What She Cooked: Apricot Oatmeal Bars

18 May, 201417 July, 2014 oursweetsomewhereLeave a comment

Okay, obviously there is a theme on my mind. I am missing my Mama’s cookin’ something fierce! Here is yet another recipe that I can thank my Mom for.

Apricot Oatmeal Bars ! (nomnomnom)

Doesn’t my mother have beautiful handwriting? I am creating a bucket list and on there is to take a calligraphy class so my handwriting can be half as good as hers. She is left-handed and writes basically sideways and it always turns out looking so elegant. I even had her address my wedding invitation! Anyway, back to the task at hand, baking!

Ingredients for Crumb
1 1/4 Cup flour
1 1/4 Cup old fashion oats
1/2 Cup sugar
3/4 Cup melted butter
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon vanilla

Ingredients for filling
1 jar (10 oz) apricot preserves
1/2 Cup walnuts or coconut

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. mix crumb mixture together and press down half into a greased 8×8 baking dish. In a separate bowl mix filling ingredients and spread over top the crust. Evenly distribute the remaining half onto the top and bake for 22 to 27 minutes.
Be sure to let your apricot oatmeal bars cool completely before you cut into them or they will be very messy (I have learned the hard way too many times. Patience is a vertue!)

Watch out, these are surprisingly addictive! Enjoy!

xoxo,

Kate

What She Cooked: Springtime Lemon Bars

21 April, 201417 July, 2014 oursweetsomewhereLeave a comment

For me, springtime and lemon bars go hand in hand. Like the homemade applesauce and risotto this recipe is one my mama made over and over growing up. I am sure Jamie can remember these yummy bite sized bars too. They are the perfect blend of sweet to the lemon-y tartness.

The recipe is actually this Land O’ Lakes recipe. My mom always says if you’re not sure what to do with an ingredient, try the recipe on the box/bag/container etc. The company is always going to highlight their product the best way possible and those recipes are usually successful. This one was on a box years ago and the rest of the family was hooked!  Just follow the recipe and directions above (or here).

These springtime lemon bars are such an easy dessert and a huge crowd pleaser. I am sure you will fall in love.

xoxo,

Kate

After the Easter eggs. Now what?

19 April, 201417 July, 2014 oursweetsomewhereLeave a comment

Okay, Easter is over and we each have almost two-dozen {beautiful} hardboiled eggs in our fridges. Now what? How about making some yummy food? Here are two ideas for you:

What Kate Made:

This dish is so simple and full of flavor! It makes the perfect lunch with a little lettuce and pita bread!

Ingredients:
1 dozen hard-boiled eggs
1/2 Cup mayonnaise
2 shallots
2 teaspoons of curry powder
salt and pepper to taste

Roughly chop the peeled hardboiled eggs and dice the shallots. Add everything to a large bowl and stir. That’s it! I ate my curried egg salad for lunch today with some veggie sticks, homemade hummus, and strawberries. Most likely I will be having the same thing again tomorrow (I don’t mind either!).

What Jamie Made:

A simple salad paired with a tasty dressing is another dish that you can make with those festive, leftover Easter eggs! I chose to turn my favorite sandwich (a BLT) into a salad, but with eggs of course, and also made a mustard vinaigrette very similar to this recipe.

Salad Ingredients:
1 dozen hard-boiled eggs, diced or sliced
1/2 red onion thinly sliced
1 cup of cherry tomatoes, halved
1 bag of spinach, 10 oz
5 strips of bacon (cooked and crumbled)
1 3/4 cup of all natural Italian croutons

Since your eggs have already been boiled and chilled, there’s really not a lot of prep time to this dish (other than having to bake the bacon and make the dressing). Bake your bacon at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes or until crispy. Once you’ve finished preparing this and mustard vinaigrette, simply toss all of your ingredients (but omit the dressing) into one large bowl and mix. If you’re preparing this salad for a large group, you can add the dressing to the bowl before mixing. But, if you have leftovers that can be use throughout the week, store the dressing separately so that your veggies keep from becoming soggy!

What are you planning on doing with those leftover Easter eggs?

xoxo,

Jamie & Kate

What She Cooked: Baked Bacon + Egg Breakfast Cups

15 April, 201417 July, 2014 oursweetsomewhereLeave a comment

Breakfast is definitely my most favorite meal of the day! Waking up early, however, is not. These baked breakfast cups give me just enough time in the morning to make while being able to squeeze in a few more precious zZz’s and enjoy a hearty meal on-the-go!

What you’ll need:

6-12 eggs

6-12 pieces of low sodium bacon or turkey bacon

1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

2 scallions, chopped

Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. While that’s warming up, lightly cook your bacon in a frying pan for about 3 minutes on each side. Remove from skillet and dry off any excess oil with a paper towel.

Evenly spray your muffin pan with cooking spray. From here on, line the inside of each muffin cup with a piece of bacon by forming a circle.

Next, crack one egg into each muffin cup and sprinkle with some freshly ground black pepper and grated Parmesan cheese. Place the muffin pan into the oven and bake for about 10-15 minutes.

Remove the baked cups from the oven, sprinkle the tops with chopped scallions and serve immediately.

Plan ahead and make a dozen of these for your work week! Once they’re done baking, allow them to cool then freeze these little guys into an air tight zip-lock bag and just reheat them by placing them in the microwave for 15 to 30 seconds! Also, have a little fun with these breakfast cups by switching up the ingredients each time! Spinach, tomatoes and feta cheese is a batch I plan on making next!

xoxo,

Jamie

Banana Brownies

14 April, 201417 July, 2014 oursweetsomewhereLeave a comment

I had out-of-town guests visit this past week. We went to the Columbus Zoo, the Short North, and ended the week down in my college town, Athens. It was such a fun time and I loved seeing friends I had not seen in almost a year. Unfortunately, during the whirlwind of a week the bananas sitting on my counter got forgotten.

I’ve made the best of it though! Usually, when I forget about or can’t keep up with my browning bananas I make banana bread or muffins. Feeling decadent, though, I decided on banana brownies for these ripe guys. This recipe is moist, fudgy, and just the right balance of banana to chocolate. Really, it is wonderful.

Ingredients:
 4 oz bakers semi-sweet chocolate
 1 stick of butter
 3-4 over ripe bananas 
1 cup sugar 
1 teaspoon vanilla
 1 cup flour 
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Start by melting your chocolate and butter in a small sauce pan on the stove. Once melted, set aside to cool. Mash your bananas in your mixer then add your vanilla and sugar and combine. Slowly mix in the flour and baking powder. Be sure not to over mix this part! (I set my mixer timer to 10 seconds and that was enough).  Once the chocolate and butter have cooled down, mix into the batter. Pour the batter into an 8×8 baking dish and bake for about 30-35 minutes. Let your banana brownies cool before slicing in (Only if you have will power. I did not.)
 We went out to dinner last night with my in-laws and only had a chance to try one small piece before we left. Therefore, the picture you are seeing is my breakfast. A banana brownie with a cup of coffee. I highly recommend this combo, it is quite delish!