c is for cookies and monsters

My furry feline Chester, the ginger, is one friendly cat. When new people come over he won't let you pass through the front door unless you pet him. He likes pitching in and helping with chores. Well in reality he likes to lay on top of laundry piles and on the dishwasher door when it's open. Not much help, but he likes to think he is pitching in.

Yesterday a friend came to visit and we made a whole bunch of delicious goodies. We whipped up: Cookie monster cupcakes, ritz peanut butter sandwiches dipped in chocolate, oreos dipped in chocolate, and peppermint rice krispy treats. And like with all visitors Chester was too excited to put into meow's. He had a great time getting his chin blue with left over frosting, and kept trying to get onto the counter to steal peppermint extract.

Why a cat would want peppermint extract is beyond me.

So I tried starting my New Years resolutions early, you know the normal ones... Get to the gym everyday, start eating healthier (again), get more sleep, post on here more, yaddah yaddah. Nothing is really working out. I have been to the gym once since I've been on vacation, and I baked all of these treats. The good news is I'm getting a new car? That really has nothing to do with anything, but it was something I knew I would need in 2012.

I decided that this year, is my year. I am going to be a better me.

I'm going to do things like spend less money on clothes and put that money in my savings instead.

I'm going to be a better friend.

I'm going to keep my room clean and do my laundry before it piles to the sky.

I'm going to clean out the basement and organize the garage.

Things are going to happen. This is my year.

Peanut Butter Cracker Sandwich Cookies

adapted from mine and my friend's childhood memory of these little guys

2 Sleeves of Ritz crackers

1 1/2 cups of peanut butter

1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon

12oz of dark chocolate

8oz of semisweet chocolate

6oz of white chocolate (optional)

1/2 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil

Prepare 2-3 cookies sheet with wax or parchment paper, and make room in your freezer.

1. In a small bowl mix 1 1/2 cups of peanut butter and 1 tablespoon of cinnamon. Use the peanut butter mixture and make little sandwiches with the crackers.

2. In a double broiler (or a pot filled with water and a bowl on top of the pot) melt the dark and semisweet chocolate together and once the chocolate is completely melted stir in vegetable oil and take off heat.

3. Take a sandwich and fully submerge in chocolate. Using a fork lift the sandwich out and drain/lightly tap off excess chocolate. Move your sandwich to a cookie sheet and gently let the sandwich slide off your fork and onto the cookie sheet. (You shouldn't have to use your fingers for this)

4. Repeat step 3 for all sandwiches. When you fill up a tray pop it in the freezer so it sets faster.

5. When all sandwiches are dipped and set melt the white chocolate in your double broiler. When white chocolate is smooth add 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil.

6. Using a fork drizzle white chocolate over sandwiches. When done let set in a freezer for a few more minutes and then package up. :)

I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and a super fun New Year!

it's been a while...

In the past month I have been a busy gal. 'Tis the season for being busy I guess! The good news is all of my presents are bought and wrapped. My tree is decorated and so are these cute little sugar cookies.

While I was in St. Louis for my Great Grandma's 90th birthday party I baked 300 or so cookies with my regular Grandma. We made all sorts of little treasures for a cookie walk they did at their church. There were peanut clusters, oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, cranberry orange pinwheels, and peanut chocolate chip short bread dipped in chocolate.

There was also a great partial family photo taken in front of our little christmas tree of chester and I. We sure do look like a cute duo. Too bad this was taken too late to get Christmas cards sent out! Maybe next year...

Now that I am on a two week vacation from work there was be some special treats in the future. like peppermint rice krispy treats, peppermint sandwich cookies, and some cute little cupcakes.

Hope everyone is getting their shopping and wrapping completed! Merry almost Christmas.

cream cheese and chive biscuits

Here's to eating too much on thanksgiving and falling into a food coma.

Here's to left overs for days and lazy cats who don't like to wake up.

Also here's to biscuits with cream cheese and chives in them.

These biscuits bake up nicely for breakfast and go good with eggs in the middle and bacon on the side. They even freeze up nicely for days later.

I made these a little thinner than the recipe called for on accident. Next time I'd totally make these guys taller and more respectable biscuits.

