The Urban Domestic Diva

Get Ahead of the Holidays! A Gardener's Favorite Gift List, From T-Shirts, Mugs, Prints and Posters

2019-11-20T20:09:00.000-06:00

Perusing my blog and social spaces will reveal a love of all things gardening, and I am not afraid to show off that love in mugs, shirts, books, and prints. My shop is a wonderful space for me to marry my illustration and design skills with my domestic passions-in this case love of flowers and growing things.

I thought I would make your holiday list-making easier with these ideas. Yes, these are my goods, so you may think this is a pretty self-serving post. But a lot of my love and handwork went into each of these pretties, hoping to share my art with you, to make your world a little lovelier and self-expressive. And the books are written, illustrated and self-published by your truly, to help spread the word about helping pollinators. PLUS a percentage of the profits from my #savethebees products will go to The Honeybee Conservancy at the end of the year.

I know you have some gardeners and naturalists in your life that would love this stuff under the tree! Take a look!

Books

Native Plants for Bees and Butterflies Book $42.99/$9.99

Children's Book about Bees and other Pollinators $10.99/$5.99

T-Shirts

Bee Friendly To Bees T-Shirt . $25.99 (free shipping)

"Dirty Girl" Garden Lover's T-Shirt $25.99 (free shipping)

Save The Bees Gardener Vintage Floral T-Shirt $25.99 (free shipping)

Bold "Give Bees a Chance" Gardener T-Shirt $25.99 (free shipping)

Save The Monarchs Vintage Floral Gardener's T-Shirt $25.99 (free shipping)

Mugs & Kitchenware

"Bloom Where You're Planted" Victorian Floral Mug $23.99 (free shipping)

"Dirty Girl" Funny Floral Gardener's Mug $26.99 (free shipping)

Pollinator Bee Species Watercolor Coasters . $25.99

Save the Bees Gardener's Mugs, 11 oz and 15 oz, $23.99, $26.99 (free shipping)

Tote Bags

Native Pollinator Bee Species Watercolor Art Tote Bag $28.99 (free shipping)

Save the Monarch's Vintage Floral Tote Bag $35.99 (free shipping)

Funny Vintage Garden Lover's Tote Bag . $31.99 (free shipping)

Vintage Floral 'Grow" Garden Lover's Tote Bag $35.99 (free shipping)

Busy Bee Garden and Bee Lover Vintage Chic Light Tote Bag $28.99 (Free shipping)

Save the Bees Vintage Floral Shabby Chic Tote Bag . $28.99 (free shipping)

Other Gifts

Vintage Floral Shabby Chic Victorian Blue Flowers Phone Case, $27.99 (free shipping)

Locally Grown and Raised Flour Sack Towel $25.99 (free shipping)

Posters

Pollinators Poster with Vintage Native Plant Art, Midwest Wildflower Print $28.99/$32.99/$34.99 (free shipping)

Vintage Floral Poster Gardening Quote Poster $28.99/$32.99/$34.99 (free shipping)

Vintage Floral Gardening Quote Poster $28.99/$32.99/$34.99 (free shipping)

Migration Time! We appreciate your patience as we move the blog to a new home.

2019-07-17T09:44:00.000-05:00

It's been on my mind for YEARS. When I decided to start this blog, it was to learn social media on behalf of my clients and ad agency I was working for. Blogger was the easiest way to just get started and get writing. What I didn't realize was what a creative outlet it would be and the passion I would have in working on it. I am a creative person, and the ideas and creations I come up with, I love to share with all of you.
It has grown into a brand.
It has grown into a youtube channel.
It has grown into 2 self-published books.
It has grown into products and shops.

Quite simply we have outgrown our "apartment".

It's time to buy a house. Deep down, I have known this for years. The task was so daunting, and each year the amount of content to move grew and grew, which gave me a headache. And then I would take two Tylenol, have a lie-down, ignore my problem and get back to creating/writing/sharing. Heck, that is WAY more fun anyway.

The issue is, the more content I add on Blogger doesn't help anymore. You may be surprised that the almighty Google "SEO-GOD" search engine that owns Blogger has really crappy (I am using a tamer word here...I would use a saltier sentence enhancer if we were drinking some wine on my deck together) SEO abilities in Blogger. But it takes the same amount of work to post, share and resyndicate. I need to be in a home that will take my hard work and make sure it gives me a bigger opportunity to grow my audience so that my ideas and tips get seen by the eyeballs that need them. I also need all my properties to work together in unison. This is one brand. It needs to be in one place, and all of the arms need to support the larger body-if you will. Right now, things are all over the place, and Google doesn't really like that. Google doesn't give me the credit of authoring all this stuff because it doesn't understand that it all comes from one "authority"...meaning me. So a rising tide lifts all ships, and we are raising the tide, and building a bigger boat.

Why am I telling you? Because you have been my faithful reader for over ten years, and you may have seen a drop in content here. I have been finding a migration solution, and now we will be migrating/designing and giving the blog a dusting and cleaning. SO yes, there will be less content here for the time being. I thought I should let you know. It doesn't mean I am peetering out on my blog, brand or ideas. In fact, I have a backlog of 10 recipes, and 2 dozen posts to accompany my youtube videos. But the more I post will mean more to move. I need to pause for my own sanity and my migration team's sanity.

If you need a dose of urban domestic diva-ness, follow me on Pinterest, Instagram or my Facebook page. I am also diligently posting Fridays with Flora videos every other week on the youtube channel, so subscribe there. The shops have really cool stuff for you! Also, sign up for my email list at the top of the page. The tribe is growing, and I reach those readers monthly at the very least. And one more shout out, to my book I just published. The book is written and illustrated by ME, and it covers native plants in the midwest in a digestible easy to use guide. Check it out. So even though the blog will be quiet for a few weeks more, I am still out there for you. Reach out!

Stay tuned. I'll announce to my readers when the new blog is up via social and emails!

THANK YOU for your support and love over these past years. I would not be here, and even at this point without your readership. It is EVERYTHING.

peace and blessings,

flora

Strawberry Season Round Up!

2019-06-20T23:07:00.001-05:00

It's strawberry season at the farmstands. In the midwest, the cold spring made it late, but it's here now in all it's berry-tart glory!

Check out our recent loot:

Strawberries don't last long, so if you can't get to your recipes within a day or two, process the berries, pop them in plastic bags and freeze them. I like measuring them in 4 cup bags and 8 cup bags, which aligns usually with jam and pie recipes. Freezing buys you months to use them. I sometimes mix them in other late summer fruit jams, and I have to wait for those to be ready. So freezing strawberries until my peaches and nectarines come in is the best way to keep your farm fresh vibe in your kitchen.

Below are my favorite recipes featuring strawberries:

Strawberry Almond Whole Grain Crumble

Gluten Free Strawberry Crumble

Strawberry Custard Shortcakes

Strawberry Margarita Buttermilk Cake

Strawberry Lemon Marmalade

Peach and Strawberry Basil Jam

Strawberry Lemon Crumble

Strawberry Danish Vanilla Cake

Strawberry Orange Almond Upside Down Cake

White Chocolate Amaretti Berry Trifle

RECIPE: Garlic Ramen Noodles with Chicken

2019-06-16T21:05:00.000-05:00

I saw a recipe called Umami Noodles in the NY Times, and my eyes perked up. One because I created some snazzy products at the shop honoring food and cooking-and some feature the words "umami" (see below). And two, hubby and I are obsessed with umami in our cooking and finding ways to add it to what we make.

What is umami, you may ask? If you wish to learn more, I recommend a great little series on Netflix called "Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat". Even if you are a pretty advanced cook, this series breaks down the foundations of a good and flavorful dish and visits ingredient masters across the globe. The soy master in Japan inspired me to buy his 2-year-aged soy sauce as a Christmas gift for my husband. You have not tasted soy until you try his soy.

The chef on the series goes into what umami means. But basically, umami is that certain "something-something" that deepens the flavor of a dish. Think of it as the difference between a piece of white cotton and a piece of white iridescent satin. White cotton has simplicity, and it's clean, light and basic. White iridescent satin has layers of subtle color and feels different to your fingers and skin. It is fuller in texture and color. But both fabrics are technically white. In the simplest cooking terms, you can cook rice in water. Or you can cook rice with some chicken or miso broth and whole spices to add layers of "umami", while still having the rice experience.

So this dish was called umami noodles. You soak the garlic in water for a bit, then use it in the sauce giving the dish layers of garlic umami. I added chicken and other things to make the meal more substantial. It is delicious and very easy. Give your family some umami in ramen fun!

