i didn't know this was a thing until yesterday, when i read about it over here. (thank you, thank you!) so now i'm here to spread the good news. grant says we'll go a-hunting for it at walmart.
February 27, 2010
February 26, 2010
what i've been up to lately.
1. thinking. lots of thinking. and pondering about priorities.
2. appreciating my husband.
3. praying for best friends and their grieving family.
4. squeezing in visits to the gym, despite the cold spell that makes me want to stay inside forever.
5. (grant says my running shorts & boots look is cute. he's nice.)
6. participating in the prep for this super duper workshop. launch is on monday.
7. hunting for pretty vintage dishes.
8. eating d'anjou pears. they've been so soft and sweet this winter.
9. enjoying my kitchen. (and the new dimming light derrick put in for me. thanks, d!)
10. dreaming about playing the piano again.
11. using pride & prejudice as a soundtrack for my housekeeping.
12. agreeing with charlotte when she tells lizzy, 'it is such a pleasure to run my own home.'
13. experimenting with whole wheat flour and flaxseed.
14. researching homemade blueberry syrup.
15. loving my li'l kids at preschool.
16. they are getting to be so polite, it just makes my heart ache.
17. wishing the days were a few hours longer.
18. hearing rumors of more, more, and more snow in march.
19. being content with a heated house.
20. being happy with a husband who always, always sits next to me for warmth.
back to my sink of dishes and classical music.
ps. yesterday, at school, during bible time.
question: what was one of Jesus' miracles? response: 'umm... nail polish?'
February 23, 2010
ta-da! the fruit of my snowday. ever since it's trip to the oven, this bread has been on my mind or in my mouth. so good. and to say nothing of its heady scent would be a crime. seriously. i went to the gym about 4 hours after it baked and when i came back through the door, the house still smelled shockingly (gloriously) bready. mmm.
i used sheena's awesome recipe. you're going to love it. that light note of honey is killer. thank you sheena, for finding me a new favorite. now that i'm in a two pieces of toast for breakfast phase, i've been looking for a way to get past buying loaves from the store left and right. so this might become a weekly ritual for me. woohoo. (and for the weeks when i don't crank out homemade, i've found nature's pride to be top-notch.)
ps. you should see the rest of sheena's recipes.. man oh man. those raspberry sandwich cookies.
they sent grant home early from school.. a half snowday. three cheers for living in rural minnesota! and this minute he's swinging by the library to pick up on the banks of plum creek for me. and needless to say, i am baking. snowy days call for it.
husband home - oven on - book borrowed.. and i think to myself, what a wonderful world.
ps. be back later to show you what's making my house smell incredible. in the meantime, i've realized how much i like the shape of our backyard tree. i think i'm going to spend years getting to know this tree. it's a good thing i already like it so much.
February 22, 2010
the weekend went too, too fast.
since friday, my sister and future-brother-in-law have come and gone.
but before they left, we did a few things..
1. we reminisced about high school at a high school basketball game
2. we reminisced about the shoes that were cool in high school
3. we discussed the hopelessly confusing show that is lost
4. haley and i split a slice of carrot cake straight out of its take-home box
5. and as you can see, we left a slab of cream cheese frosting uneaten. signature move.
6. i had a curling iron lesson. every girl should have one.
7. i've always been butterfingers when it comes to the curling iron.. until now. thanks, hales!
8. grant and derrick re-built our table (more on this soon)
9. we all went thrifting and found a couple of fabulous things, like a dresser (yay!)
10. haley and i bought matching 1/2 pint milk bottles
11. grant bought vintage walkie talkies, complete with 4-foot scope antennas
12. the boys ran to the store for batteries and bananas while the girls made lunch
13. haley and i flipped through magazines, wedding notes, and blogs
14. we fell asleep (or at least haley did) on the couch while watching the african queen
15. we drank root beer and caught some olympics
16. i got to sit next to my sister at church and hear her sing, just like how we grew up
17. and we played a serious game of acquire.. the best board game ever.
18. thanks for a great weekend, haley and derrick. miss you already. come back soon!
