SUMMER THYME LEMONADE

Forgive me for that title. I won't do it again. I was trying to be punny. Ok, I'm really done now, I swear. Moving on.

Fresh herbs and I, we've always had this funny relationship. I've always thought that someone who keeps fresh herbs in their kitchen must know what they're doing in there. I like to think that my culinary skills have grown exponentially since the days of hamburger helper and my spice cabinet is fairly stocked, but I still fumble around in the fresh herbs section at the grocery store and look at the packages like, 'What am I going to do with all of you? I hate to bring you down, but you're too much. You're overwhelming.' Enter the fateful day at the Albuquerque Farmer's Market when I met the pie lady. It's funny all around because she was very much the pie lady - she even sold vinegar pie, which was surprisingly tasty - but she sold juices and lemonades off to the side too. I never talked with her much, but she was always warm and friendly and it just seemed like she came straight out of a book like The Help. There was always a line wrapped around her booth. At $4 a glass, I was skeptical, but after my first drink, I was hooked. Every thing I tasted was divine, but my favorite was her basil lemonade. It was out of this world! I had never even liked basil much - and then it clicked, fresh herbs weren't meant to be cooked with. They were meant to be eaten fresh, of course. And they were meant for lemonade more.

In true Summer bucket list fashion, I let Ev help me make this. It's basically toddler-proof once you get past the sticky factor, but she's miraculously sticky all the time, lemon juice or no lemon juice. One of our favorite Summer meals is Caprese Pasta Salad, which requires fresh basil, but never enough to use the entire container and I was in this terrible habit of letting the rest go moldy. So I started making the pasta and lemonade together and I haven't let a package of basil go bad since - until this week. I put off lemonade-making to get in the lemonade-drinking mood and by the time I was ready, the basil was not. I was disappointed and had already told Alex I was making basil lemonade, one of his favorites, and you can't get a man's hopes up like that, so I improvised. I had some thyme in the fridge, which humorously enough I can't remember what I bought it for, so I thought I'd try it out and I'm actually really pleased with the results. I hope you will be too.

 

SUMMER THYME LEMONADE

1 C. fresh squeezed lemon juice (from 5 or 6 lemons)

4 C. water

1 C. thyme simple syrup

THYME SIMPLE SYRUP

1 C. water

1 C. sugar

6 or 8 springs of thyme

4 lemon peel ribbons

Preparation:

Make the simple syrup by combining the water, sugar, thyme, and lemon peel in a saucepan. Bring to a light boil until the sugar dissolves, turn it off, then put the lid on it and let it steep for at least ten minutes. Meanwhile, squeeze the lemons. When the syrup is done, pour it into a pitcher with the lemon juice and water, stir, pour over a glass full of ice and enjoy!

Strawberry Lemon Yogurt Muffins

Summer is in full swing around the Jacobs' house and what says summer better than fresh strawberries and lemons? (Probably watermelon, but watermelon muffins aren't a culinary adventure I'd like to take.) I walked into Whole Foods a few days ago and noticed that they had local organic strawberries for $1/pound! I got so excited, I grabbed three pounds and I'm still regretting not grabbing a few more to throw in the freezer. I didn't count on them being as fresh and sweet as they were, so I tried to hold back for fear of getting stuck with pounds of 'eh' strawberries. I stood there trying to decide on how many pounds to get for a good fifteen minutes. The things you contemplate as an adult (or when you're just plain crazy). So I got these strawberries home and knew that we wouldn't be able to eat them all before they went bad. We're big fans of muffins, well all baked goods really, so I whipped these up and they were perfect. The recipe makes 12 and they're so good, you'll wish you had made more. Enjoy!

Strawberry Lemon Yogurt Muffins

adapted from Whipperberry

Muffins:

1 C. all purpose flour

1 C. whole wheat flour

1/3 C. brown sugar

1/3 C. sugar

2 teas. baking powder

1 teas. baking soda

1/2 teas. salt

1/2 C. (1 stick) butter, softened

2/3 C. milk

1/2 C. plain yogurt

1 teas. vanilla extract

2 eggs

2 teas. lemon zest

2 C. fresh strawberries, diced

2 Tbsp. flour (to coat strawberries)

Lemon Glaze:

1 C. powdered sugar

1-2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Directions:

- Preheat your oven to 400° F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners or grease and flour them.

