Summertime Okra Salad

There are certain foods that to me just encompass summertime. Peach pie, ice cream, and for us in Oklahoma, okra. Can I just spend some time telling you how much I love fried okra?

I really love it. My mom makes the VERY BEST fried okra. She uses cornmeal, salt and pepper then fries it to crispy perfection. My mom made okra a lot in the summertime and I really thought it couldn't get any better until I had her okra salad. 

Okra salad is summertime perfection. It's chilled, it's crispy, it's savory and sweet. It's wonderful. 

This recipe came from my mom's Aunt Genise who lives in a tiny little town in the Texas panhandle on a cattle ranch which has been in the family for over 100 years. Whenever I eat this okra salad I think of that tiny little town, then I thank God for Aunt Genise who gave us this wonderful recipe. Thank you Great Aunt Genise!

Mini Pineapple Upside Down Cake Recipe

Mini Pineapple Upside Down Cake

30 minutes One Large Cake or 5 mini cakes Ingredients: 1 can pineapple rings, 1 box white cake mix, 1/2 cup butter, 1 jar maraschino cherries, 1 1/2 cup brown sugar

This recipe is basically summertime in cake form. It's got juicy pineapple with a hint of cherry, and light white cake that tastes just like a day by the pool. The best part about this recipe -- it's way easy!

I made mine in my mini cake molds -- I keep finding great recipes to use these with -- but you could easily make this in a larger version.

Here's what you need!

Ingredients (yields 5 mini cakes or one large cake)
• Canned Pineapple rings
• 1 can maraschino cherries
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 box white cake mix

Directions
1.     Grease your cake pans and preheat oven to 350. I used my mini spring form molds, but a
        bundt pan or regular cake pan will work here, too. Just note there will be a difference in baking
        time.

2.     Prepare cake mix according to box directions. Replace some of the required liquid with
        pineapple juice from your can. Yum!

3.     Add pineapple ring and cherry to the center of your mold. If you are using a larger pan,
        you'll line the entire bottom with pineapples and cherries.

4.     Fill the rest of the mold with cake mix. Careful not to overfill, as it will rise quite a bit.

5.     Bake your cake(s). Mine took about 15 minutes to bake, but again, go longer for a bigger cake.
        Allow your cake to cool for about 8 - 10 minutes before taking it out of the pan.

6.     In a saucepan, melt 1/2 cup of butter. Once the butter is melted, stir in the brown sugar until
        everyone is evenly incorporated. Spoon the mixture onto the cake.

7.     Top with another layer of pineapples and cherries. Serve warm, and enjoy!

Happy Homemaking!

Sallie

Mini Quiches

I am of the opinion that things taste better when they are in miniature form. Take my mini pie for example. The tiny-ness just makes it was cuter and more fun to eat, or at least that's just my opinion.

I bought these mini spring form pans from Michael's a couple of weeks ago, and I LOVE THEM! I already made a three layer chocolate cake that turned out great! Since my chickens are in full on laying mode, I've had a surplus of eggs so I decided it was time to make some mini quiches.

I always use the perfect pie crust recipe from Pioneer Woman, and today I made 3 miniaturized bacon, onion, mushroom and cheese quiches. They were perfect, and even Andrew approved (which is rare).

Here's how you do it.

Ingredients
• 1-2 tbsp butter
• 5 eggs
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 onion, sliced
• 5 pieces of bacon
• 1/2 cup baby bella mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1.     Preheat oven to 400F. Lightly grease your baking pans before filling with pie crust.

2.     Heat 1 tbsp butter in large skillet over medium heat. Once the butter is melted and hot, add
        your onions and mushrooms. Cook until they are nice and browned, about 15-20 minutes.

3.     Meanwhile in a separate skillet, cook bacon. Be careful here to not overdo it. You still want it
        to be soft and juicy. Once cool, tear into bite sized pieces.

4.     In a large bowl, beat 5 eggs and heavy whipping cream together. Mix until everything is
        evenly incorporated. You may add a little salt and pepper to taste.

5.     Add onions, mushrooms, bacon, and cheese to your egg mixture. Stir, stir, stir! You want
        everything to be evenly distributed!

6.     Spoon quiche mixture into prepared baking pans. Bake in oven set at 400F for about 30 - 35
        minutes or until the tops are golden brown.

What do you put in your quiches? I'd love to hear your recipe!

Happy Homemaking!

Sallie

DIY Cake Topper + Chocolate Cake

I think we all have recipes and things that our mom's made for us that hold a special place in our hearts. My mom's chocolate cake, takes the cake. It's the best. Seriously, THE BEST.

I ask her to make this cake for me frequently! And because she is a wonderful mama, she does. 

I also bought these new little tart pans so I could make it a triple layer. I stupidly over filled them the first time I made this and nearly set my house on fire because the excess dripped to the bottom of the oven. 

It was a complete baking fail, and I had to go back to the store to get more ingredients. I did however, pull my act together and manage to make a cute triple layer cake that I am very proud of! 

The cake topper is also a really simple (and reusable) way to add some color to the top of your cake! This DIY will take you all of 30 min to complete. 

