A note from my Mother:

"To my hard-working daughters: I've always told you that you could be anything you wanted to be. We all know the challenges that a woman faces each day at work, at school, at home. Keep working hard to make your dreams come true in spite of these challenges.
Life is too short to waste your time doing anything that you don't love to do, so delegate the rest.
Remember to teach your children what you have learned."

-Hugs from your mother who is very proud of her incredible daughters!

I come from a long line of incredible women.
My darling mother always knows just what to say to brighten my day!

Chamomile Citrus Tea-Infused Cupcakes:

One of the best things about going to Culinary school is the fact that I now have a network of truly talented individuals who are constantly sharing their newest recipe creations! The most recent contributor to my recipe box is my dear friend, Miss Bethany Shippee. Last week, she sent me an email containing this darling cupcake recipe which she created for her home town grocery store chain. As a Dietetic intern, her recipe contains numerous calorie cutting corners, to make a slightly more healthful cupcake. Yes, a "healthy" cupcake is still a cupcake, and no, it will never actually be healthy. But, isn't it nice to know that you can guiltlessly have a whole cupcake to yourself, without needing to share one with a friend?!

Lovely Kitchens: The Breakfast Nook

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Photo via Better Homes and Gardens
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Photo via Country Living
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Photo via Elle Decor

If there is one thing I've learned from drowning myself in images from amazing kitchens, its that every good home needs a nook! And in that nook, there should be a total of three things: 1. A good amount of sun light 2. Comfortable chairs for lounging after a long brunch 3. Fresh flowers, lots of them! I absolutely love the breakfast nooks in the images above. I could just imagine spending hours in any one of those nooks: drinking black coffee, reading the paper and eating myself fat on waffles and fruit.

Perfectly Peachy, Yogurt and Museli Pie:

This tasty treat was adapted from a recipe that I originally found in Food & Wine, and I've turned it into just the type of recipe I disdain as a nutritionist: a dessert made with "health foods". Keep in mind that although the two main ingredients are yogurt and homemade museli, there isn't too much that's actually healthy about this recipe, but it's so delicious, I'm sure you wont mind! After playing with the original recipe to create my own version, I can honestly say that this pie has climbed to the top of my favorites list. The Greek yogurt adds a tang which balances out the sweetness of the peach preserve topping. Plus, the crust cooks up to provide the perfect crunch, with little bits of dried fruit dispersed throughout.

Book Review:

How to Pick a Peach: The Search for Flavor from Farm to Table by Russ Parsons

I have the most amazing used book store around the corner from my apartment which just so happens to be over-flowing into the streets with books (literally, I'm sure this problem will be a little more tolerable now that the snow has *fingers crossed* gone for the season). I find myself perusing it's stacks at least once a month, though I'm sure I will be making weekly visits in the coming season, since it's prime location is right along my foot path to the farmer's market! The absolute best part about this used book store is that it's situated in the perfect neighborhood for any used book junkie: Hyde Park. This part of town contains an eclectic mixture of neighbors, ranging from the President of the United States to the dirt poor college kid. As a result, it's collection of books is unbelievably varied! This bodes well for the foodie in me, since the "Cookbook & Foods" section is constantly being stocked with must-read books at must-buy prices! I found this book nestled in the stacks a few weeks ago and have had my nose buried deep in it every night before bed, and here is what I've learned:

1. The American food system will very rarely produce anything remotely similar to what it might perfectly resemble. Though to be fair, anyone with a trained palate and a large chain grocery store around the corner could tell you that. The quote on the front cover says it best: "Tired of tomatoes the size, taste, and texture of softballs?..." Why yes, I am, and I long for the days of being barefoot and carefree, picking fresh tomatoes from my grandparent's garden, which as my memory serves me, were far tastier than any store bought tomato I can recall!
2. Bananas will continue to ripen after picking (obviously) but at a much slower rate than most any other fruit! I find this astonishing since my bananas seem to turn brown the second I turn my back to them. Conveniently I've learned to love them, all spotted and soft (on the verge of being the perfect banana bread ingredient, a recipe that I plan to share with you all in the next week or so).
3. Figs are actually a cluster of flowers turned inside-out! Those little "pops" you feel when you eat them are actually hundreds of tiny seeds. And for many varieties, the only way to fertilize the flower is with the aide of a two-millimeter long wasp which crawls inside of the fig through a small hole in the base and then deposits its pollen. And even stranger, if the wasp stays inside for too long, a naturally occurring, protein- digesting enzyme called ficin will dissolve it and any pesky eggs which might be loitering for too long. Weird.
4. Small farms can actually function quite successfully within the conventional farm circuit, without completely relinquishing their souls... this is hope after all.
5. I am a very bad person for enjoying a bowl full of salad greens everyday at lunch in the midst of winter.

Okay, I could go on for a while like this.. do yourself a favor, read the book! It's packed full of fun little tidbits (some of which I used when writing about souffles and lemon curd a few weeks back). Each section ends with an explanation of where your food is grown, how to choose it at the market, how to store it once you get home and a few fabulous recipes, almost all of which sound like they are worth trying. My only quibble: he recommends storing most everything in plastic, which I'm not a fan of in the slightest, why choose plastic when you can stock up on reusable glass containers or my personal favorite, the brown paper lunch sack.

Beer Bread:

My lovely Aunt sent me her recipe for beer bread a few weeks back, a recipe that is so unbelievably simple if makes my head spin. I have been trying the recipe out using a variety of beers, trying to nail down my favorite. As of now, they have all been exceptional! Beer bread is a great accompaniment to soups and stews, or toasted for a mid-day snack, but while perusing the web the other day, I stumbled upon a tasty recipe for what sounds like the ultimate grilled cheese!

Lovely Kitchens: Windows

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Photo via Design Manifest
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Photo via Jill Sharp
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Photo via Material Girl Blog

Windows and I have a love-hate relationship. I love them during the day, when natural sunlight is fluttering in, dusting the surface of everything it touches. I love them during rain storms, when rain drops play rhythmic tunes as they get blown about in the wind. And I hate them, at night, when it's brighter inside than it is outside and you can't tell what might be lurking outside, looking in. I've watched one too many scary movies. However, I've vowed not to let my childish fears stand in the way of having a kitchen with large windows, since day light is my preferred method of illumination. Aren't the kitchen windows above just perfect?

Liquid Sanctuary:

Is it possible to not enjoy a moment of relaxation? The brief flutter of calm in the midst of a chaotic day, when you sit back, close your eyes and take a deep breath while telling yourself "4:30 is only an hour away, you will be sane again soon." Hmm okay, maybe thats just my growing annoyance with my current job, because this is a daily occurrence for me and it happens to be my saving grace. I had a two-year old throw a pencil at me the other day and I promptly retreated to my desk, grasped my hot cup of tea, took a deep breath and let it all just melt away (which had to have been a better reaction than any other possibility, all of which would have ended with me being fired). So I am here today to praise the wonder of a hot cup of tea and it's ability to be my daily saving grace, the liquid sanctuary that helps me maintain my sanity.