Food, Wine, and Mod Podge

A Twist on Italian Wedding Soup

2012-01-09T21:40:00.003-06:00

The other night, I had a craving for Italian wedding soup, so I decided to make a new version of it using some ingredients I had on hand. The best part is that it had a familiar flavor, but also tasted completely unique! I didn't have parmesan cheese on hand, but what it lacked in cheese it more than made up with the flavorful sausage meatballs. And of course, it was super simple, perfect for a weeknight.

Turkey Sausage Meatball Soup

2 Spicy Turkey Italian Sausages
2 tbs olive oil
1 shallot, diced
4-5 garlic cloves, chopped
10-15 crimini mushrooms, sliced
2 cups fresh spinach
4-5 cups chicken stock
1 cup short grain rice
Pepper to taste

Slice the sausages down the length of the casing. Unpeel the casing and discard it, leaving just the sausage meat.

Knead the meat together and roll it into tiny meatballs.

Drop the meatballs into boiling water to cook through fully, about 5 minutes.

Remove the meatballs and drain the liquid. To keep a little flavor, reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid for the soup (optional).

In a pot, heat the olive oil, then add the chopped garlic and diced shallots. Stir until shallots soften. Next add the chicken stock and rice, as well as any reserved cooking liquid from the meatballs. My measurements here are a little vague because I added these ingredients to suit how much I wanted to make, so keep that in mind!

Bring the soup to a light boil for 5 minutes. Then, add the mushrooms and cook together until the rice is tender, about 5 more minutes. At the end, add the spinach and cook until it begins to darken and wilt, about 2 minutes.

Season with a dash of pepper. Serve with crusty toasted Italian bread.

Enjoy a quick, hearty weeknight soup!

Christmas Present for a Super Foodie

2011-12-22T10:00:00.000-06:00

Well hello, gorgeous.

That's right, meet the newest member of my kitchen family!

My absolutely wonderful husband found this beauty for a steal - over $200 off! I've been wanting a Le Creuset for years but never could justify the expense, even for a present. But the stars aligned, he found it at a price we couldn't turn down, and I am now the proud owner of my very own Le Creuset!

Now what to make with it first??

Also, there's another member of our family who is also thrilled with the purchase, because that means he got a new box.

What are you wishing for this holiday season?

One-Pot Macaroni and Cheese

2011-12-19T08:00:00.000-06:00

I was on Twitter for the first time in weeks the other day, and my good friend tweeted that she was about to make some groundbreaking mac and cheese that she had discovered on Pinterest. She said the outcome was pretty tasty, so I had to give it a try myself!

One-Pot Macaroni and Cheese
discovered on Pinterest, originally posted by White on Rice Couple

2 cups large elbow Macaroni, uncooked (about 1/2 lb)
2 cups low fat Milk (about 16 oz)
if needed, additional 1/4 cup milk or water for final cooking
1 tablespoon Butter, for flavor ( I tried this recipe once without the butter and I didn’t notice any difference with the recipe. More heart healthy!)
1/2 teaspoon Mustard powder
1 teaspoon Salt, plus additional for final season later
1 cup Grated Cheese, any one or combination of ( jack, cheddar, swiss, mozzarella, gouda, parmesan*, asiago*, pecorino*) *Hard cheeses are best combined with a secondary, softer, better melting cheese.
black pepper to taste (optional)

Place raw elbow macaroni in colander and quickly rinse under water. Let drain.

In medium sauce pan (about 3.5 qt), add milk, raw elbow macaroni, salt, butter, mustard powder and nutmeg.

On medium heat, slowly bring milk/macaroni mixture to a simmer, stirring the macaroni frequently as it comes up to a simmer. This will separate macaroni and keep them from sticking together. DO NOT LEAVE THE STOVE! The milk mixture will come to a boil very quickly and leaving it unattended will leave a big mess on your stove top.

Once mixture comes to a simmer, immediately turn down heat to LOW. Macaroni will slowly cook in the milk. Having your heat too high will evaporate the milk too quickly! Cover and continue to stir the mixture every couple minutes so that macaroni will cook evenly and absorb milk evenly.

Cook for about 15-20 minutes or until milk has been fully absorbed. If macaroni is not cooked fully, add a little more milk or water to mixture (in small amounts) until macaroni is fully cooked. This will take about another 5 minutes.

When milk has evaporated, stir in grated cheese of your choice. I decided to use mozzarella and a medium-hard sheeps milk cheese for no other reason that that's what I had on hand at the time.

Stir the cheese evenly into the macaroni. Turn off heat and place lid on top of the pot and cover for about 5 minutes. This rest period will allow macaroni to plump up and absorb any excess milk.

Take a final taste and add additional salt to taste. Before serving, stir one final time to mix everything together.

My verdict? It's not the best mac and cheese I've ever had, but it's near the top of the list of mac and cheeses that I've made myself. And given how simple it was with just one pot, I definitely will be making it again, and will try some new cheese combinations!

Peppermint Swirl Marshmallows

2011-12-11T10:54:00.002-06:00

Back in May, I finally shared with you all my life-changing homemade marshmallows. The marshmallows that blow you away with one squishy, sugary bite. The marshmallows that I make twice a year.

And guess what? Time for some more marshmallows!

There's a reason though why I always make them in December.

Three words.

Peppermint.
Swirl.
Marshmallows.

There's really nothing more festive or delicious for the Christmas season! And the best part is that they're exactly the same as the basic vanilla marshmallow recipe, just with some peppermint extract added and a little food coloring fun.

Peppermint Swirl Marshmallows
adapted from source

4 gelatin envelopes
3/4 cup water
1 Tbs vanilla extract
1.5 tsp peppermint extract

3 cups sugar
3/4 cup water
1 1/4 cup corn syrup (Karo)
1/2 tsp salt

Red food coloring

Coat a 9x13 and 8x8 pan with vegetable oil or non-stick spray.

Fit a stand mixer with the whisk attachment. In the mixer bowl combine the 3/4 cup of water with vanilla extract and peppermint extract. Sprinkle the gelatin over the liquid to bloom (soften).

Add the sugar, salt, corn syrup, and remaining 3/4 cup water to a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil with the lid on and without stirring. When this mixture is at a boil, remove the lid and continue to cook without stirring until it reaches the soft-ball stage (234-240 F).

With the mixer at medium speed, pour all of the hot syrup slowly down the side of the bowl into the awaiting gelatin mixture. If you have a splatter shield for your mixer, I highly suggest you use it. This is going to whip for a long time and it will definitely splatter, and molten sugar is very hard to clean off counters and cabinets!

When all of the syrup is added, bring the mixer up to full speed. Whip until the mixture is very fluffy and stiff, about 8-10 minutes. Yes, you read that right!

Pour the marshmallow fluff into the oiled pans and pat the bottom to get all bubbles to surface. Drop a few drops of red food coloring on various areas of the surface (3-5 drops will do) and swirl around with a toothpick or chopstick. Then let sit to cool for at least 8 hours.

Sift confectioners sugar generously over the rested marshmallow slab. Turn the slab out onto a cutting board dusted with more confectioners sugar. Slice with a pizza cutter into desired shapes. If you're feeling creative, you can try a greased cookie cutter to cut the marshmallows into holiday shapes! Dip all cut edges in confectioner's sugar and shake off excess.

You can eat these plain, or dip them in chocolate and cool for a fun holiday treat! And of course, very best of all, you can plop a few into a nice steaming cup of hot cocoa and enjoy a peppermint hot chocolate!

Coq Au Vin for 2

2011-11-13T18:43:00.003-06:00

Last night, Chris and I decided to stay home and have a date night in, especially since we have been so busy with work lately and haven't been cooking as much as we'd like. With the cold weather outside, we were looking for something hearty and satisfying. And what's more satisfying than a good coq au vin?

We started with Julia Child's recipe, but tweaked it a bit (see: used a lot less butter).

Coq Au Vin for 2
adapted from Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking

2 bone-in chicken breasts
4 slices thick-cut bacon
1 tbs butter
Salt and pepper
2 cups red wine (Pinot Noir, Burgundy, Beaujolais or Chianti)
2 cups homemade chicken stock or low-sodium chicken stock or broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3 cloves garlic, mashed or minced
1/2 tsp italian seasoning

1 tbs butter
1/2 large white onion
1 carton white mushrooms

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons butter, softened
Flat-leaf Parsley sprigs

Preparation

Dry chicken thoroughly in a towel. Season chicken with salt and pepper; set aside.

Remove any rind off the bacon and cut the bacon into lardons (rectangles 1/4-inch across and 1-inch long). In a large saucepan, simmer the bacon lardons in 1 tbs butter until browned and crisp. Remove lardons from pan and set aside on a paper towel.

Place chicken pieces into the hot oil (not crowding pan), and brown on all sides.

While the chicken is browning, melt 1 tbs butter in a non-stick pan, and add the onions to begin browning.

When the onions are wilted and begin to brown, add the cut up mushrooms and sautee.

When the mushrooms and onions are sauteed, turn off the heat and set aside.

Once the chicken is browned, return bacon to the pan, cover pan, and cook slowly for 4 minutes, turning chicken once.

After browning the chicken, pour the red wine into the pan and add just enough chicken broth to mostly or completely cover the chicken pieces. Stir in tomato paste, garlic, italian seasoning, and sauteed mushroom/onion mixture.

Bring the liquid to a simmer, then cover pan, and simmer slowly for about 30 minutes or until the chicken meat is tender when pierced with a fork or an instant-read meat thermometer registers an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.

When the chicken is done cooking, remove from the pan to a platter, leaving the cooking liquid in the pan. Increase heat to high and boil the cooking liquid rapidly until approximately 2 cups of liquid remains.

While the liquid is boiling, in a small bowl, blend the 3 tablespoons flour and 2 tablespoons softened butter into a smooth paste; beat the flour/butter mixture into the approximately 2 cups hot cooking liquid with a whisk. Simmer and stir for a minute or two until the sauce has thickened (the result will be a sauce thick enough to lightly coat a spoon - just thick enough to coat the chicken and vegetables lightly). If sauce is too thin, boil down rapidly to concentrate; if sauce is too thick, thin out with additional spoonfuls of chicken stock. Taste the final sauce, adding more salt and pepper if necessary.

Plate chicken with pasta and spoon sauce on top.

And in the words of Julia, bon appetit!

Pretty Sliced Potato Dish

2011-11-05T19:02:00.003-05:00

One of my favorite food bloggers is Smitten Kitchen, and largely because of her amazing food photography. She could make a simple pb&j look like the most scrumptious lunch you could possibly imagine.

When I first saw this recipe, I knew I had to make it, soon. It's just too beautiful to pass up!

Crispy Potato Roast
adapted from smitten kitchen

2 tablespoons salted or unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt
Pepper
1/2 to 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled (smaller diameter potatoes are great, if you can find them)
2 shallots, diced
4 cloves of garlic, chopped

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Slice the potatoes using a mandolin into thin slices. If you don't have a mandolin, just use a sharp knife to create the thinnest potato slices you can.

In a small bowl, combine the oil and melted butter. Pour about 1 tbs of the mixture into the bottom of a 1-1.5 quart casserole dish. Sprinkle a little salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes into the dish as well. Then arrange your potato slices vertically around the dish.

Slide the diced shallots and chopped garlic between the slices of potato and all throughout the dish, distributing as evenly as possible. Brush remaining oil/butter mixture and sprinkle with more salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.

Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour. Remove foil and cook for another 45 minutes, or until potatoes are crispy on top and cooked throughout.

This pretty dish would impress anyone at your Thanksgiving table this year, and is a surprisingly simple side dish to make!

Cinnamon Scones

2011-10-29T08:50:00.004-05:00

First and foremost, I apologize for the lapse in posts! Things were very crazy at work following my craft retreat, and then I had a week-long vacation in Napa and Sonoma (I know, be jealous!), so I'm just now getting back into the swing of things!

Now onto the recipe for these delicious scones.

I made these scones at the Craft Retreat Weekend, and they were a hit! The cinnamon was subtle and delicious, and the scones were crumbly and buttery.

Cinnamon Scones
adapted from The Farmer's Wife

1/4 c sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon (or a couple big shakes)
1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1/2 c whole wheat flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
dash of salt
8 tbsp cold unsalted butter (it's gotta be unsalted)
2 eggs
1/3 soy milk (or use regular)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a mixing bowl. Cut in the cold butter with a pastry blender or a fork until it looks crumby.

Beat eggs in a small bowl, then add the milk. Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and combine.

Dump the dough onto a floured surface and knead 6 or more times. Next, press out the dough into a small disc, and sprinkle a little bit of the cinnamon in. Fold in half and press out again, sprinkle more cinnamon, and keep folding and pressing until all the cinnamon is incorporated throughout all the layers of the dough.

Finally, form the dough into a ball, then roll out with a floured rolling pin to form a large rectangle that is about 1/2 thick. Cut the dough into triangles and place on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Sprinkle with sugar, and place in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes until the scones are golden brown on top.

Serve and enjoy!

Craft Weekend 2011

2011-10-08T13:51:00.004-05:00

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of spending time with some absolutely wonderful crafty ladies! We met in person back in April at Creative Estates, and have been inseparable online ever since. I even told you about them when I came home from the conference.

We knew we had to get together again and so we planned a getaway girls weekend in California. Blessed with a free beach house for the weekend, we all packed up our bags and made the trip out west!

Here are just a handful of pictures from that awesome weekend, and don't worry I'll do a separate post on some of the fun recipes I made when I got to play chef all weekend.

Enjoy!

{ Jacqui of Craftee McGee } :: { Amy of Amy Cornwell Designs } :: { Nicole of Olive Blue } :: { With us in spirit from her home, Alison of aPearantly Sew } :: { Megan of Flawed Perfection Jewelry } :: { Elizabeth of Sew Chatty } :: { Kristen of Rock-A-Bow }

Homemade Granola

2011-09-28T22:15:00.002-05:00

I'm pretty much a yogurt and granola addict. I eat it literally every day when I get to work, and absolutely love it. So of course, I love to make my own granola. It's kind of like making your own trail mix - you get to add random ingredients to give it your own twist! I definitely recommend trying this before you buy another bag of the pre-made stuff!

Homemade Granola

8 cups rolled oats
Any add-ins that suit your fancy (I used dried blueberries, dried cranberries, crushed almonds, crushed hazelnuts, and crushed peanuts)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
3/4 cup honey
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl until thoroughly combined.

Pour onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Cook at 350 degrees for approximately 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the granola is browned.

Remove from heat and let cool completely before breaking apart and storing. Enjoy with yogurt, milk, or plain as a healthy snack!

Summer Reading List :: My Life from Scratch

2011-09-13T07:00:00.000-05:00

I know we're into September already, so many of us have our eyes on fall, but it's 85 and sunny out so I'm going to keep on trekking with the Summer Reading Series.

The next book on the list is My Life from Scratch by Gesine Bullock-Prado.

Though you may not recognize the author's name, you may recognize a part of it: Bullock. That's right, this book is written by Sandra Bullock's sister, Gesine.

This book is a charming account of how Gesine escaped the miserable life of Hollywood movie-making drama and ran off to the back-woods of Vermont to open a bakery. It's raw and real, and filled with pastry-goodness. She spends her time trying to teach her little town about the love and care of good pastry, and how much better it is for your palette and your soul to have a fresh-baked croissant over a mass-produced Twinkie.

I absolutely loved this book, and especially loved when her beloved sister, "Sandy" (as she calls her), pops up from time to time and rolls up her sleeves to help get work done.

Check it out, I know you'll love it!

Butterflied Grilled Chicken

2011-09-09T07:00:00.001-05:00

Per our usual weekly routine, Chris and I went to Whole Foods this past weekend to find something new and exciting to cook. Having exhausted the "unusual meats" category (bison steak, beef shank, etc.), we decided to make an effort at the one meat that has always eluded us: chicken.

In fact, one of my very first posts talked about our utter lack of skill in cooking a chicken.

So this past weekend, I went up to the meat counter, and asked for a chicken.

"Do you want that butterflied?"

I hadn't thought of that! I told him we were going to be grilling, and he suggested giving it a try. So he did a thorough job of butterflying it, removing the backbone, and removing the kill bone.

Consulting the cooking bible when we got home, we set about making a grilled butterflied chicken.

The result?

Oh. my. goodness.

Amazing.

I will never make a whole chicken any other way, ever again. It was flavorful, tender, and downright incredible.

Grilled Butterflied Chicken

Brine:
1/4 cup salt
2 tbs italian seasoning
1 tbs garlic pepper
Water

1 small butterflied chicken
Olive oil
Chopped garlic
Italian seasoning
Garlic Pepper

Mix the salt, italian seasoning, and garlic pepper with enough water to cover the chicken in a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and set in the fridge for at least 4 hours.

When you're ready to cook the chicken, remove it from the brine and discard the liquid. Rub the chicken with olive oil, chopped garlic, Italian seasoning, garlic pepper, and any other combination of flavorful spices you want to use.

Let the chicken rest for 15 minutes to warm up a little.

Place chicken on a hot grill skin/breast side down. Let cook for 10-12 minutes.

Flip over and if using a grill with multiple burners, kill just the burner directly underneath the chicken to keep it from scorching; leave the other burner(s) on. Close the lid and let the chicken cook for another 15-20 minutes, monitoring temperature to keep it between 350 and 400.

Finally, flip the chicken back over again, and turn the burner beneath the chicken on. Cook for another 5 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 175.

Remove from grill and let sit for 5 minutes.

Grab a fork and dig in!

The No-Cost Cat Bed

2011-09-06T07:00:00.000-05:00

This was a fantastically productive weekend. We ran a ton of much-needed errands, and then came home and tackled some major projects. First, we cleared out our entire pantry, added new shelving, and put it all back in. It looks better than I could have imagined!

Then, we attacked our bedroom. We completely shuffled everything in the room around, including the outrageously heavy armoire that we were actually incapable of lifting to move. It was an impressive series of lifting and falling and lifting and bouncing the top off the bed to get it to the other side of the room, but now we're completely maximizing the space and it looks awesome.

And since we were on a roll, we decided to make Simon a little cat bed. He always sleeps on the top of our bookcase in the living room, but it's so hard and he has a tendency to nearly fall off when he's in deep sleep.

With the intention of using only scraps and other things we had lying around, we got to work on the new no-cost cat bed.

First, we needed a frame for the shape of the bed. Luckily, when we cleared out the pantry, we found ourselves the proud owners of some useless wood doors.

Conveniently, they were exactly the width of the bookcase!

