5 favorite recipes from Pinterest

For the better part of a decade, the only "real" meal I can remember cooking is spaghetti or similar pasta dishes. The kitchen intimidated me, and I had no real interest in the culinary arts (ha). I still don't really, but over the last few years, I have developed an interest in actually eating real, home-cooked food. Eating out and frozen dinners can only take you so far, and eventually, I was just over it.

I overcame my intimidation with a handy three-prong approach, which you, too, can embrace.*

(1) Claim your space. I got a lot more comfortable in the kitchen when I moved into my own apartment and wasn't sharing with a roommate. Roommates are great, but mine fancied herself a chef (i.e., dominated the kitchen and shared her food...where's my motivation in that scenario?).

(2) Enlist help. I'm a smart girl. I can read and follow instructions. Still, it sounded more fun to invite a couple of friends over and have them "teach" me. Yep, I cobbled together myself some lessons ;-)

(3) Just do it. Buy the ingredients, look up recipes and try. Timing large meals (I'm now in charge of cooking Christmas dinner for my family each year!) is still super challenging for me, but whatever. I put on my big girl pants and get it done. If you're like me, this means you'll decide to leave out ingredients you don't like and otherwise wing it when necessary.

Look at me rambling on before getting to my actual point. It really is difficult for me to give you a simple list ;-) Anyway, what I really want to share, in addition to my witty humor, are a few tasty recipes I've made over the last couple of months. Pinterest has been really helpful for keeping track of recipes I've made or want to make. If you can't tell, I've been really into my slow cooker this winter.

• barley, black bean, and corn burritos
• tortellini and sausage soup
• slow-cooker lasagna with tomato cream sauce
• creamy tomato soup
• organic no-bake energy balls 

*Satirical statement folks...just in case you don't get my humor.

(January) Creating an inviting home

The title is a bit disingenuous. I've always been the type of person to immediately unpack after moving, don't hesitate to get art up on the wall and am always making minor adjustments. Still, there have been a few pieces--nightstands, dresser--I've been looking for since I moved into the new space last February. I decided to take my goal of creating more and focus on my apartment in January.

The shot above is a tiny corner of my bedroom. I finally found a bedside table that fit my aesthetic (and that can very easily become something else when I change my mind). Even more exciting though is the locker/cabinet I stenciled! Inspired by Victoria's bathroom makeover, I snagged the Ikea atran medicine cabinet and created a stencil to spiff it up. I think it will be a great place to hide lotion for my dry hands, vitamins I always forget to take and other odds and ends. A friend suggested I use it for me salacious purposes, but that's another conversation for another time. :-)

I've got more home projects up my sleeve that I'll share when done. The downside (upside?) is that this is only making me want to spend the winter months snuggled up at home even more.

slow cooker pumkin chicken chili

This chili is such a surprise. As I was putting the ingredients into my slow cooker, I knew I should be grossed out by the combination of flavors. Instead, I was rewarded with a tasty dish and an apartment that smelled like Fall always should.

Inspired by these recipes from Cinnamon Spice & Everything Nice and A Beautiful Mess.

1 can (14 ounce) diced tomatoes

1 can (14 ounce) pumpkin puree

1 cup chicken broth

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 packet mild chili seasoning

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 dashes of cinnamon

1 teaspoon sea or kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts or cutlets, skin and visible fat removed

1 can (14 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained  

Note: I made this recipe in a 2-quart slow cooker. 

I dislike chunky cooked tomatoes, so I pulsed the diced tomatoes in my Magic Bullet for a couple of seconds first. Add tomatoes, chicken broth and pumpkin to the slow cooker. Whisk until well combined. Add garlic, chili seasoning, cumin, cinnamon, salt and pepper and stir once again. Add chicken and chickpeas. Cook 4-5 hours on high or 6-8 on low.

I added whole wheat pearl couscous before cozying up with a bowl and The Day the Earth Stood Still.

