Grown-up Grilled Cheese

I like being a grown-up for a few reasons.  I like living on my own and doing what I want.  I like cooking what I want made from things I bought (I just joined a CSA and I'm super excited!!!). I like working on my budget (hey, I love Excel).  I like working (sometimes), and I like that I can make a normally kid's dinner more adult like.


I have made mac and cheese (not very grown-up style yet) that melts in my mouth, so now I wanted to try a good 'ol grilled cheese.


I frequent this site, and everything I've made from her site I have loved.  I thought I would take her advice and make this killer sandwich.


The idea is pretty easy.  Grill some onions until your mouth waters, throw them on some tasty bread, add a couple pieces of cheese and a top piece of bread and you are ready to go!


The only different think I did with this grilled cheese (besides the super tasty onions) was to use my homemade bread and my new cast iron skillet.  


Let's talk about this cast iron skillet for a moment.  I have been wanting one of these for a long time, and last weekend I was at Bed Bath and Beyond with a $5 off coupon in hand and got one for $15.  I don't know if it was the skillet, or the fact I had sheer luck, but this was the best grilling of a grilled cheese I have ever seen in my kitchen.  Even if it's not the skillet, I'm not changing it up in the future.


Now on the visuals.  This is a whole (yes, I mean whole) yellow onion ready to become heaven:

After about 20-25 LONG minutes (I'm impatient) you end up with golden goodness (I think I might have a problem here)

Take some real butter and throw it in your cast iron skillet for a few seconds before you put a slice of homemade heaven on it then add the cheese onions:

Look at that beautiful butter... add another piece of bread and grill!

Once done, cut it in half so you can see how pretty it is and enjoy!

If you are looking for a great dinner splurge, please try this sandwich.  Maybe you can pair it with a nice soup, or a cocktail.  Your choice, I won't judge!


Grilled Cheese with Caramelized Onions (adapted from here)


2 tbsp. unsalted butter, divided
1 large yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
Pinch of sugar
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Splash of dry white wine (you can use broth)
4 bread slices
Cheese slices (I used provolone and mozzarella) 



(To make the caramelized onions, melt 1½ tablespoons of the butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat.  Add the sliced onions to the pan with the sugar, salt and pepper.  Stir well.  Reduce the heat to medium-low.  Cook the onions, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and fully caramelized, about 15-20 minutes.  Increase the heat to medium-high.  Pour in the splash of wine and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until most of the liquid has cooked off.  Remove from the heat and set aside.)


Assemble and grill sandwiches.  Enjoy immediately.


-April

Lasagne and Cookies

One thing you must know about me is that when I want something I make it happen.  I don't mean to sound impatient (even though I am, a bit) or spoiled, but I usually find a way.  I've gotten more patient in the years though (I promise, Mom.)


This past weekend I wanted something, so my wonderful husband took me to the store to get sugar, butter and eggs.  Don't ask me how I didn't have these on hand, but if you did, I would tell you that I ran out of them at the same time.  That would be true, honest, I'm a bad liar!


This particular time I had to have chocolate chip cookies.  I blame Pinterest.


I wanted to try a recipe I hadn't made before, so I found one that had some good reviews.  For some reason since becoming a "baker" I have felt that if I did the bare minimum I would feel less of a "baker" (makes no sense, right?) Unfortunately this is the truth, so I had to make 2 kinds of cookies.  Don't worry, I didn't eat them all, but my co-workers like me ;)


I decided on Lemon Crinkle cookies.  They were light, chewy and delicious.

I had never rolled cookies in powdered sugar before baking before, but they gave these cookies the best texture.  I will make them again, maybe with more lemon zest though.

Lemon Crinkle Cookies

Makes 2-3 dozen


Ingredients:

½ cups butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 whole egg
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
¼ teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoons baking powder
⅛ teaspoons baking soda
1-½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cups powdered sugar


In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Whip in vanilla, egg, lemon zest, and juice. Scrape sides and mix again. Stir in all dry ingredients slowly until just combined, excluding the powdered sugar. Scrape sides of bowl and mix again briefly. Pour powdered sugar onto a large plate. Roll a heaping teaspoon of dough into a ball and roll in powdered sugar. Place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough.

Bake for 9-11 minutes or until bottoms begin to barely brown and cookies look matte {not melty or shiny}. Remove from oven and cool cookies about 3 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

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The Chocolate Chip cookies I made were very good, but not as chewy as I would have liked. I may actually make some more tonight with a different recipe.  I like them nice and soft.  If you are in the mood for a slightly crispy/chewy cookie, this is the right recipe for you.  Don't get me wrong, they were delicious, but a bit too crunchy for me.

