everyday food challenge – bonus recipe – carrot cake cookies

Tuesday’s Everyday Food Challenge recipe was nice and savory. As a bonus, I thought that I’d make something a little sweet from the same issue. I present to you the tiny Carrot-Cake Cookies. I have only one question for the editor that wrote this note with the recipe, “The cookies are also good (and have fewer calories) without the lemony cream-cheese filling.” Who hurt you? Yes, the cookies are great sans the filling, but they are even better with it. And as I mentioned, the cookies are pretty small and there’s only about a teaspoon of filling between the two cookies. So live a little.

wordless wednesday

everyday food challenge – southwestern skillet pie

This recipe for Southwestern Skillet Pie from issue 17 of Everyday Food Magazine combined a few of my favorite things, cooking with my cast iron skillet and finely mincing a bunch of garlic. To me there is no better aroma in the kitchen than the scent of freshly chopped garlic.

So you know how I announced that the Orecchiette with Sausage and Roasted Peppers was my favorite Everyday Food Magazine recipe? Well I think I found the close second place contender and another great fall recipe. You can sum up this recipe easily by describing it as chili with a cheesy biscuit topping.

The filling was easy enough to put together. Simply brown a pound of lean ground beef, add to that a chopped red bell pepper, garlic, a can of black beans and a jar of chunky mild salsa. Heat it through, make a very simply biscuit topping, and then throw it in a hot 450 degree oven for about 25 minutes.

I couldn’t find the recipe at marthastewart.com to share, here’s a link to another blog with a very similar recipe. for the Everyday Food version, add a half cup of shredded pepper jack cheese to the biscuit recipe.

meet a blogger monday – tracy from prickly pear bloom

A little over a year ago I wrote about finding a blog that I found very inspiring. It was one of the first blogs that I followed regularly. Now there are over a hundred sitting in my google reader account. Tracy’s Prickly Pear Bloom is still one of my favorites. A graphic artist and amazing photographer, Tracy quietly inspires. Check out  her photos on flickr, then read my quick interview, then go visit her blog. Seriously. Go now.

A side note, Tracy provided the inspiration for my 37 Things List and my photo calendar. Thanks for that!

Name: Tracy Harris

Where are you: Madison, WI

Blog: pricklypearbloom.wordpress.com

How long have you been blogging: A little over 4 years.

Why do you blog: I’m not even sure I remember why I started blogging. I think it had something to do with focusing inspiration somewhere. I stumbled upon Little Birds, and was so inspired by the notion that there were people out there who liked to make things and write about them, that there was a community like that, and I wanted to be a part of that community. I was planning my husband’s and my wedding, going to school, and thinking about all kinds of creative stuff, and at the same time working and trying not to get bogged down by boring stuff in the day-to-day grind of my job at the time, so the blog was a kind of a way out of that, to stay inspired. And it turned into connections and friendships with people, and motivation to pursue photography through flickr, and more inspiration and drive than I could possibly imagine. I’ve cut down my posting in the past year to once or twice a week, to avoid feeling overwhelmed and because I’ve gotten so much busier, and every so often I think about hanging it up and moving on, but at the same time, it’s brought so many good things my way, and I still enjoy having a space to put things, so I keep going. It’s definitely a part of my life for now, and my creative process.

What’s been you favorite post: I don’t think I can pinpoint a favorite post, because there are so many that I wouldn’t be the same without. But the closest I can come to a favorite post is the post about the wedding, I guess. (http://pricklypearbloom.wordpress.com/2007/05/30/these-are-the-hands-of-your-best-friend/) Partly because it’s one of the big things that I’m so thankful to have written about and stored so that I can go back and read in the future, partly because it was culmination of one of my first huge design projects (and many previous blog posts), and partly because it was just a darn good time.

Could you share a few of your favorite blogs that you read: I’m addicted to Dooce, I love Orangette (as we all know that girl can tell a mean story and has never led me wrong culinarily) and Sprouted Kitchen (beautiful photography AND awesome food!), and just got hooked on Food In Jars.

