Strawberry Picking

May 15, 2013 4 Comments

strawberry pickingOne of my all-time favorite things about living in central North Carolina is the abundance of strawberry farms. There are so many! In fact, I realized the other day there was one just two miles from our home. So Saturday morning, J and I decided to pick some strawberries before we headed to Greensboro to celebrate Mother’s Day with my family.

Strawberry Picking Strawberry PickingStrawberry Picking

Strawberry Picking Strawberry Picking

This is easily becoming my favorite spring tradition. We bought six pounds of strawberries for just $10, and have already used them for my mom’s Mother’s Day brunch, on a cake I made for my in-laws Mother’s Day celebration, and in my morning smoothies. Also I plan on making strawberry pie and some freezer jam later this week. (Have you ever heard of freezer jam? I hadn’t until J mentioned his friends’ mom used to make it, so I will let you know how it goes.:)

What other strawberry recipes do you love?
Do you have any fresh picking produce in your area? 

PS – My first strawberry picking experience last year.
PPS – This (outdated-looking) site is helpful for finding out what you can pick in your area. 

Filed Under: food, for fun, goals, NC Living, weekends

Recipe: Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

March 25, 2013 3 Comments

“You know what I love about cooking? I love that after a day when nothing is sure, and when I say “nothing” I mean nothing, you can come home and absolutely know that if you add egg yolks to chocolate and sugar and milk, it will get thick. It’s such a comfort.”

I love that quote from the movie Julie and Julia. I feel the same way when I bake. It is such a comfort that if you put butter and sugar and eggs and flour together, it will create something more delicious than you could ever imagine tasting each individual ingredients. It kind of reminds me of 1 Corinthians 12 and the body of Christ. Now who would have thought there would be a biblical lesson to baking? :)

Moving on, today I’d like to share my favorite cookie recipe. And I don’t take the word favorite lightly.

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookie Recipe

It tastes like your basic chocolate chip cookie, except the oatmeal makes it a little more dense and not as sweet. I got this recipe from my first wedding shower, when guests were asked to bring their favorite, and I’ve lost count how many times I’ve made it. My recipe card lives in this sweet box the hostesses gave me:

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookie Recipe

I’m not endorsing cookies for breakfast, but if you happen to dip a cookie in your coffee, you may find the greatest combinations.

Chocolate-Chip-Oatmeal-Cookie-Recipe

Print
Recipe: Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
Cook time: 
Total time: 

Serves: 4 dozen
 

Note: If you like nuts, feel free to add 1½ cups of crushed walnuts.
Ingredients
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoons milk
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 2¼ cups all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2½ cups old-fashioned oats
  • 1 package (12 oz.) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Cream butter and sugars; add vanilla, milk and eggs.
  3. Mix flour, salt, baking power, and baking soda.
  4. Blend butter mixture with flour mixture and stir in oats and chocolate chips.
  5. Put rounded teaspoons of batter on cookie sheets and bake for 12 minutes.

What is your favorite cookie? Sugar? Peanut butter? Plain chocolate chip? I’d love to hear!
Filed Under: food, recipes

Cook the Book: The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook Review

March 11, 2013 1 Comment

There are a hundred ways to find new recipes. Magazines, food blogs, Pinterest, online recipe networks. My favorite way to find new recipes happens to be the old fashioned way: Cookbooks. When a new cookbook enters my kitchen, it’s not just for eye candy, I intend to use it.

After I went to the Smitten Kitchen book signing, a reader asked if I could share some of my favorite recipes from the book. So I decided to start a new series on here called Cook the Book (and no this isn’t a reference to Fahrenheit 451 or fraudulent business transactions). I will review some cookbooks I have and share which recipes were good and whether or not it’s a book that should grace your counter too.

It’s only appropriate that we start with the Smitten Kitchen now isn’t it? :)

CooktheBook Smitten Kitchen

After being a long-time fan of her blog, my sister gave me this cookbook for my birthday last year. I mentioned this a little bit a few weeks ago, but I love the practical details that she put into this book: a photo for every recipe, lay-flat binding (so your book doesn’t flip to the cover in the middle of making dough and you have to get your book all messy finding your page again), and detailed stories and instructions for each recipe. I also love that you can take the flap cover off and there is another beautiful cover underneath. My one complaint on the book itself is that many of the recipes start on the lefthand side and continue on a separate page. There were so many of these that I felt she could have organized the recipes a little better so there were more complete recipes on a spread without having to turn the page while you make a dish. But that’s a minor preference.

