Turkey Day is almost here!

Ever since watching The Pioneer Woman, aka Ree Drummond, kick Bobby Flay's butt on "Throwdown" last week (yay!), I have been over at her cooking site constantly, drooling on my laptop just looking at all her delicious-sounding Thanksgiving recipes.

If I had a spacious kitchen of my very own, I would definitely be making the Cornbread Dressing with Sausage and Apples, and for dessert the Nantucket Cranberry Pie and the Pumpkin Cream Pie. Mmmm, they all sound so scrumptious, right? Alas, I live at home, and all my kitchen utensils are still packed in a box, sitting in the garage. And I can assure you that my mom will have so much going on in every corner of our smallish kitchen that there won't be much room for me to add to the frenzy.

Now, while I was rooting for Ree the whole way, I have to give some kudos to Bobby, too. His Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Spicy Caramel Apple Sauce and Vanilla Bean Creme Anglaise looked amazingly moist and decadent, a great way to end a holiday meal. Again, if I had the space (and the sanity-- the recipe is a bit complicated and time-consuming), I would add it to the Turkey Day lineup.

But you never know. Maybe I can carve out a space to cook and bake at least one of those dishes. For some reason this year I have an incredible urge to cook for Thanksgiving. Perhaps it is because I no longer have my own kitchen and I haven't done much in the way of cooking since I moved home.

So tell me, what are you doing for Thanksgiving? Will you be whipping up some dishes in the kitchen? Or are you letting someone else do all the cooking? :)

Whatever you do, wherever you go and whatever you fill your belly with, I hope you have a joyful Thanksgiving!

And as always, I am thankful for you. Thanks for being here,


Photo via we heart it via little reminders of love. Has nothing to do with the post really, but too darn cute not to share!

Colorful summer bounty

It's true. Fruits and vegetables always taste better when they are in season. And summer is one wonderful season, don't you think? The warm sunshine offers up ripe freshness perfect and primed for picking. Goodies like cherries, tomatoes, oranges, peaches and strawberries. And that's just what I bought when I stopped by Francisco's Fruit Stand in Fillmore last Sunday. (I'm eating some of my cherries right now, in fact. They taste like little plums to me.)

There was an abundance of other vibrant fruits and veggies, too. If I had unlimited funds and an ability to make my selections stay fresh long enough for me to use them all, I would have bought more. As it was, I satisfied my urge to shop through photography, capturing all the colors of summer's bounty.

Crates of bell peppers...

A rainbow of peaches, plums, nectarines...

Don't you just want to take a bite?

Huge melons...

Sweet stacks of California berries...

This has me dreaming of apple cobbler.

Tomatoes, on and off the vine...

It's funny. A couple months ago, I wasn't a big fan of tomatoes. I mostly just liked them in cooked form: pasta sauce, pizza, ketchup. But recently, I have discovered that tomatoes are actually amazingly delicious, even in their natural raw state. I've been eating slices of them on club sandwiches and hamburgers, and I absolutely adore pairing them with fresh avocado, scooped right out of its shell.

Since I bought a vine of eight campari tomatoes from the roadside market, my task became figuring out what to transform the red beauties into. Luckily, while catching up on my blog reading, I came across this super simple bruschetta recipe from Analiese over at Tulips & Tea. All you need is tomatoes, a couple cloves of garlic, a few basil leaves, olive oil, salt and pepper.

A little chopping, a grind here, a drizzle there, a quick mix and ta da! Fresh and delicious bruschetta-- as good as the kind you'd get at a fancy Italian restaurant. Maybe even better. And I was so proud of my creation. I spooned mine atop thick, toasty slices of ciabatta bread. So good and good for you. I can't wait to hit up the farmer's market again.

So when's the last time you went to a farmers market? (This was really my first time ever buying anything.) And have you discovered a new food recently? Maybe one you hated that now you love? It's interesting how our tastes change over the years... that's why every so often I take a nibble of something I don't think I'll like. Because sometimes I surprise myself!

