Granola, Greek Yogurt & Coffee = Tasty, Portable Breakfast

I named this blog out of pure silliness. I’ve never actually burned cereal.

At least, I hadn’t burned cereal until last night.

Then I attempted to make granola, and burned it. Normally, I wouldn’t share a recipe that didn’t work. But this one wasn’t a complete failure. I ate it this morning on top of Greek Yogurt, which masked the slightly burnt taste. It is good, just not as good as it could be. I’m pretty sure I know what I need to change next time. Besides, there was no way I could pass up the opportunity to blog about, well, burnt cereal.

Peanut Butter Granola
Makes 8 cups (which is a LOT of granola, by the way)

Ingredients
3 c. quick oats
2 c. unsalted peanuts
1 c. milled flax seed
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 c. honey
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 c. natural chunky peanut butter (I like Krema, which I’ve started buying in 5 pound buckets)
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
2/3 c. vegetable oil

Directions
1. Preheat your oven to 325°F. Combine oats, peanuts, flax seed, salt, cinnamon and ginger in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
2. Using a small saucepan, simmer honey & brown sugar over medium heat. Stir frequently. When honey and sugar are combined, remove from heat. Add peanut butter and vanilla. Add peanut butter mixture then oil to the dry ingredients. Mix well.
3. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the uncooked granola over the baking sheet. Bake for 30-35 minutes, stirring regularly.

Dry Ingredients, ready for peanut buttery goodness

Tips, Advice & What Went Wrong

• Lesson #1: This is loosely based on The Kitchn’s Peanut Butter and Honey Granola recipe. I took out several ingredients, added some of my own, and followed the cooking directions exactly. That’s where this went wrong. When I stirred the granola at the 30 minute mark, it wasn’t done. So I set the timer for another 10 minutes and went back to what had been doing. A few minutes later, I thought I smelled a burnt scent, which I stupidly ignored. I should’ve taken the granola out of the oven at that time.
• Lesson #2: The recipe I looked at called for 1 1/4 tsp. salt. I thought that seemed like a lot so I cut it down to 1 teaspoon. Jared and I both agreed that was still too much salt.
• Lesson #3: When I was mixing everything together, I originally tried to be prissy and do it with a wooden spoon. I quickly gave up and used my hands. I’ve done the same thing every time I’ve made Monster Cookies (maybe someday I’ll learn). It’s a more fun way to mix things anyway.

Fall Leaves at Darby Creek Metropark

Wow. The last few times I posted, I was in denial about Summer ending. Two months later and we’re quickly approaching Christmas. So where have I been? The short answer is working long hours, starting to train for a triathlon, planning a major vacation (This winter, we’re going a culinary tour of Oaxaca, Mexico!) and enjoying lots of good food and good times with family and friends. I’ve been so busy living life that I haven’t had time to blog about it. And now there are so many things I’d like to write about that I’m not sure where to pick back up. So I’m starting with a recap of the last few months.

A Fall day at Darby Creek

September:

• After all of the bridal shower festivities, my sister Ashley married her fiance Justin in a beautiful outdoor ceremony.


The happy Bride & Groom

• Jared and I did a lot of hiking at the Metroparks, biking on the Olentangy River Trail and brunching. All that exercise works up an appetite, right? To me, food and exercise go hand in hand. Aside from the obvious benefits, regular exercise lets me enjoy good food without gaining weight or sacrificing my overall health.


Our trusty old Schwinns at Scioto Audobon Metropark

• I went on a 9 day business trip to West Virginia. It was tiring, but I am grateful that I got to go. I was there to help train and organize another office. But I also learned a lot that I could bring back to my own office here in Columbus.


Sunset over the mountains of WV

• Of course, I also tried several new recipes. My favorite was a Vegetarian Lasagne that took 3 hours and 2 sauces (Tomato & Béchamel) to create. It tasted incredible but got a little overcooked on the top; so it didn’t look very pretty in pictures. I plan to make it again, very soon, and post the recipe.


Lasagna sauces simmering on my stovetop

October

• Jared and I attended Taste of Grandview Heights. This was our first “Taste of”. From what I understand, it is much more casual than most of these events. While we enjoyed trying new foods, one of our favorite things about this event was how the staff of restaurants we frequent recognized and chatted with us. Specifically, I’m thinking of Mazah Mediterranean Eatery, home of the best Falafel and some of the prettiest food around. We were also happy to see Old Bag of Nails Grandview, which we refer to as our Cheers bar and which we love for its laid-back atmosphere and friendly bartenders. Local businesses: make your customers feel special & we’ll stay loyal.


