Christmas Gifts

Lucas and I decided not to do Christmas gifts this year. But, I kinda wanted to do something small just for the purpose of opening something together for our first married Christmas morning. I told him to just buy me a toothbrush and wrap it up, but instead he got me this:

This book is huge and wonderful. I would sit and flip through it whenever we were in a Barnes and Noble, making mental notes of Martha's homekeeping tips. Now, it's all mine. I'm looking forward to copying the pages about what to clean weekly and monthly and scheduling cleaning days for various tasks. Some girls like jewelry. I like cleaning tips and toothbrushes.

For him, I knew I wanted to go the homemade route. I feel like this is more difficult now as whatever I make for him will have to fit into our home somehow. Picture frames, memory boxes, etc. must now serve a purpose in terms of decor. I wanted to do something relating to his photography, when the idea came to me to make him a portfolio of his work. He's in the process of revamping his logo and website, but I thought for now (in case any jobs come up or in case he'd just like to show off his work), I'd make a tangible portfolio.

He's very specific about how he wants things to look and is quite the perfectionist, so this task made me a little anxious. I made it as flexible as possible so that he can go back and change things or add to the portfolio if he feels the need. I spent a whole day looking through all of the photos on his hard drive, trying to pick out what I thought to be a well-rounded portfolio. The wedding pictures were the most fun (picking out the best portraits, best show of details, and most romantic bride and groom shots). Choosing the best food photographs was fun as well, especially since most of the photos he took for me. I already had my favorites. The most tedious part was sizing the pictures to fit the pages of the portfolio then printing, cutting, and attaching them to the pages. I used a scrapbook album which I purchased from the craft store. I was very tempted to add all kinds of flourishes and cutesy elements, but I wanted it to look for sleek and professional, not like an actual scrapbook.

I like the way it turned out. Hopefully he does too.

Snow-covered Pohickery

We didn't get a ton of snow this weekend, but I was excited enough to want to go out and take pictures.

The wind had blown away a lot of the snow on the branches and fields, but we still got some pretty pictures. Pohickery is so beautiful in the winter. There are so many inspiring things to photograph and just enjoy.

I told Lucas that the above picture is my tribute to him because he has a ton of pictures of these bird houses all around the Pohickery property. The ones with the heart shaped entrances are my favorites.

I insisted that we get a picture of us together just before we went back inside. I wanted to document our first snowy Christmas together. Okay, so it didn't snow until the day after Christmas, but I'm still counting it.

It's Christmas!

It's our first married Christmas together here at Pohickery and it's SNOWING!

It's been an amazing year and a wonderful Christmas full of joy.

Merry Christmas, everyone :]

Snickerdoodles!

Hands down, my favorite cookies are snickerdoodles. I used to long for that time of year when my mother's co-worker would send home homemade snickerdoodles with her. And now I can make my own and OH what a pleasure that is. But, I still try to reserve them for Christmas season. It makes them more special.

I waited, as usual, until the last minute to do my holiday baking so our table is covered in snickerdoodles and white chocolate chip oatmeal cranberry cookies right now. Luckily I'm too busy to be tempted to just sit and eat them.
.

Snickerdoodles are soft, chewy, delicious, and smell amazing as they bake.

And of course, they're pretty :]

Snickerdoodle Cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 cup (two sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cookie coating ingredients:

• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
2. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or coat with nonstick spray
3. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt
4. Cream together butter and sugar
5. Add eggs to butter mixture, mixing well after each addition
6. Add in vanilla extract
7. Add in dry ingredients and mix well until smooth dough is formed
8. In a medium mixing bowl, mix together coating ingredients
9. Form dough into 1 inch round balls and roll to cover in coating mixture
10. Place dough balls 2 inches apart on baking sheets
11. Use the bottom of a glass to gently press balls of dough down to 1/2" thickness
12. Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes or until slightly golden around the edges

Christmas, weddings, baking, AH!

I can hardly believe that Christmas is just a few days away. This year went by ridiculously fast. In just a couple months Lucas and I will have been married for a year. How is that even possible?