Sufferin' Succotash: More on Regional Foods

Remember last November when I mentioned a passing interest in regional food traditions? I don't think I ever followed that post up, but a couple of weeks later the Crooked Road cookbook I mentioned showed up on my doorstep (thanks, mom). Well, this has spawned a (slowly) growing collection of regional and/or historic cookbooks.

I picked up the above title while thrifting in Hagerstown on Saturday. It begins with an introduction to the region and its history and is chock full of recipes and little tidbits on things like why a certain recipe was important. Let's be honest. A lot of the recipes look pretty gross. There are recipes in there involving animal body parts that I never want to get to know. Still, I was determined to find something to whip up.

Enter the winter succotash! I've included the recipe below as it appears in the cookbook with the strikeouts and red reflecting my modifications. Needless to say, I wasn't exactly going for historical accuracy. :-)

winter succotash

1 cup lima beans (2 cups frozen)
2 quarts cold water
1/4 pound salt pork
1 can corn
1 3 tablespoon melted butter
1 2 tablespoon flour
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 cup cream (if desired)

Parboil the beans, then put in a kettle with the cold water and salt pork. (1/4 lb butter may be used instead of the pork). Cook for 3 hours, then add the corn, melted butter and flour. Cook 3/4 of an hour longer. Season with salt and pepper. Heat the cream and add just before serving.

I pretty much followed none of the actual cooking instructions, since I'm pretty sure they're based on using dry beans. I cooked the lima beans according to the directions on the package, draining them before adding in the corn, melted butter and flour. I cooked the mixture an additional 5-6 minutes before adding salt, pepper and a splash of cream.

Let's just say the Nova Scotians know how to take the healthy out of vegetables.

P.S. Speaking of food culture, I pulled out one of my grandma's seasonal potholders this weekend.

Community Cooking Circle

Inspired by sewing circles of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and the new community-driven food movement, we've decided to start a cooking circle! Something about the coming fall makes this seem like the right time to start this kind of venture. While I do cook during the summer, I'm more apt to turn on the oven when the temperatures finally start to drop. Soups, breads, granola...the list is endless.

Live in the Northern Virginia/DC area and want to join us? This likely won't involve meetings or anything like that, and we're trying to keep the numbers low to start. We're still working out the details, but the basic gist of it is that once a month we'll each make and package something* to share with the group. For example, I made more of Joy the Baker's homemade curry ketchup** on Monday. Instead of hoarding all of the ketchup for myself, I could have prepared small jars for the cooking circle.  

Once we solidify a small group of charter members (we're aiming for 5 to 7 to start), we'll finalize the guidelines and pull together a calendar.

Leave a comment here or email me at notmiranda@gmail.com to join us! It'll be fun.

*There's at least one vegan in the group. If that scares you, you may want to skip this. 
**Best ever. Make your own!

Revamped living room!

I've got a couple of posts coming about my trip to Minnesota and Wisconsin, but currently, I'm still in recovery mode :-) In the meantime, I get to show you how I revamped my living room right before I left.

My old couch was a small Ikea number that, while a great size for a small apartment, wasn't conducive to multiple guests or afternoon naps. It also never really belonged in the home of a clumsy girl. It was more than 6 years old, and the stains it held were a virtual map of my life.

I've been on a casual hunt for a new couch for the last couple of years and in earnest for the last six months, and it's slim pickings out there, you guys. I think there are only 10-20 different couch styles in the entire world, and they seem to either be too ugly or too expensive. Anyway, I found myself in a bit of a fog from a cold and somehow wound up on Craigslist. I'd never considered a sectional sofa before, but something about this one tugged at me. Cut to a few emails and a couch visit* later and the couch was officially "on hold" for me. We picked it up on the 15th, and I can already tell it was the right choice. It's already had its first house guest sleep on it and has proven itself useful for supporting several lounging people and a few hours of conversation.

 

The same night I found the couch I also stumbled across an entertainment center in the freebie section. After emails and texts with a couple of people, I decided to pick it up. It didn't match my current furniture, but all it took was a few coats of paint to make it mine!



So there you have it...my revamped living room (and another excuse to reconfigure my art)!

