summer pies

I've been enjoying the last flavors of summer by baking pies. It has been a delicious experience.

peach basil pie

The peach basil pie was inspired by this recipe. I was attempting a crostata but my kitchen got really warm so the dough started to get too sticky and I wasn't able to roll it out big enough for a crostata so I just decided to throw it in a pie pan. I think it came out quite nice for a traditional pie especially since I usually just bake crostatas. The crust was so buttery and flakey. The recipe called for lavender but I left that out because I just wanted to taste the peach and basil.

raspberry peach pie with a pecan oat crumble topping

The raspberry peach pie was a combination of three different recipes. I don't feel like I've found my go-to pie dough recipe yet so I've been experimenting with different ones each time I bake. For this particular pie I tried this dough recipe. I liked that the crust came out flakey but wasn't too buttery. I also found out that I really like mixing the dough by hand rather than using a food processor or even a pastry cutter. It's just really simple and easy to mix by hand and I agree that it gives you so much more control over your dough. This may be my go-to pie dough recipe. I'll have to try it one more time and then I'll let you know what I think. It'll be a good excuse to bake another pie.

I used this recipe for the filling. The only thing I changed was that I used yellow peaches instead of white. Also, I just measured out 6 cups of the peaches and raspberries and mixed them together. I don't know how many of each I ended up using.

And this was the recipe I used for the crumb topping. I followed this recipe exactly.

Summer…please don't leave. I'm not ready to say good-bye. Good thing I have a few pieces of pie still so I don't have to say good-bye quite yet. I hope you had a fun and relaxing Labor Day!

limoncello gin cocktail

I just discovered this limoncello gin cocktail. It's perfect for summer- light and refreshing with just a hint of sweetness from the limoncello. I altered the original recipe to better suit my tastes, see my changes below.

• 2 - 4 sprigs of fresh thyme

• juice from half of a lime

• 2 Tbs. limoncello

• 3 Tbs. gin

• ice

• lime seltzer water

Muddle the thyme in the lime juice. Then add the limoncello and gin. Top with ice and fill the rest of your glass with the lime seltzer water. And there you have a deliciously refreshing cocktail for these hot summer days.

kale salad

I've had grand plans these past couple of weeks to eat really healthy. We already eat healthy but I've been wanting to eat even healthier especially after the holidays and vacation.

I'll stock up on a week's worth of organic fruits and vegetables from my favorite market with the goal of creating these amazingly, healthy dishes. My plan is always to cook our meals on Sunday so that all we have to do during the week is heat up dinner. Having dinner already made for the week is a genius idea especially after a long day at work, and we would also have leftovers for lunch, but for whatever reason this whole cooking thing on Sunday never happens. No big deal I'll just cook on Monday. Well, I usually have a case of the Mondays on Monday and cooking is one of the last things I want to do. By the time Tuesday comes around I've really lost all motivation for this idea of healthy eating. The week has either gotten too busy, or I've gotten too lazy, but really I think it's because it's too cold to do anything except order take out, cuddle under a blanket and drink. And lets be honest, I'd rather be eating this then something healthy anyway.

But since I'm not one to waste food I have to do something with all of the veggies in my fridge. One of the things I've been buying a lot of is kale. I love kale, especially kale salads so that's what I've been making- not exactly cooking but at least it's healthy eating. I've made kale salads before but I wanted to find a recipe that was more in tune with the season. I found this kale, clementine and feta salad from cookie and kate and the added pomegranate seeds make it perfect for winter.

Do you have a favorite kale recipe? I'd love for you to share!

chile lime roasted pepitas

One of my favorite things about fall is all the delicious flavors and one of my favorite fall flavors is pumpkin. I pretty much love anything pumpkin, especially pumpkin seeds. But carving pumpkins to get all the seeds is a bit too much work for me so I buy pepitas instead. I made these chile and lime roasted pepitas over the weekend and they are deliciously spicy. I've been carrying them in a little container in my purse all week. I love having a healthy snack while on the go.

Next time I'm going to try this, this, or this.

new recipe: pea hummus

October's new recipe was pea hummus, or as I called it on Halloween 'Snot of Dwarf'. I paired this hummus with some homemade rosemary parmesan crackers. Both of these new recipes were delicious! I was actually surprised by how much people loved the pea hummus. The only reason I made it was because we had a Halloween potluck contest at work and we had to use client brands. My goal was to use as many client products as possible. The four client brands I used are pictured below.

For the 'Snot of Dwarf' I combined this recipe with some of this recipe to get one awesome hummus!