In the midst of Christmas baking I've also been studying and collecting ideas for Lucas and I's future endeavors. Since we moved into our little barn apartment, we've put most of our decorative focus on our living room and kitchen. We're finally shifting gears and taking a good look at our bedroom. The main reason for this is our desire to have a workspace so we can really get cracking on our little home-run business. I'm hoping to have a nice, tidy, inspiring crafting space within a month or so. We'll see how that goes. Right now we're in the getting rid of junk we don't need and daydreaming part of the process. I've been brainstorming all of the crafts I will be making and selling on Etsy. Some for your everyday gal, some for brides. Since my lovely friend Laurie got engaged this week (yay, Laurie!), weddings are fresh on my mind today.

Engagement photos. Wedding photography. Paper flowers and decor. My head is spinning. I'm so ready to put my thoughts into action.

For now, I need to use my crafty motivation to finish making Lucas' Christmas present. More on that later...

Peppermint Bark

Christmas time is the best inspiration for baking. I love that there are so many treats that are specific to Christmas and are rarely seen any other time of year.

On Saturday I made Christmas cookies with the girls. On Wednesday I made peppermint bark with my friend from church, Rachel. It's really easy to make. And really wonderful to eat. It was oh so tempting to eat it all up right away.

I always make Lucas wait to eat things until I go through a gazillion pictures, trying to get the right angle. Poor guy.

You can make peppermint bark with white chocolate or both white chocolate and milk chocolate. You could make it with just milk chocolate as well, if you're not a white chocolate fan.

I used my little pan for my little freezer. But, for all y'all normal folk, here is the original recipe...

Peppermint Bark Recipe
Ingredients:

• 6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate (170 g) in squares or coarsely chopped
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 6 oz. white chocolate (170g) in squares or coarsely chopped
• 1/3-1/2 cup crushed candy canes or starlight mints (to crush them, simply place them in a Ziploc bag and go to town on them with a rolling pin)

Directions:

1. Line a 8x8" baking pan with parchment paper
2. Make a double boiler by placing a heatproof mixing bowl over a saucepan of simmering water
3. Melt semi-sweet chocolate and one teaspoon of vegetable oil in bowl over saucepan
4. Pour melted chocolate into baking pan and tilt pan to spread the chocolate evenly along the bottom
5. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, or until chocolate has set
6. Melt white chocolate and remaining one teaspoon of vegetable oil in heatproof bowl over saucepan
7. Pour white chocolate over the chilled dark chocolate and spread evenly
8. Sprinkle peppermint candy evenly over white chocolate
9. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, or until white chocolate has set
10. Remove the bark from the pan by gently lifting up the parchment paper.
11. Peel back the paper and break the bark apart with your hands into different pieces
12. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator for up to two weeks

This recipe makes about 25 delicious pieces of bark.

The Best Thing

Can I admit that I am starting to really like Taylor Swift? I honestly haven't listened to most of her music, but while watching Teen Nick (yes, I am aware that I am too old to be watching Teen Nick), I saw her music video for the song "Mine" and instantly loved it. At first I think I mainly loved the style of video and her clothing (all of the cute vintage/retro style). But, I was also struck by the line "We've got bills to pay. We've got nothing figured out" and how the video depicts a young couple starting off on a rocky road together, learning more about each other each day. That's what really got me.

Lucas and I have talked a lot recently about how content we are in our teeny barn apartment and how perfect life is with so little a space. God has really made our hearts content without all of the garbage that this world thinks will make them happy. I'm so grateful for this. I think the idea of a happy yet struggling young married couple is a beautiful thing. Depending on and loving each other in the midst of a rough beginning, needing nothing else but each other to pull through. And not knowing what the future holds, but knowing they can get through it together.

Beautiful.

Christmas Tea Party

A couple of us ladies have been trying to have monthly tea parties. It's nice to have a little girl time fix. Especially when it involves tea and treats. Since I'm crazy in love with Christmas, I really wanted to host the Christmas tea party. We had all kinds of peppermint in the form of peppermint brownies (thank you Laurie, thank you thank you), peppermint tea, starlight mints, and peppermint sticks for tea and hot chocolate. We snacked and decorated cookies as we watched Love Actually.

