holy macaron!

Well it only took a few moments of internet searching to figure out what to do with left over egg whites (the yokes being used for ice cream....what else?).  It was a toss up between homemade marshmallows and ....wait for it....macarons!  Not to be confused with macaroOns.  These french pillows of sweetness are one of the most delicious treats I have yet to encounter.  They now rival my mother's sandwich cookies as my most favorite dessert....the sandwich cookies still win though...for now!  I took the task of macaron making very seriously....as I read from many reviews it can be a finicky process.  I aged my egg whites, weighed, sifted and said a few magic words (en francais s'il vous plait!)....and I may have just had some beginners luck....but all i can say is...holy macaron success!

the cookies sitting to form the "skin"

PERFECTION! macaron w/ ganache filling
sorry it is late...so the lighting is bad..
i took the macaron out to take a picture of it...i had every intention of putting it back....
...it didn't make it back in the box....

I used the serious eats recipe...can be found HERE.  I am so excited to whip up more of these tasty treats...and with all the possibilities of macaron flavors and fillings....it will be one exciting macaron adventure.  I just might find myself trying to figure out what to do with all my extra yokes (no that would be silly...more ice cream of course!).

fermentables

A lot has been going on lately... a beautiful wedding (congrats L & J!)...June birthday parties...and fermentation parties!  Yup, you read right...fermentation parties!  This past weekend we attended our first fermentation club meeting down in RI - our rhody friends started this club just recently and we happily joined as the "vermont branch".  Needless to say I am pretty excited about our club membership...gives me the excuse I have been looking for to make a gallon of kimchee, fermented sodas, sour kraut, and all other sorts of fermented goodies.  The gist is that at the meeting someone demonstrates some sort of fermentation technique and then all those that attend go and try it out at home...then bring their fermentables to the next meeting.  At this club meeting Aaron briefed the entendees on the art of sour dough bread...which is a probably a bit hard to cover in an hour but he gave it a shot...and I shared some of my fermented rhubarb soda.  We snacked on fried fish, fermented carrots, lemons & snap peas, cheeses, fresh greens and more....and as always it was delicious.

fermented lemons...yum

baby in constant motion

bubble wand

newest member of the pack - barley

chasing bubbles

serious discussions

aaron and his starter

Here is the recipe for the fermented rhubarb soda - it is so easy a mama with 2 kids can do it!  And it is so good and good for you...hardly any sugar (most is eaten by all the yeast) and full of probiotics!  Oh and Isabelle loves it....WIN.

***

sorry about all these blurry images...I either need to use a flash, get some expensive lens...or maybe re learn how to use an SLR...

all on my list of things to do.

what's for dinner?!

Our weekly dinner menu starts with a list...that once all the ingredients have been found and/or bought...ends up here on our fridge.  Mainly, because I am way too guilty of buying things with intention to make a specific item and then forgetting (I swear my brain worked way better 4 years ago).  I thought it might be fun and maybe even mouth watering to take you on a journey of our week of dinners.  Definitely not as elaborate as they once were...they are nourishing and for the most part kid friendly.

yes there are plenty of spelling errors...

When starting the list we always try to aim for 2 vegetarian dishes or more.  It is widely known that reducing your meat consumption is by far the best way to be more "green" in your kitchen.  Many people try to do the meatless monday thing...we skip the monday and say bring it on as much as possible.  Vegetarian eating is easy on the wallet and so delicious...We also look in the pantry and the freezer and ask - what can we make from what we have?  And from there Aaron and I brainstorm.  Lots of easy classics are in the mix and always at least one new recipe.

This week we had:

leftovers...didn't last long enough...

Beef barley soup & homemade bread- Basically just browned beef or turkey with an onion....add 28oz can of whole tomatoes (crush them...), a dash of worsteshire sauce, a bay leaf, 4-5 cups of stock, 2/3 cup of barley and veggies.  This is a great clean your fridge soup... I just put in what ever is in the veggie drawer that won't make it another day.  Barley takes about an hour to cook...so I just simmer until everything is tender.

