Our House

Lights Installed

2011-05-09T14:17:00.000-07:00

Front Door

2011-05-07T15:51:00.000-07:00

Door before:Door after:
I painted the lights, too.

*Some black paint + new hardware + kickplate= one good looking new door

*Rustoleum Automotive Primer in gray topped with Krylon Black Satin spray paint, SCHLAGE Antique Brass door hardware, antique brass kickplate from ACE Hardware Store.

Online Orders

2011-04-26T14:04:00.000-07:00

I finally ordered the rug and lights I've been dreaming about for my living room/dining room.

For under the table: For over the table:

For the foyer:

This light is immense. It is supposedly just over 4ft tall. I love the idea of a huge foyer light, I just hope it works out the way I think.

Stairs: Done

2011-04-22T16:04:00.000-07:00

And done. I can just see my little princesses drifting down these stairs to meet their future prom dates. For now they will learn to climb up them. :)

Stairs:Getting Closer

2011-03-16T21:44:00.001-07:00

In the midst of moving, I pulled down the railing, painted the blausters white and refinished the posts and railing in dark walnut.

The flooring guys installed the beautiful hardwood.

Then it was time to paint the tread, which I did, and reinstall the railing, which I left to the pros.

Can't get enough of these:love the wall color the stain and the bright white trim.

Still to do:

Touch up paint

Stain new trim pieces

Top coat railing and new trim

. . . and oh yeah, do that whole other railing that runs under the top one. But I'm not in a big hurry, I'm just going to enjoy the journey. Redoing a house is something I've wanted to do all my life.

Kitchen Cabinet Hardware

2011-03-04T15:45:00.000-08:00

My new kitchen comes with some things I love: gray solid surface countertops, an integrated sink, oak cabinets, and a nice layout. But it also comes with some seriously ugly cabinet hardware.

Out with the old . . .

Here's what I'm thinking about swapping them out for.

I really like the look of the round pull on top, but it doesn't fit my existing holes, so I'm think the square ones are going to win out.

Some Before and (almost) Afters

2011-03-03T07:44:00.000-08:00

Our house needs a little updating. We are starting with painting and installing new hardwood. The painting happened on Monday and today they are starting on the floors. I feel like we are off to a good start. Here are some before's and some during's (after's are still a ways down the road.)

The dining room before.

The dining room now.

The entry/stairs before.

Entry now.

The stairs now. (I'm stripping and refinishing the stairs à la Centsational Girl)

The formal living room before.

Formal Living After.

P.S. I'm loving the paint color we chose. It is just the right kind of warm grey that I really wanted. I wish I could share the name but it came from a random sample I picked up at the paint store.

Nantucket Style

2010-11-17T19:27:00.000-08:00

In my house search I've fallen in love with a few houses. It seems that each on calls to be made into a beauty in its own style. There was the 1940 home that wanted a farmhouse sink and floral curtains. A 1980's tudor that wanted to be a craftsman with a red door. But this new house doesn't really call out to be something in particular. In a lot of ways it is a blank slate and I can choose whatever I want. Although there are many styles I find beautiful and would very much enjoy making my own, I've always dreamed of living in a traditional colonial-ish house. I love red brick and black shutters. Recently, I've discovered some thing calling itself "Nantucket Style" which seems to be a fresher/seaside take on colonial style. (I would just need to add some cedar shakes to my mostly red brick/black shuttered home :)

I really liked this house at Hooked on Houses.
I especially liked the light fixtures.

I liked how house this house at House Beautiful used unexpected punches of color, like this orange. Orange happens to be my favorite color.

I'm starting to really like grasscloth wallpaper, but I'm not sure if I'd be brave enough to use it.Sarah Richardson from HGTV's Sarah's House designed this lovely cottage. Of course, this room is breathe-taking in large part because of what is outside the windows. I'll have to make due with an ordinary Sandy neighborhood view:) But I think I might be able to make it work.

Christmas Card

2010-11-08T15:52:00.001-08:00

With Love Blue Christmas 5x7 folded card

Shop Shutterfly.com for elegant Christmas photo cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

Shutterfly Christmas cards

2010-11-04T17:00:00.000-07:00

I found the perfect cards for Christmas. A friend of mine took some family pictures for us and I found some cards at Shutterfly that are going to work great. I'm getting my cards free because I'm writing about it on my blog, you should go here http://bit.ly/sfly2010 to get your cards free, too. I think doing a story card is a great idea, it is almost like giving everyone a little photo book for Christmas. I also love that they will address and mail your card for $1 more per card. I am really considering using their cards for everything.

Look how simple and elegant this one is. You can even include pictures inside the card, which is a special bonus. I think because I'm getting so many cards free that all of you can expected a to receive one. It is making one of the things on my Christmas to do list super easy.

