Weekend wrap up.

It rained all weekend.

I actually really liked it. We slept in late, then stayed in our pajamas even later and it actually felt a little like Christmas! Stone and I shared some great meals with friends, wrapped presents, finally got our Christmas cards sent out, and added to our list of Christmas movies we have now watched this season. I also made Spritz cookies for the first time ever. They are so fun and turn out really great with not too much effort, which I like :) You have to have a special gun-like thing to make the designs, which, you can buy here. We are giving to the cookies to friends in decorated chinese to-go boxes! Anyway, here is the recipe from Stone's mom:

1 cup butter

2/3 cup sugar

3 egg yolks

1 tsp vanilla

Mix thoroughly.

2 1/2 cups sifted flour

Work into the dough with hands.

Press cookies onto ungreased baking sheet, bake at 325 until set, but not brown (about 8 minutes). Enjoy!

Some ideas for your feast.

I put together a list of Thanksgiving dishes (traditional and non-traditional) that I have seen lately that all sound pretty incredible! I will be making a couple of them myself this holiday and cannot wait to share with you how it all turns out. On Christmas my family sticks to traditions when it comes to our meals, everything is exactly the same as the year before and years before that. But, Thanksgiving is always open for new dishes and experimenting, so here's to that, and good luck in your kitchen this Thursday :)

xo.

Cheesecake-stuffed Pumpkin Cupcakes by Dish Towel Diaries

Stuffed Portabellos with Herb Sauce by Sprouted Kitchen

Parker House Rolls by Pioneer Woman

Wild Rice Mushroom Pilaf with Cranberries by Real Simple

Brownie Pecan Pie by Bakerella

Brie with Roasted Cinnamon Plums by The Kitchn

Pumpkin Macaroni and Cheese by Martha Stewart

Spinach Pie with Goat Cheese, Raisons and Pine Nuts by My Recipes

Pumpkin Creme Brule by White on Rice Couple

Homemade Twix Bars by Not Without Salt

Roast Pumpkin with Cheese Fondue by Gourmet

Turkey Sloppy Joes with Rosemary Rolls by White on Rice Couple

A to Z

I am in a rut.

I have about 20 recipes (if that) in my repertoire and that is about it for our options when it comes to dinner. That is why I was so excited to read about this new cooking guide called A to Z! But, even more then recipes, it has a full list of ingredients that you may or may not use on a regular bases. For instance, I have always wanted to make dishes with artichokes, but, it is not something I ever have on hand or that any of my recipes call for. So, you can go to the menu, choose artichokes, read all about them and then see recipes that include that ingredient.

AND, one other thing I have to tell you about! Real Simple has put a section on this site to find fresh ingredients in your area, just enter your zip code and you will be sent a list of great areas near you to buy organically.

Pesto Sandwich.

I have to share this lunch idea with you all. I have had this for lunch the past couple days and it is absolutely delicious! I am not a big lunch person... I love breakfast and dinner the most, but could even skip lunch entirely if it did not make me lose energy. Anyway it is simple to make and I know you will enjoy it.

2 slices of sourdough bread toasted

hummus

homemade spinach pesto

goat cheese with herbs

Spread a thin layer of hummus on the toasted bread, then a pretty thick layer of pesto. Lastly sprinkling with goat cheese. Try it today, you will not be disappointed! xo.

Cinnamon Roasted Almonds.

I have been very eager to cook or bake since we moved into our new place! There is just something about not feeling quite home yet until the kitchen has been fully used :) So, today I decided to try out something that would be a great snack for us to have around and a yummy gift to give to friends as a treat that is fitting for the season.

Ingredients:

1 egg white

1 teaspoon cold water

4 cups whole almonds (I only had about 3 cups and the recipe worked great!)

1/2 cup white sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

12 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 250.

Lightly beat the egg white; add water and beat until frothy but not stiff. Add the nuts and stir until well coated. Mix the sugar, salt, and cinnamon, then sprinkle over the almonds. Toss to coat, and spread evenly on a greased 10x15 pan.

