Before & After

Before

After

I liked it long, but he insisted on prickles.  Funny cause up until about a week ago no one was touching his beautiful hair.

Have a great week friends!

xoxo

Rachel

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble

Yesterday was a terrible, horrible, no good very bad day.  

I sent Mr. Young a text "I'm in a FOUL mood."  I like to give him the heads up so he knows what he's getting into.  I'm good like that.  When he got home I told him I made a strawberry rhubarb crumble and I was having it for dinner and dessert.  I'm planning on having it for breakfast too.  I don't care if I gain five pounds.  O.k. maybe I do, but not until tomorrow.

Anyways...some little guy is having a birthday party this weekend.

What are you all up to this weekend?  It's going to cool down here for a couple of days, so I hope to get some more baking in.

Oh, I need ideas for a retirement gift for Ian's teacher.  She is pretty much amazing, and we want to get her something special.  She is retiring after 30 years or something like that.  Any suggestions?  Thank you!!

Have a great weekend everybody!

xoxo

Rachel

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble

2 cups sliced fresh or frozen rhubarb

1 cup fresh strawberries sliced

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

4 tbs. butter

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

2/3 cup quick-cooking oats

Place the rhubarb and strawberries into a greased baking dish. Combine the sugar and cinnamon, sprinkle it over the rhubarb. Set it aside. In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in brown sugar and oats. Sprinkle over rhubarb mixture. Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm with a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream if desired.

Lighter Taco Salad

Yesterday we were the HOTTEST city in the Nation.  102 degrees friends, I know crazy!!

So, for the last couple of days we have been eating salads for dinner, quick, easy, and light.

You may remember awhile back I did a review for Cheftalk on Ellie Krieger's book So Easy.  It had a pretty good taco salad recipe in it that everyone in the family liked.

I decided to put my own spin on it and everyone gobbled it up.

If you are looking for a nice summer dinner this is a great one.  Get your kids involved in prepping the ingredients.  They can help with crushing chips, shredding cheese, etc...

It's cooling down here now,thankfully.  When I stepped outside this morning I drank in the fresh air.

Have a beautiful day!

xoxo

Rachel

Lighter Taco Salad

Meat:

1 pound ground chicken or turkey

1/2 cup of dried beans soaked and cooked or one can of low sodium black beans,drained and rinsed

2 cloves of garlic minced

1/2 cup of water

1 tablespoon chili powder

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon of cumin

Dressing:

3 medium tomatoes, chopped

2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons of fresh lime juice

1/4 cup of chopped cilantro

1 tsp. kosher salt

fresh ground pepper

Salad:

1 head of romaine lettuce, chopped

1/2-1 cup grated cheese

Crushed tortilla chips (baked variety if you like)

2 cups of cooked corn

2-4 green onions chopped

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add the chicken and cook until it is no longer pink, breaking it up into pieces.  Add the beans and garlic and cook for a couple of minutes more.  Add the water and spices and mix until well combined.  Remove from the heat and set aside to cool a bit.

In a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes and their juices, oil, lime juice, salt, pepper, and cilantro.  Set aside until ready to serve.

To assemble place two large handfuls of lettuce on each plate.  Top with the chicken mixture, sprinkle with cheese, green onions, and corn.  Place tomato dressing on top and sprinkle with chips.

Enjoy!

This recipe shared with Walking on Sunshine Recipes

Frozen Hot Chocolate

Before I get to this recipe, I wanted to say thank you.  Thank you so much for your comments I love hearing your thoughts, they inspire and encourage me.  Your compliments are so thoughtful and kind and really brighten my day.

I number of you have asked questions about the photos on our blog and I wanted to make sure to answer those.

99.9% of the photos on our blog are taken by one of us.  Usually that means I'm behind the camera, but if it is not I usually will let you know.  It is pretty rare that I will post an image from someplace else, but occasionally I do.  Again, I will let you know if I do.  Those images I "borrow" are usually photos of beauty products or some sort of graphic.  I did "design" the summer gatherings though.

All the photos we have taken up until about three weeks ago were with a point and shoot, which we loved.

Recently we purchased a Nikon D5100 and so far so good.  I'm trying to learning how to use this camera, so for me that means moving it off the auto button.  I'm not at manual yet, but hope to get there.

I really have no idea what I'm doing and I just shoot what looks good to me and sometimes I get lucky.

I don't style any of our food shots, for two reasons.  I want the recipes to look good, but also accessible to you.  I don't want it to like like it is from a magazine, but like something we just made in our kitchen, because that is what it is. Whatever I have posted is our dinner or dessert, so I don't have a lot of time to take photos. I usually take 3-5 shots and then ask Brian to pick which one he likes best and that's the one that gets posted.

That doesn't mean I don't like food styling.  I love looking through food magazines and your blogs that have gorgeous photos of the food you have prepared!

It's just for now, we have to keep things simple here.

So, thanks again for your sweet words they encourage me to keep practicing.

Now on to this recipe.  I saw it awhile back in the blog world and knew I wanted to make it.  Yum, right?  It is incredibly hot here right not so I thought it would be perfect.  Bri and I thought this was really good, but the kids didn't like it at all.  They thought it was too bitter.  So I'm giving you the recipe a little apprehensively.  There is some tweaking that I will be doing with this one, but I'm certainly not giving up.

