Oven Love

Fridays with Julie - Easy Cheesy Zucchini

2012-01-27T13:34:00.002-05:00

Other than everyday life, I'm not sure what happened this week and why I really didn't do too much great cooking. I did a little freezer cooking and we ate a lot of leftovers. I was struggling for today's post, but with a little help from Pinterest, I was inspired again. Off to the kitchen I went to make this quick and easy side dish for today's lunch. I did change a few ingredients based on things at home and this recipe is totally versatile. It also has two of my favorite words right there in the title, "Easy" and "Cheesy." I hope you enjoy this weeks addition of Fridays with Julie.

Easy Cheesy Zucchini Bake

via kalyns kitchen

Ingredients:

2 medium-sized zucchini, cut in slices or half-moon slices
2 medium-sized yellow squash, cut in slices or half-moon slices
2-3 T chopped basil (I'm sure fresh is best but I didn't have any on had - thus dried works too)
2 T thinly sliced green onion
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
3/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 cup + 1/2 cup shredded cheese (I had pizza cheese and cheddar so I used both)
1/2 cup coarsely grated Parmesan (I would use a little less if you only have the very finely grated Parmesan from a can)
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Spray an 8" x 8" baking dish with olive oil or non-stick spray. Wash the squash and cut in slices or half-moon slices. Slice green onions.

Combine the sliced squash, chopped basil, sliced green onions, dried thyme, garlic powder, and both kinds of cheese and stir together until the veggies are coated with cheese and the herbs are well-distributed. Season with salt and pepper. Put the mixture in the baking dish and bake uncovered for about 25-30 minutes.

When the zucchini is nearly cooked through, take the casserole dish out of the oven and sprinkle over the remaining 1/2 cup of grated cheese. Put the dish back in the oven and bake 10-15 minutes longer, or until the cheese is melted and nicely browned and zucchini is fully cooked. Serve hot.

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie

2012-01-25T04:56:00.000-05:00

If you're craving something sweet, rustic and easy to put together, than this cookie will be calling your name.

Just looking at this iron skillet reminds me of summers spent at my family's cabin- but that's just nostalgia talking, since our typical treats up there were things like oatmeal pies and roasted marshmallows. But I think this cookie would be perfect on a cool night, curled up under the blankets.. maybe with a little ice cream on top for good measure.

I promise you won't miss the white flour in this cookie recipe. I actually prefer the nuttiness of the whole wheat flour, not to mention the health benefits. This doesn't exactly qualify as health food, though, don't worry- there's still plenty of butter and sugar involved to classify it as dessert.

You probably have most of the ingredients on hand in your pantry to make this. If you don't keep whole wheat flour on hand, you should take the plunge! I can't think of a better way to introduce yourself to whole wheat baking than with a giant chocolate chip cookie. Yum!

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie
via 101 Cookbooks

3 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
8 oz. cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces, plus more for buttering the pan
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
8 oz. chopped semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate or chocolate chips/chunks

Preheat the oven to 350°F, with a rack in the middle. Butter a 10 or 11-inch ovenproof skillet, one that is at least 2-inches deep. If you're unsure, measure, because if you use a too small skillet, you'll have a messy overflow.

Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl.

In another large bowl, or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter and the sugars. Mix just until the butter and sugars are blended, about 2 minutes using the mixer on low speed. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl along the way. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until each is combined. Mix in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture to the bowl and blend on low speed until the flour is barely combined, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.

Add most of the chocolate to the batter. Mix just until the chocolate is evenly incorporated. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, then scrape the batter out into the skillet, pressing it out into an even layer. Sprinkle any remaining chocolate across the top, and casually press it into the dough a bit, just enough that it isn't riding directly on top of the dough.

Bake the cookies for 35-45 minutes, or until until the dough is a deep golden brown along the edge, and the center has set. Remove from oven and let cool a bit before slicing into. Cute into wedges or small squares.

Makes one large skillet cookie, which you can cut into as many cookies as you like.

Freezer-Friendly Chicken Enchiladas

2012-01-23T16:15:00.000-05:00

Forgive me if I don't have much to say today.

I am now living in the Land Beyond Due Dates (again) and I'm having trouble thinking of anything more than this baby's pending arrival. My brain and body are fried from weeks of early contractions and the last few sleepless nights of false labor. Can't complain, though- I am lucky to be able to keep this baby healthy in here. Some ladies have to fight tooth and nail to keep their babies in, and I have been so blessed with healthy pregnancies.

See, I'm already off on a baby tangent. Moving on to the main event:

Apparently this dish has been making the internet rounds lately. I didn't know this until I recognized the recipe over on Kristina's blog (which you should check out immediately, she's the cutest on the planet and has great recipes!) Now that I've eaten them, I can understand why they've been so popular. The savory red sauce, the delicious mix of two melty cheeses, the crispy crunch of the tortilla edges.. it all comes together to make a perfect bite.

The original recipe doesn't need any help, but I did add my own freezer instructions to it so you can make this meal even easier to prepare. For me, the full recipe made two 8x8 pans of enchiladas as well as the single serving pictured here. I cooked the small serving and one 8x8 for our dinner and put the second 8x8 in the freezer for another time. Hardly any extra work for a whole extra dinner.

If you haven't already beat me to it, I hope you have a chance to try these out!

Chicken Enchiladas
via Annie's Eats, originally from America's Test Kitchen; freezer instructions added by Oven Love

1 medium onion, chopped fine
2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped fine
1 teaspoon canola oil
3 medium cloves garlic, minced
3 Tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
3 teaspoons sugar
1 15-oz can tomato sauce
1 cup water
1 large tomato, seeded and chopped
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 large breasts)
1 cup extra sharp white cheddar, shredded
1 cup Monterey jack cheese, shredded
1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro
12 (6-inch) soft corn tortillas
cooking spray
salt and ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 425.

Combine the onion, jalapeno, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and oil in a large saucepan. cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until the onions and peppers have softened, 8-10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and sugar, and cook until fragrant, less than 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato sauce, water, and chopped tomato. Bring to a simmer, and cook until slightly thickened, 5 minutes.

Nestle the chicken into the sauce. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until chicken is cooked through (thickest part reaches 160 degrees), about 12-20 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate, and set aside to cool.

Strain the sauce through a strainer into a medium bowl, pressing the onion mixture to extract as much liquid as possible. Transfer the onions to a large bowl and set aside. Season sauce with additional salt and pepper to taste.

Shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Add to the onion mixture, and add 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce, 1 cup cheese, and the cilantro. Toss to combine.

Stack the tortillas on a plate and cover with plastic wrap; Microwave on high until warm and pliable, 40-60 seconds. Spread the tortillas on a clean work surface, and spoon 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture evenly down the center of each. Tightly roll each tortilla and lay seam-side down in a greased 9x13 inch baking dish. *To freeze, stop here and see instructions below.*

Lightly spray the tops of the enchiladas with cooking spray. Place in the oven, uncovered, for about 7 minutes, or until the tortillas start to brown slightly (skip this step if you don't like the crunch).

Reduce heat to 400. Remove enchiladas and pour sauce evenly on top. Top with the remaining cheese. Cover dish with foil, and bake an additional 20 minutes, or until heated through.

Remove foil and bake another 5 minutes, until cheese browns. Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving. Serve with sour cream, guacamole, salsa, additional cilantro, etc.

*To Freeze: Cover the dry enchiladas with aluminum foil and freeze. Freeze the sauce separately in a Ziploc freezer bag. Freeze the remaining cheese in a separate Ziploc bag as well.

To reheat after freezing: Let the enchiladas, sauce and cheese thaw in the refrigerator (putting it in the fridge in the morning should be fine). Preheat the oven to 400. Pour sauce on top of the thawed enchiladas and top with the cheese. Recover with foil and bake 20 minutes or until heated through. Remove the foil and bake another 5-10 minutes until the cheese browns. Remove from oven and follow serving directions above.

Fridays with Julie - Knock-Off Olive Garden Salad Dressing

2012-01-20T10:41:00.002-05:00

Do you ever eat at a restaurant and wish you could make your favorite dish at home? Well, this happens to me a lot! I started searching the internet for some of my favorites and I was amazed at how many recipes I found. I also use Pinterest.. A LOT and have yet to find a recipe that I didn't love on there. So, here is this weeks Pinterest/restaurant-inspired dish.

You know that chain Italian restaurant with delicious salad and breadsticks? Well, they sell their dressing in a bottle - BUT I'm too cheap to buy it. However, I found a recipe claiming to be just like it and in fact, it was pretty close! I've made this recipe twice and barely tweaked it at all. I've used it on salad and pasta salad. I've served it to my neighbors, church friends and my family, every time it was a success.

Knock-Off Olive Garden Salad Dressing

originally from BareNakedChefSaidSo

1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
1/4 cup distilled vinegar
1/8 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dried Italian spices
1/2 teaspoon salt
black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 and 1/2 teaspoons mayonnaise
1/4 cup water
1 envelope Good Seasons Italian Dressing

Combine all ingredients in a blender on high until combined, about 30 seconds. You can also put in a bowl and mix with an electric hand mixer.
Pour into a pourable container and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Stir or shake before serving.

To make the salad, I used:

1 head of lettuce,chopped
croutons
cherry tomatoes
1/2 red onion, sliced
parmesan cheese

You may add olives and banana peppers if you want a more authentic copy of that famous salad. I poured all of the dressing on the salad and mixed it up right before serving.

I made pasta salad with this dressing also but I didn't take a picture - sorry :(

For the pasta salad, I used:

1 small box whole wheat pasta noodles
mini pepperonis
yellow bell pepper
red onion
cucumbers
mozzarella cheese

Make Ahead Baked Oatmeal

2012-01-19T08:35:00.000-05:00

Baked oatmeal is a great way to start your morning.

I just ate this beautiful breakfast and the day is already off to a great start. Growing up in Central PA, baked oatmeal was always one of my favorite treats to have when we went out for breakfast. Every little diner and family restaurant has their own version, usually rotating with different types of fruit each day. I've been thinking about baked oatmeal a lot lately during these cooler months in Georgia and finally got around to making it for my MOPS group yesterday. I was glad to have made a giant batch so there was a piece or two left to photograph and share with you.

If you've never had baked oatmeal, you might describe this as oatmeal breakfast casserole or something similar. Not only is baked oatmeal delicious, relatively healthy and easy to customize, this recipe gets extra points for being flexible. You can make right away if you're having a craving or you can put it together the night before for company or to have a weeks' worth of easy family breakfasts on hand.

Back home, baked oatmeal is usually served hot with milk or cream, brown sugar and some type of fruit (usually sliced bananas or raisins at my favorite spots). I like to serve mine with milk, berries and the occasional drizzle of maple syrup. It's also tasty in cold squares cut from the fridge.

This recipe is a basic starting point- get as creative as you want with it! I am already dreaming up seasonal variations with different fruit purees and chopped fruits. I think you'll enjoy starting your days of with full, happy tummies.

*Note- I do think this recipe would freeze well fully baked, but I haven't tested it personally. I will report back when I do.

Make Ahead Baked Oatmeal
-by Oven Love, adapted from Simple Bites

Ingredients:

2 large eggs
1/4 cup maple syrup, honey or agave nectar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup salted butter, melted
1/2 cup applesauce or other fruit puree (I'm thinking about trying pumpkin, pear, and others)
1 small apple, finely grated
1 1/4 cups milk
3 cups old-fashioned oats
1/4-1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
1/4-1/2 cup dried fruit or chopped fresh fruit (optional)
cream, half-and-half or milk, for serving
chopped fresh fruit, for serving
brown sugar or maple syrup, for serving

Coat an 8x8 or 2 quart baking dish with butter or cooking spray.

In a large bowl, whisk together all ingredients, except the oats and nuts/fruit (if using). Fold in oats and nuts/fruit (if using) and combine well. Transfer the oat mixture into the baking dish and spread evenly around.

To bake right away: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Let oat mixture sit and soak for 20-30 minutes at room temperature while the oven is preheating. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until oatmeal is set and edges are brown.

To bake later in the day or the next morning: Cover your dish tightly with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic directly on top of the oat mixture. Refrigerate overnight. In the morning, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Unwrap oatmeal and place in oven. Bake for 30 minutes or until oatmeal is set and edges are brown.

Serve hot with:

cream, half-and-half or milk
fresh chopped fruit
brown sugar or maple syrup

Meals for New Parents

2012-01-17T14:38:00.001-05:00

In the past year, I have delivered A LOT of meals to new parents.

Maybe it's something about being in my 20's, or being part of a young, growing church with lots of families. Add to that the fact that I teach childbirth classes, and it's easy to see why I've been delivering so many meals. I think bringing food to new parents (not to mention sick friends/family or shut-ins) is one of the greatest gifts you can give to them- aside from maybe doing their laundry or letting them sleep.

In my opinion, the toughest part of delivering meals is knowing what to bring. No one wants to bring them something they don't like and won't end up eating- that's wasted effort and wasted food. This post is meant to give you some pointers so you won't make that mistake (even though they probably won't ever tell you if you do).

The first thing to do- just ask them what they like! You are doing something sweet for them, so don't feel like you are bothering them by asking about their preferences. If you are worried about disturbing them in the first few days, plan ahead and ask before the baby comes so you can be prepared. Ask about any dietary restrictions, allergies, and general food preferences. If mom is breastfeeding, don't forget to ask if she is cutting anything out of her diet or if she has any specific cravings.

Now comes the fun part- deciding what to bring. I like to do things a little differently (surprise, surprise) and try to be creative with the meals I bring. Here are some meal ideas I've enjoyed giving and receiving.

Dinners.

This is the typical meal you'll be dropping off. I like to bring a main dish, side item and a treat for dessert. Try one of these menus:

Chicken Enchiladas with Mexican Rice and Snickerdoodle Blondies
Spicy Kale Lasagna (a nice vegetarian option) with Italian Tossed Salad and Miss Brenda's Pound Cake (with whipped cream and berries!)
Tuscan Tomato Soup with a great loaf of bread and cheese for sandwiches
Zucchini Galette (pictured above) with Caprese salad and Strawberry Ice Cream
Looking for a vegan option? Try this Asparagus Tart with White Bean Pesto with fresh cut veggies and Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Snacks and Breakfast Items.

Any parent knows that the first few weeks with a newborn can be crazy, and you often don't get to sit down to an actual meal. I love to bring along snack items so that the parents have something quick and healthy to grab if they don't have time to eat a sit-down dinner.

Roasted Garlic Hummus with fresh, pre-cut vegetables and pita bread or pita chips (I like Stacy's)
Muffins of any kind
Marathon Squares - these would be great for a boost of energy!
Chocolate Chip PB Granola Bars (pictured above)
New York Style Crumb Cake
Pre-cut veggies with dips- Cucumber Yogurt Dip, Avocado Tomatillo Dip or Curry Chutney Dip
Kale Chips

Freezer meals.

If you are staying with the new parents, or if they are receiving lots of meals and help, a freezer meal might be the way to go. This can be done in advance of the baby and dropped off before or after birth. This is also ideal if you want to help out but you'll be busy or traveling around the estimated due date. Check out my post on freezer meals for tons of meal ideas and tips.

Their favorite take-out.
If you're really short on time and can't make anything, ask them what their favorite take-out meal is and deliver that to their door. This will typically satisfy a craving they've been having (for the food or for contact with the outside world). There is certainly no shame in going this route- they probably won't be going out to their favorite spots for a little while, so you can provide them with a little date night at home.

My final and most important tip- don't stress about delivering meals! The parents will be so appreciative that the exact meal that you bring is not really a big deal. Enjoy the time you get to spend with them and cherish those newborn snuggles!

Time for you to share! What are your favorite meals to take to new parents? Moms and dads who've been there before, what meals did you enjoy receiving most? Can't wait to hear your ideas.

Fridays with Julie, Sour Cream mini biscuits

2012-01-13T14:24:00.000-05:00

Easy Sour Cream Mini Biscuits

I'm not sure where this simple but delish recipe originated, but one thing I'm certain is that it was in the South! I have the written recipe in two different cookbooks - but I actually learned about them from a friend. That said, the recipe that I'm sharing can be found in "Perennials" a cookbook published in 1984 by the Junior Service League in Gainesville, GA and can also be found in Paula Deen's "The Lady and Sons Savannah Country Cookbook." See, I told you this MUST be a southern recipe. These are some of the easiest and yummiest biscuits to make and there are only 3 ingredients.

Sour Cream Mini Biscuits

1 Cup Butter (2 sticks)

1 Cup sour cream

2 cups self-rising flour

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine all ingredients with an electric mixer. Spoon into greased mini muffin pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until brown.

Yep, it's that simple.

Sorry about the horrible food photography. I can't seem to get anything ready before the sun goes down.

Adventures in Freezer Cooking

2012-01-12T12:00:00.000-05:00

Are you a fan of freezer cooking? Freezer cooking and I have evolved in our relationship over the years.

