Jakob Dylan & The Three Legs Concert!!!

This was the third time I have seen Jakob Dylan in concert, however, my first time on the East Coast. It was the best show of his I have seen mostly because we were right next to the stage! I was so happy when he sang a couple Wallflower songs. I think I squealed like a pig when he made eye contact with me. I even broke my wedding ring from clapping so much. The diamond fell out :( Luckily we found it in between two cords on the stage. Most of the songs were from his AMAZING album Women & Country. I now LOVE LOVE LOVE Neko Case! Her voice is something out of this world. We had to drive 2 hours to get to Baltimore but we will def. be coming back because the city is beautiful. All in all it was a perfect evening... Jakob Dylan, Starbucks, and in an actual CITY! :) I can't wait to see him again!

Weekend Roadtrip

We went on a roadtrip last weekend to Niagara Falls, NYC, and D.C. We couldn't have asked for better weather...except for Niagara Falls! :)

Since it is Earth Day this quote by my President Clinton couldn't be anymore appropriate :)
~Washington D.C~




We had a couple of unexpected guests joining us on our picinic







~New York City~




We have a problem with ducks everywhere we go :)

~Niagara Falls~

Chimichurri Sauce

I have fallen in love... WITH CHIMICHURRI! I can't believe I have gone my entire life without it. Now I eat it on everything! It is so simple but it has so much flavor. Chimichurri is originally from Argentina however, it is used in a lot of Colombian cooking. So I wanted my Hubby to have a little taste of home for dinner :)

Ingredients~
1 cup fresh Italian parsley
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
2 garlic cloves, peeled
3/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Add parsley, oil, vinegar, cilantro, garlic, red pepper, and cumin into a food processor until smooth. Mix in salt and pepper. See it is super simple!



It is great on meat, potatoes, rice, cucumber... well it is delicious on everything:)

Colombian Jugo de Mango or Mango Juice

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My hubby is from Barranquilla, Colombia so he as opened my palate to many new foods. I absolutley love Colombian food... I just wish it was a little spicy :) In Colombia they make all their fruit juice themselves and they taste so much better. And boy do Colombians have a lot of delicious fruit that we don't have here. My favorite juices to make are Maracuya or passion fruit, Guyabana, Guava, Lulo, and Tamarindo.


My Colombian making juice :)

My juice is Colombian because a Colombian made it :)

Ingredients~

1 mango
1/2 c sugar
2 liters of water

Directions~
Cut peel off of mango and seed the mango. Add Half of the water in the blender and blend until the mango has liquified. Strain liquid in a mesh strainer. Disgard the pulp. Pour liquid back into blender and add half sugar and a little more water. Blend until sugar has dissolved. Do this twice until you dont have anymore sugar or water left. You might want to add a little bit more sugar if you like your juice a little sweeter. You can also use agave it you dont want to use sugar.

Sometimes I Wonder....

Why do we spend so much money on doggie toys when Pablo finds trash much more enjoyable to play with?

Julia Child's White Bread

Who doesn't love Julia? She lead such an interesting life and is one of my favorite cooks! I was browsing Baking with Julia today trying t figure out what to make and white bread sounded wonderful. It will go perfect with a picinic my hubby and I are having tomorrow.

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups water (105-115 F)
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
7 cups bread flour or all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon salt
1/4-1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened






Directions~

Pour 1/2 cup of the water into a bowl and mix with yeast and sugar til foamy.

Let sit for 5 minutes until creamy.

Put the yeast mixture, rest of the water and 3 1/2 cups of the flour into the mixer with the dough hook.

Mix slowly until blended then add the rest of the flour.

Increase speed and scrape down the sides til the dough comes together.

If it doesn't add a tbsp of flour at a time til it does.) Add salt and mix at medium speed for 10 minutes (or do half in mixer and half kneading) til dough is smooth and elastic.

Back in mixer add butter 1 tbsp at a time (dough may come apart, but mixing will pull it back together).

Turn dough out on lightly floured surface and shape it into a ball then place in a large buttered or oiled bowl.

