Grilled Peaches & Oatmeal

Ah that time of year is upon us.  You know, the one where there is a slight breeze in the air, the mornings are cooler, the leaves are juuuust barely starting to turn.  It's almost fall.  You can recognize it by the increasingly annoying Facebook posts about football.  It's almost as annoying as Facebook during election time.  I understand I am the minority that doesn't care AT ALL about football, but come on people, work with me.  If you insist on posting about how excited, or sad, you are about _____ team, ____ game, or _____ player, then first take a quick gander at your news feed and use this opportunity to post something original.  To really make your mark.  "Go Broncos!!" and  "I love you Payton!!" are examples of unoriginal content.  Perhaps think to yourself, "Hmm, 4 people have already said this.  Maybe, just maybe, I should say something else, or nothing at all."

By the way, Colorado people looooove fall.  It's like, "trendy" to like fall out here.  I'm just saying, it's okay to like summer too, Coloradans, it's ok.  Can you sense how "judgey" I am lately?  I think recent levels of elevated stress have sent my filter running.  It's probably temporary, but maybe not :)  One of my last posts started with a 2 paragraph rant and was later reduced to just the slightly annoying dog accident and  good ol' "moth-in-the-shirt" story.  Now there is no editing...it might become that kind of blog. Excited?!  Hey, thanks for reading ;-)

On another note, this time of year is awesome because of peaches.  That's right, peaches.  (Finally she is getting to the food part...)  Colorado has the best peaches I'm convinced.  They come from a little town called Palisade on the western slope.  It's a lovely place with fruit stands on every corner.  And wineries!  I'm a little obsessed with peaches right now because they are soooo ripe and perfect, and there is such a small window every year to get good peaches.  My daily peach consumption is currently averaging 3 peaches per day.  I have been singing to myself "...millions of peaches, peaches for me..." for the past week.  I'm almost as annoying as Facebook football fans.

When Sunday breakfast came along this week, I was sad that we didn't have eggs, but excited that we had peaches.  Still sad about the eggs.  I thought Denny would be sad too, but he hid it well.  When I suggested peach oatmeal, he was all over it.  You know me, always wanting to grill sh*t, so there I went.  Grilling at breakfast.

This is really simple and a nice little way to spice up boring oatmeal.

4 ripe peaches, pitted and halved
1 14 oz. can coconut milk, unsweetened
1tsp ground cinnamon
1tsp ground nutmeg1½ cups sugar
(Cinnamon or vanilla ice cream also works!)
Rolled oats, or quick oats

Halve the peaches and dip in coconut milk, then in sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg mixture.  Grill for about 5min on each side until you get some nice grill marks.

Cook oatmeal per instructions on package.  Spoon into bowl, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar or drizzle generously with honey, place peaches on top.
(We used the extra coconut milk to cook our oats, with a little water to make up the difference.  When sweetened with cinnamon sugar and/or honey it tasted great!  Without a sweetener, not so much.)

Recipe adapted from Gilded Fork.

All Them Mocha Lattes, You Gotta Do Pilates

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!  Yes, the title of this post is quoting Kanye West...I hope I don't get sued!  I mean no harm, I just want to share with you one of my fave workouts.  I know this is different from the usual blog content, but I mean, come on, you guys see how much I eat.  I need to do this from time to time, so bare with me.  I think you will like it.

This workout only takes about 30minutes, you can do it in the privacy of your own home, and all you need is (2) 5lb weights (or whatever weight you fancy), you might also want a mat or towel or something to lay on.  I would say that is a no-excuse kind of workout.  Give it a try...you'll feel like you did good for the day, because you did!

