May 17, 2013

I love lists, Friday!

Reminds me of when I gave Cooper a slice of lemon for the first time. hehe
I really enjoyed reading An Open Letter to Everyone Who Eats.
Well..THAT SETTLES IT. I’m gonna make my own Coconut Whipped Cream.
Almond Flour & Bourbon Vanilla Pancakes sounds just perfect to me!
OMG Pizza Wheels!!! Where have you been all my life?
8 Signs You Are Actually a Cat. Yes to #3, 5 and 6 for me.
I LOVE Nick Offerman.
I hope I have time one day to make my own floral tablecloth. Thinking black & white…
That’s How Light Gets In— a very touching/honest piece by my friend Andrea.
I adore Hugh’s photos in this Mapled Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. WOW.
How to Cook Crispy Bacon! I love the oven method.
I’d love to dip this popsicle in a cup of gin. Oh man would that be good!
5 Tips on How to be Mindful. I so need this.
9 minutes well spent! —THIS IS WATER.
An interactive visualization of ongoing Arrested Development Jokes. JACKPOT.

There’s a new Joy the Baker Podcast on Homefries! This week we do Summer Edition WOULD YOU RATHER. It gets SUPER weird. Like weirder than normal…ENJOY!

This week on High Straightenance, I cleaned out my fridge!. You can always tell how stressed out I am by the state of my fridge.

Batch-22 made my Coconut Maple Granola

Dizzy Loves Icy made my Spicy Sweet Potato Fries

The Borough and Beyond made a version of my Freezer Breakfast Burritos

Recipe for Success made my Killer Garlic Bread

A Simple Love for Food made my Bacon Fried Rice

Food Loves Writing made a version of my Addictive Brussels Sprouts Salad

Dunn Sweet made my Mini Strawberry Cheesecakes

The Batty Bitch Fhee made my Spinach Feta Pocket Pies

Eat Your Heart Out made my Coconut Cake

recipes, Uncategorized

May 16, 2013

Asparagus + Tomato Basil Couscous

I can always tell when there’s a new season approaching when I’m doing my weekly shopping at Target. Right now it’s OUTDOOR BBQ, get your ice buckets, garden lighting, stock up on sunscreen!!! season and it’s one of my favorite times of year. I love the promise of longer days and eating outside by candlelight (albeit citronella!) I also LOVE seeing what the color trend is for the year and picking out a new table cloth & a few new dishware items for outdoor parties. It’s a ritual I have and it means that soon life will slow down a bit. People take it a bit easier during summer. Life gets simpler and so does the food.

When it’s time to start eating outside, my brain shifts gears. I think of easy yet satisfying dishes that can be thrown together instantly. I always gravitate towards dishes that include some type of vegetable and the use of an outdoor grill!

I teamed up with Archer Farms (only found at Target!) to come up with a simple recipe (using one of their products) that will help you kick off the BBQ season. This Asparagus Tomato Basil Couscous uses Archer Farms Roasted Garlic & Olive Couscous. I grilled asparagus, pulled fresh basil from my patio, added toasted pine nuts, tomatoes & fresh mozzarella. This couscous is finished with a hefty squeeze of lemon juice to really wake up the asparagus. The fact that the couscous already has some simple seasoning helps cut down on the ingredients list. And that’s exactly what we need when we just wanna chill out & relax outside. Am I right?

out & about

May 15, 2013

Out & About: Dillon Beach

A few weeks ago, we set off on a Saturday morning to have an outdoor adventure. We didn’t have much of a plan… I just wanted to see the ocean and hear waves crashing-that’s all! We grabbed a soccer ball, some sunscreen, a couple of snacks and a few drinks and headed out west to Point Reyes station for lunch and then Dillon Beach afterward. It was a day that was refreshing, calming & exhilarating all at once. It was FANTASTIC.

recipes, Uncategorized

May 13, 2013

Vanilla Pear Sparklers

As a kid I was OBSESSED with canned pears. I could seriously eat my weight and then some in pears. And when the pears were all gone, I’d savor every last bit of the leftover pear syrup.

