Hash Brown Breakfast Skillet

1. Cook hash browns according to package.
2. Chop green peppers, red peppers and onion.
3. Saute veggies in olive oil in a frying pan along with cooked, crumbled bacon and 1/2 tsp garlic.
4. Add hash browns to skillet; layer with veggie mixture, 1 cup cheddar cheese.
5. Crack four eggs on skillet; break yolks.
6. Cook in a 400 degree oven until cheese is melted and eggs are cooked.

Homemade Bruschetta

Steve and I ate at Mozza Mia, one of the best pizza places in the Twin Cities, a while back and ever since tasting their fresh mozzarella, I had been craving homemade bruschetta. I ran out to buy the ingredients for it, and could not find fresh basil anywhere. The bruschetta craving was strong enough that after stopping at three stores, I eventually drove to Menard's and just bought a basil plant and stripped it of its pretty, delicious leaves. (Don't worry, the basil plant has healed and is now living happily in a large pot on my deck, with its tomato plant friend.)

As I said in my gnocchi post, bruschetta is kind of a no-brainer but everyone makes it differently and sometimes knowing the right combination of the ingredients can be tricky. Luckily, it really cannot be messed up unless you add twelve cups of basil or a whole bottle of balsamic, or whatever. It's best made to taste, but my one tip is to watch your bread in the broiler when it's toasting (step 4) because the second you look away, the slices will turn to hockey pucks (note the slice on the right side of the below picture). Oh, and some people like to tear up the mozzarella and throw it in with the tomato mixture; whatever suits your fancy.

Mmm.

Ingredients:

• 5 ripe roma tomatoes
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• Salt and pepper
• 1 baguette
• Fresh mozzarella, sliced (one piece for each slice of bread)

Directions:

1. Chop the tomatoes, onions, and basil into fine pieces and add to a large mixing bowl. Stir in the vinegar and olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (For the easiest way to chop fresh basil, check out this link.)
2. Preheat oven on low broil.
3. Cut baguette bread into individual slices about 1/2 inch thick.
4. Arrange pieces of bread on a baking sheet and place the sheet in the middle of the oven to toast the bread, about 1 to 2 minutes.
5. Top each piece of bread with a spoonful of the tomato mixture, and one slice of mozzarella cheese.
6. Place the baking sheet in the middle of the oven to melt the cheese, approximately 1 minute or until slightly melted.
7. Remove from oven and serve.

*If you have leftover tomato mixture, it keeps in the refrigerator for about five days. Put a slice or two of baguette in the toaster and top with the leftover bruschetta for a quick snack.

Happy eating!

Emily 

Gnocchi with Brown Butter Sauce

A few months ago, I attempted to make homemade gnocchi. Let's just say it was not as successful as I had hoped it would be. I'm not the world's most patient person (those of you who know me well just laughed at that statement) so as it got later and later, and the gnocchi was still not done, my enjoyment of cooking decreased and my irritability increased. We finally ate at about 9 p.m. and my very kind husband and mother each ate a huge portion, which was actually fairly edible thanks to the brown butter sauce and sausage it was paired with.

I attempted this dish again and it turned out much better, thanks to the store bought Archer Farms gnocchi! I promise to someday attempt, and perfect, homemade gnocchi but my first go at it proved that the right time is not when I've had a long day at work, I'm tired and I'm starving. I love making things from scratch but I've learned that it's OK to use the shortcuts every once in a while, giving me more time to perfect the rest of the dish and the fresh bruschetta I paired with it.

Check out the recipe below, which comes from a Martha Stewart magazine from way back. It has a lot of steps but once you take a whiff of the onions as they caramelize, or the butter as it browns, it's all worth it. Bruschetta is kind of a no-brainer but I'll share my recipe in a separate post.

The feast.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
• 1/2 lb spicy sausage
• 1 package store-bought gnocchi, or homemade if you're brave
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon parsley (I used dried but if you have fresh use about 1/2 cup)
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

 Directions:

1. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-low heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally until caramelized, about 10 minutes. Add sugar and red wine vinegar; cook until vinegar is completely evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes more.
   