100 bridges

25 crunches with weight

25 oblique side to side crunches with weight

16 squats  (all leg exercises w/ weights)

16 low pulse squats

Repeat squats

16 lunges - right side

16 low pulse lunges - right side

16 lunges - left side

16 low pulse lunges - left side

25 shoulder presses

25 upper ½ shoulder press

25 lower ½ shoulder press

(2) sets of 25 bicep curls

1min plank

16 plie squats w/ upright row & weights

16 low pulse plie squat w/ weights

Repeat squats

25 tricep presses

25 tricep press pulses

25 Reverse Flys

25 Front Shoulder Raises

25 Glute pulses - right leg

25 Glute pulses - left leg

25 Fire hydrants - right leg

25 Fire hydrants - left leg

1min plank

100 bridges

25 crunches with weight

25 oblique side to side crunches with weight

Greek Tacos & Tahini Pesto

I hope you all had a great labor day weekend!  One of the highlights of the past few weeks was scrounging together a recipe that turned out to be really tasty - Greek tacos with tahini pesto.  I know it's silly, but it's the little things that can make a big difference :)

On this particular day, I think life was starting to get to me and affect my mental state.  The day started with Kora (my elderly dog) having a not-so-little "accident" all over the living room 5 minutes before I was supposed to leave for work.  Not her fault, and I love her to pieces, so I cleaned it up and moved on.  When I was walking into my elevator to head to work, I felt an itch in my shirt.  Out flew a moth (GROSS!), which left me feeling itchy and icky all day long.  Which resulted in me spilling some of my breakfast on myself when I got to work.  Fast forward through a pretty rough day of "ugh's" "oh crap's" and discouraging emails, I am finally in the kitchen ready to make this thing that I wasn't totally sure about.  All I knew was that if my senses were correct, it would probably taste pretty darn good.

Your basic pesto is made of some kind of herb, some kind of cheese, some kind of nut, and small amounts of garlic, lemon juice, and not-so-small amounts of some kind of oil - usually olive oil.  I had everything but the nuts.  For the herbs, I pretty much killed what was an already ill basil plant by using all of its remaining leaves.  Tahini was the only thing we had that came to mind to sub for nuts because it is kind of peanut buttery.  It is also kind of a stretch for pesto, but I went for it anyway.  It was a brand spanking new jar so when I struggled to open it (and finally succeeded, ah-HA!) the top layer of oil flew all over.  Right on schedule for that day.

Up until now I was still thinking this would be a "pasta pesto" but when I tasted it I knew I had to think of something else.  The tahini was the abundant flavor, rather than the basil, and I started to think Greek, hummus-like spreads.  I could picture it more on a sandwich-Gyro-type-thing rather than mixed in with any type of noodle.

So, looking at my other dying herb plants (I blame my lack of a green thumb on the fact that I have only been able to garden in pots and on patios, and not at all on the fact that I have gotten really bored with watering lately) I thought of one of my favorite marinades which just so happens to be a Greek one.  This used up some of my dying rosemary and parsley.  Win-win.  Rummaging through the fridge resulted in finding corn tortillas, 1/2 of a yellow squash donated by a co-worker (thanks Ivy!), a bell pepper and some goat cheese.  We usually have some kind of meat in the freezer, so I thawed some chicken.  Boom.  Greek Tacos.

This was definitely a "clean out the fridge" sort of meal, but it was probably the best of the sort that I have ever made.  We ended the night with full, happy bellies; major garlic breath (you have been warned); and a couple of beers under our belts.  All was good by the end of the day.

Tahini Pesto
3tbsp grated parmesan cheese
1/4c olive oil
3/4c basil leaves
2tbsp tahini
Juice of 1 lemon
2 cloves garlic (you could go with less if you don't want it to be too overpowering)
1/2tsp pepper

Combine all ingredients in a food processor until smooth.  You can make this the day before and keep in the fridge.

Greek Marinade
2 chicken breasts, chopped into about 4-5 large chunks

1/2 Large yellow squash, seeded and cut into 1/4" thick strips (or about 3 small yellow squash, halved)
1 Green bell pepper cut into 1/4" strips

1c olive oil
1/4c lemon juice
3 cloves garlic
2tbsp dijon mustard
2tbsp dried oregano
1tbsp chopped fresh thyme (or 1tsp dried thyme)
2tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1tbsp chopped fresh rosemary (or 1tsp dried rosemary)
1tsp pepper

Wisk all ingredients (other than veggies and chicken) together in a bowl.  Place chicken and veggies in a large ziploc baggie and pour marinade over the top.  Zip the bag and work the mixture throughout so everything is covered.  Put in the fridge for a minimum of 1hr, but can stay in the fridge for up to a day.

Grill chicken and veggies until tender/cooked through.  Let sit for 5-10 minutes, and chop into 1/2" pieces.  Set aside.

