Home Made Cheese-It's and Gardening

In attempts to eat better I have tried to cut out processed foods with ingredients that I can't pronounce. Unfortunately that has left me without something salty and crunchy until I found a recipe to make these wonderful little Cheese-Its! I love that I know what is going in my food and am not going to lie, I feel a little smug knowing that I made them. Feel free to make these delicious crackers into any shape you would like! This would be perfect for a homemade goldfish! 

Skill Level: Moderate

Feeds: Me! Snacking for several days... 

Ingredients: 

8 oz sharp cheddar, cubed 

4 tbs cold butter, cubed 

1 c flour 

1 tsp salt 

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp paprika 

2 tbs cold water 

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Unfortunately I have a small food processor mostly fit for chopping up an onion if I am feeling lazy so, I had to make this in two batches. Place the cheese in the food processor and blend until it is a fine crumble. 

 2. Add in the flour, spices and butter to the food processor and blend until incorporated. When the mixture looks the same throughout add the water and give it just a few spins so to not overwork the dough.

 3. Place the dough in cling wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes until firm.

 4. I recommend taking half the dough and cutting it half so it is easier to roll out. Roll out the dough on a floured surface until it is about a quarter of an inch thick. Cut it into any shape you like!

 5. Bake for 13-15 minutes. Check on them frequently towards the end because they have a tendency to burn. I sprinkled salt on them when they came out for an extra little crunch

Spring is in the air!!! I am so excited that fresh produce is going to be coming back into my life. I am so tired of sad greenhouse tomatoes so I decided to plant my own. Because I live in an apartment my gardening was a bit limited to a few pots but I still enjoyed myself. Evie was...... well lets just say she was far from helpful. She was really excited that I was playing with dirt and wanted to get as close as she could to the action.

 This is the little stinky pretending to be helpful...

My lovely garden! I was able to plant a large tomato plant, cherry tomatoes, basil, mint, thyme and parsley!

Mind-blowng Mediterranean Meatloaf

Sometimes a craving for something just hits me. I was watching The Kitchen on the food network one morning while they were making some of their favorite recipes.  In the middle of a tofu stir fry and a grapefruit margarita was a hidden gem of a recipe that I just had to make. 

It is an amazingly minty, fresh and easy recipe is a perfect combo of textures and flavors. I highly recommend it with some sautéed spinach. 

Skill Level: Moderate

Feeds: 6

Based off: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/jeff-and-geoffreys-ultimate-meatloaf.html

Ingredients: 

1 lbs ground beef* 

1 lbs ground pork* (I am not going to lie, I used 1 lbs mild italian sausage) 

1/2 c putted kalamata olives, finely copped 

1 small white onion, diced 

8 crushed saltine crackers** 

1/2 c 2% greek yogurt 

2 tbs. finely minced fresh mint 

2 tbs. finely minced fresh oregano or 1 tbs. dried oregano 

1 tsp. ground cumin

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 large egg 

1 tsp salt 

1/2 tsp pepper 

1/2 c crumbled feta 

Mint Tzatziki: 

1 English cucumber, seeds removed 

salt

1 c 2% Greek yogurt 

1 minced garlic clove 

3 tbs minced fresh mint 

* My grocery store never has even pounds of meat so I got the closest to a pound- usually around 1.2-1.4lbs. 

** place the saltine crackers in a ziplock bag and smooth the crackers into a crumb with a rolling pin or can. 

Directions:
 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
 2. Line a roasting pan or a cookie sheet with a lip with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.
 3. Place all the ingredients in a large mixing bow. Wash your hands. Using your hands, mix the meat together until it is incorporated but not overworked. If you over mix, the meatloaf will be tough. 
4. Shape the meat into a log shape and place it on the pan. 
5. Bake the meatloaf 45 minutes to an hour until a meat thermometer reads 155 in the center. Because you are working with pork you really need to make sure that the meatloaf is cooked all the way through. 
6. Let the meatloaf rest for 15 or so minutes and make the tzatziki sauce. 
7. Dice the cucumber and liberally cover in salt (1-2 tbs.). I like having my cucumbers a little larger than what was recommended which was grading, I find it adds a nice textural difference to the meal. Place the slated cucumber in a strainer over a bowl. The salt will bring out the excess moisture in the cucumbers so your sauce won't get too runny. Let the cucumber sit for 10-15 minutes.
8. In the meantime mix the remaining ingredients for the sauce together. When you just can't take it any more and you are so hungry you just don't care add in the cucumbers and spoon it over a slice of your meatloaf. Enjoy! 

