the first thing I thought of). He promptly ran through the store shouting "Dad! Can I buy this rape whistle?! Can I have this rape whistle?!" Oh, people heard him. To this day, this is one of my favorite stories. These are the kind of innapropriate things I tend to find hilarious. Not necessarily while it's happening mind you. I'm more likely to hide in the aisles completely mortified and pretend I don't know the boy. But after? Pure comedic gold.

Pasta Puttanesca is supposed to be spicy like my sense of humor, but it doesn't have to be. I make it for my children, and they can handle the heat called for in this recipe since it's not very much (In fact they would tell you it's not spicy at all). I'd say it's a 3 on a scale from one to ten. Feel free to add more crushed red pepper flake if you like yours with more heat. Puttanesca is about more than spice though. It's salty from capers and olives and has a nice backbone thanks to a few cloves of garlic and anchovies if you choose to add them. Most chefs would say it's essential to the dish, but I've made it both ways and honestly like it equally with or without. For the record, I am not a real chef. All in all, this is not complicated food, but it sure has spunk. Which makes it one of my favorites, naturally.

Be sure to start this dish and hour before you want to eat. The recipe is simple and easy but the sauce will have to simmer for 45 minutes before you can use it. Alternately, you can make the sauce ahead of time and keep it in the refrigerator until ready to use. I love the big rustic chunks of tomato in this sauce. It's my go-to recipe for red sauce.

Pasta Puttanesca
adapted from My Fathers Daughter, by Gwyneth Paltrow

serves 4-6

1lb box penne

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

4 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced

Pinch red chile flakes

4 olive-oil packed Spanish anchovies (optional)

1 heaping tablespoon salt-packed capers, rinsed (I like to use a bit more)

1/3 heaping cup pitted niçoise olives (or a mixture of green and Kalamata olives)

1 recipe Basic Tomato Sauce (recipe below)

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for serving

A few tablespoons pasta water, to thin

1/4 cup torn fresh parsley, for garnish

First, make your tomato sauce (recipe below). While it is simmering and almost done, Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and salt generously. Drop in the penne. Cook according to package directions.

Meanwhile, put the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat and add the garlic and chile flakes. Cook for about 1 minute, adjusting the heat if necessary to avoid burning the garlic. Add the anchovies and stir for another minute, or until they begin to break down. Add the capers and olives, crushing them gently with the back of a wooden spoon, and cook for 1 minute, or until quite fragrant—it should smell divine. Stir in the tomato sauce and black pepper. Turn the heat to high, bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to medium and let it bubble for about 10 minutes, or until quite thickened. The penne should be perfectly cooked at this point. Drain pasta, reserving a few tablespoons of pasta cooking water. Add pasta to the skillet with the sauce and stir to coat, adding a bit of the pasta cooking water if necessary to get the sauce to the right consistency. It shouldn't be too thick, but also not too soupy. Scatter the parsley over the pasta, add a bit more fresh black pepper, and serve.

Basic Tomato Sauce

yield: 4 cups

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

6 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced

6 fresh basil leaves

2 28-ounce cans whole peeled tomatoes with their juice

Coarse salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over low heat, add the garlic, and cook for 5 minutes. Add basil leaves and stir for a minute. Add the tomatoes and their juice. Turn the heat to high. Bring the sauce to a boil, turn the heat to low, season with salt and pepper, and let it bubble away on low heat for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally and crushing the tomatoes with your wooden spoon.

Our Go-To Green Juice - Kale, Cucumber and Lemon

noreply@blogger.com (Krysta) — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 13:55:00 +0000

I am so inspired by simplistic style. Honestly, I am inspired by style, period. Whether it be different packaging, natural materials, a perfect color palette, a beautiful antique rich with history, food served in a unique way, or a different sort of get together. Things done with style slay me everytime. This week I had the honor of attending a "Poetry Night" that my friend hosted for a group of really cool women. You could say it was a night filled with style, from the soft music playing upon entry, long, white candles flickering, and the guest of honor, Amy, an award winning poet from Hawaii (born and raised) sharing her work. Other attendees brought along their favorite poems and shared as well. I brought food. Go-figure. Our host, organized the night beautifully with food and drink to start and guided the night along asking different people to share at different times and asking what we thought at the end. She gave us guidelines on how to listen to poetry which helped me a lot. She advised to just listen without trying to analyze what it means. Poetry will speak to you in different ways and evoke feelings and meanings, or it won't. I've found that sometimes you just don't "get it" like any art form. But when you do? It's magic. It was different and unique and I'll remember it forever. I came not knowing much about poetry. I left with an aware ear and a new appreciation for the craft.

This juice has more cucumber and is made with lighter colored kale. Note the difference from the first and last pictures.

My favorite part of the evening came with the last poem. It was one that Amy had written when she was stargazing one night at 16 years old. She talked of slipping Jupiter's rings around her fingers, and shoving piles of silvery moon dust in her pockets which tasted of peppermint and felt like January on her skin. Upon spying the beautiful sister constellations, she pondered whether she would ever feel beautiful? What was she here for? It was honest and memorable. I listened eagerly as I ate cookies made by the lovely and deep Mrs. Julie Howard, and crostini tapenade brought by my sweet, pregnant hairdresser, Emily. I also devoured a mushroom cheese tart made by Amy. The crust was sweet like you might make for a dessert, but the filling was savory and rich. I loved it.

The rest of the week? I needed a food reboot.

Ah, but it was heaven that night.