Turn dough so it is completely coated in the fat, then cover in plastic for 45 minutes to an hour, til it has doubled in size at room temperature.

Butter 2 loaf pans.

Deflate the dough, cut in half and turn out onto a lightly floured surface.

Roll out into a 9 x 12-inch rectangle.

With the short end facing you, fold the dough into thirds like a sheet of paper to go into an envelope, creating a roll.

Pinch the seam closed, and pinch the ends enough so it will fit in the loaf pan.

Drop in the loaf pan seem side down, and repeat.

Cover the loaves with buttered plastic wrap and allow to rise again in a warm place (80°F) for 45 minutes, until they double in size.

Preheat the oven to 375°F and put the rack in the center of the oven.

Bake for 35-45 minutes til they are honey brown.

Immediately turn out of pans onto a rack to cool.

Once almost completely cool, they can be cut.

Store in a brown paper bag for a day or two.

Once cut, turn cut side down onto a cutting board and cover with a kitchen towel.

Sweeten Tea

Now that the weather is getting warmer a tall glass of sweet tea is the perfect way to cool down.My husband is hooked on this sweeten tea. He goes through an entire pitcher a day!

Ingredients:
5 Luzianne Tea bags
8 cups boiling water
6 cups cold water
1 cup sugar

Instructions:
Boil water and tea bags until it it looks like the color of coca cola. Take out tea bags. Pour sugar in a pitcher and add hot tea. Stir until all the sugar dissolves then add the cold water. Fill a glass to the rim with Ice and enjoy!

Taco Salad

Since it is getting a little warm I wanted to start making light dinners. It is never fun to be stuffed and hot! My hubby wanted tacos but I surprised him with a taco salad. It is much healthier than fried tacos.

Ingredients~
chopped lettuce
Mexican blend cheese
ground beef or turkey
1 tsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
2 minced garlic cloves
1 small onion
1 lemon
jalapenos
1 c sour cream
1/2 c salsa
2 tortillas julienned

Directions~
Brown ground meat and garlic in a skillet. When meat is almost finished add chili powder,cumin, salt, and pepper. Place lettuce on plate and add cheese, meat, jalapenos, and meat.
In another skillet add a little oil and fry tortillas until golden brown. Place on top of salad.
For the dressing I mix the sour cream,salsa, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Mix well and drizzle dressing on top of salad.

Trip to the Beach

It was a warm day today so we decided to pack up the car and hang out at the beach. We went to Bethany Beach because it is Pablo friendly :) I think that since we are from Cali we are a bit naive to think you can go to the beach in April. It was soo cold! The beaches in Delaware are a lot different than Cali. It is going to take some getting used to. But all in all it was a cute little beach that later we found out has a reputation for nude retirees sunbathing in the sand :)



You are greeted at the boardwalk from this massive totem pole


Pablo wanted to prance around in the water but it was way too cold





A flood last year damaged the boardwalk and many houses


I have never seen these before in California but there were a lot washed up on the shore.


Pablo knocked out on the car ride back :)

Jakob Dylan Women + Country

My wonderful Hubby came home from work with a surprise for me. He bought me Jakob Dylan's new album Women + Country!!! *I put a sticky note on the fridge back in March as a little hint :)* I love it soo much! I have listened to Nothing But The Whole Wide World, Holy Rollers for Love and Smile When You Call Me That nonstop since he gave it to me. I loved Jakob's first solo album Seeing Things but Women + Country is even better. I can't wait to see Jakob in concert in a couple weeks!