*Pro tip: Make your cake topper during the baking and cooling time of your cake!

For the cake

Ingredients

• 1 package double fudge cake mix

• 1 package instant chocolate pudding

• 1 package semi-sweet chocolate chips

• 1 cup sour cream

• 1/2 cup warm water

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil

• 4 large eggs

For the icing

• 1 cup butter at room temperature

• 3 cups confectioners sugar

• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

1.       Preheat oven to 350. Thoroughly grease your baking pans. I sprayed mine with canola oil, 

          then floured the sides. 

2.       Add eggs, cake mix, pudding, sour cream, warm water, and oil to a large bowl.  Use your 

          mixer to mix everything for about 1 minute until it's all incorporated. 

3.       Fold in the chocolate chips. Stir to make sure they are evenly distributed. 

4.       Pour into baking pans. 

5.       Bake for 30 - 45 min. Depending on what pan you use, you might bake longer. My 3 small 

          pans spent about 30 minutes in the oven. A single layer bundt cake would probably take around 

          45 minutes.   

6.       Remove from oven and allow to cool. Cake is done when you can pull a toothpick out 

          cleanly.  

7.       While cake cools, make the icing. Add sugar and butter to a large bowl. 

8.       On a low setting, mix the butter and sugar. You are looking for an icing consistency.

9.       Add vanilla extract. 

10.     Assemble your cake.

For the cake topper

Materials

• Foam paper sheets

• Scissors

• Paint

• Paint Brushes

• Dowels or Skewers

• Hot Glue

Directions

1.      Sketch your design. 

2.      Trace shapes onto foam paper. This tracing will be the backside, so no worries if it's messy.

3.      Cut out your foam shapes. 

4.      Use paint to create outlines on your flowers. 

5.      Cut skewers to size and glue in place. 

What do you think? Does it look like the best chocolate cake ever? Let me know in the comments!

xoxo Sallie

Thai Curried Veggies + Shrimp

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Ingredients

• 1 lb shrimp, peeled
• 1 zucchini, sliced
• 2 cups baby bella mushrooms
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1 baby bok choy, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp green curry paste
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 can coconut milk
• salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste
• 4 tbsp olive oil

Takes 15 min, serves 2.

Instructions

1. Heat 2 tbsp oil in large skillet over medium heat.
2. Add all veggies to the pan, sprinkle with salt and pepper, then saute for 6-8 minutes.
3. In a separate skillet, heat 2 tbsp oil over medium heat. Add shrimp and cook until pink. About 2 minutes per side.
4. Add curry paste to the veggies. Cook and stir for one minute.
5. Add fish sauce to the veggies and continue stirring.
6. Add the solid portion of the coconut milk to the pan of veggies. Mix in thoroughly.
7. Add cooked shrimp, serve and enjoy.

A couple of weeks ago I stared making the transition into eating mostly Paleo. It's how I was eating (for the most part) anyway, so it just felt natural to go ahead and commit.

Since cutting out sugar, dairy, grains, soy, and legumes I've been looking for new recipes to try. I stumbled upon a fabulous Thai curry dish on instagram via @thedefineddish a few weeks ago and LOVED it. I loved it so much that I actually made it 3 times over 4 days. 

I started playing around with the recipe and came up with my own version that I love even more. I shared it on Instagram, but just in case you don't follow me there (which would be a total shame) I wanted to post it for you here, too because I'm nice like that ; ) 

Ingredients

• 1 lb shrimp, peeled

• 1 Zucchini, sliced

• 2 cups Baby Bella Mushrooms

• 1 Red Bell Pepper, diced

• 2 Green Onions, chopped

• 1 Baby Bok Choy, chopped

• 2 Garlic Cloves, thinly sliced

• 2 tbsp Green Curry Sauce

• 2 tbsp Fish Sauce

• 1 can Coconut Milk, solid portion only

• Salt, Pepper, + Cayenne to taste

• 4 tbsp Olive Oil

Directions

1.      Heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic, green onion, bok choy, mushrooms, red 

         pepper, and zucchini. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste then saute for 6-8 minutes. 

2.      Cook your shrimp. In a separate skillet, heat the remaining oil and cook shrimp until they are 

         browned on both sides. About 4 - 6 minutes.

3.      Add curry paste and fish sauce. After veggies have thoroughly cooked and are soft, stir in the 

         curry and fish sauce. Stir thoroughly for about 1 minute. 

4.      Add solid portion of coconut milk. Stir everything together until combined.

5.      Add shrimp to the pan. All ingredients should be combined now, and you are ready to eat! 

         Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Fries

Do you love fries? Do you love sweet potatoes? Do you want to eat both of those things at the same time? Then this recipe is for you.

I make these fries about once a week. They are easy, delicious, and relatively healthy! But most of all, they are delicious.

Here's how you do it!

Ingredients
• Sweet Potato
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp dried parsley

Directions
1.      Heat oven to 450 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil. Cut potatoes into fries.