Tacos
Cucumber and red onion for garnish
Goat cheese (optional)
Corn tortillas

After cooking the chicken, place corn tortillas on the grill.  Only a minute or so on each side, watching carefully.

Spread a little (or a lot) of pesto on each tortilla to your liking, pile on some chicken and veggies, and top with cucumber, onion and a sprinkle of goat cheese.  We served ours with some couscous :)

Simple Pleasures | Catching Up

I was recently back in LA, my old stomping grounds, for a friend's wedding.  It was different from the normal trip I make out there - where I either have my parents pick me up from the airport and spend my days with them, or I drive from Colorado to LA so that I will have a car to be able to see all the many people I want/need to see.  This trip was solely to hang out with some of the most important ladies in my life.  Most of the girls who will stand next to me on the "big day."  It was really an awesome 2 1/2 days that doesn't get to happen as much as it should!

I didn't get any pictures with the lovely bride that weekend, but you can trust she was stunning and threw one hell of a party :)

Here are some highlights from the weekend.

Inspired | Lavender Lemon Scones

Yet another trip to the local farmer's market resulted in a TON of great stuff.  Denny came this time, so we obviously couldn't just buy ONE thing.  We had to buy several things: farm fresh eggs, steak burgers (so good), cucumber relish, heirloom tomatoes, homemade beef jerky, lemon orzo, Puff's "boozy" beer & chamomile jam (LOVE this company - we also have the strawberry champagne mint & raspberry whiskey chipotle), and lastly, lavender infused sugar.

When we bought the sugar from the Indigo Blooms Botanicals booth (who sold primarily herbal home and body care products), the woman asked what I was going to do with it.  I said, "I'm not sure yet, but I am always looking for new ingredients for new recipes for my blog".  She was excited to hear about the blog and told me that I would have to let her know what I made with it.  Turns out that she just had extra lavender and was looking for new ways to use it, so infused it with sugar.

That day, I started brainstorming what to do with the lavender sugar, just like I did with the rosemary sourdough bread the weekend before.  Stumbling on a recipe for lavender scones sealed the deal.  I know this is ridiculous, but I try to stay away from recipes that involve working with cold butter because I don't have a large food processor or KitchenAid miracle worker (FYI, birthdays and weddings are coming up - just saying!).  So, cold butter scares me and therefore I don't do a lot of baking...I've bent many a fork trying to knead the stuff into a stubborn cookie dough.  But I went for it anyway because this recipe said you could knead the butter in with your hands.  I have hands.  I can do this.

Next problem:  the recipe called for dried lavender buds.  Where was I going to get those??  It seemed like such a "stuck up" thing to have in a recipe.  It made me almost want to not make them, and all I could think of was the episode of F.R.I.E.N.D.S where Ross smashes a scone, yelling "Stupid British snack!"  But, a Google search told me I could get them at any health food store.  I consider the Sprouts we go to be "healthy" so I went there for our groceries, in the hopes of finding lavender.  When I couldn't find it myself, I asked around "Nope, don't have it here".  Ugh, I was NOT going to go to another store.  If grocery stores were peaceful, quiet meccas of amazing food, I would love grocery shopping.  But they aren't.  They are crowded, noisy, warehouses full of aimlessly wandering shopping carts that you usually have to dodge, lest they run you over in the frozen food aisle.

I was bummed.  I thought lavender scones weren't happening.  But then, while shopping in the bulk food section, I saw a shelf of bulk spices and herbs and alas lavender buds!!!  Can I just say, I l-o-v-e the bulk foods section.  Even before it magically brought me lavender.  Nuts, rice, granola galore - and so CHEAP!  I remember when I worked at Whole Foods and people would fill the entire check out counter with bags of bulk foods and I thought they were crazy hippies...until I saw their bill compared to other people's.  Then I thought they were geniuses who knew of a loop hole in the (sometimes) ridiculously expensive health food industry.  I filled a small ziploc baggie with the lavender and it cost me something like $.23.  No joke.  So, when in doubt, check out the bulk spices if your store has them.  I guarantee even the "normal" easy-to-find spices will be much more affordable this way.

After all that, I realized I forgot the buttermilk....after I got home.  Dammit.  I guess a second trip to the store was always my destiny.

