It's My Jam.

Michaela came for a visit this past weekend (huspaz together at last ;-)). Among other fun things we hopped over to the farmers market on Saturday morning. We walked past adorable bundles of fresh flowers, veggies, berries, fresh breads, local honey and cheeses. I was surprised by how fragrant everything was. I mean, you don't walk into Wegmans and smell the onions, peppers, garlic or herbs unless you are right on top of them (not even then sometimes). I guess that's just another perk of farm fresh food. 

I wanted to bring home a little souvenir. One vendor had tables lined with stacks of homemade jellies and jams. There were a bunch of different combinations to choose from.  Plum and sour cherry had me at hello, but Cory pulled the reins in and we came home with a classic berry combo. 

Cory and I spread the sweet jam over whole wheat toast. So yummy! The whole kitchen smelled like fresh jam after I opened the jar. More good news- once the jam has been devoured (I'll give it 2 weeks)  I'll still have a cute little jar for a tea light, or more jam. Think I can bring it back and ask for a refill? ~L

Zinnas Round Two

They're bloomin! A few weeks back I posted about the Zinnias I started from seed. Here is a shot of them now.

 Look how tall they are now!

 

It's such a treat to walk out and see these beauties in the morning. 

After I snapped these pictures something terrible happened. I turned my head for two seconds and all the Japanese Beetles within 200 miles swarmed to my pretty zinnias (ignoring all the other plants in my yard, weird). They started feasting on the leaves and mating it was disgusting! Little jerks!  

I was thinking fast and loose at this point(the James Bond theme song started playing in the background). I quickly ran inside, nearly killing myself on a pair of Cory's sneakers, and grabbed a can of bug spray (like for humans). I began spraying the zinnias in a irrational effort to save their little lives. The beetles started flying away and within a couple of seconds my flowers were free of bugs, YAY! Then, the leaves began to shrivel and turn brown, the colorful blooms started spotting and discoloring. 

So, friends, if you see bugs attacking your plants take a deep breath, and DON'T reach for bug spray for humans. Hopefully they will grow back stronger and prettier than ever. I'll keep you posted (HA! get it, posted?! It's funny because this is a blog). ~L

Chicken Dinner With A Back Story

Cory and I adopted Lucy a couple of years ago. We soon discovered that pulling the "fluff" out of the new toys we bought was her FAVORITE thing to do.  This was fine with us because she continued to play with the de-stuffed racoons, soccer balls, and bunnies. Plus, Lucy never touched a single shoe, couch pillow, textbook, or trashcan. The only problem seemed to be that the toys at pet store weren't cheap. So, Cory and I started hitting up our local Godwill we snagged second hand stuffed animals for a quarter. Lucy was a big fan, and so were we! It was easier to watch her tare apart a secondhand stuffed teddy bear (that only cost us a quarter) than an $8.99 squeaking duck.

One day Cory and I were out and about and decided we should pick up a handful of things for Lucy to destroy play with. When we walked in, I spotted a brand new Weber charcoal grill. One woman, working, told me that a man donated it earlier because he never used it, not once. SWEET! The grill was only $20. We left with a bag filled with fun for Lucy and a new toy for Cory.

Since I hadn't been cooking or grilling on my own for very long at that point, I made a call home.  My mom gave me a great little marinade recipe and I've been using it ever since.

Grilled Chicken Marinade 

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup oil (olive oil or vegetable oil)

1 Cup vinegar (I use red wine)

1+ 1/2 Teaspoons poultry seasoning (I like McCormick) 

1 Tablespoon of kosher salt

1/4 Teaspoon pepper 

1 egg

Mix everything together using a whisk and let the chicken marinade for a few hours. I throw some veggies like red onion, sweet onion, cherry tomatoes and mushrooms (no mushrooms in this case, Cory hates them) in the marinade as well. 

I like to use boneless, skinless, chicken breasts. I cut them into 2 inch pieces and place them into the marinade along with the vegetables.  

You can marinade whole chicken pieces too and just put your veggies in a grill basket, equally delicious.

 

Deal of the century pictured above =)

**Make sure you soak your skewers in water for at least 3 hours. ~L

Piece Of Cake!

Happy Monday,
This past weekend I headed home to celebrate Father's Day and my grandma's birthday. I baked my go to chocolate cake in my mom's kitchen. I love this recipe so much. It's not too sweet, has great texture, comes out perfect every time and I always have the ingredients on hand.  

My grandma loves flowers, so instead of writing on the cake or decorating with sprinkles I took a trip out to my mom's garden. 

I use Nigella Lawson's Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake recipe.

 

FYI I never bake the cake for the full 35 minutes as indicated. As soon as the cake pulls away from the sides of the tin I take him out of the oven.