- Cream your butter and sugars together. Add your vanilla extract, lemon zest, salt, baking powder, and baking soda and mix until well combined with no clumps.

- Next add your eggs. I always add my eggs as close to last as possible for fear of over beating them. I don't even know if that's possible (look at me, baker extraordinaire), but it's one of those weird things that I heard somewhere and it stuck with me. After your eggs are well combined, add your milk and yogurt.

- Begin adding the flour to the wet ingredients 1/2 cup at a time, scraping the sides of the bowl as you go.

- In a separate bowl, toss your strawberries in 2 tablespoons of flour. This keeps them suspended in the batter and prevents them from sinking to the bottom whole baking. Fold them into the muffin batter, being careful not to squish them too much.

- Spoon the batter into each cup evenly. I practically filled mine to the brim so I wouldn't waste any batter and they turned out well. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

- As your muffins cool, prepare your lemon glaze. Add one tablespoon of lemon juice to the powder sugar and mix. Continue adding the second tablespoon of lemon juice slowly until it reaches the desired consistency. Drizzle onto the top of your cooled muffins, or get impatient and drizzle on top of your warm muffins and it will soak into them like I did. Enjoy!

Raw Cashew Dreamcake

As a part of my New Year's resolution to bake a new dessert each month, I introduce you to this.

Now technically I did not bake this, but my thought behind baking something new each month was to step out of my kitchen comfort zone. I bake fairly often (easy things like cookies or muffins), but I usually shy away from anything with an ingredient I've never used before or wouldn't know exactly where to find it. This was something I wanted to rectify. I was sure there were change-your-life-delicious dessert recipes out there just waiting for me to move past the cookie baking laze and discover them. This definitely fits that bill. The filling is out of this world. I (and Evie) couldn't stop eating it before I even got it into the crust, and this was before the berries were added. We are no vegans in this household (give up cheese? Never!), but I do like to experiment with healthier substitutions so the idea of a dessert full of good fats and protein with no dairy pulled me in. In the end, it wasn't cheesecake, but it was pretty dreamy and delicious. It packs a mouth full of cheesecake flavor without the thick, sticky mouth syndrome that you get from the dairy and sugar in a traditional cheesecake. Not to mention it's much easier to make at home than a cheesecake is! It's a winner and will definitely be making a comeback in my kitchen - probably with some coffee liquor and cacao in leu of the vanilla and berries, so stay tuned.

Raw Cashew Dreamcake
(My New Roots)

Ingredients:

Crust -
1/2 C. Raw Almonds
1/2 C. Medjool Dates
(In my case, this was equivalent to 6 large dates. Make sure you pull the pit out.)
1/4 tsp. fine Sea Salt

Filling -
1 1/2 C. Raw Cashews
(soaked for at least 12 hours)
Juice of 2 Lemons
1 tsp. Alcohol-free Vanilla Extract
1/3 C. Raw Coconut Oil
1/3 C. Raw Honey
(To make this legitimately vegan, use agave nectar.)
1 C. Raspberries
(In my case, they were frozen.)

Directions:
- Place the almonds, dates, and sea salt in a food processor or high-speed blender and pulse until the mixture has reached your desired consistency. (If the pieces are too large, however, the crust won't stick together well, so keep that in mind.) Test the mixture rolling a spoonful in your hands. If the ingredients hold together well, it's ready. If it's too crumby, add another date and process again. Scoop the crust mixture out into a round cake pan or pie plate lined with Saran wrap (for those you keep fancy kitchen items around, a spring-form pan trumps these). Press firmly, making sure the thickness is relatively even throughout. Put your finished crust into the freezer until your filling is ready.
- Warm the coconut oil and honey in a small sauce pan over low heat until melted. Whisk to combine, cover to keep warm, and set aside.
- Place all the filling ingredients, except the raspberries into your food processor or blender. Blend on high until you think it's smooth, then keep going. If you leave some chunks in it, that's okay, but it is better when it's been pureed well.
- Grab your crust out of the freezer and pour about 2/3 of the filling into it, smoothing it out with a rubber spatula as you go. Add the raspberries to the remaining filling and once again, blend on high until smooth. Pour onto the first plain layer and smooth it out, being careful not to mix the layers (Unless you're going for the marbled look and in that case, be as reckless as you want). Place in the freezer until the filling has set, then cut with a warm knife and serve.
- Store leftovers in the freezer, covered.

