Espresso and Cream

Soft and Wavy Curls

2012-01-27T09:14:00.000-06:00

Are you all as addicted to Pinterest as I am? I should clarify that I'm addicted to looking at Pinterest and finding ideas. But since I'm slightly type-A, I find it hard to pull the trigger and actually 'pin' things for fear that my boards will become messy and disorganized. I suppose that's all beside the point, since what I really want to talk about is hair.

Pinterest is, I've decided, most useful for two things: recipe organization and hair tutorials. You can find a hair tutorial on pretty much any style you're seeking, although I have a sneaking suspicion that many of the tutorials make it look much easier than it actually is.

To date, my best find on the site has been this hair tutorial on how to create soft, wavy curls in your hair without looking too done-up. It comes from Katie of the blog Running On Happiness, and if you've never stumbled upon her amazing blog, I would urge you to immediately bop over and check it out. It's not all that different from what I've done in the past with my curling iron, but she sneaks in a few insightful tips that have changed the way my hair gets its curl. I can't say I've perfected the method, but I'm well on my way. And just in time for the weekend, when I actually wash my hair and put on makeup past 6 pm.

Happy Friday, all!

Madison

Chopped Green Salad Wrap

2012-01-26T06:44:00.000-06:00

I've received a lot of questions from readers about what I pack for lunches and snacks when I go to work each day. I'm not going to lie, I struggle just as much as the next person. But since I would much rather spend money going out to eat with my husband on date nights, taking a packed lunch and snacks is the norm.

A few of my favorite snacks being:

*Lara Bars (cashew cookie, peanut butter cookie, apple pie, and pb&j being my favorites)

*Cliff Bars (peanut butter, white chocolate macadamia and carrot cake being my favorites)

*Greek yogurt and canned pumpkin with a dollop of peanut butter

*Apples or pears with a few slices of cheese

*Sugar-free applesauce with granola

Lunch, on the other hand, is much less predictable. Sometimes I'll tote along leftovers from dinner the night before. Other times I'll make a quick salad with quinoa and veggies or a salad topped with lentils and feta cheese.

This week I was looking through my fridge, trying to get inspired, and saw we had whole wheat tortillas, lettuce, pesto, feta cheese and broccoli. Never one to be a fan of raw broccoli, I found that chopping the broccoli into small pieces and tossing it with the other ingredients helped to ward off the raw flavor that I typically dislike.

The wrap was super tasty and satisfying. So if you're looking for a new addition to your workday meals, I would totally give this a try.

Chopped Green Salad Wrap

Ingredients

*1/2 cup Romaine lettuce, chopped

*1/4 to 1/3 cup raw broccoli florets, finely chopped

*1 oz. crumbled feta cheese

*1 1/2 tbsp. Trader Joe's Champagne Pear Vinaigrette or other fruit vinaigrette of your choice

*1 tablespoon purchased pesto

*Cracked black pepper

*1 whole wheat tortilla

Instructions

*In a small bowl, combine the lettuce, broccoli, feta cheese, vinaigrette, pesto and black pepper. Toss to combine all ingredients evenly. Spoon mixture onto tortilla. Enjoy!

Happy Cooking!

Madison

Puppy Love

2012-01-24T20:43:00.000-06:00

Joey snapped a few photos last weekend while Nutmeg and I were cuddling on the couch. She was, as you can see, trilled about being involved in a spontaneous photo shot.

And yes, I'm reading Tim Tebow's book, Through My Eyes, during my down time. Now that the football season is almost over, how else am I going to get my fix?

What good books have you read lately?

Madison

Share Your Story!

2012-01-23T21:18:00.000-06:00

It's been almost an entire month since I started my 'No Fat Talk Pledge' for 2012, and I wanted to check in with an update. Aside from one major "my jeans are tight and my thighs are huge" moment a couple weeks back, I've been going strong.

It's not always easy, but in the last couple weeks I've found my desire to talk negatively about my body has significantly diminished. Every time I'm tempted to say something negative, I remind myself that it's simply not an option to verbalize my thought, so why even bother thinking it? And amazingly enough, it works!

Over the past month, I've been encouraged by e-mails, tweets and comments from many of you, sharing your desire to show your bodies a little more love over the coming year. To keep our motivation going, I am hoping to turn every Tuesday on Espresso and Cream into 'No Fat Talk Tuesday.' Some weeks it may be a personal story, a list of interesting articles from around the web or a personal story from one of you!

So I'm asking for your help. I am looking for women of all ages who are willing to share their body confidence struggles and/or success story in the form of a guest post on Espresso and Cream. If you're interested in sharing or finding out more information, please e-mail me (madisonjanemayberry@gmail.com) and I'll give you more information.

Thanks!
Madison

Inside-Out S'Mores Brownies

2012-01-22T16:30:00.000-06:00

Hey everyone! How was your weekend? Joey and I have really been enjoying spending weekends at home lately after spending what felt like every weekend on the go during the months of September through December. I'm not going to lie, we felt completely overwhelmed and exhausted after the Christmas season. For that reason, January has been amazing.

In other news, I must have been really loving the February issue of Better Homes and Gardens because the last two recipes I've made have been from said issue. It probably has something to do with the fact that it's packed with gooey chocolate recipes, including these Inside-Out S'Mores Brownies.

While I was editing these photos, Joey said to me, "Those look good in photos. But no matter how good they look in photos, they are a million times better in your mouth." I take that as high praise, seeing that my husband is more of a fan of salty snacks than sweet desserts.

I, on the other hand, think I need to get these babies out of the house and in the hands of my work colleagues before I demolish them myself. If you're planning on making them yourself, I would highly recommend inviting friends over to share them with!

Inside-Out S'Mores Brownies
Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens, February 2012

Ingredients
*1/2 cup butter
*2 oz. unsweetened chocolate
*1 cup sugar
*2 large eggs
*1 tsp. vanilla
*3/4 cup all-purpose flour
*9 honey graham cracker squares
*1 cup tiny marshmallows

Instructions
*Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8x2-inch baking pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
*In a medium saucepan, melt butter and chocolate. Remove from heat and add in the eggs, sugar and vanilla. Beat in the flour until just combined.
*Spread half the batter in the prepared pan. Top with graham crackers (divide as necessary to evenly top batter). Sprinkle marshmallows on the graham crackers, but do not let them touch the sides of the pan. Carefully spread the remaining batter on the marshmallows and graham crackers, covering them completely.
*Bake for 25 to 27 minutes or until set. Cool completely on a wire rack. Cut into bars. Makes 15 brownies

Happy Baking!
Madison

Homemade Chocolate Fudge Sauce

2012-01-20T11:48:00.000-06:00

A couple weeks ago Joey and I bought some Blue Bunny Vanilla Bean Frozen Yogurt. It may not sound like a big deal to you, but I was more than a little excited. You see, it's been months since we had ice cream in our freezer. Typically, we avoid buying ice cream because I have zero self control around the stuff. I'm happy to eat a couple squares of chocolate and leave it at that, but ice cream is another story. Since we hadn't purchase ice cream in forever, we didn't have any of the traditional toppings, like chocolate or caramel sauce, in the fridge.

I wish I could tell you I found this recipe before the ice cream was polished off, but who am I kidding? The ice cream was long gone, but this homemade chocolate fudge sauce may call for buying a little more this weekend.

While reading through the February issue of Better Homes and Gardens, I came upon this recipe. I honestly had no idea making your own chocolate sauce could be this easy, and it's certainly causing me to second-guess ever buying the jarred version ever again. It takes just a few minutes to whip together and requires ingredients frequently found in our kitchen, meaning it's easier than running to the store at a moment's notice. Especially when it's -7°F outside and snowy.

Have a warm and happy weekend!

Homemade Chocolate Fudge Sauce
From Better Homes and Gardens magazine, February 2012

Ingredients
*1 cup packed brown sugar
*1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
*1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
*1/2 cup milk or half and half (I used 2% milk)
*2 tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions
*In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar and cocoa powder. Set aside.
*In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add in the milk or half and half and cook for 5 to 6 minutes or until bubbles start to appear around the edges. Add in the brown sugar mixture and cook, stirring frequently, for 1 to 2 minutes more or until mixture is thickened and sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

Happy Cooking!
Madison

Garlic Kale Chips

2012-01-19T09:25:00.000-06:00

Truth be told, I've always been more of a 'quantity over quality' girl when it comes to snacks and mealtime. I would rather find a way to stretch my morning protein pancake with a little canned pumpkin, even if it means sacrificing texture, just so I can have more to eat in the morning. And I will gladly eat an entire head of steamed broccoli over a small portion of broccoli with cheese 90% of the time. Can anyone relate?

Joey and I rarely have chips or other junk food on hand except for those few boxes of Girl Scout cookies right now. So when I get a craving for something crunchy and salty, I typically have to improvise with what we have on hand. And while I may be a little late to the game with these crispy baked Garlic Kale Chips, if you are late to the game like me, I would highly recommend you making them asap. Not only are they crunchy, salty and entirely addictive, they also deliver all the vitamin-packed goodness of kale.

My first attempt at Kale chips was anything but a success. I made the mistake of leaving the tough stems in the center of the kale intact. If you're into that sort of stringy texture, then feel free to leave the stems going through the center of the leaves. But if you're anything like me, I would recommend cutting the ruffled leaves of the kale off the stem and discarding the rest.

I ate the entire batch in one serving. But if you're slightly less greedy than I am with your kale, it could easily be a side dish for two or three people.

Garlic Kale Chips
Ingredients
*3 to 4 cups kale leaves, cut into pieces with stems removed and discarded
*1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
*2 tsp. Garlic Gold or 1 clove of fresh garlic, minced
*2 tsp. grated Parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast
*Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
*Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil; set aside.
*In a small bowl, combine the olive oil and Garlic Gold. Spread kale in an even layer on prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil mixture and toss to coat. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and the salt and pepper.
*Bake for 11 to 15 minutes, or until kale is crunchy and has a slightly charred appearance, tossing once halfway through baking. Remove from oven and enjoy!

Happy Cooking!
Madison

Guest Posting @ Thoughts By Natalie

2012-01-18T09:26:00.000-06:00

If you're anything like me, I'm guessing that you are always searching for uplifting, creative blogs that leave you with a smile on your face. If that's the case, then I highly suggest stopping by Natalie's blog. She lives in California with her husband and puts together posts and inspiration for 20-something women, although I'm sure she would welcome women of all ages to pop on by.

If you haven't checked out Natalie's blog, please stop on over and say hello. I'm guest posting today about the 'No Fat Talk 2012' pledge and what it means to me.

Madison

A Day in the Life...

2012-01-17T07:05:00.000-06:00

A few days ago, Tanja put together a blog post about what her daily routine looks like. I'm always so fascinated by posts showing how everyone goes about their day-to-day, and I thought it might be high time to share a look into how things go down in our house.

{Breakfast is by far my favorite meal of the day. And most of the time, Joey and I take time to have breakfast together.}

A typical weekday goes a little something like this...

5:00 am - Our alarm clock goes off. We push snooze and sleep for another 15 to 30 minutes

5:30 - 6:15 am - Get up. Joey takes a shower while I turn on the news and make breakfast. Sometimes I'm feeling ambitious and make something fantastic, while other times Joey's on his own and has cereal and yogurt. We always have coffee.

6:15 - 7 am - We watch the news, talk about what our days look like, catch up on e-mails, I put together blog posts and catch up on any bills that need to be paid.

7 - 8 am - I get ready for work, do a load of laundry if necessary, and pack our lunches. Joey lets Nutmeg out to go to the bathroom at get a little exercise.

8 - 9 am - I make the commute into work. Joey is typically already to his office at around 7:30.

{My desk and office space. I like to think it's organized chaos.}

9 am - 12 pm - Work begins! I typically spend the first hour catching up on e-mails, reading food blogs and food newsletters and making a to-do list for the rest of the day. Then it's time to get down to work between running to meetings.

{A less than glamourous lunch: Greek yogurt, cinnamon, canned pumpkin, peanut butter and some frosted shredded wheat. Not fancy, but it gets the job done.}

12 - 1 pm - Most days I eat lunch at my desk while browsing through a food magazine or two, but sometimes the lunch hour is a time to run errands. Since Joe and I don't live in Des Moines anymore, I take advantage of the noon hour to run to grab groceries at Trader Joe's, make a trip to the bank, or go to the chiropractor.

1 - 5 pm - Back to work! More meetings, layouts to edit, copy to proof and recipes that need to be created. On more exciting days, I'll have a taste panel (or two) to go to and see how the recipes I've created come together. Sometimes they need to be tested again, while other times they are good to go.

5 - 6 pm - Commute home. I use this time at night to call my parents and/or friends, listen to talk radio and decompress so I don't think or talk much about work when I get home. The separation of work and home life keeps me sane.

6 - 6:30 pm - Joey and I talk about our days, get ready for the gym and I prep anything that needs to be prepped for dinner.

6:30 - 7:30 pm - Gym time! Sometimes Joe and I do our cardio together, other times we do our own thing, but we almost always lift weights together. It's usually a 50/50 breakdown of cardio to weight lifting time.

{A view from the kitchen looking into the living room. And yes, we still have our Christmas decorations up. But not to worry, they are coming down this weekend!}

7:30 - 8:15 pm - I get to work making dinner. Joey lets Nutmeg out again. When it's nice out we take her for a walk at night, but when it's cold and snowy like today, we all prefer to keep outdoor time to a minimum. We eat dinner and Joey cleans up/puts away the dishes while I take a shower or relax in the tub with a magazine. Pure bliss.

{This was actually taken on a Sunday when we were watching the Packers play, but it's the only TV watching photo I had. You get the idea...}

8:15 - 9:30 pm - Joey and I regularly watch many shows, but we do try to catch Project Runway, Biggest Loser and Top Chef. Now that we have a DVR we can worry less about missing shows, and just catch up with them on the weekends when we have more down time.

9:30 pm - I have the bed time of a five-year-old child, so I'm ready to hit the hay at around 9:30. Joey will sometimes stay up a bit later, but we are both asleep by 10 or 10:30 at the latest.

Happy Tuesday!
Madison

Salmon Salad Pizza

2012-01-15T15:58:00.000-06:00

Hey everyone! How was your weekend? Joe and I had friends over on Saturday night to watch the Broncos game and eat chili. And as an added surprise, my mom joined us for the weekend. And although the Broncos lost, it helped to have company (and ice cream) around to keep us from feeling the pain of the loss too much.

And since my mom was around this weekend, we took advantage of having her snap a photo of us that wasn't taken with my computer. All ready to head to church...

Almost every week, Joey and I have homemade pizza for a weekday meal. Typically, our pizzas are of the standard variety - pepperoni and green peppers for Joe and mozzarella and basil for me. But on Friday night we dressed things up (a lot) and made a pizza you can't order from a standard take-out joint.

Inspired by our favorite dinner, salads topped with salmon and feta cheese, Salmon Salad Pizza was born. And boy is it mouthwatering. I cringed a bit at the idea of crumbling half a pound of wild Alaskan salmon atop a pizza, but the fact is it's a really economical way to feed high-quality salmon to a group of people. Instead of needing a pound or more, you can give everyone big salmon flavor for much less.

I was a tad bit skeptical about serving this pizza to Joe. Since he's pretty traditional when it comes to pizza, I wasn't sure if he would jump on board with this unique pie. Turns out, he was just as excited about it as I was. Between the two of us, we came pretty close to finishing up this pizza, with just a couple slices leftover for the weekend.

Salmon Salad Pizza
Ingredients
*1/2 lb. filet wild Alaskan salmon
*1 tablespoon olive oil
*3/4 cup baby spinach leaves, stems removed
*Whole wheat pizza dough for one 12-inch pizza (locals - Gateway Market has the best pre-made dough in Des Moines)
*1/3 cup pesto
*1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
*1/2 of a medium tomato, thinly sliced
*1/2 tsp. dried oregano

Instructions
*Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a pizza pan or dust cornmeal on a baking stone and preheat the stone in the oven. Set aside.
*In a nonstick skillet over medium high heat, heat oil. Cook salmon, about 4 minutes per side. Salmon will not be completely cooked through, which is okay. This will prevent the salmon from being dry once it is cooked on the pizza. Flake salmon into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
*With the heat still on, cook spinach for 1 to 2 minutes in the remaining oil in the pan. Spinach should be slightly wilted. Remove from heat and set aside.
*Press pizza dough into a 12-inch circle and transfer to baking sheet. Spread dough with the pesto sauce and sprinkle with the feta cheese. Layer tomato slices atop the feta, followed by the flaked salmon. Top with the spinach and sprinkle with the dried oregano.
*Bake pizza for 15 to 18 minutes, or until cheese is melted and dough is golden brown and crisp around the edges. Remove from oven and cut into pieces. Makes 8 slices

Happy Cooking!
Madison

Velveeta-Chili Dip

2012-01-13T07:13:00.000-06:00

If you're anything like us, chances are you're going to spend at least a little bit of time watching a football game (or four) on Saturday and Sunday. And if you're really like us, you'll probably find yourself standing and shouting at the TV while watching the Broncos game on Saturday night.

When we're particularly interested in one of the games, I like to make things a little more exciting by preparing a few traditional football eats. And while I wish I could say this dip was a healthier version of the original, that's just not true. Every time we buy Velveeta at the store (which is only to make this dip and a rare occasion) I cringe a little. But it's one of Joey's favorites and a compromise made for marriage, if you will.