I really wish I would have gotten more pictures, but we got into the habit of decorating our cookies then immediately eating them. Lucas was disappointed and confused when he found out that instead of decorating them and eating them later, we decorated them for the sole purpose of eating them right away, leaving him none. Don't feel sorry for him though; Laurie left her delicious brownies behind.

 We made cookies that resembled our men. I think that was the most fun part. My cookie version of Lucas looked like the hardcore kid version of Santa Claus. Laurie's cookie version of her boyfriend had a smear of brownie for hair and zebra striped shoes (which were supposed to be Adidas). Melissa's cookie looked just like her husband. Especially with his fancy green sprinkle pants. It was awesome. And we laughed a lot. Which is wonderful. I love to laugh.

My friends are super cute.

Christmas Decor

Yesterday I peeked out the window and got majorly giddy when I saw that it was snowing. I threw my boots and coat on as quickly as I could, ran into the in-laws' house to grab Scrappy, and went out to enjoy the lovely winter weather.

I saw a picture a year ago on Country Living.com of fake branches over top of a bed with little stars dangling down. I loved it and thought I'd like to try replicating a smaller version, but in the living room over the couch. I recently started thinking about it again but in terms of Christmas decorations. I've been wanting to make it more Christmasy in here without having to buy pre-made decorations. So I got crafty.

While out on our walk, Scrap and I picked out some nice sized branches. I arranged them under the shelf above our couch and hot glued them together. Using styrofoam balls, I made little yarn balls by wrapping them in red and green yarn, then hung them at different lengths from the branches.

I think after Christmas I may replace the yarn balls with hanging stars. Or maybe a mix of the two. And I might add more branches as well. For right now, I don't even want to think about taking down Christmas decorations. I just want to enjoy them for as long as I possibly can.

Cup of Joy

Another simple joy: hot chocolate. Add in a stick of peppermint and a darling husband (who was the genius behind the idea of said treat) and you've got yourself quite an evening.

CouscousCouscous

I've been slacking in the blogging department. Sorry :/. We had a super crazy week of events, and now we're experiencing the most quiet week we've had in a long time. It's nice to not have to rush through dinner to get out the door in time. And to have extra time to tidy up the house and do some reading, which has been on my to-do list forever now.

Tonight I made two of Lucas' favorite foods for dinner: couscous and pork chops. The first time I ever had couscous was after we were married, and I fell in love. Of course, I always try to find my own way to sweeten things up and was excited when I found a recipe for couscous with cranberries, carrot, and cinnamon. The first time I made it Lucas was a little overwhelmed by the sweetness, so I had to dial it down a little bit. Tonight though, it was perfect. This side dish is really good with pork chops or chicken. I cooked the pork chops in the same skillet that I used to saute the cranberries and carrots and added about a tablespoon of honey.

Cranberry and Carrot Couscous
Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large carrot, grated
• 1/4 cup cranberries
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped (optional; I didn't have any on hand tonight and it was just as good without it)
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1 cup couscous
• 1 cup chicken broth
• salt and paper to taste

Directions:

1. Bring one cup of water to a boil, then stir in couscous, cover, and turn off heat
2. Heat oil in skillet and add onion over medium-high heat; saute for one minute or until translucent
3. Add carrot to skillet and cook for one minute
4. Add cranberries and cook for about 30 seconds-1 minute
5. Add cinnamon and cumin to skillet and mix well, cooking for 15-20 seconds until spices become aromatic
6. Pour skillet ingredients into cooked couscous along with the cup of chicken broth then cover and let sit for 5-10 minutes.
7. Fluff couscous and serve!

It's Been a Very Good Year

Lucas and I have been "together" for two years as of today. And married for almost nine months. It feels like so much longer than that. Having known the guy for ten years surely makes it feel like forever.

Two years ago, on a very cold day, he took me to the playground behind the library where I worked when I was younger. I sat there, incredibly nervous, thinking he had brought me there to tell me that he noticed that I was digging him and that I shouldn't. But, instead, he told me that he was digging me too. Then we very awkwardly held hands and started the beginning of our journey together.

