Spring Gardening Dreams

I received Apartment Gardening: Plants, Projects, and Recipes for Growing Food in Your Urban Home in the mail this week and quickly dove into it. The weather outside isn't quite ready for gardening so I decided to take some of Amy's ideas inside. I now have three lovely herbs growing on my kitchen windowsill. And a hunger to start gardening outside.

As with Amy's previous book, Urban Pantry: Tips and Recipes for a Thrifty, Sustainable and Seasonal Kitchen, her newest book is FULL of great ideas, knowledge and some recipes. I highly recommend this book to apartment dwellers and non-apartment dwellers alike. I may have a big yard in which to garden but a lot of Amy's ideas are perfect both a big space and a smaller space.

Now if only the weather could warm up a bit and dry out a lot, then I could dig my hands into the dirt and start gardening outside! Until then, my kitchen herbs should keep me happy and content.

What are your Spring gardening plans?

The Wednesday Links from Around The Web 3.16.11 Edition

I'm making pillows for my couch and I love all of these!

Piano Pillows

Cross Pillows

Modern Pillows

Not So Traditional Log Cabin Pillow

I think this Meyer Lemon Cake would help me craft even faster!

After reading this blog, I might be back on a jam kick. Making Joy out of Jams

Inspiration for a Delight of the Week!
Valencian Orange Tart

Because free is also nicer than paid. Font Squirrel - Free Fonts

Delight of the Week - Crafterday Orange Lavender Tart

Once a month, I have a few friends over for Crafterday. We sew in my craft cave, chat about all of our crafting plans and rave about our successes. I like to provide treats to keep our Crafterday energies up. This tart was a delightful way to celebrate Crafterday with it's citrus-y flavor and lavender scented crust.



This past weekend, I decided to make an Orange Lavender Tart. Coincidentally, Food52 was holding a contest for the best "Late Winter Tart" and so after crafting up this treat, I also decided to enter it into the contest. You can find my entry here: http://www.food52.com/recipes/10337_orange_lavender_tart

Mystery Socks

Back in 2009, I had a harebrained idea to knit 12 pairs of socks - one for each month. As the year progressed, I began to lose my excitement for the sock project and slogged through some socks. One pair got left by the wayside.



In October 2009, I started the Mystery Socks. The basic premise is that instructions are mailed to you every week. You knit according to the instructions and by the end of a few weeks, you have a pair of socks! The mystery part is that you have no idea what your socks are going to look like.



I thought for sure this would help lift me out of my sock induced knitting depression. It did not. I LOVE this pattern and I love that after almost two years, I've FINALLY finished these socks. However, the pattern did not help me find my sock love. Nothing was going to help me find my sock love at that point in the game. So I did what any self respecting knitter would do, I took a break from sock knitting.



Last week though I found my sock mojo and quickly finished the Mystery Socks. I love them. I can't wait to work on more socks now!

The Wednesday Links from Around The Web 3.9.11 Edition

Ultimate Lamb Chops - Ultimately Delicious!

Pudding!

Smile for Ham & Cheese

If you have a garden and a ...

Social Media Class of 2011

Simple Guide to Eggs

Beautiful ABC's


The Korean Spa


Brown Rice Crisp Treats

Delight of the Week - The Cheesecake Abides

One of Scott's favorite movies is "The Big Lebowski" and last week he decided that it had been much too long since he had last seen it. I promised him that we'd watch it over the weekend and that I'd craft up a treat suitable for The Dude.



I dug into a few cookbooks, found an old Kahlua brochure and crafted up a White Russian Cheesecake. I like to think that if The Dude actually did more than drink White Russians, he'd really dig this cheesecake.



I decided that a caramel nut crust would be perfect to offset the cheesecake flavor. Adding a bit of Kahula to the crust helps keep the flavor through the entire dessert. In addition to the crushed graham crackers and pecans, a dusting of cinnamon and nutmeg is a delight.



I recommend crushing the graham crackers in a food processor with the nuts. It creates a more uniform crust. Add the spices to the cracker and nut mixture to really combine the flavors.



Once the butter and sugar are caramelized, add the crushed crackers and nuts. Heat until all ingredients are warmed.



