A sweet and tangy treat

Lemon bars...hello baby!  I have to dedicate this post and these creamy delights to my best friend ever, Meme.  I just made these from scratch today and I have to tell you they were so much better than the boxed kind I had grown so accustomed to making. Never again! I had to share this recipe. At first bite you get the buttery crust...followed by the intensely sour, lemony custard...and then the delicately sweet powdered sugar to mellow it all out. It's just heavenly. Read on for the recipe!

In a mixer, combine 2 sticks of room temperature butter and 1/2 cup of sugar.  Cream together. With the mixer on low add 2 cups of flour and 1/8 tsp. of salt.  Pat into the bottom of a 9x12 baking pan. Chill for 15 minutes. Then bake crust at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until very lightly browned. For the filling, mix 6 eggs with 3 cups of sugar.  Add 2 tbs. grated lemon zest and 1 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice.  While mixing, add 1 cup of flour slowly so it does not get lumpy.  Pour custard mixture onto the crust and bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.  Once set and cooled, dust with powdered sugar to serve.

*Disclaimer: Bars are more scrumptious than they appear. I'm sorry people I am not a food photographer! I am using a little rinky dink camera I got during the day after Thanksgiving sale, lol. Please try them!

Creamy cheese grits and roasted shrimp

This was my first time making grits and they were surprisingly delicious! I always thought of grits as some soupy, slimy concoction that just never seemed appealing.  Here is how I made shrimp and grits.

How I made the creamy grits:

5 slices regular bacon, cut into pieces
1 whole yellow onion, chopped
1 cup stone ground grits, for the love of all that is holy please do not use instant grits. Bad...very bad! 
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
1 cup heavy cream
1-1/2 cups grated monterey jack cheese
pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
salt
pepper

In a heavy pot, cook bacon over medium heat for a couple of minutes to render fat. Add onions and red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, and cook with bacon for a few minutes, or until bacon is chewy and onions are golden brown.

Add grits, chicken broth, and water. Stir together and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer, cover pot, and cook 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally and making sure the liquid level is okay. If grits begin to get dry, add a little more warm broth.

After 30-40 minutes of cooking time, pour in cream. Cover pot and continue to simmer on very low heat for another 30 minutes, or until grits are done. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and stir in grated cheese. Top with roasted shrimp.

How I made the shrimp:

Peel and devein one pound of shrimp, then rinse with cold water.   Toss shrimp in a bowl with a drizzle of olive oil, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, salt and pepper.  Place shrimp on a baking sheet and bake for 5-6mins at 400 degrees until pink and tender. 

Whole Foods - my new love

I'm a small town girl from Oregon who got used to living pretty humbly.  Now I'm a small town girl living in the big city of Chicago, and I have to say, I'm in love--with the shopping.

 

This store is pretty much my dream come true! I have lived in Chicago for a year now and I was getting so frustrated with the grocery stores around here.  I lived on the west coast so I was able to find things like fresh seafood, very very easily.  Not here though.  All of the fish in all of the grocery stores looked so gross. Not fresh at all.  Today I wandered into a Whole Foods Market for the first time, and I swear my eyes grew double in size, and I heard angels singing!

Ok, maybe not the angels part, but definitely the eye part.  It was BEAUTIFUL!!!  Fresh organic fruits and veggies lined the entrance.  Things I have not seen since leaving my small town of Pendleton, OR.  And only on special occasions could you find it too.  Usually once a week, at the farmer's market that runs during the summer and fall months.  Things like colorful heirloom tomatoes, and bunches of fresh organic herbs.  

And I also saw a lot of things I've never seen before!  Rows of delicious fancy olives, and other antipasti.  Dozens and dozens of cheeses, half of which I can't even pronounce, and...AHHHHH *angels singing* the seafood counter.  I was so happy!  It all looked so amazingly fresh and delicious.  The worst part about it was deciding which to get!  I did end up getting a pound of raw shrimp, and a compliment from the guy behind the fish counter who said I looked really nice and he liked my sun glasses. Random, but I'll take it! Tonight I plan to cook my shrimpy friends along with some cheesy grits...pictures and recipe to come in case anyone wants it!

