Ky in the Kitchen

Two Songs for Saturday: "Somebody That I Used to Know" by Gotye (feat. Kimbra), and "Cameo Lover" by Kimbra

2012-02-25T04:01:00.001-07:00

Sometimes I can't just limit myself to one song.

Gotye (Wally De Backer) was born in Belgium, but moved with his family to Melbourne, Australia when he was two. He's been compared to Sting and Peter Gabriel. I like him, and I love this song. (His website.)

Kimbra (Kimbra Johnson) is from New Zealand. She's got a great voice, and I like her, too. (Her website.)

Hopefully you'll enjoy both of these. If not, I hope you at least enjoy the rest of your Saturday.

A Driveway and Some Mac and Cheese

2012-02-23T14:54:00.000-07:00

This is our driveway. It has a concrete half-wall to block the hill of ground from flooding into our driveway. It works pretty well, but we still had big mounds of dirt up next to the wall from run-off/landslides/rain/whatever. Pleasant. Because, not only was it a hilly driveway, it's also curvy. Look again. See? So, with winter deciding to take a break for a day last Saturday (I wore a t-shirt! Outside!), we decided to conquer the driveway. Shovels? check. Rake? check. Gloves? check. Saw? (for rude roots) check. Trash cans? check. Broom? check. Muscles? check. Sonic drink? check. Tunes? check. A few hours later it looked like this. Look again. YAY!! So much better. Sorry I don't have a before picture, but at least you can see some of the remains to get an idea of how it was.

After so much lugging, bending, lifting, kicking, and pulling - ok, not that much kicking - it was comforting to have leftovers in the fridge for dinner. Not only leftovers, but rich and you-deserve-something-nice-here-have-a-bite-of-this macaroni and cheese. My favorite parts about this were: the southwestern mix of pasta we got in Seattle last fall, the super-simple and very tasty bread crumb (torn pieces of bread) topping, the use of nutmeg and cayenne pepper, and that I had enough cheese in the first place to make it. I did however lose my mind and didn't use any kind of real milk product - even though we had it. I used soy milk - because that's what I have with cereal, and I don't drink milk much anymore... Anyway, wouldn't really recommend vanilla soymilk. It was still very good, though.

MARTHA’S MACARONI and CHEESE printer-friendly version
via Smitten Kitchen

Serves 12

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for casserole
6 slices white bread, crusts removed, torn into 1/4- to l/2-inch pieces
5 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons coarse salt, plus more for water
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 1/2 cups (about 18 ounces) grated sharp white cheddar cheese
2 cups (about 8 ounces) grated Gruyère or 1 1/4 cups (about 5 ounces) grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1 pound elbow macaroni

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside. Place the bread in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Pour the melted butter into the bowl with the bread, and toss. Set the breadcrumbs aside.

2. Warm the milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Melt the remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When the butter bubbles, add the flour. Cook, stirring, 1 minute.

3. While whisking, slowly pour in the hot milk a little at a time to keep mixture smooth. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick, 8 to 12 minutes.

4. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar cheese, and 1 1/2 cups Gruyère (or 1 cup Pecorino Romano); set the cheese sauce aside.

5. Cover a large pot of salted water, and bring to a boil. Cook the macaroni until the outside of pasta is cooked and the inside is underdone, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Stir the macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce.

6. Pour the mixture into the prepared dish. Sprinkle the remaining 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup Gruyère (or 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano), and the breadcrumbs over the top. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes (though we needed a bit more time to get it brown, but your oven may vary). Transfer the dish to a wire rack for 5 minutes; serve.

A Song for Saturday: "Emmylou" by First Aid Kit

2012-02-18T04:14:00.001-07:00

First Aid Kit is a duo of Swedish sisters, Johanna and Klara. I think they have a folksy-70s vibe, and I like it. Their song, "Emmylou" is currently popular. Hope you enjoy it.

First Aid Kit "Emmylou" from Maximilla Lukacs on Vimeo.

Dear Photograph

2012-02-17T10:23:00.000-07:00

I learned of Dear Photograph from Design Mom this morning and found myself enchanted and nostalgic as I looked through the photographs and notes of strangers. Kind of fitting since we were just looking at photos of Ryan's family from the 70s last night. I wonder what his siblings or his parents would say to the photographs...