First thing this afternoon though, I'm making our families go-to green juice. We drink this two-three times a week. It's tart and refreshing and the vibrant green color makes me happy as I visualize all the health and wellness it brings to my body. Green juice will give you energy like no other, glowing skin, and cleanse your liver. The type of kale you purchase will determine how strong the flavor is. We use dark lactino or dinosaur kale, but if you're just starting out, you may want to try the lighter, ruffly leaves type. We've also used purple kale which make for a rather ugly color but is surprisingly mild. Sometimes, you just get a grassier tasting bunch no matter which type you buy so don't stress about it. Just add another cucumber if you'd like. I do like the taste of the lactino kale best though, and you can always cut down on the amount of greens used to make a milder juice. You can also substitute spinach here, which is always mild.

I suggest after the heavy St. Patricks Day food (fish and chips anyone?) and Guinness, that this be the first thing you make the day after to help you get back on track. Plus, this juice is Kelly Green, which is so stylish right now, wouldn't you say?

Our Go-To Green Juice - Kale, Cucumber and Lemon
serves 2-4

We like to really taste the lemon in our juice. You can always add more or less depending on your preference.

1 big head of kale
3-4 cucumbers (if they are very large, three will do it. We usually need four)
1 lemon

Wash kale leaves throughly and slice the skin and peel of the lemon off. Juice everything together and drink fresh over ice.

Bloglovin' Switch

noreply@blogger.com (Krysta) — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 22:37:00 +0000

Google Reader will be no more in a few short months, so be sure to transfer the blogs you follow onto bloglovin' now while you can! Follow my blog through Bloglovin' here.

Switching to Bloglovin

noreply@blogger.com (Krysta) — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 22:28:00 +0000

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Moroccan Spiced Vegetables and Quinoa with Olives and Lime

noreply@blogger.com (Krysta) — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 15:51:00 +0000

Isabella had a sleepover with her friend Taylor last weekend. I made them go to bed at 11pm, after we let them watch a movie downstairs alone. I set these rules ahead of time since Isabella has made a habit of staying up all-freaking-night-long while sleeping over at other peoples houses. Ten/eleven year olds shouldn't be allowed do that. They are complete emotional hell the next day and choose to stay sleeping in the car after you've picked them up while you go grocery shopping. Just me?

I woke up that morning at 5am. I rolled out of bed at 5:24am. I was ready and downstairs by 5:45am. I was really excited for my morning quiet time. At 6am, the precise moment I settled into my comfy chair and cracked open my book, I heard talking and quickly discovered the girls were up. Not my normally rise-and-shine-up-and-at-em son, but my sleep loving tween. WTH? I seriously cannot get up early enough. It's now 6:40am and my son just strolled down too. The TV is on cartoons, and I'm blogging out my frustration instead of reading before my littlest rat gets up in an hour.

Rat is an affectionate name, I swear.

For the record, we watched my friends three kids, (ages six, four, and three) for two days and nights last weekend. This brings our grand tally up to three or four sleepovers hosted at the MacGray household in the history of ever, besides cousins. Sleepovers are hard when you have other little kids in the house, especially ones with special needs and sleep issues, plus limited space. It makes for interesting times...

Since I'm almost six months pregnant and whiskey is not an option, I made sure to reward our hard work last Sunday with a lunch of Moroccan spiced vegetables over quinoa with plenty of salty olives, parsley, lime and salt. We get wild up in here. This was actually very welcome after a kid focused couple days filled with cheese pizza and pancakes. Besides, I don't even drink whiskey...Unless you've made me one. If you've made me a cocktail and you hand it to me, I'll drink just about anything. Unless it's Parrot Bay Coconut Rum straight out of the bottle because I have a "young adult" backyard house party story about that stuff. And also, unless I'm six months pregnant. I digress.

I wouldn't have gone for roasted vegetables over quinoa if it wasn't for the bump in flavor from the warm spices like cinnamon, cumin, and coriander and the appeal of fresh tangy lime juice and olives to brighten the earthiness of the vegetables. Moroccan spices are awesome on sweet potatoes and carrots. The cinnamon helps to highlight their subtle sweetness, but the other spices ground it and keep it a savory vegetable which I like. I don't tend to like sweet on sweet vegetables. I'm thinking a crumble of feta might be a really great addition.

Moroccan Spiced Vegetables and Quinoa with Olives and Lime
adapted from Gourmand in the Kitchen

serves 4

2-3 Tablespoons olive oil or coconut oil
1 teaspoon sea salt, plus for for serving
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
a pinch of red pepper for extra spice (optional)
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 pound carrots, sliced in half and into thick strips
1 pound of sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch-thick strips
¼ cup/ black Kalamata olives, roughly chopped
2 Tablespoons flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
The juice of one lime or lemon, plus more for serving
Cooked quinoa for serving

Preheat oven to 375°F.
Melt the coconut oil and whisk in the salt, spices and garlic.
Toss the carrots and sweet potatoes with oil and spices and roast in a shallow baking pan in lower third of oven for 30 minutes or until lightly browned and tender.
Squeeze the lemon over the warm vegetables and toss with the chopped olives.
Top with chopped parsley and serve warm over a mound of quinoa with more lime wedges and salt

Vanilla-Glaze Yeast Donuts

noreply@blogger.com (Krysta) — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 13:42:00 +0000

The best thing happened the other day. My sister moved back to Colorado! Patrick, her fiance, got a job 3 hours west of us and I couldn't be happier. This means I get to kiss my new nieces cheeks, like, 3-4 more times a year than I would have. And that's saying something. Look at those suckers. Girl is not messing around.

No really, get a good look...

