Thanksgiving + A (3-Day) Carrot Cake

My Momofuku Carrot Layer Cake

I love Thanksgiving. I love the food, the decorations, the weather. I love the changing leaves and the time spent with family. This year we had really exceptional weather and were blessed in the fact that we're able to spend time with both our families on Thanksgiving. It requires some traveling, but it's doable. It works out because we do lunch with Zach's family and then dinner with mine. I'd be sad if it didn't work out this way.

Our first married Thanksgiving! 

Always thankful for these faces. Even if this is the best picture we can get.

This year I decided I'd make a dessert to take for Zach's family lunch. You see, his grandparents live in a retirement community and when we visit them, we eat in the community dining room. So I decided it would be nice if we could eat there this year, and then go back to their apartment and have a homemade dessert. That didn't stop a few people from grabbing a slice of pumpkin pie, but I don't blame them, pumpkin pie is delicious. And it's Thanksgiving so who says you can't have more than one dessert?!

Last Christmas, Zach gave me the Momofuku Milk Bar cookbook. If you live in New York City, you can (and should) just walk right into Milk Bar and purchase one of Christina Tosi's amazing creations. Shockingly (and sadly), I've never set foot inside her bakery. I do have an amazing friend who sent me their b'day truffles last year for my birthday! They were INCREDIBLE! But before owning the cookbook, I had made a few of her cookies and even in almost a year, I'd never worked up the courage (or the time, hello wedding planning the last 10 months!) to tackle one of her very involved cake recipes. Until Zach was flipping through the cookbook the week before Thanksgiving and requested the Carrot Layer Cake. And I guess now was as good a time as any to see if I could make it happen. 

Finally ready to assemble! (You should see my kitchen sink)

It ended up taking me three days to complete. You have to make the milk crumb, the liquid cheesecake, the carrot cake, and the graham frosting. But before you make the graham frosting, you of course have to make the graham cracker crust. So that's five recipes you have to make before you can even start putting the cake together. Not to mention, the cake, once assembled, has to sit in the freezer for a minimum of 12 hours. Then has to defrost in the fridge for at least three hours before serving. 

But ya know what? I did it! I started on Sunday, finished putting it together on Monday and put it in the freezer. I ended up leaving it there until Wednesday night since we didn't need it until Thursday afternoon. 

And just look at those layers!! 

It was time consuming, yes. It was frustrating at times. It was messy. It required me to run my dishwasher twice! And it was totally worth it. It turned out better than I thought my first attempt would and everyone loved it. You know you've done something right when there's no leftovers to take home. Would I do it again? Absolutely. In fact, I have my eyes on the Mint Cookies N' Cream Cake for my birthday next month.

If you decide you want to tackle one of Christina Tosi's recipes, make sure you have plenty of time to devote to it. It isn't something that can be thrown together at the last minute. Or, I guess you can, but you'll be standing on your feet in the kitchen for hours. I'd suggest spreading it out over a few days. Make sure you have all your ingredients and supplies (I had to place an Amazon order!) before you get started and do yourself a favor and read over the entire recipe (twice!) before you even step foot in the kitchen.

To recover from all the baking and traveling and eating, we skipped all the Black Friday sales this year and had a super lazy Friday morning at home.

Clearly had a reason to stay in place on the sofa all morning. 

I hope you all had a fantastic Thanksgiving! Up next, Christmas!! 

Creamy Chicken & Asparagus Pasta (With Bacon!)

Another post I started pre-wedding. Another dish I've made again before actually getting around to posting about it. But it's worth it. We just had this again for the second time last night and it was just as good, if not better! 

Does anyone else eat a meal and then immediately begin to think about what your next meal is going to be? While on trips in California with friends, we would stuff ourselves so full that we could barely walk back to the car, but it would never fail...the minute seat belts were buckled, someone would say, "So, what's for dinner?!" It became kind of a joke, but really, when you're in a city with so much good food, you have to set your priorities and you always have to know what your next meal is, no matter how much you just ate at In-N-Out.

This meal was kind of a result of the same thing. We ate dinner one night and I immediately said, "So, what's for dinner tomorrow?" We knew we had fresh asparagus that we needed to cook so I jumped online on Pinterest and searched for recipes.

