Family, Friends and Fall

This October has been amazing thus far. So many things are going on and there is so much more to come. Life seems to be flying by but I have to say I'm enjoying it. Having my birthday in the fall is just one of the reasons that this is my favorite time of year. It's also that time when we're coming off of the summer weather and things start to "slow" down a bit. And by slow down I mean the pace is more relaxed and the schedule is back to normal. The air is crisp and clean in the mornings and you can smell the change in weather. Then throw in pumpkin anything, apple crisp, and the excitement of the holidays to come and voila my perfect time of year!!
My birthday kicked off the fall season and there were so many great celebrations. Who knew 29 could feel so good. It began with a surprise birthday concert via The Hamilton Live and Marc Broussard courtesy of Kristen! It was such an awesome surprise to see one of my favorite artists with one of my favorite people. The celebrations continued with a night at Pearl Dive Oyster Palace on 14th St. with my coworker Gabe. Nothing quite says celebration like perfectly sauced mussels, oysters, and pumpkin cheesecake (it's like fall in one mouthful). Then the birthday weekend commenced with a Richmond getaway, equipped with Amish doughnuts (best birthday treat ever), rock jumping at Pony Pastures, brewery hopping, insanely good italian at Edo's Squid, a whiskey bar, and great friends.

Almost made it!! 

Someone needs to help me out of this one! 

And if that wasn't enough this past weekend my parents and sister made the trip down to VA for a weekend of continued fun. While we didn't make any great tourists adventures, we did enjoy the company, good food, and family time. Breakfast was the name of my game for the weekend. If you know me, you know I love to cook for a crowd. I also love to make breakfast foods of all kinds.

Me and the Pops in Old Town 

What was on the menu this holiday weekend? Day 1: Butternut squash, thyme, and goat cheese frittata, mini pumpkin cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting, and chicken/apple sausage Day 2: Croissant Bacon Egg and Cheese breakfast sandwiches and Day 3: Tomato Zucchini and Havarti Quiche and Gluten Free Apple Pear Crisp

Beautiful Sister enjoying the fruits of my labor

I'm going to share with you the Day 3 recipes! The perfect breakfast to compliment the perfect company. Can't wait to update you on the rest of my upcoming fall trips: Burlington, VT and camping in Gore, VA!! Let me know what Thanksgiving recipes would you like to see updated?? I'm hoping to share with you some of your favorite traditional recipes updated before the holiday. Let me know in the comments below :)

Tomato, Zucchini, Havarti Quiche 

1 pre-made pie crust
6 eggs
1/3 cup low fat milk
1/2 cup shredded Havarti cheese
1 Tbsp. flour
1 small zucchini cubed and lightly sautéed
1 medium tomato thinly sliced
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In medium bowl, whisk eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Toss cheese with flour and add to egg mixture. Prepare pie crust in shallow quiche dish then sprinkle zucchini over the bottom of crust. Pour 3/4 of the egg mixture over the zucchini, place sliced tomatoes over top and pour the remaining egg mixture over the tomatoes. Bake quiche at 425 for 10 minutes then reduce temperature to 350 baking for an additional 25-30 minutes or until quiche is slightly browning and eggs are set.

Apple and Pear Crisp
5 small apples, peeled, cored and sliced
2 medium Bartlett Pears, peeled, cored and sliced
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp.  cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
Crisp Topping: 
3/4 cup old fashioned rolled oats (gluten free)
3 Tbsp. almond meal
3 Tbsp. butter, softened
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped raw walnuts
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In medium baking dish mix apples, pears, lemon juice, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Toss until combined. Cut 2 Tbsp. butter into small squares and dot the filling with butter. In medium bowl, combine all ingredients of topping making sure butter is evenly distributed. Crumble the crisp topping over apple, pear mixture. Bake for 28-30 minutes or until topping is slightly browned and filling is bubbly. Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert or a small portion as a morning snack!!

Summer Gazpacho

It's summertime and the living's easy... Oh what a summer it's going to be! I've been remarkably busy over the last few weeks. With work events and conferences all summer, a NY family reunion in July, and a Bachelorette/Bridal Shower weekend to plan, this summer is going to fly by. And of course I can't wait for all of these fabulous events.

My summer really kicked off this past weekend with a great trip to Baltimore. There was a nice group of old friends and new! We had gorgeous weather and enjoyed the Orioles/Blue Jays game. Staying in the Inner Harbor was beautiful. And you better believe I enjoyed something with succulent crab in it at every restaurant stop. As great as it was I'm exhausted this week. I can tell you I'm looking forward to a weekend visiting the farmer's market and posting up at the pool. Relaxation can't come soon enough.