Garlic Ramen Noodles with Chicken
adapted from the NY Times

Ingredients:

20 ounces of fresh Ramen noodles
4 large garlic cloves, minced
Kosher salt to taste
13 ounces chicken breast, sliced
1 Tbsp. sesame oil
15 to 20 ounces of dried Chinese wheat noodles or fresh ramen
1 tablespoon of oyster sauce
2 teaspoons fish sauce
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon of chicken stock base
1/2 teaspoon of sugar
6 tablespoons European butter
10 ounces of sliced shiitakes
1/4-1/8 of a cup of minced shallots
2 cups of baby spinach, long stems removed and leaves roughly torn up or 1 large bunch of mustard greens, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces

Directions:

Cover garlic with 1 tablespoon of water and set aside to soak.

Cook fresh noodles in salted water for two minutes, less than package directions dictate. Reserve 3/4 cups of the cooking water and drain the noodles and keep them warm. Whisk oyster sauce, fish sauce, cornstarch, chicken base, sugar and reserved ramen water in a small bowl and set aside. Cook chicken in 1 tablespoon of sesame seed oil and 1 tablespoon of butter. Cook until browned. Season with salt and pepper, and take out of the pan and set aside. Return pan to the burner. In the large sauté pan with the chicken drippings, melt the 3 tablespoons of butter and cook the mushrooms for 5 minutes until browned. Add the greens and cook for 2 minutes and sprinkle with salt-and-pepper. Turn off the heat and transfer to a bowl with the chicken. Put the skillet back on the stove and add 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the shallots and garlic with the garlic water. As the butter melts and sizzles, turn the heat back on medium-high and cook the garlic. Stir in the cooking liquid-sauce mixture and reduce the heat to medium. The sauce will become bubbly. Toss in the noodles, the chicken and the vegetables, add one more cooking water if needed. Toss until everything is coasted. Let sit one minute before serving.

And while you serve up this deliciousness, show off your love of all things food and UMAMI! My hand designed shirt and apron make a perfect accessory to these noodles-or any kitchen creation!

Link to buy

Photo how-to:

How Leaving My Day Job Helped Me Find My Life's Work

2019-05-30T16:01:00.001-05:00

Hello Blog Family!

I am returning to you after a small hiatus, but the longest one I have ever had since I started this blog over 10 years ago. The past 14 months have been full of transitions for me, Sometimes, you just need to cut back on some things to get centered, and also get other projects finished.

The idea of getting centered and taking care of YOU is key to my message today. You may notice, if you follow me here or in my social spaces, I am someone who needs my plate full. I am not happy if I am not making something and sharing it. Over the past 10 years of this blog, I worked full time as a creative leader at a Chicago ad agency while donating my time to charity work, raising and guiding my family, creating things and publishing them here, leading a girl scout troop...the list goes on. It was no surprise to anyone who knew me that by the summer of 2017, I was burned out. I felt creatively and emotionally spent. I found "the negative" at work everywhere I looked. I spent my dinner time with my family crying. My husband urged me to find a new job, thinking that was the fix. That was not a possibility for many reasons-the main ones being that my previous employer was...let's just say...not good at letting people go work anywhere else. Also, he legally had us all handcuffed with insane non-competes. But besides all of that, I did not know what I wanted anymore. I was actually asking myself, what did I want? Every career decision I ever made was for the benefit of someone or something else, including staying somewhere unhappily just to help my own team.

So I dove off the rat race wheel and took a summer off. In the fall, I built my portfolio back up, dusted my resume, nurtured my network (which I let languish because of my employer's paranoia and a 60-hour work week). I had a lot of coffees, met new and inspiring people, reconnected with colleagues I adored, stayed in touch with my old team, had quite a few interviews. But nothing clicked into something permanent. I began to sink into a depression of sorts as winter wore on. This happens to me in the winter anyway, but the feeling of not getting ahead or landing in a "job home" during this imaginary timeframe I gave myself was wearing on me.

What I learned was, when you hit rock bottom, you get cracked wide open. And that's when all the good stuff comes pouring in. Subtle things kept popping up in my day to day and would repeat themselves thematically. I began to wonder if "someone up there" was trying to tell me something. For instance, a friend of mine recommended a meditation seminar out of the blue that also showed up twice in my facebook feed and my email. Instances like that. When those things happen, I have learned that there is a higher blueprint working on your behalf and that it's not a coincidence.
Listen. And I did.

Gradually, what happens, is you get in a flow. This whole journey has been so rocky, scary, bizarre and magical. I realized I could not control anything except my own thoughts and actions. I can't force anyone to hire me, or do anything, really. I began doing things that I could control. I began meditating and taking morning power walks for myself. The more I quieted and trusted, the more things were introduced to my world for me to do. For instance, an online seminar popped up in my feed on how to start an online store for the blog, or a tingling sensation to reach out to some old colleagues for freelance work that turned into a year's worth of revenue. A friend recommended a podcast out of the blue that addressed issues I was dealing with in my own head. Also, messages hinting that I needed to deal with what was blocking me, deep seeded issues about money, abundance, worthiness, even getting past shyness. This last one forced me to introduce myself to people I didn't know well. One connection made two more. If I was asked to donate my freelance time on something, and I had it in in me, I served. I trusted that the work could bring more in other ways, and it did.

Once I discovered through meditating that my purpose was to create and serve, it brought me into alignment with my true self. And then more inspiration came. The more I answered the inspiration, the more freelance opportunities came, too. What I realized quickly, was that not getting hired at those full-time positions wasn't rejection, but realignment. I was meant to work for myself right now, to give me the flexibility to create things that needed to be made.

To that end, beside the shop (see above and check me out on Etsy!) I just self-published a book on Amazon! The idea came to me when I was researching some wall art I wanted to design for the shop, highlighting Midwest native plants to help pollinators (artist meet gardener!). Then I listened to a podcast episode on Cathy Heller's Don't Keep Your Day Job after my walk one day. Cathy's guest was a food blogger who self-published a book on Amazon, and much to her own surprise was doing really well. Then EUREKA! I had the idea to use my poster art research into something bigger. The pollinator problem is real. Choosing and planting natives to help them is overwhelming. Why don't I create a book that helps people tackle it in an easy way-the way people plan their garden beds-and with my own illustrations and writing? I can help others help the planet, in my own voice and style.

Thus the hiatus, my friends. When the muse speaks, you have to answer. If you don't, she will find someone else to get the creative solution out there into the world. I wanted to deliver on this one. If you follow the blog, you know I love gardening, and I love the planet, and I love beautiful things. I hope you find all of those things in this book: BEE NATIVE! FLOWER POWER. I hope to make it part of a series, where I tackle different regions of the US. Planting just ONE native plant can make a big impact.

I have other exciting things brewing, too, including a podcast with a friend of mine! I think I am busier now than I was before.
But with much fewer tears at the dinner table.

Thanks for sticking with me. We are back on the posting schedule now and check out my Fridays with Flora on my youtube channel, published every other Friday.

Peace and Blessings

RECIPE: Diner Sheet Cake with Silky Hershey's Chocolate Bar Frosting

2019-04-18T17:58:00.001-05:00

So, we called this devil cake. I gave it to my neighbors as a treat, and they texted me the next day, saying they could not stop eating the "devil" cake. Because, it's the devil. You can't stop thinking about it in the fridge, while you work or go about your day. It calls to you. And it's worth every calorie.

What makes it so devilish? The smooth, silk, tangy and rich frosting made from Hershey bars. If you have been keeping up with the blog, you will have noticed I have been using Hershey's chocolate bars whenever I can. I had a Costco sized box of them the size of Sausalito from girl scouts that I have had to use up. Making frosting with them is a perfect way to use them up!

This was adapted from the New York Times Food newsletter. Those peeps can cook. I imagine you can freeze the cake and then defrost it and frost it at a later date.

Diner Sheet Cake with Silky Hershey's Chocolate Bar Frosting

Ingredients:

Batter

1 1/2 sticks butter, softened

1 1/4 cup sugar

2 large eggs and 1 egg yolk, room temperature

1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. sea salt

3/4 cup whole milk

Frosting

2 cups confectioners sugar

1/4 cup well-rounded cocoa

3/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup sour cream

2 Hershey's bars, melted and cooled

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

pinch of salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350˚, and spray a 13 x 9" square pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

Mix the dry ingredients with a fork in a small bowl, an set aside.

Whip the butter until light, then add the sugar and whip until fluffy. Add the eggs and yolk, one a time, and whip until a light yellow color and well combined. Add vanilla, and mix until combined.