2. Add sausage to skillet, along with onions, using a spatula to help break sausage up into small pieces as it browns. Cook, stirring, until sausage is no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Keep warm until ready to serve.
   
3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add butter and cook until melted; continue cooking until butter becomes lightly browned and fragrant, taking care not to let it burn, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low and stir in parsley. Turn burner to low and keep warm until gnocchi is done.
   
4. Add gnocchi to a pot of boiling water. When gnocchi begins to float to the top, let cook 2 minutes more. Using a slotted spoon, transfer gnocchi to skillet with brown butter; toss to coat and season with salt and pepper.
   
5. Pour gnocchi into a large serving bowl. Top with sausage mixture and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Drizzle with olive oil and serve.
   
   
   Happy eating!
   Emily

Adventures in the Windy City

A few months ago, Steve found out one of his favorite bands, Thrice, was playing a farewell show in Chicago. He bought tickets for the show and we planned to make a weekend out of it. I had only been to Chicago once before on a short road trip (and, confession: mostly to see NKOTB/Jesse McCartney in concert), and another time for work, so I was eager to do all of the touristy stuff this past weekend. 

Things I learned about Chicago:

• Walking around for hours in flip flops leads to mysterious foot pain and an embarrassing limp for multiple days in a row.
• Navy Pier = boring tourist trap with long bathroom lines.
• Davanni's deep dish is just as good as authentic Chicago-style deep dish.
• Driving to Milwaukee at midnight and getting a hotel room > pulling an all-nighter and driving all the way home. 
• Wisconsin is just as bad to drive across as Iowa.
• They (whoever 'they' is) weren't joking when they nicknamed it the Windy City.

I also learned a lot about the Red Line; mainly:

• People will ignore the 'no soliciting' recorded announcement. I'm sure you're raising money for the YMCA, sir.
• Construction work on the track = constant stop-and-go = motion sickness.
• When it is late and people want to be home, they have no problem announcing it to the rest of the train. Repeatedly.
• Don't get on the green line to the south side when you mean to get on the orange to Midway. (I actually learned this when I was in Chi. on the business trip, but felt it needed to be included.)

Other things worth mentioning:

 Driving somewhere in Wisconsin, probably near a Culver's.

Walking along the river Friday night.

Touring Wrigley on Saturday morning.

The view from the top of the ballpark, in all its glory.

Cubs dugout.

Buckingham Fountain - shortly after a gentleman tried
to sell us a free newspaper.

Being extra touristy at The Bean.

Until the next adventure,

-Emily

Memorial Day

Memorial Day is kind of confusing. We barbecue and do yardwork, spend time with friends and family, and also feel the sense of sadness and gratefulness that comes from the sacrifice of others for this great country. I only hope that I do my best to keep the legacy alive of those who have passed on, and to honor those who are serving us today. 

My grandpa's Army photo. He was a looker, alright.

I miss you everyday, Grandpa.

Mum, Gram and me.

Especially thankful for the sacrifice of this young man today.
We love you and you're in our prayers!

xoxo, Emily

Bill Clinton, a wedding and the Ozarks

Two weeks ago, my mom, Steve and I took a few days off work and drove to Little Rock, AR for the wedding of a family friend. We were all looking forward to the trip, even with the almost 14-hour drive, mostly because Arkansas has this:

A few other highlights, in chronological order:

Steve and I went to the MacArthur Museum of Military History, which I'm in no particular hurry to go back to. I'm almost positive we were the only two people in the museum that morning. It was cool to see a few of the things on exhibit, like this WWII jeep.

We visited the Bill Clinton Library on the recommendation of a few people and it was a lot cooler than I expected it to be. There was a replica of both the Cabinet Room and the Oval Office. The museum was also featuring a small St. Louis Cardinals exhibit, and a few things on loan from the Lincoln Library.

That evening, we went to Abby and Trent's wedding. I am a dork for taking absolutely no pictures of or with Abby and Trent. Abby's mom, Trish Monnahan, is one of my mom's best friends from high school. Her husband, Scott, married Steve and I last summer and Abby did my hair and makeup for my wedding. The Monnahans have been "family" to me for as long as I can remember.