Well, I'm off to dinner to catch up with a long lost sorority sister. Hope you had a delicious weekend,

Let's get cookin'

I can't believe Thanksgiving is tomorrow! Time really flies. But at the same time, I can believe it because I went to the grocery store today and it was a madhouse. Yep, it's that time of year, when people come out in droves to fill up their carts and baskets with all the fixins' for a fabulous turkey dinner. And when I say people come out in droves, I mean last minute and I mean people like me.

Luckily, I don't have to make the whole feast. (I've never cooked a turkey in my life! And I'm pretty content with letting my mom do it for a few more years.) For the past couple holiday dinners I have brought something to the table--usually something different than what we normally have, just to switch things up a bit--while also helping my mom in the kitchen prepare and cook all the traditional dishes the day of.

This year, I have committed to contributing more than usual. While looking through my grocery list at the store this afternoon I started to think I had bitten off more than I could chew (no pun intended). But I feel fairly confident that I can pull it all off, and tastefully (pun intended).

Here's what I've signed on to make:

:: Polenta and Chicken Tartlets
I've made these twice before. They are great little appetizers, so easy to make but still delicious. Imagine shredded roast chicken dressed with pesto and cranberries, sitting atop a bed of polenta. What's not to like, right? And my family loves them, so that's why I'm making them again. But this time I think I'll halve the recipe-- otherwise I have tartlets in the fridge for a week (or more)!

:: Pomegranate and Cranberry Bellinis
I saved this recipe, found in Self magazine, nearly a year ago, but when I was searching my digital recipe folder last week for Thanksgiving ideas, this cocktail sounded perfect. Cranberries and pomegranates are the fruits of the season, so why not enjoy them with a splash of fizzy Prosecco-- Italy's sparkling wine. Plus, this drink can be sipped guilt free; there's only 161 calories per serving.

:: Cranberry-Pineapple Minis
This recipe I got from my mom. Who I believe saw it in a JELL-O ad in a magazine. She was going to make this spin on the traditional cranberry sauce but I decided I'd take it off her hands since she has more than enough to cook on Thanksgiving (turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, rolls... you get the idea. We're only four people but she whips up enough to serve an army!). Looking through the easy-peasy recipe, these minis sound like surefire crowd-pleasers. They're sweet and crunchy (from the walnuts) and come in itty-bitty cupcake liners. Much cuter than canned cranberry sauce.

:: Dutch Apple Pie with Pecan Crumb Topping
Of everything I'm making, this is the one that I am most nervous about since I've never made a pie. The recipe is courtesy Rachel over at Heart of Light, and while Rachel would probably never dream of using a store-bought pie crust, I am. I figured I'd give myself a break on this one. Making your own crust is typically the hardest part but with Marie Callender's deep dish pie crust in my freezer, I think I'll survive my first pie-making experience. I feel a little like I'm cheating but it will still be somewhat labor intensive (I gotta slice the apples and make the topping after all!) and of course, made with love.

So, all my stateside readers, what are you doing for Thanksgiving? Are you getting busy in the kitchen or leaving it to someone else? And if you are getting cooking this Turkey Day tell me, what are you making? I'd love to add some new recipes to my arsenal!



P.S. Thank you for putting up with my little rant yesterday and for your kind words. Sometimes I get a bit overwhelmed, as I'm sure we all do, and I thought maybe if I could get the stress off my chest, so to speak, I'd feel a bit better. And I did. So thanks again. You are lovely.

top images both via Martha Stewart 

Comfort food

Last week, after a long, hard day at work, I decided the best way to unwind would be by making my favorite pesto pasta and savoring it with a glass of Pinot Grigio. And boy, did it do the trick. So much so that I have a pot of boiling water on the stove as I type. I figure, after the week I've had, some comfort food (minus the wine) is in order, even for lunch.