Cream Cheese and Chive Biscuits

from joy the baker via king arthur flour

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

1/2 to 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper (depending on how spicy you like your biscuits)

1/4 cup chopped fresh chives

1/4 cup (2 ounces) unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes

4 ounces (half of a brick) cream cheese, cold

3/4 cup buttermilk, cold

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, black pepper, and chopped chives.

2. Add butter and cream cheese to the dry ingredients. Use your fingers to break up the butter and cream cheese with your fingers until the mixture is pea sized.

3. Make a small well in the center of the mixture. Add the buttermilk. Using a fork, combine the wet and dry ingredients. Try to moisten all of the flour bits with the liquid. Dumb the dough onto the lightly floured surface. Knead together until dough forms a disk about 1 1/2 inches thick.

4. Use a round, 1 1/2-inch biscuit cutter to cut biscuits. Gather the dough scraps, knead for a few turns, and cut out more biscuits until no dough remains.

5. Place biscuits on a small cookie sheet and place in the fridge until ready to bake.

**At this point, flash freeze the biscuits that you don't want to bake for about 20 minutes. Then store in a ziplock freezer bag. Store up to 1-2 weeks.**

Enjoy!

apple pie, lattice style

It has been a while. I know this because I've been trying to come up with something to say, something to show you. Nothing has been spectacular, and I haven't been over the moon about anything new. All that has been happening to me are random occurrences where I run into people wearing no makeup on Saturday mornings at the market after spin class. I'm sweaty, bundled up (it's so cold in michigan already!), and wearing no makeup. It just isn't a pretty site.

Now that thanksgiving is upon us… less than 24 hours away! I thought maybe I'd post this beautiful apple pie that I practiced this past weekend and remade today.

I contemplated in my brain for hours about doing lattice, traditional, or cut shapes for the top crust. I weighed all of the pro's and con's. I finally came to the conclusion that for the test pie I would do a lattice top. And my reasoning is because it is the prettiest way to top off an apple pie. Maybe the beautiful lattice will make the pie actually taste better? I'm not sure, but it worked.

So let's chat about the "thanks" part of THANKSgiving.

I have to say that I am thankful for my family the most.

As you start to reach your mid young adult years you start to realize just how important your family is. Maybe you are still embarrassed by your parents like you were when you were a teenager, but at this point you have the understanding that you need to accept them for who they are, just like they accept you.

I am thankful that my parents accept me for the person I am, and am becoming. I am thankful that they helped me get through life thus far and the many more times they will help me out in the future. I am thankful for my dad's "words of wisdom," his lectures, and mostly his infamous "quotes." I am thankful for my mom and all of the ways that she completes my life. I rely on her more than I ever want to admit, but she is always there for me.

Finally, I am thankful for my brother. He may not understand why I love him so much until he gets older, but I do. I LOVE YOU BABY BROTHER. I said it.. yes I did. I will continue to give him hugs when I see him and won't hesitate to tell him that I love him. Siblings are important and I hope as we get older, we grow closer.

I guess super finally, I am thankful to have a relationship with God. It is a mighty thing to have belief in someone so mighty, so all-knowing, and powerful. I am completely taken care of in every aspect because of Him and I am so thankful for that.

What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving/ Holiday season?

And now pie.

If you like cinnamon this pie will rock your socks.

adapted from The America's Test Kitchen Cookbook

CRUST

Has to sit in the fridge for minimum of 1 hour, maximum of 2 days. I make this the night before and let it sit.

2 1/2 cups All-Purpose flour

1 1/2 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon table salt

2 sticks of unsalted butter

1/2 cup of ice cold water*

1. Whisk flour, sugar, and salt together.

2. If you don't have a pastry blender cut butter into small chunks and use two forks to mix in with flour. Or use your hands to incorporate ingredients. The mixture should be the size of little peas when done.

3. Mix in 1/2 cup of ice water *I put ice in a cup with water and pour out 1/2 a cup when needed*.

4. divide dough into two pieces and flatten into a small disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for up to 2 days.