*I was very skeptical of buying a used fabric couch. I sort of felt like I was also buying that person's history. Luckily, the couch is in great shape, and the family selling it had a clean house that didn't gross me out.

Adventures in Gardening: week 9

I get such a kick out of seeing how fast these grow! Over the past week or so, the largest tomato baby developed a couple of flowers. Puberty? I finally took the leap and repotted it, giving it more room to grow. If fairs well, I'll do the same for the other two. According to my reading, I can expect tomatoes in July or August.





It's so empowering to grow something from seeds. I feel like a balcony farmer!

Adventures in Gardening: week 5

Some people have human babies and animal babies they photograph and track.
Well, baby humans aren't really on my radar screen, and baby animals leave me
breathless and sneezing. I have, however, wanted to grow my own food for the
past few years, and I finally took the plunge this year.

 My five week-old tomato babies. From seed to salad.

Go here for beautiful writing on tomatoes (and more).

Going for broke

I've wanted to grow things in my apartment for years. My whole apocalypse preparedness plan is contingent on being able to grow my own food. :-)

The problem is that I'm an apartment dweller that, for the past five years, has lived in a space with only a well-shaded balcony. I'm thrilled with the natural light that floods my new apartment every morning, and I'm finally taking the plunge and trying to grow something.


This Saturday I sowed my tomato seeds and repotted this baby succulent. Now I just need to keep them alive. Seriously, I have whatever the opposite is of a green thumb. A coworker brought an aloe plant into the office for me, and I managed to kill that!

Maybe I've thought too much about this, but growing something from scratch and keeping it alive can be stressful! I worry it's not getting enough water and wind up with little muddy puddles. If I'm not worrying, then I tend to forget I have something alive, and it suffers from my neglect. No wonder I don't have kids!

challah bread pudding

Sundays I cook. If I'm to eat anything homemade during the week, it has to happen on one of my free days. Earlier during the week, I stumbled across Jen Altman's recipe for strawberry and basil bread pudding (via Design Sponge), and it must have stayed with me. Suddenly, I was throwing a loaf of challah bread into my grocery cart this morning.

I didn't have any strawberries (only a refusal to buy out of season), so I modified the recipe a bit. I've never made bread pudding before, but I'm a big fan of what came out of my oven.

challah bread pudding
adapted from Jen Altman's Strawberry and Basil Bread Pudding

2 c. heavy cream 

2 c. 1/2 & 1/2 

1/2 c. skim coconut milk 

2 pints strawberries {hulled and sliced} 

1 T. fresh basil {chopped} 

zest from 1 lemon 

1 T. fresh lemon juice 

1 1 1/2 t. vanilla extract 

1/2 t. salt 

1 1/4 c. raw sugar 

3 6 eggs 

3 egg yolks 

1 large loaf of challah {egg bread} 

dash of cinnamon

Pre-heat your oven to 325 F.

Tear the challah into chunks and set aside in a large bowl.

Combine the heavy cream, 1/2 & 1/2, and coconut milk in a saucepan. Heat, stirring continuously. Remove from heat before coming to a boil.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, 1 cup sugar, salt, vanilla, and lemon juice. Once the milk and cream mixture is warm, slowly add it to the egg mixture, taking care not to accidentally cook the eggs. Now that you have these combined, pour it over the challah pieces, making sure each piece is soaked. Let it soak for 20 minutes before transferring to a casserole dish. Add cinnamon to the last 1/4 cup of sugar and sprinkle over the bread mixture.

Place in the oven, uncovered, and bake for one hour.

Getting domestic, the Joy the Baker edition

Tonight's baked lemon risotto. Isn't it pretty?

The making of things has been pretty slow around these parts. I'm slowly getting back in the routine of cooking following the month of eating out (and eating crap) leading up to my move. When I do look back at some of my favorites over the past few weeks, I seem to have a Joy the Baker theme going, and it only seems fitting with her first cookbook being released. I don't know about you, but I'm excited to pick up a copy for myself. :-)

So what exactly have I been making?