My sister and that cheeky baby stayed with me for a few days while Pat drove the U-Haul down from Seattle and unpacked it. I thought it might be lovely to partake in some activity together, and making homemade donuts seemed like just the thing. Except for the fact that when it came time to actually make the donuts my sister didn't help at all.

She slept through the first part.

Then, she sat and watched with the baby for a bit

And then she would change it up and check her phone from time to time

Cameras come in very handy for photographic evidence.

Okay, well she did help with one part - the frying - and If I'm being honest, it's the best part to help me with because I'm a huge wuss with such things. She was afraid too, though, so I didn't feel so bad. However there was no need for fear because it just gently sizzled when the dough hit the hot oil. No splashing. No jumping back necessary. No disfiguring oil scars on our faces like I had initially imagined. I ended up using a spider to place my donuts gently in the oil and to turn and get them out. I highly recommend.

Gentle frying, see?

Even when the oil got hotter, it wasn't bad

My sister dropping in the first donut hole:

I couldn't remember the significance of the bottom tattoo on her wrists, so I asked. She simply said "free bird" like that was supposed to clear everything up. I still didn't know exactly what they were supposed to represent, so I pressed further. All she said was "you know the song Free Bird, right?" like that was supposed to clear everything up. Kaylee does that a lot.

No, Kaylee, as a matter of fact, sometimes you'll need to expound on things. Sometimes you'll need to explain further. I'm not telepathic.

She's always been like this. As the other person, you have two choices. You can either keep asking questions until you can piece together enough information and are satisfied with her answer, or you can shrug your shoulders, walk away and say "oh yeah" and decide it's not worth it. I suggest the latter unless you really need to know because Kaylee dishes out the bare minimum. I can't explain this pheonomenoa, but I can explain donuts, and this is lucky since it's why you came.

There are three things you need to know about homemade yeast donuts:

1) They will take you a good half a day to make. Mine took five hours and this is a process that can't be rushed. I've made yeast donuts at home before and trust me, if the recipe says to let the dough rise and rest for 1 1/2 hours, then that's what it will take. Don't move on to the next step after 45 minutes just because the dough looks doubled in size already.

2) Don't expect homemade donuts to be or taste the same as your local donut shop. I was very satisfied with this recipe, namely because the donuts rose beautifully and puffed up nicely after frying. Also, they were not as heavy as other homemade donuts I've fried, however, they definitely will be much heavier than anything you can buy at a store. This is why they can charge money for such things, you see. I think donut people are magical gypsies for getting donuts so light and airy. Now let us talk about taste. Like I said, these don't exactly taste like your average twisted glaze. They do however taste an awful lot like Krispy Kreme's glaze donuts. I leave that to you to decide whether that is a good thing.

3) Only glaze these once! Meaning, coat them once with the glaze and let them dry on a rack. Do not be tempted, like I was, to keep applying glaze layer after layer. I did this. I admit it. It was not a good decision. One layer will cling and stick to the donut nicely and dry ever so slightly. Two, three, four coast later and the glaze won't set and will appear milky in color.

The kids were just a little excited when they got home. And we all gorged ourselves on donuts.
The end.

Vanilla-Glaze Yeast Donuts
adapted from Saveur Magazine, March 2013
makes 1 1/2 dozen donuts

2¼-oz. packages active dry yeast
½ cup sugar
1½ cups milk, scalded and cooled
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 eggs
6 tbsp. vegetable shortening, plus more for greasing
5 cups (1 lb. 6½ oz.) all-purpose flour, sifted, plus more for dusting
Canola oil, for frying
10 tbsp. unsalted butter
⅓ cup evaporated milk
2 ½ tsp. vanilla extract
2 ½ cups confectioners' sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine yeast, 1 tbsp. sugar, and 6 tbsp. water heated to 115° in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment; (should feel warm to the touch if you don't want to use a thermometer) let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes. Add remaining sugar, plus milk, salt, eggs, and shortening; mix until combined. With the motor running, slowly add flour; beat until dough is smooth. Transfer to a lightly greased bowl and cover loosely with plastic wrap; set in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1½ hours. I set my bowl in a 200 degree pre-heated oven (before I covered with plastic wrap) and let the bowl sit for one or two minutes with the door cracked open, just to make sure my dough got warm for a head start. Then, I placed it on the counter and covered loosely at room temperature for the remainder of the time.

2. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface; roll dough into a 13" round about ½" thick. Using floured 3½" and 1½" ring cutters, cut out donuts and holes; gather and reuse scraps. Place on greased parchment paper—lined baking sheets, at least 3" apart, and cover loosely with plastic wrap; set in a warm place until doubled in size, about 45 minutes. Don't skip the parchment paper step.

3. Heat 2" oil in a 6-qt. saucepan until a deep-fry thermometer reads 325°. Using scissors, cut the donuts out of the parchment paper, leaving about 1" of paper around the sides of each donut (the paper makes it easier to transfer them to frying oil - this is why we don't skip this step. The donuts deflate the more you handle them).

Parchment paper step:

Working in batches, place donuts in oil, paper side up, using tongs to peel off and discard paper. Cook, flipping once until puffed and golden, about 3–4 minutes. Test your donut holes first. They will also cook much faster than your donuts. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a baking sheet with a wire rack; let cool completely. Do not glaze warm donuts. It will make them soggy.

4. Melt butter in a 1-qt. saucepan over medium-low heat. Using a small ladle, skim and discard white film from surface. Slowly pour liquid from pan into a bowl, leaving sediment behind; let cool 1 minute. Add evaporated milk, vanilla, ¼ cup water, and sugar; whisk until smooth. Dip donuts in glaze, coating completely; return to wire rack until glaze is set.

