Rosemary Focaccia

Here is my favorite focaccia recipe!  

I don't make loaf bread very often, but I do make focaccia regularly.  It goes with everything.  Italian dishes, soups, salads, everything.  And it's good all year long...focaccia never goes out of season. :)  It still has to rise for a long time (twice, take note!) but it somehow feels more manageable to me to make than other yeast breads.

Josh said the last time I made it, "I think this is the best bread I've ever eaten in my life."

It is really good.  

We hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Rosemary Focaccia

1 2/3 cups warm water

1 (1/4 oz.) package (2 1/2 tsp.) active dry yeast

Pinch of sugar

5 cups flour

1/4 cup plus 3 Tbl. olive oil

2 1/2 tsp. salt

1 Tbl. dry or chopped fresh rosemary

1 tsp. coarse (sea or kosher) salt

Stir together yeast with warm water, yeast and sugar in stand-up mixer bowl until yeast is dissolved.  Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.  (If mixture doesn't foam, discard and start over with new yeast.)

Add flour, 1/4 cup oil, and regular salt and beat with paddle attachment at medium speed until a dough forms.  Switch to dough hook and knead dough at high speed until soft, smooth and sticky, 3-4 minutes.

Knead with dough hook about a minute longer, then transfer to lightly oiled bowl and turn to coat with oil.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in bulk, 1- 1 1/2 hours.

Generously oil one 15x10x1 inch baking sheet or two cookie sheets.  Press dough evenly into large pan or form two circles and place on cookie sheets.  Cover completely with oiled plastic wrap and let rise again until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 425.  

Stir together rosemary and remaining oil in small bowl.  Make shallow indentations all over top of dough with fingertips, then brush with rosemary oil, letting it pool in indentations.  Sprinkle coarse salt evenly over top.

Bake until golden, 18-25 minutes. 

Serve warm or at room temperature.  Best eaten same day you bake it. 

Knox, King of Blocks

 

Spring Cleaning 101

I wish I could be uploading pictures of pretty decorated cookies right now instead of my bookshelves...because that is what I really wanted to be doing this past week.  Decorating cookies.  Or going to the mall. Or taking a long walk with Knox.  Or reading a book.  Or just about anything else besides spring cleaning.

But no, it was time to tackle this huge list of mine, which I wrote back in January, and have been finding excuses to delay ever since.

Do you notice that each and every item on the list now has a check mark next to it?! 

Last week was officially Operation Organize week here in our apartment.  Everything was turned over and inside out and we are now clean as a whistle.

I am not fond of organizing or deep cleaning.  I keep things clean on the outside but if you open a closet or cupboard door you better be ready for the attack of clutter and dust.  My mother tried to teach me better than that, but it just didn't work.

But now, after 5 days of hard work, we are truly clean and organized. 

At least for now.

I have this vague idea that when you write a blog about organizing you're supposed to give everyone your super duper organizing tips.  So here it is.

My strategy for Spring Cleaning/Organizing looks like this:

1.) Write a list.

2.) Try to do the things on the list.

3.) Months later, when that hasn't worked, bribe yourself with a reward (Tiff's Treats warm & fresh cookie delivery, for example).  And then get busy! :)

Worked like a charm.

And let me tell you, a week of Spring Cleaning burns a LOT of calories.  I totally deserved this, people.

Happy Spring!

The Two Story, Double Balcony Tree House

It's the end of an era.


On Saturday morning I called my family and my Dad said the words I have been dreading to hear for a long time.

"It's time for the tree house to come down."


When I was little...8 or 9ish years old...my Dad had my sister Courtney and I sit down and design the tree house of our dreams.

We grew up with acres and acres of woods as our playground.  So it was a no brainer.  What are all those trees for if not for a tree house?!

I remember the planning session.  My sister and I put our heads together and dreamed.  We dreamed big.  It was going to be the coolest  tree house known to mankind. 

We wanted it to be TWO stories high and to have stairs inside.  We wanted it to have an outdoor balcony off of each floor.  We wanted it to have real glass windows.  And - most importantly of all - it had to have a swinging ladder as the main means of entrance.

Only the best Dad in the world could make such a dream come true.

Luckily for us, we have that Dad. ♥

I remember him building it, and I remember helping.

(Does Mom know we helped nail shingles on the roof?)

I believe Courtney and I were going to paint the inside black and splatter paint it with hot pink, purple and turquoise.  That was the only part of the dream that didn't come true.  We never got around to it, thankfully. :)

These photos were all taken Saturday, just before the demolition began.  As you can tell, it really was time to bring it down.  The unfortunate thing about trees is that they grow.  And pull tree houses apart.

After 20-something years our beloved tree house was tearing apart and rotting inside.  The glass windows were partially broken.

It wasn't safe any more.

So Dad and Justin pulled it down.

Sadness.

Because this wasn't just a tree house...

It was a beautiful mansion.

A ship in the middle of the sea.

A castle.

That my Dad built for us.