So I employed my very handy husband to cut a base and four sides out of the scrap door.

(please ignore the tears in the screen... courtesy of Simon trying to claw through to get at the birds... wait, why did we make him a custom bed?)

Anyway, back to the project. I added some leftover batting from when I made my new comforter to the base.

I then cut apart a soft old blanket for the base, and used trusty Sheila the staple gun to staple down the fabric. I used leftover fabric from my new pillows to then cover the sides so that it would fit in in the living room. Finally, I nailed the sides on and it was done!

It looks great on our bookcase, and ties in so nicely with the pillows. And not to mention, Simon loves it!

Ina Garten's Chicken Piccata

2011-08-25T07:00:00.000-05:00

I really adore Ina Garten. She's wicked smart and completely composed. Not to mention, she's a fantastic cook. If you don't know much about Ina's background, I highly recommend reading her Wikipedia page. She's got her pilot's license, she wrote the nuclear energy budget for the White House under multiple presidents, and more. Seriously, she's amazing.

I've had her Chicken Piccata recipe bookmarked for a long time, and I finally made it the other night. Let me just say, it does not disappoint! And for once I actually didn't stray too far from the actual recipe!

Ina Garten's Chicken Piccata
original recipe found here

Ingredients

2 split (1 whole) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 extra-large egg
1/2 tablespoon water
3/4 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs (I made my own using dry bread and italian seasoning, salt, and pepper)
Olive oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, divided
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons), lemon halves reserved
1/2 cup dry white wine
Sliced lemon, for serving
Chopped fresh parsley leaves, for serving

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Place each chicken breast between 2 sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap and pound out to 1/4-inch thick. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.

Mix the flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper in a shallow plate. In a second plate, beat the egg and 1/2 tablespoon of water together. Place the bread crumbs on a third plate. Dip each chicken breast first in the flour, shake off the excess, and then dip in the egg and bread crumb mixtures.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saute pan over medium to medium-low heat. Add the chicken breasts and cook for 2 minutes on each side, until browned. Place them on the sheet pan and allow them to bake for 5 to 10 minutes while you make the sauce.

For the sauce, wipe out the saute pan with a dry paper towel. Over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter and then add the lemon juice, wine, the reserved lemon halves, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Boil over high heat until reduced in half, about 2 minutes. Off the heat, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and swirl to combine. Discard the lemon halves and serve 1 chicken breast on each plate. Spoon on the sauce and serve with a slice of lemon and a sprinkling of fresh parsley or basil.

August Garden Update

2011-08-22T07:00:00.000-05:00

We've had so many storms lately, I feel like I end up checking the weather forecast every day just to see if I need to water my plants! Luckily they've survived multiple torrential storms and even two hail storms, and the veggies are absolutely beautiful.

Let's start with the red bell pepper plant:

From this top-down view, you can see these pretty bright red peppers peeking out between the leaves! There are also still a few green peppers that haven't turned yet, but boy are these red peppers gorgeous.

The basil is still flourishing, and I'm starting to need new basil recipes!

Finally, the tomatoes are popping out everywhere.

A few are starting to turn red, but most are still growing.

I'm happy that the tomato plant is still flowering though, because it should mean that I'll have a steady stream of tomatoes for a while!

Now you may have noticed that I'm missing some pictures of a plant here - the cilantro plant. That's because it's very, very dead. After bolting and flowering, and creating the coriander seeds, the plant decided it had fulfilled its potential and kicked the bucket. That's ok, it wasn't producing cilantro anymore anyway!

I'm definitely loving my little Chicago garden, and already plotting out next year's crop!

Asian Pork Burgers

2011-08-18T09:00:00.000-05:00

Flipping through my Real Simple magazine the other day, I came across a delicious-looking recipe for Asian pork burgers. We don't make burgers all that often since we try to eat pretty healthy, and turkey burgers often are kind of a letdown, so I liked the idea of trying pork. Somewhat in between beef and turkey on the healthy scale, we made these with a side of grilled corn and salad to balance out the meal.

Overall, I was super impressed! With only a few ingredients, these burgers were tender, flavorful, and completely satisfying. Also, we bought a pound of ground pork, which made four patties for us. I froze two of them, so we will definitely be enjoying them again soon!

Asian Pork Burgers
recipe courtesy of Real Simple

1 lb ground pork
2 tbs Sriracha
2 tbs soy sauce
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
1-2 green onions, diced
Ground black pepper, to taste

1/2 cup ketchup
1-2 tbs Sriracha

Combine the pork, 2 tbs Sriracha, soy sauce, garlic, green onions, and ground black pepper.

Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Form into four patties. To keep them from puffing up in the middle while cooking, use your thumb to create a small divot in the center of the patty.

Grill until cooked through.

Mix together ketchup and remaining Sriracha to create a spicy sweet sauce. Slather on pork burger, and top with your favorite burger toppings.

Enjoy!

New Pillows

2011-08-16T09:45:00.004-05:00

I feel like a home is never finished, and I always find new ways to put my stamp on each room. Especially since we currently rent our place, decorating can be a little limited. Without the ability to paint or change the hideous light fixture hanging above the kitchen table, I have to rely on changes that I do have control over!

We recently got new couches from West Elm, and I absolutely love them. Gray microfiber, classic look, I know we'll enjoy them for a very long time.

The only thing is that they didn't come with pillows. But you know me, I had no problem with that since of course I had some fabulous fabric in the back of my mind that I wanted to use!

Every time I walk into The Needle Shop in Bucktown, I find more and more amazing fabrics that I just adore. I also love that they have an Etsy store, so I can peruse even before walking into the store!

Anyway, back to my pillows. I got my fabulous fabric this past weekend, and came home to whip up my pillows. I just love how they turned out!

I love how they go so well with the gray couches but also bring a wonderful pop of color and whimsy!

Asian Braised Beef Shank

2011-08-09T17:00:00.000-05:00

I think I've mentioned before that Chris and I love to go to Whole Foods on a Saturday, then stay in that night and cook an amazing meal. And since we love to try new recipes, we also often buy ingredients we've never used before. This past weekend, we picked up a beef shank, and even though we didn't know what we were going to do with it, we came home and found a great recipe to use as a rough guide!

Asian Braised Beef Shank
adapted from Ming Tsai's Asian Braised Short Ribs

1 beef shank
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped into chunks
2 celery stalks, chopped
3-4 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon ginger, minced (from 1/2-inch knob)
10 baby bella mushrooms, sliced
2 tbs rice wine vinegar
2-3 tbs soy sauce
2 whole sprigs fresh thyme
1 cup water
Sesame seeds
Pepper, to taste

Heat the oil in a pan. Sear the beef on both sides, 2-3 minutes per side, to get a brown crust on each side. Remove the beef, and add the garlic, ginger, onion, carrots, and celery. Sautee until the onions begin to turn translucent. Add the rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, and water to deglaze the pan. Nestle the beef back into the center of the pot so that the liquid reaches the top of it. Bring it to a simmer, then add the mushrooms, thyme, sesame seeds, and pepper.

Turn the heat to low and put a top on. After 30 minutes or so, take off the top and ladle some of the liquid over the beef.

Cook until the meat begins to fall apart, approximately 2 hours. Serve over rice and enjoy!

Summer Reading List :: The School of Essential Ingredients

2011-08-03T14:30:00.002-05:00

The fourth book in my Summer Reading Series is one my mom came upon, and she even got to go to a book signing by the author, Erica Bauermeister.

This is a great book that really hits on the emotion of food. A fictional novel, The School of Essential Ingredients follows the lives of eight students who gather every Monday night for cooking class. A young mother struggling with the demands of her family; an Italian kitchen designer learning to adapt to life in America; a widower mourning the loss of his wife to breast cancer; and more. Chef Lillian helps them to create dishes whose flavor and techniques expand beyond the restaurant and into the secret corners of her students’ lives. One by one the students are transformed by the aromas, flavors, and textures of Lillian’s food.

"Brought together by the power of food and companionship, the lives of the characters mingle and intertwine, united by the revealing nature of what can be created in the kitchen."

It's a lovely read that will leave you smiling from chapter to chapter!

My Favorite Recipe Sites

2011-07-29T09:00:00.000-05:00

I'm doing a guest post today over at Midwestern Moms, but I thought I'd share it with my readers as well! Midwestern Moms hosts a Friday Foodies weekly feature, and I was able to share some of my favorite recipe sites.

There are definitely some great sites out there, and there are some already featured in previous Friday Foodies posts that I just love. The Epicurious iPad app is absolutely wonderful, and I will always adore Pioneer Woman and all the stories that go with her fabulous pictures. But when I'm looking for some truly unique recipes to try in the kitchen, I go to these great sites:

Smitten Kitchen

Smitten Kitchen is a professional blog written by a woman with spectacular photography skills, and according to her posts, the smallest kitchen in the world. I love everything about her recipes because they are so wonderfully unique. From whole wheat raspberry ricotta scones to leek toasts with blue cheese, she'll reinvent your cooking repertoire!

Tasty Kitchen

Tasty Kitchen is a cooking community created by the Pioneer Woman to allow her wonderfully-talented readers the chance to share their best. It's like All Recipes with more creativity and amazing photography. This is a more traditional recipe site in that you can search for exactly what you're looking for and get a myriad of new recipes to try as a result. The reason why I love it is that all the recipes are submitted by impassioned readers who love food and photography, just like PW, and want to share it with each other!

Food Gawker

If you haven't figured out yet, I love food photography almost as much as I love food. And it's only fitting that I love a website devoted to the best food photography on the web, that all links to the blog posts about the food and the recipes. You can search by the latest submissions, most popular, and more, but I guarantee you that you won't be able to peel your eyes away. These drool-inducing photos will draw you in and get you hooked, and you won't be able to close the window without poring through dozens of recipe posts.

I hope you enjoy my suggestions and found some new sites for foodie inspiration!

It's My SITS Day!!

2011-07-25T05:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome to everyone who is stopping by from SITS!

If you're a regular reader and you're not familiar with SITS, it's a community of women-bloggers set out to create a community and lend each other a helping hand.

If you're visiting from SITS, well hello! Nice to meet you!

I live in the best city in the world, Chicago, with my wonderful husband

...and our overly friendly cat, Simon.

If you haven't guessed by now, I have three loves (aside from the men in my life): Food, Wine, & Mod Podge. I'm so blessed that my husband is my partner in the kitchen and loves to create new flavor combinations just as much as I do. And we love to do it all with a glass of wine in hand! When I'm not cooking, I'm always crafting, trying out new tricks and mediums, though Mod Podge will always have a special place in my heart.

You can check out my many recipes here, and you'll quickly learn that I love to tweak recipes to make them my own!

Also feel free to browse through my many crafts. Anything from stamp embossing to sewing, and of course plenty of Mod Podge, I hope you'll find something new and fun to try!

Thanks again for stopping by, enjoy having a look around!

Summer Reading List :: Love by the Glass

2011-07-21T08:00:00.000-05:00

Just over a year ago, I shared the book Love by the Glass with you, but I wanted to bring it back for the summer reading series. It's such a fun and entirely true love story about a pair of journalists who fall in love with each other while falling in love with wine.

Love by the Glass is written by Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher, the authors of the "Tastings" column in The Wall Street Journal. Gaiter and Brecher are a married couple who met as newbies in the journalism world, and newbies in the world of wine. Just as California was finding its identity in the wine industry, the couple starts to explore whites, reds, and especially sparkling/champagnes. The book follows them from meeting, to new jobs, the wine column, and kids, and intermixes their knowledge and love of wine.

The reason why I loved this book is because it was half life story, half wine textbook. They went into so much detail about the types of wines, their origins, their histories. Yet it all followed the storyline of their life and love, so you hardly noticed how much you were learning. In fact, there was so much information that I actually want to read it again to absorb more! Now regarding the storyline, their love story, it almost seemed fate how well everything laid out for them. Sure there were bumps in the road, which they talk about, but their love for each other, how they focused on building their relationship through wine, is something to truly strive for. It inspires you to be a better partner, with or without the wine!

It’s a wonderful read, I highly recommend you add it to your summer reading list!

Roasted Cauliflower Soup

2011-07-18T07:00:00.000-05:00

I often buy heads of cauliflower, but I'll be honest, they sit in my fridge for a week or two without being used. Don't get me wrong, I really want to like cauliflower. But when it comes down to it, I am not really a fan of steamed cauliflower, and other than eating it raw dipped in ranch dressing, I just don't know what else to do with it.

In fact, back in February I posted a recipe for Cauliflower and Sausage Pasta that was born from the same need to use an entire head of cauliflower.

This past weekend, yet again I found myself with an entire unused head of cauliflower, looking for inspiration. I was browsing through the Epicurious iPad app, and their Roasted Cauliflower Soup came up. Since I was just recovering from a cold anyway, some soup sounded perfect!

Roasted Cauliflower Soup
adapted from Epicurious

1 head cauliflower
4 garlic cloves
2 shallots
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup water
4 small potatoes
1 1/2 cups milk
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Cut cauliflower into 1-inch florets. Cut ends off of garlic and shallots, and cut the shallots into large sections. Combine in a large bowl, and toss with oil to coat.

Spread out on a baking sheet, and roast in middle of oven about 30 minutes, or until golden.

In a large pot simmer broth, water, and roasted cauliflower mixture 30 minutes covered, or until cauliflower is very tender.

Dice potatoes into small cubes (1/4 inch) and boil for 10 minutes, or until tender, and drain and set aside.

Using an immersion blender or a standing blender, puree roasted cauliflower and broth mixture until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids). Return soup to pot and stir in potatoes, milk, and salt and pepper to taste.

Heat soup over moderate heat until just heated through. Serve with fresh croutons or garlic-rubbed crostini.

Growing in Chicago: Garden Update

2011-07-14T07:00:00.000-05:00

My little plants have come a long way since I planted them back in May, so I thought now would be a good time to share their growth with you!

Let's start with the most unusual little guy, the cilantro:

"Uhh...Katie... that doesn't look like cilantro..."

You're right, it doesn't.

It just so happens that when you plant cilantro, you get a ton of cilantro right away, then suddenly this happens:

It grows a foot and a half straight up, and starts producing flowers and ultimately coriander seeds. Yes, I said coriander. Did you know coriander and cilantro are the same thing? We often associate coriander as the ground seed and cilantro as the leaves, but in reality they're from the same plant. And this unusual sprouting-straight-up process is called bolting. The plant is getting ready to seed and create a new generation, and the old cilantro leaves are done. You can still eat the frilly leaves that come with the bolting, but they won't have quite as strong a cilantro flavor. Once it's bolted, it's in a new stage in life and won't be going back. You can read more about cilantro bolting here.

Now, time to check out the basil!

Happy and full of life, it's also flowering and creating more delicious leaves.

The tomato plant is also doing well, trying to fill out all areas of the pot and budding like mad.

Those little buds will soon die and leave behind little green orbs, the beginning of plump, juicy tomatoes!

And finally, the best for last: the bell pepper plant. I'm just thrilled with my little producer here!

It's already got one pretty sizable pepper sitting at the bottom, as well as three more well on their way.

Hopefully my next garden post has a beautiful red bell pepper and juicy red tomatoes to go with my basil!

Summer Reading List :: Lunch in Paris

2011-07-11T07:00:00.001-05:00

The second book in my summer reading series is another favorite of mine. In fact, I love it so much that I've been handing it out to all my friends to read!

Lunch in Paris is a wonderful memoir love story by Elizabeth Bard. As an American journalist who falls in love with a French man while visiting Paris, she struggles with fitting in. She quickly learns that food is engrained in the culture of France, and makes plenty of missteps along the way, much to the dismay of her husband, mother-in-law, and cheesemonger.

I loved this book because I felt I learned so much about French food and French culture while enjoying the love story that was intertwined. It is a must read for anyone who loves food and loves love!

Roasted Bell Pepper Sauce with Chicken and Pasta

2011-07-07T20:33:00.003-05:00

You know what I love about summer? All the wonderful, fresh, and not to mention super-cheap produce.

The other day, I went to the local produce market, and all red, yellow, and orange bell peppers were 99 cents a pound. Needless to say, I got a little too excited, and bought way too many bell peppers. So mid-week, I was in desperate need of some ways to use the peppers other than just my traditional stir fry.

Luckily, I remembered reading once about a bell pepper sauce for pasta, and thought it would be the perfect way to use up a ton of my little veggies!

Roasted Bell Pepper Sauce
adapted from Epicurious

1.5 lbs red, yellow, and orange bell peppers
1/2 cup almonds, toasted
2 tbs olive oil
1/2 can tomato paste
2 tbs red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp chipotle powder
1 cup chicken stock
Salt and pepper, to taste

Roast all the bell peppers over an open flame. Since mine were little bell peppers, I had to do 2-3 of each color, but you may need less if you have larger peppers. Roast the peppers until the skin turns black, and immediately stick them in a bowl covered with plastic wrap to let them steam and the skin soften.

After 10 minutes, remove them from the bowl and scrape the blackened skin off.

Remove the seeds and tops of the peppers, and put them in a food processor with the almonds, oil, tomato paste, vinegar, chipotle powder, and chicken stock.

Puree the mixture until smooth. Transfer it to a pot and bring to heat and let it sit on medium-low for 5-10 minutes.

Serve with pan-browned chicken over pasta, topped with fresh basil.

This is such a great summer dish to help use up all those peppers while they're affordable!

Summer Reading List :: Food Novels

2011-07-02T12:02:00.003-05:00

Earlier this year, my mom and I started our own little "book club." Since we don't live in the same state, and since Gilmore Girls ended years ago, we needed a new activity that we could do together even though we were apart. She knows how much I love to cook, and she's working to expand her recipe repertoire, so we picked some great food novels that had recipes intertwined in the stories.

We've worked our way through some great books, so I decided it could be a fun little summer series to share these books with you if you're looking for some good summer reading, in addition to some new recipes!

And with that, I want to share with you the first book in my Summer Food Novel Series, I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti: A memoir of good food and bad boyfriends.

The author, Guilia Melucci, shares story after story about the different loves in her life, and how cooking and food had such a presence in each one. Growing up in a big Italian family, she learned at an early age that food is love.

"If my mother did not impart to me an understanding of how to play games when it comes to love, she at least sent me into the world with a clear knowledge of how to make a simple tomato sauce."

From traditional Italian recipes like Spaghetti Carbonara and Fried Eggplant to more amusing dishes like Pear Cake for Friends with Benefits and Bucatini Amatriciana with MP3 File-Sharing Technology, this book is just a joy to read when you're looking for something light and enjoyable. Also, Guilia goes through some background of Italian cooking, so I definitely learned a thing or two about the basics of making great Italian food.

