the bridal shower recipes

I'm going to try to break down how I set up the menu and include the recipes I used.  I made the whole menu vegetarian so the bride could try everything.  Three of the recipes I'd never made before, but everything turned out perfectly and was soooo good.  We did not miss the meat one bit.  Here we go...


three dips:

My grocery sells french rounds (essentially thin slices of a french baguette, brushed with olive oil, and baked), as well as olive tapenade and spinach artichoke dip.  These were all bought, and then I only had to make the white bean + parsley dip the night before.  I've blogged about that recipe before, since it's one of my favorites.


finger foods:

 This asparagus + gruyere tart was a new recipe I found, and it is a keeper.  The tart looks really beautiful when it is cooked, but it is also simple to make - only 3 ingredients! 

Roasted pepper + goat cheese sandwiches became the vegetarian "main course" of the shower.  I roasted the peppers and marinated them overnight (let it be known that roasting peppers is a hot endeavor, and buying them in a jar would make this recipe more simple).  I did substitute kalamata olives for the capers because the extra capers would have gone to waste in my kitchen.  The morning of the shower, these sandwiches were just quick assembly - spread goat cheese on ciabatta bread, add basil leaves, olives, peppers, red onion.  done.

They had incredible flavor from the marinade, herbs, and were a huge hit.

Pesto pea salad was also quick assembly right before the shower.  I recommend mixing the spinach and pesto first, then adding the peas, parmesan and pine nuts (so they don't end up at the bottom of your salad bowl).  If you have enough basil to make the pesto - go for it!  I was running short on time, so I bought mine.


sweets: 

Lemon yogurt cake is a three-step dessert that ends up being moist, tart and light all at once.  Since Zach doesn't love lemon, I try to make it when I know he won't be around.  The recipe starts with an easy cake batter (no mixer needed!), a lemon simple syrup poured over the hot cake, and then a glaze to finish it off.  I made the cake the night before, but added the glaze when I woke up the morning of the shower.  Berries are so good with the tart lemon flavor.

Crisp elephant ears (miniature size) were a last minute addition the morning of the shower.  Since I had an extra puff pastry leftover after the asparagus tart, I decided to make these pastries to serve with coffee.  Only 3 ingredients and these some baking time turned out a French pastry success (and the cinnamon is optional).  I would totally recommend making them just for fun.

p.s.  See more photos of the shower in yesterday's post!  Want more brunch or shower recipes?  Try this post.

pizza.

This is my favorite deep-dish pizza recipe.

It may even end up as our V-day meal because there's so much love baked into these little pies.  I've alluded to this baby before, so now I'm posting the whole recipe, step by step.  Now I just need to find the perfect hand-tossed pizza recipe.  Anyone have a good one you're willing to share?


Deep Dish Pepperoni Pizza
adapted from America's Test Kitchen TV
makes 2 - 9" pizzas



Dough:
½ c. olive oil
¾ c. milk + 2 T., warmed to 110°F
2 t. sugar
2⅓ c. all purpose flour
1 pkg yeast
½ t. salt

Sauce:
1 T. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes

Topping:
pepperoni
1⅓ c. sauce
3 c. shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
       (plus anything else you'd want to add)

1. Preheat oven to 200°F, then turn off. Place rack on lowest position. Lightly grease large bowl. Coat bottom of 2 - 9" cake pans with 3 T. olive oil each. 
2. Mix flour, yeast and salt in mixer with dough hook.  Mix milk, sugar, and 2 T. olive oil.  On low, slowly add milk mixture. Increase speed to med-low for 5 minutes. Turn dough onto counter and gently shape into a ball. Place into greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, place in oven 30 minutes.
3. To make the sauce, cook olive oil and garlic on low for 2 minutes in a small saucepan. Add crushed tomatoes and cook for 10-15 minutes on medium. Season with salt, pepper, and crushed red peppers.
4. Divide dough in half. Shape into 2 - 9" rounds with your hands and press into pan. Avoid getting the olive oil on top of the dough! Cover with plastic wrap and set in warm spot for 20 minutes.
5. Heat oven to 400°F. Microwave pepperoni for 30 seconds on paper towels (to remove excess grease). Top the dough with sauce, cheese, and pepperoni. Bake 20 minutes. Let rest 1 minute.

caesar salad, from scratch

 

I love caesar salad.  Both my families can attest that I order it every. single. time. we eat out. 