2.      Drizzle fries with olive oil. Sprinkle seasonings evenly on the potatoes.

3.      Bake fries for 18 minutes until they are golden brown.

4.      Heat coconut oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat until oil sizzles.

5.      Transfer fries to skillet, turn down heat to medium low and flash fry the potatoes on both sides.
         About 1 - 2 minutes per side.

There you have it! Delicious fries straight from your own kitchen.

Happy Homemaking!

Sallie

The Perfect Pie

Two weeks ago, I became my own boss (read about it here) And as my own boss, I get to make a lot of decisions for how my day goes. Including whether or not I want to bake a pie in the morning and eat said pie for breakfast. Yes, I had pie for breakfast, don't even pretend like you've never done that. But I'm my own boss so it's ok.

I really love pie. Like LOVE LOVE it. I think there is no better dessert, and I'm willing to debate it with you. I don't think pie for breakfast should be an everyday decision, but sometimes you just have to for the love of pie. 

See, even Fitz loves pie. I also bought this new pie plate from Anthropologie (shh, don't tell Andrew) so I really had no choice but to make a pie for breakfast. My hands were tied guys. 

The real key to a great pie is a great crust. This crust recipe is adapted from The Pioneer Woman who loves shortening and butter as much as I do, God bless her. 

And can we also just talk about how awesome these pictures look? I finally bought a DSLR so now my pictures are sooo professional. Here are a few more of them, along with the recipe because I know that's what you really want. 

Ingredients 
For the crust
• 3 cups all purpose flower
• 1 1/2 cup Shortening
• 5 TBSP cold water
• 1 large egg
• 1 TBSP Vinegar
• 1 tsp salt

For the filling
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup butter (room temperature)
• 2 lbs sliced fruit of your choice

Directions
Preheat Oven to 350

1.     Combine the flour and shortening. Use a pastry cutter and really work the flour into the
        shortening. This actually doesn't take very long to do by hand, so use a pastry cutter and spare
        yourself having to do the dishes. You'll know you're done when the flour resembles a course
        meal.

2.     Add the egg, water, vinegar, and salt. Beat the egg with a fork before adding it in. Continue
        working with the pastry cutter until it resembles dough. You may opt to get in there with your
        hands at this point.

3.     Roll out the dough. On a floured surface, roll out your dough and place it in the pie plate. Save
        the remainder for the lattice crust.

4.     Mix the sugar and butter. In a separate bowl, use your pastry cutter to combine the sugar and
        butter. Mix until it's a course meal.

5.     Add fruit to the pie plate. Add your fruit to the pie plate. For this one I chose strawberries and
        blueberries, but my personal all time favorite is peach blueberry. MMMM.

6.     Add sugar mixture to the pie. Dump the sugar onto the fruit and mix it around.

7.     Cover with lattice crust. I always go for the lattice crust, but you could go solid crust if that's
        what you're into.

8.     Bake in oven for 35 - 45 min. You want it to have that nice golden glow, like a California tan.
        You know the look.

Enjoy this friends, and by golly eat it for breakfast if that's how you feel!

xoxo Sallie

Spooky Cookies Tutorial

This Saturday is Halloween, and I can't think of a better way to spend the afternoon than by making spooky cookies! Your kids will have a great time, and the trick-or-treaters will thank you!

Sidenote: Michael's craft store has all their Halloween cookie decorating supplies marked down by 50%! 

Best Sugar Cookies Recipe

If you'll remember, a few months ago I tried (and failed) sugar cookie decorating. I failed miserably, and you can read about that failure here, but today I am here to redeem myself AND I have a great sugar cookie recipe to share.

In addition to the botched frosting on my last batch of cookies, they also completely lost their shape.  It looked like I was decorating shapeless lobs of dough. This time I searched for a recipe that would hold it's shape, and I found this one from my friend Debbie. This is from her 8th grade Home Ec class, and it is the best recipe I have ever used for intricate shapes PLUS it's super tasty. 

Butternut Squash Soup

One of my favorite things about fall is soup -- there's nothing my stomach enjoys more than a steamy bowl of butternut squash soup on a crisp autumn day! Since embarking on Whole30, I've been looking for ways to get my favorite eats on the "approved" list. This recipe is completely clean but doesn't sacrifice any of the flavor!

Ingredients:
1 large or 2 medium butternut squash
1 large sweet potato
1 medium yellow onion
1 clove minced garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 - 6 cups chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste

Step One: Peel and medium dice your butternut squash, sweet potato, and onions.

Step Two: In a large stockpot over medium heat, add 2 tbsp of olive oil. When oil is hot, add the onions and sauté for 5 - 6 min. until onions become translucent. Add minced garlic and cook for a minute more.

Step Three: Add cubed sweet potatoes, butternut squash, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Slowly pour in your broth until it almost covers the veggies. For a thicker soup, use less broth and vice versa.

Step Four: Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 50min.

Step Five: Once the sweet potatoes and squash have softened, pour half of the soup into a blender and mix until smooth. Repeat with remaining half. Alternatively, you could use an immersion blender and mix in the stockpot.

Step Six: Season with salt and pepper to taste, and enjoy while it's warm!

What soups do you enjoy on cool fall days?

xoxo Sallie