Bake for one hour, stirring occasionally until golden brown.

Allow the almonds to cool, then store in airtight containers.

Enjoy! I know Stone and I have... perhaps a little too much!

Foodspotting!

This app is perfect for those of you who are like me...

Stone and I do not eat out a ton, so when we do eat out we do our research! We read reviews, look at photos of the atmosphere, and pick out what we would probably order from the menu. And then, as you have seen on this blog, we usually are happy with our decision and we like to take photos to share with friends so they know what to expect if they go there.

Well, someone just came up with this app called Foodspotting. You can upload photos and reviews of restaurants you go to, as well as read what other people have said and see their food photos. It is pretty genius. We all know, it is good to see the food before you invest in it. Now, that we are in Encinitas we are so excited about trying out all of the restaurants around town. The thing I am most excited about is the Mexican food! Colorado just did not cut it in that department. We are fortunate enough to have a bunch of 'hole in the wall' type taco places near us, but they all look a little sketch. Stone just downloaded this app, however, and Juanitas (one of the places closest too us, which looks the MOST sketchy of them all) is rated to be one of the best in Southern California! Cannot wait to try it!

Spiced Sweet Potatoes and Chickpeas

I found this Fall recipe on one of my favorite food blogs, Sprouted Kitchen, and cannot wait to try it out... I pretty much crave anything with sweet potatoes or any type of squash when it gets cold outside. On that note have you had the Butternut Squash and Crab bisque at Whole Foods yet? It is the best, if you have not had it go pick some up today, I tried to recreate it last year and failed miserably :)

Ingredients:

1 Cup Dried Chickpeas/Garbanzos ,soaked in water overnight
3 Large Sweet Potatoes, peeled (about 3 lbs)
¾ Cup Finely Chopped Yellow Onion
2 tbsp. Melted Butter
1 tbsp. Olive Oil
1 tsp. Cinnamon
2 tbsp. Honey
2 tsp. Fresh Nutmeg
1 tbsp. Fresh Grated Ginger
1 Garlic Clove, minced
1 tsp. Salt
1 Lime Zest and Juice
Fresh Ground Pepper
3 tbsp. Fresh Thyme, leaves removed

Oven to 425’

1. In a medium pot, bring 3 cups of water to a boil, add the soaked beans. Gently boil for about 50 minutes until the beans are cooked through. Drain.
2. In the meantime, prepare the peeled potatoes. Cut off the ends and chop them into one inch cubes. Try to make them equal in size, shapes can vary. Put them in a large bowl.
3. In a small bowl, whisk the lime zest and juice, melted butter, oil, garlic, salt, honey, cinnamon, and nutmeg together. Pour the mix over the big bowl of potatoes, stir. Add the drained garbanzos, onions, 2 tbsp. of the fresh thyme and gently fold to cover everything in the spice mixture.
4. Spread the goods evenly onto a rimmed baking sheet. Bake at 425’ in the upper third of the oven for 35-40 minutes, gently stirring halfway through for consistent browning.
5. Let cool a bit before serving, sprinkle fresh pepper, squeeze of lime,taste for salt and sprinkle remaining thyme on top.

Ikea's beautiful and creative new baking book.

I just read about this new baking book by Ikea and thought the photos were styled so perfectly. Food photography is hard and they were spot on! It is a bit of a guessing game to figure out what recipe each photo is depicting so I wrote each one out below the photo. I would love to add this cookbook to my collection... anyone headed to Sweden anytime soon?

Here is what New York Mag had to say about it:

Everyone's favorite homewares purveyor Ikea has just published a collection of baking recipes called Hembakat är Bäst (Homemade Is Best). Sure, knowing how to make Princess Cake is fine and dandy, but the volume is illustrated with some of the most inventive cookbook photography we've ever seen: Styled by Evelina Bratell and photographed by Carl Kleiner, the pristine arrangements of ingredients are so stark and geometric that they verge on the abstract. The good news is that the book is completely free; the bad news is that the only place you can get it is in the kitchen section of Ikea stores — in Sweden.