*To avoid oily donuts, remember: Fat attracts fat. The less you use in your dough, the lighter the donut will be after frying. Also go light on flour when rolling out dough, and use a brush to remove any excess; loose flour particles attract and absorb oil

Tostada Skillet Dinner and Jeopardy (vegetarian)

noreply@blogger.com (Krysta) — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 16:12:00 +0000

The other night the family was watching Jeopardy. Usually if we watch, Jeremy and I will get a handful of the questions right if we're lucky, and the kids root us on. But the other night was totally different. Jeremiah was sitting in the crook of my arm when I correctly fired out the answers to NINE questions in a row. Jeremiah was squealing and declaring that he was was "on my team" and I was stunned and thrilled. Then, Jeremy came to sit by us. He started telling me a story (unaware at this point of my superstar winning streak) when I couldn't help but read the next question out the the corner of my eye. I blurted the correct answer out totally cutting him off mid sentence. He was like are you even listening to me? and I was like yes, but Jeremy, I have just answered TEN questions right! TEN!!!!

I started yelling about double digits.

Then, you guys, I swear, over the two minutes I got four more right! Fourteen correct answers in like 5 minutes! I felt...alive.

I started to sing This Girl Is On Fire!

Jeremy was laughing but I didn't care. I was clearly awesomesauce. And brilliant.

Then...then, Jeremy said:

Sweetie, I know you are all excited, but have you noticed how old these contestants are?

Um, no, not really until now. I guess they are pretty young...

Krysta, they are like 15-16 yeas old. I hate to tell you, but this is some kind of Junior Jeopardy.

What? It is not!

Krysta, all the questions you have been answering fall under the categories of "Disney Movies", "TV Shows", and "Famous Authors", no wonder you know them all.

(I have a silent 'oh crap' moment). But, but, there were health and nutrition questions before you came over. One of the questions was:

"Not to be confused with chloroform, this "C" word gives plants their color" and I knew it was "What is Chlorophyll!".

He just shook his head in pity. Okay, so I know about nutrition and how plants work. That was just lucky. I am as brilliant as a brilliant 16 year old. Except for the stint of question falling under the "small rivers in Europe" category. I totally bombed those. At least I knew what the Danube was. That's all I have to say.

veggie crumble "meat"

No wait, that's not all I have to say. I also have to say that what I lack in foreign river knowledge, I make up for in the kitchen. So there. You know how this dinner came about? I was making my usual tostadas, but subbing the beans for veggie crumble meat (you can use ground beef or turkey). Then, I got really lazy and didn't want to fry tortillas for the tostadas. And also, I didn't want to make guacamole. So, in a moment of apparent sheer 16 year old brilliance, I popped open a bag of tortilla chips, put the tortillas away and just cut avocados and scattered them haphazardly over the meat. Then I placed a hefty portion of salsa and Greek yogurt smack dab in the middle, and scattered shredded romaine and cilantro over everything. You'd have thought I was presenting Duck a la orange when I walked this skillet to the table. Chips and dip for dinner? You can't go wrong. It was the best dinner ever. So much cooler than tostadas.

Tostada Skillet Dinner
serves 4

For the Tostada Meat:
1lb. Boca Brand Veggie Crumbles or Lean Ground Turkey
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon Kosher salt

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add veggies crumbles or ground turkey and cook until cooked through (follow package directions). Add the Dijon, Worcestershire, spices and salt and stir to combine. Remove skillet from heat and top with desired toppings. Serve with tortilla chips for scooping.

Tostada toppings:
Avocado chunks (we use about one per person)
Shredded romaine lettuce
Tomatoes
Salsa
Greek Yogurt or sour cream
Cilantro
Shredded cheddar or Jack cheese (optional)
Pinto or black beans
Pickled jalapenos
Black olives

Southwest Loaded Sweet Potatoes

noreply@blogger.com (Krysta) — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 16:23:00 +0000

She's just a girl but she's on fire...Looks like a girl but she's a flame. So bright she can burn your eyes, better look the other way. You can try but you'll never forget her name. She's on top of the world. Hottest of the hottest girls. We've got our feet on the ground and we're burning it down. Got our head in the clouds, and we're not coming down. This girl is on fire!

Guess what? The other day when Isabella came home from school with girl problems, I actually had the emotional and physical energy, time, and calm to listen to her. I actually sat and listened. I was careful to hear her. I was careful to discern whether she just needed to talk or was asking for my advice. I sat with her for 30 minutes and I actually had valuable wisdom to share with her and I empowered her with the idea that she could do something about it. She could fix it. And I would be rooting for her.

I know, this what good mothers are "supposed to do". But you guys, I couldn't have done this before; not consistently anyway. I probably would have listened a bit and cut the conversation short with a "Oh, it'll be okay, sweetie. I'm sure you'll figure it out". When I am busy, hurrying about, and have lots of plans, even if it's "fun" stuff, it wears me out. I don't have the capacity for listening to my own daughter when I'm worn out, and I can get really annoyed with 10-year old girl drama.

She's living in a world and it's on fire. Feeling the catastrophe, but she knows she can fly away...

Alicia Keys sings Girl on Fire and exactly how I feel in recent days. She also sings Brand New Me. Heard it? It's my current anthem.