Hope you enjoy this book as much as I did!

Tuesday Night Pasta Sauce

2011-06-28T21:45:00.000-05:00

There are only a few things in life I take a firm stance on, but jarred pasta sauce is one of them. I see absolutely no reason why anyone should eat this overly-preserved "sauce," even if you're pressed for time. A quick and flavorful homemade pasta sauce takes only a few ingredients, but results in a sauce a million times better (and healthier!) than the jarred stuff.

Tuesday Night Pasta Sauce

1 28oz can of whole tomatoes
1 tbs oil
4 cloves of garlic (or more if you're feeling garlicky)
1/2 white onion
1 shallot
A splash of white wine (optional)
Salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and Italian seasoning to taste
Shrimp (optional)
Fresh basil (optional but recommended)

Chop the onion and shallot. Dice the garlic how you please -- I like to do mine in thin slices because I like the heartiness, but if you don't want your garlic to have as much texture, feel free to mince it.

Next, grab the tomatoes. Use your thumb to pierce each tomato before removing it from the can to allow juices to flow out. If you don't do this, you'll have a pool of tomato juice on your cutting board that will end up running everywhere. Rough-chop each tomato individually. Leave the remaining juice in the can.

Put your oil in a nonstick pan (not a stockpot) and bring to medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot enough to sizzle, add the garlic, onion, and shallot. Sautee, constantly moving, until the onions soften but not so long that the garlic browns.

Next, add the chopped tomatoes, and approximately 1/4 cup of juice from the can. If you have white wine handy, add a splash for another note of flavor. Bring the sauce to a simmer.

Now add your seasonings. I prefer a simple combination of salt, pepper, a dash of red pepper flakes, and a hefty dose of Italian seasoning, but feel free to add what you have on hand. Just make sure you include some form of salt and some form of herb. Mix it all into the sauce and let simmer for about 3-5 minutes.

Here's the last trick: when the noodles are just about ready to come off the heat, take a small ladle and remove some of the starchy boiling water and add it directly to the sauce. This starchy water will add a silkiness to your sauce that you won't get with just plain water. Mix it in with the sauce and let simmer.

At this point, you can throw this sauce on top of your pasta and be done with your super-quick, super-flavorful fresh tomato sauce. For me, I decided to add a couple shrimp to the sauce to give it more of a "meal" feel. I quickly thawed some frozen shrimp from Costco (always on hand and super quick to thaw in water), and put them right in the sauce just before we were ready to eat.

Since they only take about 2 minutes to cook, I knew I didn't want to throw them in until the very end. If you have fresh basil on hand, chop it up and toss it in at the same time as the shrimp. This will lightly wilt the basil without it being in the heat so long that it fully cooks.

Serve the sauce over the pasta, and enjoy your delicious, fresh dinner! Beginning to end, including prep, this fresh sauce will take less than 30 minutes, easily accomplished on a busy weeknight. So for only a couple more minutes than jarred sauce, you can make a fresh sauce that tastes ten times better!

Shredded Pork and Chicken Flautas

2011-06-22T07:45:00.000-05:00

Waaay back, over a year ago when this was just a wee little blog, I posted a recipe for shredded pork flautas. Little did I know, that would be my first "hit" recipe. People just loved them, and even came back and told me when they made them!

This past weekend, we made them again, and I thought it might be time to bring them back for a post. To change them up, we made half of them filled with shredded pork, and half filled with grilled shredded chicken. It was a great variation!

Shredded Pork and Chicken Flautas

Small flour tortillas
Slow-cooked shredded pork
Grilled, seasoned chicken, shredded
Red tamale sauce (can use a packet)
Oil

In the last post, I started by showing the best way to make juicy, flavorful shredded pork. I'll let you reference that here, and I'll start from the point of actually making the flautas.

Pour enough oil in a non-stick pan to easily cover the bottom. Heat the oil hot enough to sizzle, and place a tortilla in the pan. It will begin to puff, and will begin to fry. Flip after about 30 seconds, leave on the opposite side for 30 seconds, and remove it and place it on a plate with a paper towel on the bottom.

Repeat for each tortilla, placing a paper towel between each one.

Let the tortillas rest for a minute until they are cool enough to handle, but still warm.

Next, grab a tortilla, and place a strip of meat on the inside. I place mine slightly off-center so that it rolls easier and stays rolled.

Repeat with all the meat, both chicken and pork. I did chicken and pork separately, but there's no reason why you can't get creative and mix them!

Bake set them all on a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes, until they are crispy and brown.

Serve topped with red enchilada sauce and alongside some grilled corn or rice. Enjoy!

Banh Mi Inspired Rice Bowls

2011-06-17T06:00:00.000-05:00

Chris and I recently had a banh mi at a restaurant in Chicago, and just adored it. In case you're not familiar with a banh mi, this is what they look like:

It's a Vietnamese sandwich usually consisting of some sort of pork (grilled, roasted, steamed, etc) and topped with fresh carrots, cilantro, daikon, jalapenos, and more.

The other night, we had some leftover pork roast that needed to be used, so Chris suggested we make a rice bowl in the style of a banh mi.

Banh Mi Inspired Rice Bowls

Plain shredded/roasted pork butt
Ginger, chopped
Garlic, chopped
Green Onions, chopped
Chili Paste
Soy Sauce
Brown Sugar
Rice wine vinegar
Peanuts

Carrots, cut into matchsticks
Cucumber, cut into matchsticks
Cilantro, rough chop
Rice, cooked

You'll notice that I'm not putting measurements in the above ingredients list, and there's a very good reason for this. We so haphazardly put in the ingredients, that I wouldn't feel comfortable telling you measurements. You'll just have to feel it out for yourself.

Start with some peanut oil in a wok and heat until it sizzles when water is sprinkled in. Add the chopped garlic, onion, and ginger. Cook until they soften and just barely start to brown. Next, add the pork. Flip it a couple times to incorporate all the garlic/ginger/onions, then press down. The important step here is to get the pork to brown a little bit. Flip it over a few times and press down to brown between each flip. Once it's browning but before it begins to burn, add about 2 tbs of rice wine vinegar, and some soy sauce. Also add the brown sugar, chili paste (to your spice liking), and peanuts. Flip in the wok until all the ingredients have cooked together, 3-5 minutes.

Serve over fresh, hot rice, and top with fresh carrots, cucumber, and cilantro.

New Comforter: Repurposed Duvet

2011-06-14T06:00:00.000-05:00

As you know, my third anniversary with my husband was last week. And in the past three years of marital bliss, I have to confess that our bed looked like this:

And in case you can't quite see in the above picture, here is a close up of that comforter:

Pretty faded daisies, tulips, hearts, and ribbons. And let's not forget the super-awesome yarn ties. Don't get me wrong, this comforter has a very special place in my heart. My grandma made this comforter for me when I got my first big girl bed at the young age of 5, and it is to this day the most comforting comforter ever. However, not the most appropriate for a married couple. Also, it's made for a full size bed, and we have a queen.

Now taking a step back, we did actually get some bedding when we got married three years ago. We registered for a nice down comforter and and charcoal gray duvet and skirt/sham set. Since we were moving to Chicago and assumed it was cold all the time, the down comforter made sense to us. Fast forward a couple months, we got to Chicago, and guess what?

Down comforters are hot.

Really, really hot.

We lasted about 3 months with it before giving up all together, and the down comforter has lived in the closet ever since.

I recently started looking for some new bedding, but just couldn't find anything I really liked. I also kept comparing everything to the charcoal duvet set I already had, since I really liked the shade and feel of the fabric. Finally, one day it hit me: just make the duvet cover into a comforter!

And that's exactly what I did.

I started by taking out all the seams and laying it out on the floor. Of course, you know me, I couldn't just stick some batting in it and call it a day. I had to make it my own!

After heaps of scraps and plenty of measuring, cutting, and sewing, it started to take its new form.

I sewed a stripe down the center using this pretty Joel Dewberry Damask fabric.

I then stuffed it with two layers of extra-loft batting, queen size. I lightly tacked it in a couple places to keep it from shifting (sorry Grandma, no yarn ties!), and my new comforter was complete!

...Ok, in reality this took me a ton of hours spread out over two days. Sewing something this large takes a lot of time and measurement, and being creative with the stripe just adds to the time! Not to mention, I also got a little creative with the underside...

I decided it would be fun to sew the underside using a yellow fabric to pull out the yellow in the damask, and continue the stripe down the center. I love how I can make my bed now two different ways to get two different looks!

Anniversary Wine Album

2011-06-10T05:00:00.001-05:00

It's no secret that Chris and I like wine, and I do plenty of crafts with the debris. From glass etched wine bottles to wine corks to my massive wine label collage, we have a serious wine theme going in our home.

So given the emphasis we have on wine, it's not surprising that we still save some wine labels for their sentimental value. Specifically, we save the labels from our anniversary wine bottles.

The label from our first anniversary is front and center in our wine label collage, so unfortunately it will be immortalized in the collage forever. However, starting with our second anniversary, I saved the label and stuck it in a photo album I had lying around.

A nice black page, written with the date and year with a silver pen, very classy. The only problem was that the outside didn't quite share the same level of class.

I stuck it away, always holding in the back of my mind the intention to give it a makeover. It wasn't until I pulled it out this year for our 3rd anniversary label that I finally determined it was time!

I used Mod Podge to cover the album in a pretty pearl and silver swirly paper. I then created a label using my Silhouette (mostly because I don't have a printer), outlined in a square of solid silver paper.

I then covered the back in the solid silver, to create a slight contrast to the front of the album.

Finally I gave the whole thing a nice topcoat of glossy Mod Podge.

I love the way it turned out, and I can't wait to slowly fill up the pages with a label for each year!

Handmade Anniversary Gift

2011-06-08T06:15:00.000-05:00

When Chris and I do something little that's special for the other person, we call it SHMILY.

See how much I love you.

It could be anything from a bag of puffy cheetos when I've had a bad day, to a a new sleeve of golf balls to get him excited about summer.

The key is that it's all just because, and it all has a little sticky note on it that says SHMILY.

In fact, Chris' ring has SHMILY engraved on the inside.

So this year, for our anniversary, I had a fantastic idea! The fabulously talented and oh-so-entertaining Leonora of Yellow Heart Art makes some truly awesome graphic art. And, even better, she's a sponsor of mine this month (woo!). So of course I shot her an email to see if she could make me a custom graphic art highlighting our little tradition.

And the outcome pretty much rocks.

But you can see for yourself.

It's hanging on my slowly growing wall of handmade art in our bedroom. I just love it!

3 Years

2011-06-06T07:00:00.001-05:00

Three years ago today, I got to walk down the aisle toward this guy:

We exchanged some vows...

...surrounded by some wonderful friends and family.

We also exchanged some rings...

...and signed a marriage license.

We danced until the wee hours of the morning, overjoyed because we were finally married!

Happy 3rd Anniversary to my best friend and the love of my life. I'm so happy that we have a lifetime to share together.

Grilled Chicken Flatbread with Grilled Corn-Tomato Salsa

2011-06-02T13:25:00.000-05:00

This recipe is one of my favorite new dishes that I made up recently. I got inspired on the way home while flipping through Bon Appetit, and couldn't wait to get home to get started!

Marinated Chicken

1 chile (jalapeno, serrano, ancho, your choice)
Goya Marinade
Juice of 1 Lime
2 chicken breasts

Grilled Flatbreads
adapted from Bon Appetit, approx 2.5 hrs

1 quarter-ounce envelope active dry yeast
1 tbs olive oil, plus more for brushing
5 cups all-purpose, unbleached flour
1 tbs salt
Cumin or Taco Seasoning, for sprinkling

Lime Crema

8 ounces cream cheese (I used the whipped kind)
2-3 limes
1 tsp ancho chile powder

Grilled Corn-Tomato Salsa

2 ears of corn
Olive oil
2-3 tomatoes
Salt
2 green onions
1 cup cilantro, chopped

Start by getting the marinade ready for the chicken. Slice up a jalapeno (or any chile you have on hand). You'll notice my jalapeno has turned red because it has ripened, but it'll be just fine for the marinade.

Add about a cup of Goya Mojo marinade and the juice of one lime to a bag with two thawed chicken breasts and the chile slices. If you're not familiar with Goya Mojo, you can find it in the hispanic/ethnic aisle of most national grocery store chains. It's super cheap and full of flavor, and we always have it on hand!

Put the ziplock in the fridge and let the chicken rest.

Now dice up 2-3 tomatoes (depending on size), and place in a mesh strainer above a bowl. Sprinkle with salt so that the tomato water begins to draw out.

With the chicken marinating and the tomatoes resting, it's time to move on to the flatbreads. Pour 2 cups of warm water (105-115 degrees) into a stand mixer fitted with the paddle. Sprinkle the yeast over the water, and let sit until it dissolves (about 10 minutes).

Mix in 1 tbs of olive oil. Slowly add 5 cups of flour and 1 tbs salt. Beat until a dough forms. Transfer dough to a floured surface and kneed until smooth, adding more flour by spoonfuls as needed for soft but slightly sticky dough. Kneed for approximately 5 minutes.

Place dough in a large, lightly oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover with a kitchen towel and set in a warm place for approximately 1 hour to allow dough to rise.

While the dough is rising, move on to your lime crema. Combine the cream cheese, juice of 2-3 limes (depending on how juicy they are and how thin you want your crema), and a sprinkling of ancho chile powder.

Blend with an immersion blender. If you don't have an immersion blender, use a food processor with a small bowl. Transfer the crema to a dish or a multi-purpose squeeze bottle and put in the fridge.

Now it's time to get the corn on the grill. Lightly brush each ear with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roll up in aluminum foil and place on a medium-high grill for approximately 30-40 minutes, rotating throughout.

Once the corn is done, remove from the grill and unwrap from the foil. Let sit 10 minutes to cool, then use a knife to cut off all the kernels. Add the corn to a large bowl. Grab the tomatoes that have been sitting, push down slightly to get a little more tomato water out, and add the tomatoes to the bowl with the corn. Also add the diced green onions and chopped cilantro. Season with salt and pepper. If necessary, add a small amount of the tomato water back into the bowl for moisture, but be sure to keep it from getting soupy.

Set the salsa aside.

When the dough has rested for an hour and you're ready to begin to prepare your flatbreads, remove the chicken from the fridge and let sit to warm up slightly. Very cold meat tends to seize up when it hits a hot grill, so letting the chicken warm up a little will help it stay tender.

Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a floured work surface. Cut the dough into eight equal pieces.

Roll the dough into balls and set on the surface 2" apart. Cover with a towel and let rest for 15 minutes.

Lightly brush 4 baking sheets with oil. Working with one dough ball at a time, roll out into a long oblong shape. Brush both sides lightly with oil, and sprinkle with cumin or taco seasoning (if you don't have cumin on hand).

Roll out all balls in this fashion and place them on the baking sheets, and let sit.

Now add the chicken to the grill. Flip halfway, and cook through. Remove it from the grill and cover with aluminum foil.

Grab the flatbread dough, and place it on the grill in batches. Grill until lightly charred, 1-2 minutes per side.

Now it's time to build the flatbreads!

I started by drizzling some of the lime crema on the bread, then piling slices of the grilled chicken on top. I then topped it off with a heavy scoop of the grilled corn-tomato salsa, and a little extra drizzle of crema.

These turned out warm, soft, crunchy, and absolutely delicious!

Silhouette Tutorial: Make the Font You Want

2011-05-30T07:30:00.000-05:00

When I was making my plant labels for all my potted veggies, I was playing around, trying to find just the perfect font for my basil.

There's a fun font called Zebra (you can download it for free here) that I love, and that's what I was leaning toward using. But the "s" just wasn't exciting enough. So I used the Silhouette software to make it exactly how I wanted!

For this tutorial, I'm going to first show you the finished product, and keep it in the bottom corner of the screen so you can see how we get from beginning to end.

So to start us off, here are my finished pots:

Now let's begin!

The top left word is the word "basil" typed in Zebra font with no editing. The bottom left word is our end-goal. I'll leave it there throughout the tutorial so you can keep your eye on the final product.

I have now misspelled basil to say "bazil." The reason I did this is because I love the big fat curve of the letter z, and want that as the base for my letter s.

Now click the Modify icon in the upper right toolbar, and click Divide. This will separate all the letters in "bazil." While you're at it, type an s off to the side. We'll use this for the top of our modified letter s.

You'll now pull down the letter z away from the word "bazil." You'll see because it overlapped with the a, there is a notch cut out of the z. That's why we can't use this. So type another free-standing z off to the side, near the s.

Then use the Knife tool (on the left vertical toolbar) to cut the top off the s, and the bottom off the z. Separate the pieces.

Now move the top of the s and the bottom of the z together and overlap to conjoin them. Then click the Modify tool, and select Weld. Welding will create one continuous letter. Since the new s looks a little crooked, grab the rotater at the top of the conjoined letter and rotate it counter-clockwise slightly to straighten it out.

Now just delete the notched z, and the remaining parts of the cut-up s and z, and slide the new s into place.

Finally, select all of the word, click Modify and Weld, and you have a perfect new label with the font you want!

I then applied it directly to my basil pots, and they look great on my porch. And the font is so much more fun now!

Life-Changing Homemade Marshmallows

2011-05-26T08:30:00.000-05:00

I've been avoiding it for over a year now, but it's time.

It's time that I share my secret recipe with you.

The recipe that makes people go "oh my."

The recipe that makes people go "how did you...?"

That's right. It's time for the marshmallows.

My brother shared this marshmallow recipe a few years ago, and I thought he was crazy for making his own marshmallows. But being such a sugar addict, I was pretty intrigued. Once I made them for myself, there was no turning back. So be careful, if you make these, you'll never buy the pre-bagged jet puffed ones again.

Basic Vanilla Marshmallows
source

4 gelatin envelopes
3/4 cup water
1 Tbs vanilla extract

3 cups sugar
3/4 cup water
1 1/4 cup corn syrup (Karo)
1/2 tsp salt

Coat a 9x13 and 8x8 pan with vegetable oil or non-stick spray.

Fit a stand mixer with the whisk attachment. In the mixer bowl combine the 3/4 cup of water with vanilla extract. Sprinkle the gelatin over the liquid to bloom (soften).

Add the sugar, salt, corn syrup, and remaining 3/4 cup water to a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil with the lid on and without stirring. When this mixture is at a boil, remove the lid and continue to cook without stirring until it reaches the soft-ball stage (234-240 F).

