Strawberry Summer Cake

With the weather looking spectacular this past weekend, I decided to use up some of the yummy fresh berries we bought to make a Mother's Day dessert.  I went through a few options, but kept coming back to Smitten Kitchen's Strawberry Summer Cake that looked so simple and delicious {and easy to transport}.  The cake comes together in no time {and you could really use any berry on top} and was the perfect way to celebrate the start of berry season and some really wonderful weather.  I think I'll be making this deceptively simple and delicious dessert all summer long!

Smitten Kitchen Strawberry Summer Cake

Ingredients
6 Tblsp unsalted butter at room temp, plus extra to grease pie plate
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp table salt
1 cup plus 2 Tblsp sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 lb strawberries, hulled and halved

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350.  Butter a 10 inch pie plate or 9 inch deep dish pie plate.  
2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in small bowl. In larger bowl, beat butter and 1 cup sugar until pale and fluffy with electric mixer, about 3 minutes.  Mix in egg, milk and vanilla until just combined.  Add dry mixture gradually, mixing until just smooth.
3. Pour into prepared pie plate.  Arrange strawberries, cut side down, on top of batter as closely as possible.  Sprinkle remaining 2 Tblsp sugar over berries.
4. Bake cake for 10 minutes then reduce temperature to 325 and bake until golden brown and tester comes out clean, about 60 minutes.  Cut into wedges and serve with whipped cream, if desired.  Cake can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days, if you can leave it that long :)

adapted from smitten kitchen

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Mother's Day {Socially Distanced}

It had been over 3 months since I had seen my parents in person, so for Mother's Day C and I decided to head out of town for a socially distanced Mother's Day celebration in the valley.  It felt so good to spend time around humans {even though we had to stay 6 feet-ish apart} but I think the one that had the most fun was Nina, who spent the gorgeous 80+ degree day running around the yard, sniffing all the plants, taunting the cows, and finally crashing hard in the shade.  I can't wait to finally be able to hug my loved ones again, but I feel completely refreshed for the time being after getting out of the city and celebrating my mama.  Hope you had a nice Mother's Day and got to enjoy that gorgeous weather!

ice to cool down

xoxo,
stephanie marie

The Weekend {In Pictures}

{took a drive while waiting for friday night takeout}

 {the mountain was out in full force this weekend}

 {cheers to the weekend!}

 {our favorite greek place is finally open again!}

 {impressive sidewalk art}

 {yardwork}

 {80+ degrees calls for margaritas on the roof}

 {flank steak dinner}

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Happy Mother's Day Weekend!

Happy Mother's Day Weekend to all the wonderful mama's out there, but especially my own, who is such a wonderful, kind, funny, positive lady, especially through what's been such a crazy year.  Mom, I love you and wish I could give you a big hug, but you'll have to settle for some social distanced celebrating for a little bit longer.  I can't wait until things return to somewhat normal, but in the meantime I hope everyone gets to call or see a strong and wonderful woman this weekend, just like this one above :)

Also, let's all responsibly enjoy that 80 degree weather this weekend, eh? :)

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Chicken Meatballs with Peppers & Orzo

I've had these Chicken Meatballs with Peppers & Orzo from Pinch of Yum on my Pinterest board forever so a few weeks back I decided to give them a try.  There are some changes I would make {the orzo was a bit too creamy and the tomato sauce needed a bit more....something} but it made good leftovers for the week and leaves lots of room for interpretation and experimenting!  Though my favorite meatballs still are these Chicken Parm ones {so. good}, give these a try if you're looking to switch it up!

