July, 2012

Entries from July 2nd, 2012

July Wrap Up

7.31.2012

Well, it’s that time again! July has already flown past us and it’s time to start reflecting. Here are my favorite posts from this past month:

1. Ah yes! The Blueberry Peach Cobbler Cake that I made for our 4th of July funsies. I feel like I have never experienced a cake that was not only so packed with flavors from the fresh fruit and spices but also stayed moist for days after! Soooo. delicious!

2. The post I made about our Lake Picnic! Although this does not have a recipe included, it was fun to play around with these photos and work to really try to capture the beauty that comes along with spending an evening at Lake Monroe.

3. This was the first recipe I made with our CSA box. The summer squash was so fresh that our farmer had literally picked it earlier that day! ah! and the buttery crumble on top made for a mouth-watering mess that I could get use to indulging in!

4. Blueberry Limeade Cocktail – it was very exciting to make my own simple syrup (and so freaking easy!) and then serve it to all our guest at our House Warming Party. The blueberries made this drink the most beautiful deep purple that I have ever seen a cocktail!

As far as my summer goals, I think the only thing I crossed off in July was ‘Take Time To Do A Little Yoga Everyday’ and ‘Try New Cocktails’. I really need to get on the ball here because August is what I consider to be the last month of summer. Sadly, my puppy torn up the part of the garden with cucumbers so there will be no pickling of my own cucumbers this year. With that being said, I think it’s time to tweak my summer list a bit…

Switching

3. Pickle my own grown cucumbers

3. Learn to can

And I think I will be holding off on making cheese until the weather cools down…that is actually going to be a great recipe to play around with when it’s cold and I need to amuse myself for the afternoon.

So…goals I plan to tackle in August:

1. Start working on my recipe zine

2. Learn to can

3. Learn to like mushrooms // start cooking with mushrooms more

4. Go camping (if the weather cools..)

5. DIY projects: macrame planters // homemade rings // Billy Buds (see here)

Moody Monday: Staycation

7.30.2012

So I went into this weekend basically having no plans (outside of Friday night) and was almost kind of nervous about it. I can’t remember the last time I didn’t have a long list of things to do on the weekend. I mean…don’t get me wrong- there are dozens of awesome things to do in Bloomington in the summer (farmer’s market, quarries, drive in, canoeing, wine tasting, brewery tours, etc) but I just was not feeling any of the usual spots that I like to spend my free time. So, instead, I approached Bloomington as if I was an outsiders looking to visit it (a well-known practice for anyone who has been ‘taking’ those trendy Staycations this summer).

What I found through my research was that there are DOZENS of trails, lakes, and nature preserves all within 30 minutes from Bloomington that I have never heard of. WOAH! How awesome is that? I picked out the closest one with waterfalls (I have the biggest weakness for waterfall picnics) and planned my whole Saturday around it.

And it was the perfect day adventure! The trail was only a little over a mile but we crossed paths with waterfalls, evergreens, caves, and swamps. So beautiful and only ten minutes from my house! It blows my mind that I’ve lived here for 5 years and I am still discovering new beautiful spots all the time.

In other weekend news, my Ma stopped by on her way back from a business trip. It was nice to finally show her the house that we had put so much work/time into. I am hoping they can come down for a longer visit in the coming weeks. Oh! And Wyatt played his first show with his new band which went perfectly!

Two of the pictures above are from our little day adventure on Saturday (bottom left and top right). The top left one is from some cacti shopping I did at my favorite nursery a couple of days ago and the bottom of is Tuko and I sleeping in on Sunday (much-needed!).

Well, these “moody” posts are seeming less and less moody and more just little, nice peaks into my life. Perhaps I am not as cranky as I always had told myself I was! And perhaps I need to consider renaming this column…hmm…

Zucchini Fritters with Dill Dipping Sauce

7.27.2012

Happy Friday! Does anyone have any big plans for the weekend? Wyatt’s band is playing tonight and my Ma is stopping by to see our new house later but I feel that my schedule is pretty open for Saturday and Sunday. I really would love to adventure in the form of canoeing, hiking, picnicing, and camping but I fear that the temperatures are not supposed to drop below 100 again this weekend. This means that I will most likely need to start planning ways to hide indoors during the day (I really have become a wuss when it comes to the heat). Perhaps make a few macrame plant holders or some homemade billy buds?