I haven't changed. Quite the contrary. I read a book over a year ago that pretty much changed my perspective on a lot of things. It wasn't a self help book, but rather, incredibly startling in the truth it conveyed. Perhaps you've heard of Ann Voskamp? The tagline of the book is:

"A dare to live fully, right where you are"

It sounds nice. I got it intellectually right off the bat. But, it's the kind of concept you don't really grasp until you just do. I have found the freedom to let myself be the person I already am but was not really living. The person who loves people and parties, but needs plenty of unscheduled quiet time. Someone who feels most alive while creating something alone, whether it be writing, reading, cooking, or folding laundry with intention. Quiet allows me that peace. Then, and only then and I more capable of being more fully alive when I am with other people. I need space. I need to not feel pressured to make plan after plan. This is me. And I finally love it. And I am proud to say it, because it's been a long time in accepting and adapting my lifestyle around it. Setting boundaries can do wonders for the soul. Spring has sprung.

She's got both feet on the ground and she's burning it down. She's got her head in the clouds and she's not backing down...

It may seem like cooking and recipes are not much related to this topic, but it seems everything that is woven through my life relates to this topic. This perspective shift has changed my cooking. I find more relish in cooking the simple things. This recipe for southwest loaded sweet potatoes might not have been something I blogged about before. Not because it's not really, really yummy, but because it's a no brainer food. It would normally be something I whipped up quickly, rushing through, opening a couple cans of salsa, browning some turkey or veggie crumbles, roasting a sweet potato. We're not creating anything particularly beautiful with this kind of food. Ah, but beauty and joy are found everywhere if you can see it. I didn't rush through. I noticed how perfectly orange the insides of the sweet potato were. I took time to breathe in the seasonings in the meat as I added each new spice. I didn't even have to try. It was a natural by-product of not hurrying and of not being overwhelmed of mind. This was the most intentionally crafted, made with love, loaded sweet potato that you will ever find. And, it was seriously delicious. More so than it should have been. I feel like this will be a staple in our household. I don't love stuffed sweet potatoes any other way I've made them. But that sweet flesh teemed with the subtle sweet-spiceness of the chipotle salsa, and salty green salsa, mixed with taco spiced meat (or veggie crumbles in our case) and finished with a cool dollop of Greek yogurt or sour cream? Home run baby. In the simplest and most fulfilling of ways. It was a happy night.

This girl is on fire!

Southwest Loaded Sweet Potatoes
adapted from Biggest Loser (no, seriously)
serves 4

4 roasted sweet potatoes (one per person)
1 lb ground turkey (or 1 package Boca brand veggie crumbles)
1 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoon chile powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 tablespoon olive oil
Kosher salt
1 container chipotle flavored red salsa
1 container salsa verde (green salsa)
Greek yogurt or sour cream

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add turkey and brown, or cook veggie crumbles according to package directions. Add Worcestershire sauce, dijon, chile powder, cumin, garlic salt, onion powder and a pinch or two of Kosher salt to the meat and stir to combine.

When sweet potatoes are roasted, split each in half and fill with a layer of the red salsa, followed by a heaping spoonful of meat or veggie crumbles, top with green salsa and Greek yogurt.

Crockpot Beans- How to cook, store, and freeze beans for later

noreply@blogger.com (Krysta) — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 16:44:00 +0000

Secret? I do this without the crockpot most of the time on my good ole fashioned stove top. Either way works very well. We cook with a lot of beans in this house. Just this week alone we are having white chili (white beans), Minestrone soup (kidney beans), and balsamic lime stew with beans and veggies (kidney, black and white beans). I actually have to watch the amount of bean dishes I make in a single week and purposely try and not go overboard. And, while I don't pretend to be an expert on the matter, canned beans freak me out a little in their tin cans. You hear about BPA and metal and the word toxic gets thrown around. I still use canned products but I try and use dried beans whenever possible. Since learning how to cook up a big batch then freezing the cooked beans for later use, it's become a lot easier. Dried beans that you cook yourself are creamier. They are also slightly starchier I've noticed, which I love because it helps to thicken up my chili dishes ever so slightly. If you use them in a dish without broth, you'd never notice this so don't worry.

Crockpot Method for Cooking Dried Beans:

Step 1: IF you live at high altitude, you must soak your beans in a bowl of water overnight. If you don't live at high altitude, you can skip this step. Just cover your beans with about two inches of water and leave it on the counter.

Step 2: Place your beans (straight from the bag and dried if you live at lower elevations) in a crockpot

Step 3: Fill your crockpot with water about two inches above the beans

Step 4: Set crockpot to high and cook beans for 4 hours for lower altitudes and 6.5 hours for high altitude. Check to make sure your beans are tender. If not, set your timer for another 30 minutes and walk away.

(To make on a stove top, pour your soaked beans in a large stock pot and cover with 2-3 inches of fresh water. Simmer with a lid partially covering the pot for 6 hours, checking every now and again to make sure there is enough water in the pot and adding more if needed. At lower latitude you could probably get away with cooking for only 4 hours.)

Freezing and Storing Cooked Beans for Future use:

Step 1: Drain cooked beans

Step 2: Place beans in a Freezer safe ziplock bag and store in the freezer. (I measure out 1.5 cups for each bag since it equals what would be in 1 can of canned beans. See "additional tips" for more info) The beans don't need any additional liquid in order to freeze properly.

Step 3: When you need your beans, you can take them straight out of the freezer and add them to your dishes. They will thaw and break up easily.

Additional Tips:

1 15-ounce can of beans equals:
- 1/2 cup dry beans, before cooking
-1 1/2 cups beans, after cooking

1 pound dry beans equals:
-2 cups dry beans, before cooking
-6 cups beans, after cooking
-4 15-ounce cans of beans

I buy two pound bags of beans from my health food store for a couple bucks and make what would be equal to 8 cans of beans! It's simple, easy and affordable.

