Pic of the Week : Trainspotting

PDX --> SEA

Pic of the Week : Aftermath

Signs of a successful shindig!

Pretzel Bites

I have always wanted to try making soft pretzels at home, but I was so intimidated by them. It seemed like there were so many steps and I was convinced I would ruin them if I ever tried.

Enter Oscar night. I knew I wanted to bring something salty and I also wanted to try something different. What better time to face ones fears! And honestly? These really couldn't have been simpler. You definitely can't be in a rush, though, as you need to let the yeast in the dough work its magic for at least an hour. The pretzels were great on their own, but the recipe I found recommended a cheddar cheese dipping sauce.

Gee, twist my arm!

SOFT PRETZEL BITES

*Via Two Peas & Their Pod

1 1/2 C warm water

1 package active dry yeast

2 Tbsp light brown sugar

3 oz unsalted butter, melted

2 1/2 Tsp kosher salt

4 1/2 to 5 C all-purpose flour

Vegetable oil

3 quarts water

3/4 C baking soda

1 egg, beaten with 1 Tbsp cold water

Sea salt (The recipe calls for coarse salt - I only had fine salt and it worked just fine)

*In a stand mixer, combine water, yeast, brown sugar and butter. Mix with a dough hook until combined and let sit for 5 minutes. (You'll see the yeast become foamy on top.)

*Add the salt and flour gradually at low speed. Increase the speed to medium and knead the dough until it becomes smooth and pulls away from the bowl, about 3-4 minutes. If the dough is too wet, add more flour, 1 Tbsp at a time.

*Remove dough from the bowl and knead with your hands. Oil a large bowl and turn the dough to coat. Cover with a towel and leave in a warm place until doubled in size, at least one hour.

*Once the dough has risen, remove from the bowl and divide into 8 equal pieces, roughly 4 1/2 ounces each. (I used my kitchen scale for this, topped with plastic wrap so the dough didn't stick.)

*Roll each piece into a rope, starting in the middle and working your hands outwards. Cut the dough into 1-inch pieces to make the bites. (I used a pizza cutter - brilliant!)

*In a large pot, bring the water and baking soda to a boil. In batches, boil the bites for about thirty seconds. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bites from the water, and place on greased cookie sheets. Make sure the pretzel bites are not touching!

*Brush each pretzel with the egg wash and sprinkle liberally with salt.

*Bake at 425 degrees for 15-18 minutes, or until brown. (For my oven, I was done at 13-14 minutes, so keep an eye on them!)

*Let cool for 5 minutes and serve. I know it will be difficult, but try to share!

CHEESE SAUCE

*Via Two Peas & Their Pod

1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter

1/2 Tbsp flour

1/2 C milk

8 oz cheddar cheese, grated

*Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and cook for one minute.

*Add milk and mix until slightly thickened.

*Remove from heat and add cheese. Mix until the sauce is smooth. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

The Sick Day Project

Coming to you from my sick bed, where I have just discovered "The Mindy Project."

How have I not watched this before? And why the hell does Xfinity On Demand not have every episode?

Don't they realize what people do when they don't feel well?! Get your shit together, Xfinity!

Wonton Wednesday

Remember that cooking class Mr. Malone and I took awhile back? We have been talking about actually making dim sum at home ever since, and didn't actually see it through until last night. The wontons didn't look so appetizing once they were steamed, but they sure tasted great!

Our happy little wontons, before they hit the steamer.

STEAMED SHRIMP & SCALLION WONTONS

*Via HipCooks

3/4" piece fresh ginger, peeled

2 cloves garlic, peeled

1 bunch cilantro (As you may know, I hate cilantro, so we added very little.)

2 Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp sesame oil

2 green chilies (Or more if you like it. 2 had plenty of kick for my taste buds.)

1 pound shrimp, shelled

1 package wonton wrappers (We used square, but I think round would have been easier.)

*In a food processor, mix ginger, garlic, cilantro, soy sauce, sesame oil and chilies. Taste before adding the shrimp! Add more garlic or ginger, if needed.

*Add shrimp and mix until combined.

*Place a heaping teaspoon of the shrimp mixture in the middle of the wonton wrapper. Use a little bit of water on the edges, to seal. Make sure seams are closed tightly!

*We steamed our wontons in the rice cooker, but you could pan fry these as well. We were also able to freeze more than half, making an easy dinner in the future. Enjoy!

Oatmeal Raisin & Cranberry Cookies

I'm apparently on an oatmeal kick lately - muffins AND cookies. Along with running, I find baking to be quite the stress reliever. It doesn't hurt that oatmeal raisin cookies are Mr. Malone's favorite. (When is he going to start baking?!)