This Creamy Chicken & Asparagus Pasta was the first one I came across and as soon as I read there was bacon involved, we were sold! We already had the chicken, asparagus, pasta, and bacon so this would be an easy meal! 

I'd be lying if I said it was easy though. It was very involved and I used every pot and pan we had. Yes, everything on it's own was easy, but there were just a lot of things going on at once. I very rarely ask Zach to clean up after I cook (he's got it made!), but I actually asked him to start washing stuff WHILE I was still cooking. But it was SO worth it! When your fiance husband tells you it's one of his favorite things you've cooked, you know it's a win. 

I actually had him start this meal last night before I got home and the minute I walked in the door, he said, "you can take over now!" But at least the chicken and the bacon were done! I really love this dish a lot. With all the best ingredients in life cream, cream cheese, bacon and pasta, it's definitely not a healthy option, but definitely one I can stuff my face with get behind every once in a while. Maybe I'll try it with spaghetti squash next time. At least then I'd lose the pasta guilt. In the meantime, I'll enjoy the leftovers (for a few days b/c this makes a TON)! 

                 

Creamy Chicken and Asparagus Pasta

(adapted from Cooking Classy)

Ingredients

1 lb boneless, skinless chick breasts

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp dried thyme

1/4 tsp each salt and pepper, plus more for sauce

16 oz penne or bowtie pasta 

1 lb asparagus diced into 2-inch pieces and steamed

1 1/2 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 3/4 cups milk

1/2 cup cream or half and half

6 oz Neufchatel cheese (aka light cream cheese)

1/3 cup finely shredded parmesan cheese (plus more for garnishing)

4-5 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled into small pieces

Directions

In a small bowl, stir together basil, oregano, thyme and salt and pepper. Sprinkle half of the herb mixture evenly over the tops of chicken. Heat olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add chicken to skillet, herbed side down, then add remaining herb mixture. Cook chicken until fully cooked through, about 8-12 minutes, occasionally rotating chicken. Transfer cooked chicken to a plate, let rest 5 minutes then dice into pieces.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to directions listed on package, reserving 1 cup pasta water before draining.

In a clean skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook 1 minuted, stirring constantly. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds longer, stirring constantly. While whisking, slowly pour in milk then cream (whisk vigorously to break up any clumps). Season with salt and pepper to taste (a fair amount of each) and bring mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Once it reaches a boil and thickens, reduce heat to medium-low, add Neufchatel and parmesan cheeses and cook, stirring frequently, until cheeses have melted.

Toss in cooked pasta, then add cooked chicken, steamed asparagus and bacon and toss to evenly coat. Add in reserved pasta water as desired. The pasta will absorb the liquid and then you risk everything being dry. I used almost an entire cup of the past water the second time around, and it was much creamier! You might even need to add a splash of water when heating up leftovers to prevent it from being too dry. 

*Tip: The original recipe says the bacon is optional, but we both agreed the bacon added so much flavor. I cooked the bacon in the oven as everything else was cooking. Heat the oven to 350 degrees and line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil (seriously, do yourself a favor and do this...you'll already have plenty to clean after this meal). Bake the bacon in the oven until desired crispiness. 

It's Thanksgiving week which means we're all getting ready to stuff ourselves in true American fashion. I hope you all have a wonderful and safe holiday with your family and friends, eating all the best food of the year! Maybe before Christmas I'll write about the Momofuku Carrot Layer Cake I made for Thanksgiving day...maybe. 

xoxo

Spinach And Feta Stuffed Chicken

Time flies when you get married. No, seriously, it's been almost three weeks since we tied the knot! It seems like it was yesterday and it also seems like it was a lifetime ago. I'll post more about the wedding and honeymoon later, but for now, I want to share this recipe! I originally started writing this post back in July, the first time I made it. I'd been wanting to make this chicken for a while, but never got around to doing it. Well, the stars aligned and we had all of the ingredients in the fridge, so I decided to give it a try. We usually end up having this after Zach makes his delicious turkey, feta and sundried tomato meatloaf because it means we have leftover feta in the fridge and there's nothing I hate more than food going to waste. I'm SO glad I finally decided to cook this and we have now had it several times (always the same week as the meatloaf). It is so good, full of so much flavor, and most importantly, super quick and easy (I promise!). It's also a very healthy meal with only 212 calories (plus whatever sides you add). It has definitely become one of our go-to meals. 