This week's heat wave has definitely clinched the summer feel. And in this weather, I like to eat light and fresh. And what is more fresh than nice cool summer gazpacho?! Crisp and crunchy vegetables mixed together with a little zing added. 

Summer Gazpacho

2 medium cucumbers, peeled, seeded and diced

2 medium red bell peppers, seeded and diced

3 medium tomatoes, diced

1/2 vidalia onion, diced

2 large garlic cloves minced

1 handful fresh cilantro, chopped

1 1/2 cups low sodium V8 vegetable juice 

2 Tbsp. olive oil 

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes 

Salt and Pepper to taste

optional toppings: feta cheese, avocado, chopped hard boiled egg (haven't tried this but saw it on Pioneer Woman sounds yummy) 

Combine all chopped veggies (reserve a small amount of each to garnish soup), garlic and cilantro and place in food processor pulsing until combined. Transfer vegetable pulp to a large deep bowl. Add juice, olive oil, pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Use immersion blender to combine all ingredients until desired consistency. I like mine with a little texture, not too smooth. I feel it is more satisfying that way. Garnish with your favorite toppings and serve ice cold! Make sure to throw it in the fridge for at least an hour before serving. 

I'm looking forward to all of the great things this summer has to offer. Hopefully more recipes to come soon! Any requests?? 

Easter Leftovers

It's springtime ya'll! And these past two weekends were the perfect spring weekends.  Last weekend was enjoyed in Richmond hanging with friends at new breweries, and celebrating Easter with the Goldsmith family. This past weekend, the Laible clan was in town so we decided to spend the day wandering Mt. Vernon. It was my first time visiting the estate and I was more than impressed. The beautiful views of the Potomac were breathe taking and the rich history was an educational treat.

The kitchens in historic homes always fascinate me. The fact that the cooks could feed an entire estate worth of family members and workers with just a big fireplace, some basic utensils, no refrigeration, and a smokehouse astounds me. I mean really a few dull knives, a few pieces of pottery, and an open fire was all they needed. It made me reassess all the kitchen gadgets that clutter my drawers and cabinets. Do I really need them all?? Probably not!

For Lent, I decided to give up chocolate. That was not an easy feat for me, but I made it through the forty days! This year, I made my annual Chocolate Babka a la SmittenKitchen and I think it may be getting better with each passing year. My awesome Aunt Beth placed a delicious chocolate bunny at each table setting for Easter breakfast and I was saving mine for something special. I had picked up some hard to find peanut butter chips at Trader Joe's the week before and decided what would be more delicious then peanut butter chip and chocolate chunk cookies! So bye bye bunny it was.

Peanut Butter Chip and Chocolate Chunk Cookies (makes about 24 cookies)
(adapted from the Trader Joe's recipe)
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour (unbleached)
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) of unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup no stir almond butter
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1 Tbsp. unsweetened almond milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
8 oz. peanut butter chips
1 small dark chocolate bunny, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine butter, almond butter, white sugar, and brown sugar. Use a hand mixer (or standing mixer) cream butters and sugars together until fluffy. Add egg, vanilla, and milk and combine. Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and mix until just combined (do not over mix). Fold in peanut butter chips and chopped chocolate.  Form dough into balls (about 2 Tbsp. worth of dough). Bake for 8-10 minutes (for me it was about 9:30). They should just be set and slightly golden brown around the edges.

These cookies come out slightly chewy with a nice little crunch on the bottom. The combo of peanut butter and chocolate, I mean really do I need to say more! These would be perfect to bring along to a cookout or even just to keep in the cookie jar at home. Just beware they will go fast!

I'm so happy I have been able to be with family and friends these last two weekends and enjoy the beautiful spring weather. It reminds me that the people closest to me are the most important thing in the world. There is a comfort to spending time with the people who know you best. During this time of year I can't help but feel hopeful for what's to come in the next few months. Looking at all of the new flowers and blossoming trees reminds me that there is always a time to change and improve!

Sliders

If you follow me on Instagram you had a little sneak peek at this week's post. OK, so maybe I posted the pic last week and maybe I promised you a post last week. But alas, life happened. And I have to say it's been a busy life I've lead these last few weeks. Today was a much needed day off that was preempted with an impromptu snow day, woohoo! So a four day weekend was exactly what the doctor ordered. With that said, I'm backing up my promise to share this awesome recipe. 