How Handicapped Children Make Us More Fully Human

noreply@blogger.com (Krysta) — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 16:58:00 +0000

A beautiful article was written and posted today by my friend, Jonalyn, who writes the blog Ruby Slippers, and is the co-founder, along with her husband Dale, of Soulation where she publishes her writtings.

She asked us a while back if she could interview Jeremy and I about Olivia and how she has changed our perspective on life, God, the handicapped, and how she makes us more Fully Human. I'd like to share with you in case you'd like a peek behind the curtain of "real" in our lives.

Fully Disabled: Fully Human -click here for the article-

The Velveteen Rabbit. A beautiful reminder of what it means to be Real:

"Real isn't a bout how you are made", said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but really loves you, then you become Real."
"Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit.
"Sometimes," said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. 'When you are Real, you don't mind being hurt."
"Does it happen all at once, like being wound up," he asked, "or bit by bit?"
"it doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. "You become. It takes a long time. that's why it doesn't often happen to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out, and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real, you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand."

Getting her EEG to test for seizures. That was fun -not-

In real life I talk about more than just food and myself. ;)

Cloud Frosting and Baby Announcement!

noreply@blogger.com (Krysta) — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 14:43:00 +0000

When we shared this photo on Facebook, my husband's comment was "bring on the hormones!" No kidding. Wow- another girl. Here we go. We should have expected it. My family has girls. The fact that I have a boy at all is somewhat shocking.

Our doctor had to be a bit discrete while telling us since the kids were in the room and we all had said we think and hope it's a boy. Oops. Of course, every ultrasound I've ever been in (4) I had been wishing for exactly the opposite of what they tell me it is. With Isabella I had wanted a boy. I wanted to name him Ryan Shawn. With Jeremiah, Jeremy and I were hoping for a girl. We were going to name her Scarlett. With Olivia we were rooting for a boy. No name picked out. I guess we knew better. And with this one, it happened all over again. Who knows what we would have named this baby had it been a boy (we currently were liking Maddox a lot) but now we need to start shifting our minds to more feminine names. Sigh. I'm extremely happy for a healthy baby, obviously, but I was really hoping that once, just once, we could all just hoot and holler upon hearing the gender right away instead of having to adjust to the news. Do you know how annoying that is? I kind of want to have another one after this and try again for that. I'm just kidding. Kind of...

I am super excited about naming another girl though! I love girl names. My top two favorites up till now have been Emily and Kate - but Jeremy is not thrilled with either - so it's not going to happen. Plus, I'd really like to name this baby something other than what's in the top five most popular girl names, (Emily always is, and I can imagine Kate will be working it's way up because of the Dutchess) especially since my other two girls are already in that category. Something a bit different, sweet, and very girly. That seems to be my aim. But we'll see. I also like cool names like Brooklynn. And the meaning of names means a lot to us, so that will definitely play a major factor in deciding.

I love being pregnant. I'm on cloud 9, which is why I choose cloud frosting for this post and gender reveal picture. It was too perfect. This frosting is like a cross between marshmallow and whipped cream. It's light and airy and pipes up beautifully. I can be used for cupcakes or cakes. I prefer to eat this frosting within an hour of making it because I like it really soft and wet almost. It's heavenly - hence the cloud name. But many people prefer it as it stiffens up and becomes more like spongy marshmallow texture. I tinted a portion of my frosting blue and pink for the picture, but the other were white. I prefer the clean softness of it. This frosting goes with any flavor cake - chocolate, pumpkin, vanilla, strawberry, you name it.

You don't even need a piping tip to create this look. Just snip off the end of a piping bag or ziplock bag and press down in the center of your cupcake and squeeze in one continuous motion. You'll get a beautiful mound. Continue squeezing very lightly as you pull up to create the peak.

Cloud Frosting
adapted from Martha Stewart
frosts 24 cupcakes or 1 cake

- 2 1/2 cups sugar
- 6 large egg whites, room temperature
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- Make the frosting: In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine sugar, egg whites, water, and cream of tartar. Whisk until foamy. Set bowl over a pan of barely simmering water and whisk until sugar is dissolved and mixture is warm to the touch, about 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer bowl to stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat on high speed until frosting forms stiff peaks, about 12 to 16 minutes (mine only took about 6 minutes). Add vanilla and beat until combined.
Frost cake or pipe onto cupcakes immediately and serve asap for fluffy, soft frosting. Serve 2-3 hours later for more marshmallow like frosting (sticky and spongy).

French Toast Bread Pudding and A Valentine's To Remember

noreply@blogger.com (Krysta) — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 20:48:00 +0000

I can't remember the last time my heart felt so full. Today I woke at 5:30am, put on my red pants with a lacy white top and ventured downstairs to make this outrageous breakfast for Valentines Day.

That's French Toast Bread Pudding, people. And I actually made it last night. After I got done beating the custard, I poured it all over the fat slices of Brioche I had layered in my baking pan. I covered it with foil and stuck it in the fridge to soak overnight. I did this purposely after the kids went to bed so it would be a surprise in the morning. We don't eat like this for breakfast often.

I baked it, and while the house was filling with the aroma of buttered custard bread, the kids came trickling downstairs to find what Valentines treats awaited them. Daddy didn't disappoint with chocolates and stuffed animals and hot wheels for Jeremiah. I got them things to wear (typical). Valentine shirts/scarfs, etc.