• baked lemon risotto - My first risotto! I tried this tonight and was shocked that it actually turned out. I've always heard so many horror stories about how difficult risotto is, but Joy makes it easy. Despite how easy it was, making it completely tired me out. I don't get home from work until 7/7:30, so I generally only heat up things I make on the weekend. Dinner at 9:30 confirmed that I should stick my weekend strategy.
• simple vegan chocolate cake - I told you I have a Joy the Baker theme happening! Another recipe made easy. While I have found I'm pretty good at cooking, baking is so not my forte. My only piece of advice is to use good coffee. I used coffee from McDonald's, and I'm pretty sure I could tell the difference.
• Mexican taco stew - This recipe has quickly become a go-to over the past year.
• mustard-baked chicken with a pretzel crust - I fell quickly for this chicken recipe. It's not terribly difficult (do you see the pattern here) and tastes amazing. Found via Dinner: A Love Story.

Any recipes I should be making?

Crafting a new space

One of the things I worried about most when moving into a new space was the loss of my built-in craft area. While my old apartment was small, I was lucky enough to have a built-in desk that made for a perfect place to hide away all of my craft supplies. Even though I was gaining more space, it's not like I would have an extra bedroom/office/craft room (leave a girl to dream). Enter the filing cabinet...

 

If you know me at all, you know I'm obsessed with things that have multiple drawers (I will own a library card catalogue one day). My solution came in the form of a tall filing cabinet being tossed by my office. Free? Industrial? Yes! I was a little worried that it wouldn't properly blend in, but I was happy to be proven wrong. In fact, it's one of my favorite corners.

My type collection graces the top, and there is the beginning of an inspiration board happening on the side. Open the drawers, and you may find things still a bit messy, but it's coming along.






(ribbon, vintage bias tape, crepe paper for that spontaneous party, vintage photos and bowties, 
a print by Rar Rar Press, blank canvas, etc.)

Bathroom redecorating on a budget

One of the nice things about moving is the ability pare down and start anew. I am enjoying figuring out on which walls to hang certain pieces (and what to cycle out for a bit). My bedroom is currently pretty sparse considering that I had very little in the way of official bedroom furniture (save for a bed) in my previous apartment. I crave real wood, vintage pieces and am refusing to rush the process.

Another room that I'm focusing my redecorating efforts on is my bathroom. I had my eye on a white ruffled shower curtain but couldn't bring myself to pay what both Urban Outfitters and Anthropologie were asking. I'd rather invest money in fancy bath and beauty products than in a shower curtain. Luckily, I stumbled across a $20 version* of the shower curtain on Amazon one night.

Armed with the shower curtain I wanted, I focused on making my dreams of a winter white bathroom a reality. Enter my second hurdle. Attractive bathroom accessories are difficult to find. Everything looks the same and is overly priced. A simple tumbler** was $12.99 when purchased in the Bath section. Something similar, when purchased in another section, is half that price. This is why, when I ran into friends while shopping at Target on Wednesday night, I was in the kitchen section. Bigger selection, prices more reflective of the quality of the item being purchased (I may have grabbed my soapbox while standing in that kitchen aisle).  I walked away (very pleased with myself) with the items pictured above. The ceramic ramekin is perfect for holding sundry bits and was about $3. I think the latte mug, which will hold my toothpaste, etc., was a dollar more.

Are there things you're willing to get creative with? Should everything be about quality?

*The quality is definitely fitting something you'd pay $20 for; however, it suits my needs.
**A cuter, even fancier tumbler can be found at Anthro for around $8, if you're in the market.

I'm moving...take my stuff!

For nearly five years, I've lived in a 488 square-foot studio apartment. It's the first apartment I've had that is all my own. This cozy lab has allowed me to experiment with my style and has given me a space to figure myself out. Halloweens, birthdays, dinner parties, Rock Band nights, Gilmore Girls marathons, photoshoots...this space has seen it all.