This recipe came to me via my mother-in-law, Lisa. It's a little different than the traditional Velveeta-Rotel dip that's quite popular. And Joe loves this version because it has a lot of substance (aka meat) in the form of an entire pound of ground beef.

While I wouldn't recommend making this often, it's a fun and easy way to celebrate some of the big games coming up in the weeks ahead. Go Broncos!

Velveeta-Chili Dip

Ingredients

*1 block of Velveeta cheese

*1 standard-size can (14-ounces I believe?) Hormel Chili with Beans

*1 lb. ground beef, browned and crumbled

*1 (8-ounce) bottle Ortega mild taco sauce

Instructions

*Place all the ingredients in a 4- to 5-quart slow cooker over low heat until cheese is melted. Stir to evenly combine. Serve with tortilla chips or, if you're trying to be a little healthier, veggie dippers. Makes enough for a crowd.

Happy Cooking!

Madison

Goals for 2012

2012-01-11T07:47:00.000-06:00

1. No 'Fat Talk' in 2012 Yes, you heard me right. I'm instituting a no 'fat talk' policy for the entire year. When the idea first came to my mind, I thought there was no way I could go a whole year without verbally saying things like "I look fat" or "my thighs look huge". But as hard as it may be, I think it's worth pursuing. That's not to say that I'm planning on becoming complacent with my fitness goals. But I do think it's important to be thankful for where I am at in the here and now and to spend less time thinking about myself and turn that attention to those around me.

If you wan to join me and take the 'No Fat Talk Pledge' feel free to leave a comment below. I think we could all stand to be a little nicer to our bodies. Perhaps we could Tweet positive motivations under the hash tag #nofattalk2012 as well?

2. Spend More Mindfully, Save More Money Can't we all relate? I want to be more thoughtful about how I spend money this year. That means fewer trips to Starbucks, being more diligent about packing lunches at home, purchasing investment pieces for my wardrobe rather than a bunch of stuff I'll be sick of wearing a year later. You get the idea. Joey and I would like to pay off his school loans as soon as possible this year, and I want to do my part!

3. Read My Bible More I think this one is pretty self explanatory, but I want to spend more time in God's word, growing closer to Him and learning more about what His will is for my life.

4. Grow Espresso and Cream The actual plan for how to achieve this have yet to be laid in stone. My hope is that I can put together a plan for actively growing this little blog, since in the past I have been rather passive about how it grows.

4. Wash My Hair Less This is a slightly less serious goal, but I think it still counts. I really want to ring in 2013 with long, healthy locks. But my hair stylist says I need to do a better job of not washing it so darn often or using as many styling tools if I want it to grow. I'm going on three days without washing right now - off to a great start! :)

5. Maintain My Current Weight, Get Comfortable With My Body No silly diets or juice cleanses here. I'm just shy of 5'10 and weigh somewhere between 145-148 pounds. I wear size 28 jeans. But more importantly, I have a body capable of running hundreds of miles a year, walking our dog, throwing the football with my hubby, lifting weights and doing hundreds of squats. Pretty cool stuff.

Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken

2012-01-09T09:20:00.000-06:00

Hi again! How was your weekend? Joey and I spend a bunch of time watching football, like four games worth. Since it's the playoffs and all, we figure we're justified spending hours on the couch for the next few weekends knowing the dreadful stretch of football-less weekends is coming up quickly.

A tried and true Florida Gators fan, I am still basking in the glow of the Denver Broncos-Pittsburgh Steelers game and the glory that is watching Tim Tebow pass for 316 (!!) yards. Call me obsessed and color me blue and orange.

Since we were watching so much football and entirely too absorbed to cook real meals, I did a little dump-and-stir meal for Sunday lunch that actually turned out to taste fantastic. Or so says my husband, who ate it in front of the television. The chicken was fall-apart tender and the potatoes were soft and spicy. Just the way a no-fuss stew should be.

Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken
Serves 2 to 3
Ingredients
*2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
*1 standard-size jar of medium salsa
*1 (8- to 9- ounce) cans corn kernels, drained
*1 large baking potato (russet) cut into cubes
*1/2 cup water
*1/2 tsp. salt
*1 tsp. dried oregano
*Shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
*Additional oregano (optional)

Instructions
*In a 4- to 5-quart slow cooker, combine all the above ingredients except for the cheese and additional dried oregano. Cook on low heat for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or until the chicken pulls apart easily with a fork and the potatoes are tender.
*Spoon mixture into bowls with a slotted spoon and sprinkle with shredded cheese and additional dried oregano, if desired.

Happy Cooking!
Madison

Black Bean Brownies

2012-01-06T08:08:00.000-06:00

Three months ago I took a trip to the Wednesday Farmer's Market in downtown Des Moines over our lunch hour. The day was beautiful and I was impressed with the selection of tasty lunch items the small farmer's market had to offer. But what really drew me in was a small whole foods stand selling, among other things, black bean brownies. As you can probably imagine, I couldn't resist trying a sample and hearing about what this black bean brownie thing was all about.

Turns out, the nutrition stats on the brownie were really impressive and I couldn't even tell there were black beans in the brownie. It was just incredibly moist and gooey. Totally my kind of brownie.

Although it took me a while to get in my kitchen and replicate the black bean brownie in my own kitchen, I can report back to you that they are as easy and tasty as ever. Made with whole wheat flour, just a bit of sugar and black beans for protein, these are brownies that you can feel good about eating! In fact, each brownie contains just around 120 calories and 3 grams of protein. If you want to make them even healthier, I think you could probably cut back on the sugar even more, and perhaps sub some apple sauce for some of the oil.

Oh, and as a trial, when Joey got home I offered him a brownie and asked what he thought. He couldn't even tell there was anything healthy about these brownies. When I asked him what he thought the secret ingredient was, he said whole wheat flour. And although that's true, it wasn't exactly the answer I was looking for. He couldn't even tell there were black beans involved. I would call that a success!

Black Bean Brownies
Adapted from FoodNetwork.com

Ingredients
*3/4 cup black beans, rinsed and drained (canned is fine)
*1/2 cup light flavored olive oil or canola oil
*2 eggs or 1/2 cup Egg Beaters liquid egg replacement
*1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
*1/2 cup granulated sugar (could probably reduce to 1/3 cup if desired)
*1 tsp. instant coffee granules
*1 tsp. vanilla extract
*1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
*1/3 cup whole wheat flour
*1/2 tsp. baking powder
*1/4 tsp. salt
*Additional chocolate chips (optional)

Instructions
*Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with aluminum foil. Set aside.
*In the bowl of a food processor or blender, combine the black beans, olive oil, eggs, cocoa powder and sugar. Blend until well combined and mixture is smooth, about 1 minute. Add in the coffee, vanilla, melted chocolate, flour, baking powder and salt. Blend until smooth, about 30 seconds.
*Pour batter into prepared baking dish and spread to distribute evenly. Top with additional chocolate chips, if desired. Bake in the middle rack of the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool. Makes 16 brownies

Happy Baking!
Madison

Casually Ringing in the New Year

2012-01-05T09:11:00.000-06:00

{At one point in the evening, we were dressed presentably. However, it didn't take us long to switch into sweats and our most comfortable tops. No sparkles at this party.}

{Amber, Baylen and Jake enjoying appetizers at Lonski's in Grinnell.}

{Showing off Joey's office space to our siblings. Since our apartment is a loft, it's nice to have some work-life separation by renting an office space.}

{The soon-to-be newlyweds, Jason and Ali.}

{Happy 2012!}

As you can see, we laid pretty low all of New Year's Eve weekend, enjoying down time with our family. I'm a bit behind (dang cold is getting the best of me) but I'm planning on putting together a post at the beginning of next week about my new year's resolutions. Can't wait to hear what yours are!

Madison

Easy Three Bean Beef Chili

2012-01-02T19:33:00.000-06:00

I can hardly believe that 2012 is already here and 2011 is just a memory. While I spent the most of last week and this past weekend sick with a killer cold, we did manage to have a little bit of fun ringing in the new year.

Joey's sister and brother-in-law, Amber and Jake, along with baby Baylen, as well as Joey's brother, Jason and his fiancé, Ali, all made the trip to Grinnell to stay with us for the long weekend. Since I was a slacker with my camera, I'll have to wait for Amber to send some photos my way before posting a recap of our weekend. Today, since I was still feeling pretty under the weather, we spent most of the day laying low and watching football. It's what Nutmeg does best...

Typically, when we have people over, I stress out about preparing meals. It's not the cooking that gets me worked up as much as the combination of cooking and enjoying myself in the process of it all. I'm a bit of a work in process where entertaining is concerned.

Joey, realizing this, said he wanted me to pick easy meals that didn't require much stressing about. And since I wasn't feeling like myself with this cold, I was more than happy to stick with quick and easy. French toast for breakfast, make your own sandwiches and fresh fruit for lunch, and my mom's chili with homemade cornbread for dinner on New Year's Eve.

Although my mom wouldn't brag about her chili, it really is something special. First, because it's thick, hearty and filling. Second, because it's unbelievably easy and comes together in under 30 minutes. It's easily adaptable for vegetarians, too, if you leave out the ground beef.

Of course, you can make this chili in advance and allow the flavors to meld together as the simmer on the stovetop, it's entirely up to you and when your company wants to eat.

Easy Three Bean Beef Chili
Ingredients
*2 lbs. lean ground beef or ground turkey
*1 large (30 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
*1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
*1 (30 oz.) can Mrs. Grimes Chili Beans, undrained
*1 (15 oz.) can black beans, undrained
*1 (15 oz.) can white kidney beans or white great northern beans, undrained
*2 to 3 tablespoons chili powder, depending on how hot you like your chili
*Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
*In a large stockpot over medium high heat, brown ground beef or ground turkey. Drain off fat.
*Add remaining ingredients to the stockpot. Stir to combine. Bring to a simmer. Cover to keep warm until ready to serve.

Happy Cooking!
Madison

Dutch Saucijsjes (aka Dutch Pig in the Blanket)

2011-12-30T10:26:00.000-06:00

I'd like to take a minute and introduce you to a very special woman, my grandma Dorothy Bomgaars. Dorothy is my mother's mother and happens to be a very good (Dutch) cook. My mom grew up on a farm in Iowa with four brothers, and my grandma was in charge of feeding a family of seven every day. I can't imagine cooking for that many people every day.

And although she will be 91 in March, my grandma is incredibly sharp and tech-savvy. She reads Espresso and Cream faithfully and has a keen eye for the stock markets.

While I was home in northwest Iowa over Christmas break, my mom suggested we invite my grandma and cousin, Angela, over so my grandma could teach us how to make a very special Dutch food - saucijsjes (pronounced suh-sigh-shees). I grew up eating these Dutch treats. Although I no longer eat them, I thought it would be interesting to learn the tried and true method of making them from my grandma. Since, as we all know, grandmothers make things better than the rest of us do.

Although the name might suggest otherwise, sausijsjes are actually quite simple to make. They are slightly time consuming. But since the recipe actually calls for you to freeze the sausijsjes before baking them, you can make a double batch and store the extras in the freezer for a quick dinner or Sunday brunch.

What makes these little pig in the blankets so special are the nuances in preparation and method. Things I wouldn't have learned unless I had my grandma there as a guide. Since the ultra-flaky pastry is chock full of butter, you have to bake the saucijsjes on a piece of paper sack from a paper grocery bag. The paper absorbs the extra grease and prevents the pastry from getting soggy. And don't even think about skipping the freezing step. It helps the pastry rise and flake when you bake them.

Many of the ingredients we gathered to make the saucijsjes were only available to us because we live in a very Dutch community. At Woudstra Meat Market downtown, you can buy a special meat mixture called 'saucijsje meat', and even the bread-crumbs come from a dutch bread called Rusk, which is crumbled into the meat. I've done my best to adapt the recipe for those of you who don't have access to such specific Dutch ingredients, hoping the results will turn out as delightful for you as they did for us.

Dutch Saucijsjes (aka Dutch Pig in the Blanket)
Ingredients
For the Pastry
*5 cups all-purpose flour
*1 1/2 tsp. salt
*2 tsp. baking powder
*1 Tbsp. sugar
*3 sticks margarine
*1/2 cup shortening/Crisco (my grandma used lard)
*2 eggs, lightly beaten
*1 1/2 cups whole milk

For the Meat Filling
*3 lbs. saucijsje meat (or 1 1/2 lbs. ground beef and 1 1/2 lbs. ground pork)
*2 eggs, lightly beaten
*4 Dutch rusk, finely crumbled (or 2/3 c dry plain bread crumbs)
*1 tsp. dried sage
*3/4 tsp. salt
*1/4 tsp. cracked black pepper

Instructions
*Combine all the ingredients for the meat filling until well combined. FOrm into log-shaped pieces, about 2 inches in length (see second photo). Transfer to a large baking pan. Set aside. You should have around 38 to 40 small meat logs.
*For the dough, in a large bowl combine the flour, salt, baking powder and sugar. Add in the margarine and shortening and blend with a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse peas. Add in the egg and milk and stir until well combine. Knead with your hands to form a soft ball of dough.
*Transfer dough to a well-floured countertop and roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut dough into rectangles big enough to completely cover your meat logs.
*Wrap meat in dough, being careful to seal the seam shut with your fingers by pinching together. Transfer to a baking sheet to freeze, seam side down. Repeat with remaining dough and meat.
*Freeze for at least four hours or up to two months.
*To bake, line a baking pan with a sheet of brown paper grocery sack. Preheat oven to 400°F. Place saucijsjes on baking sheet. Brush with egg whites. Bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 40 saucijsjes

Happy Cooking!
Madison

2011-12-26T21:05:00.000-06:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and got a chance to spend a little quality time with friends and family. Joey and I spent the last five days back home in northwest Iowa and packed in as much time with loved ones as humanly possible.

Maybe we spent a little too much time on the go, because this morning I woke up with a terrible sore throat and just felt pretty crummy overall. I'm hoping that a little extra sleep and a day to rest tomorrow before going back to work on Wednesday will help me mend quickly.

Here are a few of the highlights from our Christmas...

1. Hanging out with our nephew, Baylen, and getting to help babysit while mom and dad went on a date to celebrate their four year anniversary.

2. Attending the wedding of a high school friend and getting to catch up with people I haven't seen in years was so much fun. The bride, Janna, looked beautiful and we were lucky enough to be seated at a great table.

3. Nutmeg was quite the charmer all week long while wearing her Christmas bow.

4. Grandma Dorothy came over for Christmas breakfast. My mom, in typical fashion, had a beautifully-set table and amazing food.

5. Seeing my mom open her gift (an espresso maker) was so much fun! Being the coffee-fanatic that she is, we knew we had found the perfect gift.

6. Joe and I also managed to take a picture before the Christmas-day festivities began. The weather in Iowa was amazing! So warm that we didn't even need coats as we traveled to various family functions. As far as I'm concerned, the snow can stay away all winter.

7. We capped off Christmas night with the traditional Bomgaars family Christmas party. Our entire family was home this year so we took full advantage and snapped a family photo.

Madison

It's the MOST Wonderful Time of the Year

2011-12-23T14:31:00.000-06:00

Today is a special day because my mom, Marilyn, has agreed to do a guest post for me! She worked a little Christmas magic in our apartment this year and was kind enough to share a little heart-warming Christmas story to celebrate the holidays.

How fun is this - guest blogging? I love this time of year, and as followers of Espresso and Cream, I thought you might enjoy hearing how Madison and Joe’s loft apartment was decorated for their first Christmas as a married couple.

While home over Thanksgiving weekend, Madison mentioned she & Joe would not be decorating for Christmas. As is typical for most newlyweds, they had no Christmas décor and decided they would take advantage of the after-Christmas sales on trees and decorations. Consequently, they would be waiting until next year to decorate for the season. As a parent, I inwardly patted myself on the back thinking the money-management lessons I espoused for years had made an impact after all.

The following week produced the season’s first dusting of snow and during a telephone chat, Madison made a casual mention, “Joe says it doesn’t really feel like Christmas without a tree.”

Such a confession tugged at my heartstrings (i.e. sweet, young couple trying to be fiscally responsible but missing out on some of the excitement of Christmas). And then came an “Ahhh” idea, which would also turn into this year’s Christmas gifts for Madison and Joe.

A trip to Des Moines to attend a special Christmas concert the next weekend was already on my calendar and since I was going to be in the area, I made plans to spend the night with M & J on Friday. So, before I left home, I rummaged through the basement storage room and gathered extra decorations, greenery, and ornaments. (Does anyone besides me have lots of unused Christmas stuff in the basement?) I spray painted branches cut from a backyard hedge and for a brief minute, felt like Martha Stewart. I located a perfect tall, but skinny, Christmas tree; boxed and in three pieces. And after a quick scavenge of the TJMaxx Christmas section, I felt prepared to pull off a surprise.

The weekend arrived and it was great catching up with M & J Friday night, but a pre-planned trip to visit friends in Minneapolis had them heading out the door early Saturday morning. I asked them if it was OK if I lingered over a second cup of coffee before I too hit the road and headed for home. But, the minute their car backed out of the parking space, the ‘elf’ fun began. Boxes from my car were unpacked and with Christmas music playing, the decorating began. Pleased with the festive transformation, I headed home on Sunday.

The phone call came on Sunday evening. With excitement that couldn’t be contained, it was Madison, “Mom, we just walked in the door. It’s magical. The apartment is just magical. Thank you so much, mom.”