Turn the mixer on low, and alternate adding the dry ingredients with the milk, and careful to not overwork. Mix until just combined. Pour into the pan evenly, and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick at the center comes out clean. The cake should be light golden in color, puffy and set.

Once done, let the cake cool on a cooling rack.

Meanwhile, make the frosting. Stir the cocoa with the sugar until combined, and set aside. With a stand mixer, whip the butter until light and creamy. Then add the sugar/cocoa and whip until fluffy. Add the sour cream and whip until combined, then add the melted chocolate on low speed, with vanilla and salt. Whip up until creamy, silky and spreadable.

Once the cake is cooled, frost liberally with the frosting. Keep covered and chilled, until all gobbled up!

GARDENING/ CRAFT: All About Cold Tolerant Annuals and How To Make a Laundry Basket Planter

2019-04-14T14:03:00.000-05:00

I guess I could not have timed this video and post any better, as we are sitting today in a Chicago snow blizzard a week before Easter in the middle of April. As I write this, I am looking at my poor magnolia buds, wondering if the are D.O.A.

This is pretty heartbreaking, as I am not sure how "cold-tolerant" Magnolia blooms are. But there ARE plenty of cold-tolerant blooms that you can plant now if you have the crazy weather swings like we do in the Midwest. This week on Fridays with Flora, I talk about cold-tolerant annuals, and show you how you can turn a unique, inexpensive container like a laundry basket, into a cool planter for spring!

Below is a list of some cold-tolerant annuals and other plant ideas for filler and structure. Take a screen grab or download to your phone before you go shopping for plants. Tender plants should not be planted until Mother's Day weekend in the Midwest.

For the cool laundry basket planter, here is what you will need:

upcycled laundry basket or dollar-store laundry basket
potting soil
spanish moss, about 3 bags
cold tolerant plants
bamboo stakes or long twigs foraged from your yard
gardening or decorative twine
gloves, scissors, spade

Here is a how-to for you! Please subscribe to my channel to keep up on the fun! We update it now every other Friday.

CRAFT: Upcycled Bottle and Beaded Wire Hummingbird Feeder

2019-04-13T10:13:00.000-05:00

We have been trying to entice hummingbirds to our property for years, and it has only been recently since I have been putting more native flowers in the garden, that I have been seeing them. I was hoping to make some homemade nectar and a glittery, pretty feeder using materials on hand to lure them closer to the house. I am hoping this feeder does the trick! It is super easy to make! See below for my how-to video. All you need is an old glass bottle, various gauge wire, a feeding spout, and some beads.

Subscribe to my channel and keep up on all the fun at the homestead!

CRAFT: Upcycled Bottle and Beaded Wire Hummingbird Feeder

CRAFT and VIDEO: Make a Large Leaf Cement Birdbath with Quickrete Quick Set Cement

2019-03-23T13:10:00.001-05:00

You may have seen this garden project all over the interwebs. I have always wanted to try it myself, and as the weather is warming up, my attention has turned to garden projects. This one has been on my list for quite a while.

Cement is a messy endeavor, just check out my garden stepping stone video. It's also quite labor intensive. The crappy paper bags of cement are always leaking all over my trunk, making things dusty and gravelly. And they are pretty heavy to drag to and from the store and car let alone pour into a bucket or wheelbarrow. I am not saying I will stop making cement garden projects, but I was looking at using the smaller bucket of quick-set cement for this little project. I wanted to see if it worked better for smaller, more detailed shaped and molded projects. As it turned out, this quick-set cement does start firming up quickly, within 5-10 minutes, but is still workable. It acts almost like clay or play-dough at that point, which I was able to shape into a cylindrical base with my hands and plop onto the back of the birdbath, as well as work and shape the cement onto the back of my leaf mold.

In my research, I discovered another product called Shapecrete, which takes the shaping and molding of cement's ability one step further. It seemed I could only get it online, so I couldn't try it for this project. But the quick-set worked wonders, and I only needed half of a 10 lb. bucket for this project, so I have enough saved for another project. I still waited for 20-24 hours to unmold it and paint it, and it does take about a month to FULLY cure, so keep that in mind when planning this project. I worked on it now so come garden planting time, my birdbath will be ready.

There is something fulfilling about working with cement-as a woman, I guess. I grew up with my father being a cement mason and a contractor/business owner. I always equated cement with material that was too messy, too labor intensive and too hard to use for "meek women". So when I get my gloves on and mix cement, and make it work for ME, I feel pretty damn proud of myself. So you go get 'em, tiger. Make the cement work for you, too. It is pretty versatile, and its strength can work really hard for us in our gardens and yards. The sky is the limit for cement garden creations.

I have a how-to video below for you, but here is a list of supplies:

Quickrete Quick-Set Cement, about half a 10 lb. tub for this size leaf

A large leaf with heavy veining on the back

Sand

Cardboard to cover your work surface

Plast garbage bag cut in half, you will use both

vaseline or cooking spray

Mixing sticks

Tub for cement mixing

Cement acrylic fortifier

Water and plastic cup for measuring

Gloves

Plastic Knife

Outdoor Acrylic paint or cement paint

Chip brush

AFTER CURING

Sealer to be put on after it is fully cured (optional)

Baking soda and cider vinegar for rinsing down before allowing wildlife on it (after sealer is cured, if using)

RECIPE: Street Food Korean Firecracker Sesame Chicken

2019-03-19T18:22:00.002-05:00

Street food is so much fun, whether you frequent food trucks or aimlessly walk around markets state-side or overseas, these dishes are simple, small in size yet packed with flavor. Making a dish like this for your family is a great option for a weeknight. Just put a pot of rice in the rice cooker, and fry up your chicken and keep it warm in the oven. The sauce is super fast. If you don't have time to steam broccoli, but a steambale bag of frozen vegetables and let the microwave do the work. It all comes together in the sauce in a matter of minutes, and it's eaten that fast, too.

The star of this dish and the new favorite thing in our pantry is gochujang. It has slowly taken the place of sriracha at our house, but the two are used very differently. This magical pepper paste is fermented with soybeans and rice, giving our dishes more umami with the spicy kick you're looking for versus just a flat heat you get from a typical hot sauce.

What is umami? It's that depth of flavor and full mouthfeel you get when you eat something. It's flavor. It's deep, round, full FLAVOR. Sometimes you know where that flavor is coming from in your dish. Sometimes you don't- it's just a magical, powerful deep flavor symphony.
But umami is what you want when you eat something.
Otherwise, what is the point?

(Also see below for some of my homage to umami products I designed at the shop.)

SO this dish has it all, ease, spice, fun, a vegetable and UMAMI, baby.

Show off your foodie-ness and love of umami with this cool shirt or apron:

Street Food Korean Firecracker Sesame Chicken

Ingredients:

Canola oil for frying
2 teaspoons of toasted sesame seeds
2 cups of broccoli florets
1 tablespoon of sesame oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger
3 scallions sliced, white parts set-aside apart from the green
1/2 cup of gochujang
1 tablespoon of light brown sugar
1/2 cup of cornstarch
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 cup of flour
2 teaspoons of kosher salt
1 teaspoon of baking powder
fresh ground pepper
1/2 cup of vodka
2 pounds of chicken breasts, trimmed and chopped into large, bite-size pieces

Directions:

Put a wire rack on a baking sheet that's lined with paper towels in the oven. Heat your oven to a very low warm temperature, like 175˚.

Heat a very large pan with canola oil. Oil should be about 2 1/2" deep. I fry the chicken first and let it stay warm in the pan because the rest goes rather quickly. Also while you're frying your chicken, heat up some water and put a steam basket over it to crisp-steam your broccoli for about five minutes. Once ready, rinse quickly in cold water and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk the cornstarch with the flour, salt, baking powder and the pepper. Add the vodka with 1/2 cup of cold water and whisk until smooth. Add the chicken and toss to coat well.

Heat up your oil and add the coated chicken to the oil dripping off the excess as you add them to the pan, and work in batches. Fry on all sides until puffy and crispy brown, about 6 minutes. Transfer browned chicken to the rack in the baking sheet and keep it warm in the oven. Keep working in batches and keep adding your fried chicken to the oven pan. Once the chicken is fried up, quickly make the sauce.

In a large pan heat the sesame oil and add the ginger, the garlic and the white parts of the scallions. Cook until tender (about three minutes). Whisk in the gochujang and the brown sugar and bring to a simmer, but it will be very thick. Remove from heat add 1 cup of water and whisk until smooth. It will bubble up and be syrupy. Toss in the fried chicken and the broccoli to coat. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and chopped green onions. Serve with cooked white rice.