Or maybe it’s FINALLY time to make that homemade cheese that has been on my summer to-do list forever now! Who knows…but honestly, this heat makes me not want to eat anything lately…the only thing my body has craved for the past month has been coconut flavored La Croix and green smoothies. This would be great if I was the type of girl who wanted to be on a diet…but let’s be real here…I own a food blog! I LOVE to eat! This wasn’t brought up as a complaint…I’ve learned to adjust to the heat. We have been waiting to eat until about 9 or so every night so that it’s cool enough to tolerate cooked food (tolerate is such a terrible word for my recipes…they deserve so much more!). And on a good note – we have been eating a lot less so this has given me a chance to try out all those recipes that many would consider starters/appetizers as light meals for us to enjoy (like those yummy Corn and Feta Empanadas).

Speaking of light meals…I whipped up these zucchini fritters with what was left of CSA box from last week (remember…I didn’t get one this week because of the drought! Such a bummer. And as a warning: it’s not going to just be us Midwesterners who will be affected by this drought! Ek!). Anyhow, these were delicious as a light dinner but feel free to also feel these to your guests as a starter at your next dinner party.

Zucchini Fritters with Dill Dipping Sauce

For the dipping sauce:

1/2 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons fresh dill
1 garlic clove, minced
Juice of a small lime
Salt/Pepper, to taste

For the Fritters:

4 medium zucchini
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup fresh dill
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs, beaten
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Vegetable or Coconut Oil for Frying

To make the dipping sauce: Combine everything together in a small dish and stick in the fridge until ready to eat (this will give it some time to let the flavors mend together).

To make the Fritters: Cut off the top and bottoms of the zucchini. Grate them using the largest setting on your grater (AKA side with the biggest holes). Sprinkle with salt and stick in a bowl. Cover and let sit for 10 minutes. Move the zucchini to a clean dish towel (or SEVERAL layers of paper towel so they are strong) and ring out any excess juice.

Next, combine the zucchini, dill, flour, garlic, eggs, and baking powder. Stir until everything is mixed and a thick batter has formed.

In a medium skillet, put just enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Heat the oil over medium and use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to scoop out the batter onto the pan. My pan was big enough to cook 3 at a time but this may depend on the size of your pan..make sure they have enough room to not collide. Cook for about 3 minutes on each side (time will depend on how hot your oil gets…usually will take less time as you go on).

Place cooked fritters on a paper towel lined tray and repeat with the rest of your batter.

Enjoy with that yummy dipping sauce and your favorite people/puppies.

Corn and Feta Empanadas

7.26.2012

I have been having some serious wonderlust lately. It’s a serious problem. I feel like it mine as well be 20 degrees out…this heat makes me feel just as claustrophobic as the freezing nights of January. It makes me long for cool breezes, sweaters, and hot apple cider. I had such a long list of camping destinations this summer and I fear we won’t be able to get to any of them if these constant heat waves don’t break! I need some ‘smores and waterfall adventures in my life ASAP.

Well, it is SUPPOSE to rain here all day…cross your fingers! Sadly, it has been so dry that the local crops have been growing at snail pace which means we didn’t get a CSA box this week! It’s a total bummer. This means no fresh sage or summer squash this week. Or no beautiful drive into the country to pick up our ‘goodie box’ full of delicious surprises. Ah, oh well. It does also mean that we will get to do it for an extra week in October but still….

Anyhow, we still have a few leftover veggies from last week’s crop (and we do live two blocks from the local co-op so I really shouldn’t complain that much). We get LOADS of corn on the cob every week (go figure! What else is Indiana known for?). This was a perfect recipe to use up the leftover 7 cobs.

This was my first time ever tackling empanadas but it was surprisingly easy. Imagine calzones but without the hassle of using yeast dough (no kneading, rising, etc). It was fantastic. The dough had to chill so I was able to make the filling in the mean time and this probably didn’t take more than 20-30 minutes (plus cooking time). I grew up enjoying my step-mom’s empanadas which were always filled with apples, cherries, or blueberries. I feel like I could never top their sweet delicious flakiness so I decided to go in the opposite direction. I made these savory ones knowing they would be nothing like hers but being able to claim them as my own (and not compare them!).
Anyhow, this post has become very wordy. I am going to end saying one last thing about these empanadas. The filling was AMAZING. Next time I decided to make a corn side for a potluck or family gathering, I am going to just make this filling (corn + feta = oh so delicious). I am telling you this as a warning so you don’t eat all of the filling before you manage to fill all the insides!