So, if you like chicken, spinach and feta, please give this a try! You won't be disappointed!! 

Spinach and Feta Stuffed Chicken
(adapted from Amber Dawn)

Ingredients
  
  1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
  1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
  1 medium onion, chopped
  8 ounces spinach, fresh (you can add more if you like)
  1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
  salt
  pepper
  
  
Directions

In a large, nonstick skillet, heat 1 teaspoon olive oil and saute onion until golden, about 5 minutes. Add spinach and cook until wilted. Stir in feta, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Set aside. I cheated last time and bought the chicken breasts that had already been sliced thin (time saver!!), otherwise, you need to beat the chicken until relatively flat. This makes it easier to roll up and also ensures your chicken will be cooked all the way through. I like to sprinkle both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper before adding the spinach. Divide spinach mixture between chicken breasts, roll up and secure with toothpicks. In the same skillet, heat the remaining oil over medium-high heat and cook chicken, turning occasionally, until golden brown and cooked through. Remove toothpicks and serve! 

Bonus Recipe!

I needed a side to cook with the chicken the last time I made it so I went to Pinterest and found this incredible recipe for asparagus! We LOVE asparagus and we obviously love feta so I knew it'd be a hit. And I was right. I can't wait to make this again!! The olive oil mixture reminded me of what they give you in restaurants to dip your bread in. So imagine asparagus coated in that and add melty, gooey feta on top. So. Freaking. Good. It might be my new favorite way to eat asparagus.  

Roasted Garlic Asparagus with Feta
(adapted from Gonna Want Seconds)

Ingredients 

  2lbs fresh asparagus, trimmed
  1/4 cup olive oil
  4-6 cloves garlic, minced
  1 teaspoon dried oregano
  1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  salt, to taste
  black pepper, to taste 
  1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Directions

In a small sauce pan, heat the olive oil, garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes over low heat just until the garlic starts to become golden. Remove from heat and cool about 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the asparagus with the oil mixture until well coated. Arrange asparagus into a single layer. Sprinkle with salt and pepper then toss feta evenly on top. Roast asparagus in oven for 10-12 minutes or until it reaches your desired tenderness. Enjoy! 

Baby You're a Firework (Pudding Cookie)

I'm not really sure how it happened, but it's already July 1st. That means we'll be packing up after work Thursday and heading to the lake for a long weekend with friends and family. There will be fishing, boating, tanning, swimming, laughing, fireworks and lots of eating taking place. It also called for some patriotic baking on my end, naturally! I wanted something quick and easy that I could throw together one night after work this week, but it also needed to be something that doesn't need to be refrigerated as space in the refrigerator camper is limited. So while a  red, white and blue cheesecake cake would've been awesome, it just wasn't plausible (or practical) for this weekend.  Cookies are my specialty anyway and I have an arsenal of recipes tucked away, but I wanted something different. When I saw this recipe as I was scanning through Pinterest, I knew it would be perfect! After all, who doesn't love sprinkles? Especially when they're red, white and blue!!



Firework Pudding Cookies
(Recipe from Dorothy at Crazy for Crust)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1 box (3.4 ounces) INSTANT Vanilla Pudding Mix (just the mix, don't make the pudding)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup red, white and blue sprinkles 
• 3/4 cup 4th of July M&M's

Directions:

1. Cream butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix in egg and vanilla until smooth. Add pudding mix, baking soda, and salt. Mix until combined. Mix in flour, then stir in sprinkles and M&Ms.
2. Scoop cookie dough into 2 tablespoon balls and place on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes. (this may seem a little time consuming, but I just use the chill time to clean up my messy kitchen and let the oven preheat!) 
3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Place chilled cookie dough balls 2” apart on cookie sheet. Bake 9-11 minutes (ovens vary and I found that it took more like 15 minutes) or until the edges just start to turn brown. Cool 5 minutes on cookie sheet before transferring to a rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days or freeze for up to one month.