I guess "dating" anniversaries aren't as significant now that we're married. But it's still lovely to think about when we first fell in love two years ago, and the million times I've fallen in love with him since then.

German Chocolate Cake

My mother's birthday was yesterday and I took on the challenge of baking her favorite cake- German Chocolate. It's the most involved cake I have made so far. But, it was fun. And I got a nice work out whipping the egg whites by hand. Next time I'll have to bring out the hand mixer. There are a few little random baking/cleaning tasks that make me feel super domestic; for some reason whipping egg whites is one of them. It made me feel like a little homemaker and like I should have had a child on my hip while gabbing on the phone to a girlfriend. Anyway, the hard work paid off. I think it turned out rather nicely.
















It was a tad bit sloppy as I was inpatient and didn't wait long enough to put the frosting on. The frosting was still warm and started sliding off, but, I kinda like the messy look. It gives it that "I was made from home with love" look.

I used the recipe that came with the box of Baker's German Chocolate. I actually found the same recipe online and it got a gazillion positive reviews so it seemed like the way to go. I did tweak it slightly. I added more chocolate to the cake (I can't help it, I like everything super sweet), used cake flour instead of all purpose, and poured chocolate ganache over top of the cake before adding the frosting.



German Chocolate Cake Recipe

Cake Ingredients:

• 1 pkg. (4 oz.) sweet German chocolate  [I used 1 and a half packages]
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 1/2 cups cake flour  [2 cups if you're using all purpose]
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs, seperated
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup buttermilk

Frosting Ingredients:

• 4 egg yolks
• 1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
• 1 package (7 oz.) coconut flakes
• 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

Cake Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cover bottoms of 3 (9 in) round cake pans with wax paper and grease sides of pans. [I only did two layers and used the leftover batter for cupcakes]
2. Melt chocolate in water in a saucepan on medium heat until chocolate is almost fully melted. Turn off heat and stir chocolate until completely melted.
3. Mix flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium mixing bowl and set aside.
4. Beat butter and sugar together with electric mixer until light and fluffy.
5. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
6. Blend in melted chocolate and vanilla
7. Add flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk, mixing well after each addition.
8. Beat egg whites in a small bowl until stiff peaks form then gently fold whites into batter
9. Pour batter evenly into prepared pans
10. Bake 20-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean
11. Immediately run a small metal spatula or knife around cake layers
12. Cool in pans 15 minutes, then remove layers from pans, discarding wax paper
13. Once layers are completely cooled, apply coconut-pecan frosting between layers
14. (Optional- pour chocolate ganache over top layer. To make ganache, make a double boiler and melt 4-8 squares of German chocolate then add in 1-2 tablespoons whipping cream or half and half and mix well)
15. Spread coconut-pecan frosting generously over top layer of cake

Coconut-Pecan Frosting Directions:

1. Beat egg yolks, milk, and vanilla in a large saucepan with a whisk until well blended.
2. Add sugar and butter to saucepan and cook on medium heat, stirring constantly, for about 12 minutes (until thick and golden brown).
3. Remove saucepan from heat. Lightly toast coconut and pecans on baking sheet
4. Add coconut and pecans to saucepan and mix well.
5. Allow frosting to cool before applying to cake

Christmas Time is Here

Our small tree looks rather large in our tiny barn apartment. It fits perfectly. We also finally have candles in our two small windows and our country home now seems complete. They're so lovely glowing in the night.

We don't have a lot of ornaments just yet. Our tree is somewhat bare, but it's a good start. I had planned on making a perfectly coordinated tree with matching ornaments, but I found a pack of mismatched retro ornaments and just had to have them. They look just like the ornaments my parents have on their tree, which once belonged to my grandmother. I love having my own little set. Nestled between them on the tree are two ornaments with the words "Love" and "Faith", gifts from my mother-in-law. She gave them to us last Christmas saying "As long as you have those two things, your marriage will do well". It's neat to have the meshing of our families in our first Christmas tree. Ohhh, Christmas. You make me awfully sentimental.