As for the recipes themselves, almost all of them are make-again recipes. Here are the ones I have made:

  • Almond date breakfast bars - Good breakfast bar or snack to eat on the go.
  • Big cluster maple granola - My new favorite granola! I made it twice, the second time I added coconut for extra sweetness. 
  • Vinegar slaw with cucumbers and dill - This slaw was perfectly fine, but since it was a cucumber-based salad, I admit I prefer my cucumber salad over this one.  
  • Roasted fingerling potatoes and carrots - A great, easy side. I’ve made this twice for weeknight dinners.
  • Pork chops with cider, horseradish and dill - Very good! Has a tangy taste 
  • Salted brown butter crispy treats - This is my favorite rice crispy treat recipe. I made these first from her website. I have made them a few times and added a layer of melted chocolate or Nutella and sprinkled salt on top for extra richness.
  • Marbled pumpkin gingersnap tart - I made this for Friendsgiving last year and there wasn’t any leftover. Rich and decadent, perfect for holiday parties or dinners.
  • Chocolate silk pie - I made this the other night and it was delicious. I had a normal pie crust on hand, so I bet it’s better with her homemade chocolate crust.

Verdict: Overall, a wonderful cookbook. I like that a lot of the recipes are meals I don’t naturally make, so it’s been nice to expand my cooking repertoire. Deb cares more about taste and flavor than whether it’s healthy or not, so the recipes tend to be more decadent than healthy (although sprinkled in each section are a few healthy ones).

Have you made any of the recipes, either in the book or on her site? I’d love to know which are your favorites!

Filed Under: books, food

Smitten Kitchen Cookbook Signing

February 26, 2013 9 Comments

I found out last minute (thanks to my sister Carrie!) that Deb Perelman, the writer behind the Smitten Kitchen blog, was in Raleigh for a book signing last Friday. I was feeling particularly tired that day, so I had to ask myself: Should I stay inside on this wet, cold Friday night and relax after a long week? Or should I brave the gross weather and see one of my all-time favorite bloggers? 

Thankfully, I chose the latter.

The Husband of the Year came with me, and we were lucky to get a good seat near the back. The Triangle loves Deb! The Quail Ridge Books & Music was packed.

It fascinates me how the blogging world has changed publishing. It was obvious that many of the people in the room (myself included) were long-time fans. The weekly, daily connections she makes with her readers (combined with her fool-proof recipes and winning photography), is what brings people back to her site each week and will make people go out on a gross, rainy night to hear to meet her.

Deb talked for maybe 15 minutes about her book, and then spent the next 30 minutes answering questions from the audience. She was just as witty in person as she is online. She spent the better part of 4 years declining a cookbook until she finally gave in with ridiculous requests, such as lay-flat binding, photos on every page, and a long description for each recipe. She admitted she doesn’t really like cookbooks (I love them!) and shared stories of how she tests her food, who does the cleaning in her house, and her obsession with Ina Garten.

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J and I were lucky to be one of the first few in the line to get my book signed. She was so down to earth and really easy to talk to. I told her I’ve been reading her blog for a while and love her cookbook, but that the only complaint I had was that I wanted more photos of her son in the book. She laughed and said that reviewers on Amazon complained that there were too many photos.

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photo5

Look, she spelled and pronounced my name correctly! #gushing

smitten kitchen

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Have you ever been to a book signing before? This was my first, and most definitely not my last. I look forward to see which of my next favorite bloggers will publish a book and visit to Raleigh-Durham for a tour… :)

Filed Under: blogging, books, food

Recipe: Cucumber Salad

February 7, 2013 2 Comments

I’ve been in a cooking rut for about a month. I blame this diet. I can’t have bread, onions, garlic, pasta, soy, dairy, and specific fruits and vegetables. And something else I’m forgetting… oh yes, any type of condiment that you can think of. That leaves me most nights eating a simple piece of meat (normally chicken), a cooked potato (sans anything tasty), and a very boring raw salad.

Cucumber Salad | My Pretty Pennies

I decided I needed to mix it up and bring more flavor to my pallet, so I looked in my cookbooks and came across this cucumber salad recipe. I had forgotten about this beloved salad, but it’s one of our favorites. I normally make it in the summer, since it is nice and cold, but really it’s fine any time of the year.

I’ve tried to make other salads and slaws with a cucumber base, just to test if I could make it better, but each time J and I agree that this recipe is superior. So, I’m going to stop trying other cucumber salads altogether; this will be my tried and true go-to cucumber salad forever.

Cucumber Salad | My Pretty Pennies

It has garlic, sesame seeds and spring onions (all things that I can’t have), but I decided to live on the edge and hope for the best minus those secondary ingredients. And it turned out great! I used garlic powder instead of cloves and omitted the green onions and sesame seeds, and it tastes just fine. I made it twice in the last month and have been munching on it as a snack or side for lunch or dinner, and still am not tired of it.