I don’t remember giving a gift that felt as meaningful, as perfect, as appreciated and as much fun to give. Like me, I hope the greatest gift you receive this Christmas season is the JOY that comes from giving freely. Blessings to all of you.

Marilyn

Healthier Peppermint Cheesecake

2011-12-22T10:08:00.000-06:00

For those of you that are still looking for a festive dessert over the holidays that is something a little fancier than cookies, this Healthier Peppermint Cheesecake would make a fabulous addition to your holiday table. Joey and I had friends over last week and the finale to our meal was this cheesecake.

Since I figured everyone this time of year gets enough heavy, calorie-dense meals, I wanted to keep the dessert lighter than traditional cheesecake. When I found this cheesecake recipe in a Holiday Diabetic Recipes magazine I picked up a few weeks back, I knew it would be the perfect dessert. Although no one in the group is diabetic, the recipe was lower in calories and fat than any other recipe I've come across.

When it comes to taste and flavor, I could hardly tell that this was a healthier cheesecake. It was slightly less sweet, but I found that pleasant when compared to the typical sugar coma inducing cheesecake of the Cheesecake Factory.

In other news, Joey and I have been having a great time with family and taking a little time off from work. I'll post an update soon on happenings over the past couple days, but for now I'll leave you with a this crazy-good recipe.

Festive Peppermint Cheesecake

1 1/4 cups finely crushed low-fat graham crackers
1/4 cup ground flaxseed meal
1/3 cup tub-style vegetable oil spread, melted
1 (8-ounce) package reduced-fat cream cheese
1 (7-ounce) jar marshmallow creme
1 (6-ounce) container plain nonfat Greek yogurt
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
3/4 cup refrigerated or frozen egg product, thawed, or 3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups frozen light whipped dessert topping
6 sugar-free peppermints, crushed
1 ounce semi-sweet chocolate, melted

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. For crust, combine graham crackers and flaxseed meal. Stir in melted vegetable oil spread. Press crumb mixture into bottom and about 2-inches up sides of an 8-inch springform pan, set aside.
2. For filling, beat cream cheese, marshmallow creme, yogurt, and peppermint extract until smooth. Stir in eggs just until combined.
3. Pour filling into crust-lined pan. Place pan in a shallow baking pan. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a 2 1/2 inch area around the outside edge appears set when gently shaken.
4. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Using a small sharp knife, loosen the crust from sides of pan; cool for 30 minutes. Remove the side of the pan; cool cheesecake completely on rack. Cover; chill for at least 4 hours before serving.
5. To serve, spread desert topping on top. Top with melted chocolate and crushed peppermints.

Nutrition Facts per serving (makes 12 servings): 258 cal., 12 g total fat, 14 mg chol., 212 mg. sodium, 31 g carb, 1 g fiber, 6 g pro.

Happy Baking!
Madison

'Chicken' Noodle Soup

2011-12-18T21:40:00.000-06:00

Lately, I've been trying to do a better job about documenting how Joey and I eat together as a mixed vegetarian and omnivore family. With so few hours of daylight these days, there have been a lot of meals that have gone undocumented, since I have yet to master the art of photographing food in artificial light.

That said, once in a while I manage to snap a photo of a lunch or dinner here and there. Last week this soup was a huge hit with both Joey and me. Unlike traditional recipes for chicken noodle soup, this recipe calls for adding in the cooked chicken at the end of the preparation. That way, if someone in your family is looking to eat less meat, you can add as much or as little chicken as you want. I enjoyed my soup sans chicken with a side of toast and hummus for a little added protein. Joey enjoyed his with chicken, of course, and loved it as much as I did.

It amazes me how a little extra time yields results that are so worth making soup from scratch as opposed to buying it premade in a can. And when it gets really cold, I can only imagine we will be enjoying this soup again and again to stay warm and toasty.

'Chicken' Noodle Soup

Ingredients
*1/2 cup finely chopped celery
*1/2 cup finely chopped carrots
*2/3 cup diced onions
*3 tablespoons olive oil
*1 teaspoon salt
*1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
*1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
*1/2 teaspoon dried basil
*2 cloves garlic, minced
*1/4 teaspoon black pepper
*1 box (32-ounces) vegetable or chicken stock
*1 cup water
*1 can white beans, drained
*1 cup whole wheat egg noodles
*2 large chicken breasts, cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces (optional)

Instructions
*In a large stockpot over medium high heat, combine the celery, carrots, onions and olive oil. Cook for five to six minutes, until onions are opaque and carrots begin to tenderize. Add in the salt, oregano, chili powder, basil, garlic and black pepper. Cook for four to five minutes more, until mixture is fragrant.
*Add in the stock and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, in a food processor or blender, combine the water and white beans. Blend until well combined and smooth. Add to the boiling stock mixture. Bring back to a boil and add in the egg noodles. Cook until noodles are cooked, about seven to nine minutes. Reduce heat to low and add in chicken, if desired.

Happy Cooking!

Madison

Now on DailyGarnish.com

2011-12-16T09:49:00.000-06:00

Happy Friday, everyone! I don't know about you, but I'm almost as excited about this weekend as I am about Christmas. Joey and I have been traveling on the weekends like crazy people - I think we've been gone five out of the last six weekends and a majority of the weekends this fall. So this weekend, we have a lazy weekend planned at home.

We'll also be hosting a pre-Christmas dinner party with some of our friends from Bible study, so there will be a little cooking and cleaning on the schedule. But aside from that, just a lot of nothing. I can hardly wait!

In other, more exciting, news, I'm honored to be guest posting over at Daily Garnish today. While Emily is adjusting to life as a new mom, she asked me to share a recipe. When I came upon this super-simple recipe for Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, I couldn't resist sharing it with everyone I know.

If you are new to vegan baking, this recipe is for you, since it contains no hard-to-find ingredients. Drop on over to Daily Garnish for the recipe!

Have a great weekend!
Madison

Brown Sugar Cookies with Mint Chocolate Glaze

2011-12-15T06:57:00.000-06:00

I created these recipes a while back to share as part of a Christmas cookie exchange on Amy's blog. Amy and I have a mutual friend: her cousin, Emily, happens to be a good high school friend of mine. When Amy asked if I would take part in her '25 Days of Cookies' I was excited to have another reason to bake and create something special.

These cookies really do deliver on the special. Instead of making traditional sugar cookies with granulated sugar, I decided to mix things up and use brown sugar mixed together with a bit of granulated sugar. The result was a moist, chewy cookie with oodles of depth. Much more than a traditional sugar cookie. I also used white whole wheat flour for added nutty flavor, but you could easily use all-purpose flour if you want.

Of course, no Christmas sugar cookie is complete without a little glaze, so I played of the mint-chocolate combination and made a super-simple icing. The resulting topper gave these cookies a bit of 'peppermint patty' appeal.

Brown Sugar Cookies with Mint Chocolate Glaze

Ingredients
*1 cup butter, softened
*1 cup firmly-packed brown sugar
*1/2 cup granulated sugar
*2 large eggs
*3/4 teaspoon baking soda
*1/4 teaspoon baking powder
*1 teaspoon vanilla extract
*1/4 teaspoon salt
*2 cups white whole wheat flour
*1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Glaze
*2/3 cup powdered sugar
*2 tablespoons chocolate milk
*1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
*2 teaspoons chocolate milk powder (optional)

Instructions
1. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer on medium high speed for 30 seconds or until butter is soft and fluffy. Add in the sugars and beat for 1 to 2 minutes more. Add in the eggs, baking soda, baking powder, vanilla and salt. Beat until well combined. Add in the flours and beat until just combined. Chill for 2 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Place on the baking sheet, 2 inches apart, and bake for 8 minutes. Cookies will look slightly puffy and under-baked/glossy on the tops. Cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
3. Meanwhile, prepare the glaze. Combine the powdered sugar, chocolate milk, peppermint extract and chocolate milk powder (if using) and stir until combined. Drizzle glaze over cooled cookies and allow glaze to harden. Makes 3 dozen cookies.

Happy Baking!

Madison

Sweet and Sour Tempeh Salad

2011-12-12T09:18:00.000-06:00

I got an e-mail from a reader last week asking about how I eat vegetarian even though my hubby doesn't. When we first got married, I was wondering the same thing! Since I do most of the cooking, figuring out how we could still eat healthfully at home within our dietary constraints was up to me.

This salad is a perfect example of how we eat together. My protein source for this dinner salad was tempeh glazed in a super simple sweet and sour sauce. While Joey's protein source was chopped cooked chicken breast cooked in the same method I cooked my tempeh. It's quick swaps like these that make dinnertime in our house easier than it may initially seem.

If you are unfamiliar with tempeh, you can find out more about this vegetarian protein source HERE. It's packed with health benefits, and from a cook's perspective, it's extremely versatile. Crumbled up, it can easily pass for the texture of browned and crumbled ground beef, and it works well as a chicken replacement, as in this recipe.

This salad is a slightly different adaptation of my Autumn Chopped Salad. I know a lot of people have made this recipe after finding it on Pinterest, but mentioned that they wanted it to have a bit more protein. Problem solved!

Sweet and Sour Tempeh Salad
Ingredients
*1/3 cup cubed, raw tempeh
*1 tablespoon low-sodium sweet and sour stir-fry sauce
*1 teaspoon olive oil
*2 cups chopped Romaine lettuce
*1/2 medium pear (firm), chopped into bite-sized pieces
*1 oz. sharp white cheddar cheese, cubed
*1 tablespoon poppyseed dressing
*2 tablespoons light balsamic vinaigrette

Instructions
*Combine the tempeh, sweet and sour sauce, and olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture is bubbly and hot and tempeh is heated through. Remove from heat and set aside.
*In a large salad bowl, combine the lettuce, pear, and cheese. Top with the tempeh.
*In a small cup, combine the poppyseed dressing and balsamic vinaigrette. Pour over the prepared salad. Serve immediately. Makes 1 serving

Happy Cooking!

Madison

Review: Hotel Chocolat

2011-12-09T10:15:00.000-06:00

A couple of months ago, the amazing people over at Hotel Chocolat offered to send over some chocolates from their holiday collection for me to review. Of course, I said yes! I mean the opportunity to eat free chocolate? Count me in.

I wasn't exactly sure what I would be reviewing, so imagine my delight when I unwrapped this amazing beautiful box of gourmet chocolates. My mom was visiting when I received the chocolates, so of course I took photos right away so we could dig in and try a couple. My first reaction was that the chocolate flavors were really creative:

Although the chocolates are a little pricey ($50 for the box of 28), if you are looking for a special Christmastime gift for a dinner party host of chocolate-loving family member, I would honestly recommend these. If you're interested in finding out more, check them out HERE.

Thanks, Hotel Chocolat! And have a great weekend, everyone!

Madison

Honey Graham Salmon

2011-12-08T05:56:00.000-06:00

I'm thinking of naming this week of posts "Confession Week." After the name-changing fears and discussion earlier this week (thanks for all your awesome responses - it's amazing to hear everyone's experiences), it's time to talk about my eating habits.

When I first went vegetarian, the thing I anticipated missing the most was fish. I could live without chicken, pork and beef without batting an eye, but fish, on the other hand, was another story. During the first six months of going veg, I cut out all meat, including seafood. Since I felt great and wasn't craving meat in the least bit, I felt confident my protein intake was sufficient to sustain my active lifestyle. That said, I would be lying if I claimed I didn't miss a salmon fillet every now and again.

As a bit of a back-story, I didn't go vegetarian for ethical reasons. Growing up in the heart of farm country, I don't believe eating meat is wrong (although I do see some serious issues in the way meat is raised in some commercial situations). I chose to go vegetarian out of curiosity, and stuck with being veg because of how much science there is backing the benefits of eating a plant-based whole foods diet.

About a year ago, I decided to experiment with adding a bit of fish into my diet. Since I struggled for so long to get my family to understand my vegetarianism, I didn't want to let others in on my decision. It seemed very personal and something I didn't have figured out yet. What does this mean? Am I going to eat fish frequently? How am I supposed to describe my choice to others?

But after a year of thinking it through, I am more comfortable in my choice. I believe that my diet can be even healthier with the addition of a small piece of fish every now and again. I found this article about Omega-3 in fish extremely helpful in guiding my decision. That said, there are a few rules I try to stick to when eating fish:

1. Eating wild fish that was harvested using sustainable fishing practices. This means the fish we buy is pretty expensive, but since we only eat it once or twice a month, it works. (the Monterey Bay Aquarium has awesome downloadable guides by geographic area on what types of fish to buy and what types to steer clear of.)
2. Limiting my fish intake to 1 or 2 times a month. I know that plenty of research suggests eating fish more often than that, but a couple times feels right for my body.

Although I know I don't owe anyone an explanation, I felt like I wanted to keep you in the loop. Since we try to find unique ways to eat our fish, like this Honey Graham Salmon, I wanted to be able to share recipes and my tasting notes along the way.

This recipe, in particular, was a real winner. I'm not sure how something as childish as Honey Grahams cereal can take a beautiful piece of salmon and make it rich and complex, but it does! Joey and I were both shocked at how great the flavor was and how kid-friendly it would be for little eaters. And if you're still skeptical, I would highly recommend giving it a try!

Honey Graham Salmon
Ingredients
*1/2 teaspoon olive oil
*3/4 cup Honey Grahams cereal, finely crushed
*Scant pinch of ground ginger
*1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
*1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
*3 or 4 skinless salmon filets (5 ounces each)

Insturctions
*Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a large baking pan with foil. Grease the foil with the olive oil.
*In a large shallow bowl, combine the crushed cereal, ginger, sea salt and black pepper. Dip salmon filets in the honey graham mixture to coat on all sides. Transfer to prepared baking pan.
*Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Serve atop lettuce or with steamed green beans.

Happy Baking!

Madison

The Name Game

2011-12-06T10:44:00.000-06:00

I can hardly believe that Joe and I have already been married for close to five months. In the months leading up to the wedding there was only one thing I was a bit unsettled about: changing my last name. I have an unusually strong attachment to my last name, in part because of the connection I feel it gives me to my family's heritage, and in part because I love the way it sounds.

For as long as I can remember, I've gotten compliments on my name, Madison Mayberry, because of the way it flows together. Maybe it seems a bit vain, but I was having a very hard time with the idea of letting it go.

I've played around with a variety of options, including hyphenating my last name, keeping my name as it is, or adding a double middle name and using my former last name as a second middle name. Since my middle name has family significance, dropping it completely really isn't an option. As of now, I'm legally still Madison Jane Mayberry.

So, I guess I want to hear what you all think! If you are married, what did you decide to do? And if you are single, what do you plan to do when you get married?

Madison

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

2011-12-05T09:18:00.001-06:00

Now that we have officially entered the month of December, I feel like I can post cookie recipes nonstop without shame. Growing up, cookie baking was a huge deal in my house during the weeks leading up to Christmas. My mom and I would scour our favorite cookbooks looking for the perfect combination of recipes. Once said recipes were chosen, we spent an entire day baking and making a mess. Usually I would bake and my mom would clean. Quite the system if I say so myself.

Although our cookie baking has scaled down slightly in the past few years, there is still nothing I love more at Christmastime than baking. Partly because it's tradition and partly because it's delicious!

These cookies are a new addition to the holiday cookie collection I've spent years cultivating. I'll be sharing a few of our families favorites in the weeks to come, but it's kinda fun starting with something new. Chewy and brownie-like, these cookies are perfect for the real chocolate-lovers out there. They are unbelievably easy to pull together and stack well, which is important if you're planning on shipping off cookies to loved ones across the country.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Recipe from Chow.com

Ingredients

*4 ounces unsweetened chocolate

*1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil

*2 cups all-purpose flour

*2 teaspoons baking powder

*1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

*2 cup granulated sugar

*2 teaspoons vanilla extract

*4 large eggs

*1 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

*Place the chocolate and oil in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat.

*Stir together the flour, baking soda and salt. Stir together until well combined. Set aside.

*Place the sugar and the chocolate-oil mixture in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat for 1 to 2 minutes until well combined. Add in the vanilla and eggs, one at a time, beating to incorporate after each addition, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Mixture will be soft.

*On low speed, beat in the flour mixture until just combined. Refrigerate dough for at least two hours or overnight.

*Preheat oven to 350°F. Scoop tablespoon-sized balls of cookie dough into parchment-lined baking sheets or baking sheets lined with a silicone baking mats. Roll balls in powdered sugar. Flatten balls slightly with the palm of your hand. Bake for 10 to 13 minutes (10 for chewier cookies and 13 for cookies with a crispier edge). Cool slightly on the baking sheet and cool on a wire rack.

Happy Baking!

Madison

Healthier Turkey Meatballs

2011-12-01T06:37:00.000-06:00

First off, WOW! I'm trilled that so many of you entered the giveaway. Reading what everyone was thankful for was amazing and really pushed me to think more about what I'm thankful for. The winner of the giveaway is Star Van Gelder. Star, please e-mail me (madisonjanemayberry@gmail.com) and I'll work out the details to get you your knife!

One of Joey's all-time favorite meals is spaghetti and meatballs. And although I don't have even an ounce of Italian in me, I do think I make a pretty mean version. Growing up, my favorite meal was when my mom would make what we called porcupine meatballs. They were large meatballs filled with rice and baked in the oven. We actually ate our meatballs with mashed potatoes and steamed veggies instead of atop pasta and it was amazingly delicious.