"Taylor Jones, at just 22 years of age, was inspired to start his website Dear Photograph as he flipped through old family photos at his parents' kitchen table. When he came across an image of his brother sitting at that very same table, he lifted it up and snapped a picture of the picture. In a moment, the idea for DearPhotograph.com was born. After taking more photographs, Jones posted them on a website and asked people to submit their own renditions -- but he had no idea how overwhelming of a response he would get. In just six short weeks, millions of people had visited, hundreds had submitted, and Jones had created an internet phenomenon that captured the world's attention."

Dear Photograph,

My Dad used to get all of his friends and my Uncle to come and help him do up what was then a crumbling townhouse in the wrong side of town. These days it is super posh and I think of them all standing there in the windows when I drive by everyday on my way to work.

Katie

Dear Photograph,
In high school ROTC, he was innocent to the ways of the world. After graduating, he proudly joined the marines to do his duty and serve his country. In 1983, a bombing in Beirut, Lebanon would take him from us and now all we have are photos like this…and we are thankful.
Fotoguy

Dear Photograph,
30 years ago, I was that little boy who could see the beauty in all things far and wide. Perhaps that is the innocence of childhood…looking at life with clarity and simplicity, always enjoying the view. I hope I never lose sight of that.
-Giuseppe


photos: Dear Photograph
quote: here

Valentine's Day: Flowers and Cookies

2012-02-14T14:44:00.000-07:00

Flowers from Ryan this morning :)

Some people from our church got together and decided to do "Secret Valentine Families." Essentially, it's like Secret Santa, but we have to give gifts in secret to our assigned family for at least three days and reveal who we are on Valentine's Day. It's organized thusly: If you sign up, you will be assigned a family, and another family will also be assigned to you. Ryan and I have had fun putting together Valentine's packages for our family, and the last one (a cute bucket of CANDY!) will be delivered this evening.

What I really wanted to tell you about was the cute family that were our secret valentines. One night they dropped off a darling bag with the following: heart-shaped Junior Mints, red sprinkles, two small containers of frosting (white and pink), a heart shaped cookie cutter, and a pre-made roll of sugar cookie dough! Sweet!

So, naturally we used it right away and made some Valentine sugar cookies...

Gettin' fancy with the sprinkles

SOFT SUGAR COOKIES printer-friendly version

from my friend Jamie C.

For shaped cookies, roll out and use cookie cutters. Same baking time.

(Ky's note: We always bake cookies on parchment paper. For these, after pulling them out of the oven we let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes. Then we got to the fun part: decorating!)

2/3 cup shortening

2/3 cup butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

3 1/2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/3 cup sugar (for decorating)

Mix butter, shortening, and sugar. Stir in eggs and vanilla.

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to wet ingredients.

Roll into balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheet 2 inches apart.

Cook at 350* F for 10-12 minutes.

A Song for Saturday: "You As You Were" by Shearwater

2012-02-11T06:30:00.001-07:00

I've been loving on Simple Song for the last few weeks, and as I was browsing music of similar genre I came across this song. From Austin, Texas, this Indie band has a new album called Animal Joy coming out on Valentine's day and this song is the first single.

The weekend!

2012-02-10T15:02:00.000-07:00

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

2012-02-08T11:18:00.000-07:00

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore from Moonbot Studios on Vimeo.

I've been watching this every few days for a couple weeks.

I think it's pretty enchanting, and I hope you enjoy it.

Mixed Berry Syrup

2012-02-06T21:19:00.000-07:00

I've been missing berries recently - so we bought some and made some syrup. We used a pound of berries total - strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries. A lovely accompaniment to crepes - which we had for breakfast. :)

MIXED BERRY SYRUP printer-friendly version
adapted from Emeril Lagasse's fresh strawberry syrup - also delicious!
If thinner syrup is desired, strain the hot syrup through a fine mesh strainer into a clean container and let cool.

1 pound fresh berries or thawed frozen unsweetened berries
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons orange juice
1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest

1. In a medium saucepan combine all ingredients and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until the berries are soft and the syrup is thickened and reduced by 1/3-to-1/2 in volume, 15 to 18 minutes.

2. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature before serving.

My friend Nicole

2012-02-03T14:17:00.000-07:00

One of my best friends from college, Nicole, has a new website that's pretty sweet. Ch-ch-check it out!

BONJOUR NICOLE

(photo by Matthew Williams)

Feel-Better Flowers

2012-02-02T18:07:00.000-07:00

You know what's not awesome? Let me tell you the story of what happened yesterday.

I was in the kitchen. The slow cooker insert was placed next to the cutting board. The skillet with a couple tablespoons of oil was on the stove. The cookbook was opened to the page with the recipe for tonights dinner: Slow Cooker Curry Chicken and Rice.

