SK week 22 | Strawberry-Rhubarb Crumble

Do you have rhubarb taking over your life? Or, like me, do you have a neighbor who has rhubarb taking over her life and she is kind enough to let you take some off her hands? ;) Rhubarb is in season right now (and, spoiler alert, it can be in season ALL SUMMER LONG if you keep up with it! Just keep picking it and it will keep growing!) and it is so delicious with strawberries. I wanted to use rhubarb in something this week because I keep watching it grow and grow and grow out my kitchen window, so I searched rhubarb on Smitten Kitchen's site and found lots of possibilities. I decided to go with this crumble and we had it for dessert with our big crew on Tuesday night. :)

(Here's the Smitten Kitchen post)

You'll need:
(topping):
1 1/3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons turbinado sugar (bonus--now I have it for when I make those muffins again!)
zest of one lemon
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
(filling):
1 1/2 cups rhubarb, chopped
1 quart strawberries, quartered
juice of one lemon
1/2 cup sugar
3-4 tablespoons cornstarch
pinch of salt

(Note: I doubled everything and made two because I was making it for a crowd)

Turn your oven on to 375 degrees. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugars, and lemon zest. Add the melted butter and mix until clumps form.

Like this. :) Refrigerate until needed.

Toss rhubarb, strawberries, lemon juice, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a deep dish pie plate (I used one square baking dish and one bigger casserole dish. Both worked fine).

Cover the fruit mixture evenly with the topping. Bake at 375 for 40-50 minutes.

Of course we all dove in before I could get a good picture, but it will be all golden on top and bubbly underneath.

And your second serving might look something like this. ;)

Final verdict: I think everyone enjoyed it! Hence the second servings. ;) It was really good--I'm used to a crisp having oats in the topping, so this was different but I liked it. And it was so quick and easy. I actually did everything through assembly and stuck them in the fridge until I was ready to bake.

So go hunt some rhubarb (or hit up a farmers market this weekend) and make this. :)

SK week 21 | Chicken Gyro Salad

It might be starting to warm up finally. Maybe. I may have still needed the furnace this week. Maybe. But summer is awesome for salads, and I'm always excited for a new one, so I couldn't wait until *actual* summer to make this. :)

(Here's the Smitten Kitchen post)

For the chicken marinade you'll need:
1 tablespoon olive oil
zest and juice of one lemon
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon hot smoked paprika (I didn't have this so I skipped it)
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
black pepper
chicken (she calls for 10 thighs--I used three breasts because that's what I had in the freezer)

Mix all the marinade ingredients well.

Pour into a ziplock bag with the chicken and massage. Marinate for at least a couple hours or overnight.

For the tzatziki you'll need:
2 cups plain greek yogurt
1 seedless cucumber
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh dill, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Grate the cucumber onto a clean dish towel, then squeeze the excess liquid out.

Mix all of the sauce ingredients well. Refrigerate until ready to use.

So I ended up using a GF wrap for this instead of eating it as a salad. To assemble, you'll need your sliced chicken, the tzatziki, romaine lettuce, cucumbers, and tomatoes (we're not raw onion fans, but if you are, then by all means, add some red onion as well).

Wrap it up or pile it up in a salad and enjoy!

Final verdict: SO delicious. This was a winner and it will for sure be in our regular summer meal rotation!

SK week 20 | Perfect Blueberry Muffins

Last weekend, I was lying in bed and scrolling through Instagram (like you do), and Smitten Kitchen had posted a story about her kids making her recipe for blueberry muffins and she linked to it. I clicked quick, saw that we had *almost* all of the ingredients, and got out of bed to make them. :)

(Here's the Smitten Kitchen post)

You'll need:
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar
zest from half a lemon
3/4 cup plain yogurt or sour cream
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)
3 tablespoons turbinado sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Melt the butter, and whisk in the sugar, lemon zest, sour cream, and egg.

Add the baking powder, baking soda, and salt and whisk.

Sprinkle the flour and blueberries on top of the wet mixture.

Fold the blueberries and flour into the wet ingredients.

Portion into as many muffin cups as you can. She made 9--I got 11. But a couple could have been a little bigger.

***Sprinkle with the turbinado sugar (1 teaspoon per muffin). This is the one ingredient I didn't have. I sprinkled a little white sugar, but I may as well have skipped it--you couldn't tell once they baked.

Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes before moving to a cooling rack.

And enjoy!

Final verdict: They were fine. They definitely fit the "hmm, I feel like baking something this morning" bill, which is what I was looking for that morning. I don't know that I'd make them again. They were definitely the best the first day. And the turbinado sugar would make an awesome crunchy top!

Summer of...what now?

[I've talked about summer before (and specifically summer of FUN) here and here.]

It's currently 76 degrees, we had burgers on the grill for dinner, and I'm pretty sure my neck got a little sunburned today, so it feels like as good a time as any to talk about summer. Because, as Leah just reminded me, there are only FIFTEEN days of school left! :)

Starting in 2016, I combined two ideas I had seen people post (one to embrace the joy of the daily stuff all summer, and one to post a photo a day during the summer), and I used #SummerOfFun to chronicle our summer. (I was hoping to fit the word "summer" into that last sentence one more time, but I couldn't do it). It's super fun to look back at those photos, and I don't regret the three summers of daily hash-tagged photos one bit.