It may sound boring, but let me just say, there is a wide range of caesar salads.  Some are mediocre, some are downright terrible (too much dressing, anyone?), and a select few are divine.  The hunt for a great one keeps me ordering it over and over again.  My all-time favorite was made from scratch table-side at a restaurant in Bermuda.  I think the server used about 25 different ingredients, including hot sauce (more on that later).  And so, I despaired at ever making a great caesar salad of my own.

Then I found this recipe randomly while working out - and decided to give it a go.  Welcome to my new favorite:

Caesar Salad

adapted from Christina Ferrare, via O Magazine
serves 6

For croutons:
1 clove garlic, peeled and mashed
3 T. olive oil
3 c. roughly chopped bread cubes (from sourdough or baguette)

For dressing:
2 T. fresh lemon juice

1 t. Dijon mustard

1 t. Worcestershire sauce

1/4 t. kosher salt
1 clove garlic , minced
4 anchovy fillets , chopped and mashed into a paste
1/4 c. olive oil
2 T. canola oil
2-3 drops hot sauce - my twist

To assemble:
2 heads romaine lettuce (about 1 pound)

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/3 cup and 2 Tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 ounce)

To make croutons: Combine smashed garlic clove and olive oil; infuse for 20 minutes.  Remove garlic from oil (it can be reserved and used to make the dressing). In a large bowl, toss oil and bread cubes together.  Heat a small saute pan over medium-high heat and add the bread cubes, stirring occasionally.  Cook until golden and crunchy, 10-12 minutes.  Remove and cool.  Croutons can be stored in an airtight container for up to a week.

To make dressing: In a medium bowl, combine lemon juice, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt, garlic,  anchovies, and hot sauce; whisk until smooth.  In another bowl, briefly whisk together olive and canola oils. Whisking lemon juice mixture constantly, add oil in a slow, steady stream. Use dressing immediately, or store in refrigerator for 1 day; shake well before using.

To make salad: Wash, dry, and tear lettuce into pieces. In a large bowl, toss together lettuce, salt, 1/3 cup Parmesan, most of the croutons, and 1/2 of the dressing (reserve rest for another use). Toss salad together, making sure everything is thoroughly mixed. Sprinkle with remaining cheese, a handful of croutons, and a sprinkle of fresh black pepper.
My Notes: Using anchovies for the first time was surprisingly easy and not as gross as I was expecting.  Also, hot sauce contains just the right amount of spice and kick to this dressing.  Be careful not to overdo the salt - between the dressing and parmesan there is plenty of it.  Finally - the homemade croutons were awesome!

recipe: pecan squares

flaky, caramel & pecan goodness for our family Christmas party

Pecan Squares

adapted from Barefoot Contessa's recipe - by cutting the recipe in half
fills one baking sheet

crust:
⅔ lb. butter, room temperature
⅓ c. granulated sugar
2 large eggs
⅓ t. vanilla extract
2¼ c. all-purpose flour
¼ t. baking powder
⅛ t. salt

topping:
½ lb. butter
½ c. good honey
1½ c. light brown sugar, packed
1 t. grated lemon zest
2 T. heavy cream
1 lb. pecans, coarsely chopped

For the crust, beat the butter and granulated sugar in a mixer until light, approximately 3 minutes. Add the eggs and the vanilla and mix well. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix the dry ingredients into the batter with the mixer on low speed until just combined. Press the dough evenly into an ungreased baking sheet, making an edge around the outside. It will be very sticky; sprinkle the dough and your hands lightly with flour. Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes, until the crust is set but not browned. Allow to cool.

