April 15, 2015

Grapefruit Thyme Cocktail

It recently dawned on me that don’t have enough grapefruit in my life. It’s probably because I spent so many years with a grapefruit aversion. I blame that one time my dad was on a diet and I tried eating a grapefruit for breakfast with him. I didn’t understand why anyone would want to have something so bitter…..and then I grew up and now I’m drinking a Grapefruit Thyme Cocktail.

I suppose I’ve turned into one of those adults who thinks things are TOO SWEET; hence my love newfound love for grapefruit. Plus the smell is just so intoxicating.

Here we have a citrusy/herbal cocktail with the combination of thyme simple syrup, fresh grapefruit juice and a spritz of sparking water. I added a grapefruit sugar rim for those moments when you’re not so sure about the bitterness of grapefruit. Not only will it make your kitchen smell great, it will give you a nice refreshing buzz. Enjoy!

recipes

April 13, 2015

Baked Blueberry Crumb Doughnuts

When we got home from Idaho this weekend, I cleaned up my kitchen and then turned my oven on. No clothes were unpacked. No laundry was started and we still were using all of our toiletries out of our toiletry bags. Yet… I had Baked Blueberry Crumb Doughnuts for us to eat because my priorities are all about food (always).

Being away from my kitchen from a week is not easy. On the car ride home I thought of all of the things I would make when I got home and then it dawned on me that the only way to feel like I was home was to measure out flour and sugar in measuring cups and grate fresh lemon peel. It’s good to be home.

These doughnuts are baked, not fried! I just use my trusty doughnut pan. If you don’t have a muffin pan then you can make blueberry muffins. If you don’t have a muffin pan then you should make a Blueberry Pudding Cake! If you don’t have a cake pan then WE NEED TO TALK. The blueberries make them moist (sorry about that word) and beautifully blue. The crumb topping is reminiscent of blueberry muffins…but yet we have a hole in the center because DOUGHNUTS. I can’t imagine a better way to thank my husband for driving the whole way up to and from Idaho than baking him his favorite treat. A blueberry muffin in doughnut form. Your week will be off in a good direction if you have a few of these hanging out on your kitchen counter.

Inspiration

April 12, 2015

And I Quote:

my everyday life, Photography

April 11, 2015

My Everyday Life: Week 15

Here’s what the past week looked like:

Cooper touched snow for the first time this week in Tahoe.

Grass popping out of snow looks like beard stubble.

Drawing what I see while we spent 10 hours in the car….driving up to Idaho.

SWIFT.

Somewhere in Oregon.

April 10, 2015

I love lists, Friday!

Deep fried gadgets anyone?
Why you should spend money on experiences, not things.
Junk food turned gourmet!
You wanna be buried HOW?
The 12 types of photographs you’ll find on Instagram. HAHA
I’m curious to see how season 2 of True Detective will be.
10 Commandments to a Clutter Free House.
You know how much I love mesmerizing animated gifs…
Salad craving like crazy.
Recycling turned art!
Beautiful portraits of mothers on their first day of parenthood.
Ooooh I can’t wait for the next season of Orange is the New Black!
Fruity Pebble Meringues…that first shot is bonkers.
Decorate your office with POST-ITS!
What a cute outfit. This one too!
I would do anything for a bite of this cake.
What Beyonce’s vegan meal plan is really like.
NEVER NEVER read the comments. <—– Except read these!
Mom knows best . She does!
I love Marie Forleo
What part of No Totally don’t you understand?

recipes

April 8, 2015

Yogurt Waffles

Now that we have our strawberry chia jam, let’s put it on some waffles! How about Yogurt Waffles? That’s what I did last weekend.

I really really really miss Everyday Food (the cute little Martha Stewart magazine!) I still have every single issue on my cookbook shelf and wonder what the recipes would look like now in the year 2015. I refer to them from time to time when I need a little inspiration or find myself in a food rut (I found these yogurt waffles from April 2010 to make last weekend!). I loved that they were season driven so they always served as great reminders of what you should be eating this time of year.

But let’s be real. Waffles all year round…allll the time…. but now with berry additions!

Cooper and I loved these waffles. I loved the addition of oats because every now and then you get a nice crunch. I liked the brown sugar because there’s a little bit of sweetness in the waffle…meaning you need a little less maple syrup. Cooper was in it for the carb + maple syrup component– as per usual. The ingredients are basic enough so that I’ll be able to make these over and over again. Let’s make the toppings seasonal!

recipes

April 6, 2015

Strawberry Chia Jam

One of the reasons why I’ve kept this blog up for so long (YOU GUYS I THINK I JUST PAST MY 8 YEAR ANNIVERSARY HERE) is my undeniable quest to try new things. I am constantly looking for something to add to my cooking arsenal/weekly meal prep. Read:Strawberry Chia Jam

And since I have a somewhat hectic life in addition to blogging, a recipe that requires little effort with few ingredients is totally in my wheelhouse (haha! wheelhouse!). I also love when simple ingredients can combine forces to make something new and different. And let’s be real, it’s nice to have homemade things in my fridge…. I love any excuse to label mason jars & containers with washi tape & a sharpie.

I peeped this recipe in the My New Roots cookbook and knew I had to try it because I was a little overzealous buying strawberries this past weekend. It helps that there aren’t that many other ingredients required. I even found a rogue vanilla bean in the back of my cabinet (I totally need to clean out my spice cabinet–perhaps a High Straightenance post soon?).

The two main ingredients are strawberries + chia seeds. When you combine the two, the pureed strawberries thicken up and gel without having to be cooked in a pot over the stove. I am not entirely sure how to describe the taste but the jam is the essence of strawberries and less like a jam. I mean, the thickness and consistency is there but it’s pure strawberries, not a condensed/concentrated version of strawberries. You’ll be wanting to eat it directly from the jar. Promise.