Warm Cabbage & Apple Salad

Alex and I have been talking a lot about food lately - how we want our family to eat and ways that we can encourage our kids to make healthy choices and have a positive mindset about food. Out of all developed countries, American children probably eat the worst and have the most basic palate. Their favorite foods are either sweet or salty. Those are the only foods we're accustomed to eating anymore, so we've lost the appreciation for bitter, mild, and complex flavors. I truly believe that what you eat as a child will carry into your adult life and affect your food choices for the rest of your life. My mom tried to keep plenty of fruits and veggies in the house, rarely bought soda, chips, or candy, and cooked from scratch more often than she cooked from a box or took us out to a restaurant. While I didn't appreciate it when I was younger and may have eaten Hamburger Helper way too often in college just because I could, I eventually came right back around to eating this way without even realizing it. This recipe is one that my mom made a lot throughout my childhood and is a taste that I've grown accustomed to, but most people may not like. Luckily, it only took one bite for my husband to be converted from 'that's weird,' to asking for it regularly. This has become a staple meal for us, and one that we always look forward to. If you try this out, be sure to let me know how it went!

Warm Cabbage & Apple Salad

• 1 pound Sausage
• 1 head of Cabbage, cut into 1" squares
• 1 medium Apple, cut into even squares
• 1/2 cup of Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dried Basil
• 1 teaspoon Dried Parsley
• 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
• 1 tablespoon Brown Sugar
• Salt & Pepper, to taste
• Olive Oil

The first step is to cook your sausage. There are no pictures of this because I assume you all know how to unwrap a roll of sausage and throw it in a pan. While the sausage is cooking, prepare the cabbage by peeling the first few layers off, then cutting it into 1" square pieces. Try to keep the pieces as uniform in size as possible, otherwise you'll end up with some crunchy pieces and some soggy.

Put the cabbage into a large nonstick skillet like so, pour olive oil over it all, and toss to coat. I'm not entirely sure how much olive oil I use. If I had to estimate, I would say 1/8 cup. Allow it to cook on medium-high heat for 10-15 minutes, until the cabbage has reached your desired texture.

While the cabbage is cooking, wash the apple and chop it into evenly sized pieces. I used a Gala apple, but have also used Red Delicious and Golden Delicious. I usually shoot for 1/2 - 3/4 inch squares. When your sausage and cabbage are done, pour them both into a large mixing bowl. Using the same skillet used to cook the sausage, turn the heat on high and throw your apples into the pan. You aren't trying to cook the apples, just warm them and maybe brown them a little. Continually move them around in the pan, so that one side doesn't become more tender than the others, for just a minute or so. These are really what highlight this dish, so you want to be sure you don't overcook them. They should still be slightly crunchy in the center.

When the apples are warm, add them to the mixing bowl with the cabbage and sausage. Add your spices, brown sugar, and apple cider vinegar, mix thoroughly, then do a taste test. This is one of those recipes that each family will like a different way. After this, I usually end up adding another 1/4 cup of vinegar, a dash of salt, and a lot of black pepper. Like I said, just taste it and add whatever you think it needs - more vinegar, more brown sugar, etc. Once you feel like you've gotten it just right, spoon it into some bowls, and enjoy!

*Serves 2-3; if you want to stretch it out to 4, serve with bread and butter or something similarly filling.

Shrimp and Cheesy Grits

I had every intention of sharing my cooking adventures here long before now, but I'm so bad at taking pictures while I'm cooking. I get into the zone and realize halfway through the recipe that I haven't taken a single picture, or I take pictures of all of the steps, then dig in when it's done, forgetting to take a picture of the finished product before it's half eaten and mangled. Who wants to hover over hot, ready to eat food worrying about lighting and angles and trying to get your camera to focus correctly anyway? Not I, but I managed to suck it up and get a few decent pictures this time around, so I thought I would make history with my first recipe post.