I mix this cake up in a food processor. First I add granulated sugar and give it a blitz, until it's super fine (no need to buy superfine sugar). Then I add everything else, wet and dry together. It's sooooooo little effort and a huge pay off!

I clipped the flowers earlier in the day and placed them in a glass of water until I was ready to use them. Before we headed to the party I stuck the flowers into the cake. If I decorated the cake early in the day the flowers may have wilted. I wonder what tricks professionals have up their sleeves...

~L

Whats For Dinner?!

Let's talk chicken people.

 Ahem, what I mean is, let's talk about ways to rethink chicken. I love roasting a whole chicken, I love to pound out some chicken breasts, and bread them to make chicken francais, chicken parmigiana, and chicken piccata. To me, those are all wintery meals. I am craving light, summery food now. The temperatures are rising, the sun is up all evening, and late last summer I found the perfect recipe for barbeque sauce. 

Earlier this spring I experimented with this pulled pork concept. You know, you put a big hunk of pork butt (which is actually the shoulder, weird) in the oven and cook it low and slow. So I made up a recipe for barbeque pulled pork. Well, I wasn't overly impressed. The meat was pretty fatty. Even though I purchased a 5lb. piece, there didn't seem to be a lot of meat to eat. I am not a big carnivore to begin with and meat can be expensive. So, I though I would try it with boneless, skinless chicken breasts instead. I am so glad I did! It's so simple and yummy, most importantly everyone loves it (including picky eaters)!

Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Place bonless, skinless chicken breasts into a heavy bottomed pot, such as a dutch oven. Then, add your favorite BBQ sauce to cover (my favorite recipe is below). 

Cover your pot, and place it in the center rack of the oven. Check the chicken in 40min-an hour tops. When the chicken breasts are nearly completely cooked, take the entire pot out of the oven and turn the oven temperature up to 400 degrees.

Take each chicken breast out of the pot and shred the meat using to forks.  Once all the chicken as been shredded, add it back to the pot full of BBQ sauce. 

Place the pot back into the oven UNCOVERED. Allow the sauce to come to a boil, reduce and thicken. Then, place a big spoonful on a hamburger bun. 

My Favorite BBQ Sauce Recipe 

Adapted From Tyler Florence's Recipe

Found Here

Ingredients:

½ pound of apple wood smoked bacon

2 bunches of fresh thyme or 1 big bunch (must be fresh thyme)

1 sweet onion chopped

4 gloves finely minced fresh garlic

4 cups of ketchup

½ cup light brown sugar

½ molasses

4 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2+1 teaspoon tablespoons dry mustard

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

Salt and pepper

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Add oil to a heavy bottomed pot, such as a dutch oven. Add the roughly chopped bacon. Now, turn the burner on to medium high. Starting bacon in a “cold” pot will allow it to render more fat (fat = flavor). Then add the 2 bunches of fresh thyme (with their stems).

When the bacon starts to render some fat, add the chopped onion. Add a pinch of kosher salt now (this will draw the water out of the onions, and help them cook down and become sweet).

Now add all the spices (make sure to stir everything together). Add the minced garlic and stir until you can smell the garlic (about 40 seconds). Take the pot off the heat and add the brown sugar, molasses and ketchup. 

Put the pot back on the heat and let it come to a boil and then allow the sauce to simmer for 20 minutes. 

Strain the sauce through a mesh sifter. Leave behind the onion, thyme and bacon. The finished sauce should be completely smooth. **The sauce in the picture above has NOT been strained yet**

 

E-A-S-Y P-E-A-S-Y

A couple of weeks ago Cory's darling mamma (hi T ;-)) shared a recipe with me. It is equal parts delicious and simple. Perhaps you have heard of this fantastical concoction, they call it a "slap yo mamma" margarita.  Your mother may find the title slightly degrading, hand her a frosty glass full and she will certainly forgive you.

Ingredients:

1 Corona

1 12 oz can of limeade concentrate (frozen section)

2 cans of Sierra Mist or 24 oz.

8oz. or 1 cup of tequila 

Mix everything up together in a pitcher. I used a whisk to help break up the limeade. You can serve this right away over ice, or......

pop that bad boy in the freezer, wait 1 hour, then enjoy the perfect-est slushy ever. For reals guys, (and gals) I wouldn't spend a second typing this post if I didn't know, for a fact, you'd love it :)

Also, what? you have more in your freezer than chocolate chips and margaritas? Mom, if you're reading, there are also 2 bananas awaiting their final destination in a loaf of banana bread. So, don't freak out.

 Cory and I decided on tacos for dinner and margaritas sounded like the perfect side dish to me!

After dinner something terrible happened...

