Slow-Roasted Soy-Glazed Beef with Fresh Tomatoes, Onions & Cilantro Serves 6 Adapted from Good Housekeeping Ingredients: 3 lbs beef brisket, trimmed of fat and cut into bite-size chunks – $27.42 5 cloves garlic, minced or run through a garlic press – stock ¼ cup of lightly packed brown sugar – stock ¼ cup of seasoned[…]
Holiday Wishlist for the Design Obsessed
Apparently chaos is my new Christmas tradition. Last year, I was due with Baby Ice on December 28th – though he granted my holiday wish and waited until after the New Year to arrive. This year, I’ve decided to up the ante and bookend the holidays with a move and the launch of a new[…]
Tomato and Avocado Salad with Mango, Blue Cheese, Walnuts and Olives
Tomato and Avocado Salad with Mango, Blue Cheese, Walnuts and Olives Serves 2-3 as a side salad Ingredients for the Salad: 1 pint grape tomatoes, sliced into halves – $1.50 ½ a ripe mango, cut into chunks – $2.50 ½ a ripe avocado, cut into chunks – $1.50 ¼ cup of crumbled blue cheese –[…]
From White to Bright: Colorful Home Decor
pink empire chairs / pillows / ottomans / rattan chairs / game table / rug / sconces / elephant stool / paint color / fabric Since we’re in the throes of yet another house renovation, I’ve been on the hunt for home décor in all its many iterations – from paint and wallpaper to accessories[…]
Pretty Hostess Gift Idea
Since we’re in the midst of yet another house renovation, I’m more attuned to home decor than usual. As a child of the 80s, I hold a special place in my heart for marbled splatterware so when I came across these speckled olive oil jugs from DolceTerra.com in one of the millions of decor magazines[…]
Summer Salad with Brie, Plums, Glazed Walnuts and a Blueberry Balsamic Vinaigrette
Summer Salad with Brie, Plums, Glazed Walnuts and a Blueberry Balsamic Vinaigrette Serves 3 Ingredients for the salad: ½-cup of walnut halves and pieces – $5.99 A pat of unsalted butter – stock Teaspoon of brown sugar – stock 5-oz clamshell of baby arugula – $3.49 ¼-lb of Brie or Saint Andre cheese, diced –[…]
Roasted Chicken with Tomatoes, Olives and Fresh Herbs
Roasted Chicken with Tomatoes, Olives and Fresh Herbs Serves 3 Ingredients: 1½ lbs chicken breasts, bone in, skin on – $5.39 1 pint grape tomatoes, whole – $3.99 1 cup pitted kalamata olives – $3.99 3 cloves of garlic, whole – stock ¼-cup chicken broth – stock 2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided Salt and freshly[…]
Corn Cake Summer Salad with Arugula and Sweet Peaches
Corn Cake Summer Salad with Arugula and Sweet Peaches and Tomato/Avocado Relish Makes 10-12 Corn Cakes Serves 3-4 Ingredients for corn cakes: 3 large ears of corn, shuck and remove kernels with a sharp knife – $1.77 1 cup all-purpose flour – stock ½ cup cornmeal – stock ¼ cup onion, finely diced – $0.89[…]
Red, White and Blueberry Flag Cake
Red, White and Blueberry Cake Serves 10-12 Adapted from Martha Stewart Ingredients for the Cake: 1½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for baking sheet – stock 3 cups cake flour (not self-rising), plus more for baking sheet – $3.59 2 teaspoons baking powder – stock 1 teaspoon salt – stock 2¼[…]
Easy Chicken Pad Thai
Easy Chicken Pad Thai Serves 4 Ingredients for the Sauce: 2 TBS sesame oil – stock 4 Tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce – stock 1 Tablespoon sriracha – stock 3 Tablespoons lime juice – stock 3 Tablespoons brown sugar – stock 2 Tablespoons fish sauce – stock Ingredients for the Pad Thai: 8 oz. flat rice[…]
Sesame-Miso Asian Beef Tacos with Quick-Pickled Peaches & Red Onion