Now, I have mentioned my "famous" pesto pasta on this blog before (most recently here) and while it is really not that famous, it is always a crowd pleaser and it never lets me down. And it's so easy to make, too! There's no measuring involved; I just eyeball it and adjust according to how many people I need to feed. If you can boil water and stir, you're good to go.

Here's what you need:
:: Pasta. Last week (and today) I used linguine, but I have also made this with penne, farfalle (bowties), even spaghetti. You get bonus points if you use whole-wheat!
:: Sun-dried tomatoes, drained. I use julienne cut tomatoes that are packed in oil, but you can use the dehydrated kind, too. They work just as well since the heat of the pasta and oil in the pesto rehydrates them.
:: Pine nuts (also called pignolis), toasted.
:: Store-bought pesto. I like Buitoni best but there are several other brands so it's good to try different types to see which you prefer. And there's always homemade! Which is simple to make but we're going the super simple route here.
:: Salt, for the pasta water.
:: Extra virgin olive oil, also for the pasta water.
:: Freshly cracked black pepper to taste.

The dish takes about 15 minutes to make, depending on what pasta you are using. In a medium to large pot (size depends on how many you are feeding) bring generously salted water to a boil. The salt is important because this is the only chance you get to flavor the pasta itself. Add pasta and a splash or two of olive oil to prevent the pasta from sticking. Cook according to package directions.

Meanwhile, in a small skillet, toast pine nuts. I use about a palmful when I am just cooking for myself. You don't have to toast the pine nuts, but it really brings out their nutty, woody flavor. Just keep the skillet on medium (or low if you're nervous!) and don't walk away. These guys take only a minute or two to toast. Give the skillet a little shake every 30 seconds or so. You can smell when they are done but you can also see... don't let them burn! Dump pine nuts onto a paper towel until ready to use (don't leave in the skillet because they will keep toasting).

Once the pasta is done cooking, drain and return to pot. Stir in pesto, pine nuts and sun-dried tomatoes--  this is all to taste, but I like a lot of sun-dried tomatoes! If the pasta is sticking together, you can drizzle a bit of the oil from the sun-dried tomato jar or a bit of EVOO (as Rachael Ray would say!). Add freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Serve family style or in individual bowls and enjoy! (I am right now. Yum.)

To up the protein in this meal, you can easily add grilled chicken. That's delish, too.

Other than being a fast and easy lunch or dinner, this pasta is also great to take to parties or potlucks because it tastes just as good cold. Same goes for leftovers.

Well, I hope some of you will try my "famous" pesto pasta. It really is my favorite dish. And if you do, be sure to let me know how you liked it!

Till then, what is your go-to comfort food?

Taste the rainbow

My Easter pretty much went as I predicted on Friday, with lots of candy and cupcakes. But I did make it to church, too!

Sunday morning started off in a tizzy, since I woke up late and still had to make cupcakes! I wanted to bake them the day of so they would be fresh but this was perhaps not my best laid plan (that's a little Easter joke in there). I was a bit stressed, to say the least, and the powdered sugar was flying! (Note to self: get an apron!) The boy warned me against this and I now have to admit, he was right. Hate when that happens! But it all worked out and I got them done.

Me and the boy then had breakfast with my folks at a local diner called the Firehouse Cafe. It was my first time there but it's actually a local institution in Simi. I had the eggs benedict and they were pretty tasty. Good food, good service, I'll definitely be going back for breakfast again. After we grubbed, the bf and I went to church, something we haven't done since Christmas (I know, tisk tisk). We then rushed home, made the icing, decorated the cupcakes and geared up to go to his parents' house.

It seemed RR's whole fam was there and it was definitely a packed house (a dozen in all, not counting us!) Luckily, my cupcakes were a hit. People even took some home. I was relieved because the icing turned out not quite as thick as I was hoping but I guess all the matters is the yummy-factor. And they were delish-- I should know, I've had 3 so far!-- so if you haven't tried the recipe, it's a definite do. 

Here's some close ups of my colorful cupcakes:

In a pinch, muffin tins make great travel containers!