Mandelmussla, almond shortbread topped with lingonberries.

Vaniljhorn, crescent-shaped shortbread cookies.

Lingonpeparkaka, gingersnap cookies with lingonberries.

Prinsesstårta, or Princess Cake, sponge cake with a green marzipan covering.

A lesson in poaching.

Stone and I love having poached eggs for dinner. In fact we usually have them once a week at least! We like to put them on toasted english muffins with avocado and salsa. But, since all of our things have been in storage I have been without my egg poacher, which, is the only way I know how to make poached eggs. I knew it was possible to make it in boiling water and that they actually came out prettier (by the way, I am ALL about presentation when it comes to food) I just was afraid to try. Anyway, I found this description along with photos (which is always helpful) here and thought I would share with you. If you have never tried them for dinner, you should :)

Fill a saucepan 3 inches deep with water, add the vinegar, and bring to a boil. Crack your egg into a coffee mug and set aside. While the water is coming to a boil combine your chopped herbs, garlic, a dash of olive oil, and set aside.

Once the water has come to a boil, shut off heat and gently slide the egg into the pan. Cook 3-4 (or more depending on how you like your yolk!) minutes.

When the egg is finished cooking, remove it with a slotted spoon, and pat dry.

Donut date.

This morning Stone and I had to run a couple of errands and then wound up at Lamar's donut shop... funny how that happened, but I was not complaining.

It was a delicious little treat :)

Jax date.

Tonight Stone and I met our friends, Skyler and Kristin, for dinner at Jax. We had such a great time, it was so great to catch up with them and talk about their upcoming wedding! Plus, Jax is one of Stone and my favorite restaurants in Boulder and it will really be missed, however, I suppose since we are moving to California good seafood will not be in short supply.

Hope you had a wonderful day!

Lindsay's homemade granola.

This is my sister's granola recipe and I tried it out a couple days before we left for California, and then brought mason jars of it to thank friends for hosting us while we were there :) It was the perfect gift, and so yummy!

7 1/2 cups of old fashioned oats (do not get the instant one minute oats!)

1/2 cup of chopped pecans

1/2 cup of toasted almond slices

1/2 cup of sunflower seeds

1/2 cup of ground flax seed

1/2 cup of brown sugar

1 cup of honey

1 teaspoon of vanilla

Thoroughly mix all of the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.

Add vanilla to the cup of honey and pour into dry mixture. mix until all granola is wet and clumps of granola have started forming.

Now for the baking process... use three baking sheets and divide the granola evenly among them (you do not need to grease the pans, but you could use parchment paper below). Bake all three sheets of granola at once at 300 degrees. Bake for 10 minute intervals, for 30 to 40 minutes. at each 10 minute interval, remove the granola pans and give the granola a good stir and rotation. The key to the success of your granola lies in the baking process... do it slow so that you don't burn it!

Once the granola has browned, you are done! Remove pans to cooling racks and let the granola sit and continue baking on the racks until it has reached room temperature.

You are done! Enjoy it on top of a yogurt with fruit or just with milk :)

Oh, sugar, sugar!

I saw this article here and found it interesting... I am always curious as to what exactly I am putting in my body when I have sugar substitutes and let's be honest, we all know the real thing is the best for us, but it does not sweeten my iced tea quite as nicely as a Splenda :)

Here is the down low:

Sugar

What it is: A natural, granular substance distilled from sugarcane or sugar beets. Brown sugar comes from the same sources but gets its color from residual or added molasses.

Also goes by: Sucrose.

Where you’ll find it: In baked goods, cereals, ice cream, and bottled sauces.

