Kaitlin

Apple Butter, Made with Fresh Apples

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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

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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!)

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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 →

Butterflied and Brined Roasted Chicken

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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 →

DIY Pleated Bodice Wrap Dress

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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 →

Make Ahead Breakfast: Egg Cups

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As big breakfast people, my parents make these all the time. They take about 20 minutes, tops, and are good for almost a week’s worth of breakfast (depending on how hungry you are in the morning). I’m a huge proponent of eating breakfast (with a giant mug of black coffee, yum) right after you wake up– let’s get that metabolism going! I also wake up hungry, so the easier, the better!Having not had the chance to make these with my parents, I’m not sure where they got the original recipe, but they just kind of throw in whatever they have in the fridge at the time.  Continue reading →

“Veggiestrone” Soup

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As the weather cools down (I can’t wait for 60-degree-and-sunny days), I thought it might be a good idea to start putting together some fall-weather foods…like soup. So much soup.I LOVE some minestrone soup and, originally, I was going to apologize for messing with it (i.e. “Minestrone soup MUST have beans and noodles!”). However! Apparently, that is not the case, as traditional minestrone is made with vegetables, any vegetables, that are in season, usually including carrots, celery, tomatoes, and stock of some kind. Awesome!  Continue reading →

DIY Magnetic Spice Rack

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Every once in a while, I plan to post really simple, quick DIY projects. This is one of them!
I had a plain, beat up, old magnet board laying around since, oh, 2005. After digging through my spice drawer(s) for 10 minutes (again), I’d decided I had enough.I’ve seen this done a TON for makeup, and thought: Why couldn’t I hot-glue magnets to the back of my spice tins? So I did. This board recently got an upgrade from metal sheet to pretty backsplash. For a super, super quick tute, see below:  Continue reading →

Beef Stroganoff with Potato “Noodles”

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Beef stroganoff, a Russian dish that originally consisted of just beef in a boullion and sour cream sauce, has its roots in the 19th century. Although beef stroganoff was present in the United States in the early 1940’s, it didn’t become widespread until after World War II, when the rationing of meat was lifted. At that time, it became the go-to recipe for gourmet chefs across the ‘States (according to beefstroganoff.net–someone really loves this stuff). More recent permutations of the recipe include onions, mushrooms, and sometimes even tomato paste, but in my opinion the sauce is the only thing that really matters!  Continue reading →

Fun in Your Backyard: Adventuring Locally

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At the beginning of this summer, my husband Jay and I moved from what we like to call a “food desert”. We use that term differently from, say, the northern parts of the Adirondacks, where it is sometimes literally difficult to come by fresh produce; where we came from, it was difficult to find fresh, local, non-chain food establishments. We like food to mean something– to local businesses, to the chef, to the consumer.Thankfully, we moved into an amazing town, Blacksburg, Virginia, with an emerging emphasis on buying and eating locally. Drive 45 minutes southeast of here, and you can even find grass-fed, organically raised bison. I feel incredibly blessed to have the opportunity to eat locally, and to purchase my foodstuffs from folks who really care about their quality. In this post, I’d like to showcase some of the local businesses that Jay and I love.In order to share with you, I spent an afternoon wandering our local farmer’s market (within walking distance of our new home):  Continue reading →