On our last day, we drove to Hot Springs to Garvan Woodland Gardens, which is sort of like the setting to a fairy tale. It's in the Ozark mountains and is home to a beautiful glass chapel, which I would seriously consider getting married in if our wedding hadn't already happened. 

Until the next adventure!

Emily

Cinco de Mayo! ...Or banana-chocolate chip muffins

Happy Cinco de Mayo, all! I often crave Mexican food so I started planning an elaborate menu for this evening but got sidetracked by the two spotty, brown bananas on my kitchen counter. I also got a new apron today, which means I am now a legitimate baker, and I had to take it on a test run.

 I like to eat a banana every morning and I like it when they are on the greener side, so we usually end up with quite a few over-ripe bananas which are perfect for baking. These muffins are easy peasy and delicious.

Mashing bananas is not the most appetizing thing you can do.

My BFF in the kitchen

I'm surprised the tins were this full after all the batter I ate (I am a batter eater and
I am not ashamed). See the three boring non-chocolate chip ones on the right for Steve.

I might eat five right away.

Banana-Chocolate Chip Muffins

My notes are in italics

Ingredients:

• 2 very ripe bananas
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar (As noted in my Cake Batter Pudding Cookies recipe, I almost always use dark brown sugar because I think it adds a richer flavor, but light works, too.)
• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2-3 tablespoons milk chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place 12 liners in muffin tin.
3. In a large bowl, mash the bananas with a fork.
4. Stir in egg, milk, sugar and brown sugar.
5. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, salt and baking soda.
6. Slowly add flour mixture to banana mixture and stir until well combined.
7. Fold in chocolate chips.
8. Spoon batter into muffin tin.
9. Bake 25-30 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Happy eating!

-Emily

Cake Batter Pudding Cookies

This was my third attempting at perfecting this recipe, and I think I got it to the point of being share-worthy. I apologize for the low-quality iPad photo; I know photography is the big sell for recipes but you'll just have to take my word on these bad boys, because they are delicious and because I was too lazy to find the camera. I gave a sample to a friend who said, "It tastes like I am eating a tube of dough right now and I couldn't be more happy about it."

Here she is. My notes are in italics.

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 c. flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 c. brown sugar (I use dark because I think it makes the cookies richer, but light works, too.)
• 1/4 c. granulated sugar
• 3/4 c. (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened (I love a good salty/sweet combo, so I use salted butter but if you're not into that or if you have hypertension, use unsalted.)
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 3.4 oz package of vanilla Jello-o pudding mix (dry)
• 3/4 c. Funfetti cake mix (dry)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a small bowl, mix together flour, baking soda and salt.
3. In a large bowl or mixer, blend together butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until smooth.
4. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until smooth.
5. Add in dry pudding and cake mix until well combined.
6. Slowly add in flour mixture and mix until smooth.
7. Spoon about 1-2" size lumps onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
8. Drop a pinch of decorative sugar crystals on the top of each cookie.
9. Bake for 6-8 minutes, depending on your oven temperature. (I'm a big fan of gooey cookies, so I always undercook mine. Take them out when they still look underdone and they'll continue to cook as they cool on the pan.)
   
   Happy eating!
   -Emily

Let's try this again...

After a yearlong hiatus from blogging in order to get married, buy a house and work a busy, full-time job, I'm attempting to get back into it. Hmm...the first post after being away from the blog is awkward. So, since I'm headed out to dinner with my family shortly, how about a few wedding photos? In no particular order.

Stay tuned!

 

40 Days

I emailed Steve this quote last September and had forgotten about it until he forwarded it to me this past week. I'm thankful for email, which serves as a sort of archive for exchanges like this one.