So, for those other small town people who never even heard of whole foods before, go inside! You won't regret it! It's a little spendy but I think worth it to get the better quality goods.  I can't wait to go back.

Midnight Snack (or anytime really) for the Choco-holic

I just couldn't help myself.  This chocolate sorbet is so easy, you will make it over and over! Allow me to share.

Ingredients:

2 cups water
1 cup sugar

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/8 tsp ground cinnamon (I put in 1/4 tsp because I just love extra cinnamon)

1/8 tsp salt

1/4 cup brewed espresso (I just used really strong coffee because that's what I had on hand)

Directions:

In a large saucepan, combine all ingredients. Cook over low heat just until everything is dissolved.  Transfer to a plastic container and refrigerate until very cold. Freeze the mixture in an ice cream mixture according to your machine's directions.  Usually I let the bowl of my machine freeze over night. If the machine isn't really cold the ice cream wont have the right consistency. Then I mixed in the machine for 25 minutes.

The mixture was soft, so I transferred it back into the plastic container and put in the freezer for 1 hour, because lets face it, I just couldn't wait longer than that. 

If you want to make an adult version, make as above but once you remove the chocolate mixture from heat, add in a tablespoon (or 2...or 3....) of coffee liqueur.  And if you're REALLY bad like me, add mini chocolate chips in the last 30 seconds of the mixer going, just to combine. Mmmm...more chocolate, yes please!

Enjoy!

(Sharing optional) 

:)

Double Trouble

For people who know my family, they'd say it's pretty unique. However since the birth of reality TV, and shows like Kate Plus 8, and Octo-mom, my story seems less inimitable. But I'll share it anyways.

My parents got married super young! My mom was 19, my dad 22. I mean really? When I was 19 I think I was in between jobs and totally uncaring about my own future. But I digress.  My parents really wanted children but my mom was having difficulties getting pregnant.  So they decided to adopt. My parents were now 28 and 31, and finally they got their wish! HeLLooooOoOoOoo world! My twin sister and I were born.

For anyone who has twins, or multiples, you can empathize. One baby is hard enough. Well life was great and my parents were happy, but they were about to get a big surprise.  My mom finally gets pregnant. Oh jeez! It was totally unexpected but they were thrilled.  I think the doctor told her she was too uptight before.  She was trying too hard to get pregnant. 

So...my parents go in for the first ultrasound.  The nurse is rubbing the thingy (totally the technical term) around her belly, and says "there's a heart beat!" My parents were so happy. And then the nurse says, "and there's the other heart beat!" Now, what exactly happens next is somewhat debatable between my parents. But according to my mom, dad didn't speak a WORD for 3 whole days! LOL

 Some time later, Jeff and Lori were born, and my parents had 2 sets of twins, all under the age of 3.  I think it would be fair to say our house was a bit MAD HATTER! It was also extremely loving and supportive. My parents are the two best people I know, and what I hope to be like when I have my own children. I look forward to having a big family like the one I grew up in. Complete with all the dogs, cats, fish, hamsters and whatever other critters followed my brother home from school, or Lori hid in her bedroom. 

                                                Family is forever. <3

Dedicated to my mom and dad, my best friend and hero.

Photography

Some pictures I took. Thought I'd share! :) Enjoy.

My Kids

Monkey and Ladybug are my children! I was leaving my apartment one night to head to the store and I saw some movement under the dumpster outside. When I got closer I realized it was two precious little babies! Much too small and too young to be away from their mother. I instantly had to help them. It took 2 hours, and four girls to catch one of them. A little while later, and thanks to the help of my best friend Meme, we were able to catch the second, after crawling through the dirt behind our apartment complex with a flashlight. 

They were so scared. Megan sat with them in my room while I ran to the store to get kitten supplies; litter, food, toys, etc. When I got back I set some food out for them. They were so hungry!!! Their little bellies were bulging afterward.  I was in love.  

I blame my mother for this, but I am a bleeding heart for animals. Growing up all of our pets seemed to be strays.  Bless my dad for giving in to big brown eyes saying "pleaseeee!!!"  I love people like Ellen Degeneres, or Rachel Ray who use their fame and fortune to help animals in need. I don't have fame, and I don't have fortune, but I try to do the same, and will continue to do so as long as I live! :)