For the past couple years I've been making meatballs simmered in marinara sauce for optimal flavor and to maintain moisture, which is especially important when you are cooking with something leaner such as ground turkey.

Healthier Turkey Meatballs
Ingredients
*2 slices whole wheat bread
*1/3 cup skim or low-fat milk
*1 large egg, lightly beaten
*1 1/2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
*1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
*1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
*1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
*1 lb. ground turkey
*1 tablespoon olive oil
*1 (28-ounce) jar tomato-basil marinara sauce or other preferred marinara sauce
*4 to 6 servings whole wheat angel hair pasta, prepared according to package instructions (optional)

Instructions
*In a large bowl, soak the whole wheat bread in the milk. Crumble up the bread with your fingers into small pieces. Add in the egg, Italian seasoning, Parmesan cheese, salt and black pepper. Stir to combine. Add in the turkey and work mixture together with your hands until evenly combined.
*Form turkey mixture into meatballs, about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Set aside.
*In a very large skillet (that has a lid) heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the meatballs to the oil in the pan. Cook about 3 or 4 minutes, flip, and cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes on the second side. Meatballs should have a crisp golden crust on both sides. Add the marinara sauce to the pan and bring the mixture to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium low, cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through and no pink remains.
*Serve atop the whole wheat angel hair pasta. Top with grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Happy Cooking!

Madison

Shun Knife Giveaway! (closed)

2011-11-28T16:25:00.000-06:00

Source

If you've been an Espresso and Cream reader for a while, then you may have noticed that giveaways have been a little sparse around here lately. I think the last giveaway I did was back during the beginning of October. I've been a little bit busy, sure, but the real reason I've been holding back on the giveaways is because I wanted to make December's giveaway something really special.

When I turned 18 my mom gave me the best gift a food-loving high school senior could get, my first real knives. Although I'm sure there were a few people who thought it was a strange gift, I was overjoyed. I still remember going to Williams-Sonoma with my mom to pick out the perfect knives to start my collection. Of trying to be terribly 'grown up' and pretending I actually knew what in the world I was talking about. I'm still not entirely sure I know what I'm talking about sometimes, but I do know how much I love my Shun knives, even to this day.

So today, as we kick off the Christmas season of gift-giving, I wanted to give one of you a gift as a token of appreciation for being awesome, for reading Espresso and Cream, and for making being a part of this food community such a wonderful experience.

In order to do it up big, I'm giving away a Shun Classic 7 1/2" Double Hollow-Ground Sumo Santoku knife (pictured above). To enter, leave a comment below between now and November 30th at 9 p.m. letting me know what you are thankful for this holiday season.

Madison

Toasted Pecan Shortbread

2011-11-28T06:17:00.000-06:00

Nothing like getting a jump on December cooking making, right? I was sitting on the couch with some of my cookbooks last week when I stumbled upon a shortbread recipe in Gourmet Today. There wasn't anything different about the recipe. In fact, it was pretty simple. Straightforward and to the point is how I like my recipes.

What really got me hooked on the idea of making this shortbread was the idea that it could be a blank canvas for almost any holiday flavor my heart desired. So instead of leaving it plain, as the recipe suggested, I tossed some chopped pecans with ground cinnamon and salt for a little play on the sweet and salty.

When this cookie first came out of the oven, before I cut it into wedges, Joey was quite skeptical. However, after serving one up with a glass of milk, he was a believer. Upon first bite, he demanded they make an appearance on the blog as well as at family Christmas.

Toasted Pecan Shortbread
Recipe adapted from Gourmet Today

Ingredients
*1/2 cup pecan halves, chopped
*1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
*1/4 teaspoon salt
*1 stick unsalted butter, softened
*1/3 cup sugar
*1 teaspoon vanilla extract
*1 cup all-purpose flour

Instructions
*Preheat oven to 350°F. Line one baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
*In a small bowl combine the pecans, cinnamon and salt. Toss together to coat. Spread nuts on an ungreased baking pan and toast in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes, until pecans are fragrant and lightly browned. Remove from oven to cool.
*Meanwhile, combine the butter, sugar and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy. Add in the flour and worth together with your hands until evenly incorporated. Mixture will be slightly crumbly. Transfer dough onto prepared baking sheet and press mixture into a disc about 6 to 8 inches in diameter. Spread the toasted nut mixture atop the dough and press lightly with your hands to get the nuts to adhere to the dough.
*Bake for 15 minutes or until edges are slightly browned and the dough is puffed up. Cool on wire rack. Cut cooled cookie into wedges to serve. Makes 6 to 8 servings

Happy Baking!
Madison

A Happy Thanksgiving, Indeed!

2011-11-25T20:40:00.000-06:00

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving full of delicious food and plenty of dessert. And if you are a little bit crazy (like my family is), then I hope you got some amazing Black Friday deals, too!

We arrived back home to Orange City on Wednesday night and got to prepping for the Thanksgiving meal right away. My mom had already set the tables and had the turkey soaking in a brine, but there was plenty to do. Since we hosted the meal for my extended family this year, we were also in charge of the menu. My mom had pulled out all the stops, making her own turkey stock and drying her own sage. Unfortunately, on Thursday morning my mom woke me up at 6 a.m., sick with the flu and unable to continue on with turkey day prep.

Although we hadn't planned on being Thanksgiving hosts or solo cooks without my mom's help, Joey and I jumped in and carried on my mom's elaborate plans for an amazing meal. Since she is incredibly organized and did much of the work ahead of time, I only freaked out a little bit. I'm happy to report that a great meal was had by all and my mom has recovered from her 24-hour bug.

Here are a few pics of what we made and ate!

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

Madison

Video Tutorial: How to Make an Infinity Scarf

2011-11-23T07:36:00.000-06:00

As promised, I filmed a video tutorial this week on how to make the infinity scarf I posted a couple weeks back after getting a number of people asking me for the pattern I used. The thing is, I didn't use a pattern, I just sort of flew by the seat of my pants and made it up as I go.

Before you watch the video, know that:
a. I know very little about crocheting, so my verbage and explanations are very elementary
b. I have no intentions of becoming a craft blogger.
c. The only time I find for crafting is when I'm in my sweatpants, sans makeup, late at night.

Please have mercy on me. And if you find time this weekend for a little craft project, give this scarf a go!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Madison

Baked Oatmeal

2011-11-21T10:18:00.002-06:00

Since I'm guessing by now most of you have your Thanksgiving meal planned and your recipes selected, I thought it might be helpful to shift gears a bit. Chances are that during the next month you will probably have guests staying at your house overnight, or perhaps you are planning on hosting a brunch in the days leading up to Thanksgiving or Christmas.

For me, this type of situation has always proved to be a little tricky. The most common large-group breakfast and brunch dishes seem to be sugar-laden pastries, coffee cakes and greasy egg bakes. Not that there is anything wrong with that, I just prefer to start off the morning with something a little healthier.

I have no idea why it took me so long to get on the baked oatmeal bandwagon, but I'm so glad finally took the plunge. When Heidi's recipe for baked oatmeal started making its way around the internet, I was intrigued. But it wasn't until last night that I gathered up my ingredients and fired up the oven.

Although the original recipe calls for fresh berries, I used thawed, frozen berries since I wasn't about to pay an arm and a leg for fresh this time of year. I also baked the oatmeal in a 9x13-inch pan instead of an 8x8 and upped the number of bananas used, since the baked bananas are the best part of this recipe. Heidi's original recipe also calls for three tablespoons of butter, an ingredient I left out without any issue.

This dish left our house with the most heavenly aroma while it was baking and had us drooling when we pulled it out of the oven. I couldn't help but sneak a small bowl for dessert last night, and helped myself to more for breakfast this morning. While it still tasted good the next day, I would highly recommend baking it the morning you plan to serve it, since that's when the flavor and texture is pure perfection.

Baked Oatmeal
Recipe slightly adapted from 101 Cookbooks

Ingredients
*2 cups rolled oats
*1/2 cup pecan pieces, toasted and chopped
*1/3 cup natural cane sugar
*1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
*1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
*1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
*2 cups milk (I used 2%)
*1 large egg
*2 teaspoons vanilla extract
*3 ripe bananas cut into 1/2-inch pieces
*1 1/2 cups frozen mixed berries (blackberries, blueberries and raspberries), thawed

Instructions
*Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking pan with butter or nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
*In a large bowl, combine the oats, 1/2 of the pecans, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
*In a second bowl, combine the milk, egg and vanilla. Stir until well combined. Set aside.
*Line the bottom of the prepared baking pan with the bananas in a single layer covering the entire bottom of the pan. Sprinkle with 3/4 cup of the thawed berries. Sprinkle the oats mixture evenly over the bananas and berries in the pan. Evenly pour the milk and egg mixture atop the oat layer. Give the baking pan a couple shakes to evenly distribute the milk mixture through the oats. Top with the remaining berries and pecans. Sprinkle with a little additional cane sugar, if desired.
*Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the edges are slightly bubbly and oatmeal looks set. The mixture will still be slightly moist but should feel 'set up' when you touch with your finger. Cool for 5 minutes on a wire rack before serving. Makes 6 servings or 12 servings as part of a larger brunch spread.

Approximate calories for 6 servings: 332 calories, 11 g fat (2 g sat. fat) , 314 mg sodium, 50 g carbohydrates, 9.6 g protein.

Happy Baking!
Madison

Rachael Ray: The FInale

2011-11-18T14:02:00.000-06:00

By now I think that many of you have seen the finale of "Hey, Can You Cook?! All-Stars". If not, head on over here to watch. I won't spoil the ending for those of you who are planning to watch this afternoon or have it recorded on a DVR.

But since the final episode has now aired, I figured it was high time I shared the rest of the photos on my iPhone from the finale, as well as the little video above. One of our fellow competitors, Tim, thought he was taking a photo of Tamar and me when it was actually a video recording.

I wanted to also say a huge THANK YOU to each and every one of you who watched the show along the way, sent me encouraging e-mails and Facebook messages, Tweeted along with me and cheered from a distance. You all made the experience so much more fun, and I can't tell you how much it means to me.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

Madison

Healthier Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

2011-11-17T06:43:00.000-06:00

I promise that once Thanksgiving has come and gone, I will return to posting things that aren't filled with pumpkin. But my love for the stuff is still going strong, and I intend to keep baking with pumpkin until Turkey day arrives.

Last weekend I spent a little time scouring magazines looking for recipes for our family Thanksgiving. I don't know about you all, but on Thanksgiving I prefer to indulge responsibly. There is nothing I hate more than the "oh my gosh I feel so full I want to die" feeling. It's really less about calorie consumption and more about how I feel after eating a huge meal and the days following. Also known as Thanksgiving hangover.

When I spotted a recipe for Pumpkin-Almond Cheesecake in Cooking Light's November issue, I knew I had to give it a try. Instead of making the almond cake that was intended as the bottom layer, I used a crispy graham cracker crust and poured the lightened up cheesecake mixture atop.

I was expecting to be a bit underwhelmed by the dessert when I threw in a block of low-fat cream cheese, Greek yogurt and very little sugar. But to my surprise and delight it was awesome. Smooth, rich-tasting and lightly sweet, Joey and I both ate a piece without feeling stuffed afterward. Things only got better when I calculated the nutrition information for the bars and found that when you make it into 12 servings, each serving only has around 190 calories. Not an ultra low-calorie dessert, but hardly a gut-busting indulgence, either.

Healthier Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
Recipe slightly adapted from Cooking Light magazine
Ingredients
For Crust:
*1 1/3 cups graham cracker crumbs
*2 tablespoons sugar
*3 tablespoons butter, melted

For Filling:
*8 ounces reduced fat cream cheese
*1/2 cup sugar
*3 large eggs
*1 tsp. vanilla extract
*1 1/4 cups canned pumpkin puree
*1/3 cup plain 2% reduced-fat Greek yogurt
*1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions
*Preheat oven to 300°F. In a small bowl, combine the crust ingredients until well combined. Press the crust mixture evenly into an 8x8-inch square baking pan. Set aside.
*In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until just combined. Add in the vanilla, pumpkin, Greek yogurt and cinnamon and beat until smooth and incorporated.
*Pour filling mixture into prepared crust pan. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until the cheesecake center barely moves when pan is touched. Cool completely on a wire rack. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill for at least 8 hours. Makes 12 servings

Approximate Calories per serving: 190

Happy Baking!

Madison

Rachael Ray in Mexico

2011-11-15T12:46:00.000-06:00

Ever since I returned from Mexico while traveling there for "Hey, Can You Cook?! All-Stars" I've been dying to share photos from my trip. Alas, I have had to keep my mouth shut and my photos to myself for quite a while in order to keep where and what we were filming a surprise for everyone watching at home.

Now that our Mexican adventure episode has aired, I'm happy to share a little glimpse into a week that I will never forget. Truth be told, we spent more time cooking, filming and flying around the country of Mexico than we did lounging poolside and perfecting our tan. But when we did crash at the end of the day, we had more than adequate accommodations for our stay.

The second half of our trip, while we were in San Miguel de Allende, was spent at the Rosewood San Miguel de Allende, without a doubt the most beautiful hotel I have ever stayed. The staff was kind, courteous and accommodating to the extreme. They even tracked down peanut butter for me when I was desperate for some on the sixth day of our trip. I could tell you more about the hotel, but I think the pictures (from my iPhone) do it more justice and words ever could.

{I wanted to take these mirrors back with me so badly!}

{I took a bath every single night we were there, and this tub is the reason why.}

{The view from the rooftop bar and restaurant at sunset.}

{Room service was extremely affordable. I enjoyed fresh carrot juice and a bowl of steel cut oats with apple compote. And coffee, of course!}

{My fellow contestants helped make my birthday away from home feel special by having the restaurant staff put this little chocolate mousse dessert together.}

{We ventured into downtown San Miguel one afternoon and stopped at an adorable pastry shop and restaurant.}

{Holy YUM}

{Okay, so we did manage to spend one afternoon out by the pool. The sun and water felt great, especially since I knew it was getting cold back home!}

Time to fess up: Have you ever been to Mexico? If so, where did you go and what did you think?

I've been a couple times before, mainly to the Cancun area, and will admit that I wasn't a huge fan. But after traveling to San Miguel, my feelings about Mexico have most certainly changed!

You Should Roast a Chicken

2011-11-14T09:03:00.000-06:00

Quite often when Joey and I don't feel like cooking (well, when I don't feel like cooking), we pick up a rotisserie chicken at the store and I made a bunch of steamed and roasted veggies for me to eat and for him to pair with his chicken. As someone who knows how easy it is to roast a chicken, buying a rotisserie chicken always kills me inside because I know I could do it better.

Well this past weekend, I finally got my butt to the store and picked up ingredients for a roasted chicken meal. You know the crazy part? I picked up a whole organic roasted chicken, a pound of green beans, two large russet potatoes and an onion for just NINE dollars. Crazy, right? Anyone who says you can't eat well on very little money, or who says that fast food is cheaper than real food, hasn't spent much time at the grocery store or in the kitchen.

Food prices aside, this meal was incredibly easy to make and would be impressive enough to serve for company, or in our case, on a casual Friday night in. Sure, you need a bit of time, but 90% of the time is hands-off. We actually got a workout in while our chicken was roasting, that's how easy it is.

One word to the wise: unless you feel like cleaning your chicken or making something with the giblets, I would recommend buying a chicken that says it is 'without neck and giblets' for the easiest (and much less gross) chicken roasting experience

Easy Roasted Chicken
Ingredients
*2 medium russet potatoes chopped into large bite-sized pieces
*1 tablespoon olive oil
*1 medium-sized whole chicken without neck or giblets
*1/4 cup mayonnaise
*Salt and black pepper
*2 cloves garlic, minced
*1/2 medium onion, sliced
*Additional salt and ground black pepper

Instructions
*Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Set aside.
*Place potatoes on the baking sheet and drizzle with the olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and ground black pepper. Set aside.
*Rinse chicken thoroughly making sure to clean the inside cavity. Dry with paper towels and discard paper towels. Place chicken atop some of the potatoes. Rub chicken with mayonnaise. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper to taste. Top chicken with the minced garlic.
*Place chicken in the oven and bake for 65 to 75 minutes, adding the onions halfway through cooking. Chicken's juices should run clear when pierced with a fork, potatoes should be crispy brown and the skin of the chicken should be dark golden brown.

Happy Cooking!

Madison

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins

2011-11-10T09:54:00.001-06:00

First of all, thank you SO much for your kind responses to my infinity scarf post! I am trilled that so many of your are interested in making one yourself. If I could share the pattern I used, I would. Unfortunately, I didn't follow a pattern as much as I just experimented until I found something that worked. I'm thinking of putting together a video tutorial in the upcoming weeks for any of you who would like to give it a try at home!

Although gluten-free baking and cooking scares me, I'm determined to do more of it. Partly because I know a lot of Espresso and Cream readers are going or have gone gluten-free and in another part because my cousin is starting a quinoa business! The company is called Feed Adam and will be launched in the upcoming months.

Since I'll be doing a big of recipe development for the company, I've been cooking with their products (quinoa flour, quinoa pasta, and regular quinoa), and have been super pleased with the results. I've been swapping quinoa flour for regular flour in a lot of recipes and been using the quinoa pasta in place of whole wheat pasta in our favorite dishes.