Growing up, we ate a lot of meals from the freezer, but mostly because my mom just loves to freeze everything and anything (love you mom, you're perfect!) Once, a few years ago, I had a freezer cooking day with friends when we lived in Ohio (love you, Dayton friends!), but we never got around to doing it again.

I forgot all about it for a while, then my friend Joy (who runs the fantastic Facebook group called Fearless Freezer Cooking) asked if I wanted to join her freezer co-op here in GA. I joined for a few months and then decided it wasn't a great fit for our family at the time.

After all of this, I began to figure out what I like about freezer cooking and what I don't. I like to freeze things that I can just pull out of the freezer in the afternoon and be ready for the evening meal. I like to freeze things that can thaw quickly and easily. I don't like freezer meals that I have to put in the fridge the day before to thaw. I am all about the convenience of freezer cooking, not just the stocking up part.

So as I've been preparing for baby #2 (any day now would be great, baby, really), I've finally figured out what I like stocked in my freezer. And that's what I want to share with you today. I don't know if it's just me, but freezer cooking seems to be a hot topic lately (just search for it on Pinterest, I mean, really).

Firstly, let's talk breakfast items. I love having muffins, pancakes and waffles stocked in the freezer that I can easily defrost in the microwave, toaster or on the counter. Most baked goods freeze really well if they've been fully-baked and will thaw easily at room temperature.

Banana Muffins (pictured)

Coconana Mini Muffins (vegan)

Tea Time Muffins

Sour Cream Whole Wheat Pancakes (pictured. when I freeze these, I usually make 3-5x the recipe)

Zucchini Waffles

Next up, breads and doughs. I really enjoy having frozen, uncooked pizza dough in the freezer as well as fully-baked and sliced loaves of bread. These are family meal staples for us. As you know, I tend to substitute at least half of the flour in most recipes with whole wheat or white whole wheat flour (just a reminder since this is not reflected in some of the links).

Pizza Dough (pictured)

King Arthur Oatmeal Bread

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Buttermilk Bread (pictured)
Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread (pictured)

Lastly, full meals or meal components. Let me say again that I like meals that I can put right into the oven from the freezer or meal components that can be easily thawed and added to meals. My husband loves having these burritos on hand that he can take to work for quick lunches if there aren't any leftovers around. My favorite item here is the turkey meatballs- no thawing required! You can broil them or brown them in a pan, then use them in whatever application you'd like.

Baked Ziti (hard to see, but pictured)

Spicy Kale Lasagna

Butternut Squash Lasagna

Bean Burritos (pictured)

Chicken Enchiladas

Lighter Chili (pictured)

Red Bean Chili

Chicken Tortilla Soup
Turkey Meatballs (pictured)

Pureed Vegetables (pumpkin, squash, applesauce)

I really went all out this time with my freezer cooking- I usually just make extra batches here or there and refill it gradually. There are lots of different methods of freezer cooking, but I can guarantee that you'll find one that works for you. It really is nice to have a few things on hand in a pinch of you haven't thought about dinner or you find out you're getting a few extra guests.

That's just a few of my thoughts on the subject. I'd like to make freezer recipes more available in the future here on the blog- I'm sure I'll be doing more of it as our family grows. There are tons of other great freezer cooking resources out there. Feel free to share your favorite websites, books or recipes in the comment section below!

Fridays with Julie...Pimento Cheese

2012-01-06T09:00:00.001-05:00

I am so excited to be here on Oven Love posting side by side with my friend Natalie! But there are a few things you should know about me:

1. I love to cook (why else would I food blog)
2. I am pregnant so, my food choices may seem absurd but I'll try to be as "normal" as possible
3. I was born and raised in GA so most of my dishes are not going to be healthy...I typically try to channel my two favorite cooks when I'm in the kitchen - who are they??? My mom and Paula Deen of course! That said, I am not afraid to use tons of butter and lots of Duke's Mayonnaise.
4. Sometimes, I do take short cuts and use boxes and cans. I know that everything coming from scratch taste better and is better for you but lets be honest, I'm a military wife, a mom of a toddler, I'm pregnant, oh yeah and I work part-time, sadly Super Woman is not one of the hats (or cape) that I wear. SO, when I use a short cut, I will post honestly and you can choose to cook my recipes the way you want.

Well, that's all about me. Let's get to the food!

Pimento Cheese is a southern staple.
It's a year round kind of food.
It's easy to make with few ingredients.
Here's how I make it.

Ingredients:

1 Jar Pimentos
3 Tablespoons Cheese Whiz
1 large block of Sharp Cheddar Cheese - grated*
4 Tablespoons mayonnaise
1-2 Tablespoons of jalapenos or green chilies (you can add more or less)
Salt and Pepper to taste

*I prefer to use fresh grated cheese instead of pre-bagged shredded cheese.

Put all ingredients into a food processor.
Blend until it is your desired texture. Some people prefer a paste like texture and others would not use a food processor at all and mix by spoon. I like mine somewhere in the middle.

It can be served so many ways:
Pimento Cheese Sandwiches
Spread for crackers
Grilled Pimento Cheese Sandwich
On a fresh grilled burger
At a tailgate
At a picnic...
the combinations are endless.

I hope you enjoy this recipe and my Friday posts. I'm looking forward to next week!

Introducing.. Fridays With Julie

2012-01-04T12:55:00.000-05:00

Friends, I have something very exciting to share today.

Julie, a very dear friend of mine, will be joining me here as a weekly blogger on Oven Love!

Julie and her boys (photo via Bloom Photography) Isn't she gorgeous?

Julie and I first met through our mutual Air Force friends at their wedding in 2008. Shortly after, we ended up at the same base in Ohio and became fast friends. We both stayed at home, so we spent lots of days together just living life. She taught me so much about life in the military and what to expect when I became a mother. I think one or both of us was always pregnant the whole time we were in Dayton (and spoiler alert- we're both pregnant now, too!) When we left Ohio, she headed to Virginia and we ended up in her home state. Lucky for me, because now we get to see each other occasionally when she comes home to Georgia to visit!

Julie and I with the little guys at the Georgia Aquarium

Julie will be sharing a recipe with you on Oven Love every Friday. How exciting is that? She is a Southern girl through and through, so I'm sure she'll be sharing some of her old Southern favorites along with her own special twists. Please give her some love this Friday and make her feel welcome!

My Favorites of 2011

2011-12-28T15:54:00.000-05:00

2011 certainly came and went much quicker than I anticipated. It has been a busy, exciting and exhausting year. I wish I would have devoted more time to the blog (I only posted about half as many times in 2011 as I did in 2010), but Oven Love was on the back burner for most of the year. I won't be making any promises about posting more often in 2012, though it sounds like a nice idea in theory. I know things are about to get crazy in this house with the new baby arriving in just a few weeks.

So, just like I did in 2009 (somehow this link no longer shows my photos, sorry!) and 2010, and like everyone in Blogland will probably be doing sometime this week, I present my favorite posts from 2011. I hope you'll enjoy the look back and put a few of these on your list (or pin them on your board, Pinsters) to try in the new year.

Lots of love and best wishes for a great 2012!

Lightened Up Chili

This chili doesn't taste light at all- it's really filling!

Fruit and Nut Granola
Forgot how much I love this recipe until today. Now I've got to make some before baby comes..

Sweet and Savory French Toast BLT

A fun twist on the BLT that's great for brunch or a light lunch.

Ham and Egg Crepe Squares

These seem so fancy but are simple to put together. Don't be afraid to make crepes- you will love them!

Farfalle Con Broccoli

I love the simplicity of this dish.. AND the fact that if you add chicken, it tastes like Olive Garden's Garlic Chicken con Broccoli!

Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies

Usually I just eat Nutella with a spoon, but when I'm feeling fancy, these cookies really hit the spot.

Corn, Crab and Tomato Salad

A fresh summer salad for picnics, potlucks or packed lunches.

Smoky Pork Tacos

One of my favorite meals to serve to a crowd. Guys love this one.

Blackberry Galette

This is just a beautiful thing to put into your belly.

New York Style Crumb Cake

You don't ever need to go to Starbucks for coffee cake if you have this recipe!

Fall Harvest Salad

All the best fall flavors in one big bowl.

Santa Hat Snack Mix

It's just adorable, seriously. Those little hats are too much!

Salted Peppermint Rice Krispie Treats

My last post of the year, but a really tasty discovery.

Now go forth into 2012 and start cooking something delicious!

Salted Peppermint Rice Krispie Treats

2011-12-15T11:41:00.000-05:00

I really wasn't planning on sharing more sweets with you, but occasions to bake keep coming up out of nowhere! I made these last night for some friends, and then whipped up another quick batch for the hubs to take to work today. This recipe took me less than 15 minutes to pull together- talk about a Christmas miracle! I have no energy left these days (this baby is coming in a month.. woah) to slave away in the kitchen making complicated treats (even though I wish I had the time to!), especially with all of the other holiday hulabaloo going on.

I think you'll really like these. They have just enough peppermint- certainly not the overwhelming minty-ness that you get from some Christmas desserts. The chocolate drizzle and sea salt add the salty/sweet component, and you've got the classic crunchy/chewy thing going on with the Rice Krispies and marshmallow combo.

If you have the ingredients on hand (or even if you don't- you'll probably be out shopping soon anyways), I am certain you have the time to throw these together. Yum, yum, yum!

Salted Peppermint Rice Krispie Treats

by Oven Love

Ingredients:

1/4 cup unsalted butter
4 cups peppermint marshmallows **There are a few ways to do this. You can make them homemade (I like this recipe from Beantown Baker), you can buy store-bought (Jet-Puffed has a peppermint variety during the holidays), or you can use regular marshmallows with a dash of peppermint extract and a drop or two of red food coloring (optional).**
5 cups Rice Krispie cereal
2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
3-5 peppermint candies, crushed
1/4-1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

To prepare, butter a 9x13 baking dish.

In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. When the butter is melted, add the marshmallows and reduce heat to low. Stir until the marshmallows are melted completely and remove from heat. Add the Rice Krispies and stir until well-coated. Spread the mixture into the prepared pan and press down with a spatula or buttered fingers.

Next, heat the chocolate in the microwave in 30 second intervals until melted. Transfer into a pastry or Ziplock bag and cut the corner. Drizzle the chocolate evenly over the Rice Krispie mixture (you can also use a spoon to do this, but it will be a bit messier). Sprinkle the crushed peppermint candies and sea salt evenly over the chocolate and let rest until the chocolate is set. Cut into squares and serve.

Sprinkled Chocolate Thumbrint Cookies

2011-12-12T09:31:00.000-05:00

Good morning, all! How are your holiday sugar hangovers?

Today I've got some more sugary treats for you in honor of the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap, hosted by the fabulously talented Lindsay of Love and Olive Oil and Julie of The Little Kitchen. I have had the pleasure of meeting these two darlings in real life and I couldn't say no when I heard they were putting this fun swap together.

After some deliberation, I started my search for a great thumbprint cookie recipe, hoping to replicate my favorite sprinkled Christmas cookies from the Oakmont Bakery in Oakmont, PA. My 8-month-pregnant self will unfortunately not be traveling back to PA this Christmas, so I needed a good substitute anyways (wouldn't want to send myself into a nostalgic/hormonal tailspin).

Once I found my base recipe, I then decided that I would use said recipe for another cookie exchange and a weekend get-together. I ended up making at least 10-12 dozen of these little guys within a week's time. Needless to say, I will be finding tiny sprinkles all over my kitchen for at least the next year.

And let me just say that I will never again participate in two cookie exchanges at one time. One is more than enough. I have dozens upon dozens of cookies on my counter just staring at me, begging to be eaten, talking to me in my sleep (not that I'm actually getting any), making my toddler crazy (since they are just out of his reach) and giving me tummy aches. The cookies I received from my blogger matches were very yummy, though. I got New Orleans Praline Disks from Of Cabbages and King Cakes, Candy Cane Chocolate Chip Cookies with Sea Salt from Bonnie the Baker and Peppermint Sables from Daily Nibbles. My little sprinkled cookies were sent off to The Cookie Monster, Food Victorian, and Sorelle e Cibo.

And while I'm being chatty, can I say that sprinkled cookies are a pain to photograph? Especially with the dark chocolate spot in the middle. These two pictures are all I could salvage from a ton of photos. I'd love any tips if you've got them!

Hope you give these cookies a try this Christmas. They're simple enough to make in large batches (trust me), but special enough to stand out on your cookie tray. Thanks again to Julie and Lindsay for putting this event together!

Sprinkled Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies

-by Oven Love, basic recipe via Technicolor Kitchen

For the cookie dough:

½ cup (113g/1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
½ cup (70g) confectioners' sugar, sifted
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 ¼ cups (175g) all-purpose flour, sifted

For the decoration and chocolate filling:

Sprinkles, nonpareils or sanding sugar of your choice for decoration
2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, room temperature
56g (2oz) semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon light corn syrup

Preheat the oven to 350ºF; line two baking sheets with baking paper or silicone baking mats.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter, sugar, salt, and vanilla on medium-high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Beat in flour, beginning on low speed and increasing to medium high, until a dough forms – it won’t be sticky.

Roll dough into balls. Dip each ball into your sprinkles or other decoration, making sure to get even coverage all around. Place onto prepared sheets. (At this point, you can make a pre-thumbprint to be sure your holes are deep enough, or you can wait to do it after the next step). Bake for 10 minutes, remove from oven, and press thumb into tops of cookies to make indentations. Return to oven, and bake until light brown on the edges, 7 to 9 minutes more. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

While the cookies are cooling, combine chocolate, butter, and corn syrup in a small heatproof bowl. Microwave at 30 second intervals until melted or set over a pot of simmering water; stirring occasionally until melted and smooth. Allow to cool and thicken slightly. When cookies are cool, fill the thumbprints with the chocolate mixture. Let the chocolate set before serving.

Santa Hat Snack Mix

2011-12-05T16:09:00.000-05:00

Christmas is here!

That means stuffing your face with sugar for a whole month. No matter how hard you try to avoid it, there are treats everywhere this time of year. So I'm just jumping on the bandwagon and sharing another one with you.

I am loving this little snack mix! It is a little more time consuming than your typical Chex mix, but it's worth it. I made it for our second annual gingerbread party (post forthcoming) and it was a big hit with all of the already sugared-up guests.

The best part is the little Santa hats. They're made from Caramel Bugles (didn't even know they existed until I found this recipe) dipped in red chocolate melts, with a few sprinkles and a marshmallow to top it all off. The Bugles have this salty sweet thing going that is awesome- I think next time I'll just eat a bowl of the Santa hats and call it a day.

After you've prepared the Santa hats and let them dry, you just pour melted white chocolate over the rest of your ingredients, mix, let dry and then throw in the Santa hats and some Christmas M&Ms. This is a great recipe to take with you to potlucks and parties since it's easy to travel with. Just make sure you don't eat it all in the car.

Thank you, Cookies & Cups, for this great idea!

Santa Hat Snack Mix

via Cookies and Cups

For the Santa hats:

1 bag Caramel Bugles (or regular, if you can't find them. they're typically near the ChexMix at the store)
Red melting chocolate disks (one bag should be sufficient)
1 tablespoon shortening
Mini marshmallows (just a handful is enough)
White nonpareil sprinkles

Melt the candy melts and shortening together in 30 second intervals in your microwave until melted. As soon as everything is melted, start dipping the Bugles into the chocolate, letting the excess chocolate drip off. Let them set up until firm on parchment or wax paper.

When the Bugles are set, remelt the red chocolate if necessary and dip just the bottom of the Bugles into the white sprinkles. Then flip the Bugle over and dip the top in red chocolate and firmly press a mini marshmallow on top. Let set again on the parchment or wax paper.

For the snack mix:

Your Bugle Santa hats (see above for procedure)
3 cups mini pretzels
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 cup salted dry roasted peanuts
2 cups Rice Chex
2 cups holiday M&Ms
8 oz white chocolate

Spread all of your ingredients, except M&Ms, out on a large baking sheet lined with parchment or wax paper. Melt the white chocolate according to package directions and drizzle over the ingredients. Use a spatula to mix and cover the ingredients evenly with white chocolate. Allow the mix to dry on the baking sheet. When the chocolate is set, break the pieces up and sprinkle the M&Ms and Bugle Santa hats over the mix. Transfer to a serving bowl and enjoy!

Water For Christmas.

2011-11-25T06:10:00.000-05:00

Happy Black Friday to all of you crazy shoppers out there!

I won't be joining the crowds today, but if you're in the mood to shop, please visit the Water For Christmas etsy shop. I donated these little wreath ornaments (there are plenty, so order away!) and there is a ton of other cute stuff, too.

100% of the proceeds go to providing clean water in Sierra Leone, Africa. For more information about Water For Christmas, visit onebillionthirsty.org/etsy-shop.

Please consider shopping small this Christmas and supporting this amazing cause!