Gilgal Garden

2010-09-17T04:25:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I took the girls to a very quirky garden downtown. Have any of you heard of the Gilgal Sculpture Garden? As bizarre as it is, I kind of fell in love with it, I can't get it out of my mind and I want to go back.

I was in the mood to see a garden yesterday so I googled Salt Lake City gardens and Gilgal is what I came up with. The online description said it had Mormon religious sculptures, most notably a Sphinx with the head of Joseph Smith. Weird but I was intrigued. As I was parking, I noticed a tattooed artsy guy get out of the car next to me. He was bring along some of his hipster friends and I asked if they were going to the garden. The guy was super excited and started to tell me all about the garden -- he had obvious love for the place. I'm guessing he is an artist himself. He explained that the Sculptor was a Mormon bishop who had built the place in his backyard and by some miracle had been saved from destruction after his death and had now been turned into this garden.

I guess when I read “Mormon religious sculptures” I had pictured the sweet mother and son ones that you find on Temple Square. This was nothing like that. It was random; definitely, Joseph Smith’s face on the Sphinx, random sculptures of hands, feet and human hearts, tablets with hymns and scriptures, and a shrine to the Sculptor’s wife. At first it was almost disconcerting but I as I walked around and read the inscriptions, I realized this was a man’s life work and he had pour everything important to him into this. There was something so raw and real about it. It is possibly the most sincere art I have ever beheld. Not created because the artist would receive money or fame, but just a genuine human need to communicate what was most meaningful to this man. It was beautiful.

The quirkiness reminded scupltures of Antoni Gaudi that I saw years ago in Barcelona. Like these ones from the roof of the Guell Palace.

But unlike the whimsical Guadi statues, there was the emotionally intensity you find in the religious works of the master's. I kept thinking of the rough unfinished Florentine Pieta. To me the fact that it is unfinished makes it all the more powerful, it is as if Michelangelo was just so emotionally drained he couldn't finish. The Gilgal works have that same quality.

I'm will definitely be visiting the Gilgal Garden again. Lots of my favorite art is very far away, it is pretty amazing to find something this thought provoking in your own backyard.

Refashioned Maternity Shirt

2009-11-05T15:59:00.001-08:00

I have recently been inspired by Stephanie's shirt refashioning, so I decided to give it a try. I took two black tops that are both too wide for my not pregnant self but to short for my pregnant self.

I cut off the shirt with sleeves just below the bust and cut the straps off the tank top and then sewed the two pieces together.

I used some of the leftover fabric to make some little roses for the collar.

Bedroom

2009-10-27T13:36:00.000-07:00

I've been spending most of my "decorating time" working on projects for the living. But the bedroom was being overlooked and I wanted instant decorating satifaction so I did a few quick things. I think they make a big difference but I like that I feel like I can change when ever I feel so inclined.

I spray painted a mirror cream that was previously gold. For the hang squares I hogpogged scrapbook paper over thick wooden frames I found at Michael's for at $1 each. And then I hot glued the bows made with fabric left over from the pillows.
These frames are also spray-painted cream with photos Josh took while we were in Maine. The middle one is some scrapbooking paper that looks the building blue prints.

Kürbissuppe

2009-10-23T12:36:00.000-07:00

This afternoon I had the perfect fall meal that always takes me back to Switzerland. Pumpkin Soup and Grilled Ham and Swiss Cheese is a great variation on the ever classic Tomato Soup and Grill Cheese. I made this Kürbissuppe with acron squash, which I'm pretty sure could still fit the title because Kürbis is a more general term than pumpkin meaning all squash (I just don't think Switzerland has the variety of squash we do, so they almost always use a culinary pumpkin.)

Kürbissuppe is very simple to make

Start with a mirepoix of 1/4 onion, 2 carrots and 1 small stock celery
Saute the mirepoix on low heat with a T butter (this is sometimes called sweating the vegetables)
Soften a medium to small pumpkin or squash in the microwave for a few minutes, this makes it easier to shell and cube, which is the next step
Add the cut squash to the mirepoix and add 2 1/2 cups of vegetable stock (adjust amount to cover all the veggies)
Boil together for about 20 minutes or until all vegetables are tender
Pour into a blender and blend until velvety smooth (that is the magic of the soup)
Return to pot and adjust seasoning (I only like to add salt, pepper, nutmeg, and ground rosemary. Unlike with most things I don't get adventurous with this soup and the seasoning. But you could try Cheyenne pepper for a little heat, paprika or I've seen German recipes that add ginger, if you are using fresh ginger add it before you blend the soup.)

Definitely finish it off with some cream or sour cream. And enjoy.

