Two ingredient breakfast

I enjoy cooking and sometimes I thrive on making recipes that are complicated. For example, I told my mom I wanted to make Baked Alaska when I was 10... and so we did! And surprisingly it turned out!

But my life is far more crazier now than when I was 10 and I've learned that simplifying is usually the best solution, especially for breakfast! Here is a quick recipe I learned from my friend Becca for a simple breakfast. It's perfect by itself on the go or with toast and eggs or even pancakes!

Grapefruit Soup
1 Grapefruit
2 Oranges

A citrus juicer works best if you have one.
Cut the grapefruit in half and with a butter knife cut each segment out into a glass. Juice what is left of the grapefruit into the glass. Do the same with the other half of the grapefruit into a separate glass. Juice both oranges with the juicer. Poor the orange juice in the glass until its full. Drink and enjoy! Makes 2 glasses of juice.

*If you like a heartier and more tart drink then do one grapefruit to one orange.

Daily Eats #03

This week's Daily Eats is a round up of sauces, syrups, frosting and dips.

Breakfast: Buttermilk Syrup from my cousin Jarica
I'm excited to share this recipe with you because its a family recipe and we've been making it for years at all our waffle parties. This syrup is so delicious and easy. I'm convinved that even if I poured it over cardboard and ate it would be delightful.

Buttermilk Syrup
1 square butter
1/2 c. buttermilk
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. white sugar
combine all ingredients and bring to a boil.
Take off heat and add:
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda-this will make it foam and expand
*store in the fridge when not using

Lunch: "The best hummus you'll ever have" featured on A Cup of Joe, by Sprouted Kitchen
I was excited to make this because I had bought tahini for another recipe and I needed to use it up. We halfed this recipe and it still had plenty for the two of us. We accidentally doubled the red chilli flakes and caught it just in time to scrape some out but the hummus did have a nice "kick" to it, so I'm not sure if that is normal or because of our mistake. I love the use of lemon and herbs in this recipe. I did substitute dry dill for fresh dill because I couldn't find any fresh dill and I reduced it by more than half so it wouldn't be too overpowering.

Dinner: Great Grandma's Pasta Sauce by Table for Two
I'll admit I haven't made this recipe yet but it looks tasty! Right now the way we do spaghetti sauce is 1 jar of pasta sauce, throw in some spices and frozen meatballs and let it simmer in the crock pot all day. I'm wondering if I could get the best of both worlds and mix the two recipes!

Dessert:  Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting by Not So Humble Pie
This frosting has so many things going for it. It has a great consistency for cakes, cupcakes, cookies and melts perfectly on warm cinnamon rolls. Its not overly sweet and has a great cream cheese taste. I've made this frosting many of times and its definitely on my "keeper" list.

Daily Eats #01 Recap

 I just wanted to give a quick recap on the recipes that I posted for the first Daily Eats. I managed to make two of the four recipes...not too bad eh? I made the granola but realized while making it that I had quick oats instead of the whole rolled oats so it turned out soft instead of crunchy. I also made this RIGHT before/during my teeth problems so I really didn't end up eating more than a couple nibbles. SO in all fairness I think I will have to try this one again. And I do recommend it! It's peanut butter and honey after all.

 As for the WINNER...... The black bean veggie tacos! We actually made them again last night. I cheated and used canned black beans because I didn't plan ahead but they still turned out great. We also added a little bit of red cabbage to ours as well, which was a nice crunch. The first time we made it I didn't have any paprika and after making it with the paprika last night I have to say I think I liked it better without! Overall a great vegetarian dish that doesn't leave you hungry or thinking, where is the meat?! Even Alden said so. And you know how those men love their meat. Stay tuned for Daily Eats #02!

Daily Eats #01

Its been a long month since I've posted! And in that time I traveled to 4 states, attended girls camp for a week, went white water rafting, cliff jumping, swimming in lakes, and everything in between. I'll be posting pictures of some of our adventures this week, you can also follow me on instagram (@ashleyaikele) if you want to spoil the surprise, or just take a gander at my daily happenings.

Meanwhile.... I've been in a cooking mood so I've decided to start a new series on the blog called Daily Eats- a days worth of meals all in one post! I will gather recipes from around the web and post them here... and HOPEFULLY it will motivate me to do MORE good ol fashion home cooking. (The Wendy's diet has to go!). Then as I try the recipes (and hopefully you will too) I can give tips and comments on what I liked/what I would change etc.

Here are some recipes that have caught my eye as of late.

Breakfast: Peanut Butter + Honey Granola by Eat Sleep Cuddle
Lunch: Black Bean Veggie Tacos by Eat Sleep Cuddle
Dinner: Zucchini Rice Gratin by Smitten Kitchen
Dessert: Sour Cream Peach Ice-Cream by Cafe Johnsonia

we be jammin

As I mentioned last week I got the homemaking bug and decided to make jam. And bread! because what good is homemade jam without homemade bread?