Good to know: One teaspoon has only 16 calories. Aim to consume sugar on a near full stomach: This will help stabilize your blood sugar, since eating the sweet stuff alone can cause blood sugar to soar, then crash, leaving you tired and hungrier, says Michael Zemel, director of the Nutrition Institute at the University of Tennessee, in Knoxville. And, yes, brush after eating sugar, as it increases your risk for tooth decay.

Agave Liquid

What it is: A sweet extract from agave, a succulent plant (which also gives us tequila).

Also goes by: Agave nectar and agave syrup.

Where you’ll find it: Bottled, in health-food stores.

Good to know: Agave doesn’t spike blood glucose as quickly as table sugar does, says Bonnie Taub-Dix, a registered dietitian. Plus, it’s about 25 percent sweeter. Add it to tea or coffee. Or, since agave tastes like honey, try it on Greek yogurt.

Stevia (Truvia)

What it is: An all-natural, no-calorie sweetener derived from the leaf of the stevia plant.

Also goes by: Reb A, rebiana, Truvia, PureVia, Enliten, and Sun Crystals.

Where you’ll find it: In protein-shake mixes and soft drinks; it’s also sold alone as a diet sweetener.

Good to know: You can bake with stevia, but it does best with medium temperatures. While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration generally recognizes this group of sweeteners as safe, use stevia moderately, says Jennifer Nelson, director of clinical dietetics at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Consume no more than four milligrams per pound of body weight daily. And consult your doctor if you’re pregnant.

High-Fructose Corn Syrup

What it is: An über-sweet liquid derived from cornstarch.

Also goes by: HFCS and high-fructose syrup.

Where you’ll find it: Almost everywhere, including processed foods, baked goods, and condiments.

Good to know: Studies suggest that, like table sugar, HFCS may cause you to overeat. This is because it causes your body to not fully release the hormones that tell you that you’re full (so you devour a box of cookies).

Saccharin (Sweet 'N Low)

What it is: A safe-for-diabetics, calorie-free synthetic compound that includes sodium, hydrogen, and oxygen.

Also goes by: Sweet ’N Low.

Where you’ll find it: In the cult-favorite diet soda Tab, and in toothpaste and some medicines.

Good to know: This sugar substitute, which has been around since 1879, is 300 times sweeter than sugar and stays that way, even when heated, so it’s good for tea or coffee. But it can have a metallic aftertaste. And you may get so used to saccharin’s intense sweetness that you start craving sugary treats. While saccharin has been linked to bladder cancer in rats, experts have found no conclusive evidence of its correlation with cancer in humans

Aspartame (Equal)

What it is: Another synthetic, calorie-free option that’s safe for diabetics.

Also goes by: Equal and Nutrasweet.

Where you’ll find it: In diet drinks and sugar-free gum.

Good to know: Two hundred times sweeter than sugar, aspartame has a clean flavor that is well suited to berries or cereal. It breaks down with heat, so don’t bake with it. Some people get headaches from aspartame, but despite persistent rumors, there is no conclusive link between the sweetener and diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

Sucralose (Splenda)

What it is: Chemically tweaked sugar that has no calories.

Also goes by: Splenda.

Where you’ll find it: in cereals, baked goods, soft drinks, and frozen desserts.

Good to know: This calorie-free sweetener is not recognized by the body as a carbohydrate. About 600 times sweeter than sugar, it holds up in the heat during baking. But sucralose may cause abdominal discomfort in some people.

Sweet idea.

Next time you make cupcakes... instead of frosting them after you take them out of the oven, stick one marshmallow on top of each cake during the last minute of their baking time. Viola, easy and delicious "frosted" cupcakes!

Have a musical weekend.

Stone and I just got back from our hot date.

It was lovely :) We had an amazing meal in a beautiful setting at Beatrice and Woodsley. So delish! On our way home we listened to the burned cd in my car with mostly Glee songs and it made me realize two things... one: I cannot even wait for the new season to begin! Does anyone know when this is going to happen? two: I have now been listening to these songs on repeat for the last two weeks and I am still not tired of them. I just roll down the windows and sing my little heart out, I love it.