California Dreamin' Flatbread Pizza

I have be patiently waiting for Hass California Avocados make their way east. I'm a little bit bias but I think California has the best avocados :) They are finally here! I made a California Dreamin' Flatbread Pizza that is inspired by Cobb salad. You can't get anymore Californian than a Cobb salad :)

This flat bread pizza is simple but very flavorful! And since it has chicken breast and avocado I can dubb it a healthy pizza in my mind :)





Ingredients
3 garlic cloves
3 tbs. butter
1 grilled chicken breast
4 pieces of bacon
1 Hass avocado
handful of mozzarella cheese
2 tbs. blue cheese
lemon
pizza dough

Directions~
Preheat the oven to 475 F. Roll dough as thin as possible. Let rest for a few mins. In a small pan melt butter at medium heat and saute smashed garlic cloves. Place flat bread dough in oven and cook until golden brown. Mine took about 8 minutes. Once the flat bread is finished drizzle garlic butter on top, add chicken, and cheese. Place back in oven until cheese melts. Top with bacon and avocado squeeze a little lemon juice and eat! I was planning on adding tomatoes to make it more like a Cobb salad but I didn't have any on hand :)

Nigella Lawson's Dense Chocolate Loaf Cake

I love love love Nigella Lawson!

And I am obsessed with all of her cookbooks, however, How to be a Domestic Goddess is one of my absolute favorite cookbooks.


I wanted to surprise my Hubby today so of course when I want to bake something yummy Nigella always comes to find first :) The wonderful loaf cake came out a lot better than I thought. I always like to read others comments before I use a recipe and many had problems with the batter oozing out or falling apart on them. I read and re-read the recipe to make sure I didn't forget anything and it would come out great. Be sure to line the loaf pan very well! My house smells of wonderful chocolate :) beat that Febreeze!

8 ounces salt soft unsalted butter
13 1/4 ounces dark muscovado sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 5/8 ounces best dark chocolate, melted
7 1/16 ounces plain flour
1 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda

Directions
1Preheat the oven to 375 F. Grease and line a 9 X 5 loaf tin. Cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla, beating in well.

2 Next fold in the melted and cooled chocolate, taking care to blend well but do not overbeat.

3 Gently add the flour, to which you've added the bicarb, alternately spoon by spoon, with 250 ml of boiling water until you have a smooth and fairly liquid batter.

4 Pour into the lined loaf tin and bake for 30 minutes. Turn the oven down to 325 F and cook for another 15 minutes.
5 Place the loaf tin on a rack and leave to get completely cold before turning it out.

I changed the recipe just a little. I added about a cup of dark chocolate chips in the batter and I glazed the top of the loaf because what is better than chocolate? More chocolate :)

For the chocolate glaze:
Ingredients
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon espresso

Directions

In a double boiler over hot, but not boiling water, combine chocolate chips, espresso, butter and corn syrup. Stir until chips are melted and mixture is smooth, then add vanilla.

Then spread the warm chocolate all over the loaf cake :)

Big Sur Bakery Breakfast Pizza

I picked up the Big Sur Bakery Cookbook on our honeymoon in San Francisco. I finally got the courage to make their breakfast pizza recipe. Oh My! It is super yummy! This is my new favorite cookbook!!! I strongly recommend it!

1/2 teaspoon dry active yeast
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons bread flour, plus more for dusting
Kosher salt
6 strips bacon
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
2 cups grated mozzarella
6 large eggs
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons minced chives
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 shallot, minced

The night before, prepare the dough: Place 3/4 cup lukewarm water in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Sprinkle in the yeast, stir and let sit for 5 minutes. Add the flour and 1 teaspoon of salt and mix on low for 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium and mix for 2 minutes, then increase the speed to high and mix until a smooth dough forms, about 2 minutes more. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface, divide into two equal pieces and form each half into a tight ball. Place on a large floured sheet pan, place the pan in a plastic garbage bag, tie the bag loosely and refrigerate overnight.

One to two hours before baking, place the dough in a warm spot. Adjust the oven rack to the lowest position and set a pizza stone on it. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees 30 minutes before you are ready to bake the pizza.

Preheat the oven to 450 F

Prepare the dough and toppings: Fry the bacon in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat until crisp. Cool on a paper-towel-lined plate; roughly chop.

Dip your hands and a ball of dough into the flour. On a lightly floured countertop, pat the dough into a disc with your fingertips, then drape the dough over your fists and carefully stretch it from beneath to form a 12-inch circle.