My Thanksgiving 2011 Menu

2011-11-21T20:40:00.001-05:00

Yikes! It's already Thanksgiving week. Anyone else feeling like it just popped up out of nowhere? I got my grocery shopping out of the way today (that's probably late for some people, but I like to have things fresh, including the bird) and somehow missed the crowds. Now all I have to do is plan out my cooking timeline.. and then find the energy to stay on my pregnant feet to make all of this food with one arm most likely useless (thank you, needy/lovey/curious teething toddler).

This will be my second year hosting at our house in GA, and we're expecting a good 10+ guests. I'm excited to try out some new recipes and bring back some old favorites. Here's what's on our menu this year:

-The Easiest Roast Turkey and Gravy

From right here on Oven Love. Complete post with all your questions answered! Can't have Thanksgiving without the big bird.

-Mashed Potatoes

I don't have a specific recipe for these.. my apologies. I watched my grandparents make them together so many times that it is a bit like second nature. I just boil up diced potatoes in salted water until fork-tender, drain, mash, and add enough milk, butter and salt until I'm satisfied with the taste. I was considering making potatoes gratin this year, but then I got sad thinking that I couldn't drown those in gravy.. so mashed potatoes it is!

-Cornbread, Bacon, Leek and Pecan Stuffing via Martha Stewart

I am excited to try this new stuffing recipe! I usually don't go the cornbread route, but it just sounded too good to pass up. Plus I've got lots of Georgia pecans on hand to use.. yum.

-Sweet Potato Casserole via My Baking Addiction

I chose this because it looks similar to my grandma's recipe- we'll see how it stacks up. I'm not really sure why I didn't just ask for her recipe.. but I'll work on that for next year.

-Brussel Sprout Salad

This is an original Oven Love recipe, but I haven't blogged about it in it's own post- just in an old post about my sister-in-law's bridal shower. It was a hit there and I've made it many times since, but never had a chance to share. Maybe I can get a good shot of it this year so you can see how good it looks! My mom was not a brussel sprout fan, and this year she requested this dish- it changes people.

-Quick Cranberry Sauce

Truth gun- my favorite reason to make cranberry sauce is so I can make the cranberry shortbread cake with the leftovers. I also think anything that comes out of a can looking like a can is unacceptable at the dinner table.

-Multigrain Rolls via Annie's Eats

I love seeded rolls and was so happy to find these. I usually make honey whole wheat rolls, but this year I'm giving these a try instead. With a big smear of honey butter..

-Pumpkin Pie via Life Currents, originally from America's Test Kitchen

I've completely forgotten what recipe I used for pumpkin pie last year, so I've found a new one to take its place. This blogger raves about it, so I'm looking forward to tasting. It also looks like it sets up very well, which is my main fear when baking pies.

-Applesauce Spice Bundt Cake via The Flour Sack

I made this cake a few weeks ago and it disappeared very quickly. The husband's birthday falls on Thanksgiving Day this year, and this cake was one of his requests. We enjoyed it without the caramel glaze last time, so I will be interested to see if we like it better glazed or plain (I'm pretty sure I'm voting glazed.. no brainer for me.)

-Apple Cider Punch via Better Homes & Gardens

Since there will be a few pregnant gals in attendance at our meal, I wanted to provide a fun drink option for those of us who won't be indulging in wine or homebrews. Every apple cider punch link I found led me to the same recipe, so I think it'll be a winner.

I'm about 127% sure I won't be posting again until after Thanksgiving, so have a delicious holiday and make sure all of your loved ones know how grateful you are for them. Happy Thanksgiving!

*Disclaimer- all photos with outside links were taken from each corresponding website and were not taken by me, unless the link is to another Oven Love post (the cranberry sauce, for example). Credit goes to all of the wonderful photographers above!

Christmas Is Coming..

2011-11-08T11:48:00.000-05:00

Sometimes November and December seem like one big, blurry month to me. One big, blurry, happy, memory-filled month. For us, the holidays are usually a big hustle and bustle- hubs' birthday is right around Thanksgiving (falls on the same day this year- look out for some candles in our turkey) and mine is three days before Christmas, so not only do we have two major holidays, but two birthdays as well. This year will actually be our first year not traveling back to PA for Christmas, so there will probably be a little less bustle than usual, but we're looking forward to spending time as a little family with some new traditions.

One of my favorite holiday to-do's is designing Christmas cards. I like to write messages with all of them and smother our friends and family with holiday love. Last year, we decided to use Shutterfly to make things a bit simpler and I loved the results. Here is our card from last year:

(nativity brown)

This year, we'll be going the same route. There are some great options to choose from.. I'm not sure how I will pick! Christmas cards, greeting cards, photo cards.. the works.

Here are a few I'm liking this year:

I love the chevrons, of course. (merry bright zigzag)

Simple and cute. (little snowflake)

I love the traditional looking title and the black & white shot. (merry words)

Simple, with a little pop of color. (rainbow greetings)

I actually hijacked this idea last year and made a similar list on my computer because I loved it so much! (top moments)

You need a great photo for this one- lots of smiles! (what fun)

Love the red & green. (wishing you merry)

Great message, not to mention I enjoy the varied fonts. (mighty God)

Shutterfly also has calendars and photo gifts available so you can scratch a few names of your Christmas list at the same time you're ordering cards. I have always had success with Shutterfly and I love their promotions! Make sure you sign up for their emails- they are always sending coupon codes and free print offers.

Hope you're getting into the holiday spirit, too!

*Full disclosure- I am receiving 25 free cards from Shutterfly for this post. Fellow bloggers, go here if you would like to participate as well!

Pins, Pregnancy and a Dead Camera

2011-10-24T18:02:00.000-04:00

I am going to skip all the excuses and just share a little life with you today. We have just hit the THIRD trimester recently and I am baffled at where the time has gone with this second little baby in my tummy. My time lately has been spent just doing life- getting through the day with a silly, rambunctious toddler; going to a record number of baby showers (SIX this month, one of which I hosted- it's seriously a baby boom); organizing the house and finishing up our last renovation projects; getting back into my cooking groove and enjoying the fall weather (finally).

Other things happening:

-Our chickens are laying eggs like crazy! I don't even think I told you we had chickens, but we do- 12 layers living it up in our backyard. I love the fresh eggs, but I must confess that I hate feeding them. Those girls have a lot of attitude when they're hungry!

-My camera is dead. It just refuses to turn on. This, among laziness and poor time management, is one of the main reasons I haven't been updating the blog or documenting anything recently. Aside from my camera, all we have to take photos with are our phones. Hubs has an iPhone, which is okay, but I just don't like taking food photographs with anything but a real deal camera. The plan is to see if Canon can fix it.. if not, we'll have to start hunting for something new. I really would love to show you what I've been cooking up lately!

-I, like so many of you, am really enjoying the inspiration found on Pinterest. If you'd like to follow me, you can find me under @missnatalieh. So in lieu of any new original recipes today, I wanted to share two treats I've pinned recently on my "Love Food" board:

Midnight Black Chocolate Pudding. I want to try this so badly- I have been craving some chocolate pudding, but I have to get my hands on some black onyx cocoa powder first.

Source: joythebaker.com via Natalie on Pinterest

Cinnamon Roll Baked Oatmeal. Two of my favorite dishes combined! I love the ease of baked oatmeal, but it's genius to add cream cheese frosting. Excuse me while I go make this immediately!

Source: chocolatecoveredkatie.com via Natalie on Pinterest

So there's a little update on Oven Love if you've been wondering. Here's hoping the camera gets fixed soon and I can get back to business.

Spicy Kale Lasagna

2011-09-22T10:05:00.000-04:00

Mmm.. I am having good memories of this lasagna.

Are you ready for cool weather comfort foods? I'm sure you northerners are. I'm getting in the mood myself, but the southern weather is getting in the way! This lasagna is a great way to transition into fall- not too heavy, since there's no meat involved. Some vegetarian lasagnas leave something to be desired, but I really love this version- very filling and you don't miss the meat at all.

I want to tell you more about this lasagna, but there's a crazy, silly toddler making it difficult to hear myself think. So you'll just have to trust me on this one!

Tell me, though- what cool weather dishes are you looking forward to?

Spicy Kale Lasagna
via Annie's Eats, originally from A Couple Cooks

1¼ lbs. kale (or spinach), stems removed
3 tbsp. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes, (preferably with herbs)
2 tsp. kosher salt, divided
1 tsp. lemon juice
4 cups cottage cheese
¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
¾ tsp. pepper
16 no-boil lasagna noodles (or noodles cooked according to package directions)

"To prepare the kale, bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the kale to the pot and boil for 2 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water until cool enough to handle. Wrap the kale inside a clean kitchen towel and wring out as much excess liquid as possible. Chop roughly, season with salt and pepper, and set aside.

To make the tomato sauce, combine the oil, garlic, red pepper flakes and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt in a cold saucepan. Heat over medium-high, stirring frequently. Once bubbling, cook for about 30 seconds. Mix in the crushed tomatoes, reduce heat and let simmer 5-10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice.

To make the cheese mixture, strain all of the liquid out of the cottage cheese. (I used a fine mesh strainer and pressed down to remove the liquid.) Mix in ½ cup of the Parmesan, 1½ cups of the mozzarella, 1 teaspoon salt and the pepper.

Preheat the oven to 375˚ F. To assemble the lasagna, add a thin layer of the sauce to the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Cover with a layer of noodles, then half of the cheese mixture, half of the kale, and half of the remaining sauce. Add another layer of noodles, the remaining cheese mixture, and the remaining kale. Top with the remaining noodles, then the remaining sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining ½ cup mozzarella cheese and ¼ cup Parmesan.

Bake for 45 minutes, until bubbly and browned. Let stand at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving."

Fall Harvest Salad

2011-09-21T15:46:00.000-04:00

Can you believe I got off my pregnant behind (well, I guess I'm still on it) to write you a post today? Things have been nuts/bananas around here lately- pregnancy drama-rama, busy schedules, all of that. I have sort of lost my cooking mojo lately, to be honest. I joined a little freezer co-op a few months ago and we get so much freezer food that I hardly ever cook anymore. I'm starting to really miss the kitchen.. I think I'm going to quit the ol' freezer co-op soon so I can get back to my roots and start sharing with you again.

I'd like to say I made this recently, but it's been waiting for you in the archives for quite some time. I love these flavors and I'm really getting in the mood for autumn (though that season is still weeks/months away here in GA). There's no real skill to making this- all you have to do is compile the ingredients at your leisure. There's lots of flexibility here- I'd encourage you to use whatever's in season and make it your own. Maybe you prefer a different type of squash or you want to sub pears for apples.. in which case you might want to use goat cheese or Gorgonzola. See how easy it is to switch it up?

And PS- if you're reading this, I think you're awesome for hanging in there with me and checking in on Oven Love, even when I'm inconsistent. Thanks for respecting me and my priorities (family and real life before blog land). Now go, my loved ones- be healthy and eat salad!

Fall Harvest Salad
from Oven Love

Components:
-leafy green lettuce of your choice; romaine, spinach, etc.
-roasted butternut squash, see below*
-crisp apple slices; Gala, Pink Lady, Honeycrisp, Granny Smith or other crisp type
-dried cranberries
-nuts of your choice; walnuts, sunflower seeds, pecans or a mix (toast them if you'd like)
-shaved Parmesan, Asiago or other hard cheese
-sea salt and cracked black pepper
-complimentary salad dressing- try something based in balsamic or apple cider vinegar

*To roast butternut squash, simply cut off the rind, scoop out the seeds, and cut into cubes. Then toss in olive oil, salt and pepper to coat. Roast at 400 degrees for 30-45 minutes or until soft and just beginning to brown.

New York-Style Crumb Cake

2011-08-23T15:16:00.000-04:00

Good afternoon, earthquake survivors! Seems like everyone is a little shook up today. We didn't feel it down here in GA, but if we had, I would certainly be celebrating survival with this crumb cake.

Truthfully, I made this crumb cake about 100 million years ago and forgot to post it. I found the photos in my archive today and had to share with you. This thing was really good. I don't remember where we ate it, or with who, but I remember it tasting just like the Starbucks coffee cake (which I love!).

It would be the perfect addition to a breakfast spread, great for an afternoon coffee break or as a sweet gift for a friend or neighbor. Who wouldn't be excited if you arrived at their door with this?

Ahhh.. so good.

I think it's safe to say I'll be making another one.

New York-Style Crumb Cake
via Tracey's Culinary Adventures, from Baked Explorations by Matt Lewis & Renalto Poliafito

Crumb Topping
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted (and still warm)
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Cake
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups sour cream, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 9x13 baking pan with cooking spray. A glass pan is recommended, but metal works too - your edges may be a little more crispy if you bake in metal.

To make the crumb topping: Whisk the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt and cinnamon together in a large bowl. Add the melted butter and whisk to combine. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the flour - you'll have to use a little elbow grease to work in the final bits.

To make the cake: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, letting the first incorporate fully before adding the second. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat for an additional 30 seconds. Add the sour cream and vanilla to the mixer and beat until just incorporated. Finally, add the flour mixture in thirds, beating just until combined.

Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan. The batter will be thick - just use a spatula to spread it evenly. Pick up the crumb topping by handfuls, and break off chunks, scattering them over the top of the batter. Use all of the topping - it will be a very thick layer!

Bake for 45-55 minutes (rotating the pan at 15 minute intervals), or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Small Batch Natural Applesauce

2011-08-01T14:32:00.000-04:00

Hi muffins! I was making another batch of applesauce this afternoon and I realized that it's something I've never shared with you. I started making this applesauce when my little guy was six months old and ready to start solid food. As you can probably guess, I wasn't into buying pre-made baby food and instead, made his food myself (more on my baby food philosophy another day if anyone's interested). I have never been a big fan of chunky applesauce, sweetened applesauce or watery applesauce. My perfect applesauce is smooth, thick and naturally sweet.

My first instinct in figuring out how to make my perfect applesauce was just to cook down some apples, puree them up and see how it tasted. Maybe it was my new mother's intuition, but I got it right on the first try! All you have to do for this recipe is cook your apples with a little water and puree them. It's a perfect baby food, since it's smooth enough for the tiny ones, but has enough body for older kids and adults, too. I will definitely admit to sneaking lots of bites while baby wasn't looking.

I call this "small batch" because I think people usually don't make applesauce unless they're making a huge amount because it seems like a lot of work. In my opinion, the peeling is what takes the longest. I usually just peel the skin off with a paring knife these days instead of fooling with my dull vegetable peeler to save time. If you don't think it's worth it to make applesauce at home, I totally get it. But for me, it's become a soothing, routine activity. I'm always on the lookout at Kroger for the dollar bags of "bad" apples which sometimes don't even have bruises (love you Krog!). Then when I have enough apples in the fridge, I make up a little batch.

Maybe this isn't for you, or maybe you can stick it in your mental file (or pin it) for when you have a baby or a giant bushel of apples this fall. The natural sweetness of the apples is delicious- I think you'll find that food made with loving hands tastes much better than store bought.

Small Batch Natural Applesauce
by Oven Love

-8 large apples, any variety
-about 1/2 cup water

Wash, peel and core your apples, then cut them into small chunks. Fill a medium saucepan with the apples (don't worry about your pot being too full, they shouldn't overflow). Pour about 1/2 cup of water over the apples, or enough water to keep the apples from sticking to the pan as they cook.

Cook the apples over medium heat until very soft and beginning to fall apart, about 20-30 minutes. Scoop the apples into a food processor with a slotted spoon, being careful to drain any extra liquid. Process the apples until smooth. Pour the applesauce into two pint-size mason jars. Let cool to room temperature and then refrigerate and use as needed.

Miss Brenda's Pound Cake

2011-07-20T09:36:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite things about living in Georgia is that Southern hospitality. Shortly after we arrived in GA, we had the honor of sharing a meal at Miss Brenda's. This woman is the sweetest Southern gal you will ever meet! I just love her laughter and smiles, her love for the Lord and her zest for life.

Miss Brenda served us this delicious sour cream pound cake during our visit and I just had to have the recipe. Like I told you, she's the sweetest, so she dug it up for me and sent me home with the recipe she had copied years ago from a magazine. How lucky am I?

I know there are lots of fancy desserts out there (heck, you can find plenty here on the blog), but there's just something about a simple pound cake. I don't think this one needs any dressing up, but I know it would be great with some fresh whipped cream and fruit, or grilled up and served with ice cream.

Thank you, Miss Brenda, for your sweetness and your recipe!

Miss Brenda's Pound Cake

-originally from Southern Living Magazine, contributed by Ernestine James

1 cup butter or margarine, softened

3 cups sugar

6 large eggs

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 8-ounce carton sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract

"Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer about 2 minutes or until soft and creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating at medium speed 5 to 7 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until yellow disappears.

Combine flour and baking soda; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix at lowest speed just until blended after each addition. Stir in flavorings.

Pour batter into a greased and floured 10-inch tube pan. Bake at 325 for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 to 15 minutes; remove from pan, and let cool completely on a wire rack. Yield: one 10-inch cake."