They opened their gifts and ate

Then we all felt a little sick. Not because the food was bad. Oh, no, this stuff is glorious. Probably just because we've been on a cleanse and we're weenies and hyper aware of how food makes us feel.

My three little Valentines

Then we headed to drop Olivia off at pre-school and take Isabella and Jeremiah with us to our ultrasound appointment. Did we find out the gender of baby number four? Yes! But you are going to have to wait until another post for the reveal...

I'm so mean.

Then we dropped the kids off at school and Jeremy and I went to Winona's to have breakfast together. We ate healthy things that wouldn't make us sick.

Olivia got this sweet Valentine from Emmeit (remember from yesterday's post?) His mom was quick to explain that he was in no way proposing to Olivia. Isn't it the sweetest? 4 year olds...

Then, my gifts came. Jeremiah, my 6-year old boy, brought me these by his own prompting.

Then, this happened.

Jeremy usually gets me red roses on Valentines Day (if he goes the flower route---always a safe choice, men) but he said this year it didn't feel right. It felt more light, more spring-like, more celebratory and joyful. It's where we are in our lives and I couldn't have picked a more appropriate bouquet. Plus, knowing he actually walked through the flower shop pointing at colors and flowers he'd like included makes it extra-special in my book. He made sure to include my very favorite flowers in the whole wide world, ranunculus. It's the first time I've received a bouquet with them in it because their growing season is so short. They are the spindly little flowers that resemble a cabbage rose, almost. They have character. I can't wait for them to fully bloom.

*an after published note: my friend Kel says this picture looks nothing like me*

My gift to Jeremy this year was a love letter. He's not a huge material gift guy.

Now? I'm settling in to read one of the best books ever while Olivia naps. Tonight brings a hot date with my husband at our restaurant. We received this picture from our chef showing us what awaits. :)

Gah- You guys, I'm so happy and it's only 1:40pm...

"Expect nothing, and appreciate everything"

French Toast Bread Pudding
adapted from Ina Garten
serves 8

1 challah loaf, sliced 3/4 inch thick
8 extra-large eggs
5 cups half-and-half or milk
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Confectioners' sugar and pure maple syrup, for serving
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Arrange the bread in two layers in a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking dish, cutting the bread to fit the dish. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, honey, orange zest, vanilla, and salt. Pour the mixture over the bread and press the bread down. Allow to soak for 10 minutes.

Place the baking dish in a larger roasting pan and add enough very hot tap water to the roasting pan to come an inch up the side of the baking dish. Cover the roasting pan tightly with aluminum foil, tenting it so the foil doesn't touch the pudding. Make two slashes in the foil to allow steam to escape. Bake for 45 minutes, remove the aluminum foil, and bake for another 40 to 45 minutes, until the pudding puffs up and the custard is set. Remove from the oven and cool slightly.

With a small sieve, dust lightly with confectioners' sugar and serve hot in squares with maple syrup on the side.

Homemade Sign-Language Valentines

noreply@blogger.com (Krysta) — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 16:05:00 +0000

No recipe here today. Just some sweet pictures of my oldest girl helping my youngest girl make some homemade valentines for her class tomorrow.

Olivia has special needs (Angelmans Syndrome - see my friends and family page) and goes to a school that integrates typical children with special needs children. These valentines were perfect for her class, don't you think? Olivia can't talk, so she uses signs and although she can't actually sign "I love you", she would if she could -especially to Emmit, her "boyfriend" who has Down's Syndrome and is the cutest little boy you've ever seen. She really does have an affinity for Emmit, and I do too, and Emmit's mom once told me that he had eyes for Olivia, so yeah, it's unofficially officially her "boyfriend." You know how these preschool romances work.

Emmit and Olivia

Big sister helping little sister make the Valentines

We slipped cute pink lollipops through a slit in sturdy paper and Isabella traced a hand and proceeded to cut it out 12 times and color them all. Melted my heart.

Tomorrow is Valentines Day and as if it couldn't get any better already, it's also the day we go in for our 20 week baby appointment for our ultrasound! We're taking the kids and finding out together. Be looking for a gender reveal post next week! I'm not excited at all.

Easy Lemon, Garlic and Kale Pasta

noreply@blogger.com (Krysta) — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 16:02:00 +0000

Kale. It's what's for dinner. Okay, so I fess up, I saw this recipe on Pinterest and swooned over it for a couple months until I decided it was time to make it. Although the original recipe sounded lovely, I knew I needed to add significantly more garlic, lemon, and salt, plus a little crushed red pepper flake in order for it to pass my taste test. I was right on the money. The amounts can be tweaked to fit your preferences but I found this recipe to be perfectly garlicky, without being overpowering (it takes more than you think it will), and very lemony. We like lemon in our house. I thought this was perfect for us because the brightness along with the silky olive oil and background garlic balanced the earthiness of the kale. If you are not overly thrilled by lemons, cut down on the juice by a 1/2 lemon, and don't add the lemon slices to infuse your oil. That should do it.

This girl gobbled her pasta down with great enthusiasm, although we did catch her picking out a few ribbons of kale and tossing them to the side. I think they made their way onto the floor where the dog ate them. He lives for moments like that.

Right now, that very same girl is squealing at the TV in the background where the Price Is Right is on. What is it with that show? Kids love it. The bright colors, the commotion. Have you ever noticed that? I swear, next time the kids are driving you crazy, play an episode of Price Is Right and walk away. You don't even need to draw attention to it. The kids will just naturally flock to the TV and become entranced. It's so strange. When Jeremiah is home sick and it comes on he'll yell at me if I try and turn the channel. I had no idea the showcase showdown could be so entertaining.