Recently, I have decided to slowly introduce red meat back into my diet. It has been about 15 years since I've regularly eaten red meat. I do not count the occasional Big Mac enjoyed throughout my college years. I have a weakness for the secret sauce! It was not an easy decision to enter this particular food product back into my diet. I have educated myself on what the beef industry does to our planet and to our bodies. I didn't want to be placing something toxic in my body. I'm trying to detoxify here people. But I did know, that my body was craving red meat and there was a reason for it. 

This lead me to a pact that if I was going to eat red meat, I better know the source and know that it is grass fed. I myself do not claim to be an expert in nutrition, but being in the health and wellness business it is my job to be educated. So if you're interested in why I made this decision, here are some great resources on why grass fed is better: Chris Kresser, NPR, Food Revolution 

So as I introduce this real food back into my diet, I want to think of ways to highlight the meat and what better way than a good ole' American Hamburger. Keeping the portion size right I made sliders. Take note, grass fed beef will cook faster so be sure to watch closely to achieve desired temperature. It is slightly chewier than your corn fed beef so you do not want to over cook. 

Sliders with Sautéed Mushrooms, Onions, a Pomegranate Reduction and Bleu Cheese

(makes 6 sliders)

1 pound grass fed ground beef

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 large onion, sliced thinly

1 package sliced white button mushrooms

1 Tbsp. pomegranate molasses

1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, divided 

Crumbled Blue Cheese to top sliders 

Small French Rolls, split and slightly toasted 

Season ground beef with salt, pepper, and thyme. Form into six small meatball sized balls. Grill on grill pan for about 3-4 minutes each side. On second side, uses panini press to press into burgers. Heat 1 Tbsp. butter in a separate sauté pan, add mushrooms and onions and cook for about 7-10 minutes or until vegetables develop a deep brown caramelized color. Remove vegetables from sauté pan. In the same pan, add 1 Tbsp. butter, pomegranate molasses, and vinegar cook for 2-3 minutes stirring consistently until mixture reduces by half. Assemble sliders with burger, mushrooms/onions, bleu cheese and top with pomegranate reduction. Enjoy! 

If you're gluten free eliminate the rolls and serve over a bed of lettuce. If you notice I drizzled a bit of the reduction over my salad and it was scrumptious. Well it's back to work tomorrow!! Until next time... 

Easiest Soup Ever 1,2,3 GO!

Happy Snow Day to all you east coasters! We have a beautiful blanket of snow here in Virginia. And what does that mean for me? SNOW DAY! A few inches of snow mean an unexpected and much welcome day off. I'm excited to have the extra day to plan for my weekend visitor, yay Tara! I will be researching what's going on in the area to entertain my guest for the next few days. Any ideas?? Let me know!

So, what defines a snow day more than a warm and comforting soup for lunch?! Nothing. This will literally be the easiest soup you ever throw together. You can thank me later. It's warm and comforting and I guarantee almost everyone will love it. It is slightly reminiscent of early spring. While I enjoy the view of the crisp white snow, I will dream
of early spring when the crocuses start to pop up from the frozen ground.

Easy Pea Soup
3 boxes of frozen peas
4 scallions, white part only minced
1 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 15 oz. can of low sodium Chicken Broth
2 cups water
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a large pot, melt butter and add scallions. Sauté for 2-3 minutes then add peas, broth, and water. Allow to come to a boil then turn down the heat to simmer for approximately 5 minutes. Let mixture cool slightly. Then with an immersion blender, blend until desired consistency is reached. You may need to add a little water if you prefer a thinner soup. Finish with a little french sea salt and serve with warm cheesy toast. Savor the easiest soup you'll ever make.

Feel free to substitute the chicken broth for vegetable broth to make it vegetarian. A nice addition would be a few sprigs of mint to really kick up the feel of spring. I hope you all stay safe and enjoy the beautiful winter day. After digging my car out of the snow, I will be curling up later with a warm cup of tea and cheering on Team USA. I'm loving the Olympics!

