Holiday Gift Guide - Part One

The holidays are upon us and who knew that we would still be in Pandemic mode and even more unsure of what the next year holds. While you are probably starting to put your Christmas lists and budgets together, sifting through names for Christmas Card lists and if you’ll be going home or not, the gift giving portion can be overwhelming.

While I waver between the idealistic simplicity of minimalism and the undoubted maximalist that I am (to be fair, I think I am smack dab in the middle) I can’t argue with anyone that I have many things and I do love a good piece. Servingware, vintage glasses, random antiques and nature I’ve collected and the thing is that no one can come at me because I have probably lent something completely random and obscure to half the people in Nashville at one time or the other.

But, I will say, the holidays can make people consumer crazy and I’m as guilty getting caught up in it as everyone else. Usually it’s a slow easing out of my tabs as I realize I just spent an hour googling a random item at 10:30 pm that in actuality I have no intention of buying and then taking some deep breaths and murmuring some words about being content with what I have.

So, here’s an idea for you. That beer bread from the second episode for Wild Wednesdays? It makes a great gift. Low number of ingredients, easy to mix and make, and is basically foolproof. Just combine all of the dry ingredients into a bag or cute containers ( can be all divided up), add in a can of beer and instructions, then package up (in a super cute stocking from Spark Vintage) and gift!

Great for someone who wants to get into baking but is intimidated, a group activity for kids, or a friend who wants the self care of being in the kitchen without the stress of a million things happening at once. It gets used, is practical and won’t take up shelf space.

Happy Holidays,

Kat

Breaking (Bread)

When people think of baking bread they think of hot kitchens, hours of watching, waiting, kneading and all for the potential chance to screw things up.

Luckily for everyone, my amazing mom is coming to the rescue once again.

Beer Bread (otherwise known as Bachelor Bread), is a simple, easy, fool proof recipe that I make so often I can usually just take some out of the fridge and heat up if a friend decides to pop over unexpectedly.  

I love telling people that I’m just taking bread out of the oven because they expect you to have been slaving away for hours when in reality it took me 10 minutes. While this bread does include beer (helps with that one can that always happens to be in the fridge) you really can’t taste the beer because it gets baked out of it. That being said, I do prefer using a stout or porter, something about the thickness and richness of the brew affects the bread in the best way.

There isn’t a lot of sugar but the little bit of brown sugar that you put and it combines with the heavier beer is just the touch of heaven that you are looking for. Then dipping this in the olive oil dipping oil I’ve included as well is the perfect appetizer or light dinner.  My friends request beer bread all the time!

The best part? This literally takes about 10 minutes to mix up and then only 45 minutes to bake, enough time to finish getting ready for guests and have it come piping hot out of the oven! And no one is going to believe you when you say how easy it was.

This also makes a GREAT present! My mom will wrap this up and give to all of the older bachelors in their church and community and it’s something that is useful, not a thing that’s going to take up more space and it makes you bake!

It’s also great the following days after when you get home late from work and don’t feel like cooking, just break some off and toast it up, grab that dipping oil and pray there’s a bit of cheese left and you’ll be living like a queen.

#carbsforlife

Babes and Beignets on a Thursday

This whole thing is about rolling with the punches and how life isn't perfect like the Instagram and Pinterest pictures (thank goodness). 

One of my favorite ways to love my people is to invite them over for a meal. A meal, coffee, cocktails, just something that I've made. They are in my house, enjoying the atmosphere, music and conversation, and for a few moments there is honest human connection for us to feel known and safety to be vulnerable. 

While not one to discriminate foods or meals, I would have to say that breakfast and supper are my favorites, with dessert being a close third. Obviously I love lunch, but in general you don't get the same amount of love labor preparing it especially if you are working and only have a short amount of time. So when I can, I find an excuse for friends to come over for breakfast as well as the suppers I love so much. 

I've never been to New Orleans, eaten a beignet or created a dish using real lavender buds. So this morning was one of firsts and I loved it. Disclaimer: not everything went to plan, also disclaimer, everything turned out ok. Also disclaimer: I frequently forget to read recipes all the way through or assume I've made something before so I "basically know the process". No comment. 