1 can Le Seur peas, set aside 1/4 cup

1 can white cannellini beans

half jar of Beechnut Sweet Pea baby food

handful of Bhuja Spicy Peas

curly parsley

olive oil

lots of garlic cloves

juice from lemon

ground cumin

smoked paprika

sea salt

pepper

feta

In a food processor, pulse the parsley and olive oil. Add the peas, cannellini beans, sweet pea baby food, garlic cloves and process until it is as smooth as you like it. Add the feta, lemon juice, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper to suit your taste. Once it tastes good for you then add the rest of the Le Seur peas, pulse just enough to mix not to blend- keeping some of the peas whole adds a nice texture. I drizzled some of the leftover baby food on top and crunched the Bhuja peas for some added spice. It is definitely better the next day.

I apologize that this recipe doesn't have exact measurements but I really did just wing it. My mom always says a recipe is just a guideline- and with this recipe you can adjust any of the ingredients to your liking.

For the crackers I followed the recipe exactly. The only thing I would do differently is to roll them out a bit thinner.

It was a fun competition and I won this awesome prize for 'Best Use of Ingredients'!

new recipe: september

Here's a delicious recipe for a one pot pasta. I was skeptical about putting all the ingredients into one pot. Was everything really going to cook together perfectly? But it did and it was amazing. It was especially good over the next couple of days for lunch when I added peas and some pieces of chicken sausage to it. This is a great weekday recipe when you don't have a lot of time but want a hearty meal.

new recipe: august

I'm trying one new recipe a month. I decided to try something easy for August and make this raw kale salad from a daily something. It really is a simple summer dinner and if you make enough there should be plenty of leftovers for lunch the next day. We love leftovers in our house, but it's rare that we ever have them because whatever we cook is so delicious we eat it all up.

I've made kale salads before but what I liked about this recipe was the addition of the crispy chickpeas, it gave the salad a really nice crunch.

If you're looking for more kale recipes try this or this- these are perfect for fall.

{image via create.your.happy}

green smoothie challenge

beginners luck via simplegreensmoothies

Friends, I started a 30-day green smoothie challenge. I'm only on Day 10 but I love it! Who knew that smoothies for breakfast would be so awesome? Well…this guy would since that's what he's been drinking for breakfast every day for the past 12 years. Ebert's smoothies aren't green but I've finally come to understand his need for a liquid breakfast routine.

My green smoothies aren't quite as filling as I would have thought so I usually have to eat a little mid-morning snack that's either a piece of brown rice toast or rice cake with butter peanut or sometimes a hard boiled egg. What I love most about eating greens in the morning is that it sets a precedent for the rest of my day- I want to continue to eat healthy.

So far my favorite recipe has been the beginners luck smoothie, but what's nice about this challenge is that you don't really need to follow the recipes exactly- at least that's been my experience. I love that they send me a grocery list and have recipes available, not to mention their tips have also been very helpful, but I just take their recipe suggestions and make it my own. My mom always says a recipe is just a guideline. I've only had one epic smoothie fail. On Day 4 I added coconut water to my smoothie instead of plain water and what happened to my smoothie was beyond gross. After I blended everything together I took a few sips but didn't finish it right away so it sat for about 15 minutes. When I came back my smoothie had basically congealed. I don't know if it was the coconut water or what but a piece plopped right into my mouth…grossness! Needless to say that has been the only time I haven't finish a green smoothie.

I haven't noticed a huge change in my energy levels or weight, we're pretty good about eating greens on a regular basis anyway, but I'm excited to see if anything does change by the end of this challenge. Even if it doesn't, it will have been good to incorporate more greens into my diet. And blending has been way easier than juicing…I'm just saying!

ice cream sunda(y)

banana strawberry ice cream via create.your.happy

It finally feels like summer in Chicago and I've been craving ice cream…like a lot! If I didn't have to think about calories or love handles or any of that I'd satiate my ice cream craving by going here- everyday if possible. Luckily, I found this recipe for a homemade two-ingredient ice cream that you can eat guilt-free. The bonus is that you don't need an ice cream maker to make this delicious summer treat, all you need is a food processor or even a blender will work.

I will admit that this doesn't taste quite like ice cream even though it is quite yummy! The banana over powers the strawberry so I would recommend using half a banana rather than a whole one and adding more frozen strawberries (or any other berry of your choice). Surprisingly though the consistency is pretty darn close to ice cream.