Somehow, the only pic I have of downtown Grandview is an old cameraphone pic from last winter

• I made these Apple Cider Doughnuts. I’m not posting the recipe because, for once, I followed it exactly. These doughnuts were perfect – soft and airy on the inside, sweet and crispy on the outside. They are a lot of work, but well worth it.


The best doughnuts ever

• Before venturing out to Highball Halloween (which I highly recommend if you haven’t been), I hosted a Halloween party complete with Halloween-themed food and drinks. Among other things, I made a Graveyard 7-Layer Dip and a Zombie Bride Cake (with from-scratch Devil’s Food, of course). Jared invented a Candy Apple Cocktail, my sister made a Bugs & Dirt Cake, and several of my guests brought goodies including Sangria and Halloween-sprinkled Chocolate-Covered Pretzels. While Christmas is my favorite food holiday, Halloween is a close second. Halloween food is fun. There aren’t really any expectations; so you can get really creative and kitschy. And while Christmas is a family holiday, Halloween is a great time for friends to get together, eat ridiculous amounts of sweets and enjoy one anothers’ company.


Zombie Bride Cake



Fun Halloween Food

November

• November brought Dine Originals Columbus Week. This is another event that I hadn’t attended in the past. My friends and I opted for a meal at Skillet. The food was creative and excellent, as always. My only complaint is that I don’t think Pumpkin Polenta was worth the $30 price. Another friend and I agreed that the $20 prix fixe is probably more fitting for such a casual restaurant. That being said, I’ll definitely be returning to Skillet very soon.


Skillet's Dining Room

• In other Columbus food news, Jared and I finally had a chance to try the lunch special at Venky’s Spice House. For $5.99 (I believe), you get an appetizer, two curries, daal, naan, rice and dessert. Venky’s is one of our favorite Indian restaurants. Their food is more flavorful than several other area Indian restaurants, and their prices are great. We were excited about this lunch special because we could try things we’d never had before. And the portions were so generous that we had enough for dinner that night.


When my curry grows up, it wants to be like the curry at Venky's

• Since Jared and I like to try new, local restaurants, I am a loyal follower of Fudha. If you haven’t heard of it, Fudha offers half-price gift certificates for local restaurants. They donate $1 of the cost of each Fudha to the Mid-Ohio Foodbank. This is a great way to try new places, or save some money at trusty favorites. The first time we went to Skillet, it was actually with a $20 gift certificate that had cost $10 through Fudha. When Venky’s offered one, I snapped it right up.


When I used my Fudha at Skillet, I meant to review my tasty meal. Obviously, I never got around to it.

• Of course, when November rolls around, so does The Food Holiday – Thanksgiving. We get together with our loved ones and give thanks for all of life’s blessings, then eat copious amounts of food. Due to my work schedule, I wasn’t able to go home to celebrate with my family. This was the first time Jared and I celebrated Thanksgiving alone together. It was a bittersweet day for me since I really missed everyone. But I did enjoy the chance to make my own, slightly nontraditional Thanksgiving meal, which I will be posting sometime this week.


Making Thanksgiving Dinner

Every day, I’m reminded of how thankful I am that Jared and I moved from a small town in Michigan to Columbus. We are both Ohio natives, from the Cleveland area. But being away from your home state for several years has a way of making you appreciate it. I don’t know that we’ll be here forever because I hate winter with a passion. But for now, we’re really enjoying our life in a new city and learning about all that it has to offer.

Downtown Columbus, seen from the Olentangy Trail

Actual size - 6". I'd like to see you eat all of these in one sitting.

Warning: Long story ahead. If all you want is the recipe for the amazing, colorful cookies pictured above, go ahead & click “continue reading”.

Lisa was one of my closest friends in high school. She was also my first culinary-minded friend. She liked to cook and bake as much as I did. At the time I was a vegetarian while she was a carnivore. But that didn’t stop us from spending many happy afternoons together talking about and trying new recipes. Lisa came by her kitchen skills honestly. Her mom was also a great cook and baker, and had no qualms about letting two teenage girls take over her kitchen. These two ladies introduced me to the joy of the Monster Cookie. Monster Cookies are 6″ diameter, 3/4″ thick peanut butter-oatmeal, chocolate-chip M&M Wonder Cookies.

