Kandice Matsler

Wine {Opener} Wednesday

An Ambitious Breakfast

While flipping through my new Everyday Food magazine last night, I came across a recipe for Baked Eggs in a Tomato.  The recipe called for corn bits, which I wasn't too keen on, so I just used the photo in the magazine as inspiration to create my own dish!  What I thought was so brilliant about the whole idea is that it's like a mini quiche except for the crust... so for anyone who's watching their waistline, this is a perfect solution.  So here's my revised (slightly healthier recipe):

Baked Eggs in Tomato "Quiche"

1 egg

1/4 cup Egg Beaters

1 T. chopped chives

2 T. diced onion

2 medium tomatoes (if you want larger portions, you could use Beefstake tomatoes)

Freshly shaved parmesan cheese

Cut off the top and scoop out the insides of the tomato with a spoon, being careful not to pierce through the skin.  In a small bowl, whisk the egg and Egg Beaters, adding in the chives and onion.  Season with salt and pepper.  In a small pan, place the tomatoes and fill with the egg mixture.  Top with cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 40 minutes or until the egg mixture is cooked through.

Oh, you know what might also be good?   A little bit of chopped bacon bits... but that takes away from the healthiness, so of course that's optional.  I also think a smaller version of this would be a great appetizer for a party or shower (little bite-sized ones). 

This recipe is definitely going to be on the menu for my next Brunch get-together!

The Master Color Palette

I love when a room just "comes together"!

Being the organized freak that I am, I've already made a to scale furniture plan and specification sheets for every room of the new house... (Thank you, Dr. Russ and Dr. Curry for your fine teachings, inspiration, and wisdom.)  :)

The image above is the color palette for my new master bedroom, and I couldn't be more excited... At first, I struggled to try to make myself go with something different, a color palette that I've never used before, but I just couldn't get all that into it... so instead I've opted for something homey and familiar (and on the warm side of the color wheel).  I already own the pillowcase that I used for inspiration, and the window draperies fell into my lap for free (and score!  they match perfectly!).  I'm pumped about having a pink rug because I think it will fun and cheerful, and I think it will complement the yellow on the walls perfectly.

At this point, I must seem a little OCD, so  I thought I'd share how I keep everything so organized... 

It's a trick that I saw about 6 years ago in a magazine somewhere, and it just stuck with me.  How does everything look like it coordinates, even when everything was bought or painted over a span of 5 years?  Dun-da-da-duuunnn... introducing my handy dandy Inspiration Notebook!

In this purse-sized notebook, I keep swatches of the room paint, furniture photos, sketches of ideas for rooms, clippings of details I find in magazines, etc.  When everything is all in one place, it's a cinch to coordinate!  Now when I'm out shopping and I find something I just love, I can whip out my handy notebook, see if it will match or coordinate, and I'm DONE.  If it looks like it goes, I figure it's meant to be.  If not, then it's not.  Pretty simple formula there.

Does that sound like I'm too matchy-matchy?  I'm really not.  Ultimately, my design theory is that if I love all of the components, despite their condition, color, shape, or style... then I'll like all them together for the overall "look" in a room.  My taste is definitely eclectic, so I find this theory is my justification for buying something random (most of the time).  I'll show you what I mean once the house is finished and I have all of my accessories in it.... then I think you'll get the idea.

PS- all of the color swatches you see here aren't the wall colors... they're the colors from my "inspiration pillow" (thank you very  much, Pier 1, circa 2005.  Hey, if you watch closely, you can see this same pillow used on the set of Medium...   ).

Happy Almost- weekend, folks! 

Sweet Summer Ending

Well, "summer" is almost over... sigh... Why is it in quotes, you ask?  Because officially I don't  GET  a  summer anymore.  It's gone from "summer" = vacation, beach, and sleeping in to "summer" = just a really hot time of year where I try my best to stay inside under a ceiling fan!

Anyway, since it's almost over and I realized this weekend that I haven't even made homemade ice cream ONCE this summer, I decided to fix that yesterday.

I tried this Honey Ice Cream recipe and it was surprisingly easy and DELICIOUS!  The creamy texture was just perfect!  I've had Lavender Honey ice cream before at restaurants, but I guess I never really understood that it didn't mean the ice cream was lavender + honey + milk, etc.  If you're as clueless as I was, I'll enlighten you:  The "flavor" of honey is actually the nectar source that the bees feed off of to make the honey.  So there's all kinds - eucalyptus honey, orange blossom honey, sunflower honey, lavender honey, clover honey, etc.  And much like wine or salt (of course I had to mention that), the taste varies based on the "flavor".  Pretty cool, huh?

