 There's no question that adulting is hard. Bills, jobs and responsibilities that simply cannot be avoided. 😩 Remember when you were a kid and you couldn't WAIT to grow up and become an adult? And then you reached adulthood and had the stunning realization that you had to pay taxes and buy insurance? 🤷🏻♀️ And don't even get me started on the worsening eye sight and you the fact that the older you get, the more everything hurts... for a little longer. 😅 #ifyouknowyouknow No one is arguing about the fact that growing old is hard - and in my case, NOT graceful. 🤣 It's not all bad though. I have been blessed beyond measure and I'm grateful for my health, my friends, my family, my job, etc. etc, etc. which helps me navigate through this thing called middle age.
I've learned that an afternoon of exploring and adventuring outside in the fresh air is therapy when I get overwhelmed by adulting. I can't explain why, but for some reason, spending time in nature is my de-stresser and it makes me feel like a kid again. Ben and I spent last weekend "playing" at Banning Mills. It was the best little mini vacation and exactly what we needed. We tromped through the woods on a 3 hour hike with no clear direction or preparation - very unlike the adult me. 😂 We also got behind the wheel of these swincars last weekend. Speeding 30 miles an hour, through the woods while dodging trees and traversing suspension bridges is enough to make anyone feel like a kid. 🏎 I definitely didn't possess the mental or physical dexterity that should be required to keep oneself safe while operating this vehicle but somehow I managed - and it was amazing.  Our day of hiking, driving and general adventuring was so much fun but it had an irrefutable effect on my appetite. 😬 Unfortunately, I didn't anticipate this when I made our, later than usual, dinner reservations for later that evening. Let's just say, that by the time we sat down at the table, I was ravished and maybe even a little hangry. 😅 Most days, I try and limit my consumption of white bread. But on 3 hour hike days - I make an exception. 🚶🏻♀️Bring me all of your rolls, baguettes and flatbreads with extra pats of butter and bowls of richly flavored olive oil. 😂🥖 I figure, if I'm going to eat carbohydrates in the form of bread - I might as well enjoy them to the fullest.  True bread fanatics know that value of a freshly made loaf of homemade bread. In the world of me - there's very few other foods that tempt me more than a thick slice of bread - fresh out of the oven. There's just something so warm and comforting about crispy on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside - homemade bread. If you're as passionate about bread as I am - I recommend this no knead bread recipe. It relies less on yeast and kneading than a traditional yeast loaf but it's equally delicious. Follow my super easy step-by-step instructions to make this yummy bread for yourself.  No Knead Bread 3 cups flour 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1/4 teaspoon yeast 3/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons water 6 Tablespoons lager beer 1 Tablespoon white vinegar
 Remove lid and bake 20-30 more minutes or until loaf registers 210 degrees.  Cool 2 hours in pan before removing.  I'm throwing it back to the early days of this pandemic when everyone was baking their own bread at home, with this recipe. (At least I think that's what everyone was doing with all the flour they were buying. 😅🤷🏻♀️) If you happened to miss bread baking bandwagon of 2020 - or if you just want a new and easy bread recipe - this loaf is for you. 🍞
Caio!
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 Thursday night - date night - why not? Yesterday was Valentine's eve, eve, eve, eve so obviously, we went out to celebrate. 😅 Spending more than 30 Valentine's days together has taught us that it's not worth fighting the restaurant crowds on the 14th of February. 🤷🏻♀️ Especially in our little town where there's a limited number of restaurants that are even open on Monday nights. My better half planned our romantic Valentine outing for February 10th and it was amazing. Dinner at an Italian restaurant AND tickets to see Andrea Bocelli. 😮 This guy knows me well. 🍝🎤 I love Italian food and Italian singer Andrea Bocelli - oh, and I love him too. 😅
I've been lucky enough to travel to Italy, twice in my life, and I wasn't shy about eating all of the pasta I could get my hands on while I was there. 😂There's something about twirling spaghetti on a fork, while sitting at a small table on the edge of the Grand Canal that just makes it taste better. I say all this to let you know that THAT is my standard for pasta now. Let's just say that the bar has been set and it's high. 🇮🇹  Needless to day, it's a challenge for me to eat pasta and NOT judge it against the Italian standard. 😬 And I feel like it's worth pointing out that the meals that I order at a restaurant and the pasta that I make at home are both held to the same standard. I don't cut myself any slack when it comes to pasta. Pasta dishes with simple sauces reined supreme in the tiny Italian cafes that we were fortunate enough to visit. Fettuccini alfredo made with just 4 simple ingredients seemed like the perfect way to replicate that Italian pasta, at home. The key is to find the very best cheese, butter and pasta that you can find. Skimping on any of them will most certainly affect the quality of your dish.  Fettuccini Alfredo 8 Tablespoons European butter (Plugra or Kerrygold) 6 ounces Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, cut into 1/2" chunks (Don't buy shredded) 18 ounces fresh fettuccini 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Let stand 2 minutes to allow sauce to thicken. Add additional water if needed. Season with salt.  Divide among serving bowls and serve with remaining cheese.