Photo How To:

RECIPE: Pasta Carbo-Vera

2019-03-16T08:44:00.001-05:00

Today is all about mash-ups.

Is it beef jerky or pork bacon?

BOTH!

Is it pasta primavera or pasta carbonara?

BOTH!

You don't need to decide on one or the other when you can have both!

You can have the lower fat and protein-rich beef in BACON form. And you can have the fresh vegetable pasta of primavera with the creaminess and decadence of a carbonara in one pasta.

This is a super-easy dish that moves fast. You want to have the pasta very hot when you add it to the eggs, and the heat of the pasta cooks the eggs gently as you toss it. So have everything at the ready when it comes tossing time.

Then, mangia!

Pasta Carbo-Vera

Ingredients:

4 slices of beef bacon (like Schmacon), cut into 1/4-1/2 inch pieces

1/2 pound of peas (about 1/2 cups frozen)

1 pound of spaghetti/linguini

4 ounces of asparagus. sliced diagonally- about three-inch-thick

10 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped

1 teaspoon of cornstarch and a tablespoon water, dissolved

1/3rd cup of strong chicken stock

2 cloves of garlic, minced

5 eggs at room temperature, whisked

2 tablespoons of whole cream

1/2 cups of grated Pecorino Romano

Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a large pan, cook the bacon until crispy and drain on paper towel. Save the fat in the pan, return to heat. Sauté garlic in the fat until tender and then add the asparagus. Sauté the asparagus for about three minutes and then add the frozen peas and cook for four minutes. All told it'll be about 7 to 8 minutes. Add chicken stock and reduce down. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Once everything is cooked and reduced set-aside off the heat.

Meanwhile, in another bowl whisk together the eggs, the cornstarch mixture, and the cream. Set aside. Heat a large stockpot of boiling water that's well salted and cook the pasta according to package directions. At this point, things are going to move fast. Once pasta is al dente, drain quickly. Add the hot pasta to a large serving bowl and pour the egg mixture on top. Toss around with some tongs quickly and add the vegetable mixture and top with the pecorino cheese and toss again. Serve quickly with extra cheese.

Photo How-To:

RECIPE: Make Miso Soup from Scratch and Bringing Zen into Dinner

2019-03-02T08:50:00.001-06:00

There is nothing quite like holding a steamy bowl of miso soup, cupped in your hands while breathing in that soupy-salty-goodness with a hint of briny seaweed scent. It is almost a form of meditation, even for that 30 seconds. It soothes the soul and calms the senses. What's amazing is how easy it is to make. A quick trip to your local Asian store (which in and of itself is a fun adventure) and you have the makings of a soup you can have on hand all week.

Miso soup is a staple in Japanese cuisine, and a must when starting a night of sushi eating. Over the years, my husband and I taught ourselves how to make sushi, edamame, and miso soup. Our best friend and godfather to our child (who is half Okinawan) has also helped us on our Japanese culinary journey. The beauty of miso soup is that it can be made to anyone's liking, and through the years we have tweaked it for our needs. If we are making it a more substantial part of our dinner, we add more vegetables and tofu to make it more substantial. If it is a light starter for a night of "sushi-palooza", we keep it simpler and lighter. The base recipe is so versatile that once you master it, you can have your own fun with it. I urge you to try it!

Make Miso Soup from Scratch

Ingredients:
7 cups of water
3 tsp. hon-dashi (dashi stock base made from bonito)
3 Tbsp. red or yellow miso paste (adjust later with more if needed to your taste)
3 Tbsp. bonito flakes (optional)
1 sheet of lavar (toasted seaweed), torn up in 1-2 inch pieces
1/4-1/2 chopped green onions
8 oz. chopped firm tofu
1/4-1/2 julienned carrots

Directions:

Heat the water in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the dashi stock and dissolve. Bring the water near boil, and add the miso paste and mix until melted and dissolved. Lower heat to a low simmer. Add the bonito flakes if using. Simmer for a minute or two. Then add the tofu, carrots, lavar and green onions. Simmer for 4-5 minutes, just until your vegetables have softened a touch. Adjust seasoning by adding a touch more bonito soup base or miso. Serve in bowls.

Here is a video how-to to help out!
For more video goodness, subscribe to my youtube channel. We update it every Friday!

RECIPE: "Use Up Buttermilk" Oatmeal-Chip Cookies and the Karma of Being Thrifty.

2019-02-27T11:55:00.000-06:00

I hate being wasteful. I hate throwing out food that's soured in the fridge, especially dinner leftovers that we slaved over making a few nights prior. Throwing away fruits and vegetables makes me especially sad and guilty. I am not sure if it's my immigrant-Italian upbringing, my Catholic upbringing, the fact that I moved from a full-time position to contract work (meaning $$$) or my progressive-environmental habits (probably all four, and why I should be in therapy.) that give me such guilt, but there it is.

It's this guilt that drives me to make a lot of things to use up every last bit of lettuce leaf or lemon wedge languishing in the crisper drawer. I ratchet up my cooking and canning in the summer to use up what I grow in my gardens. Those harvests are too hard-won and prized to waste. I suppose in a round-about way, it forces good content for The Urban Domestic Diva followers (lucky you!). This recipe is no exception. I have to say, when you use up every last drop of that giant buttermilk jug you were forced to buy for those dozen or so waffles you whipped up last weekend, you feel good. You made extra food for your family, and you can freeze a lot of treats for later enjoyment. And you didn't throw away anything. You used what you had in the pantry and in the fridge, and did good things with it. Thrifty Divas rejoice!

"Use Up Buttermilk" Oatmeal-Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 cups butter
1 egg
1 cup of brown sugar
1 1/2 cups of flour
1 teaspoon of baking soda
3/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon of allspice
2/3 of a cup well-shaken buttermilk
2 cups of rolled oats
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
3/4 cup chocolate chips
dash of salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350˚.

In a medium bowl combine all the dry ingredients and set aside.

In a medium bowl with a mixer, beat the butter until light and creamy. Add the sugar and beat until fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla. Next, with mixer on low, alternate adding the dry ingredients with the buttermilk until everything is just combined. Finally, add your mix-ins by hand. For this recipe, we used chopped walnuts and chocolate chips. You can also add raisins, dried cherries, butterscotch chips, cinnamon chips, or white chocolate chips.

Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Drop batter by the tablespoons 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes until the edges are golden and the middles spring back to the touch. Let cookies sit in the pan to cool for about five minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely. You can store these cookies in an airtight container on the counter for three days, or a week in the fridge.

Here is a video how-to! Please subscribe to my youtube channel to keep up with all our fun at the homestead.

RECIPE: Roasted Vegetable and Spicy Shrimp Salad with Lime Dressing and Bringing Color to a Gray February

2019-02-24T09:02:00.000-06:00

If you are in a state that experiences the 4 seasons, I know you are tired of the color gray. We were in MI for a weekend getaway a couple weeks ago, and as we drove through the countryside I told my husband (a fellow art director) that February is a study in the various colors of gray. You have your cool blue-gray, your french gray, your flat gray, your dirty white-gray. The sky is the same color as the dirty, snowy ground. It is getting pretty old.

So let's get some color in our life. Let's get some vitamin D, some sunshine-spicy flavors and a boost of vitamin c. This salad fits the bill. This salad has a bright and sunny lime dressing, with a wide range of colorful, punchy vegetables. I have some topping options for some crunch or extra flavor, of which you can add your own favorite options. Get creative with it. It is spicy, so if your kids are sensitive to spice, be discreet with the cayenne.

And here's to saying "Bye!" to the gray colors of winter SOON.

Roasted Vegetable and Spicy Shrimp Salad with Lime Dressing

Ingredients:

vegetables:
three carrots, julienned
1 1/2 red peppers, sliced into 2-inch strips
1 cup of diced red onion
2 cups of asparagus sticks 2 inches long, stalks removed
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoons granulated garlic
a healthy drizzle of olive oil (about 1/4 cup or so)

shrimp
1 pound of jumbo shrimp, cleaned and deveined
salt to taste
1/4 tsp. cayenne
1/4 tsp. granulated garlic
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
half a lime
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1/4 cup olive oil

dressing
6 tablespoons of lime juice
2 tablespoons of honey
4-5 tablespoons of olive oil
1/4 teaspoon of paprika
dash of kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon of cumin
About 2-3 cups of mixed spring greens

optional toppings
crushed peanuts
chopped avocado
wonton strips

Directions:

Heat oven to 400° and roast the vegetables. I like roasting vegetables ahead of time and letting them cool down at room temperature and then doing the shrimp right before dinner. It helps speed up prep at dinner time. You can make the vegetables a couple days ahead. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay the vegetables in separate rows on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with the spices, then drizzle with the olive oil. Toss vegetables. Roast vegetables for about 20 to 25 minutes, tossing only once to caramelize your edges. Cool down to room temperature on the sheet and store in the fridge until ready to use. Roast the shrimp before serving. Toss the shrimp with marinade and let sit for 15 minutes to 30 minutes before roasting. Roast in a 400˚ oven until opaque with caramelized edges, about 8 minutes, turning only once midway. Let cool down a little before adding to the salad.