Since I live in the middle of almost-nowhere, I didn't have many choices at my local grocer, but I did find some Wild Raspberry Honey, so that's what I used.  I was really impressed with the creamy texture of this ice cream recipe.  My normal recipe is so rich, I usually have to freeze it overnight before we can eat it, but this one was SUPER smooth and creamy.... yum!

My second dessert venture was making a Huckleberry Pie.  My mom's friend Jan from Montana shipped me a batch of huckleberries from her prized stash, and I'm so grateful!  It's definitely a rare treat (that I haven't had since the last time she was in town and made us some)!

In order to make my batch of berries last longer, I opted for a few tiny pies and just froze the rest. ( Jan usually makes a glazed pie, but I made mine more like a normal fruit pie.  I'll try her recipe next time and then decide which one I like best.)  Thanks for the berries Jan!

For not being much of a "sweets" person, I sure am sending this summer out with a sweet ending!

Happy National S'mores Day

What is today?  Only a day to celebrate ooey, gooey, chocolatey-marshmallowy goodness squished between two graham crackers!  Happy National S'mores Day!

This campfire treat has been an American classic since it was first introduced in the Girl Scouts cookbook in 1927.  Not only are they delicious, making s'mores usually involves time with family and friends gathered around a campfire, so they're doubley sweet.  In fact, they're so addictive that people can't help but ask for "some more" most of the time!  While good old fashioned s'mores over a fire send our minds a droolin, over the past few years, I've noticed that these simple, tasty treats have been popping up at upscale restaurants too- like Whym (with the "S'mores-Wich").  Don't want to go out for a gourmet s'more?  You can order this Gourmet S'mores Kit online from Recchiuti for just $23!

Looking for "some more" ways to enjoy the marshmallowy-chocolate goodness?  Stray a little outside of the campfire with one of these cool recipes!  I'm thinking they ALL look divine...

S'mores Martini (courtesy of The Martini Diva)

1 Ounce Chocolate Vodka

1 Ounce Bailey's Irish Cream

1 Ounce Cream de Cacao1 Ounce Vanilla Vodka

2 Ounces Heavy Cream

Toasted Marshmallows

Graham Crackers, Crushed

Chocolate Syrup

Bamboo Skewers for Marshmallows

Dip the rim of the glass in the chocolate syrup and then into the crushed graham crackers. Chill the glasses in the freezer. Pour all the remaining ingredients except the marshmallows into a martini shaker filled with ice and shake until well blended. Pour into your chilled glasses and drop in the toasted marshmallows.

Delicious photo courtesy of the Daily Herald

Max Brenner’s  S’mores (courtesy of Betty Confidential)

Max Brenner, owner of the international fun chocolate restaurant chain, said that, “The best way to eat S'mores is to bite into the s'more and let the chocolate drip down your face. The messier the tastier!" His yummy version is sort of a do-it-yourself fondue.

Makes 4 Servings

Ingredients:

1 cup heavy cream

9 ounces milk chocolate, chopped

Marshmallows

Graham Crackers

Preparation:

Bring the cream to a boil. Pour over the milk chocolate in a heatproof bowl and stir until smooth. Roast the marshmallow to a crisp, dip it into the chocolate fondue and enjoy it between graham crackers.{According to Pocket Change - 10 Best S'mores, this recipe is considered "Best Fondue"!}

Johnathan Vallo's S'mores Cheesecake (courtesy of Phoenix New Times)

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Photo by Spring Eselgroth

Mix together for the crust:

1/2 c. - Graham Cracker Crumbs

1 Tbs. - Sugar

1 oz. - Unsalted Butter (melted)

Press into 5" spring form pan and bake for 5-‐6 minutes @350°

Preparation for the filling:

In a double boiler melt 3 oz. - Milk Chocolate

Combine until smooth: 5 1/2 oz Softened Cream Cheese and 1/4 c. Sugar

1 - Pinch of Salt

Slowly add 1/4 c. - Heavy Cream to Cream Cheese Mixture and mix until incorporated.  Slowly add Chocolate to Cream Cheese Mixture and mix until incorporated. Slowly incorporate 1 large Egg. 

Pour Filling over pre--‐baked crust and bake for 30--‐35 minutes @ 325°

Preparation for the topping:

Whisk together:

1/3 c. - Sugar

1 Large - Egg White

1 Tbs. - Water

1/4 tsp. - Cream of Tartar

Pinch of Salt

Set bowl on top of simmering saucepan and continue to whisk until mixture thickens. Whisk in four Large Marshmallows, cut into quarters.  Whisk in 1/8 tsp. Vanilla Extract.  Pour mixture on top of finished cheesecake and refrigerate for an hour before serving. For added flavor and presentation, lightly brown the top of the cheesecake using a brulée torch just before serving.