Coming in January

2011-07-14T20:13:00.000-04:00

Have all you smart little cookies out there figured out why I haven't posted in a month?

The rumours are true- baby #2 is baking in my belly. The first tri kicked me in the butt this time around (just finished it but still feeling sick, ugh), so I'm sure you'll pardon my absence. My motivation has been at an all-time low so the ol' blog has been pretty far down on the to-do list after things like sleeping and showering and chasing a squiggly toddler.

If you've been reading this blog for any amount of time, you know that I already come and go as I please, but I just wanted to clue you in on that tidbit of personal biz. Don't expect any belly photos, unless they're done by a fabulous photographer who can figure out how to photoshop my inevitable double chin. But you can expect at least a few posts in the next few months. I've got a backlog of things I want to share, and I may or may not completely abandon the Great Food Adventure, but maybe I'll surprise us all, who can say?

To tell you the truth, I have no idea what will show up on this blog. When I'm pregnant, I crave super-healthy things one minute and processed-old-timey-childhood-junk the next. It will be an adventure for all of us!

Anyone else pregs? It seems like everyone I know in real life is.. maybe there are a few out there on the interwebs, too!

Also, anyone else notice I'm wearing the same cardigan as the rainbow cake picture? bahaha! I just love that cardi, can't get enough.

Jim Lahey's Stecca Bread

2011-06-14T10:23:00.000-04:00

I mentioned in my last post that we love great bread at our picnics. Sometimes we just tear it up and eat it in chunks with cheese and fruit and sometimes we'll do sandwiches. For some reason, great bread just makes a picnic more memorable (and obviously more delicious).

This recipe is a perfect picnic choice, whether you're tearing or sandwiching. It's from Jim Lahey's book, My Bread. (Yes, the no-knead bread Jim Lahey!) You'll have to plan ahead a little for the dough to sit, but there's little effort involved. The bread is the best on the day you make it, so plan to pop it in the oven on the morning before your picnic. My favorite thing about this bread is the coarse salt on top. I could eat it all day (which sometimes I do).

Two of our favorite sandwich pairings we've enjoyed on Stecca bread are Caprese (tomato, basil, fresh mozzarella) and Ham with Gruyere. You can put anything on these loaves, whatever you like. I'd love to hear what some of your favorite sandwich pairings are.

So, tell me. What are your favorite sandwiches? What sandwiches do you order out that you wish you could recreate at home?

Jim Lahey's Stecca Bread

from the book, My Bread: The Revolutionary No-Work, No-Knead Method

-If you want to keep the baguettes plain like I did, just skip the step of embedding the garlic, olives and cherry tomatoes.

3 cups (400 grams) bread flour
1/2 teaspoon table salt
3/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon instant or other active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups (350 grams) cool 55-65F water
additional flour for dusting
20 pieces of the any combination of following: whole garlic cloves, whole olives, halved cherry tomatoes (optional)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt or kosher salt

1. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, table salt, sugar and yeast. Add the water and, using a wooden spoon, mix until you have a wet, sticky dough, about 30 seconds. Cover the bowl and let sit at room temperature until the surface is dotted with bubbles and the dough is more than doubled in size, 10 to 18 hours (24 hours if you have a cold cold home.)

2. When the first rise is complete, generously dust a work surface with flour. Use a bowl scraper or rubber spatula to scrape the dough out of the bowl in one piece. Fold the dough over itself to her three times and gently shape it into a somewhat flattened ball. Brush the surface of the dough with some of the olive oil and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon of the coarse salt (which will gradually dissolve on the surface).

3. Grab a large bowl (large enough to hold the dough when it doubles in size. you could also use a large pot) and brush the insides of the bowl with olive oil. Gently place the dough, seam side down into the bowl. Cover bowl with a towel. Place in a warm draft free spot to rise for 1 to 2 hours. The dough is ready when it is almost doubled. If you gently poke it with your finger, it should hold the impression. If it springs back, let it rise for another 15 minutes.

4. Half an hour before the end of the second rise, pre-heat the oven to 500F, with a rack in the center. Oil a 13″ x 18″ x 1″ baking sheet.

5. Cut the dough into quarters. Gently stretch each piece evenly into a long, thin, baguette shape approximately the length of the pan. Place on the pan, leaving about 1 inch between the loaves. Embed the garlic cloves, olives or cherry tomatoes into the loaves, about five pieces per loaf. Drizzle, tab or brush olive oil on each loaf. Sprinkle sea salt or kosher salt over each loaf, remember to go light on the olive loaf since the olives are salty.

6. Bake For 15 to 25 minutes, until the crust is golden brown. Cool on a pan for five minutes, then use a spatula to transfer the baguette to a rack to cool thoroughly.

Note: The baguette may become a bit soggy in just a few hours because of the salt on the surface. If that happens, reheat the loaves in a hot oven until crisp.

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Picnic Essentials

2011-06-08T09:24:00.000-04:00

It's been a little quiet this week, but I assure you that we're all still here and no one's dead or seriously injured. Just a little family busyness going on.. pool-hopping, sweating through our clothes, family buzz cuts (not for me, i can't rock that look) and other fun time heat wave activities. Ellie has been full of the sills lately (the sillies) and it has been too cute to miss. I think we'd all agree that I should be sharing the sills with my baby first and foremost.

Anyways, summer has been in full-swing in GA for months and will not be stopping until December, by the looks of it. That means it must be at least sort of warm where you live, too, right? And warm means outdoor activities, and my favorite outdoor activity is a good old-fashioned picnic. Always has been, it's just one of my things.

Before I share some picnic perfect foods with you this month, I want to give you a little run-down of my favorite picnic goods. Maybe you've never been on a picnic before. Or maybe you've forgotten what to take. Maybe your girlfriend asked you to take her on a picnic and you googled 'picnic essentials'? Whatever the case may be, here are a few things I like to have at the ready.

First, you'll need some stylish essentials like a vintage-style cooler, eco-friendly utensils and a classic picnic blanket. (I am jonesing for a Pendelton blanket like nobody's biz!) A good cooler is key for hot days, even if it's not super stylish. A blanket is also key- you don't want bugs crawling on you/your food or your date sitting on a bunch of rocks. When it comes to plates and utensils, I love using Bambu products if I need something disposable and reusable glass containers for everything else.

(via Pinterest, here and here)

Let's talk about location. How cute are these little car picnics? I love the idea of a picnic in the back of a pick-up truck. (Husband, take note!) Really, though, you can have a picnic just about anywhere. We've done park picnics, backyard picnics, car picnics (this time i mean inside the car).. really. You can make any location work, but if you want to make it special, pick a beautiful location or an offbeat spot that you love.

(via Pinterest, here and here)

Once you've got your basic supplies and location, the key to making a picnic memorable is the ambiance. If you're doing an evening picnic, think candles, lanterns and the like. If you're going for daytime and you've got some flexibility at your location, try hanging paper lanterns, streamers, balloons or garlands. Pillows are always a great addition, and don't forget a playlist of your favorite tunes!

via Pinterest

And of course, the all important food! Can't have a picnic without good eats. I won't be sharing any recipes with you today, but I will say the following are my favorite grab and go picnic treats:

-good bread (usually baguette or fresh baked type)

-good cheese

-fruit (depending on the cheese, we usually go with grapes, apples or berries on the fly)

-veggies for snacking

-sometimes we include some meat if we want to make sandwiches

-fun fizzy drinks or a bottle of wine

-some kind of sweet treat that won't melt in the heat

One of our favorite things to do is to go on a little grocery trip (usually to a fancier grocery as a treat to ourselves) and pick up whatever looks delicious and take it away for a picnic. It's one of the simplest meals (really no preparation) and the picnic setting is perfect for good conversation. We love it for date nights at home or away and we cherish picnics with friends. We always end up with new memories.

I just love picnics. Fact.

I can't wait to share some of my favorite picnic recipes and tips with you this month.

What about you? Are you a picnic person?

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Pie Fries

2011-06-01T21:08:00.001-04:00

Wondering what you're going to do with your pie dough scraps?
Do you even have pie dough scraps?

Sometimes I do. Usually, I just throw them away, but if there's a ton left over, I'll make hand pies. After my pie dough comparison, I had a lot of extra dough and had already made hand pies, so I decided to try something new.

Pie fries are just little strips of pie dough brushed with egg or butter (you can use whatever you brushed on your pie crust) and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar. They're sweet, flaky, crunchy little treats that can easily become an addiction. Just warning you.

They would probably be extra tasty dipped in jam or chocolate sauce and would make perfect garnishes for ice cream sundaes. Simple and sweet. The instructions below are pretty loose- you can't really mess these up.

Pie Fries

by Oven Love

any amount of pie dough
melted butter or one beaten egg, for brushing
sugar
cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees (or whatever temperature your pie is baking at- feel free to bake them at the same time as your pie). Roll out your dough and cut into thin strips. Place the strips on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Brush the dough with melted butter or the egg. Sprinkle sugar and cinnamon on top (1 tablespoon sugar to 1 teaspoon cinnamon is a good ratio). Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool on a wire rack.

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Pie Crust Comparison

2011-05-30T21:37:00.000-04:00

I have been on a quest to find a great pie dough recipe for quite some time. I keep thinking that maybe if I can find a great recipe, that making pie will be more enjoyable for me. I still don't think I'm there.. but the taste testing has been pretty delicious!

I chose four recipes to test: Smitten Kitchen's All Butter Crust, Dorie's Good For Almost Everything Pie Crust, Cook's Illustrated Foolproof Pie Dough and Alton Brown's Pie Crust. I had some helpful taste testers to judge the first three (SK, D and CI) and hubs and I gave Alton's a try a few days later. Lots of thoughts to follow- let's get going.

Smitten Kitchen: I always have high hopes for SK recipes, so I was excited to try her all-butter recipe. She prefers the old-fashioned hand-mixed method, so this one had a little extra elbow grease mixed in. It came together nicely and was one of the easiest to roll out. I used this dough for SK's Sour Cherry Slab Pie, which was the favorite pie of my taste-testers. That could be because it had the highest crust to filling ratio, or because the crust was thicker. Regardless, it was the flakiest and got the most compliments.

Dorie: I was disappointed with Dorie for the first time here! This was my least favorite of all the recipes. It browned (read: burnt) too quickly in the oven and shrank back a lot during baking. It looked so promising before it went into the oven. I used Dorie's crust as the base for this Lemon Meringue Pie from Zoe Bakes. This one was quickly taken out of the running.

Cook's Illustrated: The CI recipe was the easiest to pull together and the least fussy of the four recipes. The secret ingredient here was cold vodka in place of half of the usual water. I used the CI crust for a double crusted Apple Pie- a good choice, since it was the easiest for me to roll out and work with. More testers ate the apple pie than the cherry slab pie, but they still picked the SK crust over the CI crust. I think this crust is a good choice, but not as flaky or buttery as SK.

Alton Brown: Our good man Alton has a very specific way to execute his recipes, doesn't he? For this pie crust, he called for a spray bottle to add water to the dry ingredients. I have to say that I'm not sure it made that big of a difference. I used the AB crust for most of the Cherry Berry Hand Pies (I had some extra crust from the other recipes to use up as well). It was a tasty crust, but I couldn't tell much of a difference between the CI recipe.

Lemon Meringue Pie: Dorie's crust, Zoe's filling and meringue
Cherry Slab Pie: SK's crust and filling

Brown Sugar Apple Pie (with one of my little pie birds!)
Cook's Illustrated Crust and filling from Pie

Cherry Berry Hand Pies: AB's crust with my own filling

Conclusions:
For me, I think the winner is definitely Smitten Kitchen. It was the biggest crowd pleaser. There were good points about Alton's recipe and the CI recipe, but my all-purpose pick is SK. That being said, I think there are things you can do with any pie crust recipe to get the best results.

Make sure your ingredients are COLD. That means your butter, your water, your flour, everything. This is huge.
Chill the dough in between steps. This is time consuming, but helps the texture in the end.
Only roll your dough once, if possible. All of the pie doughs were difficult to roll out after the initial roll. They became elastic and started to shrink back- that means tough crust.
Use flour liberally while you're rolling to keep dough from sticking.
Make sure steam can escape your pie, whether it's using a pie bird or just poking holes with a fork.
Have fun and take it easy! I always make pie such a big deal, but it's really not. It's fun and delicious and you should be smiling while you're making it.

I'm glad I finally dug in and did some pie research. I'm no longer afraid of the pie, but I'll still probably employ the lazy pie techniques like the galette and slab pie. It's just my way. I hope this comparison was helpful to you if you've been searching for a recipe, too.

(Special thanks to my little helper! And by helper, I mean a giant mess maker. As if I don't make enough of a mess when I bake alone.. maybe he got it from me?)

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Your Questions Answered and Swag Bag Winner

2011-05-26T09:16:00.000-04:00

Firstly..

is Megan! Congratulations!
Please send me an email at ovenloveblog@gmail.com with your mailing address and your swag will be on its way.

Secondly, I am working my tail off to find the best pie crust recipe for you! Hoping to have it figured out for you by Friday, but don't quote me.

Now on to these questions. (FYI, I loved answering these. Isn't it fun to learn about each other?)

How do you take pictures in restaurants without annoying other diners?

The tips we got this weekend about taking restaurant photos were simple: if you want better photos and less trouble, go during lunch time or between lunch and dinner. The light will be better and it's a more casual setting. If it's a high-class establishment, make sure you ask permission to take photos. Another great tip- in lieu of a tripod, prop up your camera on a glass or your purse. The steadier the camera, the better the photo in low light situations. The flash is the most annoying part of photo taking for other diners, so avoid using it if you can.

#1 thing I learned about food photography at BlogHer Food?

Use my tripod! Tripods make a huge difference in food photography because you want it as detailed as possible. I'm super lazy and the little one always wants to play with the tripod, so I don't get it out much. Guess I will have to try harder to find baby-less photo time!

What are my favorite healthy food blogs?

Healthy blogs, hmm.. I love the blog Salad Pride- it's a new salad every day, and they are always simple and scrumptious-looking. Whole Family Fare is a great one if you have babies/kids (or even if you don't). And of course, 101 Cookbooks.

Was BlogHer Food worth the money?

I think so. I loved meeting other bloggers and learning so many tips and tricks. I didn't have to pay for air fare, though, which would have made a big difference for me. I am just lucky it was in Atlanta this year- I probably wouldn't have made it there otherwise.

When will I be doing more video posts?

Good question! Whenever I can get someone to help me do them! I would love to do more..

What made me start the blog, and how much time do I spend maintaining it?

I started Oven Love in 2008. I was a jobless newlywed (ie SATWife) and didn't know what to do with my time. I was cooking and baking a lot, and I loved reading food blogs, so I threw caution to the wind and posted a leftover pasta dish. The rest is history. As far as time spent on the blog, it has varied with different seasons of life. I was able to post a lot before I had my son, then less during the moving/new baby phase of 2010, and now I seem to be picking up again. It all depends. I don't let it dictate my life. It is just a blog, after all!

What's my favorite bread recipe?

Hmm.. for sandwich bread, I always seem to come back to this King Arthur Oatmeal Bread recipe. I have changed up the ingredients multiple times and it always comes out lovely (and then promptly disappears).

What is the next recipe you should try?
You should try kale chips right now, if you haven't already! If you've tried kale chips, you should try magic oatmeal! Love them both.

Have I ever been to the Dominican Republic?
Actually, yes I have! Went on my honeymoon to Punta Cana with the hubs. Gorgeous there, but also sad to see the disparity between the resorts and the slums.

Did I come away from the conference with a new recipe to try?
Yes, actually! At the Scharffen Berger Chocolate booth, they served us a delicious little chocolate chili tart that I loved. I have the recipe- maybe I'll get to share it with you sometime soon.

When I'm browsing blogs, what's my go-to place to find every day inspiration and ideas?
My Google Reader is filled with lovely food blog inspiration every morning, but I certainly can't list those all here. After other blogs, I often search Tastespotting or Martha Stewart. I'm also finding lots of inspiration on Pinterest these days.

Where did I get that rainbow cake?
I made that rainbow cake! You can find the recipe here.

Where did I find my love of food and cooking? (Megan's question!)
I think it came from my family, but in little bits and pieces. Like watching my dad bake bread, helping my grandmother make her famous waffle cookies, finding my way around the kitchen and making giant messes on my own. It developed over time, and I came to really love it in college and after getting married.

What are my summer plans and what is the one food I hate to cook?
My summer is looking like tons of fun! We've got some traveling planned, including a fun surprise trip to celebrate my parents' 30th anniversary (don't worry, they already know we're going, they just don't know where). As for a food that I hate to cook? I can't really think of one..

Do I have a good deep chocolate frosting recipe?
I do, but it's not posted here on the blog. I started using it with Tickled Pink and now it's my go-to chocolate frosting. Email me at ovenloveblog@gmail.com for the recipe!