A few weeks back I saw an already gluten-free recipe from Lisa over at With Style & Grace. She is an amazing blogger with style by the buckets and amazing gluten-free recipes. She posted a recipe for gluten-free pumpkin pistachio bread a while back and I couldn't wait to try it. I adapted the recipe slightly, adding a bit more spice and turning them into muffins instead of a quick bread loaf.

If you are looking for a sweeter than sweet muffin that is more along the cupcake line, these are not your baked good. But, if you are looking for a pleasantly sweet and satisfyingly spice-filled muffin that would go well on a breakfast buffet or holiday dinner table, then these may be just the fit.

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins

Adapted just slightly from With Style & Grace

Ingredients

*1 1/2 cups quinoa flour (or other gluten-free flour of choice)

*1 teaspoon baking soda

*1/2 teaspoon baking powder
*2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
*1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
*1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
*1/2 teaspoon salt
*1 cup canned pumpkin puree
*1/2 cup olive oil
*1 cup sugar
*2 large eggs
*1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions
*Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease muffin cups. Set aside. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt.
*In a large bowl beat together pumpkin, olive oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla.
*Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir until combined. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until muffins are lightly golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
*Cool on a wire rack. Store leftovers in a zip top bag or container with a lid.

Happy Baking!

Madison

Winter Necessity: Infinity Scarves

2011-11-08T16:57:00.000-06:00

I'm not going to lie, I'm already pretty bummed about the inevitable fact that winter is on the way. Although I love this time of year and celebrating Thanksgiving and Christmas, come January, I'm ready to be over with snow an colder temps.

To keep me warm as the winter months drag along, I dusted off my crochet needles and made a couple infinity scarves in various weights and colors. A couple years back I made one for a friend of mine and she wore the heck out of it. Now I see why. I'm not entirely sure why I waited so long to make one for myself, but now that I have, I wear the scarves with everything from jeans to sweat pants on the weekends.

I've also gotten a few questions anout whether or not I would considering making a few scarves for Christmas gifts or to keep for yourself. While I'm not starting a scarf making business just yet, if you are interested, email me and we can chat.

Caramel Pumpkin Pie

2011-11-07T14:25:00.000-06:00

This weekend Joey and I got together with a group of young couples at our church on Saturday night to share what we are thankful for, what God is doing in our lives and eat pie. Pretty awesome, right?

Since we are still pretty new to our town and church, I knew I couldn't bring just any old pie. I needed a pie that pulled out all the stops. And when I want a recipe that is sure to impress and go above and beyond without being complicated or overly fussy, I go to Gourmet Today. It a monster of a cookbook, coming in at just over 1,000 pages, and one that I'm realizing I don't use nearly enough.

But before you think that this pie is just like a hundred other pumpkin pies, let me assure you it isn't. The sugar and water are cooked until the mixture caramelizes, then gets infused with a hefty dose of heavy cream and spices that are substantial but not overpowering.

Edited on Monday to Add: The pie was a hit! There was only one slice left, and Joey took that problem off my hands on the way home from church.

Caramel Pumpkin Pie
Adapted slightly from Gourmet Today

Crust
*1 1/3 cups graham cracker crumbs
*4 tablespoons butter, melted
*3 tablespoons sugar
*1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Filling
*2/3 cup sugar
*1/4 cup water
*1 1/2 cups heavy cream
*1 1/4 cups solid-pack pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
*1 teaspoon ground ginger
*1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
*1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
*1/4 teaspoon salt
*3 large eggs, lightly beaten

*Preheat oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, butter, sugar and ground cinnamon until well combine. Transfer mixture to a 9-inch pie plate and press into the plate and up the sides to form a shell. Set aside.
*In a large heavy saucepan, bring sugar and water to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Boil, without stirring, washing down sides of pan occasionally with a pastry brush dipped in cold water and gently swirling pan for even cooking until mixture is a deep golden carmel, about 10 minutes.
*Reduce heat to moderate and carefully add half of the cream (mixture will bubble vigorously), stirring until caramel is dissolved, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in remaining crema and bring just to a simmer. Remove from heat.
*Whisk together pumpkin, spices and salt in a large bowl. Whisk in hot cream mixutre, then eggs, whisking until well combined and smooth.
*Pour filling into prepared pie shell. Bake until filling is firm and just slightly wiggles in the center when the pie plate is touched, about 40 minutes.
*Cool pie compltely on a rack, about 2 hours.

Happy Baking!
Madison

Happy Birthday, Nutmeg!

2011-11-06T14:43:00.001-06:00

This weekend we celebrated the fifth birthday of our little princess, Nutmeg. She pretty much rules the roost around here and is most definitely our baby, so we had to celebrate in style. She is now sporting a new collar and has a belly full of birthday treats.

This morning before church I whipped up a batch of 'Pumpkin Pupcakes' based off this recipe for pumpkin bars. I halved the recipe and scaled back the sugar to 2/3 cup, but aside from that I kept the recipe pretty close to the original. And to top things off I mixed up a batch of peanut butter frosting using a cup of whipped heavy cream, 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter and 1/3 cup powdered sugar.

Joey and I were both pretty blown away at how delicious the pupcakes were (yes, we ate one, too). So if you are in the market for a sweet treat that will please dogs and people alike, I would highly suggest giving this recipe a go.

Happy Birthday, Nutmeg! We love you so much little lady!

Madison

Peanut Butter Toffee Cookies

2011-11-02T19:21:00.000-05:00

Is it just me, or has it been too long since I posted a new cookie recipe? Truth be told, most baking and elaborate cooking endeavors have taken a back seat to other, more pressing maters. Between filming and traveling for "Hey, Can You Cook?! All-Stars", keeping up with work responsibilities, traveling to catch football games and meeting our new little nephew, and spending a little bit of time Joe, too, time has been short.

But I know that despite the craziness that has been the last month, there are a lot of wonderful things going on right now. I feel blessed to be where I am, surrounded by my amazing support system, and energized by the new experiences that are pushing me way out of my comfort zone.

As we enter into November, the month of thanks, I hope you will all consider taking time out of every day to reflect on something you are thankful for. If you're on Twitter, take a cue from Tina's post over at Carrots 'N' Cake and take part in Tweeting what you are thankful for with the hash tag #bethankfulchallenge. It's a great way to see what others are thankful for and get you in the right frame of mind amid the craziness of the day-to-day.

Right now, I'm thankful to be home. And for these cookies. Because they are super tasty, chewy and perfect for keeping warm as the weather gets cooler.

Peanut Butter Toffee Cookies
Ingredients
*1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour (or all-purpose flour)
*1/2 teaspoon baking soda
*4 ounces unsalted butter, softened
*1/2 cup sugar
*1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
*1/4 teaspoon salt
*1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
*1 large egg
*1 teaspoon vanilla extract
*1/2 cup peanut butter chips
*1/2 cup toffee bits (Heath Bar bits)

Instructions
*Place racks in the middle and lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

*Sift together the flour and baking soda and set aside.

*In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, cream the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes.

*Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the sugar, brown sugar, salt and creamy peanut butter. Continue creaming the mixture on medium speed until it is smooth and lump-free, about 1 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle.

*Add the egg and vanilla and beat on low speed for 15 seconds, or until the egg is fully incorporated. Do not overbeat. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

*On low speed, add the sifted flour mixture. Beat slowly until all of the flour is incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the peanut butter chips and toffee bits and stir in.

*Drop dough by rounded tablespoons onto prepared baking sheets, 2-inches apart. Flatten slightly with your hand. Bake, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and from front to back halfway through the baking, for 10 to 12 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove from the oven and slide the parchment off the baking sheets onto a work surface. Cool the baking sheets between batches. Allow the cookies to cool for at least five minutes before serving.

Happy Baking!

Madison

Weekend Happenings

2011-11-01T18:43:00.000-05:00

We did a lot (and a lot of nothing) this past weekend. It seems like each weekend that we don't have anything on the agenda, we end up doing a lot of cleaning, organizing, bill-paying and exercising, balanced out with an equal amount of napping, puppy cuddling, football watching, magazine reading and general lazing around. Not a bad combination if you ask me. And isn't the hubs cute when he is organizing?

Madison

Crunchy Pesto Chicken with Caramelized Onions

2011-10-30T18:33:00.000-05:00

Last week I came home with a bunch of great ingredients after a photo shoot at work. Any time I come home with food from a shoot it's inspiration for me to do a little cooking so food doesn't go to waste. And since we almost always have meat at the shoot, I make sure to snag some to take home so I can make a special meal for Joe.

I didn't really have a plan for the meal. Instead, I decided to just go with the flow and see what happened. Cooking without a plan or a deadline was so relaxing and so much fun, and I realized I don't do it nearly as often as I should.

Joey was blown away with the results. He kept raving about how this was the best meal I've ever made, and that the recipe was worthy enough to be on a restaurant menu. It's not as healthy as the recipes that I typically make, but for a fun, impressive dinner dish, this chicken totally comes through.

Crunchy Pesto Chicken with Caramelized Onions
Ingredients
*1 medium red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
*3 tablespoons unsalted butter
*1/4 teaspoon salt
*1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
*2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut in half widthwise (to make four thin chicken breasts)
*1/3 cup fresh basil leaves
*1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese with Italian herbs
*1/2 cup olive oil
*1 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
*Additional olive oil for frying
*1 cup shredded cheese (I used a mozzarella-cheddar mix)

Instructions
*In a large skillet over medium heat, melted the butter. Add in the onions, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes, or until onions are caramelized and soft. Remove from heat and set aside.
*Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 13x9-inch baking pan or line with aluminum foil. Set aside.
*With a small food processor, blend together the basil, feta cheese and 1/2 cup olive oil and process until mixture is nearly smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer to a shallow bowl. Place panko in a second shallow bowl.
*Dip chicken breasts in the basil mixture to coat both sides, followed by the panko.
*In a large nonstick stillet, heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat. Place chicken breasts, two at a time, in the hot oil, cooking for 2 minutes per side. Chicken does not need to be cooked through. Transfer seared chicken breasts to the prepared baking pan. Top with some of the caramelized onions, followed by some of the shredded cheese.
*Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until cheese is melted and chicken is cooked through and no pink remains.

Happy Cooking!
Madison

On Today's Show...

2011-10-28T06:31:00.000-05:00

Hey, everyone! Just checking in with a quick reminder that the first episode of The Rachael Ray Show's "Hey, Can You Cook?! All-Stars" airs today. Depending on where you are across the country, the time it airs is different. To find out what time it is on in your area, you can do so HERE. Episodes will continue to air every Friday for the next four weeks, with a contestant (or two) going home every week.

Happy Friday!

Madison

Emily Dickinson's Coconut Loaf Cake

2011-10-27T06:53:00.000-05:00

I have a bit of a thing for old, passed-along recipes that have survived decades and generations. Something about the fact that they are old and cherished just sucks me in every time. So last week, when the recipe for Emily Dickinson's Coconut Cake started floating around the internet, I couldn't resist giving the recipe a try.

Not surprisingly, I really enjoyed the cake because of the one-bowl nature of the whole thing. Very few ingredients were required, all of which I had on hand, and it had only a mild level of sweetness that appealed to me. Beware, the texture of this loaf cake is fairly dense and resembles a pound cake rather than a traditional cake.

If you're looking for a cake that will bowl you over with sweetness, this is not your cake. But if you are looking for a cake that is perfect for serving with a pat of butter at breakfast or as an afternoon snack with coffee, this would totally fit the bill.

Emily Dickinson's Coconut Loaf Cake

Ingredients

*1 cup sweetened flaked coconut

*2 cups flour

*1 cup sugar

*1/2 cup butter, softened

*1/2 cup milk

*2 large eggs

*1/2 teaspoon baking soda

*1 teaspoon cream of tartar

Instructions

*Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x5-inch baking pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Cream together the butter and sugar. Add in the eggs, followed by the remaining ingredients. Pour batter into the pan and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Happy Baking!

Madison

More Smart Travel Eats

2011-10-25T19:16:00.000-05:00

{Completely unrelated picture of Nutmeg in her new winter coat. She was feeling bad she hasn't been on the blog lately.}

Since I've been doing quite a bit of traveling over the past few months, I thought I would share with you a few more of my favorite healthy eats while on the road and in airports. Although I wish I was the type of person who planned ahead of time and brought a lot of healthy snacks and meals with me, I'm usually rushing out of the house at the last minute trying to get as much done as possible.

Here are a few of my favorite stops and what I typically order:

1. Smoothie King
I wish every airport I traveled to had a Smoothie King. I grew up making frequent stops at this place with my dad and know I can always find something healthy and packed with protein.

Favorite Pick: The Vanilla Shredder (20 oz) is my go-to drink and has 283 calories, 36 grams of protein, and just 12 grams of sugar. I pair mine with either a banana or a granola bar for a bit more substance if I'm using it as a meal replacement.

2. Starbucks
I've said it before and I'll say it again, Starbucks comes through for me every single time. They recently rolled out a new line of salads in addition to their sandwiches, which can be a lifesaver when you need a dose of leafy greens.

Favorite Pick: In the morning, I always go with the oatmeal with fruits and nuts and pair it with a small soy latte. Side note: at hotels, I ask for extra packets of peanut butter to stash in my purse. It makes a great addition to oatmeal and adds a few grams of protein.

Runner Up: The Protein Bistro Box at Starbucks is my runner-up for when I'm craving something savory. It comes with a few wedges of cheddar cheese, a hard-boiled egg, whole grain pita, peanut butter and apples, all for just 380 calories.

3. Cosi
You have no idea how desperately I wish we had a Cosi in Iowa! So whenever I'm in a city that has one, I never fail to stop by. Their soups, sandwiches and flat bread are all delicious and they offer plenty of veg-friendly options.

Favorite Pick: Their soups rotate every day, but my faves are the Three Bean Chili or the Moroccan Lentil Soup. It comes with an order of whole grain flatbread and I typically order a side of hummus for healthy dipping.

4. Panda Express
Things got really desperate a while back when Joey and I were on our way home from visiting my family in Idaho in September. Stuck in an airport terminal in Denver that had very few options, I was faced with either eating a protein bar from a new stand or Panda Express. Since Joey was eating Panda Express and I was really craving something warm (and some veggies) I went with it, too. I was pleasantly surprised at the options.

Favorite Pick: I went with a double order of steamed veggies (70 calories) and paired it with steamed rice (380 calories) and two veggie spring rolls (160 calories for two). Not exactly health food, but it hit the spot and was definitely more satisfying than a granola bar or trail mix.

What are you favorite places to eat while on the road?

Madison

Honeyed Pumpkin Spice Caramel Corn

2011-10-23T13:31:00.000-05:00

Joey and I spent a fabulous and fun-filled weekend in Minneapolis getting to meet our new nephew for the first time (!!) and watching Joey's brother play football. Since Joey's mom, Lisa, always makes amazing treats to bring to football games, I decided that it would be fun to make something to take along for the road trip up to the game. Something about popcorn and snacks during the fall just makes road trips that much more exciting.

I've made a version of this caramel corn many times in the past but it wasn't until fall baking and pumpkin craziness hit that I thought to make a pumpkin spice version. And although I was a little nervous about swapping out the corn syrup for honey and adding in a hefty dose of pumpkin pie spice, I'm glad I did.

I may have overdosed on the caramel corn on the car ride home, which led to Joey having to take the bag away from me and put it on his side of the car, but it was just too good to resist.

Honeyed Pumpkin Spice Caramel Corn

Ingredients

*1 (3 oz.) bag light butter popcorn, popped with unpopped kernels removed

*1/2 cup unsalted butter

*1/2 cup granulated sugar

*1/2 cup lightly packed brown sugar

*1/2 cup honey or corn syrup

*1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

*1/4 teaspoon salt

*1/2 teaspoon baking soda

*1/2 cup roasted peanuts

Instructions

*Preheat the oven to 250°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Lightly grease.

*In a large saucepan, combine the butter, sugar, brown sugar, honey or corn syrup, pumpkin spice and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. One mixture comes to a boil, remove from heat and stir in the baking soda. Continue to stir until no longer foamy and mixture returns to a deep caramel color, about 1 minute.

*Spread popcorn and peanuts onto baking sheet. Drizzle the caramel over the popcorn and stir until popcorn is evenly coated with the caramel. Spread into an even layer.

*Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Transfer mixture to a clean piece of aluminum foil to cool. Break up any large pieces.

*Store in a zip top bag or storage container for up to a week.

Happy Baking!

Madison

Slow Cooker Homemade Apple Butter

2011-10-20T14:20:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago I mentioned that the amazing team over at Hamilton Beach came to visit my workplace to do a product preview of their blenders, slow cookers, coffee makers and a few other appliances. Of course, they came bearing treats for us to snack on, too. And the highlight of those snacks? A homemade apple butter made in the slow cooker.

Since I'm still a slow-cooking novice, I was amazed at how easy it was to make apple butter (something that seems awfully labor-intensive in my mind) with very little hands-on time. There was also a rumor going around that making homemade apple butter makes your house smell amazing. So last weekend, our first free weekend in quite a while, I plunged deep into apple butter making and football watching. Not a bad combination at all.

The thing I love about this recipe is that it doesn't depend on more highly processed sugars, like corn syrup or granulated sugar, and instead uses agave syrup and a little bit of 100% apple juice. The results were outstanding; plenty of fresh apple taste with a little bit of texture that made it taste pleasantly homemade. However, if it's a smooth texture you're looking for, I would imagine you could put the cooled apple butter in the food processor and blend it completely smooth.