Orecchiette with broccoli rabe and fried chickpeas - we substituted wine with stock...because we didn't have any vino on hand, halved the chickpeas & pasta amounts, and added the juice of 1/2 a lemon - this was our new recipe of the week... it was delicious!  Isabelle didn't love the broccoli rabe, it is a tad bitter, she tried a few pieces and ate all her pasta and chickpeas.

orange & beet salad...yum!

Hamburgers with  beet & orange salad, A+ for Isabelle...she ate everything!

BLT's with braised acorn squash and kale, Isabelle ate reluctantly ate a little kale (i swear yes we did kale and spinach puree as baby...but it is just taking this 3.5 year old a little longer to love greens...we won't give up though!!!) and inhaled the BLT.

Thai Red Curry w/ tofu- recipe from The food & cooking of Thailand - Bastyra & Johnson- so we didn't get to this one...thats how it goes around here!  Next week for sure!

oh for the love of poached eggs

The only thing I truly missed during pregnancy was deliciously runny poached eggs.  Since Owen has been born I have been able to fulfill my craving...but not without obstacles.  Owen is not a fan yet of anything other than mama's milk and doesn't quite understand why on earth I need to eat.... Yesterday I woke up with the most intense "need" for poached eggs and the most intensely needy children.  So...I did what any human desperate for runny yoke would do... I turned on pbs for Isabelle and broke out the pacifier for Mr. Owen.  Not one of my best mama moments...but I "needed" that egg....

owen...not understanding...

eggs coming to room temp...buying me some time to calm a baby

success.... eaten inhaled in 3 seconds.... baby seriously did not understand

the late cake

Well, now we are three days past my "guess date" (formerly known as due date) - a term I will thank Melissa for... you are right...it is totally an estimation and not something to get caught up in...or so I am trying not to get caught up in.  And what better way to pass the time is to bake a cake.  Yesterday we thumbed through my mothers ancient Hershey's Chocolate Factory baking book.  A book that is falling apart, pages stuck together, notes scribbled on the side...and you know just by the texture of the page and the stains which are the best..tried and true recipes.  She brought it up because I had been craving peanut butter kiss cookies but hey...why not make a cake too...

you can hardly make out the scribbled but it says "double"...

(as in they are devoured within a day) 

Instead of doing a tried a true recipe, the chocolate marble chiffon cake caught my eye...I'm not too sure why.  Anyways we made it and unfortunately my 2 days late preggo brain forgot the salt...waah waah waah.  It is ok... but not as good as it would be with that tsp of salt that was forgotten.

known forever more as "the late cake"

Thanks again for all of your thoughts and keep them coming 

- baby will have to come out sooner or later!  

granola bars

Happy December 1st!  I have recently had 2 people remind me to post our granola bar recipe and have finally got the energy to make and post them...So the original recipe can be found here....but my version is the following:

2 1/2 cups rolled oats
2 cups rice puff cereal (or rice crispies)
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 stick of butter
1/2 cup of honey
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups of goodness...ours usually consists of 1 cup chocolate chips, 1/2 cup craisens & 1/2 cup of nuts (chopped walnuts and/or peanuts)
  *I have also used coconut, flax seeds, sunflower seeds, dried cherry, raisens, etc...the sky is really the limit


Assembly of these ingredients is crucial to the outcome....

Preheat your oven to 325.  Combine all dry ingrediants and mix well.  Melt butter and add to honey and vanilla, mix well.

(yes that is my belly hanging over the counter)

Pour wet into dry and mix well, you don't want anything to look dry.

Pour ingredients into a greased 9x13 pan, I usually use a glass dish but it is currently being occupied by a big frozen lasagna for post baby times...