OATMEAL RAISIN & CRANBERRY COOKIES

*Via Better Homes & Gardens

3/4 C butter (1 1/2 sticks)

1 C brown sugar, packed

1/2 C granulated sugar

1 Tsp baking soda

1/4 Tsp baking powder

1/2 Tsp cinnamon (This is optional, but I went for it)

1 egg

1 Tsp vanilla extract

1 3/4 C all-purpose flour

2 C rolled oats

1/2 C raisins

1/2 C dried cranberries

*Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
*In a large bowl, or KitchenAid, cream butter on medium speed.
*Add brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking soda, baking powder and, if desired, cinnamon. Mix until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl occassionally.
*Beat in egg and vanilla.
*Slowly add flour, making sure all ingredients are incorporated.
*Stir in oats by hand. Once combined, add raisins and cranberries.
*Place dough by rounded teaspoons onto baking sheets, leaving an inch or two in between. (The dough didn't spread very much. I was able to get 12-13 cookies per sheet.)
*Bake for 10-12 minutes and enjoy!

2012

This year has been weird.

Ups and downs, good times and bad, moments that went by too quickly and others that lingered too long - it felt like an emotional roller coaster. A lot of it was my own fault: I take things personally, I read into things, I cry... the list goes on. (Understatement of the year.)

But 2012 also brought a lot of change. Change that I wasn't necessarily prepared for or ever wanting to experience. Change that still hurts to think about and leaves me wondering at night. Sadly, I don't know if 2013 will provide resolutions to some of these unsettled feelings.

What I do know is that I am ready to move forward. The past twelve months have given me great perspective and I'm actively working on building a thicker skin.

Okay, okay... enough of the blog post blues. Let's get to the good stuff, shall we?!

In keeping with tradition (meaning I've done it once) I wanted to provide y'all with some of my favorite memories from the last year. Without further ado, this is Not Your Mama's Year in Review!

JANUARY

An epic night out with some of my favorite ladies was the perfect way to kick off 2012. How could you not love karaoke, comedy and margaritas? My point exactly.

FEBRUARY

Quick - what is the perfect excuse for a half day at work? To catch a flight to Las Vegas? You'd be correct! You win... nothing. Sorry!

MARCH
Being able to host a bridal shower for one of my sisters was absolutely wonderful. Getting to co-host with my other sister? Take that "absolutely wonderful" and times it by two. It should also be noted that Mr. Malone and I hit the 7-year mark in our relationship in 2012. BOOM!

APRIL

I think it would be down right inappropriate to say anything other than our trip to The Big Island. It was a perfect week away: sand, sun, tropical drinks, golf and absolutely NO thinking about work. Amen!

MAY

Wedding season has begun! My sister Julia tied the knot at the most iconic spot in Seattle - jealous much?!

JUNE

A much needed, and LONG overdue, reunion with my college buddies in Bend, Oregon. Weekends like this cannot happen every two years - it's too long to wait!

JULY

Um, hello?! THE OLYMPICS. Duh.

{via}

AUGUST

Mr. Malone and I knocked out THREE weddings, including back-to-back weekends in Portland. My Dougie skills have never been better.

SEPTEMBER

Lordy bee, our trip down South was easily the highlight. The only thing that would have made it more enjoyable? A Husky victory. (Only 38 points off... so close!)

Fun fact: Pitch Perfect was filmed at LSU

OCTOBER

Wedding season is officially complete! It started with family and ended with family, as my cousin married one of the funkiest dudes this side of the Mississippi.

NOVEMBER

Ye Olde Leavenworth Weekend. Crisp air, crunchy leaves, and two dear friends. 'Nuff said.

DECEMBER
How am I supposed to choose between multiple birthday celebrations, an engagement, and a white Christmas?! Easy... I don't!

Cheers to 2013!

Birthday Fun

And what a fun birthday it was! Mr. Malone, along with family & friends, certainly knew how to make me feel loved this past Tuesday.

{birthday flowers}

{eggnog cupcake & a skinny peppermint mocha}

{amazing dinner}

{made-to-order doughnuts}

{elf - the musical}

{snow globe set}

And the fun continued through the weekend, where I got to sing my little heart out with my best gals. (Sadly, I am still feeling the effects of a night out on the town.)

Who's Who in Whoville?

Just what I needed - a girls' night in with Dr. H and MiMi. 

Featuring: 

- Chocolate peppermint cookies

- Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas (hence the clever blog post)

- Holiday wine charms

- Salted caramels

- One-pot pasta (thanks, Martha!)

- Wine (to go with the aforementioned wine charms)

- Logo Quiz

 - Holiday cheer

NUTELLA SEA SALTED CARAMELS
*Via bell'alimento

14 Tbsp unsalted butter
3/4 C light brown sugar
1/2 C sugar
3/4 C light corn syrup
2 Tsp sea salt
1/4 C heavy cream
2 Tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp Nutella
Fleur de sel, to garnish

*In a heavy bottomed sauce pan, combine butter, sugars, corn syrup, sea salt & cream.
*Bring to a boil until sugars are dissolved and mixture is combined.
*Using a candy thermometer, watch mixture until it reaches 230 degrees.
*Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla and Nutella.
*Allow to cool for a couple of minutes. Pour into an 8x8 pan that has been lined with parchment paper.
*Again, allow to cool. Sprinkle with fleur de sel and refrigerate for several hours.