I'm planning on making more of this in the weeks to come and putting it in jars to give to friends and family over the holidays. I already passed along a jar to my mom and my cousin, Emily, to enjoy and plan on passing along another few jars when I head up to Minneapolis for the weekend. It's nice to be able to give a gift during the holidays that is healthier, and more unique, than baked goods. But now that I think of it, pairing apple butter with homemade sugar cookies would be an excellent adaptation.

Slow Cooker Homemade Apple Butter

Ingredients
*5 lbs. apples (I used Gala), peeled, cored and cut into quarters
*1 cup agave syrup or maple syrup (I used agave)
*1/2 cup apple juice
*2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
*1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Instructions
*Place all the above ingredients into a 5 or 6 quart slow cooker set on low covered with the lid. Cook for 4 to 5 hours. Stir occasionally during the last two hours of cooking to break up the apples (they should fall apart fairly easily and form a fairly smooth butter-like consistency).
*Continue to cook for 30 additional minutes without the lid, stirring frequently, to achieve the consistency you desire.
*Transfer butter into canning jars. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Happy Cooking!

Madison

The Cat's Out of the Bag!

2011-10-19T11:13:00.000-05:00

Remember a few weeks ago when I posted a mysterious blog post about 'exciting things going on that I can't share quite yet'? Gosh, if you're anything like me you hate when people say that. Am I right? Well, now that commercials are airing and a video clip is up online, I've been cleared by the team at The Rachael Ray Show to share with you what I'm currently working on...

To watch the video link, click HERE

As many of you already know, I competed on season 3 of Rachael's "Hey, Can You Cook?!" reality cooking series while in college back in 2008. To my surprise, they called back in August asking me if I would be interested in being on this season's "Hey, Can You Cook?! All-Stars". I was both nervous and excited about the proposition of competing on national television again. But of course, I couldn't turn down the amazing opportunity.

So here are the details: the first episode will air on Friday, October 28th. Rachael's show is syndicated so it airs at different times across the US. To find out when it's on in your area, click HERE. I'm not able to share much more than that, so you'll have to tune in or DVR the episodes to find out how far I make it and see all the crazy stuff they make us do.

Thanks again for your flexibility with my semi-hectic posting schedule. Life and blogging will return to normal as soon as possible, but for now, I'm enjoying the ride.

Madison

Welcome to the Family, Baylen and Ali!

2011-10-18T14:11:00.000-05:00

Over the last week and a half I've been holding off telling you about some exciting news that happened in our family. You see, I wanted to make sure my sister-in-law, Amber, and her hubby, Jake, had plenty of time to share their news to friends and family before I shared it myself.

Finally, after months and months of waiting, Joey and I are excited to take on the new titles of 'Aunt Madison' and 'Uncle Joey' to handsome little Baylen Jacob! We are planning on meeting him this weekend. Needless to say, we are more than ready to start the spoiling, gift-giving, and cuddling with him as soon as possible. I know I might be biased, but I think that he's the cutest baby I've ever seen.

But the exciting news doesn't stop there! The same weekend Baylen was born, Joey's brother, Jason, proposed to his girlfriend, Ali. We couldn't be more trilled to have Ali join the family. She and Jason are such a great pair together and genuine, adorable, sweet girls like her are hard to come by. Nice job, Jason!

Semi-Homemade Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Cups

2011-10-16T20:12:00.000-05:00

Good news! I baked you cinnamon rolls, pumpkin ones in fact. I couldn't imagine a better way to start your weekend, or any day of the week for that matter, than with a warm ramekin oozing with dough and pumpkin and spices.

But let me fill you in on a little secret. I hate cooking with yeast. I mean I wish I was a master of all things dough-based, but yeast and I have a bit of a tortured relationship. So I went all Sandra Lee on you and did a little semi-homemade job on a can of Pillsbury Grands Biscuits.

Although I typically discourage the buying and using of things like pre-made biscuits, these things get me every time. They have the flaky layers deal down, that's for sure. So on those mornings when you just want a fruit smoothie and your hubby is sick of eating cereal or oatmeal for breakfast, these are the perfect solution. They're super easy to put together and reheat really well.

Semi-Homemade Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Cups

Ingredients
*1 can refrigerated Pillsbury Grands Flaky Layers Biscuits (8 count)
*1 cup brown sugar
*1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or ground cinnamon
*1/3 cup pumpkin butter (I used purchased but you could also use my Healthy Pumpkin Butter recipe)
*1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
*1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice
*3 to 4 tablespoons milk
*1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions
*Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease five oven-going small ramekins (mine are 4-inches in diameter) with nonstick cooking spray or five jumbo muffin cups. Set aside.
*Roll each biscuit into a five-inch long rope between your hands. Flatten each rope so it forms a rectangle (roughly 5 inches long by 2 or 3 inches wide).
*In a shallow dish, combine the brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice. Dip both sides of each biscuit rectangle into the sugar mixture to coat.
*Spread a small spoonful of pumpkin butter into the center of each biscuit rectangle and spread, making sure to leave a border around the edges. Roll up the biscuits lengthwise and pinch the ends to seal. Cut each rectangle into two slices. Repeat with remaining rectangles.
*Place three cut pieces into each of the ramekins or muffin cups. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the cinnamon rolls and browned and puffy.
*Cool slightly. Meanwhile, combine the powdered sugar, orange juice, milk and cinnamon. Stir to combine. Drizzle over the warm cinnamon rolls and serve immediately. Or, cover and reheat in the microwave when ready to eat.

Happy Baking!

Madison

So You Want to Be a Food Editor? (Part 1)

2011-10-14T11:00:00.001-05:00

I get quite a few e-mails from readers of Espresso and Cream each week. Some of them are recipe questions, comments and the like, but far and away the most popular e-mail I get is about my career as a food editor. Seems to me that we could all become great friends in real life since many of you share my passion for cooking food and writing about it. Since I get so many e-mails about how to become an editor or break into the publishing industry, I thought I would dedicate a couple posts to the topic.

Although I've worked in food-focused publishing for close to three years now, I can in no way claim to know everything about the food world. However, I can share my personal experiences on the topic, how I got to where I am, what to study in college and what I look for when seeking out new freelance writers. Whew, that sounds like a mouthful, doesn't it? Let's get to it...

My journey in food started in a rather unorthodox way. Although I knew I wanted to write about food in some capacity, I had no idea how to get to that point or what to study. So I found myself as a junior in college majoring in journalism and public relations while minoring in Spanish. My school did offer a magazine journalism specialization, but I opted for the public relations route because I read a lot about there being more opportunities for employment in public relations.

During my junior year of college, a friend of mine saw a commercial aired by The Rachael Ray Show calling for video submissions from the best home cooks in America to be part of a cooking competition called "Hey, Can You Cook?!" So one Saturday afternoon in September we rented some video equipment from the university and filmed a video of me cooking a blueberry-veggie pasta dish. I had no expectations of ever hearing back from the show, so I was shocked when I was called by producers a few weeks later. You can watch more about my experience here, but I eventually went on to win the four-week competition.

The show's airing came at a nice time, as I started looking for internships in the months following. I was blessed to land an internship with Meredith Corporation as a food edit intern with Better Homes and Gardens magazine. After spending the summer at BHG, I stayed on as a part-time intern throughout the school year, working on as many food-related university projects as possible, such as campus magazines, local food publications, etc. Those experiences helped to boost my portfolio with plenty of glossy food pages and build culinary credibility. I'll never forget the first time I saw my name in Better Homes and Gardens. To say I was thrilled would be an understatement.

When I graduated, much like now, the economy was in a terrible place and full time jobs in publishing were scarce (something that is still true today). Since Meredith didn't have any full time positions open, I opted to stay on as a part time/temporary employee, much like a freelancer but with more set hours, working both in publishing as well as doing some on-camera food work when it became available.

The end goal during this time was always to land a full-time position. But being able to gain valuable experience in the field I wanted to work in while I searched was invaluable. Eventually, I was notified about an open food editor job in another division at my company that had potential to be a good fit. I immediately began the application and interview process and was over the moon when I was told I got the job.

This post is already getting extremely long, so I've decided to break it up into two parts. Although I majored in journalism and public relations, there are some things I would have done differently looking back. I want to be able to address that, and answer any questions you have. So if you have questions, shoot them my way or leave a comment below this post and I'll include them in part 2!

madison

Lisa's Amazing Snack Mix

2011-10-12T21:27:00.001-05:00

Today's recipe comes to us courtesy of my mother-in-law, Lisa! This fall we have traveled to a couple of my brother-in-law Jason's football games and every weekend Joey's mom comes armed with multiple bags of snack mix, half of the bags savory and half of them sweet. Although her sweet mix is delicious, I much prefer all things salty. And boy does this hit the spot.

I had to chuckle a little, because when I asked for the recipe from Lisa, she sent the recipe to me in an e-mail and ended it with, "you may change your mind about posting it when you see the ingredients."

Okay, I'll admit that I was a little horrified when I saw that the recipe calls for an entire bottle of Orville Redenbacher's Popcorn Oil, but then I reminded myself that this makes a whole lot of snack mix. Enough to feed a huge crowd for a tailgating party or a big group of friends and family. And yes, it really is made in a plastic trash bag, seeing as that its the only thing I can think of that is big enough to hold all of the ingredients.

Lisa's Amazing Snack Mix aka 'Garbage Bag Trail Mix'

Ingredients

*1 family size box of Crispix corn cereal

*1 bag pretzels

*1 (12-ounce) can cocktail peanuts

*2 standard-sized bags of Combos or other cheese-filled cracker

*1 (12-ounce) box Cheez-It

*1 (20-ounce) box Honey Nut Cheerios

*1 (16-ounce) box Quaker Oat Squares

*1 (16-ounce) bottle Orville Redenbacker Popcorn Oil

*1 teaspoon onion salt

*1 tablespoon garlic powder

Instructions

*Add the onion salt and the garlic powder to the popcorn oil bottle. It will keep separating so you have to shake it up again right before adding it to the mix.

*Put all the other ingredients together in a big plastic garbage bag. Gently roll the bag from side to side to mix the ingredients together.

*Add the oil mixture a little at a time while gently rolling the bag to mix together. Continue to roll a bit after all the oil is added.

*When all the oil has been added, the mixture will be pretty oily. Do not fear! Transfer the mixture to gallon-sized zip top bags and allow to sit overnight. Mixture will store for up to two weeks in the zip top bags.

Happy Cooking!

Madison

On Being Less Connected

2011-10-12T09:41:00.002-05:00

A few weeks ago I read an interesting post on Beauty Bets. Although the site is primarily fashion, beauty and style-focused, every now and again there is a little gem of a post about something other than beauty products and the latest spa treatments I find myself dying to try.

In the post, the author talked about the idea of being less connected in our non-working hours, taking breaks to detox from outside distractions and the like. Specifically, they linked to this post, which I found unbelievably insightful and convicting to read. As someone who is a self-professed cell phone addict, constantly updating my Twitter status, reading posts on Facebook or checking e-mail, it's nice to be reminded that I need to just step away now and again.

If you have a chance, I highly recommend taking a few minutes to read through it. It's a great reminder of how important it is for all of us to guard our personal time away from work and keep some things sacred, such as spending time with family and friends.

Tell me: What do you all do to detox from technology? Do you have a set time you decide to quick checking your phone or e-mail each night? Or maybe you turn it off the minute you walk in the door?

For me personally, I love letting my work cell phone go dead on the weekends. When I was first given my work cell, I thought about moving to just having one phone for both work and personal use, but I'm glad I've kept the two separate so I can completely disconnect on the weekends.

Caramelized Onion Bean Dip

2011-10-10T13:22:00.000-05:00

A couple weeks ago when Joey asked how I wanted to celebrate my birthday weekend, the answer was simple. All I really wanted to do was watch the Gators play football and have a weekend filled with relaxing, exercising, and eating some great tailgating food.

For Joey, that meant me making his mom's cheesy beef dip. I'll admit that I had a hard time buying Velveeta at the store, but seeing his face light up when I served it for the game was priceless.

For me, tailgating food means lots and lots of raw veggies served with some type of hummus/bean dip and maybe something sweet on the side. So when I saw Jenna's recipe for White Bean Dip with Pita Chips, I got to making my shopping list.

When I actually arrived at the store, the red onions were calling my name. I figured anything and everything tastes better with caramelized onions, including bean dip. So my version is slightly varied from the original I was inspired by. The results were outstanding, with a sweet-savory flavor profile and smooth consistency. And it makes a lot of dip, so be prepared to have leftovers or enough to serve a group!

Caramelized Onion Bean Dip
Adapted from Jenna at Eat Live Run

Ingredients
*1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
*2 tablespoons olive oil
*2 cloves garlic, chopped
*Juice from 1/2 lemon
*1/2 teaspoon salt
*1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
*1/2 teaspoon paprika
*1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
*2 (15-ounce) cans white beans (cannellini beans), rinsed and drained

Instructions
*In a large nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion to the skillet and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the onions are softened and caramelized, stirring frequently.
*Add the garlic to the pan during the last three to four minutes of cooking. Remove from heat.
*Transfer the caramelized onion mixture to the bowl of a food processor. Add in the lemon juice, salt, black pepper, paprika, cumin and beans. Process until mixture is smooth, about three minutes, adding extra oil if necessary to reach desired consistency. Serve with fresh veggies or pita chips. To store, transfer to an airtight container and keep in the refrigerator.

Happy Cooking!

Madison

My 7 Links

2011-10-08T10:05:00.000-05:00

I'm a little late to the game, but I'm finally getting around to doing my Seven Links post after being tagged by Emma a few weeks back. It was so much fun to dig through the Espresso and Cream archives to put this post together. I hope you enjoy!

Most Popular Post: Autumn Chopped Salad
By far my most popular post has been my fall adaptation of a family-favorite salad recipe. This salad is one that my mom brings to every family gathering and everyone raves about it. The secret is the amazing dressing combination that is made with poppyseed dressing and balsamic vinaigrette. GIve it a try!

Most Beautiful Post: Our Wedding: The Ceremony
There aren't many words in this post, but I think the photos speak for themselves. It was, by far, the most beautiful day of my life and I was thrilled with how the photos captured the joy and excitement of the day.

Most Controversial Post: The Great Meat Debate
My husband grew up on a cattle farm that raises cattle the traditional mass-produced way, as did my uncle and others in my family. And although I have a great respect and appreciation for meats raised free of hormones with plenty of room to roam, I also have a great deal of respect for the hard-working farmers in America's heartland. This post still continues to rustle up controversy.

Most Helpful Post: Green Cleaning: Stainless Steel
My mom actually turned my onto this easy, green way to clean stainless steel. It's much more effective than any commercial cleaning product I've ever tried. My stainless steel bathroom fixtures and appliances look amazing - even my hubby noticed!

Surprise Success Post: Homemade Larabars
I had no idea that this recipe would be such a huge success. Thanks to some major play on StumbleUpon, a lot of people are now making Larabars at home, which I think is a great thing!

Post That Didn't Get the Attention It Deserved: The Only Chocolate Chip Cookie You'll Ever Need
This cookie recipe really is out-stand-ing! I was blown away with how it seemed to capture the perfect balance between soft, chewy and crispy all in one cookie. And any cookie that can do all that is a winner in my book. If you're looking for that signature cookie, this would be the one.

Post I'm Most Proud Of: We Did It!
Running (and completing!) our first half marathon just five days before our wedding was such an amazing feeling of pride and accomplishment. Although people told us we were crazy for attempting such a feat before our big day, I was so happy we did it. Training together while preparing for marriage proved to be a great way to grow even closer.

Everyday Chocolate Loaf Cake

2011-10-06T23:00:00.000-05:00

Thank you all for the happy birthday wishes and for your support as I balance a whole host of things that are piling onto my platter. I can promise you that I'll have more information for you about unspoken happenings by the end of the month.

Now, let's talk about cake. Although Joey and I celebrated my birthday with an ice cream cake this year, I made these little individual chocolate loaf cakes a few weeks back after spotting them on Smitten Kitchen for a little early birthday celebrating.

Although I'm famous for not loving chocolate like most people seem to (including my hubby), something about this simple recipe called out to me. You see, when it comes to baking, there are few things I love more than a simple cake recipe. I guess I still believe deep down inside that cakes are supposed to be simple, Little House on the Prairie style. It makes absolutely no sense, I know.

This recipe made enough cake to feed a small crowd, or a few hungry chocolate lovers for days on end. I found that dividing the batter among individual loaves as opposed to one giant loaf made it easier to freeze some of the cake and save it for later. Which, of course, comes in handy when the craving for chocolate strikes.

Everyday Chocolate Loaf Cake

Recipe just slightly adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients

*1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

*1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

*1/2 cup sugar

*1 large egg

*1 cup buttermilk

*1 teaspoon vanilla extract

*3/4 cup whole wheat flour

*3/4 cup all-purpose flour

*3/4 cup Dutch cocoa powder

*1/4 teaspoon baking soda

*1/2 teaspoon baking powder

*1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

*Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter three mini loaf pans (you can also just use one standard-sized loaf pan and bake for 60 to 70 minutes). Line the bottom of the baking pans with parchment paper. Set aside.

*In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugars until smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add in the eggs. Beat until just combined, followed by the buttermilk and vanilla.