For the topping, combine the butter, honey, brown sugar, and zests in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook over low heat until the butter is melted, using a wooden spoon to stir. Raise the heat and boil for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the heavy cream and pecans. Pour over the crust, trying not to get the filling between the crust and the pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the filling is set. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold. Cut into bars and serve.

our christmas cookies

It snowed all weekend, and Zach was busy finishing up a big tax return for December 15th.  While he worked, I made a few batches of cookies from a recipe his mom gave me.  The icing is meant to be painted onto each cookie with a watercolor paintbrush - so fun!  (Plus, this seems a lot easier to me than using frosting).

Soft and Painted Christmas Cookies

Dough:

1 c. butter, softened
1½ c. confectioner’s sugar
1 egg
1½ t. vanilla
2½ c. flour
1¼ t. salt
3¾ t. baking powder

Painter’s Icing:

1 c. confectioner’s sugar
2 T. water
1 T. light karo syrup
½ t. almond extract


Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually add flour, salt, and baking powder. Divide dough in half. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.


Lightly flour the dough and roll out as normal. Cut shapes and bake at 375°F for 5-6 minutes.

Cool 2 minutes before removing from pan. Once completely cool, brush on painter’s icing with small paintbrushes. Allow icing to harden, then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.  (The cookies will soften as the icing soaks into them.)

NOTE:  It is better to go on the low end of the cooking time, so cookies don't get brown edges (see below).  Also, when rolling out the dough, avoid making the cookies too thin.

a little too crunchy for our taste - anyone else want them?  :)

thanksgiving pie

  

I'm feeling so blessed this year and thankful beyond words for all the wonderful people in our life. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Pecan Pie

adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks

1 whole unbaked pie crust

1 c. sugar

3 T. brown sugar

1/2 t. salt

1 c. corn syrup

3/4 t. vanilla

1/3 c. butter, melted

3 eggs, beaten

1 1/2 c. pecans - some chopped, some whole

Mix sugar, brown sugar, salt, corn syrup, butter, eggs, and vanilla together in a bowl.

Pour chopped pecans in the bottom of the unbaked pie shell.

Pour syrup mixture over the top. Cover top and crust lightly/gently with foil. Bake pie at 350º for 30 minutes. Remove foil, then continue baking for 20 minutes, being careful not to burn the crust or pecans.

NOTE: PIE SHOULD NOT BE OVERLY JIGGLY WHEN YOU REMOVE IT FROM THE OVEN. If it shakes a lot, cover with foil and bake for an additional 20 minute or until set. Required baking time seems to vary widely with this recipe. Sometimes it takes 50 minutes; sometimes it takes 75!

Allow to cool for several hours or overnight. Serve in thin slivers.



my first pecan pie!

In an ultimate blog failure - I didn't get any pictures of us together, but here are our smiling faces to say thanks for reading!  I really like you guys.  I hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving too!

sweet blueberry muffins

This is my go-to muffin recipe on Saturday mornings when I'm craving something piping hot from the oven with minimal mess in my kitchen.  I always add extra blueberries than the recipe calls for because I love them so much.  These will definitely be a staple in the recipe book I'm working on for the holidays - I've got 42 recipes typed and photographed with just a few more to add.

p.s.  thanks girls for the Tastebook suggestion - I've found it to be much easier than Blurb to use!  Anyone else working on a recipe book as a holiday gift? 

 Sweet Blueberry Muffins

1 egg
1/2 c. milk
1/4 c. canola oil
1 1/2 c. flour
3/4 c. sugar
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 c. fresh blueberries (or frozen - drained and thawed)

Heat oven to 400.  Add muffin wrappers to tin.  Beat egg, stir in milk and oil.  Mix in remaining ingredients just until flour is moistened. Batter should be lumpy.  Carefully stir in blueberries.  Fill muffin cups until 2/3 full.  Bake 20-25 minutes.  Immediately remove from pan and allow to cool (or slice and add a pat of butter for immediate consumption).

makes 12 muffins

snacks

 

Try these two easy recipes, which both involve mixing ingredients and baking them in the oven until crisp and toasty.  They've replaced our chip bags and cookie boxes this past week, and met the requirements for easy munchies while catching up on our favorite recorded TV shows.  