Corn and Feta Empanadas

Adapted from The Kitchn

3 cups flour
1 1/2 sticks butter, cubed and chilled
1 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1/2 cup cold water, divided

For the Filling:

7- 8 ears of corn, boiled until softened (or about 3 1/2 cups frozen)
1/2 cup crumbled feta
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon mustard
3 Tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon of lime juice
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon olive oil

Start by prepping the dough: I made the dough by hand but feel free to use a food processor if you have one. Place the flour, salt, and chopped butter in a bowl. Use your washed hands to work the butter into the dried ingredients until coarse. Whisk together the egg and water in a small bowl. Add in the water/egg mixture a little bit at a time and mix with your hands. Repeat until the dough has formed a stiff ball (you may not need all the water for this).

Divide into two parts and wrap in foil or parchment paper. Stick in the fridge to chill while you prep the filling.

To make the filling: heat olive oil over medium in a large skillet. Add in the corn and cook for about 5 minutes. Next, add in the garlic, mustard, milk, lime juice, paprika, sugar, and salt and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and fold in the feta.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Take the dough out of the fridge and roll out on a floured surface. I suggest just making it as thin as possible (probably about a 1/2 in thick but this all depends on personal preference). Use a small tea saucer as a template to cut out a circular hole.

Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and fill with about 2 tablespoon of the corn/feta mixture. Use your finger to rub a tiny bit of water on the outer edges of the dough (to make it sticky) and fold in half. Make indents with a fork to insure the empanadas are sealed. Repeat with the rest of the dough/mixture.

Cook for 15 or so minutes (it took mine about 22 minutes but my oven seems to take longer than most..)

Enjoy as an appetizer or as a main with a big salad!

Blueberry Limeade Cocktail

7.24.2012

And it’s time for another cocktail recipe! I have really been spitting them out lately, huh? After posting recipes for both Vanilla Peach Champagne Punch and Strawberry Mint Wine Coolers last week, I am back with a new one!

We had a little “house-warming” type potluck last Friday which gave me an opportunity to make a few appetizers and drinks. I tend to lean towards sangria when it comes to making drinks for potlucks- it’s what my Ma always made for summer parties and it’s the main alcoholic drink that I am craving come August. However, we only had an hour to prep for the party (between work and party time) so I decided to pick out something a bit less labor intensive (cutting up fresh fruit adds up!). This cocktail was perfect because I was able to make the blueberry simple syrup the night before so I just had to combine everything in a pitcher right before the party. That made this drink totally stress free and gave me a much better mind set to just sit back and enjoy it!

Well, as usual, I took out my camera with intentions of taking pictures during the party but completely forgot about it as soon as people started showing up. Here is a snap shot of me holding the yummy cocktail (half the batch- this stuff made a lot!) before everyone arrived.

It’s kind of weird posting a picture of myself on my blog! I am usually always the one behind the camera!

Anyhow, if you aren’t planning to entertain anytime soon, you can definitely whip this blueberry syrup up and then store it in the fridge. It’ll be perfect to bring out when you need to whip up a cocktail for yourself after a looooong day of work.

PS Use cane sugar to make vegan!

Blueberry Limeade Cocktail

For the Blueberry syrup:

1/2 pint blueberries
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups water

For the cocktail:

2 liter of seltzer water
a bottle of gin (about 700mm/24 fluid ounces)
1/2 pint blueberries (for garnish)
Ice

To make the blueberry syrup: Place the 1/2 pint of blueberries in a small sauce pan and use the back of a wooden spoon to mash them as much as possible. Add the sugar and water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower to a simmer and stir for ten minutes (or until a super deep blue/purple forms). Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Stick in an air tight container and in the fridge until chilled or ready to use.

To make the cocktail: In a large pitcher, combine the seltzer water, gin, and blueberry simple syrup. Serve over ice in fancy glasses!