So go ahead, enjoy two bowls of this ice cream without worrying. That's what summer's all about, right? Being carefree!

middlewest magazine

via middlewest

Chicago has a new modern food magazine called Middlewest Magazine. The magazine arrives in an envelope as recipe cards- genius idea! The recipe pictures are so pretty. It makes me want to spend an afternoon in the kitchen and make this! Seriously, can summer get here already.

gin cocktails

I'm acquiring a new fondness for gin. I've always liked gin & tonics as a summer drink but never really thought of it as a liquor to drink during the fall and winter months. Then I discovered this rosemary gin cocktail and it tastes like a delicious fall night. I think trying out new cocktail recipes will be a great winter activity.

rosemary gin cocktail via ahealthylifeforme

the white ginger via theboysclub

gin pomegranate cocktail via ourkitchen

spiced pear collins via saveur

chipotle chicken sweet potato pumpkin ale chili

It should be no surprise that this chili has a long name because it takes a long time to make. I thought I could easily make it one night during the week but it ended up taking me a few days because I didn't plan ahead very well.

First of all, it would have been much easier if I had used canned black beans but I decided to make my own. So on the first night (Sunday) I soaked my beans thinking that in the morning I would cook them in the crock pot all day... but when morning came I decided not to. Instead, I cooked them that night (Monday) when I got home. I also cooked the chicken and prepped the veggies, once again thinking that I would just toss everything in the crock pot in the morning. Wouldn't it have been nice to come home to a dinner that was ready? Yes, that's what I thought too- but, of course, I didn't get up early enough to do that. I'd now been trying to make this chili for 2 days... and still no chili. When I got home that night (Tuesday) I ended up throwing everything in the crock pot so that it could cook all night and be ready in the morning.

That next morning Ebert and I woke up to the aromas of garlic and smokey chipotle. Those are not the usual smells that I'm used to in the morning but it certainly got me excited for some chili. And then finally that evening (Wednesday), we dined on chili...and it was delicious!

These are the variations I made to the recipe-

I used this pumpkin ale.

I couldn't find chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, instead I used 2 jalapeno peppers and 2 Tablespoons of chipotle powder.

I also used a lot more minced garlic and garlic powder than the recipe called for. You can never have too much garlic as far as I'm concerned.

Happy Cooking!

chicken tortilla soup

chicken tortilla soup

This chicken tortilla soup is my go-to soup recipe. It's delicious and really easy to make and perfect for the chilly fall nights we've been having in Chicago. It's even better the next day after all the flavors have mixed together and there's just a bit more kick to it. I would recommend doubling this recipe. You will definitely want leftovers.

roasted sweet pepper soup

roasted sweet pepper soup

I recently bought a 2-pound bag of mini sweet peppers at our favorite local grocery store. I had no idea what I was going to do with that many peppers but at $0.49/bag I couldn't resist. Eventually I came across this recipe...sounds delicious, right? Well, it is pretty delicious but I would recommend adding some cayenne pepper to give it a little extra kick, otherwise it's slightly bland tasting. It's the perfect type of soup for this crisp fall weather. We cooked kale chips to have on the side but a crusty loaf a bread would be good too!

in the kitchen

Here's what I've been cooking in the kitchen.

red lentil soup

This red lentil soup is easy and delicious. It's going to be a new fall favorite recipe. I've only ever cooked brown lentils so when I saw that Trader Joe's started carrying split red lentils I had to try them. I recommend doubling this recipe so you have left overs the next day.

veggies & quinoa

I also made this veggies & quinoa dish. I didn't follow a recipe, although I'm sure I've seen a similar dish somewhere amongst all the foodie blogs I peruse. Since this was just a thrown together dish I'm going to give you a thrown together recipe. My mom always says "a recipe is just a guideline" so feel free to add, subtract, or change anything about this. If you do I'd love to hear what you did and how your verison came out.

• Quinoa
• Trader Joe's Jalapeno Chicken Sausages, cut into quarters
• Sweet Potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces
• Zucchini, chopped into bite-sized pieces
• Kale, thinly shredded
• Sweet Red Pepper, diced
• Fresh Ginger, minced
• Fresh Garlic, minced
• Cumin
• Oregano
• Sea Salt
• Black Pepper

Start cooking the quinoa. While the quinoa is cooking saute the sausages in some olive oil until they are browned. Then in a separate pan saute the garlic and ginger with olive oil. Add the sweet potatoes. Cook the sweet potatoes for about 5 minutes, until they are just slightly tender but still a little crunchy. Add the zucchini. Once you add the zucchini sprinkle some cumin and oregano over the veggies and cook until soft. Add the kale, sea salt and black pepper. Toss the cooked sausages over the kale and cover for a couple minutes. The kale will cook quickly since it's thinly shredded so it doesn't need to stay covered for very long. Once the kale is cooked make sure you mix everything to incorporate all the flavors. Add the diced sweet red pepper just before serving. The crunchiness of the pepper adds a nice texture to the dish. Adjust the flavors to your liking and voila! A healthy and hearty supper.

watermelon cocktail

Watermelon is one of my favorite summer fruits. I bought one the other day and have already eaten half of it...by myself. I guess Ebert doesn't like watermelon as much as I do. I've been wanting to eat the other half but then I started to think that maybe I should get my husband to eat some too. I mean, why shouldn't he enjoy "the fruits of our labor" just as much as I have? I certainly could eat the other half all by myself (and would enjoy doing so), but it's probably best that I don't, so this is what I came up with...

