Back in February, when it was cold and bleak, I received an e-mail from my mom with this link attached. It was the website of a company called Outstanding in the Field, a group of chefs and organizers who spend the months of May through October traveling around the country in a bus, setting up large farm-to-table dinners in fields, on beaches, and barns. Immediately, I was drawn in by the pictures of beautiful, simple tables and the idea of … Read More
Peanut Butter Brown Sugar Oatmeal
Oatmeal. I know, it’s really not the most exciting thing to blog, let alone photograph. But seeing as that this blog is birthed in my kitchen and is inspired by my favorite recipes, it only made sense. When J. and I started dating, I secretly hoped there would be something I made for him that he loved, asked for me to make time and time again, something that I made better than anyone else. Little did I know it would … Read More
Almond Macarons with Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Throughout my years as a student I spent a good deal of time studying Spanish, going on to minor in the language during my time at Iowa State. Anyone who studies a foreign language for any length of time will find that foreign language instructors love to watch movies, and in my case, study poetry as well. And while initially I griped and moaned about having to study the arts in another language, eventually I grew to appreciate and love … Read More
Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies
I’ve been a real-life, full-time working girl for three whole days now and boy is it tiring! Tiring in the best sort of way, in the my-brain-is-exploding-with-new-information sort of way. Yet despite thinking about food all day at work, I still somehow find myself baking and cooking at the end of the day to decompress and relax. This morning I woke up to a sky full of rain, I have a new Netflix movie coming my way this afternoon, a … Read More
Caramelized Onion, Spinach, and Shiitake Mushroom Pasta
I love weekends. I eat them up, every second of them. And though I can’t say this is anything new, being in a long distance relationship has most certainly caused my weekend love to grow. Last weekend I ventured out to Illinois on a mission to spruce up J.’s apartment and make it feel a little bit more like home before he started life as a working man. For someone who loves to take photos of food, I do a … Read More
Greek Cous Cous Salad
J. has an aunt, a really awesome aunt to be exact, with four of the cutest kids I’ve ever seen. Last week, while spending some time with J.’s extended family, I had a chance to talk with her about food, nutrition, life, you name it. During this time, one thing was very evident; raising and caring for four children is a lot of work and takes a good chunk of time when done well. But what really blew me away … Read More
Braided Pretzel Loaf
Do you ever have those times where life just doesn’t seem to slow down and let you catch your breath? I am majorly having one of those moments right now, as evidenced by my lack of regular posting. But despite being torn in many different directions, the emotion that has most frequently filled my heart is not anxiety, it’s gratitude. For friends, family and an amazing boyfriend, love and support, change and new opportunities. For a new job! Recently my … Read More
Bluberry Galette
Whew! I feel as if I’ve been out of touch with the outside world for months when it’s only been a week. I’ve been spending time with family and friends and celebrating a milestone birthday for my dad. And now the list of blogs I have to catch up on reading is a mile long, the laundry is piling up as I write this post, and I don’t even want to think about the state of my eyebrows. I’m not … Read More
White Chocolate Dipped Nutella Cookie Dough Bites
Originally I planned to post these on Friday in preparation for 4th of July. But then I made these brownies and got so excited about them that I lost my mind, got distracted, and in a sugar-induced haze I posted brownies instead. Not to worry, these White Chocolate Dipped Nutella Cookie Dough Bites (yes, you heard that right) taste good any time of the year. If you’re at all like me, you probably don’t need to read the rest of … Read More
Super Fudgy Brownies
Let’s talk about brownies, shall we? When I first made these brownies, I was doubting the recipe the entire time. “There isn’t enough flour!” I kept thinking. But since the recipe comes from the baking great, David Lebovitz, I figured it was worth seeing the recipe out as directed. I might have even audibly coaxed myself onward with a “It’s David-freaking-Lebovitz, Madison! He knows baking!”Call me crazy, but my pep talk worked, and I continued. The head notes of the … Read More