Crunchy Caramel Corn

24 c. popped corn

1 c. butter 

2 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. light karo syrup

1 t. salt

1/2 t. baking soda

1 t. vanilla

Make the popcorn (we use a stircrazy) and set aside in a greased, oven-proof pan or bowl.  Melt butter in a small saucepan and add brown sugar, karo syrup, and salt.  Bring to a boil and stir constantly for 5 minutes.  Remove pan from heat and stir in baking soda and vanilla.  Pour caramel mixture over popcorn and stir to coat.

Bake at 250 for 60-90 minutes (depending on how crunchy you want the caramel corn), stirring every 15 minutes.  Cool and store in an airtight container.

Crispix Party Mix

7 c. Kellogg's Crispix cereal
1 c. Cheezit crackers
1 c. pretzels
1 c. mixed nuts
6 T. melted butter
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. onion salt or powder
4 t. lemon juice
8 t. Worcestershire sauce

Combine cereal, crackers, pretzels, and nuts in a 9 x13 baking pan.  Preheat oven to 250.  Stir together remaining ingredients and pour over cereal.  Bake for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.  Store in an airtight container.

new blueberry muffin recipe

 A few weeks ago, I tested a new blueberry muffin recipe from smitten kitchen.  I mainly wanted to try it because it was an adaptation from Cooks' Illustrated, and it used up the leftover sour cream I had on hand.  The muffin mixture had a surprising consistency, but they turned out really well.  Blueberry muffins are my favorite thing to make on a Saturday or Sunday morning for breakfast for a few reasons:

1. They only make one dirty bowl and I can make them without a mixer or standing over the stove
2. I can use frozen blueberries and be reminded of the summer all year round
3. I love splitting a warm muffin and adding a bit of butter + a cup of coffee

perfect blueberry muffins

makes 9 to 10 standard muffins

5 T unsalted butter , softened
1/2 c sugar
1 large egg
3/4 c sour cream or plain yogurt
1/2 t grated lemon zest
1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/4 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
3/4 c blueberries, fresh or frozen (if frozen, don’t bother defrosting)

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a muffin tin with 10 paper liners or spray each cup with a nonstick spray. Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg and beat well, then yogurt and zest. Put flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a sifter and sift half of dry ingredients over batter. Mix until combined. Sift remaining dry ingredients into batter and mix just until the flour disappears. Gently fold in your blueberries. The dough will be quite thick (and even thicker, if you used a full-fat Greek-style yogurt), closer to a cookie dough, which is why an ice cream scoop is a great tool to fill your muffin cups. You’re looking for them to be about 3/4 full, nothing more, so you might only need 9 instead of 10 cups. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until tops are golden and a tester inserted into the center of muffins comes out clean (you know, except for blueberry goo). Let cool on rack (ha), or you know, serve with a generous pat of butter.

...again, recipe from smitten kitchen (and highly recommended by me!)

three simple brunch recipes

zucchini and chocolate chip muffins

Friends: 
Here are the recipes I used for Sunday's brunch.  I hope you love them as much as we did.  This would also work out really well if you are hosting a bridal or baby shower!  Just add a fancy beverage, like Izze sodas.


Easy Breakfast Strata

1 lb. Bob Evans original sausage
8 eggs
10 slices bread, cubed (I used sourdough and the flavor was excellent)
3 c. milk
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
2 c. mushrooms, sliced
1 c. asparagus, chopped (I forgot to pick this up, but it is a nice addition if you have it)
2 T. butter, melted
2 T. flour
1 T. dry mustard
2 t. basil
1 t. salt

In a large skillet brown sausage and drain.  In a large bowl beat eggs.  Add remaining ingredients.  Mix well.  Spoon into a greased 9 x 13 baking pan.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Bake at 350 for 60-70 minutes or until a knife inserted near center comes out clean. 

Note: This is still perfectly delicious if you have picky eaters and don't add the mushrooms and asparagus.  I made mine 1/2 with and 1/2 without just in case.  Isn't it an easy recipe?



Zucchini and Chocolate Chip Muffins

1/2 c. oil

1/4 c. milk

1 t. vanilla

1 egg, beaten

3/4 c. sugar

1 1/2 c. flour

1 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

1 t. cinnamon

1 c. zucchini, grated (or more - I used an entire medium-sized zucchini)

1 T. lemon juice

1/4 c. chocolate chips

1/4 c. walnuts or pecans, chopped

Combine, but do not over-mix.  Bake at 350 for 20-25 min. 