February 19, 2010
{photo via simplyrecipes}
so the other night while grant was gradschooling, and it was just me, bob costas, and the to-do list hanging out at home.. i decided to break out the vegetable that gets no love from grant. i had roasted cauliflower for dinner. mm. because if i must suffer through a night apart from him, i might as well eat something i couldn't normally get away with. did you ever think that cauliflower could be mind-bendingly good? well. it can. take it from the girl who just snarfed half a head by herself.
meanwhile, amidst all the cauliflower love that's going on around here, i'm getting ready for houseguests! my sister and her fiancee are coming to visit us for the weekend and i'm so anxious to see them! and the new house will have its very first company.. hooray! there's going to be basketball, shopping, famous carrot cake, wedding chatter, olympics, and corn bread & chili. i can't wait. will be buzzing up and down the house cleaning toilets and trying to spruce up our unfurnished and unfinished spaces. happy weekend to you! oh, and here's that recipe.. i know you've been wanting to eat half a head of cauliflower by yourself, too.
roasted cauliflower
adapted from simplyrecipes (a nice li'l site i just stumbled on)
1 head cauliflower
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
olive oil
coarse salt and pepper, and other desired seasonings (i like mrs. dash)
parmesan and cheddar cheese
*the original recipe calls for lemon juice too. i tried it on half of mine and didn't think it was quite as good as the half without.
1. preheat oven to 400 degrees. cut cauliflower into florets and put in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet or baking dish.
2. toss in the garlic and drizzle olive oil over each piece. sprinkle with seasonings and set aside until oven has reached 400 degrees.
3. place pan in hot oven, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes, or until tops are lightly browned and cauliflower is easily pierced with a fork. remove from oven and sprinkle generously with cheeses. return to oven just until cheese melts and serve immediately.
February 18, 2010
say hello to my new project. this sweet two-toned table caught my eye while thumbing the march issue of martha at lunch yesterday. we already have the table.. i was waiting for an idea to spark.. and it just did. wish me luck. photo via marthastewart.
February 17, 2010
cheesecake. pink cheesecake. lemony pink cheesecake. in teensy little squares. simply divine, i tell you. made for my true love. who likes a good cheesecake (and isn't crazy about chocolate).
Lemon Cheesecake Squares (inspired by pink lemonade)
adapted from martha stewart .. and super, super easy
crust
8 graham crackers (each 2 1/2 by 5 inches)
2 T. sugar
3 T. butter, melted
filling
2 8 oz. bars cream cheese, room temp
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon (2 to 3 tsp. zest|about 3 T. juice)
red food coloring
1. make the crust: preheat oven to 325 degrees. line bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving an overhang.
2. in a food processor, or by hand, crush graham crackers and blend with sugar until finely ground. add butter and pulse (or stir) until evenly moistened.
3. transfer crumb mixture to prepared pan, and pat in gently. bake until beginning to brown, 10 to 12 minutes. while crust is baking, make filling.
4. with a mixer, blend cream cheese until smooth. add sugar, eggs, lemon zest, lemon juice, and 2 or 3 drops of red coloring; blend until smooth.
5. pour mixture onto hot crust in pan; smooth top. return to oven and bake until set (filling should jiggle only slightly when pan is gently shaken), 30-35 minutes.
6. cool completely in pan. cover very loosely with plastic wrap; chill until firm, at least 2 hours (and up to 2 days). use foil overhang to lift cheesecake out of pan. with metal spatula, lift cheesecake from foil; cut into tiny squares, or dig in with a fork.
February 16, 2010
how nice is it that at the end of a 3 day weekend, there's still a bright side. starting the week on a tuesday is always fun. so, this weekend i decided something. when it comes to valentining, sometimes small-scale is even better than five-star.
our humble holiday included such things as.. cheesecake before dinner (more on this tomorrow), favorite nbc shows, blankets, individual pizzas.. made side by side, a bottle of root beer to share, 7 basketball games (final tournament of the season!), bleacher bruises, whistler mountain, speed skating, kiwi slices, one very snowy drive with new songs to sing along to, unhurried grocery shopping (one of my favorite things.), an apple fritter for him, and a blueberry cake donut for me. oh, and we also enjoyed making each other laugh by throwing the term true love around as much as possible. the other night i made grant crack up with a sarcastic, 'how could you do that to your true love?' and a new inside joke was born. we have decided that we need to start referring to each other as 'my true love' in front of other people. we really need to.
