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Lacey Oatmeal Cookies are these wonderful very light, crispy, caramelized cookies that you can almost see-through. They spread out to 2-3x the size of the dough (batter?) you put on the sheet pan and it causes this wonderful reaction where the sugar and butter caramelize into something incredible…
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I recently picked up a used copy of Martha Stewart’s Newlywed Kitchen, which for the most part was focused on a life I barely remember from before COVID - dinner parties, slightly complicated ingredient lists, etc. to acclimate a new cook to their new married life of dinners together. But flipping through the pages, I found this great recipe for Cream Scones that I took and adjusted to make a tasty Monday morning treat. Cranberry Cream Scones…
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I wanted that warm, gooey Christmas breakfast but without all the effort of Christmas Eve night since family is over. This recipe nails it and is so easy, you can make it on a Saturday morning with basically zero effort. I make them the night before and let them sit out overnight, but you can throw everything together right before you bake too.
Read moreCan you believe that we are already in the second half of October?! I feel like every year feels that way, but like everything else in 2020, this year that feeling is just amplified. I have been so overwhelmed with a bunch of things going on and I haven’t been posting like I was, but I couldn’t let this week pass without sharing some of the things that are helping me get through this crazy time in life. Read below for how I am working out, washing my hands, spending my free time and more…
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This recipe is super easy and is honestly one of the tastiest things I have ever baked. Like, maybe the tastiest and it will be making many appearances this fall. I started with this Starbucks copy cat from The First Year but made some adjustments and then added an oatmeal streusel because honestly, every quick bread or muffin should have some kind of streusel on top.
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This week I’ve shared my favorite fall cocktail and my favorite fall dinner, but we can’t end the week without mentioning my favorite fall drink. I am not the girl who goes to Starbucks and orders a pumpkin spice latte. In general, I don’t order straight off the menu at Starbucks (or any coffee shop) because they are always wayy to sweet for me. All of that to say, I decided to make a “PSL” at home that was more pumpkin and spice and less sweet and dairy. You can make it with almond milk like I do here, or you can use any dairy that makes you happy. You can use oat milk too. A
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I love chili. We eat it from the first day of fall until the very end of winter. It is an entire meal in a bowl, super easy, and if you follow a recipe like this one, pretty darn healthy. I also really love cornbread and making chili is obviously a great excuse to have some cornbread too.
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The first thing I crave when the leaves start changing colors is apple cider. Even better when it’s part of a fabulous cocktail. Any sangria requires a little preparation because it really needs to sit overnight, so it may not be the thing to whip out at the last minute when friends stop by, but then again, if you just always keep some in the fridge in the fall, maybe it is…
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I mention this Ratatouille in my movie night post because what is more fun than watching the cutest Disney movie and eating the namesake dish? I also just love how bright and fresh this dish tastes. It goes with almost any protein you may be cooking - steak? Sure! Chicken, especially grilled chicken? Absolutely. Salmon can even stand up to it. Add a glass of wine, and I immediately feel halfway to Provence.
Read moreThis week I wanted to kick off a new series. Some of my favorite posts on other people’s sites are when they do a round up of all the great links and things they have found throughout the past week, so I decided to adopt the idea! So without further ado, the first week of Friday Finds!
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Bolstered by my first success, I made Tuscan Chicken from this recipe. It is a great recipe but too fussy for me. If I have to brown anything on the stove before putting it in the slow cooker, it’s more work than I want out of a slow cooker meal. So this is a “short-cut” method that yields equally delicious results. This recipe is super easy with very little prep work required. I recommend serving it up with a bright green salad and wild rice or slice of whole wheat country bread.
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I really enjoy the European-style cocktail hour ritual. In a pre-COVID world, I would say that it is the perfect time to catch up with friends and be social after the day at work. Now, I more associate it with time I have set aside for myself at home. Usually, around 4:30 pm, I log off from work - there is so much satisfaction in closing my laptop for the day - and head to the kitchen. I make myself a cocktail (wine is for dinner time) and get a small snack.
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As an adult, I have never liked store-bought tomato sauce. I can’t quite put my finger on why - some sauces are too sweet, some too bland, most just have some kind of artificial or preservative taste. But when I was reading Super Tuscan, by Debi Mazar, I loved her recipe for Layered Polenta with Broccoli Rabe. More specifically, the sauce you make to create the polenta-lasagna.
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Minestrone by definition is a soup that can use up those vegetables that are at risk of having to be tossed. Minestrone more or less just means a vegetable soup with pasta (or rice) and topped with parmesan. I include what I always have around in the recipe list below, but you can always go crazy and throw in other things!
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While I haven’t committed to a full theme night, we have created a little movie theatre experience at home. I think the biggest key to making these nights the most they can be is making sure that you keep them special by getting out of the norm. We set up a movie screen (aka white table cloth) in front of our spare bed so that we aren't just watching a movie in the same place we watch shows in the evening. So aside from a way to get out of your normal routine, what else do you need for a movie night at home?
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Shirred Eggs
I posted this last week, and I am pretty sure about 20 people told me they were coming over for breakfast.
Shirred eggs are pictured here with french fries and tater tots covered in cheese and season salt because after a night of too much wine, cheese and carbs are all I want. Haha!
Daniel and I have had this tradition of breakfast in bed on the weekends for as long as I can remember. It’s something we look forward to all week. Leisurely Saturday and Sunday mornings with Rick Steve’s travel show, coffee and something to eat. Sometimes we are lazy and it is just toast for him and a frozen croissant for me (Whole Foods has great frozen mini pain au chocolate), but other times I put a teeny bit of effort into it and we have shirred eggs, bacon, and fruit or something like that.
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Homemade Mayonnaise
Okay, so we’re making mayonnaise (I can’t bring myself to call this “mayo” because its so much more luxurious than Miracle Whip). If you grew up loving mayonnaise, this will blow your mind. If you are on Team Mayo-Is-Gross, this might blow your mind even more.
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Dear Aly, What is a quick and easy lunch I can make while WFH?
Last week, all I could think about was a BLT, but I am trying to up my vitamin intake after recent bloodwork, so I use up my daily carb allotment with a big bowl of multi-grain Cheerios in the morning. So enter the BLT salad. I whipped this together for lunch and it was a huge hit with both Daniel and I.
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Dear Aly, I buy so much fruit in the summer, but we never seem to eat it fast enough. How can I use it?
But something about summer makes me not so into the idea of dairy. Except for a splash of skim in my iced coffee, or my morning cafe creme with salted Brittany butter on my baguette,… and of course, I still eat cheese every day! Okay, maybe I do still eat a lot of dairy, but nevertheless on a hot summer day, I am not looking for a creamy ice cream cone. But today, I discovered something so delicious and perfectly summer, I literally put down my bowl to grab my laptop and write about it. It’s that good. And even better - Its SO easy.
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Dear Aly, What is a great way to use tomatoes now that it is Summer?
When I made this tomato galette I definitely opted on the side of guidelines. The quantities are not strict measurements and some of you bakers might truly hate it, but as the kids say, sorry not sorry. One of the great things about cooking this way is that it lends itself to endless variations that make each one cooked personalized to the chef. This rustic tarte is a great summer dish. And it genuinely can be eaten at breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner — trust me!
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