The interesting thing about these cookies is the idea of breaking the dough apart before baking.  I'm not sure if they really made them anymore textured, but it was fun to do!

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 C plus 2 T flour
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
12 T butter (1 1/2 sticks) melted and cooled until warm
1 cup brown sugar (light or dark)
1/2 C granulated sugar
1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
2 t vanilla extract
1 1/2 C semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Adjust oven racks to upper- and lower-middle positions. Mix flour, salt, and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.

Either by hand or with electric mixer, mix butter and sugars until thoroughly blended. Mix in egg, yolk, and vanilla. Add dry ingredients; mix until just combined. Stir in chips.

*If for some reason your dough is too soft to form balls at this point, don’t add more flour.  Just cover and place bowl in the fridge until dough firms.

Take about 1/4 C dough and form into a ball.  Break ball in half and place dough on cookie sheet with broken edge facing up.  (Or just use a standard sized cookie scoop). Bake until cookies are set around outer edges start to hardenyet centers are still soft and puffy, 10-13 minutes.  Cool cookies on cookie sheets. Serve or store inairtight container.

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I also made a tasty lasagna for dinner.  It's no real recipe. I made the sauce from this recipe, however I halved it and used canned tomatoes. I then added lasagna noodles, carrots, broccoli, celery, squash, cottage cheese and colby jack cheese.  I basically put whatever I had in the house in it.  TASTY STUFF!

Here was dinner, jealous???

All in all it was a good night, and I'm pretty happy with myself.  I think I'll make tortillas tonight...

Stay tuned!

-April

It's a project!!!- vintage book wreath

When I was looking around the Internet Saturday I came across this really cool project for a wreath.


I am a little afraid of decorating our apartment because I feel like I will overwhelm things and make it look tacky.  Now, I'm sure this is just my OCD, but none-the-less it's a worry of mine.  So far I have a few family pictures hung and an awesome picture of NYC that I got from IKEA for $5!  Other than that the walls are bare (so sad).

I dream of making some drapes for the sliding glass door, but that's a project for another day.  Today is wreath day.


I got the idea from here and I made a modification because I didn't want to buy paint.  We have the BEST used book store right down the street from us that has a great vintage section.  I wanted the wreath to have a very authentic feel, so what better way than with an actual vintage book.

If anyone's interested, the book is called The works of Rabelais. It doesn't have a published date, but online it says 1929.  I feel kinda bad for ripping the pages out, but it's in the name of art!


Here's what Wikipedia says about this man "He has historically been regarded as a writer of fantasy, satire, the grotesque, bawdy jokes and songs"  Well ok then!


I digress, let's talk about the actual project at hand.  I started with a circular piece of Styrofoam

After ripping out the pages (carefully) start rolling each page and gluing them to the back of the foam.

After you have the back done it should look something like this:

Here it is flipped over:

  

From there you want to start rows all around.  The site here has instructions on how to glue each row.  When you are done with the rows it should look a little something like this:

After that you can fill in any empty spaces to make it look more full.

Here she is all hung up.  I have to say I am pretty proud of myself, and I feel a little more comfortable with decorating. (That's the NYC picture on the left of the wreath.)

If you are a die hard reader like me, this is right up your alley.  I really think that having an actual vintage book made all the difference.

Total cost of the project was $13 (the foam was $7!), but the book has enough pages to where I can make at least 2 more, or maybe I can find something else creative to do with it. The girl on the site said she found the Styrofoam at the Dollar Tree, but I didn't look there.

I hope this post was informative and somewhat entertaining ;)

Until next time, I hope you all get crafty!

-April

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Homemade dishwasher detergent

If anyone read the post of my newest obsessions, you will know that I'm trying to save money and our health by making products myself without chemicals.

The first thing I wanted to try was dishwashing detergent. I wanted to try this because dishwasher soap can get pretty expensive.

I've tried only one recipe, and I'm happy with it so far.  I'll keep using it and update if I find something better, but so far this is what I am using:

Homemade dishwasher detergent:

* 1 cup washing soda 

* 1 cup Borax (Borax and washing soda are both natural disinfectants and mild abrasives.)
* 1/4 cup salt (reduces the effects of hard water)
* two packets of lemonade flavored Kool-Aid (ONLY lemon and ONLY unsweetened!)

Mix everything together and use 1-2 tablespoons per load.  I use 2 because I think we have hard water.

If you are looking for an inexpensive rinse agent, use vinegar.  You can also add about a cup of it to the bottom of the dishwasher before washing.  This will also wash your dishwasher as it washes the dishes! Don't worry though, your dishes won't smell like the vinegar.