I'm sad that Knox will never get to play in our tree house, but Papa has already promised that when Knox and Baby W. get a little bigger there will be yet another tree house planning session.

I can't wait. :)

Two-Bean and Corn Salad

I've always been a little stuck about what to serve with Mexican dishes like the enchiladas I posted earlier this week.  Rice?  Re-fried beans?  Eh, okay but neither of those options get me really excited.

Then I found this recipe (also on Epicurious).  

YES!  

I'll never have to wonder what to serve with Mexican dishes again.  

It was so flavorful, and so easy.  It made a perfect side with Mexican food and I'm envisioning it at a lot of hamburger and hot dog cookouts this summer as well.  

Two-Bean and Corn Salad

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 15 1/2-ounce can Great Northern beans, rinsed, drained
• 1 15 1/2-ounce can black beans, rinsed, drained
• 3 celery stalks, chopped (I left these out)
• 2 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed
• 1 medium-size red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 cup chopped red onion
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 small jalapeño chilies, seeded, chopped

Whisk oil, vinegar, and cumin in large bowl to blend. Add remaining ingredients and toss to coat. Season salad with salt and pepper. Let stand at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours, tossing occasionally.

Cheese/Chicken Enchiladas with Green Sauce

Mexican food.

This is something I did not have a lot of growing up in New England.  Rhubarb, meat and potatoes, muffins...yes.  Enchiladas, flautas, burritos...no.

I didn't even know there was such a thing as the avocado in the world until I went off to college.  What a pleasant surprise. :)

Texas would never be my first choice in places to live if the seminary wasn't here.  But I have to give this to Dallas: holy guacamole! :)

Yes, it's over 100 degrees in the summer and you don't want to leave your house from the end of May to the end of September.  But every restaurant you go to (almost) brings out tons and tons of chips and fresh salsa.  And it's so amazing.  I'm pretty sure it's the Tex-Mex that makes life worth living even in the summer here in Dallas. :)

Our favorite of favorite Tex-Mex restaurants in Dallas (we have several) has to be Chuy's.  We love that place.  And my favorite thing on their menu is their Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Enchiladas.  Words cannot describe how yummy they are.

It's been my dream to replicate these enchiladas, because we probably won't live in Dallas forever and whenever we leave I know I am going to miss them.  So that's what I was going for with this recipe...the recipe looked like it might come out tasting similar.

It wasn't super close to the Chicka Chicka Boom Booms, the flavor is pretty different, but these were still REALLY good.  I think they will be close enough to do the trick when Chuy's isn't available.  I'm definitely keeping this recipe.  (Which, by the way, I found on Epicurious.)

It's not exactly what you would call heart healthy, but you don't think about your heart when you eat Tex-Mex.  Only your soul.  ;)

Cheese/Chicken Enchiladas 
with Green Sauce

Sauce

• 1/2 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1 cup milk
• 6 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 3 green onions, minced
• 1/2 4-ounce can diced green chilies, drained
• 1 3/4 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

Enchiladas

• 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
• 12 6-inch corn tortillas
• 3 cups grated mild cheddar cheese
• 1 1/2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
• Shredded Chicken (optional)

• 1/2 cup sour cream

Sauce:

Cook spinach according to package instructions. Drain well. Set aside. Melt butter in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add flour and stir mixture 2 minutes; do not brown. Gradually whisk in whipping cream and milk. Simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in spinach, cilantro, green onion, chilies, cumin, coriander and red pepper. Puree in batches in processor until almost smooth. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before using.) 

Enchiladas:

Heat oil in heavy small skillet over medium-high heat. Using tongs, briefly dip each tortilla in oil and heat to soften, about 15 seconds per side. Transfer to paper towels and drain. Combine cheeses in large bowl; set aside 1 1/2 cups for topping. Combine onion and cilantro in small bowl. Place 1/4 cup cheese mixture in center of 1 tortilla. Spoon 2 teaspoons onion mixture over and some chicken chicken if adding meat. Roll up tortilla. Place seam side down in large glass baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas, chicken, cheese and onion, using 1/4 cup cheese for each. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.) 

Preheat oven to 375°F. Stir sour cream into sauce; pour over enchiladas. Sprinkle with reserved 1 1/2 cups cheese. Bake until cheese melts and enchiladas are heated through, about 25 minutes.

Welcome Home, Courtney & Justin!!!

Okay I promised some more tex-mex recipes this week, and they're coming, but I had to take this opportunity to say WELCOME HOME to my sister and brother-in-law! 

Their plane is probably landing as I type this...I just talked to my mom and dad who are  happily waiting for them at the airport in Hartford, CT. 

They're coming home from Indonesia for a few months to have their Baby Boy who is due in June.  We couldn't be more excited!

I still won't get to see Courtney for another month, which is a bummer.  But still...it's always nice to be on the same continent.  :)

If you want to see the latest from them check out their blog, here.

Welcome Back to America, Courtney and Justin! 

WE LOVE YOU!!!