With the mixer at medium speed, pour all of the hot syrup slowly down the side of the bowl into the awaiting gelatin mixture. If you have a splatter shield for your mixer, I highly suggest you use it. This is going to whip for a long time and it will definitely splatter, and molten sugar is very hard to clean off counters and cabinets!

When all of the syrup is added, bring the mixer up to full speed. Whip until the mixture is very fluffy and stiff, about 8-10 minutes. Yes, you read that right!

Pour the marshmallow fluff into the oiled pans and pat the bottom to get all bubbles to surface. Allow the mixture to sit, uncovered at room temp for 10 to 12 hours. Place in on a high surface if you have a kitty that loves to lick sugar.

Sift confectioners sugar generously over the rested marshmallow slab. Turn the slab out onto a cutting board dusted with more confectioners sugar.

Slice with a pizza cutter into desired shapes. Dip all cut edges in sugar and shake off excess powder.

These marshmallows are the softest, most pillowy squares of sugary heaven you will ever taste. And you will never be the same.

Marshmallows will keep several weeks at room temp in a ziplock, but I'll be shocked if you make it that long without eating them all!

{sponsor love} Sadie of Randomosity

2011-05-23T07:30:00.000-05:00

I'd love to introduce you all to a lovely sponsor of mine, Sadie! She blogs over at Randomosity, a super cute blog with lots of fun projects, recipes, and more!

Tell us about yourself!

Hi and thanks for having me. :) My name is Sadie. I'm a Mary Kay beauty consultant (marykay.com/sadielankford). I'm a wife and mother to our three beautiful daughters - Jenelle, Gracelynn, and Sapphire - and I work from home so I can be closer to them. I enjoy crafting of almost any type - except sewing. I cannot, for the life of me, master sewing.

Introduce us to your blog - what do you like to share with your readers?

Though my life is pretty rigid and scheduled, my blog is everything but. My blog, Randomosity, has crafts, recipes, and just about everything else under the sun. I like to call it organized chaos. I can never just pick one topic and stick to it, so each day of the week has a different theme and I change them often - but you can always find great recipes and tutorials no matter how much I switch it up! Those are my favs.

What made you decide to start blogging?

I've been blogging off and on for about 5 years now, but I finally got serious about it a few months ago. I love to teach and inspire, and that is what I use my blog for.

What are some of your favorite projects and recipes?

My favorite post ever is probably my couponing binder. Next, would be one of my e-books (Loopy Bows and Tutus).

If you could have any famous blogger become a follower of yours, who would it be and why?

Martha Stewart, because I love all of her awesome ideas!

Make sure you hop on over and check her out! And don't forget to say hi!

Plants and Pots

2011-05-19T07:15:00.000-05:00

I finally got around to Home Depot the other weekend to pick up some vegetable plants for my deck. I picked out some great herbs and veggies, and threw in some pots as well. Since I was starting from scratch and didn't want to break the bank, I bought some plain plastic pots for all the plants.

Of course, when I got home, I knew they were just way too plain for my taste.

I thought about using a little Mod Podge to spruce them up, but I didn't have any papers that would go well with the army-green color of the plastic.

Then in a fabulous *a ha!* moment, I turned to my Silhouette!

Instead of using the silly little plant markers in the soil, I decided to cut out some adhesive vinyl to stick on the sides of the pots. By using the adhesive vinyl, I can also remove them at the end of the summer and that way I can relabel again next year!

So I designed and cut out my labels. For my step-by-step instructions on using the transfer paper, go here.

I actually cut out the word "T matoes" in black, and the actual tomato in red, then combined them on the transfer paper so they would be applied together.

Then I stuck them all on, peeled off the transfer paper, and ta da!

Perfect labels, and easy to remove and change for whatever I decide to grow next year!

Now here's hoping these little guys actually survive!

Peanut Butter Marshmallow Bars

2011-05-16T07:45:00.000-05:00

The other night, Chris and I had a major craving for some peanut butter rice krispie bars. My mom made the best pb bars, chewy and crunchy and gooey. And while I do have the recipe, I did not have the ingredients. Specifically, I didn't have rice krispies, and we were out of Karo syrup from the last time I made marshmallows.

But I did still have those marshmallows.

So in a very un-scientific manner, we decided to throw some peanut butter and marshmallows together...

We cooked it over low heat, constantly stirring to get the marshmallows to melt and blend in with the peanut butter.

Then we mixed in the next best cereal we had, Multi-Grain Cheerios. We spread it all out in a greased pan (we didn't make enough to fill up the whole pan, but it worked out ok).

I have to tell you, I was so surprised at how tasty these were! Gooey because of the marshmallows, crunchy from the cereal, and a little extra healthiness from the Multi-Grain Cheerios, these satisfied our craving perfectly!

It just goes to show, if you don't have the right ingredients, just play around with the recipe using ingredients you do have!

Giveaway Winner + Blogger Drama

2011-05-13T14:21:00.005-05:00

source

First of all, thanks to everyone who entered the Fabric.com giveaway from my awesome sponsors, Craft Buds!

Unfortunately, Blogger has been having some massive issues for the past twenty four hours, and every comment entry during that time seems to have *vanished* into thin air.

The Good News

Blogger sends every comment to my email! So never fear, every person who commented before the deadline was taken into consideration.

And with that, away we go!

The winner is...

Comment number 8, Brit Fritner!

Thanks for everyone for participating, and so sorry for all the Blogger drama!

Curried Lentil Stew with Poached Egg

2011-05-11T07:45:00.000-05:00

Last week was a rainy, dreary, rainy, cold, and-did-I-mention rainy, week in Chicago. This type of weather always leaves me craving something hot and hearty, with plenty of spice.

One of my favorite rainy day meals is curried lentil stew. It's filling without being heavy, and brings so much warmth and spice that it's easy to forget the weather. I like to put a poached egg on top to add some protein and richness, but it also goes well with a little added meat (great use for leftover chicken!).

Curried Lentil Stew with Poached Egg

1 cup dry lentils
2 cups water
1 cup chicken stock
1 can whole tomatoes
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 tbs yellow curry powder
Salt and Pepper, to taste

1 egg
Seasoned salt

Combine the lentils, water, and stock into a large pot. Bring to a boil.

Rough chop the whole tomatoes, and reserve the remaining liquid in the can separately.

Add all vegetable ingredients to the pot, and turn down to a simmer. Add 1/2 the juice from the can of tomatoes. Cover and cook for 15 minutes.

Remove lid, add curry powder and salt and pepper. Cook uncovered to reduce the liquid. Taste and adjust spices as necessary. Also add liquid if the stew becomes too thick.

In a separate pan, poach an egg. I generally put 1 inch of water in a shallow pan, crack an egg in a ramekin, and place the ramekin in the pot and bring to a boil, covered. 2 minutes for just the whites to be cooked, 3 minutes for a semi-firm yolk.

When the lentils are cooked and the liquid is partially reduced, serve in a large bowl. Top with the poached egg, and sprinkle with a touch of seasoned salt.

Sponsor Highlight + Giveaway :: Craft Buds!

2011-05-09T07:30:00.003-05:00

I'm so excited to introduce you to today two great crafty ladies, Mary and Lindsay, of Craft Buds!

Tell us about yourselves!

Hello FW&MP readers, it’s great to meet all of you! I’m Mary and I’m a stay at home mom to an amazing little boy and wife to a great husband. Besides blogging I do freelance graphic design work and I enjoy sewing, crafting, gardening, and baking.

And I'm Lindsay, a friend of Mary's in the real world and blogland! My husband and I will celebrate our 5-year anniversary this year, and we are still trying to figure out where to go on vacation. Any suggestions? I love to travel, sew, and meet new people.

Tell us about your blog, Craft Buds! How did it start?

Mary: We were both running separate blog sites and started talking about the possibilities of a combined site. We had both been posting sewing/crafting tutorials so we decided to combine those with interviews, business tips, featured bloggers, giveaways, a master giveaway list, linky parties and more! Craft Buds was launched in March of this year. We chose the name because we hope to help people grow their blogs and online businesses as they find inspiration and information at our site. “Buds” also fits since it’s a collaboration between friends. Lindsay is a professional editor and I’m a professional graphic designer so combine that with our blogging, crafting and sewing hobbies and we make a great team.

What are some of your favorite projects and recipes from your blog?

Mary: One of my favorite projects is the numbered bean bags. They’re great for kids to play with and they’re educational too. I also like the tote bag tutorial because I use this bag all the time. Lindsay’s Twitter for Crafters article is another favorite because it taught me a lot I didn’t know about Twitter!

Lindsay: And my favorite tutorial is Mary's hooded sweatshirt to cowl neck tutorial. It's so clever! I also loved what fabric designer Jennifer Paganelli had to share with our readers about starting a handmade business. And Mary's Bunny No-Bakes are adorably appetizing.

Where do you see your blog going in the future?

Mary: Eventually we’d like to sell e-books and patterns while continuing to offer tutorials, free patterns, business tips and all the other regular Craft Buds features.

Lindsay: Also, we just really want to be a resource for people with creative dreams, who just need that extra push to get going. I love the connectivity between creative bloggers, and the ability to help each other out.

If you could have one famous blogger follow your blog, who would it be? (I know mine would be Pioneer Woman!)

Mary: That’s a tough one! MADE by Dana is one of my favorites for crafting/sewing. The Sweet Adventures of SugarBelle is a favorite for baking with her incredible cookie creations.

Lindsay: I'd be pretty pleased if Martha Stewart was a Craft Bud. :)

Did somebody say, Giveaway?!

Craft Buds is happy to give away one $20 gift certificate to Fabric.com (selling general crafts supplies, too!) to one lucky FW&MP reader. The giveaway is open worldwide (international shipping available from Fabric.com).

To enter:

{you must be a FW&MP follower}

Check out the tutorials at Craft Buds and leave a comment here with your favorite!

For extra entries:

2. Follow the Craft Buds blog via Google Friend Connect, RSS or e-mail subscription.
3. Like Craft Buds on Facebook
4. Tweet, blog, or share about this giveaway on Facebook (include link -- one entry for each)

Feel free to copy the below tweet:

Did you check out the great giveaway running from @foodwinemodpodg and @CraftBuds?? Winner gets a fabric.com gift card! http://bit.ly/mD30Oe

This giveaway closes at midnight (cst) on Thursday, May 12.

Thanks Mary and Lindsay, you rock!

A Cinco de Mayo Feast

2011-05-05T07:45:00.000-05:00

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Hope you enjoy celebrating the day with a nice cerveza or margarita, and of course some good Mexican food. And if you don't want to brave the drunken college students at your local Mexican restaurant, just stay home and cook!

Since Cinco de Mayo is a celebration, I won't let you get away with making ground beef tacos with seasoning mix. So even though this recipe is a little more in-depth than your normal Thursday night dinner, it definitely will be tasty and impressive.

Spicy Pork Tenderloin with Jalapeno-Cilantro Sauce
I make all this stuff up, don't you expect that by now?

Grab a pork tenderloin. I used two because Costco packages them in pairs and it's impossible to unfreeze just one of them since they're buddies in the vacuum-sealed package. Give them a very liberal rub down with the following spices:

- Dry chipotle powder (very, very spicy, so be careful if you don't like heat!)
- Garlic powder
- Ancho chile powder (a sweet, smoky chile powder, not spicy)
- Sweet smoked paprika
- Cumin
- Salt
- White or black pepper

If you don't have these exact spices, no worries. Just find something in your cabinet that matches the flavor profiles we're going for here. The chipotle powder brings the heat, so if you don't have it, find something that can substitute -- maybe some cayenne. Ancho chile powder brings a sweet, smoky heat. Smoked paprika brings even more smokiness. Basically, look in your cabinet and find spicy, smoky, and sweet flavors!

There is only one spice that is an absolute must in Mexican cooking: cumin. Cumin is the main flavor we all recognize from those taco mix packets, as well as throughout so many Mexican dishes. Cumin is also essential in Indian cooking, so if this spice is not already in your spice cabinet, I highly recommend you add it, ASAP!

Mix the spices and heavily coat the tenderloins. Stick them in the fridge for about an hour so they can blend and seep into the meat.

Now, on to the jalapeno-cilantro sauce!

- 1 bunch cilantro
- 3-5 fresh jalapenos
- 1/2 red onion
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 2 tbs water
- A pinch of salt, pepper, and smoked paprika (optional)

For this sauce, you'll need some sort of open flame. A gas stove works great, but feel free to head outside to the grill if the weather is nice!

Using tongs, roast the jalapenos until they are blackened all over.

You want all of the skin completely blackened. Once it's fully roasted, put it in a bowl and cover immediately with plastic wrap. Do this for all of the jalapenos until they are all roasted and in the bowl together.

The reason for covering the peppers in a bowl is so that the warm steam permeates the scorched skin and softens it. Let them sit in the bowl for about 10 minutes.

Then, uncover and scrape the blackened skin off with a spoon or other utensil. The more blackened they are, the easier it will be to scrape off the skin.

Now you're left with a soft, skinless, roasted pepper!

Skin all the peppers this way. Then cut them into large pieces, and be sure to remove the seeds and membrane. The seeds and membrane harbor the most heat, and unless you want to burn your mouth off with this sauce, it's best to leave them out.

Put the roasted jalapenos and all other ingredients together in a food processor.

If the sauce is too thick, add a little more water and/or oil.

Pour it all into a container and place it in the fridge to let the flavors meld.

When you're ready to start cooking, pull the pork and sauce out of the fridge approximately 30 minutes before grilling. Allowing the meat to warm up a little will keep it from seizing up and getting tough.

When the grill is hot, cook the pork tenderloins. It's important to note that although it's often assumed that pork has to be cooked completely through, in fact it's best cooked with a slight amount of pink in the center. I'm not talking rare or even medium rare, more like medium well. If you're a meat thermometer fan, cook it to around 150 degrees. Once it's ready, bring it in and cover with foil for approximately ten minutes.

Slice the pork and top with the jalapeno-cilantro sauce. Serve alongside your favorite Mexican sides such as some grilled veggies (seasoned with cumin, salt, and pepper) and Mexican rice.

¡Delicioso!

Decorating with Wine Corks

2011-05-03T07:45:00.000-05:00

This weekend, I was in the mood to be a little crafty but didn't have any grand project ideas. But do you know what I did have?

Wine corks.

A ton of 'em.

If you've seen the wine label collage I've done, you know that we really love wine. And with a ton of wine labels, comes a ton of wine corks.

I've saved all the wine corks in hopes that someday I'll find some inspiration to use them in some capacity, but for now they just fill up our vases and glass bowls as decoration.

This weekend I decided to use just a handful of them to add a little character to our bar tray. If you recall, I repurposed these wine bottles into glass-etched liquor bottles:

I decided that black tray on our black chest looked a little bland. So, to further tie in the wine theme we've got going, I decided to add some wine corks. Initially, I lined them up along the inside rim like so:

The only problem with this method is that the bottoms of corks are not perfectly flat, so they all kept falling over.

So I grabbed my glue gun!

Now, I didn't want this to be a permanent addition to the tray, so I just wanted to glue them together in order so that they could stand, but not glue them directly to the tray itself. My first thought was to glue them all together. However, as I started to glue, I realized that the longer I made the wall of corks, the more likely it would be to break. Hot glue worked well but because corks are so smooth, it wouldn't be too difficult to break the wall of corks. That's why I decided to just do rows of 5-6 corks each. These rows had enough reinforcement from the 5-6 in order to stay standing, but weren't so long that they would break apart.

I also decided to do some corks with the red wine-stained side up, sporadically to give them a little more charm.

Then I lined the four pieces of wine corks up in a row at the back of the wine tray, and they look great!

They stand up just fine, and provide a nice backdrop for the liquor bottles on the black tray. And best of all, they continue the wine theme without being over-the-top!

Guest Post :: Lobster Bisque

2011-04-29T07:45:00.000-05:00

Readers, please welcome this fun guest post from a great cook, fun business owner, and fantastic cousin of mine! Enjoy!

Hi FW&MP fans! My name is Sarah, and I’m proud to be guest-posting on this blog! I have a few things in common with the lovely Katie P: we both love food, wine, and being creative! (I’m also proud to say that she’s my cousin!) For me, my creative passions include singing, acting and developing my own brand of healthy bath and beauty products.

Sugared Beauty, LLC specializes in dessert-themed handmade skin care made from organic ingredients. (You can find them at my shop on Etsy!) I develop all the products from scratch in my kitchen, and when I’m not working on making sugar scrubs or trying to created the perfect chocolate-flavored lip balm, I trade my lab coat for an apron and use my kitchen to make delicious FOOD!

This recipe for lobster bisque came to me from a dear friend. It’s surprisingly easy and will not disappoint! The sweet and creamy broth is perfected by the sherry, and be sure to keep plenty of Old Bay on hand for added seasoning.

Enjoy, and thanks to Katie and FW&MP for the happy hijacking of her blog so I could share this wonderful recipe with all of you!

Lobster Bisque

1 - 2 cups cooked lobster meat (you can now find lobster meat frozen or canned in most supermarkets, otherwise buy one and cook it yourself) If you strike out in both cases, I’ve cut up raw, peeled and deveined shrimp and no one was the wiser...
1/2 cup dry sherry
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup onion, diced
1/4 cup celery, diced
1/4 cup carrot, diced
Salt and white pepper, to taste
1/2 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning, or to taste
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cups whole milk
1 cup half and half
1 cup chicken stock (if you have lobster stock, use that instead)

Combine the lobster meat with the sherry. Cover and refrigerate.

In a hot pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Once it stops sputtering, add the onion, celery, carrot, salt and pepper and Old Bay. Stir and let cook until the vegetables are translucent and are getting soft.

Add the tomato paste and cook for another couple of minutes.

Add the flour and cook for two to three minutes, stirring all the time.

While whisking, add the cold milk, half and half and stock and bring to a boil. Let boil for about 1 minute, still whisking constantly. Turn the heat down and let simmer until slightly reduced.

Now, you have two options.

Option 1: using an immersion blender, blend the soup until smooth.

Option 2: Strain the soup through a fine mesh strainer, pressing down on the solids.

Taste, and add more salt, pepper or Old Bay, if you think it needs it. (We thought it did!) Add the reserved lobster and sherry to the pot and simmer for just a couple of minutes, so the lobster is heated through.

Serve with some nice crusty bread, and enjoy!

Mother-Daughter Photo Shoot

2011-04-27T07:30:00.000-05:00

This year for Mother's Day, I wanted to do something a little special for my mom, something she could enjoy for years to come.