Chicken Meatballs with Peppers & Orzo

Ingredients
1 lb ground chicken {or turkey}
1 egg
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1-2 cups sliced bell peppers
1/4 cup capers
1-14oz can plain tomato sauce
1 tsp salt
8oz uncooked orzo
1/4 cup mascarpone {or something creamy like cream cheese, goat cheese, etc}
Salt, Parmesan, parsley {or cilantro} for finishing

Instructions
1. Meatballs.  Mix chicken, egg, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, garlic powder, onion powder, and 1/2 tsp salt.  Roll into meatballs.  Heat skillet over medium high heat.  Add swizzle of olive oil, add meatballs, and cook until browned on all sides.  Remove from pan and set aside.
2. Sauce. Add peppers and garlic to same pan, plus more oil if needed.  Scrape up all browned bits off bottom and saute for 5-10 minutes.
3. Add meatballs back to pan.  Stir in tomato sauce and capers.  Bring to low simmer and let sit.
4. Orzo. Cook orzo according to package directions.  Drain and toss with mascarpone.  Season with salt, Parmesan, and parsley.
5. To serve, combine meatballs, sauce, and orzo.  Top with more Parmesan if desired.

Serves 4

adapted from pinch of yum

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Joyful Musings

As I've officially surpassed the two month mark of working from home as of yesterday, it's easy to feel down and frustrated and anxious and everything in between.  But there are some positives to note and things to be happy about during these uneasy times, so I thought I'd share a few things I'm grateful for in this crazy world in hopes that they will help you look on the bright side as well :)

1. Connecting with friends and family {whether it's on Zoom, Facetime, or on the ol' telephone, this time is really making people reach out and connect and that may be the best thing to come out of this whole mess}
2. Lilac season!
3. A job I can do remotely
4. Cocktail hour
5. Warm spring days and a blooming garden {see above}
6. Cozy sweatpants {when will I ever wear real clothes again?}
7. Online workouts {with wine bottles as weights}
8. Daily meditation
9. A large collection of cookbooks that are really pulling their weight these days
10. Living in a state that is listening to and guided by science!
11. Online grocery orders
12. A wonderful partner who lives only 5 minutes away and tolerates my crazy moods and assures me it's all going to be ok :)

What bits of joy are you finding these days?

xoxo,
stephanie marie

Cobb Salad with Honey Mustard Ranch Dressing

I'm really digging into my cookbooks since we're home forever for awhile, and one that I've really been into lately is Chrissy Teigen's Cravings.  I found myself with a lot of veggies after a grocery run a few weeks ago {along with some leftover buttermilk} so decided to make a version of her Cobb Salad with Honey Mustard Ranch Dressing.  I didn't follow the recipe exactly {corn and hard boiled eggs seemed unnecessary} but I did add a few extra veggies I had lying around and the recipe made delicious leftovers for several days.  The chicken had a lovely seasoning and was perfectly cooked, but the best part about this was the delicious and flavorful dressing.  If you went a little crazy at the grocery store lately and need to use up some veggies, I'd highly recommend whipping this up as the temps get warmer - you won't regret it!

Cobb Salad with Honey Mustard Ranch Dressing

Ingredients

For Chicken
Olive Oil
1 1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

For Dressing
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 Tblsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp honey
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp paprika
Pinch cayenne pepper
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

For Salad
Iceberg, romaine, or green leaf lettuce
Cherry tomatoes
Avocado
Bacon, chopped
Hard boiled Eggs, chopped
Other cheese or veggies you find in your fridge {carrots, green onions, radishes, feta, etc}

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350.  Line baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with oil.
2. In small bowl, combine 1 Tblsp olive oil, paprika, salt, cumin, thyme, black pepper, and cayenne.  Rub mixture all over chicken {both sides}.  Place on baking sheet and bake until cooked through and juicy, about 20-25 minutes {depending on size}.  Transfer chicken to plate and cut into small pieces once cooled.
3. In small bowl, stir together all dressing ingredients.  Refrigerate until ready to use.  Leftovers will keep sealed in fridge about a week.
4. Assemble salad.  Arrange lettuce in bowl, top with favorite veggies, cheese, bacon, egg, and chicken.  Drizzle dressing over salad.  Enjoy!

Serves 4

adapted from cravings

xoxo,
stephanie marie