Homemade Bread and Jam

2009-09-11T10:04:00.000-07:00

This just seems like the quintessential stay-at-home mom thing to do. I'm rather happy to find myself in the spot of the quintessential stay-at-home mom.

I used a dough recipe that replaces some of the flour with mash potatoes. It also has lots of sugar and eggs so it has a sweetbread quality that is great with jam. Although, I'm pleased with how it turned out I'm not totally satisfied that this should be "my" bread recipe. I think next time I'll try something lighter.

I Wish I Had Invited You Over

2009-09-07T12:01:00.001-07:00

Sometimes my lunch turns out so good, I wish I had invited someone to share it with me. This Black Bean Hummus was just such a lunch. So I guess I'll just have to share via "the internets" and try to inspire you to try it on your own.

I've been a long time fan of do-it-yourself hummus. It satisfy all of my requirements for a perfect food: inexpensive, easy (I nearly always have the ingredients on hand), and healthy.

Any can of chickpeas/garbanzo beans will have the recipes on the back:

1 can of chickpeas with the juice, a garlic glove, salt,1 T olive oil, 1T lemon juice. Blend it all up in a food processor and service with fresh veggies and pita bread.

Today, I tried a little variation. Black bean hummus is just about the same, accept I added some cayenne pepper, black pepper, and olives. A recipe I saw recommended Greek olive, but I put in some green olives and it was very yummy. Overall, the black beans variety seems pretty open to interpretation. So, go give it a try!

A house of order . . .

2009-09-01T15:47:00.000-07:00

The inspiration (for about $500):

My take(for about $50):

It even has a pull down cupboard that is set up to be a charging station.

North Shore Eats

2009-05-09T21:28:00.000-07:00

In addition to amazing waves and sea turtles, Oahu's north shore has a pretty cool little main drag with fun resturtants and shops. We got some authentic Hawaiian style pizza at Pizza Bob's.

Yup, ham and pineapple, just like you would expect.

After that we stopped by Matsumoto's Shave Ice and got a couple larges with ice cream and azuki beans. Azuki beans are these crazy little red beans that have been boiled in sugar. This may sound weird, but it was really delicious.

Here is a sign that lists all the flavors; you can choose up to three. I went for coconut cream, raspberry and mango.

Hawaiian Luau and Plate Lunch

2009-05-08T14:41:00.000-07:00

Josh and I had a great time in Hawaii. We will be posting more pics of the trip here. We had a great time kayaking, snorkeling, hiking and seeing the sights. But for me a big part of any trip is experiencing the food. So I'm going to post a bit about our food adventures.

For many, the first thing that comes to mind with Hawaiian Cuisine is a luau. We luaued at the Polynesian Cultural Center. The pièce de résistance was the kalua pork. Kalua means it has been cooked underground. At the PCC they make a big deal about pulling the pig out the steaming oven and parading it around. (It was great for effect, but I sort of doubt that was the same pig on the buffet.)

I loaded up my plate with a bit of everything on the buffet (I passed on the raw salmon, although the Asian family at our table couldn't get enough). The purple thing on the top is a roll made with taro, called poi in Hawaiian. It was a bit sweeter than a regular roll and very good. My favorite thing was to pair a piece of barbequed chicken and a bit of fresh pineapple. It was heavenly.

As it grew dark at the PCC they lit these magicial tiki torches. I really think everything tastes better by tiki light.

There was a fairly good selection of desserts. My favorite were the little white squares of coconut pudding. I had seen a recipe for it in a travel magizine and wished I could try some, so I was pretty excited to see it on the dessert buffet. The recipe seems so simple. Although I haven't tried to make any yet, I thought I would share.

Ingredients
• 2 14-ounce cans coconut milk
• 2 1/4 cups sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup cornstarch
• ground cinnamon for dusting or toasted coconut flakes

In a saucepan, combine the coconut milk with the sugar and salt. Bring to a full boil and cook for about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
In a bowl, combine the cornstarch with ¾ cup of water and, with a whisk, mix well into a slurry.
Immediately pour the slurry into the saucepan and cook, continuously whisking until the mixture thickens into a pudding, about 2 minutes.
Remove from the heat.
Pour the mixture through a colander.
Transfer the strained pudding into a nonstick 12"x6" deep dish or any other fun shape.
Smooth out the surface, and set aside to cool.
Refrigerate to completely set, about 2 hours.
Dust the surface with ground cinnamon or toasted coconut, slice, and serve.

This isn't from our luau but, I thought it was an inspirational presentation. The pudding could easily be poured into a tea cup or small bowl and chilled to create this fun shape.

After the luau, plate lunch is probably the most notable Hawaiian fare. Plate lunch consists of a couple scoops of rice, a couple scoops of macroni salad and a load of meat. This lunch came with fried shrimp, mahi mahi and barbeque chicken. I've become quite a fan of Hawaiian seafood, esspecially mahi mahi. Here's a picture of the weird little guy.