Easy Cheese Danish
 (adapted from Barefoot Contessa at Home)

8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1/3 c. sugar
2 egg yolks
2 T. ricotta cheese
1 t. vanilla extract
1/4 t. salt
1 T. lemon zest
2 sheets (1 box) frozen puff pastry, defrosted
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

Mix the cream cheese and sugar in a mixer on low speed until smooth. With the mixer still on low, add the egg yolks, ricotta, vanilla, salt, and lemon zest and mix until just combined. Don't whip!

Unfold 1 sheet of puff pastry onto a lightly floured board and roll it slightly with a floured rolling pin until it's a 10 by 10-inch square. Cut the sheet into quarters with a sharp knife. Place a heaping tablespoon of cheese filling into the middle of each of the 4 squares. Brush the border of each pastry with egg wash and fold 2 opposite corners to the center, brushing and overlapping the corners of each pastry so they firmly stick together. Brush the top of the pastries with egg wash. Place the pastries on the prepared sheet pan. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry and refrigerate the filled Danish for 15 minutes.

Bake the pastries for about 20 minutes at 400, rotating the pan once during baking, until puffed and brown.

easy cheese danish

recipe: spicy buffalo chicken dip

Spicy Buffalo Chicken Dip

2 chicken breast, roasted and shredded
1/2 c. Frank's Red Hot original sauce
1/2 c. ranch dressing
2 - 8 oz. cream cheese, reduced fat
1/2 stick butter, melted
colby jack cheese

Combine ingredients, except cheese.  Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.  When 3 minutes remain, sprinkle cheese on top.  Serve with tortilla chips or celery sticks (my favorite).

croque monsieur sandwiches

Last week Zach and I baked up these toasty sandwiches for dinner.  I've used this recipe for several years, even though I don't eat ham very often.  We've had croque monsieurs in California, made them for 30 people on our family vacation, but usually enjoy them when it's just the two of us.  This time, I tried the sandwich with whole wheat bread, but I still prefer white or sourdough. 

Oh - and splurge on good cheese.  The cheap stuff ends up melting like plastic - yuck.

Zach's simple pasta

My husband has recently become the king of infusing olive oil.  This week, he heated the oil with rosemary, red pepper flakes, and crushed garlic (classic, no?) while cooking up some orechiette.  In the meantime he chopped up rosemary, basil, and added grated parmesan cheese. Once combined, it made a fabulous, fresh weeknight dinner.

Ben's Favorite Cookies

A couple weeks ago I passed along a recipe to my mom for brown sugar cookies (you can probably guess where I found it), which I had made last year for my school's annual Christmas lunch.  When she made them at home my youngest brother raved about them and in his loving, teenage-boy manner, told me I was crazy for not making them all. the. time. 

So Ben, this post is for you....

Brown Sugar Cookies
(adapted from America's Test Kitchen)

14 T. butter
2 c. packed dark brown sugar (I used light brown b/c I had it on hand)
1/4 c. granulated sugar
2 c. + 2 T. flour
1/2 t. baking soda
1/4 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 T. vanilla extract

1. Melt 10 T. butter in a 10 in. skillet over med-high heat, about 2 min.  Continue to cook, swirling the pan until the butter is dark golden brown and has a nutty aroma (yum!), 1-3 min.  Transfer the browned butter to a large heatproof bowl.  Stir the remaining 4 T. butter into the hot butter to melt; set aside for 15 minutes.

2. Preheat the oven to 350.  Line your baking sheets with parchment paper (if you have it).  In a shallow bowl, mix 1/4 cup of brown sugar with the granulated sugar, rubbing the mixture between your fingers until well combined; set aside.  Whisk the flour, baking soda, and baking powder together in a medium bowl; set aside.

3. Add the remaining 1 3/4 c. brown sugar and the salt to the bowl with the cooled butter; mix until no lumps remain.  Scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula; add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and mix well.  Scrape down the bowl.  Add the flour mixture, and mix until just combined, about 1 min.