Wrap parchment paper around a small ramekin and use it to press the warmed crust into a 9-inch Springform pan. Since the crust is made in a skillet, there is no need to bake this crust.



Once the crust is made, the cheesecake can be created. It takes a lot of cream cheese to make a dense cheesecake. Density is important in a cheesecake. Make sure to really whip the cream cheese before adding the rest of the ingredients.



Once the cheesecake is mixed, fill the springform pan being careful to leave at least 1 inch from the top of the pan.



I did not follow my own advice and filled the pan almost to the top. The cheesecake puffed up a bit and almost over flowed the pan. Oops!

Once the cheesecake is baked, allow it to cool for 5-10 minutes before placing it in the fridge for at least 6 hours. We tried to dig into the cheesecake before it had fully chilled and really it wasn't as good as when we waited for it to fully chill.



A brown sugar and bourbon cream topping really brought the cheesecake to life. Of course this meant an extra trip to the liquor store but it was worth it for this whipped cream topping. Also no need to buy the expensive bourbon for this, the cheap ones will work just fine once they are mixed with the remaining ingredients.



The recipe follows after the jump.

The Craft Cave

In our new house, I have my very own craft cave. It's down in the basement so it can get a bit chilly but with a sweater and a quilt, it is a wonderful place to craft.



I have plenty of space to spread out which means the craft cave has gotten a bit messy in the past few months. I'm on an organizational kick though and this room is next on my list.



I also have a few projects that I need to finish up. I have enough blocks for three quilts. All I need to do is sew them together and get quilting!



I love my craft cave. It's a very good place to craft.

The Wednesday Links from Around The Web 3.2.11 Edition

I'm making soup this week, this one in particular

I'm seriously inspired by this bed and am considering it for my bedroom.

Tea Time

We must let go...

Meyer Sweet Lemon Rolls

Simple Winter Luxuries

Vintage Modern Knits! SwooN!

Kitchen Inspiration

To Do List

What can't you infuse in vodka?

Keep away from people who belittle your ambitions...

Delight of the Week - Spiced Pumpkin Bundt Cake

In my eternal quest for the perfect dessert, I've decided to feature a new dessert every week. This week is the Spiced Pumpkin Bundt Cake, inspired by Martha Stewart herself.



I've had an obsession with Bundt cakes ever since I flipped through Sarabeth's Bakery: From My Hands to Yours. She features many a beautiful Bundt cake which I hope to make one day soon. I've also had a can of Pumpkin Puree in the cupboard since November so I decided to combine both my desire for a Bundt cake with my love for pumpkin flavored desserts.

This cake is delicious! It came out moist, flavorful and beautiful. I think a scoop of rum flavored ice cream would be a wonderful accompaniment to this cake.



Spiced Pumpkin Bundt Cake

Ingredients
Nonstick cooking spray
4 cups cake flour, plus more for dusting
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons pumpkin spice
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 1/2 cups packed light-brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a Bundt pan (14-cup) with cooking spray. Dust with cake flour. Tap out the excess flour.

2. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin spice. Set aside.

3. Beat butter and brown sugar together in an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Reduce speed to low and beat in flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with buttermilk. Beat until just combined. Add pumpkin puree and beat until mixed. Pour batter into prepared Bundt cake pan.

4. Bake cake until golden, about 55 minutes. Use a wooden skewer, inserted into the center of the cake to check for done-ness. The skewer should come out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Once cooled, carefully turn the cake onto the rack to completely cool. Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving.

Chocolate Chip Cookies Stuffed with Oreos

Last week, I stumbled up on this creation, Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies. I was both horrified and intrigued. After reading about these cookies in a few different places, I decided that I had to try my hand at them. You see, I have a desert hound for a friend who is also a Roller Derby Girl. Her first bout was last night and I decided to make Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies just for her.


Hit O Honey is in the middle in purple with all the stickers on her helmet.


I started with Oreo Chocolate Sandwich Cookies and then wrapped Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough around them.



The recipe says to use a 1 1/2 inch ice cream scoop and that is good advice as you need just enough cookie dough to wrap around the Oreos but not too much that your dough spreads.