I began slicing the onions. I was halfway through the first one when I realized my silly mistake. Usually I'm protected from the dangerous onion gasses by my contacts. However, I was still wearing my glasses. My eyes were unprotected! Sure enough, tears started forming. A few wipes on the sleeve and I continued. By the time I was finishing the second onion, I could hardly keep my eyes open - I could hardly see through them - and to top it all off, my glasses were covered with spots from my tears. I was just about to put all of the minced onions in the skillet when - OUCH!!! - I cut my finger.

We have sharp knives. Especially one of the chef's knives. I was using this one chef's knife. Luckily none of my red stuff got on the onions. Also, thankfully I knew where the band-aids were and that we had some latex gloves. I threw one of those puppies on and finished getting everything ready for the slow cooker.

A few band-aids later evening comes and the doorbell rings. I answer it and there's sweet Ryan holding these:

Oh, man. I like this guy a lot. I joked and said that if I would get flowers for cutting my finger that maybe I'd do it more often. I really won't though - being a blind, teary, and bleeding mess is not awesome.

The good news is that the dinner was really delicious, and here's the recipe.

CURRIED CHICKEN and RICE printer-friendly version
from America's Test Kitchen Slow Cooker Revolution cook book

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 onions, minced
1 jalapeño chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced or grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
3 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 (14-ounce) can light coconut milk
2 pounds boneless, skinless, chicken thighs, trimmed
Salt and pepper
1/2 head cauliflower (1 pound), cored and cut into 1-inch florets (3 cups)
1 cup frozen peas
3 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onions, jalapeño, garlic, ginger, curry, and garam masala and cook until vegetables are softened and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in coconut milk, scraping any browned bits and smoothing out any lumps; transfer to slow cooker.

2. Season chicken with salt and pepper, add to slow cooker, and coat evenly with sauce. Cover and cook until chicken is tender, 4 to 6 hours on low.

3. Break up chicken into bite-size pieces with wooden spoon. Stir in rice and 1 teaspoon salt, cover, and cook on high until rice is tender, 20 to 30 minutes.

4. Microwave cauliflower with remaining tablespoon oil in bowl, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 4 minutes. Stir softened cauliflower and peas into casserole and let sit until heated through, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with almonds and cilantro and serve.

Moleskine Passions Journals

2012-02-01T10:22:00.001-07:00

We're big fans of Moleskin notebooks in this house. I saw this collection of Passions Collections journal and thought it was pretty cool. They have journals specifically for whatever your passion may be. Pretty cool.

Favorite Band

2012-01-20T16:07:00.000-07:00

My favorite band, The Shins, are releasing an album in March. (Yay!) Their first single is called "Simple Song," and I think it's great. Have a listen!

Things that are Awesome

2012-01-19T12:15:00.000-07:00

1. Speed-finger-painting

2. Making Thai iced-tea a dance

3. We got a portable dishwasher!!!! We haven't had one for 3.5 years!! Also, we get the bonus of additional counter space. Score.

What kind of meals are your favorite when it's cold outside? Soups? Casseroles? Mexican? Pastas? We have a recipe for vegetarian bean chili that's pretty delicious this time of year. Maybe I'll post that one soon.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T14:43:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite Christmas movies is 'A Muppet Christmas Carol,' and in that movie there's a song about closing up work for Christmas Eve and going home for the holiday because there's only "One more sleep 'til Christmas." Since we watched it last week, Ryan's been asking me, "Ky, how many sleeps 'til Christmas?" :)

It's finally here and we arrived in Utah yesterday to celebrate. Hope you have a great holiday. :)

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-12-13T11:14:00.000-07:00

Last Christmas I made this super-awesome rainbow-layered Jell-O. It was beautiful. So, I decided to make one with reds, purples, and blues, for Thanksgiving this year. Well, after this layer you see below - even with five other semi-successful layers on top - it all went down hill. I just didn't want to give up, though I probably should have just started the whole thing over again. Anyway, the end result was a colorful Jell-O soup, which is fun for about one slurp.

-the unfortunate layer-

My efforts weren't a complete failure though, because the appetizers/snacks were edible.

