Archives for July 2015

C’s picks – week of July 5th.

July 5, 2015 / By Courtney / 4 Comments

Alright! Let the holiday fun (and baseball) continue! I hope everyone is having a fantastic looooong summer weekend. It’s the best, right?

But, time to get serious for a moment. Let’s plan out our week so Monday is a bit less harsh. Who’s with me? And here we go…

On Sunday we are off to the club for a firework celebration – lots of games for the kids, a glass (or two) of wine for mom, bbq, and fireworks to end it all. So fun.

For Monday I’m thinking these chicken sandwiches stuffed with brie and roasted tomatoes and spinach sound pretty. darn. good.

I’ll admit it. The Montana girl in me has fallen for buffalo skirt steak. Guy, it’s unreal! (Locals, Heinens has it). All the flavor of regular skirt steak but so much more lean, huge win for swim suit season. We’ll be getting a nice piece on the grill Tuesday night topped with this sauce and grilled veggies on the side.

Wednesday sounds like a nice night for pasta. This one is so simple and so beautiful.

That brings us to Thursday and to one of my favorite combos. Spicy salmon for me, Italian sausage for the boys. Brown rice and veggies all around.

It’s probably been the longest we’ve ever gone without having our pizza. Time to end that Friday night.

What’s on your menu plan for the coming week? Share with me in a comment below!

Happy 4th of July!

July 3, 2015 / By Courtney / Leave a Comment

Oh my goodness, it’s the 4th of July already? I don’t know about you, but between construction and baseball and vacation, June just flew by.

Yet here we are. And you know something odd? We have a wide open 4th of July evening. At first I was like, wait, that can’t be right. Normally we are juggling friends and family and Michigan and the Club events. But nope, nothing. Well, aside from baseball earlier in the day, but that’s a given.

So, what to do? I mentioned it to M and we agreed almost instantly – let’s stay in with the kids and close family. Cook a kickass meal. And camp out somewhere later in the evening for the fireworks. After 6 straight nights of baseball games, I couldn’t agree more.

Now, let’s see. What to make? These summer ribs can’t be beat. Seriously, make extras because you will need them. This chopped tortellini salad would be a great addition as well. Herbed potatoes sound delicious as well and I have a fun dessert in the works as a surprise.

What else. Well, how darling is this dress? Completely appropriate I thought. I will be wearing it all weekend long to celebrate.

Isn’t the rustic flag wall hanging pictured above just oh so adorable? How cute would it be hanging on a front door or swinging in the summer breeze on a screened in porch? You can find it in the Etsy shop, Now Fancy That. And hey, good news for ALFS readers. Until the end of the month, the kind shop owner is offering us 20% off their order! Simply enter the code fromscratch715 at checkout. Happy shopping!

And let’s end with this. A sparkler in the form of a cocktail? Yes. Please.

Happy and safe 4th of July everyone!

*The fine print: this post contains affiliate links, which means that if you use these links to make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Of course, you are not obligated to use these links to make your purchase, but please know that when you do, it supports my blog and for that I thank you.

Skillet dutch baby.

July 1, 2015 / By Courtney / 11 Comments

I dreamed of this recipe before I even knew it yet. Week after week of being without a kitchen had me pondering what my first dish would be once it was back up and running. This one was definitely a top contender, and of course my classic chocolate chip cookies were in demand but you see, this recipe couldn’t really be planned. Between not knowing exactly when the oven would be hooked up or the water running and a booked flight to South Carolina, would I even get to make something before I left?

Well, yes. I kind of forced that I did. I woke up early Saturday morning to make a surprise (early) Father’s Day breakfast, complete with bacon and croissants and this dutch baby pancake without having any ingredients in the fridge indoors (aside from sauvignon blanc, obviously), no running water, and absolutely no real understanding of my new beast of a stove.

Yet I woke up on a mission – totally thinking it’s fine. As I began to prep breakfast and actual ignite my stove top, I realized that this may have been a bigger task than anticipated. To start, I had no idea how to actually turn on my left oven. My new Keurig completely threw me for a loop. I kept realizing I needed to rinse my hands or a cooking utensil and then would have to dart to the bathroom for the sink. Eggs and butter and milk and bacon and fresh fruit all had to be grabbed from the garage. Every bowl had to be wiped free of dust before use. So needless to say, it was a process. But man, can I just say the moment we all sat together in the new eat in bay window to eat?

Completely worth the chaos. All of it. The noise and the dust and the tools and the long five months and the decisions big and small. I finally felt like we were exactly in the home my family was supposed to have. Bonus that we were chowing down on this delicious, impressive, and easy breakfast together and for just one small moment, before football and packing and baseball and last minute errands and the construction noise of the day began, things were at peace.

Thank you, Tina, for the incredible recipe!

Skillet Dutch Baby

2015-06-30 09:39:28

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Ingredients

3 large egg
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon almond extract (more or less to taste)
Pinch of salt
4 tablespoons butter
Powdered sugar
Lemon wedges

Instructions

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Whisk egg, sugar, flour, milk, extract and salt together until the batter is blended but lumpy; you can also do this in a blender.
In a 12-inch ovenproof frying pan (cast iron if you have one), melt the butter. Add cherries and cook until warmed, about 2 minutes. Pour in batter and transfer to heated oven. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown.
Remove pancake from oven and quickly dust with powdered sugar and squeeze lemon juice over. Serve. Also great with REAL maple syrup.

Notes

Because this oven pancake does lose its puff after baked, it’s best to bake directly before serving. It won’t deflate entirely, but its appearance will be most dramatic just out of the oven.

Adapted from Shredded Sprout

A Life From Scratch. https://a-life-from-scratch.com/