Meanwhile, emulsify and whisk dressing ingredients together, ending with the olive oil as you whisk. Assemble the salad by putting mixed greens on the bottom of your salad bowl. Add roasted vegetables on top, then add the shrimp on top. Toss with the dressing to coat and offer extra dressing for your dinner guests on the side. Feel free to let them add more crunch with nuts or wonton strips and/ or avocado on top. Nom Nom.

Photo How To:

RECIPE: Spumoni Almond Cake and How Driving can be Creative

2019-02-22T21:10:00.000-06:00

Once you become a parent, you are in the car a lot more. After you have your baby, the hospital should make sure your driver's license is all up to date for your "road ahead".

And if you are in a busy city like I am, the traffic is atrocious, making driving a mind-numbing chore. On a positive note, driving so much has guided me to my love of podcasts. They have become my imaginary passengers in my car rides, making the horrible chore of navigating the disturbing driving habits of Chicago drivers bearable. (Seriously, the self-importance of a person forcing a U-turn in bumper to bumper traffic to get a parking spot on the other side of the street inconveniencing everyone else around them has to be of epic proportions.)

But I digress.

Driving I have also found to be a place where ideas come. Sitting in traffic allows your mind to go into a wandering mode, like doing dishes or mowing the lawn. It's this kind of active mind activity that allows the right part of your brain to do some creative problem solving and "playing". You aren't being distracted with a lot of inputs and the chore is rote and mindless. SO driving makes for productivity. It's why I have a small notepad by the driver's seat. But it can also cause near accidents...when I have to write an idea down on paper going 60 miles an hour.

*cough* I digress again.

SO what does cake have to do with driving?

This spumoni cake idea came to me driving my kid to school. I played with watermelon flavored jello last summer to make amazing watermelon cookies. I thought that I could combine all the flavors of spumoni, and craft the cake in a way to look like spumoni ice cream.

It turned out perfectly! My husband had a second helping last night. This baby won't last long in our fridge. I kept the filling and topping very simple, allowing the flavors of the cake to come through. But you can use a more traditional vanilla buttercream if you wish. I just felt in the spirit of "ice cream", the creamier texture would give a better spumoni vibe. It also looks like a giant sundae.

Have fun with it! And PSA for today, be safe with your creative problem-solving while driving. Always pull over before you write anything down or take a note on your phone.

Now get baking!

Spumoni Almond Cake

Ingredients

1 8 oz. box almond paste
3/4 cup sugar
2 sticks butter, softened
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1/8 cup finely chopped maraschino cherries, save a whole one for the top
(candied cherries can also be used)
1/2 package cherry jello
3 Tbsp. milk, divided
1 well-rounded tsp. cherry brandy
1/2 box pistachio pudding
1/8 finely chopped pistachio nuts
1/2 box double fudge pudding
1/8 cup chopped sliced almonds

4 cups sweetened whipped cream with vanilla extract, or dream whip or cool whip.

Directions

Heat oven to 375˚. Spray a 10" cake pan with nonstick cooking spray. Cut parchment paper to size and lay the paper on the bottom of the pan, and spray again. Set aside.

Sift the flour with the baking powder. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whip the butter with a mixer. Chop the almond paste, or roughly grate it with the large hole side of a bell grater. Add the paste to the butter, and whip until combined. Add the sugar, and whip until the paste is as small as pistachio nuts. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Finally, add the flour ingredients alternately with the 1/2 cup of milk until just combined.

Divide the batter roughly into three bowls. In one bowl, add 1/2 box of the chocolate pudding, 1 tbsp. milk and whip until combined. Add the chopped almonds by hand. Set aside.

In the second bowl of batter, add half the box of the pistachio pudding, 1 tbsp of milk and whip until combined. Add the chopped pistachio nuts and mix by hand. Set aside.

Finally, in the last bowl of batter add half the box of cherry jello and final tablespoon of milk and whip until just combined. Add the cherry brandy and the maraschino cherries and mix by hand.

With a large spoon or spatula, dollop each batter throughout the pan randomly, layering on top of each other, until all is used and the pan is well covered. Tap the sides of pan to even out the batter, and run a dull knife through areas just a couple times to add a touch of marbling throughout without overdoing it. You still want distinct flavor areas similar to spumoni ice cream.

Bake for 60-75 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean at the center. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

When cool, slice cake in half horizontally. Fill the center with the whipping cream and return the cake top. Dollop the rest of the whipping cream on top and garnish with a maraschino cherry. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Video To Do:

RECIPE: Asparagus Over Cheesy Puff Pastry and Say 'I Love You' to Brunching!

2019-02-16T16:36:00.005-06:00

I love brunch. I love eating it. I love serving it. I love choosing it as an entertaining option when you have a busy group to plan around. Everyone can make brunch time work. It can be late enough to accommodate church services (or a hangover, depending), and early enough to not interfere with a lot of other weekend plans you may have (dance recitals, sports games, parent visits, etc). And the food options can be so fun and varied because you can play in the breakfast sandbox and the lunch sandbox at the same time. So many options to cook and enjoy!

This 'yummy' is easy to make and adds a vegetable to the brunch course in a creative way. Have fun with the ricotta layer by adding various cheeses or spices. You can move this to a Mediterranean slant by adding feta and olives and using spinach instead of asparagus, or go spicy with it! Puff pastry is such a versatile thing to use, you should always have a box in the freezer for emergencies. They can make mini pie or quiche shells in a pinch. You can fill, cut, shape, roll and bake it to your heart's content.

One final note on this recipe. If you can't find the thin asparagus and are left with thick ones, you may want to blanch them for 5 minutes in boiling water to get them started. That way they are not tough when served. The dish only takes 20-25 minutes to bake, and that may not be enough for thicker asparagus.

It's the weekend people, and the weather stinks for most of us. SO get brunching! Bake up some happy!

Asparagus Over Cheesy Puff Pastry

Ingredients:

One sheet of puff pastry, defrosted and rolled out to 9.5" x 13
1 14 1/2 oz. tub of ricotta cheese
1/4 cups of chopped parsley
2 tablespoons of half-and-half (or milk)
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt, divided
fresh ground pepper
3 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 1/2 pounds of asparagus, trimmed to 6 1/2 inches
1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon of fresh thyme, chopped finely
1 tablespoon of finely chopped basil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°. In a small bowl stir the ricotta, 1/8 cup parmesan cheese, parsley, basil, half and half, thyme, garlic and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Mix well and set aside.

Place rolled out puff pastry on a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush pastry with 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil. Spread the ricotta on the dough evenly, leaving 1/2 inch border. Arrange the asparagus flat, evenly in one layer on top of the ricotta. Brush with 2 tablespoons remaining olive oil. Top with 1/4 teaspoon of salt, fresh ground pepper and 1/8 th of a cup of remaining Parmesan cheese. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until puffy and golden, and asparagus is caramelized. Drizzle extra olive oil before serving and cut into warm squares.

Photo How To:

RECIPE VIDEO: Puff Pastry Brownie Bites 4 Ways; Peanut Butter, Peppermint, Chocolate Chip and Berry Jam

2019-02-05T11:56:00.002-06:00

So we had a month of clean healthy eating, and though I have not fallen off the resolution wagon (yet), I felt the need to reward the family for putting up with my clean eating month. So I whipped up these lovelies. This dessert is SO EASY and if you have some puff pastry languishing in the freezer, left over from the holiday baking season, this recipe will use it up quickly. I also was able to make a dent in a giant bag of leftover Hershey chocolate bars, too. If you don't want to use chocolate bars, you can use semisweet chocolate or bittersweet chocolate, but you will need to add sugar. I would guess about 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup, depending on the bitterness of your chocolate, so taste it as you go. The joy of this recipe is the opportunity to fill these however you wish-or not at all! It allows you to clean out your candy or baking cabinet, or just get creative! Needless to say, my clean eaters made quick work of this sweet treat, so they obviously were needing a little naughty in their lives. But now it is back to the resolution! I am hoping to at least make it to spring, and see how we feel.