-zippy italian popcorn, white chocolate popcorn, yum-yum bacon, and a veggie tray-

For the savory popcorn, which was spicier than expected, go here. For the white chocolate popcorn, which was just as delicious as was expected, go here. I added a little more white chocolate than she called for. Growing up I had a neighbor who would make this every Christmas with mint M&Ms to pass out. Dangerously tasty. If you haven't had it, you need to make some this Christmas, or whenever you're going to have lots of other people around to eat some, too, so you don't eat the whole bowl. The veggie tray was complete with: cucumbers, celery, carrots, orange and red bell peppers, black olives, and petite sweet pickles.

The yum-yum bacon is bacon, mustard, and brown sugar gooey-ness that gets stuck in your teeth, and is so rich that you can only ~~make~~ eat it once or twice a year. You'll still crave some, but your dentist will thank you.

Overall the meal was delicious, and we had a great time visiting and Skyping with family on the East Coast, but I still think my favorite part was admiring the pretty table setting. Observe.

Preetty. My mother-in-law has a "thing" for the color orange, and her stoneware is very fall appropriate. :)

Seattle in the Fall

2011-12-12T21:39:00.000-07:00

Ryan had a conference in Seattle last month. I tagged along for the ride, visited some family in the Tri-Cities, and then we toured the city! Here are some instagram photos from the trip.

-view from our room-

-belle epicurean cafe, first meal in seattle-

-fish & chips at Ivar's-

-pier at Ivar's-

-fremont troll!-

-sam, seattle art museum-

-cabbage roses, pike place market-

-pappardelle's pasta, pike place market-
(we brought home chocolate linguine, sweet potato orzo, and a southwestern mix)

-produce stand, pike place market-

-view from Columbia Center Sky View, 73rd floor-

-before the Underground Seattle tour-

-old skylight in the sidewalk-

-same skylight from under the sidewalk-

-above ground again, an alley in pioneer square-
(Columbia Center in background)

-space needle at night-

-seattle center at night-

-divine liége waffles, our last meal in seattle-

A Little Snow

2011-12-12T17:41:00.000-07:00

I live in a quiet place, but it seems even more quiet when snow has fallen.

My Grandma Mary

2011-12-01T17:30:00.000-07:00

My Grandma Mary passed away this morning. She'd been unwell and unhappy for a long time. In a sense she was trapped in her own body. However, now she's been freed and is at peace, and I'm grateful. My sister wrote a poem this morning because she couldn't go back to sleep after the news and I got her permission to post it here because I think it's lovely and it would make my Grandma smile (maybe even cry a few happy tears since in this family we all cry so easily ;).

March 2011

In loving memory of Mary Ellen White Ellis. October 1, 1936 - December 1, 2011

- Caitlin Ellis

This life was never meant to be easy, that's something you soon learned.

Your pain was great throughout your years, and now the tides have turned.

Your suffering is all gone now, something not even trained doctors could do.

Something that I never foresaw was how much I'd miss you.

I knew this day was coming, it just happened all too fast.

On this cold December morning, your defeated body passed.

I wish that I could see you now, free from the bonds of this life.

I bet you ran into our Savior's arms - no more worry, pain, or strife.

This month we celebrate His coming to the earth where the perfect life He led.

It's because of Him our family can unite again, that's something you always said.

The veil is thin, this life is fragile, and we must be our best everyday.

I'm so happy for you - your battle is won; your burdens are lifted away.

The time we'll meet at Jesus' feet, nobody knows when,

But I'll love you forever, and God will be with you until we meet again.

Love you, Grandma.

Planned Thanksgiving Menu Contributions from Yours Truly and Husband

2011-11-22T16:06:00.000-07:00

Fall in Seattle - View from our Hotel last week.

Cabbage Roses at Pike Place Market

Since I'm starting my cooking and prep today, I thought I'd share...

Turkey: Ryan (and others willing to help). He's trying out a method in the most recent Cook's Illustrated mag - braised.
Rolls: Ryan & Kylie. We're the bread people, and we like to make bread-y things. We're making some Rustic rolls and some classic American dinner rolls. Both of these recipes also from Cook's Illustrated.
Sweet Potato Pie: Ryan. I requested a spin on traditional sweet potatoes, and he found this option. :)
Layered Jell-O: Kylie. Last Christmas I made a rainbow layered-Jell-O. It was pretty awesome. For Thursday I'm making a layered Jell-O with reds, purples, and blue.
Yum-Yum Bacon: Kylie. Bacon slices with mustard and brown sugar. A bite of happiness. These were served at my wedding reception.
Zippy Italian Popcorn: Kylie. We need a pre-dinner snack, right?
White Chocolate Popcorn: Kylie. Because I want to eat some, and I'm pretty sure others will, too.