Josh opted for the teriyaki beef. Also note the Waialua Root Beer. We found this at a shop on the North Shore, the shop keeper explained that the soda is made with natural cane sugar from Maui, Big Island vanilla, and honey from Kauai. It tasted so good we had to go back and get some to bring home.

Mise en Place

2009-04-05T20:30:00.000-07:00

I am very committed to the idea of mise en place while cooking. Mise en place is a French phrase that literally means "put in place" and is used in the culinary world as having everything in place ready for cooking. It also requires cleaning as you cook, so you don't end up with a huge mess at the end. My mother will cite this as the biggest difference in my pre and post culinary school cooking habits.

However, I have noticed a significant decrease in my mise en place as a result of having a toddler in the kitchen. Ainslie really loves to help out. The other day she helped by combining the contents of all the cansiters on my table. So now my flour and sugar have oatmeal sprinkled in which adds an unexcepted texture to any dish.

At a resturant in Rome in the pre-canister mixing days.

Tonight we had California Pizza Kitchen style pizza for dinner. I love how pizza has become this dynamic new forum for creative combinations. I was very inspired by some of the pizza combination we had in Rome. My favorite was this amazing arugula topped pizza. Arugula is a salad green that looks a lot like the leaves that grow on a dandy lion. It has a wonderful nutty/peppery taste. I'm not really sure where to buy it but I just read online that it is easy to grow at home so I might just give that a try.

This is what I did tonight:

Make a simple dough

1 cup warm water

2 Tbs yeast

pinch sugar

Combine and allow yeast to grow for a few minutes, then add

pinch salt

1/2 oil

addd flour until it forms a nice dough

Roll out the pizza and cook,

Add sauce, cheese and bacon,

Broil until toasted

I topped the pizza with a salad I made with spinach, tomates, cumcumber, red onion, fresh basil and tossed with ranch dressing. It was very yummy.

Presto, Pesto

2009-03-30T20:03:00.000-07:00

My basil plant is getting a little out of control. I have been using the leaves here and there for spaghetti, pasta salad or to spice up a panini sandwich or two. But none of that seemed to tame this wild beast, so I decided it was time for pesto.
I've gotten a little attached to the thing and felt a little bit like I was sacrificing a good friend for dinner. (Although the picture above is after dinner so as you can see it didn't really make a dent.)
Pesto is super easy and very yummy.
This is what I did:

1 cup fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup Parmesan
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup pine nuts (I used sunflower seeds.)
3 medium sized garlic cloves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Mix in a food processor until it becomes a thick paste.

Boil 6 oz. rigatoni

Pan fry two chicken breasts (I cut them into smaller pieces before frying.)
To pan fry chicken, first dredge the chicken in flour seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic salt. Heat about two tablespoons of oil in a frying pan and cook the chicken on both sides until golden brown.

I then mixed the pasta, pesto and chicken together in the pan (allow the pan to cool before adding pasta to avoid spattering).

Serve immediately. This makes dinner for two and a half. (Ainslie loved the rigatoni because it was big enough for her to slide onto her finger before eating it off. Silly girl.)

1,000 Cranes

2009-02-05T08:53:00.000-08:00

Last semester the professor of one of my public finance classes found out he had cancer. During the semester he started chemotherapy. Even though many days he was very tired and in pain because of the chemo, he still came to teach our class and advise us on our projects. He showed incredible courage. As a thank you our class got together to fold 1,000 origami cranes. There is a Japanese legend that says if a person folds a thousand origami cranes will be granted a wish by a crane.

This is a picture of some of my classmates giving the cranes to our professor. I think it turn out beautifully. It is an experience I always want to remember.

The Last Ten Years

2009-01-05T12:16:00.000-08:00

I am not typically a person who spends a lot of time reminiscing about the past. I actually spend most of my time planning the future. I love having goals and projects. However, a couple of weeks ago, right before finals, Ainslie was sick and had a hard time sleeping one night. While I was rocking her, I was thinking about the last ten years of my life. It made me realize how grateful I am for the opportunities and blessings we have received and proud of the things I have accomplished. I am still excited for the next 10 years, but I am making it a goal to spend a little bit more time being grateful of the last 10.

Here are some highlights:

1999 started dating Josh

2000 moved out on my own

2001 first trip to Europe (Spain, France, Italy)

2002 finished Culinary School

2003 mission in Switzerland

2004 Josh asked me to marry him while we were in NYC

2005 first year of married life, graduated with bachelors in English

2006 traveled to Eastern Europe with Josh (Switzerland,Germany, Prague, Poland, Ukraine, Budapest, Vienna), other trips, worked a dream job (Paralegal at K&Mc)

2007 Had Ainslie and then took her at 6 weeks to Europe (Germany, Greece, Paris, Rome, Florence, Venice)

2008 Finished first half of graduate school, and had lots of opportunties to learn to balance family life, school, church callings, and work.