I'll let you know.

Oh, and by the way, below is a how-to video to help. I update the youtube channel every Friday, and this was last Friday's kitchen fun. If you don't want to miss the goings on at the homestead, please subscribe to the youtube channel! It really helps get visibility to what we are doing at The Urban Domestic Diva! TIA!

Puff Pastry Brownie Bites 4 Ways; Peanut Butter, Peppermint, Chocolate Chip and Berry Jam

Ingredients:

Brownie Batter:

4 Hershey Chocolate Bars, broken up (or roughly 4 oz. baking milk chocolate)

1/2 package Frozen puff pastry sheets (1 sheet)

1/4 cup butter

2 eggs, at room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 well rounded Tbsp. flour

Fillings and Toppings:

peanut butter

crushed peanuts

crushed peppermint candy

chocolate chips

berry jam

dried cherries or dried cherry flavored cranberries

Directions:

Thaw the puff pastry sheet by letting the sheet sit out on the counter for about 40 minutes. Gently unfold, and let sit out for 5 more minutes if the center is still frozen.

Make the brownie filling:

Melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl with the butter, in the microwave at 50% power in 30-minute increments until smooth and melted. Add the eggs and whip lightly with a spoon until combined. Add the vanilla extract and the flour, and whip until the flour is just combined. Set aside.

Lightly flour a work surface to roll out your puff pastry. Flour your rolling pin. Roll the puff pastry until roughly 12 x 15 " wide. Using a ruler, cut the sheet into 3" squares. Spray a 3" muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. This recipe makes roughly 20 brownie bites, so if you have two tins, spray 2. Otherwise, you will have to do this in "shifts". Press the 3-inch pastry squares into each mold, with the edges coming up to the tops of the molds. Set aside. At this point, heat your oven to 400˚.

In each mold, sprinkle or dollop your filling of choice. A sprinkle of peppermint, a sprinkle of chocolate chips, a dollop of peanut butter or a dollop of berry jam. Next, dollop a Tbsp. of brownie batter over each filling. Top each as you go so you keep track of what fillings you already have. Use the dried cherries over the berry filling bites. Chopped peanuts go over the peanut butter bites. Chocolate chips top the chip ones. And extra peppermint crushed candies go over the peppermint candy filling bites.

Bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until puff pastry is golden brown and the brownie springs back to the touch.

Let the bites sit in the tins for 5 minutes to set, then using a small spatula transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for 3-5 days, but they won't last that long!

Here is a handy video to help you out!

RECIPE ROUND UP| Polar Vortex Comfort Food: Warm your House, Warm Your Tastebuds

2019-01-30T10:24:00.000-06:00

So we are hunkered down in layers of flannel, bundled in blankets and running a humidifier on both levels of the house to help the furnace keep up with the polar vortex today and tomorrow. Evidently, it's colder here than in Antarctica. School kids are home today and tomorrow, so it's like a frigid ice-desert out there. We heard banging and popping all around the house as the house struggles against temperatures it was not built for. I read it's a natural occurrence but it is pretty scary and kept us up all night, hoping our house was not going to fall down around our ears.

But you can help keep things warm and support your furnace by cooking in the kitchen! It helps to make sure the dishes add extra warmth and STEAM into the air to support the furnace and humidifier. The more moisture in the air, the warmer it feels. Soups, stew and crock pots are great for this. And having the oven on baking deliciousness also helps. I rounded up some of my favorite dishes to keep the house warm, as well as soothe your cold bones and tummy. I added a baked breakfast to warm up the start to your day. I added some easy and decadent dessert treats too. The quinoa cake is dense and a stick-to-your-ribs decadence you can enjoy under blankets while watching Netflix. I mean, what else are you going to do tonight as a dangerous deep freeze descends on your home?

We are in this for two days, and it is going to get worse before it gets better. If you need to leave the house while in this deep freeze, keep all areas of exposed skin covered and do not stay out longer than 10 minutes if possible. Be safe. Stay warm. If you are reading this and are in a warm climate, good for you! But be sure to check on your family and friends that ARE in this deep freeze. It's not something to mess with.

Below are links to the recipes:

Baked Cherry Berry Almond Oatmeal

Easy Miso Ramen Bowl

Spice Rubbed Spatchcocked Chicken

Slow Cooker Ginger Infused Chicken and Rice Soup

Spicy Mushroom and Rice Soup

Flourless Chocolate Quinoa Cake

Strawberry Danish Cake

RECIPE:Thai Miso Chicken and Quinoa Buddha Bowl

2019-01-26T14:12:00.004-06:00

Grain bowls are all the rage and for good reason! They are healthy, easy and customizable per family member. Also, they are really thrifty. They are a great way to clean out your crisper drawer by chopping whatever is in there for topping a bowl. Grains can usually be interchangeable, and you can resort to the many freezer case grain options making that part of the bowl even easier. You really just need a good marinade for your proteins and a matching sauce drizzle to marry the bowl together and you have a lip-smacking dinner for your family in no time. And this baby fits the bill. It's a perfect blend of my favorite Thai flavors and Japanese flavors all in one bowl.

Get your bowl on people! A nice way to stay on that resolution. After all, it IS still January. Let's at least try and make it to February.

Thai Miso Chicken and Quinoa Buddha Bowl

Ingredients:

Chicken/Marinade

1 lb. chicken tenders

2 Tbsp. shiro miso

2 Tbsp. gochujang paste

1 Tbsp. soy sauce

1 Tbsp. mirin

1 Tbsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. minced garlic

1/2 tsp. minced ginger

1/2 tsp. ground pepper

1 Tbsp. rice vinegar

1 tsp. sesame oil

1 Tbsp. fish sauce

Thai drizzle sauce

1/4 cup fish sauce

1/4 cup lime juice

1 large jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

1/4 cup finely minced red onion

1 large clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup water

For the bowl assembly:

2+ cups cooked quinoa or rice

Chopped cilantro

Chopped dry roasted nuts

Shredded carrots

Matchstick carrots

Chopped plum tomatoes

Directions:

In a bowl mix together the chicken marinade. Place chicken in a zip-top bag and pour marinade over. Make sure the marinade coats the chicken completely. Store in the refrigerator and marinade for up to 8 hours or overnight.

Meanwhile, mix all the Thai sauce ingredients together and store in the fridge for up to a day ahead. Bring down to room temperature before serving.

Drain and grill the chicken until cooked through and caramelized. (You can also saute the drained chicken in a pan with a Tbsp. of canola oil.) Chop roughly and keep warm.

Place all the assembly toppings in small bowls, and let guests build their own bowls. Preferably some chopped chicken over the quinoa, then chopped vegetables of choice, sprinkle of nuts and/or cilantro and then add a healthy drizzle of the Thai sauce over the top.

Yum-Yum!!

Photo Direction:

RECIPE: Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Sliders & January Blues

2019-01-24T10:12:00.002-06:00

Well, first off, nothing heals January blues quicker than a hot, comfort-food dinner and these sliders fit the bill. The chicken could not be easier to prepare, and the punchy blue cheese dressing and the crispy, fresh celery salad as a topping makes for a fun and joyful meal-in-a-bun. I like serving these with some sweet potato fries.

So what's with the January blues, you may ask? Well, I don't know how your resolution month is going, but ours started with a brutal bronchial infection that ran rampant through the house for two weeks. It has prevented me from keeping my morning routine going, which keeps me sane, happy, productive and balanced. That routine includes morning work-out walks at a beautiful city park, meditating after coffee, and working on my blog and shop in between client work on a strict schedule. I seem so distracted and undisciplined, and that is why I have been MIA here (apologies), and I feel really scattered. The weather has turned for the worse here in Chitown (Hi, 10 degrees anyone?) which is not helping either. But as my depression fog and cough slowly dissipate, so do my distractions. I know in my heart I need to get back on a disciplined schedule (something I started after deciding to freelance and focus on my own endeavors last year) and keep the happy stuff going in my life to stay positive and connected to the universe and my journey. Yoga and meditating help with that. So does GOOD FOOD. So here you go. Cook up some happy in your crockpot with his recipe, and you will have a good handful of shredded chicken left over to throw on a baked potato or a spicy salad the next day-a great way to spread the happy all week.