This studio has also started to seem incredibly small for the last couple of years. Don't get me wrong, I don't need a ton of space. I appreciate how it forces me to make tough choices before bringing things into the house. Still, I dream of being able to shut a bedroom door. I want to throw another party. So, when the opportunity to upgrade to a one-bedroom apartment in my same complex came up, I jumped on it (almost literally). I move in under a month!

In order to pare down a bit before moving, I thought I'd see if could give away a few things and move with less. If you want any of this, claim it in the comments.

letterpress drawer (similar to the one linked)
random box of books (that I haven't read)
random box of yarn
blue and brown floral shower curtain
yellow batik shower curtain
owl scarf rack
set of metal robots
set of urban vinyl toys

P.S. Will also be offering these same things to work peeps.

A salad for Christmas

I'm pretty sure I don't possess the skills to make the above dish look appetizing, but let me assure you that it is damn good.

For the past three or four years, I've taken charge of cooking Christmas dinner (really lunch in our house). I always tend to try out one new dish on the masses. Last year, I experimented with acorn squash and fell in love. This year, in my quest to lighten up the meal, I tried Homesick Texan's tomato and cucumber salad with cornbread croutons.

Okay, so perhaps the addition of cornbread takes something away from my attempts at a healthier side. I don't care. This salad was refreshing and contained just the right amount of kick. The cornbread croutons were spot on. I might have to make it more often once summer rolls around.

Btw, my version didn't include the red onion or the cilantro, and it tasted just fine. Also, I think all of you need to run out and buy the Homesick Texan cookbook. This is the third recipe of hers that I've tried, and they all have pretty much knocked my socks off.

#31DDD: one of the recipes you're willing to share

Since I'm not really one to create recipes, I have no problem sharing a few every now and then that have been working for me. One of my favorites I discovered this summer comes via fresh356.

Now, while I'm not to the point where I whip things up from scratch, I am quite the tinkerer. Rarely do I meet a recipe that I'll make exactly as it's written. This is usually because (1) I'm being lazy, (2) I don't like a certain ingredient, or (3) I don't want to spend the money on a particular ingredient. So, without further ado, I present to you the bastardized version of Erin's black bean and sweet potato quesadillas. These are amazing!

Black Bean & Sweet Potato Quesadilla

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes
2 T olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 small jalapenos, finely chopped (no thanks!)
14-oz can diced tomatoes
15.5-oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
juice of 1 lime
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 large handful fresh cilantro, leaves chopped (I really dislike cilantro.)
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped (Shudder.)
1 c crumbled feta goat cheese
8 whole-wheat tortillas
1 c salsa (I use Wegman's pineapple salsa or TJ's peach salsa.)

If I'm feeling extra fun, I'll throw in some corn or another veggie.

Preheat oven to 400F. Toss your chopped sweet potatoes on a baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes, until tender. Set these aside when done.

In a large pan, heat olive oil, over medium heat, and add garlic. Sauté 1-2 minutes, until garlic just begins to brown. I usually burn the garlic (accidentally). Add diced tomatoes, black beans, lime juice, salt, and pepper. If you're adding corn or another veggie. Add them here. Seriously, don't skimp on the lime juice. It makes it awesome. Cook 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until well heated. Turn off heat, stir in goat cheese and sweet potato. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

I usually let it cook, then package the mixture up for future meals. I just place the mixture between two tortillas, add some of my favorite salsa, and pop it in the microwave for about a minute.

Passing on holiday food traditions

 
Christmas 2008, at the nursing home

The holiday season always sparks conversations about traditions, often centered around food, among my friends. This Thanksgiving was no different. I find historic and regional eating habits fascinating.

After our conversation on Thursday, I found myself flipping through a cookbook my mom and grandma made for me a year or so after I moved up north. While there aren't stories accompanying the recipes, reading over many of the entries transported me back to our kitchen table. I've included a couple of recipes below.
---------------------------------

Long Boy Cheeseburger - These beauties were a Christmas Eve staple. They were sort of like an open-faced burger baked in the oven. Topped with ketchup, they were tasty and a quick fix before we began opening presents. 

