Amy Theilen's Runzas

I've been putting off writing this blog post about Amy Theilen's Runzas, but couldn't quite figure out why I'd so thoughtlessly leave you in the dark because this recipe is absolutely fan-freaking-tastic. After thinking long and hard, NO good reason evolved as to why I shouldn't shout to the world "cook this recipe, now!!" because it. is. that. good. And then - the lightbulb lit up - I knew why I couldn't quite start blogging about Amy's recipe, because it is epic. Every bite transcends you to Grandma Rita's house circa 1986, sitting atop the gigantic propane tank named "The Silver Horse," the bassett hound licking your ankles, family all around, laughter, sunshine, happiness, a soft pillow of runza dough inside your knubby childhood hands. There is no excuse heady enough to warrant why you are not taking the time to proof yeast, rise dough, knead dough, make a filling, roll out each individual ball, stuff, wrap into little packages, rise again and bake. Whew, I'm tired rereading that, but then I'm just totally energized and want to run, no, sprint to the market and restock for another runza making day.

Easiest Guacamole Ever

Some days life should just come easy, but we all know that doesn't happen a majority of the time. A majority of the time we feel plain gross, causing us to shout at our loved ones, while feeling pressure to accomplish various human tasks that seem insurmountable and super important, and on and on the list of stressful things go, which I won't continue to ruminate on because the longer I do the higher my blood pressure rises. Cue something easy. Easiest Guacamole Ever. No chopping, not much mixing, ready in 5 minutes flat. And don't we all need something easy? 

Taco Meat {Without any Packets of Dried Chemicals}

I really wanted to post this recipe on a Tuesday because then I could be in accordance with Taco John's Taco Tuesday, but I'll got out on a limb and assume people who care about taco meat with no chemical additives are not eating at Taco Johns' Taco Tuesday, but for convenience's sake we (me) occasionally consider eating a Taco John's taco on Tuesday then regretfully remember the gut rot we'll have for the next 12 hours and decide to make our own taco meat. Like this! 

CSA {Community Supported Agriculture} Week 1

I know you've heard of a CSA before, right? CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture - a way for yuppies like me people who live in suburban areas to access local and fresh produce while supporting good ol' farming and the local economy.  Great, huh? I've made the (gulp) decision to document every week's box. That statement right there - hold me accountable people. It's been said. There is no turning back. Documenting. Each. Week. Now, listen up - come closer - closer - I need to be called out when I slack. Mmmk? You need to comment (nicely) and tell me demand to see next week! You're lookin' at week one.

Kale & Blueberry Salad

Something about the salads I create almost always contain certain elements to them: great crunch, something onion-ey, chewy, crispity, earthy, vinegary, and maybe a tad sweet. And in that order this salad contains: sunflower seeds, green onion, dried cranberries, kale, fresh beet, white wine vinegar, and blueberries. After consuming this salad you will be 98% healthier than the moment before you consumed this salad. 

Matcha Chia Smoothie

I am a child of the eighties, in the 80's we didn't have the word "smoothie", but the word "shake" to describe a cold, frothy mixed drink containing loads of nutrition. The realization that my generation didn't have the word "smoothie" hit me as I listened to a little girl explaining to her friend what an Icee was while surrounded by hundreds of mini-people at family camp up north. The one little girl explained to the other little girl the blue and red icey concoction was a "smoothie", which we children of the 80's know as "Icee's." And I suddenly felt very, very old. Which made me strengthen my resolve to drink youth-inducing potions full of nutrition - like this one! Matcha, Chia, Chaga, Whey, Maca! All of these super, healthy powders has me feeling young and fresh, I'm suddenly transported back to the eighties, listening to my Madonna cassette tape, badly wishing my mom knew how to pile my bangs atop my head into a Aqua-Net'd pouf, dressed in a fluorescent pink shirt you blew on to turn it purple. Remember? 

Potato & Broccoli Medallions {IKEA Copy-Cat Recipe}

My life. Me: head of table, nose in laptop, editing photos, trying to think up a witty discussion topic to base this blog post around, pouring glass of wine to induce wittiness. Boys: sitting at the same table, making Lochness monsters with play dough, being rough little hellion boys, playing together in the way boys do. Husband: making a party pizza for dinner, planning our next camping trip, molding more monsters for the boy's collection, concerned about how much play dough is ending up on the Persian rug that he perilously retrieved from Qom. And days go by like this. In the slowest, but yet quickest fashion that occasionally breaks my heart to pieces.  