Thoughts on BlogHer Food and a Swag Bag Giveaway

2011-05-23T16:21:00.001-04:00

I have so much to say about this weekend!

First of all, food bloggers are great people. Every person I met was a g-e-m. I loved meeting other people who care about things like photo garnishes, the chickens living in my garage (sorry I haven't told you about that yet!) and how to take pictures in restaurants without annoying people. Amazing, right? I think we should all live together in a big blogging commune and eat tasty food all day.

Some of my lovely BlogHer pals (back row, L to R: Jaclyn of Food Plus Words, Jessica of The Novice Chef, Mandy of Home with Mandy, Jim of Comfort in Crumbs, Jess of Jessica Lynn Writes, half of my head and Erin of Erin's Food Files. front row: Tina of My Life as a Mrs., Lindsay of Love and Olive Oil, Julie of The Little Kitchen) Go visit their blogs!!

I learned roughly a million things at this conference. I have ideas out-the-waz and I can't wait to roll out some new changes here at Oven Love. I want to make it even better for you guys- easier to search, more fun to look at and even more inspiring. I'm on the job.. so much to do!

Also- you should know that Atlanta is a delicious city. My favorite eats from the weekend were Sublime Doughnuts and The Pop Shop. Here's Jess's review of Sublime Doughnuts- Droolfest, USA.

And in case you were wondering, I was thinking about you the whole weekend. I even brought you back some extra swag! Here's what's in the bag:

-Reusable bag from Saveantibiotics.org
-Metromint water
-Butterball seasoning kit
-All new Lite Pom (this isn't in stores yet, but it's so good!)
-Quaker Oatmeal Squares
-Bob's Red Mill Granola, Gluten-Free Hot Cereal and Pearl Whole Wheat Couscous
-Dole Peaches
-Assorted coupons (Stonyfield, Wasa, Barilla, etc)

To enter, all you have to do is comment below, and ask me a question! You can ask me a question about anything: my recipes, someone else's recipes, something that has nothing to do with food, the meaning of life, whatever you want. Just ask me a question and you'll be entered to win the swag bag. Contest ends Wednesday night at midnight EST.

Winner will be announced on Thursday, and I'll be answering all of your questions. Look forward to some GFA pie posts later this week!

Hi, #BlogHerFood Friends!

2011-05-21T07:25:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to post a little good morning shout out to my new friends from BlogHer Food!

Yesterday was a whirlwind of information, food and new faces. I really loved the sessions I chose (except for the SEO session, which almost made my head explode), and have had so much fun getting to know new bloggers and meeting some people who are already Oven Lovers (hi! love you!). We've also gotten a ridiculous amount of swag and got to attend a party last night hosted by Tasty Kitchen (although we missed Bakerella.. maybe she'll be around today).

I'm pumped for today's schedule- I'll be going to two photography sessions, there's an excursion to Sweet Auburn Curb Market and an awesome party planned at the Tabernacle. Can't wait to share!

BlogHer Food 2011

2011-05-19T16:11:00.000-04:00

Ya'll, things have gotten even crazier around her this week! I'm a busy little beaver.

I don't know if I ever told you, but besides being a momma and a food blogger, I have another awesome gig as a Bradley birth instructor. It's one of my favorite things in the world to do, and yesterday, I got to help a sweet baby boy come into this world med-free. I think you'd agree that baby birth days take precedence over a little bloggin'.

To continue my crazy week, I'm heading up to Atlanta for BlogHer Food tomorrow morning! I can't tell you how excited I am for it. Reasons?

1) amazing food.

2) conversations with grown-ups.

3) not having to hold a 20 pound child all day.

4) the opportunity to become a better food blogger.

5) hotel beds.

6) food trucks and farmers markets!

7) spending time with my best gal Jess.

I can't wait to come back and share all the juicy goodness that BlogHer Food will bring. Hopefully, I can do a little posting while I'm there so you can get an inside peek.

Anyone else going to BlogHer Food this weekend? I'd love to meet up if you are!

Smoky Pork Tacos

2011-05-16T13:44:00.000-04:00

Friends, we're all lucky today that I found my way out of bed and stumbled over to the computer to write this post. My house got hit with the stomach bug this weekend and it has been aw--ful. Friday, I got it. Saturday, I attempted to recover. Sunday, baby got it, then husband got it. Today, we are just trying to stay alive. I don't know about you, but I turn into a real mess when I have tummy troubles. I won't get into the details, because A) gross! B) seriously, gross. and C) I'm about to tell you about some yummy food, so I don't want you thinking about anything gross.

I have been meaning to share these yummies for a long time.. they just always get eaten up before I get a chance to take a photo. These smoky pork tacos are one of my go-to entertaining meals- everyone seems to love them, especially the guys! They are simple to prepare, you just have to sit in agony while they smell up your house with all their deliciousness. If you can handle that, you're in for a treat.

I like to serve them with different toppings every time. In the photos here, I have jicama, tomato, scallions and queso fresco. I'll often have switch these out with salsa, avocado or guacamole, red onion, cilantro, fresh limes for squeezing, sour cream... you name it, we've had it on these tacos. Whatever we have on hand works- they are versatile and tasty every time. You can't mess these up! Unless you don't cook them long enough.. that would be your only faux pas. Also- don't let them get too dry. Don't be afraid to add some water if things are looking dry.

Oh, how I wish I could have these in my tummy today! They will have to wait for happier tummies here, but please eat some for me, will you? I am drooling on my keyboard.

PS- They work with beef as well, and are just as yummy.

PPS- You can do them in the oven or the slow cooker, I've written directions for both methods below.

Smoky Pork Tacos
by Oven Love, adapted from Martha Stewart

2-3 tablespoons chopped canned chiles in adobo
1/2 cup ketchup
8 garlic cloves, chopped
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 cup water, or more
coarse salt and ground black pepper
3 lb pork roast, trimmed of excess fat
corn tortillas, for serving

To prepare in a slow cooker:
In the slow cooker, mix chiles, ketchup, garlic, oregano and water with about 2 teaspoons salt and black pepper to taste (a whisk works well for this). Cut the pork roast into 3-4 large pieces and toss with the sauce in the slow cooker. Put the slow cooker on high for 4-6 hours or low for 6-8 hours. Add more water as needed if things start to look dry. Check every once in a while- when the meat flakes easily with a fork, you're ready to move on to the next step. Remove the meat from the sauce, let cool, and pull apart with two forks, removing any extra fat along the way. Return the meat to the sauce and let the flavors meld over low heat (or on the "Keep Warm" setting), adding water if necessary. Serve hot in corn tortillas.

To prepare in the oven:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a Dutch oven, mix chiles, ketchup, garlic, oregano and water with about 2 teaspoons salt and black pepper to taste (a whisk works well for this). Cut the pork roast into 3-4 large pieces and toss with the sauce. Cover, bring to a boil on the stove, and then transfer to the oven. Bake, covered, until meat is fork-tender, about 2 1/2-3 hours. Remove the meat from the sauce, let cool, and pull apart with two forks, removing any extra fat along the way. Return the meat to the sauce and let the flavors meld over low heat, adding water if necessary. Serve hot in corn tortillas.

Blackberry Galette

2011-05-11T21:20:00.000-04:00

Did I tell you my thing about pies? Here's my thing.

I didn't used to like pies as a kid, but I do now. I love to eat them, but I don't really like to make them. (I'm more of a cake baker, remember?) I know pie dough is easy to pull together, but the part I don't like is rolling it, shaping it, pre-baking, par-baking, all that nonsense. You have to think ahead. I'm not into it, and that's why I chose pies as part of my GFA challenge.. it's not really my comfort zone.

The galette is like the lazy gal's pie. All you have to do is make the crust, roll it out haphazardly and fill it with fruit. It can be an even lazier gal's pie if you use a pre-made crust. All the tastiness of pie without the work! (Am I selling it?)

I plan on getting into some real pies here soon, but if you're scared of pie-making like me, give the galette a go. It's a great end to a summer meal, perfect with ice cream, and I'm pretty sure I'll be eating it for breakfast while most of you are reading this. Hopefully blackberries are in season for you right now- if not, bookmark or favorite or star or pin it- or whatever the kids are doing these days.

Blackberry Galette

adapted from For the Love of Cooking

2 cups fresh blackberries rinsed and patted dry

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 batch pie dough, chilled (enough for a single 9-inch crust, I used Dorie Greenspan's all-purpose recipe this time, posted here)

1 egg, beaten

coarse sugar, for sprinkling (I used turbinado)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat.

2. In a small bowl, toss blackberries with sugar and cornstarch until absorbed. Set aside while you prepare the crust.

3. Roll out your pie dough into a circle. It doesn't have to be perfect, but the dough should be about 1/2 inch thick. A helpful hint is to roll it out between two pieces of plastic wrap. Move the dough onto your baking sheet.

4. Spoon the blackberry mixture onto the pie crust. Be sure to keep the pile in the center, leaving ample room on the sides to fold the crust up- maybe 3 inches or so. Fold the crust up around the filling, pressing the crust down gently to seal it. Brush the crust with egg and sprinkle with coarse sugar.

5. Bake for 40-45 minutes until the crust is golden brown. Let cool on a wire rack for at least 10-15 minutes before serving.

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Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

2011-05-10T23:06:00.000-04:00

May is all supposed to be all about pies around here, my darlings. I'm starting out with a bit of an unconventional pie post, though, just to keep things exciting for you.. with whoopie pies!

Have you heard about whoopie pies? They kind of had a moment in the foodie world recently, and it seemed like everyone was making them. This was crazy to me! I grew up in Lancaster County, PA, the Amish capital and home of the best whoopie pies around. As a kid, no one I met outside of CenPenn knew what they were. Now they are super popular, and rightly so. They are so good!

The typical flavors for whoopie pies that I remember from home are chocolate and cream, pumpkin with cream cheese, red velvet, and chocolate peanut butter. We'd get them at bake sales or any of the good markets- Central Market in Lancaster City, Saturday's Market or Root's. Man.. I'm getting nostalgic/hungry.

The cookies are the cakey type, so if you love cookies or cake or frosting, these are for you. You really can't go wrong with the red velvet and cream cheese combo, either. There is a little effort involved if you want them to look good visually, but if you don't care what they look like, the recipe is fairly straight-forward.

I must admit to you that I have some real Amish whoopie pie recipes, but I'm saving them up for later. I liked what I saw on Annie's Eats, and I think they turned out similar to my hometown type, but they aren't quite perfect. Guess I'll just have to do some more experimentation/taste-testing..

What do you think about whoopie pies? Are you on board or already over it?

Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

via Annie's Eats

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. cocoa powder
½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1 oz. red food coloring
1 batch cream cheese frosting, recipe follows

Preheat the oven to 375˚ F.

Using something round, trace evenly spaced circles onto pieces of parchment paper sized to fit two cookie sheets. Place the parchment on the cookie sheets so that the side you have drawn on is facing down; set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and brown sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg until incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Blend in the vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, beat in about a third of the dry ingredients, followed by half of the buttermilk, beating each addition just until incorporated. Repeat so that all the buttermilk has been added and then mix in the final third of dry ingredients. Do not overbeat. Blend in the food coloring.

Transfer the batter to a pastry bag fitted with a large plain round tip. Pipe the batter onto the parchment paper using the tracings as a guide. Bake 7-9 minutes or until the tops are set, rotating the baking sheets halfway through. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets at least 10 minutes, until they can be easily transferred to a cooling rack. Repeat with any remaining batter. Allow cookies to cool completely before proceeding.

Transfer the pre-made frosting (you can make while cookies are baking/cooling) to a clean pastry bag fitted with a plain, round tip. Pair the cookies up by shape and size. Flip one cookie of each pair over so that the flat side is facing up.

Pipe frosting onto the flat-sided cookie of each pair, leaving the edges clear. Sandwich the cookies together so the flat sides are facing each other and press gently to help the filling reach the edges. To store, refrigerate in an airtight container.

Cream Cheese Frosting
by Oven Love

8oz cream cheese, softened at room temperature

5 tbs softened butter

2 tsp vanilla

2 cups powdered sugar (or more, if needed)

Beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla until smooth (no lumps!). Add sugar until you reach the desired consistency and sweetness.

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Cookbook Winners

2011-05-10T09:17:00.000-04:00

I didn't forget about last week's giveaway!

The winners of the Cooking Light cookbooks are

Jessica Lynn and Caroline.

I'll be contacting you both today. Thanks for entering!

93 Good Years

2011-05-09T19:37:00.000-04:00

There is no recipe in this post.

I hope you'll read it anyway.

On Wednesday of last week, my sweet grandmother of 93 years went to be with Jesus. Her name was Ethel, and she was a gem of a woman. She was so much of what all of us women long to be.. she had a giant heart and room for everyone inside it. No one within a hundred mile radius of Gram was left unloved.

Gram and I, July 2009

My gram lived so much life, it's hard to know where to start when you talk about her. She grew up in a small town outside of Pittsburgh. She was born here in America, but her parents were both born in (what was then) Czechoslovakia. She was a great cook and I have so many memories of her Slovak cuisine. She was also world famous (at least in our world) for her waffle cookies (similar to pizzelles). I loved watching her in the kitchen and remember telling her as a kid that I wanted to be a chef someday.

a young shot of Gram (maybe high school)

She was a natural beauty and a very classy gal. She believed in always looking your best, and was pretty particular about her hair and makeup. I loved going through all of her jewelry as a young girl and misting myself with her Chanel No. 5.

Gram as a girl/ stealing a sweet moment with my grandpa on their wedding day

She was also known for her skills on the piano. As a girl, she performed in traveling music shows with my great uncle. She had a full music scholarship to college and probably played for almost 90 years of her life. You could tell by her long, weathered fingers that she was a piano player. My favorite memories of her playing are at Christmastime- she loved getting all of us around the piano for our family singalong. It brought her such joy to have us all together.

Gram with my cousin Cait, early 90's

My gram was full of sweetness, but she was also one tough cookie. I don't know how she managed to raise five boys (wild and crazy boys, from all the stories I've heard). She took so much pride in her role as a mom, loved being a grandma and was always keeping up to date on all of our lives. That's five sons and their wives, eight grandchildren and their families, including four great grandchildren, plus all of her friends and ours.. but she was sharp as a tack and could remember it all. She could talk about anything- never lost a bit of her memory over all those years.

Her death was a peaceful one; she couldn't have planned it better herself. She was surrounded by her sons and her sisters and simply breathed her last. She fought back through a lot of illness over the years, but this time she was ready and willing to go.

Grammy, our hearts are full of so much love for you. We can never repay you for all of the sacrifices you made for us and the love and wisdom you poured into our lives. We are so pleased to have had you for as long as we did- how lucky we are! We're rejoicing now that you're in Heaven with Jesus, and reuniting with Poppy and Richie and Joe. I can't wait to see you again some day!

Corn, Crab and Tomato Salad & A Cookbook Giveaway

2011-05-02T16:25:00.000-04:00

Happy May, ladies and gents!

I want to start of the month with a little giveaway for you.. how does that sound?

The lovely folks at Cooking Light have come out with a new cookbook called Way To Cook. This cookbook isn't just your typical pretty food photography and written recipes. The book takes you through various food categories and explains basic techniques through pictures. And I have two to give away to you guys!

If you're a fan of Cooking Light Magazine and their visual technique explanations, you will love this cookbook. Each section explains a technique and then shows a few recipe examples. It's all about learning and growing as a cook. How cool is that? It's so accessible. It actually reminds me of food blogging in a way- it's like a collection of great tutorials.

I wanted to make a recipe from the book and I picked this fresh crab salad from the "way to assemble" section. If you click the picture below, you can see all of the extra nuggets of information you get in addition to the written recipe. I love that! This recipe is perfect for summer lunches, get-togethers and picnics. You can also use it for Cinco de Mayo this week, but I would change a few flavors- substitute cilantro for basil and lime juice for lemon juice- quick and easy.

The only thing I didn't like about making this recipe was the price of crab! I guess I don't buy crab very often.. but it is expensive! I cut down the amount of crab in the recipe by half and it still seemed like plenty to me. I served it over greens, but you could serve alongside a grilled sandwich or with some cool summer soup.

Looks good, right?

Would you love to win the cookbook for your shelf?

Here's what you need to do to enter:

Leave a comment with your email address answering this question:

What do you love most about reading food blogs?

Is it the photos? Creative recipes? Tutorials? Talk to me, lovies!

For extra entries:

1. Suggest to 10 Facebook friends to be fans of Oven Love or become a new fan yourself and leave another comment here.

2. Post this giveaway as your status on FB or Twitter and leave another comment here.

(This one is on the honor system- I'm trusting you guys!)

Giveaway will close Thursday, May 5 at midnight EST. Winner will be announced on Friday.

Good luck, Oven Lovers!