What’s “the one” big project you are most looking forward to: I don’t know if it’s “one” big project, since it’s sort of ongoing, or something that I’m just plain-looking forward to, but Knitcircus (www.knitcircus.com) has become such a big part of my life since I started working on it earlier this year, and I’m really looking forward to the winter issue. I feel like the fall issue was a giant project because it was a complete redesign, a fresh start, and now I am starting to enter into a space with it where I can play with each new issue and make it breathe a bit, evolve. And that’s exciting to me.

When you’re not blogging, what are you doing: Photographing, gardening, thinking of ways to expand my garden and make my outdoor space entirely edible, cooking, reading, and trying to find ways to get better at everything that I like to do.

Guiltiest pleasure: TV. I watch too much of it, especially given all of the other things I like to do. And it’s completely useless. Luckily I can knit while I watch now!

Favorite Drink: That’s a toughie! I do enjoy my drinks. I’m a beer snob, so I love a lot of great beer, especially hoppy pale ales. Lagunitas is my favorite brewery, it reminds me of my dad. I have a big appreciation for wine, though as well, and am partial to a few Italian varieties like Primitivo, Frascati, Salice Salentino. As for mixed drinks, the only one I ever drink is a GOOD margarita. None of those premixed, cloying strawberry ones, either.

five senses friday (the one about the canoe trip)

It’s a very special Five Senses Friday today. It all revolves around just one day, instead of the usual week. Today I was able to mark off another item on my 37 Things List, #33 canoe. I confessed to Greg this morning that the whole reason the list existed was to get to canoe. I hadn’t done it since High School. Just recently, Kent State University started a program called Crooked River Adventures. We canoed from Kent down the Cuyahoga River about 4.5 miles to Munroe Falls. The first half was shady and lovely. The second half was a bit more challenging. Evidently, the river is a bit low right now. We found ourselves getting out of the canoe and pushing it a bit in the very shallow areas.

So that’s the introduction. Here now is my Five Senses Friday – Canoe Edition:

• Seeing: the ladies in the canoe in front of us struggling down the river. We tried to do just the opposite of everything that they did. For the most part, that worked well for us. Amazing Race here we come…
• Tasting: our reward for the day, a late lunch at Marie’s Restaurant in Wadsworth. The pizza was fantastic.
• Hearing: the trains on the nearby railroad tracks, the birds in the trees, the paddles dipping in and out of the water. Float On by Modest Mouse on the radio in the car on the way home from our excursion. A fun coincidence.
• Smelling: the nature all around us and the faint hint of fall in the air.
• Feeling: jubilant to be able to mark this off my list and to have shared the experience with my partner.

We (meaning mostly Greg) took many more photos with a water-proof disposable camera. I’ll share those photos once they’re developed. I can’t remember the last time I had to have film developed.  In the mean time, here are a few more photos from my old shattered iPhone that still takes fairly decent photos and video. Oh, and what should I tackle next on The List? Leave your suggestions in the comment section.

a different dinner perspective

In relationships we all assume different roles. I typically prepare meals and do all the cooking. Greg serves as the Chief Financial Officer. If it wasn’t for Greg assuming that responsibility we’d probably be living in a large cardboard box. It would be the most well-decorated box you’d ever see, but it would still be a box. My job occasionally keeps me at work in the evenings. On those nights Greg is on his own for dinner. This past Monday, he picked up my camera and recorded his time in the kitchen making dinner. So I present you with the first blog post in the category of made by greg. I give him a great deal of credit for preheating and using the oven rather than ordering take out or running through a drive-thru.