I combined this recipe with this recipe for a deliciously, refreshing watermelon-jalapeno cocktail. And friends, let me tell you, it's good. It's really good. This might just be a new summer favorite!

You could also make this without alcohol and it would still be delicious. And in case this drink doesn't sound like the most amazing cocktail ever here are some other ideas for watermelon. Notice that most of these recipes use cubed watermelon because, really, that's the only way to eat it.

happy monday!

Christmas cookies make me happy!

ginger cookies via dailycandy

eggnog cookies via whatscookingmexico

thumbprint cookies via jessicainsd

chewy cranberry oatmeal cookies via haverecipeswillcook

cranberry chocolate chip oatmeal cookies via dolcettoconfections

If I was going to bake cookies this Christmas these are the cookies I would bake. But I'm not baking cookies I'm baking this!

sunday supper: eggnog french toast

eggnog french toast via dineandish

The first time I had eggnog was sometime during my 20's when I was working for a certain coffee shop. You know the one I'm talking about- you can't miss it, it's practically on every street corner. Now I'd much rather support a local coffee shop but there's something about you know who's coffee that I just love- and mind you it's a basic cup of coffee I'm drinking, no frilly blended drinks for me. Besides those were good times I had working there. In a round about kind of way that's how I met Ebert, so I'll always look back at that part of my life with fondness....well, except for getting up at 4 in the morning, the all too often freak out over a cup of coffee, and the mind numbing monotony that comes with that kind of customer service job. Other than that it was great!

Anyway, from then on I always looked forward to my first cup of eggnog during the holiday season. This year, instead of using cream and milk for my Thanksgiving pumpkin pie, I used eggnog. Unfortunately, the pie came out a little runny although it still tasted good. Next time I need to do a bit more experimenting with how much eggnog I use. Since then I've been wanting to do more baking with eggnog instead of just drinking it, which I'm doing plenty of....just ask my hips.

When I saw this photo I knew that today's post had to showcase the simple beauty that is this breakfast. There's something so comforting and homely about this image. I find myself staring at it. And not because the thought of dipping a thick piece of bread into a dish of sweet, velvety goodness sounds divine, although it does, but there's love in this breakfast. It's that kind of feeling that makes me want to fully give in to the Christmas spirit. Alas, I'm not there yet. In the meantime, I'll just keep staring....

sunday supper: cranberries

Cranberries aren't just for Thanksgiving. I love these little red berries all holiday season long, especially since they're fresh and in season right now. The rest of the year I'm stuck using dried cranberries that I'll just add to oatmeal or cookies, so I'm excited about experimenting with different ways to use fresh cranberries. Here's some inspiration...

cranberry ginger fizz cocktail via creativeculinary

ruby chard & cranberry pasta via eatswellwithothers

sweet potatoes w/cranberry-chipotle dressing via bistrobess

pumpkin, cranberry & pecan pie via beantownbaker

cranberry goat cheese cheesecake via dashofeast

Happy Sunday!

sunday supper: thanksgivingness

I can't believe Thanksgiving is just a few days away. I am so not ready for the holiday season. I think my lack of holiday enthusiasm is partly due to Ebert and I not being able to visit my family in Phoenix this year. This will be the first Thanksgiving that my sister and I have not spent together. Somehow we've always managed to spend Thanksgivings together, which just so happens to be our favorite holiday, but this year the craziness of life is keeping us apart. As the holiday approaches I know it's going to be hard - I'm really going to miss not seeing my family this year. The good thing is that we're spending Thanksgiving with Ebert's dad and grandparents, so at least we'll be around some family. Since it's going to be a small gathering we've decided to not cook a whole turkey and to put a twist on the traditional Thanksgiving menu. It will be a delicious feast and even though we aren't all able to be together we have many, many things to be grateful for.

herb roasted turkey breast via imperrfections

quinoa pecan stuffing via fortheloveoffood

garlic mashed potatoes via bigapplenosh

pomegranate-glazed roasted root vegetables via healthyfoodforliving

green bean casserole w/bacon & pimentos via thepioneerwoman

cheddar sage biscuits via twopeas&theirpod

baked pumpkin & sour cream pudding via smittenkitchen

What are some of your Thanksgiving traditions? This is my family's tradition for the day after Thanksgiving. I hope this Sunday finds you filled with happiness and gratitude.

Happy Cooking!