We will see what other things are in store for this little family. . .

Hairbows and Halloween

2008-10-20T22:13:00.000-07:00

Although I like to cook and sew etc., I am not what I would consider crafty. But sometimes I surprise myself.
Some hairbows:
Halloween cards:

Maybe politics and cooking don't mix . . .

2008-09-13T21:18:00.000-07:00

I heard about Samak Sundaravej, the prime minister of Thailand, on the radio. Apparently, before he was prime mister he was a famous TV chef, which earned him enough fame to get elected, however that past role is now getting him into trouble. Read here for more info: http://blog.foreignpolicy.com/node/9734

While cooking is my favorite hobby and policy analysis is my chosen field of study, it looks like pursuing them simultaneously as professions might be a bad idea.

On a tangently related note, it turns out the Thai food is awesome. I learned to love it on my mission. It is my understanding that Switerzland is the country with the second best Thai food . . . next to England. (That's a bad joke, but there are quite a few Thailanders in Europe) Tonight I made an easy Coconut Chicken Curry:

1 lb. skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut in bite-sized pieces
1/2 medium onion (optional, but I like it), chopped
1 medium red Bell pepper, chopped

1 medium green Bell pepper, chopped
1 can coconut milk (can use light or regular)
Curry paste

Salt to taste

Preparation:

1) Heat some oil (in the pan, you want a thin coating on the bottom).

2) Chop onion, and add.

3) Chop peppers and add. Stir. Cook until onion is getting soft, if it isn't already.

4) While that is cooking, chop the chicken.

5) Add the curry paste (including the salt).

6) Add the chicken. Stir until almost cooked through.

7) Add the coconut milk. (Note: this makes a fairly soupy curry. If you want it thicker, just add maybe 2/3 of the can.) Bring it to a boil, and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes.

Serve over rice.

Trying My Hand at French Cuisine

2008-08-07T21:03:00.000-07:00

I am a little embrassed to admit that before tonight I have never really delved into the world of French cooking. I mean it seems like it would be an obvious starting place since the French pretty much invented culinary arts. But it took Julia Child to inspire me to give it a try, and . . . WOW!

I found this recipe in a "Cooking Light" cookbook, but I did my best to add the fatting, yet tasty things, back in.

Chicken Francais:

Ingredients: 2 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup dry white wine (I used a little apple juice and some dijon mustard for kick)

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

3 garlic cloves, minced

8 (4-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon olive oil, divided

Cooking spray

Sauce

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup dry white wine

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Combine the eggs, Parmesan cheese, parsley, white wine, lemon juice, salt, hot pepper sauce, and garlic in a shallow dish. Set aside.

Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of plastic wrap or wax paper and pound to 1/4-inch thickness. You really do want the breasts a little on the smaller side for this as the very large breasts will pound out to nearly the size of your skillet! If this happens you'll end up cooking the chicken breasts one by one... Once pounded, dredge chicken in flour and dip in the egg mixture.

Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Add chicken breast halves (don't crowd the pan); cook about 4 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from pan and keep warm. Repeat the procedure with 1 1/2 teaspoons oil and the remaining chicken, wiping the drippings out from the pan between each batch.
After the last cutlet has been cooked, melt butter in pan. Add 1/4 cup wine and 3 tablespoons juice. Bring to a boil; cook for 10 or 20 seconds. Serve over chicken.

I served with with a quick and easy arborio rice salad. I just cooked the rice, added a diced tomato, some red onion and green pepper and tossed in some greek salad dressing, thyme and oregano. Also on the side I cooked up some spinach.

For Dessert:

Apple Tart

1/2 (15-ounce) package refrigerated crescent dough (such as Pillsbury)

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 pounds Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced (I used rehydrated food storage apples)

2 1/2 tablespoons honey

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the top:

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup sugar

Combine apples and spices. Place in center of dough and bring up edges. Brush with egg and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake in 350 oven° for 15 to 20 min.

You will be humming La Vie en Rose the rest of the evening.

Bon Appetit!

Kelsey Nixon the Next Star

2008-06-25T06:23:00.000-07:00

Our favorite cook from BYU TV is competing on The Next Food Network Star. Unfortunately we don't have The Food Network. But you can vote for Kelsey http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/show_nf/text/0,2495,FOOD_20096_67977,00.html .

Cooking Methods Lesson1: Braising

2008-05-30T07:13:00.000-07:00

So I'm getting back to the hard-core cooking posts.