Frozen Hot Chocolate

Here are some of my ideas that I would like to try.  Omit the butter, cut back on the cocoa or use a hot chocolate mix.  I would encourage to google frozen hot chocolate.  It was made famous by a restaurant in New York.  There are a number of recipes that will give you a place to start.  The consistency is perfect, I just need to tone done the bitterness. 

3 Tbs. granulated sugar

3 Tbs. dutch process cocoa

2 Tbs. unsalted butter

2/3 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 1/2 cups of skim milk

Whip cream

chocolate chips

4 cups of ice cubes

Combine the sugar, cocoa, and butter in a double boiler over simmering water.  Stir until a smooth paste forms.  Add the chocolate chips and stir until melted.  Add 1/2 cup of milk and stir until combined.  Take off the double boiler and cool to room temperature.

Combine the chocolate mixture the remaining milk and half of the ice in a blender.  Blend until smooth and then add the remaining ice and blend again until smooth.  Top with whip cream and chocolate chips.  Enjoy!

xoxo

Rachel

  

Bits of Encouragement

Summer set lip to earth's bosom bare,
And left the flushed print in a poppy there.
~Francis Thompson, "The Poppy," 1891

Happy Monday!  Have a wonderful week.

xoxo

Rachel

Summer Reading List

First up...Happy Birthday to my Mother-in-law! I hope that you have the most beautiful day!  We're looking forward to celebrating with you this weekend.

I love to read.  I look forward to drowning myself in a good book everyday all summer long.
I get check out all my books from the library and the children and I spend A LOT of time there.
Here is the list that I have put together so far


The Digital Photography Book
Jane Eyre
Beloved
Blood, Bones, and Butter
Dreams of Joy
The Paris Wife
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand
The Life of Pi (Thanks Lisa!)


Books I've read in the last year that I really liked:
Cutting for Stone
The Help
Color Me Butterfly


Jackie and Lisa have some recommendations as well.
I would love to hear about what you are reading this summer or what is your favorite must read.
Do you have any suggestions for my children 13 and 9.  They also go through books like crazy.


Have a great weekend


xoxo
Rachel

Red and Blue Tart

I'm not sure how I should start this post..."go make this", "I got my kids to love a fruit dessert","this is the tart I made for Memorial day"

I can't decide so all of the above.

I wanted to make a fruit tart that my family would love.  Katie and Ian don't like pie crust so I was thinking more of a cookie like crust.  Pastry cream for the filling.  Fresh fruit with no jam on top, another element the children are not fond of.

My biggest problem was the crust.  When Mary of One Perfect Bite posted a Blueberry Sourcream Tart I knew she solved my problem. The crust was cookie like.  The only ingredient I omitted (which I think would be lovely, but I was playing it safe) was nutmeg.

   They absolutely loved it! Here is what they said, "Can you make this again, tomorrow?", "This is the best cake ever!!" "I want you to make this for my birthday!" "Make this for the 4th of July."  I think I succeded. Before they devoured the tart, I told them it tasted like a  sugar cookie with vanilla pudding and fresh fruit.

So go make this now, you won't be disappointed.



Red and Blue Tart

Cookie crust:
1 1/4 cups all purpose unbleached flour
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temp)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg seperated

With non-stick cooking spray, spray a 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom.
In an electric mixer bowl mix the butter and sugar together for one minute on medium speed and the egg yolk and mix until blended.  Add the flour and salt and mix until just combined on low speed.
On a surface that has been lightly floured, pour the crust out and shape into a flat disk.
Place the disk into the pan and press it out onto the bottom and up the sides of the pan.  If it breaks smooth out the cracks.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
While the crust is chilling, pre heat your oven to 375 degrees Farenheit.
With a fork beat the egg  white until it is frothy.  Lightly brush the crust with egg white.  You will not use all of it.  Prick the crust all over with a fork and bake for 15 minutes or until set.  The crust will not get brown (think sugar cookie).  Place on a wire rack until completely cool.
While the crust is cooling make the pastry cream.

Pastry cream:

5 large egg yolks, room temperature

3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 cups scalded milk
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon heavy cream

In an electric mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachement beat the egg yolks and sugar for 4 minutes on medium-high speed until very thick.  Reduce the speed to low and add the cornstarch.  With the mixer on low add the hot milk.
Pour this mixture into a medium saucepan and cook on low heat stir this mixture constantly with a wooden spoon until it thickens this took about 7 minutes.  Make sure to scrape the bottom of the pan as you are stirring.  Don't worry once the mixture comes to boil and looks like it is curdling.  Take a whisk and beat it vigorously for 2 minutes.  The mixture will become very thick like pudding.  Stir in the extracts, butter, and cream. Pour the custard through a seive into a bowl.  Place a piece of plastic wrap directly over the surface and chill until cool.

Assemble the tart:

Strawberries cut in half and leaves removed
Blueberries

Take the pastry cream out of the fridge and whisk until smooth.  Fill the tart shell with the cream and add the berries in a decorative pattern.  Chill for about an hour.  Enjoy!

Source: Crust One Perfect Bite, Pastry Cream Barefoot Contessa