Sidebar: I’m a big believer in writing in cookbooks. I always like to mark the date I first made the recipe and my initial thoughts right after. It’s so helpful later when you browse through your books! It looks like I made this dish for the first time 4/19/2011, just 10 days after we got married. That was about two days after we got back from our honeymoon! I have such fond memories of those days. :)

Cucumber Salad | My Pretty Pennies

Anyway, on to the recipe. It’s pretty self-explanatory, but I want to emphasize the first phase, when the cucumbers soak in the salt and sugar for 30 minutes. You really shouldn’t skip this step, as I tried it once and it wasn’t nearly as flavorful. Hope you enjoy!

Cucumber Salad Recipe | My Pretty Pennies
Print
Recipe: Cucumber Salad
Author: 
Recipe type: Salad
Serves: 8-10
 

Ingredients
  • 4 cucumbers
  • 1½ Tbsp kosher salt
  • 1 Tbsp sugar
  • ½ cup unseasoned rice vinegar
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced (or 1 tsp garlic powder)
  • Scant 1 tsp red chili flakes
  • 1 Tbsp sesame seeds
  • 6 green spring onions

Instructions
  1. Peel the cucumbers, leaving a few strips of peel if unwaxed. Cut them in half lengthwise, and scoop out any seeds with a spoon. Slice thinly crosswise.
  2. Combine the cucumbers, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Toss the sugar and salt evenly, and let stand for 30 minutes.
  3. Transfer the cucumbers to a colander and rinse and drain well, then squeeze out excess moisture with your hands. The cucumbers will have become soft and pliable but will still be bright green.
  4. In a serving bowl, stir together the vinegar, garlic, chili flakes and sesame seeds. Add the cucumbers and toss to coat. Thinly slice the green onions and sprinkle them over the top.
  5. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled, about 2 hours. At this point, the salad can be refrigerated for up to 1 day before serving. Serve cold.

 

Filed Under: food, recipes

Week 1 on the Fodmaps Elimination Diet

January 10, 2013 5 Comments

Alright, let me just step down off my soapbox from yesterday’s post and talk to you guys about someting a little less… raw. Like DIETS! It’s been a week since the new year started — who’s off their diet by now? ;)

I started the Fodmaps diet last Wednesday, and so far, so good. Quick refresher: I have been dealing with cronic stomach aches for the past couple of years, so I saw a nutritionist and she recommended the Fodmaps diet. Basically it’s a gluten-free, lactose-free, soy-free, high-fructose-free diet.

Here’s what a typical day looks like for the past week:

Breakfast: 
- Coffee with unsweetened almond milk and a little bit of sugar. It’s basically black coffee with a teeny tiny bit of flavor.
- Oatmeal with 3/4 cup of oats, 1 tablespoon almond butter, 1 tablespoon brown sugar and a pinch of sugar

Morning Snack:
- 1 Clementine. It’s hard to limit myself to just one.

Lunch:
- 2 Rice cakes with organic peanut butter
- Cucumbers
- Gluten free crackers with 1oz Colby jack cheese

Afternoon Snack:
- 1 tablespoon of Nestle dark chocolate chips. Okay sometimes 2 tablespoons….
- Few tablespoons of raw almonds

Dinner:
- Baked potato with 1 tablespoon of sour cream, a little butter, and salt
- Grilled chicken breast with seasoning
- Salad with cucumbers, tomatoes, and balsamic vinaigrette. I miss my feta and goat cheese. :(

Dessert:
- Flourless cake that was leftover from NYE; it’s all gone now. :)
- Pickles. Yes, pickles for dessert. Yum!

I thought it would be super hard, but it’s basically just eating clean with zero processed foods. And so far I have felt better! I have had a couple of stomach aches in the past week. One happened the first night, so I don’t know what that was about, and the second time happened after I ate a salad at Moe’s. There must have been something hidden in the salad dressing I ordered. (Probably soy — it’s hidden in everything I tell you!) But otherwise, I’ve felt great and my symptoms have decreased significantly, which is really encouraging. I have also been sleeping better, which I’ve always struggled with, so I am hoping that’s an added benefit of the diet too. I still want to go to sleep at 9:30 every night, so I don’t have the energy everyone talks about when you go gluten-free, but maybe that still come with time.

The next steps is to visit my nutritionist again and create a plan to slowly add in more fopmaps to my diet to try and determine which category gives me the worst symptoms. I hope it will be easy to pin-point, but we shall see. :) I’ll be sure to share more as I learn!

Have you ever done the Paleo or Fodmaps diet?
How was your experience?
Did you ever get increased energy, and how long did it take for you to feel that way?
If you’re on any other diets, which ones are you on and how are they going? 
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