You see, back when I was in the fourth grade, I wanted to do glamor shots at the mall more than anything in the world. And because she's an awesome mom, that year for my birthday she took me and the two of us got our glamor shots on.

Let me tell you, those are some awful pictures.

But regardless, it meant the world to me, and I even have one on my nightstand after all these years! Not because we look awesome (which we do not) but because I remember how excited I was that day, and how much it meant to me.

This year, I decided it was time for a little picture update, from a real photographer. Luckily for me, I knew a great photographer!

This is Jax, and I know her through her awesome blog, Aly&Ash. But of course, she also has her own photography business, Jacquilyn Avery Photography. So when I knew I was flying home to AZ for Creative Estates, I immediately contacted her to see if she could be available for a mother-daughter photo shoot!

Working with Jax was amazing. Since I was working all the details out long distance, she sent me multiple examples of different locations where we could do the photo shoot, so we could get just the right feel. Then the day of, we met bright and early at the Mesa Arts Center. What a fun place to take pictures!

We walked all around the whole campus, finding fun and unique places to take pictures. We got some great shots in during the photo shoot, and had a great time!

This past weekend, she finished editing the photos and they were up on her website.

Oh.
my.
goodness.

They are spectacular! I'll let you see for yourself, but I can't express how much I love them! And of course, they made my mom cry, so that means it was the perfect Mother's Day gift!

If you're looking for a great photographer in the Phoenix area, definitely check her out -- I highly recommend her!

Red Coconut Chicken Curry

2011-04-25T07:45:00.000-05:00

Last summer, a good friend came to stay with us for a few days, and made us an amazing red coconut curry. I was so happy he made a huge batch because I was able to eat leftovers for days! Of course, as soon as he left, I demanded he give me the recipe; it was just too good to be missing from my cooking repertoire.

He sent me the recipe, and the other night we finally gathered all the ingredients and made it ourselves. And let me tell you, it was wonderful! Though his recipe looked a lot like the way we give recipes (pour in x ingredient until it tastes right), we were able to pretty well match the flavors that he accomplished in that original dish.

Red Coconut Chicken Curry
from Devon

1-2 cans of tomato paste
2 cans of Thai coconut milk (the more asian/sweeter the milk the better)
1 can chicken broth or cube
Chicken breasts, 3-4 breasts
2-3 tablespoon brown sugar (if you can, look for palm sugar at an asian market)
dabs of cinnamon
1 large onion
2-3 cloves of garlic
2-4 tablespoons curry powder
1-2 tablespoons cumin
1-2 teaspoons of finely chopped ginger
Cayenne/heat of choice
1 lemon
Optional veggies: potato, carrots, green peppers, peas (aka whatever you have lying around)

Cooking instructions:
Mince garlic and ginger. Chop Onion.

Add 1-2 tablespoons of butter in a pan on medium heat. Cook garlic, ginger, & onion until soft.

Slice raw chicken, then pan fry chicken lightly (do not cook through). Remove from heat and set aside.

Add tomato paste, coconut milk, chicken broth, cinnamon, sugars, curry
powder, dash of cumin, and cayenne. Mix, stew for 30 min. Taste, and add salt and pepper as necessary.

Add chicken and the juice of one lemon. Stew for a 5-10 minutes, and taste test. Adjust for lack of curry flavor with curry, sweetness with brown
sugar, and additional cinnamon/clove powder.

Add optional vegetables 10-20 minutes before removal, stew until curry thickens to intensify the flavors.

Serve over fresh, hot rice.

Makes great leftovers and tupperware lunches at work!

We've reached the digital age

2011-04-22T11:30:00.000-05:00

{source}

I'm so happy to announce that Food, Wine, & Mod Podge is now a dot com!

It's still hosted on blogger so all of you reading this on your RSS feeds should hopefully see no interruption. Also, if you bookmarked our .blogspot address (love you for bookmarking us!) it should redirect automatically. But if you like to just type the name directly into your browser, you can now type in:

Thanks so much for your continued readership!

To grow your food is to know your food

2011-04-20T07:45:00.000-05:00

...I think I just quoted a Wendy's commercial.

But no matter.

It's true!

Growing your own food is such a tasty and rewarding experience. All my years growing up, I picked oranges and grapefruit from the trees out back for breakfast. I shucked sweet corn in the backyard and brought it in for dinner. I carefully guarded my strawberries from those pesky birds. And yes, all of this was in the desert of Arizona.

You see, though I grew up in AZ, my dad will always be an Iowa farm boy at heart. So of course he had to plant a garden each year, wherever he was! In fact I'm pretty sure I was the only kid in Arizona who had towering stalks of sweetcorn in my backyard. And boy, were those other kids missing out.

When I was in AZ for Creative Estates, I got to loot his garden once again. It's still early so the late spring and summer crops weren't full-grown yet, but they were working on it!

You can see that it's not very tall yet, but give it a couple weeks and everything will be exploding with growth!

Of course some things won't grow very big...

...at least not above ground. These bright green leaves are the tops of carrots! Aren't they pretty?

Of course we can't forget the corn. These little guys are only a foot or two tall now, but soon they'll be reaching up to the sky.

I think this plant might be my favorite. Yes ladies and gentlemen, those are Brussels sprouts! They grow on a big, long stalk, with huge leaves fanning out on the top. Then you just pop off the sprouts when they're big enough!

The baby spinach was coming in nicely. I snagged some of this to bring home to cook with!

The beginnings of what will become a giant bush of a tomato plant. The cage around it helps the vines have some support when the fat, juicy tomatoes try to weigh it down.

Of course, the best thing about all this home-grown goodness is that everything is so wonderfully fresh. For a huge cook and foodie like myself, just-picked-fresh produce is heaven!

This year is the first summer that I have a deck, even if it is a bit measly. They're hard to come by in Chicago so any deck at all is a great find! I can't wait to start planting my own small garden. I'm hoping to have basil and tomatoes, both which grow well in large pots. We'll probably also throw in a smaller herb garden, maybe some chives and dill? I'm holding off for another week or two for the weather to get out of this rainy/snowy/slushy/windy mess before I plant, but I'm definitely beginning to get the itch.

Summer can't come fast enough!

April Sponsor :: Sassy Owl Designs

2011-04-18T07:45:00.000-05:00

Can you believe Easter is this weekend already? This month is sure flying by! But of course it can't fly by without introducing you to Jayma, my lovely sponsor and the girl behind Sassy Owl Designs.

{ Meet Jayma }

Tell us about yourself!

San Diego is “home” to me, but last year my husband and I relocated to Fresno, CA. We have been married for 4-1/2 and our “baby,” Oslo, is an husky mix full of energy. We don’t have kids yet, but I have niece and nephew who are 3 and 1, and I absolutely adore them.

My mom is very crafty, so growing up she nurtured my creativity. We’d always have a project going on—painting t-shirts, making jewelry, floral arranging, science experiments, knitting, sewing, etc. Then one day at a craft fair I was introduced to rubber stamping. This is where my love of papercrafting began. My parents bought my sister and I a starter set and I couldn’t stop making cards. This turned into scrapbooking, which is my now my first craft love.

What made you decide to open up shop?

I love to create, but there is only so much jewelry I can wear and so many decorative frames I can display in my house! I make a baby name frame for every baby shower I attend and the mom-to-be and attendees are always in such awe, that this is where I began my journey. Then I kept thinking of other ways to use my collection of scrapbooking supplies and began repurposing them into fun things to wear and decorate your home with. Felt, feathers, tulle, ribbon, and buttons have all been known to turn into jewelry, hair accessories, and home decor.

Where do you get your inspiration?

A lot of my inspiration comes from color, and my favorite color combinations seem to change with the seasons. If I flip through a Crate and Barrel or Pottery Barn catalog, I am guaranteed to fall in love with the colors they have for the season. Which brings me to my next inspiration—catalogs and magazines. They are great sources for the hottest color and fashion trends.
I also find a lot of my inspiration from all the talented bloggers and online shop owners out there. The saying is true—imitation is the most sincere form of flattery—and I am constantly inspired by others’ creations, often sparking a new idea or giving me a jumping off point for my work.

What are your favorite color combinations?

Right now I’m really into green. I love the combo of bright spring green with coral and aqua, and just added a photo wall in my craft studio with these colors. This spring feeling is so inspiring!

Other than your Etsy shop, what hobbies do you have?

I love the outdoors but am also a homebody. I love snowboarding, hiking, boating, scrapbooking, DIY projects, cooking, and anything where I get to be creative.

In addition to her Etsy shop, you can also get to know Jayma at her blog, Playing With Paper. Hop over and tell her I say hi!

Jayma is generously offering a 15% discount to Sassy Owl Designs for all FW&MP readers! Just enter the discount code FWMP15 at checkout, valid now through April 30. Happy shopping!

Thanks Jayma!

Creative Estates :: Full Wrap-Up

2011-04-15T16:30:00.000-05:00

Warning:

This is going to be one long post.

Enjoy!

------------------------------------------------------

Creative Estates was an amazing crafty blogger conference held last weekend in Chandler, AZ (hometown!). It was fantastic for so many reasons: I got to meet amazing women who have the same passions and morals and loves as me, I learned so much about blogging/photography/etc, and I got to see my parents!

The Conference, Thursday

Thursday night kicked off the weekend with a cupcake party and dinner in downtown Chandler. I walked in and didn't know anyone yet, and immediately a table near where I was standing called me over and asked me to sit down! I was so grateful because I am not always the best about inserting myself into groups, so having them invite me over was such a blessing. I got to meet them all, and learn about their blogs and shops and lives. And of course, we all shared some awesome cupcakes!

The Conference, Friday

To start off the day, we all piled into the Inspirador, a wedding, banquet, and meeting hall in downtown Chandler.

They couldn't have picked a more perfect place! This place had class and style but in such a perfect, understated tone.

After a brief welcome and introduction by the founders of Creative Estates, Shey B and Tauni Everett, it was time for our topic-specific classes. There were two classes, one focused on posting on a creative blog, and one focused on how to create a thriving business from a hobby. Since I currently have a job and don't yet plan to open up my own handmade business, I opted for the creative blog posting seminar.

A few takeaways:

- Blogging is a juggling act between family, friends, church, home, and job. You have to learn to find a balance.
- Pass it on. If someone helped you when you were a wee lil' blog, turn around and do the same for someone else. It will mean the world to them.
- When inspiration strikes, don't spread it out over a few days so that the posts have space between them. Just tackle it all and schedule the posts out.
- Set a policy for things like giveaways, post topics, guests posts, etc and stick to your guns.
- Find bloggers with the same size and focus as your blog and promote each other. Lean on each other to boost yourselves up together.
- Learn to manage the dry spells.
- Make a friend who knows code so that if your blog crashes, you can get it back.

These are all just some highlights of course, but I thought they were the ones worth sharing.

After the session and then lunch, we all got together to listen to a session hosted by Tauni Everett (one of the founders). While she's not a huge blogger herself, she works in PR and specializes in online social media. I have got to say, out of all the learning sessions we went to this weekend, this one just blew me away! I am amazed at her ability to wiggle her way into the most amazing situations. She actually managed to get herself invited to Martha Stuart's blog launch party in New York just because of twittering with them!

My biggest takeaway from this session was that if you want to be big, if you want to grow, and if you want to make a real name for yourself, you can't rely only on yourself. You have to get published, get featured, and get quoted by bigger companies and bloggers than yourself. And how do you do it? Tweet them! Follow them! Email them! Do whatever you can to get in the door, and be genuine and real. And of course, it's all about long-term relationships!

The Conference, Saturday

Saturday morning kicked off with a panel by some incredibly successful handmade shop owners and bloggers, touching on how to balance a small business and motherhood.

Photo courtesy of Sandy a la Mode

When this session initially started, I thought to myself that this wouldn't really speak to me since 1) I didn't have a business and 2) I wasn't a mom, but oh boy am I glad I stayed! This was such an interesting panel because there were such drastically different personalities amongst them. From outrageously organized to just plain outrageous, they were able to appeal to every personality in the room!

Some highlights:

- Multitask if you're a good multitasker. Don't if you're not. Success is about knowing who you are and how to maximize your own potential.
- You need to achieve your own level of success. Before starting any business venture, you need to know what you want to accomplish, instead of just comparing yourself to others.
- If you are not truly passionate about what you are doing, you need to find what lights your fire.
- If you feel cluttered down with ideas and worries and thoughts, write them all down in a notebook you carry around and free up some mind real estate.
- Celebrate the small victories. Small celebrations along the way will help the journey feel much more rewarding.
- Don't take your personality out of your blog or product, just because you think that's what the consumers want to see.
- Customize your life to fit who you are, not the other way around.

After making a quick run to Chik-fil-a with some lovely friends, we came back and had the afternoon session. I decided to take the Photography class, and it was really interesting! I have actually done a lot of reading on photography when I got my DSLR a year ago, but it was nice to get a quick refresher. However, my one significant takeaway was that I was using the fancy new expodisc I got for my birthday all wrong! Ok, not all wrong, but I now know why it seemed to overcompensate and make all the colors funny. Now I'm excited for my next cooking adventure so I can test out my expodisc correctly!

The photo session was then followed by a fun craft. We got to pick between painting and making a necklace, and I chose making a necklace. It was interesting to learn how to make a fabric flower necklace backed with felt!

That night we all had dinner together then came back to the Inspirador for a few cocktails, cupcakes, and giveaways. And guess what? I snagged this awesome painting from Lindsay of Aisle to Aloha! Love it!

The Handmade Market at Creative Estates

One thing I think I was most excited for was to go shop shop shopping at the handmade market! Some of my favorite shops were having booths, and the best part -- no shipping! I've been ogling at some cute accessories for ages, and finally I got to see them in person and purchase. Talk about fun!

I also got to claim my purchase from Jacqui from Craftee McGee. She didn't have a shop at the handmade market because she actually made over 150 felt flower headbands for every attendee in their swag bag! Talk about a lot of work!

I purchased the necklace in the photo below in Jacqui's shop before the conference, and she agreed to hand-deliver it in AZ rather than ship it. I have gotten a million compliments on it already!

We met online
and we're not ashamed!

Of course, aside from the amazing conference itself, one of the best parts of my weekend was meeting all the fabulous women who I had only ever talked to online. Though we felt like we had been friends forever, in reality this was the first time we were ever actually meeting each other! I've done you the favor of collaging (yes, collaging) these pics to consolidate, but I have listed everyone's name and blog/shop below so please hop over and check them out! Tell them I say hi!

{ Sandy of Sandy a la Mode, Moriah of Josiah's Nest, Lindsay of Aisle to Aloha, Ilene of Much Love, Illy, Kim of Oh Sweet Joy, Allison of A Glimpse Inside, Jacqui of Craftee McGee, Amy of Amy Cornwell Designs, Nicole of Olive Blue, Alison of aPearantly Sew, Megan of Flawed Perfection Jewelry, Elizabeth of Sew Chatty, Kristen of Rock-A-Bow }

Talk about an amazing weekend! A huge thanks to everyone who made it such a success!

Creative Estates :: Lasting Friendships

2011-04-14T07:30:00.001-05:00

I still fully intend to do a full Creative Estates follow-up post, hopefully tomorrow. But as you can probably understand, taking two days off of work last week to go to CE = me coming back to madness at work! I really can't believe it's Thursday already. Where did this week go?

One reason I'm excited it's Thursday is that tonight I have a Skype date with some amazing women I met at Creative Estates. Throughout the conference, these women were the highlight of my weekend. From going out to dinner to staying up late laughing until the wee hours of the morning, I can't imagine my time at CE would have been as memorable as it was without these ladies. I truly believe that God put us all there together so that we could become a part of each others' lives!

Photo courtesy of Sandy a la Mode

And the best part about meeting them in this day and age is that through the magic of Skype, we can all hang out together again without actually being in the same room. Tonight we are all meeting up online and are going to chat and laugh just like we did last weekend! I've already warned my husband that it's probably going to be loud, and it's probably going to be long.

I think you should get to know these women too; check them out! All are bloggers as well as handmade shop owners, and they make some of the cutest items. Check them out below!

{ Jacqui of Craftee McGee }

{ Amy of Amy Cornwell Designs }

{ Nicole of Olive Blue }

{ Alison of aPearantly Sew }

{ Megan of Flawed Perfection Jewelry }

{ Elizabeth of Sew Chatty }

{ Kristen of Rock-A-Bow }

Elephant's Trunk Giveaway Winner!

2011-04-12T07:40:00.001-05:00

What a whirlwind of a weekend! I can't wait to sift through all the wonderful photos I took this weekend as well as share a little bit of Creative Estates with you. But before I do that, I have a winner to announce!

The winner of The Elephant's Trunk Giveaway is....

Number 58, Hannah of Confessions of a Baby Mama and Military Wife!

Email me to claim your shop credit! Congrats!

Slow Cooker Asian Pork

2011-04-11T07:45:00.000-05:00

I love Costco, but one downside is the sheer amount you must buy. The prices are great, but in a household of two, you have to strategically purchase items. Recently we bought some pork shoulder, and quickly came home and divided it up into approximately 2-pound chunks, bagged them individually, and froze them. And since that means our freezer is suddenly stocked with a lot of pork, we're always on the lookout for more ways to use it than just bbq pulled pork.

So when I was flipping through this month's Real Simple magazine and saw a slow cooker pork recipe with Asian flavors, I was all over it!

Asian Pork with Red Peppers
adapted from the March 2011 issue of Real Simple

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
2 tbs rice wine vinegar
1 tsp sesame oil
1 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 pounds pork shoulder, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch squares
Chopped cilantro, for serving
Chopped unsalted roasted peanuts, for serving

In a bowl, mix together the soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, oil, ginger, and crushed red pepper. Place pork pieces in the slow cooker, and pour mixture over the pork. Cover and cook until the pork is tender but not crazy falling apart (ok Real Simple didn't say that last part), on low for 7-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours.

Five minutes before serving, sautee the red bell pepper chunks in a pan on the stove with a little bit of olive or peanut oil.

Put your favorite kind of rice in a bowl (we used short grain brown), add red bell pepper, then pork pieces. Use some of the liquid in the crock pot as a sauce. Sprinkle fresh chopped cilantro and peanuts on top.

Creative Estates: Day 1 Fun Surprise!

2011-04-09T10:08:00.003-05:00

Hello from Chandler, Arizona!