FILLING

2 Granny Smiths

3 Honey Crisps

3 Fujis

small squeeze of lemon juice (to keep the apples from browning)

1/4 teaspoon salt

scant 3/4 cups granulated sugar

scant 1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons of All-Purpose flour

2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 egg white beaten lightly

1. Adjust oven rack to your lowest position and preheat oven to 500 degrees

2. Take out one of your disks of dough and let stand for a moment at room temperature. On a floured surface roll out your dough until 12" in diameter. Transfer dough to pie dish by carefully folding into fourths or rolling the dough up on your rolling pin.

3. Place dough in pie dish and carefully unfold your dough and form to pie dish.

4. Peel, core and slice apples into fourths or eighths (fourths will give you a crispier apple). I like to prepare my apples in the following order: Granny Smiths (most tart, won't brown as fast), Honey Crisps, and Fujis (these will brown the fastest!). Place apples in large bowl and toss with a small squeeze of a lemon juice.

5. In a medium bowl mix salt, sugar, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg together. Toss dry ingredients with apples until the apples are well coated.

6. Pour apple mixture into pie dish.

7. Roll out your second piece of dough and then make the decision of what top you want. For a lattice cut strips of dough using a pastry wheel (if you want cute curvy edges). Or cut out little shapes and place in a circular pattern until the top is covered. Or lastly do a traditional top with a few slits on top. Trim edges of crust and fold top underneath the bottom and press with a fork to seal. Brush egg white on top and sprinkle with sugar.

8. Place pie in oven and lower temperature to 425 degrees for 25 minutes. Rotate your pie and reduce temperature to 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until juices are bubbling and crust is a deep golden brown.

9. Transfer pie to wire rack and let sit for at least 4 hours.

pita pizza

More and more I realize how learning takes time. It takes patience, practice, and a lot of remembering that work doesn't have to be your life. Life can be your life. I've been at my job for nearly 8 months now. My first big girl grown up corporate career job. Yes that is a lot of adjectives, but I've been waiting my whole life to say them. Just now I am fitting in, I am learning exactly how things work and I can actually answer questions with confidence. Sure most of these guys are twice my age and have been working in this field for as long as I've been alive, but hey.. I can do this. I CAN DO THIS. ( <-- maybe the age thing is an exaggeration. )

The point is in 1 month I will have had a BFA for an entire year. In that year my life has turned upside down, but in mostly good ways. Ways I have only one person to really thank for. God. I've learned that nothing will go according to plan when you expect it to and the least expected situations turn out the best.

Now onto more important things like current events, or weather..... oh and pizza, with hungry kitties.

Today it started snowing. Last week I started listening to Christmas music. The other day I bought a tiny little Christmas tree for my desk. Yes, the Christmas season is upon us and winter is lurking around the corner.

With winter comes the season of feasting. The season where your jeans may get a little tight and you might cry at the thought of stepping on the scale. Is there a reason why comfort food always has to be about calories and carbs? No, not really... it is just what we love. Well here is something that humans, and apparently cats, can be comforted by without having to buy a new pair of jeans. *sigh*

PITA PIZZA!

Best. Invention. Ever.

PITA PIZZA

1 whole grain pita, or 2 if you're starved.

toppings of your choice... I used:

1/2 of a vine tomato sliced up thin and then halved

(using a tomato instead of sauce makes it that much healthier!)

small handful of spinach

1 tablespoon of diced up sweet onion

small bits of fresh mozzarella

sprinkle of goat cheese

small sprinkle of salt free garlic and herb spice

a bit of fresh parm on top

1. Pre heat your oven to 350 degrees.

2. Put your toppings on your pita

3. Put in the oven for 5-7 minutes and then flip your oven to broil. This will brown up your cheese, just make sure you don't brown up your pita too much

4. Add parm, and serve :)

Just don't feed any to your cat who has an obsession with carbs. That's right... Chester is a carb-o-holic. He likes to steal bags of bread from the table and eat slices until his tiny stomach poofs up. He has a problem, we are getting him help. No worries.

PS- Tomorrow is our Chili cook off at work. Look out for a delicious Chili recipe! Half my mom's, half my own creation.

