adventures in pie-making.

this title post reminded me of "adventures in babysitting." did anyone else grow up watching that movie? was anyone else suuuuper disappointed when they finally started babysitting and found out it was never very exciting, and also that no one ever showed up to kiss you when you were leaving.

oh unsatisfactory adolescence.

anyway. pie-making. i finally got around to this yesterday after the perfect one and a half hour post church nap.  

so, i'm the kind of person that really likes to research stuff. if i'm having some health ailment or our cats are being weird, to the googles i'll go. and even though the internet usually tells me i'm pregnant or have cancer, nothing can stop me from typing my symptoms into that search bar. 

 

so i did some research on pie and pie crust before i embarked on this journey. this tutorial on the pioneer woman blog was my favorite because it explained the mechanics of what made a good pie crust. and it was a very laid back pie approach. (did i really just type those words?)
 



my bottom crust wasn't the most successful thing that's ever happened. but i don't care because my top crust was way better. improvement people! that's how we grow. (also i made the pie in a cake pan. because i shun convention)

 

what this picture doesn't show is the disappointment i felt for forgetting to add butter to the filling before i firmly sealed that top crust on. what it does show is how different the lighting can be in the small expanse of my kitchen.

 

this was the end result. messy, but proclaimed delicious by both the pie-maker and the husband of the pie maker. i'm so proud i almost want to name it, but i can't quite justify naming something i'm just going to eat. and eat quickly. (but in case i change my mind on this point, i'm leaning towards the name greta) 

 

i'm already excited to try this again. things i want to do differently next time include:

- using a pie pan. (forget what i said about shunning convention. i was just too cheap to buy one this time)

- not forgetting to add the butter to the filling

- using a mix of fruits (and fresh fruit. i feel like that might make the filling a little more substantial)

 - try different tops. (crumb top, lattice top)

 

so what i learned from this is...pie sounds scary. but you should try it! and let me know how it goes.

and if you used a cake pan....

 

 

friday favorites.

ready for another round of the all the cool stuff we liked this week? yeah? me too!
 

this dinner party situation that i can't stop thinking about. i miss the outside. i miss it so much.
 

this happens too much in our house. but instead of food, they want to play fetch. (seriously)
 

this idea to make a notebook of 50 restaurants to try and then picking one every week (or however often your budget allows). since i hate HATE picking the restaurant, this could be a game changer.
 

i'm still having a hard time coming to terms with this fact.
 

watch this and then the rest of mamakat's videos. and then check out her blog while you're at it.

thanks to shutterbean for changing my morning with this video.

...

Oh man, I also want to do that restaurant notebook idea.  So, so brilliant.

Okay, here are my favorites!

Nude nail polish by e.l.f.  Not only is it dead cheap, but I love that it's nearly clear with just a kiss of soft pink.  Perfect look for a soft manicure.

These gorgeous hand-carved vessels.  I can't stop thinking of them.

This bold paint color, and brilliant idea for a space-saving DIY nightstand. Found via Apartment Therapy

This Kringle recipe.  So beautiful, and a laminated dough method that I've never seen before.  Gonna attempt it this weekend, I hope! (Also, I love Joe Pastry. So great.)

Mr. Rogers' touching Emmy's speech.  This man inspires me so much.

Also this article entitled Can You Say 'Hero'?, originally from Esquire magazine, written by Tom Junod, about Mr.Rogers is perfection.  What a beautiful man.


 Have a lovely weekend!  Make it your own favorite!

Wedgin'

Wedge sneakers.  They've been popping up all over the place, am I right?  The first time I saw them, I could not stop talking about how ridiculous they are.  If I'm trying to be comfortable and run around town, I do NOT want a heel.  Why would I want my feet to look gigantic?  Who's buying these?  Why do they make any sense?

But they continued to be on the fashion radar, and some of my favorite fashion bloggers, like Julie from Orchid Grey and Ashley from Ring My Bell, continued to rock them like it was their entire purpose in life.

I needed black boots.  I wasn't thinking about wedge sneakers.  Charlotte Russe was having a sale, buy one pair of shoes and get the second pair for $9.  And somehow, sparkly black wedge sneakers ended up in my cart as my second pair.

Not even JUST wedge sneakers, but SPARKLY wedge sneakers.  I can't even tell you how often I  have scoffed at sparkly shoes in the past.  But guys, I'm wearing them like the biggest hypocrite.

(see the difference in lighting from the top and bottom picture?  One was taken in natural light and the other was not.

This is why all my food pictures end up looking yellow...  I can't wait for daylight savings)

And by the way?  They're actually just as comfortable as sneakers.  Okay, wait, I take that back.  Not just as comfortable, but allllllmost as comfortable.  Which is pretty impressive when I'm prancing around in heels.

I guess my point for today is, you know that fashion item you've been scoffing at?  The one you think is just ridiculous and pointless?  Put it on and wear it with confidence.  You might just end up with a new favorite item.

Spicy Marinara Soup

Firstly, I promised you clear back here that I'd give you this killer homemade burger recipe.  Remember?  The one that both Husband and I ate two of.  Each.  That night. TWO.

I found the recipe here on Bev Cooks.  The trick is that you grind your own burger meat out of good sirloin steaks!  See that pretty ground meat up there?  That totally came out of my food processor straight from a good steak.  It made the burgers SO flavorful and juicy.  Do it.  Grill up some onions to go on top.  And be sure to make the pub sauce with it!  We really loved the unique flavor of it.