Crucial: really cram the ingredients down evenly throughout the pan, I find using a metal spatula to press down hard on the mixture works best.  Put into oven and bake for 20 minutes.  I also usually take mine out midway through the baking process and re-press the mixture with my spatula.  Do not over bake...it will intensify the crumble!  Take out and allow to cool for 10 minutes.

At ten minutes (and not a minute late...just kidding!) cut or score 16 bars with a sharp knife.  I don't worry if it isn't perfect and don't try to fix anything if it crumbles a little.  Now the hard part...WALK AWAY!  Don't touch these puppies until they are completely cool - you can even throw them in the fridge to speed this up once the pan has cooled but do not be tempted to remove from pan until they are completely cool.... SO I suggest finding something to preoccupy yourself with...

In our case, Isabelle and I crafted up a new holiday garland.  And since they are still cooling I don't have the final product to show.  Patience is key!  Once cooled I remove them from the pan using a metal spatula, if there are any spots that didn't get cut perfectly by the knife you can use the spatula or a knife to cut through again.  I put mine in an airtight container and they stay in the fridge.  I hear they freeze very well ....but ours never make it.  Hope you enjoy!

** In the past I have also substituted the brown sugar for 1/2 cup of apple sauce...you will lose the crunch in the cereal from a little too much wetness...however slightly more healthy - your choice...either way they are delicious!

thanks to our farmer friends

A few weeks ago, at our Rhody reunion, our farmer friends Jeff & Carolyn generously left us a huge bin of dirt cover root veggies.  In the excitement of the reunion and catching up I didn't quite get a good glimpse of all that it contained.  It is chalk full of delicious carrots, beets, turnips, potatoes and more - all heirloom...and all so so so good.  Last night I opened the bin and dug through, barely skimming the surface, and fed my family roasted root veggies with some meat that had been saved in the freezer...and well the meat was good but the highlight was most definitely those veggies.  So today, or I guess really yesterday, we wanted to send a huge thank you to both Jeff and Carolyn whose hands worked so hard in their commitment to sustainable agriculture and the production of grass fed beef and veggies that are not only good for our tummy but also our soul.

our basket o veggies

just a few picked from the top

so so so so good

You can check out more on Jeff & Carolyn at Potter Hill Farm here.  And if you happen to live in their neck of the woods (Grafton, Ma) or are interested in grass fed beef shares (for next year....i think...) you should get in touch with them!

Thanksgiving and more

We have been super busy around here!!  Considering my pregnant state we decided to have Thanksgiving at our house and were pleased to have some family come to us.  Aunt Melanie and Uncle Todd arrived Wednesday evening (after a bit of a NE tour themselves) and Nana came up on Thursday to celebrate turkey day with us.  This Thanksgiving we were all grateful to be back in New England and to be able to spend so much more time with our family.  While I didn't get to spend the holiday with my family we were still able to skype a quick hello and connect with them - and we hope to see them all on Christmas (pending baby's arrival).  The following are a few pictures of our turkey day extravaganza!

the turkey

We scored the most delicious free range local turkey by keeping tabs on craigslist ads.  The gal we got turkey from was awesome and so excited for us to enjoy....Isabelle even managed to find a few turkey feathers on the farm to bring home with her... Anyone who wants to argue that a butterball is more moist or juicy is wrong.  A little brine love and attention to how a turkey should be cooked made this bird 100% amazing.

impatience

Todd carving up the bird

the spread

In addition we also celebrated Nana's birthday and had a small baby shower for Melanie and Todd, who are expecting their baby to arrive late January.  My parents came up on Friday to help celebrate and decompress after their own turkey day craziness in RI.  We are so excited to meet baby Biggs - this means Isabelle will have a cousin and Aaron and I get to be Uncle and Auntie - so excited!

happy birthday Nana!

dueling bellies (I obviously won...)
I am SO round.

some Patriots apparel for the new little ones coming soon

All in all it was a wonderful long holiday weekend...and now as I sit here I can't believe it is over... the house is quiet other than the dishwasher running (again...I hate it but I could fill it so fine...), clothes in the washer, turkey stock simmering on the stove, and Isabelle playing quietly with her play dough.  

turkey stock...making the house smell soooo good

playing beautifully and independently....