even our gifts to each other were of the modest sort, but they suited us just fine. truly, i think small gifts are my favorite. grant liked getting a surprise bag of his favorite chili lime tortilla chips and a stack of freshly mixed cds for his car. for fun, i included the new nick jonas song that sounds so very johnmayer-ish. it's on repeat right now. and i am perfectly happy with the barely there lip gloss grant picked out for me. been wanting this stuff for months. (and can i just say.. i am proud of this guy who will go to the makeup aisle. unafraid. and what's more, he has good taste.)
back tomorrow with a top-notch recipe for pink lemonade cheesecake squares.
be there or be square.
February 14, 2010
dear grant,
remember our first valentine's day? everything was picture perfect, down to the peanut butter pie in the fridge for midnight snacking. you showed up on my parents' doorstep with a sack of dove chocolate and a letter in your pocket. my hair was curled and i wore my shiny new red flats. the slippery ones that had me clinging to your arm as we walked through the snow. in the car you handed me the letter, which was printed on heavy white paper, tri-folded, and terribly romantic, as your letters always are. i read it right there, thinking you were too good to be true. you took me to a swanky steakhouse on the west side of town where the lighting is rich, the leather booths are fat, and they play nat king cole. we shared one side of the booth because sitting across the table would have been too far apart. we didn't even care what we ate. all we cared about was being together. that was enough. and it still is.
i'm glad you're my valentine. forever. i love you madly.
ps. it was so nice when i got home the other day and you couldn't stop looking at me. and you said, 'you're just really pretty.' i loved that.
February 12, 2010
valentine weekend! hooray. and a full three days of it. there will be little love notes, pink plates, netflix, a monday sleep-in, mr. darcy is a must, and i'm whipping up something sugary that sits at the top of grant's list. tune in next week to see what i'm making. and think pink. lemonade, that is.
well, i'm off to get things spiffed up around here. that will include painting nails, scattering paper hearts, and getting a bit dolled up, even though we're staying in. i still think it's fun to feel pretty.
have fun being kissed by your valentine! xo.
ps. photo is from last year, when grant and i modeled for our maurer photographer friends.
February 11, 2010
today at preschool we frosted and sprinkled. played and partied. wore pink. and there were hugs. there are always hugs. and i got a sackful of valentine candies that i don't need, but will inevitably end up eating. at least all the chocolate pieces, that is. ps. thank you all for the happy cheers as i step onto the sewing scene!
okay, yumm. to the nth degree. forget those other soups i've been talking about. this one is all i need. forever. what was i thinking when i dubbed myself 'not a big soup person'? seriously. give me a bowl of broccoli cheddar and i will be a happy girl. but it has to be good broccoli cheddar. a thing sometimes hard to find. that said, i really hit the jackpot with this recipe. i give you: broccoli soup for the panera-deprived soul. the closest copycat in town.
Panera Style Broccoli Cheddar Soup
1 T. butter, melted
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/4 c. melted butter
1/4 c. flour
2 cups half-and-half
2 cups chicken stock or bouillon
1/2 pound fresh broccoli, coarsely chopped
1 cup carrots, julienned
salt and pepper to taste
8 oz. grated cheddar cheese
01. saute onion in 1 T. butter, set aside.
02. cook melted 1/4 c. butter and flour using a whisk over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. stir constantly and slowly add the half-and-half. add the chicken stock, whisking all the time. (you will get a tremendous arm workout by the time you're done.) simmer for 20 minutes.
03. add the broccoli, carrots, and onion. cook over low heat until the veggies are tender, about 20 minutes. add salt and pepper. the soup should be thickened by now. pour in batches into blender and give it just a few pulses. (you want it to have small lumps, not smithereens.)
04. return to pot over low heat and add the grated cheese; stir until well blended before serving.
just so you know, i was licking the ladle before i threw it in the sink. it is that good. no, really. it is. the velvety base, the sprinkles of carrot, the broccoli bits, the ribbons of cheddar... and all snapped up in a blender. oh. my. i don't even care that it looks like baby food.