Honey Soy Slow Cooker Chicken

• Feeds: 4-6 
• Skill Level: Beginner
• There is nothing nicer than dumping everything in a pot, walking away and coming back to a delicious meal that is so versatile! 
• Ingredients 





• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
• 1 Tblsp smooth dijon mustard
• 1 Tblsp sesame oil
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 small onion, chopped finely
• 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast, chopped into 3 inch chunks
• sesame seeds and chopped scallions for garnish (optional)







• 1. Put honey, soy sauce, hoisin, mustard, sesame oil, wine, ginger, pepper flakes, garlic, and onion in a crockpot. Mix well.
• 2. Add chicken pieces and arrange evenly in the liquid.
• 3. Cook on LOW for 5 hours.
• 4. Use tongs or a fork to remove chicken to a serving platter and shred roughly with 2 forks. Then add it back in the pot with the sauce until you are ready to serve. 
• 6. Garnish chicken with a sprinkling of sesame seeds and scallions and serve immediately.
• 
  
• This is amazing over rice with some broccoli (as pictured) or with a cabbage leaf as an Asian taco. 

Tardis and Baby Quilts.

Well, this is down right embarrassing. I am sorry to say that it has been almost a month since my last post. So much has gone on that I have definitely been slacking on blogging. This week I have finally made a list of things to conquer and I made sure Evie would hold me accountable if I don't accomplish most of it.

You may ask yourself, what on earth does this chick do when she is not cooking, working or taking her dog on a walk! Well, I am an avid quilter/ sewer/ crafter who has been prepping my stock for my Etsy store. I made my first quilt when I was 6 with my Grandmother and have never looked back. I have made everything from baby blankets to a California King size quilt and this last month has been no exception. My goal is to make quilts that people will actually want and use. I love the idea of someone wrapping themselves up with a good cup of coffee and a book in one of my quilts. In the last month alone I have finished 4 (soon to be 5) quilts!


                       


This first is a Tardis quilt inspired by Dr. Who. I am a huge fan of the show and know many other  Whovians so I created a pattern and went for it. It is not quite finished and still needs the "Police Call Box" text that will sit at the top. It turns out that I had almost all the fabric I needed for this quilt from a previous quilt so... I kind of went nuts and MADE THREE TARDIS QUILTS. Yes, I am crazy. Yes, they took me about two weeks to finish. And yes, I never want to see navy batik fabric again in my lifetime.

Other than the all consuming Tardis quilts I took a mental brake and made this adorable baby quilt  that has bright, happy non batik colors!
         

As always, Evie was ready to be a big help.

Next on the agenda is a Sherlock inspired quilt that will look like the 221B Baker Street door from the show. 

If you are interested in any of the quilts above let me know and I will hold one for you! Sadly, they still need to be quilted so it may be another month or so until they are done.

Puppy snuggles and quilting

Today I will just start with the good stuff.

Divine Leek and Potato Soup and a New Cousin

I LOVE books. I inhale them. I love the stories and the new ideas that come out of each and every one. Also, I am a rather fidgety person that can't sit still so, I ravenously consume my literature via audiobook. I chose Audible to enable my addiction because I can get a subscription with two books a month for the cost of buying less than one audiobook. Recently, I purchased the 'Dirty Life' by Kristin Kimball that tells the charming tale of how she and her husband started an organic farm in northern New York. I highly recommend it if you like food, animals, funny anecdotes about castrating a bull or simply lovely writing. At the end of her book she gives just a few of her favorite recipes she has come up with from the vegetables from her farm. Because I listened to the book, I adapted her recipe from what I could remember from listening and made it into a portion I could manage.

Devine Leek and Potato Soup

Feeds:2 but can be multiplied
Skill level: Beginner

2 tbs butter or olive oil
2 small leeks
2 large golden potato or 5-6 small golden potatoes, cubed
1 small yellow or sweet onion, roughly chopped
2 cloves of garlic, smashed
2-3 c chicken stock
1/2 c dry white wine
salt and pepper
Sour cream or heat cream (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cut all the vegetables. Cut the dark green part off the leek and discard it. Take the remaining white stock and cut it in half. Make sure to thoroughly wash the leek inside and out because sand can easily get trapped inside the layers. Slice the leek, roughly chop the onion, cube the potatoes and dump it all into a cast iron pot with a lid.

