Brunch. The best thing between Breafast and Lunch

So I love everything about Brunch.  The fact that it's later in the morning than regular breakfast means you can sleep in.  The fact that it's in between breakfast and lunch means that it can be a bigger meal, but still be breakfast foods.  And, the thing about brunch is that it is usually shared with friends.  How can you beat all of that? 

These past few weeks I have been making a whole lot of brunches it feels like, and they have been spectacular :)  There is just something awesome about having such a good and beautiful meal and not having to pay the check after it's all said and done.  All you have to do is load the dishwasher.  Here is a picture of one of my brunches with a friend on our balcony.  I almost felt like we were at some French cafe.  It was just a simple breakfast of scrambled eggs with basil and cheese, toast, strawberries, oranges and watermelon balls, and of course some whipped cream and cinnamon to adorn the coffee with utter fluffy perfection.  It completely matters how a meal is presented, because just a few extra minutes turn a (oh i just threw it on a plate and while it tastes good-it doesn't look anything special- to an amazing, beautiful meal with a friend on your balcony.) 

One of my good friends got married this last weekend, and everything about it was absolutely beautiful.  I hope they are having a wonderful time in Jamaica!  The day before the wedding I made brunch for the bride and some of her bridesmaids.  She requested something "light and easy."  Well, as some of you may be thinking.... "cereal is easy.  pop-tarts are easy."  When  you have something as special as a wedding happening, having a special meal just adds to the whole experience and memory of the weekend as being a little bit more special.  So, while this meal really didn't take more than about an hour and a half to prepare for 8 girls, it was completely worth it.  I made 3 things, and will explain each of them here.  These are 3 things you can make easily too!  And they all tasted and looked fabulous.   

Green eggs and ham- Rachael Ray (picture by Meredith Miller)

 

The first picture you see here is of "Green eggs and ham" by Rachael Ray.    You can find the recipe here:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/green-eggs-and-ham-recipe/index.html 
I followed it exactly, except I added About 5-6 medium sized leaves of fresh basil (chopped finely)  and some Parmesan cheese and added them both in with the spinach mixture.  These may look difficult, but they really were very easy and SO good!  I could eat these everyday.  Really what you do is when line the muffin pan with ham slices and then fill it with a spinach/cheese/green onion mixture and crack an egg on top and bake it.  So as it bakes the ham keeps it's form and comes out as these cute little ham/egg bowls. 

Yogurt parfait  (picture by Meredith Miller)

I really wanted something light at this meal. Something refreshing. And when I think of light- I think of citrus.  Lemon, limes, oranges, they just make "refreshing" part of your day.  And did you know that the oils in citrus wake you up and help you focus?  Just one more reason to eat them in the morning.  Many of you probably like yogurt.  I love it.  I periodically add fresh berries to mine if I have them on hand, and sometimes some nuts and/or granola.  But when you layer berries and yogurt-you have yourself a parfait!  For this one, I chose Yoplait's whipped lemon yogurt (which is fluffy and fantastic) and layered it with raspberries, blueberries, blackberries and sliced strawberries.  I then topped it off with whipped cream and some sliced almonds and cinnamon.  Talk about delicious. 

WHIPPED CREAM SIDE NOTE:  As you noticed I said "whipped cream," and not cool whip.  That is because 99% of the time I use real whipped cream.  Most of the time I make it myself.  How do you do this? You may ask.  Well, you go to the dairy section in the grocery store by the milk and look for a little carton that says "heavy (or light) whipping cream."  Grab that and you are good to go.  You can add in a variety of things to it, but all you have to do is pour the whipping cream in a bowl and beat it with a hand mixer until it is thick (like whipped cream).  I usually add in a 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla and either some powdered sugar, brown sugar, honey or stevia until it is sweet as you like it.  Just start off with a little bit and add more as you think you need it.  If you are adding whipped cream to some very sweet thing, you may not need to make it quite so sweet.  You can also add in a little bit of cinnamon, or instant coffee to make coffee whipped cream (which is out of this world).  The only thing about real whipped cream is that although it tastes 100 times better than cool whip (and is healthier), it doesn't keep as long and it doesn't hold it's shape as well.  Once you make it, I suggest using it in the next few hours and keeping it in the fridge while you wait.  Once it gets warm or sits in the fridge for a few days it starts getting soupy.  It still tastes as good but looses its fluffiness.

Mini Cinnamon rolls- picture by Meredith Miller

The last thing I made for the brunch was mini cinnamon rolls.  I saw these someplace (and I apologize to whoever created them because I don't remember where I saw them to give you credit.  But it was a great idea!)  If you have ever made cinnamon rolls from scratch (like making the dough and everything), you know that the result is well worth it, but it's not something you can do if you are in a rush.  These take about 25-30 minutes total (baking time and everything). 