Camp Stew

Last night at 12:08 am when it was impossible for my mind to shut down, the words for this blog post were flowing freely from my brain, filling this webpage with the most intriguing, deliciously sounding recipe one has ever thought up when it comes to campfires, cast-iron Dutch ovens and Summer Time Food. Blast forward into the next morning after a couple hours of broken sleep, three potty breaks in the middle of the night (intervention needed to get the 3 year old out of his crib), and a busy morning filled with milestones that make me weep and the words are utterly lost. I was so funny in my sleep. Like, seriously hilarious. The words were abundant. There was no end to what I could talk about. Alas, the sun is shining brightly on my lack of words and I have not much else to say other than - make Camp Stew. People will think you are cool. And you will be. 

My Secret Garden

Creeping Sedum

In my fantasy head my yard is an overgrown mystery, you walk atop little paver stones that are sunken deep into the grass, little mossy corners are everywhere, you walk under arched walkways topped with twining, flowering branches and the smell of wisteria overcomes you so badly you need to sit on the stone bench placed just so. But in my reality world my (not so) secret garden is this - what you see in these photos....coming along. Every year I plant another row of this or that. Take a peek into my wanna-be secret garden. 

On My Bookshelf Now

This book. I could not put this book down. If I had no other responsibilities in this world I would've probably finished this book in two days, doing nothing but reading until two in the morning. Glitter and Glue by Kelly Corrigan is a book about a young college-aged girl who is traveling abroad in Australia and finds herself short on funds, rather than call home to mom for help she decides to start a nanny job for a widowed man with two children. But as she begins her journey into nanny-dom all she can find is her mother, everywhere, in every reprimand, in every messy table, in every unfinished assignment. Corrigan's writing is so effortless and easy to read, like talking to a best friend. The story is cute, sad, bittersweet, made me LOL a couple times. Definitely had me considering my own mothering impact on my sweet babies. A book about the bond between mother and child, you'll be sure to recommend this book to mother's everywhere, even your own. 

Insta-Lately

Jammy Strawberry Rhubarb Bars

I can't stop loving the word "jammy" right now. It's like, the most beautifully twanged Midwestern word I've used on this blog to date. Especially when, in fact you are Midwestern and the way you pronounce the letter 'a' is, how shall I say? strong? A strongly pronounced 'a.' Think "jammy" with about three a's and you're hearing my voice say the word "jaaaammy." It's great. It's Minnesota. It's me. 

Bacon Jam Burgers Topped with Duck Egg & Vinegar Slaw

Remember how Becki asked me to write a guest blog post, and I came up with a great idea, but then I got sidetracked and made those cookies instead? This burger was my original great idea, but I'm glad for the sidetrack because those cookies needed to be in existence for my life to be fully complete. When I asked a friend what recipe I should make for the blog, Bacon Jam was suggested, which seemed like an excellent idea, but then snowballed into burgers.... with bacon jam on top... and cheese.... pickled veggie slaw.... and a duck egg on top to give it some foodie cred. Yeaaaahh. Needless to say, these burgers took a few days to make.

Quinoa Meatloaf

The question "Do your kids eat all that stuff" has been asked of me and got me thinking I need to set the record straight while I'm blogging about Quinoa Meatloaf, which should definitely be kid-friendly, but I may be getting a are you kidding me? from some. To answer the question, yes - they do eat this stuff. My (mostly enforced) rule is that they must take one bite because you never know if your tastebuds grew overnight, it's impolite to refuse food served prepared with love, and you try everything once. If you don't like it, you may say "no thank you." And then there's always a package of Oscar Meyer in the fridge. Hey, I've never liked peas. Ish. I just hate them. I can tolerate them in a curry or alfredo sauce, but give me a pile of peas - no thank you. Other vegetable hate: eggplant. Yuck-o-la. We all have our limits, right? 

Bacon Shortbread with Salted Stout Caramel

Becki somehow got this crazy idea that I should write a blog post for her. I was afraid to turn her down, because she sometimes invites me over and feeds me delicious food and keeps my wine glass filled. I really thought hard about what to make, and after some valuable input, came up with an amazing recipe. This isn't it. But, it's coming. Really. These cookies were born from a recipe that Becki shared last week. I am a sucker for browned butter. Did you know that if you brown the butter before making rice krispy bars, they turn into something otherworldly? They do. The other main ingredient in these cookies is rendered bacon grease. A whole cup of it. Who in the world has a whole cup of bacon fat? Turns out I have a friend who is a greasy gold hoarder. 