Easy Lemon, Garlic and Kale Pasta
adapted from The Cilantropist
serves 4-6

1 head dinosaur or black kale, thick stem removed and chopped into thin ribbons
1 lb. shell pasta (we used brown rice pasta - Tinkyada brand, which is gluten free)
2 lemons
7 fat garlic cloves, chopped and divided
1/2 cup olive oil + 2 tablespoons
pinch red pepper flakes
1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt
Toasted pine nuts (optional)

Heat a large pot filled with water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions.

Zest and juice one of the lemons in a bowl and set aside for later. Slice the remaining lemon in half and squeeze the juice out of one of the halves into the bowl of juice and zest. Slice the remaining half a lemon into thin slices and reserve.

In a large pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add 2 of the chopped garlic cloves and saute for 1 minute. Add kale and saute until it wilts nicely, about 5 minutes and add 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Transfer wilted kale to another bowl (or sheet of foil, like I do) and set aside.

In the same pan used to cook the kale, heat 1/2 cup of olive oil over medium to medium-low heat, once warm, add the remaining 5 cloves of garlic, pinch of red pepper flakes, and lemons slices, and saute until garlic is cooked and oil is infused, about 3-5 minutes. Add in the lemon juice and zest and remaining teaspoon of Kosher salt. Continue to simmer everything together for 1 minute. Add the kale and pasta to the sauce and toss until combined. Top with toasted pine nuts and serve hot.

Dulce De Leche Brownies

noreply@blogger.com (Krysta) — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 16:03:00 +0000

This is supposed to be my Valentines post. I had planned on photographing these beauties with some sort of red or pink background, or ribbon to drive that point home but I realized I don't have food props. I'm that lame blogger that likes to keep things authentic. If I'm not actually wrapping these brownies up in red tissue paper and giving them to somebody, I sure as heck won't make it look like I am (unless I have lots of extra time and vision). Still, I feel certain pressures as a food blogger such as getting recipes out before holidays since the whole point is to inspire ideas for these sorts of things. The truth is I usually suck at this. Call me crazy but I like to make valentines treats ON Valentines Day. This means I can't possibly get pictures and a post out in time for you to make it as well unless I save it for the next year. I do that sometimes. I have both a Christmas and Thanksgiving recipe that I made this year, which I won't share with you until next year when the time is right. This blog stuff can get complicated. However, it happens to be my step-dad's 50th birthday this week, and since my mom is coming over I thought he might like it if she brought him home some of these brownies. Because, dude, who wouldn't want some of these brownies? I knew I had to make this recipe asap because the hefty pockets of soft milk caramel folded throughout were calling to me and made it so I could not, could not, stop thinking about it. It was like it had some kind of hold over me.

Can you blame me? These are gorgeous in their simplicity, are they not? Normally, I like my brownies topped with vanilla ice cream in sundae form or I'm not much interested. Dulce de leche brownies are apparently a game changer. You want these straight up. It would be a travesty to mask that caramel and chocolate with anything else. The thing that works so magically here are the differing textures. There's a deep chewiness to the brownies which clings to the warm caramel in a nice little hug. When you bite, some of the dulce de leche oozes out gently without getting too messy and ignites your taste buds. This is a hefty brownie. Fudgy, but with a good crumb. I can't see myself making a different brownie recipe ever again, with or without the dulce de leche because these are spot on. Next time, I'll load them with nuts. The fact that these are essentially saucepan brownies and can be made in one pot, without the use of a mixer makes them even better. What are you waiting for? Like, seriously.

What are your Valentine plans? My sweet Grandma and Grandpa are going to babysit the kids so that we can go out to dinner. Usually, I opt for reservations at my favorite restaurant, Cafe Diva, but this year I think we'll go to our own restaurant, Mambo Italiano. Our Sicilian chef has created the most beautiful menu with proscuitto and honey ricotta and handmade mushroom pasta and cream puffs with berries and oh, It's going to be fantastic.

Dulce De Leche Brownies
adapted from David Lebovitz

makes 9 squares

8 tablespoons (115g) salted or unsalted butter, cut into pieces
6 ounces (170g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/4 cup (25g) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
3 large eggs
1 cup (200g) sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup (140g) flour
optional: 1 cup (100 g) toasted pecans or walnuts, coarsely chopped
1 cup Dulce De Leche (or Cajeta)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (175 C).

Line a 8-inch (20 cm) square pan with a long sheet of aluminum foil that covers the bottom and reaches up the sides. If it doesn’t reach all the way up and over all four sides, cross another sheet of foil over it, making a large cross with edges that overhang the sides. Grease the bottom and sides of the foil with a bit of butter or non-stick spray.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the chocolate pieces and stir constantly over very low heat until the chocolate is melted. Remove from heat and whisk in the cocoa powder until smooth. Add in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the sugar, vanilla, then the flour. Mix in the nuts, if using.

Scrape half of the batter into the prepared pan. Here comes the fun part.
Drop one-third of the Dulce de Leche, evenly spaced, over the brownie batter, then drag a knife through to swirl it slightly (if you like big, melty pockets of caramel, don't swirl the bottom layer. Leave it in globs). Spread the remaining brownie batter over, then drop spoonfuls of the remaining Dulce de Leche in dollops over the top of the brownie batter. Use a knife to swirl the Dulce de Leche slightly.

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes. The brownies are done when the center feels just-slightly firm. You want the brownies to be underdone just a bit. It pays off after they cool. Remove from the oven and cool completely.

Storage: These brownies actually become better the second day, and will keep well for up to 3 days.