Corn, Crab and Tomato Salad with Lemon Dressing

adapted by Oven Love from Cooking Light's Way to Cook

1 tablespoon lemon zest (from about one large lemon)

3 tablespoons lemon juice (from about one lemon)

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon honey

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

1 cup corn kernels, fresh or thawed frozen

1/4 cup thinly chopped fresh basil leaves

1/3 cup chopped red bell pepper

2 tablespoons chopped red onion

1/2 pound (8 ounces) lump crabmeat

2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

green lettuce, for serving

1. Combine lemon zest, juice, oil, honey, mustard, salt and pepper and whisk to combine.

2. Add corn, basil, bell pepper, onion, crabmeat and tomatoes and toss to combine. Serve over green lettuce leaves.

Swiss Chard Dumplings in Chive Broth

2011-04-29T10:52:00.000-04:00

It's been quite a month over here. Lots of vegan and vegetarian recipes, some personal, vegan-related drama and some probably not veganize-able (what?) Nutella cookies. I'm closing out all of this nonsense today with a recipe that can work for all diets; carnivores, vegetarians and vegans alike.

I've made this recipe twice in the recent past. If you asked, my husband would tell you that's pretty rare around here. I like to experiment.. almost too much, sometimes. These dumplings were so good and such an excellent use of our garden chard that I had to do a repeat. They're also very popular with the little guy.

The directions look horrendous and long, but I think it's worth the effort. This would be a good weekend meal, or something to make when you have extra hands to help in the kitchen. When you bite into the dumplings, what you taste most is the bacon/pancetta. You'll never know you're getting all of those vitamins and minerals from the chard. I haven't tried making them vegetarian or vegan, but I believe they'd still taste excellent that way. Please let me know if you try it and how it works out.

This dish has a garden/fresh feel to it that I think you'll enjoy during the warmer temperatures.

And if you don't remember, May is all about pies in the Great Food Adventure! I can't wait to dig in, find the perfect crust, and share all of those luscious summer pie recipes with you. If you have any favorites from around the web, feel free to link to them in the comment section!

Swiss Chard Dumplings in Chive Broth

via Eating Well Magazine

Dumplings

1 bunch Swiss chard, leaves and stems separated
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup water
2 oz capicola, pancetta or thick-cut bacon, finely chopped (remove for a vegetarian meal)
2 cloves garlic, minced
Zest of 1 lemon
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese (remove for a vegan meal)
1/8 teaspoon salt
36 wonton wrappers

Broth

6 cups reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
2 cups water
1 cup thinly sliced fresh chives or scallion greens
8 teaspoons finely shredded Parmesan cheese (optional)

To prepare dumpling filling: Finely chop enough chard leaves to measure 3 cups; set aside. Finely chop enough chard stems to measure 1/4 cup. (Reserve any remaining leaves and/or stems for another use.)
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and the chard stems and cook, stirring often, until beginning to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add water and cook until the liquid has evaporated, 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in meat, if using, and cook until the mixture is golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes more. Stir in garlic, lemon zest and crushed red pepper (if using) and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in wine and the reserved chard leaves and cook, stirring, until the liquid has evaporated and the mixture is somewhat dry, about 5 minutes more. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and let cool for 5 minutes. Stir in ricotta (if using) and salt.
To prepare dumplings: You’ll need a clean, dry work surface, a baking sheet lightly dusted with flour and a small bowl of water. Cut the wonton wrappers in half on the diagonal. Cover them with a clean kitchen towel to prevent them from drying out. Lay 6 wrapper halves on the work surface. Spoon about 1/2 teaspoon of the filling in the middle of each. Moisten a fingertip and run it along the edges of the wrapper. Fold in half to contain the filling, forming a smaller triangle. Press the edges to seal. Pinch the 2 farthest ends together, making a tortellini-like shape. Place the dumpling on the prepared baking sheet; cover with a damp paper towel until ready to cook. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling.
To cook & serve dumplings: Bring broth and water to a lively simmer in a Dutch oven or soup pot. Stir the liquid while carefully adding half the dumplings. Cook, stirring once or twice, for 4 minutes. Remove the dumplings with a slotted spoon and divide among 4 soup bowls. Repeat with the remaining dumplings, dividing among 4 more soup bowls as they are done. Ladle about 1 cup of the broth into each bowl. Serve immediately, sprinkled with chives (or scallion greens) and Parmesan, if using.

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Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-04-28T11:29:00.000-04:00

I am a chewy chocolate chip cookie lover. There is just something excellent about biting into a soft, gooey, melty cookie. Sounds perfect already.. but add nutella, and I'll eat the whole batch.

I've been a little light on the posting lately. That's mostly because I got burnt out on all the vegan business. It took me a little time to get back into my normal routine.. I was not in the mood for any kitchen extravagance. But these were too good not to share with you!

These little gems are easy to throw together and perfect with a glass of milk. If you're a nut person, you should try throwing in some chopped hazelnuts. That might just take things over the top. They're great for crowds as well.

Ooh, and if you're hoping these are vegan, they can easily be made so with Earth Balance margarine and vegan egg substitute.. wait, is Nutella vegan? I have no idea. Forget all of that and revisit my vegan chocolate chip cookies. (Just another reason I shouldn't be a vegan.) Yikes.

Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies
via Kirbie's Cravings

2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp fine sea salt
1/2 cup melted butter
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup Nutella
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Prepare two pans with parchment papers or silpats.

In a small bowl, whisk flour, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl or your stand mixer, cream melted butter, sugar and brown sugar. Add eggs one at a time until combined. Next, add vanilla and Nutella. Stop the mixer and fold in chocolate chips.

Use a small ice cream scoop or melon baller to scoop cookie dough on to the prepared sheets. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until browning around the edges. Let cool on wire racks and eat up!

Spinach Kale and Pear Smoothie

2011-04-20T20:56:00.000-04:00

Green drink!

Are you in, loves?

My last attempt at a green smoothie wasn't exactly what I hoped for.

So, I picked myself up and found some more green inspiration.

Kale. Spinach. Pear. YUM.

This smoothie looks very green, but you don't actually taste any of the green stuff. All I really tasted was the pear and banana- how crazy is that? This drink is packed with some serious nutrition and is the most beautiful green color. If you can get past the idea of drinking vegetables, you should give this one a try.

And, believe it or not, my spunky little one-year-old could not get enough of this smoothie. He literally drank six ounces without breaking a sweat. I'm pretty sure he's the only baby on the block drinking kale smoothies.. maybe I should ask around?

Look at that little baby hand reaching up for his smoothie!

Adorable.

Try the green drink!

Spinach Kale and Pear Smoothie
only slightly adapted from Joy the Baker

1 cup packed spinach
1 cup chopped, packed kale
1 1/2 cups milk (dairy or non-dairy, you could sub fruit juice as well)
1/2 pear
1 frozen banana
1 tablespoon agave nectar (or honey)

In a blender, combine kale spinach and almond milk. Blend until no big kale bits remain. Stop blender and add banana honey and pear. Blend until smooth. Enjoy immediately.

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Vegan CocoNana Mini Muffins

2011-04-18T13:49:00.000-04:00

Even though I'm not living the vegan lifestyle anymore, I'm still finding ways to enjoy vegan recipes in my diet. I saw this recipe this morning on Miss Mary's blog and I had to jump right in and make them! They looked delicious and simple, and they were.

The name CocoNana refers to the coconut milk, cocoa and banana in the recipe(the title of the original post was way too long and boring). I made just a few changes to Mary's recipe- I used white whole wheat flour, added chocolate chips and upped the cinnamon a good bit. I also loved the idea of baking these as minis. They are a perfect small bite for the kids and you can easily pass them off as dessert.

The best thing about this vegan recipe is that you don't have to use any strange, unfamiliar ingredients. You might have everything in your pantry (or an easy substitute). Thanks, Mary, for the excellent idea!

Vegan CocoNana Mini Muffins
by Oven Love, adapted from The Food Librarian and Love&Olive Oil
-makes about 32 mini muffins

1/2 cup ripe banana (about 1 banana)
1/2 cup coconut milk (feel free to sub another milk if you like, dairy or non-dairy)
1/3 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup white whole wheat flour (use all-purpose if you don't have this on hand)
1/3 cup cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line mini muffin tins with mini muffin cups.

In a small bowl, mash the banana. Whisk in coconut milk, canola oil, vanilla and sugar. In a larger bowl, sift in white whole wheat flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.

Make a well in the dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients in the center and mix with a spatula until just combined- don't overmix! Quickly fold in the chocolate chips. Use a small ice cream scoop/melon baller to fill the mini muffin cups. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool on wire racks and serve.

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Part-Time Vegan, Day 5

2011-04-14T21:40:00.000-04:00

Day 5 has just replaced Day 14 as the last day of this challenge.

Confused?

Let me tell you why I'm ending my vegan challenge early.

I know I've only been doing the vegan thing for a few days, but in the past 2-3 days I've noticed a change in Elliott's eating habits that I'm not satisfied with. I didn't subject him to the vegan diet this week with his table food- he was fed plenty of yogurt, eggs and cheese- but he is still consuming most of his calories from me (i.e. we're still nursing).

E has been waking up hungry during the night and seems almost insatiable in his daytime feedings. I didn't put it together until today that it is most likely the result of my diet. I'd love to keep this vegan challenge going, but it's clearly affecting my son in a negative way. I feel blessed to have put the pieces together early on and not let it go on for two whole weeks.

So, for the rest of the month, I'll continue to work in vegan/vegetarian dishes on the blog, but I won't be a full-time vegan (or vegetarian for that matter). I knew going into the challenge that this could not be a way of life for me, but this solidifies things even more. The health of my family is taking priority here, even though I'm a little bummed that I won't reach the finish line.

Don't get me wrong, though! I appreciate produce-heavy cooking and produce-heavy diets and we'll continue to eat that way. I also congratulate all you vegans out there for your commitment to your lifestyle- it's really amazing to be that disciplined.

And lastly- thank you to everyone for the support, encouragement, recipes and advice!

I really loved hearing from all of you.

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Part-Time Vegan, Day 4

2011-04-13T19:31:00.002-04:00

I ate too many cookies today.

'Cause, you know.. sugar's vegan. (Woo hoo!)

Breakfast was a peanut butter banana wrap with almond milk.

Lunch was the salad bar at Lane's.

Snack was (too many!!) vegan chocolate chip cookies.

Dinner was leftover pasta.

Let me just tell you about this banana wrap. I make this for breakfast ALL. THE. TIME. It's my go-to, seriously. Thank goodness I can still eat it! I usually use honey, but I can handle the small switch to agave nectar. So, so easy and quick- a great snack, and a hit with the little ones.

And these chocolate chip cookies? Hold the phone. I didn't know butter-less, egg-less cookies could be so yummy! They remind me of my pumpkin chocolate chip giants without the pumpkin. Where have these been all my life? Someone restrain me.

Things I learned today:

Vegan baking can be pretty awesome.

I need more nutrients (even with all my vitamins above, haha).. I'm tired! But that could also be all the running around after my baby, who knows.
The vegan trial is really making me think about what I'm putting in my mouth. If I'm not sure, I won't eat it, but if I'm sure, I might overdo it (seriously, someone hide the cookies). I should really apply the discernment to my normal diet.

Recipes below..

Peanut Butter Banana Wrap

by Oven Love

1 soft whole wheat tortilla

1 banana, peeled

1-2 tablespoons peanut butter

1-2 teaspoons honey or agave nectar

2-4 tablespoons granola or other crunchy cereal

-also feel free to switch it up, adding dried fruit and nuts is a good option, too!

Spread your peanut butter on your wrap, sprinkle with honey or agave nectar, granola and any extras. Wrap it up and enjoy!

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

by Oven Love, adapted from Steph Chows
makes around 2 dozen cookies

1/3 cup sugar (I used organic)

1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup canola oil

1/4 cup apple butter (apple sauce would probably work, too)
1/2 cup almond milk (or non dairy milk of your choice... or use milk, they just wont be vegan anymore)
2 Tbs cornstarch
2 tsp vanilla

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup white whole wheat flour (or regular whole wheat flour)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Mix sugars and oil for a minute, then add in milk and tapioca flour, beat until all incorporated. Add half the flour baking soda, salt and mix well. Add in remaining dry and then fold in chocolate chips.

Drop rounded tablespoonfulls of dough onto parchment paper or a silicon baking mat, press down slightly with your fingers. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

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Part-Time Vegan, Day 3

2011-04-12T22:28:00.000-04:00

Today didn't start out as hungry as yesterday.

Maybe I'm starting to get used to it.. maybe?

Breakfast was an avocado smoothie and jelly toast.

Snack was wheat crackers and a strawberry popsicle.

Lunch was asparagus soup and a slice of leftover tart.

Dinner was chickpea saute with onions and kale, served over rice.

I have to tell you, I was so excited for the avocado smoothie! People have really talked it up. I don't know if it was just this recipe, but I really wasn't a fan. At first I just didn't like it at room temp, but I didn't like it cold either. The flavor combo just wasn't for me. Boo for a wasted avocado!

On a good note, I really liked lunch and dinner. Both were quick. Lunch was quick because I roasted extra asparagus while I was cooking the tart from last night, and dinner was just quick by nature. I love a veggie saute and this one hit the spot!

Things I learned today:

Beans make all the difference in a meal- praises for God's genius, protein-packed creation.

I need to plan better snacks.. I keep eating carbs! Maybe fruit and PB tomorrow.

I still feel like something is missing in my diet.. maybe that will wear off, maybe not.

Enjoy the day's recipes!

Avocado Smoothie

Whole Family Fare

1 avocado

1 banana

1 kiwi

1 cup almond milk (or milk of your choice)

agave nectar or honey to taste

Begin by cutting into the avocado and scooping out the flesh. In the pitcher of a blender, place the avocado, banana, kiwi (peeled), 2 teaspoons of honey or agave and about 1 cup of almond milk, to start. Blend it up, adding a little more almond milk until your desired consistency is reached (I like mine super thick). Divide between two glasses, and serve.

(serves 2.)

Lemony Roast Asparagus Soup

adapted from A Foodcentric Life

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, chopped

1 pound previously roasted asparagus, a few tips reserved for garnish, the rest roughly chopped

1 cup vegetable broth

salt and pepper to taste

juice of 1/2 lemon, or more (to taste)

Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and saute until translucent. Add garlic and cook a minute longer. Add the asparagus and broth and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper. Puree with a stick blender or in a stationary blender. When pureed smooth, add lemon juice and puree once more. Taste and season to your preference, adding more broth if you like your soup smoother (or cream, for a non-vegan option).

Chickpea Saute with Onions and Kale
by Oven Love, inspired by Ezra Pound Cake
serves 4

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 onions, thinly sliced
1-2 teaspoons sugar
1 bunch kale, chopped
1/4 cup raisins
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
water, as needed
salt and pepper to tase

In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium. Add onions and cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Add sugar. Cook, stirring, another 10 minutes or until the onions begin to carmelize and turn golden brown. Add kale and raisins, cooking until kale wilts, 3-5 minutes. Add chickpeas and warm through. Add water at any time if the vegetables being to stick. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately- alone or over a bed of pasta, rice, or even crusty bread.

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Part-Time Vegan, Day 2

2011-04-11T19:37:00.000-04:00

Today, I was hungry.

My body was cool with the veganism yesterday, but today, it was not so accommodating.

Breakfast was leftover carrot cake pancakes and almond milk.

Morning snacks were graham crackers and a Larabar (on sale for 50 cents at Targ!).

Lunch was leftover pasta from last night and a pear.

Afternoon snack was half of a whole wheat bagel with jam, and then more grahams.

Dinner was asparagus tart with white bean pesto, green salad and some wine.

It seemed like I just couldn't stay full today.

Maybe my body is just adjusting.

The leftovers reheated better than I expected and I still liked them the second time. The graham crackers aren't exactly the way I'd like them, but they are a saving grace when hunger strikes. Dinner was surprisingly quick to pull together and was something I would have made anyway. Husband was feeling much better about things after today's meal, thank goodness!

Oh, and my baby boy is loving all of the vegan food. Hubs is calling him "The Littlest Vegan."

Today I learned:

I'm eating a lot of carbs. I really need my protein. I can't seem to stay full without it.

This experiment is taking up a lot of mental energy.

I'm still hungry..

Until tomorrow!

Vegan Graham Crackers

Vegan Yum Yum

Makes at least 24 3×3″ Crackers
2 1/2 Cups Graham Flour or Stoneground Flour or Whole Wheat Flour
1 Cup All Purpose Flour
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 Cup Earth Balance Margarine
1/4 Cup Dark Brown Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/4 Cup Agave Nectar (or a little more sugar mixed with water)
3/4 Cup Water

Mix the all the dry ingredients together. Cream together Earth Balance and sugar. Add vanilla and agave and beat with a whisk until smooth. Add a little of the flour and a little of the water to the earth balance/sugar mixture and combine. Continue adding in flour and water, a little at a time, until all flour and water is added. Work the dough with your hands until everything is evenly combined.
Divide dough in half and cover. Let rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
Preheat oven to 325º F. Roll out the dough into a rectangle that measures approximately 11″x15″. Trim edges. Using a knife or a pizza cutter, cut the dough into squares or rectangles (I cut mine into 3′x3′ squares). Prick the squares with a fork.