It’s no surprise that Cooper loves canned pears too. He loves pears in general, and we almost always have at least three lying around. For him, the mushier the pear, the better. Don’t ever give him a hard pear…You’ve been warned.

This little drink is a perfect way to fancy up sparkling water and if you’re cool with Vodka, well then! Hello, my friend! We have a fantastic vanilla pear infused sparkling cocktail! It’s like an adult version of pear syrup and it’s dang elegant with all of those vanilla bean seeds perfuming the drink! This is a good trick to have when you’re entertaining. A very very good trick to have.

my everyday life, Photography, Uncategorized

May 11, 2013

My Everyday Life: Week 19

Here’s what this past week looked like:

Washing cars & bikes on a Saturday morning.

Uncategorized

May 10, 2013

I love lists, Friday!

I laughed really hard at the Foo Fighters’ request.
I’m pretty sure my husband would go nuts over this ice cream. Blueberry Muffins are his fave!
Mother’s Day songs for MOM!
12 Things Moms Want for Mother’s Day. HAHAHA. YES.
Have you seen this lip sync battle? It’s quite engaging.
It’s nice to know I’m not the only person obsessed with indoor plants.
I want my obituary to be this real/honest/funny.
The internet is doing THIS TO MY BRAIN (and yours). I’m sorry/not sorry for this list!
My mouth wants in on this action.
Also…why have I forgotten about floats?! This rhubarb one looks fantastic.
I didn’t realize DUCKFACE was a thing…but I like it now thanks to spaghetti.
I swear…Jennifer Lawrence might be my spirit animal.
This dude on a treadmill started my week off right.
Caramelized Banana Sticky Buns. BANANAS!!!
OMG. This is seriously something I would do. Ryan Gosling. Cereal. Can’t deal!

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY from the JOY THE BAKER PODCAST. This week we talk about Mother’s Day, Spring/summer fashions, blog conferences and wearing boxer shorts in public. It was the 90s.

BIG NEWS!!! TIME magazine voted SHUTTERBEAN one of the BEST 50 Websites of 2013. I am so honored/shocked! THANK YOU, TIME!! And thank you for coming here and spending time with me. I appreciate the heck out of you.

Simple Bites adapted my Coconut Cake with Berries & Cream

No Regrets Just Live made my Baked Cinnamon Sugar Doughnuts

Stylish Cuisine made my Sweet Potato & Sausage Soup

Baked Good adapted my Killer Granola

Grub with Love made my Flourless Coconut Chocolate Drop Cookies

Figs in My Belly made my Sweet Peas & Shells Alfredo

Bon Appetit Hon made my Bacon Cheddar Waffles

recipes, Uncategorized

May 8, 2013

Cheddar Jalapeño Biscuits

This is my ideal breakfast for Mother’s Day. A tray with a fresh flower, a small bowl of fruit, an Americano (or cappuccino from my husband), and a Cheddar Jalapeño Biscuit with a runny fried egg & bacon tucked in. What’s missing? A card from my son, a card from my husband, maybe a little gift and a quiet morning reading this book in bed. You paying attention, honey?

Mothers love biscuits. I’m a mother so I have a little bit of street cred here. Actually, mothers love any breakfast that they don’t have to cook themselves. They love to be appreciated for all the hard work they do and don’t mind if you spend a day putting them on a pedestal. They also are not required to do any cleaning on their day. A handmade coupon for LOADING/EMPTYING THE DISHWASHER is awesome. But please include like 20 of them in your coupon book. I guarantee Mama won’t forget to cash those in. Also, moms love it when you take the initiative and plan a whole day around them. Make note of that. NEVER EVER have them make reservations for their own dinner out to eat. If you do, you’re fired.

These Cheddar Jalapeño Biscuits are obsession-worthy. They’re light & fluffy. They’ve puffed high and they pull apart so easily. When you bite into melty cheese & spicy jalapeño, MAMA MIA! (see what I did there)

I suggest making a breakfast sandwich with them. Here I paired one with a perfect fried egg and some crispy bacon. It has all of the flavors you want & need. And if you’re looking for something on the sweeter side, try smearing a little honey butter on top. Mamas deserve extra butter.

Calories are not counted Mother’s Day. It’s a rule us mothers have.