*In a large bowl, beat together the flours, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add to the mixture in the bowl, beating until just combined. Do not overmix. Scrape down the batter from the sides of the bowl and transfer batter into the prepared pans.

*Bake for 25 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Happy Baking!

Madison

Delay in Posting

2011-10-05T06:54:00.000-05:00

Happy Wednesday, everyone!

I wanted to check in and let you know that I'll be out of touch much of the rest of the week for some exciting things that will remain undercover for a few more weeks. Sorry, I hate it when other people say that.

I'm also taking a little time to celebrate my birthday today!

Thanks for being understanding and helping make this past year as wonderful as it has been!

-Madison

Homemade Chicken Nuggets and a Winner

2011-10-03T06:30:00.000-05:00

Thank you so much to everyone who entered the coffee maker giveaway! Every time I do a giveaway on Espresso and Cream, I'm blown away by the large number of responses, and I was so entertained reading each of your responses about why you need coffee. Glad to know I'm among a group of passionate coffee drinkers. The winner of the giveaway is Em who said:

Please e-mail me (madisonjanemayberry@gmail.com) with your address and I will get your coffee maker in the mail asap!

And in the kitchen today, I've got yet another chicken recipe for you! We cook a lot of chicken at our house since it's one of Joey's favorite types of meat and I actually don't mind cooking it one bit. Although I've been a vegetarian for almost two years, I still enjoy preparing meat-based recipes. Having a hubby who loves to eat meat doesn't hurt either.

Last week we had a bit of a kid-tastic meal when I prepared chicken nuggets for dinner. Of course, the idea of buying packaged chicken nuggets makes my skin crawl so I set out to make my own version with real, white meat chicken and easy-to-identify ingredients.

Since I wanted the chicken nuggets to be light and crunchy, I used Panko bread crumbs, which are a Japanese-style bread crumb that results in a much crunchier coating than traditional Italian-style bread crumbs. These turned out great and we so darn easy to make. Just a few minutes to dip and toss and less than 15 minutes in the oven leaves you with chicken nuggets you can feel good about feeding to your family.

Homemade Chicken Nuggets
*2 large chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
*2 cups Panko (Japanese-style bread crumbs)
*1/2 teaspoon paprika
*1/2 teaspoon salt
*1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
*1 cup Egg Beaters (liquid egg replacement)
*Ketchup (optional but highly recommended)

Instructions
*Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
*In a shallow bowl or large plate, combine the Panko, paprika, salt and black pepper. In a second shallow bowl place the Egg Beaters (you could substitute 3 large eggs beaten together if desired).
*Add chicken pieces to the Egg Beaters in the bowl. Piece by piece, add the egg-coated chicken pieces to the Panko. Toss gently to coat. Transfer coated pieces to the parchment-lined baking sheet.
*Bake chicken nuggets for 10 to 12 minutes, until Panko is browned and chicken is cooked through (165°F internal temperature).
*Serve chicken nuggets with ketchup, if desired. Serves 2.

Happy Cooking!

Madison

Love Coffee? I love you. (Giveaway!)

2011-09-30T10:49:00.000-05:00

If you love coffee like I do, then I boy do I have good news for you.

This week at work we had the pleasure of getting a product preview from the amazing team over at Hamilton Beach. In addition to showcasing their wide range of affordable kitchen appliances, they also sent us home with a little swag. And somehow, I managed to take home not one but two different coffee makers.

Now what's a girl who just got a new coffee pot for her wedding supposed to do with these coffee makers? Give them away, of course!

So here's the deal: to one lucky reader I will be giving away a Hamilton Beach 'The Scoop' Single-Serve Coffee Maker. Unlike typical single-serve coffee makers, this machine lets you use your own coffee grounds to brew your single serve cup instead of requiring you to purchase a bunch of expensive pods, which is pretty amazing in my book. (and no, they didn't pay me to say any of this)

To enter: leave a comment below telling me why you need more coffee in your life! Comments will be open from now until Sunday, October 2, at 8 pm. I will announce the winner Monday morning!

Happy Friday!

Madison

iPhone Photos as of Late

2011-09-30T07:01:00.000-05:00

{Taste panel at work included this amazing Strawberry Sangria.}

{A bow-patterened skirt from Banana Republic Outlet makes each week brighter.}

{Putting some of my new wedding photos to use as the background of my computer at work.}

{Dropping my Blackberry was not the highlight of my week, to say the least.}

This weekend we are planning on celebrating my birthday a few days early. Since it's on a Tuesday, it's just more fun to celebrate on a weekend when you can do whatever you please. For me, that means watching college football on TV with a bunch of yummy tailgate-esque treats.

Some of my favorite tailgate eats from around the web:

*Dips n Chips from Eat Live Run

*Sweet Potato Lentil Veggie Chili from Daily Garnish

*Nuts and Bolts Snack Mix from The Sweets Life

*Cheesy Stuffed Meatball Sliders from How Sweet It Is

*Peanut Butter Cookie Bars with Chocolate Ganache from Keep It Sweet

*Curred Chickpea Mash from (never home)maker

*Mini Monkey Breads from Blue-Eyed Bakers

*Salscamole from Iowa Girl Eats

What are your favorite game-day treats?

Madison

Gluten-Free Chicken Parmesean

2011-09-28T21:22:00.000-05:00

Typically, I don't set out with the intention of creating gluten-free recipes since I don't follow a gluten-free diet and neither do any of my family members. But as a food editor, I've seen a growing desire from our readers for more gluten-free recipes. Since I'm by no means an expert on the subject of gluten-free eating, it's a bit intimidating to attempt creating recipes that meet the parameters of avoiding all gluten.

In the future, I hope to be able to serve up more gluten-free recipes, since I know a number of Espresso and Cream readers are looking for more recipes of the sort. So when my cousin sent me a few bags of quinoa flour, which is gluten-free, I decided to get to work on playing around with recipes that could be easily adapted from their gluten-packed counterparts.

Chicken Parmesan to the rescue! Although you won't find me eating any chicken these days, Joey absolutely loved this dish. I served it with some veggies and pasta and it was a total hit: easy to prepare for me and super tasty and filling for him. That's a win-win in my book.

Also, if anyone has any good gluten-free text resources (ie: books, informative cookbooks, etc.) about gluten-free recipes and what ingredients contain gluten, please throw them my way. I'm looking for some good resources to add to my collection!

Gluten-Free Chicken Parmesan
Ingredients
*1 tablespoon canola oil
*1 chicken breast, halved lengthwise into two thinner pieces
*2 heaping tablespoons quinoa flour (you may use all-purpose if you want but it won't be gluten-free)
*1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
*Salt and black pepper
*1/3 cup liquid egg replacement such as Egg Beaters
*2/3 cup pasta sauce (for a list of pasta sauces and other products that are gluten-free and commercially available, I found this site helpful.)
*Additional Parmesan cheese
*1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

Instructions
*Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking pan (I used an 9-inch round cake pan) with aluminum foil. Set aside.
*Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a nonstick skillet.
*Meanwhile in a shallow dish combine the quinoa flour, Parmesan cheese, and a dash of salt and black pepper. Pour the liquid egg replacement in a second shallow bowl. Dip the chicken breast halves into the egg mixture to coat on both sides. Transfer to the flour/Parmesan mixture and cover on both sides.
*Add chicken pieces to the skillet. Cook for 2 minutes per side. Just enough to brown the chicken but not cook it completely through.
*Transfer chicken to the foil-lined baking pan. Top with the pasta sauce, spreading the sauce evenly atop the chicken. Cook for another 15 to 20 minutes, until pasta sauce is bubbly and chicken is cooked through. Remove from oven and top with additional Parmesan cheese and the dried Italian seasoning.

Happy Cooking!

Madison

My First Ever Vikings Game

2011-09-27T14:49:00.000-05:00

{Preparing for kickoff at the Vikings game in Minneapolis!}

{Not our most photogenic day, but it will have to do!}

{Stunning fall weather!}

{Headed home. Bummed the Vikings lost (again!) but fans through thick and thin!}

When Joey and I first started dating, we made a little deal. Since he didn't have a college team to cheer for, he would adopt my team, the Florida Gators, and cheer with me on Saturdays. I, on the other hand, didn't have an NFL team I felt connected to, so I would cheer for his Minnesota Vikings on Sundays. Our arrangement has worked out really well and I'll admit that I love having a team to cheer for on Sundays. So for Joey's birthday, I got him tickets to see the Vikings play the Detroit Lions. Although the Vikings lost, we had a great time up in Minneapolis watching the game and staying with our friends, Emily and Brian.

Question of the day: What football team(s) do you cheer for?

For as long as I can remember, I've been a die-hard Gators fan. Growing up in Florida with a dad who is an even bigger fan will do that to a girl, I suppose. :)

Madison

Almond Milk Ice Cream

2011-09-25T21:22:00.000-05:00

Hi, friends! Hope you had a wonderful weekend! Joey and I spent the weekend up in Minneapolis for a little belated birthday celebrating (more on that later), and just got home a little over an hour ago. The weekend was packed full and fun but I'm ready to head to bed and rest up for the week ahead. It's going to be a crazy one!

Although it might be a bit late in the season to be posting ice cream recipes, I couldn't resist sharing one more that's quite different from the others I've made. First, it's low in calories, fat and added sugar. Second, it's packed with calcium, protein and other good-for-you ingredients that you can feel guilt-free eating.

Being a huge fan of almond milk, I've been toying with the idea of making a high-protein frozen dessert for a while now. Toward the end of last week I finally got around to making my dreams a reality when the craving for ice cream hit.

Be forewarned, this ice cream isn't as smooth and creamy as traditional cream-based desserts. It has a slightly more sorbet-like consistency and is best eaten immediately after it comes out of the ice cream maker. I can only imagine that I've got a few more days yet this fall that will allow me to justify making this treat again.

Almond Milk Ice Cream
Adapted slightly from Bay Area Bites

Ingredients
*1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk
*1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
*1 medium ripe banana
*2 heaping tablespoons low-sugar chocolate milk powder
*2 heaping tablespoons chocolate protein powder
*1/2 teaspoon stevia or other sweetener

Instructions
*Blend all the above ingredients together in a blender until smooth. Transfer mixture to the bowl of an electric ice cream maker and freeze for 20 minutes or until mixture reaches an ice cream-like consistency. Serve immediately.

Happy Cooking!

Madison

Candid Moments

2011-09-23T09:21:00.000-05:00

I promise this will be the last post on wedding-related pictures. I hadn't planned on posting more pictures, for fear of inducing wedding-related fatigue, but when I got these candid pictures back from our talented friend and photographer, Andy Lyons, I couldn't resist sharing a few more. Thank you, Andy, for catching some amazing moments!

Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

2011-09-22T09:34:00.000-05:00

We might as well christen this pumpkin week over in the Espresso and Cream kitchen. In addition to eating it non-stop in Healthy Pumpkin Butter form, I've also been baking with canned pumpkin.

Joey grew up with a mom who frequently had a pan of bars in some shape and form sitting around the house for hungry boys to eat. And every now and again, I like to recreate this in our home, too. Last month it was Banana Sheet Cake and this month's version is Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Of course, anything with cream cheese frosting is a hit in my book, but these bars are especially tasty and moist thanks to the canned pumpkin. As the days went by, the bars actually started to taste better, similar to the banana bread phenomenon. I would say that if you're thinking of making them to bring somewhere, a day or two ahead of time would yield fantastic results.

Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
Adapted slightly from Sweet Pea's Kitchen

Ingredients
Cake Batter
*4 eggs
*1 2/3 cups sugar
*1 cup vegetable oil
*1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
*1 cup all-purpose flour
*1 cup whole wheat flour
*2 teaspoons baking powder
*2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
*1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
*1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
*1/2 teaspoon salt
*1 teaspoon baking soda

Frosting
*8 ounce cream cheese, softened
*1/2 cup butter, softened
*2 cups sifted powdered sugar
*1 teaspoon vanilla extract
*1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions
*Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking pan. Set aside.
*In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin puree. Beat on medium heat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
*In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients for the cake batter. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Beat until just combined. Transfer batter to the prepared pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack; cool completely.
*Meanwhile, with an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add in the powdered sugar, vanilla extract and cinnamon. Beat until smooth. Spread atop the bars and cut into squares.

Happy Baking!

Madison

Green Cleaning: Stainless Steel

2011-09-21T09:24:00.000-05:00

{Before}

As long as I can remember, I've lived in a house or apartment with stainless steel appliances and bathroom fixtures. And beautiful as they may be, they are a pain in the but to clean. Despite my best intentions and using stainless steel cleaner, I always struggled to get my steel to shine.

Last weekend my mom stayed with us on Saturday night. Being the mom that she is, she got to work cleaning our apartment and polishing our fixtures and appliances with her new, greener cleaning technique: olive oil.

Although I was skeptical at first, once I saw the results I was sold. Even Joey commented on how great our fridge looked, and that's not something he typically remarks on. The best part: it's super simple and doesn't require anything more than a paper towel or thin cloth and a bit of olive oil from your pantry.

What you need:
-Thin cleaning cloth or paper towel
-Olive oil

How it's done:
-Put a small amount of olive oil onto the cloth or paper towel. Use dampened cloth to buff the stainless steel. Re-dampen the cloth as needed.

{After}

Amazing, right? Don't ask me why I let my faucets get so bad in the first place, but rest assured my entire house looks much cleaner than it did a few days ago!

Happy Cleaning!

Madison

Healthy Pumpkin Butter

2011-09-18T18:34:00.000-05:00

Although it's only the middle of September, the pumpkin eating is in full-swing over here. Since last week when I first spotted it on the shelves of the grocery store, I've eaten five 15-ounce cans on my own. Some might call it excessive; I call it celebrating fall.

My favorite way to eat pumpkin is spread atop peanut butter toast. And although I would gladly eat it plain, I find most people prefer to have their pumpkin sweetened and spiced up a bit. Pumpkin butter over the commercial variety has always been a bit sweet for my liking and generally negates the healthy elements of pumpkin puree.

This Healthy Pumpkin Butter is the best of both worlds - slightly sweet and chock full of spice, it functions well as a spread, dip, stirred into oatmeal or when stirred together with vanilla yogurt and topped with granola.

Healthy Pumpkin Butter
Ingredients
*28-ounces pumpkin puree
*1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
*1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
*1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
*1 tablespoon honey
*1 tablespoon stevia or other natural sweetener

Instructions
*Combine all the above ingredients in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring constantly, until mixture is hot and cooked through. Be careful to stir frequently so as not to burn the pumpkin. Remove from heat and transfer to a sealed container. Refrigerate until ready to eat.

Happy Cooking!

Madison

Whole Wheat Salt Bagels

2011-09-15T11:28:00.000-05:00

As a child, one of my best memories was going to Brueger's Bagels with my mom. The nearest location was a couple hours away, so we would stock up on a couple dozen and store them in the freezer and eat away at them for weeks.

True to form, my favorite variety was always the salt bagels. Sure, they had way too much salt on the tops, but part of the fun was to pick off the salt until you got the perfect amount.

A few weeks ago I made my first batch of homemade bagels! I don't know why I hadn't thought of doing it before, since it's surprisingly easy. Although it takes a little time, the process is easy to understand and completely approachable.

Give it a try this weekend if you're in the need of a weekend project!

Whole Wheat Salt Bagels
Recipe Adapted from Southern Living

Ingredients
*1 3/4 cups hot (120°F) water
*1 packet active dry yeast
*2 tablespoons honey
*2 teaspoons salt
*2 cups all-purpose flour
*2 to 3 cups whole wheat flour
*Additional kosher salt

Instructions
*In a small bowl, combine the water and yeast. Allow to sit for five minutes.
*Pour water/yeast mixture into the bowl of an electric mixer; add the honey, salt and the 2 cups all-purpose flour and beat with the paddle attachment of an electric mixer until mixture is smooth.
*Change mixer attachment to a dough hook. Add in two cups of the whole wheat flour and stir for 6 to 8 minutes, or until dough is smooth and elastic. Add additional flour if necessary. Dough should be smooth, elastic, but not sticky.
*Shape dough into 10-inch long ropes about 1/2-inch in diameter (you should have 10 to 12 ropes total). Attach ends together to form a circle and pinch together to close.
*Place shaped dough rings on a parchment-lined baking sheet and cover with a towel. Allow dough to rise for 30 minutes to an hour. Refrigerate bagels for 4 to 6 hours.

*Preheat oven to 425°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
*Bring a large pot of water to boiling. Drop bagels, three at a time, into the boiling water for 1 minute, flipping halfway through. Transfer boiled bagels to parchment lined baking sheets. Sprinkle with kosher salt.
*Bake bagels for 15 to 18 minutes, or until tops are golden and bottoms are slightly browned. Cool slightly. Serve warm with butter!

Happy cooking!
Madison

Treadmill Incline Interval Workout 1

2011-09-13T20:42:00.000-05:00

When my typical treadmill routines get a little dull, I frequently head on over to Iowa Girl Eats, Peanut Butter Fingers or Fitnessista for some butt-kicking inspiration. I'm telling you, these girls know how to put together a great workout that has you huffing and puffing without taking forever.

After following their routines for quite a while now, I thought it was high time I shared a workout or two of my own. On the days that I don't have to do one of my longer training runs, I like to mix up my cross training days with some speed work to rev up my metabolism and keep things interesting.

Next time you get a little bored, give this workout a try!