Cooking has always been a significant part of my life. I have tons of memories of helping my mom in the kitchen or cooking breakfast with my sister, bowing and laughing as the bacon 'applauded' us. Among the  many things I, at one point in my childhood, said I wanted to be, a famous chef was one of them. I don't have any funny stories to tell about how bad my cooking was or how we ate pizza for a week because I kept burning dinner when we had just gotten married. I can't even wrap my mind around the fact that there are people out there who can't manage to cook macaroni and cheese out of a box. Cooking just comes naturally to me. I have a love for food, family dinners, and trying different recipes that I hope to pass on to my children, so I thought I would start recording our favorite recipes in one place, so that I can eventually make them into something special to give to each of them.

Without further ado, I introduce to you Alex's favorite meal, shrimp and grits. 

This is one of those Southern meals that most people who didn't grow up eating grits wouldn't think about trying, but I promise you, these are not your ordinary grits. If you've never had grits before, this is the dish to try them in. If you don't like grits, give these a chance. I can almost guarantee you will love them. This recipe has two parts to it, the cheesy grits and the sauce that you top them with. It doesn't really matter what you fix first because both can be left on low and kept warm while the other cooks with no harm done. I usually throw everything into the sauce, except for the shrimp, bacon, and half and half, and keep it warm while I cook the grits. If you happen to cook the grits first, and after letting them sit for a few minutes the cheese hardens and makes the mixture a big rubbery, just add a little more half and half and stir before serving.

The first step is to fry the bacon. For this dish, I usually make it pretty crispy, since I'll be putting it into a liquid and no one likes soggy bacon.

While the bacon is cooking, slice up the mushrooms - or you can buy the pre-sliced mushrooms. I'm just cheap and the whole ones always look fresher, so I take the extra time to slice them. When the bacon is done, set it aside on a paper towel to drain. Don't pour out your grease! This is basically the foundation of your sauce and what you'll cook your mushrooms in. Healthy, I know.

Saute the mushrooms in the bacon drippings (sounds better than grease, right?) for 5 minutes, along with the garlic. After the mushrooms have released their moisture, add the chicken broth, lemon juice, and a dash or two of hot sauce. Add as much or little hot sauce as you like, but don't skip out on it entirely. It really does add to the flavor of the dish. Set this aside and let it barely simmer while you move on to making the grits. (I wish I had a picture of the simmering, almost finished sauce, but this is my first attempt at food blogging so bear with me.)

Combine the chicken broth, half and half, water, and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat a bit, and gradually add the grits, whisking them in as you go. Let it simmer for 10 minutes, stirring regularly. If all of the liquid seems to cook out before the 10 minutes is up, taste the grits and if they're still a bit crunchy or chewy, add a bit more water and continue simmering - a few tablespoons will do. When the grits have a few minutes left to cook, return to your sauce, add your shrimp, crumbled bacon, and half and half. Let it simmer until the shrimp have turned pink (3-5 minutes), but not too long or your shrimp will have the texture of a rubber band. To finish the grits off, gradually add the Cheddar and Parmesan cheese, stirring as you go, then stir in a dash or two of hot sauce. (I promise you the hot sauce is needed. This isn't a super spicy dish. All of the cream and cheese mellow out the spice of the hot sauce pretty well.) Pour the sauce over the grits and serve with a lemon wedge. Enjoy!

Sauce Ingredients:

• 4 slices of Bacon
• 1 pound of large or jumbo Shrimp - raw, peeled, and deveined
• 8 ounces of Mushrooms, washed and sliced
• 2 cloves of Garlic, minced (or the equivalent in garlic powder)
• 1/2 cup of Chicken Broth
• 2 tablespoons fresh Lemon Juice
• 1/4 cup of Half and Half
• 1-2 dashes of Hot Sauce*

Cheesy Grits Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups of Chicken Broth
• 1 cup of Half and Half
• 1 1/2 cups of Water
• 3/4 teaspoon of Salt
• 1 cup of Old Fashioned Grits
• 3/4 cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded
• 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated**
• 1-2 dashes of Hot Sauce*

* I estimate I add about 1/2 of a teaspoon for those who don't like to measure in 'dashes.'

**If you don't happen to have Parmesan cheese, just add another 1/4 cup of Cheddar cheese.

Let me know if you try it, how you like it, and if you changed anything. Feel free to share any of your favorite recipes too!