Look at that color!

Moody Monday: Summer Banner

7.23.2012

Good afternoon. I am going to keep this short because I have been feeling under the weather the past few days and am not the most chipper I have ever been.

Anyhow, I FINALLY got around to making a more summery banner (it only took until the end of July!). It’s super similar to my old one but just has a picture from a lake picnic instead of from the winter waterfall picnic. What can I say? I loooooove picnics and the whole idea that surrounds them. The concept of eating outside while enjoying a beautiful scene and relaxing with some of your favorite people…makes me very glad to have a picnic memory be the first thing people see when they open my blog up!

Anyhow, here are a few more pictures from the weekend. Nothing in particular…a new banner I made, a cocktail concoction (hope to have the recipe up later this week), farmers market, and lake supplies. A little bit from everything I did this weekend!

Summer Squash Gratin

7.19.2012

Here is a spectacular example of why the weekly CSA box is perfect for me. I never buy yellow squash- I am a total zucchini nut and don’t usually stray. However, we received five summer squashes in our box last week so I was forced to whip up a yummy recipe with them. And let me tell you, this was such a surprising and wonderful dish! Mmmm. (Although, let’s be honest- when is anything lathered in cheese and buttery crackers bad?)

You can easily enjoy this as a filling main or have it as a side to a bbq. It’s also super versatile so feel free to subsitute any kind of cheese you would like!

Not much other news here- it’s my Ma’s bday (so glad I remembered…unlike for my brother’s birthday last week…) but I won’t be spending it with her (4 hour difference is just enough to keep us from getting together on a regular basis). But they will be coming down to see our new house next weekend which I am oh so excited about!

Summer Squash Gratin

4 medium yellow squash, thinly sliced
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon butter
1/2 cup Parmesan, grated
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup sour cream
1 sleeve of ritz crackers, crushed
salt/pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and butter over medium. Add the squash and onions and saute until soft (about 10 minutes or so).

Remove from heat and stir in the cheeses and sour cream. Season with salt and pepper.

Transfer to a casserole dish (I used a 2 gallon dish) and top with crushed crackers.

Bake for 25 minutes or until the top is browned.

Serve warm as a side to your grilled goods or as a filling main dish.

Lake Dinner Picnic

7.18.2012

;

As I mentioned in a post a few days ago, we went on a lovely dinner picnic last Thursday. It was nice because we have been so busy with moving and getting our house organized that we haven’t been taking that much time to just chill out and enjoy summer. Plus, this heat wave has been making it awfully hard to want to hike to the lake when just standing in it makes you sweat and uncomfortable. That’s okay though because it’s made us get creative with our usual summer activities (like go at sunset instead of at midday). Anyhow, it was wonderful to just sit on the rocks and watch Tuko/Taco play in the water as the sun went down.

;

This was an impulse picnic so we just packed up a few things that we had around the kitchen. I whipped up some deviled eggs (so simple yet such a perfect summer staple), backed an array of sliced strawberries, brie, and sliced baguette, and then had Wyatt whip up some Nutella and Strawberry sandwiches. I was a little stressed that I didn’t have more time to plan our a menu but it ended up being perfect finger food for an impromptu adventure!

;

I am not even sure what we did for entertainment before we had Tuko. I really enjoy watching him love on the lake and get excited about being free to run and explore.

Hope everyone is making the most out of their summer and taking a little time to enjoy their food outside and stick their feet in the water!

Italian-Style Stuffed Tomatoes

7.17.2012

So I can’t believe I haven’t told you guys yet but we decided to buy a CSA share! Last week we picked up our first CSA box from Stranger’s Hill Farm. Oh my god- what an exciting experience! I felt like a little kid headed to Discovery Zone. After work on Thursday, Wyatt and I drove out into the country (which really is only 6 miles from our house- hellloooooo Midwest) to pick up our first share from the farm. Being a locavore and produce enthusiast, this was too cool to see the farm from which my organic produce would be coming from each week. And I love the fact that you never know what you are going to get…it’s like a surprise goodie bag for foodies!