The results....

 • Even if you put raspberries and cherries in your jam if the majority of the fruit is strawberries it will taste like strawberry jam. Lesson learned.

• Using this article and this article was helpful and I am now a believer in Pomona's pectin.

• What is Pomona's pectin? A natural pectin that allows you to use honey or sweetner in your jam instead of sugar. Good stuff right there. (Can be found at Whole Foods for around $5).

• The calcium water it calls for comes IN the pectin packet. Learned that lesson the hard way... after asking two different people in Whole Foods where I could find calcium water and then calling up Orchard Supply.

• Side note... Whole Foods is a BEAUTIFUL PLACE. My grandfather owned a grocery store for 50+ years and we take our grocery stores seriously. Its what my dad likes to do for fun on a Friday night, just ask my mom.

• Whole Foods breaks the budget times ten. For that it turns me into a jealous teenage girl and I want to call it ugly behind its back (out of pure envy of course).

• I will be making more jam... soon I hope! And this time I want to do a little more experimenting with flavors. I grew up eating huckleberry-peach-strawberry jam and I'm not sure if there is a flavor that can top that right there. No sir.

• The bread turned out ok. My oven is fickle and I think I overcooked it slightly. But I have had it at its best and it was DELIGHTFUL! (thank you Elyse). It is easy to make and has a nice hearty feel to it because it is made with oatmeal. You can find the recipe here.

• You can make jam too! It really wasn't that hard and if you are super nervous then try making freezer jam. Its simple as pie...or jam.

ps. I am moving where//there to tomorrow for this week. Stay tuned!

Grilled Pizza

I love this recipe because it's the marriage of two of my favorite things; the grill and pizza. With summer around the corner I think its the perfect time to bust it out. Gather your favorite toppings. Make sure the toppings are thin because this pizza cooks fast. Whip up your favorite pizza dough recipe. I like to go to Trader Joe's and pick up their pre made dough. It runs for about $1.50 and makes two pizza's. You can't beat that! After you roll out your dough, brush it with olive oil on both sides, a nice good coat. Heat your grill on low on one side and high on the other side. Start the dough out on the high side till it gets golden brown on one side. Flip the dough onto the low side of the grill. Cover the cooked crust with cheese, sauce and toppings and put the other dough down on the other side. Close the grill and let everything melt together. Make sure you turn the high side down after you flip your second pizza. Cooked till melted and golden brown. Take the pizza off and enjoy!

Weekend Breakfast

Alden and I go through phases. When we were dating it was waffles. EVERY WEEKEND. The first appliance we ever bought was a waffle maker. Bought at a garage sale only after a few months of dating. Good thing we never had to decided who got to keep it!

Lately we've been into pancakes. Alden's sister Addie makes the most amazing pancakes. The consistency is a mix between a pancake and a crépe batter with a yummy tangy sour cream flavor that goes well with a drizzle of maple syrup. I finally got the recipe from her and we tried them out. DELISH. I know what we are going to make this weekend. What do you make for breakfast/brunch on the weekends?

This recipe comes from Smitten Kitchen

EDNA MAE'S SOUR CREAM PANCAKES
Adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks

Ree says this makes 12 4-inch pancakes; I got 8 that were closer to 5 inches

7 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/ 2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream (I swapped some with yogurt when I realized I was short, to no ill-effect)
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Butter
Maple syrup (or perhaps some Cranberry Syrup)

Heat a cast iron skillet or griddle over medium-low heat; you want it to slowly get nice and hot.

Stir the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt together in the bottom of a medium bowl. Dump the sour cream in on top and stir it together very gently; it’s okay to leave the texture a bit uneven. Whisk the eggs and vanilla in a separate bowl and stir them into the sour cream mixture, once again, being careful not to overmix.

Melt about a tablespoon of butter in your skillet or griddle and pour the batter in, a scant 1/4 cup at a time. Cook for about 2 minutes on the first side, or until bubbles appear all over the surface [See Pancakes 101 for this and other tips], flipping them carefully and cooking for about a minute on the other side. Repeat with remaining batter.

Serve in a stack, topped with a pat of butter and a cascade of maple syrup.

Sticky Monkey

I'm a breakfast girl. What can I say. Anytime I can eat something sweet and delicious covered in more sweet and delicious with a side of bacon and call it a meal I AM GAME. Do you share my feelings? If so, I think you need to try this recipe for sticky buns/monkey bread...or whatever you want to call it. Maybe for Christmas morning, or maybe for tomorrow morning because it is just that good. and easy. did I say easy? yes, yes I did. Easy peasy pudding and pie. and sticky buns.