Found a recipe for Lavender Beignets on Pinterest (credited below) so that was the main part of the meal that I wanted to showcase. Did anyone else know that you can buy lavender on Amazon? Cause I have so much extra if you need to borrow any. 

The counterparts to the breakfast was a sheet of Roasted Asparagus and Tomatoes with Crumbled Feta and Smoked Paprika and Scrambled Eggs with Orange Pepper, Jalapenos and Green Onions. Right after preparing the asparagus and putting it into the oven I realized a terrible, heart dropping mistake as I was getting out the ingredients for the beignets. I forgot the yeast. Actually, I most definitely left the yeast in the bottom of my cart at the grocery store. But my friends were coming and I had to adapt to the situation. 

While there is no completely accurate substitute for yeast, there is a passible solution that will do in a pinch. It just makes the the dough a bit more dense, it doesn't as much of an airy, light texture. 

While rolling my eyes and kicking myself for not noticing, I decided that the only decision was to try it using a substitution of lemon juice and baking soda and they would either turn out and be good or we would all laugh about it later. Which is pretty much all I ever do in any of the given life situations. 

Throwing the lavender glaze and filling together was magical, the sweet, earthy and tangy scent of lavender filling the air as I whisked the sugar and milk. The dough came together surprisingly well, it rolled out evenly and was I cut squares and popped them in the oil I was pleasantly surprised to see them puffing up and acting, well, like beignets. Tossed them onto a paper towel, filled them with the lavender filling and then a quick glaze, a slight shake of powered sugar, and voila, beignets for days. 

Then I had my friends each grab something and we traipsed to my hilariously small balcony to eat on an upturned crate that I pulled out of my dad's shed and written on one of the ends is shipping instructions to some of my ancestors in the area of back home (souther Minnesota). Sitting poised on the glorious poufs that I recently brought home, the morning was perfect for catching up and licking our fingers from the icing dripping down like nectar from the gods. 

But this goes to show, even thrown a curveball in the midst of baking, things will turn out even if it might not be the exact item you thought you were making. Stretch your mind, test out the cat like reflexes and roll with the punches. 

Live wild, babes. 

Lavender Beignets (from Gringilicious)

Lavender Vanilla Bean Icing:

• 1 tblsp dried lavender flowers
• scrapings from 1 large vanilla bean
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 4 cups powered sugar

Lavender Vanilla Bean Cream:

• 2 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 2 tblsp heavy cream
• 1/2 cup prepared lavender icing (from above)

Beignets:

• 1 cup warm milk (not hot)
• 1 tblsp active dry yeast
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 tsp salt 
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• oil for frying

Directions:

1. First make your icing and filling, Whisk together the ingredients for the icing in a medium bowl until smooth. and set aside. Combine cream cheese and butter in a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Beat together until creamed and fluffy. Add cream and 1/2 cup of icing then mix until combined. Cover and place mixture into the fridge until ready for it.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl), dissolve yeast in milk and allow to sit for about 5 minutes until bubbly. Beat in eggs and sugar, then butter and salt until combined. Add flour a cup at a time until your dough comes together and pull away from the sides. Cover bowl with a damp towel or plastic wrap and place in warm place to rise until doubled in size. (Alternatively, you can refrigerate the dough overnight.)
3. When dough is ready divide it in half. Roll one half out into a square, roughly 10x10, and cut into 16 squares. Place the squares on a tray and allow them to rise for 30 to 45 minutes.
4. Heat about 3 inches of oil in a large high-sided pan to 350 degrees F (180 C) and line a plate with paper towels. Drop dough squares, a few at a time, gently into oil and fry on each side for about 30 seconds or until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on prepared plate.
5. Now fill a pastry bag fitted with a long narrow tip with the lavender cream and pipe into the centers then spread about 1 tablespoon of icing on top of each. Serve ASAP. 

Thank you to Tori from Gringi-licious for this amazing recipe that I mostly followed! Everyone go check out her awesome blog http://www.gringilicious.com