Yet another photo app I've discovered - Snapseed.

Hump Day Happenings

{amen to that}

{ridiculously cute note cards}

 

{my twitter is blowing up}

Weekend Rewind

Well, my faithful followers, what is the verdict?

Not the best picture, I know, but I'm pretty pleased with the end result. (As a reminder, this is what I was going for.) Added bonus? I was crazy comfortable the entire night. So comfortable, in fact, that bowling happened post-holiday party.

 

 Mr. Malone and I hit up brunch at Salty's on Saturday. Good Lord, how does one choose what to eat?! I cannot wait to go back - not only for the food, but for the view. We were pretty lucky that the rain stayed at bay while we were there.

After brunch, and after changing into sweatpants, Christmas came to the Malone household! No tree yet, but the dining & living rooms are complete.

And the weekend wouldn't have been complete without the Nordstrom holiday party. Mama Jewski and I sipped champagne while racking up the points. Looking forward to a Nordstrom Note (or two!) coming my way!

Enjoy the week, my friends!

Culinary Tomfoolery

I don't know where the inspiration (cough - Pinterest, foodgawker, and Punchfork - cough) came from, but I've been trying out some fun new recipes.

{Mexican Quinoa}

This quinoa was delicious, and a nice way to spice up taco night. I opted for no cilantro & added some diced bell pepper. Perfect leftovers for lunch AND Mr. Malone approved!

{Gruyere Asparagus Tarts}

How can you really go wrong with puff pastry & cheese? (A universal question, I know.) However, this is one of those recipes where the actual cooking time was WAY different than what the recipe called for. My puff pastry became golden brown really quickly. I'm thinking next time I may bake at a lower temperature, along with adding more cheese! I finished these off with a balsamic reduction... the flavors were killer. (Gross, I sounded like Guy Fieri right there.)

- happy weekend, kiddos -

Sunday Snapshots

{pulled pork in the crock pot}

{Irish coffee prep}

{Apple Cup}

{Tastes like Christmas}

{can't wait}

Nuts & Bolts

My favorite thing about Thanksgiving is the heavenly mixture of Chex cereal, pretzels & peanuts. No, this ain't your mama's Chex mix. I'm talking Nuts & Bolts here, people.

"But Lauren, what about the turkey?" Fuhgeddaboudit!

"Not even pumpkin pie?" Fuhgeddaboudit!

This recipe is so good, it obviously brings out the New Yorker in me.

Do yourself a favor this holiday season - spend a Sunday making multiple batches of this and share with those you love. WARNING: Have dental floss ready.

NUTS & BOLTS

*Via Mama Jewski

1 Tbsp whole mustard seed

1/3 C unsalted butter

1 Tbls Worcestershire

1 Tsp chili powder

1 Tsp cinnamon

5 C Chex cereal (Use any combination you like - I prefer 2 cups Corn, 2 cups Rice and 1 cup Wheat)

1 C salted peanuts, no skins

1 C stick pretzels (Yes, stick pretzels!)

*Put Chex, pretzels and peanuts on an ungreased cookie sheet. Set aside.

*In a small saucepan over low heat, combine butter & mustard seed. Keep covered and cook until seeds pop. (This takes awhile. Unfortunately, you need to be patient. It's the perfect time to open a beer!)

*Once the seeds have popped, remove the pan from heat.

*Add Worcestershire. This will steam... be careful!

*Add chili powder to the sauce pan and stir to combine.

*Pour sauce over the cereal mixture and stir gently.

*Sprinkle cinnamon over the cereal.

*Bake in a 300 degree oven for 30 minutes, stirring every 10. (Ovens will vary. Check after 7-8 minutes.)

*Let cool completely on paper towels and store in an airtight container. (Tastes even better on day two or three!)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Fancy Friday

I'm looking forward to a dinner party with these two ladies, the newest Twilight movie (for comic relief), and a day of baking!

{fine china, for the win}

{homemade wine charms}

{the main course for tonight}

Ye Olde Leavenworth

Oh, Leavenworth, how I love thee. 

A weekend away was just what I needed: Saturday morning in bed with Shannon and Christine Sparkleface, spending the day strolling through town, and randomly running into five sorority sisters.

It was full of amazing conversation, hearty laughter, late night "Truth or Dare," and a box full of Gushers.

Can't wait for La Toscana 2013!

Walking outside to this view? If you insist.

The Oil and Vinegar Cellar. Amazing.

We should work for the Leavenworth Chamber of Commerce.

NUTELLA CREPE. THE END.

The aftermath of aforementioned crepe.

Where we shot hoops in the morning.

Hi, Shannon!