I've made this a couple different times - once with homemade pasta and once with a dried fettuccini. Obviously, it took waaaay longer to make homemade noodles and after all that work, we all preferred this simple Alfredo sauce served with dried fettuccini noodles anyway. You will see pictures of both fettuccini Alfredo in this post so you can decided for yourself which one looks better to you. Caio!  In case you were wondering - I am fully aware that my phone number is associated with the words "cupcake lady" and "cookie girl" in a lot of peoples cell phone contact list. 📱I'm not offended. I'm actually quite flattered to be associated with such sweetness. Although I would like to suggest "dessert diva" and "ganache guru" be added to the list of affectionate titles that are attached to my phone number. 😅 I make a living baking butter and sugar laced confections so I feel like I earned those badges honestly. 😂🧁And as much as I love making and creating delicious, artful creations out of sugar, I do have pangs of guilt about promoting such unhealthy ingredients.  Despite what the daily photographs of delectable treats on my instagram account might lead you to believe, I actually eat a primarily plant based diet. Most of those glamorous goodies that get posted on my social media get delivered to clients, friends or neighbors. My intention is not to shatter your perception of a glamorous bakers life - just trying to keep it real. 👩🏻🍳 Even though we might want to - "pastry purveyers" don't actually eat brownies for breakfast every day. 😂 I have my own (very unscientific) theory that spending an excessive amount of time in the presence of sugar actually makes a person crave the opposite of sugar - salt.🧂 At the end of a day spent with buttercream up to my elbows, there's nothing more appealing to me than a giant bowl of warm (sugarless) soup and salty crackers . 🍲 This Pearled Barley and Turkey Soup was exactly what I was craving on a busy baking weekend - especially on a weekend of unseasonably cool temperatures in Georgia.  Pearled Barley and Turkey Soup 2 Tablespoons olive oil 1 onion , finely diced 1 large carrot, sliced thin 2 celery stalks , sliced thin 8 ounces baby bella mushrooms , cut into quarters 2 garlic cloves, minced 1/2 tsp fresh thyme , chopped 1/4 tsp ground coriander 1/4 tsp ground fennel 1 dried bay leaf 1 3/4 tsp salt 1/2 tsp black pepper 1 cup pearl barley 8 cups chicken stock 4 cups turkey, cooked and chopped 1 cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped
 Stir in turkey to warm.  Soup is easy to make. It's filling It's an easy way to pack more vegetables into your diet, and soup (usually) freezes well. It's the perfect weekend fare - especially on chilly days. 🍲
Ciao! 
 Every time I make a cheesy dish - I can't help wonder if it would meet her approval. 😅 She has high standards for cheese. 🧀 This girl loves spinach dip and she loves macaroni and cheese so I have a feeling that she should approve of this three cheese appetizer and pasta fusion dish. Just imagine the best spinach and artichoke dip that you've ever tasted, combined with the creamiest, cheesiest pasta thats ever touched your lips and you've got this beautiful main course Spinach and Artichoke Macaroni and Cheese. This one pot dish is easy to make - it comes together quickly and - its delicious.  Spinach and Artichoke Macaroni and Cheese 1 Tablespoon olive oil 3 garlic cloves, minced 5 ounces baby spinach, chopped 1 cup whole milk 1 1/2 cups water 8 ounces elbow macaroni 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup artichoke hearts, chopped 1 cup White American cheese, shredded (4 ounce block from deli counter) 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1 cup sharp cheddar, shredded 1/2 cup Parmesan , shredded
 Add spinach and stir until sauce is smooth. Season with salt and pepper.  The saddest part of this story is that I have yet to make this yummy dish for my sweet, cheese loving, daughter in law. We live 700 miles apart so running dinner over to her house is out of the question. But I promise to make it the next time that you come to visit @aint_no_holly_back_girl. 😉
Ciao!  Where are all my fellow Georgians who stocked up on food and supplies in preparation for last weekends snow storm? 🙋🏻♀️ If you're like me - you overestimated the impact that freezing precipitation would have on your family's appetite and now you're faced with a pantry stocked with "snow day" food. 😬 If I had an excess of lemons - using them up would be a no brainer but what's a girl to do with leftover eggs, bread and milk? 🥚🍞🥛  French Toast!! Ricotta Stuffed French Toast. I'm not normally a french toast fan but I have to admit that this stuffed french toast is pretty amazing. And when you smother it in the honey butter, pistachio and sweet wine sauce - it takes it to a whole new level. I know you're going to love this just as much as I do.  Ricotta Stuffed French Toast 1/2 cup whole milk ricotta 1 Tablespoon powdered sugar 1/2 teaspoon orange zest, grated 4 slices hearty white sandwich bread 3/4 cup whole milk 1 egg 1 teaspoon vanilla 1/4 teaspoon salt 4 Tablespoons butter 3 Tablespoons pistachios, chopped 1/4 cup honey 2 Tablespoons Marsala 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
 Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.  As for our winter snow storm - it was kind of crazy. I'll share some video and pictures on the next blog post. You are not going to believe it. ⛄️
Ciao! |