You will need:
1 can of biscuit dough with 10 biscuits (makes about 50 tiny cinnamon rolls-each person will eat several)
1/2 stick of softened butter
Brown sugar
Cinnamon
Cream cheese frosting

Take a can of biscuit dough and roll them out flat. Spread a thin layer of butter on the dough (but don't go to the very edge, otherwise it won't stick to itself when you roll it up), and then sprinkle cinnamon and brown sugar.  Then roll them up and slice them so they look like tiny cinnamon rolls (about the size of a quarter).  Place them on a baking sheet (lined with parchment paper or foil so they don't stick) at 375 degrees and cook for about 10-15 min.  Until they are slightly golden on top.  Once they have cooled for a minute, take them off and pile them on a plate.  Heat up the frosting in the microwave for about 15-20 seconds until pourable.  Take a spoon and drizzle the frosting over the whole plate of them and eat them when they are still hot!

I hope you have many great brunches in the years to come, with great food and great friends to share it with!

There's something about the stars tonight

"When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
⁴ what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
human beings that you care for them?"
-Psalm 8:3-4

They light the night sky. They are so far away, and to us only seem like pin pricks of light, but there is just something about them that causes me to stare in awe and wonder every night I see them. There are few things I enjoy more than being in the country or up in the mountains where I can really see the stars well. I will never get tired of looking at their beauty for as long as I live.

I painted this about 3 years ago, but every time I see it, I am reminded of what inspired me to put it down on canvas. On the clearest of summer nights in the countryside of Virginia I walked outside and looked up at the vast array of stars God had placed in the sky-just because he could and he wanted to. The field in front of me was glowing intermittently with the thousands of tiny lighting bugs, the forest beyond that-pitch black for absence of man-made lights while the sky above was breathtaking. I stood there alone, but not. I knew God was with me and he was speaking to me about his character through his creation. He created these stars,so far away, so huge, just to proclaim his power to us. And in that moment I knew-that if God could create things like the sky and stars-things that we will never fully understand, that he could do ANYTHING in my life. I am just a small part of this world and his plan. The way I portrayed this in the painting is that God can look down on me (or anyone) and see our lives how we see them, but he can also see the rest of the world and the universe just as well as he sees our own individual lives.

A favorite:
"Do everything without grumbling or arguing, ¹⁵ so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky ¹⁶ as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain." Philippians 2:14-16

Garnishes... the quick way

So... if you are fixing dinner, or any other food for that matter and think to yourself- "hmmm... this just seems to look a little plain. It's missing something but I can't think of what..." Then that is the time to go outside and look. My favorite things to garnish with are things that God created himself- flowers, herbs, fruits, etc... If there are flowers growing outside (I'm not telling you to steal your neighbors) go pick one and you just garnished your first dish! Here is a picture of some hummus we made with spices, parsley and a flower that was growing outside our house, and a cake with mini chocolate chips, fresh mint and a flower. Garnishing doesn't have to be hard, but it makes such a big difference! Just keep it simple and look for colors that go well with the food. Happy garnishing!

"Anyone can cook"

For those of you who have seen Ratatouille (the Disney movie with the rat that is a chef in France) you know that Remy the rat's line is "Anyone can cook." This I really believe is true. Like anything in life, some people just have a natural gift for it, but anyone who has the desire to do it, CAN. My mom says "if you can read and follow directions, you can cook." and my saying "nothing is hard, somethings just take longer." It is important to start out with a good recipe, and if you are a beginner cook it is helpful to start out with a easier recipes first because then you are less prone to become discouraged. One of my favorite cookbooks in the world is "How to Boil Water" -by the Food Network. Here is a link for it on Amazon.com- it's $15 for a new one.

http://www.amazon.com/Boil-Water-Food-Network-Kitchens/dp/0696226863/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1308261100&sr=8-1

The reason why I love this book so much, is because it tells you little tips and tricks that are helpful to know, even if you don't have someone in person there to teach them to you. It goes over how to cut vegetables, fruits and herbs (especially the more tricky ones), what basics you should stock your pantry with and have on hand all the time (like spices, eggs, milk, etc...) and also what utensils and pans you should have. This way-if you have a well stocked kitchen (don't worry it doesn't go over board, just gives you the basics) then cooking becomes much easier and more enjoyable. If you have any questions about this book-feel free to ask! Everything I've made from it has turned out great and is not difficult to make.