Fast-forward several years. We graduated high school, lost touch, then got back in touch courtesy of good old Facebook. In the meantime, I forgot about Monster Cookies until the husband and I were discussing cookies one day. I described them to Jared, who thought they sounded amazing. So I began my search for The Monster Cookie Recipe. I found several recipes, but none were exactly right. Either they were missing an ingredient or called for one I didn’t remember going into the recipe.

I eventually quit searching & decided to try to recreate the cookies on my own. One day. In my typical ADHD manner, I got distracted by the tons of other recipes I wanted to try and never got around to Monster Cookies. To be honest, they kind of dropped off my radar until my sister’s second bridal shower. This wasn’t the Tea Party Bridal Shower that I hosted. This one was much less work for me since my sister’s sweet Mother-in-Law and her fiance’s family hosted it. All I had to do was show up! Anyway. When I walked into the shower, I checked out the food and desserts (What can I say? Food is my hobby). And what did I see but… Monster Cookies! Sure, they were smaller than the ones I enjoyed as a teen. But I immediately knew that those cookies with their oatmeal texture and colorful M&Ms were the same cookies that I’d been trying to find a recipe for. I pretty much tackled Ashley’s Mother-in-Law and begged her for the recipe. She said she’d give it to me.

By the end of the shower, I still didn’t have the Monster Cookie recipe. I thought maybe Ashley’s Mother-in-Law forgot about it, and returned to Ohio tired and happy after a wonderful celebration for my sister. Fast forward a few days. I checked my mail and received a letter from Ashley’s Mother-in-Law. Contained in the letter, in her beautiful writing, was the recipe for Monster Cookies! I couldn’t wait to make them. Fortunately, the following weekend’s plans included a Columbus Crew soccer game and tailgate. Our friends had already decided to provide burgers, corn on the cob and a grill. Jared volunteered to bring Cream Cheese Stuffed Jalapeños. This left me with dessert duty and a perfect excuse to make Monster Cookies. Which finally brings me back to the Monster Cookie recipe I’d been searching for.

Monster Cookies

Ingredients
3/4 c. butter
1 c. granulated sugar
1 c. brown sugar
4 eggs
2 c. crunchy peanut butter
2 1/2 tsp. baking soda
4 c. quick oats
12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 lb. Plain M&Ms

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Cream butter and sugars. Add peanut butter, then eggs. Stir in baking soda, chocolate chips and M&Ms.
3. Shape dough into large balls by hand, place onto a cookie sheet and flatten. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Let cookie cool on a cookie sheet before transferring to a cooling rack.

Nothing says "Summer" like nachos & margaritas on the patio

We have Jimmy Buffett to blame for this post. Like I mentioned when I blogged my Key West trip, I am a proud Parrothead. And it was at Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville restaurant in Las Vegas that Jared and I decided nachos were an acceptable dinner. The Margaritaville restaurants have something on their menu called “Volcano Nachos”. These nachos are basically a huge pile of tortilla chips topped with chili, cheese and all the standard nacho fixins’. They’re served on a platter, and are piled high enough that they actually do resemble a volcano. Also, they’re awesome. Then again, I’m not sure there’s such a thing as a bad nacho.

Anyway, we certainly couldn’t finish the whole appetizer, much less eat a meal on top of it. So we decided to make the nachos our meal that night. And, every once in awhile, usually on a Sunday when we want to drag out the weekend, I’ll make a plate of nachos for dinner. Healthy? Not at all. Yummy? Oh yes. So, in continuing with my summer isn’t over theme, here’s a recipe for some great, Key West-inspired nachos I made a few weeks ago.