I'm just loving my time here. I am here for the Creative Estates crafty blogging conference, but half the reason why I came is because my parents actually live here. So not only has it been a perfect weekend of meeting wonderful ladies I've talked to and gotten to know online, but I've also had such a great time seeing my parents!

I'm going to do a whooole recap post of the actual conference once I get home and get access to my usual computer (hellooooo photoshop!) but for now, I just had to share a fun surprise from yesterday.

My mom wanted me to meet her and some of her friends that have been a big part of my life growing up for a glass of wine last night after the conference. She said they all wanted to see me and say hi, they just love my blog, it'll be fun. Sounded great!

Well I showed up, and lo and behold...

Yes, that's right... they were all wearing Food, Wine, & Mod Podge shirts!

I laughed so hard when I saw them, it was so cute. My mom thought it would just be silly and fun to do, and it was great! My dad was even there in a blue shirt!

We had a great time all chatting over wine, catching up, and enjoying each others' company. What a fun surprise!

Recycled Business Cards, DIY Style

2011-04-05T07:30:00.000-05:00

I'm so excited to go to Creative Estates this weekend. So many fun bloggers and handmade shop owners will be there, and I can't wait to finally meet them all in person!

In addition to all the lovely ladies I already "know" through blogs/twitter/etc, I'm sure I'll meet plenty of new faces. That's why I decided I really should have business cards for my blog. Sure, I don't really sell anything, but it's nice when I tell people about my blog to be able to hand them something with the URL. Otherwise I have to trust that they'll go look me up on their own accord, which is just too much effort.

Anyway, I thought about ordering cards, but I'm not much on the computer-design savvy side of life. Also, I really like making things myself, and have seen lots of cute designs that people have made out of old cereal boxes, hand-cut cardboard, and more.

Then I remembered that I had a big stack of business cards that were pretty much worthless. My company recently changed its name and location, so literally the only thing valid on my old business cards was my name. And the best part? The back was completely blank!

So I ordered a custom stamp. This stamp was listed on Etsy as a wedding stamp, but I made it work for my blog! I also grabbed some felt. I thought it would be a great way to cover up the old job side of the business card.

I stamped each business card, then grabbed my trusty Mod Podge. I brushed some Mod Podge on the backs of each business card (previously the front!) and stuck it down directly onto the felt. I rubbed it down well so that it would soak into the felt and really adhere.

Then I simply cut them all out, and there you have it! Repurposed, recycled, DIY, handmade business cards!

And they're fun and colorful to boot :)

I can't wait to hand them out to the crafty ladies at Creative Estates!

Don't forget about the fun Wine Accessories giveaway going on right now with The Elephant's Trunk! Enter here!

April Sponsor :: Elephant's Trunk + Giveaway

2011-04-04T07:30:00.002-05:00

Happy April everyone!

I've got to say, I'm so happy it's April finally. Not that I don't love March (see: birthday) but April is wonderful because it means that the weather is finally warming up and the world is coming alive again! Not to mention, Creative Estates is this week!

But another fun thing about a new month is new sponsors. I just love getting to know new handmade shop owners, hear their stories, and share their wares!

{meet Lauren}

Lauren is the crafty lady behind The Elephant's Trunk, a super fun shop with crafts focusing on one of my favorite topics: wine!

Tell us about yourself!

My name is Lauren. I love wine, chocolate, food and diet coke (not necessarily in that order). I work at a golf course as an accountant but in my free time I blog and sell wine accessories on Etsy. I’m obsessed with my chocolate lab and live in San Antonio, Texas.

What made you decide to open up shop?

I opened my shop because I love to create and my boyfriend said something along the lines of, “its great that you love to make all this stuff but why don’t you try to sell some of it, instead of it sitting around our place”. So to please Mr. Subtle I opened up The Elephant’s Trunk on Etsy. I started with jewelry and realized that the market was so saturated and I was no good at is so I migrated to wine accessories because I love wine and I think a few other people do as well.

Where do you get your inspiration?

I get my inspiration from my Mom. She has the best ideas but doesn’t ever want to sit down and produce them so she passes them on to me.

What is your most popular item?

My most popular item is a new item I introduced, my wine cork key chains.

Where is your dream vacation spot, and why?

I desperately want to go to Turks and Caicos because every time I am watching the Travel Channel and they show a beautiful beach I say to myself, “Oh I want to go there” and then the narrator tells me that its Turks and Caicos. I think it’s a sign.

Lauren has graciously offered to give away a $15 credit to her shop, The Elephant's Trunk to a lucky FW&MP reader!

To enter:

{you must be a FW&MP follower}

Hop over to The Elephant's Trunk and let me know what you would get with your winnings!

For additional entries (leave a separate comment for each)

2. Tweet it, blog it, or share it on Facebook (include link -- one entry for each)
3. Follow @ElephantsTrunk4 and @foodwinemodpodg on Twitter
4. Be a follower of Lauren's blog

Please make sure to include your email address so I can contact you if you won!

This giveaway closes at midnight on Friday, April 8th. The winner will be announced on Monday, April 11th.

Handmade with Purpose

2011-04-02T07:00:00.001-05:00

As you know, I have decided to donate all sponsorship fees that I collect for the month of April to support the American Red Cross in the Japan Relief Fund. This will run all month-long, so if you still want to participate and become a FW&MP sponsor, shoot me an email or click here for more details.

Though it's just a small effort, I'm happy to be doing what I can to give back. There are a lot of other bloggers and handmade shop owners out there also doing their small part, but when you put us all together, it starts to make a big difference.

That's why I am participating in Handmade with Purpose. Founded by Lindsay of Paint Me A Picture, Handmade with Purpose brings all us bloggers and shop owners together in one place where you can see all the good that's being done, and help out yourself. I hope you find something you like, and help make a difference in the process!

Over 20 handmade shops and blogs have joined together to give back.

During the month of April 2011 each of the participating shops

will be donating proceeds to the charity of their choice.

Please help us give back by:

-buying handmade goods from participating shops

-sponsoring participating blogs

-donating to designated charities

-spreading the word on your blog, Facebook, or Twitter {#handmadewithpurpose}

-visit our blog, Handmade with Purpose, to receive updates and future information

Handmade with Purpose:

Aisle to Aloha Studio

Food, Wine & Mod Podge

Spicy Tomato Pasta + Mussels

2011-03-31T07:30:00.000-05:00

I love mussels.

Seriously, mussels rock.

Not only are they a delicious seafood/shellfish, but they are cheap, they are easy, and for some reason we all see them as fancy.

Now that's a home run.

Mussels are super popular at restaurants lately, big bowls of them with beautiful broth and salty, crunchy frites, or in a soft tomato broth with pasta or bread. I think we often don't realize what a great at-home item mussels are, since they're not always at the local grocery store, but oh man.

So going back to why they rock, first of all, they're cheap. I mean, really, really cheap. Cheaper than any fish. I picked up a pound at Costco for $5. And even at someplace like Whole Foods, they're maybe $6 a pound. And a pound is a LOT of mussels!

Now they're also easy. How easy? Make some sort of broth/sauce. Add mussels. Put top on. Take top off 5 minutes later. Done.

Have I gotten you hyped up enough about mussels yet??

Good.

Recipe time.

Spicy Tomato Pasta with Mussels
we made this up too -- do you see a trend here?

- Olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 shallot, diced
- 3 green onions, thinly sliced, save greens separate from whites
- 2 medium tomatoes, rough chop
- 1 cup white wine
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- Red Pepper Flakes
- Pepper
- 1 lb mussels

For this recipe, you'll want to use a large, deep pan with a lid. I used this one:

Put some olive oil in the pan (1 tbs or so) and put on medium-high heat. Once it's warm, add the shallots, garlic, and the white part of the green onions to the pan. Sautee for a couple minutes. Then, add the tomatoes and stir for 1-2 minutes. Next add the white wine, chicken stock, and red pepper flakes (to taste). Bring to a simmer and put the top on for 5-10 minutes.

Remove lid, and add mussels. Do not add any mussels that are not shut tight. If they are open at all, they are dead and not good. Spread the mussels out and put the lid back on. Keep at medium heat for 5-7 minutes.

Remove lid, and all mussels should have opened and cooked. If there are any unopened mussels, discard them. Sprinkle the remaining chopped green parts of the green onion over top.

Serve over pasta, and be happy :)

Mod Podged Paper Mache Letters

2011-03-29T07:45:00.000-05:00

Alright, now that I did the teaser post for the Chicago Craft Social and also the post recapping the day, time to actually share the project with you!

Paper mache letters are great because they're lightweight and hollow, are three-dimensional, and can either stand on their own or stick to a wall with just a little tacky putty.

Not to mention, you can paint them, Mod Podge them, glitterize them, or basically whatever you want!

I got my paper mache letters at Paper Source.

I decided to get a lower case c and k (me and the hubs) and an upper case P (last name). I also picked up some pretty cream and silver papers while I was there!

Now here's where the Mod Podging comes in. For these letters, I wanted them entirely covered as seamlessly as possible. And as you know when working with paper and curves and corners, that's pretty difficult.

I started by cutting a rectangle just bigger than my letter. I brushed Mod Podge directly onto the paper mache letter, then flipped it upside down and pushed it down onto the paper. I then used my fingers to work out all the bubbles, and trimmed around the letter so there was approximately 1/2 inch around the whole thing. Then, at every curve, corner, and crevice, I cut a slit in the paper.

The more slits, the better. This way, when you Mod Podge the sides down, they will lay perfectly and the front will be seamless.

Once you've done the front, cut a long strip of paper to go around the sides and cover all the slits and folded over parts from the front piece. Make sure this piece is wider than the side, because just like the front, you will adhere it and cut slits all in the edges to make it fold over the back. This way, when it's on the wall, it will look like it perfectly wraps around the whole letter.

Once it's dry, add another coat of Mod Podge to the top to seal it all. Then hang on the wall with a little tacky putty, and enjoy!

Chicago Craft Social

2011-03-27T17:17:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I had the pleasure of leading a craft table at the Chicago Craft Social, and let me tell you, I had a blast!!

I hosted a table sponsored by Plaid (thanks Mod Podge Amy!) where we used Mod Podge, paint, glitter, fabric, and paper to decorate paper mache letters for our homes. If you remember, I did a little teaser post here.

Well, let me tell you: there were some incredibly crafty women there! I had such a fun time helping people learn to use Mod Podge while watching their creativity unfold.

First of all, I have to mention the venue. The Social was held at Catalyst Ranch in the West Loop of Chicago, and I have to say, this is the coolest venue I have ever seen. Super eclectic, funky, and colorful, it was the perfect spot for crafting!

My table was all set up and ready with a sign, paper mache letters, and all the paint, Mod Podge, and brushes I could ever need!

Once the doors opened, there was a flood of women of all ages filling every seat in the place. And let me tell you, the women I had at my table were amazing! Some used fabric...

Some used paint...

And one girl even found an old Charlie Brown book in the scrap pile and used the characters to create a Peanuts R!

And the finished products were just so cute.

Everyone had a fantastic time, and I was so happy I could be a part of it!

Another great part was catching up with great crafty friends, like Candie Cooper!

And of course, the woman who founded it all and is just a pleasure to work with, Amanda Edwards. She followed her dream of hosting a huge Chicago-wide crafting social event, and now each one is bigger and more amazing than the one before it!

Thanks so much to everyone who came out and enjoyed the day with me! It was a blast!

Ideas + Inspirations :: Where did March go?

2011-03-24T07:30:00.001-05:00

Seriously, where did March go? This month seems to have flown by!

Then again, I suppose the birthday extravaganza was a fun distraction :)

But with all the distractions, the {ideas & inspirations} post has sadly fallen by the wayside. Time for a comeback!

I just love this pillow from Sukan Art on Etsy. There are tons of adorable pillow covers, and I'm just swooning over them all! We're buying new couches soon, and I think I might have to pick one or two of these up.

This is the gosh-darn cutest Easter egg yarn wreath I have ever seen. Trisha at The Sweet Survival shows the tutorial and it is just so easy. I might have to give it a try!

Erin at One Particular Kitchen shares her roasted red salsa recipe, and ohmygoodness it looks amazing. I love roasted salsas, and this one looks perfect. I can't wait to make it!

I think my biggest inspiration lately has been the outpouring of love and support for the people of Japan. There are wonderful handmade shop owners who are giving 100% of their profits to the relief effort, bloggers participating in a day of silence, and more. People are pouring out their love and support for the tragedy that has befallen this beautiful country. Though it's just a small effort, I will also be participating. For the month of April, 100% of the money I receive from sponsorships will go directly to the Red Cross. So if you're interested in sponsoring FW&MP and having your sponsorship money go directly to the relief fund, go here to learn more about becoming a sponsor.

What has been inspiring you lately?

Brussels Sprouts Salad

2011-03-23T07:45:00.001-05:00

Did you know that "Brussels sprouts" is the correct spelling of those little cabbage relatives? Yes, Brussels like the city. With an s at the end. Capitalized. Not "brussel sprouts" in the way that we all seem to pronounce it.

Ok, lesson over.

So I know a lot of people really, really don't like Brussels sprouts, and I will say, if they're not prepared well, they do have a particularly interesting taste. But Brussels sprouts get a bad rap. They can be sauteed or oven roasted, and often take on a great caramelized flavor. But did you know you can just eat them raw? I think most of us don't think of them that way because we always picture them cooked, but at the end of the day, it's in the cabbage family, and we eat cabbage raw and cooked. So why not Brussels sprouts?

One of my favorite uses for Brussels sprouts is to make a salad out of them. Using a mandolin, I slice up the sprouts and then toss them a bit to get all the leaf strips to separate. Cutting them this way makes the super-crunchy texture much more manageable than just pulling the leaves off and trying to eat the leaves.

Then, add your favorite toppings. One of my favorite combinations is reduced balsamic vinegar (reduced on the stove until the tanginess dissipates and you're left with a sweet balsamic syrup), olive oil, dried cranberries, serrano ham, and a nice hard aged cheese. The result looks super fancy, but at the end of the day it's just a simple salad!

Chicago Craft Social + Me = Fun Time!

2011-03-21T07:30:00.000-05:00

Did you know that the Chicago Craft Social is going on this weekend in Chicago?? I first told you about the social here, and let me tell you, it was a blast! I made a wire wrapped ring, screen printed my own tote bag, practiced some embroidering techniques, and more!

This upcoming craft social is going to have fun projects such as needle felting, beaded tote bags, ribbon embroidery, t-shirt headbands, and Mod Podging paper mache letters.

Wait, did I just say Mod Podge? In Chicago? Well gosh, who would be leading a Mod Podge table at a crafting event in Chicago?

Me!!

That's right, yours truly will be there leading a fun project where we use Plaid products to decoupage, paint, and glitterize paper mache letters. I even did a sample of some for my home to bring along!

I'll do a full tutorial here on the blog after the craft social for everyone who doesn't live in Chicago and thus can't join me that weekend. However, if you live in the city or the 'burbs, you should come out!

This season's Craft Social is taking place this Saturday the 26th at Catalyst Ranch on 656 W. Randolf St. in Chicago. Tickets are $30, and that not only gives you access to all the supplies for whatever projects you want to make, but it also includes a fun goodie bag, light appetizers and beverages, and an overall fun time! You won't leave there empty-handed, that's for sure!

So come out, meet me, make some fun stuff, and have a great time! You can buy tickets here! Make sure you pick them up soon, they will sell out!

DIY Magazine Holder

2011-03-16T07:30:00.001-05:00

Ever since we married and moved in together, there has been a growing stack of magazines on the back of the toilet. And ever since we married and moved in together, it has bugged me. This past weekend, I finally decided I had had enough; those magazines needed a home!

Sure, I could probably pick one up at The Container Store for about $10, but where's the fun in that?

DIY Magazine Holder
made from a 12-pack box

Things you need:

1 12-pack beer/soda bottle box (not cans)
Scissors
Packaging Tape
Mod Podge
Brush
Pretty Paper

Grab your box.

Cut off the flaps, and cut it in half at the sides (the short ends).

Slide one side into the other (you'll be surprised at how easily they fit in together) and use the packaging tape to secure the sides and bottom together. Also cut an angled curve off of one side to allow for viewing the magazines.

Now grab some paper for the outside. For this project, I prefer the really large pieces of paper that can be wrapped all the way around for continuous coverage, but if you were doing a collage or mish-mash of paper, then size doesn't matter.

Apply Mod Podge to one side of the cardboard holder, and press the paper down, working to get out all the bubbles.

Work your way around the box until it is completely covered. Trim the ends of the paper so you can fold them down into the inside and underside of the box, and Mod Podge down.

Now grab another complementing paper, and Mod Podge it to the inside of the box. This will cover up the ends of the outside paper, and will give a nice contrast to the inside. Since this will have magazines in it all the time, you don't have to go all the way to the bottom with the inside paper. Just halfway down or so will be fine since no one will see much further down than the top anyway.

Finally, apply a topcoat of Mod Podge to the inside and the outside to seal the paper. You may have to do this in batches otherwise it will be hard to find a way for it to dry without it sticking to something!

Once it's dry, slide the magazines in, and enjoy!

Honey Ginger Shrimp

2011-03-14T07:45:00.000-05:00

Last week, I was so lucky to have my friend A.J. in town. This is the same A.J. who gave me the portable photo studio :) He was here on business, but was able to book his return flight for the next day so that he could come over and visit that night!

Now to give a little background, A.J. is such a good friend, in fact, that he stood on my side of the wedding party, as my bridesman.

And no, this was not at all influenced by that horrible Patrick Dempsey movie.

Anywho, I don't get to see him much since we live in separate states, but on the rare occasion he's in town, it's always a treat!

For this visit, we decided to stay in and cook a little, since his sales job often keeps him on the road. Upon looking in the freezer and seeing that I had shrimp, he quickly got super excited to do a recipe he's had a couple times before!

Honey Ginger Shrimp
adapted from Allrecipes

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
2 cloves garlic
1/4 yellow onion, chopped
1 teaspoon freshly minced ginger
1 teaspoon honey
1 pound medium shrimp - peeled and deveined
salt and pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil and red pepper flakes in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, ginger and honey; cook and stir until fragrant. Add the shrimp, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring as needed, until shrimp are pink and opaque. Serve immediately.

Birthday Week Giveaway Winners!

2011-03-10T08:30:00.000-06:00

Wasn't last week fun? I sure had a blast reading through some of your comments, from touching to downright hilarious! And now to the best part, the WINNERS!

Between the 6 giveaways, we had a total of 468 comments! WOW!

All winners were chosen randomly courtesy of random.org. If you would like to see a screenshot of all the randomness, click here (gotta keep me honest!)