And here we are... a week now until my expected due date... and all is quiet.  I am looking forward to taking this week to relax and recoup and get ready for the next bit of excitement to start.  

recently enjoyed...

making play dough (purple of course)

sid kisses

and snuggles

just about 38 weeks pregnant...so close!

cranberry walnut bread that won't make it to the end of the day...let alone Thanksgiving

best to taste test somethings first right??

starting my Thanksgiving prep list...pie crust...check!

identifying beetles with daddy

perfecting mary had a little lamb

b-way

As mentioned we had a little Rhody reunion Friday evening and it was, as expected, filled with catching up, inappropriate banter, laughs, and lots of eating.  Kelly decided to throw me a sort of blessing way/mother's blessing - which I guess was agreed on by all the men with the stipulation of calling it anything but a blessing way (hence...b-way).  It may not have been the most traditional blessing way but it was so much fun and I laughed so hard I cried myself silly...and nearly wet myself.

cheese & meat spread...

me laughing so hard I was afraid it might onset labor

kelly gave me a foot bath with some deliciously smelling homemade sugar rub 

and aaron later massaged my feet...

"happy labor caitlyn" cake from Pastiche....

My b-way consisted of a foot bath, then some herbs added by everyone, a foot rub, a lovely green crown, some yarn tied around us all to connect us, some fortune cookies (read the fortune and then end it with..."in labor"...example: "New and rewarding opportunities will soon develop for you...in labor"), some lovely poetry, and of course a delicious coconut cake from Pastiche.  And even though we all laughed and giggled over it all-- it was really special and very thoughtful of my dear friend Kelly to do for me - so thanks Kel, from the bottom of my heart!  And thanks to my amazing husband, Jeff & Carolyn and Dave for taking part in this special ritual.

pajammy buddies, Isabelle & Noa

love...

In addition everyone took home a candle, with the intention that once labor begins we will have a sort of phone/text/email tree to let everyone know that labor has started and that the baby is on his or her way...  and I would like to extend this to everyone (if you want to partake) - I will be sending out an email at some point with a reminder to set aside a candle and have it ready around December 5th.... and that when we actually start we will let you know - you can light your candle as a way to "connect" with us and as a reminder to send us some positive thoughts.  

oh and the verdict from the ultrasound was that the head is indeed down and baby is in position!

weekend happenings: in the kitchen

This was one of those weekends I wish I could hit the repeat button on... we cooked, we bottled, we baked, we walked, we talked, we took naps (oh wait that was just me...)  and watched too many episodes of Mad Men.  And it isn't until now that I really think about the days of us three are limited and quite priceless - in the coming months I don't expect us to make homemade pasta, brownies, or slow cooked ragu bolognese...(well I suppose I hope the brownies will rear their delicious head...they are amazing).  I recall quite a lull in our love of cooking and baking following the birth of Isabelle.  Between the summer heat, Aaron working his butt off finishing his Phd, and my lack of sleep we weren't all that interesting in the kitchen.  Hopefully with Isabelle's interest in the kitchen it will keep us motivated and inspired to do more - there is just nothing better (and sometimes nothing more stressful) than working with little hands in the kitchen.  She is so eager to be in the middle and be apart of every step.  And I know I've mentioned it before but she will eat anything that she makes.

learning how to bottle and cap beer

(Carter would be so proud of our little brewmaster)

kneading the pasta dough

rolling out the dough

admiring our work

cutting our pasta into fettucini

devouring...

I'm sure most of you out there reading this has experienced homemade pasta but if you haven't you truly must.  Nothing can compare.  

Note: the spinach pasta & ragu recipes are from Mario Batali's Molto Italiano and my favorite brownie recipe is Alton Browns, which can be found here....just beware they are probably a heart attack waiting to happen and you can't just eat one...:)