Tilapia Nachos
Serves 2-4 as a meal, more as an appetizer

Nacho Ingredients
Yellow corn tortilla chips
2 tilapia fillets
1 lime
Goya brand Adobo
1 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed & drained
1 bag shredded Mexican-style cheese
2-4 jalapeño peppers, sliced thin
1/4 red onion, diced
Kernels from 1 grilled ear of corn (optional)
Pico de gallo & guacamole for garnish (my recipes follow)

Pico de Gallo Ingredients
2-3 large tomatoes, diced
1-2 jalapeños, seeded & diced
1/4 red onion, diced
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
Juice of 1 lime
Salt & pepper to taste

Guacamole Ingredients
2 avocados, peeled & seeded
1/8 onion, diced
1/2 jalapeno, diced
1/2 tomato, diced
Juice of 1 lime
1 tsp. fresh cilantro
1 tsp. minced garlic
Splash of tequila (optional)
Salt & pepper

Directions
1. Make the pico de gallo by combining all ingredients in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. The longer you refrigerate your pico de gallo, the better it will taste.
2. Lightly coat tilapia with lime juice and a light sprinkle of Adobo. Broil for 3-4 minutes per side. Chop broiled tilapia and set aside.
3. Reduce oven heat to 350°. Cover a round pizza pan with aluminum foil and coat with non-stick cooking spray. Layer tortilla chips on the foil-covered pan. Follow with a layer of tilapia, jalapeños, cheese, beans, corn, onions and pico de gallo. Add a second, smaller layer of tortilla chips and top with remaining nacho toppings. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until cheese is melted and other toppings are heated.
4. While nachos are baking, make the guacamole. The easy way to do it is to throw all the ingredients in a 2-cup food processor and turn it on. If you’re into manual labor, mush (yes, that’s a technical term) everything together with a fork.
5. To serve, top nachos with guacamole and enjoy with a margarita!

My thoughts & suggestions

• For once, I don’t have many suggestions. They’re nachos. For dinner. Anything goes!
• That being said, here are some notes and explanations. I put the pico de gallo on before baking the nachos because I like the taste & texture of warm tomatoes on nachos. I know there are people who put more or less things in their pico de gallo. I roughly follow what my host mom in Mexico did when she made hers. This recipe is heavy on jalapeños because Jared & I like hot food. Feel free to reduce or eliminate them if you’re not a fan. I have to admit that I feel like a bit of a slacker because I didn’t shred my own cheese after going through the trouble to make my own salsa & guacamole. But part of the point of this meal was to use up leftovers & staples before they went bad. One final note about the guacamole. I do sometimes put tequila in mine. It’s a suggestion I came across on the internet a few years ago. You can’t taste the tequila; but it definitely enhances the flavors of the other ingredients.

This summer, I've started almost every work day with an iced version of my morning coffee

Attention retail stores, parents, teachers and food bloggers! Summer is not over yet! As a matter of fact, it’s not technically over for another month. And even if we go with the unofficial summer end date of Labor Day, there’s still over a week of summer left. So please stop with the Fall recipes, clothing and whining about how Summer is over. It’s annoying.

Summer is my favorite time of year. So I refuse to hop on the apples and sweaters bandwagon in August. I’ll enjoy my flip-flops, sunshine, warm temperatures and cold drinks as long as possible, thankyouverymuch. Which brings me (almost) to Iced Coffee.

First, let me say that, just like I don’t know much about wine, I also don’t know much about coffee. However, I do know what I like and don’t like. I like my coffee strong and sweet; and I enjoy flavored coffees. I love coffee shops, but try not to go more than once or twice a week. I can’t stand Starbucks. When I do go to a coffee shop, I stop at Staufs in Grandview for a coffee and a bagel or scone. That’s also where I usually buy my coffee beans, which finally brings me back to Iced Coffee.

Last summer, I cold-brewed my iced coffee using this method. But it was kind of a pain, and I didn’t like the flavor as much. This summer, I’ve made my iced coffee by brewing a super strong pot of coffee, adding sugar, and keeping it in a pitcher in the fridge. Here’s how I do it.

Iced Coffee
Makes 6-8 glasses

Ingredients
Whole coffee beans
1/4 cup white sugar (if desired)
Skim Milk
Ice

Directions
1. Fill a standard, 8-cup drip coffeemaker with the maximum amount of water.
2. Coarsely grind coffee beans. Add coffee to coffeemaker, using 2-3 tablespoons of coffee per 6 ounce cup of water. Brew coffee as usual.
3. When coffee is done brewing, pour into a pitcher and mix in about 1/4 cup of sugar. Adding sugar while the coffee is still hot will help it dissolve completely.
4. To serve, pour over ice and skim milk. Stir and enjoy!

Quick Note: I usually use flavored coffee for this. I’m partial to Coconut, but Staufs Snickerdoodle and Highland Grog also make great iced coffee.