And last but not least, a special S'meeps recipe (this one's for you, Kelly!)  What are s'meeps?  They're the perfect combination of Peeps and S'mores, just with an extra crunch of sugar and a happy dose of color.

S'meeps

(courtesy of Serious Eats, Adapted from Peeps: Recipes and Crafts to Make with Your Favorite Marshmallow Treat by Charity Ferreira.)

Makes 4

Ingredients:

4 Peeps (1 package)

4 graham crackers, separated into 8 halves

Four 1-ounce squares semisweet or dark chocolate (depending on preference)

Procedure:

1. Preheat the oven or toaster oven to 350°F. 2. Place a 1-ounce square of chocolate on 4 of the graham cracker halves. Top each chocolate with a Peep. Say your goodbyes.

3. Put your Peep sacrifice laden graham crackers on an aluminum foil covered tray and pop them in the oven for 2 to 3 minutes. Watch them carefully as toasting Peeps can turn into burn victims beyond repair in the blink of an eye. Vigilance!

4. Once the Peeps are toasted to your liking, take them out of the oven and squish them with a graham cracker half. Feast.

If the recipes weren't enough inspiration for you to throw your own S'mores soiree, check out this adorable S'mores favor idea that I ran across today (of all days): It's a DIY S'mores kit idea from Twig & Thistle.  I LOVE this idea!  It's so simple and yet so playful (and delicious)!  I'm envisioning these being a great wedding favor for a fall wedding or for a birthday "roast"... so clever!

Still haven't had enough s'mores?  Check out Hershey's website for recipes, tips, and a game to find out what kind of s'more you are (I was "Totally Toasty")  www.smoresfun.com

Happy National S'mores Day all!

Salt Freak

It's Wednesday night, so you know what that means?  Top Chef night in this house!  I love the show (on Bravo), so on Wednesday nights before the show, I usually try to put a little more effort into cooking dinner.  Tonight I had a great cut of fresh salmon (thanks to my favorite meat market guy), so I decided to try a slightly different seasoning to give it some ZING.

For my birthday this year, my friend Tony gave me these awesome salt samplers from Saltistry.com.  Tonight my salmon got a little pinch of the "Heirloom Tomato" salt blend, and it was ah-mah-zing!  So delicious.  I love that something so small can make such a big difference!  Each one of the sampler flavors comes with suggestions for usage, so I'm excited to try every flavor!  I might even throw a Salt Party this fall!

If you're wondering why I'm so ecstatic about salt, you simply MUST understand that I've always been a salt freak.  I've collected salt from every foreign country I've been to, I'm constantly trying to find new salts to try, and I'm quite certain that I consume way too much of it.  Truth be told, I don't even really like margaritas, I just like that I can lick salt straight of a glass in public and not be ridiculed.   Phhhfff... high sodium intake?  Puh-lease, I laugh at you (until my doctor says otherwise).

If you think I'm exaggerating, you can ask my family about my long-lived salt addiction...  When we were looking for a house when we were kids, my brother and I snuck off into the yard (it was a farm actually) to explore.  Much to my parents' dismay, they looked out the back window to see us licking a salt lick in the yard (used, by the way).  Gross?  Yes.  But it does explain a lot..  I've even had someone give me a salt lick for my birthday before (as a joke of course- an appropriate one, but still a joke).

Happy Seasonings, Wednesday-nighters!

Summer Soup Favorite

A few months ago I got a Fine Cooking magazine special issue on Chicken (less red meat = lower cholesterol... yada yada), and I've been really digging some of the recipes in it!

This soup recipe is one of my new favorites (I've made it AT LEAST three times in the past month).  Even though it seems ridiculous to have soup when it's 100 degrees outside (gotta love Texas summers),  I think that this soup's lemony flavor makes it light and refreshing- the perfect "comfort food" for summer!

A few things to note about this recipe if you decide to give it a try:  1.  If you're not familiar or all that crazy about dill, go easy on it at first (you can always add more).  Dill is such a powerful flavor that if there's too much, it WAY overpowers the dish.  This recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of dill, and  I usually half the recipe, but I  only put in a teaspoon or so, and I think it's plenty.  Just a head's up! 

2.  The recipe also calls for chicken thighs, but the past few times I've used leftover chicken breast and it's been just as tasty.

Let me know if you give it a try and like it!  One thing I know you'll love about it is how quick and easy it is.  Really. 

