We’re smack in the middle of rhubarb season. Have you picked any up yet? I can’t resist the dark red color of rhubarb stalks, and love pairing its tart flavor with something sweet.
Today we’re bottling up that pink + tart goodness in a compote. This will keep in your fridge for weeks and perfectly preserves this early summer gem.
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We have a great summer dinner for you. It features dandelions for the appetizer, salad, main dish, and dessert, and is the perfect summer feast to celebrate the start of summer!
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Oh Colorado, we love you and we love snow. We’ve lived here for 7 years now and are fully aware that March and April are our snowiest months. But even we can be fooled by the promise of summer the moment we experience our first 70F weekend in March.
Then comes a big snowstorm, and we’re reminded that it’s still ski season! We ski on those bluebird days, so happy to be in the mountains. Remembering that Colorado winters aren’t bad, they’re beautiful.
Continue readingHave you ever dyed eggs the natural way, using veggies and spices? It’s a lot easier than you’d think and the results are terrific! You gotta love that dyeing eggs the natural way allows you to use up some kitchen scraps and there’s no need to run out and purchase a dyeing kit. Start this project today as I let my eggs sit in the dye bath for a full 36 hours before removing them. That way your naturally dyed eggs will be ready for Easter festivities.
For these dyes, I rummaged around in my cupboards and used ingredients that I had on hand. This post gives you the details of five different dyes, but there are many more options to explore. Once you get the hang of it, there is no need to use a recipe, just experiment and have fun!
This Easy Beef & Broccoli Stir Fry is truly a 30-minute meal. It has quickly become a favorite in our house and we lean on it every other week. We also whip this one out when guests are over and we need to make something with little effort, but lots of pay off.
My beef about beef: some people hate on ground beef, but that’s likely because they’re buying the cheap and creep (as I call it) from the bargain bin at the grocery store. Whenever I go to the farmers market, I stock up on ground beef from a local farmer. Not only is the quality great, but I can ask them for fattier or leaner pounds depending on how I intend to use it. Plus I know the cows aren’t pumped with hormones and fed piles of grain and corn, instead they’re free-range mellow grass grazers. The $2 extra per pound is well worth it. If you have trust issues with ground beef, I highly recommend a visit to your local butcher or farmers market.
Start the rice in a rice cooker or on the stovetop and cook as directed.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Rinse and chop the broccoli. Spread on a baking sheet, drizzle some olive oil over top and give it a liberal shake of salt. Place in the oven, check after 20 minutes or so. I bake mine for about 35 minutes because I love crispy charred broccoli.
Place the beef in a frying pan over medium heat. Break up with a fork while it’s cooking. Chop the garlic and add to the beef. Drain off excess grease if necessary though I rarely find I need to do this step.
Prepare the sauce – in a medium-sized bowl, combine ½ cup soy sauce, ½ cup orange juice, ½ cup brown sugar, 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil, and 1 tablespoon of cornstarch. Whisk until combined and then pour into the pan of cooked beef.
Reduce the heat to low – simmer for about five minutes until the sauce thickens and coats the beef.
Plate rice, beef, and broccoli in a bowl and sprinkle with a bit of sesame seeds and top with sliced green onions.
That’s that! The easiest Beef & Broccoli Stir Fry that truly only takes thirty minutes. Even though this dish is straightforward, the flavor of the glazed beef combined with the crispy broccoli is filling, delicious and perfect for those busy weeknights.
I’m letting you in on a little secret today, it’s easier than you think to make your own healing potions. After coming off of a homemaker high of making Katie’s Fire Cider, I decided to follow her lead and simmer some Homemade Elderberry Syrup as well.
For some reason, I’ve been really intimidated to make this Homemade Elderberry Syrup. Maybe it had to do with the “elusive ingredients” (they weren’t hard to find) or simply my own procrastination, but whatever was stopping me, don’t let it stop you! Homemade Elderberry Syrup is easy to make and I’ll be adding it to my monthly/bimonthly kitchen routines. Here’s how it’s done:
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It’s blood orange season! Pick some up at the market and treat your V-day pals to this delicious pink cocktail.
Continue readingA treat for your Valentine’s Day sweetie! Whip up a batch of homemade marshmallows this week!
Seeing homemade marshmallows make the internet rounds and knowing how much my husband loves them (caffeinated marshmallows were a stocking stuffer hit!), I was excited to test my kitchen skills and make whip up a batch. 
The recipes all seem simple enough, but there was still something daunting about turning sugar into perfectly puffed squares and not ending up with my hand stuck to the magazine inserts like Chevy Chase in Christmas Vacation (need a reminder?). With a free day, and all of the ingredients on hand, I am now a homemade marshmallow convert ~ they are so easy to make! And addictive! Although, while in the middle of this sweet adventure, there were a few moments of panic.
Hey Valentines! We’re republishing an old favorite today: Chocolate Cake with Buttercream Icing and Rose Petals. The Schu family loves this simple chocolate cake recipe. Spend a year of birthdays with us and you’re bound to have it at least a few times. Fancy it up with some buttercream icing and the addition of dried rose petals and you have the prettiest Valentine’s Day (or any damn day) dessert. We like to share this cake a few weeks early in case you need to order the organic rose petals online. If cupid shot you with an arrow and you’re in need of more Valentine’s Day DIYs – check it! Continue reading
Six delicious and dare I say simple DIY infused alcohol recipes. Perfect for a pal or a gal or sippin’ by yourself. These recipes take anywhere from a few minutes, to a few hours, to several days, whichever you pick, you’ll be loved for it!
We’re giving you a solid heads up, so you have a few days to think about what an easy and awesome gift infused alcohol is before gettin’ to it and mixing these up to be ready in time for Valentine’s Day. Don’t worry, we’ll remind you in another couple of weeks.
My only pro tip? Just click on whichever infused alcohol recipes catch your eye tastebuds, read through the post to ensure you have everything on hand for when you’re ready to brew. You’ll also find a great suggestion for your first drink. Cheers!