Anyhow, we got loads of goodies in our box for the first week: kale, tomatoes, summer squash, sun flowers, basil, and so much corn on the cob (hey, it is Indiana!). I am really hoping this will push new cooking limits as well because I have to find new recipes to use ingredients I wouldn’t usually purchase (I usually stick to spinach so kale was a nice challenge for me!).

Well, I am telling you this because the first recipe I tackled with our CSA produce were these stuffed tomatoes. I was a bit skeptical about wasting the insides of the tomatoes since they are sooooo fresh and delicious but the breadcrumb stuffing was a well suited replacement. And to be completely honest, those insides weren’t wasted because they ended up being munched down on before I cleaned up the cutting board.

PS- Omit the Parmesan to make vegan!

Italian-Style Stuffed Tomatoes

5 medium tomatoes
1 cup bread crumbs
8 basil leaves, chopped
2 Tablespoons dried oregano
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
1/2 cup Parmesan, grated
Olive Oil, for drizzling
Salt/Pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut an inch circle off the top of the tomato and scoop out the inside with a small spoon. If the tomato is wobbly, cut a tiny bit off the bottom so that it stands. Then, place in a greased baking pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

In a mixing bowl, combine the tomatoes, basil, oregano, garlic, thyme, and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan. Fill the tomatoes with the mixture and drizzle olive oil on top of each.

Cook for about 12 minutes or until the breadcrumbs have become crispy on the top. Season with salt and pepper and top with the rest of the Parmesan.

Serve warm as an appetizer for a low maintenance grilling session or a fancy Italian dinner!

Moody Monday: Sunburns and Live Music

7.16.2012

While everyone was at Pitchfork this weekend, I managed to get my own dose of music and sun: we saw King Tuff on Friday followed by Wyatt’s band playing on Saturday followed by an all day lake excursion on Sunday. It was a really busy but enjoyable weekend.

Although it is only Monday morning, we are already starting to prep for next weekend. I think we are going to finally have our house warming party on Friday which means the next couple of evenings will be filled with cleaning, rug searching (so much hardwood- so few rugs!), and party prep (oh! I LOVE recipe searching for appetizers!).

Hope everyone had a fantastic weekend and are ready for a full week of recipes supplied by yours truly!

Vanilla Peach Champagne Punch

7.13.2012

Here are two preview pictures of a dinner picnic that Wyatt, Taco (/Tuko), and I went on last night. We found a new spot on the lake that is absolutely gorgeous and super secluded (don’t get me wrong- I love our usual spot where we know we will run into dozens of friends to swim with but sometimes it’s nice to take a break and find a peaceful place that is your own). I hope to post a full spread about the picnic once I get around to editing all the pictures (hopefully early next week).

Anyhow. Let’s talk about cocktails.

And here is my SECOND cocktail recipe for the week! I think that means I can officially put a line through my summer goal of experimenting with new drinks (don’t worry- that doesn’t mean I am done with cocktails for the summer..just makes me feel good about knocking something off my list).

I actually made a virgin version of this the first time and was so in love with it that I made it again (this time with champagne) the next evening! We have been having people over almost every other night to show friends our new house which means non-stop cocktail parties! Wooohooo!

Vanilla Peach Champagne Punch

4 peaches, pits removed
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup peach nectar
1 bottle of champagne (or fizzy water if you want to go virgin-style)

Blend together the peaches, sugar, vanilla, and nectar in a blender. Mix in the champagne and serve with your cutest vintage pitch and loads of ice!

Done.

I bet these would be even cuter with a small vanilla bean garnish! I took the pictures in a hurry since I whipped these up for guests but feel free to add your own character to them!

Berry and Pecan Summer Salad

7.12.2012

If any benefit that has come from the previous heat wave, it is that it was too hot for me to crave anything but a huge, juicy salad. The thought of greasy french fries and the sluggish afternoon they would lead to in this 100 degree weather makes my stomach twist.

From years of salad experimenting, I’ve discovered the key to a really satisfying salad is as follows:

Greens (spinach, iceberg, kale, etc) + a sweet (usually fruit- fresh or dried) + a savory (nuts or baked tofu) + veggies (everything is better with veggies) + light salad dressing (to bring the flavors out but not over bear it).

I have been playing around with many variations on these combination a whole bunch recently and this Berry Pecan salad is probably my favorite one so far. The light honey vinaigrette brings out all the veggie fresh flavors and the peach/blueberry duo adds beautiful color and just enough sweet to tame the salty feta.