Enjoy!

caturday & cinnamon sugar nachos

Today is Caturday. On Caturday we snooze like cats on the couch with our kitties. Yes, that is right snoozing, couch, kitties. Maybe even some TV, maybe a nice breakfast to start off the weekend. It is Caturday, act like the cats do.


Sometimes on Caturday you talk about Cinnamon & Sugar Nachos. That's right. Nachos that have Cinnamon AND Sugar. Dessert Nachos.


Sometimes you cut up those nachos with a pastry wheel, the fancy side. So these are not just delicious dessert chip that melt (well crunch) in your mouth. They are a chip with a fancy edge.

My, oh my. Look at those fancy edged chips.

They are are so easy your cat could do it. On Caturday. Just saying.


Anywho. Other things to do on Caturday are go to the farmer's market. Or baby showers. Or even have dinner with a friend who you haven't seen in a while.

Or you could make these delicious fancy chips. It's up to you. Seize the day!

Cinnamon & Sugar Nachos!


ingredients:
1 pack of white corn tortillas
1/2 cup of canola oil
cinnamon and sugar mixture


tools:
prep bowls
brush
pastry wheel (for fancy chips) or a pizza cutter or sharp knife will do
baking sheet covered with tin foil


1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Slice up your corn tortillas into chip size. I cut up about 6 per tortilla.
2. In batches brush one side with canola oil and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture. Then turn over and repeat.
3. Sort chips out on baking sheet and bake for 5-8 minutes or until golden brown.


*You will most likely have to do these chips in batches!*


4. When they come out of the oven sprinkle with more cinnamon sugar mixture.


I need to give credit where credit is due. Garrett, thanks for styling those chips in the first photo. You are an excellent chip arranger, but just do you know.. you shouldn't quit your day job. I'm not sure how much money you could make arranging chips. I don't think it is a booming business.


Hope everyone has a great weekend. Cheers!

happy halloween!

Happy Halloween everyone! I hope you had a lot of trick-or-treaters like I did. I saw quite a few tiny ones pretending to be scary, cute, and fun. My favorite was this 2 year old boy, he was a dinosaur and he actually growled at me and said TRICK OR TREATTTT! I gave him double the candy of course. I also ate a lot of candy while waiting for these little guys go from house to house. I ate a ba-gillion tootsie rolls.

So I'm not posting anything halloween-y unfortunately, but I am posting a look into the space I have set up for myself. I've been working on this for a week now and I'm pretty satisfied. There is nothing like having a simple space to manage all of your creative thoughts.

The year of 2011 hasn't been extremely kind to me. I've been stuck in a rut for MONTHS now, don't you HATE when that happens? Now that I have somewhere to write, design, read, and watch movies I'm feeling much better. A space outside of my bedroom that I call my own. I hope you all have a place to escape to when the world isn't very kind.

On that note, I hope everyone had a splendid night/weekend of candy eating, and dressing up!

Enjoy!

creamy & roasted tomato basil soup

This weekend was full of pumpkin carving, the farmer's market, and making a lot of soup.

The farmer's market was buzzing, as always. There were so many tomatoes I didn't know what to do! Well obviously I found something to do... I made tomato basil soup. Duh!

Also this weekend was the perfect fall weather. I was able to wear my favorite fall outfit: skinny jeans, brown leather boots, and a comfy sweater. And we happened to carve pumpkins outside on my picnic table. The sun was shining... not a cloud in the sky, and squirrels were tormenting my cat. Perfect. Fall. Weather

Now let's move on.. Tomato. Basil. Soup.

This soup is packed full of veggies, and herbs. SO MUCH BASIL. I love it. It is SO hard to find 2 cups of basil this time of year. Luckily one of the markets I frequent had plenty of greenhouse grown basil, I was so lucky.

I also love the fresh thyme in this recipe. All I had was "thyme" this weekend. Wow what a cheesy joke, I'm full of 'em, what can I say?

This soup was perfectly paired with some brioche that I picked up at the market. I have a bad obsession with brioche bread. It goes good with everything and I could eat it everyday? Do you agree? Well if you do we just became life long friends.