Cherry Cheese Danishes

It's February, which means most people have abandoned their new year's resolutions and Valentine's Day is around the corner. I talked a lot about my goals and wishes for the new year in my last post but I didn't lay them out. One of my goals is to whittle down my credit card debt. And so far, I have been sticking to my guns. Part of that means I need to be much more frugal with my entertainment and food budget. You would really be surprised how much one person can spend on food in a month. Seriously, it's a lot! So I'm trying to be creative with the contents of my pantry and really try to use as much of it as I can. As I survey the contents, what is staring straight back at me but a can of light cherry pie filling. Now why may you ask is that in my pantry?? I'm not particularly fond of cherry pie and it's not an ingredient I use often. I had purchased it to use in my grandmother's holiday squares recipe but opted for a can of blueberry pie filling instead. So what to do with the filling?? After a few minutes on Pinterest the idea of a cherry cheese danish came to mind. This is a super easy and semi-homemade recipe.  

 With very little effort you will have the perfect Valentine's Day good morning treat.

Cherry Cheese Danishes

1 tube crescent rolls

1/2 block (4 oz.) of softened light cream cheese

1 Tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. lemon juice 

1/2 can light cherry pie filling (reduced sugar) 

egg wash (1 egg whisked with 2 tbsp. water for brushing) 

Preheat oven to 375 degree oven or follow directions on tube of rolls. On a parchment paper lined cookie sheet unroll and separate crescent rolls. In a small bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract, and lemon juice. Using a small spatula, spread cheese mixture evenly over the crescent rolls until completely used up. At the wide end of the roll, place about 1 heaping tsp. of cherry filling. Continue with the rest of the rolls. Holding the wide end of the roll, take the narrow end over top the filling and around. Note: this will not seal the filling in, you will still see some cherry filling on each side. Brush assembled danishes with egg wash. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until danishes are golden brown. 

I hope you all are off to enjoy the Superbowl! Go Seahawks!! Don't forget to follow my blog if you like what you see! 

Happy New Year..Shake, Shake, Shake!

So I'm a little late to the game here, but Happy New Year! Is it just me, or are you really excited for 2014? I have this wonderful feeling that 2014 will be filled with adventures, new realizations of who I am, and a year of friendship, happiness and fun. Wow, do I sound optimistic! I have been thinking about my goals and aspirations for this year. What do I want to accomplish? Who do I want to be? As I near the age of 30 I am constantly trying to understand if I have become the woman I had always imagined I would be. Am I kind? Am I caring? Am I the type of friend that would drop everything in a minute to be with a friend in need? Am I spontaneous? Am I a good example for others? Do I make a difference in this world if even on the smallest scale? If I were to look back on my life would I have any regrets? These are the questions that keep me up at night, plus a thousand more! And honestly, I don't think I can answer these questions every day with a true yes. But there are other days where I can say for sure I am happy with the person I have morphed into over these 28 years on earth. That being said, I want this year to be a fresh start, a fresh outlook, a fresh everything.

Happy Days wine tasting in Loudon County

My good friend Kristen sent me a link a little over two weeks ago. It was a 100 day challenge. And she challenged me to join in on the fun. The purpose is to take a picture each day for 100 days of something that has made you happy. How great is that?!! You can check it out here: 100happydays

A good book definitely makes me happy: Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight! 

I am on Day 17, and it has made me appreciate the small things in my life that really make me happy. The challenge has made me look forward to finding that perfect picture to capture my feeling of joy. It has had a truly positive affect on my mood. It isn't a competition about who can get the best picture or who is the happiest person in the world. It is about being thankful for what we do have and keeping the focus on positive instead of the negative. They say that 71% of people fail at completing the 100 days. This girl, hopefully, will not be one of them.

And this mornings sunrise gave life to this good morning shake! 

Speaking of happy, this good morning shake definitely amps the happy! It is fruity, nutritious, satisfying, and so so easy. The perfect way to start the day. It's packed with electrolytes from the coconut water, heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids from the flaxseed, vitamin C, potassium, vitamin B6, and manganese from the fruits! It only comes in at about 150 calories, so pair it with a slice of whole grain bread slathered with almond butter and you have a complete and delicious breakfast.

Mixed Fruit Good Morning Shake Shake Shake
1 small ripe banana (I like using really ripe almost brown bananas for lots of flavor!)
1/2 cup frozen mango chunks
3-4 small frozen strawberries
Handful of fresh blackberries (you can totally use frozen)
2 Tbsp. ground golden flaxseed
1/2 cup-3/4 cup Coconut Water (depending on how thick you like your shakes)
juice from half a large lemon

Blend all ingredients together with an immersion blender or regular blender. Enjoy with your favorite straw!

Here is to a happy 2014! Can't wait to share more delicious recipes with you all. Love to all!