Sesame-Miso Asian Beef Tacos with Quick-Pickled Peaches & Red Onion Serves 4 Adapted from a recipe in Better Homes & Gardens Ingredients for the Pickles: ½-cup white vinegar – stock ¼-cup sugar – stock ¾-teaspoon salt – stock 1 ripe peach, sliced – $1.75 ½ medium red onion, sliced very thinly – $0.69 Ingredients for[…]
Asian Turkey Meatballs with a Tropical Peanut Dipping Sauce
Asian Turkey Meatballs with a Tropical Peanut Dipping Sauce Makes about 10-12 meatballs and a ½-cup of sauce Ingredients for the meatballs: 1 lb. of ground turkey – $4.79 1 bunch of fresh cilantro, roughly chopped, divided – $1.99 ½ of a carrot, grated – $0.80 1½ Tablespoons of fresh ginger, peeled and grated –[…]
6-Month Raw Spice Bar Giveaway
With two under three in tow, I’m not doing much world-traveling at the moment. In fact, other than acting as a nap caddy and personal milkmaid, I’m really not doing much of anything at the moment. And since I’ve been spending more time around the homestead tending to babies while attempting to keep my writing[…]
Shrimp Quesadillas with Peaches, Caramelized Onions & Brie
Shrimp Quesadillas with Peaches, Caramelized Onions & Brie Serves 2-4 Ingredients: 1 cup of red onion, diced 2 Tablespoons butter, divided – stock 2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided – stock Splash of balsamic vinegar – stock Salt & pepper – stock 2 peaches, sliced (you can also use frozen peach slices) – $2.99 4 sprigs[…]
Tomato-Braised Chicken Thighs with Olives & Capers
Tomato-Braised Chicken Thighs with Olives & Capers Serves 4 Inspired by a recipe from Real Simple Ingredients: 2 teaspoons olive oil – stock 2 lbs bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs – $4.00 Salt & pepper – stock 1 medium onion, chopped – $0.50 2 large cloves of garlic, minced or run through a press – stock[…]
Whole Roasted Carrots with Chimichurri
Whole Roasted Carrots with Chimichurri Serves 6-8 as a side Inspired by Food & Wine Ingredients for the carrots: ~2 pounds medium carrots, peeled – $4.99 1/3 cup water 6 large garlic cloves, whole – stock 1½ Tablespoons olive oil – stock 1½ Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into chunks – stock Salt and freshly ground[…]
Crunchy Wild Rice Salad with Rosemary-Maple Vinaigrette
Crunchy Wild Rice Salad with Rosemary-Maple Dressing Serves 6 as a side Ingredients for the Salad: 3 cups cooked wild rice, warm (Avoid quick-cooking wild rice; I recommend Lundberg Organic Wild Rice, 8 Ounce) – $5.11 2½ cups peeled and chopped butternut squash – $2.29 1½ Tablespoons olive oil – stock Salt & freshly ground[…]
Thai Lamb Meatballs with Coconut Red Curry
Thai Lamb Meatballs with Coconut Red Curry Makes 16-18 golfball-size meatballs Serves 4 as an entree Adapted from PicNic Ingredients for the Meatballs: 1-1½ lbs ground lamb – $7.99 4 Tablespoons Thai red curry paste – $2.49 2 Tablespoons breadcrumbs – stock 1½ Tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped finely + extra for garnish – $.89 1[…]
Cinnamon Streusel Baked French Toast
Apple Cinnamon Baked French Toast Serves 6 Ingredients: 1 loaf of stale bread (I use Challah or a baguette) – $2.49 8 large eggs, lightly beaten – stock 2 cups of buttermilk (click here for buttermilk substitute) – stock ½-cup applesauce – $2.19 ½-cup sugar – stock 2 Tablespoons pure vanilla extract – stock Streusel[…]
Oatmeal-Blackberry Pancakes with Orange Zest and Greek Yogurt
Anyone who assumes the role of “head chef” in their home kitchen knows how difficult it can be to please the whole table. And my table, always includes a temperamental toddler who’s prone to wild deviations in taste. One day a food is in, the next it’s out. But when all else fails and everything[…]