Now... you may be asking what this delicious dish is that I'm holding? This is my version of Ratatouille. I looked at several recipes online and changed them a little bit into something that I would like... well lets make that LOVE. It turned out awesome and is so simple!

You will need:

Yellow Squash
Zucchini
Eggplant (if you like- I didn't think I liked eggplant, but it turned out great)
Olive oil
Spaghetti Sauce (we used something not too chunky, but probably any kind would work)
Italian Spices (you'll find them in the spice section- it's premixed & delicious on anything Italian)
Parmesan cheese

In a round pie pan spread a layer (maybe 1/2 inch) of sauce. Thinly slice the squashes (try to get them as even as possible, and very thin). Layer them however you'd like (you can see we alternated them and put them around just the edge but you can fill the whole pan if you like). Drizzle a little bit of olive oil over top of the squashes and sprinkle Italian seasoning on the whole thing. Then throw on some Parmesan cheese, and you are good to go! (you can make a zucchini Mickey if you want too :) Now bake it at 350 for 15 min and check it. Every oven is different, but you want the squashes slightly soft, the cheese browned and sauce kind of bubbly. If you cook it too much the squashes will become soggy and not too good. This is an absolutely delicious dish and great if you want something spaghetti-ish but without the carbs, or just as a side to some other entree.

Random yumminess

http://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/pizza-biscuit-wreath/5c1b1c8a-3006-46d3-a3e6-fb5e30a7d845/

My friend Jenny introduced me to these amazing pizza bites at a party a few weeks ago. This picture is when I made them this weekend and they were just as good the second time! I followed the recipe exactly, layering pepperoni-cheese slice-pepperoni-cheese slice-pepperoni inside the roll. If I had some fresh herbs I would've placed them around it on a nicer platter too, but if you need an easy, fast, delicious party food-these are perfect! I also put about a teaspoon of pizza sauce inside each one to help it not be dry, and it worked well. Just be careful that some of it doesn't squeeze out the sides of the dough! Enjoy!


http://www.jadekitchen.com/index.html
So, last night to celebrate a huge accomplishment, my boyfriend took me out to this place. I had walked by it one day, and the owner was outside and she told my friend and I about it. It is gourmet food, but from all around the world in one restaurant! On the same menu you might find food from France, Italy, Japan, America and India, and everything we had was fantastic! My boyfriend got the fried calf brain, and we were both pleasantly surprised at how awesome it was! Maybe we got a little bit smarter too :) Lunch runs about $10-$12 and dinner about $20-$30, but if you feel like splurging a little bit, I completely recommend it!

http://www.relishburger.com/
On our way out the door of Jade, we stopped in Relish- another unique restaurant on the same road. We grabbed a Bananas Foster milkshake which made our taste buds smile. Sometime we will have to return for a burger- but not only can you get beef or veggie burgers but lobster, shrimp, buffalo, wild boar, mahi mahi and the list goes on. The sweet thing about this place is whether you get a burger, salad or milkshake you have so many options of what you want to put in it/on it! And if you are craving s'mores on a rainy day, you can camp out here, because they have table top make your own s'mores!

Thing to remember for today: "Be kinder than necessary to everyone you meet, for Everyone is fighting their own kind of battle."

Why I love to cook...

When exactly did I fall in love with cooking? Well, I'm not exactly sure, because I think it was before I can even remember. A friend I've known since I was born said that her first memory of us together was as 3-year olds, sitting in front of the oven window watching our M&M cookies transform before our eyes into a delectable treat. Some of my first memories are cooking with my brothers and mom, and all growing up I have just grown to love it more. There is just something about creating a tasty, creative, beautiful thing that brings a smile to someone's face. You can show someone you care about them by bringing them dinner or a plate of cookies or throwing a bridal shower for a best friend. The Food Network has really inspired me over the past few years, especially in the areas of creativity and presentation, and it brings me great joy.

On this blog, I'm going to share with you things that I find, do, experience and create that mean something to me. Yes, a lot of it will be about food, because that is one of my passions. But it is also my goal to share with you about ideas of how to make things healthier too without sacrificing taste. There are so many things out there that are healthy, but don't really taste all that great, but then again--there are MANY things that are both nutritious AND delicious, and I will do my best to pass them along. :) I hope you enjoy reading, and if you have any questions about anything, feel free to ask!

Remember- as said on Ratatouille- "ANYONE can cook!" and I heartily believe that... Or, as my mom says "if you can read and follow directions, you can cook." So if you've burnt a few things in the past, or some things (even many things) didn't turn out so great, don't give up! It takes both a good recipe and a little bit of practice, and you will be great.