Generously dust the surface of a pizza peel or large inverted sheet pan with flour and place the stretched dough on it. Sprinkle the dough with half of the Parmesan, mozzarella and bacon. Crack 3 eggs over the top and season with salt and pepper.



Bake the pizza: Shake the pizza peel slightly to make sure the dough is not sticking. Carefully lift any sections that are sticking and sprinkle a bit more flour underneath, then slide the pizza directly onto the baking stone in one quick forward-and-back motion. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, rotating after 5 minutes. When the crust is golden, the cheese is melted and the egg yolks are cooked, use the peel to transfer the pizza to a cutting board. Sprinkle half of the parsley, chives, scallions and shallot on top. Let cool for 2 minutes, slice and serve immediately. Prepare the second pizza in the same way.

The only thing I changed about this recipe was that I left the pizza in the oven a few minutes longer because my husband hates runny yokes. I think it would also be great with avocado or jalepenos on top.


Errr I wish we were in Big Sur instead of Delaware! I guess this pizza is the closest we will be to Big Sur for a while :(

Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Cupcakes

Nothing is better than a Sprinkles Cinnamon Sugar Cupcake and an Ice Macchiato from Starbucks! The other night I was watching The Best Thing I Ever Ate on Food Network and the Coowner of Sprinkles, Candace Nelson, said the Doughnut Muffins from The Downtown Bakery and Creamery where the inspiration for her Cinnamon Sugar cupcake. I immediately jumped onto google in search for the recipe! These Doughnut Cupcakes are too good to be true! It should be illegal to combine a cupcake and a doughnut! I will be making these very often :)

Here is the recipe from Kathleen Stewart of the Downtown Bakery and Creamery in Healdsburg, California

For the muffins:

12 oz. (24 Tbs.) unsalted butter, warmed to room temperature
1-3/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 lb. 11 oz. (6 cups) all-purpose flour
1 Tbs. plus 2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1-3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1-2/3 cups milk
1/4 cup buttermilk

For dipping:
8 oz. (16 Tbs.) unsalted butter; more as needed
2 cups sugar
2 Tbs. ground cinnamon


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To make the muffins

Put a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. In a stand mixer or a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until just mixed in. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg. Combine the milk and buttermilk. With a wooden spoon, mix a quarter of the dry ingredients into the butter mixture. Then mix in a third of the milk mixture. Continue mixing in the remaining dry and wet ingredients alternately, ending with the dry. Mix until well combined and smooth, but don't overmix. Grease and flour a standard-size muffin tin. Scoop enough batter into each tin so that the top of the batter is even with the rim of the cup, about 1/2 cup. (A #16 ice-cream scoop gives you the perfect amount.) Bake the muffins until firm to the touch, 30 to 35 min.

I can't wait for Sprinkles to open in D.C this summer!!!

Red Enchiladas

This is probably my second favorite meal and I make it all the time. I miss my mom's enchiladas but mine are delicious too :)



Ingredients
12 corn tortillas
1 can Las Palmas Enchilada Sauce
2 c. Mexican blend cheese
1/2 of a small yellow onion chopped
Sour Cream and scallions

Directions~
preheat oven to 425 F
When my mom makes enchiladas she fries the tortillas until they are soft. You could do that but it adds unneeded calories. I stack the tortillas on a plate and cover with a damp towel. Then I put it into the microwave and heat for about a minute or until they are flexible. In a bowl empty contents of enchilada sauce into a bowl. In another bowl place cheese inside. get 1 tortilla at a time and submerge into enchilada sauce. Both sides of tortilla should be covered. Place tortilla on a plate. Add a little bit of cheese and roll tortilla. Repeat until all tortillas have been rolled. In a 8 X 8 pan add a little enchilada sauce to coat the bottom of the pan to prevent sticking. Squeeze all tortillas in pan, top with more enchilada sauce, onions, and cheese. Bake in oven until the cheese on the top has completely melted. Take out of oven and top with sour cream and scallions.

I can't wait to go to Mexico in November! Then we get to eat real Mexican food again and not the tex-mex junk they have in Dover.