February 10, 2010
it came yesterday. the epic purchase. can you spy it under the little table?
it's a sewing machine!
and a whole new world for me. where it will take me, nobody knows. as of right now i am not a sewer, but up until now i've never had the means to be. seeing as how the door of opportunity was just flung wide open, maybe i will become one. supposedly these computerized machines make it super easy. we'll see about that. but please be patient with me, we probably won't see my first project popping up any day now. i don't even own any thread or fabric! but i'm going to learn to sew, i hope. and i hope i end up loving it.
ps. and guess who is going to teach me.. grant. i know, right? he's so cool.
February 9, 2010
remember pink plates? let me refer you back a few days.. to this post.
where i realized how fun it would be to have pretty pink plates.
where i realized that pink plates were totally my new favorite thing.
where i realized that i had a new mission: find pink plates.
i was craving them. just like i've been craving citrus desserts, holding a puppy, a warm walk,
these pancakes (check), a good lipstick, and donuts from the pipestone bakery.
anyway, let's hop back to the here and now, where i sit with a stack of easter bunny pink plates of my very own! just days after i saw that photo, i spotted something rosy on a bookcase in my favorite secondhand shop, the same day i nabbed these dishes. it was perfect. there sat 4 of simplest, loveliest, pinkest vintage ceramic plates i ever saw. a steal at $1.50 for the whole stack. i couldn't have imagined it any better. it will be a happy valentine's day for our table, all dolled up in pink. yay. and now i can cross that craving off the list.
February 8, 2010
today i like..
clearing out cupboards.
finding a home for some lost-in-the-corner kitchen things.
including a mini food processor which i didn't realize i had until we moved. yay!
doughnuts. mm. mom, we should really try this when i come to visit.
planning this week's menu, without anything requiring an oven. (oven is temporarily out of order.)
the bright sunshine and blue skies.
being at my nephew's 2nd birthday party. eating cupcakes and hearing him sing.
having one day set aside to do the laundry. with only two of us, it works.
monday = wash day. this makes me feel like i live in one of the little house books.
hatching valentine plans.
sit-ups.
two new glass loaf pans, when last week i had zero.
what i'm making for dinner. i'll give you a hint.. i hope it's going to taste like panera.
this fantastic little blog i found a bit ago.
putting jars on my table to copy that fantastic blog.
and finally.. chocolate and raspberry. seriously.
February 5, 2010
judy and i made 300 of these today for a fundraiser. then i brought home a li'l sample and scarfed it. question: is there truly a dessert that ranks higher than a chocolate chip cookie? some days (today) i would argue no. ruth wakefield, we owe you. (we saw a tv special on this brilliant lady once. who knew that a chopped up candy bar would take the world by storm.. it was fascinating.)
here's a better look at my latest thrift. as soon as i laid eyes on them, i knew these frilly but simple dessert plates would suit my table. i followed rachel's tip for sterilizing and they're all ready for service. woohoo. by the way.. this cookie recipe is incredible. probably my favorite. do try it sometime.
Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
from smitten kitchen
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
preheat oven to 325. grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper. sift together flour, soda, and salt. set aside. cream together melted butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until well blended. beat in vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. stir in chocolate chips.
drop dough onto prepared cookie sheets, leaving about 3 inches in between. bake for 10 to 12 for smaller cookies, allow more time for larger ones. edges should be lightly toasted. cool on baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.
Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
from smitten kitchen
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
preheat oven to 325. grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper. sift together flour, soda, and salt. set aside. cream together melted butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until well blended. beat in vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. stir in chocolate chips.
drop dough onto prepared cookie sheets, leaving about 3 inches in between. bake for 10 to 12 for smaller cookies, allow more time for larger ones. edges should be lightly toasted. cool on baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.
seems like the preschoolers' mission this week was to make me smile. for example..
1. 'miss summer, i really like your earrings today.' (this boy is a charmer.)
2. 'i love you ten times a day!' (whatever that means, i like it.)
3. 'you have a flat tummy!' (she had no idea how much this meant to me.)
working with four-year-olds is a very feel-good job. i am loving it.