In a 2-qt bowl, mix the following ingredients: 1 lb ground beef, 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1/4 cup catsup or chili sauce, 1/4 chopped onion, 1/2 cup cornflakes, and 1/2 evaporated milk.
 
Cut three 6-inch Brown 'n Serve french rolls in half lengthwise. Put equal parts of the meat mixture on the cut side of each roll. Spread evenly.
 
Bake on a cookie sheet at 375 degrees about 20-25 minutes or until the beef is done. During the last 5 minutes of baking, top with a slice of American cheese. Serve.
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Cookie Logs - Charlie and I called these turds (because, let's face it, that's exactly what they looked like). Despite our disgusting nickname for them, they were my favorite Christmas treat. I'm pretty sure they made an appearance on every tray my grandma sent to my mom and grandpa's offices and to school.
 
1 lb powdered sugar, 1 cup chopped pecans, 1 cup chunky peanut butter, 1 tsp vanilla, 1 cup coconut, 1 cup crushed vanilla wafers, 1 cup melted margarine
 
Mix all together and roll into logs. Put in the refrigerator and chill. Then, melt chocolate bark with about 1 tbsp of shortening. Dips logs into the chocolate. Let set.
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I would love to start a collection of regional cookbooks. I've been kicking myself for passing up a cookbook of recipes from the Crooked Road, Virginia's scenic music trail. I spotted it a few weeks ago while in Rocky Mount on a work trip. If you're interested in regional food culture and oral histories, you should check out the new Foodways project in Texas.

holidaze

Another year, another friendsgiving (seems to be the popular term around the internet). I combined the powers of my pumpkin cupcakes with pumpkin cream cheese to form the cake above. I also brought brussel sprouts, but they weren't as pretty. :-)

I always miss my family even more around holidays I can't spend with them, but I'm lucky to have good friends who will take me in. I'll even forgive them for not letting me win at Uno.

The art on my walls

The morning light was finally bright enough in my dark little apartment for me to attempt to capture some of the wall art I've got up. I've been wanting to take some photos in here for a long time, but my place gets horrible natural light (and I lack the skill to create my own natural-looking lighting).
I've recently done some rearranging in order to focus the wall behind my bed on art featuring typography (first photo above). My 20x200 piece by William Powhida (lower right corner) started it all. The other photo shows my small collection of Berkley Illustration prints.
The photograph in the picture above was the first (and only...so far) piece of original art that I have purchased. A few years ago I went to the DCist photography show and fell in love with the colors in this shot of graffiti. The picture beside is what happens when you walk into West Elm and find the clearance section. I love trees and found wood, but I have to say that I've wondered more than once what I was thinking when I brought home that (all sales final) wooden sculpture.
I keep wanting to type "this one's my favorite!" but have to stop myself. The first print above was from Ravena on my birthday last year and is by Tabitha Bianca Brown. I really do love it and what it stands for. You might remember it made an appearance in an earlier blog post.

The pieces in the photo on the right are also special. The girl on a unicycle was from Allie one Christmas. It's so simple and so me. The print below it was from Steven (also a Christmas gift). It's my only Elsie Flannigan print and means a lot to me. It's an incredible feeling to know someone out there is really listening to what you say and cares enough to remember.

I'm quickly running out of space for new prints/pieces on my walls. If anything prompts a move to a bigger space, that just might.

Pumpkin cupcakes: the easy way

I've been hoarding* two cans of organic pumpkin ever since the season began and decided that today was the day to put it to good use. All of these fall leaves have me in the spirit. That said, I'm not much of a baker. I always have to fight the desire to tweak the recipe (usually because I don't want to add a certain ingredient), so the more precise chemistry of baking sometimes alludes me. Plus, my stuff never turns out as pretty as the pictures, and that frustrates me to no end.

I used this recipe from Real Simple. Tweaks for this recipe include: store-bought icing, a splash of maple syrup, and my own mix of spices.

My favorite part of the picture above might just be my grandmother's Thanksgiving potholder.
 
*All it took was rumors of a pumpkin shortage for me to decide to buy two cans of the stuff. It should be noted I've never purchased pumpkin puree in my life.