3. To the vegetables add the remainder of the ingredients. I made sure that there was enough sock in the pot to completely cover the vegetables. You may keep some liquid for after the roasting to make the soup is the right texture after blending.
4. Over and cook in the oven for 45 min to an hour until all the vegetables are tender.
5. Blend all the ingredients together and taste. You may want to add a bit more fluid, salt or pepper once it is done.
6. This soup is amazing and naturally very cream on its own but if you feel it is lacking, feel free to dollop in a tablespoon of sour cream in each bowl or a drizzle of heavy cream.

In other news I am proud to announce that Evanelle has a new cousin!!! My sister recently adopted a cat who has yet to be named. 

See the resemblance? 

I am sure we will get an update soon on her name!

Skillet Kale and Egg

I have been trying to find a way to incorporate more kale into my life and I think I have found a most excellent and delicious way! I had seen several recipes doing something very similar but I decided to try my own spin on it.

Feeds: 1 but can easily be multiplied to feed more
Skill Level: Beginner

1/2 yellow onion
2 c chopped kale
2 eggs
1-2 tbs sour cream or creme fraiche
olive oil or butter
salt and pepper
slices of toast (optional but a really delicious contrast if schemered with sweet jelly next to the savory eggs)

1. Slice the onion however you like, a dice would work too if you wanted. Add onion and 1tbs butter or olive oil to a non stick pan on medium-low heat and let the onions caramelize which may take awhile.
2. While the onions cook, you can prep the kale by taking out the rib and chiffonading it (here is a helpful site for working with kale).
3. When the onions are golden brown or you get too hungry to let them cook any further, add the kale to the skillet with 2 tbs of water and another tablespoon of butter or olive oil. Let the kale and onions cook until the kale is bright green and softer, about 3-5 minutes.

4. Stir in your tablespoon or two of sour cream or creme fraiche and salt and pepper to taste and let the cream thicken around the kale.
5. Crack and egg or two in the center of the kale and let it cook for as long as you like. I prefer mine a little runny so it did not take me long but if you prefer a more firm egg feel free to stick the pan under the broiler to get a more even cook on top.

6. Serve with or without toast. 

I am still working on getting everything settled from getting back to Nashville so I spent a good part of today ironing fabric in preparation for the many quilting projects I have in mind. 

Right now, these are a few of my favorite things: 

1. My new Primrose Bakery cupcake book! Everything looks amazing in it and I am very excited to start baking. 

2. I have been converted by the french press. This little beauty will make the perfect single cup of strong coffee for me in the morning. 

3. My new ENORMOUS, wide ironing board. For the past four years while quilting at school I have been working on the mini ironing board that one gets for a cramped college dorm. I can't express to you how tedious it is ironing sometimes up to 10 yards of fabric on an ironing board with a surface area of about two feet. This new beauty is the perfect height for me and even has a place to put my hot iron and spray bottle. It is a quilting miracle! 

4. The stuffed banana is not really my favorite thing though I am benefiting from it greatly. More than any other food in the world, Evanelle LOVES bananas. She can sniff one from across the house and pulls her best begging tricks when one is open. Clearly when I saw this toy at the pet shop I HAD to bring it home as an early birthday present. She adores it so much that it has not even shredded yet and we played several rousing games of fetch today. 

Aside from said rousing games of fetch it has been a terribly cold day and Evanelle did little besides stay warm in her bed, yelling at me occasionally for not snuggling her. 

Citrus Salmon Salad

I saw this salad in Martha Stewart's magazine that came out this month and it looked so delicious I just had to try it.

Feeds: 1 but can easily be multiplied for more people
Skill level: Beginner
Adapted from Martha Stewart

4-6 oz fresh salmon
1 cup spinach, arugula or other dark, leafy green
1 red grapefruit
1/2 small avocado
olive oil
rice wine vinegar
salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Place salmon in a glass casserole dish. Gently rub 1-2 tbs of olive oil into the fish and generously sprinkle with salt and pepper. When the oven is warm, bake for 10-12 minutes.

3. With a very sharp, small knife cut the rind off of the grapefruit. Start at the top and cut around to the bottom exposing the flesh. Cut off the rind completely so the meat is exposed.

 I recommend cutting the slices out over a bowl so you can collect the juice. Run your knife alongside both sides of the membrane to get the slices out. Collect the juice and the slices in a bowl. 

I took what remained of the grapefruit- i.e. the skin and the center- and put it in a large pitcher and covered it with water overnight. You will have delicious flavored water in the morning. 