"Love is a temporary madness. It erupts like an earthquake and then subsides. And when it subsides you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots have become so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal passion. That is just being 'in love' which any of us can convince ourselves we are. Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident. My wife and I had it, we had roots that grew towards each other underground, and when all the pretty blossom had fallen from our branches we found that we were one tree and not two." -St. Augustine

30 Day Journal Challenge

My sister-in-law, Sara, wrote a post about the 30 Day Journal Challenge on her blog today. Because imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, I decided I want to try it, too! The challenge comes from Run With Scissors. Check it out and join along here. I am an insane person for committing to this throughout the month of June while trying to finish wedding plans. Insane person. 

I don't have a pretty journal or a set of Sharpies yet. I'm eager to scope out the selection on my next Target run.

Stay tuned!

Emily

Top Ten

The weeks start to fly by when the weather is nice and the sun is out longer. Winter in Minnesota is long and depressing; the worst part is when the sun sets at 4:30 p.m. While I want to get married sooner, I also want to stretch out summertime. I feel as though it was Monday and I blinked and it was Friday. Here are ten of my favorite things from this past week.

1. Bonfires and wine. Few things are better than good conversation shared with your best friend over a glass of Malbec. (Wine not pictured.)

2. Fresh flowers from the Nicollet Mall Farmer's Market. I'm lucky enough to work Downtown where everything is a short walk away, including the Thursday Farmer's Market. The Farmer's Market means food trucks, fresh fruit, and a bouquet of flowers for my desk.

3. The Five Love Languages. I'm reading this book right now, and thoroughly enjoying it. It offers so much insight on how each person feels loved, and shows love, in a different way. My love languages? Quality Time and Acts of Service.

4. Ray LaMontagne. Specifically him covering Gnarls Barkley.

5. This marriage proposal:

6. All the Rapture/Apocalypse talk. Read this post from the Center for Disease Control, and this article on a 5/21/11 Doomsday crazy. Both will provide you with some entertainment. 

7. Pinterest. I am addicted. Check out my boards here and let me know if you want an invite.

8. Recipe blogs. I am blessed with a job that sometimes requires me to research blogs. This week, I came across Annie's Eats, For the Love of Cooking, and Smitten Kitchen. I'm dying to try the recipes below:

Creme Brulee French Toast from Smitten Kitchen

Banana, Strawberry and Chocolate Chip Muffins
from For the Love of Cooking

Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Cake from Annie's Eats

9. This blog post about my mischievous niece, Lillian, trying to make herself a cup of joe.

10. Seeing old friends. Last night I had dinner with my college roommates from freshman year. Here we are in Seattle two years ago:

Have a great weekend!
Emily

Creme Brulee Cheesecake Bars

A few weeks ago, I found this recipe on the Petunia blog, and I've been eager to make them. They were delicious and I'm happy to say that there are hardly any bars left after the weekend. The bars are pretty easy to make and this recipe is definitely a keeper. I am pretty proud of myself because I successfully separated egg yolks from the whites after never having done it before! (Thanks to Steve, who made sure I knew to pour the egg back and forth between the two shell halves; he watches a lot of Food Network.)

Creme Brulee Cheesecake Bars

1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) sugar cookie mix
1 box (4-serving size) French vanilla instant pudding and pie filling mix
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
2&1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs plus 3 egg yolks
2 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup sugar
2/3 cup toffee bits, finely crushed

Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray bottom and sides of 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray. In large bowl, stir cookie mix, pudding mix, brown sugar, melted butter, 1 teaspoon of the vanilla and 1 whole egg until soft dough forms. Press dough in bottom and 1/2 inch up sides of pan.

Confession: I mixed this dough with my (clean)
bare hands. Much easier than stirring.

In small bowl, beat cream cheese, sour cream and sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add remaining whole egg, 3 egg yolks and remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla; beat until smooth. Spread over crust in pan.

Ta-da! All yolk and no white.

Oops, I forgot to let the cream cheese soften all
the way, hence the cottage cheese-like texture.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until set in center. Immediately sprinkle top with crushed toffee bits. Cool 30 minutes. Refrigerate about 3 hours or until chilled. For bars, cut into 9 rows by 4 rows. Store covered in refrigerator.

Someone wanted to do a little staging, and
couldn't resist staying in the picture.

Hope you all have had a lovely weekend,

Emily