Stylist. Photographer. Artist. Graphic Designer. Foodie. Fancy Pants.
Posts in Food and Recipes
As this blog showcases, I have a HUGE sweet tooth. I get asked all the time how I stay slim when I am baking almost everyday. First, it's all about moderation: A little bit of everything and a lot of nothing. Taste everything, eat nothing! I love to try everything but usually just a couple bites satisfies.
I recently spoke at the Keen Digital Summit about Food Styling (check out my 10 Food Styling Tips to Make Your Food Photographs Delicious). I really wanted to make something for the attendees of my session. Because most of the bloggers, small business owners and publisists that came to the conference were from out of town, I decided to make a "Nashville Cookie" to showcase some of Nashville's best ingredients.
My friend Eve is addicted to Williams-Sonoma's Spiced Pecan Pumpkin Quick Bread. She texted me last week to see if I had a home-made recipe for the cult favorite because she is tired of paying a whopping $11.95 for a mix that makes one loaf. $12 (plus the cost of 2 eggs and a stick of butter) and you have to spend an hour making it? Why not just make it from scratch?! I have really never understood why people use mixes? Generally it is just as easy (and CHEAPER) to make it from scratch—plus, it's fresher, has less artificial ingredients and preservatives and you can alter for dietary restrictions.
A couple of weeks ago we went to my friend Jessica's house for a barbecue for her husbands birthday. She made these soft pretzels and I have been dreaming about them ever since.
I have been dying to make homemade Oatmeal Cream Pies. I have been doing a lot of research to find the perfect recipe. I did not want them to be two crispy oatmeal cookies with a marshmallow filling—which there are thousands of recipes out there for. I wanted a recipe that had the texture and taste of the original Little Debbie Oatmeal Cream Pies. Chewy, soft and perfectly sweet.
When williamsonsource.com asked me to guest blog a fall recipe, I jumped at the chance to create something sweet and totally irresistible.
This past weekend we celebrated Jacobs' grandmother's birthday (my grandmother-in-law). When she requested banana pudding in lieu of a birthday cake we were all thrilled because everyone loves this recipe!
I am continuing my "Martha Challenge" this week with two amazing dinner recipes (check out my Martha Challenge favorites including Spiderweb Florentines and the September issue's Chicken and Broccoli Mac-and-Cheese).
I had the in-laws over for dinner last night and I wanted to make something simple but hearty and delicious. This Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe & Sausage dish is from Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa Foolproof cookbook was the perfect solution. It was easy to make and I made a couple of edits (ok, several) that better suited the ingredients that I had at home (sometimes Ina gets uppity with her ingredients—what is broccoli rabe anyway?).
One of nature's great wonders, popovers are made with just milk, eggs, and flour (plus a little butter). Whisk, pour into tins, and bake (no peeking!). A half hour later, you're rewarded with the most incredibly airy and crispy puffs you could ever imagine.
With the weather getting cooler, I am craving feel-good comfort foods. This potpie is always first on my list when the fall season hits. It is one of my favorite things my mom made when I was growing up and it always reminds me of her and her cooking. It is creamy and warm with an ultra flakey crust, super hearty and ultimately satisfying.
While in Whole Foods the other day, I was intrigued by their selection of fall squash. I picked up a carnival squash (which I had no idea what it was but it was so pretty I bought it), roasted in the oven with a little brown sugar and butter (like I've done with acorn squash in the past) and had with grilled chicken—delicious!
Jacobs loves zucchini so I am always looking for new ways to cook it. This is such a fun recipe to serve with burgers (try my turkey burgers here) or as an appetizer. I also think that it would be a great healthy alternative at a football party! Here's the recipe!
We recently spent a weekend in Boston and it seems like all we did was eat (much like every vacation we go on!)—days filled with oysters, lobster rolls, clam chowders and hot dogs at baseball games. Needless to say, when we got home I was ready to get back into our regular routine of healthy (and simple) eating. I love fine dinning at restaurants but honestly would rather eat a home cooked meal.
Most nights we eat grilled chicken or fish with rice and vegetables. As the weather starts to get cooler though, I crave comfort food. Casseroles and one-pot dinners with layers of favor that warm the soul. Nothing does that quite like lasagna. It's the meal that everyone remembers their mom making growing up. It's warm, comforting and, well ... delizioso!
Nothing feels more like home and more like the weekend than pancakes. A big stack of pancakes with warm syrup, fresh fruit, a cup of coffee and some good company make for the perfect Saturday morning.
With the Labor Day weekend behind us and (more importantly) Starbucks serving their Pumpkin Spice Latte, fall is upon us. The mornings are feeling cooler, the days are getting shorter and I find myself fighting the urge to dip apples in caramel and buy mums at Lowe's. I've already been looking up pumpkin flavored baking recipes in preparation!
It is HOT this week! With every day in the 90's, summer doesn't seem to be going anywhere, unfortunately. This girl is ready for fall!
I've loved having The Peach Truck set up shop just down the street from my house once a week throughout the summer. Sadly, last weekend was their last for the year (a sign that summer is nearing a close). Since then, I have been working on recipes to use up all the peaches I bought—not wanting to waste even one.
I'm about to reveal a HUGE secret. Listen closely because you don't want to miss this one.