Now let's get down to business!

The winner of the Craftee McGee giveaway is...

Annie from Eat. Dream. Repeat.!

The winner of the Paint Me A Picture Giveaway is...

Danielle from Take Heart!

The winner of the Mod Podge Giveaway is...

Wendy from Project Create!

The winner of the Oh Sweet Joy Giveaway is...

Heather from Small Town Living!

The winner of the Hiya Luv Giveaway is...

Sara B. of Yes, Teacher!

And finally, the winner of the CSN $50 giftcard is...

Marissa of Cam&Rissa!

All winners please shoot me an email at foodwineandmodpodge dot gmail dot com to claim your prizes! And thanks everyone for coming by last week to celebrate my birthday with me!

Date Night :: Scallops

2011-03-07T08:00:00.002-06:00

Sometimes, Chris and I find ourselves wanting to get a little more adventurous in the kitchen, and decide to get some really good ingredients and stay in for the night. This past weekend, we found ourselves at Whole Foods, and they had some gorgeous scallops. So we snagged some up and went home to cook!

A couple things to talk about though before jumping into the recipe. First of all, the recipe calls for a cup of white wine. By no means should you use the best wine you can find (unless you really want to make this an unusually expensive dinner...) but when cooking, a good rule is not to use any wine you wouldn't drink to accompany the meal. Our favorite wine to use for cooking is Columbia Crest Two Vines Chardonnay. It's got good flavor, makes a great Tuesday-night bottle of wine, and is perfect for cooking.

The next note I want to make is in regards to one other ingredient below: chicken base. Chicken base is a condensed paste that when added to water, creates chicken stock. I personally like it better than bouillon because bouillon is PACKED with sodium, but base is not. Also the first ingredient in base is chicken, which is more than I can say for those salty cubes. It can't be found everywhere, but I've seen it more and more places like spice shops and specialty food stores lately.

Also, Pioneer Woman uses it, so if you don't want to take my word for it, we can all take hers.

Pioneer Woman

Scallops with White Wine Sauce
we made this up

1 tbs olive oil
2 medium shallots
1 medium yellow onion
1 celery rib
1 cup white wine (chardonnay)
1 pinch red pepper flakes
1 pinch white pepper
2 tsp chicken base
Lemon to finish

Dice the shallots, onion, and celery.

Heat the oil in a pan, and then toss in the shallots, onion, and celery. Cook for 3-5 minutes, until they soften.

Add wine, red pepper flakes, white pepper, and chicken base.

Bring it to a light simmer, and then turn your attention to the scallops. Rinse them and pat them dry with a paper towel. Wet scallops (or wet any meat for that matter) will not brown nicely.

Get another non-stick pan and add some oil, bring to medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, set the scallops in. Cook them, undisturbed, for 2-3 minutes, then flip.

Leave the scallops in the pan until they are brown on both sides and start to break apart slightly along the edge. Do not overcook them, or they'll be little rubbery discs.

Move the scallops over into your white wine sauce pan, squeeze a lemon slice over top, and serve!

Don't forget, today's the last day of the Craftee McGee and Paint Me A Picture giveaways!

Blog Button Disaster

2011-03-07T07:45:00.000-06:00

Hi friends!

Just a quick post to let you know that Flickr somehow "lost" my old blog button, so those of you who graciously were sporting it on your sidebars probably now have a really large, really ugly stock photo from Flickr that says "This image is not accessible at this time."

So if you want to fix it, here's the new html:

Grab the FW&MP Button!

So sorry for the hassle!

Don't forget to enter the giveaways from last week that end today!

Birthday Week Giveaway Party!

2011-03-05T07:00:00.003-06:00

*whew*

We made it!

The birthday celebrations this week have been rockin', and we're finally at the weekend! And to kick off the weekend, I have one more giveaway to share!

But before we get to that, I first want to thank you all who have been wishing me a happy birthday this week! It means so much that all of you -- both old readers and new ones that have found me this week -- were here to celebrate with me. And I'm excited to share another year with you all!

Ok, enough stalling...

Today, my final giveaway to celebrate my birthday and the weekend, is:

A $50 CSN gift certificate!!

We all know how you can buy just about anything you can imagine at CSN Stores, and with a $50 gift certificate you could really have some fun!

How to enter:

{You must be a follower of Food, Wine, & Mod Podge to be eligible}

Comment on this post and tell me the best birthday gift you ever received!

For additional entries (leave a separate comment for each):

2. Tweet it, blog it, or share it on Facebook (include link -- separate comment for each)
3. Follow @foodwinemodpodg on Twitter

This giveaway closes at midnight on Wednesday, March 9th. Winners of this and all the giveaways this week will be announced on Thursday, March 10th.

Thanks everyone for helping me celebrate this week! It was a blast!

It's Friday of Birthday Week + Hiya Luv Giveaway!

2011-03-04T06:50:00.001-06:00

We've made it to Friday! Hooray! Four whole days of giveaways down, and two left! And away we go!

The next birthday week giveaway host is a super cute, super nice handmade crafter, Gina from Hiya Luv. I seriously think she is one of the sincerely nicest bloggers I've ever met!

{Meet Gina!}

Tell us about yourself!

My name is Gina! I am a full-time student affairs professional, blogger, crafter, doggy momma, busy bee. I am engaged to the love of my life and we are always traveling or doing something. I rarely sit still and enjoy tweeting, blogging, and etsying more than I would have ever imagined.

While in college I spent 6 months studying abroad at the University of Reading outside of London. I had a great time and traveled to many places and experienced many things in Europe and the United Kingdom. It was during my time in the UK that I fell in love with the moniker that many gentlemen {or blokes} use towards ladies, "Hiya Luv" and have since used it as my AIM, Yahoo Messenger name, emails; or for anything and everything!

What made you decide to open up shop?

I decided to open up shop because I have always loved to sew and create. As long as I can remember I have been sewing, cross stitching, crafting, and doing anything that involved making something from scratch. I get such joy and pleasure out of taking something and molding it into something unique and one of a kind. No two items in my shop are the same. Every stitch is unique and different and that is so special.

Where do you get your inspiration?

I find inspiration in everyday beauty. I am a girlie girl at heart so I love to make my handmade wares have a feminine flare or delicate glamour to them. Bows, flowers, pretty colors, and whimsical patterns make my heart skip a beat-and that is what you will most likely find in my shop!

Where is your dream vacation spot, and why?

My dream vacation spot is anywhere in London. I adore London so much; particularly in a British museum, pub, or at the Ritz for a spot of tea and scones.

Time for the fun!

Gina is generously giving away a $25 gift certificate to her shop, Hiya Luv!

How to enter:

{You must be a follower of Food, Wine, & Mod Podge to be eligible}

Visit Hiya Luv and let me know what you would buy with your gift certificate!

For additional entries (leave a separate comment for each):

2. Become a follower of Gina's blog
3. Tweet it, blog it, or share it on Facebook (include link -- separate comment for each)
4. Follow @hiyaluv and @foodwinemodpodg on Twitter
5. Heart (follow) Hiya Luv on Etsy

This giveaway closes at midnight on Wednesday, March 9th. Winners of this and all the giveaways this week will be announced on Thursday, March 10th.

And please make sure to leave your email address so I can contact you if you win!

Thanks Gina!

Don't forget to stop by again tomorrow for the 6th and final birthday week giveaway! And if you're just joining us, feel free to look back and enter one of the other giveaways from this week!

Oh, Sweet Joy -- It's Party Time!

2011-03-03T07:00:00.002-06:00

Time to keep the good times rollin'! If you're just joining us, this is a week-long celebration for my birthday -- and the giveaways are going strong!

My next lovely lady sharin' her wares is Kim of Oh, Sweet Joy.

{Meet Kim!}

What made you decide to open up shop?

After graduating from Texas A&M University in May of 2009 with a degree in Recreation, Park and Tourism Sciences, Chase (my husband) and I moved to Colorado. I was perfectly content working retail in our cute little mountain town. However, I got tired of that rather quickly and needed to fill this "creative" void that I felt. I started nannying for a family and made the boys cute little felt owls. It all snowballed after that! I started making headbands for myself and quickly had people begging for them. Later, I revisited my love for sewing apparel and designed a line of dresses for Spring/Summer 2010. After Chase & I spent some time doing overseas missions, I re-opened up shop and am doing this "handmade thing" full-time...and I.LOVE.IT. :)

Where do you get your inspiration?

I live in a beautiful place (Boulder, CO) and I am constantly inspired by the beauty of God's creation. Mountains, vast & gorgeous blue skies, sunshine, and open land...I love to just take it all in and get inspired. Second to that, I get inspired by designer fabrics. When I shop online or go into fabric stores, I look at a fabric & know if a fabric says "skirt! dress! or coffee cuff!" I love finding unexpected color combinations and working them into a beautiful handbag or skirt.

What is your most popular item?

Right now it's a three-way-tie between my carry-all totes (more specifically, the Arianna), the doubled-up rosette headband, and my coffee cuffs. I finally started thinking outside the box and am making my coffee cuffs more "boutique" style. Every month I come up with new designs and discontinue the previous month's designs. It's so fun to keep my mind working and coming up with new ideas.

Where is your dream vacation spot, and why?

Chase & I are blessed to have seen some really awesome places in the world. I've been to Paris, Africa, Malaysia, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, and we honeymooned in New Zealand. I think that New Zealand is the most beautiful place in the world and I'd go back in a heartbeat, but I'd love to see what Iceland has to offer. Greece would be second to that. I love travel and I think it's all about going to places that are unexpected.

Let's get to the good stuff!

Kim is generously giving away a $20 gift certificate to her shop, Oh, Sweet Joy!

How to enter:

{You must be a follower of Food, Wine, & Mod Podge to be eligible}

Visit Oh, Sweet Joy and let me know what you would buy with your gift certificate!

For additional entries (leave a separate comment for each):

2. Become a follower of Kim's blog
3. Tweet it, blog it, or share it on Facebook (include link -- separate comment for each)
4. Follow @ohsweetjoy and @foodwinemodpodg on Twitter

This giveaway closes at midnight on Tuesday, March 8th. Winners of this and all the giveaways this week will be announced on Thursday, March 10th.

And wait, there's more!

Kim is also giving away a 10% discount to all FWMP readers at her shop! Just enter foodwine10 at checkout!

Thanks Kim, you rock!

Don't forget to stop by again tomorrow as we keep the giveaways coming to celebrate my birthday!

Mod Podge Birthday Day!!

2011-03-02T05:36:00.001-06:00

Today's the big day...

...and how am I going to celebrate??

Start the day with a pink frosted donut from Dunkin' Donuts, a birthday tradition that my mom started when I was little

Squeal with glee at the super-fabulous ring my super-fabulous husband got me

...and of course, give away some Mod Podge!!

It wouldn't be a proper FW&MP celebration if I didn't give away my favorite crafty medium! So I called up my great friend and continual inspiration, Mod Podge Amy, and she really outdid herself this time! We're not just giving away some Mod Podge goodies, we're giving away a whole slew of them!

That's right, the winner of the Birthday Day Mod Podge Giveaway will get:

Mod Podge starter pack
Mod Podge Dimensional Magic
Mod Podge Tool Set
Mod Podge Original and Hard Coat formulas
Plaid's new sticky stencils (floral, alphabet and butterfly)
Extreme Glitter in MP Amy's favorite color (Hologram) and then the new Neons (Pink, Orange, Green)

To enter:

{you must be a FW&MP follower}

Comment on this post and let me know what some of your favorite birthday traditions are!

For additional entries (leave a separate comment for each)

2. Be a follower of Mod Podge Rocks -- but really, who isn't?
3. Tweet it, blog it, or share it on Facebook (include link -- one entry for each)
4. Follow @modpodgerocks and @foodwinemodpodg on Twitter

This giveaway closes at midnight on Tuesday, March 8th. Winners of this and all the giveaways this week will be announced on Thursday, March 10th.

Sorry everyone, no international entries for this one! Shipping liquids across borders just is too difficult :(

And please make sure to leave your email address so I can contact you if you win!

Thank you all for your sweet comments, constant readership, and blog friendship! And thanks for coming by to celebrate my birthday with me!! Don't forget to stop by the other giveaways this week going on for the birthday celebration!

Birthday Party + Paint Me A Pic Giveaway!

2011-03-01T06:48:00.001-06:00

It's Day 2 of the birthday week hooplah {yes, I said hooplah} -- thanks for stopping by!

I'm super excited to introduce my next giveaway host, Lindsay of Paint Me A Picture. Lindsay was a reader of mine when this was a wee lil' blog, and she has become a great friend. And not to mention, she makes fantastic paintings!

{Meet Lindsay!}

Tell us about yourself and your shop!

I create fun and affordable art for your walls. In college I took an art history class that really inspired me to paint. I played around with painting for friends, and in 2008 I decided to start selling my work locally. In 2009 after my first son was born I opened my shop on Etsy and have enjoyed selling my paintings online. When I am not chasing around my two year old, making my seven month old giggle, or spending time with Mr.Wonderful you will find me in my studio a.k.a. my kitchen creating my art.

Where do you get your inspiration?

Inspiration comes from everywhere, from fabric to popular trends to simple day to day things. I am always collecting ideas for a new painting or a new color pallet.

Other than painting, what hobbies do you have, crafty or otherwise?

Thanks to all the wonderful blogs I have discovered I have just recently become "crafty". I keep a tumblr of of things I want to make... the list is getting pretty long! http://lindsaypaintspretty.tumblr.com/

What are your favorite color combinations?

My current color obsession is anything with robin's egg blue. The obsession has been going for two years now. I also really like working with oranges and blues, and greens, and reds, and pinks, and grays... ha.

Time to par-tay!

Lindsay is generously giving away a $20 gift certificate to her Etsy shop, Paint Me A Picture!

How to enter:

{You must be a follower of Food, Wine, & Mod Podge to be eligible}

Visit Paint Me A Picture and let me know what you would buy with your gift certificate!

For additional entries (leave a separate comment for each):

2. Become a follower of Lindsay's blog
3. Tweet it, blog it, or share it on Facebook (include link -- separate comment for each)
4. Follow @paintmeapic and @foodwinemodpodg on Twitter
5. Heart (add to favorites) Paint Me A Picture on Etsy

This giveaway closes at midnight on Monday, March 7th. Winners of this and all the giveaways this week will be announced on Thursday, March 10th.

Thanks Lindsay!

Hope you're enjoying the celebration, I know I am! Don't forget to come back each day this week for a new fun giveaway!

Birthday Week Celebration + Craftee McGee Giveaway!

2011-02-28T06:54:00.001-06:00

Welcome to day one of my week-long birthday celebration!! A few great crafty friends of mine have all pitched in with some great giveaways to help me celebrate with you, my readers! So away we go!

Meet Jacqui of Craftee McGee!

Tell us about yourself!

I am a 26 year old wife to my best friend, daughter of the King, mama to a furry pup, church lady by day and craftee mcgee by night! Hubby and I just moved to the northwoods of Wisconsin where we are loving our new, quiet life {and missing caribou coffee & target!} I love all things crafty and can't settle on just one activity at a time!

What made you choose the name "Craftee McGee" for your shop?

I wanted to choose a name that wouldn't limit me to one product. I like to make so many things that a name like Jewelry by Jacqui just wouldn't do :) Friends had started calling me Crafty McGee and it just sounded right. When 'crafty' with a y was already taken i=I added the ee's and here we are!

Where do you get your inspiration?

Everywhere! Nature, colors, and the people in my life! Always the color green. I'd have a shop full of green if I could! I have a new necklace coming to the shop that was inspired by some moms I'm friends with. Another necklace coming soon was inspired by jewelry I saw on our trip to Maui in January. Many of the colors I'm loving right now {gray, cream and silvery blue} are inspired by the snowy winter of the northwoods. Also I can always count on leaving inspired when I take a trip to the antique/thrift shops in the area. Usually furniture calls my name & asks to be given a new home & a pretty coat of paint!

Other than making jewelry, what are your other hobbies, crafty or otherwise?

I have self-diagnosed creative ADD. I cannot focus on one creative endeavor at a time! While my shop is filled with jewelry and accessories I also crochet, embroider, bake, scrapbook, restore furniture, sew, and make things for our home. I also love to read, go camping, drink coffee with friends, spend time snuggled up with hubby & pup and right now cross country ski, ice skate and play broomball. Hooray winter!

If you could eat only one food for the rest of your life (homemade or purchased), what would it be?

Chocolate. The darker the better. Anything 60% cocoa or more in all its forms!

Let's celebrate!

Jacqui is generously giving away a $20 gift certificate to her Etsy shop, Craftee McGee!

How to enter:

{You must be a follower of Food, Wine, & Mod Podge to be eligible}

Visit Craftee McGee and let me know what you would buy with your gift certificate!

For additional entries (leave a separate comment for each):

2. Become a follower of Jacqui's blog
3. Tweet it, blog it, or share it on Facebook (include link)
4. Follow @crafteemcgee and @foodwinemodpodg on Twitter
5. Heart (add to favorites) Craftee McGee on Etsy

This giveaway closes at midnight on Monday, March 7th. Winners of this and all the giveaways this week will be announced on Thursday, March 10th.

And don't forget to come back tomorrow -- we're going to keep the birthday celebration going all week!

A Package from Atomique47

2011-02-25T07:45:00.000-06:00

I recently got this pretty package in the mail:

My bag from my lovely sponsor, Laura from Atomique47! I just couldn't help myself when I saw this pretty mustard-yellow bag.

It's perfect to hold my makeup to throw in my gym bag!

Don't forget to go check her shop out! She has such cute clutches, makeup bags, and wristlets. Enjoy shopping!

Also, make sure to stop by FW&MP next week -- it's my birthday week, and there will be a week-long celebration going on! And there just might be some giveaways!

Meet Allison from A Glimpse Inside!

2011-02-23T07:45:00.002-06:00

Today I have a wonderful lady visiting my blog -- Allison, from A Glimpse Inside! She's a good friend and a great blogger, I just know you'll love her! So without further ado...

Hello!
I am so excited to be blog swapping with Katie today! Katie is one sweet and talented lady and I am so happy she wanted to have me over for a "visit" in her world today.

First off, let me introduce myself. My name is Allison and I am from A Glimpse Inside.

I am an Army wife with a creative side. I LOVE to craft, paint, sew, take photos, decorate, go thrifting and more!

The dear husband, Travis, and I are currently living in KY. We won't be here long but we enjoy being close to our home state of TN. He is super supportive and encourages me to create anything that comes to my mind.