Bake for 30-40 minutes at 325 F or until the crackers are turning golden brown around the edges. You can sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on top of the crackers during the last 10 minutes of baking if you like.

Asparagus Tart with White Bean Pesto
Vegan Yum Yum
Serves 6-8
1 15 oz Can Navy Beans
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 Heaping Cup Raw Cashews
1 tsp Dijon Mustard
1 Tbs Amore Pesto Paste
2 tsp Fresh Lemon Juice
2 Tbs Soy or Rice Milk, or water **I did not include this, my mixture was already smooth enough**
1 lb Fresh Asparagus
1 Puff Pastry Sheet (Pepperidge Farm is surprisingly vegan!)
Salt, Pepper, Olive Oil

Remove 1 puff pastry sheet from the freezer and let it defrost on the counter for 40 minutes on top of parchment paper. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400º F and make the filling.

Drain and rinse the beans, and add them to the work bowl of a food processor. Add of the remaining ingredients except the soymilk (salt through lemon juice). Pulse the food processor, stopping ever few pulses to scrape down the sides and pulse again. You want to break up the beans and the cashews. Once it’s as smooth as you can get it, dribble in the soymilk while the machine is running, as this should help further smooth the mixture.

After 40 minutes of defrosting, carefully unwrap the puff pastry on top of your parchment paper:

Roll the puff pastry out slightly into a rectangle. Then add the white bean pesto mixture, leaving a 1 to 1 1/2 inch border on all sides:

Trim your asparagus so that it fits the tart width-wise. Press the spears into the white bean pesto, alternating their direction so that there are tips and bases next to each other; this one everyone is guaranteed every part of the asparagus after cutting:

Brush the spears with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper:

Using the parchment paper, slide the tart onto a baking sheet (don’t remove the tart from the paper). Bake at 400ºF for 25-30 minutes until the tart is puffed and golden brown and the spears are tender. Serve while just warm.

You can reheat this tart in the oven for a few minutes if you have leftovers, but it’s also good at room temperature. Fresh basil is a nice garnish.

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Part-Time Vegan, Day 1

2011-04-10T20:37:00.000-04:00

Well, my first vegan day has proved to be interesting.

Here's what I ate today:

Breakfast was carrot cake pancakes.

Lunch was a tomato and avocado sandwich with crackers, carrots and fruit.

Snack was whole wheat bread with homemade jelly.

Dinner was faux alfredo with broccoli.

Snack was homemade graham crackers and some almond milk.

Day one hasn't been so bad. Breakfast was easy- the pancakes were just a little different in texture than normal pancakes. Lunch was typical- something I'd eat normally. I had to snack in the afternoon because I just wasn't full from lunch, even though it seemed like I ate a lot. The baby and I were the only ones who thought dinner was good- hubs was not a fan. Looks like I'll be eating lots of leftovers this week.. so heads up about the not-so-interesting lunches in my future.

Things I learned today?

It takes a lot of planning to be vegan.

Doing a vegan experiment might annoy your non-vegan spouse.

It might be better not to "vegan-ize" familiar favorites. Instead, I'll stick to making good stuff that just happens to be vegan.

I might regret this experiment.

I'm not quitting, though!

(Mostly because I already bought the groceries.)

Recipes for the pancakes and the alfredo sauce below!

Carrot Cake Pancakes

Post Punk Kitchen

2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds
1 cup almond milk (or your fave non-dairy milk)
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1 cup peeled grated carrot, about 6 ounce (try to get the smallest pieces you can so they cook fast)

In a small mixing bowl, using a fork, beat the flax seeds together with the milk for about a minute. Add the vinegar, water, maple syrup, oil and vanilla. Mix well.

In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and spices. Make a well in the center and add the wet ingredients. Mix with a wooden spoon just until combined. Fold in grated carrot. Let batter rest for at least 5 minutes.

Preheat a large non-stick pan over medium heat. Lightly coat pan with cooking spray or oil. Add batter in scant 1/4 cup scoops. I use an ice cream scooper for this and it works magically. Cook three at a time for about 4 minutes (or until the tops look mostly cooked), then flip and cook until lightly browned, 2 more minutes.

Keep on a plate covered with tin foil until ready to eat. Serve with pure maple syrup.

Hurry Up Alfredo
Vegan Yum Yum
Makes anywhere from 2-8 servings, depending on how much sauce you like!

1 Cup Soymilk (I used plain almond milk)
1/3 Cup Raw, Unsalted Cashews
1/4 Cup Nutritional Yeast (you should be able to find this in the organic/natural section)
3 Tbs Low-Sodium Tamari or Soy Sauce
2 Tbs Earth Balance Margarine
1 Tbs Tahini
1 Tbs Fresh Lemon Juice
2 tsp Dijon Mustard
1/2 tsp Paprika (smoked is awesome)
1 Pinch Nutmeg
2-4 Cloves of Garlic, optional
Black pepper, to taste

Add all the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Just blend extra-long, or perhaps strain if if you want it perfectly smooth.

If you’re making this sauce for pasta, drain the pasta and return it to the hot empty pan. Pour the sauce over, place on medium heat, and stir until heated through. Serve with lots of fresh cracked black pepper. I love it with steamed broccoli added in!

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Farfalle con Broccoli

2011-04-07T22:28:00.000-04:00

Before I dip into the vegan recipes, let's warm up with something vegetarian.

Let's keep the cheese and cream for just a little while longer, shall we?

This dish feels like something you would make if you lived in Italy, went to market, saw a beautiful head of broccoli and just came home and put dinner together on a whim. It's a picture of simple Italian-style cooking. If only every dish was this easy.

Preparation here is low-maintenance. The pasta and broccoli are cooked in the same pot and the sauce comes together quickly in the meantime. All you have to do next is toss the pasta with the sauce and add your cheese and you've got a lovely dish. It's also an easy introduction to vegetarian cooking. The recipe calls for a little anchovy paste (don't freak out- it's not gross, it just adds a salty flavor), but that can be replaced with a little extra salt to make the dish truly vegetarian. Most kids will go for it, too (you don't have to tell them about the anchovy).

If you're cooking for a pickier/non-veg crowd (little ones or men used to eating more meat), you can easily add a little grilled chicken or some crisp bacon to the dish.

While you give this one a try, I'll be busy daydreaming about Jess making me this dish when I come to visit her in Italy..

Farfalle con Broccoli
adapted from The Geometry of Pasta, via Suzie the Foodie

1/3 lb farfalle (bowtie) pasta
1 head broccoli, cut into florets
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons olive oil
3/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 salted anchovy filets or anchovy paste (omit if necessary and add a little extra salt to compensate)
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
fresh cracked black pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add pasta and broccoli florets and boil until al dente (it should still have a little bite to it). Meanwhile, fry the garlic in olive oil until fragrant. Turn off the heat and add red pepper flakes to the garlic oil.

Crush the anchovies with a little oil to make a paste (or use a bit of anchovy paste per your taste). When the garlic oil stops sizzling, add the anchovies and mix with a wooden spoon. Mix in the cream and return it to the heat. Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce.

Cook together until the sauce thickens. Add the parmesan and some freshly ground black pepper. If the sauce gets too thick and sticky, add some pasta water.

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It's about to get meatless up in here.

2011-04-04T20:39:00.000-04:00

April is here, lovies!

I'm excited. I'm a little scared, too.

Because for two weeks out of this month, I'll be going vegan.

What the what?

(balsamic glazed asparagus)

Yes, I'm a little confused about it myself. But I want to do it! So I'm going to. And you guys get to read all about it, milk/egg/cheese/bacon withdrawal and all. Reasons why?

I want to know if it will make me feel any different, health-wise. Will I feel better? Will I feel tired? Will I feel hungry? I wanna know.
I want to know if I can come up with enough things to eat without getting bored. I know there are a lot of vegan recipes out there these days- tons. But personally, I don't want to overeat soy products (I'll be sharing my thoughts on this with you soon), and many vegan recipes are full of soy, soy and more soy. So can I find enough meals I like that fulfill the vegan requirements without ODing on soy? We shall see.
I just want to see if I can stick with it. Just for funsies.
I want to know if I can sustain enough protein, especially without a lot of soy. Protein is of major (MAJOR) importance to pregnant and nursing women. I'm currently nursing, so I can't continue a diet that is low in protein while I'm responsible for my baby's nutrition as well.

(curry roasted cauliflower)

I can tell you all right now with almost complete certainty that I won't become a vegan for good. Reasons why?

I like meat, dairy and eggs. And honey! Per the Bible, I believe meat and animal products are meant to be eaten and enjoyed by humans. That being said, I definitely don't agree with or support what's going on in the meat industry in this country. But I do think you can find responsible places to buy your products with a little effort.
I like meat in moderation. I think meat is delish, but I don't think we need to eat it three meals a day. That's overkill in our house. We buy meat from responsible vendors (grass-fed, organic, you know the deal) and go easy on it. We can get a little crazy with the milk, eggs and cheese, but we do our best to buy local/organic there as well.
I have a husband and a family. What can I say, the boys like their protein! Maintaining a vegan lifestyle and being responsible for feeding a husband and child simply won't work for me. I don't think it's responsible for their sustained nutrition.

I'll be sharing vegetarian and vegan recipes with you throughout the month and journaling my vegan experience for all to see. I hope I don't get too cranky. Wish me luck!

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Perfect Brunch Menus

2011-03-31T07:16:00.000-04:00

Brunch month has really been my favorite so far, lovies. Here's why:

I feel like I could host a brunch every day with all the ideas still in my head.
I'm up to my eyeballs in Omega-3s from all the eggs I've been downing.
Brunch is really just an excuse to eat dessert for breakfast, let's be real.

I've loved every minute!

Brunch food is great, but sometimes it's hard to put together a full brunch menu. Today, I've put together a few different brunch ideas to make it as easy as possible for you to execute brunch at home. I hope you've enjoyed the month as much as I have!

Make Ahead Brunch for a Crowd

Hearty Breakfast Casserole
Banana Muffins
Mixed berries and yogurt (premade parfaits or in big, family-style bowls)
Assorted fruit juices

Springtime Brunch Spread

(great for Easter or Mother's Day)

Asparagus Gruyere Tart
Mini Frittatas
Strawberry Coffee Cake (via Joy the Baker)
Meyer Lemon Sticky Rolls (via Tracey's Culinary Adventures)

Assorted sliced citrus

Brunch in Bed

Ham and Egg Crepe Squares
Tea Time Muffins
Bellini Mimosas (via Delish)

Fun and Funky Brunch

Sweet & Savory French Toast BLT
Cinnamon Sugar Baked Doughnuts
Homemade Strawberry Milk (via The Kitchn)

Brunch Braid Duo

Easy Breakfast Braid (via Gimme Some Oven)
Classic Cheese Danish

Fresh red and green grapes

Chilly Day Brunch

Winter Quiche
Maple Syrup Scones
Cinnamon Walnut Bundt

Hot chocolate or cider

Pressed for Time Brunch

Spinach Cheddar Strata with Crispy Breakfast Ham
Quick and Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits
Easy Cinnamon Buns (via Hungry Rabbit)

Whatever fruit or juice you've got in the fridge :)

It's good to always have coffee, tea and milk on hand for your brunch crowd, as well.

And good butter and good jam and good jokes.

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Next up in the Great Food Adventure is a month of Vegetarian and Vegan recipes. I plan to go vegan for two weeks sometime during the month, so I hope I don't get too cranky. If you have any favorite veg/vegan blogs or recipes, please share! This will be new territory for me!

Cinnamon Sugar Baked Doughnuts

2011-03-30T07:25:00.000-04:00

Back in January, when I started this whole great adventure, I promised you doughnuts during Brunch Month. It took me all month, but I can finally deliver!

Here's my deal with doughnuts. I usually don't eat them. I don't work in an office these days, and I don't make a habit of driving through Krispy Kreme (only once in my life while I was pregnant, don't tell!). They just aren't my usual breakfast fare. But I still think they're a fantastic treat.

Here's my other deal. Why are they always fried? Come on, America. Let's get it together.
I decided to search for a good looking baked doughnut recipe that didn't require a doughnut pan (like lots of baked doughnut recipes out there do).
I think this one is just perfect.

And also- how good are doughnut holes? I think they're my favorite (higher cinnamon sugar to doughnut ratio). I ate about a million.

Try not to overbake these little yummies. You don't want the insides to be dry, okay?

And try to make them to order if you can. I had a group of my girlfriends over to taste test for me (thanks, girls!), and I made sure to plan ahead so they were ready to pop in the oven upon their arrival. You just need about two hours ahead of time for the rising (so if brunch is at 10, start them at 8).

I think you'll find that these are just as tasty as those Krispy Kremes (in their own way).
Did I mention there's white whole wheat flour in these babies?
You have my permission to call them healthy. Go get your brunch on!

Cinnamon Sugar Baked Doughnuts

only slightly adapted from 101 Cookbooks

1 1/3 cups warm milk, 95 to 105 degrees (divided)
1 packet active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
2 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
5 cups flour (I used 3 cups all-purpose flour, 2 cups white whole wheat flour)
A pinch or two of nutmeg, freshly grated
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Place 1/3 cup of the warm milk in the bowl of an electric mixer. Stir in the yeast and set aside for five minutes or so. Be sure your milk isn't too hot or it will kill the yeast. Stir the butter and sugar into the remaining cup of warm milk and add it to the yeast mixture. With a fork, stir in the eggs, flour, nutmeg, and salt - just until the flour is incorporated. With the dough hook attachment of your mixer beat the dough for a few minutes at medium speed. This is where you are going to need to make adjustments - if your dough is overly sticky, add flour a few tablespoons at a time. Too dry? Add more milk a bit at a time. You want the dough to pull away from the sides of the mixing bowl and eventually become supple and smooth. Turn it out onto a floured counter-top, knead a few times (the dough should be barely sticky), and shape into a ball.

Transfer the dough to a buttered (or oiled) bowl, cover, put in a warm place (I turn on the oven at this point and set the bowl on top), and let rise for an hour or until the dough has roughly doubled in size.

Punch down the dough and roll it out 1/2-inch thick on your floured countertop. Most people (like myself) don't have a doughnut cutter, instead I use a 2-3 inch cookie cutter to stamp out circles. Transfer the circles to a parchment-lined baking sheet and stamp out the smaller inner circles using a smaller cutter. If you cut the inner holes out any earlier, they become distorted when you attempt to move them. Cover with a clean cloth and let rise for another 45 minutes.

Bake in a 375 degree oven until the bottoms are just golden, 8 to 10 minutes - start checking around 8. While the doughnuts are baking, place the butter in a medium bowl. Place the sugar and cinnamon in a separate bowl.

Remove the doughnuts from the oven and let cool for just a minute or two. Dip each one in the melted butter and a quick toss in the sugar bowl. Eat immediately if not sooner.

Makes 1 1/2 - 2 dozen medium doughnuts.

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Maple Syrup Scones

2011-03-29T09:58:00.000-04:00

I have two sweet treats to end up our month of brunching- Maple Sugar Scones today and Cinnamon Sugar Baked Doughnuts tomorrow. Perfect brunch fare, and both inspired by Heidi at 101 Cookbooks. She and I are totally on the same wavelength!

I've made maple pecan scones before, which were great, but I was looking for something a little healthier this time. The original scones were made with white flour, white sugar and maple extract. These are made with whole wheat pastry flour and pure maple syrup as the only sweetener.

Honestly, I didn't miss the white flour or the white sugar. I loved the taste of the real maple sugar and the crunch of that natural turbinado sugar on top. These are perfect with a little sweet cream butter spread on top while they're still warm. These would work for a nice ladies' lunch, snack or tea time, too. Yum, yum, yum.

These went very quickly in our house. If you have more than two people, I would suggest doubling the recipe. You can also make an extra batch, shape them, freeze them (before you add the egg wash and sugar) and then pop them in the oven straight from the freezer if you really want scones in a hurry.

So good!

Maple Syrup Scones

only slightly adapted from 101 Cookbooks

1/4 cup real, good quality maple syrup
6 tablespoons milk or cream (I used half milk and half cream)
2 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour (sub all-purpose or half white/half wheat if you can't find it)
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine grain salt
11 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes
1 egg, lightly beaten
large-grain sugar (for example: turbinado) for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 400F degrees, rack in the top 1/3. Line one baking sheet with parchment paper.
Whisk together the maple syrup and milk in a small cup, and set aside. Combine the flour, oats, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl. Using a food processor, cut the butter into the flour mixture, pulsing until it resembles little pebbles in a beach of sandy flour (about 20 quick pulses). You can also cut the butter into the flour using a knife and fork, or smushing it through your thumb and fingertips. Now add the maple syrup milk. Pulse (or mix) until the dough just comes together - don't over mix. If the batter is too dry add more cream a bit at a time -you want it to hold together w/o being crumbly.