Those are Easter baskets in the background for me and Rick, from my mom of course!

Bright and cheery.

I hope you all had a great Easter, if you celebrate the day. Tell me, what did you do?

Candy, cupcakes and church, oh my!

Don't these Corgis make adorable bunnies? Maybe I should get Hazel some ears!

TGIF, I am so glad the weekend is here! In honor of a lazy Friday afternoon, I give you my plans for Easter in bullets:

• For Easter Sunday, I am going to be hanging with the boy and his family in Woodland Hills. I am anticipating watching a lot of sports on TV, eating some yummy food (they always have a nice spread and gourmet desserts) and drinking a lot of wine (it's the first thing his mom says to me when I come in the door: "What would you like to drink? A glass of wine?" I think she likes to get me tipsy).
• Getting sick on chocolate eggs, jelly beans, Robins Eggs malt balls and Peeps. Even though I am 24, my mom still makes me an Easter basket every year. She even made RR one last year! While I have chided her in the past for doing this-- saying "Gosh mom, I'm not a kid anymore"-- I secretly hope she doesn't stop! Though if the "Easter Bunny" leaves me one this year (yes, my mom still pretends), I will try to be more careful with it. Last year's melted in the car!
• Trying out this recipe for Magnolia's Vanilla Cupcakes, which also means going grocery shopping for things like muffin tins, cupcake liners and sprinkles! I think it would be a nice treat to bring when I visit the bf's fam and I'm gonna save some for my own fam to try, too. Emily's post today over at Cupcakes and Cashmere is what inspired me. I hope mine turn out as good as this picture:

• I might also try to make it to church this weekend, being that it is Easter after all. Almost forgot this holiday isn't just about chocolate and cupcakes.

So, any fun plans this weekend? I wish I was still a little girl so I could dress up in a taffeta gown and go on an Easter egg hunt. Ah, the good ol' days. Hoping you have a fabulous time, whatever you do!

Corgis as Bunnies from here.

Magnolia cupcakes image from here.

A weekend in pictures

Hey everyone! I hope you had a happy Valentine's weekend (and President's Day!). Here is my weekend, in pictures:

On Valentine's Day morning, RR had to go to work pretty early-- as a golf pro, he usually works on Saturdays-- so I wasn't able to make the fancy breakfast I had planned (more on that, later). Instead, I whipped out the Bisquick (I know, tisk tisk!) and made some quick blueberry pancakes, which he loved. It was a good start to the day and I hope it made going to work early and in the rain easier for the bf.

Full disclosure: These are not my pancakes. No, I forgot to take a pic of those. Sorry, it was really early! They kind of looked like this, maybe not as pretty, but mine were still pretty delish, if I do say so myself. Most important thing is the bf liked 'em and ate 'em!

When he got home from work later that afternoon, he had bought me some yellow roses (my fave) and a card. Good boyfriend! He remembered.

Here's a close-up shot of my roses. This was actually taken yesterday after the petals opened up a bit.

Here's all the Valentine's Day goodies we got each other. I bought him some of his favorite candies: Swedish Fish, Happy Colas and, of course, Sweethearts. He is not a big chocolate guy, but I got him some Hershey's Kisses of course. Ok, that might have been a selfish purchase but he does like them too! I also got him that lion you see, holding the heart that says "Wild about you." So cute, I couldn't resist. Ditto for the red and pink V-Day bowls...

Oh, and funny story: We almost got each other the same card! He got me the one one the left in the pic above-- it says, "There's nothing that I wouldn't do... for a Valentine as sweet as you"-- which I actually picked up and put in my basket at the store the other day before changing my mind and getting the other one. I always take forever to pick a card and go back and forth a million times before settling on one. But how funny would it have been to give each other the same card? Great minds think alike I guess.

Here's Hazel, chilling on the couch as we tried to organize and unpack from the move this weekend. Much of Valentine's Day was spent doing just that: cleaning. Not so romantic, but productive.

