Month: September 2013

Apple Butter, Made with Fresh Apples

Posted by

0

I love all butters associated with fall. Regular butter, pumpkin butter, apple butter… especially apple butter. We make an annual trip to the National Apple Harvest Festival in Gettysburg, PA, where we consume all things apple (apple fritters, apple pie, apple sausage, apple beer…just to name a few) and load up on jars and jars of apple butter.It’s officially been fall for over a week now, and I hadn’t got my apple butter fix yet! Armed with two bags of cheap apples from Walmart (okay, this recipe would be much better with fresh, local apples), I knew I could figure this out on my own. And I did! And it is delicious! Many recipes call for applesauce to start… and while that would be easier, why not use the plentiful fruit of the season? I used a type of apple that I’d actually never heard of: Ginger Gold. They’re an excellent mix of tart and sweet, with a little snap of ginger at the end (hence the name)!  Continue reading →

DIY Chocolate-Coffee Face Mask

Posted by

0

Today’s post is something quick and simple for when you feel like pampering yourself. As the weather starts to get cold, I’m hoping this easy little DIY will keep dry and flaky skin at bay. The best part? I’m 99% sure you’ll already have everything you need in your kitchen.  Continue reading →

DIY Two-Loop Infinity Scarf (Only 3 Seams!)

Posted by

0

Infinity scarves are everywhere you look these days, and I’m sure we’ll be seeing even more of them as the weather turns cool. I found this awesome fabric (I’ve been on a leopard print kick lately) at JoAnn’s, and was excited to get to try out the product of my handiwork during a trip to Upstate New York this past week. At temperatures of 20-60 degrees, I was more than happy to break out the scarves and boots!With this tutorial, you can make a two-loop infinity scarf from your favorite fabric with only 3 seams. That’s it! Pin and sew three times, and you’re done. Here’s what mine looks like (apologies for the selfie, courtesy of Instagram– I didn’t have another set of hands to help me with the finished pictures!):  Continue reading →

Homemade Hot Chocolate

Posted by

0

Let’s just get one thing straight: I’m a fan of Swiss Miss hot chocolate.  I am, and I’ve had those more “gourmet” brands that come in their individual pouches and cost probably much more than a cup of hot cocoa ever should…but, when I came across this recipe 2 years ago that promised super thick and creamy hot chocolate, and it was right in the middle of a cold and bleak Pennsylvania February, I knew I had to try it.  And I’m so glad I did because it. is. unbelievable.  Give this recipe a try once.  Like I said, I’ve saved this cut-out from a magazine for 2 years, and it’s not going anywhere anytime soon.  Continue reading →

Butterflied and Brined Roasted Chicken

Posted by

0

This is one of those recipes that, no matter how many times I make it, I never get sick of. Inevitably, pictures of the perfectly roasted bird end up on my Facebook pages and Instagram. I am not ashamed.  Continue reading →

Parmesan Pasta Gratin

Posted by

0

I have a wonderful friend who is a vegetarian, and she lives in New York, where my husband and I try to make several trips a year to visit.  For my birthday this summer she got me a book full of recipes from beloved NYC restaurants, and I wanted to cook up a vegetarian entrée from it and use it on the blog in her honor, but the pasta I liked the most had prosciutto in it.  Now, I happen to love this tasty little cured ham, but I knew that would not fly for a veggie-only eater, so I figured I could just remove the meat and we’d be good to go…except that left literally just the pasta and the cheese sauce, which would make for a heavy, coma-inducing meal.The prosciutto, besides being awesome, does the important job of cutting through all that dairy with a salty bite, so I knew it was a simple question of adding in ingredients that would do that same job, but instead of the pig, I’d turn to veggies instead for the task!  Continue reading →

Milwaukee and Beyond

Posted by

1

As promised (a month ago…okay, okay) I am giving you some more pictures and details from the rest of my trip to Wisconsin, which centered in and around Milwaukee!  Continue reading →

DIY Pleated Bodice Wrap Dress

Posted by

0

There’s something inherently satisfying about making something yourself, especially if you often shell out (too much) money for someone else to do it for you. Stick it to the man! Make your own clothes (at least once in a while…)!I bought a bunch of knit fabric with the intention of making a dress (or two), a maxi skirt, or a top. It took me weeks to decide on a wrap dress (ah, a classic cut that looks great on literally everyone… examples here, here, and here). It then took me about a week to find a pattern, since I’ve never used one before (except those I have drafted myself using my own clothes as guides). I found this FREE! and very simple pattern via Craftsy, by Deby Coles. The bonus of this pattern is that it comes as a series of PDFs… simply print, match up, and you’re good to go!  Continue reading →

20* Minute Autumn Supper

Posted by

0

Ah the chicken breast.  One of the greatest gifts to weeknight dinners, and also one of the worst.  There are literally thousands of chicken breast recipes in existence, but a lot of them are really bland or boring.  Yet since this staple is healthy, easy to prepare, and usually relatively inexpensive, I’m always trying to think of ways to keep it interesting in the kitchen.Those ways usually involve flour dredges and wine reductions and pan sauces, but sometimes that is too much work and too much of a mess, especially when it’s Wednesday night at 6:30 and we haven’t eaten yet.  Luckily, I stumbled into this great and easy recipe for Maple Dijon Chicken that takes about 20 minutes from start to finish to prepare, not to mention the fact of how yummy it is.  And paired with a DELICIOUS, no frills, perfectly baked sweet potato (**Which doestake 50 minutes to bake, hence the asterisk in the title of this post), this is an awesome quick and easy Autumn Supper!  Continue reading →

Friday Funday Happy Hour!

Posted by

0

We were so excited to hit 100+ Facebook followers this week!  And we figured, celebrating with some new cocktail recipes would be very appropriate.First up, the classic Whiskey Sour.  Continue reading →