Coming up: homemade deodorant and toothpaste.

-April

My new obsessions

People, I have to tell you a little about myself.  I have ideas and plans all the time, but fail to follow through, and if I do, it's for a short period of time.  I don't know, maybe my mind can't sit still.


I guess you could say I know a little about a lot of things.  In the past few years here are have been a few things I have picked up, and put down:


Playing piano
Sewing
Making flower pens
Decorating
Gardening
Exercising (I know, this is common, it's still on the list though)
Makeup (buying and making)
Blogging!


I have made a resolution to stick with things longer, and I think I will be happier with myself.


One thing that has been with me for a while now is cooking/baking and making my own products.  I've done a lot of research, and I think I'm ready to take it a bit farther.


Now for the meaning of the subject of this post, my new obsessions.


I have been reading a lot about Coconut Oil and Dr. Bronner's Castile soap.  I will share with you some great things about both of these products, so read on if you are interested in hearing awesomeness!


Let's start with Coconut Oil.  Apparently this gem has been used widely for many many years now.  Who knew!  I'll start with a link to a great site that has good information on it's greatness.


Here are just some wonderful things I have found on the Internet that  Coconut Oil is good for (I'm not sure if I need to capitalize the "C' or the "O", but it's so awesome I will!)

Personally I've only tried making the toothpaste, but you can be sure I'm going to try the rest.


Face moisturizer-  It can also help with skin problems like psoriasis, dermatitis, eczema and other skin conditions.
Stress relief- Massage a bit on your forehead and relax.

Digestion- use it in your food.  Saute some veggies. You can eat it straight out of the jar too!

Fitness- it's been showing to boost metabolism, help your thyroid and increase energy.

Healing- put it on a scrape instead of a topical medicine from the store. It protects the scrape and helps with healing.

Hair Care- it's seriously the best conditioner.  Be careful tough, a little goes a LONG way.

Did you know that it's Anti-inflammatory, Antimicrobial, Anti fungal, Antiviral and Improves nutrient absorption??

Eye cream – apply under the eyes to reduce puffiness, bags, and wrinkles. Use on the lids in the evening.
Pre shave – it will prep skin for the pending damage caused by shaving.
Aftershave – it will help heal your skin after shaving without clogging pores.
Deodorant –  alone it can be used as a deodorant, but even more effective in combination with cornstarch/arrowroot powder and baking soda!
Hair Gel/Defrizzer – rub a little between your palms and either scrunch into hair (for curly hair) or finger comb in through from scalp to ends (for wavy/straight hair).
Toothpaste – there are numerous recipes out there but I just mix coconut oil, peppermint oil and baking soda and dab a little of the mix on my toothbrush.
Make up remover – use a cotton swab and a dab of coconut oil and you would be amazed at how well it works!
Chapstick – just rub a little into lips and it not only acts as a softening agent but it also has an SPF of about 4 so you get a little protection!
Massage Oil – pretty simple; grab some and rub!
Lubricant – it is an all natural, perfectly safe personal lubricant. Not compatible with latex!
Stretch Mark Cream – it is great at nourishing damaged skin. It may not be the magic stretch mark cure but it will help.
Diaper salve – very comforting on a rashy bum with no harsh chemicals. Also safe for cloth diapers.
Cradle cap – it will not only nourish your baby’s skin, it also helps eliminate cradle cap. Just rub a teaspoon onto scalp daily.
Body scrub – mix coconut oil and sugar together and rub all over! Rinse off and your skin will be super soft! You can add in essential oils if you would like a specific smell.
Bug Bites – when applied directly to a bug bite, coconut oil can stop the itching and burning sensation as well as hasten the healing process.
Swimmers Ear – mix garlic oil and coconut oil and put a few drops in affected ear for about 10 minutes. Do this 2-3 times a day and it usually works within one or two days.

Insect repellent – mix coconut oil with peppermint oil extract and rub it all over exposed skin. Keeps insects off better than anything with Deet! Tons safer too.
Great for dogs and cats for general wellness. Just add a teaspoon to their water bowl daily.
Goo Gone – just mix equal parts coconut oil and baking soda into a paste. Apply to the “sticky” area and let it set for a minute. Then scrub off with an old toothbrush or the scrubby side of a sponge.
Chewing Gum in Hair Remover – just rub some coconut oil over the stuck chewing gum, leave in for about 30 minutes, then roll the gum between your fingertip. Voila! It’s out!
Baldness – apply three times a day to affected area of hair loss. Coconut oil supports cell regeneration. 