In this post I will be discussing the various methods of applying heat to food. Before that it is important to understand how different substances react to heat. Some of this might seem obvious, but it can be very helpful to break down whatever it is you are cooking and consider how each part will respond to the cooking method you have chosen.

Effects of Heat

Fats: Melt (just like butter in the pan and the extra bits of fat in meat) -- also if the fat is allowed to get very hot it will speed up the cooking of the sugars in the foods and make them crispy (like when you deep-fry something.)

Protein: "coagulates" meaning it get firmer. Also it is important to remember that proteins also lose moisture and get smaller.

Sugar: Caramelizes, get brown and a rich dark flavor. This is one the best flavors in cooking. Realize that sugar is present in almost all foods (this is why your chicken or rolls will get that nice golden color when cooked.)

Water: Evaporates. Most foods are primarily made of water and no one likes to eat food that is over-cooked and dry.

Cooking methods -can be broken down into two groups: dry-heat methods and moist heat methods.

Dry Heat Methods include- Broiling, Grilling, Baking, Sautéing, Pan-frying and Deep-Frying. These are great because they get the caramelization going, which adds that great flavor.

Moist Heat Methods include- poaching, simmering, boiling, steaming. The real advantage here is that they add moisture as cook, so you don't end up with a dry finished product.

Braising is one way to get the best of both methods.

Braising is a great way to cook larger, tough cuts of meat, like Roasts and Ribs. Lately, I have been discovering how great braising is for chicken, which is what inspired this post Braising is very similar to what you are already doing in your crock pot; however, most of us are skipping the first and maybe most important step.

Here are the basic steps:

1. Season the meat and brown in a sauté pan with a little fat. (Dry seasons like salt, pepper, garlic salt, and rosemary work well because when you coat the meat and then when you brown the outside the sugars in the meat, the fat and the seasons create a delicious hard shell around the meat that keeps all the juice inside. Also dredging smaller cuts of meat in flour with seasonings can create the same effect.)

2. Finish the meat by simmering it in a liquid or sauce. You do this by transferring the meat to a crock pot or deep baking dish or pan. You can simmer on the stove top or in the oven. Braised meats should be tender. For large, tough cuts of meat the simmering stage could take 3-4 hours, but for smaller and tenderer cuts, like chicken, 30 minutes may be all you need.

Simple, right? Here are some ways you can try it out.

Here is a recipe for Cafe Rio's Pork Barbacoa

http://durhamfam.blogspot.com/2008/04/caf-rios-pork-barbacoa.html

This is a great recipe, but before you put it all in the crock pot, rub the dry oregano, ginger, chili powder, garlic powder and dried onions all over the raw pork and brown it in a sauté pan on medium high with a little bit of oil. Transfer the meat to the crock pot, then "deglaze" the pan (fancy cooking word for using a liquid; classically wine, but you can use water, stock, vinegar, juice; to get all the delicious browned bits and flavors left in the pan after you brown something.) Pour what you have in the pan over the meat in the crock pot and follow the rest of the recipe.

One more recipe:

This is a very yummy Cranberry Chicken I made on Wenesday.
http://www.recipetips.com/recipe-cards/t--1576/cranberry-chicken.asp

Do everything this recipe says, but before topping the chicken with the cranberry/Catalina dressing sauce. Shake salt, pepper, garlic salt and dry rosemary (not too much) on the chicken and brown (the chicken should not be cooked through because you will finish that up in the oven) in a sauté pan (deglazing is less important in this case because the recipe calls for onion soup mix, which has about the same flavor. If you don't have the soup mix you can sauté some onions with chicken and then deglaze with stock. Also, I added a bit of Dijon mustard to the cranberry-catalina sauce, which added a nice little punch.

Good luck!

Mother's Day Strawberries

2008-05-10T21:40:00.000-07:00

Several weeks ago I ran into Josh and the other counselor in hall at the church (since he's been put in the Bishopric, we don't really attend church "together"). Josh started asking me if chocolate dipped strawberries would be hard to make and prompting me to affirm that they were.
Josh:Janae, don't they need some kind of special, expensive chocolate? Wouldn't that be really hard to do?
I excitedly responsed: No, they are super easy. Are you guys going to do that for mother's day? I want to help."
And today we handed out two chocolate strawberries to each woman in our ward. Here's the process from raw berry to decadent delight.

We melted two huge bricks of milk chocolate.

We dipped about 150 berries. On Saturday Josh and I were at the mall and saw chocolate dripped strawberries on sale for $2 each, so we firgured that we made $300 worth of strawberries for around $25.

Veva, the first counselor's wife, had the great idea to drizzle white chocolate over the finished strawberries. I think that made them look very fancy. Good thinking Veva!