In the summer, my diet revolves around fresh veggies like these I recently picked up at the Grandview Farmer's Market*

Soup isn’t something I typically eat in the summertime. To me, it’s a hot food meant to be eaten on cold days. I’m not even a fan of gazpachos and other cold soups because I don’t like their texture. But sometimes, a soup recipe catches my eye in spite of the high temperatures, especially if that soup focuses on seasonal produce (aka corn, tomatoes, zucchini and/or summer squash). The most recent Food Network Magazine has a recipe for Triple Grilled Cheese with Tomato Soup that I had to try ASAP. I already had tomatoes that needed to be used up and Jared made this incredible Savory Zucchini Bread from the “What Geeks Eat” blog the other day. I just needed to pick up the Muenster and I was ready to make this recipe.

Grilled cheese and tomato soup is comfort food to me. It always has been. Like many Americans, I grew up eating the tomato soup in the red and white can accompanied by melted American cheese on white bread. If that’s what you’re expecting, this is not the meal for you. For one thing, it’s much less salty. For another, this soup actually tastes like tomatoes! Jared and I both really enjoyed this meal, especially once we had doctored the soup a little bit.

Triple Grilled Cheese with Tomato Soup
Makes 4 servings

Soup Ingredients
1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 lb. tomatoes, chopped
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. chipotle chile powder
1/2 tsp. cumin

Sandwich Ingredients
1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
Kosher salt & black pepper
4 slices muenster cheese
1 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese, grated
8 slices thick bread
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

Directions
1. In a saucepan, combine olive oil, tomatoes, garlic, onion, sugar, chile powder, cumin and one teaspoon of salt. Cook over medium heat for 25 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir occasionally. Add cheese and stir to combine.
2. Puree soup with an immersion blender and season with salt and pepper. Return soup to stove and keep over very low heat while making sandwiches.
3. Combine mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Split equally among 4 slices of bread, and use one slice of muenster for each sandwich. Top with remaining slice of bread. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Cook sandwiches, adding more butter as needed. Sandwiches should be done after 4-5 minutes per side.
4. To serve, dip sandwiches in soup. Enjoy!

My thoughts & Suggestions

• As usual, I made some changes to the recipe. After combining the original ingredients, Jared and I decided the soup needed more flavor. So I added cumin and chipotle chile powder. I also thought it needed a little creamier texture. Since I had no cream, I melted a little cheese into the soup instead.
• Like I said, we used homemade savory zucchini bread for this recipe. You could use any good sandwich bread. But I think a homemade or artisan bread elevates this above plain old grilled cheese.
• Since there are only two of us, I did cut the sandwich recipe in half. I made the full soup recipe, providing us with leftovers to take to lunch. I don’t usually cut recipes since Jared & I are both fans of leftovers for lunch.

*As you’ve seen in several of my past photos, my everyday dishes are black. I’ve been meaning to buy white plates and bowls. While I love my black ones, they’re not so conducive to food photography. I couldn’t get a decent shot of tonight’s meal. But I prefer to use my own photos whenever possible. This is why you’re getting a photo of seasonal veggies instead of soup and a sandwich.

Recipe Source: Adapted from Food Network Magazine, September, 2010

A colorful cake for a whimsical bridal shower (made by yours truly & her mom)

A few weeks back, I wrote about my sister’s upcoming bridal shower. At the time, I didn’t want to reveal everything I was doing because I wanted Ashley to be surprised. Now that the shower is over, I can finally blog about it. First, a quick reminder of what I had planned. For her bridal shower, Ashley wanted a tea party, complete with the traditional High Tea menu of tea sandwiches, scones, and pastries. I decided to make it more Alice in Wonderland/whimsical and less Queen of England/formal, with a bit of a garden party feel.

The Shower Site - The Carriage Barn at Mill Hollow Metropark in Vermilion, Ohio

When I started planning, I had a million ideas bouncing around my head. And I wasn’t entirely sure I could use them all. I was also a little nervous, as I had never thrown such a big and important party. And, in addition to planning and hosting the shower, I was determined to make the food and the cake. Fortunately, the wonderful ladies in my family were there to help me pull everything together for Ashley’s shower. I am happy to say that it turned out exactly how I’d pictured it in my head.

Teapot Centerpieces & Lollipop Flower Favors

Click below for my tea party menu and lots of pictures of the event. Maybe they’ll inspire you to host your own tea party!