After organizing our closets, hanging pictures on the wall and doing other moving-related things, and after RR asked me a dozen times what I wanted to do to celebrate V-Day, we finally decided to go out to dinner later on that evening, at about 9 o'clock. I told you he is not great at planning. But he can be sweet when he tries (see roses and card). Anyway, we ended up going to an Italian restaurant called Sisley. Here's us before we left. You can't tell, but I was wearing a cute dress, even though it was cold and drizzly out.

Cheese! The bf is not a fan of these self-portraits but he smiles anyway...

We definitely indulged at dinner. We both got "specials", which really is just code for "over-priced." But hey, if you can't splurge on Valentine's Day, when can you? I dined on the Chilean sea bass with mashed potatoes and broccoli and RR had filet mignon, also with mashed potatoes and asparagus. For dessert we shared a Bailey's Irish Cream cake. Yum yum yum!

*****

The next day, Sunday, happened to be our year-and-10-month anniversary and since RR was able to stay home, I made the Pain Perdu, or fancy French toast, I had planned to make the day before. The recipe comes courtesy the Barefoot Contessa. Though it is labeled "intermediate" and I made a mess of the kitchen, it actually turned out fabulously, just like the pic on Food Network. See for yourself.

I'm sure the bf loves this I-just-woke-up-and-am-still-in-my-pajamas shot. Ha! See how I am not in it? I look a hot-mess in the morning!

RR doesn't like almonds so his didn't have any. The only thing I did different from the original recipe is I used Shepherd's bread instead of challah or brioche because I couldn't find it in the store. But I think it turned out just as good!

Here's a close up shot. I cut the recipe in half and it was still too much! One piece was plenty!

So that was my weekend. Time to get back to work. But tell me, what did you do to celebrate (or forget) Valentine's Day?

Pancake Image via Smitten Kitchen (which has some good tips for making blueberry pancakes... not that I followed them! Mine were out of a box, but it's the thought that counts!)

Culinary success

My boyfriend is the pickiest eater you will ever meet. Even pickier than me, which is hard for my friends and family to believe since they can't comprehend why I do not--in most cases-- like cheese. I know, I know, so shoot me. Anyway, RR as I will call him, really does have the hardest palate to please. I mean, he doesn't even like mashed potatoes! So it was a huge accomplishment when I made this chicken recipe two weeks ago and he loved it. It was so tasty that I made it again last week.

For me, the secret ingredient is Herbs de Provence. I had never used it before making this dish, but it sounds so fancy so I like it. The aromatic mix of herbs really is from the South of France and contains things like basil, rosemary and--get this-- lavender. But I can't take the credit for the recipe. I have to give props to Food Network, which I am obsessed with, and the show, Semi-Homemade with Sandra Lee.

The Provence-style chicken recipe calls for four boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I use the thin sliced ones because they cook faster and I just like them better) but you can size the marinade down or up depending on how many people you are feeding. Here's a rundown of how to make this delicious chicken for yourself:

Mix together in a small bowl-- 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of lemonade concentrate (I use the Minute Maid stuff you get in the frozen foods section), 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar (the original recipe calls for Champagne vinegar but it is like $10 a bottle and you are only going to use 1 tablespoon so save yourself some cash), 2 tablespoons herbs de Provence and 1 tablespoon citrus seasoning (I couldn't find this is my grocery store so I just used lemon pepper seasoning and it worked great).

Put the chicken in a ziplock bag and pour the mixture over the meat, squishing the bag to coat the breasts evenly. Marinate in the fridge for an hour or 2. Take out 30 minutes before cooking to get the chicken to room temp, then slap it on the grill (I use my Ikea grill pan, works like a charm) for about 5 minutes per side and there you have it-- dinner is done. I served it the first time with some roasted asparagus drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with lemon pepper. Yum.

Try it. You'll love it, I promise. I am by no means a great cook (my barren fridge and pantry prove it) but hey, the bf loved it so I must be doing something right.

Image via Sur La Table