Lemon Chicken Soup with Spinach & Dill by Pamela Anderson

2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, cut into medium dice
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 qt. low-salt chicken broth
1/2 cup instant rice
1 tsp. dried oregano
5 oz. (6 cups lightly packed) baby spinach
2 Tbs. minced fresh dill
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice; more to taste
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

---

Heat the oil in a small (3-qt.) Dutch oven or soup kettle over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the chicken thighs, broth, rice, and oregano. Cover, raise the heat to medium high, and bring to a full boil; turn off the heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. With tongs, transfer the chicken to a cutting board and shred it with a table knife and fork, discarding any obvious fat or gristle. Working in two batches, purée the broth, rice, and onions in a blender until very smooth, 30 to 60 seconds.

Return the chicken and the thickened broth to the pot and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Add the spinach and dill; cook until the spinach wilts completely, about 3 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice.

nutrition information (per serving):

Size: based on six servings; Calories (kcal): 230; Fat (g): 11; Fat Calories (kcal): 100; Saturated Fat (g): 3; Protein (g): 18; Monounsaturated Fat (g): 6; Carbohydrates (g): 14; Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 2; Sodium (mg): 710; Cholesterol (mg): 50; Fiber (g): 2;

photo: Scott Phillips From Fine Cooking 67, pp. 96c October 1, 2004

Brand Whore??

Are YOU one??  I like to think of myself as a "thrifty" spender, but now I think I might be a brand name whore... When I was in college, I even had a running excel list of all my favorite places to shop (at the time it was United Grocery Store, Walmart, Dollar Store, and Target), outlining which items were the best price at each location.  For instance, it was always cheaper to get Q Tips at the Dollar Store, milk at United, toilet paper at Target, etc.  {Yes, I know I'm a dork.}  I used to think that making multiple trips to the store to save money was worth it.  Now I'm not so rigid.  An extra buck-fifty might be worth me not having to drive an extra 5 miles...  One thing that I HAVE noticed, though, is that while I search for a bargain, there are a few brands that I don't dare stray from.  I guess when it comes down to it, I just HAVE to have my favorite brand.  Here are mine.  What are yours??

1.  Claussen pickles (they really ARE the crunchiest, tastiest pickles ever)

2.  Horizon milk (it's the only 2% milk I can drink without feeling like it's diluted with water)

3.  Frizz- Ease hair products (because they just WORK, can I get an "amen"?)

4.  Tampax Pearl  tampons(sorry guys, but it's non-negotiable)

5.  Dove Body Wash (so far I'm allergic to everything else- especially Oil of Olay)

6.  Tide detergent (it just works)

7.  Puffs tissues (the ones with lotion are way better than others- I know, I've been through at least 4 boxes this week! and Kleenex is SO overrated)

8.  Swanson's Chicken Broth- yes, I'm a cooking nerd so I'm certain on this one

9.  Sprayway foaming glass cleaner (LEAPS and BOUNDS over Windex)

10.  NyQuil (any generic just won't do when I'm feeling sickly and need the sweet comfort of a good night's rest!)

Ok, so those are my must-haves... What are yours??

Posted at 08:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Are YOU one??  I like to think of myself as a "thrifty" spender, but now I think I might be a brand name whore... When I was in college, I even had a running excel list of all my favorite places to shop (at the time it was United Grocery Store, Walmart, Dollar Store, and Target), outlining which items were the best price at each location.  For instance, it was always cheaper to get Q Tips at the Dollar Store, milk at United, toilet paper at Target, etc.  {Yes, I know I'm a dork.}  I used to think that making multiple trips to the store to save money was worth it.  Now I'm not so rigid.  An extra buck-fifty might be worth me not having to drive an extra 5 miles...  One thing that I HAVE noticed, though, is that while I search for a bargain, there are a few brands that I don't dare stray from.  I guess when it comes down to it, I just HAVE to have my favorite brand.  Here are mine.  What are yours??

1.  Claussen pickles (they really ARE the crunchiest, tastiest pickles ever)

2.  Horizon milk (it's the only 2% milk I can drink without feeling like it's diluted with water)

3.  Frizz- Ease hair products (because they just WORK, can I get an "amen"?)

4.  Tampax Pearl  tampons(sorry guys, but it's non-negotiable)

5.  Dove Body Wash (so far I'm allergic to everything else- especially Oil of Olay)

6.  Tide detergent (it just works)

7.  Puffs tissues (the ones with lotion are way better than others- I know, I've been through at least 4 boxes this week! and Kleenex is SO overrated)

8.  Swanson's Chicken Broth- yes, I'm a cooking nerd so I'm certain on this one

9.  Sprayway foaming glass cleaner (LEAPS and BOUNDS over Windex)

10.  NyQuil (any generic just won't do when I'm feeling sickly and need the sweet comfort of a good night's rest!)

Ok, so those are my must-haves... What are yours??