 

 

 

Thanks

Our first married Thanksgiving was lovely. It started with Lucas watching me jump up and down with joy as the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade began. We headed out to my parent's house shortly after where I had my father's famous breakfast (which I look forward to all year long- SO GOOD) and spent time with my amazing family (minus one brother who is sadly in Ohio- miss you, bro). We ended our Thanksgiving with a dinner with my in-laws and A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. And a slice of apple pie with homemade whip cream. Happily stuffed.

Now it's time to clean up the mess I made yesterday while making four, yes, four pies.

See what a mess I was? Hair all askew and flour covering my entire apron. Scrappy was finding all kinds of pie dough to lick off of my pants. But totally worth it.

 

Pretty, right? It helps that we also have a new lens, our nifty fifty (50mm), which produces some pretty rad pictures. I like the low lighting and how the kitchen looks sort of industrial.

 

Anyway. . .

Happy Thanksgiving! 

I hope yours was as wonderful as mine.

OCMD

Lucas and I spent our weekend in Ocean City for a youth conference. Two years ago, at that same conference, our little romance started. So, I had to be sappy and say "remember when ______ happened" a lot. The conference is even more fun now that we're married and get to road trip together and stay in the same room.

We spent some of our free time taking pictures out on the water.

Unfortunately, he wiped out shortly after this picture on an algae covered rock, promptly ending our photo shoot. He's okay. Just a little banged up. And disappointed that I didn't get a picture of the ordeal.



It was a fun weekend, but I'm happy to be home again. Luke has the day off and set up my Christmas tree. Exciting :] I can hardly believe Thanksgiving is this week. It's time to get baking. I've got pies to make!

Repairs

My husband came home with two pairs of ripped jeans in the same week.

Fixing them up makes me feel like such a wife.

Domestic bliss.

Apple Sauce

Last week I made my first batch of apple sauce. I made the sauce nice and chunky. And very sweet of course. I like my sugar. I also like homemade food to be rough and rustic.

Apple sauce is really easy to make. You simply peel, core, and slice the apples then cook them until they're soft. Next, you can puree them in a food processor or mash them in the pot, then add sugar (about 1/4 cup per pound of apples). At this point, you can leave the sauce plain or add spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, or allspice) and bring the sauce to a boil for a few minutes. If you plan on canning the sauce, fill your jars (leaving 1/2" head space) and process them for 20 minutes.

White Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal and Cranberry Cookies

My mother-in-law made these cookies last Christmas. While over their house one night, Lucas made about five trips down to the kitchen to get some more. So, as you can see, he really enjoys them. Around the beginning of our marriage, a few months later, I started craving them and decided to make them myself. I'm admittedly not a very good cookie maker. I get distracted in the short baking time they take and they often get burnt as a result. But, I've found it very hard to screw up these cookies. They're so chewy and soft, even when I let them bake for a little too long. And I feel semi-healthy when I eat them since they have fruit and oats in them. It's like the theory my friend Stacey and I created about balancing out an unhealthy meal of ice cream with an apple. Lucas doesn't agree with my theories. But I still stand by them.

Oatmeal Cookies with White Chocolate Chips and Cranberries

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 1/2 cups quick cooking oats
• 1 cup (2 sticks) of unsalted butter, slightly softened
• 2 large eggs beaten lightly
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/3 cups dried cranberries
• 1 1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Spray baking sheet or line with parchment paper
3. In a medium bowl, mix together dry ingredients
4. Mix together butter and sugar in separate bowl until light and fluffy
5. Add eggs and mix well
6. Add honey and vanilla and mix until fully blended
7. Add dry ingredients to wet mixture in two additions, mixing well after each addition
8. Fold in white chocolate chips and cranberries
9. Drop tablespoon servings of dough onto baking sheet, 2 inches apart
10. Bake 9-11 minutes

Photography

After I damaged Lucas' old camera (whoops) it seemed time to get my own. He has been doing photography for years now. He has done lots of weddings, shows, and portraits and since being married has shown me a lot about photography and increased my interest in the art. Many of the pictures here on this blog were taken by him. My point and shoot camera's pictures have just started to look so sad and plain compared to the beautiful, crisp pictures his camera takes (Canon 7D). But, after much studying and anticipating, I now have my very own SLR camera. We decided on the Canon Rebel T2i, which fits perfectly in my petite hands. His camera has always been a bit too big and heavy for me. My hands feel nice and steady with this lighter camera. And my pictures are less shaky.