Burns – apply to burn site immediately and continue applying until healed. Will reduce the chances of permanent scarring and promotes healing. 

Mole Remover – when applied after an apple cider vinegar compress for several weeks, moles have been known to “slide off” or just disappear. 

Oily Skin Fix – prone to oily skin or an oily T-zone? Use a pea sized amount underneath makeup or alone to reduce the appearance of oil. 

Improves insulin secretion and utilization of blood glucose making it great for both diabetics and non-diabetic. 

Nausea – rub some coconut oil on the inside for the wrist and forearm to calm an upset stomach. 

Make healthy Magic Shell ice cream topping.

Oil pulling, this site is interesting to find out about it.  I might try it sometime.

For nursing mothers, consuming coconut oil will help increase your milk flow.

If you’re prone to nosebleeds, coat the inside of your nostrils with coconut oil regularly.

Take a spoonful to help with heartburn, acid reflux, or indigestion.

Massage into your nails and cuticles to help strengthen them.

It's also linked to helping with Alzheimer's disease <3

Information compiled from here, here and here.

This is just what I've found so far, I can imagine what more research will unleash.  I'm ready to go buy more!

Now, on to the next obsession, Dr. Bronner's Castile soap.

This wonderful soap comes in 8 scents: peppermint, almond, citrus, eucalyptus, rose, tea tree, lavender and baby mild (for the little ones.) I have only purchased the peppermint scent (because I LOVE peppermint) but I really want to get some rose next.

This is what I have found that you can use this soap for:

Body/face wash: mix with water.

Toothpaste: just a couple drops will do.

Hand soap: mix with water.

Fruit wash: use a bit with a lot of water and wash away!

Dish soap

Disinfecting counter spray

Household cleaner: normally a ration of 1:40, or 1:20 for heavy duty cleaning.

Pet shampoo

Cleaning make up brushes/paint brushes

Washing clothes

Basically you can replace all of your soaps/cleansers with some form of this soap.  Imagine how much money you will save!

I bought a 16 oz bottle for $11 at Target, and from the small amount you need to use in each recipe, it seems it's going to last me quite a while.

I'm thinking the Rose for body wash and hand soap.  Oh, or peppermint... 

I hope this post was helpful to some (or at least one person.) I will make sure to post about my individual recipes and my thoughts.

I will leave you with 2 products that I made this weekend:

First is the toothpaste.  I combined 3 tablespoons each of Coconut Oil and baking soda with 25 drops of peppermint essential oil.  I like it.  It's definitely different, and you can tell there's baking soda in it, but for only having 3 natural ingredients in it, it's amazing.  Coconut Oil is great for your teeth and gums, and the baking soda will whiten and keep them clean.  

The other thing I tried is a shower cleaner.  I needed something to fight the soap scum.  I came across the recipe of equal parts of vinegar and dawn soap.  I sprayed this in the shower and let it sit for an hour or so.  The soap scum scrubbed off so quickly and easily.  I think what I'll do from now on is spray this in the shower a few times a week and just rinse, no scrubbing needed!

Well, there you have it.  An in depth post of my newest loves.

If anyone tries one of these 2 things and loves them, please let me know.

-April

Cupcake Wars

Alright, well it's not really a war.  These two are on opposite sides, but they do say opposites attract.

I wanted to make cupcakes for the employees at work.  This would mean making at least 50.  I was up for the task.

I really wanted to make the recipe that I got in my special delivery and this was a perfect time to do so.  However, I knew everyone would not like a mocha cupcake, and I had a ton of strawberries, so I sought out a good strawberry cupcake recipe.

Let's start with chocolate, why shouldn't we?

There were wet and dry ingredients, like usual, but these were not as normal as you would think.

Wet ingredients consisted of oil, vanilla and buttermilk. Oil is so fun, so is science :D

The dry ingredients were pretty standard.  Flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and our friend espresso powder (which I hope has a long shelf life, as I have recently given up coffee.)

Mixed together they make a very tasty looking batter.  Dip your finger in it?  Don't mind if I do!

They made some tasty chocolate cupcakes.  They were not as moist as I had expected, but maybe I should have cooked them just a tad less or had my mixer mix them a little less.

Chocolate sprinkles were added to the frosting.  Aren't they pretty?? :)

Strawberry cupcakes are next.  I like to look at several recipes and read reviews before I attempt one.  I really wanted one with fresh strawberries.  After searching, I was not surprised to find one on Annie's site.  I used her recipe for the cupcakes, and intended to using her recipe for the frosting.  Unfortunately when it came time to make the frosting, I couldn't find the cream cheese I know I purchased.  Oh well, next time.