Jokes

2008-04-18T21:51:00.000-07:00

Josh and I have decided that I have made a total of three funny jokes during our married life, one that ocurrred just last night. I make up for my lack of prolificacy by reliving these rare moments often. Here goes. . .

Several years ago, Josh and I were walking down the street talking about what kind of job I should get after I graduated with my bachelor's degree. We saw one of those Schwan trucks with the little freezer compartment on the back.

Janae: Maybe I could work for them, you know deliever ice cream and frozen chicken cordon-bleu.

Josh: I guess so, but what would you be called? I have only heard them refered to as "Schwan-men"

Pause

Janae: "Schwan-princess"

Josh and I went to Europe last summer and Josh packed Ainslie all over Italy in a baby bjorn. At St. Peter's Basilica in Rome they have these huge JumboTron screens set up where they broadcast the Pope's addresses. When I saw the three of us show up on the huge screen I exclaimed "Look, we are on the Vati-cam."

Last night I was helping Josh study for his up-coming exam in Trusts. He was explaining what makes a trust viable and I was asking questions about it.

Josh: It is illegal to pass on defective property through a trust.

Janae: Why is that?

Josh: Well you can't give something to the beneficiaries that wouldn't benefit them.

Janae: Oh I get it, if you gave them something bad it would make them "Nega-ficiaries."

Growing. . .

2008-04-06T18:40:00.001-07:00

I promised an update on these herbs. The basil is huge! The rosemary and chives are coming along a little slower but still progressing. Can't wait to start cooking with these, but I guess I'll just need to have patience . . .

Paris Impression

2008-03-15T13:00:00.000-07:00

Sushi and Coconut Shrimp

2008-03-09T19:30:00.000-07:00

I went to my parents' tonight and my brother Jordan announced that we were going to make sushi. We had so much fun! Together we made philadelphia rolls with cream cheese and cucumber and coconut shrimp. It was all delicious, thanks Jordan!

Here's the recipe for coconut shrimp:

1 package cooked frozen shrimp

Batter

1 egg

1/2 cup flour

2 cups flake coconut

pinch salt

enough water or milk to make batter the consistance of pancake batter

use a fry pan with two-three inch deep oil on medium high heat

thraw the shrimp by running it under warm water
mix batter together
dredge shrimp in flour and then in batter
fry shrimp until golden brown

These are really good dipped in apricot jam.

Today's Excitment

2008-03-04T20:32:00.000-08:00

Lately, I haven't really had much interesting going on to post about. But today was kind of exciting for me. I have two prospective internships for the summer, both working as a grant writer for nonprofit organizations; one is creative arts program for under-privileged kids and the other does microfinance and medical services to South America. Both are part time and will let me do the majority of work from home. I feel really good about the prospect of doing meaningful work for a cause I'm excited about but not having a huge full-time commitment. I'm meeting with both organizations Friday, so I'll let you know how it goes.

Second, the professor I work with said today that he wants to get the data analysis and research paper I am working on published. It is so exciting to think of something I've written being published in a real journal. My work is still quite a ways away from that but the idea is exciting.

I just reread what I wrote and realized how boring my exciting news sounds to most people.

Oh well, it makes me happy and I know you, as my dear friends, will be happy for me regardless :) ( or at induge me by pretending:)

Herb Garden

2008-02-18T08:42:00.000-08:00

To celebrate the coming of spring I've decided to start a little herb garden. Historically, I haven't had the "greenest" thumb, but I got this mini greenhouse and seeds for basil, rosemary and chives.

Then . . . they sprouted . . .and they are growing!

I'll keep you posted on how this goes.

Love, Sweet Love

2008-02-10T18:49:00.000-08:00

Who dosen't want a little something sweet for Valentine's. . .

I decided to dip these shortbread cookies in dark chocolate and white chocolate dyed pink. Then I wrapped them up to look like boxed chocolates.

To make them special, I drizzled a few drops of the contrasting chocolate on the cookie using on a piping bag. Then I took a bamboo skewer and swirled it into a fun design.

Spanakopita

2008-02-01T07:55:00.000-08:00

I have a confession to make. I made Spanakopita this week and I followed the recipe to the letter -- that is so not like me.

Spanakopita is a delicious spinach pastry Josh and I fell in love with while we were in Greece last summer. We loved everything about Greece, the historical sites, the paradisiacal weather, the olive trees (as seen to the right), the lovable people, and most definitely the famous food. I haven’t wanted to try to recreate it for fear that I would totally blow it and ruin the memory. However, when I saw this ginormous container of Feta, I just had to give it a try.