I've been spending my days reading books on digital photography and Photoshop and practicing, practicing, practicing. I'm still learning but Lucas and I are in the midst of expanding his photography business. We've been daydreaming about one day having a studio in our future home. But for now we're using the outdoors as our studio, trying our best to capture nature in photographs, and plan on doing some portraits and wedding photography together. It's exciting. And scary. But mostly exciting.

Simple Pleasures

There are so many little things that bring me joy... A quick, cool breeze. The sound of fall leaves crinkling under my feet. The amount of yellow in my kitchen. That leap I get in my heart when I think about Christmas drawing near...

And the warmth of a tall salted caramel hot chocolate. Even if they did spell my name incorrectly. Still just a little bit of joy in my day.

Spanakopita

I still have no clue how to pronounce the Greek word for spinach pie, but I have mastered the recipe. I get ridiculous cravings for junky food like Kit Kat bars and pizza, while Lucas gets cravings for more hearty meals like Italian sausage and spinach pies. Usually my cravings are fulfilled once I eat and savor whatever my current craving is. His seem to last a lot longer. Since he's been on a real spinach pie kick lately, I felt it was my wifely duty to learn how make some homemade spinach pie. I felt all fancy when I told him we were having spanakopita for dinner, until he let me know I pronounced it wrong. Wah waaaah.

I modified the recipe slightly. In the picture you can tell that the phyllo looks a tad thin. It's only 4 sheets on top and bottom here, but next time we plan on doubling it. You, however, may like a thinner layering. Adjust accordingly :]



Spanakopita (or Spinach Pie, for us less fancy girls)
Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 5 green onions, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 lbs spinach
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 cup crumbled  feta cheese
• 16 sheets phyllo dough
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• Salt and pepper, if desired

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly butter a 9x9 or 8x6 in. baking pan
2. Heat oil in sauce pan
3. Saute onion in olive oil until translucent
4. Add in butter, green onions, and garlic and cook until soft and lightly browned
5. Stir in spinach and parsley and cook until reduced, about 2 minutes (add salt and pepper if desired)
6. Remove pan from heat and cool
7. In a medium mixing bowl, mix together ricotta and feta cheese with eggs
8. Mix spinach mixture into cheese mixture
9. Lay down one sheet of phyllo dough and lightly brush with melted butter
10. Repeat with 7 more sheets of phyllo
11. Spread spinach and cheese mixture over sheets of phyllo
12. Lay down one sheet of phyllo dough and lightly brush with melted butter
13. Repeat with remaining 7 sheets of phyllo
14. Tuck in any overhanging sides of phyllo
15. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until golden brown
16. Let the pie set up then serve!

Pork Chops w/Apple Cider Sauce

At the advice of the owner of Deer Park Farm, I made some apple cider sauce with pork chops for dinner this week. Typically the only apple recipes we see are desserts, but they work beautifully in dinner recipes as well. They add a nice touch of autumn and go really well with pork chops.

Pork Chops and Apple Cider Sauce Recipe
Ingredients:

• 4 pork chops
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon butter (for pork chops)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 apples, cored and sliced
• 1 tablespoon butter (for sauce)
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 cup apple cider
• 1/2 tablespoon corn starch

Directions:

1. In a skillet, melt butter and oil together
2. Salt and pepper pork chops then brown on both sides in skillet
3. Introduce apple slices to skillet and cook over medium heat
4. Turn down heat on skillet as you make the apple cider sauce
5. To make apple cider sauce, melt butter in a sauce pan then mix in corn starch. Next, mix in spices and brown sugar. After well blended, mix in apple cider and bring just to a boil. Turn down heat and simmer for 3 minutes.
6. Pour half of cider mixture over pork and apples then finish cooking
7. Plate pork then pour the rest of mixture over it, or reserve for gravy.