Tea Party Menu

• Cucumber Sandwiches with Cream Cheese & Dill
• Tomato Sandwiches with Cream Cheese & Italian Parsley
• Mini Egg Salad Croissants with Green Leaf Lettuce
• Tortilla Roll-ups
• Raw vegetables with Dill Dip
• My Tropical Fruit Salad & Key Lime Dip



• White Chocolate Cranberry, Orange & Maple Scones from Avenue Fine Pastries in Lakewood, Ohio, served with clotted cream & preserves
• Strawberry Cake with Buttercream Frosting
• Chocolate-Cherry Cupcakes with Almond Whipped Cream Frosting

• White Cherry & Lemon-Mint Iced Teas, Raspberry Limeade & Coffee

With the exception of the tortilla roll-ups, scones and raspberry limeade, everything was made from scratch by me or one of the ladies in my family. I used cake recipes I had tried before, though they were in a different form. For the cake, I used this Strawberry Cupcake recipe. I like it because it does not call for cake mix or strawberry-flavored gelatin, which a lot of strawberry cake recipes do require. Also, it isn’t overly sweet which is nice when you’re using a frosting that’s as sugary as buttercream. For the cupcakes, I used this recipe for the Great American Chocolate Cherry Cake. Both recipes turned out moist & fluffy cakes that were easy to frost and work with. (A quick aside on the cake. It’s maybe the fifth cake I’ve ever made and the first tiered one. Considering this, I’m extremely happy with how it turned out!)

The Beautiful Bride showing off her edible cake topper

Of course, we had to play a game. I hate the majority of shower games, especially the one that involves making a wedding dress out of toilet paper. Instead, I decided to do a quiz called “Getting to Know the Bride & Groom”. I asked 21 questions: 7 about Ashley, 7 about Justin & 7 about them as a couple. The questions asked about things like his winter hobby (snowboarding), her (a daycare) and where they’re honeymooning (Ocho Rios, Jamaica). The winner was the person who got the most questions right.

After the game, my grandma (Honey) cut and served the cake. Everyone had cake and chatted while Ashley opened her presents. Unfortunately, we didn’t know that someone had booked the Carriage Barn for right when the shower was scheduled to end. So we had to leave in a bigger hurry than I would have liked. But the rest of the day went so smoothly that I couldn’t be too upset over it. I am so thankful that I had the chance to throw this shower for Ashley, and that it allowed so many wonderful ladies to get together and enjoy good food and celebration on a Saturday afternoon.

From L-R: Me, Mom & Ashley modeling our tea hats

Finally, I can’t thank my Mom, Honey, Aunt Ruby and Cousin Dianna enough for helping me make this such a special day for Ashley. They put up with my bossiness and helped me with anything I asked them to do. Without them, this wouldn’t have been such a success.

I think I’m not so great with short titles.  However, I’m pretty good with beer and this is an outstanding one that you must try.  Now.  Why are you still reading this?

A trappist style dubbel made in New York

I’m a big fan of Trappist beers but not necessarily of their prices.  This cheap Trappist ripoff wonderful Trappist style abbey dubbel is reasonably priced and full of complex flavors. RateBeer gives it a 99 (100 in it’s own style) out of 100 which for the math impaired is really good. It’s hearty with a mix of sweetness and richness and now I really wish I had bought more than one.

Bridal shower supplies & inspiration. I couldn't resist buying the coordinating tissues because my sister is a crier.

This September, my little sister Ashley is getting married! She and her fiance, Justin have been together for several years. They are one of the cutest, most loving couples I’ve ever seen. I couldn’t be happier that they’re starting their life together as husband and wife in less than 8 weeks.

Justin & Ashley

Of course, I’m thrilled that Ashley asked me to be her matron-of-honor. Not only do I get the privilege of standing beside her while she says her vows, I also get to plan her bridal shower! As soon as Justin and Ashley got engaged, I started scheming and dreaming about this shower. I knew immediately that I wanted whatever I did to scream “Ashley” ~ a sweet girl who loves to garden and appreciates all things whimsical and colorful. Her only real request was that we have a tea party.