But enough about me... I bet you all just want me to get to the good stuff. :)

I started blogging a little over a year ago and it has become quite an addiction. On my blog, I share pictures and stories of our life along with my crafts, recipes, thrift finds, decor, and more.

Here are some things you'll find.

We love to go thrift shopping. Here are some of our finds revamped to make cake stands and candy bowls.

On Tuesdays, I share yummy recipes.
This one is AWESOME and a must try- Dalmatian Cupcakes.

I love to share furniture or project transformations. It is always so fun to see what something will turn into when you are finished.

Coffee Table Upcycle

But I mostly share crafts! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to craft! I love to share the tutorials on how to make them as well.

You can find all these crafts and more on my Tutorial page.

I would absolutely LOVE for you all to come visit me in my neck of the woods and take a glimpse inside my world. Stop by, take a look around, stay awhile and maybe leave a comment or two. Who doesn't love those comments? I know I do!

Thank you Katie for blog swapping with me!
You are a fabulous host! :)

Weekend Breakfast :: Potato Pancakes

2011-02-21T07:45:00.001-06:00

I just love waking up on a Saturday morning and coming down to make a big breakfast. There's just something so special about cooking a real meal in the morning; I suppose it's because it's really the only day of the week where there's time to do so!

This weekend, I decided to try my hand at some potato pancakes. I had never made them before, but we had a ton of fingerling potatoes dying to be eaten. And you know what?

Never make potato pancakes with fingerling potatoes. Never.

They tasted great and the consistency was perfect, but actually shredding fingerling potatoes is miserable. It takes forever, and you'll likely catch your fingers/fingernails/etc on the grater at least 15 times. So please, when you do this at home, use big, fat potatoes that you can get a really good grip on.

Potato Pancakes
adapted from AllRecipes

2 large potatoes (or 20 little fingerling potatoes)
1 egg, beaten
1/3 onion, finely diced
1 tbs flour
Salt & Pepper (I used seasoned salt in lieu of table salt)
Vegetable Oil

Shred the potatoes and dice the onion.

Mix together with the egg, flour, and seasonings.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Scoop a large spoonful of the potato mixture into the pan once the oil is hot, and smash down with a spatula.

Cook at medium-high heat for approximately 4 minutes on each side.

Serve with freshly shredded cheese, sour cream, or even a poached egg!

Crispy and delicious!

Make sure to stop by FW&MP next week! It's my birthday week, and we're going to have a week-long celebration!

Ideas & Inspirations :: Feb 17th

2011-02-17T08:15:00.000-06:00

Time for another {ideas & inspirations}! I'd like to make this a regular feature, every other week on Thursdays. So keep an eye out for it!

Here we go!

My birthday is coming up, and I have a particular love of all things marshmallow. These S'more Cookie Bars from Delightful Bitefuls look like just the dessert for me! Who needs cake when you have marshmallow fluff?

...and if my hubby is not up to making the S'more bars due to his lack of baking skills (mine too), we could always just whip up these super easy S'more Bites from Crazy Domestic.

This cute ribbon ring from bstudio on Etsy is just the thing to welcome spring! And best of all, they offer them in 31 different colors!

How cute is this bunting decoration on a crafting table? And best part? It uses Mod Podge. Check out the tutorial over at Maple & Magnolia.

How fun are these earrings? I love that it's a set of three so you could even mix and match! Go check 'em out at Crafteemcgee!

What new ideas and inspirations have you found lately?

New Gloves

2011-02-16T09:16:00.000-06:00

No-Sew Fingerless Gloves
Approximate time: 20 minutes

Start with two long socks that need some repurposing, likely due to a hole in the heel.

Cut in the middle at the length you would like it. Cut a hole for the thumb.

Approximate time: 2 minutes.

Next, attempt to take a picture of both of your hands. Will require a flat surface, the floor, and your ability to bend yourself into a pretzel. Repeat until one of the pictures turns out remotely ok, or you throw out your back, whichever comes first.

Approximate time: 18 minutes.

Total time: 20 minutes. And an Aleve.

Happy Valentine's Day + Whitney Rae Paper Discount!

2011-02-14T07:50:00.001-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

On this day o' love, it's fitting that I share with you the card I got for my love:

No, that's not a typo. It's a cute misunderstanding from the weeks before Chris and I started dating yeeeaaaars ago. Someday I'll share the story :)

Anyway, are you wondering who made me this awesome custom card??

{ Meet Whitney }

Whitney is one of my February sponsors, with her awesome shop Whitney Rae Paper!

Tell us about yourself!

I am a recent college graduate with a degree in financial planning and a love for paper. I am from the great state of Texas and am currently planning a June wedding and can't wait to see what's in store for our lives together! :)

Tell us about your shop! When did it open, and what got you into the paperie business?

I opened Whitney Rae Paper in July 2010. I have always had a love for paper and needed something as a creative outlet (financial planning is not very creative) so I started making cards. My mom has had great success with her jewelry shop on etsy (A New Thing) so I thought I would give it a chance and I love it!

You have a lot of notecards that involve couples as the focus. Does that speak to something from your life?

I love love! I think it is important to show how much you love people especially your significant other. And cards are the perfect thing to show that.

You're planning a wedding! Are you making your own invitations?

Yes I am! I already made and sent out our save the dates and am really looking forward to making the invitations! I just need to figure out what exactly I want! I seem to have lots of ideas and can't decide on anything. :)

In addition to the shop, you also are a blogger. What are some of your favorite posts?

Save the Dates
My One Little Word
Engagement Mini Book

Go check her out!

{ The Deal }

In the spirit of love, Whitney is giving all FW&MP readers a 15% discount at her Etsy shop! Just enter MODPODGE15 at checkout.

Happy Valentine's Day!

The Dinner

2011-02-12T10:15:00.000-06:00

A couple weekends ago, Chris and I were hosting a dinner for our parish. In an effort to get people to mingle and get to know each other, and build a sense of community, our priest has been scheduling these small dinners, hosted by parishioners, for a while now. We attended one months ago and met some great new people, and felt it should be our turn to host one.

7 people RSVP’d, plus Chris and I, equals 9.

We had 8 chairs.

After some serious MacGyvering, we were able to turn a wooden wine rack/box into a small, makeshift seat. I had to straddle it like a horse, but hey, it worked.

Since this was the largest dinner party we’ve hosted, we planned out every detail. We were going to make Brown Sugar and Balsamic Glazed pork tenderloin, roasted garlic & balsamic asparagus, sautéed green beans and carrots, and crispy roasted potatoes.

We even made a checklist including the time when each part of the meal needed to be cooked.

45 minutes before the guests arrived, the potatoes were in the oven, the pork was marinating, and the veggies were prepped and ready.

People began to trickle in, but due to a road closure from some police cars and fire trucks, they arrived a little later than planned.

I waited to put the pork in until everyone was just about there since it was only going to take 30-40 minutes in the oven, and we had plenty of wine and appetizers to keep everyone occupied.

I put the pork in, the potatoes were almost done, and the asparagus waited 10 minutes to also join the party in the oven.

Then, the power went out.

For two and a half hours.

We waited 10 minutes or so to see if it was going to come back on, but we also knew we had to act fast because we had half-cooked pork in the oven.

So in a last-ditch effort to save the night, we lit a bunch of candles, fired up the grill, and put the pork – pan and all – on the grill. Luckily the potatoes were pretty much done, so they only saw the grill (also still on the pan) for a few minutes at the end to heat up. We pulled out the asparagus that had been roasting for all of 5 minutes, and instead lit a match, turned on the gas stove, and sautéed them. The green beans and carrots were completely scrapped.

In the end, everything turned out ok. The pork was tender, but thankfully it’s a forgiving cut of meat. The potatoes were good. I’ll admit, the asparagus was pretty mediocre, almost verging on not good, but it was better than nothing. So we all sat around the candlelit table, ate dinner an hour and a half later than planned, and drank wine and laughed and chatted and enjoyed the night.

It just goes to show that no matter how much you plan and plan, there are some things that are just out of your control!

Also, I consider it nothing short of a miracle that none of the china was broken in all the dark madness.

Shrimp Pasta Salad

2011-02-10T07:50:00.000-06:00

The other day, Pioneer Woman posted a recipe for some shrimp pico de gallo (or Shrimpo de Gallo), and ever since then, I have had the idea of cold chopped shrimp stuck in my head.

Then as Chris and I were brainstorming what to do for dinner, I suddenly knew just what to do! Pasta salad, with shrimp!

I love pasta salad every now and then. It's a great way to break up the usual hot meat, side of starch, side of veggie routine. And though my usual pasta salad involves chicken, why not use shrimp instead?

Shrimp Pasta Salad

10-12 frozen shrimp
2 cups pasta (I used penne)
2 Carrots
1 Broccoli crown
1/4 a head of Cauliflower

For the dressing
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tbs rice wine vinegar
1 tsp garlic powder
1 pinch red chili flakes
Salt & Pepper, to taste

Thaw the shrimp, and drop in boiling water until they are cooked through. Drain and rinse with cold water, then put them in the fridge to cool further.

Cook pasta to al dente, drain, and put it in the fridge to hang out with the shrimp.

Chop up your veggies to the desired size. You can use other veggies than the ones listed above; this is a great way to use up whatever you have in the fridge that needs to be eaten!

Whisk all the ingredients for the dressing together. I highly encourage you to make your own dressing instead of using the bottled stuff -- it tastes so much fresher, and when all your ingredients are fresh and cold, it's delicious!

Office Decor

2011-02-08T17:45:00.001-06:00

I don't know about you, but it seems to me like office desks and cubicles are just so depressing with all that taupe. And with all the time we spend there, they really need some character!

I recently decided that although my wedding pictures pinned up all along my walls did bring a little happiness, I still needed more color. So I went cruising through the web and Etsy, looking for some fun prints to put up!

Of course, many of the really fun ones were a little too fun for the office, so I had to be careful with my selections. The beauties below are currently posted in my cube, and I just love them!

What do you think?? I would love to get more!

Do you sit in a cube? How do you bring the cheer to the office? Do you have any cute prints you've seen that you want to share? I'd love some new ideas!

DIY Vinyl Wall Art

2011-02-07T07:50:00.002-06:00

Courtesy of Snowpocalypse 2011, I was stuck indoors for a few days in a row and starting to go a little stir crazy. In an effort to keep my sanity, I decided to tackle the empty wall in my kitchen!

This is the empty wall that has previously housed holiday-themed decor:

I'm not a big Valentine's Day person (I know, I know), and I wasn't sure if I wanted to do a Spring theme, so I thought maybe I would do something a little more year-round friendly.

So I got out the Silhouette and some black adhesive vinyl, and started on my new wall decal!

I decided to go with the simple words "Bon Appetit" with silverware on each side. Simple and classy, but cute.

After I cut all the vinyl pieces (which I had to do in batches because the machine can't handle such a long strip), I pressed them with books for a few hours. They were so very curled from being tightly rolled up that this helped make it much more manageable.

Once the pieces were ready, I peeled off the excess vinyl around the letters, then lined it all up and put it on the transfer paper. This was my first time using the transfer paper, but it worked like a charm! Though I'm pretty sure it's just really wide masking tape.

Then I measured the center of my decal and where I wanted it centered on the wall, and stuck just the top of the transfer tape directly onto the wall. I did this so that I could take a moment to make sure it was level by lining the level up against the top edge.

Once I was sure it was straight, I pressed it all down and slowly peeled back the transfer tape, leaving my wall newly adorned!

I just love it, and also love how easy it was to do, and how easy it will be to change!

Have you ever done any DIY vinyl wall art? I'd love to see pictures!

Cauliflower & Sausage Pasta

2011-02-05T09:01:00.003-06:00

I know. Even reading the title sounds odd. Cauliflower and sausage? Pasta?

A few nights ago, Chris and I were in the mood to stray from our usual recipes and try something new. The only problem was that we had a whole head of cauliflower we needed to somehow work in. We thought maybe we'd make a pasta with red sauce and veggies, but upon a quick look in the pantry, we didn't have any canned tomatoes. So, turning to the cooking bible, How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman, there is a whole section of using vegetables other than tomatoes to make pasta sauce. And lo and behold, one of them was for cauliflower pasta!

Cauliflower & Sausage Pasta
adapted from How to Cook Everything

1/2 head cauliflower
1+1 tbs olive oil
1 cup chicken stock
3-4 cloves minced garlic
Red pepper flakes
2 Spicy Italian Sausages, removed from the case
Italian seasoning
1/4-1/2 cup red wine
1/4-1/2 cup water
Salt & Pepper, as desired

Cut the cauliflower to save the florets. Discard the stalks.

Put a large pot of water on the stove to boil for the pasta.

Heat 1 tbs of oil in a large pan and toss in the cauliflower. Keep it moving for 1-2 minutes, add 1 cup chicken stock, and turn down the heat to maintain a simmer. Cook until the cauliflower is soft and tender but not mushy. Remove the cauliflower and cooking liquid and set aside.

Add remaining 1 tbs of oil to the pan, heat, and toss in garlic and red pepper flakes. Stir frequently until garlic begins to turn golden. Add de-cased sausage meat, and cook until the meat is fully cooked.

Add the cauliflower and liquid back into the pan, and add italian seasoning and red wine and water. If you don't have red wine, use more chicken stock.

Cook all components together, and as the cauliflower continues to soften, mash with a fork or potato masher.

Toss with cooked pasta, serve with a glass of wine.

New! Ideas & Inspirations

2011-02-03T07:40:00.002-06:00

Welcome to the first edition of {ideas & inspirations}!

I see so many great new crafts, recipes, and products, and I just can't hold it in any longer! So now I'm going to feature all these great things that I love and that inspire me on a regular basis.

So buckle up, and away we go!

This might be, no wait, is, the cutest little valentine's gift I've ever seen. Find out how to make it here at Kat Crafts!

Anthropologie just announced it's jumping into wedding attire, and I'm just in awe. Can I get married again??

Willow Bee made the coolest yarn wreath for her little one's 4th birthday. It even includes bunting! It's so colorful and fun, she'll want to leave it up for more than just the party!

I'm so in love with this pretty scarf from The Limited, and I snagged it during their 30% off, free shipping sale! Can't wait for it to arrive!

Christina over at C+C Marriage Factory shared her Chipotle Chicken Enchiladas recipe, and oh boy it looks amazing. Check her out -- her recipes and photography are just to die for!

This super cute clutch is handmade by my awesome new sponsor, Laura from Atomique47. Not only is all her stuff super cute, but she's also giving all FW&MP readers a 15% off discount to everything in her Etsy shop with the code MODPODGE15!! This little beauty is at the top of my list. Which ones do you love?

What new ideas and inspirations have you fallen in love with lately?

New Sponsor: Laura from Atomique47 + A Discount!

2011-02-01T08:00:00.001-06:00

You all know from my 2011 Blog Resolutions that one area I wanted to venture into was a lil' bit of sponsor love. I want to give super cute and fun small business owners a chance in the spotlight and some real estate on the sidebar!

I am super excited today to share with you my first sponsor:

{ Meet Laura, from Atomique47 }

Laura, tell us about yourself!

I am an interior designer by trade. Interiors and fashion go hand in hand and are often inspired by one another. Every aspect of designing a handbag; from drafting a new sewing pattern to selecting fabrics is drawn from my skills as an interior designer. I love that Atomique47 gives me another form of creative expression.

And your shop?

Atomique47 offers unique, handmade clutches in a variety of beautiful patterned and textured fabrics – many of them embellished with my signature wool felt flowers.

What made you want to start your own business?

Atomique47 began during this terrible economic recession as another creative outlet for me when the interior design business dried up. What I didn’t expect, was the incredible experience of building my own brand and identity and connecting with people in the handmade community.

{ The Deal }

Laura is graciously giving a 15% discount at her Etsy shop for all Food, Wine, & Mod Podge readers! Just enter MODPODGE15 at checkout.

What are you going to buy?

Personally, I'm smitten with the gray and yellow clutch! But there are so many cute styles to choose from!

Thanks Laura, you rock!

The Dishwasher

2011-01-29T08:15:00.000-06:00

When we moved to Chicago, I was a fresh-faced, glowing new bride. I had just graduated college, gotten married, and moved to the middle of the country to a big, shiny city. We were living 27 stories up in a high rise that overlooked the lake and the city. I was on top of the world.

Quickly picking up my new roles as “adult” and “wife,” I went to work, I cleaned house, and together Chris and I learned to cook.

About 6 weeks in to our new little life, I noticed the dishwasher was not working quite right.

I put things in, and either they didn’t come out entirely clean, or sometimes they would come out with dishwasher detergent still on them.

Was the detergent door releasing too late?
Was there not enough water?
Was there any water at all?

I emailed our land lady, and since she didn’t live in the same state, she asked us to find a repairman and have him come in, and she’d repay us for any work that he did. No problem!

I researched all over for just the right repairman. Good reviews, professional-looking website, handy at multiple home-repair tasks. I called, explained, booked. He was scheduled to come over the next Friday; I would even work from home to meet him and show him what the problem was.

We spent the rest of the week doing dishes by hand. No fun.

Finally, Friday rolled around. Hooray for fixing the dishwasher!

Mr. Repairman came in, a mid-30’s man with a bald head who looked remarkably like Mr. Clean. He was very nice, and I explained the issues.

“We put dishes in, run the cycle, and at the end, either there’s soap lying in there still as if there’s not enough water, or sometimes there’s even detergent lying on the dishes themselves!”

He put four glasses in the dishwasher, facing up, to test the dishwasher to see if there was any water getting up to the top rack and moving around the whole unit.

Of course, it worked just fine.

He asked me to give him a specific example of when it wasn’t working.

“Well, sometimes for example, we’ll open up the dishwasher, and there’s detergent sitting right there on top of a bowl in the bottom rack.”

“How big is the bowl?”

“Pretty big, like a mixing bowl.”

Now, what I haven’t yet mentioned is that this was a “special” dishwasher. Made for little spaces, this was an extra-small, super narrow dishwasher. The inside was maybe 18 inches wide. And that’s being generous.

He then proceeded to explain to me that if I put a big bowl the size of my dishwasher in the bottom rack, the water will just get trapped inside the bowl and never make it up to the top rack, or even get the detergent wet.

I sheepishly paid him the “diagnostic fee” of $60, and showed him out – with the diagnosis being my own stupidity. Then I emailed the land lady to let her know that the dishwasher *magically* started working again.

That’s right.

I paid the dishwasher repairman $60 to teach me how to load a dishwasher.