 

**Dink responsibly everyone obvi, and if the great creator of this recipe stumbles upon this site, e-mail me and I will gladly give you credit.

Cheers! ~L






 

::NEWS BREAK::BLEEP BEEEP BLADEEP BLEEP BEEEP BLADEEP Wildflower Update!!

As far as things go in the real world this is hardly breaking news but it happens to be a big change in my little garden. Recently, I posted about the wildflower seeds I planted (seen here: "Cant Make It Worse, Right?"). I promised to post again when more of the flowers were in bloom, so here goes! 

Don't the blossoms (above) look like butterflies?!

Brightest of the bunch.

The blooms aren't gigantic, the plants are not very tall, but they're awfully sweet! Don't you agree? I've been bringing them in by the handful everyday this week so far.  ~L

Things to Love-Yellow

This week I can't help but be drawn to the vibrancy and life of yellow. Everywhere I look I see it; even in my apartment and garden. Clockwise from top left, a newly blooming yellow nasturtium flower, my favorite glass button ring, the pale yellow paint I've been using, and finally my favorite glass.

thanks for reading,

m

Grapefruit Mint Cocktail

Grapefruit may be an acquired taste for some lighthearted individuals; but I've been throwing back this sweet, but mostly sour juice since forever. Andy won't touch it; big baby. So if I've got some leftover (which I normally don't) I try to think of different ways to use it.


I, like most girls, find that mixing alcohol with lemonade or orange juice is delicious. So the other day it hit me! Why not use grapefruit juice instead of my other tried & true citrus mixers? I was pleasantly surprised at how very refreshing, slightly sweet, adorably pink and pretty delicious, this summertime cocktail turned out to be. Yet another crowning achievement for the grapefruit. I hope you enjoy. And if you don't like grapefruit, that's okay. This also works well with lemonade, pomegranate juice, orange juice, etc. Have fun mixing it up. (It can easily be a virgin cocktail as well, just omit the rum and sugar).


2 shots of rum
1/2 C Grapefruit juice
1/4 C seltzer water
2 tp fine sugar
mint leaves to taste
ice


Mix all ingredients in a glass for two servings, or double it for a pitcher

thanks for reading,

m

Lucky Antique Finds

Ligonier, PA is an adorable small town, about an hour and a half away from Pittsburgh. After a terrific camping trip to Ohiopyle State Park; Andy and I stopped in Ligonier for a delish lunch at the Ligonier Tavern. Driving out of the town, we passed dozens of little mom & pop antique shops. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a flash of blue glass sitting out on the front porch of one such shop.  I am so glad we stopped; each blue glass jar was $3, and the little owl was $1!

 

                       
  

thanks for reading!

m

You Like Tomato and I Like Tomahto

Cory and I took a little trip out of town this weekend. I was excited to hit the road but also a little nervous about leaving my plants. I'm aware that it sounds a little pathetic, (like an old maid worrying about leaving her 67 cats behind) but I've put a lot of work into my first ever garden and I want to keep it alive for the summer. Thankfully, we had some rain while we were away, and when we arrived it looked as though everyone had doubled in size. My flowers were blooming, there were strawberries and lettuce to pick and (drum roll please......)

My first cherry tomatoes were ready to be picked!!!

 Aren't they just the cutest?

 One for me and one for Cory!

Sadly for Cory, my resent tomato harvest had me singing Louis Armstrong's "Let's Call The Whole Thing Off." For those of you who may not know, when I sing a song like "Let's Call The Whole Thing Off," any country song, or, OK  any song. It is more important to me to try and impersonate the singer than actually get any of the lyrics right. Also, I do a killer Macy Gray. ~L

Perfectly Delicious Fried Gnocci

Most people, myself included, enjoy gnocci boiled and served with a sauce. Been there, done that. It is delicious that way, yes; but when such a delectable concept such as 'fried gnocci' falls into my lap; i can't help but try it. and Oh My Dear. I am glad I did, and I hope you do too.

Fried Gnocci: the best accompaniment to roast chicken, fish, beef, veggies, tossed over a salad, etc, eat it with anything. Just eat it. This stuff is good.


***************************************************************************

Get yourself a package of the fresh refrigerated kind of gnocci. I've tried different varieties, and they are all fine.

The only other ingredients are butter, olive oil and salt.

Get a pan that is big enough so when all the gnocci are in the pan sizzling away they have enough room and are not overlapping.

Heat 2TB butter and 2TB olive oil together until the butter has melted and is bubbling slightly.

Let your gnocci tumble and bumble their into the pan

Resist the urge to touch them, instead let them grow irresistibly golden brown on their bottoms (about 3-4min) before flipping them, and gild the other side for the same amount of time.