Here's what I did:

I made the phyllo dough by hand because I wanted the authenic feeling. While I was rolling dough over and over again with my mom's hand crank pasta maker to make paper thin sheets, I had Ainslie at my feet, and I told Josh I felt like a real Greek woman.

So if you are adventous here's the recipe:

INGREDIENTS:
8 cups of all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons of raki (or white vinegar)
2 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
1 1/4 - 1 1/3 cups of hot water
flour for work surface and hands

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix by hand until it holds together.

On a floured surface, knead by hand for 10-15 minutes until soft and malleable, with a smooth feel. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight before using.

To make phyllo sheets for pastries, run it through the pasta machine (with settings from 1-10, with 1 being the thickest), gradually working it down to setting mark 9 on your machine.

But really I would suggest just buying the phyllo dough premade in the freezer section.

So here's the a link for the filling. http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_1693,00.html

By the way, it turned out amazing! I'm sitting here consuming the last piece with flavors that take me back to a warm Grecian evening, wandering around the Agora, beneath the glow of the Acropolis. I am surprised by how well the mint, spinach and feta flavors taste together. I never would have thought of that. So, I guess it is good to follow a recipe, every now and then.

Garde Manger Lesson 1: Chicken Salad

2008-01-16T21:25:00.000-08:00

My favorite class in Culinary School was called Garde Manger. The most useful thing I learned in that class was how to make salad dressing. Nearly all cold sauces (i.e. salad dressing for green, pasta and potato salads, dips for chips, veggies or fruit, and even marinades) are composed of three basic things:

A fat (most often oil or mayo, more creative examples are sour cream, cream cheese, or yogurt)
An acid (commonly vinegar, sometimes lemon or other fruit juice or wine)
Seasonings (salt, pepper, sugar, herbs, vegetables, etc.)

The secret to a good cold sauce is a balance of fat and acid-- this combination was something our ancestors brought from the old world and we can't get enough of it. Stop and consider some of your favorite foods. I'm willing to bet if you pull apart the ingredients you'll find a fat and acid at the bottom of the flavor.

Some of my personal favorites: Fries and Ketchup(fries= potatoes and frying oil, ketchup= tomatoes(highly acidic) sugar (seasoning) and vinegar(classic acid). Even PBandJ gives you the fairly fatty peanut butter and the tangy tart juicy jam.

So about Chicken Salad, here are the guidelines:

Chicken (you can boil uncooked chicken, I like using canned chicken because it make it so fast)
Some crunchy things for texture (Waldorf Version --celery, apples, and cashews, as seen above. Also consider taking a southwestern approach using onions, corn and peppers or oriental with toasted almonds, chow mien noodles and grapes.)
The Basic Sauce--mayo, a little bit of vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper. (Now try to add in something that will pair well with your crunchy things. I added celery salt, a bit of mustard and a little bit more sugar to match with my celery and apples. If you do southwestern maybe add some cumin or chill pepper. If you are doing oriental use sesame oil or curry to make it Asian fusion.

Voila!

Dreaming of Germany

2007-12-01T19:30:00.000-08:00

Because reminisching about Europe makes us so happy, we've decided to hang prints of some of our favorite photos around the house. Of course we have the obligatory Eifel Tower and Gondolier shots, but we like the unexpected scenes the very best. There is something about a 1700 century home hazily-reflected in the Danube or a rusting bike forgotten against a plaster peeling wall that make us long to go back . . .

I am

dreaming of Ulm

and Venice,
and Florence, and Greece,
and Paris.

Homemade Croutons

2007-11-25T14:25:00.000-08:00

Many expert cooks believe that cooking begins at the store. It is there that the freshest and finest ingredient are hand-selected to perfectly match the desired recipe. In the kitchen each step of the recipe is followed with exactness, resulting in a prefect, predicable product. I am not that type of cook.

To me recipes are simply guidelines; a jumping off point if you will. To me the real fun happens when you look in the cupboard and create something out of nothing.

Here is an example:

· Take some bread (anything will do, some of my favorites croutons were made of leftover hamburger buns)
· Cut the bread into cubes and place in a plastic bag
· Add vinegar, oil (balsamic vinegar and olive oil are my favorites)
· Add seasonings (I always keep an Italian dressing package handy, but you can be creative.)
· Shake together in the bag
· Sauté in a hot skillet, cook until golden (think of grill cheese sandwiches)

A Blog of My Very Own

2007-11-18T21:07:00.000-08:00

So, I'm branching out. I now have a blog all of my own. Although I'm not sure what it will evolve into, right now I foresee it as blog to showcase our hobbies. I've been thinking we really need a place to show off some of the amazing pictures Josh has taken, and I'd like to start keeping track of my cooking adventures. Since I'm not so great at using recipes this is a good way to keep a history of the different things I come up with.

Stay tuned . . .