I toyed with the idea of hosting an actual High Tea. But my family just isn’t that stuffy or formal. Also, the shower is in late July, which isn’t exactly hot tea weather. So I came up with the idea of a Mary Engelbreit-Inspired Tea Party. Ashley loves her illustrations; and I think they’re the perfect inspiration for a whimsical bridal shower. Originally, I didn’t plan to use much actual Mary Engelbreit branded stuff. I’d just planned on something involving cherries, teapots and daisies in primary colors and checkerboard patterns. Then in March, I went to Michael’s to get new gel food colors for my Easter cookies. Ashley’s shower wasn’t even on my mind until I spotted the perfect Mary Engelbreit invitations ~ blue and white with cherries. It was the exact color scheme and design I’d had in mind for her shower cake and decorations!

For this tea party, I’m serving a traditional menu of tea sandwiches, scones and pastries. Instead of hot tea, I’ll be making iced teas. Of course, there will also be a whimsical, colorful cake, which I plan to make and decorate. It will have 2 tiers and a topper. For the topper, I’m using a Teacupcake from Fred & Friends. I must admit I’m a little nervous about the cake. I’ve a made a few layer cakes and countless decorated cupcakes. But I’ve never made a tiered cake by myself, nor have I ever made a cake for an event as important as this. Fortunately, Mom is a great cake decorator and will be there to help me.

Also, I’m firmly convinced that cooking is a much about one’s mental attitude as it is about one’s ability to follow directions. When I lived in Mexico, my host mom was fond of judging whether food was hecho con cariño, or “made with love”. She always said that food looked and tasted better when it was made with love. Though I’d never thought about it before, I realized it was true. When I put time and care into the food I prepare, it does turn out better. This cake, and everything else I am making, are things that I care deeply about because I am making them for a wonderful girl who is my sister and my friend.

Aside from truly caring about my kitchen creations, I’ve found that confidence does wonders for culinary success. When I approach a challenging recipe or technique, I make it a point to tell myself that it will turn out well. And you know what? It usually does!

My setup for making shower favors. The dining room table often doubles as a workspace for my kitchen projects.

Now I’m dying to share everything I have planned for this shower. But I don’t want to reveal all the surprises yet (especially not since Ashley reads my blog). But I do want to say that things will be pretty quiet here for the next couple weeks while I make the favors, food and cake for this shower. After it’s all done, I plan to write about the shower and some of the things that I’m learning during this time.

Thanks to stock.xchng users nkzs for the Cherries image and cybersnot for the Berry Heart.

No cows were harmed in the making of this burger

Thursday was a ridiculously long and crazy day. By the time I got home that night, I just wanted to laze on the couch with a book or my laptop. Cooking did not sound appealing at all. Then again, neither did pizza or Thai or any of our usual too lazy to cook standbys.

Black bean burgers had been on my list of things to try making for awhile. So I took my tired self into the kitchen and started chopping and mixing. In maybe 40 minutes, including prep time, I’d made these burgers, plus the guacamole and oven fries to go with them. By the time everything was done, I was nice and relaxed from my time in the kitchen. Then my husband and I sat down to enjoy a meal that was better and better for us than anything we would have ordered from a restaurant.

Southwestern Black Bean Burgers
Makes 2 burgers

Ingredients
1 15 oz. can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 red onion, half minced and half cut into rings
1-2 jalapeños, minced
1/4 c. breadcrumbs
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. minced garlic

Toppings
Cheddar or pepper jack cheese
Avocado slices or guacamole
Lettuce leaves
Onion slices
Tomato slices
2 hamburger buns

Directions
1. Put all ingredients into a medium-sized mixing bowl. Stir to combine, then mash bean mixture.
2. Form bean mixture into burger patties.
3. Cook patties on the grill or in a skillet for 8-10 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking.
4. Place burgers onto buns and top with cheese and vegetables. Enjoy!

My Thoughts & Suggestions

• These burgers are great with oven fries, which are ridiculously easy to make. Just wash a few potatoes and cut them into 1/4 inch thick strips. Coat them with a little bit of olive oil and season with Adobo (or salt, pepper, garlic and cumin. Or whatever). Bake at 450° for 35 minutes, flipping halfway through.


Fries: Ready for the oven

• Because there were lots of veggies and guacamole on these burgers, I didn’t use mayo or any other condiments. A spicy or chipotle mayo would be fabulous on these though.
• I haven’t tried it yet. But I’m imagining these would freeze well. I’ll make extras next time and may even post an update about how that goes.