Turn out onto a floured surface, kneed once or twice, just enough to bring the dough together. Now arrange the dough into a 1-inch thick rectangle. Trim the edges and slice the dough into nine equal-sized squares. Arrange the scones next to one another on the prepared baking sheet - 1/4-inch distance between each of them. Brush generously with the egg wash and sprinkle with the large-grain sugar. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden along the bottom and tops.

Makes 9 scones.

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Ham and Egg Crepe Squares

2011-03-28T09:51:00.001-04:00

These crepes have been on my mind for weeks. I am so glad I finally made them!

I've never made crepes before, just never got around to it. I thought they were hard to make.

I should have just listened to Ricky Bobby.. (am I really quoting Talladega Nights?)

"They're like really thin pancakes."

He's right, though, they are. Just a thin pancake batter, swirled around your frying pan and quickly cooked. Then, line them with ham, crack an egg, fold up the edges and bake until the egg is set.

They're so pretty.. I just stared at them for a while.

Then I got my head on straight and dug in- simple, but delicious.

Fun fact: we bought at least 10+ dozens of eggs during brunch month. ha!

Subsequent fun fact: we are getting chickens next week. stay tuned.

Ham and Egg Crepe Squares
adapted from Everyday Food via Framed Cooks

For the crepes:
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups milk
4 eggs
3 tablespoons butter, plus more for cooking

For the filling:
9 thin slices ham
9 eggs
chopped parsley

1. Combine flours, sugar, salt, milk, four eggs and the melted butter in a blender and blend on high for 30 seconds. Let rest for 15 minutes.

2. Heat a 10-12 inch non-stick skillet over medium heat and lightly coat with butter. Add 1/3 cup batter and swirl to completely cover skillet. Cook until underside of crepe is very lightly starting to brown, about 2 minutes.

3. Loosen edge of crepe with spatula and then either using large spatula or your fingers, lift it up and flip it over. Cook another minutes and then slide out of skillet onto a plate. Repeat until all crepes are done. You should have about 9 when you are done.

4. Preheat oven to 350. Place crepes on a rimmed baking sheet (you can fit 3-4 per sheet). Place am slice in center of crepe and carefully crack egg onto ham. Fold edges of crepe toward center, using the egg white as a kind of glue. Season with salt and pepper and bake until egg white is set, about 10-12 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve at once.

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Sweet & Savory French Toast BLT

2011-03-24T20:57:00.000-04:00

I have a dream.

That dream is to one day work for Everyday Food. How do they come up with great ideas like a French Toast BLT? It's like they're reading my mind.

Please, someone from Everyday Food, hire me! I will work for free (food).

How genius is a French Toast BLT? I used to think BLTs were the worst menu choice of all time (mayo, ugh), but I have since changed my tune. We actually eat a lot of BLTs around here, thanks to the grass-fed half hog we have in the freezer. Eating good bacon is a full-time job, people (until I work for EDF).

So you'd think that the french toast is the sweet and the bacon is the savory, right? Wrong. It's a trick! The french toast has a savory coating with fresh parsley and that glossy bacon you're drooling at is candied with brown sugar. This BLT will blow your mind, I'm sure of it.

I have about a million more brunch ideas but so little time to squeeze them in! I told hubs today that we will be eating a brunch dish for every meal for the next week, and since he's the best husband in the world, he has no qualms. And FYI- I am determined to make donuts before the month is out, so buckle up, lovies. More brunch on the way!

Sweet & Savory French Toast BLT
by Oven Love, inspired by Everyday Food (May 2010)
serves 4

8 slices thick cut bacon
1/4 cup brown sugar (you might not use it all)
4 slices thick cut crusty bread (have an extra slice or two on hand if you want to soak up the extra)
4 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup cream
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
salt, pepper and fresh nutmeg to taste
1-2 tablespoons butter
4 large lettuce leaves (or however much lettuce you're into)
8 tomato slices

Preheat the oven to 375. Place bacon on a rimmed baking sheet and sprinkle with brown sugar. Cook until golden, about 15 minutes, rotating half-way through.

Meanwhile, in a large, shallow baking dish, whisk eggs, cream and parsley. Add salt, pepper and freshly grated nutmeg to taste. Lay bread in a single layer in the egg mixture and soak 3-5 minutes, flipping the slices to fully coat.

Heat a large skillet over medium and add butter. When butter begins to sizzle, add bread and cook until golden and crisp at the edges, about 3 minutes per side.

To serve, layer lettuce, tomato and bacon on each slice of toast and sprinkle with extra parsley.

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Spinach Cheddar Strata with Crispy Breakfast Ham

2011-03-23T08:57:00.000-04:00

Now that all that first birthday biz is behind us, I can focus back on March's original task- bringing you delicious brunch inspiration. Aren't you loving spring already? We absolutely are. We've already got some produce growing in the yard.. the green is beautiful!

If you've never heard of a strata, it's a layered casserole dish, usually with bread, eggs and cheese. (Yes, please.) These little personal stratas have the extra health factor of spinach, because we all need a little extra folic acid, vitamins A slash B slash C, calcium, magnesium- I could go on, but you get me. An excellent choice for vegetarians (sorry vegans, still love you) as well.

If you kinda love meat, though, which I definitely kinda do, you should make some crispy breakfast ham as well. Salty, crispy goodness. And wait- I just had a flash of genius- next time we'll all drizzle a little maple syrup on the ham before broiling. Brunch of champions!

Tasty and good for you! Don't get me started on the health benefits of eggs, we'll be here all day.

PS- We actually ate this for dinner, not brunch. I love meals that work at any time of day.

Brinner is our fave. Who else does brinner out there?

Spinach Cheddar Strata
by Oven Love, only slightly adapted from Everyday Food (May 2010)
-serves 4

1 teaspoon olive oil
10 oz fresh spinach
3 cups day-old bread cubes (1 inch)
5 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup milk (preferably whole)
4 oz grated sharp (or extra sharp!) white cheddar
whole nutmeg, for fresh grating
coarse salt and ground pepper

Preheat oven to 400.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add spinach and stir constantly until wilted. Press into a colander to remove as much liquid from the spinach as possible. Divide bread and spinach in four 8 oz ramekins or an 8 inch square baking dish.

In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, milk, and half of the cheese. Season with salt, pepper and freshly grated nutmeg to taste (a little nutmeg goes a long way- just a few passes over the grater will be fine). Divide egg mixture evenly among the dishes and top with the remaining cheese. Place dishes on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until set in the middle and golden on top, 20-25 minutes.

Crispy Breakfast Ham
Everyday Food May 2010

On a lightly oiled rimmed baking sheet, broil slices of deli ham until golden in parts, 3-5 minutes, rotating sheet frequently.

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TWD: Honey Nut Brownies

2011-03-22T07:48:00.000-04:00

Sweet, sweet TWD. It's been too long.

I have been a major slack-a-saurus with my Tuesdays with Dorie baking. I think I just got burnt out on all the sugar. Then I saw the words "honey nut brownies" and stopped in my tracks. I had to make them. Love me some honey!

Here's what you need to know about these brownies:

-they're sweetened with (mostly) honey. there's a little white sugar as well, but i think i would leave it out next time, they're plenty sweet with the honey alone.

-they are cake-like brownies, if you're into that kind of thing.

-i easily subbed whole wheat pastry flour (Bob's Red Mill!) for the white flour with no problems.
-you should use good honey for these. by good honey, i mean honey that tastes good to you- doesn't have to be expensive. i used Trader Joe's Desert Mesquite Honey for these, but i also love Savannah Bee (really love).

Try these if you're looking for a little something different in the brownie department.

Thanks to Suzy Homemaker for these delicious treats!

*Tuesdays with Dorie (TWD) is a group of bloggers baking through Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home to Yours.

**Find the recipe here on Suzy's blog.

For Japan With Love.

2011-03-17T08:40:00.000-04:00

You guys have been amazing lately. Thank you for your help this week with Operation Layla, it was a huge success.

I'm sure by now, you're aware of all that's going on in Japan. For me, it didn't hit home until yesterday. A woman at my MOPS group spoke about her family in Japan. The word heartbreaking doesn't even describe it.. we need to do anything and everything we can to help.

To support disaster relief, I'm participating in the Bloggers Day of Silence tomorrow, March 18. Please help tomorrow by donating to Shelterbox at ForJapanWithLove.com. Bloggers, if you want to participate, visit the site for more information.

Spread the love to Japan- they need it now, more than ever.

Our Little Gentleman's First Birthday Bash

2011-03-15T19:47:00.000-04:00

We had a big day this weekend. A big first birthday!

I decided months ago that I wanted to plan a little gentleman's theme for Elliott's first birthday. Let's just face it- there's nothing cuter than a baby with a bow tie.

Or a mustache! See?

Adorable.

Before I did any major party planning or decision making (I am notorious for last minute party decisions), I started out with this invitation:

After a little shopping, I decided to add some blue to the color scheme and found the perfect argyle fabric (at Hobby Lobby) on the table below. As far as food goes, I tried to keep the spread half-healthy to counteract the cupcakes. Here's what was on our menu for the day:

clementines
carrot sticks
cheddar cheese cubes
panko chicken bites with apricot mustard dipping sauce
ham and cheese wrap bites
birthday snack mix (rice Chex, pretzels, Cheddar Bunnies and Oatmeal Snackimals)
Creamsicle cupcakes/Carrot cupcakes
blueberry pie pops

(photo by Jess)

I couldn't get off my orange-themed food kick, so I also filled mason jars with a little kid-friendly birthday punch (orange, pineapple and pear juice with seltzer water) and put them on ice in big metal tubs- but they were gone before I could get a photo for you. All that was left was a few paper straws.

We didn't need too many activities with all the cute babies to chase after, but we did put together a little photo booth area so the adults could get their mustache on, too.

(photo by Jess)

We also set up a Pin The Bow Tie game with a blown-up photo of Elliott. (Mine is the awful one on the far left, ha! Talk about terrible aim.)

(photo by Jess)

The last bit of decor was a hanging display of Elliott's weekly photos. It was fun for everyone to see how he's grown over the year and leave him birthday wishes.

For a little take-home favor, I made mustache sugar cookies and flooded them with orange royal icing (with the late-night help of my amazing family). This is one of my favorite party details. I just loved how they came together!

(photo by Jess)

I couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day, better friends or a better party for my little guy. God has just been pouring out the blessings on our family this year. Happy birthday, Elliott- here's to an exciting year two!

Inspiration and Sources:

Mr. Man Party and Bow Tie Baby Shower

Argyle fabric- Hobby Lobby

Printables- homemade in Pages

Photobooth props- homemade with bamboo skewers and colored foam sheets, inspired by The Blissful Baker

Orange Paper Straws- DimeStoreBuddy

Streamers- Party City

Mustache Cookie Cutters- Fuzzy Ink

Blown-up photo PDF creator- Block Posters
Elliott's bow tie- handmade using Prudent Baby's tutorial

Operation Layla Bake Sale is Tomorrow!

2011-03-15T16:56:00.000-04:00

This weekend, my sweet and generous friend Jess asked me and lots of fellow bloggers to participate in an online bake sale to benefit Operation Layla. Layla has an amazing story and needs our help NOW. I don't know Layla personally, but this is her story (via Jesstagirl and her Officer):

One month after her 30th birthday, Layla was diagnosed with early stage cervical cancer (1A Adenocarcinoma). She was extraordinarily lucky that it was caught early, and had a simple surgery to remove the cancerous cells.

Three years later, Layla was in horrible pain that affected nearly every aspect of her life. Temporarily uninsured due to a job change, she paid out of pocket last October to go to the doctor and make sure the cancer had not returned. Thankfully, it had not. However, her doctor believes that she has pelvic adhesions and Endometriosis due to the previous surgery, but it can’t be diagnosed until an additional surgery (laparoscopy) is performed. The doctor also found out Layla has cervical stenosis, which basically means her cervix has completely shut down due to the scar tissue from the previous surgery. These issues make her miserable most of the time, making simple things like going to the bathroom and menstruation horribly painful, and sexual intercourse impossible. He stated that if she wanted to have children one day, even sperm could not pass through her cervix, and she would have to have intrauterine insemination.

The doctor wanted to schedule surgery as soon as the insurance at her new job went into effect. Her company fired her the day her insurance became valid, ten days before Christmas, plainly stating that it was because of her health issues.

Fortunately, she got on her husband’s insurance, which went into effect February 1st. As soon as she could, Layla scheduled surgery for March 22nd. Then her insurance company dropped a bomb: because she went to the doctor (even as a self-pay patient) within a three month period prior to her enrollment date, they were considering her health issues to be a pre-existing condition, and would not insure any doctor visits, medication, or surgery for 388 days.

When you are in near constant pain and can’t work, 388 days is a long time to wait. The sooner Layla can have this surgery, the sooner she can return to work (hopefully with a nicer company!) and start living her life again. Her doctor has been nice enough to work out a deal with her if she can pay as a cash patient: he decreased the amount of her surgery to $4,000, and the cost of the anesthesia to $500, with additional fees for biopsies of removed tissue to be determined.

The problem is, Layla is unemployed due to this, has used her savings to pay for living expenses and medical bills, and has been denied loans for the surgery because of her unemployment status. She does not have close family, so she can’t ask them for help. Surgery is scheduled for March 22nd, and Layla and her husband are still trying to secure a loan through several banks.

March 22 is just one week away. The girls at Operation Layla have organized a virtual bake sale to raise Layla's surgery funds. Please consider giving to this cause! The online bake sale opens tomorrow, March 16 from 8am EST to 11pm EST. Minimum bids are $15, and you actually get the baked goods sent to you by mail! Oven Love will be donating a fresh batch of Snickerdoodle Blondies, and they'll be accompanied by lots of other mouth-watering treats.

For more details on the sale itself or how to donate, visit Operation Layla. Thanks in advance- I know you'll come through!

Vintage Brunch

2011-03-07T15:36:00.000-05:00

That sounds nice, doesn't it? Vintage brunch? I'd like to attend one.. or throw one.. maybe in an alternate universe where I have lots of time to spend on planning parties for myself and not my sweet one-year-old. I'm up to my eyeballs this week in first birthday planning, so a vintage brunch sounds like an amazing escape. Someday..

In the spirit of vintage brunch, I wanted to share some vintage Oven Love posts. These are all dishes that I'd serve at brunch. I love these dishes because they're perfect for any time of day and almost any occasion. Enjoy the amateur food banter and questionable photography!

Asparagus Gruyere Tart
this is one of my favorites to serve company. easy to throw together and so impressive!

Banana Muffins
you saw these recently, but they're great! add these to your next brunch spread.

Winter Quiche

a quiche recipe with an amazing crust, winter or not. feel free to sub in any seasonal veggies.

Quick and Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits
perfect with butter and jam or with gravy.

Tea Time Muffins

love these! use your favorite tea or coffee.

Hearty Breakfast Casserole

this will stick. to. your. ribs. do something active after you eat this one!

Cinnamon Walnut Bundt

very sweet, but worth the splurge. love this one!

Cheese Danish

i always make this for my dad- he's a cheese danish hoarder and cant' get enough. try them and you'll find out why.

Goat Cheese and Thyme Souffle
give this one a try if you wanna get a little fancy.

Much more brunch to come this month. Loosen your belts.
I make no promises about posting this week, though.. get ready for a recap of the first birthday cuteness after the weekend. You're going to love it!

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Mini Frittatas

2011-03-02T13:14:00.000-05:00

It's March! That means it's Brunch month in my Great Food Adventure. To tell you the truth, I'm relieved. Those macarons last month were giving me drama.

I think brunch is one of the greatest ideas ever. I only wish I could enjoy it more! I'm always ravenous in the morning and the bean never sleeps in, so our morning meal usually happens around 7am. But I do love the idea of having a beautiful spread of breakfast and lunch options, lots of eggs, beautiful fruits and veggies, pastries and carbs galore!

Here's my first brunch offering for you- mini frittatas. These are great for a brunch spread- individually sized and protein-packed. A perfect way to start the day and a nice foil for all of the usual brunch sweets. The preparation is simple- saute the veggies, whisk up the eggs and milk, combine and bake. Brunch in a snap.

I am pumped about all the eggs I'll be consuming this month. Love me some brunch!

What's your favorite brunch food?

Are there any brunch recipes you've been dying to find?

Mini Frittatas
by Oven Love, adapted from Rachael Ray

2 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup cooked ham or sausage, chopped
1-1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
½ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
16 large eggs
2 cups milk
Crushed red pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 375°:. In a small skillet, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook until softened, about 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the ham/sausage and chives. Let cool, then add the cheese and set aside.
Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs and milk until frothy; season with salt and pepper.
Spray 2-3 muffin tins (depending on the size) with cooking spray. Divide the meat and veggie mixture evenly among the muffin tins and sprinkle each with a pinch crushed red pepper. Ladle the egg mixture to about ½ inch from the top of the tin. Bake until puffy and golden, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

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