Tomorrow (and the rest of the weekend) we have to pack... like everything! It is going to take some serious time and work, but I am excited for the things we have ahead of us if only I could close my eyes and twitch my nose and everything would magically be in Fort Collins, oh well...

We also have a family photo shoot thrown in the mix this weekend and we just cannot even wait! Busy, busy.

Here are some fun little treats! xo.

A yummy recipe for your Sunday morning breakfast!

Some blingin' band-aids... I mean, why not, right?

Really great art installations by Federico Uribe.

Heart of gold idiom bracelet... love!

A helpful pastry board.

I wish I was headed here for the weekend!

I am loving all things with bows right now :)

Date 4 {Thursday} S'mores on our balcony

Last night we took a break from eating out and spent some time at one of our favorite spots in Boulder... our balcony. We made s'mores and coffee and just relaxed before the packing madness begins (it actually began this morning, we have WAY more stuff than I thought!). It was just perfect outside and we had a wonderful time :)

Our last date this week will be at Beatrice and Woodsley, it is a restaurant we both have been dying to try. Supposedly the atmosphere is just as incredible as the food and I cannot even wait. We will post about it on Monday so stay tuned!

Date 3 {Wednesday} Osterio Marco

Last night we headed down to Denver to have dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, Osterio Marco. Stone and I rarely go all the way to Denver when we go on dates, so this was a special treat! The restaurant is in Larimer Square, which is one of the cutest little areas in Denver with amazing restaurants and fun shops (and year round Christmas lights, which I love).

We started with their amazing house crafted mozzarella, pesto, and ciabatta bread! And wasting no time ordered a pizza with house sausage, garlic and mozzarella. All so delicious with a perfect atmosphere!

And of course we did save some room for dessert... I went for the flour-less chocolate cake (it was heavenly) and husband had the peach cobbler, which he devoured in seconds!

Tasty snacks.

I am not a big lunch eater, I love my other two meals each day so much more. Also, working at a boutique there is not a ton of time during the day to sit down to a nice lunch. But, I need to keep my energy up throughout the day and that is when snackity-snacks (isn't snack a funny word? It looks weird to even write it) come into play. Forever ago, I got a Real Simple mag, which had 24 healthy snack ideas... how perfect is that! Real Simple is always there to help out when you need it. Anyway, I love all of the creative things that they came up with and would be happy munching on any of them as a lunch replacement. Go here to see more of their ideas and just to browse their website, it is pretty great!

Top Bunch: Almonds with Dried Cherries, Apples and Almond Butter, and Edamame.

Second Bunch: Multigrain Cracker with Ricotta (part skim) and Honey, Hard-boiled Egg with Pepper, Endive Leave with Ricotta (part skim).

Third Bunch: Greek Yogurt with Walnuts and Honey, Melba Toast with Low-Fat Cream Cheese and Dried Cranberries, Air Popped Popcorn with Dark Chocolate Shavings.

They draw and cook.

How cute is this site? You can submit drawings of your favorite recipes for them to post. I think it would also be fun to pull the recipes off, print them and make little recipe books for friends. The family that came up with this little blog writes about their inspiration...

Found via.

Choc-Oat cookies.

Ingredients:

1 egg

1 cup of butter (yup, that is two entire sticks)

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 1/4 cup of flour (add 1/4 for high altitude)

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt (optional)

1 1/2 cup of Quaker oats

1 package of chocolate chips

Heat oven to 375

Mix butter (softened), sugars, and egg together well.

Stir in flour, baking soda, and salt gradually (oops, clearly from the photo I did not stir these things in gradually, but they still turned out perfectly!).

Stir in chocolate chips and oatmeal.

Make inch round cookie dough balls and place on non-stick cookie sheet. Bake for 8-9 minutes and let them sit on the pan for a few minutes before taking them off (this is a lesson in self control).

And dig in! Husband loves these cookies :)

(By the way, baking is so much more fun with a cute apron on!)