#America

Last night was really the only opportunity I was going to have to make these, so after baking and cooling, I put them in an airtight container and stuck them in the freezer! That way they won't all disappear they'll still be fresh come Saturday. These were the perfect cookie to fit my schedule this week, plus they were a tasty and easy cookie to make and could very easily be adapted to fit any holiday!

I hope everyone has a fun and SAFE 4th of July weekend. Happy Independence Day, America!!! 

Cajun Chicken & Rice

I love an easy meal. I love an easy meal that's delicious even more. And that's exactly what these Cajun Chicken & Rice bowls are. Zach introduced the chicken and rice bowl idea to me a while back. And we got to the point where we were eating his version of brown rice, shredded chicken, and a little teriyaki sauce at least once a week. Don't get me wrong, they were good! I just got burned out. I'm also a stickler for making sure we have a vegetable with each meal and that wasn't happening with these...no matter how many times I said, "broccoli would be so good added to these!" I don't remember very many meals as a kid that didn't have at least one, if not two, vegetable sides. Sometimes it was just a salad, but we had vegetables no matter what and I guess that has kind of stuck.

I subscribed to Kevin and Amanda's blog a while back. I think it was this recipe that I have to blame thank for that! Thankfully, I haven't let myself anywhere near that sin of chocolate yet! But when I got an email with a link to this Cajun Chicken & Rice, I knew I had to give it a try to spice up our version of chicken and rice. I ran it by Zach and it has quickly become one of our favorite meals. And to make it even better, they're not terrible for you! Chicken, brown rice, tomatoes, peppers, and onions! Peppers, onions and tomatoes ARE vegetables, after all ;) More importantly, we usually have everything this recipe calls for on hand so it doesn't require a lot of planning and can be thrown together at the last minute. It also makes more than enough for the two of us which means there are leftovers for lunch!

Cajun Chicken & Rice
(adapted from Kevin and Amanda)

Ingredients
  1 cup uncooked rice (we use brown)
  2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth (you can use water, but the broth adds SO much flavor!)
  1 teaspoon salt
  1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  Cajun or Creole seasoning
  2 tablespoons olive oil
  1 bag frozen diced onion and bell peppers (life saver!)
  1 (10-oz) can Ro-Tel tomatoes (for a little less kick, use 1 can of plain diced tomatoes)
  1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
  plain Greek yogurt for topping (optional)

Directions
  1. Combine rice, broth and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 14 minutes.
  2. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces, about 1-inch cubes. Season generously with Cajun seasoning. Add one tablespoon of olive oil to a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. When the oil is very hot, add the chicken in a single layer. Brown on one side, about 2-3 minutes, then flip and brown on the other side. Remove chicken and set aside.
  3. Add the remaining olive oil, increase heat to high, and when the oil is hot, carefully add the onions and bell peppers. Add more seasoning and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened and browned.
  4. Add the tomatoes to the onions and bell peppers, then add the chicken back in. Add the cooked rice and stir until well combined. Add the cheese if desired and stir well to combine.
5. Serve and enjoy!

I highly recommend you trying this dish! If you like things on the spicier side, definitely go with the Ro-Tel. If not, go with the plain diced tomatoes as the Cajun seasoning already adds a kick by itself. I've cooked it both ways and both are delicious. The original recipe calls for 1-cup of shredded cheddar cheese, but the last time I cooked it, we only had around 1/2 a cup and I decided it was just as good so I'll be doing that from now on. I'm all about saving calories where you can! I also like to add a little dollop of plain Greek yogurt to mine. It makes the dish just a little creamier and cools off that Cajun kick!

Seriously, go make this for dinner! There's a leftover bowl of it in the fridge right now and I'm having major regrets of not grabbing it for my lunch!!

