Memorial Day

Happy Memorial Day! So many relatives of mine served in different branches of the military, and it’s such a brave and honorable thing. So, thank you (family and beyond)!

To celebrate, I decided to make a pie. A very summery (and red) pie. Strawberry-rhubarb via Smitten Kitchen , to be exact. It’s a pie that I’ve yet to attempt before today; and truth be told, was a little nervous to delve into after reading SK’s post about it and its ‘loser’ status. Regardless, I put my fears aside and got started on it first thing this morning (To clarify, ‘first thing’ this morning was around 9:30 after having slept 11 hours in a Benadryl-induced fog). The pie was easy enough to assemble, but somehow, I managed to forget to add the butter and didn’t remember that until the pie was sitting all golden and pretty on the cooling rack. Oh well, let’s hope two tablespoons of butter doesn’t make or break this thing. I’ll be sure to amend the post post-BBQ–fingers crossed the baby turns out just fine.

Queen Elizabeef says hello!

The culprits.

A patriotic pie.

 

Bring it, Summer.

I can’t get over how excited I am for summer. It’s not normally a season that gets me all in a tizzy, but this year is different. Maybe the sweltering Georgia heat that has already started to move in hasn’t quite hit me yet. Regardless, summer, I am ready for you! Bring on your 90+ temps, tan lines, and rampant humidity.

In all this excitement, I have created a summer to-do list for myself. Below are somethings I would like to check off my list over the next couple of months:

See this: (Wes Anderson, you genius)

Make this: (strawberry rhubarb pie)

Pretend I’m 16 again: (Stone Mountain Laser Show)

A little of this: (Go Braves!)

 

*images courtesy of Pinterest

Long Weekend

I’m a super-huge fan of the long weekend, but really, who isn’t? It has been about six months since I’ve seen an extra (non-ill) day off and I couldn’t be more pumped. It’s like getting two Saturdays in one weekend, and if you know me, you know my deep love for Saturday. And two in one weekend? I’ll be lucky if I get anything accomplished today.

Nothing crazy planned, just a lot of time pallin’ around with that guy up there.

3.1 and done (well, for that one)

I have a love/hate relationship with running. I want to love it, but there’s not a more humbling activity for me. As a healthy, young woman, I feel like I should be able to throw on my running shoes and take off out the front door. Not so. Running, like most good things, requires time and patience (at least for me).

A week and a half ago, I committed myself to a 10k training program. By day 3 I had already forgotten to cross train (though I had two decent treks on the treadmill under my belt). Then came Thursday, with a side stitch that wouldn’t quit. Friday, which was supposed to be my rest day, was a make-up run. Saturday I stayed on schedule with yoga and cross training, but Sunday I knew was going to cause me trouble. Not that excuses are going to get anyone anywhere, but I foresaw my Sunday. I got up early to help make biscuits for church and was way more tired after than I had planned. I took a nap, but was in super-lazy mode the rest of the day. There was no getting me out of that groggy, worthless state that is only good for watching bad tv. So, another run was pushed to the next day. (Truth be told, I was nervous about not being able to run all 3 miles, and I know that wasn’t helping motivate me whatsoever.) Well, if you read my last post, you know that run didn’t happen either.

But it did happen last night. And it was awesome. I managed to wrap my head around this thing called patience and started off slow. I was feeling so good I added in an extra tenth of a mile to make it a 5k. Now, for some of you lucky folk, running is second nature. It’s never been that way for me, but I feel like I’m starting to get there. 3ish miles is the farthest I’ve ever run without stopping, so I am soon to be in uncharted territory, and I’m pretty excited.

Below are a few items that help to keep me motivated… one of which I will buy once I finish this 10k training program.

Carmelizing Kindness

Sometimes, after a day and a half of being in a terrible mood, you find within in you the overwhelming urge to do something nice for someone. And sometimes the lucky recipient of that nice gesture is your pal.

Last night after work I decided to forgo my run (which was a make-up run, oops…) to head to the farmer’s market, pick up a week’s worth of food, and start dinner as soon as I got home. While this might not sound overly nice (or at least beyond the norm) to some, the gesture was all over those actions. Mainly in the farmer’s market. The farmer’s market here in Decatur, GA is an amazing (but sometimes is so crowded you have to stop yourself from throwing an elbow or two). It’s a rare, rare thing that Tex and I ever go it alone. So, having been too busy/tired/lazy to hit it up on Sunday, we had planned to go together last night. Tex came home to the smell of onions caramelizing and was confused and in disbelief only for a few moments. He thought I was making a pre-shopping snack. Pssh.

Amidst the rain and my slowly recovering mood, I made this (paired with creamy tomato soup and cheesy croutons).

*Image courtesy of the ever-lovely Joy the Baker. Go to her blog. Now!

More PB Love, Y’all.

Where is brilliance born? This morning, it was born in my kitchen; and I feel that I must give thanks to my randomly picky appetite. Nothing, no thing at all,  sounded good this morning (except for avocado + egg toast, but we were out of bread). What sounded most unappealing was anything of the pure protein persuasion. This girl needed some carbs (and I’m not afraid to say it!). Breakfast was easy (Kashi Go Lean, almond milk, and blueberries), but a substantial lunch was proving difficult. So, I took yet another risky leap of faith and combined 2 tablespoons crunchy peanut butter, 1/4 vanilla Greek yogurt, and a tablespoon of chia seeds together as an impromptu fruit dip for an apple and a pear. It was perfection. Enough protein to get me through, but so many wonderful carbs thrown in for good measure. The peanuts and seeds added a nice crunch and the dip itself tasted indulgent, without being overly so.