wordless wednesday

pizza frittata – everyday food challenge

It’s another pizza-centric Everyday Food Challenge. I guess you know where by hungry heart lives. After all, the last time I featured the mini deep-dish pizzas about two thousand folks stopped by my little blog in one day. This week, from issue #16 of Everyday Food magazine, I introduce you to the Pizza Frittata. I worked all weekend. That’s usually the time that I spend in the kitchen working on making the dishes for my blog. As a result, I needed to find a quick and easy recipe. The Pizza Frittata was just that. Minimal ingredients and even more minimal prep time. The magazine includes a recipe for the pizza sauce, or you can use store-bought. I just happened to have enough jarred sauce sitting in the fridge. The next time I make this, I’ll probably let it sit for a few seconds under the broiler. I prefer my cheese a little more browned. Other than that, if you’re looking for a quick meatless meal, you can’t go wrong with this.

meet a blogger monday – sam from today’s nest

It’s our first meet a blogger Monday that’s not about me. And I’m so honored that he agreed to be featured.

I’d like to introduce you to Sam. I ran into Sam on twitter a while back and became quite enamored with his fantastic blog, Today’s Nest. As the title of his blog indicates, Sam combines modern life, home, food, art and design. He does it in a very beautiful way with stunning photographs and meaningful words. One day, he’ll teach you how to make a woven wooden art piece (it’s spectacular and one of my favorite projects he’s done), the next day a lesson on olives. And the recipes…they are to die for. Last week I made his apple cookies with maple brown sugar frosting. They are simply the most amazing cookies I’ve ever baked and will become a staple of my fall recipes for many years to come. Below are a few of the gorgeous photographs from Today’s Nest. I mean look at how he classed up a simple hot dog’s condiments! Following that, is my short interview with Sam. I hope you’ll take a few moments today to subscribe to his blog. You will not be disappointed. It’s always a pleasure to see Sam’s newest post, and I always leave being inspired and feeling as though I have learned a little bit more about the subject.

Name: Sam Henderson

Blog: Today’s Nest

How long have you blogging: Seven months

Why do you blog: Because I have a secret (not that secret anymore) desire to have a book or magazine one day. Because I have a head full of information and creativity that I think might be useful to somebody somewhere. As an extension of my design work… I think everybody has the right and ability to live in a beautiful stylish home (whatever the style). I would totally steal “design for all”, but Target would sue me.

What’s been your favorite post: That is so hard to say. If I had enough time I would do two posts per day. I love design, food, and photography equally. If I must choose one, I would say the lamington post. I think I may have shown many of my readers this treat for the very first time.

Could you share a few of your favorite blogs that you read: For food: mowielicious.com (beautiful photos), oneperfectbite.blogspot.com, and cannelle-vanille.blogspot.com.   For design: apartmenttherapy.com, contemporist.com, designspongeonline.com.   For fun and randomness – artofmanliness.com.

What’s “the one” big project you are most looking forward to: Launch day of our e-bakery (Savour Bakery). We have been hard at work trying to finalize marketing and other details. Right now it looks like mid-Oct.

When you’re not blogging, what are you doing: Wrapping up a career in finance and ramping up my “real” life. I have had a design business for years and will be taking it into full production by the end of the year.

Guiltiest pleasure: Project Runway. I don’t have much time for TV, but I almost never miss this show.

Favorite Drink: Gin and Tonic (with lemon).

These are the lamingtons that Sam mentioned. How beautiful.

five senses friday #14

Seven days in just five senses. It’s that day of the week again. I’d really love it if you shared a sense, or two, or even five in the comments section below.  I’ll be working all weekend, but still plan to find some kitchen time.  And don’t forget, Meet a Blogger Monday is just around the corner.

• seeing: the beautiful patch of sunflowers on the way to and from downtown.
• tasting: the decadent maple-brown sugar frosting that I made. More on that next Thursday.
• hearing: I Was Made for Sunny Days by the Weepies. A great little end of summer tune.
• smelling: the almond scented Method wood furniture polish. few things get me excited about cleaning, this is one of them.
• feeling: rejuvenated.