Easy Lemon Parmesan Baked Salmon

We're quickly approaching the >200 day mark on the wedding countdown. And since I've purchased my dress, I've really been trying to be good. That means eating better and staying active (averaging 12,000+ steps a day. Thanks, FitBit!). Of course, there are days that you just need some french fries or a slice of pizza, or three, but other days, I'm mostly all business. I even look ahead at a restaurant menu if I know we'll be eating out that night in an effort to make a healthier choice. It's easier to turn down that fried chicken finger platter when you go in knowing you'd be consuming 1,380 calories and 78 grams of fat.  On nights that I cook, I try to find a healthy meal that we'll both enjoy.

Friday was a cold, rainy day with a fog that never seemed to lift before the sun began to set again. When Zach and I discussed dinner plans that day I suggested we just stay in because, after all, does anyone really want to leave the house in that weather if they don't have to? Not to mention I took a nap later in the afternoon (the power was out!!) and didn't feel like doing my hair and makeup after I finally showered. I think every girl understands that reasoning. I told him we had some salmon I could cook and he requested lemon parmesan salmon. So, I did what I always do when I don't have a recipe for something. I went to Pinterest! I found a recipe we had everything for and that was that!

This salmon turned out SO good! It was super easy and even Zach said, "That was easily the best piece of salmon I've ever eaten." So, if you're a salmon fan and want a super easy, quick and healthy dinner, give this one a try! I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Ingredients:
(adapted from A Palatable Pastime)

6-8oz salmon fillets
2 tablespoons olive oil
juice from a whole lemon
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
sea salt
black pepper

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 425 F/broil
-In a small rectangular baking dish, pour oil and the juice from the lemon.
-Coat both sides of the fish in the oil/juice; season fish with salt, pepper, and garlic powder
-Place the parmesan on a plate and press the fish down into the parmesan (not the skin), then place the fish, skin down, in the baking dish. (I found it easier to just pat the cheese on after putting the fish in the dish)
-Broil (on top rack) for 10-12 minutes, or until fish flakes easily

The cheese came out a nice golden brown with a nice crispy texture while the fish remained perfectly moist. We had sugar snap peas and garlic and herb quinoa to round out the meal and this is definitely something we'll repeat...probably often!

Do you have any favorite salmon recipes?

Time Flies When You're....Planning a Wedding

The cutest personal wedding dress shopper around! 

The title of this post is a little misleading. Time does fly, but it really doesn't feel like it's flying right now. Yes, it feels like Christmas (aka engagement day) was yesterday, but for the most part, I feel like time is dragging! You see, I'm not one to enjoy waiting. But then again, who does? I'm ready to be done with the planning, but mostly I'm ready to be married and on my honeymoon! The first two weeks were, in my mind, a wedding planning nightmare. We had picked a date, venues, and a photographer just to have the reception venue rent two different dates out from under us. At that point, we didn't feel comfortable with them having anything to do with our wedding day so we ended up going back to our original date and switching venues...that is after going back and forth with our ceremony venue and photographer multiple times to make sure they were still available, bless them. Ask my loving fiance and he'll tell you everything has been a breeze, but ya know, I was the one making all of those back and forth calls/emails to those previously mentioned venues and photographer ;)

After those first few stressful weeks, I was over the whole planning process....with 10 months left to go. So, I took a break. Now I'm back into it. I've looked over so many wedding invitations, it's not even funny. I think we've narrowed it down to the one we want, it just needs a few tweaks  Also, paper is expensive! Two weekends ago we booked our honeymoon! We'll be sailing around the Southern Caribbean for 7 days and I couldn't be more excited about it. This past weekend I booked my hairdresser for the wedding day and we discussed wedding hair trials (which won't be until September, boo!). Oh, and I bought a wedding dress!
   

                  

Did you think I was going to actually show you THE dress?! ;)

So I guess it's safe to say that we are back on track. I've gotten some suggestions on wedding cake bakers so we'll be making an appointment in the next few weeks to figure out exactly what we want and to try allllll the cake, duh!! I know what I want to do for flowers, I just need to go talk to florists, but I'm dreading that, because guess what? Flowers are expensive, too! Also, all the wedding checklists say that I need to be registering for gifts this month. So, I guess we'll just add that to the ever growing list! 

And that's where we are, folks! When October rolls around and I'm a panicking bride asking where the time went, please feel free to refer me back to this post where I said time was dragging and I was ready for all the planning to be over ;)