But what I reeeeeeally want to talk about is a dead simple and delicious tomato soup recipe.  I've tried a LOT of tomato soup recipes, and I can never get something that's not too acidic or doesn't require a lot of tomato-roasting time.  But this recipe?  Done in minutes.  Done in the time it takes your husband to make you a grilled cheese.

(I'm sorry for the weirdo dimensions of this picture. It was either that, or give you a picture that was half blurry, half not, and I love your eyes, so I went with this.)

Also, make all the grilled cheeses with avocado.  Creamy deliciousness that melts in your mouth!

And, without further ado, the quickest tomato soup you'll ever make.  The trick is a bottle of GOOD marinara sauce!

Spicy Marinara Soup
(adapted from Giada's recipe here)

2 Tbs. olive oil
2 carrots, peeled and diced**
1 onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 (26 oz) jar marinara sauce*
1 1/2 - 2 cups chicken broth
1 (15 oz) can Northern or Cannellini beans (any white bean is fine), drained and rinsed
chopped fresh basil

In your favorite soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat, and add the carrots, onion, and bell pepper.  Salt and pepper these well.  Saute until the onion begins to be translucent and the carrots are softening.  Toss in the garlic and red pepper flakes, and saute for another 30 seconds.

Pour in the marinara, chicken broth, and beans, and stir to combine.  Bring to a boil, then lower heat to simmer until the carrots have softened to your desired consistency, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Ladle the soup into bowls, and top with fresh basil!  Ooh, even some fresh parmesan right up on, too?  Great.  Do that!  And enjoy!


*I used Trader Joe's classic marinara because I love the flavor.  Giada recommends San Marzano (fancy stuff!), but use whatever brand has your favorite flavor.  That's a big part of your soup, after all!

**Be sure to dice your carrots small enough that they will soften quickly (a 1/4 to 1/2 inch dice).  Husband diced the carrots, and there were large half moon chunks that just didn't soften because they were too big.  I didn't say anything beforehand because I'm tryyyyying to not be a weirdo control freak in the kitchen.  It's hard!

Last note on this recipe.  Giada adds a half cup of small pasta to hers.  That would be delicious, but we had enough carbs going with our grilled cheese.  And in our house?  Grilled cheese trumps little pasta.  Every. Single. Time.

skirt optional.

lacy's quick and easy method to dressing for work while breaking dress code. 



*i'm not doing outfit details because everything pictured is like three years old. and probably you don't care.

 

step one - look at drawer full of tights and utter a hell naw. (quietly to yourself, because your husband is still sleeping. you'll throw a cat on him before you go to rouse him) 

 

step two - completely bypass rows of skirts in closet and reach for a pair of grey skinny pants. (you might have several pairs that look almost identical. go with what you feel.)

 

step three - button up a long floral printed shirt that's at least two years old. layer a cardigan if it's not too much work to keep your sleeves from bunching underneath it.

 

step four - choose footwear based on weather conditions. only wear your brown boots if it's not actually raining, because they have a hole in them. (if your new boots weren't on an apparently infinite backorder you could wear some that were more sea-worthy.)

 

step five - spend exactly 45 seconds on your hair. this isn't a day to exhert much effort. you're wearing PANTS. revel in the ease of dressing.

 

step six - take a picture of your rebellion in your bedroom mirror or in the dressing room of an h&m. i'm not picky. 

friday favorites.

a weekly round-up of our favorite things of the week!

lacy

this space.

this sweater

 this cross-stich iPhone case

this lamp

and this article about having a style uniform. makes me feel better about men's v-neck and jeans obsession.

....

Ashley here!  And here are my favorite things this week!
Well, firstly, Chips Ahoy are my favorites, apparently.  Because I can't stop eating them even though I'm making a weak attempt at being swim-suit ready by mid-March.

Okay, here we go.

 Ellie Goulding's entire Halcyon album, but specifically Figure 8

This goooorgeous black & gold manicure

Funfetti cakes (prepping ideas for Husband's big 30th birthday next month!)

Putting Oregano on salads and sandwiches (wanting to try this vinaigrette)


And Heart playing a tribute to Led Zeppelin.
I may have watched this three times.  And cried each time.

Confession & Circus

I've been lying to you.  I have, and I want to apologize now for that.

This:

 

Plaid top: Old Navy, I think?   Skinny Jeans: Smith's Marketplace   Kicks: Target, on a huge sale

This is how I dress in real life when I'm not trying to impress people.  So all those previous posts, with cute boots and jewelry and bright colors?  That was me trying to impress you. (Ha, I know, my specialty is not in fashion.)

My slumming style was necessary, as I had a play date scheduled with my Little Sister (through the Big Brothers Big Sisters program), and with her?  I never know if we're gonna end up crawling through the trenches at some point.

My Little is 13 and really settling into that teenage stage nicely.  (Sometimes that's a fun thing, and sometimes... it's really really not.)  She lives clear out in the boonies, and the circus we planned to attend was clear out in the opposite boonies.  It's good she brought along her iPod, because we spent 30 minutes jamming out to Rihanna and Neon Trees and Chris Brown (and Carrie Underwood?), and I love being with her because I get to act like a teenager again--even if she finds me embarrassing.

I apologize for the blurry photos.  A dark arena and camera phone do not good photos make.

If you haven't been to a circus lately, I highly recommend it.  I looooved the tigers and the acrobatic-ists and I ate so much cotton candy that my stomach hurt for two full hours.

And to learn more about the BBBS program or show your support, go here:  www.bbbsu.org