I am not going to put exact measurements for the contents of the salad because that is all up to you and what you enjoy. Feel free to experiment and swap out whatever you have on hand!

PS- Substitute the honey for agave nectar and omit the feta to make it vegan!

Berry and Pecan Summer Salad

Mixed Greens assortment (mine was just from a farmer stand)
Blueberries
Sliced Peaches
Chopped Pecans (bet it would be even better if you roasted them before hand!)
Feta
Bell Pepper
Red Onion (I soaked the slices in water for about 15 to tame the flavor – it works great!)

For the Honey Vinaigrette:

1/4 cup olive oil
3 Tablespoons honey
1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Salt/Pepper

Whisk all together in a small bowl and pour over salad.

Veggie hotdog dressed All American Style + Summer Salad = Mmmmmmm.

Strawberry and Mint Wine Cooler

7.11.2012

Now that the heat wave is officially over (fingers crossed), it’s time to pull out your favorite recliner into the yard, pick up an alcoholic drink, and station yourself in the yard with all those back issues of ‘Vegetarian Times’ for the next month. Oh wait, or is that just something I do?

One of my summer goals was to experiment with new cocktails. I’ve enjoyed Tequila Sunrises and Dark & Stormys at the bars but what about experimenting at home? It’s already July and I’ve posted about…ONE cocktail. Not okay. Come on, get with it! To catch up for lost time I made TWO cocktails this weekend and am oh so excited to show them with you!

This simple wine cooler was something super easy that I made to spice up the plain white wine I was indulging in. Really, it’s not even a cocktail…but just a fun way to jazz up your drink. Heck, you could use sparkling water or sprite or champagne (oh!) instead of the white wine.

Strawberry Mint Wine Cooler

1 bottle of your favorite white wine
1 cup strawberries, chopped
a handful of mint leaves, torn slightly (to release extra flavor)
1 cup carbonated/seltzer water (to make it fizzzzy and refreshing!)

Combine all ingredients in a pitch and serve over ice. Enjoy on your porch couch or hammock while watching your amusing puppy play in the yard.

Blog Nerd

7.10.2012

My apologies for two posts in a row without a recipe but since my internet is still in limbo at our new house, I am forced to the limits of my cellphone. Ah well, this gives me an excuse to mix it up and get outside of my comfort zone with posts not directly related to food.

Anyhow, so as I’ve mentioned many times…I am a bit of a blogging nerd. I absolutely love learning blogging tips and reading other people’s perspectives on the blogging world. Even if I take a class and only learn one or two things, I find it very rewarding. Heck, it is just awesome to see people get enthusiastic about the same things I am enthusiastic about!

A while back I took Elsie’s blog class and then I took Blogging 2.0 last month. However, now that Blogging 2.0 is over…I am already on the look out for more blogging classes! That is what led me to coming across ALT design classes. The cool thing about these classes is the fact that they are super affordable and each topic has a different teacher so you can get a wide array of perspectives on different aspects.

And guess what!? Bing is offering to give you classes for free through their campaign here. Why would you NOT take free classes?

I am so excited to take:

Graphic Design for Bloggers
How to Use Illustrations to Make Your Brand Yours
Content is King

Moody Monday: Extra Extra Long Weekend

7.09.2012

Well, I hope everyone had a fantastic previous week and a great 4th of July. After five wonderful days of sleeping in, lying around the house, and getting to know my new kitchen…it is back to work. Ah, oh well.

I may still be posting a little less this week because we are still lacking in internet at our new house and I don’t always feeling like trekking my laptop down to the local coffee shop (although my bike has a little basket that fits my laptop perfectly so I really should not be complaining). This is such a shame because I made soooo many yummy things over my long vacation and I cannot wait to share them with you!

Here are a few snapshots from the long weekend: We watched the 4th of July fireworks in a big ‘ol, wide open, corn field (ooooh, Indiana). Also, Tuko and I indulged in many afternoon naps on our new couch so that we could enjoy the outsides late at night when it was cooler. Oh, and lastly that is my tomato plan with its first few signs of color! Yay!!