Rhubarb Cream Pie

I'm going to do a little bit of confessing as to what type of mother I feel I've started to become now that I have my first school age child. Putting mothers into a box and proclaiming "types" most likely is the best way to get some haters up in here, but I'm asking you to not overanalyze so that I can analyze my own psyche. My mother type has no idea what's expected at school and I always feel two giant steps behind. I mean, really. Field trip day? Is it bag lunch? What time does the bus leave? Where are the kids picked up? Time to construct a tower out of popsicle sticks that resembles a water tower? When is it due? Where do I bring it? Will I remember the due date? So many details and not enough mental capacity to get them all nailed to the ground. May my children not suffer for my lack of detail -oriented-ness, but be forever grateful that their stomachs were always full of pie. Amen.

Beet Green Sauté

This is decidedly the biggest un-recipe I've ever posted and to prove it I searched "un-recipe" on my blog and came up with this post which actually features the same ingredient that today's un-recipe features: Beets. Beets, Glorious BEETS! I. Love. Beets. Isn't that weird that both of my un-recipes feature beets? Must be because beets are so bomb diggity they hardly need any messing around with, but even with that said I'm embarrassed to post this recipe. It's not a recipe. It's so not cool. It's so lame. You'll never return to this website again! Or...maybe you will. Either way - you must NEVER throw away a beet green ever, ever again!

Insta-Lately

Butternut Squash Soup

Do you have a mantra? A life mantra that you've constantly repeated deep within yourself to encourage greatness in the mundane? My mantra changes from time to time. At times it's as simple as "God loves me" or "I'm important." Mantras can be very personal or just something to uplift, like "April showers bring May flowers!" And that has been my mantra for the last 4 days while rain has dumped on Minnesota. Our sump pump engaging for 2 days straight - every. ten. minutes. is something I've never heard before. No joke. Thankful for working sump pumps. And thankful for frozen squash from September farmer's market that brings happiness into  my dreary days in the form of Butternut Squash Soup. Mantra: Butternut Squash Soup is Happiness.

Potato Kugel Cups

There is nothing that signals the arrival of spring more than a bunch of kugel cups. Which, in fact, spring has finally sprung in Minnesota even though I was witness to one very negative omen that had me believing that spring would never, ever arrive. A robin was half dead in the middle of the highway attempting to flutter off the middle of the road with one weak wing to save its sad little life. Obviously, a very clear signal that spring would never bring its buds. As that was my first robin siting which you see, on my mom's side of the family, is a very big deal because the person who sees the first robin and calls it into my grandma is the mighty winner of one dollar. Very exciting, but I wasn't about to phone in a half dead robin because I didn't want to admit to that sad robin being here as it was on its way to death's door. And I did not want spring to head the same way, but spring did head that way and brought snow mid-April which is pure ridiculousness. I digress, let's not ruminate on snow in April. Spring is here and its brought kugel cups. 

Finnish Rye Crackers

Do you ever have ten bazillion things going on in the kitchen at once causing you to forget a very key ingredient while whipping up some fantastic recipe that will use up about 4 seriously old jars of who-haw in your pantry all in one fell swoop, which is a fabulous thing, and either attempt to salvage the just-put-in-the-oven-brownies by quickly removing the piping hot 8x8, pouring the gooey mess back into a bowl, and adding in the key ingredient (flour) or do you leave it to bake in the oven to discover what new recipe you mistakenly developed? I'm in the category of the prior with these brownies I made for Easter. Yep. I needed to pour the hot, about to be fudge mess mid-bake into a bowl, stir in the flour and return to the oven. Even with that near flawless save I still forgot the salt, but the salt wasn't nearly as missed as the flour would've been. The fam visiting from out of state over the holiday weekend were uber glad I salvaged the brownies because they were super gooey, oozy and boozy and everyone approved. Flash forward 2 days for more salvaging during the prep of the rye crackers I'm talking about today. As the dough was chilling in the fridge I somehow came to the realization I left out a 1/2 cup of sugar which is another key ingredient that would turn these deliciously crisp, sweet and aromatic crackers into bland communion style crackers. I had to salvage. Yep, just take the dough ball out of the fridge, get out the potato masher, pour in the sugar and start mashing - naturally! It worked. Crackers saved. I hope you try them out because they are fun to make and ever funner (not a word) to eat. 