However.

This past year I've learned a lot about myself. Toward the end of last summer, I discovered the Enneagram, which is a personality typing system (but really so much more). I learned that I am an Enneagram 5 (called the Observer or Investigator). Fives are often introverted, love to read and research, are internal processors, and can be pretty minimalistic. It's been a hoot reading about fives and what motivates us, as well as where we struggle. (I am doing the Enneagram a huge disservice, so if you're completely unfamiliar with the tool, I highly recommend finding a book like The Road Back to You, checking out the podcast Typology, or even looking up an Instagram account like @yourenneagramcoach).

One of the things about each of the nine types is that they tend to move toward another of the nine types in either stress or growth. As a five, I move to a type seven in stress and a type eight in growth. Type eight is the Challenger. They are leaders, can come across as blunt or aggressive, and are good decision makers. What it looks like for a more reserved five to move to an eight in health is that I might speak up for myself more or be able to put words to something more effectively. Type seven is the Enthusiast. They are always up for an adventure, are eternal optimists, and love to have fun. But the thing about sevens is that they are often filling their lives with fun, exciting things so that they don't have to deal with pain or stress or anything UNfun. So, what does it look like for a me, a five, to move toward type seven in stress?






Wait for it.....






#SummerOfFun.

Well, crap. It was such a lightbulb moment when I discovered this little tidbit of information. Basically, the thought of having three kids around all the time all summer is daunting. (The "deadly sin" of fives is "avarice" or greed, but not for possessions--we're greedy for our own space and time, and with three kids, having space and time to myself doesn't happen unless I'm intentional about it). Then I look at my summer schedule and see how it's already filling up, which stresses me out. But instead of saying "Hey, let's build in some space so I don't go crazy," I say, "Hey, let's do even more fun things, ALL THE FUN THINGS, and REALLY make summer awesome, because if we just KEEP DOING ALL THE FUN THINGS, then I won't have time to feel STRESSED!" And really, that hasn't been my intention for the last three summers. But knowing more about my tendencies now, I can see more clearly in hindsight just where I may have strayed.

And guess what? Our summer will still be busy. Jackson is playing lacrosse, Leah is playing soccer (which Dan coaches), and Will is also starting soccer and taking swimming lessons. We'll still go on vacation, Leah will go to horse camp, and we'll frequent the swimming pond.

But I also need to schedule in time for introverted me to recharge amid the busy schedules. Because guess what happens when I don't? By the beginning of August, I am VERY READY FOR EVERYONE TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. And I don't want to feel like that.

So, for 2019, no more daily photos and no more #SummerOfFun. :) Of course we'll still HAVE fun and I'll still post PLENTY, I'm sure. But I'm also looking out for the sanity of our household, namely the one who runs it. And she maybe can't handle all that. ;)

So however you're going into summer, don't forget to look at the whole picture. Have fun do the exciting things, but also take a dang break!

SK week 19 | Classic Cobb Salad

I love cobb salad, and the "recipe" isn't much more complicated than arranging things on top of lettuce. ;) But I was excited to try the dressing recipe.

(Here's the Smitten Kitchen post)

For the dressing you'll need:
3/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon worcestershire (I skipped this because I didn't have any)
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 clove garlic
salt and pepper to taste

Throw all of the dressing ingredients in a blender and blend blend blend.

Set aside. It's a super pretty color. :)

For the salad you'll need:
1/2 head iceberg lettuce, shredded
1-2 romaine hearts, shredded
1/2 bunch watercress (I skipped this too)
2 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
6 strips cooked bacon, chopped
3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped (I used a handful of grape tomatoes)
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cooked and chopped
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and chopped
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons chives, minced (I skipped these, more because I forgot about them than because I didn't want them)

I tossed the lettuces with the dressing, and then arranged the rest of the things on top. Pretty!

Final verdict: It was really good! The dressing was super light--almost too light for any other salad where you actually want to taste the dressing. But I think it was perfect for this salad because there are so many other flavors going on with everything on top. But I probably wouldn't make it for anything else.

Happy Friday! :)

SK week 18 | Dark Chocolate Coconut Macaroons

I originally had something else planned for this week, but allergies and a super busy schedule have had me down for the count. So an easy cookie recipe will suffice. :)

(Here is the Smitten Kitchen post)

You'll need:
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
14 ounces sweetened coconut flakes
2/3 cup sugar
6 tablespoons cocoa powder
3 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Turn your oven on to 325 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Melt half of the chocolate in a small saucepan until just melted. Turn off the heat and stir in the remaining chocolate until it's all melted. Set aside.

Dump the coconut into a food processor. Process for one minute.

Add the sugar and cocoa powder and process for another minute.

Add the egg whites, salt, and vanilla. Process until combined.

Add the melted chocolate and process until smooth.

This is what you'll have. :)

Use a scoop and place the dough on the lined sheets.

Bake for 15 minutes.

Dust with powdered sugar when they've cooled a bit.

Enjoy! Aren't they adorable?

Final verdict: Delicious and so easy! We all loved them. I only got about 2 1/2 dozen cookies with the scoop size that I have. Deb got 4 dozen. But I think anything smaller than these would be practically bite-sized. I loved that all the mixing was in the food processor. Will definitely make these again!