If successful, I'll supply recipes (and hopefully a photo or two) after the feast. Happy Thanksgiving!

Window Shopping for Recipes: Things with Cheese

2011-10-06T11:38:00.000-06:00

There are so many food blogs. So. Many. It seems like I come across at least another dozen every week. (OK, I'm exaggerating, but only a little!) I'm always composing lists of recipes to show to Ryan (usually by e-mail so I can include direct links). However, recently I've been overwhelmed with so many potential recipes for our menu that I had to catalog it here, too. If you know me, you should know that one of my biggest weaknesses is for cheese. I don't think I need to elaborate. :)

Jalapeño Popper Grilled Cheese Sandwich from BS' in the Kitchen

Italian Tomato and Mozzarella Crostini - Topped with Cured Meats and Fresh Parsley from WishfulChef

Artichoke Biscuit Bread with Asiago Cheese and Olives from Circle B Kitchen

Here are a few more for good measure. ;)

Chocolate and Cheese Danish from Giada de Laurentiis

Bacon Lover's Mac and Cheese from Annie's Eats

Brie Cheese Appetizer from Susan Jackson via allrecipes.com

Chinese Chicken and Rice Soup

2011-10-05T20:56:00.000-06:00

Hi, there. I don't have my own photo, but I made this recipe from Food Network Magazine and we've been enjoying it for a few days now. I'm not a "soup person." You know the kind... they melt for soup. Are you one? Don't get me wrong... I like a good clam chowder every once in a while. Actually, I do LOVE clam chowder - I just only eat it every once in a while. It seems like "soup people" could eat soup all of the time. I'm not normally one of those... but it turns out with this soup, I have been. (Maybe it has something to do with it suddenly really feeling like Autumn with all of this chilly weather, overcast days, and rain leading me to need something warm for my insides because my socks+slippers+pants+t-shirts and sweatshirt-with-hood-on aren't enough to keep comfortable?) This soup was surprisingly tasty, and pretty quick to put together with two of us working on it. Leftovers the next couple of days were great, too.

Chinese Chicken and Rice Soup from Food Network Magazine

Ingredients

4 large eggs
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
2 large tomatoes, halved and thinly sliced
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 bunch scallions, sliced
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 cup shredded rotisserie chicken, skin removed
4 cups baby spinach
1 1/2 cups cooked rice (white, brown or wild)

Directions

Whisk the eggs with a pinch each of salt and pepper in a small bowl. Heat the peanut oil in a wok or largesaucepan over high heat. Add the eggs and cook, undisturbed, until bubbles form on the surface and the bottom is set, about 1 minute.

Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring gently to break up the eggs, until the tomatoes begin to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chicken broth, 3 cups water, the scallions, sesame oil, soy sauce and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Partially cover and simmer 5 minutes.

Stir in the chicken, spinach and rice and warm through. Season the soup with salt and pepper.

A Song for Saturday: "Different" by Ximena Sariñana

2011-09-23T16:47:00.000-06:00

A good mix CD or playlist is kind of essential for unpacking after a move, right? Well, I've heard this on the radio for a few weeks and finally remembered to add it to my playlist today. After four days, progress is slow, but it's starting to look like people live here. Still more boxes to unpack, but I'm pretty determined to not have any unpacked boxes hanging around in a couple weeks.

The view from my red chair:

Ximena (hee-MEN-uh) Sariñana Rivera is 25 and from Guadalajara, Mexico. She released an album in 2008 called Mediocre, which received two Latin grammy nominations. At the end of July this year, her second album, Ximena Sariñana, was released in North America. Her first single from this album is entitled, "Different." It's spunky and playful; you'll find yourself singing along to the chorus.

Have a good weekend!

Ballet - Oop!

2011-09-16T09:51:00.000-06:00

I came across this today via one of the animation blogs I follow.

Ah, old animation.

A Song for Saturday: "White Nights" by Oh Land

2011-09-10T09:48:00.000-06:00

Nanna Øland Fabricius, 26 years old, is from Denmark and the daughter of an opera singer and an organist. She studied dance at the Royal Danish and Royal Swedish Ballet schools, until she was injured and found herself devoting more of her time to music. She now lives in New York City, and should be touring with/opening for Katy Perry soon.

I found this song via my friend Nicole. I'm obsessed. I've listened I don't know how many times, and I still love it. I also love this video - it makes me want to dance. Hope you enjoy your weekend!

We're moving to Los Alamos. Today.