Well, I hope everyone has a great week ahead and I will hopefully be posting some delicious recipes in no time!

Vegan Blueberry and Peach Cobbler Cake

7.06.2012

I am feeling a bit off because I am writing you from my favorite coffee shop, Soma, instead of my usual spot; this is because we are officially moved into our new home and are currently without internet. But really, it is okay because Soma littered with inspiration: from its Iced Chaikovsky (Chai + Coffee), maps paper mached all over the walls, and TV fish tanks- it is nothing short of a creative mecca.

Speaking of our new home being without thing…this is officially day 6 of my new life without a microwave. It has been going very well so far. Wyatt and I have decided to try to “untrain” ourselves from nuking thing in the microwave (see why here) and instead turn to the oven/on the stove top to warm things up. Wyatt was not happy about his coffee going cold the other morning (ohhh, the drawbacks of using a french press) but if that ends up being our biggest problem then I think we shall survive.

Oh, Yes! And back to the recipe! I decided to try this cobbler cake instead of a regular cobbler because we were having people over for a grill out and my thought was that it would be way easier for guests to just grab a square instead of messing with scooping a cobbler into bowls and getting spoons and what not. It was a huge success! The stuff was REALLY REALLY delicious. If possible, I think it may have been even better the next day because the humidity is so high in the Midwest right now that it made the cake moist enough to melt in your mouth. Ah, heaven!

And totally feel free to mix in whatever fruit you’d like or have on hand. I adapted this from ButterMeUpBrooklyn and she didn’t even specify a fruit to use.

Blueberry and Peach Cobbler Cake

1 cup almond milk
juice of 1 lemon
2 cups All Purpose Flour
1/3 cup cane sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
6 Tablespoons earth balance, cut into chunks
dash of vanilla
1 cup blueberries (I used fresh but I am sure you can use frozen as well)
1 peach, pitted and cut into small chunks
1/4 cup brown sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease a baking pan.

In a small bowl, combine the almond milk and lemon juice. Set aside and let it curdle (you are making vegan buttermilk right now!) for about 5 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinmamon, and nutmeg together. Toss in the Earth Balance and use your fingers to work into the dry ingredients. Next, fold in the fruit. And finally, fold in the buttermilk just until everything is combined (you don’t want to over mix!).

Pour into your prepared pan and bake for about 3o minutes or until you can stick a tooth pick in the center and it comes out clean. Sprinkle the top with the brown sugar.

Let cool and then slice into squares.

Serve to all your friends and watch at how excited they are about your new twist on cobbler!

June Wrap Up

7.02.2012

Well Mondays are when I usually post about being moody …but let’s be real: I have a TWO day week since my company is giving us Wednesday through Friday off for the 4th of July… so do I really have that much to complain about? I think not.

Instead, since July snuck up on us over the weekend let’s have a June Wrap up instead!

My favorite posts from this past month:

1. I am a picnic fanatic and had soooo much fun enjoying these Southwestern Veggie Sliders with Avocado Mayo while soaking up some fresh air on a lovely dinner picnic with my puppy and boyfriend

2.I am not sure where you live but this 100 degree weather refuses to let up over here in Bloomington, Indiana. Popsicles like these Berry Mango Yogurt Pops are the only things keeping me cool when I attempt to adventure outdoors.

3. Oh! My adventure with this Summer Potato Salad was pure bliss! Potato salad just screams summer and this was a great way to kick off our first grill out of the season!

4. Pizza Pizza Pizza. I cannot escape it no matter how bad I tell myself it is! I’ve come to accept this and have at least turned to making my own pizza so that I know exactly what goes into it. This Savory Breakfast Pizza was part of a two segment post that also included yummy Blueberry Lime Pizza.

In other news, June was ridiculously busy with us moving into our new house (which we are still not completely settled into) and being out of town for almost every weekend.

Also, I managed to learn a lot from my Blogging 2.0 class (which ends this week!) and can’t wait to start applying what I learned to VV.

And onto July! What to expect? Well I am hoping to spend July settling into our new place; this means starting to make lots of new memories at our new home in the form of cocktail parties, movie nights, and creative time in our new studio. I am very excited for things to calm down around here so we can enjoy the simple pleasures of summer (now if only this 100 degree weather would calm down a bit…).