Fortunately I found a great strawberry buttermilk recipe.  Let's get started...

The batter was pretty simple, yet delicious.  I doubled both the chocolate and this recipe, and I was very lucky my mixer was large enough to hold it all.

The batter looked and tasted so good.  I was very excited.  After baking they looked just as delicious.

Of course you could eat them as is, but why would you?  Let's add some buttercream frosting, please.

I don't know why I didn't take a picture of the strawberry alone, but there you have it, opposites attracting and being tasty friends.

Recipe for Deep Dark Mocha Cupcakes (from Joy the Baker's special delivery)

2 cups plus 4 tablespoons all purpose flour

2 cups packed brown sugar

1 cup double-dutch cocoa

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons instant espresso

1/2 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup vegetable oil

2 cups buttermilk

4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line cupcake pan with paper liners and set aside.  In a large bowl, sift the dry ingredients together.  Set aside.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, buttermilk and vanilla extract.  Slowly whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients being careful not to over-mix.

Spoon the batter into the prepared cups and place in the oven for 20-24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cup comes out clean.  Cool in the pan for 10 minutes then place on a wire rack until completely cool before topping with espresso buttercream.

For the buttercream frosting:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

6 cups sifted powdered sugar

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

4 teaspoons hot water

2 teaspoons instant espresso

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter and 1/3 of the sugar.  Beat until thick and incorporated.  In a tiny bowl, stir together vanilla, hot water and espresso powder.  Stir until powder is dissolved.  Add the remaining sugar and espresso mixture to the bowl.  Beat on medium speed until smooth and slightly fluffy.  Spread on cooled cupcakes and top with sprinkles! 

Recipe for the Strawberry Cupcakes (adapted from here)


5 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup unsalted butter
3 cups sugar
4 eggs
2/3 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups chopped strawberries


Preheat the oven to 350°. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.


Sift flour, salt and baking soda into a medium bowl. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time until combined. Add buttermilk, oil and vanilla and beat until combined. Add flour mixture and stir until just combined. Fold in chopped strawberries. Fill cupcake wells ¾ full with batter. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.


For the Strawberry Buttermilk Frosting (recipe found here)


4 sticks (16 tbsp) of butter, room temperature 
2 cup strawberries, pureed (I measured out the strawberries first and then pureed them)
6 cups powdered sugar


Cream the butter in the mixer on medium-high speed for about 3 minutes. On slow speed, gradually add about 2 cups of powdered sugar and turn back up to high for a few minutes to really incorporate the sugar. Turn to slow speed again and fold in the strawberries. Add more sugar until desired consistency is achieved. Once all the sugar is incorporated, turn to medium-high for a few minutes to mix well.  

One thing I did learn from this experience is that I need to practice and get more creative with my decorating tips.  Oh, and I need to buy more :)

-April

Making almond milk

Happy Monday, well, it's almost Tuesday so I hope you all had a nice Monday.

I wanted to make some almond milk, so I did.

I got almost a pound of slivered almonds without skins.  This made the process much easier.  I didn't have to take off the skins, and since they were already sliced it made blending much easier.

I threw 3 cups of slivered almonds in the blender with 5 cups of water (2 batches.)  I also added dates.  Many recipes called for dates, and they were pretty cheap at Sprouts.  I think I used 5.

I have never had a date before (haha, that sounded funny when I re-read it), and I still can't tell you what one tastes like outside of the almond milk.  Maybe tomorrow I will try, maybe not...

Anyway, the process was pretty simple once I got the hang of the cheesecloth.  I really need a rubber band next time.  All I did was blend and strain.

I strained it twice just to make sure, but I won't swear there isn't one or two bits of ground up almond in there.  Hey, I'm not perfect. 

In the end it made about 30 ounces which is almost a liter and not quite a half gallon.  I put the milk in some recycled vitamin water containers.  Save the planet, save some money!

The cost is a bit more than the store brand (if you pay full price, maybe not that much more) but the quality is much better, and I don't have to worry about all those things I can't pronounce that are in the store bought milk.  Who knows, maybe someday I will see almonds for $2 a pound (in my dreams!)

After I made the milk I had all of this almond pulp left over.  I really didn't want to throw it away, so I made little batches of them and threw them in the dehydrator.  I'm trying to make raw almond cookies.

More on that tomorrow, I'm being positive.

So, the moral of the story is I have homemade almond milk that is not cheaper than from the store, but better for us.  Besides, we don't have milk that often anyway.  It's really there for cereal and for my bread.

With that I leave you with today's picture:

I made jerky, and I'll do it again!!! Wait for it...

-April