February 4, 2010
dear internet*,
i am very much disappointed to find you lacking in the lemon poppyseed bread dept. where are all the yummy recipes with sour cream and fresh zest? i spent half a saturday searching you, to no avail. i don't want muffins. and i don't want to use a cake mix or pudding mix. you've got to get with the times. it's lemon season! and people want homemade. this simply won't do. no, it will not do at all. signed, summer
so i'm taking it upon myself to create|adapt a killer recipe for lemon poppyseed bread. test no.01 turned out great, but most of the lemon flavor came from the glaze instead of the bread, so i still have some tweaking to do. (can you tell that julia has inspired me?) i'll be sure to share the recipe if and when i nail it. i'm determined. you should hear me talk about it with grant like it's my special mission.
on a different note, i made this loaf (the yield from test no.01) for grant to bring to class, as he was signed up for 'snack duty' that day. for some reason i hadn't picture grad school being so much like.. preschool. but i'm happy about it. not only do i think it's cuter than cute, it's more justification of dessert-making for the girl who loves to bake and can't finish a whole batch of anything by herself. wait, that's not right. i could eat it all myself. therein lies the problem. i need baking outlets like bringing treats to sunday school or taking dessert to family sunday dinner or packing snacks for grant's class. this way my baking urge is satisfied and i'm left with just a sampler for myself. this being the case, let the snack duties roll in. i'm your girl.
*and yes, i thought of conan as i typed these words (although my tone wasn't quite as fierce.) i could watch this a million times. hilarious. haley.. i know you are laughing after watching that.
February 3, 2010
spotted by mrs. french.
February 2, 2010
it's always at this point in the winter that i feel like i've lost touch with the other seasons. in particular, summer. the feel of barefoot, the smell of sunscreen, the taste of ripe (and inexpensive) strawberries, the sight of snow-free streets, and the sound of the bell ringing at camp shetek.. it all seems a distant memory.
i feel a thousand miles away from summer.
and yet, maybe i shouldn't.
we made it through january, which means we're almost ready for valentine's day, which means we'll just have to muddle through march and it'll be easter, which means it will soon be my birthday, which means it will practically be may, which means the end of school, which means the start of camp, which means my twin sister's wedding, which means it will be summer! so really, it will be here before we know it.
summer camp plans are already underway; counselors are calling in and kitchen girls have begun rounding up new recipes. and with haley's wedding looming on the horizon, there are bridal shower plans brewing and important date setting and all that fun stuff. the pages of the calendar are already filling up so fast. jr. high basketball season is coming to a quick close. in just a couple weeks, no more early morning practices! and there are family visits in the works. hooray, houseguests for the new house. oh, and i still have to accomplish my wintry goal of learning to knit. oh, and until may we'll have a weekly dose of american idol. basically, there's no time to spare.
get ready for flip-flop tanlines, guys. we're already one day closer. woohoo.
happy groundhog day!
February 1, 2010
i love this a bushel and a peck.
simple, earnest, old-fashioned, hearty, happy.. i could go on forever. can't quite nail it in one word- it just has that quality that puts a sparkle in my eye. if i had 40 bucks burning a hole in my pocket, it would be a done deal. yep. this print belongs in my kitchen. spotted on creature comforts.
january 2010..
1. was busy with basketball, baking, and blizzards.
2. we added another blanket to our bed.
3. there were 4 snow days, several plates of grant's nachos, and books by the stack.
4. and a bookmark that looks very much like a grant paper doll. i cut it out from his team photo.
5. there was a constant stream of recipes stuck to the side of the fridge.
6. we got a wake-up call of an electric bill. blast that supposed energy-efficient heat pump!
7. kidding. 30 below temps can't be helped. and we are learning to deal.
8. we christened a corner of our new basement as the storage spot for christmasy things.
9. i lived in woolly socks & worn slippers.
10. i subsided on toast and jam.
11. i bought two old frou frou songs and played them excessively.
12. the vikings blew it.
13. we emptied out 'the blue room' and have decided to paint it. not sure what color.
14. grant started doing homework. and he gets it done in a flash. i'm always impressed.
15. i made cake. and waves in my hair. and headway on this list.
16. we opened the kitchen door to a wall of snow, complete with perfect door prints.
17. we went out with a bang. we blew an online giftcard on something epic yesterday.
18. more on this exciting purchase any day now.
it's snowing again this morning. bring it on, february. i'm ready.
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