Brined Chicken

If you're not brining chicken before baking your bird you seriously need to get on board with brine. Think of it as a way to make the most tender chicken you've ever had the opportunity to wrap your lips around. The method works for any cut of chicken - legs, thighs, breasts - bone-in or boneless. The amount of soaking is based on your degree of organizational skills on any given day because who can plan chicken soaking for 3 hours before a semi-peaceful supper appears - right?!?! timeframe. The minimum time span that the bird needs to bathe would be about 3 hours and the maximum 24 hours. The brine is made up of water, salt, chile peppers, and a cinnamon stick. After the chicken takes a bath in the salty, spicy, cinnamon bowl you pat dry the chicken and it hits the pan or the oven or the grill. I haven't tried grilling my brined chicken yet, but that is surely next because I have this hunch it's going to be fab. I have had success with the baking method that I detail in this particular recipe and seriously guys - there are Never. Any. Leftovers. 

Barley Risotto with Lemongrass & Roasted Broccoli

In my head I'm a really good farmer. My perfect image farmer self has a chicken coop full of eggs, an overflowing garden in which I preserve, dry, and pressure cook away so that I can sustain my family over the winter and maybe a small, green tractor like the one my dad had when we were growing up. What other farmer things would I have? A barn. I'd have a really cool, old barn. And a big farmhouse porch that I could sit on and fan myself while drinking iced tea. Doesn't this sound so relaxing? I fear there are several important Farmer Details I'm leaving out because my Farmer Knowledge is colored by memory of my little girl self growing up on a hobby farm. We had acres upon of acres of heavily wooded land that a river ran through which fed the mile long garden in which the green tractor plowed. We lived in an old spooky farmhouse littered with antiques that were most assuredly from Laura Ingalls Wilder's day. A two-story barn and out sheds that held chickens, a pig, a pony, a bunny, so many kitties and dogs. Endless adventure was possible for a small child and endless work for a real farmer. Back to my adult imaginary farm that I work really hard on with punishing, back-breaking hard work that puts me in physical pain at the end of the day and guess what? I kinda like that. I like it so much so that I've volunteered to be a trainee farmer by weeding my CSA's real life garden in return for a bushel of garden treasure which will be sure to inspire this blog forever and ever! It's happening people. 

Chai Tea

 

Captain Crawley, Anna and Bates, Lord Grantham, Lady Mary, Cora! I'm obsessed. Lord Grantham was in my dreams last night - I may need an intervention. My husband has been given the pet name Lord Melvie. My inner voice chimes in with witty little sayings like: "simply mahhh-velous!" or "brilliant!". English people are so polite and have the best vocabulary.

I may need to pick up a good habit or two from Downton Abbey. Like drinking tea! The English would probably be frightfully disdained at my version of chai tea, because I'm guessing its very "un-English" by adding sweetened condensed milk and lots of spicy cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, ginger and nutmeg. Maybe Cora the American would approve.

Date & Oat Chocolate Chip Cookies

Do you have anything luxurious in your life? There are so many degrees of luxuriousness in the world that my luxuries are seemingly simple. Washing my hair, but also having the opportunity to take the proper amount of time to style my hair - you know - add product, blow dry throughly, straighten with a straightener and style so that you don't need to wash your hair again for 4 days because time is a tickin' as two little people need to have their cereal N.O.W. Manicured fingernails. That is a luxury. A meal at a restaurant without children present. Properly cooked asparagus. Flying on an airplane to go on family vacation. A cookie. Nothing too obnoxious. Good hair, clean fingernails, eating out once in awhile, steamed vedge, an annual vacation and cookies. Is that high maintenance? Maybe so. Maybe not. Depends on your life view, but I'm going to bet that everyone in the world counts a cookie chock full of oatmeal, dates, and chocolate chips a true luxury. Because if you don't consider that luxury you must bake this cookie now as to discovery simple luxury. So chewy. So healthful tasting, but in a happy way. Get yourself some dates. Some oats. Some chocolate chips. And get yourself in the kitchen.