Roasted & Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

by: spoon fork bacon

1 1/2 lbs roma tomatoes (sliced lengthwise)

3 tablespoons EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 medium yellow onion (diced) (I used two small sweet onions)

4 garlic cloves (minced)

1 tablespoon fresh thyme (minced)

1 28oz can of crushed tomatoes

2 cups basil leaves (roughly chopped)

2 tablespoons dried basil (I actually left this out because I ran out)

1 tablespoon sugar

2 cups low sodium chicken broth (I used no salt added)

salt & pepper to taste

2/3 cups heavy cream

1. Preheat oven to 375

2. Put those roma tomatoes on a baking sheet and drizzle with oil, season with salt & pepper and stick them in the oven for about an hour.

3. Melt butter in a large pot on medium high.

4. Add your onion and sauté for 5 minutes.

5. Add garlic & thyme. Sauté for 5 more minutes.

6. Add crushed tomatoes, basils, & sugar. Also salt and pepper to taste.

7. Stir and reduce heat to medium/medium low. Simmer for 10 minutes covered.

8. Pour broth & roasted tomatoes in pot. Season with salt and pepper.

9. Simmer, covered for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.

10. Pour soup in blender and blend until smooth.

11. Put the soup back in the pot on low. Add cream and slowly incorporate.

12. Simmer for another 3 minutes.

13. SERVE IT UP!

Give it goat cheese,

Give it basil on top,

Give it grilled cheese,

Just give it a friend!

& a pretty bowl!

Enjoy :D

Sunday Funday.

Today is Sunday Funday.

Sunday always marks the day before work begins again. It is a prelude to a never ending case of the Mondays. So I initiated Sunday Funday, a fun day before the dreary work week starts.

On the agenda is this delicious breakfast, followed by the gym with my girlfriend Ginna, a bit of shopping (found some new dishes!), and dinner with my Grandpa. Oh and how could I forget... DEXTER!

I hope you all are having a fun Sunday!

Where did the Chili go?

Sunday is a day for rest, a day for family, and a day to do what you want before returning to work Monday morning. This Sunday was daddy/daughter day.

Now, my dad claims he has never heard of this chili cook-off before. Yet when we get to downtown Plymouth and all I see are a sea of motorcycles he decided to "remember" that every october plymouth has a huge motorcycle festival.

I think I was tricked. I think I didn't mind it. Actually, I know I didn't mind it. I had so much fun that I honestly forgot to take pictures of the chili from all of the great chefs!

Motorcycles everywhere!

Don't mess with my Dad and his italian sausage!

Chili's!

An extremely packed tent

streets of Downtown Plymouth

Water fountain!

Oh, how time flies!

So I've been a bag blogger the past two weeks. I have been so busy! This past weekend my family gathered to remember my Grandma who passed away a year ago on 10/01/10. It was a sad day for all of us and a sad few weeks prior to. BUT! We are so glad that she is no longer suffering and up in heaven :)

Now down to business. I still owe ya'll a post on What's Cooking Detroit, which was amazing! Claire was amazing! The food and wine was amazing! Overall a great event. And in other news I also found my DSLR! So hopefully from now on I'll have beautiful photographs.

So in the past two weeks I have cooked some pretty good recipes, hung out with great friends, started fall activities, and even bought a few halloween costumes... for the cats.

See? We have a little frog on our hands.. he kind of hates me in that picture.
Here we have some delicious shrimp cooked with some veg, lemon infused olive oil, and tyme. I just had to pull out the cast iron skillet for this. Later the shrimp was tossed with some whole grain spaghetti for a light (and springy) meal. This isn't spring! It is fall... Well good thing I also made a good go to fall recipe with some butternut squash.

This is SO simple! Take some butter (brown it up!) with some garlic, 1/4" big butternut squash, and thyme. Boil those cheese ravioli until done and then toss together, add some parm on top! DONE! Literally a 15-20 minute process.