After the first bite, all I could think was, “This is going in the cookbook for sure.” A girl can dream, can’t she?

Strawberries + Cheese

Sunday, as most of us know, was Mother’s Day. I thought up a few things for Tex to grill, which at first thought included dessert. I wanted to grill peaches, pineapple, and maybe even pears (and then dip them in something wonderful). Well, Saturday evening I found out the universe had felt otherwise. The peaches at the farmer’s market were crap. Tiny things that were hard as rocks. So I scrapped the whole thing, went home feeling defeated, and totally forgot to come up with a plan b. Sunday comes along, as it tends to do, and suddenly have a special lunch sans dessert sent me into a mild panic. There’s nothing like a panic to get those creative juices flowing, and thus, dessert was born.

Ricotta and almond stuffed strawberries. Light, pretty darn healthy, and only to be improved with some chocolate drizzled over top.

Ricotta and Almond Stuffed Strawberries: (serves 3)

Ingredients:
9 strawberries, centers carefully removed
1/4 cup or so of slivered almonds, toasted
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1 tsp almond extract, or more if desired
heavy dash of cinnamon and nutmeg

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Toast slivered almonds until golden brown. Combine ricotta, almonds, almond extract, cinnamon and nutmeg in a small bowl (or leftover ricotta container). Stir to combine. Fill each strawberry with mixture. Serve chilled.

Peanut Butter is Love.

A couple of weeks ago I volunteered my sweet baking skills (pun intended) for a cookout our friends were hosting. I wasn’t sure what to make, but wanted to make something that was, if nothing else, a crowd pleaser. With little inspiration of my own, I hopped on over to Joy the Baker and discovered her Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies with Creamy Peanut Butter Filling. Enough said. There was no turning back. My only substitute was a ripe banana for the egg. This isn’t something I would have normally done, but that morning had begun with a post-breakfast allergic reaction, and egg was on that list. As it turns out, the reaction was not to eggs, and more likely induced by anxiety. Fun times.

I was pleasantly surprised by the banana substitute. The cookies were fluffy, slightly chewy, and had a very nice banana flavor. Oh, and I excitedly realized mid mix that an egg-free cookie batter was all too safe to consume raw. And consume I did. (Don’t worry cookie eaters, not double dipping.) Had I stopped here, the cookies may have passed as a ‘healthy’ dessert. But I didn’t stop there; I made peanut butter frosting to smear in between them. I’m willing to bet that most any food can only taste better by adding peanut butter. I could be wrong, but I’d like to think not. Per usual, Joy the Baker came through for me. The cookies were a hit and paired nicely with the other dessert of the evening–a Reese’s Peanut Butter Bar dish. It was incredible and I hope to make it soon.

‘Nanas in the mix.

My elegant pecan-smashing method. A dish cloth under the nuts will help save your counter top from damage.

Cinnamony.

Oh man.

Don’t Wanna.

I think that some day(s) should allow for crawling under one’s desk/back under the covers/finding a duffel bag large enough to climb inside and shutting off the world. Because, some days, you just don’t want to. Don’t want to what, you ask? If it doesn’t involve a Gilmore Girls/Sabrina/Ghost Whisperer marathon, consider me not signed up for it.

Days like this aren’t always bad days. Today has actually been quite nice. Great hair day, little humidity, office door open to the fresh-aired world. Still, that doesn’t mean the tasks at hand are the tasks I’m ready (or willing) to do. Sometimes, a girl just needs to play hookie…not that I’ve been granted that luxury today, by any means.

Regardless of what luxuries I have, or have not been granted today; this is where my head is at. It’s lovely there (or here?).

Off-The-Cuffins

A couple of weeks ago I made some off-the-cuff muffins from some ingredients I assumed would go well together. It was risky, but all the basics of a muffin recipe were there, so I went with it. Since I’m still in the throes of all this allergy nonsense, I opted not to try any. Tex said they were pretty awesome–fluffy and a little dense (just what I was going for), and not to brag, but they were the prettiest muffins I’d ever made. They looked very much like they should have been sitting on a pretty cake stand in a darling little bakery (where I was the owner, no less). What were in these tasty, daydream-inducing breakfast treats, you ask? Brown sugar and chocolate chips, with a brown sugar crumb topping.

Brown Sugar Chocolate Chip Muffins

2 3/4c flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
1 cup half and half (milk would be just fine, and probably make more sense)
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 c unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c chocolate chips

For topping:
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp flour
1 tbsp butter
Combine in a small bowl until a crumb consistency is reached… I found it worked best with a clean hand.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. In a medium-sized bowl combine the dry ingredients and stir to combine. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine all wet ingredients and mix on low with paddle attachment. Add in dry mixture, a half a cup at a time. Last, add in chocolate chips and stir to combine. Fill a lined muffin pan until approximately 2/3 full. Sprinkle a healthy amount on each muffin and bake approximately 15-18 minutes, or until golden brown and awesome.