I hope to get back on my content publishing train to keep sharing the love with you, thanks for your patience. Also, check out my shop and Etsy store, I have added quite a bit of fun things over at Etsy this month. I know we are all broke after the holidays, but hey, Valentine's Day is coming, and maybe you need a little something to brighten your January? Right!?

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Sliders

Ingredients:

Slider Buns

Chicken:

4 chicken breasts

3/4 cup Frank's Hot Sauce

1 tsp. Kosher salt

1 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. cayenne (or to your taste)

1 Tbsp. cornstarch

2 Tbsp. olive oil

Celery Salad:

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

1/4 tsp. Kosher salt & pepper

1 Granny Smith apple, thinly sliced and cut into matchsticks

2 cups diced celery

2 cups thinly sliced cabbage

1 green onion, finely chopped

3 Tbsp. honey

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar

dash celery salt

Blue Cheese Dressing:

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

2 Tbsp. milk

1/2 tsp. white vinegar

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese

Directions:

In a crockpot, place all the chicken breasts. In a small bowl, whisk the hot sauce, spices, and oil. Pour the sauce over the breasts and cover. Cook on low for 4-5 hours. Remove the chicken once tender and shred. Meanwhile, mix the cornstarch with a couple tablespoons of water until smooth, then add to the juice in the crockpot and whisk. Crank the slow cooker up to high and cover. You are thickening the sauce and it should take about 30 minutes. Once thickened, return chicken back to the crock pot and mix to coat. Keep warm until serving.

Meanwhile, mix all the blue cheese dressing ingredients until smooth, and keep chilled until ready to serve. (Can be made a day ahead).

Prepare the celery salad by simply adding all the vegetable ingredients in a bowl. Make the dressing by whisking the vinegar, honey, mayo, celery salt, olive oil, and lemon juice. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, and pour over the chopped vegetables and toss. This can be made a day ahead, tossing occasionally.

When serving, place chicken on toasted buns. Top with celery salad and drizzle the blue cheese dressing. Eat up!

Photo How To:

NEW YEAR INTENTIONS: Healthy Sweet Treats, Chocolate Bark 2 Ways| Pecan Ginger Chocolate Bark and Toasted Quinoa Maple Almond Chocolate Bark

2019-01-12T17:47:00.001-06:00

Happy New Year!

I know I have been remiss in posting since the holidays. The holidays sucked the life out of me, especially with our new shop and holiday sales (see above link and also on Etsy!) then the creeping crud 'plague' hit our house, which has knocked us out one by one. Today is the first day I am at least sitting up out of bed-which is why I am finally able to get you these amazing recipes to kick off your new year healthy eating aspirations.

This week started out cleaner, healthier eating at our house, and I love prepping for the week on Sundays so I can stay on track. It helps to have a menu, and it helps to have healthy snacking things nearby if you are a "grazer" like I am. So on Sundays, I cut up carrots, boil green beans for dipping, make healthy yogurt dips and spreads, and line up my sweet treats for nighttime desserts.

One of my favorite sweet treats is dark chocolate bark. The sugar is lower in dark chocolate (aim for 70% cocoa) and you can pump up flavor and satisfaction with crunchy grains or nuts, and sweeten the deal with dried berries and fruit. One recipe makes a few weeks worth (if you behave), so it's worth the time. You can store the bark in an air tight container and keep it on the counter or in the refrigerator. One piece is enough to tide you over, trust me!

Here is to a healthier us in 2019!

Pecan Ginger Chocolate Bark

Ingredients:
8 oz. dark chocolate
1/2 cup toasted chopped pecans
1 1 /2 tsp. grated fresh ginger root
1/4 tsp. coarse sea salt or Kosher salt

Directions:
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate in a microwave at 50% power for one minute. Mix, then continue melting in 30-minute increments at 50% power, until smooth and completely melted. Mix in the grated ginger. Pour onto the parchment, and spread evenly until 1/4" thick. Sprinkle with pecans evenly, then sea salt. Gently press down everything with the palm of your hand, then let set up for a few hours. Break into bite-sized pieces and store in airtight bags in a cool, dark place or in the refrigerator.

Toasted Quinoa Maple and Almond Chocolate Bark

Ingredients:
8 oz. dark chocolate
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
pinch cayenne (optional)
3 Tbsp. white quinoa
1 Tbsp. flax seeds
1 tsp. real maple syrup
1/4 tsp. coarse sea salt or Kosher salt
1/4 cup sliced almonds

Directions:
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a small saucepan, toast the quinoa until grains are popping and beginning to turn brown. Once you hear the popping, count about 10 seconds, stirring consistently, then pour into a small bowl. Return pan back to the flame and toast the flax for about 1-2 minutes, until brown and popping. Turn off the flame, and return the quinoa back to the pan. Drizzle with maple syrup and mix until crispy clumps form. Let cool in pan, it will become like a brittle.

In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate in a microwave at 50% power for one minute. Mix, then continue melting in 30-minute increments at 50% power, until smooth and completely melted. Mix in the cinnamon, cayenne then pour onto the parchment, and spread evenly until 1/4" thick. Take the quinoa and crumble the brittle in your hand as you sprinkle it evenly over the chocolate. Sprinkle the almonds evenly, then the sea salt. Gently press down everything with the palm of your hand, then let set up for a few hours. Break into bite-sized pieces and store in airtight bags in a cool, dark place or in the refrigerator.

RECIPE: Left Over Cranberry Sauce Ginger-Oat Bars

2018-12-26T17:47:00.000-06:00

Happy Holidays everybody! If you are like my family, you are recovering from a food coma and digging your way out of a pile of leftovers. One of the holiday staples that I feel you never know what to do with, yet breaks your heart throwing out-is leftover cranberry sauce. If you make it from scratch with spices, fruit zest, and other yummies and spend time lovingly stirring it, turning it into a luscious sauce, the last thing you want to do is throw it out. I know that's how I felt. SO I made up this delicious, spicy and tart cookie bar that makes great use of leftover cranberry sauce.

Take time this holiday season to bake, it gives you practice in mindfulness and a chance to be with family. It is also is very rewarding and makes the house smell warm and wonderful. But also take time for you. And make sure to make yourself a priority next year, as you make your resolutions.

Happy New Year!

Left Over Cranberry Sauce Oat-Ginger Bars

Ingredients

about 2 cups cranberry sauce, more or less

1 3/4 cup flour

2 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. orange zest

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

2 stick butter, softened

1 cup packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs, room temp

1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

Glaze:

1/2 cup powdered sugar

dash of vanilla extract

1/2 Tbsp. milk (or more if needed for the right consistency)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350˚. Line a 13 x 9 pan with parchment paper and set aside.

Mix the flour with the ginger, baking powder, orange zest, and salt, set aside.

With a stand mixer, whip the butter until creamy. Add the brown sugar and whip until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, then add the vanilla extract and combine. With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients and the oats until just combined.

Reserve about just over a cup of the dough for crumbling on top. With the rest, press into the waiting pan, using a spatula. Spread evenly and flatten. Pour the cranberry sauce over the top, evenly. Then crumble with floured fingertips or dollop with floured teaspoonfuls the remaining dough on top, trying to arrange the dollops apart from each other to let the cranberry bubble through, but making sure the dough topping is evenly distributed.

Bake for about 35-45 minutes, or until edges and top are a light golden brown. Cool in the pan for about 15 minutes, then lift the cookies out by pulling up on the parchment paper, and let cool on a wire rack.

Once cooled, hold onto the parchment again and move it to a cutting board. With a serrated knife, cut into bite-sized bars. Mix the glaze until thick enough to drizzle with a fork, and drizzle over the bars. Let the glaze set up, and serve. Store bars in an airtight container for a few days or in the refrigerator for a week. These freeze very well, too.

Photo How To:

RECIPE & VIDEO: How to make Springerle Cookies the Semi-Traditional Way for Christmas

2018-12-15T09:05:00.001-06:00

I finally closed out my holiday baking, and tins and boxes are slowly making their ways to clients, colleagues and loved ones. This part is the best part of baking showering people I care about with my handmade cookies. I think it really encapsulates the spirit of the season for me.

And to see the joy and excitement on people's faces because of my hard work and love is SO SPECIAL.