The recipe supplies a great recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookies which I did not follow as I was being lazy. I used the recipe on the back of the chocolate chip bag.



I think it worked out. My cookies spread a lot but in the end it worked. I gave a cookie to Scott to try and grabbed one for myself.



I'm pretty sure my heart skipped a beat not from excitement but more out of fear that I would eat another of these cookies. They are very sweet, so sweet that my teeth ached. I honestly couldn't eat more than one. AND I LOVE COOKIES!



I bet Hit O Honey liked these though. She loves that uber sweet taste. I do know that she played her heart out at the bout and even though she appeared to spend more time in the penalty box than out on the floor, she had fun. We had fun watching her.

The Wednesday Links from Around The Web 2.23.11 Edition

Nigella Lawson and the Home Kitchen

How to get the most out of your Netflix subscription

Hooray for Life Lists! I think it might be time for me to make my own life list.

Clementine Pound Cake! Perfect for when you buy a HUGE box of clementines and then realize you are the only one who eats them in your house.

The world's cutest owl

Lavender! Chocolate! Oh My!

In case of death... Such good information!

Spicy Tortilla Soup

I have a weakness for Mexican food but one can not live on tacos alone so I'm often on the hunt for a delicious, easy and spicy Mexican dish to add to my repertoire.



I recently spotted this great tortilla soup over at The Cooking Photographer's site. I made quite a few changes to her recipe to suit my own tastes but this is one fantastic soup! It's quick to make and delivers a wonderful punch of flavor.



Spicy Tortilla Soup

Ingredients
2 tablespoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons paprika

2 teaspoons cayenne chili powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder


1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon coriander
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil + more for frying
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (4 ounce) can diced mild green chiles, drained
1 (23 ounce) can Diced Tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
2 (32 ounce) containers Vegetable Broth

2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
Juice of one lime
4 corn tortillas

Directions

1. Mix together cumin, sweet paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, oregano, coriander, salt and black pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.

2. Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and saute until soft. Add the spices and garlic. Cook for another 2-3 minutes.

3. Add the green chile peppers, tomatoes, cilantro, corn and vegetable broth. Cook until warmed through, about 5 minutes. Add the black beans and cook for 3 minutes before serving. Squeeze in lime juice.

4. Cut the corn tortillas into four triangles. Heat vegetable oil in a large pan. Drop the tortillas into the oil and fry until crisp. Drain and cool over clean paper towels. Use as garnish in your soup.

5. Serve the soup in large bowls and garnish as desired. I topped our bowls with sour cream, avocado, chips, scallions and cheddar cheese.

From dingy to Saffron gold

I've been searching for the perfect entryway table for a few months. We don't have a large entryway but we needed something for our keys and the mail, a landing station if you will.

With my very particular parameters and measurements in hand, I dragged Scott all over town from consignment store to thrift store to high-end furniture store. I finally found the perfect vanity at a consignment store by my house. The price was also perfect at $40. The finish on the vanity was not so perfect which was great! I wanted to paint whatever we found and since the finish wasn't in the best shape, I didn't have any guilt painting over it.



Of course, once we purchased the entryway vanity, the debate over what color to paint it began. I suggested green. Scott wasn't in love with it. I said RED! He said Nope. I chanted blue, he mumbled ehhh.



Finally we settled on this wonderful Saffron Mustard color. I did get some of my blue though. I painted the inside blue which meant that when the doors are closed there is this tiny sliver of blue that shows. The two colors together make me so happy.



Now I just need to repaint the entryway, hang a photo above the vanity and another "room" will be complete!



*Please excuse some of the grain-er before photos. I used my iPhone in the dark basement to capture the images.

Tartine Starter Day 3

As my Tartine Bread obsession continues, I've been diligently feeding my starter. Day 3 brought the stinky smell that Chad Roberts describes in his book. Somehow though, that stinky smell did not keep the kitten away as I attempted to photograph the starter.



I removed 80% of the starter and added equal amounts of the flour mixture and lukewarm water. I gently mixed them all together by hand until the lumps were gone.



The starter is back resting, growing and forming. At this point, you start feeding the starter everyday around the same time. I've been feeding my starter in the morning.