Canning, yayy!

I did some canning this past weekend. It's not really official canning because pesto in fact cannot be preserved as jams and other sauces. But it was exciting none-the-less.

 

I made a huge batch of pesto, with special help from my hubby (he harvested the basil for me and washed it). I was able to fill four small jars for immediate use and froze the rest for long term storage. Because of the pH level in pesto, it is not recommended for canning with the purpose of long term usage. There is not enough acidity to aid in proper preservation. However, it can still be canned and enjoyed within a week or two. Since four cans of pesto is way too much for this couple to consume in a two week period (at least without becoming totally sick of it), we gave away two jars to share the joy with others. Hopefully they can handle the heat. I went a little overboard with the garlic. The Walthers are all about garlic.

Speaking of garlic, I need to plant mine this week!

Fall Festitivites

Saturday night the husband and I joined the church youth group for a bonfire and hayride. It was a really fun night. I felt 16 again as I belted out lyrics to "Don't Stop Believing" with the girls and danced the Cha Cha Slide. Then immediately felt old again as I ran out of breath and energy from said singing and dancing.The bonfire was held on the farm of a really nice couple who grow thirteen varieties of apples. The hayride portion of the night gave us a nice tour of the orchards. Though exciting, the hayride through apple trees in the dark was very reminiscent of a zombie horror film (which Lucas lovingly pointed out to me). I got some good tips on how to make the best use of apples from the lady of the farm (including apple cider sauce- stay tuned). They even gave us free apples!

 They're so pretty

In the spirit of Halloween weekend, and simply because I love any excuse to dress up (especially in a theme), Lucas and I dressed up as greasers. Mainly because we already had the appropriate attire at home. Lucas wasn't entirely thrilled with the idea, but he went along with it. He even put on music in the car befitting a couple of cruising greasers. I get wrapped up in themes and daydreaming. 

He gets me.

Makin' S'mores!

B4D

I've tried out many fancy recipes since becoming a wife. I've experimented and created all kinds of meals. But, truth be told, my husband's favorite meals are the simplest ones. Apparently a new and excited meal every night was a little too overwhelming. I think I spent so many years being picky and eating nothing but chicken fingers that I'm now addicted to trying new meals. Like every day. But, all of the testing has helped us to discover what food we like best and identify which ingredients are the most cost-friendly.

Lucas doesn't know how to cook much, but he has a couple go to meals that he generously makes when I'm not feeling well. Our favorite? Brinner. Also known as breakfast for dinner or as we like to call it, B4D. There's something about eating breakfast food for dinner that is exciting and very satisfying. French toast, sausage, bacon, scrambled eggs. Mmm. I feel so spoiled when he makes B4D. He got fancy with it tonight and used heavy cream and brown sugar in the french toast. How lucky am I?






Mr. Chef in action :]

Canning Time

My wonderful husband came home last week with 4 packs of canning jars in various sizes. I'm going to be a busy little bee in the kitchen this week. Fall is in full effect and I know our basil plants will be browning soon, so I need to turn those bad boys into pesto and can them up to enjoy for the rest of fall and winter. After that, apple sauce and apple butter are on the canning agenda.

Anyone with a birthday coming up should fully expect canned goodies as presents!

Pumpkin Spice Cake

I forgot how much I love bundt cakes. I'm stoked that this recipe only used up half of my can of pumpkin, so I can use the rest on something else. Like pumpkin ginger pancakes. Hurray for fall treats!

Pumpkin Spice Cake
Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) melted unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon butter for pan
• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin-pie spice
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 15 oz pumpkin puree (make sure you get pure pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Spread tablespoon of butter all over pan then coat with a thin layer of flour
3. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin-pie spice
4. In a mixing bowl, mix together melted butter, sugar, eggs, and pumpkin puree
5. Slowly add dry ingredients to wet mixture
6. After full combined, pour batter into prepared pan
7. Bake for 45-50 minutes

I had butter cream frosting left over that I had made about a week ago that I added 3 tablespoons of honey to, melted slightly, then poured over the warm cake after I turned it out of the pan. YUM.