STICKY BUNS
Ingredients:

• Frozen Dinner rolls
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 stick of butter (It use to be 2 so be proud of me for cutting it down!)
• 1/2 c brown sugar
• 1/2 small pckg of COOK (NOT INSTANT) pudding (butterscotch if you can find it, if not vanilla will do


To be done the night before

Step 1:
Spray a bunt pan with some cooking spray and sprinkle your chopped nuts in the bottom.


Step 2: Add your frozen dinner rolls and sprinkle the 1/2 pckg of COOK pudding on top.


Step 3: Melt your butter and brown sugar on the stove and bring it to a boil. Then drizzle it on top of your rolls.


Step 4: Let them sit all night and rise!


Step 5: Preheat your oven to 350 and let them cook for 25-30 minutes. When they are nice and golden on the top they are done. Take them out of the oven. Put a plate on top and flip them on to the plate. THEN ENJOY (AND YOU WILL!).

Pitas

How was everyone's Easter? Alden and I had to speak yesterday, so that was a TAD bit stressful but we survived!

Guess what we also did?.... Remember #1? Yep. We totally tried it and Alden got the head full of glitter which meant that he also won the prize! A lion bar (candy from Jerusalem) that is like the best tasting thing on earth. Thank you Addie!

Today Addie and I are doing a little shopping and then we are going to cook up a storm. Cuz thats what we like to do. We have been on a pita kick ever since we found delicious pita's at the farmers market..... SOooooooo for dinner I bring you.............

Turkey Kebabs with creamy tomatillo sauce.

Crépes!

Spring is coming. You know how I can tell? Strawberries are a $1.50 at the grocery store. That has to mean that spring is coming right? Stocking up on fresh berries can only mean one thing.... crépes.... and for dinner none the less!

Here is my favorite super easy crépe recipe that you just throw into the blender(Recipe courtesy my old roommate Courtney). Bon appétit!

4 eggs
1/2 c milk
1/2 c water
2 T melted butter
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 c. flour
3/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 T sugar

mix the wet ingredients then the dry.
Cut the recipe in half for two people... unless you like LOTS of crepes :)

ps. What are your favorite crépe toppings/stuffings?

Easy Peasy Peasant Bread

This recipe is such a cinch and is the perfect addition to any meal. We had this last night with delicious lemon, rosemary, garlic chicken. YUM!

French Peasant Bread

1 package (about 1 tablespoon) dry yeast
2 cups warm water
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt (sometimes it needs a little more salt)
4 cups flour
2 teaspoons - 1 tablespoon rosemary (optional)
Olive Oil
Cornmeal
Melted butter

Place yeast, water, sugar, and salt in warm bowl and stir until dissolved. Add flour and stir until blended. Do not knead. Cover and let rise one hour or until double in size. Flour hand, remove dough from the bowl and place in 2 rounds on an oiled cookie sheet sprinkled with corn meal. (I bake only one of the rounds and save the other in the fridge for another day)

(Based on trial and error I found it works best to drop a tablespoonish amount of oil in the center of the cookie sheet, spread it into a circle and sprinkle a small amount of corn mean on the oil....about the diameter of the dough once it is on the pan). Let rise one hour. Brush top with melted butter and bake at 425 for 10 minutes. Reduce temperature to 375 and cook an additional 15 minutes. Remove from oven and brush again with butter. Serve warm!

Our favorite way to have this bread is to incorporate sliced jalapeno's and top with cheese! Yum :) I LOVE jalapeno chedder. Also, for leftover slices pop them in the toaster till crispy and top with cream cheese or other goodness.

Chocolate Stack Loaf

picture and recipe found here

I have never liked working out. I believe in being healthy and active, I'm just not always the best at it. However, I recently discovered a little secret that gets me to the gym. They have stacks upon stacks of magazines, including my favorite... Better Homes and Gardens. I have loved this magazine since I was probably 16. I never was a normal teenage girl, sigh. Anyway, one morning at the gym I cam across this recipe and I snatched it up! (I actually tore it out of the magazine... I feel slightly bad about it but I just had to try it!). I found the perfect occasion for the cake... Curry night with our friends the Bridges (which was SO tasty btw). Ok, so chocolate and curry.... not exactly perfect but it was good enough. The cake came out a little dry because my oven got turned down half way through but besides that and my horrible cutting skills it was perfect. Our favorite part.... heating up the leftover frosting and using it as fudge on our ice-cream. Talk about out of this world, I'm not even kidding you. Delish! If you don't make the cake at least make the frosting. Its like a hot fudge ganche and I love it. One thing to note about the recipe if you do make the cake, you actually make it in a cake pan... not a loaf pan. Brilliant! No wonder I love the gym now. Gym=chocolate cake :)

Basil Butter

Thank you Farmers market for having a whole bunch of fresh basil for 50 cents. And thank you Paula Dean for this awesome recipe. I now have a stick of basil butter in my fridge that I pull out and use for steak, chicken, bread, pasta or whatever I feel like.