4. Slice half an avocado. 

5. Arrange the greens, avocado, and grapefruit on a large plate. 

6. Make salad dressing by pouring all ingredients into a jar or air tight container and shaking. Add what is left of the grapefruit juice, the same amount of olive oil as grapefruit juice, 1 tbs rice wine vinegar (or more to taste), salt and pepper and shake vigorously. You will have a good deal of dressing left over for salads in the future! 

7. Cut the cooked salmon into smaller pieces, spoon dressing over salad and enjoy! 

I am sorry I haven't made post in awhile! A combination of getting very sick, holiday adventures and moving my little sister to Chicago in January has kept me on my toes. I am happy to be back in Nashville and plan on doing quite of bit of cooking and quilting so stay tuned! 

Evanelle is doing exceptionally well and will be taking the next few weeks to work off some of the treats that her Grandest gave her while on vacation. This morning we tried going to the park to romp around but she was having none of the 27 degree weather and the snow and demanded to get back into the warm car for a snuggle. For now she is spooning me, snoring loudly and occasionally tooting to keep my company. 

I am sorry the pictures are so crummy this post. I was too hungry to charge the good camera so my phone had to suffice. Keep a look out for tonight's skillet kale and fried egg!

Apple Butternut Squash Soup and a Stubborn Stink

I just can't take it any more. I demand fall to be here and plan to force it upon Nashville with the help of this delicious and healthy soup. I love the subtle sweet flavors that come out in this soup and the face that it includes coconut milk instead of cream for a healthy and dairy free twist.

For an update on my little Evie, please see under the recipe.

Feeds:4
Skill level: Beginner

Ingredients:
1 tbs olive oil
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 large sweet or yellow onion, roughly chopped
3 large Granny Smith or other hard, tart apple, peeled, cored and cubed
1 can coconut milk
1 c chicken or vegetable stock
salt and pepper
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp thyme

TIP: Microwave the squash for 2-3 minutes before you try and peel and cube it. Butternut squash is extremely hard and softening it up will make your life a whole lot easier.

1) Preheat oven to 375.
2) The hardest part of this peeling and chopping, which I dearly hope most people can manage. Because everything just gets blended up, even chopping is unnecessary. Cut the butternut squash, apples and onion in rough 1 inch cubes.
3) Use a large oven safe pot or roasting pan for the soup. I used my fabulous Dutch oven but any thick metal pot or pan will work. Add all the ingredients to the pot and cover.  If your pot or pan does not have a designated lid, feel free to use aluminum foil.
4) Stirring occasionally, cook the vegetables for an hour or until they are very soft and break apart with a fork. There should be enough liquid to cover over half the vegetables. If you feel that you need more liquid add more stock or water.
5) When everything is soft and the apples look like they have exploded a little, take the pot out of the oven and get your blender out. Ladle the veggies into the blender and, in batches, blend the vegetables until smooth. Pour the soup into a clean pot on the stove.
6) This is the point where you get to fix it and make it perfect. If the soup looks too runny to you, let it cook on medium heat until it thickens up to your likening. If it is too thick, add more chicken stock or water. Add salt and more spices to taste. Other spices that work well in this soup are: rosemary, oregano, more cinnamon, nutmeg or cloves. I recommend sticking to one flavor pallet (i.e oregano and cloves are probably not the best idea).
7) Serve it up in large bowls with a nice hunk of beer bread!


My poor little baby stink has been through some big changes in her little life in the past few weeks. She has moved from Florida to Nashville with me and is adjusting to living in a house with a friend, Patrick, to my apartment with just me.

This is not to say that Evie and Patrick were the best of friends but they did enjoy each other's company.

Like I said, her many changes include more time spent on walks because she can't just run around a yard whenever she wants. Those walks, that would help her get out some of that energy and maybe let me sleep past 6:00 AM, can be a little rough. I have tried just about everything I can think of but, sometimes, her suborn side wins and what would have been a nice walk turns into a lesson in patience and a bunch of standing.  I have attempted giving her plenty of time to wake up, eat her breakfast and smell my coffee before we go on our adventure but nothing seems to work. A few days ago on one of these walks we made it a whopping 6 blocks in an hour.  Yes, kind reader, that is three blocks out and three blocks back in an hour. She will walk about three yards, stop, smell a leaf, look at a passing car, smell another leaf, gaze meaningfully into the distance and then walk another three yards. Did I mention that she is suborn as an ox? It is so hard to get mad at her but she has made it very clear that it is her way or the highway. Maybe one day she will learn to walk in a strait line for at least one block. I can dream...

Doesn't she look the picture of walked innocents? Lies. She would not move and just wanted to watch the cars and leaves go by.