Madison

Gluten-Free Mac and Cheese

2011-09-11T21:30:00.001-05:00

The road warriors are back from Chicago! We traveled across the state of Iowa and over to Illinois for the weekend to stay with my sister-in-law (Joey's sister) Amber and her hubby Jake. They are expecting a baby in a little over four weeks so this will most likely be the last time we see them until the baby arrives. So darn exciting! The other purpose of our trip was to watch Jason, Joey's brother, play football. He's a senior in college so we are going to try and make it to as many games as possible this season.

Before we headed out for the weekend, I found myself with a bag of quinoa pasta on my hands (more on that later). Paired with a block of cheese, it seemed like the perfect excuse to make a slightly healthier version of macaroni and cheese. I'm a sucker for a good homemade version of the cheesy stuff and figured Cooking Light would be the best place to start looking for a recipe.

Of course, they did not disappoint. The original recipe wasn't gluten-free, but making a few small alterations quickly turned things around. I also added in some creamy Dijon mustard and paprika for a bit of tang and dimension and sharp white cheddar cheese for another punch of flavor.

After making the stovetop recipe, I spooned the mixture into four ramekins and covered the ramekins with aluminum foil. When we returned from our trip, dinner was ready to be heated up in the microwave and finished in the oven, just be sure not to top with cracker crumbs and broil until you are ready to eat.

Personally, I find the best way to eat this dish is when paired with a large side of steamed broccoli to balance out all the cheese. What's your favorite mac and cheese add-in?

Updated 9.13 to Note: Reader Jennifer sent me a very kind and insightful e-mail after I originally posted this recipe (which called for gluten-free whole wheat crackers) letting me know that such a thing doesn't exists since it is made with wheat, which contains gluten. She is completely right and I've made changes to the recipe to reflect this.

Gluten-Free Mac and Cheese
Recipe adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients
*1 1/4 cups quinoa (or other gluten-free pasta) elbow macaroni pasta
*1 cup 1% milk
*2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
*1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
*1/4 teaspoon paprika
*3/4 cup shredded sharp white cheddar cheese
*1/2 cup shredded gruyere cheese
*1/2 teaspoon salt
*1/8 teaspoon black pepper
*Crushed gluten-free crackers (optional)

Instructions
*Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
*Combine milk and flour in a medium saucepan, stirring with a whisk. Cook over medium heat for 2 minutes or until mixture is thickened, stirring constantly. Add in the mustard, paprika, shredded cheddar cheese, salt and black pepper. Stir until the cheese is melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat.
*Add pasta to the cheese mixture and stir gently until evenly coated. Spoon pasta mixture into four ramekins. Top with crushed crackers, if desired.
*Preheat broiler. Broil mac and cheese for 1 minute. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Happy cooking!

Madison

The Wedding Reception

2011-09-09T06:30:00.001-05:00

All of our wedding photos are courtesy of the amazingly talented Mindy Myers and her assistant, Mandy Miller. If you are looking for a photographer that is a joy to work with, energetic and professional (not just for weddings, but for a variety of other photography needs) please, please go check her out HERE.

Have a happy weekend, everyone!

Madison

Our Wedding: The Ceremony

2011-09-07T14:17:00.001-05:00

Photos from the ceremony up next!

Madison

Protein Pancake

2011-09-06T19:55:00.000-05:00

Lately on the blogosphere, there have been plenty of recipes popping up for protein pancakes. I absolutely love a good whole wheat pancake so the idea of a protein-packed version with fewer carbs and a more admirable nutritional profile seemed like the best of both worlds.

Last week I set out to make one of the recipes I found on a popular blog and was disappointed in the results. Maybe it was because the recipe called for a 'scoop' of protein powder, which is a pretty vague amount. But the results weren't impressive. The second recipe I tried was equally as disappointing and left me wanting something that tasted more like a pancake and less like a bowl of oats.

So I decided to take matters into my own hands and whip up something that would pack in plenty of protein but would still taste like the pancakes I know and love. And trust me, we both love pancakes around here and know the taste and texture that's just right.

I used this recipe as a guide for the protein-packed version of my favorite breakfast and was pleasantly surprised with the flavor that the vanilla protein powder added along with the added sweetness from the Stevia. Of course, if you want even more protein, feel free to spread with a spoonful of peanut butter.

Protein Pancake

Makes 2 to 3 Servings

Ingredients

*3/4 cup whole wheat flour

*1/4 cup vanilla protein powder

*3/4 teaspoon baking soda

*1 teaspoon Stevia or brown sugar

*1 large egg, lightly beaten

*3/4 cup milk

*1 teaspoon vanilla extract

*Peanut butter (optional)

Instructions

*In a large bowl, combine the flour, protein powder, baking soda and Stevia. Set aside. In a second bowl, combine the egg, milk and vanilla extract.
*Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
*Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add batter to skillet. (This recipe makes enough for two or three pancakes/servings. See below for nutritional information for three servings.)
*Cook for two to three minutes, or until bubbles form at the surface of the pancake. Flip and cook one minute more. Serve with peanut butter, if desired.

Happy Cooking!

Madison

Idaho and My 10-Miler Training Plan

2011-09-06T06:08:00.000-05:00

We're back from Idaho! I don't know who has been doing such a great job at keeping this state a secret, but it may possibly be one of the prettiest states I've ever visited. The last time I was in Idaho was when I was 12, so everything seemed new to me on this trip. Now that we have family visiting, I can't wait to return soon!

In other news, after posting about the '30 by 30 Challenge' a number of you commented or e-mailed me asking about my training plan for some of the upcoming races I'll be running. By no means am I an expert on the subject, this is just what I've been going by lately. For our first half marathon in July, I followed the ever-popular Hal Higdon training method, using his Half Marathon Novice schedule found here. For someone like me, who has been injury-prone in the past when running long distances, this was the perfect training plan. It only has you running three days a week, enough to build cardiovascular endurance while keeping over-use injuries at bay.

I loved the Hal Higdon training plan, so I was a bit skeptical when my mom suggested we follow Runner's World's "Run Your Best 10-Miler Ever" plan for our race in October. Best ever? I just want to finish the dang thing! Since I have been running quite a bit and have a pretty decent base built up, this plan seemed attainable. However, for anyone who hasn't been running much, I would highly recommend the Hal Higdon beginner's plan.

That said, here's what I've been doing:
Mondays: Cross train/30 minute treadmill speed workout
Wednesdays: Tennis with Joey
Fridays: Cross Train
Saturdays: Active rest days

Week 1
Tuesday: 3 miles
Thursday: 3 miles
Sunday: 5 miles

Week 2
Tuesday: 4 miles
Thursday: 4 miles
Sunday: 6 miles

Week 3
Tuesday: 4 miles
Thursday: 4 miles
Sunday: 7 miles

Week 4
Tuesday: 4 miles
Thursday: 5 miles
Sunday: 8 miles

Week 5
Tuesday: 5 miles
Thursday: 5 miles
Sunday: 10k race

Week 6
Tuesday: 5 miles
Thursday: 5 miles
Sunday: 8 miles

Week 7
Tuesday: 4 miles
Thursday: 4 miles
Sunday: 10 miles

Week 8
Tuesday: 6 miles
Thursday: 5 miles
Sunday: 8 miles

Week 9
Tuesday: 5 miles
Thursday: 6 miles
Sunday: 6 miles

Week 10
Tuesday: 5 miles
Thursday: 4 miles
Sunday: Minneapolis 10-Mile Race

Snapshots from Idaho

2011-09-03T21:19:00.000-05:00

{My beautiful little sisters, Ashley and Taylor}

{Joey outside my parent's house in Idaho}

{Taylor and me striking a pose before a day at Boise State, where Ashley goes to school}

{Vintage telephone booths still exist at Boise State!}

{Taylor's getting so tall! She already passed up Andrea.}

{Bronco Stadium: home of the smurf turf}

{Vintage bikes were all over the place. Makes me want one!}

{She's only 11, but I think a modeling career is in her future. Yeah?}

{Simply stunning!}

{The landscaping at the Boise capitol building is amazing!}

{Christmas card 2011?}

{Family photo time.}

Hope you are all having a wonderful long weekend! I'll be back on Monday with more photos and an Idaho recap. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got more football to watch. Go Gators!

Madison

Watermelon Sorbet

2011-09-01T06:31:00.000-05:00

One last hello before we head out for the holiday weekend! I hope where you are or where you are traveling to has a forecast full of sun and warm weather. And if it does, then I have just the thing for you to make.

There are very few foods that I really, truly cannot stand. Mayonnaise, Jell-O, mushy vegetables... and watermelon! I know, I know. People rarely understand how the texture of watermelon can make me cringe, since it seems that most people absolutely adore it. But no matter how hard I've tried in the past, I really never developed a taste for the stuff.

My hubby, on the other hand, adores watermelon, and when I was browsing through Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams At Home the other day and a recipe for watermelon sorbet popped up, I couldn't deny making it for him. Although I love most of Jeni's recipes and adore her book, the idea of adding 1/2 cup of pure corn syrup to the sorbet in addition to the sugar made me cringe. So I forged my own path and eliminated the corn syrup, and to make up for the lack of sweetness, I cut back on the lemon juice she recommended using.

The results were divine, even for someone like me who doesn't love watermelon in the least bit. I've also found that it makes an amazing drink when you combine a scoop of this sorbet with some diet ginger ale. Pure summertime bliss. I'll be sad to see this sorbet, and summer, go.

Watermelon Sorbet
Adapted from Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home

Ingredients
*1/2 medium seedless watermelon, cut into cubes
*3/4 cup sugar
*Juice from 1 lemon

Instructions
*Puree watermelon in the bowl of a food processor until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl.
*In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar and lemon juice. Stir until combined. Heat mixture over medium high heat until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and add to watermelon mixture.
*Cool mixture in the fridge for six to eight hours, or until fully chilled. Once chilled, place in the bowl of an electric ice cream maker. Freeze according to manufacturers instructions, until mixture is soft and slightly fluffy. Freeze in an airtight container.

Happy Cooking!

Madison

Peanut-Walnut Butter

2011-08-31T09:28:00.000-05:00

Since we have been married, Joey has been shocked at the amount of peanut butter I consume each week. When, like me, you eat a couple tablespoons of the stuff each day, it doesn't last long. Instead of picking up another jar of Smuckers Natural Creamy Peanut Butter, I decided last week that it would be fun to start making my own nut butter again.

It's an amazingly simple process to whirl together your own nut butter, and I love how easy it is to customize the blend based on your specific tastes or allergy restrictions. I've made pure walnut butter before, but felt that it was lacking something without the extra zing of salty peanuts or another more flavorful nut. So this time, I used a combination of walnuts and peanuts for a smooth, creamy and slightly salty spread that is perfect atop toast or served with sliced apples.

If you're interested in some of the other combinations I've put together, you can see them here:
*Make Your Own Nut Butter
*Cashew Butter

Also, just a reminder that our Fund for Jennie Auction is open until 10 pm tonight! The bid for our baked goods gift basket is now up to $225. Let's keep the bidding going! If you're interested, you can find the auction HERE. And thank you all so much for your kindness and generosity.

Peanut-Walnut Butter
Ingredients
*3 cups lightly salted peanuts
*2 cups unsalted walnut halves
*1/4 cup olive oil
*1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions
*Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Blend for two to three minutes, scraping own the sides occasionally, until mixture is smooth and creamy. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Happy Cooking!

Madison

The Dog Days of Summer

2011-08-29T20:31:00.000-05:00

Last week I had Friday off from work and got the opportunity to watch what really goes on in our house when the little princess rules the roost. Man, I tell you, it's tough being a dog.

Hope you all had a wonderful day!

Madison

Homemade Almond Joy Candy Bars

2011-08-28T20:44:00.000-05:00

Hey, friends! I hope you had a great weekend. My mom spent the weekend with us, which meant Joey and I spent the weekend trying to keep up with her. We played tennis, grilled out and went on an 8-mile run this morning. Exactly how I like to spend my weekend.

For as long as I remember, I've been intrigued by the idea of making my own candy bars. I don't really have a clue why, since I can't remember the last time I ate a full-sized candy bar or purchased one at the store, but it's intrigued me none the less.

Of course making homemade Snickers intimidates the heck out of me, and don't ask me how to recreate that filling inside a Milky Way. So to begin my candy bar making adventures, I stuck with something approachable: an Almond Joy.

I suppose it's only fitting that the recipe I found when I Googled 'Homemade Almond Joy' was from Joy the Baker. Trust me, her recipe does not disappoint. We've been keeping these babies in our fridge for the last week or so and I can only imagine they would make a great treat wrapped up in waxed paper and tied with a ribbon.

Homemade Almond Joy Candy Bars

Recipe Courtesy of Joy the Baker

Ingredients

*7 ounces sweetened condensed milk

*1 cup powdered sugar

*1 tablespoon vanilla extract

*Pinch of salt

*2 1/2 cups unsweetened flake coconut

*30 almonds

*20 ounces good quality milk chocolate chips

Instructions

*In a large bowl, combine the sweetened condensed milk, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, salt and coconut. Stir until well combined. Refrigerate mixture until ready to use.

*Meanwhile, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside. Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave, melting in 30-second intervals until it is completely smooth.

*Form the coconut mixture into 30 oval-shaped clusters. Press an almond into the center of each cluster.

*Place one coconut cluster on a fork. Use a spoon to scoop a bit of chocolate over the almond. This will help the almond stick to the candy and not fall off during dipping. Lower fork into chocolate and spoon chocolate over candy to coat. Lift fork and gently shake to release some of the chocolate. Scrape the bottom of the fork along the side of the bowl and place on the lined baking sheet.

*Allow chocolate clusters to harden, at least an hour.

Happy Baking!

Madison

I'm Not a Fashion Blogger...

2011-08-25T20:32:00.000-05:00

{Dress: Target this spring; Blazer: Forever 21; Shoes: Cole Haan via TJ Maxx; Necklace: Banana Republic; Glasses: Claire's}

...but I kinda wish I was. Although there are plenty of amazing, high-end fashion bloggers out there, it wasn't until I started reading Kendi Everyday that I really got inspired. Kendi is so real, down-to-earth, funny, and she wears clothes normal people can actually find and afford. She's totally my girl crush, can you tell?

I am, by no means, the expert when it comes to dressing fashionably. And the idea of posing for a camera makes me a little goofy...

I realize that you don't come to Espresso and Cream for fashion posts, but if I posted an outfit every now and again, would you be terribly opposed to the idea?

Madison

Lemon Brown Sugar Chicken

2011-08-25T06:29:00.000-05:00

Note: If you haven't gotten around to bidding on the amazing gift basket we are auctioning off, you can do so HERE. The proceeds go toward a great cause and the basket is amazing!

No, your eyes aren't fooling you. This is a picture, and a recipe for, chicken. But before you jump to conclusions, I should tell you that this chicken wasn't for me, but for my husband. You see, Joey has no intention of going vegetarian, so we've fallen into a pretty nice routine when it comes to our 'flexitrian' lifestyle. I plan meals that are either vegetarian by nature or could easily be vegetarian, then think about how I will add in the meat-based protein for Joey.

This week, our meals are planned out something like this:
Monday: Ate at Texas Road House since we were in Des Moines for an appointment. They have great steamed veggies (ask for them without the butter) and baked potatoes (ask for it with the butter and sour cream on the side)
Tuesday: Dinner-sized salads with crumbled feta cheese, chopped almonds, steamed broccoli and tossed with a mix of balsamic and poppy seed dressing. Topped with beer-poached salmon.
Wednesday: Fajita night! Whole wheat tortillas, sauteed onions, peppers and mushrooms. Baked, sliced chicken breast simmered in taco seasoning. Chopped lettuce and tomatoes. Salsa.
Thursday: Burgers! Veggie burger for her and beef burger for him. Whole wheat buns and cheddar cheese. Steamed broccoli. Sun Chips for him.
Friday: Grub Plate: which will most likely consist of throwing together all the items we have in our fridge that didn't get eaten during the week: a bit of sliced cheese, some crackers, sliced veggies and small salads with the last of our lettuce

This recipe for Lemon Brown Sugar Chicken, courtesy of Jenna over at Eat Live Run, was a big hit last week and sure to be a staple when I'm preparing chicken in the future. Joey's a huge fan of Chinese food, particularly orange chicken, and said this tastes remarkably similar. The major differences between this and purchased orange chicken being that it's much healthier and a whole lot cheaper to make. It's a win-win, if you ask me!

Lemon Brown Sugar Chicken
Recipe from Eat Live Run

Ingredients
*1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
*Juice of one large lemon
*1 tablespoon lemon zest
*1 cup flour
*2 teaspoons paprika
*1 teaspoon sea salt
*1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
*2 tablespoons brown sugar

Instructions
*Preheat oven to 350°F.
*Using a meat mallet (or ice cream scoop), pound the chicken breasts thin. Set aside.
*Combine the flour, paprika and salt in a large shallow bowl and stir to combine. Dip the chicken breasts into the flour mixture to evenly coat.
*Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the chicken breasts, cooking two minutes per side. You are just browning the outsides, not cooking completely through. Remove from pan and set aside.
*Pour the lemon juice into the pan and stir to de-glaze the pan. Put chicken breast in a casserole dish and pour lemon juice mixture on top. Sprinkle with brown sugar and lemon zest. Bake for 30 minutes or until temperature reaches 165°F.

Happy Cooking!
Madison