I finally found those leopard print shoes I've been looking for, and guess what? 10 BUCKS! Forever 21, you sure did save my life savings here. Okay, maybe not my life savings, but you have to admit $10 sure is better than $100+. So thank you Forever 21, thank you!
I got to hang out with this little ferocious lady, POPPY! Not pictured are the fairy wings I bought her as a little present for her AND her lovely adoptive parents Blake and Ginna.
I ate peanut butter cookies made by Claire Robinson. Yeah, that is right, Claire freaking Robinson. Literally, this made my day, week, year, century!

I also caught Chester in this unique position watching television. This cat really is the definition of lazy and laid back. I'm telling you gingers are just great. Alright Chester, time to sit up! You don't want to ruin your little kitty posture now.

So for now peeps, this is it. Hopefully this weekend will be less chaotic and I can give you a complete and detailed post of What's Cooking Detroit. I hope everyone is having a fabulous week. Fall really is here, the heat is on, the scarves and gloves are out, and I have put thick blankets back on my bed.

Until we meet again...

Turkey Burgers & Coffee & Amazing news!

Should we start with the good news, the bad news, or the delicious news first? Hm! Well, let's start with the bad news first.

The bad news... Coffee makes me a crazy lady. Like so crazy that it should be illegal for me to drink it. I start to shake, jump around, and talk extremely loud. So needless to say, yesterday was a crazy day. I drank an entire cup of strong black coffee and then could not sleep during the night. I tossed. I turned. I dreamt of weird things like going back to high school.

So the bad news, I once again... am back to drinking decaf.

Now for the good news!

Have you heard of What's Cooking Detroit? You haven't? That is just a shame!

Well on 9/24-9/25 there is a fabulous festival going on at the Palace of Auburn Hills for foodies like me, and you, and you, and you! AND The best news is... my favorite 5 Ingredient Fix gal, Claire Robinson, will be doing a cooking demo on Sunday! AND guess who has VIP & meet and greet tickets? This girl does!

So look out next week for wonderful pictures of delicious wine, food, and cooking demos from local chefs and a couple of food network stars. Also look out for a picture of me with one of my favorite stars :) Let's hope she signs my cook book!

Now for the delicious news!

Turkey burgers!! Healthy-er, delicious-er (I think), and just absolutely wonderful-er than a beef patty.. sometime. Did you think I was just going to say wonderful-er and leave it at that? No way! Sometimes you need beef, and sometimes you need turkey. Last night, I needed Turkey.

Turkey Burgers (makes 4!)

1lb of ground turkey (I used breast meat)

1/4 tsp + a pinch of pepper

1/2 tsp + a pinch of garlic

1/2 tsp + a pinch of chili powder

1/4 cup of sweet bbq sauce of your choice (more or less depending on what you like)

4 whole wheat buns buttered

cheese, lettuce, onion! Or any toppings you want really.

**A sprinkle of salt at the end as well. And only at the end because adding salt prior to grilling will suck out the moisture while they are on the grill! Since we are already using a "dryer" meat it is important to maintain as much moisture as possible.**

1. Mix meat with all of the above spices, and form int0 4 quarter pound patties.

2. Sprinkle with a bit of extra pepper, garlic powder, and chili powder (just a little bit!)

3. Grill em' up! (about 5 minutes a side at most... depending on their thickness) When you flip your burgers for the first time brush on some bbq sauce. And when you flip again, brush again before adding cheese.

4. When your burgers get super close to being done and it is time to melt the cheese on top but your buttered buns on the top rack of the grill and watch them closely.

5. Add your condiments, your salt, and whatever side dishes you decided to make.

Enjoy!

Call of the WILD!

Alright ladies and gents! You know fall is here when it isn't quite cold enough to keep your furnace on all day so instead you use a cheap space heater to warm up just your area of the house. Maybe I'm greedy, maybe I just can't stand waking up with a cold nose, but at least the cats know my room is the place to hang out to stay toasty.

Speaking of cats, and speaking of fall... Leopard print... it is everywhere! Meow! Rawr! So the time has come to purchase leopard print skirts (from Target) and leopard print belts (from Banana Republic) and even leopard print shoes like the ones shown above. Now I haven't quite decided heel or flat yet, but the above are my finalists.