Here are the stupid (yet delicious) British scones.  I think they turned out pretty well.  The recipe called for too much sugar to use the lavender infused sugar in the baking (as you can see, I just had a little jar), so I sprinkled it on the top.  Also, if you don't like lemon this might not be for you - I tasted more lemon than lavender at times.  This pairs nicely with a cup of tea, sweetened of course with the lavender sugar :)  Enjoy.

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour plus more for surface

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp dried lavender buds

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes

1 cup plus 2 tbsp buttermilk

2 tsp finely grated lemon zest (I might use less next time)

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp sanding or granulated sugar infused with lavender

[Dried lavender buds (culinary lavender) are available at some supermarkets and natural foods stores.]

Preparation

Arrange racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 425°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk 3 cups flour and next 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Add butter; rub in with your fingers until mixture resembles coarse meal.

Whisk 1 cup buttermilk, zest, and vanilla in a small bowl. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Stir until shaggy dough forms.

Transfer to a lightly floured surface; knead until dough forms, about 5 turns. Pat into a 10x6" rectangle. Halve dough lengthwise. Cut each half crosswise into 4 squares. Cut each square diagonally in half into 2 triangles. Divide between baking sheets. Brush with 2 Tbsp. buttermilk. Sprinkle with sanding sugar.

Bake until scones are golden and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 13–15 minutes. Transfer to wire racks; let cool.

Serve warm or at room temperature.  I don't know, maybe put some boozy jam on it :)  I really liked honey and butter on it

Adapted from this recipe.  Lemon curd isn't really my thang, but maybe it's yours!

Frozen Breakfast Burritos

I think I told you way back here that there is indeed a solution to boring weekday breakfasts.  Frozen breakfast burritos are the answer, and they are addicting!  This is something that I have done for the past couple of years and they have saved the day on more than one occasion, including getting home from a late night out and wanting to eat everything in sight!

I like to make them on the smaller side so that you don't start your day off feeling too stuffed.  That is the responsible, healthy side of me talking because otherwise I would have a Chipotle sized breakfast burrito every.single.day.  Apparently it's not okay to do that, so I stick to the smaller ones :)  I make anywhere from 20-24 at a time.



2 packages of 10" whole wheat flour tortillas (smaller burrito tortillas).
2 packages of frozen o'brien potatoes or hash browns.
1/2 diced yellow or red onion (needed if the potatoes don't already have onion in it)
1 diced green or red bell pepper (needed if the potatoes don't already have pepper in it)
10-12 eggs
1 large jar of green chile (I like the 505 hot chile)
1 package of shredded cheddar cheese with taco seasoning (2 cups)
1 can of diced green chiles
Seasoned pepper & garlic salt to taste
2 tbsp olive oil
1tbsp butter
3 tbsp water
Foil

You don't need me to tell you that you could also add meat to these (mmm bacon). I'm sure you already figured that out!

In a large non-stick frying pan, heat oil over medium heat.  Add frozen potatoes and onion.  Season to taste with seasoned pepper and garlic salt.  Cook until potatoes are thoroughly cooked and almost approaching "dry", stirring frequently.  Set aside.  (The key to these burritos is to have as little liquid as possible.  For this reason, green chile is chosen instead of a tomatoey salsa that will release water when re-heated, making a soggy burrito).

While the potatoes are cooking, tear 20-24 sheets of foil into 12" sheets (one for each burrito).  Set aside.

In a separate pan, melt butter over medium-low heat.  Whisk eggs together, adding water, continue whisking until incorporated (this is optional, I like adding water because it makes the eggs more light and fluffy).  Add eggs, canned green chiles and salt & pepper to the pan.  Scramble until done.  Set aside.

Set up all of your ingredients in a burrito-making "station" and start assembling.  Before you start, it sometimes helps to wrap the tortillas in a paper towel and heat in the microwave for about 1 minute to keep them from tearing.

Place a tortilla on a sheet of foil, add a scoop of eggs, equal amounts of potatoes, a sprinkle of cheese, about 1 tbsp of green chile and wrap the tortilla, folding in both sides.  Wrap the burrito in foil and stick in the freezer.

When you are ready to eat, remove foil and pop in the microwave for about 2 minutes!