4. Divide the dough into 24 portions, each about 2 T., rolling them between your hands into balls.  Coat each with the sugar mixture and set on the prepared baking sheets.

5. Bake one sheet at a time until the cookies are browned and still puffy and the edges have begun to set, but the centers are still soft (the cookies will look raw between the cracks and seem underdone), 12-14 min, rotating the baking sheet halfway through.  Do not overbake.

6. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 min.; then transfer to a wire rack and cool to room temperature.

Seriously, Ben isn't kidding...these things are amazing!  A "crackling crisp exterior and a chewy interior" with a "complex nuttiness" and dare I say caramel, butterscotch flavor.  Yum!

pancakes for a crowd

This past weekend, our house expanded from holding two people to 12.  We had a bunch of family down to visit, some stayed overnight and it was basically one big party.  So fun!  I did make them all pancakes from scratch on Friday morning, and at my mom's request I'm typing out the recipe on here (since you have to sign up to see some of the recipes on ATK).  I fully support offering not only plain and blueberry pancakes, but also chocolate chip.

Blueberry Pancakes 
(adapted from America's Test Kitchen - makes about sixteen 4-inch pancakes)

2 c. milk
1 T. lemon juice
2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
2 T. sugar
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 large egg
2 T. butter, melted and slightly cooled
1-2 t. vegetable oil
1 c. fresh or frozen blueberries, rinsed and dried

1. Whisk the milk and lemon juice together in a medium bowl; set aside to thicken while preparing the other ingredients.  Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl.
2. Whisk the egg and melted butter into the milk until combined.  Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients in the bowl; pour in the milk mixture and whisk very gently until just combined (a few lumps should remain).  Do not overmix.
3. Heat a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes; add 1 t. of the oil and brush to coat the skillet bottom evenly.  Pour 1/4 c. batter onto three spots on the skillet; sprinkle with blueberries.  Cook until large bubbles appear, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes.  Using a thin-bladed spatula, flip the pancakes and cook 1 to 1 1/2 minutes longer.  Repeat with remaining batter, using more vegetable oil when necessary.

After eating our fill, we took everyone down to the Children's Museum, served up a big dinner around our table, and then hung out on the porch.

adding new recipes

One of my New Year's resolutions was to compile a cookbook of my favorite recipes by the time Christmas rolls around.  I decided I had better start now or it would never happen once school starts.  So, I've downloaded the software and made my Table of Contents.  Once I saw the list of recipes to include, I started experimenting with some recipes from my favorite, new cookbook from America's Test Kitchen.  Their recipes seriously don't fail me - perhaps it is the scientific method applied to food that I like?

It is a textbook-like compilation of recipes that I would love to work my way through (kind of like Julie & Julia).  I have already made their brown-sugar cookies, triple chocolate cookies, and deep dish pizza from watching their show on PBS.  Bonus: You can find almost all their recipes online if you want to try them out before committing to a whole cookbook.

This weekend, Zach and I tried two recipes with good success, and then went back to an old favorite on the grill.  First up...instead of going out on Friday night, we decided to recreate a favorite meal from Mama Carolla's Italian Restaurant, garlicky shrimp pasta, for less than the restaurant charges for a single plate ($15).  Find the recipe here.  We had delicious results, although I would switch the rigatoni to capellini next time.

{garlic shrimp pasta}

The next morning, I got up to try my hand at pancakes, from scratch.  Traditionally, we have always been pancake-box-mix people.  It started with Hungry Jack buttermilk pancakes (which only stopped when we read the ingredients - yikes!) and then evolved into Hodgson Mill  whole wheat buttermilk pancakes.  Unfortunately, Zach never liked the whole wheat variety, so we never make them anymore. 

A.T.K.'s recipe for homemade blueberry pancakes sounded like a winner to me, since I had everything in my pantry and it didn't include buttermilk (which I have never bought).  The resulting pancakes, with and without blueberries, were absolutely the best I have ever made and were light, fluffy, and slightly tangy from the lemon juice.

{pancakes, from scratch}