The list as follows:

1. BCBG Babs Leopard Pump

2. Steve Madden KOOOL-L

3. BCBG Thayer Leopard-Print Pointed-Toe Flat

4. Aldo Capecoral

5. Michael Kors Fulton Moccasin

Needless to say, I have a large decision ahead of me. I am leaning toward the Michael Kors moccasins, but that is just me!

Have a delightful day!

Spaghetti Squash with Pesto Butter

Tonight marks the first night in a long time that I busted out a new recipe. It happens to be from that lovely 5 Ingredient Fix book by Claire Robinson that I posted the other day. Beware of these lovely iPhone photos you are about to see, or looked at before you peered at my mumbo jumbo. It is unfortunate that in my move almost a month ago I misplaced my DSLR. I'm sure it will turn up sometime... I mean I still have unpacked boxes stacked up behind a closed door.

So this recipe... is beyond delicious... beyond spectacular... beyond anything I could have ever dreamed! The pesto butter is very versatile, it would taste good on more than just spaghetti squash. If I were you I would make a double batch, maybe triple. I am the type of person who likes garlic bread with my pasta, with salad, with any 'ole dinner. This butter, is PERFECT for garlic bread.

This dish is so easy to make, it just takes some time to roast the squash. My recommendation is to throw the squash in as soon as you get home from work... it could take over an hour to roast depending on the size. So throw it in the oven, put your feet up, change into sweat pants, watch some television... do what you do to relax and worry about that pesto butter later.

Ingredients:

1 Spaghetti Squash

1/4 cup grated romano cheese

8 roughly chopped basil leaves

4 Tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature

1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

1 roughly chopped clove of garlic

salt and pepper to taste

Spaghetti Squash

Adapted from 5 Ingredient Fix

375 degrees

1. Take your squash and slice it from top to bottom starting at the stem. Clean out the guts & seeds

2. Season your Squash with salt and pepper and put it in the oven for 1 hour or until the squash in completely soft and easy to fork into spaghetti!

3. When the squash is done fork out the insides and put onto serving plates

Pesto Butter

Adapted from 5 Ingredient Fix

1. In a food processor throw in basil, pine nuts, and garlic. Pulse until it forms a paste

2. Throw in the romano cheese, and butter. Pulse until fully incorporated

3. Store in an air tight container.

When the squash is in spaghetti form and on a serving plate (or bowl) dollop a bit, or a lot of pesto butter right on top. I sprinkled some extra cheese on top and then mixed it around to incorporate everything. I also sliced up some ciabatta bread and ta duh! A delicious meal.

Enjoy!

Favorite Obsessions

Can we take a minute to talk about me? To talk about my obsessions, my wants, my needs? Well this week on my list are as follows:

1. Morose Code Necklace

2. Milk Bottle Measuring Cups, Anthropologie

3. Claire Robinson's 5 Ingredient Fix book, I bought mine from borders!

4. Nalini Butter Dish, Anthropologie

Needless to say, I have an obsession with Anthropologie. If it were up to me, I would put their entire store in my kitchen, on my body, in my bathroom and more.

T-shirt Deli

Over Labor Day I traveled to Chicago to visit a dear friend. During my adventure I stumbled upon a unique t-shirt company called The T-Shirt Deli, located in Bucktown. I have never quite seen anything like this before. In the "Deli cases" are rows of T-shirts instead of meat. They are separated out by typeface, color, etc. I wonder if they even package the shirts like meat when they are done? Food (or shall I say shirts) for thought!

Mugs for Fall

I have an obsession with Jonathan Adler and everything he makes. These little treasures are just a sneak peek into the many mugs/pitchers/creamers that are brand spanking new! My personal fav. is #1, the utopian elephant mug. If you were nice enough, you'd buy this for me. If not, it's okay... my birthday has already passed!

But onto serious news. Fall is approaching, and fast! The weather has become chilly. It is time for wearing jackets, and boots. This is my favorite time of year! There are so many fun activities to do in the fall such as picking apples, pumpkins, and eating delicious cider and donuts. Also drinking hot tea! Now wouldn't these mugs be just perfect for that? Just sayin'!

1. Utopia Elephant Mug

2. Utopia Monkey/Seal Mug

3. Utopia Whale/Mermaid Creamer