When they are done; sprinkle a little salt over them, but not much.

***************************************************************************

Fall in love with their outer golden-crispiness and inner soft, fluffiness. 

Hope you enjoy!

m

Fact: Marshmallows Make Everything Better

The very next chance you get, run out to the grocery store and grab 1 bag of marshmallows, some vanilla ice cream and some milk.

When you get home, turn your oven on to broil. Then, place a sheet of parchment paper (NOT FOIL, you can thank me later) on a baking sheet and scatter the marshmallows over the surface. Watch them carefully, and toast as desired. 

Then, sample a couple spoonfuls of the sweet and toasty goodness (solely for quality control related reasons).  Add a couple of scoops of vanilla ice cream to your blender followed by some of the gooey, toasty shmallows. Add milk, to thin, as desired. Some prefer milkshakes really think and others like them uh, liquid-y-er.

This is a nice spin on your average milkshake. I'm going to experiment next with chocolate ice cream because Cory is a chocoholic (he has the certificate and everything, I swear).  

Enjoy!! ~L

Stripe Mania!

Lauren found out about a blogging meet-and-greet through fellow blogger Holly Becker's Blog Decor8! {read more on Holly's awesome blog: http://decor8blog.com/2011/06/01/stripe-mania/ }


Basically each blogger was challenged to take a great picture that features them wearing stripes; so Lauren and I eagerly grabbed our favorite striped outfits and starting clicking away! I wish we could have been physically in the same room; but for being 256 miles away from each other, I think our picture turned out great! Don't you?

Hopefully we end up on Pintrest!

Thanks,

m

Things to Love- Skincare and Makeup

Ever since I reached menarche at 11 years old, I was blessed with large, gaping pores, an oily T-Zone and multitudes of zits. Further on down the wonderful road of adolescence I was also bestowed braces, looney-toons glasses, a bad perm, small boobs, a protruding tummy, thin lips, and sensitive skin. Pictures from middle school and early high school still make me flinch and grimace.

Like many girls, I would stare at my flaws in the mirror and pray to God and whoever else was listening that I would happily sacrifice my American Girl Dolls, my prized Limited Too clothes, my pinkie finger, anything for clear skin, bigger boobs and a flat tummy. It didn't work. Neither did proactive, neutrogena, dermalogica, steaming my face, etc. Basically I was on for the ride.

11 years later and my boobs aren't bigger, my tummy still isn't cooperating, but my skin is something I can be proud of. All in all, I'm almost glad that I had to earn my clear skin; because now I do everything I can to take care of it. I always sleep as much as I can, drink water, wear sunscreen and don't squeeze and poke as much as I used too. Along with those things, the following products help considerably. So if you are looking for smoother, glow-y, healthier skin, try out this stuff. I really love it.

**********************************************************************************

Skincare

I don't wash my face with anything more than water and cetaphil gentle cleanser. Any other kind dries my skin out or causes breakouts. (thanks gene pool).

For my body, extreme exfoliation typically leads to itchiness, so i use The Body Shop Soap Free Shower Gel with my shower poof or my hands.

In regards to shaving (which I only tend to do during non-hibernation months) I love Trader Joe's Mango-Honey Cream Shave. If you haven't tried a Cream Shave, they are the best, they moisturize and prevent razor burn.

To moisturize my skin I like Bath and Body Works Lemon-Vanilla Body Cream or The Body Shop's Raspberry Body Butter. Both are very hydrating and smell amazing.

To moisturize my face I use Alba Botanica Sea Moss Moisturizer with spf 15. It doesn't cause my disaster-prone face to well, become a disaster. Plus its light and fresh, not heavy and dense.

About three times a week I use my Alba Botanica Papaya Enzyme Facial Mask. Apparently Papaya is not only tasty, but gets down into pores and cleans them out. It is the best, and probably my most favorite skincare-related item.

**********************************************************************************

Make Up

I hardly wear it day-day. The vast majority of the time I am wearing BareMinerals Matte Foundation. I like it because, again, it does not cause my skin to go all atrocious. Plus it lasts forever. I only buy 2 little containers of it per year.

My mom always told me I needed color on my face. Because naturally it is colorless. Or a shade of off-white with red splotching.  So I finally decided to listen to her. I apply either the rose colored Bene Tint or the poppy colored Bene Tint to both my cheeks and lips. It is great because it is just an understated blush of color, so it looks natural. It also lasts forever.

**********************************************************************************

Vitamins

Finally, I take a women's multi vitamin that is formulated to support skin. I think this is wear the glow-y-ness comes from.

********************************************************************************

The most important thing to remember when it comes to beauty? Don't care what other people think! Make yourself happy first, and then ignore everyone else. 

thanks for reading,

m