Well, nothing says labor of love more than springerle cookies. For those of you that don't know, this cookie traditionally takes 3 days. You may have seen master bakers tackle this, using extraordinary molds with details that boggle the mind. Like, look at this craziness made my House On The Hill:

https://www.ilovespringerle.com/collections/collection/products/bountiful-harvest-springerle-cookie-board?variant=12105316335685

and this!

https://www.etsy.com/listing/127446877/1632-2011-tsb-santa-cookie-mold-twas-the?ref=pr_faveshops

Some of these molds are handed down from generation to generation. If you really want to get good at this cookie and do extravagant molds, here is a great place to buy them, and they share another version of this recipe they feature on youtube using the traditional hartshorn baking powder. Their recipe intrigued me, but it uses butter and anise oil. As you will see in my video, I wanted to try older recipes from these old antique cookbooks I found, and both those recipes do not use butter. They also use the sprinkling of anise seed method on the baking sheets. When I did research on Wikipedia, this was the way they have traditionally been made in the dark ages. So I wanted to try that first.

The video below takes you through my adventure. The result was very good! I do want to try hartshorn next time because supposedly the cookies rise higher and create a better texture. Evidently, it is hard to find, but heck. I'll try Amazon and redo this next year for a comparison.

Springerle Cookies the Semi-Traditional Way

Ingredients:

4 cups of sifted all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon of baking powder

1/2 a teaspoon of salt

4 eggs set out to warm to room temperature

drop of vanilla extract

2 cups granulated sugar

2 teaspoons of grated lemon zest

2 tablespoons of crushed anise seed

confectioners' sugar for rolling

2 tablespoons of butter

Directions:

Sift flour with baking powder and salt twice in a bowl and set aside.

In a large bowl with a stand mixer at high-speed beat the eggs until thick and light yellow in color, about five minutes. Then at medium speed beat in the granulated sugar 3 tablespoons at a time, beating well after each addition. This will take about 10 minutes and the mixture will get shiny and thick. Occasionally clean the side of the bowl with a spatula to make sure that the sugar is getting incorporated.

Next add the lemon zest and the drop of vanilla and whip well. Now change the whisk to a paddle and gradually add the flour mixture on low. If the last of the flour mixture doesn't incorporate well use a wooden spoon or incorporate by hand. The dough will be stiff and sticky.

Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and knead lightly. Divide into three sections, and shape them into a rough rectangle, about 4 x 6 or 5 x 7, flat. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill overnight. Also chill your forms and molded rolling pin.

Wrap two large baking sheets with tinfoil and rub the 2 tablespoons of butter evenly on each. Next crush the anise seeds (1 tablespoon per baking sheet) and sprinkle evenly right on the butter. Set the baking sheets aside.

Take your first chilled dough rectangle and place it on your worksurface that's been sprinkled with confectioners' sugar. Sprinkle the top with confectioners' sugar and with a flat rolling pin, roll it to roughly 5 x 7" but check your molded rolling pin and make sure that it is the right length and width to fit your springerle rolling pin. If you are using forms, size doesn't matter but make sure the thickness of the dough is right for the molds to get the right impression.

With a pastry brush, dust the springerle rolling pin (or molds) with confectioners' sugar. Starting at the end take the edge of your rolling pin and press down. As you roll it up, put heavy pressure on the rolling pin so that the form gets molded into the dough and roll all the way up and then release the rolling pin. Use a sharp knife and cut along the borders and set each cookie directly on the anise seeds and butter on the baking sheets. Continue with all three dough pieces, gathering remnants or broken imperfect pieces in a clump as you go. Gather all your remnant dough and reshape it with a little bit of water on your fingers into a rectangle to get the last batch of cookies rolled out. If the dough becomes too sticky from adding water use flour underneath the dough and on top to make sure that this last piece of dough made from other remnants come together and is workable, but not too sticky that it sticks to your molding rolling pin.

Once you have all the dough made into cookies, you're going to let these cookies set overnight uncovered in a quiet, dry place.

The next day, heat your oven to 300˚ and bake cookies until just lightly golden on the edges. Flip the trays after 10 minutes for even baking. Bake for about 20-23 minutes then pull them out and let them cool on the trays. Store cookies in a tin with wax paper dividing layers. They're good for 2 to 3 weeks. In fact, they get better with age! For more specific directions check out my YouTube video below!

RECIPE: Whoop-Di-Mint Peppermint Whoopie Pies

2018-12-13T20:55:00.002-06:00

What goes better than chocolate and peppermint for the holidays? Nothing!

This cookie is like my favorite Starbucks holiday drink in cookie form, minus the coffee. (Although you could add some instant coffee to the cookie batter for a little someth'n-someth'n). Mental note to try that next time.)

Now we used a teaspoon to size these, and if you are very careful you can get about 3 dozen. These puff up and grow quite a bit, so if you think you can go smaller to make more, try it! Or double the recipe if you are giving away cookie boxes. These go pretty fast.

Also, if you can find a store-bought bag of crushed candy canes, buy it. As much as I like taking my stress out on a baggie of candy canes with a rolling pin to crush them up, it is a bit tedious. I once found a bag of crushed candy canes at a Walmart and I was SO EXCITED! But I've haven't found it since. I make so much with crushed candy canes in December, I think next year I am going to crush up a ton of candy canes and store it all in a Ziploc bag to use throughout the holiday season. I think it would save time that way!

Also, special note, if you don't have essential oils for the peppermint, you can use peppermint extract, and use 1/2 tsp. or to taste.

Whoop-Di-Mint Peppermint Whoopie Pies

Adapted from Wisconsin Dairy Board

Ingredients:

2 cups of all-purpose flour

1/2 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon of baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon of salt

1/2 cup of butter, softened

1 cup of light, brown sugar

1 egg at room temperature

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1/8th of a teaspoon of peppermint oil, plus a few extra drops. (Do it to your taste.)

1 cup of well-shaken buttermilk

1 cup of crushed peppermint candy canes

filling

1/2 a cup of butter, softened

1 seven oz. jar of marshmallow creme

2 teaspoons of vanilla extract,

1 1/4 cups of powdered sugar

Directions:

In a medium bowl, combine your dry ingredients; flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set aside. In a bowl with a stand mixer, cream the butter, and then add the sugar and whip until light and fluffy.

Next, add the egg vanilla and peppermint oil, and mix well. Then at a very low speed, add the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk to the whipped butter. Mix until just combined. Cover the batter and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the filling. Whip the butter until creamy, then add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and whip until light and fluffy. Finally, add the marshmallow creme and whip until all combined. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350˚. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Drop dough by the teaspoonful onto parchment paper, setting them 2" apart. Bake for 9-12 minutes or until set. Let the cookies set up on the baking sheets for about 5 minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely. If you try moving them too quickly, they're going to break.

Once cooled, take one cookie and with a rounded half a teaspoon, dollop the marshmallow cream at the center on the flat side. Place another cookie with the flat side down on top, making a whoopie pie. Roll the edges in the crushed peppermint candies. Makes about three dozen. Store in a container with wax paper dividing the cookie layers.

Photo How-Tos

CRAFTS: Make A Holiday Wreath Using Found Twigs and Branches VIDEO

2018-12-08T18:17:00.000-06:00

I've been trying to purge and simplify our lives, little by little. I am tackling a closet a week, and a room a month. I try to clean out, give away, sell and reorganize each pile of flotsam. It's a great feeling-but fair warning, it's often darkest before the dawn. My closet and bedroom are still in chaos after a major purge this month. I just mailed in a big THREDUP bag today, and I just can't seem to make headway. Just when I get things under control, a holiday comes along to create a cluttered

mess again.

And now, enter Christmas.

I decided to not put all my decorations out and started throwing away stuff that I found broken or too shabby out of the storage bins in an effort to keep the clutter down. I also decided that to replace thrown out things I would try and use found objects or repurpose what I already had to be more thrifty and green. Fortunately, Mother Nature seemed to be keen on the idea and gave me a plethora of broken twigs and branches after a big wind storm this month. The mess inspired me to use them in outdoor holiday decor this year. Boy, was that the thrifty way to go! I created woodland topiary decor in my two urns, and a matching wreath with all the branches I salvaged. I am so pleased how it turned out, and so is my pocketbook!

Give it a try! And next time you feel the need to go to the store for some decorations, I urge you to take a look around your house first and see if it sparks any creativity. It's very rewarding, I assure you!

Here is a picture of the urns. Pretty fancy for found branches! I had the plastic holly in a bin that I hadn't used in years.

Here is a very lean supply list for the wreath with a video tutorial. Stop by the youtube channel and subscribe to stay up on all the shenanigans at the homestead!

Supplies:

Found twigs and branches, varied widths and 2-3 feet in length, about 20-30

wire cutters

1-2 wire hangars

bendable floral wire

decor for wreath; ribbons, dried berries, leaves, pine cones, beads

Possible hot glue gun